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Endearments #1
Daddy
Mateo put his entire life on hold when he found out that his father's Alzheimer's had gotten worse. He dropped all of his textbooks and returned home despite his dreams of graduation, never once complaining about the turn of events. It was his duty as a Rosales to provide for his family. So, back to East L.A., back to another job in retail, and back to basics.
But when Mateo's best friend signs him up for SweetDates.com, a website for older men and younger singles to exchange money for companionship, his life takes a sudden turn. Soon he finds himself talking with the charming, gorgeous millionaire Arthur Danby, and forced to face the uncomfortable moral soul-searching of this new relationship.
Could he really put a monetary value on his time? Is the stubborn pride instilled in him since childhood worth more than feeding his family? And despite the alluring look in his eye, is Arthur hiding something dark?
But when Mateo's best friend signs him up for SweetDates.com, a website for older men and younger singles to exchange money for companionship, his life takes a sudden turn. Soon he finds himself talking with the charming, gorgeous millionaire Arthur Danby, and forced to face the uncomfortable moral soul-searching of this new relationship.
Could he really put a monetary value on his time? Is the stubborn pride instilled in him since childhood worth more than feeding his family? And despite the alluring look in his eye, is Arthur hiding something dark?
254 pages, ebook
First published January 4, 2015
86 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Jack Harbon
23 books407 followersJack Harbon (she/they) is a nonbinary transfem author writing everything from romance to erotica to horror—or sometimes a mix of all three. If she’s not scribbling down notes on one of her thousands of book ideas, she’s shopping for yet another doll to add to her collection, crocheting, or watching scary movies. Follow her on all socials @JackHarbonBooks!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 25, 2016
Lovely realistic slow burn romance. Down-to-earth young man meets mysterious suave mid-age millionaire. Both brought their own baggage into the budding relationship built on uncertain shaky grounds. Mistletoe, Vegas splurge, wedding bells and all that? Yes, and a no. Afterall reality is a hard to please biatch.
I found this gem at Wattpad. Been frequenting that site to alleviate my current book PMS and help mend my pocket. Times are challenging our livelihood. We need more freebies! And thank god for the internet we have our answers. When you struck gold, freebies could even be tons better than what you fork out hard-earned money for.
Back to our book. A prank by his best friend lands our MC with a megabuck sugar daddy. Although Mateo was not keen on the idea, he found himself drawn to the mysterious man who seems to hide something dark behind his suave countenance. Being a levelheaded kid and with his family as his utmost priority since his father was incapacitated, he decided to approach their relationship with much care and precautions. Nevertheless it is almost impossible to not fall for Arthur's kindness, his liberal-mindedness and especially his charms. Hell, what I would not give to have such a dream guy as my other half. So of course when shits hits the ceiling the whole world shakes and threatens to bring Mateo down along with it. What is Arthur so desperately hiding from him that it would cost them their perfect loving relationship so easily?
Now all this might sound like your usual slice of life drama romance fare. What held my attention was how real and natural the characters are, down to his family members and friends. How I adore Mateo and Arthur's respective female best friends. They are both such wonderful souls to have as a friend. A blessing really. I love their outspoken personality and the dynamics they have when they are together. They are close like siblings but not the annoying kind of siblings we tend to have. I think I like Mateo's BFF the most. She rocks!
Last but not least, I also enjoyed the storyline as it has much warmth and human touch. Mateo's relationship with his parents and siblings are beautiful to watch. They might be poor and struggling to make ends meet but they don't lack love in their household. That is most important and something all the money in this world couldn't buy.
Yes a free story with no editor to guide and assist would not be able to escape from spelling and typo errors. Yet I must say this author did rather well. The story was not heavily marred with unsightly errors. In fact I find the reading experience quite smooth and enjoyable.
Give Daddy a try if you are a sucker for good slow burn romances. Especially one with heart.
Happy reading and exploring. Wattpad is a good platform to discover good reads. I even have the Wattpad app on my phone and Tablet PC. Handy!
*****************************
Reviewed on 25th September 2016
July 4, 2020
DNF
Plot that's an insult to the intelligence, characters whose motivations bounce around like a demented pinball, 'romance' that isn't romantic and where an MC disappears off stage for most of the book.
Why did I waste half an hour on this when instead I could have been cleaning the fluff filter on my washing machine?
Plot that's an insult to the intelligence, characters whose motivations bounce around like a demented pinball, 'romance' that isn't romantic and where an MC disappears off stage for most of the book.
Why did I waste half an hour on this when instead I could have been cleaning the fluff filter on my washing machine?
May 13, 2022
Just was I need right now!
September 28, 2016
I'm sad to say this, but it was just an okay read for me. This novel doesn't particularly stand out among others in this genre.
The bulk of the book is a very sweet, slow-burn romance, but it does have some angsty moments. Plus, it's free, which is great. But to tell the truth, I found it to be a bit shallow, too fluffy for my taste and some aspects of the plot just didn't ring true. I also wasn't fond of all the POV switches in the middle of a scene, and there were some editing problems.
Another thing I was disappointed about was a pretty low steam level. There was only one sex scene, albeit a hot one, and everything else was glossed over.
Overall, not a bad read, but entirely forgettable.
The bulk of the book is a very sweet, slow-burn romance, but it does have some angsty moments. Plus, it's free, which is great. But to tell the truth, I found it to be a bit shallow, too fluffy for my taste and some aspects of the plot just didn't ring true. I also wasn't fond of all the POV switches in the middle of a scene, and there were some editing problems.
Another thing I was disappointed about was a pretty low steam level. There was only one sex scene, albeit a hot one, and everything else was glossed over.
Overall, not a bad read, but entirely forgettable.
October 13, 2020
I love Jack Harbon and the way he writes romances. Daddy has been one book I have wanted to read for a very long time. And I finally got to it! It was great and I enjoyed reading it. Mateo and Arthur were very interesting characters who I really loved getting to know.
I fully expected Arthur to grovel after the Big Fight scene. Mateo was hurt and he was angry. WITH REASON! Who wouldn't be angry. And yet when they finally talk it out and understand what led Arthur to disappear for like three months, Mateo forgives me too easily. One conversation and that's it. I so wanted Arthur to spend like a month AT LEAST trying to win him back because Mateo was very sure about forgetting him and just don't go near him because he hurt his feelings a lot. But nope.
Still, I liked the book and will for sure anything Jack writes and publishes. I haven't read a sugar daddy romance in a while and I needed my fix! This is a great novel if you are also looking for one. Arthur is a very rich man who cares for Mateo immensely. Plus he gives him 10k every month? Excuse me where can I get one? One to go, please.
I also really love the relationship between Mateo's friends, they're so supportive and always there for him. GOOD AND HEALTHY BEST FRIENDS RELATIONSHIP. I love how much he talked to them and spent time with them updating them about his new relationship with Arthur. Sometimes in romance books they kinda forget they have best friends and only mention them twice in the whole book.
I fully expected Arthur to grovel after the Big Fight scene. Mateo was hurt and he was angry. WITH REASON! Who wouldn't be angry. And yet when they finally talk it out and understand what led Arthur to disappear for like three months, Mateo forgives me too easily. One conversation and that's it. I so wanted Arthur to spend like a month AT LEAST trying to win him back because Mateo was very sure about forgetting him and just don't go near him because he hurt his feelings a lot. But nope.
Still, I liked the book and will for sure anything Jack writes and publishes. I haven't read a sugar daddy romance in a while and I needed my fix! This is a great novel if you are also looking for one. Arthur is a very rich man who cares for Mateo immensely. Plus he gives him 10k every month? Excuse me where can I get one? One to go, please.
I also really love the relationship between Mateo's friends, they're so supportive and always there for him. GOOD AND HEALTHY BEST FRIENDS RELATIONSHIP. I love how much he talked to them and spent time with them updating them about his new relationship with Arthur. Sometimes in romance books they kinda forget they have best friends and only mention them twice in the whole book.
February 3, 2020
More Wholesome Than I Expected
TW: For A Helluva Lot of Suicide With a title like this I was expecting more sex than Romance but it turned out the complete opposite! I really love Mateo and Arthur. It was refreshing to see a Latinx MC in this trope and his struggle with his father dying and his dementia hit way too close to home at time. Arthur seemed like he got his shit together but the climax shocked me and it seemed weirdly rushed to me. Other than that and explicit suicide it's is a pretty good book.
TW: For A Helluva Lot of Suicide With a title like this I was expecting more sex than Romance but it turned out the complete opposite! I really love Mateo and Arthur. It was refreshing to see a Latinx MC in this trope and his struggle with his father dying and his dementia hit way too close to home at time. Arthur seemed like he got his shit together but the climax shocked me and it seemed weirdly rushed to me. Other than that and explicit suicide it's is a pretty good book.
May 15, 2020
I have been putting off reviewing this book, or even adding it to my list because I felt mildly shamed for reading it. But you know, screw that. This book was way hotter than I expected. I was not looking for great literature here, I just wanted smut. It delivered. well done Jack Harbon on drawing me into the sugar daddy/ sugar baby genre. That is pretty much all Kindle Unlimited wants me to read now. I'm not that mad about it, though.
Read
June 6, 2025I should have a separate shelf for wattpad books.
January 18, 2020
I went into this book pretty much blind after hearing a 1 minute review of it on the When in Romance podcast and I'll be honest I was little disappointed. I mainly brought it because I wanted to support an own voice queer author, and I knew it was about a sugar daddy situation, which is typically a theme (situation?) I enjoy. I love the tension it can bring to the relationship, with neither party because sure when the sex-for-money situation has turned into oh-wait-i-love-this-person situation. I like angsty romances and usually when money, sex and feelings are brought together it provides A LOT of angst.
That really wasn't the case with Daddy. Instead the relationship between Mateo and Arthur, was nice. It was sweet, if a little boring. The sugar daddy situation was more of a backdrop to other issues both Mateo and Arthur dealt with throughout the novel. Mateo has a difficult family situation, and money is tight, which isn't surprising as that's why he agreed to be a sugar baby. Arthur is an aloof billionaire with an equally difficult family situation that gets revealed over time. I would argue it was the heroes situations with their families (and the repercussions from them) that brought most of the tension to the story. The problem was I didn't really care... Which sounds awful but it's true. Mateo and Arthur fell into lust/love/liking so quickly I didn't feel I had time to get to know them as individuals. Particularly Arthur as we never given his perspective. I couldn't feel the chemistry between the two heroes. Everything felt a little clinical. Even the brief scene with daddy kink was meh.
I don't know if it was Jack Harbon's writing style I didn't enjoy, or if I just couldn't connect with these characters but it felt like I was watching what happened to them through a two-way mirror. They didn't know I was there, but I wasn't quiet close enough to really feel part of the story. I couldn't lose myself in the world, or the characters and fundamentally it stopped me from enjoying Daddy. Even when the big revelations happened in the story I was struggling to care. All the characters acted just a little too rationally, a little too understanding. Plus without feeling the chemistry between the two characters I had difficulty being invested in their reunion.
I'm currently debating whether to buy the next book in the series Kitten, whose heroes are briefly mentioned towards the end of this novel. I might give it a chance to see if it's the writing style or the characters I don't like. Plus Jess actually recommended Kitten, not Daddy, but I felt bad not starting at the beginning of the series.
That really wasn't the case with Daddy. Instead the relationship between Mateo and Arthur, was nice. It was sweet, if a little boring. The sugar daddy situation was more of a backdrop to other issues both Mateo and Arthur dealt with throughout the novel. Mateo has a difficult family situation, and money is tight, which isn't surprising as that's why he agreed to be a sugar baby. Arthur is an aloof billionaire with an equally difficult family situation that gets revealed over time. I would argue it was the heroes situations with their families (and the repercussions from them) that brought most of the tension to the story. The problem was I didn't really care... Which sounds awful but it's true. Mateo and Arthur fell into lust/love/liking so quickly I didn't feel I had time to get to know them as individuals. Particularly Arthur as we never given his perspective. I couldn't feel the chemistry between the two heroes. Everything felt a little clinical. Even the brief scene with daddy kink was meh.
I don't know if it was Jack Harbon's writing style I didn't enjoy, or if I just couldn't connect with these characters but it felt like I was watching what happened to them through a two-way mirror. They didn't know I was there, but I wasn't quiet close enough to really feel part of the story. I couldn't lose myself in the world, or the characters and fundamentally it stopped me from enjoying Daddy. Even when the big revelations happened in the story I was struggling to care. All the characters acted just a little too rationally, a little too understanding. Plus without feeling the chemistry between the two characters I had difficulty being invested in their reunion.
I'm currently debating whether to buy the next book in the series Kitten, whose heroes are briefly mentioned towards the end of this novel. I might give it a chance to see if it's the writing style or the characters I don't like. Plus Jess actually recommended Kitten, not Daddy, but I felt bad not starting at the beginning of the series.
January 7, 2020
This was ... bad. I tried to force myself through, but I finally realized it wasn't worth it. There are so many things wrong here, from bad or no editing to MCs that read like they are thirteen even though they are early 20s and 30s. Plus things were often written like we'd been told something that we hadn't. There's drama for no reason, head hopping within sentences, and ... well there's too much wrong. I'm glad I picked this up when it was free.
I don't know what was intended here, but it didn't happen.
I don't know what was intended here, but it didn't happen.
August 18, 2020
3 confused stars
I don’t know how to feel about this particular story. There were a lot of things that didn’t work for me. A lot of interactions in the beginning, and how some things progressed, not to mention Arthur’s complete disappearance from the story. BUT, there were a LOT of other things that did work for me, I went with the craziness of it all, the fairy tale flip to it had me engaged and pretty much reading no stop.
But for this to be a 4-5 star book, it needs a lot more editing, it needs way more intricate scenes and more depth to the characters, sure we had the sad and damaged, dark pasts and noble hearts, but it felt a lot like a checklist, it didn’t feel organic and natural.
But, I think it’s promising, sadly most of the ppl I follow on my GR didn’t like the second book, and some DNF, so I’ll put it on hold for now, but I’m keeping an eye on this author.
I don’t know how to feel about this particular story. There were a lot of things that didn’t work for me. A lot of interactions in the beginning, and how some things progressed, not to mention Arthur’s complete disappearance from the story. BUT, there were a LOT of other things that did work for me, I went with the craziness of it all, the fairy tale flip to it had me engaged and pretty much reading no stop.
But for this to be a 4-5 star book, it needs a lot more editing, it needs way more intricate scenes and more depth to the characters, sure we had the sad and damaged, dark pasts and noble hearts, but it felt a lot like a checklist, it didn’t feel organic and natural.
But, I think it’s promising, sadly most of the ppl I follow on my GR didn’t like the second book, and some DNF, so I’ll put it on hold for now, but I’m keeping an eye on this author.
May 12, 2020
DO NOT MISS THE CONTENT WARNING.
With Kindle settings being what they are, I managed to entirely miss the content warning on the story, which I appreciate the existence of and really could have used. This is not as light or erotica-focused as it may seem from the marketing around it. There's a LOT more angst here than I expected.
That being said, the emotional journey of the protag is detailed and emotionally authentic. He has a resonant, nourishing path to self-awareness and acceptance of tragedy and joy in his life. It's incredibly well-written, and all the high points other reviewers have mentioned are there. The love story is unusual in how it plays out, and I really liked how it went.
Just... make sure you heed the warnings and take care of yourself. There's violence and suicide and more going on.
With Kindle settings being what they are, I managed to entirely miss the content warning on the story, which I appreciate the existence of and really could have used. This is not as light or erotica-focused as it may seem from the marketing around it. There's a LOT more angst here than I expected.
That being said, the emotional journey of the protag is detailed and emotionally authentic. He has a resonant, nourishing path to self-awareness and acceptance of tragedy and joy in his life. It's incredibly well-written, and all the high points other reviewers have mentioned are there. The love story is unusual in how it plays out, and I really liked how it went.
Just... make sure you heed the warnings and take care of yourself. There's violence and suicide and more going on.
