The Strongest Shape

by Tessa Cárdenas

After his boyfriend breaks up with him, fashion photographer Caleb Moss finds himself alone in Los Angeles looking for work and friends. He finds both in a group of aspiring musicians, who offer help through their connections. But while building a strong friendship with Scott and Chris, a startling sexual tension flares to life among the three men, and Caleb is afraid the new friendships will fall apart.

It won't be easy for Caleb, trying to find his way when Scott and Chris invite him into their relationship. They face criticism from their friends, but they'll struggle to stay together because they have discovered a three-fold love.

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

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2009

About the author

Tessa Cárdenas grew up in a small town in northern Texas before relocating to Florida to study creative writing. Since completing her degree, she spends her days educating young minds and wouldn’t quit her day job even if she could. She’s traveled to Europe, Asia, and all over the United States and Canada, but she’ll always be a Texas girl. She currently lives with two dogs, one cat, and a stack of works in progress.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 handsome men + Nonstop sexing = Utterly boring

I've never been fabulously talented at math, but I do know this: there's something off about the result of the sum above.


An adorable picture to cheer myself up...*takes deep breath*...

I made it 3/4th through this book before I called it quits. Since it took me ages to get into The Strongest Shape in the first place, I feel vaguely defeated. Why the author thought it would be a good idea to opt for the present tense narrative, I have no idea. I like to think that I'm very open minded when it comes to style choices in books, but this particular narrative only proved that there are indeed great ways to sabotage your own work. Eventually, I did manage to somewhat adapt to it, but it never became NOT annoying. There's of course the possibility that I'm just being a cry baby. Below is a small excerpt from the book, so you know what to expect:

“Yeah, so you told me every day.” Caleb mumbles, but he turns over to face Scott anyway. Scott tastes like toothpaste and coffee when they kiss, and Caleb thinks that maybe it’s not fair Scott’s having to put up with their morning breath, but he wraps his arms around Scott’s back and pulls him closer anyway. “Hum. Where’d you want my mouth, babe?” Scott asks when he pulls back from the kiss. “Everywhere,” he says, and Scott chuckles.(...) "You good?" Chris asks as he rubs over Caleb's prostate again, making his head swim as Scott licks down his chest. "Yeah, I'm good."

When I finally managed to get into the story I realized that there was no story. No really, this book is pretty much plotless, other than simple MTV's Real Life-ish drama à la (not an actual quote); "Is something wrong? No... I know there's something you're not telling us...we worry about you. Okay, it's just that I'm at work right now and can't be with you guys and don't know where I stand in this relationship. But you're not just a phase for us darlin' (yes, darlin' pops up constantly, unfortunately). We want to make this work, we love you. Are you sure? Because I don't want to come between you. Well, let's all have sex again to feel better."

You would think that a gay couple taking in a third man and finding out if and how they can make their ménage à trois work, would lead to all sorts of interesting (and amusing) situations and fascinating dilemma's and complications.

A while ago, I read the excellent (well, except for the lousy ending) Beautiful Losers. Here the author, Remittance Girl, brings a girl into the lives of two men and creates a little world inside our world for them, in which they get their fair share of confusion and issues, but also manage to expand their boundaries, emotionally and sexually. In Beautiful Losers, the essence of what a love triangle can entail was captured beautifully in my eyes. And although it still seems like a lot of fuss and I personally am probably not mature enough (yet) to make it work in reality, it still ignited my imagination.

The Strongest Shape isn't food for thought at all. It's simplistic in every aspect. The three men are one dimensional: it's virtually impossible to tell them apart. Well, other than that male 1 is the new guy in the relationship and a photographer, male 2 is more inclined to talk about feelings and male 3 says "darlin’" all the time and is jealous to the extent of coming across as a caricature (growling mine, mine, mine at male 1 during their first or second sex scene, snarling at every mention of the name of one of male 1's friends).

So these interchangeable men have explicit, excruciatingly dull sex constantly. I felt detached the entire time and was disappointed that the author hardly experimented with the fact that a 3rd player entered the stage (which made me wonder: why add a 3rd in the first place, if you don't have the imagination/knowledge to milk it?). Weirdly enough, she does put a lot of emphasis on the more complicated proceedings of a ménage. Like who is going to clean up who and gets to hold what and sleeps where and...

Recommended as uncomplicated, forgettable smutathon fun. And what the heck, I'm adding another star because I approve of the subject matter and it's not bad as in bad.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 April 2013
I am having trouble waiting patiently for my LHNB story by Lexi Ander so to help me get through what feels like months of waiting, well actually it is months of waiting, I'm rereading this favorite to get in the ménage frame of mind.
Finished, and yes, totally worth a reread, still love it! I'm sure to come back to this one again!

Review from 5 Nov 2012
4.5*
This book totally worked for me, I devoured it!
I'm not even sure why, except I do like well done m/m/m stories and this one is that!
Chris ( sometimes possessive and slightly irrational) and Scott ( the sane, rational one) are in a long term relationship.
Caleb ( just dumped by BF) meets and develops a friendship with Scott while Chris is away (no cheating, so don't worry) anyway a friendship develops between all three.
The interesting thing about this story is that everyday issues like jealousy, insecurity how family and friends react, and not being able to be open about their realtionship impacts them.
There is a lot of sex in this book, but it didn't feel overwhelming and even if they all stayed at Scott's place almost constantly, they still all had their own apartments , which actually felt realistic , since it takes time for them to be sure of their places in this triangle.
It's told exclusively from Caleb's POV but I felt as if I understood the other two just as well, so this one goes on my favorites shelf, and I'm sure to reread it eventually!

ETA I have had a bad run with the last few books, I decided to reread this one...and yep, I still love it!
Ok, I need my ménage fix...doing another reread!

[Vio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am going to be the killjoy over this one, sorry Mandy I didn't love it like you did. For starters too much sex, I have read a lot of books and sometimes the sex just fits the story and I can go along with it without suffering too much. I need to be honest here, I was bored the sex between Caleb, Scott and Chris never had me feeling anything other than detached, at times their encounters were a drag and went on forever, I just couldn't get into the groove of this threesome. I didn't like Chris all that much he rubbed me up the wrong way. I guess that was the start of the negative feelings I was having for the guys. At the halfway mark the story picked up a bit, not nearly enough for me to care about whether Chris, Caleb and Scott stuck it out together. It was an okay read even though the writing didn't engage me.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll go with 3.5 stars here. A nice story but it didn't wow me like it did most of my GR friends. Sorry guys!! :(

I'll start with the fact that I'm not crazy about menages in general, but I really loved Fun with Dick and Shane so I figured I would give a true m/m/m book a go.

My initial reaction to the writing style was what the heck is going on here? I felt like how the guys got together was so weirdly brought about. I didn't even feel like they liked each other before that initial sex scenes where Caleb watched Chris and Scott hook up. I had no sense that they were falling for Caleb as a person, that they wanted to seek a relationship with him. I think the writing style just felt disconnected to me.

Aside from that, I think this just might be me, but I got a bit...confused... during their sex scenes. I spent half the time trying to figure out who was where. I kept going back and rereading the scenes to puzzle out the arrangement. I needed a diagram half the time!

Once the threesome got together, I felt like the book improved. It was more emotional and sexier. However, still never felt "in" their relationship. Partially, admittedly, because of my own prejudices about polyamory: Like Chris's mom, I have my doubts about its long-term success (don't get mad at me folks!). I like leaving my men assured in their happily ever after.

Well, my foray into 3-way relationships was a mild success! I certainly enjoyed this book, even if it doesn't make my "love it" list.

[Macky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit it it, I'm partial to a m/m/m ménage book so when two of my good friends told me this was a great one I did what I always do... I bought it there and then! I kept meaning to read it but some other book of the moment would worm its way ahead of it and it sort of disappeared into the hundreds of TBR's that I've accumulated on my Kindle ( methinks I have a bit of a problem with impulse buying ... But that's something to ponder on another day! )

Anyway... I finally decided today that I would give it a go. I settle down opened it up on and my first impression was:

"NOOOOOOO PRESENT TENSE, I HATE PRESENT TENSE!! "

I was honestly "this close" to scrapping it when I thought don't be stupid at least read the first couple of pages and give it a chance before you waste your money........ That was this morning. Its 5.30 PM and apart from a few forced interruptions Ive just read it in one sitting . I couldn't put it down!

After a couple of pages I got so wrapped up in this smexy Trio's story that the writing style I usually can't settle to became less and less noticeable until it just became the norm.

The strange thing is that really there's not a lot of actual plot. Its really just these three guys learning to make a three way relationship work. In this case its an established couple - Chris and Scott- taking in another partner -Caleb-so you get the odd bit of angst thrown in around friends, family and work schedules, but I absolutely loved it. The three guys, Caleb ( we get the relationship from his POV ) Scott and Chris, just had me glued to my kindle. The sex is hot and there's a lot of it so that may be a turn off for some people... sometimes it is for me because as much as I enjoy a good love scene, I hate repetitive in your face sex ... but IMO I found it worked really well in this story. It really shows the progression of their feelings for each other as they start to fall in love and as sexy as it is < fans self > I also found it really tender and romantic too. I fell for them all... Even Chris the jealous one who does have a few OMG moments but I still found them all very endearing. Great make-up sex! LOL. ;)

Thank you Tina And Mandy for recommending what has now become my favourite ménage story and another non deletable keeper. I will definitely read this again and again. Awesome!

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5


Still an amazing read! One of the best ménage stories I’ve ever read. A classic!!

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6 Stars

For some reason, the beginning of this book felt very unfinished. There were large gaps of time missing or jumped and I feel like that cheated the start of this relationship from a better grounding. I wanted to see Scott & Caleb as well as Caleb & Chris becoming friends more, ramping up the sexual tension more, before trying it on as triad; there just weren't enough of those scenes...and too many of them apart later in the book.

Yeah, I liked that the effort was made to show that they were all making an effort at keeping up the relationship even over long distance. But I did NOT like that there could only be sex (other than handjobs) between ALL of them or NONE of them...not even between the 2 that had already been a couple for almost 4 years. Yeah, no. Each pairing needs to have their own relationship, establish their own dynamics. And considering 2 of these guys also spent weeks (if not months) away from the others that just seems like a cruel and unrealistic expectation for people who love each other. The exception being phone sex where the pair is directed on what they are allowed to do by the other...which, okay, yeah provided some really hot scenes. I just can't see that being a viable or successful long-term plan; maybe after they are all more comfortable and secure in the relationship this would change? IDK...

Anywho, like I said, the phone sex scenes were hot and the dirty talk was delicious. I just wish there had been more to the story as this was completely character driven with no external dramatic force. There was a bit of familial, friendship and employment angst as people found out about the menage arrangement, and at one point an MC went absolutely crazy jealous for no reason (I guess that was the dramatic moment?) and it honestly was a bit ridiculous. Of course, it only provided fodder for the characters to have a tension-filled moment, hinting at a break up? but no...because they actually did make an effort to communicate a bit more than I've seen in many books.

So, a hit in some aspects and a miss in others.

[JenMcJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book starts off marching to a different beat. I want to say it's written in past present tense but that would imply I remember anything from my English classes and that is sadly not true. Whatever you would call it (and I am sure y'all that are reading it can correct me when you are done) it starts off strangely. Like Caleb is telling you the story a few minutes after it happens. For the first few chapters this was very distracting to me.

As the book moves farther along it begins to feel like the story is real time again and it's easier to read (at least for me).

I expected this to a be a "rockers in love" plot but it really wasn't. It's very much a story about how two men find that letting in a third really does make their relationship stronger. Becoming secure in that strength is not as easy as it seems when friends and family think they have a say in it. Caleb is understandably unsure of his place in the triad and we go along for the ride while they all determine their roles. The sex is pretty hot too.

I loved all three men. They really did make each other better. Toward the end of the book you find out how the title fits.

[Heller · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I liked this quite a bit but it had the oddest narrative style that just threw me. I didn't really feel connected to anyone of the players here but I did like them and I liked their story. Great chemistry and a solid storyline but distancing in the actual telling of it which made it hard for to root for them. I could see the relationship working for them on a long term basis though. It was a lot different from any of the other menages I've read.

Still it was interesting and sexy even if I did find myself more of an objective observer rather than really engaged in it.

[Katharina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! Loved it very very very much.

First of all, I like books written in the present tense if the author knows what he's doing. And Tessa Cardenas definitely knows what she's doing. It makes it somehow more intense for me, as if I'm right there in this instant watching it all happen. It's a special way to write and quite unusual and if it's done right, it's absolutely perfect for books that are quiet and serious and intense to begin with.

I think this was one important reason why this book went straight to my heart. The most important, though, were Caleb, Scott, and Chris. They were just perfect! I loved how they made it work, how much they cared, what they were willing to do to make their relationship happen. How intense they were with each other and how much of themselves they put into their relationship without holding back. There's really no doubt for me that these three will make it work in the future. Which doesn't mean that I don't want to read about it because I do! So much!! I would love a sequel, see these guys again, look what and how they're doing.

As you can see, intensity is a frequent theme in this review because in this case it's just the only word that will fit. And I loved this story because of that.
Five solid stars for this book that's already become a favourite of mine.

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

I had never heard of this gem until Jacqueline mentioned it in my Lending Group and I had to borrow it right away.

Wow! This is a little different setup than most menages where each person builds a couple sexual relationship with each other and are also a trio. Caleb, Chris and Scott have a different sexual relationship where once they've decided to embark on this adventure, they only consummate when it's the three of them, together in the same room. They do build separate relationships, just not sexually. Phone sex when they're apart.

Chris and Scott have an established 4-year on/off relationship and when Scott and Caleb meet, there's an instant attraction, however Chris who is away when they meet is very possessive so nothing happens. Over time, Chris warms to Caleb and Chris and Scott test Caleb with a private encounter. After two weeks of silence, Caleb is shocked to learn that Chris and Scott want to include him in their relationship. Caleb balances Scott and Chris.

I really liked this story - different, good relationship building, communication difficulties, realistic. Since they were monogamous to each other, I would have liked to have dispensed with the condoms, but then I do like it messy.

Oh - and I had borrowed this - I'll be buying my own copy, definitely a reread.

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!! Really loved it. 😍 I do like MMM books and this had been in my TBR list for quite a while.. and now it's in my fav shelf.. It was that good. 💘☺️. Will write a long review once I'm able to.. but had to recommend this to all you book lovers who like MMM stories as much as I do.

[Kassa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always surprised by the variety in reader reactions. This particular offering has garnered decent, if lukewarm reviews and it’s a ménage, which is a difficult trick to pull off successfully. Yet I have to say I adored this gem of a story, so much that I actually re-read the book a few days later. There are some significant flaws that may not be to all readers’ taste but the men are engaging and mostly well drawn while the emotion in the relationship is without doubt. There are a lot of sex scenes in the book, yet the tone is still mild and slightly angst ridden rather than hot and heavy. I can see why some readers may not be entirely satisfied with the book but this is easily a favorite comfort story that I’ll re-read many times.

The story follows Caleb Moss, a successful fashion photographer, who has recently moved to LA with his actor boyfriend. Unfortunately said boyfriend soon left Caleb, leaving him with very few friends in a new city. One drunken night at a club leads to new friends in Scott and Chris, who are an established couple off and on for over three years. Soon Scott and Chris decide to bring Caleb into their relationship and the dynamics change entirely. While the three men struggle to find a new balance, they must also deal with the reactions of family and friends.

Told from Caleb’s perspective, the writing choice is initially odd and very off putting and may lose some readers. The choice is third person past present tense. Here’s an example:
---
CALEB doesn’t actually remember how he ended up coming home with Jason. He remembers going to Jason’s concert alone after Damian broke up with him. He remembers ordering the first few shots of vodka. He even remembers telling Jason that his music was inspiring. He just has no idea how he reached the point of waking up in Jason’s apartment. It’s not like he’s ever spoken more than a few words to the guy. He’s hoping there wasn’t a hook up involved because it must have been pathetic if he ended up by himself on the couch.
---
The story starts with a bang with this odd choice and then introduces almost all the major players right away, including Chris who is initially absent and only talked about. The first two chapters are loaded with information offered very clumsily and somewhat confusing as the reader is still adjusting to the writing style. However, by chapter three the characters have settled in and the writing is familiar so the book starts to take off. The threesome gets sexual very early on in the book, by page 30, and from there the story offers no shortage of sex scenes. Some may find this too much erotica but I didn’t mind because each scene dealt with how the three men communicated and eventually fit together.

In this particular case the sex is integral to the relationship since the men would prefer to express their emotions through action and sex rather than conversation. That’s not to say they don’t talk, and they do, repeatedly. But the generous number of sex scenes didn’t deter my enjoyment since they seemed to further the story, which is about the relationship between the three men. The book could have different scenes showing the same purpose instead of the erotica to add more variety though, especially scenes with the friends Jason and Danielle.

The characters are well drawn and there is a good bit of angst and emotional searching that happens. Caleb is coming into an established relationship and he experiences a lot of insecurity about his place in the threesome. Each man experiences some trepidation and insecurity about the new dynamic but they are all committed to making it work. There are several touching moments in the small details and a few pivotal fights, which is nice to show the drawbacks as well as the advantages of a unique situation. In this case, the men respond by not having sex individually but only if all three are together which causes another set of potential conflict and frustration.

A drawback to the characterization though is that none of the men exist much outside of their relationship. All three men are artists and work odd schedules but other than some extended scenes of Caleb’s job, the musician work of Scott and Chris is indistinct and referenced rather than shown. Additionally the family scenes are incomplete and not fully explored, only showing the tip of problems. The writing and prose excel when delving into the characters, their internal debates, and miscommunication. Because of the emphasis on personal growth and less on outside influences, there is not much action in the character driven story so some readers may not like the pace.

I personally loved reading this story and it fits as a great comfort read for me. It’s emotional and slightly angsty without being over the top or whiny with good writing and great texture to the scenes to differentiate them even with a lot of erotica. I could have done with less sex and more action but this is still a great emotional story of love and strength with a solid happy ending. I easily recommend this book to romance fans, especially since it’s a successful ménage and those are rather hard to find.

[Bitchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really torn on what to say about this one. I don't know if it was the writing style or what, but it just felt very rushed in the beginning. Not that they jumped into bed too fast, but that the author skipped through weeks/months of getting to know each other and becoming friends, so she could get to the sexy bits faster. By the third chapter, a fair bit of time has gone by in the story, and they are already having their first sexual encounter, but only little tidbits of them getting to know each other was shown.

I was also really weirded out by their relationship dynamic. Chris and Scott have been together on and off for four years, this last time for nine months. Scott and Chris are both musicians (who apparently make enough to keep two apartments and live ok in LA off the gigs they play, although Chris also seems to work part time as a photographer? I was confused!) who haven't hit it big yet, but both go off to play gigs out of town regularly. Then in comes Caleb, who's a fashion photographer, who also works out of town fairly often, sometimes for weeks at a time. And then it comes out that Chris and Scott don't have sex if Caleb isn't there? And I guess they do the same if Scott and Caleb are left behind while Chris is off playing?

This just seemed a bit extreme to me. I can (kinda maybe, not really though) see them only being together all three if it was an all new relationship between all of them, and if they all worked in the same area and weren't apart very often, but no sex at all for weeks at a time, even when two are left at home together? (sure, they jacked off together, and they had some phone sex featuring all three) This just doesn't seem right at all, especially considering Chris and Scott's long term relationship.

They also went from friends to calling each other "mine" during the very first full on sex scene! Talk about fast! And then came Chris' possessive streak, which could have been hot, but really just felt over the top, especially since no reason was ever given for it.

I think this could have been a great story, but the writing style and the way things were rushed over, skimmed, and the odd relationship dynamic just dragged it all down for me. 2.5 stars, rounded up because it kept me interested enough to read in one sitting.

[KatieMc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho hum, 2.5 generously rounded up to 3. Easy going read with 3 guys navigating the logistics of a ménage relationship. It's kind of fun to see how it comes about. And it's kind of fun to see who they reveal themselves to as a "group". There were two plot points that I thought did not serve the book well, but made for some interesting thoughts.

Caleb, the junior partner in the group feels insecure because he has to go on an out of town work assignment. That seems reasonable, he doesn't quite know where he ranks in the group and what might happen while he is away. Since there was no discussion about the dos and don'ts of the group dynamic, he was understandably insecure about where things stood with the other two. After being away for a week, Caleb should have been comforted when Scott said:

"Caleb. We don't fuck when you aren't here. You really thought we would?"

Ah yeah, I would have. Here's the thing, there is no handbook for what to expect with polyamorous relationship. The group, in this case all 3, need to discuss what is ok and not ok. Communication is essential. But this group did not communicate any expectations. In what I thought was an ironic twist, Scott later clarified well, we do jack each other off when you are gone. Well, duh.

This leads me to the second plot point that left me squinting. Out of nowhere and based on nothing, Chris became the jealous possessive type. I will admit, that this trope occasionally works. But usually there needs to be some reasoning behind it, even if that reasoning is points to something remote such childhood abandonment. In the strongest shape, Chris's possessiveness was not justified by the actions of his partners, nor was it explained in any other way.

In the end, the guys work out some of their issues and decide for them, the triangle is "the strongest shape". That is nice and poetic, but I am not sure the structural engineers would agree.

[Nichole (DirrtyH) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find menage books fascinating. I don't mean books where there is scene after scene of kinky three-way sex. They may or may not contain that, but what fascinates me is reading about the psychological, emotional and logistical negotiation of a true, committed three-way relationship. How does that work? I've only read a small handful of books that fit that sub-genre but I am endlessly fascinated by it and want to read more.

The Strongest Shape was really good, although I did feel like the last third of the book dragged on a bit and I was a bit perplexed by their decision (which they didn't even really discuss because they felt it was "obvious") to only have sex when it was all three of them and to never, ever pair off. That seemed a bit weird and unrealistic to me.

911 by Chris Owen is still my favorite relationship menage book, but The Strongest Shape had me hooked from beginning to end and really rooting for these guys to make it work.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Strongest Shape by Tessa Cárdenas is one of the best ménage books I’ve read in ages. No one felt like that odd one out and the boys truly worked together to make their relationship work – with much angst of course!! The secondary characters were well written and while the world building was reasonably strong, it was the interactions between the 3 that held my attention. Honesty, there is nothing better than well written ménage, where all characters feel like they’ve a part to play, as opposed to one being the odd cock out. It was plenty hot too! Wicked, cool read and the cover is gorgeous. Best viewed in a large format. Merow.

http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2009/12/...

[Katrina Passick Lumsden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, but there really wasn't enough emotional exploration, especially at the very beginning of the relationship. There were a bunch of vague details about Caleb, Chris, and Scott hanging out and then bam, they're in a relationship. I would have liked a bit more getting-to-know-you, and I definitely would have enjoyed a more solid ending.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just could not get into this story. The narrative style felt cold and a bit distant, and I didn't get how or why I was supposed to care about these characters. I don't mind menages at all, but the author really needs to make me believe it.

[Jimmy Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book to be read, probably just to say you've read it. I've read many other threesome novels that portray the beginning, middle, and settling of a relationship between them all that draws you in a great deal more and ties them together indefinitely ["911" by Chris Owen and "Starting Over" by Annmarie McKenna:].

There was very little description, and very little in way of developing the characters. We can associate with the characters in short snippets - a sentence or two at a time and then it flitters away. The whole novel is made up of snapshot-type scenes and done in third-person present, all following Caleb. This is fine, but we never get an idea of who Caleb is as an individual person. The only one clearly defined is Chris, and then in the last few scenes dealing with his mother, that shape we had formed disintegrates.

Long and short: there are better novels out there.

[Rissa (an M/M kinda Girl!!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for me!!

I've only read a handful of m/m/m books but this one seemed more 'real' than the others. (Not that the others I read were not good...they were just good in a different way)

A Triangle....is the strongest shape. Or so they say and in this case they would be right. Bringing Caleb into Scott & Chris's relationship balances everything out, however they didn't do it just to 'fix' what they already had. They ALL wanted something better that they could find with the 3 of them.

This book was sweet, steamy, funny in all the right places, sexy and the sex was HOTT!!

Thanks to Sue my Sept pick-it for me picker for recommending such a great book!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is a wonderfully entertaining book that is very well written with characters that are engaging and interesting. I really liked the development of the relationship and this book will go on my keeper shelf. Bottom line this is a story about falling in love and making a relationship work."

My complete review is posted at Rainbow Reviews.

[BevS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't get into this one I'm afraid. Totally agree with Loederkoningen's (Kat) review. A generous 2.5 stars

[WickedVerbatim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, but I couldn't find myself liking some of the characters and, while I think there are instances when poly-amorous relationships can work, I wasn't buying it in this instance.

Scott and Chris have been in an on-again, off-again cycle. Scott meets Caleb and they become genuine friends. Chris eventually meets Caleb and as the 3 of them start hanging out, hormones start flying.

Scott is unbelievingly intuitive. Chris is a jealous jerk. Caleb is non-communicative and insecure.

Scott tells them all that they are better as a threesome then Scott and Chris were as a couple, but I don't see why.

I had to suspend further disbelief when it came time to tell the parents. There is some upset, but ultimately acceptance. Riiiiight.

[Feliz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the first threesomes I read. Despite the present tense narrative, I found it very well written. The characters were believable, so was their development from a couple with an extra to three men equally in love. Despite the criticism from their environment, they know they belong together; the author manages to make it perfectly clear why this works better than just two of them.
Recommended for everybody with a liking for hot sex and sweet emotions who aren't bothered by present tense narrative or not overly much plot.

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interestig take on a three-way relationship. When Caleb joins Chris and Scott in their on-again/off-again relationship it solves about as many problems as it creates.

The description of the developing emotions and trust between the three partners as they each find their place in the 'triangle' is central to the book. Both external (friends, parents) and internal (insecurities, lack of talking about issues) try to force them apart, yet they manage to hold out.

This focus on mostly internal developments was what held me back from a 5-star rating. For me personally there wasn't enough action which slowed down the pace too much for my liking. If you're looking for a novel foused on internal characer movements, this is one I can recommend.

[Justacat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the only m/m/m story I've ever read that made me truly believe in the threesome - that there was a good reason for it, other than simply sex, sex, sex; that these characters were better off as three; that it wasn't just a pair with a third added in, or an excuse for the author to write a threesome. It's also quite well written - olid characterization and relationship development, solid writing - including good use of POV (distressingly rare in this genre) and use of present tense, always risky, done well enough that it wasn't annoying or intrusive.

I actually quite love this book and have re-read it many times; I love the characters and love how they grow and change - and how the relationship grows and changes - throughout the book. I look forward to more from this author.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

No much to say about this book, it was not bad or extremely compelling. It was my first m/m/m book, so was not sure what to expect.

A decent read, although it was pretty quick to jump into bed. We have an established couple who wants to expand into three.


My only two complaints:

1). There was some angst that could have been easily solved if they just talked. It does not give me hope for them as a long term relationship,

2). They did not seem to have sex when one of them is. Away. Now, at the beginning if the relationship, I can see that, but it strikest me as a lack of trust. Which brings me back to problem #1.

Not a bad book, it just did not seem very realistic in the relationship part.

[Lexi Ander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am surprised at how much I really liked this. When I started I was having a problem with the POV, it seemed off compared to what I have been reading lately so it took me some time to become comfortable with it. The plot is really simple. It is a story about how three men deal all of the complexities of having a three person partnership. I loved watching them meet, grow together and fall in love. I even got a little teary eyed near the end.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. The writing was typical of a Dreamspinner author, clear, thoughtful, passionate but there were times, especially in the beginning, when I was lost in a sea of characters' names. The book is really about Caleb coming to terms with and transitioning into a poly relationship; how the triad's friends and family deal with their 'ship is also explored. If Caleb was as interesting as Chris or Scott I would've rated this 5 stars--he wasn't. GoodRead. :P