Bed and Breakup

Finished May 25

Bed and Breakup by Susie Dumond

Set in the real town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, this LGBTQ+ second chance romance features two women, Molly and Robin. When they met years ago, they connected quickly, married, and bought an old Victorian house in need of TLC. They did a fantastic job of it, and created a bed and breakfast that was well known beyond their region. 

Robin's cooking skills led her to being seduced away from Arkansas to bigger things, from reality television to her own restaurants. But despite the aura of success, Robin is not doing well financially. Her latest restaurant failed and she is back in town to regroup and find a new way forward. 

Molly was devastated when Robin left, and stayed for a while, later hiring a management company to run the B&B. But it has been closed for a while, and while Molly found an outlet for her creativity, stained glass, she has recently wanted to do work that she connected with on a personal lever rather than creating commission work for wealthy clients. She has come back to town at the same time as an artist friend of hers, and plans to create a sign for her friend's new shop, as well as another niche shop in town. She isn't sure if she's ready to stay longer or resume the nomad lifestyle she's lived for the last few years. 

As Molly and Robin discover each other's presence and intention to stay at their old B&B, they react first with antagonistic acts, but find their chemistry still calls them to each other.

The inn has been modified by the management company, with some of its best features removed or covered over. When a mutual friend who runs boutique hotels expresses interest, the two women team up to bring the bed and breakfast back to its beautiful past through updates so they can sell it and move on. The question is, do they really want to split up for good?

I really enjoyed this novel, as I do most second chance romances, as people change and grow and bring their maturity to a better understanding of the real work relationships need to survive. 

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish Volume 1

Finished April 13

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish, Volume 1 (Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong) written by Xue Shan Fei Hu, translated by Yuka Mimi, illustrated by Ryoplica, Bonus Illustration by Kura, Cover illustration by Changle

This book came to my attention through one of my students, opening my reading world to a new subgenre, danmei, a Chinese romance between male characters. Here, the novel also employs an intriguing format where the narrator, Li Yu is a modern young man who wakes to find himself a fish, a carp, in the world of a book he'd recently read. (The Chinese pronunciation of the name sounds the same as the word for carp.) After a few terrifying adventures, he finds himself himself rescued by Prince Jing. 

Following that he makes two additional discoveries, the first of which is that he appears to be inside some sort of game. He learns this when he hears an announcement in his head that says that he has completed the first part of the 'Moe Pet System' main quest, and that he won't turn back into a human unless he completes the entire quest. The second discovery is that he is inside a recent webnovel that he'd read and he learns that the purpose of his existence here is to improve the tyrannical male lead's personality. 

As he learns how to be a fish, how to connect to his new owner, and how to navigate his way through the Moe Pet System, he also learns that there are side quests that he can take, that he can store things in his inventory, and that he can earn rewards, all of which are part of his expectations of a game system. 

He grows closer to Prince Jing and undergoes many more adventures, some of which change him, and some which give him different abilities. 

There is romance, but no descriptions of sex here, and the story is only the first part of a longer work, so it leaves you at a place where you want more. 

A very interesting and intriguing read that grew on me as I read it. Apparently the majority of readers of this type of book in China are heterosexual women, which is interesting. 

Plan B

Finished February 23

Plan B by S.J.D. Peterson

This gay romance novel was a book I picked up at a library conference a few years back and I decided to read it now to meet the February portion for Novelist's reading challenge, which is a LGBTQIA+ romance. 

Danny Marshall, the main character is at college and sharing a dorm room with his longtime best friend Bo. Danny has ambitions to act professionally and always takes time with his appearance. As the two are getting ready for a frat party that Bo wants to go to, as a young woman he likes will be there, Danny takes time perfecting his makeup and hair, and chooses a vintage Stones tee along with jeans and boots. His look is often androgynous, and he doesn't mind getting attention. At the party, Bo soon finds Katie and likes this woman his friend is interested in. What he doesn't like is the attitude of her brother Lance, a man he's already had a tense encounter with as he grabbed a drink. 

Danny has very supportive parents, who are both professionals in the theatre world, and he loves art, theatre, and almost all that goes with it. Although he doesn't have dancing skills. Lance is at university on a football scholarship and has dreams of the NFL. 

After Lance apologizes for his behaviour, he says he wants to get to know him better, and Danny finds himself Lance's first experiment in a male-male relationship. Danny is attracted, but doesn't know if he wants to be in a secret relationship. 

This is a novel of attraction and Lance's fear of the fallout of being out is a big part of the story. His reaction to Danny is a little bit of a surprise for him, and he is at an age where he is discovering who he is in many ways, not just sexually. Danny knows who he is and has for years, but is still at the age where relationships are new, and the strength of his attraction and feelings add to the story in a big way. 

I enjoyed the novel, and could feel for the main characters. 

Sorry, Bro

Finished July 13

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

In San Francisco, Nareh Bedrossian is focused on her career as a journalist, working six days a week and hoping her boss gives her a chance at a story beyond the human interest stories she's been given up to now. She lives with her mother and grandmother and her Armenian heritage is very much a part of her life, despite her father's efforts to Americanize their family. Her long-term boyfriend Trevor is also a hard worker, and when he springs a proposal on her in a busy bar surrounded by drunken tech sector workers, she is struck dumb. He is off to business meetings overseas for a few weeks, so she has some time to really analyze how she feels and what she should do now.

She tells her mother about her uncertainty, and her mother, finally emerging from the deep grief she has over Nareh's father's death, pushes her into looking for love within her own culture. Explore Armenia, a big cultural event that happens every three years, is beginning, and Nareh's mom has her sign up for numerous events to meet eligible men. Her mom also does research through her many connections and comes up with a list of possibilities for her. 

Nareh does find herself captivated by someone she meets at her very first event, but that person is Erebuni, a woman. Nareh has identified as bisexual for years, but since she's been with Trevor for years, her attraction to Erebuni is unexpected and a little scary. She is scared that her feelings won't be reciprocated, that her family won't accept her relationship, and that she isn't herself ready to be out of the closet. 

All of these things combine to force Nareh into making a choice. 

I found the Armenian aspect of this book to be overwhelming, with many terms not explained. I think it would be helpful if the author had a list of these terms with definitions at the back of the book. Still, her Armenian identity becomes such a big part of her life, personally and professionally, that it just felt somewhat unrealistic. I've read other romance books that exist in cultural groups, and haven't encountered this much culture overkill. 

An okay read, but I had to force my way through parts of it. 

Looking for a Sign

Finished June 25

Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond

Gray, the main character has recently moved to New Orleans after a break-up from her long-term girlfriend. She has moved in with her best friend Cherry, Cherry's husband Robbie, and their toddler son River. She helps out with River, and takes time to get herself familiar with the city before finding a place of her own. 

Cherry convinces her to go to an astrologer, Madame Nouvelle Lune, to get her palm read. Following this visit, the two decide that since Gray, at nearly twenty-nine is reaching a turning point in her life astrologically, she should date people from every sign to determine which she was most compatible with. A deadline of her upcoming birthday in six weeks is agreed upon. 

Gray's new job is doing PR and marketing for a local private school system. She ends up late for an first meeting with one of the school system's new principals, Victoria. But she begs for a second chance and works hard to put together a number of ideas to help the principal in her drive to make the school more diverse and bring new material to their curriculum. 

The two meet outside of work when they go to the same park, Gray with River, and Victoria with her son, and this begins a new friendship for her. 

As Gray works her way, in order, through the star signs, starting with her own sign Aries, she makes other friends, and has a few sexual experiences. 

The idea of the storyline is interesting, but Gray felt a little naive for her age on the personal level, unlike her professional persona. I also felt a lack of depth in the characters, and some generalizations and depictions that made me a little uncomfortable, particularly in terms of sexual identity. I feel like the book could have used some sensitivity readers to address this. 

The novel had some great passages, but overall it failed to really grab me. The ending saved it a bit, and the extra material was novel and interesting. 

Love at 350°

Finished September 21 

Love at 350° by Lisa Peers

This lesbian romance revolves around a competitive baking television show. The two central characters are one of the competitors and a judge on the show. The food definitely takes prominence here, with the romance always on the edge. 

Tori Moore is a high school chemistry teacher who has, along with another teacher at her school, taught a class combining chemistry and baking that considers the scientific aspects of baking while teaching the kids kitchen skills too. It actually sounds like a pretty cool course and reminds me of the recent novel Lessons in Chemistry. She is fairly recently divorced from her wife, after he wife left her to "pursue her dreams." She has twins who are in the senior year of high school and who worry about her being on her own after they leave for college. They have entered her in the competition to be on the reality television show Bake-O-Rama without her knowledge. When she finds that she's made it to the level of being asked to tryout for the show, she doesn't hesitate long. 

