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k_cao_xai's reviews
34 reviews
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The only time I’ll accept two lesbians being surrounded by dicks.
Character Impressions:
Cade Elgin
Cade’s that hot lesbian who’s so serious all the time that you kind of want to ruffle her perfect hair just to see what she does. She’s the reasonable one out of the pair, while Selena plays off her character as the emotional one.
Her strained relationship with her alpaca-loving parents is hilarious, but made me kind of sad at times, because through how they treat her, you can see why she thinks people only want to use her for their own benefit, not because they actually care. Of course, that's where Selena comes in.
Selena Mathis
I found Selena’s naivety to be pretty endearing. She’s so open about her sex life and talks about sex like it’s everyday conversation that it throws Cade off her stride at times. Despite disagreeing with Cade on almost everything about how to run a sex shop, she’s not afraid to admit when she’s wrong.
Cade’s that hot lesbian who’s so serious all the time that you kind of want to ruffle her perfect hair just to see what she does. She’s the reasonable one out of the pair, while Selena plays off her character as the emotional one.
Her strained relationship with her alpaca-loving parents is hilarious, but made me kind of sad at times, because through how they treat her, you can see why she thinks people only want to use her for their own benefit, not because they actually care. Of course, that's where Selena comes in.
Selena Mathis
I found Selena’s naivety to be pretty endearing. She’s so open about her sex life and talks about sex like it’s everyday conversation that it throws Cade off her stride at times. Despite disagreeing with Cade on almost everything about how to run a sex shop, she’s not afraid to admit when she’s wrong.
Story Impressions:
There’s a moment towards the end where I was screaming for both women to just open their mouths and speak words, but it makes sense why they didn’t. But my god, was the yearning so gut wrenching and worth the moment when they finally sucked it up and admitted their feelings for each other.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: Opposites attract.
- Highlight 2: My kind of humor.
- Highlight 3: Explicit sex scenes that were hot and even educational.
- Highlight 4: You would think a story about two women who have to run a sex shop would be filled with a ton of sex, but it’s only there when it needs to be (and when the occasion calls for it). And funnily enough, the sexiest moments were when the two women are just talking with each other. Selena’s openness about sex and Cade’s reservations about her sex life make for some pretty funny banter.
- Highlight 5: This book made me realize that I’d forgotten how much I miss good ole grand gestures of love.
- Highlight 6: Maybe I’m bias because I studied art, but I absolutely loved every description of paintings in this story.
- Highlight 7: Two leads are together or thinking of each other for about 90% of the story.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Bi-sexual lead
- Lesbian lead
- Funny banter
- Explicit sex scenes
- Sex scenes with toys
- Grumpy/Sunshine
The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is the book that made me crawl out from underneath my rock because I have to talk about it.
Character Impressions:
Teo Gean Choo
Hardworking 19-year-old who can be pretty naïve at times. The things she goes through in the story, my god. There were a few instances where she chose to do something and I wanted to jump in the book and shake her by the shoulders to yell, “Don’t do that, please!” But it’s more from a place of wanting to protect her than thinking she’s an idiot.
Mrs. Verity Josephine Edevane
A smoking hot vampire but the shit that she does in the book (especially towards Gean Choo) hurt my soul. I enjoyed seeing her for certain parts in the story because sometimes, she was kind of like this knight who would come to the rescue, but damn, did she develop into something.
San Po Lam
She’s the Asian butch, lesbian in the story and she doesn’t wear a hat. I don’t know why I picture her with a hat even though she's not described as wearing one. She’s not 100% perfect but she is her own character. She’s more down-to-earth, realistic, a bit cynical at times, and whenever I read her dialogue, I always imagine her saying things in a sarcastic, monotone kind of voice, I don't know why.
Hardworking 19-year-old who can be pretty naïve at times. The things she goes through in the story, my god. There were a few instances where she chose to do something and I wanted to jump in the book and shake her by the shoulders to yell, “Don’t do that, please!” But it’s more from a place of wanting to protect her than thinking she’s an idiot.
Mrs. Verity Josephine Edevane
A smoking hot vampire but the shit that she does in the book (especially towards Gean Choo) hurt my soul. I enjoyed seeing her for certain parts in the story because sometimes, she was kind of like this knight who would come to the rescue, but damn, did she develop into something.
San Po Lam
She’s the Asian butch, lesbian in the story and she doesn’t wear a hat. I don’t know why I picture her with a hat even though she's not described as wearing one. She’s not 100% perfect but she is her own character. She’s more down-to-earth, realistic, a bit cynical at times, and whenever I read her dialogue, I always imagine her saying things in a sarcastic, monotone kind of voice, I don't know why.
Minor Characters:
Mr. Kalon Cottesley: I wanted someone to snap his neck when he opened his mouth for the twentieth time. There’s a thing he does that threw me over the edge and had me on the verge of committing homicide on a fictional character. This is all in a good way. I love characters who I’m supposed to hate and I cherish the moment they get their karma. (It was glorious by the way.)
Story Impressions:
Each of our three main characters have skeletons in their closet (some have more than others). This story put me through an emotional roller coaster. It is dark. It has a handful of content warnings so brace yourself if you want to give it a chance.
At certain points in the story, things from the past come back to haunt each of our three prominent characters, as well as things in the present that come to stir things up between them. You're going to see the tone go from neutral, to dark, to even darker. More secrets get revealed, more details about their past comes to light, and towards the end, you’re gonna start wondering, how is this going to end?
And…you can choose that ending. Which I thought was pretty cool, because you as the reader, get to decide one of two pathways Gean Choo can take. Now, this isn’t a choose-your-own-adventure novel. 95% of it is a straight read-through. The author makes that very clear. The chapters I got for my decision was literally the perfect amount. Not so little that it left me wanting more, but not too much that it allowed me to imagine the future afterwards.
#TeamPoLam all the way.
At certain points in the story, things from the past come back to haunt each of our three prominent characters, as well as things in the present that come to stir things up between them. You're going to see the tone go from neutral, to dark, to even darker. More secrets get revealed, more details about their past comes to light, and towards the end, you’re gonna start wondering, how is this going to end?
And…you can choose that ending. Which I thought was pretty cool, because you as the reader, get to decide one of two pathways Gean Choo can take. Now, this isn’t a choose-your-own-adventure novel. 95% of it is a straight read-through. The author makes that very clear. The chapters I got for my decision was literally the perfect amount. Not so little that it left me wanting more, but not too much that it allowed me to imagine the future afterwards.
#TeamPoLam all the way.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: There are mother-freaking penanggalans in this story! I’ve never read a horror novel with those before. I was pretty amazed. If you don’t know what those are, it’s a monster lady who can detach her head from her body at night when she goes hunting for pregnant ladies to eat. (Her spine and intestines don’t come off by the way.)
- Highlight 2: The consensual sex scenes in this story were smokin!
- Highlight 3: None of the toxic behavior in this story was romanticized.
- Highlight 4: The author doesn’t shy away from gore and violence. The vampires in this story don’t make pretty little incisions on someone’s neck. There were moments when people’s throats were getting ripped out. It was brutal. Heads and limps were flying off. I loved every bit of it.
- Highlight 5: You can really tell the author put a lot of care and thought into the darker topics that happened in the book. She doesn’t romanticize any of the abuse, nor try to justify certain character’s behaviors. If someone’s being a piece of shit, they’re a piece of shit.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Vampires
- Sapphic vampire
- Choose your own ending (NOT choose your own adventure)
- Toxic relationship
- Explicit sex scenes
- TW
Female-on-female SA, torture, child molestation, suicide, basically all the trigger warning - Asshole character gets what's coming
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Blood
Minor: Gore
Just Physical by Jae
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If I could make movie rights happen, I’d make it happen for this book.
Character Impressions:
Jill Corrigan
Jill’s entire outlook about her MS isn’t “oh, woe is me, I can’t have what normal people have,” it’s “I don’t want to burden my partner with my disability” and that’s definitely something I can sympathize with. The idea of not wanting to be with someone because one day, you could be a liability instead of a lover is hard to come to terms with, so Jill’s perspective is understandable.
The doubts, the turmoil, the thoughts that her romantic partner could and should leave her one day when her condition becomes too much to bear make her hold back on being with Crash.
Whenever she feels like she can be with Crash, her MS flares up to remind her of her condition, resulting in her pushing Crash away. I just wanted her to be happy.
Kristine “Crash” Patterson
Crash is the real MVP of romantic interests. She doesn’t proclaim her love for Jill and make promises of forever without understanding MS first, and then understanding Jill. I was rooting for her all the way. She did her research, weighed her options, and still wanted to be with Jill. Swoon-worthy.
Jill’s entire outlook about her MS isn’t “oh, woe is me, I can’t have what normal people have,” it’s “I don’t want to burden my partner with my disability” and that’s definitely something I can sympathize with. The idea of not wanting to be with someone because one day, you could be a liability instead of a lover is hard to come to terms with, so Jill’s perspective is understandable.
The doubts, the turmoil, the thoughts that her romantic partner could and should leave her one day when her condition becomes too much to bear make her hold back on being with Crash.
Whenever she feels like she can be with Crash, her MS flares up to remind her of her condition, resulting in her pushing Crash away. I just wanted her to be happy.
Kristine “Crash” Patterson
Crash is the real MVP of romantic interests. She doesn’t proclaim her love for Jill and make promises of forever without understanding MS first, and then understanding Jill. I was rooting for her all the way. She did her research, weighed her options, and still wanted to be with Jill. Swoon-worthy.
Minor Characters:
Lauren Pearce and Grace Durand: I can’t mention one of these women without mentioning her girlfriend. Lauren was a PR agent-turned-screenwriter and Grace is a high-profile actress. Both are Jill’s friends and bless their beautiful hearts. They’re the supportive lovebirds who push Jill and Crash to be together. They’re already shoulder-deep in love with one another in this story, but their romance started in Damage Control by Jae. I like the way they push Jill to be with Crash not by forcing her or lecturing her, but just by creating space for the two women to spend time together. We all need wing women like Lauren and Grace.
Susana: Jill’s housekeeper/maid/mother figure. Whenever she’s in the story, it gives me an almost homey vibe.
