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City Kitty and Country Mouse
Kitty Kerr is a high-flying lawyer when her career plans are derailed by the luscious blackberries from Lucy Shen’s Country Mouse Farms. Kitty can’t get enough of the fruit, or of Lucy. Suddenly, she’s wanting things she never dared to want—Lucy, and the life on the farm. But how will being an artisan cook/farmer fit with her legal ambitions and city habits?
Between her beautiful farm and her sculpture, Lucy’s life is set. Falling for a big city lawyer is not part of the plan. Even as Kitty helps make her dreams of spotlighting her farm’s produce in restaurants a reality, Lucy’s terrified that she and the farm aren’t enough to keep Kitty interested in love and the simpler things in life.
Pulled in two different directions, will the city kitty and country mouse be able to make it work?
Between her beautiful farm and her sculpture, Lucy’s life is set. Falling for a big city lawyer is not part of the plan. Even as Kitty helps make her dreams of spotlighting her farm’s produce in restaurants a reality, Lucy’s terrified that she and the farm aren’t enough to keep Kitty interested in love and the simpler things in life.
Pulled in two different directions, will the city kitty and country mouse be able to make it work?
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2020
About the author
Alyssa Linn Palmer
21 books98 followersAlyssa Linn Palmer writes romantic noir, lesbian romance, and a variety of short stories. Her novel Betting on Love was a finalist for the Rainbow Awards in 2015, and in 2016, her novel Midnight at the Orpheus won a Rainbow Award for best bisexual fiction. Find her works at alyssalinnpalmer.com and all the usual online retailers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 19, 2020
'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for an unbiased review'
**'In the most silent hour some writers should ask themselves this: Should I even write this book? Because if their mechanics are lousy, then so is the story...'
Expectations may play a role in how few interested readers respond to 'CITY KITTY and COUNTRY MOUSE' -- I think only because of how Ms.Linn Palmer pushes her unique premise and storytelling to such an extreme. My very first book by this author and i'm tittering on not making my perspective come off too negative because i'm sure there are many other enthusiastic readers hoping to read this book. There are some parts and sections of certain chapters where the storyline were okay but then on the other hand some paragraphs and lots of sentences were a bit more tedious to get through. For instance, before anyone can say hello! -- the two leads are already in a romantic relationship.
At the start of this storyline, readers might be prompt to keep on turning the pages because of the many mention of a list of some delicious mouth-watering fruits and might even have that imaginative taste for those sweet juicy blackberries hinted ever so often through out the story -- revealed as a favorite fruit of one of the leads.
As to the romance, I cannot say if the chemistry between them felt expressive because there was no genuineness. That quick move from saying hello then suddenly straight into a relationship with no development was a cause for me to pause. Both (Kitty & Lucy) did have their own struggles dealing with some personal issues -- then add to this were their views on either living situation --- one being from the city while the other living in the countryside which even cause a bit of that push/pull problem but at least both got positive support from family and friends.
The ending might seem rushed with those different side stories but the tale at the heart of this book is a love story.
**'In the most silent hour some writers should ask themselves this: Should I even write this book? Because if their mechanics are lousy, then so is the story...'
Expectations may play a role in how few interested readers respond to 'CITY KITTY and COUNTRY MOUSE' -- I think only because of how Ms.Linn Palmer pushes her unique premise and storytelling to such an extreme. My very first book by this author and i'm tittering on not making my perspective come off too negative because i'm sure there are many other enthusiastic readers hoping to read this book. There are some parts and sections of certain chapters where the storyline were okay but then on the other hand some paragraphs and lots of sentences were a bit more tedious to get through. For instance, before anyone can say hello! -- the two leads are already in a romantic relationship.
At the start of this storyline, readers might be prompt to keep on turning the pages because of the many mention of a list of some delicious mouth-watering fruits and might even have that imaginative taste for those sweet juicy blackberries hinted ever so often through out the story -- revealed as a favorite fruit of one of the leads.
As to the romance, I cannot say if the chemistry between them felt expressive because there was no genuineness. That quick move from saying hello then suddenly straight into a relationship with no development was a cause for me to pause. Both (Kitty & Lucy) did have their own struggles dealing with some personal issues -- then add to this were their views on either living situation --- one being from the city while the other living in the countryside which even cause a bit of that push/pull problem but at least both got positive support from family and friends.
The ending might seem rushed with those different side stories but the tale at the heart of this book is a love story.
February 15, 2020
3.50 Stars. This was a cute feel good romance. After one of the best Valentine’s Day I ever had, I was in the mood to read something sweet and romantic. I must admit I had some mixed feeling about this. It wasn’t really looking like the story I was hoping for, but as the book went on I definitely started to enjoy it more.
I’m not one for always reading book blurbs. One of the reasons I picked this out was for the author. While I have one of her books in my library, I haven’t read it yet so I wanted to try Palmer’s writing. I also figured from the cute title that this would be an opposites attract story. What I didn’t realize, and I should have from looking at the cover, was that this really was a foodie romance. While I do cook some, or at least attempt to, I have trouble with foodie romances. All the talk about the different types of food, usually so detailed, will put me to sleep. Luckily while this was mostly farm to table, it was Chinese-Western fusion so it was nice to hear about foods I don’t have much access to in my little state. While I could tell my eyes were tempted to glaze over a few times, I got more interested in the food and the pop-up restaurant as the book went on.
When it came to the romance I thought it was slightly above average. I felt like the characters had decent chemistry and I liked them as a potential couple. However, the characters got together way too fast for my tatses. It was literally first kiss then let me stick my hand down your pants. It wasn’t like two tipsy people leaving a bar either, instead it happened sober, in the middle of the day and on a farm. Let’s just say it was definitely a surprise to read about. Unless your character is a player or someone who prefers sex over relationships, I rather see the main characters build a connection and then have the sex scenes used to further that connection. The sex scenes themselves were pretty good. They were steamy and enjoyable but they just started off too fast for the type of romance this book was about.
When I say a feel good romance, that also includes this book having very little angst. I can be quite picky about angst. Normally I want either none or a ton, but here the angst was little and I didn’t think it was enough. There is only one real angsty moment but the characters see each other after only a few pages. It felt forced and then it fizzled so I was wondering why bother? And because this was a slower paced book with lots of food details, some fun drama and angsty moments could have kept my attention a little better.
What helped me though the book besides being interested in the restaurant itself was some of the secondary characters. Lucy’s mother, her farm business partner, plus Kitty’s paralegal, really helped the story. These three women were very fleshed out for secondary characters. They stole their scenes and I enjoyed the friends and family dynamics with them. Although, I do have to mention a missed opportunity with Kitty’s parents who had a small secondary role. Kitty was so concerned about her parents, made them into such a big deal, but in the end nothing happened. I think that was a missed opportunity for some drama, but the rest of the secondary characters were well done.
As you can see I had some issues with this book but overall none of my issues are that huge. It was a much slower paced book than I normally prefer but there was something about the characters that just kept me reading. I’m much more of a character driven reader than a plotter so I think that’s why I can still give this a 3.50 rating. I would recommend this to people looking for a cute foodie romance that is low on angst. This book had a similar feel to Aurora Rey’s Recipe for Love. They are different stories for course, but they have a similar vibe so chances are if you liked Rey’s book, you will enjoy this one too.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
I’m not one for always reading book blurbs. One of the reasons I picked this out was for the author. While I have one of her books in my library, I haven’t read it yet so I wanted to try Palmer’s writing. I also figured from the cute title that this would be an opposites attract story. What I didn’t realize, and I should have from looking at the cover, was that this really was a foodie romance. While I do cook some, or at least attempt to, I have trouble with foodie romances. All the talk about the different types of food, usually so detailed, will put me to sleep. Luckily while this was mostly farm to table, it was Chinese-Western fusion so it was nice to hear about foods I don’t have much access to in my little state. While I could tell my eyes were tempted to glaze over a few times, I got more interested in the food and the pop-up restaurant as the book went on.
When it came to the romance I thought it was slightly above average. I felt like the characters had decent chemistry and I liked them as a potential couple. However, the characters got together way too fast for my tatses. It was literally first kiss then let me stick my hand down your pants. It wasn’t like two tipsy people leaving a bar either, instead it happened sober, in the middle of the day and on a farm. Let’s just say it was definitely a surprise to read about. Unless your character is a player or someone who prefers sex over relationships, I rather see the main characters build a connection and then have the sex scenes used to further that connection. The sex scenes themselves were pretty good. They were steamy and enjoyable but they just started off too fast for the type of romance this book was about.
When I say a feel good romance, that also includes this book having very little angst. I can be quite picky about angst. Normally I want either none or a ton, but here the angst was little and I didn’t think it was enough. There is only one real angsty moment but the characters see each other after only a few pages. It felt forced and then it fizzled so I was wondering why bother? And because this was a slower paced book with lots of food details, some fun drama and angsty moments could have kept my attention a little better.
