AUTHOR: Jory Strong
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 40k)
GENRE: Paranormal ménage erotic romance
COST: $5.20
Jessica and Clay are engaged to be married. The only problem is, Clay has just informed the woman he loves more than anything that he’s bisexual, and he can’t be satisfied with only her as a lover. Somehow, someway, he needs to incorporate a male into their relationship, or worry for the rest of his life that he’ll succumb to his desire for another and lose her trust. A storm sends them off the road, and they are rescued by Native American Tekoa. Tekoa’s spirit has told him that Jessica and Clay are the mates which he’s been praying for. Now they just have to take it slow and get to know each other, in their attempts to find true happiness.
Maybe I’m a cynic. This certainly isn’t the first soulmate story I’ve read, and while I know it’s not the last, the fact that I’m about to say how this didn’t work for me either is going to lead people to think that maybe I shouldn’t be reading soulmate stories. After choosing this story on a recommendation from someone else, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe I should start considering that suggestion a little more seriously.
In spite of headhopping, there’s nothing really wrong with the author’s writing style. She uses terminology that isn’t to my taste, but it’s certainly mostly effective in putting together a hot scene, or building suspense as the story progresses. Where it began to fail for me – other than the headhopping – was in some of the character choices that had me rolling my eyes. Like the fact that Clay refers to his penis as a separate entity in lines such as, He arched his hips slightly to press his cock into her cupped hand. “He’s a big fan of yours too.” or “If I weren’t afraid of him catching pneumonia after all he’s been through today, I’d pull these sweats down so he could greet you properly.” It definitely doesn’t help that Jessica encourages this kind of talk. I always find this juvenile, I’m afraid. The only guys I ever knew who talked like this were in high school and college.
Then there’s Tekoa’s talk about breeding. That’s his word, not mine. The Thunderbird’s spirit urged him to take her to her hands and knees and breed her. Because he keeps talking about knocking her up. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t find it a romantic notion in this situation, especially when he’s only just met the woman. It objectifies Jessica in a way that bugs me, and makes me lose respect for him as an individual, even if it is a cultural thing.
My dissatisfaction with the two men probably contributed to my reluctance to buy into any of the spiritual connections. I wholeheartedly believed that Clay loved Jessica. That Jessica loved Clay. That both of them were incredibly attracted to Tekoa. But the entire aspect of the Thunderbird soulmates rubbed me the wrong way. The Creator leaves two cups on Tekoa’s mantle, signifying his blessing for the threesome. After Clay drinks it, Tekoa denies that there’s any drugging influence, but then he turns around and is adamant that Jessica has to drink hers; otherwise, they can’t be joined. Obviously, it’s a ritualistic thing, but the way it’s presented reeks of taking the choice away from Clay and Jessica’s control, and it makes it much, much harder for me to invest in their emotional bonding then.
I’m glad this story works for some people. The writer knows how to write, and if the story’s not entirely to my taste, that’s hardly her fault. It might be worth it for me to keep an eye out for her future releases.
| Readability | 7/10 – Relatively clean prose loses impact with headhopping and character foibles that pulled me out of the story |
| Menage | 6/10 – The sex is hot, but the emotional/spiritual connections are hard for me to buy as a ménage. |
| Characterization | 6/10 – Solid enough, if not enjoyable for me |
| Entertainment value | 5/10 – Without being able to connect emotionally, it was difficult to overlook annoying aspects of the story enough to enjoy it more. |
| World building | 8/10 – For as much as I didn’t believe it, the author still managed to show me what the Thunderbird mythology was like. |
| TOTAL: | 32/50 |
14 comments:
Huh? The guy is worried that he will cheat on the heroine with another guy so he needs to bring in a guy into the relationship? HUH? What kind of logic is that?
Does this mean that, if I am worried that I may cheat on my husband with Hugh Jackman, he has better approve and help get Hugh Jackman into our happy home?
Maybe Tekoa's happy spirits can do the trick.
It's crazy, horny man logic apparently.
I hope it doesn't buy into the usual bisexual = promiscuous myth.
No, I don't think it did. Clay had mostly convinced himself he was heterosexual when he proposed, but it was a random exposure to someone on one of his business trips (he's an outdoorsman who organizes group outside activities like hiking or rafting) that warned him he still craved/needed male attention. As much as I didn't like the soulmate stuff, I never disbelieved Clay's desire to not hurt Jessica with random sexual encounters.
