"Exposed," by Skylar M. Cates

Contemporary MM Romance

Book Blurb

He’s telling lies
Assuming a fake identity
It’s a wild ride of emotion, yet Rafe can’t stop…

After years of running from a traumatic secret, Rafe is making his way in the world alone. Now that he’s landed a job at a Miami newspaper, he’s hungry for success. His goal is to expose closest golfer Daniel Andrews, who is rich, gorgeous, and arrogant. Everything the opposite of Rafe.

Or is he?

When Rafe and Daniel begin a steamy affair, Rafe knows it’s only a matter of time before Daniel discovers his betrayal. Now he has to choose: confess and hope Daniel can forgive him, or put his ambition ahead of his heart.

Exposed is a standalone story that includes a famous athlete, an undercover reporter, and some twisted turns for these enemies-to-lovers. There will be vulnerable secrets revealed and a questionable chance for redemption. Go along with them on an exotic adventure through the Caribbean as love is put to the test.

My Review

I received a copy of this book via the author in exchange for an honest review.

Skylar M. Cates is a fellow former Dreamspinner Press author, so I was thrilled to read her recently re-released novel Exposed. While we were DSP sisters for a brief period, I’ve never had the pleasure of reading anything by Ms. Cates, and this was a delightful first read. I’ll definitely be adding her to my list of authors to keep an eye on!

The main premise of this story is trope-filled and cliché, but Cates does a good job of balancing what could easily be an over-the-top idea with well-rounded character building and some seriously steamy sex scenes. Did I mention the sex was hot, because… whoa boy. It’s on fire. 🔥🔥🔥

Rafe is a hungry reporter looking to snag himself a story that’ll be big enough to win him the respect he’d due. He aims to achieve that by exposing big time celebrity golfer Daniel, who just happens to be closeted. So when Rafe sneaks onto Daniel’s boat set for the Caribbean, you can guess what happens next. The two fall into an insta-lust situation that gets seriously hot and heavy with a quickness. Which, of course, means Rafe is now faced with deciding between his job and his relationship with Daniel.

Yes, you can predict how the story plays out, but as I’ve said a hundred times before and will say a hundred times again, tropes are tropes for a reason. They work.

I would recommend this to romance lovers, but most especially those who like high-heat, mild angst, and find comfort in the predictability of trope-guided plots. It’s an enjoyably quick read and would make for an excellent time-passer for anyone looking for a light weight standalone. 💕

Be sure to keep scrolling for a snippet from the author about the playlist she used to get into the mood while writing these boys, followed by a giveaway!!

Playlist for Exposed

including Skylar’s thoughts on the list!

Looking over my list, it is pretty clear there was some angst in this story! It seems to be a blend of heat, heartbreak, and yearning.

Bon Jovi’s song set the mood for the start of the novel. Rafe was telling lie to gain Daniel’s trust. He would be giving love a “bad name.”

Fallin’ is for Daniel. He seems arrogant and cold on the surface, but he’s really a softie and a romantic. He’s unsure about Rafe, yet he can’t seem to resist him.

I love the song by Paramore, and to be honest, it’s on most of my book playlists. This song makes me think of Rafe more, though, since he never had much love of any kind until Daniel.

Exposed is a story of deception. One thing I do recall wanting is that the forgiveness wasn’t quick or easy. I didn’t want forgiveness in a paragraph or even a chapter.

So yeah… Daniel was all “Cry Me a River” over the betrayal.

And Rafe’s song for this part was “Complicated.”

I love all the versions of Nothing Compares 2 U, but the pain in the Chris Cornell interpretation of the song really matched how Daniel and Rafe were feeling. Yearning, longing, heartbroken need-- –it’s all in Cornell’s amazing voice!

The last two songs on my list are what I like to listen to during a reunion scene. These guys have come so far. They are still hot and steamy together (cue Foreigner’s song), but also more emotionally open for their future (cue Journey).

As Exposed is now about to be re-released in KU for the first time, I listened again to the playlist and it brought a lot of the scenes back to me.

Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY!!

The author has been kind and generous enough to offer a lucky reader their choice of one book from her back list in ebook format! So, if you’re interested in winning a free ebook from Skylar M. Cates, like and RT my tweet here and/or click below for additional methods of entry!

Skylar M. Cates eBook Giveaway!

END DATE IS 07/19/2020 AT 11:59 PM EST.

Skylar M. Cates
She/Her

Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance, especially ones that are both steamy and emotionally satisfying.

She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Her novels feature strong, passionate characters who care about their friends and family. Skylar loves to craft stories where realistic people are challenged by vulnerable situations. Although lately the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe. Contact her on Twitter, Facebook or through her newsletter.