Review: The problem for me with the book is that I didn’t believe that all three relationships were equal.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 19, 2014
First reviewed at Red Hot Books [...]...I’m not going to lie to you all. I was nervous going into this book because I knew the romance was with Ace, Rachel and Cruz. While I don’t mind ménage in my erotica, it’s not really my thing. With that in mind, I will admit that it may have colored the way I saw this book. Just a quick reminder, that this is the fourth book in the series and that they should be read in order.It seems like Ace Santana has been in the middle of just about everything and everyone. Always quick with a laugh or a joke, Ace has learned from his time on the streets not to let emotions in on any relationship. He had managed that fairly well until Rachel Riley was handed off to the O’Kanes and fell into Ace’s thrall. Instead of pursuing Rachel, Ace let her slip through his fingers so she could find something good with someone who deserved her.Rachel may have been raised in Eden, but she’s 100% O’Kane now. When Ace pushed her away, she looked for her prince in Lorenzo Cruz. Cruz didn’t push her away. He treated her with gentleness and decency – almost too much. Cruz shared his innermost thoughts with her, whereas Ace couldn’t talk about a single thing without being flippant. Then, Rachel ditched Cruz because she still had undeniable feelings for Ace.Cruz took O’Kane ink after bringing Dallas the man who tried to kill Lex. Still, Cruz has had a difficult time shaking off the rules of life in Eden’s military. Since they partnered up, Ace has made it his mission to get Cruz to let go of his tight leashed control. He let go of Rachel so easily because he thought that he was saving her from his baser desires.To recap – Rachel loves Ace and Cruz. Cruz wants to protect (and love) Rachel and Ace. Ace secretly cares for both Rachel and Cruz but hides it with sex. Ace feels that not only are Rachel and Cruz too good for him, but that he wouldn’t even know how to love them back because he lost that ability a long time ago. The three of them get all tangled and messy in the most deliciously erotic ways. Let me assure you all that Kit Rocha still writes love scenes that leave you actually sweating.The problem for me with the book is that I didn’t believe that all three relationships were equal. Ace and Rachel seem to jump off the page even though all they really had was one extremely sexy dance and a lot of forlorn looks across a room. In the same way, Ace and Cruz jump off the page but their interactions are cushioned by Rachel. Once they all get together, the men focus mostly on Rachel. I never really got a solid sense of a relationship with Rachel and Cruz.The book mainly focuses on the romance. The plot moves forward, but not as much as other books. I think if you read this book solely for the relationship aspect and you are a fan of ménage relationships, you will be satisfied. If you aren’t, I still think you should read this book because it does further the O’Kane story and then the love scenes are just bonus. Either way, you’ll be satisfied.Grade: B*ARC provided by author for review