Something Perfect, by Laura Anne Gilman (Faery Cat Press)
Laura Anne Gilman's sweet, sexy novella
is a romance between a long-married couple, Jenny and
Nic, who feel more complete with a third person. Luck hasn’t favored them so
far, as triads or throuples aren’t for everyone. Polyamory requires excellent
communication skills, integrity, and generosity of heart. Frustrated with
having their hearts broken from yet another breakup, Jenny asks Nic to use his
scrying talent to find their perfect partner.
“When you see the curve of their face reflected in glass and
moonlight,” goes his reading. “The city shining on their skin. When you see
that, you’ll know.”
Years go by, until Jenny attends an exclusive party in New
York City and spots Amy sitting alone on the moonlit patio. Jenny knows she’s
“the one.” Courtship is difficult enough, but between three people it’s a real
challenge, especially when one of them is as insecure as Amy, who’s convinced
she “isn’t good at sex” and will never find the right partner. Nic’s “Seeing”
may have started the ball rolling, but it takes more than magic to forge
strong, resilient relationships.
There was so much I loved in this story, and it’s all beautifully rendered: the strength and clarity of Jenny and Nic’s marriage and their ability to communicate in a loving, nonjudgmental fashion; the absence of plot stupidities and misunderstandings that serve no other purpose than to draw out tension, when a simple conversation would resolve them; the positive portrayal of sex and multiple relationships, one that trusts the reader’s intelligence; and most of all, a thread of gold running through the story, the importance of consent. Asking for it, giving it, checking in, taking it back, celebrating it. And the wonderfully juicy erotic bits are great, too.
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