A-Z Challenge Review: Room at the Top by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow

Why I bought the book: I really fancied an m/m/m.

Plot: Austin and Jay are very much in love, but they are both subs who need a Dom to satisfy that itch for submission but are not interested in sharing their bed with another.  For a while they had Patrick, but when he moves away he leaves a hole in their lives.  After a disastrous time trying to find a replacement, Patrick suggests a straight friend of his, Liam.  The three hit it off straight away and things become complicated the more the feelings grow between them.

As you can probably guess from my summary, this is a BDSM story and it was in that aspect that the book shone for me.  There were many carefully constructed BDSM scenes which were note perfect in terms of sexual tension and emotional content.  Each scene built on the one before and because, at first at least, the men only see each other as a three during those sessions, it is there that the romance starts to bloom between them.  It was strong and compelling reading.

Characters: The three men were all very different, bringing their differing personalities to create a realistic whole.  I have to admit, Jay was my favourite character.  He's geeky and bookish but he's not afraid to tell it how it is when the need arises.  He's also a slob, forgetful and a bit of a drama queen.  Austin is the steadier one who has a deep seated compulsion to protect and cherish. As a couple they would have been perfect for each other, if not for their need for submission.  One of the highlights of the book is how much Jay and Austin love each other and this shines through all their interactions, making them very appealing as a couple.  Liam brings the dominance they need in his strict attitude which is needed for Jay, but also in a sense of security and comfort for Austin.  The way that Liam slowly comes to terms with his bisexuality was realistic, especially given his age - he's nearly 40.  There's an age gap of 15 years between them and I liked that this was both not a major problem but still addressed in the story.

If the story had focussed solely on the three men then this book would have been pretty darned perfect for me.  Unfortunately there is also the character of April, Austin's sister, who is a complete harridan.  Her poisonous personality spoiled whole scenes of the book for me, especially as I pretty much couldn't see what the point was in having her in the book in the first place.  She had no redeeming features whatsoever and could have been written out of the story with very little change to the overall plot.  Her actions act as a sort of catalyst towards the end, leading to a bit of an annoying forced separation, but this could easily have come about without April's input.  The only good thing to say about April is that the authors didn't make her have a sudden change in personality, she softens a little by the end but still pretty much remains a selfish bitch all the way through. I think one reason for her to be in the story is to show how noble Austin is, that he doesn't give up on her even when she treats him like shit. Unfortunately, it just makes Austin seem weak and spineless when the stronger thing to do would be to make her stand on her own two feet and face the consequences of her actions.

Overall: April nearly ruined the book for me, even though she's only in maybe a handful of scenes.  As it is, the love that Austin and Jay have for each other, the excellent BDSM scenes, the strong writing which was high on emotion and characterisation, and the slow development of the romance made this a winner, although should I ever re-read I shall be skipping the parts with April in them.  Grade: Very Good.

Buy this book HERE.