I expected to like this book, it’s cover luring with the promise of something sexy and dark, perfect for summer. What I didn’t expect was how parts of this felt like JR Rampage had cracked open my head and taken a gander at some personal life moments.
-The agent as old as my father who in a 1st meeting told me to take off my shirt so he could see my body.
-Another agent-also significantly older-who brought his colleague to my work one evening at Borders. When they followed me up the stairs to the cafe, the two men took turns grabbing my ass, laughing like schoolgirls.
-My first gay Hollywood party amidst a sea of model looking men. White teeth flashing as a well known Producer from a hit show at the time sat leaning forward,his hand on the knee of some young blonde twink as thé Producer propelled whatever conversation could exist between two people with nearly 30 years between them. I understood immediately the power dynamic that was happening and the expected currency.
⠀
So meeting his protagonist young Jonah Keller, aspiring writer in New York City, I understood immediately who this kid was & the world he was dropped in. Jonah has ambition crossed with naïveté when he meets the older and talented Richard Shriver who sweeps him off his feet &!showers him with lavish dinners, expensive gifts & the promise of his own eventual success. But a weekend in the Hamptons quickly moves from dream to nightmare, and Jonah finds himself confronted with a horrifying reckoning.
The first half is hard to put down, and in the age of Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, and Kevin Spacey rings with sickening truth. The surprise for me was where the 2nd half of the book went, bringing up a plot point I’m not going to go into for fear of spoilers but will simply say, having been raised in a religiously conservative home that wasn’t particular thrilled at the time of the prospect of a gay son I found lots to identity with here.
⠀
Rampage has written a thought provoking novel at times salacious and also quite funny, but also quite brutal in its #metoo depiction. A story that sadly is probably more fact than fiction for many gay young men.

It appears we are in a renaissance period for crime fiction from LGBTQ+ perspectives. It is not that these stories never existed before, but now we are witnessing the end of the days when they were deemed “special interest” or hidden away in the farthest reaches of the local bookstore. Just as we are seeing with Writers of Color, other marginalized voices are resonating with a wider swath of the reading public. Many authors are taking the existing sub-genres and the tropes that are so familiar to fans of crime fiction and disrupting their expectations by introducing LGBTQ+ characters and themes in ways that are both creative and impactful.

Take for example, Jonathan Parks-Ramage’s Yes, Daddy. This novel weaves threads of both domestic suspense and gothic romance together with the coming-of-age tale of a young gay man trying to find his footing in world where his youthfulness and naivety become burdens that others abuse, flaunt, and ultimately weaponize.

Jonah Keller yearns to one day be a famous playwright, but he is tired of the struggles necessary to reach this goal. He knows first-hand that those with money have a better chance of gaining the power and influence needed to succeed. When he sees an opportunity to meet Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright Richard Shriver, he hopes that maybe his luck is changing. But, instead of a mentorship, Jonah and the much-older Richard begin a steamy love affair. Lulled by the lavish treatment bestowed upon him, Jonah is oblivious to the many signs that this fantasy lifestyle conceals much darker truths. When Richard invites Jonah to his secluded compound in the Hamptons, what should be a relaxing getaway instead becomes the start of a nightmare.

Domestic Suspense fans will recognize the dynamic of the powerful man who wants to control every aspect of the relationship, all while manipulating minor details in subtle ways. Meanwhile, it is impossible not to think back to the gothic novels of Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney when witnessing Jonah being swept away – not to a castle or monastery – but to an estate in the ultra-rich Hamptons. There is even a direct reference to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca within the novel. By centering Jonah Keller in the role of the virginal “ingénue,” Jonathan Parks-Ramage shatters the illusion that only women are victims of this type of abuse and control.

It is even possible to list off the trope elements within Yes, Daddy. Everything from gaslighting and complicity to self-esteem issues and trauma, yet because they are detailed in the context of a gay relationship, these elements feel fresh and untested. Yes, Daddy leaves readers with the sense the regardless of gender, unsolicited magnanimous gestures often come with hefty price tags. At one point, Richard even says to Jonah “The things we worship eat us alive” and that will resonate with readers in profound ways as they follow along on Jonah’s unfortunate journey.

Yes, Daddy speeds along at a propulsive pace and the fact that Jonathan Parks-Rampage eliminates any extraneous scenes or information make this a speedy read; however, readers will find themselves ruminating on much that occurred long after closing the cover. Without a doubt, those readers will eagerly await Jonathan Parks-Ramage’s next novel.

