Finished

by Claire Kent

For the last year, Julia has lived with two men.

Drayton is hot and mysterious, and Mike takes care of her. Together, they have great sex and a mostly stable relationship—one Julia thought satisfied her. After all, how can she complain about having two sexy men at the same time?

Then everything starts to change. Drayton is keeping a dark secret that threatens more than their arrangement. It might actually threaten their lives. And Mike keeps becoming more alpha than she’s ever known him to be.

What once was fun and casual is now a tangle of conflicting desires. Drayton wants to keep his freedom. Julia wants a real commitment.

And Mike…well, Mike just wants her.

Genres: Menage, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Smut, Erotica, M F M, Contemporary

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2014

About the author

Claire has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. After teaching English at the university level for several years, she started writing full-time under two different pen names. She lives in Virginia.

Her early books are sexy contemporary romances filled with heat and real emotion, but with the Hold series she transitioned to science fiction romance. Her current books are steamy post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe. They feature smart, resilient women trying to survive in a new chaotic world and falling in love with strong, gruff, taciturn men.

Claire also writes softer contemporary romances as Noelle Adams,

Reviews

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars


The story begins with a three people in a relationship together. They all live together and have sex together, but do not have an emotional connection.



At the beginning of the story we see the three living together, but tension is forming. We quickly learn the back story and how this trio came to be. It started with Drayton and Julia dating, then after a few months he asks her if it is okay for Mike to join them one night. One thing leads to another and now they all live together…with no emotional connection.


Here is where I lose the connection…her and Drayton were dating…now no emotional connection with any of the people involved? I just found this hard to believe, but maybe that is just me.

Okay, so moving on. The story actually develops into more then a m/m/f romance story. Mike and Julia begin to suspect Drayton is up to something, and this possibility creates a wedge between them and Drayton.

As I was saying this story is about so much more, there is actually some mystery and suspense. The mystery was pretty easy to guess, but I was surprised by some parts of the story.

I think it is important to know what you are reading, because this book has very little romance vibe to it and more mystery/suspense - in my opinion. Despite the type of relationship these three have, it really isn’t portrayed much. It didn’t have a lot of m/m/f situations, and for most of the book it felt like Mike and Julia were in a relationship with Drayton just being a roommate.

I think the book was okay, but going into you should be aware it is more of a mystery/suspense with a little bit of romance. If that is your thing - go for it. It is a really quick read.

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Vanessa Booked Up · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Sexy & Sensual Stars!!

Wow - this book is unexpected. A look at a three-way relationship that has always worked for the parties involved, until now. What happens when one piece of a puzzle changes the rules? Big mystery component at play here too, that kept me guessing. I almost checked my love triangle shelf on this one, because, it almost went in that direction. One of the more realistic three-way books that I have ever read (not that I know from personal experience). But this is about more than just the sex, it's about the complex relationship between three people and how that would work in society.

Really made me think. Great read!!

[TeriLyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Finished generously provided in exchange for an honest review.**

3 Mysterious Ménage Stars


Claire Kent wrote an interesting story about three people based on the conventions of unconventional love. Three people working together in a relationship to all be together satisfying what each of them needs laced with intrigue and mystery along the way. The erotic story of Julia, Mike, and Drayton tangles a web none of them saw coming.

This tale of erotica entertained me throughout and I did enjoy it. It started off really hot with Mike and Julia then enters Drayton and the steam gets off the charts. Throughout the story the reader gets a bird’s eye view from Julia working towards an understanding of the relationship she’s in and what she wants from it.

The subplots working through the story engaged me. There was mystery and intrigue throughout especially surrounding the enigmatic Drayton. Half-truths become lies than truths again. Hurt becomes evident. All three of these characters inflict and receive emotional pain from each other while trying to balance the delicacy of their situation with the delicacy of their individual emotions.

Finished rates at 3 stars for me for a couple of reasons. When reading a ménage story I’m expecting lots of steam. And while the steam was steamy I felt a lack of connection between the three and at certain points was expecting more. I was waiting for the all the “feels” and didn’t get them. The characters were a bit under developed for me. Only Drayton’s past was understood. We know how they got to where they are in the relationship but not what motivated them. The conflict and resolution felt a bit underwhelming, as well because as much as I enjoyed the plot I was waiting for something bigger.

Those things I’ve mentioned should in no way deter you from reading Finished. It’s an entertaining story flowing naturally with characters you’ll want to see a satisfying end from the very beginning. It’s one those reads easy for a lazy day of reading on the couch. As Finished stands as my first Claire Kent book I wouldn’t hesitate in reading this author again based on her entertaining writing style and engaging dialogue.

[Maria Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This erotic suspense story follows Drayton, Mike and Julia as they navigate through a no-emotional strings attached affair. As Julia realizes that she is looking for a deeper commitment from the men she is involved with, secrets that Drayton has been keeping and Mike's shift in possessiveness threaten their relationship and as things begin to unravel, the three of them must decide where each of their futures lies.

What a fantastic book! Though it has some of the trappings of a romance and does have a happy ending, I would definitely classify it more as an erotic suspense story than a romance. From the first page (starting off with a scorching sex scene) to the very end, it was a riveting story. Drayton is certainly the most mysterious of the group - a handsome, dominant man with a secret that he feels has nothing to do with the nature of the relationship the three have established. But this secret and Mike and Julia's response to it is the unraveling of everything as trust is broken on all sides. Mike is the caregiver for Julia, the man she relies on in non-sexual situations to make her feel better, but a man who increasingly shows her that he wants more from her than she thought she could give. And Julia is torn between two men, longtime friends, whose relationship with each other is becoming strained as the boundaries of their relationship change. She is a peacemaker, willing to do whatever it takes including using her body to bring them back together. There are scenes of high emotion, tension, drama, and sex through all of it, and even up to the last page there is a sense of not knowing what will come next.

Overall I found this story to be highly entertaining, definitely steamy, and I continue to be impressed at the versatility in plot and execution that Claire Kent shows in her writing. 5 fabulous stars!

[Mel Shank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished by Claire Kent
*was generously given an copy in exchange for a honest review

I so wanted to love FINISHED by Claire Kent but I wound up just liking it. FINISHED is not the first book by Claire Kent that I have read, so I think maybe my expectations were set a little high. I was so excited to see what kind of juicy, threesome, action adventure Kent would take us on and although it does start off that way, to many things happen and it does not end that way.

Let me tell you what I loved. I loved all the hot steamy scenes. Kent is an expert in writing amazing love scenes and her writing skills are excellent. I loved Mike. I think all the woman in the world would swoon over Mike. He was great and I loved when his alpha, barbaric side came out. I saw why Julia was so attracted to him. What I did not get was her attraction to Drayton, nor the loyalty that Mike felt for him. I could not get into Drayton at all and I think that was why I was not so thrilled with the story.

Drayton was just to savvy for me. I knew he was bad news and I kept reading just to prove I was right. I also had an issue with Julia’s loyalty to Drayton. I mean, I love that she was all heart and all but I just felt she was weak and that is not how I thought Kent meant her to be. I think by Julia being such a peace maker and having such a big heart, she lost her backbone….although she did find it towards the end which was awesome.

All in all, FINISHED by Claire Kent was a good little read. I liked many aspects of it. I think if I had a little more history on all three, I would have loved it more. I just felt thrown into the middle of the relationships and kept trying to play catch up.

FINISHED by CLAIRE KENT receives 3 out of 5 Platypires!!!
Texas Hugs and Happy Reading!!!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not feel a lot of connection or chemistry with all three of the characters beyond the sex. When I read a menage story, I want a strong heroine sandwiched between two sexy men and I didn't get it here. Julia came across as very weak and needy. Drayton's character was very flat and unemotional. I kept asking what did Julia ever see in him to begin with other than the sex. I wanted to know more about what made him tick beyond the repeated fact that his dad was a thief, therefore he was a thief. His whole purpose and reason for living felt like a cop out. Definitely not my favorite of Kent's work.

[SexySiren24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Before I begin, I want to touch briefly upon my rating. It isn’t particularly important, but I want to mention that I really struggled between a 4 and a 5. On the one hand, I enjoyed this one a lot, and it’s been a while since I’ve read a book that makes me want to pick it up in the middle of the day (I usually read before bed) but I also had some fairly serious issues with it, mostly to do with misplaced expectations of what the story would be like and some of the character’s actions, so in the spirit of objectiveness, I went with 4.
Also, I would like to add that I don’t think I can properly explain some of my feelings towards the story without spoiling a few things, so if you want to go into it blind, stop now, but some of us like to know what we’re getting into, even if it means knowing a bit of what’s to come.

Onto the review:


Plot:

For the most part, the premise was great and I was sucked into the story right away. I wasn’t expecting the big mystery/suspense angle, and I really enjoyed following Julia, Helen and Mike as they attempted to unravel what exactly was going on. It was fun and engaging and I found myself on the edge of my seat a few times. The only critique I can offer is that the ending felt a bit rushed and unrealistic, with everything being solved rather easily, not to mention a lot of the questions I had about certain aspects of the characters’ pasts were never revealed; but as I believe that was intentional and I really don’t need every single thread wrapped up nicely in a bow, it didn’t bother me too much. Another small thing was that I was left a bit confused as to the last line of the book and what exactly it meant.
The prose was solid as usual, but I will admit that the limited third person perspective did a bit of disservice to the story. We only get Julia’s POV, and that made it somewhat hard for me to connect with the other characters, as I never knew what they were thinking/feeling. I get that it was necessary for the mystery aspect to work, but I found it hard to be invested sometimes.

Romance:

Now this is where my misplaced expectations came into play. I want to stress first and foremost, that this isn’t a true ménage. It’s a love triangle between the h, the H and an antihero basically. If Bella was actively banging both Edward and Jacob and they both know about it and were relatively ok with it despite their personalities and feelings towards one another being unchanged, then you would get this book.
I can’t say it made the experience less enjoyable exactly, but I was looking forward to a more traditional ménage with a HEA, and this was definitely not that.
I’m a bit puzzled as to why Kent chose this particular route, other than the spicy sex scenes.
We start the story in medias res, and it’s pretty clear from around chapter two that the trouple is having issues and the relationship won’t last. It was a bit weird having basically zero context as to how things used to be before they soured. Julia says everything was peachy and Drayton and Mike were all buddy-buddy, but it’s hard to get invested when throughout the whole story both men were at each other’s throats and Mike threw more than one jealous hissy fit. I really hate flashbacks normally, but I think they could’ve worked here.
I also found it odd how the reader is basically expected to root for Mike from the very beginning. You could adjust the story slightly to make Drayton just a close friend, and nothing much would’ve changed. Honestly, it all felt very one sided, and again I question why go about it like this.

Characters:

Julia: For the most part, I liked Julia a lot. She was capable, smart and kind without being a wet blanket. My problems with her started around 60% into the story, when she started acting like an idiot. I get that you wouldn’t immediately drop your boyfriend when things get bad, but she was willing to ignore some very serious red flags. I understand she couldn’t go to the police, as she didn’t have much evidence to support her claims, but when your man has guns in the house, is consorting with potentially dangerous criminals who try to run over and flat out admits he’s into shady stuff, you run girl, you don’t stick around to see what happens. I know romance novels tend to be on the unrealistic side, but Finished was actually fairly grounded in reality, so Julia’s attitude pissed me off.

Mike: He was fine. He was a nice guy and I don’t have much to say about him. Wish we knew more about this past and relationship with Drayton, as I felt pretty unmoved by the issues he was experiencing with him. He was also they only one who reacted to things the way a normal person would, so I appreciated that.

Drayton: I found him frustrating. His whole persona was cloaked in mystery, which was kind of the point, but there was nothing there to humanize him. He was a dick all along, didn’t have any character development, and I was frankly happy when he took off. I wish Kent had done a better job of fleshing him out, as maybe then I could have cared about his part in the relationship.

I really liked Helen, Julia’s best friend, and the “bad guys” were adequate enough I suppose.


Overall, I liked this one quite a bit and would cautiously recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind love triangles/sharing in their romance, but I’ll admit it kinda made me want to read a proper ménage soon-ish.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Not terrible but not good either and towards the end I kept waiting for it to be over, never a good sign.

[Callixta · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://blue-moon.fr/spip.php?article1...

Voilà une preuve une fois de plus de l’évolution de la romance actuelle et de l’audace de certaines auteures américaines que l’on qualifie de prudes et de traditionnelles. Cela prouve aussi que les limites du genre sont en train de bouger sérieusement. Claire Kent alias Noelle Adams a la liberté de l’auto-édition et un sérieux talent et elle choisit une histoire plutôt audacieuse. Quand elle publie sous ce pseudo, Claire Kent fait de la romance érotique, il est vrai mais la façon dont elle va aborder le ménage à trois est très originale.

Tout d’abord, le trio héros du roman est déjà en place. Il ne s’agit pas de la rencontre de deux hommes et d’une femme mais d’un ménage déjà installé qui va au contraire se trouver confronté à des difficultés. De plus, tout cela se déroule dans une parfaite « normalité » si ce mot a un sens réel. Mike, Drayton et Julia sont des personnes intégrées à la société qui travaillent et vivent leur relation quasiment au grand jour. Ils partagent un appartement et leur liaison n’est pas un jeu sexuel réservé à un club ou à des soirées sexy mais un mode de vie. Il semblerait que les couples homosexuels et le développement de la romance MM ont entrainé des questions sur le terme de famille, de relation amoureuse. Finalement, ces trois là ont fixé des règles précises à leur liaison et ne cherchent pas forcément le mariage et la procréation. Cela change considérablement de ce que l’on peut lire dans la romance et même de ce que l’on trouve admissible dans la réalité. Evidemment, ici, l’évolution de l’histoire est plus ou moins réaliste et peut-être que Claire Kent démontre l’inverse c’est à dire que ce mode de vie est bien difficile mais elle ne le caricature jamais, ne le juge pas davantage et va poser de bien intéressantes questions sur la notion d’amour, de vie en couple ou en trio, de viabilité de cette relation, sur l’équilibre aussi que nécessite cette liaison. Bref, c’est passionnant.

Au début du roman, tout va bien au paradis des ménages à trois. Drayton est un élégant et séduisant photographe, au charme soigneusement étudié, Mike est plus rude, plus frustre, plus mâle et Julia a une situation plutôt sympathique entre ces deux là. Certaines scènes sont une vraie publicité pour ce choix de vie. Deux hommes pour prendre soin d’une femme, cela a des côtés très attractifs ! Mais Claire Kent démontre aussi la fragilité de la situation car, très vite, on sent que dans ce joli tableau, quelques fissures commencent à apparaître. Drayton est très secret et a visiblement conservé des secrets. Cela est-il possible dans un ménage à trois où la confiance et les règles établies sont très strictes ? Mike est-il totalement heureux de cette situation ? Ami de longue date de Drayton, il a toujours partagé des femmes avec lui mais Julia est-elle comme les autres pour lui ? Racontée du point de vue de Julia, l’histoire va peu à peu évoluer. Car Julia, elle, est parfaitement heureuse et ne va découvrir les fissures qu’au fil du roman.

