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Daddy's Little Deviants
Daddy's Adorable Assassin
I’ve dedicated my career to hunting him.
A faceless criminal who’s been dropping bodies for six years. The only man who might be able to lead me to the remains of my late wife.
But now that I’ve got him, I’m conflicted about what to do with him.
Cosmo is nothing like we expected. From his soft hair and slender frame, to the innocence in his dark eyes.
He’s shut himself down in little space and only asks for his Daddy.
The bureau wants me to step in and pull him out by getting him to trust me as his new Daddy.
Little did they know they just condemned me to loving this adorable assassin. Now I’ll do anything to keep him from being locked up behind bars.
Anything…
Daddy's Adorable Assassin is a sweetly dark Daddy kink romance that stands alone in the Daddy's Little Deviants world. There is no connection to previous book(s).
A faceless criminal who’s been dropping bodies for six years. The only man who might be able to lead me to the remains of my late wife.
But now that I’ve got him, I’m conflicted about what to do with him.
Cosmo is nothing like we expected. From his soft hair and slender frame, to the innocence in his dark eyes.
He’s shut himself down in little space and only asks for his Daddy.
The bureau wants me to step in and pull him out by getting him to trust me as his new Daddy.
Little did they know they just condemned me to loving this adorable assassin. Now I’ll do anything to keep him from being locked up behind bars.
Anything…
Daddy's Adorable Assassin is a sweetly dark Daddy kink romance that stands alone in the Daddy's Little Deviants world. There is no connection to previous book(s).
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2022
196 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Gianni Holmes
106 books1,296 followersGianni Holmes is a USA TODAY Bestselling author who's embracing her love for literature by wielding the pen and creating stories of her own. She's the author of the popular series The Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale and The Taking Care series. Gianni is a former teacher of Spanish Language and Hispanic Literature.
These days she can be found writing books, hanging out with her readers, and raising her daughter as a single mother. You can keep in touch with her in the following places:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/authorgiannih...
Newsletter: https://www.gianniholmesauthor.com/ne...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/giannigems
These days she can be found writing books, hanging out with her readers, and raising her daughter as a single mother. You can keep in touch with her in the following places:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/authorgiannih...
Newsletter: https://www.gianniholmesauthor.com/ne...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/giannigems
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
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March 10, 2025
|| 2.5 stars ||
➛First read: May 2022 | ★3.5 stars
➛Second read: May 2023 | ★2.5 stars
Jeez, this was just completely fucked up.
At first I liked the messed-up nature of this book. It was weird, wild, insane, toxic, intense, crazy and immoral, but I liked it.
Eventually, though.. It just became a bit too much. And it's not even the immense darkness that ruined it for me; I wasn't necessarily peeved by their immortality. I was just put off by other stuff, like.. They were just too obsessed. It was too unrealistic. It was just too much, and I simply wasn't feeling it anymore.
I'm still giving it an okay rating, because I genuinely enjoyed it a lot before I reached that point of 'too much', and I was definitely intrigued by the story and the hints sprinkled throughout about what the hell was even going on and what would happen next.
Every character kind of got on my nerves: Hunter's son, Nate, annoyed me. Hunter's partner, Barney, annoyed me. The lead agent, Knight, annoyed me. Hunter himself annoyed me. Everyone annoyed me, except for Cosmo. He was insane, but I loved his manipulation and perceived innocence, and I found him the only truly interesting character.
The relationship here is most likely the most unhealthy one I have ever read about. They are utterly psychotic, deranged and consumed by each other. They do some truly fucked up shit to one another as well, and it had my head spinning from time to time.
I think the premise of this book was really cool and super interesting, but I feel like it kind of went too far and the book got away from itself in trying to be as shocking as possible.
Gianni Holmes books:
Miles High - 1.5 stars
‘The Simple Rules’ series - var. ratings
‘A Hitman’s Bait’ series - var. ratings
Daddy’s Adorable Assassin - 2.5 stars
Love in Slow M’Ocean - 3.0 stars
Class Act - 2.0 stars
➛First read: May 2022 | ★3.5 stars
➛Second read: May 2023 | ★2.5 stars
Jeez, this was just completely fucked up.
At first I liked the messed-up nature of this book. It was weird, wild, insane, toxic, intense, crazy and immoral, but I liked it.
Eventually, though.. It just became a bit too much. And it's not even the immense darkness that ruined it for me; I wasn't necessarily peeved by their immortality. I was just put off by other stuff, like.. They were just too obsessed. It was too unrealistic. It was just too much, and I simply wasn't feeling it anymore.
I'm still giving it an okay rating, because I genuinely enjoyed it a lot before I reached that point of 'too much', and I was definitely intrigued by the story and the hints sprinkled throughout about what the hell was even going on and what would happen next.
Every character kind of got on my nerves: Hunter's son, Nate, annoyed me. Hunter's partner, Barney, annoyed me. The lead agent, Knight, annoyed me. Hunter himself annoyed me. Everyone annoyed me, except for Cosmo. He was insane, but I loved his manipulation and perceived innocence, and I found him the only truly interesting character.
The relationship here is most likely the most unhealthy one I have ever read about. They are utterly psychotic, deranged and consumed by each other. They do some truly fucked up shit to one another as well, and it had my head spinning from time to time.
I think the premise of this book was really cool and super interesting, but I feel like it kind of went too far and the book got away from itself in trying to be as shocking as possible.
Gianni Holmes books:
Miles High - 1.5 stars
‘The Simple Rules’ series - var. ratings
‘A Hitman’s Bait’ series - var. ratings
Daddy’s Adorable Assassin - 2.5 stars
Love in Slow M’Ocean - 3.0 stars
Class Act - 2.0 stars
January 16, 2025
re-read January 2025
When you only wanted to look up one scene, then couldn’t stop and end up reading the whole book you never intended on picking up ever again.
----------
edit: I've decided and I'm rating it four stars now because despite my feeling disturbed by a lot of it I was riveted from start to finish.
***no rating***
due to indecision
F*ck! This was so sick. And therefore one hell of a bitch to rate. So I’m leaving it unrated for now because I kinda really loved it and I kinda really didn’t.
✧ Obsession
✧ Possessiveness
✧ morally gray characters
✧ mystery / suspense
✧ a lot of lies and secrets
✧ Daddy/little dynamics
✧ and super hot smut
is some of what you get here.
The biggest thing I struggled with was that I mostly couldn’t decipher if Cosmo was being genuine and truly needed his Daddy or if he was manipulative in appearing needy to save his own ass. It was probably always a little bit of both, but I hated the idea of him manipulating Hunter. It made me feel so sad for Hunter even though I could absolutely understand Cosmo’s reasons for being dishonest. Although at that point I didn’t know everything there was to know about him.
Also, I read about a variety of different kinks but the doll-play these two engaged in was not for me. And while it was hot it also kinda left me disturbed. Even more so, the gentle and caring Daddy Hunter involuntarily became turning feral in that moment had me confused as hell on top of it.
Considering that we are also privy to all the things (mostly severe mental abuse) Cosmo went through when growing up only added to the feeling of disturbance in me while reading this book.
And don’t get me started on the conclusion to this crazy story. Still, this book had me in its grasp and I couldn’t stop reading no matter how disturbing it was or how uncomfortable I felt doing so.
This was one hell of a ride.
And btw, I freaking adore this cover.
side note: Daddy's Pretty Pyro should’ve been the third book in the series and I probably would’ve read it, it sounds good from the little tease. But what happened? It doesn't appear to be released anymore.
**************
Daddy's Little Deviants Series
Book 1 - Daddy's Stepstalker
Book 2 - Daddy's Adorable Assassin - no rating
When you only wanted to look up one scene, then couldn’t stop and end up reading the whole book you never intended on picking up ever again.
My body felt bruised and broken. I leaned into him, my chest rising and falling hard. I closed my eyes and listened to the crazy thud of his heart.
We’d survived one more fight.
----------
edit: I've decided and I'm rating it four stars now because despite my feeling disturbed by a lot of it I was riveted from start to finish.
***no rating***
due to indecision
F*ck! This was so sick. And therefore one hell of a bitch to rate. So I’m leaving it unrated for now because I kinda really loved it and I kinda really didn’t.
✧ Obsession
✧ Possessiveness
✧ morally gray characters
✧ mystery / suspense
✧ a lot of lies and secrets
✧ Daddy/little dynamics
✧ and super hot smut
is some of what you get here.
The biggest thing I struggled with was that I mostly couldn’t decipher if Cosmo was being genuine and truly needed his Daddy or if he was manipulative in appearing needy to save his own ass. It was probably always a little bit of both, but I hated the idea of him manipulating Hunter. It made me feel so sad for Hunter even though I could absolutely understand Cosmo’s reasons for being dishonest. Although at that point I didn’t know everything there was to know about him.
Also, I read about a variety of different kinks but the doll-play these two engaged in was not for me. And while it was hot it also kinda left me disturbed. Even more so, the gentle and caring Daddy Hunter involuntarily became turning feral in that moment had me confused as hell on top of it.
“You never wanted the decency of my love, did you, beloved?” He cupped my jaw and pulled me off his cock, swept me off my feet easily, and spread me out on the counter before him. “All you wanted was the violence of my obsession with you.”
Considering that we are also privy to all the things (mostly severe mental abuse) Cosmo went through when growing up only added to the feeling of disturbance in me while reading this book.
And don’t get me started on the conclusion to this crazy story. Still, this book had me in its grasp and I couldn’t stop reading no matter how disturbing it was or how uncomfortable I felt doing so.
“The way you want me to prove it to you, I’ll destroy you. Or you’ll destroy me, but there’s no way we come out of this unscathed, Cosmo. What the fuck have you done to me?”
This was one hell of a ride.
And btw, I freaking adore this cover.
side note: Daddy's Pretty Pyro should’ve been the third book in the series and I probably would’ve read it, it sounds good from the little tease. But what happened? It doesn't appear to be released anymore.
**************
Daddy's Little Deviants Series
Book 1 - Daddy's Stepstalker
Book 2 - Daddy's Adorable Assassin - no rating
July 24, 2023
re-read 07.2023
I thought I would never be able to touch this book again. And here I am, only a few months have passed and I love it. It is still completely disturbing and toxic. But I just had to read it again and wanted to convince myself that I really did find it so repulsive that I didn't declare it a perfect book for me. Well, I'm giving it 5 stars now after all, because ... Cosmo ... I just love this insane character.
I was a pint-sized Barbie doll no one took seriously. A pity they always overlooked the choking hazard sign that usually came on the package. 🖤🌹🖤🌹🖤
“Why would I need a safeword? When I’m a doll, Daddy can do whatever he wants to me. You don’t hurt an object, Daddy. Why aren’t you getting it?” 🖤🌹🖤🌹🖤
first read 08.2022
I think, I need to bleach my eyes. It's beyond me, how I could read this book. This was absolutely exhausting, but I couldn't take my eyes off it. I kind of liked it though, but I'm afraid this is one of those books I'll never touch again.
Cosmo definitely has me wrapped around his little finger. I wasn't convinced for a second that he would have to pay for his crimes. All the relationships are unhealthy in this book and you can't really believe that anything "good" can come out of it. Cosmo and Hunter are entirely psychotic and toxic together.
What makes this sickening story good is the author's style. It sucks you in and doesn't let you go. At the end you are spat out and have to see how the world around you can reshape itself. I had a bit of a nightmare last night .... So I will have to treat myself to something with sunshine next.
I thought I would never be able to touch this book again. And here I am, only a few months have passed and I love it. It is still completely disturbing and toxic. But I just had to read it again and wanted to convince myself that I really did find it so repulsive that I didn't declare it a perfect book for me. Well, I'm giving it 5 stars now after all, because ... Cosmo ... I just love this insane character.
I was a pint-sized Barbie doll no one took seriously. A pity they always overlooked the choking hazard sign that usually came on the package. 🖤🌹🖤🌹🖤
“Why would I need a safeword? When I’m a doll, Daddy can do whatever he wants to me. You don’t hurt an object, Daddy. Why aren’t you getting it?” 🖤🌹🖤🌹🖤
first read 08.2022
I think, I need to bleach my eyes. It's beyond me, how I could read this book. This was absolutely exhausting, but I couldn't take my eyes off it. I kind of liked it though, but I'm afraid this is one of those books I'll never touch again.
Cosmo definitely has me wrapped around his little finger. I wasn't convinced for a second that he would have to pay for his crimes. All the relationships are unhealthy in this book and you can't really believe that anything "good" can come out of it. Cosmo and Hunter are entirely psychotic and toxic together.
What makes this sickening story good is the author's style. It sucks you in and doesn't let you go. At the end you are spat out and have to see how the world around you can reshape itself. I had a bit of a nightmare last night .... So I will have to treat myself to something with sunshine next.
November 16, 2024
5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
“You never wanted the decency of my love, did you, beloved? All you wanted was the violence of my obsession with you.”
I don’t think any rating or review can accurately describe the emotions that this book evoked in me.
Firstly, the premise of this book is so fucking unique and fascinating. The dynamics between Hunter and Cosmo and how they shift throughout the book. Hunter basically assuming a Daddy role for Cosmo despite never being interested in the lifestyle, and then absolutely nailing it. The love and care he had for Cosmo was everything.
I will say Hunter was super dislikable to me at several points throughout this book, but it never really took away from my reading experience. Cosmo though? Absolutely adored him. Such a fun and lovable boy.
The plot twists were crazy. I literally never knew what to expect next, and every theory I came up with was wrong. I just had so much fun never being able to anticipate what crazy event happened next.
The spice was spicing, but honestly I loved the sweet and soft moments way more. I’m still on the fence on how I feel about age play/regression but I loved it in this book. Everything just absolutely worked for me.
The last handful of chapters though? I was physically ill. Have never had a book affect me the way this one did. And I mean this in the best way, because I was absolutely immersed in this story, so much so that my chest ached.
I cannot say enough great things about this book. I am 100% reading everything by Gianni Holmes now.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
“You never wanted the decency of my love, did you, beloved? All you wanted was the violence of my obsession with you.”
I don’t think any rating or review can accurately describe the emotions that this book evoked in me.
Firstly, the premise of this book is so fucking unique and fascinating. The dynamics between Hunter and Cosmo and how they shift throughout the book. Hunter basically assuming a Daddy role for Cosmo despite never being interested in the lifestyle, and then absolutely nailing it. The love and care he had for Cosmo was everything.
I will say Hunter was super dislikable to me at several points throughout this book, but it never really took away from my reading experience. Cosmo though? Absolutely adored him. Such a fun and lovable boy.
The plot twists were crazy. I literally never knew what to expect next, and every theory I came up with was wrong. I just had so much fun never being able to anticipate what crazy event happened next.
The spice was spicing, but honestly I loved the sweet and soft moments way more. I’m still on the fence on how I feel about age play/regression but I loved it in this book. Everything just absolutely worked for me.
The last handful of chapters though? I was physically ill. Have never had a book affect me the way this one did. And I mean this in the best way, because I was absolutely immersed in this story, so much so that my chest ached.
I cannot say enough great things about this book. I am 100% reading everything by Gianni Holmes now.
May 21, 2022
5++++++ stars story. I absolutely adored this dark and somewhat twisted depraved book. I'm hooked on this series. So upset I have to wait sooooo long for book 3! 😭😭😭😭😭😭
January 9, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
He wasn’t still mad about yesterday, was he? I’d stabbed him, and he’d fucked me within an inch of my life. I would think we were equal.
I think this might be the most toxic relationship I’ve ever read in a romance book, lol. It is definitely dark romance, and even though I’m not new to that genre, the ‘dark’ is more often than not external to the relationship in the books I tend to read. This was on a different level entirely, but it was like a car wreck I couldn’t look away from. I caught myself thinking something like ‘oh my god, that’s awful! And then what happened?’ probably no less than 50 times, lol.
“Do you think I’m crazy?” “I… think you’re a complicated person.” “But you love me anyway, right?” I kissed his temple. “I do.”
This book also somehow has a HEA. I must admit I struggled to see how we’d get there at one point, but it was honestly quite satisfactory, all things considered. These characters are absolutely obsessed with each other, to the detriment of *everything* else. It’s not the ‘mine’ and possessive kind of obsession you often see either, but something deeply toxic and dysfunctional, filled with jealousy and a good dose of violence in many forms. They should be running as far away from each other as possible.
“When I kiss you… when I’m inside you, I lose reason. I don’t know what the hell Virgil did to you to make you love that I hurt you, but whatever it is, it’s bad, Cosmo. It’s really bad, and I can feel that sickness creeping in me. I want to violate you, fuck you, and watch you cry while you struggle to take me inside you. I shouldn’t want it, but I fucking do, and I hate myself for it.”
It was a crazy ride (just take a peek at the content warnings and you’ll see why), but I had such a blast reading it. Definitely need a dose of something sweet and normal after, lol.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Dark romance
Daddy/boy
Assassin
Sexual awakening
Police detective
Size difference
Police/criminal
Virgin MC
Makeup
Dollification
Age regression/mild age play
Jealousy
Widower
Toxic relationship
Past abuse
Age gap
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence
Explicit sexual content
Lashing with belt
Abuse
Grooming (not between MCs)
Manipulation
Dubious consent (MC and jail cellmate)
Dubious consent (between MCs)
Brief mentions of attempted sexual assault
Vomiting
Age regression
Mild age play
Mentions of past ABDL
Brief mentions of miscarriages (past)
A bit of stabbing (between MCs)
Slapping (between MCs)
Physical altercation between MCs
Child endangerment
Child abuse
Blackmail
Incarceration
Interrogation
Rough/aggressive sex
Infantilism
Penetration without lube or prep
Objectification
Murder of a spouse (past)
Intense jealousy
Knife play
Blood play
Disordered eating
Food/weight control (form of abuse, past)
Forced feminization (past)
MC buried alive
Death of side character
MC kidnapped as a child
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No (not to me, anyway)
OM/OW drama: Yes. Hunter kisses/is kissed by someone else both before and after the MCs get together. Cosmo gives a blowjob to his cellmate in jail (dubious consent). Both MCs are pursued by SCs.
Breakup: Sort of
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Dark contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 20 and not specified
Pages: 410
When he came over, I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around him. “Pick me up.” “Are you forgetting the magic word?” “Now?” I bit my bottom lip.
He was just as out of his depth, trying to make sense of loving someone so much we stayed when we should have run.
You adorable little fool, how can I look at another man when all my heart sees is you?”
He wasn’t still mad about yesterday, was he? I’d stabbed him, and he’d fucked me within an inch of my life. I would think we were equal.
I think this might be the most toxic relationship I’ve ever read in a romance book, lol. It is definitely dark romance, and even though I’m not new to that genre, the ‘dark’ is more often than not external to the relationship in the books I tend to read. This was on a different level entirely, but it was like a car wreck I couldn’t look away from. I caught myself thinking something like ‘oh my god, that’s awful! And then what happened?’ probably no less than 50 times, lol.
“Do you think I’m crazy?” “I… think you’re a complicated person.” “But you love me anyway, right?” I kissed his temple. “I do.”
This book also somehow has a HEA. I must admit I struggled to see how we’d get there at one point, but it was honestly quite satisfactory, all things considered. These characters are absolutely obsessed with each other, to the detriment of *everything* else. It’s not the ‘mine’ and possessive kind of obsession you often see either, but something deeply toxic and dysfunctional, filled with jealousy and a good dose of violence in many forms. They should be running as far away from each other as possible.
“When I kiss you… when I’m inside you, I lose reason. I don’t know what the hell Virgil did to you to make you love that I hurt you, but whatever it is, it’s bad, Cosmo. It’s really bad, and I can feel that sickness creeping in me. I want to violate you, fuck you, and watch you cry while you struggle to take me inside you. I shouldn’t want it, but I fucking do, and I hate myself for it.”
It was a crazy ride (just take a peek at the content warnings and you’ll see why), but I had such a blast reading it. Definitely need a dose of something sweet and normal after, lol.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Dark romance
Daddy/boy
Assassin
Sexual awakening
Police detective
Size difference
Police/criminal
Virgin MC
Makeup
Dollification
Age regression/mild age play
Jealousy
Widower
Toxic relationship
Past abuse
Age gap
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence
Explicit sexual content
Lashing with belt
Abuse
Grooming (not between MCs)
Manipulation
Dubious consent (MC and jail cellmate)
Dubious consent (between MCs)
Brief mentions of attempted sexual assault
Vomiting
Age regression
Mild age play
Mentions of past ABDL
Brief mentions of miscarriages (past)
A bit of stabbing (between MCs)
Slapping (between MCs)
Physical altercation between MCs
Child endangerment
Child abuse
Blackmail
Incarceration
Interrogation
Rough/aggressive sex
Infantilism
Penetration without lube or prep
Objectification
Murder of a spouse (past)
Intense jealousy
Knife play
Blood play
Disordered eating
Food/weight control (form of abuse, past)
Forced feminization (past)
MC buried alive
Death of side character
MC kidnapped as a child
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No (not to me, anyway)
OM/OW drama: Yes. Hunter kisses/is kissed by someone else both before and after the MCs get together. Cosmo gives a blowjob to his cellmate in jail (dubious consent). Both MCs are pursued by SCs.
Breakup: Sort of
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Dark contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 20 and not specified
Pages: 410
When he came over, I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around him. “Pick me up.” “Are you forgetting the magic word?” “Now?” I bit my bottom lip.
He was just as out of his depth, trying to make sense of loving someone so much we stayed when we should have run.
You adorable little fool, how can I look at another man when all my heart sees is you?”
August 31, 2022
2.5
Ion know, I did this to myself. Even worse for me than the first book cuz this had actual diapers, onesies, and like total age regression. There wasn’t even enough murder and mayhem to make me like even a little more. Don't get me wrong, well written stuff but this little shit really ain’t for me and I couldn’t escape it.
Ion know, I did this to myself. Even worse for me than the first book cuz this had actual diapers, onesies, and like total age regression. There wasn’t even enough murder and mayhem to make me like even a little more. Don't get me wrong, well written stuff but this little shit really ain’t for me and I couldn’t escape it.
May 21, 2022
Jeez, how do I review this one? I was sitting on the edge of my chair (that sound nice and dramatic, uh, to be honest, I’m lying in bed, still my heart was pounding!)
Watching a responsible law-abiding cop turning into a possessive Daddy was everything!
It sounds romantic but it isn’t.
Cosmo was found in a car, he seems to be the son of a serial killer and the key to a solution, finding out what happened exactly with all the killing.
For over a decade Hunter tries to solve the mystery of the killer.
After finding the innocent-looking boy Hunter understands he’s in a headspace of a little. He needs guidance.
It seems he wants Hunter as his next Daddy. Hunter has to play along to get answers out of the boy.
“Pinky promise.”
Talking about pinkies… in no time Cosmo got Hunter twisted around his finger. Hunter is losing himself around Cosmo, literally! He was always a kind man, a good cop, now he’s rough and ruthless and deeply in love.
Cosmo has secrets, dark ones.
Oh boy, the story starts quite easy-going, but the further it got the more epic it became.
Like I said my heart was pounding, I got whiplash from all the emotions smacking around.
The author did an amazing job, in the beginning, I didn’t know where the story would go, but soon enough I got the message loud and clear.
Epic, that’s the word.
Read the content warning: gross child endangerment, child abuse, isolation of a child, infantilism, grooming, blackmail, manipulation, incarceration, physical violence, murder/killer for hire, aggressive sex and bodily harm.
Watching a responsible law-abiding cop turning into a possessive Daddy was everything!
It sounds romantic but it isn’t.
Cosmo was found in a car, he seems to be the son of a serial killer and the key to a solution, finding out what happened exactly with all the killing.
For over a decade Hunter tries to solve the mystery of the killer.
After finding the innocent-looking boy Hunter understands he’s in a headspace of a little. He needs guidance.
It seems he wants Hunter as his next Daddy. Hunter has to play along to get answers out of the boy.
“Pinky promise.”
Talking about pinkies… in no time Cosmo got Hunter twisted around his finger. Hunter is losing himself around Cosmo, literally! He was always a kind man, a good cop, now he’s rough and ruthless and deeply in love.
Cosmo has secrets, dark ones.
Oh boy, the story starts quite easy-going, but the further it got the more epic it became.
Like I said my heart was pounding, I got whiplash from all the emotions smacking around.
The author did an amazing job, in the beginning, I didn’t know where the story would go, but soon enough I got the message loud and clear.
Epic, that’s the word.
Read the content warning: gross child endangerment, child abuse, isolation of a child, infantilism, grooming, blackmail, manipulation, incarceration, physical violence, murder/killer for hire, aggressive sex and bodily harm.
Read
May 25, 2022I'm not going to rate this book at this time. In all fairness, I've been trying to read and finish this book for the past week, but it's been under emotionally stressful conditions and though I didn't really enjoy this story after the 50 percent mark or so, I don't think it would be right to rate it because my mind isn't in the right place.
Having said this, I did not enjoy the sex scenes. I got to where I did not enjoy the sick almost abusive relationship these two developed. I almost quit reading it a few times, but like a train wreck, I couldn't stop reading it.
If I had to rate it now, feeling as I do, I'd give it between 1 and 2 stars. I won't right now. I'm not in a good state of mind and I truly want to be fair. Period.
I liked the first book. This one not so much, but I do plan on reading the next one the series.
Having said this, I did not enjoy the sex scenes. I got to where I did not enjoy the sick almost abusive relationship these two developed. I almost quit reading it a few times, but like a train wreck, I couldn't stop reading it.
If I had to rate it now, feeling as I do, I'd give it between 1 and 2 stars. I won't right now. I'm not in a good state of mind and I truly want to be fair. Period.
I liked the first book. This one not so much, but I do plan on reading the next one the series.
May 15, 2022
5/5. Highlights may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.
House of Obscure Reviews
Content Warnings for book: Physical abuse (between MCs), emotional abuse (between MCs), toxic jealousy, disordered eating and body checking, gross child endangerment, parental neglect, parental abuse, reference to attempted child murder, murder, killer for hire, dubcon (between MCs and between others), noncon (between MCs and between others), morally reprehensible MCs, cheating, gun violence, victim blaming, child grooming, manipulation, blackmail, betrayal, incarceration, forced isolation, sex injury, infantilization, claustrophobia (due to being buried alive), disrespect of the dead and graves
Kink: Ageplay, ABDL, daddy kink, knifeplay, blood play, dollification, purposeful sex without lube, rough sex
If you've read Daddy's Stepstalker by Gianni Holmes, you know that this author is willing to cross lines and make dark romances dark, not softening the edges or morals of the characters involved to make the bows nice and complete. Considering how enraptured I was by Stepstalker, it surprised me how it almost became tame compared to this one. Don't get me wrong, it starts with a slowburn - something I didn't expect - but once things are in motion, it's pedal to the metal.
I really don't want to spoil anything, but if that laundry list of triggers is good with you, and you're willing to take the leap into this roller coaster of twists and turns and oh-so-toxic love, do it. It's worth it! Seriously, even until the end, these characters and their relationship are gripping. With Ari and Shaw we saw the corruption happening and the manipulation, but Cosmo and Hunter far surpass those two. The things they do to each other - how their love is violent, obsessive, abusive, and yet they relish in it despite all secrets eventually being exposed... well. There's something raw and primal to being apart of that experience.
**MILD SPOILERS AHEAD**
I will say, as I think this is important for readers to know, that Cosmo is an unreliable narrator in his point of view. Not only does he manipulate Hunter, but you are being manipulated by him as well as lies are told and truth is obfuscated. However, I didn't mind it so much, because we do get our plot resolutions. I like too that this epilogue touched on everything - and how Holmes is not afraid to write a character who's darkness, who's lack of morals, and who's actions are reprehensible even with the extenuating circumstances, does not suddenly disappear with love. In fact, Cosmo pulls Hunter into a well of darkness that he does not escape.
Kink wise, I will say the age play is not really a kink or focus in the way it was in Stepstalker - the author explains moreso how Cosmo's upbringing leads to his mindset being rather infantilized so his needs can be similar to that as a child sometimes, as well as age regression that he is not in full control of. The dollification kink is much more the focus of this book.
**END OF SPOILERS**
I highly recommend this read to lovers of dark romance (and of course, if the kinks interest you), and to those who want the idea of an all-consuming love.
House of Obscure Reviews
Content Warnings for book: Physical abuse (between MCs), emotional abuse (between MCs), toxic jealousy, disordered eating and body checking, gross child endangerment, parental neglect, parental abuse, reference to attempted child murder, murder, killer for hire, dubcon (between MCs and between others), noncon (between MCs and between others), morally reprehensible MCs, cheating, gun violence, victim blaming, child grooming, manipulation, blackmail, betrayal, incarceration, forced isolation, sex injury, infantilization, claustrophobia (due to being buried alive), disrespect of the dead and graves
Kink: Ageplay, ABDL, daddy kink, knifeplay, blood play, dollification, purposeful sex without lube, rough sex
If you've read Daddy's Stepstalker by Gianni Holmes, you know that this author is willing to cross lines and make dark romances dark, not softening the edges or morals of the characters involved to make the bows nice and complete. Considering how enraptured I was by Stepstalker, it surprised me how it almost became tame compared to this one. Don't get me wrong, it starts with a slowburn - something I didn't expect - but once things are in motion, it's pedal to the metal.
I really don't want to spoil anything, but if that laundry list of triggers is good with you, and you're willing to take the leap into this roller coaster of twists and turns and oh-so-toxic love, do it. It's worth it! Seriously, even until the end, these characters and their relationship are gripping. With Ari and Shaw we saw the corruption happening and the manipulation, but Cosmo and Hunter far surpass those two. The things they do to each other - how their love is violent, obsessive, abusive, and yet they relish in it despite all secrets eventually being exposed... well. There's something raw and primal to being apart of that experience.
**MILD SPOILERS AHEAD**
I will say, as I think this is important for readers to know, that Cosmo is an unreliable narrator in his point of view. Not only does he manipulate Hunter, but you are being manipulated by him as well as lies are told and truth is obfuscated. However, I didn't mind it so much, because we do get our plot resolutions. I like too that this epilogue touched on everything - and how Holmes is not afraid to write a character who's darkness, who's lack of morals, and who's actions are reprehensible even with the extenuating circumstances, does not suddenly disappear with love. In fact, Cosmo pulls Hunter into a well of darkness that he does not escape.
Kink wise, I will say the age play is not really a kink or focus in the way it was in Stepstalker - the author explains moreso how Cosmo's upbringing leads to his mindset being rather infantilized so his needs can be similar to that as a child sometimes, as well as age regression that he is not in full control of. The dollification kink is much more the focus of this book.
**END OF SPOILERS**
I highly recommend this read to lovers of dark romance (and of course, if the kinks interest you), and to those who want the idea of an all-consuming love.
April 29, 2024
Im at a loss for words tbh let me just think
May 19, 2022
This book is definitely not for the vanilla readers. If you enjoyed the first book then u may enjoy this one too but it is way more extreme, so you may not. You're warned. I for one loved it, there may be something wrong with me lol. It is a standalone and has nothing to do with the previous book other than the similar dark theme. This one though was definitely more of a psychological thriller. It was super dark, twisted, tragic, super kinky, dirty and sexy. It was fast paced and full of suspense, with so many twists and surprises. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I could not put this down.
This is a wild ride from start to finish. It was well written and although it may be crazy to say, the characters were fabulous and their chemistry was smoking hot.
Warning ⚠️
There are plenty of kinks and triggers that might not be for everyone (dub con, non con, murder, blood/knife play, breath play, bdsm and dollification/somnophilia just to name a few).
Plot
Cosmo is 20, small, femme, seemingly innocent, abused and mentally damaged after the only man he's ever known turns up dead and he gets taken into police custody and questioned about his father being a serial killer. Cosmo is also a 24/7 little who can't function on his own.
Hunter has been trying to find the local serial killer for years. He even lost his wife to him. Now he wants nothing more than to find the bad guy and retrieve his wifes missing body. When he can no longer get answers from the dead suspect, he tries to ask Cosmo but he is so locked in little mode. The only way is to become his new Daddy. Despite thinking he is straight he falls for Cosmo and is possessive of him and behaves totally unlike his strict by the rules self and will do anything to protect his boy.
This is a wild ride from start to finish. It was well written and although it may be crazy to say, the characters were fabulous and their chemistry was smoking hot.
Warning ⚠️
There are plenty of kinks and triggers that might not be for everyone (dub con, non con, murder, blood/knife play, breath play, bdsm and dollification/somnophilia just to name a few).
Plot
Cosmo is 20, small, femme, seemingly innocent, abused and mentally damaged after the only man he's ever known turns up dead and he gets taken into police custody and questioned about his father being a serial killer. Cosmo is also a 24/7 little who can't function on his own.
Hunter has been trying to find the local serial killer for years. He even lost his wife to him. Now he wants nothing more than to find the bad guy and retrieve his wifes missing body. When he can no longer get answers from the dead suspect, he tries to ask Cosmo but he is so locked in little mode. The only way is to become his new Daddy. Despite thinking he is straight he falls for Cosmo and is possessive of him and behaves totally unlike his strict by the rules self and will do anything to protect his boy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2022
UHGGG SO “BADDD” 🫣😈👀 BUT SO SO GOOOOD 😏🥵😭👏🏼 This checked all boxes for me I think HAHA
June 5, 2022
To było świetne 50% tej książki, później już nie. Nie bardzo rozumiem dlaczego oni zostali razem. Wiem dziwne myślenie jak na romans, ale coś mi w nich nie zagrało.
May 25, 2022
Well this was something
First off, take all cw's for this one to heart. There were some dark stuff going on in here. There is blood, abuse, and lots of puking. The abusive funtimes was hard to read in some parts, yet Cosmo being a real doll was so awesome. You don't see that very often and I loved the tea party.
Cosmo and Hunter had issues. Cosmo was so young and was basically raised to be messed up, but Hunter did not have that excuse. I mean, Hunter went from being an upstanding citizen to protecting Cosmo no matter what with very little prompting.
Now don't get me wrong, Hunter said he was a good person, but actions speak louder than words. Especially that scene near the end, that was messed up.
Let me also point out that Cosmo was really not smart and the reveal of who he really was did not ring true to me.
Also, I want to mention the whole "Hunter was not bi but Cosmo shows up and everyone around him wanted to have him" thing was odd. Also, Hunter kept messing around with Knight which did not make sense. If he was so obsessed with Cosmo, he should not have wanted anyone else.
As you can possibly tell this book was nothing like the first one. While the first was dark there was always a reason things happened, not so much here though. However the writing itself was so much better. I was sucked in from the beginning and stayed that way until the end.
First off, take all cw's for this one to heart. There were some dark stuff going on in here. There is blood, abuse, and lots of puking. The abusive funtimes was hard to read in some parts, yet Cosmo being a real doll was so awesome. You don't see that very often and I loved the tea party.
Cosmo and Hunter had issues. Cosmo was so young and was basically raised to be messed up, but Hunter did not have that excuse. I mean, Hunter went from being an upstanding citizen to protecting Cosmo no matter what with very little prompting.
Now don't get me wrong, Hunter said he was a good person, but actions speak louder than words. Especially that scene near the end, that was messed up.
Let me also point out that Cosmo was really not smart and the reveal of who he really was did not ring true to me.
Also, I want to mention the whole "Hunter was not bi but Cosmo shows up and everyone around him wanted to have him" thing was odd. Also, Hunter kept messing around with Knight which did not make sense. If he was so obsessed with Cosmo, he should not have wanted anyone else.
As you can possibly tell this book was nothing like the first one. While the first was dark there was always a reason things happened, not so much here though. However the writing itself was so much better. I was sucked in from the beginning and stayed that way until the end.
May 17, 2022
This book was off the charts! Sexy, dark, and very complicated, and so good!
Hunter is a detective that’s been hunting a serial killer for five years. He has no idea who it is, but he knows he has to find him; not just to stop him, but because it’s very personal.
When a beautiful young boy is picked up by the FBI and touted as the killer, Hunter knows it can’t be him. He’s sweet, sad, and so scared of what’s going to happen to him. He’s also out of his depth without the man he called Daddy.
But Cosmo may not be as innocent as he seems. A beautifully morally grey character, Cosmo keeps you guessing throughout the story. Every time you think you have him figured out, he throws another curveball.
Cosmo had a very difficult life where bad things were done to him, but he also did bad things to others. Is it so much that Hunter can’t love him, or has he found his Daddy?
Hunter is a detective that’s been hunting a serial killer for five years. He has no idea who it is, but he knows he has to find him; not just to stop him, but because it’s very personal.
When a beautiful young boy is picked up by the FBI and touted as the killer, Hunter knows it can’t be him. He’s sweet, sad, and so scared of what’s going to happen to him. He’s also out of his depth without the man he called Daddy.
But Cosmo may not be as innocent as he seems. A beautifully morally grey character, Cosmo keeps you guessing throughout the story. Every time you think you have him figured out, he throws another curveball.
Cosmo had a very difficult life where bad things were done to him, but he also did bad things to others. Is it so much that Hunter can’t love him, or has he found his Daddy?
May 18, 2022
Wow, this book was just so deliciously dark and dirty! There are definitely some trigger warnings so if you have concerns, you should make sure you read these first! This book is the second in the series but can absolutely be read as a stand-alone as it features completely new characters.
I adored this book and once I started I didn’t want to put it down. This is probably one of the darker books I have read from this author but it is oh so good! Hunter is a police detective who has been building a case against a killer known as the Handkerchief Killer for the last 10 years. He is suddenly contacted by the FBI who say they have caught the killer and he is taken to a blacksite to assist with the investigation. Whilst there, he meets Cosmo who is deep in little space and won’t respond. What happens next will dramatically change both of their futures.
I loved how well written these books were and the twists and turns kept me guessing right until the end. It was so clever how Hunter and Cosmo changed throughout the book and your could really feel Hunters decent into obsession as the story progressed. I just loved this book so much!
I adored this book and once I started I didn’t want to put it down. This is probably one of the darker books I have read from this author but it is oh so good! Hunter is a police detective who has been building a case against a killer known as the Handkerchief Killer for the last 10 years. He is suddenly contacted by the FBI who say they have caught the killer and he is taken to a blacksite to assist with the investigation. Whilst there, he meets Cosmo who is deep in little space and won’t respond. What happens next will dramatically change both of their futures.
I loved how well written these books were and the twists and turns kept me guessing right until the end. It was so clever how Hunter and Cosmo changed throughout the book and your could really feel Hunters decent into obsession as the story progressed. I just loved this book so much!
August 14, 2022
Yea wow. This was fucked up. If you enjoyed the first in this series Daddy's Stepstalker you'll love this. If that one was a bit to much or didn't appeal to you, stay clear of this one.
"What the hell was I doing, making his life a living hell? But I’d sunken my claws into him already, and I loved the way he bled too much for me to unfasten them. I needed to keep him taloned to me."
I loved it of course. It was manipulative psychotic boys at its finest and I love watching a moral man being corrupted by his obsession and love for his boy. It was good fun, I ate it up.
"What the hell was I doing, making his life a living hell? But I’d sunken my claws into him already, and I loved the way he bled too much for me to unfasten them. I needed to keep him taloned to me."
I loved it of course. It was manipulative psychotic boys at its finest and I love watching a moral man being corrupted by his obsession and love for his boy. It was good fun, I ate it up.
November 9, 2023
honestly i think i would have preferred if Hunter left Cosmo buried alive
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2022
Daddy’s Adorable Assassin
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➳ Gianni Holmes is my new queen of dark romance. Wow, just wow. This book (really, this series) is the darkest night, a windowless room, a night sky without a moon. Each chapter you don’t think it can get any more twisted and you would be wrong. I am singing all the praise for this book. It was captivating from page one. One assassin who holds all the secrets, one cop who wants to capture him, and a murder mystery spanning six years. The only question remains, who can we really trust?
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➳ What I Loved…
🔥The Blackmail
🔥All the Jealousy
🔥THE GRAVEYARD SCENE. I am still screaming.
🔥A Little whose an Assassin, Fluid State of Age Play
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➳ PSA: Please read the trigger warnings page. This is not a book to jump into blind.
.
➳ Stay K!nky, Y’all. XOXO.
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Instagram @LaceandLit
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➳ Gianni Holmes is my new queen of dark romance. Wow, just wow. This book (really, this series) is the darkest night, a windowless room, a night sky without a moon. Each chapter you don’t think it can get any more twisted and you would be wrong. I am singing all the praise for this book. It was captivating from page one. One assassin who holds all the secrets, one cop who wants to capture him, and a murder mystery spanning six years. The only question remains, who can we really trust?
.
➳ What I Loved…
🔥The Blackmail
🔥All the Jealousy
🔥THE GRAVEYARD SCENE. I am still screaming.
🔥A Little whose an Assassin, Fluid State of Age Play
.
➳ PSA: Please read the trigger warnings page. This is not a book to jump into blind.
.
➳ Stay K!nky, Y’all. XOXO.
.
Instagram @LaceandLit
May 17, 2022
“I’d rather love you messy than not at all.”-Hunter
Wow. What a messy, sloppy, torrid, wonderful, exciting, dirty and absolutely fantastic ride. I will never know how Gianni Holmes can make a character so incredibly flawed but so lovable. Because Cosmo is all that and more. Hunter is terrific and awful all at the same time. I couldn’t get enough of them.
Going in, we know that Cosmo has issues. It’s plain as day. But truly, seeing Hunter’s descent into something completely different than what he started as was utter magic. Don’t get me wrong, Cosmo is all kinds of adorable and flawed. He’s this mix of victim and vixen all rolled up into one tiny package. But Hunter’s transformation into Daddy is something all together different. He is the law abiding cop. He’s the one that pulls other cops back from crossing lines. He’s the one that will stay late and file your report for you. His dedication to the job is well known in the precinct. His fight to catch his wife’s killer is ongoing and arduous. Then Cosmo happens. Cosmo who flips this switch in Hunter and awakens desires, new and dark, that he never knew he had in him. I’m telling you, the Hunter we meet in chapter one is NOT the Hunter we are left with in the end. He’s…better. He’s dark, somewhat depraved, definitely obsessed with Cosmo and protecting what is his. He’s magnificent.
Cosmo is certainly depraved in his own way. One doesn’t get raised the way he was and come out unscathed. The first mistake we make with Cosmo is believing anything that comes out of his mouth. He’s one of the most unreliable narrators I’ve encountered in recent memory. Any yet…yet, you pull for him. When all the truth finally starts to seep out, you cross your fingers and hope everyone is alive after the inferno dies down. Truthfully, it’s touch and go for a minute or two there. Aside from this being a great story of the push and pull between want, need and desire, it’s a fascinating study of the descent into a sort of madness between Cosmo and Hunter. I couldn’t stop reading.
Heed all the trigger warnings because they are there for a good reason. This is dark. It’s depraved. It’s utter chaos. But it’s a love story like no other. Enter at your own risk.
*I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Review and this is my honest opinion.
Wow. What a messy, sloppy, torrid, wonderful, exciting, dirty and absolutely fantastic ride. I will never know how Gianni Holmes can make a character so incredibly flawed but so lovable. Because Cosmo is all that and more. Hunter is terrific and awful all at the same time. I couldn’t get enough of them.
Going in, we know that Cosmo has issues. It’s plain as day. But truly, seeing Hunter’s descent into something completely different than what he started as was utter magic. Don’t get me wrong, Cosmo is all kinds of adorable and flawed. He’s this mix of victim and vixen all rolled up into one tiny package. But Hunter’s transformation into Daddy is something all together different. He is the law abiding cop. He’s the one that pulls other cops back from crossing lines. He’s the one that will stay late and file your report for you. His dedication to the job is well known in the precinct. His fight to catch his wife’s killer is ongoing and arduous. Then Cosmo happens. Cosmo who flips this switch in Hunter and awakens desires, new and dark, that he never knew he had in him. I’m telling you, the Hunter we meet in chapter one is NOT the Hunter we are left with in the end. He’s…better. He’s dark, somewhat depraved, definitely obsessed with Cosmo and protecting what is his. He’s magnificent.
Cosmo is certainly depraved in his own way. One doesn’t get raised the way he was and come out unscathed. The first mistake we make with Cosmo is believing anything that comes out of his mouth. He’s one of the most unreliable narrators I’ve encountered in recent memory. Any yet…yet, you pull for him. When all the truth finally starts to seep out, you cross your fingers and hope everyone is alive after the inferno dies down. Truthfully, it’s touch and go for a minute or two there. Aside from this being a great story of the push and pull between want, need and desire, it’s a fascinating study of the descent into a sort of madness between Cosmo and Hunter. I couldn’t stop reading.
Heed all the trigger warnings because they are there for a good reason. This is dark. It’s depraved. It’s utter chaos. But it’s a love story like no other. Enter at your own risk.
*I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Review and this is my honest opinion.
May 19, 2022
Cosmo, Cosmo, Cosmo....how I adore you. Is it wrong that I love these twisted characters that Gianni creates in this series? Is it wrong that I am actually rooting for Cosmo to escape, not have to pay for the crimes that he's committed, and still find love? That's what makes Gianni one of my favorite authors because she creates these complex characters who perpetrate horrible crimes but still manages to make them sympathetic.
The abuse that Cosmo suffered at the hands of his "mother" and "Daddy" is unimaginable and completely shows the reader why he responds the way he does. I love how Gianni slowly reveals all these pieces of Cosmo's past and how it molded him into who he is. It was perfectly executed.
I liked Hunter Neely, the police detective, but I didn't love him as much as Cosmo. From the moment, Hunter met Cosmo he was consumed by him but didn't completely understand it. I didn't like how he let Agent Knight touch/kiss him in front of Cosmo simply to hurt his feelings. The scenes near the end when Hunter learned everything about what Cosmo had done were hard to read. I didn't like how "Daddy Hunter" could be so brutal, abusive, and hurtful. These two are the classic definition of toxic.
I also found it hard to believe that all of these men were throwing themselves at Hunter after they realized his attraction to Cosmo (Agent Knight, Barney- his partner on the force).
Gianni always introduces me to kinks I didn't think I would be interested in- stabbing someone during sex/foreplay? Licking/tasting blood? Who knew that could be so appealing (at least in fiction)? It simply goes back to that toxic relationship. These two loved to hurt each other (emotionally and physically). I LOVED the dollification kink. It made perfect sense with Cosmo’s past and how Hunter wanted to “own” him.
I definitely appreciated the epilogue here and felt like it helped tie up some of the questions I had in regards to their relationship. It made me appreciate Hunter more than I did in the last few chapters. All in all, this is another winner for me from Gianni. I am looking forward to seeing what she creates next.
**I received and ARC for my honest review**
The abuse that Cosmo suffered at the hands of his "mother" and "Daddy" is unimaginable and completely shows the reader why he responds the way he does. I love how Gianni slowly reveals all these pieces of Cosmo's past and how it molded him into who he is. It was perfectly executed.
I liked Hunter Neely, the police detective, but I didn't love him as much as Cosmo. From the moment, Hunter met Cosmo he was consumed by him but didn't completely understand it. I didn't like how he let Agent Knight touch/kiss him in front of Cosmo simply to hurt his feelings. The scenes near the end when Hunter learned everything about what Cosmo had done were hard to read. I didn't like how "Daddy Hunter" could be so brutal, abusive, and hurtful. These two are the classic definition of toxic.
I also found it hard to believe that all of these men were throwing themselves at Hunter after they realized his attraction to Cosmo (Agent Knight, Barney- his partner on the force).
Gianni always introduces me to kinks I didn't think I would be interested in- stabbing someone during sex/foreplay? Licking/tasting blood? Who knew that could be so appealing (at least in fiction)? It simply goes back to that toxic relationship. These two loved to hurt each other (emotionally and physically). I LOVED the dollification kink. It made perfect sense with Cosmo’s past and how Hunter wanted to “own” him.
I definitely appreciated the epilogue here and felt like it helped tie up some of the questions I had in regards to their relationship. It made me appreciate Hunter more than I did in the last few chapters. All in all, this is another winner for me from Gianni. I am looking forward to seeing what she creates next.
**I received and ARC for my honest review**
May 20, 2022
This story was an intense, dark, and compelling read that demanded my full attention from the prologue and never let go.
This author has a remarkable ability to truly humanize morally gray MCs, rolling all of the good, bad, and ugly parts into complex characters to care about, and that was certainly the case here. At its center are two complete opposites - upstanding cop Hunter (late 40s) and manipulative assassin Cosmo (20) - who feel deeply, love hard, and form an interdependent, all-consuming relationship that pulled me in.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away - there are twists and revelations best experienced by being blindsided - but I will say this couple's twisted HEA journey was dark, caring, possessive, passionate, and wholly unconventional. This story, like Book 1, was unlike anything I've read before (in M/M romance or otherwise) - unexpected, unsettling, and so intriguing I couldn't put it down. Not all of the k¡nks at play were my jam, but they didn't need to be to enjoy the story.
"Daddy's Adorable Assassin" is the type of book to escape into, but do give the Author's Note detailing content warnings a look before diving in. It is a true standalone in the series, though I highly recommend reading Book 1 anyway because it's 5-star fantastic. I received an advance reading e-copy of this book and have left this honest review voluntarily. (Also read in KU.)
This author has a remarkable ability to truly humanize morally gray MCs, rolling all of the good, bad, and ugly parts into complex characters to care about, and that was certainly the case here. At its center are two complete opposites - upstanding cop Hunter (late 40s) and manipulative assassin Cosmo (20) - who feel deeply, love hard, and form an interdependent, all-consuming relationship that pulled me in.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away - there are twists and revelations best experienced by being blindsided - but I will say this couple's twisted HEA journey was dark, caring, possessive, passionate, and wholly unconventional. This story, like Book 1, was unlike anything I've read before (in M/M romance or otherwise) - unexpected, unsettling, and so intriguing I couldn't put it down. Not all of the k¡nks at play were my jam, but they didn't need to be to enjoy the story.
"Daddy's Adorable Assassin" is the type of book to escape into, but do give the Author's Note detailing content warnings a look before diving in. It is a true standalone in the series, though I highly recommend reading Book 1 anyway because it's 5-star fantastic. I received an advance reading e-copy of this book and have left this honest review voluntarily. (Also read in KU.)
May 23, 2022
First of all, I love this cover because it is something I will notice and want to check out the blurb which is what a cover should do. Cosmo is sweet and adorable and completely alluring, all of which comes through on the cover and illustrates what draws Hunter in to fall for Cosmo so completely.
Hunter is just wallowing in guilt surrounding his job as a detective and how that played a role in the tragedy of his wife’s murder and his estrangement from his only son. Let’s just say that Hunter is ripe for the plucking for someone as twisted and manipulative as Cosmo, but Hunter is not just helpless but almost enthusiastic for his downfall. I loved Hunter’s …transformation (there are better words but I don’t want to spoil it). Let’s just say that Hunter evolves from the strait-laced guilt-ridden man we meet to become Cosmo’s Daddy-by-design. Cosmo, ah Cosmo, ‘what a tangled web we weave’ to be sure. I loved this devious little assassin who should not really have our sympathy but surely does. This of course is due to the mastery of Gianni Holmes and her ability to create the morally grey and completely flawed anti-heroes that pull us over to their side. If I listed out all the -frankly toxic- traits of her characters, there wouldn’t be anything to make you root for them and yet she manages to give them vulnerability that I’m a sucker for. I loved Cosmo and Hunter here in Daddy’s Adorable Assassin as much as I loved Ari and Shaw in Daddy’s Stepstalker (who is rotten to the core) and look forward to our next deviant boy.
Hunter is just wallowing in guilt surrounding his job as a detective and how that played a role in the tragedy of his wife’s murder and his estrangement from his only son. Let’s just say that Hunter is ripe for the plucking for someone as twisted and manipulative as Cosmo, but Hunter is not just helpless but almost enthusiastic for his downfall. I loved Hunter’s …transformation (there are better words but I don’t want to spoil it). Let’s just say that Hunter evolves from the strait-laced guilt-ridden man we meet to become Cosmo’s Daddy-by-design. Cosmo, ah Cosmo, ‘what a tangled web we weave’ to be sure. I loved this devious little assassin who should not really have our sympathy but surely does. This of course is due to the mastery of Gianni Holmes and her ability to create the morally grey and completely flawed anti-heroes that pull us over to their side. If I listed out all the -frankly toxic- traits of her characters, there wouldn’t be anything to make you root for them and yet she manages to give them vulnerability that I’m a sucker for. I loved Cosmo and Hunter here in Daddy’s Adorable Assassin as much as I loved Ari and Shaw in Daddy’s Stepstalker (who is rotten to the core) and look forward to our next deviant boy.
June 2, 2022
Not where I thought this was heading
This story lost stars as I read on. As soon as the story became 100% clear, I was really in shock. And I just could get passed Cosmos sin, nor him still not wanting not to be truthful with hunter about everything. The twist at the end? It was hard to see him as a victim after that. I had no issues with the dynamic between these two, but the violence was something I didn't care for. I couldn't understand at first why Cosmo was doing these things, but the end cleared it all up for me and more, and I just didn't like what I was now understanding. Hunter character I liked, but felt torn with him still putting his wife and son last. It was a ugly truth what happened to her, and idk if I could have moved on like he did. he still choose himself over still hurting his son, and I hated him for that. I guess I just wanted Cosmo to stay the victim, and not be revealed as a horrible creature.
This story lost stars as I read on. As soon as the story became 100% clear, I was really in shock. And I just could get passed Cosmos sin, nor him still not wanting not to be truthful with hunter about everything. The twist at the end? It was hard to see him as a victim after that. I had no issues with the dynamic between these two, but the violence was something I didn't care for. I couldn't understand at first why Cosmo was doing these things, but the end cleared it all up for me and more, and I just didn't like what I was now understanding. Hunter character I liked, but felt torn with him still putting his wife and son last. It was a ugly truth what happened to her, and idk if I could have moved on like he did. he still choose himself over still hurting his son, and I hated him for that. I guess I just wanted Cosmo to stay the victim, and not be revealed as a horrible creature.
May 20, 2022
"Cosmo, had you told me stabbing me would have made you feel better, I would have handed you the knife instead of walking away." I closed my eyes. My words were true, genuine, but I couldn't unsee the toxic beauty of us, the absolute train wreck of our love. But what a fucking ride. The damage would be worth it.
4.5/5
This book was all kinds of messed up. It made me uncomfortable, sad, and so utterly captivated. This is about as obsessive as it gets when it comes to love, but Cosmo and Hunter knot themselves together so completely it's inescapable. I don't want to spoil this story at all, but please know that it is dark and heavy, with such an unhealthy dynamic between the two. And yet...it was also sexy, exciting, and strangely beautiful. Despite all odds, there is a happy ending and it somehow makes sense.
May 22, 2022
4,5 stars
Daddy's Adorable Assassin is the second book in the Daddy's Little Deviants series by Gianni Holmes. This book is about Cosmo and Hunter. After reading the first book in this series I couldn't wait for this one. This one was different from the first but also really good.
I loved it. It was sexy, fun, thrilling, twisted, full of feels and very well written. Can't wait for the next book!
If you love dark and kinky romance I really recommend this series and if you have triggers look at the trigger list before starting.
Daddy's Adorable Assassin is the second book in the Daddy's Little Deviants series by Gianni Holmes. This book is about Cosmo and Hunter. After reading the first book in this series I couldn't wait for this one. This one was different from the first but also really good.
I loved it. It was sexy, fun, thrilling, twisted, full of feels and very well written. Can't wait for the next book!
If you love dark and kinky romance I really recommend this series and if you have triggers look at the trigger list before starting.
March 5, 2024
“All you wanted was the violence of my obsession with you.”
Wow! This was, without a doubt, the most wildly toxic relationship I have ever read. It would truly astound me if I find a couple as fucked up as Hunter and Cosmo are. And yet, I really enjoyed this book. It was very unique. Yes it's a dark romance and there are tons of those, but nothing that I've read dealing with DD/lb or any of the other triggers in this book. I love the script flip of the Littles being unhinged, vile, and manipulative. This whole series is one of a kind.
Wow! This was, without a doubt, the most wildly toxic relationship I have ever read. It would truly astound me if I find a couple as fucked up as Hunter and Cosmo are. And yet, I really enjoyed this book. It was very unique. Yes it's a dark romance and there are tons of those, but nothing that I've read dealing with DD/lb or any of the other triggers in this book. I love the script flip of the Littles being unhinged, vile, and manipulative. This whole series is one of a kind.
February 3, 2025
Rating 2/5⭐️
Spice 4/5🌶
A story about cop and assassin getting together. This was an interesting read. But their relationship just seemed unhealthy. Did I enjoy most of the kinks? Yes!
And i don't have a problem with the morality of the MCs.
I know many people don't like Cosmo, but I love him. He was a very complicated character.
The entire book, Officer Knight pissed me off. Officer Knight - dislike 👎 The first 50 percent of the book had me feeling negative emotions because of him!
The plot twist at the end of the book I really liked, and I even cried.
Spice 4/5🌶
A story about cop and assassin getting together. This was an interesting read. But their relationship just seemed unhealthy. Did I enjoy most of the kinks? Yes!
And i don't have a problem with the morality of the MCs.
I know many people don't like Cosmo, but I love him. He was a very complicated character.
The entire book, Officer Knight pissed me off. Officer Knight - dislike 👎 The first 50 percent of the book had me feeling negative emotions because of him!
The plot twist at the end of the book I really liked, and I even cried.
February 18, 2023
"I could understand how wars could be started all for love. I was the one-man army, ready to confront anyone who dared to interfere with our love."
Oh hell, I didn't know where this was headed, but I loved every twist and turn and fucked up reveal. One of my ultimate fav tropes/types to read is moral men becoming corrupted, inner darkness surfacing, and risking it all for and because of love, and that's what Gianni delivered here (again. I am hooked).
Together, Cosmo and Hunter were completely unhealthy and unhinged, but that didn't stop me from rooting for them. Close to the end there I really thought which would've been an interesting path, but I'm glad didn't happen because this story was already dark and heavy enough.
If you didn't like the first one all that much, like me, do give this one a shot as it was better imo
Oh hell, I didn't know where this was headed, but I loved every twist and turn and fucked up reveal. One of my ultimate fav tropes/types to read is moral men becoming corrupted, inner darkness surfacing, and risking it all for and because of love, and that's what Gianni delivered here (again. I am hooked).
Together, Cosmo and Hunter were completely unhealthy and unhinged, but that didn't stop me from rooting for them. Close to the end there I really thought which would've been an interesting path, but I'm glad didn't happen because this story was already dark and heavy enough.
If you didn't like the first one all that much, like me, do give this one a shot as it was better imo
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