All Ghosts Aren't Dead

The Forgotten #1

by April Jade

He was half corpse, half human.
A ghost, but also a god.

I found him blood-soaked and silent, covered in scars and sitting in sin. It was my job to train to him—to mold him into a weapon the mafia deemed useful.

The Forgotten wasn’t a place that offered comfort—we provided control. Pain with a purpose. Power that couldn’t be taken.

Blue was just like the others… until he wasn’t.<.b>

I dedicated most of my life to studying humans—peeling back their layers until only their true selves remained. I knew enough about monsters to know, on some level, I was one.

Blue wasn’t a man nor a monster.

No.

He was mine.

All Ghosts Aren’t Dead is a dark MM romance featuring mafia secrets, quiet obsession, found family, and a man who swore he’d never love—until one boy made it impossible not to.

Genres: M M Romance, Dark, Found Family, Crime, Dark Romance, Mental Health, Contemporary

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2025

About the author

April Jade lives in Central Michigan with her husband, daughter, and their troublemaking cat. She is a self-proclaimed bookaholic and splits her time between reading and writing MM romance novels full of possessive men and the sweet boys that make them melt.

When she’s not writing, she’s probably binge-watching Supernatural, listening to true crime podcasts, or impatiently awaiting the release of the next Marvel movie. She loves pizza, romance, and penning happily ever afters.

Reviews

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

This author writes the sort of needy boys and possessive daddies that I adore more than anything. This particular brand of unhinged just does it for me, and the premise of this book (and the entire series) is so cool. It’s basically a mafia-funded murder academy for broken boys. What’s not to love?

Now, Blue. My god, Blue is the cutest and the brokenest. He’s recently turned 18, has been very sheltered, and is naive in many ways. Considering the age gap and differences in life experience between Blue and Samuel, that can be a tricky and potentially icky situation to navigate. Thankfully — and quite cleverly — Samuel is also just a broken boy (you can definitely be a broken boy at 32, right?). He’s just better at acting stoic. Samuel loved to call Blue his needy baby, but Daddy Sam needs his Blue Baby just as much, which created a good balance between them.

Escaping a cult is one of my favorite microtropes, so I had a great time reading this. Exploring the psychological impacts of religious extremism and abuse will always be interesting. I’m excited to see where the author takes this series next.

Now, I’m not one who usually says ‘if you liked that, you should read this’, and I don’t want to take away from what this book is completely on its own, but if you liked Paladin by Onley James, you should definitely read this book. You’ll likely love it. Think if Ever ended up with Jericho, and instead of Jericho leading a neighborhood ‘gang’, he’s the sort-of-headmaster of a dark academy training killers for the mafia.

I definitely recommend this book.

Disclaimer.
I proofread this book, and my review is based solely on my enjoyment of the story itself.

Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Mafia adjacent romance
Past trauma
Size difference
Age gap
'good boy'
Touch-aversion
Daddy kink
Fast feelings
Virgin mc
Possessiveness
'you're mine'
Marking
Found family
Hurt/comfort

⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
First times
Begging
Desk sex
Needy baby

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence
Murder details
Religious trauma
Graphic details of child abuse (physical, verbal, and psychological, MCs and SCs)
PTSD and anxiety attacks
Trauma-related behavior and thoughts
Dyslexia-related trauma from punishment
Details of past religious abuse - physical, psychologicaland verbal
Minor injury (MC, on page medical treatment--stitches)
explicit sexual content
Mild self harm (MC hitting himself during emotional/psychological distress)
Blood play (scratching until bleeding)
Mentions of MC torturing a bad guy (off page)
Details of MC's sibling enduring torture and captivity
Themes of cults and religious extremism
Mentions of forced breeding of unnamed women
Gun violence
MC injured on page

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Dark romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 18 and 32
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 261
Happy ending: Yes


He looked like a prayer gone wrong, blood-soaked and quiet. Half ghost, half human—a little too alive to haunt, but too hollow not to.

“Sweetheart, if you’re a sinner then I’m the fucking devil.”

“You know you can say stop,” he said, the words thick with restraint. “Anytime. For any reason. Your voice will always matter. Your limits are important.”
I blinked up at him. My heart did a weird little twist in my chest.
“You too, Daddy,” I said. “You can say stop, too.”

“You beg for me, baby, and I forget how to breathe.”

“I want you inside of me. I want you to fuck me.”
His fingers stilled. “You’re sure?”
“I’m so sure, Daddy. I want to get fucked. I want you to come inside me. I want it to drip out of my hole and run down my thighs.”



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

* ☘︎ :･ﾟTOP READ 2025 :･ﾟ☘︎ *


re-read January 2026

yeah, no wonder this was a last year’s favorite!! Still top-tier-my-kinda-book. *happy sigh


--------

edit Dec ’25
Awww, I just read the xmas bonus short and The Forgotten Chat is literally the best. I MISSED THESE BOYS SOOOOO MUCH. I’m up for a re-read as soon as possible. I hope the next book comes very very soooon!! 😭❤️


4.75***** stars


FUCK. There must be crack in this shit or the author has secretly figured me out completely. I LOVED THIS!! And I’m totally feral for everything this author comes up with next for this series.

And because I’m still reeling from the greatness that was this book I’m leaving you with only some quotes because Bailey is so precious and cute and innocent while still being deadly.

“The mafia is like, um, this giant family, but not a family-family. More like a… business? But instead of selling, like, cookies or shoes or whatever, they do crimes. They’re super rich, and they sort of adopted us, I think? But only if we train really hard and get good at murder.”

“Bay showed me stuff.” My breath caught. “Videos.” His head lifted sharply, and he looked down at me with his pupils blown wide and mouth set like he was trying not to lose control.

“Baby,” he groaned. “I fucking love that you have friends. I do. But if you ever have questions about sex again, you come to me. You hear me?” I nodded fast. “Yes, Daddy.”

Daddy’s eyes always sparkled when he looked at me. “I brought you something,” I told him, tiptoeing closer to the bed. His smile got a little wider, slow and sleepy. “Yeah? Another note?” I nodded. “It’s a really good one, Daddy. You’re probably gonna cry.”

“So what does that make me then?”
Amir didn’t miss a beat. “His boyfriend. His daddy. The poster child for repressed men who fall first and get feral about it later.”
I gave him a look. “You’re such a smug bastard.”

And omg, there was a bonus to download from the boys’ group chat. *lmaooo 💀💀

**************
The Forgotten Series

Book 1 - All Ghosts Aren’t Dead - 4.75 stars
Book 2 - tbd


⇢ connected Series: Dangerous Daddys (you can bet your sexy ass I’m going to read it!)

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

April Jade writes wonderful daddy/boy dynamics. It's a fast-paced book, unfortunately a little too superficial, but very entertaining if you need wounded characters who are rescued by very possessive characters.
What particularly fascinated me about this story was that both MCs are hurt and possessive at the same time, and that the hurt can be so wonderfully transformed into murder as therapy.
So it's not a story for the faint-hearted. There's a lot of blood, abuse and torture, and not all of it is off-page. (Please read the author’s trigger warnings)
At the same time, it's an introduction to a new series, so we're introduced to a number of characters. This is well done and I find some of them very intriguing.
On the other hand, this is a spin-off. There's a reunion with Benjamin and Midnight, which is delicious. However, I don't think you necessarily have to have read the Dangerous Daddies series, at least not for this first book.
I can say that I absolutely love Blue and Samuel. And that there aren't nearly enough pages to really get to know them and understand their relationship properly. Some things are left off the page, and it would have been so much nicer to learn more about Blue's training and slow “healing.”
But it's an entertaining story with a very nice dynamic and a good dose of smut. Delicious.

“You can stay, sweetheart.”
“And… there are no punishments?”
“No punishments,” I promised.
No punishments…
No prophets…
No fucking God but the one I’d become if anyone tried to hurt him again. 🖤🖤🖤

I gasped as he kissed my throat.
“I’ve never been touched like this before. Not ever. But I want it. I’m hard, Daddy. Do you—do you feel it?”
He froze, just for a second.
Then he ground his hips into mine, and holy hell, he felt it.
His cock was hard too, thick and straining against the rough fabric of his pants. The pressure of it slid against mine, and I whimpered. 🩵🩵🩵

“Did you…” My voice came out rough, uneven. “Did you go torture a man with your hole already wet for me?”
His cheeks burned red. “I—I thought I’d be really needy when I got back. I was right. Are you needy too, Daddy?”
Jesus fucking Christ.
My laugh was breathless. “You have no fucking idea.” 🖤🖤🖤

[Emna · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

My only complaint is that it was too short ... Criminally, outrageously, emotionally offensively SHORT and I NEEEEEDED SO MUCH MOREEEEEE.

[BelleLovesRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️ 5/5 — Emotional massacre stitched with aftercare and vows in blood 💔
🌶 3/5 — Neediness so raw it bleeds into every touch 🩸

This book was a full-blown trauma with lots of healing. It made me cry—but it also gave me so much laughter. Honestly? This is the funniest April Jade book I’ve ever read. It taught me something too: being NEEDY ISN'T A FLAW—you just haven't met someone who craves you as much as you crave them. 😌

📖 The Premise 📖

Wanna see what blind faith without logic or compassion looks like? What happens when the people meant to nurture you are the ones who ruin you? What do the survivors of that fucked-up hell become?

Two broken men bound by trauma, healing each other while sharpening themselves into weapons—killing the evil that deserves to burn. Both ghosts in their own way, both members of a mafia chapter. ☠️

Think you’ve seen intense before? You haven’t. Samuel and Blue redefine codependency. They take separation anxiety and crank it to NUCLEAR MELTDOWN level. Unhealthy love has never looked this empowering—or this devastatingly beautiful. 🥀

👨🏻‍🏫👱🏻 The MCs 👨🏻‍🏫👱🏻

Samuel — The poster child for repressed men who fall first and go feral later. A quiet, raging storm wrapped in discipline and Daddy energy. For Samuel, touch is poison… until Blue. The only boy who can put hands on him without making him sick—or murderous. Samuel is cold, stoic, commanding, terrifying—a weapon to everyone else. But to Blue? He’s a safe, loving home. 👓🫂

Blue — The definition of duality. Haunting, broken innocence fused with feral wildness. He can go from sweet and soft to viciously unhinged in one breath. One second he’s learning to read, the next he’s smiling about burning people alive. And somehow, you’ll love him for it. 💥😍

☠️ Blue’s Mind-Boggling Duality Moment ☠️

Quote
Bay: “Bluebird! You’re back! Was it awesome? Did you draw blood? Tell. Me. Everything.”
Blue: “It was fun! I tortured a guy wearing Daddy’s gloves. I didn’t set anything on fire, but they did let me use a blowtorch.”

He said it bright and innocent, like he’d just baked cookies—not burned flesh. 🔥😳

💀 The Scene That Had Me Howling 💀

Quote
Bay: “You kissed that sexy, emotionally repressed, stoic man? With your mouth? On purpose?!”
Blue: “We should probably just get married.”

Bay makes a wounded animal noise. Simon chokes. Rune mutters, “Jesus.”
Meanwhile me? DEAD. 💀

Blue KISSES Samuel ONE TIME and immediately decides MARRIAGE is the next logical step. I fucking love him. 🤣💕

❤️‍🔥 Codependency and Separation Anxiety at its Finest ❤️‍🔥

Blue’s gone for four hours. Samuel’s feral. Naturally. 😏
Quote
Amir: “Would you give him up if I said yes?”
Samuel: “No. The idea of letting Blue go felt like dying. Not metaphorically. Tearing the skin off my bones would be less painful.”

He even put a tracker on Blue. OF COURSE HE DID. Because that’s his baby. 🙂‍↕️ And 'cause he got no chill whatsoever. 😝

🌶 The Spice 🌶

I’m coining a new term for what went down between Blue and Sam: This is CLINGFUCK — the kind of fucking that feels like stitching two souls together with teeth, nails, and blood. 🪡🩸

Clingfuck (noun/verb)
1. Sex that feels like you’re begging with your whole body—a prayer of “don’t leave me.”
2. When you’re glued together because the thought of letting go makes you panic. Every thrust is a desperate plea of “say you’re mine.”

Usage:
▪️“Blue and Sam didn’t just fuck—they had a full-on clingfuck, both of them clawing for permanence like breathing depended on it.”

Synonyms: velcro-sex, possession-fueled fucking, desperation sex

P.S. Yeah, this one’s straight from my deranged brain. Don’t bother checking Merriam-Webster. 📖💀

🏁 The Ending 🏁

This is the only April Jade book that doesn’t give us a full HEA—just an HFN. But you know what? It still felt like a victory. My heart’s in pieces, but smiling. 🥰💖

💭 Final Thoughts 💭

April, you’re a menace and a mastermind. The way you write trauma, obsession, and love is agonizingly beautiful. My heart’s broken, but I’ll always come back—for the Daddies, the boys, and the chaos. 💔😭

P.S. Stop putting BEN in every book—actually, NO, DON'T. I LOVE IT. TORTURE ME FOREVER. ♾️🫠

Quote:
BENJAMIN THOMAS could kill me faster than I could snap my fingers. He’d been my boss for nearly ten years. He owned me, hell, he owned the state. HE HAD US ALL IN A GODDAMN CHOKEHOLD. —Samuel

And to that I say: SAME Samuel!! And please don't let go, Ben, I'm perfectly fine being in your chokehold. 😌🔗♾️🖤

📝 TLDR 📝

Emotional bloodbath stitched together with aftercare and vows whispered in possessiveness. MCs that redefine codependency in the most beautifully fucked-up way possible—with humor sharp enough to cut. 🖤

A stoic Daddy with touch aversion who’d burn the world for one boy, and that boy casually saying, “We should probably just get married” after ONE kiss. That’s the vibe. ✨️

-
Quotes:

