#CassiNova – Lori G. Matthews

Nov 10, 2020 ~ lgbtqreader85 ~ Leave a comment

3.75 stars. I haven’t laughed reading a book as much as I did this one in a long time. Personally, sarcasm is my only form of humour – so the sarcasm from most of the characters in this was right in my wheelhouse.

Reading the notes from the author at the beginning of the book I was aware that this started as a work of fan fiction – however I’m clearly behind in my popular culture as I couldn’t work out what this aligned with. Either it’s moved on so much the original inspiration really didn’t matter – or someone else will spot something that has completely passed me by.

Sam is an actress in a popular sci-fi TV show (I think I get the inspiration here) that inspires much fan fiction, but she’s in the closet – it’s been a long time since she dated anyone except the guy she uses to hide her orientation and really wants a girlfriend. Her manager Jade advises her against it due to the usual you won’t be successful in your career if you’re out thoughts.

Alex is a landscaper by day but an inspiring writer. Her sister encourages her to write fan fiction about Sam’s show. Sam and Jade spot her work and decide to hunt Alex down leading to Sam hiring Alex as a contractor.

It’s clear Alex and Sam have feelings for each other, but they decide to take it slow and tease and flirt with each other constantly. The humour in Alex and Sam falling for each other and their conversations with their friends is the thing that made this book really good in my opinion. Clearly some of the friends exist in the narrative purely for humour opportunities but nonetheless it works. Despite it being the expected I still really enjoyed the ending and I love these two main characters together. I’d also really like to see a prequel book relating to Alex’s sister and her wife.

Whilst it’s not the most original storyline I’d happily recommend this to anyone who loves wlw fiction – and hopefully people will enjoy the humour too.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Too Good to be True – Leigh Hays

Nov 8, 2020 ~ lgbtqreader85 ~ Leave a comment

I’ll be honest, after reading the first book in this series – this wasn’t what I was expecting from the second book – but nonetheless I really enjoyed it.

Jen is a fundraiser for Brown, still married to her ex and sharing both a house and custody of her son. At the wedding of her niece she meets Madison and they take the opportunity to share a night together.

Madison is a social worker, recovering from a bad relationship she returns to Providence and finds herself working at the school Jen is on the board of.

Whilst it’s the second in the series, the characters are tied together by the town they live in, rather than a friendship group. You don’t need to have read the first book – Providence – to read this one. Lindsey is friends with Jen and appears briefly, whilst Rebekiah is only mentioned – so you won’t miss anything in this storyline.

Their friends and families integrate well into the storyline. I found the relationship Jen had with her friends to be effective as part of the narrative in understanding who Jen is and how she fits with Madison. Madison’s family are included just enough for background infill and some familial grilling of Jen.

I loved Madison’s relationship with Carter, Jen’s son. The natural bond they have over geeky things is written really well and it helped to build a picture of any long term future Jen and Madison might have together.

The inevitable angst happens with enough time for things to be resolved with a satisfying end, and I felt the ending was appropriate for the pair. I’m hoping that they’ll be another in the series and we’ll get to see some brief glimpses of them again.

I can’t say this is the worlds most exciting book – but it is a good portrayal of how life looks when it’s complicated and you’re trying to do your best as a couple in building and maintaining a respectful relationship. I was surprised that the sex scenes weren’t steamier after reading Providence – but they do seem fitting for this pairing.

Any wlw age gap romance fans should find something to enjoy in this one, as will most other romance fans.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Treacherous Seas – Radclyffe

Nov 7, 2020 ~ lgbtqreader85 ~ Leave a comment

Having completed the prior seven books of the series last month so I could experience a Radclyffe book at release for the first time, I didn’t have the enjoyment of a return to Provincetown that many had – but it was still great to return to much loved characters nonetheless. I thought Radclyffe had a really good balance between the new couple and Tory and Reese.

I really liked Andy and Laurel. Andy is a younger cop, on summer assignment, waiting for an opportunity to open up with the rest of her family of cops. She obviously has a difficult background and is reticent to allow any vulnerability to show through – so her meeting and growing into her relationship with Laurel is great. I also really liked her conflict about her job performance and her slow understanding of how Reese operates.

Laurel is older and is coming to Provincetown recently trained as a physicians assistant, working in the clinic. She’s not long divorced from a marriage to a man and is throwing herself into her work-life. As someone in one, I’m a big fan of an age-gap romance and I really liked the exploration between Andy and Laurel around their feelings towards each other, and what that might mean for their lives. One thing I’ve always loved about this series is how all of the characters treat the new relationship in the narrative very naturally – and this situation was no different.

Tory and Reese are expecting again, whilst also trying to deal with an outbreak of illness and the arrival of the CDC. I love how Rad has developed the character of Reggie and find all of their scenes with their daughter to be adorable. As always, the love between these two is really heartwarming.

Whilst the storyline that ties the book together mirrors COVID, I felt it was done well in not over sensationalising the possible epidemic in the narrative, whilst providing realistic feelings from the characters involved. The characters of the CDC were introduced in a little more detail than I’d have liked – but mainly only because I’d have preferred the time to spent elsewhere. If this is a setup for a future book though – I’ll be very happy.

You pretty much always know what you’re going to get with a Radclyffe book – but nonetheless I’d highly recommend this one.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two to Tangle – Melissa Brayden

Nov 7, 2020 ~ lgbtqreader85 ~ Leave a comment

Wow.

I could just leave that here with a five star rating and it would adequately explain how I felt when I finished this – but I’ll find some more words to try and do this book justice.

I loved it. I wasn’t sure Brayden could beat Joey and Becca and their story, but when I started to see reviews mentioning that this was even better, I had high hopes and Brayden definitely lived up to them.

Gabriella is the chef at Tangle Valley Vineyard, working away in Jolene her food truck, whilst the new restaurant Joey has planned is being built. She’s getting a reputation for her food throughout the town – and one of the best parts of this book is Brayden’s descriptions of Gabriella’s cooking. She’s happy with her food and her new life in Oregon and isn’t really out there looking for someone – she’s just enjoying life with her friends.

Ryan is the contractor hired by Joey to undertake converting one of the barns to the new restaurant. She has a reputation in the town for no strings attached casual relationships and has no problem finding herself company.

The relationship between the two just grabbed me from the beginning. Their passion for their respective fields plays really nicely when they have to work together. I also really enjoyed their battles on the softball field, but at the same time I also appreciated their softer quieter moments together. They have their bumps where both of their pasts drive wedges between them – but it’s clear they’re meant for each other. The inevitable break up is painful and I was really glad when it was resolved and I felt the HEA was perfect for these two.

As always, the additional characters in Brayden’s books are done really well. It was great to hear more about Joey and Becca and I thought Loretta and Bobby were really sweet. It won’t come as a surprise, but I really enjoyed how Jacks dog was written into the storyline too. Madison plays a little bit more of a part in a different way in this one and I enjoyed the sneak peek as to where her book in the series might be going.

This is going to be really hard to beat with part 3 – but I can’t wait.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bulletproof – Maggie Cummings

Nov 7, 2020 ~ lgbtqreader85 ~ Leave a comment

I really liked this book, it’s a satisfying four star read that in another release month might have led me to lean more towards a low five star, but compared to a couple of others this month it doesn’t quite reach there. I really loved how Cummings mixes the police operations with the relationship and romance side of things – and my favourite part of reading this was actually how much the relationship between the two MCs shines through.

Dylan is a detective for the NYPD working vice when she stumbles across a conversation in a bar and finds herself transferred to major crimes to make use of the information she’s learned. She has a reputation in her neighbourhood as a butch that’s down for no-strings attached. She meets Briana socially, they clearly have chemistry, and then they discover Briana is the AUSA on Dylan’s new case, putting the brakes on things.

I love it when I come across a book where the two main characters are depicted as not looking for relationships, then fall for each other. Cummings has done this aspect of the narrative really really well – delving deeply into the feelings experienced when someone has a reputation as a player and then finds themselves giving themselves to someone deeply. I really enjoyed the experiences of Dylan in this regard. I liked how their relationship softened Briana and showed her that career and love can happen.

There is the introduction of some secondary characters that are well written, but contribute to the angst, both in the workplace and in their personal lives. I appreciated the inclusion of a trans character – especially as Cummings didn’t pretend that this character would have had it easy in the police force.

Whilst the angst element of the book was done slightly differently within the normal tropes, and I can understand and empathise with Dylan’s feelings, the angst part of the book is the reason I can’t quite make it a five star, as I wanted them to fight for each other sooner.

I’d definitely recommend this one to romance fans and fans of cop based books in wlw fiction. I’m definitely going to be exploring more of Cummings’ work.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.