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Binding Hearts
Dear Author,
All three of us met on a study abroad trip to Spain, and the sparks flew pretty much immediately. To say we were enamored with each other would be an understatement.
Spain is one of the most tolerant countries of homosexuality in the world, as are the other countries we had the opportunity to visit during our stay, including Portugal and France. That’s not to say our threesome never got unwanted attention during our trip, but we were empowered by the freedom these countries offered us, and being so far from our “normal lives”, afforded us a nonchalant attitude about any strange looks or off-handed comments.
But now, we are back home in the U.S. with our families and friends, and an even less accepting society for unconventional relationships. As our sexual infatuation has developed into real love, we want to stay together. However, we’re each struggling with cultural reintegration in our own ways. Please tell me that we can make it work.
Photo Description:
Three young men sitting on a cobblestone street with their arms around each other and melancholy expressions. The man in the middle is kissing the cheek of the man on the right, while the man on the left is resting his chin on his knee.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
All three of us met on a study abroad trip to Spain, and the sparks flew pretty much immediately. To say we were enamored with each other would be an understatement.
Spain is one of the most tolerant countries of homosexuality in the world, as are the other countries we had the opportunity to visit during our stay, including Portugal and France. That’s not to say our threesome never got unwanted attention during our trip, but we were empowered by the freedom these countries offered us, and being so far from our “normal lives”, afforded us a nonchalant attitude about any strange looks or off-handed comments.
But now, we are back home in the U.S. with our families and friends, and an even less accepting society for unconventional relationships. As our sexual infatuation has developed into real love, we want to stay together. However, we’re each struggling with cultural reintegration in our own ways. Please tell me that we can make it work.
Photo Description:
Three young men sitting on a cobblestone street with their arms around each other and melancholy expressions. The man in the middle is kissing the cheek of the man on the right, while the man on the left is resting his chin on his knee.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
72 pages, ebook
First published June 18, 2015
2 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Carr
72 books444 followersCassandra Carr is a multi-award winning romance writer. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out online. Cassandra's books have won numerous "Best Book Of" awards and her novella Unexpected Top was nominated in the E-book Erotic Romance category of RT's Reviewers' Choice Awards.
She thinks the best part of being a writer is penning stories about love and sex while most others struggle with commutes, micro-managing bosses and cranky co-workers.
Website http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassand...
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr
Email AuthorCassandraCarr AT gmail.com
She thinks the best part of being a writer is penning stories about love and sex while most others struggle with commutes, micro-managing bosses and cranky co-workers.
Website http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassand...
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr
Email AuthorCassandraCarr AT gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 19, 2015
I love this prompt image, but the story fell flat.
The three MCs are in an established ménage à trois relationship before the story begins. The romance quickly disintegrates into campus homophobia, and the focus becomes the men's fear of being in an unconventional relationship.
The chemistry between them fizzles, and the story meanders for way too long.
The three MCs are in an established ménage à trois relationship before the story begins. The romance quickly disintegrates into campus homophobia, and the focus becomes the men's fear of being in an unconventional relationship.
The chemistry between them fizzles, and the story meanders for way too long.
June 18, 2015
DNF. I began reading what I thought was a gay menage romance on a college campus. It was really cool - different. The three coming off a high after a summer in Spain, setting up their dorm room, a few of them coming out of the closet, starting college as a triple love relationship. Then unfortunately, it became a gay bashing on a college campus. What happened to the love story?
The story focused on the trio's fear and avoidance to appear gay in public. The trio love relationship suffered when one of the guys moved out of their triple suite dorm room for appearance's sake. The chemistry between the 3 MCs fizzled out in my opinion. So I became bored and quit reading.
The story focused on the trio's fear and avoidance to appear gay in public. The trio love relationship suffered when one of the guys moved out of their triple suite dorm room for appearance's sake. The chemistry between the 3 MCs fizzled out in my opinion. So I became bored and quit reading.
June 25, 2015
Interesting take on a threesome in college. The story is really well written and gripping and I enjoy reading it.
August 27, 2023
Very disappointing. Why such an emphasis on possible homophobia? The three MCs live on a college campus and accepting people have reached out to them in friendship, even the captain of the baseball team. The constant anxiety over a fear of being attacked has pretty much ruined the romance and some hot sex scenes. Now one of them is moving out of their dorm suite and nothing has occurred against them for this to happen. The author should have dialed back the paranoia. DNF
July 13, 2015
I really had high hopes for this one because of the prompt and photo plus it's menage with college guys which sounds fun. But while I appreciate the author contributing this year I have to say I didn't care for the story. If there is an established relationship it would be nice to see why they all feel that way rather than just being told they are in love. Even some flashbacks to when they met, something. As it stands we keep being told it " isn't just sex" but that's about all. Also, the homophobic frat guy storyline came across as not much more than cliche homophobic characters and I lost interest quickly.
January 12, 2016
Finally finished. Looks like I moved on with my reading. This was just barely ok for my liking.
August 15, 2015
Thank you to Cassandra Carr for providing me with this book so I may provide you with this review.
