Plaything

by Beanie Harper

Innocent college student Odette Whitlock is excited to start her last semester at university. Due to a housing mix-up, she moves into a shared house with four attractive and charismatic Aiden, Dominic, Niko, and Wyatt. Each has a distinct personality and area of expertise, keeping her on her toes. As Odette adjusts, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her housemates.

Amidst the academic setting, Odette discovers a secret—they are all into adventurous intimacy and have been yearning for someone like her. This revelation adds intrigue as Odette explores her own boundaries and desires.

However, her excitement is dampened by her controlling father, who disapproves of her new living situation and tries to sabotage her independence. As relationships deepen, Odette must navigate the complexities of her relationships while confronting her father's oppressive influence.

Genres: BDSM, Why Choose, Romance, Contemporary, Dark Romance, College, Dark

599 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the beginning of the book on wattpad and i really liked it then. I am glad i read the full book. I did feel that the book at the end was maybe dragging a little.

But all in all i liked it, Odette being a tall queen made me so happy and all the guys being genuinly so nice and good to her just made it so much better🩷

[Bliss Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this entire thing in one sitting. i subscribed to beanie’s patreon to be able to read the completed first draft, and GOD was it the best £5 ive ever spent. SUCH A GOOD BOOK. i loved all of the men, loved the FMC…. UGH. 6/5. 10/5. 10000/5.

[Olivia ❦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★3.5/5! all you need in life is to get shacked up with four scrumptious professors! Niko and Aiden just do it for me oml. SPOILERS? SEEING MY BABY ELORA AND DANE YESSS they’re so fucking cute, I need to reread their book right now.

Beanie knows how to write amazing smut, i eat it up every single time. CANT WAIT TO READ MORE BOOKS BY THEM

SIDE CHARACTERS WERE AMAZING absolutely obsessed with Reesia and Colin, begging for a little novella for them.

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, Odette,” he promised. - Wyatt (⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃

“I loved that little nympho, and I was going to show it this morning by making her breakfast.”
Niko my man

[Nikita Laguardia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly disappointed. Went in with really high expectations bc I love this author’s other work, but just fell flat to me. Great scenes and moments for sure, but overall needed another edit.

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

-=- 2.5 stars -=-

Now knowing that this book started off on Wattpad makes so much sense 😭 It's not a bad thing at all, but you could really tell.

Having said that, I think that the beginning of the book was considerably better than the second half for me. Somewhere along the way, the plot got really lost and dragged in a way that felt unnecessary, considering that this was mainly just smut.

I really wished that this story stayed true to the initial characters' dynamic with one another, and focused simply on that.

The cameos were sweet and the story was fun overall at times, but this one didn't end up working for me like Elora did.

[. · Rating 4 out of 5]

beanie harper my new second coming of jesus to be honest

[A.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE INNOCENT COVER

Kinks: RH, tied up, dom/sub, a*s play, primal, exhibition, toys, and a whole lot more.
Smut:1000/10 😮‍💨😮‍💨
Plot:10/10
Angst:low focus, but enough to keep the plot moving
Cat the fat housecat 🐈:10/10 best side character by far, and his outfits that Odette put on him were just 🤣🤣💀
POV:Multiple
HEA

University student Odette Whitlock is in for a ride, not only trying to keep in the good graces of her father but also living with 4 HAWT 🔥 professors who she just happens to stumble into due to a housing mixup. Throw a sweet girl into a pool of these hungry sharks, and you get a whole 800 page book of pure filth 🥵 😈

As always, Beanie’s writing is just so unique and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. She somehow manages to pluck fantasies from my mind and craft them into beautiful pieces with just a smidge of tension to enhance the plot. The summary and the cover does not do this book enough justice.

General thoughts:

Wyatt has me SALIVATING over him. If Odette doesn’t want him, I’ll gladly take him. Honestly, I’ll take all four of them. Also, holy f*ck can these men talk DIRTYYYY 💦. Even I started to blush a little.

Overall, if you like a discreet looking book that is the definition of “do not judge a book by its cover,” and has generally low angst high steam, then I HIGHLY recommend this book to you.

