Serenity by Jesse J. Thoma
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, August 11th 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 266 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
TW: drug abuse.
This is an amazing book. I don’t rate books outside integers, but this one is a high-four for me.
Serenity is an emotionally intense story. Librarian Thea Harris thought Kit Marsden had overdosed the first time they met. That encounter turns out to be the beginning of Kit’s sobriety. Kit desperately wants to put her past behind her and be a new person without all the baggage of a heroin addict. When the orderly Thea comes into her life again, their connection is undeniable. But Thea comes from a family with addiction history, and with libraries being her safe places, she hopes her library is a haven for all. When drug activities start to seep in, Kit has to learn to face her history and Thea needs to decide if her definition of everyone includes users.
To say Thea was beautiful was like saying a waterfall was wet. Although accurate, it failed to capture just how exquisite Thea was.
I love Kit and Thea. They are both so much fun but with so much baggage. Their relationship is playful sometimes, but also every definition of risk-taking. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for them to fully embrace each other in their lives, but I am so happy they did. I love their chemistry, how they are so in-tuned with each other, and that they both have their own issues to work through. Kit, in particular, just breaks my heart. She tries so hard and is so scared, and I just want to tell her she is wonderful and worthy of love. She also reminds me a bit of Aiden Carlisle from Jae’s Conflict of Interest, one half of my all-time favorite wlw couples.
Tell her you usually feel like a firecracker ready to explode, but when she holds your hand it feels like she extinguishes the fuse.
The secondary characters are great, too. Frankie is a sixteen-year-old living a life too close to drugs. She worships Thea and finds connection with Kit. That probably means she is a catalyst for Kit and Thea’s relationship to work. Will we get a book on Frankie’s future one day? Maybe not, but I can dream. Then there is Kit’s cousin Josh. He is the best person anyone can ask for in life. Though he ruthlessly teases Kit all the time, he loves her with all his heart and has never given up on her. He is also painfully honest and I wish there were more real people like him.
The story has one theme, and that is drugs. I appreciate that Thoma did not paint a bad picture for users and made them very relatable. If addiction is a potential trigger, reading this book might not be the best idea. If it is not, I totally recommend Serenity.
There were two things I did not particularly enjoy. The first one was that the characters used “I’m not blind” multiple times as a throwaway. Ableist language is not okay. The other one was that the last chapter (not the epilogue) escalated a little too quickly for me, but this was a matter of personal taste and the plot was still pretty reasonable.
Serenity is a beautiful book about making peace with your past and accepting your own history to become a stronger person. Most of the story is set in a library and involves a certain hot woman covered in sawdust. If you like either, read this. [12 Jul 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