A huge thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁.“

When I first saw this on NetGalley, the title immediately caught my attention but I stayed for the synopsis. At first, I felt like maybe a MM, taboo, age gap, BDSM romance but later I realize that there are much more important, relevant and heavy topics tackled in this book. Topics in which can be triggering and bothering to some so I’ll be including warnings that may be spoilery but I know that books like this aren’t for everyone so better be safe! Fans of My Dark Vanessa will surely like this.

CW: rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, violence, domestic abuse, homophobia, mentall illness, drugs, gaslighting and suicide

𝙔𝙚𝙨, 𝘿𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙮 follows Jonah, an aspiring writer in NYC, who is barely making ends meet with his constantly overdued rent and low income jobs by getting unwilling financial help from his mother. He comes across Richard Shriver online who is a much older, wealthy, successful playwright, author and screenwriter. He quickly realizes that he’s exactly this man’s type so he devises a plan to seduce him and make his way up by being a part of his world. Eventually, he bankrolls Jonah’s lifestyle and all is good until the opening night of Richard’s new play where he publicly slaps Jonah. Things take a darker turn after that and is quickly followed by events Jonah would have never expected when he got into that relationship.

With that alone, I was intrigued with what goes down further in their relationship but I didn’t expect it to go down that path. I couldn’t stop reading as I felt for Jonah and everyone else in the compound in those traumatic scenes. I’m as shocked, angry and sad as them while I read and it breaks my heart knowing that this might be a work of fiction but fiction is always inspired by real life events and as someone who is familiar with stories like the ones the victims experienced in this book from all those articles I’ve read (e.g. the case with Harvey Weinsten), I’m angry at the world for letting things like this happen to people who just wants to survive. I’m angry at the powerful and wealthy who exploits the helpless.

Also, I’ve always been interested in reading stories about traumatic events and the like through the victim’s POV. I think it’s such an informative and eye-opening way of learning about their experiences and thoughts in situations like that. It helps readers especially those who haven’t experienced it (and I pray to god that they never will) to be more aware of what these people have gone through and be more empathetic of them.

Overall, this book was a definite page turner! It was so heartbreaking, frustrating, enraging and just so sad. The author’s writing is captivatingly powerful and so easy to get into. I devoured this so fast! It’s hard to stop once you learn of Jonah and his unforgettable story. This is such a remarkable debut and I’ll definitely be looking out for the author’s future works!

This is a dark ass book and a perfect example of what happens when I read too many MM Romances. I'm guessing I read the first part of the synopsis and either didn't finish or blocked out the last portion when/after I requested a review copy.*

Don't get me wrong, the fact that it's dark definitely doesn't take away from it being a good book, I just had no idea that it got dark and then even darker before starting to get a little lighter at the end. I did not like the protagonist, Jonah, and I do not think he redeemed himself by the end (and that is in no way victim blaming), he just wasn't likeable.

And that's saying a lot because of what he went through. I'm not sure if it's Parks-Ramage's writing and the way Jonah came across as unwilling to accept responsibility or to even make decisions for himself. I may need to revisit this, however, because I'm now thinking about Fanny Price from Mansfield Park and how much I love her as a character because of the debates around nature/nurture and damnit I don't want to like Jonah.

I think, by far the most frustrating thing to me was how clear all the signs were things were happening. I don't know if it's because of how the book started with a prologue at the trial to convict one of the abusers, but OMG I wanted to shake Jonah and yell at him WAKE THE F*CK UP and read the context clues. I don't blame him for what happened, he was played masterfully though I don't think he ever understood it (even at the end), but the trauma can't be denied.

It was a cruel irony—the vulnerabilities that made these boys perfect targets for Richard and company were the same vulnerabilities that destroyed their credibility as witnesses in a court of law. (Chapter 20)

Like this line above, I mean it wasn't irony. It was clear planning and strategy on behalf of Richard and company. They knew exactly who to target for their abuse and their kidnaping. They knew that those who were abandoned or estranged would have other issues and even taking a gamble on Jonah paid off. Jonah had so many delusions that what you read in that prologue was just the tip of the iceberg, his ability to bullshit himself was epic and I am surprised at how many people bought into it. But the #MeToo interaction at the end of the novel was a fascinating (and 100% apt) commentary on today's state of journalism.

Trauma is like a gift. The shittiest fucking gift in the world. Coal in your motherfucking stocking. But the minute you receive it, it becomes yours. And it's your responsibility, what you do with it. And you can use it as an excuse to destroy your life and destroy the lives around you, but you shouldn't. (Chapter 27)

The only time I felt bad for Jonah was after he thought everything was put behind him and then he basically experienced the same thing AGAIN, but this time through religion. That was heartbreaking because at what point will he wake up and realize what's happening. Is it an addiction? I mean it's the same pattern just with a different abuser/perpetrator guised in religion this time instead of fortune and fame. The person who does it, follows the same M.O. and uses Jonah for what he needs to get ahead and then rapes him. Jonah seems to move on from this one, but we're left wondering.

The other thing about this novel was how messed up the parental issues of ALL the characters. From Jonah's issues with his evangelical family and false accusations of molestation (a result of conversion therapy pressure) to Richard's hella messed up mommy issues that he forced Jonah and Mace to reenact while they were being raped (probably by far the most uncomfortable scene of the entire work).

'Because if I were to say one honest thing to my mother, I would have to say them all.' Richard sighed. 'And even if I were brutally candid about the pain she's caused me over the years, she wouldn't hear it. Denial is my mother's superpower.' (Chapter 2)

That being said I couldn't help but identify with this quote. I mean I had my own mom issues, but this one hit home and I think a lot of people who have moms of the same generation as mine would agree. And that's based on conversations with a few friends. It's perhaps more to do with time of life when you actually start interacting with your parents as adults, but I think it's something more than that.

Other random things I found interesting:

You are only allowed to refer to me like this from now on: "He wasn't fat—he was substantial." (Chapter 1)
I think I need to read du Maurier's Rebecca, aside from a lot of people loving it, it's clearly part of the cultural zeitgeist because I understood a whole conversation about it without them mentioning the title until the end.
I love it when books connect to each other and there's been a weird connection trailing for months now with this one tying back to Wolf Hall with Richard receiving an ARC and saying: "'If I have to read one more word about Thomas Cromwell, I will fucking kill someone." (Chapter 12)

And to end on the trauma of the novel. There were some pretty harrowing scenes, none of which were gratuitous, and they definitely left my stomach churning, but even with those scenes the one that probably hit home the most was when Jonah cut himself and had an interaction with the one wife of the four abusers. The rawness of that scene and the ensuing scenes just left me hollow inside.

Recommendation: This was a harrowing dark read and felt like it was from a more seasoned author, not a debut. There are definitely scenes that turned my stomach and times I wanted to yell at the protagonists and I honestly don't know how I feel about where things left off, but isn't that the sign of a good book? It riled me up and gutted me. It made me want to cry at the helplessness of some of the characters and even made me hope at various times throughout the novel, to what end I'm still not sure. Overall, I think it's worth the read and I'll keep an eye out for Parks-Ramage's second novel to see if his writing stands up.

Wow, very dark, very lucrative, very moody, and VERY entertaining. I couldn't stop reading this one, especially because it's a world that remains somewhat untapped outside of reality television and it's a dynamic rarely explored. I need more.

This book. Wow...The experiences, the emotions...I’m still reeling from this gorgeously traumatic yet optimistic story of how powerful individuals prey on those they deem weaker or disposable and the impact it has on those unfortunate souls both mentally and physically. The torment they endured and the shame that came with it cannot be understated. But yet there’s hope. This book...I’m telling you. Grab it.

This story sparked such anger and outrage in me because I felt so connected to Jonah and all the others this one story represents. We can’t discount parental acceptance of who we are nor can we discount the agony that many LGBTQ people have dealt with and continue to go through just to be themselves freely and openly. Heartbreaking read, beautifully executed.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing story.

Read about 25% and stopped. The endless stereotypes and troupes representing gay men as mercenary and predatory did me in.

