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Will Derrie is not dating his friend Molly. At all. They're just fighting about Star Trek and screwing a lot. You know. Like you do, with your friends. Right? Thing is, he'd really like it if they were also screwing in a...kinky way. Which he told her. Kind of. Ish. She loves the gay couple with whom he still shares sex and whips, and when they finally try it out, Molly's a domination savant. She says gorgeous, filthy things, in just the right tone. So why can't Will get into it? (And he better try a little harder or she's gonna kick his ass. And not in a good way.)

Right when he decides the best sex he’ll ever have is with a gay dom who’s in love with someone else, said gay dom smacks him around a bit – metaphorically/literally – and convinces him that the potential rewards of communicating honestly with Molly are worth the risk.

This is the third installment in the Scientific Method universe. If you're reading in order, it comes after Hugh's New Dude.

Warnings: Various forms of pizza and beer are consumed during times of angst, Marvel and DC Comics are invoked within moments of each other, and the hot stuff is still almost entirely with the boyfriends. (The author apologizes to Molly, whose steamy scenes mostly take place off-page.)

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2014

14 people are currently reading
160 people want to read

About the author

Kris Ripper

89 books404 followers
Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and zir pronouns are ze/zir. Kris shares a converted garage with a kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

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5 stars
115 (35%)
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132 (41%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Sam I AMNreader.
1,649 reviews335 followers
November 26, 2020
Don't sleep on this series of you're interested in respectful treatment of kink with a low-angst presentation. It sounds like the next might have a little angst, I guess, but for a series that heavily explores BDSM, it's really soft. Don't know how else to say it.

There's a lot of "talk" and exploration that way-like psychology. In my opinion it's well integrated, bc I have low tolerance for that. YMMV.
Profile Image for Kathleen in Oslo.
612 reviews156 followers
June 21, 2022
Re-read May 2022

Molly!

We love Molly! She's smart, funny, rolls with the punches, does not waste her energy on jealousy or possessiveness, and is down for pretty much anything. And she and Will are just what each other needs at this phase in their lives.

And let's face it: if there was no Molly -- if Will had no outlet for his romantic feelings and intimacy kink apart from Hugh and Truman -- then the Will-Hugh-Truman relationship would never have lasted. (Will living in Santa Barbara and being physically distant is also an important factor here.) Will having a loving romantic relationship in which he is an equal partner takes the pressure off. Thus, while Will and Molly's relationship is important in-and-of itself, it also has the effect that, in terms of the W-H-T dynamic, Will being devoted to Molly significantly lessens the potential for jealousy or crossing lines or over-intensity.

This is not to downplay Will's importance to Hugh and Truman. But certainly in the early books, Hugh's and Truman's is the primary relationship -- a configuration which Will, with his internalized inferiority, is also most comfortable with. And Hugh and Truman having the physical and emotional space to feel out and stabilize the relationship between them allows them to include Will in a way that works for them. And it all feels less imbalanced than it would if Will was still on his own in Santa Barbara.

I feel compelled to mention that readers who don't like women in their M/M/M, or who don't like straight-presenting relationships in queer romance -- you should either reconcile yourself to Molly and Molly-Will or cut your losses now. Molly plays a pretty big role in the series, and the Molly-Will relationship is present throughout, although it changes dramatically over the course of the books.

Don't worry, though: even with Molly we still get plenty of Will-Hugh-Truman time. And while Hugh and Truman started already in book 1 to figure out that this relationship was something the three of them were creating together, it's first here in book 2 that Will admits to himself that his role and relationship with them extends beyond doing scenes. He still thinks he's the tag along lay, though. Will!!!

Unexpected Gifts is yummy, good stuff that you can read in an afternoon. Enjoy!

(Overall series review here)
Profile Image for Kati *☆・゚.
1,297 reviews690 followers
February 5, 2023
3.25*** stars


Books 2 - 4 are only Novellas with less than 150 pages. But all parts (9 in total) are one big story in the end.

This was book 2: I didn't like this part as much as the first one. Maybe because Molly feels like an intruder to me in the (not real) triad that is Hugh, Truman and Will. BUT, again, I was fascinated. So I go on to the next one immediately :)

It's an unusual storyline for romance, I think - so it'll take a little getting used to for me. But I love these three main character so much, I won't stop reading their story in high hopes of a HEA for them together!! We'll see.





