Jae's Blog, page 9
December 7, 2023
Sapphic fake relationship romance (Sapphic Book Bingo #25)
The second-to-last Sapphic Book Bingo post for 2023 features one of the most popular tropes: sapphic fake relationship romance novels. It’s certainly one of my personal favorites, which is why I’ve written four of them.
In a fake relationship romance, the two main characters start out only pretending to be in love or in a relationship. But during the course of their pretend relationship, they begin to realize that their feelings for each other might not be so fake after all.
15 sapphic fake relationship romances
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic fake relationship romance novels:
Just for Show by Jae
What happens when an overachieving psychologist with OCD tendencies and an impulsive, out-of-work actress start a fake relationship?
Claire Renshaw thought she had it all: a successful career as a couples therapist, a publishing contract for her self-help book, and a happy relationship. But her perfect world falls apart when her fiancée calls off their engagement. Because of that, even her book deal might be off the table. After all, readers don’t want relationship advice from someone who can’t even make her own relationship work.
So Claire sets out to hire herself a fake fiancée.
Lana Henderson, the actress who shows up to audition for the role, is not exactly Claire’s ideal woman. Her frankness and the messes she leaves everywhere drive Claire up the wall. At least she won’t fall in love with someone like Lana.
But soon, Lana starts to win her over with her big heart, tickle fights, and—gasp!—carbs after six. The longer they pretend to be a love-struck couple, the less fake their kisses feel and the more the lines between reality and role begin to blur.
Once the book contract is signed, will they walk away or is their relationship no longer just for show?
Available at:
Make Her Wish Come True by A. L. Brooks
Abby Baxter’s burning ambition to be a reporter gets a boost when her journalist friend offers her a deal: Fake-date a woman for a story she’s writing on finding love, and she’ll swing Abby a co-writing credit. It’s a dream come true after so long looking for her big break. For years, life and raising her half-sister have gotten in the way.
Erica Goode works two jobs while all her spare energies are focused on her eight-year-old daughter. She would love a social life, but who has time? A deal to be wined and dined if she fakes a relationship sounds fun. Although, it’d help if she wasn’t attracted to her date quite so much. Oh, and if the woman wasn’t averse to children. Really, there’s no way anything can come of it. Right?
Is it possible to get what you wish for, if you’re willing to give it a try?
Available at:
Take Two by T.B. Markinson & Miranda MacLeod
Gina Mitchells has a problem. The assistant professor is in charge of her college’s Pride festival committee, and the celebrity grand marshal they’d painstakingly recruited has just blown up the internet with a major scandal. Messing up the festival could ruin her chance to be approved for tenure. There’s exactly one famous person Gina knows who could save the day as a last-minute replacement.
The problem? The woman is Gina’s ex-girlfriend, and to say the relationship did not end well is an understatement.
Sophia Rossi has starred in so many squeaky-clean holiday romances since moving to Hollywood that everyone calls her the Queen of Christmas. An important new contract has her filming in a quaint New England town, but there’s a catch. It’s Sophia’s hometown, and surviving a month with her meddling, relationship-obsessed mother and sisters might be too much for Sophia’s sanity to bear.
When Gina reappears in Sophia’s life with a proposition, Sophia has one of her own. It’s a match made in heaven, if only they can get over their past heartbreak long enough to convince everyone they’ve rekindled their old spark. But can this fake relationship lead them to a second chance at love?
Available at:
Playing With Matches by Georgia Beers
Cori Stratton’s a small-town girl. She loves making candles, and her little gift shop is her pride and joy. But when the shop’s building goes up for sale, she might lose her home and everything that makes her happy. The worst timing of all? Her landlord’s daughter Elizabeth Brennan—popular, smart, and oblivious to Cori’s existence in high school—has breezed back into town.
Life has not gone according to plan for Elizabeth. Laid off from her job in the city, she’s forced back home to help her mom run the family’s B and B during a week-long wedding celebration…for Liz’s ex. Not wanting the groom to know the shambles her life is, she grabs the nearest person—Cori—and tells him how happy they are together.
A chance to live out her high school fantasy of Liz as her girlfriend is unexpected, but it keeps Cori playing along. And helping her one-time crush survive this wedding? Just for the week? She can do that. Besides, there’s no way this fake relationship will turn into the real deal.
Available at:
The Business of Love by Charley Clarke
Driven, reserved businesswoman Mackenzie Watson has one goal—take over her family company and secure her little sister’s future. The only wrinkle is her late grandmother’s decree that her company’s CEO must be married.
Adding marriage into Mack’s well-ordered life is a recipe for disaster. Her oh-so-logical solution? She’ll just hire a woman to be her wife for a year. Besides, maybe a little chaos is exactly what she needs…
Enter Taylor Sutton, the woman Mack accidentally stood up for a date six months ago. With a mountain of college debt, the barista could seriously use the money that comes with playing Mack’s wife. The big hitch—so to speak—is that her new wife is pretentious and arrogant and Taylor can’t stand even being in the same room with her.
God, Taylor pities anyone who’d fall in love with annoying, gorgeous Mack Watson and her kissable lips.
Wait, what?
Available at:
Just One Night by Chelsea M. Cameron
Paige Roman is out for revenge. Not just any revenge; she’s out to mend her recently shattered heart. Her ex, Wyatt, is going to pay, and the best way to make that happen is to seduce the girl he’s always wanted but has never caught: Esme Bell. To be fair, the dark-haired bartender with the infectious laugh is the girl just about everyone wants, and Wyatt is no exception.
Paige’s plan is simple, and it’s going to work. Go out with Esme, take her home, and then rub her victory in Wyatt’s face for the whole town of Castleton, Maine to see. She does reconnaissance at the bar where Esme works, and soon, the game is ON.
Is Paige just going to head right for the bedroom? No. She’s more subtle than that. Paige has never really seduced anyone like this, but how hard could it be? She’s not completely devoid of sexy skills.
What starts as a plot to get back at her ex turns into something a whole lot more complicated when Paige catches major feelings. Is she ready to give up her mission and put her heart on the line again? Or should she just cut her losses and call the whole thing off?
Available at:
Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue
Andi Barrons has no time for kids or the chaos they bring—certainly not when she runs a high-end decorating business. Mischief and little fingers around expensive materials? No thanks!
But then her gorgeous friend, Sarah Santoro, winds up in a custody battle with Sarah’s former in-laws and now… Well, somehow Andi’s agreed to pretend she’s Sarah’s live-in partner.
She’s still not quite sure how she got stuck playing a role she’s so utterly clueless about and that’s everything she doesn’t want in life. But as long as Sarah and Noa, the world’s cutest seven-year-old, don’t get a hold of her heart, she’ll be fine.
Easy, right?
Available at:
The Honeymoon Mix-Up by Frankie Fyre
When her fiancée leaves her at the altar, Basil Jones’s picture perfect life turns upside down, but nothing can stop her from enjoying her honeymoon—not even the luxurious island resort’s strict “couples only” policy. Basil’s vacation and her six-figure wine deal with the resort’s owners are riding on her finding a fake wife ASAP, and her sights are soon set on tall, dark, and gorgeous Caroline.
If only she knew Caroline had eyes on her first…
Caroline King never stays in one place—or in a woman’s bed—for too long. After risking her career in the past, the emotionally detached private investigator created two rules: always finish a job and never mix business with pleasure.
But when she gets roped into a false marriage with her breathtakingly beautiful target, she finds herself teetering the line of not just one but both rules.
Basil always gets what she wants—but Caroline’s professional reputation is on the line.
As Basil and Caroline’s attraction blazes like the island sun, both women struggle to fight delicious temptation while protecting their secrets—as well as their hearts—on the most romantic honeymoon island in the world.
Available at:
Truly Enough by J.J. Hale
Robyn Moore is a firefighter by trade and a lesbian lothario by choice. After losing her father and witnessing her mother’s broken heart, Robyn learns that loving someone never ends well. Spending her days trying to honor her father’s legacy isn’t easy, and the best way to blow off steam is by falling into bed with whomever happens to be available.
Lexi Lynch is an artist with a passion for painting. That is, until real life kicked in and bills piled up. To prove to her overprotective father that her chosen profession isn’t a mistake, Lexi takes on commissions that pay well but bore her to tears. Missed deadline after deadline has her career in jeopardy with the only bright spot in her days being her gorgeous friend and roommate, Robyn.
As Lexi leans on Robyn for support, more than just a creative spark flares between them. Their close proximity may ignite a fiery romance or send their friendship up in flames.
Available at:
Just Might Work by Katia Rose
Dane Marner’s aunt is obsessed with soul mates.
As a self-proclaimed ‘cosmically guided matchmaker,’ she’s played every card in the deck trying to set Dane up with the perfect match she’s found.
The problem? The ‘perfect’ match is Evangeline Hudson.
Dane and Evangeline rent rooms in Dane’s eccentric aunt’s house, but that’s where their similarities end. Dane is a drifter who freewheels from one odd job to the next, and Evangeline is an overachieving undergrad with a ten year plan so detailed it reads like an autobiography.
The two can’t even agree on a laundry schedule without feuding, but when Dane’s aunt reveals new tenants ready to take over the lease, they realize they’ll need to play some cards of their own to keep the beautiful old house they both love.
Their plan is simple: fake falling for each other long enough to get some soul mate sympathy—and a lease renewal.
A few lingering glances, some ‘accidental’ touches, maybe some well-timed tiptoeing into each other’s rooms late at night…
It’s a stretch, but it just might work.
Only said tiptoeing starts to heat the house up faster than they can stop it. As their plan begins peeling back the layers between them to reveal more similarities and way more feelings than either expected to find, Dane and Evangeline are forced to toe the line between real and fake—and decide which side they’re brave enough to stand on.
Available at:
Her Royal Happiness by Lola Keeley
Keeping a secret isn’t easy when you’re in the most visible family in the world. It’s even harder when you’re a lesbian who has just fallen madly in love. An opposites attract, charming royal romance with a dash of fake dating.
When tabloid darling Princess Alice, the first out member of the British royal family, meets an opinionated single mother, the encounter goes viral. It seems the anti-monarchist education specialist Sara has a view on all things and doesn’t mind sharing.
So when Alice later has to ask Sara to help diagnose her young nephew’s learning difficulties, it’s seriously awkward. At least until they discover how beautifully they click together.
With the press sniffing around them, and Alice desperately wanting to protect her nephew’s privacy, they agree to claim they’re dating.
But as their fake dates start to feel like much more, Sara and Alice must navigate having a real relationship in the public eye. Is that even possible, though, while keeping Sara’s daughter safe and happy, and facing the Queen’s disapproval?
Can they overcome their doubts for love? A love they can no longer hide?
Available at:
The No Kiss Contract by Nan Campbell
Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, corporate attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership—it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But eighty-hour workweeks don’t allow any time with her much younger half-sister, Tally, who doesn’t seem to need Davy in her life anyway.
Davy aims to get back into Tally’s good graces by throwing her a big birthday party, but that means dealing with Tally’s other half sister, Anna. To say Davy and Anna don’t get along is putting it mildly.
When a misunderstanding leads to her boss’s assumption that she and Anna are headed to the altar, Davy sees a way to leapfrog over the competition straight into one of the top spots at her firm. She just has to convince Anna to be her faux fiancée in order to do it and keep her growing attraction in check, of course.
Available at:
Only for the Summer by Shannon O’Connor
Someone should’ve told me pretending to date your best friend only works if you aren’t in love with them.
Kennedy Davis is not in love with her best friend. That’s what she tells every girl she dates anyway, but it always ends up the same.
Sienna Stevens is in love with her best friend, but she’s too afraid to admit it. A hopeless romantic who hopes her best friend might one day see her as more.
When Kennedy must return home for her brother’s wedding it only makes sense to bring her best friend along. But Kennedys fears of returning home give Sienna a chance for Kennedy to see her as more—by being her fake girlfriend.
So when the line between friends and more gets blurred with Sienna, will Kennedy finally see what everyone’s been telling her all along and confess her true feelings? Or will she hide how she feels to keep their friendship?
After all, a fake relationship only for the summer, can’t hurt right?
Available at:
The Road Trip Agreement by Tiana Warner
A camper van, a camera, and the open road are all laidback Carol Lavoie wants in life—and she’s using her career as a social media video creator to fund her adventures. The problem is, if she can’t work out how to get more followers soon, she’ll have to give it all away.
Minimalist vlogger Ruby Hayashi has over a million followers who watch her meticulously edited takes on cooking, van living, and her cute rescue dog. She exists in a world of perfection that is getting boring and badly needs an injection of fresh energy.
When Coral and Ruby team up for a road trip to boost their audiences, it’s a clash of opposites in what could be the change they both need. As they hit the Oregon coast, what they don’t count on is how their enthralled followers start rooting for their favorite lesbians to get together.
Could faking a relationship for the cameras be the key to going viral and boosting their careers? But even if they make peace with lying to their fans, for how long will their hearts be able to tell the difference between fake flirtation and real love?
Available at:
The 30-Day Engagement by Waverly Decker
Emory Jordan has been rising through the ranks of the boys’ club at a venture capital firm in New York, where she’s competing for her dream promotion. When Emory’s estranged ex-girlfriend Mari—who broke off their engagement to pursue her acting ambitions—sends her a wedding invitation, it’s the perfect opening for Emory to pitch a business deal to Mari’s new tech mogul fiancé. More importantly, it’s a chance for Emory to prove to Mari that she has moved on from their breakup. The wrench in her plans: she’s been putting work at the top of her to-do list, and there’s nobody she can ask to be her plus-one.
But Emory has a knack for business strategy. Bliss Tully, a struggling florist with a good-vibes-only attitude, accidentally stabs her with a cactus, and Emory sees an opportunity. Bliss is short on trust—her father’s white-collar crimes left her with a deep aversion to the business world—but she’s also short on cash, so she agrees to pose as Emory’s fiancée. The job is only for a month and pretending should be easy money. Right? Mari’s wedding approaches, and Emory and Bliss grow closer, all too aware their engagement is nothing more than a thirty-day sham. As far as kissing the bogus bride, though, they both want to say I do….
Available at:
2024 Sapphic Book Bingo
The 2024 Sapphic Book Bingo with 37 brand-new exciting categories starts on January 1, when I’ll post the rules and categories and you can download the bingo cards. Make sure you subscribe to my blog to get the bingo posts!
The post Sapphic fake relationship romance (Sapphic Book Bingo #25) appeared first on Jae.
November 16, 2023
Sapphic book with a character wearing a tool belt (Sapphic Book Bingo #24)
Can you believe there are just two more posts after this one after we’re wrapping up the 2023 Sapphic Book Bingo? This year seemed to fly by! But don’t worry; I’m planning a 2024 Sapphic Book Bingo too. If you don’t already get the posts, you can subscribe to my blog.
For this week’s category of the Sapphic Book Bingo, read a sapphic book with a main character who works in construction and/or wears a tool belt in at least one scene.
15 sapphic books featuring a character wearing a tool belt
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic books in which the main character wears a tool belt or works in construction.
The Number 94 Project by Cheyenne Blue
When handywoman Jorgie’s uncle leaves her an old house in Melbourne, it’s a dream come true. Sure, 94 Gaylord Street is falling apart, and she has to deal with her uncle Bruce’s eccentric friends thanks to his unusual Will.
But that’s okay. She’ll fire up her power tools and turn the dilapidated terrace house into a desirable inner-city pad. Then she’ll sell up and head home to the country.
Jorgie hasn’t counted on falling for cute neighbour Marta, who’s found her heart-home among the tight queer-community of Gaylord Street. Between mugs of too-strong tea and Jorgie’s lack of a working shower, the two forge a surprising connection.
But what happens when the renovation’s complete? Can Jorgie really just toss aside her tool belt and saunter away?
Available at:
Reclaiming Love by Amanda Radley
Sarah Campbell told one tiny white lie.
When her tech-giant employer moves her to a cottage on a small Scottish island to work on a classified, controversial, and potentially world-saving project, Sarah must keep her eco-terrorist mother in the dark to prevent her from disrupting everything. Sarah’s cover story—she’s fallen in love, she and her girlfriend are escaping the bustle of the city, she couldn’t be happier… But Sarah’s better at firewalls than real walls, and when she arrives at the run-down cottage, she quickly discovers she needs help.
Pippa Kent is a widowed, semi-retired structural engineer who’s done with love. She fills all her free time running a handywoman service on the island. When Sarah calls Pippa out for the most basic repairs, Pippa can’t help but wonder—often out loud—how anyone could be so inept at home maintenance.
Then Sarah’s mother suddenly decides to visit and meet her daughter’s wonderful new partner. With little option, Sarah begs Pippa to be her fake girlfriend. Only the more time they spend faking it, the less pretend it feels.
Available at:
Highland Fling by Anna Larner
Eve Eddison describes her ideal woman to her best friend, Roxanne, over pints in their local pub a few days before she travels to the Scottish Highlands. There she falls head over heels for an enigmatic local, Moira Burns, and the usually reticent Eve wants more than a holiday romance. Forestry officer Moira Burns has no intention of letting go—either of past pain or for present pleasure. If that means she misses out on her chance at happiness, so be it. Convinced Eve is headed for heartbreak, Roxanne advises her to let Moira go…but has Eve found her ideal woman at last?
From the breathtaking Highlands of Scotland to the buzz of a Leicester gay bar, family and friendship are tested to breaking point, as letting go proves painfully hard.
Available at:
Sweat Equity by Aurora Rey
Burned-out chef Sy Travino never expected to wind up on a goat farm in rural Vermont, but that’s exactly where she lands after leaving the restaurant world to become a cheese maker. It’s a great place to flex her muscles and make a name for herself, though. Too bad the house she bought is practically unlivable.
Maddie Barrow can’t believe anyone would be dumb enough to buy a house sight unseen, but she’s not about to turn down the job of renovating it, especially since her best friend just hired Sy to turn Grumpy Old Goat into the chèvre everyone is talking about. When the estimate on the house exceeds Sy’s budget, Maddie puts her to work.
It doesn’t take long for Sy and Maddie to admit their chemistry is off the charts, but having fun doesn’t always lead to forever. Could it be a foundation for love or nothing but a teardown?
Available at:
Bookends by Brenda Murphy
The life of university librarian, Amari Foster, is neatly cataloged. Work, home, and securing a future for her daughter are her focus. Hard-edged and handsome, she manages her private life with ruthless precision, cutting ties, and maintaining distance to protect her battered heart.
Plumber Thalia Makris has given up her dream of long-term love after a series of bad relationships. Desperate to have her own business, Thalia fills her days working overtime and her nights with fantasy novels.
After a chance encounter leaves both women wanting more than a one-night stand, they find themselves on the precipice of love. Will they take the plunge?
Available at:
Mailboat by Cade Haddock Strong
Wen Apollo dreams of seeing the world beyond the small riverside town where she grew up. But operating the local mailboat keeps her tethered to Coopersville. Islands dot the river, and their residents rely on her to deliver everything from food and medicine to pet food and plumbing supplies.
On a raw spring day, Wen goes to Owl Island—the summer home of the illustrious Gage family—to deliver a package. It’s addressed to the family’s oldest daughter, Estelle, a woman Wen has long admired from afar.
Estelle Gage fled to the islands seeking solitude and an escape. With the deadline for her latest novel fast approaching, her sole focus is to write. But when the handsome mailboat captain shows up on her doorstep, writing is no longer the only thing on her mind.
A steady stream of packages continues to bring Wen back to Owl Island—and to Estelle. But as summer looms, so does the impending arrival of Estelle’s family. The return of the Gages will most certainly spell the end to Estelle and Wen’s idyllic time cloistered together on the island. What will that mean for their budding relationship?
Available at:
Fixer Upper by Cara Malone
Avery Blake has spent years getting by all on her own in a big house on the countryside. As a contractor, there’s not much room for emotion in her male-dominated profession, and she’s perfectly content to keep people out of her private life, too.
After watching her elderly neighbor, Nora, be torn away from her long-time lover by heartless relatives, Avery has seen what it’s like to love and to lose, and she’d rather skip the whole thing and focus on work (and the occasional meaningless fling) instead.
Some relationships can be fixed with a little breathing room… and some are too far gone.
Hannah Grayson has nothing but room to breathe when she finds out her Great-Aunt Nora has passed and left her a house in rural Indiana. Fleeing a dysfunctional and controlling relationship in New York, she moves into the house because she’s got nowhere else to go.
Disasters start piling up almost as soon as the plane touches down – the house is in disrepair, Nora’s grandchildren are trying to evict her, and the gorgeous but chilly woman across the street seems to have a problem with Hannah’s presence.
When a pipe bursts on her first night in the house, Hannah has no choice but to run across the street and beg for help from Avery.
The rest, as they say, is history…
Available at:
When the Stars Sang by Caren J. Werlinger
Nearly twenty-five years ago, Kathleen Halloran’s brother drowned during the last summer they ever spent with their grandmother on a remote island off Maine’s coast. Like a siren’s call she can’t resist, Kathleen is pulled back to Little Sister Island. She leaves her job and her girlfriend, packs up her few belongings, and moves into her grandmother’s cottage. Molly Cooper loves life on Little Sister, where the islanders take care of their own. Kathleen Halloran doesn’t belong here, and her arrival stirs up unwelcome memories for the islanders—including Molly’s brother. Molly is certain Kathleen will pack up at the first big blow. When she doesn’t, Molly begins to see maybe there’s more to Kathleen than she thought. Sometimes, before you can move forward, you have to look back.
Available at:
Change Of Heart by Clare Lydon
When Erin Stewart hires a fake date for her parents’ anniversary party, she gets more than she bargained for. First, she snags Steph Mitchell, a professional actor with a side order of drop-dead gorgeous. Second, she runs into a brick wall of family tension. Deep breaths; it’s only five days. Plus, with Steph’s help, she can totally get through it, right?
Only, Erin doesn’t expect the fake romance with the charming Steph to feel so incredibly real. She also doesn’t predict their sizzling attraction will spiral out of control, with dizzying consequences for everyone. Is Steph Erin’s destiny, or will she be her downfall?
Available at:
Butch Girls Can Fix Anything by Paula Offutt
Kelly Walker is known around town as someone who can repair just about anything house related.
That’s true, except for the hole in her life left by the death of her lover, Anna. Her fix-it business provides the perfect hideout as she deals with other people’s problems instead of focusing on her own shattered life.
Grace Owens, single mother, is determined to stand on her own two feet and make a fresh start for herself and her nine-year-old daughter, Lucy. She’s promised her daughter they are here to stay. Grace is determined to keep that promise. Lucy has a goal of her own: she wants to master her math homework, and that’s a hard task with a mother who doesn’t understand division.
The three meet under a leaky kitchen ceiling. What each has to give, the others need. They must learn when to take risks and when to trust each other. Together, can they find the tools that will allow them to fix what most needs to be rebuilt?
Available at:
Fury by Jen Lawrence
When Shayla Aja comes back to the small town of Nyx to visit her grandma Ellie, she finds a lot has changed on the beekeeping farm—not only the house she spent endless summers in as a child, but Ellie herself has changed. And the reason seems to center entirely around Ellie’s new Apiary Manager, August.
August is infuriatingly attractive and shamelessly flirts with Shay—for no apparent reason other than to get under her skin. And the more she tries to get to know August, the more Shay is convinced she’s nothing more than a freeloader taking advantage of Ellie’s generous heart.
Their shaky start is layered with both suspicion and attraction, but when Shay experiences a magical incident at the local farmers’ market, something between them starts to shift. As Shay is forced to trust August with her big secret, they begin to open up to each other. As they reveal more about themselves and the life-altering events that brought them both to Ellie’s farm—they realize they might also have been brought to each other.
Available at:
Queen’s Ransom by Layla Reyne
Everyone leaves.
Love is risky business when you’re an assassin.
Helena Madigan has lost loved ones to the family business before. Now that she’s in charge, she’s determined never to risk her heart again.
Except every time Celia enters the room, she takes Helena’s breath away.
But the one time someone stays…
Celia Perri likes to be helpful.
She just wants to run the family auto shop, raise her kids, and help her brother plan his wedding.
But when a drive-by shooting targets the garage, Celia’s simple life is upended.
Now ensconced within the Madigan family, there’s no escaping Helena, the blonde bombshell she’s been crushing on for months.
It could cost her everything.
As the Madigans investigate, Celia witnesses their love and loyalty up close.
And their business.
Instead of being afraid, she sees a place for herself among them. She could be a confidant and caregiver—if only Helena would stop pushing her away. If only she’d admit their mutual attraction might lead to more.
And if only someone would stop shooting at them long enough to find out.
Available at:
Sing the Blues by Leigh Landry
Baking brownies for her new neighbor sounds like an excellent plan… until Sage discovers she’s now sharing a duplex with her ex. Hiding and avoiding the woman is sapping her creative energy, but Sage can’t afford another inevitable heartbreak.
Brooke swore she’d never feel stuck anywhere again, so she created a challenge: live in all fifty states before she turns forty. She’s hopping from state to state, renovating old houses, but living next door to her ex was not part of the plan.
While Brooke is committed to the road, Sage has made New Orleans her home. They can’t deny the fact that Brooke will leave once again, but sharing a front porch makes it nearly impossible to resist their attraction.
Available at:
Last New Beginning by Krystina Rivers
Bailey Kaczmarek has three loves: her dog, her construction company, and her very large family. After she finds out that her fiancée never stopped dating, she resolves to be content with what she has rather than search for happiness in a relationship. It’s not like she has much free time anyway.
Skye Kohl is a high-powered commercial real estate broker who spends most of her waking hours negotiating some of the largest leases in the nicest buildings in Chicago. She’s so focused on topping the list of the most influential brokers in the city that she ignores her love life.
Bailey’s and Skye’s professional and personal lives collide as they join forces on a construction project and deal with their meddling mothers, who think they’re perfect for one another. But the more they clash, the hotter their simmering attraction burns.
Available at:
Caution: Under Construction by TJ Vertigo
Sheridan Landers needs to learn that love includes unexpected patience and basic human empathy. Keefer Gibson has to learn to listen to her heart, and trust in someone whose womanizing reputation precedes her. Through it all, they both have to learn how to deal with a stalking, dangerous ex-girlfriend, who will not take ‘no’ for an answer.
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “sapphic book with a character wearing a tool belt” category!
The post Sapphic book with a character wearing a tool belt (Sapphic Book Bingo #24) appeared first on Jae.
November 9, 2023
Sapphic character going through menopause (Book Unicorn #11)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category is a true book unicorn: sapphic books with a main character who is going through menopause.
Even though menopause is a natural part of getting older for women and many nonbinary, intersex, or trans people, it’s not often depicted in sapphic books (or any book for that matter).
For this category, read a book about a menopausal or perimenopausal main character. Menopause or perimenopause needs to be explicitely mentioned; it can’t just be a book with a character in her fifties, where you assume they’re probably in menopause.
15 sapphic books with a character going through menopause
Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books in which the main character is going through menopause.
Strange Attractors by Ana K. Wrenn
Fierce and frosty high achiever Professor Sonja J. Storey is on the verge of seizing power in her department. She has exacting plans to remake her backwoods North Carolina university, just as she has painstakingly remade herself.
Sonja’s perfectly ordered life takes a dramatic turn when she meets laid-back, magnetic junior professor Crystal Byrd.
But then come threatening notes, sinister emails, and shadowy nocturnal figures, and suddenly, Sonja’s controlled world starts to tremble like a butterfly in a storm.
Is someone out to get her? Is it a specter from Sonja’s past? It’s hard not to be suspicious of everyone, even intoxicating Crystal with her temptingly warm presence.
Seeing danger everywhere, Sonja must hunt down the source of the chaos before she loses her brilliant mind, and her chance at the one thing she’s never known—love.
Available at:
Broken Beyond Repair by Emily Banting
Sydney MacKenzie, personal assistant to the rich and famous, is looking forward to a well-earned break to go travelling in her beloved VW camper van, Gertie — that is, until Gertie cries off sick. When her boss calls in a favour, one that will pay Sydney handsomely and put Gertie back on the road, she can’t refuse.
Internationally renowned actress Beatrice Russell — adored by her fans and despised by those that know her — is splashed across the tabloids, all thanks to her broken leg. She limps back to her palatial English country estate to convalesce for the summer, where she finds herself in need of yet another new assistant.
Enter Sydney, who doesn’t take kindly to the star’s demands, attitude, or clicking fingers — much less her body’s own attraction to the gorgeous diva. If not for that, and Gertie’s worn-out engine, she would leave tomorrow. Or so she tells herself.
As the summer heats up, the ice queen begins to thaw, and Sydney glimpses the tormented woman beneath the celebrity bravado, drawing her ever closer to the enigmatic actress — sometimes too close.
Can Sydney reach the real Beatrice and help heal her wounds before the summer ends and she returns to filming in the States, or is the celebrity broken beyond repair?
Available at:
With a Twist by Georgia Beers
Amelia Martini’s favorite things are traveling, animals, and peanut butter. When she left her job to explore the world with her wife, she didn’t expect Tammy’s plans to include leaving her. Now, Amelia is starting over again and facing middle age alone. It’s a struggle, but she doesn’t want to be bitter forever.
Thirty-something Kirby Dupree loves life. Not always easy when you’ve lost as much as she has and carry as much sadness as she does. But she made a promise to always look for beauty, so she does her best…even when she has to squint to see it.
When Kirby’s job as an interior painter brings her into Amelia’s life, they don’t exactly hit it off. Amelia finds Kirby irritatingly cheerful, and Kirby thinks Amelia’s far too serious. Forced to work together, they start to see beyond their first impressions and prove opposites really do attract. But are they brave enough to go after the love they really want?
Available at:
Roller Coaster by Karin Kallmaker
Two very different reasons brought Laura Izmani and Helen Baynor to the Beach Boardwalk for a symbolic ride on the biggest wooden roller coaster on the west coast. They part strangers, but only after sharing an experience that shifted both of their lives onto new tracks.
Their paths cross again decades later when Laura interviews with Helen to become the private chef for the Baynor household. Given what Laura revealed during that fateful coaster ride, she’s relieved that Helen seems to have forgotten her.
Fiercely protective of her children, Helen—now a famous stage actress and widow with teenaged twins—divides her time between home in a sleepy California enclave and the bright lights of Broadway. Continuing her carefully managed life until her children leave for college is all she wants.
Their first roller coaster ride together may turn out to be only a prelude…
Available at:
46 by Lynn Ames
It’s November 3, 2020, and Emma McMasters has just been elected the 46th president of the United States. She’s facing a divided Congress and nation, allies that no longer trust America, enemies that have been emboldened, and the legacy of destruction left by the last administration. She must rebuild and reestablish trust in government, in the media, and in the electoral system, all the while carrying the mantle of first female president, and along with it, the hopes and dreams of millions of women and little girls who need her to prove that a woman can get the job done.
Palmer Estes has devoted her life and her career to the military, rising to become the highest-ranking female officer in the US Army. An enigmatic, battle-tested hero, she’s the perfect choice to brief the new president on one last, urgent, highly sensitive mission before she retires.
Two strong women, both driven to serve the country they love, neither prepared for the sparks that fly between them.