Right, but that's not the myth Emily is referring to. The bisexuality=promiscuous myth is that bisexual men and women need sex with both genders, and so they can never be committed to one. Which, honestly, is exactly like how Clay sounds. Bisexuals don't need to "convince" themselves that they're gay or straight in order to commit themselves to one person and be happy. The myth is insulting to people who identify as bisexual and don't need to arrange 3somes in order to be satisfied and happy (which is the majority of bisexuals, near as I can tell).
Ah, I did not know that. And I'm a little disappointed that there is a myth like that in the first place.
Then yes, that sounds exactly like Clay in this story.
"The bisexuality=promiscuous myth is that bisexual men and women need sex with both genders, and so they can never be committed to one."
Hey now that's interesting I have never heard of this as some sort of myth. You guys should look up a little something that is becoming a big trend called "Closed Loop Relationships".
I have met a lot of guys who are at least presumably bisexual (Now they did not map it out but the ring gave it away) and married and like to cruise guys at the bath houses, bars, and truck stop bathrooms.
Those are not strictly "gay guys" (Who do not have to hide it like that.) they are obviously married with kids.
Now I also do not paint all bisexuals the same way but I would not rule out they are incapable of promiscuity or call it an absolute myth.
"but the way it’s presented reeks of taking the choice away from Clay and Jessica’s control,"
Oh sorry for getting you into this mess. You make some good points though so I have to re-read this one again. Obviously I did not catch that but I thought the third person dick thing was sorta eeeh myself.
I did like how she worked a more spiritual type of world into the typical shifter sex deal.
But I feel bad for the character flaws I missed.
Oh, please don't feel bad. The spirituality stuff was far more developed than I've seen in other stories; it was just my distaste for the two guys that kept me from connecting with it like the author probably wanted. My perspective is obviously different from yours, too. I doubt you'd have the same kneejerk reaction to the breeding thing that I did, lol.
Oh actually the "breed" thing is like the "mate" thing to me. It's in so many of these were-romances that I sorta turn on the cliche filter and look for the unique bits.
Then there is what I term the "Lora Leigh magical wang" with accessories.
You can have the cork screw attachment or the inflatable lock-in attachment. The selections are amazing but they all end with butt sex.
About this story and Bisexuality but only in regards to dating men since that is where my expertise is...
I love pointing out that these issues are getting studied all the time and the findings are really pretty dang close to common sense when you think about it.
The Northwestern University in Illinois and The Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto did a very controversial study on a group of guys that self identified as Bisexual.
They wired them up and showed the guys various types of porn while also using a Straight group and a Gay group as controls.
75% of the self identified Bisexual men mirrored the physical triggers of the Gay control group.
Surprise! Like it's shocking to sorta figure out that there might be a group of Gay men, or at least guys strongly attracted to men calling themselves Bisexuals?
The other 25%? I'd bet they liked the giving more than the receiving if you know what I mean.
I personally think what I call "Emotional Bisexuality"... In this case, I mean guys that could have a successful committed monogamous relationship with either a man OR a woman is probably pretty rare.
Most mature Bisexual men I have met admit to having a strong preference for men when it comes to relationships or a strong preference for women etc etc and having successful long term relationships along the lines of those preferences despite the fact they can sexually function with either gender.
I think most common talk about Bisexuality is simply a label applied to a sex act not what I consider a relationship.
I was impressed in some ways that Jory Strong even addressed some of this since I think most people accept that it is usually ignored in Romance like the fact that guys are simply not wired by nature for monogamy which is generally not a good topic to bring up either.
My experience is the reverse. That bisexuals are as likely to be monogamous as anyone. I mean a heterosexual is attracted to all/many members of one sex not just one person. Any monogamy means not sleeping with people of other preferred 'types' be that gender, age, race, religion or kinky activity preference etc.
I certainly know that bisexuals get a lot of stereotyping from both gay and straight communities including the assumption that they are more likely to be unfaithful. Which is bloody irritating, really.
I certainly know that bisexuals get a lot of stereotyping from both gay and straight communities including the assumption that they are more likely to be unfaithful. Which is bloody irritating, really.
I do not think you can lump both men and women under the bisexual label using yet another generalization.
The same group did a study on women and found that women are more likely to "true" bisexuals. In other words, they were found women who identify themselves as bisexual more likely to have actual long term relationships with either gender.
So I am simply saying that from the studies being done gay men in denial, passing themselves off as bisexual, are the group creating your issues there.
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