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The Game #3.5

The Air That I Breathe

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The Game Series, Book 3.5

“In that moment, I stopped caring about right and wrong.”

The only thing that stood between us were the boundaries set by others, by society, by our parents. But together we could knock them down. Together, we could find freedom and live life on our own terms. Screw the rest of the world. He was all that mattered. He was the air that I breathed.

It’s recommended that you read Breathless, book three in the standalone series The Game Series, before you sink your teeth into River and Reese’s prequel.

Available on Smashwords and Cara Dee's website only.

88 pages, ebook

First published December 9, 2020

18 people are currently reading
948 people want to read

About the author

Cara Dee

97 books4,084 followers

I'm often stoically silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there's so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. There's a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve. Additionally, I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I'm a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, and geeking. There's time for hockey and cupcakes, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

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5 stars
631 (48%)
4 stars
434 (33%)
3 stars
185 (14%)
2 stars
34 (2%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
Profile Image for ☆ Todd.
1,442 reviews1,583 followers
December 15, 2020

While I enjoyed this prequel story's Twincesty Goodness, given the nature of where River and Reese's sadistic tendencies eventually take them, since BDSM is a super-hard no for me, you couldn't pay me enough to read "Breathless (The Game #3)".

But this story was set before they eventually went all Dominatrix Without Mercy, with them both still being relatively new to sex and their virgin statuses firmly intact.



I enjoyed the twins' backstory, with them always needing one another, way more than their parents and society at large had ever felt comfortable with.

After a year of trying to emotionally and physically maintain a "respectable" distance, though, the strain was getting to be too much, so this was the story of them finally letting go of caring about what other people thought and being true to themselves and their own needs and wants.

As the steamy parts of the story unfolded, you got a definite feel for where their kinkier BDSM interests would take them in the future, but that foreshadowing was more of an idea than actual on-page sadism/masochism, which would've made this story a hard pass for me.

My favorite part was actually the whole Christmas surprise scene, which was simply thoughtful, doing something to make the one you love happy, and in zero way sexual.

I'd rate this one at around 3.5 stars and recommend the book to fans of twincest, even if I personally didn't find the feels in the book to be insanely off-the-charts deep.
Profile Image for Saswati.
518 reviews342 followers
December 31, 2020
3.8 “You’re my oxygen” stars ⭐️

The world could erupt in chaos; there could be war, famine, and whatever the fuck. In the end, whether my mind was at peace or not was up to Reese. That was the power he had.

Side note: If anyone thought I'd learnt my lesson of following a series' reading order after the Fallen Men fiasco, you're mistaken because here I am, reading this prequel which everyone had repeatedly asked to read after the actual book. 😂 In my defense though, I don't think I'm ever going to read that book.

Anywho, this book was just twincesty goodness. Is anyone really shocked though? I mean, clearly my reading choices have been all over the place recently *shrugs*

I really enjoyed this. It was short and sweet, with a little angst thrown in. My favourite part was the epilogue 💞

“I wanna say I love you, but the words don’t mean shit in comparison.”
Profile Image for Candy M..
65 reviews949 followers
May 16, 2021
⭐ 2.5 “the okayest of okays” stars ⭐

Sooo… I went into this expecting an easy, appetizer-sized twincest read. Something to alleviate the burn from my previous book and to get me in the mood for better ones.

The verdict, now that I’m done?

description
I feel pickier than Goldilocks with those damn soups! If those soups were lackluster twincest erotica, at least.

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

A bit of context,
first.

This is a prequel for Breathless, an MMM novel by Cara Dee that features the twins from here and a third masochistic guy as a throuple. I have NOT read that one, but I’m certainly considering it since so many people have told me it’s a fantastic read. And a lot longer than this story, so I’m hoping the twins will actually be given depth there.

(Plus there’s kink present as well, instead of this novella’s mere allusion of it, so another plus).

As for the actual content, however…

Well, this didn’t feature much at all besides a bit of steam, some emotional inner turmoil, and… one instance of “almost cheating”? Sprinkle in a kind of cute Christmas scene at the end and that’s the whole plot, pretty much. All 60 pages of it.

Yet my main gripe with this is not the lack of plot points themselves, but that each of the aspects utilized failed to stand out at all. Quality over quantity is a great philosophy when it comes to the drama or conflicts showcased, but in this case the story had neither.

The smut aspect, for example?

description
Guess I’ve been reading too many detailed sex scenes lately, because the ones here were kind of dry. Sahara desert style.

The emotional turmoil?

description
I enjoyed the codependency aspect discussed, but it was so surface level that I never really felt any of the longing and supposed angst. Plus River, the POV character, sounded like a straight-up cyborg at times with how emotionless he could be.

And the “one instance of almost cheating”?

description
Because you know you’ve checked out completely from the story when even the twin love interest “almost fucking a rando” fails to get a reaction.

All in all, this is the second Cara Dee novella I read after Top Priority, which also belongs to this series… and the main takeaway from my ventures is that her short reads don’t really work for me. Although Top Priority at least had a bit more conflict (aka steam and a semblance of a romance) to keep me engaged. Meanwhile, this book made me wonder how a TWINCEST NOVELLA could be oh so dull.

But anyway, onto better horizons it is!

(And if anyone has other Cara Dee recommendations, please do tell because I obviously haven’t been picking the right books for myself *sigh*).


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

The Game series by Cara Dee

Top Priority— 3.3 ⭐
Their Boy— TBR.
Breathless— TBR.
The Air that I Breathe— 2.5 ⭐
Profile Image for Jan.
1,253 reviews989 followers
December 10, 2020
I met River and Reese in book 3 in this series and although I DNFed, I was left very curious about them. I think their story was great. It gave us a clear picture of their strong bond and how it all started, showing all the feels. 🥰 Shame was so short.

Profile Image for Cadiva.
3,994 reviews437 followers
December 10, 2020
Stars, all the filthiest, twisted, dark and delicious ones you can find.

Cara Dee's kink just works for me on every level. I loved the twins with Shay and I absolutely adored the twins without Shay.

The outtakes were perfection and filled in the wee sneaky impressions that more was going on than just River and Reece taking Shay apart.

Emotional, engaging, enthralling, a superb examination of breaking the rules imposed by external forces.

Not sure I used enough words beginning with E in that last sentence 😂 enjoyable and electrifying.

Bring on the rest of the series!
Profile Image for Jewel.
1,939 reviews279 followers
December 14, 2020
It's definitely official - I have a River & Reese obsession. They're just so damn beautiful. I want more of these guys, no question. It's also apparent that I can't read Breathless without revisiting this one. *Huge swoony sigh*


---- Original Review -----

*sigh* This is exactly what I wanted and needed. I'm a happy Jewel!

The Air That I Breathe was filthy in the best of ways, yes, but also so full of feels! The outtakes from Breathless were super satisfying, too.

Thank you, Cara Dee!
Profile Image for Saimi Vasquez.
1,954 reviews93 followers
July 8, 2022
Esta es una historia corta, tipo precuela de la relacion entre los gemelos Tenly, como fueron sus anos de adolescencia despues de la muerte de su madre y como fue que descubrieron que la unica forma de realmente ser felices es estar juntos.

Es un tema realmente controversial, ya que es un caso de hermanos que tambien son sexualmente activos entre ellos, lo que para algunos es realmente un tabu, incluso en este tipo de lecturas. Pero el autor logra que empaticemos con los personjes (mayoritariamente River que es el unico narrador), y asi nos encontramos con un libro lleno de auto-descubrimientos, auto-sacrificios y al final, aceptacion de su verdad y la resolucion de vivir su vida como ellos quieran sin hacer dano a nadie.
Tambien incluye en este libro unos capitulos del libro anterior con escenas previamente censuradas, y que son mas faciles de entender despues que lees este libro.
Ahora, me emociona saber mas de la serie, asi que voy a continuar con la lectura.
Profile Image for Reem.
360 reviews
August 22, 2024
#GuiltyPleasure #ReadingTwincest
Profile Image for ♡ cal ♡.
759 reviews340 followers
March 18, 2021
I just didn’t feel the excitement in this one. It was okay. It was taboo alright. I think I should have read this first before Breathless honestly.
Profile Image for Layla .
1,468 reviews76 followers
December 12, 2020
GAWD! THIS MORCEL OF TWINCESTY FILTHY GOODNESS IS WHAT I NEEDED!

Review to come!

Soooooo...….. The Tenley twins intrigued me from the moment they popped up in "The Game" series. I mean twins... who are lovers... both Doms and searching for a boy! Yes please!
This little prequel filled out all I thought was missing from Breathless. The backstory itself was very telling, although I'll admit I wanted a bit more of them during their adult years, and then the outtakes from Breathless! The hawt-meter was through the roof. Ms. Dee never disappoints with the sex scenes lemme tell you.

It was interesting to see the push and pull between the twins, what they thought was right and wanted to do vs what society told them was right. Their coming together was explosive and heartfelt at the same time. the term they used for each other instead of "I Love You" …. #StraightInTheFeels

I can't wait to see what Cara has up her sleeve for the threesome later in the series. Shay had a glimpse of them together, and they are convinced that telling him will not be a problem... so the three of them later will be the #treat I need this year!
Profile Image for LauraSt.
1,647 reviews48 followers
November 3, 2024
OH MY FREAKING GOD!
REESE AND RIVER WERE FIRE 🔥
You can tell Cara was holding way back during Breathless, I’m just so in love with them!
Seeing how their unlikely feelings started developing and the shame and regret they felt towards it. This was absolutely taboo and wonderful all at the same time.
I really need more of these guys + Shay, loved it. I think re-reading Breathless is in order.

Some highlights since this book in not available in Amazon...

Chapter 1
Highlight(blue) - Location 299
I gripped my cock a bit tighter and admitted to myself that I wanted to push my brother too. I wanted to see how much I could get away with. There was something seriously disturbed about me.
Highlight(blue) - Location 301
Disturbed was sexy and forbidden and weird and uninhibited and just like me. Maybe disturbed loved company as much as misery did.
Bookmark - Location 346
Highlight(blue) - Location 360
For the first time in…probably ever, I was ready to jump into something before he was. I was ready to say fuck it. He wasn’t. I could tell. My usually spontaneous, reckless, and impatient brother was gonna drag this out.
Highlight(blue) - Location 364
What I wanted was to see how far I could unite us. Lines crossed be damned.
Chapter 3
Highlight(blue) - Location 761
“I wanna say I love you, but the words don’t mean shit in comparison.” I knew the feeling. Love could be lost. You could grieve it, heal from it, and move on. I’d never be able to do that with Reese.
Epilogue
Highlight(blue) - Location 930
“I don’t think they’ll top the ones you gave me,” I chuckled uncomfortably. “They already did,” he responded. “All this…” He gestured to the tree and the fire and the decorations. “I love that you did this for me.” Then I’d make sure to bring him Christmas every damn year for the rest of our lives.
Profile Image for Ky.
589 reviews90 followers
April 3, 2022
* 5 stars *

The story is not for everyone. If the subject bothers you, just move along. If you're curious, this book is one of your best bets, so give it a try and keep an open mind.

It's a character driven story and a beautifully told journey.

I didn't take the author's advice to read this after Breathless. Instead I chose to read them in chronological order and start with this one.

I was already familiar with the characters from the other books in the series, but this time we get to really know them instead of just seeing them briefly in scenes as two very interesting side characters.

The story is about River and Reese's struggles with how society sees and judges how close they want to be to one another. It's about the pain that they felt when they tried to distance themselves from the other in an effort not to make waves with those around them. And finally, it's about their decision to forget what anyone else thinks about them and do what feels right.

I liked the story and stayed up half the night reading it. I regret nothing! I wish it was longer, but then I wouldn't have slept at all, so it's a double-edged sword... On the other hand, this isn't their only book or even the only page time they get, so it's all good!


~ I won a copy in a giveaway. Thank you, Cara Dee! ~
Profile Image for Santy.
1,258 reviews76 followers
May 11, 2022
So...this happened. Lol

This book made me soooo uncomfortable but I just had to know if my suspicions about the Tenley twins were right and what do you know? They were.

Now excuse me while I go think about my life choices 🏃🏾‍♀️
Profile Image for Elena.
967 reviews119 followers
August 26, 2025
Content warning for

This book shows a slice of Reese and River’s lives (the twin MCs of the third book in the series) when they were sixteen and eighteen, when their already very close relationship turned . I’m not 100% positive, but this might’ve been the first time I read about and the way it was set up works for these characters and their dynamic. I also loved that this part of their lives was told in River’s POV, I hope there will be more of it in the rest of the series because, even though he makes pretty clear what he feels and thinks even from Reese’s and Shay’s POVs, after seeing Reese, I’d love to see Shay through his eyes.

The book also contains a few outtakes from Breathless, with some of the scenes included in that book expanded a little to show In Breathless it was already implied that Shay would be okay with that, but it was never explicitly said if he ever saw it. I assume he eventually did, because a relationship between the three of them with that aspect hidden under the rug would be ridiculous, but I hope it will be made clear later in the series, if we’ll ever get more in any of these three’s POVs.
514 reviews
December 11, 2020
A peek inside River’s head from when it all began. I was in love with River from the first time we see him on page in The Game series.

There’s a lot of feels in this book and everything about it was perfect. The outtakes from Breathless were everything I didn’t know I needed.
Profile Image for Agalactiae.
1,361 reviews25 followers
December 15, 2020
3,75/5

J'adore les couvertures de cette série, mais alors celle-ci est juste sublime ! Concernant le titre, il est juste parfait aussi, et colle à la perfection pour qualifier la relation qui existe entre Reese et River, une relation hors-norme, celle qui traduit un amour qui n'a rien de celui que peut avoir un frère pour un autre.

A travers ces quelques pages, nous avons un aperçu de la vie de Reese et River lorsqu'ils étaient jeunes, nous sommes alors témoins de leur lien si spécial et particulier.

C'était très beau, franchement j'ai adoré ! D'autant plus que nous avons enfin le point de vue de River ici, en plus de celui de son frère.
River ne peut pas fonctionner sans Reese, et Reese ne peut pas vivre sans River. C'est comme si l'un était le prolongement de l'autre et vice versa, ils ont besoin l'un de l'autre comme l'air qu'ils respirent...

J'ai juste encore une remarque à faire.... pourquoi ce livre est encore une fois si court ??!! S'il vous plaît, Madame Dee, développez plus les livres de cette série, vous maîtrisez le sujet !! J'en veux plus !
Profile Image for chantel .
95 reviews19 followers
September 25, 2021
I’ve been meaning to read this one for a while, but since we have to pay to read incest now, I put it off for a whole year.

This was a sweet little prequel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Breathless was way too intense for me, so I’m glad this one worked. It’s very low key, and not what I was expecting at all.

I’m trying to get out of my reading slump, so porn it is!
Profile Image for Gohnar23.
1,075 reviews37 followers
November 29, 2024
Why did i read this 5 months age version 3.5

TW: literal incest, like detailed incest ://
But its fine eh, its a work of fiction, not reality.
Profile Image for Nidz.
34 reviews8 followers
December 10, 2020
Yess!💜 Loved this book! More River and Reese, which is amazing. Finally got to read this, and it was everything.

You can get this novella from Cara's website. Or from Smashwords in a couple of days.
Profile Image for andrea moran.
2,126 reviews
August 3, 2022
Wow what an amazing addition to the series with the back story of the twins as they push through the boundaries of social norms
Profile Image for Chinelo.
476 reviews
March 9, 2022
The fact that I liked this book shows that I'm a degenerate and a filthy unicorn...dear therapist Cara made me do it. Dear priest its all on Cara
Stay tuned for Unicorns after dark.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews

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