The Space Between Us

by Megan Hart

Tesla Martin is drifting pleasantly through life, slinging lattes at Morningstar Mocha, enjoying the ebb and flow of caffeine-starved customers, devoted to her cadre of regulars. But none of the bottomless-cup crowd compares with Meredith, a charismatic force of nature who can coax intimate tales from even the shyest of Morningstar's clientele.

Caught in Meredith's sensual, irresistible orbit, inexpressibly flattered by the siren's attention, Tesla shares long-buried chapters of her life, holding nothing back. Nothing Meredith proposes seems impossible—not even Tesla sleeping with Meredith's husband, Charlie, while she looks on. After all, it's all in fun, isn't it?

In a heartbeat, vulnerable Tesla is swept into a spectacular love triangle. Together, gentle, grounded Charlie and sparkling, maddening Meredith are everything Tesla has ever needed, wanted, or dreamed of, even if no one else on earth understands. They're three against the world.

But soon one of the vertices begins pulling away until only two points remain—and the space between them gapes with confusion, with grief and with possibility….

Genres: Erotica, Romance, Menage, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Megan Hart has written in almost every genre of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic, fantasy and perhaps most notably, erotic. She also writes non-erotic fantasy and science fiction, as well as continuing to occasionally dabble in horror.

--from the author's website

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

For Megan Hart, the nutritionist, click here

Reviews

[Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of you guys who read Megan Hart's books can already guess what's waiting for you in her new novel, The Space Between Us. This woman gave the whole new meaning to erotic romance genre. Unlike lot of books in this category, main focus is on the story behind the sex - don't get me wrong, this woman knows how to write hot scenes that will leave you panting. Her books could be good example for difference between pornography and erotica in literature - first is purely graphical with the sole purpose to quickly satisfy one of the our primal urges, and second is more subtle and writers have more serious approach to the subject (although, it can be quite graphic as well).

The Space Between Us is story about menage and bisexuality. Okay, hold your panties! It's not that kind of story. Menage in this novel isn't author's secret fantasy put on the paper as the attempt to live it at least on that way. No, Megan Hart tries to go deeper and figure out what is beyond someones sexual fantasies or choices. You have two storylines in the novel - one is Tesla's present and the other is her past. Those two things aren't separate - everything that she went through defines who she is now, from her past relationships, childhood to the way her parents lived. Other two characters, Meredith and Charlie, are well written. I had the feeling that two of them were actually different aspects of Tesla's personalty - she has this inner struggle going on through the whole book. You'll have to read it to see how it ends.

Other thing that I really liked was that three-way relationship wasn't pictured with big pink glasses or alpha males with no problem to share one woman. I've read Sharing Hailey by Samantha Ann King few weeks after The Space Between Us and that is big-pink-glasses menage. I love that book, it's even on my favorite shelf - every girl needs a fantasy like that from time to time, but here you have real life story without all super strong men part.

Megan Hart tries to stay realistic even when she writes about taboo themes and that is why I like her. Her books would be great choice for all of those who like their reading with extra spice, but still down to earth.

***NOTE! Copy of the book is kindly provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley. I'm not paid for writing review - I do this for free as lover of written word. All opinions in this review are personal.

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Megan Hart the Thomas Hardy of erotic fiction? I think she may be – she’s busy heaping more misery on miserable people with miserable lives. I do quite like it though – I really enjoy some angst in the books I read and I especially like the characters to suffer and suffer they truly do.

We have Tesla coasting along in life working as a barista. She doesn’t appear to have any ambitions and is happy just to keep bumping along the way she is. This makes her sound humdrum but she is anything but – she definitely marches to an entirely different beat than everybody else. She’s had a highly unconventional childhood being raised by two hippies spending long summers in communes and has a totally different perspective on sex than the rest of us. She’s uninhibited and totally unrestricted by the mores of society.

She is heteroflexible and, at the beginning of the novel, she is crushing on one of her customers at the coffee shop, Meredith. Meredith comes in almost daily and seems to charm all the staff and customers into giving up their most intimate secrets. Everyone has a story to tell, she says and she collects them with relish. She and Tesla get to know each other better until one day Meredith asks her to fuck her husband so she can watch and Tesla agrees to meet him, to see if it would work and so they begin their ménage relationship – just the three of them!

Meredith – how I hated her. She’s a social butterfly, flitting from her latest interest to the next, bored quickly by everyone and everything, totally capricious and a complete BIATCH!! She’s like an F5 tornado, tearing through everyone, destroying everything she touches and leaving a trail of devastation in her wake and she can scarcely manage a backward glance.

Tesla, on the other hand, I loved. She’s a little different from most heroines, is unapologetic for who she is but is capable of deep love for those around her. Charlie, Meredith’s husband, I loved too and felt very sorry for him. I feel that he’s been blinded by Meredith for a long time and will do anything to appease her, including fucking another woman in front of her. I was just waiting for the scales to fall from his eyes.

There’s also a whole bunch of supporting characters whose lives are fairly miserable – they have ongoing issues that are not resolved in this story. They just appear to add to the general air of misery that pervades this book. But, I’m selling it short. Yes, there’s not a lot of joy here but it does kinda get under your skin, take root and flourish – I thought about this book a lot when I was away from it, wondering where it would go.

I’m undecided how to describe the ending – not conventionally happy, for sure, and it’s certainly doesn't end in a neat little package all tied up in a bow but it’s a progression from how the book begins so it satisfies me. It’s refreshingly different from a lot of erotic fiction and deeply thoughtful. Yes, I enjoyed this.

4 stars thoughtful erotic fiction

ARC courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley

For more of my reviews, please visit my Sinfully Sexy Book Blog

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Megan Hart is an excellent erotic story teller. I have read Broken, Dirty, Tempted and Stranger and pretty much loved each book. She challenges me as a reader and makes me stretch my boundaries. Her endings are rocky HEA’s at best (although that is one of the things I love about her books), and the ending of The Space Between Us to me is very sad. The prologue of the book is actually the end (we go back a few months in chapter one.) The final ending does have another small chapter, but you pretty much know in the prologue how things will end up. And it made me nervous. There are kind of three storylines that take place. I’ll go into each one.

Tesla works at a coffee shop. She is bisexual, having had relationships with both men and women. As she states, “I’m not a straight girl. I’m not a queer girl, either. I guess you could say I’m sexually fluid.” Growing up, she spent her summers in a compound with her parents and her brother Cap. She was encouraged to try new things, and she knew that her parents with all the other adults, shared each other’s bed at this compound. It was here she met Vic, who worked on cars. He is five years older than she is and Tesla crushed on him. Things exploded one night and they shared a physical release. While nothing comes of this permanently, later in life when Tesla’s parents both pack up and leave, leaving her (at 17) and her 14 year old brother with no options, they both move in with Vic and his wife Elaine.

I really enjoyed the Vic storyline. Both the brief flashbacks to their relationship on the compound to her time spent living with him now. She doesn’t live with him because she is a slacker, more because I think she clings to him as family. There isn’t really a weirdness between them because they shared a sexual moment (maybe a tiny hint of weirdness) and Tesla truly loves and respects his wife and their kids. I think she feels sad that she lives in someone else’s basement and has a shitty boss and maybe a little lost in life. So when Meredith comes into her life, the decision to be with her and her husband might have been an easy one.

Meredith is a force of nature in Tesla’s eyes. Outgoing, a little crazy, and everyone is drawn to her. Tesla crushes on her hard. Meredith visits the coffee shop often, and a friendship of sorts develops. Meredith always wants Tesla to tell her crazy stories about herself, and one day asks Meredith if she will sleep with her husband. Since Tesla has feelings for Meredith, she says yes, more to be with her than with her husband Charlie.

Charlie is apparently cool with all of this, they meet and eventually the three of them end up in bed. At first Charlie and Tesla interact, as well as Charlie and Meredith. For as wild as Meredith seemed (or claimed) she really isn’t, and it takes a lot of prodding from Tesla to start a physical relationship with Meredith.

Meredith is a hard character to figure out. She always felt very fake and I never took her sincerely. I didn’t understand her relationship with Charlie. I believe they had been married eight years when Tesla enters their life, but I guess I just didn’t feel chemistry between them. Of course you could argue they didn’t have chemistry so that is why they were looking for another body in their bed. But I never connected with Charlie and Meredith’s relationship.

