Jared's Fulfillment

The short and long is that if you liked [b:Jared's Evolution 36412928 Jared's Evolution (Jared & Kieran, #1) Riley Hart https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508008097l/36412928.SY75.jpg 58108407] you'll probably like this one. On the flip side I didn't love the first book but I'm a completist, wanted to see this through, and had similar results to the first book. The Cliff Notes on this story is how Jared is “liberated” by Kieran to be his true self. The method? BDSM. Showing Jared that his true nature is being a submissive and more specifically a Boy. Humiliation, spankings, kneeling, domestic servitude & discipline, impact play, being shared and played with by others at your Daddy's will & command are not my thing but if it gets your ya ya's off more power to you. Congratulations. But when the dynamic encompasses daily life? Not so much. I wasn't sold on this so called liberation. Exchanging a cage for a pair of cuffs, to be beholden or more accurately dependent on another's approval and direction not only in the bedroom but in all aspects of life seems like no liberation at all. I wouldn't mind the hyperbolic way in which these two relate to each other if this were an A/B/O or shifter story. It's not. Perhaps Daddy/Boy relationships like this one, where the relationship bleeds beyond the bedroom, just aren't for me. Jared is supposed to be freed to be his true self by embracing his role as Kieran's Boy but is he really? To my mind Jared was a guy who'd clawed his way out of a neglectful childhood and foster care to become a successful criminal defense attorney. One that's so highly thought of that he's asked to become a partner. Pretty good by any measuring yard. While Kieran's “liberation” does bring Jared sexual fulfillment it seems that the rest just makes him dependent on Kieran's advice, orders, or approval to the point of paralysis even when Kieran doesn't want to give it. If I were a cynic I'd say that Kieran conveniently gets himself a houseboy/errand boy along with a sexual partner. I'm also amazed that Jared, being a trial attorney and now a partner at a law firm has a fairly regular 9 to 5 schedule which allows him to pick up dry cleaning, grocery shop, and cook dinner for his man like a 1950s housewife. Is it some kind of time portal? Also I feel like Jared's embrace of a myriad kinks in a pretty short amount of time felt rushed. More like the author wanting to represent different kinks and not the natural progression of someone's journey of discovery. I'm not saying he wouldn't/shouldn't like these things but I would imagine it would take him longer to try so many. Just a thought. Still I did not skim, I like the author's writing style, and was invested enough in the story to mentally argue with the characters and their decisions. I just couldn't love them (Kieran specifically) and mostly wanted to shake them. So going by GR's rating system I'm comfortable with 3 stars. As usual YMMV.