Yes, Daddy follows Jonah, a young ambitious man who dreams of becoming a writer, as he struggles to make ends meet working extra hours at a restaurant, while forever trying to work on his play. When he stumbled upon a photograph of successful and handsome playright, Richard Shriver, Jonah hatches a plan to meet him, and the two begin a passionate affair. But, things quickly turn deadly as Jonah is invited to The Hamptons, where the rich and famous hang out, and where Jonah quickly learns that the man he loves may not be who he appears to be. After Jonah is cast out of Richard's good graces, and a series of sinister events lead to a terrifying climax, Jonah heads towards decisive revenge that could change his life forever.

First of all, this book is extremely graphic. So, if graphic sex scenes make you uncomfortable then this probably isn't a book for you. It also has very graphic depictions of physical and sexual violence, so please be cautious when heading into this story if this is something that you have been affected by, or again, makes you uncomfortable. But the point of this story is to make you feel uncomfortable. It highlights a shocking reality for a long of young gay men who are, and have been, preyed upon by older men. It's social commentary on the #MeToo movement is hugely relevant and I liked the different perspective shown in this story. We kind of forget that these kind of things can happen to memeber of the LGBT community, too.

This is so much more than just a thriller. It's suspenseful, shocking, extremely dark and difficult to read, and it definitely made a lasting impact on me. There were characters that I did like, a lot of characters that I didn't like. I often found myself losing empathy for Jonah at times when he made some absolutely shocking and horrible decisions, making me question whether I should really be rooting for him or not. However, as the book delved further into Jonah's past, I did find it easier to sympathise in the end, and I think Jonathan Parks-Ramage has done a wonderful job of creating a deeply flawed and realistic character that people will have a lot of different opinions about, for sure.

I really enjoyed this book and I can't find a lot of fault with it. I think it's a great debut novel that is going to have a big impact on a lot of people and will open up a lot of conversations that need to be had, and I am excited for other people to read it.

I was expecting it to be really graphic, so I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. It wasn't graphic for the most part, and every time something happened it was a punch to the heart. I think the book says a lot about the media, religion, #MeToo culture, and rape culture. I was hooked from the beginning because I wanted to know who "you" was, who Richard was, what happened. The book pulled me from my reading funk and made me cry. The only thing I would caution against is that there are fairly graphic sex scenes that aren't for the faint-hearted, almost to the point of unnecessity.

The title intrigued me but I also thought this wasn’t going to be very good. The story grabbed me from the beginning. I felt for Jonah as the story went on but some of his actions kind of annoyed me and I didn’t understand why he did them. This book is interesting in that while we have focused on the #metoo movement for women being taken advantage of by men, we haven’t really looked at it from the gay male community.

Yes, Daddy follows an ambitious young man who is lured by an older, successful playwright into a dizzying world of wealth and an idyllic Hamptons home where things take a nightmarish turn.

Wow...I had to sit with this overnight and I don’t think I’ll forget it any time soon. It reads like a memoir, so much so that when I was reading I had to do a deep google dive into this to see if it was a true story. Jonah is a haunting main character who I rooted for so hard. I wished I could save him and give him the biggest of hugs. This book really delves into the horrid, rich and entitled power of rape. So trigger warning there -it’s deep. I cannot believe this is Jonathan’s first novel. It captures you from the very beginning. It’s sad, dark and yet there is a glimmer of hope at the end. I think lots of people will relate to this and to Jonah. It was wonderfully done. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Oh and ⭐️ on the cover art! It’s beautiful!
Thank you Netgalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Yes, Daddy is the strong debut novel from Jonathan Parks-Ramage. It feels like a disturbing memoir, which really draws the reader in. It is the story of a young man named Jonah, who grew up in the church, with his father being an Evangelical pastor, and his mother being deeply twisted by the ideas of the faith. As Jonah matures, he tries to grapple with his sexuality while being shunned by his community and forced through conversion therapy by this parents. He is able to escape his dreadful reality and attend university away from his family, where he is able to realize that leaving the toxic environment of his youth is likely the best solution to his problems. Unfortunately, following university when Jonah moves to NYC, he finds himself in a relationship with a powerful playwright that turns extremely dark. He is forced to cut ties with everyone he knew and essentially be held captive and abused.

