Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the advanced reading copy of I want you to own me by eve healy. This started off completely missing the mark with me. I really didn’t want to read past the first page and I didn’t get much farther. Treating subs like pets and slaves. Really just didn’t catch me. Maybe it could have been better later on and I’m sure it’s for someone.

Full disclosure, I requested this because of the cover thinking that it was manga or a graphic novel and didn’t read the description. I admit that I royally fucked up, and that I am the one who made the mistake here. This wasn’t for me; this is nothing that I would ever be interested in. So, one star is an accurate measure of my opinion and total moral opposition to the content, though I do feel slightly bad about accidentally coming into a very specific type of space and rating so lowly.

Basically, I advise people to read the synopsis, as well as other reviews that more comprehensively list the tags/triggers, as I had to dnf.

Aspects to be aware of:
- non-con and dub-con
- dubious age gaps
- sexual-assault justifying magic(?) system (‘Doms’ can use words that compel ‘subs’ sexually, and they cannot physically disobey)
- non-safe BDSM practices
- a/b/o adjacent vibes
- flippant use of words like ‘manic’
- dehumanisation in general
- sex slavery vibes
- fuck or die trope

The actual writing style is pretty average, but the content is something that you need to be extremely aware of.

The nicest thing I can say is that it is very well written problematic content. Dom/Sub dynamics have nothing to do with gender, so calling them a secondary gender that suddenly emerges when someone turns 19 is an awkward idea to wrap my head around.

That aside, the bedroom scenes are rather excellent once Anthony gets into a safe relationship with Noah. The plot outside of the sex scenes is a complete mess, but I guess no one would be happy with ONLY sex scenes. Or would they…?

Recommended for: fan fiction readers that enjoy fated pair tropes

The author’s content warning: kidnapping, unhealthy BDSM practices, dubious consent, violence, risky sexual behavior

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute addition to this series and in this world. I appreciated the smut, the heat and the character development for such a short novella. Looking forward to any others in this series!

I Want You to Own Me by Eve Healy - 5/5

The cover is what caught my attention to this book, I love the details of the characters and the softness of the colors. This was my first Dom/Sub story, and it did not disappoint. The initial story line was definitely spicy, I loved the way the author went all in and was very detailed without it being cheesy. The sex scenes were nicely placed, it was too much throughout or jumbled together. Great story line, just the right amount of spicy, and short enough to be a quick read.

A bit rough around the edges as far as writing style went. I don't really have many triggers so the content did not really bother me much. Noah and Anthony are cute and I found myself smiling at them together.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Non con, rape, abuse, kidnapping

Anthony Griff is a son of two Doms. Around your 18th birthday you find out what your ‘second sex’ is, and that determines your fate. To Anthony’s parents dismay, two Dom’s created a Sub. All of their plans for their son to attend the Dom-exlusive college and for him to inherit the family business, is destroyed.

Since Anthony is now useless to his parents, they sell him off to a Dom who, coincidently, is going to be joining the Griff board of directors. Anthony is sent away and treated terribly by this new Dom, until Noah appears.

Noah, who is also a Dom, is at the house to try and rob it, but instead of robbing valuable items, he takes Anthony. Once he’s free with his new Dom, their lives can start.

I had a lot of problems with this book, first one was that the story was terrible. I love MM and Boy Love themes, but this book did not do it for me. I also did not like the amount of non-con and grooming that was involved. Normally non-con does not bother me if I know that that’s going to be a part of the story before I start the book. If it’s a dark romance, you can almost expect it – but this book, based on the cover and description, did not give off ‘dark romance’ vibes. The first third of the book is about grooming and non-con violence against Anthony.

Definitely a quick and easy read! I absolutely adored Noah. The concept of Dom/Subs in this book was interesting as well. Only took a star off because of some of the “play”. It was well written and I loved the consent with Noah, but overall not my typical cup of tea. I would recommend!

Welcome to a different world and a different way to see BDSM! Be sure to check warnings! I really enjoyed this book and seeing the characters develop! Will look for more books by this author.

Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy of "I Want You to Own Me". I was given the chance to read an ARC in return for an honest review so I will be doing so below.

I requested a copy of this novel assuming it was manga but it was actually a typical short novel. Based on the cover, I thought it would be manga or a graphic novel but that was purely an assumption on my end. With that being said, it had many elements that seemed to carry over from manga, such as fun and vibrant hair and eye colors on our main characters.

"I Want You to Own Me" has a simple enough premise -- our main character is born into a Dom/Dom family and is, unexpectedly, a Sub. Anthony must find a Dom to help him become the Sub he's meant to be. Of course, nothing is what it seems, and he meets a new Dom while he is trapped within something of a golden cage.

While this story was enjoyable enough, I was really hoping for more insight into the world this story exists within. There were qualities of omegaverse -- fanged teeth, scents, a very brief (I have no idea if it was meant to be literal) mention of slick -- but I don't remember ever explicitly reading anything that said this was omegaverse. I would have loved to see some expansion on the role in which Dom/Sub characters are "supposed" to play in this world and how Anthony seems to reject that idea, at least when it comes to the Dom he was arranged with initially.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise but felt a little misled. I think with some additional details added in to flesh out the story and slow down the pacing, it could be a great read.

Rating: 3 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 2.5/5
-Cover: 5/5
-Story: 2/5
-Writing: 2.5/5
Genre: Romance
Type: Ebook
Worth?: If this is your thing go for it

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

I am not sure how I would rate this given that I have learned I don't like the subject of this.... whole book. The whole Dom/Sub is fine if you still have free freaking will at the end of the day. This is just borderline rapey to me and I can't. Even though the two main characters are good to each other it is just the disgusting beginning that left me feeling... like I needed to soak in freaking acid.

As for the writing, I don't expect much... not with these type of books and I was proven right. They story was just tainted but it was so/so. I know I have another one of her books to read but I think I am just not going to give it a go since I am not liking her content.

Dnf 25%
When I requested this I thought it was a manga. I guess that's my bad. I have a higher tolerance for problematic and cringe content when reading it in comic form.
I tried with this, I really did. I got to 25% before it got too boring and not even fun to read in a 'so bad it's good' kind of way.
I'm pretty familiar with the dom/sub verse and while each author has their own interpretation of the dynamics and the rules of the world, this version was a bit weird. It feltblike an odd mix of typical dom/sub rules and omegaverse rules. The way they described how the dom glare worked felt more like how alpha pheromones worked. I feel the author could jave spent more time explaining the rules of their world instead of assuming the readee already had some familiarity with it.
The writing felt both stylistically and quality wise like ao3 fan fiction. I love fan fiction but I don't think I could have finished it even if it was on ao3. It's not even on the level of good fan fiction. The turn of phrase and story structure was pretty similar to things I'm used to reading in fanfiction. Maybe it would be tolerable if I liked the characters more. The protagonist was boring and blank and weak willed but also complained all the time about how unfair their situation was, which could work but it didn't in this book. Worse than the boring character and banal descriptions I was bored out of my mind between sex scenes (which were only interesting for their cringe quality)
Wouldn't really recommend it unless you have a high tolerance for cringe or are really desperate for some dom/sub verse stories.

In a world where coming of age means discovering your place in society (Sub or Dom), the only heir of a rich family of Doms suddenly finds that he no longer has a place in his family business, or even a future as part of the family at all. His parents are ashamed to discover their son is a Sub, have him trained in the ways of his new position and sell him off as part of a business merger with another powerful family. As would have happened with daughters in years gone by, when they were considered mere possessions. His new Dom is cruel and controlling in the extreme and his taste in sexual activities leave his sub bruised and bloody.

At this point in the story, I must admit I was tempted to DNF this book. It was ok, as far as it went, but was seeming like a rather weak framework as an excuse for writing pretty explicit sex scenes. I'm not a prude and wasn't shocked or put off by the sexual content, I'm not averse to sex in novels, but do like a decent story within which they sit rather than a flimsy framework holding lots of sex scenes together.

Luckily, having decided to persevere for a few more pages, I discovered that the story improves with the arrival in the plot of another Dom, who is kinder and sweeter. It's still hardly great literature, but I found that what developed was a plot which showed the way a more healthy BDSM partnership should be constructed - with respect, communication and lots of discussion of preference and boundaries. Every little action should be consensual, and after-care is a hugely important aspect of this form of 'play'. In the end I was quite pleased by the message the plot sent, yet I'm not sure I would recommend this book.

The storyline was certainly creative. I appreciate that the author started with trigger warnings, as they were certainly necessary. While this wasn't my cup of tea, I'm sure others will appreciate it.

This was a cute read. A typical story about a boy, of which everyone in his family is sure is an alpha and another boy, seemingly set on disturbing the life of said omega's parent-chosen partner. This alpha partner was chosen by his parents for him, upset by the news that their assumed heir of the company could be an omega. Trying to make the most out of it, they try to marry him of to an older man looking for a good career in the Griff company. But fate is working dutifully and presents Anthony an alternative partner in a situation that he cannot fathom to endure.
The book presents us a society where omegas seem to be treated badly, have little to no rights and completely controlled by their alphas. Despite the book stating otherwise, every alpha coming in contact with Anthony behaves like an asshole, except for his thief.
The approach taken to this problem is rather light-hearted and the conflicts in the story are resolved in a fast manner. Moreover, the development of Anthony is not always understandable, his character changing drastically every few pages.
All in all a wholesome story about finding a partner despite withstanding forces, an easy read, if you do not expect a life-altering experience.
I enjoyed it.

Well, I've found another author to obsess over!

I vaguely remembered seeing the cover and blurb of this book on Goodreads and couldn't get the concept out of my head. The idea of secondary genders that define the way the world works and how people are treated is an interesting concept that I've come across in manhua/manhwa/manga but not usually in books (especially not western ones). So needless to say, I hunted this down first chance I got.

And I loved it.

Not only is the gender concept fascinating, but the writing itself is wonderful. I actually had to put the book down for a bit to get over some second hand embarrassment involved with Anthony's training (and then spent hours cooing over Anthony and Noah's relationship because oh my gods, cute!) And while yes, some of the characters' features are mentioned to the point of obsession (Noah's fang, for instance), the whole reason behind this is that the narrator is actually obsessed with said feature. I didn't find this off-putting as others did, but I can understand why they did. (Personally I found the repetition amusing--Anthony really couldn't even get passed Noah's face, he would have loved him just for that!)

Essentially the publishing blurb on this title is very accurate. Anthony Griff finds out he's not a Dom and his parents immediately sell him to the highest bidder: Daniel Abbot. But Daniel is an abusive Dom and an all around jerk. When Noah breaks in to burglarize the house Daniel bought for Anthony, Anthony begs Noah to take him with him. Noah is the first Dom to ever actually care for or even be remotely kind to Anthony and Anthony falls hard. But when Daniel comes searching for Anthony, Noah faces more than just petty theft charges and it takes a lot of finagling for Anthony to get himself out of Daniel's hands for a second time--and back with Noah where he belongs.

This book was stupid cute and well written. But all that said, don't go into this expecting some masterpiece of literature. This is more like a light novel in style and content. It's erotic boys' love. And it's damn good!


Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this title by NetGalley, however this review is honest and all opinions are my own.

Cover is cute , writing is good, the story was pleasant, as is the pacing of the story, and the 2 main characters was adorable.

I mistakenly requested this assuming it was a manga. The writing is good, the story was pleasant, but I’m asexual so parts of it just weren’t for me. I don’t think it’s fair to give it a negative review based on my mistake, so 5 stars!

I really appreciated to chance to read this book. I tend to like dom/sub universe BL novels but this one just didn't jive with me. I liked Healy's characters. Noah and Anthony have a lot of chemistry and the erotic scenes were steamy. I would have rather had more time with them together, than with Anthony alone with the sadistic or uncaring doms that take up the first part of the novel.

Set in a world where you are given the secondary identity of Dom or Sub, Anthony Griff's life is turned upside down when he finds out that despite both of his parents being Doms, he is identified as a Sub. This is seen as a disgrace to his family, and he finds out he is to be essentially given to a Dom in a power exchange arrangement his parents have made. He is taken in by a Dom he does not know and he begins to feel resigned that this is his future. Enter Noah - a man who broke into his apartment - and things change from there.

I have to say - the first 30% of this book did not make for the most comfortable reading. I found myself cringing because, and I don't mean to spoil, it doesn't feel consentual/fun for Anthony. Once we are introduced to another character, Noah, things get a lot better.

This is full-on BDSM erotica with some fantasy type elements (eg if you are a Sub, certain commands from a Dom will automatically illicit certain responses etc.). Overall a decent read if you are into that and want a quick MlM romance with rougher elements and graphic scenes. The characters I actually felt pretty connected to and I genuinely wanted them to succeed. Some of this was further (in terms of kink) than I would have anticipated so please do not read this if you are unfamiliar with the territory and don't want a nasty surprise!

<i>I was provided with a complimentary copy of this novel by BooksGoSocial via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily</i>