Forged in Flood
by Dahlia Donovan
Genre: M/M/M Contemporary Romance
From best-selling author Dahlia Donovan comes a new witty novel between three very different men. With drama, emotional turmoil, and hilarious banter, be prepared to be swept away in Dahlia’s British M/M/M romance.
When one drunken night forever scars three best friends, will they ever find a way to pick up the pieces?
Eaten up with guilt, Ivan Black spends ten years hiding from the world. He retreats to his family forge to wallow in misery. Alone. So lonely his heart aches with it.
Wesley Cook and Rolland Spence have been together since university. They struggle through the physical scars of the accident, building a life in the ruins of their dreams. They find happiness but continue to miss their angry ginger Viking—Ivan.
In all the anger of wasted years, the three men find a way to forge a relationship as hot as the fires in the smithy.
Forged in Flood is a British contemporary M/M/M romance. With heartache, hot men with foul mouths, and plenty of heat, enjoy getting to know Ivan, Wesley, and Roland.
4.5 stars
This is probably one of my favorite short stories I have ever read. There is basically continuous banter and sass and arguments but it is in the best possible way. I did not feel like anything was forced like I usually do in short stories. The characters all knew each other before the book so I think that helped in the relationship being formed authentically.
All three of the MCs, Ivan, Wes, and Rolly are stubborn in different ways. Ivan is broody af and grumpy and an a-hole. Wes is stubborn but kinder and more aware. Rolly is hilarious and arrogant and also an a-hole. So basically, the three of them together is entertaining, to say the least. It is also worth mentioning that while the sex scenes are explicit, they are not as explicit as many I have read but they are HOT. They are rather short, which makes sense for the short book but that does not take away from the hotness.
There are a couple of more emotional topics discussed in the book and I felt those emotions just as strong as the funny and sassy ones that the book displayed. It was easy to connect to all of these characters and want them to be together. This was a great short read!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
4 Stars!
I enjoyed this book. Ivan Black was mentioned in the Sin Bin books, and he stuck with me. I was happy to see the author write a book about him. That being said, I don't think you need to read any of those before you start this one; this book will work as a standalone.
Ivan, Wesley, and Rolland were best friends in college and were about to start their rugby careers when one night changed them all. Burdened by guilt, Ivan hides away in his family's forge. Wes and Rolly have moved on in their lives for the most part, except that they miss Ivan terribly.
I liked Wes, Rolly, and their banter. I loved how Wes and Rolly came to try to talk sense into Ivan. They may have backed down a few times, but they never really gave up on him. They were funny, and when they made Ivan laugh as well, it was wonderful. Ivan is a tough nut to crack. His temper is well known, but the accident that caused it and other issues continue to be a problem. He really doesn't think that his best friends can or should forgive him, but I think it was more about forgiving himself. His family tries to help push him in the right direction, but strangely I think his peace comes from an unexpected source.
While there's a lot of guilt and anger, I didn't feel like the book was overly full of angst. In the end, it's all about acceptance of who you are, your past, and moving on into the future.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
3.5 Stars!
I love MMM but I really believe that it has to be done right. If there isn’t enough balance then one character seems to be left on the outside and things don’t seem right.
This is the story of Ivan, Wes and Rolly, three friends and Rugby teammates whose lives were altered when they were involved in an accident while driving drunk. Ivan was the one actually driving and he blames himself for the damage it caused. Now he hides away working for the family Forge and steadily avoids the other two men.
Rolly and Wes have remained friends and lovers since the accident. They miss Ivan and want him back in their lives. While their relationship is great, it’s missing something and they think that something is Ivan. Now they need to convince him of that.
I truly hoped I would love this book. I expected there to be this off the charts chemistry between the three men and I hoped that together they’d form a perfect triad. there was definitely potential for it to be great but between the length (it’s short) and the lack of backstory, it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I wanted to get to know each of the men better. I wanted to see how they were before the accident. I needed that to help establish the chemistry, the connection and the passion.
I had a hard time really connecting with Ivan’s character. He’s so brooding and gruff while Rolly was funny and playful and Wes more soulful and calm. I see why in theory they’d all balance each other out but realistically, I didn’t quite get it. I think seeing the men together before the accident as well as the dynamics before they are reunited would’ve been nice and added more.
Overall, Forged in the Flood was an okay read and I’m sure many readers will enjoy it.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
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Love the cover. Can't wait to read it. colby69@verizon.net
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