Not As Easy As It Looks

Title:  Not As Easy As It Looks

Author:  Jaime Samms

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Length:  220 pages

Rating:  B List

Quad Shot of Love

Blurb:  Don Jenkins will do anything for a happy, thriving family and home. When he discovers that Griff McAllister, his life partner and love since high school, seems to be losing faith in him, he’s at a loss for how to mend the relationship. Then Howard Campbell is added to the mix, a man Don and Griff both love beyond words, and jealousy and mistrust threaten not just their bond, but even Don’s ability to keep his farm viable.

Nearly losing Howard in an accident serves as a wakeup call. They begin to pull their relationship out of the muck and work to remember why they came together in the first place. If they can figure out how to help one another and make sure each man gets what he needs, the trio might build the loving future they’ve dared to hope for. They have to be brave enough to commit every resource they can muster—especially trust, understanding, and acceptance—and realize true love is never as easy as it looks.

Review:  Days after I’ve finished this book and I still don’t know where to start with the review.

Words fail me, and even though I took notes while reading, right now they are all over the place and make no sense at all… so please bear with me.

The first thing that comes to mind when you think MMM is sex. Lots and lots of sex. I mean, if two boys can have that much fun together, imagine what can happen with three of them in the same room, right?

Right there, that’s your first mistake. If you are planning on picking up this book, you will have to think again about polyamorous relationships. For these MCs nothing is about sex, well not until very late in the story anyway.

I felt a very powerful connection to these characters, on different levels, I recognized myself in Don’s need for family, Cliff’s protective instincts and Howard’s fears of not being enough.

Their poly dynamic is different from any other MMM book I’ve read. It is all about their relationship and how to make it work, taking care of each man’s needs, making sure they each get what they need out of their relationship.

It starts in a spontaneous way, more of a friend supporting another friend in a time of need. And after just one kiss, all three of them feel their world shift. They are not sure what to call it, or how to make it work, but Don and Cliff know that there is no way they can live without Howard in their lives.

All three of them are very unique characters, very special individuals. Don has a sense of family that cuts deep; he needs to belong to someone. His family is his rock, and he can only be happy if he is there to provide Cliff and Howie with that same safe environment. It might kill him in the way, he will fight demons he doesn’t even know exist, and he will have to ask for help.

Cliff is the papa bear of the troupe, he will protect the men he loves with everything he has. Always strong and confident.

And Howie… he will start as their weakest link. The one that needs the most, the lonely one. It will take a while for him to see that he fits, really fits with Don and Cliff.

Such an emotional, eye opening book. For me, their love, how they work to build a life where they can be open and sincere about their feelings. How they fight against the obstacles and stick together during the hard times.

Why not a 5* you ask? Well, the one thing that didn’t work for me was how the story was told. See, it goes back and forth from age 7 to age 27, telling their story with different scenes at different times in their lives. So, it got confusing, and a bit hard to keep the timeline straight.

Don’t go looking for the dirty, it’s mostly off page, right until the end. And boy, do we get a change of phase and a huge surprise there. The slow building to that moment is totally worth the wait, enjoy the ride.

Worth reading, if you enjoy the sub-genre. And if this is your first MMM, I can only say it’s a great choice.

Reviewed by Connie