Absolutely adored this queer/poly romance! My first TJ Alexander book but certainly not my last. I’ve convinced my book club to read this in August!

This book was a delight from start to finish. I was entirely sure what to expect from it, but I think that honestly was to my benefit. I love how Alexander delved into the relationships between all the characters very intentionally… plus who doesn’t love a snowed in situation? The book is full of wit and fun, but with substantial heart and introspection. I also deeply appreciated the emphasis placed on communication between the characters.

This is a fun Queer romance with a poly relationship. The plot was engaging and had you rooting for the characters. Minimal conflict made it a delightful read.

DNF: I typically can’t read 3rd person very well and didn’t know that this book was. That with the combo of it was just feeling a bit repetitive for me lead to me not finishing.

I loved this book. It's cute. It's funny. It hits a lot of representation that I feel like many rom-coms miss.

I'll probably read anything TJ Alexander puts out. So read this if you wanna have a good time.

Yall! I'm. In. LOVE! 😍 I have finally found the perfect queer poly romance book and I'm so here for it!

Bartender Mel is absolutely floored to find smart and sexy Bebe at her bar shamelessly flirting with her. While normally shying away from dating customers, Bebe is absolutely perfect! After a night of the best back and forth she's had in as long as she can remember, Bebe's partner Kade walks in. Mel is stunned to say the least. Thus begins such a beautiful, well written, and insightful book that explores the often complicated but also straightforward world of polyamorous relationships.

I absolutely loved every single page of this beyond well written love story! Watching Kade, Bebe, and Mel learn to navigate the ins and outs of a throuple was enlightening and at times brought tears to my eyes. At the end of the day they're just three people in love. Living and loving and facing all the same hardships monogamous couples do. Watching them communicate so openly and honestly was such a relief! I'm beyond tired of the miscommunication trope, and this just proves you can write an absolutely outstanding love story while still having adult communication and problem solving.

And yes, the spice was spicing! But it was also loving, and beautiful, and all the good things! TJ Alexander has cemented themselves as one of my absolute favorite authors of all time! Can't wait for their next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, TJ Alexander and Atria Publishing. ❤️

Such a fun romance!!! I love all the representation, the spiciness is perfect, and it's so refreshing to read a well written, fun queer polyamorous romance. Cannot wait to recommend this to everyone I know!!

Bartender and aspiring cocktail creator Mel is near speechless when stunning customer Bebe seems to flirt with her. She doesn’t normal accept advances from patrons, but there’s something about lawyer Bebe that is too special to resist. That is until Bebe’s artist wife, Kade, arrives. But when it turns out the couple is polyamorous and Bebe was, indeed, flirting with Mel. The three establish relationship rules, enabling Mel to feel again and pursue her dreams of winning an NYC cocktail competition.

Most of the other polyamorous romance novels I’ve read have been more of the spicy sort, for a certain audience, but this is the first one I’ve read that felt REAL. The characters are interesting, and Mel and Bebe’s first meet was cute, though the book dragged a bit in the middle. I found Mel and Bebe’s first date to be rather—and I hate to say it—boring. The eventual involvement of Kade also seemed to come out of nowhere, though I do love a snowed in trope. The book picked up speed again toward the end, particularly with the cocktail competition, and ended on a high note. I think if you’re looking for a more realistic, steady representation of a poly relationship or nonbinary and LGBTQ characters, this would be a great pick!

Thanks to Booksparks, Atria, and the author for my copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

TJ Alexander has done it again with another awesome LGBTQ novel Triple Sec, this time incorporating in ethical nonmonogamy/polyamory. I really identified very closely with the character of Mel, and like TJ Alexander's previous releases, this book is infused with a ton of humor and heart and fleshed out characters to make it a major page turner. I highly recommend this novel, especially for those who are polyamorous or nonmonogamous, themselves. Not being poly or nonmonogamous, myself, I still found this really compelling and really connected to all of the characters and the book's overarching arc. This is an untapped market but one I see becoming really popular; Triple Sec makes for a great entry point.

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander
Having read and enjoyed TJ Alexander’s last novel, Second Chances in New Port Stephen, https://sunrisesandsuch.blogspot.com/2023/11/second-chances-in-new-port-stephen-5.html, I was eager to see what they were up to in Triple Sec.
I found the same fascinating writing, great characters and a different kind of love story. I also found a great story, of Mel, a bartender extraordinaire, Kade, and artist, and Bebe, a lawyer, who find themselves drawn to each other. The development of the relationship, from single to couple to throuple was a fun ride, with Alexander’s sensitive humor and presentation. The settings were very well done as well and left me wanting to go order cocktails at both Terror & Virtue AND Collective Spirits.
This author excelled at staying true to her character’s pronoun choice, though as an older reader, I had trouble keeping it straight. That’s my weakness, not Alexander’s and it was good to see a full book carry it off.
Other readers have commented that the book was “spicy” or “steamy” which I know is a draw for many readers. There are explicit sex scenes (some I wasn’t sure were physically plausible) and if you like that, this book will make you happy. I might be a little too conservative for it, but I recognize the talent in the imagination and the writing.
Triple Sec was released June 4, 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the review copy.

What a fun book! I loved the characters and the overall plot! I really loved the cocktail aspect that added a very fun twist to this.

THIS BOOK!

I am not one who has ever thought I vibed with a poly relationship but this book peeked my interests. Also, this book is so much more than the poly relationship. It’s about the individuals who make up the ‘ship and how they make the balance work out.

TJ Alexander did this so unbelievably well. They made us readers swoon over Bebe, Mel and Kade individually and together. I didn’t know I would thirst for Kade but damn, they’re one of my favorite characters!

I cannot wait to read the next TJ book because I know it’s gonna be great! 👍🏼

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I recently discovered TJ Alexander's books and I am loving all of them, Triple Sec included. This was such a fun book of Mel discovering her people and coming into her own. I loved the focus on cocktails and communication. All the characters felt fully formed and I really appreciated how the stakes were high for the characters while not being life threatening. I would love to see more of these characters, and where were the cocktail recipes??? I would love a Rock Dove and I don't even like palomas!

I can't wait for the next one!

The romance between Mel, Bebe and Kade was well built but having the established separate relationships first before becoming a full on poly couple. This was honestly not as good as the last TJ Alexander novel I read however was still a great book. This book could be helpful for those who are trying to discover themselves as the characters are almost stereotypical to their identities. The characters are a bit black and white, missing some shades of grey.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for giving me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

🍹 Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander 🍹


Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5️⃣
Book Goal 2024: 78/100

Thank you so much @artiabooks, and @netgalley for this advanced reader copy!

✨Have you ever been stranded due to a storm and if so what book did you wish you had during that time?✨

I have been on the struggle bus with finding things lately and have tried bouncing around genres to see if I could find something. Being a mood reader can make it so hard to get into something. BUT TRIPLE SEC delivered! This was so cute and spicy!

I really enjoyed each character that we were introduced to in the book. Main characters and side characters.

It was also nice to have a refreshing book on queer relationships and poly relationships. If you’re interested in reading about these types of relationships for the first time, this would be an excellent choice. I am so thankful the miscommunication trope wasn’t really present for this book! The book isn’t perfect but it definitely hit some of the right notes and the author is headed in the right direction.

The only downside for me was that I don’t think there is so much black and white in society. People are still learning how to approach queerness, polyamory, etc. There’s a few moments in the book where I cringed because of reactions to how society responded to the characters. I could have used more emotional development in the characters but overall this was a cute book with some hot spice.

TJ Alexander is an auto-buy must read for their charming love stories and witty banter and Triple Sec is no exception—this time with even more love interests to love. While different from the typical romcom, if you are looking for a romance with supportive, fun, polyamorous characters, you've found the right book.

The first few chapters of the story I found Mel didn't capture my interest. She was a tad unlikeable, and I didn't care much about her, and had little interest in her journey, but around twenty percent in, something changed and I was rooting for her, and Bebe and Kade in their unconventional love story. I enjoyed the messy, but often sweet dynamic between them and how their sometimes awkward, but ultimately earnest affection for each other grew. Mel was a mess of a human who made mistakes, but Bebe and Kade gave her grace and love.

I'm glad I stuck with the book despite the slow start, it's definitely not like other books I've read, and I think that the depicton of her foray into a poly relationship was perfectly imperfect.

Before this book had even come out (happy release day, Triple Sec!), I’d already been recommending it nonstop on Our Queerest Shelves. Ever since I finished it, I haven’t been able to stop talking about. It’s definitely one of my favourite books of the year so far, and in my top five favourite romance novels I’ve ever read.

This is about Mel, who is a bartender who’s jaded about love ever since her divorce. But then Bebe walks into the bar, and they have undeniable chemistry. Bebe is interested in dating Mel — she’s also married and polyamorous. Mel has never tried an open relationship, but it seems like a good way to tiptoe back into dating. This will be totally light and casual, right? They mutually agree: no falling in love. And Bebe’s nonbinary wife Kade is so intimidating that Mel can’t imagine actually being a part of their lives. But obviously, feelings don’t obey even the most clearly written out agreements.

I’ve long thought that reality TV shows are missing out by not casting all bisexuals. (Other than that season of Are You the One?) Think of the drama potential! The opportunity for different pairings increases exponentially. Since reading Triple Sec, I feel the same way about romance novels and polyamorous main characters. You can have two falling-in-love scenes in the same romance! Twice the first kisses! Two — or more — completely different relationship (and sexual) dynamics! I feel like I’ve been spoiled and will have trouble going back to two-person romances.

I know romance novels are so specific to each reader, but I loved the relationship dynamics and especially the dialogue. When Mel shows Bebe her tattoo of Pompeii and Bebe replies, “I love a good disaster myself” — look, I also would have fallen in love right then and there. I also liked the friendship between Mel and her roommate, who both agree to follow the good word of Saint Channing Tatum.

It’s also very steamy. I’m not going to get into it, but wow.

I enjoyed the ongoing rewriting of Bebe and Mel’s relationship agreement as they renegotiate things like pet names, catching feelings, and the dynamics between Kade, Mel, and Bebe.

While the central plot is the relationships between Mel, Bebe, and Kade, there’s also a subplot about a cocktail competition. I don’t drink, but I still found it fascinating to read about Mel’s different creations and how she keeps reworking her creations leading up the competition. Winning would mean she could buy her own bar, a dream of hers.

I also liked reading about Mel’s job: Terror & Virtue is a high-end cocktail lounge, and Mel is very skilled and passionate about her work — but it’s also customer service. It means dealing with drunk, rude customers and worrying about your next paycheck. In fact, the only criticism I had with Triple Sec is that I feel like the class difference between Mel and Bebe/Kade wasn’t really explored, other than Mel admiring their apartment and feeling a little out of place. Bebe and Kade are wealthy — Kade is a successful artist and Bebe is a lawyer defending workers’ rights.

That’s a very small complaint, though, especially since the ending didn’t go where I thought it would. If you want a fun, queer, polyamorous romance with lots of kind people learning how to best support each other, I highly recommend Triple Sec.

I really enjoyed this read and thought the romance aspect was fun to read. It was my first time to read “poly” and enjoyed how they all formed their own relationships first.

Fun read, would recommend.

Thank you to @AtriaBooks @NetGalley & the author for this eArc in return for my review.

In this we follow Mel. She is a bartender at a the Terror & Virtue night club. One night Bebe, walks in and there is an instant attraction. Little did Mel know that is married to Kade. The three of them end up having dinner one night and Bebe wants a dating relationship with Mel. While all this is new to Mel, she discovers more about herself than she knew.

I adored the story between Bebe, Mel, and Kade. I loved contract, the openness, and the overcoming of insecurities that Mel had. I learned more about Polyamory than I did before. The relationship in this story was absolutely top notch.