Sidelined by Becca Steele (LSU Book 2)


Pining for your best friend never ends well, and as much as Elliott wants to move on, Ander is everything to him. One kiss and now Ander might be interested in dating guys, but is he interested in guys or is it just Elliott that turns everything around and makes Ander think his forever may have been in front of him all along.

From the Sidelined blurb:

I’ve been in love with my best friend, Ander, for as long as I can remember. I’ve always kept my feelings to myself, knowing that I’d never have a chance because he’s straight.
Until the day he does me a favour by pretending to be my boyfriend.

After that, things change. He’s suddenly interested in experimenting with guys…just not with me.
It’s time for me to move on, and accept that nothing between us will ever change. He only sees me as his best friend.

Except…now he’s looking at me in a different way.
Does he feel something more than friendship for me, or am I just deluding myself?
I guess it’s time to find out.

Sidelined is an M/M new adult college romance with best friends to lovers and bi awakening themes. It is the second book in the LSU series. Each book can be read as a standalone.


SNik's Review:

Second in series (LSU), but can be read as a standalone. Best friends to lovers. GFY. Slow burn. Dual POV. 

Ander and Elliott have been best friends since they were kids, but Elliott has always loved Ander beyond just friendship and being at college together he is finally trying to move on. But Ander just had a revelation, one kiss and now he thinks he might be interested in guys too, or is it just Elliott that he is attracted to? This best friends to lovers trope worked really well for me as there is a slow build to Ander’s thought process about other guys, about his special feelings for Elliott, his protectiveness of their friendship and his hopes for their future. Elliott has the most heart wrenching yearning but continues to be the best friend to Ander that he can, and both men try to compartmentalize their emotions in order to make the other happy. 

There are a lot of supportive secondary characters, and Ander and Elliott both communicate their feelings with their friends while struggling to be honest with each other fearing losing their friendship, which felt very realistic to me. Sweet and steamy, a really enjoyable read.

4.5 Stars


Angel's Review:

A wonderful friends to lovers tale.

Elliot has been in love with his best friend Ander for years, ever since he could remember actually. Unfortunately he has had to watch Ander gallivant around with all sorts of women, as much as that hurt he could try to push that down. But when Ander kissed him then decided he wanted to experiment with men, Elliot couldn't watch that happen. 

Ander is confused. He has never been interested in guys before, not until he kissed Elliot. After that all he can think about is his best friend, what he tastes like, what he sounds like in bed, how it would be to actually date Elliot.  But does Elliot feel the same? 

I really enjoyed this friends to lovers story, it was sweet and touching. I felt for Elliot's unrequited crush he had on Ander, I felt bad for him. I was shouting for Ander to open his eyes, and notice Elliot. I enjoyed their story, they took their sweet time getting to know each other but once they get there it was worth the wait. I wish there wasn't so much miscommunication, I felt like that wasn't completely necessary for the story or the plot. Overall the writing was good and the author knows what they are doing. 

Heat level: 4/5. 

There are quite a few intimate scenes, a vast majority of these two as a couple are intimate scenes. 

Rating: 4.5 Stars


Heather's Review:

I love a friends to lovers, bi-awakening story with a protective best friend and that's exactly what you get when you read Sidelined!  I absolutely love how Ander's journey to discover his sexuality started with stealing a kiss from his bestie that he was protecting from a creepy guy in a bar and wound it's way through his head until he discovered he was Elliot-sexual...

This book was beautifully written, well paced and super sweet, steamy once they got together, and angsty in that college guy finding his path way... If you like a new adult best friends bi-awakening story than you definitely want to read Sidelined!

Rating: 5 Stars


KjnRose's Review:

This was an amazing best friends to lovers book that will have you reading this from start to finish. Elliot was in love with his best friend, and all it took was one kiss to make Ander think about how things could be. It has wonderful characters and a great storyline. Low angst, sexy, and slow burn, this is a must read.

Rating: 5 Stars



Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's Review:

The second book in the LSU series gives us a best friends to lovers romance with a bi awakening.
We met he MCs Ander and Elliot in book one. We also learned that Elliot was head over heels in love with his best friend and had been for years. Forcing himself to come to terms with the fact that Ander would never be his, Elliot decides to put effort into moving on and finding someone else to love. It just so happens that not long after he gets the shock of a lifetime. Trying to protect his friend from unwanted advances of a creepy dude, Anders plants an epic kiss on his bestie rocking both their worlds - Elliot because he'd dreamed of that moment since forever and Anders because he liked that kiss a lot more than he expected.

What followed was a plethora of miscommunication, a few more kisses, and, of course, the inevitable fall into bed together. I loved how strong the bond of friendship was between these two. They were each other's person, their partner in crime. They were protective of one another, especially Ander over Elliot. It was easy and natural for Ander to fall in love with his best friend, something he'd never had before with another person. Though leery of his heart breaking, Elliot was there for it all, and he gradually began to believe in the sincerity of Ander wanting to be with him. There were quite a few sweet moments that certainly helped with the convincing.

That being said, I wanted to smack Anders on the head a few times. Actually, Elliot too. It took a while for them to finally have a much-needed conversation about their feelings and wants. A lot of heartache could have been avoided had they come clean sooner. I remind myself these are college aged boys who aren't exactly known for their maturity and adult-like decisions. Thankfully, these two dumbasses did eventually communicate and earned themselves a lovely HEA. I'm excited for the next book in the series as I am almost certain it will be about a certain dickish professor and the amazing JJ. Give me all the grumpy sunshine!

Rating: 5 Stars


Sidelined is available as a paperback and e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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