Menage a L'amour

by Cynthia Dane, Hildred Billings

The sequel to the 2019 hit!

One needs help…

For over three years, girlfriends Jane, Caitlyn and Rebecca have been living together in domestic bliss. Punctured with productive days at work and hot nights at home, their idyllic relationship couldn’t be better.

Until there’s an issue with Jane’s visa.

Now, armed with the best immigration lawyer in town, Jane is prepared to do whatever it takes to stay in America.

Another doesn’t want to rock the boat…

When it’s apparent that the answer is for Jane to marry one of her girlfriends, Caitlyn immediately absolves herself as a candidate. She and Jane have already been married before, and she knows she can’t go on that roller coaster again.

That leaves Rebecca, who is more than willing to marry Jane if that’s what it takes to keep their family together. Yet as the big day draws closer, she worries that the unique closeness between her and Jane might once again chase Caitlyn away.
And another yearns for them to always be together…

In the midst of the legal chaos comes another challenge. Jane’s sister is in town for mysterious reasons, and Caitlyn is the only one who can help. While everything crashes, burns, and grows again around her, will Caitlyn succumb to the pressure, or will she be the rock that everyone around her needs more than ever?

Is love ever enough?

MENAGE A L’AMOUR is a menage romance featuring three heroines in a relationship together and a HEA.

Genres: Romance, LGBT

442 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2022

Reviews

[Chubsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's possible to go into this book without having read the first one since the important things are recapped briefly. The first book is the story of how Rebecca joined Caitlyn & Jane, forming the throuple. Things left off on a happy note in "Menage a Trois" and this one focuses on Jane's troubles mostly.

I was hooked onto the idea of a forced marriage in the group, upsetting the balance with the potential for some spicy jealousy! But that didn't work out like I thought it would...

The pacing was affected by all of Lilian's unwelcome drama (Jane's sister), which I didn't care for at all if I'm being quite honest. Olivia (Caitlyn & Jane's ex) also makes an appearance but I don't feel like we learned anything much about her as a person, or her previous relationship with our protagonists.

On the characters individually, Jane's Cantonese uttering seems to be hammed up a bit. I'm not sure how they're going to manage that as an audiobook because they're 100% sure to muck up the pronunciations...badly lol. One thing the author didn't fix from the first book is Jane's Chinese name, which I assume is 王蓮花. The Mainlanders & Taiwanese would call her "Wáng Lián Huā", and the Cantonese would call her "Wong.4 Lin.4 Faa.1", but hey whatever, who gives a damn except me.

Of three leading ladies I feel Caitlyn shined the most this time round, acting as everyone's stable rock. I'd quite like a book 3 with her as the focus. Preferably without family drama please!
Meanwhile Rebecca continues to be...Rebecca. Can't say I like her any more than I did in book 1.

Overall, book 2 kept my attention enough for me to finish it in one sitting. As expected of a Dane-Billings novel, there were a couple of cameos. One of my favourites Erica & Natalie made an appearance 🥰. Now I'm really curious as to what scandalous shenanigans people got up to at those bachelorette parties. Can't leave us hanging like that!

P.S. There was loads of sex.

[Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now obviously despite what my title says there where steamy scenes, this is Dane/Billings book after all, but I was hopping to get everyday life with this three this time around since we got all the hot and sweaty in book and expectations exceeded.
This time around we are focused more on Jane and her struggles. Jane's visa problems throw a curveball into the lives of the throuple which want to stay legally single and who have been living bliss since they got together. The solution is to marry one of them but one is reluctant and the other has her hangups. Worry not though everything falls into place by the end of the book.
There was also a secondary plot involving Jane's sister that I won't get into cause I was not expecting it at all but even you figure it out it's quite hilarious. (Not the main word to describe but when Jane describes it you'll see what I mean)
Based on the epilogue I hope that we get another book out this three with one that focuses on Caitlyn that way we have beginning, middle and end type situation. Highly recommend!

[Tammy Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Jane is having trouble with immigration and is trying to get things done within a few months. Caitlyn as always taking care of business a keep things going. Rebecca is her bubbly shelf helping her two girlfriends that she loves dearly. It was nice to hear about Mann and Chinn's wedding plus some of the other wonderful women in the group. Jane is at wits end with her family coming to see them With their problems as well. Love that there could be another book with Jane's niece hopeful coming to live. A wonderful story of how three women make love work for each of them.

[Aves · Rating 3 out of 5]

For starters this book was a little less good than the previous one but good nonetheless! But perhaps I only think this because it took me so long to read this and such a short time to read the first book.

Review/Plot?:
This book shifts its focus to Jane and her struggles, particularly her visa issues, which complicate the lives of the throuple. They’ve been living in bliss since coming together and prefer to remain legally single. The proposed solution is marriage, but one partner is reluctant, and the other has her reservations. Thank God though—everything falls into place by the end.

There’s also a secondary plot involving Jane’s sister, which caught me WAYYYYY off guard.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three times the joy.

I’m rarely one for thruples. Based on my own experiences, this isn’t the lifestyle for me. But even I can admit that the way Cynthia and Hildred wove Jane, Caitlin and Becca together just works. Maybe it shouldn’t and certainly there are times through the first and second books when it doesn’t, but these three find their way back to each other every time.

I’d even go as far as saying I genuinely hope for a third book exploring more of this thruples lives together!

[Lis Reads Everything]

This book follows on from the first, Menage a Trois, showing the continued relationship between Jane, Caitlyn and Rebecca.

While this book focusses on mainly on some issues Jane is having, especially regarding her family, Caitlyn and Rebecca are still given time to shine. In fact, this book strengthened the fact that Caitlyn is my favourite character of the three.

Filled with humour, the after effects of COVID and lots of steamy sex, this book is a great read. I highly recommend it.

[Denise'S MinionsBliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Becca makes three

There will nuptials and promises to make sure Jane is a citizen, but who is she going to marry? And what with her sister? Can Becca go through with the vows or will Cait step in? What happened to Olivia? Read and find out in this new chapter in the life of three.

[David R Gilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow

More please about this amorous trio. The story and the sex, the characters and side issues have made for a truly wonderful read over the two books. I thought that the relationships with Constance Grace and Sammie might have developed but I would love to read more in the same vein.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great follow up

This was a good but somehow just not as great of a follow up story as I expected or wanted it this book to be. The story just didn't flow right, overwhelmed with too much chaos & digressions that came off as more random than relatable. Still entertaining read if not as enjoyable as expected.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic characters we love

You need to know Jane, Caitlyn and Rebecca for this to work but once you do then this story takes them on more of an exciting journey. Things change but what stays the same for them is love...

[Maria Mauriello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I rate a book more than 5 stars?

I can't say how much respect and love I have for a book that tackles romance in established, long term relationships as a subject and this one does it amazingly.

[Charon Seaward]

love it

I love how Cynthia brought each character to the front there high there lows and how they all support one another and just be there for each others pain happiness and struggles. The Sex well that’s mind blowing

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story

I have enjoyed this wonderful heartfelt story of Jane, Caitlyn and Rebecca as they continue their life together and survive the pandemic.

[Cameo Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting more of the story of Jane, Cait, and Becca.