Crosstown Crush

Sins in the City #1

by Cara McKenna

The first in a new series from the “wicked-hot”* author of Hard Time and Give It All explores the fantasies of a daring married couple — and those of a stranger invited to play along in their scandalous little games . . .

 When he’s working, Mike Heyer is all business — every inch the alpha male, with the hard, capable body to back up his persona. But at home he can be a different man entirely, harboring appetites only his wife gets to glimpse . . .

When Samira first learned of her husband’s fantasies, she was reluctant, even alarmed. But after witnessing the way they set him on fire, she yielded, and happily indulged. As their games have intensified, so has the rush. And now so has the risk — they’re poised to take Mike’s indecent desires to the next level, by opening their bed to a sexy, brazen stranger. A man seeming custom-made to grant every last one of Mike and Samira’s sinful wishes.

Welcoming someone new into their lives was always a dangerous proposition, but the couple imagined if anything was at stake, it was their privacy…not their hearts.
 
*New York Times Bestselling Author Jaci Burton
 

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

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

Since she began writing in 2008, Cara McKenna has published nearly forty romances and erotic novels with a variety of publishers, sometimes under the pen names Meg Maguire and C.M. McKenna. Her stories have been acclaimed for their smart, modern voice and defiance of convention. She was a 2015 RITA Award finalist, a 2014 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award winner, a 2012 and 2011 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee, and a 2010 Golden Heart Award finalist. She lives with her husband and baby son in the Pacific Northwest, though she’ll always be a Boston girl at heart.

For release-day alerts: http://bit.ly/1KBzUZM

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up coz Bern. Full review posted August 28, 2015







Without having articulated it to herself before, she'd always known Bern was here to act as Mike's sexual rival, and though it was all just play, he shouldn't cross the line between sex and affection. Seduction was one thing, but she didn't want what they were doing to resemble romance.
"Keep it dirty," she whispered between kisses.

Rating clarification
Sex 5 stars
Bern 4 stars
Writing 4 stars
Samira 2.5 stars
Mike 2 stars

I always associated Bern with our beautiful Bundesstadt (federal capital). For a couple days, Bern has banned Bern from my mind.

Friendly heads-up
Sex and kink are the story. Don't expect too much in regards to story and character development.

This being said...

YOU ARE KINDLY ADVISED TO TAKE EXIT A…
...if you are looking for a loveydovey romance, sweet-smelling flowers, sugar cookies, and in-depth characterization, plenty of story development and wallflower sex including shy talk about nether regions.

So.

You're still here? Congratulations!

I TAKE IT YOU'D RATHER END UP PANTING HEAVILY, RIGHT?
Now, if you're game for an erotically-charged, hot as balls and dirty as fuck story and are curious what cuckolding is all about, then strap on your seatbelt, relax as much as you can because you'll be getting thoroughly worked up, I can promise you that much. Oh, and keep an oxygen bottle at the ready because a few of those sex scenes are going to leave you breathless and panting for more.

"Just tell me what you need me to be," he whispered, "and I'll be that."

Holy crap. This is some filthy goodness! If you thought that Willing Victim was hot, then you should think again. As I see it, Crosstown Crush is one obscenely hot number. You need to read it and experience yourself why I have a crush on Bern Davies.

My oh my. What.A.Gorgeously.Filthy.And.Insanely.Attractive.Specimen.Of.A.Male.Wonder. And in the same breath (while I still have any), I need to mention that he's a funny and entertaining colloquist as well. Voilà! I feel like I won a ticket to a voyeur show, one indecently hawt show, that is. However, please allow me to objectify him for only one tiny moment. He's just an insanely hot piece of meat. #hangsheadinshame #sorry!

Cuckolding kink…"infidelity" can kindle new passion.

With her husband's consent, Samira is cheating on him. He loves to watch her sexual encounters and is incredibly turned-on by dirty talk, being belittled and demeaned and so forth.

I felt that the chemistry between Samira and Bern was way hotter and more tangible than the sparks she was sharing with her hubs. I didn't really care for Mike even though I should have been rooting for the main characters. What can I say? I blame Bern because he's something else. Heck, he can do me anytime and six ways from Sunday.

Favorite scene
The obscenely hawt sex between 39%-47%.


I'm sorry but I had to spoiler tag a rather extensive section of my thoughts about the most important part of the entire story.

But what happens when the lines get blurry, when kink and lust mesh with budding feelings that can be assigned to the category of romance? In that regard, the story had a lot of apparent and intriguing potential but, in my book, didn't really deliver. Because the story's resolution and in this sense, all three main characters' resolutions, weren't compelling enough for me, not really understandable either.

Let's face it, there was practically one sex scene after another till the 80% mark, where from my perspective, the story finally seemed to prevail the sex. Well, maybe not really but I was so darn curious to see how this situation would pan out. This being said, what I got in the end felt too rushed, too easy even. And, quite frankly, I wasn't happy with Sam who was the one to push the buttons because she wanted it; she got something out of it that she wanted fiercely. Sure, she said that all three of them got something good out of their deal. Though I dare to digress. Bern said that if the situation had been different, he would have dated Sam. And since Sam had a pretty serious crush on Bern, I'm positive that these two would have fallen in love with each other.

This…

"We made this bed precisely how you wanted it, Mike, now we're all fucking lying in it. This is exactly what you asked for. Don't treat me like a home wrecker when all I've ever done is grant your fucking wishes."

Or this…

"You watch yourself, talking like you know the first thing about it."
"The first thing? You have any clue all the e-mails she and I wrote, setting this up just right? For you? I know all the logistics she worried about. I know how badly she wanted this to work. For you. I promised you guys I'd be fucking monogamous to you, to keep this going. Because it was a good goddamn thing, a thing you wanted. And I did, too, and Sam wanted to make you happy. Now maybe she wants it for her own reasons--emotional ones, as much as sexual. She wants it, outside of your parameters, and suddenly it's a goddamn crisis?"
"This was never about inviting you to get designs on my wife."
Bern cocked his head. "That's exactly what it was about. That's what cuckolding fucking is."
"We didn't invite you into our marriage to date her. To get emotionally involved with her."
"You didn't, huh?"
"No."
Bern stared him down. "Then exactly which of us is the prostitute to you? Me or your wife?"


What I want to say is that Bern's gain out of their deal was a measly share. And, I honestly doubt that he'll be satisfied in the long haul. He had feelings for Sam but the crux of the matter was that he mustn't react on them. I was wondering what their life will look like in a few months or even a couple years down the road. Will they ever go out, all three of them together? Will all three of them hold hands, kiss in public? Or will they be confined to Sam and Mike's house forever or as long as their kinky relationship will last? I just…can't believe that's something I'd strive for even if I was into that kind of kink. Being sexually satisfied during their role play is one thing, but it's not a substitute for being emotionally and intimately fulfilled. It's not a compensation for being and feeling truly loved. That's why I feel sad for Bern. Did I make any sense at all?

