From best-selling author Dahlia Donovan comes a new witty novella between three very different men. With drama, emotional turmoil, and hilarious banter, be prepared to be swept away in Dahlia’s British M/M/M romance.When one drunken night forever scars three best friends, will they ever find a way to pick up the pieces?Eaten up with guilt, Ivan Black spends ten years hiding from the world. He … years hiding from the world. He retreats to his family forge to wallow in misery. Alone. So lonely his heart aches with it.
Wesley Cook and Rolland Spence have been together since university. They struggle through the physical scars of the accident, building a life in the ruins of their dreams. They find happiness but continue to miss their angry ginger Viking—Ivan.
In all the anger of wasted years, the three men find a way to forge a relationship as hot as the fires in the smithy.
Forged in Flood is a British contemporary M/M/M romance. With heartache, hot men with foul mouths, and plenty of heat, enjoy getting to know Ivan, Wesley, and Roland.
more
3.5 stars–FORGED IN FLOOD by Dahlia Donovan is a contemporary, adult, M/M/M erotic, romance story line focusing on three friends-Wesley Cook, Rolland Spence, and Ivan Black- whose lives spiralled out of control ten years earlier following an horrific drunk, driving incident that left each man emotionally and physically scarred but none more so than Ivan Black, the driver of the car that destroyed their lives.
NOTE: FORGED IN FLOOD is an erotic romance story line with M/M/M/ sexual scenarios.
Told from three third person perspectives (Wes, Rolland and Ivan) FORGED IN FLOOD focuses on the rekindling relationship, second chance romance between blacksmith Ivan Black, and podcasters Wesley Cook and Rolland Spence. Ten years earlier, the three university rugby stars, had fallen in love with one another but a night of drinking followed by a drunk driving accident saw Ivan Black run from the men who had stolen his heart. Fast forward to present day wherein a freak rainstorm has threatened to wash away everything Ivan holds dear including the memories he so desperately tries to remember. Enter Wesley Cook and Rolland Spence-Ivan’s former lovers, and the men who refuse to allow their mate to wither and die.
FORGED IN FLOOD is a quick read that follows the on-going volatile and emotional breakdown of Ivan Black as he is unable to come to terms with the guilt from the accident that nearly took their lives. Locked away, far from family and friends, Ivan struggles with his inability to recall the smallest events but does daily battles with the memories of the night that destroyed them all. Wes and Rolland’s continuing efforts to bring Ivan back into the fold is once again met with caustic rejection from the man that they love.
The wonderful secondary and supporting characters include Ivan’s brother George, and his sister Sarah, as well as Sarah’s over-protective husband Remi. The family knows Ivan misses the men that he loves but they too, are unable, to pull Ivan from his self-imposed purgatory.
FORGED IN FLOOD is a story of second chances; of one man’s battle to forgive himself; and two men who are desperate to reconnect with the man that they love The premise engaging and thought-provoking; the characters are dynamic and animated.
4.5 stars
Ivan has shut himself off from the world and the two men who mean the most to him. He has spent 10 years eaten up with grief over the accident. They all have scars physically as well as emotionally. Wes and Rolland, who have been together since their college days, have had enough of Ivan’s wallowing and decide to go to him. In. The. Middle. Of. A. Flood!! Needless to say Ivan wasn’t pleased with the unexpected intrusion. Will Ivan be able to forgive himself all the pain he caused with the accident and be happy with the two men that feel like they are missing a piece of them?
This was my first Dahlia Donovan book and I’m very glad I took the chance on a new author. Her writing style had me laughing, smiling and enjoying the storyline very much.
Ivan, Rolly and Wes had been friends since their youth and even lovers as young adults. A devastating accident and huge amounts of guilt force Ivan to distance himself from everything he loves. He throws himself into the family Forgery and keeps to himself despite his family prodding and his 2 best friends attempts to reconnect. Can anyone or anything get through to Ivan? Will he ever be able to forgive and forget?
I fell in love with Ivan, Rolly and Wes and I have no doubt anyone reading Forged in Flood will do the same. Their love for life, fun and each other is simply amazing. This a beautifully told story of friendship, love, heartbreak and forgiveness, along with some sexy MMM scenes. 2 Thumbs Up for a great read; one that I highly recommend.
