Here’s a detailed review-style breakdown of Settling the Score — Part 1: The Favor by Josh Hunter — the opening novella in a dark, erotic, straight-to-gay enemies-to-lovers serial that leans hard into revenge fantasy.
📖 Overview
- Author: Josh Hunter
- Series: Settling the Score (#1 of 12 short installments)
- Length: ~34 pages
- Genre: Dark MM Romance, Erotica, Bully-to-Lover, Straight-to-Gay Fantasy
- Tone: Explicit, edgy, and unapologetically fetish-driven
- Goodreads Rating: ~3.6★ from 700+ ratings
📝 Story Snapshot
Wade Johnson is the golden-boy quarterback — arrogant, popular, and untouchable. For years, he’s made life hell for the narrator after catching him looking a little too long in the locker room freshman year.
But now Wade’s perfect life is about to implode:
- His spot on the team is in jeopardy.
- His cheerleader girlfriend is slipping away.
- His college scholarship is at risk.
And the only person who can save him? The very guy he’s bullied.
When Wade comes begging for help, the narrator sees an opportunity to turn the tables — and collect a very personal kind of payback. What follows is a mix of humiliation, sexual tension, and power-play that sets the tone for the rest of the series.
🎯 What Works Well
- Fantasy Fulfillment: Taps into a very specific revenge/erotic fantasy — the bully brought low and made to submit.
- Fast Hook: The setup is immediate, with no filler before the central dynamic kicks in.
- Serial Appeal: Ends on a note that teases escalation in later parts, encouraging binge-reading.
- Voice: The narrator’s mix of bitterness, lust, and dark humor keeps the tone sharp.
⚖️ Points to Note
- Highly Explicit: Contains graphic sexual content and humiliation kink — strictly for adult readers comfortable with dark erotica.
- Minimal Romance Arc (Yet): This is more about power dynamics than emotional connection at this stage.
- Short Format: At ~30 pages, it’s essentially the first chapter of a longer serial — not a complete standalone story.
💡 Verdict
Settling the Score — Part 1: The Favor is pure niche fantasy — quick, dirty, and designed to hook readers who enjoy bully-to-lover scenarios with a heavy dose of erotic humiliation. It’s not aiming for sweetness or slow-burn romance; it’s the opening move in a longer, darker game.