"I can't promise I won't fall in love with him. But I can promise he'll never take your place. I'm never going to leave you for him. We've built a life together. We've been testing and strengthening what we've got for years.(…)"

Sam's statement is pretty mind-boggling, TBH. It's possible that she might fall in love with Bern but, hey, let's reassure the "threatened" and insecure hubs and tell him what will make him happy. She will never leave him (hypothetically speaking).

Or this...

He can control his expectations and his emotions, if the payoff is worth it to him--if what the three of us can be for each other is worth it to him, and I believe it is.

She believes it because she's eager to keep the relationship going. This begs the question for how long he will be able or want to control his expectations and his emotions. And is the payoff really worth it? I just think that cost and gain are out of proportion.


I'd say I never really connected with Sam and Mike on an emotional level. Besides, the sex between these two was never as huge a turn-on as it was between Sam and Bern. Chemistry, anyone? I'd go so far and admit that I felt outright indifferent toward Mike. He might have a hot body but, honestly, I could not have cared less. As a person, he didn't really spark my interest at all. Also, when it truly mattered (the conflict), he only accomplished to piss me off anyway. Plus, I thought the constant forehead kisses were really weird. I can't say much about Sam. I just wasn't fond of her and she came on too strong and too egoistic on the occasion of the conflict. That lip biting quirk: The very last thing I needed was a reminder of that crappy FSoG book. I didn't sight any inner goddess, though. Thanks for small favors. Another issue I had was that due to the huge amount of sex and the kink itself, the role-play dialogue came off somewhat repetitive after a while.


Bottom line
Crosstown Crush really thrives on all the hot and kinky smexin'. I understand that an author is fully entitled to guide a story in a direction that might not please me. Yet it is my right to verbalize my opinion and I will say this before I come to an end with my review: When a book is 297 or 336 pages long (apparently Amazon couldn't make up their mind), then I think I am entitled to expect more in the department of character and story development. In that regard, Crosstown Crush didn't fully deliver. Even so and in spite of my issues, I still enjoyed Crosstown Crush. It's a no-brainer anyway because whatever Cara McKenna writes, she's a must read for me. And she's one of those authors who write erotic stories that turn my crank big time. Thus I can't wait to read the next installment in her new and sinfully sexy series!


Warning
Crosstown Crush contains strong language and plenty of explicit sex: M/F, M/F/M, some light M/M (no penetration) and voyeurism.


Recommended read.


All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy

**ARC courtesy of PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Alexis Hall]

Source of book: bought me apparently yikes
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.

Further disclaimer: Readers, please stop accusing me of trying to take down “my competition” because I wrote a review you didn’t like. This is complete nonsense. Firstly, writing isn’t a competitive sport. Secondly, I only publish reviews of books in the subgenre where I’m best known (queer romcom) if I have good things to say. And finally: taking time out of my life to read an entire book and then write a GR review about it would be a profoundly inefficient and ineffective way to damage the careers of other authors. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.

*******************************************

Oh boy.

Listen, I really admire Cara McKenna as a writer. I think she’s legitimately edgy and bold and fascinating. The only reason I haven’t read everything she’s written is because she’s not writing currently so I’m sort of saving them for, you know, special occasions.

This book, however. This book did not work for me. Like, at all. Like, I do not think I could imagine a book that could work less well for me. And I don’t know if that’s the book itself or what the book is about.

I think I’ve made it pretty clear, from my own writing and things I’ve said about my writing, that for me sex—well, sex in the romance genre (although, honestly, to some degree, sex beyond it)—is about what it means, not what you do. Not in the sense of “it must mean twu wuv” but in the sense that it’s the context and the emotions involved that deliver the charge, not where you put what, or how. Like no kink, no act, is inherently anything. You can participate tenderly in watersports, degrade someone with a kiss, be powerful and penetrated, dominate someone as an act of service: sex is what you make it and specific to the participants.

Crosstown Crush, however, confronted me with the limits of this philosophy.

Because it’s about cuckolding. And, while I am not here to kinkshame anyone (as long as everyone is consenting and legal, what gets you off, gets you off), the fact remains that this is just a fucking ugly fetish. And even Cara McKenna can’t convince me otherwise. I mean, when I was younger I felt differently or at least felt indifferent—free sex, humiliate a straight guy, why the hell not—but it became inescapable to me, and remains inescapable to this day, that the whole concept of cuckolding requires a tacit acceptance of ideas that run contrary to everything I believe as regards, um, gender, queerness, relationships, society, the inherent dignity of people? Obviously the woman in the middle of this bullshit can absolutely consent to it but ultimately what she’s consenting to is the reduction of herself to an object that confers or denies masculinity to men. And that’s just kinda gross? Especially when the sort of sex the woman is expected to have with the, ahem, bull to use the appropriate terminology is very often intended to be or perceived as demeaning: it’s not “and this nice fellow will give the missus some superior oral”, it’s “and this real man will ruin your wife with his sexual aggression.” That has nothing to do with the woman’s pleasure or involvement (even if she incidentally gets off on it): it’s just a woman’s body being used as a tool within a sexual paradigm that begins and ends with the sovereignty of masculinity.

Like, I’ve got an idea. If you want to have sex in a purely masculine context … sleep with another dude. It’s not difficult.

Though, of course, that’s the messy thing here. Because cuckolding runs orthogonally to queerness. There are straightforward manifestations of cuckolding “tropes” that already exist comfortably in the world: threesomes, partner sharing, open relationships, poly relationships, men having sex together. But, obviously, they don’t have the same charge because cuckolding is about fear and humiliation and desires (like, perhaps the wish to temporarily abandon the burden of masculine control) that feel taboo because of the cisheteropatriarchy. The thing is, I do get when it comes to complicated or controversial kinks, there’s always going to be ethical questions you have to ask yourself (can you indulge in CNC without contributing to rape culture, for example) but cuckolding is just like … that all the way down with no end in sight. I think you could probably make an argument that CNC isn’t *dependent* on rape culture to be hot. There’s a lot about power and control and freedom and the forbidden in there that I don’t think would be measurably damaged if we had a better conviction rate for sexual assault. Cuckolding, though, wouldn’t be anything at all if we lived in a culture that accepted that masculinity isn’t the centre of the universe, that women are neither the possessions of men nor reflections of them, that the default relationship doesn’t have to be 1 cis man plus 1 cis woman, that if a woman cheats on you it’s a reflection of your relationship not your masculinity (or your dick size), that the penis is just a lump of meat that says nothing about you (be that your gender identity, your personal worth, or your capacity to be a pleasing lover), that submission is not the opposite of power, and—for the love of fucking god—that sucking a dick isn’t some profound mortification of the self. Some of us do that for fun.

Anyway. Sorry for the rant about cuckolding. I offer this context because I want to acknowledge that Cara McKenna does her damnest in Crosstown Crush to present this fetish in a way that is sex-positive, woman-centering, empathetic and arousing. She just couldn’t succeed for me in any way, shape or form because of ALL THE ABOVE. I sincerely appreciated she tried, though? I mean, that’s some bold shit to take on, and way beyond what I’ve seen many other erotic romances try to tackle.

Even by erotic romance standards, this book leans heavily on the erotic and lightly on romance. The plot is simply that Samira enjoys indulging her husband Mike’s (a super macho police dude) cuckolding fetish by creating elaborate scenarios where they both pretend she’s been cheating on him. She encourages him to escalate by involving an actual person and they advertise on the internet for a man to fulfil the fantasy. Enter Bern, a nice guy with a dog, a big dick, and an exhibitionist streak. Cue sexy times out the wazoo until it becomes apparent that Sam and Bern have actual feelings for each other, at which point Mike absolutely loses his shit. Eventually he and Sam reconcile, and she encourages him not to throw away the mutually sexually satisfying dynamic with Bern. Cut to six months later and apparently it’s all great now.

kay.

I guess, I should say that I do like that Sam and Mike are an older couple at least by romance standards (in their forties I think) and I like how solid their marriage is portrayed as being (at least until Mike acts like a godawful wanker at the end). I thought there was interesting background to the action of the story as regards Sam coming to terms with Mike’s kink: like it’s not an immediate sell for her, but she warms up to it, enjoying first the power of being able to inflame her lover’s desires in quite a specific way, and then find her own meaning/pleasure in it. There’s also that trademark McKenna balance of sexiness/awkwardness too, for example the first time Samira is with Bern she fakes an orgasm because the situation is too new for her:

She teased herself as Bern pleasured her between her legs, hoping maybe she could come. Everything felt good, but it was so different as well, too distracting in its newness. She had a noisy, analytical brain, and she couldn’t get off unless she was truly relaxed, so she couldn’t say if it was in the cards for tonight. But Mike needn’t know that.

There’s also a fair bit of talk—both negotiation and logistics—which I appreciated since complicated sexual dynamics don’t just happen by themselves. And while I hated—hated—Mike’s freak out at the end (he literally goes and punches Bern for the crime of not having sufficiently degrading, objectifying sex with his wife) I was interested that the book wanted to take on ideas about fidelity and emotional betrayal in a long-term relationship where sex with someone other than the primary partner was already on the table. Like, these aren’t straightforward things to navigate, and it doesn’t feel like they get explored often in romance, even at the erotic romance end of the spectrum. On top of which, Bern seemed like a nice guy and I liked Sam a lot. She comes across as a woman who is not implausibly confident, but she’s got a certainty and a steadiness that seems spring from knowing who she is and what she wants from life. For example, she says to her husband:

“The more I imagined being attracted enough to other men to cheat, the more I could admit to myself, hey, I am attracted to men other than the one I married. I don’t think women always like admitting that to themselves. We get so beaten over the head with the Mr. Right fairy tale, like true love can override biology.”

And, as I said above, the book works really hard to give Sam agency in a dynamic that is—at its core—about competition between a couple of straight guys in crisis. Specifically, she’s into being desired by two men (and also by watching those men interact sexually with each other—the fact neither of them are attracted to men doesn’t seem to impede her enjoyment) and, by the time we get to the magic sports game and sex epilogue, we learn that they’ve found ways work more fully with each other’s kinks: Samira’s yen for threesomes, Mike’s cuckolding fetish, and Bern’s exhibitionism. In pure concept, I dug this: I liked that their preferences don’t quite mesh, but they find spaces of compromise between them. That’s, y’know, adult (in the sense of ‘mature’ rather than ’18-rated’) and interesting.

But I just don’t think the book managed to escape the reality of its premise. It’s definitely aiming to be sexy, more than romantic, but it is an erotic *romance* and I think Crosstown Crush genuinely ran aground on the fact that it’s really hard to make cuckolding come across as remotely romantic. It doesn’t help that the only time we get to be in Mike’s head is when he’s having his fetish served to him so he comes across like he’s basically only got one thing going on—which is how to get his rocks off while a man with a bigger dong uses his wife. At least Sam and Bern actually talk to each other. They exchange sexy texts; he comforts her in a moment of emotional crisis. Mike is just … there. Until he flips his lid. And, don’t get me wrong, I do understand why seeing someone be emotionally intimate with your partner when you’d only negotiated sexual intimacy would definitely smash your boundaries to pieces but they both confront him with the fact that he essentially expects them to be pornographic bonk robots with no desires or feelings of their own and he still feels justified in punching Bern in the face.

"We made this bed precisely how you wanted it, Mike, now we’re all fucking lying in it. This is exactly what you asked for. Don’t treat me like a home wrecker when all I’ve ever done is grant your fucking wishes."

I think part of the issue is that emotions are a bit thin on the ground. We never really get any acknowledgement from Mike about the agency his fetish has stripped from his wife (I mean, he is essentially throwing a tantrum here because she had a feeling, rather than living purely by his fantasy script) or about how completely unreasonably he’s treated Bern who… you know. If I wanted a man to fuck my wife to get me off and humiliate me, I’d ask him. He seems like a genuinely great guy, far more sensitive to Sam and Mike’s needs than they ever are of his (and it’s actually kind of sad-making in places where he’s looking to engage tenderly and intimately with Sam in a sexual content but he can’t because he’s there to fulfil a single fantasy of masculine dominance).

The only vulnerability we ever see from Mike exists within his fetish—when he indulges in a fantasy of shame, loss, and humility, sometimes with another man’s cock in his mouth—and when he’s worried about losing Sam. But those are pretty fucking shallow expressions of vulnerability, and don’t really move away from the fundamental notion that his wife belongs to him in some way or another. Worse still, I think because Mike’s sexuality is so centred on complex (and, frankly, problematic) notions of emasculation, there’s a kind of underlying desperation within the text itself to compensate for that by ensuring the rest of the time he’s stereotypically masculine to the point of having no personality and almost no humanity. Right down to the epilogue reassuring us:

“[Mike] was stronger in his role than he had been before– less humiliated and helpless, and far more openly excited by watching them. Bossier, too– probably a touch eager to keep his alpha status clear this time around. Sam loved the change, loved this gruff new version of Mike more than the pathetic one he used to favor. He seemed like the conductor of his desires now, not merely a passive audience.”

I mean … I’m not sure I can even begin—or be bothered—to unpick this. So this man has a fetish that is very explicitly wrapped up the humiliation of being unable to meet conventional notions of masculinity (your dick is not enough to satisfy you womanz sexually and therefore you cannot keep her and this makes you so much less of a man you have to act gaaaaaay!) but we’re being told that—because he’s a romance hero that a presumed cis straight audience is supposed to find desirable—he still has the fetish except now it’s, like, totally alpha oh yeah.

