The Architect

Nashville Neighborhood #3

by Nikki Sloane

On the surface, my new boyfriend is a stiff, buttoned-up architect. He plans every detail of his life while carefully maintaining the walls he’s built around his heart. But when the biggest project of his career pulls him away, Clay’s solution is both temporary and unconventional. It even comes with a name—Travis.This handsome stranger is sweet and thoughtful. He’s only meant to be a stand-in, to fulfill my needs under Clay’s watchful direction, yet these two men couldn’t be more different. The one thing they share? Well, I guess that would be me. One gets off on my pain, the other on my pleasure, and it awakens a desire none of us knew existed. But it can’t last. Eventually I’ll have to choose. And it’s going to destroy us all.

Genres: Romance, Spicy, BDSM, Smut, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, M F M

393 pages, Paperback

First published January 23, 2021

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. Now she writes full-time and lives in Nashville with her husband, two sons, and two super destructive cats.

She is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA® & Vivian® Finalist, a Passionate Plume & HOLT Medallion winner, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist, and couldn't be any happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

Reviews

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

no plot but so freaking hot hot

[benedicta · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ omg. omg. omg.🔥 why oh why did i think it was a good idea to listen to this audiobook at work 😩

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

You want to be punished, don't you?"
When I nodded, he grinned.
"I hope you're not fragile."

Is it hot in here or am I getting menopause early? I'm having hot flashes. My ovaries tingle. They tingle, I tell you!

Nikki Sloane is the queen of smut. The woman writes some of the hottest erotica, but she manages to infuse it with just the right amount of feels and story to make it that much more satisfying. Now if you're looking for some fade to black, this is not the book for you, my pearl clutching friend. But if you're looking for some hot and I mean HOT and kinky f*ckery, well better get some ice for those ovaries. Because hot damn! I say HOT DAMN.

You know what I love in my romance novels? A woman that can own her sexuality. Enough with the blushing virgins and ingenues. I'm over it. But a woman that knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it and has no shame in her game? Bring it on.

Lilith is not a girl that settles. And when she sees her sinfully sexy neighbor, she knows she wants him. He may be buttoned down, but she sees the dark sexuality that brews so close to the surface. But don't let the glasses and orderly life fool you, because still waters definitely run deep with Clay. He's got kinks that run a mile long, and the man is really fitting for his job. He's an architect by day, and an architect of pain and pleasure by night. When he brings the mysterious Mr. E into their dynamic, things really take a turn for the dark and spicy and I was so here for it.

I love a good poly dynamic, and this one was delicious. There's just enough angst and push and pull to make it incredibly intriguing. The spice? Scorching! The romance? SO satisfying. The story? Incendiary. READ IT!


ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

Find me on:

[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hot as sin! Seriously after reading this I should spend days on my knees asking for forgiveness. But it’s so totally worth it!

Clay might be the hottest Dom I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. He gave me calm, cool and collected but totally in control and smoldered like freaking champ. And on top of all that he builds kink furniture. Perfection.

Ivy is my kind of girl. Independent, knows exactly what she wants, compassionate and down for anything. At least once. Plus, even though I can’t walk in them, I appreciate her colorful collection of stiletto shoes.

Yet of the three, Travis was my absolute favorite. His character showed the most complexity and transformation. He went from being needy and unsure to so confident he took control when everything was falling apart. Through all of it he was so charming, sexy af and the sweetest.

I thought I’ve heard, read or written about most kink, especially in the BDSM world but magnetic nipple clamps are a new one.

I really appreciate how much time E spends on his knees.

You know who didn’t forget about the cameras? Me! 🤦🏼‍♀️

I will say at about the 66% point it started to dull around the edges but I think it was more of a me thing. I still enjoyed the last 34%, it just felt a little repetitive.

But overall, The Architect was an absolute joy to read. I’m sorry I won’t be able to be a voyeur for this amazing thrupple.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

The Architect is the third book in Nikki Sloane's 'Nashville Neighborhood' series and I hope she writes more. I'm enjoying these books a lot, specifically books 2 and 3, though I know the first book is a lot of peoples favorite. This one felt a little spicier than the first two, but what I really loved was the emotions between the characters and all the angst!

