Keeping Cade: A Crave Club Novel

Over the last year or two, I have actually started to appreciate reading some menage stories. Now not all of them are executed the right way…at least that’s how I feel about them, but this one was very nicely done. It was also very HOT 😉

I am not a big BDSM fan but the blurb of this book really caught my interest, so I figured I would just give it a go. I am really glad I did because this book was much more than just a BDSM story.

Now don’t throw rotten fruit at me…but… I have not read the ” Men of Honor ” series yet. It is on my never-ending TBR list and I swear I will get to them asap !! So you can imagine I had no idea what Crave was or any of the people working there. Still, there was no confusion on my part, so that’s good 😉

Cade comes to Crave because he is supposedly realizing one of his fantasies at “Fantasy Week”. When Vic and Tegan (also owners of Crave) start to reenact his so-called fantasy, it becomes pretty clear that Cade isn’t as into it as he should have been. So even though there is some major sparkage between the three of them… Vic and Tegan pull the plug on the whole thing.

Of course, there is a reason to Cade’s very strange behavior and Vic and Tegan want to get to the bottom (hehehe) of it…and they do. Being mercenary Gray Ops, they are also the best guys Cade could pick to have his back (hehehe).

If you enjoy reading about hot alpha military men going at it, and falling in love…you should really give this one a go.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

I would rate this 3 stars.

Related to the Men Of Honor and Phoenix Inc. series, you can read this without reading the other seven books, as there is plenty of recapping, (over two dozen characters are mentioned in the first few chapters alone), but be prepared for the plot to be connected. I picked this because I remember reading said series a long time ago. This first paragraph is usually where I try and give a little synopsis of the plot, so here goes: Cade, a professional fighter working for the Russian mob, dates the wrong man, a spook named Courier. Courier then blackmails him into doing sexual things or else he will kill one of his best friends, a Delta Force active duty serviceman now in Africa. Of course, the BDSM club named Crave, which he is forced to go to, is run by ex-military men who run a mercenary group named Gray Ops. Is he an unwitting honeypot to get to the owners Tegan and Vic, or is something else happening? I am going to give you a spoiler, so if you don’t want to know, don’t read anymore. It’s also a major trigger, so I’m not even going to feel bad about it. Be prepared for multigenerational child abuse happening here.

At this point, I will say the erotic parts can survive without the plot, but the plot is pure angst and sex–bonding over past trauma and lust. At first, it’s difficult to emotionally engage, because the characters are like caricatures. The men teeter between heavy testosterone “f*ck or fight,” (the author’s words, not mine) hyper-masculinity, to swoony heroes in a bodice ripper. I’ve been reading m/m romance for almost a decade now and I think my expectations of this genre are much higher. Also, fairly or not, it’s difficult not to compare this to other works by this author that are much better, especially since most of her characters are very similar. The depth always seems to come from the characters having been tortured during their military service, or being abused in foster care, and suffering from PTSD. Then you get hit in the gut by all of the child abuse, both current with a character who is a minor, and past with several main characters. That’s not even talking about the paedophilia ring and the human trafficking.

This starts out well, if you don’t mind sexy dub-con, but Tegan and Vic go into alpha protective dom mode immediately after one scene with Cade, a complete stranger, and start acting like they are life partners. This is done knowingly, with a nod and wink, as werewolf mates are referenced by an old friend. Cade, a former Ranger and Delta Force member, and professional street fighter, is treated like a helpless kitten. I also never like it when books use former sexual abuse as the reason people like BDSM–because they are damaged and then let people continue to abuse them, but it’s okay because they need it. It’s so busy recapping the past and writing in various new characters and topics that can be revisited in the future, that this plot suffers. This triad is compared to two other triads from the previous series as well, so I guess it’s an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mentality. The rest of the book is finding a way for this threesome to get closer, exploiting all of their past pain, to build up to a rescue that isn’t all that exciting. I had a difficult time rating this because it has so much going on that it doesn’t do any one thing particularly well or believably. I know there are fans who will love this book because they get to see some of their past favorites, but for me having a few walk on roles wasn’t enough.

This book has twists and turns and is one hell of a ride!

Keeping Cade starts off strong and doesn’t slow down until the last word. I was drawn in from the very onset by Cade’s mysterious visit to the Crave Club. It’s “Fantasy Week” and the wildest imaginations will be indulged…SE Jakes does a fantastic job of amping up the reader by only revealing a little information at a time into the mystery behind Cade’s behavior. Vic and Tegan are co- owners of the Crave Club, but they are also a part of a group that rights the wrongs of the world when no one else can assist.
The trio of Cade, Vic and Tegan are melt your Kindle hot with a chemistry that had this reader blushing over and over! The depth of character written by Jakes showcases the layers to each of these men and is a pure joy to read. You cannot wait to get to the next page while simultaneously dreading the end of the book. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but you can bet I will be picking up more books as soon as is possible!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read. This book is deeply satisfying on many levels and will not disappoint.

I loved the men of honor series and this spin-off is just as amazing. The first chapter felt like it gave the story a kickstart. So much happening and so many clues, but in the next couple of chapters the veils are lifted and everything starts falling in place without spoiling the suspense. I loved the way this story is written, the storyline and the amazing and fun characters. I especially loved how “natural” the development of the relationship between the guys felt. If you’re looking for an amazing series with great characters (mostly ex special ops), M/M/M, packed with action, suspense and fun, give this series a try. I can’t wait for the next one!