Darling : An MM Pornstar x Politician age-gap romance

Famous Young Things #3

by Scarlett Drake

Christian
As a younger man, I imagined my future with my wife by my side and my sights set firmly on British politics—with the ultimate goal of one day becoming prime minister. A life of value, of purpose. A life where my morals might mean something, and where I could make a difference.
But that vision has crumbled. My wife is gone. My political career lies in ruins. And my relationship with my son is barely breathing. What’s left is a slow decline into disillusionment and solitude.
Until I meet him.
Asher Fox is a rainbow breaking through a storm. A diamond gleaming from the dullest stone. Being with him feels as natural as breathing, as vital as living — and I haven’t wanted to live this fiercely in a very long time.
Now, when I’m offered the chance to reclaim the life I lost, I face a choice. Nothing has unfolded as I once imagined, and I never pictured a future with Asher. But maybe that’s exactly why I should hold onto him with both hands, and never let go.


Asher
I grew up in a world where love was conditional and God was always watching. Turns out, God didn’t like what He saw. The minute I realized I was gay, I knew I had two stay and suffocate, or leave and breathe. So I walked away.
Now, I make art, I make porn, and I make no apologies. I’ve built a life where I get to be exactly who I am, on my own terms. No guilt. No shame. No lies. Some people judge me for it— my family certainly would if they knew — but at least I’m free, at least I’m honest. But freedom doesn’t block out the part of me that wants a home, a family, a place where I get to live without conditions and be loved without shame.
And then I meet Christian. Mr. Buttoned-Up Politics himself. All brooding eyes and careful words, a man who looks like he’s never coloured outside the lines in his life. He’s calm where I’m chaos, steady where I’m fire, and he’s serious enough to make me want to see what he looks like when he unravels.
Falling for him? Easy. Getting him to believe he deserves me? Now that’s the real work of art.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Found Family, Queer, Audiobook

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2025

Reviews

[patrícia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So a young, hot demon twink and a closeted ambassador walk into a bookstore and meet by the queer section…

”You’re going to absolutely ruin me, aren’t you?” he says in a low, fucked-out voice.
Shrugging one shoulder, I smile and say, “I mean, yeah, if you want me to.”

First of all, I’m an unconditional fan of Scarlett. Hamartia and Oleander are some of my all-time favourite books. She writes with such intensity and emotion that even when the story has a few flaws, the immersion more than makes up for it — and that was exactly the case here.

Christian was once a man of purpose — husband, father, and respected figure in British politics — until his wife’s death shattered everything he’d built. Now disillusioned, estranged from his son, and quietly fading out of public life, he meets Asher: a vibrant porn star whose unapologetic freedom and warmth reignite something long dormant in him.
Asher, raised under suffocating religious judgment, left home to live openly and without shame. He makes art, makes porn, and makes peace with who he is — but beneath the confidence lies a yearning for genuine love and belonging.

When their worlds collide — the buttoned-up ambassador and the wild, unfiltered artist — attraction is immediate, but the connection forces both men to confront their pasts, their fears, and what it really means to be seen, chosen, and loved without conditions.

Well, well — this was something else. This book is definitely not for everyone. While there’s no cheating or OM/OW drama per se, their relationship is, let’s say, a little different. It made me uncomfortable more than once. I tried to detach myself and not squirm at the idea of Christian enjoying watching Asher being stretched by another man, or Asher talking about it so openly. Their conversations were almost too easy — honestly, I’d have preferred a touch of jealousy. But if I ignore that, it’s actually quite sweet. They’re two broken boys who just want to be loved, and that vulnerability really shows.

What I missed, though, was true intimacy. Why focus so much on sex? This could’ve been the perfect chance to show a pornstar’s (Asher’s) first real relationship as something deeper, more emotionally connected. Or Christian, who after six years of mourning his wife, could’ve finally had something more than hidden hookups. Sure, we got dates, dinners, a movie — but the end goal always seemed to circle back to sex.

That said… jfc, the sex. 🔥 Darling has a filthy mouth and truly depraved tastes.

The last chapters bring a lot of drama — politics, shame, Leo, and mostly stupidity — leading to the breakup and the time apart. I do think that separation was necessary for Christian to pull his head out of his ass, but the story often felt centered on his pain, his grief, his growth. It came off a bit selfish, because what about sweet angel Asher? Then, when they meet again, everything moves too fast — from reunion to wedding plans — after two years apart doing who knows what with who knows who.

Just a heads-up: there’s a lot of talk and comparison to Felix, but rest assured — Asher is the most beautiful boy ever, and Felix is treated purely in a friendly way throughout the book. There’s also quite a bit of focus on the dead wife, so most of the drama revolves around Christian’s guilt and grief, and his struggle to move on. The separation serves as a way for him to heal in that regard.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked their story. It challenged me and made me see things from another angle. But the ending felt rushed, as if those two years were brushed aside. So honestly? I have no clue how to rate this. It made me uncomfortable, conflicted, intrigued… and then that epilogue hit — and it was delicious. I’d kill for that epilogue.

⚠️Content Warnings
No official list provided by the author — based on my own reading:
Public exposure risk
Voyeurism & explicit sexual content
Mentions of past trauma or emotional vulnerability
Grief from death of spouse
Taboo / forbidden relationship themes
Media and social judgement
Mention of religious cult

❣️Book Safety & Content
Cheating/OW/OM drama: None of the traditional cheating — but Asher is a cam-boy/pornstar and has sex with other people for his work. Christian knows, watches, and asks about it. There’s an explicit scene with another pornstar that Christian watches (and I believe there are more, though not all detailed). Consider this before reading.
Third-act breakup: Yes (Asher has sex with others; Christian’s sex with others is not mentioned)
Role dynamics: Strict roles
POV: 1st person, dual MC
Format: Standalone
Ending: HEA
Angst Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium / High heat
Communication: Some mis-communication
Pining: None

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am utterly charmed and delighted with Darling. This story completely swept me away on an effortless journey with Asher and Christian. Two complete opposites who meet by chance and cannot escape their desire and instant connection with one another. At times, this story felt almost like a fairytale in all the best ways. Darling is romantic and hopeful, while having heart-stopping moments that left me reeling. Overall, this story is beautifully written, and I could not get enough of these two.

This story follows adult content creator Asher and British ambassador Christian as they embark on a surprisingly sensual and forbidden romance. The tone of this story is one of my favorite aspects. Both Asher and Christian are very much seeking a connection, and despite their vastly different backgrounds, they genuinely fall for each other in an honest, loving, and meaningful way.

While reading it was easy to forget their age gap, their complicated careers, and just enjoy the journey as these two fall deeper and deeper for one another. Another great aspect of this story is the fun tie-ins with other entries in the series. I also love how both Asher and Christian have fulfilling lives on the periphery, but there is still something missing.

Overall, I devoured this story and couldn't get enough of Christian and his Darling. They have incredible chemistry, and watching them fall so quickly and earnestly for each other was one of my favorite parts. Their HEA is hard-won and had me swooning. I cannot wait to see what comes next in this series.

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***

[Vedeneeva Yulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Це така класна історія. Одна з найкращих, що я читала.
От тільки її дочитала і мене переповнюють емоції. Це було так добре, що я не хотіла, щоб ця історія закінчувалася.
Мені сподобалось все: сюжету, динаміка стосунків, персонажі, сцени 18+ то взагалі щось із чимось (дуже гаряче), момент драми та фінал 🥹. В цій історії так багато почуттів, що я буду ходити ще декілька днів під враженням.
Можу з впевненістю сказати, що після Олеандру це друга моя улюблена книжка у авторки (якщо що, то вони не схожі зовсім) і це 100% потрапляння у саме 🩷

Цей відгук і не відгук якийсь вийшов. Але це все, що можу написати.
Хоча ні, можу додати ще. Якщо довіряєте моєму смаку, то вам обов'язково це треба прочитати. Від таких історій стає дуже добре на душі 🩷🤗

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing Asher's bussy could have done for me was finish off Christian that one time he gave him a heart attack.

No, seriously. I hate Christian that much.

I feel like I've had the unfortunate opportunity to read two books of this grown ass man playing with younger men and breaking their hearts while knowing fully well he should have left them alone.

Limerence had too much Christian and this one had too much Felix.

"I think maybe… maybe I’m not quite the man you think I am, Felix. I’m a bit of a coward, really.”

The only time I agreed with Christian. And he was being honest with Felix. Not even Asher. No surprise there.

And the way he talks about Felix to Asher....

“You know, I wouldn’t mind watching you two fight it out. Two beautiful boys going at it right in front of me...”

Sigh. I knew there was a reason why I disliked Christian.

This book started out at a - 2* rating for me, so it's a miracle it even got to where we ended up.

If you read Limerence and came out of it thinking....hey, that older guy was nice. It was really enjoyable watching him hurt Felix, I'd like to do that again.....then boy, is this the book for you.

Same old story. At the exact latitude and longitude to fuck these young men but can't find his bearings when it comes to more. Suddenly they're too young to really know that they want him. Suddenly he's too in love with his dead wife, whom he rarely thinks of except when he's using her as a weapon against his lovers, mind you.

This book has so many things I dislike that it's not a surprise I hated it.

An MC who's supposedly grieving his perfect dead spouse.

