Review: 911

Title: 911
Author: Chris Owen
Publisher: Torquere Press
Publication Date: 13 December 2006
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 339 Pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review: Firefighter Drew and doctor Scott meet thanks to a hazmat scare.  In short order, they're roommates and, before too much longer, lovers.  Life is good.  They toy with the idea of adding a third to their relationship, but it's purely speculation until they meet EMT Eric.  Two becomes three as they struggle to overcome injuries, addictions, and the reactions of those around them.

I like Drew.  I like Scott.  I like Drew-and-Scott.  If the entire book had been about their relationship, I would've been happy.  This isn't to say that I don't like Eric, too--though his insecurity occasionally grates.  I even like the dynamic of their threesome.

What I like a little bit less is the pacing (though it's pretty standard for the genre).  By chapter 3, Drew and Scott are sleeping together.  By chapter 6, they're professing their love for each other.  It's a bit too compressed for my tastes, especially the declarations of love; there just isn't enough build-up to make it believable.

And then there's the sex.  There's a lot of it.  A lot.  There are 51 chapters in this book, and probably fewer than a half-dozen of them don't involve graphic sex.  It's hot sex, granted, but it's still a lot of sex.  The evolution of the various relationships between the characters is sometimes lacking, as it seems that they do most of their communicating with their penises.

I also didn't much care for the reactions of Drew and Scott's parents when their duo became a trio.  It just didn't jive for me with how their parents had behaved up to that point; it seemed like melodrama for the sake of melodrama.

Despite my quibbles, I really do rather like this book. The characters are mostly likeable, the sex is fantastic, and the ending is satisfying.  I wish that neighbor James had gotten his own spin-off, but, self-contained, this book is a definite keeper.