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Beyond Complicated
Liam McGuire has the perfect life--his job is a nightmare, his apartment was swank back in the eighties, and he has a secret so painful it could destroy him. What can top that? Meeting his son's new boyfriend, that's what.
For former porn star Liam McGuire, life is pretty tame, except that his twenty-one year old son is now dating the love of Liam’s life. At the ripe old age of thirty-eight, Liam’s entire world is collapsing around him, his past catching up with him, his secrets and his lies are coming back to bite him. All because Kel had to go and fall in love with Seth.
Previously published.
Warning: M/M/M sexual situations. May not be suitable for sensitive readers.
For former porn star Liam McGuire, life is pretty tame, except that his twenty-one year old son is now dating the love of Liam’s life. At the ripe old age of thirty-eight, Liam’s entire world is collapsing around him, his past catching up with him, his secrets and his lies are coming back to bite him. All because Kel had to go and fall in love with Seth.
Previously published.
Warning: M/M/M sexual situations. May not be suitable for sensitive readers.
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2012
83 people are currently reading
1751 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews
August 11, 2016
Beyond Complicated summed up in a few words...
Holy Cheesus, um what the hell is going on?
But they love...?
He did what?
She did WHAT?
And he knew ? THE WHOLE time?
NOOOOO!
YAAAAY!
YUMMY!
A true clusterfuck of emotions I have for this book. Seriously. The title can't define the angst, emotion, bleakness (at times), lust and love that encapsulates this book. Seriously.
(I do think FML would have been an excellent choice if Beyond Complicated didn't win the title role. Seriously)
Now triad books can either be really good which each person gets to love each other equally and honestly or just a big ol' porn show. This wasn't a big ol' porn show.
I have laughed, teared up a bit, wanted to hug and plain loved this book. I was a Mercy Celeste fan before reading this book and I'm a cemented one after this book. Don't follow the critics that pan this as an incest book, it's NOT. No one is related, it's a case of:
Pick up a copy and give this story a try if you're a fan of M/M romance with depth and great characters, I think you might enjoy this one.
I did.
Holy Cheesus, um what the hell is going on?
But they love...?
He did what?
She did WHAT?
And he knew ? THE WHOLE time?
NOOOOO!
YAAAAY!
YUMMY!
A true clusterfuck of emotions I have for this book. Seriously. The title can't define the angst, emotion, bleakness (at times), lust and love that encapsulates this book. Seriously.
(I do think FML would have been an excellent choice if Beyond Complicated didn't win the title role. Seriously)
Now triad books can either be really good which each person gets to love each other equally and honestly or just a big ol' porn show. This wasn't a big ol' porn show.
I have laughed, teared up a bit, wanted to hug and plain loved this book. I was a Mercy Celeste fan before reading this book and I'm a cemented one after this book. Don't follow the critics that pan this as an incest book, it's NOT. No one is related, it's a case of:
Pick up a copy and give this story a try if you're a fan of M/M romance with depth and great characters, I think you might enjoy this one.
I did.
February 28, 2014
I'm not saying the sex wasn't electric. I'm saying that everything Liam went through destroyed any pleasure I could take in Seth, Liam and Kel pumping each other full of "hot cream" and then sucking it out again to trade "spunky kisses."
There was a point when I thought, "Should I quit now? I am not enjoying this."
But fucking foolishly, I decided the author had finished working over the Liam-shaped pinata with the woobie stick.
She had not.
So I thought, "Well, I might as well keep going now and finish. There can't be more of this."
I was wrong.
The very end, with the Well, it only pissed me off. It all pissed me off. Is Sabrina the most heinous female character in all of m/m? She has not one redeeming feature.
I feel all giffy, but I shall stop now and try to forget I read this.
That is all.
There was a point when I thought, "Should I quit now? I am not enjoying this."
But fucking foolishly, I decided the author had finished working over the Liam-shaped pinata with the woobie stick.
She had not.
So I thought, "Well, I might as well keep going now and finish. There can't be more of this."
I was wrong.
The very end, with the Well, it only pissed me off. It all pissed me off. Is Sabrina the most heinous female character in all of m/m? She has not one redeeming feature.
I feel all giffy, but I shall stop now and try to forget I read this.
That is all.
November 15, 2020
Sorry guys, I had to put some of it under spoiler tags. Hence update.
****4.5 Stars****
Beyond Complicated is the kind of story that makes one squirm, cringe and feel uncomfortable. Most of you would probably think that this is a sordid story and as such, of course, you wouldn't touch it even with a ten-foot pole. I can’t really blame you, if you read the blurb and the tags.
Newsflash: Beyond Complicated is not a black and white story as one can think. So please, don’t go all almighty making assumptions and judgments. I admit it could have been a sordid story alright if it wasn’t for the fact that there are over fifty tons of fucked up grey between the black and white, which in case you are wondering, leads this story to angst and depth in spades.
In my very honest and conflicted opinion, Beyond Complicated was royally fucked up complicated. My ramblings, sadly, will follow this lead as I finished this with my feelings all over the place.
Writing: 5 Stars. I found it refreshing, intriguing and remarkably witty. There was a dose of dry humour that captivated me.
“I closed my phone. I mean what I was supposed to say to that? Holy fucking shit. I flopped back in the sand and wished for one huge mother-fucking wave to come and wash me away.”
Story line/Originality: 5 Stars
Angst: 5 Stars for all the hell Liam put me through. Liam has been wronged so bloody many times!
Depth of the book: 5 Stars
Hero/ Liam: 5 Stars. What’s not to like about him? Swoon!
Hero/Kel: 5 Stars for the sweetest boy ever. And dirty ;-)
Hero/Seth: 2 Stars. Seth was kind of meh. It makes me feel bad saying this considering all the depth invested in the story, but I think his character was poorly developed.
Now, here is where the story let me down. I was disappointed with the way the author developed Liam/Kel relationship. I didn’t feel exactly at which point Liam fell in love with Kel. How it happened. The lust I could feel alright though. Freaking hot! But love? I wish it was handled differently because my heart didn’t follow it. That being said, the other way around worked to the T. Jesus! The way Kel grew up in such an unstable family, how could Kel NOT be in love with Liam considering it all? Liam was his rock. I would be in love with Liam!
How to rate this? On one hand I was amazed me and on the other I was disappointed. It’s been hours since I’ve finished this and I can’t wrap my head around making sense of my thoughts as a whole.
I think Beyond Complicated was an incredible and compelling story, painful at times but with a very important piece missing romance wise.
I'll settle for 4.5 Stars.
I definitely recommend this book.
Available on KU
Dirty Books Obsession
****4.5 Stars****
Beyond Complicated is the kind of story that makes one squirm, cringe and feel uncomfortable. Most of you would probably think that this is a sordid story and as such, of course, you wouldn't touch it even with a ten-foot pole. I can’t really blame you, if you read the blurb and the tags.
Newsflash: Beyond Complicated is not a black and white story as one can think. So please, don’t go all almighty making assumptions and judgments. I admit it could have been a sordid story alright if it wasn’t for the fact that there are over fifty tons of fucked up grey between the black and white, which in case you are wondering, leads this story to angst and depth in spades.
In my very honest and conflicted opinion, Beyond Complicated was royally fucked up complicated. My ramblings, sadly, will follow this lead as I finished this with my feelings all over the place.
Writing: 5 Stars. I found it refreshing, intriguing and remarkably witty. There was a dose of dry humour that captivated me.
“I closed my phone. I mean what I was supposed to say to that? Holy fucking shit. I flopped back in the sand and wished for one huge mother-fucking wave to come and wash me away.”
Story line/Originality: 5 Stars
Angst: 5 Stars for all the hell Liam put me through. Liam has been wronged so bloody many times!
Depth of the book: 5 Stars
Hero/ Liam: 5 Stars. What’s not to like about him? Swoon!
Hero/Kel: 5 Stars for the sweetest boy ever. And dirty ;-)
Hero/Seth: 2 Stars. Seth was kind of meh. It makes me feel bad saying this considering all the depth invested in the story, but I think his character was poorly developed.
Now, here is where the story let me down. I was disappointed with the way the author developed Liam/Kel relationship. I didn’t feel exactly at which point Liam fell in love with Kel. How it happened. The lust I could feel alright though. Freaking hot! But love? I wish it was handled differently because my heart didn’t follow it. That being said, the other way around worked to the T. Jesus! The way Kel grew up in such an unstable family, how could Kel NOT be in love with Liam considering it all? Liam was his rock. I would be in love with Liam!
How to rate this? On one hand I was amazed me and on the other I was disappointed. It’s been hours since I’ve finished this and I can’t wrap my head around making sense of my thoughts as a whole.
I think Beyond Complicated was an incredible and compelling story, painful at times but with a very important piece missing romance wise.
I'll settle for 4.5 Stars.
I definitely recommend this book.
Available on KU
Dirty Books Obsession
April 17, 2012
This is pseudo-incest. And the hottest writing ever.
could-not-finish
January 6, 2018Quitting at 36%. I was sure this would be a win for me because it's my kind of taboo and I've read several books by Mercy Celeste that have blown me away. This book isn't working for me simply because of the choppy writing and cheesy dialogue.
May 12, 2012
4.5 stars...even though I got freaked out a few times and thought I was gonna instantly be reduced to cinders and shipped straight to hell for even reading it, let alone actually finding it hot as sin.
My only savings grace is that I guessed, hoped and prayed for a certain aspect to be revealed and thankfully I was right. For once I was happy to be proven right and it took absolutely NOTHING away from the storyline either.
I know that just the idea of many aspects of this one will give some people the heebie-jeebies (me included) but damn it was soooooo good.
There are so many twists and turns and at times it went in a totally unexpected direction with totally unforeseen outcomes. I am amazed, even though I shouldn't be, that there are some truly horrible people in the world...and also some absolutely amazing ones. This book had both.
If you want a unique storyline, with hot as hell mc's, secondary characters that enhance the experience, and a chance to walk on the wild side, then take a chance on this book. You will be captivated from the beginning, freaked a bit in the middle, but trust me when I say to have faith and keep reading. The end of the book is amazing, all is reavealed (plus a lot that I didn't expect) and I could not put it down.
My only savings grace is that I guessed, hoped and prayed for a certain aspect to be revealed and thankfully I was right. For once I was happy to be proven right and it took absolutely NOTHING away from the storyline either.
I know that just the idea of many aspects of this one will give some people the heebie-jeebies (me included) but damn it was soooooo good.
There are so many twists and turns and at times it went in a totally unexpected direction with totally unforeseen outcomes. I am amazed, even though I shouldn't be, that there are some truly horrible people in the world...and also some absolutely amazing ones. This book had both.
If you want a unique storyline, with hot as hell mc's, secondary characters that enhance the experience, and a chance to walk on the wild side, then take a chance on this book. You will be captivated from the beginning, freaked a bit in the middle, but trust me when I say to have faith and keep reading. The end of the book is amazing, all is reavealed (plus a lot that I didn't expect) and I could not put it down.
September 30, 2016
Spoilers below
I'm not even going to bother pretending - I read this book solely for the pseudo-incest. Because while I can't do actual incest, pseudo-incest is apparently within my boundaries.
And yeah, this book delivered in the pervy department, in all of its dirty sexy glory. We've got loads of barebacking, rimming, felching, flip-fucking, and dirty talk galore.
But all of that sex couldn't distract me from the trainwreck plot.
Why exactly did Liam fall in love with Seth all those years ago?
Why did Kel fall in love with Seth?
Why did Kel and Liam fall for each other?
And why did the three of them decide out the blue that a ménage à trois was the way to go?
Maybe the answers were in between the sex scenes and I just missed them.
Also, as skeevy as a lot of things in this book were, the thing that really threw me off was how Sabrina's rape of Liam was just brushed aside. Because that is exactly what she did to him - rape.
The big climax really lived up to the title of the book. Over the top and out of left field. It made no sense at all.
My opinion: all of the characters in this book need to go on The Jerry Springer Show. They'd make a killing!
So there it is - lots of hot morally-questionable sex, but the plot leaves much to be desired. At least they love each other.
I'm not even going to bother pretending - I read this book solely for the pseudo-incest. Because while I can't do actual incest, pseudo-incest is apparently within my boundaries.
And yeah, this book delivered in the pervy department, in all of its dirty sexy glory. We've got loads of barebacking, rimming, felching, flip-fucking, and dirty talk galore.
But all of that sex couldn't distract me from the trainwreck plot.
Why exactly did Liam fall in love with Seth all those years ago?
Why did Kel fall in love with Seth?
Why did Kel and Liam fall for each other?
And why did the three of them decide out the blue that a ménage à trois was the way to go?
Maybe the answers were in between the sex scenes and I just missed them.
Also, as skeevy as a lot of things in this book were, the thing that really threw me off was how Sabrina's rape of Liam was just brushed aside. Because that is exactly what she did to him - rape.
The big climax really lived up to the title of the book. Over the top and out of left field. It made no sense at all.
My opinion: all of the characters in this book need to go on The Jerry Springer Show. They'd make a killing!
So there it is - lots of hot morally-questionable sex, but the plot leaves much to be desired. At least they love each other.
September 30, 2012
This book was well-written and hit all my angst buttons thoroughly. It almost hit five stars for me, except that as much as I loved Liam and Kel, and appreciated the plot twists, I never warmed up to Seth. At first I thought he used sex with both guys in place of conversation that was desperately needed. Later, I felt like he had a major responsibility for much of the pain in the story and both that it didn't speak well of him in the first place and that he never acknowledged it in a way that satisfied me.
The M/M/M sex scenes are well done, and the issues between the guys are intense and engrossing. I did enjoy this book and would really like a sequel, because I think there are still things the guys need to work out, and a lot of external conflict that will challenge their relationship.
The M/M/M sex scenes are well done, and the issues between the guys are intense and engrossing. I did enjoy this book and would really like a sequel, because I think there are still things the guys need to work out, and a lot of external conflict that will challenge their relationship.
July 18, 2012
***Contains Spoilers****
For me, even if you put the "pseudo" before the "incest" it doesn't work. From the beginning the author clearly set up Liam and Kelton's father/son relationship on the very outer edge but the fact remained that Liam DID act as a father figure from infancy through adulthood and Liam was not 100% certain he was not Kelton's biologial father. In fact, even though later in the book Kelton says he knew Liam wasn't his father, right after they first have sex Kelton says something to the effect of You may have donated the sperm but you're not really my dad. And speaking of sex, there was a TON of it! Liam went back and forth between Kelton and Seth in the same day...without condoms! Once the 3-way action started happening all they did was have sex.
And if they incest aspects weren't bad enough then the author throws in rape. Liam's rape by Sabrina and his gang rape. Add it to the fact that Kelton looks like Seth, whom Liam blamed for the gang rape, and now I'm wondering about the psychological implications of Liam and Kelton's sexual relationship.
And if all THAT wasn't enough then we have the craziness of the whole "Who's my daddy" plot. So Sabrina rapes Liam and says he got her pregnant. 8 months later Kelton comes along. Somehow Sabrina manages to fake a paternity test and convince a judge to give her extra child support while at the same time being a shitty parent/person. 21 years later Liam and Kelton are thinking Ken (Sabrina's high school boyfriend and current sack of shit husband) is the real father. Oh, but wait, come to find out that Sabrina actually was having sex with Brad (Liam's high school best friend whom Liam loved but wasn't quite sure if he was gay so never acted on it even though in the end he really was gay but closeted and married with children) whom is the real father and Sabrina simply wanted to get back at Brad by having sex with Liam because she knew Brad really loved Liam.
Confused yet?? Yeah. Throw in a suicide attempt, a porn star career, and panic attacks and you have this story! Oh and let's not forget the fact that the characters run away and disappear on each other for weeks, months, years at a time because they can't deal.
Now I do think the author writes well and the sex would have been hot if all the other aspects weren't involved. But they were and I personally just couldn't get past it.
November 22, 2018
4,25 stars
Beyond complicated is to rate this one. I got my dose and actually overdosed on the angst here. SO much drama these men have! Really don't know what to say more. Besides the fact that I've enjoyed it. My thoughts are all over the place right now. I was late to work because I wanted to finish it, so it definitely deserves 4,25 stars!
Beyond complicated is to rate this one. I got my dose and actually overdosed on the angst here. SO much drama these men have! Really don't know what to say more. Besides the fact that I've enjoyed it. My thoughts are all over the place right now. I was late to work because I wanted to finish it, so it definitely deserves 4,25 stars!
January 5, 2013
Review to come..
February 4, 2017
Some authors can put down a personality so clear and well aligned you just see them before your eyes as if they stand in front of you.
Liam is this kind of a guy, you can almost hear the tone of his voice, i felt instantly connected.
Awesome....<3
I will start to say.....(because there is no other room in my review to say it loud and clear) :
It was HOT, not just a hot read but HOT.... (Only it's so much more then that)
Liam....Introducing himself shortly how his life gets from sixteen till now thirty eight. How he had a child at seventeen. How he worked his ass off to support him. How he finally can generate money with the porn industry. How he met Seth, seven years younger and the love of his life. How he left the love of his life four years a go.
He has an appointment with his twenty one year old son. Who has something to discuss with him. Kel wants Liam to meet his boyfriend.
What happened then is indeed beyond complicated......
Bit by bit we get to know why he left the love of his life and Jesus Fucking Christ that was......devastating....It's so damn raw I cried and cursed hard and loud...
Liam loves Seth and Kel deeply and they love him even more.
The triangle works just fine inside the bedroom but outside it almost doomed to failure.
They have the hottest sex you can dream of and it works, they love each other hard.
Only life is harder.
But....even with all the hotness there is a real story. Bit by bit we get to know how all the pieces of the puzzle fits together. What happened twenty one years ago, what happened during those twenty one years and what happened four years ago.....
This story....told from Liam's pov ......it's so much worse than you can imagine...... so damn harsh and so extended. Nothing is what it seems.
Liam's personality is developed very well, his attitude, his flaws, his weakness and his strength. I loved him from the first page. Seth loves Liam hard and was so lost when he disappeared....I felt so sorry for him..... and there is Kel....beautiful Kel, with a big heart, mature and sexy as hell, you have to love him.
Saying it's complicated is an understatement, at the end it was somewhat to much .....to much drama and story. Nevertheless it was captivating as hell.
What confused me were the moments I thought they had it all together but then it still felt apart. My faith in them for a future together shrank a bit. But there is always hope....
Very well written and fascinating, damn hot heartbreaking story.
Finally the three of them get their well deserved happy together.
"Well, I'll be damned, your eyes are blue. Deep dark sapphire blue."
Highly recommend for the ones who love a complicated absorbing story with depth, taboos and lots of hot sex. Five stars for all above.
Liam is this kind of a guy, you can almost hear the tone of his voice, i felt instantly connected.
Awesome....<3
I will start to say.....(because there is no other room in my review to say it loud and clear) :
It was HOT, not just a hot read but HOT.... (Only it's so much more then that)
Liam....Introducing himself shortly how his life gets from sixteen till now thirty eight. How he had a child at seventeen. How he worked his ass off to support him. How he finally can generate money with the porn industry. How he met Seth, seven years younger and the love of his life. How he left the love of his life four years a go.
