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Lockdown

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JAMISON

A man like me was never meant to live beyond these walls—in the outside world. Men like me belong in places like this.

It's where my heart doesn't beat. It's where the sun doesn't shine. It's where the word "love" does not exist, nor humanity.

Here, I am home.

BREES

This place is a sh*t hole—full of animals—monsters and men who lost their souls long ago.

How did I get here? Oh, yes right. I'll have to tell you ALL about it. It's quite crazy actually.

But, my story might get cut short because...I just might not make it out of this place alive.

WARNING: This novella includes strong sexual content, strong language, instances of graphic violence and situations some readers may find disturbing. Intended for 18+ years and above.




A M/M Romance Novella

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2018

51 people are currently reading
71 people want to read

About the author

Daya Daniels

71 books146 followers
Lover of words. Poetry glutton. Cynic. Idealist. Art collector. Lip gloss addict. Wife. Mommy. NERD. Madwoman. Music fan. Book whore. Beach bum. Water rat. Wine drinker. Bermudian. Las Vegas resident-wannabe. Hopeless romantic.

Love is what keeps the world spinning! XOXO

Follow me on Instagram: authordayadaniels

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5 stars
38 (29%)
4 stars
42 (32%)
3 stars
36 (27%)
2 stars
9 (6%)
1 star
4 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Iman (hiatus).
726 reviews260 followers
February 21, 2023
what. the. actual fuck.

TW
TW
TW

the love interest uses RAPE as a way to revenge? this is a crime. who fucking write shit like this? who writes this, and THINK THAT THIS WAS OKAY? who TF writes rape as one of the main plot device?

WTH.

my first and my fucking last. how is this on KU?
Profile Image for Elena.
1,075 reviews83 followers
January 19, 2020
Surprisingly good! I really enjoyed it! 😉

The story of Jamison and Brees is difficult and heartbreaking. It's a short read but you can see how the two incarcerated men grow on each other. I wouldn't say it's emotionally packed but the way they feel towards each other, the way they rely on the affection, warmth and touch of the other cellmate is really convincing...

It's heartbreaking because Jamison had known from the very beginning who Brees was and how Brees was entangled in Jamison's life and vice versa. And Brees knew nothing... Up until almost the very end of the story Brees knew nothing... It must have been killing Jamison, but... But they survived, they survived together. And though their sentences are still so very long I'm sure they would make it and go right to that Brazilian beach one day...

A nice story to read, guys, even though it's "prison love" it was surprisingly hopeful and good ;)
Profile Image for L Ann.
750 reviews160 followers
April 28, 2023
This story takes place at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, where 28 year old Brees is assigned to a prison cell with 45 year old Jamison, an unpredictable violent inmate who is currently serving a 33 year sentence. He has already served 15 and has 18 more to go. Brees, who was referred to as ‘Pretty Boy’ by some of the inmates, was terrified of the 6-foot-6, roughly two hundred sixty pound man he was being forced to room with. He believed that his life expectancy had gone down considerably from the six months he originally gave himself upon arrival.

After Jamison decided that he didn't want to kill Brees, the two got to know each other, and before long, a precarious bond was formed between them. What they didn’t know was why the warden put them together in the first place. When the truth eventually came out about how they were connected outside of prison they had to figure out what to do with that information and whether or not it would tear them apart. 

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I am not a fan of novellas. I usually do not find the romances in them convincing, and, in the rare cases that I do, I am left feeling completely unsatisfied with the way the story ends. I don’t know how convincing the romance in this story was (esp. in the beginning), but the MCs definitely formed a bond pretty early on. Given how lonely they each felt, they readily accepted whatever comfort and affection the other offered, and as time went on, their feelings deepened.

The ending is bittersweet because their future seemed very uncertain. They each had 18  years left of their sentences, and given how spiteful the warden was, there was no guarantee that they’d continue living together or that Jamison wouldn’t get into more trouble. If they did manage to complete their sentences (without having any time added), there was no guarantee they wouldn’t end up back in prison.

There was one scene in this story that was particularly hard to read. A lot of people were appalled by it, and while it was very disturbing,  I don’t believe the author was condoning what took place in it. She was just depicting the reality of inmates being housed in certain prisons. Being able to read it allowed me to get a better understanding of the way Jamison’s mind worked. 

Despite the subject matter, I thought the writing was beautiful. Something about the way it was written made me want to read it aloud, especially in the beginning. Because of the subject matter and where the author chose to take the story, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you don’t mind reading disturbing content, but for a novella, I thought it was pretty good. 3 stars
Profile Image for Ky.
589 reviews90 followers
March 28, 2021
* 2.5 stars *

The first half of the book was very good. The characters, the narration, the atmosphere, everything worked very well together. Brees and Jamison meeting and connecting was also nicely done.

And then things started to not work. While the story was moving along just fine before, I can't understand why it was considered necessary for that past connection to be a factor in the story. The added drama was a bit too much and I could have done without it. Brees and Johnson's situation was difficult enough without it and their story was intense enough. It was interesting and different just by being a romance in a prison, there was no need for more drama.



Warning: There's a scene in the showers that was very brutal and extremely hard to read.
Profile Image for Gabi.
705 reviews112 followers
April 25, 2018
Wow! Daya Daniels, just Wow!

The answer was staring me in the face all along, but I couldn't see it, because I was blinded by everything else! The violence and prison-life.

I could have lived without the love declarations though, the story didn't need it.

But awesome!
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
9,097 reviews520 followers
April 27, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars


Daya Daniels is a new author to me and I was impressed with the tight, first person narrative that she crafted. This book is all about prison life and neither Jamison or Brees are good people. They know this, they admit this, but they would have preferred if things could have been different.

The book is told in alternate point of view that really allows us to get into the mindset of both men. Brees is new to the prison and he fears for his life and has no reason to think he will make it out alive. When he realizes that he will be sharing a cell with Jamison, he thinks, with good reason, that his new cell mate might be the one to kill him. But something about Brees immediately calls to Jamison and he wants to touch and protect him. Brees has already been in prison for 15 years and he has many more years to go. He is 45 and we know that he is older than Brees, but I never did get a handle on exactly how old Brees was.

The connection between the men is instant and there is both insta-lust and insta-love going on here, but the author made it work for the characters and their setting. As expected with a prison book, there is violence and the relationship between Jamison and Brees is certainly rough around the edges, but Jamison has no intention of letting any harm come to Brees.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

Profile Image for JenMcJ.
2,608 reviews325 followers
April 30, 2018
This was a well written tale. I was engrossed and invested in what these men would go through together.

However, it was too short and I'm just not sure about the huge coincidence involved. Maybe, if it had been longer, if we had more time to get to know them as a committed couple, willing to back each other up and prop each other up no matter what...the coincidence wouldn't have felt so unlikely, even with the warden instigating it...
Profile Image for Ed Davis.
2,903 reviews99 followers
September 11, 2018
This was a quick and enjoyable read. A prison love story with a twist. Clever
Profile Image for NicoleR.M.M..
675 reviews174 followers
December 18, 2020
3,5 stars
Well, the title surely catches your eye with everything going on in the world right now, though this is obvious about another kind of lockdown than the one a lot of us find themselves in at the moment.

Anyway, this was the first story I read by this author, and though it's a short one, her writing spoke to me. The story itself was good too. The twist in the end was unexpected, but it suited the story.
This was an enjoyable read, all in all. Only one thing bothered me and that was the 'I love you', because that felt a bit too forced. In my opinion their relationship would have been valid enough without those three words spoken out loud. Not that I don't believe in finding real love when you've walked a path like these two men have, but it's the kind of vulnerability you don't expect to find. It felt a bit out of character.
For the rest, I intend to find more to read from this author.



Profile Image for Rosie.
1,653 reviews32 followers
November 18, 2018
I'd promised myself at the beginning of the year I'd make an effort to read outside of my usual genres, so I added 'Lockdown' to my TBR list. I finally decided to dust it off and read this M/M story and it doesn't disappoint. Daya Daniels intrigues me because she writes across ALL genres and I'm fascinated by the stories I've read so far. Be sure to check out her Amazon catalog.
Profile Image for Gia Davis.
341 reviews161 followers
August 9, 2022
I was excited after dirt.. but… what even was this book?!

I was excited for a gay dark romance with two men, but everything about this book was just… no

I can’t do it, I won’t do it again. No thank you.
Profile Image for ashlee ❤.
1,925 reviews104 followers
June 8, 2025
Brees + Jamison

-mm dark romance
-roommates to lovers
-prisoners
-forced proximity

well. that ended rather abruptly after those kinds of revelations maam! haha but it was a quick & dirty messed up read. hit the spot haha
Profile Image for Natosha Wilson.
1,274 reviews15 followers
February 25, 2018
This is not your typical romance novella. It is more on the dark read with a pretty graphic scene of rape but if you can get passed that one graphic scene then this Novella was actually pretty good. There was definitely a HUGE twist at the end that really threw me for a loop. It was one that I would never have seen coming that is for sure. I have never read any of Daya Daniels writing before but I can tell you that this book truly shocked me, especially with the twist that Daya three in there. I think that is what really made me like this book that much more.

