Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
2.5 stars
This book held my interest and the sex was hot, but that's about all it had going for it. I didn't find it believable, and the characters didn't seem to have much chemistry outside the bedroom. I just didn't get why these 3 guys were so "in love" with one another. I'm rounding up to 3 stars because it was entertaining just for the sheer WTFery of it all.
This book held my interest and the sex was hot, but that's about all it had going for it. I didn't find it believable, and the characters didn't seem to have much chemistry outside the bedroom. I just didn't get why these 3 guys were so "in love" with one another. I'm rounding up to 3 stars because it was entertaining just for the sheer WTFery of it all.
A daytime soap opera in book form.
If you're after realism and believability, you'll be throwing this book to the wall and screaming curses at it as it drops to the floor.
Fortunately, I was after neither so I was in just the right frame of mind to enjoy the crazy, mind-fuckery that is this book. I devoured it and wanted more. The relationship between the three characters was sizzling. The sex between them was even hotter. Assuming you like porn-style dialogue/dirty talk. Which I DO.
If I had a complaint, it would be that it dragged a little too long in places. Some of the main characters' actions made no sense to me and I find myself pausing and going "Huh?" a few times.
There are so many blow your mind moments that, after awhile, you find yourself standing in the middle of the room shouting defiantly, "Come on! Is that all you've got!? I can take it, damn you!"
And if you make it past half the book, be ready for the ride of your life.
If you're after realism and believability, you'll be throwing this book to the wall and screaming curses at it as it drops to the floor.
Fortunately, I was after neither so I was in just the right frame of mind to enjoy the crazy, mind-fuckery that is this book. I devoured it and wanted more. The relationship between the three characters was sizzling. The sex between them was even hotter. Assuming you like porn-style dialogue/dirty talk. Which I DO.
If I had a complaint, it would be that it dragged a little too long in places. Some of the main characters' actions made no sense to me and I find myself pausing and going "Huh?" a few times.
There are so many blow your mind moments that, after awhile, you find yourself standing in the middle of the room shouting defiantly, "Come on! Is that all you've got!? I can take it, damn you!"
And if you make it past half the book, be ready for the ride of your life.
Excellent story! I was a little hesitant because I wasn't sure how to handle the incestuous parts. But, Mercy Celeste did an incredible job with the writing, the complex love story, the sex (which was oh so hot) and the entire story.
I really enjoyed it and am so glad I finally read it!
I really enjoyed it and am so glad I finally read it!
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well fuck me, I had a big long rambling review typed out, and hit the wrong button, and poof! Gone.
Let's try this again, a little less rambly.
I LOVED this book!
For those of you that look at my Fucking Loved if Shelf, here's a warning: this book contains themes you might not like- pseudo incest (that one of them actually thinks is real incest at first) and cheating. If either of those make or break a story for you, consider yourself warned.
Liam was gay, always had been. But he got caught up in a game of revenge between the prom queen and the bad boy, and ended up on the hook for a baby, at 16. Liam tried to be a good dad to Kel, even though he only saw him two weekends a month, from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. His parents paid the hospital bills, and Liam did the best he could with school and work and being a very part time dad.
He felt so much guilt about how much his parents were having to give up to help him out, that Liam fell into porn to help pay the bills. In porn he could finally be with men, and he could pay his child support, and Sabrina was milking him dry of every dime she could get, along with her scum bag husband, Kenny. The job wasn't so bad. He kept his day job, and then did a couple films a month, on weekends. Then he met Seth. Seth was brand new to the scene, he had never done a movie, never even been with a man. And that was it- instant connection, instant love, instant relationship. For the next 6 years, it was all Liam and Seth, both onscreen and off. Then, right as they were about to get out of the business, move back to Florida, and be happy together, something horrible happened, causing Liam to run, and Seth to think he'd been abandoned for one more payday.
Liam spent 4 years trying to get his life straightened out, and he's mostly succeeded. He has a good job (that he hates), and if he's started looking at his son Kel differently since he grew up and came out of the closet, it's ok, he can just avoid him as much as possible. It's not like he's ever even been a REAL dad to Kel.
Kel doesn't even call him dad, he calls him Liam, and he calls Kenny dad. Always has. He's never seen Liam as his dad, but as more of a best friend type deal. I guess that happens when there are only 17 years between you and you only get a few days here and there together. Kel just knows that, right or wrong, he loves Liam, and not the way you love a father, which Liam never really was, anyway. Kel knows much more about the family situation than ANYONE suspects. Beyond Complicated.
Liam decides enough's enough, he can't keep avoiding Kel, and they agree to meet for dinner one night. Kel brings his new boyfriend, who is, surprise! Love of his life Seth! His son and his ex? Oh god, Liam can't get out of there fast enough.
Of course, Seth follows, wanting to know why he never even knew Liam had a son, was their whole life together a lie? And Liam wants to know where Seth's been all this time, how he lives with himself and what he did to Liam before he left. Seth is kinda clueless though, he doesn't know WHAT Liam is talking about. They did one last video together, then Liam took the money and ran.
Of course, as these things happen, Liam and Seth fall right into angry hot sex. They both conveniently forget about Kel. It's really sad- throughout everything, Liam is the one acting most hurt, but really, it's Kel that goes through hell. Kel, with the totally fucked up, drunk parents, Kel about to lose his new boyfriend to the person that's always been closest to him, Kel loses father figure after father figure thanks to his fucked up slut of a mother.
Sooo complicated. You have Kel and Seth. Then you have Liam and Seth. And then comes Liam and Kel, and finally, Liam and Kel and Seth all together. What should be wrong feels so right to all of them, and to this reader. This is some of the hottest, raunchiest sex I have EVER read. I had to put it down a couple of times, because I thought my Kindle was going to melt. Really, it was just me melting, lol!
I loved Liam and Kel. Liam was just beyond fucked up, beyond screwed over by Kenny and Sabrina, and totally lost. Kel was much more adult at 21 than Liam was at 38. He knew what he wanted, and he went after it, and he made no apologies to anyone. Seth was the enigma to me in all of this. We got lots of background into Liam and Kel, but not much on Seth. We know he met Liam through porn, and he became a lawyer after they split. That's IT. We don't even know if he got out of porn after that "last" video that caused a lot of this mess, or if he kept doing it after Liam left.
I also don't feel Seth suffered enough. What happened to Liam was awful, and Seth was a HUGE part of that. Maybe he didn't *know* what was really going on, but he should have. He should have known something wasn't right. He should have known it wasn't all scripted. And when Liam disappeared right after, he SHOULD have followed, and demanded to know why, instead of just moving on with his life.
This story has so many twists and turns. It reminds me of a soap opera. A really dirty, raunchy, fucked up soap opera. Maybe a gay Melrose Place, where it's all about sex and betrayal, love and loss and finding love again.
I highly recommend this story. I will reread it for the heat factor along, but the story is good too, if totally unbelievable.
Let's try this again, a little less rambly.
I LOVED this book!
For those of you that look at my Fucking Loved if Shelf, here's a warning: this book contains themes you might not like- pseudo incest (that one of them actually thinks is real incest at first) and cheating. If either of those make or break a story for you, consider yourself warned.
Liam was gay, always had been. But he got caught up in a game of revenge between the prom queen and the bad boy, and ended up on the hook for a baby, at 16. Liam tried to be a good dad to Kel, even though he only saw him two weekends a month, from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. His parents paid the hospital bills, and Liam did the best he could with school and work and being a very part time dad.
He felt so much guilt about how much his parents were having to give up to help him out, that Liam fell into porn to help pay the bills. In porn he could finally be with men, and he could pay his child support, and Sabrina was milking him dry of every dime she could get, along with her scum bag husband, Kenny. The job wasn't so bad. He kept his day job, and then did a couple films a month, on weekends. Then he met Seth. Seth was brand new to the scene, he had never done a movie, never even been with a man. And that was it- instant connection, instant love, instant relationship. For the next 6 years, it was all Liam and Seth, both onscreen and off. Then, right as they were about to get out of the business, move back to Florida, and be happy together, something horrible happened, causing Liam to run, and Seth to think he'd been abandoned for one more payday.
Liam spent 4 years trying to get his life straightened out, and he's mostly succeeded. He has a good job (that he hates), and if he's started looking at his son Kel differently since he grew up and came out of the closet, it's ok, he can just avoid him as much as possible. It's not like he's ever even been a REAL dad to Kel.
Kel doesn't even call him dad, he calls him Liam, and he calls Kenny dad. Always has. He's never seen Liam as his dad, but as more of a best friend type deal. I guess that happens when there are only 17 years between you and you only get a few days here and there together. Kel just knows that, right or wrong, he loves Liam, and not the way you love a father, which Liam never really was, anyway. Kel knows much more about the family situation than ANYONE suspects. Beyond Complicated.
Liam decides enough's enough, he can't keep avoiding Kel, and they agree to meet for dinner one night. Kel brings his new boyfriend, who is, surprise! Love of his life Seth! His son and his ex? Oh god, Liam can't get out of there fast enough.
Of course, Seth follows, wanting to know why he never even knew Liam had a son, was their whole life together a lie? And Liam wants to know where Seth's been all this time, how he lives with himself and what he did to Liam before he left. Seth is kinda clueless though, he doesn't know WHAT Liam is talking about. They did one last video together, then Liam took the money and ran.
Of course, as these things happen, Liam and Seth fall right into angry hot sex. They both conveniently forget about Kel. It's really sad- throughout everything, Liam is the one acting most hurt, but really, it's Kel that goes through hell. Kel, with the totally fucked up, drunk parents, Kel about to lose his new boyfriend to the person that's always been closest to him, Kel loses father figure after father figure thanks to his fucked up slut of a mother.
Sooo complicated. You have Kel and Seth. Then you have Liam and Seth. And then comes Liam and Kel, and finally, Liam and Kel and Seth all together. What should be wrong feels so right to all of them, and to this reader. This is some of the hottest, raunchiest sex I have EVER read. I had to put it down a couple of times, because I thought my Kindle was going to melt. Really, it was just me melting, lol!
I loved Liam and Kel. Liam was just beyond fucked up, beyond screwed over by Kenny and Sabrina, and totally lost. Kel was much more adult at 21 than Liam was at 38. He knew what he wanted, and he went after it, and he made no apologies to anyone. Seth was the enigma to me in all of this. We got lots of background into Liam and Kel, but not much on Seth. We know he met Liam through porn, and he became a lawyer after they split. That's IT. We don't even know if he got out of porn after that "last" video that caused a lot of this mess, or if he kept doing it after Liam left.
I also don't feel Seth suffered enough. What happened to Liam was awful, and Seth was a HUGE part of that. Maybe he didn't *know* what was really going on, but he should have. He should have known something wasn't right. He should have known it wasn't all scripted. And when Liam disappeared right after, he SHOULD have followed, and demanded to know why, instead of just moving on with his life.
This story has so many twists and turns. It reminds me of a soap opera. A really dirty, raunchy, fucked up soap opera. Maybe a gay Melrose Place, where it's all about sex and betrayal, love and loss and finding love again.
I highly recommend this story. I will reread it for the heat factor along, but the story is good too, if totally unbelievable.
I was soooo ready to hate this book. In fact I was almost positive that I would. I know a lot of people rave about it, but the premise has made me kinda squicky for months and I’ve put off and put off and put off again reading this book. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to pull my head around to accepting the situation and be rooting for our boyos to get their HEA. Yeah, I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong wrong. Stupid Shelby…*headdesk* Thank you so much for my 2 ½ hours of sleep last night as I had to read the whole thing in one sitting. :-p
Liam McGuire is stable, which for his past history is saying something. He’s a weekend father to the son he was forced into conceiving and they have a good relationship. He has a decent job at an insurance company and if he doesn’t love it it does pay the bills. Liam’s life is great…as long as he doesn’t think to long and hard about his past. That is until he meets his son’s new boyfriend.
Seth walks in the door to meet his new boyfriends father and has the shock of his life. The love of his life is sitting across the table from the man he’s now in love with. When Liam walked out on him it destroyed Seth. The life of a porn star was only made bearable because he was in it with Liam. Somehow he managed to pull himself out of it all and become a high powered lawyer and gotten to get his life back on track. Meeting Kel was just the icing on the cake.
Kel is almost finished with his college degree and while he’s never called Liam dad he couldn’t live without him in his life. His life at home was never very good with his mother and his stepfather and his coming out certainly didn’t help matters. But Liam is his best friend and the one person he wants to share everything with. The shocked looks on both his boyfriend and his father’s faces though were the last thing he expected. Kel never knew much about his dad’s past, but he might just be about to find out more than he bargained for.
Oh man the torment and mental anguish tearing poor Liam apart! The poor man has never had a chance to be happy and the amount of damage other people’s selfishness has done to him is heart breaking. It’s all just such a twisty mess. Now I can’t say I’m totally one hundred percent ok with everything, I still get a little squicky over it all. Not to mention the fact that I’ve never been a big fan of ginormous age gaps in the first place. Still I did feel like there were true feelings developing between these guys.
I think my biggest problem with this book, and the reason why despite sucking me in and devouring it whole, I can’t give it 5 stars is the fact that I never felt like it was a truly balanced relationship. For me the only way a triad works is if everyone is an equal partner in the situation and the love shared feels equal as well. No matter who was involved first and who came in later if all three people don’t love each other on an equal basis I feel like there are going to be potential pit falls down the road. Fights are bound to break out and feelings get hurt over “well you love him more than me” feelings. The number of times we were told that Liam’s feelings for one guy or the other were more intense or that he was “in love” with Kel though Seth was the “love of his life.” I never felt like despite them all saying the loved each other, that that love was equal. Course there were a lot of twisty emotions involved.
Which brings me to a sore point in the story…I never really felt like Seth lived up to his “love of your life” status. We aren’t privy to the true nature of the relationship Seth and Liam shared four years previous, we’re only told about it. But the horrific nature of what ended that relationship would have taken a whole hell of a lot more making up and honest discussing for me to get over than it seemed to take Liam. I definitely felt like there was a lot more raw emotion rebounding between Kel and Liam. Certainly Kel’s desperation poured off him in spades.
This story is exceedingly well written…it’d have to be to get me over the seeming incestuous nature as described in the opening blurb. But it falls a little short for me because I’m not entirely happy where everything ends up for these three. Throwing over promising careers and law and the potential of a career in medicine to go model (especially in your early to late 30’s) doesn’t seem particularly plausible in the end. I wanted more maturity and a greater degree of understanding between these men before we left them. I’m not convinced that some huge misunderstandings and problems aren’t going to creep up in their future. I still felt like they had a lot of things to work out to make their relationship really truly solid. Still Liam’s heart and soul pulled me in and I felt for the dear man and wanted him to get what he wanted in the end. I feel awful for the destruction his life has become because of idiotic people who should never have been allowed to procreate in the first place. There were a number of people in this story who should seriously consider castration as a viable life choice. Please, remove your stupid self from the gene pool. You ARE the problem. Kill yourself and I guarantee you’ll be up for a Darwin Award. Grrrrrrr!
While I do wish there was a sequel here, even just a short to check back in with these guys and see where they end up and how things balance out, I was happy I finally read the story. I’m glad that the squick wasn’t nearly as shudder worthy of a squick as I was expecting and I am reminded again why I enjoy Ms. Celeste’s writing. There is a lovely narrative flow and my heart does go out to her characters. That’s one crazy fucked up life and I understand the want to get out of dodge. Hang on to anything that can make you happy when you’ve been that miserable. You deserve it.
Liam McGuire is stable, which for his past history is saying something. He’s a weekend father to the son he was forced into conceiving and they have a good relationship. He has a decent job at an insurance company and if he doesn’t love it it does pay the bills. Liam’s life is great…as long as he doesn’t think to long and hard about his past. That is until he meets his son’s new boyfriend.
Seth walks in the door to meet his new boyfriends father and has the shock of his life. The love of his life is sitting across the table from the man he’s now in love with. When Liam walked out on him it destroyed Seth. The life of a porn star was only made bearable because he was in it with Liam. Somehow he managed to pull himself out of it all and become a high powered lawyer and gotten to get his life back on track. Meeting Kel was just the icing on the cake.
Kel is almost finished with his college degree and while he’s never called Liam dad he couldn’t live without him in his life. His life at home was never very good with his mother and his stepfather and his coming out certainly didn’t help matters. But Liam is his best friend and the one person he wants to share everything with. The shocked looks on both his boyfriend and his father’s faces though were the last thing he expected. Kel never knew much about his dad’s past, but he might just be about to find out more than he bargained for.
Oh man the torment and mental anguish tearing poor Liam apart! The poor man has never had a chance to be happy and the amount of damage other people’s selfishness has done to him is heart breaking. It’s all just such a twisty mess. Now I can’t say I’m totally one hundred percent ok with everything, I still get a little squicky over it all.
Spoiler
(In spite of knowing there’s not an ounce of blood relation involved, there’s still something a bit weird and uncomfortable about getting it on with someone you’ve raised thinking of them as your son. It’s still trips my mental ick factor a little bit.I think my biggest problem with this book, and the reason why despite sucking me in and devouring it whole, I can’t give it 5 stars is the fact that I never felt like it was a truly balanced relationship. For me the only way a triad works is if everyone is an equal partner in the situation and the love shared feels equal as well. No matter who was involved first and who came in later if all three people don’t love each other on an equal basis I feel like there are going to be potential pit falls down the road. Fights are bound to break out and feelings get hurt over “well you love him more than me” feelings. The number of times we were told that Liam’s feelings for one guy or the other were more intense or that he was “in love” with Kel though Seth was the “love of his life.” I never felt like despite them all saying the loved each other, that that love was equal. Course there were a lot of twisty emotions involved.
Which brings me to a sore point in the story…I never really felt like Seth lived up to his “love of your life” status. We aren’t privy to the true nature of the relationship Seth and Liam shared four years previous, we’re only told about it. But the horrific nature of what ended that relationship would have taken a whole hell of a lot more making up and honest discussing for me to get over than it seemed to take Liam.
Spoiler
Knowing that Seth stood by and watched the man he professed to be in love with be raped, no matter how consensual he thought it might be, that kind of abuse goes above and beyond a porn scene. It makes me question the depth of Seth’s ability to love. While he apologized and agonized over it when he found out I never felt like I got the desperation for how atrocious his actions were knowing that Liam almost succeeded in killing himself over it all.This story is exceedingly well written…it’d have to be to get me over the seeming incestuous nature as described in the opening blurb. But it falls a little short for me because I’m not entirely happy where everything ends up for these three. Throwing over promising careers and law and the potential of a career in medicine to go model (especially in your early to late 30’s) doesn’t seem particularly plausible in the end. I wanted more maturity and a greater degree of understanding between these men before we left them. I’m not convinced that some huge misunderstandings and problems aren’t going to creep up in their future. I still felt like they had a lot of things to work out to make their relationship really truly solid. Still Liam’s heart and soul pulled me in and I felt for the dear man and wanted him to get what he wanted in the end. I feel awful for the destruction his life has become because of idiotic people who should never have been allowed to procreate in the first place. There were a number of people in this story who should seriously consider castration as a viable life choice. Please, remove your stupid self from the gene pool. You ARE the problem. Kill yourself and I guarantee you’ll be up for a Darwin Award. Grrrrrrr!
