Tag Archives: F/F

A Very Queer Gothic Ghost Story: The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall

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the cover of The Narrow

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When I got a promotional email about this book, I asked the publisher if there was a queer main character, because I couldn’t tell from the description. It’s funny that I had to clarify, because this is a very queer book: the main character is bisexual, there’s an F/F romance, and there are several queer side characters. It’s a bit tricky to discuss without spoiling anything, but you can be assured of that.

This is a contemporary YA gothic with elements of dark academia. Eden goes to Atwood boarding school to escape from her unstable and sometimes dangerous home life. Her parents just spent so much money on their brother’s legal fees, though, that there’s nothing left for tuition. The school offers her a solution: she can stay tuition-free if she agrees to be Delphine’s companion.

Delphine was once Eden’s roommate. Then, one night, Eden and her best friend jumped the Narrow—a river running by the school that’s claimed many lives. The two of them landed safely on the other side, but Delphine, who had followed behind them, fell in. No one survives falling into the river, but by the time Eden returns to her room, Delphine has returned, soaking wet but otherwise apparently unharmed. Except, Delphine is different now. She lives in a building on Atwood grounds, completely isolated. She gets ill if a drop of unfiltered water touches her.

So, every year, her parents pay the tuition of a girl who will be her companion. They decontaminate themselves on the way in and keep Delphine company, staying there at night. Eden isn’t eager to take the offer—she’s never talked to Delphine about what happened that night—but she has no other options, so she takes the deal. Soon, she finds ominous notes left from the last companion, who was taken off campus suddenly.

Although their initial interactions are awkward, Eden is intrigued by Delphine. She’s not quite the girl she knew before. Her isolation has made her blunt, with a different perspective on things. Eden is surprised to find herself falling for her. And as she does, she is determined to figure out what’s really plaguing Eden, because it’s not medical—and it seems to be coming for her, too.

Eden and Delphine’s dynamic is interesting because Eden has a solid group of friends at school that she loves—but she also lies to them constantly. She doesn’t feel like she can tell them about her home life, or what happened the summer before. That’s why she hides her still-healing injuries and dodges personal questions. Delphine, though, asks Eden to promise not to lie to her: she doesn’t need Eden to like her, but she needs her to be honest about it. Eden finds herself being more vulnerable with this virtual stranger than she can be with her friends.

This friend group is another strength of the story, even though they don’t take centre stage. The three of them are all high achievers in their chosen fields: they’re artists, athletes, and academics. Eden feels like she can’t live up to the standards they set, that she’s an outsider in her own inner circle. Her issues with self-worth are tied up with her home life, and (possibly) depression. As things at Abigail House get more dangerous, she has to decide how much she values her own life.

The element I thought was most interesting in the book is also a spoiler, though. (Highlight to read:) If there’s anything better than a sapphic ghost story, it’s a sapphic ghost story where the ghost is also sapphic! There is an abusive sapphic character, which some readers always object to, but I think since there are 3-4 queer women main characters, it worked for me. (Also, I think it’s worth depicting abusive queer relationships, too. That’s why In the Dream House is so crucial.)

I also thought it was fun to read a ghost story where the ghost is very corporeal. I’m used to gothic ghost stories where the first part of the book, at least, it’s unclear whether the main character is just imagining things, but this ghost is hard to deny.

When I got near the end of the book, I realized there were several possible endings that I would not have appreciated. Luckily, it nailed the landing for me. If you’re a fan of reading YA horror or gothic novels, I highly recommend picking this one up ASAP!

Content warnings: depression, unspecified mental health issues, abuse, violence, discussion of homophobia

A Small-Town Coming Out Story: Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia

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Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream cover

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[A quick note on spoilers: If you want to get very technical, this entire review is a spoiler. Seriously, if the mere mention of the word “spoilers” makes your skin crawl, here’s the short version of this review: Go read Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream. That said, if you’ve read a decent number of sapphic romances, you know all the tropes. Knowing the tropes makes a fair amount of potential spoilers moot. To me, that’s part of the fun—we know what will ultimately happen, but it’s the getting there that makes it so interesting. Anyway, read on at your own peril.]

A couple of weeks ago, I finally gave in—I downloaded TikTok onto my iPad. Not to yuck anyone’s yum, but I’m just not a fan of the app. Or, all told, the entire concept of the thing. At the same time, if I’m so interested in the discourse, I might as well go from whence the discourse came rather than continuing to wait for it as secondhand news. 

(If you think I’m going to say something about BookTok next, guess again.)

As I learned almost immediately, everyone is beholden to the great TikTok algorithm. Within mere days, I had been pigeonholed into a handful of very specific topics. One of these very specific topics, which is how we get to Tehlor Kay Mejia’s new novel Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream, is the “Later in Life Lesbian.” Now, for those of you following along at home, as a trans woman who came out later in life, I do technically belong in this category. But that isn’t the point here (nor is the point that “sapphic” is a much more inclusive term than “lesbian”); the point is that between TikTok and Cash Delgado, I’m noticing that this very specific topic has become a more prominent point of conversation and a go-to trope in many of the romance novels that I’ve read lately.

In fact, Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream isn’t even the first novel I’ve discussed here that follows the “later in life lesbian” trope: Ashley Herring Blake’s Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail treads some of the same ground. I really liked that book, and I really liked Cash Delgado as well. 

Single mother Cash Delgado manages a small bar in a small town. Inez, her best friend— what’s that, you say? Cash is going to realize that she loves Inez, who also happens to love Cash? How ever did you know?!? 

Again, even though the destination is nothing short of completely obvious, it’s a good writer who makes the journey enjoyable. For me in particular, when that enjoyable journey involves a single parent/child situation, I’m even more impressed. Mejia manages to balance the small-town setting, the central trope, and the parent/child situation, which is enough to enthusiastically recommend Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream. But wait, there’s more… 

Perhaps it’s because we’re in the summer of Chappell Roan, but lately it’s felt like there’s an ever-so-small possibility that we’re almost getting ready to be able to have a nuanced conversation about women and sexuality that doesn’t eventually descend into some form of biphobia or other exclusionary discourse. In the beginning of this novel, Cash finds herself hooking up with a guy with whom she’s had a previous relationship. The fact that this guy is the living embodiment of the mistake everyone has in their past becomes clear immediately, and he is a mere twirled-mustache away from being the most stereotypical villain who ever lived. And, sure, Chase is in town to bring an obnoxious chain bar/restaurant into Ridley Falls, which will destroy the scrappy establishment where he used to work and that Cash now manages. That complication is what the plot of the novel hangs on, yes, but the spirit of the novel is propelled forward more so by the fact that the words that best describe Chase are words that end in -phobic.

Because it’s difficult enough for Cash to figure out how she feels about Inez and what that says about her sexuality and her larger identity as a person. If it wasn’t difficult, there wouldn’t be an entire corner of TikTok devoted to it. (There would be so many more videos about make-up in my feed.) “Am I a lesbian?” “Am I bisexual?” “Am I a straight woman who happens to really really like this one woman?” All are legitimate possibilities for Cash (and lots of other women), but these questions wouldn’t matter nearly as much if people like Chase could just be cool for once in their entire lives.

Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream is an extremely fun read that brushes up against some of these questions of cisheteropatriarchy, straight culture, and cultural bereavement as it relates to realizing something significant about your sexuality later in life. If you’re not interested in that particular discourse, don’t worry! You can just boo along with everyone else about how Chase is the literal worst and cheer along about how Parker, Cash’s daughter, is the embodiment of a ray of sunshine. If this discourse is something that you’ve followed or taken part in, then there’s a lot in both Cash’s journey and Inez’s reactions to that journey for you to dig into.

Liv (she/her) is a trans woman, a professor of English, and a reluctant Southerner. Described (charitably) as passionate and strong-willed, she loves to talk (and talk) about popular culture, queer theory, utopias, time travel, and any other topic that she has magpied over the years. You can find her on storygraph and letterboxd @livvalentine.

The Queer Graphic Novel That Had Me Sobbing at 3 A.M.: The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

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The Deep Dark cover

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You’re all fired for not tell me how good this is.

I liked The Girl From the Sea, so I put a hold on Ostertag’s newest sapphic graphic novel, but I hadn’t heard anything about it, so I my expectations were pretty grounded. I definitely didn’t realize it was almost 500 pages; not the one-sitting read I was expecting… or so I thought.

I started reading this before bed, fully intending to get through a chapter or two before going to sleep. Instead, I was glued to the page until I finished it, after which I fully started not just crying but sobbing to myself. (It probably wasn’t 3 A.M., but give me some creative liberty here.) My roommate had to patiently listen to me weepily describe how good this book was. And then he offered me a chocolate chip cookie, which I definitely needed.

This review will have minor spoilers: the back doesn’t tell you what it is that happens in the basement every night, but it’s revealed early in the story. This is about Mags, a teenager who is trying to balance being the primary caregiver to her ailing grandmother, going to school, holding down a part-time job—and feeding her monster. Every night, she descends into the basement, offering her hand for the monster to feed from. It means she doesn’t get a lot of sleep on top of everything else, and it means she feels isolated: how could she ever have a real relationship, when she has such a terrible secret?

Mags is sleepwalking through life, as we can tell from the washed-out colour palette. She’s sleeping with a classmate from school who has a boyfriend. She doesn’t have a social life outside of these secret hook ups. Then, a childhood friend reappears: Nessa. Nessa is bisexual and trans, and she knows Mags’s secret already, because Mags told her when they were kids… except Nessa thinks she imagined it all. As Mags and Nessa spend more time together, Mags begins to wish for more from her life.

My heart broke for Mags, who is carrying so much on her shoulders. Her mother is horrified by her monster and stays distant from her. She thinks, “Mom says I’m so mature. And that’s code for not her problem anymore.” Her abuela is the one who forced her to start feeding her monster as a kid and to keep it a locked away secret. Her uncle, who was the other person in her family in the same situation, ran away with his monster and was never heard from again. She feels alone and like she doesn’t deserve real connection or support. She’s so tired that she’s beginning to faint at random times, and it’s obvious she can’t keep this up forever.

Ultimately, this is a story about accepting and loving the darkest, angriest parts of yourself—and allowing other people to love you in your entirety. Nessa offers Mags a glimpse of a possibility outside of just isolating herself. It’s painful and difficult, but it’s worth it.

As the title warns, this isn’t a light read. On top of Mags’s difficult emotional state and the discussions of intergenerational trauma, Nessa is also recovering from an abusive relationship, one that turned into stalking after they broke up. I also want to give content warnings for violence, death, child death, gun violence, and threatening suicide.

I did not mean to read this in one sitting, but I’m glad I did. I was immersed in this story, and I felt so deeply for Mags. It made the ending cathartic—hence the sobbing. This was obviously written from a personal place, and it’s so effective. This is a new favourite.

Religious Trauma and Queer Awakening: Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus

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Gay the Pray Away cover

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Content warnings: homophobia, child abuse, religious abuse, physical abuse

Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus follows Valerie Danners as she begins to understand and live her own truth. Unfortunately for Valerie, the truth of her sexuality is beyond unacceptable to her conservative Christian community, and she may not be able to have herself and her family.

I looked forward to reading this book. It combines two of my interests, sapphic characters and high-control religious groups, and one on count it thrives. The relationship between Riley and Valerie progresses naturally and is beyond adorable. I loved their sweet moments sharing each other’s passions and getting to be carefree teenagers together. Their stolen and cobbled-together dates shine throughout the book, even with a tremor of fear always running through them. I knew from the summary on the back cover that discovery was inevitable.

Which leads into the book’s weaknesses.

First, the blurb tells a majority of the story. In a way, that’s hard to avoid; this is a character-driven book, not plot-heavy. Maybe most readers found the book predictable. Maybe that doesn’t matter. With the character’s arc at the heart of this story and the warmly colored, borderline-idyllic art on the cover, even mildly savvy readers likely guessed the sort of ending this one had in store. I don’t mean that as a criticism. Plenty of queer readers want happy endings and with good reason.

However, the character’s initial perspective deserves analysis. This is supposed to be a book about Valerie deconstructing her faith. I assert that due to several scenes in which she confronts new information and experiences in the light of conservative Christian teachings. That is the book I wanted and the book I came for.

Unfortunately, it is not this book. From her introduction, Valerie does not hold those teachings. She tells us at the start how boring she finds Bible study, how she constantly daydreams during morning prayers. After sneaking a queer book from the library, she holes up in her closet to read it; this closet is set up as her little hideaway. Valerie complains about the rules under which she lives pretty much from the start. This is something that frustrates me because it feels like this fear of making mistakes. It feels like a concern on the part of maybe a writer or editor that Valerie won’t be likable enough if she holds unpopular beliefs. But a lot of people growing up in high-control religious groups genuinely hold beliefs they are raised with, beliefs many of us would deem problematic—they hold, in essence, the beliefs from which Valerie claims to be deconstructing. She is not deconstructing. You cannot deconstruct what was never built.

That is my biggest criticism of this book. Its lack of plot I can excuse. Its predictable ending seems reasonable. But the summary selling this as a deconstruction story, the passages in which Valerie claims to hold beliefs that conflict with what we’re shown prior just long enough for her to change her views? That frustrated me. The intended core of the book serves a context wholly different from the one provided here.

Gay the Pray Away is not a bad book. If you want a sweet romance in dangerous times, this is an excellent choice. My frustration is aimed at the marketing. This isn’t about a girl picking apart the toxic messaging she’s internalized; those scenes could have been removed without altering the story at all. My recommendation would be to go into it aware and keep your expectations reasonable.

When Duty and Love Conflict and Coincide: 3 Sapphic Bodyguard Romances

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There are few dynamics more swoon-worthy to me than a bodyguard romance: all of the pining of star-crossed lovers constantly at each other’s side, intense trust and protection, and often some sort of courtly intrigue. To make this sort of relationship work, the characters must be achingly careful and ultimately go through a drastic status quo change, which makes these stories compelling to me. Their genre can vary, so today, I’m doing a lightning round of reviews of three bodyguard romances: one sci-fi, one historical fantasy, and one contemporary.

Glorious Day by Skye Kilaen

Glorious Day cover

My most recent read was Skye Kilaen’s Glorious Day, a low heat sci-fi romance novella. Elsenna Hazen used to be the princess’s bodyguard, until two years ago, when they shared a kiss in the gardens. Since then, she has failed to forget her hopeless love, but she has focused on feeding information to a revolutionary group trying to topple the tyrannical king. Meanwhile, the princess’s life is being controlled by ableist caretakers. She must keep up the facade that she is helpless in order to survive her political situation, but Elsenna knows her better than that. When the princess reassigns her as her bodyguard, their romance rekindles while the revolution comes to a head.

This story is ultimately about being willing to fight—for one’s beliefs, one’s love, and one’s self. Due to her own role in a corrupt system, as well as the danger she has put herself in by betraying it, Elsenna considers her life and conscience forfeit. In order to not see her love as hopeless, she has to be able to imagine a future for herself. I enjoyed the arc for the princess (who is referred to with various titles and names over time, which had a significance I liked) and the role she ends up playing, as well as how this is gradually revealed through Elsenna’s perspective.

Considering this book was under 100 pages, I didn’t expect in-depth worldbuilding, and I liked the balance of plot and relationship development. That being said, though the writing was clear and polished, I would have appreciated more description. I often knew little about the character’s surroundings, which feels like a missed opportunity, given that this is set in a sci-fi monarchy featuring both high-tech equipment and extravagant ballrooms.

I recommend this book to those looking for a fast-paced read with a good balance of star-crossed romance and political maneuvering. 

You can find in-depth content warnings on the author’s website.

Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones

Daughter of Mystery cover

Earlier this year, I read Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones. This book takes place in an alternate regency setting with a magic system based in divine rituals. When Margarit Sovitre gains an unexpected inheritance, it includes a fortune but not a title, making her a target for the new baron. To remain safe, she has to rely on Barbara, a bodyguard included in the terms of the inheritance. They develop a slow burn romance while trying to navigate their new lives, which may be wrapped up in more layers of conspiracy than they realize.

Given that Barbara has been included in Margarit’s inheritance as if she were an object, there is obviously quite a large power differential that must be addressed, so the slow burn is appropriate as the characters have a lot to navigate. I appreciated the respect and care they showed for each other, and the way they were able to bond over their interests and abilities, as they both study the divine rituals despite others’ opposition. Both characters appealed to me for their wits, drive, and heart—and it’s hard to resist a lady with a sword.

I had been highly anticipating trying the Alpennia series, as I am a fan of unusual genre combinations, and the mix of historical fantasy, romance, and mystery that this promised seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, I found myself wanting more of all of these elements. While I enjoyed the beginning and ending, the middle dragged a little for me because some of the plot elements promised in the official synopsis (re: royal conspiracies and the divine rituals) aren’t developed until late in the story. Instead, there is a lot of focus on the restrictions women faced in this time period, especially within the social politics of high society. This obviously isn’t a criticism, but rather a matter of personal expectations. If this sort of story appeals to you, and you want to read one with a sapphic romance and a touch of fantasy, I recommend this book. Personally, I was invested in enough characters, including the two who star in the second book, that I am interested in continuing in the series.

One of my main content warnings unfortunately comes with an additional caveat. There is an instance in this book of attempted sexual assault and incest that, while taken seriously in the moment, is brushed aside later to a degree that I found uncomfortable. I would have preferred this element to be followed up differently.

In addition to the already mentioned elements, this book contains brief instances of homophobia and violence.

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

the cover of How to Find a Princess

Though I read it in a past year, I can’t write about this trope without including one of my favorite contemporary romances, How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole. Though it is the second book in the Runaway Royals series, I understood and enjoyed it as a standalone. This is an Anastasia retelling about Makeda Hicks, whose life has been run by her mother’s obsession with the idea that Makeda is secretly the princess of a fictitious country. Makeda thus tries to avoid the whole business, even—especially—when Beznaria Chetchevaliere, an investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies, shows up to convince her to make the trek to Ibarania to prove she is the true heir. 

This book is, in a word, entertaining. I was drawn instantly to Bez, who subverts the concept of the stoic bodyguard by being eccentric, dramatic, and chaotic. Makeda is such a people pleaser that it ruined her latest relationship, but she finds herself bucking against Bez’s attempts to tell her how to live her life, managing to be just as stubborn as this whirlwind of a woman as she learns how to prioritize her own wants. Their push and pull as they grow to understand each other and become partners was the highlight of the book for me. I liked the emphasis on the idea that you can’t fix someone else; you can only try to be your best selves together, one step at a time. 

If you’re someone whose tastes lead more toward the fantastical but who is interested in trying more contemporary romance, I recommend this book, as its at times outright whacky circumstances, along with the bodyguard element, give it that edge of surreality. I also appreciated the inclusion of Bez’s neurodivergence and of sapphic Black love. 

I’ll continue to keep my eyes peeled for other bodyguard romances, and I hope that at least one of these three options suits everyone else who loves this trope.

A Swoony Historical Sapphic Romance: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

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An Island Princess Starts a Scandal audiobook cover

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Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan wants to experience a final lesbian hurrah in Paris before she has to marry a rich man for her family’s security. Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, wants to secure her place in the business world by negotiating a land purchase so key to a development project that no man can question her prowess again. Both women are adept at playing a game of societal chess and will find each other to be an irresistible challenge.

As the story unfolds, the characters’ development makes you invested in more than just their potential romance. Manuela plays the role of fixer in her family, as she always takes on the responsibility of using her status to keep them financially secure. They use and gaslight her into paying for their mistakes. Now, she has to marry a rich man to fix their current debts, but her grandmother left her a parcel of land that she’s using as her bargaining chip to gain a modicum of independence. It’s this land that Cora seeks to buy for her business in building the first Pan-American railroad.

Meanwhile, Cora wrestles with her past mistakes, desperate to regain power and provide the status needed for her stepson to take his place in the House of Lords. Manuela’s proposal unlocks desires she long thought dead and forces her to open up in ways she believed she never could again. While Manuela is trapped by societal expectations to marry well for her parents, Cora is trapped in her desire to demand a place at the patriarchal table. Through their growing bond, they each come to find that they can choose their own happiness, everyone else be damned. But it’s a long road to get there.

Herrera develops Manuela’s and Cora’s characters adeptly by showing their relationships with friends and family outside of their romance. Manuela’s bond with her closest friends, whom she calls her pride, her Leonas, reveals that not even they know the full extent of her parents’ cruelty. Cora’s relationship with her aunt, stepson, and friends reveals the past that haunts her and why she believes she cannot trust in love again. It’s truly beautiful to see how each of them learns to open up and have faith in themselves and each other.

The historical setting makes for a delicious backdrop to this blooming romance and sensuous passion, especially when listening to it on audio. Rich, lush language always makes everything sound so appealing, from the feel of fabrics to the taste of food. As usually happens in historical romances, the euphemisms used for sex and sexual acts always delight.

Overall, An Island Princess Starts a Scandal is a swoony, historical sapphic romance that is perfect for fans of the genre.

Love, Friendship, and Hair Care: Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith

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Wash Day Diaries cover

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In Wash Day Diaries, readers follow a group of four young Black women from the Bronx, getting a glimpse of their daily lives through their hair care routine and wash day experiences. Presented as five interconnected short story comics, we get to meet Kim, who can’t get her possessive ex-boyfriend to stop texting her and just wants him to leave her alone; Nisha, who finds her way into a sexy love triangle and doesn’t know who to pick or how to choose between the two men; Davene, who struggles with her mental health and doesn’t know how to reach out to her friends for help and support; and Cookie, who hasn’t seen her grandmother in a while due to their strained relationship, but agrees to help her take care of her hair regardless.

This is not a high stakes story, but Rowser and Smith are so incredibly talented, it nonetheless feels like a deeply significant reading experience. Their true talent lies in their ability to take this otherwise short, slice-of-life plot, and present so much backstory and character development in a way that is completely smooth and natural. By the end of it, even though you’ll have breezed through the whole graphic novel in one sitting, you’ll feel as though you have known these characters their whole lives.

The beauty of this story is in how healing it is: from the panels detailing each step of a character’s hair care routine, to the passages showcasing the ways in which said routine can provide a safe space for open communication and love, the entire novel feels like a warm hug. I’m not usually a fan of slice-of-life stories, especially when it only spans over a few days, because I often get the sense that I did not have the opportunity to truly connect with the characters. However, this is absolutely not the case here. Rowser and Smith laid out so many different types of love within these pages and managed to address incredibly complex and nuanced topics within such a limited space, it is a true testament to the quality of their craft.

I love each of these characters, but Davene and Cookie are tied for my favourites. Davene’s struggles with her mental health will feel deeply relatable to a lot of people, specifically when it comes to her executive dysfunction and her difficulty reaching out to those around her. Rowser and Smith also don’t try to resolve her issues in a perfect, little package by the end of the story: they take the time to recognize that as healing as it might be to spend time with a friend, your depression and anxiety will not magically resolve themselves. People will misunderstand what you’re going through, they won’t know how to discuss it with you without accidentally being invalidating, they might not even be aware that you’re struggling at all. The book recognizes and expresses these realities that are difficult to admit, but important to discuss—and shows us that although community and support won’t solve everything, they are nonetheless genuinely helpful.

Cookie is another favourite of mine, not only for her loving and electric personality, but also because her queerness and her strained relationship with her grandmother are so personal to me. Coming out to your family and having that conversation completely change your relationship with them, oftentimes for the worse, is sadly an all-too common experience for queer people. Being able to read Cookie’s story, and seeing that despite their fraught relationship, her and her grandmother managed to find the space and opportunity to talk, connect, and understand one another, once again, was very healing for me. Rowser and Smith, as always, presented the situation in a way that was very realistic and grounded, not trying to sell their audience some pipe dream or featuring a three step guaranteed process to getting your family to accept every facet of your queerness. The entire chapter details the complex and nuanced rollercoaster of emotions that Cookie experiences behind her otherwise outgoing and bubbly personality, making her an incredibly fleshed out and relatable character. I truly loved reading every single panel she was in.

As a whole, the novel does an impressive job of pretending to be a soft, easy, slice-of-slice story, while taking you through an emotional journey of love, connection, community, identity, happiness, friendship, and support. It’s a quick read, but I strongly recommend taking your time to appreciate every aspect of the book, including each character’s little quirks and habits, as well as the beautiful art style. Smith does a stunning job of making these characters pop on the page—the colours are eye-catching, each character’s design is so well executed, and the ways that the panels flow together brings the whole thing to life. It truly is a dynamic reading experience, and I guarantee that you will fall in love with at least one, if not all of these women.

Representation: Black main characters, sapphic Dominican main character, main character dealing with depression/mental health issues

Content warnings: homophobia, depression, mental illness, dementia, toxic relationship, stalking, sexual harassment

A Sweet & Sizzling Summer Romance: A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen

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A Banh Mi for Two cover

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If you are looking for a sweet and sizzling summer romance to end your summer on a high note, A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen is a sweet romance between a Vietnamese American college student and a food blogger in Sài Gòn who is looking for her inspiration again after the death of her father. I would like to thank MacMillan for providing the Lesbrary with an ARC—A Bánh Mì for Two comes out on August 20th. I greatly enjoyed this novel; the romance is sweet, and both characters have interesting arcs as they struggle to deal with what becoming an adult means in terms of dealing with family and making big choices for themselves. Plus, I learned about street food in Sài Gòn and got very hungry in the process!

The romance takes place between Lan, a girl who currently helps run with family bánh mì stand with her mother and cousin, and Vivi, an American college student in Sài Gòn for a semester abroad. Vivi has told her parents she’s studying in Singapore, but in reality has come to see if she can track down the family history her mother refuses to speak about. As a bonus, she hopes to visit the places that her absolute favorite food blog has written about before they went on a long hiatus. Lan is helping her mother with their stand after the death of her father—she had had aspirations of going to college and being a writer, having enjoyed the popularity of the food blog she had started with the help of her father, but has felt both adrift and drowning under the weight of family expectations. A chance encounter in a park connects the two girls. Vivi, upon realizing that Lan is her favorite food writer, is excited, a little starstruck, and determined to help her find her writing inspiration again; Lan realizes that her deep roots in Sài Gòn could be what Vivi needs to discover her family’s past. As they spend more time together, they grow closer, they begin to realize that this may be more than a summer friendship.

I thought the romance between Lan and Vivi was very cute. Both girls, after a rocky start, are smitten with each other. Through Vivi’s eyes, Lan once again falls in love with her home city and her passions, and through Lan, Vivi is inspired to be bold and reach for what she wants. Both girls inspire and help each other and their feelings grow from that. If you are looking for some sweet first love, this is the place—even their first fight is barely worth the name, and they’re soon back to being joined at the hip.

Besides being a cute romance, this book also has a lot to say about growing up and figuring out how to deal with your family as a newly-fledged adult. Although they come from very different backgrounds and life experiences, Lan and Vivi are both at the same stage of life, where they are technically grown but still trying to figure out how to make their life their own. For Vivi, this study abroad experience is her chance specifically to make decisions that her parents wouldn’t approve of. Lan, on the other hand, is having trouble not taking all her family’s problems on herself, even when they urge her to live her own life. Throw in Vivi’s hidden family history, and there’s a lot for the girls to deal with on top of their burgeoning romance, but it is, in my opinion, the meat of the story. 

All in all, A Bánh Mì for Two is a cute romance that successful drew me into a wonderful mood and distracted me from the simmering summer heat. I would again like to thank the publisher for the ARC.  A Bánh Mì for Two comes out tomorrow, and I absolutely recommend it if you are looking for a cute summer romance to round out your summer.

A Lavender Haze Love Story: Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

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Late Bloomer cover

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“I wish I could say it gets better, but it only gets worse.”

“Nothing says love like Taylor Swift.”

There is a lot to like about Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings, but these two lines are what made the book stand out for me. In context, the first line is spoken by one main character, who is 26, to the other, who is 24. Later on, when Opal, the 24-year-old, says the line about Taylor Swift, Pepper replies, “Aren’t a lot of her songs about heartbreak?”

“Absolutely do not get me started,” is both Opal’s retort and what I would say in response to someone bringing up either of these topics. I have a lot of thoughts on these topics, and that is certainly part of what made me enjoy Late Bloomer so much.

Late Bloomer is set outside of Asheville, North Carolina, on a flower farm named Thistle and Bloom. Opal wins the lottery, buys the farm, moves from Charlotte to Asheville, and discovers that her new home is very much still occupied by Pepper. As it turns out, Pepper has had the farm sold out from under her by her ne’er do well mother because of something something probate. Hijinks ensue. There are two ways to approach the setting and exposition of Late Bloomer: 1) If you love flowers and/or Asheville, then you’re going to love the entire backdrop of this book. 2) If those things do not matter to you as much, throwing Opal and Pepper together in a house without “adult supervision” is more than enough to drive the story forward. 

So about that 26-year-old giving sage advice to a 24-year-old… truthfully, it was not my favorite. Have I once upon a time said something similar in a similar situation? Probably more than once. It’s the kind of thing that isn’t meant to be overheard by someone who wasn’t entirely sure if their back was going to cooperate this morning. That’s okay, though. More importantly, this interaction made me realize something: I think Late Bloomer is the first romance I’ve read where both characters are Gen Z. I’ve read plenty of books with Millennial/Millennial pairings as well as Gen X/Millennial and Millennial/Gen Z pairings, but I think this is the first Gen Z/Gen Z romance. 

To be clear, this is a good thing. No one in this book owns a coffee shop (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), and neither main character is remotely close to having children—or having their life together, for that matter. Pepper is autistic, and Opal has ADHD. (Unless she’s also autistic. Opal tells Pepper that, because medical tests are expensive and there’s a lot of overlap between the two, that she didn’t bother getting a diagnosis. Again, no one owns a coffee shop.) These two characters allow Eddings to talk about ADHD and autism in ways that I don’t often see from Gen Xers or Millennials. Eddings’s characters felt more real to me than many of the characters I’ve read in other romances lately. If someone told me that people like these characters existed in real life, I would definitely believe it. And while I know that romance is not the best place to go for realism, it works in Late Bloomer. 

Also, there’s a flower sculpture contest, so it’s not like I’m saying the book is bereft of whimsy.

Speaking of which, what’s up with the number of romances out there that invoke Taylor Swift’s name? Not just the first and last name—it’s important that Alison makes it onto the page as well. Swift’s middle name has somehow become the vehicle by which someone can emphasize just how powerful Swift truly is. (I’m certainly not denying that; shortly after the release of folklore in 2020, I began referring to her as “the bard.”) And the Swift references as book titles! In just the past two months, I’ve read Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma Alban and How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly. Eddings gets in on the fun as well, which readers discover as part of the author’s note in Late Bloomer. I’ll admit that my favorite part of the book is probably “Anatomy of a Title,” in which Eddings reveals that one of the possible titles for Late Bloomer was—you guessed it… 

“Lavender Haze.”

I really needed to get that whole Taylor Swift thing off my chest. More importantly, the insight that Eddings provided into that part of the writing process was a treat.

What I’m trying to say is that Late Bloomer has a lot of depth to it. I like the stories that follow tropes in a way that is predictable and comforting, yes, but it is also fun when an author adds something that I don’t come across that often. Or, in the case of the bard, something I see a lot of but approached in a way that’s different and makes me laugh. Late Bloomer is an easy recommend, and—if it matters to you one way or the other—it’s also one of spicier romances that I’ve read this year. 

Liv (she/her) is a trans woman, a professor of English, and a reluctant Southerner. Described (charitably) as passionate and strong-willed, she loves to talk (and talk) about popular culture, queer theory, utopias, time travel, and any other topic that she has magpied over the years. You can find her on storygraph and letterboxd @livvalentine.

A Love Letter to Summer Camp: Wish You Weren’t Here by Erin Baldwin

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Wish You Weren't Here cover

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Enemies to lovers is a popular trope, but most people don’t have full-on nemeses in real life. So in contemporary settings, rivals to lovers is more common: the people you compete with, argue with, and hate. Wish You Weren’t Here presents a lower stakes version of even this: what if you fall in love with the girl from your class who annoys you? You’ve never had a full-on fight, but you both avoid each other and are snippy around each other. That’s the vibe of Juliette and Priya.

As you can imagine, this isn’t the same stakes as a typical fantasy novel’s enemies to lovers story, where you’re both trying to murder each other at every chance. At first, I thought it was too little conflict to be interesting, but as the story continued, I started to appreciate the dynamic. This isn’t the fine line between love and hate, kissing each other in a moment of passion. It’s the confusing moment of seeing someone in a different light—writing someone off and then seeing that they’re very different than you imagined them to be.

The other big factor in this teen sapphic romance is the setting. Wish You Weren’t Here is an unapologetic love letter to summer camp. It’s the only place Juliette feels she can entirely herself. Everywhere else, she’s too “intense.” Here, she’s celebrated for it. That’s why she has such a hard time when popular, rich girl Priya shows up to steal the spotlight: this is supposed to be her safe place. Priya gets everything else, so why does she get to take this from her?

At Fogridge Sleepaway Camp, lifelong friendships are forged. Campers see each other year after year and develop their own inside jokes based on shared history. Juliette adores this place and knows it inside and out; she clashes with a new counsellor partly because she can’t help but consider herself more of an expert and authority on camp. It’s interesting, because I went to summer camp every year, but this is a whole different vibe than my experience. For me, summer camp was a way to reinvent yourself, but it existed in a bubble—I pretty much never saw the same campers year to year. It’s interesting that in the author’s note, she says that she fell in love with summer camp as an adult counselor. Obviously, summer camp means different things to different people, and it was fun to get a glimpse of this version.

I wasn’t sold on this story in first half, partly because while Priya and Juliette bickered—mostly because of Juliette’s prickly personality—there wasn’t that much conflict overall. (Also, the scene with her and her six siblings stressed me out! No wonder she can’t wait to escape to summer camp.) The second half got me, though, because I thought the flirting and tension between them as their relationship shifted was so well done.

I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would, and it was such a fun summer read. I read this partially in print and partly as an audiobook, and I recommend both. The short chapters—all of which have fun titles—make this a quick read, and I think anyone who has a soft spot for summer camp will get a dose of nostalgia. (Follow this up with That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey if you start dreaming about adult summer camp!)