It was certainly messy, which I think was the point. The author did a good job of rounding out the characters and the relationships between them.

I really enjoyed the book but there was a few things I found to not be my cup of tea, for one it felt inauthentic. Like the author tends to be a bit too much online and needs to touch some grass as they say. I did love the MC and enjoyed her being in her 30s. I also liked the town of the writing.

What a great book! I was so excited to see this poly romance and requested it immediately! The dedication set the stage for what I knew was going to be a fun read. Bebe and Mel's instant chemistry flew off the page. The way the relationship was expanded between Mel and Kade was also handled so well. I loved the little updates to the relationship agreement as the story went on. This book was so sweet, funny, and steamy! There was some moments of miscommunication but the story didn't rely on it heavily for the plot and that is always a relief for me. TJ Alexander's books are always enjoyable and I look forward to reading more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quick and cute queer romance. Triple Sec by TJ Alexander is the third book I've read by the author but won't be my last. This book is written by and about a gender non conforming character & follows a polyamorous couple that decides to add a third member to the mix. Recommend to anyone who likes author's like Anita Kelly or Alison Cochrun

I enjoyed this a lot! I’ve been on a romance kick lately, and I appreciate how this is structured differently than the average. The plot problems felt a little contrived, but it was an interesting relationship study. The characters’ dynamics were fun, and Mel was a good protagonist. This was my second TJ Alexander book and I found it to be leaps and bounds better, sweeter, and more enjoyable.

My only real issue, which unfortunately was a BIG issue for me, was the treatment of Kade, one of the two love interests. As a genderqueer autistic-ish person I was so excited to find a genderqueer autistic-ish character, but the narrative is so, SO weird about Kade’s neurodiversity (the word autism isn’t used which is fine, but that’s how I read it). About half the book has Mel believing that Kade hates her because they aren’t warm and enthusiastic, and even with 100% confidence that it would be resolved eventually, it was really annoying and honestly saddening for Kade’s actions to be incessantly misconstrued as hatred or distaste.

With that caveat aside - I’d recommend this book to friends. It’s fun! It’s charming! Just maybe not my autistic-ish friends, at least not without a heads up.

A bit slow to start, but worth it. Mel finds herself in the position to date a married woman, and explores a polyamorous relationship with Bebe. Bebe’s artist wife, Kade, is supportive of the relationship, even if they are a bit aloof at first. Eventually Mel and Kade grow closer and decide to test out their connection as well. The communication was superb. Mel’s hesitance to get involved with a married person meant a lot of negotiation took place to make sure everyone was comfortable, and she worked through past relationship trauma through the course of falling for Bebe and Kade. I liked that their guidelines were constantly evolving, and reflected the way their feelings deepened over time.

This book also contains one of my absolute favorite micro tropes—two characters are snowed in together. It was the first time I’d read it in a poly relationship, and it was great.

4.5 ⭐️

OKAY have you been waiting for a queer polyamorous romance of some Northeast 30-somethings (tbh i read at least one of them as being in their 40s but that might be a selfinsert)??? apparently i have! this book was sweet and dirty and fun and full of tropes that i love--i appreciated the "only one heat source!" twist on "only one bed!" and the ending!!! the ending is my favorite microtrope!!! i saw it coming and it kept me THRILLED the whole rest of the way through. i loved that the couple in it had been polyamorous for a long time AND that what they were doing was still new to them. i loved that the MC's relationship with their best friend was also something they had to work on. i loved that this was single POV--i think it helped a lot in this relationship, in particular. i just had such a great time with this book, and i love TJ Alexander more with every book.

Interesting story . I've never read a polyamory story, or atleast not one I can remember right now. The characters were well written. I enjoy this authors books and can't wait to read more

For the most part, I really enjoyed this. Mostly I think because the humor was just my style and I liked the relationships between the main leads. I loved all the different representation here and the conversations surrounding it, too. Especially I loved how there's really not a definitive way to be poly. It's whatever works for the people involved, especially so long as they communicate.

The biggest issues I had with this book were: 1. it was too short for what I wanted. I wanted more relationship development. Bebe got a huge spotlight (which makes sense as she was the catalyst for Mel joining her and Kade's relationship), but I wanted more of Kade and Mel together. Then I wanted more of all three of them navigating their relationship. Which leads me to: 2. I didn't really care for the B-plot. Bebe convinces Mel to enter a cocktail competition and whatever portion of the story wasn't focused on the relationship was focused on that, but I just didn't... care. lol Especially because the ending felt very rushed and the competition didn't really seem to mean all that much in the end. Idk, it seemed like the competition aspect just took away from more of the lovely relationship building.

I'd still recommend this because I liked the relationships and the characters, but it still left me wanting more afterwards.

I’ve never considered polyamory. Sometimes finding one person is hard enough. However, this book was actually a really eye-opening introduction to what a healthy polyamorous relationship can look like.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I’m glad I went in with only a brief understanding of the premise because it was so fun to experience the relationship as it was all unfolding. The characters were well developed and the romance was very sweet and little spicy. I was also really interested by Mel’s bartending work and almost wish there was more focus on the competition as it felt a little rushed towards the end. (But the ending did wrap up nicely.) There were also some minor things that bugged me where communication and conflict resolution was almost too perfect. However, this was still a really great read. I flew through it and was sad to leave the characters behind when it ended.

Thank you to TJ Alexander, Atria Books and NetGalley for giving me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, quick read that pushes back on heteronormative and monogamous formalities while offering great insight on romance, personal growth, and figuring it out as you go!

After loving the author's previous book, Second Chances in New Port Stephen, I was super excited to pick this one! Especially being my first polyamorous rom com.

I enjoyed the setting and Mel, our MC. Reading about Mel exploring NYC, honing her craft as a bartender, and just being a well rounded and imperfectly perfect human was the highlight on this one. I could read about Mel figuring out life over and over again.

I did struggle with a few things in this read.
-I understand the way in which this book is broken up as relationships grow and why it is done that way, but it made for a somewhat slow pacing. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop for the first half of the book. It picks up in the second half thankfully.
-I also struggled with the overall romance and the secondary MCs. I didn't necessarily feel like I knew Bebe or Kade well enough to root for them to be with Mel, especially Bebe. I wish we got more of their background and insights. They were there for Mel, but I don't think Mel was really there for them or her best friend Daniel, which I think would've made her an even better MC. We don't really get to know anyone else but Mel.

Overall, I hope others pick this one up. It's insightful and offer perspective we don't always get to see but need to. Thank you to the author for sharing this story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

i love tj alexander, and probably would have missed this book if i didn’t recognize the author. i’m not poly but i loved the plot, tj is just such a good writer that anything they write comes to life. they flesh out characters so well, and i am constantly waiting for their next release!

Vibes: healthy polyamory, front and center genderqueer rep (from a trans nonbinary author), slice of life in the best possible way, BOMB ASS COCKTAILS

Heath Index: 7.5/10.

Ambitious high-end bartender Mel Sorrento has been in a rut since her divorce. Enter the vivacious, brilliant Bebe... who happens to have spouse. Quiet, reserved Kade doesn't have a problem with Mel dating their wife, however--because Kade and Bebe are polyamorous. Mel's never considered the lifestyle, but her instant connection with Bebe makes her willing to give it a shot. But when her dynamic with Kade begins to shift into something entirely new, she must confront what she's actually looking for in a relationship, and how much this new opportunity for love really means to her.

UGH. YES. This is how you do a contemporary romance that, at the end of the day, is a slice of life character piece. Triple Sec is not about shocking you with plot twists and over the top dramatics (and that's not a critique--often, I'd say that I prefer plot twists and over the top dramatics). It's just fucking good writing with great character development and romance. It's also one of the more realistic contemporary romances I've read, which is honestly so refreshing. I truly believed that there were grown-ass adults figuring out their shit.

Quick Takes:

--One thing I love about a triad romance (and while this is the most realistic one I've read (I say having never been in a polycule or a triad more specifically), I do generally enjoy reading about the complexities of both figuring out a three-way relationship and developing the different "segments". While I've read some that begin with love triangle elements, that isn't the case here. Though they aren't without expected hiccups, Kade and Bebe have a very healthy approach to Bebe's beginning relationship with Mel (and later Kade starting things with Mel as well).

I feel like in less capable hands, the degree to which Bebe and Kade communicate and deal with jealousy would seem overly sanitized or boring. Like, they begin the relationship with Kade sitting in on Bebe asking Mel out and everything, just to reassure Mel that there isn't any cheating going on. But like... it's NEVER dull. It never feels expected, or like these people are perfect. (I mean, they aren't--Mel has some struggles and stumbles when beginning her journey into polyamory.)

--Part of what makes that work, I think, is the contrast in the relationships. Kade and Bebe have been together for almost a decade--they know what they're doing, and their lived-in love reverberates off the page, even though the book is entirely from Mel's third-person perspective. (Kade calling Bebe "love" constantly, despite seeming kind of frosty? Swoon.) Bebe and Mel have this immediate chemistry, full of fun and fire. And Kade and Mel sort of like... I felt an automatic sexual tension, but I also think that Mel was a bit too "new" to their dynamic to super sense it. This is probably not going to make sense to anyone but me, but I got this kind of like... Darcy and Lizzie vibe? Kade was never as prickly as Darcy, but I definitely felt like Mel was in that "WHAT. BUT THEY DON'T EVEN LIKE ME???" space.

All of it worked to me. I mean--I won't lie. I was a little partial to Mel and Kade's dynamic, because a) I like it to be a little difficult and b) Kade was my favorite but everything is great.

--Let us expand on Kade being my favorite. I really appreciate a "still waters run deep" character. Kade is that. They seem remote, but they have so much feeling and passion rumbling under the surface, and Alexander throws them into this situation with Mel that is sooooo tropey and fabulous and reading as the feelings spilled out of them was just pitch-perfect.

This does happen somewhat later, so you technically spend a lot more time with Bebe and Mel together on the page. However, Kade has a such presence, and they're constantly sort of like... looming in the background. And because of that, the slowly bubbling tension that Mel doesn't even fully register for a while is so HOT. I mean. Kade is also so hot. I was ABOUT them. Again--love Bebe and Mel, together and apart, but WHEW.

--This is completely an aside, but I do think the cocktail competition and the highlighting of the art of making a great cocktail was really cool. It made me both want to learn how to mix drinks (to the extent that I can) and try something new. These types of details make a contemporary romance way richer, and they're appreciated.

--I think it's really important to show books that are both incredibly romantic and sexy and approachable. Again, I've never been in a polyamorous or more generally non-monogamous relationship. I can't attest to have truly realistic this book is. But in general, I loved seeing a romance in which the relationship part started fairly early, showing negotiations, showing boundaries, showing rules. I mean, really, monogamous relationships should also be subject to rules and negotiations and boundaries. We should normalize this in romance. Things change. That HEA does kinda take work in some stories, and that is more reflective of real life.

Speaking of the HEA... I so appreciated that both Kade and Mel had been in very serious, very intense relationships in the past. Kade's openness and honesty about how their past partner did offer them things Bebe couldn't (and Mel can't either) was so refreshing. It's not that they necessarily need someone else to come in and take that space (though the rules do allow room for new partners--we don't see anything happen beyond the triad in this book). It's just a reality. No one person can give you everything, and that doesn't mean that every person needs to be with enough people to comprise "everything". If that's even possible. It's just something to accept, no matter what your relationship preferences.

I also loved that Kade was kind of like--yeah, this could end. How many things are really forever? But we love each other when we love each other and make each other happy and that's good. I mean, I think some people will categorize this book as one with an HFN versus an HEA--personally, I'd kinda disagree with that. But either way, I really loved seeing a romance that validated the idea that like... A relationship ending doesn't mean it wasn't VALUABLE.

The Sex:

HOT HOT HOT. Technically speaking, there are three full sex scenes in this novel. Every single one of those scenes went HARD. We have sex in a public space, we have LICK! IT! UP! (as in cum) the strap is indeed taken out and used to great effect. It's great. I loved it. I also liked and overall agree with Bebe's philosophy regarding sex and how people often tend to switch up their "out of bed" personalities compared to their "in bed" personalities.

(Also. Kade is a dirty talker. What can't they do?)

A super queer, super sexy, super bubbly contemporary romance with a heavy emphasis on character development and love story that really sold me on the "love" part. And on a personal note--I have a trans nonbinary person in my life who is much loved, and I so appreciate them having someone like TJ Alexander to see out there, creating art and leaving a mark.

Would highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this so much! The story and setting gave the vibe of a modern twist on a classic 90s rom com. I found Mel to be a really relatable character, and Kade and Bebe were both very likeable in their own ways. I felt like the conflict was minimal and I appreciated that things were solved with communication and care, every time. This was a great romance, overall!

If you’re in the market for a queer polyamorous romance that’s swoony, steamy and cozy with an air of sophistication and dry wit, Triple Sec needs to be on your tbr. We have bartender Mel who navigates her way into dating a married woman who happens to be one half of a polyam couple. There was also a ton of communication between Bebe, Mel and Kade as well. Also, when I say steamy…I mean it. Phew. Looking forward to reading more from this author. Now I need a margarita…

I love TJ Alexander's work, so when I saw that this book existed, I dropped everything and ran to NetGalley to request an advance reader copy. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to experience Triple Sec ASAP.

Something I consistently love about Alexander's writing is that, unlike a lot of other traditionally published queer romances, there's no attempt to make the character's thoughts, lifestyles, or life choices broadly palatable to a straight, cis, and in this case monogamous audience. This book also flat-out ignores the 'romancing the beat' structures so common in romance novels. And look, nothing against following genre expectations when you're doing it well, but I loved that this book just went off and did its own thing. I think it does a good job of depicting how Mel navigates the experience of being poly, her expectations based on monogamous relationships, her questions, her slip-ups, her mistakes, and her discoveries. I've seen a lot of books bills as poly/why-choose, and I'm sorry, but those are not the same thing. *THIS* falls neatly into the actually poly category, and I'm so pleased.

Triple Sec does have its spicy moments, but the focus is on the relationships, not on the zesty possibilities of having multiple partners. There is conflict, and Mel panics a couple of times, but there's no huge third act breakup, no grand gesture, none of the entertaining but unrealistic beats we've come to expect in this genre. This book could quite plausibly happen to actual people.

Also, so much love to how Alexander portrays the eternal nightmare that is the food service industry. I wanted to yeet Mel's manager straight into the sun. I despise him because I've worked for him. Accurate but enraging.

All this to say: if you want a decent depiction of a functioning poly relationship based in trust and communication, this is a book I'd recommend. Mel's out of her depth a lot of the time, so if you're like, "What is poly and will I be expected to know things?" the answer is no, you will not. This book is soft and steady and sincere, and I adore it. As soon as I finished it, I started recommending it to people. Love it. There's even a little cameo from Ray, one of the stars of Chef's Kiss! ;)

I wanted to like this book so much, but I could barely make it halfway through before I gave up. It was well written, but I couldn't get into the story or the characters.

I love seeing traditionally published romances exploring more types of love and relationships. I also really love TJ Alexander’s earlier books so I went into this with a higher level of expectation.

Overall - I enjoyed this story but I didn’t love it as much as I hoped/expected. I’ve been trying to put my finger on why and I’m not sure but I just never fully felt the romance swoons that I went in expecting.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

This was everything I hoped for out of a romance novel. Polyamory is difficult to find in the genre and I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle beauty of this book. It wasn’t immediate love for all characters involved and that felt very real and human.

I wish I had liked it more, I feel like the story had so much potential, I think the reason of this was the author's writing style. However, I cannot deny that I really liked the chemistry and relationship of the characters., I just notice that something is missing. Anyway, the author has a lot of potential and I am open to reading their next books.