DNF at over 80%, unfortunately.

I wanted to like this novel so much, considering stories about poly relationships are harder to find (especially lesbian ones!), but just couldn't seem to get there. Things moved on too smoothly from "conflicts," and the characters didn't feel as whole as I would've liked.

In particular, the later section of the book couldn't keep me engaged. I struggled to get invested in Mel & Kade's connection, which seemed like it stayed at a surface level. Before getting together the two didn't really show much attraction or interest in one another, but that changes in a whiplash-inducing instant; To me, it read as the author trying to bring them together to tie up loose ends rather than developing a fully realized relationship between the two.

While I'm sure some folks will wholeheartedly enjoy this low-stakes, light-hearted romance this book just didn't hit the mark for me.

3.75 stars!! I loved the LGBTQ+ rep!! Overall a really fun time!! The characters were funny and relatable!

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on October 20th, 2024. Links provided.

In TJ Alexander’s Triple Sec, Mel works as a bartender at Terror & Virtue, an elegant cocktail lounge in New York City celebrated for its romantic ambiance and Instagram-worthy drinks. Her experiences have led her to witness countless disastrous dates, and her own romantic struggles have convinced her that love is a fantasy. However, everything changes when Bebe walks into the bar. Not only is Bebe witty and attractive, but she’s also happily in an open marriage with Kade. Initially hesitant, Mel is intrigued when Bebe proposes to take her out on a date to see if their chemistry can ignite a flame between them. What starts as a playful adventure quickly deepens into a meaningful relationship, prompting Mel to explore romantic possibilities that she never thought she would. In this whirlwind of emotions and experiences, Mel begins to realize that her connection with Kade might hold potential as well, challenging her previous beliefs about love’s limits.

Overall, I found this book to be just ok. The writing was fine and I found the story to be enjoyable enough but I just didn’t feel like it was a book I would care to read again or necessarily recommend. I enjoyed Bebe’s character, and Kade grew on me throughout the novel, but I honestly could not understand why they liked Mel so much. Truthfully, I was not a fan of Mel at all. I felt like she was a very boring character and could not understand Bebe and Kade’s attraction or obsession with her. I also found Mel to be selfish and annoying. I think it made me difficult to connect to or really care for any of the characters because they all felt so one dimensional, only really being described by their sexuality or their jobs. I appreciated being able to read about polyamory, but I just wish I liked the main characters more than I did. I tend to fall in love with books and characters that show a deep level of emotional connections, and I unfortunately found that to be missing in this book (from my perspective).

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Triple Sec in return for my honest review.

Synopsis:

As a bartender at Terror & Virtue, a swanky NYC cocktail lounge, Mel has witnessed plenty of bad dates and is convinced love doesn’t exist. When Bebe walks into the bar, Mel is drawn to her until her partner, Kade walks in. But Bebe and Kade have an open marriage, and she’s interested in taking Mel on a date. While Mel begins to fall, she enters a cocktail making competition that could make her dreams 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.

Review:

I loved this book and the way it portrayed love as being limitless. Society is really focused on male/female romantic relationships; so it was refreshing to read about a love that was all about that spark and connection. Kade is non-binary and all the main characters were queer. I loved the focus on cocktails as well and felt like I was left wanting to try her many concoctions!!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

Triple Sec is a delightful blend of romance, self-discovery, and queer joy that hits all the right notes. TJ Alexander crafts a vibrant story full of heart, humor, and emotional depth. The LGBTQIA+ representation feels authentic and uplifting, with characters who navigate life, love, and friendships in ways that feel deeply relatable. It’s the perfect mix of sweetness and spice, leaving you smiling long after the last page. If you’re looking for a romance that sparkles like a perfectly mixed cocktail, Triple Sec is your drink of choice!

Triple Sec is a poly romance about Mel, a bar tender at a swanky cocktail bar in New York City, and married couple Bebe and Kade, a lawyer and artist. Mel unexpectedly meets Bebe at her cocktail bar and sparks fly. After learning that Bebe is married, Mel shelves her romantic hopes. Bebe later tells her that she is in an open marriage and would like to take her on a date. Later, Mel starts to get to know Kade as well. The three navigate the intricacies of their lives as Mel enters a cocktail competition that could win her enough money to start the cocktail bar of her dreams.

I loved this book!! I read it right after the Pairing and it was the perfect chaser (geddit). I read Second Chances in New Port Stephens by the same author and liked it okay. I liked this one a lot more. I thiiiiink this is the first modern poly book that I have read and it worked really well for me! I think that Triple Sec balanced the characters very well. I was expecting Mel to be a lot more prickly, which usually isn't my favorite, but everyone really had their own joy that they brought to the book. I loved the descriptions of food and cocktails as well!

I highly recommend this book if you want a fun romance with great characters! 5 stars. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

I wasn’t drawn in to this book and couldn’t figure out why I should care about the main character or her story

A delightful queer polyamorous rom-com set in New York City, following a bartender, Mel, as she is invited into an open relationship between Bebe and Kade. Per usual, TJ Alexander delivers witty dialogue with strong communication between the characters.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jaded bartender Mel is instantly taken with flirty Bebe when she takes a seat at the bar where Mel whips up high-end cocktails every night, but that interest comes to a screeching halt when she learns that Bebe is married. But Bebe and her partner Kade have and open relationship, and soon Bebe has convinced Mel to go on a date. As casual blossoms into more with Bebe, and eventually Kade, Mel has to decide whether she can open her heart again to the possibility of love.

Sometimes a book doesn’t work for me because of its weaknesses, and sometimes a book does work for me despite its weaknesses. TRIPLE SEC fell into the latter category for me.

This was fun, engaging, quite light despite Mel’s lingering pain from her divorce, and easy to zoom through. All of which I enjoy in a contemporary romance. Moreover, though I usually prefer multi-POV, I think Alexander’s decision to tell this story exclusively through Mel’s POV was a smart one. Yes, this is a romance, but it’s also about Mel opening herself up to the possibility and actuality of love again, and the single POV highlighted that for the reader nicely.

I have mixed feelings about what I see as the major weakness of this book. On one hand, the romance is so wildly lopsided. We don’t see even a spark of romantic - or even sexual - interest between Mel and Kade (a disadvantage of only getting Mel’s POV) until nearly 75%. As a result, I wasn’t particularly invested in their relationship and, instead, found myself wishing that either it had sparked earlier in the book OR that the central romance was FF with Kade remaining a metamour. The first is the obvious solution for a book published by (an imprint of) one of the Big Five, and I can’t help but wonder how this book might have been different if it had been self- or indie published. On the flip side, I did really appreciate that Mel’s relationships with Bebe and Kade progressed at different rates, which was a stark departure from most of the throuple romances I have read.

Overall, I had a good time reading this. And if I shut my brain off and just let myself ~enjoy~, I might even be tempted to say I had a really good time.

A couple quick nitpicky things about the synopsis: 1) Mel was NOT wooed by a couple; and 2) this is not a romcom. I am begging publishers to quit calling any romance that isn't heavy and Serious a romcom.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advance copy!

Brilliant, charming, and so adorably loving! Alexander does a wonderful job building the relationships in this story and making something that showcases love, beautifully and naturally, even to those who have no interested in/experience with non-monogamy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Triple Sec!

What a sweet, sexy, & funny ride! I enjoyed everything about this. The dynamic between Bebe and Kade was intriguing to me and I enjoyed seeing how TJ was able to emulate a healthy, communicative, and trusting marriage. I enjoyed Mel’s character although they irked me at times, I enjoyed seeing her development and how she was able to open her heart back up to love.

This was a fun, romcom type story with polyamorous relationships. I don't always go for these type of books but this one turned out to be very entertaining. I liked Mel's storyline the most, as she was trying to better herself and turn her mixology passion into something more. The characters were all very different but what they did have in common was how much they cared for one another. This is a more light hearted read but still has plenty to offer. This was my first T.J. Alexander story but it will not be my last!


Thank you to NetGalley, T.J. Alexander & Atria Books for this ARC!

This is an interesting look into the world of polyamorous relationships and the New York cocktail scene. There’s even more chances for misunderstanding when there’s three in the relationship but if things go right there’s even more love to go around.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of Triple Sec. I enjoyed this book and a "look" into what a queer poly structure might look like with romantic book flare. Overall, a quick enjoyable read.

I really had a hard time getting into it. I guess it just wasn't for me. It was had to hold my Attention.

Last year, I picked up TJ Alexander’s Second Chances in New Port Stephen as one of my final holiday reads, expecting a quick and cute Christmas rom com. It was certainly cute, but I was not prepared to be as moved by the story as I was. As soon as I finished, I added all of their other books to my TBR.

Flash forward to this year and Alexander is back with Triple Sec, a rom com set in the world of NYC cocktail bars. The story follows Mel, a jaded bartender who becomes involved in a polyamorous relationship as she’s embarking on a journey to open her own bar.

I’m not up on the NYC cocktail/bar scene, so those elements of the story didn’t hit as hard for me (but if that’s your thing, I’m sure you’ll love all of the details!). BUT…I was super impressed by how Alexander wrote the relationship between Mel, Bebe, and Kade. A lot of romances sometimes struggle with having two well-developed leads, so to have THREE leads that all felt like real people you could meet around the city today, really underscores Alexander’s strength of character development. The story is well-paced and there’s lot a of great romantic tension, along with Alexander’s signature witty prose. In short, this is a near perfect rom com, and as Alexander said themself, you get three love stories for the price of one!

Triple Sec is out now. Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴' 𝘴𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘔𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦..."


First and foremost, this book was most definitely outside my typical comfort zone, with the different lifestyle and level of spice...

BUT I truly enjoyed it! And I learned SO much about a lot of things. There WERE a couple... shocking... moments, but I'm absolutely thrilled I got to experience these 3 goofballs!

🍸 Opposites Attract
👭🏻 Polyamorous
🍸 Bartender / Cocktail Competition
👭🏻 Life After Divorce
🍸 Lesbian/Nonbinary/Gay
👭🏻 No Real Third Act Breakup

A huge thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review!
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #triplesec #tjalexander #book70of2024 #whatsnikkireading #atriabooks #netgalley #polyamorous #lifeafterdivorce #oppositesattract #bartender #cocktailcompetition #readingoutsidemycomfortzone

3.5 stars

Cute, not very spicy. Dynamics changed a lot but was good.

Favorite lines:
“Who tries to pick someone up on the subway? You make eye contact with me on public transportation, I’m gonna assume you want to fight.” - truth!!

“I dont want to live in a world without little nice little things.” - agree! Let people enjoy what they want to enjoy

“Hell was empty. All the devils were at the Javits center.” -HILARIOUS! Having been to many events at Javits, agree.

This story was cute, but NOT one of my favorites from TJ Alexander. I honestly found the characters all kind of unlikeable. I ADORED the premise, and like watching the three interact and fall together, but there was just no real connection there for me.

I was given and ARC by NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

I love this book so much. I am always excited to read what TJ Alexander writes, but something about this book was so charming. Mel, Bebe, and Kade were all such fleshed out and real characters. The relationships between them all felt so loving and respectful, and the poly representation was so beautiful. I could feel how much they all cared for each other, and the conflicts felt necessary without being a stereotypical third act breakup. My only gripe is that this book wasn’t 50 pages longer so I could’ve gotten to read more about all three characters in a loving relationship.