Review - Deviant by Z.S. Storm

I'm catching up with my reviews so forgive me if there are a few at once. I've been working on a free book for the Holiday season and want to get it out to you, looking gorgeous and as good as it can be!

Now to the review. If you are thinking about reading this one, please read the Author's Note first. They give a thorough description of potential triggers and some tropes people may find unpalatable. Amongst them are incest and actions some may consider cheating, as well as drug use and family strife.

Having said that, if you are unfazed by the above, there's a lot to enjoy here. It is essential a polyamorous (MMF) dark romance, with some MM and some MF elements, meant to be enjoyed by taboo lovers, as the AN says.

Emmy, her brother Neil and their friend, sometimes lover, Jordan are stuck in a holding pattern of toxic behaviour, unable to admit the feelings they all have for each other. Jordan is the reckless one; the screwed-up rich kid who isn't really sure what he wants. Neil is quieter and more sensible, but he is compromised by his feelings for Jordan, and also for his sister, Emmy. He fights against this every step of the way, until temptation becomes too much.

Emmy is a young femme fatale (it's worth saying they are all of legal age!) She gradually begins to realise the power she has over her brother and wants to exploit it, and a cruise to help him "relax" seems to be just the opportunity she is looking for.

Somewhat conveniently, (and it IS only a coincidence) they are marooned on a deserted island at the start of an unnamed pandemic, and all but forgotten about for two weeks.

It gets interesting from there, as without Jordan to muddy the waters, the siblings can circle each other and their feelings. The survival scenes are good, although the skills they learn would probably take a lot longer than two weeks, in reality. The sensuality is ramped up, culminating in a truly astounding scene of acceptance and denial, passion and guilt. It really is the best part of the book.

I can't, hand on heart, say I liked the characters. They seemed to be rich kids with nothing better to occupy themselves, even though Neil works like a dog to keep a roof over their heads. They still manage to afford a cruise, using his college money. It's an odd balance. They are lonely, borne of parents who seem to care nothing for them, and eventually turning to each other for comfort and healing, yet I struggled to care a whole lot for them and I'm not even sure why, if I'm honest. There's nothing wrong with the writing. The premise is bold and the sex lusciously written. This one is worth checking out, as others may well get a lot more out of the story than I did.

BLURB

An unlikely scenario An irresistible desire A forbidden love...

(MMF taboo romance.) *Please refer to Author's Note in the book for a full list of triggers and content warning.)

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