Matteo's Mettle

Littles & Lace #2

by Anna Sparrows

Turning 45, Matteo Brightman is in a rut. He’s a lonely Little looking for a Daddy. Unfortunately, he’s big, buff and tattooed: apparently not the most desirable combination for the available Daddies in the city.

Sick of hearing that he’s too old and too big to be taken seriously as a Little, Matt decides that he’s ready to hang up his onesies for good…until a last hurrah at the local BDSM club gives him hope again.

Meanwhile, 26-year-old London Hayes has zero practical experience with any of the BDSM lifestyle. He’s just doing his best friend a favour, standing in as her Little wife’s caregiver during a themed Littles’ Night at their local club. But, when his eyes land on an extremely attractive older man in a onesie, all bets are off.

But will this older Little take a chance on a completely inexperienced younger Daddy, especially when that Daddy has an undisclosed -and potentially contradictory to the role- kink of his own?

CW: While this is a low-angst, sweet & cute, instant-attraction romance, this book does contain brief mentions of cruelty and bigotry, as well as anxiety and panic attacks. This book is an MM Age Play/Age Regression romance between consenting adults and does include ABDL and wetting, and descriptions of men wearing lingerie. This book contains elements that are suitable for ages 18 and over.

Genres: M M Romance, BDSM, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Contemporary Romance, Found Family

198 pages, ebook

First published December 17, 2022

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️

I want to take away his hurt and make his days brighter. I want to worship him and show him that he’s worthy of affection and attention.

Matteo just wants a daddy to love him for who he is. Will his birthday wish come true?

Upped my rating from a three to a four, ‘cause I really enjoyed Matteo and London’s story even more with this reread.
I loved the younger daddy discovering age play, the shy and buff little getting cared for.

“Fuck,” he draws the word out, his voice thick and gravelly, “you feel so fucking good, sweetheart. So tight and hot for Daddy.”

The spice was both sweet and hot.
There wasn’t as much plot going on in this one, but I still enjoyed the fluffy vibes.

CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Age gap (45 vs 26)
- Age play (w/ ABDL)
- MC w/ anxiety and panic attacks
- Younger daddy & older little
- Kink awakening
- Lingerie
- Mention of parental death (off page)
- Strict top/bottom
- Insta-love
- Spanking

Series ratings:

❥ Asher’s Answer 4 🌟
❥ Matteo’s Mettle 4 🌟
❥ Ted’s Temerity 3 🌟
❥ Spencer’s Satisfaction 3.5 🌟
❥ Chance’s Choice 4 🌟
❥ Josh’s Jackpot 4.5 🌟

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big boys deserve love too 🥹❤️

I like this one, it was insta. I think insta ft ageplay is just the right remedy for me. Some people might feel this book is easy but that’s what I like with my ageplays.

Matteo deserves love and I love the feeling that I could understand his insecurities on a deeper level. People don’t love you because something in you changed, damn that’s just depressing. I’m glad he found his young hot daddy :P

Although I do like firm and determined daddies who knows what to do with their babies, London’s daddy-awakening was well protrayed in here. I could see where his daddy side coming from.

Matt slips into little and big almost all the time and it wasn’t easy for me to differentiate the situation. Were they in scene or were they not? And it bothered me. It’s fine if Matt was middle, but it wasn’t explain and his little side was not showing enough.

Overall, this was low angst, easy, fluffy and sweet but not too much sweet for some people who like it moderate. ❤️❤️

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book more than the first because Matteo is just the sweetest. No angst, plenty of steam. Easy read.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25**** stars


Gawd, this was so hot and so sweet. My favorite kind of Daddy romance. And I have a weakness for an older boy vs. a younger Daddy. The vulnerability of both just always gets my heart melting.

I loved Little Matty and his Daddy London. ♡

Ugh. Strained small talk. I don’t want this at all. I want the spark of connection we had in the club. I want to hold him and call him sweetheart again, because the way his eyes had lit up at the simple endearment was pure magic.

Can’t wait to start the next one. They all sound so good for when I’m in the mood for some Daddy lovin’.

