Overdue Feelings by A. Blossom | Book 1 of the Sweetest Lessons Romances

So apparently Off the Charts by Zee Renee is book 6 in an interconnected series called the Sweetest Lessons Romances. Each book has a different author, but all feature the same school, Sweet Pea Academy. I read book 6 first because it’s the one I see talked about most in my reading groups and didn’t discover there were others until I started digging. I decided to go back to the beginning.

Book 1 is Overdue Feelings by A. Blossom and while I enjoyed it for the most part, it wasn’t my favorite because I feel the ending was too clean.

Creek, Ares and Zae (Isaiah) have been three peas in a pod since they were children. They literally did everything together which apparently had everyone uneasy because well, Creek is a girl. As they age, Creek realizes she’s in love with Ares and at age 18 decides to give him her virginity hoping it would keep him from going away to college. In the moment, he made her believe he would stay for her but ended up breaking her heart by leaving without saying goodbye. That left Zae to help her pick up the pieces which resulted in them becoming lovers in adulthood.

Creek and Zae both work at Sweet Pea Academy, her as the librarian and him as the coach and gym teacher. Now these two are grade A FREAKS. They get it on before work, after work and sometimes even at work. Because their friendship spans twenty plus years they are so very deeply connected.

But chile… why did Ares come back out of nowhere? Twelve years later he shows up at Sweet Pea Academy as the new school nurse. He had gone off to Howard and become a doctor but closed his pediatric practice in New York to return to the only place that felt like home and take a job at his old school. Needless to say neither Creek nor Zae welcomed him back. They were BOTH still angry with him for leaving their friendship and never looking back. Creek was still in love with him and angry that he hadn’t even attempted to reach out in twelve years after the night they shared. Zae wasn’t worried that Ares would take Creek away from him because he knew what they had and what they meant to one another, but he also knew that she was still in love with Ares and a part of her was missing without him. Ares just wanted his best friends back but also was still in love with Creek and was blindsided by her and Zae being a couple.

They were standoffish at first but Zae eventually warmed to Ares being back and called a truce, working to mend their friendship. While Creek wasn’t ready to do the same, Zae encouraged her to. Creek’s grandmother Gigi, who loved them all dearly, also encouraged her to. Apparently, their entire town, especially Ares’ parents, has always believed these three were in a poly relationship, so why not test that theory?

Listen. I’ve always said I could never share my man, nor could I share my body with someone other than my man, but baby listen… the shit that happened between these three?! I initially didn’t see it coming. I just knew Creek was gonna step out on Zae with Ares, ruin her own relationship and then Ares was gon get his ass beat or killed by Zae. But the night that Zae told Creek she needed to have a real conversation with Ares and that he was waiting on their porch to talk to her? Chileeeeee. Zae, Zae, Zae smh. This man walked onto that porch and said, listen, I know you love me, but I also know you love him, it’s ok for you to want him and I’m giving you permission to have him. Boy what?! Like, Zae really sat there and told Creek to straddle their best friend, who thought he was drunk AF and delusional btw, so he could watch her give him what he knew they both wanted.

Creek was so confused initially but once they realized Zae wasn’t on some bullshit and gave in? Oh, my, gawd. Zae watching them be together and even helping her get there? Then them moving it to the bedroom, the kitchen and so on and so forth? Listen. What took place between the three of them from that point on was WILD. And neither one of them play about her so it was whewwww.

My face… the whole damn time!!

And while I definitely enjoyed their kinks and sexcapades, the story left so much to be desired. I felt like it ended too cleanly. There was no real drama, the neatness of their arrangement, them being called out but how open they were with everyone, just felt off to me. Yes, I know that’s my logical brain trying to make sense of something I know absolutely nothing about but yeah.