Look, I … I can genuinely see and admire all the audacious, envelope-pushing stuff Crosstown Crush is doing or trying to do (although, let me be clear, I consider the fact the main characters are forty far more envelope-pushing than anything they do in the bedroom). It’s just the whole book is catastrophically not for me, to the extent that I’m genuinely having an empathy fail and can’t imagine who it could be for. I mean, it’s hard to find much romance in a post-punch six months later HFN. And if any of the preceding material was in any way hot, I was too busy doing this to really notice:

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.75 Stars....mainly for Bern***



Well,this was definitely different.I've heard the term Cuckolding before but never fully understood what it meant.
A Cuckold is the husband of an adulterous wife...but there's a lot more to it....

Cuckolding

Imagine hearing your wife whisper in your ear,telling you all the dirty things she did with another man.Instead of getting jealous,it turns you on....

Maybe....You want to watch while she cheats on you?

Maybe...You like the idea of your wife being desirable to other men?

Maybe...You enjoy the whole humiliating experience?

Sam and Mike are a happily married couple in their late thirties.But Mike has a fetish which Sam is happy to indulge.




So,the fantasy eventually becomes reality.It starts of as 'Role Play'.Sam stays out longer than she should.Initially denies anything has happened but then admits to being with a hotter,more experienced man....this totally gets Mike off.

She is the one who suggests bringing another man into the equation......enter Bern.

Now Bern has a fetish of his own....he likes to be watched...
Perfect,right??
Mike gets his fantasy,
Bern gets his fantasy,
And,Sam...well all she wants is her husband to be happy and the fact that Bern is sex on a stick doesn't hurt.




Don't go into this one expecting a great story because there isn't one.But what you do get are some(well lots of) extremely hot sex scenes.
M/F, M/F/M, and M/M No penetration

I'm going to be honest,I really couldn't have cared less for Sam and Mike.I didn't feel their chemistry.The most arousing scenes were between Sam and Bern.
So it starts of as a sexual thing,mainly to indulge Mike's fetish but along the way lines are crossed and feelings are involved.
I'm putting my thoughts on the ending in a spoiler.

I really wasn't buying the way it turned out.Sam was completely selfish,wanting both men in her life.
I felt Mike really wouldn't have been ok with it,after all Sam admitted she couldn't guarantee not falling in love with Bern.

And poor Bern..he definitely got the worst deal.I wanted him to ditch the pair of them and find something of his own.
I really couldn't see the 'arrangement' working long term

Overall,an enjoyable read with a concept I've never read about before and if you fancy something different I would recommend.......

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Super Hot stars

Crosstown Crush is a standalone and is part of the Sins in the City series. Warning, if you like super spicy, taboo and hot reads, then THIS IS FOR YOU.

I really needed Crosstown Crush. I wanted to start something that was just “different” and I got that tenfold.

It’s an unconventional story and it worked for me. Samira loves her husband and she would do anything for him. When they started dating, Samira’s relationship with her husband was normal. He then asked her to marry him and she accepted and everything changed. He became jealous and kept questioning Samira if she was cheating on him. She couldn’t handle that and they broke up.

Then Samira found out her husband’s dirty little secret. Mike, Samira’s husband, is a fan of cuckolding.

Cuckolding means “a man married to an unfaithful wife”. Meaning Mike gets off of his wife cheating, and attempting to cheat. He also likes to be humiliated and debased because of it.

Did I get your attention now?

Samira indulges her husband and “pretends” to cheat. She wears other’s men cologne and stays out late with her “girlfriends”. She even rubs condoms on her private parts so her husband can smell the deceit. Her husband loves this and now Samira wants to up the game.

Why make it hypothetical cheating when maybe they can have real cheating?

Samira and Mike decide to place a want ad and add a third party to the equation. Samira will pretend to cheat on her husband, when in actuality she will sleep with another man while Mike “hides” in another room and watches.

Crosstown Crush is very hot. I didn’t know what Cuckolding was and yes I did google it. It’s a very fascinating life style and very real. I enjoyed reading about Samira and Mike’s unique relationship. I love how much they love each other and especially Samira’s love for Mike; she really does anything for her husband.

Bran is the third person that comes into play and the steam between Samira and Bran is addictive, then you add Mike and it’s like wow, you get an MMF read, but not the typical kind. You will just have to read and find out all the stuff that comes to play.

If you want something a bit taboo, steamy and a page turner, then this one is for you.

An Arc was provided



AMAZON

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 -Take my wife...please- stars!!

Where did the kink end and the actual adultery begin?

There's always a little extra anxiety for me when a happily married couple decides to try something kinky. I found myself totally nervous for all three of these characters when the pair decide to bring to life the cuckold fantasy.

Together for 5 years and married for 3, Samira and Mike have been doing a little game-playing. You see, Mike has a kink that's a little different. He gets off on the fact that his wife may be sleeping with other men.



So that's what she's been doing. Staying out late on purpose, hopping into department stores to spray on men's cologne, and come home to an overworked husband who catches her after an imaginary tryst. The results are scorching hot for the two.

Lately Samira has been getting into the fantasy and has convinced her husband to possibly try out the reality of his fetish. An ad is placed to find a "bull", and after countless responses, one looks promising. Bern is the best candidate. He fits into the equation quite well, as his kink is to be watched during sex. What better person to have be with Samira, for Mike to watch.

Emotions and feelings are amped up for all.

I want to kill that cocksucker, Mike thought. But I want to watch him fuck Sam about ten times more.

After a few months of playing their game, which is Mike coming home to Sam cheating on him, and Bern making him feel humiliated and less of a man, both Sam and Bern are getting a little closer.



Can all participants come out unscathed?


As a fetish that I haven't read too much about in books, I've still been well aware of what cuckolding entails. It is definitely one of those mindfuck kinks. The mental aspect is a little hard to wrap your head around at first. But in the end, if all parties are on the same page, the results are fucking hot.

Trying to separate myself from what's happening was a tough one. You can't help but put yourself in the shoes of all participants. It's strange, but I felt bad for each individual. This isn't some easy fling, and so many feelings and conflicting thoughts were had. Having Mike watch his wife have sex with a stranger, Sam being with a stranger in front of her true love, and poor Bern being the unattached guest who is also falling for his sex partner. I thought all of their feelings were true and justifiable.

Basically I like anything that is outside the box. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. It started out a little on the clinical side, but I understand that's what made it real to life. Much like The Ground Rules, I was very much nervous and simultaneously turned on.

Some things may have been a little drawn out, but overall it was awesome.

Cara McKenna is an extremely talented author, and I always enjoy her three dimensional characters and unique plot lines.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I became a huge fan of Cara McKenna from the time I discovered her with her Shivaree Series, which I absolutely loved and my fandom jumped ever higher when I read the Desert Dogs Series. So it goes without saying that if I see a book by this author and if I read glorious reviews on that book – I am going to get it right then!!!

Ooh….for me, Crushtown Crush, the 1st in her new series, Sins in the City….just did not do it for me!!!

I really wanted to like it but I guess this was one of those books that was not meant for me!!!

I didn’t like the three main characters…..I found nothing in them that was anything endearing. Sam was so irritating, Mike..meh…Bern…what the hell was he doing with these two twits!!!!

Plot….really, was there one?? How did I miss it? No, I didn’t miss it…because there was no plot!

However, what there was a lot…and I mean a lot of pages of sex…more sex….and more sex!! Now, I do like sex parts in books but the three…Sam, Mike & Bern together did not sizzle gloriously!!!!

Boy, did I struggle to get to the last page!!! I have to give myself a medal for actually getting there..after the various times I was about to give up!!!!

I am sure that a lot of readers and lovers of this author’s work will enjoy it….just didn’t get to me like her other books did.

[⚜️Charlotte⚜️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars!
This was a different read for me from Cara's usual writing, I love her work
her describing a sex scene feels like I'm watching it! And wow it was HOT!
Bern ❤ stole the show for me, he was almost perfect... ;) how could anyone not fall for the guy? (I did) and that's where the story kinda fell short for me, Mike's reaction was ridiculous, (it takes 2 to Tango!) I don't want reveal too much more! Its Still a very HOT read! And I'm looking forward to the next one in this series! what can I say "It ticked all my boxes" ;)

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a true cuckolding fantasy romance before. Mike loves, needs cuckolding kink in his sex life with his wife, Samira (Sam). While this becomes an issue early in their marriage, (previous to the book starting) once they communicated Sam started to understand what Mike needed. Every so often, Sam goes out with her girlfriends for drinks. On her way home, she spritzes herself with men’s cologne, and comes up with a naughty, pretend story, about what she had been doing that evening. Mike likes to pretend to catch her being with another man. He likes to feel like less of a man – that Sam needs more than he can give her (although this is not the case in reality). She even goes to the extent of putting lube inside her or rubbing a condom on her thighs to make it seem like she was with someone else. This gets Mike going. Sam likes to provide this fantasy for Mike, although she doesn’t 100% understand it. Mike is a detective, so she assumes a lot of it comes from the stress of the job and the fact he was cheated on years before.

One day, Sam brings up the idea that maybe they should make their fantasy a reality. That maybe they should look to bring a man to actually have sex with Sam, and let Mike “catch” them in the act. Mike is on board with this and they set forth to find the perfect fit for them.

They find Bern through a kink site, and Sam meets him for a drink, while Mike is seated not too far away. They like each other and have good chemistry and decide to go forward with a scenario in a few days. They will meet again for a drink, and as they leave, Mike will hop in a cab and hide in their bathroom so he can watch the proceedings. Then when he feels like it, he will burst out of the bathroom, catching them in the action. Bern likes to be watched, so helping Mike and Sam in the cuckolding fantasy also fulfills his voyeurism kink as well. They have so much fun together, they start to meet up regularly.

Although I don’t think I will actively go looking for cuckolding fantasy romance books, I did enjoy the first half of this book. The set-up and the explanation is done well. In the past, Mike had experienced a girlfriend cheating on him. This affected him greatly. He also feels the loss of control in his job. During the kink, I never felt Mike was upset about another man touching his wife (quite the opposite in fact) and I felt like Bern and Mike respect each other and their boundaries.

We get Bern’s point of view as well. He is a pretty easy going guy that loves to be part of Mike and Sam’s kink. I did feel like by the second half of the book, the sex scenes became repetitive. There were only so many ways Mike could catch them having sex and I got a tad bit bored.

But then feelings get involved. Which – is logical in a sense. If Mike, Sam and Bern all participate in a VERY intimate act, on a regular basis, emotions are going to come out. Sam and Bern start to feel something for each other, and have a moment, outside of role play where Sam realizes they’ve crossed a line.

I won’t go into a lot of detail so I don’t spoil the ending – but – I feel like this book crosses from an erotic, well done cuckolding kink, to dealing with cheating feelings and a permanent threesome.

Had Sam and Mike broken-up with Bern (after Sam and Bern crossed a line), and let him go his separate way at the end of the book, I would have been totally fine with that. But they reunite and it turns into something more permanent. A threesome where Sam and Bern have romantic feelings for one another is not part of Mike’s cuckolding fantasy. I needed more time to understand if Mike was okay with this. I felt like he gets run over by it

Fellow Smexy reviewer Sheena, comments that Sam does the kink for Bern, but then “shrouds it in this self righteous wrapping, like she did it for him and then she decided to add another dimension. Poor Bern.”

I say, poor Mike. Either way, it was a kind of an icky feeling when I finished the book.

Grade: It’s a hard book to grade – B for the first half, C for the way it ended.

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Hot.

It seems like McKenna keeps getting better at writing erotica. I first happened upon her with Willing Victim which was, admittedly, somewhat lacking in finesse and I still 5 starred it! In part because it was that hot but, also, due to the boldness of the kink. McKenna's willingness to explore the fringe kinks is what sets her apart for me thereby making her special. There aren't a whole lot of m/f writers I can stomach reading anymore mostly because of their over reliance on cliches and their propensity to make their female protagonists idiotic.

McKenna doesn't do that. Samira is another strong female lead who has a backbone, a voice, an intellect and still manages to be sexy and confident. She's taken on the role of cuckholding wife to please her husband, Mike. But they've sort of maxed out on the fantasies and decide to try adding an actual third party to the mix. They luck out by finding an exhibitionist online that also happens to be attractive, cocky, game for just about anything and fits their Bull criteria to a T.

Sam (as she's called) discovers along the way that she rather likes being ravished by her husband and her crush on a regular basis.




Naturally, this leads to some conflict which wasn't unexpected. What I didn't expect was how bereft the ending left me. In all honesty, it couldn't have ended differently but I still find myself wanting more. Aside from the bizarre feels my only other disappointment was that the guys didn't... cross the streams.

I really wanted some stream crossing. Apparently, crossing the streams in the cuckholding world uncommon.



In all other respects it was a really good ménage read, though definitely m/f/m. McKenna's writing shows panache especially in how this situation is handle with mature communication between all parties for the most part. The authenticity is what's most striking in Crosstown Crush. I fully invested in all three characters largely due to how relatable they're all portrayed.

I do believe I'll continue with this series to see what fringe kink McKenna's got on tap next.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Source: I received a finished paperback copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks Little Brown Book Group.)

“I want to kill that cocksucker, Mike thought.
But I want to watch him fuck Sam about ten times worse.”

This was a really sexy story, about a couple with a cuckolding fetish.

Okay, so first of all I have never heard of this sort of kinkiness before, and it was quite shocking to me that a man would want his wife to have sex with other men to turn him on. Kind-of strange, but the author made it make sense!

Anyway, Samira was a really great wife to Mike in that she went along with this kink, and even went to extremes to try and make their sex life good for him, and Mike seemed to be really into the idea that his wife was cheating on him, although I did worry over whether the introduction of a real life man into their sex life would shake things up maybe too much.

The storyline in this was mainly about Samira and Mike inviting Bern to join them, and to set up some cuckolding scenes so that Mike could walk in on Samira and Bern having sex, and the sex scenes in this book were pretty steamy!

The ending to this was a little disappointing for me, although things seemed to be working out okay for the characters, I just didn’t feel like the story was 100% finished.



7 out of 10.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars Heated, complex, and intensely satisfying. Erotic romance at its best.

Review to come.

[CC · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Crosstown Crush we have three integral characters: Samira (Sam), Mike and Bern. Samira is happily married to Mike and they enjoy a healthy sex life based on open communication and trust. Mike’s job is stressful and to blow off steam, Mike likes to feed his kink – cuckolding. For some time, Sam and Mike engaged in role-play to satisfy his needs, but the stakes are raised when they decide to invite a real and breathing bull into the game. In the search for the perfect third to their roleplaying, they find Bern – a tall, handsome and hot man who is an exhibitionist.



They start slowly. Mike is to watch Sam and Bern from a partially open ajar door and catch his wife in the act. Bern’s role is to make Mike feel sexually inadequate to his wife by having sex with her and by saying certain things that trigger Mike’s kink. The culmination is when Mike reclaims his wife with the end of the fantasy.

The chemistry between Sam and Mike is palpable then add Sam and Bern and it is combustible! The scenes between Sam and Bern are incredibly hot! Bern is perfect in his role as the alpha male and he knows just what to do every damn time!

“He added a third finger, filling her with a hot, curious ache, a need to know how his cock would feel, how fast or rough he might fuck. You have no idea how bad I’ll make you want it.”

For me, Bern was the star of the show! Bern was Sam’s answer to Mike’s kink, but the games continued to escalate and that is when I got worried! I definitely fell for Bern and throughout the book, my emotions changed. At first, I wanted Sam to divorce Mike for Bern then I wanted and Bern to dump Mike and Sam to find his own happiness. Prior to this book, I had not previously read plot centered on cuckolding. I did enjoy the ménage action, but there was also a realistic undertone to the threesomes as soon as these characters became emotionally attached. I am glad the author explored the emotional aspect of the arrangement because it did get complicated.

“We made this bed precisely how you wanted it, Mike, now we’re all fucking lying in it. This is exactly what you asked for. Don’t treat me like a home wrecker when all I’ve ever done is grant your fucking wishes.”

Overall, this book was a winner for me from the kinky ménage shelf with a side of reality. Even though, Cara McKenna is one of my go-to authors, I didn’t give a 5 star rating because I was dissatisfied with Bern’s ending. While I know it was his decision, I was hoping for more for him. The character development and ability to draw the reader into the plot is signature McKenna. For those interested in reading about this kink and dynamic, I recommend it.

[Kim Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Steamy & taboo. I ended up rooting for Bern (the third) & not for Mike (the husband). I didn't feel the connection between Samira & Mike the way I think I was supposed too. I felt like Mike was a dick - worrying about his own kink and not thinking about the other 2 in the relationship - because he wasn't even looking at it as a relationship. Sam was much more forgiving than I would have been.
Not a bad read, but not my favorite from this author. The sneak peak at book 2 has me fully intrigued.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safety:

Sharing with OM.
MFM, MM scenes.
Heroine once cheated with OM.
No rape or abuse.

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please! Can I have another?!! ohmigod. It Crosstown Crush was like a deliciously dirty version of 'I'll show you mine, if you show me yours'...the kink edition. Leave it to McKenna to always bring something fascinating and unique to the table and do so in a gloriously sexy, intriguing way.

This...was a new one for me. The quick of it is that Sam and Mike are married and he's got a rather interesting fetish. See, he's got a cuckolding kink. Yeah. That was, well, a new one for me. He gets off on thinking he's not good enough and that his wife is cheating on him. And she's ready to up their role playing and give him one helluva gift--bringing another man, a stranger, into their lives to play out those fantasies in living, sweating, dirty color. Even better that their kinky third has his own fetish and enjoys being watched. *noms*

I really loved all three of these people. They're so delightfully twisted with their kinks and desires and I loved watching them explore that together and seeing things evolve. They all had that mix of confidence and insecurity and nerves and it made them so fun to explore with. The added bits of humor made it even better as they got past those nerves and settled into to one crazy weird relationship.

I have a huge anti-cheating thing and McKenna managed to handle the relationships and kink in a way that kept things on the up and up for me. These three managed to make their kinks work for them. It was hot instead of sleazy. Passionate and almost romantic instead of cheap and tawdry.

Now. The heat.

Whew boy!

Okay. This one was scorching hot. I mean. Holy cow make a girl squirm hot. And the taboo factor just kicked it up another notch. It was just perfectly edgy and intense. These men were utterly sinful and burned up the sheets. A little dark edge, pushing boundaries to their breaking point, power and exploring everything that makes you tick. It was toe curling good!

My only complaint is that the ending wasn't a tidy little HEA. That's fairly typical of McKenna though. Leaving things slightly open ending. More of a HFN type thing. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I personally wanted just a little more closure for the trio.

I'm seriously curious where this will go as a series since book two isn't listed yet. Will it be more of this trio? Will one break away from the arrangement? Will there be a whole net set of people (since we didn't meet anyone else in this one)? Kills me. It does. I need to know! lol

~~~~~~~~~~
pg 141
seriously this book is freaking amazing so far. Holy cow it's hot and so deliciously taboo!

pg40
Whoa! This is new one for me! A married couple with a cuckolding kink. Interesting. Leave it to McKenna to always bring something fascinating and unique to the table!

That cover though...

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the hottest books I've read, which is a good thing. However, I needed a lot more about their lives, a tad bit less sex, a little more about their jobs. In other words, the plot development was a bit superficial for a full connection with the characters.
4 Stars because Bern ... oh sweet Jesus! Bern burned my kindle! it was Scorching hot!
I also think the author did a FANTASTIC job describing Samira's feelings and thoughts.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always been a big fan of Cara McKenna so I didn’t even read that this book was about before I accepted it. I was pleased to realized that this book is about a married couple. Samira and Mike are happily married, and I should stress again that they are madly in love with each other….it’s just that Mike has a particular kink that complicates their relationship a bit.

Mike is a cop, a person of authority in his day job but he has this deep interest in degradation and more specifically, feeling like the lesser man. So he and his wife have come up with this role-playing activity that involves her pretending to be with another man before she comes home to him. They act like it’s a real problem when it fact, it turns Mike’s crank up so high, he pretty much loses his mind. It’s not a kink that I’ve ever encountered before so kudos for McKenna for coming up with that. However, I will say that I didn’t find it 100% believable the entire time.

The story starts to get even hotter when Samira suggests they invite a real man into her bed, someone who can play the cocky bastard Sam is cheating on Mike with while he watches in the background. It’s an idea that makes Mike burn so Samira sets it up, sagging a man named Bern who seems like a real catch. McKenna takes her time making sure that all parties are on the same page. Communication and understanding that the other person wants is key to this novel so I liked that she took the time. But that being said, it can also dragged down the story a bit and remove some of the passion that was already there.

Nevertheless, this story is explosive. When all three get together, there’s a real power dynamic that occurs between all parties involved. There’s some light M/M action that I enjoyed too.

For me the issues really lay in the fact that you have three people here who want something out of this arrangement and while everyone does their best to try and give what the other two want, it’s obvious that conflict will arise when someone doesn’t get what they want or they feel left out. There’s no outright cheating in this book, but there’s one scenes where there’s a bond forms between Bern and Samira. They realize it and Sam tells Mike about it. All this kind of felt predictable to me. What I didn’t know was how McKenna was going to come back from it. The ending is a little too swift for my liking but I am curious enough to read more of this series.

[sara j · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars from me.....

unique concept but something missing for me.....

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well ... Holy crap. Hot, sexy and crazy complicated.

So yeah… there is this book. It’s totally NOT my normal kind of read. If you aren’t sure what cuckholding is, maybe google that before you pick this up. I knew what it was and I was completely intrigued at that idea that this book explored it.

Cara Mckenna always seems push the envelope in her erotic romance and this is no exception. I really appreciate the way she wants to explore the kinky side of things… while it’s certainly not my kink, it doesn’t mean it can’t be incredibly fascinating and Mckenna does an excellent job of going deeper (haha) and getting below the surface as to the whys and the hows.

I really enjoyed that Samira, Mike, & Bern went into this with a plan and the amount of discussion that went into Sam and Mike’s move to this step was really well done. I like that they didn’t just dive right in and let things happen without a plan because you just know that a situation like this is a breeding ground for relationship issues.

I won’t talk about the ultimate outcome, I won’t tell you anything about the ups and downs of the relationship that builds here, but I will say that I was really happy with the end of this story.

If you’re a fan of erotica and looking to expand your horizons a bit, definitely pick this up. I think it really explores some not so vanilla stuff in a way that even someone who isn’t interested in this kink, can truly appreciate it. Also… HOT. Seriously. I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to Berkley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Angie Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to SIGNET for providing a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, man. This author knows how to get a reader’s juices flowing. Willing Victim, Unbound, and her latest offering, Crosstown Crush, give you so much to consider about non-traditional situations. Crosstown Crush is different from everything else from this author. You can rest assured her trademark steam is here, as are her working class heroes. But this book takes place almost exclusively in the bedroom. Which is why you’ll hear no complaints from me – Cara McKenna’s boudoir scenes are some of my favorites!

Sam and Mike had a loving marriage, and what I enjoyed most about their relationship was how well and honestly they communicated. It had taken hard work, but they were in a place where nothing was off limits, and truth was always the rule. When Sam decides she wants to play out her husband’s fantasy in the flesh (Fantasy in the Flesh…I need someone to write that!) Bern becomes their extra-curricular activity. Of course, inviting a third person into their marriage, even with conditions, doesn’t come without risk. And the biggest risk is for Sam, who finds it difficult to separate her feelings from sex. She soon finds herself in unfamiliar territory as she struggles to find the strength to be honest with her husband. Bern was a wonderful character. He was the highlight of the book for me. I loved his honest reactions, and that he turned out to be a confidante for Sam. He was willing to be put in a box to fit Mike and Sam’s fantasy (as well as his own,) but that wasn’t as important to him as the feelings of everyone involved. It’s hard to go into details without ruining the story, but suffice it to say this is a complex situation written beautifully. Cara McKenna does a wonderful job of creating realistic characters and throwing your feelings off kilter with the different points of view. I will say that while the character development may not be as in depth as some of her other books, I don’t feel like the story suffers for that. This book felt (to me, anyway) more like an exploration of what can happen when you push the boundaries of your relationship. The ending stayed true to the story – nothing was wrapped up neat and tidy with a bow. If anything, I was left wanting to know more about Mike, Sam, and Bern!

I really enjoyed being a part of Mike and Sam’s journey as they pushed the bounds of their relationship, and if you’re looking for a quick steamy read that will leave you breathless, I think you will, too. I’m excited to see what’s next in this series!

This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.

[Rodin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book.
Such a great orientation.
Samira and Mike are hot by themselves.
Mike has always wanted Sam to Cuckold him.
They play and fantasise.
Bern turns the fantasy into reality.
The complications in the plot are simply brilliant.
Cara writes this scenario superbly.
Definitely one of the best in this genre.
Personal taste but I found it an amazing read.
Great angst
Amazing twists.
Five wonderful stars!

[Chris- Bookaddict · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It was definitely hot but I felt like there was something missing from the story.

[Anne Dirty Girls' Good Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike & Samira have been together for five years and are very happy. Mike has an unusual kink. He likes to play out a fantasy that Samira has cheated on him and he wins her back. It’s a cuckolding kink. Years back when he initially confessed this kink, Samira wasn’t sure what to make of it. Over time, they’ve embraced it and found pretty creative ways to act it out. However, those creative ways never involved a real third party. Crosstown Crush tells the story of how Samira and Mike find Bern and how he fits into Mike’s kink.

Let me say, this book was hot. Incendiary. Incredibly so. It was also a realistic feeling look into a marriage and a relationship with a third person. It’s definitely an erotic romance. The sex *is* the story. And it’s very well done!

I like menage stories, and I like Cara McKenna’s writing, so I was delighted when I won an ARC of this story from the author. When I realized what kind of kink Mike had, I wondered if I would end up liking the book. It was really difficult to wrap my mind around how that kink could be a turn on for Mike or for Samira. So, kudos to McKenna for not just explaining the kink so I could understand it but making it scorching hot to boot. I think it says a lot about her writing skill that she can make something that was initially really off-putting to me so compelling and sexy that I didn’t want to put it down. I managed to read in it less than 24 hours, and that was a busy 24 hours!

As much as I loved the bulk of the story, I was disappointed in the ending. It was more of a very hopeful HFN than it was an HEA. I wanted a bit more resolution before the story ended. Overall, though, it was an excellent read, and it's going on my Best of 2015 shelf. I really want to pick it up and read it all again!

