Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Book Review: Three: A Family Affair by Michelle Devon

Blurb:

When Brad has to go away for business, he asks Paul--the man he trusts most in the world, his best friend--to keep his wife, Jolie, busy, and to look after her while he's gone. But when Brad's job puts him on the road more than he is home, Paul and Jolie's easy camaraderie becomes tinged with desire and lust, at least on Paul's part.

Paul confesses his feelings for Jolie, fully expecting Brad's wrath, and he isn't disappointed when Brad doesn't take the hastily-share revelation well.  Brad, however, once the shock wears off, has other ideas for Paul and Jolie, assuming the two people he loves most in the world agree.

If he applies a little lustful logic, will Brad's idea save their marriage? Will it save Paul and Jolie's friendship? Will these feelings between them all rip this once peaceful and loving family apart? Does Jolie even feel the same?

So many questions and  potential pitfalls that put more than a decade of friendship, a year of marriage and a family relationship all on the line. The answers can all be found in THREE: A Family Affair.



Review:




Three: A Family Affair by Michelle Devon is the start of a series exploring a poly-amorous relationship between a woman and two brothers.  The novella is a contemporary romance with erotic content, but the relationship between the three main characters remains the center of the story.  Sex accentuates rather than overtakes the central themes of jealousy and insecurity, love and trust.

The cover is tasteful and restrained, suggestive of sensuality, and an excellent representation of the story's contents.  As always, Farah Evers has done a beautiful job in creating attractive imagery that accurately ties into the themes of the story.  All of the THREE books have covers with a congruent appearance, which unites the entire series on a visual level.

There are three key relationships—

Joli and Brad are a happily married couple with an active and imaginative sex life. There's a fantastic bathtub mutual masturbation scene near the start of the story, which helps set the playful tone. Of course, as with any marriage, there is real life stress, some of it associated with the demands of Brad's job.  

Brad and Paul are brothers. The interaction between the brothers is close without being incestuous, and it is easy to see that the two depend on each other. Their strong bond is tested when it is revealed that Paul is in love with Joli, Brad's wife. The fallout causes a lot of angst and some funny moments, but eventually allows for growth within their relationship.

Joli dated Paul prior to her marriage to Brad. The pair shared intimacy but for the last several years have been friends. Both are extremely loyal to Brad and wouldn't do anything to hurt him. It isn't until Paul reveals his secret feelings for Joli to his brother that the door is opened to change.

The story contains light erotica scenes but as much or more attention is paid to the dynamic between the primary characters. Where another author might have reduced the complicated situation to a simple orgy, Michelle creates a highly charged and complicated emotional interaction between Brad, Paul and Joli. She provides intellectual insight into the main characters as human beings, creating gut wrenching angst, and leaving the reader caring about what will happen to them next.

I'd definitely recommend Three: A family Affair for a reader seeking an interesting and emotionally intelligent erotica story about two men and one woman who are genuine individuals.

I downloaded Three: A Family Affair from Amazon where it is available for free.


THREE: A Family Affair is free on Amazon.

Author Bio:

Michelle Devon has been writing most of her life. Before she started writing full-time, she has worked as a contract negotiator for a major international corporation, as a criminal justice victim advocate, and in non-profit executive management. She never quite could figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up, until she started writing for a living. Now, she lives to write.

Where can we find you on the web? 
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Devon/e/B001JS8Y78

3 comments:

  1. Yay! I got props for the cover! woot woot!

    Great post, and I really did enjoy reading this series. Michelle has an awesome way of delivering the real essence & conflict behind the characters in this triangle.

    Farah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farah,
      They're great covers--you done good! *G*

      Delete
  2. Excellent analysis and review of this first book in the series. I like that you saw the complex relationships which Michelle created as well as the tastefully done erotic scenes. I agree completely about the cover art - Farah has created absolutely gorgeous covers for the books in this series! They pique sexual curiosity without overtly showing anything. Loved your analysis!
    ~~ Buffy

    ReplyDelete