REVIEW: The Comeback King by Riley Hart (Necessary Roughness #1)

THE COMEBACK KING

Necessary Roughness - Book One

by Riley Hart

Release Date: June 17, 2026

Review

This has the perfect balance of swoon and angst! Emotional but not devastating.

Needless to say, I loved it. There are no sides; you will connect with both Hunter & Lucas.

Lucas is not who his father wanted for a son, and though his brother is the perfect son, it’s his boyfriend, Hunter, who lets the Coach live his dreams. And for Hunter, being considered a son, having a father in his corner, matters a lot.

So when Ellis dies, it’s no surprise that the entire family digs into what is safe.

Until Lucas and Hunter run into each other years later, and yes there is a lustful connection, but there’s also a chance to break free of patterns and expectations.

This time, choosing love and happiness. Choosing themselves and each other.

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Synopsis

Lucas

To my dad, Hunter King is a football prodigy destined for greatness.

The son he always wanted.

To me, Hunter King is the guy I’ve loved most of my life.

The guy who happens to be my dead brother’s boyfriend.

We were kids when Hunter came into our lives—the boy with the skill my brother didn’t have and the drive I lacked. The one who was always kind to me, who cared about my photography when, to my dad, it was a hobby, not worth anyone’s time.

Looking at the world through the lens of my camera is the only thing I’ve ever wanted.

Other than Hunter King.

Hunter

I would be nothing without the Blakes. Coach Blake nurtured my football talent from high school through college and now professionally. For all intents and purposes, he was my father. And when I started dating his son Ellis, it felt like I truly became part of the family.

But since Ellis died, nothing feels right anymore—not even the game I’ve always loved.

Until Lucas walks back into my life.

With each lingering touch, I feel sensation returning. Every kiss breathes air into my lungs. And for the first time in three years, it feels like my heart starts beating again.

But with every embrace, I’m betraying Ellis’s memory. The media, my team, Coach Blake will all condemn me. I’ll no longer be their Comeback King. I’ll be the man who is sleeping with his dead boyfriend’s brother.

Yet none of it is enough to make me stop.

The Comeback King is the first book in a new series. You can expect big feels and a secret relationship with pining and learning to love after loss.

About Riley Hart

Riley Hart has always been known as the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She won her first writing contest in elementary school, and although she primarily focuses on male/male romance, under her various pen names, she’s written a little bit of everything. Regardless of the sub-genre, there’s always one common theme and that’s…romance! No surprise seeing as she’s a hopeless romantic herself. Riley’s a lover of character-driven plots, flawed characters, and always tries to write stories and characters people can relate to. She believes everyone deserves to see themselves in the books they read. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading or enjoying time with her awesome family in their home in North Carolina.

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