Barb is on holiday. She very rarely takes a vacation and has finally given in to the idea that she needs an extended vacation, choosing a resort that will give her the opportunity to be by the water and explore nature at the same time.
Lynette escaped from a cult in her early twenties after having been there for 12 years. She’s still trying to heal, get through her everyday life and try not to be found and taken back to the cult. Not only that, but she hasn’t had good experiences from her past relationships, so the last thing she’s looking for is a vacationer to catch her eye.
I did really enjoy the storyline itself, in that I could see why the two fell for each other, what they would bring to each other in a relationship and why they would want to pursue that, but because of the setting and the time period, the story became very repetitive very quickly.
Lynette works in the hotel dining area, so this means a significant amount of the book revolves around their interactions in this dining area, or in Barb’s hotel room. I found it a little challenging at times to keep track of the timeline, as we within the interactions the characters are often worried about Lynette being late back for work, so we get glimpses into their conversations, but then all of a sudden she needs to be back, making things feel jolted at times.
I found the relationship to be believable, I just wish it had the opportunity to grow further within the storyline, though I do understand what Popovich was aiming for. The details within the book are interesting and I found the fact that the characters communicate a breath of fresh air.
I definitely wouldn’t rule out another Popovich book, and I’d be interested in reading more about this topic too if it appears in other sapphic books.
I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
LGBTQ+ Reader 