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The Official Blurb
“Juliet Lamprey is having the time of her life running her successful bakery, TART, when Gideon Carter comes back into her life. Returning home to help his grandfather run the family farm, Gideon is back for good. When they meet again, the spark between them is immediate, and it isn’t long before the former childhood friends play catch up—in bed.
That’s not good news for local lawyer Cal Whaley. Though the sexually open but strictly monogamous Cal has loved Jules for a long time, he’s hardly ever taken it further than friendship. When he sees her start to fall for Gideon, he knows he has to make his move or risk losing her forever.
Who would have anticipated that all three of them would connect on such an intimate level? The trio’s scalding liaisons take them places they’ve never dreamed. But such an intensely passionate and unusual relationship comes with equally as complicated emotions, and when Jules must suddenly leave town, she wonders if she’ll have a choice to make when she returns…”
Tart by Lauren Dane | Why Choose Romance Review
Some romance novels ease you into the chaos.
Tart by Lauren Dane basically throws you straight into a bakery alley kiss and says, “Let’s see how this plays out.”
This book was my first throuple romance for the podcast and it definitely delivered heat. Emotional maturity? That’s a little more complicated.
Tart is part of Dane’s Delicious series, which follows four female friends and their romantic adventures.
About the Author
Lauren Dane is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has written across multiple romance sub-genres including contemporary, paranormal, sci-fi future and urban fantasy.
Published in 2012, Tart dives into a why choose/reverse harem contemporary romance built around childhood friendships, complicated feelings and one very bold relationship proposal.
The Main Characters
Juliet Lamprey
Owner of a successful bakery called Tart. She’s confident in business but less certain when it comes to relationships.
Gideon Carter
Juliet’s childhood friend who recently returned to town to help run his grandfather’s farm. Calm, thoughtful and refreshingly emotionally mature. Bisexual.
Calvin “Cal” Whaley
Another childhood friend and Juliet’s longtime best friend. He’s a local lawyer and also bisexual. He gave Juliet her first kiss years ago but never pursued anything more until now.
Plot Overview
Gideon has just moved back to town and reconnects with Juliet while arranging a farm-to-table produce deal for her bakery. The chemistry between them is immediate and they begin dating.
Everything seems to be going great.
Then Cal decides he doesn’t like it.
Seeing Juliet happy with someone else suddenly sparks feelings he apparently ignored for years. Instead of talking things out like a grown adult, he kisses Juliet behind the bakery and tells her he’s not backing down because he “wanted her first.”
Not exactly a shining moment.
Juliet shuts that down quickly and tells him she’s going to tell Gideon about the kiss because — novel concept — she and Gideon communicate honestly.
Cal insists on tagging along.
Gideon’s response is … unexpected.
Instead of jealousy or posturing, he suggests the three of them consider a relationship together. Since Juliet and Cal have always been close and the feelings clearly exist, maybe a throuple is the path forward.
Juliet struggles with the idea.
She doesn’t fully trust Cal due to his past behavior and she worries the two men may decide they prefer each other romantically … and she could end up pushed aside. At that point, she would honestly be happy just staying with Gideon.
Adding to the stress is Juliet’s family, who are frankly a mess. Her father cheated on her mother years ago and married someone Juliet’s age. When Juliet reveals she’s dating two men, her brother cuts her out of his life and refuses to let her see her nephews.
Charming. (Not.)
The biggest emotional shift comes when Juliet begins standing up for herself and realizing the family she chooses — Gideon, her friends and maybe even Cal — matters far more than the family who constantly judges her.
Spice Level
🌶🌶🌶🌶 Habanero
This book does not tiptoe around the bedroom. Readers will find a variety of pairings including MM, MF and MMF scenes.
If you enjoy spicy why choose romance, this one definitely delivers.
Things I Loved
I’m always intrigued by a Devil’s three-way/why choose romance, so the premise immediately caught my attention.
I also appreciated these characters are actual adults in their 30s. It’s refreshing not to spend every romance novel reading about 18-year-old virgins navigating their first kiss.
Another highlight was Gideon’s grandfather, Patrick, who might be the most emotionally intelligent character in the entire book.
His perspective on love was one of my favorite moments.
Favorite Quotes
“It’s not like it has to be all double penetration all the time or anything. Or any.” She shuddered. “That seems sticky and messy and not entirely pleasant for the person who is being stuffed full of cock.” — Juliet
“I find the older I get the better able I am to accept that my sexual identity isn’t so easy to put into labeled slots. I like who I like.” — Gideon
“I don’t much care for judging what people get up to in the bedroom long as everyone there is on board. I’m going to die soon enough. I don’t need to carry anyone else’s choices. I just need to love my family.” — Patrick
Anatomy Reference of the Day
Apparently we’re referring to the lady bits as “her gate.”
Romance novels never fail to keep things interesting.
Challenges
First and foremost: Cal.
I did not like him.
At all.
He repeatedly acts possessive toward Juliet and says things like she “belonged” to him long before Gideon came back to town. The fact he only decided to pursue her once she was happy with someone else felt incredibly selfish.
Even worse, some of their mutual friends encourage him to go after her despite knowing she’s in a relationship and happy.
It was frustrating.
While I love a good why choose romance, if I were Juliet I would absolutely be choosing Gideon and leaving Cal to rethink his life choices.
I also didn’t fully connect with Dane’s writing style. The dialogue sometimes felt awkward to me, though other readers may enjoy it more than I did.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy why choose romance and steamy throuple dynamics, Tart may be right up your alley.
There’s plenty of spice and a range of relationship dynamics including MM, MF and MMF. While one of the male leads didn’t win me over, the overall premise and relationship exploration make for an entertaining read.
And if nothing else, Gideon’s calm approach to love and communication sets a pretty solid standard.
If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the book, you can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast streaming service. Or click here for our in-house podcast player. I share some fun anatomy references as well as my Romantic Reminder. You can also find out if I won the episode Boobie Prize. Want to read the book for yourself? You can get it here:
Have you read Tart? Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!
