First off, thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this book via NetGalley.

I saw this title and was so incredibly excited for a book that had so much diversity - POC characters, a sapphic romance, and a non-binary character, and polyamory. Sign me up! Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations...

The story follows Mel, a recently divorced bartender that has sworn off love. Then Bebe walks into the bar Mel works at and there's an instant connection. Mel's hesitant when she finds out Bebe is married and in an open relationship with her wife, but ultimately, decides to give Bebe a chance. Soon, Mel finds herself attracted to Bebe's icy partner, Kade, as well. And what do you know? Kade is also interested in Mel, thus beginning Mel's journey with polyamory.

I love that polyamory is making its way into mainstream queer media. It feels like it's been a long time coming. That being said, I felt like there wasn't really much depth in terms of polyamory. It all just felt relatively surface level, and I wish that we could have spent more time with the characters and their respective relationships and how being in a polyamorous relationship is different to a monogamous one. Though I hope stories like this one will help pave the way for more of its kind.

My other main complaint was that I thought Mel was unbearable. She seemed grumpy for no reason - and overall was just difficult to like, which made the book hard to get through. I almost didn't finish it because I struggled so much.

The writing itself was well done, as one would come to expect from TJ Alexander, but, overall, I was just left wanting more and struggling to like the main character, which is my reason for three stars.

Great representation of a non-conventional relationship. The characters were well written and had depth. Perfect summer read!

Triple Sec follows NYC bartender, Mel, a divorcee who has her love life turned upside when she meets Bebe a beautiful, bubbly lawyer and her wife Kade, your typical stoic artist. I honestly was very shocked to see a traditionally published contemporary romcom that featured kitchen table polyamory. It just shows how far we’ve come in terms of queer rep in the traditional publishing space and that made me happy. As for the romance itself, it was cute, it was communicative, and full of support. I enjoyed seeing Mel’s relationship with Bebe and Kade develop separately, seeing how different those dynamics were but equally as important to Mel was quite refreshing. The writing style was very simple and easy to fly through so it was a quick easy breezy weekend read.

However, I don’t think this is a new favorite for me. In some places the tone was just a bit too didactic. I felt like I was in a gender studies lecture and while I do find it very valuable to explain core gender and sexuality concepts to a wider mainstream audience and ensure that they understand what’s going on and maybe learn something in the process, I felt a little bored with it. Just my own personal thing as a queer enby with poly experience I felt like every was a little too textbook, there was a little too much therapy speak and it just felt like it lacked something. I also never got too invested in the characters, they were cool but just a little bit too surface level to get attached to, they all had one trait that the author stuck to and I didn’t feel like we went much deeper than that as far as character exploration goes. I feel like I’m saying alot of negatives, but it was a perfectly pleasant enough reading experience I just found myself craving more than it could give.

I thought this was a fun and interesting! Not only were the poly dynamics emotionally responsible, but there were a few different perspectives on love in general and how it manifests. I've never really read a book like this and will definitely recommend it to some friends.

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander
4/5 stars

I learned about two things from this book that I didn't really know too much about: mixology and polyamory. In TJ Alexander’s new book Triple Sec, our main character Mel is a talented mixologist/bartender at trendy bar that doesn't really allow for much experimentation with the menu. One day at work, she meets beautiful, charming Bebe and the sparks fly. She is intrigued but then confused when she meets Bebe's wife, Kade.
I had read one of Alexander's previous books, so I was prepared for the spice factor. What I wasn't quite
ready for was the empathetic way they dive into all three of these characters and the way I would love them all (although I will always have a soft spot for Kade). I absolutely recommend reading Triple Sec. Also, it will make you want a margarita!
Thank you to the author, publisher and @netgalley for my advanced copy! Triple Sec is available now! Go grab it!

Mel doesn’t believe in love until the day Bebe walks into her bar. Bebe is everything Mel could want in a woman, only Bebe is happily married. Bebe and Kade are in an open relationship and Bebe invites Mel on a date. Before she knows it, Mel has feelings for both Bebe and Mel and is in a relationship with both of them.
This was the first book I’ve read featuring a polyamorous relationship and I really appreciated the way it explores not only what a poly relationship might look like, but also touches on gender fluidity, acceptance, and love in general. It definitely provided me with new perspectives while also being an incredible and steamy romance. It was interesting to see each relationship progress and how they were all so open and accepting of one another. There was great banter and many laugh out loud moments. This book is another winner from TJ Alexander!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I just love TJ Alexander! They have become an auto-buy author for me. I've yet to find a novel from them that I dislike. I absolutely loved Triple Sec and the romances in it. I can't wait for their next novel.

I really enjoyed this! It was a fun read, and I really enjoyed all of the characters and the different dynamics that came into play in all of their relationships. I liked that Mel was trying to protect herself and still be open at the same time, and that all of the characters experienced a lot of growth from the beginning of the book to the end. Bebe and Kade are such fun characters, and I loved how different they were but they still had so much love for each other.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the digital arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed the complexity of each character and their function within the relationship. Very sexy with clear pro exploring with partners, healthy relationship reality, communication, and balance. The miscommunication could have easily been avoided, thus avoiding the bulk of issues Mel experiences in this polyamory lifestyle. Alexander does a great job showing the issues, conflict and resolution. Well done.
Mel has cut herself off from love after a shattering divorce. Still struggling with her healing, Mel meets Bebe - a woman oozing class, sensuality and goodness. Her partner, Kade, and Bebe have an amazing relationship - with the acceptance of dating other people. And so begins Mel and Bebe's relationship.

3.75⭐️more poly books in trad publishing!
i love that queer poly books are getting this representation in the trad world and i definitely think it’s laying the groundwork for more to come
such much as this book did have its good times, there were some moments in the book that were truly stressing me😭a little communication goes a long way
overall i did have a really good time with it!

I've read a few of TJ Alexander's other pubbed books so I was excited for this one, but a little nervous at the concept of polyamory. I've never been one to read romances with more than two MCs, but I really had so much fun with this one. Plus it was HOT hehehhe

This was such a unique and unexpected romance! I loved the characters, particularly Kade, and their thoughtful insights about love, relationships, and art. ("It's still art, even if it's idle.") I felt that the second half of the book was notably stronger than the first, as it took a while for the story to really settle into itself. In particular, I thought the romantic conflict in the first "act" was a little weak. The pacing of the novel was also a little uneven for me, but overall I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

DNFing this one at 24% sadly! It's just not for me. I was excited to read a queer/poly romance to branch out beyond the usual relationships depicted in romance books but I just feel like Mel was really naive. Maybe I have the privilege of being informed about poly/open relationships, but the way she seemed so shook by them just felt odd, especially when she's written as an adult character. I just wasn't feeling any chemistry or attachment to the characters by 1/4 of the way through and I have so many other books on my TBR that it wasn't worth it for me personally to continue. Thanks anyway for the ARC and thank you TJ Alexander for writing a book with queer and poly rep!!

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Unfortunately I got too busy in the spring with the end of school to review it on time.
I couldn't put this spicy poly romance book down. Mel is a bartender in NYC, working at one of the top cocktail spots. She's been all about work since her divorce (well maybe even before that), until an intriguing customer flirts with her and then helps her to defuse a potentially bad situation with some patrons. After that chance encounter, Mel finds (or maybe re-finds?) herself through her relationship with the woman - and her wife.
While Triple Sec is plenty steamy, it has a great plot - I really enjoyed the characters and felt like I learned more about poly romance throughout, without any expectations or judgment of where readers are coming from. I loved the cocktail creation process, too!

Scrumptious intimacy scenes, believable relationship challenges, acccurate bartending details, and a snappy pace. Loved it!

This was my first poly romance and I thought it was super cute! Definitely different to what I normally read, but certainly different in a good way, not a bad way. It actually helped me learn new things I wasn’t aware of in terms of the poly community!

I also appreciate that it wasn’t *too* spicy. I think 3ish spicy scenes was PERFECT for this book. It gave the book an opportunity to have a good storyline as well, rather than being just a smut novel.

Thank you to TJ Alexander and NetGalley for this ARC! What an enjoyable read!

I was so excited to receive this book and to participate in BookSparks Book Club Pick this month! I was even more excited to sit in on a zoom discussion with the author @tjalexandernyc last night! If you didn't get the hint that Alexander is hilarious and personable from their writing, watching their discussion last night all the more proved this to me.

Triple Sec is a hilarious romance novel about a NY bartender named Mel, who decides to open up her heart again to love after a bad divorce. She is charmed by a flirtatious woman who visits her bar but Mel soon finds out that this woman is in an open marriage and is very interested in pursuing Mel. As Mel opens her heart and mind to Bebe and her partner Kade, she rediscovers being loved and giving love all over again.

I really enjoyed all three main characters. They really brought out the best in each other and were fun to get to know! This book is top notch spicy and I lovedddd all the cocktail references.

Check out the synopsis on the last pic and put this polyamorous rom-com on your TBR today!!

This story is told entirely from Mel’s point of view, as it’s really her story of growth and self-realization. As a 30something divorcee, she felt she had failed at love and relationships, so poured all her focus on her job bartending, even tho management was frustrating. Then Bebe walks into the bar and changes everything.

This story ultimately ends up FFX (Kade is genderqueer with they/them pronouns). I liked that at the end, when they are all obviously happy, it didn’t close their polycule. Bebe wondered about the interest of someone at a party. Many books with a poly relationship end with the relationship closed to others outside the story relationship.

I loved this book!

Cynical bartender Mel is great at slinging cocktails and making her customers feel special, but she doesn't have much of a social life and definitely no love life. She was devastated by her divorce from the only woman she'd ever loved and is determined never to get hurt by a romantic connection again. But when gorgeous, flirty Bebe asks for a drink and seems to be implying something more, Mel is reconsidering her rule about not hooking up with customers -- until Bebe introduces her spouse, Kade. Mel accepts Bebe's brunch party invitation, disappointed to have misunderstood the flirtatious overtures but hoping to at least make a new friend. A little later, while at lunch with Bebe and Kade, Mel is shocked when Bebe asks her out on a date-date, explaining that she and Kade are in a polyamorous, open marriage. Mel's insecurity makes her wary of anything like commitment, but she and Bebe agree to guidelines for keeping their fling super-casual and she thinks it could be a good opportunity to get back into the dating game. Romance readers know: they're definitely going to develop feelings for each other! And despite Kade's seemingly cold, stoic demeanor, Mel finds herself growing quite fond of them, too.

It's clear from the start that this is a consensual non-monogamy situation (no surprises, cheating, etc). It's also pretty clear that Mel's insecurity will be the primary conflict driver, leading her to make some hurtful assumptions and decisions. I think I would've liked the book to be a little longer, with more time for the developing relationships to steep so they'd feel more balanced. There was no doubt on the chemistry though!

I love Mel's obsession with flavors -- this book will make you want a cocktail! I love Bebe's big heart and smarts. I love Kade's neurospicy brain; Mel misunderstood them at first, but they feel and think deeply even if their face isn't very expressive.

I #ReadQueerAllYear but especially recommend Triple Sec for Pride Month reading!

3.5/5

I’ve officially read all of TJ Alexander’s novels and, although it wasn’t my favorite, this was a great addition!

Pros:
This is the first book I’ve read with polyamorous rep as the main relationship and I really loved how it was handled! The characters were very mature in their interactions and there was a strong focus on communication throughout the book. As always, I also loved the foodie/bartending element! The cocktail competition added a lot of fun and I loved reading about Mel’s various concoctions.

Cons:
My only main con is that I wish I knew the characters a bit more. There was a strong focus on the physical aspect of their relationships with each other, but the emotional element didn’t hit me as strongly, especially compared to TJ’s other books.

Overall, this was still a fun poly romance with a happy ending and I definitely recommended to anyone who enjoys queer romance!