Ce que réussit moins bien Claire Kent c’est l’évolution de Drayton. Il cache en effet beaucoup de choses et ce n’est pas toujours très crédible. C’est peut-être trop aussi. Mais le message fonctionne. On s’interroge vraiment sur le possibilité de vivre une relation à trois sur ce mode là, pas simplement pour le boost sexuel mais parce qu’on peut être attiré par plusieurs personnes. Est-ce que la jalousie disparaît ? Est-ce que l’amitié qu’on avait avant avec un des membres peut en sortir intacte ? Est-ce que l’amour peut-être également réparti entre les trois membres ? Ce qui est intéressant c’est que chaque personnage n’a pas forcément la même opinion.

Voilà donc un roman étonnant, réussi qui change vraiment les perspectives et qu’il faut lire l’esprit ouvert et avec curiosité.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I choose to read this book because it was unconventional - a woman named Julia is in a monogamous relationship with two men named Drayton and Mike. Drayton is the metro sexual guy who likes the finer things in life. Mike is the lovable and caring teddy bear. They live together but have separate bedrooms.

Things in the story shift from the focus of their relationship to a now mystery. Drayton is keeping some secrets from Mike and Julia, and with some snooping around, Julia and Mike discover some things about Drayton - like he's the son of Six (a famous and successful burglar of the very expensive and finer things in life), and he is a criminal with a couple of bad people after him. There is a kidnapping and gun shooting involved in this book to add to the drama.

So the reader has action from the bad people and jealousy/angst from the relationship because Mike becomes more emotionally involved with Julia, which rubs Drayton the wrong way.

I originally read this book because the premise was different from what I normally read. However, while there was action, it was short lived. This book was interesting and kept my attention, but it isn't something I would reread, like I do with books I love. 3 stars!

[Marla Mei · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Wow this is really good. Like I'm genuinely surprised by how good this is. I tend to not have high expectations when reading erotica so I went into this thinking that this would just be another mindless and shallow book pretending to have a story but is basically just porn on paper. It was so more than that! This book was not only hot, but very engrossing too but not just because of the sex! I'll be honest, whenever I read erotica, it's never for the story but (mostly) always for the sex but with this one, I wasn't even once tempted to skip to the sexy parts. It was that good.

Very compelling storyline. I approve.

[seton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: erotic romance with menage and suspense
Standalone? yes
Rating: 2.75

[Lori Kays · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book I've read in 2025 so far and that's exciting because I've been in a bit of a slump. This book definitely kept me interested the whole time and I couldn't wait to read the next page. The little bit of mystery offered kept things interesting as the tension gradually increased and the sex, as always in a Claire Kent book, was phenomenal. I liked the heroine initially and definitely liked the H top to bottom. Now this was almost a 5 star for me, but a couple things held it back. The main thing is a problem inherent in the nature of this book going from M/f/M to M/f, in order for that to happen, you have to make the H who's going to stay significantly more likeable than the H who's getting the boot. This was every bit as predictable as you'd think it was. You immediately know who's end game and who's just passing through. Unfortunately, the heroine has not gotten this memo. I think part of it was the fact that we didn't get to see the good side of Drayton like she did and it seemed perfectly obvious to us that she should cut ties with him and make something real with Mike. It didn't feel like loyalty though, it was more than she was incredibly gullible and irresolute. Like she put it to her friend, she was "a wishy-washy weakling" I can appreciate wanting to be fair to your partner, but he had lied to her, to her face over and over again and it was apparent that there just couldn't be anything there. It only got worse as the book went on until near the end you wanted to smack sense into her. After he literally SHOT at Mike, albeit with no intention of hitting him or harming him, but still insane behavior, she's still like "I don't know, we can still save this!" 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️ Woman, please. I also thought it was embarrassingly hilarious that she told herself not to call Mike because she didn't want him influencing her and then went IMMEDIATELY to Drayton, the master manipulator, the person who, even when you knew for a fact they were lying, made it seem perfectly believable. Worse yet, she went there knowing all this about him and she immediately falls for his machinations. As they say in Pitch Meeting it was"Super easy barely an inconvenience". I was pissed FOR Mike when she slept with Drayton at the end. It was ridiculous how she tried to justify her actions by saying "I'm allowed to! We've always done it this way!" I think the minute Drayton *shot* at Mike, that arrangement went out the window. This is why she needs Mike, someone who truly cares about her who can think logically for her when she's too featherbrained to do that herself. If only she had been this self-aware! I have to admit I was pretty satisfied when she finally realized who Drayton truly was when he left her a naked and tied up hostage and basically gambled her life that they were bluffing. It was definitely a "Duh bitch!" moment. That was the other slight disappointment, with all the mystery surrounding Drayton, the reveal was very anticlimactic, abrupt and predictable. He was just a high class thief? I wanted there to be more! Like secret society or something. The candle thing seemed like it needed to be more significant! There were so many unanswered questions at the end, that it felt like maybe there was another book where those characters were explained in greater detail, but as far as I can tell, there's been no other book made with them in the last 10 years, so that appears to not be the case. But then Mike and Julia get their HEA and it was every bit as good as you would hope for and nothing too tragic happened to any one, even Drayton who I honestly thought was going to have to die for Julia to let him go, that sad sad woman. Overall, definitely recommend as I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

[soli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! I've read a few of Kent's books and the ones I have read, I just adored. I adore her writing. Her stories are always well-written, her characters aren't annoying and immature, the plot is enough to keep me engaged, and last but *definitely* not least, the sex scenes are always scorching hot! All this from one author?! My prayers have been answered!! It's hard for me to find authors that suit my particular tastes, so Kent is like a godsend. It's just too bad that she'll most likely no longer write under this pen name. She also writes under Noelle Adams, but I hear those stories are slightly different in terms of tone & steam factor? Not sure.

So our three characters here are all part of an exclusive ménage à trois wherein they've agreed on no emotional strings. But of course, it's not going to stay that way forever! Especially when one of them is keeping a secret that could affect the others.

I really appreciate that there was no slut-shaming in this. I can't seem to get away from it in a lot of these romances! In fact, that's what I like about all the books I've read from this author. It's not a sin for the women to enjoy sex and have a strong libido. It's just seen as natural. And what woman (who's attracted to men) hasn't fantasized about being with two hot men?

I liked the characters--Julia, Mike, and Drayton, although the latter slightly annoyed me at times for being so distant and evasive even though yeah yeah, they'd established no emotional strings and all that. And also there was the whole pointing a gun at them and firing a warning shot at Mike thing, so yeah. And I'm still a little confused about what his intentions were with Julia during the whole climactic scene...?? But I definitely felt things had come full circle by the end of the story, even though it was a little sad that he had to leave literally everything behind. It leaves me wondering if he ever managed to find emotional intimacy again since his chosen "profession" made for a pretty isolating and lonely life. So the fact that I cared about that is something. The epilogue was a nice touch and I didn't realize how glad I would be to have that closure.

Mike was super hot and I gotta say, I was rooting for him the entire time. I kinda wish, though, that we could've seen him being more possessive over Julia when they were all being intimate. I definitely wouldn't have minded if his caveman side had come out more. ;)

Just wanna thank the author for writing hot, well-written stories with real emotion!!

[Jessica CW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia has the ultimate fantasy as her reality, two hot, willing and dedicated men to bring her to a passionate conclusion as often as she likes. They have many similar bedroom tastes, she gets lots of O's and well it all appears to be working out.... Until two of them want more.

Mike and Drayton have an undefined relationship, are they best friends who share, were they formal lovers that indulge a hetero polyamory relationship with their female room mate, or are they beginning to be on the outs....

Drayton isn't everything he says he is when he leaves certain pieces out and he cannot be as invested as Mike and Julia. Mike wants more, he wants exclusivity, he wants love.

I really enjoyed this look at what happens when the polyamarous relationship breaks down into something else and add in a splash of danger and you will be turning the page on this book.

I was so happy to receive this book as a gift from the author who has dual pen names, I felt compelled to share my review.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Your Typical Threesime

This is complex. The many sex scenes serve to demonstrate how each man differs in their character as well as their intent with her. It’s set up as a mystery of sorts once trust breaks down. I appreciated its originality. Claire Kent is always refreshingly atypical

[Booknook Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irrational anger upon completion

I'm not sure what I am so angry about but I am. Somehow this story missed the mark for me despite the excellent writing. I wanted more sex scenes and less...something.

[Nique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really hard for me to figure out how I felt about this book. It was kinda a happy ending but also a bittersweet ending…
It was weird reading a book I thought was a ménage and turned into a couple in the end…

[Mysterious · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I'm not usually a fan of flashbacks but it felt like this story needed some. The character development just didn't feel sufficient for me. And the "secret past" plot really came out of left field and didn't feel relevant to the emotional story I was actually interested in.

[LoAn Do · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love this book

This was the best story I have ever read between two men and a women. Thank you for this wonderful book. Read it. Completely worth your time

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished

This book is about love,respect and the how people love and live there lives together.well written and also how each handles there time together.

[Christy Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really odd

[Nay Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange of an honest review.

This was unbelievably amazing to read! Claire Kent did a perfect job with this story and the characters -- I mean I was truly blown away with the back story for each character. The romance was intense and the plot twist was outrageous.

The story follows a threesome "relationship" between Julia, Mike and Drayton. At first I was completely confused about their "relationship" -- three people in a non-committed no strings, sexual exclusivity "relationship." Really? That's just crazy as heck to me. One can only see that a relationship as such can only go wrong.

Julia was a very naïve and hopeful woman. She was content in her threesome with both guys and felt that "relationship" completely perfect between them. She was so aggravating! I didn't understand why she just didn't let go when she saw the signs of their "relationship" failing. She allowed herself to be dragged and played emotionally to a man that didn't love her truthfully and another man that wanted her fully. What killed me is that no matter how many times Drayton lied to her or put her life in danger she still had hope for him -- ummm, she should have kicked his butt to the curb! Julia just was too immature to see what was truthfully before her. I'm glad that she did begin to see, even if it was at the very last minute when her life depended on it.

