Black Swan Affair

by K.L. Kreig

I’ve loved him as long as I can remember.

The gangly boy with big brown eyes and unruly hair who grew up into an intoxicating man. He wears scruff like he invented it and ambles with a swagger that makes panties drop.

Killian Shepard.

Shep.

We grew up together. We played Ghost in the Graveyard. Had our own rock band. It didn’t matter that he was five years older than me. It didn’t matter that he looked at me as a kid sister even as I grew into woman. It didn’t even matter when he left me behind to go to college and start his adult life.

He’d be back.
He was always meant to be mine.

He came back, all right. But instead of smelling of promises, he stunk of betrayal. And he destroyed me—us—the day he married my sister instead of me.

So I did the only thing a girl like me in my position could do.

I got my revenge.
I married his brother, Kael.
Now we’re one big happy f*cking family.

***mature content appropriate for 18+

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Dark Romance, Adult, New Adult

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2016

About the author

Follow me on TikTok: @klkreig_author

I’m just a regular ol’ Midwest girl who likes Game of Thrones and am obsessed with Modern Family and The Goldbergs. I run, I eat, I run, I eat. It’s a vicous cycle. I love carbs, but there’s love-hate relationship with my ass and thighs. Mostly hate. I like a good cocktail (oh hell…who am I kidding? I love any cocktail). I’m a huge creature of habit, but I’ll tell you I’m flexible. I read every single day and if I don’t get a chance…watch the hell out, I’m a raving bitch. My iPad and me: BFFs. I’m direct and I make no apologies for it. I swear too much. I love alternative music and in my next life I want to be a bad-ass female rocker. I hate, hate, hate spiders, telemarketers, liver, acne, winter and loose hairs that fall down my shirt (don’t ask, it’s a thing).

Reviews

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

Pining after someone's husband is one thing. Pining after someone's husband when you're now married- to his brother- is taking immorality to an entirely new level. But that's me.”

It's official. I'm ruined. Utterly and totally ruined by this incredible book, by these beautiful words, by the heart wrenching story, by the devastating angst...this...EVERYTHING.

How can I even begin to describe to you all what I read? Let me try...

Yep. That about sums it up.

Truth be told, I do NOT do love triangles. As a matter of fact I tend to avoid them like a case of the clap...by practicing love triangle abstinence. What? It's totally a thing. But then my trusty book pimp Nashoda Rose told me this book had my name written all over it, and I was convinced (read= threatened bodily harm if I get a flashback to Thoughtless). But that's neither here nor there. What IS here, is how much this book owned me, because GOOD GAWD did it!

When he walks past, he grabs my hand, telling me softly against my cheek, "He will never love you like I do.”

If you're thinking this is a typical love triangle, you couldn't be more wrong. That blurb doesn't even begin to do this book justice. It's so much more than a woman who can't have the man she wants so she settles for his brother. This is not a black and white story. It's settled very firmly in the gray.

The rope he has tethered to me is unraveling, thread after fraying thread. I hear them snapping, faster and faster now. Feel the stinging bite of each one against my tender flesh as they break apart.

Maverick is not a heroine you'd think you like, but with every page you grow to understand her more and more. The incredibly spellbinding writing will pull you into the story so well that it won't be long before you're just as conflicted about your feelings as she is.

Maverick is a woman that's loved two men her entire life; one man with the love of passion and the second with the love of friendship. But then the man she always thought she'd end up with breaks her heart by marrying her sister. Try as she might, she can't burn away her love for him, even if she is now married to his brother and her lifelong best friend, Kael.

I want to kiss these fucking lips, Maverick. And not a kiss of a boy who has been friends with a girl for almost thirty years. But as a lover. I want to bite and suck and own and devour. Whenever I want. However I want.”

Have you ever read a romance where you didn't know which man to root for? Where your feelings were so up and down you felt like you were in a never ending spiral? Where you spend the entire time glued to the pages, utterly incapable of tearing yourself away for even a mere second? Because I just did.

Mesmerizing, maddening, heart rendering; this book owned me to the depth of my dark soul. I devoured every page, I screamed, I cried, I raged. I was enraptured.

That's how much I love you. That's how wound around the very fucking center of my soul you are. It's the same place you'll be until I close my eyes and take my last breath. You are rooted in here”- he pounds his chest- “in the bowels of me so far I will never be rid of you. No matter how much I've tried.”

If you don't read love triangles; read this book.
If you want a book that will make you feel; read this book.
If you want a book that will make your heart bleed; read this book.
If you want a book that will have you thinking about it days after you've finished it; read this book.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★1/2! Black Swan Affair (stand-alone). Caught between two brothers Mav must uncover the truth & make a choice!

“While he was the sun that lit your world, you were the darkness that shadowed mine.”

Black Swan Affair (stand-alone) is an unfolding love triangle that gutted and elated me in equal measures.

For as long as she can remember heiress and bakery owner Maverick DeSoto, Mav aka Small Fry aka Swan has loved two brothers; executive Killian Shepard, Shep and attorney Kael Shepard. But she is only in love with one, Killian. When he marries her sister, she marries his brother, Kael, setting their lives into a tailspin.

Story unfolds in current and past events uncovering lies, deception, sacrifices, scandal and revenge. It’s about the numbing lies we tell ourselves, the twisted truths we tell each other and the paralyzing reality we are left to deal with.

“You think you want answers, but sometimes it’s the truth that destroys.”

Five words to describe Killian Shepard: Mysterious, noble, regretful, desperate and secretive.



Five words to describe Kael Shepard: Determined, noble, hopeful, desperate and secretive.



Five words to describe Maverick DeSoto, Mav aka Small Fry aka Swan: Confused, desperate, despondent, conflicted and survivor.

Black Swan Affair, told in dual POVs, has the sweet agony of a love triangle where there can be no winners. All three have suffered, both men hold her heart, but only one can be her future.

Poignant! Bittersweet! Heartfelt!

“Some things happen simply because they happen. And in the end knowing why doesn’t change a damn thing anyway. The damage is already done.
~ Maverick DeSoto Shepard”

***
Killian’s rating: 4.5 stars
Kael’s rating: 4.5 stars
Mav’s rating: 3.75 stars
Sexual tension rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 4.5 stars
Dialogue rating: 4 stars
Storytelling rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: 4 stars
**********************************************
Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.



Impromptu (F)buddy-read with my shhlut, LoLo. Thanks!

ARC provided to me by author K.L. Kreig in exchange for an honest review.

[Bibi · Rating 1 out of 5]

**Spoiler Alert**
Caveat: Please note that this is only one person's opinion and frankly, it could be that it's just me and not the book so please don't let this stop you from reading it.
The Plot:
Why did Killian marry Jillian when all the while, he'd been in love with Maverick? This question drives the entire plot.

The Characters:
Killian: who dumped Maverick to marry her sister, Jillian.
Kael: who married Maverick even though he knew she was in love with his brother, Killian
Maverick: who'd been in love with Killian since forever and at the same time was best friends with Kael
Jillian: Maverick's sister, who married Killian
The parents: what roles did they play in moving the plot along?

What I liked about this book:
a. The synopsis and the cover
b. The last page that said: "The End"

What I didn't like:
a. The words in-between the front cover and the last page.
b. The emotionally juvenile and, overly florid prose

Why:
Look, this was a plot driven book and right from the prologue and until about 80% of the book, one question drove the entire book. Why did Killian dump Maverick to marry Jillian?
Everything prior to the 80% mark was mere filler and a repetition of the following scenarios:

1. Maverick (who married Keal to spite Killian) would sigh and wonder why Killian dumped her. At. Every. Chapter

2. Maverick would acknowledge that she was better off without Killian; would glance at Keal and have panty melting moments; have loads of sex with Keal while all the time thinking of Killian.

3. Killian hovers around Maverick; she in return would shiver and wish him gone all while casting longing looks at him. She would ask him why did you do it? He would spout intriguing comments like "you know nothing Jon Snow" (you know what I mean) or "I will always love you, small fry".

4. Keal's inner musings are all about how much he loves 'Mavs'/'Swan' and he makes it a point to tell us often; like At. Every. Chapter! Though, if you asked, I, for the life of me, could not understand why he was entranced with Mavs. She came off as childish, petulant, and entitled.

5. With the exception of Mavs and her bestie, every other female in this book were either hoes or slags; a situation that Mavs, from her inner musings, kindly mentioned to us. Only she (and her bestie) had any kind of redeeming character. M'kay.

Are you still reading? You must be a glutton for punishment. Anyways, we get to the aforementioned 80% mark and the big mystery is unveiled. Would you like to know why Killian married Jillian? Would you like to know if Mavs reunites with the love-of-her-life-Killian? Well, if you haven't figured it out, then you need to read the book.

[Nashoda Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG what did I just read? This book... WOW!! It's been years since I read a book straight through. Yes, seven hours I was glued to the pages of this book. A yo-yo of emotions that left me breathless with every scene. Black Swan Affair is a must read!!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review



Angsty. Emotional. Sexy. An utterly hypnotic. K.L. Kreig has ruined me in a good way. I repeat… I DON’T DO LOVE TRIANGLES. I hate it and avoid it like it’s a plague but when I read the Black Swan Affair I was entranced and spellbound with the words of K.L. Kreig. Her vivid, heartfelt, and emotional prose and writing was magic and a curse to my heart. I wanted and needed more. Everything about this book screamed phenomenal and my heart was bleeding right alongside with the characters. Two men. One woman. All have left a stained on your heart but in the end the heart will speak the truth.

I know I am being super vague with this review because this is one of those reads that you have to put your trust in the author. Trust that although she might shatter your heart, she will slowly mend the pieces back. And the Black Swan Affair is a journey. A journey of forgiveness, life, love, and hope. So if you are bold and brave enough to get tangled in this complicated love story, then I highly recommend you to read this book. K.L. Kreig spins an utterly addicting and intoxicating read that was truly unforgettable.


K.L. Kreig

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

When I started 'Black Swan Affair', I anticipated a steamy love affair and a fair amount of angst. I had absolutely no idea that this book would gut me the way it did. This book ripped my heart out! Several days later, I'm still trying to get ahold of my emotions and come to terms with what this book made me feel.

The story centers on Maverick DeSoto, who is marrying her childhood best-friend, Kael. Only, Maverick isn't in love with Kael. She's in love with his older brother, Killian.

After an intense opening scene with Maverick and Killian arguing on the day of her wedding, I knew that I was in for a hell of a ride with this book. Killian is trying to stop Maverick from going through with her wedding to his brother and she is determined to marry Kael to spite Killian. It was like watching a bad train wreck in slow motion.

For most of this book, my heart broke for Kael. He was so in love with Maverick and she just couldn't see past her love for Killian to appreciate what she had in front of her all the time. Kael truly did have enough love for both of them.

In contrast, I despised Killian until about 85% through. He seemed to want to have his cake and eat it too. He had married Maverick's sister, Jillian, without so much as an explanation, leaving Maverick brokenhearted. I doubted the sincerity of his feelings for Maverick right from the start. After all, who would do that if they really loved somebody?

Then, there is Maverick. Jilted by Killian, she sets out to do the same thing to him that he did to her...marry his sibling. Only, she actually claims to love Kael, even if she isn't in love with him. Kind of cruel, if you ask me. All the while, she pines over Killian.

The longer Kael and Maverick are married, the more he begins to creep his way into her heart. Slowly, she begins to fall in love with her husband. She is determined to push Killian out of her mind and Kael is eager to help her make that happen.

However, there are some big secrets being kept from Maverick. When they come to light, everything will change. Suddenly, the reasons for Killian's shocking marriage will be explained. The betrayal and lies run deep. Everyone except for Maverick seems to be in on it. She has to decide whether she can get past this deception at all.

I loved every painful moment of this story. It broke my heart, but I couldn't get enough of it. I wanted to scream and throw a tantrum so many times while reading this one. In the end, I came to a place of acceptance with the decisions that were made. Yet, I can't say that I felt content with the ending.

I don't think that there was any way for this to work out with a perfect happy ending. It just wasn't that kind of story. I understood why Maverick made the decisions that she did and think it was the right one...but it still hurt so much. This one definitely got me in the feels. I highly recommend any book that can make you feel the way that this one does.

[Dilek VT · Rating 5 out of 5]

5, 10 or more stars!



This is a love story that is hard to read.
There is a love triangle that is hard to bear as it involves two brothers. It is a hard pill to swallow. But as the book says, “We can’t help who we love”

It was a mind-blowing story for me. I was broken into pieces and then glued back together but I am still aching... for all of them.



Be patient. Don't DNF it in the first few chapters when you hate the heroine

I've never liked love triangles, but the blurb of this book was interesting so I wanted to give it a chance. However, as soon as I started the book, I hated the heroine, Maverick. What she did was unforgivable for me. That's why I considered dropping the book but I didn't. I went on reading it.

And thank God I did, or I would have missed a great book. It is really amazing. It is beautifully written... Just brilliant.

So, if you also hate the heroine at the beginning, please hang in there, it will all change gradually.

Even if you hate love triangles, you should give this book a chance. It is my favorite book of 2016.

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

We all end up in the place we’re supposed to be eventually... the sum total of our choices carries us to our destiny.

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

Puzzling time travel :))))

In this book, you are given the pieces of a puzzle one by one, all the more confusing your mind. And up until the 80% of the book you have doubts about each guy, you change your feelings about the girl, and you cannot be sure who is the good guy, who is the bad guy.



Kael seems too good to be true, so you wonder what creepy truth will be revealed about him.

Killian seems to be the bad guy but you feel that he is good in his heart and some truth will finally redeem him.

But, you can never be sure – because you are on a time travel... yes, a journey through a 19-year period of time. Go back, go forward, go back, go forward... And you are thrown into these periods in time haphazardly ... or it seems so.

Everything falls into its place perfectly once the time travel the writer makes us go through is completed. But until then, you will go to 19 years before, 11 years before, come back to present, go to 15 years before, 11 months before, 10 months before, come back to present, go to 7 months before, 8 years before, 4 months before and come back to present etc... Dizzying!



CAUTION: Audio-books are not recommended. Just by reading, you become a mess by travelling to so many different time zones, so with the audio, you will be a lot more confused while listening to it. You should get your tea or coffee and sit by the window to read this, or take your wine and sit by the fire... but please sit... and read it carefully.

The plot

OK, let’s talk about what the story is about. Don’t worry I will not give any spoilers and please read only "spoiler-free" reviews, or just dive into the book blind...

Let’s begin with the title of the book: BLACK SWAN




Our heroine Maverick’s life changes when Killian, the guy she is in love with, suddenly decides to marry her sister, Jillian.

Killian is Maverick’s best friend Kael’s older brother. Kael loves Maverick deeply. He is deeply in love with her but because he has been friend-zoned, he cannot do anything but suffer.... and wait... and be patient...

She won’t let me touch her, though. She doesn’t think of me that way . Never has. She’s got a teenage “crush” on my brother while I have officially been “friend-zoned.”

The shit of it is… Killian returns some of her feelings. I see the way he looks at her out of the corner of his eye when he doesn’t think anyone is watching. I am in for a lifetime of torture if these two hook up. It will fucking end me. But I will never give up fighting for her. Ever. Killian doesn’t know Mavs the way I do. He never will.
No. She’s mine. Period. He can’t have her.



It’s my only option. Slow and steady gets the girl and that’s what I aim to do. I want her to see that she can’t live without me any more than I can without her. She loves me, yes, but she’s not in love with me just yet, and I know it’s because she hasn’t given that side of us a chance.



The situation is a shitty mess. When Killian goes and marries her sister, Maverick is devastated. She is broken. Then, it is Kael who tries to put her broken pieces together.

Maverick loves Kael, but she isn’t in love with him. Still, she goes and marries Kael, because until the last minute, she hopes that Killian will come and save her, saying he will leave her sister because he loves her. But he doesn’t do that. He comes and tells her not to marry Kael but he just tells her to wait, nothing else. And she doesn’t wait. She marries her best friend, Kael, who is the brother of the man she is actually in love with.



Horrible, huh? Think of the mess!
I hated Maverick for that decision of hers.
I felt her pain after Killian’s betrayal, but I also felt the pain of Kael, the one who is used for revenge and healing...

I never thought she could redeem herself in my eyes.
First, she was with Killian...
Then, with her brother Kael...
That was hard for me to process.



Despite the disturbing love triangle, the book blows your mind away with all these puzzles and angst so much that you cannot put it down. I couldn’t. And towards the end of the book, I was shocked when I realized that I was now OK with how everything happened... but only when the pieces of the puzzle were all placed. Still, coming to terms with it is not easy, I must say...

I want to be wanted. I need to be the air someone breathes. Even if it is tainted with all kinds of wrong.

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

One criticism I have is that I am not very satisfied with Killian's reasoning for why he has done what he has done... But, whatever, what's done is done and I didn't like him much anyways.

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

This is a book full of deep emotions, very high angst and it is sizzling hot. The writing is epic. There is so much love in it. There is jealousy, anger, resentment, betrayal, pain, hope, healing, understanding, forgiving and redeeming... And you feel it all. The writer makes you feel everything very strongly!

Due to its writing, the book was like a mystery I had to solve and I enjoyed every minute of it. It deserves more than 5 stars for me...



I won’t go much more into detail because it should surprise you. I can only highly recommend it.

I will give you some attractive quotes, though... just to confuse you more :))) but my main purpose is to attract your attention and persuade you to read it...

