Title: Opening Moves
Series: Chess 01
Genre: Gay MM/ Ménage à Quatre/ BDSM
Author: Sean Michael
Length/Format: 108 pages, eBook
Publisher: Published January 30th 2012 by Total-E-Bound
ISBN: 978-0-85715-871-0
Product link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1517
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Artemis
From the Publisher: Rook, Knight and Bishop have been searching for a fourth man to join their threesome for quite a while when Knight meets Jason, the live model in the art class he’s auditing. He thinks that Jason is the perfect man for them and his lovers Rook and Bishop quickly agree. The trick will be convincing Jason…
About the Author: Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the Kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago”.
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
My Review: I wasn’t really sure how a book with 4 male characters was going to play out, but I was really impressed with this story. I can see why the author uses the game of chess as a comparison. The strategy and give and take in the relationships is similar to the moves each piece must take in a game of chess.
Bishop, Knight and Rook are looking for someone to join their threesome. They want someone who they can ‘play with’ (as they call it) for a year and Jason is their choice of playmates. Problem is, Jason insists that he is straight and not all that interested in sex. Unfortunately, Jason is also broke, about to be evicted from his apartment and lose his job so he tries to be a little bit more open-minded about the proposition. When Rook offers to introduce him to the pleasures of a M/M relationship, his world is turned quite upside down when he realizes he might not be as straight as he thought!
Each of these characters is completely distinct with their own voice, personality, and character traits. Bishop is, without question, the dominant force in this relationship. He is forceful, but caring and clearly loves both Knight and Rook in very different ways. Knight is a tortured artist, ex drug addict and very intense. He needs Bishop to dominate him and keep him in line and there is some light BDSM in their relationship. Rook is a sweetie and it is hinted at a couple of times in the story that one of the reasons they are looking for a fourth for their group is so that he has someone he can take care of and bond with. Bishop and Knight have a very dark and intense need for one another and while they both love Rook, he needs someone a little gentler and Jason seems to be working out fine!
I love that they author created such unique characters with their own personalities. It really helped, at the beginning, when I was first starting to get to know them all. This book is made up of a whole lot of sex, interspersed with joking and lighthearted bickering and a little bit of angst. If you are looking for lots of plot and mystery…this isn’t the book for you. However, if you are looking for well written characters with good personalities and fun dialogue that have lots of sexy fun, this is a great choice!
If I could have changed anything about this book, I would have added a little bit more back story. I really want to go back to the beginning of this threesome and see how the whole thing got started! With this being the first book in the series, I am looking forward to seeing how Jason’s part in this whole thing works out. He is a sweetheart and seems to be enjoying his introduction into the world of M/M sex.
i rad one of Sean Micheals books and i like his writing!