Blog Tour ~ No Shame (No Shame Book 4) by Nora Phoenix (Series Review + Excerpt + Giveaway)
No Shame
No Shame Series Book 4
Nora Phoenix
Release date: January 26, 2017
Cover Design: Sloan Johnson/Sloan J Design
Buy Link: myBook.to/no-shame
BLURB
Brad feels nothing but shame about himself. Shame about his sexual needs, about his reputation, about his medical problem no one knows about. No one, except his best friend Charlie, but no matter what feelings Brad may have for him, he’s not going there. Charlie deserves so much better, and Brad desperately needs something not even Charlie can provide.
Charlie has loved Brad forever, but he’s never acted on his feelings, unsure of where he stood. Plus, there was the complication of his boyfriend. But when his boyfriend’s abuse gets too much for Charlie, it’s Brad who helps him escape and recover.
Miles ends up severely wounded in the line of duty as an FBI agent. He’s floored when the man he was protecting, Indy, opens his home to him so he can recover. Indy also sets him up with Brad, who turns out to be a perfect solution for Miles’ sexual issues…until Miles wants more than sex from him, and a developing friendship between Miles and Charlie complicate things even more.
Bit by bit Charlie and Miles break through Brad’s defenses, until they come crumbling down. Miles will have to prove he can provide what Brad needs, and Charlie’s sweet love will be put to the test. But when Brad finally finds the courage to break free of his shame, will the fragile love that has blossomed between the three of them survive?
No Shame is a steamy M/M/M romance that ends with a happy ever after for all characters, including those from the previous books in the series. It’s the fourth book in the No Shame Series, and is NOT a stand alone novel, so make sure to read the first three books first (No Filter, No Limits, and No Fear). It contains hot sex, a ménage, a little daddy kink, more hot sex, and a poly-amorous relationship that transcends labels. Also: trigger warning for mentions of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and rape.
EXCERPT
Miles had not yet met Josh and Connor, but according to Noah and Indy, they were fully on board with him moving in temporarily, even though Brad and his friend, Charlie, were also still staying there.
Noah parked the car in the driveway, as close to the front door as possible. “I’ll get Connor to help,” he said. “I don’t fully trust my leg yet, so I can’t support you.”
Miles nodded. Noah had lost a leg in Afghanistan, he’d read in Indy’s file, and had recently needed surgery to amputate even higher up, due to complications. “Okay.”
The man who stepped outside with Noah a few minutes later was massive. Broad arms and chest in a tight Red Sox shirt, strong legs. Miles recognized him from the pictures in the file. Ignatius O’Connor, called Connor by everyone. The last Miles had heard, the guy had been balls deep in the Boston crime scene, so he had no idea what had happened there.
Connor’s cheeks were flushed, as if he’d been doing something physical, and he and Noah were arguing about something.
“I don’t believe this,” Indy muttered, threw open his door and left it open as he stepped out. “Seriously? You guys were fucking again? At the rate you’re going, poor Josh won’t be able to sit for a week.”
Connor shrugged. “At least he’ll know who he belongs to.”
Noah shook his head. “You’re a regular fucking caveman, O’Connor. You would have done great with the dinosaurs.”
“Now why would I want to fuck a dinosaur? You’re not making any sense,” Connor said, his Boston accent thick.
Indy opened the door on Miles’ side. “Let’s get this guy inside so he can rest.”
Another man stepped outside. Tall, lanky, with cute, boyish looks. That had to be Joshua Gordon. He walked carefully, as if something hurt. Miles’ eyes narrowed. Had Connor hurt him? Josh took another careful step, and the source became clear. His ass. Had Indy been right? Holy crap, what kind of people were they?
Connor turned to watch Josh, and a look of pure love painted his face. Damn, but this was way more than mere fucking. Like with Noah and Indy, the love was palpable.
“You okay, babe?” Connor asked.
Josh leaned in, kissed him. “Yes, Connor.” Connor’s face lit up with happiness and a deep satisfaction.
“Shit, guys, sometime today, please?” Indy said, tapping his foot.
4 Stars!
The No Shame series consists of 4 books that need to be read in order, there's an ongoing storyline that starts in book 1 and runs through book 3, with some of the aftermath bleeding into the last book. Please note the trigger warnings, because they will all come into play throughout the books. Also, this review might contain spoilers, so you're warned.
While I don't particularly care for books in which sex or any kind of sexual deviation is used to treat mental illness or trauma-related issues and this is the core foundation of these books, I found the idea intriguing enough to hang in there until the very last page.
In No Filter, 21-year-old runaway Indy runs into Josh at a grocery store and after witnessing a robbery, Josh's PTSD is triggered and Indy kisses him to stop his downward spiral. Indy is hurt and Josh asks the ambulance to take Indy to the hospital where Noah, Josh's best friend-with-benefits and housemate, works. Indy has been posing as a woman and Noah and Josh offer him their house to hide from the mafia family who has a contract out to kill Indy. From there on, Noah, Josh's and Indy's lives are irrevocably intertwined.
The relationship between these three men is not exactly conventional. Noah uses sex with Josh as pain management for the pain on his amputated leg and while they love each other, it's more like a brotherly love more than anything. When Indy comes into the mix, he falls for Noah, but he also finds a soulmate in Josh.
In No Limits, Josh finds his own man to love in Connor, a police officer who they met in book 1 and who seems to understand that Josh needs the pain and discipline in being dominated to manage his PTSD episodes. Noah isn't handling his pain all that well and Indy's ex and his hired goons are getting closer.
This book deals with a D/s relationship between Connor and Josh, which thankfully doesn't get past some slapping and visiting a Dom to be taught how to handle this new aspect of their relationship. Connor is very good to Josh and knows instinctively how much is too much. While he's jealous of Josh's relationship with Noah and Indy, he eventually realizes Josh's heart is big enough for the three of them.
No Fear focuses on Aaron, Josh's estranged brother, and Blake, Indy's jiu-jitsu professor and it delves into a very light puppy play, something I was grateful for.
Aaron was very annoying at first and I wanted to slap him silly. However, as he began exploring his newfound sexuality and finding his way, he transformed into this lovely, sweet guy. I really liked the progression of his relationship with Blake from teacher-student to lovers. It was a bit of a slow burn and while it was very different from your usual romance, it worked well for them, even if others view it strangely.
These first three books also deal with Indy running from his ex, who is head of a mafia family in Boston. His mother sold him to Duncan when he was just 14 and a few years later, Duncan gave him away to another of his cousins to pay a debt. The storyline is very detailed and what Indy went through was heartbreaking and left him with some trauma. I really liked how it was dealt with though. It was very fitting and I enjoyed that Connor and Josh were so instrumental in it.
No Shame is the last book in the series and follows Miles, who was one of Indy's FBI handlers in book 3, Brad, who is Blake's younger brother and Charlie, a drag queen who was abused by his cop boyfriend. This is menage and it also deals with daddy kink between Brad and Miles. Miles has a strange condition that has him perpetually horny and Indy sets him up with Brad while Miles is convalescing from his injuries. Brad feels like he's invisible and lashes out, feeling he's not worthy, except when he's having sex with someone, which works great in his whatever-it-is with Miles. Charlie has been in love with Brad since Brad helped him when he was a substitute teacher and Charlie still was in high school and they had remained friends. However, soon, Miles wants more with Brad and Brad doesn't want to let anyone close, but between the three of them, they find a dynamic that works for them.
While I liked the idea of these three men together, I liked Brad and Miles better as a couple than as a triad with Charlie, who sometimes felt more like an afterthought than anything else. The whole daddy kink was so well-executed that having Charlie there with them didn't feel as natural. So yes, while the sex scenes between the three of them were hot, they didn't work as well for me as the sex between Miles and Brad and their whole relationship did.
Overall, the series is an entertaining read, although my favorite book was definitely the third one. The books were an emotional rollercoaster, fast-paced, well-written, filled with steamy sex scenes and they featured a great cast of characters I was really invested in. I really liked that there were no plot holes left unresolved and while I'm not usually fond of multiple POVs in books, in this case, it wouldn't have worked otherwise. Very recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
When she was a little tot, Nora’s mom got a library subscription for her. That, as they say, was that, and a lifelong love for books was born. Nora never stopped reading and doesn’t exaggerate when she says she devours books, rather than plain reads them. She started writing stories as soon as she could hold a pen, and wrote her first full book as a teen (on a typewriter!). It took her waaaay too long to follow her dream to become a romance author.
Nora writes M/M romance, because hello, sexy boys, and likes her men flawed, strong, and a tad broken. She appreciates a little kink, but insists on a happy ever after.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authornoraphoenix/
Facebook Group Nora’s Nook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norasnook/
Newsletter: http://www.noraphoenix.com/newsletter/
Twitter: @NoraFromBHR
Website: http://www.noraphoenix.com
Book 1 (No Filter): http://myBook.to/NoFilter
Book 2 (No Limits): http://myBook.to/NoLimits
GIVEAWAY
Sounds yummy. Thanks for the overview of the series and how they fit together plot wise. Moondrawn at gmail dot com
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