So, here they are...

“I love you,” I vomit. It’s the same words I spoke to him on his own wedding day two years ago. To my sister. I begged him to choose me. Love me. Marry me.
But he butchered me, marrying her instead.
“Don’t do this,” he pleads, his voice strained. “I’m begging you not to do this.”
“Leave her,” I demand. “Tell me you’ll leave her and I won’t.”
“Just wait. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Wait? Wait for what, Killian?

***

Brother-in-law.
Yes…brother-in-law. Remember that.
Brother-in-law.
Brother.
In.
Law.
He’s just a plain ol’ brother-in-law.
Yeah…one you’ve had your mouth all over.
Fuck.

***

I have spent most of my life pining away for this man. And look where it’s gotten me. I’m a solid, soiled mass of rage and bitterness. I am no better than he is, marrying someone I wasn’t in love with, no matter the reasons. In fact, in many ways, I’m worse, because I genuinely love Kael, and Killian only ever tolerated Jilly, even as kids.



“Back to my original question, what do you want?”
“I want every fucking thing I can’t have,” he tells me hotly. Handprint, without question.
“Whose fault is that?” I prod evenly, proud of myself for holding it together this long. “You gave me up. You walked away from everything we had. No answers. No explanations. No second thoughts. No nothing. Even now. I get nothing from you except… nope, nothing. You don’t deserve me.”
“You don’t know shit,” he practically thunders. “Everything I do is for you. With you in mind.”

***

She’s finally found the one place where she feels she can just be herself without judgment. But the thing she doesn’t understand yet is she’s always had that place.
She always will.
With me.

***

We can still hear my father’s footfalls when Kael slams his mouth to mine and starts fucking me ruthlessly, taking me like he owns me. And he does. I feel like I’m becoming his, piece by broken piece. My mind isn’t anywhere else but on him and the sinful things he’s doing to me, making me feel.



I see everything he wants me to see. Understanding. Devotion. Forgiveness. Us: Forever. The way it’s always been.



“Not everything is as it seems, Maverick. You think you want answers, but sometimes it’s the truth that destroys, not the lies”



He can’t die. We were just starting our lives together. The way it was meant to be. I can’t go on without my soul mate. I bore my watery gaze into the man in front of me, the one who loves me so much, and spit venomous, hateful words. Words I don’t mean but can’t call back now that they’re out.
“I wish it was you,” I say heartlessly, callously. I ignore the hurt in his eyes. Hurt my words inflicted. He’s already devastated enough... I wish I could make myself care. I am destroyed. I will never survive this if he’s taken from me.

***

Why I ever considered giving up on us is a guilt so suffocating I can’t bear the massive weight of it.

***

If he dies, I’ll know it. I’ll feel our bond break in the very depths of my being. And right now, while my soul feels crushed, it doesn’t feel dead. I know I will feel dry and barren if he leaves me here alone. So while he fights, so do I.



The ending

Well, the book ends how I wanted it to end. And I am incredibly happy :)
Also, I now have a new book boyfriend - yum!

(And I hope the one who couldn't get the girl gets another book where he finds his true love... again...)

* Addition as of 15.01.2020

Now that I have reread this book after 4 years, it is still wow... just wow. It certainly deserves to be in my "all-times favorite books" shelf.

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

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[✦❋Arianna✦❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never read a K.L. Kreig book before, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this. But after reading the blurb, I knew it will be an enthralling read. And let me tell you, it totally was. In some way, 'Black Swan Affair' was like nothing I’ve ever read so far. While the premise was nothing new, at least to me, the way the story unfolded (and not only) was something else entirely. This story of love, passion, secrets and betrayal was utterly addictive, intriguing from the beginning and blew me away with all the angst, drama and revelations. If you’re a fan of love triangles, then this one it’s the perfect book for you, if not, then you should definitely consider trying this one, since I guarantee it will be worthy it.

“There’s no pretending. There’s no forgetting. There’s only compartmentalizing. There’s then and now. Past and present. Killian versus Kael.”

'Black Swan Affair' tells the story of Maverick and two brothers, Kael and Killian Shepard, three people whose lives are intertwined in more ways than one. Maverick had always loved both brothers, but in different ways, both brothers loving her for years. When the brother Maverick loves passionately with every fiber of her being betrays her in the worst possible way, marrying her sister, she does the unthinkable – she marries his brother, her best friend, the man who always loved her and saved her in so many ways over the years.

“I am now Mrs. Shepard. Ironic. It’s the name I’ve always wanted. This just isn’t exactly how I pictured getting it.”

Maverick feels guilty for not loving the man who she considers her best friend like he wants her to, but the heart wants what it wants, so she can’t forget the man who is so far and deep in her, even if he lied and betrayed her without any explanation.

Will Maverick accept that she lost the man she had always loved? Will she forgive the betrayal or will she try to move on?



'Black Swan Affair' was captivating and so well written from start to finish. The plot was complex, the story line simply fascinating and the three main characters well written and engrossing. Maverick was a heroine I felt deeply for as the story unfolded. Her portrayal was fantastically done. If at the beginning you will judge her in the worst possible way, as the story progresses you will understand her and maybe even more, like her.

The hero here was really wonderful. In my opinion he was perfect in every way for our heroine and the perfect brother for her. He was sweet, caring, thoughtful and considerate and everything I love in a hero.

“I will always come back to her. I will always be drawn to her. My swan.”

The story is full of angst, drama and some very nice twists. It held me at the edge of my seat the entire time for many reason and I’m glad I gave it a try since I found it to be 100% unputdownable. Maverick’s story was sexy, passionate, but also heartfelt and emotional.

All in all, 'Black Swan Affair' was a wonderful, addicted read with a fascinating premise that made me feel and held me captive the entire time. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for something different.



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[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

That was... I don’t really know what to say. Let me quote from the book:

“Fucking fuck of all the fucks”

A bloody love triangle. Every reader’s nightmare. But if it’s done well, it can be good. And good it was. I devoured it like a hungry pack of wolves that had been starving for a month. I'm not surprised. I’m the kind of reader that craves angst in her books. However, angsty books often tend to be overly dramatic and authors often go OTT with the melodrama and clichés. That did not happen here.

What I like about this book:

#1 The story is original. The whole book is based on a puzzle which slowly reveals itself layer by layer until the end when the story is brought together to form a complete picture. This book is anything but predictable. You don’t have a clue what’s going on until the very end nor do you know which male character the heroine will choose (but NOT because she’s annoyingly indecisive).

#2 There’s no cheating. Well, there is a "close call" situation when the heroine kisses a male character who is not her husband BUT that’s about it.

#3 The writing is good. The author’s ability to create a mystery, keep the reader on the edge and in the dark and convey emotions through words is admirable. I felt it all. Angst. Devastation. Frustration. Sadness. Fear. True love. Excitement. Contempt. Happiness.

Do you know how it feels to be on a constant verge of an anxiety attack for the entire book, anticipating the answers, looking for clues, making assumptions, creating countless theories, guessing, worrying, your brain in overdrive, your feelings all over the place, your heart racing, not knowing what will happen in the end?



To say it was exhausting is putting it mildly. But it was worth it.

Why not all the stars?
1. Why didn’t we get Killian’s POV? Or at least another chapter when he and Maverick were younger and in love. I didn’t get to know him well. It was difficult for me to buy his real love for Maverick when we were constantly showered with the descriptions of Kael’s love.

2. Despite everything, I never completely connected with the heroine. It’s not that I hated her. On the contrary. But she’s put on a pedestal by basically everyone. She’s portrayed as too angelic, too innocent, too perfect. Why is she so special? The author did go a bit too OTT with the love the two male characters have and show for the heroine.

3. I’m happy with the heroine's choice. Except, I was left with kind of a bitter taste in my mouth. Yes, I know they’ll be OK. But still... He’s such a wonderful and caring person and he loves with all his heart. He shouldn’t have fought for love. Such a person deserves someone who is one hundred percent worthy of his epic love and who reciprocates his feelings without a shadow of doubt.

QUICK REVIEW:

Enjoyment:: 3.75/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 4/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 5/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 3/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: dual, 1st person
Triggers: Love triangle. The heroine has feelings for and kisses a man who is not her husband.

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

Allright.......Everyone seems to LOVE this book!!! I am in the minority here.....so don't let me be the one to stop you from reading it........it's just that this story didn't do it at all for me!!!

Briefly...we have Maverick, who's been in love with Killian for yonks. She's also best friends with his brother Kael.
KIllian drops Maverick and marries her sister, Jillian!! Maverick, who's still in love with Killian marries his brother, Kael, who has been in love with her for yonks!!!!

Talk about a confusion...you're confused.....

........... let me take a moment here........all that nonsense of Maverick wondering why why did Killian drop me!!!! Oh, I'm better off without him!!!! And that has all hot sex with Kael whilst thinking of Killian!!! Are you kidding me!!!!And secrets....and more secrets...........I just couldn't be bothered with finding out what they were.....in fact, I found myself doing a lot of this as I turned the pages..........skimming and skipping........and not exactly happy skipping moments..........

And then all that back and forwards between the different times and the different POV's of the characters......the worst being Kael......I cannot believe that he loved such a selfish and idiotic and self-cantered person like Mavs!!!!! Get a life Kael...please!!

I gave up eventually.......after nearly pulling off most of my hair!!

When the huge secret is revealed.........I couldn't give a toss..........but if you do, then read the book yourself!!!

[chan ☆]

sometimes i wonder how many is too many when it comes to goodreads shelves but i am fighting the urge real bad to add this to a “goofy” shelf

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ~ 4 Stars

“He will never love you like I do.”

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This is my first time reading this author’s work but with the mention of a love triangle, I one clicked without hesitation. To be honest, the two male hero’s names were a bit confusing: Killian and Kael Shepard. These two are brothers are head over heels in love with the heroine, Maverick DeSoto since their youth. Maverick is magical to these guys...



The story starts with the heroine giving Killian one last chance to make things right with her before she walks down the aisle. You see, two years ago, Killian broke her heart and married her sister, Jillian. On this Maverick’s wedding day she looks for any reason to call it off from Killian. It also should be mentioned that she’s marrying his brother, Kael, who has slowly/expertly been moving himself out of the friend zone for years… Bravo Kael!

”As much real estate as Killian is still taking up, Kael’s quickly buying him out. I do believe I’m actually falling in love with my husband.”



The story takes a reader to the past with scenes, showing how both brothers fall for young Maverick. While we are also moving forward with her as she falls for her husband. The sex scenes were flaming hot in this story. Though from the first chapter a reader anxiously awaits the reveal of why Killian and Jillian ever got together in the first place.



When the truth is revealed Maverick finds herself with the most difficult of choices to make. Though for me it was a no-brainer.



The story is angsty, sexy, and twisty. I did however find the reveals on the meh side. The heroine does end up with the best Shepard in my opinion (definitely the one the author did successfully express his feelings and depth of love the most) and she’s a lucky woman!

”Follow my heart.”

[NMmomof4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Overall Opinion: This was not what I was expecting, but in a good way! I was expecting a story about nasty dirty affair and revenge, and this really wasn't it. I didn't read any spoiler reviews and went in blind, and I think that was the best thing I could've done -- so I'm going to try my hardest to not give too much away! It was a pleasant surprise, and even though the author had me guessing up until the end -- I was extremely happy with the ending and that I got a HEA! If you feel like you really need spoilers -- pm me ;)

Brief Summary of the Storyline: Again, I'll keep this brief in hopes of not ruining it. This is Maverick's story. Maverick grew up being best friends with Kael, and in love with his older brother Killian. She loves both brothers, but in different ways. She is heartbroken when Killian ends up marrying her older sister, and Kael is there to help her pick up the pieces. They end up getting married as well. She struggles with her conflicted feelings, and after some big ups and downs she does eventually get a HEA ending.

POV: This alternated between Maverick and Kael's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well. It does jump between the present, the past year, and farther into the past.

Instalove: No, they've known each other their whole lives.

H rating: 4.5 stars. (Won't say name to prevent giving things away). I really liked him! He really loved the h and always had her in mind in everything he did. He was hot! He also was really sweet.

h rating: 4 stars. Maverick. I liked her a lot more than I expected. She was really struggling with her love life, and I actually sympathized with her instead of getting frustrated with her (which I often do in love triangle type stories).

Sadness level: Low/moderate. There was definitely some angst, but I wouldn't say it was OTT and I never cried. I remember reading reviews that said others did though...

Push/Pull: Yes The h is conflicted in her feelings at first, but she comes around not that long after. The H is the main pursuer (but he also lets her figure things out on her own and doesn't push).

Heat level: Moderate. They have some hot scenes (some in public places) and chemistry, but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

Safe sex: Yes and no. Mentions of birth control. I don't remember any mention of previous practices or STD status.

OW/OM drama: Yes The h is struggling with her still strong feelings for one brother when she is married to another.

Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes Most of the scenes are with one man, and then there is one scene with another man that is a descriptive memory.

Cheating: Yes IMO, but not what I expected. There is only one instance where the h kisses OM that I would call it cheating, but it doesn't go further than that and she tells the H about it.

Possible Triggers: Yes Unrequited love, loss of a parent, and act of violence in the workplace.

Closure: This had good closure with a HEA ending. It ended just how I wanted it to :)

How I got it: I paid the $3.99 on Amazon.

Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most of the safety gals.

- Does have cheating (see above spoiler)
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does Not have OTT sad parts
- Does have a HEA ending

[Hulya Kara Yuksel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Update:


Fuck yeah, exactly my thoughts!!! :D I really didn't see any of them coming... This book really surprised me and left me speechless... Story was so good, writing was amazing and the characters were unforgettable too. And I loved everything about this book and I would never change not a thing in this story because it was perfect! It ended perfectly! <3

When I first read the blurb, I was waiting something dirty love story between 3 people but oh man, I wasn't expecting something more, something mindfucking brilliant story. This book was really different any other books I've read it before and I'm glad that I'm not a picky person when it comes to books because I'm sure some of you when read the blurb will decide not to read this book BUT pls just once try to be open mind and just give a chance this book. Trust me, you won't be regret for reading it. :)

Anyway, let's back to book because I wanna talk about Maverick. I loved that woman so much and I understand her. I wouldn't say that I'd do the same thing like she did but when I read her past-present life, I really felt her pain. But also I admired her strength too. She's really trying to be a good wife to Kael. And she really fight with herself to stay away from Killian but let's just fuck Killian, let's talk about more Kael (Kael: He's Killian's brother and Kael is Maverick's husband but also he's childhood friend of hers). :D Holy shit, that man was just full of surprises. :) He's sweet, thoughtful, he's cute, but mosty he's sexy as hell, handsome, smart etc. He always thinks Maverick. What is she wants? What is she needs? Oh I also I have to tell you this, he's a fucking God in the bed!!! :D I love kinky and dominant man so yep, that guy gives me chills and when I think about him right now..... Oh dear lord!!! Yep, he's that hot!!! :D Dammit, I'm gonna need to take another shower... :D

But above all this, I really love how the story goes on. When you saw the blurb, you might be thinking oh man, she's gonna cheat on her husband and she will fuck other man asap etc... Well, you're wrong, you're so dead wrong. This book will blew your mind and it will surprise you. Because nothing looks like it seems. There are a lot of secrets and a lot of things going on between all of them... And until the last parts of the book, you won't able to guess what will she do or who will she choose? Will she stay or will she go? So because of that pls be ready for mind fuck and oh pls don't forget to spare a new panties for Kael... :D

Good luck and enjoy the show please... :D

Ps. Special thanks to my lovely girls. Dilek & Bookylicious. <3 Thanks for the recommendation. :)

[Ramona Popescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well. It has been a very interesting journey for me.. I've read so much about this book and a lot of my book friends were absolutely emotionally wrecked because of it. Although I prefer sweet and sometimes overly sweet love stories, I realized this book will be different because it will not show you only the bright side of love, but a more darker and dramatic one.

And I was right. So, Maverick is our leading lady here and 2 boys will fight for her love. We have Kael, her best friend, who shared with her everything since she was 13, who loved and support her no matter what. And we have Killian, Kael's older brother and the love of Maverick's life. But of course things in this book are not simple, so Maverick will end up marrying Kael and Killian will marry her sister, Jillian. I know, this is the twisted hand of destiny.

The book is from a dual POV, sharing stories between Kael and Maverick and will torture us with past and present scenes, that will leave us hanging until the very end. For my POV the most treacherous of them all was the first scene, with Maverick in the hospital, crying for the one that she loves. The fact that we don't know who that is, wrecked me and kept my nerves tensed until getting to a lead on who might that be..

So, the plot is not extremely complicated, we are witnessing Maverick in her marriage with Kael, but being in love with Killian all this time. She will desperately hang on to his memory and a lot of things will be reveled that will make you change sides or consider what brother is the best for her.

I personally was 100% Team Kael from the very beginning. Firstly because he really demonstrated me how much he loved Maverick, how persistent he was in winning her and even if he did mistakes, they were forgettable. I mean, how can you not forget this man? He was out of this world, beginning with his love, devotion, compassion and ending with the things he went through for her. The dual POV helped me so much in understanding how he began to care for her and how much he suffered to see her falling for another man. Only the simple fact that he married her despite being aware of this was admirable and his persistence in changing the scenario made me so weepy. I cried by the end of the book because GOD this man is so romantic and he can convince you so easily of his feelings.

Killian on the other side was unreadable for me. I knew he existed, but only like a ghost. He appeared and disappeared, but at the end of the day I didn't get to know him or love him enough to wish Maverick by his side. He was so opposite his brother. He was selfish and that scene at the end of the book really showed be how much he "loves" Maverick. Well please!! Have a look at your brother and see how you should behave and love. I know that he also had some bad circumstances that were not in his favor, but even when knowing all the truth, I didn't sympathize with him at all.

Maverick was complicated for me, but I totally understood her. I believe that being torn between 2 men that you both love is terrible, but I was soooo happy to see her struggle to change the course of her destiny. Even if there were some moments of weakness involved, I knew that she couldn't cheat, couldn't break Kael's heart and in the end she will make the right call. I've waited for her decision like air and I have to admit she managed to make me real nervous.

Despite this looong and introspective review, I have to say that the book was intense, sweet and sorrow but it was not convincing. The action rotated around doubt,denial and obsession and for me is was kind of tormenting. The 3 stars are only for Kael because he was amazing, but as seeing the big picture, the book could have been more complex, more complicated in plot. Because in characters it was more than complex.

3 stars!

PS: you know what else deserved a star? The popping candy scene!! OMG, one of the most sensual and hot scene ever:D



For more reviews please visit https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars Steamy, swoony, sentimental, seductive, and slightly suspenseful

Ufff… what an emotional ride! As soon as I started page 1, I knew I was going to be riveted to the edge of my seat. This is unlike any other book I’ve ever read…

I hate saying this, but going in blind is best 🫣.

The book opens up on Maverick’s/Mav’s (26) wedding day to her best friend Kael (29), except… he’s not the man she loves👀. The man she loves is Kael’s brother, Killian (31), but she can’t marry him… why? Well, Killian married her older sister two years before 😬🫣 effectively ending their secret and VERY physical relationship 😅, one that she’d been wanting and coveting for all of her life 😬.

The betrayal ^^ was real…

But Kael’s loved her all this time, and he’s going to do everything he can to get her to have her heart willingly pick him…

But who will she choose?

Before I get into spoilers (anything I say will potentially be spoilers, so beware lol), I have to say, I didn’t know what to expect. I was soooo tempted to look up spoilers, but I decided not to. I even found myself closing the book around 80% because my heart couldn’t take it 🤣. In the end, I finished, and my heart, my soul, my body was extremely happy and satisfied with who she picked 🥹❤️.

Also- I will 10000% prefer OMD over OWD, so this made it just extra special 😈

What I loved/liked:
—the way the book’s formatted. How weird for me to put this as the first thing I loved lol. But realistically, the way that the book is laid out helps with adding the suspenseful and angsty element this book needs in order to feel satisfied by the end. Great job K. L. Kreig 💅

—who Mav ended up picking. Ummm… yaaaassss queen 👏🏻 you made the RIGHT choice 😉. While I understood why she was hesitating, ultimately, it was the only one she could make to stay true to her feelings 🤷🏻‍♀️





NOW TO REAL SPOILERS LOL. DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT ANY 😬
—the swoon 😫🥹❤️. ERMAGOD. KAEL… gah… Kael is just so damn swoony 😭. Everything he does, every day he lives, every choice he makes is for Mav 🥹. And he’s so selfless, so in love, so protective that he’s willing to sacrifice himself for her, even if it means he’ll have a broken heart 😭. Can I have him please 🙏🏻

—the 🔥. Oh. Dear. LAWD 🥵. First off, we’re reading the 🔥 scenes knowing Kael isn’t Mav’s “true” or more like “first” love, but even so, OH. MY. GOSH. KAEL DELIVERS 😮‍💨. The first real scene we see with them is him licking custard off her shoulder, and JEEEZUS CHRIST- I almost started PRAYING with how SENSUAL it was 🥵 and no clothes were shed 👀. But the tension was just Ufff 😮‍💨 so so good! We don’t see the scenes where Mav was ONLY thinking of Killian 😬( luckily? Maybe lol), but the ones we DO see are when things transform for her 👀, when she sees Kael as the ONE for her 🥹. All I know is that Kael has magic fingers 💦 and a magic d (duuuuh 🤷🏻‍♀️)

—Kael’s dirty mouth 💦. I know I shouldn’t add this up here, I should be adding all the emotional ways this book moved me, but… I’m not gonna lie, his mouth deserves its own bullet 😉. Mav wasn’t ready, she WAS. NOT. READY for the filth Kael’s mouth spewed 😮‍💨🔥

—Kael calls her Swan… and Wife… and baby…🫠

—the memories/flashback scenes 😭. LAWD. Laaaawd… my heart could not take it 😫. The way he’s been protective since they were kids melted my heart 🥹 who’d da thought that he was a stalker at such a young age 🤣. I ain’t mad 💅 I loved it 😉

—the OMD: well, duh 😉 I love me some OMD 😈

—the banter 😅. Gahhh. I loved theirs so much. It only solidified their connection even more ❤️. Because they just GET each other… especially KAEL. Kael knows her better than she knows herself 😭

—the wisdom teeth/ice cream scene 🥹. Kael coming back from college to comfort her was just 😭. Watching her comforting shows/movies like GILLIGAN’S island just made me melt into a puddle of goo ❤️

—having her use toilet paper to clean up 👀. Like. He knows a paper towel is too harsh for her… downstairs region, and it’s the little things that make us fall in love right? 🥹

—pop rocks where? Yeah… there 👀 ummm… 🔥

—the patience Kael exhibits 👀. He can easily compete against any saintly figure 🤷🏻‍♀️ and he’ll win 💅

—the convenience store scene 👀🔥. Gahhh 🥵

—the epilogue 🥹 but also 🥵

—I cried 😭. The way Kael loves Mav is what dreams are made of ❤️

What I wanted more of:
—the aftermath. We don’t really know what happens to all of their family members, which is fine, but I needed closure, especially with Jillian’s story. Heck, we don’t really know what happens with Killian either 🤷🏻‍♀️. With so much emotion and time invested in their pasts and stories, I needed more. Did Jillian and Mav ever fix their relationship? I mean, there’s other questions I have as well

—I actually wished we had seen Kael and Mav’s wedding night 😅. I know it would’ve been bad since Mav kept thinking about Killian, but I wanted to see the difference between how she was physically with Kael at first to how it morphed 🫣

Overall, I loved this 🥹😭❤️

⚠️safety squad⚠️ SPOILERS
-no sharing
-loss of a parent
-cheating: the h marries the H but still has strong feelings for the H’s brother. The H’s brother is married to the h’s sister, but he has feelings for the h 😬 this starts changing months into the marriage. Nothing physical ever happens. Later on, she kisses OM when she’s separated from H. It’s a goodbye kiss
-OWD: the h’s sister OW1 married the h’s “love” and constantly belittles the h or creates drama when it comes to the OM (NOT the H). OW2 always had a crush on the H but the h married him so 🤷🏻‍♀️. She makes an appearance and makes the h jealous 😬
-OMD: the h’s ex is the H’s brother OM whom she still loves/has strong feelings for when the book opens up. The OM married the h’s sister two years before. The H’s in turmoil thinking she’ll choose his brother 😬
-dirty talk/biting/public sex
-no condoms/on the pill/then none
-HEA/epilogue/15 months later

[Rachel L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!!!

So a few days later and I don't know how to review this book



^^In a good way!!!!

But I do know this:



When a trusted book friend approached me and said I would love this book, all she had to do was tell me the magic word: ANGST. And I was sold! I preordered the shit out of this book. I ignored the fact that it was a love triangle and dived right in! And I am so glad I did.

The plot, the characters, the feels, the angst? ALL SUPERB! This is one of those unputdownable books you don't come across very often. I am ashamed to say I hadn't even heard of this author until now, but I will be reading her books as soon as I am able. Because this book was something special.

Of the love triangle, the guy I was rooting for?:


I have already told so many of my book friends to read this book, and hopefully despite this blabbering and incoherent review you will take a chance and read it too!!!!

[Just Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

****4 STARS****

This was my first book by K.L. Kreig and I will be picking up more of her books for sure. Have mercy on my soul, this was a really good book, now let me tell you why....



The book starts with Maverick marrying her childhood bestfriend, Kael. Now, Maverick is not in love with Kael, she's in love with his brother, Killian. But....Killian is married to her sister, Jillian. Yeah, I know, crazy.



Kael knows that Maverick is not in love with him. He knows that she loves his brother, but he doesn't give a rats ass. He's like, "I love her and she can learn to love me." God bless his heart for that because unrequited love is a b**ch.

Let me tell you what I love about Kael....
1. He likes his girls with some meat on their bones. No stick figures.
2. He marries Maverick knowing that she is not in love with him - now, normally that is a huge turn off for me but it works in this story. But trust me, WHEN you read this book (because you will) you will see what I mean.
3. His self control is amazing considering the fact that he his loved her since they were kids. He was willing to wait until she was ready to at least try to love him.
4. Maverick's temper is sexy to him. (I can get a little crazy from time to time so I love a man who loves the crazy.)
5. He never pushes her into falling in love with him, he waits for it to become natural. For her to decide whether or not she can love him as more than a friend.
6. He's willing to give her up if she decides she can't ever love him and wants to be with his brother.
7. And my #1 thing....he sees her love as a gift.



K.L. Kreig was able to portray a story where there was no physical cheating but some may view it as emotional cheating. I may be in minority but when you marry someone who isn't in love with you, you have to accept that their emotions are still tied to someone else, you don't have their heart. Now add to that that it's your brother and you are going to be around him....you knew what you signed up for. But Kael handles it like a man, so I have to give him props for that. Side not - Maverick does kiss Killian at one point but I don't really see that as cheating. It was circumstantial.

All that being said, Kael is not a pushover either. He can get a little but alpha on her ass when he needs to and that is so sexy.

Maverick does work as hard as she can on her marriage. She really wants it to work. But it's not easy to turn off your feeling for a man you've loved for almost 20 years. To make matters worse, Killian still loves her too and is not letting go that easy. But how do you get over a man who is still holding on to you?



I enjoyed this book very much! Plus no one died, yes! Thank f**k for that, I didn't know how many more I could take where someone dies. I started to feel like I needed therapy.

There is a HEA and everything is cleared up in the end.

I recommend this book for sure! :)

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[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

Having seen the fabulous reviews coming through I read the blurb and decided while this sounded intriguing it just wasn't for me, I didn't really want to read about someone who for whatever reason would do that (marry the sister) but the reviews continued and I became curious and finally downloaded the sample and that was it I was gone, completely.
Maverick has loved both the Shepard brothers all her life, Kael she loves like a brother, Killian she loves with all her heart and always has. She thought Killian was returning to town for her so they could be together and then with no warning or explanation he marries her sister Jillian and her heart shatters.
The book starts in the present but opens with the prologue twelve months earlier yet two years after Killian married her sister.

My gown sells false truths . Makeup covers the lies. Fake smiles and soft words divert and deceive. Three carats on my left hand blind all, except me. I know the truth......
I’m a horrible, awful person. In less than ten minutes, I will let my father walk me down an aisle....
I’m anything but innocent. My soul is lost. My heart cold. I’m a devil in angel’s skin, trapping a man for life who could have any woman he wants but for some reason wants me. And why? Because I’m a masochist, I guess. Though I should be running as far away as possible, I can’t seem to do anything but run in the direction of the one man I’ve loved my entire life: his brother. The only man I truly want even though he betrayed me in the worst possible way.

So Maverick marries her friend, the one she's loved like a brother most of her life while wanting with all her heart the brother that's married to her sister.
I was hooked after the first page but it was obvious from the blurb this was going to be an emotional read leaving at least one person broken, how could it not when you have two brothers madly in love with the same woman and in return she loves them both in different ways.
I fell asleep reading this last night and when I woke up unusually early this morning instead of going back to sleep like I should have done I started reading again.
I loved this book, I just couldn't put it down and so I'm giving 5* its worth mentioning I don't give this often or easily and while this book isn't perfect (what is?) I loved it and it held me completely from the first page to the last.

[TJ ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so basically this book is about Maverick (h) who is close family friends with the Shephard brothers, Killian and Kael. Maverick has been in love with Killian (the older, mysterious and broody brother) since forever. And she's been best friends with Kael (the younger, loyal, good, and charming brother) since forever, and he's also quietly been in love with her since they were in elementary school while she's only ever thought of him as a friend. So v tangled webs. This book begins with learning that Killian and Maverick were together at some point but eventually he broke Maverick's heart by marrying her sister instead of her for unexplained reasons, so in retaliation, she marries Kael, knowing she doesn't love him. She does this mostly for revenge, but also bc she really does hope she can move on w her life.

So that's how this book opens, now I'm moving into the spoilers:
So this whole book we don't know why Killian married Maverick's sister, we just know he's extremely jealous of Maverick and Kael's relationship, seems unhappy in his own marriage, definitely wants Maverick back but ultimately it seems like he's the fuckboy that broke Maverick's heart and has been jerking her around ever since by playing hot and cold and generally being all around trash. (He also scolds her for swearing and mans can fuck all the way off w that.)

Kael is the golden boy best friend who really got the short end of the stick by having a wife he has to make fall out of love with his brother and into love with him, *but* he signed up for that so I can only really feel so bad for him. Since he's the only brother to get a POV and we get multiple flashbacks of him and Maverick as kids and him being her protector from the sidelines since always, it was pretty easy to root for him and I think it was clear he is who she would inevitably end up with.

"I have enough love for the both of us. I always have."

So then the reason for Killian marrying Maverick's sister comes out, and it's that Killian/Kael's father (who works under Maverick's father but they are also close friends) stole 20 million dollars from Maverick's dads company. Instead of throwing him in jail they work out a deal that Killian will work at the company and pay off his fathers debt, as well as marry Maverick's sister who he got pregnant (cheating on Maverick at the time). BUT THEN it comes out that Killian never cheated on Maverick and was covering for his father AGAIN, who had an affair with Maverick's sister and got her pregnant, but they were too scared to tell Maverick's father the truth so they just said the baby was Killian's. Yeah so all in all, Killian's dad is ruining his fucking life and this book is a hot ass mess. Then Maverick's sister miscarries but marries Killian anyway bc Killian is still bound by contract after making the deal to save his father from prison. It also turns out that Kael knew about everything except the affair but he's always wanted Maverick so it worked out pretty conveniently for him so he didn't mention it.

*DEEP BREATH*

So yeah. Now instead of thinking Killian is a fuckboy, cheater, asshole and a million other bad things, it turns out he's so fucking loyal, so in love w Maverick and always has been, and is actually a great guy. He is WAY TOO MUCH OF MARTYR and should've let his dad rot, but he was protecting his mom and (I still don't really get it) but whatever, he's a sweet boy. HOWEVER, I've spent 80% of this book hating him and rooting for sweet, underdog Kael to win Maverick over from fuckboy Killian, so now I'm conflicted by these sudden role changes. By the time it all came out: I disliked Maverick, felt way less enthusiastic about Kael, and felt bad for Killian. And then Maverick chooses Kael and that's the end, I'm just left to stew in these feelings.

So all in all this story made me feel not good, Maverick was pretty annoying, and the book was confusing bc it had a ton of time jumps and they were weirdly specific and hard to place like "11 years 2 months ago" "seven and a quarter months ago" and im just like bro...... I am not paying enough attention to know where tf that's at in this girls life why are you doing this to me lol. I also hated how Killian and Kael call each other 'brother.' Ppl dont actually speak like that... the only person who can pull off saying 'brother' is Damon Salvatore and you can quote me on that

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: Black Swan Affair
AUTHOR: K.L. Kreig
GENRE: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
CHAPTERS: Prologue / 32 / Epilogue
RELEASE DATE: 15th October, 2016



BLACK SWAN AFFAIR: flashes from 'Present to Past' effortlessly and when you hit those Past chapters those feels come running at you.

So here's the gist of the story, Maverick grew up loving just one man, from the day he saved her she'd loved him, maybe even before that. Not doubting once that he would always be her forever. Fast forward to him marrying her sister did she even doubt it, she'd had the notion that he would wake up to his mistake and leave her sister for her.

I begged him to choose me.
Love me
Marry me
But he butchered me
Marrying her instead.



But with only seconds to spare before she's to walk down the aisle to marry another, Killian doesn't profess his love like she thought he would, nothing that came out of his mouth stopped her from taking those steps down that aisle to marry her best friend, Killian's brother Kael.

Yes you read all of the above right!!

And now I'm sitting here reeling and wondering what the freaking hell did I get myself into with this book!! What a shitstorm of a triangle, it's gonna get nasty!! In love with one brother but married to the other, the brother that she loves is married to her sister!! F#ck me someone go on a booze run for me!!

Killian vs Kael
“where Killian is ruthless,
Kael is compassionate.
Kael is outgoing and chatty, Killian more reserved.
He’s serious to Kael’s fun-loving personality.
And where Killian would apparently do anything for himself, Kael would do anything for me.”



There are different kinds of love.
There's the dreamy kind you always thought you wanted
And then there's the steady one you never understood
but the second you let yourself feel it
It's nothing like you could have imagined in your wildest dreams.

Black Swan Affair isn't only just about loving two men, it's so much more than that, it's finding it within oneself to finally say goodbye to one love, whilst learning to love another and seeing what's been in front of her face all along.

Even before I'd finished the book I was #TEAM KAEL, he captured my heart with his possessiveness towards Swan, he stole best book boyfriend of the year from me here's just a small quote that claimed him as mine.

My hand knows every single ridge and vein in my c#ck very well, very well.
We became almost inseparable when I was milking myself to fantasies of you all these years.


Where do I even begin writing up this review, as soon as I read the 'Prologue' this author had cast her spell over me, being a first time read for me by this author I wasn't sure what she was going to throw at me, add in the fact that I'd only glimpsed at the 'Synopsis' I had a real treat instal for me, this book captivated me, stole my heart, stole my breaths, stole my tears, the author had me in the palm of her hand as I read/felt all the feels going from page to page. Just WOW. Loved it, Inhaled it, lived it, breathed it and highly recommend it.

*Teasers used in my review are off the authors FB page*

[Chantal ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 THAT'S SO MESSED UP STARS

"I didn’t make it easy on you, but you hung in there and you will never know how grateful I am for your perseverance or how happy you make me every single day....You’ve given me a thousand little things, ....and I know because of those we are unbreakable and everlasting"
"I followed my heart and it led me back to you.”

Okay first of all BIG shout out to Denna and Dilek for kicking my ass to read this book. Ladies you were sooo right, this book was just awesome.
I mean, just WOW!
Honestly, my emotions are all over the place.



Also, for those who said there was cheating, well I didn't see it.
Completely false!
THERE IS NO CHEATING FOR ME HERE AT ALL!

But there is a love triangle!
I will explain a little, just in case you don't know that this story about two brothers Killian and Kael who are both in love with the heroine, Maverick.
Kael has been in love with her forever but he has been friend zoned by his swan.
Yes and he is in physical pain because of it. He does have relations with others but they are not together. But he feels it's wrong and calls it off.
Killian has been Maverick's (or small fry) ideal man ever since he saved her life many many years ago.
He has charm, experience, and a magnetic personality that draws the heroine in. They are in a physical relationship until he decides to get married to her sister. (Yes it's a long and complicated story)
So let the games begin and may the best man win!



Slight spoiler here, in my opinion, he did.

My one issues with this book was that the timeline was all over the place. So much so that it was distracting to me.
Therefore, I could not have given it 5 full stars but I really wanted to.
It's just was very confusing at one point! I had no idea what was going on or what age they were.
This was done a little choppy.



This is my only complaint!
I loved everything else about this book!
I truly surprised myself because I had completely written off this book.
I had it shelved "read when I'm brainless." That is the lowest of my shelves reading list here and it's "my avoid at all cost" type of book I place on that shelf.
So for it to go from that to almost 5 stars, you got to know that for me, this book kicked ass!



I was so happy and relieved at the end that I didn't care what else happened as long as she stayed with him. She had chosen wisely and listen to her heart.
Everything that happened in their lives have lead them to where they had to be to appreciate each other. What a beautiful journey and it was an honor to get to share it with them.



Furthermore, I have to say I will have to read more often outside of my comfort zone to discover more hidden gems like this.
It's seemed like I was setting myself up for a big trigger filled Book when it fact it had NO triggers at all.

Now I know some may say "But she did have sex with the two brothers!?" And to you readers I say, please don't read this book!
If you really can't get beyond the labels/titles of the characters to get to the characters themselves, then you should not read this book.
It will upset you and you will be disturbed by it.
So please skip it.
For those of you that can see beyond this, go ahead and read this book.
It completely surprised the HELLO OUT OF ME!



Safety: NO CHEATING, it's a triangle so drama enter stage right, some light pushing away from the heroine and some pulling on the part of the two brothers. No condoms she was on the pill.

[Jenny••Steamy Reads Blog•• · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reviews are never long. I try to make them simple and to the point. With this one, I just don't know what to say.

First things first

This book rocked my world for a solid day. I only stopped to feed my family, help with school work, and tuck my kids into bed. Then I still couldn't process my thoughts, so I slept. Now I'm awake and I'm

I'm in shock, I'm in love, I'm in awe that I've never read this author before. This book is a book like I've never read before. I should have known with the word AFFAIR in the title that it would rock me. There is no affair (perse) but dang the piece of thread that you literally hang onto during reading this book is barely strong enough to keep you attached. All I have to say is take a chance and read this one. I loved it, I really did. It took a lot of will power not to read ahead or read any spoiler reviews to find out what happens in the end, but it was totally worth it. SO DONT CHEAT AND LOOK!!! Completely, absolutely 110% worth not cheating!! I loved how it ended, wholeheartedly agree with how it did, I'm just hoping there is another book for a certain someone!! And yes, I like, no I loved who she ended up with!!!!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Swan Affair. Where do I even begin?

So, I added this book without even reading the blurb. All I saw was K.L. Kreig and Contemporary Romance and I didn’t even bother with the blurb. It was going to be read. No matter what. So imagine my fucking surprise when I started reading it. Going in blind at its best.

Maverick grew up in love with one man. Never did she doubt he was her forever. Not even when he married her sister, did she imagine there wasn’t a chance that he’d see his mistake and choose her. But with only moments before she’s set to walk down the aisle, Killian doesn’t say what she needs to hear to call it all off. So forward she marches. Right down the aisle and into the arms of her best friend and the brother to the man she loves; Kael.

Now would be a good time to mention how I feel about love triangles. It’s not that I exactly hate them. I don’t. I just struggle to keep an open mind about the choices. I tend to love first and regret later. I am always drawn to one character over the other and it always has a lasting effect on the story for me. There are few times when the author can steer the ship into a different direction that leaves me feeling fulfilled. I need all the choices to make sense, even if they aren’t the ones I would have made. K.L. Kreig does that and so much more.

The Black Swan Affair is a gripping story of loving two men, in two different ways and coming to terms with the fact that somethings are outside of your control. It’s about falling in love and falling out of love and seeing what has always been there. It’s about finding peace with your choices and finding peace with the choices of others.

The writing was riveting. I could not pull myself away from the pages of this book. Now, I wasn’t given a copy of this particular book for an early review, but rather to do a few graphics, so my main goal was selecting some quotes for images. But I was so lost in this story that I was going pages without stopping to highlight it. I had to stop and go back to re-read whole chapters because I forgot what I was supposed to be doing. It was purely addictive.

The writing was so beyond brilliant. It was hypnotic. The flow of the story, the wording, and the structure – it all was done perfectly. Let me just touch on the structure of this book, because it is so much a part of this story and what kept me glued to the pages. We start of in a present day scene, it is a gripping scene that reeks of heartbreak. It gives you the barest of facts but before you get any answers you are pulled back into time. You are shown these characters in their youth. You are given the story of Mav falling in love with Killian, with Kael falling in love with Maverick as kids. You are shown Maverick becoming a woman and being loved as one by Killian, while Kael plays the role of the best friend and then you are whipped back into the present day. With so many more questions, just be tossed back. You watch the heartbreak happen and you have so many questions, you scream right alongside Maverick, demanding answers and slowly, ever so slowly you start to let Kael in. You start to watch a wife fall in love with her husband, but you still have no idea what is going to happen, even though you start this story in present day... you now just have this huge boulder of anticipation building because you know you are getting there and yet, you still have no idea what to expect. This is part of what kept me on my toes throughout this entire book. The anticipation was there from page one. A little seed that is planted in the opening chapters and watered and nurtured throughout every single page.

An epic love story that might leave a few readers stomping their feet, but able to leave the reader with the understanding that it all ends the way it is supposed to end.

[Natalie ~ The Biblioholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was absolutely brilliant! I have never liked stories that deal with multiple love interests and love triangles are a definite no-no. I typically stay away from them like the plague, so as much as possible. I do everything that I can to protect my heart. So with much hesitation, I started this story. And not only was I pleasantly surprised, but this author completely blew me away. Her writing was fantastic. The story flips from past to present to past and it was done fluidly. Everything she did worked and somehow she made this story easy and enjoyable for me to read. Kudos to you K.L. Kreig!!

I went into this knowing that my heart would be broken. In any love triangle, everything cannot come out roses. The main love focus will always be the bad guy because someone will be hurt. There is no way of avoiding that. Someone will not be chosen and that's a fact. So I knew that someone was going to be left broken. It was only a matter of who and when.

K.L. Kreig gave us Maverick (h), Kael (H) and his brother Killian. Maverick has always loved both brothers. They all grew up together. Their parents are best friends, their dads run the same company, and their lives have always included each other. But romantic love blossomed between Mavs and Killian. Unfortunately, he saw her as being too young. Until one day she wasn't. They were on the cusp of their HEA, they finally had each other and life was blissful. Killian even went so far as to go to Florida to prepare a life for them. But when he came home, he married her sister. SHOCKER !! For two years, Mavs had to live with this truth. She had to try to accept not only their marriage, but the heartbreak and the betrayal. She finally decides to marry Kael, the brother and man who has ALWAYS loved her.

Along the way in this story, it became painfully obvious that Killian's marriage wasn't perfect. His wife was a witch! But we are all left wondering as to the reasons to why he left Mavs behind. Especially when it was glaringly obvious throughout the story how much he truly loved her. There was never a doubt to his love for her or her love for him. But Kael was just so freaking wonderful and swoon-worthy and so over-the-top in love with her that Mavs couldn't help but fall in love with him too. DILEMMA !! When everything finally comes to light, who will be standing together? And who will be left out in the cold? I'm not telling. Just know that this was a great book and I am completely satisfied with the choice the author made as to who gets the HEA. I'm choosing to believe that the brother who didn't "win" will one day find a new love and his own happiness.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

****4.5 Stars****

Love triangle, is the kind of story that makes some readers run miles away from the Cheating Monster without even looking back to check if he is getting close to you. They just run for their lives.


Not this reader here.


This kind of story calls to me. I cannot resist them. They are immoral and wicked.


And this reader loves wicked.

A well written, love triangle story, can make me anxious, out of breath and gives me butterfly feelings. Some of them can put me on the verge of a panic attack putting my kindle at risk.


It gets me out of my comfort zone and stretches my boundaries. I love these feelings because they make me feel alive.
Black Swan Affair tells us the story of Maverick


a girl loved by two brothers, Kael and Killian.


Kael was Maverick’s best friend. They grew up together. Killian was the oldest brother. They both had feelings for her. However, Killian was the guy Maverick had a crush on forever. The age gap between them had led their relationship to secrecy though. She was 16, Killian 21. Killian goes away for a while and when he returns, surprise, surprise: he marries Maverick’s sister.



Why? why? why?
You S.O.B! Maverick doesn’t know and neither do I because the author didn’t give it to us.

The angst.


Kael grabs this chance with both hands and marries Maverick.
Black Swan Affair was a page turner. I wanted to know as much as Maverick why the rat did that to her. Moreover, I wanted to know how the author would pull that off. I had my tummy in knots dreading the moment of truth, praying for the author to keep it real. I didn’t want to be disappointed with a ridiculous twist at the end as it sadly has been happening lately.
Disappointed I was NOT. Kudos to the author.

Now, let me tell ya: I’ve tried to put myself in Maverick's shoes and I have to confess:
If it was me, I… hum… I… hum… not sure.


Honestly and simple as that.
So, bring on the stones! I am ready!

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had Black Swan Affair by K. L. Kreig on my TBR since the year it was released. I'm so glad I finally read it! It wasn't quite as insanely emotional as people led me to believe (which is what made me put off reading it for so long lol YMMV), but it was still emotional, fantastically written, and captivating af. I literally couldn't put it down!

I wish so much that the author would have written an HEA for the losing end of the love triangle. My heart still hurts for him even though I was happy with the ending. Being a #whychoose kind of girl, I wish they could have just throupled it up, but I understand I can't always have my way. Unfortunately. 😂

If you're on the fence about reading this one, hop on over! It's worth the risk!

Contemporary romance fans without aversions to love triangles, this one's for you!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. Black Swan Affair is perfection at its finest. I'm a mess right now, and I'm talking about choking-up-with-tears-literally-flowing-down-my-cheeks kind of mess. But I assure you, they're joyful tears, or rather, tears of disbelief at how insanely perfect this book is.

If you're faced with the shock of the only guy you have loved marrying your sister - your heartless, egotistical witch of a sister - without so much as an advance notice or an explanation, and you know for sure that he loves you back and still does, what do you think you would do? Why, marry that same guy's brother of course!

At some point in our lives, we are all guilty of making a decision for the wrong intentions. But it is up to us on whether to keep considering that decision as something that we will forever regret, or turn it into the best decision we've ever made in our entire lifetime. Case in point: Our female lead, Maverick.

If it isn't so obvious, Maverick started off as a selfish, revengeful...bitch (there I said it) who may have a propensity for masochism and self-destruction, because who would do that? Only her, I tell you. Her reasons? To keep even, to get her revenge, and hurt the guy he’s in love with (Killian) as much as she’s hurting, with him knowing that she married his brother (Kael). So simply put, she’s now pining after her new husband’s older brother who is married to her older sister. I know, quite a fucked-up arrangement we had there, huh?

So as anyone would have expected, I didn’t like Maverick at first. I can still feel the alarm bells ringing in my head at how great of a mess she has created. But after I've taken a glimpse of how Kael is to her as a husband, oh dear, I had to pat Maverick on the back and grudgingly say, "Best decision you’ve ever made, you, lucky girl" with all the bitterness and envy I could muster.

There are just so many things I want to say about Kael (all of them may involve extreme gushing and adoration) that I don't know where to start. Kael is so dreamy, knee-weakeningly hot, and sweet, and oh did I mention, the dirty, sinful words he says to Maverick sometimes will make you combust? I would take him any day (if Maverick won’t) and snatch him away for good and no one will be any the wiser.

Kael’s kind of love completely astounds me. The countless, selfless acts he has done for Maverick were so unreal - her needs always come first, and he wants the best for her that he would do anything to make her happy. He loves her blindingly like no other man has (even Killian).

Truth be told, if Kael is not a fictional character, it would really suck to be him. They say the best things in life are worth waiting for, and Kael has been nothing but steadfast, patiently waiting for Maverick to be ready so he can sweep her off her feet. So I couldn’t imagine the pain he has endured being in love with his best friend for 30 years, with her not giving him a chance because she’s hopelessly stuck up with his brother. Just the thought of Maverick and Killian together at a point in time must have killed him, and seeing him hurt (and those times he’s weeping like a baby) was so painful for me it’s like having a root canal without anesthesia.

And his words, “Because I have enough love for the both of us. I always have.” That did it. My eyes started to water right then.

Now, let's get to the other brother, Killian. I wanted to say he's equally swoon-worthy and made me feel giddy the way his brother Kael had, but who am I kidding? Kael is the epitome of perfection, so maybe Killian can come in as a second, a third? I honestly don't care. I know I’m being unfair here because Killian turned out to be selfless to a certain point too. And by the end, we can say that he deserves Maverick (as much as Kael) because he never stopped loving her and had protected her in his own way.

So really, it must have been tough on Maverick to choose from these two amazing men she both loved very deeply, only in different ways, and who both love her back albeit excessively.

As you may have suspected by now, this book is pretty intense. The way the story is told switches between flashbacks and the present, which we all know when done wrong, can get very confusing. But the transition in this book is not confusing in the least, and if anything, I would say that the unfolding of events up to the present is so natural it seemed effortless. Even the sex scenes didn’t make me cringe and feel awkward (as I often do with other books).

Each word in this book was so heartfelt they seeped into my soul. I couldn’t even decide which quote in the book I liked the most, because every line easily becomes my favorite, and this rarely happens. Diving into this brilliant masterpiece is an unforgettable experience for me, and I know for certain I’ll be feeling it for a long while.

[Pam Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar writing. Gripping cast of characters. Brilliant twists. Sex scenes that melt the pages. This is the epitome of a hard-earned romance. I love everything about this book.

[warhawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:




Maverick DeSoto had been friends with the Shepard brothers since she was young. While Kael became her best friends, a lifelong crush on his brother Killian became something more when he reciprocated and they became lovers.

But her heart was broken when Killian ended up marrying her sister instead while she picked up the pieces by marrying Kael. With only half a heart, she risked completely shattering it when the truth finally surfaced.



I know some readers avoid angst and drama like a plague. For me, I gravitate towards them because the high potential of hurt lol!

“We can’t help who we love, Maverick,” he tells me softly.

I was drawn to Kael from the beginning due to the position he was in. And as I got to know him better, I fell in love with him even more.

Continuing to love Killian is the equivalent of eating a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting. You know all the reasons you should put that shit away after one spoonful, but you can’t stop shoveling in bite after bite because it’s so damn sinful.

On first impression, Killian seemed like the villain. Some of his actions were also questionable. But beyond that, he had his own issue to deal with so.

I couldn’t have the man I really wanted and here was a man who genuinely wanted me.

Maverick was thrown into a difficult situation, so I did understand her dilemma. I didn't hate her but I was not happy with how she had hard time giving her full heart to either of the brother.

It’s hard to hang on every word of the brother who also wants the same thing you do. The same woman, the same life, the same everything. He probably feels the same.

I like the story and the level of angst. It was just enough to keep me satisfied. But I do wish it hurt a little bit more just because I enjoy emotional pain haha! I figured out most of the revelations, still I enjoyed it nonetheless.



Black Swan Affair is a story of individuals forced to lay out their hearts that would change the course of their lives. It would appeal to readers looking for a sexy, lightly angsty read.


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