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Friendly Ménage
By the Numbers
Jen and Jack’s marriage is magical — in more ways than one But that doesn't mean that something isn't missing
He peered up at her quizzically.
“If she hasn’t turned up by her birthday, next Halloween,” — her fortieth — “if there isn’t some new clue to where she is, we can put the house on the market. And… And put up a headstone for her. One more year.”
Jack smiled and caressed her ear with his thumb. “You still miss her, I know.”
Jen nodded. It was hard to explain — Bridgid and Jen had known each other since Brigid’s family moved to Elysium, but when they had all woken up from the nightmare of their twelfth-grade year at the Mountain, it had been Bridgid who had held Jen together. As much as Jack had saved Jen — had become her lover, and so much more — Bridgid was the one who brought her back to the land of the living. How could anyone so lonely be so loving and lovely? “She was wonderful. She is.”
Jack’s grin broadened. “She was. She is.” He pushed up onto one elbow and kissed her, and for a few minutes, Jen felt very young, and very alive, and very whole.
After some time, Jen leaned up from him, grinning herself down at her husband who was looking very self-satisfied there on the lacy bedspread, embroidered unicorns and phoenixes, eagles and dragons gamboling around his head. “You look pleased with yourself, Phalen.”
“Well,” Jack answered, “who wouldn’t, getting to look up at a sight as beautiful as you?”
“Flatterer,” she laughed, pleased. “Want to see more?” Before he could answer or she could stop herself, she pulled the tattered racing jersey she wore for cleaning over her head.
When they were young, Jack and Jen fought and won a war, and came out heroes. Then they got married, got jobs, raised kids, and lived, for the most part, happily ever after.
But Jen’s childhood best friend has been missing for nearly twenty years, and Jen’s beginning to give up hope.
A game of very adult let’s-pretend leads to a discovery that is very magical indeed, but that could destroy Jen’s life.
Or could lift it to a whole new plane.
What happens when rediscovering your youth leads to discovering new about yourself?
(Novel-length contemporary fantasy ménage, FFM threesome)
Extract: She rolled swiftly on top of him and stared down. “One more year.”He peered up at her quizzically.
“If she hasn’t turned up by her birthday, next Halloween,” — her fortieth — “if there isn’t some new clue to where she is, we can put the house on the market. And… And put up a headstone for her. One more year.”
Jack smiled and caressed her ear with his thumb. “You still miss her, I know.”
Jen nodded. It was hard to explain — Bridgid and Jen had known each other since Brigid’s family moved to Elysium, but when they had all woken up from the nightmare of their twelfth-grade year at the Mountain, it had been Bridgid who had held Jen together. As much as Jack had saved Jen — had become her lover, and so much more — Bridgid was the one who brought her back to the land of the living. How could anyone so lonely be so loving and lovely? “She was wonderful. She is.”
Jack’s grin broadened. “She was. She is.” He pushed up onto one elbow and kissed her, and for a few minutes, Jen felt very young, and very alive, and very whole.
After some time, Jen leaned up from him, grinning herself down at her husband who was looking very self-satisfied there on the lacy bedspread, embroidered unicorns and phoenixes, eagles and dragons gamboling around his head. “You look pleased with yourself, Phalen.”
“Well,” Jack answered, “who wouldn’t, getting to look up at a sight as beautiful as you?”
“Flatterer,” she laughed, pleased. “Want to see more?” Before he could answer or she could stop herself, she pulled the tattered racing jersey she wore for cleaning over her head.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 12, 2016
6 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
K.D. West
76 books65 followersK.D. West is an Amazon best-selling author of contemporary short fiction, a teacher, and a performer living in a small suburb of a big city in the American West:
"Not a huge amount to say -- I'm an author of steamy stories who happens to be a teacher; these things don't mix well in public, so I tend to be fairly quiet about real life in my blogging. I am, however, interested in all sorts of things -- books, writing, theater, mythology, and, obviously, erotica! I'm a huge reader of genre fiction -- mostly mysteries and fantasy, but also science fiction and historical romance."
West is working on two intertwined series involving a young woman and her older lover (the Juliet Takes Flight and Erotic Tales: Letters to Allison stories), a series of stories about friends discovering that they can become much more (Friendly Ménage Tales), and a series of stories that the Brothers Grimm might have collected, if there had been traditional tales where the heroine got the princess (Sapphic Fairytales). Also on the way: By the Numbers, an erotic paranormal/urban fantasy novel involving a long-lost friend coming all but literally back from the dead, and showing a happily married couple just what they'd been missing.
