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On The Record #2
Under Your Skin
ASIN moved from less recent edition
Ice queen Ayers and Iowan girl King are back chasing a crazy story and planning one big fat lesbian wedding in this romance sequel to The Red Files.
What do a stolen food-delivery robot, a woman from the past, and a bizarre scheme to microchip military veterans have in common?
The infamous Caustic Queen, Washington DC bureau chief Catherine Ayers, would love to find out but she has a lot on her plate right now. She and her fiancée, reporter and Iowa girl Lauren King, are busy wedding planning in Lauren’s home town.
That means facing a lot of beefy mechanic brothers, a haughty cat, and a sharp-tongued Meemaw. Catherine’s sure she can play nice with everyone. Well, pretty sure. How hard can it be, anyway?
This twisty romance sequel to The Red Files is about the family we can’t choose, and the one that chooses us.
Ice queen Ayers and Iowan girl King are back chasing a crazy story and planning one big fat lesbian wedding in this romance sequel to The Red Files.
What do a stolen food-delivery robot, a woman from the past, and a bizarre scheme to microchip military veterans have in common?
The infamous Caustic Queen, Washington DC bureau chief Catherine Ayers, would love to find out but she has a lot on her plate right now. She and her fiancée, reporter and Iowa girl Lauren King, are busy wedding planning in Lauren’s home town.
That means facing a lot of beefy mechanic brothers, a haughty cat, and a sharp-tongued Meemaw. Catherine’s sure she can play nice with everyone. Well, pretty sure. How hard can it be, anyway?
This twisty romance sequel to The Red Files is about the family we can’t choose, and the one that chooses us.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2018
123 people are currently reading
1592 people want to read
About the author
Lee Winter
34 books2,966 followersLee Winter is a former award-winning veteran newspaper journalist who has covered courts, crime, news, features and humor writing for almost three decades around Australia. Now a full-time author and part-time editor at Ylva, Lee is also a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Golden Crown Literary Award winner.
Want to get in touch? Email: Leewinterauthor@gmail.com
Want to get in touch? Email: Leewinterauthor@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
May 31, 2018
'Ylva-Publishing ARC provided in exchange for a fair and honest review'
**'Satire is the weapon of the powerless against the powerful..Great dialogue has transparency.Something is being said while something else is being felt..'
Intoxicating second series!
A spectacularly vibrant follow-up,'UNDER YOUR SKIN' takes us from the bustling streets of D.C. to the vast prairie landscape of Iowa and introduce us/readers to Lauren's family,a real spirited and close-knit bunch. From the beginning,their (Lauren & Catherine) relationship is heady,intense and passionate-- then suddenly Catherine is caught dealing with both the Love for Lauren,suspicion of a brother and betrayal of her family plus paranoia of others as she searches for the truth & scandals that she may not want to find -- and is swept into a dangerous game where both (Lauren & Catherine) do eventually get justice. Certainly Ms.Winter pushes her premise to the extreme here,but in the end this series does has it perk with great narrative and will prompt plenty of self-reflections from both leads about their life and future. Not making life easy for herself is Catherine's refusal to support or respect either of her parents because of their past mistreatment of her. And instead for all their viciousness & betrayal,they are gonna bear the brunt of her anger,blame and revenge. Readers are also offered insights into both characters backgrounds,their family and romantic histories,their fears and what bought them together,making this storyline feel very intimate and personal apart from the gripping plot twist. There are multi-layered side stories involving lots of supporting characters that just kept this series moving. It's tempting to spill the beans about many parts of this book as to what's been covered here merely hints at the heart of the full story. But to do so would be to spoil Winter's carefully crafted page-turner. Additionally,she even provides even-handed,thoughtful commentary on the media and its willingness to vilify women/people connected to any news media etc.. Also her ability to tackle such convoluted topics while presenting a lighter,easy read of friendship,family bonding,marriage and betrayal is truly refreshing. Highly recommended to everyone!
**'Satire is the weapon of the powerless against the powerful..Great dialogue has transparency.Something is being said while something else is being felt..'
Intoxicating second series!
A spectacularly vibrant follow-up,'UNDER YOUR SKIN' takes us from the bustling streets of D.C. to the vast prairie landscape of Iowa and introduce us/readers to Lauren's family,a real spirited and close-knit bunch. From the beginning,their (Lauren & Catherine) relationship is heady,intense and passionate-- then suddenly Catherine is caught dealing with both the Love for Lauren,suspicion of a brother and betrayal of her family plus paranoia of others as she searches for the truth & scandals that she may not want to find -- and is swept into a dangerous game where both (Lauren & Catherine) do eventually get justice. Certainly Ms.Winter pushes her premise to the extreme here,but in the end this series does has it perk with great narrative and will prompt plenty of self-reflections from both leads about their life and future. Not making life easy for herself is Catherine's refusal to support or respect either of her parents because of their past mistreatment of her. And instead for all their viciousness & betrayal,they are gonna bear the brunt of her anger,blame and revenge. Readers are also offered insights into both characters backgrounds,their family and romantic histories,their fears and what bought them together,making this storyline feel very intimate and personal apart from the gripping plot twist. There are multi-layered side stories involving lots of supporting characters that just kept this series moving. It's tempting to spill the beans about many parts of this book as to what's been covered here merely hints at the heart of the full story. But to do so would be to spoil Winter's carefully crafted page-turner. Additionally,she even provides even-handed,thoughtful commentary on the media and its willingness to vilify women/people connected to any news media etc.. Also her ability to tackle such convoluted topics while presenting a lighter,easy read of friendship,family bonding,marriage and betrayal is truly refreshing. Highly recommended to everyone!
May 29, 2018
4.5 Stars. An excellent sequel to The Red Files! I’m a Winter fan and really enjoyed her book The Red Files. When I heard there was going to book two, I was really excited. I’m very happy to say I really enjoyed this. I do want to mention that I highly recommend reading The Red Files first. It is really important to know the history of the two mains and how they got together. Also, there were storylines that started in The Red Files that were wrapped up in this book. I just don’t think you would appreciate this book, as much, if you don’t read book one first.
Lauren and Catherine are headed to Iowa. It is finally time for Catherine to meet the rest of the King family and to plan their wedding. When the story of the century drops in their laps, Catherine and Lauren must quickly discover the truth. With an important story in the balance and a visitor from the past, will the wedding still go off without a hitch?
What I really enjoyed about the story was how much more I felt I got to know Catherine. Catherine is the quintessential ice queen. In this book we really get to understand why. I also really appreciate that while she loves Lauren she is still herself. In so many books a character starts out as an ice queen but quickly melts when she falls in love. While Catherine might have thawed a bit for Lauren, Winter kept her character true. It is the combo of soft and hard between Lauren and Catherine that makes them such a great couple.
I also enjoyed that most of this story took place in Iowa. I liked meeting the Kings and watching Catherine having to hold her caustic tongue. This book did a good job of having a mystery for the reporters to solve, but it also showed a great progression in their relationship. The balance was really well done.
This book is actually on the longer side, but I was very happy for it. It felt perfectly complete. Every minor storyline that was started felt finished by the end. Nothing was rushed which I really appreciated; it was very well written.
There is more I would like to talk about, but I feel like anything more could be a spoiler. I want every reader to go into this book not knowing how anything will unfold like I did. It’s too enjoyable of a ride to give anything away.
If you enjoyed The Red Files, absolutely read this. If you are a Winter fan, read this. If you are new to the series, go read The Red Files first and then come back to this. This series is well worth the read. I don’t know if a book three might be planned, but I would absolutely read it.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA, for a honest review.
P.S. I just wanted to mention it looks like the publishers pulled out their big guns for the month of June. Bold Strokes Books has new Brayden and Hunter books coming out. Bella has E.J. Noyes’ newest book and YLVA has this book by Winter. What a great month June is for lesfic!
Lauren and Catherine are headed to Iowa. It is finally time for Catherine to meet the rest of the King family and to plan their wedding. When the story of the century drops in their laps, Catherine and Lauren must quickly discover the truth. With an important story in the balance and a visitor from the past, will the wedding still go off without a hitch?
What I really enjoyed about the story was how much more I felt I got to know Catherine. Catherine is the quintessential ice queen. In this book we really get to understand why. I also really appreciate that while she loves Lauren she is still herself. In so many books a character starts out as an ice queen but quickly melts when she falls in love. While Catherine might have thawed a bit for Lauren, Winter kept her character true. It is the combo of soft and hard between Lauren and Catherine that makes them such a great couple.