I could not put the book down however, upon reaching about the 80% mark, the book takes a turn and feels very rushed. The first 2/3 of the novel are so gripping and written expertly, and then it seems that Parks-Ramage ran out of steam and didn't quite have a solid conclusion thought out before he began the writing process. Jonah has a small stint of being sucked back into the church (shocker, it ends badly), and I found it very unnecessary and that it completely backtracks on all of the progress the character seemed to make. Perhaps it's because I am not a religious person in the slightest, but I didn't enjoy the character arc of an abused man falling back into and accepting the very community that essentially ruined his life in the first place.

One thing that the book did get right was the exploration of abuse in LGBTQIA+ relationships -- there are not many other novels out that touch upon the #MeToo movement and how it relates to the gay community. I appreciated that. I also appreciated the exploration, while short and incomplete, of how trauma and abuse affects the survivor.

Due to the choppy nature of the last 20% of the book, I am unable to rate it higher than 3 stars. If the book ended at 80% when Jonah is "freed" of his emotional turmoil, the book would have received a 5 star rating from me.

Despite my just OK rating, I would still recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a dark, yet realistic thriller involving horrific trauma and what that does to a person.

I am looking forward to reading what Jonathan Parks-Ramage releases next. He is definitely an author to watch out for.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book compelling and also very disturbing. It is graphic in its depictions of physical and sexual violence, and not suitable for anyone who would be traumatized or re-traumatized by that. That said, it was a fascinating glimpse into a world I don't know much about, and exposed the hidden struggles of gay men and the power dynamics that exist within that community. I felt compelled to finish, and found the narrator's character development and story arc to be believable and memorable.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book when it was recommended to me as a story that is similar to "My Dark Vanessa". In a way, it is, and "Yes Daddy" got me hooked from the very first page.
It's the story of young ambitious but financially poor Jonah who aspires to be a playwright but has to settle for being a waiter for now. Until he learns of famous playwright Richard Shriver, twice his age, incredibly successful, very obviously interested in young pretty guys. So he decides to become the new young pretty guy at his side, and he suceeds too.

But this is not simply the story of a young guy dating an older man in order to become successful - Jonah is no Maurice Swift. There is a lot more to him and his desire to be with Richard, and the book dives deep into these issues: Religion, conversion therapy, troubles with his father, a deeply instilled shame of who he is paired with a hunger to love and be loved. Jonah is a traumatised young man even if he doesn't really understand it for a long time, and the trauma of his past in addition to the constant loneliness he feels makes him vulnerable.
This vulnerability is then abused by much older, much more experienced Richard in all the worst ways. The emotional and sexual abuse Jonah is put through by the man he thinks he loves, and the creepy friends of said man too, is tough to read and I had to put down the book multiple times. It's heartbreaking and written in a very graphic way. I admit that at some points I thought the plot to be too gruesome, too horrible to be realistic anymore - but then I remembered that yes, our world can be just as cruel.
The aftermath of the abuse is just as heartbreaking, and "Yes, Daddy" - so much can be said without giving away too much - is not a story that ends with a happily-ever-after for anyone involved. Which makes it all the more realistic.

"Yes, Daddy" has flaws, too, it is not a perfect book. The writing did remind me of smutty fanfiction at times, especially during the sex scenes (though that is not a flaw in itself, it simply didn't entirely fit the rest of the writing). Richard and his friends are often times portrayed in a very "story-book villain" kind of way which made them seem less realistic and thus influenced the emotional impact they had on me. Jonah's characterization was a little inconsistent at times, too. And there are some plot points that I feel were entirely unnecessary and were only in the book for their shock value (without giving away spoilers: that one Matt scene really threw me off because it didn't make sense in the story and seemed to have no value beyond "shocking! more suffering!"). And the book wants to say a lot about very different, very important topics: It deals with homosexuality and religion, it deals with (internalized) homophobia and self-acceptance, it deals with rape and abuse, it deals with trauma and pain and regret, it deals with the "Me Too"-movement and social media, it deals, to a lesser degree, with the criminal justice system when it comes to dealing with rapists in court. That is a lot and I'm not sure if I would have preferred the story to focus on one or two of these subjects instead of spreading out so much.

Still, this is a dark, disturbing, depressing, yet also powerful and raw and important story that I hope a lot of people will read despite the title that might make it look like a different kind of book to some.