When I first started reading this, I'll be honest, I was kicking myself and asking why I would grab a story that is really not in my wheelhouse. I'm not super fond of Daddy stories whether in MF or MM, but something about the blurb must have intrigued me so I pushed on and I'm really happy I did because this was WAY more than just a Daddy book. Is it beautifully written? That's hard to say because the subject matter is so gritty, so difficult, so much darker than you'd expect. Jonah is a preacher's son and gay. Take that where you can imagine it would go. He also has dreams and perhaps some Daddy issues that propel him into a life that he never could even imagine existed beneath the façade of the rich and famous in NY. Along the way, Jonah takes us through the script of his life, his play, his reality. It isn't easy and there is a lot of pain along the way. Does he have a happy ending? Well we learn that happy is all relative and finding peace can sometimes be the best we can hope for.

Thank you to Net Galley for the digital ARC of this book.
Whew! Okay, here goes. Yes, Daddy is a heart-breaking exploration of power dynamics, manipulation, and intimidation within the evangelical church and a terrifyingly imbalanced sexual relationship. I read this page-turner with my heart in my throat, a pain in my gut, absolute disgust, and a serious side-eye. It reads like a cautionary tale, a therapeutic release, or a guilt purge. It has many victims and many aggressors. It is a #MeToo story and an indictment of society and the evangelical church. This debut-novel was hard to read and hard to put down. It requires an emotional commitment and may not be appropriate for all readers. PLEASE NOTE that there are scenes of rape, aggressive sexual assault, human trafficking, gay conversion therapy, and suicide.

What an incredibly dark, powerful debut. While this was one of the more horrific books I’ve ever read in terms of content, the writing was incredible and kept me so engaged from the first page to the last.

Jonah is a struggling gay recent grad of a Christian college who has recently moved to New York City to pursue his dream of playwriting. He’s behind on his rent, working a dead end job as a waiter, and feeling like he’s ready to give up and return home to the family that forced him into conversion therapy. His last chance to be successful is to seduce a rich playwright he’s seen in the tabloids, always with a younger man on his arm. He researches Richard’s life, his likes and dislikes, and orchestrates a meeting that he’s sure will lead to them falling in love. From there everything goes sideways in a tale about power, control, consent, the #metoo movement, trauma, and healing.

Every time I though I had a handle on where this story was going it would take a hard left turn and head somewhere different. After the 40% mark I absolutely couldn’t put it down because I just had to know what would become of this cast of characters. The story careens off the rails, ping-ponging back and forth, teasing justice, horrible consequences, poor choices, and hopeless situations.

This is probably one of the most difficult reviews I’ve ever written because there is no way to describe this book without giving things away. Overall I definitely enjoyed it, but I was also angry for like 85% of the book. I would recommend this to fans of My Dark Vanessa and Docile, with a big recommendation to read the trigger warnings.

Overall this was a four star read for me that left me emotionally spent. I cannot wait to see what else this author writes because this doesn’t read like a debut author.

This powerful debut novel pulls no emotional punches as it explores the life of a troubled, vulnerable gay man trying to hold body and soul together as he searches for healing and acceptance. Jonah Keller is a broke waiter in New York City, clinging to his dream of becoming a famous playwright in the face of mounting bills and an increasing sense of isolation from his peers. So when he discovers an opportunity to meet and hopefully seduce the successful, accomplished older playwright Richard Shriver, he throws himself as fully into the pursuit as a Gilded Age fortune hunter a century earlier would have.

Their first encounter goes even better than Jonah imagined, as their film festival meet-cute turns into dinner and conversation, with Jonah asking:

QUOTE
“Why is it that rich people love to complain about being poor?”

“Would you rather we complained about the precocious twenty-five-year-olds who clamor for our affection?”

I laughed harder than his quip warranted. Our jokes were little pressure valves, each laugh releasing tension as we danced around the obvious: he was too old for me, too famous, too rich. By couching our circumstance in wry humor, we were able to dismiss May-December stereotypes and make space for something genuine to blossom. However calculated my efforts to ensnare Richard may have been, I <i>did</i> want something genuine to blossom.

I wanted love.
END QUOTE

Soon, Richard is squiring Jonah to opening nights and glamorous parties where they rub shoulders with famous actors and wealthy investors. Jonah is dazzled and head over heels in love even before Richard invites him up to his Hamptons compound for a summer weekend getaway. With Richard paying the bills, Jonah is only too happy to escape the city’s oppressive heat, but soon finds that the compound isn’t exactly what he imagined.

For starters, Richard’s butler is an ex he jokingly calls Mrs Danvers. More disturbingly, the walled compound -- home to Richard and four other members of his glittering artistic circle, who are waited on by a team of handsome, dead-eyed young men -- has only one point of exit, an electronic gate that Jonah doesn’t have the code for. When Jonah and Richard’s relationship begins to go awry, Jonah becomes trapped in a nightmare, his hellish circumstances echoed by the howling pain in his own psyche.

Years later, Jonah has escaped the compound but not his demons. When given a chance for justice, he wavers:

QUOTE
<i>Come forward</i>. I hate that term. When you tell your story, you don’t <i>come forward</i> -- you <i>let people in</i>. Into the dark place you’ve occupied for years. And what happens when the public enters? Maybe they rush to you with open arms, tell you the things you’ve longed to hear.

Or maybe those people stomp inside with their muddy boots, accusing you of crimes, confirming your worst fears about yourself.

But how to know which future awaits? Maybe it’s time to tell my story, our story. Pray we both survive.
END QUOTE

At once sensitive and brutal, Yes, Daddy is a graphic, gripping examination of the harms done to friendless young men who’ve been taught that love and acceptance are conditional on denying their homosexuality, and whose instilled shame erodes their ability to fight back against predators and abusers. It underscores the responsibilities of parents to protect and nurture their children, and highlights the ways that Evangelical Christian churches especially fail their congregations. But most of all, it centers the flawed, seeking soul of a man who desperately wants to be believed, and how he realistically deals with years of trauma and guilt as he looks for healing and wholeness.

This is not a book for the faint of heart, but it is deeply worthwhile. Part Sunset Boulevard, part Gothic nightmare, this wholly modern examination of life and faith and what we owe to ourselves and to the flawed human beings around us leaves an indelible mark on the soul, asking us to be kinder, to take consent seriously and to love as we would want to be loved.

“𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆. 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔.”

My first book club read! Thanks to Dennis for the recommendation. I didn’t fully know what to expect from Yes, Daddy; what I thought was going to be a gothic thriller ended up to be WAY different. Instead it is a coming-of-age, dark, sad, and thought provoking read.

Jonah is an aspiring playwright who moves to New York with big dreams, but dreams don’t pay bills. Lured by the promise of a new, more successful life, he meets Richard, an older playwright. However it becomes clear as they embark on their relationship that behind the wealth and perfection of Richard’s home in the Hamptons, something more sinister and violent resides…

I loved many things about Yes, Daddy. It was incredibly readable; I read it in less than 24 hours! The format of first person narration from Jonah that reads like a letter or a memoir really captured my attention. It is a very dark and sad story; there is no fully happy ending. There is a LOT to absorb: from seeing Jonah being rejected by his family and the church, following his traumatic relationship with Richard and the violent fallout after, and through his search for healing. There were moments where I was extremely frustrated with Jonah and his decisions, and others where I just wanted to give him a hug. Jonathan Park-Ramage’s writing is both heartbreaking and emotionally complex, and shows another side to the #MeToo era. I hope this book sparks uncomfortable conversations, especially from a LGBTQ context. It is both painful and cathartic.

Already picked up for an adaptation from Amazon, I wait with anticipation to see this coming-of-age, chilling, uncomfortable story come to life. Yes, Daddy will stick with me for a long time to come. Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the ARC!

Disturbing, painful and raw. But it a good way because the book will suck you into the world created by the author. I recommend this book, and I'm so happy I was approved for an early copy of it. It's going to be released soon, so there's enough time to preorder it!

A bumpy, raunchy, poignant ride through a previously uncharted #MeToo landscape. Buckle up. More resolution would balance from the intensity of Southampton’s gravity.

📆 Release Date: May 18 (Digital ARC provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley)

📖 Jonah Keller is a fresh out of his MFA writer struggling to make rent in New York City. When he orchestrates a meeting with award-winning playwright, Richard Schriver, he gets drawn into the glamorous and torrid affair of his dreams. But as quickly as Jonah finds himself adapting to his new life, it is ripped away from him. Yes, Daddy juxtaposes the sinister world that something so idyllic can cover up. Jonah is forced to confront his past trauma with a fresh batch of trauma that he can’t seem to escape from. Parks-Ramage touches on everything from predators with money and power to conversion therapy to the modern-day internet outrage machine.

