Season of Gifts: Neighborly Affection Book 8

M.Q. Barber

Mar 2025 · Neighborly Affection Book 8 · Whiskey Jack Editing LLC

About this ebook

Married in November, divorced in December?

 

As newlyweds Henry, Alice, and Jay settle into their life together, an avalanche of trouble threatens to bury their dreams of a merry Christmas.

 

Forced to confront echoes of his childhood, Henry leaves Alice and Jay to fend for themselves. Their dominant has never let them down before, but now he's distracted, anxious, and forgetting the things that matter. Will his distance be the crack that fractures their marriage?

 

Jay's first holiday season after a bitter break with his family isn't turning out the way he hoped. He's trying to keep spirits high, but with his spouses stretched thin, the days grow bleak. When work obligations drive Alice toward her own long-overdue family confrontation, gut-wrenching emotions split the triad further apart.

 

Can they find their way back to one another, or will they be out in the cold forever?

 

Season of Gifts is the final book in the Neighborly Affection series. This spicy contemporary romance series, best read in order, follows the friends-to-lovers-to-spouses relationship of a committed poly triad.

 

New to USA Today bestselling author M.Q. Barber's Neighborly Affection series?

 

This mmf menage saga is best read in order. Start with Playing the Game or the prequel book Becoming His Master. For a different perspective on the events of Playing the Game, read it alongside Tuesdays with Jay and Other Stories.

 

"The three lovers define the ups and downs of a polyamorous triad and leave the ending open for future adventures. ... Barber frames a sexy, loving relationship that happens to be among three people. Libraries looking for more ménage works might consider purchasing all three [books in the series]." -- Library Journal on the Neighborly Affection series

 

Praise for the USA Today bestselling series starter

 

"The writing is quick, smart and witty. The character development, especially of the heroine, and plot progression work well with this trio." – Shelly, reviewer for Red Hot Books

 

"Ms. Barber delves into the culture of Dominance and submission with compelling grace, introducing us to Alice, Henry, and Jay and all of their delightful emotional and sexual complexities." – Sophia Jones, author of The Pharaoh and the Curator

 

"It's steamy and sexy enough, and doesn't hold back on the BDSM angle, but this erotic romance has so much more to offer than titillation or fantasy." – D.B. Sieders, author of Red Shoes for Lab Blues

 

"I will read this one again. The sex scenes were off the charts hot. The characters were amazing. Henry melted me." – Jessi Gage, author of Wishing for a Highlander

 

"Chapter after chapter, I was captivated by the very real process of a woman that discovers her submissive self and how a man tamed her, day after day, week after week, month after month. … It is the kind of book that make you think: yeah, that makes sense. If I was in her shoes, I would act like this." – Mary, reviewer for Mary's Menage Whispers

 

"The writer had a way to bring you in and make you feel soulful about what they were sharing. I felt like I was made to consider each decision they made about what they needed and why they needed it. This wasn't just a wham-bam book, it was a story of Alice's emotions surrounding this couple she had grown to care for." — Mistress L, reviewer for S&M's Book Obsessions

 

Ratings and reviews

This was a fitting tale to end this series and I loved it so much! It was everything I expected from a book in this series, yet I could not have predicted it at all. The characters are really put through the wringer this time, and it exposes a never before seen side of Henry, while Alice and Jay continue to progress with their own self defeating patterns. So many backstory details received a satisfying wrap up; it’s amazing! I’m so grateful to have gotten to read Henry, Jay, and Alice’s story.

About the author

M.Q. Barber likes to get lost in thought. She writes things down so she can find herself again. The USA Today bestselling author of spicy contemporary romance—often with poly, kinky, and queer elements—has a soft spot for romances that explore the inner workings of the heart and mind alongside all that steamy physical exertion. She loves memorable characters, witty banter, and heartfelt emotion in any genre.

M.Q. tells stories of cozy and emotionally empowering steamy romance in places where the seasons change and folks mix small-town common sense with cosmopolitan reflection. Many of her characters are approaching midlife unpartnered and yearning for belonging. They are slowly realizing that friends make the best lovers, that second chances can right wrongs, that sharing multiplies the love in their hearts, and that kindness and communication can make the pain go away. They are striving to let go of the hurts and losses of the past and focus on self-reflection and persistence to grow into the happily ever after they deserve. And they want to bring you along for the ride.

Whatever else you know in life, know this: You deserve love. You deserve happiness. The world is a better place because you are in it.

For regular updates, sneak peeks, and exclusive short fiction, sign up for M.Q. Barber’s author newsletter and become an Affectionaughty at www.mqbarber.com.