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verumsolum's review
4.0
I feel like I have to start this review by tattling on myself. I didn't want to read this book. But a book club I'm part of chose it and I've enjoyed all of their selections over the last couple of years, and I didn't want to miss out on the discussion. But I resented paying for a book whose blurb… didn't really grip me.
Why do I mention all this? Because I let stupid prejudices and stereotypes get in the way of me wanting to read this book. I'm not a tattoo woman: though I don't know how much of that is internalized crap and how much is genuinely me, so reading that one of the couple was a tattooist was one of the factors that led to me not being interested before I picked the book up. One of these days, I'll trust the others in the group more, because they haven't steered me wrong yet!
This was a very good story. Ash and Carmen were nicely different. And… we had characters who came to this point in their lives with some past hurts and worries. I also, as somebody who eventually broke contact with her now-deceased mother after her reaction to my coming-out, appreciated that both characters had to relate with mothers (either their own or another family member's) who initially reacted negatively to one of their children coming out. Those felt real, and not conflicts there simply to be exploited to move the story along, as they might have in another author's hands.
Most of all, I appreciated the book reminding me of the wonderful feelings of the initial stages of romantic love, as well as neither hiding from nor excessively dwelling on the inevitable obstacles that crop up on the way to happily ever after.
Why do I mention all this? Because I let stupid prejudices and stereotypes get in the way of me wanting to read this book. I'm not a tattoo woman: though I don't know how much of that is internalized crap and how much is genuinely me, so reading that one of the couple was a tattooist was one of the factors that led to me not being interested before I picked the book up. One of these days, I'll trust the others in the group more, because they haven't steered me wrong yet!
This was a very good story. Ash and Carmen were nicely different. And… we had characters who came to this point in their lives with some past hurts and worries. I also, as somebody who eventually broke contact with her now-deceased mother after her reaction to my coming-out, appreciated that both characters had to relate with mothers (either their own or another family member's) who initially reacted negatively to one of their children coming out. Those felt real, and not conflicts there simply to be exploited to move the story along, as they might have in another author's hands.
Most of all, I appreciated the book reminding me of the wonderful feelings of the initial stages of romantic love, as well as neither hiding from nor excessively dwelling on the inevitable obstacles that crop up on the way to happily ever after.
jenn77's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
alloveragain's review
4.0
7/10
The first book by A.L. Brooks I've read.
This is a cute slow burn story with very likable MCs (and Ash's niece). I realize I maybe should've read Write Your Own Script before this one but it isn't really needed to follow this book. Carmen's friends, Tamsyn and Maggie, seem to have an interesting story and I want to find out more about it, though.
I'll definitely put a couple of A.L. Brooks' other books in my to-read shelf.
The first book by A.L. Brooks I've read.
This is a cute slow burn story with very likable MCs (and Ash's niece). I realize I maybe should've read Write Your Own Script before this one but it isn't really needed to follow this book. Carmen's friends, Tamsyn and Maggie, seem to have an interesting story and I want to find out more about it, though.
I'll definitely put a couple of A.L. Brooks' other books in my to-read shelf.
zefrien's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
christianam's review
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
Long boring patches talking about work, endless descriptions of unnecessary details, and a very rushed ending. And somehow a book about a (presumably) bisexual woman manages to be super biphobic. Not the worst lesfic book I have read but not great.
gerd_d's review
4.0
A sweet slow Romance with characters I could easily connect with and which felt quite relatable to me.
With the author focussing on the multiple friendships between her characters, and taking her sweet time to develop the romance between her main characters, the story's been right up my alley.
Readers who like their Romance hot, might feel disappointed, though.
It takes us a good 170+ pages before we can even say:
"Houston, we've got a confirmed kiss. Repeat, we got a kiss!"
The sex scene at the end felt tastefully handled, and I really enjoyed to see the characters seeking consent during every step of it.
The prose didn't always quite grab me the same, but the lovable characters easily made up for that.
With the author focussing on the multiple friendships between her characters, and taking her sweet time to develop the romance between her main characters, the story's been right up my alley.
Readers who like their Romance hot, might feel disappointed, though.
It takes us a good 170+ pages before we can even say:
"Houston, we've got a confirmed kiss. Repeat, we got a kiss!"
The sex scene at the end felt tastefully handled, and I really enjoyed to see the characters seeking consent during every step of it.
The prose didn't always quite grab me the same, but the lovable characters easily made up for that.
wc4's review
4.0
3.5* An enjoyable slow-burn romance involving Carmen, a 40+ yr old woman who discovered that she might be attracted to Ash. Having never even thought about romance with another woman, we see Carmen as she deals with this revelation about herself. Ash has her own issues, having been heart-broken by a straight woman before. But their attraction and chemistry is undeniable. They bond over coffee and Portuguese egg tarts. There's a secondary plot of Ash's 14 yr old niece discovering she's attracted to girls too. So it's a nice parallel to have these 2 people in very different stages of their lives, exploring their sexuality. This is also a companion novel to A.L. Brooks other book, Write Your Own Script. The MCs of that book, Tamsyn and Maggie, also appear in this book, as Carmen is Tamsyn's agent. As always, it's great to see couples from previous books "living on" as it were, after their story ended in their book. For those who have read the other book, this one is definitely much slower paced. But, it's understandable as both MCs are hesitant to dive into a relationship for their own personal reasons. Overall, a gentle romance that's a very easy read.
camillessi's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
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