Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: JMS Books

Genre: Gay Romance 

Tags: Ménage, Erotic, Sweet, Humour

Length: 72 Pages

Reviewer: Kazza

Purchase At: amazon, JMS Books

Blurb:

Handsome Kurt Eden loves nothing more than the tiny art museum left to him by his aunt. However, the museum is decidedly unimpressive and losing money fast. Worse, college sex scandals have made him the center of unwanted attention in his remote, conservative town of Egbert, Texas. Furthermore, Kurt’s required to repay the owners of two artworks stolen from the museum or face the loss of his home.

When Max, a man Kurt has helped come out through dating app conversations, arrives in Egbert, Kurt is smitten. Max already knows the younger man’s fantasies, and he’s eager to satisfy them. But will Max’s secrets and surprises help Kurt find happiness with not one, but two men? Or will the town ruin everything?

Review: 

This is a novella at 72 pages. It’s sweet, and sexy, and quirky, something I’ve been enjoying in combination of late. I’ve read quite a few Gavin Atlas stories/books over the years. There is always a nice, guileless quality to at least one of his MCs, sometimes two. One is definitely keen to be of service or is looking for someone to ease him or fulfil a desire, a kink, mostly to give them some human touch and invested emotional connection.

After Leo was gone, Kurt felt a wave of loneliness wash through him, draining his energy. Leo wasn’t the only man in Egbert who needed an excuse, some “official reason,” to be seen with Kurt. He chuckled.
“Yep, yessiree. Whose secret will I be next?” he asked. Then he shook his head. 

Kurt lives in a very small town in Texas. He of the yep, yessiree vocabulary. Everyone knows everything that’s going on. It isn’t easy to be a gay man without people up in your business. It’s not that Kurt hasn’t had sex or been with anyone in Egbert, it’s just that nothing can be out in the open because to quote Rev Lovejoy’s wife in The Simpson’swon’t someone please think of the children!

Kurt runs a museum, The Egbert, in a converted house that his aunt Ruby left to him. Adding to the air of difficulty around Kurt’s life right now, the reviews left for The Egbert are bad. To top that off, two of the small town doyennes have had pieces of art there and two of them have been stolen. This causes Kurt some grief. They cause Kurt some grief. Not to worry, he’s been talking to a guy on an app, someone who is open to Kurt’s kinks and desires. Max has a partner who’s also compatible with Kurt where he and Max are, uh, too compatible. Kurt helped Max not so long ago to be brave enough to come out, so he surprises Kurt with a visit to Egbert.

Trouble in Threes is cute and camp and cuddly reading with some ménage sex as well. A little mystery is also involved, although don’t come for a grand mystery. The novella is enjoyable. It’s happy. It’s my cup of shenanigans tea. Gavin Atlas is always a joy to read. Long or short, big or small, I can always relax and unwind while reading his stories.