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sterling_sapphic_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was a very welcome change of pace. I really really enjoy Jae's writing and her storylines. They're just very different from my typical reads and I enjoy that difference immensely. Jae takes the time to fully immerse readers in the world of Fair Oaks, allowing them to feel a part of the community. The good and the bad of living in a small town.
This is a wonderful story that explores the journey of an asexual woman and a lesbian as they navigate their way to love. Jae really excels in her character development and vivid portrayal of the setting, bringing the town to life. This audiobook is narrated by Angela Dawe, and she provided a stellar performance bringing Fair Oaks, Holly, and Leo to life. I highly recommend this audiobook!
While this may not be a steamy read, it offers a different kind of intimacy that is often overlooked in the romance genre. The emotional depth of the characters and their relationships is truly captivating and drew me in and kept me invested until the very end. The relationship between Holly and Leo was really given the space to grow and evolve naturally, making them feel authentic and relatable.
I really want to shout out this book and Jae for her effort to educate readers about new terms on the LGBTQIA spectrum. Jae incorporated these terms into the story in a natural and informative way, and I think she's succeeding in raising awareness and promoting inclusivity within the genre. I love that she's using this medium as a way to expose readers to so many new dynamics. Jae did a wonderful job explaining :
Asexuality
Greysexual
Allosexuality
Ace
Queerplatonic
Aromantic
Demisexual.
Pansexuality
This is a beautifully written novel that not only tells an absolutely lovely love story but also serves as an important exploration of identity and intimacy. Jae's skillful storytelling and Angela Dawe's excellent narration make this a must-read for fans of contemporary sapphic romance.
This is a wonderful story that explores the journey of an asexual woman and a lesbian as they navigate their way to love. Jae really excels in her character development and vivid portrayal of the setting, bringing the town to life. This audiobook is narrated by Angela Dawe, and she provided a stellar performance bringing Fair Oaks, Holly, and Leo to life. I highly recommend this audiobook!
While this may not be a steamy read, it offers a different kind of intimacy that is often overlooked in the romance genre. The emotional depth of the characters and their relationships is truly captivating and drew me in and kept me invested until the very end. The relationship between Holly and Leo was really given the space to grow and evolve naturally, making them feel authentic and relatable.
I really want to shout out this book and Jae for her effort to educate readers about new terms on the LGBTQIA spectrum. Jae incorporated these terms into the story in a natural and informative way, and I think she's succeeding in raising awareness and promoting inclusivity within the genre. I love that she's using this medium as a way to expose readers to so many new dynamics. Jae did a wonderful job explaining :
Asexuality
Greysexual
Allosexuality
Ace
Queerplatonic
Aromantic
Demisexual.
Pansexuality
This is a beautifully written novel that not only tells an absolutely lovely love story but also serves as an important exploration of identity and intimacy. Jae's skillful storytelling and Angela Dawe's excellent narration make this a must-read for fans of contemporary sapphic romance.
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably a four-star read if I was being impartial, but the way it handled Holly's asexuality was refreshing, if at times frustrating.
delulucat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.5
Love the way asexuality was discussed
yasmine24's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-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
cele3222's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I wanted to it because of all the reviews saying it depicted the asexual lesbian relationship amazingly
Which yeah was true , and it was my jam in that sense
But it was also soooooooo cringe omg so cringe
Maybe I just totes wasn't in the mood for a romance book
It was like 15 hours long and could have been waayyy shorter
But it was pretty good and I did love the asexual relationship thing
But yeah
Hard Cringe I was not prepared for
I wanted to it because of all the reviews saying it depicted the asexual lesbian relationship amazingly
Which yeah was true , and it was my jam in that sense
But it was also soooooooo cringe omg so cringe
Maybe I just totes wasn't in the mood for a romance book
It was like 15 hours long and could have been waayyy shorter
But it was pretty good and I did love the asexual relationship thing
But yeah
Hard Cringe I was not prepared for
mischievous_monkey's review against another edition
5.0
Jae knocked it out of the park with this one!
jazzle_dazzle's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
piazelda's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
lezreadalot's review against another edition
3.0
They were really making a habit of colliding.
