Guest Review: Sweet Thursday by Mari Carr

In high school Lily was too shy to do anything about her feelings for her best friends, Justin and Killian. Now she’s ready to put to rest her regrets with a proposal that might shock even her oversexed friends: the three of them, together, one night, multiple positions.

K and J are more than a little surprised to see Lily at their ten-year reunion. The plain Jane they remember is now a stunning woman who wants to have sex with both of them. Who are they to deny her? Even if Killian suspects they might be treading on dangerous emotional territory.

Mari Carr is a well-established writer of erotic romantic fiction and she carries on that tradition with this novella. The fourth in the “Wild Irish” series, these characters have made token appearances in the first three books. Now it is Killian’s turn, along with his friend Justin, both of whom are now running a family construction business and trying to make a go of life as civilians. Both had enlisted in the Army 10 years earlier, serving together in Iraq, and participating in all the hell together as well as some of the escapades that presented themselves along the way. Their best friend in high school was Lily Watterson, a truly good person who helped them both academically as well as socially, always taking the back seat to their social encounters without any complaint, keeping from them the growing affection she harbored in her heart.

Now, 10 years later, Lily is no longer willing to live with a decade of regret—she now knows that she will only have fantasy night with these two if she asks for it, and asks she does. But it is one thing to have a wild night as a threesome; it is another matter entirely when one’s heart is also lost to them as well. Lily believes a girl can have her fantasy fling with two men but it is not possible to love and live with two men.

Mari Carr is known for her penchant for writing stories that “push the envelope” when it comes to situations that have not been considered “acceptable” by society. Her characters are grown-ups that always wander into situations that keep the reader guessing, and challenge readers to consider the “right and wrong” of a given situation. So it is now with Lily and her two lovers, men she loves deeply but believes she must keep at a distance with a “friendship only” relationship.

There is much joy in this story and deep regret. There are moments when the reader catches a glimpse into the hearts of each of these two men and their need to find an emotional place to call “home.” There are times of pain when deep love is denied and hearts are crushed. There is family here, sibling relationships that make all of us hope that we can have that kind of loving support from our own families. In the midst of the steamy sex, there is gentleness and kindness, genuine concern and regard, respect and hope for the future. And don’t worry – each of these three people are very different and perhaps that, too, is a cause for concern. Yet Carr teases out the story so that the issues are never buried and the romance lives as the love shines through.

I liked this story a lot. I think the writing is excellent and the story moves forward. Sometimes I get upset when some authors seem to stall in the telling; that is not the case here. This is a story I will be putting on my “read again” list.

I give this book a rating of 4.25 out of 5.