This was a new to me author and the description intrigued me immediately, especially since any poly or non-binary topic books I’ve read before have all been non-fiction.

Overall, I thought it was refreshing, fun, and spicy a.k.a. a perfect release for summer. I learned a little bit about mixology and loved how the competition theme was weaved into the plot. It wasn’t just a same old romance story that’s mass produced now, it was very modern and had a little more substance and interest to make it stand out. The title of the book totally went over my head at first as a poly x alcoholic beverage pun but it’s so funny!

3.5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to Atria, TJ, NetGalley for the e-galley!

It has been a long time since a book has reached my favorite book of all time status. Triple Sec is a love letter to the F&B industry, the queen community, and non-traditional relationships in the best possible way. For anyone who enjoys queer stories about love, connection, most importantly a romance that won't make you frustrated with a miscommunication trope, this is the book for you. TJ Alexander weaves these relationships together so well, making you root for all of them to not only live their best lives together, but as individuals. Love is not finite, it cannot be divided, only multiplied.

I had totally forgotten the book blurb when I started reading. Every once in a while I like to just grab a title in my TBR and be surprised.
It took a bit for me to get into the story. But I honestly just fell in love with the characters. Mel (a divorced lesbian bartender with quite a bit of insecurity going on), Bebe (bombshell hotshot attorney who is all confident sex appeal) and Bebe’s wife Kade (nonbinary artist and a more reserved personality). This book showed a refreshing take on what an honest and open relationship can be no matter how you identify, or who you love., or even how many people you choose to love.
Just a fun summer romance!
I received a ARC of this title from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This book was wonderful! I have loved everything I've read by TJ Alexander and this was no exception!

S T U N N I N G.

No notes, TJ writes exceptional characters but this book was definitely a level above the others I've read. I haven't felt so invested in a romance in quite some time and I loved how layered the book was with the themes of cocktails.

Am I searching for my next polyamorous love story now? 1000%

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and TJ Alexander for the advanced copy of Triple Sec!

Hold for full review

I enjoyed this book! Mel, a fancy bartender, is entranced by the woman flirting with her at the bar (Bebe), only to find out that Bebe is married to equally, but very differently, alluring Kade. I think it's really hard to write a triad romance because there are 4 relationships that need to be fleshed out (one between each of the 3, and then another for the unit as a whole). I felt I wanted a little more time with Kade and between Kade and Bebe, but overall this is a very fun read.

Oh I loved this so much!!! This book is such a refreshing summer read! Easy/fast to read, funny, and enjoyable. These characters were so easy to love and relate to. Bebe was my favorite. She’s just so bubbly, but everyone was written very well. I loved Mel trying to figure out her competition drink, it was fun to read about! Overall, this was just a a quick, feel good romance! Will definitely be recommending! Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *Note* Though I received a e-arc for this book, I ended up listening to the audiobook from my library, and this review is based on that experience.

When I requested this book I was intrigued because I liked the premise of a bartender in NYC and being a part of that world. Somehow I skipped over the polyamory parts when I requested, and that made me a little nervous to read this because I have difficulty relating to that world. However, this ended up being a fun and lighthearted story between Mel, the lesbian bartender who is overcoming the grief about her divorce from a few years prior, getting involved with a couple Bebe and Cade. I like how the book was in three parts - first about Bebe, second about Cade, third as a throuple for all intents and purposes. Bebe and Mel seem to have a bit of instalove, which I usually don't go for, but it seemed to work here.

The plot itself was fine, though there were some scenes I'm not sure were needed (almost therapy for 2 drunk bros at the clam shack sticks out). I also thought it was strange for how good of friends Mel is with Daniel that she didn't rely on him more for learning about the poly lifestyle. Also some things seemed convenient -- like, if Mel truly is a lesbian, I'm surprised she would get turned on during sex with a partner with a penis? Or maybe this was more representing healthy sexual exploration, and trying to show that sex and sexual expression is on a spectrum as well. There is a lot of sex in this book, which is written well albeit graphically (if that's not your thing be warned). I kind of wish there had been more exploration of potential jealousy in polyamory situations - or maybe it doesn't happen like that? It just seemed like this was destined to be a happy throuple ending from maybe page 50, and it would have been interesting to go a little deeper than this did to explore the dynamics of love, lust, and friendship in polyamory situations. However, overall I enjoyed this book (even though at first the polyamory aspects were outside my comfort zone) and it felt like a fun summer-time read.

A new romance from Alexander focuses on Mel, a bartender in NYC. When Mel meets BeBe, she is drawn to her. However, she learns Bebe is married and thinks that's it. Soon though, BeBe explains that she and her wife, Kade, are polyamorous and in an open relationship. Mel and BeBe start their own relationship, but Mel also finds herself drawn to Kade. In the middle of all of this, she is entering a cocktail competition, hoping to win so she can open her own bar.

Overall, I enjoyed this one! I had forgotten it was about polyamory by the time I got around to reading it, so that was surprising. But Alexander does a great job at creating chemistry between characters! Even in what eventually becomes a throuple, they do a great job carrying that through.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book demonstrates the importance of communication in relationships (whether they are romantic or not) and also that love can manifest in ways we might not expect for ourselves. I wasn’t sure how I felt at first but I’m glad I stuck with it. I noticed that the structure of this book with the three main parts corresponding to pivotal moments in the story, which I found clever. Bebe and Kade were strong characters, but I didn’t find myself drawn to Mel’s character as much. I liked the focus on the relationships, but I would have liked more character development for Mel especially since she had emotional trauma from a previous relationship. I haven’t read a book with poly representation before, so I enjoyed this one!

I love TJ Alexander’s books. Triple Sec was excellent. I loved everything about it. Mel, Bebe, and Kade were all wonderful characters and I enjoyed their relationship(s). The mixology aspect of the book was cool as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.

📍 Read if you like:
• Quirky Romcoms
• Found Family
• NYC Setting
• LGBTQ+ Rep
• Cocktails

Ahh I’m so sad and bummed that I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to. The cover immediately grabbed my interest, and the premise mentioning a polyamorous relationship… immediately intrigued.

This book follows a F/F/NB polyamorous relationship… while I thought the romcom was fun itself, I struggled so much with connecting to the characters. The characters were unique and vibrant, and I loved the character growth… I just didn’t feel any spark towards any of the three.

The premise of this book was so unique and I went into it so excited. I feel like I set up too high of expectations. I will say I absolutely loved the cocktail bar setting - made me want to sit out in the sun with a cocktail. While the book was lighthearted and deep, the romance between the characters didn’t work for me.

I absolutely loved the idea and appreciate what the author did, I just didn’t feel a spark towards the book unfortunately… though I’ll still recommend it.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Triple Sec is a super charming romcom exploring polyamory with humor, heart, and earnestness. I really loved how Mel, Bebe, and Kade communicated so openly and honestly with each other through the ups and downs of their dynamic because in 2024 we don't have time for miscommunication!! I could tell these three truly honored and respected each other given the thoughtfulness of their communication. They all balanced each other's strengths and weaknesses as well, making them quite the power throuple. Overall, this was a fun & sweet romance I'd highly recommend for anyone interested in exploring poly relationships in contemporary romance settings!

Thank you to Atria for the review copy, my opinions are my own.

This was an interesting story revolving around Mel, Bebe, and Kade.

It took me a while to get into the story, but I was intrigued enough to carry on reading, and by the time I got to about 60% into the story, I was cheering on the group. I also appreciated the twists and turns that the story took, even if I kinda guessed at some of the twists, not everything went exactly the way I was predicting. I cared about the characters and their feelings.

I recommend it those who like bartender romances, also for those who like experimenting with drinks (there are so many different signature drinks that are discussed - and most of them sound delicious.

Whoa y'all, this book was a fun one! Triple Sec is an incredibly interesting story about a talented bartender who has given up on relationships who enters a cocktail contest and finds love with two incredible people in the process. I think it's one of the best depictions of polyamory that I've read, and I loved reading about how Mel's relationship with Bebe and Kade developed and expanded throughout the book. Super hot and it will make you want to have a cocktail to sip while you read!

Since her divorce, Mel has been struggling. To cope, she has thrown herself into her job as bartender at a trendy bar, and she's totally blindsided when she finds herself bantering with an attractive and flirty patron. She's surprised again when she finds out that the woman, Bebe, is married - but in an open relationship that she very much wants to open to Mel. Bebe and Mel start dating, and she's having a ton of fun, but she's never been in a polyamorous relationship before and is constantly stressing about the "rules". At the same time, she's working on creating the perfect cocktail for a competition that could change her life if she wins. How will Mel deal with all of the changes in her life?

I loved that this book was low angst, sweet, and spicy. There's no third act breakup, and literally the only thing stressful to read is about Mel making things more complicated that they are. Bebe is the shining light of this book - I absolutely loved her character and fell for her alongside Mel. Kade's stoic personality made them a good deal more difficult for me to understand, but I appreciated that their relationship with Mel was more of a slow burn situation after how quickly she got with Bebe. I think that this MIGHT be the first book I've read with a non-binary main character (I've only encountered NB people as side characters before), so that was really cool! Definitely something I need to look for more of. And there's some seriously good, well-written spice y'all.

Triple Sec is a perfect summer read! Mix up a cocktail, head to the pool, and enjoy this awesome read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen/read a traditionally published contemporary romance featuring a poly couple before this one, so I was so excited to get and read this arc. This was also my first book by TJ Alexander and it certainly won’t be the last!

TJ’s writing style is so fun and so well done. With 3 people included in this relationship it was so important that they all stand on their own as characters and they each had their own clear voice, interests and mannerisms. And the banter between them, in all their configurations, was everything! And let’s not forget that this book is HOT!!! The flirting! The tension! I ate it all up!!

Triple Sec is such a fun book and it kept me intrigued from the first page. And I’m so here for all the queer vibes this summer! So do yourself a favor and pick this book up ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was an incredible read to start off Pride Month with! A hot poly couple turned poly throuple? Say less.

I really liked the characters in this book - from Mel being hesitant about relationships for fear of having her heart broken again, to Bebe being a badass lawyer hellbent on being her full self, to Kade being a silent, neurodivergent artist offering a source of support and comfort.

I enjoyed reading Mel’s personal growth, both romantically and also in her career. The mixology elements were really fun to read, and I liked the way that the contest played out and that there was a strong “fuck corporations” vibe to the story.

This is one of the few queer romances and only one of a handful of poly stories that actually felt realistic and respectful. I fully believed and felt invested in all of the relationships at play within the story.

I highly recommend this to anyone wanting:
🍸 Queer romance
🍸 Nonbinary rep
🍸 Polyamory rep
🍸 Found family
🍸 Witty banter
🍸 Mixology fun
🍸 Learning to love after being burned

While I really enjoyed this book, I do wish there was some more to the subplots of the restaurant takeover and the cocktail contest. I thought the character development was good, but Kade could have been developed and explained a little more. Overall the relationship was wonderful, but I wish some of the plot was explained more. If you are looking for an introduction to poly relationships, nonbinary characters, and love to find some new drink recipes, then this book is for you!

This isn't what I expected but I loved it. The communication between all three of them was so good. It was nice to see Mel develop relationships with Bebe and Kade separately before they all came together. Kade was so sweet in how they told Mel they liked her and wanted to be with her. I just loved all of them together but I wish we got more.

I received an arc through netgalley.