Fall On Your Knees by Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock

What happens to a couple when playing with a third person starts to mean more to both of them?

The story was mostly very kinky sex with lots of pain involved. Asa and Javier have been in a long-term committed relationship. They are both Doms, and they regularly bring a third person, a sub, into their night of fun. Asa has been crushing on Drew, his coworker, for the last six months and wants to invite him to play. You can already see the potential for some serious issues with the relationship happening. Fortunately, that aspect was not a major focus and limited the angst of the story.

My biggest issue with the plot was that it tried to be more than just a kinky story, but it wasn’t able to sell me on the new relationship. Drew really didn’t know Javier or Asa very well, and even though they all acknowledged that fact, it still didn’t feel right. There weren’t enough conversations for it to be believable, leading me not to buy into the relationship progression. The BDSM aspects included bondage, a molasses enema, and using a pinwheel, cane and wooden spoon to inflict pain.

This writing team is excellent, and if these elements work for you, then this should definitely be an enjoyable story.

Shepherd, Wise Man, and the Little Drummer Boy by E.F. Mulder

Shep, Rusty, and C.J. are about to make some decisions that will change their lives. They’ve all lived through some tough times, but together they can face all of their challenges and make a better life for themselves.

The characters all seemed like nice guys, and I thought they got along great. C.J. captured my heart with his cheerful and optimistic view on life even though he was in the midst of fighting cancer and learning to live without a few of his limbs. I would have liked to have gotten to know the characters better through dialogue instead of being told what was happening.

There were also too many other characters in the story. They added very little value but took away from the main relationship. I never developed strong feelings for Shep or Rusty and had a hard time understanding why they all fell in love with each other. I also really struggled with the sex scenes. Part of it related to the descriptions which didn’t feel sexy. The other part was the result of the missing emotional connection.

In the end, these three seemed happy together, and it certainly seem believable that they would find some way to make it work. Allowing themselves to rely on each other opened the door to love.

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

BLURB

Fall on Your Knees By Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Asa and his longtime partner, Javier, are looking forward to a cozy, kinky Christmas together. But when Asa discovers his coworker Drew has nowhere to go for the holidays, he invites Drew home for dinner. His motives aren’t entirely pure: Asa and Javier are both dominant, and occasionally arrange one night stands with submissives. Asa’s been hot for Drew for months, even though he has no proof Drew is kinky.

Drew has wanted Asa since the day they met. Drew could never come between Asa and his partner, but it doesn’t stop him from fantasizing about belonging to Asa. About letting Asa do filthy, painful, incredible things to him. He accepts Asa’s dinner invitation reluctantly, not eager to witness Asa and Javier’s domestic bliss firsthand.

When Javier discovers Drew’s profile on a BDSM site shortly before Drew’s arrival, the game changes. A bold proposition leads to Asa and Jav sharing a night of play and passion with a dinner guest who’s nowhere near as innocent as he looks. But as their not-so-silent night progresses, all three find themselves on shaky ground. Can they keep this no strings attached? Or is there a way for each man to get what he really wants for Christmas?
Shepherd, Wise Man, and the Little Drummer Boy By E.F. Mulder

They were as close as brothers, but hadn’t seen each other in a long time. The moment Shep sees Zeke again, standing there in his army fatigues, he wantes to strip him out of them. Shep’s trying to salvage a toxic relationship, though, and giving into his desires for Zeke doesn’t feel right to do. And even with Shep’s abusive ex gone for good, he still wants to wait.

When he and Zeke meet CJ by chance, however, CJ’s bold, brazen attitude lead to a sexual invitation they can’t resist. Before Shep can say “three-way” he’s lying beside the two, naked in CJ’s bed. The next morning, there are four of them. It seems like nirvana at first, but several partners engaged in sex is one thing; more than two to a relationship turns out to be something else. Shep has feelings for Zeke, and when it became obvious Zeke and CJ have feelings for each other, Shep’s uncertain as to where that leaves him. He finds out quickly, and very soon discovers, that three might just be his lucky number for the best Christmas ever.