Release Day Review ~ Taking Turns ~ JA Huss (@JAHuss)

Taking Turns by JA Huss
Turning #1
Release Date: January 18, 2017
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance
Source: I received an ARC from the author which I voluntarily reviewed. I also purchased my own copy in paperback.
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon

Synopsis
I've never been afraid of the dark...but that doesn't mean I wanted to live in it. And maybe everyone wants what they can't have, but I should've thought it over before I accepted the key and unlocked the door to their forbidden world.

Number One is mostly silent. He watches me with them very carefully. His gaze never wanders. His interest never wanes.

Number Two is mostly gentle. But it's the other side of him I like best. The wild side.

Number Three is mostly reserved. He refuses to cross the line. Even when I beg.

It was carnal, it was sensual, and it was erotic. That's it. That's all it was supposed to be. A trip into the dark. A peek into the forbidden.

I just didn't expect to like them.

I've read and reviewed every one of JA Huss' books and I have to say there comes a point where it's difficult to find different ways to extol her virtues in storytelling. I mean, her books almost always hit the mark for me. I know no matter what I'm going to get a well-crafted story, typically at least some suspense, a plotline that messes with my head and keeps me guessing, characters so well-wrought they feel like real people. And in Taking Turns she delivered all of that. But this story...this story was also more. And seeing as how I'm always impressed by Huss anyway, it's telling that with this story I was utterly captivated from start to finish...dazzled.

Taking Turns tells the story of four people - one woman, three men - who enter into an unconventional relationship. They each have their own reasons for doing so - the men having been doing so for years. While getting acquainted and comfortable in the relationship, they not only learn about each other but also about themselves.

The story is told from the POVs of each of the four and I appreciated this because it enabled me to get a solid understanding of each character - even if I wasn't privy to all their secrets. There is also a fifth character who plays an integral role in the lives of the four - one we never meet but learn a lot about.

There are secrets - of course there are secrets, this is Huss after all. And I can say in all honesty that I didn't guess what they were and they made powerful impacts. Taking Turns is also very sexy. Huss has written sexy before but not like this. I commend Huss for taking something taboo and making it so accessible. I also commend her for taking on a topic like female sexuality. I admire her saying that it's okay for a woman to be sexual, to own her own sexuality. It's so true - we should not feel shame for liking sex.

The characters, Chella, Bric, Quin, and Smith - they're all complicated and they're all searching for something. They all entered the game with a purpose. However, I'm not yet certain what all those purposes are. These characters, they're each flawed and yet perfect in their imperfection. I adore each of them and am eager for the continuation of their stories.

I don't see Huss making any less of an impression with her stories any time soon so I suppose I'll have to continue to search for creative ways to sing her praises.