Customer Reviews

Marly's Choice

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

But I just don't LIKE this series and I won't be reading any further. I didn't even FINISH this book. The sex was NUCLEAR in hotness, but the storyline made it nasty, dirty, and downright tawdry. I couldn't get into it.

I've got nothing against menage or erotica (hello? I BOUGHT the book right?) but the "If you love me you'll do my brothers and me too" and the "NEVER TELL ME NO! I'll BRUTALLY RAPE YOU if you do!!!" Stuff is just WRONG WRONG WRONG.

And she finally comes to the point where sharing herself with all three is HOT and not that disturbing and what does the author do? "If you LOVE ME you'll have sex with this WOMAN"

At that point I was so DONE. And these boys had some seriously serious psychological problems. They were brutally raped as children by their dad and FORCED TO LIKE IT. Instead of dealing with the trauma of abuse? They allow that trauma to be the reasoning behind their boorish, mean, evil, and downright ILLEGAL behavior towards women.

Not hot. SO not hot.

Please. If you, like me, look for a little "reality" with your fantasy? DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!

But if you can take it? If you can separate reality from fantasy? Then you'll LOVE this series.

My problem is: I went to all the trouble to READ the damn reviews and then IGNORED them. HOW SMART WAS THAT?

Ms. Leigh, I love you your books. I own most of them but I have to say "Men of August" is very, very disappointing. I love myself some Alpha Male, this book however, did not contain an Alpha Male. This review is going to contain spoilers so do not read it if you don't want to know. I had so many issues with this book that I do not even know where to begin. I think the storyline and the plot against the brothers are great. As a matter of fact that is the only reason why I intend to finish the series. The sex scenes are hot and if that is what you looking for then this book is for you. But in no way be fooled that this series is a love story. These "August Men", if you will are a bunch of wimps and cowards.

1. They call in a woman to protect them. Come on!
2. Get help, go see a phyciatrist, somebody who can help you with your issues. Hug your brothers once a day to get that connection going. Why do you have to share your wives?
3. True love is making sure your spouse is happy. From what I can see both Marley and Sarah not only has to watch their husband screw their brothers wives, but they stand in line to be killed by a maniac plus they have to accept these men with all their "so called demons.
4. These woman get nothing in return but be humiliated. I cannot understand why Sarah and Marley has no back-bone and why they could not just leave.

These "August men" have done nothing for their woman and gang raping Sarah, yes thats the way I see it is just sick!

Lora Leigh is one of my absolute favorite authors of those who write books published by the erotic romance publisher, Ellora's Cave. This particular book, Marly's Choice, is the first in a series of four books about the August brothers. This first book tells the story of Cade August and Marly. Marly is in love with Cade and wants him to recognize the fact that she's all grown up now and more than ready to become his lover. Cade, who has spent much of his life protecting and sheltering Marly, is hesitant to reveal the depth of his sexual needs to Marly. Marly, however, is determined to break through his shields and reach the man inside... the man who secretly hungers for Marly. I loved watching Marly and her co-conspirators push Cade to his very limits -- and when he finally breaks, all hell breaks lose! Cade is a fiercely sexual alpha male with deep-seated needs. Watching him eventually coax Marly into accepting and meeting his sexual needs (as well as the needs of his brothers) will make you weak in the knees. This book is sexually intense and very erotic. If you want to read an erotic romance novel that will take your break away, here's the one to do it. Once you read this book, you'll want to continue with the rest of the books in this series, each featuring one of the brothers. (Note, at the time this review was written, I think the rest of the books in this series are available only in electronic form from Ellora's Cave. They are well worth pursuing. If you've not tried e-books yet from Ellora's Cave, you are missing out on some fabulously erotic and amazing romance!) Lora Leigh is the author of a number of other books and series, which are not to be missed either! Particularly her Feline Breed series and her Wolf Breed series. Everything Lora Leigh writes is passionate magic!

First of all, I would just like to respond to a comment Avid Reader made. She said "I don't understand how by sharing the woman he loves with his 2 brothers can "heal" Cade and, to give him credit he did fight this with everything in him until Marly pushed him too far." Uh, Marly pushed him too far? What, you mean, she stood up to him? And in return he says, right because you stood up to me I'm now going to make you have sex with me and my two brothers as your punishment. Erm, so Marly isn't even allowed to decide for herself what she wants to do? Wow, now that's a guy who really loves his girlfriend! NOT!

Cade and his brothers have got some serious psychological issues. And they think that sharing their girlfriends between them makes them feel closer and therefore helps. Erm, guys, ever heard of COUNSELLING??! But no, let's not do that, let's just bully and ridicule our girlfriends into having sex with all of us instead. That way we get all the fun and they just have to put up with it. Because we're big, tough, domineering men and you WILL do what WE want.

I have no problems reading books about domination and ménage sex; in fact I've read hundreds of books with these themes. But Cade and his brothers take it a step too far. They basically tell these women you will be having sex with me and my two brothers as often as we like. And if you try to leave we'll just come after you. Because you belong to me. Oh, and my brothers as well. Doesn't matter whether the woman wants it or not.

In fact as the series progresses, the books say they are allowed to have sex with any of the women whenever they want to. Not just in a ménage setting. If Cade wants to have sex with Sam's girlfriend he can, if Sam wants to have sex with Brock's girlfriend, hey bro, go right ahead! And to make this easier on the men? The women aren't allowed to wear underwear. Ever. It's taken away from them. I mean, heavens above, if one of the guys gets an itch and Marly is available in the kitchen, we couldn't possibly expect him to have to deal with underwear! And even worse, when they first start having sex, each woman gets a brown paper bag on their bed. Inside is a sex toy and lubricant, along with a SCHEDULE of when to use it and for how long! This way the woman is ready to be taken anally whenever the men want. These women aren't women, they're objects to be used as and when required. The emotional involvement is incidental. The brothers are only going out with them because it solves the problem of finding a willing woman in town.

This book sickened me. It left me feeling dirty by association. I felt like I needed a hot shower afterwards, and not in a good way.

Also, can I just ask, why is every single woman in Lora Leigh's books completely spineless? It's like they're completely controlled by what's between their legs. It doesn't matter how badly the men treat them, one look and their minds have gone completely. They're all Too Stupid To Live.

If Lora Leigh thinks the treatment of the women in this book and the others in the series is acceptable then I think she also needs counselling. No woman deserves to be treated like an object, to be used when needed, dominated to the point, that, if she says no, she's not comfortable doing that, she's punished and ridiculed.

This was my very first erotica/Lora Leigh experience. (Yeah. I'm bold. I went for the 3-on-1, kinda incest-y one.) And, I'm more than a little grossed out. The sex doesn't bother me. Even the quasi-kinky stuff. The you're-kinda-my-sister-but-not-really stuff doesn't bother me either. I can get my head around that. It's the circumstances surrounding the sex, the weak plots, and the thinner-than-a-cheese-cloth characterization that make me shift into skim mode. Oh, and let's not forget all the TELLING. My nana could probably write a better novel.

Marley went to live with Cade and his two brothers when she was just a kid to escape her sexually abusive step-father. They basically raised her. On almost the very day she turned 18, Cade developed a voracious appetite for her "sex." (Yeah, eww.) What grosses me out is this: this man who supposedly "loves" her is hell-bent on abusing and humiliating her. I want to know if there are women who really find this romantic? At one point, he calls her a very ugly name just after a less than sanitary moment in the barn. I definitely would have channeled Nicole Kidman a la Far and Away and grabbed the nearest pitch fork.

It's entirely possible that I have a very different picture of romance than most readers. But I can enjoy a good bad boy story. Hell, I married a bad boy. But in my mind, the romantic part is when the bad boy discovers a new part of himself when he meets a certain woman. And maybe she does to (enter kinky sex stuff if that's your cup of tea.) None of these characters are transformed. Marley merely does what she has to do to keep Cade's attention. It would be more interesting if he wanted to be with her no matter what, and then she "chose" to fulfill his bizarre sexual leanings. But that's not the case. So...I'm wondering where the choice part comes in?