[⭐Toonasa⭐ •Romance Book Lovers' Haven• · Rating 5 out of 5]

22 March 2021
So Apparently, I'm LOVING this type of books so I made special tags for it & added this.
It's more probable that I'll end up re-reading it!

3 March 2021
10 Panty-meltingly HOT🔥 Stars⭐
A Captivating, Emotional, Super hot, Age-Gap Ménage Romance with BDSM (More than I'd hoped!), Rules & Power-Play, Forbidden Feelings, Fighting Insecurities, Love, Hope & HEA!
I loved Lilith, Travis & Came to love Clay too!! There's only L's PoV & I wish we'd gotten the guys' POVs too😅.

#My 1st book by Nikki & I'm so going for more! I connected with the characters greatly here. I hope I get to read the Previous books soon! If THE ARCHITECT is any indication, I'm gonna love this series! I've been thinking days to get the right words to Justify this book..Now here it is!

Clay; Complex, Mysterious, Planner, In Control; is Lilith's Neighbor, an Architect by Profession. Sexually Confident but he's pretty Clueless about some mundane things *Cute*.
Lilith; Bubbly, Confident, Sexually Driven, Sweet; is a (Vet) Technician.
Travis; Thoughtful, Charming, Lovable, Funny; is a Vet & Clay's "Friend". Both T & C are Doms (😏) *TnC. Plus, T & L are animal lovers!
None of them were looking for a relationship, but then they found eachother.

Here, BDSM Includes: Spankings, Pain-Pleasure, Exhibitionism, Vouyerism, Bondage, Orgasm deprivation, Temperature Play.

"One was Pleasure (Travis!), And One was Pain (Clay!)."
This Story mainly depicts this Threesome Relationship, it's growth which is Steady & Done beautifully, The Sexy Chemistry, The issues & Their way to HEA. But as the name suggests, Clay Has a Main role here. Cause of all Emotional Drama to be exact (Can't blame him, he's been hurt...).

Firstly, we see how Clay+Lil exchange more words than they've in a year due to a Cat... Sparks fly, but it isn't until her Finding his "Side-Business & Lifestyle" that things take a Fun turn! Then, Clay introduces her to a Whole new world of BDSM. But when Clay Has to be gone for work, he introduces "Mr. E" into their relationship.
~The talk, Cat Joint Owners, BDSM-Style, Relationship Deal, He likes to Watch, The Club, Clay's Gone + Mr.E in, Fiery times, Clay+Lilith Sexy times, catching feels inevitable, Breaking Rules, Guilt, Dr. Travis *Ooh!*, Talk (C knew!!) & Make it work, Temperature play (?!), Sharing, MM anticipation *omfg!*, Lil's bestie Cassidy's Birthday (Oh wow!)...

Clay hadn't wanted L+E to catch feels, But that was inevitable. Days pass & Time comes when L+E break the rules; We find that Mr. E is Travis...! (Pretty obvious, huh?) & They've "Unauthorized" Sex *Snicker*. But Truth & honesty are Important. Finding out, Clay could've broken them, but he didn't. But C did have Rules here. Temporary *Oh shit!*. Though it's mainly MFM, there's this MM anticipation in the air...(Nothing happens beside a little touching though😉)

As Weeks pass, Dating happens & Feelings Grow, Vulnerability is so Swoony. Lil's dreading the time when She'd to choose...It's obvious she's not complete without BOTH Men. She'd come to love'em... & is sure the guys love eachother too (The Platonic kind!). But the MFM Sexy time which helps Travis heal after a loss, Invokes Fear in Clay. Letting in is difficult, finding they're already in & can hurt him, even more. So He lashes out.
~Filthy texts, summer ends, Feels, The Date, MFM hotness, Clay distancing, love confessions *Yay!* & the talk, Hurt & Past, Miserable week, Realisations, Apologies & Hope, Eachother's mentor, HEA.

She was right, Choosing broke them. More so, as she CAN'T choose. I adored that Travis (& Lil) were Patient with Clay though. C gets his head outta his ass, I love what that ensues! It's beautiful how Lil clears Clay's Insecurities.
“You’re the architect of this relationship, Clay. You built this, the three of us together. You’re so good at turning everything you make into working art. I can’t wait to see what we become.”
And their HEA is so fulfilling & Fun! The people's reactions are quite Hilarious throughout the book, Being on both extreme ends.(I'd have loved an Epilogue😏😉).

