Secret Daddy

Arrowood #1

by J.R. Gray

I hadn’t admitted to myself that my life was going nowhere until I first had him.

Living back in my small mountain town, in my childhood home, with my older brother, working at the library wasn’t as exciting as I imagined.

That was until a stranger came to the library one night and turned my world around.

Night after night, month after month, I waited for him after dark.

He never let me see his face but he always showed me how well he knew me. No one had ever read my needs so well or pushed me so far and I was in too deep before I even knew who he was.

I just called him Daddy.

****Secret Daddy is a Holiday MM romance featuring a small town, a librarian, a park ranger, and some kinky forced proximity.

Genres: M M Romance, BDSM, Romance, Contemporary, Christmas, LGBT, Holiday

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2020

About the author

When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it's half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn't writing…well, that's not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.

Reviews

[Crystal]

Secret Daddy started hot and heavy, however for me, it did fizzle. I DNF @ 46%. I tried to push through but just couldn't.


Aiden is too much of a brat and immature for me. Instead of talking, he rather runaway or be overly dramatic.

Jenson, Aiden’s brother's best friend. He has always had feelings for Aiden and figures it finally time for the two of them to start dating.

Secret Daddy starts with the two secretly hooking up in the library for six months. Aden has no clue it's Jenson as he hides his identity. This part is very steamy. So I had so much hope. After a night of finally staying together, Aiden wakes up and realizes this whole time he was with Jenson and starts to freak out and refuses to talk and tries to leave to realize they are snowed in, then the story starts to fizzle. Until the brother finds them which I had shimmer of hope and then it was anticlimactic.

This book just wasn’t for me, I love a good M/M romance but this was flop. Don’t let my review discourage you reading as my flop can be your treasure,.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story started really strong and erotic. Aiden works in a library and he gets regular visits from a stranger, who seduces him with hardcore BDSM scenes. Aiden calls him Daddy, the stranger calls him Prince. Aiden feels fear, he loves it and is extremely aroused. He gets what he wants and needs.

They wake up together in Aiden’s house on the mountain and there is only snow to find. When he finally finds out about who this stranger is, everything changed. Their dynamic and Aiden’s attitude turns into something else.
Aiden is a brat who refuses to talk when something bothers him and prefers to run away, he’s dramatic and wants to be controlled, on the other hand, he strongly pushes every button of Daddy.

Between the amount of sexual activity and all the banters there was also a little story to tell. There are family problems, lost and found members, Aiden’s trust issues, his crush.
It’s all pretty playful and lighthearted.
The whole family is a bit silly, easygoing, and some are even stubborn. I’m not sure if I liked Aiden, my liking was with Daddy.
I was a bit disappointed with the end, it just ended and it didn’t felt finished.
Still a nicely written narrative, slightly developed, the plot was not strong, however, the kinky sexual parts were appetizing and attractive.

Read and Reviewed for LoveBytesReviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful!

Fun banter in the dialogue and I really enjoyed how all the little conflicts are resolved easily with communication. I was a little hesitant to read because I’m not wild about secrets as plot points, but it’s over pretty fast.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

It’s more difficult to review this book without giving away the secret. It doesn’t last long in the book and the reveal does happen earlier on, but it’s more fun to experience it as you read it yourself. You also have to go with the premise here that Aiden allows a stranger to put a mask over his face and to do anything he wants to Aiden at his job after hours. While it turns out that Aiden does know his mystery man, it was six months of an intimate relationship before he knew that.

The first part of the book was more about Aiden coming to terms with who his mystery man is and realizing he can actually have a relationship with him. The men can’t keep their hands off of each other and there are a lot of intimate scenes, but because the men have a long history, their bond isn’t shown developing and there is a certain amount I had to go with there as well to get their connection, as it’s already established.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soooooooooooo, I was reading and then I wasn’t. Like it just ended. Weird. I mean the story is good all around, but … *crickets* I mean is there more? I don’t know where to go from here lol I will say that up until the revelation of who Daddy was, the story was moving pretty hot and heavy and then it just … so, I dunno. Since there is no such thing as half stars on the rating, I bet with 3 stars but it really is more like 2.5 *shrug*

[Courtney Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

This story was funny and sweet and I couldn’t get enough of the dynamic between Aiden and Jensen. Aiden was a hoot to read, his character is super sarcastic and funny and Jensen keeps him in control. I’m excited for Avery’s story next!

[Michelle Claypot_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was hilarious and adorable. Fantastic daddy kink and a beautiful exploration of submission. The chemistry with these two is HOT! You also get a seriously funny family of characters andLOL banter to round it out.

Hoping both the brothers get their own story too.

[Lelyana's Reviews]

Always hard DNF-ing an ARC. But I struggled with this one.
I had to put this down for a while, maybe I'll comeback later if I'm in the mood for this kind of story and writing.
No star for now.

[Verdelite · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb is kinda misleading as it's just relevant for like the first 8%. The rest of the book is comprised of sex scenes and Aiden running from his problems.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure whether to say that the title is misleading. There certain level of bondage and a bit of daddy but the small age gap (4 years) and the care I expected from Daddy just couldn't give me the daddy feels. Without taking that into account and just review from a romance perspective I dis enjoy it. It wasn't just steam steam and steam, there was some plot and I would definitely read the next book (Avery and Ellie!). I love the side characters especially the supportive and amazing parents and the I think something is going on and I can't wait to hear his story brother. The Christmas vibe is weak considering its supposed to be Xmas theme read but it's fine since I am kind of bored with all the christmassy reads.

[Emily Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have seriously conflicted feelings about this book. On the one hand, the Daddy kink and physical side of the relationship were incredibly hot. I thought I was never going to stop blushing after reading those wonderful, filthy scenes. On the other hand, I didn't click with these characters and spent most of the story very confused about their dynamic. The way Aiden and Jensen kept going around in circles about their relationship drove me nuts, and every time Aiden tried to run away from everything that made him feel things I wanted to scream in frustration. It wasn't Aiden's brattiness and sarcasm that bothered me, because I do love a good bratty boy who needs to be kept in line by Daddy, but his general flightiness made me think he wasn't taking the relationship as seriously as Jensen was. After meeting the rest of Aiden's family, I did sense that Aiden is the one most prone to overly dramatic antics, but something about his behavior pushed my buttons in the wrong way. Just when I thought he and Jensen were finally getting somewhere with their relationship, the story abruptly ended. I'm pretty disappointed that this book left things hanging the way it did, because I was finally starting to warm up to Aiden. I kinda get the feeling that this author set the story up so that each of Aiden's brothers will get his own story, but in my opinion, Jensen and Aiden needed at least a few more chapters before I could call their relationship steady.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The summary sounded awesome and I definitely would’ve enjoyed this if the reveal of the stranger didn’t happen in freakin’ chapter 2. Seriously? Kinda defeats the whole purpose of the “secret daddy” plot, doesn’t it? There should’ve been a lead up to the reveal, maybe more chapters of how the whole thing started in the library rather than a brief look back at it.

Aiden irritated the shit out of me. He was sarcastic but in a rude way. He acted super immature most of the time and it was beyond more than just his insecurities from his ex who cheated on him. Jensen was a likable character but I just couldn’t get behind Aiden so that made their connection basically just “meh” for me. I wasn’t feeling it.

The whole family drama didn’t really add much to the story. Why did Avery leave and not talk to his family for 14 years? No explanation there at all. If you’re not gonna give us answers then why even add it to the story? That bothered me.

Sooo this was a flop for me. Maybe 2.5⭐️ at the most.

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret Daddy is a steamy romance by JR Gray.

With a secret BDSM, Daddy relationship over the past 6 months, Aiden has no clue who his Daddy is. But his feelings are real and his reaction to his secret Daddy is real. But it ends up it's someone he knows. I found this to be a lot strange, but I was able to look past it and get into the story. And I'm glad I did, as it all makes more sense later on.

There's a strong forced proximity aspect, as the two get stuck in Aiden's home during a snowstorm.

Their tale includes hot moments, including kink and pain. And trust issues. The author perfectly illustrates how tough it is to gain trust from someone who's trust has been broken.

The forbidden relationship aspect is every present, as Aiden's convinced they shouldn't be together.

I love them together. They are so perfectly funny, with banter and silly antics. They constantly made me smile.

There's also plenty of humor with the family too.

Secret Daddy is a nice read. This JR Gray story starts strange, yet is sweet later on.

[Ana Nimity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.75

Secret Daddy starts out with one kind of kinky, erotic action, then changes gears to a different kind of kinky erotic action. The chemistry between the main characters sizzles, and there's plenty of hot sex and Daddy kink. Then the energy shifts, but it's hard to describe fully without spoilers so I'll just say it's still hot, but quite different. The intense energy goes from dark eroticism to sarcastic banter and while I found it a bit jarring at first, it ended up working.

If you're a fan of Alice Winters' brand of humor, you'll likely enjoy this holiday novel that's not quite like any other I've read.

[Kristy Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little Christmas naughty brat story though after I while, I did get a little tired of Aiden consistently running away from his problems/fears.

I’m still a little confused over why Avery left and didn’t contact his family for so long? Did I miss the reason or is there going to be another book?

[Sheryl Beesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little story with a dash of kink to spice it up.

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read
enjoyed this more the second time around although it’s a shame we don’t get to see more of past and future library scenes it is nice getting to know the couple and knowing you’ll keep seeing them in the next books :)

Lumberjack (Brother’s best friend) x Bratty Librarian (Best friend’s little brother)

If you like:
- families without a filter
- Daddy relationships
- bratty boys
- creative festive “pervertibles” (stolen that word from Misha Horne now as I love it too much)
Check it out :)

A few quotes for the feelz:
Who said only trees need sparkly lights at Christmas time?
I grabbed the Christmas lights from where they lay still on the bed, looping them around his cock and balls in a makeshift cock ring before reaching over to plug them in on the nightstand, lighting up the room with a multicolored glow. (P. 74)

Throwing shade on Uggs <3
“Remember when he was banned for a week last year? Dude cried outside the bar for two nights, complaining how bad the tourist bar was. He claims he still has flashbacks when he sees UGGS.” (P.94)

A perfect Sunday
“or on a lazy Sunday I could read in your lap.” Aiden rubbed his face all over his chest, acting like a cat. (P.104)

NSFW
Strict Daddy/Boy relationship with topping and bottoming
Bondage
Orgasm Denial
Spanking
Temperature Play
Stranger consensual scenes

[Carol (bookish_notes)]

This was fine? It’s a decent kinky holiday story if that’s what you’re looking for. I really like the characters, but it feels like something is...missing? The story starts out months after the characters have had their secret sexcapades in the library where Aiden works.

Aiden and Jensen have a history in that Jensen is Aiden’s older brother’s best friend, but the entire time they were having sex, Aiden had no idea with his mask on that his Daddy could be someone he knows.

Aiden’s whole deal is that he’s worried about his brother Adam finding out about them but it turns out to be no big deal? I don’t know. It was a weird potential angst build up that went nowhere.

There’s a lot of sex in this book, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this book is probably for you despite the weirdness of the story and the execution? It’s just not for me and I’ve been trying to read this for a couple of days now and not making much progress. So, I’m deciding to call it.

DNF @ 46%.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aufregend ist das Leben des Bibliothekars Aiden ja nicht. Er lebt in einem Bergdorf, das eigentlich nur vom Tourismus lebt. Und in den Wintermonaten kann es schon ziemlich eintönig sein. Doch es ist seine Heimat und er lebt gern hier. Aufregend wird es nur von Zeit zu Zeit, wenn Aidan am Abend Besuch kommt. In der öffentlichen Bibliothek, wenn auch schon nach Dienstschluss. Denn dann sucht ihn ein Fremder auf, der ihn vor Monaten verführt hat. Und nach dessen Besuchen er sich sehnt. Mit ihm kann Aidan seine Phantasien ausleben und ein wenig Spannung in sein schlichtes Leben bringen. Einerseits würde er gern wissen, wer sein geheimer Lover ist, andererseits würde das vermutlich auch den Zauber zerstören.

Dabei ist Aidans Liebhaber kein Unbekannter. Tatsächlich handelt es sich um Jenson, den besten Freund von Aidans älteren Bruder. Es kommt natürlich irgendwann wie es kommen muss und das Geheimnis wird gelüftet. Während Jenson das ziemlich gelassen sieht und auch stoisch mit der Situation umgeht, flippt Aidan völlig aus. Denn er will keinen Streit mit seinem Bruder und will auch die Freunde durch diese Affäre nicht entzweien. Gleichzeitig will er aber Jenson nicht gehen lassen und dieses Verhältnis weiter aufrecht halten.

Jenson war für mich eine richtig coole Socke. Der Held konnte bei mir kaum etwas falsch machen und er ging auch echt sehr gelassen und zielstrebig mit Aiden um. Der hingegen war mir persönlich etwas zu überdreht und zu hysterisch. Dabei ist Aidan ja längst erwachsen und man könnte doch eine gewisse Reife bei ihm voraussetzen. So hat mir Aidens Verhalten manchmal ein wenig den Lesespass genommen. Viel irritierender fand ich aber die vielen losen Ende, die dann zum Schluss liegen geblieben sind.

Was hat es mit dem verschwundenen, dritten, Bruder auf sich, der plötzlich wieder auftaucht? Und wie wird die Familie wieder zusammenfinden? Was ist mit Jensons neuen Job und wie wird Aiden diese ganzen Unsicherheiten händeln? Davon liest man leider nichts und irgendwie hatte ich das Gefühl um ein richtiges Ende mit alle Erklärungen betrogen worden zu sein.

[Miss · Rating 3 out of 5]

It goes on too long.

I was thrilled with the beginning of this. It caught my interest and I was ready to devour it. Then I had to stop reading for work and when I picked it up again I found I had only made it halfway into the story. The second half dragged on for days. I fluctuated on the rating and opted to be generous with a 3 star since there were some elements that I really liked.

The good was overtaken by bad, though. I hate books in a series that spend an unnecessary amount of time building up the next book(s) while ignoring the story they're supposed to be telling with the current book I'm reading. There's enough in this for me not to have a good opinion of Avery, but I an interested in Adam’s story and I'll read them both but do not like that we already know who each brother will end up with because it's so heavily written into this first book.

For Aiden and Jensen, the main characters of this book, it just ends up a mess, in my opinion. The tonal shifts don't work. It starts with the dark, dangerous and risky behavior in the library and it is clear that Aiden wants dark and edgy from a dominant partner. Once Jensen's identity becomes known, though, the tone shifts to romantic comedy and that seems to be what Jensen prefers, but they persist in this Daddy/brat play that seems out of place with the supposed plot while being a central theme in the story. It's just too much thrown in without a clear purpose or smooth finish. And for all the drawn out topics, it opts to do a 2 week jump cut at the end to "resolve" the issue of Jensen's new job after hinting that it was a big issue for them to deal with. That tells me that the author either lost the plot or just rushed the ending and it's so anticlimactic.

[JenCW · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars!

Aiden has been waiting for his fantasy man to show up at the library for another night of kinky fun. When he asks his mystery man to take him home, he never expected to see Jensen, his brother's best friend, in bed with him the next morning. Can Aiden take a chance, or will he let his insecurities and baggage get in the way of having what he wants?

I don't want to spoil too much of the story. Safe to say, though, that Aiden is a brat, and he needs Jensen to provide some structure and help ground him. Thankfully, Jensen knows Aiden and understands what Aiden needs most of the time. Jensen's love was strong enough to withstand Aiden's attempts to run away, which might have been exhausting if it weren't clear that Aiden wants and needs Jensen, too. I appreciated how steadfast Jensen was in wanting a relationship with Aiden and willing to work through Aiden's issues and worries. He took good care of Aiden and adjusted their play, as needed, for the situation. I loved when Aiden let his guard down and was open and honest. His need, and love, for Jensen was clear, even when his anxieties raised their ugly heads.

This story is full of sarcasm from Aiden and his family. His parents were funny; nothing seems to be sacred with them around. It was hard to get a good read on Aiden's brother Adam, who seemed like a good guy, except when you got on his bad side. There was a lot to unpack from Aiden's family once the story begins to unfold, and I hope that we'll find out more with a story featuring either Adam or Avery, Aiden's brothers, soon; hopefully both.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Amanda D · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the stranger you fell in love with isn’t so strange after all

This was the sweetest book. I am a long time fan of Gray and will one-click any of his books that I am able to. He has a way of taking normal situations and making them realistic fairytales. They’re relationships and storylines that you can relate to or envision happening in front of your eyes. Secret Daddy is a book about Jensen and Aiden and the development of their relationship. Jensen, a park ranger who also happens to be Aiden’s brother’s best friend, has been playing a game of sexual fantasy with Aiden for months now without Aiden ever having seen his face or known his name. All Aiden knows is that he waits every night for the stranger to appear in the shadows, to hear his voice, feel his touch, but never see his face. After a rare night spent in bed together, Aiden wakes up to find out that the man who he has been calling Daddy is none other than his brother Adam’s best friend. Chaos ensues and we watch as Aiden and Jensen attempt to find their new normal, deal with family conflict, and face adversity before finding their HEA. Gray does a wonderful job with these characters and builds the foundation for the next book seamlessly into the end of this one. I look forward to reading it. This review is an honest and unbiased reflection of my thoughts after reading an advanced readers copy of the book.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well...with a title and cover like this...who could resist?

But then you have to actually read the book.....

Aiden is content with his quiet life as the town librarian. Especially since that quiet stranger showed up and they started having kinky masked sex in the back of the library stacks. But when Aiden discovers that his ‘Daddy’ is his older brother’s BFF, Jensen, his carefully compartmented life starts to come apart. His brother will be furious, his parents will be devastated, his job at the library will be endangered....However, Jensen is determined to give their developing relationship a chance, but it’s up to Aiden to take a chance in a future together.

Aiden’s character is.....difficult to understand, and hard to like. He’s happy to have his hot-and-kinky episodes with ‘Daddy,’ but as soon as he realizes who Daddy actually is, then all bets are off, because EVERYONE will know. And the funny thing is...NOBODY cares. So all that hand-wringing is just silly.

It would have been nice to have had a better understanding about why Jensen got into kink....as it is, you’re left with an incomplete character; his sexuality and kink is central to the story, but you never know what brought him there.

And...the alternating 1st-person POV is SO annoying! It’s one of my pet peeves, especially when it’s done not very well...like here. It’s easy to lose track of who’s talking/acting...and so a lot of re-reading has to happen.

Won’t bother with the next one.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 🌟🌟🌟🌟. This was my first time reading anything by this author, although TBH I do have his books on my TBR list, but the synopsis just sounded like this was something I would enjoy. And it didn’t disappoint. The book starts out HOT right from the beginning with the two MC’s sharing a kinky tryst in the library after closing. Aiden is one of the town’s librarians and for the last six months has been meeting someone in secret, someone he only knows as Daddy, in the library after hours. He is also always wearing a mask so he never sees his secret Daddy’s real identity. However, the secret is revealed when Daddy grants him one wish and that is to stay with him until he falls asleep. What he doesn’t count on is Daddy being there when he wakes or the fact that he is none other than his older brother’s best friend and his childhood crush, Jensen. Will Jensen be able to convince Aiden that his brother might be shocked, but not outright mad about the relationship? Or will Aiden’s trust issues b/c of a past ex make him put a stop to pursuing Jensen even more than they already have? Jensen definitely has his work cut out for him, but he has been in love with Aiden for months and he knows when he puts on his Daddy voice he can get Aiden to listen. The sexy times are seriously HOT 🔥🔥🔥 and Jensen definitely has creative ways (ie: his use of Christmas garland and string lights) to get Aiden to slow down and listen. It’s all about communication. I really hope there are a few more books planned for this fictional town b/c Aiden’s brothers deserve love too!!

[Reading to Stay Awake · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, so this book has great kink content; Secret Daddy is just that to his Prince and takes excellent care of him until the day comes that Prince asks for more and Daddy agrees. Daddy's hand is forced by the weather but this works well in the end and plays out well for the book.

Both characters are fully present throughout their scenes; it's not at all one sided and they both have great back stories explaining their need for their kink dynamic. They thrive in the relationship and are nourished by it. The supporting cast of mostly family members are amazingly supportive of them both and JR Gray creates a great atmosphere of back slapping and joking that you only get within a close loving and accepting family.

However, as for the story I'm not really sure what that was! The writing is good, descriptive as it draws you through the pages and it had me thinking 'this is a great slow burn page turner kinky romance' but actually, I didn't really find a big showbiz conclusion at the end. I'm not sure if that means it's a cliff hanger for the next book or I missed something.

The book is good to read but I was left feeling that I'd missed something at the end, so if anyone found it could they leave a comment at the end of my review, thanks xx

[Christina Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars so rounding up since we can't give half stars

I’m having a hard time ordering my thoughts for my review so it may seem scattered. I first want to say if you’re not used to this author’s writing style it may take a minute to get into this book. There were a couple of times I went to GR or the author’s website to see if this was part of a series because I felt like I was plopped in the middle of a story I knew nothing about. There is a lot of history that unfolds, and a lot that doesn’t, between these characters that seems like we should know. There are side stories that we either come into the middle of or are left dangling which makes me think this is the start of a series, but I don’t see a series name mentioned.

I like the premise of the story…the secrecy and intrigue but that is revealed very quickly at the beginning of the book which surprised me. They do continue their kinky activities, but the story takes a bit of a turn and becomes about something else altogether.

I had a couple of issues with how the relationship was developed but I liked the book overall. If this does turn out to be a series, I would read the next book.

[Kathy Seabrease · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me from the beginning! The titillating introduction was so hot and exciting. An unknown lover, blindfolding Aiden, giving him all the excitement and kink Aiden wanted, and you know what they say..."Be careful what you wish for"... Aiden was allowed to ask for his heart's (and body's) desire... and he was ecstatic when he got it.... only to wake to his mystery lover to still be there! and discovering the lover is someone that has always been the object of his desire ... his brother's best friend Jensen... Aiden has always worshipped him from afar, but although Aiden wanted Jensen, he feared how it would effect his relationship with his brother Adam. One of the things I loved about this book was that it was all put out there from the start: Jensen's return desire for Aiden, the family conflicts and agendas, and Aiden's insecurities from his previous relationship. No games were played with our heads, no taunting, just the story unfolding before us. Aiden could be immature and pouty, but that's what happens when people are presented like real life. Their attraction, the witty banter, the openness all provided for a fun read. I really want to see where this leads.

[Linda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense, angsty, snarky M/M romance between youngest brother and older brother’s best friend
Loved the dynamic between “the Phantom” who visited Aiden in his little library on nights for six months. Aiden is so very needy. He lashes out with his snark which is mostly very funny but sometimes hurtful. He had a recent bad breakup and is fearful of a repeat so having this Phantom come and do kinky things to him was his dream. Oh, and the Phantom brought a mask for Aiden to wear. Why? When we finally find out who the Phantom is to Aiden, things get really intense. Aiden is a dramatic diva which Jensen likes. Honestly, his angst was a little much at times but maybe that is what a male diva would be like. (???) I think something may be happening with Adam, Aiden’s older brother and another ranger, Cody’s brother. And, why did Avery leave 14 years ago so suddenly? Could it have anything to do with Danny? I’m hoping there are more characters lurking in Gray’s brain! I would love to read their stories.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews and I give this one 4.5 M/M steamy stars.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever meet someone who perfectly balanced you? The calm to your storm? The order to your chaos? Someone who you craved with every fiber of your being and loved based on just the way they smelled, how they tasted and how their touch had you burning from pure need. What if you felt those things without ever knowing the person’s name or who they were in the traditional sense. Just imagine..... Aiden knows a thing or two about this. Though he doesn’t know his name he spends many nights waiting for his Secret Daddy to appear. To come through the doors of the library and instantly own him, mind, body and soul. What if that person was your brother’s best friend? Jensen on the other hand, knows exactly who Aiden is and he wants to keep his little Prince for himself.

Secret Daddy by J.R. Gray is a delicious new release that crackles with heat and emotion. Never has being snowed in been hotter! I thought my kindle might go up in flames in the best possible way. It was funny, sexy and filled with characters that all had a story to tell. Aiden and Jensen both brought their own personal baggage to the relationship and they had to work through their issues to find their HEA.

“Trust is a hard concept and you should give me time.”  He nodded, taking time to choose his words again, or so I hoped. “I understand you were screwed over by a shitty guy and you have baggage, but you don’t get to take it all out on me because you carry it. It’s heavy, and I want to be here for you but you don’t get to assume I will treat you like he did. It’s not fair to me or frankly to us.”  J.R Gray is a very talented author and this is one you will want to grab.

[GhostMMreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing this story I felt like if I had started to watch a movie when it was already well into the first half of the story and I was still missing important background elements.

Aiden and Jensen are pretty hot together but their relationship is not the typical Daddy/boy connection, rather a brat being mildly disciplined when he doesn’t talk and open up to his partner. The dialogues were often funny but also confusing because most of the time Aiden speaks or acts as an automatic reaction to some issue he doesn’t want to deal with and it takes Jensen always some time to calm him down and help him understand how irrational his behaviour is.

Besides the confusion in Aiden’s mind, there is the confusion in his family and the strange relationship among the three brothers.

Overall the reader is left with many questions at the end of the book and the ending actually feels more like an HFN rather than a HEA. I really hope there will be a sequel to this story.