Scandalous

Playing With Fire #3

by Karen Erickson

She always got anything she wanted… Playing with Fire 3 A teenage crush on her big brother’s boyfriend. It was one of the few times in her spoiled-little-sister life that Alexa had to swallow the word “no”. She got over it, or she thought she had—until her brother’s wedding brings Eric back into her life, as flirty and fun as ever. It never mattered to her that he’s gay. Attraction is attraction. One illicit kiss, and their reconnection blows her mind and rekindles girlish hopes. Then he sets her away from him and runs like hell. Eric can’t believe that a woman’s touch arouses him. Not just any woman, but sweet Alexa, and he can’t help but want more. Desperate to come clean, he confesses all to his steady boyfriend, Brandon, expecting anger. But Brandon’s intrigued. He wants to meet the woman who’s tied Eric up in knots. With luck, maybe she’ll relight the spark between them. Alexa may have lost her chance with Eric, but the consolation prize—a fling with him and Brandon, is too tempting to resist. She never expected to love both men, or to secretly yearn to belong to the one who commands her body like no other… Contains m/m sex, m/f/m sex, three people confused and in love, a little bit of punishment, a lot of dirty talk and a lot of naughty sex.

Genres: Menage, Erotica, Romance, M M F, M M Romance, Erotic Romance, Contemporary

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson lives in central California with her family. Being a romance writer and bringing her characters to life is her greatest dream come true.

She also writes as NYT & USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.

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Reviews

[Yolanda]

I am so pissed after reading this book i hated all the chara except Eric and i didnt like that he was made to make them feel better about the situation. I i hated Brandon from the beginning and Alexa turned out to get as much hate as Brandon brought out in me. I just thought it was horrible i cant say it enought.

[Daphne Marzana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good beginning. Hot. But the ending wasn't expected or liked. She seems too shallow and callous and only after her own needs to me. Didn't like her at all.

[Kelleyj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like the ending to this one. And Alexa and Brandon were selfish and did not deserve a HEA.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disappointed with this book. Almost didn't finish it. Was pissed that Eric got thrown to the waste side while his long time lover left him for his long time friend. Ending sucked big time.

[Lois - Who Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only character that deserved a happy ending only got a "sorry, we only love you as a friend". This was not a good book.

[Brandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't care for this book at all! That was the worst ending I have read....sooo hated it!!!!!!

[antropy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the end of this with the assumption that Eric was being saved for his own book, and immediately discovered I was right, so the end really worked for me. Sometimes relationships don't work out perfectly. I like a permanent MMF triad as much as the next straight girl, but this one was clearly not going to take that path. It was obvious from the start.

So I gave it five stars *because* it took a risk with the ending.

[Jess O. (From Jess to You) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"2.5 out of 5 stars. My favorite character was Eric ... he sounded like a great guy. The plot was good, but it didn't end up the way I wanted it to, which is the reason for the low rating. I think if it ended ..."

Read more of this review and a TEASER here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A4_FkiaRcmGvOwZ7abaq_QmdoVbt1jx7/view?usp=sharing

[Melody · Rating 1 out of 5]

PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT LIKE TO BE SPOILED (HA HA HA!) Because I'm a spoiler....
Not because I want to discourage/encourage anyone in reading this book. I just want to write the highlights for me to remember by in the future. (There are really instances when I forgot about the story and I don’t want to waste my time in re-reading books that have bad plots.)

Eric was the former lover of Alexa's older brother. Alexa had a huuuuuugggee (and i mean huge) crush on Eric for many years. Eric and Brandon lived together for 2 years when Alexa came into the picture. Alexa and Eric kissed. Eric told Brandon. Brandon was intrigued and told (no actually commanded) Eric that both of them meet Alexa.

Oh by the way, Eric NEVER EVER tried a woman before. Brandon was bi-sexual so he had relationships with women but the latter years he was focused exclusively on men.

One night they met and fah-lah-lah-lah. Then the 3 of them realized that it should not just happen for one night only. So the lust and fcking continued for what - ? many many weeks. Until Alexa bitched about everything in their "weird" relationship. Yeah, the 3 of them were confused but Alexa was really a beeyatch that made Eric walked out and Brandon chased after her. And so the unthinkable happen Alexa and Brandon fah-lah-lah-lah (oohh shocking! but it's not really). And then Eric (poor poor Eric) found out about it and ended things ASAP.

Then Brandon and Alexa realized they loved each other AND they became aware about it in Eric's presence (talk about double murder of Eric's heart). And what happened next? To say goodbye, the 3 of them had fah-lah-lah-lah dual-penet and all (not dvp though har har). And then well.. that's it. At the end Alexa and Brandon got engaged. And they live happily ever after and Eric (i don't know what happened to him).

I don't know why the title is Scandalous. I thought the 3 of them would get end up together which is cooler because it's too complicated haha. Gaaah.

But the book has its good moments.

[Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure I've ever given one star before. Most of the time, I can find something redeeming in a book that will bump it up to at least two stars. Not so with Scandalous.

This book had a great premise. Guy in relationship that is a bit stale runs into old friend at party. From there I expected them to be swept away with passion, with nostalgia for what might have been, for old crushes to resurface. But, honestly, it felt more like Alexa was collecting another trophy, and Eric was just bored and went for her because he could. Then, after Eric came clean with Brandon, Brandon wasn't turned on so much by the idea of his lover with a woman as he was by the idea of a woman. From the second Alexa was introduced to their relationship, it became all about her wants and needs - both on her part and on Brandon's. Eric tried a couple of times to put the others' needs in front of his own, which both Brandon and Alexa totally took advantage of for their own interests.

This continued throughout the book: the characters were shallow, self-interested, and deeper motivations were never explored. Why were these guys together if they both still wanted women? They weren't sold as bi, they were sold as solidly gay until the woman showed up. Why did Alexa get involved with a well-established gay couple if she wasn't really turned on by the idea of two guys together? I realize that this is potentially an inflammatory statement, but she largely struck me as homophobic, not sexually adventurous.

I don't require my books to have a HEA for all, and I realize that menage doesn't always end up with one for all three characters. But I'd at least like to believe that the new two are deeply passionate about each other, and even though I was annoyed at how shabbily they treated Eric, I was prepared to embrace Alexa and Brandon, had they been at all convincing.

[Taannyya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well well well.

The book has its moments. I finished it moments ago and I assure you some of the moments are pleasantly burnt in my memory.

Kinky and quite interesting the book traces the quite uncommon relationship between Alexa, Eric and Brandon. E and B are gay. Alexa used to have a schoolgirl crush on E, who used to be her elder brother's bf. Now all grown up Alexa is hot and E can't keep his hands off her and he's in a relationship with the sexy B. B is intrigued by E's accounts of Alexa and when they meet, obviously he's blown away too.

Anyhow, predictably they get into a 'thing', and enjoy it for as long as they can (Its not quite a relationship, because they break up when they try to have 'the talk'. Alexa and B fall in love, E gets kicked out unceremoniously but not before some mind blowing umm goodbye sex.

Anyhow its like I said before, Karen Erickson is a magician with words, sometimes. Its not like you already don't know whats going to happen, in Ericksen's books the 'what' isn't of concern, at all. The books are all about the the 'how'.

And damn the sexiness Ms Ericksen induces in the 'hows'. She writes in a way that you want to be a part of it and she writes in a way that will make you relate to a character and feel everything they feel.

With that said, I am a little disappointed she opted in the favor of ending it with a twosome. At least in fantasy, it would have been nice to see the book ending with Alexa, E and B together. Plus, that would have upped the kink quotient and pushed the boundaries a bit.

Anyhow, read this if you are not a homophobe (If you are, please go shoot yourself) and if MFM is your kink. Its pretty soft so you'll like it even if you are just discovering kink.

[Kaylein · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book to me was okay.

When I read the background about this book it really intrigued me, I like stories about unrequited love and trying to change it. The story started out alright girl hasn't seen guy in years, guys sees girl and an attraction builds and so on. Story gets more and more heated with the introduction of the guy's boyfriend, and at this point getting better and better. Until the girl falls for her crushes boyfriend and he in turn falls for her, leaving the main man, the one she had supposedly been in love with forever, to end up alone and heartbroken, from losing not only a potential new love but also his current love.

All in all it was an okay book with a twist that I was never expecting, but hey I'm a sucker for "...and they all lived happily ever after."

[Michelle the Romance Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok so dont get me wrong im all for a little kink in a relationship. and i loved this series a lot, but damn why can't ms Erickson leave a happy triad at the end. every time she hooks up a girl with two lovely guys, she ends up with a happy couple and one guy getting hurt and left out... what's up with that. you make the sex so emotional and loving but then you leave a person out in the end?... maybe we should expand our horizons and have some happy triads. That lost her a star but other than that one little peeve of mine she would have gotten 4 stars

[Maridy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. I don't need an HEA to be happy with a book (all the time) but if the ending is going to be unpopular I at least want to like the characters and understand why they did what they did. **Spoiler Alert** I just wish they hadn't invited Eric for one last hurrah! Want some salt with that wound? Who does that? It really really made me hate them. Not good for book three in a four book series.

[Lisa Saurs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read out of order and I think it ruined it for me. Alexa and B were selfish. Eric ended up the odd man out, and that was sketch. I didn't expect a big emotional upheaval from a book about a threesome, but I didn't find this book to be particularly well done. Seemed like the point was to "turn" the gay guy straight for "the right girl" and I didn't like that.

[Marie Vayer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didnt enjoy this one, not so much into the M/M

[Kate ✨ is a dreamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was sexy ... but it was also disappointing. I understand that it was probably more "realistic" than most menage-a-tois's out there, but hell. I don't read erotica because it's real.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3 1/2 stars. While there is no denying Karen Erickson has some serious talent, I just can't help feel sad? mad? upset over the ending of this book. I really liked the characters, but Alexa really bothered me at the end. I get it, you can't help who you fall in love with, and I don't blame her one bit for it, you're heart wants who it wants. But did you really have to request "one last go around"? Even though the guys were more than willing, I just couldn't help feeling like it was incredibly selfish on Lexie's part.

Over all the book was really good. Although it's my least favorite in her Playing with Fire series. I stumbled upon this author by mistake and I'm glad I did. I look forward to reading more from her. (hopefully with one where all 3 get an HEA at the end)

[Alina Neacsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best part :

“But she doesn’t love me,” he muttered. “Not like she loves you.”
“Oh my God, we’re all being complete idiots.” She went to Brandon and looped her arms around
his neck. “I love Eric but just as a friend. I’m in love with you.”
Brandon’s eyes widened, and he dipped his head, his forehead pressed against hers as he slipped
his arms around her waist. “Really?”
“Yes, you dumbass so tell her you love her back,” Eric called from behind them.
Brandon shot him a murderous glare before he kissed her, stealing her breath, her very soul with
his beckoning lips. “I love you,” he murmured once he broke the kiss.
“So you two came over to confess your love for each other in front of me?” Eric rolled his eyes.
“That’s just great.”

[Sassafrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why a lot of people got ticked off by this book with the way that it ended, but I don't think that the characters were insensitive or mean. sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with. I think that it's one of the real dangers with opening up your relationship to a third person. it's a risk, and in this particular case someone lost out in the end.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason I'm giving this book 3 stars instead of 2 is because I really liked Brandon. The story is kind of a mess and they way one of them ended hurt I didn't like it. I sort of expected something different to be the ending, I expected after a few pages something was not going to be ok, but it was kind of unfair.

[Jessica Wertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was pretty out of my element. After finishing I really enjoyed them. They were fun and exciting. If hardcore seems aren't something your able to read about then this isn't the series for you!

[Cyndy Aleo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed as part of the two-book PLAYING WITH FIRE 2 for RT Book Reviews November 2013 issue: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/playing-fire-2-0

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like my stories to have a HEA this one was a partial HEA. The story line had a lot of potential. I just felt like it went in the wrong direction. Also I felt the epilogue was kind of cheap for such a regret filled story.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

marking a bunch of erotica off as read right now is making me feel embarrassed and weird. butttttttt, this cover was so hot so I checked it out of the library and read it. I was disappointed that the polyamorous triad didn't prove to be stable. and also that two of them were so unfair to the third.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at least a year ago and began to fall in love with the series. This one is actually my all time favorite, however the ending fucked me up a bit.

[Melanie Janvier · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet baby jesus! the cover is hot..and the story hoter...

[Gigi Melodias · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I guess this whole series is a musical chair of 3s. Slow me...