I enjoyed the hell out of this!

Lately I’ve been having a hard time writing reviews. The words just aren’t flowing like I’d like them to, so I’ll keep this short.

I loved the plot, setting and the characters. This book was great and you should absolutely read it!

Thank you to the publisher, Atria for the eARC in exchange for a review.

Wow! What a romantic, sexy, fun, queer read! Mel is a character that I'm sure many people can see in themselves. Burned by their ex, overworked in an industry that is physically and mentally demanding, and scared to love again. But the instant connection she has with Bebe sizzles and soon enough they are learning not just how to love again, but how to love in a different way.

I love the communication between all the characters, those involved romantically and not. They represent a modern, metropolitan queer culture that is not afraid to live their lives proudly, and I love that. I thought the pacing was great, I loved that it was broken up into three parts. I loved getting to see how Mel's relationship developed with Bebe, with Kade, and then with the two of them together.

This was not my first TJ Alexander book and it certainly won't be my last! They have a way of crafting the most heart-warming, enjoyable romances between honestly portrayed queer people!

Triple Sec by T J Alexander is a fun and sweet read that highlights a poly relationship. I absolutely adored these characters and thought that their dynamics were well rounded. Not only did we get the three main characters but also glimpses of other characters that I felt were relevant to the story and were able to piece it together well.

I did find that the only major aspect lacking was that there was very little conflict throughout or that any issues were resolved quickly. This still worked for this book as it is showcasing their relationship over everything else but I feel like there could be more with these characters in the future.

Mel's character being new to poly and having lots of uncertainty helped me as a reader being introduced to a poly relationship and feels very inclusive. There's plenty of ignorance around what a poly relationship is and how it should or shouldn't look and I love that we see Mel trying to understand it in a way that I personally felt was relatable.

I did dislike how Mel and Daniel's friendship was played out. It felt like there was conflict building up between them due to Mel generally ignoring them but it was blown over as if the previous context wasn't relevant.

Overall Mel's character was fun with her bartending skills adding great moments to the story with making interesting drinks (which would have been fun to include some recipes for us) and she wasn't perfect but her conflicts were resolved too simply.

3.5. It was super cute, just wanted a little more depth to the characters.BUT I will say, I loved that this is hopefully becoming more of representation we see in books. I loved reading polyamorous love story. And it felt just so easygoing. The steam was chefs kiss.

This book was such a joy to read. I loved all 3 main characters. They were sweet and lovable and nuanced. It was so cool to see queer and poly rep in romance that doesn’t feel fetishized. Also, I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything let alone a book that made me CRAVE a cocktail… like can I get a Rock Dove please? Can’t wait to recommend this book to friends!

What I enjoyed most about “Triple Sec” was the realism in the conversations and the relationships! The way Mel handled her thought process on her new relationships felt like thoughts someone would have going into something new. There was conflict and concerns and the resolution was talked about through conversation. It made me wish I had partners who actually know how to talk and communicate.

The one thing I wish there was more of in the book was the relationship with between Daniel and Mel. Daniel was a main character in the beginning but I felt that he took as back seat as Bebe and Kade came into the picture. (Yes this does happen in real life relationships). Daniel seemed like an important person to Mel but the second half of the book, I felt like he was just there. Like why wasn’t he at the competition at the end even though he was rooting and helping Mel the whole time.

In the end, this is a book I would highly recommend to someone who loves love and queer love stories. Absolutely loves to see poly and nonbinary characters and storylines in a book! It also left me really wanting a Paloma!

Triple Sec was a delight of a book that pioneers in polyamorous representation in romance and delivers on a steamy and fun read that romance readers and fans of LGBTQ books will enjoy!

Mel Sorrento's dreams of opening her own bar one day have taken a firm backseat to the day-to-day realities as a bartender in one of NYC's premier cocktail bars after her divorce. She has sworn off on love until she meets Bebe, a charismatic and gorgeous customer who flirts with her at the bar. When Bebe's wife, Kade, shows up, and the couple invites Mel to their home for a brunch party, Mel is confused but agrees to attend.

Mel is subsequently brought into their polyamorous world and begins a relationship with Bebe that forces Mel to dream bigger for her own career and reconsider her ban on love. Over time, the dynamics between Mel and Kade begin to shift, and a new kind of relationship forms for all three.

I flew through this book, compelled on by TJ Alexander's effortless writing and the sweet and spicy dynamics between the love interests. The polyamorous, sapphic, and trans representation in this book are all excellent and sorely needed in the romance world. I highly recommend this book as a steamy summer read or a story of growth and love year round. 4.5 stars!

(4.5 rounded up)

TJ Alexander hits it out of the park again with their well-balanced novel, Triple Sec!