4.5 stars
This is probably one of my favorite short stories I have ever read. There is basically continuous banter and sass and arguments but it is in the best possible way. I did not feel like anything was forced like I usually do in short stories. The characters all knew each other before the book so I think that helped in the relationship being formed authentically.
All three of the MCs, Ivan, Wes, and Rolly are stubborn in different ways. Ivan is broody af and grumpy and an a-hole. Wes is stubborn but kinder and more aware. Rolly is hilarious and arrogant and also an a-hole. So basically, the three of them together is entertaining, to say the least. It is also worth mentioning that while the sex scenes are explicit, they are not as explicit as many I have read but they are HOT. They are rather short, which makes sense for the short book but that does not take away from the hotness.
There are a couple of more emotional topics discussed in the book and I felt those emotions just as strong as the funny and sassy ones that the book displayed. It was easy to connect to all of these characters and want them to be together. This was a great short read!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
I had the honour of beta reading this book, so I was gifted my copy of this book.
Ten years ago, a stupid mistake nearly cost 3 young men their lives. It left them all scarred in a multitude of ways. Ivan has shut himself off from everyone, working in his beloved forge, while Rolland and Wes have taken it upon themselves to educate the youth of today on the errors of drink driving. But Wes and Rolly have had enough of waiting for Ivan, their Viking to get over his self inflicted guilt. And they choose the night of the worst flooding in living memory to make Ivan see sense.
This is NOT part of the Sin Bin series, but there are some cross-over characters, mainly Sarah and her husband Remi. You don’t NEED to read them, but you SHOULD!
I loved this! I’ve loved almost all of Ms Donovan’s work, and each and every time, the new book becomes my new favourite, and this is no exception!
Ivan makes this book, he really does. His struggle dealing with his guilt. His struggle dealing with becoming like his namesake of a father, and him not really wanting to. Dealing with the destruction of his forge and his home. Dealing with the after effects of the original accident, and a second one too.
But mainly, because watching him deal with his ever growing attraction to Wes and Rolly, and his NEED to be with them, is a joy to behold! He doesn’t want it, not at first but they are persistent buggers now they have decided to pursue Ivan, rather than waiting for him to come to them.
There are some lighter moments, written only in a way Ms Donovan can. Her boys do like to play with their food and these three are no exception to that rule. I don’t think I can ever look at a pot of honey in the same way, every again!
Because I read it in one sitting, because it made me cry in places, because it made me laugh out loud in others (and not many books can do that with me when I’m reading!) and just bloody well because . . . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Ivan has been torturing himself for something that happened years ago. Now he has some issues that he struggles with daily and is also trying his hardest to keep his temper and his families blacksmith open.
Wes and Rolly have been in a relationship for years. However, they both know something/someone is missing to complete their love. They also have issues from the accident that Ivan is still struggling with however, they have overcome their issues. How and will they be able to convince Ivan that he needs to move on?
Overall this was a good book however, it left me wanting more. The authors writing style was good, so was the characters and plot.
Forged in Flood is a standalone novel that is also a crossover (sort of) as it features Sarah and Remi from The Sin Bin series.
Ivan, Wes, and Rolly were all involved in a drunk-driving accident that left them all with permanent problems and scars. Ivan was the one driving, and can’t forgive himself for what he did to his friends and lovers. It doesn’t help the situation when his problems are exacerbated by his temper, one he inherited from his father. When the rains pour down in Boscastle, they herald the arrival of Wes and Rolly, both determined to bring Ivan back home.
I loved the fact this book has Sarah and Remi in it! Seriously, it was great to read about them, and find more out about Sarah. Loved that bit. I have to say though, (and I will probably be in the minority), but Rolly did annoy me for most of the book. I understand where he was coming from, but I personally found him to be a bit much. I preferred it when he toned it down a bit, but that’s just me.
The story was well paced, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The characters and their problems were all well thought out and developed. I enjoyed reading this book, and am happy with the HFN ending. I would love to see a reappearance of them in one of Dahlia Donovan’s other books to find out if they are still happy – and driving each other crazy.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comment here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!