The Forgotten didn’t just exist in covert files and shredded documents, but in scars, bruised knuckles, and stitched-up skin.
-
Trauma didn’t vanish here… it mutated.
-
“No one is going to fix you.”
“But… I’m broken.”
Ah, fuck.
“So am I. So are the other boys. No one is going to fix you, because you’re not something that needs fixing.”
-
Forgotten.
I liked it.
Not broken, just… left behind for a while.
Maybe that’s what I was, too.
Not gone.
Not ruined.
Waiting.
-
“You’re not used to getting choices?”
“Sinners don’t get choices.”
“Sweetheart, if you’re a sinner then I’m the fucking devil.”
-
I didn’t like crying. Father said sinners weren’t allowed to cry, but sometimes I couldn’t help it.
Sometimes it felt like the only thing my body knew how to do.
-
“He may not say it out loud, but Sam brought you here because he saw something in you, something worth saving. You don’t even have to earn it, Blue. You just have to stay.”
-
”I… I don’t want God to turn his face from you, Samuel. I don’t want my evil to touch you. I don’t want to ruin you.”
“I’m already ruined, Blue baby.”
-
“Ah, Simon, our unofficial den mother. Equal parts cinnamon roll and trauma response.”
“He’s a… pastry?”
-
“I—I’m touching you. I’m hurting you!”
“No, baby. You’re healing me.”
-
“I missed you.”
“It’s only been a couple of hours.”
“Still. Can we kiss again and fall asleep on your couch?”
“Friends are important, baby. You should stay with them.”
“But… what about kissing?”
“There’ll be kissing, Blue baby, because tonight you’ll be in my bed.”
Every sound behind us stopped.
Behind us, Bay let out a strangled noise. “I have so many emotions. None of them are appropriate.”
-
The boy I was training to fight began to feel less like a soldier and more like something sacred.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
-
“You’re here.”
“Of course I’m fucking here. You’re bleeding.”
“Are you… mad? I don’t want you to be mad.”
“I’m not mad, baby.”
I was wrecked.
-
“You don’t have to bleed to prove you belong.”
“But I do belong… right?”
“You belong to me.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, Blue baby.”
-
“You touch me, and I don’t flinch. You kiss me, and my skin doesn’t crawl. It settles. You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel like I’m not sick, and like maybe I never was.”
“Maybe we’re just healing each other,”
-
“You’re so hard for me. So needy.”
“I—I can’t help it, Daddy. I want you so much. Can I have more touches, Daddy? Please.”
“Oh, baby. Beg like that again and you can have whatever the fuck you want.”
-
“You need something, sweetheart?”
“A—a blow job?
“Do you know what that is, Daddy? It’s when you⁠—”
“Yes, baby,” he chuckled. “I know what that is.”
“How the fuck do you know what it is?”
“I watched a video.Was that… bad?”
“No, sweetheart, it’s not bad. You’re never bad. I just can’t handle the thought of your sweet angel mouth on any man’s cock but mine.”
-
“Taste that, needy baby? That’s you. My goddamn addiction. Daddy’s gonna need this every night now.”
“Are—are you needy too, Daddy?”
“Baby, I’m fucking obsessed.
-
“You held together, baby.”
“That’s ’cause you fixed me, Daddy.”
“I didn’t fix you. You were never broken. You were hurt, but not broken.”
-
“I think I love you. I—I don’t even know if I’m saying it right, —but I feel it, Daddy. I promise I do. I feel it so much it hurts.”
“I love you, too. I love you so much and it terrifies me, because I can’t lose you. You’re mine, and I won’t let you go. I can’t.”
-
“I am way too obsessed with you to think rationally. If you’re going to do this, I am putting a fucking tracker on you. I want to know where you are at all goddamn times. If anyone touches you, if anyone so much as breathes on you wrong, I will personally introduce them to Hell.”
-
“You beg for me, baby, and I forget how to breathe. You’re my breath, Blue baby.”
-
“You like my finger inside you, Blue baby? You look so fucking pretty spread out across my bed, cock weeping and hole stretched.”
-
“Hey. Look at me. I’m not going anywhere, Blue baby. You hear me? You ask me to stop, I stop. But if you beg me not to? Then I’ll stay right here and ruin you like you need.”
-
“I want to get fucked. I want you to come inside me. I want it to drip out of my hole and run down my thighs.”
Daddy froze.
“Where the fuck did you learn that?”
“No one taught me. I watched it by myself on the tablet you bought me. It made me hard, Daddy, but not as hard as you do.”
“Jesus Christ, Blue, you’re trying to fucking kill me.”
-
“I—I scratched you. I hurt you.”
“Don’t you dare apologize. Scratch me again. Mark me. Destroy me, Blue. I need it—need you carved into me so deep I taste you in my fucking bones.”
-
“Did you… Did you go torture a man with your hole already wet for me?”
“I—I thought I’d be really needy when I got back. I was right. Are you needy too, Daddy?”
Jesus fucking Christ.
“You have no fucking idea.”
-
“You’re mine, Blue. You always fucking will be.”
-
“If you call him daddy one more time, I will crawl across this fucking table and rip your throat out.”
-
“You’re mine.”
“Say it again, Blue baby.”
“You’re mine, Daddy.”
“Good boy.”
-
“When we go, I need you not to leave my sight. If I can’t see you, I’m pretty sure I’ll freak out. If I blink and you’re not there, I’ll fucking lose it, Daddy. I’ll think they took you. I know I will.”
Fuck.
“I’m not going anywhere, baby. No one touches me. No one touches you. We go in together, and we come out together.”
“I mean it. If I look and you’re gone⁠—”
“I’ll be there, I’ll chain us together if I have to.”
“You promise?”
“Baby, I’ll sew us together at the fucking spine if that’s what it takes. You’ll never lose sight of me, not in this life, not in the next.”
-
“Okay. So you joined a murder school. Fine. But why does your boyfriend look like he could break me in half with one hand?”
“He could,” I said proudly.
“Jesus Christ.”
-
“But you got hurt because of me.”
“I got hurt because I stood between you and a monster. I would do it again. A thousand times. Ten thousand. Until every part of me was broken—if it meant you were whole.”
-
“It’s not always about getting stronger. Sometimes it’s about staying soft, even when the world tries to turn you inside out.”
-

⚠️ Detailed spoiler below ⛔️

RC and MCs:
🔫💙 MM, strict roles
🔫💙 Samuel Lynch 32yo and Bailey Bensen aka Blue 18yo
🔫💙 Sam: The Director of the Forgotten project in the Benjamin Thomas' mafia chapter. Under him are 7 instructors who trained the boys from weaponry to law. He's adopted by Dr. Ernest Lynch.
🔫💙 Blue: The 5th boy of The Forgotten in the Benjamin Thomas' mafia chapter
🔫💙 Sam: Top, dom, Daddy, delicate round gold rimmed glasses, dark brown eyes, brown curly hair, scruffy jaw, muscular
🔫💙 Blue: Bottom, sub, boy, gray eyes, blond hair, pale skin, thin

Genre and tropes:
🔫💙 MM dark contemporary romance
🔫💙 Light mafia background
🔫💙 Daddy/boy dynamic
🔫💙 Age gap (14 years)
🔫💙 Size difference
🔫💙 Hurt/Comfort
🔫💙 Found family
🔫💙 Insta-pull (mutual)
🔫💙 Bonded by trauma
🔫💙 J/P obsessive MCs
🔫💙 Morally gray MCs
🔫💙 Caretaker, protective Daddy
🔫💙 Touch-averse MC (Samuel always wears black gloves)
🔫💙 Touch-starved, dyslexic MC
🔫💙 Virgin, naive, needy boy
🔫💙 First times
🔫💙 OTT (The best kind!!!) ❤️‍🔥✨️
🔫💙 Mine mine mine
🔫💙 Touch him and die (literally)
🔫💙 Only soft for him
🔫💙 Extreme codependency
🔫💙 Extreme separation anxiety
🔫💙 Samuel carries Blue around a lot
🔫💙 Blue wants to marry Daddy after they kissed
🔫💙 Pet names: Sweetheart, baby, Blue baby

Safety info:
🔫💙 Angst: High
🔫💙 OW/OM drama: No
🔫💙 Cheating/sharing: No
🔫💙 Third act breakup: No
🔫💙 Ending: HFN
🔫💙 Epilogue: Yes
🔫💙 POV: Dual, 1st person
🔫💙 Series structure: Interconnected standalone (The Forgotten series book 1)

Spice and kinks:
Daddy kink, Daddy/boy dynamic, praise (good boy), marking (bite marks, scratches), blowjob, dirty talk, frotting, rimming, tongue fucking, finger fucking, bareback

CW/TW:
Graphic depictions of child abuse to MCs and SCs (physical, verbal, psychological), religious trauma and cult-like indoctrination, self-harm/suicidal ideation (implied past attempts, Blue's backstory), PTSD and trauma-related behaviors, discussions of dyslexia as a source of trauma, touch aversion/childhood trauma, emotional abuse (gaslighting, dehumanization), graphic violence (mafia-related brutality, torture references), murder, gore, blood

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5  ⭐️(❤️)
 
All Ghosts Aren't Dead was an amazing read -- my second favorite of August. April Jade truly saved this reading month.
 

“I love your heart,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest. “It’s the safest sound in the world.”

[Oh, this quote...]
 
•~•~ 𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 🌟
 
April Jade managed to charm me with another story of hers. I'm beginning to think she has superpowers, because how does she write such addictive stories? Her formula is always the same: a man meets a boy, they both get obsessed, and fall in love. But it works! Each time, it's like I'm being fed my favorite dish. I truly can't get enough.

The first thing Blue thought about after meeting Samuel for the first time is a good example for their craziness:

"I sort of wanted to press my finger against those lines and trace them all around his body until I found out where they led.
Of course, that’d be silly because I already knew the answer.
His heart.
I kind of wanted to trace that, too."

This time we're following Samuel Lynch and Bailey 'Blue' Bensen. Working for Benjamin Thomas, the head of the mafia [remember the OG daddy?], Samuel's in charge of a program called Forgotten where boys are 'rescued' by the mafia in order to get trained and ultimately work for them.

Living in an abusive home, with very religious and violent parents, Blue ended up killing them, which brought the mafia directly to him. Of course, Blue fit all the requirements to join the Forgotten boys.

The idea of letting Blue go felt like dying. Not metaphorically. Not in some poetic, slow- fade way. No— like my heart would seize in my chest and never beat right again. The goddamn ground would crack open and swallow whatever was left of me whole. I’d survive it. That was the worst part. I’d survive, and I’d hate every second of it.

At first glance, Samuel and Blue were instantly connected. It's very insta-love between the characters. Generally, that's not really my thing. Oddly, it worked just fine for Samuel and Blue. Their over-the-top feelings for each other, the instant possessiveness on both sides, and how they went from 'I'm obsessed with him' to 'I can't live without him' in the blink of an eye should have felt weird and off-putting. And here I am. I gobbled everything about this book. Though, at this point, I would be ready to read anything April Jade writes.

“If you call him daddy one more time,” Blue seethed, “I will crawl across this fucking table and rip your throat out.”

It's not just how hot they were together, or how possessive of each other they were. What truly moved me is the intimacy between them. The best word to describe Samuel and Blue's relationship is clingy. Those two couldn't stop touching, hugging and kissing. Mind you, Samuel was touch-averse.

"He touched me— just barely, and over fabric— but it was more than I’d allowed in years. A fleeting brush of fingers, uncertain and small. What should’ve made my skin crawl somehow leveled me. It gutted me. Blue was undoing me. Not loudly and not even on purpose, but he was."

“You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel like I’m not sick, and like maybe I never was.” He smiled at that and leaned forward until our foreheads touched again. “Maybe we’re just healing each other,” he murmured.

However, Blue's the only one who's able to touch him [not me grinning like a fool when I reached that part of the story, because that's such a cliché move but it works every time with me]. Samuel and Blue healed the other; both are broken in their own ways but together those pieces fit perfectly.

“I— I scratched you. I hurt you.”
“Don’t you dare apologize.” His eyes were wild, pupils nearly exploding. “Goddamn it. Scratch me again. Mark me. Destroy me, Blue. I need it— need you carved into me so deep I taste you in my fucking bones.”

The main characters were so likable. Blue's sensibility coupled with Samuel's difficult upbringing made my heart ache. I think they're a perfect march.

All along, Samuel made me swoon and smile. He might be my favorite daddy, so far [I apologize Elijah, but Samuel was so sexy. He wore glasses! ]. The things he said, the things he did for Blue. Where can I get my own Samuel, please? Alright, I'm jealous of Blue.

"I would’ve carved out my own ribs if it meant he’d never have to cry again."

There's also something I've noticed with April Jade. She doesn't typically write other people drama. Not only her books are 100% safe, but her characters stay loyal to their partner throught everything. Which, once again, proves that unecessary people drama doesn't need to be included to make a book enjoyable.

“You beg for me, baby, and I forget how to breathe.”

And just for that, and all the emotions I got during my reading, this book obviously earned its five stars. While it's not a perfect book by any means, it was perfect to me in my eyes.

My only complaint is how the conflict involving the villain got resolved. The 'final fight' felt, not cringe, but extremely unrealistic. It could have been written in a better way, I believe. Still, that didn't impact my rating.

He paused, breathing like the words hurt his lungs. “If I could never touch you again… if all I had was sitting close enough to hear your heartbeat, I’d still want you. I’d still love you.”

I cannot wait to read more from this universe. All the Forgotten boys deserve their own story, and I'm very interested in JJ and Simon's one. Those two, if I'm correct, are hinted as a pair.
 
•~•~ 𝓢𝓪𝓯𝓮𝓽𝔂 𝓭𝓮𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓵𝓼 🌟

> Safe ;

> No other people after meeting each other.

"Our lips moved like we could stitch each other back together with nothing but breath and skin, and the weight of being wanted."

[Monikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Once again April Jade has given us sweet, dark, hurt/comfort and satiated my inner need for babying😊 This was such a hard earned feel good book with the over the top feelings drowning us in happy bubbles of squishy intimate love.
Irresistible, the lot of them. My little dark heart needs to hug them all. If the endearment sweetheart needed a picture it would be Blue. If dark, damaged with a huge heart needed one, it would be Samuel's. I can't wait for the next books☺️✨🪄🍬🍭🍫

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 ⭐️ for Blue + Sam
4 ⭐️ for the book as a whole

Blue + Sam 🖤
Touch averse daddy | Age gap | Adorably innocent boy


I love how April writes Daddies. So sweet, protective, and devoted to their boys. Just adorable.

Make sure to read the bonus content with the group chat. Hillarious.



⚠️possible SPOILERS BELOW in detailed tropes/content and trigger warning lists




Tropes/content:
Mafia
Good boy
Age gap (18 & 32)
Touch averse Daddy
A boy who legally does not exist (no birth certificate or ss #)
Mine
Adorably innocent boy
First kiss
Virgin
Wants to marry daddy after the first time they kiss
Dyslexia
Sweetheart
Baby
Consent kings
Marking
Blue carves a B into Daddys skin with his nails
Blue tortures a man while prepped for his daddy
Found family


TWs:
Abusive parents
Religious trauma, abuse, and torture
MC murdered his parents (but they deserved it - see above)
Panic attacks
Severe startle response
Descriptions of torture
Cult

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Baby Blue 🩵

This book has a lot of things I don't usually like. Hell, I just finished a book with this kind of insta-ness and hated it. But here? With these two broken babies? Licking my fingers.

If the author's good, even insta possessiveness and obsessiveness can work.

I’m also not a fan of the daddy/boy dynamic, but here? Perfect for them 🥹
Blue’s innocence needs a steady hand, a role model—and broken Samuel being all that? Makes me feral and greedy. Dangerous combo, right?
Though, I’ll admit it got a bit much at times.

Get this: Blue (swooning so damn much) believes that because he kisses Daddy… they have to get married.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Now, let’s talk about sex—because in a daddy/boy setup, that’s usually where I nope out.
But here? I’m going to hell because I LOVED watching this 32-year-old Daddy give his 18-year-old boy exactly what he needed—in a scorching, toe-curling, pearl-clutching way.
And just FYI—no OP drama whatsoever!

We also need to talk about that damn cult. Or maybe… let’s just hope they all died as painfully and bloodily as Blue’s parents. Head smashed and all that. Good talk!

That said, there were a few things that didn’t fully land.
Some of the emotional pacing felt off—Samuel’s touch aversion resolved way too quickly, and Blue’s sexual understanding ramped up a little too fast after, what, some videos?
I would've loved a more slow-burnish journey, with them learning and experimenting together.

Same goes for Blue's training and found family arc. He went from outsider to BFFs with the boys overnight—and we didn't see it. He’s suddenly out on missions… but how?
Even his bond with Samuel needed more build-up and on-page tension to fully sell the progression. But I still bought it—because the characters had me.

