All An Act by Leslie McAdam
MM Romance
Release: April 20, 2026
💚Staged Kisses
💚Real Feelings
💚Hurt/Comfort
💚Coming of Age
💚Boy Next Door
💚Jock x Goth
Lachlan Doyle’s biggest problem seems to be which girl to invite to prom. Everyone thinks the golden boy of Royce High, captain of the football team and senior class president, has a charmed life.
Everyone except me.
To me, he’s the sad-eyed boy next door. All my life, I’ve overheard what goes on at his house and wished I could save him from it. I know that underneath Lachlan’s smiling, flirty exterior is a very broken human being.
One who has to fake interest in cheerleaders and so desperately wants to escape his horrible home life that he auditions for the school play just to be out of the house in the offseason. He’d rather spend hours rehearsing with the weird drama kids than deal with his family.
Except Lachlan didn’t know when he accepted the lead role that he’d have to kiss a guy—me—in front of the entire audience. And he didn’t know that I’ve had a crush on him forever. Although he might be suspicious, given what we get up to when no one else is around.
Regardless, there’s no chance we’d ever be together for real. The only time the popular jock and the emo goth make sense as a couple is when we’re both acting like someone else.
All an Act is a steamy gay romance about two high school seniors. All spicy scenes feature characters who are 18+ years old. This is a stand-alone MM romance about the one person who sees who you really are. Expect confessions in the dark, fake kisses that turn into more, and raw courage. HEA.
Start reading today with Kindle Unlimited: https://getbook.at/AllAnAct
EXCERPT
“That works for me. Does it work for you?”
“Yes, it does, sugar tits.”
He stares at me, pulling the hood of my sweatshirt up.
“What?” I say, laughing. “Don’t we need to have flirty nicknames? I was just trying that one on for size.”
“It doesn’t fit,” Isak says flatly.
“I dunno,” I say carefully. “You seem like you might be a sugar tits.”
Isak shakes his head and casts his eyes to the sky. “You try my patience.”
“No, I don’t. You like being around me.”
Silence. So much silence that I’m afraid to catch his gaze. But when I do, he nods. “Yeah, I do. I like being around you. Just not when you call me sugar.”
“Sugar tits,” I correct.
“Yeah, not that, either.”
We continue walking back to our houses. “What about angel babyface?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Sweetums?”
“No.”
“Daddy?”
Isak bursts out laughing. It’s this pure expression of joy that I want to bottle up and keep with me always. “Don’t you f*cking dare call me daddy.”
I press my lips together, but I’m sure my eyes are dancing. “I’ll come up with a pet name for you yet.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Or,” I continue, talking over him, “I’ll keep trying our entire life to find the right one.”
“Whatever,” he mutters. But he’s smiling.
“Okay, Prince Snugglepie.”
“Dammit, Lachlan.”
“Puddin’ pop? Muffin? Sweet pea? Bubba? Honeypot? Tater tot? McSwagger? Papa Bear?”
“F*ck off.”
I kiss him.
“Baby,” I whisper.
He doesn’t say anything. But he smiles.
There. That one.
All an Act by Leslie McAdam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Isak has been in love with Lachlan for years. Neighbors, best friends, until Lachlan’s uncle tears them apart and puts words into Lachlan’s head that will haunt him for years. Now young men, they are trying to find their way back to each other without realizing it at first.
At first I didn’t care for Lachlan. He used Isak. However Isak let him, so who was really at fault? It took the first part of the book for Lachlan to become a sympathetic character in my eyes. His growth once he allowed Isak past his walls was both sad and touching. The metamorphosis from (nice) jock to endearing boyfriend was very sweet. Isak was well balanced and his treatment of Lachlan from the beginning of the relationship was supportive and hopeful.
This is a really powerful story about how words can control a persons life long after they are spoken. When hate speech tunnels into your brain it’s almost impossible to work past it. In this case it turns both young men inside out. Causing Lachlan to give up his dearest friend. The same thing happens to Isak but in a different way, causing him to give up acting which he really loves.
I liked this book. It had vivid characters both good and bad. It was ultimately a satisfying journey of two young men into adulthood. I liked how the author finished the story with glimpses of their futures.
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two children. An avid reader from a young age, she will always trade watching TV for reading a book. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the people you fantasize about.
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