Sharing is Caring - Books: "To the Moon and Back" by Melissa Brayden

To the Moon and Back by Melissa Brayden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As I'm sure many lovers of the Lesbian romance genre have come to know, Melissa Brayden is always a sure thing. You can count on her books to always be a hit, never a miss. Though I can admit that To the Moon and Back was not one of my favorites by Brayden, it still in no way disappointed and was the exact read I needed during this time of uncertainty while stuck in quarantine, keeping away from COVID-19.

Brayden seems to have upped the angst factor in many of her more recent novels. From First Position (which had a moment embedded in its pages where I, quite literally, threw the book across the room [an act I had not yet committed with a book ever in my life as a reader]) to the push and pull of the relationship between the characters in Back to September (one of my top 3 favorites by Brayden, hands down) - angst has had a spotlight and fueled many of her newer novels to the finish line. However, despite this feature being about the wonders of theater and stage work, the spotlight dimmed on the angst, and it made for a perfectly enjoyable yet easygoing read, making it the biggest selling point during the craziness of the world right now.

Following the story of Lauren and Carly was pleasant and completely elicited the warm, fuzzy feelings like that of coming home after a long time away. As a theater kid myself (but not having been on the stage in over 10 years), this felt like a return to a world I know fluently but haven't had the chance to spend time in for longer than I should have allowed. Brayden's depiction of the theater scene is spot on, and not just because she gets all of the technical jargon right (coming from the world of theater herself), but also in her descriptions of the emotions that fill every actor or crew member that works themselves to the bone for the beauty and synchronicity of a production. You can easily count on Brayden for a story that feels wrapped up in the theater with a warm, well-cared-for blanket, and you know you will enjoy its run because you're in good hands.

The story of Lauren and Carly's romance was easy to follow and felt comfortable, but it also felt as though it could have been more. Alas, I realize that may contradict my statement about the lack of angst and conflict being a welcome reprieve, but the romance almost felt as though it went through a checklist of good ol' fashioned "to-dos" without much creativity. Now don't get me wrong, Brayden still crafts a beautiful tale of love and the trials and tribulations that can still come after the "happily ever after," and To the Moon and Back is no exception. But it lacked a certain oomph, one that has me clamoring to turn the pages faster to read more of the story as soon as possible so I can find out if these two fated characters find their love blossoming to the heights of soulmates before I allow myself to go to sleep at night. And though I don't expect every novel to do this, I have come to expect this from Brayden.

With all that being said, I still give this 4 stars, bordering on 4.5 because - let's face it - Melissa Brayden is the queen of Lesbian romance, and I will go down with that ship for eternity.

P.S. Melissa!! Can we please discuss the absolute necessity of you writing the play into an actual novel?!?! I was hooked from the start! What petition must I sign to get this made into reality??

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Back to September" by Melissa Brayden

Back to September by Melissa Brayden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let's just start off with TL;DR of this whole review before getting into the nitty-gritty (I know, reverse and all, but bear with me):

Back to September is my new favorite by Melissa Brayden, hands down.

2019 was a bit of an interesting reading year for me. I made a New Year's resolution to read 52 books in 52 weeks. With two kids under the age of 10, working a job where my commute is 1.5 hours one way, and a loving family to devote to as much as possible - this actually turned out to be harder than I thought. But thanks to Audible and those long commutes, I still made it. With that being said though, I didn't read many that really hit me like a ton of bricks GOOD.

Please don't misunderstand. I still read some amazing books over 2019. Some notable ones being The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling, and even Beautiful Dreamer by Melissa Brayden as well. But I wasn't able to find a book that threw me back against my seat by G-forces so strong I didn't know how to recover from it ending. I've had moments like these only a few times in my life with books such as the Harry Potter Series Box Set by J.K. Rowling, Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and the first book by Brayden that made me a devoted member of her fan club - Kiss the Girl by Melissa Brayden.

But I had not had this experience with a book recently and - frankly - I was desperate for one. I missed that feeling of wanting to race home to read, curl up for hours, and push myself through exhaustion to finish it. Then have the conflicting feeling of trying so desperately to slow down in order to enjoy each and every savory minute of reading its pages.

But here comes Melissa Brayden in all of her glory and 

SHE GAVE ME MY READING JOY BACK.

Back to September brings back Brayden in all her beautiful brilliance. I was always a huge fan of the Soho Series, but the Seven Shores series didn't quite grab me the same way. Her standalones have been solid in the last few years, but not what I remember when reading Heart Block or How Sweet It Is . Brayden is a remarkable writer, and I can always count on her for amazing reads without question. But I will admit I was missing the exact feelings I spoke of above that I used to - very often - get from reading her books.

But she came blazing back with Back to September.

I finished Back to September after a binge reading session, something of which I hadn't done in - quite honestly - years. I couldn’t put it down. I loved it, cover to cover. I do believe I can announce that she's written a novel that is likely going to have to share the number one spot on my Brayden Favorites, sharing the pedestal with Kiss the Girl.

