Three Shots (A Poly in Pendleton Story) by Brigham Vaughn

 

Pages: 310

Release Date: March 10, 2021

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

A musician, a computer designer, and a tavern owner walk into a bar: it’ll take three shots to get this right …

When Reeve Jenkins picks up his guitar to sing at a local dive bar, the last thing he expects is to bring a guy home that night. Grant McGuire is a man drowning his sorrows in beer after a painful breakup. Having some fun in bed is easy for the two of them but while hookups are simple, pursing a relationship never feels quite right.

Rachael Bradford has seen plenty of attractive men walk into the Hawk Point Tavern but she’s too busy running the place to worry about taking any of them home.

The chemistry between them is off the characters but when Reeve and Grant offer her more than a quick fantasy, they’ll have to figure out how to navigate an openly poly relationship in the small town of Pendleton Bay.

Originally released in 2017, Three Shots has been re-written with an additional 40k words of content, set in the Pendleton Bay Universe, and re-edited.

Review

This was a re-read for me. I first read Three Shots in 2017. Then again, I’m not sure re-read is the right word here. While there certainly are strong similarities between the original Three Shots and this new version, so much has been added and changed that it was almost like reading a brand-new story for the first time. And while there was nothing wrong with this book when it first came out (after all, I give it five stars then too) there is no denying that the extended version is even better.

My original review mentions that the story managed to be deliciously enticing and incredible adorable at the same time, and that is something that hasn’t changed. The sexual encounters, initially between Reeve and Grant and later with Rachael too are hot, exciting, and imaginative. But, while I sure appreciated those scenes, they weren’t what I loved most in this story. What really stood out for me was the communication between these three protagonists. From the moment they meet they are open and frank with each other. There are no ‘misunderstandings’ based on withheld information in this story. Reeve, Grant, and Rachael know at all times what they can expect from the others and what is expected from them. Given that ‘conflict that could have been avoided if only the characters talked to each other’ is one of my pet hates in romance, you can imagine how delighted this set-up made me.

Not that Brigham Vaughn avoids complications, far from it. But the obstacles Rachael, Reeve, and Grant encounter are talked about and dealt with. The only real issues they face are caused by outside forces, more specifically by those who don’t understand and therefore don’t approve of a poly-relationship.

This story could have been written for me. Low on angst but high on feels, with characters who communicate well, hot sex scenes, and memorable secondary characters, I couldn’t have asked for more. What I am asking for, however, is more stories set in Pendleton. This little town is fast turning into a favourite (reading) destination for me.

Dedicated (Rhythm of Love #1) by Neve Wilder - Release Blitz

Length: 92,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Mayhem Cover Creations

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

“Our greatest hit is a love song I wrote for my bandmate. And he has no idea.”

Messy-haired, soulful-eyed, off-kilter lyricist Les Graves holds tight to the hedonist’s credo of consumption in every avenue of life. He has trouble staying still, trouble staying sober, trouble turning down a good time—but put a pen in his hand, and he’ll set a page on fire.

Music was Evan Porter’s ticket out of the backwater mud puddle he was born in, the passion keeping him warm as he busked on street corners, fueling him through a dead-end bartending job. Every chord, every song, every ounce of sweat has been devoted to making Porter & Graves a success. He’s the level-head, the quiet maestro, the seatbelt that keeps Les from flying too far out of control. And he’s getting pretty tired of playing savior.

Their chemistry onstage is electric, but offstage it’s another story.

Angst, snark, and nuclear levels of unresolved sexual tension combust in this tale of two rockers, a handful of secrets, a bombed album, and a publicity nightmare thrown in a remote cabin with one shot at redemption. Can Evan and Les find harmony or will they—and their music career—go down in flames?

Dedicated is a 92k standalone bisexual friends-to-lovers romance that also plays on the fake relationship trope, contains a cockblocking greenhouse, really poor decisions involving social media, and a borderline over-the-top HEA.

*Please note: This book contains reference to and depiction of a MMF scene*

Author Bio

Neve Wilder lives in the dirty South, where the summers are hot and the winters are...sometimes cold. She is a mom to three rambunctious weebeasts who have joined forces in a mission to carpet the family home with toys and small items that really suck to step on at six in the morning.

She reads promiscuously, across multiple genres, but her favorite stories always contain an element of romance. Incidentally, this is also what she likes to write. Slow-burners with delicious tension? Yes. Whiplash-inducing page-turners, also yes. Down and dirty scorchers? Yes. And every flavor in between.

She believes David Bowie was the sexiest musician to ever live, and she's always game to nerd out on anything from music to writing.

And finally, she believes that love conquers all. Except the heat index in July. Nothing can conquer that bastard.

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Double Dare (Dare Menage Series #1) by Jeanne St. James - 99c Book Blast

Book Title: Double Dare (The Dare Menage Series, bk 1)

Author: Jeanne St. James

Publisher: Self

Cover Artist: April Martinez

Release Date: March 25 2010

Genre/s: Contemporary Erotic Romance (Interracial, MMF, LGBTQ)

Length: 67,500 words/260 pages

It can be read as a standalone but is the first book in a series.

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Blurb

What could be better than waking up next to a hot guy? Waking up sandwiched between two of them.

Quinn Preston, a financial analyst, is not happy when her friends dare her to pick up a handsome stranger at a wedding reception. What better reason to give up men when her previous long-term relationship had not only been lackluster in the bedroom but he had cheated?

Logan Reed, a successful business owner, can't believe that he's attracted to the woman in the ugly, Pepto-Bismol pink bridesmaid dress. And to boot, she's more than tipsy. After turning down her invitation for a one-night stand, he finds her in the parking lot too impaired to drive. He rescues her and takes her home. His home.

The next morning Quinn's conservative life turns on its ear when Logan introduces her to pleasures she never even considered before. And to make things more complicated, Logan already has a lover.

Tyson White, ex-pro football player, is completely in love with Logan. He has mixed emotions when Logan brings home Quinn. But the dares keep coming...

Note: This book in the series can be read as stand-alone. It includes an HEA ending. It is intended for audiences over 18 years of age since it includes MMF scenes between all three characters.

Excerpt

When Logan glanced up again, he saw a pink vision stalking toward him, and he sat up straighter. Shit, the cause of his earlier hard-on was coming his way.

She looked determined, and she still had a grip around her glass like it was a lifeline.

She stopped directly in front of him and put one hand on her hip.

“Are you Logan Reed?”

Oh shit. “Yes?”

“You don't know for sure?”

“Oh, I'm sure.”

“Are you fucking anybody right now?”

“Right this minute?” He glanced around to see if anyone else was hearing this surreal conversation. Luckily no one was paying attention.

“No. Do you have anyone who is going to get mad if I ask you to dance?”

“Uh. No.” Well, hell, that was a unique way of asking someone to dance.

She placed her drink on the table, and he asked, “Is that still your second one?”

“No, third.”

“I was afraid of that.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled, but he was too heavy for her to lift, so he unfolded himself from the chair to accommodate her.

“Are you asking me to dance?”

“You have a problem with that?”

“Not at all.” He interlaced his fingers with hers and led her to a corner of the dance floor. Luckily for him, the DJ had turned the lights down and was playing a series of slow tunes. Ones he could dance to. There was no way he was doing the chicken dance or line dancing. He had his limits.

As the slow, wailing tune blared through the large speakers, Logan slid his palms around her waist, his splayed fingers coming to rest at the small of her back. The fabric of her dress felt terrible, and he didn't know why women wore shit like that and suffered. The dress certainly wasn't flattering.

But it wasn't the outer package that mattered to Logan; it was the prize he found inside when it was unwrapped.

He stepped in a little closer and pulled her hips against his. He swore he heard a little gasp. He smiled into her overstyled, dark blonde hair and nuzzled it. Underneath all the hairspray, he caught a scent of wildflowers. It smelled nice.

“What's your name?” he murmured into her hair.

“What?” She turned her head a bit, and she ended up nuzzling his neck. Her lips, the shape of which reminded him of an archer's bow, were warm and soft, and he could detect the fruity scent of the slammers on her breath.

She was average height for a woman, which made her a bit shorter than him, so he had to lean down a bit to place his lips against her ear.

“What's your name?”

He felt the shiver of her body against him, so he traced the delicate shell of her ear with the tip of his tongue. The touch was light enough, but she unmistakably felt it. In response, she arched her back slightly, pressing her hips harder into his.

“Quinn,” she finally answered him, her voice breathless.

“Quinn,” he repeated while moving one hand up her back to the bare skin rising out of her dress. He drew the pad of his thumb along the smooth expanse of flesh, along her exposed spine, moving up to her neck to cradle it in his palm. His thumb continued to stroke her skin along the vein in her neck.

He pulled away a little and looked down into her face. Her eyes were heavy, and her lips were parted. Her breaths were short and quick.

He struggled to keep from thrusting against her. If she looked this good in that god-awful dress, he wondered what she looked like in normal clothes. Or no clothes at all.

Or just a pair of handcuffs.

His balls tightened, and he released a long breath out of his nose to steady his pulse.

“Quinn, do you like sex?” He placed his cheek against hers, and they swayed to the music, their hips, their thighs brushing against each other.