I also enjoyed that most of this story took place in Iowa. I liked meeting the Kings and watching Catherine having to hold her caustic tongue. This book did a good job of having a mystery for the reporters to solve, but it also showed a great progression in their relationship. The balance was really well done.
This book is actually on the longer side, but I was very happy for it. It felt perfectly complete. Every minor storyline that was started felt finished by the end. Nothing was rushed which I really appreciated; it was very well written.
There is more I would like to talk about, but I feel like anything more could be a spoiler. I want every reader to go into this book not knowing how anything will unfold like I did. It’s too enjoyable of a ride to give anything away.
If you enjoyed The Red Files, absolutely read this. If you are a Winter fan, read this. If you are new to the series, go read The Red Files first and then come back to this. This series is well worth the read. I don’t know if a book three might be planned, but I would absolutely read it.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA, for a honest review.
P.S. I just wanted to mention it looks like the publishers pulled out their big guns for the month of June. Bold Strokes Books has new Brayden and Hunter books coming out. Bella has E.J. Noyes’ newest book and YLVA has this book by Winter. What a great month June is for lesfic!
June 29, 2018
Overall, I really enjoyed this sequel to "The Red Files".
There were many things to like about this story. I appreciate books that focus on a couple *after* they've gotten together. The story takes place in Iowa which is a first. And, in addition to the romantic plot line, we get a mystery of sorts. It's not a mystery in the traditional sense but investigative journalism going down the rabbit hole to get to the bottom of an issue. The fact that so much of the investigation is topical to real news headlines adds an extra level of suspense.
The book is pretty evenly split between marriage prep, getting to know the families, getting more insight into Catherine's history, and following the investigative journalism thread.
The quality of the writing is strong and the story held my interest for the entire read. I actually thought that the book got better the farther I read. I especially enjoyed the takedown Lauren has of Catherine's ex at the end of the story as well as the drama with Catherine's family.
As for sexual moments, Winter makes them all fade to black until the honeymoon where we're rewarded with a few explicit scenes.
For about the first 30-40% of the story, though, I kept thinking the conversations were odd between Lauren and Catherine where Catherine would explain some part of her life. I took it to be a way for Winter to provide exposition but I was also wondering, "Do these two not talk to each other? They've been together for years and this is only coming out now?" The author kind of explains the reason for this later but that sat with me for awhile making things a tad off kilter.
Still, it's a good, solid read.
4.4 stars.
There were many things to like about this story. I appreciate books that focus on a couple *after* they've gotten together. The story takes place in Iowa which is a first. And, in addition to the romantic plot line, we get a mystery of sorts. It's not a mystery in the traditional sense but investigative journalism going down the rabbit hole to get to the bottom of an issue. The fact that so much of the investigation is topical to real news headlines adds an extra level of suspense.
The book is pretty evenly split between marriage prep, getting to know the families, getting more insight into Catherine's history, and following the investigative journalism thread.
The quality of the writing is strong and the story held my interest for the entire read. I actually thought that the book got better the farther I read. I especially enjoyed the takedown Lauren has of Catherine's ex at the end of the story as well as the drama with Catherine's family.
As for sexual moments, Winter makes them all fade to black until the honeymoon where we're rewarded with a few explicit scenes.
For about the first 30-40% of the story, though, I kept thinking the conversations were odd between Lauren and Catherine where Catherine would explain some part of her life. I took it to be a way for Winter to provide exposition but I was also wondering, "Do these two not talk to each other? They've been together for years and this is only coming out now?" The author kind of explains the reason for this later but that sat with me for awhile making things a tad off kilter.
Still, it's a good, solid read.
4.4 stars.
June 5, 2019
Oh goddamned yes, how satisfying!
Seriously!? What a read! I actually started this months ago but had it stuck at 55%, as I must not have been in the right mood for it because I found that it dragged. In hindsight, I may have been day drinking. But I picked it up again yesterday and started from page 1 and breezed through it in utter contentment in a day, not wanting to put it down. I want to smack myself upside the head for my momentary lapse of sanity, as I know full well the talent that Ms. Winters has.
Oh Catherine and Lauren. What a pair, what a match. They challenge each other in so many ways and are so different that you can't help but root for them. Catherine was her usual cool and aloof self but we get so much more of an explanation of her past that all her quirks made sense. Anytime a character got "under my skin" (Ha!) Ms. Winters would weave a backstory in that fit like a puzzle piece. How satisfying. I found myself gaining more respect and empathy for Catherine after learning more about her past and quite frankly, her trauma. Same with Lauren and her brothers/dad/grandmother, she becomes much more well rounded in this book.
I have read my fair share of fucktards of parents in lesfic, but I'm pretty sure Catherine's parents take the gold medal here. Holy christ on a fireplace, these two are a piece of work. In a perfect world, a part of me was wishing....just hoping, truly.....that Catherine would stand up and recite this to her goddamned devilman of a father (NSFW, swears happen folks...): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHF9O...
Peeps, the intimacy is off the charts in this one. It is slow to start, as c'mon, they are in Lauren's house with aaaallll her family, so they have to be discreet and we don't get a lot of smoke. But come honeymoon time, it's worth the wait people. All. The. Bits. Tingled.
The breaking story that the MCs uncover does have quite a few players in it, but with fresh eyes I did not find it confusing at all. It was interesting and flowed well. And the end is so satisfying! Well done on tying up loose ends, Ms. Winters. I so enjoyed this and now truly believe this author can do not wrong. No pressure or anything.
Seriously!? What a read! I actually started this months ago but had it stuck at 55%, as I must not have been in the right mood for it because I found that it dragged. In hindsight, I may have been day drinking. But I picked it up again yesterday and started from page 1 and breezed through it in utter contentment in a day, not wanting to put it down. I want to smack myself upside the head for my momentary lapse of sanity, as I know full well the talent that Ms. Winters has.
Oh Catherine and Lauren. What a pair, what a match. They challenge each other in so many ways and are so different that you can't help but root for them. Catherine was her usual cool and aloof self but we get so much more of an explanation of her past that all her quirks made sense. Anytime a character got "under my skin" (Ha!) Ms. Winters would weave a backstory in that fit like a puzzle piece. How satisfying. I found myself gaining more respect and empathy for Catherine after learning more about her past and quite frankly, her trauma. Same with Lauren and her brothers/dad/grandmother, she becomes much more well rounded in this book.
I have read my fair share of fucktards of parents in lesfic, but I'm pretty sure Catherine's parents take the gold medal here. Holy christ on a fireplace, these two are a piece of work. In a perfect world, a part of me was wishing....just hoping, truly.....that Catherine would stand up and recite this to her goddamned devilman of a father (NSFW, swears happen folks...): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHF9O...
Peeps, the intimacy is off the charts in this one. It is slow to start, as c'mon, they are in Lauren's house with aaaallll her family, so they have to be discreet and we don't get a lot of smoke. But come honeymoon time, it's worth the wait people. All. The. Bits. Tingled.
The breaking story that the MCs uncover does have quite a few players in it, but with fresh eyes I did not find it confusing at all. It was interesting and flowed well. And the end is so satisfying! Well done on tying up loose ends, Ms. Winters. I so enjoyed this and now truly believe this author can do not wrong. No pressure or anything.
June 6, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
First thing first: yes this is a sequel and yes you need to read the prior book before reading this book here. It feeds off of the prior book and follows the same couple from that prior book. I should mention titles, no? I’m referring to The Red Files
Second thing second: Lee Winter has some massively high overall average rating on Goodreads, *looks*, an impressive 4.42 rating. Most of my friends and those I follow seem to rather enjoy Winter’s books. I’ve read two (now three) books and one short story by this author – and my ratings have generally fallen lower than other people’s ratings for the works (that overall average rating kicks in again – like, I gave ‘The Red Files’ a rating of 4, but I has a rating of 4.49 on Goodreads).
Insert here standard: I like giving authors many chances to ‘connect’ with what I like.
So all that build up is to note: I really really enjoyed this book here. Quite readable. I started it and read it almost in one gulp. And it’s a 332 page book, so that’s a big chunk of pages to wade through quickly.
I’m fairly certain the first book in this series was a solo point of view book, though I might be misremembering – it has been a while and I, stupidly, forgot to put the book on a POV shelf. This specific book here, ‘Under Your Skin’, is a multiple point of view story – following both main characters. 44 year old Catherine Ayers and 34 year old Lauren King. Both reporters.
A good portion of this book involves Lauren and Catherine being in Iowa, meeting the King family, accidentally meting the Ayers family, and planning a wedding. Somewhere along the way various news stories are covered – and eventually a massively huge story begins to be investigated by both women. But let’s not give everything away, eh? Let’s just note I rather liked the family dynamic, the couple dynamic, and the news investigation dynamic on display here.
There’s a specific book that came to mind as I was reading this one here. I’m sure the connection between the two is kind of weak, but there are certain reasons I think of that other book. Or, for that matter, that series. Both it and this series here are duologies. The first book in both have the two people become a couple; and the second book in both series have the couple go to some middle of the USA state to ‘meet the family’. I’m referring here to The Adventures of Decky and Charlie series by R.E. Bradshaw. Specifically to Out on the Panhandle.
There are massive differences between the two series, and the two second books in the series. Certain similarities, though: going to ‘small town’ ‘middle of America’ in a ‘fly-over state’ (Oklahoma vs. Iowa); huge family for someone without much family (if I recall that other series well enough, I might not be, the one meeting the Oklahoma family might have had a largish family to, but I recall there just being, I think, a mother (a crazy mother, but now I’m really stretching my mind to try to remember)) to meet.
There were some interesting dynamics that popped up. Also a few issues I had seemed to have picked up on earlier than the characters, but, eh, that happens.
My fingers are bouncing up and down without touching the keys, as I think of what else to say: read ‘The Red Files’, then read this book. Is good book.
Rating: 5 stars
June 6 2018
First thing first: yes this is a sequel and yes you need to read the prior book before reading this book here. It feeds off of the prior book and follows the same couple from that prior book. I should mention titles, no? I’m referring to The Red Files
Second thing second: Lee Winter has some massively high overall average rating on Goodreads, *looks*, an impressive 4.42 rating. Most of my friends and those I follow seem to rather enjoy Winter’s books. I’ve read two (now three) books and one short story by this author – and my ratings have generally fallen lower than other people’s ratings for the works (that overall average rating kicks in again – like, I gave ‘The Red Files’ a rating of 4, but I has a rating of 4.49 on Goodreads).
Insert here standard: I like giving authors many chances to ‘connect’ with what I like.
So all that build up is to note: I really really enjoyed this book here. Quite readable. I started it and read it almost in one gulp. And it’s a 332 page book, so that’s a big chunk of pages to wade through quickly.
I’m fairly certain the first book in this series was a solo point of view book, though I might be misremembering – it has been a while and I, stupidly, forgot to put the book on a POV shelf. This specific book here, ‘Under Your Skin’, is a multiple point of view story – following both main characters. 44 year old Catherine Ayers and 34 year old Lauren King. Both reporters.
A good portion of this book involves Lauren and Catherine being in Iowa, meeting the King family, accidentally meting the Ayers family, and planning a wedding. Somewhere along the way various news stories are covered – and eventually a massively huge story begins to be investigated by both women. But let’s not give everything away, eh? Let’s just note I rather liked the family dynamic, the couple dynamic, and the news investigation dynamic on display here.
There’s a specific book that came to mind as I was reading this one here. I’m sure the connection between the two is kind of weak, but there are certain reasons I think of that other book. Or, for that matter, that series. Both it and this series here are duologies. The first book in both have the two people become a couple; and the second book in both series have the couple go to some middle of the USA state to ‘meet the family’. I’m referring here to The Adventures of Decky and Charlie series by R.E. Bradshaw. Specifically to Out on the Panhandle.
There are massive differences between the two series, and the two second books in the series. Certain similarities, though: going to ‘small town’ ‘middle of America’ in a ‘fly-over state’ (Oklahoma vs. Iowa); huge family for someone without much family (if I recall that other series well enough, I might not be, the one meeting the Oklahoma family might have had a largish family to, but I recall there just being, I think, a mother (a crazy mother, but now I’m really stretching my mind to try to remember)) to meet.
There were some interesting dynamics that popped up. Also a few issues I had seemed to have picked up on earlier than the characters, but, eh, that happens.
My fingers are bouncing up and down without touching the keys, as I think of what else to say: read ‘The Red Files’, then read this book. Is good book.
Rating: 5 stars
June 6 2018
June 8, 2018
Catherine Ayers is one of those larger than life characters that stay with you long after a book is over, especially if you like strong, caustic ice-queens. If you haven't heard of her, consider picking up the Red Files, where we first meet her and the plucky, idealistic and much younger reporter who de-ices her.
This sequel deals with the aftermath of the last scene where Catherine very publicly outs their relationship as well as resolve her family issues. Also on the plate is the upcoming wedding which the couple have decided to hold in Lauren's hometown of Iowa.
So wedding planning and Iowa feature most prominently throughout the first third of the book, which felt much too fluffy for my liking. Fortunately, things perk up as a seemingly innocuous fluff piece leads to one progressively more sinister revelation after another. Pretty soon we're on to every citizen's worst nightmare (and an investigative reporter's wet dream) :) All of that while juggling last-minute wedding plans and testy family relationships. That's one busy page-turner for you.
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this sequel, thanks to my love for the first book, and my fascination with ice queens. In the latter sense though, I was disappointed. For better or worse, the legendary Catherine Ayers is not the caustic queen she once was. She actually has a filter now. :) More accurately, a lot of the book is about her interactions with family, both hers and Lauren's. So the mental filter is logical. And of course, Lauren has been such an effective defroster.
Fortunately, even minus the ice-queen bits, the book can still be enjoyed on many different levels. Catherine meets her match for instance, with Lauren's Meemaw. The battle of wills and wits is a delight to read. Her conquest of (or more likely, parry) with the haughty Ms Chesterfield is another. Unlikely alliances and treacherous betrayals abound and keep the reader guessing. The mysterious and infamous ex also plays a major part in the book. Best of all, all the loose ends from the previous book are tied up in a tidy bow. A little too neat...but no less satisfying.
Probably the best thing about the book is the lengths the author went through to make the complicated plot about a government/big business conspiracy seem scarily true-to-life. A little fake news here, some scare mongering there, add some shiny little apps and gizmos that make life easier... It's terrifying and sobering how people can be fooled into signing their privacy and maybe even their liberty away, all in the name of convenience.
Another notable aspect about the book: Lesfic often tends to falter when it comes to the techie stuff, either over simplifying details or glossing over them completely, or worse, coming up with unrealistic scenarios. I liked how everything felt real, from the use of techie buzz words to the more arcane hacking stuff. The author knows whereof she speaks. Hats off to that.
So, bottom line, even without my ice-queen fix, I still loved the book for, well, everything else. It's not quite as funny or as angsty as its predecessor, but it still has a lot of heart. There's a lot of food for thought. And the sex? It's still sexy as hell.
4.65 stars
ARC from Ylva
This sequel deals with the aftermath of the last scene where Catherine very publicly outs their relationship as well as resolve her family issues. Also on the plate is the upcoming wedding which the couple have decided to hold in Lauren's hometown of Iowa.
So wedding planning and Iowa feature most prominently throughout the first third of the book, which felt much too fluffy for my liking. Fortunately, things perk up as a seemingly innocuous fluff piece leads to one progressively more sinister revelation after another. Pretty soon we're on to every citizen's worst nightmare (and an investigative reporter's wet dream) :) All of that while juggling last-minute wedding plans and testy family relationships. That's one busy page-turner for you.
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this sequel, thanks to my love for the first book, and my fascination with ice queens. In the latter sense though, I was disappointed. For better or worse, the legendary Catherine Ayers is not the caustic queen she once was. She actually has a filter now. :) More accurately, a lot of the book is about her interactions with family, both hers and Lauren's. So the mental filter is logical. And of course, Lauren has been such an effective defroster.
Fortunately, even minus the ice-queen bits, the book can still be enjoyed on many different levels. Catherine meets her match for instance, with Lauren's Meemaw. The battle of wills and wits is a delight to read. Her conquest of (or more likely, parry) with the haughty Ms Chesterfield is another. Unlikely alliances and treacherous betrayals abound and keep the reader guessing. The mysterious and infamous ex also plays a major part in the book. Best of all, all the loose ends from the previous book are tied up in a tidy bow. A little too neat...but no less satisfying.
Probably the best thing about the book is the lengths the author went through to make the complicated plot about a government/big business conspiracy seem scarily true-to-life. A little fake news here, some scare mongering there, add some shiny little apps and gizmos that make life easier... It's terrifying and sobering how people can be fooled into signing their privacy and maybe even their liberty away, all in the name of convenience.
Another notable aspect about the book: Lesfic often tends to falter when it comes to the techie stuff, either over simplifying details or glossing over them completely, or worse, coming up with unrealistic scenarios. I liked how everything felt real, from the use of techie buzz words to the more arcane hacking stuff. The author knows whereof she speaks. Hats off to that.
So, bottom line, even without my ice-queen fix, I still loved the book for, well, everything else. It's not quite as funny or as angsty as its predecessor, but it still has a lot of heart. There's a lot of food for thought. And the sex? It's still sexy as hell.
4.65 stars
ARC from Ylva
August 4, 2018
It was wonderful seeing the maturing relationship between the scattered Lauren and the always put together Catherine.Both work in Washington but are planning to hold their wedding in Iowa. Of course with these two investigative reporters you know that cake tasting and venue selection will take a back seat to a story they stumble upon in this fly-over state.
It was interesting meeting the families behind the women we fell in love with in The Red Files. Ice Queens don’t merely spring from the ground all confidence and cockiness. Meeting Catherine’s chilly, horrible parents along with her shady, slimy ex makes Catherine an even stronger woman/survivor and kudos to Lauren for seeing past the ice queen persona to the wounded Ms Ayers. Lauren’s brothers, dad and meemaw all combine to add humour and a whole lot of self reflection for both brides.
Loved the parallel of the Orwellian plot our dogged reporters track down with the interactions we see in the story. From the lady staring into the computer of the missing pizza droid, to the Catherine/Lucas and Lauren/Lionel encounters. Thinking about those scenes clarified the urgency you feel at how essential it is for Catherine and Lauren to put their investigations ahead of their wedding plans.
By the end of this brilliant, plot driven novel I had a song going through my brain, an oldy, Lesley Gore’s You Don’t Own me. I admit as a kid I thought she was singing You Don’t Know Me but the chorus still applies. How topical, how we are judged and how intrusive assumptions about the people we are and the impact of what we’ve been through can affect us.
Brilliant. Wonderfully so. On the surface this is the love story we’ve been waiting for. So nice to watch this happy, loving couple plan their wedding, juggle family drama and hunt down a killer story. Dig deeper and you see two strong women who value one another and understand and support each other no matter the external chatter.
ARC received with thanks from publisher for review.
https://latenightlesbianreads.wordpre...
It was interesting meeting the families behind the women we fell in love with in The Red Files. Ice Queens don’t merely spring from the ground all confidence and cockiness. Meeting Catherine’s chilly, horrible parents along with her shady, slimy ex makes Catherine an even stronger woman/survivor and kudos to Lauren for seeing past the ice queen persona to the wounded Ms Ayers. Lauren’s brothers, dad and meemaw all combine to add humour and a whole lot of self reflection for both brides.
Loved the parallel of the Orwellian plot our dogged reporters track down with the interactions we see in the story. From the lady staring into the computer of the missing pizza droid, to the Catherine/Lucas and Lauren/Lionel encounters. Thinking about those scenes clarified the urgency you feel at how essential it is for Catherine and Lauren to put their investigations ahead of their wedding plans.
By the end of this brilliant, plot driven novel I had a song going through my brain, an oldy, Lesley Gore’s You Don’t Own me. I admit as a kid I thought she was singing You Don’t Know Me but the chorus still applies. How topical, how we are judged and how intrusive assumptions about the people we are and the impact of what we’ve been through can affect us.
Brilliant. Wonderfully so. On the surface this is the love story we’ve been waiting for. So nice to watch this happy, loving couple plan their wedding, juggle family drama and hunt down a killer story. Dig deeper and you see two strong women who value one another and understand and support each other no matter the external chatter.
ARC received with thanks from publisher for review.
https://latenightlesbianreads.wordpre...
June 5, 2019
Normally with a book this good I always question why I didn't read it sooner. I won't do that this time. I'm glad I waited because I honestly don't know how I would have handled reading about some of the topics in this book back then. Lee Winter managed to take realism & relevance to a whole other level when she wrote this.
Even now we're constantly bombarded with current news regarding corrupt politicians, greedy corporations, illegal immigration, homophobia and racism (just to name a few). I know this story is fiction but it sure didn't feel that way when reading it. I found myself having to take several breaks because there really are some truly awful people in this book.
Luckily there were also several moments of levity that were a breath of fresh air. Catherine meeting Lauren's grandmother still cracks me up. “I vote Republican. Always have. I love Jesus, gin, and my old double-barrel Browning, in that order ... So how are we going to get along?" How Catherine didn't run away like her tail was on fire after hearing that is beyond me!
Then there's Lauren. Girl! There's only one right answer to the question "why would I want to get dirty and sweaty?" and softball is the wrong answer. Get your priorities straight! Well.. as straight as you can get them. (Yes I know that was a terrible joke but i'm not exactly Wanda Sykes.)
Exceptionally well written, Lee Winter proves once again why she's ahead of the game when it comes to writing about ice queens you can't help but fall for. This is another not to be missed book in the world of lesfic!
Even now we're constantly bombarded with current news regarding corrupt politicians, greedy corporations, illegal immigration, homophobia and racism (just to name a few). I know this story is fiction but it sure didn't feel that way when reading it. I found myself having to take several breaks because there really are some truly awful people in this book.
Luckily there were also several moments of levity that were a breath of fresh air. Catherine meeting Lauren's grandmother still cracks me up. “I vote Republican. Always have. I love Jesus, gin, and my old double-barrel Browning, in that order ... So how are we going to get along?" How Catherine didn't run away like her tail was on fire after hearing that is beyond me!
Then there's Lauren. Girl! There's only one right answer to the question "why would I want to get dirty and sweaty?" and softball is the wrong answer. Get your priorities straight! Well.. as straight as you can get them. (Yes I know that was a terrible joke but i'm not exactly Wanda Sykes.)
Exceptionally well written, Lee Winter proves once again why she's ahead of the game when it comes to writing about ice queens you can't help but fall for. This is another not to be missed book in the world of lesfic!
January 29, 2023
Their private lives.
A reread. This is the second book of the On The Record series. The protagonists, Catherine and Lauren, have been together for about a year and are planning their wedding in Iowa. Unlike the first book that was a mix of both mystery and romance, the couple's relationship take centre stage in this one. Catherine and Lauren are deeply in love and have a sweet, loving and solid relationship but they now face challenges with some of their family members.
I like this book because it focuses a lot more on the couple's private lives compared to the first book. I like that we get to know more about the characters and I like that we get to understand more about Catherine and her past. And of course, with the new ARCs, I was especially interested in Catherine's ex, Michelle Hastings, who appears in this book for a little bit.
A reread. This is the second book of the On The Record series. The protagonists, Catherine and Lauren, have been together for about a year and are planning their wedding in Iowa. Unlike the first book that was a mix of both mystery and romance, the couple's relationship take centre stage in this one. Catherine and Lauren are deeply in love and have a sweet, loving and solid relationship but they now face challenges with some of their family members.
I like this book because it focuses a lot more on the couple's private lives compared to the first book. I like that we get to know more about the characters and I like that we get to understand more about Catherine and her past. And of course, with the new ARCs, I was especially interested in Catherine's ex, Michelle Hastings, who appears in this book for a little bit.
September 16, 2018
ARRRG. Goodreads ate my review before I could save it. Now what did I write so brilliantly?
5 STARS! Now that I remember.
Under Your Skin is the sequel to The Red Files. It is essential that you read The Red Files first. Don't worry, its a 5 Star book about how our two news reporters MC's Catherine Ayers the "Caustic Queen" and Lauren King meet and together they investigate a political intrigue.
In Under Your Skin, they have been together for a year and are about to leave for Iowa so Catherine can meet the King family and to make arrangements for their wedding. They are both anxious about the meeting - how will the Bostonian, caustic, wealthy and a DC Bureau Chief get along with the Kings - consisting of Lauren's Dad, grandmother (MeeMaw) and her 5 younger brothers! Her father and brothers are all mechanics in some form or another. To complicate matters they are investigating a microchipping scheme that involves a clandestine company, a crooked senator and others.
What I really liked about this book is that we do learn why Catherine is the way she is and why she put impenetrable walls that she now only lowers for Lauren. I tell you my heart was breaking whenever she confronted her family.
Winter is able to balance humor, with conspiracies, romance and family drama. I hope Winters writes more with Cat & Lauren.
Note: Before reading the book, I wasn’t that enthralled with the cover, now I think it really does fit well, along with the title.
5 STARS! Now that I remember.
Under Your Skin is the sequel to The Red Files. It is essential that you read The Red Files first. Don't worry, its a 5 Star book about how our two news reporters MC's Catherine Ayers the "Caustic Queen" and Lauren King meet and together they investigate a political intrigue.
In Under Your Skin, they have been together for a year and are about to leave for Iowa so Catherine can meet the King family and to make arrangements for their wedding. They are both anxious about the meeting - how will the Bostonian, caustic, wealthy and a DC Bureau Chief get along with the Kings - consisting of Lauren's Dad, grandmother (MeeMaw) and her 5 younger brothers! Her father and brothers are all mechanics in some form or another. To complicate matters they are investigating a microchipping scheme that involves a clandestine company, a crooked senator and others.
What I really liked about this book is that we do learn why Catherine is the way she is and why she put impenetrable walls that she now only lowers for Lauren. I tell you my heart was breaking whenever she confronted her family.
Winter is able to balance humor, with conspiracies, romance and family drama. I hope Winters writes more with Cat & Lauren.
Note: Before reading the book, I wasn’t that enthralled with the cover, now I think it really does fit well, along with the title.
June 8, 2018
After finishing a Lee Winter book I almost always feel both a wee bit smarter and a wee bit like I missed some IQ points when they were handed out. I love that Winter’s books force me to think about things that are hard to think about even though what I’m reading is, in essence, a romance with some mystery thrown in. The mysteries are always so complex, however, that I wonder how in the world someone’s brain manufactures these things…so, I don’t really feel dumb-dumb, but creatively stunted. I suppose that’s why we leave the writing up to the creative genius of people like Winter while we readers reap the benefits of their ingenuity. The mystery is all a very real possibility in the future (I look at my wrist and shake my head at my Apple Watch), but the way Winter weaves the story to intertwine our protagonists is something else . . . she’s great at making you stop and think about the things you take for granted and give little thought to (oh, how easily we can be swept away by technology and manipulated by it), but also takes you on a journey with two characters that feels really intimate. There’s a mixture of everyday real life and a possible future reality that puts the brain to work.
That said, I friggin’ loved this! I love Catherine, though she’s fallen off the ice-queen wagon a bit. She’s still a hard ass, but in ‘Under Your Skin,’ we get to discover her softer side, how she became who she is, and we get to experience the ferocity with which she loves Lauren. I’m really not sorry that Catherine melted at all…I swooned a few times…and when I thought I couldn’t swoon anymore, I swooned again, but even harder.
There seems little point to get into the whole storyline here. There’s a synopsis and a pretty good background on these two in the first book. I definitely recommend reading ‘The Red Files’ before reading this; both are fantastic and worth every cent and every second. Winter is an amazing and intelligent story teller. Her books aren’t filled with overly gushy sweetness, which I think I need in what I consider a really good book. The grittiness she hands her readers makes a book feel real because life is gritty. Her characters are well drawn and relatable; I always feel like I’ve met them and know them in real life. I don’t know...just incredible and really well done. Recommend without hesitation. 5*
That said, I friggin’ loved this! I love Catherine, though she’s fallen off the ice-queen wagon a bit. She’s still a hard ass, but in ‘Under Your Skin,’ we get to discover her softer side, how she became who she is, and we get to experience the ferocity with which she loves Lauren. I’m really not sorry that Catherine melted at all…I swooned a few times…and when I thought I couldn’t swoon anymore, I swooned again, but even harder.
There seems little point to get into the whole storyline here. There’s a synopsis and a pretty good background on these two in the first book. I definitely recommend reading ‘The Red Files’ before reading this; both are fantastic and worth every cent and every second. Winter is an amazing and intelligent story teller. Her books aren’t filled with overly gushy sweetness, which I think I need in what I consider a really good book. The grittiness she hands her readers makes a book feel real because life is gritty. Her characters are well drawn and relatable; I always feel like I’ve met them and know them in real life. I don’t know...just incredible and really well done. Recommend without hesitation. 5*
November 4, 2021
I enjoyed thoroughly The Red Files, but its sequel Under Your Skin is even greater. It's a pity there is not a third book in this series.
I'm terribly late reading and reviewing these books. Everything has already been said. But I just want to add that the main characters are terrific, and in my opinion, Catherine Ayers is the most awesome ice queen of all time.
I'm terribly late reading and reviewing these books. Everything has already been said. But I just want to add that the main characters are terrific, and in my opinion, Catherine Ayers is the most awesome ice queen of all time.
June 6, 2018
I recently read The Red Files, which was a really good read, in order to read Under Your Skin which turned out to be a superb read. Catherine Ayers, well-bred Bostonian, and Lauren King, country girl from Iowa, have been together a year and are taking leave to plan their wedding in Iowa. But journalists can never quite turn off their desire for a story, especially when the story keeps throwing itself at them.
Lauren and Catherine need to negotiate their own differences, their relationships with their own families and each other’s families. Lauren hasn’t introduced the infamous Caustic Queen to her family yet and she has no idea whether they will like her or not. Catherine’s family is estranged except for her nephew, Tad.
This is the best unpacking of an ice-queen character that I’ve read. She’s more than her cool façade, her perfect breeding, her drive for journalistic excellence and her bitingly sharp tongue. It’s also gratifying that Lauren isn’t lost in the shadows of this type of persona.
The story is complex with interpersonal relationships twisted up in an investigation of political maneuvering and covert dealings as well as divergent personalities trying to put together a wedding they will both like. All of these threads, combined with a whole web minor ones, are woven together to create a phenomenal and totally immersive story.
It’s entertaining, sad, engaging, sexy and heart-stoppingly tense. I highly recommend it but The Red Files should be read first.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Lauren and Catherine need to negotiate their own differences, their relationships with their own families and each other’s families. Lauren hasn’t introduced the infamous Caustic Queen to her family yet and she has no idea whether they will like her or not. Catherine’s family is estranged except for her nephew, Tad.
This is the best unpacking of an ice-queen character that I’ve read. She’s more than her cool façade, her perfect breeding, her drive for journalistic excellence and her bitingly sharp tongue. It’s also gratifying that Lauren isn’t lost in the shadows of this type of persona.
The story is complex with interpersonal relationships twisted up in an investigation of political maneuvering and covert dealings as well as divergent personalities trying to put together a wedding they will both like. All of these threads, combined with a whole web minor ones, are woven together to create a phenomenal and totally immersive story.
It’s entertaining, sad, engaging, sexy and heart-stoppingly tense. I highly recommend it but The Red Files should be read first.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
July 21, 2025
➥ 4.5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
I don't even want to say much other than 'I loved this'. Lee Winter is still rocking the writing thing, and my favourite quotes are still raunchy - what's new? Their wedding made me tear up, what Catherine said was truly so special. Oh and Winter is always adding twists LOL. Love you forever Lauren and Catherine ❤❤❤.
"Look at you trying so hard not to come." Lauren pressed hard, just where Catherine loved it. "But I'm going to make you anyway." She swiped her clit lightly, then pressed against it...
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
I don't even want to say much other than 'I loved this'. Lee Winter is still rocking the writing thing, and my favourite quotes are still raunchy - what's new? Their wedding made me tear up, what Catherine said was truly so special. Oh and Winter is always adding twists LOL. Love you forever Lauren and Catherine ❤❤❤.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
January 27, 2021
This is a sequel to The Red Files. Not a series. A sequel. Same characters and progressing plotlines. So read that one first.
I don't generally do true sequels to romances because I don't want the regression in the relationship that is standard fare in them. I don't like people screwing with my HEA, is what I mean. But since the previous book was as much mystery as it was romance and because the author handled it as well as she did, I took the chance. I'm glad I did.
You know mostly what to expect from the first, so that justification held true. This is a good thing. The plot doesn't appear at first to have anything to do with the first book, but that's the strength of a good writer putting together a mystery. And Winter handled it very well, letting those threads tie together in natural, but still unexpected, ways.
I had some concern when Catherine's ex, Stephanie, showed up as that's an invitation to relationship shenanigans. I'm happy to say they didn't work that way at all and Stephanie turned out to work into the plot and acted only to strengthen the relationship and in the right ways. Plus, I really liked how Winter turned the evil other woman to her purposes, changing it from a cliché to something with some depth to it.
The family dynamics from both leads, and how they played into the relationship between Catherine and Lauren, were another stand-out. It wasn't all hugs and puppies and it wasn't all dire or hijinks, either. Winter does extremely well wrangling a lot of character interactions and giving them all the depth they need. Lauren has lots of brothers who might have become indistinguishable if she weren't careful. But she was and that worked out well, too.
The big-bad, though? Yeah, that was sour. Did we really need to make it I mean, the tech pushed the border of the feasible but not outrageously so. And the libertarian in me loved the underlying theme of individual rights and protecting privacy and preventing both corporate and government abuse of private information. Plus, I loved the explicit expectation that government lists are never as secure as we are assured they will be when those in power want to create them. But the main bad-guy just. Ugh.
So yes, that last drags this down to four stars for being silly because that's deadly in a mystery. It may have worked differently for me if the romance had been forefront. Possibly.
A note about Steamy: There are explicit sex scenes, but I let this go long enough I forget how many. About the middle of my steam tolerance. They felt kind of gratuitous, though, because they were mostly outside of the emotional/intimate arc of the characters.
I don't generally do true sequels to romances because I don't want the regression in the relationship that is standard fare in them. I don't like people screwing with my HEA, is what I mean. But since the previous book was as much mystery as it was romance and because the author handled it as well as she did, I took the chance. I'm glad I did.
You know mostly what to expect from the first, so that justification held true. This is a good thing. The plot doesn't appear at first to have anything to do with the first book, but that's the strength of a good writer putting together a mystery. And Winter handled it very well, letting those threads tie together in natural, but still unexpected, ways.
I had some concern when Catherine's ex, Stephanie, showed up as that's an invitation to relationship shenanigans. I'm happy to say they didn't work that way at all and Stephanie turned out to work into the plot and acted only to strengthen the relationship and in the right ways. Plus, I really liked how Winter turned the evil other woman to her purposes, changing it from a cliché to something with some depth to it.
The family dynamics from both leads, and how they played into the relationship between Catherine and Lauren, were another stand-out. It wasn't all hugs and puppies and it wasn't all dire or hijinks, either. Winter does extremely well wrangling a lot of character interactions and giving them all the depth they need. Lauren has lots of brothers who might have become indistinguishable if she weren't careful. But she was and that worked out well, too.
The big-bad, though? Yeah, that was sour. Did we really need to make it I mean, the tech pushed the border of the feasible but not outrageously so. And the libertarian in me loved the underlying theme of individual rights and protecting privacy and preventing both corporate and government abuse of private information. Plus, I loved the explicit expectation that government lists are never as secure as we are assured they will be when those in power want to create them. But the main bad-guy just. Ugh.
So yes, that last drags this down to four stars for being silly because that's deadly in a mystery. It may have worked differently for me if the romance had been forefront. Possibly.
A note about Steamy: There are explicit sex scenes, but I let this go long enough I forget how many. About the middle of my steam tolerance. They felt kind of gratuitous, though, because they were mostly outside of the emotional/intimate arc of the characters.
September 26, 2018
This book is in my recommended books of the month
https://lezreviewbooks.com/recommende...
Lee Winter's 'On the record' series consists of 'The red files' (book 1), 'Flashbang' (a short story, part 1.5) and the sequel 'Under your skin'. I highly recommend to read them in order. You could do without 'Flashbang' as it's a bonus erotica story based on the series main characters but I still suggest to read it to have a better glimpse of their relationship.
Lauren King and Catherine Ayers are both journalists who met while investigating a news story in 'The red files'. In this book we get a better view of their relationship and even though there is investigative journalism involved, the plot mainly revolves around their personal relationship and with their respective families.
Lauren and Catherine couldn't be any different. Lauren is in her thirties, with a middle class upbringing and a loving - though sometimes overzealous - family. Catherine is in her mid forties, with an absent upper class family. Lauren wears her heart on her sleeve and Catherine is well renowned as the Caustic Queen, distant and sarcastic. This might be the most at odds lesfic couple ever but, boy, how opposites attract.
While 'The red files' was written in third person from the point of view of Lauren to showcase Catherine's distant personality, this novel alternates both characters' perspectives. As we get into Catherine's headspace we start to tie loose knots from the previous book. Catherine is a complex and multi layered character and the author slowly brings her out in a different light, making her more human and realistic. It's interesting to see a sweet, vulnerable side of her and funny to realise that she is also sarcastic in her thoughts. Lauren's extended family is loving, hilarious and each character of the numerous relatives have a distinctive voice. The plot presents them in Lauren's Iowa homeplace which comes to life through the beautiful descriptions of Ms. Winter. All in all, this is a very well written and entertaining series for both intrigue and romance fans.
Overall, another very good book in this series. Hopefully it won't be the last one. 5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
https://lezreviewbooks.com/recommende...
Lee Winter's 'On the record' series consists of 'The red files' (book 1), 'Flashbang' (a short story, part 1.5) and the sequel 'Under your skin'. I highly recommend to read them in order. You could do without 'Flashbang' as it's a bonus erotica story based on the series main characters but I still suggest to read it to have a better glimpse of their relationship.
Lauren King and Catherine Ayers are both journalists who met while investigating a news story in 'The red files'. In this book we get a better view of their relationship and even though there is investigative journalism involved, the plot mainly revolves around their personal relationship and with their respective families.
Lauren and Catherine couldn't be any different. Lauren is in her thirties, with a middle class upbringing and a loving - though sometimes overzealous - family. Catherine is in her mid forties, with an absent upper class family. Lauren wears her heart on her sleeve and Catherine is well renowned as the Caustic Queen, distant and sarcastic. This might be the most at odds lesfic couple ever but, boy, how opposites attract.
While 'The red files' was written in third person from the point of view of Lauren to showcase Catherine's distant personality, this novel alternates both characters' perspectives. As we get into Catherine's headspace we start to tie loose knots from the previous book. Catherine is a complex and multi layered character and the author slowly brings her out in a different light, making her more human and realistic. It's interesting to see a sweet, vulnerable side of her and funny to realise that she is also sarcastic in her thoughts. Lauren's extended family is loving, hilarious and each character of the numerous relatives have a distinctive voice. The plot presents them in Lauren's Iowa homeplace which comes to life through the beautiful descriptions of Ms. Winter. All in all, this is a very well written and entertaining series for both intrigue and romance fans.
Overall, another very good book in this series. Hopefully it won't be the last one. 5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
June 20, 2018
«Under Your Skin» is the sequel to Winter’s exciting novel «The Red Files», and in my opinion, it’s equally good or even better. But to understand this one better, you have to read The Red Files first, it is important to know the story of Lauren and Catherine.
Lauren and Catherine are planning their wedding, and for that they are traveling to Lauren’s Iowan hometown, to meet the whole King family. But they are distracted by a really big news story, which they can’t ignore. So between looking for a venue, menus and wedding clothes, they have to solve this story. A visitor of the past and Catherine’s family are throwing in some obstacles they have to overcome and especially Catherin has to face her past with painful emotions.
It's amazing how the author manages to combine the events of the past, with all the emotional feelings, the current news story and the wedding plans and family meeting, without getting tangled up. We get to know a lot about Catherine and her history with family and her ex, and I could clearly see, why she can be this caustic, and it’s not by accident. And slowly but surely I fell for her too. And the King’s family is a wonderful addition to the story. With them, we get some great insight into the person of Lauren, why she is how she is.
What I enjoyed the most was the dialogues, especially the ones between the two main characters, but also with all the others. They could be witty, caustic or lovingly. And how their relationship was growing more and more, although they also had to fight some fights. Together with them, we learn how the other one is ticking, how they learn to trust each other completely and not to decide for the other one.
Also, the plot of this century news story they’ll bring to light is multi-layered, extremely exciting but is also a little bit frightening. The supporting characters are well defined and some are really bad guys. The twist and turns of the events and the wicked persons involved are thrilling.
This is a fantastic read and a great pleasure. I would be happy to read more about Lauren and Catherine. I hope there will be more of them.
My rating 5 stars
Thanks to Ylva for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lauren and Catherine are planning their wedding, and for that they are traveling to Lauren’s Iowan hometown, to meet the whole King family. But they are distracted by a really big news story, which they can’t ignore. So between looking for a venue, menus and wedding clothes, they have to solve this story. A visitor of the past and Catherine’s family are throwing in some obstacles they have to overcome and especially Catherin has to face her past with painful emotions.
It's amazing how the author manages to combine the events of the past, with all the emotional feelings, the current news story and the wedding plans and family meeting, without getting tangled up. We get to know a lot about Catherine and her history with family and her ex, and I could clearly see, why she can be this caustic, and it’s not by accident. And slowly but surely I fell for her too. And the King’s family is a wonderful addition to the story. With them, we get some great insight into the person of Lauren, why she is how she is.
What I enjoyed the most was the dialogues, especially the ones between the two main characters, but also with all the others. They could be witty, caustic or lovingly. And how their relationship was growing more and more, although they also had to fight some fights. Together with them, we learn how the other one is ticking, how they learn to trust each other completely and not to decide for the other one.
