Island Heat by A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly

Title: Island Heat
Authors: A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Menage (m/m/m)
Length: Novel (212 PDF pages)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A guest review by Lily

Review Summary

Roman and Philippe are a loving couple looking to celebrate a medical victory while touring beautiful Tahiti. But things are about to get really hot in paradise when one of them comes face to face with his past love and finds that maybe old feelings haven’t quite died out.

BLURB

Roman and Philippe are hotshot Hollywood wedding planners about to embark on a new exotic location for big-buck weddings—Tahiti. The French government has just changed the law to allow foreign marriages to take place on these wild, untamed islands, and the ten-day, all-expenses paid trip to the South Seas can’t come at a better time for the couple.

With Roman in remission from a near-fatal bout with male breast cancer, Philippe feels this is like their own honeymoon…except for one small thing. Philippe’s former lover, Tane, is still living in Tahiti and has his sights set on claiming Philippe for himself. Roman, feeling insecure following his devastating illness, watches helplessly as the big, muscular island god makes a play for his man.

Philippe, too, seems thrilled to see Tane again. He would love to re-experience the sexy islander’s touch, only with Roman participating in a threesome. But will Roman become mesmerized by the mysterious islander and agree to the salacious proposal?

Come, feel the heat of Tahiti, and a demi-god named Tane…

REVIEW

Island Heat is the latest release from the writing duo of A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly and is an entertaining story. Lovers Roman and Philippe have been together for three years now and their world is finally getting back to normal after Roman’s successful battle with cancer. Ready to concentrate on their wedding planning business they’re off to Tahiti with Roman’s sister and a group of fellow wedding planners on a scouting mission for new locations for clients. As they begin their tour of the beautiful islands Philippe’s former lover Tane comes into the picture. Despite being totally in love with Roman there seems to be some unfinished business between the former lovers and Philippe finds himself torn between his past and present. Trying to deal with his own feelings and Roman’s jealousy starts to drive a wedge between the lovers. Will accepting Tane’s surprising offer save or destroy Philippe and Roman’s relationship?

The premise of the story was interesting and there was plenty aside from the relationship between the men to keep me engaged. I’ve read a few stories about men dealing with testicular cancer but this was the first one featuring breast cancer and the author’s do a good job with it. There was enough information given to make it interesting without going too deep into the medical aspect.  I also found the wedding planning theme interesting and the descriptions of Tahiti are gorgeous.

The main protagonists, Roman and Philippe, are both likable and well-drawn and the chemistry between them is intense and hot. There are also some sweet, loving moments which helped to solidify their connection. When Tane is introduced into the mix it’s hard to like him at first as he’s a clear threat to Philippe’s new relationship. But once again the author’s do a good job here by showing a vulnerable side to Tane. Roman’s jealousy and insecurity is a normal reaction but somehow he’s able to come to terms with it, at least enough to stop seeing Tane as a threat, and soon the three men are dealing with more than just memories of the past. The sex scenes in this story are plentiful and very hot although there were a few times I rolled my eyes at some of the repeated descriptions used. It seems all three of the men are way more than average size and could make a living as porn stars if their chosen careers didn’t work out.

There is also a nice varied cast of supporting characters in this book. Like in any group there are some nice people, some are funny, some loud or quiet and one in particular was quite annoying. This made for some fun scenes as they traveled to different locations throughout Tahiti.

I did have a couple of niggles with the story and those were mostly about Tane and his affect on Philippe and Roman. At the beginning I really didn’t like him nor Philippe’s reactions to him but as the story develops it became easier to like and understand him. I also found it a bit strange how Philippe, so obviously in love with Roman, became almost a different person for a while.  However, there is a happy and satisfying conclusion to Roman and Philippe’s story as they look forward to a wonderful future in paradise. What Tane’s role in that future will be I’ll leave as a surprise for the reader to find on their own.

Overall Island Heat is a well-written and entertaining story. There is an interesting cast of characters and a storyline that is fun, sexy and emotional. The author’s descriptions of Tahiti and it’s culture left me wanting to pack my bags and head on over there immediately. This engaging story is a must read for fans of the authors and as long as menage scenes don’t turn you off then this story is sure to entertain lovers of m/m romance stories. Recommended.