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had such trouble sorting my feelings about this one. Not helped by the sky high expectations when I started it. The concept was interesting, cuckholding fantasy is not something I've ever come across in my erotica reading. As ever with McKenna, it was handled with intelligence and wit. The writing is mature and thoughtful. But the whole thing left me feeling unmoved. The cuckholding thing just didn't do it for me, which is a problem when you're reading erotica because that's at least part of the reason for reading it. Although objectively speaking this is C McK so the sex is very well written. Much more problematically than the sex just not working for me is that I don't think McKenna ever adequately addresses the conflict at the heart of the book, namely Sam's growing feelings for the bull in the relationship (bull being the term for the man who isn't her husband). The conflict itself grew organically and very believably but there wasn't really a resolution. The epilogue felt like a bit of a cop out and, for me, the book concluded with the very definite sense that the problems amongst the trio would continue. This is a challenging book and a challenging subject matter so perhaps that's the whole idea; adult problems aren't magically resolved overnight, but it left me feeling sour. That said: hasn't changed my feelings about McKenna one little bit, she's still an autobuy for me.

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira and Mike have been happily married, but they weren't always so happy in the beginning of their relationship. When Mike told Samira about his kink, she didn't know what to think or if she would be able to participate with him. Though it took some time, once they started practicing his kink, it became something great for them. Even though they enjoy what they do, they decide that they want to take it further and try something new.

Crosstown Crush focuses on them trying this new thing and how it ends up affecting their relationship. I think this was a very interesting story. I don't read about couples already married often, then adding in the kink; that it makes it unique. I thought it was a good concept, but I just felt like something was missing that would have made me love it.

This was the first book I have read from this author, but it won't be the last. I am looking forward to seeing if she writes another book in this series. ~ Leah, 3.5 stars

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just linking to Wollstonecrafthomegirl here,;
Because I'm feeling lazy and she's nailed it

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars

Anyone who likes to read cuckolding kink themed stories, this one is for you...but it's long and has a lot of depth and serious character motivation discussion.

I have to admit, it pushed at all of my boundaries, and was a bit uncomfortable to read. I'm not averse to consensual non-monogamy (I won't call it consensual infidelity since it was sought after by both parties), but the humiliation and degradation aspects made me twitch. I fully comprehend - I understand the mechanics and the psychology (as well as the biological edge) to a cuckolding kink - I just have a hard time getting it through the emotional filter when it's more than a one-time indulgence.

I'm not sure I was all that on board with the FMC being the one to become emotional involved with the "bull"... again, I get that for some women sex and love are intertwined; but, it's not automatic for everyone. I very much appreciated having him start to fall for her as well - it was a nice surprise; one that made the ending less satisfactory for me. Like, the human component was acknowledged but he was still just basically an animated sex-toy or non-paid porn actor, solely for the couple's entertainment (MCs half-assed attempt at "bonding" over football not-withstanding). That epilogue yanked more than half a star from my review. I wanted to yank him out of the story and give him to a couple where both husband and wife would care for him.

Reading sure does have a way of pushing oneself out of one's comfort zone. I tend to go for MM and MMF stories with an eye toward a bit of selfishness for my enjoyment; I see myself as the characters in those instances - and it's never as the female one. I think that never-gonna-have-that-equipment reality is what appeals to me in a character's actions (specifically the sexual ones). In this case, I readily switched PsOV trying to understand the motivation behind their desires...and got angry that the needs of the FMC seemed subsumed into her husbands - that she desired only what he did. When she let herself enjoy the interaction, enjoy being desired by the side-piece, and finally started to express her own wants, it was with such timidity and reservation I got mad at her. Got pissed as hell at her husband because the fantasy was all about him, what he wants, what he needs - wasn't it? And we didn't get to read whether or not he got over that enough to give her what she asked for as needed, to see if he was capable of considering their human blowup doll was also hurting, to see if he worked toward fulfilling their needs.

I almost wish there had been no reunion after The Incident (as they called it). It seemed just so shallow and unnecessary for things to just go back to the status quo. Maybe a follow-up book or short story would alleviate that. I just felt like I was left hanging and unsatisfied with the end of this saga.

Also, for clarity - this is not MMF in it's usual form. The little MM interaction is not romantic or typically sexual; it's only function is as a component of the cuckolding. Also not my cuppa as it borders on Non-con (even though it IS consensual, it just doesn't feel like it - again, the humiliation edge not registering as pleasant for me) and I prefer my male characters to at least have some interest in the act, some curiosity or desire for the actual intimacy.

(And I am once again relieved to know that it's the emotional aspect of actual infidelity that has me on edge. That I could probably watch my partner with another person if they wanted to experience that, but not want them to be friends or have any kind of non-sex interaction. But, if that were their fantasy, then it would only be fair to me for MINE to be a factor as well - which would be that the other person be another man. So far, no takers. Oh well, kink will have to remain an non-indulged indulgence and not a life-style I guess.)

[Elle ✟ Søren's ♡ (i'm too old for this shite) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 sex-repeat stars!



I'm not feeling well after finished it! LOL
Crosstown Crush is more like sex diary. Why?

We will see a married couple; Samira and Mike. Seen have ordinary life and happy husband-wife moment. But Mike always lacked of something in their sex life. Mike has cuckold fetish, it means that he turns on if he know his wife is cheating with another man. That man has to be more perfect than him. Samira is a happy wife who always fulfill her husband' dirty fantasy. Until they decided to make it real. Bring the third person into their married bed. That's when Bern; the stranger came into their life. A handsome man with perfect cock. It's enough to intimidate Mike. Sam and mike doesn't mind about Bern has exhibitionist streak.

I don't feel the connection with all the character. Everything feels off. Obviously, Sam's trying to be a perfect good wife and give her husband his unusual fantasy. I know Crosstown Crush give me a surprise about Mike's fetish about cuckold and that's new. I expected Ms. McKenna could pull it out to be good. But it ends up more like a diary about their experiment with third person. I found myself didn't like the story The pace is too slow and it's always end up with sex in almost every chapter. Long and detailed sex but not dirty enough. It feels empty and emotionless. It's very tiring. Oh, i'm quite surprise about M/M scene but there is no sexual intercourse which is fine by me. Whew.

So, Mike' fantasy turns into jealousy. It's more than sex for Samira and Bern. They confronted each other feeling. Still, i don't get it. It's hard to process it. In the end, they have menage (with cuckold fantasy) and they're still trying to happily ever after.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 "Definitely Different" Stars!

This was one of those books where you should know up front that it is not going to be for every reader. Even if you read a lot of erotica, it still may not be for you. The reason being is because Crosstown Crush explores the sexual fetish known as cuckolding. If you don’t know what cuckolding is and are curious then google it. I won’t delve into this particular kink in depth, however, it centers around demasculation and humiliation. I think readers will be extremely turned on or completely turned off by the subject matter of this erotic story.

Not sure what it says about me, but I enjoyed this book. I think I am a pretty open-minded person and can appreciate others’ sexual fantasies even if I do not exactly understand it. Crosstown Crush’s plot centers around sexual encounters. It is completely straight-up erotica. I thought the book was very, very hot. It doesn’t have too many emotional feels and that’s okay by me every now and then. If I am being totally honest this book was pornographic, in my opinion.

If you are looking for something super steamy and willing to step out of your comfort zone as far as kinky fuckery goes, then Crosstown Crush may tickle your fancy.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! Wow! Yes, those are the first two words that come to mind after finishing this book. This is a story about a married couple where the husband has a specific (very unusual) kink which the wife does her best to accommodate and how that affects them both. The author is unflinching in her portrayal of this, which caused me to cringe several times from vicarious embarrassment/emotional discomfort. The writing is very nuanced, detailing each character's particular point of view and parsing their feelings flawlessly. This is invaluable, especially with this situation, IMO, since it is so very unusual. The more information, the better. Amazingly, beautifully well written, and, the sex (of which there is a lot) is HOT!

I wish we could rate using half stars, as my true rating is 4.5 stars. The ending was a bit abrupt, which is my only minor criticism.