Crossing the Lines by MQ Barber was another hot read that has me anxious for the next book!

While this book didn't live up to the first book, man was it definitely hotter in the sexiness department. MQ stepped up the game, with more sexy-time, more conflict, and more heartbreaks/feelings! I have so many feels after reading this!

There are so many reasons why I loved this book, so here's a list:
1. Alice is an incredibly strong female lead!
2. Jay is adorable, even though he's kind of unrealistic the way he acts (like a puppy).
3. Henry is hot. Kind of Christian Grey-esque, but damn is he still hot.
4. Lots of hot, sexy scenes. And I mean lots. I'd say to many, but there's never enough when MQ is writing.
5. Evil bad guy Cal.
6. More emotions/realistic situations involving feelings with Alice's internal struggle.
7. I fell in love with the characters all over again.

Now for what I didn't like:
1. The public, club scene...it wasn't sexy. It was kind of annoying that after all the ups and downs, this scene had to kind of ruin the climatic ending.
2. I felt like the conflict of the story was kind of...lame. It didn't seem fitting compared to the amazing highs of the novel - but I have this feeling MQ will tear my heart out with a future book, since it is a series.

Overall, I loved it! I want the next book right now!! I need it! This series is going to kill my poor heart because it's so good!

Five out of five stars! ( )

I've had this book sitting on my kindle since it was either free or .99 on amazon about a year ago. I liked the concept, but haven't really read much menage, so it just sat there for a long while. Which is sort of stupid because I read all three in a binge fashion last week. Really, really excellent. And since I binge read and can't really separate the three books in my head, I'm combining my review of all three. I will say that the first book was my favorite--probably because we see the most development of all of the characters.

I get Alice. I really, really understand the "I'm so self-sufficient, so fuck off" type of attitude. But nice ;) It doesn't change the fact that it was fascinating to read how a woman that independent could get to a mindset where a D/s menage could work for her. And I think it really did. Even though the passage of time happens quickly in the book, I really felt like you could see how Alice felt about the build up. That she really got to know these men over the year before anything happened with them. Good pacing. Good exploring. And I really loved all three of the characters. I love seeing a D/s relationship like this (super complicated with Henry being the D for both Jay and Alice as subs). It's the anti-50 shades of gray. In that book, I couldn't feel the love, just manipulation and selfishness. In these lovely books, it's fun, it's naughty, it's playtime in the best way and you really feel that they all care about one another's satisfaction and well-being. There's also a great contrast in the second book to someone I feel is more like Gray and you see how simply awful and abusive that is. The sex is hot. The relationships are complex. You want to smack Alice from time to time and have her get with the program, but the author does a fantastic job of showing you how Alice begins to finally get it. Starts to deal with her walls and own that it is her own expectation of people falling short that is messing with her ability to see Henry for who he is. Great growing up.

A couple of complaints to be aware of. 1) Henry talks like some English boarding school dude from a century ago. Every once in awhile it struck me as out of the ordinary. The author makes his entire character a little out of the ordinary though, so overall it works, but just be prepared for that. 2) Some of the storylines get picked up and put down in ways that aren't wholly satisfying. Alice's sister gets the confession of the menage but then we never hear anymore about her or what she says to Alice--even after Alice shacks up with them. Jay hasn't come out to his family and spends the holidays with them, but attends Henry's opening not only as Henry's bf but also as part of their threesome. Overall though, there are relatively few inconsistencies and dropped plot pieces. The only other mini complaint--and that's from the woman who just binge read these and NEEDS MORE NOW: the next book is coming out soon and it's about Henry and Jay. And the author is releasing a new book in a new series. So, I'm left saying, but but but but... what about going back and kicking out Cal and Henry teaching and and and hot healthy sex a the club???? with the three of them???? Pretty please? Because I don't see that story on the horizon based on what I see being released soon. that's a good complaint for an author to receive though right? ( )