The heat is on….

And wow, did the temperature rise and rise with the second instalment in this trilogy. Austin, Cord and Ember had started an uneasy new phase to their relationships that ended spectacularly. It was a make or break moment that, thankfully, started Austin on a track out of addiction. What it also did was break the three apart. Physically. Mentally. In all ways to the point of being unrecoverable. Or was it?

I LOVED the new paths this story has taken! Austin struggling to get better, for himself, for his wife. Cord’s reluctance to rid himself of the best friends he’s ever had. Ember’s utter despair that her actions have blown them apart. What it was though was a complicated, intertwined mess and it was all of their own making. ALL of them. And it was a fabulous read as they each dug into their own pasts, their own feelings (I mean really dug deep) to understand how it all brought them to this place….

Uneasy, uncomfortable, heated, and a riveting, glued to the pages read as these three unsettled lovers and friends have to decide what they mean to each other… And it’s not over yet! I don’t know if I’m ready for what comes next but I’m glued to my kindle to find out!

This title was archived before I was able to send the file to my kindle. I am unable to review at this time.

This book felt more like a filler between the two books before and after this than anything else. Sorry I did not enjoy it more.

Lost Together, sigh, what a story. I related so much to every word on those pages. Cannot wait to read more by Lydia and Allyson.

Love comes in many forms and true love is what gets us through life's trials. Life's ups and downs, friendship, confusion, love and sex...this book has it all.

Finally, the second installment of Ember, Cord and Austin's journey. After having finished Forfeit, I was anxiously awaiting Lost Together, so it was a real treat to be able to review this one. Lost Together starts with Ember having left both men and going into hiding. Cord, being the amazing man and friend that he is, even though he's grieving the loss of Ember (if he even really had her in the first place), goes to Austin to help him if possible. When he finds him, Austin has truly hit rock bottom, and Cord picks him (literally and figuratively), gets him to the hospital and makes him start going to AA meetings. Austin fights it at first, but eventually starts working on himself, with Cord's unrelenting assistance, and meets a new friend/sponsor, Harley.

Neither Cord nor Austin has forgotten Ember, and each is calling and leaving her voicemails every day, sometimes multiple times a day. But, she's been hiding out at her parent's place, trying to figure out what to do with herself. Although she's happy to know Austin is finally working on fixing himself, she can't seem to get past her guilt for having cheated on Austin, regardless of whether he pushed her toward Cord, insisted on her going to him. I was a little disappointed in her in Lost Together. She seems to take a huge step backward in her emotional and mental well being. She's feeling guilty unnecessarily and is acting weak and submissive. She's hurting both Cord and Austin with her silence and hiding, and making the whole situation that much harder on everyone. Not that Austin didn't deserve for her to leave him, but Cord didn't deserve it, and I found myself more than a little upset with her and with Austin both.

When the three finally come together toward the end of the book, it only brought up more questions and uncertainty and I was left feeling vaguely unsettled and feeling deeply for Cord. I felt as if both Ember and Austin had pushed him into something he wasn't ready for, let alone something he even wanted. I'm not sure how I feel about a threesome between the three, as it doesn't seem balanced, with Cord sort of on the outskirts of a marriage and being in love with both of his best friends. I would have felt better if Cord had initiated it, because frankly, Austin and Ember initiating this strange new relationship feels like Cord is being set up for major heartbreak in the future if either Austin or Ember can't handle what's happening between the three.

Ugh! I'm so on the fence now, I want to give this 5 stars because I'm so addicted to this whole journey between the three, but yet, I can't honestly give it 5 stars because the first half was a little slow and I felt that Ember didn't act like the strong woman she was in Forfeit. And Austin, don't get me started on him. He bugs the crap out of me and if he hurts Cord in Atonement more than he already has in Forfeit and here in Lost Together, I'll probably reach through my Kindle and junk punch him! I don't like him at all, and that's probably the main reason I can't give Lost Together 5 stars. Hopefully he'll redeem himself in Atonement and I'll go back to loving this threesome.

In the first book, we met three good friends. Austin and December are married and their marriage faces the devastation of his slide into alcoholism. The one to pick up the pieces of December is Austin lifelong best friend Cord. And this book deals with all the effects after that. This is definitely a more angsty book than the first one because for a big part of it Austin is dealing with recovering and staying sober. Struggling to admit that he’s hit rock bottom, that he needs help and this is not something he can fix on his own.

I loved the real feel of that struggle shown in this book, and also the fact that he needed someone to be his rock and that someone was there for him. While this also added a lot of angst to this book, it wasn’t superficial. I liked seeing that struggle so that I could come to terms with an HEA in the end after all that. I think this series has shown alcoholism as the disease it is and the strength Austin has shown digging himself out of it is nothing short of impressive.

As much as I love both Austin and December, I have a soft spot in my heart for Cord through this whole series and in the end I think I just want to see him get everything he’s always wanted. He’s had to hide his feelings of being in love with his best friend his whole life. Then after they married, he had to also hide the love and affection he felt for his best friend’s wife. He was always the one giving of himself to others. Making sure everyone else was taken care of and happy, no matter what the cost was to him to make sure that happened. So as long as Cord is happy, I’ll be happy with this story.

There is a lot of heartache in this book, but in the end there is that hope. The hope that these three lives that are intrinsically entwined will be finally free to be together. There is no way two could ever be totally happy without the third. The bonds of friendship and love go deeper than the physical and have for many years and it’s finally come to the point that the physical is explored. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending to go quite the way it did but I loved it and I am dying to get the next installment and to see them all have a final resolution.

Lydia Michaels Degrees of Separation trilogy is an emotionally gripping story about a happily married couple whose relationship starts to crumble when the husband loses control and lets addiction control him. Lost Together, book 2 in this series, has a raw, emotional edge and characters that quickly draw you in as you watch three people who were lost finally come together in combustible passion.

At the end of the first book in the trilogy, Austin had released December of all obligations and instructed Cord to be the man for her that Austin couldn’t be. December was already confused about her attraction to and need for Cord. Cord had fought his attraction to December for some time as well. When they came together, it was more than sex. It was obvious to them both that something deeper was going on. Unable to deal with the guilt of betraying her husband and destroying Cord’s and Austin’s friendship, December flees to her parents’ house but doesn’t let anyone know where she’s going.
Cord, assuming December has returned to Austin, goes to Austin’s home. He doesn’t find December there but he does find Austin, who has finally hit rock bottom. Cord is torn between finding December or helping Austin. Austin was obviously more in need. He needed someone who wouldn’t fear him or back down. Cord stayed with him, tossed out all the booze, cleaned up the mess, and encouraged Austin to take control of his life. Austin appreciated and resented Cord at the same time. He wanted to throw Cord out but he needed him. He couldn’t trust himself. Austin worked to kick his need for alcohol. He joined AA and found a good friend in his mentor He started working with Cord at the store. Gradually he was finding himself again and healing. He longed for December but knew he had to take control of his life first. He was determined to recover all he’d lost- his control, his pride, his purpose, his wife.
Cord was pleased with how well and how quickly Austin was reverting to positive habits, but it was also disarming. He worried that when December did return, there’d be no place for him. When she came back, he’d be on the outside again, looking in. Long before he’d loved December, he’d loved Austin but knew it would never be reciprocated. When December returned, she and Austin would have each other and Cord would be alone. Again.
December was battling emotions of her own. She missed Austin and Cord but was afraid to return. She’d torn their relationship apart. She wanted to go home but everything had changed. She couldn’t belong when her heart was split in two. December did finally return though. But she was still torn between her feelings for the two. Cord separated himself from their lives. He couldn’t stand to see Austin and December together, reminding him of all he’d lost.
Slowly, Austin and December worked to rekindle their marriage. But there was an emptiness there without Cord. December and Cord had opened a Pandora’s Box the night they’d spent together and it couldn’t be closed. Each time Austin and December made progress as husband and wife, the mention of Cord brought them back to a place neither of them could leave behind. Austin was done hiding from obstacles in his life. He was ready to put everything out in the open. He knew what it would take to make December happy. Now he just needed to convince December and Cord.

Sometimes menage romances fall flat for me because the author fails to write a believable relationship where each partner loves one another equally. Lydia Michaels didn’t fail me though. She passed with flying colors. Cord, Austin, and December had an emotionally balanced relationship. The sexuality was just as important as the emotional satisfaction. Each character had an underlying need for each other. Austin and Cord had been friends since childhood. When Austin married December, Cord had become her friend as well. They’d been there for each other and cared deeply for each other. That relationship developing into more was believable. The sexual tension builds in the relationship and is sustained and elevated in a realistic way. Romance is more than just sex. Physical desire is important but so is friendship, trust, and sacrifice. Cord, Austin, and December definitely had that. I think that’s what I like most about Lydia Michaels’ books. I don’t feel like I’m reading some fantasy. She doesn’t write feel good, sappy romance. She writes about real life issues. She doesn’t rely on titillation to keep the reader turning pages. She gets into the gritty parts of a relationship. In other words, she paints realistic portrayals of people’s lives. Her characters’ relationships make sense because she writes such realistic characters. They’re flawed, and those flaws make the story that much more real and interesting. Romance is only as compelling as the people involved in it. And Lydia Michaels writes some of the most compelling characters I’ve ever read. I am anxiously awaiting book 3 in this trilogy. I can’t wait to see how this relationship evolves. A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection

This is the second book in the Degrees of Separation Trilogy and I do recommend reading them in order. I really liked this read and am so looking forward to finding out what happens next. December has taken off leaving both Cord and Austin. Cord goes to see Austin and help him get sober again. When December returns, what will become of these three. Lots of emotion, drama and very steamy.

I received a free copy of this book. The first 1/3 of the book deals with alcoholism and the toll it takes on a couple and their best friend. It is depressing and after a while you start to lose interest. After a long separation, the wife returns and things start to change but there is still great turmoil. At the very last, they come together and there appears to be good changes coming. The sexual encounter between the two and then the three starts to heat up, they are acknowledging the interest they have in each other and the next thing you know, the book ends with a sequel. Hopefully the next book will not be depressing and the interaction between the three of them becomes the main feature of the book.

This is book 2 of this trilogy. Make sure you read the first book, or this one won't make a ton of sense.

Austin is in a world of hurt. He has hit rock bottom and is to the point where he needs to admit that he is an alcoholic. He has driven his wife into his best friend's arms. Ember is broken after breaking her vows. What's worse for her is she loves Cord and still loves her husband. Cord's world is broken when he finds Ember gone and then goes to try to help Austin. This book is really the three of them getting their lives together individually and making them strong enough to try a relationship in whatever form it takes. At the end, we finally get a glimpse of the feelings all three of them harbor for each other. I'm really excited to see how this trilogy ends!

Loved this book. I liked all three main characters and can't wait to read the next one.

Lost Together
Lydia Michaels and Allyson Young
Book 2 of Degrees of Separation

I was so excited to receive this book. I have anxiously waiting to read this one as soon as I finished book 1.

This continues the triangular story of December, Austin, and Cord. The first half of the book is about the devastation that alcohol abuse can have on a marriage and also a friendship.
Austin has finally hit rock bottom and Cord is doing everything he possibly can to help save his friend from himself. He goes above and beyond what most people would do for another person.
December has realized she can't move forward being with Cord and losing Austin to his alcoholism. So she has gone to stay with her parents for awhile to try and find herself again.
Once Austin realizes he has lost December he finally realizes he needs help. Once he sobers up and December comes home, things still aren't perfect. They have a missing link, Cord.
They always say the heart wants what it wants. And December's heart wants both, Austin and Cord. Once they can get over the awkwardness of a threesome that none of them have any experience with, the easier their lives will be.
I can't wait for book 3 to be released. I am ready to see how this relationship unfolds between the 3 of them. This set of books are so real. It really shows you the good, the bad, and the ugly and I have loved every minute of it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

At the beginning I was frustrated and felt like it was dragging on. As I progressed I realised it was because I haven't read book one and was missing the background of the characters. Once I got over that I started to really enjoy the book. Yes it was emotional and you could really feel the struggle the characters were all dealing with. I was pleased with how it all came together at the end. However, of course I'm now left wanting to know the rest of their story and where it goes to from here.

A solid good read.