***********
Littles & Lace Series

Book 1 - Asher's Answer
Book 2 - Matteo's Mettle - 4.25 stars
Book 3 - Ted's Temerity
Book 4 - Spencer's Satisfaction - tbr
Book 5 - Chance's Choice
Book 6 - Josh’s Jackpot

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matteo's Mettle is the story of 45-year-old Little, who does not fit the typical "look" of a little as he is big, tattooed and older. After his Daddy of 10 years suddenly leaves him because of his body and age, plus the constant rejection from the Daddy community, he feels hurt and lonely, ready to stop being a Little.

London is a 27-year-old who, while familiar with the Daddy/Little community through his friends, becomes interested in Matteo after an incident at the kink club. Through London, Matteo finds acceptance, love and a caring, sweet Daddy.

I found this story to be very interesting and educational as well. My heart hurt for Matteo, who just wanted to be loved and cared for, so seeing him finally have his needs met was endearing. I adored London as well. He had such an open mind and a caring heart. He knew to ask questions and research to make sure the transition into being a Daddy was as smooth as possible.

I also enjoyed how there was open communication and dialogue between them. Matteo has been beaten down by life and rejected. He has insecurities about his age, neediness and worries, but instead of keeping them bottled up, I liked how they talked with one another and laid everything on the table. However, it took some pulling on London's end at times.

While it was a bit of insta-love (ish) their chemistry was amazing. The sex was hot and I loved how sweet London was towards Matteo during aftercare. I also like how we got a lace/lingerie kink in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I randomly picked up this ARC and wanted to give another Daddy/Little story a go, and really liked it. I'm starting to notice I like Younger Daddies, so that was definitely a plus. While this is the second book of the series, it can be read as a standalone.

It is very fluffy/sweet story and low-angst for the most part but please check TWs, as this story may not be for everyone.

[Kaity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio: 5 stars for Zachary Zaba. Audio can be found on Everand

Book: 3-3.5 stars

Way better than book one! I felt the chemistry and connection with London and Matteo! Even though it was insta love, to me it worked in this book! Definitely can be read on its own, so I’d say skip book 1 and just start with this one!

[BelleLovesRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A younger Daddy and older Little Boy?! Shut up and take my money!!! It's so hard to find books with younger Daddy and older Boy. Thank you so much Anna Sparrows! 😭

London 26yo and Matty 45yo are perfect for each other. This book is perfect. 🥹

🌆 🚼 Daddy kink (DD/lb)
🌆 🚼 Younger Daddy, older Little Boy💎
🌆 🚼 Age play/age regression
🌆 🚼 ABDL
🌆 🚼 Insta-love
🌆 🚼 Age gap (19 years)
🌆 🚼 Low angst, sweet, swoony
🌆 🚼 HEA

🌶 4/5

[❀ Alex ❀ [Hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found a new comfort read. ❤️❤️

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yea, I liked this. And I think that is majorly due to not having read this type of sweet, insta, Little story for a while. I think one every 6 months is about the perfect quota to not get bored with the fluffiness.

Anywho, I loved Matteo, big soft teddy bear and London didn't feel to old (I find some younger Daddies just don't come across as in their twenties, which sort of defeats the purpose of the age gap). There was enough little plot points to keep the story going and a smattering of age play (although some important parts glossed over which was annoying).

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tak proszę Państwa powinna wyglądać książka z daddy kink i z age play .

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, sweet read.

Enjoyed this short, little-to-no angst age-play story. Much younger daddy and I like they way it was done.
Can be read as standalone, but you’ll get more enjoyment out of the side characters if you read book 1 first.
Addition of London’s F/F friends was excellent, would love to see more interaction with them in future books.

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars
Matteo's Mettle is the second book Littles & Lace serie by Anna Sparrows. This book is about Matteo and London. Matteo is a 45 year old Little who starts to think maybe he's too old. London a 26 year old who's best friend is a Mommy. When he goes to a Little event as uncle London with his best friends Little he sees Matteo.....

I loved their story. It was sweet, sexy, full of feels and very well written.

