The Lovers

by Eden Bradley

It seemed ideal --two months at a writers' retreat, surrounded by kindred souls. But Bettina Boothe wasn't prepared for how long eight weeks truly was. Or that she would have to open up and reveal the most secret places in her body and soul.

Fortunately, her fellow authors do not share Bettina's self-consciousness and begin to draw her out of her shell. One in particular--Audrey LeClaire--seems to ooze confidence. Dark and petite, Audrey's sensuality draws men "and" women to her. Bettina is just as vulnerable, overwhelmed by a very unexpected attraction to Audrey.

But when Jack Curran arrives at the retreat, everything changes. Jack is tall, beautiful, masculine. A writer of dark thrillers, he's as mysterious and alluring as his books. He and Audrey are obviously an item, but they eagerly welcome Bettina into their bed. Bettina finds herself swept up in a maelstrom of lust, obsession and jealousy, in a love triangle where she will be cherished...or consumed.

Genres: Erotica, Menage, Romance, Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Smut, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Eden Bradley aka Eve Berlin has published a number of novels and novellas, both print and e-books, with Berkley Heat, Bantam/Delta, Harlequin Spice & HQN, Black Lace Books and Samhain Publishing, as well as venturing into self-publishing. Her books have been translated into German, French, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Polish, Indonesian and Japanese. Eden has appeared regularly on Playboy Radio and conducts workshops on writing craft and writing about sex. Eden speaks regularly on BDSM safety, psychology & practice, as well as sexual positivity for women.

She loves art, shoes, tattoos, reading smutty books, chocolate and sex, of course, not necessarily in that order. You can visit her website: EdenBradley.com or her group FB page Dirty Minds Social Club!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdenBradley
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorEdenBradley.Ev...
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11102...
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/edenandeve/

All of her book ratings at Goodreads reflect her favorite books, from those she loved to lifelong keepers.

Reviews

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really hot book I love reading menage and this one was hot. Bettina Boothe has decided to live her apartment in Seattle to go on a writers retreat with some of the writers that she met online she needs to get out and meet people to shake up her controlled world. Audrey LeClaire is a dark haired petite beauty who introduces her to some girl on girl and it was hot she became obsessed Bettina couldn't get enough of her. Audrey is a girl with a dark past she doesn't do relationship. Enter Jack Curran he comes to the retreat and Audrey forgets all about Bettina and she feels rejected. The three of them decide to get together and it is hot as h*ll Jack is hot and sexy and also dark. This was a really good book that I would have gave 5 stars if Bettina wasn't in her head so much. Bettina has never been with someone just for sex without a relationship. Jack and Bettina get closer as Audrey moves on and each one of them begins to falls for each other although Jack has told her that he doesn't do relationships either. This book was hot it was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. This was my first time reading this author and I am looking forward to reading more books by her if they are this hot. If you like reading hot menage than I recommend that you read this book.

[Angela]

27 January 2016: $2.99 on Kindle

[Lynn Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When your broken, love doesn't come easy.

The Lovers is one of those books that is filled with raw emotions. I was drawn to each character from beginning to end and highly recommend it!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bettina belongs to an online circle of fellow authors. Every year, Viviane, one of the writers within the circle, invites the rest of the writers for a two month writers retreat at her home on the coast of California. Bettina struggles socially and has some demons in her closet that force her to consult with a therapist on a regular basis. Only after she receives the encouragement from her therapist does Bettina decide that she needs to go on this retreat. Along with dealing with social anxiety, Bettina also has been having countless fantasies of engaging in erotic sex with more than one person, female's included. Bettina arrives to her friends place and meets the sexy mysterious Audrey who she is immediately drawn to and attracted to in ways that she has never been before. Audrey is simply dazzling and the desire to be around her is potent for Bettina who cannot stop thinking of this woman. Audrey reveals to Bettina that she too is drawn to her and the two of them embark on sexy relationship. Shortly after Bettina becomes involved with Audrey, the final author, Jack, shows up to the retreat and Bettina is no longer the object of Audrey's affection. Bettina can't help but notice how sexy Jack is and her desire for him becomes almost unbearable.
One night, Audrey and Jack offer Bettina to join the two of them together in bed. She doesn't hesitate and proceeds to enjoy the most sexual fulfilling night of her life. Afterwards, she's left with many different feelings, but one thing's pretty clear; she wants Jack.
This was hands down, one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The setting of this story takes place on a beach and reading this book was literally like being at the beach. At times I almost could feel wind in my hair, sand between my toes, smell the salty air, etc. The author did such a wonderful job bringing the setting to life in such a beautiful lyrical way.
The relationships in this book were infectious. There was an immediate draw to the circle of writer's who, even though the majority of their communication was through the Internet, were like family. A family I wanted to be a part of. I loved how flawed a character Bettina was. I could identify with her insecurities, fears, and sexual desires. She is one of the most real characters I've ever read. Ms. Bradley did a wonderful job of not only making Bettina want to be around Audrey, she made me want to too. Audrey is an infectious being that almost seems whimsical or right out of a fairytale story. While reading Audrey's flirtatious dialog, I almost felt like she was flirting with me. Bringing Jack into the picture definitely sent the temperature up. His character simply sizzled sensuality right off the pages and I couldn't get enough of wanting to read more about him.
The sex in this book is incredibly erotic and sensual. Some of the absolute best I've ever read. Although reading a menage`story where two women are involved with one man is usually not my thing, I ate up every page of this and belive me when I say it's on a lot of pages!!
After reading this, I am left wanting more. I want to read more about what happens to these characters and I hope that Ms. Bradley will do another novel that will feature this host of characters again. I highly reccommend this book to all of my GR friends, especially those who enjoy a hot erotic story with lots of great sex, but also with an unbelievable, irresistable story too. FIVE HUGE STARS, though it certainly deserves more.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no way in hell I would for one second believe anything that comes out of Jack or Audrey mouth. He is a cheater and selfish and she is a user and toxic. What happens the next time some one dangles some p***y in front of him? He is weak and uses it as an excuse to act like and ass and do what ever he pleases. Audrey only wants what she thinks she cannot have. She is like a cat with a mouse, play with it until it is destroyed, walk away and never look back.

I just did something I don't do when reading; I wrote my feelings down as I was finishing the book instead of waiting. Obviously I feel strongly that Jack and Audrey are no good and belong together so that they can make each other miserable. Not a lot of redeeming qualities in either one of them. I think they sensed Bettina's weakness and exploited it for their own pleasures.

Bettina is not a strong heroine, and I normally don’t identify with those kinds of people. But in her case I could relate to her on some levels. I think she wore her weaknesses on her sleeve and Jack and Audrey exploited her for it. What a shame, because Jack could have been so different. Bettina could have helped heal him.

While I enjoyed this book, it is not a feel good story and it did not give me the "warm fuzzies" I usually get with my HEA's. Partly because it was a HFN ending and I didn’t care for 2 of the 3 characters.

[Smut Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well.....at first I was having a hard time getting in to this book. I'm not really sure why though. I wonder if I didn't see a bit of myself in Bettina and it disturbed me?? And the further I got into the book I truly wondered how it was going to have an ending that I liked. I did NOT feel like it could possible be the typical HEA romance given the kind of f*cked up nature of the people involved....but the sex - dear lord, the sex was pretty damn hot.
In the end, I felt fairly heartbroken and like I'd been through the same drama and growth as the characters, which in itself is a well written book. I felt like I spent my summer at the awesome place, that I walked on the beach and wrote a book. And that I fell in love with Audrey and Jack.
I can't even really put my finger on how I felt while reading the book....but I think this one will stay with me for a while...and of course I'm sure my mind will figure out what happens AFTER for Bettina, Jack and Audrey....

[Jill Sorenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still collecting my thoughts on this, not sure how to rate it or even what to call it (erotic fiction, menage romance, love triangle?). The middle portion of the book is absolutely delicious, sexiest f/f and f/f/m I've ever read. Erotic, poignant, beautifully written. But I had some problems with the first and last third. It kind of reminded me of Susan Johnson and Megan Hart. Will post a longer review later.

Very unique and hard to label.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it didn't take long to read this book but did seem to take me a while to want to read it. This was probably due to the same sex descriptions which I was not used to reading about. I am not used to this sort if content as I am traditional in a sense of man and woman regardless of type of sex, vanilla, BDSM, etc but once I got over that I did enjoy this book. It was a good read and I will enjoy looking into further books by this writer.

[C Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Eden Bradley novel and it certainly won't be the last.

The novel was aptly titled "The Lovers" and it's fascinating how such a simple title could convey a host of suggestions. I loved the location and how Ms Bradley set the pace of the story. It's some sort of retreat in the writers' club where Bettina is a member of, and after 2 years of therapy she finally got out of her shell and traveled from Seattle to California to join her fellow writers, whom she only interacted with online.

The location itself, a beachfront property was really relaxing and breathtaking. This is a very sensual novel and it reminded me of how the author Robin Schone writes her erotica, which engages the five senses. That's quality erotica for me and there's always a slow build, the anticipation, and no matter how "casual" the characters treated intercourse, the emotions were still there. They were really into it during the act and I really appreciated it. If I could compare the act of making love to something, it would be like savoring a favorite food or dessert like I don't want it to end. I'd close my eyes and just live for the moment and cherish those moments, not just let them pass me by.

Ms Bradley's writing style is fluent, simple, and very impressive it has a deep impact. Her vivid descriptions leaves nothing to the imagination and her imagery is astounding one could almost hear the ocean waves, feel the coarse sand, inhale the fresh air, and just be there. Very beautiful and artistic.

The author used the first person point of view very effectively (Bettina's) and I found myself wound up, my stomach tied up in knots. Sometimes I see things the way she does; I'm a writer if only a self-proclaimed one, sometimes I have self-esteem issues, and most of the time I'm the jealous type. I liked how Ms Bradley added Audrey's character. Frankly I didn't know where all of this would lead so I just kept on reading.

It's obvious Bettina has a lot of issues and I liked how the other characters like Viviane, Audrey and Jack described her, because she obviously see herself differently. I could imagine she has this beauty, but a realistic one. Audrey is like a shiny new toy and she's really intense. I had a funny feeling about her whenever she and Tina were together, not just having sex. Little by little, we see glimpses of the three main characters' histories and how they came to be. Audrey shared bits and pieces of herself but she's not real, and based on her actions she needs professional psychological help.

Jack is a different matter. He's one of those guys who is sure about himself, but by sharing his past with Bettina, one could understand why he is. Though this story happened in one setting, and a perfect one at that, the character developments were dramatic and convincing. The most improved is Tina herself, when she finally bared her true feelings and for the first time she felt something worth fighting for. The ending wasn't what I expected but I'm not saying it in a bad way. It's still quite open and there are a lot of possibilities and I enjoyed it immensely. Jack is one of the "real" persons in this story together with Viviane. I'm glad he finally admitted to being a coward and revealed how he feels about Bettina, they are quite the pair. I'm especially excited about their travel plans because I love traveling myself, going places, eating different food, watching people.

This is a masterpiece and if you're not offended by F/F, F/F/M, a little voyeurism and exhibitionism, I highly recommend this for you. This one has an aftertaste, more of an afterthought, like a post-coital glow.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally convinced that her online writing groups annual retreat was the perfect time to get out of her the safety of her home and regimented life, Bettina Boothe makes her way to the California coast. A couple of months is literally what the doctor recommended for her to help with her many social anxiety type problems. Finding everyone so friendly and welcoming gave Bettina hope for a productive few weeks, both in terms of the newest book she is working on as well as her other issues. One of her fellow writers stands out, Audrey LeClaire is stunning and captivating and offering more to Tina than she had ever even considered. Learning to let herself have what she wants regardless of what she used to think of the idea was a huge step in the right direction. And then when Jack Curran showed up, Tina finds herself caught between the jealousy of not being the focus of Audrey’s attention and desire to just be included. Finding herself in an intense emotional and sexual relationships opened her to what she had tried to avoid for so long, her own feelings.

Started off intense and never let up, the sexual scenes were many and close together. At some points the flow of the encounters were an easy and obvious conclusion, while other times the issue seemed to be forced in that direction to get more sex in. There was plenty of great sex, the characters were easy to follow in the progression of their relationships, the first person style of writing left some of Audrey and Jack as a mystery that I would have liked to know more about. Bettina’s story is pretty basic and common (the secluded and scared opens her wings and flies into the arms of … everyone), for some reason I had a difficult time connecting with her emotionally though, too much sex - maybe. This was a nice erotic distraction, fun and fast paced.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lovers is a beautifully written story. Bradley writes amazing descriptions. I felt like I was at the beach and with all of these writers going on a trip to the farmer's market. I even smiled and had fun when reading about the characters playing a game around the table after dinner. The characters are well written and sometimes annoyingly accurate. Bettina is so consumed by her OCD and has excluded herself so much that now interacting with people is difficult for her. Sometimes she was so dramatic that it was difficult for me too though. I guess that could be a good thing for the reader but it got to the point where I wanted to scream "girl get over yourself!" Audrey frankly, to me, was a giant bitch and I had a hard time liking her even a little bit. Jack was, well... Jack was a man and was able to piss me off very easily. I think that I enjoyed this story because it did cause me to have some drastic feelings(even if they weren't always good feelings.)

[Jasmyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off a warning. This book is not safe for minors. It was quite a bit more than even I expected.

Bettina Boothe is a reclusive author that doesn't get out much. Most of her contacts on virtual and most of her conversations happen online. She is invited to an author's retreat and decides that, for once, she is going to brave the world and go do something. At the retreat she meets Audrey and Jack and sparks fly....in every direction imaginable.

The story was a little too simplistic for me to really get into. I understand the point of this book was the relationships and the sex, but the sex definitely took center stage. There seemed to be more pages describing what they were doing to each other than what they were feeling about it. And when they did get into the feelings it seemed very whiny. I didn't feel like I really go to know or relate to any of them.

2/5

[Ravena James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine my surprise when I go searching for more books by Eve Berlin and discover that Eden Bradley is a pseudonym of the same author.

*cue angelic music*

For the rest of the review go to:

http://somelikeithotbooks.blogspot.co...

[Madison Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and very naughty. It's one of those guilty pleasures that we need to indulge in reading every once in a while. I got sucked in with the heat between Jack and Bettina, and hoped it would develop into something more, which it did in the end.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main problem with this book was that I couldn't stand Audrey, and to a lesser extent didn't like Jack and Bettina either and I didn't like the way the relationship between them was evolving. Only character I really liked was Viviane.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai adoré ! Génial ! Lu d'une traite !

[Maryellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smutty and I know it! I really enjoyed this one. Good sex scenes and just enough romance. I figure I'm not getting any at home, I might as well read about it.

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super hot with an interesting plot line that I didn't really see coming. I enjoyed the journey but felt it sort of cut off in the end....wanted more.

[Angie Naylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book, needs another book to finish their story,, PLEASE Eden Bradley :)))))

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Turned out to be porn and not even very inventive porn. Bleah!

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

bit slow for me

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lovers by Eden Bradley

I loved this book.

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 1 out of 5]

ho un libro suo sullo scaffale, gli ho dato 4 stelle, ma qui eden mi delude tantissimo. la narrazione è così didascalica da sembrare una sceneggiatura, non sento il minimo coinvolgimento emotivo. la protagonista è antipatica e noiosa, sente qualcosa per un'altra donna e si fa paranoie assurde. nel frattempo c'è questo ritrovo fra scrittori totalmente asettico, quasi slegato dalla trama. che noia! abbandono

[Brenda Satlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bettina attends a writer's retreat to help her come out of her shell and become more social.
While there she meets some very interesting people.
There were some charters that I would say I LOVED and wanted to help her become her authentic self and other that just (in my opinion) used and confused her.
Audrey has her all confused with her sexuality and add Jack to the mix and the poor thing does not know what's what!
NOT a fan of Audrey but Jack does redeem himself in the end :)

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
This book is quite different- and quite steamy. There are F/M/F, F/F, and M/F scenes.
The heroine was quite angst-ridden, so between the sex scenes, she whines a lot. There are also a lot of jealousy issues throughout the book. The ending seemed a bit unrealistic as well, but overall an interesting read.

[Jessica Brittain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one Hot Steamy Must Read!! Was hooked from the very beginning!! The author does an amazing job painting you a picture with her words. It's very well written. The characters relatable and realistic!! I didn't want to put it down!!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms Bradley writes charcters that are unique different and intriguing. They captivate you body, mind and soul, and don't let go.

This story built beautifully and felt organic, with the right amount of sex VS plot.

Intreging from start to finish.

[Mel Teshco · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Such lush imagery and deep characters. Great writing, so hot.

[Oisin O'Brien · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATED ALL OF THESE HORNY WRITERS!!!

[Leandri Boshoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written spicy spice book