Review: Grif’s Toy by Joseph Lance Tonlet

Author: Joseph Lance Tonlet

Publisher: Self-Published

Pages/Word Count: 303 Pages

At a Glance: I highly recommend this book for those who are willing to step outside of the box.

Reviewed By: Lynn

Blurb: Grif believes he’ll live his life as a virgin. After all, who would want him? How could anyone find him, a guy who came with less than man-sized equipment, worthy of their love?

What he hadn’t counted on were the two amazing men who would change his life. After entering college, he meets Tate, his fun-loving roommate. While years later, with Tate now just a memory, Wes, a handsome, rugged ex-marine who runs his own security firm enters his life.

Both men lead Grif through a twisted mesh of pleasure, pain, and denial, as they force him to see his value, despite his size and insecurities

Review: Grif’s Toy is my second read for this author, and it definitely won’t be my last.

As we know from the blurb, Grif is not well endowed. In fact, he’s really small, which, as you can imagine, is a major problem for him. He’s ashamed, embarrassed, and overall very concerned about his smaller than small penis. Entering college, he’s convinced he’ll be a virgin for the rest of his life. He probably would’ve been if not for his college roommate. Oh, Tate, how I loved this character! Loved how the author represented their relationship. At first I was a little apprehensive about where it was going, being that Tate was straight, but he opens up an entire world for Grif. Years later, Wes is the first person since Tate to “get” what Grif needs sexually.

The story opens up in present time, leaving me with a preconceived impression of the characters without really knowing their story. Especially Wes. I have to admit, I was taken aback by the opening scene. It had me scratching my head and wondering if I would be able to see this book all the way through. What had I gotten myself into? While I do enjoy a BDSM story, I was never attracted to the humiliation or degradation kink that sometimes goes along with it. The stories with those elements I’ve read in the past dealt with it harshly or for shock value. Here, it’s different, though. It’s accepted, needed and wanted. The whys and hows are thoroughly explained by the author. I appreciated that. It took me out of my comfort zone a little bit, but it also made me want to read on and get to know these characters.

Wes is the kind of character I absolutely love; he’s a giver. He sees beyond Grif’s insecurities to the man Grif is. Wes loves unconditionally and that’s exactly what Grif needs. Wes reminds me of Tate in that respect. I wonder if the author does this on purpose? Whatever the reason, these two are without a doubt 100% in tune with each other. Watching them grow and learn as a couple was a pleasure.

Flashbacks are tricky, what to show and what to summarize? In this case, it is very important to show context, and was done well and seamlessly. Grif’s time in high school, and his time with Tate in college, is important, but a huge section dedicated to other high school/college life was not necessary. I loved how the author splits the story: from Grif’s high school to college to present day, back to college, present day, etc. This lets us see the right pieces at the tight time in order to better appreciate the development of the characters. The author did an amazing job giving us a well rounded view of their personalities.

This is a BDSM story, yes, but not in the ‘tie them up and whip them’ sense. It’s done with words and commands intended to humiliate. And Grif sets the pace and controls everything. It couldn’t be more obvious that he loves it, and you never feel it’s all one sided, which sometimes happens in single POV stories. This author expresses emotion in so many ways that we don’t miss the other POV’s; his is all we need.

Grif’s Toy (Tease and Denial: Book One) is basically a journey of coming to terms with who you are and what you need. There is a second book coming out, and I’m definitely going to read it. :)

I highly recommend this book for those who are willing to step outside of the box.

You can buy Grif’s Toy here: