Sleeping Stone

by Alexa Snow

Jazz Stone is full of life and energy, the kind of person that others gravitate to, and when Chris meets Jazz, he's instantly smitten. But the course of true love never runs smoothly.

Just as they seem to find solid ground to stand on, Jazz's former lover Richard shows up, strewing an already rocky road with gravel. When Jazz has a serious motorcycle accident that threatens to end his life, Chris and Richard try to carry on without him. Can they find common ground of their own?

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Menage, M M M, Romance, Erotica, Polyamory

255 pages, ebook

First published January 23, 2007

About the author

Alexa Snow is an emotional person who appreciates practicality in others. She's prone to crying at inconvenient times, drinking too much coffee, and staying up too late playing with words (either reading or writing.) A background of schooling she wasn't all that interested in resulted in a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a vague sense of wasted time. Alexa lives in a tiny old house in New England with her husband, young son, and a small collection of pets.

Reviews

[Cole Riann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written book that accurately showed the problems that a polyamorous relationship brings to those involved. The characters were extremely well drawn, and though much of the book saddened me, the story was ultimately uplifting. Alexa Snow did an amazing job with the characterizations, especially Jazz, who is larger than life. I found the most interesting relationship to be that between Chris and Richard and how their love for Jazz eventually turned into love for each other and the base of the strength that pulled them through Jazz's months in a coma. This book has some of the most intimate and loving sex scenes that I've ever read, often extremely expressive of their relationship as a whole. Beautifully rendered and a favorite of mine from now on.

[Betryal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: Have a box of Kleenex always handy at at your disposal.

I like the way this book started off to how Chris would visit Jazz in the hospital and then the story started out from day one of how Chris and Jazz met and periodically throughout the book it would go to those hospital visits and revert back to telling the story of what took place and how Jazz on that one particular fateful day using poor judgment wound up in the coma that he is now in and how the parties involved, mostly Chris, is telling it.

SPOILER! I'll admit to being disappointed when Richard came into the scene and stirred up the pot of a loving couple, but under the circumstances he and Chris became each others rock and had each other to lean on during the hardest times, months and moments where the waiting, uncertainties, all unanswered questions and the worse of their fears, losing Jazz, plagued them both.

The way it's written and the detailing is overwhelming. I hit so many times, connecting with the feminine side of myself that it was shamefully deplorable. I should be ashamed of myself, but I'm not. It's a tear jerker to the max. There were one too many times my fingers itched to turn to the last page or chapter because if the urgent need to read that final outcome, but although the need propelled me too I didn't and proud of myself that I didn't give in to the temptation to do so. This book will make you want to do this. The anticipation to do so will overwhelm you alone. I held back and it was worth it when those pages at the end were finally reached.

Overall the story is powerful, riveting and heartbreaking. A must read!

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that I was hooked on this book from the beginning. I loved the way that the author was giving me glimpses of the present while unfolding the past and the dynamics of relationship with Chris, Jazz and Richard. It is rare that I have the desire to jump to the end of the book to find out how everything unfolds. I am so glad that I didn't. I knew this was a menage book and after establishing the relationship with Chris and Jazz, I was really unsure how I was going to feel when Richard entered the picture, but it was so well done and seemed to natural, that having Richard put in the relationship just added to this story.

This was a wonderful story that I would highly recommended. Thanks goes to Sims for recommending this book to me.

[Deeze · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great start but a poor finish. I didn't actually realize till after I started that this was going to be a 3some, and for me it just didn't work.

The begining started strong and I was really liking Jazz and even starting to love Chris, but then the sex started. Why we needed sex in every flashback I dont know, and where did the biting fetish come from? Weird.

Then Richards turns up and I just never felt the conection. I started out feeling sorry for Chris but soon felt disapointed in him instead.

The ending started to redeem it somewhat. The emotion felt more real, but alas the epilog was just another excuse to get all 3 into bed again.

The ending of the flash backs and start of the present timeline wasn't always clear for me either.

Sadly just not the book for me.

[Feliz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jazz Stone is playful, chaotic, relentless, open, funny, impulsive and endlessly interested in anything that goes on around him. In other words he's everything that Chris Turner isn't. When they meet, it's like opposites attract quite from the beginning, and what starts out as a funny pastime grows into something more over the weeks. But when Chris finally is ready to throw his misgivings overboard and moves in with Jazz, there's suddenly another man with them in the picture: Richard, Jazz's ex. Richard is obviously still in love with Jazz, and what's worse, Jazz still loves Richard. But the biggest surprise, even to Chris himself, is that he feels attracted to Richard too, and in a big way, a feeling Richard wholeheartedly returns. It takes all three men quite a bit of time to acknowledge that maybe three people can be as good together as two, but finally they manage. Now they're a still slightly awkward, but for the time being, stable threesome, this could get perfect. Hadn't Jazz gotten a liking to driving a motorbike he can't master. Hadn't he had a terrible accident which throws him in a coma.
And now Chris and Richard, left alone are hanging in a terrible lurch of time, nearly speechless without Jazz's inexhaustible energy, waiting for the man they both love to wake up. But will he ever?

The story started kind of slow; it took two or three chapters getting used to the alternation between the present tense parts which tell about Chris spending time with Jazz in the hospital and the past tense parts which tell about the story of the three men getting together. (Both parts are mostly not connected as regards content; luckily the present tense parts are printed in italics and easily discernible. )
But it rapidly took up speed, and when it did, it became an unable-to-put-down read.
Since the story is told entirely from Chris's point of view, Jazz is pictured the most colorful and thorough of the three. We see him through Chris's eyes and therefore presumably mostly through pink-hued glasses, but still he's a very likeable character. His carelessness borders on daredevilry, his self-confidence on egoism, but he is so considerate and so very much aware of Chris that there is no doubt why Chris simply has to fall for him as hard as he does. Chris, on the other hand, is easily manipulated by Jazz, but mostly for his own good; he is someone who has to be dragged to his own luck kicking and screaming, but he is also protective and caring AND manages to give Jazz space. Richard is least drawn out, but still the characterization is well enough to understand why both Jazz and Chris are drawn to him.

There were some minor issues, too, first and foremost with the threesome in on itself. From Chris's former characterization I simply couldn't see him accepting Richard into their relationship as easy as he does - unless Jazz pushes him towards it, and that takes sympathy points from Jazz. Still, the relationship, after it is established, is nicely done and in fact is one of the strongest pros for this story.
There's also a lot of sex scenes. And while some of those are integral to the plot and the development of the characters, there are also some superfluous scenes (albeit greatly done ones, so I won't complain too much)

Overall, a great book about the power of love overcoming even the biggest obstacles. Very gripping and a wonderful story. Definitely recommended.

[Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
I did really like this one.

It was a little slow going, because the flash backs, and present time kinda blended together. Sometimes it took a minute to realize the switch had happened. I did like the format of going back and forth, I just think it needed to be more clear about the change.

There was A LOT of sex. Now, I liked a lot of sex sometimes...but when the character you are falling in love with, is currently in a coma, and not known if he'll ever wake up...it got to be a little much after a wile.
I liked a lot of it, but I think a few scenes should have been cut...they just started getting a little repetitive.

I really did like Richards part, but the introduction into the relationship seemed a little out of place.
But, once he was incorporated, I did enjoy his part. I was glad he was there for Chris, even if we didn't get to see enough of him with Chris during their time of need.

I liked Richard, I loved Chris, and I LOVE LOVED Jazz.
Good Read. Not a bad menage.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not gonna lie. I got through the first part of the book and did what I have never done. I skipped to the last part to see what happens. Then, of course, I had to go back to figure out who the fuck Richard was and why was he involved with my boys! So basically, I read this in a weird order but I didn't read it all. lol. I was so in love with Jazz and Chris..and then comes Richard. Yes, I felt sorry for him because he was still so in love with Jazz but the three of them together never really felt "right". And I wonder how long the book would have been without all the sex. Maybe 50 pages. Too much of a good thing. I did get a bit on the weepy side and for the most part really enjoyed this one.

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆
Interesting approach in the writing. Starts with a hospital visit and each succeeding chapter has flashbacks and past and present tense narration. Different and I liked it.

Chris meets Jazz and Jazz is everything Chris isn't, Jazz is larger-than-life, exciting, unpredictable and before Chris knows it, he's finally ready to make that leap of faith into love. Just as he and Jazz are settling, Richard, Jazz' ex reappears and wants to be friends again, possibly more than friends as Richard hasn't gotten over Jazz leaving him.

Richard grows on Chris and eventually they grow to love each other as they revolve around the shining star that is Jazz.

Then tragedy strikes. This is where the writing excels - how does Chris and Richard manage?

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the idea was good, and it held my interest, but some things kept me from really enjoying this story. I was a bit confused about the flashbacks because the differentiation between the past and the present was not well made. The sex was repetitive, and in my opinion took away from the plot somehow. The threesome was something else that felt not exactly right, as if it would have needed more development in order to be justified, and from the main characters only one of them felt real to me.
I did like how the story was developed, flashback issues notwithstanding, because things were discovered gradually and at the right time.

[Ravyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, I know I'm going against the grain here with my less-than-stellar rating...but this book bored me to tears.

All the switching back and forth from past to present was annoying, and the italics vs. normal type which denoted "present" vs. "past" were messed up more often than not. And don't get me started on the sex. Ok, I'll tell you. They were at it like bunnies during every single "past" scene (which comprised most of the book). It got really old, really quick.

[Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading menage books due to the complexity of the relationship. I truly enjoyed this book because of the way the story is told. The flashbacks and present time story telling are meshed really well. I loved how the writer seamlessly introduced new issues and characters.

My only niggle was too much sex (no, seriously, lol). I did find myself flipping through those scenes. But I enjoyed this book so much that it was OK with me.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpected pleasure. Two things that stood out for me. First was how the author captured what I guess I'd call an atmosphere, a sense of place, and of time without actually doing it very explicitly at all. One of those situations where the less said, the more that's conveyed. Here, I think it happens with the characters, too: nothing is revealed too easily. It's almost seductive. Second, a feature I didn't quite cotton on to until halfway through the book: it's subtlety. Part of it is how the story is constructed - there's an invitation to the reader to engage in a little puzzle-solving, an almost geometric structure - and a bit of authorly training of the reader about how to interpret this world she's created. The interesting thing is how, having been engaged for a hundred pages, a turn of phrase or a description will conjure up a whole scene - visual and emotional. This was the quality that kept the descriptions of sex from becoming repetitive for me. What the characters do may be the same thing they've done before, but the meaning of it shifts. Yet the clues to this shift of meaning are delivered with a feather rather than a bludgeon. I could quibble about whether I thought the main characters really could get over their issues as easily as they do and still be the sort of characters who have longstanding issues. I'd be petty for me to do it, and I'm not sure it matters to the overall story. The book succeeded for me.

[Aya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh God! So much sex! It was damn hot but dare I say it… I could have done with less of it if it meant I could get more from Richard's character (ie. more about who he is and why he decided to come back into Jazz's life when he did) and the storyline itself. Some of the sex scenes did start to get a little repetitive.

I thought the beginning was slow at times and the end a little rushed. The middle third of the book had good pace though. The non-linear timeline was well utilised and the flashbacks were well timed. Reading the little pieces of the present timeline was the highlight; they were filled with desperation and heartache, all of which was tempered by the more joyful glimpses of the past.

I did fall in love with all three characters, and I love the way this story was written. Could have done with more character and plot development, but still a fantastic read.

★★★✩

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book was very very nice..In the starting i was also crying with Chris..and i thought in the end that Jazz is gping to die..
But the ending was very nice, i really liked Richard also, he was like perfect partner for them.and it was hard to see hoe Chris and Richard coping up with Jazz accident and both of them thinking may be Jazz would not wake up again but did not want to admit it also..
i like how well written this book is..I mean the past and present was well mentioned.
I seriously liked teh ensing part where they both get a phone call from hospital that Jazz has woken up..
I would recommend to everyone to read this book.:)

[Caroline Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really quite enjoyed this one.

Jazz is bubbly and full of life and has only had one previous ‘proper’ relationship which ended in heart break.

Chris is closeted, deeply unhappy and still not over his last relationship that has been over for 4 years. The relationship is slow and sometimes awkward but just as they are getting to a good and settled place Richard, Jazz’s ex and the cause of his heart break, turns up.

The story is told in flashbacks and was sometimes a little difficult to follow. They form quite a solid menage but it is quickly disrupted by an accident.

[Jess Candela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Jazz's zest for life. But riding a motorcycle - without a helmet! - on the street, without having taken a single lesson? That's TSTL in my book, so he's damn lucky he did. My sympathy for him went WAAAAY down when I learned that was how he ended up in a coma, rather than an unavoidable accident while wearing a (ideally, full-face) helmet.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the writing and two of the characters - the third, not so much. What I didn't like was that about midway through the book it became almost non-stop sex scenes. Sometimes less is more and that shouldn't pertain to the story, which should be the main focus. It seemed like the story got lost along the way.

[Rossy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't exactly know why, but i had a hard time connecting with the two first main characters. That is until the third was introduced and somehow he balanced the two younger guys and i was able to truly enjoy it.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It's a menage, y'all, so be warned. And the flashbacks kind of bugged me sometimes. But overall, I loved the story and the chemistry between the characters. And it was hot hot hot.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of those books that is so compelling, you cannot even think about putting it down. A beautiful story that had me laughing and crying and caring for these special characters.

[Sandy Malone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a GREAT book, if the author haddent kept switching from past to present so much...it was confusing

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, really good read! Loved the characters.

[Nova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many sex scenes…