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I’m going to go out on a limb here and disagree with the other reviews I’ve read of this book and I’m not going to beat around the bush, so to speak.  I didn’t like it.  I could go on for pages and pages as to why the book didn't work for me, but I won't.  

The title Puppy Love is probably not the best title for this book.  It’s not a sweet coming of age story of a young boys first love that the title might suggest.  It’s anything but sweet.  The story is nothing but a mash of mental and emotional domination all at the expense of the main characters own lack of self-esteem.  

Petey is a college freshman.  He's struggling with his sexuality as well as many, what I would call other issues, including the fact that he feels he must submit to others in his life that he feels he is less than equal to, in other words everyone.  Other reviews have stated that Petey is a strong, believable character that readers will instantly relate to.  As someone who was less than confident as a young college student, I found nothing at all that I could relate to in Petey’s character or situation and at times found his actions and thoughts strained and unbelievable.  

"How could I have allowed myself to believe the things that I'd believed?  How could I have ever thought in a million years that a popular, outgoing, successful jock like Matt Porter could actually love me?"… I did not fault Matt for this reality.  I faulted myself.  Of course Matt would use me for his own pleasure and amusement.  What else could I realistically expect?"

Petey begins a troubled and somewhat disturbing relationship with Matt, a college jock that has everything going for him, wealth, confidence and for the sake of the story a young boy who will do anything to please him.  The BDSM scenes that run throughout the novel are intense and at times over-the-top. 

"Good boy, he said, But do you deserve it?  Do you deserve both my cum and my piss?  Do you deserve to be my piss hole?" … I stared up at him, pleading, hungry to serve him in every way, begging to be used in any capacity…"

The novel is long.  Think Stephen King long and in Stephen King’s fashion probably too long.  But Jeff goes even further, after 534 pages of mental and emotional cruelity and abuse you come to the sentence, “To be continued in book two.”  Really?  There’s more?  What else could possible happen between Petey and Matt that hasn't already been done at least once or twice?  Thanks, but no thanks.

Who knows, perhaps I’m out of line with this review.  Maybe you will feel a connection with Petey that the other reviews have mentioned.  Perhaps after reading page after page of the mental and emotional cruelty of Petey, it’s just left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Buy the book if you want and be your own judge.  This is one book that won't be staying on my shelves.

Reviewed by William Holden