Kendra Campbell is one of the two hosts on the show, and definitely the more critical one, with her ruthless critiques driving some previous contestants to tears. She owns a chain of upscale cookie outlets, and a high-end restaurant. Her agent (who is also her brother) has encouraged her to soften her approach as a way to make the show's producers more likely to keep her on as a judge. 

When Tori makes it to the final selection of contestants who will appear on the upcoming season's shows, she is both excited and nervous. Her friends and children all are encouraging and supportive. 

Both women notice a spark between them, but their contracts stipulate no fraternization for a year after the show airs, which means that they can't act on those nascent feelings without jeopardize Tori's spot in the competition, or Kendra's job. They do manage to find some ways to let each other know there is interest and hope for a future. While this limited the romantic aspect of the book, I found it realistic. The women are mature, and able to consider the pros and cons of reacting to their feelings on a more immediate basis. 

I learned a lot about different kinds of baking, and there is a recipe included at the end of the book. 

The characters are appealing and vulnerable and I really was captured by the book. Some of the other contestants in the contest were interesting as well and had a little depth that grew through the plot. 

A definite winner. 

Red, White & Royal Blue

Finished March 21

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This romance is focused on two young men, and is told from the point of view of one of them. Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the US president, Ellen Claremont, a woman who was married to Alex's dad (he's also a politician) and is a Democrat. Ellen is coming up on the end of her first term and will be running for reelection. This is one line of the plot. Alex has an older sister June who also lives at the White House and is trying to get into journalism, with her background becoming a barrier for her. Another young woman who is close to the two siblings is Nora. Nora is the granddaughter of the vice-president and a statistics whiz. 

The family attends the wedding of the eldest grandson of the British Queen (here the Queen is named Mary and has a daughter Catherine, who is the mother of the prince getting married, Philip, as well as two other children, Beatrice, and Henry). Here, an interaction between Alex and Henry causes a small disaster, and plans are put in place by both sides to do PR management to make things better. This involves getting Alex and Henry to spend time together showing that they are good friends. 

As the two young men get to know each other, they discover that they are both intelligent young men who want to make a difference in the world, and their positions lead them to some specific ways of doing that. 

They also find that they are drawn to each other in ways beyond friendship. Given that it is an election year, and their positions mean that any relationship will have international repercussions, there are many difficulties, decisions about what secrets to keep and from who, and things that most people in relationships don't have to consider.

This was a very enjoyable read. I liked all the young people at the centre of the story, including the ones we see a bit less of than the three Americans and the prince, such as Beatrice and Henry's best friend Pez. The older generation is less well-developed here, but seem like they have some depth to them as well. I liked the positivity of the larger story as well as the more personal ones, and the way that the intelligence of the characters comes out through both banter and the plot lines. 

Kiss Her Once for Me

Finished January 6

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

This lesbian romance has much more to offer than the satisfying romance it contains. It is a book about dealing with failure, about how we respond to the expectations of others, about being our true selves in all their messy truth, and about how we find those true selves.

It is a book about dealing with the fears we all face, the fears of failure, of rejection, of imperfection, of negative attention, of positive attention, of success, and of being vulnerable. 

Ellie Oliver is a woman who more or less raised herself and is still dealing with a toxic parent in her life. She has used art as a way to make herself feel good, as a way to get positive attention, and now as a way to earn a living, but it has also become something that is no longer something she does for herself in a healing way, but usually something that she does for others. She is broke, unhappy, and trying to hide from everything that she doesn't want to deal with.

Jack Kim-Prescott is a woman who has not lived up to the expectations her wealthy family has had for her. She tried, but she stopped trying a while back. She is slowly finding her path, career wise, but still struggling in her personal life. When they meet, they recognize each other, but it also scares them both to a certain extent because of their pasts. 

The book is set in Portland, Oregon, beginning in December 2021 and ending sometime early in 2023. 

This book makes you feel for the characters, and hope for them, and care about what happens to them. A great read. 

Whiteout

Finished December 23

Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. 

This teen novel is set within a short time frame, less than half a day on a winter day in Atlanta. Each character is written by a different author, and we get backstory through the plot. The two characters at the center of the plot are Stevie and Sola, two teens in a romance that has hit a rough spot. Sola had a plan to reveal their relationship to her family at a special dinner. They had been best friends for a while, and then something more, but Sola hadn't revealed her romantic relationship to her traditional family. While Stevie defies a punishment to step outside her comfort zone and make a grand gesture to try to win Sola's forgiveness and mend their relationship, the weather is not cooperating. 

Atlanta is being hit by a wicked snowstorm, causing traffic chaos, delays for those travelling, and logistical problems. But Stevie has a team of friends ready to step in and help, and those other voices have their stories as well. 