Come say hi at kdwestwrites.wordpress.com, or stillpointeros.com/kdwest!
"Not a huge amount to say -- I'm an author of steamy stories who happens to be a teacher; these things don't mix well in public, so I tend to be fairly quiet about real life in my blogging. I am, however, interested in all sorts of things -- books, writing, theater, mythology, and, obviously, erotica! I'm a huge reader of genre fiction -- mostly mysteries and fantasy, but also science fiction and historical romance."
West is working on two intertwined series involving a young woman and her older lover (the Juliet Takes Flight and Erotic Tales: Letters to Allison stories), a series of stories about friends discovering that they can become much more (Friendly Ménage Tales), and a series of stories that the Brothers Grimm might have collected, if there had been traditional tales where the heroine got the princess (Sapphic Fairytales). Also on the way: By the Numbers, an erotic paranormal/urban fantasy novel involving a long-lost friend coming all but literally back from the dead, and showing a happily married couple just what they'd been missing.
Come say hi at kdwestwrites.wordpress.com, or stillpointeros.com/kdwest!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 18, 2016
A really lovely read & listen -- Angst-free Romance!
This is a delightful erotic romance with interesting, well developed main characters. Set in an alternate reality where magic is a normal part of life, there are just enough hints about this world and the characters' past to make you wish this was part of a series. Seriously Ms West, please consider giving us more stories from this magical world.
As with the other K.D. West books I've enjoyed, the heat factor here is quite high. You may need a fan. But, this story is so much more than hot ménage sex. These are nice people who have love and respect between them. They step outside their usual sexual roles to support and care for each other - without a lot of angst. (I've grown so tired of books with characters who have to endlessly grapple with internal angst and self doubt just to flesh out an extra 50 pages.) It's not that these three don't have normal doubts, self-consciousness, body issues and worry for each other. However, they work them out like grown-up people, actually expressing their feelings out loud so problems are solved quickly and the fun can proceed. And there is a lot of fun! Based on my expectations for the Erotic Romance genre, this story is just about perfect, a full five stars.
The Audible narration is very good, excellent for a single narrator. The three main characters all have distinctly different voices that well fit each personality. Purchasing both the Kindle and Audible versions is an outstanding value. (Whisper-sync is my favorite technological advance of the last few years. Seriously, until someone adds scent to my I-pad, reading can't get any better.)
If you're a fast reader listening to the Audible version while you read along forces you go slower, allows you to savor the characters and story rather than devouring it whole. Initially obtained for free via Kindle Unlimited, I was only at 20% when I went back online to purchase this book. I need both versions in my library. Quite sure I'll revisit this lovely story in the future.
This is a delightful erotic romance with interesting, well developed main characters. Set in an alternate reality where magic is a normal part of life, there are just enough hints about this world and the characters' past to make you wish this was part of a series. Seriously Ms West, please consider giving us more stories from this magical world.
As with the other K.D. West books I've enjoyed, the heat factor here is quite high. You may need a fan. But, this story is so much more than hot ménage sex. These are nice people who have love and respect between them. They step outside their usual sexual roles to support and care for each other - without a lot of angst. (I've grown so tired of books with characters who have to endlessly grapple with internal angst and self doubt just to flesh out an extra 50 pages.) It's not that these three don't have normal doubts, self-consciousness, body issues and worry for each other. However, they work them out like grown-up people, actually expressing their feelings out loud so problems are solved quickly and the fun can proceed. And there is a lot of fun! Based on my expectations for the Erotic Romance genre, this story is just about perfect, a full five stars.
The Audible narration is very good, excellent for a single narrator. The three main characters all have distinctly different voices that well fit each personality. Purchasing both the Kindle and Audible versions is an outstanding value. (Whisper-sync is my favorite technological advance of the last few years. Seriously, until someone adds scent to my I-pad, reading can't get any better.)
If you're a fast reader listening to the Audible version while you read along forces you go slower, allows you to savor the characters and story rather than devouring it whole. Initially obtained for free via Kindle Unlimited, I was only at 20% when I went back online to purchase this book. I need both versions in my library. Quite sure I'll revisit this lovely story in the future.
April 25, 2016
By the Numbers is a very unique book and hard to categorize. It definitely covers new ground and is based in magic and fantasy. As such, it is a fun, short book about a married couple with a good relationship and mutual involvement in magic who end up in a relationship with an old friend. they all get to fulfill long-held sexual fantasies after they discover that their friend has been frozen as a statue for 20 years. Sometimes the allusions to magic are hard to follow but they help you suspend disbelief and enter a new world. Good job. I received this as a Goodreads Giveaway, thanks
May 6, 2016
I'm a big fan of this author, so it was a real pleasure to read her first full-length novel, and a real pleasure that it was so satisfying.
On one level, By the Numbers is a sex fantasy about a happily married woman (Jen) getting to explore a love she never knew she could have had — she gets to have her cake and be eaten too. Though I generally swing toward preferring M/F and M/M/F erotic romance, the exploration of the opening up of Jen's sexuality, starting with a seriously hot game of Let's Pretend, is sexy, touching, and exciting. Both the scenes exploring Jen's latent lesbian feelings for her long-lost friend Brigid and the climactic (and how!) three-way scenes that include Jen's husband Jack are going to make you want to read one-handed. ;-)
On another level, this is a book about coming to terms with growing up and growing older — looking at the choices you've made and the opportunities you've chosen to give up. There's a beautifully melancholy, bittersweet quality to the book that makes the sex incredibly moving — it's never just about the sex. (Though the sex is great!)
The magical world that KD West created here is rich and dense. I hope we get to see more stories in this universe!
On one level, By the Numbers is a sex fantasy about a happily married woman (Jen) getting to explore a love she never knew she could have had — she gets to have her cake and be eaten too. Though I generally swing toward preferring M/F and M/M/F erotic romance, the exploration of the opening up of Jen's sexuality, starting with a seriously hot game of Let's Pretend, is sexy, touching, and exciting. Both the scenes exploring Jen's latent lesbian feelings for her long-lost friend Brigid and the climactic (and how!) three-way scenes that include Jen's husband Jack are going to make you want to read one-handed. ;-)
On another level, this is a book about coming to terms with growing up and growing older — looking at the choices you've made and the opportunities you've chosen to give up. There's a beautifully melancholy, bittersweet quality to the book that makes the sex incredibly moving — it's never just about the sex. (Though the sex is great!)
The magical world that KD West created here is rich and dense. I hope we get to see more stories in this universe!
June 21, 2017
I just put my hand in the mystery bag and drew
I got this book because I am ready Lgbtq+ books for June and wanted to dabble into a poly like relationship. I kind of just searched Amazon blindly clicking whatever fit into sci-fi/fantasy romance with gay characters. Somehow the dart I threw on Amazon landed here. I won't say it was a bullseye because the thought of screwing on my missing friends bed kind of creeped me out. I mean if she had been dead for 20 years that might be one thing but what if she was being tortured in a basement? I don't want to be screwing with the though of her young yabbos. But, that's just me. I wish there was more of a villain so there would be more of a conflict to resolve but other than that I didn't mind venturing into a new comfort zone.
I got this book because I am ready Lgbtq+ books for June and wanted to dabble into a poly like relationship. I kind of just searched Amazon blindly clicking whatever fit into sci-fi/fantasy romance with gay characters. Somehow the dart I threw on Amazon landed here. I won't say it was a bullseye because the thought of screwing on my missing friends bed kind of creeped me out. I mean if she had been dead for 20 years that might be one thing but what if she was being tortured in a basement? I don't want to be screwing with the though of her young yabbos. But, that's just me. I wish there was more of a villain so there would be more of a conflict to resolve but other than that I didn't mind venturing into a new comfort zone.
March 28, 2017
PSA: Erotic Wizarding World for Mature Audiences Only. I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. PSA: This is not a Wizarding World Story for the younger generation. Nope, this is pure eargasmic fun listening for the more mature only. I was surprised how fun this audiobook was to listen to. It reminded me of the World of Harry Potter (which I love as an adult) but with erotic eargasmic additions. I have listened and reviewed many audiobooks that have been disappointing. The cover and title of this audiobook didn't grab my attention as one I would enjoy, and was afraid I would have to suffer through it to post an honest unbiased review. But I loved it! This was my first experience with K.D. West as an author and Didi Knotts as a narrator. They didn't disappoint. If you love the fantasy world of the likes of Harry Potter and erotica romances, you will enjoy this audiobook. It's a must listen.
March 6, 2022
I’ll admit this audiobook took me a little to get into but was worth the persistence.
It’s set in a fantasy world where magic exists. The relationships are based on love (some parts I wasn’t too sure about. It that could be me).
Was an enjoyable listen overall.
Was enough spicy to keep me warm
I received this audiobook at no-cost. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
It’s set in a fantasy world where magic exists. The relationships are based on love (some parts I wasn’t too sure about. It that could be me).
Was an enjoyable listen overall.
Was enough spicy to keep me warm
I received this audiobook at no-cost. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews