Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Mild Kink
Genre: Contemporary, menagé
Series: Second Chances #5
Published: 8/19/14
Reviewed by Kate
155 pages

As a New Year’s resolution, Shelly has vowed to become someone else.  Someone other than the shy, overweight virgin that she currently is.  She’s got a diet underway and has joined a gym.  Maybe her coworker, Christian, can help her with that virginity issue.  Or maybe her kickboxing instructor Lance.

I’ve read other menagé romances before.  Okay.  I’ll be honest.  I’ve read a lot of menagé romances before.  And it seems like if the heroes don’t start off with a really strong relationship (I’m talking non-sexual here, like brothers, cousins, life-long best friends, etc.), then the menagé relationship seems more of a spontaneous decision that we’re expected to believe is completely logical course of action.  A well-there’s-one-of-her-and-two-of-us-what-else-can-we-do? kind of mentality.  I loved that this one didn’t follow that pacing at all.  It starts off as a friendship that very gradually grows into more.

There is no secret that Shelly is overweight.  I appreciated that it was not something that was only mentioned once or twice.  Each chapter started off with an entry from Shelly’s weight loss journal.  And Christian and Lance are supportive of Shelly, no matter what weight she’s at.  It isn’t because she’s losing weight that they love her.  In fact Christian was well on the way to falling for her before she even started the diet.

This was a great friends to lovers menagé, the kind you don’t run across too often.  While they’re not all in bed together by the end of the first chapter, we still see that they’re working toward something lasting and special.  I wish I could find more of this kind of relationship to read.