Only thing that irked me a bit was Odette referring to her time of the month as “oil leak” and “factory closed” multiple times. Idk, it was just very out of character for her and was little 🫣. She’s shy and sophisticated, and all of the sudden “I’m on my oil leak!”

[Ana Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5
could've been astronomically better than Elora, but it went on for 200 pages too long and the plot went poof

okay, can we talk about how Odette's appearance is overly mentioned?? the smallness of her waist alone shows up like 10 times in the book. Also, and this is 100% personal experience, Niko would have been that much hotter without the Spanish -- "cariño" is a grandma nickname as is, but after this? ugh AND whenever he actually spoke Spanish it sounded sooooooo outdated

[Anaïs · Rating 3 out of 5]

daddy/ reverse harem (4 men)

ehhh
i read this for the daddy kink and barely got anything. the spice was really good but the writing lowkey sucked. i like the storyline and the men were just 🧑‍🍳💋

[Amy Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sadly disappointed by this book I went in with a lot of expectations, as I originally read it on Wattpad (well the first few chapters that were out) and was obsessed with the plot and smut in it. So when reading the book now a lot of it was familiar and the rest that I hadn’t read before was a bit boring, it was one of them books that felt like they dragged. I still love each character personality and their possessiveness in this book, especially Dominic as he’s definitely my fave!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only i went to Uni and had a accommodation mess up 👉👈😌

[Kaki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should have a bright red cover that reads “INSANE TRIGGER WARNING. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200 until you READ THE TRIGGER WARNING.”

Normally, I don’t need a trigger warning, even for dark romance. These themes are PROBLEMATIC.

Having read both of Beanie Harper’s books, here’s what I know about her:
1. Biiiig daddy issues kink
2. Lovesssss some CPTSD
3. Does not love a healthy boundary…. Prefers problematic incest boundaries

Now, all that being said - I read all 700+ pages in one day. So, do with that info what you will.

[Megs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book! Beanie Harper truly writes for us because she is us! I’ve followed her from the start of Elora on Wattpad and I knew this book was going to be perfect!!!!

[Monse Maespin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it and all the yummy men 💋

[Darcy Diana]

DNF @ 19% (pg 151)
It wasn’t bad but the age gap was making it kind of uncomfortable to read and kind of giving me the ick

[stajls · Rating 2 out of 5]

brate DNF izvini curo al previse nerealno citala sam na wattpadu apdejte i onda si zasrala kad si je publishovala sve je otislo nizbrdo

[Caitlin Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt kinda repetitive towards the end

[Ana Pau ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love:💗💗💗💗💗
Stars:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Why doesn’t this author have more books?! 😭 That was my exact thought the second I finished Plaything by Beanie Harper. I felt the same way after Elora — Beanie just knows how to guide a story in a way that completely immerses you. She doesn’t just tell you what her characters feel; she lets you experience it.

She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite spicy-cozy authors — she just gets it. The storytelling, the emotional connection, the way she shows love and care through every interaction… it’s the kind of writing that makes you feel understood.

And let me clarify: this isn’t one of those stories that hooks you purely because of the spice (though yes, the spice is excellent 😏). What makes it special is how organic everything feels — the desire, the love, the slow build of trust and affection. It’s intimate in a way that feels real. The kind of story that wraps you in warmth, makes you giggle, and makes you feel completely safe while still setting your heart on fire.

The overall vibe? Cozy, swoony, safe, and deeply comforting. I loved how healthy the relationships felt — playful, lighthearted moments; the sweetest princess treatment scenes; protective gestures that respected her boundaries (green-flag protectiveness); genuine laughter; and characters who care for each other like it’s second nature.

Beanie Harper did it again — made me giggle, blush, and gave me one of my new favorite books.

“Write for yourself, and the right audience will find you.” — Beanie Harper

I’m the audience. Please never stop writing for yourself, because you do it beautifully.

Seriously, she has that rare ability to blend heart, humor, and heat. She creates stories where spice coexists with tenderness, where the MMCs are dominant but emotionally intelligent, and where love feels like safety — not control.

📖 Overview (no spoilers)

Plaything follows Odette, a college student who suddenly finds herself without a place to stay — and ends up moving in with four gorgeous professors (only one of whom actually teaches her 👀).

Each of these men has his own personality, but they all share one goal: finding the perfect submissive. Naturally, one thing leads to another… but what they find in Odette — and what she finds in them — goes far beyond that.

Beanie’s storytelling shines in how real the connections feel. From the very start, the professors care for her in small, meaningful ways, as if they were always meant to find each other. There’s drama, yes, but it never feels draining; instead, the book feels comforting.

Odette also feels real — she has friendships, goals, and a life beyond the romance. Beanie writes her with such care that you root for her in every chapter. The story balances humor, warmth, and healing, touching on self-worth, emotional growth, and rebuilding trust after trauma — without ever feeling heavy.

Now, let’s talk about the men:

Dominic, the anatomy professor — the quiet protector. He’s the leader, the grounding presence, the one who puts Odette’s well-being above everything. Every time he spoke, I melted.

“You should hire a bodyguard or two to escort you—”

I absentmindedly pointed to Dominic — the colossal unfuckwithable man that he was. “I’m fucking him.”

I laughed out loud right there.

Aiden, the psychology professor — emotionally intelligent to perfection. He reads her like her favorite book, and his vulnerability made me swoon.

“You’re everything,” he avowed. “So please try to understand my feelings for you when I tell you that you are my dream girl.”

Niko, the math professor — playful, funny, the one who breaks tension and makes Odette feel adored.

“Still shoeless, Niko massaged my feet, gently running his hands up my legs every so often.”

Wyatt, the literature professor — soft and poetic, pretending to be lactose intolerant just because she was 🥺 but with that subtle dominant edge.

“You’re a stone fox,” he whispered.

I didn’t catch the reference at first, but after looking up The Virgin Suicides, I realized it meant she was irresistible while still being strong.

✨ Vibes & Tropes

• Found family
• Reverse harem
• Age gap
• Dominant men + praise + emotional safety
• Cozy spice balance (comfort-first, heat-second)
• Light hurt, tons of comfort
• Safe kink exploration
• Virgin FMC
• Consent at every step
• “Protect her but also let her grow” energy

Beanie nails that balance between comfort and spice — each character gives Odette exactly what she needs, in ways that feel thoughtful and loving. The intimacy is tender yet passionate, never performative.

Did I smile or swoon more? Both. Constantly. At the same time. More times than I can count.

🌸 Final thoughts

If you’re craving a story that makes you feel, makes you fall in love, and still gives you that delicious, natural spice — Plaything is it. It’s a comfort read with edge, full of warmth, connection, and beautifully written intimacy.

I already know I’ll reread this one (and Elora) during my next vacation, or whenever I need to restore my faith in healthy, emotionally intelligent romance.

My standards are now Beanie-level; perfect balance of healthy relationships, emotional intelligence, and delicious steam — plus, four new fictional boyfriends to add to your roster. 😌

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

book hangover

I already know I’m going to be in a hangover. I loved Odette and the guys so much. I love the depth that Beanie goes into which the themes of the book. I love it. The dynamics of the guys were amazing and how they just loved her from the start was perfection. No OW drama. While there was a non-communication thing going on, when they DID communicate, it was as adults and I adore it.

There are some grammatical errors and the like, so don’t read it if you are uptight about that sort of thing but it didn’t detract from the story at all. Beanie, if you see this yes of COURSE I will be your Beta/ARC reader 💜😘 Also, in the most respectful way, please give me more books I’m OBSESSED, even more so than Elora. I think if you wrote something similar that was just a darker romance I would just perish on the spot. *le sigh*😌

[aiialaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

No ha estado mal, pero el capítulo 22 me ha dejado tal que así: 😭❤️‍🩹🫂

Qué tendrán los Niko, siempre que sale alguno en libros que se llame así me gana 100% (como en Ironside Academy)

No es una lectura profunda para nada, pero es lo que me saca del bloqueo de lectora 🥸

[Erva Cagala · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was a good read but reading this after reading Beanies Elora was a bit disappointing, it didn’t have the wow factor or obsession for me. I still liked it and i probably would have rated it higher if I read it at a different time.
6/10 - 5.5/🌶️

[Calisalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

To my futur-self :
2.5/5

Too many things that just don’t work for me personally.
I already struggle a bit with insta-lust, but when you add insta-love on top of that (especially involving people who are supposed to be around thirty) no thanks. Lines like “she was all we needed” after less than 12 hours make me cringe hard. Like… are you 30 or 15? I really had to push through the first 100-150 pages without wincing too much. I like my MMCs to have an emotional intelligence that matches their age. Thankfully, it got better afterward.