This debut novel packs a punch of emotion from beginning to end! The level of disfunction, violence, and abuse in between these pages and between the characters is depressingly unsettling, but it kept me on the edge of my seat whilst my mouth hung open and my eyes bulged in shock. The psychological examination and dysfunction of these queer characters made me sad so I hope this account is purely fiction and not at all taken from experience. A truly unique debut that I will not soon forget.

I'm going to give this one a solid 3.5 out of 5.

To be honest, it was feeling more like a 4 star book until the last 20% or so. Be warned - while 'Yes, Daddy' is a quick read, it is not an easy one. It deals with a lot of heavy, intense, and painful subjects such as homophobia, rape, and suicide.

Jonah is a complicated mess of a character but that's what made him so interesting to me. He wasn't flawless. More often than not I wanted to reach into the book, take him by the shoulders, and just shake him. But, I couldn't help but want him to finally get on his own two feet and be happy. He wasn't likable for most of the book, but I still wanted him to finally accept himself and grow.

However, the ending felt a little off to me. I couldn't really... tell if religion actually helped him in the end. Especially in regards to a certain character but I don't want to spoil anything so I won't name names. I think, after everything, the ending just left me feeling underwhelmed. Still, it's a promising debut and I would definitely read more by the author.

I was really excited to read this novel, especially given the many positive reviews I'd seen of it lately, but unfortunately it didn't end up working for me. The issues with this novel are apparent from the beginning. I found the protagonist motives to be too on-the-nose and too clear-cut for them to be interesting. I also found the writing too straightforward and plain, which doesn't work for me as I tend to prefer a more lyrical or descriptive style. Finally, I just didn't believe in the main character's decisions or follow his decision-making. I think this novel would've benefitted from being more less direct about its characters' motives, and trusting the reader more to figure those out for themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ugggghhhhhhh. Why did THAT have to be the ending? I went back and forth with assigning stars for this one, but I’ll settle at four because I really loved the beginning ~75% or so. After that? MEH.

Yes, Daddy is DARK. We follow Jonah as he seduces and falls in love with a successful New York City playwright, Richard. One summer, he is invited to Richard’s compound, and things get twisted. I mean, SERIOUSLY fucked up. This book is extremely graphic and is not for the weak.

Parks-Ramage sheds raw lights on abusive relationships and the homeless LGBTQIA+ community. I don’t think I’ve ever read a character as controlling as Richard. My heart was racing during several scenes, and I truly wished for the best outcome for Jonah.

Where this book falls short is its ending. After so many scenes of bondage, torture, and revenge, the book takes a turn to forgiveness and God? I just wasn’t expecting to read a journey to Christ. It gave a sort of weird imbalance to the book: raw and emotional versus healing and unicorns? It really just wasn’t my thing. The momentum dropped and I was left a disappointed reader. I expect to see mixed reviews all over the board for this one!

For books with similar themes, check out Tricks and Traffick by Ellen Hopkins.

I appreciated the propulsive plot of this novel but unfortunately had to DNF it at the 50% mark due to some pretty rough family & psychological traumas related to conversion therapy. Once this hits the shelves and more people have had a chance to read and review it, I'd recommend reading detailed reviews and checking out the content warnings section on The Storygraph before picking this one up.

A little confusing at times but a interesting look at behind the doors of what hurt can happen in a dynamic like that.

Didn't work for me, as a novel - as a memoir, brave, raw, moving. But too linear, too much telling and not enough showing, to be a compelling thriller.

Intriguing debut novel that shows the darkest side of life possible when a young gay men struggling with life gets lured into a relationship with an older succesfull playwright. What starts out as a fairytale for Jonah Keller quickly takes a turn for the worse as he's manipulated into servitude and has to suffer through rape and abuse.
This books gives us a look into the life of someone who has to live through a lot of misery and what it does to the mind. Even though I didn't like Jonahs decisions and was mentally screaming at him sometimes: "why did you do that / let that happen?" It's thought-provoking and incredibly sad to realize that this is really happening to people out there and there is no telling how I or anyone would act being in that type of situation. So, not a happy read but one that takes you outside your comfort zone, makes you think and is really worthy of your time.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***

I'm still sitting here trying trying to process just how amazing this was - Jonathan Parks-Ramage, what an incredible debut!

