Finding Delaware (State of Us Book 1) by Bree Wiley is a raw, intense MM enemies-to-lovers romance. It came out in October 2024. The story mixes stepbrothers, forced proximity, heavy trauma, and redemption. It is the first book in the State of Us series. It deals with dark themes like abuse and mental health. It has a slow-burn romance with lots of spice.
Plot Overview
Taylor Tottman grows up in a tough town. His dad abuses him. Freestyle motocross and his best friend help him escape. In junior high, he kisses Huckslee Davis. It is a secret crush. Taylor panics. He hides his feelings by bullying Huckslee for years. He hurts him physically and mentally. Taylor uses violence to cope with his own pain.
Huckslee suffers badly. Taylor knows his secret. It makes high school hell. One bad incident pushes Huckslee to attempt suicide. He leaves the state after that. He builds a new life far away.
Years later, Huckslee returns to Utah. His dad is sick. He needs to come home. Taylor’s mom marries Huckslee’s dad. They become stepbrothers. They live under one roof. Old hate flares up. Taylor still obsesses over Huckslee. Huckslee wants nothing to do with him. Forced closeness brings back memories. They share the dirt track for motocross. They argue a lot. Secrets come out. Hate slowly turns to desire. They face their past pain. They try to heal together. The story jumps in time. It shows their messy journey to love.
Character Dynamics and Development
Taylor is broken and angry. Abuse shaped him. He bullies to hide his crush. He feels guilt deep down. Living with Huckslee forces him to face what he did. He grows by owning his actions. He learns to love without hurt.
Huckslee is quiet and scarred. He endured years of torment. He tried to end it all. Coming back is hard. He guards his heart. Taylor’s changes surprise him. He starts to forgive. He opens up again.
They are toxic at first. Their bond is intense. Shared motocross and family tie them. They clash hard. Then they connect deeply. Their romance builds slow. It turns passionate. Found family and friends help them.
Key Events and Themes
The story starts in their teen years. Bullying and the kiss happen. Huckslee’s low point leads to leaving. Time jumps four years. Huckslee returns. Stepbrother life begins. Track races mix truce and tension. Big talks uncover truths. Taylor redeems himself. They face demons. Sweet moments like a surprise prom happen. The ending gives hope and HEA.
The book explores abuse cycles. It shows trauma and recovery. It looks at toxic love turning healthy. Redemption matters. Forgiveness is hard but possible. Mental health gets real focus. Motocross adds thrill and escape.
The romance is very steamy. Scenes are explicit and plentiful. It has hurt-comfort and high emotion.
In short, this is a heavy, gripping read. Two broken boys hurt each other young. Forced family reunion makes them face it. Hate becomes love on the track. It is raw, toxic, and healing. Great for fans of dark MM stepbrother romance with redemption arcs.