*************
Scientific Method Universe Series:

Book 1 - Catalyst - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Unexpected Gifts - 3.25 stars
Book 3 - Take Three Breaths - 4 stars
Book 4 - Breaking Down - 4.5 stars
Book 5 - Roller Coasters - 3.25 stars
Book 6 - The Boyfriends Tie the Knot - currently reading
Book 7 - The Honeymoon
Book 8 - Extremes
Book 9 - Untrue
Profile Image for Leigh Kramer.
Author 1 book1,422 followers
August 28, 2023
What fun to get to meet Will’s new love interest Molly and see her explore Dominance, thanks to Hugh’s tutelage. It’s fascinating to see what polyamory means to each of these characters and how they navigate the various dynamics.

I enjoyed this so much but it easily could have been expanded. I wanted to know much more about Molly, for instance. What is her career? What does she like besides Star Trek? Who are her friends besides Becca? I wanted to have a better sense of who she was as a Black woman—and I know that’s only going to go so far when written by a white author but because this is a predominantly white world, it would have helped to have a better sense of Molly’s connections to the Black community.

Related to this: what is Will doing for work?? I have no idea what his life in Santa Barbara is like besides having his twin brother as a roommate.


Characters: Will is a 22 year old white submissive. Molly is a Black woman in her early 20s and an aspiring Domme. Will and Molly have been “not-dating” for 4 months. Hugh is a 29 year old gay white therapist, Dom, and former escort who wears glasses. Truman is a 33 year old gay white therapist. This is set in Santa Barbara and East Bay, CA.

Content notes: anxiety, past sex work (Hugh), on page sex, D/s, bondage, impact play, menage, mild humiliation play, orgasm control, biting, sex toys, alcohol, gendered pejorative, ableist language, BDSM slave terminology
Profile Image for Courtney Bassett.
801 reviews195 followers
November 18, 2017
I have to admit I was initially less than thrilled about this book, because Will has a GIRLFRIEND, and I just don't DO MF anymore (though she seems pretty cool and understanding). But - other than him trying to express his kinky desires to her - that's not really the focus. Much of the time is still spent with interactions between Will, Hugh, and Truman, which is awesome because I can't get ENOUGH of them.

Here is the part that took it from four to five stars for me, because I LOVE it when BDSM is explained in a way that makes beautiful, perfect sense:

“A spreader bar. To keep you nice and open for me. To expose your sensitive inner thighs, to keep you from tensing your ass against me, to allow me access to your testicles.”

He looked up, at Hugh’s face, at all that fucking calculation there. “You act like I usually try to fight you.”

“No, Will.” And there, fuck, Hugh moved to stand beside Truman, reached out to interlace his fingers between Truman’s, so there were four hands on him now, and Hugh pressed in more firmly, like he wanted Will to know he could hold him. “You usually try to be perfect. You try to be open, even when you don’t want it, even when it challenges you. You try to be silent, even though I’ve never required your silence during discipline. You try to be exactly what you think a good little boy should be. Tonight, I’m taking some of that burden from your shoulders. Tonight I will keep you spread, I will keep your hands behind you.” Then he moved around, to hold Will from behind, and bit his earlobe. “Pressure’s off, Willie. Stop thinking.”
Profile Image for Ash.
448 reviews21 followers
May 27, 2016
Here we go. Did I like this book? Not really. My personal preferences aside, was it a good book? Yes.

I don't read M/F romances. Just don't like 'em. I went into this one expecting a little M/F thanks to the blurb and was hesitant, but I really wanted to continue Hugh, Truman and Will's story. The author's note of most M/F steamy scenes taking place off-page made me feel a bit better. But in reality, about 40% of this book is told through Molly's POV and there's a lot of sex talk and, yes, some sex, in that 40%. I didn't enjoy that part and skimmed it for mention of Hugh/Truman so that I could follow the story where they were concerned.

That said, the writing is superb. The key characters show a lot of growth in this one (yay Will for working towards a healthy relationship with Molly! Even if I don't want to read about it first hand). This moves the plot along for the series. All in all, a good one. Just not for me. I'm all for the gay romances/scenes and this one, while it had some (I'd say 50-60% of the book), it wasn't enough for me. Am moving on to the next one, though! Looking forward to more from the guys :)

Review cross-posted on www.winebetweenthelines.com.
Profile Image for JustJen "Miss Conduct".
2,385 reviews156 followers
June 1, 2015

I could not get this next book quick enough. Even though it mentions Will finding a girlfriend, Molly is fabulous. She is perfect for Will and has no problems with the boyfriends at all. In fact, she encourages Will's time with them and even receives help and guidance from them with how to be with Will. Again, do not let the mention of a girlfriend keep you from reading this. The girl parts are not really detailed, as much of that is saved for Will's time with Hugh and Truman. Another fabulous addition to this amazing series.
Profile Image for dobbs the dog.
1,050 reviews33 followers
May 9, 2023
Yay, we get to meet Molly in this one!

This was a quick little read that I quite enjoyed. I liked getting to know Molly a bit more, learn a bit more about her relationship with Will, and also get to see her meet the boyfriends (Hugh and Truman).

Will being more open and truthful about what he wants and seeing how Molly accepts that was perfect. Getting to see them starting to play with D/s was great and I loved how it was obviously SO different from what Will has with Hugh and Truman.

Very good, I don't think I'm going to be able to stop until I finish the series now...
Profile Image for Isabeau Delaunay.
324 reviews4 followers
January 5, 2022
This short little 90-page nugget continues the story of Will Derrie, who really enjoys submissive kinky sex, and his challenge to achieve that with a young woman he's into, Molly. Despite the short length, there are a bunch of really honest, emotional scenes that bring depth to this short story.

Unexpected Gifts picks up a little further on from where Catalysts left off, with Will already in a relationship with Molly, who he's been open with about his desires and even his - whatever it is - with Hugh and Truman. We also learn Molly's Black, although that's treated incidentally. Molly and Will go to visit Hugh and Truman so that Molly can get a little insight from Hugh on how this whole Dom thing works, for Will especially. Hugh does some coaching of Molly, but also of Will, to have the confidence to try this thing out between them. Molly also seeks some guidance from Beccs, the feminist dating Will's twin brother Adam (and their convo may be my favorite in the whole story). Will and Molly work it out so well that later she sends him back to Hugh and Truman with a little kinky surprise, which of course they welcome. Will balks a bit at Hugh and Truman seeming to welcome him into their relationship on an emotional as well as sexual level, but otherwise we end with things copacetic between these four.

I really enjoyed the sort of natural progression here, hinted at the end of Catalysts: Will in fact has met a young woman he's into, she's amazing and understanding of what he wants, but they still have challenges making it work. There's also a fair amount of angst (from Will mostly) over Hugh and Truman's continued importance in his life; it's like they're inventing polyamory without explicitly naming it. Rings very true.
Profile Image for Zoe.
279 reviews8 followers
March 8, 2024

I picked up this book a few months after reading Catalysts. While Catalysts didn’t totally convince me, I was intrigued. I couldn’t forget about these boys and kept wondering from time to time where their story would go, they never really left my mind. So when I saw the book was FREE rn at Smashwords I jumped at the chance. And I’m so glad I did.

I just love the unique dynamics in this series. And it keeps getting better with each page.

I didn’t totally loose myself in the book, like I do in others, but I really enjoy the banter and he way their brains work. And I feel myself getting more and more attached to these boys. Especially Will. The only one I can’t really warm up to is Molly. My head likes the concept and the idea of her, but my body does not enjoy her hands on my Hugh’s Willie *shudders*. Okay that came out wrong. Anyways… On to the next part. Which is also FREE at the moment.
Profile Image for Kerry.
1,714 reviews59 followers
July 10, 2023
4.5 stars

Not a standalone. Must read Catalysts first.

So now Will has a girlfriend, Molly. I worried about her coming between Will and Hugh, but luckily that didn't happen. She understood that Hugh was Will's dom, and that it was very important for Will to continue having a relationship with Hugh. In fact, when Molly finally met Hugh and Truman, she got some pointers from Hugh as to how she could begin to dominate Will in the bedroom.

I was happy that the majority of the story still revolved around the three men. They are such great guys and they get along so well. Now that Truman has become an active participant in the scenes between Hugh and Will, the D/s and sexy times are even hotter!
Profile Image for ancientreader.
777 reviews284 followers
January 22, 2024
Everyone I know who's read the SMU seems to have torn through it at warp speed. I ... can't? There's something about these books that sinks a hook right into my heart and lacerates me, even while I find them insanely hot and even when things are going well for the characters. It took me more than a year to finish Catalysts, though, and only a month or two for this one, so who knows, maybe Take Three Breaths will go quickly.

I love Will and my fingers are crossed that he winds up an equal partner with Hugh and Truman, not only a well-loved third. (Molly's great! I'm happy she's there! I just don't want Will to ever feel left out!)


... yeah, not counting on being able to whip through these books somehow.
Profile Image for Jordan.
1,882 reviews
March 6, 2023
I liked the growth in this one, and the hurdle of Will having to learn to communicate and negotiate his needs with someone new to the scene. Last book he was the newbie but in the hands of an expert, *this* felt more challenging and kinda more likely (I mean, I'm happy for anyone whose ideal Dom or sub just fell into their lap and could teach them everything right from the start =D, but most people will probably have to work things out as they go). It definitely builds on the previous book, but I think it could stand decently on its own, if someone just wants to dabble with a novella.
Profile Image for Cat M.
170 reviews29 followers
July 25, 2017
This series continues to be SO good.

I love Molly, and it was great to get her pov for a while and also to actually meet and get to know Becca, who in the first book was entirely an off-screen catalyst for the action rather than a character in her own right.

Also, I'm totally here for Will struggling with the importance of his own desires, but I'm even more here for Hugh and Truman struggling to convince him of his importance to them.
Profile Image for BiblioFan.
582 reviews3 followers
August 20, 2024
~3.5 stars - This book is definitely not bad. I just have some conflicting feelings about a few things. There’s one scene in particular that left me feeling kind of icky. I’m not sure if I’m misinterpreting what the feelings were in the scene or not, but it bothered me.

I just hope it didn’t kill my desire to continue on because, right now, I don’t have an interest in book 3.

Also, Molly fucking rocks.
Profile Image for Terri.
2,875 reviews58 followers
May 9, 2017
I always feel sort of unqualified to comment on kink since I'm pretty vanilla. But when you have characters like these, what they do so intrinsic to who they are, I don't think it matters. It feels genuine and that's what is important. Will's girl is perfect. They're all perfect, imperfections included. Highest compliment: gonna go buy the next one now!
Profile Image for Jen.
Author 8 books115 followers
February 2, 2018
This one had me.

This book had me from the first word.
It had me stretching to alleviate my tension.
It had me on the verge of tears the whole way.
It had me talking to my husband about it.
It had me posting a status update (which I’ve never done).
It had me.
Profile Image for Anna Goerlitz.
1,051 reviews41 followers
February 10, 2018
A very enjoyable addition to the series. Will and Molly are trying, but it's difficult. The boyfriends are helping and we leave them on a hopeful note, which makes me in two minds about whether or not to continue... I know we are going to go dark in book three and I'm not sure if I am ready for it!
Profile Image for Shannon.
59 reviews5 followers
April 19, 2020
Wonderful sequel

This was simply wonderful. A great addition to these characters, I love getting to know Molly more. I just can’t wait to learn more about these characters & their lives
Profile Image for Elizabeth Hanelt.
98 reviews3 followers
April 29, 2022
The only thing wrong with this book is that it's too short. But I can hardly bitch about that because the author made a gift of it. Though short, it was very satisfying, intense, with delicious power dynamics. And I read it voraciously.
Profile Image for bookstosoothethesoul.
377 reviews5 followers
March 10, 2024
I didn't love this one as much because it involved more of Molly and less impact play for Will lol. I super enjoyed watching the boyfriends pushing Will to learn to express his wishes and unpack his shame around kink a bit though.
Profile Image for Simon.
1,489 reviews8 followers
September 14, 2018
Oh, damn. These are ripping my heart out. The writing felt a bit awkward at the start but then I didn't notice. I want to just keep reading these.
Profile Image for Sandy.
351 reviews18 followers
August 18, 2021
Refreshing to get Molly's perspective here. I like how they are working out their relationship. Will is the sometimes-third for Hugh and Truman, and Molly is Will's "not girlfriend". Short and sweet.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

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