I am in awe. This new novel was full of all of the usual pieces of Brayden's novels that I adore and look forward to each time a new one is released, but it was filled with so much more. New things even. Some very real topics with very real outcomes; some very real ways to work through very real problems. Characters that made mistakes - real mistakes - and acted like real people, not fictionalized “perfect” people (though those aren’t necessarily bad!). It was so refreshing to see that kind of representation seen within these pages, within a novel by an author I trust implicitly. A novel that still had the same wit, dialogue, and descriptors that always make me fly to Brayden's novels the moment they’re released.

Now that I have had a proper chance to ruminate in its aftermath and proper time to recover from having to put it down, I only wish I had the chance to go back to the beginning and read it all over again with new eyes.

Melissa - I loved it. It was amazing. Please never stop doing what you’re doing. My literary world is always a happy place to come back to over and over again because of exceptional authors like you. Thank you for another fantastic and beautiful reading experience.

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame" by Mara Wilson

Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook of this piece, narrated by the author herself, Mara Wilson. If you have the means, listening to Mara read this out loud, knowing that it is her own life, was one-of-a-kind and such a unique experience. It brought such an important and vital role to the book that I didn't think was needed until I started to listen.

"That girl" from the critically-acclaimed Matilda movie from the 90s is no more. Mara Wilson is vibrant, fresh, downright honest, and captivating all on her own without the world of Hollywood. And she proves as such so effortlessly in her memoir Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame. In my mind's eye, they are no longer even the same person any more. There's the cute, expressive, bookworm young girl from the movies of my childhood - and then there's this sarcastic, hysterical, storytelling bad ass chick from New York that makes me roar with laughter and cry tears of sadness at her life's stories. I am in love with both, but for separate reasons.

Hearing Mara's stories about the trials and tribulations with Hollywood, it's "image-insisting" participants, and how she navigated in and out of that world as a young girl - these stories really resonated in a way that I still don't quite understand myself. Her words and experiences, spoken directly from her with the beauty that is an audiobook, were infused with emotion, and you could hear and feel and actually understand these without question due to Mara's words. I realized as I continued to listen to her stories that - Mara actually jumps around a lot - one minute she's talking about her show choir days at the beginning of high school, but then segues into discussing how her mother felt about the movie business and the time Mara spent on film sets; then a moment later, is back on the topic of show choir. But what amazed me was that none of it ever seemed out of place. Each story and each shift within the text made sense . Mara made it work, and kept you hypnotized with her words no matter where they took you. It was, for lack of a much better and all-encompassing word, FANTASTIC.

If you haven't already figured it out - I loved this book. I loved the stories Mara told, I loved the way Mara told them, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about things I never would have thought would interest me (show choirs of Southern California and their competitive streaks; Canada and all it has to offer with on-set educators and life-changing individuals; and - most importantly - the in-depth account of what it must be like to live with a seemingly "underrated" mental illness). In recent years, it has become apparent that Mara Wilson is a great storyteller - whether that be on the stages of New York City, behind the microphone of podcasts and voice-over acting work, or in her writings on her blog. But this endeavor - a whole book that opens up about her real life and leaves readers with the ability to listen to what really happened to that "cute little girl from Mrs. Doubtfire!" makes it's own mark in, what I hope, will be a long LONG career in writing for Mara.

Mara - if you ever get a chance to read this in some capacity - thank you for this book. I may be 30 years old, settled down with my family and my job in a very, very close suburb to Burbank in Southern California - but you taught me things about myself that I never thought other people experienced and helped me understand what those things were; you put voice to so many aspects of my own life that it gave me reminder of the one true thing we all must remember...

We are never alone.

If you have the means - pick up this book, preferably in audiobook if at all possible, but in whatever capacity suits you. It's funny, it's entertaining, it's emotional, but most of all, it's real. I have never listened to an audiobook so fast, and I already know I will be rereading this book in my future.

FIVE MOTHERFUCKING STARS

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Shaken to the Core" by Jae

Shaken to the Core by Jae
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this novel for free from NetGalley and Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Jae's newest contribution to the lesbian historical fiction genre is remarkable. Centering around one of the most destructive natural disasters in recent history, Shaken to the Core is an adventure and whirlwind of emotions that I, truthfully, was not expecting. Following the lives of two very different women as the navigate through this disaster brick by brick is one that had me glued to the pages of this story from the moment I read page one.

Deriving from Jae's Hollywood series, Shaken to the Core is the corresponding story surrounding the screenplay and movie that Jill in Just Physical, along with her friend Grace, star in, all from a screenplay written by Grace's girlfriend, Lauren. I'm so glad Jae decided to write an associated novel to that tidbit in those books, as it is a wonderful reward for her historical fiction fans.

I was more than impressed with this novel, and only found some issues with how the story left me hanging for more. This is the reason for the 4-star review. I firmly believe that this novel is exceptional, and I also completely respect an author's decision on where to end a story and start fresh. But in this case, I did feel that there was something left to be desired, and it may have been just a quick remedy of a more well-rounded ending. Jae's novels have never left me feeling this way in the past, which I believe is the reason I felt it so much in this novel. It is fine to be left wanting more, but I more felt as if I was left with an unfinished tale.

All in all - a fantastic read though. A must-have for any Jae fan, and a beautiful novel to start off if your a first time reader of her work.

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "The Copper Egg" by Catherine Friend

The Copper Egg by Catherine Friend

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It seems that there are a good number of authors in the Les Fic genre that you can always count on for a good read. In my arsenal, these include Melissa Brayden, Gerri Hill, Jae, Lisa Moreau, and...the one and only Catherine Friend.

With The Copper Egg, Friend has once again delivered a rip-roaring adventure tale set against an amazing backdrop with that beautiful touch of lesbianism to boot. Escaping to Peru to follow looters, historians, archaeologists, government officials, and dangerous mad men, The Copper Egg is a great ride, and just as enjoyable as Friend's other adventure tales. With main character Claire Adams coming off as a cross between Indiana Jones and a lesbian Lara Croft, and her counterpart, ex Sochi Castillo, reminding me of a female version of Brendan Frasier's character in "The Mummy," each page turn brought about a new and exciting spin to the adventure unfolding.

Tomb raiding and dig diving, Claire has loved her life her love of archaeology, tombs, culture, and history as she lives the life as a director of a preserver of Peru's antiquities. She fulfills every aspect of her life serving as the operator for such endeavors, especially with the love of her life by her side throughout it all. But when a horrible unveiling in the news flies across Peru, Claire is left jobless, ridiculed, and heartbroken. She retreats to the United States, alone and unmotivated, for three years. When Claire receives a mysterious package from Peru at her current settled (and rather boring) life in the United States, she is whisked back to the land where her archaeologist heart never left. What she discovers, both in the dirt - and in her heart - is nothing short of a fantastic venture.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I have read other reviews, and have heard the complaints surrounding some pieces of this novel, especially compared to others written by the author. And I respect and, admittedly, see and experienced what those reviews were discussing. But the book was still so enjoyable. I had a fun time reading it, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each and every character (because even the minor characters played major roles and were fascinating to get to know), and I looked forward to getting a chance to sit down with the book every day that I was reading it. It was well written, it was a great adventure, it was touching and sweet and mysterious all at the same time - overall, it was a great story, and a novel in which I will come back to in my life.

Bravo, Catherine Friend - you've done it again :).

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "First Position" by Melissa Brayden

First Position by Melissa Brayden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before getting into the nitty gritty of this review where I tell you all how amazing it was, I wanted to say that I actually got the insanely awesome pleasure of being able to sit down with the extraordinary Melissa Brayden herself, and though I was secretly telling myself consistently to "be cool" (and the verdict is still out on whether I succeeded or not)

... I can walk away saying that Ms. Brayden is simply amazing in person, end of story.

Which brings me to the point of saying, once again, that anything Melissa Brayden writes is simply amazing as well, end of story.

The love story Brayden has crafted between outgoing and enthusiastic Natalie Frederico (which is SUCH a fun name to say!) and level-headed, no-nonsense Anastasia (Ana) Mikhelson is art all on it's own...and not just because it is a book about dance! Art can be crafted in such meticulous ways, but Brayden has found a realm where, as a reader, you don't even realize how amazing the story is that is being presented to you because of the flawless effort that flows and snakes and weaves its way in and around you and your psyche while reading. These books, many of which (in my experience) have been penned by Brayden, are escapes and outlets all on their own that fulfill such a deep need for so many. And it is all in the name of literary art. First Position does just that.

First Position is another piece of Les Fic gold. Yet, it is very different than the usual fare we are presented with from Brayden. While reading, I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was that had this story stampeding in and out of my brain both while I was reading, as well as the times in between my reading sessions. For some reason, this book made me THINK. Please don't take that as meaning that Brayden's other novels left my mind searching for sustenance. This is not the case. But the levels that were presented with this novel - the deep-dives into emotions and relationships, interactions with the world around us, perspectives both internally and externally for the soul, and so much more - made this novel take up residence right in the center of my normal, everyday thought process and spend more time reflecting on this novel, its characters, and its subject matter, more than I have for any others in 2016.

So what's the big difference in this novel compared to Brayden's others? Well, as many reviews have already stated, there is one addition within these pages that we have not yet seen often from her previous novels.

In addition, there was more a slow-burn to the two characters and their developing relationship. This definitely added to the angst level, but made the encounters between them leading up to the "big moment" all the more sizzling and tantalizing for the reader. I completely endorse the Brayden Slow-Burn, and hope to see it again in future novels.

This review is minimal compared to others that I've written, but it is for a reason. You don't need a review to tell you this book is amazing. Incredible. Riveting.

The fact is, First Position is fantastic, and you should read it.

End of story.

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Fortunate Sum" by M. Ullrich

Fortunate Sum by M. Ullrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Note: I received this ARC from Bold Strokes Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fortunate Sum by M. Ullrich was a very, very pleasant surprise. Debut novel from a first-time published author in this genre provided some trepidation when I first set out to reading this novel. And though it had some slight needs for further development (in my opinion), those tiny flaws did not dissuade from my enjoyment of this from beginning to end.

I was captured pretty quickly into this story (after a few duds and attempts to read new books before acquiring this one, where the other did not go nearly as well), and bonded with the characters. I will admit that I didn't become attached to the two main characters as much as I have in other novels of the same genre, but spending some time with Catherine Carter and Imogene Harris did not disappoint in the least.

Following Catherine and Imogene as they stumble into a chance at love was an epic ride for the reader, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Again, despite some minor things that caused me to raise an eyebrow at the author's choice for the turn of the story, or the reaction of one character to another, I felt fulfilled in the end product, and would read M. Ullrich again to see what other stories she has up her sleeve to share with the world.

I look forward to reading more by this debut author, and can comfortably give this novel 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase "Fortunate Sum" from Amazon or Bold Strokes Books, Available Now!

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Cake" by Jove Belle

Cake by Jove Belle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Note: I received this ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

You can also find the review on my blog, FarNerdy.

This was my first read by Jove Belle, and I was not disappointed. A little fast-paced for my liking (but this only due to the novella length, and not a judgment on the author's writing ability at all), I still enjoyed the story of Kelly and Elena, and their trepidation adventuring into a relationship after some challenges set before them, both from the past, as well as the present. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the language Jove Belle used in her descriptions of their emotions, the connection between the two main characters, and, ironically, the sex scenes. I am not one for gratuitous sex, just to have it in a novel but serve no other purpose. But this erotic exploration into sex without strings until the strings become too thick to ignore was something worth the entire read.

A great first read from an author that I can see myself reading again. I look forward to more books by Jove Belle, as well as more in the Bitterroot Series she's created here. 

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase "Cake" from or Amazon and Ylva Publishing, Available Now!

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Love on the Red Rocks" by Lisa Moreau

Love on the Red Rocks by Lisa Moreau

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I'm just going to go ahead and add Lisa Moreau to my "buy everything this author writes" list and leave that there as a start off to this review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, from beginning to end. Even the start of it seemed really well-paced, providing the necessary prologue to make the rest of the story really even out throughout. Debut author Lisa Moreau provided us a with a great first novel full of fantastic characters, a beautiful backdrop, mystical romances, secrets in love (the good kind), falling for our best friends, realizing our judgments are, often, incorrect, a fantastic lesbian retreat group (where can I find one of these in real life?!), and believable scenarios that may hit close to home with many of us.

Each character was one that stuck with me in different ways. Main character Malley reminds me of that great friend you have that needs to control every aspect of her life, but you still find adorable. She reminds me a lot of Mallory Spencer in Melissa Brayden's Soho Savvy series. But the character of Jessie was, by far, my favorite. I can't quite grasp what it was about her that made her seem like someone I would find myself being attracted to, just for the pure sake of wanting to know her and be friends with her, but a large part of it was because she was written in such a real and genuine way. Her struggles, her attitude, her approach to life and all in it, just came across as the most authentic I've read in a while. Not something extenuated by the perils of novel writing, but actually a complete character that made it seem like you could meet this woman in the street in any major city. I can't gush about the characters enough.

Moreau continues to fascinate the reader by painting a beautiful backdrop of the picturesque mountains and landscapes of Sedona, AZ, fully grasping the surroundings to make it sound like it was a character all its own. This book made me add Sedona, AZ to one of my next vacation destinations. I can't wait to see it all for myself.

I'm still not quite sure how to explain why I loved this book so much. The story was great, the characters were fantastic, the love story predictable yet charming, the side stories well embedded into the main plot - I don't know. It all just WORKED.

Moreau's writing style reminded me of a cross between Melissa Brayden and Gerri Hill, which may add to the reasons why I enjoyed the novel so much. Some things didn't sit so well with me, mostly just certain word choices. But those occurrences didn't take away the pure joy I still had while reading the novel. I thoroughly appreciated how Moreau conveyed the characters to not take themselves too seriously, how they came to grips with the fact that they had been wrong about a thing or two, and how Moreau was able to teach me the same lessons that her characters were learning through her descriptions and narratives. Again, only a few authors (i.e. Brayden and Hill, among others) have done that for me in the past, and I take those lessons to heart when an author helps me figure them out without pointing me in the exact direction I am supposed to take in the learning of the lesson.

This was a fun read, and a good one at that. The romance is strong, the sex scenes are glorious, and the pace is very close to being perfect for the novel. Bold Strokes Books has found another winning author in my opinion, and I anxiously look forward to Lisa Moreau's next novel with them.

Now, how do I start over and read it all again?

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase "Love on the Red Rocks" from Amazon or Bold Strokes Books, Available Now!

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Sweet Hearts" by Melissa Brayden, Rachel Spangler, Karis Walsh

Sweet Hearts: Romantic Novellas by Melissa Brayden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First - the obligatory:

Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

Now the review:

I was having trouble staying engaged with this series of short novellas from some of the best Lesbian Romance writers in the business, so I just spent the last few hours powering through in order to reach the end and move on to my next read. I know, not something that usually accompanies a 4-star review but, mostly, it was because my nightstand is starting to pile high with books, and I'm anxious to get to them :).

Another reason for the 4-star review was due to my very favoritest author and Goddess of the Heart, Melissa Brayden being the front-runner, along with the always well-written and spunky Rachel Spangler, and my intro into the thoughtful and poignant writings of Karis Walsh.

5 stars - I know there were some lack-of-research holes that were discovered in Brayden's short story, "Firework", but it still served as my favorite of the three. Melissa's always fun and delightful banter between her main characters, as well as those quick-wit descriptors, such as:

"I suppose I could leave you to your drink."

"It's an option," Kristen said with a smile.

Lucy raised her shoulder. "I mean, for all I know, you're waiting on someone. A hot date perhaps."

Kristen nodded. "Yep. The hottest. She'll be here any minute now."

I thoroughly enjoyed Lucy and Kristen's tumble story into love, and it was a nice reflection against Brayden's famous "Heart Block". It was such a treat to return to Emory, Sarah, and Grace (and Walter!), and I was completely satisfied with it's run. Although, let me just be honest too and say, whenever Melissa Brayden has a novel out - no matter the subject - I'll just buy it, no questions.

3 stars - Spangler's "Getting Serious" was a nice taste of the writings and stories that Rachel Spangler has become known for in her novels. Purposeful and powerful in it's own mind and right brought a different tale altogether separate from the other two. While still funny and having Spangler show of her own skills of witty banter between characters, it was fun to follow Lisa and Marty through their own tale of love. Unfortunately though, this story fell short in my eyes, and it was partially due to some difficulties keeping in line with what was going on every second. Now, that could have totally been my mistake and fault completely, but it still caused me to lose the enjoyment that I usually settle in to when reading a great LGBT romance.

4.5 stars - I have yet to read an entire novel by Karis Walsh, but reading "Risk Factor" made it become more of a need than a possibility. Walsh captured me with her story of Myra and Ainslee's turbulent and emotion-filled journey to loving one another left me wanting more, and the only story I wish had been made to last longer so that it could have explored deeper paths. My second favorite of the three, I am glad to have had this introduction to Karis Walsh, and look forward to devouring more of her novels in the near future.

Overall, this collection was a great read, and I had fun with all three novellas. It was a great addition to have a short story like this available until the next Melissa Brayden novel comes along (holy crap...end of this year...UGH), as well as a great way for me to get introduced to a new author I had yet to explore in Karis Walsh. 

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase "Sweet Hearts" from or Amazon and Bold Strokes Books, Available Now!

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Kiss the Girl" by Melissa Brayden

Kiss the Girl by Melissa Brayden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So it has taken me close to nine months to write this review. That's how LONG this book has been sitting with me on a daily basis; how long it has taken me to come down off of it's high; how long I have waited for my overwhelming feels for this novel to subside enough to put words to paper (screen?) about the wonderful joy and awesomeness that is Kiss the Girl. And yet - none of that has actually happened. It still sits with me constantly, and I find myself reflecting on it on a daily basis. I am still riding the "high" of the impact of the novel on my soul. I still have overwhelming feels and wondrous joy and an envelopment of mind-bending awesomeness in regards to this perfected novel from the Queen of Lesbian Romance, Melissa Brayden. I can't gush enough.

This novel was life-changing, and in such a feel-good, warm and fuzzy kind of way.

Outgoing Brooklyn Campbell and her fabulous friends run the cutest little boutique advertising agency this side of the Hudson River in New York City. The Soho Savvy company is finally starting to get some recognition, and finds itself fighting for an account against one of the biggest agencies in the city. Those that have the best ideas, the most clever marketing campaigns, the biggest hits across the market - that company will be the winner. Brooklyn's head is completely in the game, working hard with her friends to kick the big boys out of the competition with their unique ideas and killer designs. But one fateful day, Brooklyn finds herself stranded in a bar after a rather unfortunate series of incidents, and runs into the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. They talk, they flirt, they get to know one another, and Brooklyn finds herself on the receiving end of a "Cinderella" kiss at the end of the night, complete with a hasty exit by the brunette who completely derailed her focus from her current life. As the two women find themselves getting closer, Brooklyn discovers exactly who this woman is, and doesn't know how to proceed, if she even can.

This was not the first book by Melissa Brayden that I read. I actually read the Soho Savvy series out of order on my first experience, starting with the second novel in the series, Just Three Words. My first book by Melissa Brayden overall was Heart Block back in the summer of 2014, and didn't pick up one of her books (the above mentioned Just Three Words) until it's pre-release on NetGalley in March/April of 2015. After that, I was hooked, and bought all of Brayden's books, including this one. But the one thing that was different about this novel compared to the rest, is absolutely everything.

I think we can all agree that Melissa Brayden knows what she's doing when it comes to writing novels. She captures her characters, and in that, captures her readers. She provides descriptions and stories and connections within her novels that is basically literature crack for the Lesbian Romance reader! Kiss the Girl is no different in that capacity, but then it is so much more. The depictions of her characters are spot on - from Brooklyn herself to her friends at the Soho Savvy agency, to the illustrious Jessica Lennox - they are all perfection.

Let me segue here and state that Brayden has managed to create a character in Jessica Lennox that I have big-time crush-worthy feelings for, none that I've had so vehemently since my big crush of Hermione Granger sprouted when I was in my preteens.

Please understand how BIG of a statement that is in my world. Hermione Granger has forever been my "it" girl, and has never been in danger of losing her place from her pedestal for going-on 20 years (almost 18 at this time to be exact). Those are big shoes to fill, and Jessica Lennox has managed to shake the sturdy foundation that Hermione stands on. Let me reiterate - this is BIG NEWS. And let me reiterate as well - Melissa Brayden has managed to write a character that so beautifully captured my heart and made this occur. Her characters are THAT good.

But aside from the beauty of each and every character within this novel, the story has one of the best and most believable timelines and arcs that I've read. The beauty in the way the side stories line up with the main plot, and how those characters grow in succession with Brooklyn and Jessica - the whole thing amazes me to no end. Either Melissa Brayden was meticulous in the way this story would play it, and planned it down to each and every crossover detail, or her talent exceeds even beyond what I initially understood, and she is just a God of word and prose. You know what, let's just go with the latter - I'm pretty sure she's just a literature God.

I'm not even sure if I've given you anything of worthy note about this novel as a piece of literature, but instead just used my words to squee over and over about how amazing this book was to me instead. But if anything, take this away from this review:

Read it. Embrace it. Do yourself a favor and provide it to yourself as a reward for being awesome. There is nothing about this novel that won't delight any reader, I can guarantee this.

In fact, if you by some chance DO find something that just makes you hate this novel, I REALLY want to hear about it! Truly! I have yet to find someone that did not enjoy this novel, and always appreciate seeing both sides to every outcome. Please, personally contact me to tell me what you hated. I will actually be happy to receive your comments!

But seriously, read this book. And love Melissa Brayden. She is an amazing writer and more. I will fangirl over her until the end of time.

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase "Kiss the Girl" from Amazon or Bold Strokes Books, Available Now!

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Ready or Not" by Melissa Brayden

Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

To purchase this novel, please see links at the bottom of the review.
To view the entire review with the spoilers included, please visit GoodReads.

Okay, first off - we should all know by now that anything Melissa Brayden writes is pure gold.  This is fact, not opinion. Glad we got that out of the way.  

Now on to the review:

OH MY GOODNESS!!  This is such a bittersweet review to leave as I am SOO sad to see the Soho Savvy series come to an end! (Okay, fangirling tendencies will cease now) But, despite that feeling, Melissa Brayden has done it yet again and gone out with a bang with her final novel in the trilogy, Ready or Not.  After watching her three best friends find love, Soho Savvy leader Mallory Spencer is beginning to feel like the fifth wheel.  In walks Hope Sanders, "hot bartender" and owner of the Savvy ladies' favorite chill spot, Showplace.  Pursuing Mallory until she finally caves after a bet is won, Hope and Mallory begin a relationship that blossoms into the unexpected for both women.  While her friends watch the relationship pan out from the sidelines (with copious amounts of encouragement no less), Mallory and Hope tentatively step out of their comfort zones to pursue it to the utmost extent.

Aside from the obvious, let me explain what I loved about this novel.  I'll be upfront and honest in saying that Mallory hasn't exactly been my favorite character amongst the Savvy novels, or the women involved for that matter.  Truth be told, my absolute favorite character in the entire series is Jessica Lennox, Brooklyn's love interest and eventual girlfriend. <spoiler removed> However, that does not mean that I wasn't extremely happy with this story and the conclusion of the Savvy series.  Mallory's story was just as important as the rest of them, and the novel exuded the same charm, character development, wonderful dialogue, and quirky backdrop that graced the rest of the series. I enjoyed learning more about Mallory as I had the other Savvy ladies, as well as learning her faults.  And Hope was a fantastic character - all tough and hardy when first examined, but eventually seen as a softie with a big heart that was her true form.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially seeing as it lived up to my, admittedly, high expectations when going in to the novel.  Ms. Brayden has ended the series on such a high note, that I could only hope to see other series of similar caliber like this one from her in the future.  In truth, I loved how the romance build-up between Mallory and Hope wasn't the ONLY plot line to the novel.  Though I understand it was the primary one, it was nice to see other events play out in the background, but yet not out of the spotlight.  <spoiler removed > However, witnessing Mallory and Hope's relationship unfold over "mundane" things such as lobster rolls and business suits was still unique and beautiful in it's own, and in such a way that I have come to realize only Melissa Brayden can convey.

I'm sorry, but I do have to take a moment here to gush about Melissa Brayden for a second.  If you haven't read any of her novels, and somehow this one is the one that caught your eye - don't hesitate.  Read it.  I do think it is important to read ALL of the Soho Savvy novels, but Ms. Brayden makes it entirely possible to read them out of order if you feel the need.  However, if you're considering reading all of Brayden's novels - I couldn't recommend it more.  Take the time out of your life and really sit down with her books. Melissa Brayden is an author that can truly capture your soul with her words.  It genuinely feels as if you're listening to one of your best and closest friends tell you the story of her life when you read her works.  Her dialogue is funny and light, yet still important and essential to the story plot.  The women she writes about are unique, personable, completely relatable, and entirely crush-worthy in so many ways for any "type".  Her character development, her real-life situations, even the pets she writes about to some of her characters! - everything is spot on. There is no question that Ms. Brayden really deep-dives the novels she writes, spending the time necessary (plus some) to get it right.  Not just for her as an author, but for her readers as well. Melissa Brayden has quickly become my favorite author of this genre, and has even inched up to one of my favorite authors of all-time, sharing with other top contenders such as Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, and Louisa May Alcott.


Bottom line: the book is fantastic.  And honestly, was there ever really any doubt that it wouldn't be? ;)

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase this novel on November 16, 2015 (Bold Strokes Books has made the novel available early!! Pick it up TODAY!) from Amazon and Bold Strokes Books.

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Reasonable Doubt" by Carsen Taite

Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

To purchase this novel, please see links at the bottom of the review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This was my first Carsen Taite read, and I was pleasantly surprised.  As a personal notion, I am not usually one to enjoy the rough-and-tumble, shoot 'em up, cops and robbers romances that are found within the lesbian romance realm.  With that being said, I've still found a few that I enjoy, specifically The Target by Gerri Hill. It has been a long time since I've been able to find another one that I thoroughly enjoyed though, until I read Reasonable Doubt.

Sarah Flores has settled in Dallas after a tumultuous career in the BAU division of the FBI.  Now, all she wants is a home with a picket fence, actual furniture, and, if she's lucky, someone to come home to at night.  Ellery (a name I love!) Durant is a retired criminal defense lawyer that has embraced the simplicity of a life based solely on the furniture she refurbishes that she finds from scattered pieces across the city. After a sudden leave from her well-established personal practice, Ellery was set on living life in the slow lane. When the two meet, sparks immediately begin to fly. But when they experience a life-altering event together, Ellery finds herself at the forefront of the prime suspects, with Sarah as the investigator.

I loved both of these characters immensely.  Though stereotypical in some ways and one-dimensional, it worked for them, as their characteristics balanced each other out, coming to a great arch of personal development and meeting together in the middle.  I have to admit that Ellery was my favorite, but primarily due to her name.  For some reason, it stuck with me and has become something I will remember forever.  With that being said, I also enjoyed Ellery because of her inner monologues - the way she talks through her tribulations and feelings, the way she embraces the parts of her that aren't as developed as she wished them to be, the way she accepts the ways in which she has conducted her life, even when they were not always in the most moralistic of views.  Ellery was real, genuine, perfect in her abnormality.  Her regrets, choices, and decisions she has made throughout her life were perfect evidence as to the person she turned out to be, and the one as the focus of this novel.  Thus far, she is one my favorite characters ever written.

Please don't assume I didn't like Sarah Flores because of this.  Her character was fascinating as well in its own ways.  But seeing as Flores fell into the typical FBI agent/law enforcement persona without too much outside of that, she didn't pull my attention as much as Ellery.

The story was a great ride!  Mixing both dramatic moments with fast-paced action, along with heartfelt and gentle occurrences were found a-plenty in this novel.  Carsen Taite brought all of her own history as a criminal defense lawyer to the forefront of this novel in order to help tell the story.  Having the real pieces of court, lawyers, and lawmakers within the words truly expressed a sincerity that, I feel, would have been difficult to replicate had the lawyer not experienced it first hand.  Taite's own life in the world she uses as a backdrop to this story is evidence of how bona fide it felt to engage in that entity.

Bravo to the author!  A wonderful story all around.  I will be adding Carsen Taite to my list of authors to watch for when new novels are released.  Thank you for a wonderful read.

While reading this novel, I have to admit my SwanQueen shipper heart came out, and I immediately saw Ellery and Sarah as a similar couple to Regina and Emma.

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
You can purchase this novel from Amazon and Bold Strokes Books.

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Damage Control" by Jae

My current series obsession is Jae's Hollywood series. I've discovered a love of the novels that concern our starlets of Hollywood finding love in the least likely (and sometimes completely obvious) places in LaLaLand. Jae does not disappoint with the second in her series here. A completely unrelated story to the first in the series, Departure from the Script (aside from the quick appearance of main characters Amanda and Michelle), Jae spins another great romance between publicist Lauren Pearce and her fan-adored client, famous actress Grace Durand. As Lauren's feeling increase over time for the thought-to-be straight Grace, the character development and connection between them grows to levels only saved for intimate connections.

I love Jae's novels - let me just get that out of the way first. She weaves well-described, well-established, and well-received novels across many different genres from Paranormal, to Westerns, to contemporary romance. It seems that whatever I read by Jae, I end up liking - no matter the context or premise of the novel. She has not disappointed me yet, and that continues with Damage Control.

