This was a super fun read and I loved the characterizations of all three main characters. It's great to see a queer, poly romance getting so much attention!

requested and received an ARC of Triple Sec from Atria Books via Netgalley. I’ve seen this title floating around on “Most Anticipated” queer romance lists and was intrigued. Typically, I’m an M/M reader, but I love romance and diving into the waters of queer femmes and nonbinary folk was definitely a wonderful experience. I was hooked from the first chapter! Mel is a divorced bartender working in a trendy NYC cocktail lounge, which is where she first meets Bebe, a warm and bubbly, curvy power-lesbian who charms the reader from her first appearance. The chemistry between the two women is off-the-charts and the flirting almost made me wish I were a lesbian (try not to be seduced by Bebe!) Mel grapples with confusion when she realizes that Bebe is married to Kade, the seemingly aloof nonbinary artist. Her worry is soon put to rest when she is assured that Bebe and Kade have an open marriage.

I really thought this was a fun and unique romance. I enjoyed the characters, particularly the early scenes where Mel was sort of in awe of Bebe and Kade’s lifestyle (I mean class disparity here, btw.) The story never dulls, but I did find myself craving some sort of drama within the pages. There is a misunderstanding between two of the partners, but this doesn’t occupy much space in the narrative. There is almost a moment of violence in the novel between two men, who are in no way central to the story, that one of the characters inserts themselves in (and resolves) that felt a little bit too much of a stretch for that took me out of the story (I thought it would be followed up with some sort of statement on avoiding danger or maybe about certain privileges in navigating those situations, but it never came up.) For me, the second half of the novel was perhaps a bit too predictable and things came together too neatly. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is romance after all, but I thought perhaps a bit more angst thrown in there would have made the final result more satisfying.

All things considered, this was a sweet and funny romance. There are steamy moments, though I tended to sort of skim through these. I found the story refreshing! Polyamory isn’t something I typically seek in romance novels, but I thought this was well done and spoke to many common insecurities one might have about it. I think this novel has great appeal and between Mel, Bebe, and Kade there’s someone for us all to swoon after. Me? I’m a Kade fan. Sarcastic, sensitive and a little aloof? Sign me up. Then again, I was rather partial to Bebe’s relentless sunshine as well!

Triple Sec was a cute, fun, steamy at times, romance that follows Mel as she develops a relationship with Bebe and Kade.
This was my first time reading about a poly relationship and I think that TJ Alexander did a great job explaining the nuisances of the relationship and I feel like I came out of this book learning something. I really appreciate their representation of people from the LGBTQIA+ community. On top of that, the plot was light hearted and enjoyable, focusing on a bartender and a cocktail competition. The romance between the characters was also fun and I really enjoyed their banter. There are three steamy scenes total in this book and the author did not hold back! Overall, a great romance read!

I started this book, and could not get into it. I’m not a lover of third person POV, so maybe I was a little bias, but there was just no hook or anything in the beginning to get me wanting to read. I wanted to like it because I like the permits and I’m usually into books with this description or genre, but it was a soft no for me:

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, quick read! I haven't dabbled into queer romance much, but I loved the plot and the characters. As a recently-divorced straight woman just starting to date again, I was surprised I connected to Mel's struggles and thoughts at first, but watching her blossom as she rediscovered herself has been quite inspiring to me on my journey.

Plenty of on-page action. Lovable characters. And I wish it came with a cocktail recipe book because they sound delicious!

I read an arc of TJ’s book, Second Chances in Newport Steven in the fall and it quickly became one of my favorite books in 2023. I’m pleased to announce that Triple Sec is just as good and possibly even better! I hate to compare the two since I loved them both so much, so I won’t pick a favorite of the two.

I have so much love for these characters and their love. Every interaction between any of them left me feeling so warm. They had moments of poor communication, but it felt so human. And they always worked through it together like adults. IT WAS SO REFRESHING TO READ. I genuinely would read another five books just filled with little adventures they have together.

I really appreciated how intentional this books felt with how it talked about and handled the conversations around gender identity and sexuality. I loved it, really.

I’ve never read a poly romance before (I don’t know why, since my biggest complaint with love triangles is that they aren’t all just in love with each other), but I see that changing after I read this book. I love TJ and their writing and how they build these characters up.

I also really enjoyed that they all had lives outside of their relationship. Too often, romance books have very one dimensional characters who have no life outside of their partner, and I really like how this book wasn’t like that. They each had something else that gave them character and life. There was a plot to follow and a story to tell.

I will gladly and quickly read anything TJ writes from now on until FOREVER THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT

Wow. Funny, sweet, super sexy romance with LGBTQIA+ characters…this one hits all the right notes if you’re open minded enough for it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was the first time that I have read anything by this author, but I will definitely be looking for more work from them in the future..

I was intrigued when I saw a traditionally published, queer poly romance, so I hit the request button on NetGalley — and I’m so glad I did. Before I even finished the first chapter, I was putting holds on TJ Alexander’s other books at my library. That’s how quickly their writing drew me in.

TRIPLE SEC is about Mel, a thirtysomething divorced bartender in Manhattan with dreams of someday opening her own bar. Currently she works at a trendy cocktail lounge, which is where she meets a beautiful, curvy, and vivacious customer named Bebe... then learns Bebe has a wife named Kade. (Kade is nonbinary and “wife” is the term they use.) Soon she’s pulled into Bebe and Kade’s orbit, learns about polyamory, and after drafting some guidelines for their relationship, begins dating Bebe.

As I read, I kept wondering how Kade — who’s kind of an enigma to Mel — was going to figure into the romance. It took until the second half of the book, but when Kade and Mel finally connected, it was so good and so hot.

This book is steamy and fun and everything I look for in a contemporary romance. I loved it.

(Heads up that if you’re in recovery or if alcohol is a tricky topic for you, this might not be the best thing to read as it goes into detail about the creation and tasting of cocktails.)

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC, which was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Triple Sec" inspired me to craft my beloved elderflower G&T (which I believe Kade would appreciate) and snuggle in. This lively romance was a delight, captivating me with each character's unique personality and passion. Much like Mel's well-balanced cocktail, the book offered a perfect blend of storyline and romance. I found myself falling in love with the characters and wishing they were my friends too. Cheers to this refreshing novel—I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance reader copy!!!

I cannot believe that this is trad. 💀😭
This was so hot! And fun! And sexy. And young (but we love a MC in her 30s).
The mixology element felt new and fresh. Really fun read!

I am a sucker for a good service industry story and Triple Sec brought that, plus a super cute polyam romance with down with capitalism vibes. Mel is just a divorced bartender getting through her days on autopilot until Bebe walks into her bar throwing her completely off kilter. When a few hours later she's introduced to Bebe's wife, Mel is left confused and intrigued.

TJ Alexander not only gives us a swoon worthy trio romance, the plot takes readers through some of the twists and turns of having a passion for the service industry (as well as art AND law). In addition to all that, because Mel is new to polyamory there's a bit of training wheels about what all of that might mean in a relationship. Overall very cute, fairly spicy, and fun read!

Five stars for pulling off a trad-published poly rom-com alone! A feat! Some really incredible sex writing happening here, too. I was a bit hesitant to read this as a sober person, so definitely take care if you find sensory cocktail descriptions triggering because there are quite a lot.

I really loved this story! This cute romance follows bartender Mel who has had a cynical outlook on love since she and her wife divorced years ago. Mel meets Bebe and feels an instant connection with her only to quickly realize Bebe is married. Bebe and Kade inform Mel that they are in an open marriage and that Bebe would like to date her. The book follows Mel as she allows herself to try love again and learn about polyamorous relationships and how to navigate them, and finding out that love can be so much more than she realized. I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. I loved the banter and emotional intimacy, along with the story line as a whole.
This book is a 4.5/5 for me!
All opinions here are my own. Thank you to Atria & NetGalley for the e-ARC!

What a book! Thank you to Atria & NetGalley for an advanced copy!
I have many mixed feelings, but overall I think this book is an enjoyable read and a needed contribution to contemporary romance.
At various points, I struggled to connect with each of the main characters, which made it hard to feel invested in their romance/s. This book also managed to somehow feel too long and too short at the same time.
But on the flip side, this book was full of so many beautiful and insightful gems about queerness, polyamory, and love in general.
I think this snippet from the author’s acknowledgments ultimately sums up why this book is important: A soft, tender, well-deserved forehead kiss to everyone who loves in their own way, with their whole heart, in defiance of anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. Cheers, my loves.

Very heavy on dialogue that left me a bit confused as to what was happening with the main characters. I love the idea of the story but it didn’t come together how I had hoped it would. Great cover! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc.
This was a different read for me, it discussed polyamory , it has more than one love story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc.

🥹 when will it be my turn to find love

I will be back to write a longer review!

This book was sooooo good! I instantly fell in love with Mel, Bebe, and Kade. I felt like I was a part of their world. It definitely made me forget that I was reading. And man what a small twist that was thrown in there!! This book is queer and proud!! I did not want their story to end. I could not put this book down. Fingers crossed for a second book!

This book was fantastic. You get three love stories in one which was a nice change to my typical books that I read with just one love story. This was the first book I have read with a non-binary main character, and I loved it. It was definitely a welcome change from my typical reads.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this release!

First and foremost, what a great read. It was a perfect blend of rom com and beach read. Also, it involves themes of polyamory or throuples, it’s something I hope to see more of in the genre!