Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Three’s Company
AUTHOR: N.R. Walker
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: BlueHeart Press
LENGTH: 6 hours and 36 minutes
RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2022
BLURB:
When he started looking for someone to help heal his broken heart, Wilson Curtis never dreamed he’d find two someones.
After Wilson Curtis was publicly outed, his restaurant business left in tatters, and dumped by his closeted boyfriend, he goes to Key West alone. There he meets Simon Stanford and Adam Preston. Fascinated by this couple, he is soon invited into their bed for some holiday fun.
But once isn’t enough, and the offer is extended for the remainder of his stay. As they get to know each other, in and out of the bedroom, sparks fly, and 10 days is all it takes to change their lives.
When it comes time for Wil to leave, with tensions closing in and time running out, tempers flare and emotions fray. Beneath the physical attraction and the foolish misunderstandings is the realization these three men aren’t ready to say good-bye.
Wil soon learns that love isn’t always conventional, and the only thing better than giving your heart to one man is giving it to two.
REVIEW:
Everything I’ve read from N.R. Walker has been well-written with well-executed, thoughtful storylines and multi-dimensional characters that feel real. Three’s Company is no exception. It is a sweet, low-angst, MMM romance between an established couple, Simon and Adam, who are looking for a one-night hookup to play and find themselves falling for their Southern hotel guest Wil and wanting him to stay.
Not a lot happens plot-wise beyond the relationship development between these three men, but that seems to be by design. The story of these men falling in love and making a family together is plenty, and the focus on it gives the story a very intimate, special feel.
Interestingly, the entire story is told from Wil’s point of view. We get a deep understanding of his circumstances and how he was forced to live a closeted life in his homophobic small hometown, and then how he was outed. The fallout from that cost him his boyfriend (good riddance) and backlash in the form of discrimination and boycotting of his restaurant. You’d think Ms. Walker wouldn’t be able to achieve that depth with Simon and Adam without their narrative viewpoints. But you’d be wrong. Ms. Walker enables us to establish a strong connection with Simon and Adam. They feel like equal parts of the story. Admittedly, I think Adam’s background, in particular, could have been fleshed out earlier in the book, but it didn’t impact my understanding of him as a character.
Perhaps Ms. Walker’s most outstanding achievement in this story is her deft balancing of the MMM dynamic. Introducing a third into a close, stable relationship is tricky. How does it work? Are they equal members of a triad? Do they have sexual encounters between the three individual couples or only when it’s the three of them together? Ms. Walker does an excellent job of showing how Simon, Adam and Wil negotiate those issues in a way that makes sense to them and us. She makes it easy for us to see what Simon and Adam get from each other, what Will adds to the relationship, and why Wil needs Simon and Adam. Through her thoughtful writing and character development, we understand what is missing and how Wil fills that gap to make the relationship stronger.
“We work. We each contribute something. We’re like three pieces that just fit.”
Nick J. Russo narrates the audiobook of Three’s Company, providing a convincing, invested, immersive performance. Mr. Russo is a skilled narrator who gives dimension to these three men through his vocal intonations and emotional investment. He gives Wil a Southern accent that’s not over the top; it feels authentic and suits Wil’s character. Mr. Russo’s inflection work throughout the story is superb, as is his interpretation of the characters. He brings these men to life, amplifying Ms. Walker’s excellent source material.
Mr. Russo narrates at a slow pace that doesn’t feel like authentic speech patterns. As such, I recommend a faster playback speed – here, I used 1.2x – but it’s a personal preference. With the quicker pacing, the dialogue feels more natural, and some of his quirky pronunciations are deemphasized.
Overall, the Three’s Company audiobook is a refreshing, sweet, redeeming story that I recommend. Mr. Russo is easy on the ears and makes this enjoyable story even better through his performance.
RATING: 
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