Rating: 4.5
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Series: Dirty Strays #2
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Main tropes: found family, hurt / comfort, kink
If he’s going to be my first real friend, I want him to know my truth–that I’m built of stories and scars, not chromosomes.
Riley Nash is back with another beautiful, intense and raw story! Dallas and Beck’s story was a rollercoaster of emotions, and Riley truly excels at writing these kind of characters – surrounded by gritty realities, desperation and broken dreams – without making it feel entirely hopeless.
Dallas had my entire heart and I just wanted to hug and protect him… I loved to follow his PoV and how things developed between him and Beck. Their friendship was beautiful, and I liked the glimpses of their past that were shared. Their relationship progress felt very natural and almost inevitable considering their connection.
Beck’s past was haunting and his frustrations, the way he was trapped by circumstances and his past made my heart ache. He was always there for Dallas though, fiercely protective and oh so possessive of him, I was totally there for it though, and their dynamic and chemistry was amazing.
And the kink… Beck and Dallas most certainly can’t make fun of Scout and Roman for being kinky anymore, that’s for sure. Their primal play was really hot and I liked how it had been sort of a long time fantasy for Dallas. The vulnerability between Beck and Dallas when it came to their more intimate moments was almost palpable, and it also showed how much trust they had for each other. They were just so precious together!
Pretty Dog was an emotional and intense story that had me captivated all the way through. I love this little found family that keeps growing, and it was great to see Roman and Scout again. It was also so cute and heart-warming to see both Beck and Dallas with Calvin, I really loved their interactions. It made my heart happy to see how they all took care of and supported each other, and I really hope that I’ll get to see more of these guys!
“I’m gonna rut you into the ground, rabbit,” he murmurs.
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph
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