I’m also not a big fan of the “little” kink, because it creates a vibe that makes me uncomfortable. Especially when the heroine (Odette) behaves (particularly at the beginning of the book) like she’s 12, and that’s what makes her thirty-something professors fall for her. When it’s just a light touch, tied to the kink itself, why not. But when it’s a full-on attitude that adult men find attractive, I get the ick pretty fast.

Another thing: I’m getting tired of the virgin girl who suddenly turns into a sex goddess overnight, takes four guys at once without blinking, and is soaking wet within 3.5 seconds. Every. Single. Time.

The MMCs:
Niko: very sweet, I’m a sucker for teasing MMCs.
Wyatt: at first I was really into the whole “Hyde” thing: the good guy with a darker, dom alter ego. But I ended up disappointed. We’re teased with a slightly unhinged Hyde, and I was expecting a sadistic dom or something along those lines, but in the end, not much actually happens.
Dominic: classic big guy who beats up assholes in his spare time. An interesting backstory that I really liked, since MMCs who have experienced incestuous abuse are pretty rare.
Aiden: …as a psychologist myself, Aiden made me cringe multiple times, even though I wanted to like him. Honestly, thank gosh he only teaches and doesn’t have his own practice, because he’d be a terrible therapist. No, being a psychologist isn’t just about being empathetic or spotting when someone lies. Like, at what point do you think it’s okay, as a so-called psychologist, to let your buddy finger your partner while she’s asleep, when everyone knows she suffered sexual abuse as a child specifically during sleep/somnambulism? And when you’ve never actually discussed her consent for that while she’s sleeping?

Along the same lines, I really liked the scene after Jamie’s club, when she drops out of subspace because her trauma resurfaces, and the MMCs’ actions get mixed up with what she endured from her father / her father’s associates. Such a shame nothing more was done with that scene, and that it’s basically brushed aside.

But well, girls will be girls. The smut was fun, and that was enough to keep me reading (even if I often felt bad for Odette, who apparently has a titanium vagina given how much she can handle).
Oh, and the plot itself was actually good. Odette’s father is an interesting character, even though I really didn’t understand his final actions: beating up his daughter, then agreeing to her demands by dropping the charges against the four MMCs and giving them the house, and then handing her over unconscious to his associates, telling them to do whatever they want with her. All of that, in that order, within 30 minutes.

Bottom line: a roller coaster of cringe, an interesting plot, and intense smut. I’m coming out of it very conflicted. I don’t regret reading it, but I think it just wasn’t for me.

[EMFubz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5📚 4/5🌶️
The cameo?!?!??! And it features my favorite character from “Elora”??!?? Screaming, crying, blushing, giggling🤭
(First of all thank you, THANK YOU, for including the translations🧎🏼‍♀️.)
This book is just as good as the other, holy hell this author really knows how to write. And why choose is definitely one of my top favorite genres.🧎🏼‍♀️At first I didn’t allow myself to read more than 20 pages a day cause I don’t want this book to end because it will lead to me desperately waiting for the next one to come out😭.
My favorite side aspect is that every guy always has his own pet name for the FMC and surprisingly they always fit so well in combination with their personalities.
Unofficial pet name ranking:
1.Darling/Honey (on my knees fr🧎🏼‍♀️)
2.Doll/Babydoll
3.Cariño
4.Baby (sorry Wyatt but baby or babe gives me the biggest ick🫠)
Unofficial address name ranking😏:
1.Daddy(even more on my knees🧎🏼‍♀️)
2.Master
3.Sir
4.Professor
I also love that prior consent and talks about do’s and dont’s, safe words and reassurance that the FMC holds the ultimate power are repetitively included in both books. And I hope that all of this will be continued in the following books, cause we all know consent is sexy and romanticized & fetishized abuse and rape is not!!
I love them all equally but here is my unofficial ranking:
1.Dominic❤️
2.Wyatt
3.Niko
4.Aiden (weed and cigarettes really?🫠)

The only two things I didn’t like are that this book has a lot of one on one scenes (especially in the first half which are 300 pages) instead of group scenes and I wished that even if they don’t join in that they at least watch, when all of them are at the same place already and not only listen through the wall or don’t acknowledge it at all.
And that the (over)consumption of alcohol was really prominent in this book with actually zero reason for it and the weed scene also killed the vibe at the end.

