Sara Cate: The Daddy's Girl

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/247321172-the-daddy-s-girl

Book Blurb:

He's the love of her life...and the one man she can never have.

Amelia Kade is ready to grow up. She’s loved the same man since she was young, and it’s time to let go of her hopeless childhood crush. Especially because he isn’t just any man—he’s her father’s best friend. Her godfather. Even if he did want her (which he absolutely doesn’t) their relationship is forbidden.

Matis Moreau is ready for something new. He’s been running a kink club in Paris for the last thirty years, and it’s time to move on. The only problem is…he doesn’t have anything to move on to. He’s a lonely fifty-three-year-old man in desperate need of a life.

Then, one day his best friend’s daughter devises a plan. Amelia will find him a real partner, and in return, he’ll help her find a man worthy of her charm and beauty. But no matter how hard they try—no matter how many dates they set each other up on—no one else can measure up. They're both falling hard for the one person they definitely shouldn't touch.

And once they give in to illicit temptation, the fire between them may prove so strong it’ll burn everything to the ground…

Tropes:

*Hambright ALC *Age-Gap *Forbidden romance *Father's best friend *friends --> More

*Godfather *MMC > 50 *secret relationship *Caretaker MMC *Neurodivergent representation

*Reformed Playboy *Spicy club *Spice *Check triggers *Voyeurism *Slow burn *exhibitionism

*"daddy"

Thoughts:

Amelia (FMC) has been in love with someone forbidden for a long time he's older by over 20 years but it's not just that he's her father's best friend and he is her godfather.  

Matis (MMC) is a man of the world he has lived a life most people would be envious of he's wealthy and he has had a lot of fun with a lot of different people and he had a thriving business he decided to retire (maybe too early) and while he enjoys passion and spicy times recently getting with a different person every night has lost its appeal, he's getting older and he has yet to have a wife/husband or children maybe it's time to find someone to spend more than one night with.

While Matis was around when Amelia was younger nothing inappropriate ever happened.

Amelia decides that it's time for her to move on from the one man she can never have... maybe the best way to do that is to help Matis find someone new, against her better judgment she decides to help him enter the dating world via dating apps, while she has a hard time deciding who she should date that's where a mutual agreement comes into place Matis will help her pick a guy while she helps him find a match... what could go wrong?

If you are not into large age gaps and forbidden relationships this might not be the book for you, Matis is 28 years older than Amelia... and their situation while starting off innocent enough with trying to help each other in the dating world soon shifts into stolen glances, stolen kisses, sneaking around and doing other things... and not even sneaking around that well at all they were doing things out where anyone could walk in on them my anxiety was high during these times and I had to actually take a break from listening to the book during certain points.

The tension between these two!  ... Matis was trying his hardest to resist Amelia but it was getting to the point where he couldn't resist any longer and it was everything.  

Matis was so supportive and knew what Amelia needed even before she did, he had always said he would keep her safe and still is even with these new feelings he has towards her. 

Matis is caring and even though he was a playboy he wants that part of his life to be done with once he realizes how strong his feelings are towards Amelia.  Matis so charming, handsome and that French accent, yes please! 

The multi-cast narration was amazing: Sean Masters, Desiree Ketchum, Samantha Brentmoor, Aaron Shedlock and Brandon Francis so good!  do yourself a favor if you like audio books and grab the audio version.  

Thank you to Hambright PR and the author for this ALC! 

If you enjoy a forbidden romance trope add this one to your list!  I didn't think I would enjoy this one as much as I did.  

Some negatives for this:

We as the readers already know this is a forbidden age-gap with him being her godfather but it was brought up multiple times throughout the book... I was hoping to just lose myself a bit more in the story without being reminded each chapter.  

Amelia even though she was in her mid twenties it felt like she was a bit younger and very naive, especially with how protective her parents were over her and she still lived with her parents so I don't think that helped with her mom waiting up for her when she was out late.  

This might just be a me thing but I wasn't a big fan of the FMC being ok with Matis continuing to get with other partners as long as she could watch... but at certain times she was jealous of people getting too close to him, so it's ok as long as she picks the person?  Then it almost seemed like she was making an exception because another repetitive theme was that the MMC couldn't be monogomous long and she wanted to please him.

Another repetitive theme throughout the book: 

Matis continues to have thoughts of how wrong his current situation is with Amelia... but continues anyways. 

Amelia continues to tell him that everything is fine and no one will find out... but they are not sneaking around well and often do things in front of people they know... so every few chapters another person they know is aware of their secret and they just hope that they won't tell her parents.

I was stressed TF out... like just tell her parents already before they walk in on you two in the coat closet and have a medical emergency from the shock!  

Have you read this one?  What did you think?  

Ruth Stilling: Code Violation

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256729861-code-violation

Book Blurb:

I’m in love with my brother’s ex-girlfriend.

After years of acting like Vesper Stone isn’t the girl of my dreams, I owe it to myself to be honest, even if the confession can only ever remain a secret.

There are so many reasons why I should forget about her. As the captain of the Seattle Rogues, I shouldn’t betray my only sibling, and I ought to honor the promise I made to our late mom to stand by him.

But my brother isn’t a good man, and I can’t take my eyes off the stunning bartender with sleek black hair and a smile that falters whenever she gets a text from the guy who never deserved her.

Voicing my feelings is a terrible idea. My brother isn’t only a bad person, but he’s dangerous, too, and my top priority is protecting the one girl I can never have.

But I didn’t make it as a pro hockey player without going after what I wanted, and regardless of who she is to my family, I can’t stop showing up at her apartment.

Maybe we can just be friends. I’d rather have that than lose her altogether. My brother doesn’t need to know we hang out and eat pizza while watching a movie.

But friends don’t hold their breath whenever they catch each other’s gaze, and they definitely don’t do what we did the other night …

I should walk away.
For her.
For us.
For the sake of keeping the peace.

So, why am I standing outside Vesper’s door right now, ready to lay my heart on the line? And why am I about to speak the words I vowed to take to my grave?

Because now that I’ve had her in my bed, I’ll go to war to keep her—and our baby—forever.

Tropes:

*Hambright PR ALC *Netgalley ALC *Sports Romance (hockey) *Forbidden romance 

*Brothers ex-girlfriend *Friends --> More *Green flag MMC *Found Family 

*Accidental Pregnancy *Golden Retriever MMC *He falls first *Pining for ages 

*Check your triggers  *State Challenge Washington (repeat)

Triggers: 

Thoughts:

Silas has had it bad for the one woman he can never have, for years he has watched Vesper (FMC) as she has had an on again off again toxic relationship with his younger half brother Kane.  

Kane is emotionally abusive towards Vesper and just calls Silas when he needs money, unfortunately he doesn't use it for bills like he says but on alcohol or other things... Silas feels like he needs to keep this relationship going and make sure his younger brother is ok due to a promise he made to their mother on her death bed, unfortunately as the years go on he's finding it harder to keep this promise especially when he sees how badly he treats Vesper.

Vesper in a cycle of taking Kane back when he tells her what he thinks she wants to hear and then never changing his ways has finally decided to break the cycle she is not taking him back again and that's final she's blocked his number... unfortunately he still knows where she lives and has been sitting outside her home and coming to her job in order to "talk." 

Silas has always been there for her even when she attempted to push him away, he's kind, caring, stable and he treats her with the respect she deserves.  She remains close with him even after the end of the relationship with his brother and she likes how safe she feels when he's near, one thing leads to another and next thing she knows she is pregnant... with her ex-boyfriend's brothers baby what will people think?  he is a big name hockey star and if his brother finds out he will lose his mind he's never been one to keep his cool.

Silas knows that once he's been with Vesper she is it for him... but how can he convince her that he is the right man for her and will be there for her and their child with whatever they need?  

Both MMC and FMC have a past history of harsh family dynamics and little family support, Vesper is used to doing everything by herself could she let her guard down and be with the brother she should have chosen to begin with, or is this just another disappointment waiting to happen?

Things I liked about this book:

I enjoy sports romance, hockey being one of my favorites and liked the found family team dynamics with Silas and his team mates.  The author sets up potential story lines for other players and I might check these out eventually.

I liked how caring and protective Silas was towards our FMC 

The drama between the brothers kept me wanting to find out what would happen next

I liked the girl group that included Vesper she needed a good support system after what she had been through.

I did end up liking Silas and Vesper together once they got on the same page... it just took awhile for our FMC to get there (understandable since her last relationship was terrible). 

Some things that didn't work for me:

Some of the spicy stuff was over the top for me personally... I wasn't a fan of the lactation kink (it came off as weird)

The MMC while he was sweet and protective was over the top about it and I worried for the FMC going from a toxic relationship with one brother (like the on again off again relationship had barely ended) and jumping right over to the other brother who was better (yes) but also kind of love 💣her and it felt like too much at some points in this story.

I felt the story kind of started going downhill after the Pregnancy happened, we as the readers know that the MMC is totally all in for the FMC, but Vesper on her side was only attracted to the MMC at the time she didn't have the strong feelings of love at that time for him as he did for her and I wasn't feeling their connection as both sided throughout most of the book. 

I almost DNF the book a few times just because I wasn't feeling it was for me the narrators did a good job keeping me with the story.  I am interested in giving more of this series a try as I liked the other side characters and would like to see how their stories pan out.  

Have you read this one?  what did you think?