A sexy anthology by two talented authors tapping into both the contemporary and paranormal worlds where three hearts are the rule.

Dinner for Three by JL Merrow (3.5 stars)

After leaving her abusive ex-boyfriend, Claire is now living with two sexy gay men, Tom and Justin. Tom and Justin have been dropping some not-so-subtle hints that they wish to include Claire in their relationship, but she isn’t catching on. They decide to make things very obvious over an extremely steamy dinner one night.

Since the story is only told from Claire’s point of view, and there aren’t a lot of conversations, we really only get to know her. She’s a great character and enjoyable to read. Tom and Justin were both nice guys with some adorable banter but pretty interchangeable. This is basically an enjoyable, well-written sex scene with some flashbacks in Claire’s life.

The Greenwood by Josephine Myles (5 stars)

Mirabelle is an immortal, beautiful sprite living in the forest where the story takes place. Jay is the sullen artist living alone with Mirabelle as his only companion. He doesn’t think she’s real, but he loves her dearly. Along comes Will, a woodcutter who has decided to live in the forest. Jay and Will quickly become lovers, but can Mirabelle ever truly become a true part of their lives living in her spirit form?

I loved this story with Mirabelle’s amazing character acting as narrator. It felt magical and tugged at my emotions. I felt like I was living in the woods with these wonderfully interesting people, and I desperately wanted them to be happy. It worked as a short story, but I could have easily read about these characters for so much longer.

Antithesis of Magic by JL Merrow (2 Stars)

Gus has had a hard life being born without magic like other people. Gus goes to the local bar to meet Max on a blind date. But while waiting at the bar, he is getting hit on by Lila. After Max arrives, it turns out that Max and Lila are together and really want Gus to join them. At this point, we learn a little bit about why Lila and Max want Gus so bad.

The story is told from Gus’s point of view, and he’s not the happiest guy in the world. The characters don’t really spend very much time getting to know each other before they have sex together. At the end of that scene, I felt like they used Gus to get what they needed, which was a bit sad. I think this story needs more character and relationship development and a stronger ending.

Changeling by JL Merrow (5 Stars)

Meg and Adam are the best of friends and do everything together. They live in a time in history where witches and faeries exist. Meg is a strong character, who works hard and is willing to stand up for what’s right. Adam is a very simple man who has had a rough life growing up, but he’s a sweetheart. His troubles stem from the time he was born when the faeries switched him for another baby. They wish to be together, but it’s forbidden until the original child can be recovered. At this point, we meet the original Adam, but now have to see what impact he’ll have on the original couple’s lives.

I loved Meg, and the story is told from her very interesting point of view. She’s the kind of character I could listen to all day long. The romance was sweet, and the plot was interesting. This was also a fairly long story which worked very well.

Kiss, Mark Two by Josephine Myles (4 stars)

Ruby loves Ty, but she really wants to invite Ty’s best friend, Mark, into their bed. Mark and Ty have been best friends forever, but can their relationship handle that kind of encounter?

This was one scorching hot sex scene with three people who obviously cared very much about each other. I actually cared about them, and really wanted to see this relationship work out.
Overall, this was an excellent anthology with several extremely good and unique stories. I really enjoyed this mix of contemporary and paranormal love stories with two sexy guys and one lady.

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

BLURB

When three hearts collide, expect sparks to fly!

What is it about a threesome that’s so irresistible? Is it that where one gorgeous guy is good, two are even better? Or is it the thought of loving someone who’s secure enough in his relationship to let a third person in?

In this collection of five ménages-a-trois, two bestselling authors in the world of male-male romance explore the dynamics of threesomes—this time with two men and one woman. From contemporary urban settings to timeless, magical woodlands, see lovers coming together. They could be the couple next door, opening their house—and their hearts—to the third who’ll complete them, rural loners encountering spirits of the forest, or frustrated shapeshifters who need that special someone to unlock their true potential.

JL Merrow’s contemporary story ‘Dinner for Three’ features a gay couple with designs on their very willing housemate—and an inventive use of the kitchen. In ‘In the Greenwood’ by Josephine Myles, a lonely forest spirit brings together two men, but yearns to join them herself in physical form. In the next two stories, JL Merrow carries on the paranormal theme. ‘The Antithesis of Magic’ has a modern urban setting—but one where werewolves, witches and other magical creatures are the norm. So what place does that leave for a man born without magic? ‘Changeling’, by contrast, is set in the rural past when wise women knew to be wary of the Fae, and there’s a price to be paid before a young girl may wed her changeling lover. Finally, bringing things bang up to date is Josephine Myles’ ‘Kiss, Mark Two’, featuring a young couple who decide to give a threesome a try. Only trouble is, both Mark and Ty are totally straight… right?

One thing’s for certain: the women in these stories are all mad about the boys.