I love a good poly romance, and I love a good mystery, so when this one came highly recommended by fellow readers, I knew I had to give it a shot. Reyne immediately upended my expectations of this story by weaving a second-chance element into the dynamic between her three extraordinary heroes rather than throwing them together for the first time and watching the sparks fly. This setup immediately heightened my emotional investment in the unfolding romance, especially since events kick off with a tragedy.
That reunion could have been the end of things for our heroes until another death drags Sean, the missing piece of the puzzle, back to town barely weeks after saying goodbye for the last time. Sparks definitely fly between him and Charlie and Trevor, the lovers he left behind a decade ago, but they are a tantalizing mixture of push and pull as the three characters race to uncover the identity of a serial killer. Sean and Charlie have a duty to the case as law enforcement officers, but even literature professor Trevor is pulled into the mystery when it seems like he might play an integral role in how the victims are being chosen.
Along the way, other secrets are revealed as we learn why Sean originally left the first time. Reyne crafts a special sort of romance when it’s already clear that the three lovers belong together. Watching them inevitably grow closer over the events of this novel makes for an incredibly fun read, especially when combined with excellent secondary characters that give the entire cast a found family feel. The mystery itself is delightfully twisty with a compelling solution that is both satisfying and shocking.
Overall, I think Reyne’s use of the “second chance” trope here is a stroke of brilliance because it allowed her to skip much of the usual angst found in poly romances (especially involving mixed genders). Reyne teases that a particular secondary character might be getting his own story next, and I’ll definitely be back for more of this author’s excellent writing and storytelling.
Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.
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