When I first saw this floating around, I was like "a gay contemporary thriller about sugar daddies? um, YES!" - & while yes, sugar daddies are a topic presented within "Yes, Daddy", this novel encompasses so much more. We don't hear too many #metoo-era stories from a male perspective, but these are situations that happen pretty frequently within the gay community & not talked about nearly enough. The novel did an excellent job of explaining the often complex dynamics between older gay men in positions of power & younger gay men looking to utilize their looks to further their ambition. I also loved the inclusion of religion as part of Jonah's backstory & character arc, these are very real struggles that many gay men who grew up with religion (including myself) grapple with.

This does get pretty dark at times, so some fair warning going in - CW for those who are easily triggered by rape, abuse, & discussion(s) of suicide; however, everything was done in an extremely respectful way. One tiny note I do have is I wouldn't necessarily consider this a thriller - go into this with the mindset that it's a dark, gay coming of age story to set expectations accordingly!

Seriously though, what an amazing debut! I can't wait to see the conversations this book strikes up & I'll be highly recommending this throughout the year. Thank you so much to Jonathan Parks-Ramage, NetGalley, & Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

I have really mixed feelings about this one so let's try to discuss why.

I think this book is really great, but I also think it's sometimes really sloppy, which takes quite a lot from the power it could have had.

It's always important to me to see books or any kind of media that discuss abuse in queer relationships & how and why it's portrayed/what lgbtq+ people struggle with when we find ourselves in such relationships. I think this book is a great discussion opener - in that regard, I think it goes well beyond the thriller genre and it would be a shame to put it into a box. Same goes for the way it talks about the sexualization of (especially young) gay men.

However, while I think those things were done really well here, there were moments when the writing felt rather unpolished, and there were multiple things (discussion on suicide as a result of trauma, healing, writing-wise the side characters and resolution) that felt very glossed over. I found myself wishing for less depth in certain scenes and wishing for more depth in others, which, granted, could be just my personal preference. There were some inconsistencies with the main character as well that bothered me, and some writing "quirks" that I disliked (such as the main character constantly saying "you, [name]" as if I, the reader, was dumb and couldn't understand who we were talking to at 75%).

Overall, the first 50-75% of the book feel really important and mostly well done to me, while the rest seems a little exploitative and begs the question where the line between discussion and torture porn lies. The ending felt somewhat rushed and created a sour end to a powerful & suspenseful read.

Thank you Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the advanced copy of this book. This book was one of the best debut novels I’ve read. The characters were well developed. The way it was written like a letter was beautifully done. I was not a fan of the timeline, though. I felt the novel to be rushed and thought the book was over well before the end. I thought the ending was a bit too slow. Overall, I really enjoyed the book! I can wait to see what other novels Jonathan Parks-Ramage releases!

Yes, Daddy is a dark and nightmarish novel that follows its protagonist, Jonah, to deep depths of abuse, trauma, and the grueling aftermath. Amazing pacing, I could barely put it down. However, in some parts, I did need to put it down, but only for the fact that the depictions of abuse were intense and triggering. Although these depictions were tough to read, Jonathan Parks-Ramage gives the reader space to breathe and think about Jonah's life and his story.

Quick summary: Attempting to climb the ladder of success through the connection of a famous and wealthy playwright, Jonah quickly finds himself in an abusive relationship where escape is near impossible. Yes, Daddy is an important work of queer literature and one that I think will become an essential contribution to our larger cultural conversations on rape, abuse, trauma, and the victims of such atrocities. I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Epstein's case and how the influence of powerful, wealthy, and privileged people can be dangerous. The prose is cinematic (I can see how Amazon picked it up for an adaptation) and readers will surely be shocked and gutted as they're taken along Jonah's journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, Daddy • Jonathan Parks - Ramage [book 02 • 2021]
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At first glance I expected this book to be a light and juicy read, a book to breeze over during my holiday break. While this book is in fact juicy, it is quite heavy in substance and in detail. Wonderfully written, impactful themes (of abuse, the trauma that follows and what one might do with that trauma) and truly believable characters.
This book is bold and a thrill, at times can be triggering but this book says a lot of important things.
While Jonathan has previously written for magazines and various publications, this is first novel. This book was stunningly written by Parks-Ramage, his debut novel. A fantastic debut this is, I truly hope that he continues to share his mastery with us. 4/5

Plot: A propulsive, scorching modern gothic, Yes, Daddy follows an ambitious young man who is lured by an older, successful playwright into a dizzying world of wealth and an idyllic Hamptons home where things take a nightmarish turn.

This book will receive a wide release in June of 2021. It is currently in development with Amazon Studios to be adapted to film.

** I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own **