I’ll start by saying thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This book follows Mel, a talented bartender who is still recovering from her divorce. She meets someone named Bebe at the bar, and thinks she might be flirting….. 👀

I loved this! The representation, the characters, the plot. I really liked this book! I really enjoyed watching (reading,) Mel’s character development. I liked her in the beginning, but liked her more by the end.

Also…I need Kade for myself 🤭

Another excellent release from TJ Alexander - rivaling Port Stephen for my favorite of their books so far!

I’ve become more interested in the poly trope recently, and this one is a bit more interesting than others out there because it isn’t the typical MMF, MFM or MFF that you normally find. Nope! This one is FFNB (female, female, non-binary). It makes it so much more fun especially with a married couple (F/NB), in an open relationship, when the one wife and her new girlfriend become a poly threesome with the other wife - since the other partner doesn’t seem to like or get along with or really care for the new girlfriend, it is surprising.

Mel is a bartender when she meets Bebe, who she is instantly attracted to, but finds out the attractive person she is with is her partner (non-binary spouse she calls wife). Kade, the partner, convinces Bebe to bring Mel into their open relationship as her new girlfriend. Relationship rules are drawn up. Mel and Kade don’t really have much interaction and Mel is quite sure they don’t like her much…

A ski trip to Banff (thank you TJ for bringing part of the story here! It was extremely realistic to my area) and a storm ends up being the catalyst for Mel and Kade getting to know each other, when they are snowed in with no power and no Bebe to buffer them, and it’s how the entire dynamic in the thruple changes. It’s amazing what communication can do!

I loved how the entire story played out, the spice, the trip here to Calgary/Banff, the entire chemistry and how it all came together, as well as the way Mel defended pronouns for Kade before they were even friends. Such a beautiful book, everything was exactly right, and pacing couldn’t have been any better (I think it would only have been better if TJ gave us some additional spicey scenes!). I absolutely recommend this book - a great one to break into polyamorous romance reading you’re not sure where to start but know you want to try. Perfect to add to your Pride Month TBR (but, still read queer all year)!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and this is my honest feedback.

This was my first TJ Alexander book and my first book with a Poly relationship and I really enjoyed it! Mel, Bebe and Kade are well written characters and good character development. I found myself relating a lot to Mel’s awkwardness! All in all I recommend this book!

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this e arc in exchange for an honest review.

this was a fun enjoyable read that explored bisexuality as well as poly relationships, it seemed like it was done right in comparison to some of the other poly rep books i have read before. i enjoyed this book a lot it was perfect for the summer and put a smile on my face.

Triple Sec was an enjoyable book that had LGBT + representation throughout. I enjoyed the characters and how easily the story developed .

The “spicy” scenes were quite detailed and it made you want to keep flipping the pages . I will say that although the story was pretty interesting, it was too perfect in the sense where I was missing the drama . The conflicts didn’t seem complex enough because they were quick to be resolved with little to no impact to the story .

I can definitely see why this would become a favorite because it is a topic that is usually not written about , so for that TJ Alexander deserves great attention.

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander is another fantastic queer polyamorous romcom!
This was just a really fantastic book with a great cast of characters.
TJ Alexander does an incredible job having them navigate these uncharted waters with each other. The wit in this book was also incredible and I found the characters and the banter genuinely funny. I just love Alexander’s writing style.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This story is about Mel, who had just gotten divorced and is not interested in dating anyone. One night while working, she meets Bebe, a patron in the bar where Mel is a bartender. From there, Mel becomes interested in Bebe, and Bebe appears to reciprocate. However, Mel very quickly finds out that Bebe is actually married. The marriage is an open marriage and the relationship progresses from there, and Mel forms a relationship with both Bebe and Kade, Bebe's wife. This book follows the story of their poly relationship.

I loved the fact that there was healthy communication between the characters and the maturity in that was very great to see. The bartending aspect of the story line was also interesting and something I haven't really seen before.

This is my first book that I've read by this author and I really enjoyed the writing style and if this is how they write, I will absolutely be checking out more of their work. I really enjoyed every second of it.

I knew this book was going to be fun as soon as I saw the dedication: "to all sluts everywhere - cheers"

I am kicking off pride month CORRECT with this super queer poly romance read. Our main character is Mel, a mixologist who has long since written off the idea of romance. But enter Bebe and her partner, Kade, and Mel is in for a big surprise. Following Mel navigate the dynamics of her first poly relationship without any over the top drama was really fun. Add in the plethora of cocktail recipes / puns / references, and this former bartender was having a great time beginning to end.

This book was spicy, romantic, and I am going to have to go read more TJ Alexander books now!

**This review contains minor/vague spoilers.**

I really wish I could have given this book a solid three or even four stars. I really did try to overlook a few things but—I couldn’t. And this is why:

The book overall was very entertaining, fun, and informative. I will say I was extremely excited and looking forward to reading this for it is my first polyamory book! This book did a realistic and very frank way of explaining the concept to new readers or even those who have various kinds of relationships; conversations that were had were very realistic and refreshing to read. This was a very different and had a new perspective than other books. For this reason alone, I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

The representation of LGBTQ/Queer was the absolute best! These were my favorite parts as well as the author doing a wonderful job of describing the life of a mixologist-the creativity and thought process that comes behind making drinks. There was art in each of the characters involved—represented in clever ways. In addition, the spice was given at the right moments of the story and helped move the story along. Would have not minded at all to see this part of the three characters lives develop further as they got to know one another though.

Now….the issues why this book didn’t leave me, in my opinion, happy or content at all.

While the story was funny, informative, creative, unique, and well balanced in some areas, I do not agree with some of the decisions taken when it came to choices that were made by certain characters. Though this is coming from someone who is new to reading about polyamory, I would argue that one should not keep the person they care for/are falling for, back from doing what they love or pursing their dream of justice. I highly support those who choose their career and want to succeed-I love it even more when a partner see’s that and doesn’t stand in the way of it and instead pushes the other forward, even if that means they have to sacrifice something themselves. This book, did NOT do that. (Small vague spoiler: Mel was selfish with not understanding and making a certain character have to “drop a case” because of a conflict of interest.) A new person who is starting into an already established pair shouldn’t make it all about them and start indirectly demanding one to give up something important that IS helping other people and justice to be found simply because she believes she comes first. This really bothered me-but again, it is my opinion.

Then there was the fact of an unrealistic insta-love situation with Mel and the other married partner. The story did a good job of developing the first couple-showed interactions between them and gave them a large chunk of story time. But when it came to having Mel interact with the other wife, it felt forced. Which is a shame because I truly wanted to learn more about the other wife, the artist, and learn what made them who they were with more than one scene. In addition to this, I would have liked to see the THREE of them together as real paramours. Perhaps this is how it’s is normally done?

The side, but important, plot line in the story was also wrapped up rather quickly. The way it was weaved into the start of the story and towards the middle was perfect, but then it was forgotten about until the very end. It just left me wanting more and to see it play out instead of it just being stamped at the end of the story.

Overall, the true realistic conversations, the communication, the side characters, the self exploration and learning done in the story was very satisfying. The married wives, their open honesty and realistic and excellent communication skills, were truly what kept me reading until the end.

Thank you to @netgalley for allowing me to read this before June 4th, 2024 in exchange for an honest review!

Triple Sec
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: T.J. Alexander

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: As a bartender at Terror & Virtue, a swanky New York City cocktail lounge known for its romantic atmosphere and Insta-worthy drinks, Mel has witnessed plenty of disastrous dates. That, coupled with her own romantic life being in shambles, has Mel convinced love doesn’t exist.

Everything changes when Bebe walks into the bar. She’s beautiful, funny, knows her whiskeys—and is happily married to her partner, Kade. Mel’s resigned to forget the whole thing, but Bebe makes her a unique since she and Kade have an open marriage, she’s interested in taking Mel on a date.

What starts as a fun romp turns into a burgeoning relationship, and soon Mel is trying all sorts of things she’d been avoiding, from grand romantic gestures to steamy exploits. Mel even gets the self-confidence to enter a cocktail competition that would make her dream of opening her own bar a reality. In the chaotic whirl of all these new experiences, Mel realizes there might be a spark between her and Kade, too. As Bebe, Kade, and Mel explore their connections, Mel begins to think that real love might be more expansive than she ever thought possible.

My Thoughts: I love Alexander’s books and have read every single one. This is the first polyamory romance, but not my first queer romance, that I have read and I really enjoyed it. Mel is a bartender at Terror & Virtue, an upscale cocktail lounge in New York with a romantic atmosphere. Mel has definitely witnessed her share of disastrous dates, along with her own love in shambles. Mel has become cynical in the love department. Mel rethinks everything when Bebe enters the bar, well until Mel finds out that Bebe is married to Kade. Mel is trying to forget the whole exchange until Bebe makes Mel a unique offer. Bebe and Kade have an open marriage and Bebe wants to take Mel on a date. Mel agrees and before she knows it, her cynicism is reversed and she wants all the romantic things. Things take an interesting turn when a spark unites between Mel and Kade. Mel has always had the dream of owning her own bar, being a true mixologist. When New York has a cocktail competition, Mel goes all in. Through this, Mel discovers that maybe love isn’t singular or follow one path. This follows the tropes of queer romance, friends to lovers, and polyamory.

The story is narrated by Mel, in her POV. Mel is loyal, hardworking, and a tad insecure after a divorce depleted her and made her cynical towards love. Bebe is wealthy, sunshine, eccentric, and lovable. Kade is reserved, quiet, and introverted. The two MCs would be Mel and Bebe with Kade’s voice appearing in the latter half of the story. This is a slower burn building romance storyline. The characters were well developed, fleshed out, had witty bater, chemistry was off the charts, and were intriguing. The supporting characters were superb, especially Kade and Daniel. The authors writing style was complex, intricate, spicy 🌶️🌶️, and kept me engaged cover to cover. Alexander’s writing is just beautiful and heartfelt.

TW: Divorce and co-dependancy. While I am straight, I love to read queer romances. I discovered Alexander with their debut novel, Chef’s Kiss, and was in love with their writing since then. Now anything that they publish, I immediately request and/or preorder. I love how Alexander educates us in the polyamory world by taking a character new to the concept and walking her through the relationship.I also loved that the relationships were built separately before uniting as a three unit. It really gives an authentic vibe. This was a beautifully written romance novel full of loud out loud moments balanced with tender heartfelt moments. I really enjoyed this book. Chef’s Kiss is probably still my favorite, but this was an excellent read. I highly recommend picking up today!

TJ Alexander has been giving me the queer love stories no quite gets right, whether it be nonbinary characters, or T4T couples, or post transition second chance romances. Needless to say, I was excited for the poly romance. While there is good information for those navigating polyamory for the first time, I found the main POV of Mel kind of unrelatable, both as someone adjacent to the drink service industry and the poly dating scene. And it's not that the author hasn't done their research, it's just that Mel is a deeply immature and dull character. I also firmly believe, romances, especially poly romances must have the POV of every character involved in the romance. Otherwise you run the risk of the non POV partner(s) feeling like a cardboard cutout. Which is how Bebe felt the whole time. Frustratingly Kade actually seemed super interesting and I WISH we could've had more or all of the story from their POV. If I hadn't been reading another MUCH better book that does poly relationship structures proper justice, along with telling a good speculative fiction story, I might've been happier with this one whose ONLY job was to make the poly dynamics feel more organic. Not my favorite by the author but will still check out future works because of the unique spaces they inhabit.

Loved this read! The author did such a great job with the development of the setting and each character. The relationships amongst the characters from the beginning was very well done and super cute - the way Mel seemed super shy bumping into Bebe - someone who was able to bring her out of her comfort zone was adorable.

Usually I despise when chapters feel super long but I loved how many details we got from the beginning of the relationships to their development. One of my fav. things was Mel's confidence when it came to making drinks and how proud of herself she was especially when she went to a little party hosted by Bebe.

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander
emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I received an advance reader copy thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Mel is a bartender working at a high end cocktail bar when she meets BeBe, a beautiful lawyer with whom she clicks, until she learns that BeBe is happily married to her partner Kade. Still, Mel is intrigued and gets pulled into their social circle expecting only friendship. Then BeBe tells Mel that she and Kade have an open marriage and she wants to date if Mel is interested.

Mel is has recently divorced her wife, who it seems is her only prior long term partner and who cheated on her. She is gun shy and not sure how to navigate this new reality. While Mel is initially only involved with BeBe, it isn't long before Kade expresses their interest in Mel as well. Rounding out the story is a cocktail competition for which Mel tries to come up with the perfect concoction and a gay BFF/Roommate with his own non-monogamy situation.

What follows is a fun, fluffy poly-amorous romance. I liked this but didn't love it. It spent a lot of time educating Mel, and by extension the reader, on the way polyamory works and checking off the romance tropes and checkpoints. But maybe it's just not for me.

Happy Pride Month!

First of all, T.J. Alexander’s Dedication at the beginning of Triple Sec reads “to all sluts everywhere–cheers.” The rest of the book is as delightful as the dedication. We get to see the formation of a happy polycule, a woman come into her own, and the creation of many alcoholic beverages.

Mel Sorrento is a career bar tender working at a swanky New York City cocktail lounge. She’s good at her job, and maybe a little bored serving the tech bros and finance guys that make up most of the clientele. After an unpleasant divorce, she does not believe in love. So when Bebe, who is married to Kade, proposes that she and Mel date, Mel decides to use the relationship as a safe way to get back into dating. After all, dating an already married woman, even with her spouse’s permission, can’t go anywhere, can it?

In addition to this being a solidly enjoyable read, a couple of things stood out to me. One was Mel’s struggle to let go of her ideas about how committed romantic relationships work. The other was the way we really get to know Mel through her actions, and especially through the sex scenes with Kade and Bebe.

Our patriarchal and heteronormative culture doesn’t offer many models for what committed, romantic relationships look like. Mel and her ex-wife had tried to make their relationship look like a heteronormative monogamous marriage, but gay, and it didn’t work for them. So Mel flails for a while trying to understand how to do consensual non-monogamy and committed non-monogamy. As someone who came to understand themselves as aro-ace later in life, I can relate to Mel’s struggle to fit her relationships, and the relationships around her, into the familiar narrative. But, the socially acceptable narrative doesn’t work for a committed non-monogamous relationship. Once Mel accepts that her relationships, romantic or not, are individual entities that require specific attention and effort, all of her relationships improve. As a side note, I also loved her efforts to be the best committed non-monogamist ever and the cuddle session that happens when she inevitably fails.

Triple Sec is told entirely from Mel’s point of view. We only see her from her own perspective, and she has no idea why anyone would fall in love with her. We see who Mel is in the way that she handles the stressed out lounge patron who wants to propose to his girlfriend in a tired and cliché manner and in the way she helps a stressed out bartender at an art opening. In those moments, we see her confidence, experience, and compassion unfiltered. We also see Mel without her own jaundiced lens when she is having sex with her partners. In open door romances, the sex scenes tell us a lot about the characters and their relationship. Alexander does an amazing job of illuminating Mel and showing us the vibe that captured Bebe and Kade’s attentions. The single point of view is also, I think, the book’s greatest weakness. I think I would have found Bebe and Kade more interesting if I had a sense of them beyond what we see through Mel’s eyes.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Atria Books and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I have been excited for this book ever since I first heard about it and it was such an enjoyable read! It’s been so interesting to see more polyamorous couples in romance and I think this was such a worthy addition to the niche (especially with a slightly different polycule than you usually see!). It’s queer in every sense of the word, sapphic and genderqueer and just kind of gay honestly. Mel is such an endearing and strong main character with a fantastic personal journey while also being a great romantic character. There’s a level of care and seriousness taken with the relationships while also being fun and playful and just a joy to read. It’s the perfect beach read, or curled up in an armchair on a rainy day read, or simply looking for a fun queer romance with character development read.

Girl meets girl (and girl’s spouse). They become girlfriends. Bartending hijinks. Girl kisses girl’s wife, and they become partners. Then everyone becomes a couple! That is essentially what happens in TRIPLE SEC but like all good romances, the fun is in seeing how they get there. The characters all feel so fun and genuine and nuanced that even when the characters are being a little bit ridiculous and not communicating it’s fun to read. We also get a great queer friendship with Mel’s roommate, and just overall fun queer vibes. It’s definitely a little centric on a somewhat stereotypical New York Queer but I still think there are some levels of interesting elements. But honestly, I wouldn’t read this if you’re looking for like, the most serious exploration of queerness and polyamorous relationships, but if you’re looking for a fun, queer romance then this is absolutely worth the read and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Reading a romance novel that doesn’t only challenge the heteronormative norm but also challenges the monogamous imperative was NOT in my bingo card for this year! But boy, o boy, was I glad to stumble upon it! This is giving rags to riches but queer and poly. What a way to begin Pride month 2024!

The MC was super relatable, a bisexual bartender who’s still healing from her divorce, and suddenly discovers the world of polyamory with Bebe, a spunky lawyer who’s beautifully persuasive. The thing is, Bebe is already married to Kade, a nonbinary artist who’s emotional performance is akin to Severus Snape (don’t worry, I love them and this comparison is the best of compliments). Mel dips her toes in the waters of poly and well, without giving anything away, the small twist at the 2/3 of the novel had me giggling like a little girl. Just saying: there’s a reason the cover has THREE different hands wink-wink.

In terms of writing, the meet-cutes are very cute indeed! Loved the descriptions of cocktail making, as it was giving Pixar (Ratatouille, anyone?). The quick and witty dialogue and heavy sarcasm was bountiful and beautiful to read. So fun also! Daniel, Mel’s roommate and bff, has AMAZING zingers like “Okay, Scarlet Letter. Remember the commandment: thou shall not hate on thy friends’ sluttiness” (31). Kade, the royalty of dead pan witticisms; “I told you we should print up pamphlets. It would save us all some time” regarding explaining their poly arrangement (59).

Poly representation? YES YES YES

The way Kade and Bebe host their past lovers and those lovers’ new lovers was nothing short of warm and comforting. Seeing this represented was like a dream come true for me. The way Kade and Bebe have open conversations about including another person in the polycule or dating someone new. “It’s 2024. Get with the program. Basically everyone’s poly” (66). Everyone has different arrangements and they are all based on ethics and love. Daniel’s for example is very much open because he and his partner value the sanctity of their serious relationship; they don’t get serious with anyone else.

Even the inclusion of dynamics like sun or dom or top or bottom. Bebe describes her theory that however a person is in their daily life out on the street, in bed, they are the opposite. Which helped ME a lot in the past and helped Mel in this journey to learn about herself. Love how Bebe was direct and proud that she’s a “champion pillow princess. I’ve made bottoming an art form. I can drape myself over a mattress and let you do whatever you want to me like that” (86). Which then led to Kade and Mel discovering things about their own connection in turn. On that note, this book is not just smut with a plot. There are very few scenes of spiciness and most of it fades to black but gives enough (insert double entendre brow arch).

*SPOILER BELOW*

The last thing I’ll say is the contract. I ADORE that in navigating this different relationship, everyone felt grounded by creating a contract they all agreed upon. Loved how, with every change and hurdle, they went back and made amendments. And at the end when it was decided that it would be a triad, they took out all the stuff that said otherwise and just said “Fuck it. We ball” 🤣. This made me laugh because that’s how it is in real life! You make boundaries with your partner and lovers but at the end of the day, there’s no rule book or commandments to follow. Everyone makes the rules as they go. Everyone loves in their own way, and as the author said, “with their whole heart, in defiance for anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.”

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

This book was an awesome way to kick off Pride month!
I absolutely loved the celebration/exploration of polyamorous relationships, it's great to see a book that's so open and thoughtful in traditional publishing.
The characters are very well thought out, each with their unique struggles, and I loved seeing how they all adapt to one another and learn to communicate their feelings/thoughts/needs better. Communication is so important and hard, and this book manages to show it in a way that is genuine and honest. All 3 characters were great but I especially liked Mel and Kade, it was great to see their bond develop.
I also really liked how Mel's journey is interwoven with the competition. The ending was quite predictable, we can se quite early on how everything is going to play out, but the book was so sweet and fun that it didn't really bother me too much.
Triple Sec was my first book by TJ Alexander but I'll be sure to check out more of their work because I had a great time.

Thank you NetGalley/Atria for the ARC.

Triple Sec was such a sexy, sweet love story and I love seeing it from a mainstream publisher! I thought the book did a great job developing all three of the main characters- Mel, Bebe, and Kade, their individual relationships, and their relationship together. I think that balance is really hard to get right in a romance that’s poly-based. I loved the focus on communication and that Mel’s journey was also one that was intrinsic to her as she figured out how to make space for love in her life and figure out her career. I thought the NyC art and bar scene as setting were so perfect for this story- New York just feels like the most romantic place in the world when she gets invited in. TJ Alexander’s prose is so beautiful and I loved how much heart was packed into this story, as well as how truly diverse the characters felt.

If this book were a cocktail, it'd be a sipper for sure.

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander is a lighthearted story about Mel, a NYC bartender at a swanky cocktail lounge who isn't looking to date seriously (or really date for that matter) since her divorce, yet when Bebe walks into the bar with all the charm in the world, Mel can't help but be drawn to her. They flirt they hit it off- and then Bebe's wife Kade shows up. Mel, thinking she read the situation wrong, isn't quite sure what to make of the night but after being invited over for a brunch party and later a more formal lunch date, Bebe expresses interest in dating Mel after explaining that Bebe and Kade are polyamorous.

This may be the first book I've ever read where polyamory is at the forefront, or central focus, of a story. I love that we're seeing this representation in literature! Nothing is black and white and through Mel's journey with dating Bebe, later developing feelings for Kade too, Mel discovers there's so much more to herself and the world that she never had opened her mind to before. The story is enjoyable, there are many moments and lines that had me laughing out loud, and this paints a beautiful picture of what communication can accomplish!

With the big set up of this cocktail competition in the first act, I really wish that would have been more of a central point throughout the story and it only left me wanting more. Some books I find myself flying through, this one I sadly only picked up for a few chapters here and there and never fully got lost in the story.

Overall, entertaining and is guaranteed to make you laugh!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Get in, hotties, we're going to the craft cocktail lounge to order fancy drinks and read TRIPLE SEC!

I'm obviously deeply obsessed with TJ Alexander and all of their books, but a throuple romance starring a hot queer bartender? Say less! I'm in! This book made me look at the whole romance genre in a new way and think about what queer happy endings can look like. But beyond that, it's simply a treat to read. Have your favorite cocktail on hand, because you WILL crave it.