Entwined by Harper Miller

Published: November 2015

*A copy of Ironic was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review*

The first thing to know about Entwined is that it's not a novel. It's a novelette that's about 40 pages give or take. It's the third book of the Kinky Connect Chronicles, but you don't need to read the first two to follow this one. They're each complete on their own, with each book in the series telling the tale of a couple who meet on a website for people who are interested in romance with a little more (kinky) flavor to it. The second thing that you should know is that the story also includes a bit of f/m/f action. Okay... so this isn't really my thing, but since I don't really have anything against bisexual, lesbian, or gay love, and Harper Miller is just an amazing author, I gave it a shot. I'm glad that I did. The third thing is that cover. BAM! Stop take another look at that. Hot or what?!  Yes world, black women come in all flavors! Love the shaved head and the red highlights in her hair. I'm seeing some amazing covers lately and I'm hoping that this trend continues!


Because Entwined is such a short story, I'm going to keep my review quick. Jake is a Hawaiian/Caucasian man whose military career is coming to an end. He wants a woman, but not
one who is too clingy. To say he was arrogant is an undersstatement. He joins the kinkyconnect community, comes across Gabrielle and immediately thinks that she's the hottest woman that he's ever seen. Gabrielle is equally arrogant but after a bit of over-the-phone posturing they realize there may be an attraction worth exploring. Unfortunately, Jake has several months before he's free of the military so they use this time to get to know one another. We don't really get to explore this part of their relationship as the bulk of the story tells what happens on the night that they finally meet in person.

Although well written, I can't say that I really cared for Jake or Gabrielle. I never really felt the connection between them and I didn't finish the book feeling like they really had much of a chance at a successful relationship. Gabrielle's character does some fluctuating that hints her bravado is a bit of an act and somehow Jake's feelings have blossomed into more than what I think he was looking for. Because it is short we don't get too much detail on either characters progression. Yes,  I knew it was a novelette going in.

All in all I totally love the multi-ethnic nature of this tale from Jake to their female third party who was a Latina. Unfortunately, she was a bit of a stereotype in the hot Latina/ Sophia Vergara way. That said, this was just a glimpse at the character and I honestly trust that Harper Miller would have developed her into more than that if she were to lengthen the story. I also believe that there was a lot more to Gabrielle which allowed me to cut the character some slack in the "I don't care for her" department. I'm giving Entwined a 3 out of 5 rating for good writing and story telling that could have been a tad bit longer to establish more of a connection between the characters and between the characters and the reader. If you're looking for a quick read with a whole lotta steam however, this is worth the time.
I do recommend checking out Ironic and Renewed which are the first two books in the Kinky Connect Chronicles.