Kirsten McCurran

Carol's Trinity is a "why choose" romance that differs from genre conventions as the heroine is married.

Carol is 40, and her husband, John, is 49. They have two teenage children, one each from previous marriages.

For her birthday, John treats Carol to a night at a classy hotel. He surprises her with the opportunity to fulfil a fantasy when three hot young contractors—who have recently completed renovations in John and Carol's home—arrive to join the couple in their suite.

Kirsten show more McCurran writes explosively hot, intimate scenes, and there are plenty of these on offer as Carol is freed from societal conventions and able to explore her sexuality freely. She discovers a voracious appetite matched only by John's desire to witness her trysts.

In her afterword, the author describes how her initial story of a one-off wild and sexy adventure became an exploration of the impact such a lifestyle might have on a marriage. As Carol's encounters become increasingly wild, the couple deal with jealousy and trust issues and the realities of sexual addiction.

Reading this collection as a single book, I was occasionally taken out of the story by rehashes of previous events, but these never lasted more than a few pages. The five original novellas are still available should readers wish to experience them in that form. show less

The BBC rom-com you never knew you needed!

And no, I don't mean the TV network.

I love this book. Jessica and Kyle are new in the neighborhood. She strikes up a friendship with a neighbour and the neighbour sets his sights on being "more than friends" with Jessica. Not a cheating book though as Kyle gives his blessing to the whole "affair".

This sounds like a porn film plot, but the story here is a slow-burn romance with sensitivity and insight into both Jessica and Kyle's feelings and show more motivations, and also those of the neighbour and Jessica's BFF. And the sex, when it happens, is hot!

Very highly recommended. Avoid if extra-marital relationships bother you, but everything here is open and consensual. End-of-year Top Ten material for me for sure, probably Top Five. show less

"Watching Cara was the hottest thing he’d ever seen."

Short and sweet and hot and taboo.

I've no problem with a clichéd plot when the author breathes life into the characters as well as Kirsten McCurran does here. I love that there was doubt and awkwardness in there around and during the smut. I also like that there was no emphasis on humiliation of the husband - a great consensual time is had by all!

4.5 "raw and tender" stars. You'll know if this this story is your thing, and if it is, show more this is a good one. show less

A collection of five stories all set around Halloween. Each tale features a woman, married or in a long-term relationship, who hooks up with someone other than her partner. Usually, the partner is involved (or at least present) and each has a happy ending (or sometimes several) free of angst. I particularly enjoyed the first three stories which are told exclusively from the woman’s perspective.

These are novella-length stories so they don’t take long to get to the good stuff, but author show more Kirsten McCurran has a knack for rounding out her characters and making them more relatable. And when it comes, the aforementioned “good stuff” is wild, rough, and scorchingly hot. show less