👍 I thought a lot about First Become Ashes when I read this and how there is so much done right in this book that is wrong in FBA. There is never a question in Yes, Daddy about what is happening to Jonah and the other men who have found themselves in the clutches of these wealthy and charismatic predators. The scenes in which they are being abused are not presented as something meant to arouse and titillate the reader. Parks-Ramage is very deliberate about what is happening. One thing that I loved about this one is the use of first person narration. I tend to not love first person, as it comes off feeling very YA and gives writers an excuse to tell instead of show. But here, Parks-Ramage uses it to great affect to add to the disorientation of a lot of the more traumatic scenes. It creates something visceral that is difficult to remove yourself from in the way that Jonah is also unable to remove himself from his own cyclical trauma.

👎 My only real criticism is that there are definitely some pacing issues. The beginning of the book is set in the late 00s and feels very controlled and well crafted. The second half of the book jumps to modern day with Jonah having escaped Schriver’s clutches and forged his own career. But once that starts to unravel, Jonah jumps around from location to location in a way that felt less cohesive than the beginning. Also, fair warning that this does contain a lot of very specific queer trauma. And about halfway through reading I wondered if this was the type of media I wanted to consume. Ultimately, it is incredibly well written and a story worth telling. But I do recommend going into it with that in mind.

📚 A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara & 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell

Wow, this book was so powerful I was really loved by it.

Richard Shriver is on trial for rape and sexual assault. Jonah is a key witness to his demise until everything foes completely unplanned.

Jonah is trying to make it big in NYC. As a waiter at a restaurant known for it’s gay clients, Jonah has $56 to his name and is no where close to being the playwright he wishes to be. When Jonah finds famous playwright Richard Shriver online, he knows he has found his way to the top and the love of his life.

When Jonah finally inserts himself into Richard’s life, things seem incredible until they aren’t. Is Richard really the man Jonah fell for or is there something else going on? Follow the story that leads up to the trial in Yes Daddy.

The book was super slow but the writing was incredible so I think it is a 3.5/5⭐️

This dark and often unsettling novel is certainly very different from the usual romantic LGBTQ fare that I tend towards.

But I’ll definitely be recommending it to all my friends!

It was absolutely riveting from cover to cover, and I couldn’t put it down, wondering just where debut author Jonathan Parks-Ramage would take us next.

What starts as a “Fifty Shades of Grey” BDSM-style romance, quickly devolves into a “Get Out” inspired depiction of abuse and deprivation, and ends with a story of personal redemption in the context of the #MeToo era.

What. A. Ride.

Not to mention that Jonathan Parks-Ramage writes with such NO-BS conviction that it’s easy to get lost for hours in his effortless prose.

My only complaint would be that I initially found protagonist Jonah to be incredibly unlikable. But by the end of the text, his flaws come to be fundamental to his journey.

Everything comes full-circle.

I can’t wait to see how this story will translate to the small screen, having already been optioned by HBO.

This book turned out to be way more than I thought it would be, but I was relieved that it didn't go as far as it could've. I must admit, I was surprised by the Jesus turn at the end, but it worked well for the character, so I'm not mad about it.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, suicide, gaslighting, drug use, homophobia, conversion therapy

Jonah Keller is an impoverished young man who moves to New York for the wealth, fame, and illustrious career as a playwright that it could afford him. Instead he finds himself renting a boxy apartment and struggling to get as many shifts as possible in his waitressing job just to cover the rent. If hard work can't alleviate his position then he has another plan.

He uses the last of his cash on expensive clothing and stages a chance meeting with the infamous playwright, Richard Shriver. The pair begin a whirlwind romance but Jonah quickly realises that he is not the one in charge of their interactions and just as he played Richard during their first encounters, now Richard is playing with him.

This was a devastatingly painful read. The trauma was depicted from the very first page and the author spared the reader no ounce of emotion or scrupulous detail as the events unfolded. I had anticipated this to be a dark and thrilling book and yet it proved largely to be a tender and sorrowful one, instead. The trigger warnings above cover just some of the topics that featured and these dark, inflicted deeds continued to form the primary focus, with any sign of goodness or hope in increasingly short supply.

This one is a hard one to review. This reminded me of the movie Get Out only more gross. It’s dark, dark, dark. I like dark but this may have been a little much for me. I kind of lost interest in the last half. The first half moved swiftly but the second half was a bit of a slog.
I don’t usually do trigger warnings but this book needs them for gay conversion therapy, gang rape and violent sexual content. I’m glad I read it but it made me very uncomfortable. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.