This post includes reviews of the books in the Alphabet of Desire series:
- A is for Aftercare (#1)
- B is for Beg (#2)
- C is for Comfort (#3)
A is for Aftercare (Book 1)
This book was a relatively low-angst read, but that doesn’t mean Davison skimps on any of the tension necessary to crafting a great love story. Age-gap relationships are an easy trope in romance, but I’m always a bit skeptical about the unequal power dynamics when it comes to a relationship stemming from a boss-employee relationship. In this case, kink actually makes the emerging love story more accessible to me as a reader rather than less. Despite their attraction, I don’t think Hamish or Archie would have acted on it had they not encountered each other at a party. And once they do, the physical nature of things only happen because Archie makes the first move, proving once again that submissives are really the ones with all the power (and in a moment that made me cackle with glee, scaring more than one cat).
Writers writing writers always borders on wish-fulfillment on all sides, especially when the reader enjoying the books is also a writer, in my case. Hamish is obviously living that successful bestseller life, but I appreciate that he runs into trouble regarding inspiration and writing what he loves. I think Davison had more than enough room to expound upon this conflict, along with the reactions of Archie’s family to their developing relationship, without introducing too much angst into the story. Still, the final result is overall a solid, enjoyable story. (And honestly, aren’t steamy scenes more fun to read anyway?)
It is fairly obvious from the first book that each installment of this trilogy will have overlapping timelines and that we’ve already met Archie’s brothers Blake and Corey along with each of their future happily ever afters. Rather than diminishing my excitement for the next two books, I’m already more than invested in all of these characters and how their own stories will play out.
Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.
B is for Beg (Book 2)
It is a bit of a mental stretch to imagine a world where four kinky best friends find love with a set of queer triplets, but romance is escapism at its finest, so I’m having fun rolling with the concept. In a note at the end of this novel, Davison mentions that she wrote all three of the books in this trilogy concurrently, in chronological order. I can’t imagine attempting to write three overlapping timelines any other way, and the obvious work and care Davison has put into this project show now that I’m two stories deep into this delightful romance arc. We already knew that Blake would find love with Gabe and Calvin, but it’s so much fun to get the full story from their end. (A special treat was finding out that Gabe and Calvin had a certain hand in ensuring Archie and Hamish got their true chance at love in A is for Aftercare!)
They might be triplets, but Blake is a very different character from Archie. After a life being constantly compared to his brothers, Blake also has plenty of emotional baggage that he’s doing his best to support. I think he would have had a perfectly wonderful romance with either Gabe or Calvin, but together, these men are his perfect match. Their original priority might have been Blake, but being with him also gave the two long-time friends a chance to reevaluate what they mean to each other. My only serious complaint about this book is that I wish that emotional arc had been expounded upon a bit. Still, Davison promised low-angst, so I’m not quite disappointed to escape a lot of unnecessary navel-gazing.
As in the first book, the reaction of Blake’s parents to his new life (personally and professionally) is the heaviest conflict. However, since Blake also faces emotional hurdles with his brothers, I never felt that the interactions were repetitive (even reading these books so close together on their release dates).
Like here, we already know that the third brother, Corey, has also found love. I can’t wait to see that final story unfold to complete this delightful trilogy.
Rating: 4.5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.
C is for Comfort (Book 3)
It’s been pretty clear from the end of book one that Corey and Spence will end up together in this story. We even already know how far they go the very first time they meet! However, it’s the mark of a good storyteller that the reader is just as invested in the journey as the destination, and Davison succeeds in that here. Corey is again significantly different from his triplets, even being queer and submissive, and he lives a vastly different life than them as a single father even though they all share a house.
On the other hand, Spence just wants to get laid. Luckily, Corey can’t offer much of a relationship considering all of the other commitments in his life. So, what I particularly love about this book is how these men accidentally fall into a relationship and catch undeniable feels. Rather than stress about it, they decide to see where it goes.
This story is relatively angst-free on the surface. It doesn’t make sense for Corey’s parents to be the same sort of stumbling block for this relationship as they were for Archie and Blake. Instead, the conflict here is much more internal, as Corey struggles to find some much-needed balance in his life, and Spence realizes that there might be room in his lifestyle for a relationship and even, possibly, a family.
Due to the overlapping storylines, the happily ever after here is also a happily ever after for the trilogy as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, kinky trilogy in which every book was distinct as much as the author kept the important elements of family and love consistent.
Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.