Has that thing where one MC places the other mentally on ice with the assumption that he can just fuck off and do life then spin the block and find his man waiting for him after an unspecified amount of time.

'And when we meet again, I will be whole and willing and ready to love him back.'

I wish Asher had really given it a shot with Aksel rather than emotionally wait for this man all those years.

Somehow Christian ended up with everything he ever wanted, Asher had to withstand all the blows. As if he hadn't had a hard enough childhood already.

Ordinarily I'd be bothered by that scene of someone else fucking Asher while Christian watched, but Asher deserved to be fucked by a decent person at least once, so no complaints from me.

Scarlett Drake, imo, excels at writing MCs you can loathe. Very bad at redeeming them enough before having them reunite with the other though.

Because what do you mean this man got a love declaration and fucked off immediately for two years, only to come back with his own and get IMMEDIATELY forgiven and welcomed back?

Imagine a romance where one MC declares his love after a series of fuck ups and the other is excited to hear it BUT would like to know the limitations so he can 'manage his expectations', unlike last time.

I'm convinced I was sick last week as my body's way of preventing me from finishing this. I should have taken it as a sign.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expectations are dangerous things. I loved Limerence (unexpectedly), and I loved Christian there, and I was so looking forward to this. But even taking into account that my expectations might have been unrealistic, this still felt like half-assed storytelling, with the characters, the emotional development, and pull just not as well done as in Scarlett Drake's previous books.

I got lots of thoughts, this will be long, but well, I really wanted this book and reacted to lots of things throughout this book. I am trying to be objective, but here goes, in case anybody noticed the same things I did....

I am not a fan of real country political plots or settings in romances in general. But I liked it in Limerence and how complex it was, but here it was particularly simplistic (super powerful allies and antagonists) and a bit contradictory to the whole drama with Limerence—an explanation is worked out elegantly enough of why it was not an option in the previous book, but still it was not really convincing or compelling. And I need a small rant: regarding a small detail in the final part. No, it is not possible even for a self-absorbed content creator/art student to ignore if a familiar name is prime minister of the UK or not for 2 years while living in Paris! Bitch, please. To not to be tempted to check, to not be hyper alert to mentions is not even credibly believable or romantic. I get we need that for the reader to be surprised, to see Asher's surprise, but if the reader is rolling their eyes, it ruins the romance.. No, seriously to be able to ignore if your former lover is now currently the prime minister of the UK for two years! Bitch, please…

But I can overlook that, what really matters to me is the push and pull of the relationship, the attraction, the obsession developing, but even that flopped. Was this a Patreon book? It felt like a "Patreon book" in ways I am going to try to explain, the inconsistency, like a lack of a structure/outline.

Lots of sex scenes throughout, a bit repetitive, and not very interesting apart from two—one which was a surprise but made me worry for them when they were having sex afterwards throughout the book and worry for their future HEA and another which is kind of ignored later (more on it later). The meet-cute was also meh, and I did not really get what they were seeing in each other except physical attraction, but they were both sophisticated enough to often be tempted by many other attractive men.

An important figure in this book is Christian's deeply loved dead wife, Stella, and we keep getting told about his grief and how important it all was. But there are no important flashbacks with her, no lines in her voice, she remains wooden and remote. Dead, mourned ex-lovers can be difficult to pull off in romances, but Christian's grief never felt real, so Christian's waffling around that oh no he can not love or commit was just plot device for page count...I think I needed more Stella for Christian to feel more complex. (Maybe on Leo's book? I hope it is longer and deeper...)

Regarding Asher, there is a tie-in to Hamartia, which if I were a real fan, I would have guessed, but I am a lightweight and did not, and that worked so well as a surprise. Asher is cute and has a traumatic backstory, which is interesting and felt real and his attitude to content creation was interesting and fresh. And the most memorable take here was how Christian relates to it; their dynamic in the most interesting sex scene here (apart from that first one, which made me worry for their HEA!) namely Christian watching while Asher films with somebody else but that kind of fizzles out, it's not resumed after that midpoint, and there is a kind of softballing in that Christian is MORE than "just" a content creator. He gets another very respectable career in the epilogue. But if he had not already been crazily talented and motivated for that, I would still have been interested in him and wanted a HEA for him even if he was "just" a "porn star"/content creator...

I hate third-act conflict breakups. And this one here was IMO unnecessary and a bit stupid, though it felt like a setup for the next book in the series. Also, a two-year break, just because? I already mentioned the bitch please, it's hard to avoid hearing the name or seeing a photo of the prime minister of the UK for two years really. I think it was to hint at Leo's career taking off and setting up the stage for the next book...