Available at:
Starting Over by Nance Sparks
Sam Phillips is going through the motions. She was happily married for thirty-four years when a car accident stole her wife and destroyed her perfectly planned future. Now, it’s all she can do to exist day by day. The one thing that keeps her going is her IT administration job at Walsh Software Design. All seems lost when software stability issues threaten her career, until a hotshot programmer struts into her world and makes Sam want to feel again.
Jennifer Delgado doesn’t do cold and snow, but when a fluke February wildfire in the Southwest means evacuating for the third time in two years, it’s time for a change and she accepts a contract job in Minnesota. The weather is nothing compared to the unexpected feelings she develops for Sam. Jennifer has no idea if she can mend Sam’s broken soul, but it’s never too late for starting over.
Available at:
Deus Ex Mechanic by Ryann Fletcher
Alice is the best mechanic in the corrupt coalition regime, and enjoys her quiet life. When she’s taken by one of the most infamous pirate crews in the near systems, everything is thrown into chaos, and it’s not long before hard questions arise about where she stands in the fight against injustice, and her growing attraction towards a certain crew member.
Violet is the captain of the pirate ship, the Cricket, and damn proud of her reputation. When she reluctantly kidnaps a brilliant mechanic, things start to spin wildly out of her control, secrets get spilled, and she has to make the tough decision on whether to follow her growing feelings for a coalition employee, or put her crew first.
Will the pirates prevail, or will they be destroyed by the Coalition… or rival pirates?
Available at:
The Fate of Stars by S D Simper
A devout mermaid. A disgraced princess. A feud as ancient as the gods.
Worlds collide when Tallora is kidnapped from her ocean home and forced to be a pet to a tyrannical foreign empire. Her only hope for rescue lies with a sworn enemy—Princess Dauriel, infamous for her stone heart and conflicted past. But when Dauriel’s kingdom comes to the cusp of war, could their uneasy alliance be the key to defeating a common foe? Or will their growing feelings for each other lead them to ruin?
Available at:
Criminal by Proxy by S.E. Smyth
Christine is on the hunt to find out more about her great aunt, Rose, hoping to decipher their severed relationship and the murder Rose committed, for which June is in prison. With a stroke leaving Rose incapacitated, it’s a rush against time to find the truth.
Things are doubly complicated when Christine’s girlfriend Terrie is accused of assaulting someone. Nervous about what she might do next, Christine and her friends avoid Terrie. With everything at stake, Christine must stick to the cold hard facts, reminding herself not to let her emotions get in the way.
Christine must evaluate everything happening in her life. The weight of the events buried by her aunt so many years before and the shame of the actions of the love of her life rest squarely on her. If the eyes of the law are always 20/20, how do love, emotion, and insecurities distort fact?
Available at:
Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff
Becca Thornton, divorced, middle-aged and trying to embrace a quiet life, discovers that there are still plenty of surprises to be had when her menopause kicks in with bonus lycanthropy. And she’s not the only one. The seemingly peaceful and dull town of Wolf’s Point has its own all-female werewolf pack and Becca has just become its newest member. But it’s not all protecting Wolf’s Point, midnight meetings at the Women’s Club and monthly runs through the woods. There are werewolf hunters in town and now they’ve got Becca and the Wolf’s Point Pack in their sights.
As if that wasn’t enough, Becca’s cute lesbian werewolf neighbor, Erin, is starting to haunt her dreams as well as her doorstep. What’s a newbie werewolf to do, between the hot flashes and the unexpected physical transformations? Can Becca overcome her fears and help the werewolves defeat their greatest enemy?
Available at:
No Other Love by Harper Bliss
Annie McLean’s struggling book shop has been saved by joining forces with the Pink Bean.
Her wife, lesbian romance author Jane Quinn, finds her quiet life and steady routine challenged by the introduction of the Pink Bean and its many colorful characters. Both her mind and body seem to be struggling with the new situation.
While Jane figures out how to navigate and adjust to the many changes affecting her, Annie has developed more than a keen interest in Pink Bean owner Kristin.
What happens when a long and enduring relationship is put to the test? Can Annie and Jane rescue their marriage and in the process find themselves, and each other, again?
Available at:
The Words Shimmer by Jenn Matthews
Yorkshire anatomy lecturer Ruby Clark considers her life low-maintenance. She teaches at the local university, has two well-behaved teenage daughters, and what she doesn’t know about human anatomy isn’t worth knowing. Unfortunately, that knowledge doesn’t stretch to plants, and she’s been asked to help out on a school garden project.
Being a paramedic doesn’t do Melissa Jackson’s back or knees any favours, so she’s looking into university courses to try a less strenuous line of her work. But the brash, proudly out, down-to-earth woman’s biggest challenge is keeping her dyslexia a secret. That, and living down the stigma that follows her when people find out.
A university open day throws the two women into each other’s orbits. When Mel, an expert green thumb, makes a few helpful suggestions on Ruby’s garden project, Ruby convinces her to team up to make it a success.
Personality-wise, they couldn’t be less compatible. Mel’s brazen attitude, cocky jokes, and affinity with earthworms immediately rub the hyper-professional, straight-laced Ruby the wrong way. Can they ever find common ground?
Available at:
Choosing Yellowstone by Carol Anne Douglas
In Choosing Yellowstone, Professor Elaine Flaherty’s opportunity to teach journaling in Yellowstone National Park conflicts with her plan to volunteer with her partner at a Syrian refugee camp. Elaine and Pam must come to a decision that serves their personal needs yet honors their relationship of fifteen years. Elaine chooses Yellowstone while Pam flies to the Middle East. Through emails, they eloquently share details of their summer apart—and worry that something could go wrong. Something does. And Elaine’s misogynist English Department chair makes everything even worse.
Available at:
The Perfect Blend by Teresa Purkis
Georgina owns an independent coffeehouse. Her co-owner, ex lover and sometime friend with benefits, has recently died in a car accident. Grieving, and trying to keep the business going, she finds out the half share has been willed to a complete stranger.
Catherine has flitted from job to job, always searching for an important missing piece in her life. Dumped by her boyfriend, jobless, single, penniless and soon to be homeless, Catherine receives a letter which could solve all her problems.
Georgina has said she would never again date a straight woman. So why is Catherine continually invading her thoughts? Catherine knows she isn’t gay. So why is she feeling something more than friendship towards Georgina? Will Georgina let her past control her future? Will Catherine acknowledge a future different to her past?
Available at:
Acts of Contrition by Elena Graf
The Russians have invaded and Berlin is in ruins. Nearly everything Margarethe von Stahle has sworn to protect has been lost. After being brutally abused by occupying Russian soldiers, Margarethe must rely on the kindness of her friends to survive. Fortunately, the American Army has brought her former protégé, Dr. Sarah Weber, back to Berlin. Slowly, Margarethe heals and begins to rebuild her life, but as she confronts painful events that occurred during the war, she must learn to forgive and be forgiven.
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “sapphic character going through menopause” category.
If you know other sapphic books with a menopausal main character, let us know in the comments below.
The post Sapphic character going through menopause (Book Unicorn #11) appeared first on Jae.
November 2, 2023
Sapphic book with an interesting sibling relationship (Sapphic Book Bingo #23)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo features sapphic books with an interesting sibling relationship.
For this category, read a sapphic book in which the main character’s relationship with their sibling plays an important role.
15 sapphic books with an interesting sibling relationship
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic books in which the main character’s relationship with a sibling plays an important role.
The Roommate Arrangement by Jae
Comedian Stephanie Renshaw hopes to finally get her big break in LA. A chance encounter lands her the perfect apartment close to the comedy clubs, but it comes with a catch: she needs a roommate to afford the rent.
Enter Rae Coleman, a former police officer working the door at one of the top comedy clubs. After getting injured in the line of duty and losing her job with the LAPD, Rae guards her wounded soul behind a tough exterior.
At first, the two clash horribly before a tentative friendship develops. Bit by bit, Steph manages to break through the walls Rae has built around her.
But Steph has never been in a relationship, preferring casual flings, and Rae isn’t sure she’s ready to be happy again. Will they find the courage to open themselves up to love?
Available at:
If the Shoe Fits by EJ Noyes
Jana Fleischer loves her life—wonderful family, best sister in the world, awesome soon to be sister-in-law, fabulous job, and a never-ending stream of men to chew through and spit out. So what if everyone says she’s too picky and she’s never had a real relationship?
When a chance meeting with Brooke Donnelly leaves Jana literally and figuratively off-balance, it doesn’t take long for her initial annoyance to turn into the first sparks of friendship. Jana always thought she was happy with her life, but the more time she spends with Brooke, the more she realizes something is missing. And maybe not just in the friendship department.
But how do you make that leap when you’ve never even considered kissing a woman, and have spent your whole life avoiding romantic commitments? Being brave, taking the first step, and admitting she wants to try to make things work with
Brooke is only the beginning. Whether it’s the beginning of a disaster—or everything Jana hadn’t realized she wanted—depends on if Brooke can also be brave enough…
Available at:
Something’s Different by Quinn Ivins
Unemployed academic Caitlyn Taylor comes home to family drama. Her carefree twin Chloe plans to ditch her job to visit a guy she met online. Caitlyn steps in to impersonate Chloe so she won’t get fired for skipping town. Unfortunately, this means answering phones for an icy, dismissive boss.
Busy college president Ruth Holloway never paid much attention to her mediocre assistant. Suddenly, “Chloe” demonstrates insight into faculty politics and a baffling talent for analytics. And since when has she been so attractive?
Caitlyn dreams of getting closer to her sister’s boss but how can she? Everything they’ve shared has been based on a lie.
Available at:
Take Your Shot by Riley Scott
Sometimes, the girl who has it all—really doesn’t.
At first glance, high-school basketball superstar Logan Watts is living the American dream—perfect grades, perfect appearance, perfect boyfriend, and a college athletic scholarship already lined up. But if people looked deeper, they’d see Logan is plagued by the loss of her older brother and unending internal questions about what’s missing from her life. Logan’s world is turned upside down when she catches Carter Shaw—the witty and stylish head of the school newspaper, and the only out lesbian in school—staring at her in class.
A high-school romance is not on Carter’s radar. She just wants to survive the year so she can move on and enjoy the freedoms of college. But when a chance encounter puts her alone with Logan for hours, Carter discovers just how much they have in common.
And Logan realizes Carter could be that thing she’s felt was missing all along…
Available at:
Catboat Road by Kate Rounds
For Candace “Ace” Ragsdale, Mrs. Forest is an irresistible force of nature: luscious, tantalizing—and maybe not completely out of reach.
No one in her family is moored to social convention—but they’ve each learned to surf the wave of the unfamiliar and make the most of chaos. From Ace’s womanizing-yet-worshipful brother to her elusive-yet-loving parents, we watch this well-meaning family weave its way into a rich tapestry of townspeople, often to comic effect.
The backdrop is the Massachusetts seaside town of Horton, cut off from the world. On the surface, boats sway on their moorings, while below bubbles a primal brew of salt and sea life—much like the Ragsdales, a decidedly modern family whose humor and goodwill skim breezily above an ocean of smoldering emotions.
Into this infinite chaos careens a rebel grandmother who shows up to help the family save the town windmill, whose mysterious energy whips up the coastal disturbances of a changing world. As this spectacle of public conflict and private anguish unfolds, we’re fully on Ace’s side as she pilots the turbulent waters of love, sex, and traditionally non-traditional small-town values.
Available at:
Running Fiercely Toward a High Thin Sound by Judith Katz
Nadine Pagan’s dyke sister Jane wants to find her. Her lover Rose wants to marry her. And her mother Fay wants to forget her. All Nadine wants is to stop the buzzing in her head. Join Nadine as she escapes from her incendiary Jewish family into the lesbian town of New Chelmand far, far beyond.
Available at:
Undertow by Jazzy Mitchell
Maggie Ambrose is a fifty-six-year-old career politician who plans to run for president. To kick off her presidential bid and introduce herself to the masses, she’s writing a revealing memoir. Her publisher insists she divulge more than her political pedigree to gain the nation’s attention, but Maggie’s not eager to confess the details of her challenging childhood, complex familial relationships, or her failed first marriage. Will the nation embrace a female lesbian candidate after she opens the door to a painful past?
Available at:
Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties by Kellie Doherty
Misti Eildelmann is a Vagari—a race whose innate crafting ability is connected to the creatures of the world. She’s also a Moon Knight. Misti is fighting a banished one when he slips a pendant around her neck that saps her strength. The pendant is dangerous. Deadly even. It harnesses crafting in a way not seen before, so she sets off to find help. Old and new friends join her on this quest, including her longtime crush Dylori Clyofis and a villager named Arias Silverstone. The journey is risky—filled with frightening suncreatures, evil worshippers, and twisted betrayal. Misti is thankful to have friends on this path into the scorching light, but something much bigger is waiting for them in the sunshine. Her pendant is just a piece of puzzle.
Available at:
Saving Sam by Lynnette Beers
As an experienced San Diego lifeguard, Sam Cleveland has been trained to save others. On what becomes the most treacherous beach day ever, she battles the sea as her ability as a lifeguard is tested. While she risks her life to rescue swimmers from the rough surf, her world comes crashing down when she learns that her brother Robert has been in a serious accident. She then must leave San Diego and the young woman she’s recently started dating to return to her hometown—a place that holds a horrid memory from her childhood.
Once back in Mississippi, Sam sits vigil at Robert’s bedside. Always protective when Sam was a child, Robert clings to life as investigators search for the person responsible for his accident. As she faces the possibility of losing her brother, Sam is reminded that her hometown holds an unspeakable secret that she and Robert vowed to always keep buried.
On the hunt for the man who intentionally harmed Robert is Lieutenant Annie Wright—the woman who captured Sam’s heart years ago. Now just friends, Sam and Annie work together to find the person responsible for Robert’s injuries. But as painful childhood memories resurface, so do old feelings of love. Will Sam choose to move forward with the chance at new romance in San Diego, or will she return to the comfort of familiar love with Annie in Mississippi?
Available at:
Back in Your Arms by Monica McCallan
Seventeen years ago, Quinn McKinley left her small town of Kingsford for a shot at a happier life. Now a successful real estate agent in New York City, she’s brought back on behalf of a client, begrudgingly accepting her return home in order to close the deal of a lifetime.
Coming back opens doors she’s done her best to keep closed all these years, namely, how she felt about her childhood best friend, Sawyer Kent.
Sawyer’s spent her whole life in Kingsford, working at her family’s antique store and trying to make everyone happy. Quinn’s return is unexpected, knocking her routine existence more than a little off balance. She’s still frustrated at how Quinn left things between them, and even if she has all kinds of unresolved feelings, she’s got bigger problems to worry about right now.
Available at:
Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton
Two old friends, one hot summer, a whole load of confusion.
Poppy Jenkins makes everyone smile. She’s the heart of Wells, a beautiful village in mid-Wales, leaving light and laughter in her wake. She has a doting family, an errant dog and a little sister with a nose for mischief. But she’s the only gay in the village and it’s a long time since she kissed a girl: the chance of romance in sleepy Wells is rarer than a barking sheep.
If she doesn’t think too hard, life is cosy, until a smart sports car barrels into town with the last woman Poppy wants to see behind the wheel. Beautiful Rosalyn Thorn was once Poppy’s high school BFF even though she was trouble. Then one day she abandoned Wells and Poppy without explanation. Now the highflier is back and bound to cause fresh havoc in the village and with Poppy’s heart; folk are not happy.
Wells needs to wake up to the 21st century and Rosalyn can help, but old prejudices die hard. If they can be friends it could be the chance to make everyone’s happy ever after. Couldn’t it?
Available at:
The Christmas Checklist by Zoey Lennox
Everyone knows personal trainer Blayke Bell’s family are obsessed with Christmas. The tree goes up at the start of November and there’s always a long list of festive activities planned. To Blayke, Christmas is the best time of year and she can’t wait to start celebrating.
Beauty therapist Zanthie Brown has only been in town for a little over a year and with no family and very few friends, is set to spend another Christmas alone. If anyone asks, she’ll tell them she doesn’t mind, because the truth is, she’s never actually had the opportunity to celebrate a proper Christmas, and although she secretly yearns to take part in the holiday season, she certainly doesn’t want to be pitied.
When Blayke and Zanthie’s worlds collide, Blayke makes it her mission to pull together a Christmas checklist to ensure Zanthie experiences a Christmas she’ll never forget. Between ice skating, hot chocolate, baking cookies and tree decorating, sparks start to fly but there’s a problem. Everyone knows you shouldn’t date your best friend’s ex and Zanthie is Blayke’s friend and work colleague Lana’s ex-girlfriend.
Join Blayke and Zanthie as they try to fight their growing feelings in this festive romance.
Available at:
Unbeliever by Karin Kallmaker
Professor Hayley Carnegie has no time for the puzzle of a large book of blank pages delivered to her doorstep. University politics don’t matter, her research doesn’t matter. Her entire life is wrapped around caring for her twin, Kylie. As the New England winter sharpens both sisters know that Kylie will not see the spring. New neighbor Aurora Lowell is immediately sympathetic, helpful … and alluring. But Hayley has no time for that either.
It’s a completely different side of Aurora that Hayley experiences when she chances to open the mysterious book near the firelight and muses aloud the vaguely familiar words that appear on the old pages… Love is magic is love in Unbeliever.
Available at:
A Family Affair by Harper Bliss
Kate has been married to Kevin for ten years, but their failed journey to parenthood has left their relationship on the brink. As Kevin tries to heal by remodeling their home, Kate finds herself living in her mother-in-law’s pool house. And having to spend a lot of time with Kevin’s spoiled sister.
Stella is preparing for a career-defining audition, but is happy to welcome her brother and his wife to the house—even though she thinks Kate doesn’t like her all that much.
With Kevin away, Kate and Stella bond over secret crushes, hot movie stars, and glitzy celebrity parties.
Until one night, after too many shots of tequila, their bonding goes a step too far…
Available at:
Whimsical Princess by Tiffany E. Taylor
Kelly Holland is everything her sweet older sister, Rowan, is not: Kelly is bold, badass, and the best covert and clandestine operations analyst the CIA has ever had in their agency.
Kelly also has a secret. A very big, very explosive secret.
Riley Armstrong, Bryn Armstrong’s twin, is intrigued by the flame-haired femme, but wonders why a simple information analyst like Kelly has attracted the attention of the head of Percutio—a malignant crime organization headquartered in Florida. Grigor Reizan is pulling out all the stops to get to Kelly, and Riley wants to know why.
Because Kelly Holland belongs to her.
When Riley, Bryn, and the Seven of Armstrong Protection Services learn Kelly’s secret—and find out why Grigor Reizan has been so unyielding in his efforts to capture her—they are stunned. After Kelly loses her CIA agency status and protection because of a mole planted by Reizan, they vow they will do whatever it takes to keep Kelly safe.
But Reizan is just as determined to take Kelly for himself. He knows he can use her and her rare “superpower” to become the most powerful man in Florida—if not the world—and he’s not about to let anyone stop him.
No matter who he has to kill to succeed.
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “sapphic book with an interesting sibling relationship” category!
The post Sapphic book with an interesting sibling relationship (Sapphic Book Bingo #23) appeared first on Jae.
October 26, 2023
Sapphic cowgirl or rancher (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #22)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category features books that have a sapphic cowgirl or rancher as a main character.
The book can be either historical fiction, e.g., set in the Old West, or a contemporary novel taking place on a ranch.
15 sapphic cowgirl or rancher books
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic books featuring a cowgirl or rancher main character:
Hidden Truths by Jae
Everyone on the Hamilton ranch seems to be harboring a secret: Luke has been living as a husband and father for the past seventeen years, telling no one but her wife that she’s not the man she appears to be. Nora hides her past as a prostitute, while their daughter Amy is trying to keep her attraction to women secret.
Into this tricky situation arrives Rika Aaldenberg, a mail-order bride who traveled to Oregon to marry the family’s foreman. She, too, has her own secret: she’s not the woman who wrote the letters.
At first, Amy isn’t happy about having to show the newcomer around, but soon, Rika earns her respect…and maybe even her heart.
When hidden truths are revealed, will their family fall apart, or will love keep them together?
Available at:
Tipping the Barrel by BA Tortuga
Cowgirl Evie Martin has her ranch, her horses, a bunch of goats, and a million side hustles to make ends meet. So if she misses the one who got away, well, who has time for romance and relationships? At least that’s what she tells herself until that one special woman comes back into her life, needing her help.
Barrel racer Cheyenne DeLongh was rodeo royalty until an accident took her best horse and left her with scars that are both visible and deep-hidden. The only place she can think to go is to the woman she still loves. Evie. If her mother could stop meddling and Evie can believe that Cheyenne wants to stay and be a small town rancher, she might just get her stuff together. But as much as Evie loves Cheyenne, can she ever believe she’ll be enough to make Cheyenne stay?
Available at:
Riding the Storm by Franci McMahon
Kate Duncan can’t remember a time when she felt in control. She can’t control her father’s drinking or find or erase the dark place in his past that makes him fix horse races. Someday she wants to take over the racehorse training ranch, but that desire dims from the harsh glare of reality. She has averted disaster one too many times. After her Mother leaves, taking Kate’s little sister with her, she understands what a heavy weight will rest on her shoulders. At least Chogan is there to share the load.
Chogan Hungry Horse, Blackfoot and two-spirit, is the ranch jockey, and the person who leads Kate gently in opening her eyes. For the first time Kate has someone in her life who hears and sees her. Chogan gives her a language to speak about the pain in her family and opens a place in her heart. Danger grows in the beauty of Montana compelling them to discover the driving force.
Available at:
Western Blue by Suzie Clarke
In 1868, Caroline Bluebonnet Hutching is forced to leave her Texas home and make a new life in Nevada. But the townsmen are against her, and she can’t get the help she needs. Undaunted, she advertises for female workers, only to find that each woman who answers her ad is as desperate as she is. And she’s entirely unprepared for the one who steals her heart.
When raiders attack Isabel Segura’s horse ranch and slaughter her family, she’s left with nothing—no home, no future, no hope. When she sees Blue’s ad, a new dream sparks to life. Determined to begin again, she sets out on a journey she never could have imagined.
Available at:
Cowgirl 101 by Laina Villeneuve
What Jo Harding loves most about the summer is being able to retreat from annoying humans. Though her friends say she’d be happier with someone sleeping by her side, she insists that all she needs to be happy are her mules, her dog, and a trail into the backcountry. She has absolutely no time to teach the incompetent, if attractive, newcomer.
Daisy Lucero is an eager student from the start. Hired for work in the café, her real dream is to explore the High Sierra wilderness on horseback. While she would love to earn the respect of the handsome woman who inspired her adventure, she may have to settle for pestering her with songs and questions.
In the vast classroom of the California wilderness, each woman finds herself tested. Tests of perseverance for Daisy as she learns to ride, and tests of patience as Jo considers whether life is about more than riding alone.
It doesn’t take either of them long, however, to realize that neither one of them needs a lesson in chemistry.
Available at:
Secret Sanctuary by Nance Sparks
Alexandria Trenton is tired of living alone, but keeping secrets comes with a steep price. After growing up in witness protection, Alex is now a US deputy marshal specializing in protecting those awaiting trial. It’s a life that she simply can’t share, especially not when omitting the truth feels so wrong.
Alex’s world is turned upside down when her mentor passes away and his granddaughter, Elina Hawkins, shows up at the ranch the marshals are using to hide witnesses. Will the ranch be able to continue the sanctioned work? Or will she get a new assignment and be pulled away from the only place that feels like home? If she stays, can she resist the attraction she feels for Elina?
Even love has to wait when danger threatens everyone at the ranch. It’s the fight of Alex’s life to defend the secret sanctuary, and most importantly, protect Elina.
Available at:
The Price of Payback by S.W. Andersen
One year has passed since Sarah Sawyer avenged the death of her parents in a quest that nearly cost her life.
Now the gunslinger is living a life she never imagined. No longer roaming the trails alone, she and Jo Porter, the woman she loves, live in relative peace, working a thriving farm of their own.
But payback comes with a price.
The lingering fear of unsettled debts haunts them both, threatening their newfound peace. When ghosts from the past come to collect, Sarah risks losing herself to the darkness she’d fought so hard to escape.
Can she pull herself back from the depths or will the harsh world of the old west finally break her?
Available at:
A Glimpse Into Your Soul by Char Dafoe
1973, Peace River, Alberta, appears to be an idealistic place to live, rich with luscious land and a winding river that flows past the one-horse town where everybody knows everybody. Highschool sweethearts, Emma and Jillian McKinley grew up together in the small town and have loved one another for the past thirty years. Living out on the prairies, surrounded by nature and away from civilization, Emma and Jillian have had the freedom to live their true authentic relationship in peace. When a dark secret from Jillian’s past suddenly returns, threatening her marriage and upsetting the peace, Jillian takes it upon herself to tell her wife what really happened to her all those years ago.
Emma McKinley had always been a woman of action over words. Having lived her whole life in the solitude of her horses and her land, drama and danger never coalesced with her cowgirl lifestyle. When Emma discovers Jillian’s secret, the only thing on the cowgirl’s mind is exacting revenge for her wife using the skills she has honed all her life—aim, shoot, leaving no trail behind.
Available at:
Back in the Saddle by Toni Draper
Deep in the heart of Texas ranch and rodeo lands, freelance writer and barrel racer Kendall Greer, a woman with a heart of a poet, finds it broken and herself in a loveless relationship. As soon as she decides to put all thoughts of romance aside and focus on rodeo instead, she crosses paths with roper Deb Mueller. And they soon find themselves falling cowgirl hat over boots, hard and fast, for each other but together learn it takes time to trust and love again.
Available at:
Prize Money by Celeste Castro
Eva Angeles is a professional barrel racer headed for her third world title when a competition mishap throws her in the path of an on-the-loose bull. She is saved from impending disaster by a tall, dark, and handsome bullfighter—a woman.Toma Rozene is an equestrian stuntwoman fresh off the set of a blockbuster film when a family emergency calls her home to help run the family business: rescuing fallen rodeo riders before blustering bulls and bucking broncos trample their dreams.Eva and Toma’s shared passions and competitive spirits make friendship easy, but, as their feelings deepen, they must decide if the divergent futures they seek will stand in the way of love.
Available at:
Destiny’s Bridge by Carrie Carr
Budding realtor Amanda Cauble is sent on a fool’s errand on a stormy afternoon. When her car is washed into a rising creek, it could be the last thing she does.
Lexington (Lex) Walters has run the Rocking W Ranch for the last ten years, alone except for hired hands and her feisty housekeeper, Martha. She doesn’t have the time or inclination for dating, but when fate drops a beautiful woman into her path, how can she resist?
With the bridge out of service and the weather against them, Lex and Amanda work together to take care of the ranch. When they stumble across a group of rustlers also stranded by the weather, will the stress destroy their budding relationship?
Available at:
Two of a Kind by TB Markinson & Miranda MacLeod
Maisie Sullivan is a hard-working marketing assistant from Milwaukee who wants nothing more than to earn a promotion and finally finish her college degree. But when she’s swept off her feet by a charming cowgirl while on a business trip to Las Vegas, she decides there’s no harm in having a little fun.
Drew Campbell is a no-nonsense Wyoming rancher with a talent for horse training. Her only goal in traveling to Las Vegas for a riding competition is to win enough money to pay off her family’s debts. But when a beautiful stranger catches her eye and then some, she figures she might as well let loose for a night on the town.
What takes place after that, neither can recall. But months after parting ways, when both their fortunes have fallen, they discover what happened in Vegas has followed them home. A quickie divorce will solve the problem, but each woman has something the other needs, and neither will budge until she gets her way.
They just want to get on with their lives, but will they end up falling in love with their wives?
Available at:
Indigo: Blues by Adrian J. Smith
Taking her best friend’s advice, Sarah travels to Indigo B&B to distract herself from her upcoming tour. Instead, she comes face-to-face with Indigo’s ruggedly alluring owner, Eli. The vision of strength and confidence, Eli evokes Sarah’s envy as well as an undeniable attraction. Sarah wonders if there is more beneath Eli’s façade and how deep both their demons go.
Eli wants nothing more than to fit into her tiny hometown. When singer-songwriter Sadie Bade shows up for two weeks at her new B&B, Eli fights her attraction, playing it off as star struck. As the days wear on, and Eli learns more about the enigmatic Sarah, she finds it impossible to keep up the pretense. But when her ex-girlfriend hints at getting back together, Eli is left with an equally impossible choice…what will she give up for Sarah?
Available at:
Back in the Saddle by Ali Spooner
The crew from Cowgirl Up are back in the saddle for more fun.
In their new adventure, Coal, Stormy, and Gene get the chance to be part of something they have always dreamed of—a cattle drive. The beautiful scenery of Montana and the lure of a rodeo is just the start of their journey.
Even without the gang being at the MC2 ranch, there’s still plenty of action going on. A new addition, Doc Bo, brings a hint of jealousy and maybe the start of a new romance.
Pull on your boots and hats, and hold on tight as you ride along with the crew of the MC2.
Available at:
Here for You by D. Jackson Leigh
Competitive barrel racer Lacey Bishop has worked her way from homelessness and poverty to needing only a few points to qualify for the National Rodeo Finals when her only horse suffers a career-ending injury. Without the money to buy a new horse, Lacey has no choice but to trust an offer from Double R Ranch to lease one of their best barrel-racing horses.
Horse trainer Wil Rivers is working hard to get her family’s ranch profitable again after the coronavirus pandemic shut them down for more than a year. Her best chance to save the ranch from foreclosure is a half-million-dollar-plus offer to buy the mare she’s promised to the bewitching Lacey Bishop.
When Lacey discovers Wil’s plan to sell the Double R’s “money” horse to her fiercest competitor, she sees their chance for a future together and her chance to qualify for the finals disappearing in the rodeo arena dust.
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “sapphic cowgirl or rancher” category!
The post Sapphic cowgirl or rancher (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #22) appeared first on Jae.
October 19, 2023
Sapphic vineyard romance (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #21)
Fall has started in the western hemisphere, so this week’s Sapphic Book Bingo topic are sapphic vineyard romances.
For this category, read a sapphic book that is set on a vineyard. Typically, the main character owns, runs, or works on a vineyard.
15 sapphic vineyard romances
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic vineyard romances:
Something in the Wine by Jae
All her life, Annie Prideaux has suffered through her brother’s constant practical jokes. But Jake’s last joke is one too many, she decides when he sets her up on a blind date with his friend Drew—neglecting to tell his straight sister one tiny detail: her date is not a man, but a lesbian.
Annie and Drew decide it’s time to turn the tables on Jake by pretending to fall in love with each other.
At first glance, they have nothing in common. Disillusioned with love, Annie focuses on books, her cat, and her work as an accountant while Drew, more confident and outgoing, owns a dog and spends most of her time working in her beloved vineyard.
Only their common goal to take revenge on Jake unites them. But what starts as a table-turning game soon turns Annie’s and Drew’s lives upside down as the lines between pretending and reality begin to blur.
Available at:
Crush by Ana Hartnett Reichardt
Josie Sanchez is the head winemaker at Cadieux Vineyards, and all her dreams ride on the upcoming crush. If she can produce a gold medal pinot noir, the owner will give Josie her own wine label. Finally. She’s worked years for this opportunity, and nothing will stand in her way. Not even Mac, the owner’s annoyingly beautiful niece who doesn’t know anything about wine, but whom Josie’s forced to hire as her only harvest intern. Josie can’t imagine a more ill-suited partner for the most important harvest of her life.
After a lackluster start in her marketing career, Mackenzie Layton is eager to jump headfirst into the illustrious Willamette Valley wine industry. Thanks to her uncle, her first harvest job is with one of the most prestigious wineries in town. But when she meets Josie, it’s clear her presence is a nuisance, even if she does occasionally catch Josie’s gaze lingering on her. Mac has a proclivity for misadventure, and she is unable to resist the one person who is off limits.
This crush will be a messy one, indeed.
Available at:
Both Ends of the Whip by Brenda Murphy
Octavia Vargus had everything she wanted at Rowan House, Skye’s most exclusive pleasure house, except the one thing she craved. Longing for the freedom to explore both sides of her nature, she leaves Rowan House and her mistress, for a new start in Italy with her partner Bridget Murray.
Vivian Abiola is a connection to a past Octavia would like to forget, and a love she never expected to see again. After Octavia’s past relationship with Vivian is exposed, Octavia and Bridget explore the limits of their desires with Vivian. When an arsonist threatens to destroy their vineyard, past loyalties and secrets endanger their lives, and the three women’s relationship. Their love may be the only thing that helps them survive the firestorm of doubt, intrigue, and jealousy.
Available at:
It Started With a Kiss by Clare Lydon
When two strangers meet in a bar and share a scorching, once-in-a-lifetime kiss, they never expect to see each other again. Until days later when Skye walks into Gemma’s Surrey vineyard. For once, Gemma is lost for words.
When they start working together, they agree nothing can happen. Business comes first.
But such simmering sexual tension can only be contained for so long before the lid finally blows off…
Available at:
Sour Grapes by Eliza Lentzski
At this stage in her life, June St. Clare never imagined she’d be starting all over again—a new job, a new city, a new love? Looking for a fresh start after tragedy, June finds herself the unexpected owner of Lark Estates—a micro winery in the heart of Napa Valley. There, June is determined to learn the business and do her best, even if she’s convinced that her assistant winemaker, the beautiful but elusive Lucia Santiago, wants to see her fail.
Lucia Santiago grew up on vineyards, almost like a grapevine herself, working her way up from cellar rat to assistant winemaker. When the property where she works is suddenly sold to a woman with no prior experience, she can’t help but feel resentful of the winery’s lovely but inexperienced new owner. It’s too bad June’s helplessness is almost endearing, stirring up emotions Lucia didn’t quite expect.
Available at:
The Crush by Susan X. Meagher
Aldo Bagnolesi finally has what he’s long wanted. Control of the family winery in Tuscany. The only little detail is that someone has to manage the place for a few years. He’s far too involved in his company to leave on such short notice, but his daughter…
Despite her worries, Nicola agrees to step up to the plate, even though her interest in Italy and wine is sorely lacking. Her father will relieve her in two years. How bad could two years in one the prettiest places on earth be?
The transition is tough and she’s achingly lonely. Nic knows nothing about running a winery and can’t talk to the workers or the wine maker. She’s desperate for connection; for any semblance of her former busy social life. The closest gay bar is in Florence. She heads out—determined to at least talk to someone she has one thing in common with. To her delight, she finds not just a willing lesbian, but a sexy one—who seems equally interested in her.
It’s crazy to put so much importance on a chance meeting. But sometimes, you have to throw your doubts to the winds and see what the universe has in store for you.
Available at:
Full-Bodied in the Vineyard by Nicolette Dane
After yet another breakup and on the cusp of her 40th birthday, Shannon Laughlin is ready for something new—a new outlook, a new adventure… a new love. While scrolling online, a chance post by an old friend offers to give Shannon the change she’s been seeking.
That friend is free-spirited Alina. Alina is a seasonal worker at a winery up north and has orchestrated a life for herself that revolves around following her bliss. Shannon can’t help but remember the time in college when the two women hooked up, and this second chance Alina is offering is just too good to pass up.
As she stumbles into her 40s, Shannon is ready for whatever comes next. Will this opportunity with Alina allow Shannon to find some bliss of her own?
Available at:
Blend by Georgia Beers
When the widowed owner of the wine bar Vineyard decides she wants to take some time off and travel abroad, she leaves her business in the very capable hands of the two women she trusts most: Vineyard’s general manager, Lindsay, and her daughter, Piper.
For Lindsay Kent, Vineyard is her dream job. She’s thrilled when her boss leaves her in charge (well, half-charge),delete and tells her to feel free to make changes. Lindsay has tons of ideas that she’s been dying to put into action, and this is her big chance to increase the success of the business and prove she’s more than ready to run things solo. But getting the boss’s daughter on board is harder than expected. The uptight and annoyingly attractive Piper is blocking her every move.
For Piper Bradshaw, Vineyard is not her job. She already has one. She’s VP at a large tech company, and she’s damn good at it. Who cares if people say she’s a workaholic and an icy bitch? She didn’t get to the top by being prone to whims and experiments. She’s not happy when her mother suddenly decides to gallivant all over the country and furious that the family business has been left in the hands of the happy-go-lucky, born-a-generation-too-late hippie who manages it. Good thing Lindsay can’t make any changes unless they both agree, because Piper doesn’t intend to.
Lindsay and Piper are like night and day. Working together won’t be easy, but not falling in love might prove the hardest job of all.
Available at:
Entangled by Melissa Brayden
Josephine Wilder’s torrid love affair is with Tangle Valley Vineyard, her family’s legacy. She’s grown up dreaming between the vines. She’s always had secret ideas about how to make the place shine, so when it passes to her, Joey vows to make Tangle Valley everything she knows it can be. Her biggest obstacle? That overly commercial hotel going up, and the uppity manager trying to kill the vineyard’s rustic charm.
Becca Crawford loves to unwind with a good glass of wine. An astute businesswoman who has climbed the hospitality ladder, she’s the perfect person to head up Elite Resorts’ newest property, The Jade Hotel, and give tourists all the luxury they desire. As a bonus, The Jade is not far from the cutest vineyard with the best pinot she’s ever tasted. If only the captivating owner would get on board with her plan and stop badmouthing the hotel to everyone in town.
Is it possible that a nice glass of red could help Becca and Joey see each other in a new and alluring light?
Available at:
Just Like That by Karin Kallmaker
Syrah Ardani tried independence – but the call of the Napa Valley hills and rolling vineyards of her family’s winery have brought her home again. She is content with her ordered world until she learns that her father’s feckless management has put Ardani Vineyards into receivership.
Corporate turnaround specialist Toni Blanchard’s arrival is preceded by tales of her slash-and-burn techniques. Determined to meet this soulless corporate raider head on, Syrah proudly prepares to do battle for her home and family business. Toni has reason to retreat from a high-pressure Manhattan lifestyle, not the least of which is a bitter break up. She’s been told that Syrah Ardani is attractive and single, but Toni never mixes business and pleasure.
Creditors clamor for a quick sale and payment. The beautiful–and hostile–Syrah wants Toni off her land and out of her life. Their clashes smolder with distrust and resentment, but also threaten to light a completely different kind of fire. Most dangerous of all is the one thing Toni can’t control–the way her heart reacts when Syrah looks at her…just like that.
Available at:
Share the Moon by Toni Logan
Jamie Carr recently inherited her aunt’s struggling vineyard, nestled in the picturesque hills of Northern California. With help from Jamie’s slightly out-of-control best friend, Kali, and her aunt’s surviving lover, Kate, the vineyard is about to get a makeover.
Being stuck on a fifty-acre vineyard for over a century can be a bit mind-numbing, especially for Ruth, the resident ghost, who never wanted to be there in the first place. Fortunately, as time has passed, so has the ownership of the property, and if the three friends who now live in the old Victorian house are any indication, things are about to get much more interesting.
Available at:
Love’s Harvest by Peggy J. Herring
Deep in the heart of France’s majestic wine country, the sun drenched hills and lush vineyards of the Jeton family estate seem like the perfect setting for a passionate affaire de Coeur. But the life of workaholic winemaster, Nicole Jeton, is anything but romantic. From one harvest to the next, she runs the world-renowned winery, cares for her invalid father, and bails her no-good brother out of trouble – never stopping long enough to consider her own needs and desires. Until she meets the lovely Camille Cartier…
Available at:
Harvest Dreams by Jacqueline Fein-Zachary
Walking through the luscious Napa harvest in the fall of 1982, agricultural student Kate Bauer is inspired to grow grapes, and charismatic business major Sydney Barrett might just be the perfect person to make that dream come true. If only Kate knew what to do with her unexpected attraction to Sydney.
On the threshold of the AIDS pandemic, Kate is appalled by her father’s homophobia toward her closeted uncle, Louie. When Uncle Louie dies, he leaves his potato farm on Long Island to Kate. Soon Kate and Sydney are planting thousands of baby vines, even as the unspoken desire between them grows.
As the vineyard thrives, Sydney caves to family pressure and heads to Paris for a once-in-a-lifetime banking apprenticeship, leaving Kate to struggle with the feelings for Sydney that never wane. Their possibility for a shared harvest grows faint until Sydney returns, and a threat to the vineyard and their dreams forces them to confront their unresolved feelings.
Available at:
Finding Love Down Under by Donna Jay
When Claire discovers her fiancée has abused her trust in the most heinous way possible, she severs all ties.
A year down the track, she couldn’t be happier living a life of solitude on a vineyard. That is, until a quick trip into town changes everything.
Suddenly on her own in New Zealand, and on the edge of despair, Zoe never expected to find her salvation in the form of a beautiful and complex woman.
The following months are fraught with highs and lows as Claire and Zoe learn to navigate their way around each other. Both women need to overcome huge trust issues if they have any hope of forging a relationship.
Available at:
Spectrum by MJ Duncan
Sparks fly the moment Bryn Nakamura lays eyes on Anna Fitzpatrick, and not in a good way. Driven, reserved, and recovering from another encounter with a life she would rather leave behind, all Bryn wants is to forget about Anna and focus on her beloved vineyard—but Fate has other plans. No matter where Bryn goes, Anna seems to be there, and despite how annoyed she is by this development, she can’t help but be charmed by Anna’s warm smile and easygoing charisma. But as carefully constructed walls come down, new obstacles take their place, leaving Bryn to question who she is and what she truly wants out of life.
Available at:
A Foreign Affair by Linda M. Ford
Miranda first kissed a girl in her last year of high school. She received a slap and a sneer which left her with fear and mistrust. For years she has lived quietly with her mother on their farm in Napa Valley not seeking love. Then sexy, self-assured Odile arrives in her life in 1981.
The Frenchwoman is on a business trip from her family’s vineyard and winery in Burgundy, France. Odile is not above mixing pleasure with business and invites Miranda to dinner hoping for a rather delicious dessert.
Shy virgin, Miranda’s life and emotions are turned upside-down by her brief affair with the beautiful but scarred Odile. She dreams of a future together with the woman she has fallen for so hard. It feels impossible. There are so many obstacles.
Life in the early 1980s has challenges. Communication is slow and the world has become even more homophobic with a new pandemic which has become known as the gay plague.
Can love rise above these, defying distance and borders?
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “sapphic vineyard romance” category!
The post Sapphic vineyard romance (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #21) appeared first on Jae.
October 12, 2023
Sapphic romance without a sex scene (Book Unicorn #10)
This week’s Book Unicorn category features sapphic romances without a sex scene … or at least without an on-page sex scene.
There could be a fade-to-black love scene that doesn’t share any explicit details with readers, or maybe the couple are too busy or it’s not the right time for them to make love. You will also find a lot of young adult romances that don’t feature on-page sex.
15 sapphic romance novels without a sex scene
Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic romances that don’t include on-page sex.
Shaken to the Core by Jae
Kate Winthrop, the only child of a wealthy shipping magnate, has the course of her life charted for her by her parents. She’s expected to marry well and produce a successor to the Winthrop empire. But Kate has a very different path in mind. Her true passion lies with photography—and with women.
Alone in the city after losing her brother, Sicilian immigrant Giuliana Russo starts working for the Winthrops as a maid. Despite their different social status, Kate and Giuliana become friends, much to the dismay of Kate’s parents.
As the connection between the two women grows, a devastating earthquake hits San Francisco and ignites fires that sweep through the city for three days and nights.
Will the disaster shatter their tentative feelings for each other, or will they find the courage to save each other’s lives—and their hearts?
Join Kate and Giuliana on a journey of danger and discovery in the action-packed historical romance Shaken to the Core, set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Available at:
I Always Will by Jacqueline Ramsden
When Alexandria met Hailey on their first day of secondary school, the last thing she was expecting was to become best friends with the chatty girl beside her. But friendship blossomed into first love, until different universities threatened to tear them apart.
Seventeen years later, Alexandria’s brother is set to marry one of Hailey’s employees, and their whirlwind romance drags Hailey and Alexandria back into each other’s lives.
Suddenly, all of the reasons they had for parting don’t seem compelling, and they can’t deny the attraction between them. But, with a wedding to plan, family in the way, and years of pain between them, will Hailey and Alexandria be brave enough to risk the hearts they’ve spent years protecting, or will they miss each other again?
I Always Will is an 80k second-chance, friends-to-lovers romance, featuring a return to hometown and the owner of a mashed potato bar. Content warnings for off-page homophobia, abusive family dynamics, including comments about weight, divorce, and off-page drinking/drunk behaviour.
Available at:
Maybe, Probably by Amanda Radley
Gina Henley doesn’t keep up with current events. She’s too busy partying with her friends and fending off her mother’s well-intentioned nagging about finding a man and settling down. When a mysterious illness causes her boss to close the office, Gina must work from home and life as she knows it changes forever.
Dr. Eleanor Osborne works at a busy London hospital and knows all too well the virus is causing panic. As if that weren’t bad enough, it’s too unsafe for her elderly neighbor to continue minding Eleanor’s daughter, Sophia. She needs a babysitter pronto, but who can she ask to take the risk?
Cut off from her social network, Gina finds the silence of her own company suffocating—who is she when no one is watching? Eleanor is sure she picked the worst time ever to become a single mother—how can she possibly raise a child in such an unpredictable world? Set against the backdrop of a viral pandemic, Gina and Eleanor are about to discover that loving another person is complicated when you’re desperately searching for yourself.
Available at:
Invisible, as Music by Caren J. Werlinger
Henrietta Cochran has spent nearly forty years dealing with the effects of the polio she contracted in 1945. Her braces and crutches restrict her, define her, but they also give her independence. Almost. She hates that she has become increasingly reliant on a series of live-in companions to help her. For some reason, the companions never seem to want to stay very long. So Henrietta retreats further and further into her art, where her physical limitations don’t matter.
Into her life sails Meryn Fleming: out, outspoken, and fiercely political. She’s young, enthusiastically diving into her first job as a history professor at the local college. When she falls, almost literally, into Henrietta’s path, she seems like a godsend.
Little does Henrietta know that this young woman is about to upend her carefully structured existence. Ryn challenges everything, barging right through the walls Henrietta has built to keep others at a distance.
To Ryn, Henrietta is an enigma: prickly and easily insulted at the slightest suggestion that she can’t do things for herself; a brilliant artist capable of producing the most beautiful paintings; and sometimes, when Henrietta doesn’t realize she’s letting her guard down, a tender and sensitive woman.
With Meryn’s youthful optimism pitted against Henrietta’s jaded acceptance of the world as it is, life will never be the same for either of them.
Available at:
Second Wind by Ceillie Simkiss
No matter how old you are, there’s always a chance for romance.
After the death of her husband, 71-year-old homemaker Martha Appleby is taking her first long-distance trip alone. That loss has derailed many of her plans for her twilight years, and she hopes to come to peace with not knowing what will come next.
70-year-old service dog trainer Pamela Thornton is hoping to take advantage of a well-timed work trip to figure out what to do next. Crouton is the last service dog of the litter, and she’s not sure she wants to keep raising dogs by herself.
These two childhood sweethearts haven’t seen each other in fifty years when they each board the same airplane, only to find they’ve been booked for the same seat.
If they can get past the ghosts of their past and decide what path they want to chart for their futures, this chance meeting could give their long lost relationship its second wind.
Available at:
Always a Love Song by Charley Clarke
When golden girl pop star Bridget Callahan’s broken engagement comes out, she heads back to her hometown for the first time in five years to write songs for her next album. And maybe while she’s there, she’ll finally be able to face the woman she left behind who she never let go.
Bar owner Alex Marlow has spent the past five years mending her broken heart by pretending she doesn’t have one. But Bridget’s return disrupts her ordered life and brings all those chaotic, buried feelings back to the surface. Can they forgive each other and themselves for mistakes made when they were younger?
Available at:
In the Shadow of the Past (Shadow Series Book 1) by J.E. Leak
In the shadowy world of 1940s New York City, a sultry spy falls for the one woman she shouldn’t. When reporter Jenny Ryan’s father is murdered, her burning need for justice drives her to take on a ruthless tycoon. But her plan goes awry when she falls for the criminal’s alluring mistress, OSS agent Kathryn Hammond.
Kathryn is more than just a popular nightclub singer with a glamorous façade. She’s an undercover spy, trapped stateside in a dead-end assignment while the war rages on in Europe. Frustrated and resentful, her feelings get her into real trouble when Jenny steals her heart. As their forbidden desire blooms, they find themselves caught in a web of danger and intrigue.
Will their passion endanger their lives and unravel everything they’ve worked for, or will their love be the very thing that saves them?
Available at:
The Summer We’ve Had by Katherine Blakeman
After a nightmare couple of years following the death of her celebrity singer mother, Cass Mulligan is moving down to the sun, sea and shingle of Cornwall for a fresh start. But she soon realises that she’s not the only one in need of some TLC…
Felicia Wilson’s life is one long series of spinning plates. She has Dissociative Identity Disorder, a system of five alternate personalities living in her body, and they all have different hopes, fears and desires.
When Cass is thrown together with Felicia, some beautiful friendships grow, and soon there is substantial mutual attraction between Cass and dominant alter Heather. But if things go wrong, they could go very wrong. Can they build a relationship AND keep everybody happy?
Available at:
Calculated Risk by Katherine Rupley
Ex-US national rock climber Leslie McAllister finally has her life right where she wants it. When she’s asked to accept a new position in Boston, she must decide whether to stay in her comfort zone or take a leap and trust she’s anchored herself well enough to not fall.
Stuntwoman CJ Broadmore has big dreams and a big problem. She needs to learn to climb, and fast, if she wants to do stunt work on a new movie. Enter Leslie McAllister, who not only sparks an attraction, but who may be CJ’s ticket to success.
CJ and Leslie must calculate each step, weigh the risks, and work through their fears as they reach for the top—and toward each other.
Available at:
Out on the Ice by Kelly Farmer
Caro Cassidy used to be a legend.
During her career, Caro was one of the best defense players in women’s hockey. These days, she keeps to herself. Her all-girls hockey camp is her life, and she hopes it’ll be her legacy. Sure, her new summer hire is charming and magnetic, but Caro keeps her work and personal life strictly separate.
Amy Schwarzbach lives life out loud.
Amy’s as bright and cheerful as her lavender hair, and she uses her high-profile position in women’s hockey to advocate for the things she believes in. Ten weeks in Chicago coaching a girls’ training camp is the perfect opportunity to mentor the next generation before she goes back to Boston.
Letting love in means putting yourself out there.
When the reticent head coach offers to help Amy get in shape for next season, her starstruck crush on Caro quickly blossoms into real chemistry. As summer comes to an end, neither of them can quite let go of this fling—but Amy can’t afford a distraction, and Caro can’t risk her relationship becoming public and jeopardizing the one thing that’s really hers.
Available at:
First Comes Marriage by Shannon M. Harris
As CEO of MartinTech, Brynn Martin is at the top of her professional game. Her personal life is another matter, but she’s not in a hurry to break her single status. All that changes on a Tuesday morning when a bombshell is dropped.
At sixteen, Micah Legon fled her abusive family and home world of Vubloxia. Now, at twenty-nine, she’s content and settled in her life, running a cleanup business with her siblings. Then one morning, she gets a phone call that changes everything.
A chance encounter six years ago in Las Vegas at a “Meet an Alien” convention comes back to haunt both women. While Micah remembers the day with fondness, Brynn remembers nothing. After meeting again, both women come to an agreement. However, nothing is ever that simple.
Micah makes it her mission to break through Brynn’s tough exterior. Brynn makes it her mission to keep Micah at arm’s length. Nothing will stop either woman from getting what she wants. The trouble is convincing the other that her plan is the right one.
Available at:
A Talent Within by Suzanne Lenoir
Evelyne, born into nobility, and Annika, a peasant girl with a deadly secret, struggle to change their destinies in Valmora, a medieval world controlled by religion, magic, and men.
If only she’d been born a boy, Evelyne could fight with her brothers and fulfill her dreams of glory. Instead, her father has arranged her marriage. Annika knows she’s different. She has gifts the Valmorans call talents, and she’s waited too long to turn herself over to the Temple for training. If she tells anyone now, she will burn as a heretic.
Their blossoming love changes everything.
Both are forced to confront who they are when saving an innocent life exposes Annika’s talent and she’s held prisoner by the unforgiving Temple Paladin. Saving Annika will cost Evelyne all she’s ever known, but her sacrifice may lead them on a path to love and a destiny that will change Valmora forever.
Available at:
The Proposal by T.B. Markinson
Marley Royce has just two goals for her seventy-two-hour stay in London: land a career-making business deal and finally meet the woman of her dreams face to face.
Fate has something else in mind.
The mega conglomerate Marley works for wants to acquire the venerable but struggling Braithwaite Books. The centuries-old shop is owned by Cleo Braithwaite, a woman with a fierce and frightening reputation. Cleo turns out to be nothing like the rumors but refuses to sit still long enough to be dazzled by the meticulous spreadsheets and slides Marley has prepared to seal the deal. Instead of making her proposal, Marley soon finds herself on an impromptu walking tour of London with the charming Cleo.
Even though Marley has a dinner date that night with the woman she’s been chatting with online and was convinced was her soulmate, she can’t ignore the feelings her bewitching guide stirs up inside as they explore the historic city on foot. What’s more, the longer she’s with Cleo, the more Marley begins to question the business deal she’s been sent to make.
Should Marley stick with the plan, or is a single life-changing day with Cleo worth blowing up the future Marley was so certain she wanted?
Available at:
Promises in Pompeii by Violet Morley
Spanning twenty years, this story explores life, love, and loss in Ancient Rome.
Helvia doesn’t want for anything, but being wealthy can come at a cost. Navigating through her papa’s disinterest and trying to dodge her bully of a brother, Helvia is already learning how lonely life can be—until Octavia comes bursting on the scene, ready to help provide support, laughter, and companionship that Helvia desperately needs.
Octavia’s family doesn’t have wealth, but they certainly aren’t short on love. She is taught early to stick up for what is right and work hard for those she cares about.
As Helvia and Octavia grow, so does their friendship. Moving from childhood to adulthood while navigating the expectations of women in Ancient Rome, their connection navigates unexpected bumps and turns. Life has a way of shaking up even the most solid foundations.
With promises of their future shattered and secrets held tight to the chest, Helvia and Octavia have to ask themselves how their connection can equal a happy ending.
Available at:
Invisible by Anna Larner
Violet Unwin is convinced she is invisible. Overlooked by her adoptive family, her only solace is her uncle’s costume shop. By day, she’s an assistant no one remembers, but after hours, in the wonder of her imagination, she becomes explorer, warrior, queen. Devastated by news of the shop’s imminent closure, Violet finds comfort in an unlikely companion, the ghostly figure of her namesake, the suffragette Vi Unwin.
Medical school dropout Phoebe Frink’s life is in disarray. She has no idea who she is anymore, what to do about it, or how to tell her parents. Taken under the wing of the infamous drag king Mr. Duke, owner of the struggling Banana Bar, fate steps in when Phoebe seeks Violet’s help with costumes for the bar’s fundraising Christmas Ball.
Phoebe is captivated by beautiful, shy Violet, and for the first time in her life, Violet experiences what it is to be truly seen. But for love to be possible, Violet and Phoebe must take a risk on a future they’ve never dared to imagine.
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the sapphic romance without a sex scene category! If you know other romances that don’t include on-page sex, please let us know too.
Don’t miss this week’s book giveaway!
This week, I’m giving away a copy of my most popular novel, Backwards to Oregon, a historical romance between a former prostitute and a woman living as a man, set in 1851 on the Oregon Trail. The winners can choose between an ebook, paperback, hardcover, or audiobook copy.
Head over to the giveaway page to enter the drawing!
The post Sapphic romance without a sex scene (Book Unicorn #10) appeared first on Jae.
October 5, 2023
Sapphic workaholic character (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #20)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category features sapphic books with a workaholic character.
The main character must be a person who works long hours and is unable to detach from work, rarely taking any time for friends, family, hobbies, or to just relax. Usually, that means she’s a successful businesswoman. There might even be some overlap with the ice queen category.
15 sapphic books featuring a workaholic character
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic books featuring a workaholic character.
Next of Kin by Jae
For years, ambitious Deputy District Attorney Kade Matheson has taken case files and law books, not lovers, to bed, ignoring her personal life in favor of her career. When she finds herself with a stalker, she tries to handle the situation the way she always does: on her own.
Lieutenant Del Vasquez has admired the standoffish lawyer for a while, and she’s determined to protect her at all costs.
When Kade’s stalker situation escalates and she and Del have to hide at her mother’s, Kade is finally forced to face her attraction to women for the very first time.
Suddenly, she’s no longer sure which one is more dangerous—the threat to her life or to her heart?
Available at:
Greener Pastures by Aurora Rey
Audrey Adams would do anything for her aunt Ernestine. When Ernestine suffers a stroke, Audrey takes a leave from her fast-track CPA career to care for her. Only Ernestine’s hobby farm needs more tending than the patient herself. Audrey’s bitten off way more than she can chew, or harvest, or plant, or… How does one do hobby farming, anyway?
Enter her neighbor Rowan Marshall, the sexy cider maker. Rowan’s only too happy to come to Audrey’s rescue. Which is all well and good until Audrey realizes Rowan’s angling to buy the orchard that makes up more than half of Ernestine’s pride and joy.
It’s not long before a reluctant truce gives way to a romantic spark and forces Audrey to make the biggest decision of her life.
Available at:
Irregular Heartbeat by Chris Zett
After nearly a decade as a professional drummer, Diana Petrell leaves her rock-star life behind to continue her residency in emergency medicine. She’s determined not to let anything stop her—not even falling in love with her aloof mentor, Dr. Emily Barnes.
Emily has only ever focused on her career as a senior attending in the emergency department, and she isn’t happy about having to babysit a resident with a ten-year gap in her résumé, no matter how intriguing she is.
But every time they work together, it’s not just their patients’ heartbeat that gets a little irregular. Soon, the once-clear lines between work and personal life begin to blur.
When Diana’s unorthodox secret past is revealed, putting her job in jeopardy, Emily has to choose between her career and her relationship. A lesbian romance that asks how much we’d risk for love.
Available at:
Calling the Shots by Kelly Farmer
Retired superstar Regan Lane is known for being outspoken. She’s never been one to keep her opinions to herself. When she lands a head coaching job in the women’s pro league with the Boston Ice, her brash promise to win the championship in her first year shocks no one. Especially not Tierney McGovern, head coach of the rival New York Lady Libertys.
Single mom Tierney knows what it’s like to live in someone else’s shadow, and she won’t let Regan steal the spotlight. Besides, she knows exactly how Regan operates: when it comes to delivering on her promises, she falls pitifully short. At least she did when she ghosted Tierney after their long-ago amazing week together.
As their teams face each other game after game, it doesn’t take long for them to realize their hockey rivalry isn’t the only thing heating up. And that maybe the real victory is in taking big chances on the ice—and off.
Available at:
The Master of Puppets: The War of Souls Book 1 by Molly J. Bragg
Jakari, an alien assassin, receives orders taking her to a primitive alien world. She expects the mission to be like any other. Get in, eliminate the target and get out again. Instead, when she arrives, she finds out that one of the leaders of the fascist Char Oram is there, seeking to turn the inhabitants into mindless soldiers that could tip the war in favor of the Char.
Hayami Takahashi follows a strange woman down a dark street and all she wants is to make sure the woman didn’t wind up as the next victim of a kidnapping ring working the streets of Dallas. Instead, she finds herself in the middle of a civil war between two factions of shape shifting cyborg aliens.
After Jakari saves Hayami from becoming a test subject in a Char lab, the two of them are working together to stop a war that’s been raging for nine thousand years.
Available at:
The No Kiss Contract by Nan Campbell
Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, corporate attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership—it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But eighty-hour workweeks don’t allow any time with her much younger half-sister, Tally, who doesn’t seem to need Davy in her life anyway.
Davy aims to get back into Tally’s good graces by throwing her a big birthday party, but that means dealing with Tally’s other half sister, Anna. To say Davy and Anna don’t get along is putting it mildly.
When a misunderstanding leads to her boss’s assumption that she and Anna are headed to the altar, Davy sees a way to leapfrog over the competition straight into one of the top spots at her firm. She just has to convince Anna to be her faux fiancée in order to do it and keep her growing attraction in check, of course.
Available at:
The Woman I Found In Me by Jamey Moody
Ella Gallaher wants to be taken seriously. She has lived a privileged life, but there’s more to her than shopping all day and partying all night. She wants a second chance at life to show she can make a difference. The owners at Make It Easy Designs recognize the promise in Ella and ask her to join them.
She is well on her way to a meaningful career when Gia Augustino comes to live with her Aunt Dru. Ella finds a friend in Gia who sees her for the woman she wants to be. However, Gia’s determined to put a little fun back into Ella’s too-serious life.
One night at an industry conference for work, Ella and Gia make a spur-of-the-moment decision and their world is suddenly upended. Have they gone too far?
Will they lose the hard-earned respect of their families? But more importantly, will they lose each other?
Available at:
A Masc for Purim by Roz Alexander
Every year, tomboy-femme Liza plans the perfect party for Purim, and every year she goes alone. She’s convinced her role as holiday host is enough to find happiness, but lately, the nights have gotten lonelier.
Carrie, a.k.a. Liza’s first love, a.k.a. the butch who broke her heart into a million pieces, is back in town and determined to win Liza back. Carrie has spent the last ten years unlearning the internalized ableism that reared its head after her diagnosis of progressive vision loss.
And ten years of regretting leaving Liza.
Their inexperience and inability to be vulnerable with one another may have driven them apart the first time, but has the last decade taught them both to be brave? Luckily, they have the whole megillah to figure it out.
Available at:
What the Heart Sees by KC Luck
Four years after a horrible car accident takes her sight and kills her parents, Sage Montgomery has learned to adapt to her new circumstances in Spruce Creek, Oregon. A new life that includes running the Montgomery horse ranch, which has been in her family for generations. As the place where she grew up, Sage has only the fondest memories. But when she learns her home is at risk because of unpaid taxes, Sage must find a way to raise the money. While the bank threatens and unwanted buyers circle, she is faced with decisions she doesn’t want to make for the ranch… and her heart.
With two decades of hard work on Wall Street, Julie Aspen has everything she wants. A career she loves, the perfect Manhattan condo, and a sexy, young girlfriend. People envy what Julie has and she could not be happier. At least until the firm she works for is accused of fraud. Suddenly stripped of everything and risking indictment, Julie returns to where she grew up. The small town she hates—Spruce Creek. Things couldn’t be more miserable until she meets the daughter of a long-lost friend. Suddenly, Julie has second thoughts about what may be important in life and if it is too late to change.
Available at:
Vesting Period by Monica McCallan
App designer Carter Montgomery has thrown herself into being a successful co-founder of LadyLuck for the last half decade. Until now, she’s been content to focus on work mixed with a little light fun. It takes a horrible date with an infuriating woman to make her realize that maybe she isn’t so satisfied with things and that it’s time she got serious about investing in her love life.
Jamie Prescott spends her time working in different cities, always with a new startup to wrangle as she avoids putting down roots. It’s worked well for her so far, at least as well as living out of hotels and having casual flings can for a person. When Jamie ends up in San Francisco, she expects some carefree hookups from the LadyLuck app. She isn’t expecting to meet Carter, a woman who’s as frustrating as she is attractive.
Carter is finally ready for something serious, and Jamie wants anything but emotional vulnerability. Why is it that everyone around them seems to think that might just make them the perfect match?
Available at:
Too Close to Touch by Georgia Beers
Life gets complicated when love turns out to be nothing like you expected – and the woman you want is too close to touch. Gretchen Kaiser is a workaholic corporate honcho with issues – she’s got daddy issues, she’s got female-executive-in-a- man’s-world issues, and she’s got one night stand issues. What she doesn’t have are love issues. She isn’t looking for it, she doesn’t feel she needs it, and she doesn’t expect to find it…certainly not right under her nose.
Kylie O’Brien is the kind of girl who believes in true love and is willing to wait until it shows up at her door. Her best friend Mick would sweep her off her feet given the chance, but Mick doesn’t make Kylie feel the way true love should. And now Kylie has to worry about her new boss – Gretchen Kaiser’s icy reserve makes life as her administrative assistant a challenge.
It doesn’t matter one damn bit that Gretchen is extremely attractive with a voice as rich and smooth as melted chocolate. It absolutely doesn’t…
Available at:
Change of Plans by KJ
Emily Fitzsimmons, award-winning architect, creates meticulous plans for every aspect of her life, which is understandable considering her difficult childhood. After all, prudence keeps her safe. Lately, though, too many of those comforting plans are disintegrating and Emily is forced to function spontaneously which has spiked her anxiety so much, she’s put her therapist on speed-dial.
Skye Reynolds, bike courier entrepreneur, knows all about exploding plans. That’s literally how she lost her job when her company blew up a 40,000-year-old world heritage site. But Skye is not someone who asks for help to reassemble her life blueprints, which is lucky as she nearly always lands on her feet whenever she happily ignores prudence to embark on any new adventure.
When Skye’s ad hoc dirt track intersects with Emily’s carefully paved freeway, their lives are thrown into disarray, with the added complication of their unexpected attraction. Prudence plays tricks on both of them when they choose to navigate their true paths and explore the direction of their relationship.
Sometimes a change of plans is all you need to see what lies ahead.
Available at:
Fall into Me by Terri Cutshall
Audrey Maddox is fed up with her love life. After discovering her now ex-fiancé had been cheating on her throughout their engagement, vacation with her two best friends cannot come soon enough. She needs a break in a serious way.
Liv Sutton works at a popular Colorado mountain resort providing skiing lessons during the day and bartending at night. Since her divorce, casual relationships have worked just fine for her. She’s not up for getting her heart stomped on again. Once was enough.
Two women in the right place at the right time. Will a casual fling be the tonic that soothes Audrey’s broken heart and keeps Liv going? Or will a one-night stand become more than either of them bargained for?
Available at:
The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair
Laurie Holcombe is out of a job, out of luck, and out of time. When a prestigious law firm hires her as an assistant to one of its senior partners, it feels like she might finally get back on her feet. All she has to do is put up with the whims of her infuriatingly icy boss, Diana. How hard could that be?
Diana Parker is Atlanta’s top lawyer and isn’t afraid to let everyone know it. She’s driven, ruthless, demanding, and stuck in a failing marriage. Too bad she can’t run her personal life as well as she runs her ordered office.
When a young assistant shows up with bright blue eyes, a cute Southern accent, and a streak of pink hair, Diana’s sure she’s all wrong for the job. And yet something seems to be pulling her and Laurie Holcombe together, drawing them into a secret, thrilling dance that’s far too dangerous for a boss and employee.
Can they make rules for this powerful attraction, a way to keep each other at arm’s length? But how do you resist the irresistible?
Available at:
Major Surgery by Lola Keeley
Skilled surgeon Veronica Mallick runs her London hospital department like she runs her surgeries: with hawkish efficiency. Then her perfect world is turned upside down by the arrival of a new Head of Trauma.
Cassie Taylor is a brash, no-nonsense army surgeon, fresh from the front lines, and trying to find her way in civilian life. She’s all action and sharp edges, not too interested in rules. She’s even less interested in bureaucracy, or playing nice with her uptight, paper-pushing colleague, Veronica.
While they’re circling each other warily at St. Sophia’s hospital, Cassie becomes entangled in some shady financial dealings.
Their shared search for the truth draws them closer together, sparking heated moments as they try to see justice done. But in exposing a scandal, can they also find some common ground? How will they both deal with being attracted to a woman they don’t even like?
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “workaholic character” category!
The post Sapphic workaholic character (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #20) appeared first on Jae.
September 28, 2023
Second book in a sapphic series (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #19)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category features sapphic books that are the second book in a sapphic series.
Book 2 can feature the same main characters as book 1, or it could be book 2 in a series in which every book has new main characters.
15 books that are book 2 in a sapphic series
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic books that are the second book of a series.
Damage Control by Jae
An actress practically since birth, Grace Durand has finally made it in Hollywood. When a photo of her in a seeming compromising situation with another woman is plastered all over the tabloids, she fears for her career as a lead in romantic movies.
Desperate for a publicist who’ll convince America that she’s straight, Grace hires Lauren Pearce, one of Hollywood’s leading PR agents, not knowing that she’s a lesbian.
Lauren has dealt with PR nightmares for years, so doing damage control for one more rich, spoiled client shouldn’t be a problem—or so she thinks. But the more time she spends with Grace, the more she realizes how different she is from her television persona.
Getting involved with her client is not in her game plan, especially since it would confirm the rumors and ruin Grace’s career, but the attraction between them is growing as they run the gauntlet of the paparazzi together.
Available at:
In a Heartbeat by RJ Nolan
Veteran police officer Sam McKenna has no trouble facing down criminals on a daily basis but breaks out in a sweat at the mere mention of commitment. A recent failed relationship strengthens her resolve to stick with her trademark no-strings-attached affairs.
Dr. Riley Connolly, a successful trauma surgeon, has spent her whole life trying to measure up to her family’s expectations. And that includes hiding her sexuality from them.
When a routine call sends Sam to the hospital where Riley works, the two women are hurtled into a life-and-death situation. The incident binds them together. But can there be any future for a commitment-phobic cop and a closeted, workaholic doctor?
Available at:
A Woman Ignored by TB Markinson
Historian Lizzie Petrie remains nothing more than a lesbian in her bitter mother’s eyes. The suppressed hurt of that superficial assessment means she still catches herself off guard when thinking of Sarah as her wife. The couple has endured the fallout of Lizzie’s insecurities and set-up house in Fort Collins, Colorado. Now their relationship is about to be tested again.
When her wife announces she wants to have a baby, Lizzie panics. A baby? The thought of sucking an egg from her ovary and implanting the resulting embryo into Sarah’s womb terrifies her. Lizzie constantly worries if she’ll make a good mother.
Just when she starts to make peace with the idea, Lizzie’s estranged family enters her life again. The news is anything but good, and she finds herself wondering how to make amends with her aloof mother, stranger of a father, and self-centered brother.
Deep down, Lizzie is more loving and caring than she ever gives herself credit. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to open a woman’s eyes to her full potential. But at what price?
Available at:
A Game of Romance and Ruin by Ruby Roe
In a game of power, can love be the deadliest weapon?
Stirling Grey, legendary negotiator, is on a mission: to mend her broken heart and avenge its ruin.
Morrigan Lee, hidden princess and heir to the throne, is harbouring a dark secret.
For years, Stirling and Morrigan navigated the perilous games of power and politics, shared clandestine moments, and ultimately… fell in love…
Until a deal with fate forced them apart.
When the Queen sets a formidable challenge, Stirling and Morrigan are thrust into a treacherous labyrinth of danger.
The task?
Protect the kingdom from a terrifying threat or lose the crown forever.
But this is not a simple mission.
With the clock ticking, they’re going to have to trust each other…
And that’s not easy when their past is filled with betrayal.
It’s even harder when their hearts are entangled amidst the chaos.
Now, neither woman is sure if it’s the throne they want to rescue or a love they want to rekindle.
Two hearts, one kingdom, and a romance that could lead to their ruin… or just maybe their redemption.
Available at:
New Year Revelations by Zoey Lennox
Lana Williams is a player. Everyone says so, and Lana is fine with that. She’d rather everyone believe she’s lucky with the ladies than discover the truth: that she’s scared of letting anyone in and getting hurt again.
She’s looking forward to her annual Christmas bash to take her mind off her ex.
When business owner and florist Becca Lincoln accepts an invitation to a Christmas party, she’s looking for some good conversation and maybe a Christmas snog. What she doesn’t expect is to become quite so enamoured with the party’s co-host, Lana. The handsome butch might act cocky and self-assured but during some unguarded moments, Becca catches a glimpse of the real woman behind the mask. After Becca’s curiosity gets the best of her and she asks one too many personal questions, Lana clams up and takes off.
Neither woman believes they’ll see each other again, but after Christmas, fate steps in and they bump into each other at Lana’s work.
Slowly, they grow closer. Will Lana finally realise that her ex isn’t “the one” after all and love might be much closer than she thought?
Available at:
Reality in Check by Emily Banting
Sculptor Arte Tremaine is thrown into the hospitality industry when her beloved late grandmother bequeaths her and her sister a charming yet rundown country hotel with zero guests. Arte is determined to make a success of the business, despite her sister snapping at her heels to sell it and painful memories confronting her inside.
Charlotte Beaufort, heiress to a hotel empire, television celebrity, and self-confessed city woman, hits the countryside to film an episode of her reality television show, Hotel SOS, where she immediately clashes with the overwhelmed Arte and her inquisitive Labrador, Rodin.
Arte doesn’t take kindly to Charlotte’s attitude and frank opinions about her hotel, but when they are thrown together, she begins to realise not everything is as it seems with her attractive nemesis. As Arte begins to chip away at Charlotte’s icy exterior, both women begin to realise dreams and reality rarely entwine and that, sometimes, our dreams are not even our own.
Can the artsy dreamer and ambitious heiress face the reality of their situations and discover their true paths? And if so, can those paths lead them toward true love?
Available at:
Sappho’s Overhead Projector by Bonnie J. Morris
Feminist scholar Hannah Stern finds herself working at the Library of Congress, assigned to catalogue a donation of rare lesbian books. But it’s more than a one-year job in Washington: it’s a mission handed to her by Sappho, The Overhead Herself.
When a series of desperate, haunted phone calls from the ghosts of lesbian writers directs her to rescue even more at-risk books, Hannah begins a journey into the love affair between banned writers and newly-out readers.
Will hearing others’ fond memories of lesbian books from the 1920s and 1970s help Hannah save their legacy for future generations? Or will Isabel, Hannah’s partner and the mystical proprietor of Sappho’s Bar and Grill, have to summon her magic to save the entire bar membership?
Available at:
The Border Crosser by Cindy Rizzo
The story of three teens, members of the first generation to come of age after the United States splits into two countries, continues. The Border Crosser is the second book in the highly praised Split Series.
When tragedy strikes Judith Braverman in the God Fearing States, Dani Fine is determined to leave the safety of home in the United Progressive Regions and once again sneak across the border to join Judith and the new Minyan of Resistance. She’s also eager to find out if the attraction she and Judith shared during their first meeting is still between them.
Impatient for some visible act of defiance, Jeffrey Schwartz is worried that the Minyan is more focused on prayer than on actual resistance. But when the GFS president, running in a close re-election campaign against a self-proclaimed “Christian white supremacist,” vows to step up the government’s actions against the country’s Jews, the Minyan makes its move.
Nothing that’s come before can prepare Judith, Dani and Jeffrey for the challenges they now face as their futures appear more and more uncertain.
Available at:
Sirens and Syphons by Nita Round
Evie is free, no longer a slave. Living in a world that fears the gifted and supernatural she worries her freedom will be not last. Her saviour Hesta wishes to redeem herself of her past sins. Can Evie trust her motives?
During a demonstration of mesmerism, they witness a demon possession. The trouble is the demon notices them too.
When Evie and Hesta seek advice from a wise witch, a death is foretold. Together they must face the demon. Failure will mean loss of freewill that Evie holds so dear. Can they both survive the demon encounter, or will the foretold death prevail.
Available at:
Red Wine and Mint Cake by Alysia D Evans
It had only taken Lucy two weeks to fall in love with Jaz. She had shown Lucy what love truly was and saved her from an abusive husband. But living away from her home town is making Lucy feel insecure. She needs more of Jaz’s time and attention to help her find a way through her new life.
But Jaz is merrily enjoying her days, busy working, helping out her family and coming home to the love of her life. Jaz doesn’t realise that she and Lucy have problems, and through her actions is repeatedly letting Lucy down. Causing their relationship to fall from wonder to despair.
Will the two of them be able to reconcile and re-align their lives to take on the challenges the future may bring.
Available at:
Pride and the Stranger by TJ Dallas
The Sins are back in this highly anticipated second installment of the Pride trilogy. Sexy meets romantic as Lara and Zoe take their relationship to the next level. Unfortunately, our sinful women aren’t so lucky. A weekend in Brighton turns dark after a horrific truth is uncovered that will change Harry’s life forever, forcing her to make a heartbreaking decision that could tear her and Althea apart. Faced with an impossible choice, nothing will ever be the same again.
Available at:
Golden Sea by Emma Sterner-Radley
Our four mapmaking magicians are back at the Hall of Explorers. As they continue their studies, their journey to find new lands is brought forward following a calamitous event. However, seafaring and exploring turns out to be even more dangerous and complicated than they expected.
Soon they have to battle not only the perilous waves, the king’s cruel plans, and sea monsters, but also their emotions. Eleksander pines for Hale, who in turn joins Sabina in having feelings for Avelynne. Meanwhile, Avelynne is realising her lack of romantic interest may run deeper than she thought. Meeting new people on their journey makes things even more complex.
Feelings will however have to take the backseat as they realise that the magical conspiracy they are part of is even bigger than they thought and that the ocean is full of surprises; some wonderful, but far too many of them dangerous beyond measure. And like the king of Cavarra, the sea doesn’t show mercy.
Available at:
Moon Over Old Hollywood by Renn Loraine
Nicole is shaken. Her ex-girlfriend has been found dead under mysterious circumstances. Now someone is trying to kill her – and she doesn’t know why.
The clues lead Nicole to the set of a television series about the glamorous, women-loving starlets of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Working under the hot lights, Nicole learns of their hidden lives – and finds herself falling for a captivating, auburn-haired actress.
As Nicole gets closer to unearthing the murderer’s motive, however – she will discover that some in Hollywood are still willing to kill to keep its secrets.
Available at:
Figure Study by Suzanne Clay
Ainsley and her former student Noma face the aftermath of their unexpected one-night stand in this second story of Chiaroscuro.
The night Ainsley spent gently dominating Noma was far more intimate than any scene she’d ever been in before. The intensity of playing with someone she’d taught and cared about was a completely different experience–and twice as intimidating. She’d had two options: turn Noma away and never see her again, or let her stay for a few hours more.
The years away from scenes have left Ainsley eager for play but unsteady in her role. And memories of a younger Noma, when their relationship was student and mentor, only add to the confusion. A return to familiar ropes and knots, an erotic bondage play, helps Ainsley regain a sense of control and face her vulnerabilities. She must learn to see Noma as an adult woman in every way, risking a dangerous power imbalance, even as her heart begins to yearn for intimacy she’s long hidden from.
As they delve into new scenes, Ainsley and Noma confront past pain and baggage. Only by facing their fear of opening up can they learn to trust each other and share something deeper.
Available at:
A Curious Visit by Jess Lea
Partners in love, life, and earnest museum appreciation, Margaret Gale and Bess Campbell desperately need a break. Strict, meticulous ice queen Margaret has been fired for frightening her auction house customers, while free-spirited Bess hates her office job.
While holidaying in Tasmania, they receive a call for help that leads them to a creepy, old house in the wilderness. There, they meet a mysterious woman from Margaret’s past, who warns she’s being stalked and something terrible is coming.
What’s going on? What secrets lie within Crossroads House? And why on earth are there hidden cameras around the grounds, recording everything that happens?
Unexplained incidents turn sinister, endangering Bess and Margaret—and their trust in one another. But they don’t give up easily…
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “second book in a sapphic series” category!
The post Second book in a sapphic series (Sapphic Book Bingo 2023 #19) appeared first on Jae.
September 21, 2023
Sapphic 5-star reads (Book Unicorn #9)
This week, we’re diving into a Sapphic Book Bingo category that is a true Book Unicorn, as they are quite rare: sapphic books with an average rating of five stars on Amazon or Goodreads!
For it to count as a five-star read, it needs to have at least five reviews or ratings, with an average of at least 4.8. Amazon and Goodreads will then round up to 5 stars.
In the quickly growing world of sapphic literature, finding exceptional books can be a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack, so even if you don’t participate in the Sapphic Book Bingo, you might want to check out this post to find your next read!
15 sapphic five-star reads
Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books with an average rating of five stars:
Hidden Truths by Jae
Everyone on the Hamilton ranch seems to be harboring a secret: Luke has been living as a husband and father for the past seventeen years, telling no one but her wife that she’s not the man she appears to be. Nora hides her past as a prostitute, while their daughter Amy is trying to keep her attraction to women secret.
Into this tricky situation arrives Rika Aaldenberg, a mail-order bride who traveled to Oregon to marry the family’s foreman. She, too, has her own secret: she’s not the woman who wrote the letters.
At first, Amy isn’t happy about having to show the newcomer around, but soon, Rika earns her respect…and maybe even her heart.
When hidden truths are revealed, will their family fall apart, or will love keep them together?
Available at:
A Song in Her Heart by T.B. Markinson
In the heart of Nashville, where dreams and secrets collide, two women find themselves entangled in a love story that could shatter their worlds or make them whole.
Hannah Taylor, a rising country music sensation, stands on the brink of superstardom. But beneath the glitz and glamour, she harbors a secret, one that could shatter her carefully crafted image and jeopardize her career. In a city where conformity is key, being a queer woman is a battle she fights every day.
Shelby Montgomery is a small-town nobody, striving to provide a better life for her young son. With dreams deferred and a husband who vanished when the going got tough, Shelby’s life is a constant struggle. Working tirelessly at a local diner, she dreams of a brighter future but knows she needs a stroke of luck to change her life.
Fate takes an unexpected turn when Hannah stumbles into Shelby’s diner, drawn in by the irresistible aroma of Shelby’s famous peach cobbler. What starts as a chance encounter soon evolves into a life-altering proposition: Hannah asks Shelby to become her personal chef on a nationwide tour. It’s an offer that could upend both of their lives, challenging them to confront their fears and desires.
As they crisscross the country, a powerful connection begins to bloom between them. But in a world where secrets can destroy, Hannah and Shelby must confront their deepest fears. Will they risk it all for a love that defies the odds and find the acceptance they both crave?
In this passionate tale of love, music, and self-discovery, Hannah and Shelby must choose between the safety of the shadows and the brilliance of the spotlight. Can their love story become the chart-topping hit they both deserve, or will a secret tear them apart forever?
Available at:
Above All Things (The Carlisle Series – Book 2) by Roslyn Sinclair
Aspiring writer Jules Moretti and iconic fashion editor Vivian Carlisle have been through the wringer.
As Vivian’s personal assistant, Jules was there for her ice queen boss’s whims, commands, and the shocking discovery of her pregnancy. Just as shocking was Jules’s realization that she was falling hard for Vivian…and that the feeling was mutual.
Now Jules is forging her own path. At the same time, how can she and her workaholic lover balance romance in the midst of backstabbing bosses, meddling families, and the impending arrival of a baby? Will their explosive chemistry fizzle, or can they take their relationship to a new level of passion—and commitment?
Above All Things is the second part of the two-book Carlisle series. This age-gap lesbian romance is a steamy tale of discovery, desire, and the rewards of opening yourself up to love.
Available at:
Beguiled By Her by Chelsea M. Cameron
There were only two things I had to look forward to: finally moving into my own place without an awful roommate, and my Saturday nights at the only lesbian bar in the state of Maine—Sapph. I make it a rule to never kiss the same person twice, but one night I lock lips (and do a little more) with a platinum-blonde, tattooed stunner and I can’t resist having a second taste. After that, I’ve sworn to let her go and hook up with someone new.
That is, until she shows up in Arrowbridge driving the converted van that she apparently lives in, flashing her beautiful smile and asking me for a favor: can she park her home next to my house for a few weeks? Out of sheer astonishment, I say yes, and have instant regrets.
Sterling Vincent barges her way into my life and I’m not quite sure what to make of her. She’s incredibly hot, sure, but she’s also funny and prickly and wild in a way that I can’t help but admire.
The longer she stays, the closer we get, until I find myself wanting to break every single relationship rule I’ve ever made for someone I never saw coming.
Available at:
For Love or Scandal by J.J. Arias
A sham wedding ignites an irresistible spark between a once-disgraced director and the wedding planner of her dreams.
Laney Menendez, a once-celebrated Hollywood director, has a chance at a comeback. The catch? She must first marry her brother’s soap-star boyfriend to stop him from being outed by a tabloid. For Laney, the lavish fake wedding is meant to be all business, until she meets the wedding planner, Jennifer Acosta.
Their attraction is instant and undeniable. As Laney and Jennifer work closely planning the wedding, stolen moments stoke the flames of a passion too powerful to resist.
When Jennifer learns the truth of Laney’s fake marriage, she faces an impossible choice: follow her heart or protect her hard-won reputation. With Hollywood watching, will the pressure to keep up the lies drive them apart?
Available at:
Caught Sleeping (The Senator’s Wife Series – Book 2) by Jen Lyon
Despite the fragility of their relationship, Catharine and Alex have found a happiness together they never expected to find. Alex’s career is soaring with her hard-fought place on the US Women’s National Team as she prepares for the World Cup over the summer. Catharine is flourishing in her newfound freedom, embracing her love with Alex, while still being forced to keep their romance a secret amidst her soon-to-be ex-husband’s presidential campaign.
But it’s more than either woman hoped for. More than they ever imagined.
Until a secret is revealed that threatens it all. Their relationship. Alex’s career. Catharine’s business. Even their lives. When it all comes crashing down, both women must ask themselves—how can love survive?
Available at:
Prewrath & Rapture by TJ Dallas
This story follows on from the events of the Pride trilogy. Four years ago, Harry’s first act of Humility sent her hurtling to the deepest recesses of the dream world. When Death gives her the chance to save her family, her second act will prove infinitely worse. When Persephone arrives at the Cardinal, it’s time for Harry to keep her end of the deal. But it isn’t Pride, or even Humility, that Persephone wants; it’s Wrath. Emilia must join ranks with four forces of evil that long predate the Seven Deadly Sins; Death, Pestilence, War, and Famine. Emilia’s ruthless volcano has lain dormant for centuries, but a hidden agenda and a betrayal could tip her over the edge, causing an eruption felt throughout the very fabric of time and space.
Content warning; 18+, sexually explicit erotica, mature audiences only. One scene features consensual role-play between two women using Daddy/Baby Girl names, and one scene involves consensual and safe erotic asphyxiation.
Available at:
Pirates of Aletharia by Britney Jackson
Emilia Drakon was once the youngest and kindest of the dragon sorcerers, but she’s now the last of her kind. Betrayed and angry, she trades her meekness for a sword and embarks on a quest for vengeance that will lead her straight into the arms of the legendary Captain Maria Welles.
Captain of the famed pirate ship, the Wicked Fate, Maria is every bit as treacherous and bloodthirsty as they say. She has her own vendetta and practically jumps at the chance to trick Emilia into joining her crew.
But when their animosity toward each other blossoms into a passionate romance, the two women will have to decide what they want most.
Vengeance?
Or love?
Available at:
An Unlit Candle by Caren J. Werlinger
Patricia Horrigan is the eldest daughter of a family determined to gain entry into the upper echelons of Rochester society as the 1950s give way to the turbulence of the 60s. Born of an Irish father and a French-Canadian mother, Pip inherited the stubborn pride and fierce determination of both. With her life in the family business all planned out, she is most definitely not interested in throwing it all away to become a nun. But some calls will not be ignored, no matter how hard she tries. Fifty years later, she can’t help but wonder if her choices and sacrifices were worth it.
In present time, Lauren Thackeray has managed to put her life back together—in a manner of speaking. She has her weaving, her home, her chosen family, and she has the monastery and the lasting friendship of the nuns there. The one thing she doesn’t have, she doesn’t want. She won’t open her heart again after she barely survived the last time.
Gail Bauer is questioning her own vocation as an Episcopal priest. How can she minister to others when she’s not sure she believes anymore? In desperation, she flees, hoping to find answers.
In the shadow of St. Bridget’s Abbey, three very different women will need one another—to come to terms with their demons, to heal, and to rekindle the light that life has all but snuffed out.
Available at:
Just a Birdhouse by Emily Fohr
When twenty-one-year-old Bellamy Artois returns to the coast of Saint de Vie to visit her wine aficionado grandfather for the summer, she falls eagerly back into step, daydreaming alongside her childhood friend, Appoline Alarie.
Vacationing on the seaside, Bellamy attempts to balance the affections of the village baker, while struggling to keep her growing infatuation with Appoline, internal and at bay. Together, the pair rediscover friendship and explore its confines, as deemed by society. The soundtrack of their summer is narrated by Paul Simon songs and the fantasy of French romance; melodious freedom begging to be inhaled and exhaled without any inhibitions.
Available at:
Beyond Any Experience by Anne E. Terpstra
Olivia Northman’s world shattered the day she lost her wife to a drunk driver. Three years later, she still struggles with grief and the demands of being a single parent to their autistic son, Ben. After her first attempt at a new relationship crumbles, Olivia retreats to the simple, the predictable. It’s what’s best for her son and her heart.
Ellie Vasquez isn’t simple or predictable. In fact, she’s charmingly impulsive, as well as gregarious, confident, and attracted to Olivia, which she reveals in an unguarded moment. Olivia doesn’t know what’s more surprising—Ellie’s interest, or her own—but a quiet conversation over drinks soon spins into something more. As Olivia’s caution gives way to hope, she sees another chance at love, both for her, and for Ben, who takes to Ellie with a tender openness. Ellie is fearless about love in a way that makes Olivia want to be brave, but the deeper their passion, the closer she gets to drowning—in grief, in fear, in guilt. To have a future with Ellie, Olivia must come to terms with her past. If she can’t, she risks losing the second love of her life.
Available at:
Covenant by Ann McMan
Covenant continues the beloved saga of the residents of Jericho, a sleepy town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, where life and love have as many twists and turns as a winding mountain road.
Six weeks have passed since the fateful unfolding of events at the town’s Fourth of July celebration. Questions swirl about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the town nemesis, Gerald Watson. Was it an accident, or was Watson murdered? As the scorching summer gives way to an early fall, suspects in the potential homicide abound, and everyone seems to be keeping secrets.
Throughout it all, bonds of love and fealty are stretched and tested as the endearing and quirky residents of this once-idyllic community weigh the covenants they keep against the secrets that threaten to tear them apart.
Join Syd, Maddie, David, Michael, Henry, Celine, and the irrepressible Roma Jean Freemantle as they band together to navigate the minefields of their ever-changing world in this newest Jericho novel.
Available at:
The Forever and the Now by KJ
Bron McIntyre, forty-two, has it all together. Terrific job. Loving family. No desperate need for a girlfriend but would be interested if one came along. Bron McIntyre is Teflon.
Kate Agostino, forty-eight, is not Teflon. Yes, she has a terrific job. But a loving family? Not really. And her personal life is rapidly disintegrating and turning into dust.
When her orange smoothie explodes all over her business suit while she’s on her afternoon walk, Kate simply shakes her head in resignation.
Bron, having witnessed the smoothie eruption, races to help, and suddenly her life takes an unexpected turn.
Falling in love is like watching the grandest sunset on the calmest ocean where the tiniest ripples wear silver sparkles as their hats. Kate and Bron find that sunset on that ocean with those ripples of love, but what happens when you take that love for granted? What happens when your person disappears? The answers are hard to hear and Bron chooses not to listen.
After a relationship break, a family intervention, and conversations that rip apart seams, Bron and Kate eventually find themselves, each other, and their now. And what they discover is that love is the large and the deliberate, and the simple and the small.
So when tragedy strikes, they call on its strength because, when you think about it, love can live on in the forever, particularly if it lives courageously in the now.
Available at:
Not All A Dream by Sophia Kell Hagin
What do you do when the whole world breaks?
Like when you make it through a plague with the woman you’ve loved for way more than half your septuagenarian life—only to watch her die, leaving you alone. And then, just weeks later, the world around you descends into relentless dark and cold.
Besieged, desolate Hester is too numb to know what to do. And even though she’s lucky to have the means to endure for quite a while, she’s tempted—really tempted—to just give it up. What, after all, is she enduring for?
But giving up will have to wait when she stumbles upon people who introduce her to the first rule of survival: Don’t try to go it alone if you don’t have to.
Available at:
The Language of Light by Kathleen Brady
It’s 1982, and China has just barely begun to open to the West.
When Lu McLean sells all her possessions and leaves Los Angeles to study Mandarin Chinese at the Beijing Language Institute, she imagines a life of serious scholarship and an eventual job as a translator at the United Nations. On the night of her arrival, Lu meets the captivating, Ming, a Chinese teacher at the institute. Still recovering from a failed ten-year relationship, Lu has vowed never to give her heart away again.
But as Lu struggles to balance Beijing’s simple beauty with the confounding rigidity of ageless custom, her feelings for Ming deepen. She soon finds herself vacillating between letting herself love Ming and her escalating fears about the certain barriers that would prevent them from ever navigating a life together. Against the backdrop of China’s Spiritual Pollution and a tightening cultural climate, it becomes clear that Ming cannot leave—and Lu cannot stay indefinitely. Events soon force Lu—and Ming—to balance the love that binds them against the social and political forces that threaten to tear them apart.
Available at:
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the sapphic five-star reads category! If there are other books that an average rating of at least 4.8 (with at least 5 ratings), let us know in the comments!
The post Sapphic 5-star reads (Book Unicorn #9) appeared first on Jae.