What helped me though the book besides being interested in the restaurant itself was some of the secondary characters. Lucy’s mother, her farm business partner, plus Kitty’s paralegal, really helped the story. These three women were very fleshed out for secondary characters. They stole their scenes and I enjoyed the friends and family dynamics with them. Although, I do have to mention a missed opportunity with Kitty’s parents who had a small secondary role. Kitty was so concerned about her parents, made them into such a big deal, but in the end nothing happened. I think that was a missed opportunity for some drama, but the rest of the secondary characters were well done.
As you can see I had some issues with this book but overall none of my issues are that huge. It was a much slower paced book than I normally prefer but there was something about the characters that just kept me reading. I’m much more of a character driven reader than a plotter so I think that’s why I can still give this a 3.50 rating. I would recommend this to people looking for a cute foodie romance that is low on angst. This book had a similar feel to Aurora Rey’s Recipe for Love. They are different stories for course, but they have a similar vibe so chances are if you liked Rey’s book, you will enjoy this one too.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
February 14, 2020
I’m one of those people that, if I start seeing things like ‘right amount of angst/drama’, and or ‘angst filled’ in reviews, I’d probably start inching slowly away from a book. I might still read it, I might even like/love it, but I somewhat see, instinctually, angst and drama as ‘scare’ words. I’ve had, or have depending, too much stress, angst, and drama in my life. I do not really want them in my reads. Give me fluffy humorous books. Even if some people, and I’m not thinking of anyone in particular here, use ‘fluffy’ as a bad word, or, possibly, a ‘scare’ word.
So obviously, I’m writing/I wrote all that above because this is a super angsty drama filled book, right? No. It’s the opposite. It’s so fluffy I could lie down and sleep on it and feel like I was resting on a cloud. And . . . I do not know what to put after and. Not ‘and I missed the angst’, not ‘and I missed drama’. No, not that. I wasn’t bored, I wasn’t feeling as if I was missing something (like say angst, or drama, though possibly humor), but I might have to say that this book might be too fluffy. I know, right, me saying that? Gah. And I saying that might cause some people to skip the book. It’s a lovely book, don’t skip it for ‘too much fluff.’
Right, so. Late thirties Kitty has been working very hard, and for a long time, to make partner at her job as a lawyer. She’s not someone doing it for the paycheck. She actually likes her job. Though she’s completely and utterly overworked, and feeling a weight of stress pressing down on her. But . . . she’s so close to making partner!
Book actually starts with mid-40s Lucy, though. She’s in a farmer’s market selling products from her farm. She’s somewhat stressed herself, but more because she’s there by herself. Normally family friend Alice would be there helping, but she’s ill. And I only mention all of that so I’d be able to use ‘stressed’ again. See, the country mouse, Lucy, and the city kitty, Kitty, are both feeling stress. Country Mouse is actually the name of Lucy’s farm/company. While selling produce, one of her loyal customers wanders up – Cindy. With her is a woman who won’t pull her face from her phone.
Cindy leads the other woman over, and tempts her with blackberries. That other woman, Kitty, loved blackberries once upon a time, though it’s been a while. She takes a bite and Lucy is quite taken with how much pleasure Kitty gets out of that blackberry. So she gives her a container of them. Before Kitty’s left, she’s eaten them all.
So begins the courtship of Lucy and Kitty . . . in a normal book. Here they are finger-fucking each other before you can blink (not really, or that’d be on first meeting, I believe it took until the second or third meeting (meeting, not date, I’m not sure they ever actually went on an official date in the book) before they were caressing each other more intimately than caressing each other might convey). Next thing you know, they are starting a restaurant together, or, at least, seriously planning one.
And that, actually, is the problem I had with the book. Well, to a certain extent. It is the part where they slide into each other’s lives without stopping and actually doing things like date. Being together, and opening a restaurant together. Then, somewhere along the line, both have thoughts about how they just have a causal relationship. Whereupon my ability to know what ‘serious’ and ‘casual’ and the like actually mean in terms of relationships implodes. Hell, Kitty’s basically been adopted into the family, is banging Lucy in the same house her (Lucy’s) mother is in, and the mother’s all big grins about it and . . . they are just having a casual fling? Seriously? Bah.
Right, so. Two women somewhat older than the norm for lesbian romance books meet, fuck, are in a ‘casual’ relationship, open a restaurant and . . . the end. Not really, but basically.
I liked how the leads, both with POV’s, are older than the norm. I like how one of the leads is of Chinese ancestry. I like how all of the story takes place in Canada. I’ve read other books set in Canada, other books involving LGBT people, I mean, but this might be the first one I’ve read that involved only Canadians. I liked both main characters.
Hmm. Now I remember, right when I’m about to add it to my review, how I rated this book. My rating doesn’t seem to correspond to what I wrote, but I stick with it as how I’d rate the book.
ETA: Forgot that I was going to add one thing: The book is both sexually graphic, and . . . 'food graphic'.
Rating: 4.50
February 14 2020
So obviously, I’m writing/I wrote all that above because this is a super angsty drama filled book, right? No. It’s the opposite. It’s so fluffy I could lie down and sleep on it and feel like I was resting on a cloud. And . . . I do not know what to put after and. Not ‘and I missed the angst’, not ‘and I missed drama’. No, not that. I wasn’t bored, I wasn’t feeling as if I was missing something (like say angst, or drama, though possibly humor), but I might have to say that this book might be too fluffy. I know, right, me saying that? Gah. And I saying that might cause some people to skip the book. It’s a lovely book, don’t skip it for ‘too much fluff.’
Right, so. Late thirties Kitty has been working very hard, and for a long time, to make partner at her job as a lawyer. She’s not someone doing it for the paycheck. She actually likes her job. Though she’s completely and utterly overworked, and feeling a weight of stress pressing down on her. But . . . she’s so close to making partner!
Book actually starts with mid-40s Lucy, though. She’s in a farmer’s market selling products from her farm. She’s somewhat stressed herself, but more because she’s there by herself. Normally family friend Alice would be there helping, but she’s ill. And I only mention all of that so I’d be able to use ‘stressed’ again. See, the country mouse, Lucy, and the city kitty, Kitty, are both feeling stress. Country Mouse is actually the name of Lucy’s farm/company. While selling produce, one of her loyal customers wanders up – Cindy. With her is a woman who won’t pull her face from her phone.
Cindy leads the other woman over, and tempts her with blackberries. That other woman, Kitty, loved blackberries once upon a time, though it’s been a while. She takes a bite and Lucy is quite taken with how much pleasure Kitty gets out of that blackberry. So she gives her a container of them. Before Kitty’s left, she’s eaten them all.
So begins the courtship of Lucy and Kitty . . . in a normal book. Here they are finger-fucking each other before you can blink (not really, or that’d be on first meeting, I believe it took until the second or third meeting (meeting, not date, I’m not sure they ever actually went on an official date in the book) before they were caressing each other more intimately than caressing each other might convey). Next thing you know, they are starting a restaurant together, or, at least, seriously planning one.
And that, actually, is the problem I had with the book. Well, to a certain extent. It is the part where they slide into each other’s lives without stopping and actually doing things like date. Being together, and opening a restaurant together. Then, somewhere along the line, both have thoughts about how they just have a causal relationship. Whereupon my ability to know what ‘serious’ and ‘casual’ and the like actually mean in terms of relationships implodes. Hell, Kitty’s basically been adopted into the family, is banging Lucy in the same house her (Lucy’s) mother is in, and the mother’s all big grins about it and . . . they are just having a casual fling? Seriously? Bah.
Right, so. Two women somewhat older than the norm for lesbian romance books meet, fuck, are in a ‘casual’ relationship, open a restaurant and . . . the end. Not really, but basically.
I liked how the leads, both with POV’s, are older than the norm. I like how one of the leads is of Chinese ancestry. I like how all of the story takes place in Canada. I’ve read other books set in Canada, other books involving LGBT people, I mean, but this might be the first one I’ve read that involved only Canadians. I liked both main characters.
Hmm. Now I remember, right when I’m about to add it to my review, how I rated this book. My rating doesn’t seem to correspond to what I wrote, but I stick with it as how I’d rate the book.
ETA: Forgot that I was going to add one thing: The book is both sexually graphic, and . . . 'food graphic'.
Rating: 4.50
February 14 2020
February 16, 2020
3 Stars for this romance, City Kitty and Country Mouse by Alyssa Linn Palmer. First off – Luscious cover. I wasn’t familiar with the author so it was the cover that drew me in.
The two main characters at first glance are very different from each other. There is thirty-eight year old, Kitty (Katherine) Kerr – an associate lawyer for a large firm specializing in corporate mergers in Calgary, Canada. She spends most of her time working if not at the office or courtroom, she is working from home. She works 7 days, probably 80 plus hours per week. Her mantra is that she is “very close to making partner” at her firm.
Lucy Chen (Ming Nhon is her Chinese name) is a farmer and is slightly older than Kitty. Her mother was born in China and her father was half white and half Chinese (so she is one quarter white, three quarters Chinese). Her percentage mixture (though not ethnicity) is similar to mine. On my mother’s side my Grandma was from Mexico and my Grandfather was from the Philippines. They met in Arizona and later moved to Calif. My Mom married my dad who was Filipino, so I’m one quarter Mexican and three quarters Filipino. So, IMO Lucy’s mixed heritage is not that unusual. Sorry, back to Lucy… it sounded like her farm grows small crops in greenhouses and perhaps smaller fields such that she grows a variety seasonal small fruits (berries and the like) and vegetables which she sells at Farmers’ Markets. Unlike large farms which will grow single crops. It is at the Calgary Farmer’s Market where Kitty and Lucy first meet.
Before I go on – can I ask, is “Kitty” (a nickname) an appropriate name for a corporate lawyer (almost partner) whose clients are probably billion dollar or at the very least multi-million dollar companies? Kitty? Her clients, boss and co-workers all call her Kitty. Her real name is Katherine, but she said it would be weird to be called that. You get used to it! My family calls me by middle name and I used it in school until Middle School when I “changed” it and for the first time, went by my real first name, Lucia. Now only my family and old family friends call me by my middle name, everyone else its Lucia. I’m convinced the author picked that name just because she liked the clever title of the book.
To get her out of the office, Kitty’s assistant, Cindy drags Kitty to the midweek, Calgary Farmers’ Market. Cindy stops at Lucy’s County Mouse Farms stall to pick up fruit and we get a meet cute when Kitty swoons over Lucy’s fresh Blackberries. Lucy and Kitty’s chemistry is off the charts. When Kitty runs out of blackberries, she calls the Farm. Lucy isn’t there but is told by Lucy's mom to feel free to drive to the farm to pick some up. When Kitty arrives at the farm she is invited to lunch and Lucy gives her a tour.
This is where the romance/relationship/partnership develops at supersonic speeds. Sheesh. They have their first kiss and climax before the farm tour is even over! It’s different if it is a quickie hook up at a bar because generally in most stories the rest of the relationship develops over time. Kitty spends the night and after sex they discuss food and cooking and Lucy suggests they should open a restaurant together. Lucy supplies the produce and Kitty would be the chef. (Kitty worked as a chef in college). Kitty thinks it would be fun. The next day they start making plans. They decide to open a pop-up restaurant (open for one night only). Together they begin to test recipes, decide on a menu, venue, logistics etc. Within a few short months they open their Chinese fusion pop-up restaurant, called Ming Kitty.
Can we talk menu here? I wasn’t impressed. Soy Sauce honey chicken, tofu with broccolini, steamed fish fillet and ginger beef. Relatively, simple dishes and IMO not that special. I grew up eating a sweet Soy Sauce chicken (granted without truffle oil) and ginger beef. They were regular dinner meals, simple and cheap to make. We did not have the steamed fish fillet and tofu wasn’t eaten in our house. Yes. I’m also spoiled living in So. California with an abundance of Asian restaurants – practically every ethnicity and style. So I guess, in a small farming town in Canada, the menu was exotic.
Although I had some problems with this very fast burn romance and I admit I was nitpicky on some of the details, overall, it was very readable. I did like both main characters – the author made them more than just a farmer and a lawyer. The side characters were also well done especially Kitty's assistant Cindy and Lucy’s mom.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes books and Netgalley for an honest review.
The two main characters at first glance are very different from each other. There is thirty-eight year old, Kitty (Katherine) Kerr – an associate lawyer for a large firm specializing in corporate mergers in Calgary, Canada. She spends most of her time working if not at the office or courtroom, she is working from home. She works 7 days, probably 80 plus hours per week. Her mantra is that she is “very close to making partner” at her firm.
Lucy Chen (Ming Nhon is her Chinese name) is a farmer and is slightly older than Kitty. Her mother was born in China and her father was half white and half Chinese (so she is one quarter white, three quarters Chinese). Her percentage mixture (though not ethnicity) is similar to mine. On my mother’s side my Grandma was from Mexico and my Grandfather was from the Philippines. They met in Arizona and later moved to Calif. My Mom married my dad who was Filipino, so I’m one quarter Mexican and three quarters Filipino. So, IMO Lucy’s mixed heritage is not that unusual. Sorry, back to Lucy… it sounded like her farm grows small crops in greenhouses and perhaps smaller fields such that she grows a variety seasonal small fruits (berries and the like) and vegetables which she sells at Farmers’ Markets. Unlike large farms which will grow single crops. It is at the Calgary Farmer’s Market where Kitty and Lucy first meet.
Before I go on – can I ask, is “Kitty” (a nickname) an appropriate name for a corporate lawyer (almost partner) whose clients are probably billion dollar or at the very least multi-million dollar companies? Kitty? Her clients, boss and co-workers all call her Kitty. Her real name is Katherine, but she said it would be weird to be called that. You get used to it! My family calls me by middle name and I used it in school until Middle School when I “changed” it and for the first time, went by my real first name, Lucia. Now only my family and old family friends call me by my middle name, everyone else its Lucia. I’m convinced the author picked that name just because she liked the clever title of the book.
To get her out of the office, Kitty’s assistant, Cindy drags Kitty to the midweek, Calgary Farmers’ Market. Cindy stops at Lucy’s County Mouse Farms stall to pick up fruit and we get a meet cute when Kitty swoons over Lucy’s fresh Blackberries. Lucy and Kitty’s chemistry is off the charts. When Kitty runs out of blackberries, she calls the Farm. Lucy isn’t there but is told by Lucy's mom to feel free to drive to the farm to pick some up. When Kitty arrives at the farm she is invited to lunch and Lucy gives her a tour.
This is where the romance/relationship/partnership develops at supersonic speeds. Sheesh. They have their first kiss and climax before the farm tour is even over! It’s different if it is a quickie hook up at a bar because generally in most stories the rest of the relationship develops over time. Kitty spends the night and after sex they discuss food and cooking and Lucy suggests they should open a restaurant together. Lucy supplies the produce and Kitty would be the chef. (Kitty worked as a chef in college). Kitty thinks it would be fun. The next day they start making plans. They decide to open a pop-up restaurant (open for one night only). Together they begin to test recipes, decide on a menu, venue, logistics etc. Within a few short months they open their Chinese fusion pop-up restaurant, called Ming Kitty.
Can we talk menu here? I wasn’t impressed. Soy Sauce honey chicken, tofu with broccolini, steamed fish fillet and ginger beef. Relatively, simple dishes and IMO not that special. I grew up eating a sweet Soy Sauce chicken (granted without truffle oil) and ginger beef. They were regular dinner meals, simple and cheap to make. We did not have the steamed fish fillet and tofu wasn’t eaten in our house. Yes. I’m also spoiled living in So. California with an abundance of Asian restaurants – practically every ethnicity and style. So I guess, in a small farming town in Canada, the menu was exotic.
Although I had some problems with this very fast burn romance and I admit I was nitpicky on some of the details, overall, it was very readable. I did like both main characters – the author made them more than just a farmer and a lawyer. The side characters were also well done especially Kitty's assistant Cindy and Lucy’s mom.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes books and Netgalley for an honest review.
February 5, 2020
Alyssa Linn Palmer has written a beautiful, feel good romance with her book City Kitty and Country Mouse. This story also had me reading it with a bowl of blackberries and raspberries on my desk which I nibbled on as I read. I’m sure they aren’t as good as the ones in the tale.
This book tells the story of two very different people who come together and fall in love. But is love enough when you have such different lives? Kitty is a corporate lawyer in Calgary who is totally focused on making partner in her firm, to the point she works every waking moment and has no personal life. Lucy runs the family farm, Country Mouse, located about an hour’s drive outside the big city. When the two meet, there is instant attraction, but their lives are so very different, and Kitty is focused on her job. It seems impossible for the two to become a couple even with that strong attraction.
I was very impressed with how the author developed Kitty in this novel. She begins as this almost robot-like person, totally focused on her work and her obsession with becoming partner. She has no life before she meets Lucy, and even after they meet, she still worries about her job. I really enjoyed watching Kitty slowly realize what she is missing in life.
The setting, especially the farm, is lovely and well described. I sometimes wondered about how fast the two came together as a couple, but it does work in the overall tale. I loved Lucy’s mom and hearing about how she immigrated to Canada as a young bride. Knowing that story actually helps the readers understand Lucy’s character.
I was a bit surprised at how quickly Kitty and Lucy became intimate in the tale. It happened very quickly, but it worked, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.
I enjoyed reading City Kitty and Country Mouse. If you like to read romances that make you feel good when you read them, then you night like this one as well. Just make sure you have some fruit to nibble on as you read. I suggest organic blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
This book tells the story of two very different people who come together and fall in love. But is love enough when you have such different lives? Kitty is a corporate lawyer in Calgary who is totally focused on making partner in her firm, to the point she works every waking moment and has no personal life. Lucy runs the family farm, Country Mouse, located about an hour’s drive outside the big city. When the two meet, there is instant attraction, but their lives are so very different, and Kitty is focused on her job. It seems impossible for the two to become a couple even with that strong attraction.
I was very impressed with how the author developed Kitty in this novel. She begins as this almost robot-like person, totally focused on her work and her obsession with becoming partner. She has no life before she meets Lucy, and even after they meet, she still worries about her job. I really enjoyed watching Kitty slowly realize what she is missing in life.
The setting, especially the farm, is lovely and well described. I sometimes wondered about how fast the two came together as a couple, but it does work in the overall tale. I loved Lucy’s mom and hearing about how she immigrated to Canada as a young bride. Knowing that story actually helps the readers understand Lucy’s character.
I was a bit surprised at how quickly Kitty and Lucy became intimate in the tale. It happened very quickly, but it worked, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.
I enjoyed reading City Kitty and Country Mouse. If you like to read romances that make you feel good when you read them, then you night like this one as well. Just make sure you have some fruit to nibble on as you read. I suggest organic blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
March 27, 2020
A badass lawyer meets a lovely farmer, and the rest is history. A very sweet history.
Yes, there's insta-love/insta-lust. Yes, the story is predictable. But it's a really sweet story. So who cares?
Yes, there's insta-love/insta-lust. Yes, the story is predictable. But it's a really sweet story. So who cares?
August 30, 2020
I wasn’t sure about Kitty at first because she’s such a workaholic. Turns out, that just makes it all the sweeter when she falls head over heels for Lucy and the life Lucy has with her mom, Michelle. Lucy and Kitty have excellent chemistry, leaving me grinning for most of the book.
I also quite liked some of the side characters. Michelle is one of my favourites, as well as Kitty’s assistant, Cindy. They’re both very cute as they nudge Lucy and Kitty together.
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/city...
I also quite liked some of the side characters. Michelle is one of my favourites, as well as Kitty’s assistant, Cindy. They’re both very cute as they nudge Lucy and Kitty together.
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/city...
January 27, 2022
Foiled by a luscious cover again. 1.5 stars which I'm rounding up for reasons I'm still not quite sure of yet.
I knew in the first pages that this wasn’t going to be an enjoyable reading experience for me. I’m not one of those readers who detests 1st-person point-of-view narratives on principle—I think it can successfully be employed, but if an author is going to use 1st person, then they have to absolutely nail it. And Alyssa Linn Palmer just doesn’t. Because the problem here is that there are two 1st-person POV narrators—each of the MCs take turns leading the narrative. And if an author is going to make that work, then each character needs a distinct voice. But these characters did not. They sounded exactly the same—to the point that I would be reading a section and not know who was narrating until it became explicit with a name or job reference.
And here’s the other thing about 1st-person POV: I have complete access to a character's thoughts and motivations, so I can get closer to understanding what they’re thinking, what they’re feeling. At least if it’s executed correctly. And, well, nothing these characters did made sense. For example:
-- Oh, hey. We just met. Twice for about five minutes. Let’s get down in a greenhouse because I’m so attracted to you.
-- After the 4th time we’ve spent any time together (including the initial two 5-minute meetings), let me declare that that I hate it when you’re not here with me. I miss you so much.
-- You know what would be great? Let’s start a restaurant. Sure, you’re a farmer who likes to cook. And I’m a lawyer aiming for partnership and I also like to cook and, look, I even worked in a restaurant eons ago. But we can totally do this. Nevermind the fact that we have no capital or experience cooking for large groups or the fact that we don’t actually know each other (we’ve only been around each other three times). I mean, we’ve banged in a greenhouse. What else do I need to know about you? We should totally do this!
It’s my own fault for continuing to read this when I knew super early on that I wasn’t going to be friends with this book, but I have a hard time not finishing things once I start them. So here we are.
This isn’t a great book. But there were things I enjoyed—like all the descriptions of food that made me crave fresh fruit and Chinese cuisine. I liked that one of the main characters is Chinese! I liked that the MCs were middle-aged. I liked that it took place in Canada. And I did like both characters, even if they were basically the same character. They seem like nice people who deserve nice things. But the execution of this was really not great. I usually read novels in the genre quickly and this is one I had to force myself to come back to.
One other super nitpicky complaint: There is no way shoes would be allowed to be worn inside the house on a farm in Canada where a Chinese mother lives. Trust me, there’s no way outdoor muck would be allowed further than the entryway of the house. I live in Canada and everyone takes off their shoes when they enter someone’s house. But I’ve also lived in China and there was not one home in which I visited where shoes were not immediately removed and house slippers provided for the visit.
I knew in the first pages that this wasn’t going to be an enjoyable reading experience for me. I’m not one of those readers who detests 1st-person point-of-view narratives on principle—I think it can successfully be employed, but if an author is going to use 1st person, then they have to absolutely nail it. And Alyssa Linn Palmer just doesn’t. Because the problem here is that there are two 1st-person POV narrators—each of the MCs take turns leading the narrative. And if an author is going to make that work, then each character needs a distinct voice. But these characters did not. They sounded exactly the same—to the point that I would be reading a section and not know who was narrating until it became explicit with a name or job reference.
And here’s the other thing about 1st-person POV: I have complete access to a character's thoughts and motivations, so I can get closer to understanding what they’re thinking, what they’re feeling. At least if it’s executed correctly. And, well, nothing these characters did made sense. For example:
-- Oh, hey. We just met. Twice for about five minutes. Let’s get down in a greenhouse because I’m so attracted to you.
-- After the 4th time we’ve spent any time together (including the initial two 5-minute meetings), let me declare that that I hate it when you’re not here with me. I miss you so much.
-- You know what would be great? Let’s start a restaurant. Sure, you’re a farmer who likes to cook. And I’m a lawyer aiming for partnership and I also like to cook and, look, I even worked in a restaurant eons ago. But we can totally do this. Nevermind the fact that we have no capital or experience cooking for large groups or the fact that we don’t actually know each other (we’ve only been around each other three times). I mean, we’ve banged in a greenhouse. What else do I need to know about you? We should totally do this!
It’s my own fault for continuing to read this when I knew super early on that I wasn’t going to be friends with this book, but I have a hard time not finishing things once I start them. So here we are.
This isn’t a great book. But there were things I enjoyed—like all the descriptions of food that made me crave fresh fruit and Chinese cuisine. I liked that one of the main characters is Chinese! I liked that the MCs were middle-aged. I liked that it took place in Canada. And I did like both characters, even if they were basically the same character. They seem like nice people who deserve nice things. But the execution of this was really not great. I usually read novels in the genre quickly and this is one I had to force myself to come back to.
One other super nitpicky complaint: There is no way shoes would be allowed to be worn inside the house on a farm in Canada where a Chinese mother lives. Trust me, there’s no way outdoor muck would be allowed further than the entryway of the house. I live in Canada and everyone takes off their shoes when they enter someone’s house. But I’ve also lived in China and there was not one home in which I visited where shoes were not immediately removed and house slippers provided for the visit.
Did Not Finish
June 10, 2020Unfortunately, way too many issues at 50 pages in for me to keep going:
- insta love
- sex on page 50? A few exceptions aside, that is way too soon
- useless constant 1st person POV switches, with no indication whose perspective it is
- bisexual erasure
- This line: "I would bet Kitty doesn't care that I'm 1/4 white settler and 3/4 Chinese." ...Uh, why is her Chinese / mixed race background being described as a negative thing a partner would have to overlook?? Isn't your partner's cultural background something you *should* care about and respect?
I would guess this is supposed to indicate some kind of lack of racism on Kitty's part. But colour-blindness (ie pretending you don't see race, ie "not caring" about race) is not anti racism. This felt like a very inauthentic line for a person of colour, not to mention the omission that Chinese people in Canada are settlers too.
- insta love
- sex on page 50? A few exceptions aside, that is way too soon
- useless constant 1st person POV switches, with no indication whose perspective it is
- bisexual erasure
- This line: "I would bet Kitty doesn't care that I'm 1/4 white settler and 3/4 Chinese." ...Uh, why is her Chinese / mixed race background being described as a negative thing a partner would have to overlook?? Isn't your partner's cultural background something you *should* care about and respect?
I would guess this is supposed to indicate some kind of lack of racism on Kitty's part. But colour-blindness (ie pretending you don't see race, ie "not caring" about race) is not anti racism. This felt like a very inauthentic line for a person of colour, not to mention the omission that Chinese people in Canada are settlers too.
January 30, 2020
Loved This One
Lucy is a happy woman who lives with her mother and owns Country Mouse Farms. She sells her produce at farmer’s markets and welds sculptures out of scrap metal in her spare time. On one market day, a regular customer brings her boss along. The woman can’t stop looking at her phone but when she is offered a blackberry something magical happens…She is suddenly totally focused on the fruit and Lucy… Kitty is a high powered lawyer whose only goal in life is to make partner. As a result, she works her tail off day and night, and weekends too. After tasting that blackberry and meeting the lovely Lucy, her life begins to change and soon her dreams are of a different kind of partnership.
I adored the heck out of this book! It was so well written and descriptive. I’m not really giving anything away by telling you there was a lot of Chinese food being cooked in this story and it was so well told that I HAD to have Chinese for dinner because I couldn’t get the thoughts out of my head!! I loved the characters in this story, not just Lucy and Kitty, although they were wonderful, but Mrs. Shen, her friend and of course Kitty’s assistant, all so much fun and such a big part of the story. The romance was beautiful and OMG, the sexy bits… even better than the cooking and that is saying a LOT! I loved the farm setting as well but I am a country mouse at heart. This is definitely worth the read!!
Lucy is a happy woman who lives with her mother and owns Country Mouse Farms. She sells her produce at farmer’s markets and welds sculptures out of scrap metal in her spare time. On one market day, a regular customer brings her boss along. The woman can’t stop looking at her phone but when she is offered a blackberry something magical happens…She is suddenly totally focused on the fruit and Lucy… Kitty is a high powered lawyer whose only goal in life is to make partner. As a result, she works her tail off day and night, and weekends too. After tasting that blackberry and meeting the lovely Lucy, her life begins to change and soon her dreams are of a different kind of partnership.
I adored the heck out of this book! It was so well written and descriptive. I’m not really giving anything away by telling you there was a lot of Chinese food being cooked in this story and it was so well told that I HAD to have Chinese for dinner because I couldn’t get the thoughts out of my head!! I loved the characters in this story, not just Lucy and Kitty, although they were wonderful, but Mrs. Shen, her friend and of course Kitty’s assistant, all so much fun and such a big part of the story. The romance was beautiful and OMG, the sexy bits… even better than the cooking and that is saying a LOT! I loved the farm setting as well but I am a country mouse at heart. This is definitely worth the read!!
February 7, 2020
2 1/2 STARS
The romance was okay. The story was okay. My biggest issue was this is told in dual 1st POV but the POV switches were not labeled so I would have to go back and reread parts to figure out whose head I was in. This obviously messed with the reading flow a lot. Also: the pacing was a bit uneven, especially towards the last 1/3 or so.
I might try this author again.
The romance was okay. The story was okay. My biggest issue was this is told in dual 1st POV but the POV switches were not labeled so I would have to go back and reread parts to figure out whose head I was in. This obviously messed with the reading flow a lot. Also: the pacing was a bit uneven, especially towards the last 1/3 or so.
I might try this author again.
January 29, 2020
The concept of this romance is very interesting. City girl meets country girl, they are attracted to one another and begin this hot affair. Kitty is a busy lawyer trying to make partner in her firm. Her friend and assistant makes her get out of the office and that is where she meets Lucy who is selling her fruit and produce at the market. The story kicks off from there.
I really did like the beginning of the story where the two mains meet and they begin this hot affair. Where the story get a little slow for me is when they decide to open a restaurant.I kept asking myself, why would they do this. They barely know one another. The whole thing was a little weird and it where the story drags for me. Though they are likable, it just wasn't enough to keep me from being a little bored with the story. Sure it was still a decent read, I just needed more excitement. There is some angst in the end and I thought that it helped to bring some excitement back to the story line.
Overall, there really wasn't anything to make this one stand out. I will rate it 3 stars.
This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
I really did like the beginning of the story where the two mains meet and they begin this hot affair. Where the story get a little slow for me is when they decide to open a restaurant.I kept asking myself, why would they do this. They barely know one another. The whole thing was a little weird and it where the story drags for me. Though they are likable, it just wasn't enough to keep me from being a little bored with the story. Sure it was still a decent read, I just needed more excitement. There is some angst in the end and I thought that it helped to bring some excitement back to the story line.
Overall, there really wasn't anything to make this one stand out. I will rate it 3 stars.
This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
February 1, 2020
* I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
Surprisingly it was a great read. Usually when I don't know the author, I'm a little bit hesitant to dedicate time in a book, but this one intrigued my from the cover and the description.
The attraction between Kitty and Lucy was instant which is something I usually don't enjoy as much , but in this case that didn't bother me at all, it actually felt natural.
I loved the fact that even though Lucy and Kitty were polar opposites, the creation of their restaurant helped them grow closer and finally have their own happily ever after.
The only thing that slightly bothered me were all these cooking recipes and descriptions of foods that went on for entire pages.
Overall, highly recommended.
Surprisingly it was a great read. Usually when I don't know the author, I'm a little bit hesitant to dedicate time in a book, but this one intrigued my from the cover and the description.
The attraction between Kitty and Lucy was instant which is something I usually don't enjoy as much , but in this case that didn't bother me at all, it actually felt natural.
I loved the fact that even though Lucy and Kitty were polar opposites, the creation of their restaurant helped them grow closer and finally have their own happily ever after.
The only thing that slightly bothered me were all these cooking recipes and descriptions of foods that went on for entire pages.
Overall, highly recommended.
January 18, 2020
4.5 STARS ROUNDED UPTO 5 STARS
I RECEIVED AN ARC COPY OF THE BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NEGALLEY AND VOLUNTARILY LEAVING MY REVIEW.
MS PALMER IS A NEW AUTHOR TO ME. THIS YEAR THE LIST OF NEW AUTHORS SEEMS TO GROW AND GROW.
KITTY IS A LAWYER WHO IS AIMING TO BECOME A PARTNER IN THE FIRM SHE WORKS FOR. SHE ALSO LOVES THE BLACKBERRIES SHE BUYS FROM LUCY AT THE FARMERS MARKET.
LUCY OWNS A FARM SHE RUNS WITH HER MOTHER AND FRIEND ALICE. SHE ALSO IS A SCULPTURE IN ANY SPARE TIME SHE HAS.
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. LUCY AND KITTY MEET AT A FARMERS MARKET WHERE LUCY IS SELLING HER PRODUCE AND KITTY IS TAGGING ALONG WITH HER FRIEND CINDY WHO ALSO is HER ASSISTANT AT WORK. WHEN THEY MEET THERE IS INSTANT ATTRACTION FOR THE OTHER. I ENJOYED THE STORY LINE. I LOVED THE MAIN CHARACTERS. LUCY I WOULD SAY WAS MY FAVOURITE. I LIKED THEM BOTH FROM START TO FINISH, AT THE BEGINNING THE PACE WAS A BIT FAST FOR MY LIKING BUT IT EVENED ITSELF OUT AS THE STORY PROGRESSED. THERE WAS ALSO A GOOD BUNCH OF SECONDARY CHARACTERS. MICHELLE (LUCY'S MOTHER) IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES ALONG WITH CINDY.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND GIVING THIS ONE A READ. IT IS ONE THAT I COULD RE-READ OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I RECEIVED AN ARC COPY OF THE BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NEGALLEY AND VOLUNTARILY LEAVING MY REVIEW.
MS PALMER IS A NEW AUTHOR TO ME. THIS YEAR THE LIST OF NEW AUTHORS SEEMS TO GROW AND GROW.
KITTY IS A LAWYER WHO IS AIMING TO BECOME A PARTNER IN THE FIRM SHE WORKS FOR. SHE ALSO LOVES THE BLACKBERRIES SHE BUYS FROM LUCY AT THE FARMERS MARKET.
LUCY OWNS A FARM SHE RUNS WITH HER MOTHER AND FRIEND ALICE. SHE ALSO IS A SCULPTURE IN ANY SPARE TIME SHE HAS.
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. LUCY AND KITTY MEET AT A FARMERS MARKET WHERE LUCY IS SELLING HER PRODUCE AND KITTY IS TAGGING ALONG WITH HER FRIEND CINDY WHO ALSO is HER ASSISTANT AT WORK. WHEN THEY MEET THERE IS INSTANT ATTRACTION FOR THE OTHER. I ENJOYED THE STORY LINE. I LOVED THE MAIN CHARACTERS. LUCY I WOULD SAY WAS MY FAVOURITE. I LIKED THEM BOTH FROM START TO FINISH, AT THE BEGINNING THE PACE WAS A BIT FAST FOR MY LIKING BUT IT EVENED ITSELF OUT AS THE STORY PROGRESSED. THERE WAS ALSO A GOOD BUNCH OF SECONDARY CHARACTERS. MICHELLE (LUCY'S MOTHER) IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES ALONG WITH CINDY.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND GIVING THIS ONE A READ. IT IS ONE THAT I COULD RE-READ OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
March 9, 2021
I'm trying to catch up on some of the older books in my TBR and I'm so glad I got to this. As I'm late to the party, I know that others have mentioned the insta-sex as a problem, but I understand that characters ranging from 38-45 probably just know what they want and go after it. I adored the foodie storyline of the restaurant and craved Chinese food while reading it. The setting in rural Calgary was absolutely a main character, and the three supporting characters were beautifully written. I especially loved the "80% conflict" - it came out of nowhere although in retrospect it was set up perfectly. There were tears shed at the end, and this one will stay with me for quite awhile.
February 21, 2020
3.5 stars. This is definitely a foodie story. Cute and simple.
I found the writing structure a bit off putting. It was basically written in 1st person structure but from each main characters thoughts. I had to read a few sentences, in each paragraph, to figure out who was talking. If talking about "mama" I assumed it was Lucy. If talking about work, I assumed Kitty. Also, the cadence felt like "early days Amy Tan". Sort of an Asian abruptness to it.
The romance starts hot and heavy immediately. So you miss that slow burn. The remainder of the story revolves around Kitty coming to the realization that she hates her job, tries to please everyone, and loves to cook.
The love scenes are hot and mostly in the hot house or welding shed. A bit odd.
The ending is very predictable.
I had a hard time finishing because I kept putting it down. It wasn't holding my interest. Not enough happening. The most exciting part was when Kitty and Cindy were called into the bosses office. But I knew that would work out favorably also.
Great book for foodies.
I was given this ARC in return for an honest review.
I found the writing structure a bit off putting. It was basically written in 1st person structure but from each main characters thoughts. I had to read a few sentences, in each paragraph, to figure out who was talking. If talking about "mama" I assumed it was Lucy. If talking about work, I assumed Kitty. Also, the cadence felt like "early days Amy Tan". Sort of an Asian abruptness to it.
The romance starts hot and heavy immediately. So you miss that slow burn. The remainder of the story revolves around Kitty coming to the realization that she hates her job, tries to please everyone, and loves to cook.
The love scenes are hot and mostly in the hot house or welding shed. A bit odd.
The ending is very predictable.
I had a hard time finishing because I kept putting it down. It wasn't holding my interest. Not enough happening. The most exciting part was when Kitty and Cindy were called into the bosses office. But I knew that would work out favorably also.
Great book for foodies.
I was given this ARC in return for an honest review.
February 27, 2020
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
I wanted to read this book because I thought it was going to be some fresh and easy reading, which was the case... until some point where I got lost between infinite food descriptions and a kinda boring plot. The book follows Lucy and Kitty, two women who met at some Farmer's Market and immediately fall in love with each other, despite barely knowing each other. Lucy has a farm and Kitty is a lawyer and their lives are very different... but both of them love food. That's going to be the most important thing in their relationship, to be honest. Out of nowhere, they're gonna have this very great idea where they start a really important project together and they start flirting and dating and doing things that I don't think any lady in their fourties would do.
Basically they felt like some teenagers with enough money and confidence to carry out whatever they want. It didn't feel like a book about two grown women at all. But it is well-written and it's entertaining and makes you want to read more to know what crazy idea they're gonna have next.
About the ending... I don't get it. I don't understand why the author felt the necessity to add some drama to the plot all of the sudden. I think the characters would have arrived at the same point without the necessity of what they live at the end of the book.
In conclusion, it's kinda fun and really cute at some points, it has plenty of bed (without a bed) scenes between two women, which is nice, and I hope you have tons of food with you when you read it because it's gonna make you hungry.
I wanted to read this book because I thought it was going to be some fresh and easy reading, which was the case... until some point where I got lost between infinite food descriptions and a kinda boring plot. The book follows Lucy and Kitty, two women who met at some Farmer's Market and immediately fall in love with each other, despite barely knowing each other. Lucy has a farm and Kitty is a lawyer and their lives are very different... but both of them love food. That's going to be the most important thing in their relationship, to be honest. Out of nowhere, they're gonna have this very great idea where they start a really important project together and they start flirting and dating and doing things that I don't think any lady in their fourties would do.
Basically they felt like some teenagers with enough money and confidence to carry out whatever they want. It didn't feel like a book about two grown women at all. But it is well-written and it's entertaining and makes you want to read more to know what crazy idea they're gonna have next.
About the ending... I don't get it. I don't understand why the author felt the necessity to add some drama to the plot all of the sudden. I think the characters would have arrived at the same point without the necessity of what they live at the end of the book.
In conclusion, it's kinda fun and really cute at some points, it has plenty of bed (without a bed) scenes between two women, which is nice, and I hope you have tons of food with you when you read it because it's gonna make you hungry.
January 24, 2020
It was a great read. I was amazed, not only by the quality of the writing but also by the description of Lucy and Kitty.
Their relationship, their attraction is very fast, but that didn't bother me at all. On the contrary, this is an asset in the story, because it highlights their attraction and the strengthening of their relationship.
Lucy and Kitty absolutely do not live in the same world, their goal in life is completely opposite. The creation of their restaurant allows them to get closer but also to move away, until the moment when they find a compromise.
I really liked the characters of Lucy and Kitty, and I could not help but think of identifying with them.
A little too much cooking, cooking recipes, for my taste.
The cover is superb.
If I recommend it? Absolutly!
Their relationship, their attraction is very fast, but that didn't bother me at all. On the contrary, this is an asset in the story, because it highlights their attraction and the strengthening of their relationship.
Lucy and Kitty absolutely do not live in the same world, their goal in life is completely opposite. The creation of their restaurant allows them to get closer but also to move away, until the moment when they find a compromise.
I really liked the characters of Lucy and Kitty, and I could not help but think of identifying with them.
A little too much cooking, cooking recipes, for my taste.
The cover is superb.
If I recommend it? Absolutly!
January 27, 2020
The clichéd lesbian U-Hauling is not necessarily about actual moving in together at the speed of light but more about the sonic speed attachments formed by lesbians. This one is actually about that but written so well that it doesn’t seem like the cliché but rather like not only inevitable but actually the only way the relationship between the MCs should actually develop.
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
February 28, 2020
I can’t remember reading anything by this author but now that I know what kind of writer Ms Palmer is I’ll be sure to look.
Lucy Shen likes her life, what’s not to like. Besides her sculpture she also has a farm where she grows a variety of produce that makes their way to her table. Her only complaint is trying to get her goods from her farm to the table’s in restaurants where even more people will be able to enjoy her produce. Everything is going great on her ‘Country Mouse Farms’ where among other things she also grows Blackberries.
Kitty Kerr’s career as a lawyer but she also loves to cook and anytime she can get her hands on some fresh produce makes the experience even more enjoyable. When she finds Blackberries grown on Lucy’s farm she’s hooked. It doesn't take before she’s also hooked on Lucy too.
The big question is how to make their relationship work with one in the city and the other firmly entrenched in the country. Simple love story with two very nice women. Good dialogue and nicely paced. Not what I would call a must read but if you find yourself with some free time and don’t want a heavy read this should fit your plans perfectly.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
March 4, 2020
🏳️🌈👩❤👩📚⚢👩🌾👩🍳🍚🍜👩💼👩❤💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received an ARC of « City Kitty and Country Mouse » by Alyssa Linn Palmer from BSB (via NetGalley).
So, here it is !!!
That’s the first time I read one of Alyssa Linn Palmer’s books.
My rating : 2 ⭐️
The story sets in Canada (mostly in the Canadian countryside) and focuses on high-flying lawyer Kitty Kerr & owner of the « Country Mouse Farms » Lucy Shen. The city Kitty and the Country Mouse meet on a farmers’ market. Kitty’s career plans are derailed by Lucy’s luscious blackberries. Kitty can’t get enough of the fruit, or of Lucy …Very soon they’ll embark together in a crazy adventure making Lucy’s dreams of spotlighting her farm’s produce in restaurants a reality… But, even though, they’re seemingly fully committed to the project, Lucy’s still terrified that she and the farm aren’t enough to keep Kitty interested in love and the simpler things in life…
The Pros :
° the cover and its yummy aspect & the IDEA of the novel.
° the Canadian settings …
° having (at least on the age side) mature MCs
° having a WOC as a MC (Lucy is, as she says so herself, « one-quarter white settler and three-quarters Chinese ») ‘cause we definitely need more diversity in this tiny lesfic niche …
° the effort made by the author about the « double first person POV way » the story is told.
° the few touches of humors
° the idea of « making the dreams of spotlighting Lucy’s farm’s produce in restaurants a reality »
° the interesting & original recipe ideas
° good & supportive secondary characters …
° the few interesting vocabulary terms to work on
The Cons :
° Hm, could somebody tell me where’s the real main characters’ development ??? Nope ?? OK .. so we’ve got a problem because in such a case it’s hard (at least to me) to click with the MCs … Yeah, I prefered the secondary characters to the MCs and that’s deeply annoying, don’t you think ???
° in this book all moves TOO FAST : nope, that’s not a romance we’ve got here … from the start that’s pure « insta love / lust » … and, for me, personally, that’s a huge turn off !!! Seriously ??? Having the first intimate encounter in a greenhouse just after having picked up blackberries, there’s nothing romantic in this(and this just a few days after having met for the very first time & when it’s only the third time they see each other – knowning the first two times, it was only for a couple of minutes -- & when it’s not even a date)
° the too numerous highly unhygienic intimate encounters … what’s this bloody habit of the MCs’ to touch and penetrate the other without washing their hands or anythings else after having picked up fruits or vegetables, visited an old building, touched old funiture, etc ?? YUK !!! Everything (and everywhere) seems to lead them to so-called « hot moments » like pairs of wild cats or mice during the rut … Maybe it’s just me, but all this gives the feeling to come more from a X-rated scenario than from a romance … it’s a real shame ‘cause a real romance would have its place in there and make this novel a real hit. FYI, I was tempted to DNF the book several times…
° the paradoxal way the MCs picture their relationship : on one side they’re able to picture themselves in a committed relationship and make some huge plans for the future after just a couple of hours together (before even sleeping properly together for the first time) and on the other side, they seem to try to convince everyone (including themselves) that that’s not « a long term thing » …
° the non labeled « double first person POV way » the story is told. Which obviously messes up, a lot, with the reading flow Inside the same chapter there’s regularly a change of perspective. All the novel long, alternately you have Lucy’s perspective and then Kitty’s. Each time you change, you move forward in the story BUT without the labelling, more often than not, it takes some time to figure out who the narrator is.
° the lack of time markers which makes it really hard to really know how long it’s really been between two events and accentuates the rushed effect of the story.
° the numerous self-pep-talks from both MCs are very tiring … and they give a useless heaviness to the book.
° the bloody 80-85%-mark useless drama, right after the first « I love yous » … Gosh !!! Why on earth do some authors continue to do such a frustrating and stupid thing ?? Do they think it’ll be more « romantic » to reunite the MCs after having them split up and made them suffer …?? Seriously, taking a break is a weird way to prove the other you’re in love with her and, TBH, this is highly tiring and it turns off a lot of readers (me being the first one) !!! When will the authors and publishers who do that acknowledge that fact ???
° a more thorough beta reading / edition work would have been appreciated to take care of the few typos, mistakes, redundancies & lil inconsistencies (in the situations, in the time line, etc ) found here and there in the book.
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Not as much as I wanted to!
- Did I find the characters believable? => Nope !! For that it would have required me being able to really « connect » with them
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Nope !
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope!
- Would I read another book by this author? => I’ll probably give her another try, someday …
- Would I recommend this book => I can’t do that, but I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …
🏳️🌈👩❤👩📚⚢👩🌾👩🍳🍚🍜👩💼👩❤💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received an ARC of « City Kitty and Country Mouse » by Alyssa Linn Palmer from BSB (via NetGalley).
So, here it is !!!
That’s the first time I read one of Alyssa Linn Palmer’s books.
My rating : 2 ⭐️
The story sets in Canada (mostly in the Canadian countryside) and focuses on high-flying lawyer Kitty Kerr & owner of the « Country Mouse Farms » Lucy Shen. The city Kitty and the Country Mouse meet on a farmers’ market. Kitty’s career plans are derailed by Lucy’s luscious blackberries. Kitty can’t get enough of the fruit, or of Lucy …Very soon they’ll embark together in a crazy adventure making Lucy’s dreams of spotlighting her farm’s produce in restaurants a reality… But, even though, they’re seemingly fully committed to the project, Lucy’s still terrified that she and the farm aren’t enough to keep Kitty interested in love and the simpler things in life…
The Pros :
° the cover and its yummy aspect & the IDEA of the novel.
° the Canadian settings …
° having (at least on the age side) mature MCs
° having a WOC as a MC (Lucy is, as she says so herself, « one-quarter white settler and three-quarters Chinese ») ‘cause we definitely need more diversity in this tiny lesfic niche …
° the effort made by the author about the « double first person POV way » the story is told.
° the few touches of humors
° the idea of « making the dreams of spotlighting Lucy’s farm’s produce in restaurants a reality »
° the interesting & original recipe ideas
° good & supportive secondary characters …
° the few interesting vocabulary terms to work on
The Cons :
° Hm, could somebody tell me where’s the real main characters’ development ??? Nope ?? OK .. so we’ve got a problem because in such a case it’s hard (at least to me) to click with the MCs … Yeah, I prefered the secondary characters to the MCs and that’s deeply annoying, don’t you think ???
° in this book all moves TOO FAST : nope, that’s not a romance we’ve got here … from the start that’s pure « insta love / lust » … and, for me, personally, that’s a huge turn off !!! Seriously ??? Having the first intimate encounter in a greenhouse just after having picked up blackberries, there’s nothing romantic in this(and this just a few days after having met for the very first time & when it’s only the third time they see each other – knowning the first two times, it was only for a couple of minutes -- & when it’s not even a date)
° the too numerous highly unhygienic intimate encounters … what’s this bloody habit of the MCs’ to touch and penetrate the other without washing their hands or anythings else after having picked up fruits or vegetables, visited an old building, touched old funiture, etc ?? YUK !!! Everything (and everywhere) seems to lead them to so-called « hot moments » like pairs of wild cats or mice during the rut … Maybe it’s just me, but all this gives the feeling to come more from a X-rated scenario than from a romance … it’s a real shame ‘cause a real romance would have its place in there and make this novel a real hit. FYI, I was tempted to DNF the book several times…
° the paradoxal way the MCs picture their relationship : on one side they’re able to picture themselves in a committed relationship and make some huge plans for the future after just a couple of hours together (before even sleeping properly together for the first time) and on the other side, they seem to try to convince everyone (including themselves) that that’s not « a long term thing » …
° the non labeled « double first person POV way » the story is told. Which obviously messes up, a lot, with the reading flow Inside the same chapter there’s regularly a change of perspective. All the novel long, alternately you have Lucy’s perspective and then Kitty’s. Each time you change, you move forward in the story BUT without the labelling, more often than not, it takes some time to figure out who the narrator is.
° the lack of time markers which makes it really hard to really know how long it’s really been between two events and accentuates the rushed effect of the story.
° the numerous self-pep-talks from both MCs are very tiring … and they give a useless heaviness to the book.
° the bloody 80-85%-mark useless drama, right after the first « I love yous » … Gosh !!! Why on earth do some authors continue to do such a frustrating and stupid thing ?? Do they think it’ll be more « romantic » to reunite the MCs after having them split up and made them suffer …?? Seriously, taking a break is a weird way to prove the other you’re in love with her and, TBH, this is highly tiring and it turns off a lot of readers (me being the first one) !!! When will the authors and publishers who do that acknowledge that fact ???
° a more thorough beta reading / edition work would have been appreciated to take care of the few typos, mistakes, redundancies & lil inconsistencies (in the situations, in the time line, etc ) found here and there in the book.
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Not as much as I wanted to!
- Did I find the characters believable? => Nope !! For that it would have required me being able to really « connect » with them
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Nope !
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope!
- Would I read another book by this author? => I’ll probably give her another try, someday …
- Would I recommend this book => I can’t do that, but I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …
🏳️🌈👩❤👩📚⚢👩🌾👩🍳🍚🍜👩💼👩❤💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
August 24, 2020
First of all I love food and this book definitely has a lot of it. It totally left me hungry for Chinese food. Of course both MC‘s meet because of food. Kitty the lawyer and city girl and Lucy the farmer and country girl. You wouldn’t think there is much they have in common. But not everything is like it seems from the outside. Right from the start there is a connection between them and it isn’t only because of the blackberries. But of course they are the means to an end and the reason they meet up again. From there the relationship develops rather quickly. Maybe a bit too quickly for me. But it’s what they both need. Kitty to realize what she really wants in life and what her real dreams are. And for Lucy to finally find someone that gets her and using her talents even more than she already does. Of course there are some obstacles on their way, but nothing that couldn’t get solved. In the end you definitely need to do what your heart tells you. There were also some great side characters like Alice, Lucy‘s mom and Kitty‘s friend Cindy. It was wonderful to see how she looked out for her friend. The only thing I wish that would have been different is that I would have liked to see more of Kitty‘s parents. Their relationship seemed to be difficult. During the book her parents seemed to make a move towards her, but afterwards it just never came up anymore.
All in all besides all the food that honestly left me starving I especially loved that I got to learn more about the Chinese culture and how it is to live as a Chinese in a western country. And feeling out of place in a big city that was something I definitely could relate to.
I received a copy from the author & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
All in all besides all the food that honestly left me starving I especially loved that I got to learn more about the Chinese culture and how it is to live as a Chinese in a western country. And feeling out of place in a big city that was something I definitely could relate to.
I received a copy from the author & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
December 19, 2022
This has been a really sweet story, which I enjoyed greatly.
It is set in Canada. There is a bit of racial diversity, since one of the protagonists has Chinese ancestry. The two main characters are in their maturity, around their forties. There is a bit of a city/countryside clash since one of the protagonists is a lawyer with aspirations to become a partner of the firm she works for and the other owns a farm where she produces fresh and natural foods that she sells in traditional markets.
But from the first moment they meet, attraction and desire are more powerful than anything else that can separate them.
And another thing that also unites them, is their passion for cooking, so they decide to venture into a food business. Of course, this extra work will cause conflicts especially with the lawyer and that is where the story is complicated with some tense moment and some drama.
The book has enough ingredients to make it a good romance. The two protagonists are nice and you can't stop loving them. The story has a good pace and does not exceed doubts or extra internal scrutiny of its protagonists, with this I mean that there is enough communication between them, which I liked a lot. It has of course hot and passionate scenes, also a favorable point for me. And it is well finished.
All in all, a really good read from my point of view.
An advanced reading copy has been sent to me by the publisher Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for my honest review
It is set in Canada. There is a bit of racial diversity, since one of the protagonists has Chinese ancestry. The two main characters are in their maturity, around their forties. There is a bit of a city/countryside clash since one of the protagonists is a lawyer with aspirations to become a partner of the firm she works for and the other owns a farm where she produces fresh and natural foods that she sells in traditional markets.
But from the first moment they meet, attraction and desire are more powerful than anything else that can separate them.
And another thing that also unites them, is their passion for cooking, so they decide to venture into a food business. Of course, this extra work will cause conflicts especially with the lawyer and that is where the story is complicated with some tense moment and some drama.
The book has enough ingredients to make it a good romance. The two protagonists are nice and you can't stop loving them. The story has a good pace and does not exceed doubts or extra internal scrutiny of its protagonists, with this I mean that there is enough communication between them, which I liked a lot. It has of course hot and passionate scenes, also a favorable point for me. And it is well finished.
All in all, a really good read from my point of view.
An advanced reading copy has been sent to me by the publisher Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for my honest review
February 28, 2020
Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2020/02/...)
Overall Rating: 4.0 stars
Library recommendation: Recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
______________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 1
Love story speed: Insta-attraction; fast burn
Relationship dynamics: The Farmer (h1) and the Big City Lawyer (h2)
Sexual content: Oodles; “on-screen” and explicit
Gender Identity: Cis (h1) / Cis (h2)
Sexual Identity: Lesbian (h1) / Lesbian (h2)
Triggers: Anxiety-inducing work stress levels
Acceptance Rating:Image result for gold starImage result for gold starImage result for gold starImage result for gold star (4.0 stars)
Acceptance Rating Explanation: Some descriptions of parental disapproval of lesbian “phase”
Grammar/Editing: My ARC had a few typos, but nothing major
Review: This is an incredibly fast-paced novel set in Calgary, Alberta and the foothills. There are a lot of very Canadian references which, as a Canadian, I very much enjoyed. The author is clearly a Canadian who knows the area very well. It should be noted that American readers may end up having to look up some references to understand them.
Lucy and Kitty are the main characters of this book. They are both “40-ish” and well established in their careers. Lucy is a farmer of mixed Chinese-settler heritage, and Kitty is a corporate lawyer of full settler heritage. Their story begins with intense attraction and keeps up an intense pace. There is never a doubt for the reader where their relationship is headed, even though they both begin having no idea whether or not they “bat for the same team.” There is very little relationship conflict in this novel, and it is introduced so late in the novel that it feels artificial. The supporting characters are both funny and encouraging. They are well-enough developed to suit the narrative, but not so much that they overtake it. Overall, a quick, satisfying read although, for me, most of the satisfaction is derived from the lovely Canadian feel of the novel.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall Rating: 4.0 stars
Library recommendation: Recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
______________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 1
Love story speed: Insta-attraction; fast burn
Relationship dynamics: The Farmer (h1) and the Big City Lawyer (h2)
Sexual content: Oodles; “on-screen” and explicit
Gender Identity: Cis (h1) / Cis (h2)
Sexual Identity: Lesbian (h1) / Lesbian (h2)
Triggers: Anxiety-inducing work stress levels
Acceptance Rating:Image result for gold starImage result for gold starImage result for gold starImage result for gold star (4.0 stars)
Acceptance Rating Explanation: Some descriptions of parental disapproval of lesbian “phase”
Grammar/Editing: My ARC had a few typos, but nothing major
Review: This is an incredibly fast-paced novel set in Calgary, Alberta and the foothills. There are a lot of very Canadian references which, as a Canadian, I very much enjoyed. The author is clearly a Canadian who knows the area very well. It should be noted that American readers may end up having to look up some references to understand them.
Lucy and Kitty are the main characters of this book. They are both “40-ish” and well established in their careers. Lucy is a farmer of mixed Chinese-settler heritage, and Kitty is a corporate lawyer of full settler heritage. Their story begins with intense attraction and keeps up an intense pace. There is never a doubt for the reader where their relationship is headed, even though they both begin having no idea whether or not they “bat for the same team.” There is very little relationship conflict in this novel, and it is introduced so late in the novel that it feels artificial. The supporting characters are both funny and encouraging. They are well-enough developed to suit the narrative, but not so much that they overtake it. Overall, a quick, satisfying read although, for me, most of the satisfaction is derived from the lovely Canadian feel of the novel.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2023
This was a cute and sweet change of pace. The novel has been on my Kindle for awhile and I needed an easy and pleasant read. Kitty is driven to be successful; she must make partner at her law firm. Lucy is a farmer, but not just a farmer. She runs a produce stand and is a sculptor. Much of the novel revolves around food – growing, selling, and cooking it. I enjoyed the moments on the farm much more than the ones in the city. Palmer handled Kitty’s life deftly, slowly showing her feelings about her work, her life and Lucy. Although one of the two main characters, I didn’t feel like Lucy changed or developed much.
March 15, 2020
This was a cute read, that follows the romantic beats and tropes very well. That's not a criticism by the way, sometimes you just want a feel good read that is comfortable and familiar.
It's a case of opposites attract, with a busy city lawyer type and a chilled country type, both of whom long for something more. Something I did really appreciate was that Lucy was disasporan chinese, and some of her interactions with her mom was so good for me to read as a diasporan asian myself.
All in all, a cosy read for those of us stuck in self-isolation or quarantine.
It's a case of opposites attract, with a busy city lawyer type and a chilled country type, both of whom long for something more. Something I did really appreciate was that Lucy was disasporan chinese, and some of her interactions with her mom was so good for me to read as a diasporan asian myself.
All in all, a cosy read for those of us stuck in self-isolation or quarantine.
September 27, 2020
The book started off ok but then felt very rushed for sex. The first day they spend time together they end up in bed, spend the night and the next day start planning for their future. It felt stereotypical. The pace of their relationship evened out and became more realistic as the book went on. I did like how the story ultimately ended up. I have to say that I was shocked to see a lesbian romance dedicated to a man. Overall it turned out to be a pretty good book.
no-thank-you
June 10, 2020No thanks, because of concerns raised in this review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 24, 2022
What a lovely low angst, sexy story! You'll fall in love with Lucy and Kitty as they fall in love. And of course Michelle (momma) and Alice. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! 5 stars!
March 5, 2020
I've never read anything from this author before, but I enjoyed her writing style and will be looking for other works in the future. The premise of the book and the cover was what drew me into reading it and I wasn't disappointed. This is definitely not a slow burn novel. There is an immediate attraction between the main characters and not long after there is acting on that attraction.
It is an easy read and for a sweet romance, it is a good choice. It is one that I might pick up if I am just looking for a feel good story.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
It is an easy read and for a sweet romance, it is a good choice. It is one that I might pick up if I am just looking for a feel good story.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
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