I thought that few, if anyone, could compare to Casey McQuiston in terms of books about queer love and queer joy, but… I think I found someone to give Casey a run for their money.

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander follows Mel, a bartender. She has distant dreams of owning her own bar someday, but none for finding love again after her marriage fell apart a couple of years ago. So when Bebe, a gorgeous woman, starts flirting with Mel from across the bar, Mel’s startled. More so when Bebe’s partner Kade arrives. It turns out, Bebe and Kate are a polyamorous couple, and Bebe is interested in dating Mel. Mel agrees, even though she doesn’t have any idea how this works, or if she’s even capable of maintaining any kind of relationship. But as she grows closer to both Bebe and Kade, she discovers—to her complete surprise—that love is more than she ever imagined it could be.

First of all, I need to point out that this is one of the spiciest books I’ve ever read. I’m sure there are books that have more sex scenes (this one had three), but these were pretty explicit. Normally, I don’t really seek these books out, but when these scenes happen, I just roll with it. If you’re not interested in reading that content (or if you are), I wanted to mention it. These are some descriptive scenes. Fully consensual, of course, but… detailed.

Anyway, moving on. As for the characters, wow I loved them. Mel’s fish-out-of-water insecurities, both in terms of dating someone much richer than she is, as well as about her own worth as a bartender and even as a person, make her very sympathetic. I also loved Bebe for her bubbly kindness and determination to forge healthy, communicative relationships with everyone she cares about. And Kade was a delight with all their brooding artistic silences, especially as that initial impression slowly falls away to reveal a sensitive, caring person. I adore this type of character more and more, I think. I also really liked Mel’s best friend Daniel, and the way their friendship had its own subplot about platonic commitment.

The storyline is primarily a romance, so there’s a lot of navigating relationships, especially in a poly situation. It’s informative without being dry, and feels natural, how something like this might play out in the real world. There’s some struggle, some obstacles, but always, Alexander emphasizes how relationships can bring out the best in people. Mel is allowed to grow and change, finding strength and confidence she didn’t think she had, both in her personal and professional life. Sure, some aspects of the story might be a little unlikely (I’m sure not all people in a poly relationship end up dating all others involved, after all), but hey, it could happen!

Because to me, the book’s thesis is this: love is complicated, but even in all its complexity, it’s still just… good. Lovely, even. These two concepts—complexity and goodness—can and should coexist. This book encourages us all to embrace the difficult moments along with the easy ones, because, in the end, it’s all love.

So obviously, I loved Triple Sec. It’s a feel-good story without being saccharine, escapist without being unrealistic. It’s funny and sweet and emotional, a shameless celebration of the many ways that love can be expressed. The audiobook—narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker—was excellent. I have a feeling I’ll reread this someday, and I really want to read the other books by TJ Alexander now!

Triple Sec is available now!