When Yanni Tomaras is kicked out of his family home, his parents’ final words are religious insults and an order to never return. Homeless and desperate, he’s lured in by Lance—charming on the outside, an evil predator underneath—who abuses Yanni until he finds the courage to leave.Yanni should feel free. But by the time Spencer Cohen finds him, he’s resigned to being handed back to Lance and … and once again being caged by fear.
Starting school and a part-time job, Yanni begins to reclaim his life. But a love for silent films leads him to Peter Hannikov, a man with a kind heart but who’s twice his age. An unlikely friendship between them blooms into so much more. Neither man knows what he wants, at first. Finding out exactly what he needs is Yanni’s story.
“I’d spent years as a bird, caged with my wings clipped, tormented and beaten.
I thought I’d escaped when I’d left my abuser, but in hindsight, I could see that I was still caged, this time by fear and self-doubt.
Spencer and Andrew, and Andrew’s parents, opened the door to the cage that confined me.
But it was Peter who taught me how to fly.”
120,000 words.
Trigger Warning: Descriptions of violence, suicide, and sexual assault. Reader discretion advised.
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Yanni’s Story is the 4th book in the Spencer Cohen Story series, by author N.R. Walker. I cannot express in words how much I love this story. This is the fourth book in a series and should be read in order. Helps tremendously when you read this story. This is an emotional roller coaster ride of a story. If you have triggers about violence, sexual assault, this is not the story for you. But I will tell you these subjects are not just fillers; they are a part of the character’s developmental development.
Yanni, he will make you cry, laugh, and fall in love with him. He is kicked out of his family and spent some time on skid row. He was rescued by him thought a savior. But it was a man hell-bent on using him. It is Spencer who eventually saves him. Gets him on the path to freedom.
Peter, he is a friend of Spencer’s. he has been burnt by love before, so he is cautious. Peter is much older than Yanni, but there is a draw their Peter cannot deny.
I think both of these men need each other. This is a story to really sink into and not a quick read. I think you might need some downtime too after you read it, but it is so worth it. I love this addition to this series and cannot wait for more in the future.
recommended read and five shooting stars
I loved the first three books in the series that featured Spencer and Andrew, but I always wanted to know more about Yanni. His story touched my heart, and I was rooting for him to have his happy ever after. And that happy ever after had to start with Yanni taking control over his life and rebuilding what he once lost. The story was extremely emotional and pulled no punches when it came to Yanni opening up about his abusive relationships, first with parents who threw him out for being gay, and second with Lance, his abusive ex-boyfriend. Yanni has to find his own purpose and self-autonomy before he can fully embrace the love that’s waiting for him with Peter, his perfect match. Once Yanni and Peter got together, the sex scenes and romantic scenes were incredible. I loved the daddy kink, the age gap, and the hurt/comfort themes of this book. N.R. Walker did an incredible job with this book.
4.5*
All.The.Feels.
I don’t understand how parents can be so hateful to their CHILDREN!!!
This was a tough one to read around Christmas- the past few years I’ve helped purchase Christmas gifts for homeless LGBTQI youths in Arizona and this book just brought home how those kids must feel, to be thrown aside just for who they love. It breaks my heart. And it just makes me so angry.
Yanni’s story broke my heart, but it was so hopeful, too, because of the wonderful people who came into his life. I adore the Landon’s and wish everyone had people like them in their lives.
I was expecting this book to be angstier than it was, and I have to admit I’m glad it wasn’t- the feels more than made up for the angst!
***As far as the *daddy kink* aspect of the story, this was actually the first book I read that featured it and I was kind of leery at the start. But to be honest, it didn’t play as big of a part as I expected. Yanni and Peter’s relationship veered much more towards hurt/comfort. Yes, the calling of Peter daddy at times made me a little uncomfortable, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t get past. It did make me realize that daddy kink is not a genre of mm that I’m interested in looking more into, though. It worked for this story, and I appreciated their relationship, but I don’t think I could handle more.
I enjoyed this book. It’s a bit slow at times but that’s because it takes you through a recovery process. I like that we get to know the MCs and they get to know each other before they fall into bed together. Great story, slow build with an ending worth waiting for.