NYC bartender Mel is convinced love is a myth—until Bebe, a charming customer with a love for whiskey and an open marriage, walks in and offers her a date. Through her deepening connections with Bebe and Kade, Mel discovers that love can be more complex and fulfilling than she ever imagined. With new experiences on the rocks and a cocktail competition that could fast-forward her dreams of owning her own bar, Mel discovers that love, much like a perfect drink, can have unexpected and delightful twists.

The best part about three romances in one book means you can fit in all of the tropes! We’ve got a meet-cute that turns into a meet DISASTER, opposites attract but then there’s a “secretly alike all along” trope. Oh, and a forced proximity in Banff. BANFF! I’m sure you can see where that plot point is headed.

Every character in this novel- from our three heroes to their close circle of friends- are all people I would want to hang out with in real life. They all scream NYC cool, which makes sense, since they’re all bartenders, unstoppable lawyers, and artistic folks. While I found the end was missing something, I can’t quite put my finger on it. In the defense of Triple Sec, it could be due to the fact that I’ve been hit with a ton of “secretly meaningful” romances.

I also had fun listening to the audiobook copy! Jeremy Carlisle Parker narrates this quick and hilarious romance so seamlessly that you forget Mel, Bebe, and Kade are being voiced by the same person. When I would take an audiobook break and pull out my physical copy, I still could hear Parker’s bold yet bubbly Bebe. It’s the perfect book to listen to while multitasking; I very rarely had to back up to determine what was happening.

If you’re looking for a romance that’s just an all-around fun time, grab a copy of Triple Sec today! Who knows, maybe you’ll have your own meet-cute if you pair it with a visit to your local cocktail bar.

Thank you to Atria for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

I always love a slightly older protagonist with a bit of a messy back story. Lots of found family and a healthy representation of a polycule. Fun for summer.

I loved the love stories in this book! I am not in the queer space, so it was really interesting to learn about terms and different lifestyles from my own. I thought all of the relationships, both romantic and platonic, in this book were really sweet and fun to dive into.

4.5⭐
R🌶️

This romance went down as easily as a fancy cocktail at my tiki dive bar. A must read for the beach this summer (especially during Pride month!) as long as you are with your partner and not your family. 😉

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to Simon Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Mel is a bartender with hopes of owning a bar and selling her own craft cocktails. One evening, the mysterious Bebe arrives and flirts with her, inviting her to a brunch party. There Mel meets Kade, Bebe's partner. At first she assumes she misread the flirting, but then she learns they are in a polyamorous relationship.

I thought it was great to see a representation of relationships not often seen in traditionally published romances. And I especially appreciated the emphasis throughout on the importance of good communication and negotiation. I was also impressed by the other storylines that wove through the romance. This book made me want to try some new cocktails.

Jeremy Carlisle Parker was an absolutely phenomenal narrator for the entire book. Kade's voice was especially well done and recognizable, and I appreciated the whole performance.

DNF 30%, the book’s focus isn’t for me. What I read was very well written, and the characters are really interesting. The polyamory plot isn’t my thing, however. 4

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I need to get this book for my shelf!!
I loved the progression and evolution of this poly throuple.
Loved how unique these characters were but also how I could perfectly envision them. Bebe and Kade are a married couple who invite others into their relationship but Mel is different. She is the partner that completes them. My words actually, they are very realistic that not everything lasts forever and as long as they are happy with the situation
I loved the written rules and guidelines. The care that they took with eachother when Mel felt out of place or confused. Mel had a rough divorce and her ex wife made her feel like she was the problem.
The mixology and drink discussions were so fun and made me want a drink so bad lol.
I just loved this representation of a nontraditional perfectly happy queer relationship.

Thank you Netgalley, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and TJ Alexander for the ARC of Triple Sec. I must admit I didn't completely read the synopsis as I like going into books blind. With that said I also do not read a lot of Romcom, as this is the 3rd one this year and I would place it at the top. Simply put this book was entertaining, educational, and Hot! I purchased the audio narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker. They did a fantastic job. This was a fast read that made me blush and smile. I didn't quite get any tears but definitely read the Acknowledgements at the back as I thought they were a great part of the book. Now available on all formats-Kindle, Paperback, and Audio.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I love a queer romance, and this was my first that featured an ENM relationship. The ENM aspect made this feel like a twist on the typical formula of a romance novel, and I appreciated the epilogue so we could follow up after the drama of the story ended.

Triple Sec is the perfect name for this polyamorous romcom as it features a bartender, Mel, who has a dream of opening up her own bar one day. After serving drinks to a customer named Bebe who is happily married to Kade, Mel feels a strong connection. Bebe has an open marriage and given she is attracted to Mel, she asks her out, with Kade’s blessing. It’s a bit of uncharted territory for Mel, dating a married woman, but she enjoys spending time with Bebe and soon she discovers she has feelings for Kate as well.

I’m always up for a love story and what really drew me to this one is that it featured a polyamorous relationship. It’s not something you come across very often in the contemporary romance genre. I was curious about the dynamics when juggling not 2 but 3 individuals’ emotional needs. The author chose more of a nice and neat, ideal relationship rather than one full of drama. And that’s fine because it’s a romcom but I think it’d make for a more interesting story if there were a few more bumps on the road to happily ever after.

Even though I’m not a big drinker, I liked the bartending aspect of the story. As much as I love food, it can be overdone in stories so hearing all the labor and love that goes into making cocktails was a nice change of pace.

All in all, a good read and the characters had great chemistry.

In Triple Sec, author T.J. Alexander explores the evolution and intricacies of a polyamorous romance from the perspective of disillusioned bartender, Melanie (Mel) Sorrento.

Mel is still recovering from her divorce after a decade long marriage when she meets beautiful and charismatic Bebe when she comes into her bar. It has been 2 years since her marriage ended and Mel hasn’t felt any desire to date until she spends a night getting to know Bebe. Mel is disappointed when she finds out Bebe is married and then shocked when she discovers she is in an open marriage. While Mel and Bebe navigate their new romance, Mel begins to wonder if she has a connection with Kade as well.

Candidly, I don’t know much about polyamory and this book was very informative, but not in a textbook kind of way, just learning through their romance. I thought it was very surprising, from my limited knowledge, how there was little to no jealousy. Although polyamory isn’t for me, it was interesting to learn about the challenges and benefits of poly romance.

I couldn’t put my finger on why this poly romance felt different from prior books I’ve read, and I think it’s because it was single POV. The Katee Robert books I’ve read with this dynamic have all been multiple POV with a heavy focus on spice. While Triple Sec has its fair share of steamy scenes, there is a large focus on developing the bond between the characters as well.

However, I found myself missing the other POV’s… I often wondered what Bebe and Kade were thinking. I understand why Alexander wrote it this way as Triple Sec is focused on Mel’s journey as Kade and Bebe have had previous partners and experience being in an open relationship.

This was my 3rd TJ Alexander book and while I enjoyed it, Second Chances in Newport Stephen remains my favorite of theirs.

What to expect:
•F/F/NB contemporary poly romance
•NYC setting
•Single POV
•Will make you thirsty- Mel makes lots of yummy sounding drinks

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows Mel who works at a bar and meets Bebe who’s in an open relationship with her partner. Though the three begin to explore their connection to see what it can be. I loved the setting taking place in NYC with the three characters have such fun jobs we can explore. The storyline was decent but I won’t say it’s the best. I liked the romantic aspect of the story but the conflicts were lacking and there wasn’t much going on. I wish there was more to the competition like said but it felt like such a filler. I did love all the moments Mel had with Bebe and Kade at each their time. This story is told from Mel’s pov.

Mel works at the bar where she meets Bebe. I liked her character in the beginning but then I kind of stopped liking her. There were just moments that just didn’t make sense. Though I loved the side characters Bebe and Kade. Bebe is a perky, lawyer who cares so much of her people and I just loved that. Kade comes off grumpy but I started loving their character. They started to explain more about the backstory which I wish we got more of. The romance is polyamorous with friends to lovers , grumpy x sunshine trope.

The ending was great and I enjoyed the HEA for these characters. I do wish we got more of their stories and seeing it played out but this was still a cute romance. I just think the conflicts were lacking which kept away my attention at times. Though I know some will love it just for the cute romance.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This was a fun pride month read. Bartender Mel is jaded on love and relationships after her divorce and isn’t looking for either at the moment. But flirty bar patron and lawyer Bebe and her artist wife Kade may change her mind on that. The couple have an open marriage and what starts as a relationship with Bebe and Mel eventually becomes one of them all together over the course of the book.

I wish there was a little bit more of the polycule together. It only makes up a small portion of the plot and the largest scene/plot element with them is a miscommunication which stands out even less enjoyably when the lengthy chapter before it includes Mel talking about how she wants to communicate well then backtracks on everything she just said. There is another big relationship moment with Bebe and Mel that is centered on a miscommunication as well which isn’t my favorite thing either.

But I thought that the conversations regarding gender and language in this book were really well written, including where Kade who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns if fine with being referred to as Bebe’s wife.

Thank you NetGalley and Ateria for an arc of Triple Sec!