Maestro

Title: Maestro
Author: M. Crane Hana
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: February 8, 2016
Genre(s): Contemporary, Menage
Page Count: 56
Reviewed by: Kristin
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Blurb: Gay and happily married, Leo has helped manage a large, influential nonprofit arts foundation over the past ten years. He has built a friendly rapport with the elderly billionaire who began it, but he has enemies within the foundation.

Leo’s birthday is on February 13, and that has always meant candles on heart-shaped cupcakes and birthday cards with “Happy Valentine’s Day” crossed out. To celebrate, Andrew, Leo’s mystery writer husband, arranges a tryst for Leo with Mel, a gifted violinist who is one of Andrew’s biggest fans.

What started as mere pleasure becomes a three-part harmony as Leo, Andrew, and Mel explore the ways their kinks and needs mesh—until Leo’s enemies attempt to use evidence of the liaison to force him out of his job.

To paraphrase Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham, “Oh, my…” This is short, sweet, and steaming hot. I don’t recommend this for a commute because you may have to plead a hot flash when desperately fanning yourself to cool off.

The blurb above is actually a pretty good overview. Andrew is coming off of several years of diabetes related illness, a reputation as a party hound, and he’s deeply in love with Leo. Leo loves Andrew back, enough to look away from Andrews trysts because he knows Andrew belongs to him. To celebrate Leo’s birthday, Andrew arranges for a rather unusual personal performance by “Irish” – a violin husker in the subway. When Leo sees “Irish” wearing a one of a kind scarf owned by Andrew, Leo gets far, far more than musical serenade. Doubly so when Leo finds out there’s a second act that evening.

Oh my hotness! The connection between the three men was incredibly well written. I enjoyed the emotional dance that went through Leo’s head over the course of the day and evening – his fears, his hidden anxieties, his love for Andrew and his enjoyment at having all three of them together.

However, even with the fireworks on page – I felt a bit bereft. I wanted more. More Andrew and Leo before birthday, more of all three after birthday, more of Leo’s work situation. In short – a longer story.

But I’m not sure that a longer story would be a better story. Sometimes the strength lies in short, sweet, with lots of heat. And that Maestro delivers in an 1812 Overture style (BOOM!).

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