Three-Way Tie by M.Q. Barber

Three-Way Tie by M.Q. Barber

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a perfect little snack to hold me over while I waited for the release of Becoming His Master. Three-Way Tie gives fans of the series the chance to spend a day with the trio as they go shopping for the perfect dishes for their first Thanksgiving dinner as a family. We get to witness the care that Henry takes as he prepares Alice and Jay for their day out. The usual banter between Jay and Alice is present as is the Henry's steadying presence. The sexual tension between the three is obvious as they make their way into yet another antique store, but it is Jay's pleasure at finding the perfect dishes and at the praise he receives from Henry that is most palpable. That is, until they arrive home and Henry choreographs a stunningly erotic scene between the three of them to fulfill the promise of his all-day foreplay. Despite the short length of this story, Ms. Barber continues to stay true to her characters and who they are as individuals as well as who they are within their ménage dynamic. I do not recommend reading Three-Way Tie as a standalone because to fully appreciate it, you need to be familiar with the trio and what they have faced to get to where they are in their relationship. But if you are a fan of the series, spend the buck and buy this novelette. I got it as a Prime borrow for the month and will be purchasing it so that I can read it again whenever I need a quick Alice, Jay, and Henry fix.


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Becoming His Master by M.Q. Barber

Becoming His Master by M.Q. Barber

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I must admit that I didn’t read past Neighborly Affection and M.Q. Barber before snagging this book. As such, I began it expecting to continue on the journey with my favorite ménage trio – Henry, Jay, and Alice. However, in Becoming His Master, Ms. Barber takes us back in time to show fans how Jay and Henry came to be. Was Alice’s presence missed? Yes, because I was looking forward to seeing how their relationship dynamic continued to progress. Was I disappointed in Becoming His Master? Absofreakinglutely not! With each book I have read of the series, I wanted to know more about Jay and Henry’s relationship, but never did I expect that Ms. Barber would backtrack within the series to tell their tale. Yet she did and delivered an absolutely wonderful book.

I didn’t know it was possible, but with each page that I read of Becoming His Master, I fell even more in love with Henry. As always, the beautiful dominant is ever present in his interactions with Jay. I loved how, from the very beginning, Henry set aside his own desires in order to give Jay the care and guidance he needed. From the previous books, we knew that Jay had suffered at the hands of a sadistic Dom and that Henry had interrupted the scene when it became apparent that Jay’s safeword had been ignored. What we learn over the course of this book is that Jay’s desire and eagerness to serve a Master had exposed him to mistreatment after mistreatment for months – sometimes actual physical abuse, but almost always emotional abuse as Jay was unable to express his needs as a submissive.

Because of Jay’s history, Henry had to walk a fine line so that he could teach Jay to identify his wants and limits, to learn to communicate them, and to learn that above all else, his own safety was paramount, all while not abusing his position of authority over Jay. Having spent three books with Henry, I was not the least bit surprised that he accomplished it. After all, we know that the two are together. But what is mesmerizing is how Henry does it and how he helps nurse the wounded Jay into the wriggly puppy we all know and love. My only complaint with Becoming His Master is that I reached the final page far too soon, but that has happened with every book in the series. Now the countdown begins for the next book in the Neighborly Affection series and as much as I LOVED finally learning Jay and Henry’s history, I do so hope that we return to present day to see how life fares for my favorite trio.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Becoming His Master Tour Stop! blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Review of Healing the Wounds by M.Q. Barber

Healing the Wounds by M.Q. Barber

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



In Healing the Wounds we return to the ménage relationship between Henry, Jay and Alice. Picking up where Crossing the Lines ended, we find the trio making plans for Alice to move in and become a permanent member of the household, and formally solidifying her place in the relationship. Two pages into the book and I immediately remembered why I love this trio so much – Henry is the ever-patient voice of reason offering love, comfort and guidance to the eager-to-please Jay and over-analyzing Alice – in short, they are perfect for one another, flaws and baggage included.

As Henry seeks to correct the damage done from the ill-fated trip to the club, the relationship between the three strengthens and their love for one another deepens. As expected, it is not a simple fix – there is no quick fix for the mental wounds Alice received that night, nor the wounds that were reopened for Jay – and Henry worked to heal the wounds throughout the entire book. I found their reactions and subsequent behaviors so realistic and honest, that I was again immersed in their world. Henry is still the beautiful dominant, subtle in his domination and taking pleasure in meeting Jay and Alice’s needs; he is at complete odds with my preferred alpha Dom, but I love him all the same – perhaps even more so. The way in which the author enables Henry to meet the emotional needs of Jay and Alice – both personally and using one to meet the other’s needs – is absolutely brilliant. Add to that, the unbelievably hot sex and non-sex sex (when you read it, you’ll get the reference), it is not surprising to me that I devoured the book and am sad that it is over already.

Ms. Barber does an excellent job of making these three seem so real and expressive that I find myself so invested in their characters. Because their story is not rushed, I foresee (hopefully) many more novels in the Neighborly Affection series and I am already anxious for the next one. Until then, I will have to bide my time by checking out the recently released short story from the series. I don’t typically buy short stories, but when they are written by a wonderful author and are part of a series that I am becoming obsessed with, I do and will make an exception. Thank you Ms. Barber for writing such beautiful characters and please write quickly as I need to know what comes next.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Healing the Wounds by M.Q. Barber blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Review of Crossing the Lines by M.Q. Barber

Crossing the Lines by M.Q. Barber

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Ms. Barber has created a wonderfully delightful addition to her Neighborly Affection series. In Crossing the Lines we are once again treated to front row seats as the relationship between Alice, Jay, and Henry develops further, much to Alice's dismay. Yes, the poor girl never saw it coming, she didn't understand what we the readers already knew, that she was NOT a new sex toy with a pulse being added to Jay and Henry's Friday night playtime.

While I as the reader may have already known that Alice's status was far more than she thought it to be, that did not make her discovery of it any less anxiety riddled as I have become fully invested in this trio. Nor did it mean that there were not revelations to be made that the reader was not fully aware of; after all, Henry is a Dom and he doles out information on a need-to-know basis and we, dear reader, did not need to know before Alice.

But Alice was not the only one to struggle with self-realizations in Crossing the Lines. Jay and Henry both had their own demons and self-doubt to deal with. Because the biggest impetus for Jay and Henry’s moment of doubt is a definite spoiler I will not discuss it directly, but I will say that the incident is vital to the future of the trio's relationship moving forward. How it ultimately affects their relationship remains to be seen, but I will be waiting impatiently for the next book in the Neighborly Affection series to find out.

My appreciation goes to Ms. Barber for yet another well written ménage book. The precision with which the author writes makes it practically impossible to not know whose thoughts and words are being shared and she accomplishes it without interrupting the flow of the story. I've had the misfortune recently of reading a ménage in which I frequently got confused as to which "he" was speaking and was forced to reread passages in the book multiple times in order to figure it out, thus interrupting the flow and reducing my enjoyment of the book. My only complaint is that the book is now over but at least I can reread it as many times as I want while I await the next installment in the series, so please write quickly.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Crossing the Lines by M.Q. Barber blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Review of Playing the Game by M.Q. Barber

Playing the Game by M.Q. Barber

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Now THAT is how you write a menage!

The MFM is one of my favorite erotica subjects to read; throw in a little BDSM and a bit (or a lot) of MM play and you have the recipe for a potentially great read. And while the last few ménages I've read have been good reads, Ms. Barber combined all of my favorite ingredients and produced a stellar read, at least for me it was.

I did not connect with the characters in Playing the Game, I fell in love with them. Henry, our professorial dominant, is not described as having the physically overwhelming presence of the alpha males I've come to associate with a Dom, yet I found him to be just as affecting and maybe even more so as he uses his voice, experience, and commanding presence to dominate his partners; do not interpret my use of the term professorial to mean that Henry is lacking physically because the man is clearly hot, it is used rather to illustrate his personality. Then we have the delightfully entertaining Jay, a compulsive flirt that every girl should be lucky enough have in her life if only the world were truly fair (thank goodness we have books to rectify that). Finally, we have Alice ... Alice you lucky, lucky girl.

These characters came to life for me and I was so invested in their relationship and interactions that I was suddenly at the end of the book and, BAM, it was over. And this is my only complaint about Playing the Game. There was no winding down of the story, no indication that the end was near, but rather I turned the page expecting the start of a new chapter and instead found that the book had ended and done so rather abruptly. Had I not picked this book up in order to read & review its sequel, I would have been quite upset as there is no indication that there is more to this trio's story. Would this have changed my rating? Probably not, as Playing the Game has been added to my reread list ... the characters are wonderfully written, the book is mesmerizing, and the sex is HAWT!

This is a VERY well written ménage and I am looking forward to the sequel, as well as reading more by this author. Thank you Ms. Barber for writing a book that I can add to my "go to" list when I need a ménage read.



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