onyerbike's review
1.0
DNF @ 25%
Okay, just NO.
This was my first book by this author, and thus my first in this series. After only 25%, it will be my last of both, as well.
The perspective shifts are all over the place. From one paragraph to another, we're reading Lazzaro's view, Hunter's view, and whatshername at the diner's view. It's very discombobulating, and hard to keep up with.
After showing up at Hunter's shop a couple days later and apologizing (while still managing to come across as a domineering asshole), he basically orders Hunter to meet him at a diner the next day, while managing to be condescending yet again. For some reason known only to Hunter, he doesn't immediately tell Lazzaro to get bent and get out (being Little doesn't mean being a complete pushover, but here it apparently does), and meets him for lunch the next day.
Lazzaro basically steamrolls Hunter into this relationship, and I don't see a lot of consent by Hunter at ALL. He just kind of goes along with it. Not. Cool. Lazzaro immediately tells him he knows he's a Little, and they're doing a relationship. WTF? He's obsessed with spanking, too, as he tells Hunter he will earn a spanking regularly. (This tells me that Lazzaro has no problem manipulating events so Hunter has no way to avoid violating The Rules, and have no way to avoid a spanking. DIRTY POOL.) Even if Hunter's cool with spanking, how about NO? And then let's talk about the rules.
1. Follow Daddy's directions without argument. Lazzaro decides they will skinny dip in the lake in his backyard. Hunter doesn't immediately comply, as he's simultaneously looking at Lazzaro's unfinished tattoo (a tattoo artist interested in someone's ink? What are the odds?), and unsure of being in the lake (he prefers the sureness of a solid pool footing). Lazzaro tells him he has earned his first spanking because he didn't immediately comply. WTF? Hunter explains why he hesitated, and Lazzaro says there's a fine line between explaining and arguing, and says for every minute he delays submitting, he'll earn an extra swat. There is absolutely no assuring Hunter that he can be honest without being punished. And why is he being punished? Hunter hasn't even officially agreed that he wants this kind of dynamic! Even if he's a Little, he still has agency and the right to say no to any or all of the relationship! They haven't discussed hard and soft limits, and there has been no mention of safewords. They've only just met, and it hasn't even been an hour since Hunter has acknowledged he's Little, and he's already going to be punished? What if spanking is a hard limit for him? Not everyone likes impact play. I'd be safewording the hell out of there!
2. Do not endanger yourself. I obviously haven't read far enough to find out how he will possibly violate this rule, but could I see Lazzaro (a motorcycle rider himself) telling Hunter that riding a motorcyle is inherently dangerous and he won't be allowed to anymore because it puts himself in danger? Yes, I can, and I don't like the possibility.
3. Be your Little age while at home. I would prefer that you allow yourself to be your Little age whenever we are together. Not all Littles need to be Little all the time. You haven't even discussed how often Hunter likes/needs to be Little, and you're dictating how he's to conduct himself already. NO.
4. Visit Dr Richards and follow his directions to be healthy. I'm sorry, WHAT?? Hunter is an adult, and presumably has his own GP that he sees. Why would liking age play require someone to see a doctor who "takes care of the Littles in our community"? He's a *surgeon* who has a practice for Littles in his home! Again, WTF! The creep factor just shot through the roof on this one. He's a SURGEON, not a family doctor, so why is he doing office hours just for people who like age play? This makes absolutely zero sense, and is way too creepy to be any kind of acceptable.
5. Allow yourself to be Little and to love your Daddy. After all the other ways Lazzaro has basically steamrolled Hunter, this one doesn't take Hunter's wishes into account at all. This dynamic is all about trust between the partners, and here Lazzaro is pretty much telling Hunter that any time he feels like/wants to be big, he's wrong. And you don't ORDER your Little to love you. If you're doing things properly, it will happen organically and naturally.
Hunter reveals that his greatest fear is being forced to wear diapers. If they'd already discussed safewords, this would be a Yellow kind of discussion, as maybe Hunter's Little isn't of diaper-wearing age, or he's just not into that. Lazzaro says "I can't tell you that, Hunter. Wearing a diaper could be necessary at times...I want to take care of all aspects of your life. Using a diaper helps reinforce in your adult mind that you're Little now. It is possible that you are an older Little boy. One who still needs his Daddy's care but is not in diapers unless he is ill or in trouble." *blink* WHAT? He's just told you that diapers are a soft limit for him, leaning toward hard limit. And you respond by telling him that not only might it not be up to him, but you have no problem using them as PUNISHMENT?? WTF is wrong with you?? And WTF is wrong with ME for having read as far as i did?? This is seriously messed up.
TL;DR: WAY too much non-con and coercion already at 25% for me to even consider going any further. And Dr Richards? One creepy fucker to stay FAR away from!
Okay, just NO.
This was my first book by this author, and thus my first in this series. After only 25%, it will be my last of both, as well.
The perspective shifts are all over the place. From one paragraph to another, we're reading Lazzaro's view, Hunter's view, and whatshername at the diner's view. It's very discombobulating, and hard to keep up with.