He has an appointment with his twenty one year old son. Who has something to discuss with him. Kel wants Liam to meet his boyfriend.
What happened then is indeed beyond complicated......
Bit by bit we get to know why he left the love of his life and Jesus Fucking Christ that was......devastating....It's so damn raw I cried and cursed hard and loud...
Liam loves Seth and Kel deeply and they love him even more.
The triangle works just fine inside the bedroom but outside it almost doomed to failure.
They have the hottest sex you can dream of and it works, they love each other hard.
Only life is harder.
But....even with all the hotness there is a real story. Bit by bit we get to know how all the pieces of the puzzle fits together. What happened twenty one years ago, what happened during those twenty one years and what happened four years ago.....
This story....told from Liam's pov ......it's so much worse than you can imagine...... so damn harsh and so extended. Nothing is what it seems.
Liam's personality is developed very well, his attitude, his flaws, his weakness and his strength. I loved him from the first page. Seth loves Liam hard and was so lost when he disappeared....I felt so sorry for him..... and there is Kel....beautiful Kel, with a big heart, mature and sexy as hell, you have to love him.
Saying it's complicated is an understatement, at the end it was somewhat to much .....to much drama and story. Nevertheless it was captivating as hell.
What confused me were the moments I thought they had it all together but then it still felt apart. My faith in them for a future together shrank a bit. But there is always hope....
Very well written and fascinating, damn hot heartbreaking story.
Finally the three of them get their well deserved happy together.
"Well, I'll be damned, your eyes are blue. Deep dark sapphire blue."
Highly recommend for the ones who love a complicated absorbing story with depth, taboos and lots of hot sex. Five stars for all above.
November 28, 2013
2,5 stars
No army of pet-peeves was marching up but I disliked Liam as first person POV from page one.
Beyond Complicated? Not really, there was just that apparently impossible task for Liam to keep his dick in his pants where it belonged instead of screwing around with his ex-boyfriend/ex-porn buddy Seth who he was supposed to hate after Seth participated in a porn shot gone wrong - to put it mildly... - now the current boyfriend of his son Kelton.
And the next impossible task - keeping his hands out of his supposed-to-be-son Kelton`s pants, that was too much to ask for as he suddenly recognized his developing un-fatherly feelings to the now adult and oh-so-beautiful Kel.
No wonder - Liam was kind of a caricature of a porn star....cotton wool to the north and a teaspoon of brain cells south. Ruled by his dick and wallowing in misery over the stupid decisions the "little" shit made for him....giving in to temptation, then deeply regretting it and a few hours later they were at it again...what a hypocrite!
Okay, it was complicated but everything was wrapped up nicely in the end and I just have one tiny niggle left....the sex scenes!
The "hottest writing ever" didn`t work for me. The porn talk made it hard not to laugh...o.k., I must admit I did laugh...
No army of pet-peeves was marching up but I disliked Liam as first person POV from page one.
Beyond Complicated? Not really, there was just that apparently impossible task for Liam to keep his dick in his pants where it belonged instead of screwing around with his ex-boyfriend/ex-porn buddy Seth who he was supposed to hate after Seth participated in a porn shot gone wrong - to put it mildly... - now the current boyfriend of his son Kelton.
And the next impossible task - keeping his hands out of his supposed-to-be-son Kelton`s pants, that was too much to ask for as he suddenly recognized his developing un-fatherly feelings to the now adult and oh-so-beautiful Kel.
No wonder - Liam was kind of a caricature of a porn star....cotton wool to the north and a teaspoon of brain cells south. Ruled by his dick and wallowing in misery over the stupid decisions the "little" shit made for him....giving in to temptation, then deeply regretting it and a few hours later they were at it again...what a hypocrite!
Okay, it was complicated but everything was wrapped up nicely in the end and I just have one tiny niggle left....the sex scenes!
The "hottest writing ever" didn`t work for me. The porn talk made it hard not to laugh...o.k., I must admit I did laugh...
November 22, 2015
This book was so damn sad.
This book was so damn hot.
This book was so damn frustrating.
This book was do damn not what I expected.
I came for the pseudo incest, I'm not going to lie. I was told this book was hella hot and hella hot doesn't begin to cover it. But this book, it was way more emotional than I was prepared for and this being I think the second book I have read from the author, I know the score. The first one did the same thing to me; I went in for the fun sexy times and ended up crying more than I wanted to.
You think????
Liam is so broken. I don't think I have read someone who's life is so screwed up. There are so many lies. So many unnecessary lies that led to so much hurt. My heart bleeds for this man, for this good man with a big heart who wants to do the right thing even if the right thing tears everything and everyone he has ever loved away from him. Oh Liam. So much pain. So much sad.
Seth, I really liked Seth and what he brought to the table and to the book. He was deceived and hurt as well and all that he wants is to be with the man he loves, even if it.... well, even if it's two men because, the blurb says it and oh boy.
Kel, Kelton, Kelly... JHFC. What you do blew my mind in many ways. I don't know how the fuck you kept it together but you did and really, dude. You are amazing and yeah.
I can't really think straight after reading this. I am kinda depressed and wish I had more of the wine I was drinking during most of this book.
So...
The sex: Off the charts hot, intimate, dirty and just UNF.
The story: So fucked up, twisted and totally beyond complicated.
The emotions: So deep, tender, intense and so sad.
I really liked the book, I did and yet, sexy book has made me sad.
How did that happen?
This book was so damn hot.
This book was so damn frustrating.
This book was do damn not what I expected.
I came for the pseudo incest, I'm not going to lie. I was told this book was hella hot and hella hot doesn't begin to cover it. But this book, it was way more emotional than I was prepared for and this being I think the second book I have read from the author, I know the score. The first one did the same thing to me; I went in for the fun sexy times and ended up crying more than I wanted to.
I can do a three-way relationship but, shit. This is so fucking beyond complicated.
You think????
Liam is so broken. I don't think I have read someone who's life is so screwed up. There are so many lies. So many unnecessary lies that led to so much hurt. My heart bleeds for this man, for this good man with a big heart who wants to do the right thing even if the right thing tears everything and everyone he has ever loved away from him. Oh Liam. So much pain. So much sad.
Seth, I really liked Seth and what he brought to the table and to the book. He was deceived and hurt as well and all that he wants is to be with the man he loves, even if it.... well, even if it's two men because, the blurb says it and oh boy.
Kel, Kelton, Kelly... JHFC. What you do blew my mind in many ways. I don't know how the fuck you kept it together but you did and really, dude. You are amazing and yeah.
I can't really think straight after reading this. I am kinda depressed and wish I had more of the wine I was drinking during most of this book.
So...
The sex: Off the charts hot, intimate, dirty and just UNF.
The story: So fucked up, twisted and totally beyond complicated.
The emotions: So deep, tender, intense and so sad.
I really liked the book, I did and yet, sexy book has made me sad.
How did that happen?
September 10, 2016
The title pretty much sums it up.
Sexy beyond words and yes, oh yes, Liam is an out of this world sex god. I'd never get out of bed if I was with him. Add Seth and Kel to this delicious melange and you've got some epic sex. Just in case you thought this was merely a relationship aid book--think again. You can expected some cheese grater action on that heart of yours.
Favorite quote:
Sexy beyond words and yes, oh yes, Liam is an out of this world sex god. I'd never get out of bed if I was with him. Add Seth and Kel to this delicious melange and you've got some epic sex. Just in case you thought this was merely a relationship aid book--think again. You can expected some cheese grater action on that heart of yours.
Favorite quote:
Holy fucking shit. I flopped back in the sand and wished for one huge mother-fucking wave to come and wash me away."
December 1, 2019
3.5>
THIS BOOK IS FUCKING BONKERS
I CANNA EVEN ☠️☠️☠️
September 23, 2013
OMG!!! I'm mentally exhausted .....turned on < grins > .. but exhausted!
Never mind ' Beyond Complicated ' this was ' Boldly Taking Beyond Complicated where No Man Has Ever Been As Complicated Before! '
I can't even begin to write an indepth review because my heads a bit cabbaged and if I'm totally honest I'm still not really sure why I did but....
God Dammit I really enjoyed this over the top, soap opera style " I fell in love with my ex porn star fathers ex porn star lover, who is still in love with my ex porn star father, who's not my father really but he was an ex porn star and sexy as hell so It's alright for me to suddenly fall in love with my ex porn star father who isn't really related to me, even though for 21 years I thought he was my father because my trashy mother lied. So all three of us can fall in love with each other and not only have sizzling rampant monkey sex that is so smokin' hot it should come with a government warning, but generate so much conflict that we don't know whether we're coming ( pun totally intended ;D ) or going - and then we all get kidnapped by aliens and probed a lot! " And that's only the bare bones of it all.....
See. Beyond complicated and totally head cabbaging ... and Okay I'm lying about the Aliens...but not about the many probings! She says * winking * in a terribly cheesy way.
Wow! So many things in this that had me banging my head and it wasn't particularly the taboo of the pseudo incest side of it. That I was actually ok with even though there were a couple of WTF REALLY! bits, but there were so many other secrets and lies that just kept coming out of the woodwork ( right up to the near death because at 95% I was thinking " Noooooo not more angst!!! " ) that my eyes ended up almost permanently crossed!
But I still couldn't help really enjoying it and I'm left wondering why because normally this level of angst and these types of convoluted plots tend to leave me cold. On a more serious note though, apart from the ' incest ' angle that might not be to some people's taste there are also some some more sensitive subjects that are brought into the story that obviously I would never make light of because they're certainly nothing to joke about.
So in retrospect I suppose I'm saying that really I shouldn't have liked this as much as I did but something kept me hooked... Did I say that the sex is off the charts? Oh and I do love a good ménage.
Anyway hats off to Ms Celeste for tackling a subject like this and in a weirdly confusing way pulling it off... I think... Oh crap I'm confused again. HELP!
Never mind ' Beyond Complicated ' this was ' Boldly Taking Beyond Complicated where No Man Has Ever Been As Complicated Before! '
I can't even begin to write an indepth review because my heads a bit cabbaged and if I'm totally honest I'm still not really sure why I did but....
God Dammit I really enjoyed this over the top, soap opera style " I fell in love with my ex porn star fathers ex porn star lover, who is still in love with my ex porn star father, who's not my father really but he was an ex porn star and sexy as hell so It's alright for me to suddenly fall in love with my ex porn star father who isn't really related to me, even though for 21 years I thought he was my father because my trashy mother lied. So all three of us can fall in love with each other and not only have sizzling rampant monkey sex that is so smokin' hot it should come with a government warning, but generate so much conflict that we don't know whether we're coming ( pun totally intended ;D ) or going - and then we all get kidnapped by aliens and probed a lot! " And that's only the bare bones of it all.....
See. Beyond complicated and totally head cabbaging ... and Okay I'm lying about the Aliens...but not about the many probings! She says * winking * in a terribly cheesy way.
Wow! So many things in this that had me banging my head and it wasn't particularly the taboo of the pseudo incest side of it. That I was actually ok with even though there were a couple of WTF REALLY! bits, but there were so many other secrets and lies that just kept coming out of the woodwork ( right up to the near death because at 95% I was thinking " Noooooo not more angst!!! " ) that my eyes ended up almost permanently crossed!
But I still couldn't help really enjoying it and I'm left wondering why because normally this level of angst and these types of convoluted plots tend to leave me cold. On a more serious note though, apart from the ' incest ' angle that might not be to some people's taste there are also some some more sensitive subjects that are brought into the story that obviously I would never make light of because they're certainly nothing to joke about.
So in retrospect I suppose I'm saying that really I shouldn't have liked this as much as I did but something kept me hooked... Did I say that the sex is off the charts? Oh and I do love a good ménage.
Anyway hats off to Ms Celeste for tackling a subject like this and in a weirdly confusing way pulling it off... I think... Oh crap I'm confused again. HELP!
December 6, 2019
Beyond Complicated is my Number One book of 2012
To see the full list - On Top Down Under Book Reviews -http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...
Well, this book is definitely well named. The lives of the characters are well and truly beyond complicated.
It's hard to review without spoliers so it will be somewhat stymied or confusing.
It's Liam POV in this book. When we meet him he's working as middle management in insurance. It's a living, but that's it. He has a son, Kel, 17 years younger than him, his mother was 'knocked-up' when they were young. Kel is now 21. Liam is typical of a non-custodial parent having been through an acrimonious separation - he sees Liam weekends and when it suits the primary parent, in this case Kel's mother. He has also been syphoned of every last dollar from day one to support Kel, and Liam's family have been fianancially milked as well. So, no pleasantries there. The step father, who lives with Kel and his mother and siblings, is a sponging, nasty bastard, and the biological mother a bitch of the highest order. The whole family dynamic is dyfuctional with a capital D. Complication one.
Kel is having dinner with Liam one night and, unbeknown to Liam, he has organised for him to meet his new boyfriend/lover. Liam is blindsided by Kel's new guy, Seth, as he is his ex partner, both personally and professionally, of 6 rather intense years - another complication.
Seth, the other MC, is now a lawyer. Not really loving what he does for a living either. He, too, is stunned because, in spite of how close Liam and he were, he never told Seth he had a child; plus, really, what are the odds of you fucking your previous significant others's son? Yet further complications. Liam runs out, Seth catches up, sparks fly, then all kinds of complicated breaks loose -
'Jesus Christ, I'd fucked my son's boyfriend. Bareback. On my living room sofa. Could my life get any more complicated?'
This starts a chain of events that are better left to the reader than attempts by me to fully explain here, because there are amazing emotional rollercoaster rides, complete with corkscrews, in this book that are best ridden by the individual to be fully savoured.
I want to say that both Liam and Seth infuriated me at times, but they also sucked me in and embedded themselves under my skin. I wanted to slap Liam for some of his behaviour, I wanted to hold him on other occasions, and Seth, you think you know someone so well and not get what you did might have been upsetting, or wrong? That your partner wasn't acting? You also don't get the right to be angry with Liam walking away, Seth, but boy you loved with a passion, so, yeah, like I said....embedded. Kel was a good 'kid', a manchild, who continued to be put through the emotional wringer by adults that should have known better. I wanted to hug Kel. Let me tell you this book is not farfetched, these 'adults' exist in real life in droves.
I liked the dialogue, the language. In bed there was a porn quality at times, not always, between Liam and Seth, but you know what? In some significant, shape changing years of both Liam and Seth, sex is what they did, what they knew as a couple, as a business, thus it fitted perfectly; plus, it was sexy as all get out. Which leads me to the fact that this book is erotically supercharged as in 'I need a cigarette now, for god's sake' (and I don't smoke). I loved the 3 MC's together, particularly in bed. It's fiction, I don't give a damn about who was what to whom, and this, too, is complicated, you need to read the book.
The characterizations were pretty darn good. Seth, who idolized Liam as his mentor, lover and significant other during his 20's 'til now. Kel, as a good looking, outwardly confident young man with a sensitive inner core; and a strength that comes from having to be older than your years, because you had to parent your parents and siblings. Plus, Kel had a unique love for Liam borne out of seeing one man as a constant in the sea of turmoil that was his life. Liam has a cracked veneer just waiting to break, right from the first passage you could sense it, and he was was intricately multi-layered. Liam's behaviour post breakdown is typical, once you have an emotional trauma resulting in a psychotic break you can find it pretty hard to get back to who you were before, if you ever do.
There is much to this book - it is erotic as sin itself, some things are not what they seem, it has some beautiful, quoteworthy paragraphs and phrases. I also believe it will evoke a varied and strong response from readers on the characters motives, feelings and behaviours, which just enhances the quality of the writing that bit more.
The ending was satisfying for me. I wouldn't mind another book, to see how they're doing, goodness knows there's enough material to do a sequel; if not I'll live with the ending here because it was good, realistic.
I loved Beyond Complicated but, in full disclsoure mode, I have discovered that I really rather like Mercy Celeste as a writer, I instictively just seem to get her writing, and this is just another example of what I mean. Despite the rigmarole I had buying this book through the publisher, it was worth it. I definitely recommend Beyond Complicated as a top-notch read.
http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...
To see the full list - On Top Down Under Book Reviews -http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...
Well, this book is definitely well named. The lives of the characters are well and truly beyond complicated.
It's hard to review without spoliers so it will be somewhat stymied or confusing.
It's Liam POV in this book. When we meet him he's working as middle management in insurance. It's a living, but that's it. He has a son, Kel, 17 years younger than him, his mother was 'knocked-up' when they were young. Kel is now 21. Liam is typical of a non-custodial parent having been through an acrimonious separation - he sees Liam weekends and when it suits the primary parent, in this case Kel's mother. He has also been syphoned of every last dollar from day one to support Kel, and Liam's family have been fianancially milked as well. So, no pleasantries there. The step father, who lives with Kel and his mother and siblings, is a sponging, nasty bastard, and the biological mother a bitch of the highest order. The whole family dynamic is dyfuctional with a capital D. Complication one.
Kel is having dinner with Liam one night and, unbeknown to Liam, he has organised for him to meet his new boyfriend/lover. Liam is blindsided by Kel's new guy, Seth, as he is his ex partner, both personally and professionally, of 6 rather intense years - another complication.
Seth, the other MC, is now a lawyer. Not really loving what he does for a living either. He, too, is stunned because, in spite of how close Liam and he were, he never told Seth he had a child; plus, really, what are the odds of you fucking your previous significant others's son? Yet further complications. Liam runs out, Seth catches up, sparks fly, then all kinds of complicated breaks loose -
'Jesus Christ, I'd fucked my son's boyfriend. Bareback. On my living room sofa. Could my life get any more complicated?'
This starts a chain of events that are better left to the reader than attempts by me to fully explain here, because there are amazing emotional rollercoaster rides, complete with corkscrews, in this book that are best ridden by the individual to be fully savoured.
I want to say that both Liam and Seth infuriated me at times, but they also sucked me in and embedded themselves under my skin. I wanted to slap Liam for some of his behaviour, I wanted to hold him on other occasions, and Seth, you think you know someone so well and not get what you did might have been upsetting, or wrong? That your partner wasn't acting? You also don't get the right to be angry with Liam walking away, Seth, but boy you loved with a passion, so, yeah, like I said....embedded. Kel was a good 'kid', a manchild, who continued to be put through the emotional wringer by adults that should have known better. I wanted to hug Kel. Let me tell you this book is not farfetched, these 'adults' exist in real life in droves.
I liked the dialogue, the language. In bed there was a porn quality at times, not always, between Liam and Seth, but you know what? In some significant, shape changing years of both Liam and Seth, sex is what they did, what they knew as a couple, as a business, thus it fitted perfectly; plus, it was sexy as all get out. Which leads me to the fact that this book is erotically supercharged as in 'I need a cigarette now, for god's sake' (and I don't smoke). I loved the 3 MC's together, particularly in bed. It's fiction, I don't give a damn about who was what to whom, and this, too, is complicated, you need to read the book.
