Firm Hand( Perfect Hands 1) by Nora Phoenix

Title: Firm Hand Word Count: 312 pgs
Genre: Contemporary Gay Romance

Blurb:How can he want to call his best friend’s son Sir? Or even worse…Daddy?

Cornell is broken after losing his best friend Jonas and getting hurt himself. He’s too old, too imperfect to ever attract a Dom again.

Until Rhys.

When Rhys gives him commands, Cornell yearns to obey.
When Rhys takes care of him, Cornell wants to kneel for him.
When Rhys is everything he’s dreamed of, Cornell aches to call him Sir.
And when Rhys makes him fly, Cornell soars higher than ever before.

But there’s one problem. Rhys is twenty years his junior…and he’s Jonas’s son. How can you want to call your best friend’s son Sir…or Daddy?

Firm Hand is a standalone slow burn MM romance with daddy kink, an age gap, a very caring Daddy and a boy who needs it, hurt/comfort, mild D/s play, and all the feels.

My Review: Our lives can be irrevocably changed in the blink of an eye. Nobody knows this better than Cornell, who loses his best friend Jonas in an accident on their way home from a club. It can be hard losing one’s best friend, but for Cornell it’s a bit different. Not only was Jonas his best friend, but on some intrinsic level he was Cornell’s soulmate. It wasn’t necessarily sexual, even though they were both submissives who played alongside each other for years. They enjoyed the comfort of each other’s touch whenever they both found themselves without Doms. Cornell and Jonas knew everything about each other. He lost a piece of his soul the night of the accident.

Rhys, Jonas’ son suggests that Cornell moves in with him after the accident. Unfortunately, Cornell did not escape the accident unscathed. The range of motion in his legs and back muscles is severely limited. Rhys has his degree in kinesiology and knows a lot about physical therapy. He’s decided to take care of Cornell. For Rhys, this is a dream come true. He has always known that Cornell is submissive and he’s had a serious crush on the man who is 20 yrs his senior. There is just one problem, Cornell has no idea that Rhys is a Dom. Rhys knows he is skirting the line of consent and knows he needs to come clean before it’s too late.

Things are revealed when Cornell unintentionally overheard a phone conversation between Rhys and his mentor Master Ford. Cornell is flummoxed and hurt when he feels like he’s been manipulated. Rhys has been quietly ‘Domming’ him, using a bit of control in his voice and rewards as a way to help Cornell recover. Cornell feels betrayed and is not sure how to respond to Rhys who he has known since he was born. Cornell’s submissive body has been responding physically to Rhys’ without him really understanding why. Rhys, in his defense didn’t think that Cornell would take a ‘baby Dom’ seriously. Cornell slowly starts to forgive Rhys when he thinks of the insecurities about himself being a 45 yr old sub. In his mind, his identity as a sub has been tied up with his age. He feels the double standards in the BDSM community, because there is hardly any Doms who are willing to play with a sub whose age is so advanced.

Something is unlocked during their physical therapy session which Rhys leads with a massage. This comes after a frank conversation where Rhys points out to Cornell that he might be into sensory play. He’s made this deduction from the way Cornell’s body reacts to his touch. This massage ends in a very happy ending for Cornell. For Rhys, it is so much more, as throughout he gains the honorific of Sir from Cornell’s lips. To him, Cornell is so beautiful in the way he begs for his pleasure. Rhys knows this is a stepping stone and by no means has the war been won. This becomes obvious in the way that Cornell retreats within himself once their scene is done.

Cornell is conflicted about a few things concerning Rhys. The first and foremost is the 20 year age gap between them. The second and third is tied up together, he questions if it’s morally wrong since he’s known Rhys since birth and also the fact that he is Jonas’ son , his best friend who he occasionally had sex with during a scene when they played with the same Dom. It’s in that moment he misses Jonas the most, a man that had been his sounding board for so many years. This takes him down memory lane and he remembers something crucial. They both believed in the premise that there was no shame in any kink or fetish, once it was between two consenting adults. In that moment, he knows that Jonas would definitely approve even if he needed time to acclimate to the idea. He also puts in a call to Rhys’ mentor Master Ford who gives a glowing recommendation that Rhys is a great Dom. This solidifies his decision to pursue something with Rhys. Rhys is overjoyed that Cornell is willing to finally give him a chance.

Rhys sets up the perfect sensory scene for Cornell. However, before they can even get started, something goes horribly wrong. Cornell can’t pinpoint the exact problem, he just knows he feels like a failure as a sub. He has an emotional meltdown, leaving Rhys feeling out of his element. Rhys is caught off guard, but after talking to Master Ford, they both surmise that Cornell’s reaction is more about grief at losing so much in such a short time, especially losing his best friend. Rhys sets up a dinner date with his best friend who is a Little and his Daddy Dom. It starts off okay and Cornell feels energized being around likeminded people. It is amazing watching Rhys’ friend Raf delving into his Little persona. He takes a keen interest in the care that Rhys affords his friend. However, watching their friendship facilitates the dam being broken. He misses his own best friend Jonas in that moment so much. Rhys holds him in his arms while he totally falls apart, weeping at how isolated and alone he feels.

Their next scene together is a spanking that is so pleasurable for Cornell that it leaves him in subspace for awhile. He is so blissed out and clings to his Dom and soaks up all his sweet words and praises. Rhys is so proud, but he is also worried as his time draws near for him to go back to work. Cornell gains greater respect for Rhys when his Dom recognizes him experiencing a subdrop and takes great care of him. Cornell knows for sure he has fallen in love with Rhys. This is soon put to the test when they get a visit from Rhys’ mother. She’s very confrontational and expresses her disapproval about their relationship. She openly berates Cornell and Rhys stands up for his boy. He is very firm with her, letting her know that her disrespect will not be tolerated. Rhys is concerned about Cornell’s state of mind, but he finds Cornell glowing with happiness. With him standing up for Cornell, Cornell has found the strength to believe in the relationship that they are building. He now knows what he needs to do.

There are lots of decisions to be made, but the couple find it easier now that they are together. As soon as Rhys goes back to work, he knows it’s no longer an ideal situation for the life he wishes to build with Cornell. He misses his sweet boy too much when he’s at work so he decides to quit his job. He already has plans to open up a rehabilitation studio, his timeline is now moved up sooner. Cornell is very happy when Rhys includes him in his plans. He freely expresses his intentions of not going back to work himself, since he is no longer happy there. Rhys is totally on board with that as he sees the weight lifted off his shoulders. It was a great experience watching this unconventional relationship finding a stronghold. Their love story was refreshing and watching them finding love in a relationship that defies standard parameters was a joy. I give this my ratings of 4-lose the underwear.