Cute, competent f/f romance with an asexual main character. Kind of a breath of fresh air; it moved slowly and didn't follow a lot of the typical romance beats. I LIKE the typical romance beats, I'm a sucker for tropes, but I enjoyed this very much as well. It had a slow, believable arc between the characters, where they moved from thinly veiled animosity to coexistence to friendship to romance to intimacy. I really appreciate when romance focuses a lot on character interaction. When these characters finally said 'I love you', I totally believed it. As for the characters themselves... there's a lot to like! I liked Leo's temper juxtaposed with her near shyness, and Holly was sweet and kind but absolutely knew when and how to stand up for herself. And there were lots of lovely moments, my favourite definitely being 'Holly's Song'.
Alas, this was a good book that was just bogged down with a lot of things that I didn't like, or just nitpicks. Really liked and appreciated the asexuality rep, but at times it felt like reading a wiki page or attending a Q&A session. This isn't a huge deal, because I know it wouldn't have felt that way for other readers, particularly ones who are as uninformed as Leo, but I figured I'd mention it. I feel like the author had a tendency to explain jokes that she didn't need to, particularly when Holly said something innocent that Leo interpreted as sexual, or vice versa. Often had a 'you're so much better than OTHER women' vibe which I always hate to see. (E.g., Holly doesn't wear form-fitting clothes, unlike those OTHER women Leo left behind in New York.) Leo has valid concerns about people using her for her money, but the way she praises the fact that Holly doesn't ask for extra payment for the EXTRA work she puts in is... weird. Ashley isn't blameless but GOD I hate how this book talked about people who aren't confident/comfortable in coming out. The resolution with the father didn't feel as well written as a lot of the other emotional stuff in the book. (After all the things he did and said, I'm not sure that album cuts it as an apology.)
Listened to the audiobook as read by Angela Dawe, which I enjoyed. She does great character voices. This is definitely a good book that I would recommend, even if it's just for an asexual person in romance. But it has its flaws.
3.5 stars.
Cute, competent f/f romance with an asexual main character. Kind of a breath of fresh air; it moved slowly and didn't follow a lot of the typical romance beats. I LIKE the typical romance beats, I'm a sucker for tropes, but I enjoyed this very much as well. It had a slow, believable arc between the characters, where they moved from thinly veiled animosity to coexistence to friendship to romance to intimacy. I really appreciate when romance focuses a lot on character interaction. When these characters finally said 'I love you', I totally believed it. As for the characters themselves... there's a lot to like! I liked Leo's temper juxtaposed with her near shyness, and Holly was sweet and kind but absolutely knew when and how to stand up for herself. And there were lots of lovely moments, my favourite definitely being 'Holly's Song'.
Alas, this was a good book that was just bogged down with a lot of things that I didn't like, or just nitpicks. Really liked and appreciated the asexuality rep, but at times it felt like reading a wiki page or attending a Q&A session. This isn't a huge deal, because I know it wouldn't have felt that way for other readers, particularly ones who are as uninformed as Leo, but I figured I'd mention it. I feel like the author had a tendency to explain jokes that she didn't need to, particularly when Holly said something innocent that Leo interpreted as sexual, or vice versa. Often had a 'you're so much better than OTHER women' vibe which I always hate to see. (E.g., Holly doesn't wear form-fitting clothes, unlike those OTHER women Leo left behind in New York.) Leo has valid concerns about people using her for her money, but the way she praises the fact that Holly doesn't ask for extra payment for the EXTRA work she puts in is... weird. Ashley isn't blameless but GOD I hate how this book talked about people who aren't confident/comfortable in coming out. The resolution with the father didn't feel as well written as a lot of the other emotional stuff in the book. (After all the things he did and said, I'm not sure that album cuts it as an apology.)
Listened to the audiobook as read by Angela Dawe, which I enjoyed. She does great character voices. This is definitely a good book that I would recommend, even if it's just for an asexual person in romance. But it has its flaws.
3.5 stars.