Brees is an inmate in prison for killing a man. He knows what he did was horrible and for him to have killed someone, he is more heartbroken about it then any other murderer I would think. In Brees case I could almost say that if circumstances might have been different then I do not honestly believe he would have done what he did. But that is not how it is and he knows it. The only thing Brees knows to do is try to keep his head down, not make any enemies if possible, and to try to stay alive long enough to get out in eighteen years. That way he can try to atone to whomever he has to in order to make up for what he has done. But that is not going to be easy because Brees is not a fighter.

When Brees is put in a cell with a man named Jamison, Brees is more scared then he has ever thought possible. But it turns out that Jamison is not so bad after all. After being in the same cell together and starting to get to know one another, Jamison actually wants to become friends with Brees.

Jamison never thought that he could truly love someone. Not with his dead, black heart but meeting Brees ruined that theory thoroughly. Other then his son, he has never even really had love before so to say that someone could open his heart and eyes to love was like saying the world is flat. Totally unbelievable. But that is exactly what has happened.

What happens to these two men that are in an impossible situation when it comes to finding love together? Can two men that are locked up truly fall for the other, so much so that they start to plan a life together? Or is it all just a romance of convenience?

Like I said, the twist in this book makes it totally worth reading. In order to find out what the twist is, you will have to read it. But be forewarned, there is violence and a rape scene that is graphic but if you choose it can be skipped over. I will definitely check out more of Daya’s books in the future if there is unpredictability to them also.

Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
February 8, 2025
i'm not a MM romance fan, i am MFF/ poly romance fan SO this book is out of my comfort zone. i also don't enjoy books with graphic anal scenes THOUGH i have NOTHING against it at all. i am enjoying the story itself HOWEVER, i am not moved at all by the intimate scenes. they actually make me feel out of the loop unfortunately.
i like both main characters, Brees and Jamison. i am invested and want them to end up together..... at this point.. i like that Jamison is protective over Brees and stands up for him.
There's a nice little bit of info given at the end of the story that makes you feel like maybe the story should go on.... The Warden was a horrible terrible person!

I'll definitely read more books by the author, this is a new author for me.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5🌶️ 9 in. big boy Jamison peppers
Profile Image for Dutchgirl.
552 reviews
April 29, 2018
I really enjoyed this one, but just when things got interesting and some secrets were revealed it just ended. I would love it if this was a longer novel and we got to see this unusual couple come to terms with what they learned in the last couple of pages. Maybe a sequel??
Profile Image for Tina.
492 reviews7 followers
June 6, 2025
This book explores a grim and often harrowing dynamic between two incarcerated men. We’ve got Brees, a 28-year-old thrown into prison and assigned to share a cell with Jamison, a 45-year-old man who’s seen way too much and done even more. What starts off tense quickly morphs into a dark, twisted, but weirdly tender romance. But don’t get it twisted: Jamison is not an easy character to empathize with. He’s rough, violent, and has clearly done terrible things. But love him or hate him, the man goes above and beyond to protect Brees - even if it means doing some dark shit. Like… It’s giving "I’d set the world on fire to keep you safe," and I’m lowkey into that energy.

▪️ The pacing: A bit wild. The book is short, but it crams in so much backstory. But by the end, it (mostly) clicked. Still, I wish there was more breathing room. Like, give me a FULL length book! I was emotionally invested and deserved closure, okay?

▪️The ending: Oof. Bitter with a sprinkle of hope. They’re still facing 18 more years behind bars, and the prison system (not to mention the evil warden from hell) is stacked against them. There's this looming sense of “will they even make it?” that really hit me. I needed an epilogue. Just a glimpse of a happy-ever-after or something.

▪️Let’s talk about the scene. Yes, there’s a It is brutal and disturbing. But y’all, this is a prison book. It's raw, it's uncomfortable, and it's not meant to be pretty. If you're triggered by violence, definitely read up on content warnings before diving in. That part of the story wasn’t just there for shock value. It was part of the "eye for an eye" grim reality. And honestly? If Jamison hadn’t stepped in the way he did, Brees would’ve been repeatedly hurt. It’s not easy to read, but it is part of the dark, violent world this book is set in. So please, let's not blame the book for showing exactly that.

▪️The Plot twist at the end. A little too much drama layered on top of drama. I’d have liked it better if one character had the and the other reacted. , felt a bit soap-opera for me. Not a dealbreaker, just a raised brow.

▪️Final vibe: I didn’t love the book, but I’m not mad at it either. It was messy, dark, emotionally intense, and it left me with more questions than answers, but sometimes that’s the point.

”My eyes fill with tears when I realize that since the first time I met this man, this is the first time I really see him. And what I see is ugly and sad and broken. He blinks and keeps his penetrating gaze on me. And I know silently he’s asking me to put him back together”



Would I recommend it?

If you're into:
🔹 emotionally damaged men trying to love right
🔹gritty romance with violence and survival
🔹love that claws its way through the bars
🔹relationships that are messy but real

Then yes. BUT just have in mind isn’t a rom-com. It’s survival in its rawest form.
Profile Image for Misty Schott.
4,225 reviews35 followers
November 17, 2018
4 1/2 stars for this awesome M/M romance with a slight dark twist.

Brees is put in prison for eighteen years for killing a man, even if it was an accident. Jamison is a career criminal, he's spent most of his life locked up. Brees is put in a cell with Jamison after spending the last three months in solitary confinement, because he was attacked and brutalized during his first week in prison. Jamison thinks no one can love a man like him and Brees is just trying to keep his head down and live through his eighteen year sentence. Can these two find love in the most unlikely of places? Will their secrets tear them apart or be the glue to put them back together? This is a great story and very well written with believable characters. A definite must read!!!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for BrooklynBookworm.
666 reviews11 followers
July 6, 2025
Dark MM prison romance written by Daya Daniels.

Brees is sentenced to 18 years in prison. But he’s not made for prison. The story begins on his walk to his cell where he’s cat-called, threatened, harassed. This is not going to be good. But he winds up in Jameson’s cell. Steak-eating, country music playing, Jameson. He’s a strange one. With 15 years down and 18 years to go, Brees and Jameson form a bond.. but their bond might run deeper than they both initially realized..

I’m not quite sure how I feel about this story. I did enjoy it ..however there was one very graphic scene that I was not too fond of. But .. I will say.. if you’re a fan of the Alabaster Penitentiary series by Nyla K, then you most certainly will love this. It’s a short read, super dark, and a bit twisted once everything comes into play. A solid 3.5 star read.
Profile Image for BB.
297 reviews6 followers
March 25, 2019
3,5 stars

This was a brutal prison story, beware of graphic rape scenes. I don’t think this was a

To be honest, the story felt dissatisfied rushed. There was a lot of pages filled with the introduction of both MCs.
I didn’t really feel the immediate connection between Brees & Jamison, because it just came out of nowhere. But still, I liked it for the most part. Wouldn’t mind it to be a full length novel instead of a novella. I think it would’ve done the story greater justice.

Damn, this also had a real unexpected twist at the end.
50 reviews
March 12, 2018
Give this one a chance!!!!!!!!!

The author takes you on a gritty journey through the lives of inmates incarcerated in Angola Prison in Louisiana. The imagery described by the author makes you feel the walls of the prison closing in around you and allows you to feel the terror of the newest inmate. The relationship developed between Brees, his cell mate, Jamison, and the warden of the prison will have you questioning where true evil lives.
Profile Image for Farrah.
213 reviews3 followers
May 30, 2018
Excellent intriguing read... "call it the domino effect"
This is a new to me author and I was thrilled reading this book! Very well written and very good MC descriptions and enough details in the backstory to make everything wrap up nice and tight in a dark romantic way.

I can't wait to read more of Daya Daniels work! Going to KU for War Baby now! The intro at the end of LOCKDOWN has me hooked!
3,929 reviews31 followers
January 5, 2019
Two men meet in prison, both are complete opposites. Can they find love behind bars? Brees is just existing day to day, trying to survive his 18-year sentence. Jamison is a hardened criminal who only knows how to live rough. I really liked their story, and while it is a gritty look at life in prison, it's also a story of finding comfort and maybe love in the most unlikely place. I wish this was a little longer!
5 reviews
January 8, 2020
Love the book

I really like this book. The book gave me something about. I like the fact to people that hurt each other with knowing it can find a way to forgive each other. I wish the book could be longer or sexual to it. I would love to know what happens after they lift prison. This made great story and wished it was longer.
Profile Image for ....
2,069 reviews15 followers
dnf
July 15, 2023
DNF @48% ... which, given it's short length, was not that far in. Basically, once they met - after a couple pages of meandering exposition that I started skimming through - and the big bad guy who killed his previous cell mets decides to suck the newbie's dick and suddenly has #feelings, I realized this was not what I'd come for. 🤷‍♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Annemarie.
2,186 reviews16 followers
December 4, 2018
Brees is in jail for having killed a man during a robbery gone wrong. The warden hates gays and put him in a cell with Jamieson a big brute who has been in and out of the prison multiple times and is now serving 18 yrs himself. He's covered in white supremacist tattoos. I love the twist at the end.
Profile Image for Natalie.
14 reviews
November 25, 2022
I’m usually not a fan of novellas. Give me a story that’s thick and girthy. But DAMN! What this author managed to do in less than 100 pages is INSANE! My only con? This shoulda been longer. I want more of these two!
Profile Image for misszaria22.
129 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2021
Great read

This was a good quick read and I really enjoyed it . I look forward to reading more from her.
55 reviews
January 2, 2023
Not What You Expected

I recommend reading this book because it's not what you’d expect. I enjoyed reading it and I think you would as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews

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