Trifecta

by Kate Sherwood

Book by Sherwood, Kate

Genres: M M Romance, Menage, M M M, Romance, Contemporary, Polyamory, Erotica

226 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2011

Reviews

[Darien · Rating 3 out of 5]

^^ITS A SAD DAY IN HISTORY, WHEN I DON'T LIKE 3 MEN DOING EACH OTHER!^^

More of my reviews and thoughts on my blog PANTS OFF REVIEWS


All the ways I was excited to read this one. A book from one of my favourite authors, and about the genre she is excellent at. I was like “bring on the ménage a trois” halfway through the book I was literally in tears of frustration. With all honesty I thought ‘Kate Sherwood did not write this’ there is just no freaking way. I am supposed to be loving the hell out of this book that was shelved as ‘Can’t wait to read and lose my pants’. I just wanted to cry. Please don’t misunderstand Kate is an excellent writer; I just did not love this one.

Mark and Alistair is a couple with an open relationship. Mark is a pilot and is frequently away from home, so it was decided up on that he would sow his wild oats when he is away. Though one condition is very clear, it will only be for sex and both will come home to each other. I totally didn’t mind that, both men were aware of it so it was just apart of the story. Mark who is recently gay, and divorced his wife to finally be truly happy. He is still taking baby steps to living life as a gay man. The journey hasn’t been easy, but he is coping and coming into his own.

When Mark decides to hit up a gay club, looking for a little action. He realized that the club scene isn’t for him and he feels like a fish out of water. The night isn’t a bust, and Mark hooks up with a hot little thing. The sex is mind blasting, but the run in they both have with Alistair isn’t (seems Alistair was away and Mark brought his hook-up home to play). The hot little thing turns out to be Tyler a stable boy/horse trainer (isn’t that just so cliché). When his horse is injured he once again runs into an awkward situation with Alistair yet again. It doesn’t remain awkward and uncomfortable for long and Tyler becomes the centrepiece for both Mark and Alistair.

All right folks, it sounds interesting and exciting, and it sorta is, but my ire lies in the fact that Alistair/Mark become skeevy. They both swore to never mix feelings with sex but throughout the whole book, Tyler becomes an obsession for both men. I thought they were supposed to be in total love with each other, but I never once felt it. All thoughts were on stable boy Tyler. Ahem, Tyler he is a piece of work. He just came on to both men like white on rice, not wanting to cause ‘problems’ but did so at every turn. I could not love him or even like him, the smooth talking f*cker.

I will end this one now, and as you can see all characters are on my chopping block. Even at their HEA, I was cursing them to hell and high-water. Kate is a talent but this book did not sit well in my heart, still love her writing style and I don’t doubt her skill in writing a wicked ménage. If you are a fan, please do pick up a copy of this book; who knows you might love it.

[Kassa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trifecta is a nice, sexy ménage that has some incredibly hot sex scenes and a pseudo believable relationship resolution. I didn’t really buy into it, nowhere near as much as the Dark Horse series by the same author. However those that like m/m/m romances should appreciate this offering, especially since there is an abundance of sex to help smooth over the rough parts. Those that are iffy on ménage may not appreciate this one since the main couple essential cheat on each other with the same young man before deciding to stay together and make a threesome.

The story revolves around Tyler, a handsome young man with a knack for horses and not much direction. He first gets involved with Mark, a pilot newly out of a marriage with two teenager daughters. Mark and Alistair are in a committed long term relationship but since they’re both tops, they are free to find anonymous empty sex elsewhere, usually when Mark is out of town on work. After Alistair walks in on Mark and Tyler’s one night stand, Alistair and Tyler take up together. It sounds complicated but it’s not as both Mark and Alistair have a sexual encounters with Tyler, leading to the predictable resolution of a threesome.

