Rated 3.75 ⭐️

Mel is a bartender who dreams of one day owner her own bar. One night, she gets an invite for brunch that changes her life, romantically and personally.

This was a very fun, LGBTQ romance story. There was some spice, but not shoved in everywhere. I really enjoyed how fun the storyline was. There was humor, light fluffy moments, and then the added more serious layer of heartbreak, love, and poly love.

Thank you to Netgalley, TJ Alexander, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.

this was fun! cool to see polyamory represented in fiction! (could simply never be me but i respect it haha.) I liked the vibes but never really fell for any of the characters. I was hot and cold on Mel the whole time, love how much of a bad bitch she is but I didn't always agree with her actions? the scene with her straight up yelling at a fellow service worker and making her cry? icked me out.

my main gripe is honestly, what do you mean this is set in the wintertime?? with a cover like that?? i thought i was picking up a fun summer-y read. a good pride read all the same though!

thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Atria Books for the eARC.

Triple Sec isn’t just about a throuple, it’s maybe my first romance about a fully open polyamorous marriage I’ve ever read. And for that, it was different and new.

But it also felt a little like a “How to” guide for polyamory. So much terminology, I could feel my eyes glazing over (or is it ears, since I was listening??). I didn’t feel much of a connection to any of the main characters, maybe because it always felt a little over-explained? Or there wasn’t really any conflict? It just all fell together so easily. And that made it immediately unbelievable to me.

The steamy scenes were top notch, and I wish we were given Mel’s cocktail recipes, but otherwise this wasn’t my favorite from TJ Alexander.

I loved this. I didn't think I would, honestly, as I'm not a fan of alcohol and Mel is... well, a bartender and mixologist. But I really bought into her and Bebe and Kade as characters. They felt like real people and I really enjoyed getting to know them. I loved the way their relationships developed too, with negotiation of boundaries and slow steps towards intimacy.

I really appreciated the introduction to and education on poly relationships that Mel gets along with the reader. When she tried to study with a bunch of textbooks it was kind of adorable. She wants to get it right, and this causes some conflict when she eventually has a misstep, but they talk it out admirably. Which was much better than it causing a bunch of angst for forever.

Mel is bartender and is tough and sweet and loyal. Bebe is a lawyer. She is bouncy and sexy and easily overexcited and very competitive. Kade is a bit of a mystery. They are an artist and are a very reserved and quiet person, but they do let Mel in eventually and their personality, once they begin to reveal it, is delightful.

Even though I'm very much not a fan of alcohol in real life, I appreciated Mel's dedication and love for her craft. I loved reading about all of her experiments as she tried to craft the perfect drink. She's an artist in her own way.

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed listening to it, and the character voices were perfect.

I've enjoyed TJ Alexander's books before, but after a Gentleman's Gentleman and this one, they're going on my must-read list.

*thanks to Atria and Emily Bestler Books for providing an early copy for review.

I loved this book. It was my first poly rom com and I was curious if it would land since it seemed like one of the relationships might overshadow the other. I was pleasantly surprised at how balanced it was and I applaud TJ Alexander for the fully developed characters. I couldn’t put this one down.

TJ Alexander knows people. And people are at the heart of this fun and interesting romcom that keep that dymanics interesting and the plot fresh. A fun vacation from reality.

This was okay but I didn't love it. I didn't feel convinced that the characters fell in love and didn't really feel the connection between them.

This is my first book by T.J. Alexander, and I look forward to reading more.

I enjoyed the characters and plot for this story. I don’t always understand some of the motivations for relationship choices, but I am open to learning, and the poly relationships in this book are different to ones I have read previously, so I was interested in the dynamics for these characters.

Mel has been hurt and is pretty cynical about love and relationships at the start of this story. She is initially hesitant to get involved with Bebe and not sure how she feels about a poly relationship, but the chemistry she shares with Bebe is pretty great and really pulls her in. Her relationship with Kade is very slow to develop however and she is not sure about them at all in the beginning.

Bebe is open and joyful and just really knows what she wants. I admired how comfortable she was in herself and her relationships, both with Mel and with Kade.

Kade, for me, was a true enigma. While we do learn more about them and see more of their personality as the story progresses, they remain very reserved and a bit of a mystery.

The other character that I wanted to make sure I mentioned is Daniel, Mel’s best friend and roommate. While the relationship between Mel and Daniel has some bumps along the way, he is super supportive of Mel (even when she’s a little self-centered). We only meet Daniel’s partner on page once, but he seems perfect for Daniel as well. I wouldn’t mind reading their story.

I liked the way the story ends, both in regards to relationships and personal growth/ goals for each of the characters.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I don’t believe I was the intended audience for this book, I still found it to be a thought-provoking and enlightening read. It broadened my perspective on the diverse forms of relationships people experience, and reminded me that love and happiness can take many shapes and be found in unexpected places. That said, the pacing felt a bit sluggish at times, and I struggled to form a strong connection with the characters, which made it harder to fully immerse myself in the story. Nonetheless, I appreciated the book’s message and the emotional depth it aimed to convey.

I really love TJ Alexander's writing style and sense of humor. The story as a whole was lovely and felt like a nice cuddle.
I did find one of the relationships more fleshed out due probably to the literal amount of pages spent on it but that's a really tiny complaint.

A delightful poly romance that I think does a great job about showing readers what expansive relationships can look like.

The characters were all super rich and detailed, and felt like it did a realistic job portraying how polyamory works. TJ Alexander did a great job in describing how the main character Mel feels from the beginning, the changes and nuances in attraction, and what this could mean for HEAs in romance novels.

Really good entry book for people who are interested in reading a poly romance!

This book was not for me so I did not finish. It was a bit slow paced and didn’t connect with the characters. Thank you for the opportunity though..

Triple Sec is one of the most queer books I have ever read, and I mean that in the BEST way possible. This beautiful polyam romance was so well written and the characters were messy and complex and I loved them. TJ Alexander is quickly becoming an auto-buy author.

A traditionally published queer poly romance novel? Hell yes. I found all of the relationships compelling, and the chemistry was really hot. It’s definitely written to reach an audience that is not familiar with polyamory - which felt accessible, but not quite as realistic as I’d like. I also wanted the characters to have more depth. I’m thrilled that we have this representation, and loved the cameo from CHEF’S KISS! Thanks Atria for the ARC.

Trans Rights Readathon 2025 #1

Maybe CHEF'S CHOICE was a fluke for me, because I loved this and SECOND CHANCES IN NEW PORT STEPHEN.

While I ignored all of the ENM men on various dating apps, after this book, maybe you shouldn't. If you're not a jealous person. And if you can love that many people. I am, however, a very jealous Taurus sun. And I can barely focus on one man. It's a hate crime to be straight, y'all.

I love a cocktail. I think I would love Terror & Virtue. I don't, however, love Mel's management team. I do love Bebe and Kade, and the dynamic the three end of having. Could it be me? No. Did I love reading about it? Every second.

rep: poly

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books

TJ Alexander can do no wrong! Everything I pick up by them is gold.

As a married, straight, cis-gendered female, I live for books that allow me to get insight into experiences that are unlike my own—I am pretty much always going to get that from TJ Alexander—and always in a way that is accessible and so well written that you can feel an experience you wouldn’t otherwise have.

TJ Alexander has solidified the eir place among my favorite/go to authors when I know I don’t risk a let down.

Mel is a bartender at a fancy NYC bar and in walks Bebe who is married but is in an open relationship. Her wife Kade comes later to the bar, after Bebe invites her to a brunch, Mel is trying to figure it all out. Bebe and Mel start a relationship and later on Kade comes into the picture more. I did enjoy how this felt real- messy and hard with their pasts, learning, understanding, double booked, and a snowstorm.

Get ready for needing a fancy drink with this one. This is a very good lesson on poly - as the lead (Mel) is also learning as we go along. Overall I enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows Mel, a few years post divorce and a now does not believe in love, after finding chemistry between a woman, Bebe, who walks into the bar she works at and her wife, Kade. They enter into a polyamorous relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed TJ's writing style. I love how lighthearted this book felt, even when discussing some more deeper subjects. I read this on a plane, and I need books that I read on planes to keep my attention throughout. Luckily with this book, I was also finding myself easily engrossed in the plot of the book. I was interested in seeing where this book went and seeing where the characters ended up. I also really enjoyed the communication between the characters, and how there was no third act breakup.

Here's what did not work for me. I felt that the characters were a little one dimensional. I thought that the author keeps the characters pretty one toned and are not fully expanded, in my opinion. For example, Bebe is described as a lawyer, and there's not really much development or depth into her character. I did enjoy Kade as a character, they were probably my favorite. I also really did not believe that there was a romantic connection between Kade and Mel, it would have been nice to see some form of friendship between them before any sort of romantic endeavor, if there were to be any romantic endeavor.

But overall, would recommend, really enjoyed.

Hot! and fun! This book surprised me a lot and I really enjoyed it. Love to read a queer poly love story, but some of the tone / pacing / overall vibe of this book felt a bit clunky and unpolished? Happy I read and will certainly read more from this author, but this wasn't my favorite.

Gimmie more throuple relationships in Trad Romance!! Love the representation. The writing was just okay but if you’re looking for a fun, poly-positive romance, this one is worth picking up!