So much happens in the story that I haven't even written here. The Writing Style & StoryArc are gorgeous. I'm so excited for whats next in this series!
BDSM & Steamy Romance Lovers should 110% go for this book!
**ARC Received for a Honest Review.**
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[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One was pleasure, and one was pain, and my body had no idea which one it liked more.”

I fell in love with Lilith in the first book of the Nashville Neighborhood series. She was an easy to love side character. In The Architect my love was still there, but add in Clay and Travis and HOLY FIRE. This book is essentially Lilith falling into a surprising relationship with her hot older neighbor. No feelings involved is the main rule, but of course that never lasts. When Clay is away and brings another man into the bedroom to act as his surrogate with Lilith everything changes for all three parties.

This book is hot for sure, but there’s also an emotional aspect to everything because all of these people planned to keep feelings out of the equation, but that doesn’t quite work out as planned. I loved this book and if you’re a lover of a unique MFM romance with some super naughty bits, then you will enjoy this read.

AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC

[Crystal (Crystalreads2) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Pool Boy, The Architect is in town, and DAMN!!! He is right up my alley. I was flying my freak flag high and proud!

The Architect has been recommended to me countless times, and now I know why. Holy Hotness, First off, this is no Fifty Shades of Gray, which if you follow me; You realize I am not a fan of the series. However, I am a big fan of BDSM. And the lifestyle. I understand it.

Things I know going in about BDSM Fiction:

*it’s fiction, far from a guide( if you’re thinking about the lifestyle, send me a message. I can direct you in the right direction.)

*it’s fiction; did I say that already? Oops

*Not everyone is into romance or monogamy in the lifestyle, and the book is again fiction. It's actually normal to add a partner sometimes as long as it’s consensual.

Now I know not everyone likes BDSM Or polyamorous relationships. I get it, and that is okay. We all have tropes we don’t like. You will never get any judgment from me. Now, if you want it, I suggest you stay aboard the freak flag train because I am not just riding it; I am the locomotive driver.

I have loved Lilith since The Doctor. She reminds me of me at her age, sassy, not afraid to go after what she wants, a veterinary technician, a very sexual person, and curious. She has always had the hot for her Neighbor Clay, the architect. Lordy, he can be my architect anytime.

Clay is the private, hot, a's closed-off the next-door neighbor. After Lilith stumbles upon Clay's workshop in his basement, she wrecks the plan he has for her. He decides to start early and punish her. It was so freaking hot. 🥵

Oh, and that first scene where they went to the club, so close to perfection, what would have been perfect is if there was no glass.

Now let’s add in Troy and holy hot hell. Have some Extra batteries and panties on hand. It’s freaking Hot, Y’all. The author goes in deep and is very graphic with the details. Thank you, Thank you very much, Nikki Sloane. I could feel that riding crop rising and then going down, touching skin. And not gentle; that is how much she went into detail.

Of course, feelings come into view; it's messy and complex. Contacts go out the window. Clay is just misunderstood and has a heart of gold.

Of course, we have cameos of Cassie and the Dr. And the nosey judgemental neighbor.

The author clearly did her homework on the BDSM lifestyle with seasoned community members. This book is closer to the actual lifestyle than most books.

Overall this is my favorite book in the series, and I highly recommend it. Remember, contest is Key, and no Judgement.

[Flor ❁ (HIATUS) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5✨

The concept of “the architect” reminded me a lot to The Glue

[Mia.Mi.Jou (on hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't judge the kinks here, I really liked them. If I were rating the smut only, it would be 4*, the scenes were hot. But after the previous two books in this series, I had much higher expectations about the romance (or the story) here. There's next to no plot and no character development. Mainly just sex, bdsm for beginners. All told in only one POV - heroine's.

[Wobilba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This an okay read. I didn’t feel the emotional connection between the characters although there was lots of steam. I also couldn’t connect with the characters.

Also Architect of BDSM tools? Lol

[Karla Martínez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5?
no es malo, pero la trama brilla por su ausencia.

[Corinne [hiatus] · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a hit and miss for me sadly.
This a highly detailed BDSM, MFM reverse harem romance.
It is obvious that the author did a lot of research on BDSM but I wanted more focus on the characters and their development. This book is just smut and I am wanting for something more from the books I am reading this year. At least for the time being.

***ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review***

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

SERIES: Nashville Neighborhood #3.. it can be read as standalone
GENRE: erotica
TROPES/THEMES: BDSM, menage, neighbor, age gap, MFM
RATING: 4,5 ⭐
HOTTIE METER: 5🌡
SONGS: Earned it
what's a man to do
fetish
body say
talking body





When Lilith's neighbor Clay begins a relationship with her everything seems straightforward. Sure he is at least ten years older architect with an "interesting workshop" in the basement but other than that and "no emotional attachment rule" all is going pretty well. Well, until some limits are tested. Clay is a dom who gets off on pain. One day he introduces a new person to their duo. A mystery man, Mr. E, whom Lilith can't address or know anything about, but only have sex with.

While one supplies pain and other pleasure, will that be enough?
Are rules meant to be broken and is three really a crowd?




Damn, but this was delicious.
I love the dynamic between these three and how the author developed their relationship.
It is redundant but I will say it again and again...the sexy moments were plenty and just
luscious, meltingly hot, and certainly sinful.

One thing is for sure Nikki Sloane can write steamy books.
If you are not in the mood for this one then check her other books or if you enjoyed this one and want to read more this series is fire!!
book 1 an age gap, ex-boyfriend dad steamy romace The Doctor
book 2 older women younger man, a son of a friend romance The Pool Boy

[Syndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

I was intrigue by The Architect. I am not a biggest fan of threesome with BDSM vibe. Turned out, I do not like this book at all. Miss Sloane trying so hard to make the stort about power. But she failed to keep the plot interesting.

I found the chemistry between all three characters are off. The BDSM scenes also dragging and boring. I have to admit, I skip many pages.
I give up around 70% of the book.

2 stars

[rae ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Jesus. The stranger was like a human Hitachi, and he’d just flipped the setting up to ‘high.’"



---------
learning some architecture with aliki and lils🤔😜

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably one of the spiciest books I’ve read

[Romina · Rating 3 out of 5]

سلام:)
واقعا باورم نمیشه اولین ریویوی سالم قراره با این کتاب باشه ولی میدونید چیه؟ من پیشبینی نکرده بودم که این کتاب توی این زمان تموم شه پس چاره‌ای نیست!😂

خب، دو یه هفته پیش من توی مود خوندن یه چیزی بودم؛ اسمات! (خودمم نمیدونم چرا باورکنید) من هیچوقت با اسمات به عنوان یه بخشی از یه پلات خوب فانتزی یا عاشقانه مشکلی نداشتم ولی اونموقع گفتم میدونی چیه؟ حالا که دلم میخواد اسمات بخونم یه چیزی بخونم که پلاتش اسمات باشه (و نه باید بگم انتخاب خیلی خوبی نبود ولی میرسیم بهش).
به خاطر همین چنل بوک‌توبرای مورد علاقمو گشتم و رسیدم به یکی از ویدیوهای یکیشون با عنوان "no plot, no thought just hot" و این یکی از کتابایی بود که پیشنهاد داد.
نمیگم این کتاب بده یا اسمات بده‌ها، اصلا! هرکس سلیقه‌ی خودش رو داره، میل خودش رو داره، فضای مورد علاقه‌ی خودش رو داره ولی خب باید بگم مثل اینکه برای من اسمات وقتی قشنگه که بخشی از یه پلات بزرگ‌تر باشه و فقط اسمات نباشه...
۵۰ درصد اول این کتاب صحنه بعد از صحنه بعد از صحنه بود که من یکم برام حوصله سربر شد. از ۵۰ درصد دوم که قضایا جدی شد و از مبحث فقط صحنه دراومد ولی خیلی بیشتر دوستش داشتم.
شرایط و رابطه‌ش هم...خب خوب بود. خوندنش یکم یه جوری بود ولی جالب بود.
خلاصه‌ی ریویو؟ سلام من به کتاب پر از اسمات خوندم. ببخشید. چیزی ندارم بگم. خدانگهدار.😂

پ.ن: عیدتون خیلی مبارک باشه امیدوارم امسال، بیشتر به دل ما راه بیاد!
جای همه‌ی بچه‌هامون که امسال سر سفره‌های هفت سین نبودن خالی. باید بگم هر لحظه به یادشون هستیم...به امید آزادی!

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooooweeeeee this was hot. So much smutty goodness. 🥵

[Maven_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Architect by Nikki Sloane opens a provocative chapter in the Nashville Neighborhood series with Lilith at its heart, a woman drawn into a relationship that defies conventional romance. Clay, her meticulous architect boyfriend, comes with emotional barriers so rigid they define his life; when career demands pull him away, he arranges a temporary stand‑in, Travis, to take his place in their intimate world. What begins with explicit exploration and stark contrasts between domination and pleasure soon evolves into an unconventional connection that challenges all three to reassess what love, trust, and desire can mean in their lives.

In many ways this story impressed me with how it pushes past simple heat to portray negotiation and transformation in relationships, particularly through Lilith’s evolving agency and the dynamic growth between all three characters. Sloane’s pacing keeps momentum high while weaving erotic intensity with moments of introspection.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars, for its daring premise and exploration of emotional complexity within its spice‑laden framework.

[Aliki (semi hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay and Tristan can do whatever they want to me

----------------------

Buddy reading this with raerae and lilyya

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikki Sloan is the queen of all things sexual. The Queen I say! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY can write a sexually driven story like this woman. Lawd, I got no panties left! When I read my very first novel by Nikki, I was stunned stupid at how flawlessly she wrote a growing relationship amid a #sexfest and she did it artfully and respectfully. I haven’t stopped reading her words since and they haven’t stopped impressing me yet!

If you follow my reviews at all, then you probably know that I’m a junkie for a strong female lead. The woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to go get it. The woman who doesn’t shy from the unknown but embraces it. You give me one of those in a book and I will be all up in that book! Lilith was all that and more, and Travis and Clay weren’t too shabby *wink*

I loved everything about this story. It was the perfect blend of everything. The dynamic between Clay and Travis and Lilith was nothing short of delicious decadence. Their journey had the perfect amount of emotion; never going so low that it pushed towards angst. It had the kind of emotion that was uplifting and hopeful; the kind that made you root for the people involved. The eroticism to their sexual exploration was delicious and captivating. I was glued to this story from beginning to end. If you’re looking for an erotic D/s story with likeable characters and a well developed storyline, grab this book right now!



✔ Hero with sexy AF glasses
✔ Heroine with a shoe obsession
✔ Mystery second hero because it's...
✔ POLY ROMANCE!



Amazon: http://mybook.to/thearchitect
Apple: https://apple.co/2WpFxHP
Nook: https://bit.ly/3kipNkN
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3dKcWWh
Google Play: https://bit.ly/34gQvES

[maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love love

rtc!

[steff ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars !! Nikki Sloane has done it again. Holy shit, the smut in this book was amazing ahhh. This is probably one of the spiciest book I’ve read and fav book from the series bc this does not disappoint at all. It got me *silently* screaming, blushing so hard and wanting to run around my room at 3 am. Let’s talk about Chapter 24- like omg that scene still replaying in my head. I want a Clay and Travis now.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This has been on my TBR for ages and man am I an idiot for waiting so long to read it. Jesus christ the spice in this book was insanity.

Lilith strikes up a relationship with her broody, quiet architect neighbor Clay—who also happens to build custom BDSM furniture and frequents a sex club to fulfill his Dom nature. When he has to travel for a work project, he sends a fellow Dom and friend of his in his place to keep our FMC entertained, if you know what I mean. While he watches and gives directions via FaceTime/Skype. 🥵

While Clay has rules in place to keep Travis and Lilith from getting too close in his absence, their mounting sexual chemistry eventually comes to a head. This changes the dynamic, presenting an almost-love triangle situation, but luckily things shake out in the form of an MFM throuple between Clay, Lilith, and Travis.

The spice in this book is literally unmatched. Every BDSM act and trope you can imagine happens. I love that Clay was more of a pain Dom and Travis was more of a pleasure Dom—this created an interesting dynamic and definitely kept Lilith on her toes. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time, methinks.

[mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

“You’re partners to each other, just as much as to me.”

this is my fav out of the series. goodness i think this was the spiciest book i've ever read. i mean i'm still here blushing and shocked because i didn't expect it to be this wild (as compared to the previous 2 books).

do i wish it was more mmf than mfm? ya def because clay and travis had so much chemistry. i loved this throuple. i was skeptical because i didn't feel any emotion and chemistry between the 3 of them but chapter 24 fml. killed me.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to the author and her PR team for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.*

I was so excited to get this book in my clutches! I am so in love with how Nikki Slaone tells a story. How she sucks me into the characters and how she uses sex and connection to make my heart ache.

This one was no exception.

Lilith and Clay are next door neighbors who meet through a stray cat. She works with animals for her day jo and so they end up deciding to share the cat between them. Well, she kind of makes him. Clay has the space for her, but he travels for work a lot currently, so Lilith will stop by his place to care for the cat. One day when she is over there, she stumbles across a secret that will change both of their lives.

That sounded ominous… I promise it’s a sexy secret and not a dead body. Hahaha!

Without spoilers, since it's part of the blurb, there ends up being another man brought into their new relationship to assist Clay with pleasuring and punishing Lilith when he is away. But… Lilith isn't supposed to talk to Mr. T, or even know his name.

I'm sure you can see this going exactly how Clay plans..

This book was a lot of fun. Couple things I want to make you aware of though. This one is 80% sex. Like, I'm not even joking. The whole start and point of their relationship is supposed to be sex and only sex, so yeah… there is a lot. It is Nikki Sloane sex and it has some fun kink, so you are going to have a good time if you know this going in.

Also, things got wrapped up way too quickly for me. This happens in a lot of books by this author, but in the case of there being 3 characters and 3 hearts and 3 emotions… I needed a bit more.

Also… this is MFM… so don't get your hops up. There are no Swords crossing in this one. I just have to warn you, because I was hoping for that and I didn't get it. There is still a beautiful throuple being revealed but…. I can't pretend I wasn't hoping for more.

So, my final thoughts were that I enjoyed myself a lot. This was a one-sitting kind of read and I was so happy to be reading another book in this series. We get to see a few previous characters and I swear there needs to be something that happens with the Neighborhood association before this series is over. That lady needs a good dose of D.

I give this 4.5 stars but I am rounding down to 4 because I was hoping for more. The previous 2 entries of this series just hit me in the gut and I was missing that.

[Vanessa Booked Up · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ HAWWTTT Stars!!



Review to follow...

[Mariam,]

Dnf at 39%

This book just made me hella uncomfortable. I never thought I'd say those words in my lifetime.

Also. WRONG Marketing for this book.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero (Clay): 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Hero (Travis): 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine (Lilith):🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
The Architect is the third installment in the Nashville Neighbors series. And I will be honest in how apprehensive I was before reading this book and probably why I took so long to get back to the series since I read "Doctor" quite a while ago. I had seen quite a few of mixed reviews of "The Architect" and I felt nervous before reading this because I wasn't sure that this book would actually work for me, but surprisingly, it did work out for me for the most part. Its not a perfect read and probably my least favorite of the series far, just due to some elements in the midway point of the story, however, the ending was so swoon worthy and captured my attention and heart so well that it upped my enjoyment by quite a bit here. Nikki Sloane wrote a story that is brilliant in its own way and just a bit different for its readers.

First Line
A loud insistent banging came from my front door, caused by an angry fist, and I froze.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Clay
Architect, Driven, A trained Dominant and a planner in all things. He is also emotionally constipated. He is more about pain than necessarily pleasure.

The Hero: Travis
A dominant in training, a Vet and Doctor, he is more of a alpha mellow in nature. Has a soft spot for women and is all about pleasure over pain.

The Heroine: Lilith
Explorative sexuality, not looking for love or a serious relationship, but embraces casual relationships as long as emotion doesn't get involved and loves animals and works in a Vet clinic.

Summary
When Lilith meets her next-door neighbor, she doesn't expect it to be a sexy nerd type that has alpha vibes surrounding him. He is a mix of oxymorons, but she is intrigued by him. When they come up with a mutual agreement for a cat ownership, Lilith and Clay build a trust of casual friendship and when Lilith learns that Clay is into building furniture for couples interested in Kink and the BDSM lifestyle, she is intrigued. And she and Clay enter into a relationship of domination and pleasure. When Clay brings in a third party to act as proxy for him when he is traveling, something more connects the three individuals in a way that none of them expect. But this relationship was built on casual sex and nothing serious as the heart getting involved, will Clay, Travis and Lilith find common ground that benefits them all or will it break what they have gradually built with each other?

What I Loved
This is a true menage but it's a menage that just happens and not with the characters going into the relationship with the intentions of being in a menage. The way that the story is set up in the beginning was so evoking and powerful and SEXY. First off we get to see some solid friendship bonds form between Clay and Ivy. And then the sex happens pretty quickly, Lilith is much braver than I could ever be. Despite how submissive she is in the bedroom, she is a bit of a cougar when it comes to attracting the male she wants, and that male is Clay. I love how accepting she is of the lifestyle and just wants to learn and experience the journey of exploring it all with Clay. The sex scenes in this one is SPICY. Just fair warning, maybe not listen to this one at work or in public or even read it. Nikki Sloane can definitely write her spice and its always so well done in her stories.

We also get the fun aspects of seeing so many emotional constipated characters learn to love and fight for that love. Its quite a treat to see how different each of them when it comes to falling in love. We have Clay who just rejects it and even pushes people away when it happens. Now with Clay in some ways I understood because he had a previous bad experience and it put him in a mindset that threw him off completely. But he doesn't handle ANY emotions haha and he doesn't know how to deal with any of it even on a most basic human level so that was very interesting. Than we have our heroine, Lilith, who can't do the love thing which is different from Clay. She can handle relationships but her issues are with she gets bored in relationships when serious emotion is involved. Than we have Travis, who was a bit difficult to get to the bottom of his emotional level. He is much more mature than the others and is like the balance wheel between Lilith and Clay. He understands emotion, has an emotional maturity the others don't have, and is able to handle love just fine.

The dynamic of the relationships that forms between the three was quite interesting. Because there isn't necessarily a strong sexual vibe between Clay and Travis. There is a strong friendship between them and nothing super sexual, at least not in the beginning, but towards the end of the story we are seeing some slow evolvement of that. So its not a straight MFM relationship. So if you struggle with that particular dynamic, and prefer MMF, than this one could work for you. Then we have the bonds that Lilith has with Travis and Clay. At first this is separated but eventually this tends to get mixed in. I really enjoyed how Lilith was the first one to fall first when she is the one rushing out of relationships when "love" happens haha but the true struggle is Clay and seeing Travis and Lilith work through their feelings and assisting Clay on it and allowing him to see that sometimes change happens that are unexpected. The later half of the book was my favorite aspect of the story though, I really felt that is where much of the emotional intimacy gets formed and enjoyed seeing their beautiful dynamic develop in those precious chapters.

What I Struggled With
So it has some elements to the relationship that might be a struggle for some to enjoy. I will be honest the way that this relationship is built, was not easy at times to read. Especially when one or really two? are so emotionally constipated. And I will be honest that this is the section of the story I truly had a hard time with. Particularly in how Clay brings Travis into the relationship when he is 'traveling'. Its a really odd set up to be honest, and there was something about it that threw me off and I just really struggled with how Clay treats Travis in the relationship. Travis is such a cinnamon roll at times and just didn't deserve how he gets treats at times in the relationship.

Narration
The narration on this is fabulous, and really the narration Nikki Slone has for all of these books are so well done. I just love the way that they capture the steam just right and the emotions of the character is so well portrayed. You can't help but be drawn in completely with the story.

Overall View
I found The Architect to be a superb read that will stoke up the flames, stir up emotion and heart and deliver completely for any romance reader!

Favorite Quote(s)
You want to be punished, don't you?"
When I nodded, he grinned.
"I hope you're not fragile."

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Character Types: Alpha Male, Alpha Mellow, Vet/Doctor, Architect
Themes: BDSM, Menage, Hot Smexy Times, Love of Animals, Next Door Neighbor, Sex Club
Tropes: Age Gap, Fling

Book Perspective
Mulitple POV's

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship conflict

Song This Book Inspires
Earned It by The Weekend

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as standalones if needed.

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.

Narrators:
Angelina Rocca, Brennan Landry