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A review by elvang
Coming Out by Jourdyn Kelly
3.0
Coming Out ticks all the lesfic tropes we’ve seen before in f/f romance novels. Our two leading ladies are beautiful, career oriented and have solid friends to lean on in life and in love. Each carry some baggage from the past or in Ellie’s case, continue to carry their burdens in the present. When they meet there is immediate chemistry and honestly watching Ellie and Hunter sort out their feelings for one another was the highlight of the book for this reader. Unlike most lesfic romance novels on the market today, Coming Out is 549 pages long and reads like a Chick Lit novel for lesbians. We get to know the families and their friends. There are the usual difficulties many relationships go through and like the title implies, we get to watch Ellie come to terms with her sexuality and face the fears she has harboured for many years. Characters appear from several other novels written by the author which is a pet peeve of mine but this is the second in LA Lovers series so I won’t grumble. Backstories were filled in as needed for the recurring secondary characters.
I liked the goofy, clumsy way Hunter behaves when she first meets Ellie in the diner. Hunter is endearing throughout the novel. The confidence she exhibits as a trauma surgeon escapes her when she deals with Ellie and her growing attraction. Challenges from her past shape the person she has become leaving her unprepared to have someone care for her as much as she cares for them.
Ellie’s reasons to remain closeted are valid up to a point. Her parents play the evil alt-right role in her life which is a reality many gay kids deal with in their own lives. That she still allows her teenage daughter to visit her horrible parents reflects the hold they still have on Ellie’s life. She is the positive outlook queen, soldiering on despite all life has thrown her way. Once she comes out (and I’m not giving anything away here, it’s in the title) she never looks back.
No Hallmark movie/Chick Lit novel would be complete without the expected drama/conflict to Interrupt all the happiness. The last third of this novel is where the story went off the rails for this reader. I was laughing more than commiserating with the characters as they dealt with all the drama. Too bad because I had become attached to these characters.
If you are looking for a beach read with loveable characters and don’t mind the stereotypes, this is a fun read. There are a few sex scenes but they are PG and very brief. Won’t offend a soul.
I received an ARC of Coming Out from Buoni Amici Press for an honest review.
I liked the goofy, clumsy way Hunter behaves when she first meets Ellie in the diner. Hunter is endearing throughout the novel. The confidence she exhibits as a trauma surgeon escapes her when she deals with Ellie and her growing attraction. Challenges from her past shape the person she has become leaving her unprepared to have someone care for her as much as she cares for them.
Ellie’s reasons to remain closeted are valid up to a point. Her parents play the evil alt-right role in her life which is a reality many gay kids deal with in their own lives. That she still allows her teenage daughter to visit her horrible parents reflects the hold they still have on Ellie’s life. She is the positive outlook queen, soldiering on despite all life has thrown her way. Once she comes out (and I’m not giving anything away here, it’s in the title) she never looks back.
No Hallmark movie/Chick Lit novel would be complete without the expected drama/conflict to Interrupt all the happiness. The last third of this novel is where the story went off the rails for this reader. I was laughing more than commiserating with the characters as they dealt with all the drama. Too bad because I had become attached to these characters.
If you are looking for a beach read with loveable characters and don’t mind the stereotypes, this is a fun read. There are a few sex scenes but they are PG and very brief. Won’t offend a soul.
I received an ARC of Coming Out from Buoni Amici Press for an honest review.