Each of them admitting they wanted a ménage and working through the drama of Kit having a rapist/stalker and her commitment issues
( )

I gave up on this book. Just couldn't get into it. The characters seemed flat, the plot wasn't intriguing, and the sex seemed gratuitous. I'm all for a good sex scene - but I have to care for the characters first. ( )

I enjoyed these three erotic stories but little things didn't sit right. I was troubled by Kit asking to be submissive to Mac and Ryder under the circumstances. Then Ryder's behavior got repetitive. Lastly, it seemed unbelievable who Mia and Jack called for help considering his job.
( )

Well, the narrative was scorching. The blurb on the back cover does not mirror the story set-up. However, you can easily get caught up in the stories. There were times I found myself blushing. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to read hot scenes, but does not have issues when facts don't line up or plot lines are not fleshed out. I was ready to read about the sex trade in south Texas, which is very prominent, but, instead, we find out Mia was tricked into it, not investigating it.

I'm glad Maya Banks delved into the male characters' feelings and the reader could see how much they truly cared for Kit and Mia, respectively. Even though the men were interested in S&M, they refused to do anything without consent. Nevertheless, the novel was adequate and certainly better than the bodice-ripping novels that so frequently populate the bookstore. ( )

Reviewed by: Eve
Book provided by: Purchased
Review originally posted at Romance After Dark, a Romancing the Book site

I’ve had this book sitting on my bookshelf for years. I bought it because I’ve enjoyed some of Ms Banks other books, namely Colters’ Woman. As we begin to set up this new blog, I figured I’d tackle some of these books I own, but never found the time to read.
To start off, the blurb on this book is a little misleading. What the reader doesn’t know when getting this book is that the story is actually broken into the novellas. Each can kinda stand on their own, but they are definitely connected and should be read in order. The first two novellas are about the Kit-Ryder-Mac triangle and the last is Mia and Jack. Mia gets introduced in the second story as Ryder’s friend.
So let’s start with Kit, Ryder and Mac. The three grew up together and then the boys left town after high school to well, grow up. But they left Kit behind. When this story starts, they’re all back in their small town in Texas and Kit is recovering from rape and is being stalked by her unknown assailant. The three friends, who have each secretly been wanting and loving each other (well, except for Ryder and Mac… they’re just friends… there’s no m/m action in the book), decide they’re going to enter into a threesome.
A couple things had me shaking me head. First was the mystery of the rapist. I thought it was too obvious for me as a reader. There weren’t enough characters introduced for it not to be glaring. And even though I know that Kit was traumatized by the event, it just seemed rather hard to believe that she didn’t recognize his voice when he would call or his handwriting on the notes. But, as I said, she was affected by the event. Which brings me to point number two. This book is taking place about 6 months following the rape and I found that Kit was pretty darn trusting . I know that Ryder and Mac are her two best friends and men she’s known and trusted for much of her life, but at the same time I would just think that she’d have more issues about what was going on in the bedroom with these two dominant men.
Novella one is about the three getting together and Mac and Kit declaring love. Novella two, which is pretty much ignored in the blurb, probably because it could spoil things, is about Ryder trying to come to grips with the fact that he really loves Kit but doesn’t want to come between her and Mac, but also can’t continue their threesome. Obviously they have things to work out and Ms Banks throws in a couple twists and turns since the road to a happy ending can’t be simple.
And then novella three is about Mia and Jack. Mia was Ryder’s shoulder to cry on during the second novella and now we get her story. This is where the blurb is really wonky for me. It talks about her working undercover and disappearing girls… well, it didn’t happen. Yes, she was framed for drug possession and in return for not going to jail she ended up working in a strip joint and as the story progresses, it goes downhill from there. She was blackmailed into being there. And not until they’re breaking up this sex-slave ring is it mentioned that Mia wasn’t the first to be duped. Jack is a Texas Ranger who disappeared the night after he and Mia first made love and now he’s back. She’s never gotten over him and surprisingly (to me at least) when he comes knocking on her door two years later, she welcomes him with open arms.
I had several problems with this story. First, it wasn’t long enough. There was a lot that could have been explored and expanded on. In particular was the trust issue. I think Mia trusted Jack way too easily after being abandoned two years prior. And then Ms Banks alluded to the fact that Jack was a Dom, but outside of a scene where it was mostly for show, it wasn’t explored. And then due to the length, everything was wrapped up in a tidy bow was too soon.
What saved this book for me were the steamy sex scenes. Ms Banks does know how to write a good menage… and the one on one scenes were enjoyable as well. But when putting these scenes in context with the book as a whole, I found them a little harder to believe. And mixed in with all the emotions that are explored (particularly within the men), it was smoking.
I really wanted to like this book. But, as you can tell I had some issues with it. This is one of Ms Banks earlier novels and I think it showed in this book. But I do enjoy her books, so I won’t be giving up on her any time soon. ( )