Her eyelids fluttered a bit before she answered, “Sometimes.”

“Why only sometimes?” he whispered against her ear.

She shrugged slightly, and one of her off-the-shoulder sleeves slid down a bit, exposing more creamy flesh.

Logan brushed his lips along her collarbone. It was delicate and covered with smooth skin. When he got to her shoulder, he worked his way back, and in the hollow of her neck, he placed a kiss.

There was a groan. He didn't know whom it came from. Her? Him? He didn't care. His hand at the small of her back slipped lower, to just where the rise of her ass was. The fabric of the dress kept him from feeling details, but his imagination took over.

One song transitioned into another, and they weren't even aware of the other couples dancing nearby.

His hips kept a steady side-to-side rhythm, while his hand on her back kept her close and in perfect time with him.

He was hard. There was no doubt she could feel it. Even with the yards of fabric around her midsection, her belly brushed against his length, teasing his cock.

“What kind of sex do you like?” His voice sounded low and gruff to his own ears.

“The kind when I get to come.”

Logan chuckled against her temple and slipped the hand he had around her neck to her shoulder. His fingers brushed her skin lightly. He couldn't help but notice goose bumps suddenly appearing everywhere he touched her. Which meant her nipples were probably hard and aching for his fingers and mouth.

Her dress had slipped down a bit, and the neckline rode low on her chest. The fabric rested just on the crest of her breasts; he could see she wasn't wearing a bra. In fact, he thought he could see the crescent edge of one nipple, even in the dim light.

He wanted to dip his tongue between her breasts.

“Quinn?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you ask me to dance?”

“Because my friends…” Her soft voice faded off.

“Your friends?” He prodded.

“My friends dared me to. They think I am such a loser when it comes to men.”

“Ah.”

“I always pick Mr. Wrong.”

“Am I supposed to be Mr. Right?” He brushed the backs of his knuckles over the rise of her breasts.

“No. Just Mr. Right Now.”

She was direct. He wondered if it was just the alcohol talking. “So you just want to use me.”

“Basically.”

Her boldness wavered, disappointing him a bit.

He raised his eyebrows. “Huh. And you don't think I'd care?” He leaned back a bit and looked down at her, her skin a canvas for the colorful light bouncing off the mirrored disco ball above the dance floor.

She wouldn't meet his gaze. “Do you?”

About the Author 

JEANNE ST. JAMES is a USA Today bestselling romance author who loves an alpha male (or two). She was only thirteen when she started writing. Her first paid published piece was an erotic story in Playgirl magazine. Her first erotic romance novel, Banged Up, was published in 2009. She is happily owned by farting French bulldogs. She writes M/F, M/M, and M/M/F ménages. Want to read a sample of her work? Download a sampler book here: BookHip.com/MTQQKK

To keep up with her busy release schedule check her website or sign up for her newsletter

Author Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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Between the Studs by Brigham Vaughn - Release Day Review

Length: 33,511 words (Novella)

Genre: MMF Poly Contemporary Romance

Buy Links: Amazon |  Kobo | iTunes | PayHip | Scribd | Smashwords

It will also be available on Barnes & Noble

 Between the Studs on Goodreads:

Blurb

After a busy and successful year at her bakery, divorcée Aimee Lucas decides to splurge on a bathroom renovation. The owner of Lucas’s Fine Cakes and Pastries is tired of lackluster Valentine’s Days, so she’s looking forward to a solo celebration this year. Why bother with a mediocre date when she can relax in a tub with a glass of wine?

Joshua Ward and Matt Mitchell co-own a construction company, but there’s a bit more to their partnership than they let on. Although both men have caught the eye of many a homeowner, they never mix business with pleasure.

When Aimee hires J&M Construction to remodel her bathroom, she never expects to find a date. Much less two.

As the project continues, Aimee, Matt, and Josh find themselves drawn to one another. Matt and Josh are happy together, but they’re looking for a woman to be their third, and it quickly becomes clear Aimee might just be whom they’ve been searching for.

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, they all have decisions to make. Can Matt and Josh broach the subject without losing their customer? And will Aimee decide she just wants a fling with the hunky contractors, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith on something more?

Excerpt

Paula nodded knowingly when Aimee finished. “They’re totally into you! I definitely didn’t get any cozy chats with them over coffee or flirtatious banter.”

“Yeah, but both of them? I mean, are they just hedging their bets? Figuring I’ll choose one or the other?”

“Maybe.Maybe not though. They could just be into that.”

“Into what?” Aimee’s eyes got big as she realized what Paula meant. “Oh. You mean …?”

“Mmhmm.Maybe they like gettin’ it on together with a gorgeous woman.”

Threesomes. Well that wasn’t something Aimee had ever considered. Well, there had been the one time in college where she’d sort of ended up in bed with a couple, but she hadn’t been into the girl enough to go down on her and it had involved a lot of drunken fumbling. It had been sort of hot though, she mused.

But two guys? That was something altogether different. And this was no college experimentation. She was a grown adult for goodness sake. She owned a house and a business. She couldn’t really be thinking about it. Could she?

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Paula teased.

“No!” Aimee protested. But Paula’s arched eyebrow and the disbelief etched on her face prompted her to clarify. “I mean, yes, I’m thinking about what you suggested but not because I’m considering doing it.”

“Why not?”

Aimee sputtered. “Because that’s crazy! And so not me.”

“When was the last time you got laid?”

“Way too long ago,” Aimee admitted. “But come on, I can’t just answer the door tomorrow in lingerie and fuck me heels and say ‘hey boys, wanna fuck me?”

 Review

Between the Studs is a wonderful read. It gave this reader exactly what she wanted from a poly romance.

For starters, we’re meeting three wonderful characters. The whole story is told from Aimee’s perspective, which makes sense because the whole poly idea is new and scary to her. But through her eyes we get to fully appreciate Josh and Matt; and boy is there a lot to appreciate. Not only are they, as the title implies, total studs, they are also funny, charming, thoughtful, considerate, and incredibly sexy.

I so enjoyed Aimee’s journey from just enjoying having the two men in her house while they worked on her new bathroom, to cautious flirting, through a few doubts, to a night of out-of-this-world and mind-blowing sex. And then, just when you think that Aimee has found her happiness, the novelty of it all combines with her personal insecurities and… Let’s just say I wanted to slap her at that point. Not because her feelings, doubts, and reasoning didn’t make sense, but because I couldn’t stand her potentially throwing away the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Of course, the fact that her initial decision upset me so much, only proves how invested in the story and the characters I’d become by that point in the story. And the process she has to go through to get over her insecurities and reach the point where she is willing to follow her heart, even if it does mean taking a leap of faith, is exactly what makes this novella so much more than an erotic short. Because while this novella certainly is incredibly sexy, it is also the story of one woman who had been left once too often, finding the courage to embrace life again. And while I can’t deny thoroughly enjoying the sexy times between Aimee, Josh, and Matt, it was the rest of the story that made this book unputdownable for me.

I have to warn you though; Aimee’s baking plays a star role in this story and I have to admit the descriptions of her creations had my mouth watering. This may be one of those books you shouldn’t read while hungry J

If you’re in the mood for a well written, charming, very sexy and delightful story this Valentine’s Day (or any other time of the year), I highly recommend Between the Studs.

Three Shots by Brigham Vaughn - Release Day Review

Title: Three Shots

Author Name: Brigham Vaughn

Blurb:

Reeve Jenkins is an amateur musician playing in a dive bar. Grant McGuire is a man drowning his sorrows in beer after a painful breakup. When Reeve charms a reluctant Grant into coming home with him, they begin a three-year friendship with some very nice benefits.

But when the two gorgeous men walk into Hawk Point Tavern—the bar Rachael Bradford owns—one evening and greet each other with a kiss, it sets off a chain of events that leads to a steamy night and maybe something more for the trio.

Excerpt:

Rachael sighed and took a seat at her desk, forcing Reeve and Grant from her mind. They made for a fun fantasy, but had no place in real life. She had hours of work to do, and not enough time to get it done in. Hawk Point Tavern didn’t run itself.

She tackled the paychecks first. Her employees would want checks to cash soon, and it couldn’t wait. Thankfully, she had few employees and it didn’t take overly long to tally hours and make out the checks. She had moved on to sorting order invoices for the month when she heard a soft knock on her partially open door. Thinking it was Jenna or Tyler—the other bartender on tonight—she absent-mindedly called out, “Come in.”

“Excuse me,” a low, sexy voice replied.

Rachael’s head shot up and she was startled to see Reeve peering in the door.

“I, uh, hey. Um, hi Reeve,” She stuttered. She cleared her throat. “Come in.”

He stepped into the room and pushed the door nearly closed. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Uh, sure.” She frowned, puzzled by what he wanted, but not entirely displeased to have him in her office either. She stood and walked around the desk—leaning back against it and looking up to meet his gaze. “Is there a problem with your bill? Or something else I can help you with?”

He gave her a slow, sexy smirk. “I certainly hope so.”

Rachael stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but he was silent. His gaze raked over her body and she felt heat building between her legs at the slow, frank perusal of her body. By the glittering, heated gaze of his eyes, Rachael could see that he liked what he saw. Her jeans and t-shirt were hardly high fashion, but Reeve didn’t appear to have any complaints. Besides, Rachael knew she had a tight body and the jeans showed off her ass nicely.

“What can I help you with?” she asked, her voice breathless.

“Well you see, I came here looking to have a drink with a good friend, nothing more, but I found something else I am interested in.”

‘I’m … I’m sorry?”

Reeve stepped closer until he was just a foot from her, and she felt her heart speed up in her chest.

“What’s that?” Rachael repeated when he didn’t reply immediately.

“You.” The word was simple, but it did nothing to clear up her confusion.

“But … but what about Grant?” she asked. “I mean, it looked like you two were together, and I—I don’t want to cause any problems or get in the way of anything.”

Reeve moved so he was standing in front of her, booted feet on either side of her crossed ones. He leaned in, breathing softly against her cheek and she wet her lips reflexively.

“It’s pretty simple actually,” Reeve purred in her ear. “Grant and I hook up occasionally and we are both very attracted to you.” His lips brushed the sensitive outer shell and she shivered.

Bi then. Her experiences with Tom made her a little leery of bi guys, but it’s not like she was going to get involved with them beyond a quick—or maybe not so quick—roll in the sheets, she thought. This was a one-off. It wasn’t like she was going to see them after tonight so she might as well enjoy it while she had the opportunity.

“You aren’t in a relationship with him?” she said aloud. The last thing she wanted was to get involved with another cheater. Jonah had been more than enough, thankyouverymuch.

Reeve shrugged. “We’ve been friends for a long time, but it’s nothing exclusive. We keep things fluid.”

“So how would this work?” Rachael asked, her voice going a little breathless as she imagined what could play out if she said yes. “We’d have a threesome?”

“That is entirely up to you. If you’re only attracted to one of us, the other will step aside, although we’d both be very disappointed. And I somehow don’t think that’s the case, is it?”

“No, I’m definitely attracted to you both,” Rachael admitted. Reeve wrapped an arm around her lower back and pulled her flush against his body.

“Then how we fuck—” he skimmed a hand down her back to cup the lower curve of her ass “—is up for negotiation. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Book Info:

Genre: M/M/F erotic romance (contemporary)

Length: Novella - 35,949 words/94 pages

Release Day: January 31, 2017

Publisher: Two Peninsulas Press (self-published)

Pre-Order/Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Payhip | Smashwords

Goodreads Link

My Review:

“Love doesn't have to be limiting.  It should only expand who you are, and make you feel free”

I’m not sure how a story as hot as Three Shots can be both deliciously enticing and incredibly adorable at the same time, but this story has both those qualities in spades.

This is an erotic tale. While there is definitely more to the story than ‘just’ sex, there is plenty of it and both the relationships and the story develop mainly through these incredibly hot encounters between characters.

And when I say ‘hot’, I mean HOT.

Some might say that this story is unrealistic, that these three lovers open up to each other with far too much ease for people who’ve only just met, and while that may well be the case, I have to admit that to me it was a pure delight. In too many books (for my liking) at the core of any issue is the fact that the MCs refuse to talk to each other. Situations that could easily have been avoided if one or the other had just given voice to what was on their mind, grow huge and create drama. While that is sometimes realistic and occasionally even works, it is something I’m not fond of. It was therefore delightful to read a book in which the characters do open up to each other, explain what they think and feel, and subsequently deal with whatever the issue is.

There were a few things in this book I hugely appreciated. It is a wonderful surprise to read a book featuring bisexual characters without their orientation being ‘the’ or ‘a’ major plotline. Just as it is a rare but fabulous experience to read an MMF story in which the female is at least as strong as the male character(s). In fact, you could well say that if anybody has the upper hand in this story it’s Rachael.

The easy, uncomplicated, and near perfect coming together of first Reeve and Grant and then the two men and Rachael gave Three Shots a fairytale like quality. It’s a dream; how we would script our own perfect love story in an ideal world. This is a drama-free tale. While the characters have their, not always happy, back-stories, there is virtually no angst in this book. And sometimes that’s exactly what I need from my reading. It’s a perfect escape. If the story is also well written, happens to feature charming and fascinating characters, and gives me some of the hottest sex scenes I’ve read recently, it is safe to say I’ve found my personal Nirvana.

If you hadn’t guessed as much from what I’ve written above, let me make myself perfectly clear here: Three Shots comes highly recommended if you enjoy a well written, captivating, and extremely sexy story.

Author Bio:

Brigham Vaughn is starting the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga.  She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

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