Tw:
•pedophilia
•SA
•violence
•abuse

[*-The Pink Dahlia -* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was surprisingly wonderful.
It had a plot! (Gasp!?)
A really good plot and really good characters that were packed full of depth, emotion, and brilliant dynamics and dialogue.

The spice was top tier.
Honestly? TOP. TIER.

I don’t have a bad thing to say about it, other than the cover nearly put me off.
Dont let it put you off.

Odette Whitlock is a painfully shy and introverted young 20 year old who is attending her last year of university to finish her degree.
She is incredibly smart, kind and gentle, but she keeps herself hidden to avoid…well, everyone and everything.

When her roommate has her kicked out and she faces the uncomfortable situation of not having anywhere to stay, her father arranges with the board to have her stay in the University Manor.
The only problem is that the manor is currently occupied by four male professors.

They’re all gorgeous. They’re all much older than her. And as she gets to know them, she slowly begins to realize that they all want her as much as she wants them. Oh…and they like to share.

Wyatt, Domenic, Aiden and Niko have been friends since childhood. They currently all teach at the university and live together in the Manor house. They have also been looking for their sub, the perfect woman that will complete their group, for years. They’re all dominants who have been in the lifestyle for years. But no one has fit the bill for what they’ve been looking for. And then…Odette Whitlock walks through the door to their home, and everything changes.

⭐️ Plot: 4/5
🌶️ Spice: 5/5
📖 Genre: Erotic Academia
🏞️ Setting: University grounds
🗣️ POV: Multiple
🛏️ Tropes:
- Reverse Harem
- BDSM
- Student/ Professors
- Age gap (9-13 years)
- CSA (off page) / Trauma
- Found family

Kinks:
MFM/ MF / MMFMM
Squirting
Group
Anal
Virgin
Teasing
Light Degradation
Sensory play
Primal play
Sex Club

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was amazing! I loved every single one of those guys, they were dominant, controlling, kind and sweet.

Odette wasn’t annoying to me (the bane of my reading existence lately) she was sweet, shy, quiet. The perfect submissive 😈

There is a plot outside of the relationships however the main story is about them and how that develops. And it was delicious 🥵🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Since the men are Doms there was a power aspect to sex that I don’t read very much. If she asks them to go slower they just say no ha. Which sounds bad but the guys are so very sweet and if she had been serious about it she could have just used her safe word after all. I just loved that dynamic. Usually the guy is dark and brooding and talks a big game but really the FMC is in control of the relationship. Not this book! They follow through on punishments and are very aware if she’s into it or not.

Loved it! Loved them!

Lost Star is because it’s quite wordy. Not too much but 100 pages or so. Also because she cums immediately in the first minute everytime someone touches her, and one scene like 12 times??!!!!?? (See highlights) like come on. A woman wrote this. Did she write it while high? Or can she tell us her secret to having 12 orgasms in one sitting???

I’m off to find some more Dom Sub reads….. 🥵😍🥰

[B.H. Reeds (semi hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re considering reading this for the plot, don’t. If you came for the smut, you’ll be satisfied. The dirty talk was good, but very repetitive, so it got old. Daddy kink could have been better, it was really barely there. I felt like the author wanted to include some age play, started to lean in but then shied away, so some stuff just felt out of place. While I’m not personally a fan of age play, I feel it’s something you have to fully commit to if you’re gonna write it. I’m not even going to go into the writing itself, or the plot, because it’s not what I came for. But I will say my biggest gripe was that the mmcs were the run of the mill guys you find in reverse harems , the easy going always joking one, the charming one with a dark side, the intellectual one who really “sees” her, and the silent broody one and if he’s big then his name is always fucking Damien or Dominic…I rolled my eyes so fast lol. If you read the povs without looking at the names, you would not be able to tell who was who except for Dominic. When I’m reading just for the smut, I don’t usually mind if the men are the usual archetypes but if that’s what we’re doing, they don’t need their own povs. Without their trauma, they wouldn’t have had anything interesting to say or think. It would have just been the usual shit. It’s boring repetitive and it drags. Just write it all from the fmcs perspective.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, for a smutty book, this actually had a fair bit of interesting plot and decent character development. But MY GOD the editing was atrocious. Misspellings, wrong word choice, you name it. For example, she spelled “spiel” as “shpeel” and said “intermediate fasting” instead of “intermittent fasting.” And this was the whole way through the book! It was honestly pretty embarrassing. And let’s not forget that she used the word “husked” 22 times in this book, and spoiler alert, there was no mention of removing husks from rice, so you can imagine how fucking weird it was to see this word used NON STOP. Baby girl - you are an author! Invest in a thesaurus!

That being said, I thought the plot and decent spice sorta made up for the underwhelming writing until at the end one of the characters announces that they have been “going to medical school online” and “got their PhD while attending online med school.” This was a STEP TOO FAR! You cannot do med school online (cause you know, you have to deal with PATIENTS), and you earn an MD at med school, not a PhD!!!! I thought maybe she said PhD by accident, but she repeated it at least 3 more times. What in the actual hell.

Long story short - 2/5 would not recommend.

[Lisa Maddison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprise read for me, what I mean about that was it was a recommendation, so I started reading and then could not stop, and the book is almost 800 pages. I enjoyed the writing (although it is self published, it does have some grammar issues, but not enough to stop me reading) the characters are all well developed, the storyline was compelling and I didn't want it to end. The spice was very good too. I highly recommend this book.
Odette is a college student who has been kicked out of her dorm room so her roommate can move in her boyfriend. She only has four months until graduation, she needs to another place to stay, student housing sends her to a house the colleges owns not realizing that four male professors are currently living there. Everyone decides that for the time being, they can make it work out. The professors range in age from 29'to 33 and are very handsome. They also like to share their women between them but never have found that one special girl until now, they also are dominates. There is some content warnings that you need to checkout, Odette has not had a happy childhood, but Nico, Aiden, Wyatt and Dominic want to take care of her. It has a hea.

[Rylee :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a person who started reading the book when she first put it out on wattpad and then dropped off when she moved it to patreon I’m kind of disappointed. The parts that were on wattpad were AMAZING and promised a good story and then a couple chapters after that were pretty good but I feel like at some point the book lost its plot and momentum and also I get Beanie is a newly published author after moving off of wattpad but god DAMN there was lots of typos— more than there was in Elora and the way Beanie acts so highly of herself I would expect more from her second book. I do enjoy her plots and the kinks in the books (mainly why I like her work) but right before and after she moved off of wattpad her personality has completely changed and not only is her discord audience super unwelcoming and unkind she make you feel unsuperior as a fan/reader. I’m not sure if she realizes she’s doing it and I hope her having her first child will maybe fix whatever was up but for now I will probably be writing very biased reviews towards her books. (To end this review off Wyatt was my favorite ofc he is blonde)

[Flip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll be blunt; I do not recommend this book.

This book would have benefited greatly from more editing. The writing switched from past to present tense and back again, and the repetitive use of the same word in the same paragraph became very grating.

The premise of the main conflict/threat to the MCs relationship (her father) as well as the resolution was illogical and unrealistic, taking the tension out of the conflict and leaving it hollow.

The stereotyping of the young-beautiful (but doesn’t know it)-perfect-strategically hairless-no gag reflex having-innocent-shy-virgin heroine was a disservice to the FMC. She could have had more depth, but this way she was only a projection of a male fantasy.

The dynamic between the characters was off. The FMC has her boundaries pushed and pushed so her journey into their relationship and bdsm is more about accepting and bowing to the MMCs actions and preferences than her having agency over a process and owning it. This isn’t great, considering FMC s dealing with some serious trauma. It’s manipulative rather than empowering.