June 10, 2022
DNF
A writer I really respect recommended this author (but not this particular book) on his blog (which I learnt about on this site). So I went to amazon and downloaded one of his books. I can only hope this was an early effort and he gets much better because this was all over the place. For a book only following one MC, it chopped and changed directions and tone in a very odd way. It didn't convince me of it's world at all. It's a great shame, because the start was good, but once Matteo and Arthur got together, it slowed right down, and the entire Vegas episode and it's aftermath just did not work for me. I kept waiting for it to get better but then realized I really didn't care for either character or the situation and it was a relief to put it down.
A writer I really respect recommended this author (but not this particular book) on his blog (which I learnt about on this site). So I went to amazon and downloaded one of his books. I can only hope this was an early effort and he gets much better because this was all over the place. For a book only following one MC, it chopped and changed directions and tone in a very odd way. It didn't convince me of it's world at all. It's a great shame, because the start was good, but once Matteo and Arthur got together, it slowed right down, and the entire Vegas episode and it's aftermath just did not work for me. I kept waiting for it to get better but then realized I really didn't care for either character or the situation and it was a relief to put it down.
May 19, 2020
Good story, wrong title
This was a decent story. But it's not a Daddy boy story. It's a story of an older rich guy looking for a younger man to spoil and pay. So Sugar Daddy, yes.
There is one scene where the boy calls the man Daddy, ONE. That being said it's a good story about two guys who meet thru the website and each have to deal with their past issues, including the death of loved ones and find their way together. There is also one page that repeats a paragraph. But once I figured out that I had just reread the same thing, I moved on. The author tells a good story and I will be interested in seeing what else he has written.
This was a decent story. But it's not a Daddy boy story. It's a story of an older rich guy looking for a younger man to spoil and pay. So Sugar Daddy, yes.
There is one scene where the boy calls the man Daddy, ONE. That being said it's a good story about two guys who meet thru the website and each have to deal with their past issues, including the death of loved ones and find their way together. There is also one page that repeats a paragraph. But once I figured out that I had just reread the same thing, I moved on. The author tells a good story and I will be interested in seeing what else he has written.
March 8, 2020
3.5 stars
The beginning was great but around the middle it suddenly went downhill. If the book was longer it may have worked better but here they got back together and the book ends soon after, then we get a big time jump for the epilogue. It's a bit unfortunate because the time jump doesn't add much to the story. I would have preferred something right after the last chapter to have a real moment between the 2 of them after they've fixed things up.
The beginning was great but around the middle it suddenly went downhill. If the book was longer it may have worked better but here they got back together and the book ends soon after, then we get a big time jump for the epilogue. It's a bit unfortunate because the time jump doesn't add much to the story. I would have preferred something right after the last chapter to have a real moment between the 2 of them after they've fixed things up.
May 26, 2020
Hard to finish
Arthur's big black moment left me wondering why he even took a sugar baby at all. I loved Mateo's family, but the love story lost momentum for me pretty quickly. Towards the end it felt like it was just ticking off boxes. I did like the limits Mateo set near the end, but it would have been nice to see more relationship development as opposed to falling right back together.
Arthur's big black moment left me wondering why he even took a sugar baby at all. I loved Mateo's family, but the love story lost momentum for me pretty quickly. Towards the end it felt like it was just ticking off boxes. I did like the limits Mateo set near the end, but it would have been nice to see more relationship development as opposed to falling right back together.
February 26, 2020
I was trying not to DNF this but it was hard. I felt it took me forever to finish this little story. maybe I was expecting some kink (there wasn't), maybe I was hoping for trouble blurring the lines between being a sugar daddy and then a boyfriend (there wasn't), maybe I could've shipped this if there wasn't insta-love (there was).
June 4, 2022
There are a lot of heavy topics explored in this book - and I think they were done well. But there were also many moments of lightness and joy that made my heart so happy. Mateo and Arthur made such a sweet couple and the epilogue was honestly so cute.
March 1, 2020
I really liked this! It was a very engaging and mostly sweet story and I definitely recommend it!
