Take Care of You: Taking Care Book 1, Gianni Holmes

Well, this was certainly not what I expected.  I really enjoyed the idea of an older man being the boy and a younger man being the Daddy and I thought most of Owen and Declan's interactions really worked to give both men what they needed.  There were quite a few other issues I had however, and the twist used to cause the biggest drama was at the heart of most of them.  With an interesting premise this story had a lot of potential but I have to be honest and say that I'm heavily leaning toward not finishing the series.

I didn't mind the HFN ending too much, though usually I steer clear of those if I don't have access to the full series, but getting to that ending and then reading the description for Take Care of Me at the end of this book makes me incredibly reluctant to continue.  I'd much rather leave it on the more happy note that has hope and progress written into it than to slog through temptations of infidelity because neither man can balls up and put common sense, communication, and love above pride.  To be fair, the new synopsis doesn't reflect those concerns, so maybe it's a non-issue.

The dynamic was truly interesting and drew me in at the first, but there's a lot to be said for communicating roles, expectations, and hopes beyond the "I want you."  Their brand of D/b had a lot of potential, but there was too much gray area with unclear intentions at the beginning and inappropriate power usage at the end for me to fall in love completely with their dynamic.

It's that abuse of power and selfishness that really disturbs me the most.  The defeatest attitude from Declan, pushing Owen away, and abusing the role of Owen's "Daddy" was more disappointing than I can say.  While I'm not a fan of Owen's reaction to his kids' big secret its consequences pale in comparison to Declan's appalling behavior.

Overall I thought this story had a ton of potential and I was really excited to read this take on a Daddy/boy relationship, but I'm averse to conflicts intimated in the sequel's synopsis.  A few things fell short in the execution and I can't decide if Declan's missteps were intentional to cause trust issues in the coming stories or if it was just poor decision-making on how to create emotional conflict to fabricate angst and interest.  I wouldn't be surprised if I never revisited this series but the lingering affection I do have for what I read came from setting up Owen as the absolutely committed, loving, devoted father.  Without Owen's heart this book would not have held my interest.

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I will never call a man two years older than my sons Daddy. Nope, never gonna happen. 

Until It Does

Owen's not your typical boy .

He's 21 years older.
He's physically bigger.
He has his sh!t together.
And the last of his three kids just left home.
Yet, the moment Declan mentions the word "Daddy", Owen can't stop thinking about it.


Decan's not your typical Daddy.

He's too young.
He's physically not as strong as Owen.
But, he's filthy rich.
He craves pampering Owen.
And, he's not afraid to discipline his Boy when it's needed.

With Declan, Owen's about to experience the finest pleasures of life. When Declan's greatest fear confronts him, will he be able to let his Boy in, or will he walk away to spare Owen?