I love how the main characters, Lauren and Grace, played off each other. The pace set before them in developing their relationship from client/contractor, to friends, to intimate friends, to eventual lovers, was exquisite. Jae knows exactly how her characters need to get from point A to point B in their personal accomplishments as well as the progression of the story itself, and does so with finesse. This novel was longer than the typical lesbian romance when it came right down to the numbers, but I didn't feel as if it were overstretched, or containing too much filler and fodder to bloat the story line. Every aspect was important, every detail meant something in the long run, and every emotion described per incident was needed in order to progress the story at the pace and rhythm appropriate to its conclusion.

Easily one of my favorite reads for 2015, I look forward to more in this series from Jae.

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase Damage Control from either Amazon or Ylva Publishing.

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Sharing is Caring - Books: "Countdown" by Julie Cannon

Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

To purchase this novel, please see links at the bottom of the review.

3.5 stars

So we start out with a typical lesbian romance story line - uptight Andrea Finley has never let her hair down, so to speak.  As Flight Director for NASA, Andrea has led and continued living a structured, predispositioned, and - frankly - boring life.  When things go wrong on Andrea's current mission, in comes Kenner Hutchings, the girl with the gift of knowing how to solve problems in the technical and scientific world due to her photographic memory (even though neither character believes that's a real thing).  Kenner is the opposite of Andrea, playing fast and loose with her life - and the women she takes to bed. Moving from lover to lover and job to job, Kenner doesn't let anything get in her way, and she doesn't have to listen to other people when she tends to be the smartest one in the room.  When Andrea and Kenner meet, they are instantly at war, both with each other, and their growing attraction of one another.  Will pristine Andrea be able to relax enough for Kenner to take her seriously?  Will Kenner show the respect she needs to get Andrea to understand and trust her?  Or will their budding "relationship" come crashing down before it even has a chance to lift off?

The premise of this novel fascinated me - NASA, a space mission in turmoil, love brewing between the anxiety and need to rescue the crew, and all the true-to-life science fiction nuances you could throw in to boot.  But in the end, the story lacked in certain areas that made the novel fall short in some key places.

The Good

The characters, on their own and in their own realm, were interesting.  They were complex in their one-dimensional issues and personal battles.  Andrea Finley needed to learn how to relax and let go, relinquish all of the control she held onto in every aspect of her life.  Kenner Hutchings needed to learn how to take better care of her authenticity and her personal life and, therefore, herself as a whole.  They each had one thing to fix, but Julie Cannon showered each character with qualities and quirks to make those mundane and common characteristics used in novels across all genres seem unique and intricate amongst the stereotypical backdrop.

The Bad

Unfortunately, there were a few things that made the story hard to get through in the end.  There were two biggest aspects to me that caused the story to derail.  

One was the fact that the angst riddled throughout the story was overwhelming, to the point that it was almost it's own character.  Then, in the end, the angst disappeared within two pages of the last paragraph, and suddenly the story was over and meant to be complete because, suddenly, Kenner had changed her ways, as had Andrea, and neither one of them was the same character whatsoever that they started as - but not in a warm, feel-good, progressive kind of way.  Kenner was in love in 8 days (after living the life of a fuck toy for who knows how long), and Andrea had thrown in her pencil skirt and ironed blouses for a toss and tumble in a king-sized bed in Washington, DC. I'm sorry, but...what?! The ending was waaaayyyy too rushed, too far out of left field to the rest of the story, and too...I don't even think they've developed a word yet for how it was both predictable in the way a bad movie's ending was predictable, but also surprising at just how far it strayed from the original story.

The other aspect was that it was often confusing throughout certain areas of the novel.  On more than three different occasions, I had to go back and reread what I had just read as I felt as if I got stuck in a time loop somewhere, and didn't know what end I emerged out from before the next scene.  Something wasn't right, something didn't add up, someone was in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong emotional bracket even.  I'd reread the previous few paragraphs and, at times, pages, to find that - no - that actually WAS how it was supposed to read, but that the details were left out for you to fill in yourself.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am the first person to tell you that I hate being TOLD what to feel and understand when it comes to reading.  I love a writer that can write me through a way to figure it out on my own and give me my own special "light bulb moment" when it becomes clear what was meant to be conceived.  But in many different areas of this novel, I was left to fend for myself in a way where I couldn't find the path to follow.  As I said, it was just...confusing.

Any lesbian romance that breaks the mold, even in a small way, such as this one by incorporating a spacey theme in the background and putting two women in powerful positions to show their strength and dexterity - these novels always appeal to me first and foremost.  So I'm always a little extra heartbroken when these novels don't blow me away (and I call myself out for expecting that just because of a synopsis).  

All in all, the book was worth the read, just to learn that I may find some other favorites in Julie Cannon and to see how lesbian romance is attempting to branch off into directions we haven't traveled to much (yet).  It's nice to see attempts being made to break that mold as I described, and can't wait to find more that will do this, and blow me away in the journey.

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆

You can purchase this novel on October 19th, 2015 (Bold Strokes Books has released it early!!  You can buy it NOW on Bold Strokes Books' website!!) from Bold Strokes Books or Amazon.

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