Like only a couple of other reviewers, I found this book to go beyond the alpha male/submissive female role. In my opinion, the men bordered on bullying, abusive behaviors. Why would any man force the woman he loved to engage in sex with his brothers? Especially to "prove" that he loved those brothers? I simply do not understand that plot/conflict since I am not the dark of a person. While I have read several of Ms. Leigh's other books, and have enjoyed several, this series left me feeling...less than happy and thankful that I am not that dysfunctional nor spinless.

I have read Lora Leigh's "Breeds" books and absolutely loved all of them. I bought Marly's Choice based on the rave reviews. I have to say it was not what I hoped. Hey, I love a good menage-a-trois as much as the next girl, but this book really made me feel icky after reading it. Initially, the story seemed contrived and forced, then just icky and incestuous. The icky-ness factor came into play upon learning that after her Mother's death Marly is basically raised by these 3 men since she was very young and then she enters into a sexual realtionship with them, it felt very incestuous to me. Also, the brothers are too tormented for me. A strong, slightly troubled Alpha male is great, but these guys seem weak and self-absorbed in their own pain. I was really disappointed in this one and I can't quite bring myself to buy the other two books in the series to see how it all finishes. I wish I'd never read Marly's Choice; sorry Ms. Leigh, still looking forward to reading Dawn's Awakening-just ordered it.

First off let me say, if you are looking for a book with extreme and hot sex then this is a purchase for you. If, however, you are looking for a book with true love then please...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...pass this book on.

Marly and Cade have been destined to be. She's been in love with him since she was a little girl. Cade is older then Marly, and extremely protective of her. Yet, as she grows older his feeling become very sexual in nature. Since they aren't related by blood this isn't necessarily a bad premise. Most ole school readers have seen this replayed in Harlequin books of the past. LOL...But this is where the old school and the 'new school' come into play.

Cade has been abused in the past. The author doesn't really go into detail explaining this abuse, but somehow it makes him want to 'share' his women with his two younger brothers. And, when I say share...I MEAN SHARE IN THE MOST ULTIMATE SENSE.

I'll be honest...the sex is hot...but that's all there is to it. I could not relate to a male, alpha or otherwise, who gets some kick in sharing his woman. I find that gross and disgusting. And, any true man who love his woman would not want to share. Cade's relationship with Marly is borderline incest, and too disgusting to be true love. Though, the sex is hot. If you dig this...then purchase this book as an erotica only. But, don't fool yourself into thinking this is a romance with erotic overture.

You will be sorely disappointed.

I'm gonna keep this one short and sweet......I usually love Ms. Leigh's books and storylines. BUT this one - well - it's in the trash. I got towards the end and was literally disgusted with the way the story twisted. It ended poorly and left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong ...I'm all for different strokes for different folks but this storyline bordered rape and gave "dom's" a bad name. And then when you think everything's gonna be okay - the lead male "he-man" demands another life altering change of the female lead stating "if you love me - you'll do this one last thing". I have never been more insulted for women all over the world!!! Sorry - I love a good dom/sub storyline but this was ridiculous. I was going to get the other books in the Men of August series....but not now. I'll stick with her other storylines from now on.

by Diana

To save her daughter from an abusive stepfather, Annie entrusts twelve-year-old Marly's care to Joe August and his three sons, Cade, Brock and Sam. Now eight years later, Marly no longer sees Cade as the person who helped raise her, but as the man she loves.

As Marly returns from college for Joe August's funeral, she realizes this is her chance to prove her love for Cade and make him realize she is no longer a little girl. She has heard rumors about his sexual escapades and will do whatever necessary to prove she is woman enough for him.

Marly is not the only one who has had a hard childhood. Cade and his brothers have secrets of their own and Cade fears Marly will never be able to handle them once she knows. He would rather keep her as a friend than lose her forever.

As the tensions rise between Marly and Cade, little accidents begin to happen. Cade and Marly soon realize their worst nightmare is back and going to do what it takes to keep them apart.

This is only my second book from Ellora's Cave and the first by this author. The story between Cade and Marly had a great build up and lots of sexual tension, and the scenes once they were together were very hot. I would definitely read another book by Lora Leigh.