While I do wish there was a sequel here, even just a short to check back in with these guys and see where they end up and how things balance out, I was happy I finally read the story. I’m glad that the squick wasn’t nearly as shudder worthy of a squick as I was expecting and I am reminded again why I enjoy Ms. Celeste’s writing. There is a lovely narrative flow and my heart does go out to her characters. That’s one crazy fucked up life and I understand the want to get out of dodge. Hang on to anything that can make you happy when you’ve been that miserable. You deserve it.
This book was so damn sad.
This book was so damn hot.
This book was so damn frustrating.
This book was do damn not what I expected.
I came for the pseudo incest, I'm not going to lie. I was told this book was hella hot and hella hot doesn't begin to cover it. But this book, it was way more emotional than I was prepared for and this being I think the second book I have read from the author, I know the score. The first one did the same thing to me; I went in for the fun sexy times and ended up crying more than I wanted to.
You think????
Liam is so broken. I don't think I have read someone who's life is so screwed up. There are so many lies. So many unnecessary lies that led to so much hurt. My heart bleeds for this man, for this good man with a big heart who wants to do the right thing even if the right thing tears everything and everyone he has ever loved away from him. Oh Liam. So much pain. So much sad.
Seth, I really liked Seth and what he brought to the table and to the book. He was deceived and hurt as well and all that he wants is to be with the man he loves, even if it.... well, even if it's two men because, the blurb says it and oh boy.
Kel, Kelton, Kelly... JHFC. What you do blew my mind in many ways. I don't know how the fuck you kept it together but you did and really, dude. You are amazing and yeah.
I can't really think straight after reading this. I am kinda depressed and wish I had more of the wine I was drinking during most of this book.
So...
The sex: Off the charts hot, intimate, dirty and just UNF.
The story: So fucked up, twisted and totally beyond complicated.
The emotions: So deep, tender, intense and so sad.
I really liked the book, I did and yet, sexy book has made me sad.
How did that happen?
This book was so damn hot.
This book was so damn frustrating.
This book was do damn not what I expected.
I came for the pseudo incest, I'm not going to lie. I was told this book was hella hot and hella hot doesn't begin to cover it. But this book, it was way more emotional than I was prepared for and this being I think the second book I have read from the author, I know the score. The first one did the same thing to me; I went in for the fun sexy times and ended up crying more than I wanted to.
I can do a three-way relationship but, shit. This is so fucking beyond complicated.
You think????
Liam is so broken. I don't think I have read someone who's life is so screwed up. There are so many lies. So many unnecessary lies that led to so much hurt. My heart bleeds for this man, for this good man with a big heart who wants to do the right thing even if the right thing tears everything and everyone he has ever loved away from him. Oh Liam. So much pain. So much sad.
Seth, I really liked Seth and what he brought to the table and to the book. He was deceived and hurt as well and all that he wants is to be with the man he loves, even if it.... well, even if it's two men because, the blurb says it and oh boy.
Kel, Kelton, Kelly... JHFC. What you do blew my mind in many ways. I don't know how the fuck you kept it together but you did and really, dude. You are amazing and yeah.
I can't really think straight after reading this. I am kinda depressed and wish I had more of the wine I was drinking during most of this book.
So...
The sex: Off the charts hot, intimate, dirty and just UNF.
The story: So fucked up, twisted and totally beyond complicated.
The emotions: So deep, tender, intense and so sad.
I really liked the book, I did and yet, sexy book has made me sad.
How did that happen?
DNF @ 33%
I wanted to love this one but just couldn’t get into it.
I wanted to love this one but just couldn’t get into it.
I really enjoyed this book. I actually liked all the never-ending drama. I guess I was at a point where sex and Drama are just the things I needed.