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Lockset

(University Square #2)

3.85  ·  Rating details ·  34 ratings  ·  27 reviews
After a string of failed relationships, brilliant litigator Eunice Park is determined to stay single. Who needs distractions when you’re trying to make partner at Chicago’s most prestigious law firm? A Sunday afternoon visit from the police is the beginning of a series of events that turn Eun’s life upside down, and she’s forced to return to her hometown and confront her e ...more
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Published October 12th 2020 by NineStar Press
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Average rating 3.85  · 
Rating details
 ·  34 ratings  ·  27 reviews


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Lex Kent
3.50 Stars. This was another good book in Murphy’s new University Square series. While I didn’t like this as much as book one, On the Square, I am pretty hooked on this series already. I like the small town setting and the diverse group of LGBTQ characters. While this is a series, each book stars new characters. Because of that you can start with this book and not have any issues at all for reading out of order.

I thought book one was a lot of fun so I was excited about this read. I was actually
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Jude in the Stars
Oct 08, 2020 rated it really liked it
3.5* – Eun is a mess. Her career is her whole life but is it worth it? Five years ago, she left her father’s house yelling at him after he tried some intervention to stop her from being a lesbian. His sudden death brings Eun back to her hometown and highlights how lonely she really is. When she meets Morgan, the locksmith who took her father’s dog in (not that Eun even knew he had a dog), it’s lust at first sight.

I find instalust in books much more plausible than instalove. And the way Brenda Mu
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Hsinju
Content warnings: death of parent, infidelity (side characters), homophobia, arson, drug addiction, violence, blood

This is book two of Murphy’s new series University Square, and while there are a few recurring characters, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. But book one On the Square (review) has a wonderful storyline with a Blasian butch (focusing on her Chinese roots) that is worth a read.

Eun (은) Park (42, lesbian), an attorney in Chicago, is estranged from her family because of her sex
...more
Leah
Oct 11, 2020 rated it liked it
“Lockset” is a small-town romance with a slight amount of mystery/intrigue. Eun is forced to go back to her hometown to settle the estate of her estranged father after he dies suddenly. Once she’s back she meets the town locksmith, Morgan.
They are attracted to each other on their first meeting and soon fall into a physical relationship. They both know it can’t be serious as Eun is only in town for a short while. As it sometimes happens, feelings start to happen and things become complicated.
I
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MJS
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 2 in Murphy’s University Square series, and it was ok, but I liked book 1 more.

This features Eun, a lawyer returning home to the small town she grew up in after the death of her father, and Morgan, a locksmith who also grew up there. Parts of this were ok, but there were too many elements that didn’t gel for me.

First, gievn that they are the same age and Morgan was only delayed a year in graduation, I didn’t buy that the
...more
Skip
Oct 08, 2020 rated it liked it
I really enjoyed the first book in this series for a number of different reasons, so it pains me to say that this one just didn’t really hit the spot for me.

It has so many great things going for it, number one being the diversity the series brings. I enjoy the fact that Murphy wraps in diversity in a number of different ways and I hope this continues throughout the series and sets examples to others as to how to do this well.

I also like a book that includes a pet heavily so Rudy the dog was a n
...more
Althea
After feeling slightly frustrated by the overshadowing of the plot in On the Square, I enjoyed Lockset a lot more (and it has another butch/femme romance!). Although it is the second book in the series, it can also very easily be read as a standalone, but it does spoil some parts of the first book. Lockset follows Eun, a litigator, who one day receives a phone call from her father that she hasn’t seen for a long time, asking her to come back home to see him. Not soon after the phonecall, Eun rec ...more
Ameliah Faith
Oct 01, 2020 rated it it was amazing
Delicious
Eun is an attorney who spent her life trying to make her father proud (after her mother abandon them) doing almost everything that was expected of her. Coming out didn’t sit well with her father and the last straw was when he invited the pastor and his wife over to pray the gay away over her. She has buried herself in her career, never making time for a partner of her own. Now her father is dead and she has to return to her hometown to deal with the aftermath. Morgan is a locksmith and
...more
Gabriella
Thank you to NetGalley and NineStar Press for the ARC of this book.

This was an enjoyable romance that, for the most part, worked well for me. It was heavier on the erotic scenes than I normally like, but surprisingly, I didn’t really mind. The romance itself was well-developed given that the book was pretty short. (And oh, that cover! Talk about g o r g e o u s !)

Eun was my favorite character; I absolutely loved learning about her life story and her growth throughout the events of the book. I a
...more
Karen
So I really like Brenda Murphy's books. I haven't read all of them, but will eventually make my way through them all. Lockset is the second book in the University Square series. I think at the time I was reading it, I didn't realize that. I did read book 1 and must admit that I enjoyed it more than this one.

Lockset is about Eun Park who returns to her hometown once she receives word her father has died. She is a successful lawyer in Chicago and hasn't been home to see her father is many many ye
...more
bookcaked
Sep 30, 2020 rated it liked it
Thank you to NetGalley and Brenda Murphy for the advanced copy of Lockset. This is a voluntary review.

This erotic lesbian romance wasn’t just a romp in the park. Eun (Eunice) and Morgan face many realistic obstacles while exploring a new, passionate relationship. Grief, family tensions, homophobia, past relationships, and a mystery surrounding Eun’s father blanket the couple as the small town of Sikesville threatens to tear them apart. Yet, it just might be the place to bring them together.

There
...more
Aj Smith
Oct 02, 2020 rated it liked it
Lockset is the second University Square Series book, but if you haven't read "On the Square", this will work on its own. (Though to be honest you really should read On the Square because it's a very enjoyable book!)

Lockset sees us return to Sikesville to meet Morgan, the thoroughly adorable and incredibly sweet, locksmith. As well as being kind and charming she's an animal lover and volunteers at the local shelter because she's awesome. Somehow this woman is single! Eun, our other leading lady i
...more
Karen
Dec 14, 2020 rated it really liked it
I always know I’ll enjoy a book by Brenda Murphy so I was happy to read this. Eun and Morgan are the main characters. Morgan lives in town, but Eun, who grew up there, fled to Chicago after coming out to her disapproving father. She has to return when her dad dies. Besides meeting and being attracted to Morgan, some strange things happen around Eun. Her father’s assistant is almost too helpful, at least in my opinion; the accounts seem odd, and then other things happen. Eun is ambivalent about s ...more
V
Oct 01, 2020 rated it really liked it
Review to follow
Em Lewis
Oct 19, 2020 rated it really liked it
Another good story by Brenda Murphy. Eun is one hot mess and I mean sexy hot but her parents and extended family really did a number on her and not to mention the heartless boss. Morgan, big and butch and so kind and sweet. Then there is Rudy, I want a dog like that. This story had a bit on everything and I glad the 2 MC and dog got there in the end. Also I’d love to go to Ohana’s for a meal, the food sounded yummy,
Ro
Oct 12, 2020 rated it it was amazing
Returning to her hometown after her father‘s death Eun, a lawyer from Chicago, meets Morgan, a local locksmith. They are opposites in many ways, Eun is high strong, and has no time for relationships, and only likes anonymous one night stands, we’re Morgan is warm, calm, and is looking for a long-term relationship as her previous ones have all failed. They are both from different cultures and backgrounds, however when they meet there is intense eye contact that fascinates both women.
As they conn
...more
Veronica of V's Reads
Oct 19, 2020 rated it really liked it
Eunice Park is an out lesbian litigator living in Chicago. She is estranged from both her parents for different reasons. Her father essentially disowned her for being gay, while her mother left when she was young due to a drug habit. She’s startled when her father calls–after 5 years of no contact–and demand she come home to see him. Eun can’t really take off on a whim, but she makes plans to come the following weekend. And, then forgets due to work stress. And, the next call Eun receives from h ...more
Zakarrie C.
Oct 28, 2020 rated it it was amazing
As much as I adored the first book in the series, I may have enjoyed Lockset even more than On The Square. The instant sense of familiarity was a pleasure in itself. As luscious as sinking into a bubble bath scented with my favourite almond blossom. It felt as if I’d never been away…

If I loved the first novel like Haagen Dazs Pralines ‘n’ Cream with hot fudge sauce and nutty sprinkles…warm walnut shortbread and freshly baked bread…this story? Was a litre bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream; lavishly
...more
Domi
Nov 09, 2020 rated it really liked it
This second book in the University Square series returns to Sikesville to focus on two other characters: Eun Park, a lawyer from Chicago who left Sikesville due to an overbearing, homophobic father and Morgan, the local locksmith coming from a loving family. They hit it off when Eun comes back to town after her father dies but after a steamy hookup it is clear they will not match longterm due to different expectations in life.
I loved the fact that we got to know more of Sikesville and it inhabit
...more
AC
Oct 10, 2020 rated it really liked it
Two people who couldn’t be more different—but the attraction is difficult to deny. Murphy creates two exceptional, strong, women characters in her second book of the University Square series. Family dynamics are complicated, and Murphy handles them well here. She gave me some characters that I loved to hate (I know it’s a strong word, but in this context, it is so appropriate) and a couple of twists I didn’t expect.

I enjoy Murphy’s style of writing and the characters she creates. And you cannot
...more
Kim
Oct 13, 2020 rated it it was amazing
Morgan’s doing her best, staying out of relationships. Eun is doing her best, keeping it to one night stand app dates. They meet in sad circumstances and a little guy named Rudy helps bring them together. Over a few bumps and through some very steamy sexy times, these two women find they have a magnetic pull that a lot of people wish they could find. Their chemistry is amazing, but will good loving be enough to keep them together in Sikesville? Brenda has written a story with a bit of everything ...more
Sarah
Sep 29, 2020 rated it really liked it
This is an erotic romance where the two main love interests have to overcome obstacles including death, homophobia, emotional insecurities, distance, job troubles, etc. in order to make their relationship work. The tension is present throughout the novel, which makes for a quick read. I really enjoyed that this book touched on a wide range of diversity. At times, however, I felt like the story overplayed some of the drama by trying to fit too many problems into small space. Other than that, the ...more
RNPride
Nov 12, 2020 rated it it was amazing
This is a sweet story about reclaiming your life and doing what you want, following your heart instead of other people's expectations. It was a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author kept me engaged with the characters and plot twists throughout. This was a beautiful written story with romance, a bit of angst and intrigue plus a few surprises along the way. It was quite hot and steamy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already looked for more stories from this author. ...more
Andi
Oct 11, 2020 rated it liked it
Shelves: arc
Small town, returning home, opposite's attract romance. Second in the University Square series; introduces two new characters.

Eun Park has never done anything for herself, always seeking to make her father proud even as they have cut all ties between them. But her father's sudden death forces Eun to return to her small-town hometown where she meets the down-to-earth Morgan Wright.
...more
Kel
Sep 26, 2020 rated it really liked it
Romance and mystery combined. Heavy on the romance. Eun is a lawyer and Morgan is a locksmith. Together they and the fearless fur baby, Rudy, brave family drama, horrible memories, and small town stares. There are steamy scenes through out the book so be warned. It is a one sitting read.
Mimi
Nov 12, 2020 rated it really liked it
I was looking for emotional and engaging story to read and I found one. Thanks
Best Lesfic Reviews
Nov 05, 2020 rated it really liked it
Eunice (Eun) Park is a litigator in Chicago and has been with the same firm for fifteen years. She is estranged from her father who, in their last meeting five years back, had gathered a group from his church to pray the gay out of her.

Read the full review @https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
...more
Lana
rated it liked it
Jan 24, 2021
Meg
rated it really liked it
Nov 17, 2020
Aimée
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Jan 29, 2021
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Brenda Murphy writes short fiction and novels. She loves tattoos and sideshows and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not swilling gallons of hot tea and writing, she wrangles two kids, two dogs, and one unrepentant parrot. She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in t
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Other books in the series

University Square (2 books)
  • On the Square

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