This ended up being a very different book from what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be closer to a thriller about a young gay man getting into a dangerous relationship with a much older man. And while that is part of the story, I definitely wouldn’t call this a thriller. It’s a dark exploration of abusive relationships, rape, religious trauma, conversion therapy, and so much more.

This is a difficult book to read at times. The descriptions of how utterly powerless and alone the characters feel were extremely visceral. I think the book does a great job at showing how difficult it can be for people to leave an unsafe situation if they don’t have a safety net to fall back on. Or how hard it can be to speak up against the people who have harmed you.

The book is written in an interesting way where the main character Jonah is referencing a mysterious “you” who the reader doesn’t know the identity of. That did add some intrigue because I was interested to figure out who this person was and how they fit into the story. However, sometimes the style of the writing kept me feeling a little bit detached from the main character. There were points that felt glossed over and like he was just giving recaps rather than fully being in the action. Mainly in the last quarter of the book, I felt like some events were just flying by way too quickly.

But overall I ended up really enjoying the book even though it wasn’t what I thought it would be.

I absolutely loved this MM romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

Thrilling premise about the curious power dynamics at play in a sugar daddy relationship soon give way to a fascinating meditation on consent, trauma and atonement. While the final third of the book can't quite sustain the novel's early promise, this is the kind of narrative that will no doubt generate plenty of spirited debate.

I enjoyed this book. This is my first book by this author and I can't wait to see what is next. This is a well written story that has characters that brought the story to life. They made it fun and entertaining to read. I had no problems connecting with them and made the story engaging. For me this story read as a darker story about power, different classes and being a victim. I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Richard is a strong character but made me mad a few times because of the way he treated Jonah. I am happy I picked up this book and it is worth the pick up. I highly recommend this book.

Wow. This book. I didn’t really know what to expect. The cover is what first grabbed my attention and then the blurb drew me in. I can’t believe this is the authors first book. It’s not perfect. There are some inconsistencies with the characters, I mainly noticed it with Jonah but don’t let that deter you from reading this book. This book kept me enthralled and wondering what was going to happen next. I particularly loved the ending. I’m really looking forward to more from Jonathan Parks-Ramage!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for and Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Not at all what I expected! I assumed this would be a semi-salacious, psychosexual erotic thriller. It was much darker and more serious than that, and I absolutely could not finish it fast enough. There are, perhaps, one too many examples of human evil in Jonah's story, but the book is ultimately a story of redemption.

A twisted, black as night, gripping read.

Wow!! What a rollercoaster of a debut! This book was sad, moving, heartbreaking, thrilling, and harrowing all at once!!! This book really sheds light on the #metoo movement especially in the LGBTQIA community, though it is absolutely prevalent throughout the world. I really identified with Jonah and despite some messed up things that he did, was rooting for him the whole way. Highly recommend reading this when it releases on May 18th!

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.



TW: rape, pedophilia, drug use, and a few others that I won’t mention due to spoilers

Yes, Daddy is not an easy book to read.; nothing in the description truly prepares you for the depravity in this story.

Parks-Ramage is a brilliant writer. As a reader I felt every twisted moment of Jonah's life. The bits of happiness Jonah finds are a counterpoint to all the violence and pain he experiences. Jonah's story feels so real it is hard at times to remember that this is a work of fiction.

Trigger warning: rape & sexual abuse, drug & alcohol use, suicide, gaslighting, homophobia, religious persecution

This book is so hard to rate. The beginning had me so gripped and I was so tense and worried with what was going to happen to Jonah, but then that shift by the 75% mark happened, and it lost me. I was not expecting that religious approach (and another aspect that I'll not go into here, because spoilers - but I was so frustrated).

We follow Jonah as he hatches a plan to seduce a successful playwright, Richard, and they begin apparently to fall in love. That is until one day Jonah is invited to spend the summer with Richard and things begin to unravel. And it gets really really really dark. And I was revolted and seething, while rooting for Jonah and everyone else in the same situation.

The problem for me is I didn't get the catharsis I was sure it was coming. And I needed that, but I know it's not fair to put this on the author when that was not the story he wanted to tell. Specially when he was so successful when building his characters that they felt like real people and when he tackled a lot of difficult topics with such skill. I do recommend it even though I didn't completely love it.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

With it's beautiful cover and enticing title, I thought Yes, Daddy would be a fun summer read. A mystery/thriller in the Hamptons, I couldn't resist. In the end it was something so much more. Dark, twisted, deep, and important.
I don't want to go too much into the plot beyond the blurb for fear of giving twists away. I think it's important to see it though Jonah's eyes and be shocked along with him. You're also going to be mad and annoyed by his decisions - or lack there of. The book lulls you in with the typical poor twenty-something in NYC plot, you might even think it's going to be some millennial novel. Once the story gets going though you are going through a nightmare of sexuality, religion, assault, the #metoo movement, and that hellish place we call Twitter and its cancel culture. It seemed hinted at, but the culture behind internships and free labor, especially in the art world, and the traps and desperation that creates was interesting. It almost makes a pool for these abusive people to pick from. The idea of the 'perfect victim' was also there and how that can be manipulated by the abuser. It's amazing how we all feed into this, especially with so many online 'hot takes'.

