Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ugggghhhhhhh. Why did THAT have to be the ending? I went back and forth with assigning stars for this one, but I’ll settle at four because I really loved the beginning ~75% or so. After that? MEH.

Yes, Daddy is DARK. We follow Jonah as he seduces and falls in love with a successful New York City playwright, Richard. One summer, he is invited to Richard’s compound, and things get twisted. I mean, SERIOUSLY fucked up. This book is extremely graphic and is not for the weak.

Parks-Ramage sheds raw lights on abusive relationships and the homeless LGBTQIA+ community. I don’t think I’ve ever read a character as controlling as Richard. My heart was racing during several scenes, and I truly wished for the best outcome for Jonah.

Where this book falls short is its ending. After so many scenes of bondage, torture, and revenge, the book takes a turn to forgiveness and God? I just wasn’t expecting to read a journey to Christ. It gave a sort of weird imbalance to the book: raw and emotional versus healing and unicorns? It really just wasn’t my thing. The momentum dropped and I was left a disappointed reader. I expect to see mixed reviews all over the board for this one!

For books with similar themes, check out Tricks and Traffick by Ellen Hopkins.

I appreciated the propulsive plot of this novel but unfortunately had to DNF it at the 50% mark due to some pretty rough family & psychological traumas related to conversion therapy. Once this hits the shelves and more people have had a chance to read and review it, I'd recommend reading detailed reviews and checking out the content warnings section on The Storygraph before picking this one up.

A little confusing at times but a interesting look at behind the doors of what hurt can happen in a dynamic like that.

Didn't work for me, as a novel - as a memoir, brave, raw, moving. But too linear, too much telling and not enough showing, to be a compelling thriller.

Intriguing debut novel that shows the darkest side of life possible when a young gay men struggling with life gets lured into a relationship with an older succesfull playwright. What starts out as a fairytale for Jonah Keller quickly takes a turn for the worse as he's manipulated into servitude and has to suffer through rape and abuse.
This books gives us a look into the life of someone who has to live through a lot of misery and what it does to the mind. Even though I didn't like Jonahs decisions and was mentally screaming at him sometimes: "why did you do that / let that happen?" It's thought-provoking and incredibly sad to realize that this is really happening to people out there and there is no telling how I or anyone would act being in that type of situation. So, not a happy read but one that takes you outside your comfort zone, makes you think and is really worthy of your time.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***

I'm still sitting here trying trying to process just how amazing this was - Jonathan Parks-Ramage, what an incredible debut!

When I first saw this floating around, I was like "a gay contemporary thriller about sugar daddies? um, YES!" - & while yes, sugar daddies are a topic presented within "Yes, Daddy", this novel encompasses so much more. We don't hear too many #metoo-era stories from a male perspective, but these are situations that happen pretty frequently within the gay community & not talked about nearly enough. The novel did an excellent job of explaining the often complex dynamics between older gay men in positions of power & younger gay men looking to utilize their looks to further their ambition. I also loved the inclusion of religion as part of Jonah's backstory & character arc, these are very real struggles that many gay men who grew up with religion (including myself) grapple with.

This does get pretty dark at times, so some fair warning going in - CW for those who are easily triggered by rape, abuse, & discussion(s) of suicide; however, everything was done in an extremely respectful way. One tiny note I do have is I wouldn't necessarily consider this a thriller - go into this with the mindset that it's a dark, gay coming of age story to set expectations accordingly!

Seriously though, what an amazing debut! I can't wait to see the conversations this book strikes up & I'll be highly recommending this throughout the year. Thank you so much to Jonathan Parks-Ramage, NetGalley, & Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

I have really mixed feelings about this one so let's try to discuss why.

I think this book is really great, but I also think it's sometimes really sloppy, which takes quite a lot from the power it could have had.

It's always important to me to see books or any kind of media that discuss abuse in queer relationships & how and why it's portrayed/what lgbtq+ people struggle with when we find ourselves in such relationships. I think this book is a great discussion opener - in that regard, I think it goes well beyond the thriller genre and it would be a shame to put it into a box. Same goes for the way it talks about the sexualization of (especially young) gay men.

However, while I think those things were done really well here, there were moments when the writing felt rather unpolished, and there were multiple things (discussion on suicide as a result of trauma, healing, writing-wise the side characters and resolution) that felt very glossed over. I found myself wishing for less depth in certain scenes and wishing for more depth in others, which, granted, could be just my personal preference. There were some inconsistencies with the main character as well that bothered me, and some writing "quirks" that I disliked (such as the main character constantly saying "you, [name]" as if I, the reader, was dumb and couldn't understand who we were talking to at 75%).

Overall, the first 50-75% of the book feel really important and mostly well done to me, while the rest seems a little exploitative and begs the question where the line between discussion and torture porn lies. The ending felt somewhat rushed and created a sour end to a powerful & suspenseful read.

Thank you Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the advanced copy of this book. This book was one of the best debut novels I’ve read. The characters were well developed. The way it was written like a letter was beautifully done. I was not a fan of the timeline, though. I felt the novel to be rushed and thought the book was over well before the end. I thought the ending was a bit too slow. Overall, I really enjoyed the book! I can wait to see what other novels Jonathan Parks-Ramage releases!

Yes, Daddy is a dark and nightmarish novel that follows its protagonist, Jonah, to deep depths of abuse, trauma, and the grueling aftermath. Amazing pacing, I could barely put it down. However, in some parts, I did need to put it down, but only for the fact that the depictions of abuse were intense and triggering. Although these depictions were tough to read, Jonathan Parks-Ramage gives the reader space to breathe and think about Jonah's life and his story.

Quick summary: Attempting to climb the ladder of success through the connection of a famous and wealthy playwright, Jonah quickly finds himself in an abusive relationship where escape is near impossible. Yes, Daddy is an important work of queer literature and one that I think will become an essential contribution to our larger cultural conversations on rape, abuse, trauma, and the victims of such atrocities. I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Epstein's case and how the influence of powerful, wealthy, and privileged people can be dangerous. The prose is cinematic (I can see how Amazon picked it up for an adaptation) and readers will surely be shocked and gutted as they're taken along Jonah's journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, Daddy • Jonathan Parks - Ramage [book 02 • 2021]
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At first glance I expected this book to be a light and juicy read, a book to breeze over during my holiday break. While this book is in fact juicy, it is quite heavy in substance and in detail. Wonderfully written, impactful themes (of abuse, the trauma that follows and what one might do with that trauma) and truly believable characters.
This book is bold and a thrill, at times can be triggering but this book says a lot of important things.
While Jonathan has previously written for magazines and various publications, this is first novel. This book was stunningly written by Parks-Ramage, his debut novel. A fantastic debut this is, I truly hope that he continues to share his mastery with us. 4/5

Plot: A propulsive, scorching modern gothic, Yes, Daddy follows an ambitious young man who is lured by an older, successful playwright into a dizzying world of wealth and an idyllic Hamptons home where things take a nightmarish turn.

This book will receive a wide release in June of 2021. It is currently in development with Amazon Studios to be adapted to film.

** I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own **

The first 2/3 of the book was the story of Jonah’s descent into sexual slavery. His escape, i would have thought was the climax but the book continued on, as he sought redemption, revenge, and healing. While I personally had issues with the concept of salvation through religion, what did ring true was the need for connection. In the end, Jonah had three daddies — and really, only one that mattered.

Best read for me of 2020. I read this book towards the end of the year and I was not ready for it. It was an emotional read and I highly recommend it. Will be recommending it to everyone who wants to read a book as personal and touching and strong as this book. I can’t stop thinking about this book, it was deep.

What a fantastic book. I couldn’t put it down and flew through it in one day. I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked this up but it wasn’t this- this was so much better. 5/5 stars. What a great story to end 2020.

This book caught my eye because of the title, I am such a predictable gay. after appreciating the cover for a couple of seconds, because it is one of my favorites of 2021, I decided to read the synopsis and the minute I read it I clicked on the request button. and it was the best decision I made.

When I started the book I was not enjoying my experience meeting our main character because of how vain and problematic he was being, I didnt enjoy the image he painted of homeless people and the rude way he treated essential workers. To this day I am completely sure if he was supposed to be unlikable but that is definitely what I felt. As the book progressed I did start feeling for our main character because of the truly horrible events that he has to live through.

This book grabs your heart, rips it out of your chest, puts it in a blender and flushes it down the toilet. Are you weirded out by this expression? Then you are not ready to read this book. Incredibly fucked up, your stomach needs to be prepared. I was not expecting this book to hit me in my feelings so hard but it did and the conversation around sugar daddys in the gay community taking advantage of these young guys is of extreme importance. *trigger warning for rape/sexual assault*

I thought I was getting a light thriller-type book here with a gay-NYC twist. I was wrong - there is so much more than meets the eye with Yes, Daddy. I was fooled by the cover!

Yes, Daddy is the story of Jonah who moves to NYC to become a writer. He meets an older, very successful and rich, playwright, Richard, who he begins to date with the hopes of opening doors for Jonah. But this takes a dark turn (no spoilers!) and doesn't quite work out that way.

I was really surprised that this book explores trauma in so many forms - gay conversion therapy, familial issues, and physical/sexual abuse. There is a lot here that you do not expect from the description.

I recommend this for anyone looking for gay fiction. It is suspenseful while exploring tough topics, which I enjoyed.

Jonah is a young man holding onto the dream of becoming a playwright. When he orchestrates a meeting with the much older Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Shriver and enters into a passionate affair, he enters into a world the he desperately desires. Accepting an invitation to Shriver’s Hampton estate, Jonah is surrounded by wealth, luxurious dinners and the excesses of drugs and alcohol. The employed staff are beautiful young men, several with noticeable bruises. This glorious world that Jonah envisioned will soon turn dark when Richard ends their relationship and Jonah learns why he was invited to the estate. The severing of their romantic connection sets Jonah on the path of revenge in this toxic world.
This is a compulsive read. It is very detailed and descriptive making it at times emotionally difficult to absorb. This does not detract from the storyline but enhances the raw terror of certain aspects and experiences within Jonah’s nightmare.
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

Yes, Daddy was a gripping thriller that began with a very eerie scenario and then threw you right into a completely dark and horrendous loop. The situation the main character finds himself in is a story we all know too well, but the author has managed to give the reader a new insight into how we find ourselves as victims in abusive relationships, and how predators find our weak spots just to exploit them. This novel did a spectacular job of telling the story of a victim of abuse and how they struggled with telling their own story.

I loved the writing style in this book, it felt very real and it took on a ‘movie-like’ quality. Jonah, the main character, is relatable in more ways than you can imagine and his development felt real, Jonah wasn’t the best person and he wasn’t trying to be, he was just trying to survive. The emotional duress Jonah experienced was felt with every word of this book and the story was a never ending cycle of ‘what the hell just happened’ and ‘what the hell is going to happen’.

The ending of this book was unexpected, I will say that. There was this underlying feeling I had throughout reading it, a feeling that the ending would be semi infuriating and it absolutely was. But I guess not all stories end happily, for all parties.

Overall, this book was a really great read and I found myself enjoying the story and its characters. It never felt like a gruesome tale I was trudging through, but it was a very dark read.

Trigger warnings for : rape, sexual assault, abuse, explicit sex scenes, drug abuse.

Such a great debut! A definite must-read for the summer. Plus, that GORGEOUS cover. 😍 The story was very well written and realized. I feel like I know these characters. A few small gripes with the story however. I wish there was more of a "settled" ending, and wished a few characters at least had there arcs completely wrapped up! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. Definitely will be reading more from Jonathan in the future.

TW: This book has graphic depictions of sexual assault, rape, drug use, and suicide

Wow. This book contains way more than what meets the eye. From reading the description, you would think this book to be some sort of horror/thriller-type book. I was expecting it to be sort of like Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, but it was quite different. It has the suspense, mystery, and overtone of dread, but I found Yes, Daddy more terrifying, heart-wrenching, and REAL.

The novel follows Jonah Keller, a young, gay, white, 20-something transplant to New York City. Estranged from his evangelical parents and fresh from grad school with few prospects and a terrible restaurant job, he decides to try to seduce Richard Shriver, an older and extremely successful playwright. Jonah hopes this will help kickstart his career as a writer as well as save him from his “real life.” Jonah and Richard start seeing each other and develop a relationship, and some things about their early relationship don’t seem right. A summer in the Hamptons turns into a traumatizing nightmare for Jonah and other young men trapped in Richard’s compound. Jonah escapes, but his life (and the lives of his cohorts) are forever changed. I hesitate to write too much of the plot because I want to avoid giving too much away. Suffice it to say there is a LOT more going on this book than a simple escape/survival story.

I was unable to put this book down. Though it was horrifying at times, I had to see what happened next. How would Jonah survive, or would he survive these insurmountable events happening in his life? I honestly thought that the book would end as a suicide letter, but I’m glad it didn’t. Jonah did some awful things, but he was coming from a place of massive trauma deeply imbedded in his psyche. Though I can’t sympathize with the protagonist in his lived experience, some of the emotions, events, and actions in this book still resonate with me deeply. I found myself highlighting several quotes and passages that reminded me of something that had happened in my own life. That is what made this book feel so real. Jonah was so human—his story was more than about being trapped in a compound and escaping.

I also liked the book’s reflections on the #MeToo movement and internet news in general. Things move so quickly on the internet. One hour Jonah was reviled, later that day he was a sympathetic character, later still he was forgotten as Twitter moved onto another crisis. Evangelical Christianity was also the culprit of some of Jonah’s trauma. I appreciate Jonathan Parks-Ramage’s realistic writing of the evangelical movement and the snake-like way they ensnare people in their grasp.

Overall, this was an engaging book and I devoured it quickly. It was different than I expected, but more poignant and filled me with real emotion. I wanted everything to be okay for Jonah in the end. This book is Jonathan Parks-Ramage’s debut novel. If his debut is this good, I can’t want to see what comes next.

So I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the first abt 75% of the book, then it just made me angry. The first 3 quarters of the book had me really captivated and wanting to know where the story was going to go and I did not want to put it down. The author did a really good job on creating a story where you want to know what happens. I do feel this a good look into abuse and how it can effect someone long after they have escaped the situation they are in, and that abuse in the industry is not just aimed at women. The reason I got so angry is I feel like it was sending a message that there is only one way to be a good gay Christian, plus how a minor character in the book acted infuriated me. I am very aware that the message I got, is not necessarily the message the author is trying to portray, but that is what I got from it. I would probably recommend this book to someone, but I would also let them know my thoughts about the last quarter of the book.