Scan barcode
merms's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved this book and the story definitely tied in with the message of you're never too told to find yourself and enter a new relationship, the characters were very likable and easy to follow and I love LOVED Zeke's character!
No Parking starts off a story about a woman named Marianne who owns a bakery and lives upstairs but always noticed that her parking lot was full and they weren't her customers because they were always complaining about not being able to park there, she has it out for Rana that rents the other side of the building as a restaurant because she swears that it's all of her customers.
A winter storm brings the women together in a connection that Marianne didn't see coming, how could she be crushing on someone who she had thought the worst of? Marianne and Rana fight for their parking lot together and end up bringing the community together as well as sparking a new flame.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
No Parking starts off a story about a woman named Marianne who owns a bakery and lives upstairs but always noticed that her parking lot was full and they weren't her customers because they were always complaining about not being able to park there, she has it out for Rana that rents the other side of the building as a restaurant because she swears that it's all of her customers.
A winter storm brings the women together in a connection that Marianne didn't see coming, how could she be crushing on someone who she had thought the worst of? Marianne and Rana fight for their parking lot together and end up bringing the community together as well as sparking a new flame.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
agentkp's review
3.0
best thing about this book was definitely the diversity and rep, we really need every book to be like this. the fact that they talk about ace spec at all was also amazing to see, sometimes I do be getting tired of reading about allos all the time. the story, though, focused way too much on the past and on legal things for me. not a bad thing if you're into that but it lost me a few times, i wish it would've focused on the romance part more. or even the found family thing. really good to have so much rep in one story and have people who discovered their queerners late in life!
sarahcr8's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ejimenez's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet, low stakes romance. 50-something characters in some kind of queer utopia of a small New England town. So chock full of representation that it feels a little artificial, but also charming. I definitely would retire to (or vacation in) this small town and eat all of the food. (So much food in this novel!)
The parking lot/building ownership plot felt a little pat in its resolution, and I was disappointed that some of the plot threads raised about the history of the bakery were left unexplored. That aspect of the book could have used a stronger edit, but I didn't really mind it. It was more of a frame for the romance and the exploration of the small town community.
The parking lot/building ownership plot felt a little pat in its resolution, and I was disappointed that some of the plot threads raised about the history of the bakery were left unexplored. That aspect of the book could have used a stronger edit, but I didn't really mind it. It was more of a frame for the romance and the exploration of the small town community.
felicitydisco's review
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
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? No
4.25
A delightful, gentle f/f foodie romance with lots of small town political intrigue and wonderfully diverse characters.
rainyoctober's review against another edition
2 stars for me personally but love and support lis
maggieswitzer's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC of No Parking by Valentine Wheeler and was instantly intrigued by the description. Older main characters, bi and ace characters, they’re snowed in together? I’ll pick that up! And No Parking delivered. I found it a delightful read that had me cackling with delight as legal shenanigans and small town drama were added to the mix. Absolutely pick this up for a nice romance read.
nickelmd's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully sweet story.
I enjoyed this so much. I really enjoyed both main characters and how real and layered they felt. Highly recommend!
I enjoyed this so much. I really enjoyed both main characters and how real and layered they felt. Highly recommend!
deannaogle's review against another edition
3.0
"No Parking" is a sweet little novel where small town values and queer folks exist in harmony. Marianne, the protagonist, runs a bakery that has been owned by her family for multiple generations. Her customers have difficulty accessing the parking lot, which she thinks is the fault of the neighboring business, but when the two owners get snowed in together, they find out something more sinister is at work that threatens everything they've built.
There is a tender romance that blooms as Marianne and Rana rally together to save their businesses and protect the people they love.
My only complaints are that the writing itself isn't very strong (sometimes too much time is spent on giving you backstory for every character and we can get kind of lost in the weeds), and it does seem a little bit unrealistic for a small town to have such a large number of queer folk without any resistance, homophobia or violence. However, I truly applaud the author for writing the kind of world we all want to exist in the future.
There is a lot of diversity (asexuality, trans folks, and the leads are middle-aged bisexual women), kindness, character growth, and warmth in this novel.
3.5 stars overall.
Thank you to NetGally and NineStar Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There is a tender romance that blooms as Marianne and Rana rally together to save their businesses and protect the people they love.
My only complaints are that the writing itself isn't very strong (sometimes too much time is spent on giving you backstory for every character and we can get kind of lost in the weeds), and it does seem a little bit unrealistic for a small town to have such a large number of queer folk without any resistance, homophobia or violence. However, I truly applaud the author for writing the kind of world we all want to exist in the future.
There is a lot of diversity (asexuality, trans folks, and the leads are middle-aged bisexual women), kindness, character growth, and warmth in this novel.
3.5 stars overall.
Thank you to NetGally and NineStar Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.