There are many romances here, both straight and gay, and love is the overarching theme of the story. Friendship love, family love, and romantic love all show up. 

Other characters voiced here include Kaz, a young immigrant from Somalia with feelings for his best friend Porsha; Evan-Rose coming home from boarding school with her girlfriend Savanna and encountering a friend in a surprising meet-up; Jordyn driving home from college and giving a ride to fellow student Omari; Jimi, who is hoping for a big break in her musical career and runs into a guy from the past; and Ava and Mason, two volunteers at the aquarium who also have a rift in their relationship. Their voices are interspersed with chat exchanges and news bulletins, and I got schooled in some conversational style that was new to me. 

Besides the voiced characters we see many others from family members to friends, and see a curiously reappearing driver that may bring a little magic of his own. 

A feel-good story.

Written in the Stars

Finished March 12
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

This romance novel takes place in Seattle and is a delightful rom-com of a read. Darcy Lowell is an entrepreneur and astrologist on the verge of a big business deal, with her and her business partner Margot signing a deal with a popular matchmaking firm. The principal at the matchmaking firm that they've been working with on the deal has set Darcy up with his sister Elle, who's recently come out of a painful break-up and moved to Seattle only after that.
But things don't go well on that first date, which is per usual lately for Darcy. Darcy is feeling down, not just because of her non-existent love life, but also because her family doesn't see her unconventional career choice as a serious venture, despite her success.
Elle is also not feeling great about her life. She's tired of her brother trying to set her up, and doesn't have the energy to keep going on bad dates. When she tells a lie about the date to buy some time from her brother, she ends up making a deal with Darcy that might help them both. If it doesn't hurt them.
Both women have been burnt in relationships and are a bit wary of getting hurt again. Both have families that have some issues.
There's some intriguing things happening her, and I had trouble putting this book down. A fun and engrossing read.

The Great American Whatever

Finished April 26
The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle, read by the author

This YA novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old Quinn Roberts from his point of view. Quinn wanted to be a screenwriter from a young age, after meeting the older brother of his new neighbour who was just starting out in the industry. He corralled his older sister Annabeth and his best friend Geoff into his dream. Annabeth directed the movies he wrote and Geoff was the main actor.
But as the book opens, we learn that Annabeth died six months ago in a car accident, and Quinn has retreated into his room since then, with little contact with others. His mother has also retreated into a world of sadness, leaving mail unopened and not going out. Quinn has been getting some therapy, through Skype sessions, but it isn't until Geoff forces him out on an excursion to replace his dead air conditioner that he starts to move on. The two buy the air conditioner, but go on to a party hosted by Geoff's older sister, who's at college, and Quinn begins to interact with others. At first it is with these college kids, who don't know about the tragedy in his life, but it gradually expands.
Quinn begins to understand that he's not the only one grieving Annabeth, and he needs to realize his dreams still have possibilities.
Quinn is gay, but has never admitted that to anyone, not even Annabeth or Geoff, and as he comes out of his self-imposed retreat from the world, he also begins to come out personally. This is a story of loss and grief, of growth and risk. It is a coming of age story with a twist. There is humour and sadness, but above all great writing, and the author's reading makes it come to life thoroughly.

Designs of Desire

Finished March 20
Designs of Desire by Tempeste O'Riley

Definitely not my usual reading fare, I picked this book up at a recent library conference. As a librarian with a passion for readers' advisory I like to be familiar with a large variety of genres and authors, and this book definitely filled a gap for me.
This is the first gay romance I have read, and it was more explicit than I am generally comfortable in a romance book. I will be reading some others in this genre to get a broader sense of what is out there for readers looking for books of this type.
This book has lots going on. The main character James is a graphic commercial designer and an artist and has a history of bad relationships. The love interest Seth is head of a large local corporation looking to expand into the area of bed and breakfasts appealing to the GLBT community. He has hired James' company to do the branding for this new venture and James is assigned to the job.
James also has a physical disability that he has learned how to accommodate his lifestyle to and doesn't like having others do things for him because they think he can't.
When people from James' past begin to make threats against him, thinks start happening quickly.
One thing I found a bit uncomfortable about this novel was the subservient nature of James at times. I agree that everyone has a right to their own way of getting sexual pleasure as long as all involved are on board, but James' submissiveness comes into his public life as well, calling Seth "sir" and obeying him without question at times. I wouldn't be comfortable with this behaviour in a woman, and so wasn't comfortable with it here either, despite James seeming to be.