Also, the plot of this century news story they’ll bring to light is multi-layered, extremely exciting but is also a little bit frightening. The supporting characters are well defined and some are really bad guys. The twist and turns of the events and the wicked persons involved are thrilling.
This is a fantastic read and a great pleasure. I would be happy to read more about Lauren and Catherine. I hope there will be more of them.
My rating 5 stars
Thanks to Ylva for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2023
Update January 21, 2023. Winter is a brilliant writer and I think this book is a must before reading The Fixer. Which is the next book I’ll be reading. Doing a Winter I’ve queen binge is amazing
After reading The Red Files this is a must, and don’t read this without reading The Red Files! Lee Winter writes amazing ice queens and Catherine is as cold as they get.
In this book we learn why and we get to know her a little better. Catherine and Lauren travel to Iowa to prepare for their wedding. While in Iowa they get a story thrown in their laps, well sort of. They chase the story and that reveals so much about Catherine.
I appreciate Winter not melting her ice queen, I like her acerbic tongue and her struggle to be nice. Lauren’s family is so cute and maybe a bit overbearing, but it’s all very well done.
Winter is an amazing writer and reading any of her books always makes me escape to a happy reading place where I have trouble putting the book down. I loved this and Catherine holds a special place in my heart, I know there isn’t any other book in this series, but I would read it happily.
After reading The Red Files this is a must, and don’t read this without reading The Red Files! Lee Winter writes amazing ice queens and Catherine is as cold as they get.
In this book we learn why and we get to know her a little better. Catherine and Lauren travel to Iowa to prepare for their wedding. While in Iowa they get a story thrown in their laps, well sort of. They chase the story and that reveals so much about Catherine.
I appreciate Winter not melting her ice queen, I like her acerbic tongue and her struggle to be nice. Lauren’s family is so cute and maybe a bit overbearing, but it’s all very well done.
Winter is an amazing writer and reading any of her books always makes me escape to a happy reading place where I have trouble putting the book down. I loved this and Catherine holds a special place in my heart, I know there isn’t any other book in this series, but I would read it happily.
October 17, 2018
Phenomenal, unputdownable, heart-stopping, a bloody roller coaster ride + more Catherine Ayers and Lauren King. Unavailable on KU/Available on Scribd. Kindle price is USD9.99
Catherine Ayers was the backbone of the story, she handled every issue brilliantly(there were some minor hiccups) she was the perfect example of calm, cool and collected. Her love towards Lauren did not change her, it inspired her to be less frosty and survived the food from the Iowa State Fair. Her brilliant journalism brain was second to none.
It wasn't a good start for Lauren, some ignorant individuals assumed that she was just riding on Catherine's coattails on the SmartPay story and she was afraid that she'd be a one hit wonder. However, Lauren did not keel over. Together with Catherine, she successfully unravel another newsworthy scandal - saved millions of lives, planned a wedding, handled an assholic brother. Her biggest success? Making Catherine fell even more in love with her.
Read The Red Files[unavailable on KU/available on Scribd. Kindle price is USD9.99] first then read Under Your Skin. Lee Winter is undoubtedly one of the best Lesfic author out there.
Catherine Ayers was the backbone of the story, she handled every issue brilliantly(there were some minor hiccups) she was the perfect example of calm, cool and collected. Her love towards Lauren did not change her, it inspired her to be less frosty and survived the food from the Iowa State Fair. Her brilliant journalism brain was second to none.
It wasn't a good start for Lauren, some ignorant individuals assumed that she was just riding on Catherine's coattails on the SmartPay story and she was afraid that she'd be a one hit wonder. However, Lauren did not keel over. Together with Catherine, she successfully unravel another newsworthy scandal - saved millions of lives, planned a wedding, handled an assholic brother. Her biggest success? Making Catherine fell even more in love with her.
Read The Red Files[unavailable on KU/available on Scribd. Kindle price is USD9.99] first then read Under Your Skin. Lee Winter is undoubtedly one of the best Lesfic author out there.
October 16, 2018
Under Your Skin by Lee Winter is the sequel The Red Files. If you loved The Red Files, you are going to go out of your mind for this one. If you have never heard of The Red Files, stop her and go buy both of these. You will thank me because these are two of the very best in the lady-loving romance genre.
This time around Lauren King and the Caustic Queen, Catherine Ayers are residing in DC planning their wedding and looking for the next big scoop. Of course, they are going to stumble on to a monster story, one with all kinds of nooks and crannies to keep you on your toes and breathless with anticipation. The best part though is their other moments when planning a wedding that at times seems doomed all the while out of their element in Lauren's Iowa hometown. It is fabulous to read about Catherine so out of her element in the mid-west.
I loved this book even more than the first one. These two have an amazing banter, witty repertoire and the love just jumps right off the page and melts your heart. This book gives you the feels. I cannot recommend it enough.
This time around Lauren King and the Caustic Queen, Catherine Ayers are residing in DC planning their wedding and looking for the next big scoop. Of course, they are going to stumble on to a monster story, one with all kinds of nooks and crannies to keep you on your toes and breathless with anticipation. The best part though is their other moments when planning a wedding that at times seems doomed all the while out of their element in Lauren's Iowa hometown. It is fabulous to read about Catherine so out of her element in the mid-west.
I loved this book even more than the first one. These two have an amazing banter, witty repertoire and the love just jumps right off the page and melts your heart. This book gives you the feels. I cannot recommend it enough.
September 4, 2023
Review of Kindle edition: I love this book. It easily makes my all-time-favorite shelf. My one regret is that I didn't reread the reviews before starting it. If I had, I would have realized that it was important to reread The Red Files before reading this book. There are several cleverly constructed and wonderfully written moments between Catherine and Lauren that fill-in Catherine's point-of-view on scenes in The Red Files. The mystery was topical and interesting. My favorite part is that we got to spend time with the couple after the initial romance. This book had it all for me. It deserves all the stars, it's simply great.
Review of Audio book:
This book was beautifully voiced by Victoria Mei. I enjoyed the audio book as much, maybe even more than the original. It is one of my all-time-favorite audiobooks.
(I just noticed that it has been 5-years(!!!) almost to the day since I originally read this book. Time flies.)
Review of Audio book:
This book was beautifully voiced by Victoria Mei. I enjoyed the audio book as much, maybe even more than the original. It is one of my all-time-favorite audiobooks.
(I just noticed that it has been 5-years(!!!) almost to the day since I originally read this book. Time flies.)
October 27, 2021
While I didn't enjoy this as much as The Red Files, it's still 5 stars.
I liked how all the loose ends from the first book were tied up, it was fun to see all the threads neatly squared away.
I initially didn't feel like they were ready to get married, especially when Catherine described what she had with Michelle, and Lauren's insecurities, but the wedding was lovely.
I liked the 8 months later too, when Catherine got closure from the whole Michelle thing. I didn't like the ex returning storyline tbh, because I thought, from the description of the two of them together, they had good chemistry, especially after learning it wasn't all a lie. It read almost like a lovers to enemies to lovers again trope.
But yeah, I'm glad Lauren and Catherine got their happy ending. And f*ck Catherine's parents, they were the worst!
I liked how all the loose ends from the first book were tied up, it was fun to see all the threads neatly squared away.
I initially didn't feel like they were ready to get married, especially when Catherine described what she had with Michelle, and Lauren's insecurities, but the wedding was lovely.
I liked the 8 months later too, when Catherine got closure from the whole Michelle thing. I didn't like the ex returning storyline tbh, because I thought, from the description of the two of them together, they had good chemistry, especially after learning it wasn't all a lie. It read almost like a lovers to enemies to lovers again trope.
But yeah, I'm glad Lauren and Catherine got their happy ending. And f*ck Catherine's parents, they were the worst!
October 18, 2018
A great sequel to The Red File. In this sequel, we learnt, on a more intimate level, the characters of our protagonists, Catherine and Lauren. We get more insights as to why Catherine had such an icy/‘cold’ facade. We are introduced to both sides of the family and they are as opposite as you can get! Even the infamous Stephanie make an appearance in this sequel!
Between the 2 books, I actually prefer The Red File. Perhaps I like the chase, the slow build-up to the romance, that feeling that you get at the pit of your stomach or that warm fuzzy feeling that tugged your heart when the 2 leads finally came together.... Well, that’s just me. But still, Under Your Skin is an excellent read!
Now.... I’ll just have to wait and hope there will be a 3rd book 🤔
Between the 2 books, I actually prefer The Red File. Perhaps I like the chase, the slow build-up to the romance, that feeling that you get at the pit of your stomach or that warm fuzzy feeling that tugged your heart when the 2 leads finally came together.... Well, that’s just me. But still, Under Your Skin is an excellent read!
Now.... I’ll just have to wait and hope there will be a 3rd book 🤔
October 7, 2018
I can't put it down. It's a good follow up from Red Files!
January 23, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I’m on a four book Winters read-a-thon. I read and listened to Sliced Ice and enjoyed the accidental meet up in the airport lounge of the 4 villains from 4 different books. And we learn a bit more about villain- Michele Hastings.
Under Your Skin was investigative journalism to the max. Ayers and King go after the bad guys to expose their evil plans. This book also has themes of betrayal and broken families. There is romance but it’s on a deeper level since they are already a couple from The Red Files.
I’m on a four book Winters read-a-thon. I read and listened to Sliced Ice and enjoyed the accidental meet up in the airport lounge of the 4 villains from 4 different books. And we learn a bit more about villain- Michele Hastings.
Under Your Skin was investigative journalism to the max. Ayers and King go after the bad guys to expose their evil plans. This book also has themes of betrayal and broken families. There is romance but it’s on a deeper level since they are already a couple from The Red Files.
June 25, 2021
3.5⭐️ – With Sliced Ice coming out, I realised I’d never read this sequel to The Red Files. I have to admit I didn’t remember much about The Red Files (if you follow my reviews, you’ll know it usually doesn’t have a lot to do with the quality of the book), which made it a bit hard to get into the story. If you’re wondering if that’s my way of saying don’t read Under Your Skin as a standalone, yes, it is.
Under Your Skin begins like a romcom, with Catherine and Lauren planning their wedding in Iowa. Most of the first third is Catherine meeting Lauren’s family and trying to convince them she’s worthy of their sister, daughter and granddaughter while politely not choking on too much fried food.
The plot picks up when Catherine’s ex – the one who ruined her career – comes back into the picture, at the same time as Catherine’s estranged parents. From then on, it’s hidden agendas and low blows while Lauren and Catherine work together again to uncover a conspiracy to erase whatever privacy U.S. citizens still have.
A book by Lee Winter is never a waste of time, even if I didn’t enjoy this one as much as some of her others (Breaking Character, Requiem for Immortals, Hotel Queens). I was also slightly confused by the cover. I love it, it’s beautiful, but it doesn’t fit the tone of the story. It’s not exactly off topic – there is an important tree in Lauren’s life – but it turns the spotlight on what isn’t, in my eyes, the main plot.
Anyhow, this was a nice read and I’m now ready for Sliced Ice.
Under Your Skin begins like a romcom, with Catherine and Lauren planning their wedding in Iowa. Most of the first third is Catherine meeting Lauren’s family and trying to convince them she’s worthy of their sister, daughter and granddaughter while politely not choking on too much fried food.
The plot picks up when Catherine’s ex – the one who ruined her career – comes back into the picture, at the same time as Catherine’s estranged parents. From then on, it’s hidden agendas and low blows while Lauren and Catherine work together again to uncover a conspiracy to erase whatever privacy U.S. citizens still have.
A book by Lee Winter is never a waste of time, even if I didn’t enjoy this one as much as some of her others (Breaking Character, Requiem for Immortals, Hotel Queens). I was also slightly confused by the cover. I love it, it’s beautiful, but it doesn’t fit the tone of the story. It’s not exactly off topic – there is an important tree in Lauren’s life – but it turns the spotlight on what isn’t, in my eyes, the main plot.
Anyhow, this was a nice read and I’m now ready for Sliced Ice.
October 19, 2024
"You are everything to me. Now and always."
This second book in the On The Record series was good! While it featured fewer political and crime elements compared to the first, it made up for it with a dive into the romance between Catherine and Lauren, as well as the family drama that unfolded as they planned their wedding.
Personally, I wasn't fond of the inclusion of
That being said, I still really enjoyed this story. I hope there will be a third book to tie up some loose ends with Catherine's family!
This second book in the On The Record series was good! While it featured fewer political and crime elements compared to the first, it made up for it with a dive into the romance between Catherine and Lauren, as well as the family drama that unfolded as they planned their wedding.
Personally, I wasn't fond of the inclusion of
That being said, I still really enjoyed this story. I hope there will be a third book to tie up some loose ends with Catherine's family!
July 9, 2018
Detailed score:
By itself: 4.25
In combination with The Red Files and Flashbang: 4.75
You definitely should read The Red Files before this one. Even if you’ve read The Red Files before but it’s been awhile, it’s worth doing a re-read before picking up this one.
There is starting to be a little sub-genre within lesfic of slightly longer stories that deal with real world issues in a real way without skimping on the romance. If you’ve enjoyed E.J Noyes’s work you’re definitely going to enjoy this one.
I loved. Absolutely loved that we got to get inside Catherine’s headspace in this one - and got to revisit a couple of key scenes from the first book through her eyes.
As I said in my review about The Red Files, I’m not a fan of crime / mystery books but this one kept the story moving along at least and the mystery sub plot detracted from the romance less than it did in the first book.
I was also pleasantly surprised that the ‘Meemaw’ grandmas character wasn’t too over done. Often I find similar characters - that are meant to be endearingly annoying just plain annoying. While not my favourite character here either, she was at least tolerable.
Kudos to Winter, too, for managing to give the 5 brothers different personalities. That’s a lot of characters to round out.
Overall: taken together, the two books are just delicious. Well plotted. Great pwoar. A nice touch of believable angst, and ice queen ness. Rich in character yet still swoon worthy. Take your hat off Lee Winter - this is a ripper.
By itself: 4.25
In combination with The Red Files and Flashbang: 4.75
You definitely should read The Red Files before this one. Even if you’ve read The Red Files before but it’s been awhile, it’s worth doing a re-read before picking up this one.
There is starting to be a little sub-genre within lesfic of slightly longer stories that deal with real world issues in a real way without skimping on the romance. If you’ve enjoyed E.J Noyes’s work you’re definitely going to enjoy this one.
I loved. Absolutely loved that we got to get inside Catherine’s headspace in this one - and got to revisit a couple of key scenes from the first book through her eyes.
As I said in my review about The Red Files, I’m not a fan of crime / mystery books but this one kept the story moving along at least and the mystery sub plot detracted from the romance less than it did in the first book.
I was also pleasantly surprised that the ‘Meemaw’ grandmas character wasn’t too over done. Often I find similar characters - that are meant to be endearingly annoying just plain annoying. While not my favourite character here either, she was at least tolerable.
Kudos to Winter, too, for managing to give the 5 brothers different personalities. That’s a lot of characters to round out.
Overall: taken together, the two books are just delicious. Well plotted. Great pwoar. A nice touch of believable angst, and ice queen ness. Rich in character yet still swoon worthy. Take your hat off Lee Winter - this is a ripper.
June 27, 2018
This goes straight to my faves again.
I miss Lauren King and Catherine Ayers. Actually, I kind of hesitated to read this now because my head’s all over the place lately and I’m afraid that I couldn’t connect with the characters but I’ve been looking forward to this, so..
Gladly, Lee Winters didn’t disappoint.
I’m happy to read about their relationship. No pushing and pulling like the first one.
I love Catherine Ayers! I got to see the soft side of her.
I’m really sad for all the things she’s been through. For how her family treated her. Savage.
With Lauren, I also feel bad for her. I do understand her insecurities.
Lauren’s got a gay brother, Can you guess who? I didn’t see that coming. 😂
Book 3, please?
I miss Lauren King and Catherine Ayers. Actually, I kind of hesitated to read this now because my head’s all over the place lately and I’m afraid that I couldn’t connect with the characters but I’ve been looking forward to this, so..
Gladly, Lee Winters didn’t disappoint.
I’m happy to read about their relationship. No pushing and pulling like the first one.
I love Catherine Ayers! I got to see the soft side of her.
I’m really sad for all the things she’s been through. For how her family treated her. Savage.
With Lauren, I also feel bad for her. I do understand her insecurities.
Lauren’s got a gay brother, Can you guess who? I didn’t see that coming. 😂
Book 3, please?
June 30, 2018
Hands down, this is one of my very favourite books this year. I love it just as much as I loved The Red Files, and I’m thrilled that it’s an even better book. If you haven’t read anything by Lee Winter before, this would be an okay place to start, but you really have to read The Red Files and then Under Your Skin because they are on my friendship litmus test list now. I will be rereading these over and over and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/unde...
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/unde...
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