Mike was the perfect guy in this madness for me. He was the perfect balance between Julia naivety and Drayton's selfishness. Mike was the innocent person in this because he came into the "relationship" after having a one-time threesome with Drayton and Julia. Mike was once content with the "relationship" but eventually came to his senses and knew he wanted out and with Julia on his arm. Mike was wise, he knew things couldn't work out and couldn't be fixed. He kept his mouth shut for a while simply because he wanted to Julia happy, but the more he learned about Drayton's lies and his life things just stopped working for him completely and he decided to walk out on the threesome. I admired Mike in this book -- he was strong, sweet, loving, gentle and heartfelt. At the same time he was also brave, rough when needed and protective. He was the ideal perfect man.

Drayton was a complete and utter disappoint for me. I didn't like him from the start, I felt he was too into being sexual and not enough of being intimate without the sex. He was unreliable, a lair, selfish and just not a real people person. Finding out who he is, what he does for work and who his father was completely blew my mind and was completely unexpected. I didn't expect Drayton to be that much of a douchebag, but he seriously was. That part in the house before he and Mike fought pissed me off. How could you willingly walk away from a woman you say you loved and cared about and leave he for dead? I wanted to shot him my damn self! He pissed me off and in the end I was excited that he walked out and away from the threesome "relationship" he had with Mike and Julia. He was such a pitiful man sulking in his own misery that he could find a way out of. I think his excuse alone about doing what he does to stay close to his dad (since he died) was extremely pitiful. Drayton was just a damn disappoint.

Those sex scenes were rather graphic and sounded very enticing to read. I loved how visual is was without being over the top descriptive. Totally on point and hot!

That ending was insanely perfect. I'm glad with outcome between Julia and Mike -- I didn't see it coming at first, but it was amazing. Also what Drayton sent was absolutely sweet. Even though he was a complete douchebag the entire book, he had a sweet heart in the end.

I wish there was a sequel to this beauty! Highly recommend.

[Melanie Marnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A threesome is a challenging even on the best days. Mike, Drayton and Julia started their relationship as an uncommitted,sexual one. But after time, things began to chang. Feelings begin to come into play. Drayton's dark, mysterious and urbane persona becomes more secretive. Mike's usual laid back attitude becomes tension filled whenever Drayton is around. Julia feels her two men and their relationship slipping away and she is unsure how to stop it. Secrets are revealed and lives put at risk. One walks away but will the remaining two survive?

[Stacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three people living together with an exclusive “no emotional strings” sexual relationship happening between the three of them. From the start I had no idea how a “no emotional strings” relationship would work, especially when this group of people had been together for over a year… you have to form some type of attachment to a person after this amount of time. But this is Claire Kent we are talking about and knowing her writing, I figured it was going to be a sexy ménage’ story.

The book literally starts off with a bang (pun intended) and we get a glimpse into how the “relationship” between Mike, Julia, and Drayton works.
Julia used to be a fairly traditional, single woman when she met Drayton, they dated for a few months when the idea of a threesome came up. They all enjoyed it so much, that after hooking up several more times they decided to move in together.
Mike is the quiet, laid-back guy. But lately he seems more and more intense with Julia and the friendship between Mike and Drayton is almost non-exist.
Drayton is the irresistible one; he is experienced and has a level of mysteriousness to him. His “mysterious” ways are starting to look more like secrets and lies, which could cause major problems in this relationship.

“Life isn’t about perfect happy endings. They’re impossible in this world. Life is about choosing. And then about giving up what we don’t choose.”

This definitely isn’t your typical male/female/male relationship, due to all the secrets and lies. While the first half of the book was spent getting to know exactly how their relationship worked and more about how they came to be together, the second half of the book seemed more of a mystery/suspense type book; which to me, didn’t seem to fit with the original premise of the book.

One thing that I didn’t understand and had a problem was Julia. If she suspected one of her lovers of suspicious activity (I won’t say which “lover” she suspected, to avoid spoilers) why did she continue to live with him, slept with him, and trust him. He did so many things that were fishy and he gave her plenty of reasons to think something wasn’t right. Plus when things started to get a little dangerous, why didn’t she talk to him about it or go to the police? Instead she decides to have sex with him!! The whole just wasn’t realistic.
Plus I really didn’t feel a connection to Julia. I found her to be weak, easily persuaded, and kinda wishy-washy.
Mike was probably the only character I felt like I got to know and enjoyed. He was protective, loving, and he tried to make his feelings for Julia known.

I did enjoy the first part of this book and am I huge fan of Claire Kent’s other books. I think part of my problem was that I assumed that this was a romance book like Claire normally writes; but clearly it is not. As a reader, you should go into this knowing you are reading more of a romantic suspense book than anything else, this might you enjoy it more. I would have liked less dramatics and more connection. I also would have liked more of an explanation of the ending; instead I was left feeling kind of confused.

[Three Chicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
Review by Jen Hagen

Julia, Drayton and Mike have been involved together in a no-strings/no-commitment relationship for the last 18 months. They are exclusive to each other, but there is no guarantee of a future between them—if one wants out that would cause it all to crumble. It’s all or nothing. Julia couldn’t have picked two different men to be with – it’s as if they are from two different worlds, which in essence is exactly what they are. Drayton is the more demanding and influential male of the two who also speaks with a British accent, while Mike is the softy and the one to cuddle Julia following their sex when Drayton leaves the bed. Drayton and Mike were friends prior to this relationship and go back about 15 years. Unfortunately, things haven’t been going well between the males and it seems as if there isn’t even a friendship present anymore. One of these men has changed dramatically over the course of their relationship.

“He was always arrogant and private, but he wasn’t always like this. He’s changed, Julia. Hardened. I know you’ve seen it too. And I’m not sure how long I can go pretending it’s still all right.”


There is definitely tension building and the cause is not only the lies that one man seems to be capable of telling, but also that one of the men seems to have developed deeper feelings for Julia than what they had agreed upon. He is wanting her all to himself…no sharing. The other man sees it while Julia remains blissfully unaware.

“Where do you think the tension has come from? Julia, he wants you. And he doesn’t want me to have you too…He wants you to himself. Which leaves me the odd man out.”

One man is hiding a deep secret that will place all of them in danger. This will lead to both men walking away at separate times, but one of them will stay away for good.

“Life isn’t about perfect happy endings. They’re impossible in this world. Life is about choosing. And then giving up what we don’t choose.”


When given the opportunity, will Julia stay with one man or does the other man believe she doesn’t have feelings for him and she only sees him as “half” and not an entire man. There were times I wanted to be frustrated with Julia, but she wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was involved equally with two men, so even if there were disturbances amongst the equilibrium, she was never technically cheating while having sex with only one of the men. She was equally invested with both of them and even though it was easy for me to see that she needed to cut one loose, she was still trying to make certain that they would all 3 be able to stay together. She was acting solely as a peacekeeper and not as a manipulator.


I’m okay with menage as long as it is done classy, and Ms. Kent did a fantastic job telling their story. I have never been disappointed with Ms. Kent’s writings and look forward to anything she writes as either Noelle Adams or under her pen name Claire Kent.

[ReadMeAStory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the more interesting books that make my Favorites pile.

The plot takes a back seat for me, and the RELATIONSHIP drives my interest.

...Okay, that does happen in other books but... you'll get what I mean if you read this one.

I LOVED this book - I have reread it many, many times... and I've reread certain scenes maaaany, maaaaany times ;)

I was horrified to find that I hadn't reviewed it.
HERE'S ME FIXING THAT.
If you'e considering this book and looking at reviews and wondering, "Hmmm?"
Here's what you need to know:
Do you like Claire Kent's style? That side of relationship-realism that is dished out with her plots? There is nothing out there quite like her style for writing this.
You'll love that here.

Some are critical about the sex being a bigger drive to the plot than the story itself.

I think what the issue is is that there are several sex scenes (***HOLY MELT-YOUR-KINDLE-HOT) and the relationship is built for us right there - showing us all the components you need to know about these characters. WithOUT these scenes, you wouldn't see all the layers to the two male leads. For one of the heroes, his character's emergence later would come out of the blue instead of having these subtle shades placed in every scene as he tamps down on his natural urges in favor of being what he needs to be to make Julia as comfortable as possible when there is another alpha in the room.

I was so intrigued by the way this book ended; I LIKED that
****SPOILERS unless you've already read other reviews that spoiled it for you; by all means, then proceed:****



the menage did not end up a menage. It added a layer of realism I found fascinating: not everything works out with fairytale endings and singing birds. I just love learning some behind-the-scenes info on this book: in her reader group, the author shared that she had to overhaul the story, and trimmed back the paranormal until it was a contemporary instead. I always wondered about the Drayton plot, it seemed like there was more to the story.
But honestly?
It's remained one of my favorites because of the relationship between the three characters.
I enjoyed the dichotomy between Mike & Drayton --- you can't see Mike's "alpha" until Julia does, and that's when Drayton isn't standing there, overpowering it. Without Drayton, Mike acts sweet (IS sweet) because that's the dynamic he chooses to pick up for her comfort - the story just WOULD NOT BE THE SAME if you had two overbearing alphas, or two super sweet sensitive guys: Instead, you have Drayton the Alpha, and Mike the super sweet, sensitive, observant, adaptable guy who can be anything he needs to be.
And the sexy in these books.
Offfff. The. Charts.
So if you want a fun sexy read where the relationship is put together on top of the sheets, on a chair, in this guy's bed, in that guy's or in hers; whewwwww ...
I'll be in my bunk.

[Sandra Shipman ~ Two Book Pushers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished is the first novel by Claire Kent that I have read and it was awesome and I will add some more of her books to my TBR list.

Julia never thought she would be in the type of relationship she has gotten herself into, a threesome one. She lives and has a sexual relationship with both Drayton and Mike and they agreed over a year ago that it would be a non-emotional one. Drayton and Mike have known each other for fifteen years and have been with Julia for eighteen months. They have been in this kind of relationship before but never long term, Julia was different. Even though Drayton and Mike do not have sex with eachother, Julia is not sure if they have in the past. They of course do interact when Julia is with them.

There are two rules in their relationship. One. No sex with anyone outside of the relationship. Two. No Lies. When both of rules of the relationship start to be tested they are all affected. They are all going through their own turmoil. Julia is thinking that there is something missing, Mike is hiding something that he wants to let out but afraid to, and Drayton has a secrets to be uncovered....

Mike and Julia know there is something going on with Drayton but he will not admit to anything so they have to investigate the situation themselves. They feel betrayed since trust is a big issue with what they have going. They might have their freedoms and they don't get emotional too often but they do care for each-other so if it's something that can affect all of them it needs to be out in the open.

What is Drayton's secret? Can it break them or will they accept him as he is? Can they keep their emotions out of the relationship?

I love love love a mystery and when sex and hot men are involved that is a major plus. This mystery had me reading non-stop with all the twists and characters involved. One minute everything is fine and bam something happens to turn it around. Mike and Drayton are total opposites and I think that is why Julia doesn't want to give either of them up. Ever. I did want to slap her a few times but you don't know what you would do if you were actually in the relationship, just like any other kind. It's a very unique story and I very much enjoyed the ride.

Quotes:

There was a closeness between them, though - a history, an intimacy. And day by day it seemed to be dying.

"Six is incomplete, unfinished, never reaching the end, always one step away from the conclusion. Six is never-ending."

She met his eyes and opened her mouth. Then realized she had no idea what she wanted to say. She had no idea what she wanted. Bus she was pretty sure she didn't want this.

[Nina ~ Meleth Bookaddicted ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINISHED by Claire Kent was a surprising alternation and can in no way be entitled as your typical romance. It has romance, yes, but it also has unexpected twists, suspense, a threesome that has been functioning for one and a half years and tons of sizzling hot steamy scenes.

Julia’s, Mike’s and Drayton’s unconventional relationship is rather an agreement than a real relationship. Yes, they share a apartment and committed to only have sex between the three of them, but emotional ties are not wanted.

Lately Julia senses changes in both men, their friendship or sort of own relationship slowly falling apart, and while she would like for them to form an additional emotional bond, she fears she might be close to losing them both already. Mike, the calm and collected one, the one Julia can always rely on, doesn't seem to be happy anymore and Drayton, the mysterious and unpredictable alpha male, is keeping secrets from them both. Julia desperately tries to keep them together, although both men repeatedly assure her that everything is just fine.
Only when she discovers Drayton has been lying to them both, things finally seem to fall apart: Together with Mike she tries to uncover what Drayton is hiding, but she wouldn't have suspected that her life may be in danger.
When Mike hints that he wants more than just physical affection, things complicate even more.
Once emotions and secrets are revealed – will they find a way to tie their relationship back together? Or will she lose them both?

The story is unexpected and different – I loved that about the book.
As for Drayton… I really liked his mysterious vibe and his caveman behavior, but I didn’t agree on his actions at the end of the book. Although I knew where his decision came from, I thought he needed to do something to redeem himself, to show Julia – and the readers – that there is more to him than this selfish and cold man he appeared to be.
Mike… I loved when he showed his real self! He was so much more than Julia gave him credit for, and I just wanted to see him happy.
And then… Julia. Well, she kind of annoyed me at times, her denial to realize what happened in front of her face. She gave always in to Drayton, found excuses to forgive him again and again when he deserved anything but. And she saw Mike only as her teddy bear, nobody too exciting, only her save haven. Just open your eyes already, girl!

The mystery and suspense component kept me guessing until the end and let the pages flow by. It is a quick read which definitely deviates from the norm in a refreshing way.

Oh, and can you say thrown into the story? It starts with Julia and one of her men midst being at it. Whew!!!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first read this in 2014 and gave it 4 stars. It came to mind the other day so I reread it. All the complaints listed below are still valid, but I found it much more annoying this time. Julia is a horny clueless doormat and Drayton (still hate the name) is a manipulative douchebag. Mike is the only one I liked and he lost some points with me for being so wrapped up in horny doormat.

—————————
2014

This was good. I've enjoyed just about all of Clair Kent's/Noelle Adam's books. This isn't a typical romance, though. I guess it's an erotic romance suspense, maybe? And it's not all sunshine and roses. There is a happy ending, but it isn't fun getting there.

Mike, Drayton (hate that name) and Julia are all in a relationship together (they share an apartment) and have been for about a year and a half. The terms are no emotional attachment, but no sex with anyone outside their threesome, either.

The story starts at the year and a half point in their relationship and things aren't quite right. Julia is unsettled, Mike doesn't seem happy and Drayton is keeping things from them both. It goes from there with Julia trying to keep them together and happy, but also working with Mike to try to find out what Drayton is hiding. Because it starts at a point in their relationship where things are less than stellar, I felt like I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in Drayton. It was very difficult to see why Julia ever saw anything in him. He appeared arrogant, obnoxious, selfish and cold. It seemed to me like Julia had her head up her ass throughout most of the book, not wanting to face the reality right in front of her face. Always making up excuses. And she was so clueless about the two men she was living with. I guess I would be okay with that if it were just sex, as their initial arrangement was described, but things were clearly not just about sex. I wanted to smack her for not seeing the two men as they really were. Even in the end, she didn't seem to completely wake up to reality. The choice was made for her. Her ability to try to find the good in people and not give up on them was supposed be a very high selling point in her personality and the reason the men were so attracted to her (besides being constantly on for sex), but I ended up not liking her all that much. Despite that, I thought the story was pretty different from anything else I've read (I generally avoid threesomes), I liked the idea of it and I thought it was pretty well written.