After escaping an abusive eight year relationship, Joey Harkin is rebuilding his life. He keeps a low profile, does his job, and each day things get a little better. Until the day he reports his team leader to the department manager and he finds himself summoned to the Managing Director’s office. Rick Southwell has a good life. He’s a successful business man with a close circle of friends and … friends and when he needs something more … stimulating… there’s always the boys at the club. All of them willing to act out whatever scene Daddy Rick asks for. He has no interest in anything deep or permanent. Until the night he has to rescue Joey Harkin – the man Rick has just promoted – from being beaten up.
As Rick begins to unravel Joey’s story, it doesn’t take long for his natural instincts surface and he wants just one thing: to protect and care for Joey. Getting Joey to trust him turns out to be the easy part. Getting Joey to let go of his fear and embrace his new life is much more challenging.
Book 1 of 3
TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains reference to repeated domestic abuse, both physical and mental.
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Wow! The whole trilogy is amazing. Hurt/Comfort in spades. Loved it.
I’ve really enjoyed this series. I’m not typically a fan of third person present tense but I pushed through and glad I did because it was really was a great story with great characters. Povs do switch a lot but you get use to it after a while and I don’t feel like it took anything away from the story or brought too much confusion. The pace was very good and realistic. Such an emotional and heartbreaking story that has a very sweet hea at the end. This is a three series book all about the same characters and you will finding yourself bringing right through just to know what happens next. This was a daddy/boy and large age gap romance. I really like how it shows how not all these relationships have to be the same or follow any sort of specific rules. Really enjoyed all three books!
This is a well written book with strong characters in Joey and Rick as well as the supporting characters who help to bring the story around. The author does a great job developing the story and pulls you in with all the emotions flowing throughout. She deals with the tough issue of abuse and the effects as well as working on trust. I was held fast watching their relationship grow as the story unfolds and am looking forward to the next book. Warning: there are triggers along the way and not always an easy read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
This book was the ultimate hurt/comfort mixed with a huge dose of sweet, gooey, marshmallow fluff. Rick is not only a successful businessman, but a protective Daddy Dom. Joey is not only a dedicated worker, but a boy in need of protection. They are the perfect mix. Watching their relationship develop and how much care and effort Rick put into making Joey feel safe and worthy made me melt. This was a lovely story.
Overall Rating: 4 Stars. The writing was good, but I felt the book was a little short. I fell in love with the characters and really wanted them to find their happy ending.
Joey is such a wonderful character. I just want to hug him better. And Rick was so sweet and caring. Those two have great chemistry and I couldn’t get enough of their story!
This is the first book of a new trilogy by this author, and I literally cannot wait for the next. I love Joey (almost) as much as I love Jesse, and I never thought I would write that.
Joey pulls at my heartstrings. It became almost too much to bear as each new horror is revealed, but the author balances the heartbreak with Joey’s courage and sass.
Rick is just the right love interest for Joey, although it takes Joey a while to work out why. Rick is smitten from the start and his caring and protective streak is always evident. As Joey’s boss, the situation is not ideal and I like how the conflicts at work are playing out. It’s here that Joey acts to his strengths and it’s easy to see how a powerhouse like Rick could fall so quickly. There relationship might be more unbalanced without this facet to Joey.
Ms Jurd has written another exceptional book. My only gripe is that, although this part doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, it is a tad abrupt. Still, I did love the tiny little peek into what will happen in the next book.