Parks-Ramage writes beautifully, which sounds funny since this book was so uncomfortable and rage inducing. The writing is stylish and addictive- I couldn't put the book down and stayed up until 3AM to finish. Then I needed a day just to think about everything I read.

The book lost me a bit in the last quarter. I'm not sure how or why we ended up there (I guess the title is a hint) and the pacing seems off- I kept checking to see how many more pages I had left. Some characters' actions come out of the blue and make no sense to me. I did like the hopeful ending, but I honestly don't trust it.

I'll definitely be reading whatever Parks-Ramages writes next.

‘Yes, Daddy.’ When I saw the title I thought Yes, Please! Seeing the gorgeous cover art made me want to read the novel even more, and I am glad that I did. This novel is so much more than what I expected going into it. I expected a queer romp through some known stereotypes, with a little heat and sizzle. There is some of that, but it quickly fades into a disturbing, emotionally charged story about the power a “daddy” can have over younger men.

Set against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, this novel really dives deep into how the media can twist and contort a story until they pulverize their subject. The novel also explores the trauma that is inflicted upon a person dealing with these incidents, and how that trauma can shape your life.

Reading about Jonah made me so uncomfortable in a way I did not expect. But his story also displayed a sense of hope and determination to overcome the nightmare that has shaped him.

I am surprised to learn that this novel is Jonathan Parks-Ramage’s debut. It is crafted so well and includes so much thrill, prose, and gut-wrenching feeling, I assumed it was from a seasoned novelist. If you have the chance to read ‘Yes, Daddy’, I suggest that you do. Just be ready for a story that will undoubtedly make you angry and perhaps even change your outlook on events that we have seen all too often on the evening news.

Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to review.

This was a wild ride. I went in expecting something entirely different and was blown away with what I got. I truly hope a lot of people reach this book! Its interesting. Very interesting.

A debut novel and I am left just absolutely speechless. This book was extremely graphic, twisted and hard to read at times. It is a dark coming of age story that sheds light on the LGBTQIA+ community and the #MeToo movement from a male view which I really appreciated.

Yes, Daddy will stay with me for a long time and I’m sure it will spark some conversation as more people read this. Shoutout to the amazing @philsbookcorner for putting this on my radar, I am so glad I read it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @houghtonmifflinharcourt for the E-ARC! This book comes out May 18th and you’ll wanna be sure to preorder / read it!

TW: Rape, abuse, drug use, suicidal thoughts and acts, gaslighting, homophobia, cyberbullying

This tried to tackle too many things -- rape and abuse, religion, parental relationships, MeToo, etc. -- in too few of pages. While most of the novel read like a thriller, the aftermath of Jonah's experiences seemed like an entirely different novel and combined with a generally unlikeable protagonist, I didn't feel the catharsis I should have felt in a story like this. While there were parts of the book that I flew through because I was so interested in how it would play out, there were equally as many "oh come on" sort of unbelievable moments, and that kind of inconsistent depth ran through many elements of this story.

I really thought this book would be a typical thriller, but there is a lot going on in this novel. Parts of it are uncomfortable (think My Dark Vanessa) but its extremely readable.

This one started out strong, but hit a rapid decline after halfway through. I would even say that I found the final third to be a bit torturous. At first all the stereotypical gay dudes taking jabs at each other was fun, but then it just got annoying… almost in the same way that hanging around a bunch of stereotypical gay dudes taking jabs at each other in real life gets boring. Who would’ve thought?

I was very excited to read a book billed as a “scorching, propulsive modern gothic” involving queer characters, but overall ended up feeling disappointed. There was just so much of this book that felt stereotypical, problematic, or just plain ridiculous. That is not to say that there aren’t fun & juicy parts, but man- so many things in here made me roll my eyes. An exasperated “oh my god” WITH an eye roll did escape my lips in the latter part of the novel.

This book was so so heavy but so great. Definitely don’t judge this book by its fun beachy vacation looking cover. Yes, Daddy is incredibly dark with many, many layers. The book isn't even out and I read that Amazon Studios has announced an adaptation. I definitely see why. Jonah is a waiter and struggling to pay rent for his Bushwick, Brooklyn, sublet apartment. Jonah aspires to be a writer but is struggling to find the connections to make it happen. Then he meets famous playwright Richard Shriver. Jonah is soon invited to Richard’s compound in the Hamptons, and things get SERIOUSLY fucked up. This book is very graphic and some people are gonna be triggered. I don't want to give away too much because the ending is quite a shocker and I wouldn't have wanted it revealed and people are going to talk about it for sure! So here is what I have to say: the writing is lyrical and very strong. The characters are well-developed and it's very easy to root for/against them. I also enjoyed the flashbacks about Jonah’s background and why he is attracted to older men. I felt like that was necessary and important to the story. Again, this isn't feel-good story as the cover would have you think. This is brutal at times and raw and bleeding. I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't read it fast enough.

Positively wicked, suspenseful, and bleak. I tore through this book with an eagerness that I haven’t felt in a good long time. Note: The story can be extremely triggering, so content warnings for sexual assault and pedophilia.

At first glance, one would think this book to be a more lighthearted affair, but let me tell you: ‘Yes, Daddy’ is darker than black! It takes a neo-noir approach to queer thrills, which is hard to come by these days (let alone a good one!).

Some might take issue with the main character, Jonah, who is at once ambitious—to a fault—, shockingly naive, and a brainwashed apologist. He enters into a toxic “relationship” out of sheer necessity; he’s working as a “piece of meat” waiter at a problematic restaurant/bar, far behind on the rent to his grungy studio apartment, and struggling to make something of his playwriting. It’s not easy to like Jonah, but it’s even more difficult not to root for him once he enters the upper echelons of gay NYC society, which in and of itself is a swirling mass of privilege and excess—a toxic monstrosity. I won’t say much more about the story, for it takes some devastating turns, but the villain(s) feel like real people, and the plot feels like it could be ripped out of the headlines.

Where the book really excels is in the writing, for Jonathan Parks-Ramage crafts a thrilling story that’s oftentimes hard to read (in terms of subject matter), and keeps it rolling to the last page. I was frequently uncomfortable, and that’s the mark of a good read when it can elicit such strong feelings from me! It takes a truly adept author to keep you reading even when the plot makes you cringe and gasp.

So, bravo for giving the literary world a worthy queer thriller that is truly dark, devious, and wholly addictive.

This novel started off ablaze—with a confidence and boldness, stylistically, that captivates. A hungering, restless pulse simmers at the beginning, very much a New York narrative, but, as the plot accelerated, I felt it also flatten, and wither into a sort of unrelenting melodrama, with such quick and oversimplified turns that it felt almost ridiculous at points. Often the horrors of systems of power that enable and uphold abuse actually live in the unsaid, in the slow and encroaching manipulations and gaslighting, but I felt that, reading this, that terror felt reduced and caricatured to something too flaring, too hyperbolic and fast to feel genuinely unsettling. I felt an odd exhaustion at reading another novel that seemed to equate queerness with shame and abuse; of course patriarchy propagates both of those things regardless of sexuality, and queerness entails the full spectrum of human emotion, including shame, but the way this narrative is written and plays out does not feel nuanced enough in its execution, instead mostly swerving and unorganized. Near the end, the style drifted into what felt unedited and often exhaustingly redundant in its repetitions and laments.

((Please note... this will be posted to my blog on 2/25/2021. The link will not be live until then.))

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. I am providing a voluntary review. All thoughts and views are my own.

I’m so torn on this one. There’s a very real part of me that wants to give it a 5-star, must-read rating and spend the next few months ranting and raving about how amazing it is. However, there’s another part of me that feels a bit… ahhh… let-down, perhaps?

Let’s see if I can explain what I mean.

I’m going to start with why I loved this book because I truly do believe it deserves mad props. It’s raw, real, and heartbreakingly deep. It tackles challenging topics and doesn’t shy away from the emotional impact of difficult, life-altering circumstances and experiences. It isn’t a light read, and it doesn’t pull any punches. I also had a hard time putting it down. I never knew what to expect next, and so the very idea of putting my Kindle away and doing anything else was absurd. I read this in one sitting and devoured each word like a reader starved.

Parks-Ramage is an excellent writer. I’m not typically one to enjoy first-person, let alone second-person. I tend to be a primarily third-person past or bust kinda reader, but the well-executed mish-mash of first/second POV present-tense works really well for this author. Or, it certainly worked well for this story, if nothing else. I absolutely adored the unique way it was told and, again, never knew what to expect. So the quasi-twist at the end hit all my feels and shocked-surprise buttons.

I also loved the characters in this book, even the ones I hated. Which, okay, that sounds a little weird, but it’s the truth. Some of the characters in this story are so evil you want to do some very, very bad things to them. And yet, Parks-Ramage wrote them in such a way that they still held some relatable traits. They weren’t that comedic level of evil where they don’t even feel real. They had flaws, they made mistakes, and you could tell there were at least a few conflicting emotions going on during various scenes. Perhaps not the ones you wanted to see them in the most, but either way, these baddies felt like real people. Which, in the end, made them all the more terrifying.

Now… clearly, I loved this book. I loved the writing. The storytelling was masterful, and the characters felt alive and real. If that’s all true, how could I possibly have any issue with this book? Well, my lovelies, let me see if I can explain without getting too spoiler-y.

Before I delve into this, I’m going to be one-hundred percent upfront by telling you that I’m an atheist. However, I respect others and their unique religious beliefs, so the fact that religion played such a large part in this book is not the issue. Not at all. My problem was the literal whiplash I felt surrounding the protagonist’s religious experiences and beliefs. Religion is a very difficult topic for many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community, so it breaks my heart when it isn’t treated carefully in LGBTQIA+ literature. I can’t really say much beyond that without giving away spoilers, which I don’t do in my reviews. Let’s just say… I wish the author had either considered removing his second-largest church-related plot point near the end of the book or considered having its conclusion be less tied to the other unsavory parts of the book’s primary plot.

Either way, I believe this is a solid 4-star read and will be very interested to see what Amazon does with it on the television screen.