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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of Triple Sec. I enjoyed this book and a "look" into what a queer poly structure might look like with romantic book flare. Overall, a quick enjoyable read.

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I really had a hard time getting into it. I guess it just wasn't for me. It was had to hold my Attention.

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Last year, I picked up TJ Alexander’s Second Chances in New Port Stephen as one of my final holiday reads, expecting a quick and cute Christmas rom com. It was certainly cute, but I was not prepared to be as moved by the story as I was. As soon as I finished, I added all of their other books to my TBR.

Flash forward to this year and Alexander is back with Triple Sec, a rom com set in the world of NYC cocktail bars. The story follows Mel, a jaded bartender who becomes involved in a polyamorous relationship as she’s embarking on a journey to open her own bar.

I’m not up on the NYC cocktail/bar scene, so those elements of the story didn’t hit as hard for me (but if that’s your thing, I’m sure you’ll love all of the details!). BUT…I was super impressed by how Alexander wrote the relationship between Mel, Bebe, and Kade. A lot of romances sometimes struggle with having two well-developed leads, so to have THREE leads that all felt like real people you could meet around the city today, really underscores Alexander’s strength of character development. The story is well-paced and there’s lot a of great romantic tension, along with Alexander’s signature witty prose. In short, this is a near perfect rom com, and as Alexander said themself, you get three love stories for the price of one!

Triple Sec is out now. Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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"𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴' 𝘴𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘔𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦..."


First and foremost, this book was most definitely outside my typical comfort zone, with the different lifestyle and level of spice...

BUT I truly enjoyed it! And I learned SO much about a lot of things. There WERE a couple... shocking... moments, but I'm absolutely thrilled I got to experience these 3 goofballs!

🍸 Opposites Attract
👭🏻 Polyamorous
🍸 Bartender / Cocktail Competition
👭🏻 Life After Divorce
🍸 Lesbian/Nonbinary/Gay
👭🏻 No Real Third Act Breakup

A huge thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review!
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#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #triplesec #tjalexander #book70of2024 #whatsnikkireading #atriabooks #netgalley #polyamorous #lifeafterdivorce #oppositesattract #bartender #cocktailcompetition #readingoutsidemycomfortzone

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3.5 stars

Cute, not very spicy. Dynamics changed a lot but was good.

Favorite lines:
“Who tries to pick someone up on the subway? You make eye contact with me on public transportation, I’m gonna assume you want to fight.” - truth!!

“I dont want to live in a world without little nice little things.” - agree! Let people enjoy what they want to enjoy

“Hell was empty. All the devils were at the Javits center.” -HILARIOUS! Having been to many events at Javits, agree.

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This story was cute, but NOT one of my favorites from TJ Alexander. I honestly found the characters all kind of unlikeable. I ADORED the premise, and like watching the three interact and fall together, but there was just no real connection there for me.

I was given and ARC by NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

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I love this book so much. I am always excited to read what TJ Alexander writes, but something about this book was so charming. Mel, Bebe, and Kade were all such fleshed out and real characters. The relationships between them all felt so loving and respectful, and the poly representation was so beautiful. I could feel how much they all cared for each other, and the conflicts felt necessary without being a stereotypical third act breakup. My only gripe is that this book wasn’t 50 pages longer so I could’ve gotten to read more about all three characters in a loving relationship.

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A fun read! Interesting topics and well written. Great characters!

Thank you NetGalley and TJ Alexander!

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Overall, I enjoyed this book. Besides the basics, I honestly didn’t know much about polyamory but I felt that the author did a great job of informing readers on it through Mel, Bebe, and Kade’s relationship. I loved how well the communication was between the three of them and seeing their relationship develop. As for the characters themselves, I did wish for a bit more depth that went beyond their jobs. We got bits and pieces, but I just wished those areas had been explored more.

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I can see where a certain type of reader would love this but unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I think that the characters were well developed and the story was well planned out I just did not find myself falling in love with the main characters falling in love.

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This is the first romance I have come across that has featured a polyamorous relationship as the main focus of the book, and it was way more intriguing to read about than I was expecting. While this may not be a type of relationship I would think about entering into, I loved the levels of respect and communication that these characters had for each other. This was such a beautiful example of how honesty and communication in any relationship can make everything easier. I truly enjoyed this read so much more than I was expecting to since I was a little hesitant to even read it. Mel, Bebe and Kade were so incredibly lovable. I even enjoyed the use of the bartending competition for the plot to move along with. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this read.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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this is my first encounter wtih tj alexander’s writing, and i find myself pleased to say i had a great time!! a unique poly romance here where our main character mel dates a woman in an open/poly relationship, and then ends up falling for her metamour as well. the steam was steaming, the characters and their chemistry had me fanning myself and kicking my feet, and i love a romance with a wonderful personal growth arc. i also love how food and drink got incorporated and we got to know mel through her bartending journey. i am excited to pick up more of tj alexander’s work!

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This was such a fun romp through New York with three very distinct, very well-written characters. It felt like such an honest interpretation of how one could stumble through learning about polyamory for the first time, to being in a polyamorous relationship and learning to thrive.

There were so many little, fun moments and laugh out loud moments. The nod to Mrs. Doubtfire was much appreciated.

“First dates were the worst. It was like having a job interview where you were also expected to be hot.”

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I stuggled a little with this one I think only because it is so outside my little boring bubble (white, married to a man for 17 years, 2 kids, living in a suburb of tampa florida!). These people are so cool! I am an ally for sure. You do you, boo, you know.? Maybe i just struggled to connect to the story. I think this author is doing amazing things by writing stories about inclusivity and I commend them for it.!

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TJ Alexander is the one author that never fails to bring a smile to my face from the opening pages! In their newest contemporary release, Alexander explores a polyamorous relationship between Mel, a NYC bartender at a swanky cocktail lounge, and married couple Bebe and Kade. I have never been in an open or polyamorous relationship, so I truly learned a lot from reading this book about a F/F/NB romance. That is why I will always read what Alexander writes because I trust their inclusivity and realistic portrayal of a range of topics including gender fluidity, identity, while challenging traditional conventions of heterosexuality and monogamy. There is humor, passion, vulnerability, character growth, and a delicious cocktail competition, making this romance refreshing, fun and sexy!

PS: did you know TJ is writing a regency romance next?! I cannot wait for their take on that subgenre!

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I hope this is the first of many polyamorous romances published by mainstream houses!!! TJ Alexander is a sparkling voice in queer fiction and I was thrilled to see non-monogamous love and polycules written about with such empathy, charm and spice. Every time I see this book in a store, I start grinning again.

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Triple Sec - what a perfect title for a book about poly relationships and the art of mixology! I truly enjoyed this story and I can’t wait to read more of TJ Alexander’s books that have been on my TBR for far too long. I am not poly and this is the first book I’ve read that involved a poly relationship and I felt like it was really well done (at least from an outsider perspective).

Mel is divorced and a bit jaded when it comes to love and relationships. She’s got a shaved head, tattoos covering her arms, and is super passionate about mixology. Then the illustrious Bebe walks into her bar one night and Mel immediately feels drawn to her. Only to later find out she’s married to Kade, a genderqueer stoic artist. Mel then finds herself thrust into the world of polyamory and learning that love is far more expansive than she would have ever thought possible.

There’s not a lot of drama in this book. And the interpersonal conflicts all resolve pretty quickly. But I really loved seeing how important communication was, especially since Mel was new to all of this. Rules can change. Dynamics can shift. Feelings can expand. The only thing that matters through it all is communication. And I loved how TJ included the ever-evolving list of guidelines throughout the book.

There was also plenty of spice in this book! And I loved seeing the different sexual dynamics at play depending on who was involved. Each of the three of them had different needs and interests and the way they navigated all of that was beautiful.

One of my favorite parts of the story though was all the mixology! I want so many of the cocktail recipes from this book! I wanted to try all of them (even the ones that ended up not being the best lol). The cocktail competition part of the story was great and (without giving spoilers) I love how it all played out in the end. I do wish we had gotten more of the throuple towards the end of the book because I would have loved to see how those relationship dynamics continued to evolve with time. The ending was a bit rushed and while I loved the epilogue, I really wanted more of the story between the final chapter and when the epilogue happened.

If you are looking for a funny, sexy, romance that is super queer and full of delicious drinks - you should definitely check out Triple Sec! And if you’ve never read a poly romance, why not make this your first one too! Also - how awesome is it to have a queer, poly romcom published by a trad publishing company?! SO FREAKING COOL!

🏳️‍🌈Rep: Queer and Polyamorous, Lesbian MC, Non-Binary MC, Prominent Gay SC

📝Tropes/Themes: Jaded Bartender, High Femme, Butch, Three Love Stories, Cocktail Competition, Lawyer, Artist, Lots of Spice!!, Snowed in Together, Poly F/F/X Relationship

⚠️TW/CW: Sexual Content, Alcohol Use, Homophobia, Transphobia/Misgendering, Ableism, Divorce

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I have always loved poly romance, despite not being poly myself. A triad romance is always my go to, and I’m so glad that I was given a chance to read this.

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3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't know where to start! This was refreshing and new. The writing was great, the story flowed nicely, and the pace was fast! I'm always excited to pick up a queer romance, but this was my first polyamorous queer romance. I enjoyed it! I wasn't sure what to expect as I've never experienced or seen very much polyamorous representation and I really liked watching this story unfold.

For the sub-plots, I'm not a drinker, but I liked the bartending aspect of the story. I'm a sucker for delving into the work lives of characters of books, so the more I see of their work, the more I enjoy (this must say something about me).

I would LOVE a deeper dive & backstory on Kade's character - I feel like a whole Kade backstory would be fun.

While on the topic of characters, something that was blatantly screaming in my face was the fact that the characters and their personalities were solely defined by their careers and sexual identities - very little else, in my opinion. While I have a love for the work aspect of it, and I acknowledge those parts of life are major, people <i>typically</i> are more than those things. I would have liked to see a bit more. There were attempts at times with Bebe making comments like "Kade and Mel are sooo alike" but to what extent? Was it off page?

I did a combination of listening & reading on Kindle and both experiences were great. The narrator did a wonderful job and kept me engaged.

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After reading this book I’ve come to realize I am not into polyamory. It just wasn’t my vibe but the writing is good and there were moments in the book I enjoyed so I’m still giving it 4 stars.

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