For her pleasure, Maya Banks

For her pleasure by Maya Banks
Published by Berkley Heat

Three novellas. Two interlocking stories. One sizzling read.

Nice set up: one spirited woman in Kit Townsend, and two hot buddies, Ryder and Mac, who take turns giving Kit what she needs. It's the perfect no-strings triangle and while it doesn't exactly follow the rules, neither does Kit. But when love unexpectedly throws these three friends for a loop, can they still have a happy ending?
And then there's Mia Malone, a sweet Dallas girl who had big dreams for the future when she first met Texas Ranger Logan Kincaid. That fairy tale was a lifetime ago. Today, framed for drug possession, she's forced to work undercover at a strip joint where several working girls have disappeared. Then in walks Logan-her protector, savior, and lover.

Kit is a small town girl who is in lust with Mac and Ryder. They have flirted with each other for years, and Kit has always wanted to be the meat in a Mac & Ryder sandwich.

Six months ago Kit was raped and her attacker was not caught. She feels that she can trust no one other than Mac and Ryder. She knows they will keep her safe, and she also knows that neither of them are looking for anything long term, so she wont be tied down. They can have a threesome a couple times, and then go back to being friends.

Mac is thrilled that Kit is taking this step forward. He is in love with her and has been wanting to get into her pants for years. Ryder is happy, but reserved. He loves Kit as much as Mac loves her, but he doesn't want Mac or Kit to know.

The three spend some wonderful times together and things are looking good until Mac drops the bomb that he is in love with Kit. Really in love with her.

Kit runs away because she can't handle it. They work things out.

All three go away on a sex filled weekend at the beach and have a grand time.

Then Mac asks her to marry him. She runs away again. She goes to Ryder and he thinks that he wont be able to make love to her anymore if Mac and Kit get married, so he doesn't push for the marriage.

Mac and Kit work things out (again), and they decide to announce their engagement. Ryder steps back and avoids Kit and Mac.

Then Kit finds out that she is pregnant and the baby could belong to either man. Ryder is sure that the baby is his. Something happens where Ryder once again steps back and avoids Kit. Kit now loves Ryder that way, so she is heart broken. She admits to Mac that she loves them both the same way thinking that Mac will be angry, but he isn't.

Mac gets shot during a routine traffic stop and almost dies. Ryder doesn't hear about it till 4 days later and when he finally goes to the hospital, Kit tells him that he doesn't need him, she is tired of him leaving.

At the end, Mac is healed, Kit loves Mac and Ryder so much that her heart will crumble into a million pieces if she can't have them both, so they all decide to move to a different town and continue on with their threesome. Probably living happily ever after.

This is the first time I have read a book from this author and been left feeling less than pleased. This is her weakest book, imo. It felt hurried and unfinished. It's a C from me.

It has great love scenes. Maya Banks knows how to write steaming hot sex. Her book Colter's Woman, is my absolute favourite Menage book. I tend to compare all menage books to Colter's woman. This one fell short of being as good as CM though.

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What she craves is a story that took up the last 3/4 of the book. It's about Mia and Jack. One night Mia seduces Jack and then the next morning he gets a phone call and disappears. She doesn't see him for 2 years!

During that time Mia starts working at a strip joint where women are being sold off at auction as human slaves. Mia was set up by a shady cop who forced her into dancing. It was either strip, or go to jail.

Jack, who is a cop, has been under cover this whole time. He was posing a gang member, and when he realises how much trouble Mia is at the club, he uses his position in the gang to save her.

Out of the two books, I liked the second one better. I wish that it had been the longer one. The story line was more exciting, and I connected more with the Heroine.

A C+ because I didn't believe the love part of the story, and it would have been nicer to see the bad guys pay for their crimes the old fashion way. Sure, Mia got to kick some ass, but personally, I like it better when the hero is the one doing the protecting/beating the crap out of bad guys for his woman. I have little faith in the judicial system, so when bad guys are simply sent to jail for their crimes against a heroine I never feel that it's enough.

Kit, Mac and Ryder's story takes up the first two novella's in For her Pleasure. I'm not sure why it was done that way. Like I already mentioned, it would have been a more enjoyable read for me to see an expansion with more detail for Jack and Mia's story. Even dropping that one, and just making it a book for Kit and her men would have pleased this reader.

Anyway, this wont stop me from snatching up any and all Maya Banks' book as she releases them.