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Black Resorts #1
Little Dove
Where do I begin?Oh. Yeah.Once upon a time.Isn’t that how all good fairy tales start? And Maximo and I, we were definitely a fairy tale.Not the cleaned-up, sanitized ones where life’s problems were solved with a smile and a song. We were the old-school kind. The twisted tales packed with murder, violence, and tragic beginnings.Okay, so maybe we weren’t a traditional fairy tale. After all, Maximo was more villain than prince. He was scarily sexy. Devilishly charming. Controlling, possessive, and dangerous.Especially when it came to me. His little dove.And heaven help anyone who tried to free me from my gilded Recommended for readers 18+. This slow burn romance features graphic language, sex, violence, and a Daddy obsessed with his little dove. If this doesn't sound like your kind of fairy tale, this may not be the book for you.
371 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2020
3360 people are currently reading
19534 people want to read
About the author
Layla Frost
24 books3,430 followersGrowing up, Layla Frost used to hide under her blanket with a flashlight to read the Sweet Valley High books she pilfered from her older sister. It wasn’t long before she was reading hidden Harlequins during class at school. This snowballed into pulling all-nighters after the promise of “just one more chapter”.
Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably until it was time to write her own stories.
When she's not writing, Layla Frost is an insomniac with a deep love of iced coffee, tchotchkes, plants, and her hens. She's also the world's okayest mom, but her kids think she's cool... ish.
Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably until it was time to write her own stories.
When she's not writing, Layla Frost is an insomniac with a deep love of iced coffee, tchotchkes, plants, and her hens. She's also the world's okayest mom, but her kids think she's cool... ish.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,097 reviews
February 3, 2023
5 Sinfully Charming Stars ⭐
Second read of a book that pleases me to no end.
I highly recommend this book for the simple reading pleasure it provided. Little Dove was steamy, surprisingly romantic and not as dark as I expected. It was wonderfully taboo since this story starts with a murder followed by a kidnapping and you will quickly fall in love with our villain, Maximo. And please note that this book contains delicious elements of daddy kink.
Always pushing.
Always fighting.
Always trying to survive.
I was so damn tired of it.
Juliet is a fighter, having practically raised herself. Although living with a deadbeat father who lies and cheats, it's the closest thing to love she knows. When her father's sins finally catch up with him, it's Juliet that is caught in the crossfire.
Maximo Black is here to collect. Running an empire, he doesn't tolerate liars. What wasn't supposed to go down was having witnesses. But when Juliet exposes herself, Maximo has no choice but to take this 17-year-old girl with him.
Juliet is now a prisoner in a gilded cage. There's no reasoning as to why she's still alive and being treated so well. Yet it's more than she's ever had. And as the months progress, she flourishes in this new environment even if she is weary of Maximo.
Maximo has kept his distance from the sweet girl with green eyes. Juliet is protected and cherished, but he wants her. His to care for, his to instruct, his to love, in a way that only a 'daddy' can. And once Juliet turns 18, the choice is hers.
Inhaling deeply, I blurted in a rushed whisper, "I’ve never had sex or done much of anything. " At his quiet curse, a pit formed in my belly.
"I’ll teach you what I like." His smile grew into a wolfish grin. "More importantly, I’ll teach you what you like."
In a world where there is a fine line between right and wrong, it requires a certain kind of survivor to fit in. Maximo and Juliet were smoldering together. There was the perfect amount of drama to keep me interested without shadowing the story. I personally loved the first 12 months where we got to see Juliet grow, and then turning into the woman that could hold her own with Maximo. So steamy and delicious.
Second read of a book that pleases me to no end.
I highly recommend this book for the simple reading pleasure it provided. Little Dove was steamy, surprisingly romantic and not as dark as I expected. It was wonderfully taboo since this story starts with a murder followed by a kidnapping and you will quickly fall in love with our villain, Maximo. And please note that this book contains delicious elements of daddy kink.
Always pushing.
Always fighting.
Always trying to survive.
I was so damn tired of it.
Juliet is a fighter, having practically raised herself. Although living with a deadbeat father who lies and cheats, it's the closest thing to love she knows. When her father's sins finally catch up with him, it's Juliet that is caught in the crossfire.
Maximo Black is here to collect. Running an empire, he doesn't tolerate liars. What wasn't supposed to go down was having witnesses. But when Juliet exposes herself, Maximo has no choice but to take this 17-year-old girl with him.
Juliet is now a prisoner in a gilded cage. There's no reasoning as to why she's still alive and being treated so well. Yet it's more than she's ever had. And as the months progress, she flourishes in this new environment even if she is weary of Maximo.
Maximo has kept his distance from the sweet girl with green eyes. Juliet is protected and cherished, but he wants her. His to care for, his to instruct, his to love, in a way that only a 'daddy' can. And once Juliet turns 18, the choice is hers.
Inhaling deeply, I blurted in a rushed whisper, "I’ve never had sex or done much of anything. " At his quiet curse, a pit formed in my belly.
"I’ll teach you what I like." His smile grew into a wolfish grin. "More importantly, I’ll teach you what you like."
In a world where there is a fine line between right and wrong, it requires a certain kind of survivor to fit in. Maximo and Juliet were smoldering together. There was the perfect amount of drama to keep me interested without shadowing the story. I personally loved the first 12 months where we got to see Juliet grow, and then turning into the woman that could hold her own with Maximo. So steamy and delicious.
April 17, 2021
4 Smut Scale Stars
This was a mindless, smutty little mafia read and it was exactly what I was in the mood for. The chemistry between the h and the H was excellent and I really enjoyed it all around. Recommend for those in the mood for a possessive, smutty, mafia-ish read.
This was a mindless, smutty little mafia read and it was exactly what I was in the mood for. The chemistry between the h and the H was excellent and I really enjoyed it all around. Recommend for those in the mood for a possessive, smutty, mafia-ish read.
September 2, 2020
2 cringe-fest stars
Forreal this was not good. For three specific reasons.
1. This felt insanely predatory and creepy.
Hero basically grooms the heroine into being dependent on him. Waits a whole year for her to become a legal age while jerking off and watching her on video cameras placed around the house. Ummmm thats fucking creepy when shes 17 years old. Its creepy no matter what age she is!! He says hes "not into age play" but isnt that exactly what this is? The hero is in his 30's making a teenager live in his house. A lot of these feelings have to do with the tone of the writing. The writing was so simplified and dumbed down that it added to the creep factor.
2. The heroine was nauseating.
Dont get me started on this dumb bitch. Her inner dialogue sounded like a family friendly sit com from the 80's. It was like nails on a chalk board. Some examples...
For a monster, that was hot.
Wait what?
Shut up, self. You're delirious.
.....
But I'm here by choice now.
Wait what?
Shut up, Brian.
...
Yes [I wanted to be spanked.]
Wait what?
No, definitely yes. I def want that to happen.
Seeing a pattern here? I wanted to stab my eyes out. Her though process was just so asinine. Like no human woman thinks this way. Just so over the top bubbly and child like that added to the creep factor and made her feel like a 13 year old vs an 18 year old. On top of that, she was a moron. Tries to escape and runs into the desert thinking that she'll just 'find civilization nearby'. Its called the desert for a reason!!!! And another point when the heroine is told by the 'villain' that the hero doesnt like her... she just believes him immediately. Super juvenile stuff here.
3. The lack of any kind of chemistry or story.
The first 25% of the book was the heroine being told to take naps, eating, and doing arts and crafts. Fucking yawn. The rest of the book was...
Heroine: "Youre a control freak"
Hero: "Youre a brat" *grinds dick into ass*
Repeat. Over and over again.
There was no build up to any romantic feelings. Just being told over and over again that the heroine is wet and the hero is super hard with his big dick energy.
I used to really love this author, and I really like this genre of romance but this was just BAD.
Safety: Safe
No cheating, no OP after meeting, No OW/OM drama
Heroine is a virgin. Hero isnt. (shocker)
No push and pull
No seperation
No conflict, no anything really.
Forreal this was not good. For three specific reasons.
1. This felt insanely predatory and creepy.
Hero basically grooms the heroine into being dependent on him. Waits a whole year for her to become a legal age while jerking off and watching her on video cameras placed around the house. Ummmm thats fucking creepy when shes 17 years old. Its creepy no matter what age she is!! He says hes "not into age play" but isnt that exactly what this is? The hero is in his 30's making a teenager live in his house. A lot of these feelings have to do with the tone of the writing. The writing was so simplified and dumbed down that it added to the creep factor.
2. The heroine was nauseating.
Dont get me started on this dumb bitch. Her inner dialogue sounded like a family friendly sit com from the 80's. It was like nails on a chalk board. Some examples...
For a monster, that was hot.
