Emotional and heated conclusion…

This trilogy may have had a slow-y start but by the second and last instalment, I was swept away by the intensity. Heat. Confusion. Anger. Bewilderment. Uncertainty. And deep, deep love…

Austin, Cord and Ember were in a relationship. No one was more shocked and surprised as they were. Finding each other, loving each other, wasn’t easy though. Doubts were rearing their ugly head even though, deep down, it felt right. They had to fight their inner voices and soon deal with the outside world as well as family weighed in. What struck me about their struggles was never did I feel that love was in question – it was the sheer unexpectedness and out of their norm-ness of it that they found the hardest to deal with. Oh and family, maybe just a tad…

Finishing Atonement has me reaching for where it all began, to savor their journey once more… *heart-happy sigh*

This book was fantastic. Loved everything about it. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Wow a smoking hot romance book that will leave you breathless and wanting more from this author.

I’ve been impatiently waiting for the conclusion of this trilogy! Good thing they were released so close together. This book picks up where LOST TOGETHER left off. Austin was just coming to terms with the budding attraction he felt for Cord and navigating the murky waters of how to make a triad work. This is no easy task by itself and when you add the extra pressure of Austin’s drinking problem, it definitely made some delicate moments to deal with.

Overall, I will say the authors did a good job at integrating all the problems and making this relationship believable. It’s not easy for the most part and they all have too face insecurities, prejudice and doubt. Austin’s resolution to stay clean is tested as well. I liked how this all was tackled. But somehow, maybe because it was all too much to deal with, I think that some things were not as strong as I was hoping for.

While I do believe in Austin’s attraction, I don’t think he reciprocated Cord’s feelings to the extent I was hoping for. The triad worked well for me, though. There’s a lot of sexual chemistry and emotional balance between the three personalities and I liked how they complemented each other so well.

ATONEMENT is a great ending to this trilogy. If you want to read something that packs an emotional punch and closes out with a ton of heat, then give this series a try.

Serious warning: do not read this book without having read the previous ones; it just didn’t work with so much having happened that I haven’t read, and brief mentions aren’t enough. Most of what happens here is how the three are dealing with what happened in the earlier stories.
What I do get is that a married couple have invited another man to bed with them; the two guys have been friends for years. But it’s not just so he can get it on with the wife while the husband watches; the two men are lovers with each other as well. In his inner monologue the husband isn’t so sure about this, his objections being more about his new bisexuality than jealousy. And the friend can’t understand that she actually loves him just as much and is treating him like a second husband. A lot of his introspection deals with how weird the situation is for him.
And yes, there’s so much introspection! No wonder this book is so long. In fact, this story is all introspection and sex except for his dad visiting and her quilting class, along with various parental responses to the unorthodox relationship; nothing much happens until the end. Most of her story deals with her being the happy homemaker and lover to two men, although she does get jealous at the relationship her husband has with his AA sponsor, especially when she learns something that happened in a previous book. . . which of course leads to another long introspection. It is a valid point, though; the people in AA know more about her husband than she does, even though he’s supposed to be more forthcoming with her.
In the end I’m just not sure how I feel about this. Didn’t love it, but liked it enough, mostly because of the funny moments, of which there are a lot. There’s plenty of good writing when it’s not taking forever to get to the point.

Atonement is an excellent conclusion to this trilogy about 3 people coming together and making a triad relationship work, on all levels, not just sexually. It picks up right where Lost Together left off and immediately there are uncertainties on Austin's part. Quite frankly, Austin was always the uncertain partner in this triad. But, he works through it, in his time, and comes out for the better. In the first two books, I absolutely could not stand him, but I have to say that he redeemed himself in Atonement. Not to the extent that I love him like I do Cord, but still, he's a good man and he finally shows it here.

One of the things I have loved about this whole journey is that all three people are realistic. They act and react like regular people do. They don't behave out of character, nor do they behave like some exalted celebrity. Not that celebrities aren't exciting to read about, but Cord, Ember and Austin are interesting as regular people. They love like the rest of us do, they just happen to share that love with 2, instead of 1.

And the sex? It's steamy, just like I had been waiting for. If MMF, MM and/or MF is your thing, you will be sure to find something to like in Atonement. But, don't think that the sex is the star here, because it's not. The star is the realistic portrayal of 3 people trying to make a ménage relationship work in the face of a lot of naysayers. Cord's family is like most families, and have problems with the idea. Ember's parents are fine with it, of course, they're the original hippie dippy couple, so they're fine with just about anything. But, Cord knows that his own family (especially his father) will not be so easy to appease, so it will really take some work to get them on board with the idea. Thank God the three of them are strong enough to work through disapproval and their own feelings of insecurity, uncertainty and doubt, because once they do, they find that sweet spot that we all look for.

Thank you Lydia Michaels and Allyson Young, for this emotional, sexy trilogy. It's one of the best MMF/ménage stories I've ever read. It's well written, realistic and emotional without being too angsty.

Austin, December, and Cords journey this was a very heartwrenching, loving, storyline of three people coming together as one and the steps it took to get there. This story deals with addiction, acceptance, loyalty, true love I voluntarily reviewed a copy if this book it's an absolute must read I highly recommend to read this book Lydia Michaels and Allyson Young did an amazing job writting this story first time I've read anything by these authors and I would recommend them to anyone.

I was looking for a smutty read that would take my mind off all the serious stuff I had just finished reading, but this one had a lot of serious stuff as well. I wasn't aware that it was the third in a series until I had already started it and I wished that I cared enough about these characters to read the first two books but I don't....at least not right now.

I received an advance reader copy of this book. This is a highly sexual and erotic book. The storyline involves recovering from alcoholism and the trials faced day to day. The love story between Austin, his wife Ember and best friend Cord is fantastic. The love scenes are very well written and emotional. I loved this book and would highly recommend it. Too bad you can't give a rating higher than a 5.

Great ending to this amazing series. Cord and Austin have been best friends for years and when Austin makes a mess of his marriage he sends December into the arms of his best friend. While Austin is facing his demons her learns to accept how December feels about Cord, can he learn to accept his own feelings for them both? This is a fast paced read with lots of drama, emotion and steamy sex. I really liked it.

Good style of writing but not my cup of tea. I am pretty straight.

I have read the 2nd book in this series and was really looking forward to this 3rd and final book......it didn't disappoint. I love these characters along with the fact that they aren't perfect, they all have flaws. I liked seeing how their relationship as a trio grew and was also glad that there was some resistance from their family when they announced their relationship, that it wasn't all just happy families. I also like how it all came to an end and finished the trilogy just right.

This is my first book in the series and I loved it. I especially liked the dynamic between Case and Austin.

Atonement, #3 in Lydia Michaels Degrees of Separation trilogy, takes up right where Lost Together left off. Cord, December, and Austin have just begun their relationship of three. Where months ago all had seemed lost, now life was starting to resume. But it was a different life than any of them had known. But it felt right. Still, there were uncertainties. Did they have what it takes to make this relationship work?
As I read this trilogy, I was captivated by each character’s individual stories and their journey together. I found myself asking what makes this story work when so many others seem to fall flat. They all have the same premise- 3 people form a partnership together leading to a long term relationship. Let’s face it though, there aren’t many relationships like that out there. At least that I know of, so it definitely puts these stories more into a fantasy category. What they need is some reality to make it believable. That’s exactly what the Degrees of Separation trilogy gives you, and that’s what makes this series stand out from all the others.
One aspect of this trilogy that makes it believable is that all three characters are attracted to each other. I can’t see a relationship lasting long term if two people are focused on a third but have no interest in each other. December had always loved Austin, and when left in Cord’s care, had grown to love him too. Cord’s love had pulled them both back from the edge of despair. If Austin could share her with Cord, she could surely share him. Cord loved Austin. He’d loved him for so long and keeping it secret had been such a burden. Then he’d gone and fallen for December. Cord was done keeping secrets. That’s what love was, pushing for truth and honesty. He was starting to feel that Austin had feelings for him as well and he wasn’t giving up without a fight. Austin was still trying to process it all. He wanted Cord in their life, he just needed time to figure out what that looked like. Seeing December and Cord together, he knew he’d done the right thing letting his friend in. Still, it was hard to believe this man he’d grown up with, his best friend, despite their recent rocky past, loved him beyond friendship. The things he found himself wanting were a bit shocking and hard to admit. But being held by such strong, capable hands settled him. Made him feel safe.
Another thing that made the story work for me was the dynamic in and out of the bedroom. You know in a real situation there’s bound to be jealousies and hurt feelings. Cord, December, and Austin all felt uncertainty and insecurity in the beginning. Each was still healing from the past. Regardless of what happened or might happen, Austin didn’t want to change he and December’s dynamic. How would she see him? Before he’d always been the one to handle things. Opening himself up to Cord, accepting his help, showed that he trusted Cord. December felt envious that Cord had been the one to save Austin when he was drowning in addiction. She had to accept that she was what had kept Austin working to improve to come back to her. Cord, at first, didn’t reveal his feelings to Austin. He was afraid. He wanted to be certain that this was really what Austin and December wanted. He couldn’t go back to being the third wheel. Both Cord and December dealt with envy of Austin’s relationship with his AA sponsor. They didn’t like feeling kept out of his other life.
The final thing that made Degrees of Separation real for me was exposing the relationship to the outside world. In reality, the vast majority will frown upon a menage. Both family and society. The weight of disapproval can take its toll. Cord, December, and Austin recognized this, thought about it, and discussed how to face it. While December’s parents were pretty much open to any lifestyle, that wasn’t the case for Cord and Austin’s families. While Cord’s mother, though shocked, was accepting of the relationship, his father couldn’t handle it. For Austin, “his track record with his father was a volatile timeline of explosive arguments fueled by alcohol.” He never thought Austin could do anything right. So how would he handle this? It wasn’t just family. How would friends react? What about Austin’s AA family? Could they walk away from people who didn’t approve of a relationship they knew was right?
Like everything I’ve read by Lydia Michaels, her stories aren’t just sex. That can get boring fast. It takes more than sex to make a good book. She takes characters and makes them real and fallible. Characters with their own issues and conflicts who find support in each other. Believability and character growth are what make this story stand out. A fabulous finale to a fabulous series. I loved that all three realized there would be hurdles along the way and life might not always be perfect. But together they were perfectly three.

I was so excited to read this third book in this trilogy. I wanted to see if Austin, Ember and Cord could truly overcome all of their obstacles and become a family. I was not disappointed as this book solidified the relationship between the three. For anyone who has loved an addict, it's refreshing to see an addict have the power to stay clean and win. This was a great read. I'd love to see these three as they tackle married life and kids. Great read!

Atonement
Lydia Michaels and Allyson Young

Finally!! The ending to Degrees of Separation. I have been waiting super impatiently for this one. I couldn't wait to find out what happens with December, Austin, and Cord.
I loved the first two books and became addicted with these 3 people. I experienced their ups and downs with them and felt so much emotion between them.
This was the perfect ending to an amazing trilogy. I'm so sad it's over. I'm definitely adding these authors to my favorites.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this series. These characters are not perfect, but they are real and strong. Ember is strong and beautiful. Cord and Austin are strong alpha males. These characters and story will stay with me for a long time. That each have overcome so much and this just makes them stronger. Soo worth the read! Loved it!

I received this ARC from the publisher via Net Galley for my honest review.