As life happens, happily-ever-after gets harder to hold on to...
Two kids and two busy careers have taken their toll on Jax and Esther Johnson. Muddling through the middle of their lives, this Daddy Dom and his sweet and sassy babygirl have been in a rut for a long time. Esther knows motherhood and age have changed her body, and she's never been the sophisticated type that her husband spends time with all day at work. Worried that Jax is moving on to younger, greener pastures, Esther begins a campaign to win back her husband.
There's just one problem: when Jax notices his wife is no longer acting like herself, he begins to assume the worst.
Golden Angel is a USA Today best-selling author of heart and bottom warming romance.
She is happily married, old enough to know better but still too young to care, and a big fan of happily-ever-afters, strong heroes and heroines, and sizzling chemistry.
When not in front of her computer writing, she can be found sewing her next project, hanging out with friends, or wandering the grounds of the Maryland Renaissance Festival.
this marriage-in-crisis story had potential but honestly? It left me frustrated more than moved.
Jacks and Esther have been married for years, but they're deep in a rut, drifting apart, miscommunication and letting insecurities fester. When Jacks starts working late, Esther's anxiety takes over and she tracks his phone... only to discover a secret that's more ridiculous than romantic.
Here's the tea: Jacks, a college professor, has been secretly coaching a women's team in D&D. He hid it because Esther felt insecure about him being around younger women. And Esther? She spiraled, assumed the worst and let her fears completely take over.
I saw both sides, but I didn't love either. Jacks should've just been honest. Esther's reaction felt over-the-top for what was essentially a goofy, harmless secret. And the constant inner monologues about aging, insecurity and fear got exhausting. Esther, girl… you're a whole grown woman.
The BDSM elements also fell flat. Jacks is supposed to be a (daddy-) Dom, but he's avoiding hard conversations and Esther's submission feels less like trust and more like dependency. We're told their love is strong, but the respect and communication just aren't there.
Trops/kinks/safety 🩷older couple (50+) 🩷marriage in crisis 🩷misunderstandings 🩷miscommunication 🩷Daddy-Dom/ baby girl 🩷punishments 🩷dirty talk 🩷praise and pet names 🩷anal teasing/ sex 🩷sex toys 🩷rocking horse 🩷double penetration 🩷edging 🩷orgasm denial/ control 🩷spanking 🩷cunnilingus
I’ve been waiting for Jax and Esther’s story since Golden Angel’s Dungeon Master,and having the ARC meant i could find out what was going on with these two. And i needed it,badly…..because i knew something wasn’t right.
Esther feels like Jax has become distant,and worries he’s found someone else,someone younger and prettier,because let’s face it…. A Daddy that doesn’t take time to play with his little? Even if life’s busy,even if they have kids? If you love eachother,you can always find the time….right? Finding out where he was when he said he was working didn’t help. After careful consideration,she decided to do whatever it took to win him back,to save their marriage. But the solution she came up with,didn’t quite work the way she thought….
Jax knew there was something bothering Esther,but what? He’d been busy helping a young assistant and her friends set up their own game of C & C,and it might have taken longer than he’d planned,but they were nearly finished. He never told Esther,because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings,or make her feel insecure,when there was no reason to. Only,when the truth came out,he found he’d made the wrong decision and hurt her….badly! How do you come back from that? How do you make up for the betrayal of trust? How do you make your little girl understand you dó still love her,and she ís still your little girl? Well,Daddy…..you’re going to have to grovel!
Will this little girl accept Daddy’s apologies? Do these two still have a future together? With good friends and both their children helping to find a way,they might have a chance…..right?
I loved how Esther wanted to fight for her Daddy! And i loved how Jax was ready to grovel to win his little girl back. How their friends were there for them. What the kids were prepared to do to help. I also loved the little gems shared along the way,about familiar places and books….. But now,i need to know what’s going on between Aiden and Cyana!!
“Dungeon Daddy” is the second book in the Dungeons and Dom series. I’m a little confused since the males in both books - “Dungeon Master and Dungeon Daddy do not act as Alphas or Dominates which leads their mated submissive partners to fend for themselves. They are floundering in the lifestyle, they have lost sight of who they are, what they want and the importance of communicating. Jax and Esther are busy with their jobs, their children and have put their desires on the back burner. Esther has insecurities - she no longer has the look of a young woman - Oh maybe because she is aging?? But, she is still lovely and desirable to her husband. Jax is concerned with all things but being a Dom. He wants his family to be happy and to provide for them and feels all is fine until he breaks an unspoken rule where he doesn’t disclose an important decision to Esther because he’s protecting her, so he thinks. But, for Daddy Dom to protect and care for her, he needs to be open and honest and deal with the situation. When, he realizes Esther seems distracted, distant, he still doesn’t confront the situation. Esther knows something is wrong between them but she will not confront Jax. Her insecurities keep her from taking the risk. Their love is strong but they have lost the trust and respect for each other. I was disappointed in Esther, she seems so pathetic and always fearful of how people will react to her because she feels older. She needs Jax, she needs to save her marriage because she couldn’t cope in the dating world and she still loves Jax. This series is disappointing. We all have children but we maintain our integrity and find time to connect with our partners. The males are confused, as to their BDSM role, their lives are mundane and they find they need to return to their Dominate personalities and the lifestyle but it comes to late, for me…..Wish we had another Stronghold book in the works……….Golden Angel, I love your writing, love your stories but this series is missing your extraordinary gift.
Jax and Esther had what the world might have thought, "The Perfect Marriage," on the outside of their house. Where in truth, something was off. Jax was spending so much time at work. But was he really there? Esther had to know, so she put a tracker on his phone. Did she breach his trust? Did she come to her final last straw? You'll need to read Dungeon Daddy to get the answers to these questions, and learn so much more. Now I have to wait until 2022 until the release of the next issue in this series, Dungeon Showdown. Golden Angel was recommended to me by a friend, and now I am a fan of her work, and cannot rate this book less than 5 stars.
Jax made so frustrated if not mad with him, how can an intelligent man responsible for teaching young adults be so insensitive and think his family, especially his wfie, not be suspicious when he starts staying out late. Did he think his friends would not remark that he wasn’t at the gym when he always had been? That Esther didn’t challenge him was to my mind completely understandable, she was afraid. When Jax came to his senses the story was very sweet and sexy. It was great that Marquis played such an important part in their future happiness. As well as these characters being older, which is refreshing, I also loved the ways the kids were involved and the developing relationship between Esther and Jennifer no easy feat with a teenager. A lovely read.
This is a wonderful book and I really loved it 😍 It has references to a song that I love ❤️ and other books by the same author and also to books by other writers as well and they are all cool 😎 I really loved the story line with older characters that had sort of lost their way and needed to reconnect to each other and I just loved the steamy scenes that were involved in them reconnecting with each other, they were Sizzling on the page. 💕 There is a terrific HEA and I enjoyed the teaser fir the next book and I am already dying to read that one too. You can not go wrong with this book or with this writer!
I am not fan of this series. I do not like these characters. They act like teenagers not adults. Instead of communicating they pretend like everything is OK and talk about it with their friends.
Sweet, funny, sometimes sad and sexsy AF story! Jax and Esther have been together for many years, even though they are in a bit of a rut (kids, life - you know) they are still very happy. But lately, somthing is wrong with Jax; he's been working long hours and actually lied about going to the gym with his friends. Could it be that he's been having an affair? (Relax, he's not, but you'll never guess what he's been up to). Freaked out and understandably scared, Esther decides to make some changes, but instead of making things better, these changes make things worse. When Jax's secret comes out, it is time for this Daddy Dom to take matters into his hands and reconnect with his babygirl. I loved everything about this story; the writing, the characters and the steam! The mistakes they both had made only reaffirmed the love and connection Jax and Esther share. It's not easy to maintain a good marriage, but it is possible and this story gives me hope! We get to visit the parallel universe of Marquis and say "Hi" to some of its characters (hello again Shane the bartender) just in time before the next book in the Masters of Marquis series is due to come out. Every book I read by Golden Angel proves to me what a great writer she is, and Dungeon Daddy just raised the bar.
'Dungeon Daddy' is the second book in Golden Angel's "Dungeon's and Doms" series and trust me when I say, I think she's hit her stride in this series with this book. I think it's easier to portray a couple filled with lust that makes the entire world go away because it's so consuming. But this is about an older couple who have been around the block a time or two. A couple who know both the good and bad about each other. Yeah, don't kid yourself. This older couple still misses the mark when it comes to communication and we get to witness first-hand how our couple and author work through this. There's a plethora of emotion in this storyline which makes it all that much more compelling and I can't wait to read 'Dungeon Showdown' when it comes out.
I've been waiting for Jax and Ester's story since the end of Dungeon Master. Jax has been up to something and now I know what it was!!!! As I read the story, I would occasionally yell out, "you dummy, you're gonna get caught"! LOL I wanted to smack him upside the head at times because you KNOW that he KNOWS better. I love stories that feature mature couples. They've been married for years but sometimes you just have to work through issues you've let slide over the years! This story is also showing how important communication is in any relationship!!! Can Jax make it up to Ester about deceiving her as to what he was doing? Will Ester confess her fears to her "Daddy"? The time just flew by while I read this story and I loved it!
A good story, as usual, from Golden Angel. A once very good relationship got a little stale. Lack of communication nearly sinks it, which isn't unusual. Once you start down that road, it's hard to fix. Ester tries to get him back because she thinks he's cheating, though she's not sure she really believes it. Jax realizes she's on to him, but again, lack of communication nearly sabotages them and he thinks that she is considering testing the waters. A good story about a mature couple realizing they need to reconnect and the challenges involved.
Completely Believable, Relatable and Exceptional!!
This group of friends has been a delight to follow. In this story Jax completely messes up. It’s completely up in the air as to whether Esther will give him a second chance.
Each fight to maintain / improve the relationship in their own way. With the support of their friends can they survive this? While an emotional read, also has the perfect amount of humor and movie references to make fans of this author quite satisfied. I need more than 5 stars for this one!
*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***
What makes this book so awesome is its raw genuineness. I found it very easy to get caught up in this tale of marriage, emotion and kink that features a more mature couple. There is a sharp realism to this story that I and I'm sure so many other readers are going to strongly connect with. This is a very moving read that is filled with heart, feels and heat. I loved it. I am electing to post a objective review.
The second book in the series featuring Jax and Esther. Keeping your relationship fresh after 30 years while raising kids is not easy especially when not communicating.
What I loved about this book the most was that the main characters are a bit older, which makes it easy to relate to them. It is also about second chances and about growing as a person and a couple. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. What you do after is a choice. It is never too late to change your life.
I really like Jax and Esther as a couple. I am not a huge daddy dom fan, but in this book everything was very light. It made me laugh a few times.
Dungeon Daddy brings us Jax & Esther’s story which is book 2 in this amazing series. Ever since reading Logan by Ms. Angel and finding out about her plans to write this book I’ve been excited. I usually want to read to escape real life situations but I love how she writes the later in life couples. Absolutely full of emotion and steam. Cannot wait for Dungeon Showdown
This is a good read that has so many of the Golden Angel trademarks – cameos of characters we know and places we know; an equivalence of blame for wrongdoing where there are 2 involved; a generous approach to kinds and their variety. You can see this derailing as soon as Jax opts not to tell Esther about his C&C time with his PA and her friends – and wow does it derail. It’s a good story, definite heat, a reassurance that things can be fixed – and a hint at the next story in the series. I for one can’t wait.
This story felt so relatable - kids, work stress, lack of communication, cheating suspicions all putting strain on a strained relationship. I loved how tenderly this story presented these problems (and their resolution) with a mix of humour, communication and kink. Yes, let’s not forget the kink - hot hot hot and realistic to boot. Another wonderful read by Golden Angel.
Ester and Jax's story makes me want to pull my hair out in frustration as I root for them to figure it out! Golden Angel does an amazing job as always of connecting your emotions to the characters. I love the connection that Jax and Ester have once they get all their ducks in a row. I love all the easter eggs that Golden dribbles throughout this story! The sexy scenes make me want to melt into a puddle on the ground. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book! I also loved that the characters were older and were dealing with the struggle of falling into a rut during marriage. Pick this book up and read it if you haven't!
I enjoyed the marital drama and heat in Jax & Esther’s story. The story had many fun and light-hearted elements that blended nicely with the typical heat. Golden Angel always packs the heat into every story.
Wow. This series is getting so hot. Jax screwed up by not telling Esther what he was doing. With everything that was going on I was getting mad at Jax for being so stupid sometimes. I was talking to him and telling him what to do, but he did not listen. Enjoy this emotional story.
The older I get, I find I enjoy reading about people closer to my own age. And that’s exactly what this series provides. Kinky mature adults with real to life issues. What is one to do when after being married for at least 2-3 decades, it seems as if a partner is pulling away, possibly cheating. Do you leave? Do you try and change who you are into what you think they want? Do you confront them? Do you just bury your head and continue on? Read on to find out what our characters decide to do. 💜
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is definitely an "it's not you, it's me" book. I do not understand the whole Daddy/little dynamic - to be honest, out of all the kinks I've heard of, I find this one to have the highest ick factor. Also, the original conflict seems far too ridiculous to be believable - what man in his 50's is so obsessed with a board game??? I skipped over most of the book, I was just interested to see if there is any evolution in the relationship between Cyana and Aiden.
This book ticked all the right boxes for me. Older, mature couple;committed relationship; rekindling romance; realistic hot sexy times; part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone .
I loved reading Dungeon Daddy. It’s so true that when in a long term relationship and children are involved some things get pushed to the wayside and miscommunication can occur. Dungeon Daddy is a prime example of how easily it can happen. I have been with my husband since I was 15 (31 years) and we have been married for 26 and our oldest son is 26 soon to be 27 and our youngest is 24 and we have three granddaughters from my stepdaughter (raised by her mom with visitations although not as much as we would have liked as her mom kept her from us and only let my stepdaughter come over occasionally), who is the oldest at 31 (yes, when my husband and I started dating we got the call that my husband’s ex was pregnant and didn’t tell my husband until she was 6 months pregnant. I guess we should be lucky she told us at all) and a grandson from my oldest so I know how crazy life can get. I have to say though it is so bittersweet when they are all grown and have left the house. We get more time together to work on us and now talk about how we let things slide between us. While my sons were in high school my stepdaughter had her first daughter and we helped her raise her. My oldest granddaughter practically lived with us until she started attending school. So experiencing the craziness of teenagers and a baby was absolutely crazy and I thought it was insane going through all of the middle of the night feedings and staying up most nights with my granddaughter and then having to get my sons to and from school and their extracurriculars was insane and it didn’t help that I got injured my sons freshman and sophomore year. Then there was the time I was when my sons were in intermediate and I went back to school to get my bachelors degree in social sciences and took too many course while going to work full time, coming home and studying and trying to help my sons with their school work. Most days I was lucky to get any sleep. I learned very quickly not to do that again. I am amazed I even managed to get strait A’s in all my classes but then again for that semester my husband had to do all the housework and driving my sons around. Anyway (sorry went a little off track), I know all about how off track things got and now that my husband and I have some breathing room and we talked about how each of us felt back then is very enlightening. I am just glad we got through it and still are together and learning about each other. I definitely recommend talking and not letting things slide too much no matter how crazy things get or misunderstandings can definitely happen. Some couples I am sure are not as lucky as my husband and I and end up divorced cause things can go downhill and one or maybe even both individuals can give up on each other as a couple. My husband told me now after looking back on some of the things that happened that he was ready more than once to give up and I am glad he didn’t. I almost did. We even got separated once and trying to repair our relationship was not easy and I hated how it affected my sons as a scenario similar to what happens in Dungeon Daddy occurred where I thought my husband had cheated on me. Difference was he was tempted and it took us six months to get back on track. My husband told me that although he was tempted he loved me and when I made him leave and I ended up moving in with my mom for a brief time it put things in perspective and he did everything to try and get me to agree to work things out. We had a lot of talks as I told him things had to change if we were going to even think about reconciling. One of my conditions was that I was going back to school as we were struggling financially and it helped put strain on my marriage and I felt that we had to find a way to change that and I figured me getting an education to help improve our financial status was a must as I had been up to that point a stay at home mom (which I loved but if we didn’t want to keep fighting about finances things had to change). It’s a big reason why when I was working full time and going to school full time thanks to distance learning where I only had to attend one class on campus and the rest online my husband stepped up to help more in the house. We didn’t have the type of relationship as Jax and Esther but we did make sure to talk about things more often than we had before so we wouldn’t end up separating or divorcing. So I know exactly how Jax (as per what my husband relayed to me) and Esther felt. I felt so much while reading Dungeon Daddy when it brought back a lot of memories and not all of them bad thank goodness. Golden Angel, author, did a wonderful job with how realistically things can happen in a marriage. I sincerely and absolutely recommend Dungeon Daddy and Golden Angel as an author. I love authors who can bring about feelings and emotions while reading and experiencing through a story like Dungeon Daddy. Golden Angel will be going on my list of authors who I plan to read more of. In fact I plan on reading Dungeon Mast which is the first book in the Dungeon and Doms series that Dungeon Daddy, book 2, is a part of while waiting for book 3, Dungeon Showdown. I hope this review helps. Happy reading.
fantasy romance with BDSM elements, focusing on Esther and Jax, a married couple. The story explores the challenges of maintaining intimacy and passion in a long-term relationship. It delves into themes of communication, trust, and vulnerability as they navigate their desires and insecurities. For fans of fantasy romance with BDSM elements, this book hits the mark due to several factors: Relatable Relationship Struggles within a fantastical setting: While the setting is a fantasy dungeon, the core conflict revolves around the very real struggles of a long-term married couple, Esther and Jax. The challenges of keeping passion alive, feeling heard, and re-establishing intimacy after years together. Focus on Communication and Trust: A significant strength of this book, and a key element in BDSM romance, is the emphasis on communication. Esther and Jax aren't just engaging in BDSM; they are actively working through past hurts, miscommunications, and insecurities. The BDSM dynamic serves as a framework for them to explore boundaries, desires, and vulnerability in a structured, consensual way. Exploration of Vulnerability: For both characters, "Dungeon Daddy" explores the idea of vulnerability, both emotional and physical. Jax, as the "Dungeon Daddy," has to learn to be vulnerable with Esther and understand her needs beyond his own assumptions. Esther, in turn, needs to trust Jax with her deepest desires and fears. This mutual vulnerability is depicted as the path to deeper connection and rekindled passion. Steamy and Consensual BDSM: The BDSM scenes are typically depicted as consensual, respectful, and integral to the characters' emotional journey rather than just gratuitous. It explores how these dynamics can enhance intimacy and understanding between partners. Character Arc for a Long-Term Couple: Instead of the typical "meet-cute" and falling-in-love arc, this book focuses on a couple already established. This allows for a deeper dive into the nuances of a mature relationship, including past hurts, unspoken desires, and the effort required to make a marriage thrive. Engaging Fantasy Backdrop (for genre fans): While the relationship is central, the "dungeon" setting provides an interesting and often humorous backdrop. It offers just enough fantasy world-building to make the setting engaging without overshadowing the character development and romance. Essentially, "Dungeon Daddy" is a good book because it blends relatable relationship issues with the escapism of fantasy and the intensity of consensual BDSM, all while emphasizing healthy communication and emotional growth.
📖 Au fil de la vie, le bonheur pour toujours devient plus difficile à retenir…
Deux enfants et deux carrières bien remplies ont fait des ravages sur Jax et Esther Johnson. Se débrouillant au milieu de leur vie, ce Daddy Dom et sa petite fille douce et impertinente sont en rut depuis longtemps. Esther sait que la maternité et l'âge ont changé son corps, et elle n'a jamais été le type sophistiqué avec qui son mari passe du temps toute la journée au travail. Inquiète que Jax se déplace vers des pâturages plus jeunes et plus verts, Esther commence une campagne pour reconquérir son mari.
Il y a juste un problème : quand Jax remarque que sa femme n'agit plus comme elle-même, il commence à imaginer le pire. 📕
🖋️ Il y avait quelque chose qui n'allait pas avec Esther.
Quelque chose de plus mal, c'était.
Au cours des dernières semaines, il avait remarqué que quelque chose n'allait pas chez elle. Quelques fois, elle avait même dit avec nostalgie qu'elle souhaitait qu'il ne soit pas si occupé.
..
Heureusement, la campagne touchait bientôt à sa fin. Il leur avait déjà dit qu'il ne pouvait pas courir le prochain. Il n'aurait pas dû diriger celui-ci aussi longtemps qu'il l'a fait.
Peu importe à quel point il l'avait apprécié.
Parce qu'il regardait attentivement, il vit les lèvres d'Esther se serrer en réaction. Elle n'aimait pas qu'il mentionne ses nuits tardives au travail. La culpabilité l'envahit.
..
En regardant ses deux beaux enfants, Esther a senti les décisions qu'elle avait prises se solidifier.
Elle ne suivrait pas le conseil qu'elle aurait donné à un ami, qui serait de larguer son cul d'infidèle. Elle énerverait probablement royalement ses deux meilleures amies parce qu'elles ne comprendraient pas sa décision.
Elle ne pouvait pas l'abandonner. Il était sa personne. À la fin de la journée, elle voulait savoir qu'elle avait fait absolument tout ce qu'elle pouvait pour sauver son mariage.
This book was pretty good. Dungeon Daddy is the second book in the Dungeon and Doms trilogy by Golden Angel. This book follows Jacks and Esther who have been married for years but are finding themselves in a rut. When there is a lie pulling them even further apart will there be a way they can reconcile.
Esther is the FMC of this book. She has noticed her husband working late more often than not. when she cant take it anymore she takes matters into her own hands, but the information that is revealed to her is not what she expected. I liked Esther as a character for the most part. I did think she truly overreacted after the initial shock of what Jacks was doing some nights other than working and working out with his friends. I guess to me even though the lie lasted so long, the truth was so funny and juvenile to me that i think after the initial shock wore off I would be laughing at the situation. Jacks is the MMC of this book. He is a professor at the local university. He secret went on a lot longer than planned after some unforeseen circumstances happened. He kept this a secret because of how he knew Esther had previously felt about him being around younger women and it was something so simple. I can truly see both sides of the argument on this one. I agree with Esther sides of things that he should have just told her. But I understand Jacks trying to save her feelings, the plan was only for a couple of weeks, and the truth was so unserious compared to what she thought he was doing.
This books was good. The spice was really good. The glimpses of what book three will be about has me so excited.
After reading Dungeon Master I was very curious about what was happening with Jax and Ester. I hadn't read very much daddy dom so I was also intrigued with that aspect of the book. I have to say that this book wasn't at all what I was thinking. What was Jax doing with all his time? I'm not gonna spoil it but it definitely wasn't what I was thinking. I am glad that he felt remorse once he figured out how Esther was feeling but he still frustrated me to no end. I'm also glad that once he discovered what Esther had done he didn't punish her to much. That poor woman was already in pain. The daddy dom aspect was interesting. It wasn't at all what I thought and I actually didn't mind it. It's definitely different but it's unique at the same time.
I truly like this group of friends and have enjoyed meeting them. I'm intrigued with Aiden and Cyana's story especially after that epilogue.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review*