I have read many of Cassandra’s books in the past. However, this one by far is my favorite! I absolutely adored how Trevor, Brady and Joe all met on a study abroad trip in Spain and fell madly in love eachother as a threesome. It is hard enough finding one person to love-but two is a total blessing!
Cassandra blew it out of the park with the sex scenes in this book! They were HOTT!! Many times I wish I was there being a voyer! Well done Cassandra!! The details, the chemistry, the passion, the language, loved it!
This book is more than a love story and about three guys getting it on. It has messages that will hit home and open eyes to many readers. Some of my favorite sections of the book were those scenes actually.
I have read many of Cassandra’s books in the past. However, this one by far is my favorite! I absolutely adored how Trevor, Brady and Joe all met on a study abroad trip in Spain and fell madly in love eachother as a threesome. It is hard enough finding one person to love-but two is a total blessing!
Cassandra blew it out of the park with the sex scenes in this book! They were HOTT!! Many times I wish I was there being a voyer! Well done Cassandra!! The details, the chemistry, the passion, the language, loved it!
This book is more than a love story and about three guys getting it on. It has messages that will hit home and open eyes to many readers. Some of my favorite sections of the book were those scenes actually.
August 11, 2015
This turned out to be more a survival guide than a romance. Sadly, the prompt was left and the story meandered off and focused solely on the the menage not getting beaten up for being together. Angst overdrive *meh*………There was a spark of hope given in the last sentence, but far too little too late to save this story for me.
Want to read
June 25, 2015I haven't read this, but the prompt image is great -- very evocative. Even I (not a writer) can hear the plot bunnies in the underbrush. :-)
August 14, 2019
That was.. quite bad. Basically it's a mash-up of two genres, m-m-m erotica short and YA college story. Problem is, the erotica isn't especially hot, the college story is incredibly dull, and the transitions between them are awkward as hell (wanna know how dull the college story is? The author actually wasted pages describing one of the MCs looking for his lost contact len ).
While the MCs were somewhat characterized, their relationship wasn't very convincing - they either had sex or declared their eternal devotion to each other, not much in the middle. There was no real sense of their connection.
The book was generally overly politically correct, to the point of being cliched, preachy and unrealistic. However, I was still annoyed by the MCs assurances at various points that they all were "ordinary" gay guys ("I played soccer! I love the Simpsons!"), a.k.a. not feminine or flamboyant, god forbid. As if feminine or flamboyant gay guys deserved to be singled out or it was more understandable if someone harassed them. Ugh.
While the MCs were somewhat characterized, their relationship wasn't very convincing - they either had sex or declared their eternal devotion to each other, not much in the middle. There was no real sense of their connection.
The book was generally overly politically correct, to the point of being cliched, preachy and unrealistic. However, I was still annoyed by the MCs assurances at various points that they all were "ordinary" gay guys ("I played soccer! I love the Simpsons!"), a.k.a. not feminine or flamboyant, god forbid. As if feminine or flamboyant gay guys deserved to be singled out or it was more understandable if someone harassed them. Ugh.
July 26, 2015
This is a short story of three college guys who hook up while on a Study Abroad program in Spain. There, the gay isn’t such a big deal, and the threesome only a little more concerning. When they return they are back in Virginia and not only afraid to be a threesome, but not all of them are even “out”.
Their biggest fear is being gay bashed and to a certain extent it’s justified by their own experiences. They also fear their parents reactions to the gay and the triad.
There are a few – almost random- sex scenes and a lot of hand wringing.
I typically love this author’s work, but this didn’t do much for me. I found the “utopia” that the fictional UVB presented to be unrealistic in the extreme as well as the way the parents handled the big reveals.
I really liked the characters and would have loved to get to know them in a longer, more well developed novel, but I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to become engaged in this short story.
2.5 of 5 stars
Their biggest fear is being gay bashed and to a certain extent it’s justified by their own experiences. They also fear their parents reactions to the gay and the triad.
There are a few – almost random- sex scenes and a lot of hand wringing.
I typically love this author’s work, but this didn’t do much for me. I found the “utopia” that the fictional UVB presented to be unrealistic in the extreme as well as the way the parents handled the big reveals.
I really liked the characters and would have loved to get to know them in a longer, more well developed novel, but I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to become engaged in this short story.
2.5 of 5 stars
July 20, 2015
This is a story of acceptance. How society is slowly changing.
Three college-aged men fell in love while studying abroad in Spain. There they could go around and be in love without persecutions from people. How, they have to go back to school.
They struggle on two fronts there. 1. They are gay. Although bully in any form is unacceptable, gay bashing is alive and well on campus. 2. Add in that they are in a triad. If closed minded people can't accept 2 men loving each other, 3 is just unfathomable for those people to comprehend.
Luckily, groups like the Gay-Straight Alliance are thriving on colleges and universities and are extremely supportive the LGBT community. With their help, the message of Love is Love, as long as those people are consulting adults, will be heard and accepted.
Joe, Brady and Trevor, with they help of their friends, will find their way to just simply live in peace while on campus.
Three college-aged men fell in love while studying abroad in Spain. There they could go around and be in love without persecutions from people. How, they have to go back to school.
They struggle on two fronts there. 1. They are gay. Although bully in any form is unacceptable, gay bashing is alive and well on campus. 2. Add in that they are in a triad. If closed minded people can't accept 2 men loving each other, 3 is just unfathomable for those people to comprehend.
Luckily, groups like the Gay-Straight Alliance are thriving on colleges and universities and are extremely supportive the LGBT community. With their help, the message of Love is Love, as long as those people are consulting adults, will be heard and accepted.
Joe, Brady and Trevor, with they help of their friends, will find their way to just simply live in peace while on campus.
October 15, 2015
I really enjoyed this story as this committed threesome try to adjust to life back in the U.S. and the challenges they face on how others react to their relationship. Joe, Brady and Trevor all have different backgrounds but you could see how much they loved each other regardless of how much sex they had which was totally hot. The author did a great job realistically portraying college life and she showed the positive and negative reactions to their relationship and how they handled it. I also enjoyed their interaction with others and the support system they had. I also have to say the story didn't feel like it was written in first person even though it was, which I'm thankful for because it is not my favorite style. The story flowed smoothly except there were times where I didn't remember whose POV it was until I re-read a few sentences. Another sexy and powerful story by this author.
July 11, 2015
I thought this was a great example of a menage relationship. I liked the way the 3 young men interacted with each other. All worked together.
The beginning of Binding Hearts started out hot and heavy. The boys couldn't get enough of each other. The author does a great job including all the boys in the relationship. I didn't feel like anyone was excluded in the group. They were there to support one another.
I thought the author did a great job dealing with homophobia and coming out to family and friends. It added a new element to the book.
I knew this was a short read when I began reading it, but I would have loved an additional chapter or two.
I was gifted a copy for an honest review.
The beginning of Binding Hearts started out hot and heavy. The boys couldn't get enough of each other. The author does a great job including all the boys in the relationship. I didn't feel like anyone was excluded in the group. They were there to support one another.
I thought the author did a great job dealing with homophobia and coming out to family and friends. It added a new element to the book.
I knew this was a short read when I began reading it, but I would have loved an additional chapter or two.
I was gifted a copy for an honest review.
July 18, 2020
On re-reading this, I downgrade it from 4 stars to 2. The second time around, I got tired of reading about the MCs being horny college students. I grew annoyed at the way Brady and Joe made decisions about Trevor without getting his input, taking away his agency. There were also aspects of the university which pulled me out of the story. The rating still shows as 4 stars because that was the first rating I gave.
__________________
My rating - 5 outstanding, 4 - I liked this and will re-read it, 3 - I enjoyed it though may not re-read, 2 - I kept going because I had to see how it ended, 1 - Whatever time I spent with this book is time I'll never get back to my regret.
__________________
My rating - 5 outstanding, 4 - I liked this and will re-read it, 3 - I enjoyed it though may not re-read, 2 - I kept going because I had to see how it ended, 1 - Whatever time I spent with this book is time I'll never get back to my regret.
August 3, 2015
I’m a fan of ménage and this one sounded interesting from the prompt with an already established relationship. I’d have loved to get a peek in time as these guys met and became a threesome. Their challenge (trying to remain a committed threesome in the face of public opinion and college homophobia) was real. I was bummed when they split for appearances sake. The heat level was a little more at simmer vs. hot or scorching, but all in, a nice contribution to the LiaOR event!
Want to read
July 16, 2015
Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group's Love Is An Open Road event. Thank you too all the amazing authors who participated!
Adorable pic, too bad the reviews are less than stellar. Will probably pass since menage isn't usually my thang anyway.
June 24, 2015
Sadly I couldn't really connect with the three men. I wished we could have seen how they fell in love. We meet them when they're already together.
I couldn't really feel the love between them. I was told they love each other but I couldn't feel it. Sadly it didn't get better as the story went on. The lack of connection to the characters made it impossible to get into the story.
I couldn't really feel the love between them. I was told they love each other but I couldn't feel it. Sadly it didn't get better as the story went on. The lack of connection to the characters made it impossible to get into the story.
July 14, 2015
Binding Hearts is about 3 college students and their relationship after they return from Spain and are back at college.
Joe,Trevor and Brady love each other but are not sure how other will react to them as a threesome. Can their love with stand the struggles?
The story is really well written and gripping and I enjoy reading it.
Joe,Trevor and Brady love each other but are not sure how other will react to them as a threesome. Can their love with stand the struggles?
The story is really well written and gripping and I enjoy reading it.
Read
June 28, 2015This fell flat for me. I like the idea of the story but the heat between the three guys didn't sizzle much. A little preachy at times.
June 25, 2015
Thank you Cassandra Carr for donating your story, your time and your talent.
June 29, 2015
College treesome. Very well written story!
April 2, 2016
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
August 13, 2015
Great photo, great prompt, ok story. What could have been a great romance was turned into a tale of gay bashing resulting in the entire book being wrapped up in one paragraph.
August 20, 2015
Love a good ménage,this one was very realistic and oh so enjoyable. Thank you for it these boys were great together,wish there was more.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews