Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Mutual Possession

SERIES: Nine Tenths of the Law (Book 1)

AUTHOR: Aurora Crane

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 281 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 15, 2025

BLURB:

Kendrick

Work partner. Life partner. Complicated.

Mine.

That’s how I describe Spencer. The most important thing being that he’s mine. I may not get all of him, but I get as much of him as he can give me. That’s all I need. But the want, the desire, it lives under the surface, longing for something, for more, but knowing that more is about as likely as me walking away from him. Never. Gonna. Happen.

Spencer

The only thing that exceeds my obsession with possessing Kendrick is my love for the man—and my ability to do my job. Well, as long as he’s not clouding my thoughts.

His existence fuels me. His presence energizes me. His touch grounds me. I need him. And I want him to need me the same way. The thought of him getting the one thing I can’t give him from someone else? Death would be more merciful than I would be to whomever had him that way. He’s mine. No one touches what’s mine.

Then a case falls in our laps. One that shouldn’t exist. One that can’t exist. One that needs what we do best. One that changes everything.

Mutual Possession is a heart-pounding story involving a crime that doesn’t exist but needs to be solved and an established couple whose relationship teeters between everything and nothing. Determined to make each other see what they see in the other, neither are prepared for what happens next. Other themes in this romantic suspense story are a sex-positive gray-ace, jealousy, adorable toxicity, possessiveness, slow burn, bi-awakening, and an explosive HEA.

REVIEW:

I have been wondering about these two men since they were both seriously injured while guarding Sebastian when he was kidnapped. I knew they had an intriguing story after that conversation Sebastian and Spencer had while held captive.

Spenser and Kendrick nearly lost their other half that fateful day when the bad guys executed their master plan to kidnap Sebastian Devlin, the defense attorney that is in a poly relationship with their teammate Jericho Rowlands and three other men. Spenser was also kidnapped and tortured before the Hunter’s special ops team and Sebastian’s men joined forces and got them back. And Kendrick was seriously injured when one of the cars, during the kidnapping, ran into him and crushed him into another vehicle. His leg bares the scars to remind them daily just how serious that day was. Months of rehab and physical therapy may have restored the use of his leg, with Spencer right there beside him the whole time, but those haunting memories have scarred both men deep inside. Finally able to be active again in Hunter’s Special Ops unit, they have been assigned a case that reeks of copy-cat murder but is it? Is the right fugitive really behind bars for the previous actress’s murder?

Many would say that these two men’s relationship was way to codependent and somewhat borderline toxic. But after what they went through, while forcefully separated, made me understand their need to be next to each other. Either could have been killed that day and, though their relationship is extremely unique, they can’t bear to be apart any more at all. If they aren’t physically touching then they need eyes on each other or their anxiety explodes and what if’s plague them. Their true friends accept their needs and know that this is what they have to do to survive.

I found the whole Spencer being gray/ace and his bi-awakening very intriguing. Watching him understand how his uniqueness affected his relationship with Kendrick and what he was willing to do for his partner was touching. Watching Kendrick be so cautious with the man he loved more than anything on earth, and placing all his needs aside, was so incredible. And I loved that Kendrick was so cautious with where Spencer was going. It made this story much more real. Those men loved each other so completely and sacrificed their own needs to make sure the other felt as loved as they did.

This was such a unique story and intrigued me each and every page. Now I need Hunter and Xavier’s story which is up next in Mutual Obsession.  And the I have to have Six and Greer’s story! I know I have to wait for the Sexy Six to get that though. But I have extreme patience when it comes to the Queen of Poly’s men and their stories.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon