Review: Hot, emotional erotica
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 20, 2011
Truth be told, the premise for this one is more than a little messed up. Jay wants to marry Robin, and Robin wants to want to marry Jay, but then there's Patrick. You see, six years ago, before she and Jay got together, Patrick saved her from a knife-wielding assailant, then did a stint in prison for assault and battery for beating the snot out of the guy. Ever since then, Robin's been obsessed with Patrick, though she was always afraid to act on it. "More attached to her than [he is] to the idea of monogamy," Jay suggests she seek Patrick out and see if she can get him out of her system. They can't move forward unless she deals with this obsession.What saves this from GTFO territory and keeps it an emotionally raw erotica is a sense that all the players involved know this is a totally screwed up and weird arrangement. I got the sense that Jay suggests this as a last resort, trying to save the relationship he has with Robin. Patrick seems to reluctantly agree, voicing his reservations that he'll be anything but a homewrecker, just to indulge an obsession of his own. Robin, for her part, seems both weak and powerful in her involvement. Weak in that she totally wants Patrick but isn't brave enough to end her comfortable life with Jay, and strong in that she's totally leading two guys around by their whatsits  and having them make this decision for her. No one's motives are set in stone when the arrangement starts, and they only get murkier as things evolve.Consequently, this is one heck of a hot story of a relationship at a turning point. The emotions are as raw as they are realistic. This is no uncomplicated romp of a threesome. Jealousy, possessiveness, confusion, guilt and anger are as present as the boiling passion, arousal and excitement. Jay surprises Robin with how much he enjoys controlling who she messes around with and what she can do with him. Patrick discovers he can't separate his feelings from the sex like he had hoped to. And Robin finds she just plain sucks at making good decisions. It's just a hot mess, and I couldn't look away.As for the sex writing, and this is going to sound really bizarre, I loved that Patrick's big *ahem* had consequences. I'm so used to erotica and romance that exists in this fantasy world where big *thingies* are just these magical wands that bring endless pleasure and never go too deep. So, when Robin ever winced at Patrick getting too deep, and I got to watch how they adjusted their positions to make it more comfortable, I was over the moon. Details like that are what separates the gratuitous from the insightful. It showed me the uniqueness of their union while also showing me two people able to communicate easily to establish sexual compatibility. It's such a minor detail, but it's a great example of what this author does right when she writes sex.I know Ellora's Cave's pricing is lousy, and I'm super grateful the author fronted me a copy herself, but I think it's worth it and more. Like her popular book Willing Victim, it packs a lot into a shorter length book.