Doll Baby by Kayleigh Sky

This author is new to me and it took a little while to get used to the writing style. It is punchy and forthright just like her main character Todd or Rif as he’s also known. Perseverance paid off because Todd’s story is one worth reading. Intertwined with Bliss’s gradual re-introduction to the world following a brutal and nearly fatal knife attack which left him scarred inside and out, we are taken on a roller coaster of a ride driven by love, loss, violence and sex. All the characters are drawn into the plot and each one contributes to Todd’s voyage of discovery. Von was his first love and Bliss reminds him too much of the boy who died, but rather than walk away, Todd agrees to look after Bliss on the request of his their boss Sid. Sid was Bliss’s boyfriend, benefactor, mentor and pimp prior to the attack and now their love affair is over and Bliss works as Sid’s accountant. He rarely steps into the light but the darkness holds many opportunities for Bliss to explore his passion for photography through the night. Bliss feels like he’s being followed and Todd suspects his attacker who was never caught, is after him once again.

Did you get all that? That was just a glimmer of how the story unfolds. It left me persistently breathless and quite often gobsmacked. The plot line was genius and even though I thought I knew what was going to happen, the way Kayleigh rolls it all out is nothing short of magnificent. Todd and Bliss and Cruz and Irma and Sid and Joop and Howie and all the rest of the crew captured my imagination and sucked me into their lives then just spat me out at the end. I’m an emotional wreck!

This was a really excellent read that challenged me in so many ways. I highly recommend jumping on the Doll Baby carousel until you end up giddy and excited by the experience. I look forward to reading more of Kayleigh Sky’s books.