Review of What he Left Behind by LA Witt

 

by LA Witt

3 stars

Josh Carver would do anything for Michael Adair, his childhood best friend. In the five years since Michael finally left his abusive ex-partner, Josh and his husband Ian have helped him leave that horrific past behind him. Michael seems to have adjusted well enough…until he admits he’s afraid to date because the abuse has left him terrified of physical intimacy.

Josh is stunned again when Ian proposes a solution—Josh can help Michael learn to enjoy sex again. It isn’t like it would be the first time. After all, Josh and Michael lost their virginity to each other years ago.

Michael hesitates, but then takes him up on the idea. It isn’t long before Ian’s getting involved too… and it’s all fine and dandy until emotions come into play that threaten their friendship, as well as Josh and Ian’s marriage.

Let’s start off by saying that we love LA Witt, gobble up all those great romance books, but somehow the ménage in this book didn’t grab up like we had hoped.

Josh and Ian are a happily married couple, and wish everyone could find the love they have.  Josh’s childhood best friend Michael is still re-living the horrendous abuse from his last partner and is struggling to let anyone in and push the past behind him.  Even after 5 years of therapy he is still handcuffed by his ghosts.   Josh wants nothing more for Michael to find the man of his dreams, but know that if he can’t find a way to let anyone in he will spend his life alone.  Ian suggests that maybe the key to helping Michael is finding someone that he is comfortable being intimate with; Josh. 

This is essentially a ménage book, but it isn’t really.  What he Left Behind focuses on the intimate relationship between Michael and Josh, and a building friendship of Michael and Ian.  And hold on to your hats, this book is very erotic, lots and lots of sex!  Michael struggles with a sexual relationship and Josh tries to get his libido back on track with lots of therapeutic time between the sheets.  And it is hot, hot hot! 

But feeling always start getting involved.  When Josh starts feeling this relationship with Michael is more than him just helping him get his groove back, the book starts to fall apart a bit for us.  Ian gets involved in this sex-triangle, but it feels like it is forced, like the book should have gone a different direction, that Josh should spread his own wings and fly on his own.  But instead we get a ménage story.   And don’t get us wrong, when it work it is hot, but this didn’t work for us. 

What he left behind set us up for a great story, but fell a little flat unfortunately.  If you are looking for a hot read and not much of a story, that this could be right up your alley!

Review of Brody and Nick by A.D. Ellis

by A.D. Ellis 

3-stars 

A cute story idea, that gets lost.

Brody and Nick by A.D. Ellis is set around the idea of 2 friends that get married for financial gain, but end up falling for each other.  Army specialist Brody King, is looking to get out of barracks housing, but the only way to live off base is if you are married.  Brody can save some money if only he can find someone to marry…enter Nick Ferguson.  Nick is close to graduation, but has settled his life with his volunteer work and potential career path of starting his own charity.  But he needs out of his current rooming situation and marring Brody seems like it is the best of both worlds. 

This is one is a series of books, we didn’t ready the others, so safe to assume you can read as a standalone.  Brody and Nick are great characters, and you fall in love with the beginning of the story.  We totally got caught up in their rush to get married, and their sweet, sexy vibe.  But the story kinda loses steam, and becomes a bit drama and angsty.  As expected they fall in love each other, but when they are both ready to tell each other, something throws a wrench in the story, and drama.   Plus they tend to emote a lot, and on and on and on. We tended to skim a bit.

There are lots of great things about this story, the development of characters and their friends is really fun, everyone should have friends like these.  And their journey to love is great, how they fall in love, you actually feel for them, and believe.  And the best part is the epilogue, 5-star, A.D. Ellis should write a course in good epilogues! 

Brody and Nick is a cute marriage-of-convenience story, which makes you believe in love, but too much drama and angst makes it a long read!