The plot is not as complicated as it sounds and actually it’s a testament to the good writing that the various connections and encounters seem natural and real. There is very little obvious manipulation going on between the main three men. Tyler’s burgeoning relationship with Alistair and sexual chemistry with Mark seem genuine and it’s easy to see why he’d want to be with both men. Likewise it’s obvious the older men are intrigued and smitten by Tyler with his good looks, charm, and warm heart.

What didn’t work so well is the main relationship between Mark and Alistair. Since the story is mainly told from Tyler’s perspective or revolves around the individual relationships with Tyler, very little is shown of Mark and Alistair together. The narration shifts between all three men with their third person POV but we’re only ever told how much in love Mark and Alistair are, we’re never shown. So I couldn’t get a grasp on their relationship except that it clearly was in trouble, going stale and perhaps these two wouldn’t stay together without the infusion of Tyler. This unfortunately makes the story somewhat uncomfortable to read because I didn’t feel Mark and Alistair were deeply in love and happy.

Their relationship is in trouble and when Alistair starts up with Tyler, it feels like cheating. Sure Mark and Alistair have an open relationship but he spends so much time and energy craving and wanting Tyler that Alistair even admits he didn’t want Mark to return, he just wanted Tyler. Most of this is in long introspective paragraphs and thus makes the threesome feel more like two two-somes with cheating going on. It’s uncomfortable and never feels like an equal relationship all around. I really wish there had been more emphasis on the initial relationship and showing that to be strong as I can’t imagine this threesome will work out at all.

There are several side plots going on such as Mark’s bitchy ex-wife that turns on a dime, the horse situation with Tyler and his ex-boss, Tyler’s money situation, and the general differences between the men. Most of these are resolved pretty easily, introduced each time as a source of tension and conflict. I think there is enough natural tension between the three men and their complicated relationship to have carried the story without the outside influences. These additions aren’t bad in any way but are easily solved which takes away most of their impact. Again not bad and for those fans of m/m/m – especially those that like lots of sex – I think this story could really satisfy.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of what eventually becomes a menage.

Mark and Alistair have an open marriage - an agreement to allow each other to have sex with someone when the other is out of town and Mark is frequently gone as he's a pilot who flies all over the world. But when Alistair walks in on Mark when he returns from a canceled convention, he's shocked, hurt, confused and later realizes he's also turned on. As luck would have it, he runs into the guy his husband was banging a week or so later and eventually, after many weeks of working with the young man, Tyler, he and Tyler end up having sex.

I enjoyed the author's slow buildup of each man's role, the open communication between the husbands, and Tyler's common sense and respect for their commitment. I didn't enjoy the nasty ex-wife and hurt-feelings kids, but they come with the territory when one man has tried to live a straight life and eventually bails not the family.

I also enjoyed the times with Tyler alone as the author allowed readers to form their own opinions about him and then eventually the discussions of how a threesome would work and how they'd be looking at a longterm commitment. And, of course, Kate Sherwood does not do too many sex scenes but those in here are quite smoking hot.

Overall, I more than liked the story. I enjoyed it very much and I recommend it to those interested in reading menage stories.

[Kate Sherwood]

My return to the land of threesomes. It's such a lovely land...

One of my early readers said this book had strong 'polarizing elements' - I think that means that it will give people something to argue about. And that seems to be true, because a lot of other readers said they didn't like one of the three guys, and thought the other two would be better off without him. But there didn't seem to be any consensus on which of the guys was unliked, and which two would be better as a couple.

For me, I can really see them working as a threesome. I'm not saying it will be easy, but I think there's something special there. Tyler is a bit flaky on the surface, but he's solid deep down, and the other two, for all their apparent maturity and stability, are a little flaky underneath. I think both of the older guys can let their guard down around Tyler, and stop worrying about who's in charge or who's giving up more in order to be together, and just enjoy each other. That's what I hope they're doing, at least!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars.

Mark and Alistair are happy with their open relationship - they can have all the anonymous sex they want, and still come home to each other. That changes when they discover that they’ve both hooked up with the same guy... Tyler. Who is an easy going type, doesn't make any plans... until he meets first Mark and sometimes later Alistair. Nobody has any doubt that sex between the three of them would be fantastic, but can they make it something more?

The entire book is about how the three guys come together. I would've liked more of their story after that time. That's where the true depth lies for menages, as it was for Dark Horse, my absolute favorite menage series. Most of other menage books end where the interesting and challenging part begins.

I really love M/M/M but this book is definitely not one of my favorites. It's like ending a book after the first chapter.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I'm giving this a 3 because the writing is good. I did not, however, like these characters with the exception of Tyler. Somehow I felt absolutely NO connection between Mark and Alistair nor to them. Honestly, I didn't care all that much what happened to them. I suppose I had some sympathy for Mark because he is being pulled in a lot of directions with Alistair, his ex-wife, his children, his job and Tyler. Alistair I just really did not care for at all.

Honestly, I think this would have been a better book if were at least twice as long and we got something in the way of understanding of the motivation of the characters. Tyler was the only one who was really likable in this scenario. I ended the book feeling like I had no idea who Alistair and Mark really are - either separately or together.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I read this as soon as it was out and I did love it. It wasn't amazing in the same way than Dark Horse and the sequel were me, but only a few books ever are.

As a menage, it worked wonderfully. The view was refreshing, not quite like anything I've read before. How the three way relationship came to be was quite original and very interesting.

I liked the complexity of the characters and found all of the main characters very endearing. They were all faulty in some ways and that made them so very real.

I could probably write a ton about this book, but I won't. Instead I'm going to tell you to read it yourself.

[Lee Brazil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story a lot, but found that the end didn't satisfy my needs. It was touching, but the long leap from "Let's try it" to the epilogue of "Yay! It worked"... I felt a little like the middle of the story was missing. I loved the characters, they were well developed, and the dynamic of the relationship between the established couple was intriguing. The potential of love between people who basically don't fulfill all of one another's physical needs was interesting. A triad was the perfect solution for them. Is it perfect for the third party? I'm not sure.

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✰✰✰½
How do two Tops in an mm relationship coincide? Due to Mark's out-of-town frequency, he and Alistair decide on an open relationship when they're not together.

I think Mark is still finding his way since he'd only recently come out and he'd left a long-standing marriage to be with Alistair. Although he and Alistair loved each other, it wasn't enough and he could top when he was away.

I liked Tyler and I think he connected with each guy and with him as part of their triage, they didn't need to look outside the relationship anymore because their needs were finally being satisfied.

[Buda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark wasn't particularly likeable and didn't have enough of a presence in the book for me to care whether or not he and Alistair could work it out, much less if Tyler was their magic solution. I liked Tyler. I liked Alistair. Not sure I liked them together. There's a lot of using going on between these three and poor Tyler seems to be getting the shaft (pun not intended).

2.75

[Snowtulip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoy Kate Sherwood's writing, but this book wasn't for me. I didn't really feel the strength of the characters or the relationship. I liked Tyler and kept wishing this was a different story with him.

[Kiki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 It kept my interest in a soap opera type way, but I didn't find the relationship(s) convincing. It felt more like friends-with-benefits all the way around.

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book threads thru some fairly murky waters in more ways than one. But I liked that about the story.

[Momsterof4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet but steamy read

Really enjoyed this one! A great storyline that kept me interested and some deep topics handled with grace and poise. I really liked the character dynamics and the balance of all three men and their supporting characters

[AngelReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, it's not as good as Dark Horse but it's still pretty good, Kate Sherwood is an excellent writer. I guess my main complaint was that most of the book was focused on Tyler, and in particular Tyler and Alistair's growing relationship. As a result, I couldn't quite get behind the whole threesome thing. Still, it was enjoyable enough.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark and Alistair are the established couple. Mark left his wife of 15 years when he realized he could no longer go on living a lie. The men have an open relationship which they pursue while Mark is away on business (he's an airline pilot). One day, when Alistair's away, Mark picks up a much younger man, Tyler, at a longer club and they go back to Mark and Alistair's home and have a sex against the bedroom wall. Unfortunately for Mark Alistair's trip was cut short and he gets home just as the sex has ended and he catches Mark and Tyler collapsed against each other against the wall. Angry words ensue and Tyler has to walk into the living room to retrieve his clothing and to dress.

The very next morning Alistair, a large animal vet, gets into work and finds a lame horse awaiting his arrival. The groom is Tyler. The horse's owner wants to have to horse put down, when he hears the rehabilitation process will be long and costly, so Tyler buys the horse. So starts a long process of healing and treatment for the horse. Tyler and Alistair become friendly then they develop feeling while starting a sexual relationship. Mark's having problems with his ex and their 2 daughters and it's starting to make him question his lifestyle.

Mark and Alistair start to fight. Both guys have to play away from home because both are 'tops' so don't find their home sex life all that satisfying so this is where Tyler (who seems to be a total bottom) comes in handy if only for sex. But both Mark and, especially, Alistair are developing deeper feelings for Tyler. Tyler is also becoming attached to Alistair.

One night, when Alistair knows Mark will be back, he has to turn down a date with Tyler (after, of course, having sex in the horse stall!) so Tyler has to face the fact that Mark is Alistair's priority. He goes out to get drunk after telling Alistair that they should stop their 'relationship' where it is. Mark and Alistair fight because Alistair wants Tyler and comes home to a very drunk Mark. Mark leaves and bumps into Tyler by accident. They then go off to a hotel and also have sex.

The story is angst-filled, of course. Tyler is making most of the sacrifices. I would side with the Mark/Alistair dynamic, if they were in a committed, monogamous relationship but they aren't. They are using Tyler to complete a part of their sex life that they can't find in each other. Of course, Tyler's no innocent bystander but he's got emotions involved too and has nobody in his corner when his ex-boss starts to turn nasty and wants to make problems for Alistair's business. Mark and Alistair are idiots, IMO. Tyler could do better.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

When two men deeply in love fall for a third, can they make a Trifecta or will they lose everything? Mark and Alistair have been together for a year and they’re very committed to each other. They’ve gone through a lot as Mark left his marriage and two teenage daughters after falling in love with Alistair. They more than love each other, they need each other too. Yet when they meet Tyler, the young man throws their carefully planned world into chaos and they realize he might be what they need. But convincing Tyler of that isn’t so easy either.

Trifecta is a hot, delicious ménage. Mark and Alistair are an established couple but their relationship isn’t perfect. The two men are so much alike that they’ve started to need more. They have an open relationship due to their sexual incapability in the bedroom and the traveling Mark does for his job. The complication comes when both Mark and Alistair start a relationship with the sexy Tyler and realize it’s not just sex. The story does a credible job of showing how Mark and Alistair really need something else to make their relationship work. It’s obvious something is missing and Tyler fits into that space very well.

Tyler is the main star of the story and he comes across as an eager, intelligent, kind, young man. He’s worlds different than both Mark and Alistair and that infusion of fresh, new perspective is attractive to the older men. Tyler is attracted to the stability and sexual chemistry he could have with them and so the threesome with Tyler at the center makes sense in many ways. The many hot sex scenes don’t hurt either as the story shows the connection Tyler has to both men very well. There are a lot of internal thoughts that show how Mark and Alistair both want Tyler and think about him often.

The story is an entertaining easy read with a lot of chemistry and spark. The final resolutions are tied up neatly with a solid happy ending and everyone perhaps almost too happy. Given the various problems presented, the ending is a little too neat and easy for everyone involved but I doubt any romance fans are going to complain. Instead those fans of ménage can enjoy this quick, interesting story with some excellent erotica.

Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some (very slight) similarities between these guys relationship dynamics and the guys from the Dark Horse'verse, BUT Tyler, Alistair, and Mark are each dealing with a whole different set of issues. Mark is working through the aftermath of a divorce-dealing with an understandably hurt but bitter ex-wife, fighting to keep a relationship with his children, and struggling to express himself as a gay man in public. Alistair is in love with Mark but he feels pressured and guilty because of what he feels Mark sacrificed just to be with him; but it also hurts him that Mark isn't dealing well with their relationship beyond the boundaries of their home. They have an open relationship, but even with this they are struggling. Both fell in love but soon realized that they both prefer to be the top and don't feel comfortable being the bottom-enter Tyler.

Tyler meets and sleeps with these men at different times and under different circumstances. Through their interactions and sexual interludes Mark and Alistair realize that Tyler might be what makes their relationship complete. Tyler is a sweet and selfless young man, but he made my heart hurt-it always seemed that he got the raw end of the deal. I felt like he didn't think he deserved something for himself; it's like his longing was almost palpable and it almost made me cry.

I'll say this truthfully, I'm not a big fan of menage or polyamorous relationships in the novels I read, but Kate always manages to make me enjoy the ones in her novels.

[Adara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Kate's menage stories. I like Dark Horse and sequel more because of the stronger emotions evoked, but these three are a strong trifecta as well. The course of events takes place over a couple of months, with an epilogue an unspecified amount of time later. It's intricately woven between the three of them and done fairly well. They each have their hang-ups and baggage.

The entire story is about how the three come together. I would've liked more of their story after they get together, because that's where the true depth of the story lies for menages, in my opinion, as it was for Dark Horse. (When you've got 3 sets of baggage: the one coming in from the outside of the established relationship, the one who isn't around all that often and may feel left out since he's still not comfortable with PDA, and the one who feels bad for pressuring the man he loves and wanting more than he "should" want.) The epilogue didn't satisfy me in that regard.

The first half of the book absolutely flew. And I'm not saying the second half was slow, I'm just pointing out that I suddenly realized that I was halfway through the story and they were all still dancing around each other. (That's when I realized that there likely wouldn't be any 'aftermath' addressed in this particular story.) I enjoyed the ride for what it was, though.

[Alya · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as loved Dark Horse and its sequel, I disliked this book. It almost seems like a surprise that the same author wrote those two. Character motivations were very hard to relate to and their interactions were stiff and came out of blue. I loved the playful dialogues in Dark Horse, but here, they seamed quite shallow. The characters themselves were plainly unsympathetic. Mark being quite pathetic in how he is easily moved to despair and his problems are not even solved by him at the end, but rather by magic talk from Tyler. It makes me wonder how he managed to leave his wife at all with such low esteem and lack of determination. While Alistair's infatuation looked just like plain cheating despite the open relationship. I did not see how or why he even maintained his relationship with Mark. No chemistry there at all. Finally, Tyler was very simply written - why would a hot young guy get so infatuated with two older blokes with no redeeming qualities, and then behave like the world was over after the messed up duo "left". I really hope that Kate Sherwood would find inspiration to write something like Dark Horse, with the same level of character depth and emotional input.

[Michelle B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyler captured my heart in this book; I was less taken with Alistair and much less with Mark. Alistair and Mark's relationship needed more development in the book to make this a little more believable, and little less emotionally raw. (Not that 'having doubts' in a new relationship between A/M isn't typical, but it was a bit jarring, considering everything else that was going on between the original pair.)

This is a very good book, and has a 'fresh' take on a threesome (a sub-genre I normally don't like, but just finished her other threesome series, so I took a chance.) The younger partner brought into their relationship is treated a bit roughly at first, then seems more like a kept/cherished pet at the end. For that impression to go away, I'd like to see how the writer handles the next phases of their growth as a threesome. Is Tyler allowed to be an equal partner, or is he the indulged younger 'son'--after all, I think A/M are about 15 years older.

So, will there be a sequel? I'd love to read it.

[Nichole (DirrtyH) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't decide if I "liked it" or if I "really liked it" and I've decided to stop using half stars, so it was hard to choose but I decided to err on the side of stingy. But maybe I did "really like it".... ugh, it's so hard!

But either way, I was disappointed that the book ended at the beginning. I've said this a million times but I'll say it again; when I read m/m/m, I want to read a book that shows how the relationship actually works. What their life is like together day to day. This was a typical romance, all about how they got together but not much about after.

Bottom line: Good m/m/m - if you like this sub-genre you'll like this book. There is a lot of sex but it didn't bother me and I typically don't like PWP's, so I think most people will be okay with that aspect. It ended before I was ready for it to, but that's a personal preference and not a problem with the book, really.

I also recommend reading Kassa's review - I agree with everything she said.

[Jamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

It's a nice enough read. After reading some reviews I was expecting to dislike one or two characters but surprisingly it didn't happen, I liked Tyler a lot and Mark and Alistair were all right, nothing special but not unlikable, I just didn't care all that much about their relationship even before Tyler.

I felt the threesome could never last long, if the "official" boyfriend can never have any contact with the daughters of his partner or they can hardly go out for fear of old friends seeing them, I can't even imagine Tyler ever being more than a bit on the side outside their house so for me it's a HFN but it feels right, it's a nice ending, they're very happy for now but Tyler is still young I would imagine he could grow up some more and maybe want something different, who knows he may even wake up someday wanting to top for once and he would have to go find someone else anyway!

[Suong Doan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since I read Dark Horse from Kate Sherwood I have been into the m/m/m genre, and most of the time I have loved them. I was a little disappointed by this book, it felt a lot like cheating throughout the whole story, especially when Alistair started falling for Tyler. I know Mark and Alistair are happy with an open relationship but they felt like they were cheating on one another.

I also didn't understand the introduction of Mark's ex-wife if no real conclusion was going to come out of it.

[Wave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like either Mark or Alistair and I felt that the characters had no depth. I also didn't understand why Mark professed this great love for Alistair that made him leave his family when there seemed to be no chemistry between them plus they fought all the time. They weren't even compatible in bed.

As for Tyler, although I liked him I couldn’t see him as a permanent part of the relationship and I thought he was being used by both Mark and Alistair.

I really love M/M/M but this book is definitely not one of my favourites.

[♥J ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't even know where to start with this one. The characters were not very likeable, although Tyler had his moments. Most of the story was unbelievable, unexplained and just didn't work. How the initial two MC's maintained that relationship for as long as they did is beyond me. I'm all for a threesome or an open relationship, but this didn't work at all. There was breaking of trust left right and center. I had issues with so many things throughout this book but kept hoping for something good to come out of it. Tyler deserved better than those two.

[Darla Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to believe that a menage relationship would work in real life, most of the stories I read, however, don't support my belief. Kate Sherwoods stories do. Trifecta is shorted than Dark Horse and Out of Darkness, but still compelling. Her characters a rich and troubled with history, that makes the relationships real. People with different backgrounds coming together. Excellant, well written, character driven story. Read it in one shot.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok menage story where the two mc's have an open relationship for when their jobs take them out of town. I enjoyed the equine aspect. it was enough without being too much. I wish there was more interaction between Allistair and Mark. Mark's family situation was heartbreaking. Tyler comes off a bit slutty, but when these three get together, things are very hot. Tyler's family was funny, and I wouldn't have minded more with them as well.

[Megsterella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book but was severely let down. The relationship between the three men was the reason I purchased this book at all. In the end, it was the most disappointing and uninteresting aspect of the story. The only reason I gave it a 2 rating was because Mark's family drama was interesting.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. I won't say too much as I don't want to spoil anyone but I just couldn't put it down it was so addictive. The ending was satisfying but I wouldn't say no to a sequel. I'd give it more than 5 stars if I could.