Susana: Jill’s housekeeper/maid/mother figure. Whenever she’s in the story, it gives me an almost homey vibe.
Story Impressions:
Came for the sex, stayed for the romance. Died from the pining, resurrected by the declarations of love.
Even though the main conflict Jill is going through is her MS, I like that you also get to see other sides of her: her ambitions to be a great actress, her talent as an actress, her love for her friends, her independence and strong-will. It's her stubbornness that makes her strong but also weak because it prevents her from opening her heart to Crash. Thank goodness Crash is just as stubborn to win her heart.
Even though the main conflict Jill is going through is her MS, I like that you also get to see other sides of her: her ambitions to be a great actress, her talent as an actress, her love for her friends, her independence and strong-will. It's her stubbornness that makes her strong but also weak because it prevents her from opening her heart to Crash. Thank goodness Crash is just as stubborn to win her heart.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: Jill’s longing to be with Crash but she keeps pushing Crash away.
- Highlight 2: Crash never giving up on Jill even when Jill gives up on herself.
- Highlight 3: The amount of yearning these two women have for each other.
- Highlight 4: Lesbians at work.
- Highlight 5: Main leads are together for 95% of the story.
- Highlight 6: Supportive besties.
- Highlight 7: Hot, smoking sex scenes.
- Highlight 8: Supporting characters are supportive.
- Highlight 9: Tramp.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Main character with a medical condition
- Actress/stuntwoman pairing
- Mild angst
- Happily-ever-after
- Explicit sex scenes
- Workplace romance
Worth the Wait by Jae
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I wouldn’t mind three more short stories with Jill and Crash, honestly.
Character Impressions:
Jill and Crash
Jill and Crash are back in this sweet, smoking, short story.
They’ve moved in together, they’re happily in love, and really, they just want to get down and dirty with one another. Never let the honeymoon phase end, ladies.
Jill and Crash are back in this sweet, smoking, short story.
They’ve moved in together, they’re happily in love, and really, they just want to get down and dirty with one another. Never let the honeymoon phase end, ladies.
Story Impressions:
Came in expecting a sweet update on one of my favorite couples, as well as some intimate sexy time. Got what I wanted.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: Finally, some good and healthy strap on sex where it's not about the appendage but about the women.
- Highlight 2: Explicit sex scene.
- Highlight 3: Happily in love.
Of Iron and Gold by Lexa Luthor
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I…I enjoyed this book…way more than I thought I would.
Character Impressions:
Aubrey
She’s your tough, stoic, brooding heroine who only wants to be freed from slavery. Despite her rough exterior, she’s a protective sweetheart who falls head over heels for Kinsey. She was sold into slavery as a young child and has been ridiculed for most of her life that it doesn’t even bother her anymore, so it was endearing to see her open up to Kinsey.
Though this is in the f/f genre, you should know Aubrey is a She-Alpha, so she’s equipped with both genitals. I highly recommend you check out the author's website about the Omegaverse genre and terms. Despite being a lesbian who loves the female anatomy only, I didn’t mind this at all.
Princess Kinsey Wymarc
I would give my life to protect Kinsey.
She’s so sweet and adorable and kind. This isn’t just shown through her personality, but in how other characters act toward her. She has such a good heart that other characters are willing to do things that might get them killed because they’re more loyal to her than her father, King Wilmont, who’s your murdering, enslaving, rule-with-an-iron-fist tyrant.
She’s your tough, stoic, brooding heroine who only wants to be freed from slavery. Despite her rough exterior, she’s a protective sweetheart who falls head over heels for Kinsey. She was sold into slavery as a young child and has been ridiculed for most of her life that it doesn’t even bother her anymore, so it was endearing to see her open up to Kinsey.
Though this is in the f/f genre, you should know Aubrey is a She-Alpha, so she’s equipped with both genitals. I highly recommend you check out the author's website about the Omegaverse genre and terms. Despite being a lesbian who loves the female anatomy only, I didn’t mind this at all.
Princess Kinsey Wymarc
I would give my life to protect Kinsey.
She’s so sweet and adorable and kind. This isn’t just shown through her personality, but in how other characters act toward her. She has such a good heart that other characters are willing to do things that might get them killed because they’re more loyal to her than her father, King Wilmont, who’s your murdering, enslaving, rule-with-an-iron-fist tyrant.
Minor Characters:
King Wilmont: Kinsey’s father. Total dick. Kind of funny how he’s a complete ass to Aubrey, but Aubrey’s the one who’s going to get with his daughter.
Queen Agnes: Kinsey’s mother. Only there when she’s needed. Nothing wrong with that.
Agatha: A.k.a. Aggie. Kinsey’s younger sister. She’s hilarious. I adore her sisterly bond with Kinsey.
Gerald: Kinsey’s personal bodyguard. The true MVP.
Luca: He gets 100 points for what he did at the end of the story for Kinsey’s sake.
Queen Agnes: Kinsey’s mother. Only there when she’s needed. Nothing wrong with that.
Agatha: A.k.a. Aggie. Kinsey’s younger sister. She’s hilarious. I adore her sisterly bond with Kinsey.
Gerald: Kinsey’s personal bodyguard. The true MVP.
Luca: He gets 100 points for what he did at the end of the story for Kinsey’s sake.
Story Impressions:
The first half of the story is Kinsey getting to know four Alphas so she can choose one of them to impregnate her. You get to know one of the other Alphas, Luca, but there’s no time wasted on the other candidates. It’s mostly just Kinsey and Aubrey, which I live for. The second half is the months leading up to the two leads’ happily ever after, and what a happily ever after it was.
Because of the genre this story is set in, it’s the only time I don’t mind the number of growls, hisses, snarls, and animal noises made from a human character.
Because of the genre this story is set in, it’s the only time I don’t mind the number of growls, hisses, snarls, and animal noises made from a human character.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: The audiobook is god-tier.
- Highlight 2: The yearning these two women have for each other. Hm!
- Highlight 3: The cover art is beautiful.
- Highlight 4: Those were some spicy sex scenes.
- Highlight 5: The amount of consent.
- Highlight 6: Kinsey might be sweet and kind, but damn, what the girl wants in bed, she gets.
- Highlight 7: The audiobook. Did I mention that already?
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Omegaverse
- G!p
- FemPreg
- Butch/femme pairing
- Happily-ever-after
- Fantasy romance
The Lily and the Crown by Roslyn Sinclair
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’m here for the lesbian gardeners in space.
Character Impressions:
Ariana “Ari” Geiker
Ari is a botanist on Nahtal Station who’s naïve and reserved, but underneath her timid exterior is a brilliant woman who cares about life. You learn early on why she prefers plants to people and it makes sense why she would rather avoid them as much as possible, but seeing her grow out of her shell as the story progresses made me want to root for her to take on the world.
Assistant
You’re probably going to figure out early on who Assistant really is and that’s probably the point cause it’s Ari who’s clueless. The story is entirely from Ari’s perspective so Assistant remains mysterious and cold for most of the story, even her real name isn’t known until near the end.
However, her cold and standoffish demeanor softens at how kind Ari is towards her. The more time she spends with Ari, the more we get to see other sides of Assistant; her morals, hints of her past, her ambitions and dreams.
Ari is a botanist on Nahtal Station who’s naïve and reserved, but underneath her timid exterior is a brilliant woman who cares about life. You learn early on why she prefers plants to people and it makes sense why she would rather avoid them as much as possible, but seeing her grow out of her shell as the story progresses made me want to root for her to take on the world.
Assistant
You’re probably going to figure out early on who Assistant really is and that’s probably the point cause it’s Ari who’s clueless. The story is entirely from Ari’s perspective so Assistant remains mysterious and cold for most of the story, even her real name isn’t known until near the end.
However, her cold and standoffish demeanor softens at how kind Ari is towards her. The more time she spends with Ari, the more we get to see other sides of Assistant; her morals, hints of her past, her ambitions and dreams.
Minor Characters:
Lord Geiker: Stationmaster of Nahtal Station. Ari’s father. He’s not in the story much, but when he is, you know the guy’s all business. People respect him and they’re respectful towards Ari because of him.
Story Impressions:
I absolutely love that the main story was just these two women bonding over plants while a far-distant war waged in the background. Assistant slowly opening up due to Ari and Ari becoming more social because of Assistant was an experience.
I’ve only got three gripes with the story though.
1) Assistant should have had to work way harder to get Ari’s love back, because the way she left Ari was just heartbreaking. Ari didn’t even get the chance to voice how hurt she was, but the moment Assistant touched Ari, Ari just forgot the heartache and forgave her. Come on, let Assistant prove her love for Ari without using sex.
2) I would have liked the epilogue chapter to be from Assistant’s POV instead of some Kazir diplomat dude I don’t care about.
And 3) In the epilogue, I kind of wished Ari didn’t go back to her old anti-social, focus-on-plants-only mindset. I liked that her botany projects were now for something greater, but it would have been nice to see what changed about her. She did make some friends at the station, like with Dr. Eylen, and she doesn’t have to become a social butterfly, but I think it would have shown her growth if she had been with Assistant when Assistant met with the Kazir leader, just to show how different Ari is compared to the beginning when she always avoided those types of meetings. And then, of course, she can go back to her plants.
But it’s really just me nitpicking.
Also, Cranli deserved better.
On a positive note, the story is low angst and drama free, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any emotional bits. There were two scenes that made me bawl my eyes.The scene where Assistant left Ari without a word and when Ari broke down saying her father didn’t want her. Oh, my heart! Which is what I love about the author’s writing. It never feels jarring when the emotion transitions from one to a hundred.
I’ve only got three gripes with the story though.
2) I would have liked the epilogue chapter to be from Assistant’s POV instead of some Kazir diplomat dude I don’t care about.
And 3) In the epilogue, I kind of wished Ari didn’t go back to her old anti-social, focus-on-plants-only mindset. I liked that her botany projects were now for something greater, but it would have been nice to see what changed about her. She did make some friends at the station, like with Dr. Eylen, and she doesn’t have to become a social butterfly, but I think it would have shown her growth if she had been with Assistant when Assistant met with the Kazir leader, just to show how different Ari is compared to the beginning when she always avoided those types of meetings. And then, of course, she can go back to her plants.
But it’s really just me nitpicking.
Also, Cranli deserved better.
On a positive note, the story is low angst and drama free, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any emotional bits. There were two scenes that made me bawl my eyes.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: The audiobook. Come on, you cannot not buy it when it’s narrated by the brilliantly talented Angela Dawe.
- Highlight 2: Steamy and well written sex scenes.
- Highlight 3: Mysterious love interest with a secret identity.
- Highlight 4: Cinnamon roll heroine.
- Highlight 5: Love interest returning to get the girl.
- Highlight 6: Main leads are together for 90% of the story.
- Highlight 7: Beautiful cover art.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Justice for Cranli
- Explicit sex scenes
- Age gap romance
- Lesbians in space
- Grumpy/sunshine pairing
- Little to no drama
- Happily-ever-after
The Target by Gerri Hill
My Personal Tags About the Book:
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If a woman flirted with me the same way Jaime flirts with Sara, I would fall for her too, no trauma bonding needed.
Character Impressions:
Jaime Hutchinson
Even though she’s a flirt, she’s not conceited or arrogant about it.
She’s a woman who’s comfortable in her skin but she can be pretty reckless. She’s all fun and games yet the moment things get serious, she doesn’t mess around anymore. She doesn’t just watch out for Sara but the rest of the group as well.
Sara Michaels
The love interest and woman Jaime is sent to protect.
Sara may not be a take-charge kind of person like Jaime but she is the glue that holds the group together. I think it would have been nice to dedicate some scenes for her to shine, like maybe the group is falling apart and Sara, not as their counselor but as their friend, gets them to calm down. Or she’s the one who plans which routes to take while Jaime is the one who leads them there.
I love the way she uses “uh-huh” as a response to anything.
Even though she’s a flirt, she’s not conceited or arrogant about it.
She’s a woman who’s comfortable in her skin but she can be pretty reckless. She’s all fun and games yet the moment things get serious, she doesn’t mess around anymore. She doesn’t just watch out for Sara but the rest of the group as well.
Sara Michaels
The love interest and woman Jaime is sent to protect.
Sara may not be a take-charge kind of person like Jaime but she is the glue that holds the group together. I think it would have been nice to dedicate some scenes for her to shine, like maybe the group is falling apart and Sara, not as their counselor but as their friend, gets them to calm down. Or she’s the one who plans which routes to take while Jaime is the one who leads them there.
I love the way she uses “uh-huh” as a response to anything.
Minor Characters:
Sara’s Counsel Group: Sandra, Celia, Abby, Lou Ann, Megan, Ashley, and four other women who make up the group Sara is taking on a two-week long hike. You get to know some more than the others. Those you do get to know are memorable and different enough from the others, especially Sandra.
Peter and Joyce Michaels: Sara’s parents. Joyce is the loving mother while Peter is the dickhole, homophobic father who’s on a power trip to become the president. He’s going to be one of those fictional characters you want to punch.
Erikson and Fielding: These two FBI agents don’t play a huge role in the story, but they made me want to pull my hair out. They were so arrogant and incompetent, I wish Jaime had the time to put them in their place. Thankfully, they weren’t in the story much.
Peter and Joyce Michaels: Sara’s parents. Joyce is the loving mother while Peter is the dickhole, homophobic father who’s on a power trip to become the president. He’s going to be one of those fictional characters you want to punch.
Erikson and Fielding: These two FBI agents don’t play a huge role in the story, but they made me want to pull my hair out. They were so arrogant and incompetent, I wish Jaime had the time to put them in their place. Thankfully, they weren’t in the story much.
Story Impressions:
I always look forward to a lesbian bodyguard-type romance wherein one of the women is required to protect the other. A handful of chapters are focused on other characters, so you won’t be with the main leads 100% of the time. That’s not a flaw, just an observation.
The entire first-third of this story was hilarious and entertaining because it was just the women on their hiking trip and bonding. Once the assassin is discovered to be tailing them, it picks up quite a bit. All-in-all, a fun ride.
The entire first-third of this story was hilarious and entertaining because it was just the women on their hiking trip and bonding. Once the assassin is discovered to be tailing them, it picks up quite a bit. All-in-all, a fun ride.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: The audiobook. ♥‿♥
- Highlight 2: Characters from another book make a cameo.
Jake McCoy and Nicole Westbrook, from The Killing Room by Gerri Hill. - Highlight 3: Two steamy sex scenes.
- Highlight 4: Jaime Hutchinson
- Highlight 5: Naked women in hot springs.
- Highlight 6:
That scene near the end where Jaime pulled a gun on an FBI agent/driver, forcing him to run red lights so she can save Sara in time. - Highlight 7: The two heroines bonding despite the life-and-death situation they’re in.
- Highlight 8: Competent protagonist.
- Highlight 9:
The scene where Sara flips Jaime over her shoulder in self-defense. I don’t know why that was hilarious, but I’m pretty sure Jaime wouldn’t be turned off by a woman who can kick her ass.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Happily-ever-after
- Crime romance
- Bodyguard romance
- Coming to the rescue finale
- Hot springs, baby
- Trauma bonding
The Scorpion by Gerri Hill
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I would gladly give my left butt cheek for this to be turned into a film or TV mini-series.
Character Impressions:
Kristen Bailey
Kristen is introduced as just another simple cop but my god, the moment it’s revealed what she used to do for her previous department and what her skills are, I nearly jumped up with excitement. It’s even better when you realize the people coming after her and Marty have no idea what Kristen can do and how resourceful she is. I love how unwavering she is when she’s put in tense situations and how protective she is of Marty.
She just wants to be a cop and genuinely help people, but her current department keeps denying her any chance to do this, so when she gets the chance to help Marty and be an actual cop, she’s almost giddy and I want to cheer her on.
Marty Edwards
I want to hug this cinnamon roll. She’s the most precious person in the world of fiction.
I really like that Marty is an adult who still hasn’t figure out her sexuality. She thinks she’s asexual at first because she has never had an attraction to someone, romantic or sexual. But good lord, the moment she trusts and bonds with Kristen emotionally, she has an awakening. Her chemistry with Kristen was fire.
I adore the moments when she tells Kristen about her past, how she got into her current line of work, or something else about herself, and Kristen is listening intently. Their conversations can be pretty romantic even when they’re not talking about love.
Kristen is introduced as just another simple cop but my god, the moment it’s revealed what she used to do for her previous department and what her skills are, I nearly jumped up with excitement. It’s even better when you realize the people coming after her and Marty have no idea what Kristen can do and how resourceful she is. I love how unwavering she is when she’s put in tense situations and how protective she is of Marty.
She just wants to be a cop and genuinely help people, but her current department keeps denying her any chance to do this, so when she gets the chance to help Marty and be an actual cop, she’s almost giddy and I want to cheer her on.
Marty Edwards
I want to hug this cinnamon roll. She’s the most precious person in the world of fiction.
I really like that Marty is an adult who still hasn’t figure out her sexuality. She thinks she’s asexual at first because she has never had an attraction to someone, romantic or sexual. But good lord, the moment she trusts and bonds with Kristen emotionally, she has an awakening. Her chemistry with Kristen was fire.
I adore the moments when she tells Kristen about her past, how she got into her current line of work, or something else about herself, and Kristen is listening intently. Their conversations can be pretty romantic even when they’re not talking about love.
Minor Characters:
Rico: An invaluable, lifelong friend of Kristen’s. He’s MVP of the year for everything he helps Kristen with.
The Scorpion: A mysterious character who a lot of people are afraid of and has henchmen sent to kill Kristen and Marty. You’re probably going to figure out who he is before it's revealed, but what's more satisfying is how Kristen deals with him.I love that moment she's standing over him with her gun to his head and she's thinking, yeah, she could have him arrested because of all the people he's killed, but what pisses her off even more is how he put Marty's life in danger.
The Scorpion: A mysterious character who a lot of people are afraid of and has henchmen sent to kill Kristen and Marty. You’re probably going to figure out who he is before it's revealed, but what's more satisfying is how Kristen deals with him.
Story Impressions:
I wish I could reexperience this story for the first time again. It was amazing. It was sexy. It was mysterious. It was action-packed but not in the sense of blowing-up-things or lemme-jujitsu-this-attacker. Most of the action were gunfights and believable in the way this story was written.
The romance that develops between the two heroines was great in my opinion. Not instantly in love, a bit of instant attraction, but through shared experiences, they come to trust one another with each passing day.
I do wish that scene when Kristen gets hurt was expanded so Marty could take care of her a bit. Let her play nurse for a while dammit.
The epilogue chapter was everything I wanted. Not too long, not too short, wraps up loose ends, ties up subplots, and lets me linger with the heroines for a while longer, while also leaving me enough room to imagine the kind of future they’ll have together. Oh, my heart!
The romance that develops between the two heroines was great in my opinion. Not instantly in love, a bit of instant attraction, but through shared experiences, they come to trust one another with each passing day.
The epilogue chapter was everything I wanted. Not too long, not too short, wraps up loose ends, ties up subplots, and lets me linger with the heroines for a while longer, while also leaving me enough room to imagine the kind of future they’ll have together. Oh, my heart!
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: Marty.
- Highlight 2: Kristen.
- Highlight 3: Marty and Kristen.
- Highlight 4: How Kristen constantly has to remind herself that she’s on a mission whenever she’s having certain thoughts about Marty.
- Highlight 5: That scene when Marty has an epiphany about her feelings towards Kristen and is in denial.
- Highlight 6: The audiobook. Abby Craden. 10/10. *chef’s kiss* Buy it.
- Highlight 7: Heroines are together for 95% of the story.
- Highlight 8: Finally, an epilogue that wraps all the loose ends and lets me linger with the heroines for a while longer.
- Highlight 9: All the domestic bliss moments that Kristen and Marty have in between getting shot at.
- Highlight 10:
That scene when Marty is basically asking, “Are we going to run?” and Kristen is just, “No, we’re going to hunt them instead of let them hunt us.” - Highlight 11: The way Marty copes with traumatic experiences with humor.
- Highlight 12: The way Kristen innocently teases Marty.
- Highlight 13: Smexy heroines.
- Highlight 14: Those sex scenes were steamy and romantic all packaged in one.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Best “I love you” declaration moment
- Badass heroines
- Badass third act
- Cute/wholesome epilogue
- Explicit sex scenes
- Skinship
- Happily-ever-after
- Must have physical copy, kindle copy, and audiobook
- Crime romance
- Narrative cohesion
- Useful lesbians
- Two people, one bed
- Trauma bonding
Love Waits by Gerri Hill
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’ve never been so infuriated but at the same time, wanted these two women to get back together so badly.
Character Impressions:
Gina Granbury
Basketball enthusiast. Grew up in a lower class. A hottie.
Out of the two leads, Gina’s the quieter, taller one. I do like that she’s a well-rounded character. In some situations, she’s confident but in others, she’s reserved and not because her personality is inconsistent but because around certain people, we all act a little differently. But of course, around Ashleigh, Gina’s got the hots for her all year-round.
Ashleigh Pence
Girl-next-door. Grew up in an upper class. She deserves the world.
I absolutely adore Ashleigh in both the past and present timeline. I like that she’s the one who initiates things, but later becomes the hesitant one when she’s questioning whether or not she should get back with Gina. Both these women have such raw and intense feelings for each other that they can’t find it in others, even after so many years apart.
Basketball enthusiast. Grew up in a lower class. A hottie.
Out of the two leads, Gina’s the quieter, taller one. I do like that she’s a well-rounded character. In some situations, she’s confident but in others, she’s reserved and not because her personality is inconsistent but because around certain people, we all act a little differently. But of course, around Ashleigh, Gina’s got the hots for her all year-round.
Ashleigh Pence
Girl-next-door. Grew up in an upper class. She deserves the world.
I absolutely adore Ashleigh in both the past and present timeline. I like that she’s the one who initiates things, but later becomes the hesitant one when she’s questioning whether or not she should get back with Gina. Both these women have such raw and intense feelings for each other that they can’t find it in others, even after so many years apart.
Minor Characters:
There are a handful of minor characters in the story, such as Ashleigh’s mother, sister, and brother, Gina’s coworkers, and Gina’s aunt. Despite each of them having their own names and jobs, none of them really felt like they had distinct traits. Like, I couldn’t point one out and say, “Oh yeah, that’s the funny one.” Most of them were kind of only around to talk about Ashleigh and Gina, so it didn’t feel like they were their own person. Aside from Aunt Lou who shares a bonding moment with Gina.
Story Impressions:
The first half of the story had so many good flashbacks of Gina and Ashleigh’s past; how they met, how they fell in love. It was so wholesome to read those moments of discovering one’s first crush, how falling in love for the first time made them feel, how intense their feelings were for each other.
Then I got to the part where it’s revealed why they broke up in the past and the reason made me flip a table.
I was sooooo mad at Gina! The reason they broke up was so infuriating, it made me want to jump in the book and shake Gina by the shoulders to ask, “Why!?!?!?!” Before the reason was revealed, Gina kept ignoring Ashleigh’s attempt to understand why Gina left her, why Gina kept alluding to things Ashleigh has no memory of, she kept waving it off and pissing Ashleigh off and pissing me off and goddamnit Gina!
Anyway, after that turmoil is out and done with, the two of them get to reconcile. I think Ashleigh forgave Gina a little too easily though. Gina realized her reason for breaking up with Ashleigh in the past was dumb as fuck, but I wanted Gina to be the one to pine after Ashleigh and work to get Ashleigh back. I wanted her to make some grand gestures of love, wanted her to do things that made Ashleigh fall in love with her like she did in the past, to initiate things instead of just letting things happen on their own. I think I was just madder at Gina than Ashleigh was. Gosh, Ashleigh’s too good for this world.
Gina did sort of make a grand display of love near the end to make Ashleigh realize she still cares for her, but I personally wanted Gina to be the one to go find Ashleigh. To take one giant leap of faith, meet Ashleigh face-to-face and prove she isn’t going to make the same mistake of letting Ashleigh go again.
Then I got to the part where it’s revealed why they broke up in the past and the reason made me flip a table.
I was sooooo mad at Gina! The reason they broke up was so infuriating, it made me want to jump in the book and shake Gina by the shoulders to ask, “Why!?!?!?!” Before the reason was revealed, Gina kept ignoring Ashleigh’s attempt to understand why Gina left her, why Gina kept alluding to things Ashleigh has no memory of, she kept waving it off and pissing Ashleigh off and pissing me off and goddamnit Gina!
Anyway, after that turmoil is out and done with, the two of them get to reconcile. I think Ashleigh forgave Gina a little too easily though. Gina realized her reason for breaking up with Ashleigh in the past was dumb as fuck, but I wanted Gina to be the one to pine after Ashleigh and work to get Ashleigh back. I wanted her to make some grand gestures of love, wanted her to do things that made Ashleigh fall in love with her like she did in the past, to initiate things instead of just letting things happen on their own. I think I was just madder at Gina than Ashleigh was. Gosh, Ashleigh’s too good for this world.
