Rating: 3.5 stars
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Length: Novel


Devon Hoffman is almost 50 and just ending a 30-year relationship. Devon has been unhappy for a while, as it was clear his ex-husband didn’t care much about him. Devon never felt comfortable sharing his secret desires for a Daddy who would help care for him and center him. Now, Devon is worried that his chance has passed him by and he feels out of sorts as he enters this new stage of life.

Bern has loved Devon from afar since he was 15 years old. With Devon married to another man, Bern never shared his feelings, but that doesn’t mean Devon was ever far from his heart. Bern ended up moving across the country for college and then joining the military to get some emotional distance from the pain of watching the man he loved being with someone else. But when Bern learns that Devon’s marriage has ended, that is all he needs to leave the military and return home to the man he has always wanted.

Bern knows it will take Devon some time to accept him as his Daddy; Bern is Devon’s best friend’s son, after all, and the age gap is considerable. On top of that, Devon’s ex has left him feeling undesirable and he has a hard time believing a hot, younger man like Bern would be interested in him, let alone want to fill all his wildest fantasies. But Bern has loved Devon for too long to let that stand in his way and he is determined to show Devon that they are truly meant for one another.

I love a good age gap story, and a Daddy/boy plot with reverse age gap is just up my alley. So I was really excited about Waited So Long and it definitely hits some nice notes along this theme. Bern is intense and all consuming as a younger Daddy who finally has a chance at the man he has wanted since his teens. It is clear he wants Devon to feel loved and special and he does everything he can to provide what Devon needs. I particularly liked how Bern is this gorgeous, hulking younger man who is totally hot for a much older, smaller, and not nearly as fit older man. It was nice to see his intense his desire for Devon and his effort to make Devon realize how attractive Bern found him. I also really liked the way we see Devon come to accept himself and his desires here. He had stifled so much of what he wanted and needed because he never felt comfortable sharing it with his ex-husband and so there is a lovely sense of Devon finally finding himself and getting the life he has always wanted, but never expected to have. At first, Devon feels shame for his desires, but Bern’s support and unconditional love give Devon the confidence to embrace his inner boy. The story is fairly sex heavy and these guys have nice chemistry together, so if you enjoy a Daddy/boy dynamic (plus a tiny bit of age play), this may be right up your alley.

This story felt a bit like a fantasy, where two men come together and get everything they have ever wanted. The conflict is very mild and things comes together fairly easily for the men. I enjoyed the sense of just getting swept away in the romance of it all, but I did feel like there were some areas that needed more development. We know that Bern has wanted to Devon since his teens, to the point that he actively has avoided relationships with anyone else, despite Devon being married to someone else. However, I never really got a sense of what it is about Devon that Bern loves so much, what drew a teenager to love a man his father’s age, and what it is about Devon that is so appealing to lead to Bern’s almost obsession with him. And at times, it really does seem like an obsession. Bern watches and notes everything about Devon to an extreme degree and seems to know everything about him. I’ll admit at times it felt almost stalkerish the degree to which Bern has monitored Devon before they were together. When he learns Devon is now single, he just quits the military and moves home, determined to claim Devon as his own. There is a sense of ownership and possession from Bern, even before there is any indication of that Devon returns his feelings or interest. He starts referring to Devon as his “boy” and himself as Devon’s “Daddy” without ever even having a conversation with Devon about whether he may be interested in Bern. There is a sort of a grand, sweeping romance sense in here, but at the same time, it felt like Bern comes on way too strong for me to fully be comfortable.

On the other end, I didn’t fully understand what Devon saw in Bern, either. Yes, it is clear that Bern is able to fulfill all of Devon’s inner desires and fantasies, and there is no question that Devon is hot for him. But it was hard to see what it was about Bern, in particular, versus the Daddy role Bern was fulfilling, that Devon found so appealing. I also wish we were more in Devon’s head as Bern starts courting him. Bern just sort of just jumps in to being Devon’s Daddy, telling him what to do, etc, seemingly out of nowhere. Because while Bern has known forever he wants Devon, Devon had no idea and this is all out of the blue on his end. So like I said, there is a grand gesture, big sweeping love sense of things here, but at times I felt like the details to really build their connection were missing.

Despite some concerns, I found this story quite enjoyable. It is super sexy and the Daddy kink was done nicely. I enjoyed seeing Devon find himself and realize he could have the things he always wanted, and even more, that he could be desirable. It was nice to see him claiming his life and finding happiness with Bern. The two have nice chemistry together and there is a sweetness here that I enjoyed. So if you are a fan of Daddy kink and age gap romances, this is worth checking out.