Title: Starting Over
Author: Annmarie McKenna
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Contemporary M/M/M, BDSM (mild)
Length: Novella
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
THE BLURB
Two years ago, Aaron lost his partner in a drowning accident. He’s trying to move on, but letting go of the past, of the life they were building, is hard. One thing he knows he’s not ready for is a new relationship, but Garrett and Dane are determined to change that.
Lifepartners Garrett and Dane, a cop and an ER doc, bring Aaron home after an accident. They’re happy in their light Dom/sub relationship, fulfilled and in love, but they’ve been keeping their eyes open for a third. It doesn’t take long for them to decide that wounded, pretty Aaron is exactly who they’ve been looking for. The three get along great, but Garrett and Dane have their work cut out for them in convincing Aaron there’s a time for starting over.
THE REVIEW
Garrett was on the highway patrolling traffic in his cruiser when the accident unfolded in front of him. As he watched in horror, the motorcyclist was hit by an out of control car and all he could do was hope that the cyclist survived. When he reached the scene of the accident he was drawn to the critically injured man who seemed to cling to him, and Garrett felt a strange connection to the man. Later when he saw his partner Dane, the ER doctor who had attended Aaron when he was brought into the hospital, he couldn’t stop thinking about the injured man. He and Dane visited the man, Aaron, every day and several days later as Aaron is recovering, Garrett and Dane realize that he is the third they had been searching for. They were determined not to lose him from their lives and suggested to Aaron that he recuperate at their home since he didn’t have anyone to help him and would need to be taken care of for a while. After initially seeming not to love the idea, Aaron acknowledged that this would be a good solution for him for the time being.
Aaron was recovering from more than physical injuries. His own partner had died from a drowning accident two years ago and he couldn’t conceive of being with anyone else, even though he really was trying to move on. He thought that Dane and Garrett were wonderful together and it was clear how much they loved each other, so he could not understand why they would want someone else in their already perfect lives. But he hated hospitals – his own partner David had died in one after his accident – and he knew that staying temporarily with the couple would ensure that he was given the care and attention he needed.
When Dane and Garrett brought Aaron home the situation heated up – it was better in some ways but more difficult in others for Aaron. The guys were always touching each other and having sex, which was painful for Aaron to watch because he was in a perpetual state of arousal; his hand was out of commission and he was too badly injured for anything more ambitious. As the days progressed both Dane and Garrett started touching Aaron which didn’t help him because all he could think of was going to bed with them, despite being afraid of getting close. When they eventually did the deed would it help or make their situation worse?
What did I like about the story? This well written story gives the concept of a menage relationship between three men credibility, even though two of them had been partners for two years and were very much in love with each other. Dane and Garrett were well drawn and likeable and they really seemed to care about Aaron. The pacing was appropriate for the length of the story and the smexxin smoked. Dane and Garrett’s characters were hot and they made the right moves in getting Aaron into their bed. Aaron, while a little less vibrant, which was quite understandable given the serious injuries he had suffered, was also three dimensional and gave as good as he got. The humour was at times laugh out loud with a few pretty good lines.
What did I find difficult to understand? Aaron had almost died in the accident, had suffered serious injuries including concussion, a fractured tibia and fibula, dislocated shoulder and banged up ribs, yet 3 weeks later he is having vigorous sex with Dane and then a 3 way with both guys. He was in an awful lot of pain due to his injuries so I don’t understand how he was even able to have sex, much less enjoy it. Also, the time it took Aaron and the guys to fall in love and to pledge everlasting devotion was less than a month, but I suppose it’s possible, even though Aaron was still recovering from David’s death. Dane and Garrett were just too perfect – handsome, in love with each other, great jobs, caring, and just about every character trait anyone would want in a man and not a single flaw, not that this is a bad thing!
I enjoyed Starting Over despite my comments above and I would definitely recommend this book which was a delightful read.
Interesting. This book caught my eye and I’ve been debating getting it. You rated it pretty high so I may check it out. How short is it?
Hmmm. That sounds like it has potential. I was afraid you’d say they pledged ever lasting lover in less than a week (or a day) and I’d have to pass. 🙂 Yeah, all those broken bones and sex? Not bloody likely but its fantasy so I’ll gloss over that part. Great review.
Kassa
It’s 85 pages and I really liked the story and the characters, even though I thought they were too perfect. I rated it 4/25 because of the writing – Ms McKenna has an easy flowing prose, and the dialogue was good as well.
Tam
I don’t think that 3 weeks is enough time to recover from such a serious accident. One minute you’re almost dead with humungous injuries but 3 weeks later – let’s rock.:)
Hmmmm…so this is a menage with a few issues? I’m not sure it’s for me, then. Lovely review, though!
Lnn
The issues are probably mine. I loved the 3 guys (if only they weren’t so perfect.) My main sticking point was the issue of Aaron’s recovery in such a short period of time. I’m not in the medical profession but his recovery did seem to be miraculous. I should check this with Ally because she is in the medical profession.
I dunno, the summary of the story makes me a bit frowny. It seems too much to me like two people (who are both authority figures too) taking advantage of someone who’s in an emotionally vulnerable position and that they’ve made beholden to them by taking him in like that. Maybe it doesn’t come over that way in the book, or maybe it’s because I’m not into Dom/sub stuff, so don’t really understand that dynamic, but I think this story would bother me in that way.
And yes, the miraculous recovery stuff has a whiff of the ol’ “healing cock” about it. 😀
JFM
“Healing cock”???:DDD
*
Actually the D/s stuff was not at all overwhelming and once Aaron moved in he was quite assertive about what he wanted so there was no indication that he was taken advantage of. As a matter of fact at the end of the book he was very pushy and it wasn’t clear who was the dom and who was the sub.:)
*
The book was enjoyable despite its flaws because the author is quite a good writer; the pacing and plot development were done well. I just wish that the guys weren’t so perfect and, of course, there is the tricky recovery timeframe for what were pretty serious injuries. Well these stories are fantasies as I’m told all the time, and I’m not supposed to apply logic to any aspects or scrutinize the plots too deeply.
Wave:
“Healing cock”???:DDD
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Heh, it’s a common phenomenon in fanfic. Any physical or mental trauma can be fixed with an application of the healing cock. 😉
~
“and I’m not supposed to apply logic to any aspects or scrutinize the plots too deeply.”
Heh, yes, I have to remember this. Of course, I am someone who while reading My Fair Captain spent a lot of time fretting about the social status of women on Regelence, so I do tend to worry at little threads that draw my attention. 😀
JFM
I had heard about healing cock before and I thought it was quite hilarous.
*
When you publish your book please remember that I do actually read the books before I review them, and if there’s any evidence of healing cock in it I’ll be pointing to this flaw.:)
*
You really should read the next book in the series after MFC – The Englor Affair – there are lots of females on Englor.
Funnily enough I’ve just made a note for when edting for something I need to change to avoid potential allegations of The Healing Cock. 😀
~
The Englor Affair is definitely on my reading list. Another awesome Giant Hairy Torso of Doom on the cover.
I’ll have to try this. I really enjoyed her other one, Court Appointed.
Val
If you liked Court Appointed (which I did as well) you’ll definitely like this one. Just remember my reservations.:) Oh, healing cock always works.:DDD
Now this is downright spooky. Guess what book I read a few hours ago? Right.
*
Like you I really liked the story, but it was also way way way too short for the issues it tried to deal with. But that is mostly my problem these days. There are quite a lot of short stories around and while I enjoy these ‘easy reads’ I miss the days of long e-book stories.
*
Healing cock. Hahaha yeah that sort of sums it up.
Larissa
We seem to be following each other with books.:) You’re right, the timeframe was really compressed and I suppose that was because teh author could not exceed a certain word count. IDK.
Yes, that exeeded word count. There is something that shouldn’t be in a publisher’s vocabulary. Good stories are not limited to a certain amount of stories because it will make a story suck hairy monkey balls.
Very creepy, the next book on my list is Lynn Lorenz’ (…) vacation that never was and on your Coming up post I noticed… are we riding the same m/m wave here?
Larissa
It seems that we’ are indeed riding the same m/m wave. Maybe you should try your hand at reviewing.:)
*
AA has a lot of different word counts from 10K (maybe even less) so it’s difficult for the story to resonate if it’s that short. Although I have read a few Sips at Torquere that were quite good. I think writing a short story is much more challenging than a novel sometimes.
Short stories have the possibilities to be good. Though usually there is a tendacy to put in as many issues as possible 😉
*
Hahaha reviewing! Funnily enough people keep asking me (that and articles) and that while I can’t even keep up with my own reviews on my own blog
I am always, always learning on this site. Healing Cock. Heh heh.
*
I liked this story, and was able to suspend my disbelief about the quick-healing injuries and the rapid rise to love. The thing that bugged me? A cop, on duty, wearing a plug.
Wren
“The thing that bugged me? A cop, on duty, wearing a plug.”
*
These are things that I’m not supposed to disclose as a reviewer because they could be considered spoilers. It’s a very fine line when you write long reviews (as I do) how much information to include, so I thought this was one little tidbit I would leave out.:)
*
Glad you liked the book.
*
BTW I did check with my medical expert who said that 6 weeks is the minimum needed for any type of sexual play given Aaron’s injuries. At that time our heroes could lay Aaron out on the bed and play with him very gently , but the leg would have metal inside it and still be in either a cast or immobilizing brace.
oops. sorry. I figured since it was at the very start of the book it wouldn’t matter…*shutting up now*
Wren
It’s OK if you mention it.:) I really should only give out a few hints and sometimes I give out too many – story of my life.
*
I don’t think that your observation would make the author mad because as you said it was right at the beginning of the book. (I wonder how he was able to concentrate on his job? Did he have to adjust himself a lot?:DDD)
Wave, I just finished this one last night and although I too liked it – I had the same issues as you did. It was pretty unrealistic to me that he was able to get a hard-on while still in the hospital pumped up on morphine, let alone having full blown sex shortly after.
* I felt the guys were coming on way too strong for someone who was recovering from all his injuries and loss of his partner. I think it would have worked better if it wasn’t so short and more time had been involved in getting to know each other after he healed up.
*Dane & Garrett were too perfect but there was a lot of humor in the book so I tend to overlook stuff like that when a book makes me laugh and smile. Loved Aaron’s snarky remarks regarding the other guys getting it on where he could hear.
Lisa
The bit about the hard-on while on morphine in the hospital was definitely unrealistic since pain meds dull the senses. He should have been so out of it with either the pain or the meds that getting it on would have been the last thing on his mind.
*
The problem with shorter books is that everything is compressed – timeframes, plot etc. so the reader does not get the full experience like he/she would have if the book were a novel. However, lots of readers love the shorter books so I guess the pubs. are trying to meet everyone’s needs.
*
Like you I did enjoy the humour in the book which is another reason I gave it a higher rating than I would have.