If your boyfriend is in love with his mentor from his time in the Marines… you invite him to the birthday party, of course.

Party Of Three was a sexy steamy novella, with a sweet HEA for three lovely men.
Loved the characters, loved the spice, the dirty talk, the fantasies. There were also unexpected emotional moments, which added some depth to a mostly smutty plot.

One of the steamiest, spiciest fast-paced romance reads of 2025! The story unfolds with a weekend after a milestone birthday and an old flame returns. I loved how confident all the characters were in not only themselves, but their love for one another. A great read for anyone in search of a deliciously steamy love story.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read in exchange for an honest review!

I rated this book 3 stars because the spice was spiiiicy, and the characters were good. I went into it knowing it was gonna be a brain candy book and not some literary masterpiece, so I enjoyed it. I haven’t read anything from this author before, but it makes me curious how the rest of the series is. I would definitely read more!

I enjoyed the different personalities between Mateo, Jeff, and Buckley. I felt that they complimented each other well and had good chemistry emotionally and sexually. I especially liked how bubbly Buckley was, compared to the grumpiness of Jeff.

If you want a spicy MMM novel that’s a quick and easy read, this one’s for you! Lots of spice, insta love vibes, and not too much depth!

To me, this book came about because of a single paragraph back in Sapphire Sunset:

Connor had entertained the idea that monogamy wasn't the ideal for him either. But then he'd take a step back and realise that when it came to himself, this was one of a series of compromises he was making to try to jam a guy who wasn't a fit into a place he didn't belong. Namely, Connor's heart. Three-ways after years of marriage was one thing. But a guy who declared on the first date that he could never see you as number one in the bedroom, not even for a little while? Connor could never make that work.

For that reason, I thought that the use of the nested story being outlined by a chapter with Connor and Logan on either side of it might herald an announcement of a fifth book in this series, where Connor and Logan find a third.

Regardless, I can see why, despite it's marketing, this book is one that might struggle to stand up if one hadn't already read at least the first book of the series this one is part of.

I personally loved it. I loved Buckley, one of Connor's high school friends. I loved his relationship with Mateo and the obvious way they're shown to have both great chemistry in bed as well as the kind of way of making space for each other out of it that really makes or breaks a relationship.

And I loved the history Mateo is shown to have with Jeff before Jeff ever steps on the page. Don't get me wrong, this is erotica and the pages are steamy, but these three characters just work. I loved it.

Rounded up to 3 stars. I was intrigued by the tropes of this story. It explores kinks, fantasies, military PTSD, found family and hero-worship. There is age-gap here as well. It was okay though and I did enjoy that it is a quick and spicy novella. The characters felt okay, I didn't really connect with them. I also felt a little confused at times. The writing felt a little off for me and it was a bit difficult to follow.

Huge thank you to Netgalley, the author and Blue Box Press for a gifted earc in exchange for an honest review.

Spicy spicy spicy. I think for those that like queer erotica, this has all the elements. It gave enough plot but the spice was definitely at the forefront. A cute quick read.

This was not for me. I tried reading out of my comfort zone but I don’t think starting with a novella was smart. I felt the story was lacking so it was hard to get invested in the characters

In this story, we watch the Buckley and Mateo in a role playing scene which they play out on a regular basis.

Buckley wanted Mateo to have a special birthday so he tracked down an old friend, Jeff not knowing they had a history.

The relationship starts with a weekend after the birthday. We get to see how the three of them share their feelings for each other and develop. We also get to see how much they’re caring for each other brings them closer.

I liked be able to how this relationship started and developed between all three of them. You felt as if you were in the villa with them throughout their weekend together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review Party of Three comes out on June 24th, 2025.

This was surprisingly a fast-paced book. I enjoyed how you just rolled with the plot, it was easy and accessible. The story also touches themes (in no particular order) like kinks/fantasies, military PTSD, a sense of found-family, age gap, and hero idolization.

The fact that the MMCs were so confident of themselves and their relationships (mostly Mateo and Buckley, but Jeff caught up after). It was honestly refreshing. This is my first poly/threesome-trope book. And the spice was just right, perfect for those time where you just truly want a quick spicy book and that’s it.

Excited to read more from C. Travis Rice.

Very spicy tale of a couple who find themselves with an unexpected and yet not unwelcome third - long lost soul mate? Just a friend? A little bit of angst throughout but definitely got that HAE we all crave for.

Party of Three is about healing, connection, and found family. The story follows Mateo and Buckley as they navigate the unexpected feelings that surface when Jeff, an old army buddy of Mateo’s, comes back into their lives. What starts as a reconnection quickly turns into something deeper and more intimate between the three of them.

One of the things I really appreciated about this book was how each character brought their own history and trauma to the relationship, and how they helped one another heal and grow.

That said, while the intimacy and chemistry were definitely present, the execution of some scenes felt a bit off. There were moments where it was hard to follow who was speaking or who was interacting with whom, and the dialogue and pacing sometimes came across as jumbled. The idea was definitely there, and I think with a bit more polish, it could really shine.

This was a bit of a Wordie Birdie to me. The spice was nice and I appreciate the attempt at plotting the smut. I liked the storyline and the consistent theme throughout the chapters. I feel like this got the job done. It's a good body of work for what it is.

4.5 Stars

This is my first Christopher Rice book but I’ve had this series on my TBR list. I’m glad I had the chance to jump in with this novella.

An erotic MMM poly love story. Buckley and Mateo are in a relationship. When the story opens they are role playing a fantasy of Mateo’s and having a great time. We see that they have fun with each other and also take care of each other physically and emotionally.

Mateo’s birthday is coming up, the first since his parents disowned him. Buckley wants to make it a great one for Mateo so invites a marine buddy of Mateo’s that he has lost touch with. That evening Mateo admits that he and Jeff might have been a little more than friends, but their dynamics and preferences in bed didn’t match. Jeff has kept away from Mateo since they figured this out. Buckley isn’t upset or jealous to find out the history with Jeff, in fact, he’s super intrigued and turned on.

Jeff does turn up for the party, and after some initial awkwardness they 3 of them have a good time together that turns into an even better weekend together. There’s lots of feelings, talking through past trauma and heart break, figuring out their dynamics together. It’s really sweet, and super sexy. I think their HEA was hard won and believable the way its set up and followed through with the epilogue.

Loved this, will definitely read more by this author in this series.

Thanks to Blue Box Press for the ARC

The spice was definitely spicing, but I felt like overall the story fell flat. It was often very difficult to follow and I wasn’t a fan of the lack of a true POV. I also feel like there’s a very fine line between a complete novella and a rushed story, and this felt very rushed to me.

omg. this was hot. in all the best ways. i thoroughly enjoyed this and the chemistry between these three.

i loved the emotion throughout this story as well, i didnt think it would have me questioning so many things, but i really loved that aspect of the book. i will definitely be reading more from this author b/c truly hot d*mn, this was GOOD and kinky in all the best ways.

Jeff, Mateo and Buckley were meant to be truly and i loved seeing their connection blossom into so much more, it just felt insanely right.

but what i also loved and appreciated in this story was logan and connor, i loved seeing them talk through their problem and work through the hard things even though they felt as though they avoid those topics too much, it was a sweet and emotional read, it brought out all different kinds of feelings for me and not in a bad way at all. i really cant wait to read more from this author.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I love the whole idea of this story, but to me it fell down in the telling.
The writing didn’t feel as smooth as it could be.
Otherwise the premise as good and the storyline was enjoyable.
It’s one I would recommend to others

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Not what I was expecting but its a insta-love kind of novella about 3 individuals that find love in the most unconventional of circumstances. I was not sure about this book in terms of how it start like it was being told to us but if this is type you like keep reading as it gets better a little bit. I did find the focus was on the spice and not developing the characters but still was a quick read.

I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait until I can go back and read everything by Christopher Rice writing as C. Travis Rice. Five out of five stars.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for sending me the ARC!

I enjoyed this novella more than Sapphire Cove because it started with two characters conversing. I was elated to see them again; it was a lovely surprise, but let me discuss the main couple.

In the first chapter, I adored Mateo and Buckley. They were sweet, funny, entertaining, and adventurous. What isn't there to love about them? When Jeff appeared, it was intriguing to see their dynamic. At first, it was a bit chaotic (and funny) when Jeff and Buckley met, but then it settled and became natural between the trio.

The characters were quite fleshed out despite this being a novella, e.g., Mateo's PTSD. The writing was terrific. Our surprise guests' relationship at the end was tied in, showing how they've grown as a couple, which I thought was creative and unique.

Honestly, given how much I enjoyed them, I would have loved this couple to get a book rather than a novella.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book. From the synopsis it seemed like this book was going to be super spicy and smutty however I do not think it was a great story. One thing I wished this book had was POV of each MMC. If there was I think it would have been more easier to follow along with the story. There was more plot than smut which is fine but I would’ve liked to see more sexy time moments. If I were asked tomorrow or a week from now what this book was about I wouldn’t be able to tell you. There wasn’t anything in this book that would’ve made me remember the story. 1 star is my rating.