A review by justmevictoria
Don't Call Me Daddy by Jeré Anthony

4.0

Call him daddy, you know you want to… 

 

With a month left until she's on a plane to Romania, Ivy Lane is roadtripping through the Appalachian Mountains in an attempt to check off as many items as possible from a checklist she made with her twin sister seven years earlier. Along the way, she's also wanting to find the perfect spot to spread her sister's ashes. When she runs off the road to avoid hitting a shadowy figure, Ivy finds herself in Ashford Falls thanks to the help of a grumpy stranger. When he has a medical emergency in her presence, Ivy rushes him to hospital and several hours later finds herself as his fake fiancée. With his father passing him over as the next CEO of their family's company, Leo Kingsley thinks showing his family he does in fact have a life and serious relationship outside the office is the best option to secure the CEO position. He doesn't expect that the woman he roped into this charade to be the annoying and bratty woman he's been missing from his life. For years, he's kept a part of himself locked away, but when Ivy jokingly calls him "Daddy", that part begins to set itself free and he knows it's going to be near impossible to watch Ivy leave in month without being left heartbroken. 

 

A charming small town in the Appalachian Mountains with a swoony but grumpy billionaire in need of a fake fiancée? Oh and there's an age gap with daddy dom/brat vibes? Yes, sign me the hell up! As soon as I read the synopsis for this one it went straight to the top of my TBR and I have no regrets about shafting the million other books I have to read - Jeré delivered exactly what I was looking for with this read! 

 

Ivy and Leo had the best grumpy/sunshine dynamic, made even better with their daddy dom/brat & baby girl dynamic. Am I into the latter dynamic IRL? Not particularly. But when it comes to books, I will eat that shit up! These two had such great chemistry as they progressed from faking it to giving into their attraction to one another to then getting their kink on. Their banter was also super enjoyable, and the sweet and emotional moments between them, particularly when it came to Ivy talking about her grief and Leo sharing his past trauma, added so much depth to their relationship. 

 

The spice also spiced extremely well. Imagine Fifty Shades Of Grey with less messy drama and more realistic storyline development, but still with all the fun of a red room… 

 

Jeré added a fun layer of depth by diving into the lore of Ashford Falls and their cryptid the 'Phantom'. The town gives off Point Pleasant vibes with Mothman, with a central part of the Ivy and Leo's story revolving around them organising the town's annual Phantom Festival, this year marking the 150th anniversary of the Phantom's sighting. I'd give anything to visit Ashford Falls, experience it's small-town charm, and explore the lore of the Phantom! I'm keen to return with the next book and get to see more of the Kingsley family! 

 

Small town romance girlies won't want to miss this trip to Ashford Falls and getting to meet the Kingsley family!