Lionheart Academy Book 2: Omitting You by T. Ashleigh

Lionheart Academy Book 2

Rhys:

I’ve loved him since before I understood what love meant.

My best friend, my secret keeper, my defender.

The boy with the glasses and quiet temperament.

The guy with the sweetest smile, who has the dirtiest mouth.

The man who owns me. Mind, body, and soul.

I’m ready for the world to know that he’s mine. To love him out loud.

The problem? Winston isn’t ready. And I’m not sure he ever will be.

Loving Winston was never optional for me.

I want to be his everything, instead, I feel as though I’m disposable to him.

After all, how could I not be when I’m his dirty little secret?

Winston:

Being a Connley comes with certain expectations.

Go to school, take over the family business, marry a woman, and have two point five kids.

So, imagine how life would be if the prodigal son turned out gay?

I don’t want to cause a rift in my family. So instead, I grit my teeth and plaster on a fake smile to avoid dealing with the bullshit.

The problem? I’m completely, unbelievably, devastatingly in love with Rhys Evander.

I know I need to stop hiding. I need to own who I am.

It’s not fair to Rhys for me to keep him on the sidelines, yet fear keeps me paralyzed.

I just hope I have the guts to follow my heart before it’s too late.

Because losing Rhys is never going to be an option for me.

*Omitting You is the second book in The Lionheart Academy interconnecting series. It can be read as a standalone. It's a full length, new adult high school novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. It’s recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations. Please read trigger warnings before proceeding.*

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122874808-omitting-you

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I am loving this series! Rhys and Winston's story was so good. This is a great best friends to lovers trope, and I couldn't put it down. Rhys and Winston have been inseparable since they were eight years old. It is no surprise that has the years pass by that their feelings for one another morph from best friends to something more. But neither know how the other truly feels and both are terrified of jeopardizing their friendship in any way. As they start the summer interning for their dads hotels, they finally have a moment that changes their relationship forever. Finally, these two are together and know how the other feels, but there are complications. The main one being Winston. He isn't ready to tell everyone about their relationship yet. Especially his family. He wants time to sort it out and figure out a way to tell everyone without everything changing around them. And Rhys understands and is patient. Until it starts to feel like maybe it just won't ever happen. These two are such a strong pair and it's heartbreaking to see them have to struggle to find the balance in their relationship and the secrets dragging them down. But in the end they'll have to decide how much they are willing to sacrifice to be with one another. Loved this story! This has been such a fun series so far and I cannot wait for the next book! Have to know what is going on with that last pair and I definitely want to see more of all the couples we've seen so far in the eyes of someone else.