What really frustrated me was how many key moments happened off-page.
Like, Blue sleeps (just sleeps!) and kisses Samuel four nights in a row—and we don’t get a single scene of it. We’re just told.
At this point, I’m greedy for all things Blue & Samuel, so not getting those moments hurt.
This isn’t a critique of them—or even the found family, which was gold.
It’s about the author’s choice to keep pivotal, intimate scenes off-page.

So, expect a steamy, emotionally intense, dark-ish romance with trauma, possessiveness, and a surprisingly tender daddy/boy dynamic that just works—especially if you’re weak for broken boys finding home in unexpected places.
It’s a wild, aching ride of mine.mine.mine obsession, age-gap yearning, and mafia-fueled danger, wrapped in a feral found family vibe.

Basically: soft boys, sharp teeth, and no emotional safety nets.
Proceed with your heart unguarded. 💘
Can’t wait for more!!!

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dramatic

The drama was dramaing. The trauma was traumaing. Spectacular. Very much looking forward to future installments of this series. :)

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

➤ Quick Thoughts:
This story is intense, tender, and absolutely devastating in the best way 🥹 Blue and Samuel destroyed me. Their connection is raw and painfully beautiful, built on trust, vulnerability, and quiet devotion. Their pasts broke my heart. My poor Blue baby… you get attached to him instantly, he’s just so precious. I’m beyond happy he found Samuel, the perfect daddy for him, exactly what his soul needed. And OMG, I was in good boy heaven the entire time — it was delicious! 🤤

RATING: 4.75 ⭐️
SPICE LEVEL: 2 🌶️
SWOON FACTOR: 🫠🫠🫠🫠.5/5
BLUE: 💙💙💙💙.75/5
SAMUEL: 💙💙💙💙.75/5

➤ FAVORITE QUOTES:
✨ After years of keeping everyone out, building walls made of rules and routines, and locking every door behind me—there was Blue. My Blue. With his shaking hands, wide eyes, and that soft little laugh he always tries to swallow, like it might poison those around him. He touched me—just barely, and over fabric—but it was more than I’d allowed in years. A fleeting brush of fingers, uncertain and small. What should’ve made my skin crawl somehow leveled me. It gutted me. Blue was undoing me. Not loudly and not even on purpose, but he was. He unlaced me quietly, bone by bone, and I let him.

✨ Leaning in, he pressed his forehead to mine. “You belong here, sweetheart, every broken part of you and all the pieces you’re learning to hold.”

✨ I hadn’t meant to kiss him. Not really. I just… needed to. Like the way you need air when the room gets too tight, or the way you reach for a light when everything inside starts going dark.

✨ Claim me. Claim me. Claim me. He did it again, a little lower this time. Bruises bloomed beneath his teeth and scattered across my skin like kisses in a secret language.

✨ This boy who had been starved of kindness, who had never been taught the shape of safety, handed his heart to me with both hands. Willingly. Entirely.

➤ THE GOOD STUFF:
✧ MAFIA ROMANCE
✧ DARK ACADEMIA VIBES
✧ FOUND FAMILY
✧ HURT / COMFORT
✧ SURVIVOR × PROTECTOR
✧ AGE GAP
✧ VIRGIN MC
✧ TOUCH-AVERSION TURNED CRAVING
✧ “GOOD BOY”
✧ DADDY KINK
✧ POSSESSIVE PROTECTION
✧ MARKING & CLAIMING
✧ MINE, MINE, MINE
✧ OBSESSION & DEVOTION

➤ FINAL THOUGHT:
This is officially my favorite book from April Jade so far. Every member of this broken yet beautiful found family stole a piece of my heart. I can’t wait to return to this world to see what comes next for them!

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you want to know anything about this book, go read other reviews.

no, really.
my MO is rating this author’s books and rating them 5 stars, then reading again after a few months and lowering it to 1, quite disgusted with myself.
right now, i genuinely think that this is amazing, but don’t trust me

[Audi♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when they're like....
"No one can touch me but you"
🤭😍🥵😘

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5 stars rounded up! ⭐️

This if my favorite April Jade work so far. I've read two of her works previously, one her debut novel, and I feel she has improved as a writer overall. At least in this book it was a step up from her previous works I've read, anyhow.

Samuel and Blue were very sweet and sexy together. Right off the bat, we find out Samuel finds Blue (with Ben, from the first book this author wrote who is the head of the mafia in Seattle) just when he turned 18. Samuel is 32, so there is that 14 year age gap, and it doesn't take long for them to start a relationship, so Blue is freshly 18 when their relationship starts.

If that is too much for you personally, this will have to be skipped. I would say that age-gap is a big no in real life, but for fiction that's fine for me, personally. But if it isn't for you, this isn't the book for you.

But if you don't mind that age gap in fiction, I definitely say pick this one up.

I was pleasantly surprised how drawn into this story and couple I was. I love a good super possessive couple, and these two gave that in spades. Mainly Samuel was possessive AF, but Blue had his moments as well.

This also contains Daddy kink (which, I think this author is a big fan of, and I'm not complaining.) so if that also is not your thing, this also isn't the book for you.

But Blue is Samuel's baby and Samuel is his Daddy and that's that.

They're both so massively traumatized, but Blue's is fresh off of his while Samuel has been living with his for years and years. There's something so soft and sweet about Blue that just draws Samuel in from the get go.

We learn Samuel has a strong, physical reaction of repulsion to any touch, but not Blue's. Which I also love, this "exception to the rule" trope. No one is allowed to touch Samuel but Blue.

My only reason for .5 stars off is because their relationship happened very fast, too fast for the most part. They have great chemistry and all, but they barely interact before they're all in. Timeline wise, it's only 10 days before they kiss, maybe a full month since they meet before they have sex. Maybe a bit less than two months pass before the end of this before it's over.

It's why I gave this a HFN tag instead of HEA, even though it is a VERY strong HFN. But they barely know each other but are already 100% committed, all in with each other. And we didn't get barely any build up to them feeling that way for each other. And them starting things so soon after Blue's trauma - and him having to kill his parents - especially sexually without Blue truly healing from it yet was a bit iffy imo.

I mean it was still hot and the chemistry was very good, but I was also feeling a bit "should Samuel be doing sexual things with Blue who is freshly 18 and so soon after he's gotten away from this cult that traumatized him beyond belief for years and years?" Mmm, in reality I would say absolutely not and also they shouldn't be together in the first place - or at least, not for a few years to give Blue time to heal and mature.

BUT it's fiction and I enjoyed it - and Samuel is so sweet and considerate and gentle with Blue - even as it felt a bit fast. So only .5 stars off for me for that very fast, almost insta-lovey forming of their relationship. More time could have and should have been taken for them to fall in love.

Otherwise, though, I loved this and couldn't get enough of these two and their dynamic. The plot was good too, and the ending was so interesting and exciting.

Jonah, Blue's brother, also really intrigues me and what he's been through is also severely traumatic. Also he and Simon are totally going to get together and I'm already digging it. I can't wait for for their book next.

Until then! 😍

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for Blue and his Daddy.

I did not expect this to be a cross over series with Ben and midnight making appearances. Mad love is my favorite book by this author but I HATED Ben in this book. I was baffled at how one of my favorite characters was my least favorite in this book. I might go read that again to remind me why I liked him in the first place.

Anyway I loved these two SOOOO much. It’s been a while where I absolutely loved both MCs but here it was hard not to love them. There was literally nothing about them that I didn’t like. Samuel was Daddy vibes who just loved Blue so damn much and would do anything for him. He treated him so good and he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way. Blue was such a sweet boy with a horrible past and I just loved him so much. They were so great together. I loved that their relationship didn’t seem just sexual. It made their age gap not seem icky because Samuel wasn’t only thinking sexual thoughts about him. I mean most of this thoughts were just how much he cherished Blue, nothing pervy ever entered his mind. Also the duel obsession was everything!!!!! Samuel has touch aversion and hates to be touched. He even wears gloves all the time because he cannot stand skin to skin contact but he loves when Blue touches him. I usually don’t mind when there’s no sexual history on the MCs but I kind of wanted to know a little about Samuels only because he hates touch and I wonder how he worked around that.

