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Dillon's Prayer
God, Please Help me, I can’t live another year like this…
Dillon McDonald is a broken man, both in body and in spirit. His sadistic partner, Alfonse, had successfully broken him long ago. But this New Year’s Eve, a strange new feeling takes hold of the young man. Is it hope?
Breaking free of the hell he’d found himself in is only the beginning for this handsome, troubled young man though. When charming young softball coach, Jon Michaels shows interest in Dillon, he realizes that the stakes are much higher than he’s ever imagined. Jon is kind, handsome, and spiritually grounded. Dillon’s can't help but believe that Jon may just be the answer to the prayer he’d assumed went unheard.
Will Dillon be able to begin a new life with Jon, or will Alfonse be the end of them both?
Dillon McDonald is a broken man, both in body and in spirit. His sadistic partner, Alfonse, had successfully broken him long ago. But this New Year’s Eve, a strange new feeling takes hold of the young man. Is it hope?
Breaking free of the hell he’d found himself in is only the beginning for this handsome, troubled young man though. When charming young softball coach, Jon Michaels shows interest in Dillon, he realizes that the stakes are much higher than he’s ever imagined. Jon is kind, handsome, and spiritually grounded. Dillon’s can't help but believe that Jon may just be the answer to the prayer he’d assumed went unheard.
Will Dillon be able to begin a new life with Jon, or will Alfonse be the end of them both?
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 30, 2011
There are not many m/m books out there that don't put religion in the most negative way. Many authors seem to fall into something that they preach against all the time: intolerance of people with different life views from theirs. In this book, Mr. Deveraux manages to avoid that. In reality, many gays are religious and _still_ go to church every week, whether they are out or not. He deals with the issue of the Bible on homosexuality lightly, so it does not feel like we're reading a political book in the middle of romance. Don't get it wrong. There are still many bigots in this book, but the issue doesn't "hijack" the story, like many m/m books suffer from.
Dillon is a nice man who unfortunately was under the spell of a sadistic dom. He finally managed to run away, and lives with his military brother, Cullen, and his nephew, Ben. The brother and the nephew are active members of local Catholic church, as Dillon was when he grew up. At first, Dillon still doesn't want to go to the mass. Later on, a nice parishioner name Jon changes that. The family has to to deal with Cullen being deployed, leaving Dillon responsible for his nephew. The threat of his dominant ex is still looming. Can Cullen be strong enough for it?
This is such a nice, heart-lifting story. I alternatively cried and laughed when I read it.
Dillon is a nice man who unfortunately was under the spell of a sadistic dom. He finally managed to run away, and lives with his military brother, Cullen, and his nephew, Ben. The brother and the nephew are active members of local Catholic church, as Dillon was when he grew up. At first, Dillon still doesn't want to go to the mass. Later on, a nice parishioner name Jon changes that. The family has to to deal with Cullen being deployed, leaving Dillon responsible for his nephew. The threat of his dominant ex is still looming. Can Cullen be strong enough for it?
This is such a nice, heart-lifting story. I alternatively cried and laughed when I read it.
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November 19, 2011Dillon’s Prayer, aside maybe for the title, was not what I was expecting. The author bio said “my books have an edge that most erotic books in the “gay” genre generally don’t have. For one they are actually written by a man” and he said “I genuinely enjoy other authors as well but felt that there was something missing from the work”. So yes, since I’m used to read erotic books written by men, I was probably expecting for this books to have a “dark” edge, maybe to be very explicit, less bed of roses and more down and dirty. But I was totally wrong.
First of all, even if dealing with a D/s relationship gone wrong, Dillon’s Prayer is not a BDSM erotic book. Actually it’s not even an erotic romance. There are sex scene, but they are pretty tamed in comparison to other books I have read, and it’s more about the healing process of Dillon than about the sex. Now don’t get me wrong, Dillon and other men in the novel talk about bad sexual experience, there are memories about past rape they suffered, but it’s in their memory and it’s not part of the plot.
If I was expecting for the novel and the characters to be less emotional since they were penned by a man, again I was wrong; actually in some points they were even too emotional, but it was not a “too much” to border the unrealistic, it was more that these men were able to express their emotions without being feminine… actually I think the author wanted to avoid it highlighting the gay men in the novel are all very masculine outside, but they have a sweet core.
There is a character I found, for my own experience, to be a dream if he was real: the catholic priest who is more than welcoming of his gay parishioners. I’m not writing off he is not possible in real world, only that I would make him a saint if he was.
Said that, the novel had a lot of points where it could have lapsed into drama: the brother who is deployed in a war zone, the underage kid, the traumatic past, even an accident to a beloved pet… but all in all the author managed to write them all without making it a dive into angst. As first experience with a novel by this author, I would say it’s a positive one.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1604358327/?...
First of all, even if dealing with a D/s relationship gone wrong, Dillon’s Prayer is not a BDSM erotic book. Actually it’s not even an erotic romance. There are sex scene, but they are pretty tamed in comparison to other books I have read, and it’s more about the healing process of Dillon than about the sex. Now don’t get me wrong, Dillon and other men in the novel talk about bad sexual experience, there are memories about past rape they suffered, but it’s in their memory and it’s not part of the plot.
If I was expecting for the novel and the characters to be less emotional since they were penned by a man, again I was wrong; actually in some points they were even too emotional, but it was not a “too much” to border the unrealistic, it was more that these men were able to express their emotions without being feminine… actually I think the author wanted to avoid it highlighting the gay men in the novel are all very masculine outside, but they have a sweet core.
There is a character I found, for my own experience, to be a dream if he was real: the catholic priest who is more than welcoming of his gay parishioners. I’m not writing off he is not possible in real world, only that I would make him a saint if he was.
Said that, the novel had a lot of points where it could have lapsed into drama: the brother who is deployed in a war zone, the underage kid, the traumatic past, even an accident to a beloved pet… but all in all the author managed to write them all without making it a dive into angst. As first experience with a novel by this author, I would say it’s a positive one.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1604358327/?...
October 29, 2011
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the story, it kept me turning pages through the end and made me shed a tear or ten. That said, I had to overcome serious issues in order to reach that level of enjoyment. Given the obvious errors (Alphonse or Alfonse?)and the style issues (Growing/bulging muscles were mentioned so many times that by the end of the book Dillon seemed freakish rather than handsome - This boy is BDB material), this story could use some good editing. Good thing I can overlook almost anything when the characters strike a good chord, and these characters really hit me hard. The angst!
I really enjoyed the story, it kept me turning pages through the end and made me shed a tear or ten. That said, I had to overcome serious issues in order to reach that level of enjoyment. Given the obvious errors (Alphonse or Alfonse?)and the style issues (Growing/bulging muscles were mentioned so many times that by the end of the book Dillon seemed freakish rather than handsome - This boy is BDB material), this story could use some good editing. Good thing I can overlook almost anything when the characters strike a good chord, and these characters really hit me hard. The angst!
November 4, 2011
I have a confession to make. Two actually: 1) I should be working on edits. My publisher is waiting. 2) I should be writing. I'm really close to finishing my latest manuscript. But here I am, throwing those responsibilities aside to read. And to read a book I couldn't put down, no less.
First off, I'll tell you that the story struck a few chords with me, and seeing Dillon rise above his past and find his place in life was therapeudic. That he had someone be there for him through this process just doubled the "awww" factor. A good solid story, and the reason for a whole pile of soggy tissues. I cried, yes I did. I shed tears for Dillon's pain, his family's steadfast support, the mushy goodness of Jon's love, and the happy ending. Well done, Mr. Deveraux.
It's not often I see religion brought up in this genre as a positive influence in the character's lives, and thought the author handled it admirably and, in my opinion, pretty believably.
The beta in me was ready to read again with track changes on, but despite the little editing wobbles here and there (one that had me checking the volume on the wine bottle, in case the issue was with the reader and not the book), Dillon's prayer is a thoroughly satisfying little read.
This one's going in my "to be reread" pile.
First off, I'll tell you that the story struck a few chords with me, and seeing Dillon rise above his past and find his place in life was therapeudic. That he had someone be there for him through this process just doubled the "awww" factor. A good solid story, and the reason for a whole pile of soggy tissues. I cried, yes I did. I shed tears for Dillon's pain, his family's steadfast support, the mushy goodness of Jon's love, and the happy ending. Well done, Mr. Deveraux.
It's not often I see religion brought up in this genre as a positive influence in the character's lives, and thought the author handled it admirably and, in my opinion, pretty believably.
The beta in me was ready to read again with track changes on, but despite the little editing wobbles here and there (one that had me checking the volume on the wine bottle, in case the issue was with the reader and not the book), Dillon's prayer is a thoroughly satisfying little read.
This one's going in my "to be reread" pile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2012
3.5 STARS---it's very difficult to pin this book down, in a lot of ways for me. I really enjoyed it, but cannot readily describe it. It talks about BDSM, but is not one per se. It describes a D/s relationship gone wrong, but the 'Dom' in the book was cowed by Dillon's older brother, so he's not really a Dom in the traditional sense (IMHO). Dillon is very childlike at the beginning of the novel, a victim of physical, mental, emotional, and verbal abuse by his 'Dom', but becomes almost 'Hulk-like' as the book progresses, and becomes one who develops more than just a backbone as the book ends. His brother is a military man who wonders if his brother emotionally & mentally can take care of his son during his deployment overseas, and there's a tie-in with the Catholic church and the priest's personal understanding of those very real issues with which Dillon struggles. Dillon is very very vulnerable, and ultra-sensitive, which is something I don't see often in books, and I'm glad the author wasn't afraid to write about Dillon's vulnerability. I have re-read it a few times, and still enjoy it, but overall, it's difficult for me to define exactly why I like it. Take that, and this review, as you will.
October 30, 2011
An absolutely beautiful read! Dillon's journey captured me from the very start (Cullen went WAY too easy on Alfonse for my taste, but then I wanted to string the prick up by his balls from Moment One). The gentle, heartbreaking story that followed was so real, so captivating. Father Maloney was a complete hoot!
The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because the editing in numerous places was far below what a story of this caliber deserved. But that is by no means Mr. Deveraux's fault. It is a poignant tale of love and redemption, and I highly recommend it.
The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because the editing in numerous places was far below what a story of this caliber deserved. But that is by no means Mr. Deveraux's fault. It is a poignant tale of love and redemption, and I highly recommend it.
January 29, 2017
Dillon’s Prayer is difficult to explain. Why? Because the ending wasn’t justified by the story itself.
Dillon was in an abusive relationship with a non-dominant sadist. What’s a non-dominant sadist you ask? A sadistic [insert the worst word you can think of here] who desires to harm, hurt, and humiliate someone without the dom characteristic of wanting that person to be better for it on the other end. So yeah – not a good person. Dillon, finally afraid for his life, runs away and to his brother.
That was the good part. Yay, Dillon! Go! Go! I was rooting for him.
However that’s where the story started to fail for me. It seemed like the story should be about Dillon’s recovery from abuse and his falling in love with Jon. And it was…however it wasn’t. It was more like those things happened without us actually seeing Dillon overcome his past. There was one scene with his car where a little of his former anger came out. But basically we were left to believe that he just overcame the abuse on his own. With little to no professional help at all except for a meeting with his religious leader who told him there was nothing wrong with being gay. I guess that was supposed to help his belief in religion again, but it in no way helped him recover from YEARS of abuse at the hands of the sadist.
If you’ve read my reviews, I hate angst –and there was, in truth, almost none in the story. So yay for that. However, you don’t need angst to show the mental and emotional recovery that Dillon would have had to go through to be in a loving, non-abusive relationship with Jon.
It felt like since Dillon elected to Top at the end that that showed his recovery. I disagree. Plus, I had a hard time believing that the sadist known as Alfonse wouldn’t come back. I mean, he was preying on Ben by that point. In my mind, nothing short of a bullet to his brain was going to stop the sick bastard from coming around.
So if you want to read a story of redemption where there isn’t a lot of description as to how the redemption occurs, this might be the story for you. The love story seemed stilted as I was unsure why Jon kept pushing through even when Dillon pushed him away. Sometimes it felt like Jon was looking to be hurt.
However, I still think the book deserves 3 stars because there is a feel good element. And the writing is decent. I just felt that a lot of the whys were missing.
Reviewed by a-nony-mouse for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
Dillon was in an abusive relationship with a non-dominant sadist. What’s a non-dominant sadist you ask? A sadistic [insert the worst word you can think of here] who desires to harm, hurt, and humiliate someone without the dom characteristic of wanting that person to be better for it on the other end. So yeah – not a good person. Dillon, finally afraid for his life, runs away and to his brother.
That was the good part. Yay, Dillon! Go! Go! I was rooting for him.
However that’s where the story started to fail for me. It seemed like the story should be about Dillon’s recovery from abuse and his falling in love with Jon. And it was…however it wasn’t. It was more like those things happened without us actually seeing Dillon overcome his past. There was one scene with his car where a little of his former anger came out. But basically we were left to believe that he just overcame the abuse on his own. With little to no professional help at all except for a meeting with his religious leader who told him there was nothing wrong with being gay. I guess that was supposed to help his belief in religion again, but it in no way helped him recover from YEARS of abuse at the hands of the sadist.
If you’ve read my reviews, I hate angst –and there was, in truth, almost none in the story. So yay for that. However, you don’t need angst to show the mental and emotional recovery that Dillon would have had to go through to be in a loving, non-abusive relationship with Jon.
It felt like since Dillon elected to Top at the end that that showed his recovery. I disagree. Plus, I had a hard time believing that the sadist known as Alfonse wouldn’t come back. I mean, he was preying on Ben by that point. In my mind, nothing short of a bullet to his brain was going to stop the sick bastard from coming around.
So if you want to read a story of redemption where there isn’t a lot of description as to how the redemption occurs, this might be the story for you. The love story seemed stilted as I was unsure why Jon kept pushing through even when Dillon pushed him away. Sometimes it felt like Jon was looking to be hurt.
However, I still think the book deserves 3 stars because there is a feel good element. And the writing is decent. I just felt that a lot of the whys were missing.
Reviewed by a-nony-mouse for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
June 17, 2011
I don't know what kind of people this author has been hanging out with but I have never known anyones eyes to turn red. This was odd, it almost worked but it Alphonse was NOT a Dom whatever he called himself and it seemed as if, especially with the priests story that if you let you sex become more than missionary its going to drawbridge into complete abuse. There was a part which made me well up but I didn't really feel that connected to any of the characters. Also the edition I read, the writing turned blue for a paragraph and wasn't really set out well. The religion was done quite well but bits were still a bit clunky. Wouldn't recommend but not irritated that I read it.
September 8, 2016
While I am not a fan of religion, this book was beautifully written and very touching. Jon is a welcome addition in Dillons life and together they grow much stronger both emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Cullen is a loving and caring brother who will protect Dillon no matter what.
December 1, 2010
3.5 stars.
December 24, 2013
Great book. Made me cry, smile, rejoice. What is better than that. I love my books with real humanity and spirit with real life feelings and real scenarios.
August 30, 2015
Had a decent plot line but the writing really turned me off :/ Managed to finished it but barely
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews