From the USA Today bestselling author of School Ties and the Compass Series He needs to be a better man for her sake, but she makes him want to be so bad… Keyne O’Connell leads a charmed life. She has a caring family and a terrific boyfriend. Her senior year is about to begin, and her future looks bright. But one dark summer night robs her of everyone she loves, thrusting her into the care … robs her of everyone she loves, thrusting her into the care of her boyfriend’s intimidating, much older brother.
Dark and brooding, Jasper Andersson is not a good man. His business dealings are barely legal. He’s a womanizer and a casual drug user. He has no interest in becoming Keyne’s guardian, although given her limited options, he doesn’t have much of a choice. He knows he must protect her at whatever the cost.
But living in close quarters soon stirs up feelings inside them both that are far from platonic. Keyne needs a firm hand to keep her in line, but what she desires could lead Jasper into trouble…
Praise for the novels of USA Today bestselling author Tamsen Parker
“A fictional world that is both dark and joyful, in which an intense, complicated, submissive heroine meets a tender, lighthearted, dominant hero.”—Megan Mulry, USA Today bestselling author of Encore
“A smart, strong, brazen debut. Parker doesn’t strip the rose of its thorns.”—Cara McKenna, bestselling author of Crosstown Crush and the Desert Dogs novels
“A story that works on all levels, drawing you in with snappy pacing and dialogue, building a slow burn until you can’t put it down.”—Anne Calhoun, bestselling author of Liberating Lacey and Jaded
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This is a poignant tale of grief and unorthodox love.
Tragedy strikes in the first chapters and paints the atmosphere with bleak tones. The author’s words recreate the raw, harrowing journey of bereavement with accurate detail. It’s tough and touching to go through every step along with Keyne and Jasper, yet it’s also therapeutic, letting you get in touch with your innermost vulnerability.
Jasper is a bad boy, a ruthless businessman, yet he’s got a good soul. And his deep desire to do right by Keyne is inspiring, sweet, moving. Keyne is a young girl lost in her struggle against unthinkable loss, drowning in pain yet still gasping for a way out, a way to love and be loved.
I felt as if I got to know the characters really well, they were breathing and feeling like real people. Time passed for all of us together, sharing routines to keep us sane, conversations filled with emotional intimacy, events both about daily life and big decisions. And with each minute and every month of their lives, love was brewing and desire was pulsing.
Despite the taboo nature of this age-gap relationship, the pace made it understandable, but especially the needs of these characters as they connect and bond over not only grief but a lifetime of trust and a year of living together in complete dedication to their unique sense of family.
It comes a time when the fated, complex feelings of these tragic characters take an even more complicated turn. This happens in the second half of the book which means a radical change as in the first part we encounter hard issues of bereavement and their psychological consequences.
They fall in love while giving into their deepest, unusual tendencies. This might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it is all rendered with utmost beauty and sensibility. There’s no passionate scene that is not coloured with love, respect, devotion and consent. While Jasper teaches with masterful concern, she blooms with her self-awakening. This kinky scenario is explicit and abundant, and it goes through several phases as the characters grow in their relationship. That includes a very selfless yet dramatic decision on his part that can be considered heartbreaking, but also eye-opening and necessary.
The final chapters are painful, beautiful, and rewarding. I could have done without some exploration on her part, but it is part of the lessons they both had to learn. Very interesting, intense, and controversial romance. Not to be taken lightly.
This book and author is a first for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Keyne is a young girl at 17 and has had a very comfortable life and upbringing. She has a caring family who love her very much, and she’s about to start her senior year. However fate has other ideas and Keyne and Jasper go through a huge tragedy.
Keyne had to be cared her by her boyfriend’s way older brother Jasper who has just become her guardian.
Jasper is not a good man he’s a tough guy who takes drugs on occasion and sleeps around alot with women. The problem is that he has no interest in becoming Keyne’s guardian but quickly realises he has no choice given there is no other options.
Feelings start to manifest inside them both that are far from platonic. Jasper is a very experienced man in the bedroom department and she has none. ( NO SPOILERS).
These characters do have chemistry between each other, but this is a forbidden love story. This is a dangerous story and someone is bound to get hurt.
I think the author writes brilliantly however I just wasn’t feeling the story line. I felt like it was maybe alittle slow going and I was waiting for something to happen.
I wasn’t really sure about this book and I think that this time that this story wasn’t for me, and a tad predictable at times. I did feel sometimes like I was reading two separate books because the first half of the book was before 18 years old, then the way the second half was after 18.
Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me to read an early copy of this book.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Intense Love Story!
This is a very intense and thrilling love story. It will take you on an emotional and steamy rollercoaster ride with lots of bumps along the way. You will laugh and you will most definitely cry.
Keyne’s life seemed perfect until her world is turned upside down due to an unfortunate tragedy. She has to deal with a lot of pain and anger. In comes sexy Jasper. He may seem rough and growly but he has a big heart and he is all that Keyne has left. Jasper is exactly what she needs to get her life back together. Their chemistry is intense and oozes off the pages.
This a really great age gap romance that is highly entertaining to read.
Keyne &Jasper are PHENOMENAL in His Custody!!
Jasper and Keyne have lost their entire families, including his brother Gavin, Keynes boyfriend. When Jasper discovers who has been assigned her guardian he takes them to court to keep Keyne with him.
As they get closer, Jasper falls deep for Keyne, an issue that causes him to question himself, but even then he can’t stop it from happening. The only problem is he is sure Keyne will never like him the same way, and if she does is it just some advanced form of Stockholm syndrome?
A beautifully taboo book that sucked me in from the beginning, and had me ready to injure Jasper when he makes a decision in Keynes best interest. Worth at least 6s, if you like taboo and light kink this book is everything you could ask for!
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I really enjoyed it,..confession I wasn’t really sure that I would as I dont usually read age gap Romance,I am not against them in any way they are just not my go to reads…and I never give myself the opportunity to read them,…silly girl…
Keyne and Jaspers romance was emotional and steamy and a bit of a rollercoaster ,reluctantly becoming the guardian of Keyne ,Jasper has his hands full and I don’t think he knows what he has let himself in for.But he is strict and firm with her ,and well there is an attraction between them that is undeniable….so expect to be swept up with all their forbidden taboo shenanigans .
This is a fantastic read for any fans of age gap Romance and sexy Alpha Males, a very entertaining captivating book.
Great Story.
This was my first book by this author! I loved it! Keyne was 17 when her parents, boyfriend, and godparents died in an accident. She was the only survivor. Jasper lost his parents and brother in that accident, and is determined that he should be her guardian. This book was taboo, but nothing happens between them until she is an adult. But we do get their angst. He loves her, but also wants her to live. She finds comfort in the fact that he wants to care for her. Their grief over losing their families was heartbreaking. This was a rollercoaster of a book with highs and lows for both of them. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to shake her. I will definitely be reading more of this author!
His Custody is the first book I have read by this author and won’t be my last. Some may find the story line a little uncomfortable but if you can put that into the back of your mind this is a beautiful story of sacrifice and love. Jasper and Keyne story is heartbreaking to start with and will have you wanting more by the end of the book. Absolutely loved it.
His Custody is the first book I have read from this author. I went in blind not knowing what it was about.
Personally I am not a fan of age gaps but I did really like this one.
I loved how caring and loving Jasper was with Keyne, especially at the beginning when she had to find herself again (and him too).
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Tragic, romantic, erotic
Tamsen Parker is a new to me author, and I have to say the initial tragedy of the book had me immediately invested in 17-year-old Keyne McConnell and her 31-year-old self appointed guardian, Jasper Andersson. Their parents had been friends since college, before the kids were born, with Jasper being the eldest, and his younger brother Gavin coming along later, at the same time as the McConnell’s gave birth to their daughter.
The two families grew up side by side, doing everything from joint holidays to dinners, until tragedy struck, and they died together. All, except Keyne who survived, and Jasper, who we know from the blurb was off living his less than stellar kind of life.
The beauty of Ms Parker’s writing in this forbidden age-gap romance, is that she guided me as the reader into not only believing that Jasper is the best guardian for this grief ridden young lady, but as she gains legal age status, that he not only loves her unconditionally, but understands her even as she didn’t understand herself. That she is his matched pair, and despite the thoughts that he turns on himself, that he is indeed the one she needs, just as he needs to love and protect her. This book is as romantic as it is erotic
I can’t pretend to understand the D/s world, but I do believe that Ms Parker wrote Keyne beautifully as a young woman who survived devastating loss, debilitating depression and grew under Jasper’s watchful eye to become a mature, albeit damaged young adult at 18. She raged at his insistence that she immerse herself in the normal college life of all teens, and I loved him for it.
I just loved the honour that he kept hidden, and the honourable, loyal, friends that he kept close to his side. They rounded out the book and often provided a witty light relief that I really enjoyed.
I’m not sure of the previous formats that this book has been in, so was a little confused by the long length or novella comments of other reviews, but my only disappointment is the possibility of plot undertones that were not taken advantage of. I would’ve like a little more exploration in this area. 4 Stars for this book
*Content notes at bottom of review*
4.5 stars!
His Custody was a forbidden love, contemporary guardian/ward romance that checked all my must-read boxes. I enjoyed the heck out of Keyne and Jasper’s story.
Right out of the gate, there’s a pretty big content note needed for death of family members. Keyne finds herself adrift and wondering who will have custody of her until she comes of age. Guesses on whether it’s her previous boyfriend’s older brother who is tasked to take care of her?
😀
There’s an age gap here, and Jasper definitely has more experience and has been a little jaded. He has a lot of bad vices, but he loses his family, too, and he refuses to let Keyne go into someone else’s custody. But things start to shift and close proximity takes hold and Keyne may just be into what Jasper’s into…and oh, the tension and anticipation of forbidden love leads to a solid slow burn and a coming reckoning…
This was a kinky good romance that really shows Keyne’s journey to finding herself and starting a life that doesn’t include her family members or her boyfriend: Jasper’s younger brother. Then she finds herself living with Jasper who is larger than life and whose kinky tastes brings Keyne to her own awakening of sorts.
LOVE.
It’s important to note that nothing happens until Keyne turns 18 (which had me worried after reading the blurb, tbh). Their relationship really develops naturally, and watching the dynamics and shifting feelings and how they open up and compliment each other really hooked me in.
As I can always expect from a Tamsen Parker book, the intimate scenes were so delightfully done. There’s exploration and honesty and consent. I couldn’t put this book down.
There are some things I kind of wish had been wrapped up with the deceased family members and the aunt/uncle situation, but I’m also really glad we got a character-driven romance with these two. If forbidden, walking the boundary-line is to your liking, you’ll devour this book as much I did.
Content notes: death of family members and boyfriend, drug use, alcoholism, cutting
4.5 stars
This is the first book I have read by the author and it will not be the last. From the beginning the book is blanketed in pain as the reader learns of the tragedy that has befallen Keyne and Jasper. Their parents were longtime friends from their college days and it was only natural to have their children grow up together. Jasper’s younger brother, Gavin, was Keyne’s boyfriend. When the unimaginable happens, it becomes a question of how to go on. His Custody is a realistic exploration of dealing with grief and the loss of loved ones. It shows how far one is willing to go to do what is necessary and how short life is. The tension between Keyne and Jasper continues to grow throughout the storyline and as she gets older Jasper realizes that he loves her unconditionally and she makes him a better man. Although there is a significant age difference between the two, there is no question that she is the right woman for him. The bottom line is that there is light at the end of a dark tunnel, we just have to get through to the other side. I volunteered to read an advance copy of the book.
I really enjoyed this story it was a departure from so many common stories that feature the same tropes. This is about a really gruff man, a party man, a older man who suddenly finds himself in charge of a younger woman; his brother’s girlfriend at that. The characters were different and I found that I really enjoyed Jasper as he was a bold and as time (a**) that was balanced out by Kenye.
I enjoyed that the author took a different route to their relationship and had some struggles as well as some hot scenes. The tension between the two was great and I really loved the push and pull of the “unsure” feelings between them. The chemistry was there and felt. The ending was also really different and refreshing. I liked how they stayed true to their relationship and beliefs rather then bending to societies expectations. This was my first read from this author but not nearly my last. I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review. 3.75 stars.
I don’t even know where to start with this book! I had no idea what to expect going in as this was my first book by this author. It didn’t take long before I was lost in the emotions, the pain, the heartbreak, the lure of the forbidden, the unconditional love, the push and pull of right vs. wrong. I love that Mrs. Parker didn’t “gloss over” the events at the beginning of the book. She did not shy away from diving deep to expose Jasper’s and Keyne’s pain, vulnerability, and insecurities. Jasper’s fight to hold onto Keyne and his struggles to do right by her despite his own grief were amazing to witness. It made me love him right from the start!
His Custody is a perfect example of how life can change in a matter of moments. How what we thought we wanted can suddenly change, evolve, and grow into something we never imagined we could have. Sometimes to get to the place we’re meant to be, we have to go through the worst days of our lives.
This book had almost everything I could want in a book – age gap, forbidden love, damaged hero and heartbroken heroine, every emotion under the sun and then some! The sexual tension was off the charts and when the hero and heroine finally came together it was pure fire! I cannot recommend this book enough!
His Custody is a forbidden age-gap romance between a playboy who had taken custody of a seventeen year old girl after the death of their families. The story was a slow burn romance as in the first half of the book both characters are adjusting to life after their loss. I liked the interaction between Jasper and Keyne and I liked that nothing really happened between them until she was of age. The second half of the novel was when things started to steam up and boy was it hott. This was my first Tamsen Parker novel and I did enjoy it. It was steamy, angsty and emotional and I would recommend it to all lovers of age-gap romance.
This has been my first step into the world of Tamsen Parker books. When I read synopsis of this book, I already knew that I need to read whole story.
I totally recommend this age gap forbidden romance. Captivating and addictive plot had me hooked so hard to the book and woke up so many different emotions that I couldn’t put it down and read it within one day. Relationship between Jasper and Keyne was very complicated but I freaking love their slow burn romance. Their chemistry was out of the charts and I couldn’t wait when their feelings will explode.
There was many heartbreaking moments but also heart-warming moments and I loved that cocktail of emotions.
I am so conflicted about this book. There was so much here that I really loved and enjoyed. The age gap, the forbidden angle of their relationship, the intense emotions, the angst, the steam and kink. However, for me all this greatness was tainted beyond repair when the author decided to have the male lead be sickeningly self-sacrificing and overly magnanimous. That gave the female lead the perfect excuse to act like their relationship and love didn’t matter. Well, guess what? If their love and relationship is so easy to set aside and disrespect, it really means very little to them and that means I can’t believe in it either. If this situation doesn’t bother you there is a lot to like about this book but if you are a firm believer in commitment you are going to have a problem. this is my candid, elective review.
Keyne and Jasper have both suffered a tremendous loss, so in a desperate attempt to hold on to some semblance of family he becomes her guardian. It’s a story of love that starts completely innocent and over time the characters start to feel this deep attraction to each other. Although there’s an age gap nothing happens between them until she is of age. This was a enjoyable age gap romance between ward and guardian, with a little angst, a side of kink, and a good blend of sweet and sexy.
I have read some reviews stating that there wasn’t enough drama in this book but I have to say that that is perhaps what I liked most about it! It’s unique in that aspect. Sure an unspeakable tragedy bonds Jasper and Keyne together in an incalculable way, but after that, their connection is solid. Even with Jasper’s sweet (and possibly misguided attempts) to let Keyne live freely, never once do their feelings waver and there is no betrayal on either side.
The evolution of their relationship as guardian and ward into something much more is slow and both parties are 100% on board, after it takes Jasper a minute to realize he has done nothing evil. The Dom/sub relationship is well written as Jasper eases her into it, allowing her to fully understand that their desires are not wrong. The story is sad and sweet, with a ton of heat. I will be reading Tamsen Parker again. 4 stars for His Custody!