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Stacked

Mars Fitness, Book Two

by Linden Bell

Blurb:

Sawyer

Iโ€™ve been in love with my best friend and roommate since the first day of boarding school over a decade ago. But Preston has always been oblivious, obsessed with his PhD research, and more importantly, straight.

When the new, sexy grad student walks into my gym, I have to wonderโ€ฆ is it time for me to move on?

Preston

Some guy is trying to steal my best friend. I wonโ€™t let him. Sawyerโ€™s mine.

Maybe I havenโ€™t appreciated Sawyer enough over the years, but thatโ€™s going to change now. Iโ€™ll do whatever it takes to keep him by my side. Even if it means kissing him.

Stacked is a best friends-to-lovers, bi-awakening, nerd/jock MM romance between possessive, protective, and co-dependent roommates. Expect the most tender caretaking, slipping into each otherโ€™s beds in the middle of the night, and adorable clinginess. It is the second book in the Mars Fitness series and can be read as a standalone.

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*****

Review:

**minor spoilers ahead**

I’ll be honest, love triangles are just not my thing. I think that’s a really important CW for this one because Sawyer does have a relationship – romantic and sexual – with someone else. He does it with good intentions, believing that Preston will never return his feelings, but it’s still a thing. Do they handle it the best way? No. But it seems pretty realistic all things considered.

Sawyer is a genuinely nice guy – kind, considerate, and giving. I’m not sure I quite understand his attraction to Preston but the heart is a force unto itself ๐Ÿ™‚ Not to say he doesn’t do some stupid things, but I think he means well.

Preston is a bit self-absorbed and quite clueless on just about everything because he’s been cared for by others pretty much all his life. He’s neurodivergent at least and likely somewhere on the aromantic/asexual scale. But getting his side of things, I kinda like him. I’m not sure why, maybe because Sawyer does, but while he’s problematic I also found myself rooting for them.

I feel like Bell does a good job of handling the changing dynamic of Preston & Sawyer’s relationship. Preston struggles with even normal human interactions but throwing in new sexual & romantic feelings for his best friend is huge. With Sawyer’s help, he eventually figures things out. And while I was happy they got their HEA, I hope that Bell has something in mind for Fitz because he definitely deserves better than he got.

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