Switching Payne

by Amber Kell

The path to love is never smooth and the lives of three men prove harder to balance than two.

Payne's traumatic past has always been a barrier in his relationship with his lover Braxton. However, when they meet Flame, a metal artist, they think they might have found a solution to their problems.

Flame doesn't know if he's ready to be part of a trio. Brax and Payne are madly in love and he would rather be alone than a third wheel. However, the two determined men have decided to make Flame a part of their family and the combined power of men in love can't be denied, even when death knocks at the door…

It takes a little compromise and a lot of love before three people can find a way to make a life together that meets all of their needs.

Reader Advisory: This book was previously released at another publisher. It has been revised and re-edited for release with Total-E-Bound.

Genres: M M Romance, Menage, M M M, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica, Abuse

69 pages, ebook

First published May 19, 2012

About the author

Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.

When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life he told her to go have fun.

During those seconds she isn't writing she remembers she has children who humor her with games of 'what if' and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author name—two things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.

Despite her husband's insistence she doesn't drink enough to be a true literary genius she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.

She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres..

She also writes under the name Mikela Q. Chase

Reviews

[Kinny]

Could not get into it. Two top boys are so in love but neither wants to bottom. So they get a third occassionally. Sorry, but POOR THIRD! What is he a toilet or an outlet adaptor? Wow talk about being used. Could not go through with it and was too sad to see it till the end.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Switching Payne by Amber Kell
2.5 Stars
Reviewed for www.heartsonfirereviews.com

Braxton and Payne are very much in love and have been together for about three years. Payne has major PTSS from being repeatedly raped and beaten for years by his father following the death of his mother. Due to this, Brax and Payne never have sex where penetration is involved. Payne can't and Braxton doesn't enjoy it at all. Braxton is a very wealthy man, all alpha, who absolutely adores Payne. He will do anything for Payne which occasionally means bringing in a third when Payne feels the need to top and while Brax never physically participates, he is in the room and will participate verbally. The men meet Flame, a very talented artist, after an art show and both men are very attracted to him. This is a first for Brax as all the third's before were specifically to Payne's taste. There are a few very small issues of jealousy as the men adapt to being together. Then, just as everything is starting to fall into place, Flame has a recurrence of cancer he had battled as a child. As Payne sees the man that he is falling in love with struggling for his life he realizes that he will not let anything hold him back from enjoying things that life has to offer and that includes bottoming for Brax or the first time. There is a very nice epilogue a year into the future that shows the men with their HEA.

There are very serious subjects discussed in this book with the sexual abuse and the cancer and those elements were handled well in my opinion. I found that the dialogue was very stiff at times which was distracting for me. There is a terrible case of insta-love between Payne and Brax and I just didn't buy it. Another major weakness in this story for me was that while everyone loved Payne, I didn't feel any connection at all between Brax and Flame. They were in lust with each other but we don't see the progression of that relationship beyond lust. I don't know how well that would work between the three and it is never fully explained.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I really liked this book but I felt a little something missing. Each character was well written but Brax just didn't seem to fit real well with Payne and Flame. I do wish it would have been just a little longer so I could have seen how they gelled together. The epilogue was a nice bonus as to how they were doing in at the one year mark!

[Wax · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm rating an Amber Kell book so low. I usually love her stories, but for some reason I didn't feel like the characters in this story connected at all. I find that menage stories can be hard, especially when it's an established couple adding a third. And I definitely struggled with this one.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The evolution of me reading this book

1) oohhhh another m/m/m book
2) oooh hurt/comfort theme..
3) a really rich guy
4) a struggling artist
5) a guy named Payne that is just so damn lovable that both Brax ( the rich guy lover) and Flame ( yep, you guessed it, that's the struggling artist) will do anything to keep him happy and give him whatever he wants.
6)Well he wants Flame, so Brax makes sure he gets him. And well then there is a snafu and Flame has issues too.

Considering this book actually dealt with some major and very serious issues Payne was physically and sexually abused for a decade by his father, leaving him with a lot of emotional troubles and Flame had/has cancer it read as a pretty easy and light book. Despite Payne's constant emotional fluctuation.
They see Flame, they want Flame, they keep Flame and everyone is all better.

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting two men to work together well in a relationship can be a challenge. But trying it with three, in real life even more than in fiction, is almost impossible, it seems to me. Well, there is always great physical attraction, and, of course, the seemingly ever-popular one-night or temporary threesomes. But a true triad? One that lasts over years? Very, very rare and, what's more of a deterrent for many, very unlikely to end well.

Not so, however, in the case of the three men in this book. Payne and Brax have a loving relationship, and even if Payne's past keeps interfering in how far they can go with each other, their love is complete. It isn’t until they meet Flame, an artist, that they open up even more and get to know not just him but each other better, and from a different perspective than before. They are both attracted to Flame, and the quirky man makes them ask questions and see things they've never noticed before.

More than that, though, Flame faces a serious challenge himself, and that fact brings out the protector in Brax and makes Payne reconsider his priorities in life. I loved how they managed to approach a horrible situation with a lot of courage and willingness to learn and rethink their own relationship, priorities, and, ultimately, what they wanted out of life with each other.

This is not just a great love story, but also one about re-balancing your life and finding new support where you'd never have looked before. If you like stories about complicated relationships and men dealing with their pasts, if you enjoy reading about three men learning to redefine their priorities and their relationships, and if you're looking for a read that will most likely make you think about the way you live your life, then you will probably like this novella. I thought it was as hot as it was thought-provoking.




NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It was an interesting story and a quick fun read. However, it didn't have much of a plot and was not as good as what I've come to expect from Mrs. Kell. I still enjoyed it though and still recommend it.

[Gavin Stephenson-Jackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strength and vulnerability working side by side. Brax has the emotional strength to help his vulnerable lover, Payne, but their mutual attraction to Flame puts a test to their occasional three somes. Can the two make three work? When Flame shows how naturally he can calm Payne, Brax knows that they have to make this work. An interesting relationship concept that I know some can achieve, but can also be very difficult.

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

[TW for talks of sexual abuse]

I didn’t like this. I especially didn’t like Payne. There’s nothing funny about a victim of long-term sexual abuse, but Payne is practically comical. Not in a good way at all. He’s very childlike and quick to tears and hysterics, which I guess is understandable if you really didn’t get much to have a childhood. Even still, his reactions to things seemed over the top and dramatic. Though that was perhaps Kell’s attempt to make him seem “unstable”, but I found myself eye-rolling and side-eyeing his antics. To me, Payne was a Mary Sue/Gary Stu/Larry Stu type character with no real depth at all.

Flame (yes, that’s his name) came off really as just a plot device to get Payne to bottom (hence, the title of this novel). Yet, he had more character presence than both Brax and Payne, but that’s really not saying much.

I actually felt sorry for Brax. Knowing it had to be someone else to “fix” the sexual side of your relationship has to hurt. You can love someone til you’re blue in the face, but you can’t tell me that after a while you wouldn’t feel inadequate. Brax just seems too accepting of the situation. I find it hard to believe that anyone in his situation would be hunky-dory about their current arrangement. And it took Flame getting sick for Payne to want to bottom for Brax? Come on now. His attitude toward the whole thing was “Payne, if you like him, we’ll keep him,” which bothered me because a) Flame isn’t property and b) Brax’s opinion/feelings wouldn’t have mattered even if he said no. Payne may have agreed to let Flame go, but I bet he’d be a pouty brat about it. Sure Brax had lust for Flame, but even if he didn’t he would’ve kept Flame around because Payne wanted him. Doesn’t really sound like the founding of a good relationship.

On top of that, the last 20 pages were rushed and obviously set up for the big “Switching Payne” scene. Way too much going on. It would’ve been nice to see some actually conflict arise between the three and not have random events needlessly crammed in toward the end.

[Portia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Braxton and Payne have been lovers for three years. They are still very much in love, but due to horrific childhood trauma, Payne suffers from some pretty major sexual dysfunction. Rather than either man risking triggering Payne’s mental demons, when the mood strikes them, they invite a third into their bed. Well, Payne’s bed, because Brax just watches; anything to keep Payne happy. At least that was the pattern…until they meet Flame.

I really didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I rarely see survivors of sexual trauma accurately depicted in a realistic manner. Especially not the type of abuse that Payne endured. And I speak from almost twenty years of dealing with victims professionally. But, I think Amber Kell did a pretty good job with Payne. I also really like that Brax and Payne were given a reasonable time to build their relationship, before adding a third. And even then, all three men are open with their attraction and their concerns. Which made me believe their ménage could work outside the bedroom. The characters are very well crafted. And, by that I mean, they complement one another. Where Brax is straight alpha male, Flame is more nurturing. Both men are obvious with their devotion to Payne, but we also see them begin to develop a relationship that is separate, if not quite equal.

A couple of things trigger Payne’s “switch”. And, again I felt they were realistic events, not simply plot devices. I totally bought that he was emotionally ready to add a third to his existing relationship and expand his sexual role with both of his lovers. If anything, I think Brax could have stood to open up a bit more…

Amber Kell never ceases to amaze me with her mastery of the novella. For all its heavy subject matter, Switching Payne is not maudlin. Neither is it sappy sweet. It’s just a really nice romance between three wounded men, who somehow make it work for them. Highly recommend.

[Gianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book 5 stars had the story been longer to fully develop. It just wasn't long enough to justify the change to Payne...without therapy on top. Granted this is a work of fiction so pretty much anything goes. But as a surviving, and still healing, victim this wasn't even close to what anyone victim would react. The story base and concept was great. I could relate to how Payne and Brax handled the sensitive situation they were in. It was something they both agreed upon. And if the third member agreed, then there is no using to it. Not when it is all consenting adults.

[Katy Beth Mckee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Payne has issues and Brax has been doing his best to be helpful and supportive. But suddenly Flame is there and things are turned upside down. There is a lot of issues to deal with but suffering seems to bring healing in all kinds of ways.

[Wolfgang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! I only wish there was more. I kept going back to the author's back list to see if maybe there was a "beginning" story but couldn't find one. (If there is and I missed it, someone please let me know!)

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars for dealing with the development of the m/m/m relationship in a realistic way, particularly with two of the men being an established couple.

Too much going on in the story for me, otherwise.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging story with entertaining characters and a unique story. There is angst and interesting back stories you have to just let yourself fall into to understand the dynamics. I enjoy this author and will put this book on the to-be-re-read list!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all three of these characters.

[~RMG · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Ryoma Gartre]

Huh... no, I don't feel comfortable with stories where mcs bring a third to mend a relationship.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars