What He Left Behind by L.A. Witt

What He Left Behind by L.A. Witt is a steamy hot M/M/M romance with a ton of emotional depth.  It will tug at your heartstrings and get your heart racing all at the same time!  I received one copy of this book at no charge through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and this post contains affiliate links.

What He Left Behind by L.A. Witt

Purchase Link:  Amazon

Title:       What He Left Behind
Series: N/A
Author:       L.A. Witt
Publisher:    Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (August 18, 2015)
ASIN:       B00Y05TYOO
Format/Length:     775 KB/238 pages
Genre:     M/M/M, Contemporary
Heat Rating:  4
Star Rating: 4 

Author Info:  If you would like to learn more about L.A. Witt you can check out her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Blurb:

Can you ever have a second first time?

Josh Carver thinks it’s just another lunch with his best friend, Michael—until Michael confesses he just turned down a date with his hot veterinarian crush. It seems Michael’s abusive ex left him more scarred than Josh realized.

Josh and his husband, Ian, have done their best to help Michael leave his horrific past behind, but even Josh is stunned when Ian suggests that Josh help Michael with his fear of physical intimacy. After all, it isn’t like it would be the first time—Josh and Michael were once each other’s firsts.

A hesitant first kiss, and Josh and Michael’s natural attraction eases the way. But with Michael still balking at the prospect of sex with someone new, Ian steps into the breach.

Everything is fine and dandy until emotions become so entangled, their friendship—and a marriage—could be at risk.

My Review:

In What He Left Behind by L.A. Witt,  an established couple reaches out physically and emotionally to help a close friend overcome the effects of an abusive relationship. What starts out as friendship and physical intimacy quickly develops into more than they ever anticipated.

Michael was in an abusive relationship for years that left him with severe emotional scars.  Therapy has helped but he still cringes at being touched by anyone, especially in a romantic sense.  This fear is ruining any chance he has at finding someone to fall in love with.

Josh and Ian have been married for 10 years.  They are very much in love.  Seeing their good friend Michael try to deal with his intimacy issues alone tugs at their heart strings.  Ian has a plan. Josh and Michael are best friends. They used to date. Michael trust Josh with his very life.  Why not have him learn to trust him in bed as well?  Since they have a history together it should be easy, right?

Things move along wonderfully in bed and out, until hearts start getting in the way.  Their very unconventional relationship may be just the thing they all need.

I have been a fan of L.A. Witt’s books for years.  She always seems to write wildly passionate stories that also tug at my heartstrings. There is definitely a lot of sex in this book but it is tender and emotional and meaningful, no matter which of the guys is involved.

I felt horrible knowing what Michael suffered with his ex. The resulting panic attacks and difficulty being touched made me want to hold and comfort him.

Ian seemed to be the hard and stoic sort.  I didn’t get as good a feel for his character throughout this story.  He was very clinical about suggesting Michael and Josh begin a physical relationship.  Logic and control seemed to define him, although you get enough snatches of his emotional side to know that he truly cares about both Michael and Josh.

I think Josh was exhausted trying to keep up physically and emotionally with both Ian and Michael. His nerves were stretched thin and he was terrified of losing both his husband and his best friend.  Getting up the nerve to tell Ian that he had fallen in love with Michael caused a huge meltdown.  The weight of so much emotion practically crushed him.

I will say that I wanted something more from the story to keep me turning the pages.  I loved the guys.  I loved the emotion and the chemistry between them all.  But I did feel like the book jumped from one bedroom scene to another at times with a lunch date or moment or two of angst in between each one.  The writing was great but I think a plot outside of their relationship would have really made me love this story even more.

Overall though, a wonderful m/m/m book with well written characters and plenty of emotional depth.