Threshold of the Year

Scientific Method Universe

by Kris Ripper

Jase was supposed to be spending New Year’s at his oldest friend’s beach house with his boyfriend, except said boyfriend is no longer in the picture. Now if he can just keep Truman (and his nosy husband Hugh) from asking too many questions, maybe he’ll get through the holidays without losing his mind.

But things at the beach house are never what they seem.

There’s the way his hosts have a longtime boyfriend who’s no longer looking like their piece on the side. There’s the boyfriend’s twin brother and his partner, who definitely have a secret. There’s the dominatrix and her two young men, only one of whom calls himself a slave (whatever that means).

And then there’s charming Nick and his moody dude Bernie, who—hell, Jase doesn’t even know what to think of them, or of the way Nick keeps inviting him to join them.

Jase might be a little more lonely than he realized, and while he wouldn’t have picked the beach house as a good place to drown his sorrows, by the end of the week he can’t imagine spending New Year’s anywhere else.

Threshold of the Year is 30,000 words, or 120 pages long. This story is part of the Scientific Method Universe, but need not be read in conjunction with other books in the series. Please check out krisripper.com/smu for more info and recommended reading order.

Genres: Romance, BDSM, Queer, Contemporary, LGBT, Polyamory, M M Romance

127 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2015

About the author

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

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is everything <3

What a great book. I loved Jase and I'm curious how he'll do in the future.

I want to read all the stories and I can't wait for more. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until Kris has written more...

____________________________________
Genre: contemporary, romance, erotica
Tags: menage, New Years, cock cage, total power exchange
Rating: 4.5 stars, favourite series

[Cat M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fell hard for the Scientific Method universe and devoured the main series in less than two weeks.

And then I read the first of the New Years stories and I hated it. Enough so that, despite having already purchased the rest of them, I didn’t go back to the series for 3 1/2 months.

I’m pleased to say that I didn’t hate this one. Although the New Years books continue to be less to my tastes than the main series, it’s nice to look in on all the familiar characters and see how their lives have changed in the course of a year.

I really like Jase and his POV on all of them was great. I feel like his outsider viewpoint helped me understand Nick and Bernie a bit more, which I appreciated as their relationship has always been somewhat opaque to me.

Also, I appreciated everyone from Truman down calling Jase on the fact that he’s unhappy in Boston and pushing him to change, but also respecting his choices and not actually pushing past his boundaries when he set them.

Speaking of boundaries, the characters actually had some here. The thing that pissed me off about a The New Born Year was that everyone was pushing the boundaries of what kind of sexual innuendos and play they could get away with in the public parts of the cottage, but nobody had told Ally what all the relationships were so she was constantly being put in sexually-charged situations she hadn’t consented to.

By contrast, early on here Nick takes Jase aside and gives him a general primer on everybody’s relationships so he actually has some idea what’s happening around him and isn’t left just guessing.

The latest developments in Will, Hugh and Truman’s relationship intrigue me greatly and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where that strand of story leads.

[Lotta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2017: I read Surrender the Past only a few days ago, which really made me enjoy this book even more. I've also been re-reading the whole of SMU, and got more clues for my quest in knowing more about what's up with Will and the Boyfriends. Ah, I love Will and the Boyfriends. But this is about Jase! And how the whole Nick, Lucy and Hugh show (with families) appear from the outside (which is a theme for the New Year's/Beach house books). It's like the vanilla (ish) family watching the shenanigans and reacting to them. Ally was all ??? in The New Born Year, but Jase has Nick as his "native guide", which makes it easier for him, I guess. Also hotter :)

Review from 2016: I actually read this last year. Why didn't I review it? I don't even remember my thoughts, but I do love me some Scientific Method universe, and this was Nick and Bernie and Jase, which is good!

[dobbs the dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoying getting to know some of the SMU side characters through these little New Year's books. This one focuses on Jason, Truman's best friend who lives on the other side of the country.

I really liked how Jason just asked when he had questions about what the fuck was going on with everyone. In The New Born Year, Alison barely asks any questions and seems really confused for the entire book. By having Jason ask the questions he became more invested in 'The Family' and I like that his relationship with Nick and Bernie continues through the rest of the New Years books. Though I really need to do some digging and find out if there's a Jason book, because I feel like I need more of his story.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another NYE in the beach house and this time Jase takes center stage. Jase seemed larger than life when he appeared in SMU and I was eager to get to know more about him. However, I don’t think this novella did him justice. There’s too much missing information. Like what actually happened with his ex?? Why won’t he talk to Truman about it? He didn’t even give him a heads up that his boyfriend would no longer be coming with him. That’s just common courtesy so why wouldn’t he at least do that? For that matter: I couldn’t figure out if his boyfriend had really been his boyfriend or if he was more of a fuck buddy who freaked out when Jase decided he wanted more. But then…I don’t think you’d invite your fuck buddy to California for a week at New Year’s. So which is it?

Jase’s sadness and envy toward all the happy couples around him was palpable and relatable but I wanted to know more about what was driving it. He seemed confused by wanting to have a relationship but then we don’t ever learn why he hasn’t been interested before this or what’s changed. Perhaps this is all being reserved for Jase’s eventual romance but the lack of insight and information made this story incomplete. It was the Swiss cheese of novellas.

His discomfort with Nick and Bernie’s relationship edged into kink-shaming and that made me mad that no one thought to explain all the kinky dynamics that would be happening at the house before inviting him. Truman and Hugh should know better. Nick shouldn’t have had to be the one to give Jase a heads up. They did the same thing to Ally the year prior and clearly learned nothing, which just made me disappointed in everyone. Other weird things: Jase didn’t know that Hugh’s family had all died years prior, nor had he met Adam at the wedding. Both of these things are IMPOSSIBLE. You can’t tell me Jase is Truman’s best friend and then expect me to believe either of those things.

All of this swirling around made it difficult for me to know what I thought of Jase hooking up with Nick while Bernie oversaw. I didn’t think he was respectful enough of Nick and Bernie’s relationship for them to extend the invitation in the first place. While it did highlight his sadness over wanting a relationship, the rest just left me cold. But it was good to see Nick and Bernie have settled into something true and lasting.


Characters: Jase is a 40 year old gay white construction company owner. This is set in CA.

Content notes: kink-shaming (countered), past death of secondary character’s family, past biphobia (lack of education/societal awareness), pregnancy announcement (secondary character), homophobic slur (in-group use), discussion of homophobic families of teens secondary characters work with, discussion of accessibility issues for wheelchair-user, past sex work (secondary character), head cold (secondary character), sleeping pills, on page sex, D/s, partner-sharing, cock cage, domestic discipline, foreskin torture (clothespins), impact play, orgasm denial, alcohol, diet culture, casual ageism, unflattering comparison to an unhoused person with substance abuse issues, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, mention of secondary character gaining weight

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the last one with Truman's sister as the PoV, but this was still someone mostly on the outside of things, so it was a lot of the same sort of 'teasing' of just hearing snippets of what the other characters were up to, without getting to witness much of it. None of the issues that carried over from last time were as extreme here though, Jase at least went in knowing of most of the dynamics of the others, and wasn't as ignorant or prudish as the sister. But still this wasn't one of the more enjoyable books in this series.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites books in the whole series. I love the dynamics of all of them together and Jase in the mix was the cherry on top.

This was the comfort read the books of the „original series“ are not for me. No reasons for worrying and fretting. Threshold of the year was the perfect interlude to relax, to lean back, unwind, watch them play and just enjoy the ride.

Also: Hot.

I need more Jase/Nick/Bernie.
I want more Jase/Nick/Bernie.

They were a thing I didn’t see coming and I can’t get enough.

Will there be more?

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The New Year's stories are so great!!!! I really enjoyed getting to know Jase and Nick and Bernie more, and the dynamic between Nick and Bernie is so interesting, I loved this exploration of them, their interactions, personalities, points of discord, and of course the deepening of the family ties amongst everyone in the beach house.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

SMU at the each house. I love this series within the series bkz all the characters are together and we learn so many snippets of information about each of them all in one story. This quote pretty much sums it up for me, “You’re hot, and you’re in pain. Sorry if I find that kind of a winning combination.” But I’m so not sorry!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This New Years was even better than the last

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed Jase’s story! I loved Ally in the last one but this was next level. It gave you more insight into Nick & Bernie whom I adore. But this, self realization was perfect. The acceptance and hard truths this group embraces is nothing short of goals. Bravo Kris for another incredible story

[Gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, not my favourite of the series, but still a nice insight into one of the characters who'd mostly been on the periphery until now. A little angsty for my taste, with not quite enough payoff to balance it.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had not appreciated Jase before this installment of the story. I do now. I'm invested now. I'm glad I have Ring In the True already. I know eventually the series will end but that time is not yet!

[Joseph Tonlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

[AGMaynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason is envying the couples and triads, and is eventually invited to play, so it’ll be a better New Year after all! 😉

[Rhode PVD · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for me, prob at least a 4 for anyone else. The one time I met Jason in a past book, I was all like, oh, whoa, he is me. Super tall, Boston, cheery, construction and landlord. Kind of like a golden retriever. Me. (Except for being gay and a guy, but hey.)

This time the story's from his perspective, and he's bummed instead of cheery because he's all suffuse with longing for a true relationship. Which is not a bad start if the story then turned into a whole book on a successful search for it.

But that's not what this is, it's a novella-length dip into the Scientic Method world during an extended New Year's house party. If you love Nick and Bernie, I think you'll really enjoy this.

Me, I'm focused on Jason and I want his full book. Argh!

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another New Year’s vacation at the beach house, this time featuring Truman’s best friend, Jase. This series of annual holiday stories featuring points of view other than the three primary characters of the Scientific Method series is a fascinating perspective into both that trio and the other relationships of their extended family-of-choice.

Back home in Boston, there’s probably no way that Jase would get involved in the Nick and Bernie dynamic, but vacation can seem like another world outside of time.

This sexy novella might not have much in significant plot or character development for this series, but I adore these characters. Luckily, so does Jase, and a good time is had by all.

[Linz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just reread the whole SMU series again, and I adored this episode. Nick and Bernie and Jase are brilliant together, so many layers and in a cast of complex characters, Nick is the most complicated to me. Will is as adorable as ever, and having all the family for New Years Eve provides fascinating interactions and so much love and acceptance. I still can't stand Lucy, so I skim over her parts. The ending came too soon, I NEED to know what happens next.

[Anna]

Another enjoyable SMU read. Better insight for me on the Bernie/Nick relationship. I do need to read their book at some point.

I'll admit that I want to know more about what's going on with Will, Hugh, and Truman.

On to the next!