Title: Daddy Issues
Author: Ms. T Nicole
Publisher: M. T. N.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Daddy Issues" by Ms. T Nicole

 

My Thoughts....

Wow! This was one very emotional read that is in cased with a lots of drama. I don't know where to start without giving too much of the story away...so I will try to keep this short ha ha and in the end have the readers wanting to read this wonderful well written novel. This was such a dysfunctional Walker family that this story had me shaking my head and saying many times.... oh my God....no...no..no that didn't happen! What had happened in or to this Walker family? There were three beautiful daughters in this family but what had happened had only involved two of the sisters. The story will have the reader thinking why would a mother allow this to happen. By just putting 'her head down and walking away' would never be enough for any real mother. Surely this mother must have known what was happening to her two older daughters? Oh, I will stop here and say you will have to read "Daddy Issues" for yourself to see how well this author brings it all out so well in her presentation of telling this story.

As you read though this story one can see that there was something going on way underneath the surface of this horrible story. The reader can also see that the two daughters really had some emotional problems from what had happened to them as a child that will go into their adult life. When it is all said and done I had a hard time reading some of the story that was left feeling the hurt that would come out of this horrible story. I really felt so sorry not only Sydney, Venetta but especially for Baby Doll [the youngest... Trinity.] Now why was that? Well, Baby Doll was the baby of the family and it seems like secrets had be kept from her but believe me when I say keep reading for they all will come out. All I was left saying 'oh my goodness.' After the death what all will happen for this family? I loved how this author brings out each of the daughter's story in end and what a story the reader will receive from this novel ... definitely not a predictable read.

The story has some real interesting characters that are well developed, portrayed, defined and oh so believable giving the reader a story about this Walker family, their boyfriends & husbands [Trey, Shawn, T.K Antwon, & Cam] ...to some friends of the daughters [Chloe, Denicia & Tex] to only name a few that will keep you reading to see what will happen next. I liked how this author outlined all of her characters at the beginning of each chapter so the reader knew who was mainly being featured at that time for each chapter.

 

When it is all say and done I like how the reader gets a conclusion of how the story ended for the three daughters and oh yes that mom too. Will there ever be 'trust' and forgiveness? I was very satisfied with the read and could understand the reasoning behind how each daughter felt in the end. No, some reads will not be a 'HEA.' Why is that? Well, it's about real life, how we want to handle it and I could see why there wasn't any forgiveness for some. What a interesting read about the life of this Walker Family as the reader will find out what did go so wrong behind closed doors.
Would I recommend? YES!

I had such high hopes for this book. A 6´6 Russian Daddy Dom, well that be the stuff of fantasy, my fantasies in any case.



Alas I was left feeling underwhelmed. What could have be a super hot interesting story, was lukewarm at best. Two detectives, partners, go undercover to catch the person selling some new date rape drug called "PLEASE DADDY" Oh course both have "daddy" issues, though Salt seemed to have a better handle on his then Andie did. Salt has to play "Papa" whilst Andi plays "Mishka"

If that scenario doesn't scream HOLY HELL HOT, I don't know what does. Alas this book is tame, and dare I say, it was boring. To say it was a slow burn would be an understatement. Don't even get me started on how totally underwhelming the whole "undercover operation" ended.

While I adored Salt, with all his sexy Russian accent, Andi was really an awful heroine. I cut her some slack at the beginning of the book because for people outside the lifestyle the whole "daddy/little" dynamic is hard to wrap your mind around. The problem was, she just never got off her judgey high horse. Even when people took the time to try and explain to her about the lifestyle so she could do her job properly, she was always tossing out the "OMG THAT'S SICK" or "OMG THATS PERVERTED" She put the undercover operation in jeopardy SO many times with her stupid bratty behavior, that I had a hard time believing she was even a detective, or a very good one at least. I had an even harder time believing she suddenly at the end wanted the whole "Papa" thing.



This was really a disappointment for me. I wanted more sex (they FINALLY actually get it on at the very end of the book), I wanted more action on the undercover front. I wanted someone to shoot Andi in the head and find Salt, delicious Salt, a real woman, not an annoying repressed bitch!!

I can't deny the messy stories.

I've been meaning to write a post on this book for a while now. Since I'm close to the end, I can just add this to the final review.

 

I am liking the book, mostly because I have a bias towards culinary romantic fiction considering I'm a pastry chef myself, but there are a few things that are bothering me:

 

1.) Serenity and Tom (but mostly Serenity). They really are pissing me off in this book. Who are you to just roll up out of nowhere to see the child you gave up without at least calling her first (and not just her ex-husband to whom you did not even give your identity) and demand a relationship? Not only that, Serenity, despite her hippie airs of the universe giving signs, clearly harbors resentment and anger towards Jenna. Apparently, Jenna was supposed to reject her loving adoptive parents and come running to her birth parents. Unfortunately for Serenity, Beth and Marshall have been wonderful parents to Jenna and Jenna had no desire to seek her biological parents out. And why was the onus put on Jenna? Serenity and Tom had 32 years to seek out Jenna and they never did. Only reason they're doing so now is because while it has yet to be outright stated, it has been clearly implied that Serenity is dying. Which by the way, is a really shitty thing to do to Jenna for two reasons: they (Serenity, Tom, Dragon, Wolf, and Jasmine) are keeping that fact from Jenna and Serenity is intentionally trying to undermine Jenna's relationship with Beth, her true mother, so Jenna becomes attached to Serenity like a daughter only to have to deal with that loss.

 

Serenity is an incredibly selfish character who refuses to see beyond herself and her wants. She never bothered to sit and think about the ramifications of her actions onto a person she claims to love dearly. It's all just "The universe said this and gave me that sign so I must immediately act upon it." Screw that. You don't just walk into somebody's life, make emotional demands of them, denigrate their relationship with the people you gave them up to, only to die on them. I really hope somebody (Jenna) gives Serenity a "What the hell?!" speech.

 

2.) Cliff. When I originally meant to write this post, I was predicting that he was going to turn out to be abusive, and lo and behold, he beats the shit out of poor Violet. And I'm really glad the author points out that he'll get a slap on the wrist and Violet can only hope he doesn't become a stalker because usually this sort of storyline gets wrapped up too neatly. I watch far too much Investigation Discovery to suspend my belief.

 

3.) Ellington. I generally like him, but he's the one being irrational about Jenna's feelings toward Serenity. Telling Jenna she has "blind loyalty" to Beth is seriously fucked up. No, that's called a close mother-daughter bond. Beth raised Jenna and loves her just as much as Serenity claims she does. 

 

It's obvious Ellington also knows Serenity's terminally ill, so if anybody has blind loyalty to somebody, it's him to Serenity. He has a lot to answer for, but I'm sure Jenna is going to be the one that has to apologize.

 

4.) Serenity and Ellington's insinuations that biology trumps all and refusing to understand Jenna's predicament and instead are compounding her emotional turmoil. She's being pulled in two directions and somebody's going to end up hurt by Jenna when that's clearly not her intent and it doesn't help that Beth initially pushed Jenna to pursuing a relationship with Jenna but now regrets it and Serenity has been doing what I've already outlined. And nobody has really taken Jenna into account.

 

5.) Aaron. Like Cliff, I had predicted he was going to worm his way back to Jenna somehow because it was clear the doesn't really possess any culinary talent and was fine with taking the credit for Jenna's creations while completely destroying her self-esteem at the same time. When Jenna got the show and cookbook offer that was initially extended to Aaron, it was only a matter of time before he appeared. He figured that Jenna was going to be pining for him and was only biding her time before he came back. And of course he insults Jenna's store and accomplishments since their divorce because Jenna won't let him glom onto her and take the glory for her work.

 

Unless there is some serious catharsis by the end, I don't think I'm going to be able to give this book more than three stars.

Wow. This was superb, with realistic characters that were fully fleshed out, and a profound message that permeated the book from pretty much start to finish.

 

“Because life is not a fairy tale” is the Brothers Grime slogan. Yes, this novel delivers a romance and a story that is as close to a fairy tale as possible, while still firmly planted in realistic settings.  

 

Eddie Vasquez, uncle, brother, son, has been hiding this dyslexia for nearly all his life. He knows his limitations, works around them with what technology offers, but hates the fact that he struggles to read. Oh, and he's also head over heels in lust, possibly love, with his niece Lucy's teacher, B. Andrew Daley.

 

I knew I was in for a treat when the book started out with Eddie preening in front of the mirror to make sure he looks his very best when dropping off Lucy at school, because Mr. Daley (he who hands out Teacher's Pet pencils to his favorite pupils) might be there.