Erryn reviews ‘Daddy Issues (North Shores Stories Book 2)’ by Lynn Van Dorn. The ebook was published August 19, 2018 and is 365 pages. The audiobook was narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo. It was released January 21, 2020 and is 10hrs and 44mins. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this book: I loved book 1 and couldn’t get to this one fast enough.
Marek Wisniewski is a man used to being obeyed, whether it’s by his patients or his lovers. When he’s hired to be an in-home nurse for an extremely difficult old man, he’s certain he can handle it, until he comes face-to-face with Ryan, his client’s son. Both men have reasons to dislike each other, and neither is pleased when they’re forced to live under the same roof. Ryan wants Marek gone, and Marek wants to bring the beautiful and spoiled Ryan to his knees.
Ryan Chadwick seems to live a charmed life, but underneath his polished veneer of arrogance and success, he’s miserable. Ryan feels, increasingly, like his carefully constructed life is spinning out of control. All it’ll take is one little push to bring his world crashing down around him.
Marek and Ryan clash again and again, causing Ryan to further question who he is and what he wants. Marek brings out a side in him he didn’t know existed, a side that wants to please and obey. Marek’s desire to teach Ryan a lesson in humility becomes, over time, a lesson to show Ryan that who, and what, he wants isn’t shameful.
Two very different men come together and discover that what you want and what you need aren’t always the same thing. They find that you need to pace yourself at a Polish dinner, how building snowmen is not rocket science, that a mansion on a lake doesn’t guarantee happiness, and most of all, how important it is to let go.
Daddy Issues is a steamy romance in the North Shore Stories series. This book follows Be My Mistake and Damage Control, but can be listened to as a stand-alone novel.
Warning: The story contains BDSM elements, fisting, a blanket fort, an embarrassing butt plug, lots of food, and a HEA.
Book Links: Audible | Amazon | Add to Goodreads
My Review:
I finished Damage Control, the first book in the North Shore Stories series and literally started Daddy Issues the next day. I’d watched the closeted Ryan hurt those around him and knew I wanted him to get his comeuppance and then his redemption. (I’m a sucker for a redemption story.) Ryan’s treatment of Patrick had been appalling, and I hoped he’d respect Patrick’s wish to be left alone. But between Ryan’s neediness and Patrick’s inability to say ‘no’, then men kept falling back into destructive patterns. So harmful that health became an issue. Needless to say, I hoped their ‘final’ parting really was for good – for both their sakes.
That leaves Ryan still firmly in the closet. He’s got a fiancée, a wedding he keeps putting off, and a domineering father who can be not only cutting, but downright cruel. His treatment of Tyler in the previous book showed the man for the vicious bastard he was. Tyler broke free while Ryan remains a prisoner. As the eldest, he was expected to carry on the Chadwick legacy. And he’s done just that, working at the law firm bearing the family name. Kowtowing to his father at every turn. Being the dutiful son.
Brad, the middle son and Ryan’s brother, married Rachael in the first book. In this book they become parents and it’s clear from the beginning that Ryan is besotted with his niece. His longing is visceral. One would think he’d be in a rush to marry his fiancée, but he keeps putting things off. Finally, she’s the one who calls an end to the farce. Ryan’s father’s health becomes even more precarious and the family is forced to hire a full-time nurse. Now, technically Brad hired the nurse, so neither Ryan nor his father can fire the man.
Marek is good at what he does. He loves geriatric nursing, even if that means he knows he’s going to lose his patients. He prefers private gigs so he can dedicate all his time and resources to one person. It also leaves him free on Sundays to spend time with his grandfather whom he adores. Marek also loves his mother, step-father, and half brother and sister. They have a tight bond and I was a bit envious. When Marek takes on the care of Peter Chadwick, he has no illusions this will be an easy job. Several nurses have been chased away. But Marek is stubborn – even more so than his new patient.
There is one hitch – Ryan. Marek and Ryan have met, although briefly, and their feelings towards each other are complex. There’s attraction, to be sure, but there’s also wariness. Soon, however, there is more. Marek is about nine years younger than Ryan, but he quickly takes the dominant role in the relationship. A relationship where Ryan refuses to say ‘red’. Now, for some submissives, this is a point of pride – never yielding, taking whatever their Top dishes out. This is also dangerous because sometimes the Dominant misses physical or emotional cues and a scene can go sideways.
All that being said, this relationship works on so many levels. Marek sees Ryan’s need to relinquish control, and Ryan recognizes the younger man will never hurt him. Leave him handcuffed, trussed, and tied to a bed? Yes. (Something I don’t recommend, but that’s a whole other story.) Leave him with marks and bruises? Yes. (In the context of consent, not abuse.) Treat him with respect and love? Yes. This quote encapsulates it perfectly:
Marek moved so Ryan was pinned under his body. He wanted more than he could express. To dominate the man under him. To make him bend. And bend. And bend. And then break. Ryan needed to shatter himself into a million pieces and build something new – something better.
Feelings develop between the men and it’s hardly surprising. They are engaged in intense play (hence the fisting) and there are hormones involved when that level of scene is undertaken. And the aftercare? Made me swoon. I knew there was going to be a happy ending for these two, but I just didn’t foresee how perfect it was going to be.
Okay, I need to take a moment to talk about the narrator, Michael Ferraiuolo. Talented doesn’t begin to describe his ability. He embodied these two men, nailing each one perfectly. Marek is also Polish and the accent worked. There were also plenty of Polish words and, to me, it sounded like Michael hit each one accurately. His performance was brilliant, and I can’t say enough good things both about him and the story. Loved it.
My Rating:
10/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars
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