Tres Bare (Bare Love, #3 & 4) in Alpha Heroes & Spitfire Heroines

May 08, 2009 Auntee rated it really liked it

Shelves: erotic-romance, anthologies-novellas, ménage, elloras-cave, 2009_reads

I'm torn what to rate this two story anthology, because there were parts of it that I really liked, but most of the sex scenes in the first story were so over the top and not to my liking at all. I can tolerate a lot when it comes to erotic romance, but there was something about the first story that just made me a bit uncomfortable. It could have been that I was put off by one of the heroes (Doug) in the m/f/m menage--he was just waaay too dominant and possessive and controlling for my tastes, t I'm torn what to rate this two story anthology, because there were parts of it that I really liked, but most of the sex scenes in the first story were so over the top and not to my liking at all. I can tolerate a lot when it comes to erotic romance, but there was something about the first story that just made me a bit uncomfortable. It could have been that I was put off by one of the heroes (Doug) in the m/f/m menage--he was just waaay too dominant and possessive and controlling for my tastes, telling the heroine what to do and when to do it (and not only in the bedroom) that I was getting very annoyed with him (and her). I guess it was supposed to sound sexy when he tells the heroine, Cass, after she failed to do what he told her to do, that she was in "big trouble, darling" and to "...go straight to the bedroom and strip naked. You sit there and wait for Damon and me to come in and give you your punishment." Nah, doesn't work for me. I kept thinking of ways I'd like to "punish' him! But of course the heroine, being a total sub, didn't seem to mind, so what can I say? To be fair, I'm not really too attracted to the whole dom/sub thing, but those who are may find this rather exciting.

This book is actually a follow up to the anthology Bare Beginnings, where we first met the heroine Cass Sinclair and one of the heroes, Doug Daniels. In Bare Seduction, Cass is just back in town after spending 4 months away taking care of her dying mother. She's hosting a bachelorette party for her best friend Moira, who's marrying local detective Gil Daniels. The party is being held at Gil's brother's apartment, and the women are all a little tipsy as the party draws to a close. Someone asks Cass if she can walk on her hands (since she's a former gymnast and cheerleader) and after stripping down to her underwear, Cass happily demonstrates. In walks the studly Doug and his best friend and business partner studly Damon. The two get one look at the shapely Cass, decide she's the one for them, and proceed to nearly maul her in one of the bedrooms. That's okay with Cass because after what she's been through with her mother, she's determined to live her life to the fullest and why waste an opportunity to do what she's always secretly desired (menage)? So they later have their three-way (yes, it was hot) and Cass chalks it up to a one time thing. But Doug and Damon have other ideas, declare that this is only the beginning, and bulldoze Cass into one sexual situation after another. It doesn't take long before Cass is living with the two uber alphas and things are working out except someone isn't too happy with the threesome. Cass starts getting threatening letters that escalate into violence, and the race is on to figure out who could be doing this. Will Cass get to spend the rest of her life with the two men she's grown to love or will someone ruin it all for her? 3 1/2 stars

In Bare Devotion, Ally Samms is tracking a killer, and it leads her to Legacy, the small town where her cousin, detective Ben Marcum ("Bare Beginnings") lives. Ally is a kind of profiler who sometimes helps police departments with her psychic abilities. Ally's mother and her female life partner have recently been murdered by some wacko who refers to himself as "The Messenger". The "Messenger" believes he's following God's plans for redemption by having sinners cleansed with fire. He drugs people who he thinks are sinners, sets them on fire (in their beds), which cleanses them of their sins, and then they can enter the kingdom of heaven. Ally has the ability to 'see' what the Messenger is thinking/seeing, which is very hard on her emotionally, but she's determined to stop him before he picks out his next victim. When it turns out she's too late to prevent the next murder, she is caught wandering at the crime scene by fire investigator Blake Summers. Instant attraction. Ally also meets up with long-lost cousin Detective Ben Marcum, who after some much needed catching up eventually introduces her to the entended Daniels family, which includes his young wife Katie, brother-in-law Gil and his wife Moira, brother-in-law Doug and his partners Cass and Damon, brother-in-law Griff, and mother-in-law Catherine. (Lots of characters to keep track of, and at one point I had to write them all down including how they were related.)

Anyway, Ally and Blake have instant chemistry, and of course they act on it as soon as they are alone together. (People in Legacy waste no time.) Blake has a friend, Shep (no, not 'Shemp'), who is usually in on any action Blake gets, and of course he's eventually invited to join the party. For some reason this menage relationship worked better for me than the previous story, probably because I found both Blake and Shep more likable and less demanding and possessive. I also liked hearing a little of lonely Blake's back story. While Blake was possessive of Ally, it was more in a protective way, and I found that more endearing. You could tell that Blake and Ally had a special connection, and that Shep would never really come between them.

Also getting a bit of a story is the 57 year old widow Catherine Daniels and her younger lover and friend of the family, 46 year old Roman Davis. Catherine feels she has to chose between her love for Roman and that of her children. Roman's getting tired of hiding in the shadows and wants Catherine to tell her family about their relationship. Can she do it? Can she take what she obviously wants and needs or will she let the threat of her family's disapproval stop her?

Everything comes to a head with these two plots when the Messenger chooses his next victim. Will Ally be able to stop him before it's too late? Will somebody dear to the Daniels family lose their life? Will there be a HEA for Ally/Blake and Catherine/Roman?

I liked this story because it had a little more of a suspense angle, the sex scenes (although very hot and graphic) were not as over-the-top, and I even enjoyed the May/December romance between shy Catherine and sweet and sexy Roman. 4 1/2 stars

All in all, a little uneven read for me, but I'm still interested enough to stick with the series. I generally like Lacy Thorn's writing style, and I look forward to hopefully one day reading youngest brother Griff's story. From the few hints dropped it seems like he's had an interesting past. If you like your stories hot and a bit graphic with a hint of suspense, and you don't mind a couple of possessive doms, you're sure to like this one. 4 stars

Warning: This book contains explicit language and sex, including oral and anal, m/f/m menage, dominant behavior (including spanking) from one very uber alpha, and some light bondage (heroine ties up the heroes). Not for the faint of heart. ...more

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