RELEASE DAY REVIEW: 'Jacked Up' by Samantha Kane
Title: Jacked Up
Series: Birmingham Rebels Book #3
Author: Samantha Kane
Published: January 31, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Erotic Romance
Length: 267 Pages
Tags: Menage: M/F/M and M/M/F; Athlete/Sport: Football; Coming Out; Military; CW: PTSD
About Jacked Up
The secret about the Birmingham Rebels is out: With a girl in the middle, two mouth-watering football studs are better than one.
Linebacker Sam Taylor feels like a ticking time bomb. He left the army with emotional wounds as fresh as the scars on his back. Sam’s been living like a monk, but his best friend, defensive lineman King Ulupoka, wants to get him laid. Easy for him to say. The larger-than-life Samoan is a hard-bodied, tribal-tattooed fantasy. Sam agrees, under one condition: King stays to watch.
ER nurse Jane Foster is done being a good girl, and nothing says wild like picking up two of football’s sexiest players and bringing them back to your hotel room. Trouble is, she can’t decide which one she wants more. Sam is hot, sweet, and vulnerable. Jane’s more than willing to ride him into oblivion. But King’s intense gaze from across the room promises that the best is yet to come.
Sure, King has had his choice of girls and guys in the past. That doesn’t mean he’ll jeopardize his relationship with Sam over a case of locker-room lust—until a naughty nurse pushes them both out of their comfort zones. Seeing Jane and Sam together turns King on more than he ever imagined. If they’re game, he’s ready to tackle a three-way play.
4 HEART READ
REVIEW:
Jacked Up, the third book in her Birmingham Rebels series, and a standalone, is one of Samantha Kane’s best ménage novels yet.
All Kane’s books are elaborate character studies, convincing us why her three flawed personalities are better off together than alone, or in a coupling. And these three were especially relatable.
“Sober, responsible, dependable Jane,” a self-described “good girl”, finds herself protected by two hot football stars when she’s manhandled at a bar. Linebacker Sam, is an anxious combat Vet who hasn’t had sex since his return from Afghanistan. He’s afraid a flashback might cause him to harm a partner. King, the calm Samoan Defensive Lineman who’s taken Sam under his wing, believes Sam might be able to “perform,” if King is in the room to protect the gal from Sam’s potential flashback. Jane is more than game to be that gal for a single secret night.
Only, they all like each other a bit too much. And soon a good girl finds herself wanting all she’s been offered. But is she brave enough to accept it? Can Sam overcome his demons to love safely? And what about King’s unannounced desires for both Sam and Jane, the “girl-next-door” ER nurse, who pushes all his buttons?
Often polyandrous female main characters are portrayed as counterculture, tough and unconcerned with their social image. Those can be fun to read, but I bet most readers would feel as conflicted as Jane, if actually faced with a ménage.
“Her head was telling her it was wrong, but her body knew damn well what it wanted, and it wasn’t standard, missionary-style sex after the required month of dating.”
While Ms. Kane ratchets up Jane’s struggle within, Sam struggles to heal and King realizes he can’t protect anyone from themselves. The result is uncompromisingly genuine reactions, conflicts and turmoil.
As an extra attraction, Ms. Kane uses the forum to offer terrific philosophical advice:
“I didn’t raise you to be perfect. I raised you to enjoy life, with all its faults and pitfalls and roller-coaster rides.”
“He wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines and wait for the chance to play. He was going to go after what he wanted …That was his life.”
“Love isn’t earned … It’s freely given.”
As if this wasn’t enough, Kane’s sex scenes sizzle.
We know precisely who is doing what to whom and exactly how everyone feels about it.
And since Jane, Sam and King have a good sense of humor, we are drawn into a frolicking good time.
Man, do I love to read a book that covers all its bases while covering all those hot and heavy bases as well, and Samantha Kane totally delivers with Jacked Up!
A copy of Jacked Up was provided to Kimmers Erotic Book Banter, by Penguin Random House, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
About the Author
Reviewers have called Samantha Kane “an absolute marvel to read,” and “one of historical romance’s most erotic and sensuous authors.” Her books have been called “sinful,” “sensuous,” and “sizzling.” She is published in several romance genres including historical, contemporary and science fiction. Her erotic Regency-set historical romances have won awards, including Best Historical from RWA's erotic romance chapter Passionate Ink, and the Historical CAPA (best book) award from The Romance Studio. She has a master's degree in American History, and taught high school social studies for ten years before becoming a full time writer. Samantha Kane lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.
For more works from Samantha visit her website.
