Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Mr. Naughty List
SERIES: Home for the Holidays
AUTHOR: Leta Blake
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 292 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2019
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A cute teacher gets a spanking this Christmas. How hot can it get being on his former student’s Naughty List?
Is Aaron allowed to want a hot holiday fling with his young former student? Even more forbidden, is he allowed to want this student to spank him?
It’s another Christmas, and Aaron is still in the closet as a gay man and a natural submissive. With one youthful indiscretion blacking his ethics record, he can’t afford to indulge his desires no matter how pent up and needy that leaves him.
Until his former student comes home for the holidays.
Dominant and charming, RJ knows what Aaron needs—intense, steamy encounters and a firm hand. As Christmas nears, RJ helps Aaron unlock his true self. But family and fallout await, and all good things must end.
Or can their hot holiday affair turn them into lasting lovers?
Mr. Naughty List is a steamy, Christmas MM romance set in the Home for the Holidays series that began with Mr. Frosty Pants, but can be read as a standalone. Featuring light D/s, spanking, an older sub with a younger Dom, former student/teacher dynamics, and, of course, warm, sweet holiday feels complete with a strong happy ending.
REVIEW:
Note: While this is the second in a series, it works completely as a stand alone – although there are minor spoilers for the first book.
Aaron Danvers is in a bad way. He hasn’t had any hookups for months. When he’s blown off by two potentials dates, he finds himself attracted the guitarist of the band playing at the local bar – who just happens to be his former student, RJ Blitz. The shock is that RJ seems to return his interest. While Aaron takes him home for what he is assuming is one night stand, it becomes apparent that they are more than compatible.
Aaron fights his attraction because he is still closeted at his school and he can’t risk anything. But it seems like maybe all his caution is for naught as some of his students appear to have figured him out anyway. A past mistake has made him fearful of losing his job and the ability to teach and his principal is no help and in fact is the source of a lot of the problem. Aaron just can’t stay away though, and RJ embark on what is supposed to be a holiday fling that can last only until RJ goes back on the road after the holidays.
Of course it turns out that RJ can read Aaron like a book and wants to give him everything he desires. He’s a dominant and the submissive in Aaron calls to him. And then feelings get involved – even thought neither of them counted on that. They decide to let things take their natural course and see what happens.
I don’t want to say anything else about the plot because there are some surprising twists that I think are better discovered by the reader. Let’s just say that family drama is involved. However, there is also family support, so it’s not all negative reactions at play. Aaron has a dad who loves and support him and a best friend who doesn’t get it at first, but when the chips are down, she’s got his back. RJ’s mother also turns out be an ally in the best possible way, despite the rocky relationship she and RJ have had over the years.
I really enjoyed this story. The twists and surprise relationships kept things interesting 🙂 Aaron was such a good guy and really just wanted to be himself and he had spent his life trying to be something else. RJ is the first romantic partner that really SAW him and appreciated him – in every way. He’s spent his life trying to compartmentalize his sexuality and as a result of other negative influences, has deemed himself undeserving of love because of who and what he is. It’s heartbreaking to read his devastation. RJ has not had an easy life, but he’s made the best of it and he wants to show Aaron that there is so much more. He’s really cynical about happily ever afters because of his rough childhood. He’s not chosen partners wisely in the past, but he really wants to try with Aaron and he’s willing to risk everything. Both characters grow up a lot and stand up for themselves in the best possible way. The supporting characters in this story, including RJ’s mom and stepdad and their kids as well as Aaron’s dad and his best friend Lauren, provide the safety net for RJ and Aaron to grab their future and not give up. It was so rewarding to watch them work through all the obstacles to be there for each other.
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