June 21, 2020
A DELIGHTFUL read. Quick, fun and sexy, loved the idea of exploring sugar daddies and sugar babies through an online app, and not just the skeevy parts of it.
July 31, 2020
Zero chemistry.
September 29, 2020
So cute - and so much more than I was expecting!!!
dnf
February 2, 2020dnf @ 49% i might enjoy this at another time but the book is too uneventful for my current taste. i love mateo and arthur’s communication however, it reads really sweet and genuine owo
Read
February 12, 2023I certainly read it
May 23, 2020
I hate that I’m not giving this a four star cause jack harbon has quickly become one of my favourite authors. But this dragged on, I was so bored. I also didn’t enjoy how everything got solved at the end it was too easy. Lastly I didn’t get any kind of chemistry between the two characters. But maybe I felt that way cause I didn’t really care about the characters, I don’t know. Love the rest of jack harbon books though
January 20, 2020
This was a lovely story, well written and well paced. It was fun as well as emotional and I loved that. On occasions the conversations were more fluffy than what I’m used to, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
I fell pretty quickly in love with the main character Mateo, he was very relatable and his story was very heartening and stirring; I’ve even shed a little tear.
My only note would actually be about the romance. I loved Mateo’s and Arthur’s romance, it felt really natural and I liked the bit of angst. But I did expect, when picking up this story, a bid more of the romance. Although I enjoyed the story was more spread out, after the two lovers had their little falling out I quickly felt a need for more of them and I was not fully satisfied of what I got. I’d say it could’ve used a bit more of their romance. But I understand this story was more centered around Mateo’s journey; it was simply something I expected when picking up this book.
Overall really enjoyed this read, would definitely recommend it. It’s easy and fun to read, even with the angsty bits, and I think might go back to reread it someday.
Read
April 16, 2020This has been one of my favorites and staple recs from Wattpad. I started this back when just half of the story has been posted and it was so well written that I’ve waited every week for chapters to be up until the book was finished. I initially thought it would be really dirty (free books are usually v smutty) but Daddy’s steam was actually more on the sweet side, and it navigates through the morality issues head-on without being ridiculous or rushed.
The characters are endearing, to the point where Arthur starts to be painted with dark undertones but you still root for him and Mateo. And don’t worry, it ends with a satisfying HFN that’s as close to reality as it gets. :)
*This review first appeared as a bookstagram on my IG: @bentchbites
The characters are endearing, to the point where Arthur starts to be painted with dark undertones but you still root for him and Mateo. And don’t worry, it ends with a satisfying HFN that’s as close to reality as it gets. :)
*This review first appeared as a bookstagram on my IG: @bentchbites
June 25, 2020
4.5 stars
I think this is the first time I’ve read a romance with explicit sex scenes where I wasn’t feeling cringey about it, and that might be because of the kind of language that was used for those scenes. This book was sexy, and charming, and I really enjoyed the characters and the conflict. It was exactly what I needed at the start of the dissolution of society, and it probably the only reason I didn’t completely unravel mid-march! I’m excited to explore more of Jack Harbon’s work.
Content Warnings (as author states at start of book): alcohol and/or drug abuse, familial death (both past and present timeline), depictions and mentions of child abuse, depiction and mentions of suicide and depression, suicide ideation, mention of driving while under the influence, terminal illness
I think this is the first time I’ve read a romance with explicit sex scenes where I wasn’t feeling cringey about it, and that might be because of the kind of language that was used for those scenes. This book was sexy, and charming, and I really enjoyed the characters and the conflict. It was exactly what I needed at the start of the dissolution of society, and it probably the only reason I didn’t completely unravel mid-march! I’m excited to explore more of Jack Harbon’s work.
Content Warnings (as author states at start of book): alcohol and/or drug abuse, familial death (both past and present timeline), depictions and mentions of child abuse, depiction and mentions of suicide and depression, suicide ideation, mention of driving while under the influence, terminal illness
October 17, 2019
This was so much more than a Daddy story. Full of emotional rollercoasters and bonding friendships. Mateo was a man to be proud of and an amazing son and brother. My heart broke with all he had to endure, but, he did so willingly and consciously. Very moving story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews