Lincoln Hudson has just been handed the easiest job in the world. Babysit the spoiled son of a conservative senator, keep him out of trouble, and receive a six-figure paycheck, a paycheck he desperately needs. Wyatt’s father claims he needs Linc’s firm hand and discipline. One look at him and Linc agrees. Wyatt needs discipline.Being the closeted gay son of a family values senator has left Wyatt … left Wyatt Edgeworth with a reckless streak and a love of partying that just cost him eight months of his life and might cost his father his re-election. So now he has a babysitter. A very sexy babysitter.
When Wyatt drunkenly tells Linc he’d make an excellent Daddy, they reach an understanding. Wyatt gets a Daddy and Linc gets a paycheck, then they go their separate ways. For this to work, discretion is key, but with a reporter dogging Wyatt’s every move, that might prove impossible.
Staying together was never an option, but with each passing day, their feelings only grow. Will they risk it all for what’s supposed to be a harmless fling?
Intoxicating is the first book in the Elite Protection Services Series and contains age-gap, Daddy-kink and BDSM elements complete with a HEA and no cliffhangers. Warning: This book contains scenes which may trigger some people including, self-harm, suicide attempt, past and present physical abuse and implied past sexual violence.
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This was amazing! I can’t believe this is a debut novel. The characters were perfectly well rounded. Linc and Wyatt were both flawed but amazing characters.
Wyatt needed a hug in a big way. I felt for him right away. Linc was also troubled and I adored him.
Their relationship was complex and so refreshing to read about.
Lincoln, the bodyguard Marine, steams up the page as he reacts to Wyatt, who he’s supposed to be keeping in line. Wyatt obviously needs a Daddy and Linc can’t resist being there for him. Their chemistry almost set my phone on fire. Hot and tender, firm and gentle, Daddy Linc takes care of his boy and takes the reader along for the erotic ride. New-to-me author and I look forward to reading more!
3.75 stars
Intoxicating was a bit outside the norm for me. I’d typically not delve into a book with daddy kink, but the blurb and series sounded interesting enough that I decided to test my boundaries. While this still isn’t a trope or kink I’d gravitate to, the overall story in Intoxicating was good.
I liked both Wyatt and Lincoln from the start of the story and enjoyed learning their backstories. I always appreciate romances that bring two wounded souls together and, in this way, I very much appreciated Wyatt and Linc’s relationship. I especially liked how supportive both men were of one another and how apparent their connection was early on in the book.
Although there was plenty of conflicts to stir up some angst in Intoxicating, I couldn’t help but feel the author tackled a lot in this book. Unfortunately, the array of tropes contained within the story meant some of the conflicts and issues, while interesting, felt inadequately explored or as though they had an overly convenient and rapid resolution. There was simply too much story to tell, and I kept wanting a little more on those aspects that set this book apart from other romances and a chance to really delve into the emotional situations Linc and Wyatt faced.
Beyond the angst and conflicts, Intoxicating has a heavy dose of steam. There is definitely no shortage of physical chemistry between Wyatt and Linc, and I’m sure plenty of readers will enjoy that aspect, particularly those who are fans of daddy kink. While I don’t know that I’d say there were too many on-page intimate scenes for me, I do think the frequency watered down the effect on me…or perhaps it just isn’t my particular cup of tea, so it may be an unfair opinion in that respect.
In the end, I enjoyed the characters and storyline of Intoxicating, but cannot say that it hooked me enough to continue the series. I feel this is a story that is geared toward readers who want a lot of on-page intimacy and sexual exploration and would recommend it to those who like a good deal of angst and conflict with an even higher amount of heat in their romances.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
I went into this book so excited and ready to get to know Linc and Wyatt. I didn’t expect to get my heart broken. There were so many layers in this book and they were all wonderful.
Wyatt just killed me. What this boy has been through would break anyone, and it nearly did break Wyatt several times. Linc was the Daddy he needed to help put him back together. Linc, of course, has some of his own demons to slay, and Wyatt helps him there. It was lovely to see how these two characters helped one another with their demons. That’s exactly what anyone wants in a partnership; a helpmate. The bond between them is darn near palpable on the page. I loved everything about their relationship.
Watching the push and pull of Linc and Wyatt never stopped being interesting. There are some books you read with this kind of back and forth and it becomes frustrating. Not the case here, the author wrote the tension in such a way that you were invested in seeing the best outcome for these men. They both definitely deserved it. The underlying abuse and conversion therapy issue never overpowered the story line, but there was a clear line drawn in the sand about what is acceptable. I am a big fan of authors allowing social injustice to shine through their work and making a point to form an option. It never came across as reaching and was woven in the story very well. I am really enjoying Olney James as an author
Oh, well! Live and learn, they say! I’m fairly new to the M/M romance genre and I stumble across some daddy kink/BDSM! I was sure I hated the stuff until I was gifted with an audiobook code for Onley James’s ‘Exasperating (Elite Protection Services Book 3)’ and decide to listen to it before realizing what I had! To my surprise, I found myself loving the book then I went crawling to the writer on Facebook to offer a bit of an apology by asking to review the previous two books in the series. Onley starts the Elite Protection Services series with ‘Intoxicating’, Book 1. She pairs Lincoln Hudson (private security professional with Elite Protection Services) with Wyatt Edgeworth, the spoiled closeted gay son of a conservative senator! Oh, my bleeping goodness! Oh, my bleeping goodness! This was just too awesome for words! If ever there was a guy needing a strong daddy and a really good spanking, it’s Wyatt! Brilliantly narrated by Liam DiCosimo, this audiobook is a very good time. I thought for sure I would NEVER read daddy kink and BDSM books! I’m so glad this writer’s work slipped past my defenses and won me over!
** Trigger Warning** book contains scenes Self Harm, Addiction, Homophobia, Conversion therapy, off page noncon and PTSD. Oh yeah and very well done Daddy kink.
Lincoln thinks that this is going to be an easy paycheck, to babysit a senators 22 year old kid, but what he finds is that nothing is going to be easy, when he has a desperate boy in need of a Daddy on his hands.
I spent most of this book feeling like I was on a rollercoaster, with my heart in my throat at all the emotions that this book generates.
It has been quite sometime since I’ve had such a visceral reaction to something I was reading, I mean it was throwing my kindle kind of reaction, you will see if you give this wonderful book a chance, the vitriol and hate, that flies from Wyatt’s fathers mouth took me a little bit by surprise, filling me with disgust. He is one of the most despicable characters that I’ve come across.
Wyatt is the kind of character that you want to hug as soon as you start reading about him, he is fragile, suffered the most terrible physical and mental abuse and isn’t equipped to handle it, as seen by most as a spoiled little rich boy. Lincoln handles him rightly or wrongly, by giving him exactly what he needs.
This book is passionate and filled with tender moments, which offset the harshness of Wyatt’s family relations and the full on hurricane that is his best friend Charlie, who is a wonderful secondary character and her support is much needed. It is a well written debut novel that has some triggers that people need to be aware of. This new author is one I will be keeping an eye out for.
Audiobook Review
Narrator: Liam Dicosimo
Trope(s): Hurt/Comfort, Daddy kink w/light bdsm elements (no age play, no ABDL)
Overall: 4 stars
Narrator: 3 Stars
Story: 4 Stars
Wyatt has never felt the love of a parent. He’s never felt seen, heard, valued, or accepted. His dad, a senator up for re-election, hates him…all because he’s gay. After crashing his vehicle while under the influence, he’s put on mandatory house arrest, ankle monitor included. His dad hires a bodyguard to ‘keep him in line’, but little did he know just how much this bodyguard was going to change the trajectory of Wyatt’s life. Lincoln has his own demons, and responsibilities that depend on getting paid for this job, but it doesn’t take him long to see what’s really going on. To make matters worse, both men feel a connection unlike any other. They both have needs that they discover the other just might be able to fill…at least for a little while. Nothing bad could happen, right?
Wyatt’s friend, Charlie, steals the show quite a few times, throughout this book. She is feisty, packs a good punch, and is a lot of fun. She’s also very protective, and just might be the best friend Wyatt could ever ask for. She’s my favorite character in the book, too be honest. I bet she was fun to write.
This is the first audiobook I have listened to, that Liam DiCosimo has narrated. While I did enjoy some of his narration, I did not enjoy the voice he gave Lincoln. It was not pleasant to listen to. I understand LD is new to narrating, and I see great potential in him. I am hoping he will either never use this voice again, or improve upon it. It sounded like someone who probably smoked 3-5 packs of cigarettes a day, and has ruined his throat and vocal chords. That’s the closest description I can think of, and it’s not exactly right. As pleasant as LD’s voice is the rest of the time, I know he can do better.
Intoxicating
Elite Protection Services
By: Onley James
Narrated by: Liam DiCosimo
Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
Overall
Narration
Story
Read at 1.15 spread on Audible.
The closeted Son, and his bodyguard
Wyatt, spoilt son of a polition.. In the closet and so unhappy he keeps trying to kill himself, self harm. His dad puts him on house arrest and gets him a bodyguard, prison officer.
Linc accepted the job as the money was 6 figures and Linc needed the money. However he didn’t realise that Wyatt was gay and gorgeous. He was also spoilt and needed guidance.
This book has everything, some daddy kink, self harm, physical abuse, conversion therapy. But written so well that you feel the need to keep listening, even if you should be doing something else. There are parts of this book, that made me angry at the characters, or angry on their behalf. Some parts are very sad. But all I will tell you is that there is a HEA. And boy do they deserve it. Great book and great narration, I did run the book at a slightly faster speed. 1.15. I would recommend this.
This book pretty much vacillates between two settings, holy-cow-that’s-a-lot-of-sex and heartbreaking trauma. So it’s basically one hell of a ride.
There’s two ways of reading this book. You can go the superficial route and focus on all the nakey while reveling in the dramatics that is Wyatt’s crappy situation. Or you can choose to appreciate it as the portrayal of a traumatized and abused individual that copes with his pain in an unusual way. I did the latter.
There’s Wyatt, young and closeted, who’s been abused and neglected by his parents pretty much his entire life. The more or less diabolical father happens to be a conservative senator who is trying to be re-elected. Then there’s Lincoln – Linc – who’s hired to keep Wyatt out of trouble. Linc, an ex Marine, expects a brat, but he soon discovers there’s so much more to Wyatt than that. Linc sees Wyatt’s coping strategies – alcohol, pills and self-harm – for what they are and wants nothing more than to help his beautiful client. It’s clear that Wyatt needs discipline, and Linc is the perfect person to give it.
So, this is a Daddy-kink story. And I quite literally cringe every time I read the word daddy in a sexual context . And yet I liked this book. A lot. I tried to ignore the D-word whenever it occured, and in doing so I could fully appreciate Wyatt’s and Linc’s dynamics. Because all other aspects of their relationship just gave me the warm fuzzies. The way Linc cares for Wyatt in every way, trying to protect him. Both from himself and from his father. It’s beyond loving.
I also liked how, despite all of the shenanigans in this read, it wasn’t just gratuitous sex. It was a way for Wyatt to cope. For Linc to get Wyatt out of his own head, to give him some sense of peace in a life that’s threatening to spiral out of control. I thought that was a an interesting justification for the amount of d*cking going on.
There was a lot to work through in this story. All of Wyatt’s past and on-going trauma was exhausting to process, but I think James handled it pretty good. The main focus wasn’t on the past, instead it was on how it all effected Wyatt in the here and now. And how Linc was there trying to help him through it. I really liked that the story didn’t offer excessive details about the abuse Wyatt suffered. It was horrible enough, the glimpses that were shown.
Something that I thought was completely unnecessary was Linc’s PTSD. It was just too much for this short read. It already contained soooo many different angles, adding PTSD on top of that just felt excessive. Especially since it was hardly addressed at all in the story, and apart from Linc’s very first nightmare, it didn’t add anything to the storyline.
To summarize, this is a great story though emotionally exhausting, so it’s well worth reading if you can handle a vicious father, all kinds of abuse (including sexual) and self-harm bordering on attempted suicide. There’s so many triggers in this read it’s crazy.
What I can’t decide on though is the realism of a story like this, I’m not an American. But I have such a hard time envisioning such intense bigotry and hate being an actual thing this day in age. However, I do know there is conversion therapy still in use. How that can possibly be legal is beyond me, but then I look at the current POTUS and if that can happen, maybe the story in this book isn’t so far-fetched after all.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se
Floved it! I absolutely loved Intoxicating and wish it didn’t end, I loved reading Linc and Wyatt’s story and was hooked from the very beginning to the very end.
This has easily become one of my favourite Daddy/Boy books to date and I am seriously wanting to read it again already.
Daddy? Check.
Boy? Check.
Angst? Check.
Hurt/Comfort? Check.
Love, protection and patience? Check.
Hot and steamy sexy times? Check. and so much more, this is one story you will want to read.
Intoxicating is the first book in the Elite Protection Services, a contemporary romance series centered around the bodyguard/client trope. This is my second time reading the book, and I loved it the second time around just as much as the first.
Lincoln Hudson is a gruff, dominant man who’s just retired from the Marines. He’s transitioned into working as a bodyguard on the civilian sector. His first bodyguard job should be pretty easy: he’s babysitting the spoiled son for a conservative Senator. However, not everything is as it seems, and under Wyatt Edgeworth’s snark and sass is a boy desperate for the love and care of a Daddy Dom.
Intoxicating is exactly that: intoxicating. The story pulls at my heartstring and made me melt as Lincoln and Wyatt fell in love. Plus, the sex was hot and kinky with a lot of emotional tenderness mixed in. The plot is fast paced with a lot of funny moments that had me snorting with amusement.
Liam DiCosimo narrated the audiobook. This was my first audiobook that I heard Liam narrate, and I was impressed with vocal range. I loved how gruff he made Lincoln and all the characters felt distinct. There were a few points where I think Liam was so focused on keeping Lincoln’s voice gruff and sexy, that he didn’t infuse enough emotional inflections in it. However, that is a minor critique and one that did not detract from the overall audiobook at all. It was easy to follow along in the book and I quite enjoyed the entire narration and audiobook experience. I will definitely listen to other books Liam DiCosimo narrates and look forward to the rest of the Elite Protection Services series to come out in audio.
Original First Review from 2019:
Wyatt lives a lie which is destroying him. Lincoln needs a new purpose. Each man is damaged and hurting, but what they find with each other is exactly what the need to heal and move forward.
I cannot express how much I adore this book. I could barely tear my eyes off the page, I was so addicted to reading it. Onley James is a new-to-me author, but after reading this book, I can safely say I’m a huge fan. Her writing is gorgeous and talented. Each sentence is well crafted and not only moves the plot forward, but completely enthralled me. The characters are wonderfully complex and delightful.
This was a wonderful start to a brilliant series.
These characters broke my heart. Wyatt was a judged as a spoiled rich kid by those who didn’t know how damaged he really was. Lincoln had his issues with PTSD. When Linc came along to be Wyatt’s bodyguard/babysitter, the two didn’t take long to click. Linc was the Daddy Wyatt needed, and Wyatt was the boy of Lincoln’s dreams. Their relationship was sexy and passionate, and the feelings grew despite the attempts of both men to keep that from happening. Though there were several scenes that were painful to read, I never wanted to put this book down until I finished it. I needed Linc and Wyatt to overcome all their obstacles. I needed to see them beat the villains in Wyatt’s life. I loved these men, and I hope to see more of them as this series continues. Recommended!
I would rate this 4.25 stars.
I like my erotic romances with some depth and this fit the bill. There are many triggers in this book so please pay attention to the tags: past and present abuse, off page rape, self harm, flashbacks, alcohol, drugs, and suicide attempts. Of course, this all means the hurt/comfort trope is quite strong. Wyatt is full of pain from parents who don’t know what love means; he is acting out recklessly in his hopelessness. Lincoln is hired by Wyatt’s father as a babysitter for him during the Senate reelection campaign.
Much of this story takes place in a fish bowl of forced proximity. The attraction is immediate for both of them and while a misunderstanding keeps them apart for a little while, once that is gone there is no stopping the lust from boiling over, even if it all seems like a horrible idea, bound for heartbreak all around. As an erotic romance, the sex scenes are plentiful and smoking hot if light Daddy play is your thing. My heart hurt for both of them pretty quickly. Linc’s usual scenes and after care haven’t prepared him for actually caring for a boy of his own. He is in denial about his PTSD from the service and glosses over his own childhood abuse. Wyatt’s never had a man care for him at all, in any capacity. This is completely dysfunctional, but at least Linc understands that. Linc is an intimate witness to Wyatt’s life without his consent; it is Linc’s choice to share his life with Wyatt in return. With this dynamic, I wonder if anyone who showed Wyatt affection would have sufficed. Still, the moment that it becomes less about play and more about making love, the sex is real including the fear, communication, and humor.
The pacing is fast due to the feeling of racing against the clock. This has an expiration date, not just because of the senator’s campaign, but because this bubble is not sustainable. There are thankfully some interesting supporting characters involved: Linc’s boss and former service buddy Jackson, Graciela the housekeeper, Charlemagne or Charlie as Wyatt’s best friend, and Wyatt’s grandmother Violet. Charlie has the largest, much needed role as support for Wyatt when he can’t support himself. Some might criticize her for not doing more, but I think she did what she could whilst not humiliating and outing Wyatt against his will. When he makes the choice to change his circumstances, she protects them all. I admit Linc and his sister’s circumstances make no sense to me: caring for someone who hurt, neglected and abandoned them over someone Linc is falling in love with seems like a fake box to put him in. Neither does Wyatt’s situation make a lot of sense: if at 22, Wyatt is so abused and mentally screwed up that he can’t get out of the situation with his father, then he is not fit to be anyone’s partner. There are two scenes where Wyatt shows he can be supportive of Linc also–enough to give me some hope. With all the angst I had to wade through, I would have liked to see the epilogue expanded to show more of the happiness a romance brings to the table. Their kinks and childhood traumas match enough for them to bond, but I do wish there had been a bit more as to why they would work as a couple in real world circumstances for a more believable HEA.
The cover design is by We Got You Covered Book Design. This doesn’t have anything to do with the story. This model is a bit more built than I pictured Wyatt and less built than I pictured Linc. The tagline makes this seem more about discipline or BDSM, which doesn’t match the flavor of this book at all.