X Marks the Spot is a stand-alone novella by Opal Carew. While celebrating Abi's brother's wedding, Abi is determined to act on the crush she has had on Del since the two of them attended college together. While trying to make her move on Del, Abi finds herself in Liam's bed by accident. Liam, deciding its time to renew efforts to win his estranged wife back uses Abi's mistake to his benefit and seduces her.

The idea for this book is good in concept. I enjoy a denied passion love story. The romantic encounters are pretty sexy and serve the purpose of getting your blood pumping. The scenarios are motivated mainly by Abi's indecision on which of the male characters she wants, which leads to bed-hopping between the two men, and eventually the three of them together. There is less time to develop characters the shorter the story is, and here they are a little one dimensional, but this fact may not matter depending on one's perspective. The story unfolds into a string of sexual fantasies and not much else, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The men are sexy and in love. The woman gets what she wants in the end, and everyone is happy. In between, they all spend a lot of time between the sheets. If lustful thoughts are what you want out of your erotic romances this one will deliver.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own and may not be identical to others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions.

Oh my....This book went all over the place. First you root for one hero then you root for the other, then you scratch your head and wonder what is the heroine wanting.....Then you get to the end and everything is as it should be.

A woman wants to move on, but her husband won’t let her. She’s interested in a guy from her past, but some well-meaning shenanigans by friends make for a huge misunderstanding, and now she’s not sure which one she wants.
I almost gave up on this, as I found the writing style boring from the beginning. But then. . . I want to hate the author for that big twist, and what it does to Abi, but it’s actually kinda brilliant. On the other hand, I can’t stand that this genre is seemingly required to make so many characters real assholes, but Liam is particularly gifted in that regard.
When I got through the first half I didn’t think I would enjoy this as much as I eventually did. The writing got better, the characters became smarter and kinder, and even the supposed bad guy grew into something better. I pretty much guessed where the sex would end up going, and that was done well too. Thoroughly pleasantly surprised after muddling through that annoying start.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

Opal Carew is a master at writing sensual scenes and characters with depth.
Abi can't make up her mind between her soon to be ex-husband Liam and Del, her good friend. She and Liam parted after she had a miscarriage through their grief and miscommunication, and Del supported her. As she makes up her mind to move forward with Del, Liam reenters the scene.
Carew does a good job of developing a realistic trio in a contemporary book. It takes Abi a while to make up her mind, but with these two guys it is easy to see why!

This erotic novel Goes above and beyond to please it’s audience. It has the triple S appeal, it’s saucy,sexy and seductive. It has the ability to captivate its readers at every turn of a page and even includes a love triangle.

I enjoyed it , it was an great read. What more can I say, honestly , I am lost for words. It’s just an frigin amazing erotic novel.

Thank you for the read.

All I can say is "WOW!" This book has everything a romance erotica junk needs. The heat- The heat between the characters Liam, Abi, and Del as a whole in different aspects had me craving more and more with every word.
The love- The love that both men have for Abi is indescribable, they both have the sense to put there needs aside for her......and what girl doesn't love that about a man, am I right? Del is the sweetheart guy you will always love and want. And Liam is the Alpha Dom that any submissive would obey.
The emotions- Dealing with loss even with a child is hard for anyone and I think Opal gave us the best glimpse of what happens to a couple when that trauma happens.
This was my first read of Opal and I can't wait to dive into more earth shattering stories she has/will write. Thanks netgalley and the publishers for let me have this opportunity.
*Recieved a ARC from netgalley and this is my honest review.*

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the destination, but I did not enjoy the journey as expected. Abi was too wishy-washy about her feelings for both men and I was aggravated most of the time. Sure they ended up having an HEA, but I kinda felt like she unknowingly manipulated them toward it.

Having finished a similar scenario prior to this book...I think it’s the approach that bothered me. As apposed to other books I’ve read with similar relationship dynamics, the relationship between the characters seemed forced and, as previously mentioned, manipulative.

Both Liam and Del loved Abi and were willing to fight for her, but her flip-flopping between both...I felt for them both. My heart broke for both men.

It’s rare I can’t relate to the heroine, but that is the case with this book. The writing was impeccable, sexy times were steamy, and the men were swoon worthy...but I did not like Abi in the end. In the beginning, she came off as sweet and heartbroken and in some cases I did feel for her heartbreak, but I didn’t like how she handled the situation with those wonderful men.

This was not one of my favorite books. I hard a hard time getting into the story and I didn't like Abi very much. She seemed weak and vunerable.

I usually love Opal's books so it was disappointing to me.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

So this book doesn't actually get good until 75% into the book. I found Abi to be delusional and annoying for most of the book. I felt bad for Liam and Del and no I didn't feel bad for Abi, refer to my previous sentence. I think Opal took to long to introduce the whole MFM threesome. This book has a lot of sex but it's kind of boring because you feel the guys getting played by Abi. When it gets to the threesome then it gets hot but not everyone will want to read up until that point. I do like the ending because it's a HEA.

I enjoyed reading this book by Opal Carew and I’m glad she back doing what she loves and this book is a testament to how amazing, wonderful and talented author she really is. Right from the beginning of the book I just was hooked and I couldn’t stop reading this book even if I wanted too. Even lost some sleep as I could not put it down. It totally deserves more than the 5 stars I can give as it really is a spectacular come back book by this amazing author. I especially loved the interactions throughout all the characters as this had me glued to the pages trying to see what was going happen next hence why I couldn’t put it down lol there is superb chemistry between the characters and plenty of romance too. The storyline is great as well. I’m glad this author is back and I’m definitely looking forward to more books to come from her too. Well done Opal Carew and I’m glad your doing okay again. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

MFM ménage- relationship between Abi , her husband Liam & their good friend Dell

As I was reading this book I wanted Abi to decide to be with Liam & make their marriage work ... the relationship with Dell just seemed a complication. For me this book focused to much on hot sex & to be perfectly honest I was not really drawn to any of the characters. Sorry to say predictable story line which took to long to resolve itself

The 3 eventually do form a relationship - sorry but have to say this story just didn’t work at all for me.

I loved this book. Very steamy, erotic. This is my first time reading this author and I really enjoyed the characters and story line.

I was absolutely disgusted with this book, and not for the reason that one might think. I actually had no problem with some of the erotic situations that were showcased in the story. What I had a problem with was the heroine's wishy-washy attitude when it came to deciding between her two men.

Liam was a manipulative, selfish jerk that I pretty much hated from the get go. Abi (which I hated the spelling of, by the way) seemed to have no problem stringing two men along, which I also hated. Del seemed too weak to go after what he wanted with regard to Abi, and it was like he wouldn't stand up to Liam at all! The solution to their problem was clear a mile off, but the characters were too stupid or focused to see it!

The redeeming factor for this book was that it was a quick read, and well written, but I honestly can't recommend it for others to read.

Abi has been in love with Del for years, but they never got around to acting on their mutual attraction. And then she met and married his best friend, Liam.

But when Abi and Liam’s marriage falls apart, Abi decides to take control of her life and find her happily-ever-after with Del. So when they’re all staying in a country inn for her brother’s wedding, Abi decides to slip into Del’s bed and seduce him…except she accidentally ends up in Liam’s instead.

Liam never stopped loving Abi, and he plans to use every blazing hot trick in his book to keep her in his bed…even if it means sharing her with Del.

Review:

Okay, I have to admit I saw the cover and Author and asked to review this book, not having read the actual blurb. Needless to say I spent a good part of the book hoping that Abi picked Liam...lol...and then I figured out it was a menage. Well, that was totally my fault. I did like the story and if I had read the blurb I probably would not have stressed while reading it.

This like the Author's other books is full of sexiness and heart. There is good tension in the story as Abi tries to navigate her feelings for her husband and her best friend. Like I said because of my lack of reading I misunderstood the story line, but was fully engaged in the characters and what the outcome would be. Once I figured out it was a menage the feel of the story changed and I was rooting for Liam, Abi and Del. The ending was super satisfying too.

4Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of the book provided by the publisher.*

ARC - I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest
It was an interesting relationship between Liam, Abi, and Del.
I like the storytelling + the characters
The storytelling + the character's build were great !

This was a good read for me. Abi has been in love with Del for years and now that her marriage is over plans to get what she wants. Liam her soon to be ex has other plans for her. This is a fast paced read with plenty of drama the story held my interest although Abi wasn’t one of my favorite characters. Overall an entertaining read.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Kris – ☆☆☆☆
I had a bit of a love-hate with this book. At times, I really found leading lady, Abi, to be way too wishy washy and stringing the men along cruelly. She's sleeping with her ex-husband but had planned to sleep with her longtime friend, Del, that night, and it just happens the two switched rooms. She loves her ex, Liam, but loves Del too. The patience displayed by these two men (who happen to be old friends themselves) was a bit far reaching in reality, but it worked well for the story. I had no idea this was to be a ménage book and was quite happy with that outcome! Bossy in the bedroom, Abi's ex-husband, Liam, is the show saver here if you ask me. Liam telling Del and Abi what to do gave the steamy scenes more heat and pulled the three characters together better.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
This is not your typical romance or ménage story.

Abi and Liam have been separated for a couple of years and Liam refuses to sign the divorce papers. He insists he still loves her, but Abi has her doubts. After a tragic loss, he pulled away from her in every way that counted, and she can't put herself in that position again.

She's always had a fierce attraction for Del, but neither of them acted on it because Del is her brother's best friend. Del is also good friends with Liam, and when Abi's life turned upside down, she turned to Del for comfort. Abi has never acted on the attraction between her and Del, but she's ready to move on and see where a romance might lead. If only Liam would sign the papers and let her go.

Liam loves Abi. He knows that he screwed up in the past, but he does love Abi, he just has to prove it to her. Del also loves Abi but knows as long as she's married to Liam, there is no way Abi will even consider a relationship with him.

What neither Del nor Liam knows is that Abi may have a solution that will solve all their problems.

I enjoyed this book and the slow buildup to the ménage story. Of seeing how Abi finally comes to terms with what she wants and how both men want to make her happy.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F/M Romance
Triggers: Cheating, Miscarriage

Abi, Liam, and Del... Where to begin with this story? Hmmm. Abi is a woman who is trying to move on from a tragedy in her life. What's making this the most difficult is that her wealthy husband is refusing to divorce her.

Del and Abi have been friends since her older brother asked him to watch over her in school. Despite their attraction, Del has placed Abi firmly in his friend zone, despite their mutual attraction.

The slow buildup throughout this story is a good thing. I liked how Abi's sisters tried to give their opinion without being overly pushy. When a unique opportunity of a family wedding presents itself, Abi decides that she'll make her move for Del after all.

What happens next is not what Abi expects, however, it is a very predictable storyline. She sneaks in to surprise Del, only to be more surprised that it's her ex-husband, Liam, instead. They still are attracted to each other and while one thing leads to another, Abi is now in quite a conundrum.

Abi has to decide whether or not her past will dictate her future. Can she find it in her heart to forgive her husband or has her heart changed allegiance to Del? The relationship aspect is sometimes very youthful, as Abi can't decide between the two men.

Overall, this is a slow-burn relationship, and everyone must come to the same conclusion. But my biggest complaint was Abi's character. She wasn't a strong woman throughout and that bugged me a lot.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
I am a big fan of ménage romance, so was excited to get this on my Kindle. Ms. Carew has written some super-hot erotica, and this also has some very sexy scenes in it. I did, however, struggle with the pacing and the timing of events. I felt that everything I wanted was there, but just that the way it unfolded didn't entirely convince me.

It is difficult to pinpoint what the issue was, but I think it was that I didn't identify with them as people before the wedding events kicked off. Things are revealed later, but it would have helped understand Abi's insecurities and behaviour if revealed earlier. As it is, she comes across as spoiled and petulant, rather than having a genuine concern about Liam's claims to love her.

Once they had worked out there was a solution, then things were as hot and heady as I expected, and very satisfying. I am just not sure that the best friends aspect of Liam and Del got a lot of coverage, and there were gaps which seemed odd – surely Del would have known that Liam liked D/s games, and surely Liam would have thought about the voyeur/trio options earlier.

Having finished the story and thought about it for this review, my memory is shuffling the story round and giving me a good feeling about the outcome. Give it a go and see what you think!


Veronica – ☆☆☆
This is the first book I’ve read by Opal Carew and early on I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I was having issues with the characters and the story and about 10% in I read a line in a sex scene that just had me laughing and laughing. When I shared this with fellow reviewers I was told Ms. Carew writes “unapologetic smut.” This actually helped me get in the right headspace to enjoy the story.

X Marks the Spot is the story about a pretty selfish woman and the two men who are madly in love with her for reasons I couldn’t decipher. This felt a bit like a soap opera but with lots of really hot, dirty sex. And like watching a soap, I just sat back and watched (or in this case read) the drama and story unfolding, judging the characters, enjoying myself. and feeling a little guilty doing it.

At the end of the day, X Marks the Spot was pretty entertaining, and if you are a reader that likes your stories with lots naked time, this book will hit the spot.

This love triangle has me on the fence for this book. I am not sure if it's good or if the heroine of the story Abi is just plain dumb. She keeps putting herself in some sort of situations which can be confusing at times. The question is: Does she want to get back with her Ex - Liam or not? It was not one of my favorite books by Opal Carew, but I will have to read it again to make sense of it. I voluntarily reviewed an arc.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review**
X Marks the Spot by Opal Carew
3 stars
M/F/M Romance
Triggers: Cheating, Miscarriage
Unfortunately, this turned out to be a disappointment for me. It was not what I expected, based on the blurb provided. The characters - their emotions, actions and reactions - did not seem believable to me. There was a premise to this story but it was poorly executed.

This just wasn’t for me.

Interesting and different. I liked it. I would definitely give this author another try