Review: Sexy & Passionate -- A themed story I'd read year round.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 21, 2011
Unwrapped is officially being placed on that very special keeper shelf of mine, and on the even smaller shelf of holiday themed books worth revisiting year-round!Caitlyn "Cait" Sachs is twenty-five, successful, and a virgin simply because her life has been driven by the need to succeed and the fear of an unplanned pregnancy that seems to afflict her family. It's not that she doesn't want to have sex, she does. And now she's ready to finally give in to her fear and give herself the ultimate Christmas/Birthday present, but it has to be on her terms so there's no room for error. That's why she's decided it has to be one of the two men in her life whom she trusts unconditionally and loves in a way that is far more than a roommate and best girlfriend should.Tristan, Matt, and Cait have been friends since college, forming a bond unlike any other that has forged into a deep seated friendship as roommates and eventually working with one another at Tristan's self started business. Tristan and Matt have secretly carried a torch for Cait themselves, but when neither could divulge in that fantasy, tension mounts, passions soar out of control, until they direct that bottled-up fire towards one another.In that one moment when Cait walks in on Tristan and Matt in a passionate scene she's always wanted for herself, a new door opens, a new opportunity always thought to be out of the question, a new future for them all. But hesitancies, fear, uncertainties, and real life prejudices threaten their happiness and fate that each truly wants for themselves and one another.Cari Quinn delivers when hellava hot menage read that steams up the room and melts your heart in this friends to lovers troupe story. While the sex and intimacies are nothing short of super hot (Seriously. Hot.), they are also filled with the emotions that come with a connection between three people that are meant to be with one another. For readers who love to indulge in m/m scenes, you get them, and wow are they fabulous! And for readers who often shy away from them (like myself) I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy them too. I did. I found the connection between these two strong males was fabulously established by the author, which made their scenes that much hotter.Each of the main characters are strong, contributing to the story in their own purposeful way. They're successful, and seem confident in all ways people would perceive them to be, but at each of the characters' core is a doubt about themselves, a vulnerability that they want no one to see but for the two others they know would protect their deepest weaknesses and insecurities. Their interactions with one another were so life-like that I could actually see a triad like theirs taking place in real life.And speaking of real life, Cari Quinn does not shy away from establishing the main conflict of prejudice towards same sex relationships and the impacts that it may carry when coming out to family. This is a powerhouse of a story. You simply get it all: Fabulous sex scenes, fantastic characters, strong storyline, funny moments, passion and love, and societal conflicts.If you're looking for something other than the fireplace to warm you up on your Christmas vacation, I highly recommend Unwrapped.