Illicit Relations

By: Lucy Felthouse

Narrated by: Nick Dee

Terry's had a crush on his second cousin Justin for what seems like forever. He's hidden it as well as possible, knowing that the other man is out of bounds, forbidden fruit. Second cousins getting together isn't actually illegal, but for Justin the relationship is too close - he just can't contemplate them being together.

But when some new information comes to light about Terry's birth and his place in the family, the whole game changes. Suddenly the relationship isn't so impossible, and things soon begin to get hot and heavy.

©2016 Lucy Felthouse (P)2017 Lucy Felthouse

Short but hot story

This was a short story and that comes with certain issues. It’s hard to convincingly show two characters falling in love. Here we’re more told the characters are in love than shown. Still an entertaining, and hot, story.

Thoughtful approach to taboo

I was given a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet story about Terry, and his 2nd cousin Justin. The two come from a large close-knot family, where gatherings to celebrate birthdays and holidays are common and attendance is mandatory. But Terry and Justin have a major secret, namely, they are gay and even worse, are attracted to each other. Although there is nothing illegal about 2nd cousins having a relationship, that familial connection keeps them at the “cousins” in a precarious situation. They are destined to fantasize about each other in order to avoid any major fallout if the relationship goes south. While this is a pragmatic approach, it is hardly romantic.

Although both men believe themselves to be very clever at hiding their feelings, Terry’s ever watchful mom notices the sparks flying between the two, and a few very pointed questions and statements later, she is demanding that Terry attend a family gathering where everything will be resolved.

Because of their love for their son, and their belief in the relationship, Terry’s parents risk revealing a long held secret, one with the power to either heal or destroy, to both Justin and Terry.

I enjoyed this thoughtful exploration of the impact of coming out on individuals and their family and the ‘taboo’ of cousins in love. The narrator was awesome and made the listening experience wonderful.

Enjoyed and Wanted More

Nick Dee is a new narrator for me and he was excellent. His performance of each character was unique and fit the personality of them. This is a shorty so of course I wanted more so that should tell you just how much I enjoyed this unique coming out story.

Quick But Hot

This is a short "taboo" story that actually loses the taboo part but gains some heat. The narration definitely adds to it and makes it better.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

MM romance

It took me awhile to get into the story and follow along. For a short story it served its purpose. Introduce love couple, explained why they couldn’t be together. Turns out the reason stopping them from being together doesn’t apply. They live HEA.