Thank you to @NetGalley for this ARC. Kayla Grosse knows how to make a spice book have an intriguing plot. Nathan was such a sweet, loving, guy next door type who falls for a married couple in a cabin in the woods. The instant chemistry the have is tender and moving. Please check trigger warnings before reading.

I have read Axes & O's and I have now listened to Axes & O's. I love both formats, but there is something about incredible narrators that make the work stand out. I have a very active imagination, and had a specific way that I pictured these particular characters and scenes. The narrators, Stella Hunter, Stephen Dexter, and Grayson Owens, did a fantastic job and made the story 100% come to life for me. Their performances will make you swoon unbelievably (and you'll need to fan yourself for sure).

Kayla Grosse hasn't written a book that I haven't loved. The way that she writes plus sized representation is without a doubt the best I've read (ps - what is "plus size" anyway - NORMAL body representation is more like it). Look, we all deserve love. Fantasy, butterflies, and romance are the extra bits that we all want and don't always get. If you pick up one of her books (or listen to the audio version) you will get it all. Your emotions will run the gamut and you will like it. Nay, you will love it. This book is so ... everything. Discovering your unburdened self (after much self-reflection), EMBRACING that part of yourself - having people to encourage and empower you and love you so authentically? That's what you are getting when you read Axes and O's. Oh, and a ton of spicy hot peppers, if you know, you know.

Back to the narrators - their humor and passion for their craft really shines through in this audiobook, and their chemistry was palpable. I could feel their emotions through their voices; they just really did such a great job. I implore you to try this out. You never know what may float your boat!

Surprisingly sweet considering it was also utterly filthy. It's been a hot minute since I've read a lighter MMF, I typically pick something darker and filled with angst. I don't think I've ever read an MMF where it's the MF couple bringing in a male third and then they stay a throuple. Not to say they don't exist (and if they do please send me recs) but I've never come across them.

This audio is FANTASTIC! Grayson Owens, Stella Hunter, and Stephen Dexter were so incredible as Fox, Morgan, & Nathan! It is dual narration, & they all portrayed the characters with so much emotion & it just made for an amazing listening experience! I loved this book & story, so the audio is the perfect cherry on top!

Review for the book/story below:

KAYLA!!! MISS MA'AM!!! I AM STILL COMING DOWN FROM THIS ONE!!!

Kayla is the Queen of plus size characters & those that worship them! Plus, she is always one of the best at every type of relationship & representing them SO WELL! She heard all her readers pleas with wanting the super hot novellas she is a master of to be longer, and she delivered a FULL LENGTH, hottttttttt story!!!!!

Nathan, Morgan, and Fox are all the heat of her novellas, plus incredible heart & story! I have said before the novellas have heart that you don't expect for as short & spice filled as they are, but to get this in a full length book just lights my heart on fire!!! I am OBSESSED! Like, read in one day obsessed!

I laughed, I teared up, I was SWEATING, my Kindle might have melted, and gah I am just in love with these characters! Their dynamics are so well done! Nathan & his sweet little awakening soul, gah it got me!🫶🏻

In all seriousness, if you loved Trick Shot (& if you haven’t fallen in love with that one yet, what are you waiting for?!), you absolutely need this one in your life!

So let me start by saying that holiday romances are not my thing. So why do you ask did I listen to this? Easy. I love the narrators. This was the story of Nathan, a man driving to see his sister whose car breaks down, Morgan and Fox , a married couple who are loggers who shelter him. They end up helping Nathan explore his sexuality. This was a good read ( listen ). The story was very sweet, and hot. I would definitely recommend this audiobook.

Oh my goodness. This was one of the hottest books I’ve ever devoured, and devoured I did! I listened to an ALC of this and my gosh it was so good!

This was the story of Nathan, a businessman who’s saved by married loggers - Morgan and Fox - after he wrecks his car in the snowstorm on his way to visit family for Christmas. Nathan had always felt like something was missing from his life and Morgan and Fox helped him explore his desires with the two of them… and explore he did!

This was my first audio with more than two narrators and it was spectacular! I cannot wait to dive into more from Kayla. This was the best entertainment!

This holiday romance serves up the perfect mix of sweet charm and sizzling heat. When Nathan’s Christmas trip to his sister's is interrupted by a snowstorm, he finds himself stranded after an accident and is rescued by a warm, welcoming married couple, Fox and Megan. As he waits for the storm to pass, the three of them feel an undeniable attraction, and Fox and Megan soon reveal their hopes to bring Nathan into their relationship. Though initially hesitant, Nathan finds himself exploring new sides of his identity with their gentle encouragement. The chemistry between them is intense, but there’s also genuine warmth, as Nathan grows closer to the couple and begins to embrace his true self. Watching their relationship evolve is heartwarming, captivating and hot. The narrators perfectly captured each character, bringing out both the heat and emotion of the story. If you’re looking for an extra steamy holiday romance with heartfelt moments this is one to add to your TBR!

JEEEZZZUUUSSSS! Wow this story, this narration was EVERYTHING.

This is now the fourth book I have read by Kayla Grosse. While I think her books are well written and can see the evolution of her style from her earlier work, some of the tropes are not always my cup of tea. I have read a few books now, not only from Kayla, about throples, and I have to admit that they are not my favorite tropes. Because the story is usually told in triple POV, and the books have to have a limited number of pages, I don't think there is a lot of margen to fully develop any of the three characters or even an overall plot.
The throple books that I have read are usually more enjoyable or developed when the timeline of the book is narrowed down to a specific moment (a night, a weekend, etc). The throple trope books that take place over a month or several months don't usually meet my expectations, and I find them disappointing. For this reason, I am glad that Kayla limited this story to a 3-ish day period. Our characters, Morgan, Fox, and Nathan, live in a very intense situation over a few days when they are snowed in at a cabin. Now, because the characters are living a very intense and heightened situation over a few days, I don't trust the intensity of their bond or feelings, which is usually why I don't connect with the epilogue of these kinds of books. Obviously, throple books are spicey. What's the point of having a closed-door threesome book? And if you like spice, the throple trope is usually pretty good, leaning on quite graphic. I would say this is easily a 4 chili pepper book. Some may see it closer to the 3 chili pepper rating, and others may say even closer to a 5 chili pepper rating, so I call it in the middle. But like most throples books, because of the limited length of the book, we have spicey chapters almost immediately and it's present in pretty much every other chapter. This trope can borderline sex for the sake of sex.
When I am reading these kinds of books, my mind wanders to the logistics and I get distracted. Not to mention, I always wonder how the FMC is walking the next day or isn't chaffed in her hoo-haa area.

Back to the character development. We only have a limited time and pages to get to know our three main characters, which means that you are only scratching the surface with their personalities and backstories and don't have any time to see any character arch. Also, because the series of events takes place over 3 days, there isn't time for the characters themselves to develop. This story has Nate as the main character and Morgan and Fox, while also sharing from their POV, they are secondary characters. For this reason, I feel we know Nate more, and though we learn early on that he has never been fully fulfilled in past relationships, it was never really explained how he would sometimes have cravings or desires or even thoughts about same-sex relationships or experiences. I think his attraction to Fox would have been more believable if we had been given some extra details into any past thoughts he had about his sexuality.
Fox had been in foster care and military service, and both of these life experiences shaped him into being reclusive and not opening up about his feelings. I wish we had heard a bit more about his backstory, his childhood experiences, how he and Morgan met and bonded, his military service, and the people he met and lost.
Morgan is a sweet lady with a very kinky side. I don't think she is the kind of person you would expect to get down and dirty if you met her at the grocery store. We know that she is plus size, something that Kayla always writes about in her books, but it is never a focal point. I appreciate that. Her FMC are the size that they are and period. They are confident in their own right, sexy in their own right, and their femininity. Other books with plus size woman make that a microtrope and make it sound as if it should be a focal point of the plot.

Overall the story for me would be a 3.5-4 star rating. Again, Kayla wrote it very well, it's just not my cup of tea, despite having read now a few throples, especially from Kayla.

Now, because this was my first ALC, I really want to focus on the narration. My goodness, what amazing casting! Grayson Owens, Stella Hunter, and Stephen Dexter did stellar jobs.
Grayson was perfect as Nathan. He has a smooth voice and acted Morgan and Fox's parts very well when they were from Nathan's POV. His pacing was perfect. Amazing.
Stella...Wow. Look, I usually have some sort of complaint of most female narrators. They either drag it out, or the pacing is off, and they make the FMC sound too wispy. No, Stella played Morgan so well.
Stephen! He even scared me at some points. He played Fox's internal monologue very dark, maybe even too dark at times. But when he was acting the spoken words of Fox, Nathan or Morgan, his acting skills really came through.
The pacing of the book, the audio editing, everything. It was so well done.

Bravo to Kayla, Grayson, Stella and Stephen. I thoroughly enjoyed Axes & O's

Thank you to Netgally and Dreamscape select for letting me listen to an advance copy of this book.

This was definitely a spicy read and the overall performance was great. The story was fast-paced and I can see it as a great holiday read. I wish there was a little bit more in the relationship dynamics between the 3. But purely looking at the spice it was great - but I wanted a bit more. I'm looking forward to Kayla's future releases. And I'll definitely be looking at her previous works.

I liked the narrators but hated the plot which is probably why I debated DNFing it 4 times but I made it through! I really hated this book because plot was missing a decent amount.

Kayla Grosse books are fast and fun and this one is no exception. The setting of a cabin in the woods during a blizzard was great. The characters felt fleshed out and real even though it's a short read. You can definitely read this in a day.

This was my first book by this author and I liked it. It was definitely spicy and 🥵. It was a quick story and kept my attention the entire time. Although, it did feel a bit rushed and I would’ve like some details fleshed out more. However, the narrators *whew*! They did a fantastic job! I was so drawn into the story either the different voices for the characters and the male voices *chef’s kiss*. All in all, I enjoyed the story and would recommend for my fellow spicy readers.

Performance: 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤/5
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (but the spice feels spicier when you’re listening!)

Holy. Lumbersnacks. I didn’t realize how much I needed this audiobook in my life until I heard this story.

In all transparency, I don’t listen to audiobooks often, but when I do? Kayla Grosse’s books are it! Kayla does a FABULOUS job ensuring her narrators are a perfect fit for her story, and let me tell you…I was obsessed. This narration sucked me in and I devoured this story!

Who is bringing this story to life for your listening pleasure?

Grayson Owens as Nathan Clark. Owens does an absolutely phenomenal job bringing Nathan to life. Owens’ tone embraces Nathan’s turmoil of questioning his life trajectory and being dissatisfied with his career. Nathan has some hard edges as he hasn’t spent a lot of time being introspective, which Owens fully captured with his delivery; embracing Nathan’s inherent masculinity, while simultaneously bringing his vulnerability to the surface during inner monologues and conversations in which Nathan discovers his true wants and desires.

Stella Hunter as Morgan Malone. Morgan is curvy, sweet and charming…this little lamb is very enticing. Hunter’s sultry tone embodied Morgan’s allure and she brought a relatability to Morgan’s character during times of self-doubt or insecurity, as well as times of empowerment.

Stephen Dexter as Fox Malone. Fox is a tattooed, over 6 foot, muscular, thick, ex-Special Forces man who looks like Thor reincarnated. Fox is guarded and protective of those that he loves, and struggles with trust and voicing his emotions. The deep timbre of Dexter’s voice was the perfect embodiment of Fox, and his delivery was spot on for capturing the nuances of this complex character.

I cannot recommend this enough!

🔥 Axes & O's by Kayla Grosse is THE steamy holiday romance you didn’t know you needed, and I am shook in the best possible way! 🔥 If you're into holiday heat, snowed-in situations, and a wild MMF love story that’s bound to make you blush, you NEED this one on your TBR.

Let me set the scene: Nathan Clark, our unsuspecting hero, crashes his car just before Christmas and ends up stranded at the cabin of Fox and Morgan Malone—who are about to turn his world upside down. Fox is all rugged, tattooed, and seriously hot, while Morgan is the sultry, sweet woman who’s ready to make Nathan question everything he thought he knew about himself. 🌲❤️

It starts with a cozy offer to stay warm… and then, well, things escalate. Fox and Morgan aren't just eyeing Nathan—they're into him in a way that’s hot enough to melt the snow outside. The tension between the three of them is insane, and I mean that in the best possible way. 😏💥

Now, don’t be fooled, this isn’t just a hot romance—it’s got heart too. The chemistry between Nathan, Fox, and Morgan isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, it’s deep, it’s about discovering new sides of yourself and embracing who you truly are. 🌟 There’s vulnerability mixed in with the passion, and let me tell you, it’s impossible not to root for all of them to find their happily-ever-after.

And don’t even get me started on the narration. Grayson Owens, Stella Hunter, and Stephen Dexter bring it with their voices. They make the whole experience feel like you're right there with them in that cozy cabin, feeling every spark, every heated moment, every bit of tension. 😵‍💫

So if you’re into high-heat, snowed-in romances with a bit of kink and a whole lot of heart, Axes & O's is your next must-read (or must-listen, if you’re into audiobooks like me). It’s steamy, it’s emotional, and it’s the perfect holiday treat if you're ready for something a little extra spicy under the mistletoe. 🎄🔥

Thank you to NetGalley, Kayla Grosse, and Dreamscape Select for the audio ARC of this book!

Axes and O’s is yummy I listened to it twice back to back. The title and the simple cover design is just chef’s kiss. I enjoyed For the Fans which is another er0tic bi-awaking standalone novel but this was a better story. The characters were more mature and had open and honest the conversations. No miscommunication. No hate. Each character is affectionate, vulnerable and domineering in their own way. The story is simple…

Unhappy, people pleaser Nathan quits his corporate job just days before Christmas. Instead of spending the next few days with his sister, niece and mom like he intended, he finds himself sheltering with an insanely attractive lumberjack and jill married couple with a lifestyle that one can only imagine in a wet dream. To his surprise, they invite him to join them.

Kayla Grosse just got added to my list of authors to follow. This was a cozy yet steamy listen perfect for the Nov/Dec holiday season or if you are looking for a steamy palate cleanser.

The audiobook stars Stella Hunter as Morgan, Stephen Dexter as Fox, Grayson Owens as Nathan. Flawless performance from the trio. Their voices are full of emotion (sympathy, humor, and sass). Stephen had the perfect voice for a grumpy alpha. Grayson’s voice is just how I would picture a shy, innocent character coming into his own. Stella’s voice is perfectly sweet and sultry just like Morgan. I highly recommend the audiobook.

Lastly, thank you Kayla Grosse, Dreamscape Select and Netgalley for the ALC. My opinions are my own and provided freely.

TROPES/ THEMES: polyamorous, MFM/MMF, BDSM, dom/sub/switch, breeding kink, bi-awakening, grumpy MMC, golden retriever MMC

I can always count on Kayla Grosse for a ridiculous, smutty good time. I LOVED the premise of a guy getting snowed in with a hot lumberjack, sorry... logger, couple over the holidays. What ensued was pure unadulterated longing and romance and fun times. I loved the plot line between Nathan and Fox. It was such a tender exploration of MM sexuality that I would not have expected from a book this size.

Since I listened to this on audio, I must comment on the fact that the narration was stellar. Each of the three POVs had distinct narrators which always makes an audiobook so much better. Sometimes with why choose, the narrator will be the same for everyone of the same sex, but that just gets confusing so I'm glad Nathan and Fox had their own voices.

If you want a good hot, fun Christmas novella, this would be perfect for you.

This was so freaking good! I love this author and these narrators! GAHHH THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUDIOS OF THE YEAR RIGHT HERE !! Kayla knows how to write them just perfect

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Inc for the audio ARC!

I absolutely love Kayla Grosse’s writing style and this story does not disappoint.

If you read Trick Shot - her MMF Christmas novella - you will enjoy this one!

Nathan (Nate) ends up crashing his car in a snow storm on his way to visit his family for Christmas and is rescued by Fox and his little Lamb. When he walks in on them, he tries to leave but is prevented from the worsening storm.

In the days that follow, Nathan discovers his covert Bi side and becomes the Wolfy that Morgan and Fox desperately search for.

If you’re looking for a polyamory spicy read, this does not disappoint.

3.25 ⭐

Axes and O's was a fun, spicy read. I loved the poly dynamic and it had wintery, christmassy vibes too.

I only wish there was more of a build up of getting to know each other outside of the spice before it all got going. There was A LOT of spice basically straight away, and there was some words that make me cringe a bit.

Other than that, it was good for a mostly spice book.

📚⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Dual narration performed by Stella Hunter, Stephen Dexter, & Grayson Owens

• Snowed In •Bi-Awakening • MMF • Switches • Forced Proximity • Primal Play • Instalovey •

This was so good!! It’s pretty fast paced, as all of Kayla’s books are, but it works so well for this story. The action happens right away but nothing feels rushed and the character development is done well. I felt like I knew exactly who these characters were and their motivations.

Nathan is driving home for the holidays when a blizzard causes him to crash and get stranded. He’s rescued from freezing to death by Morgan & Fox, the married lumbersnacks, I mean loggers. 🤭 And they all get snowed in together for the Christmas weekend.

There’s lots of fun k¡nky play that happens. The spice really delivered! It was varied and lots of fun!

Stella, Stephen, and Grayson were amazing on audio! Highly recommend! The performances were top notch!