• ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Lockset by Brenda Murphy | ARC Review

    8th October 2020
    Cover of Lockset (Brenda Murphy)

    Lockset (University Square #2) by Brenda Murphy

    Content warnings: death of parent, infidelity (side characters), homophobia, arson, drug addiction, violence, blood

    This is book two of Murphy’s new series University Square, and while there are a few recurring characters, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. But book one On the Square (review) has a wonderful storyline with a Blasian butch (focusing on her Chinese roots) that is worth a read.

    Eun (은) Park (42, lesbian), an attorney in Chicago, is estranged from her family because of her sexuality. When her father calls in hopes of reconnection, Eun gives in and agrees to visit. However things don’t go as planned, and Eun soon finds herself back home, fatherless, and meets a sweet butch Morgan Wright (42), who is taking care of Eun’s father’s dog Rudy, at the worst possible timing for dating. The chemistry between Eun and Morgan is undeniable, but Eun has a life back in Chicago and Morgan’s locksmith shop is in this small town. The pair has to decide if their encounter is merely for sex, or something more.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair | ARC Review

    17th September 2020
    Cover of The X Ingredient (Roslyn Sinclair)

    The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair

    Content warnings: non-consensual kissings between the main characters, one instance of bi-erasure from a minor character, underlying misogyny from antagonists. Note that ableist language is also present in the book (crazy, insane, mad, blind).

    Sinclair definitely surprised me with The X Ingredient. I don’t normally do well with ice-queen, age-gap, office romance, but I wanted to try anyway. And I am so glad I did.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    The Politics of Love by Jen Jensen | ARC Review

    29th June 2020
    Cover of The Politics of Love (Jen Jensen)

    The Politics of Love by Jen Jensen

    Evangelical Republican attorney and writer Shelley Whitmore meets the liberal, transgender rights activist and psychotherapist Rand Thomas for an MSNBC show in Manhattan. The pair connects immediately with philosophical and political debates. But Shelley has yet to come to terms with her own sexuality and Rand is suffering constant harassment from her deceased wife’s parents. With their values clashing and own problems to tend to, will Shelley and Rand be able to reach out to each other and build something more out of their friendship?

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Still Not Over You by Jenny Frame & Carsen Taite & Ali Vali | ARC Review

    26th June 2020
    Cover of Still Not Over You (Jenny Frame & Carsen Taite & Ali Valie)

    Still Not Over You by Jenny Frame & Carsen Taite & Ali Vali

    I absolutely love the first novella My Forever Girl by Jenny Frame. Its tone is sad from the beginning yet we feel the immense love and caring between Braydon and Faith. Because of unfortunate circumstances, they are divorced and have been avoiding seeing each other for four years. But their friends invite them on a cruise and force them to share adjacent rooms for two weeks. Melancholy flowed relentlessly through the story as Bray and Faith work to forgive each other and, most importantly, themselves. Frame did not disappoint with this emotional butch-femme story and oh what I would give to have a full length novel of them!

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