Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: The Resort
SERIES: Room for 3 Book 1
AUTHOR: Ana Ashley
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 406 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2021
BLURB:
A hotel room. Three men. One unforgettable encounter.
Jake
I had a plan. Graduate from my MA and work for my uncle’s resort.
The plan didn’t include hooking up with two guests, a hot older guy with stormy blue eyes, and his much younger, but equally sexy, husband.
After the most incredible experience of my life, I ran.
But you know, as they say, life has a way of catching up with you.
Now, Mal is my boss at the resort, and fighting my attraction to him and Griff becomes harder and harder…pun very much intended.
As we give in to the attraction between us, navigate the conflict of interest, and our growing feelings for each other, all that’s left to figure out is…will there be room for three?
The Resort is a standalone contemporary MMM romance that features an age gap, cute bunnies, and three men who can’t help falling in love. This is the first book in the Room for 3 series.
REVIEW:
Ana Ashley admits that her diverting MMM romance The Resort arose from a writing challenge: Use a photo of a box of condoms and a can of Lysol as the basis for a story. The initial chapter of The Resort reflects that “forced” context because it has a bit of a forced feel to it. The serialized nature of the story does not improve on that. Ms. Ashley originally released The Resort in single chapter installments through her weekly newsletter. That “choppiness” probably adds to the lack of context and cohesion.
When The Resort begins, there’s apparently an undeniable pull between Jake, Mal, and Griff. However, we don’t have context for it, … yet. Jake inexplicably freezes like a deer in the headlights when Mal and Griff find him in their hotel room retrieving the aforesaid can of Lysol. They lasciviously advance on him and Jake offers no resistance. He’s fighting himself we’re told. However, his resolve is paper-thin and crumbles with a glance and a grope from Mal and Griff.
Putting that aside, the first chapter scene is hot as hell. So are the subsequent steamy MMM and MM scenes between these three men. Additionally, the story settles in after the first few chapters which allow the relationship between Jake, Mal, and Griff to develop more organically and less abruptly.
Ms. Ashley displays versatility in her writing throughout The Resort. It really lends itself to the fluid dynamic of the story and the three men in it. She balances the triad relationship without attention skewed towards two of the men at the expense of the third. Ms. Ashley set herself up with the additional challenge of introducing a third (Jake) to an established marriage (Mal and Griff). As such, her deft handling and ultimate achievement of a holistic poly relationship between Jake, Mal and Griff are notable.
Aspects of the story lack some plausibility, but not egregiously. Further, it’s easy to suspend disbelief because of how engaging these three men are. Jake, Mal, and Griff are complex, intriguing men with individual emotional challenges. However, they each are dedicated to finding their way through them to be better for the other two. Additionally, in keeping with the tone Ms. Ashley typically conveys in her stories, The Resort is equal parts sweet, sexy, warm, and fluffy. While there’s angst, it’s pretty low level.
The Resort succeeds to the greatest extent in harmonizing three very different men, in age, personality, background, and experience. We see Jake, Mal, and Griff become a cohesive romantic unit. Yet at the same time, the story respects their individualities while simultaneously showcasing the beautiful triad they form.
If you are looking for a sexy, feel-good read with some emotional dynamics but nothing too angsty, and you are open to the MMM premise, I encourage you to give The Resort a read.
RATING: 
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