This was a book I couldn't find myself interested in. Genuinely if I gave it a second chance to have more time to read it, I would probably get through it. But the first few chapters weren't compelling enough to make me want to keep reading.

The perfect poly romance! I love that the story is broken up into 3 parts I feel it really helped with the development of the romance

Mel, a jaded bartender at a swanky New York cocktail spot, attempts to rebound from her divorce with Bebe. When she learns that Bebe is in an open marriage, she enters into a relationship unlike anything she's ever experienced before. I wish Kade had gotten a little more airtime. We knew a lot about Bebe and Mel, but Kade felt like a mystery for 75% of the book. I liked the way Alexander explored the relationship dynamics in here, but without spoiling anything, one of the romantic twists felt a little insta-lovey. I was a fan of what played out, but I would have loved a little more build-up! I also adored the cocktail competition subplot and wanted even more of those details! Mel's dedication to it gave her character some added depth.

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander features Mel, a NYC bartender whose life changes when she meets Bebe, a lively lawyer, and Bebe's stoic artist wife, Kade. It's refreshing to see a traditionally published romcom with kitchen table polyamory, showcasing progress in queer representation. The romance is cute, supportive, and develops well, but the writing felt overly didactic at times, resembling a gender studies lecture. I found the explanations a bit too textbook and the characters somewhat shallow. Despite these issues, it’s an enjoyable, breezy read.

I loved this!! it's really exciting to see a polyamorous queer romance published by a traditional publisher. i enjoyed all three main characters and all the different relationship dynamics between them. the way their relationship unfolded felt really natural and true-to-life. major bonus points to this book for having a main character who works in the service industry, which is something i always want more of in romance!

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

Thank you so much Atria Books #AtriaPartner for the gifted copy!

Blurb:
A jaded bartender is wooed by a charmingly quirky couple in this fresh and sizzling polyamorous rom-com, set in the glamorous world of high-end cocktail bars.

✨ My thoughts:
So fun and hot, the only way to read it is to DEVOUR it. I’ve never read a “why choose” so it was new to me but I’m not mad at it. I’m pretty sure my eyebrows were in my hairline and I said “Ooooo!!” Out-loud way more times than I can count. Mel, Bebe, & Kade all stole the show in their own ways and all had lovable traits. I also found myself parched and very thirsty… take that as you will. Ha! But really, between the bright and colorful cover, the colorful story, and the cute cocktails on the chapter pages, what’s not to enjoy? If you’re into the why choose trope, rom coms, or grumpy x sunshine x grumpy (yes you read that right), this is a hot read for the summer! Triple Sec is out NOW!

And from the best Acknowledgments section I’ve ever seen….

“And finally, a soft, tender, well-deserved forehead kiss to everyone who loves their own way, with their whole heart, in defiance of anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. Cheers, my loves.”

Happy reading! 📖

Three love stories for the price of one?! Sign me up! This was such a fun, sweet romance!

Mel, Bebe and Kade were so unique in their own ways, yet also had such interesting dynamics as a couple/throuple.

The cocktail competition plot definitely took a backseat, but the romance carried me through. I enjoyed the communication and honesty between them all and how they grew together. And I always love a strong side friendship!

First off, thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this book via NetGalley.

I saw this title and was so incredibly excited for a book that had so much diversity - POC characters, a sapphic romance, and a non-binary character, and polyamory. Sign me up! Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations...

The story follows Mel, a recently divorced bartender that has sworn off love. Then Bebe walks into the bar Mel works at and there's an instant connection. Mel's hesitant when she finds out Bebe is married and in an open relationship with her wife, but ultimately, decides to give Bebe a chance. Soon, Mel finds herself attracted to Bebe's icy partner, Kade, as well. And what do you know? Kade is also interested in Mel, thus beginning Mel's journey with polyamory.

I love that polyamory is making its way into mainstream queer media. It feels like it's been a long time coming. That being said, I felt like there wasn't really much depth in terms of polyamory. It all just felt relatively surface level, and I wish that we could have spent more time with the characters and their respective relationships and how being in a polyamorous relationship is different to a monogamous one. Though I hope stories like this one will help pave the way for more of its kind.

My other main complaint was that I thought Mel was unbearable. She seemed grumpy for no reason - and overall was just difficult to like, which made the book hard to get through. I almost didn't finish it because I struggled so much.

The writing itself was well done, as one would come to expect from TJ Alexander, but, overall, I was just left wanting more and struggling to like the main character, which is my reason for three stars.

Great representation of a non-conventional relationship. The characters were well written and had depth. Perfect summer read!

Triple Sec follows NYC bartender, Mel, a divorcee who has her love life turned upside when she meets Bebe a beautiful, bubbly lawyer and her wife Kade, your typical stoic artist. I honestly was very shocked to see a traditionally published contemporary romcom that featured kitchen table polyamory. It just shows how far we’ve come in terms of queer rep in the traditional publishing space and that made me happy. As for the romance itself, it was cute, it was communicative, and full of support. I enjoyed seeing Mel’s relationship with Bebe and Kade develop separately, seeing how different those dynamics were but equally as important to Mel was quite refreshing. The writing style was very simple and easy to fly through so it was a quick easy breezy weekend read.

However, I don’t think this is a new favorite for me. In some places the tone was just a bit too didactic. I felt like I was in a gender studies lecture and while I do find it very valuable to explain core gender and sexuality concepts to a wider mainstream audience and ensure that they understand what’s going on and maybe learn something in the process, I felt a little bored with it. Just my own personal thing as a queer enby with poly experience I felt like every was a little too textbook, there was a little too much therapy speak and it just felt like it lacked something. I also never got too invested in the characters, they were cool but just a little bit too surface level to get attached to, they all had one trait that the author stuck to and I didn’t feel like we went much deeper than that as far as character exploration goes. I feel like I’m saying alot of negatives, but it was a perfectly pleasant enough reading experience I just found myself craving more than it could give.

I thought this was a fun and interesting! Not only were the poly dynamics emotionally responsible, but there were a few different perspectives on love in general and how it manifests. I've never really read a book like this and will definitely recommend it to some friends.

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander
4/5 stars

I learned about two things from this book that I didn't really know too much about: mixology and polyamory. In TJ Alexander’s new book Triple Sec, our main character Mel is a talented mixologist/bartender at trendy bar that doesn't really allow for much experimentation with the menu. One day at work, she meets beautiful, charming Bebe and the sparks fly. She is intrigued but then confused when she meets Bebe's wife, Kade.
I had read one of Alexander's previous books, so I was prepared for the spice factor. What I wasn't quite
ready for was the empathetic way they dive into all three of these characters and the way I would love them all (although I will always have a soft spot for Kade). I absolutely recommend reading Triple Sec. Also, it will make you want a margarita!
Thank you to the author, publisher and @netgalley for my advanced copy! Triple Sec is available now! Go grab it!

Mel doesn’t believe in love until the day Bebe walks into her bar. Bebe is everything Mel could want in a woman, only Bebe is happily married. Bebe and Kade are in an open relationship and Bebe invites Mel on a date. Before she knows it, Mel has feelings for both Bebe and Mel and is in a relationship with both of them.
This was the first book I’ve read featuring a polyamorous relationship and I really appreciated the way it explores not only what a poly relationship might look like, but also touches on gender fluidity, acceptance, and love in general. It definitely provided me with new perspectives while also being an incredible and steamy romance. It was interesting to see each relationship progress and how they were all so open and accepting of one another. There was great banter and many laugh out loud moments. This book is another winner from TJ Alexander!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I just love TJ Alexander! They have become an auto-buy author for me. I've yet to find a novel from them that I dislike. I absolutely loved Triple Sec and the romances in it. I can't wait for their next novel.

I really enjoyed this! It was a fun read, and I really enjoyed all of the characters and the different dynamics that came into play in all of their relationships. I liked that Mel was trying to protect herself and still be open at the same time, and that all of the characters experienced a lot of growth from the beginning of the book to the end. Bebe and Kade are such fun characters, and I loved how different they were but they still had so much love for each other.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the digital arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed the complexity of each character and their function within the relationship. Very sexy with clear pro exploring with partners, healthy relationship reality, communication, and balance. The miscommunication could have easily been avoided, thus avoiding the bulk of issues Mel experiences in this polyamory lifestyle. Alexander does a great job showing the issues, conflict and resolution. Well done.
Mel has cut herself off from love after a shattering divorce. Still struggling with her healing, Mel meets Bebe - a woman oozing class, sensuality and goodness. Her partner, Kade, and Bebe have an amazing relationship - with the acceptance of dating other people. And so begins Mel and Bebe's relationship.

3.75⭐️more poly books in trad publishing!
i love that queer poly books are getting this representation in the trad world and i definitely think it’s laying the groundwork for more to come
such much as this book did have its good times, there were some moments in the book that were truly stressing me😭a little communication goes a long way
overall i did have a really good time with it!

I've read a few of TJ Alexander's other pubbed books so I was excited for this one, but a little nervous at the concept of polyamory. I've never been one to read romances with more than two MCs, but I really had so much fun with this one. Plus it was HOT hehehhe

This was such a unique and unexpected romance! I loved the characters, particularly Kade, and their thoughtful insights about love, relationships, and art. ("It's still art, even if it's idle.") I felt that the second half of the book was notably stronger than the first, as it took a while for the story to really settle into itself. In particular, I thought the romantic conflict in the first "act" was a little weak. The pacing of the novel was also a little uneven for me, but overall I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

DNFing this one at 24% sadly! It's just not for me. I was excited to read a queer/poly romance to branch out beyond the usual relationships depicted in romance books but I just feel like Mel was really naive. Maybe I have the privilege of being informed about poly/open relationships, but the way she seemed so shook by them just felt odd, especially when she's written as an adult character. I just wasn't feeling any chemistry or attachment to the characters by 1/4 of the way through and I have so many other books on my TBR that it wasn't worth it for me personally to continue. Thanks anyway for the ARC and thank you TJ Alexander for writing a book with queer and poly rep!!