Safe & Sound by Lucy Felthouse
Series: The Dreadnoughts #3 Read time: 2 Days Rating: 2/5 Stars
The Quote: “I guess this is what I get for being involved with four men at once, isn’t it? I mean, bloody hell, one bloke is troublesome enough—but four? I must be insane.” — Kim Medhurst
Warnings: None of note
This review is mainly me just word vomiting. There are thoughts on the series as a whole right at the end.
I'm going to start by saying by this series struggled to stick the landing. I may not read reverse harem for the proper plot, rather I read it for the connections between the characters (no not the sex), but your plot that framing that holds the whole thing together has to make sense. And on that, I'm afraid Lucy Felthouse fails. That is why I'm giving it 2⭐, it was only going to be three (at the absolute highest four) but it required everything to work out well. That said I do like the way the end breaks down time-wise. Chapter fourteen is the last on the main timeline, chapters fifteen and sixteen are set two weeks later, the epilogue two months.
We left Cut and Run with Maxim Orlov (referred to as Orlov junior and the wee fella more than a few times) at the gates of Jota's compound asking for entrance, to talk. Safe and Sound picks up right from there, with The Dreadnoughts trying to figure out what he might want, how bigger a threat he poses and quite frankly how to handle the situation. Maxim is an ally, much like Kim, he has opposing views to his father. He wants to use the ygrene to enhance his familial fortunes rather than maintain them while destroying the planet. Maxim is an interesting character to me. I didn't expect him, the way Vladamir speaks to him, the way he speaks to others and he interacts with the wider world. In some ways, despite being the son of a Russian oligarch he is almost the right fit for Kim's harem (sans powers). In all honesty, I really like him.
The Dreadnoughts do eventually talk about their polyandrous arrangement. Laying out the boundaries and actually having a moment where the boundaries need to be addressed and called upon. I appreciate that there was that complication, in the most British way possible. Jota are totally fine with the sharing, in my favourite way to borrow a line from the previous book "We already share family ties, a house and a business. Why not a lady, too?” (Taylor, Cut and Run). The others are fine with it too, getting to something I already wondered if it is the ygrene that has created a bond between them. Jota note that Chastain and Aidan are more reserved with women, that is what prompts the thought that it was the ygrene. I have wondered if given Chastain's issues at times if the ygrene as treated some kind of imperative (see both Michaela Haze's Blood Sugar and L.J. Swallow's The Four Horsemen series).
Have a dump of quotes and comments.
Also, his bark was worse than his bite, and despite his fighting talk, he wouldn’t kill someone without provocation. — This is Kim about Chastain. I really like it as a description of him. It suits him well. It is a testament to just how well she has learnt through personal interaction and through his records. (Kim)
Of course he was eating. Nothing would keep that man from a meal for long. Taylor Greig was to food as she was to a computer. — Like the previous quote about Chastain this is a fantastic pick-up about Taylor. I appreciate that there is a potential scientific explanation for it. (Kim)
“Oh, I dunno… pick the right time and place to go for a walk in Greenwich and there’s a chance you won’t see a soul.” “Hmm,” he replied, brushing his hand over the rough bark of a tree as they passed it, “you might not see them, but they’ll be there, won’t they?” She frowned. “What, you mean they’ll be hiding in the bushes? Like psycho stalkers?” “No.” Smith chuckled. “That’s not what I meant at all. I meant, even if you sat slap bang in the middle of Greenwich Park, and there was no one walking through it, there’d still be people in the surrounding houses, in the shops, the pubs, the restaurants, the museums. You might not see them, might not hear them, might not even sense them, but they’d be there. There’s none of that here. Other than the five of us and the wildlife, there isn’t a soul for miles.” — I know a long quote but I love it. I love it as a way to show the similarities in Kim and Aidan's personalities. The value of peace as well as their shared compassion and interest in bettering the world. (Kim and Aidan)
“All right. Be warned, bossy mode has been activated. Here’s what I want you to do…” — I appreciate this line. The guys like that she is bossy on a level I think. Though blessed be it is not a total turn-on for anyone. (Kim)
I do wonder what The Dreadnoughts (Kim excepted) were doing to help Kim with her research. We know they were helping with Aidan talking his own outbuilding for his tests but he's got a different background to the others. Despite all of them being intelligent men.
Oh oh I definitely have a type in a reverse harem, that type is served so well in Aidan Smith. He's smart, compassionate and a brilliant friend, he's the closest alignment is likely the stoic. His intimate scenes with Kim are perfect. It's teasing and intense. It starts in a bath and ends on a bed. I appreciated it.
“Fuck’s sake! Will you stop doing that?” “No,” Taylor said simply, folding his arms. “Not when there’s a Russian megalomaniac at my front gates, looking fer trouble.” — I quite like this feisty side of Taylor, Taylor and Chastain are already having issues in this book but him Whoosh!-ing people around is kinda fun. We needed to see the many dimensions of Tay before this ended. (Chastain and Taylor)
“Come up wi’ some bullshit excuse fer why ye’re only just answering. We dinnae want tae antagonise him more than he already is. There’s the slightest chance this whole thing might end without the need fer violence.” Chastain snorted. “We’ve got more chance of finding rocking-horse shit. Fucking hell, Josh, I know you’re something of a pacifist these days, but you’re dreaming if you think this can end peacefully.” Realising he was gripping his gun so hard he was in danger of bending it entirely out of shape, therefore rendering it useless, Joshua swallowed hard to dampen down the flare of anger Chastain’s words had ignited. He wanted to drive his ‘pacifist’ fist right into Chastain’s snarky face. “Dreaming or not, mate, there is a crazy Russian prick at my fucking gates, and he isnae going tae go away just because we’re ignoring him, so why dinnae ye shut the fuck up and let Taylor do his thing, all right?” — I know this is a long quote but I wanted to include it. This line made me so angry. Like nearly irrationally angry. I have a love for Josh and struggle with Chastain. The pacifist line was needless and this group needs a balance of testosterone-fuelled protector and calm realist. (Chastain and Josh)
Taylor acting stupid for Vladimir Orlov to stall for time is possibly the funniest thing. He's so good a fast-talking and knows how to stall best for the right person.
To be fair, it shouldn’t be any kind of surprise Taylor already had a good idea of who would be most useful where, either. His superhero-nerd status had come into its own since they’d all had their powers bestowed upon them—gone from hobby to actual life skill. — I hadn't thought of this, honestly, I'd forgotten a little about how much of a total nerd Tylor is. (Kim)
As she’d known he would, Taylor engaged his powers and with a whoosh, he was completely naked, his clothes flung so carelessly around the room it looked as though a typhoon had blown through her kitchen. She supposed one had. Typhoon Taylor. As weather events went, it was definitely her favourite. —This made me laugh. Taylor using his powers to get as naked as possible as fast as possible is perfect. It is fantastic to see a character making sex fun. The only other scene in here is so intense and this is a gorgeous counterbalance to it. (Kim)
The plot does wind up well with no loose ends per se. This isn't the worst reverse harem series I've read but it is certainly not brilliant either. There is better polyandry out there. That said if you are a fan of the genre it is something different. That idea of playing with superpowers and military all through, including the woman. Also, I'm not sure I've ever read a book in this style with Scots used consistently by two characters (I can't remember what Three Irish Brothers did but Aiden's mute). I personality had problems with one of the four men, Chastain, but I loved the other three Jota (that nickname is cute too) and Aidan (marked by the fact that I use his given name rather than a surname as is used in the book). Kim is brilliant though her strength and intelligence are perfect for a series with this sort of scientific premise.