The secondary characters were great. Bay is my absolute favorite and I can’t wait for his book. But I also love Simon and I’m glad his book is next (I think) and I knew who he would end up with the minute he came up in conversation.

My only qualm with this book is the writing. I forgot this author changed her writing style and I HATE it! It’s all hyperboles. The entire book is hyperboles! It was so frustrating to read. I looked up the word “like” and it was written 600 times in this book. You know why? Because this author can’t mention anything without making it “like” anything else! A character couldn’t even breathe without it being compared to something. Ugh I hated it. There was so much time wasted on describing the rooms and what was around them. I don’t need a whole paragraph on the damn wall color. I don’t give a shit. Give me more time with the MCs. I didn’t like this especially when it came to Blue’s POV. He’s a sheltered boy who doesn’t even know the meaning of words like mafia or honeymoon so to have his POV filled with big words, feelings and hyperboles just didn’t make sense to me. It would have been better if it were more simple. There’s no way his mind is thinking those things, it just felt unrealistic.

Anyway can’t wait for the rest of the series!!


NO CHEATING
NO OP DRAMA
NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP
AGE GAP (18/32)
VIRGIN MC
TOUCH AVERSION (MC)
FOUND MAFIA FAMILY
TALK OF PAST ABUSE
TALK OF TORTURE (torture is off page)
DADDY/BOY (in and out of bedroom)
HFN (I loves you and living together)

[Sona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so let me just admit it right now — Daddy kink is an acquired taste. I know, right? I’ve tried it before, gave it a chance with this book that literally everyone loved… and I had to DNF it. It just felt like… too much. But this book? This book changed things.

Samuel? A good daddy. Like, even I found myself thinking — where do I sign up? And Bailey, aka Sweetheart , Baby , Blue? Perfection. Literal baby angel in trauma boots. I wasn’t expecting to fall for them, especially because I usually don’t do insta-love. But their connection? It just worked. It was so soft, so immediate, and oddly… healing.

In the middle of this brutal, dark world — there was this oddly beautiful, safe space between Samuel and Bailey. It felt like a tiny fragile flower growing in a wasteland. Like, why was it so tender?? It had no business being this emotionally sweet.

And Samuel? The man who couldn’t bear being touched craving Bailey’s touch. And Bailey, this poor sweet boy who believed he was flawed and needed punishment? He wasn’t afraid of Samuel’s darkness. Even in the bedroom, when Samuel got growly and bossy.

The side characters? Fantastic. Especially Jonah Blue’s brother . Oh my god, I need his book yesterday. That one moment — when Bailey says, “You look mean,” and Jonah goes, “I’ve always been mean. Just not to you, Bailey Bug.” — yeah, I loved Jonah even more then. He needs a daddy too 🤭just saying.

Honestly? I came here unsure. I left converted. I’m officially a Daddy kink fan now. And it’s all because of Samuel and his baby Blue.

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sexy Scene Frequency: 🍑🍑🍑
Sexy Scene Heat Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Bailey (baby Blue): 💙💙💙💙💙
Samuel (Daddy): 💙💙💙💙💙
Angst Level: 💔💔💔
Insta-love: Surprisingly good ✔️
Daddy Kink Factor: ✅ 100% approved

This was unexpectedly beautiful. In a dark, grim world, this book gave me softness, devotion, healing, and one hell of a Daddy I didn’t know I needed. If you’re unsure about the trope? Try this one. If you love it already? You’ll probably re-read this.

Now, someone hand me Jonah’s book. I’m ready.

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm feeling sort of out of step with this one because so many people love it and the ratings are high. I think perhaps this author is not for me. I've only read one other book by her (Mad Love) and I remember not liking it so much. A large part of my dislike was the older MC who, unfortunately, has brief appearances in this one. This had tropes I love (daddy kink, hurt/comfort, found family) but it just didn't hit.

The two MCs never met their potential in my opinion both as individuals and as a couple. Everything was just so surface that I didn't care about them. Samuel was a daddy simply because he was older and had strong protective instincts I guess because there's no indication that he'd ever previously felt that role for himself and Blue certainly didn't know what that was before Bay just threw it out there as a joke. So the daddy kink itself felt out of nowhere/misplaced. I learned facts about Sam - he was rescued from abuse, adopted by the mafia doc, had haphephobia, and was the first of these "forgotten" boys. That might seem like a lot but I still somehow felt like I didn't know him. Mostly he just made a LOT of incredibly OTT proclamations about how Blue was his everything and he'd do anything for him and he was the air he breathed, etc. after like 10 days of knowing him while he was mostly in a state of shock. He also had a lot of BIG emotions for a guy who is supposedly pretty level - like he's over there ready to flip tables because Ben expected Blue to do the job that they were training him for? Ben's a dick (I hate that guy) but that's a lot of big feelings going around for no reason.

And then there's Blue. This boy is barely 18, severely traumatized, and so naive about the world outside his weird church cult, that he felt nearly infantile. Just, how he speaks and reacts, what he knows and doesn't, was all very childish. It made the relationship feel weird to me. I'd maybe feel stronger about him if we'd seen more of his recovery but his therapy is not on page, there's very little of him actually learning skills (either the violent ones or the reading), and we barely get to see him making friends with the other boys. I know that it's common in hurt/comfort for characters who have been in survival mode to not really know who they are in the beginning and then it's nice to watch them find/grow into themselves over time. But I didn't get that here. Sam and Blue's time together is mostly sex (which was hot but also pretty vanilla) or Sam talking Blue down from a panic attack. I can work with insta love sometimes but I don't know, at least TRY to sell me, damn.

There were plenty of characters introduced between the "teaching staff" and the boys but, unfortunately, I couldn't tell you much about any of them. I did love Bay but his sole purpose was comedic relief and that can only go so far. I truly believe there was a missed opportunity by not showing these boys bonding more or what their existing dynamic was before Blue showed up. There was one scene and it was wonderful but they spent a lot of the time talking about Samuel. I wanted more. I'm sure that they'll all get their own books so the author didn't feel it necessary but, um, I felt it was necessary.

I wish I'd gotten skill training, therapy sessions, boys bonding, Sam and Blue having any conversation outside of "you belong to me now" or panic attacks. Instead I got the most ridiculous rescue mission of all time. I know it's a mafia book and I'm suspending my belief here but the last 10-15% of the book felt like crazy work. I can put aside the fact that they came up with a plan in like a day with a whole bunch of info that had previously been really hard to get but they suddenly had all of. I can overlook how this group managed to come up on a compound without being seen. I guess I was fine with the fact that I still don't understand how these boys work (are they assassins? are they a SWAT team? have they been on operations like this before? also, how old are they?). But what was a step too far for me was how Blue acted toward his brother two seconds after being reunited when they both thought the other was dead. Let the man take a breath before you introduce him to your daddy as "daddy" ffs. This book isn't particularly funny but the author chose this rescue mission to suddenly try and bring out the chuckles. I guess I was amused by them RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES FROM THEIR ABUSERS while bantering about Blue's daddy and his murder school family but it also felt like a stunning tonal change.

And the entire showdown with Ezekiel made me want to pull my hair out. Kill that man immediately. Period. End of story. Why are you letting him monologue for gods sake? He's literally armed with like a spiky rosary and y'all have at least 4 guns between you. I beg. Why did we need to squeeze in one more Blue breakdown real quick? Why did Sam need to get injured just to prove he would do that for Blue? We already know. He told us 107 times. Why did Simon have to come save them from one fucking guy? Why couldn't Blue have saved himself? You know what would've been cool as fuck? Watching Blue take that carbine, shoot that man in the face before he even got to speak, and then walk right out of there to go back to their little murder school. The big reveal that Ezekiel had more compounds was ridiculous. If they had all the information like they made it seem like then they would've known that. And even if there were a million compounds, you do not need to keep him alive. Y'all can do the research without him.

I realize this became pretty ranty and I feel bad because there were the bones of an interesting story here and I didn't hate any of the characters (except for Ben, fuck that guy) but I also didn't love anything either. I think maybe this author just isn't a good fit. I like OTT sometimes but not in a cringey way and maybe mafia isn't really for me either. I don't expect I'll read the next ones in the series.

Nicknames: sweetheart, baby, Blue baby, "good boy"

I wasn’t sure it made any sense, but sometimes I felt so much I thought my body might break from it.

“You looked at me,” I whispered, “and you didn’t look away. You didn’t ask what was wrong with me. You didn’t try to pray me better. You just… saw me.”

Bay dropped his controller. “I…” He looked to Simon like he needed a lifeline. “Did he just propose? Casually? Emotionally? To a man he’s known a total of ten days?” Miller didn’t even blink. “I think he’s already planned the honeymoon.” “What’s a honeymoon?” I asked. Bay let out a high-pitched noise that might’ve been a gasp or a suppressed sob. “I cannot emotionally handle you.”

“If I could never touch you again… if all I had was sitting close enough to hear your heartbeat, I’d still want you. I’d still love you.”

*
*
*
*
*

Safety (may contain spoilers)

SA/rape: None

Other person drama: None

[Barbara➰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was more like AJ's earlier books...the kind of book I love, with the possessive mc and the sweet, innocent (if killer) mc. The only negative thing I would say is that there were parts where I felt like the story was told rather than shown. For example, we're told how Blue learns to fight and use weapons, but we're not shown much, if any, of his training. I would have liked to see more development in that area. And it wasn't as gruesome as I was expecting. Again, telling me what transpired but not showing. But even with that, I'm looking forward to the next one

[❀ Jess ( Semi hiatus ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 rounded up.

I'm gonna' need 100 more of these with the same intensity of being all in for eachother, please.

If I was into drugs this would be my drug of choice. The triple threat of OTT mushy love+possessive+needy will always do it for me.

♡Instant connection upon setting eyes on each other.
♡EQUALLY needy and possessive.
♡No push-pull, no avoiding their feelings, they wanted each other and nothing else mattered.
♡Didn't hide their feelings for eachother in front of friends, it was openly acknowledged.
♡Ilys before 60%
♡Just enough humor

Not a perfect read for me because the scene in the tunnel could've been better? It didnt make sense for Sam to get so hurt when he had a gun...but I did like that Simon was the one to come in, I had a feeling his guy was going to be JJ with how he had acted during his discovery of him. And we definitely got more hints leading that way in the last chapter! I'm hoping they are indeed the next couple 🤞

But also, I was really hoping Blue's last note was going to be a proposal, he mentioned marriage so early on, I kinda feel ripped off that I didnt get it. Sure, it could happen down the line in the series but I wanted to be in their POVs for it. 🥺

Maybe for the next one JJ and Blue could share a wedding day *hint hint* 👀

[Leelah&#x1f341;♋️ Orion · Rating 5 out of 5]

give me more!

That was everything I have ever wanted in a protective D/b book. Omg that was amazing. I had all the emotions and feels. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love and felt all the protection. Blue, sweet Blue had some jokes. It was so great watching him figure things out. Sam. Sam might be on my number 1 daddy list. The way he took care of Blue and Protected Blue and would give it all for Blue was EVERYTHING! The writing fur this book And let’s not forget the family. I can’t wait to see who’s next. What a great read.

Future:
Dual POV
Strict
No cheating/sharing
No om/ow
Relation before

[369Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Samuel is the leader of a mafia-backed program that takes broken boys and turns them into killers. He leads with a cold demeanour, until he meets Blue. Blue is innocent but vibrant, and it immediately melts Samuel’s defences.

Book content includes:
-mafia (well, they say the word “mafia” so many times, but the vibes feel more like vigilante found family)
-cold, stoic “daddy” and innocent and needy “baby” (not actual kink, but there are insane amounts of them referring to each other by these nicknames)
-touch-averse daddy (only Blue can touch him!!!! I ate that UP)
-insta-love
-escaping a cult
-some violence
-spicy!

Now my opinion of this book is very polarized in two ways. The things I loved, I thought were EXCELLENT! But there were also things that reallly irked me. Obviously, I need to yap about it. Potential spoilers from this point.

Let’s start positive:
-The premise was SO cool, and the tropes were awesome. Like, underground organization that trains people down on their luck to be murders? Sounds so cool!
-I love a good found family, and there were definitely cozy vibes with this one!
-the physical chemistry between the MCs was great. I believed they were obsessed with each other 100%.
-the writing style in terms of descriptions and narration was unique and honestly quite beautiful at times. The settings weren’t overly described, but it was done so on a way that was immersive. It’s almost poetic at times, without being hard to follow at all. I really enjoyed that!
-it was fast-paced and easy to read, definitely no boring bits or parts I wanted to skim!

My main issues were with the pacing and content of the book:
-the premise was SO cool, but like, in terms of actual plot, it felt like the first 75% of the book was setup, then the only actual progression of plot happened in the last 25% of the book.
-the characters lack substance. Samuel’s personality is just “cold but obsessed with Blue”, without having really any other qualities or interesting development. Blue was honestly even worse for me. Though he does have a bit of a healing journey, which was nice to see, he is INCREDIBLY naive, to the point where he’s less mature than 7 year olds I’ve met. It’s honestly cringe. I know he grew up in a cult, but that doesn’t negate the fact that he is (I’m praying and assuming, though I don’t think it ever states it outright) a grown adult. His older brother isn’t as bad as him, yet grew up in the same environment.
-Blue’s infant-like behaviour paired with the constant calling Samuel “daddy” made it seriously hard to take the book seriously. It left me feeling kind of icky, to be honest. That’s probably a personal preference, it might not bother other people.

This book had so much potential, and I think the author is really talented! I’ve never read anything from them before, and I hope that their writing keeps growing!

[B.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIRST FIVE STAR OF THE YEAR!
It is going into my FAVORITES!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Literally screaming, giggling and kicking my feet.
THIS WAS AMAZING.

The freaking group text between them literally LOL'd. SO GOOD.

I can't even form words to write lol

Jonah and Simon have GOT to be the next book. So help me April Jade.
Also, Bay. Bay is the best friend someone could have. He also has to have his own book.
Love the boys but Bay has a special place in my heart. As well as the therapist. I really want to know what is story is. I am typing so fast right now lol

Okay okay so Blue/Bailey/Bug/Baby Boy/ Blue Baby/ Bailey Blue (nicknames out the whazoo) and Samuel/Sam/Daddy (sometimes I forgot this mans name because I swear Daddy was on his birth certificate lol)/Feral Daddy.

So much touch him and die.
Only I can touch him - LITERALLY

I loved their relationship. No miscommunication. Very much insta love. He's mine. I'm yours. UGH!
Sam did NOT play about Blue at all.
Blue is so innocent but also a killer lol

I can rant and rave about this book. If you like Daddy/boy even a little bit (not in a BDSM manner) and you love love. Read this book and get it off your to read. I am telling you!
I am picky reader. I picked this up and DID NOT put it down.

UGH!

Also FUCK Ezekiel that abuse fuck. That scene with him and using/showing weapons or items he used against the boys. I hope he rots.

Okay okay I'm done.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what to say than that I looooved Blue and Sam, they were so good to each other ❤ I also enjoyed all of the side characters, the found family trope is one of my favorites.

Also, I really need a book about Jonah and Simon, immediately!

