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ideallyinspired's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book for what it was: steamy, explorative, and emotional.
However, I had a hard time with the second half, as I felt there was something off about it. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like the best way to describe it is that there were some inconsistencies/issues with the character/plot development. Things were a little rushed in some parts, which I felt made events/emotions/chemistry feel less genuine, and slightly instalove-y.
I understood the history/romance between Jace and Evan, and maybe the relationship between Jace and Andre; I had a hard time connecting/understanding/accepting the romance between Andre and Evan. It just seemed like too much, too fast. So whenever there were scenes/dialogue between those two, I just had a hard time believing that their connection was genuine. Maybe if there had been more time to develop/foster that connection, I may have accepted that their connection made sense.
It's almost like this story needed to be told throughout the course of two books. There was A LOT of plot for one book. There's family drama, sexual orientation discovery, skeletons in closets, divorce drama, relationship problems, emotional scars, and more. So much happening all over the place; I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions (and I don't mean because it centered around a ménage). That being said, I applaud the author for taking alllllll that plot, and making it work into one book. There were some moments that made me scratch my head, but overall, I was able to still get through it.
Bottom line, I still really love Jace's character. Despite all the "feels", I enjoyed reading this story. Even though each of the characters had their flaws (and at times made decisions that made me get stabby), I was till rooting for them to get their HEA, as non-traditional as it would be.
Can't wait for book 3!
However, I had a hard time with the second half, as I felt there was something off about it. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like the best way to describe it is that there were some inconsistencies/issues with the character/plot development. Things were a little rushed in some parts, which I felt made events/emotions/chemistry feel less genuine, and slightly instalove-y.
I understood the history/romance between Jace and Evan, and maybe the relationship between Jace and Andre; I had a hard time connecting/understanding/accepting the romance between Andre and Evan. It just seemed like too much, too fast. So whenever there were scenes/dialogue between those two, I just had a hard time believing that their connection was genuine. Maybe if there had been more time to develop/foster that connection, I may have accepted that their connection made sense.
It's almost like this story needed to be told throughout the course of two books. There was A LOT of plot for one book. There's family drama, sexual orientation discovery, skeletons in closets, divorce drama, relationship problems, emotional scars, and more. So much happening all over the place; I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions (and I don't mean because it centered around a ménage). That being said, I applaud the author for taking alllllll that plot, and making it work into one book. There were some moments that made me scratch my head, but overall, I was able to still get through it.
Bottom line, I still really love Jace's character. Despite all the "feels", I enjoyed reading this story. Even though each of the characters had their flaws (and at times made decisions that made me get stabby), I was till rooting for them to get their HEA, as non-traditional as it would be.
Can't wait for book 3!
jess_78's review
4.0
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
The relationship between Evan, Jace and Andre drew me in fast and I loved the dynamic between them. They have a complex connection and one weekend at The Ranch starts off a relationship that Andre and Jace don’t want to end, but for Evan, she’s engaged to her best friend and all she can give them is two months before she’s set to move to LA with her fake fiancé and his boyfriend.
The prologue grabbed me. It’s set twelve years ago when a young Evan is being fostered by Jace’s parents. She’s all alone in the world, she’s hurting inside and out and she turns to Jace for comfort. He knows it’s wrong, but he’s nineteen and falling in love. They spend one night together and we find out much later how wrong things went for them both after they were caught by Jace’s parents and his horrible father.
Fast forward twelve years and Evan is pretending to be engaged to her gay best friend. He’s a relationship expert hoping to take his show to network TV, but is being swayed into staying in the closet, being told that he’ll have more mass appeal coming across as a straight man. Evan owes Daniel for saving her life as a teen and she goes along with the plan seeing it as a way to gain financial security in life, something she’s never had. But being engaged to a man who loves her as a friend isn’t keeping her warm at night and as a surprise, Daniel sends her to The Ranch, a private sex club, for a weekend to explore her sexuality in a setting that will give her complete privacy and allow them to keep up their public personas. Little does she know that members of The Ranch include Jace and his best friend Andre.
Jace and Andre are, in word, delicious. They’re best friends, they share women and while things might cross a few lines between the men in the bedroom with a woman, they’ve never acted on anything together. But Andre’s in love with Jace and it takes Evan coming into their lives to shake up this threesome and bring in some major emotions. Jace is hesitant to start anything with Evan, the woman he loved that left him after the night they spent together as teens, but he can’t stand the thought of another dominant taking her for the weekend she’s at The Ranch. He and Andre claim her and she starts to realize that her solo life is so very lacking and Jace and Andre make her feel alive.
Something about the way he [Andre] said bella - bey-yah - made her all fluttery inside. Like her female genes were wired to be a sucker for the way that spice-paced accent rolled off his tongue. Made her want to find out if those lips tasted as good as his words.
She reached over and grabbed one of the sandwiches to give her shaky hands something to do. Her normally voracious appetite had been non-existent all day, but after round one with Jace, she was already feeling a little weak. Sustenance wasn’t optional. She bit into the sandwich right as Andre peeled off his T-shirt.
Bad idea. She nearly choked on the first bite.
The men are very dominant and Evan falls easily into the role as their submissive. The BDSM theme is strong, and it’s primarily centered around the D/s relationship, there’s no pain or humiliation for the heroine; just two alpha men who both like to be in charge. The emotion for me came into play largely through Andre. He’s been content to sit on the sidelines for all the years he’s known Jace, being his best friend and helping Jace pick up the pieces after his ex-wife made his life a living hell. I enjoyed how their own relationship grew, and Evan does play a role in that, but the most growth for them happens just between the two of them and mostly off page. I’d have loved to have gotten more page time on their own relationship, but the story’s main focus is on the trio and how they all battle their pasts and find a way to be together.
A couple things that didn’t work for me are Jace and his ex-wife. He was raked over the coals by her, she’s bleeding him dry in alimony and his upscale sex shop, Wicked, is struggling to survive. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Jace gives in to his ex’s demands and I wanted to slap him. It was frustrating to see this man give in to a woman who’s made his life miserable. I understand all the reasons he did it, but I still didn’t like and it didn’t seem to fit with his character. Evan was a little frustrating in how completely loyal she was to Daniel and helping him out without any care to what she wanted in life. Daniel didn’t make things easy on her, guilting her into keeping up their engagement. She comes around, but it was a bit of struggle and kept me from fully loving her as a character. She also keeps a very big secret from Jace and it kept the angst factor high, but by the time the secret comes out, she had been with the men for a long enough that she should have come clean sooner.
Overall, I thought the emotion and the relationship between all three people was well done. I loved the rock that Andre has been in Jace’s life and seeing them go from best friends to lovers and bringing Evan into their lives, it was easy to fall into their story. The D/s theme is strong, but most of those scenes take place at their home and not at The Ranch which kept their relationship feeling more intimate and didn’t cross any outrageous lines. I would have liked an epilogue, it feels like it ends a little abruptly, I just ultimately wanted more from all three of them at end, and I hope they show up in future books. This was my first book by Roni Loren and I can’t wait to read more from her. This was a sexy read with three characters that I couldn’t wait to find their happiness together.
The relationship between Evan, Jace and Andre drew me in fast and I loved the dynamic between them. They have a complex connection and one weekend at The Ranch starts off a relationship that Andre and Jace don’t want to end, but for Evan, she’s engaged to her best friend and all she can give them is two months before she’s set to move to LA with her fake fiancé and his boyfriend.
The prologue grabbed me. It’s set twelve years ago when a young Evan is being fostered by Jace’s parents. She’s all alone in the world, she’s hurting inside and out and she turns to Jace for comfort. He knows it’s wrong, but he’s nineteen and falling in love. They spend one night together and we find out much later how wrong things went for them both after they were caught by Jace’s parents and his horrible father.
Fast forward twelve years and Evan is pretending to be engaged to her gay best friend. He’s a relationship expert hoping to take his show to network TV, but is being swayed into staying in the closet, being told that he’ll have more mass appeal coming across as a straight man. Evan owes Daniel for saving her life as a teen and she goes along with the plan seeing it as a way to gain financial security in life, something she’s never had. But being engaged to a man who loves her as a friend isn’t keeping her warm at night and as a surprise, Daniel sends her to The Ranch, a private sex club, for a weekend to explore her sexuality in a setting that will give her complete privacy and allow them to keep up their public personas. Little does she know that members of The Ranch include Jace and his best friend Andre.
Jace and Andre are, in word, delicious. They’re best friends, they share women and while things might cross a few lines between the men in the bedroom with a woman, they’ve never acted on anything together. But Andre’s in love with Jace and it takes Evan coming into their lives to shake up this threesome and bring in some major emotions. Jace is hesitant to start anything with Evan, the woman he loved that left him after the night they spent together as teens, but he can’t stand the thought of another dominant taking her for the weekend she’s at The Ranch. He and Andre claim her and she starts to realize that her solo life is so very lacking and Jace and Andre make her feel alive.
Something about the way he [Andre] said bella - bey-yah - made her all fluttery inside. Like her female genes were wired to be a sucker for the way that spice-paced accent rolled off his tongue. Made her want to find out if those lips tasted as good as his words.
She reached over and grabbed one of the sandwiches to give her shaky hands something to do. Her normally voracious appetite had been non-existent all day, but after round one with Jace, she was already feeling a little weak. Sustenance wasn’t optional. She bit into the sandwich right as Andre peeled off his T-shirt.
Bad idea. She nearly choked on the first bite.
The men are very dominant and Evan falls easily into the role as their submissive. The BDSM theme is strong, and it’s primarily centered around the D/s relationship, there’s no pain or humiliation for the heroine; just two alpha men who both like to be in charge. The emotion for me came into play largely through Andre. He’s been content to sit on the sidelines for all the years he’s known Jace, being his best friend and helping Jace pick up the pieces after his ex-wife made his life a living hell. I enjoyed how their own relationship grew, and Evan does play a role in that, but the most growth for them happens just between the two of them and mostly off page. I’d have loved to have gotten more page time on their own relationship, but the story’s main focus is on the trio and how they all battle their pasts and find a way to be together.
A couple things that didn’t work for me are Jace and his ex-wife. He was raked over the coals by her, she’s bleeding him dry in alimony and his upscale sex shop, Wicked, is struggling to survive. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Jace gives in to his ex’s demands and I wanted to slap him. It was frustrating to see this man give in to a woman who’s made his life miserable. I understand all the reasons he did it, but I still didn’t like and it didn’t seem to fit with his character. Evan was a little frustrating in how completely loyal she was to Daniel and helping him out without any care to what she wanted in life. Daniel didn’t make things easy on her, guilting her into keeping up their engagement. She comes around, but it was a bit of struggle and kept me from fully loving her as a character. She also keeps a very big secret from Jace and it kept the angst factor high, but by the time the secret comes out, she had been with the men for a long enough that she should have come clean sooner.
Overall, I thought the emotion and the relationship between all three people was well done. I loved the rock that Andre has been in Jace’s life and seeing them go from best friends to lovers and bringing Evan into their lives, it was easy to fall into their story. The D/s theme is strong, but most of those scenes take place at their home and not at The Ranch which kept their relationship feeling more intimate and didn’t cross any outrageous lines. I would have liked an epilogue, it feels like it ends a little abruptly, I just ultimately wanted more from all three of them at end, and I hope they show up in future books. This was my first book by Roni Loren and I can’t wait to read more from her. This was a sexy read with three characters that I couldn’t wait to find their happiness together.
sinadria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kenzierenee5's review against another edition
4.0
4.25/5; i couldn't wait for jace's book and roni delivered as per usu. and add in andre???? yes ma'am this book knocked me on my ass and i loved every second of it. i will say though for a menage to be done well, i need to know and love all the characters equally and idk i almost wish there had been more tender and sweet moments along with the smutty scenes. while i loved the addition of andre, i wish his character had been explored a little more or we had more from his pov, not sure what i would have liked but something. with that being said, i did still REALLY love the characters and the storyline i hated daniel maybe that's an unpopular opinion but if we were supposed to feel sorry for him and see that they were just besties, i didn't get that. he was asking so much from her all bc he saved her once when they were kids. it was very gaslighty to me idk - all in all, i did enjoy this book and i went straight into forever starts tonight bc i missed this cutie lil throuple.
spice: 4/5
jace and evan and andre 4 eva<3
spice: 4/5
Spoiler
andre and jace's scene ooooh baby i was a puddlejace and evan and andre 4 eva<3
kmejia96's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy
writerbeverly's review against another edition
5.0
Evan's got a smart, loving, protective fiance, and a strong emotional bond with him that goes back to when she was a teen runaway in serious trouble. Unfortunately, he's just not that into her, being gay and closeted for the sake of his career. But he wants her to be happy, so he sets her up with a three month membership at The Ranch, a place she can discreetly play without blowing his cover.
What none of them count on is that Evan's first love Jace is also a member of The Ranch, and so's his hot buddy Andre. Despite, or perhaps because of their past hurts, it's simply not possible for this trio to make it only about the sex, though they try. Love's got a lot to do with it; love between Evan and Jace, between Evan and Andre, and between Jace and Andre, though there is something extra special when all three are together. The obstacles keeping these people apart are not easily surmountable, and it doesn't all wrap up in a bow (or padded handcuffs, if you prefer) over the course of a long weekend. The sex is incredibly hot (I've had a mad crush on Jace since he first appeared in Roni's Crash Into You); adding hot cop Andre just turned it up a notch.
I've never been into the whips-and-chains-and-floggers thing, but Roni makes me like it despite myself. I just hope she doesn't start writing erotica involving circus monkeys or houseplants, because I would prolly discover that in her skillful hands, those "did it" for me, too.
What none of them count on is that Evan's first love Jace is also a member of The Ranch, and so's his hot buddy Andre. Despite, or perhaps because of their past hurts, it's simply not possible for this trio to make it only about the sex, though they try. Love's got a lot to do with it; love between Evan and Jace, between Evan and Andre, and between Jace and Andre, though there is something extra special when all three are together. The obstacles keeping these people apart are not easily surmountable, and it doesn't all wrap up in a bow (or padded handcuffs, if you prefer) over the course of a long weekend. The sex is incredibly hot (I've had a mad crush on Jace since he first appeared in Roni's Crash Into You); adding hot cop Andre just turned it up a notch.
I've never been into the whips-and-chains-and-floggers thing, but Roni makes me like it despite myself. I just hope she doesn't start writing erotica involving circus monkeys or houseplants, because I would prolly discover that in her skillful hands, those "did it" for me, too.
marq123's review
4.0
I really enjoyed Melt Into You. Even though it's only the 2nd book of the series (with a novella in-between) it's my favorite book so far. We met Jace in book 1 and I instantly liked him. He owns a sex store called Wicked. He's the black sheep of the family and loves it. Too bad his father doesn't and their strained relationship affects Jace's relationship with the rest of his family. When Jace was 19, his family hosted a 16 year old foster girl, Evan. The attraction was there and undeniable and though Jace tried to do the right thing, he gave in to temptation and Evan ran away. Fast forward 12 years and Evan's life is picture perfect. She's engaged to Dr. Dan, a successful psychiatrist and is about to have the stability and life she's always wanted. Until she runs into Jace and threatens everything.
I love The Ranch. Can I go visit? I kid. I don't think I have the balls. The history between Jace and Evan is complicated and rich. They both feel guilty about their one night stand but for different reasons. It's an uphill battle with Jace and Evan trusting each other enough to open up. Throw in sexy Andre to stir the pot and make things even more complicated.
I was hesitant about buying the menage turned romance story. I always feel like someone ultimately gets left out of the emotion and the loving. Ms. Loren expertly spends equal time and plot with Jace/Evan, Andre/Evan and Jace/Andre. I was wondering how Jace's and Andre's relationship would be handled and I thought it was done well. It made sense and I was satisfied.
I love this series and can't wait to read book 3. From the preview, I think it's Grant's book - the owner of The Ranch. I was kinda hoping it would be Wyatt, Jace's brother. Wyatt is wound tight and it looks like he needs a lot of Ranch in his life.
Definitely check out this series. It's sexy and hot with great characters and plot. There's a great balance between the sex and the romance that I really love and think is hard to do. You care about these characters outside the bedroom and this is why I enjoy this series so much.
I love The Ranch. Can I go visit? I kid. I don't think I have the balls. The history between Jace and Evan is complicated and rich. They both feel guilty about their one night stand but for different reasons. It's an uphill battle with Jace and Evan trusting each other enough to open up. Throw in sexy Andre to stir the pot and make things even more complicated.
I was hesitant about buying the menage turned romance story. I always feel like someone ultimately gets left out of the emotion and the loving. Ms. Loren expertly spends equal time and plot with Jace/Evan, Andre/Evan and Jace/Andre. I was wondering how Jace's and Andre's relationship would be handled and I thought it was done well. It made sense and I was satisfied.
I love this series and can't wait to read book 3. From the preview, I think it's Grant's book - the owner of The Ranch. I was kinda hoping it would be Wyatt, Jace's brother. Wyatt is wound tight and it looks like he needs a lot of Ranch in his life.
Definitely check out this series. It's sexy and hot with great characters and plot. There's a great balance between the sex and the romance that I really love and think is hard to do. You care about these characters outside the bedroom and this is why I enjoy this series so much.
bethaniekay's review against another edition
5.0
A colleague turned me on (pun intended) to this author, and I'll be thanking her for a long time as a result. Sometimes I just want a bit of quick, easy-flowing escapism, and this book fit the bill.
Don't be fooled into thinking this is some boring vanilla romance with a cookie-cutter storyline. This falls squarely into the erotica genre, with a healthy dose of LGBT-action thrown in, and boy was it hot. I was pleasantly surprised that there was actually a plot, and the characters were developed enough (oh boy were they - but I digress) for it to seem mostly legit. Sure, there were a few things that were unrealistic or made me say "Yeah right", but those were minor and didn't impact my enjoyment. In the end, it was a fun, enjoyable read, and I'll definitely be seeking out other books by this author.
Don't be fooled into thinking this is some boring vanilla romance with a cookie-cutter storyline. This falls squarely into the erotica genre, with a healthy dose of LGBT-action thrown in, and boy was it hot. I was pleasantly surprised that there was actually a plot, and the characters were developed enough (oh boy were they - but I digress) for it to seem mostly legit. Sure, there were a few things that were unrealistic or made me say "Yeah right", but those were minor and didn't impact my enjoyment. In the end, it was a fun, enjoyable read, and I'll definitely be seeking out other books by this author.
martinaferro's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was really good and as I was scrolling down the ratings I noticed that the majority of people who read the book gave it 5/5 stars.
I think what's stopping me from giving this book 5/5 is the amount action and thrill compared to the previous book 'Crash Into You'. What I liked more in this book, though, were the characters. I found Andre and Jace so funny and entertaining to read, I was dying to know more about Evan's past (like Brynn) and I thought Daniel was a coward, to be honest, even if he helped Evan.
This book was very similar to Crash Into You and I don't know if that was done purposefully or it was a coincidence. I didn't like that though because there were always parallels; which meant it was easy to guess what might happen next.
I think what's stopping me from giving this book 5/5 is the amount action and thrill compared to the previous book 'Crash Into You'. What I liked more in this book, though, were the characters. I found Andre and Jace so funny and entertaining to read, I was dying to know more about Evan's past (like Brynn) and I thought Daniel was a coward, to be honest, even if he helped Evan.
This book was very similar to Crash Into You and I don't know if that was done purposefully or it was a coincidence. I didn't like that though because there were always parallels; which meant it was easy to guess what might happen next.
rlbookrecs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5