Sutton Spencer is newly out as bisexual to her closest friend, Regan, and wants to explore dating women, but doesn’t know where to begin. So, Regan signs her up for the dating app Sapphic Spark and sends a message to the first woman Sutton showed an interest in, Charlotte Thompson. Charlotte is an aspiring politician and proudly out to her family, but not in the political arena. She does not want a serious relationship. The two strike up a friendship with Charlotte mentoring Sutton in sapphic dating that eventually leads to a friends-with-benefits situation. But will that be enough for both our heroines?
At the beginning of their friendship, Charlotte believes her interactions with Sutton are safe, as they do not have any overlapping connections. But it turns out that the one politician Charlotte is vying for his support is Sutton’s father. Charlotte is a character who is always trying to keep everyone at arm’s length. She compartmentalizes everything in her life, but she can’t do that as neatly with Sutton as she’d hoped.
Sutton does not do well with casual, and soon the friends-with-benefits arrangement becomes emotionally complicated as she develops real feelings for Charlotte. But she gets so caught up in her head, she doesn’t know how to communicate her needs. So, in a moment where Charlotte’s political rival threatens to out her to the media, she ends the sexual relationship with Sutton, which puts their friendship on the line.
The characters in this book are messy and constantly have misunderstandings due to a lack of communication. But they are also incredibly real, as their fears and insecurities keep them from talking and being honest. Charlotte wants to always put on a strong front, never allowing herself to show weakness so that it can’t be used against her as a woman and as a lesbian in a cutthroat political world. Sutton always holds on tight and feels things so deeply, she craves intimacy on all levels, but never knows how to say what she wants. It’s an emotional rollercoaster watching these two women meet each other where they are and learn to take risks.
Cass builds a rich environment with vibrant supporting characters for the main protagonists. Regan, who is the star of the second book in the series, The Snowball Effect, is Sutton’s biggest champion, only wanting what’s best for her. She can be so obsessed with wanting the most for her best friend that she tends to cross lines and boundaries, but her heart is always in the right place. On Charlotte’s side, she has her openly gay brother and his partner, who do their best to open her eyes to what’s possible when she opens her heart.
Amid these flawed and nuanced characters, I appreciate how Cass tells the story of someone coming out later in life as bisexual. It’s refreshing to have books that cover another perspective, as not everyone figures out their sexuality when they’re teenagers or young adults.
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