Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Dr. Gavin Harris looks forward to his vacation every year or two, since it’s the only time he takes off from his very demanding job as an Emergency Department physician. Gavin is especially looking forward to this vacation, because he’s heading to Turks and Caicos for a kink weekend where he can let his inner Daddy out. He doesn’t have time for a relationship or time to devote to a boy, so this is the only time he can indulge in kink. Being stuck in the airport while a tropical storm rages frustrates Gavin further. But the dark is brightened when Ollie buts into a conversation and lights up his night.
Oliver Thomas-Greene is a klutz of epic proportions and could probably benefit from a Daddy that’s also a doctor. But Ollie’s mouth runs away with him and his vast knowledge about random things gets him into trouble. No one wants to listen to him babble. But Dr. Gavin seems too good to be true, and Ollie is sure that Gavin is just humoring him, or teasing him. Because there’s no way the man is really as kind and attentive as he seems.
When they run into each other again at the kink convention, Ollie thinks it’s fate. Gavin can’t deny how much he’s drawn to the boy, but he avoids Ollie at all cost. He’s never had this strong a reaction to anyone, and he knows he won’t be able to give Ollie all he deserves because of his job. So Gavin tries to keep his distance, even as Ollie keeps showing up. When yet another of Ollie’s mishaps lands them together, Gavin decides to stop fighting the attraction. He’s very clear it can only be the rest of vacation, and even though Ollie is a forever kind of boy, he came looking for a Daddy for the week and agrees.
Gavin and Ollie spend the rest of their time together, and it’s amazing how well they fit. Gavin is everything Ollie wants in a lover and a Daddy, and Ollie is the perfect boy for Gavin. But despite that, and the fact that they live in the same city, Gavin is adamant it has to end when vacation does. It breaks both their hearts, but Gavin won’t budge. Except as soon as Ollie is gone, Gavin misses his boy fiercely. He does his best to move on with his life and let it go, but he’s finding it difficult. When fate puts them together again, Gavin is determined to win Ollie back. If only Ollie will give him a second chance.
I was intrigued by the blurb and was quick to pick this one up. Overall, I really enjoyed it. David and London crafted an engaging story with endearing characters. This book is part of the Destination Daddies series, a multi-author collection that is tied together by the theme of a kink vacation with the focus on Daddies and boys. They are standalones, so you don’t have to have read any of them to jump into this one. This one has all the elements of a Daddy and boy. Ollie is not a little, and there is no age regression play in this book. But there is a power exchange, with Gavin caring for Ollie on every level.
The thing that really worked for me in this story is the MCs and the chemistry between them. Right from the start, it’s easy to feel the desperation coming off of Gavin, and how much he needs a break from his life and to let his inner Daddy out. Ollie is, to be frank, absolutely adorable. He’s the type of character that could have been annoying, with his lack of filter and extreme clumsiness. To the authors’ credit, though, Ollie is nothing but endearing and enjoyable. Every fact that comes out of his mouth, every trip over thin air or accident is entirely believable. The MCs are both well fleshed out and fully developed, and I highly enjoyed them both.
Their chemistry is off the charts as well. From the moment they meet, things start to spark and smolder. It leapt right off the page, and only grew the more Gavin and Ollie interacted. It was a bit of a slow build, especially because Gavin was trying to create distance between them. Gavin didn’t want to break Ollie’s heart, but he also couldn’t help “daddying” Ollie from the moment they meet. I loved their interactions, and when they finally took their relationship to an intimate place, the eroticism really worked. These guys were made for each other, and their wants and desires match up in the bedroom. I really enjoyed them, especially together.
I will say, though, that in particular I had issues with Gavin’s insistence they not have anything past vacation. It was weak to begin with, though understandable. But it was a perfect confluence of events for him to actually be able to have what he wanted, so the fact that he staunchly refused to even consider it or to try didn’t work that well for me. On top of that, Gavin’s realization that he does want Ollie and wants to spend his life with him comes very quickly. His grand gesture is pretty cute and very fitting, but Ollie only hesitates for a brief moment before he’s ready to jump into a full relationship with Gavin. For me, this pace was off here and I would have liked to see it more developed for me to be fully on board.
But on the whole, I really liked this book. I loved the characters, and I loved their Daddy/boy relationship. It was an endearing and engaging book, even if I would have liked more from the resolution. If you like vacation flings with great characters, and like the Daddy/boy dynamic, consider picking this one up.
