Exactly what the title says. So hot. Hottest book I read this year for sure. I was reading this in public and I just kept blushing.

A devoted couple is celebrating a milestone birthday when an unexpected guest arrives—an old flame from the past, a fellow Marine who once shared an unbreakable bond with one of them. As the night unfolds, emotions resurface, revealing a love that never truly faded. Instead of dividing them, this reunion sparks a realization: their hearts were never meant to be separate. Together, they embrace a love that transcends time, proving that sometimes, the heart knows no limits—and neither does love.

This one was fun and fast. Love a MMM romance and “Party of Three” by C. Travis Rice has all the elements, with spicy eroticism thrown in. Unfortunately, I struggled with the pacing and style of Rice’s writing. As it’s a novella, you’re bound to either connect or struggle to with these characters before the book is over less than 200 pages later. Check it out if you want a steamy LGBTQ novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the ARC.

In this story, we watch the Buckley and Mateo in a role playing scene which they play out on a regular basis.

Buckley wanted Mateo to have a special birthday so he tracked down an old friend, Jeff not knowing they had a history.

The relationship starts with a weekend after the birthday. We get to see how the three of them share their feelings for each other and develop. We also get to see how much they’re caring for each other brings them closer.

I liked be able to how this relationship started and developed between all three of them. You felt as if you were in the villa with them throughout their weekend together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review Party of Three comes out on June 24th, 2025.

This was surprisingly a fast-paced book. I enjoyed how you just rolled with the plot, it was easy and accessible. The story also touches themes (in no particular order) like kinks/fantasies, military PTSD, a sense of found-family, age gap, and hero idolization.

The fact that the MMCs were so confident of themselves and their relationships (mostly Mateo and Buckley, but Jeff caught up after). It was honestly refreshing. This is my first poly/threesome-trope book. And the spice was just right, perfect for those time where you just truly want a quick spicy book and that’s it.

Excited to read more from C. Travis Rice.

Very spicy tale of a couple who find themselves with an unexpected and yet not unwelcome third - long lost soul mate? Just a friend? A little bit of angst throughout but definitely got that HAE we all crave for.

4.5 Stars

This is my first Christopher Rice book but I’ve had this series on my TBR list. I’m glad I had the chance to jump in with this novella.

An erotic MMM poly love story. Buckley and Mateo are in a relationship. When the story opens they are role playing a fantasy of Mateo’s and having a great time. We see that they have fun with each other and also take care of each other physically and emotionally.

Mateo’s birthday is coming up, the first since his parents disowned him. Buckley wants to make it a great one for Mateo so invites a marine buddy of Mateo’s that he has lost touch with. That evening Mateo admits that he and Jeff might have been a little more than friends, but their dynamics and preferences in bed didn’t match. Jeff has kept away from Mateo since they figured this out. Buckley isn’t upset or jealous to find out the history with Jeff, in fact, he’s super intrigued and turned on.

Jeff does turn up for the party, and after some initial awkwardness they 3 of them have a good time together that turns into an even better weekend together. There’s lots of feelings, talking through past trauma and heart break, figuring out their dynamics together. It’s really sweet, and super sexy. I think their HEA was hard won and believable the way its set up and followed through with the epilogue.

Loved this, will definitely read more by this author in this series.

Thanks to Blue Box Press for the ARC

omg. this was hot. in all the best ways. i thoroughly enjoyed this and the chemistry between these three.

i loved the emotion throughout this story as well, i didnt think it would have me questioning so many things, but i really loved that aspect of the book. i will definitely be reading more from this author b/c truly hot d*mn, this was GOOD and kinky in all the best ways.

Jeff, Mateo and Buckley were meant to be truly and i loved seeing their connection blossom into so much more, it just felt insanely right.

but what i also loved and appreciated in this story was logan and connor, i loved seeing them talk through their problem and work through the hard things even though they felt as though they avoid those topics too much, it was a sweet and emotional read, it brought out all different kinds of feelings for me and not in a bad way at all. i really cant wait to read more from this author.

I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait until I can go back and read everything by Christopher Rice writing as C. Travis Rice. Five out of five stars.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for sending me the ARC!

I enjoyed this novella more than Sapphire Cove because it started with two characters conversing. I was elated to see them again; it was a lovely surprise, but let me discuss the main couple.

In the first chapter, I adored Mateo and Buckley. They were sweet, funny, entertaining, and adventurous. What isn't there to love about them? When Jeff appeared, it was intriguing to see their dynamic. At first, it was a bit chaotic (and funny) when Jeff and Buckley met, but then it settled and became natural between the trio.

The characters were quite fleshed out despite this being a novella, e.g., Mateo's PTSD. The writing was terrific. Our surprise guests' relationship at the end was tied in, showing how they've grown as a couple, which I thought was creative and unique.

Honestly, given how much I enjoyed them, I would have loved this couple to get a book rather than a novella.

Ooooweee short and steamy but also emotional. Quick and spicy read full of second chances and fun adventures.

This novella was hot. Mateo and Buckley already have great chemistry, but adding Jeff into the mix? Fire. The smut was honestly top-tier—sexy, fun, and super well-written.

I really liked how different each of the guys were. They had such distinct personalities, but somehow it all worked together without feeling forced. Their dynamic made the whole story more engaging.

That said, the extra plotlines didn’t quite land for me. The thing with Mateo’s parents felt kind of out of nowhere and didn’t really add much. It just pulled focus from what the story did best—which was the chemistry and heat between the three guys.

Still, if you’re in the mood for something short, spicy, and a little chaotic in the best way, Party of 3 is worth the read.

A fun flirty journey of how love fits every couple differently. I love the Sapphire Cove series and have read the first three books. They are fabulous novels and I suggest you read the first one which features Connor and Logan. While this definitely can be a stand alone story, it would be nice to have a bad history. I love how the story started with the above mentioned couple. I really wondered where the author was going with this snippet, he shared starting, and ending the novella. I really like to how this added.and guided the plot. I love Connor and Logan and was not disappointed in how their relationship has headed.

. Connor gives a discount for a room at the resort he manages to his friend Buckley... Buckley wants to give a birthday party for his devoted, and caring boyfriend Mateo. He wants to make the special as Mateo is still deeply hurt over his parents abandonment of him when he told them he had a boyfriend.

. Buckley is a fierce, force of nature and nothing is too good for his man. His mission is to reunite him with Jeff who was his superior officer that saved his life when Mateo was in the Marines. Now Jeff is ghosting Mateo and it kills Buckley to see how this hurts him.

Long story short Buckley basically tricks Jeff to attend the party. The results started out hilarious and quickly morphed to heat between the three men, Jeff and Mateo had a romantic history and rather than be upset. Buckley was intrigued.

A fun, quirky, and super spicy story of how this couple navigates these new dynamics. Wonderfully written and highly recommended.. Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this story for my enjoyment.

Sometimes you just need a short, sexy, fun but a wee emotional read; this was exactly that. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. I loved the fast pace, the multiple POVs and the different kink explorations, it was nice to see kinks explored so openly and with so much trust and love. Will definitely be reading the rest of the series at some point!

Buckley and his boyfriend Mateo are together in a strong relationship and extremely happy.
Mateo an ex marine who suffers from PTSD hasn’t told Buckley much about his relationship ship with his Master Sergeant Jeff Braxton but Buckley knows there was a great friendship so invites Jeff to Mateo’s birthday party as a surprise after Mateo reveals more about their past.
When they all meet up Buckley realises their past was complicated but the three of them could have something special as Jeff and Buckley had sparks when they met.
So starts a sexual relationship between the three that becomes so much more, the three of them completing each other’s lives.
With scorching scenes that are wild and hot this book is so much more, although short it packs in a lot of emotions and depth and is well written and has satisfying ending.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by C.Travis Rice and I definitely haven’t read any of the Sapphire Cove series. I must admit, when I first got into the story I thought it was just going to be a bit of a sex-fest between the three characters (which I wasn’t averse to). However, the book goes a little deeper than that. Each of the men has their own issues: fear abandonment, PTSD from a life threatening incident, a fear of being the outsider and each of these themes was addressed in the relationship that grew between them

The storytelling was easy to read, with frequent sex scenes, but I really appreciated that talking was emphasised – we got a lot of their mental thoughts but they also communicated with each other as to what was happening.

The background story about Mateo’s family was a bit irritating, especially with what felt like a lot of hypocrisy on the part of his parents, but that didn’t take away from the fact that this was an interesting, sexy read with a satisfying end. I would definitely read more of these works (depending on the size of my TBR pile) and would say that it’s well worth a shot for dipping your toe into a new series.

I received an ARC through Netgallery.