[Sabs ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟

[TC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ✨

I’ve been looking forward to this book SO MUCH and it absolutely came through! Fast paced instalove possessive obsessive hurt comfort all the goodness I love in April Jade’s books. I loved the relationship and the found family and I’m so excited to continue with this series. And I really loved that both Blue AND Sam really grew and healed throughout the book. The moments where Blue comforted Sam or helped him feel stronger or calmer were really beautiful.

All of that being said, I do have a few critiques. First of all, (spoiler alert) when you’re facing the big bad guy and you have THREE people WITH GUNS and he has NO GUN, why are you letting him monologue so long that somehow he ends up hurting you so badly you need stitches and you’re on bed rest for a week??? Shoot him!!!! I was so confused why they didn’t just shoot this man right away?????????? Or like when he started slowly unveiling that he had a whip and monologuing about how he used to punish Blue with the whip? SHOOT HIM!!!!

April Jade’s writing tends to be a little flowery for my taste, but it didn’t feel toooooooo overwhelming or convoluted in this book for the most part. Sometimes she writes metaphors that make me go 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫???? But in general the writing kept me engaged and I can’t be too mad at it.

Also, the pacing was a little weird to me. Some things were skimmed over so quickly, and some things (like planning the logistics of the rescue mission) felt like they dragged on longer than needed. I felt like beginning of the book (after Sam and Blue start being together) could have been slowed down and explored more fully and that would have been really enjoyable.

Also also, I’m not sure why, but the spice didn’t 100% do it for me in this book. Just felt a little rushed and lackluster I guess? Or maybe I expected it to be a little more kinky?

Anyway, I’m not sure anything will live up to Midnight for me, but this was a fantastic addition to April Jade’s works and I’m so glad I read it!

One quote I especially liked (even though it’s very cheesy):
“His weight pressed down on me like gravity had finally figured out its purpose.”

[Esha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't prepared for how much I would love Blue and Sam. They were so good to each other, and the side characters added so much heart to the story. I’m already counting down to the next book in the series.
Such a good read!!!!

[Caroline Forrester · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

🥷 Broken Boys
🫀 Daddy/Boy
🥷 Assassin in Training/Rescuer
🫀 Touch Aversion except for HIM
🥷 Found Family
🫀 Friendly Banter

🖤 No third-act breakup
🩶 No OM drama/scenes
🤍 Strict

The only other hook I’ve read by this author I thought was bad and gave 1.5 ⭐️ but I enjoyed this one SO much. Glad I gave it a shot.

It’s so sweet. I like that Blue isn’t a little but has some of those traits. I love the banter between the friends. I feel like we got to know them pretty well so it’s set up for a good sound family series with lots of cameos. Definitely curious to see the overall plot throughout other books. They completed their mission in this book but what we hear from the villain isn’t investigated so I’m wondering if they’ll be a different evil or if they’ll unearth more to the story we started here.

Trying to describe that without spoilers, lol.

Love the name sweetheart from one MMC to another. And Blue baby, Bailey Blue, Bluebird, and Bailey Bug?!?SHUT UP. I love it. 🩵🥹

[Marjolein (Dutchromancereader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Daddy trope can be either really hot or really cringe. This definitely is the latter. It gave me the ick. Very childish and OTT.

[Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ for such a wonderful start of a new series but 3 ⭐️ for my own personal rating system✨

This was unexpectedly such a cute, fluffy and heartwarming read. I am glad that they were no drama of push and pull between them because Blue didn’t not need to deal with that all. The way Blue literally claim Samuel so bravely and make the first move is such a fresh and cute moment for me 😍 i was gushing so much reading their interaction with each other.

I also love Blue family bonding with the other boys, they were so gentle with Blue and welcoming which bring warm to my heart ❤️ I literally love their organization and the goal they created minus Ben ideology of using them for the Mafia and all 😒 but i do kinda curious his true feelings regarding the boys —— with how detached he is towards them make me kinda dislike him huhu but without him all of that will not exist… i think he might have a heart behind all that armor too since they do mention he is only calm when his husband is around which make me want to read his own book to know more about his story ✨

Give me more book from this series because i legit need every book for the character and now i am legit excited for Jonah and Simon book 😍😍 i know both of them are perfect for each other without even having their book yet. The fact book of them become protector for others and an anchor for the broken one in their own ways and in different circumstances just scream soulmate 😭 both hero collide moments✨👏🏼

Also Bay is such a hilarious character and i know his book will be a fun read too due to his humor. I kinda guessing he will be with Miller but who know it might not heheh but whatever it is i am excited for his book too✨

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Simon glanced toward me, head tilted slightly. “It doesn’t always have to end. Some people date and still end up together for a long time. Or forever.”
I shrugged. “Then Daddy and I can just get married. Problem solved.”

Bay dropped his controller. “I…” He looked to Simon like he needed a lifeline. “Did he just propose? Casually? Emotionally? To a man he’s known a total of ten days?”
Miller didn’t even blink. “I think he’s already planned the honeymoon.”
€

Dear Daddy, I love you.
Every letter was written perfectly.
I nearly fucking cried right there, standing in the dark, reading those five little words like they might undo every fucked-up thing that ever happened to him.
To me.

He’d waited in the hallway for me to find it, rocking on his heels, eyes too bright for that time of night. All day he’d practiced.

I framed it and set it on the corner of my desk like a shrine.
It was the only fucking warmth in this place.
€

“
“Blue has never experienced love that didn’t come with a leash, or pain, or even punishment. That kind of conditioning doesn’t disappear in a month. He’s still waiting to be punished for being loved.” Amir’s voice softened, but not out of pity. “Your love is… overprotective and fiercely possessive. But it’s not cruel. And that’s new for him. Blue wants to belong to something that doesn’t hurt. He picked you, and you’ve made space for him in a life that never had room for softness. That doesn’t make you bad for him, Sam.”
€

Rune gave a low whistle. “Shit. You’re really going?”
“I said I was,” I muttered, adjusting the cuff of my sleeve. “Do you need it in writing?”

“No, Sam, Sir.” Bay’s voice cracked. “I just—damn. Bluebird really lit a fire under your ass. Feral daddy arc unlocked.”
“Remind me never to date anyone who talks like that,” Miller muttered without looking up from his notes. “But also, I’m weirdly into this.”

Excerpt From
All Ghosts Aren't Dead (The Forgotten Book 1)
April Jade
This material may be protected by copyright.

[Amanda Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts out dark and angst filled. It is where we first meet Bailey aka Blue and get a glimpse into some of the things he has had to go through in his short life. It's where we meet Samuel who looks at him and all of his protective instincts flare up with the need to keep Blue safe. "He looked like a prayer gone wrong, blood-soaked and quiet. Half ghost, half human -- a little too alive to haunt but too hollow not to."

Learning about Blue and his background and some of the things he has endured and some of the things he was taught and how broken he was in the beginning was hard to digest. Then we learn more about his brother Jonah and how much he protected and loved Blue. "I didn't know it mattered for someone to see Jonah the way I did. Not as a failure or a inner or a ghost that got taken, but as the boy who held my hand in the dark and told me stories like they could save us."

Then all of a sudden we are nothing but pure spice and love. Blue calls Samuel Daddy and opens up to him further about things but it was like this switch where we went from all this trauma to all the spiciness and obsession with each other and possessiveness and I was left to wonder what happened. Now don't get me wrong I wasn't mad at it, it was just an adjustment. Then we get to the last 25% of the book and you realize that she has lulled us into a false sense of security. Cause now everything is happening at a fast pace and I swear even more emotionally damaging things are happening.

This book was honestly one of my favorites that I have read this year so far and I am on book #49. I feel like I am still going to be thinking about this book in six months time. Of course this book does have a HEA because I honestly refuse to read any that don't with very few exceptions. It is a hard fought HEA and by the end I had tears in my eyes. This book broke me and put me back together in the best of ways. "I love your heart," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest. "It's the safest sound in the world."'