Along the same lines, I had a hard time with Charlie. He is very low key, not a big presence. At times I found my self kind of pitying him, as he has been stuck in this weird marriage with Meredith who definitely has the balls in the relationship. I guess also I’m not used to this type of ménage. In other stories, the husband and wife are so in love, but I just didn’t feel that here. I just think this type of set-up is not my favorite.

The third storyline takes us back to Tesla’s high school years where she explores her sexuality with identical twin brothers. I have a rule that I don’t like or will read brother ménage, but I think the author does a nice job using this as an example of Tesla’s past sexual experience. She even compares her relationship with the two brothers at one point to her relationship with Charlie and Meredith.

By the end, I just felt unsatisfied. I like how Meredith reacts at the end, and what she says to Charlie and Tesla. It made send for her character. But I just didn’t feel the love or chemistry between Charlie and Tesla and I think that is a key relationship I needed to believe in. I liked Tesla individually, and I was totally indifferent to Charlie.

Rating: C

[☾ Dαɴιyα ☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

May, 2019

Almost five years since my first read... Ah, how time flies...

I can say the same thing now as I did back then: This was the Megan Hart I know and love. I'm glad that instead of reading one of the dozens of books on my to-read list, I chose to reread this one. An enjoyable book is not something you'll ever find me regretting even if it's not what I was supposed to be reading, not even if reading is not what I was supposed to be doing. And I did very much enjoy the intricate story that is Tesla's life. It's weird. I knew what happened in the book, but at night when the long reading session I'd been looking forward to was cut short because I felt too tired and sleepy, I'd still curse my sleepiness. Actually, when I think about it, it's not weird at all. When I'm reading the Megan Hart I know and love, it doesn't matter whether I know what happens or not. Either way, the story keeps me glued to the pages.

Tesla's story kept me glued to the pages once again. Not just her relationship with Meredith and Charlie or her relationship with Charlie. Tesla's relationship with Charlie was what I was most interested in, but the others weren't far behind. There were several side characters, and I never thought they were taking too much space. No, I thought how I wouldn't mind if they got their own books.

Just like on my first read, I loved the cameos of the characters from Megan Hart's other books. Made me want to do some more rereading. Soon. Hopefully, soon.


June, 2014

Now this was the Megan Hart I know and love! She is a freaking magician. When I read her books, usually I want to make up literary awards, and give them to her. This book proved once again that picking up my first Megan Hart book was one of the best decisions regarding reading I ever made.

Even before I started it, I had a very strong feeling I would love it. The combination of that cover, title, and author made me lust after it as soon as I saw it. It wasn't until I was holding the book in my hands that I realized I hadn't even read the blurb. Ooops. Luckily for me, my feeling was right. I knew it the moment I read opening line: Everyone has a story. Here's how this one ends.

The Space Between Us -- I loved everything and everyone in it. Tesla was another heroine I loved reading about, her life, past and present, so masterfully told like only M. Hart knows. She wouldn't call herself wild, but the life she had led was unconventional. Even her name was special, and I loved it. All that gave her interesting stories to tell about her past.

Meredith was very interested in hearing people's stories, especially Tesla's. And the real story from the book began when Meredith asked Tesla to sleep with her husband.

When I said I loved everyone in the book, I lied -- Meredith was the exception. All the things she did were like she was trying to be the center of attention, like all she wanted was to be entertained. But I guess it all worked out for the best.

Charlie was lovely. Even though, just like in the previous books I read by this author, the focus was on the main female character (which is something else I love about Hart's books), and the male lead was more of a supporting character, I still grew to like him a lot, even wish for my own Charlie.

Everyone has a story.
This is how this one begins.

Speaking of men I want for myself... I loved how some characters from the previous novels made an appearance. Eric from Switch was there still writing on his legal pad. Once there was even a box with fine paper in it. I'd love a book with him.
Sadie from Broken was there and Joe. Even Brandy, and she was still chewing gum! Oh, Brandy... She even caused some trouble with Sadie, and Joe. I felt bad for Sadie, but Joe - he had it coming.

Besides them, there were other characters that made this book great: Vic, his wife and children, Tesla's brother (another character I'd love to see in another book), Darek, even Joy. I liked them all.

Easy 5 stars for The Space Between Us!

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tesla lives in a basement of her friends Vic and Elain. She is working a seemingly dead end job as a coffee barista. Seen as a wild child, Tesla is actually quite sedate. She doesn't want to stick out and is happily living one day at a time.

Telsa's life is complicated with relationships that are not within the norm. While she did have two parents and one brother, it wasn't a conventional family. They spent summers at a hippie commune where her parents were swinging. Telsa's sexual education and freedom is unorthodox which shaped her life. Even her first experiences were a bit out of the ordinary which makes her so attractive.

This attraction is what pulls Meredith, one of her regular customers to her. Meredith stops by the coffee shop every day and wants to hear stories about other people's lives. She so stunning, Telsa can not help, but fall for her. Tesla is sexually fluid so for her, it's an unrequited crush. Meredith is married so there is no hope for Telsa, or is there? After months of afternoon coffee, Meredith springs the question. "Will you fuck my husband while I watch?" Telsa is shocked as this is not what she's expecting.

This story is one of alternative love and the downright difficulties people face. I'm no stranger to a poly relationship but I can say that it would not work for me. For Telsa who wants a true threesome, it comes close to crushing her. Because one of the triad is going in with a false guise. This is a triangle as Meredith truly loves her husband, Charlie. Charlie falls for Telsa. Telsa has been in love with Meredith the entire time.

Ms. Hart creates another fabulous story with heartbreak and bittersweet endings. She shows the good, bad and ugly side of menages as well as poly relationships. It's not easy and the communication required is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, when one of the members is going in to get something else out of it, it breaks the circle of trust - completely.

This story is watching a train derail. I know what will happen. How it happens or what causes the train to finally come off the tracks, this is what I'm waiting to see, with my gut clenching in apprehension. While it is no one's fault, the train wreck causes massive collateral damage. It's heartbreaking and there is no way to fix it. As in, Ms. Hart never fixes the stories where it's all happily ever after as if no one has been hurt. Instead, she creates survivors who start a new chapter in their life - because nothing ever stays the same. If there is one thing to be taken away from this moving love story is - go in with your eyes wide open.

The twists and turns in this story melded along with Telsa's past relationships add a depth. We see how Telsa's character is shaped and what she's really longing to be. Her journey through pain and joy is what makes this book so powerful. Even if I'm not a fan of Telsa's lifestyle or choices, Ms. Hart creates a character who is engaging and above all, desirable by being herself. Telsa isn't weak nor is she perfect. I highly recommend this story to romance readers who want to read the unvarnished truths of a menage relationship.

*ARC from http://www.netgalley.com/*

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a genre that seems to be becoming heavily focused on specific kinks, Hart's erotica is notable for covering a wide range of human sexuality and emotion. Our narrator here is coffee shop employee Tesla, someone whose co-workers and customers think of as sexually adventurous, "wild," a characterization which makes her somewhat uncomfortable. Although her background is unconventional and her sexual preferences varied, she just feels ordinary, like herself. "I'm not a straight girl. I'm not a queer girl, either. I guess you could say I'm sexually fluid. Love comes in all shapes and flavors, and I just want to be able to taste them all."

What some people don't realize is that Tesla's openness toward sex doesn't mean she's either unprincipled or unfeeling. And what Tesla doesn't realize is the fact that people "really don't know me at all" could make her very vulnerable to being hurt.

One of Tesla's favorite customers is Meredith, a beautiful and charismatic married woman who's constantly after stories of Tesla's "wild, crazy" life. When Meredith tells Tesla that she and her husband want to live out a fantasy about him with another woman, Tesla is more interested in being with Meredith. Her previous experience with a threesome did not end well: "The three of us could've made a circle, soft and smooth, but what had happened made us into a triangle with sharp, stabbing points." But Meredith's husband Charlie turns out to be an attractive, adorable man, making the possibility of being with both of them an apparent win-win.

In the past, I've sometimes thought that Hart's books were negative towards polyamorous people, but I didn't feel that here. I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that serious problems arise in the threesome, but it's not that the situation itself is inherently bad, more that the motivations behind it were. I really like how Tesla is depicted here, as someone who simply accepts her varied enjoyment of sex without feeling odd or out there. It's also not the only important aspect of her character: she is also loyal, sensitive and kind, deserving of the love of someone, or several someones.

My main problem with the book was that I never liked Meredith or found her remotely attractive, which made it hard to understand Tesla's feelings for her. (Or Charlie's, for that matter.) From her first introduction, she seemed superficial and insincere. I also found the ending of the story a bit abrupt and unsatisfying, almost tacked on. But I love Hart's quiet yet tension-filled writing, which gives tremendous power to her sex scenes. The story was compulsively readable; I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read erotica that is really about who people are, not just what they like to do in bed.

(reviewed from e-arc provided by netGalley)

[Letitia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: B- ... Heat: Hot

The Space Between Us starts with the end, so it only seems appropriate for me to do the same. This book very nearly does not give us a HEA. This stomach churning, emotion playing story waits to the last – the very last – possible moment to give us a hint, a peak, at the possibility of a HEA. Which, though it felt completely unsatisfying, did fit with the overall tone. Megan Hart did an excellent job toying with my emotions. By the very end, my stomach was such a mess that I wondered if a book could truly make me sick. This one came very close.

Tesla, our narrator, is a free spirit. A wild child, or so everyone assumes. She and her brother were raised by free lovin’, commune living, swinger partying parents. Her summers were spent at the commune, where the children roamed free and were encouraged to... explore. So, for Tesla, her ways aren’t wild. They simply... are what they are. She doesn’t even consider herself bisexual, so much as open to all possibilities.

Which proves beyond intriguing to one of Tesla’s coffeehouse patrons, Meredith. Meredith is beautiful and captivating and, quite clearly, bored with her life. She flirts and cajoles her way into people’s lives, extracting their most interesting stories from them. Almost as if she gets a thrill living vicariously through them. And Tesla’s stories are about as thrilling as it gets.

Many scenes throughout this story were told as flashbacks, Tesla sharing parts of her past with Meredith. And, wow, those memories pack a punch. Nearly every single one had me squirming in my seat... some because they were sexy, some because they were agonizing. Each memory left me feeling like a voyeur. Miz Hart writes with such realism that it almost feels like an invasion of someone else’s privacy.

Eventually things between Tesla and Meredith move past the point of sharing stories in the coffeehouse. Meredith begins to invite Tesla out with her—dinner, drinking, dancing. The two women get to know each other better. Which is almost painful to watch, as Tesla’s feelings for Meredith are clearly not reciprocated... and Meredith uses Tesla’s feelings to her own benefit throughout.

The dates, the teasing, it all leads to Meredith asking Tesla to sleep with her husband, Charlie. And even though you know it’s inevitable, you can’t help thinking, ‘Oh, no, Tesla. C’mon. You know you should say no.’ But she doesn’t. And thus begins the most torturous and uncomfortable ménage that I have ever read.

Because Tesla wants Meredith, and Tesla wants Charlie. Charlie wants Tesla, and Charlie wants Meredith. And Meredith simply goes through the motions, clearly not truly wanting either. Meredith is searching for a feeling, a thrill, an experience. Which is relatable—we all get bored sometimes. But her actions make her so damn unlikeable. There wasn’t a single moment that I thought, ‘Meredith is a good person.’ Because if she is, it is buried way, way underneath.

The Space Between Us is the story of a ménage gone wrong. Of one woman finding her home, her place, in another person for the first time only to have it torn asunder. It is the story of another woman’s selfish quest for excitement and the mess she leaves behind. And Miz Hart pulls no punches. It hits you like a mac truck. Be prepared to... feel.

Favorite Quote:
"Promise me," Vic said.
"What?" I pushed up on my toes to get closer to his mouth, so my lips moved against his.
"Promise me you'll never let anyone make you feel you're not beautiful. Or not worth something."

-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review

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[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial reaction:Megan Hart's "The Space Between Us" is a story of exploration of a young woman with a damaged history trying to find a place/space to feel loved. There are many paths that she takes in the path of that, but ultimately, Tesla's journey takes her full circle to find the relationship she ultimately wants, and it's more that she knows what she wants, but doesn't know how to assert it.

I liked the story arc well enough and understood the journey as far as how it transpired, but I'll admit I wasn't enamored with it in certain spells - there were many things I had to swallow and just outright didn't sit well with me. For one, I never had a point where I really liked Meredith, but in a way, I think that was intentional, considering her character collectively. There were dimensions of the story I think could've used more exploration, but somehow, I still found myself following Tesla in the scheme of her relationships - both romantic and familial.

Full review:

Even after taking a day to think about my sentiments surrounding "The Space Between Us", I find myself in a conflicted space. On one hand, I love Megan Hart's writing and her ability to weave the relationships between her characters with such ease. The slice of life format didn't bother me either - I like delving into the characters day-to-day trials and experiences, and I like establishing the bonds and connections in the primary character's life.

Yet, as only the third full novel I've read in Hart's erotica bibliography - I don't think this is as strong of an effort as some of her previous works. It hit me with some emotional punches in certain parts of the novel, but they were more on the familial side rather than the romantic side, which I thought could've been better than it was. The reason I say that is because I think Hart could've delved a bit more into the dynamic of what developed as a menage relationship between three very flawed characters who somehow converge and collide in different angles.

Tesla and her brother Cap originally came from a household of hippies who lead a very controversial lifestyle, and it was only by Vic and Elaine's hand of taking them in that their respective lives were able to be stable enough to grow from their rather rough childhood, which included watching their sexually adventurous parents at a young age. Yet, Tesla herself has moved through a number of relationships where she's tried to be in a menage, even as early as her teens (with twins, no less), but the result had left a trail of broken hearts and old wounds.

In her mid twenties, in the present day, Tesla's working at the Morningstar Mocha with her usual coworkers, making a living for herself. She doesn't expect to come across the rather flighty personality of Meredith, who seems insistent on knowing more about Tesla's more "adventurous" side. Tesla's sexual preferences are bisexual, and she tells Meredith stories of her sexual encounters. It's only a matter of time before Meredith makes a rather odd proposition - Tesla becoming involved with her and her husband, Charlie.

From there, the story toggles between the relationship that Tesla has with Charlie and Meredith, and her home life with Vic, Elaine and their two kids. Some of the scenes between Tesla, Charlie, and Meredith are very hot in intensity, but I felt a disconnect because Meredith was very unlikable (she's flighty, quick to slut shame, and insufferably moody), while Charlie I wish could've had more meat to his persona, I felt he was more told than shown in terms of his characterization in spurts.

The real fruit of the novel for me was showing Tesla's famlilial relationships and how she dealt with Vic, Elaine and living with their growing family. The interactions between them were interesting, though I noted Tesla's complicated relationship with Vic in past considerations, which brought some interesting eyes of conflict in present terms. I think the core of the conflict resonated more with them and the affections lent in that circle (along with Tesla's brother Cap) were worth watching through the novel. It gave additional dimensions in how Tesla felt a bit of a third wheel in her relationships. In the end, I think there's a full circle established in that Tesla has to stand up and assert what she wants in her relationship, but I think it could've had much more connectivity than it had. Towards the end, it culminated in a fallout that was inevitable given the circumstances, and I appreciated seeing that, but I don't know if the impact had as much punch as it could've had. Perhaps with more dimensional attention to both Charlie and Meredith (even with Meredith's unlikable traits), it could've been better established.

Still, I thought it was a decent novel of its particular genre and consideration. It didn't completely immerse me, but I liked parts of it enough where it stood out. I just think some of Hart's other works had a little more impact on me than this one.

Overall score: 3/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Harlequin.

[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This review was posted at Under the Covers

The wait between when we get a novel from Megan Hart is terrible for me, so when I saw that she was releasing this book I did my "hell-yeah-we-are-getting-a-MH-book" happy dance. Quite frankly, I hardly ever read the blurbs and I stay away from any spoilers or excerpts because I want the book to speak to me. Megan Hart's writing is one of those rare voices that can tell a a sad and oftentimes hard story beautifully. It sucks you in and grabs you because you have to know what happens, how it ends. THE SPACE BETWEEN US was no different. I couldn't put the book down even when I thought the storyline was going places I didn't think I wanted to go.

I'll be honest here and say that I was not too thrilled to find out this book had a f/f/m menage. I don't read f/f and I wasn't sure if I wanted to but I trust the author so I just went with it. Our heroine, Tesla, has had a rough life. Nothing ordinary or normal, more like crazy and sometimes wild. Even though she doesn't see herself as wild. Her parents were I guess swingers and, during the summers, they would take her and her brother, Captain, to a type of sex commune, The Compound. There kids were even encouraged to explore and learn sexualy, either by themselves or with other kids. She also met Vic there, who happened to be the rock to support her and get her out of that situation. They bonded and a sort of love formed, even though he was older than her and they never really had sex.

Fast forward and now she's living with Vic. Vic is married and has two kids and another on the way. Tesla is in her mid twenties and works at a coffee shop (the same one where Johnny from COLLIDE goes to get his coffee). She has a sort of crush on one of the customers, Meredith. Meredith wants to be Tesla, she wants to be wild and free, to experience things. So, she asked Tesla to have sex with her husband. That slowly develops into Tesla, Meredith and Charlie being a part of a threesome. And then the reality of that sets in.

I did not like Meredith. I know her character is meant to be the way she is but I thought she was a bit of a lost soul and wanted to slap her around and smack some sense into her most of the time.

Tesla on the other hand, you can't help but feel for her. You get her present story but also some of her past. And now she has to deal with a lot of changes and different emotions. This book was really the evolution of Tesla for me, from what she had to live through, her teenage years to now. Her conflicting relationships with her family and that is in big part Vic, who has always been there for her. With Meredith and her attraction to her but also her attraction to Charlie. Changes and emotions and pain.

And then there's Charlie who seemed to be the glue holding everything together. The things he did and how he knew just what to say to make Tesla, and even Meredith, feel comfortable and happy. How he went out of his way so that everyone would be happy. He felt real if not the ideal of an alpha male we are so used to read about.

I enjoyed the few cameo appearances in this book by Johnny from COLLIDE and most of all Sadie and Joe from BROKEN. Sadie is now pregnant and Joe is still in love and devoted to her. So nice to see them and know what they are doing.

I kept waiting for the waterworks to start, because I always cry when I read a book by this author, but I have to say the tear jerker factor in this one was lower than others. I did still cry at the end. And I was happy at the end, although I guess I would've wanted to have more, maybe even one more chapter or an epilogue.

Favorite quotes:

"I would bang that man like a screen door in a hurricane."

"Can't say I've buffed my muffin over it or anything."

*ARC provided by Netgalley

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANGS, WANDS & FAIRY DUST Original Review Post: IS IS HOT IN HERE?

THE SPACE BETWEEN US
Megan Hart
Harlequin/Harlequin Mira
Paperback (400 pages 9/18/2012)
E-Book (Kindle 412KB 9/1/2012)

Everyone has a story…

Tesla Martin is drifting pleasantly through life, slinging lattes at Morningstar Mocha, enjoying the ebb and flow of caffeine-starved customers, devoted to her cadre of regulars. But none of the bottomless-cup crowd compares with Meredith, a charismatic force of nature who can coax intimate tales from even the shyest of Morningstar’s clientele.

Caught in Meredith’s sensual, irresistible orbit, inexpressibly flattered by the siren’s intoxicating attention, Tesla shares long-buried chapters of her life, holding nothing back. Nothing Meredith proposes seems impossible-not even sleeping with her husband, Charlie, while she looks on. After all, it’s all in fun, isn’t it?

In a heartbeat, vulnerable Tesla is swept into a willing and spectacular love triangle. Together, gentle, grounded Charlie and sparkling, maddening Meredith are everything Tesla has ever needed, wanted or even dreamed of, even if no one else on earth understands. They’re three against the world…

But soon one of the vertices begins pulling away until only two points remain-and the space between them gapes with confusion, with grief and with possibility…. MeganHart.com -- Upcoming

THE SPACE BETWEEN US is a hot piece of erotic fiction. A first I thought it was going to be a series of sketches sewn together with Tesla and Meredith as the thread. But then it moves from being the stories Tesla tells Meredith, to being Tesla's story.

Extroverted Meredith collects things, stories, people. She bores easily and is very self-centered, showy, and loves to be the show. There's something missiing in her though; something that allows her to thoughtlessly wound the people in her life.

Tesla is a bit of a drifty sort. Not a drifter--just a bit aimless, she is bi-sexual, seems young and yet mature. Terrible parenting granted her a difficult and unusual life that left her just out of the mainstream. The third in the equation is the solid Charlie. He's a man who is willing to do what his wife wants, even if it means engaging in sexual exploration that really goes in a different direction than the one he set up for himself.

The writing reminded me of Anais Nin--but a twenty-first century Nin. The story is written in a first-person point of view. It's Tesla's and the voice is rings true. The sex is well-written, interesting and neither vanilla or too extreme.

There's a lot of story here. The sex occurs as part of the story, not as its entirety. It doesn't just pop up out of the blue but occurs with enough motive and advances the story. So often it's the other way around in this genre.

The emotional conflicts and plot are well developed and subtly revealed. There is one point where you know two people in the triangle have become more like a pair when their relationship with each other develops as the other two relationships pull away. How that happens is something you'll need to read; revealing it would be spoilerish. Tesla's childhood makes her understanding of couplehood and marriage well-defined and she doesn't have a lot of taboos.

I found the story moving and the romance electrifying. Highly recommended.

[*P*u*r*p*l*e* Masochist · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Everyone has a story..."

"Stories end, but life doesn’t. Not just because you lose the person you love. Life keeps going. You might cry yourself to sleep every night and wake up in the morning still weeping, but life moves forward in seconds that turn to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days."

Only Megan Hart can "make me" read books that deal with themes with which I'm not comfortable with or with which I have, let's say, issues or prejudices in a way and to make me actually like them. And why is that you wonder? Well, the answer is pretty simple and I probably wrote it billion times already, but I don't think it will ever be enough to express the amazing writing style of this author. Her books just keep getting better and better.

"This was ending all around me, and all I could do was go along with it.

It wasn’t good for me, it was awful.
It was breaking my heart. It was leaving me alone, and I hated it.

I had not one gorgeous and attentive lover, but two. Why, then, did I feel so alone?"

The Space Between Us is another very emotional book with flawed and messed-up characters with past and present lifestyle which are anything but perfect.
These characters make a lot of wrong choices, but after hearing their life-story, piece by piece, we begin to understand why they behave the way they don't and can't, but feel sympathy towards them.

The only thing which made me not rating it with 5 stars is the ending. I was so not expecting that!
After I read the last sentence I was so confused, I even thought I was missing some pages. It just felt fake and unbelievable that things would end that way. I guess I was expecting something more, something unique, something more realistic and typical for Megan Hart and not just a "plain HEA" (and kind of abrupt), but the story itself was very good.

"I’m not a straight girl. I’m not a queer girl, either. I guess you could say I’m sexually fluid. Love comes in all shapes and flavors, and I just want to be able to taste them all."

I just wanted to have some freedom. I wanted to be a little wild sometimes.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just couldn't put this book down! Megan has an amazing knack for writing the most wonderfully broken characters. They are so real, that they almost leap off the page. I also love how she let's the readers uncover bits and pieces of the characters past, like revealing layers of an onion.

While this book might not be everyone's cup of tea, I totally loved it. It was smart, funny, and sexy as hell!

[Serena.. Sery-ously? · Rating 2 out of 5]

"___________________________"

La linea sopra rappresenta:
a) Un tramonto stilizzato
b) Una via verso l'infinito (e oltre)
c) Il mio livello di interesse nella lettura del libro
d) Nessuna delle precedenti.

Amici ascoltatori! Se la vostra risposta è stata la "a".. Complimenti! Siete i fantastici vincitori del premio "Oltre la prima occhiata!". Se invece avete risposto "c", non vincete niente, ma sapete quale sia stato il mio stato d'animo durante la lettura.
Mentre leggevo questo libro ho provato a giustificarlo dicendomi che non era colpa sua se mi stavo annoiando e non mi stava prendendo per niente.. Mi sono rifugiata nel fatto che "Il genere erotico non fa proprio per me".
Però è una bugia. Insomma, sono una lettrice eclettica e camaleontica, leggo tutto di tutti (a patto che l'autore non mi faccia grande antipatia, in quel caso non c'è proprio niente da fare), non mi scoraggia (quasi) niente e so trovare il buono in ogni cosa purché scritta bene. Ho letto opere in cui il sesso era presente, spesso in modo tangibile, per cui non credo sia il genere a darmi problemi..
Ho anche pensato che magari il problema fosse con il tipo di sesso che viene qui descritto -tra una coppia sposata e un'altra ragazza bisessuale- che mi metteva a disagio, però no, non credo sia nemmeno questo..

Dopo varie elugubrazioni, sono arrivata alla conclusione che è l'insieme della storia, dei personaggi e del modo in cui è scritto a non essermi piaciuto.

Per prima cosa, il libro mi sembra una scorrettezza a livello tramistico/di sviluppi: il problema vero è che NON c'è una trama. Non ci sono sviluppi. Non ci sono elementi sensati che permettono di appassionarsi alla storia. Tutto ruota intorno a questa strana proposta che Meredith, moglie di Charlie, propone a Tesla, la EHM, protagonista della storia e vocce narrante: fare sesso a tre. Tutto il resto è fuffa, è messo lì per riempire 400 e passa pagine e per intortare il povero lettore immergendolo in mondi che non esistono.
Sarei stata più contenta se:
a) Il libro avesse avuto 200 pagine di meno: insomma, mi dai un lieve background su Tesla, la sua famiglia e simili e poi ti diletti per le restanti pagine a parlare di questa relazione sessuale, tanto l'abbiamo capito tutti che il nocciolo della questione è questo..
b) Si fosse focalizzato esclusivamente sul sesso e via (no, non sono una persona morbosa, giuro! :D E' per dire che tutto mi sembra un'alternativa migliore di quella scelta dalla Hart..).
Io capisco, comprendo e in linea teorica condivido, il fatto che dal momento che un genere letterario ha successo, è bene cavalcare l'onda e produrre produrre produrre. E anzi, dal poco che ho visto io in giro, l'idea della Hart su un rapporto a tre è pure parecchio innovativo (Ora esce fuori che in realtà non è affatto così, stai a vedere xD).. Però non mi va giù che si usi l'espediente del momento -sia esso i vampiri, i licantropi, gli angeli, il sesso, i pagliacci, le barbie o i teletubbies- e poco altro: oltre all'idea, ci vuole anche un minimo di capacità a portarla avanti!!
Cosa che, secondo me, la Hart proprio non possiede. I personaggi sono contraddittori e davvero poco 'vivi'; la storia è buttata lì a casaccio con alcuni elementi che dovrebbero attirare l'attenzione ma che in tutta sincerità a me hanno fatto fare grandi sbadigli; le contraddizioni e le frasi senza il minimo senso.. Giusto per darvi un'idea, ecco la perla di saggezza:

"Le lenzuola erano CROCCANTI sotto i palmi"

Ora.
LE LENZUOLA CROCCANTI?! A me quando gli scrittori fanno i furbetti cercando di sfruttare in modo 'poetico' le parole fanno salire la bile al cervello.. Ma che senso ha?!
Certo, sto sempre leggendo un libro tradotto, quindi magari si è perso il senso originale.. Però nel libro ci sono altre perle simili, quindi non me la sento di discolpare totalmente la Hart! Per 0,474495475492 millisecondi mi è quasi presa la tentazione di leggere il libro in inglese e dimostrare la mia teoria.. Poi per fortuna l'idea se ne è andata velocemente come era arrivata ._.

Sempre per quanto riguarda la scrittura, essendo un libro *erotico* e sul *sesso*, io credo abbia ampiamente disatteso le mie aspettative. Non so cosa mi aspettassi, effettivamente, visto che la mia unica altra lettura (pseudo) erotica è stata "50 sfumature di blablabla" (E a salti perché mi son rifiutata di leggerlo tutto).. Però non mi aspettavo nemmeno che mentre mi venivano descritte scene ad alta tensione erotica (a detta di Tesla, ovviamente), io vagassi con la mente e facessi i peggio collegamenti.. Davvero, sembrava stesse raccontando di quando si è andata a fare le unghie all'estetista.. Della fila che ha trovato al supermercato, della pizza riscaldata al microonde, del tacco che si è rotto in mezzo ai Sanpietrini.. Insomma, ho reso l'idea, no? Pathos, questo sconosciuto!! Diamine gente, state facendo sesso, state provando piacere, state avendo orgasmi.. Che è 'sta mosceria?! Non mi ha coinvolto per niente :(

Poi il voler dare un tono drammatico a vicende che palesemente non lo sono.. Che noia! Perché creare le aspettative e poi infrangerle così? Ad un certo punto sono arrivata al punto di non aspettarmi più niente, perché niente sarebbe arrivato.. E infatti!!

«Sta pensando di cambiare lavoro» sputai fuori. «Vuole tornare a fare il poliziotto, perché pensa che il mondo sia un posto grande e orribile, pieno di cose spaventose, e che lui sia la sola persona capace di prendersene cura. Ecco cosa sta facendo, Elaine. Non sta solo lavorando fino a tardi al garage. È tornato a fare il detective. Sotto copertura.» [Il dramma nel libro. Che causa una frattura quasi insormontabile. Ciò che Vic ha nascosto alla moglie.. Ci rendiamo conto?! E io lì pronta a giocarmi il mio piede destro che si trattasse di droga, prostitute, omicidi.. Bah!]

Alcune scene/ sono imbarazzanti.. E non nel senso "Oddio, sta parlando del.. Dai, quello.. Insomma, capito?! ". Sono abbastanza cresciutella per queste cose.. No, imbarazzanti nel senso che sfiorano il ridicolo o che sono terribilmente contraddittorie..!

Mi svegliai ridendo e venendo allo stesso tempo. Singhiozzai, mentre battevo gli occhi, le dita avvinghiate al groviglio di lenzuola che mi diceva che avevo avuto una notte agitata. [Lacrime?! Ma non stavi ridendo? E poi.. Vabbé, non commento.]

«Poco dopo la mia ultima estate, il Compound fu chiuso. Una grande retata antidroga. Un paio di persone morirono.» Quello li fermò entrambi. Io non avevo avuto intenzione di dirlo, specialmente non ora, durante il nostro primo appuntamento. Ma era venuto fuori comunque, e non ero sicura del motivo. «Maria?» chiese Meredith riprendendosi. Scossi la testa. «Papaveri.» Lei sembrò confusa, ma Charlie emise una risata bassa. «Eroina?» «Oppio» dissi. «Lo ricavi dai fiori e lo fumi allo stato puro senza doverci fare niente.» [Seriamente c'è qualcuno che non sappia cosa si ricava dal papavero? ._. E poi "Maria".. Ma cos'è questo linguaggio gangsta/da sedicenne ribbbbelle?!]

Avevo un pulsante automatico – potevo arrivare all’orgasmo abbastanza velocemente, ma ero stata con amanti che avevano pensato che il corpo di una donna fosse come una macchina. Spingi il pulsante, prendi il premio. Con me ci sarebbe voluto un po’ più di questo. [Alzi la mano chi, come me, trova questa frase priva di senso e contraddittoria!]

I peli sottili che erano sfuggiti alla depilazione mi punzecchiarono un po’ la guancia. [Poi me lo spiega come fanno i peli sottili a punzecchiare]

Non mi aspettavo che Meredith mi chiamasse, ma quando il telefono squillò più tardi, la sera di Natale, sperai che fosse Charlie. Lui sembrava stanco, la voce era un po’ attutita. Disse solo il mio nome, quando risposi. «Lei sta ascoltando?» chiesi. «No. È sotto la doccia. Non sa che ti sto chiamando.» [Io sapevo che quando uno scrive "Non mi aspettavo/credevo che.. MA", vuol dire che quella cosa inaspettata succede, o no?! Queste righe sono al limite della follia, davvero ._.]

Un altro grave -GRAVISSIMO- problema del libro è la protagonista. Ovviamente. Tesla a mio parere avrebbe meritato tanti di quegli schiaffi da scordarsi come si prepara il caffé.. Veramente odiosa, sciocca, priva di ogni attrattiva (ma tutti la amano e la venerano, ovvio) e irritante.
Da come parla, agisce o pensa (perché la cosa grave è che ne è davvero convinta, povera anima), sembra sia sopravvissuta per miracolo ai campi di concentramento; Tu lì a pensare che ha avuto un'infanzia difficile, un passato da cui è miracolosamente scampata, un destino atroce.. E quando pian piano questo pseudo passato misterioso e 'angosciante' viene ricostruito, ti senti beffata e presa in giro. Perché NO, non c'è niente di così traumatizzante che possa giustificare il suo 'Non ho avuto una vita facile', 'Non mi capisci', 'Tutti affrontiamo delle difficoltà nella vita' e via discorrendo. (Non so se queste frasi Tesla le abbia dette o meno, non ricordo.. Il senso delle sue affermazioni/pensieri però è questo, giuro!).

Poi c'è Meredith. E ragazzi, che personaggio! Totalmente privo di senso. Totalmente soggetto alle leggi inspiegabili del Caos primordiale e della nota morale di alcuni scrittori: "Mbho, io scrivo quello che mi passa per la mente, che problema c'è se poi mi contraddico o la cosa non ha senso? Metto tanti elementi che possono colpire diversi tipi di lettori, non si sa mai! Ognuno così troverà qualcosa da apprezzare in lei!".
Meredith è solare. Meredith è lugubre. Meredith è felice. Meredith è depressa. Meredith è amichevole. Meredith è una spina nel fianco. Meredith è contenta della storia a tre. Meredith è innervosita dalla storia a tre. Meredith non vuole avere nulla a che fare con Tesla. Meredith vuole Tesla tutta per sé. Meredith è.. Vabbé, vi ho dato un'idea.
E' un personaggio davvero fastidioso e se non fosse stato per la presenza snervante di Tesla, sicuramente sarebbe stata lei il personaggio più odiato.

Di buono c'è che il libro si lascia leggere in pochissimo tempo anche mentre gli esami e lo stress sono lì a mangiarti viva.. A volte sento la necessità di libri del genere!
Certo, se poi oltre alla velocità di lettura ci fosse anche altro.. Beh, non direi di no.

Non c'entra niente con il libro, me ne rendo conto.. Ma guardando la foto di Megan Hart, nulla è riuscito a togliermi dalla mente che sembra Marylin Manson versione donna.. XD

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: B+

This story is about a menage trois relationship and bisexuality but it's also so much more. It's about feeling connected, companionship, respect, trust, love, and family.

Tesla works in a coffee house called Mocha where she meets Meredith. Meredith is an exciting woman that gets the regulars in the coffee house to tell her their craziest stories where Meredith seems to want to live vicariously through these people's lives. Tesla finds herself attracted and enthralled by this blue-eyed, vivacious beauty. When Meredith asks Tesla to have sex with her husband while she watches, Tesla is a little unsettled by this offer but her crush on Meredith has her saying yes. After Tesla meets Charlie, they both find they have instant chemistry and from there, a menage relationship is formed.

There are two parts to Tesla's story, the present and the past. The reader is shown flashbacks of Tesla's life as s teenager. These stories are personal and intimate looks of her life where she is discovering and defining herself as a person. The reader will also see how she and her brother end up living with her friend, once crush, Vic and his family. This family has been her home and safety for many years. When things become complicated in Vic's home, Tesla decides it's time for her to move out where she then moves in with Meredith and Charlie.

Tesla walks to the beat of her own drum. Being in a menage relationship doesn't feel odd or strange to her. She's a free-spirit and makes no apologies for who she is or her sexuality. She's honest, kind, and straight-forward. There were times when I thought she was a little naive when it came to Meredith but far from stupid. She made some bad decisions that I think come from feeling rejected and abandoned. Tesla has a strong need and desire to feel safe and be a part of a family.

Meredith is a hard character to embrace. I was completely weary of her from the beginning. I immediately thought her character was overly abrasive. Her curiosity to know so much about Tesla made me feel suspcious. But then the author begins to show us a little bit more about Meredith - a softer side to her. And just when I would warm up to Meredith, she would do something that would raise my hackles. There are so many adjectives to describe Meredith. She's smart, beautiful, curious, manipulative, self-absorbed, and cold. This woman confused me. One moment she would be happy and care-fee, the next moment she would be upset about something. I began to wonder if she was bi-polar. It was really hard see beneath the layers of who Meredith really is. She came across as the villain in this story and who knows, maybe that's what the author was aiming for. Hats off to Meagan Hart for writing such a complex character.

And the final person in the menage relationship is Charlie, who is Meredith's husband. I found him to be a very kind and generous man who wears his heart on his sleave. I'm not surprised he and Tesla got along so well. They are both passive and laid back. They initially bonded because of Meredith but then they soon realized they have a lot in common and genuinely liked to spend time together alone, without Meredith. Oh, what a sticky, guilty web this wove. Charlie being passive didn't bother me. I'm married to a passive man myself. What bothered me is the way he let Meredith dictate their marriage. I really wanted him to step up. It bothered me that he didn't notice issues with Meredith before Tesla came into the picture. It makes me wonder if Charlie was completely oblivious to who his wife really was until Tesla came along. Thankfully, by the end of the story, Charlie found his balls, but I wish it was sooner rather than later.

The chemistry in the bedroom between these three was sizzling. I didn't have any uncomfortable feelings with the menage scenes since all three people were in agreement to be together intimately. What bothered me the most was the way Meredith was so stand-offish towards Tesla. I wish Tesla would have gotten a clue that Meredith wasn't genuine about their relationship. Meredith just wanted an experience while the other players in her game were emotionally invested and being hurt in the process. Her careless actions were a punch in the gut. I wasn't surprised by what happed between these three people but it didn't lessen the pain any less. My heart ached for both Tesla and Charlie.

Sometimes you read a book and you have certain expectations before you even start it. That was the case with The Space Between Us. I had read some reviews and there are quite a few mixed opinions on this book which caused me to form my own opinion before I even started reading this book. Nobody's fault but my own. But because I did this, I struggled with the characters at first. So, I put the book down for a little while and went back to it later after thinking about it. Once I picked it back up with a clear head, I was completely absorbed by the story, and unable to put it down. I don't think this story will be for everyone. I can guarantee the reader will be frustrated with Meredith. But without Meredith's character, I don't think this story would have been as enthralling to me. Her character added a lot of depth to the story.

Meagan Hart has a way with writing deep, emotional stories with realistic, flawed characters. Love can be messy and this story portrays exactly how messy it can be. By the end, I was so emotionally drained that it was good to see Tesla remain true to herself with some character growth and not be soured by her experience with Meredith.

-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review

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ARC kindly provided by Netgalley

[Desperado · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Harlequin and Netgalley. Thank you!

A caveat: I'm a rabid, unashamed Megan Hart fan. I've read seven books by her, including this one, and while they haven't all been great, I've found that (for me at least) Hart consistently churns out interesting and intriguing books that turn me into a happy, emotional wreck.

The Space Between Us follows Tesla Martin, a 26-year-old Barista who works at Morningstar Mocha (a coffee shop that's been featured in at least one other Hart novel). She and her younger brother Captain were raised by unconventional parents who took them to a commune during the summer where Tesla and Captain ran wild while their parents engaged in sex with other couples. Suffice it to say, Tesla's upbringing makes her an extremely interesting protagonist. At the coffee shop, she becomes friends with Meredith, a glamorous, married older woman of leisure. Tesla is insanely attracted to Meredith but knows it won't go anywhere, so when Meredith asks her point blank if Tesla will have sex with her husband, Tesla is more than a little shocked.

Menages are not something I'm unfamiliar with when it comes to Hart. Her erotic romance, Tempted was about a menage and the ramifications of one. So I had an idea of what to expect going into TSBU. Having a romantic relationship with one person is hard enough without adding someone else to the mix. I fully believe that they can work-if everyone goes into with eyes wide open, aware of what they want and what they don't want from each other. That was not the case with TSBU, as I'm sure is true for a lot of real life menages.

Yes, a big part of this book was dedicated to the relationship between Tesla, Meredith and her husband, Charlie. But a lot of it was about Tesla finding her own self. In this book, Tesla learned what she wanted and what she was unwilling to take. She also discovered pieces of herself that she never realized were broken and voids that she didn't realize she wanted to fill. I wish Hart had've delved deeper into the comfortable and utterly complicated relationship between Tesla and Vic (a friend who she has lived with since the age of seventeen) but I guess if she did, the mystery would be gone. I also wish the ending of TSBU wasn't so abrupt, but I feel that way about every single Hart novel I've read. That's probably apart of Hart's diabolical plan to leave her readers panting and begging for more.

The title for this book is appropriate in so many ways. Not only is it about the space between Tesla, Meredith and Charlie but it's also about the space between what you think you're content to have and what you're afraid to want.

[Kenya Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't my top Megan Hart book, but I did enjoy it.

[Lady Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tesla Martin is not really sure what she’s doing with her life, but she’s not exactly in a hurry to figure it out either. She works at Morningstar Mocha as everyone’s favorite barista while living with the man (and his wife and two adorable kids) who took her and her brother in when her parents decided their lives were more important than that of their children.

Tesla enjoys the customer interaction and the constant stream of caffeine. However, there is one regular in particular that she wants to be more than just a barista to – Meredith. Meredith is one of those people that is so charismatic that she can convince you to tell her anything, to confide over a cup of coffee (or three) with a sparkle of mischief in her eye. And Tesla does. She lays bare her history in hopes the connection will give them an intimate edge she might not otherwise have…considering Meredith is a married woman. The story she weaves definitely has an effect on her, but not in a way Tesla expects. Meredith begins to flirt, to get to know her better, to develop a more-than-a-regular rapport with her only to invite her to bed… to sleep with her husband.

While shocked, Telsa considers it, requiring she meet Meredith’s husband Charlie first. When the three of them meet up for a very unorthodox date, they immediately click and end up talking and laughing the night away. One date turns into two, turns into three, turns into falling into bed together. All together.

In the beginning, the relationship was definitely geared more towards Tesla trying to get closer to Meredith, but the more she got to know Charlie (who is incredibly irresistible, no doubt about it!) the more she explored the extraordinarily complex dynamic between them. I liked Meredith for the purpose she served in the story but the characters that really shone for me were Charlie and Tesla. The way they completely changed for Meredith but owned their change and made it work for them so thoroughly, impressed me. I loved the way Charlie and Tesla bonded, the way he stood up for her, made her feel so special. Their relationship was such a pleasure to read.

My favorite aspect about any Megan Hart book is her characters. They are always so real; their emotions inspire you to feel, to experience life through their eyes. This book is no exception. While it certainly makes you think twice and can serve as a cautionary tale to be careful of what you invite in your bed and in your marriage – the other side of the coin shows us that not all connections we find in life will be conventional and that if it’s real, it’s worth fighting for.

Grade: A+

*ARC Provided by Harlequin via NetGalley

This review & others also found on Red Hot Books

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my very first Megan Hart book and honestly it was too much for me emotionally, beautifully written, but, tough to read becaus of the emotions involved, the book made me extremly uncomfortable and feeling ill everytime I read another chunk of it. I liked Tesla very much, liked Vic, like most have said really was angry with the self-centerness and shallowness of Meredith. She made me think of some females I know who are gorgeous and seem to have the perfect life, but, there's nothing behind the illusion of perfection...Tesla seemed more real to me despite the situations her vulnurabilities got her into especially where matters of the heart were concerned...However, as I've stated way too much for me emotionall, I don't like books that make me physically or phychologically uncomfortable and this one did...I have a whole pile of about five more books by this author, and I will attempt at least one more, but, if it even slightly makes me feel unwell I will unfortunately have to discontinue reading authorm not because she's not good, but, because I guess emotinally it's nor fir me at this time in my life...Butm if you like your stomach in knots and aching from the emotional impact of a story than you will enjoy this book...

[Susi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Space Between Us tells the story of Tesla, a 20 something barista facing a tempting offer. Her female crush, Meredith, suggest a a daring experiment including her husband Charlie and Tesla. How can Tesla resist? A chance to get nearer to Meredith , who knows what might happen next. It sounds like an easy choice but nothing in life is as easy as it seems at first glance. An uncomplicated and liberal engagement can turn into something serious and strict very quick and so Tesla finds herself in tangle of hopes, expectations and little untold truths.

Tesla is not your ordinary girl even though she hates to see herself that way. She spent her childhood summers in a commune celebrating free life and love. Her past experiences did make her the woman she is now and her current living arrangements seem uncommon to the “ordinary” observer. She’s content with her current life- more or less, as most of us are. It’s what her life is and she accepts it. Tesla’s story is told in 2 parts. On the one hand we follow her current life and how her new relationship with Charlie and Meredith influences her life. On the other hand we get a glimpse of her teen years and made her into the person she is now. These two sides of the story show Tesla in many facets and gave me as a reader a really close grab of who she is. It’s hard to explain in a few words but at the end of the book you will see who Tesla is and why she does the things she thinks need doing.

I didn’t much care for Meredith though. She’s a glowing character who always seems to succeed in flocking people around herself. She needs the attention and even more so needs to be the center of everyone’s intention. She is a fun person, full of energy and ideas. She’s daring and always happy to take risks even if those might hurt some of the people around her. For me Meredith sometimes seems as if she really only cares about herself. She lives in her own personal little bubble and just ignores the needs of anyone around her. She’s selfish and too self centered for my taste. I had a constant urge to slap her real hard.

Charlie on the other hand is a lovely character. Oh this guy made me smile. I liked how laid back and nerdy he is. He’s taking a bit of a backseat in the story as the focus lays on Tesla but every time we get a glimpse he

The relationship between these three is portrayed rather realistic. It’s not your usual menage where everyone gets what he/she wants. We see the ups and downs, the good and the bad days. Like real life this relationship too has to survive the small problems and hurdles. It is, as I do expect from a Megan Hart novel, a retelling of the journey not the goal. I love that about her books! The close to truth factor you can find in each of Hart’s stories.

Another thing I loved is to see characters from other Megan Hart novels again. We do see quite some in this one. It’s nothing really prominent and I’m sure Megan Hart newbies wouldn’t even notice but well it makes my heart sing to see some familiar faces.

The Space Between Us is not your common romance novel. It goes deeper than the all shiny and happy HEA retellings and won’t make dream of unicorns and sunshine. It challenges not only your heart but also your mind. You will catch yourself contemplating the ins and out of such a relationship and how it would work in real life. I admit The Space Between Us is not my favorite of Hart’s work but still it made me turn the pages and tempted me to read just one more chapter till I reached the final one.

I give The Space Between Us 4 Stars.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Huh. This was the first erotica book that I read. I found it thought-provoking and sad, both of which I didn't expect to find in an erotica story.

I'm not sure why I picked this one up. Maybe it's because it discusses menage and female bisexuality. Maybe because I'm so sick of YA books where the heroine falls in love instantly after a few electric touches with the hero and gazing into his beautiful eyes. Maybe it's because I'm older now and I know that love is messy and difficult and certainly not easy. Or maybe it's because falling in love is easy and staying in love, that's a different story, and it's not a story that people want to read about.

Tesla is the narrator of this story, and although she tells the story in first person, I found myself being strangely detached from her. The book is told through a series of stories about her previous sexual experiences as well as the present day of how she came into the relationship with Meredith and Charlie as a third. I think the problem was that she tells these stories without dealing with the emotional aftermath. We never figure out what happened between her and the twins afterwards or how her and Vic got over what happened. Even at the climax of the story when the three of them fall to pieces, I didn't really feel for Tesla and her loss of the relationship with Meredith.

Meredith was a troublesome character, but I believed her more than I did with Tesla. I actually sympathized with her, because she was so emotional and flighty and manipulative, but unable to talk about what she wants and unable to be reasonable about her desires. She wasn't honest with the people she was closest to and she wasn't honest with herself, which happens more often than not I believe.

I'm also not sure how I felt about Charlie as a character either. I know he's portrayed as sensitive and gentle and loving, but I thought there were problems with his relationship with Meredith at the start, where they simply did not communicate about the boundaries of the threesome relationship. I don't like how Tesla and Charlie's developing feelings for each other was viewed with "wrongness" as well as leading to a potential happily ever after. It's not that I believe only in relationships where people do not get hurt and hearts don't get broken. I understand that sometimes the right person comes along even though you're with someone else. It's that the ending of the book bothered me so much because I feel that it came at the expense of something else that might have been worth salvaging, I don't know. It was bittersweet all around. I have this feeling that someone is going to get hurt again.

My feelings about this book are so conflicted, yet I think that's why I gave this book a high rating because it provoked me to think about relationships and whether a relationship can exist with three people. It's also so, so wonderful to read about a girl whose sexuality is fully explored but nobody ever sees it in a negative or a positive light. It just is a part of life, as simple as that. She never apologizes for her sexuality, and yet she experiences the same uncertainty about her feelings as everybody else.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tesla is a normal chick working in Morningstar Mocha, a coffee shop/cafe. Her past has been carefully concealed from her coworkers, her life is finally normal and she’s content without a relationship… at least until Meredith gets too personal.


Meredith is an enigma. She doesn’t talk about herself very much. She likes to listen to others, and every day she tries to convince Tesla to tell a story. Meredith likes to hear about crazy adventures and conquests, and other regulars in the Morningstar Mocha never have a problem telling her their stories. But Tesla doesn’t like to think of herself as “wild” as Meredith insists; Tesla is sure her adventures in the past are pretty tame compared to others. So when Tesla finally tells Meredith how she slept with twin brothers on a weekly basis, her first time going down on a woman, her summers spent at “The Compound”--nothing special--Meredith eats up the information like Tesla lived a life completely different than everyone else. Then Meredith asks something crazy, something Tesla didn’t think she’d ever hear.


Sleep with Meredith’s husband, Charlie.


Thinking it would get her closer to Meredith, Tesla agrees. They all share comfortable evenings together. Their dates are enjoyable and easy. Tesla seems to fit right into their marriage, but as they grow closer and Tesla gets comfortable in their love life, Meredith begins to pull away. Tesla agreed to this set-up thinking she could get closer to Meredith--she didn’t plan on falling in love with Charlie.


You know, this book is nearly 400 pages long. I can’t tell you what happened. There was some smut. There was some pettiness. Okay, actually, there was a lot of pettiness. Characters admitted they hated Tesla because she’s so perfect and wonderful, and they hate that they’re not Tesla. Meredith was petty. Petty, petty, petty. By the second half of the book, Meredith was a completely different person. Charlie was cardboard; he did what Meredith told him, never had any original thought. Even when he thought Tesla was the greatest thing since sliced bread, there was no connection. There was no life in any of the characters, really.


The family Tesla lived with? Completely forgettable. The sex scenes? Completely forgettable--reviews are praising them, but really, there’s nothing to write home about. The entire book is boring. I thought I was getting a fun menage book that pushed the boundaries. An open marriage, a woman who happens to get sucked in, everyone has fun, tension happens--nah, none of that happened. The entire relationship was just… stiff. Lifeless. Even when Tesla was trying to convince me she was completely happy, I didn’t feel it.


If anything, the only time Tesla seemed like a real person was when she was recounting her tales with the twins. Maybe Hart should have nixed Meredith and Charlie and had Tesla reconnect with those guys. Oh, and the ending is surprisingly predictable. Remember when I mentioned Charlie thinking Tesla is the greatest thing since sliced bread? He mentions it all the time. Now just carry that theme into the ending. Yep.

[The Romance Evangelist · Rating 3 out of 5]

*This book was provided to the reviewer by the author in exchange for an honest review at SeductiveMusings.blogspot.com

I have to admit right up front that I am a huge fan of Megan Hart. One of the things I love most about her books is how she has, over time, created this vividly drawn world in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Characters from previous books often make appearances, but never in a way that expects you to have read those books or doesn’t make sense within the current story. There are a wealth of both new and previously seen supporting characters in “The Space Between Us”, most of whom we meet at Morningside Mocha, the coffee shop where Tesla Martin works.

Tesla is a woman who has survived so much early in her life and now only wants to exist from day to day. She’s trying to avoid any additional drama but knows that she’ll never have more than she does right now if she doesn’t take any chances. Everyone thinks she’s a wild child based on her past (if they know it) and how she presents herself to others, but the sad truth is that her life is so dull that it’s practically standing still.

It’s Meredith who sways Tesla into a sexual triad with her own husband Charlie, almost solely by her force of will. Charlie appears to be as passive as Tesla, but clearly loves his wife enough to make this change in his life to please her. But as Charlie and Tesla grow closer, it remains to be seen if Meredith will be content with their new arrangement.

As I said before, I’m a big Megan Hart fangirl. So it pains me to say that “The Space Between Us” was not one that I enjoyed as much as usual. A big part of this was her decision to include a prologue that I considered tantamount to a spoiler. When the author tells me upfront where the plot is going to go, it alters my ability to fully immerse myself in the story. Thanks to that prologue, I had a nagging thought the whole time, wondering when we would get to that part. This type of early reveal may not be a problem for others, but if I had the ability to read this again for the first time, I would go right to Chapter One and skip the prologue. The good news is that aside from that one concern, this was another beautifully written Megan Hart story and I enjoyed being back in her world.

[Risbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one...a lot. Like, really a lot - but I can't really tell you why. It isn't one of those books that leaves you with the warm and fuzzies. Quite the opposite, in fact.

When I first saw this book and the blurb on Netgalley, I wanted it. Badly. I mean, threesomes and bisexuality...hello! And I was so excited when I got a galley to read -- but it wasn't the quick-read tingly erotica that I thought I was going to get.

There was so much more to the story than I could have possibly imagined.

Lets face it, I read erotica because I don't "live" erotica. Most of us don't. I read it for the escape, the fantasy. But this particular story doesn't focus on the fantasy, it looks at what would probably happen. The realistic outcome of bringing a third person (Tesla) into an established relationship, in this case, Meredith and Charlie's marriage.

Interspersed with the present day story are bits and pieces from Tesla's quirky and free-spirited past. Events and relationships that make her who she is today and that allow us a little peek into maybe why she makes the choices that she does. All she wants (but maybe doesn't realize at first) is to be loved. To have that connection with somebody, that all encompassing emotion that completes the empty pockets and spaces you don't notice until they are filled. And once the layers are peeled away and you find that love, then what?

So yeah, there was that emotional element that I love so much. Even though there were times where I felt like I was gut-punched, it was legitimate emotion and none of it felt contrived. Well. Done.

Basically, what I've been trying so hard to say is that Megan Hart managed to twist my emotions up in knots and I got so much more from this book than I expected. I look forward to reading more by her.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Tesla right from the start, she seems to be a free spirit, one who marches to the beat of her own drummer. I liked how she was there for her friends and family, how she has built a new family for herself when her blood one imploded.

At first I started out liking that Tesla found a new friend in Meredith, and how she was able to pull out stories of Tesla's past. It was in those stories that we get to know her better and you realize how those past events have had such a big impact on her life. I think it made her more open to possibilities of any kind in her life.

I even liked how Meredith and Tesla's relationship changed at first. It didn't take me too long, though to realize it wouldn't last. Meredith seemed to be searching for something else, but she couldn't admit it to herself yet. As things started to go bad, I started to hate Meredith with her passive aggressive behavior. I wished that she could have just owned up to what she want, the hurt could have been avoided then.

Where Tesla was at the end of the book was in a good place. She was finally on her own, had made peace with her family, still keeping her place with them, and starting a new relationship that had a familiar tether. My hope for them is that things work out.

As a side note, I loved how past characters keep popping up in the coffee shop, reminding me of their stories.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Solid Stars

I am a huge fan of Megan Hart's writing style. She has a way of making the characters come to life and has a way of making their flaws believable and many times enduring. Her books are gritty and real.

Ms. Hart has the ability to take a heroine that is flawed, and who many would be quick to judge and condemn, and turn it all around and make her extremely likeable (and a true heroine).

The Space Between Us jumped around quite a bit plot and character wise, so I had to be sure to pay attention while I read it. I knew this going in since I have read numerous books by this author before. In spite of the jumble of thoughts and characters, it all seemed to come together in a way that was very enjoyable but at the same cohesive in it's own special way. Ms. Hart's books are very thought provoking. They make you think of how people are perceived based on different personality traits and/or background.

My only complaint was that the ending was entirely too short. I would have liked another chapter or at least an epilogue. It felt "cut off" to me.

Great book, as are all of Megan Hart's, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre and doesn't want a "fluff" book.

[I Love Audiobooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... Maybe this type of book isn't my thing, I was glad when it ended. It was weird to read an erotic book that was not hot - neither the hero or the sex scenes did it for me. I have to give it a zero on swoon or steam factor. I didn't like the main character, she was too overbearingly perky, carefree and goody-two-shoes compared to every other character in the book (who all seemed miserable), it got really annoying by the end of the book. Plus it bugged me that she could join a ménage without batting an eye but be totally embarrassed when her brother says the word "handjob", it made her seem unbelievable to me. You can't be all demure and innocent when you're as dirty as they get lady, please.

[Sharon (Simi) Ehcstasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book of Megan Hart that I have read and for that reason only I gave this four stars. Her characters in this book are both flawed and real. I loved Tesla - the girl brought up in an alternative lifestyle but who herself thought was not wild. She was so totally honest with herself and others in this book as to how she viewed life you could not help but fall in love with her. Meredith is the beautiful bored woman so many of us probably know. Others get caught in her web only to find themselves eaten by the spider.

I loved this story of romance, love and how we get caught up in the love others offer up to us.

I hope you read this and love it like I did.

[Christine Madden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should really stop grabbing books off the shelf without reading reviews or knowing the genre of the author. This book was basically soft core porn/erotica about a young, curious woman engaged in a threesome relationship with a married couple, so if you enjoy reading about steamy sex scenes in very graphic (often vulgar detail), then you'll love this book! It wasn't my cup of tea, but there was somewhat of a sweet underlying story of friendship, family and loyalty.

[Girllovesbeach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Hart is one of my favorite authors. Yes, there are x-rated scenes but the story and the characters are always compelling. The stories are completely unique with damaged characters who usually come out with some emotional healing by the end of the story.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love that Johnny, Sadie and Joe is in this book. I wish Olivia and Alex was mentioned though.