The characterizations were pretty darn good. Seth, who idolized Liam as his mentor, lover and significant other during his 20's 'til now. Kel, as a good looking, outwardly confident young man with a sensitive inner core; and a strength that comes from having to be older than your years, because you had to parent your parents and siblings. Plus, Kel had a unique love for Liam borne out of seeing one man as a constant in the sea of turmoil that was his life. Liam has a cracked veneer just waiting to break, right from the first passage you could sense it, and he was was intricately multi-layered. Liam's behaviour post breakdown is typical, once you have an emotional trauma resulting in a psychotic break you can find it pretty hard to get back to who you were before, if you ever do.
There is much to this book - it is erotic as sin itself, some things are not what they seem, it has some beautiful, quoteworthy paragraphs and phrases. I also believe it will evoke a varied and strong response from readers on the characters motives, feelings and behaviours, which just enhances the quality of the writing that bit more.
The ending was satisfying for me. I wouldn't mind another book, to see how they're doing, goodness knows there's enough material to do a sequel; if not I'll live with the ending here because it was good, realistic.
I loved Beyond Complicated but, in full disclsoure mode, I have discovered that I really rather like Mercy Celeste as a writer, I instictively just seem to get her writing, and this is just another example of what I mean. Despite the rigmarole I had buying this book through the publisher, it was worth it. I definitely recommend Beyond Complicated as a top-notch read.
http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...
April 19, 2016
Could this story possibly contain more angst and heartache? I'm not sure, but I'm glad it didn't I don't think I could have handled it, as it was I didn't think the kleenex were going to last. I'm not even going to try and explain what happened here, I was so blindsided by some of what went on and at times had to stop just to get myself together emotionally. At the heart of it all are three men who loved each other so intensely it was almost unbearable and yet so incredibly scorching hot. So much happened to Liam that never should have happened to anyone even though he thought himself a coward and in some ways he quite possibly was, in other ways he was incredibly strong to have survived it at all, Seth and Kel were his strength and yet in their own way each one was, at different times, his weakness and his downfall. Then there was Sabrina...wow...just wow, can you say total absolute f*#%ing bitch. She made mommy dearest look like mother of the year. This story amazed me and at the same time ripped me open emotionally, I couldn't have stopped reading it no matter what the desire to know what would happen to these three was relentless, I ended up awake at 5 in the morning reading because they wouldn't get out of my head.
The author dealt with some really challenging issues and whether or not she dealt with them realistically to me doesn't matter because the book is fiction the fact that she was willing to address them and shine a light on them took guts and for that she should be commended. I would strongly recommend this story to anyone who isn't shy about reading books that aren't all sunshine and light because for me a lot of what was here in the real world is considered to be dark and very scary at times.
The author dealt with some really challenging issues and whether or not she dealt with them realistically to me doesn't matter because the book is fiction the fact that she was willing to address them and shine a light on them took guts and for that she should be commended. I would strongly recommend this story to anyone who isn't shy about reading books that aren't all sunshine and light because for me a lot of what was here in the real world is considered to be dark and very scary at times.
December 4, 2013
3.5 stars
Review Summary: Beyond Complicated is the perfect title for this book, as that’s exactly what it was. It was incredibly hot and sexy; it pulled me in and made me care about the characters; and it had several major WTF?! moments so extreme they could have ruined the story. This is an excellent example of a good book that could have been a great one, with better editing.
**REVIEW CONTAINS WHAT MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS**
Review: I usually avoid spoilers, yet here I am two reviews in a row! The spoilers for this review are more significant than those for Heartstrings (reviewed here), but not only is it difficult to discuss this book in any meaningful way without them, there are a couple of things that have the potential to trigger readers. The blurb reveals so little, and so much of what makes things work (or not work) are predicated on pivotal events that would definitely be spoilery to reveal. There are several twists that surprised me, even after I thought I had figured things out. I’ll avoid spoilers as much as possible, but I’m going to share the two that I think are the most potentially triggering so you can make an informed decision whether or not you want to read it.
The first of those is the question of incest, with Kel supposedly Liam’s son. It was revealed very early on that Kel couldn’t be Liam’s biological son; not if you have the most basic understanding of genetics. So whether you consider it a positive or negative, be aware that this is pseudo-incest rather than real incest. However, the fact that Liam believed Kel to be his son made it a little difficult for me to respect Liam’s intelligence. We were later offered some explanation for why he believed it, and some of that could qualify as extenuating circumstances, but I still thought he had to be pretty obtuse not to have figured out the truth a whole lot sooner.
The second spoiler, one I’m surprised wasn’t included in the publisher’s warnings, is that there is a past rape. It doesn’t take place in real-time, but there are enough memories of it that it’s definitely part of the story. That rape, and the various actions and emotions around it, was the root of quite a few of my WTF?! moments. Although we are shown how devastating the rape was, I thought the first sex following it was unrealistically easy-peasy, even if it did occur years later and after some therapy. It just wasn’t believable to me that the first sex would just happen, with the rape an after-thought later of the “hey, I had sex yesterday without ever even thinking about the rape” variety.
I don’t want to reveal any more spoilers than necessary, so I’ll just say that there were several logistics around the rape that simply did not add up for me. At all. In fact, they pretty much flummoxed me. Actions (or inactions) that led up to it which I found absurd. Things during it that struck me as bizarre. And actions and assumptions afterward that seemed ridiculous.
There are other plot inconsistencies, like Liam saying he hadn’t had sex without a condom since he was sixteen despite having told us that he and Seth had barebacked during the six years they were together. I also found their present-day attitude toward condom use (or lack thereof) surprisingly cavalier for men who really ought to have known better. Unless I was supposed to interpret that as self-destructive behavior which provided insight into the characters, rather than sheer stupidity or thoughtlessness?
Anyone who is sensitive to cheating in books will probably be disturbed by a few combinations of twosomes that occur among the threesome. There are a couple of situations that edge uncomfortably close to two cheating on the third. It all turns out fine in the end, but if that’s something that bothers you in general, you’ll probably be disturbed by it here.
The end is a HFN, and I want a sequel to get a real HEA. Because although they are HFN, I’m not convinced how lasting that happiness will be. I’d really like to see them resolve some of the complications to help me better believe their happiness will actually last.
You may be wondering why I rated it as highly as I did, considering all the negatives I just detailed. The thing is, despite all those gripes I was really engaged and invested in the characters and the story, and I loved it anyway. Liam and Kel, Kel and Seth, Seth and Liam, and Liam and Seth and Kel all really worked together. They complemented each other, and clearly loved each other, and it felt like it made sense for them to be together. I cared about them, I rooted for them, I occasionally wanted to smack them upside the head. For as implausible as I found some of the core plot points, the characters themselves were very believable.
My emotional reaction immediately upon finishing it was to rate it highly, even as the more rational part of my brain said, “Really? Even with this, that, and the other thing?” With better editing to address those issues, this could easily have been a 5-star book. Because those issues were there, and annoyed me, I compromised on 3.5 stars.
This review was originally posted at Reviews by Jessewave
Review Summary: Beyond Complicated is the perfect title for this book, as that’s exactly what it was. It was incredibly hot and sexy; it pulled me in and made me care about the characters; and it had several major WTF?! moments so extreme they could have ruined the story. This is an excellent example of a good book that could have been a great one, with better editing.
**REVIEW CONTAINS WHAT MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS**
Review: I usually avoid spoilers, yet here I am two reviews in a row! The spoilers for this review are more significant than those for Heartstrings (reviewed here), but not only is it difficult to discuss this book in any meaningful way without them, there are a couple of things that have the potential to trigger readers. The blurb reveals so little, and so much of what makes things work (or not work) are predicated on pivotal events that would definitely be spoilery to reveal. There are several twists that surprised me, even after I thought I had figured things out. I’ll avoid spoilers as much as possible, but I’m going to share the two that I think are the most potentially triggering so you can make an informed decision whether or not you want to read it.
The first of those is the question of incest, with Kel supposedly Liam’s son. It was revealed very early on that Kel couldn’t be Liam’s biological son; not if you have the most basic understanding of genetics. So whether you consider it a positive or negative, be aware that this is pseudo-incest rather than real incest. However, the fact that Liam believed Kel to be his son made it a little difficult for me to respect Liam’s intelligence. We were later offered some explanation for why he believed it, and some of that could qualify as extenuating circumstances, but I still thought he had to be pretty obtuse not to have figured out the truth a whole lot sooner.
The second spoiler, one I’m surprised wasn’t included in the publisher’s warnings, is that there is a past rape. It doesn’t take place in real-time, but there are enough memories of it that it’s definitely part of the story. That rape, and the various actions and emotions around it, was the root of quite a few of my WTF?! moments. Although we are shown how devastating the rape was, I thought the first sex following it was unrealistically easy-peasy, even if it did occur years later and after some therapy. It just wasn’t believable to me that the first sex would just happen, with the rape an after-thought later of the “hey, I had sex yesterday without ever even thinking about the rape” variety.
I don’t want to reveal any more spoilers than necessary, so I’ll just say that there were several logistics around the rape that simply did not add up for me. At all. In fact, they pretty much flummoxed me. Actions (or inactions) that led up to it which I found absurd. Things during it that struck me as bizarre. And actions and assumptions afterward that seemed ridiculous.
There are other plot inconsistencies, like Liam saying he hadn’t had sex without a condom since he was sixteen despite having told us that he and Seth had barebacked during the six years they were together. I also found their present-day attitude toward condom use (or lack thereof) surprisingly cavalier for men who really ought to have known better. Unless I was supposed to interpret that as self-destructive behavior which provided insight into the characters, rather than sheer stupidity or thoughtlessness?
Anyone who is sensitive to cheating in books will probably be disturbed by a few combinations of twosomes that occur among the threesome. There are a couple of situations that edge uncomfortably close to two cheating on the third. It all turns out fine in the end, but if that’s something that bothers you in general, you’ll probably be disturbed by it here.
The end is a HFN, and I want a sequel to get a real HEA. Because although they are HFN, I’m not convinced how lasting that happiness will be. I’d really like to see them resolve some of the complications to help me better believe their happiness will actually last.
You may be wondering why I rated it as highly as I did, considering all the negatives I just detailed. The thing is, despite all those gripes I was really engaged and invested in the characters and the story, and I loved it anyway. Liam and Kel, Kel and Seth, Seth and Liam, and Liam and Seth and Kel all really worked together. They complemented each other, and clearly loved each other, and it felt like it made sense for them to be together. I cared about them, I rooted for them, I occasionally wanted to smack them upside the head. For as implausible as I found some of the core plot points, the characters themselves were very believable.
My emotional reaction immediately upon finishing it was to rate it highly, even as the more rational part of my brain said, “Really? Even with this, that, and the other thing?” With better editing to address those issues, this could easily have been a 5-star book. Because those issues were there, and annoyed me, I compromised on 3.5 stars.
This review was originally posted at Reviews by Jessewave
May 2, 2015
Well fuck me, I had a big long rambling review typed out, and hit the wrong button, and poof! Gone.
Let's try this again, a little less rambly.
I LOVED this book!
For those of you that look at my Fucking Loved if Shelf, here's a warning: this book contains themes you might not like- pseudo incest (that one of them actually thinks is real incest at first) and cheating. If either of those make or break a story for you, consider yourself warned.
Liam was gay, always had been. But he got caught up in a game of revenge between the prom queen and the bad boy, and ended up on the hook for a baby, at 16. Liam tried to be a good dad to Kel, even though he only saw him two weekends a month, from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. His parents paid the hospital bills, and Liam did the best he could with school and work and being a very part time dad.
He felt so much guilt about how much his parents were having to give up to help him out, that Liam fell into porn to help pay the bills. In porn he could finally be with men, and he could pay his child support, and Sabrina was milking him dry of every dime she could get, along with her scum bag husband, Kenny. The job wasn't so bad. He kept his day job, and then did a couple films a month, on weekends. Then he met Seth. Seth was brand new to the scene, he had never done a movie, never even been with a man. And that was it- instant connection, instant love, instant relationship. For the next 6 years, it was all Liam and Seth, both onscreen and off. Then, right as they were about to get out of the business, move back to Florida, and be happy together, something horrible happened, causing Liam to run, and Seth to think he'd been abandoned for one more payday.
Liam spent 4 years trying to get his life straightened out, and he's mostly succeeded. He has a good job (that he hates), and if he's started looking at his son Kel differently since he grew up and came out of the closet, it's ok, he can just avoid him as much as possible. It's not like he's ever even been a REAL dad to Kel.
Kel doesn't even call him dad, he calls him Liam, and he calls Kenny dad. Always has. He's never seen Liam as his dad, but as more of a best friend type deal. I guess that happens when there are only 17 years between you and you only get a few days here and there together. Kel just knows that, right or wrong, he loves Liam, and not the way you love a father, which Liam never really was, anyway. Kel knows much more about the family situation than ANYONE suspects. Beyond Complicated.
Liam decides enough's enough, he can't keep avoiding Kel, and they agree to meet for dinner one night. Kel brings his new boyfriend, who is, surprise! Love of his life Seth! His son and his ex? Oh god, Liam can't get out of there fast enough.
Of course, Seth follows, wanting to know why he never even knew Liam had a son, was their whole life together a lie? And Liam wants to know where Seth's been all this time, how he lives with himself and what he did to Liam before he left. Seth is kinda clueless though, he doesn't know WHAT Liam is talking about. They did one last video together, then Liam took the money and ran.
Of course, as these things happen, Liam and Seth fall right into angry hot sex. They both conveniently forget about Kel. It's really sad- throughout everything, Liam is the one acting most hurt, but really, it's Kel that goes through hell. Kel, with the totally fucked up, drunk parents, Kel about to lose his new boyfriend to the person that's always been closest to him, Kel loses father figure after father figure thanks to his fucked up slut of a mother.
Sooo complicated. You have Kel and Seth. Then you have Liam and Seth. And then comes Liam and Kel, and finally, Liam and Kel and Seth all together. What should be wrong feels so right to all of them, and to this reader. This is some of the hottest, raunchiest sex I have EVER read. I had to put it down a couple of times, because I thought my Kindle was going to melt. Really, it was just me melting, lol!
I loved Liam and Kel. Liam was just beyond fucked up, beyond screwed over by Kenny and Sabrina, and totally lost. Kel was much more adult at 21 than Liam was at 38. He knew what he wanted, and he went after it, and he made no apologies to anyone. Seth was the enigma to me in all of this. We got lots of background into Liam and Kel, but not much on Seth. We know he met Liam through porn, and he became a lawyer after they split. That's IT. We don't even know if he got out of porn after that "last" video that caused a lot of this mess, or if he kept doing it after Liam left.
I also don't feel Seth suffered enough. What happened to Liam was awful, and Seth was a HUGE part of that. Maybe he didn't *know* what was really going on, but he should have. He should have known something wasn't right. He should have known it wasn't all scripted. And when Liam disappeared right after, he SHOULD have followed, and demanded to know why, instead of just moving on with his life.
This story has so many twists and turns. It reminds me of a soap opera. A really dirty, raunchy, fucked up soap opera. Maybe a gay Melrose Place, where it's all about sex and betrayal, love and loss and finding love again.
I highly recommend this story. I will reread it for the heat factor along, but the story is good too, if totally unbelievable.
Let's try this again, a little less rambly.
I LOVED this book!
For those of you that look at my Fucking Loved if Shelf, here's a warning: this book contains themes you might not like- pseudo incest (that one of them actually thinks is real incest at first) and cheating. If either of those make or break a story for you, consider yourself warned.
Liam was gay, always had been. But he got caught up in a game of revenge between the prom queen and the bad boy, and ended up on the hook for a baby, at 16. Liam tried to be a good dad to Kel, even though he only saw him two weekends a month, from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. His parents paid the hospital bills, and Liam did the best he could with school and work and being a very part time dad.
He felt so much guilt about how much his parents were having to give up to help him out, that Liam fell into porn to help pay the bills. In porn he could finally be with men, and he could pay his child support, and Sabrina was milking him dry of every dime she could get, along with her scum bag husband, Kenny. The job wasn't so bad. He kept his day job, and then did a couple films a month, on weekends. Then he met Seth. Seth was brand new to the scene, he had never done a movie, never even been with a man. And that was it- instant connection, instant love, instant relationship. For the next 6 years, it was all Liam and Seth, both onscreen and off. Then, right as they were about to get out of the business, move back to Florida, and be happy together, something horrible happened, causing Liam to run, and Seth to think he'd been abandoned for one more payday.
Liam spent 4 years trying to get his life straightened out, and he's mostly succeeded. He has a good job (that he hates), and if he's started looking at his son Kel differently since he grew up and came out of the closet, it's ok, he can just avoid him as much as possible. It's not like he's ever even been a REAL dad to Kel.
Kel doesn't even call him dad, he calls him Liam, and he calls Kenny dad. Always has. He's never seen Liam as his dad, but as more of a best friend type deal. I guess that happens when there are only 17 years between you and you only get a few days here and there together. Kel just knows that, right or wrong, he loves Liam, and not the way you love a father, which Liam never really was, anyway. Kel knows much more about the family situation than ANYONE suspects. Beyond Complicated.
Liam decides enough's enough, he can't keep avoiding Kel, and they agree to meet for dinner one night. Kel brings his new boyfriend, who is, surprise! Love of his life Seth! His son and his ex? Oh god, Liam can't get out of there fast enough.
Of course, Seth follows, wanting to know why he never even knew Liam had a son, was their whole life together a lie? And Liam wants to know where Seth's been all this time, how he lives with himself and what he did to Liam before he left. Seth is kinda clueless though, he doesn't know WHAT Liam is talking about. They did one last video together, then Liam took the money and ran.
Of course, as these things happen, Liam and Seth fall right into angry hot sex. They both conveniently forget about Kel. It's really sad- throughout everything, Liam is the one acting most hurt, but really, it's Kel that goes through hell. Kel, with the totally fucked up, drunk parents, Kel about to lose his new boyfriend to the person that's always been closest to him, Kel loses father figure after father figure thanks to his fucked up slut of a mother.
Sooo complicated. You have Kel and Seth. Then you have Liam and Seth. And then comes Liam and Kel, and finally, Liam and Kel and Seth all together. What should be wrong feels so right to all of them, and to this reader. This is some of the hottest, raunchiest sex I have EVER read. I had to put it down a couple of times, because I thought my Kindle was going to melt. Really, it was just me melting, lol!
I loved Liam and Kel. Liam was just beyond fucked up, beyond screwed over by Kenny and Sabrina, and totally lost. Kel was much more adult at 21 than Liam was at 38. He knew what he wanted, and he went after it, and he made no apologies to anyone. Seth was the enigma to me in all of this. We got lots of background into Liam and Kel, but not much on Seth. We know he met Liam through porn, and he became a lawyer after they split. That's IT. We don't even know if he got out of porn after that "last" video that caused a lot of this mess, or if he kept doing it after Liam left.
I also don't feel Seth suffered enough. What happened to Liam was awful, and Seth was a HUGE part of that. Maybe he didn't *know* what was really going on, but he should have. He should have known something wasn't right. He should have known it wasn't all scripted. And when Liam disappeared right after, he SHOULD have followed, and demanded to know why, instead of just moving on with his life.
This story has so many twists and turns. It reminds me of a soap opera. A really dirty, raunchy, fucked up soap opera. Maybe a gay Melrose Place, where it's all about sex and betrayal, love and loss and finding love again.
I highly recommend this story. I will reread it for the heat factor along, but the story is good too, if totally unbelievable.
February 27, 2013
Oh this story is hot. Probably the reason my Kindle overheated and used up all its battery.
Beyond Complicated is a fantastic title for this book but oh, it all works out. It does. Liam, Kel and Seth find their way through a minefield of desire and relationship tangles. Watching them navigate through is both a thrill and an exercise in anxiety.
See, I was so tangled up I had to go back and spell anxiety right.
Highly recommend this rare look into a knotted relationship and the men in it.
Beyond Complicated is a fantastic title for this book but oh, it all works out. It does. Liam, Kel and Seth find their way through a minefield of desire and relationship tangles. Watching them navigate through is both a thrill and an exercise in anxiety.
See, I was so tangled up I had to go back and spell anxiety right.
Highly recommend this rare look into a knotted relationship and the men in it.
February 6, 2017
A new favourite author? I hope so, because this book was bloody brilliant. I absolutely loved it. Enthralling from start to finish, my kind of read. See, I don't like dull moments, I love drama, and this book hit the spot. There wasn't a dull moment in it. It even kept me awake until almost 4 in the morning one night. It was just so hard to put down. Yes, it was taboo, but the big reveal does, thankfully, water the taboo down a bit. Anyway, I'll stop being vague and get down to the nitty gritty with the main character:
LIAM.
He was basically a doormat, but unlike doormats in other books, I loved reading his POV. Yes, he frustrated the hell out of me at times, but I really, really liked his character and wanted justice for him. I wanted him to finally be happy after all the shit he was put through. God! I hated that woman for what she did to him, what she did to everyone, her duplicity not just affecting Liam's life, but also Liam's family and especially Kel.
Now, regarding how Liam was described. I loved the way the author depicted him, she drew (not literally) him beautifully. I love male characters with curly/wavy black hair and dark eyes, and Liam was just the epitome of beauty.
Onto Seth. He must've been a really dumb blond when he was younger, because he was stupid for not picking up that something wasn't right during a particular shoot. But I did end up liking him and I can see how someone so young could be deceived.
And Kel... He was great, an absolute sweetheart.
My only complaint about the book was the porn dialogue and the excessive I Love You's. But if that's my only complaint, I'm all good. Still a five star book.
I would recommend this book to people who like to read:
M/M/M (It worked, a thousand times better than the last M/M/M book I read.)
Taboo
Drama
Complicated Relationships. And believe me, it was Beyond Complicated ;)
Thanks again Kindle Unlimited. I wouldn't have read this book if it wasn't on KU. This is the first month of my membership and I'm ploughing through the books. And because I loved this particular book, I'm trying out another of the author's stories straight away.
BTW, I already miss Liam, Seth, and Kel. Wish this book wasn't a standalone. I'd love a sequel (hint, hint...)
LIAM.
He was basically a doormat, but unlike doormats in other books, I loved reading his POV. Yes, he frustrated the hell out of me at times, but I really, really liked his character and wanted justice for him. I wanted him to finally be happy after all the shit he was put through. God! I hated that woman for what she did to him, what she did to everyone, her duplicity not just affecting Liam's life, but also Liam's family and especially Kel.
Now, regarding how Liam was described. I loved the way the author depicted him, she drew (not literally) him beautifully. I love male characters with curly/wavy black hair and dark eyes, and Liam was just the epitome of beauty.
Onto Seth. He must've been a really dumb blond when he was younger, because he was stupid for not picking up that something wasn't right during a particular shoot. But I did end up liking him and I can see how someone so young could be deceived.
And Kel... He was great, an absolute sweetheart.
My only complaint about the book was the porn dialogue and the excessive I Love You's. But if that's my only complaint, I'm all good. Still a five star book.
I would recommend this book to people who like to read:
M/M/M (It worked, a thousand times better than the last M/M/M book I read.)
Taboo
Drama
Complicated Relationships. And believe me, it was Beyond Complicated ;)
Thanks again Kindle Unlimited. I wouldn't have read this book if it wasn't on KU. This is the first month of my membership and I'm ploughing through the books. And because I loved this particular book, I'm trying out another of the author's stories straight away.
BTW, I already miss Liam, Seth, and Kel. Wish this book wasn't a standalone. I'd love a sequel (hint, hint...)
July 2, 2012
Gosh, I'm not sure where to start with this review. For starters, the sex is beyond hot. It is like porn on paper. Yes, Liam and Seth are ex porn stars, but the descriptions were so clear you could almost see the scenes playing out.
I did get a little squeamish with the whole possible incest deal. Even if Kel wasn't Liam's biological son, for all intents and purposes, he was his father, so it just got a little weird for me at times. But then, the unbelievable hotness of the sex took over, and it was easy to forget until it was over and the drama picked up again.
Drama, plenty of drama. There is so much going on with this group of people, it is hard to keep up. I felt so bad for each of them at different times, though Liam seems to have been hurt the most for the longest period of time. Poor Kel for having such f'd up parentage. Poor Seth for always seeming to take a back seat. And poor Liam for everything he had to endure, though his being a continual doormat made me want to kill him at times. The way they would go from one to another just about gave me whiplash at times, and I was never really sure who I was rooting for - Seth and Kel or Liam and Seth. I continued to have a hard time with thinking of Liam and Kel ending up together.
There are a few twists and turns I didn't see coming, and my heart was in my throat more times than I can remember happening from any other book. I didn't want to put this roller coaster of a book down until I made it to the end and got all the juicy details.
I did get a little squeamish with the whole possible incest deal. Even if Kel wasn't Liam's biological son, for all intents and purposes, he was his father, so it just got a little weird for me at times. But then, the unbelievable hotness of the sex took over, and it was easy to forget until it was over and the drama picked up again.
Drama, plenty of drama. There is so much going on with this group of people, it is hard to keep up. I felt so bad for each of them at different times, though Liam seems to have been hurt the most for the longest period of time. Poor Kel for having such f'd up parentage. Poor Seth for always seeming to take a back seat. And poor Liam for everything he had to endure, though his being a continual doormat made me want to kill him at times. The way they would go from one to another just about gave me whiplash at times, and I was never really sure who I was rooting for - Seth and Kel or Liam and Seth. I continued to have a hard time with thinking of Liam and Kel ending up together.
There are a few twists and turns I didn't see coming, and my heart was in my throat more times than I can remember happening from any other book. I didn't want to put this roller coaster of a book down until I made it to the end and got all the juicy details.
April 17, 2013
An initially promising throuple romance with characters that have unbelievable chemistry drowned in so much crazy, creepy, convoluted Jerry Springer shit.
Don't get me wrong. I like some "I'm marrying my horse because she's the reincarnation of my beloved wife" drama as much as the next girl who has a predictably boring life, but I'd rather it take a backseat to the relationship development when it comes to my romance books. I don't appreciate having to wade through fake boobs, doctored DNA tests, creepy exes, etc only to get acrobatic sex scenes in lieu of relationship growth. As scorching hot as the acrobatic sex scenes were. Like really hot. Like I had to turn on the a/c coz it was getting ridiculous hot. Like diagrams are needed to fully comprehend how the body parts are situated but it still kinda made me want to abuse myself hot.
Still, though. Mama needs some romance in her romance book. Not internal chants of "Je-rry! Je-rry! Je-rry!" mixed with some sex scenes and little actual romance.
So basically:
Ze relationship - 10%
Ze sex - 30%
Ze tabloid talk show stuff - 60%
Which is a shame considering these three have the makings of what I actually just now realized I liked in a threesome - two older guys and one eager young pup.
Now to check if there are other menage stories that have the same dynamic. To Listopia!
Don't get me wrong. I like some "I'm marrying my horse because she's the reincarnation of my beloved wife" drama as much as the next girl who has a predictably boring life, but I'd rather it take a backseat to the relationship development when it comes to my romance books. I don't appreciate having to wade through fake boobs, doctored DNA tests, creepy exes, etc only to get acrobatic sex scenes in lieu of relationship growth. As scorching hot as the acrobatic sex scenes were. Like really hot. Like I had to turn on the a/c coz it was getting ridiculous hot. Like diagrams are needed to fully comprehend how the body parts are situated but it still kinda made me want to abuse myself hot.
Still, though. Mama needs some romance in her romance book. Not internal chants of "Je-rry! Je-rry! Je-rry!" mixed with some sex scenes and little actual romance.
So basically:
Ze relationship - 10%
Ze sex - 30%
Ze tabloid talk show stuff - 60%
Which is a shame considering these three have the makings of what I actually just now realized I liked in a threesome - two older guys and one eager young pup.
Now to check if there are other menage stories that have the same dynamic. To Listopia!
May 12, 2012
I really liked this. Just as Jason said, there is “pseudo-incest” but nothing is forced. Celeste did a good job with explaining everything and weaving it into the plot. The story is told in first person and by Liam. Liam does a lot of rambling but it is amusing throughout the whole book. I am not going to summarize the story because I am not good at doing that and it will ruin it for those that read it. I enjoyed this story and read right through it without skipping, so that is a plus for me. There were some pretty dramatic parts to the book that will make you feel for Liam, Kel and Seth. So, a good storyline that keeps you interested and surprised, hot m/m and m/m/m sex, dirty talk, a MC named Liam and the title totally fits the story...all make a great read for me! I would give it a 4.5.
December 28, 2014
This book was wild and stayed true to its title from page 1. I loved it, though, because the characters were really likable, despite their complicated lives.
The scene that stays in my mind is Grace's birthday party (she's Liam's 7 year old niece). If this were a movie, that scene would have been worthy of an academy award or at least would have served as one of the better episodes of Desperate Housewives ;-))
What an amazing book! And great writing too. I loved Liam's POV. I definitely recommend it as one of the more unusual romances ;-)
By the way, don't read all the reviews BEFORE reading the book. They give away way too much. This book is filled with amazing plot twists. I hated how I saw some coming just because I read about them in a review...
The scene that stays in my mind is Grace's birthday party (she's Liam's 7 year old niece). If this were a movie, that scene would have been worthy of an academy award or at least would have served as one of the better episodes of Desperate Housewives ;-))
What an amazing book! And great writing too. I loved Liam's POV. I definitely recommend it as one of the more unusual romances ;-)
By the way, don't read all the reviews BEFORE reading the book. They give away way too much. This book is filled with amazing plot twists. I hated how I saw some coming just because I read about them in a review...
May 18, 2012
Wow! Just a whole lotta wow! I really do just love Mercy Celeste like I love air. I just get it. I know some people don't, but for me she just rocks. Plain and simple. I loved these men. Liam, oh god, Liam. What a fucked up mess of a man he was. So beautifully fucked up. And Kel was the perfect forbidden fruit. Not a bratty little kid. Not a play boy. A mature-beyond-his-years kid who got a pretty raw deal. The almost wrecked me. He was just beautiful to read. Now, Seth on the other hand, Oh Seth. I just don't know what I thought about Seth. Not sure I think he deserved forgiveness. Not sure he showed enough remorse. And to be honest, he was kinda just an ass most of the time. But it worked for some reason on some level.
There were definitely some holy crap moments and times when I was so sure it was going to zig but then it zagged. Had me surprised more than I thought it would for sure. I was a little afraid towards the end. It started to go a little Chase in Shadow for a minute or two. And not at all in a good way. It got to be a little much, but balanced itself again before too long. Wish there coulda been a little stronger of a HEA, but I think that with it being beyond complicated (and it was so fucking far beyond complicated it wasn't even funny anymore) it would have been difficult to make it all hunky dory. Most people will never be ok with the lifestyle these men choose.
And as a side note, the sex was off the charts. It is not going to be sex that everyone is comfortable with, but if you are, it will bring you to your knees. Mercy is the queen of hot, dirty, sweet, sexy man love. For me she takes the cake.
There were definitely some holy crap moments and times when I was so sure it was going to zig but then it zagged. Had me surprised more than I thought it would for sure. I was a little afraid towards the end. It started to go a little Chase in Shadow for a minute or two. And not at all in a good way. It got to be a little much, but balanced itself again before too long. Wish there coulda been a little stronger of a HEA, but I think that with it being beyond complicated (and it was so fucking far beyond complicated it wasn't even funny anymore) it would have been difficult to make it all hunky dory. Most people will never be ok with the lifestyle these men choose.
And as a side note, the sex was off the charts. It is not going to be sex that everyone is comfortable with, but if you are, it will bring you to your knees. Mercy is the queen of hot, dirty, sweet, sexy man love. For me she takes the cake.
October 24, 2015
So much drama goodness with such colossal messed up situations. It was a soap opera. I hate soap operas, but this one was delish. After reading the summary I wasn't sure I was going to be able to like this book let alone love it. But, SURPRISE! I couldn't put this complicated mess down. I will definitely visit it again in the near future.
May 22, 2012
4.5 stars
This review was originally written for Hearts on Fire Reviews and can also be found there.
This was my second book by Mercy Celeste and since I absolutely loved Behind Iron Lace plus this was a menage, there was no way in hell I was skipping it. Being the kinky sort, the incest part of the story that was hinted at by the cover and the blurb did wonders when it came to my interest and eagerly expecting this book doesn't even come close. Mercy has a pretty style of writing with quick plot development and scene switches. It's something that really works for me because I don't have time to get bored before something new is happening.
This book was quite different from Behind Iron Lace but the style was there and I could see the resemblance in the masterful creation of sexual tension and influx of hard truths toward the end of the story. Of course, with three characters instead of two, and the heaviness of secrets between them, this is essentially a completely different story.
It is told from Liam's POV, a thirty eight year-old man who was forced into a life no one would willingly choose. At the age of sixteen the prom queen forced him to have sex with her, and eight months later the tiniest baby boy was born, setting the course of Liam's life. He never regretted his son, but the prom queen bled him dry and with no other choice Liam started making movies of the dirty kind. That's where he met Seth, the love of his life and his lover of six years. But the porn industry is far from a land of flowers and honey. After a movie gone wrong Liam cut all ties with that life including Seth and almost ended his own. Now, four years later, with his son Kel all grown up, gorgeous and in college, he's living in some sort of normalcy, trying to forget his past and simply surviving.
Then being a good father who is more the likes of a friend, he is introduced with his son's new boyfriend, a man who he least expected and who he both wanted to see and never wanted near him again. Seth is just as gorgeous and just as in love as he was four years ago. Is it a surprise for anyone when I say Liam feels much the same?
The long introduction suited me and the story in general was really easy to follow. There were a few almost heartbreaking moments but the hot ones eventually prevailed and I've discovered that the author's talent for making scenes steamy certainly wasn't just a fluke. I don't need to point out that all three men end up together but although I usually avoid revealing any type of spoilers, I think it's important to say here that Liam and Kel aren't biologically father and son, for all those who draw the line at incest. The feeling of discomort might still be there but I thought it important to give the reader all the facts before you get into the story.
As for the menage, the easing into it was done with a certain dose of magic to it and I had no eye-rolling moments and easily accepted their relationship as it was. As a threesome they were extremely hot and I loved Liam and Seth's past as well as the way Kel was fascinated by both older men. There is one scene toward the end that had me staring at the screen with undivided attention and I would have paid a lot of money to have been allowed to be there, just as an observer of course *grins*. I sympathized with Liam and thought his secrets were justified. It might just be me, but if faced with the same terrible choices as he was, I doubt I would have ever said a word either. He certainly never had it easy, and his story most of all made my eyes tear up a few times. I thought all three men were special in their own way and together they just worked. The age differences appealed to me as well and the slight dominance of Seth and Liam over Kel was pretty much amazing.
My only remark is kind of difficult to explain. They all had plenty of page space and the story certainly didn't lack sex, but all three together, in a situation that was normal for them, without all the side disasters, didn't happen often enough. I sort of only saw glimpses of how things would be like out of the bedroom and I wanted more of it.
Little things are often enough to make us happy. In this situation, just knowing there are more books by Mercy Celeste waiting to be read pretty much made my week. How is that for little things?
This review was originally written for Hearts on Fire Reviews and can also be found there.
This was my second book by Mercy Celeste and since I absolutely loved Behind Iron Lace plus this was a menage, there was no way in hell I was skipping it. Being the kinky sort, the incest part of the story that was hinted at by the cover and the blurb did wonders when it came to my interest and eagerly expecting this book doesn't even come close. Mercy has a pretty style of writing with quick plot development and scene switches. It's something that really works for me because I don't have time to get bored before something new is happening.
This book was quite different from Behind Iron Lace but the style was there and I could see the resemblance in the masterful creation of sexual tension and influx of hard truths toward the end of the story. Of course, with three characters instead of two, and the heaviness of secrets between them, this is essentially a completely different story.
It is told from Liam's POV, a thirty eight year-old man who was forced into a life no one would willingly choose. At the age of sixteen the prom queen forced him to have sex with her, and eight months later the tiniest baby boy was born, setting the course of Liam's life. He never regretted his son, but the prom queen bled him dry and with no other choice Liam started making movies of the dirty kind. That's where he met Seth, the love of his life and his lover of six years. But the porn industry is far from a land of flowers and honey. After a movie gone wrong Liam cut all ties with that life including Seth and almost ended his own. Now, four years later, with his son Kel all grown up, gorgeous and in college, he's living in some sort of normalcy, trying to forget his past and simply surviving.
Then being a good father who is more the likes of a friend, he is introduced with his son's new boyfriend, a man who he least expected and who he both wanted to see and never wanted near him again. Seth is just as gorgeous and just as in love as he was four years ago. Is it a surprise for anyone when I say Liam feels much the same?
The long introduction suited me and the story in general was really easy to follow. There were a few almost heartbreaking moments but the hot ones eventually prevailed and I've discovered that the author's talent for making scenes steamy certainly wasn't just a fluke. I don't need to point out that all three men end up together but although I usually avoid revealing any type of spoilers, I think it's important to say here that Liam and Kel aren't biologically father and son, for all those who draw the line at incest. The feeling of discomort might still be there but I thought it important to give the reader all the facts before you get into the story.
As for the menage, the easing into it was done with a certain dose of magic to it and I had no eye-rolling moments and easily accepted their relationship as it was. As a threesome they were extremely hot and I loved Liam and Seth's past as well as the way Kel was fascinated by both older men. There is one scene toward the end that had me staring at the screen with undivided attention and I would have paid a lot of money to have been allowed to be there, just as an observer of course *grins*. I sympathized with Liam and thought his secrets were justified. It might just be me, but if faced with the same terrible choices as he was, I doubt I would have ever said a word either. He certainly never had it easy, and his story most of all made my eyes tear up a few times. I thought all three men were special in their own way and together they just worked. The age differences appealed to me as well and the slight dominance of Seth and Liam over Kel was pretty much amazing.
My only remark is kind of difficult to explain. They all had plenty of page space and the story certainly didn't lack sex, but all three together, in a situation that was normal for them, without all the side disasters, didn't happen often enough. I sort of only saw glimpses of how things would be like out of the bedroom and I wanted more of it.
Little things are often enough to make us happy. In this situation, just knowing there are more books by Mercy Celeste waiting to be read pretty much made my week. How is that for little things?
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