Three Is Definitely NOT A Crowd: "Sold" by Elizabeth Raines

Lyrianna Seebré steals black market vaccinations from a drug kingpin to aid dying children. Captured in a raid, she’s wrongfully convicted and sentenced to forty years of hard labor. Upon arrival at the penal colony, she’s selected to be auctioned off to the male settlers of the newly colonized ocean planet, Pagonna. What is she willing to sacrifice for her freedom?

Settlers Carter Verdel and Brandon Hunt have created successful water-pod and island farms on Pagonna. The only thing missing from their lives is a woman. Able to afford only one concubine even when they pool their funds, they attend the annual auction, hoping to find someone to share their beds—and perhaps even their lives.

The men purchase Lyrianna, but can they overcome her resentment and win her love? And when the kingpin comes to Pagonna, seeking revenge against Lyrianna, can Carter and Brandon protect her?

Let me state, up front, that Sci-Fi is just not my usual segment of romance literature. I find that I get confused and lost in the complicated names, fictional planets, odd-ball solar systems, etc. that wonderfully creative authors manage to concoct. I just can't keep it all straight. "But what to my wandering eye should appear . . . " but a futuristic erotic romance novel that isn't cluttered up with all the aforementioned stuff. Book Four in the "Wicked Missions" series, Ms Raines has told a beautiful love story that is clearly a menage relationship but which isn't bogged down with contextual difficulties, at least for non-Sci-fi type readers like me.

My first thought while reading this book was that no matter how far into the future we project ourselves, we just can't seem to escape the bad guys. It would appear that Greed rears its ugly head no matter how advanced the technological world becomes and people like Lyrianna are there to try to reverse the damage these unscrupulous people do. For her trouble, she is arrested, accused of crimes she hasn't committed--admittedly she stole, but she stole from the thieves, but that doesn't seem to contribute to her innocence. Instead, she is not allowed to mount a defense, sent to a prison far out in space, knowing she will be truly old and truly gray when released, providing she even survives. Somehow, so kind of positive Fate intervenes and upon her arrival at the prison, she is shunted off instead to be auctioned off as a "concubine" for men who have come to Pagonna to make a living, but because of the very few women present on the planet, have gone without female companionship for a very long time.

We meet Carter and Brandon, two men who have settled in Pagonna as island and water-pod farmers, meeting their sexual needs as lovers, but both knowing that they need a woman to complete their "family." If no other way is open to them, they must buy a woman at the auction. They are so far from the city where the auction is held that it takes many hours to travel there. Pooling their funds, they are able to only buy one female, and it is during the auction that Lyrianna catches their eye, primarily because she comes across as a strong-minded, not-easily-tamed female, the kind of woman many men present had little interest in acquiring. Carter was intrigued. It would take a strong-minded, inventive person to survive in the isolation in which he and Brandon lived. And so, Lyrianna comes to live with them, resenting this turn of events in her life, and prepared to resent and make miserable the men who have bought her.

Perhaps the main reason this novel "clicked" with me is because it is more about the relationship than about the futuristic surroundings. Certainly the story would be significantly different if in another setting, but when all is said and done, it is the relationship between Carter, Lyrianna, and Brandon that make this story shine and which give it the drive that makes it compelling and one that holds the reader's interest. There is no doubt that these two men were prepared to woo her to their way of life, convince her to let go of her resentment of her situation, honor their agreements with her for the future, and enjoy her favors as long as they could. What none of the three planned on was how different, how expanded, how enriched their lives would be by this new family configuration. The innate goodness of these two men, their genuine care for each other and for Lyrianna effectively cut through her anger and resentment. Their willingness to make efforts to notify her family of her whereabouts was another factor in convincing her that they were good people.

Readers will find here a story that is truly a love story, and sci-fi fans will find satisfaction in the futuristic context. The bottom line is that this is an erotic story and won't bore anyone. It is full of hot loving, some action-packed scenes which could certainly become "nail-biters" for some, and a bit of mystery at how this will all work out for these three people. They are all three aware that their relationship initially has time limits. But can they pull off "forever" or is that what any of them want? This story is beautifully written, with characters that are clearly defined and strong enough to stand on their own, a heroine who knows how to kick butt with the best of them, and strong men who are willing pull up stakes, carve out a new life for themselves, and even risk bringing an unknown woman into their home--one who, as far as they knew, was a criminal. Gutsy to the max!! Readers will be hooked from page one, and I know I read it all in one sitting. So don't miss this one. The other stories in this series are equally fine. I give this book a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Where Can I Go From Here? "Safe Harbor" by Tymber Dalton

Clarisse seeks refuge from her abusive ex-boyfriend on the Dilly Dally, her uncle's old fishing trawler in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She doesn't expect to find Mac and Sully, the Dilly's sexy new owners, on board making love. They're at first startled by her appearance, then outraged by the injuries her ex inflicted. They insist she stay with them, and with nowhere else to go, Clarisse agrees. Both men find themselves falling for Clarisse, but she can't bring herself to completely trust Sully, a former cop, like her ex. She's shocked to discover the men aren't just lovers either, but full-time Master and slave in a BDSM relationship. As she learns more about their history and lifestyle, she uncovers her own hidden desires. When danger from her past returns, can Sully and Mac provide Clarisse a Safe Harbor?

As I have confessed in some of my other posts on Desert Island Keepers and The Book Binge, I have been on a journey of discovery about various aspects of romance fiction. Two of those were M/M books as well as those featuring BDSM relationships. Curiously, this novel by Tymber Dalton contains both. So it has been a mind-boggling experience from page one.

That spousal/family abuse is brutal and often life-threatening is a fact that no one can dispute any longer. It is no longer society's dirty little secret--the one that even law enforcement refused to take seriously for decades putting their refusal under the guise of "matters between family members so we can't intrude" kind of baloney. Ms Dalton starts off this novel with a bang--a wounded woman whose cop boyfriend has beaten her to within an inch of her life and whose future safety is seriously in jeopardy. Now she has only one place to go: her uncle's fishing trawler where she spent many hours during her growing-up years and where she hopes she can find some safety. Once again she is doomed to be disappointed, or so it seems. Her Uncle Tad has sold his boat when he fell victim to stroke. Clarisse discovers that the new owners are lovers when she spies them on deck having sex and she is confronted with the truth that her hoped-for safety doesn't exist.

Brant McCaffrey and Sullivan Niccoleti are indeed lovers, but they are also Master & Slave in a 24/7 D/s relationship, one that Clarisse doesn't understand and with her history initially believes is hurtful and destructive. What throws her completely is the fact that Mac & Sully have empathized with her situation totally and take her in like a long lost relative, simply because of their anger over her being a victim of such abuse as well as the fact that she is Uncle Tad's niece--a man they deeply respect and one who has become important to them as well. Her presence in their home is conditional on her understanding and accepting who they are and the nature of their relationship with the BDSM lifestyle. Mac becomes very important to Clarisse very quickly, but Sully is another matter. He is a former cop--and in her mind, cops stick together. It takes lots of time for her to begin to realize that Sully is totally trustworthy and is just as much her champion as Mac.

There comes the day when Mac confesses to Sully that he is in love with Clarisse (who mistakenly thinks that these two guys are gay) and Mac discovers that Sully has fallen in love with her as well. They break this news to her, inviting her to enter into a Triad relationship with them, but only if she can accept their BDSM relationship and is willing to marry Sully -- he is sort of old-fashioned that way--and live under his authority and guidance. Needless to say, this is a true challenge for Clarisse and one that quickly takes her beyond her comfort zone, but one which she comes to understand is necessary for both Mac and Sully--and possibly for her as well.

This is a deeply emotional novel, one that is filled with hurt and disappointment, with betrayal and wounds of both body and spirit. Yet is also depicts an authentic caring and a love that is restorative and which brings out the best in all three of these people. In spite of tragedy and possible loss of Mac brought on by an attack by Clarisse's ex, these three people are sustained by their love for one another, their understanding of their deeper needs, and their absolute acceptance of their deeper needs and hopes for the future. It is a story that wraps itself around the reader's heart and just won't let go. Now if a reader goes in with prejudice against the M/M relationship between Mac & Sully, or who is deeply offended by BDSM in any form, then this will be a complete wash for them and it is not the kind of book for them. But I waded in with the determination that I would read with an open mind and found a story that distressed me deeply--there are far too many similar situations in real life--and which then, in turn, warmed my heart just as deeply. Mac & Sully's relationship had been born out of deep hurt and disappointment and they did, indeed, become "safe harbor" for one another. The depth and authenticity of their love was proven when they were also able to extend that safety and love to Clarisse and it became the family she thought she would never again have after the deaths of her parents--a death that possibly had been caused by her ex.

This is not a new novel having been published a couple of years ago. But it is one that bears reading and which is the kind of book that, while it is fiction, portrays relationships that are based on the quality of loving all of us yearn to experience in one form or another. As the Good Book teaches: a true and authentic loving seeks the best in the loved one. In so doing, that love shines back in return. What more could any of us desire?

I hope that all of you will investigate this and some of the other of Tymber Dalton's books. She is an amazing writer and one that is so delightful to read. Her writing moves the story along and keeps the strands of the tale alive as she weaves the lives of her characters in and out of one another's experience throughout the novel. No matter when a book has appeared, good writing is worth reading and I think this is an example of one of the best. I give this book a 4.75 out of 5.

Down But Not Out . . . Table For Three by Missy Martine

Cass Abernathy is forty-three and she's getting a second chance at life, and maybe even love. She's finally divorced, after years of abuse, when she learns an unknown uncle in Oregon has left her his estate, and more importantly, his house. Filled with hope for her future and excited to have a place of her own, Cass heads west not knowing what she'll find.

What she finds are hot and sexy twin brothers intent on making her a part of their lives. It's too bad they're so much younger because they bring out feelings she's never had before.

Meanwhile, there's someone else interested in Cass' inheritance, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure he wins. Will Cass overcome her fears and open her heart to the two men who love her, and will she discover the truth about her inheritance before it's too late?

Three people and three disillusioned people, all hurt and deeply wounded over the course of their past because of failed love relationships. Cass Abernathy was verbally abused and finally physically beaten in plain sight of her neighbors, and for that little loss of control, her ex-husband landed in the hoosgow. But the real imprisonment was Cass's--she had spent the next two years in hiding, working from home as a data entry specialist, quietly trying to stay out of sight of her ex's family, having been cruelly threatened by her ex-brother-in-law on the day her divorce became final.

Now it appears that she has a chance at freedom in several forms: freedom from her self-imposed imprisonment and freedom financially so that she can live in peace after 23 years of humiliation and systematically being emotionally and psychologically dismantled. An uncle, the brother of her mother and a relative previously unknown to her has left her a legacy--a house and to hear the attorney tell it, a small bank account.

Now we come to Matt and David, identical twins who have each been divorced after very unhappy marriages. What they really want is to share the love of a good woman, a dream they both held on to until it appeared too large a fantasy. Now they are both back in their home town of Mountain Vista where they catch a glimpse of Cass and immediately both men begin to wonder--in fact grasp the faint hope--that their dream of a polyamorous relationship may still be possible.

There is quite a cast of characters in this book--not too many to keep track of--some are good, and some are not so good. Oliver, her uncle's attorney seems to have another agenda apart from his legal responsibilities to the estate; Serena, the paralegal working for Oliver is bound and determined that Matt and David belong to her although they openly refute her claim. Robert, Matt & David's attorney is the kind of professional that sees what needs doing and does it and is one of those legal eagles who figures out what's best for his client. All in all the action between these characters is interesting as the story strands are woven to make up the tapestry of the tale.

I liked the three main characters a lot. But this story is really about redemption--renewing and rebuilding hope, reclaiming love and rejoicing in its possibilities and its joys regardless of age of situation. Ms Martine has crafted a story that speaks openly about the long-term damage that comes from abuse, even if it is "only" verbal or psychological. Those kinds of wounds most often take far longer to heal than the physical ones. The author makes this comment about this story:

"Cass' story came to life as a way to encourage women of all ages not to give up on finding true love, and to keep their minds open to all possibilities. After surviving an abusive relationship, she's able to open her heart to a different kind of love. She gives her heart to not one, but two sexy brothers."

Arising from an abyss of pain and self-doubt, it took the love of two kind, caring, genuine and loyal men to convince Cass that she was worthy of love and could find the resources within herself to give it back generously. This is a wonderful love story and worth reading. I highly recommend it to those who really want to experience a fictional tale that will leave you warm and fuzzy. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.