I waffled on the rating for this one. I wish Goodreads gave 1/2 stars as I rate this 3.5, but will round up to 4. This book can easily be a standalone. If you do read this one first, the author is correct that you might spoil the outcome of the other two.
Here's what I liked:
I loved that it ran along the same timeline as the first two books. In fact, I reread the first book to see how much it did and I was absolutely impressed and shocked. I'm not sure how planned out she had this series when she started, but there's a lot that foreshadows Marc's storyline. I'm left with the impression she had to have almost fully plotted out Marc's story as she wrote Jayce and Adrienne's.
Although it does also cross over into Troy/Emilie's story, it doesn't seem to get as specific with the minute details. Also, I will confess I have not read the second story about Troy as I didn't really take to him or feel motivated to read his story since I had so many other books waiting for me on my Kindle. I've done a 180 on my opinion for Troy. He's such a great friend, loyal and thoughtful, and very amusing. Emilie continues to be a little tiny firecracker (can't believe I just used that phrase, but it fits her perfectly).
The scenes between Lincoln and Marc are intense and full of chemistry. You feel their struggle with each other. They're both alpha, but in the long run Marc is the top dog. Fortunately, Marc is not the selfish type who has to always be in charge and that gives Lincoln the control he needs. I think this was intensified for me as I didn't get that feeling about Nathalia (see below). There's an undercurrent and connection between these guys no matter how much they deny it. I haven't read a lot of M/M stories - not because I'm opposed to them, but there are so many books I have yet to read on my kindle. So I'm not an expert, but this is a great pair. I also think that because of how much Marc fought his feelings and attraction to Linc. It wasn't to same level or depth he fought against his relationship with Nathalia. I'm not absolutely sure if that's because it was easier to be out in the open with a woman or if there was more intensity with Linc.
The build up of the scenes was very good. Maybe at the beginning I wanted it to get to the good stuff faster, but it made the "sexy time" scenes all the better when you got there. Again, I was fascinated with the timeline running parallel to the previous book and it got me excited to revisit Jayce's story (and I ended up liking it more!).
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Ok, disclaimer on this next section. None of the below would keep me from reading the book. I also struggled about the rating (more a 3.5) as I didn't want to lower the rating because the characters may have not done what I personally wanted. Some of those books are the surprising ones that make you think and take you out of your comfort zone! It's hard, but I try to keep an open mind and keep my lower ratings to poor development, editing, or downright unlikable characters that make no sense.
Here's what frustrated me:
As much as I enjoyed the first half of the book, the ending drove me batshit crazy. Once they separated, the book dragged as we got highlights over a 5 month period of Marc finding excuses for himself. At one point I wondered when it would ever end. And that was long after they had reconciled their relationship. It just kept going and going. Part of that frustration was I was so sick of Marc dealing with his situation after 5 months of being on the fence. His excuses were pathetic - his friends were going through drama and it wasn't the right time. I really turned my opinion around on Troy when he called Marc out on that line of thinking. How can Marc tell his father, brother, and mother (and speak so frankly to the father/brother) about him being bi-sexual and this potentional three-way relationship, but not tell his closest friends even though he worked with them and as escorts? As if they would go and spill the beans to his boss? Even after he got out of the escort business for almost the whole 5 months? No, Marc, no.
I never connected with Nathalia or got a consistent read on her. Most of my stabby feelings centered around her:
- At first she was this smooth and sophisticated woman. Then she became this silly "Oh yay! I'm so excited!" and jumping on the bed and giddy. Most of the time she was very one-dimensional and an inconsistent character for me.
- Something trivial and minor. Until the end... how had she never been to Marc's house???
- What really drove the nail in the coffin was how she didn't stand up to Marc about Lincoln. It's almost like she was cheating on the other guy when she and Marc professed their love for each other. Marc kept putting off his much needed conversation with Linc while sexing her up and telling her he loved her. It left me with the feeling that she was ok with separate relationships with each man rather than her earlier insistence they were a unit and equals. Why didn't she stand up for Linc and after having a 1x1 relationship that had grown over the 5 months? She was all about, well you two need to work that out between yourselves. But she's part of this relationship not the three of them separately. HERE'S THE ULTIMATE RUB TO THIS SITUATION: How could they go 2-3 weeks of Marc/Nathalia confessing their love together and not get together with Linc right away? Make it work people even if he was out of town. To me that was making Linc and his feelings less of a priority in this supposedly equal relationship.
- Along the same lines of her wanting the two guys to work it out, she sounded like a therapist most of the time. She seemed very dispassionate and a lot of "why do you think you feel that way?" Most of the conversations Nathalia had were stilted. OR she would completely repeat everything said in a previous conversation with one of the other guys. I didn't need a word for word recap when it was already so disconnected and monotone. BUT the conversations between the two guys? It was awesome and either heartfelt and you could feel the tension.
I was so angry with Marc towards the end of the book. To me he was emotionally abusing Linc and ignoring his vulnerability by hooking up with him, leaving him and never contacting him for months. And on Christmas (and why did Thalia leave Linc alone on Christmas if her father did like him anyway?) Marc treated Linc like shit and would not own up to his own issues and responsibility. Marc and Nathalia acted like it was mostly Linc's fault for the disconnect in their relationship. Marc was clearly the alpha of the two men and I felt Linc had shown how much he wanted and felt for Marc. Marc couldn't come to terms about himself and deflected those insecurities onto his relationship with Linc.
Again, I was absolutely floored how long Marc took to come to terms with his lifestyle and feelings. 5 months?! Can you tell I can't get past that? Did he ever think maybe they would have moved on and called him on his bullshit? And once he figured it all out there was no sense of urgency to make it right. I'm surprised Linc didn't walk away eventually once Marc hooked back up with Nathalia and didn't make a move to reconnect with him too. Marc had no consideration for Linc's feelings and it felt like a slap in the face how Nathalia let it keep happening with the sad excuse and cop out that they needed to work it out themselves. Fight for your men!
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So all that to say - if a book got me thinking this much and riled up, I'd say I definitely recommend it. I was so surprised how much I was drawn to Marc and Linc's chemistry! To wrap this up on a very positive note... I loved the author's last paragraph. It was a perfect message for a book on a subject that not the average and vanilla person may be comfortable or familiar with. Kudos for succinctly expressing that live the life you want and only one that will make you happy.