A final thing I need to rant about is all the inconsistencies throughout. Some badly edited sentences also, though those are relatively easy to ignore. Then there are things like

- Christian meets Asher in a secondhand bookshop with a queer section in the memoirs section and Asher disadvises a book. The book is later mentioned, and it's litfic and not memoir, and then in the epilogue they met at a queer bookstore.

Even more confusing ages and details:

- Christian is 43 (I think). Hinted 40 sometimes. His mother is 73 but she had him "quite late, sort of a last-minute thing" (so aged 30?). Leo is, ah, well, that is interesting, because it is all so inconsistent, maybe 23? So Christian and Stella, high flying lawyers with massively successful careers, had Leo when they were 20/21, at university? That would be interesting to figure out... (Or maybe Christian was meant to be much older, but a smaller age gap would be friendlier to readers).

- Leo has an accident just days before his 18th birthday (but elsewhere he is in rehab for the accident when he was 16). His mother died one year after. Stella died 6 years before this book. So Leo should be uh, 25? Elsewhere Christian tells Gale "He was involved in quite a bad car accident when he was sixteen".

- Stella dies in a ski accident, like in Limerence. But she dies in a hospital in London because Christian walks out of it and goes to stare into the Thames. I mean, if there was a patient transfer, it would be nice to have it mentioned because it is a different mental image altogether. And there is a line elsewhere where it is implied she died in the car accident Leo was in "I’m stuck as this seventeen-year-old kid who lost his mum and his friends and his fucking career in one go".

It's all a mess, and it would have been so easy to avoid. There are so many people mentioned in acknowledgements, and this is not fanfiction or a "small" indie book. How hard can it be to keep a strict handwritten timeline of past events ? This affects believability, for sure. But I mentioned it also because it is also a symptom of something harder to point out and even more important for my enjoyment: that the emotions and relationship also seem inconsistent and unbelievable throughout, zigzaging around at the whim of writing another chapter to fill pages.

But because I do not learn, and hope springs eternal, I, who was so looking forward to this, am now instead totally committed to the bait here for the series book after this one... Leo, oh Leo, so much bait, yes, please and his tennis player friend. I hope that gets more effort with timelines, and some Stella and yeah Christian was not a good dad. But I will be warier of the next book (not in this series).

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4 stars ****

I have to confess: I went into this third book terrified it wouldn’t live up to the first two.
It started a bit slow, but as the story progressed and their feelings started to show, I was a goner.

And let’s talk about Mr. Darling.
Because resisting him? Absolutely impossible. The man is charming, sexy as sin, and that filthy mouth? *Swoon*.

As for Asher, he is so real and easy to love that I was instantly attached to him.

The age gap (24–43) and the forbidden/taboo relationship were the cherry on top of a story that already had me all.

Scorching hot!

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We started so well and then the ending... Why do authors make third act break ups for no reason? And the part where they are actually happy is so short! I liked the rest though.
I'm betting the next one is about Leo and the tennis player and I will LOVE that.

[kaye taz]

dnf @ 83%

[Jordan Fischer | julietfoxreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS. BOOK. Omg, IS it my new favorite Scarlett Drake book? It's very possible, this book broke my book slump, had me swooning, fanning myself, AND crying. I couldn't put it down, it's INCREDIBLE. Scarlett's writing is gorgeous, lush and immersive, and it gets better with every book. The characters feel so freaking REAL, I feel like I KNOW Asher and Christian. One of my top reads of the year FOR SURE, this book is a SURE BET y'all.

I LOVE ASHER AND CHRISTIAN SO MUCH! Darling is an age gap romance, and it's quite possible the best one I've read. From their bookstore meet cute you can totally tell that these two VERY different guys are meant to be together. Christian is older, successful, and very posh. Asher is younger, chaotic (in an adorable way), and still trying to make it after a horrific childhood. A politician and a p0rn star, sounds like it wouldn't work, but it REALLY does. I love how completely enamored Christian is of Asher's free spirit and blatant honesty. Despite how forbidden their romance really is, he drops his walls so freaking quickly. I love that he cannot stay away despite the potential for consequences should their relationship get out. Asher had me alternately cracking up and tearing up through the entire book. His personality is just so fun, but he's also pining over this man he really believes he doesn't deserve.

So much of this book is super sweet and swoony as these guys are so smitten they can't help themselves. And while there IS some pain there (some parts HURT y'all), the little moments where they are just wrapped up in each other had me giving all the heart eyes.

Friends, if you haven't read Scarlett's books before, NOW IS THE TIME TO GET ON THAT. I have read and loved them ALL, her books are all so tightly plotted, SO romantic, SO hot, literally a masterclass in writing romance. Autobuy author for me with books I'm guaranteed to love, you MUST try them too.

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn that didn't hit like I was expecting. Gutted.

I ended up skimming and considered dropping it around 60%

I needed more from the characters, the plot, the spice, the whole thang. It just felt MEH 😕

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I’m browsing the ‘memoirs’ section when I see him. A compact, fae-like thing with a head of dark hair, full mouth, and blush-pink cheeks.....His eyes are the brightest, clearest blue and seem to twinkle with mischief. I get an intense dip of desire in the pit of my stomach before I look away quickly to pretend to browse the shelves."

"His voice is sort of deep, but with that polish of British politeness around it, so that when he laughs, it’s just this rich, delicious thing I want poured into my ears."

It's another Scarlett Drake banger! I have not read one of Scarlett's MM books that didn't stay with me way after I'd finished the last delicious drop and Darling is no exception. The writing is superb as always.

This is book 3 in Scarlett Drake's Famous Young Things series of linked standalones, which started with Hamartia and Limerence, and which I highly recommend too.

This is Christian and Asher's story and I loved it. The Felix and Nico cameos were fabulous too.

What To Expect:

❣️MM romance
❣️Age gap
❣️Found family
❣️Opposites attract
❣️Grief
❣️PAst trauma
❣️High spice
❣️Some angst
❣️HEA

Of course it's 5 stars 🌟

[Laura Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darling is book three in the Famous Young Things series. This MM age gap romance story is about Christian and Asher.

Asher is young, in his twenties, and unapologetically himself. He paints and is an adult content creator. Asher had a horrific childhood and my heart went out to him. Christian is in his forties and is a British politician. He is a widower and his son Leo is around the same age as Asher.

Boy did I really enjoy Asher, and the more we got to know him, the more I loved him. I do have to say that I have mixed feelings when it comes to Christian. I had a problem with Christian’s relationship with Felix in Limerence, and unfortunately I didn’t feel any better about it in this book. I was uncomfortable because there was a lot of talk and comparison to Felix. And I really was not a fan of Christian calling both Felix and Asher the same pet names. There was also the fact that Christian was still in love with his wife who passed away several years ago. Asher deserved to feel special, and I felt all of this took away from that.

It was easy to see Asher falling for Christian. Although Christian was honest and told Asher he couldn’t offer him anything like love, I felt bad for Asher because it seemed Christian was giving him mixed signals. I did appreciate how Christian didn’t have a problem with Asher’s sex work. I didn’t care for the scene where Christian went to a shoot and watched Asher having sex with another man, and then how they were intimate after. I was thankful it only happened one time.

I will say I was frustrated with the whole third act break up and separation. I get Christian needed to work on himself, but I don’t think a separation was necessary. I also didn’t like how things were left when they broke it off. When Christian and Asher reunite, everything happened so fast and it didn’t feel right to me. Overall, I adored Asher but I just think he deserved better and wish Christian would have handled things differently.

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I am smitten with these two. Scarlett Drake what an absolutely wonderful story, I was mesmerised, completely caught, unable to function till I finished it. I think this might be almost dare I say it low angst (compared to SD’s benchmark of angst) but with so many big feelings sweeping me away, this book was so emotional and lovely and perfect.

Covering a gamut layers of character issues like grief, loss, estrangement, trauma, abuse, SI but in the most sensitive of ways this story struck deep with it’s message of healing, acceptance, belonging.

Asher and Christian are so unbelievably hot, I love the way Drake writes attraction and the slow emotional bond developing, she is a master at it. I was fully invested, couldn’t turn the page fast enough tbh I needed all of it!! The forbidden, clandestine secret touches and inability to keep their hands off each other and how anchored they were to each other and how they slowly shed their weight holding them down specially Christian.

I loved the found family

I loved how gently we navigated the story until the very end when my god I couldn’t believe how ripped up I felt and that epilogue, gosh that epilogue made me swoon, this whole story made me swoon to be honest- I loveeeeed the endearments in this book - sublime.

I’m happy about all the happy endings

I’m very curious about Leo, I hope we see more

[♡ cal ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Watching your love interest getting railed by another guy is crazy work for me. Burn me at the stake but I honestly thought I was ready for that thing. Soured my mood. Love the first half tho.

[Valen]

DNFing this one. Scarlett is one of my auto-buy authors, but the tropes in this one aren’t going to work for me.

I liked Christian in Felix’s book and I want to keep my good opinion of him.

Instead I might just go read the last chapter of Oleander, or the mirror scene from Limerence. IYKYK.

[Paulina | bitofabookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarlett's name is a quality mark. I can't imagine a situation in which I wouldn't like her book at this point.

I'm sure we were all waiting for Christian's story after Limerence like wolves. And oh boy, I was NOT dissapointed. 'Darling' was everything: sweet, sexy, spicy, heartbreaking and funny. Loving Christian Darling was a great choice, because that man needs all the hugs in the world. Also, he's perfect in his own way (which, actually, is flawed and I love him for that). I couldn't be happier that he found Asher (their meet cute? swoon), because that boy loves with all his heart.

The characters really are one of many strenghts in Scarlett's books. I really can't stand when people in books or real life define themselves by their partners. And in this case, both Christian and Asher are their own people. They have their interests, social circles, jobs, backstories, dreams and they don't try to erase or change that just because they met each other. I adore Asher especially - he's so unapologetically himself and vocal about what he likes, no wonder Christian is instantly attracted to him.

This book was a beautiful journey through love, grief, acceptance and getting better. Do yourself a favor and read it!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asher being soooo Nick coded is my favorite thing to happen in 2025.

Christian is such a freak, I need him.

The side characters? I am invested. I need to know who is with who and whose book is next?!?!

TLDR: This was everything I wanted it to be and more.

[Catriona Noble · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. And I did love the first 80% of it. But the third act break up and resolution was just awful. A two year essentially breakup and then an instaproposal and reunion with no actual discussion or anything to make me think they could work. The wedding made me so sad too. Poor Asher needed a family and he’d never met Christian’s parents in person and his sister couldn’t make the wedding and neither could reschedule. It didn’t feel romantic at the end.

I went from adoring Christian jn Limerence and most of this book, desperate for him to feel love to feeling like he didn’t really deserve it. Leo’s change in character felt so underdeveloped and unresolved to.

I needed a different outcome after the conflict and to not have a two year gap. Have a few months with them in contact with each other trying out friendship. But no contact and to propose the same day they’re reunited without any discussion or acknowledgment of how they’ve both changed? What a dud of an ending. I went from five star enjoyment to feeling so let down.

[Sofi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don’t know how to rate this book. I had a hard time getting into it, and reading it felt very on-and-off, if that makes sense. There were moments when I thought, “okay, this isn’t bad” and others where I was just bored in a very I don’t feel anything at all way. I didn’t hate or love either of the MMCs, I just felt nothing for them, like I couldn’t connect with them at all.

The idea of the plot was really good, and the execution wasn’t bad, it genuinely wasn’t, but it still didn’t make me excited or really feel much of anything. It left me with this sense of “it’s just okay,” and that’s why I’m rating it 3 stars instead of lower. I did like the HEA, and I appreciated that the author didn’t rush Christian into a relationship he clearly wasn’t ready for, giving him the time to heal. But I didn’t love how the grief storyline and Christian’s struggles felt like an afterthought, at least in my opinion. We’re told he realized he’d been avoiding his grief and that he was scared, but I wish the book had actually explored that more instead of just mentioning it here and there — I think that would’ve helped me connect with him more. Also Ashers background could have been more explored.

I didn’t dislike Christian and Asher together, but I felt like we didn’t see enough of them actually building their relationship. It felt like I was missing those crucial moments where their connection was supposed to deepen. I did like how they ended up together in the end, and I mean… meeting in a bookstore is a dream so I definitely loved that, and the pet names with that accent… yeah, I would’ve melted too!

Honestly, I found myself more excited about the little moments with Felix, and I’m really intrigued by Leo. I don’t know if the next book is his— for a second I wondered if it would be Leo and Gael, but I’m happy Amata and Gael got their happiness in the epilogue. I really hope Leo is the MMC of book four, because it feels like there’s so much more to him than what we saw. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

[kmac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Scarlett Drake is like meeting people who are flawed, brilliant, and painfully real, then desperately missing them when the book ends. This is for all of her books, but here again with the broken but beautiful Christian and the delightfully direct Asher. My heart is still aching for them both - it's also so rare when you meet two mc's that you love equally! 😍

What Drake does so well is having a balanced mix of heartfelt moments and solid character development alongside some grade A smut (did I mention Daddy kink?) 😉🔥🔥🔥

I'm not sure I'll ever get around to reading a physical copy though, after listening to Nathan Wolfe narrating the audiobook. His voice makes me want to find an English gent and do unspeakable things to them! 😍🔥 And a standout debut performance from Silas Wood. 👏👏👏

Man I love an age gap. And side characters that deserve their own stories (I mean seriously..... all of them)! And character cross overs. Felix is his fucking fabulous self. It's simple. If you loved Limerence, you're going to love this! 😍

Side note to Ms Drake - please please please give us an Amata and Gael story! There's too few quality trans romance fics out there. ❤️ 🏳️‍⚧️🙏

Can I give 6 🌟?

[Arta reads at night · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 ⭐️
Oh this was a joy to read. Same level of lightness as other books in this series. Some moderate angst, pretty believable internal struggles.
Beautiful character building and nice relationship development.
The ending didn’t feel very realistic though. X happens and then it resolves just like that? Idk.
I understand Scarlett wanted to give them a soft happy end, but it did feel a bit too rosy and bright for me.
Otherwise I totally liked the book.
The way they both accepted each other, the way both of them felt so very real. That was very nice.

[AnnaKitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, heartwarming story ❤️ I knew it was going to be — it’s Scarlett, after all 😉
I fell in love with both characters and closed the book with such a warm feeling inside, smiling stupidly for hours 🥰
After so many dark and heavy reads, this felt like a breath of fresh air, one of those stories that make you believe in a pure and almost magical love ❤️

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Would you believe me if I told you that when I’m with you, it feels—I feel—more like myself than I do anywhere else?”

Where to start with these two, a demon twink and a demure, British politician. A match made in heaven!
Scarlett, once again, shows her skill for creating in depth, believable characters. They are people you want to know, I’m always rooting for them.
Asher is my sweet baby angel and I will fight anyone who thinks otherwise, Christian is in control of so many aspects of his life but is truly barely holding it together. They fall into each other in a way you don’t expect, they compliment each other perfectly and it was a joy to read.
With an “daddy” age-gap relationship in play you would think Christian should be in charge but in truth he is so Down Bad for this beautiful wonderful boy, he’s totally in awe of him (as he should).

“His quiet rebellion against the world that raised him, the wonder and joy he’d found in escaping it, the bold way he asks for the things he wants, the bare-faced courage with which he looks at himself. He has a strength of character I’ve rarely seen in men twice his age, that I certainly don’t see in myself. I understand something then, something critical: I admire him. I envy him.”

This book is wonderful, it’s out NEXT WEEK
4th November - go preorder now!

I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks 💞

[Otterly.Bookish.Larns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarlett has done it again and given us another fab read. Well done lady! I was so excited to get my hands on this one, so thank you for the arc my dear 🫶

Darling was a fun time! OH BOY, this was a spicy read! between the kinks and steamy hot moments, we also had some emotional vulnerability and romance that I always crave.

I was intrigued to see how Asher and Christian’s paths would cross, and I absolutely loved the meet-cute. All the flirty banter and instant attraction between them both was perfect. 

Christian is still grieving for his wife who passed away 6 years ago. At the end of Limerence, he moves to the USA to become the British Ambassador. Asher is a gorgeous demon twink painter who also creates adult content on the side for fun and to pay the bills. He’s the biggest ray of sunshine and so full of character. These two seem like complete opposites on paper, but they are so suited and perfect for each other. For them to get that HEA though, Darling needs to resolve his fears and buried grief that is holding him back. 

“𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝑨𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒆����𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔.” - Gosh, some of the lines in this read reminded me again why I love Scarlett’s writing so much. This is one of my favourites 🥹. So swoony! 

I also enjoyed all the side characters too. Scarlet gave them so much depth. I Loved Amata! I was routing for her in the last part of the read 🙌🏻.  
Leo, who is Christian’s son, is also fighting some inner demons himself. This boy is a crumpled mess needing all the love and attention too 😭.

And, of course, I couldn’t leave out the Felix and Nico cameos. God, they were so good! I love them so much. My favourite line from Felix was “What in the lovestruck Hugh Grant was that?” 🤣. 

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must preface this by telling you two things: 1) I love Scarlett Drake and I wanted to like this more than I did and 2) I am not predisposed to feel kindly about politicians in this current climate.

So in this book we get an age-gap, mismatched romance between Sir Christian Darling - high ranking UK politician, and one-time PM candidate (now working as the UK Ambassador to Washington), and Asher Fox - queer sex content creator, half Christian's age. We know Christian from Felix's book, and we know that he seems to have a fondness for beautiful young men. He has a chance meeting with Asher in a book store and quickly develops a sexual obsession with him, which in this book is masked in a kind of appreciation of Asher's beauty and specialness. But to me just felt like he was being led around by his dick, taking stupid risks for sex. It reads like someone chasing a high, desperate to feel alive. For the whole book we are told by various people what a good and decent guy Christian is, but I found him to be disingenuous and patronizing. Asher was a more sympathetic character for me, he has really fought some crazy odds to be where he is and he wears his heart on his sleeve, but as such is kind of suckered into falling for Christian. I understand that Christian doesn't mean any harm, but he comes across as a fundamentally selfish person, dressed up as a caring and considerate man.

The progress and pacing of their relationship left a lot to be desired. We do see them together, but a lot of the prose is really internal monologuing, with both of them going back and forth over well-worn issues. We get some scenes with Asher fucking other guys for work and a smattering of spice between the MCs. But the emotional core of this book felt hollow to me somehow, I wasn't sure where these deep feelings were coming from. I also found the ending cheesy as hell. Three-quarters of the way through, I actually couldn't wait to be finished with this book, which was painful for me because of this is one of my favourite authors.

This is not a bad book, Scarlett Drake is a great, compelling writer, I'm sure loads of people will love it. But I was not a fan of Christian, and at no point was I rooting for this relationship, which is not great in a romance.

[JonathanSamuelReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m just a little gay boy from Ohio who paints and didn’t have a passport until last week”

This was a different vibe then SD, less angst more whimsical but I did cry! Christian was so charming and so dreamy how could you not fall in love? Sweet Asher was pure sunshine. I loved them together.

[bookissbyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ✨

Let me start by saying I absolutely LOVE Scarlett Drake and I’ll be reading her books forever. Her writing style is truly unique, and some of my all time favorite reads have come from her. That said, this particular book was a bit of a miss for me. There were several reasons why it didn’t quite land, and it genuinely pains me to rate it this way but I felt off throughout reading this and it left me with a sense of disconnect.

1) Even though I liked Christian and Asher as individual characters, I couldn't grasp the chemistry between them. Even the spice was a bit weird and now we go to my second point.

2) The spice. Emmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 😬😬 Ok, I was thinking that maybe it's a me thing and I don't enjoy reading this particular kink but I don't feel this is the only reason for disliking the smut in this one. The whole voyerism scene made me feel strange and not in a good "let's explore it and be open about it" strange way... It pains me to admit that I feel that maybe Felix had more chemistry in this aspect with Christian(?)

3) Let's go to the fact that some things around Christian and his liberties even though he was an ambassador didn't make sense to me.

4) The Two Years Later "random" meeting in Paris. Firstly, the 2 years gap is a bit big and is not believable to me that they still held feelings for each other. Then it's the fact that they "randomely" met at a bookstore. This was so unbelievable and felt like the end of a cheesy movie 🫤

I loved Felixs & Nicos cameos but MOSTLY I loved reading about Christian and his relationship with his son! Poor Leooo 😔

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬, “𝐌𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐃𝐚𝐝. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝.”

And of course I'm super excited for his book which I'm sure it's the next one in the series with his bf and tennis player Callan!

[Library_of_a_Trashpanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes:
MM Romance
P*rnstar/Politician
Insta Lust

1️⃣ **Overall Rating:** ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2️⃣ **Overview/Synopsis:**: Christian Darling was shipped off the US to play politics and to be out of the way. His affair with a much younger ballerino didn't fit the political agenda. What he doesn't expect is to land in bed with another, younger man. But this ones a Porn Star.

3️⃣ **Favorite Character:**: I really like Christian. He's such a caring, good person. He's been put through the ringer and yet still comes out on the other side with a smile and so much love for Asher.

4️⃣ **Most Memorable Scene:**: The whole porn shoot and after. Wowey.

5️⃣ **Favorite Quote or Line:**: “You're going to absolutely ruin me, aren't you?" he says in a low, f*cked-out voice. Shrugging one shoulder, I smile and say, "I mean, yeah, if you want me to."

6️⃣ **Overall Review Summary:**: So I have devoured all of the Famous young things books over the last few days and this one is just absolutely delightful.

I'm typically not one for sharing so I wasn't sure how I would feel about the P*rn star profession, but holy cow was it done so well. The scene was so incredibly hot and I didn't feel like it took away or overshadowed Christian and Asher. It added an edge to what they had.

I am so glad we got Christians story, I loved him as a side character in Limerence and I am so happy he got his HEA, even if it was hard earned. And sweet baby Asher. He has had so much negative in his life and he still is a ray of sunshine. I really liked how Drake explained why he was in p*rn and why it was impactful for him to do s*x work. I feel that also added a layer to him and Christian's love.

I am also now obsessed with 'Darling' Its absolutely perfect as a word and I will always think of this book when I hear it.

[Lobenda☆on a year-long hiatus☆]

HAPPY RELEASE DAY! 💜🥂 🎉
cover is insanely HOT! 🔥

my dec tbr 😚

[H. Ho · Rating 1 out of 5]

Im Sorry but i didn’t liked it at all.

Spoiler. As a Pornstar of course Asher would have to do his Job and i wondered if it would keep some Part of their relationship “unromantic” for me.
Turns out this wasn‘t a trigger at all.
Lots of other things were
Christians permanent “Felix-Talk” was surely something else. He called Asher and Felix both sweetheart ( and I don’t talk about the past) . Felix calls him Daddy ? Like WTF

IdK i dont really felt a Connection between them. I do liked Asher though.
If you don’t want a mega spoiler stop reading now.


Asher told Christian “ I love you” Christian can of course not handle it - breakup - 2 years!!!!! later he comes back in Ashers live , “love you too, let’s get married “

Really ?? God I think I am actually mad at this book.