Gina did sort of make a grand display of love near the end to make Ashleigh realize she still cares for her, but I personally wanted Gina to be the one to go find Ashleigh. To take one giant leap of faith, meet Ashleigh face-to-face and prove she isn’t going to make the same mistake of letting Ashleigh go again.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: The audiobook.
- Highlight 2: Heroines are together for 95% of the story.
- Highlight 3: Steamy, explicit sex scenes.
- Highlight 4: Wholesome ending.
- Highlight 5: Heroines don’t drag out any drama.
- Highlight 6: Ashleigh is more forgiving than I am.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Past/present timeline
- Poor girl/rich girl
- Second chance at love
- Happily-ever-after
- Little to no drama
- Little to no angst
Falling Hard by Jae
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Give me lesbian domestic bliss any time.
Character Impressions:
Dr. Jordan Williams
It’s hard to write characters who sleep around with multiple partners but are still likable, yet the author is a master of character, so Jordan was both likable and charismatic. I like that she’s not a cheater and doesn’t lead women on, making it clear that she’s not interested in a committed relationship so her partner for the night doesn’t get the wrong idea.
Of course, when Emma comes into her life, she starts to question whether or not she can or even wants to be in a committed relationship. I like that she questions herself about it and even doubts herself instead of magically changing overnight.
The effort she puts in to win Emma’s heart is endearing.
Emma Larson
Working mom who moves in next door to be Jordan’s cute neighbor.
The one thing I love about Emma is that she knows what she wants and she sets boundaries that Jordan respects. The amount of communication between the two leads made me want to climb a mountain and salute in respect. And that made the problems between them all the more interesting, because it wasn’t due to any miscommunication but due to outside forces holding them back.
Emma’s devotion to her young daughter, Molly, is remarkable. She doesn’t even cut off her cheating ex-wife because she knows how much Molly loves her other mom as well.
It’s hard to write characters who sleep around with multiple partners but are still likable, yet the author is a master of character, so Jordan was both likable and charismatic. I like that she’s not a cheater and doesn’t lead women on, making it clear that she’s not interested in a committed relationship so her partner for the night doesn’t get the wrong idea.
Of course, when Emma comes into her life, she starts to question whether or not she can or even wants to be in a committed relationship. I like that she questions herself about it and even doubts herself instead of magically changing overnight.
The effort she puts in to win Emma’s heart is endearing.
Emma Larson
Working mom who moves in next door to be Jordan’s cute neighbor.
The one thing I love about Emma is that she knows what she wants and she sets boundaries that Jordan respects. The amount of communication between the two leads made me want to climb a mountain and salute in respect. And that made the problems between them all the more interesting, because it wasn’t due to any miscommunication but due to outside forces holding them back.
Emma’s devotion to her young daughter, Molly, is remarkable. She doesn’t even cut off her cheating ex-wife because she knows how much Molly loves her other mom as well.
Minor Characters:
Molly: Emma’s five-year-old daughter. She’s super cute and even though the kid doesn’t quite understand what’s happening between her mom and Jordan, I love how supportive she is about it in her own way. I’d give this kid the world.
Chloe: Emma’s cheating ex-wife. Gotta love it when the cheating spouse comes back to try and be part of the family. She’s not an entirely evil person; she’s just horny for women who aren’t her wife. The good thing is that she only causes one small problem and isn’t used to create drama throughout the entirety of the story.
Simone: Jordan’s friend with benefits. She knows what she wants and when she wants it. The good news is, when Jordan says they can’t sleep together anymore because she wants to pursue Emma, Simone respects that. Just a simple “thanks for the fun times, we can still be friends, go get your woman and be happy” attitude.
Chloe: Emma’s cheating ex-wife. Gotta love it when the cheating spouse comes back to try and be part of the family. She’s not an entirely evil person; she’s just horny for women who aren’t her wife. The good thing is that she only causes one small problem and isn’t used to create drama throughout the entirety of the story.
Simone: Jordan’s friend with benefits. She knows what she wants and when she wants it. The good news is, when Jordan says they can’t sleep together anymore because she wants to pursue Emma, Simone respects that. Just a simple “thanks for the fun times, we can still be friends, go get your woman and be happy” attitude.
Story Impressions:
The slow burn was killing me but I’m here for it.
There’s hardly any drama so if you want a story with a chill vibe and no emotional turmoil, this one fits the bill.
There’s hardly any drama so if you want a story with a chill vibe and no emotional turmoil, this one fits the bill.
Highlights:
- Highlight 1: Molly. She’s adorable.
- Highlight 2: Adults acting like adults and talking instead of miscommunicating.
- Highlight 3: Slow burn romance.
- Highlight 4: The entire sequence of Jordan babysitting Molly to help Emma out was priceless.
- Highlight 5: Emma putting her ex-wife in place.
- Highlight 6: Main leads are together for 90% of the story.
- Highlight 7: Cat.
My Personal Tags About the Book:
- Interracial couple
- Little to low drama
- Explicit sex scenes
- Player who learns to be committed
- Lesbian mom
- Happily-ever-after
- Doctor/virtual assistant pairing