For Audrey Lind, working with clay still evokes memories of her favorite professor. The woman’s zeal for art history ignited Audrey’s own academic career—and her tweed blazers and British accent kindled her first female crush. After fate brings Audrey back to Northshire University to teach, she’s thrilled to be working alongside her former mentor, but the grumpy woman she encounters upon her return is nothing like the dynamo she remembers. Audrey’s passion for life slowly reawakens Michelle’s own. Wary of age gaps and workplace politics, they suppress their smoldering attraction—until one wine-filled night at the pottery wheel puts their romantic truce to the test. Will they keep things on the tenure track or risk it all for love?
I will always run, leap, even RACE toward a Rachel Lacey romance, and this one did NOT disappoint. Let’s break it down.
Characters (5/5) — Audrey’s optimism and academic excitement are precious. It not only awakens Michelle’s long-jaded passion, but adds energy to the story. As always, Rachel Lacey’s characters are layered, real and realistic with scars, heartaches, and hopes.
Plot and Pacing (5/5) — Despite this being a delicious, salacious slow burn, the pacing never drags. Instead, we get swept up in Audrey’s passionate excitement to start teaching, while the smoldering attraction between Audrey and Michelle keeps readers captivated, craving more and more.
World-Building (5/5) — Lacey’s last sapphic romance, The View From the Top, and Learning Curves, both have stunning sceneries. I felt Vermont surrounding me with every pace, heard autumn leaves crunch beneath my feet as I walked alongside Audrey and Michelle. It’s immersive (and, honestly, made me miss school a little).
Romance (5/5) — Slow burn romances can feel exhausting, but Lacey excels at letting tension crackle and using mutual yearning to captivate readers, to keep them rooting for that moment when the desire is too much to deny. Beyond that, Lacey approaches this former student/mentor, age gap dynamic with respect. There’s no ick; instead, these two characters learn to lean on one another, gently breaking down the other’s defenses. Flirting over tea? Tension crackling as Audrey guides Michelle’s hands during a pottery lesson? It’s steamy yet sweet, mature and realistic. The best part? There’s no third-act breakup, no miscommunication; none of the tropes that disrespect the relationship. Instead, we see them grow together. It’s beautiful.
Tone/Prose (4/5) — From page one, there’s a familiarity in Lacey’s prose, as if picking up a conversation with an old friend. Audrey and Michelle have very different voices; you won’t confuse one for the other while reading (a trap too many romance writers fall into while crafting dual POV stories).
Recommended for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur, Meryl Wilsner, and Mazey Eddings.
The Vibes
- Age Gap
- Dual POV
- Forced Proximity
- Hot for Teacher
- Academic / Workplace Romance
- Women in Art
- Student / Mentor
- Friends to Lovers
- Grumpy vs Sunshine
- Slow Burn
- Love After Divorce
- Workplace Rivals
- Queer ( Bisexual / Lesbian )
Quotes
“She’d always been prickly when defensive, and right now, she was a porcupine rolled up in a ball, quills protruding to ward off predators…or in this case, bright-eyed young professionals.”
“Just don’t walk away from the right person because you think it’s the wrong time.”
“Michelle had always loved kissing, and with Audrey, it was even more pleasurable. It felt like the creation of something, like a tapestry spun between them, a manifestation of their desire.”
“Resisting you was the hard part. Being with you has been one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.”