Spoiler
Lazzaro is a homicide detective inexplicably in a patrol uniform, doing traffic duty (he gives a reason for it fairly quickly, but it's ludicrous. Detectives don't pick up random street patrol shifts to help uniforms cover sick days. They just don't). He pulls tattooed, motorcycle-riding Hunter over for going 5 mph over the speed limit (really?), and immediately starts referring to him as son, and young man, despite there only being a 7-year age difference between them. After being patronized enough for his liking, Hunter *politely* puts Lazzaro in his place (well-deserved, IMO), telling him he's not his son, and calling him out on profiling him as a criminal just because he's tattooed and riding a motorcycle. How does Lazzaro respond to the dressing down? He tells Hunter he's in dire need of a spanking! WTF! In what universe (besides this ridiculous one) does that not immediately result in an official citizen complaint?After showing up at Hunter's shop a couple days later and apologizing (while still managing to come across as a domineering asshole), he basically orders Hunter to meet him at a diner the next day, while managing to be condescending yet again. For some reason known only to Hunter, he doesn't immediately tell Lazzaro to get bent and get out (being Little doesn't mean being a complete pushover, but here it apparently does), and meets him for lunch the next day.
Lazzaro basically steamrolls Hunter into this relationship, and I don't see a lot of consent by Hunter at ALL. He just kind of goes along with it. Not. Cool. Lazzaro immediately tells him he knows he's a Little, and they're doing a relationship. WTF? He's obsessed with spanking, too, as he tells Hunter he will earn a spanking regularly. (This tells me that Lazzaro has no problem manipulating events so Hunter has no way to avoid violating The Rules, and have no way to avoid a spanking. DIRTY POOL.) Even if Hunter's cool with spanking, how about NO? And then let's talk about the rules.
1. Follow Daddy's directions without argument. Lazzaro decides they will skinny dip in the lake in his backyard. Hunter doesn't immediately comply, as he's simultaneously looking at Lazzaro's unfinished tattoo (a tattoo artist interested in someone's ink? What are the odds?), and unsure of being in the lake (he prefers the sureness of a solid pool footing). Lazzaro tells him he has earned his first spanking because he didn't immediately comply. WTF? Hunter explains why he hesitated, and Lazzaro says there's a fine line between explaining and arguing, and says for every minute he delays submitting, he'll earn an extra swat. There is absolutely no assuring Hunter that he can be honest without being punished. And why is he being punished? Hunter hasn't even officially agreed that he wants this kind of dynamic! Even if he's a Little, he still has agency and the right to say no to any or all of the relationship! They haven't discussed hard and soft limits, and there has been no mention of safewords. They've only just met, and it hasn't even been an hour since Hunter has acknowledged he's Little, and he's already going to be punished? What if spanking is a hard limit for him? Not everyone likes impact play. I'd be safewording the hell out of there!
2. Do not endanger yourself. I obviously haven't read far enough to find out how he will possibly violate this rule, but could I see Lazzaro (a motorcycle rider himself) telling Hunter that riding a motorcyle is inherently dangerous and he won't be allowed to anymore because it puts himself in danger? Yes, I can, and I don't like the possibility.
3. Be your Little age while at home. I would prefer that you allow yourself to be your Little age whenever we are together. Not all Littles need to be Little all the time. You haven't even discussed how often Hunter likes/needs to be Little, and you're dictating how he's to conduct himself already. NO.
4. Visit Dr Richards and follow his directions to be healthy. I'm sorry, WHAT?? Hunter is an adult, and presumably has his own GP that he sees. Why would liking age play require someone to see a doctor who "takes care of the Littles in our community"? He's a *surgeon* who has a practice for Littles in his home! Again, WTF! The creep factor just shot through the roof on this one. He's a SURGEON, not a family doctor, so why is he doing office hours just for people who like age play? This makes absolutely zero sense, and is way too creepy to be any kind of acceptable.
5. Allow yourself to be Little and to love your Daddy. After all the other ways Lazzaro has basically steamrolled Hunter, this one doesn't take Hunter's wishes into account at all. This dynamic is all about trust between the partners, and here Lazzaro is pretty much telling Hunter that any time he feels like/wants to be big, he's wrong. And you don't ORDER your Little to love you. If you're doing things properly, it will happen organically and naturally.
Hunter reveals that his greatest fear is being forced to wear diapers. If they'd already discussed safewords, this would be a Yellow kind of discussion, as maybe Hunter's Little isn't of diaper-wearing age, or he's just not into that. Lazzaro says "I can't tell you that, Hunter. Wearing a diaper could be necessary at times...I want to take care of all aspects of your life. Using a diaper helps reinforce in your adult mind that you're Little now. It is possible that you are an older Little boy. One who still needs his Daddy's care but is not in diapers unless he is ill or in trouble." *blink* WHAT? He's just told you that diapers are a soft limit for him, leaning toward hard limit. And you respond by telling him that not only might it not be up to him, but you have no problem using them as PUNISHMENT?? WTF is wrong with you?? And WTF is wrong with ME for having read as far as i did?? This is seriously messed up.
TL;DR: WAY too much non-con and coercion already at 25% for me to even consider going any further. And Dr Richards? One creepy fucker to stay FAR away from!
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