Secrets & Lies by Willow Dixon
Silvercrest U Book 5
MM Dark College Romance
Release: June 18, 2026
Anthony
Three years ago, I hooked up with one of my frat brothers during a house challenge, and between the darkness and the masks we were wearing, I had no idea it was West until after it was over. And what was supposed to be nothing more than a chance to have a little fun and indulge in some of my darker desires ends up being so much more.
I don’t understand the pull between us, but West feels like mine, and even though he does his best to hide it, I know he wants me too.
After accidentally catching his fiancée cheating on him, I send West an anonymous text asking if he wants to know the truth. That text sparks a conversation, then another, and before I know it, West is telling me his deepest, darkest secrets, even though he has no idea who I am.
Then he issues me a challenge I can’t resist, and my prize is I get to do whatever I want to him. I already know West is into the same things I am, but I had no idea just how compatible we really are. Or how much we both like it when I wear a mask.
At the same time all of this is going on, West and I are paired up to work on a project together, and it’s then I realize that what I feel for him goes beyond anything I ever thought possible. I don’t just want him, I need him. And now that I’ve claimed him, I’m never letting him go.
West is mine until I decide he isn’t, and I dare anyone to try and come between us because I promise it won’t end well for them.
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“Do you want me to come over and hang out?” Damon asks. “I can be back at the house in thirty minutes if you want some company.”
“Back at the house?” He’s not in his room?
“Yeah,” he says, lowering his voice. “Don’t tell anyone this, but the Rebels have a cabin in their area of the woods.”
“A cabin?”
“Yeah. We meet here because there are no cameras or swipe logs, so it’s pretty much the only place we can have any privacy.”
For some dumb reason, my chest clenches and my heart sinks a bit. Of course Damon is with Xave right now. He’s not going to put his life on hold just because mine is imploding.
“It’s fine,” I tell him, trying to sound casual and nonchalant.
“Do you really think you should be alone right now?”
“I’m fine,” I say, even as I feel anything but fine. “I have a bunch of work I need to catch up on. Hopefully keeping my brain busy will stop me from obsessing over everything.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, his voice heavy with doubt.
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
“Are you going to class tomorrow?”
I bite back a groan. The thought of leaving my room and having to deal with people and their questions is enough to make me want to crawl into my bed and hide for a month, but I can’t just skip class indefinitely.
I’m doing okay in most of my classes, but I don’t have a ton of wiggle room, and my family will never leave me alone if my grades slip. Not even the total destruction of my life and my relationship blowing up in my face would be reason enough for my family to give me a break.
“I don’t know,” I tell him. “I should, but I guess I’ll see how I feel in the morning.”
“Do you want to meet up for breakfast?” he asks. “Our first classes are in the same building. We could walk over together.”
“Your class starts an hour after mine does,” I point out.
“That’s fine. I have some reading I need to catch up on,” he says dismissively. “And maybe walking around with someone who’s even more gossip-worthy will shield you from the worst of their shit.”
“That would be great, thanks,” I say, my voice as tight as my throat suddenly is.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come over tonight?” he asks again.
I know I should say yes and accept his offer, but my stubborn side doesn’t like being someone’s second choice. Knowing that he’d rather be with Xave right now would just taint my mood, and we’d both end up having a shitty night.
“I’m sure. I’ll be okay,” I lie.
“I’ll come by your room at eight tomorrow. Will that be enough time for you to get to class?”
“Yeah, that’ll be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” He pauses. “And call or text if you need anything.”
“I will. Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
He ends the call, and I put my phone back on my desk.
“Fuck,” I mutter. I’m hit with so many emotions at once it feels like I got sucker-punched, and I’m left dazed as I try to sort through them all.
The most prominent is an overwhelming feeling of despair, but under it are undercurrents of loneliness, hurt, and anger. And mixed in there is the familiar restlessness that tends to take over when I’m dealing with shit. The same restlessness that makes me do impulsive things and is why I’m a champ at self-sabotage.
Blowing out a breath, I wiggle my mouse to wake up my laptop and try to focus on the article I was attempting to read before Damon’s call.
The words on the page all sort of blur together the longer I stare at them, and even though I’ve read the same paragraph a dozen times already, I haven’t absorbed a single word and have no idea what it says.
My attention is pulled away from the article when my phone vibrates with another notification, and I automatically tip the screen toward me to check to see who texted.
I’m expecting it to be one of my frat brothers or another one of my ‘friends’ looking for gossip, but my heart skips a beat when I see it’s from my mystery texter.
Adrenaline and excitement surge through me as I open our text thread.
Unknown: Do you remember our deal?
More adrenaline and excitement gather deep inside me, and I type out my reply.
I don’t know why texting with him is so exhilarating, or why I keep doing it. Every instinct I have is telling me this is a mistake and I should stop giving him even more ammunition he could use against me, but I can’t. And more than that, I don’t want to.
West: deal?
Unknown: that I can do whatever I want to you if I can get into your room without you knowing
West: I remember
Unknown: do you still agree? Or do you want to take it back?
Something about the wording of his text makes my hackles rise, and my defenses kick in. Is he calling me a chicken?
West: why would I want to take it back?
Unknown: no reason. Just giving you the option
West: I don’t need the option because it’s never going to be an issue
Unknown: okay. Then I want you to do something for me
West: what?
Unknown: turn around
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and a shiver runs up my spine as an intense feeling of being watched falls over me.
Slowly, I turn and look behind me.
Secrets & Lies by Willow Dixon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
West is a participant in the hunt, a Keepers fraternity event. He didn’t expect to get caught so fast or to have the most intense sexual encounter ever. Now three years later he still wonders who the masked man was. Anthony on the other hand know exactly who West is and is mildly obsessed, or maybe not so mildly.
This series has been up and down for me. This book is a down. It seemed like the whole book was just an excuse to have hot sex. The mystery wasn’t furthered much. The characters in the first few books were so over the top that these guys seemed kind of normal by comparison. I didn’t feel the zing between the main group.
Overall the book was fine. If I read this book as a standalone I might be inclined to rate it a 4. Just for the hotness factor if nothing else. I know each book must stand on its own merit so maybe comparisons aren’t fair. Will I read the next book in the series? Certainly.
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
Release Celebration
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What can I say about myself? It’s kind of like being the new kid in school and being asked to tell everyone a bit about yourself. Anyone else forget everything they’ve ever liked, thought of, and even their name in those moments?
A few facts about me; I’m a veteran, I’m Canadian, and I love books! I’ve been writing my own stories since I was eight and wrote my first novel at sixteen. I’m the first to admit those attempts weren’t my best work, but they started me on a journey of creating stories that has led me to fulfilling my dream of becoming an author. I’ve written and published in several genres under different names, but MM is by far my favorite, and I’m so happy to be able to share my stories with people today.
I currently live on Canada’s east coast with my kiddo and my cats. I have a shoe collecting addiction, and I enjoy taking long walks, discussions with friends, and reading anything and everything I can get my hands on.
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