Jaime Samms

Smoothing the Kinks in THREE PLAYER GAME-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a newly-released contemporary M/M menage romance from Jaime Samms. THREE PLAYER GAME features some of the characters featured in HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES, also by Samms. Both books are set in the Bluewater Bay universe, like ALL WHEEL DRIVE and GET A GRIP. 3PG features a couple who practice a bit of light BDSM looking for a third, and convincing him they need him as much as he needs them.

About the book:
Vince’s life has improved immeasurably since he moved to Bluewater Bay two years ago. He’s gone from working for a man he hated, to helping found a company he believes in. And he and boyfriend, Pete, have built a delicate balance of power between them that keeps them both grounded and thriving.

Almost, anyway.

Pete’s job on the set of Wolf’s Landing is demanding. He needs lots of downtime off set, and that’s where Vince’s firm but gentle control isn’t always enough. And for Vince, Pete’s constant high-energy needs are turning out to be more than he can handle alone.

It’s no surprise to either of them, then, that sparks fly when Vince’s coworker Lee enters the picture. Outwardly, Lee is tough and confident, but when a bad back confines him to Pete and Vince’s spare room, the cracks start to show and his desire for connection begins to peek through.

Pete and Vince both like what they see under Lee’s prickly outside, but now the three men must learn that love isn’t about beating the game—it’s about balance, trust, and letting each other in.

My Review:
Vince and Lee are co-workers for a newly-formed company that’s planning to make a videogame about Wolf’s Landing. The two of them came to work for Blaire Caruthers. Blaire’s father was an overbearing prick, and they are all glad to be rid of him. Plus, Vince is dating a director’s assistant on the set of Wolf’s Landing, Pete, who is willing to direct some scenes they can use in the rendering of the video game. It seems they have an inside track on this plan, and life is finally going well for Vince–and mostly Lee. Well, Lee suffers from a chronic back injury. He’s laid up in a Vancouver hotel with a flare-up, and being cared for by Vince when the book opens.

Vince has long thought Lee was attractive, but he’s with Pete, and that’s totally cool. In fact, it’s a great partnership. Pete has a stress-filled job on the TV show set, and he struggles to relax in his off hours. Vince’s firm hand and creative loving calm Pete’s manic beast. That said, it’s a lot of stress on Vince, and he’s getting a bit worn from caring for Pete’s emotional and sexual needs. They are fully aware of this, and have been considering asking another man to join them; both Pete and Vince are attracted to Lee, but nervous about approaching him. Lee’s need for care as he recovers from his back troubles seems a perfect fit for their cozy cottage–and lifestyle. One huge snag, Lee’s back was originally injured by a careless Dom, and he wants no more kink in his life.

However, the longer Lee spends with Pete and Vince, the more he comes to realize how very lonely he is in Bluewater Bay. And how bonding with VInce and Pete, only to have them someday move on and leave him behind, could be too crushing to manage.

I liked this one. I’m a fan of poly relationships in fiction, and this one had an interesting spin, for me. The purported triad wasn’t necessarily all about attraction. Vince and Pete had deep needs in their relationship that weren’t being completely met. They are really invested in one another, and want to satisfy the other, too, but there are strains. Pete is a health-mind-body type of guy, and needs a place for balance. When his schedule is thrown off, it can take Vince hours and hours to calm him, and get him to re-center. He knows this is a challenge most men wouldn’t take on, and he loves Vince for all his care, which is by turns tender and kinky. Expect some bondage and light BDSM.

Lee is afraid to engage in kink, to be that vulnerable again, but Pete and Vince are excellent at caring for him. It’s unsettling how cherished they make him feel. Yet, he struggles with Vince, who was the previous office lackey, being dominant at home. Lee’s conflicts in the work place become petty, and illustrate how immature Lee has acted in relationships during adulthood. It’s only once he walks out that he recognizes all he’s given up–and wants back. The sexytimes aren’t burn the sheets up steamy, but they are engaging nonetheless. The power plays and dynamics of navigating a kink-laced, three-way love fest are always tricky. That said, these scenes add a lot of tender moments to a story line already brimming with compassion and self-sacrifice.

Interested? You can find THREE PLAYER GAME on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble iBooks and Kobo. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author: in Jaime Samms’ words…
With most of the hours in the day taken up by a part time job and the full time occupation of raising and schooling two kids, writing is somewhat of an indulgence, but it’s the indulgences that keep us sane, right? When not otherwise occupied, like most writers, reading is my relaxation method of choice, and you can find my reviews at Kuriousity.com and Dark Diva Reviews to let you know what I liked (and occasionally, what I didn’t). And just in case there are an extra few minutes in the day, I also help out the admin team abelong to a writer’s critique group: Dreaming in Ink. After all, idle hands and all that.

Catch up with Jaime online here: website | blog | Facebook | twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Mad Love–HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES–A Review

Hi there! Wishing a Happy Book Birthday to HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES by Jaime Samms. This contemporary M/M Romance is part of the Bluewater Bay series (Lone Wolf, Wedding Favors, Rain Shadow) but can be enjoyed on its own. COOKIE features a baker who was wronged in a reality TV show, trying to make a fresh start in Bluewater Bay, and having a hard time refusing to help his homophobic, terminally ill, alcoholic father…

How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay, #12)About the book:

Frederic is a twenty-ish y/o man who is starting his life over again in Bluewater Bay. He’d recently competed in a reality cooking contest program and seemed a favorite to win the big prize, and perhaps the heart of one of the sponsors/judges, Blaire Carruthers, but that all bottomed out when one of the other contestants, Jerry, interfered. He turned Blaire’s head, and got the votes and the guy. The scandal that was close to breaking was settled between Frederic and Blaire’s overbearing, homophobic father for $500K. Frederic used it to pay for a fixer-upper bakery in Bluewater Bay, and goodness knows how many medical bills and IOUs of his alcoholic, ill, homophobic father.

Now Frederic works tirelessly at his fledgling bakery to pay the bills and answer further demand for cash from his good-for-nothin’ POS demon-spawn of a dear ol’ dad. He’s startled one day by Blaire’s unexpected and unwanted appearance at the bakery. Blaine, it seems, has had a full change of heart, regarding Jerry, and wants to make amends to Frederic, for abusing his trust and letting him down–by rigging the contest in Jerry’s favor. Frederic wants nothing to do with Blaire–who frankly makes a nuisance of himself by moving to Bluewater Bay and doing a bit of low-level stalking to catch Frederic whenever he’s in need of a little boost. He sees how hard Frederic works, and assumes he needs money, so he arranges a complicated scheme to drum up business for Frederic’s bakery, causing a spiral of near-constant work that has dire consequences for Frederic’s health.

Okay, so this book is a good read. Not as upbeat as others in the series. Both guys have a rough family history, even Blaire who’s always had enough money has never had love or approval from his father. Blaire really had affection for Frederic, and hopes against hope that he can get Frederic to give him another chance. Frederic has serious trust issues, but is a forgiveness machine, especially for people who generally do not deserve it. Though, I will admit that Blaire works hard for his approval. He takes care of Frederic, in both genuine and misguided ways, but this is all to the good, for it brings Frederic back…sometimes.

This is book low on sexytimes. For the length, there are few (3-4) scenes of lovin’ and many scenes of fighting, not the best mix for me, though some might favor that approach. Also, I struggled a little with the verbiage as there were turns of phrase that more suited the British English–and these are East Coast boys through and through. Most troubling for me, however, was the pace. Again, with so little page time devoted to the romance, the bulk of the story was fighting, illness, and dealing with depressing family problems. I wanted more heat, and less hate. That said, if the book was this long and had 18 smoking hot sexytime scenes, I wouldn’t be frustrated with the slow almost-burn of the plot. This is an enemies-to-lovers plot, but without the incendiary passion that often accompanies those types of stories. Blaire almost immediately went into caretaker mode, and Frederic needed lots of caretaking–so they were more psuedo-enemies in a hurt/comfort scenario. When there was sexytimes there was a hint of kink, a bit of pain for Frederic and a bit of dominance for Blaire.

I consider this an HEA. The characters work through their issues and have a definite plan to stay together. It’s definitely a 3.5 star read, but maybe a 4.

Interested? You can find HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author: in Jaime Samms’ words…
With most of the hours in the day taken up by a part time job and the full time occupation of raising and schooling two kids, writing is somewhat of an indulgence, but it’s the indulgences that keep us sane, right? When not otherwise occupied, like most writers, reading is my relaxation method of choice, and you can find my reviews at Kuriousity.com and Dark Diva Reviews to let you know what I liked (and occasionally, what I didn’t). And just in case there are an extra few minutes in the day, I also help out the admin team abelong to a writer’s critique group: Dreaming in Ink. After all, idle hands and all that.

Catch up with Jaime online here: website | blog | Facebook | twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!