Wait what?
Shut up, self. You're delirious.
.....
But I'm here by choice now.
Wait what?
Shut up, Brian.
...
Yes [I wanted to be spanked.]
Wait what?
No, definitely yes. I def want that to happen.
Seeing a pattern here? I wanted to stab my eyes out. Her though process was just so asinine. Like no human woman thinks this way. Just so over the top bubbly and child like that added to the creep factor and made her feel like a 13 year old vs an 18 year old. On top of that, she was a moron. Tries to escape and runs into the desert thinking that she'll just 'find civilization nearby'. Its called the desert for a reason!!!! And another point when the heroine is told by the 'villain' that the hero doesnt like her... she just believes him immediately. Super juvenile stuff here.
3. The lack of any kind of chemistry or story.
The first 25% of the book was the heroine being told to take naps, eating, and doing arts and crafts. Fucking yawn. The rest of the book was...
Heroine: "Youre a control freak"
Hero: "Youre a brat" *grinds dick into ass*
Repeat. Over and over again.
There was no build up to any romantic feelings. Just being told over and over again that the heroine is wet and the hero is super hard with his big dick energy.
I used to really love this author, and I really like this genre of romance but this was just BAD.
Safety: Safe
No cheating, no OP after meeting, No OW/OM drama
Heroine is a virgin. Hero isnt. (shocker)
No push and pull
No seperation
No conflict, no anything really.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2021
Back to enjoy a bit of voyeurism...
I really enjoyed listening to Little Dove and think the narrators did a great job of bringing the characters to life. At first, I thought Lexi Maynard sounded too young, then I did the - slap to my forehead, roll my eyes at myself - Juliet is 17, so of course, she sounds young. Joe Arden does a very sexy and bossy Maximo, and I was very happy with his performance. Together, these two narrators were Juliet and Maximo.
I will definitely be looking for more of Layla Frost's audiobooks in the future.
**********
I was a very keen observer...
My plan before I started reading Little Dove, was to not overthink it. That plan… was very unsuccessful and I over-analysed EVERYTHING. I couldn’t help analysing the characters thoughts and feelings, my thoughts and feelings and what I perceived other’s thoughts and feelings would be. Because, after all, I was reading a book that is considered TABOO. The shock … The horror!
I’m not afraid to admit that I absolutely LOVED Little Dove. I found parts of this story unnerving, uncomfortable, and a wee bit wrong. Juliet was underage at the start of Little Dove. But… she had lived through some of the worst experiences already and had to grow up way too young, so she was quite mature for her age. Little Dove definitely had a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome feel to it. But… who wouldn’t appreciate someone who gave her the first place she ever felt safe in? And the elephant in the room… *Daddy* kink. Well, that one is a little harder for me to analyse. On one hand, the word *Daddy* does absolutely NOTHING for me sexually. BUT, I do get the appeal of a girl wanting to be adored and taken care of by an older guy, who wants to give her everything and the moon.
So, while I struggled to stop my mind from over-analysing initially, it doesn’t take long for Layla Frost to distract me from my concerns and I was completely sucked into this very sexy romance.
HOLY SHAMOLY!! This story was HOT!! It’s one thing to enjoy a hero that is good looking, bossy, and completely devoted to his partner’s happiness. It takes it to the next level of enjoyment, when the heroine is happy, content, and completely devoted to her partner’s happiness. I completely believed that this was a mutually beneficial relationship. Sure, at first Juliet is a little unsure and needs support and reassurance. Juliet is struggling with feelings of guilt and is worried that others will judge her for enjoying being Maximo’s, Little Dove. Layla Frost does a remarkable job convincing me that Juliet and Maximo are on the same page and looking for a mutually satisfying relationship.
I can 100% say that I enjoyed every minute of this story. There were some gruesome scenes where Maximo deals out punishments to those who dared to hurt his Little Dove. Even when there were scenes where Juliet is being ‘punished’, I was OK. At first, I was berating myself for condoning Maximo’s punishments, as Juliet, after all, had broken his very clear rules. Then I realised that some of those punishments Juliet was instigating for her enjoyment. She bates, cajoles, and niggles him because Juliet loves the connection and release she gets from their ‘play’ time. Another part of the story that left me satisfied is that those around Juliet and Maximo didn’t judge them for their relationship choices. Well, not the people that mattered. I’m kind of liking authors writing stories where the taboo, unusual, and different is accepted as normal and people just minded their own business.
While some of the things in this story are not my idea of fun and frivolity, I can appreciate that the characters in Little Dove were in their happy place. I am ALL about *each to their own and all that jazz* because we are all individuals and have individual likes and dislikes. I admit to enjoying a wee bit of book-related voyeurism. 😉 I’m fascinated with observing something that I wouldn’t do myself and I love trying to understand the appeal, dynamics, and acceptance.
If you are the type of reader who isn’t afraid of stepping away from the normal or may even be looking for a story to convince you that unusual can be good, I highly recommend giving Layla Frost’s, Little Dove a try. I’m a fan and I will definitely be back for more from this author.
Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.
I really enjoyed listening to Little Dove and think the narrators did a great job of bringing the characters to life. At first, I thought Lexi Maynard sounded too young, then I did the - slap to my forehead, roll my eyes at myself - Juliet is 17, so of course, she sounds young. Joe Arden does a very sexy and bossy Maximo, and I was very happy with his performance. Together, these two narrators were Juliet and Maximo.
I will definitely be looking for more of Layla Frost's audiobooks in the future.
**********
I was a very keen observer...
My plan before I started reading Little Dove, was to not overthink it. That plan… was very unsuccessful and I over-analysed EVERYTHING. I couldn’t help analysing the characters thoughts and feelings, my thoughts and feelings and what I perceived other’s thoughts and feelings would be. Because, after all, I was reading a book that is considered TABOO. The shock … The horror!
I’m not afraid to admit that I absolutely LOVED Little Dove. I found parts of this story unnerving, uncomfortable, and a wee bit wrong. Juliet was underage at the start of Little Dove. But… she had lived through some of the worst experiences already and had to grow up way too young, so she was quite mature for her age. Little Dove definitely had a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome feel to it. But… who wouldn’t appreciate someone who gave her the first place she ever felt safe in? And the elephant in the room… *Daddy* kink. Well, that one is a little harder for me to analyse. On one hand, the word *Daddy* does absolutely NOTHING for me sexually. BUT, I do get the appeal of a girl wanting to be adored and taken care of by an older guy, who wants to give her everything and the moon.
So, while I struggled to stop my mind from over-analysing initially, it doesn’t take long for Layla Frost to distract me from my concerns and I was completely sucked into this very sexy romance.
HOLY SHAMOLY!! This story was HOT!! It’s one thing to enjoy a hero that is good looking, bossy, and completely devoted to his partner’s happiness. It takes it to the next level of enjoyment, when the heroine is happy, content, and completely devoted to her partner’s happiness. I completely believed that this was a mutually beneficial relationship. Sure, at first Juliet is a little unsure and needs support and reassurance. Juliet is struggling with feelings of guilt and is worried that others will judge her for enjoying being Maximo’s, Little Dove. Layla Frost does a remarkable job convincing me that Juliet and Maximo are on the same page and looking for a mutually satisfying relationship.
I can 100% say that I enjoyed every minute of this story. There were some gruesome scenes where Maximo deals out punishments to those who dared to hurt his Little Dove. Even when there were scenes where Juliet is being ‘punished’, I was OK. At first, I was berating myself for condoning Maximo’s punishments, as Juliet, after all, had broken his very clear rules. Then I realised that some of those punishments Juliet was instigating for her enjoyment. She bates, cajoles, and niggles him because Juliet loves the connection and release she gets from their ‘play’ time. Another part of the story that left me satisfied is that those around Juliet and Maximo didn’t judge them for their relationship choices. Well, not the people that mattered. I’m kind of liking authors writing stories where the taboo, unusual, and different is accepted as normal and people just minded their own business.
While some of the things in this story are not my idea of fun and frivolity, I can appreciate that the characters in Little Dove were in their happy place. I am ALL about *each to their own and all that jazz* because we are all individuals and have individual likes and dislikes. I admit to enjoying a wee bit of book-related voyeurism. 😉 I’m fascinated with observing something that I wouldn’t do myself and I love trying to understand the appeal, dynamics, and acceptance.
If you are the type of reader who isn’t afraid of stepping away from the normal or may even be looking for a story to convince you that unusual can be good, I highly recommend giving Layla Frost’s, Little Dove a try. I’m a fan and I will definitely be back for more from this author.
Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.
October 4, 2022
This book and this heroine were bothersome to my person. Juliet was very obviously just a fictional self-insert of the author. As a character, she made no sense because she wasn’t created with intention and forethought to be a fit for the hero… she was literally just Layla Frost with all of Layla Frost’s traits with zero connection or significance to the plot.
The number of pages dedicated to what Juliet ate and her opinions and preferences regarding food was FUCKING UNHINGED. The first third of the book was just Juliet/Layla Frost being served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks and having some sort of complaint or opinion in every instance as if it’s normal behavior to be concerned with and vocal about the food you’re being served in captivity.
Murder? Kidnapping? Captivity? No thoughts, head empty. But ROSEMARY ON HER CHICKEN? We heard about that shit ad nauseam.
I’m being a little harsh on Layla Frost— if I’m wrong, I’ll take the L with grace and apologize… but do me a favor and ask her how she feels about rosemary. Ask her what toppings she likes on her pizza. I want to know her opinions on: oregano, breakfast sausage, tuna salad, chicken salad, tuna salad sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, chips in sandwiches, dinner salads with feta and blueberries, diced yellow squash, yellow squash cut into rounds, roast carrots, roast green beans, plain scrambled eggs, eggs scrambled with Cajun-style seasoning, eggs in a frittata, eggs in a breakfast casserole, bacon that’s crispy, bacon that’s crumbly, Diet Coke in a can, mac and cheese exclusively made with cavatappi pasta, hot dogs, BLTs, fruit and yogurt parfaits, orange juice vs apple juice, funfetti cake… and that’s just what I could remember off the top of my head.
I felt zero connection or chemistry between Juliet and Maximo for the entire first half of the book. The second half definitely improved and some of their interactions were hot… but the bad stood out to me more than the good.
The number of pages dedicated to what Juliet ate and her opinions and preferences regarding food was FUCKING UNHINGED. The first third of the book was just Juliet/Layla Frost being served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks and having some sort of complaint or opinion in every instance as if it’s normal behavior to be concerned with and vocal about the food you’re being served in captivity.
Murder? Kidnapping? Captivity? No thoughts, head empty. But ROSEMARY ON HER CHICKEN? We heard about that shit ad nauseam.
I’m being a little harsh on Layla Frost— if I’m wrong, I’ll take the L with grace and apologize… but do me a favor and ask her how she feels about rosemary. Ask her what toppings she likes on her pizza. I want to know her opinions on: oregano, breakfast sausage, tuna salad, chicken salad, tuna salad sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, chips in sandwiches, dinner salads with feta and blueberries, diced yellow squash, yellow squash cut into rounds, roast carrots, roast green beans, plain scrambled eggs, eggs scrambled with Cajun-style seasoning, eggs in a frittata, eggs in a breakfast casserole, bacon that’s crispy, bacon that’s crumbly, Diet Coke in a can, mac and cheese exclusively made with cavatappi pasta, hot dogs, BLTs, fruit and yogurt parfaits, orange juice vs apple juice, funfetti cake… and that’s just what I could remember off the top of my head.
I felt zero connection or chemistry between Juliet and Maximo for the entire first half of the book. The second half definitely improved and some of their interactions were hot… but the bad stood out to me more than the good.
April 9, 2025
Kidnapper: If you scream, I'll kiss you.
The kidnapper in question:
Me:
Tropes:
⤷Age gap (h 18, H 33) ⤵
she was 17 in the beginning, but they did- yk whatever they do, when she was 18 so yeah do whatever you wanna do w this info ☝🏻🙂
⤷Acts of services
⤷Virgin fmc
⤷Possessive mmc
⤷Daddy k!nk ⤵
ngl this was too much for me, the reason i ate one star ☝🏻😔 BUT tbh if i was getting that princess treatment, i might've called him whatever he wanted too, so yeah i compromised.
Also it dragged a little too. (Like unnecessary smut and basically no plot) but again whatever cuz the princesses treatment- 🤡🎀
The kidnapper in question:
Me:
Tropes:
⤷Age gap (h 18, H 33) ⤵
she was 17 in the beginning, but they did- yk whatever they do, when she was 18 so yeah do whatever you wanna do w this info ☝🏻🙂
⤷Acts of services
⤷Virgin fmc
⤷Possessive mmc
⤷Daddy k!nk ⤵
ngl this was too much for me, the reason i ate one star ☝🏻😔 BUT tbh if i was getting that princess treatment, i might've called him whatever he wanted too, so yeah i compromised.
Also it dragged a little too. (Like unnecessary smut and basically no plot) but again whatever cuz the princesses treatment- 🤡🎀
October 4, 2020
2.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: I’m bummed because I was in the mood for some age gap/taboo type read and in the past when I’ve read books with Daddy kink I’ve been pleasantly surprised. This actually felt....off to me. I think it was what I expected those other books to feel. It didn’t feel right her calling him Daddy. It felt awkward and I cringed a few times. It could be my mood too! I’ve had some meh books lately and I wanted to be scandalized (in the best way 😏) — so it could just be my expectations getting the better of me again. I just felt underwhelmed and kind of bored tbh.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Juliet and Maximo’s story. Juliet’s dad is a shady boxer that owes a lot of people money and she meets Maximo the day he comes to collect a debt. She ends up being taken into captivity, but it’s not the captivity that she expects and ends up living a better life than what she had before. Maximo waits until her 18th birthday to make his move to make her his in every way. There are some secrets revealed, some suspenseful scenes, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Juliet and Maximo’s POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Not the best. It felt really slow for majority of the middle of the book for me. I did skim some.
Instalove: No, they know each other for a while before developing stronger feelings. Though he H claims to be instantly obsessed.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Maximo. He was obsessive and possessive in a way I’m sure many will love, but I just never connected with him.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Juliet. She was also just alright. I didn’t really connect.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Daddy kink.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure and what I would call a HEA ending.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: I’m bummed because I was in the mood for some age gap/taboo type read and in the past when I’ve read books with Daddy kink I’ve been pleasantly surprised. This actually felt....off to me. I think it was what I expected those other books to feel. It didn’t feel right her calling him Daddy. It felt awkward and I cringed a few times. It could be my mood too! I’ve had some meh books lately and I wanted to be scandalized (in the best way 😏) — so it could just be my expectations getting the better of me again. I just felt underwhelmed and kind of bored tbh.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Juliet and Maximo’s story. Juliet’s dad is a shady boxer that owes a lot of people money and she meets Maximo the day he comes to collect a debt. She ends up being taken into captivity, but it’s not the captivity that she expects and ends up living a better life than what she had before. Maximo waits until her 18th birthday to make his move to make her his in every way. There are some secrets revealed, some suspenseful scenes, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Juliet and Maximo’s POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Not the best. It felt really slow for majority of the middle of the book for me. I did skim some.
Instalove: No, they know each other for a while before developing stronger feelings. Though he H claims to be instantly obsessed.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Maximo. He was obsessive and possessive in a way I’m sure many will love, but I just never connected with him.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Juliet. She was also just alright. I didn’t really connect.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Daddy kink.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure and what I would call a HEA ending.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
June 13, 2024
Reread original review stands, that ending was perfection!! 😂😂😂😂
Spoilers ahead,4.5* (rounded down because the age is still an issue for me 😒)
Witnessing the death of her abusive father thrusts Juliette into a world that's luxurious yet terrifying. At 17 she's struggled her entire life just to survive as her father's exploits regularly put her in danger, now living under the roof of one of the most powerful men in Vegas she's determined to make the best of it by any means necessary....until a disastrous escape attempt opens up a new and unexpected world of sensual delight but old enemies refuses to give up and Maximo has to unleash his vengeance before Juliet could ever be safe
Maximo enjoys his life of wealth and power, his ruthlessness ensures his reign is supreme. Taking out Juliet's double crossing father was supposed to be a simple job but finding his little dove changes everything. With barely leashed patience and self control Maximo is finally able to guide his dove into the path of their new lives together. With enemies attacking however Maximo has to act mercilessly to keep his dove safe
************
Y'all!!!!! OMFG!!!!!! Y'all!!!!!! Eeeek
Firstly I'm not a fan of age gap or Daddy kink..... Calling the H daddy during sex is fantastic but I've struggled to find good books with actual Daddy kink.....so me saying I fricking LOVED this book is no easy statement. Now this author was once an auto buy for me but after Give In I'd quit on her but THIS!?? Fantastic!
Maximo was the perfect J/P Alpha hero obsessed with his dove, he definitely made it to my BBF shelf ( though the age gap still wasn't my thing)
Juliet was also a really great h, she managed to balance the line between having a backbone and submitting to Maximo beautifully.
The secondary characters were all awesome and I hope all the guys get their own stories told. The plot flowed very well and had me engrossed from beginning to end, so many times in romance books we're TOLD the H and his guys were badasses but HERE we actually see Maximo going to extreme measures to protect his woman and I gloried in every brutal minute!
I won't say I'm wholeheartedly a fan of this author's once again, but this book reminded me of why I loved her books in the first place!
No cheating
H was celibate a year waiting for the h to age up, we assume he's been in the life but thankfully no details
h was a virgin
h was attacked
H 32(I hope I remember that correctly) h was 17/18
While Daddy kink is present here it wasn't as detailed?? As I'd expected, just the right amount of Daddy😂
Spoilers ahead,4.5* (rounded down because the age is still an issue for me 😒)
Witnessing the death of her abusive father thrusts Juliette into a world that's luxurious yet terrifying. At 17 she's struggled her entire life just to survive as her father's exploits regularly put her in danger, now living under the roof of one of the most powerful men in Vegas she's determined to make the best of it by any means necessary....until a disastrous escape attempt opens up a new and unexpected world of sensual delight but old enemies refuses to give up and Maximo has to unleash his vengeance before Juliet could ever be safe
Maximo enjoys his life of wealth and power, his ruthlessness ensures his reign is supreme. Taking out Juliet's double crossing father was supposed to be a simple job but finding his little dove changes everything. With barely leashed patience and self control Maximo is finally able to guide his dove into the path of their new lives together. With enemies attacking however Maximo has to act mercilessly to keep his dove safe
************
Y'all!!!!! OMFG!!!!!! Y'all!!!!!! Eeeek
Firstly I'm not a fan of age gap or Daddy kink..... Calling the H daddy during sex is fantastic but I've struggled to find good books with actual Daddy kink.....so me saying I fricking LOVED this book is no easy statement. Now this author was once an auto buy for me but after Give In I'd quit on her but THIS!?? Fantastic!
Maximo was the perfect J/P Alpha hero obsessed with his dove, he definitely made it to my BBF shelf ( though the age gap still wasn't my thing)
Juliet was also a really great h, she managed to balance the line between having a backbone and submitting to Maximo beautifully.
The secondary characters were all awesome and I hope all the guys get their own stories told. The plot flowed very well and had me engrossed from beginning to end, so many times in romance books we're TOLD the H and his guys were badasses but HERE we actually see Maximo going to extreme measures to protect his woman and I gloried in every brutal minute!
I won't say I'm wholeheartedly a fan of this author's once again, but this book reminded me of why I loved her books in the first place!
No cheating
H was celibate a year waiting for the h to age up, we assume he's been in the life but thankfully no details
h was a virgin
h was attacked
H 32(I hope I remember that correctly) h was 17/18
While Daddy kink is present here it wasn't as detailed?? As I'd expected, just the right amount of Daddy😂
August 26, 2020
4.5 ⭐
Hands down i really love this book!! It was so close to a 5 star read!! Its a slowish burn with steamy moments.
Maximo has been upgraded to book boyfriend!! YES LADIES HE IS BOOK BOYFRIEND!! he was yummy, delicious who was dark-ish and OTT. And I loved it he made sure Juliet was taken care of since well he did murder her father but he never abused her, never did anything harmful towards her all he ever did was kidnap her and make her eat food she hated lol as Punishment and no phone or TV. Like thats the cruelest thing that man did. Well beside the spankings lol.
And Juliet I loved her to she was sane she did have moments of trying to escape but she enjoyed being taken care of since her life wasn't easy.. like she has been beaten, stab off book..she did have some high walls but that didnt stop Maximo from taking them down. Their relationship was sweet, steamy and very daddy kink and few pull aways but I enjoyed that slow burn.
Why no 5 star? To me I wish he had other punishments besides a spanking.. there was alot of Spankings.. few parts did drag on but it wasn't to bad.
I love the fact that Layla did something alot of authors haven't really did (from what I've read) SHOW GIRLS ON PERIODS!!!! THANK YOU!!! Cuz its a pain in the ass and I love the fact it was shown in this and how Maximo was towards his dove 😍😍❤❤ such a soft growly man.
Low angst, no ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, Drama, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore celibate 1 year
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Slow-burnish
Older/younger couple
Tiny push away from h
18h/33H
Violence
Masturbation
Punishment/discipline
Anal sex
No condom
Spankings (ALOT)
Assult (h was Assulted by bad guys off page and on one chapter)
Daddy kink
Hea
Epilogue
Hands down i really love this book!! It was so close to a 5 star read!! Its a slowish burn with steamy moments.
Maximo has been upgraded to book boyfriend!! YES LADIES HE IS BOOK BOYFRIEND!! he was yummy, delicious who was dark-ish and OTT. And I loved it he made sure Juliet was taken care of since well he did murder her father but he never abused her, never did anything harmful towards her all he ever did was kidnap her and make her eat food she hated lol as Punishment and no phone or TV. Like thats the cruelest thing that man did. Well beside the spankings lol.
And Juliet I loved her to she was sane she did have moments of trying to escape but she enjoyed being taken care of since her life wasn't easy.. like she has been beaten, stab off book..she did have some high walls but that didnt stop Maximo from taking them down. Their relationship was sweet, steamy and very daddy kink and few pull aways but I enjoyed that slow burn.
Why no 5 star? To me I wish he had other punishments besides a spanking.. there was alot of Spankings.. few parts did drag on but it wasn't to bad.
I love the fact that Layla did something alot of authors haven't really did (from what I've read) SHOW GIRLS ON PERIODS!!!! THANK YOU!!! Cuz its a pain in the ass and I love the fact it was shown in this and how Maximo was towards his dove 😍😍❤❤ such a soft growly man.
Low angst, no ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, Drama, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore celibate 1 year
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Slow-burnish
Older/younger couple
Tiny push away from h
18h/33H
Violence
Masturbation
Punishment/discipline
Anal sex
No condom
Spankings (ALOT)
Assult (h was Assulted by bad guys off page and on one chapter)
Daddy kink
Hea
Epilogue
August 25, 2020
I am thrilled and giddy and excited and want to shout from the top of the world what an amazing book this is! This is not only sizzling with steamy goodness that will require interventions from the a/c, fan or cold drink (and possibly other implements), but it’s cute and fun all while having a dark theme running through it and interlaced with some of the most intensely felt emotions to be found.
This author has created characters that I’ve been trying to find for years! It’s so difficult for me to find a well written book with a daddy dom trope where both hero and heroine are able of capturing my full attention as well as my heart. Maximo’s and Juliet’s relationship was completely captivating as they emotionally moved from one place to the next. Everything between them felt authentic, as though there were no other place they could have possibly gone or actions they could have taken.
I’m usually all about a strong alpha hero and Maximo more than met that need. Watching him earn Juliet’s trust was heartwarming, and learning what he would do to protect her had me loving this author all the more. He also made my jealous, protective alpha loving heart sing without being a jerk to the heroine about it.
While I fell in love with Maximo, I fell into total adoration of Juliet. She was so cute, a bit quirky, and totally honest in the way she lived her life and the face she showed those closest to her. Most importantly for me, she was not immature, silly or tempted to make ridiculous decisions.
This has some of the smexiest scenes I think I’ve ever read and while the “Daddy” lifestyle was engaged, it never superseded the story or the romance. If anything, it strengthened it and that was one of the reasons I found this to be so satisfying. The secondary characters were just as entertaining as the hero and heroine and I am once again awed at the talent to give so much life to a character who is barely in the book and yet left me smiling at just the remembrance of them.
Overall, I couldn’t love this book more if you paid me. This is definitely one I’ll be revisiting again and again. If you like a dark, anti-hero, a little controlling, a lot protective and totally enraptured by the heroine, you’re going to love Maximo. And once you love Maximo, you won’t be able to stop yourself from loving Juliet as well.
Dual POV
This author has created characters that I’ve been trying to find for years! It’s so difficult for me to find a well written book with a daddy dom trope where both hero and heroine are able of capturing my full attention as well as my heart. Maximo’s and Juliet’s relationship was completely captivating as they emotionally moved from one place to the next. Everything between them felt authentic, as though there were no other place they could have possibly gone or actions they could have taken.
I’m usually all about a strong alpha hero and Maximo more than met that need. Watching him earn Juliet’s trust was heartwarming, and learning what he would do to protect her had me loving this author all the more. He also made my jealous, protective alpha loving heart sing without being a jerk to the heroine about it.
While I fell in love with Maximo, I fell into total adoration of Juliet. She was so cute, a bit quirky, and totally honest in the way she lived her life and the face she showed those closest to her. Most importantly for me, she was not immature, silly or tempted to make ridiculous decisions.
This has some of the smexiest scenes I think I’ve ever read and while the “Daddy” lifestyle was engaged, it never superseded the story or the romance. If anything, it strengthened it and that was one of the reasons I found this to be so satisfying. The secondary characters were just as entertaining as the hero and heroine and I am once again awed at the talent to give so much life to a character who is barely in the book and yet left me smiling at just the remembrance of them.
Overall, I couldn’t love this book more if you paid me. This is definitely one I’ll be revisiting again and again. If you like a dark, anti-hero, a little controlling, a lot protective and totally enraptured by the heroine, you’re going to love Maximo. And once you love Maximo, you won’t be able to stop yourself from loving Juliet as well.
Dual POV
August 25, 2020
I've always said that I would read anything Layla Frost writes because I'm such a huge fan of her books. Well, she put me to the test with Little Dove. I've tried a few daddy books before and learned it just wasn't my cup of tea. I don't mind the nickname, but usually these books come with much more than that, and that's where I struggle.
I still couldn't pass this book up because I have not read a Layla Frost book that I did not love. I honestly couldn't see her writing the extreme version of a daddy book anyway, and I was right. I ended up having no issues with any part of this trope and a lot of it has to do with this author's writing and that she stayed on the lighter side of the kink.
There were so many things about this book that I just loved. Part of why this is my favorite author is that I always end up loving her main character, and all the side characters she brings with them. The humor, snark but not too much snark, and the maturity to the heroines are a favorite of mine.
Juliet is 17 at the beginning of this book and while she behaved true to her age, she still had a maturity to her that I could appreciate. I also loved her lack of fits you would normally see in a heroine who were put into situations that Juliet was in. I really like a heroine who keeps her head and stays calm. That's totally my jam right there, and so rare to find.
Now let's talk about Maximo. The way he was obsessed with Juliet had me from the start. I love when a man is obsessed, possessive and most importantly, has a need to take extremely good care of his woman. That is Maximo in a nut shell. Yes he was strict as part of the Daddy lifestyle, but not once did I ever felt any of his rules were just a control thing. He genuinely wanted what was best for Juliet and there were reasons behind any rule he established.
Let's add in honorable as well. For a mafia type character, he had no boundaries when you did him wrong but he was also very honorable and never turned against someone who didn't deserve it. I also really like that he waited until Juliet was of a legal age before he even attempted a relationship. The only thing I wish was speeded up a little was that time she was underage. Let's face it, I just wanted to get to the good stuff.
I still couldn't pass this book up because I have not read a Layla Frost book that I did not love. I honestly couldn't see her writing the extreme version of a daddy book anyway, and I was right. I ended up having no issues with any part of this trope and a lot of it has to do with this author's writing and that she stayed on the lighter side of the kink.
There were so many things about this book that I just loved. Part of why this is my favorite author is that I always end up loving her main character, and all the side characters she brings with them. The humor, snark but not too much snark, and the maturity to the heroines are a favorite of mine.
Juliet is 17 at the beginning of this book and while she behaved true to her age, she still had a maturity to her that I could appreciate. I also loved her lack of fits you would normally see in a heroine who were put into situations that Juliet was in. I really like a heroine who keeps her head and stays calm. That's totally my jam right there, and so rare to find.
Now let's talk about Maximo. The way he was obsessed with Juliet had me from the start. I love when a man is obsessed, possessive and most importantly, has a need to take extremely good care of his woman. That is Maximo in a nut shell. Yes he was strict as part of the Daddy lifestyle, but not once did I ever felt any of his rules were just a control thing. He genuinely wanted what was best for Juliet and there were reasons behind any rule he established.
Let's add in honorable as well. For a mafia type character, he had no boundaries when you did him wrong but he was also very honorable and never turned against someone who didn't deserve it. I also really like that he waited until Juliet was of a legal age before he even attempted a relationship. The only thing I wish was speeded up a little was that time she was underage. Let's face it, I just wanted to get to the good stuff.
July 14, 2021
2.5 Stars
Safety spoilers
Not the best, but also not bad. It was a bit boring too, although that can maybe be blamed on me being in a book slump again😅.
The first 30% was completely pointless tbh, and the book would have been so much better if she had already been 18 in the beginning and we had more dialogue and buildup to them finally getting together, instead of them barely having any dialogue and then having s*x right as she turns 18. And from then on, their relationship just moved too fast and it was completely void of sexual tension, so that sucked.
Also, I wasn't a fan of the daddy kink in this either. Normally I'm fine with it in books, but I felt a little second hand embarrassment everytime she said it in from of someone and how seriously they took it. Other than that, I'm glad the hero was as devoted as he was to her, and there was no annoying drama with his past. The heroine did get on my nerves a lot at first with her immaturity, but she had some funny parts so that somewhat made up for it.
Overall, decent book, but not really for me. It very rarely kept my attention, but I do like a loyal and devoted hero, so all the stars for him.
Safety: completely safe
Heroine 18 / hero 32-34?
Celibate after meeting (1 year for the hero)
Virgin heroine / not a manh*e hero
Daddy kink
No ow/om drama
Safety spoilers
Not the best, but also not bad. It was a bit boring too, although that can maybe be blamed on me being in a book slump again😅.
The first 30% was completely pointless tbh, and the book would have been so much better if she had already been 18 in the beginning and we had more dialogue and buildup to them finally getting together, instead of them barely having any dialogue and then having s*x right as she turns 18. And from then on, their relationship just moved too fast and it was completely void of sexual tension, so that sucked.
Also, I wasn't a fan of the daddy kink in this either. Normally I'm fine with it in books, but I felt a little second hand embarrassment everytime she said it in from of someone and how seriously they took it. Other than that, I'm glad the hero was as devoted as he was to her, and there was no annoying drama with his past. The heroine did get on my nerves a lot at first with her immaturity, but she had some funny parts so that somewhat made up for it.
Overall, decent book, but not really for me. It very rarely kept my attention, but I do like a loyal and devoted hero, so all the stars for him.
Safety: completely safe
Heroine 18 / hero 32-34?
Celibate after meeting (1 year for the hero)
Virgin heroine / not a manh*e hero
Daddy kink
No ow/om drama
July 10, 2021
4.5 stars
ever since i read this book, it has just kept drawing me back, so much so, that i have read this book 3 times in a span of eight months.
i think everything about this book is just perfect. from the start, how they meet, the way he kidnaps her to keep her safe, the months she spends there, and how they finally get together when she turns eighteen.
i personally loved the development we get to see in Juliet during the months before she turns eighteen. the way she handles herself, not being a doormat but not being tstl either. her trying to run away, before settling into her new life— her developments were all wonderful and i loved it.
then why is it not 5 star read for me?
so he buries three of his enemies in the ground where he's gonna built his new hotel. but while burying them, he says some thing like ya'll will die but i'll build my empire on top, i'll fuck Juliet on top of it.
i did not like how he said fuck Juliet on top of it like he was doing it out of spite, which i know is not true bc he loved her. but it sounded like it, and i did not like it.
oh and also, the words christ and yay were mentioned wayyy too many times and it made the writing look very... kiddish (??)
other than that, the book was a perfect blend of smut and plot and i loved every second of it.
______________________
read #1: September, 18, 2020
read #2: December, 15, 2020
read #3: April, 13, 2021
read #4: July, 9, 2021
ever since i read this book, it has just kept drawing me back, so much so, that i have read this book 3 times in a span of eight months.
i think everything about this book is just perfect. from the start, how they meet, the way he kidnaps her to keep her safe, the months she spends there, and how they finally get together when she turns eighteen.
i personally loved the development we get to see in Juliet during the months before she turns eighteen. the way she handles herself, not being a doormat but not being tstl either. her trying to run away, before settling into her new life— her developments were all wonderful and i loved it.
then why is it not 5 star read for me?
so he buries three of his enemies in the ground where he's gonna built his new hotel. but while burying them, he says some thing like ya'll will die but i'll build my empire on top, i'll fuck Juliet on top of it.
i did not like how he said fuck Juliet on top of it like he was doing it out of spite, which i know is not true bc he loved her. but it sounded like it, and i did not like it.
oh and also, the words christ and yay were mentioned wayyy too many times and it made the writing look very... kiddish (??)
other than that, the book was a perfect blend of smut and plot and i loved every second of it.
______________________
read #1: September, 18, 2020
read #2: December, 15, 2020
read #3: April, 13, 2021
read #4: July, 9, 2021
March 28, 2023
4 stars
Someone said read it for the smut.
Wellll.....
gon leave that right there.
(the plot was weak honestly but most of my rating is for the smut
*deep breaths* why me a whore? )
Someone said read it for the smut.
Wellll.....
gon leave that right there.
(the plot was weak honestly but most of my rating is for the smut
*deep breaths* why me a whore? )
August 15, 2024
**5/5 stars**
First read: November 17th, 2021 (Kindle)
Second read: August 11th, 2024 (Kindle)
This was a fairly slow-paced story but at no point did I ever feel bored. I felt very hooked and reading about Juliet and Maximo’s almost daily routine was pure delight. I usually read at a pretty quickly pace but I took my sweet time with this one. I found myself jealous of Juliet’s gilded cage. Like seriously, who wouldn’t want to live in a big mansion, be pampered, gifted anything you wished for even without asking for it, have a personal French chef cooking amazing meals for you and add leisuring by a huge pool, reading sexy Highlander stories on your iPad with absolutely no care in the world? Oh! And hot package BONUS, you get a sexy hot man who only has eyes for you and only you? Ya. Don’t tell me twice.
I thought that the fact Juliet was 17 years old at the start of the book would lead to questionable situations. In a sense it did to certain extends but I could easily forgive Maximo. He was such a well written character (they all were, TBH). Perfectly imperfect. A protector for Juliet. Something she badly needed for all the bad things she had to go through while growing up cause of Shamus, her scum dad (yet she never called him “dad”, always just Shamus)
With Juliet still being a young woman, I was expecting her to be immature and roll my eyes a lot but no, not once did I dislike her. All her reactions and behaviors were on the realistic side. She didn’t just bottle everything up, she asked questions, and there was no unnecessary separation because of misunderstandings or lack of communication. She was really strong, but also super sweet. Maximo was super controlling and possessive but also very sweet, protective, and caring. Very dangerous too (he is no angel). Slightly a caveman aswell. He definitely has a soft spot for Juliet and ONLY her, he just can’t resist her. He was everything I look for in a H and so much more!!!!
Not only I loved Maximo and Juliet’s dynamic, I also adored the side characters. I’m talking about Cole, Marco and Ash, Freddy and Vera. More than once I found myself wanting to know more about them and I'm crossing my fingers for them to have their own book.
Not action-filled, no over the top and improbable situations for shock value, no real angst (or very very low)
✔️ HEA
✔️ Standalone
✔️ Dual POV
✔️ Age-gap
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ Possessive/Jealous/Dangerous H
✔️ Sweet/ Cheeky h
✔️ No OW/OM
✔️ No cheating
✔️ Consent
✔️ Steam level: 3.5/5
🚨Kink
⚡Content warning
⚡Trigger warning
Overall, a very pleasant book to read. I would highly recommend it! Layla Frost's pen was easy to read and engaging. Definitely will read her other works.
*Update: Re-read, Added safeties
First read: November 17th, 2021 (Kindle)
Second read: August 11th, 2024 (Kindle)
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
This was a fairly slow-paced story but at no point did I ever feel bored. I felt very hooked and reading about Juliet and Maximo’s almost daily routine was pure delight. I usually read at a pretty quickly pace but I took my sweet time with this one. I found myself jealous of Juliet’s gilded cage. Like seriously, who wouldn’t want to live in a big mansion, be pampered, gifted anything you wished for even without asking for it, have a personal French chef cooking amazing meals for you and add leisuring by a huge pool, reading sexy Highlander stories on your iPad with absolutely no care in the world? Oh! And hot package BONUS, you get a sexy hot man who only has eyes for you and only you? Ya. Don’t tell me twice.
''My little dove likes her gilded cage.'' -Maximo
I thought that the fact Juliet was 17 years old at the start of the book would lead to questionable situations. In a sense it did to certain extends but I could easily forgive Maximo. He was such a well written character (they all were, TBH). Perfectly imperfect. A protector for Juliet. Something she badly needed for all the bad things she had to go through while growing up cause of Shamus, her scum dad (yet she never called him “dad”, always just Shamus)
With Juliet still being a young woman, I was expecting her to be immature and roll my eyes a lot but no, not once did I dislike her. All her reactions and behaviors were on the realistic side. She didn’t just bottle everything up, she asked questions, and there was no unnecessary separation because of misunderstandings or lack of communication. She was really strong, but also super sweet. Maximo was super controlling and possessive but also very sweet, protective, and caring. Very dangerous too (he is no angel). Slightly a caveman aswell. He definitely has a soft spot for Juliet and ONLY her, he just can’t resist her. He was everything I look for in a H and so much more!!!!
"I didn’t need a charming prince at my side. I needed a villain at my back. I needed someone who would love me with obsessive reassurance. Someone who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty because I knew firsthand that the world was far from a fairy tale." - Juliet
Not only I loved Maximo and Juliet’s dynamic, I also adored the side characters. I’m talking about Cole, Marco and Ash, Freddy and Vera. More than once I found myself wanting to know more about them and I'm crossing my fingers for them to have their own book.
Not action-filled, no over the top and improbable situations for shock value, no real angst (or very very low)
✔️ HEA
✔️ Standalone
✔️ Dual POV
✔️ Age-gap
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ Possessive/Jealous/Dangerous H
✔️ Sweet/ Cheeky h
✔️ No OW/OM
✔️ No cheating
✔️ Consent
✔️ Steam level: 3.5/5
🚨Kink
⚡Content warning
⚡Trigger warning
Overall, a very pleasant book to read. I would highly recommend it! Layla Frost's pen was easy to read and engaging. Definitely will read her other works.
*Update: Re-read, Added safeties
May 6, 2021
I DNF this book at 46%. Typically, I don’t waste time on DNF reviews or ratings. Off the top of my head, I can think of only one other book that I DNF and took the time to write about it. This book, however, irritated me so much, I decided to write about.
Full disclosure: I’ve been in a book slump. I’ve started and stopped several books because I just couldn’t get into them. Either the writing was awful, the plot was lame, or in one instance, a character had single family home in Manhattan (not a brownstone) and while I can suspend reality for many things, single family homes in Manhattan is not one of them.
ANYWAY, I had seen a bit of buzz regarding Little Dove on goodreads. I like mafia stories. I like age-gap stories involving adults. I like smut. I figured it would be a win.
My biggest issues were the holes in the plot.
Why, after that one escape attempt, did Juliet fully accept her status as captive?
Why did she never ask what was going to happen to her?
Why, in all of her free time, did she never come up with a plan for her future and instead, take up knitting (the obvious go-to hobby for most 17 year olds)?
Why was Maximo so obsessed with her?
Why did they fail to ever have a conversation in the YEAR she was living in his house?
Why was it raining for multiple days in Vegas, a city located in a DESERT?? (I looked it up, it rains like maybe 26 days of the year.)
And why did Maximo insist on being called daddy???
I didn’t understand why the h and H were so into one another considering they had little to no interaction in the year they were living under the same roof. The first hundred pages were basically time hops of them not together (seriously, what was up with all those time hops??). Ms. Frost told me repeatedly about the heat between them but I never saw or felt it, which made their relationship highly unbelievable.
And the smutty times weren’t all that smutty. Of course Juliet is a virgin.
And Maximo/daddy of course digs that. But the smutty times did nothing for me. It wasn’t hot…. And it was a lot more of the author telling-not showing. Also, I’ve read several stories with heroes/anti-heroes that are super controlling but don’t need to be called ‘daddy.’ I don’t get the kink. And I don’t think it was well explained either.
And another thing, is Maximo in the mafia????? Was he mafia-lite? Was he his own boss? I have no clue. It was never clearly explained, just like many other parts of the book.
Anyway, I was ready and willing to let ALL OF THE ABOVE go because I was under the impression that this book was only going to be around 200 pages and figured the author bypassed all opportunities for plot development to make this book a quick read. When I looked at my Kindle and saw I was on page 172 but that was only 46% of the book, I became very confused. I was so sure this book was going to be a short one. I checked and this book is over 370 pages……..
370 pages?!?!?!?!?!!?
Some or all of the questions I listed above could have been answered in the second half of the book but I could not bring myself to take the time to find out because if the author could write THAT many pages and not bother to explore major plot elements nor develop her characters past superficial levels in the first half of the book, then I simply couldn’t continue reading. So, I'm marking this as a DNF at 46%. Moving on to something that I hope can successfully pull me out of my book slump.
Full disclosure: I’ve been in a book slump. I’ve started and stopped several books because I just couldn’t get into them. Either the writing was awful, the plot was lame, or in one instance, a character had single family home in Manhattan (not a brownstone) and while I can suspend reality for many things, single family homes in Manhattan is not one of them.
ANYWAY, I had seen a bit of buzz regarding Little Dove on goodreads. I like mafia stories. I like age-gap stories involving adults. I like smut. I figured it would be a win.
My biggest issues were the holes in the plot.
Why, after that one escape attempt, did Juliet fully accept her status as captive?
Why did she never ask what was going to happen to her?
Why, in all of her free time, did she never come up with a plan for her future and instead, take up knitting (the obvious go-to hobby for most 17 year olds)?
Why was Maximo so obsessed with her?
Why did they fail to ever have a conversation in the YEAR she was living in his house?
Why was it raining for multiple days in Vegas, a city located in a DESERT?? (I looked it up, it rains like maybe 26 days of the year.)
And why did Maximo insist on being called daddy???
I didn’t understand why the h and H were so into one another considering they had little to no interaction in the year they were living under the same roof. The first hundred pages were basically time hops of them not together (seriously, what was up with all those time hops??). Ms. Frost told me repeatedly about the heat between them but I never saw or felt it, which made their relationship highly unbelievable.
And the smutty times weren’t all that smutty. Of course Juliet is a virgin.
And Maximo/daddy of course digs that. But the smutty times did nothing for me. It wasn’t hot…. And it was a lot more of the author telling-not showing. Also, I’ve read several stories with heroes/anti-heroes that are super controlling but don’t need to be called ‘daddy.’ I don’t get the kink. And I don’t think it was well explained either.
And another thing, is Maximo in the mafia????? Was he mafia-lite? Was he his own boss? I have no clue. It was never clearly explained, just like many other parts of the book.
Anyway, I was ready and willing to let ALL OF THE ABOVE go because I was under the impression that this book was only going to be around 200 pages and figured the author bypassed all opportunities for plot development to make this book a quick read. When I looked at my Kindle and saw I was on page 172 but that was only 46% of the book, I became very confused. I was so sure this book was going to be a short one. I checked and this book is over 370 pages……..
370 pages?!?!?!?!?!!?
Some or all of the questions I listed above could have been answered in the second half of the book but I could not bring myself to take the time to find out because if the author could write THAT many pages and not bother to explore major plot elements nor develop her characters past superficial levels in the first half of the book, then I simply couldn’t continue reading. So, I'm marking this as a DNF at 46%. Moving on to something that I hope can successfully pull me out of my book slump.
August 19, 2020
I’ll preface this review by saying this is not my preference in reading genre but I am a huge fan of Ms Frost. I’m so glad I read it tho. It was almost a morbid fascination at first. I wasn’t sure how I felt at the beginning of the story but I was intrigued and knew I couldn’t stop. It’s one of those stories that draws you in and holds on until the very end and you’re left thinking oh no it’s finished. Lol. The chemistry between these two characters is electric and as the book evolves you see the ‘why’ and then it makes sense. To see Doves emergence and growth as Max teaches her to be his ‘little Dove’ Is like watching a flower bloom in the sun. With his love and protection he gives her what she needs to feel safe. She in turn fulfils a deep need in him. Amid all this is a lot of drama and intense emotion. They make your heart hurt at times but others it makes you smile. Wonderful book.
August 25, 2020
Filthy Daddy Perfection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am super picky with my kink books. Especially daddy kink. So many miss the whole point & leave me feeling meh. Well this book absolutely nailed it. Maximo is Daddy AF. He’s everything a good Daddy Dom should be & it’s all bundled into a lickable, tattooed alpha package. Dove is a delight. The right blend of bratty and fierce. She’s also more than a little broken and the way he nurtures her gave me ALLLL the feels.
Their chemistry was delicious and when he took her in hand I just about melted on the spot. It’s one of the best books I have read this year & definitely one of the best daddy books ever.
I received an arc of this book.
I am super picky with my kink books. Especially daddy kink. So many miss the whole point & leave me feeling meh. Well this book absolutely nailed it. Maximo is Daddy AF. He’s everything a good Daddy Dom should be & it’s all bundled into a lickable, tattooed alpha package. Dove is a delight. The right blend of bratty and fierce. She’s also more than a little broken and the way he nurtures her gave me ALLLL the feels.
Their chemistry was delicious and when he took her in hand I just about melted on the spot. It’s one of the best books I have read this year & definitely one of the best daddy books ever.
I received an arc of this book.
August 16, 2020
Juliet is a wounded bird who never knew love....Never knew safety, and she figured she never would. Maximo is powerful, cocky, and alpha to the max! When he sees Juliet, he knows one thing is certain....She. Is. His!
I can’t even begin to describe the greatness that is Little Dove. Layla Frost has once again left me wanting more! Maximo has some kinks that are normally not my cup of tea, however, I found I couldn’t put this book down and I’m dying to get the stories of the secondary characters. Who, by the way, we’re all amazing! I’d give this more than 5 ⭐️ if I could❤️❤️
I can’t even begin to describe the greatness that is Little Dove. Layla Frost has once again left me wanting more! Maximo has some kinks that are normally not my cup of tea, however, I found I couldn’t put this book down and I’m dying to get the stories of the secondary characters. Who, by the way, we’re all amazing! I’d give this more than 5 ⭐️ if I could❤️❤️
August 18, 2020
5
Holy wow. There aren’t enough words to describe how amazing this book was. There were twists and turns I barely saw coming, adventure at every corner and there was all the falling in love with the characters that are Maximo and Juliet.
Highly recommend this HEA.
Also, I’ve claimed Ash... he’s mine.
Daddy, Vegas, Dark Knight
Holy wow. There aren’t enough words to describe how amazing this book was. There were twists and turns I barely saw coming, adventure at every corner and there was all the falling in love with the characters that are Maximo and Juliet.
Highly recommend this HEA.
Also, I’ve claimed Ash... he’s mine.
Daddy, Vegas, Dark Knight
August 16, 2020
Ok let me start off by saying Layla you have knocked this one out of the park. I understand daddy kink is not eveyone's cup of tea but trust me when I say there is so much more to this story than this. We get a headstrong heroine who has had a hard life. We also get a (anti) hero who has no idea what he got himself into when he first sees her. All he knows is he is obsessed and he doesn't understand why.
Juliet is a young vibrant beautiful young lady who has had to deal with a lot of shady things because of her father. The night she meets Maximo is a fateful night that will change their lives more than either of them can anticipate. We get to see what they both are thinking and how they are feeling about how each of their lives have changed. I enjoyed following these two as they were learning how to navigate around each other. They both learn that they are exactly what the other needs. Juliet is the yin to Maximo's yang, she is the light to his dark, and we learn he is undoubtedly her daddy.
I loved the secondary characters in this book, and I hope Layla is thinking about writing their story's as well. I mean I am really intrigued by a few of them...
Juliet is a young vibrant beautiful young lady who has had to deal with a lot of shady things because of her father. The night she meets Maximo is a fateful night that will change their lives more than either of them can anticipate. We get to see what they both are thinking and how they are feeling about how each of their lives have changed. I enjoyed following these two as they were learning how to navigate around each other. They both learn that they are exactly what the other needs. Juliet is the yin to Maximo's yang, she is the light to his dark, and we learn he is undoubtedly her daddy.
I loved the secondary characters in this book, and I hope Layla is thinking about writing their story's as well. I mean I am really intrigued by a few of them...
November 19, 2025
Didn’t feel the connection or see the chemistry.
August 16, 2020
*ARC of Little Dove provided by the author in exchange for a honest review.
Before I tell you about the awesomeness of Little Dove I must warn you that
1) Before you read you must sleep really well because you won't stop reading until you finish it
2) If the book is digital charge your darn phone, tablet or kindle and
3) I hope you're not currently in these days of the month because... Houston you'll a problem.
Anyway...I'm a huge fan of Layla Frost and I love all her books and I was waiting patiently (not) her next book and suddenly bam! Little Dove came to my hands and I loved it from the start till the end.
It's a flawless book with a OTT villain and a broken but unbroken heroine, full of sexy and steamy moments that you want to try (immediately) and love....so much love.
That's the reason I read romance books and I thank my lucky book-stars that I found the perfection of Layla's Frost books.
Before I tell you about the awesomeness of Little Dove I must warn you that
1) Before you read you must sleep really well because you won't stop reading until you finish it
2) If the book is digital charge your darn phone, tablet or kindle and
3) I hope you're not currently in these days of the month because... Houston you'll a problem.
Anyway...I'm a huge fan of Layla Frost and I love all her books and I was waiting patiently (not) her next book and suddenly bam! Little Dove came to my hands and I loved it from the start till the end.
It's a flawless book with a OTT villain and a broken but unbroken heroine, full of sexy and steamy moments that you want to try (immediately) and love....so much love.
That's the reason I read romance books and I thank my lucky book-stars that I found the perfection of Layla's Frost books.
August 15, 2020
Little Dove by Layla Frost
𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.
*~*~*~*
𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖: Juliet’s father has always had dealings with the seedy underbelly of society, so when a man comes to their home on her 17th birthday demanding repayment, she’s not surprised. However, she is thrown for a loop when the man murders her father and kidnaps her—yet, instead of killing the only witness to his crime, he begins to support her in every way: school, clothes, etc.
Maximo knew the moment that he saw Juliet that she was more than just a pretty girl with terrible luck, but at 17yo she shouldn’t have even been on his radar—so he relegated himself to the role of her caretaker.
One year later and Juliet has finished school and turned 18. Will Maximo take a chance on a taboo relationship or has their luck already run out?
*~*~*~*
𝕊𝕖𝕩 𝕊𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤: You will find some age gap/daddy kink in this book, so keep that in mind! But, if you’re looking to tip-toe into the daddy kink genre this is the perfect book! We get an OTT alpha male who knows what he wants and he loooves to take care of his lady—in all ways 😏😏. I’m giving this a 🔥🔥🔥🔥.5/5 for frequency, variety, and talking that talk!
*~*~*~*
【$】: $4.99 and worth every penny! This is a relatively low angst read that introduces a well rounded cast of characters. I loved the darkish vibes the storyline entailed, yet also appreciated the laugh-out-loud banter and one-liners! It’s definitely a new direction for this author, but it still holds all the hallmarks of a classic Layla tale. If you’re willing to try an entry-level age gap/daddy romance read, this is the book for you!
𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.
*~*~*~*
𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖: Juliet’s father has always had dealings with the seedy underbelly of society, so when a man comes to their home on her 17th birthday demanding repayment, she’s not surprised. However, she is thrown for a loop when the man murders her father and kidnaps her—yet, instead of killing the only witness to his crime, he begins to support her in every way: school, clothes, etc.
Maximo knew the moment that he saw Juliet that she was more than just a pretty girl with terrible luck, but at 17yo she shouldn’t have even been on his radar—so he relegated himself to the role of her caretaker.
One year later and Juliet has finished school and turned 18. Will Maximo take a chance on a taboo relationship or has their luck already run out?
*~*~*~*
𝕊𝕖𝕩 𝕊𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤: You will find some age gap/daddy kink in this book, so keep that in mind! But, if you’re looking to tip-toe into the daddy kink genre this is the perfect book! We get an OTT alpha male who knows what he wants and he loooves to take care of his lady—in all ways 😏😏. I’m giving this a 🔥🔥🔥🔥.5/5 for frequency, variety, and talking that talk!
*~*~*~*
【$】: $4.99 and worth every penny! This is a relatively low angst read that introduces a well rounded cast of characters. I loved the darkish vibes the storyline entailed, yet also appreciated the laugh-out-loud banter and one-liners! It’s definitely a new direction for this author, but it still holds all the hallmarks of a classic Layla tale. If you’re willing to try an entry-level age gap/daddy romance read, this is the book for you!
August 18, 2020
AMAZING!! I know when I sit down to read a book by LF that I’m going to love it! Each book of hers gets better and better! I’d be Maximo’s little Dove EVERYday of the week!! This book has it all, from the surprising way they meet, to the powerful all consuming love, and last but certainly not least the HOTTEST sex scenes ever!! I was hooked from beginning to end! Now I need Ash and Marco’s books please and thank you! P.S. I love your dedication!
August 15, 2020
Let me preface this by saying daddy kink isn’t usually my thing. However, it’s done in such a captivating way by Layla that it just works. I’ve always loved Layla’s writing and this book is no exception. It’s sad, beautiful, funny, hot, and everything I want in a read. Maximo is an over the top alpha but not in an off putting way, and Juliet is strong and stubborn but also relatable and sweet. It’s a great read that sucks you in immediately and if you’re like me you’ll be so enthralled you can’t sleep until you finish it.
January 12, 2023
Somewhere between a 4 and 5⭐️ rating
I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I’ve been holding off because I’ve read so much Daddy kink that I feel they blend together or they say Daddy kink but they really mean Dom/sub dynamic. This was kinda perfect because it fully embraced taking care of their partner while not being creepy. (We got an MMC who respects the FMC and actually tells her things 😧)
This made me nervous because the MCs met on the FMCs 17th bday and yet it was handled so well and NOT pedophilic. Mainly because he rarely saw her in the year leading up to her 18th (even though she was kinda a captive in his mansion). The book is a slow burn which I really appreciated because we saw how a person should be treated, not only sexually. I loved seeing Juliet flourish under love and care from the people around her.
I do think when she hit 18 it was kinda abrupt with how the MMC and her got together shortly thereafter and he brought up the kink. Even though there was a lot of sex in this book and they were very sexually compatible together, I never got swept away in their passion and romance. It just all felt very comfortable. Not to say I didn’t believe in it because I definitely did. I think that’s why I gave it 4⭐️, it was the writing. Speaking of, the writing is such where it got better the further into the book you got. It was a bit weak in the beginning but then got stronger and 🤌🏻.
Juliet was 18 and yet a total badass who saved herself, was reasonable in certain situations, while still maintaining attitude you’d expect but that didn’t make you want to bang your head into a wall. I thoroughly enjoyed her POVs which was shocking, considering some 18 year old characters I’ve read 😅.
I’ve been dragging on but I can’t not mention the side characters. Ash, Marco, Vera, Cole, even Freddy were fantastic. Holy shit, housekeepers and bodyguards are usually just there or fluff but these characters brought dimension/depth. I want books for them even though it would make no logical sense lol.
This is about 90% character driven and 10% plot btw
I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I’ve been holding off because I’ve read so much Daddy kink that I feel they blend together or they say Daddy kink but they really mean Dom/sub dynamic. This was kinda perfect because it fully embraced taking care of their partner while not being creepy. (We got an MMC who respects the FMC and actually tells her things 😧)
This made me nervous because the MCs met on the FMCs 17th bday and yet it was handled so well and NOT pedophilic. Mainly because he rarely saw her in the year leading up to her 18th (even though she was kinda a captive in his mansion). The book is a slow burn which I really appreciated because we saw how a person should be treated, not only sexually. I loved seeing Juliet flourish under love and care from the people around her.
I do think when she hit 18 it was kinda abrupt with how the MMC and her got together shortly thereafter and he brought up the kink. Even though there was a lot of sex in this book and they were very sexually compatible together, I never got swept away in their passion and romance. It just all felt very comfortable. Not to say I didn’t believe in it because I definitely did. I think that’s why I gave it 4⭐️, it was the writing. Speaking of, the writing is such where it got better the further into the book you got. It was a bit weak in the beginning but then got stronger and 🤌🏻.
Juliet was 18 and yet a total badass who saved herself, was reasonable in certain situations, while still maintaining attitude you’d expect but that didn’t make you want to bang your head into a wall. I thoroughly enjoyed her POVs which was shocking, considering some 18 year old characters I’ve read 😅.
I’ve been dragging on but I can’t not mention the side characters. Ash, Marco, Vera, Cole, even Freddy were fantastic. Holy shit, housekeepers and bodyguards are usually just there or fluff but these characters brought dimension/depth. I want books for them even though it would make no logical sense lol.
This is about 90% character driven and 10% plot btw
September 12, 2022
I just have to start off with a WOW! Layla Frost’s latest and highly anticipated new story, Little Dove was just fantastic!! The range of emotions I felt reading this book was wide. I pretty much went from one extreme to the other; sadness to what Juliet had to endure to such giddy happiness to what she found in Maximo, that uncomfortable feeling with some of Maximo’s likings to that squirmy feeling with how hot it could be. I won’t go much more into detail, you all just have to read it for yourself but just be prepared for that extremely OTT alpha male and a heroine who may be young, but have gone through so much that has made her fierce and so strong.
Finally, I do have to say that the daddy kink is not a trope I tend to gravitate to, but the way this book was written and actually explained, made me see how in Maximo’s eyes it was all about taking care of and loving Juliet. I absolutely loved this book!
Finally, I do have to say that the daddy kink is not a trope I tend to gravitate to, but the way this book was written and actually explained, made me see how in Maximo’s eyes it was all about taking care of and loving Juliet. I absolutely loved this book!
August 16, 2020
I have to admit that daddy kink has never been my cup of tea but when I had a chance to read this book by Layla Frost I was super excited . I would read a cereal box If she wrote it . That being said this book is totally different than anything she’s written before. Juliet was the child of a mother who didn’t care and a selfish father who had gambling debts and brought more drama into her life then he was worth . That is until she met Maximo. Max wanted to care for his little dove . This was an age gap/daddy kink/ mafia type romance . It was a slow burn but midway through the story picked up steam . Max was super alpha possessive and Juliet needed to be cared for . The side characters in this story won me over as well . I loved Vera and most all Ash . He had some pretty witty one liners . I would love to see him get his own book .
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August 25, 2020Little Dove is LIVE!
Little Dove is kinda taboo, kinda dark, and a whole lot hot! Click HERE to get your copy! Available on Kindle Unlimited, too. Yay!
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