[Sebby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno it's kinda crazy how you can write an entire book and have absolutely nothing happen but like I have nothing to complain about so. Also if my friend abandoned me on my BIRTHDAY in a club I didn't want to really be at in the first place to go get dicked down I'm breaking out the electric chair when I next see him

[Amur Thera · Rating 5 out of 5]

The good
+ London diving straight in with Matt
+ Matt trusting London, even though he's been hurt in the past
+ The way their trust built until it was absolute
+ How well they could read each other
+ Their great communication. They were adults, and behaved like it
+ How much value they put in communicating properly
+ London admitting to his mistakes
+ Matt being able to sink completely into his little headspace
+ Matty inviting Katie to playdates with Ash
+ London making sure to praise and compliment Matt constantly
+ Matt making sure London realized he was completely on board with his personal kink
+ Matt saying he'd choose London every time. So adorable!

The neutral
o I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. My review remains honest and unbiased
o The interrogation performed by Matt's friends pushed on a lot of Matt's insecurities, which was a little mean, considering they should be lifting him up instead. But they were trying to protect him, which was sweet
o London's friends could have had a bigger role in the book. I liked them

The bad
- When Matt's friends found out he had a new Daddy, they immediately invaded their space and interrogated London. But not a single one of them asked Matt if London made him happy, which was really all that counted
- Matt's friends knew he was in a bad place, yet didn't check up on him for a month. Matt needed his friends, and they failed him


Matt was adorable and London was the perfect Daddy for him. Daddies don't always need to be strong and inflappable. London's occasional vulnerability (and that he dared to show Matt) was perfect. When London admitted a mistake out loud, it immediately eased Matt's insecurities, which was great. Right from the first bathing scene until the very end, their relationship was absolutely awesome. I'd definitely recommend this book.

[Amos24601 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Littles and Lace series did not disappoint. Matteo and London were everything I wanted.

After meeting Matt in the first book, I knew he was going to need a Daddy sensitive to his past and his insecurities. London fit the bill perfectly. While never having been a Daddy before, he was so willing to learn, make mistakes and take responsibility for those mistakes. I loved that he was an imperfect Daddy that was absolutely perfect for Matt. I also loved that London was the one who liked to wear lacy things. Matt’s total acceptance of him was a beautiful thing to see.

While I still didn’t love the time jumps, the whole book spans about 9 months or so, I am super willing to overlook this peeve as I just adored these two together. Matt gets a new Daddy and closure on a past that still haunts him and London gains a boy and a whole new perspective on life. I am absolutely loving this series and I am super excited that Ted’s story is up next.

**On a side note, this author is open to taking comments and suggestions from readers. I contacted them about an issue and they were 100% open to listening and then correcting the issue. I love an author who doesn’t get defensive and is willing to take a second look at things. I very much appreciated this.

[Hannah Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

It’s was cute low-angst daddy/boy read.

London(26) had never been a daddy before he saw his boy Matteo but his best friend and her wife is a Mommy/Girl relationship so he’s been in the kink world so it wasn’t a hard transition. He has a kink of his own that he wasn’t sure how Matteo would feel about his daddy having but it works out great

Matteo(45) being big, tall, muscular and older definitely not the stereotypical Little made finding a daddy so hard for him that he was so sick of being rejected and shot down he almost gave up his little life style but London saved him(literally) and all was right again. He was such a shy and sweet person, so adorable.

Steam-3/5 there’s scenes they are fairly detailed but not overly explicit.

There’s diaper changes, age play, play dates, wetting (which was a new experience for me I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet),a little spanking time. Probably some more I’m forgetting.

I didn’t like Josh’s character at all. Like he was so selfish and bratty in his moments on page.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance MM
BDSM - AB/DL

È la prima volta che capito in un romance con il vero Daddy-kink, cioè non l'ormai sdoganato "Daddy" durante il s3sso, ma tutto il corollario dell' Adult Baby/Diapers Lovers (bimbi adulti amanti dei pannolini), con twist.

Little (piccolo) ha 45 anni, fisicaccio, supertatuato e barbuto, e attitudine da bad boy, è stato lasciato dal suo primo e unico Daddy dopo una decina d'anni, e ora è solo nel mezzo di una crisi di mezza età
il Daddy ha 26 anni e non è mai stato Daddy prima

C'è molta descrizione dello stile di vita del kink, quindi persone adulte che si trovano in spazi sicuri dove possono lasciarsi andare nel proprio Little (head)space, giocando con i lego (tipo), colorando, facendo disegni, sotto lo sguardo vigile dei rispettivi daddies.

Il romance tra i due è cute ma il motivo di interesse per me è tutto nell'esplorazione del kink

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matteo is 45 years old and not a typical Boy. He finds a Daddy in London who is 19 years younger. They work through the desperation and trials of their age differences in both Matteo's and their friends feelings while London accepts it all from the start. London is so mature and patient, a born Daddy, and Matteo is so sweet and needy. Anna wrote a tender story where age doesn't matter, just love. You feel content for Matty's pleasure, peacefulness and acceptance in his life choices and London is a wonderful, perfect Daddy. I received a copy of this book from Booksprout and this is my honest opinion.

[moonydew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars…
I liked this a lot better than the first in this series and I’ll happily keep reading it because it hits all the stuff I can’t get enough of. This has daddy kink, Major age play, age gap with an older little and younger daddy, and diapers so like… be warned.

Matt being self conscious and finding his perfect match was amazing, I really enjoy large men being self conscious and finding themselves. And London the first time young daddy was great. Glad they found each other and figured out their dynamic so well. Very cute.

2/5 on spice. 4/5 on kink. 1/5 on tears.

[Emeli Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and i Loved Matteo he was so adorable and he and London were perfect for each other so hats off to you Anna sparrows looking forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am now wondering why in the following books everyone describes london as small compared to matteo when they are both over 6’? unless im being forgetful & i understand the muscles but i was fully expecting him to be like 5’5” lol

[Ive · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ ok-ish. The only interesting was a young daddy and an older little. The rest was dull

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Chetana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

This was a cute, fluffy, low to no angst read. Just the right thing to read while I have other things going on that doesn't take too much emotional/mental space but still takes you away from the heavy stuff.

[Megan Mensour · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I went into this blindly since it was one of the free books available on stuff your ear buds day.


PACING:

I get that this is a short novella, but the insta-love was just too much for me.

”I don’t want him just because he’s giving me what I crave, I want him for him.” Said 4 hours after meeting each other…

“I’d like to date you. Exclusively. To be your daddy, if that’s what you want.” “This isn’t going to fast for you?” IT’S GOING TOO FAST FOR ME!!!

Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good angsty slow burn. So that’s on me.


PLOT:

This book had absolutely no plot. They met, fell in love, the end. There was no tension that was built up, no hurdles to overcome, no climax.

Not my cup of tea, I guess. So again, that’s on me.


QUALMS:

Ok, here’s what I take real issue with…

They met, and then immediately went into a scene. There was no conversation about boundaries, soft and hard limits, etc. They did establish and use safe words, which I appreciate. But much more communication is needed before participating in a scene.

Also, is trust not something they needed to build? They were just cool giving it away for free?

Not to mention, they were at a BDSM club and we’re witness and victim to someone blatantly disregarding safe words. And they didn’t tell the managers about it??? Silence is complicity. They allowed many others to be put in danger.

The more I think about these parts of the book, the angrier I get.


POSITIVES:

Let’s end on a high(-ish) note!

The fluff was cute, the smut was fine, and the representation was great.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3⭐️
Spice: 2.5

Tropes & tags:
Age gap
Younger daddy & older little
Kink awakening
Lingerie
Insta love

POV: 1st person, dual
Heat: low- medium heat
HEA: yes

Spice & k!nks:
Age play
ABDL
Spanking

Strict top/bottom or versatile: strict roles

Review & thoughts: I wish it was longerrrr. Loved every second of it.


Content warnings:
MC with anxiety and panic attacks
Mentions of parental death

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt is a mid-forties, 6 foot, tattooed Little hoping to find a Daddy after his last one didn’t want him after 10 years together. He had changed cities and been trying to find a new Daddy for 18 months. All had told him he was too big and too old, so he gives it one last try before leaving the lifestyle altogether. On his 45th birthday, he goes to a club with a Little friend. He notices a young man and hopes to talk to him, but it doesn’t happen and Matt is about to leave.
London is in his mid-twenties, not a Daddy, but acting as a caregiver for a Little girl friend at the Littles club night. He had noticed a big, older Little playing and had started to go talk to him, but was pulled away by his friend. He did look for the man later, but didn’t find him, so he was leaving also.
As London was leaving, he overheard a man mistreating Matt and stepped in to protect him. On learning Matt didn’t have a ride home, he offers him a ride and Matt agrees. On the ride home, the two men talk and there is an instant attraction between the two. London is not a Daddy, but he comes across as a Daddy in many ways. He has a basic grasp of the Daddy/Little kink and finds out more about Matt and his wants and needs. London has a real connection with Matt and he is willing to explore acting in a Daddy role to see if it can work out.
As the two work toward defining their relationship, the emotional connection grows and they work through challenges to lead them to their HEA. Seeing the dynamic develop in this reverse age relationship, the awareness London has as he develops into a real Daddy, and the satisfaction and happiness Matt finally achieves is a heart-warming tale. Characters are well-written and easily able to identify with, and the reverse age is an interesting perspective. I enjoyed Matt and London’s story, and see potential for other stories about the other Little characters in the book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aleja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uff, la verdad es que empecé este libro totalmente por impulso: lo vi, me llamó la atención y simplemente quise leerlo. Y no me arrepiento para nada. Qué historia más bonita y dulce.

Matteo y London fueron preciosos juntos. Aunque no suelo ser fan del insta-love, en este caso valió completamente la pena. Su conexión se siente rápida, sí, pero también sincera y muy humana.

Tengo que admitir que sí lagrimeé en los primeros capítulos por todo lo que estaba viviendo Matt. Su vulnerabilidad me llegó muchísimo, y amé ver cómo London lo acompañaba, lo contenía y lo ayudaba a recuperar su seguridad poco a poco. La forma en que se apoyan, incluso sin conocerse tanto al principio, es lo que hizo que esta historia me tocara tanto el corazón.


〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Ugh, the truth is I started this book completely on impulse: I saw it, it caught my attention, and I just wanted to read it. And I don't regret it at all. What a beautiful and sweet story.

Matteo and London were lovely together. While I'm not usually a fan of insta-love, in this case, it was completely worth it. Their connection feels fast, yes, but also genuine and very human.

I have to admit that I did tear up in the first few chapters because of everything Matt was going through. His vulnerability really got to me, and I loved seeing how London was there for him, contained him, and helped him regain his confidence little by little. The way they supported each other, even without knowing each other well at first, is what made this story touch my heart so much.

[Hanna Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book number 2 of the Littles and Lace series and focuses on London and Matteo (Matt). Matteo is a little who doesn’t fit the little stereotype. He is a 45 year old, buff, tattoo’d little who has had bad experiences in the past that have left him feeling a bit broken and ready to give up on finding a new Daddy. When he meets London, he finally feels like he has found the perfect Daddy. London is much younger than Matteo at 26 years old and has no experience as a Daddy, but he knows that there is something special and important between him and Matteo. Being his Daddy comes naturally to him and he knows that what they have together is meant to last. Together they are finally able to be with someone they can be their authentic selves with and not have to worry about being judged or mistreated by. I love that they both had vulnerabilities and weren’t too prideful to let them show. They built such a great bond and had excellent communication skills with each other. They knew what the other needed and gave them everything they could to make them happy and feel valued and appreciated for who they were. This was an excellent story that kept me thoroughly invested from the beginning to the end. I did not want their story to end at all. Great addition to a wonderful series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matteo is not your typical Little boy. He is a big older man with tattoos who has been spending time lifting weights. When his Daddy breaks things off with him saying that he isn't a proper Little, Matteo is devastated. The other daddies he meets also tell him that he isn't a proper little. Matteo believes he has to give up his dreams of finding a new Daddy to love and care for him. His friend just begs him to give it one more try and takes him to the kink club on his birthday. When a strange Daddy tries to force Matteo into a scene he doesn't want, London comes to his rescue. London seems like he could be the perfect Daddy but he is much younger than Matteo. London couldn't be interested in a Little boy like him.

London is in his mid twenties and is friends with a Mommy and her daughter. His Mommy friend is very busy at work and asks London to take her daughter to the special Little night at the club. London enjoys being the fun "uncle" agrees. At the he rescues a big Little Matteo. London is fascinated by the big older man acting so young. It brings out an unexpected Daddy side to him. He is very interested in Matteo just the way he is if Matteo doesn't mind having a younger inexperienced Daddy who likes wearing lacy underthings.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.