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The Second Wave
Alice never imagined that meeting co-worker Leslie would lead to an all-consuming love affair. But even in the anything-goes 1970s, feminist attitudes and the sexual revolution can’t change the fact that Leslie is a traditional married mom of two who won’t chance losing her children to follow her heart and divorce her husband. Their year of risk, passion, and heartache takes its toll on both women. Tired of only receiving crumbs from Leslie, Alice makes the toughest choice of her life and moves on.
Although their affair is short-lived, their desire to be together never dies. Nearly forty years later, Alice returns to Connecticut after learning Leslie has suffered a stroke. She soon realizes that time and distance haven’t doused the fire for Leslie that’s always burned in her heart. But is it too late to pick up where they left off?
Although their affair is short-lived, their desire to be together never dies. Nearly forty years later, Alice returns to Connecticut after learning Leslie has suffered a stroke. She soon realizes that time and distance haven’t doused the fire for Leslie that’s always burned in her heart. But is it too late to pick up where they left off?
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2016
4 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Jean Copeland
16 books47 followersJean Copeland is a writer and English/language arts teacher at an alternative high school in Connecticut. Taking a chance on a second career in her thirties, Jean graduated summa cum laude from Southern Connecticut State University with a BS in English education and an MS in English/creative writing. She has published numerous short fiction and essays online and in print anthologies. In addition to the thrill of watching her students discover their talents in creative writing and poetry, she enjoys the escape of writing, summer decompression by the shore, and good wine and conversation with friends. Organ donation and shelter animal adoption are causes dear to her heart. The Revelation of Beatrice Darby is Jean’s debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 17 reviews
September 25, 2016
2 1/2 Stars. I had a tough time with this book. There was times it was so slow, that I wanted to give up. I did keep reading, and some parts did get better. But overall I still struggled with it.
I do not remember reading a Lesfic book where the two mains were in their 70's. I was interested in how Copeland would accomplish this. Unfortunately, it felt a little flat. I did not feel like I was reading about women in their 70's. They could have been 50's, maybe even in their 40's, and I don't think Copeland would have had to change anything.
Another issue I had was with the flashbacks. I think flashbacks can be important to understand why a person is the way they are. But at least half of this book was in flashbacks. And when you know the characters have been apart for 40 years, it makes the flashbacks obvious. You know something bad is going to happen, why am I putting myself through this depression.
My final issue was with the overall chemistry. We know from the book blurb, that the mains break up, but never forget their love. So I expected a pretty major love story. I just didn't feel like I got it. I didn't feel that all consuming chemistry, that makes a person ache to be apart. We are told that happens, but you don't feel it.
I do want to say that I think Copeland has talent as a writer. And I think she had an interesting idea of two people reconnecting after 40 years. It just personally did not work for me. And because I did see some good writing, in this book, I will give her another chance to win me over.
An ARC was given to me from Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.
I do not remember reading a Lesfic book where the two mains were in their 70's. I was interested in how Copeland would accomplish this. Unfortunately, it felt a little flat. I did not feel like I was reading about women in their 70's. They could have been 50's, maybe even in their 40's, and I don't think Copeland would have had to change anything.
Another issue I had was with the flashbacks. I think flashbacks can be important to understand why a person is the way they are. But at least half of this book was in flashbacks. And when you know the characters have been apart for 40 years, it makes the flashbacks obvious. You know something bad is going to happen, why am I putting myself through this depression.
My final issue was with the overall chemistry. We know from the book blurb, that the mains break up, but never forget their love. So I expected a pretty major love story. I just didn't feel like I got it. I didn't feel that all consuming chemistry, that makes a person ache to be apart. We are told that happens, but you don't feel it.
I do want to say that I think Copeland has talent as a writer. And I think she had an interesting idea of two people reconnecting after 40 years. It just personally did not work for me. And because I did see some good writing, in this book, I will give her another chance to win me over.
An ARC was given to me from Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.
September 7, 2016
***Book provided by Net Galley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review***
If there is one term that describes this book is frustrating. This story is about a couple in their late sixties that has the opportunity to rekindle its long lost romance. I had never read a love story where its main characters were that old, so I was very intrigued to see how they would react to their feelings and how their story would develop.
Unfortunately, most part of the book is centered on the past. Through a series of flashbacks, the author explains how they fall in love in the first place, which I don't mind because I think that it is important to know the past, in order to be able to understand where both characters come from, and where do they stand today when they reunite 40 years after their breakup. However, when the author got stuck on revisiting again and again the pain of the breakup, through multiple chapters, I started to loose interest.
But the real shock came at the end when, after several chapters of a never ending breakup, the author wraps up the rekindling story in one single chapter (the last one) and basically in one single and very short conversation. I was expecting that moment, for so long, that I felt utterly disappointed and frustrated with what was offered.
If there is one term that describes this book is frustrating. This story is about a couple in their late sixties that has the opportunity to rekindle its long lost romance. I had never read a love story where its main characters were that old, so I was very intrigued to see how they would react to their feelings and how their story would develop.
Unfortunately, most part of the book is centered on the past. Through a series of flashbacks, the author explains how they fall in love in the first place, which I don't mind because I think that it is important to know the past, in order to be able to understand where both characters come from, and where do they stand today when they reunite 40 years after their breakup. However, when the author got stuck on revisiting again and again the pain of the breakup, through multiple chapters, I started to loose interest.
But the real shock came at the end when, after several chapters of a never ending breakup, the author wraps up the rekindling story in one single chapter (the last one) and basically in one single and very short conversation. I was expecting that moment, for so long, that I felt utterly disappointed and frustrated with what was offered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2017
So many feels with this one. :) Loved all the 70s flashbacks. The story alternates back and forth in the past and present in a way that made me think of Fried Green Tomatoes. (Another great book.) This book is filled with love, angst, hurt, and hope. It's a fairly quick read with some engaging characters. The only thing keeping it from being a 5 star read (to me) was the ending felt a little abrupt. There was a lot of buildup and I wanted just a little more, maybe one more chapter to even things up a bit.
Netgalley ARC received for an unbiased review.
Netgalley ARC received for an unbiased review.
September 28, 2016
The Seventies were an interesting time to be alive and for some of us of a certain age, a liberating time of sexual freedom and exploration. Women were joining the workforce at an unprecedented rate thanks to the feminist movement of the Sixties. No longer were women accepting the post-war Father Knows Best ideals of a woman’s place (in the home) or their rights under the laws of the time. While many of us were eager to embrace new freedoms, many were held captive by long held traditions of the nuclear family.
The blurb for The Second Wave sets up this story of longing and heartache and dreams left unrealized. Through a series of flashbacks we see how Alice and Leslie meet in the workplace and how their mutual attraction brings new discoveries for both women. Alice discovers her own sexual orientation for the first time when her friendship with Leslie at work develops into attraction leading to love and a torrid affair. Leslie has accepted her life as wife and mother joining the workforce to give her and Bill and the kids some extra cash for holidays. Her attraction to Alice is something new and intimidating to Leslie. She struggles with the knowledge that her love for Alice might mean the end to her life with her children. Call it The Price of Salt decision and one she is unwilling to make.
The flashback to the Seventies scenes were entertaining to this child of that era. I laughed at the references to lava lamps and “sitting in knee high red shag carpets”. I remembered less fondly the office sexual harassment and entitlement held by male coworkers of this less than enlightened era. All painted an accurate picture of a time and period which was full of hope yet slow to improve the lives of women wishing for more independence.
The problem with too many flashbacks (and this novel might well have been set in the past and not the present for all the time spent in italics) is that we see Alice get increasingly frustrated at Leslie’s unwillingness to change her marital situation. This frustration carries through to the present time period and made it difficult to like Alice. Her actions in the present felt childish and immature. It’s too bad because that spoiled what could have been a memorable romance.
I may not agree with the layout of this novel or the extended sad panda that is Alice but I enjoyed the walk down memory lane and recognition of how far we have come as a society thanks to the outspoken women who dared to challenge the status quo.
As for the fight for Women’s Liberation? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that the pioneers of the feminist movement brought much needed change to a society trapped in the past? This quote by Hillary Clinton from the first 2016 presidential debate shows how the battle for equality continues fifty years after Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique;
“We also have to make the economy fairer. That starts with raising the national minimum wage and also guarantee, finally, equal pay for women’s work.”
Good luck with that, Hillary.
3.5 stars.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
The blurb for The Second Wave sets up this story of longing and heartache and dreams left unrealized. Through a series of flashbacks we see how Alice and Leslie meet in the workplace and how their mutual attraction brings new discoveries for both women. Alice discovers her own sexual orientation for the first time when her friendship with Leslie at work develops into attraction leading to love and a torrid affair. Leslie has accepted her life as wife and mother joining the workforce to give her and Bill and the kids some extra cash for holidays. Her attraction to Alice is something new and intimidating to Leslie. She struggles with the knowledge that her love for Alice might mean the end to her life with her children. Call it The Price of Salt decision and one she is unwilling to make.
The flashback to the Seventies scenes were entertaining to this child of that era. I laughed at the references to lava lamps and “sitting in knee high red shag carpets”. I remembered less fondly the office sexual harassment and entitlement held by male coworkers of this less than enlightened era. All painted an accurate picture of a time and period which was full of hope yet slow to improve the lives of women wishing for more independence.
The problem with too many flashbacks (and this novel might well have been set in the past and not the present for all the time spent in italics) is that we see Alice get increasingly frustrated at Leslie’s unwillingness to change her marital situation. This frustration carries through to the present time period and made it difficult to like Alice. Her actions in the present felt childish and immature. It’s too bad because that spoiled what could have been a memorable romance.
I may not agree with the layout of this novel or the extended sad panda that is Alice but I enjoyed the walk down memory lane and recognition of how far we have come as a society thanks to the outspoken women who dared to challenge the status quo.
As for the fight for Women’s Liberation? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that the pioneers of the feminist movement brought much needed change to a society trapped in the past? This quote by Hillary Clinton from the first 2016 presidential debate shows how the battle for equality continues fifty years after Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique;
“We also have to make the economy fairer. That starts with raising the national minimum wage and also guarantee, finally, equal pay for women’s work.”
Good luck with that, Hillary.
3.5 stars.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
November 8, 2016
What a beautiful story of torture and love. Alice and Leslie are best friend and co-workers but when Alice discovers she has feelings for Leslie, she doesn’t understand them. As her feeling grow, Leslie begins to reciprocate these feelings. They start a torrid affair and fall madly in love, hiding it from everyone especially Leslie’s Husband, Bill. Unfortunately, Leslie can’t leave her husband and children and Alice wants them to be together without sneaking around. The book then picks up forty years later and tells the story of where these women are now and how when you fall for your one great love, you never stop falling…
The story jumps between past and present and is told from Alice’s POV. I was way too invested in this novel and I could feel my chest constrict every time Alice pleaded with Leslie to choose her instead of staying with her husband. I got so angry when Alice had the opportunity of a second chance when Leslie shows up in Boston but she’s so hurt and can’t see anything changing. I’ve only been a mum for a year and a half but I totally understood where Leslie was coming from in relation to the possibility of loosing her kids.
I think the only negative the book has is that I personally would have liked to read Leslies POV. I think there were a few times that, if Leslies thoughts where in play, the reader would understand her feelings for Alice better. This is very minor because the story flowed really well and Leslie’s nature was to be open and honest with Alice, so there wasn’t much guessing.
I loved the novel and like how the story went from past to present to explain how Alice was so unsure of her life in both eras because of her love for Leslie.
I’ll definitely be tracking down another Jean Copeland novel and starting it soon.
4.5 Stars
The story jumps between past and present and is told from Alice’s POV. I was way too invested in this novel and I could feel my chest constrict every time Alice pleaded with Leslie to choose her instead of staying with her husband. I got so angry when Alice had the opportunity of a second chance when Leslie shows up in Boston but she’s so hurt and can’t see anything changing. I’ve only been a mum for a year and a half but I totally understood where Leslie was coming from in relation to the possibility of loosing her kids.
I think the only negative the book has is that I personally would have liked to read Leslies POV. I think there were a few times that, if Leslies thoughts where in play, the reader would understand her feelings for Alice better. This is very minor because the story flowed really well and Leslie’s nature was to be open and honest with Alice, so there wasn’t much guessing.
I loved the novel and like how the story went from past to present to explain how Alice was so unsure of her life in both eras because of her love for Leslie.
I’ll definitely be tracking down another Jean Copeland novel and starting it soon.
4.5 Stars
July 4, 2017
You know you are getting old when you classify a book that takes place during your lifetime as historical fiction. The seventies scenes brought back my childhood. Copeland captured the time.
December 4, 2017
2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Second Wave Jean Copeland
1) Even though this book was pretty heartbreaking at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters felt so real and I just couldn't stop reading. This is one of those books that will stay with me a long time. Also the writing was excellent. I can't wait to read more by this author.
2) I liked this story a lot. The setting stood out in a bright away and helped me connect with the story and its protagonists. The writing style was really good. The two things that probably need a bit more work are plot, because sometimes it is too predictable; and characters development; because the story progress in a way that don't let them breath enough.
1) Even though this book was pretty heartbreaking at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters felt so real and I just couldn't stop reading. This is one of those books that will stay with me a long time. Also the writing was excellent. I can't wait to read more by this author.
2) I liked this story a lot. The setting stood out in a bright away and helped me connect with the story and its protagonists. The writing style was really good. The two things that probably need a bit more work are plot, because sometimes it is too predictable; and characters development; because the story progress in a way that don't let them breath enough.
September 16, 2016
Jean Copeland has written a beautiful, heart-wrenching love story that flits between the 1970s and present day. Leslie and Alice became friends at work but over time they became so much more to each other. Alice, a divorcee, introduces housewife and mother Leslie to her feminist crochet club and to a different kind of love. What starts as an education into the new feminist thinking of the 70s becomes for Leslie the most important relationship of her life and one she can’t ever forget, however hard she tries. When Leslie has a stroke at the age of 69, her daughter contacts her old friend Alice as that is the only word Leslie keeps repeating in her unconscious state. As Alice remembers their affair, we find out exactly how much they loved each other, but also how difficult it was to be in a lesbian relationship back then. Women had to put up with lecherous men refusing to believe that a woman might legitimately not be attracted to them! The big worry for Leslie though was the fact that she might lose her kids if anyone found out about them. I loved the way the author let us see how all-consuming the relationship had been and then the affect it still had on them in the present day. This is an emotional story with great characters and a poignant insight into the lives of women in the recent past. Highly recommended.
I was given this ARC free by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.
I was given this ARC free by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.
June 10, 2019
This was another one that just fell flat for me. I think the switches in time (from the 70s to the present day) just didn't work for me. It's not something that's bothered me before, but in this book it seemed to severely slow the pace. I want to read good romance that features older characters so I hope that this author will give it another go!
**ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review...***
**ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review...***
January 23, 2020
Alice Burton and Leslie O'Mara met in the 1970s when Leslie started working at the company where Alice worked.
This story takes place over several decades, from the 1970s to the present time. Alice and Leslie meet at work and although neither of them had experience with emotionally and sexually loving another woman, they became attracted to each other. Alice was divorced and Leslie was married to her husband, Bill. They took a lot of chances to be together. Back then, their love wasn't really accepted in suburbia.
For forty years, Alice's and Leslie's lives have been a syncopation, coming together and coming apart, only to repeat time and time again. It's because Leslie is married and then because she can't risk losing her kids. Finally, Alice moves away, only to be called back to New Haven when Leslie has a stroke. Seeing each other after 25+ years opens old wounds, but it also opens their hearts again. Time changes some things but it doesn't change hearts that are true.
What a great, flawless book by a talented author!
Some of the references from the 1970s brought that era back to me. Among them:
Fondue
L'eggs panty hose
Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt
Studio 54
Many 1970s feminism references
Lots of musk and patchouli
This story takes place over several decades, from the 1970s to the present time. Alice and Leslie meet at work and although neither of them had experience with emotionally and sexually loving another woman, they became attracted to each other. Alice was divorced and Leslie was married to her husband, Bill. They took a lot of chances to be together. Back then, their love wasn't really accepted in suburbia.
For forty years, Alice's and Leslie's lives have been a syncopation, coming together and coming apart, only to repeat time and time again. It's because Leslie is married and then because she can't risk losing her kids. Finally, Alice moves away, only to be called back to New Haven when Leslie has a stroke. Seeing each other after 25+ years opens old wounds, but it also opens their hearts again. Time changes some things but it doesn't change hearts that are true.
What a great, flawless book by a talented author!
Some of the references from the 1970s brought that era back to me. Among them:
Fondue
L'eggs panty hose
Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt
Studio 54
Many 1970s feminism references
Lots of musk and patchouli
September 27, 2019
I did NOT like the ending. It could have been so much more but it wasn't. Not even a reunion sex scene which would have been nice regardless of their ages. All that happened was a good night kiss and then out the door. The way this author wrote the last chapter the two women should have just shaken hands. To make some kind of amends to make this reader happy perhaps there should be a ROMANTIC sequel. Ms. Copeland meant well but there's so much more she needs to learn if she is going to write about lesbian romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2025
You've written my story.
If I were to write a book this story resonates with me. I was involved with a married woman and the dialogue between Alice and Leslie was exactly what was said in my life. I'm Alice and the depth of her emotions sent me on a retrograde look at what happened with me. My ending is now only friends with my married woman. I'm glad you reunited them in the end. Thank you for this book even though it raised so many feelings.
If I were to write a book this story resonates with me. I was involved with a married woman and the dialogue between Alice and Leslie was exactly what was said in my life. I'm Alice and the depth of her emotions sent me on a retrograde look at what happened with me. My ending is now only friends with my married woman. I'm glad you reunited them in the end. Thank you for this book even though it raised so many feelings.
August 15, 2020
A wonderful story of second chances and friendship between women in the sixties through current days. Alice had no idea that a new trainee in the typing pool would open her eyes to a new awakening. Serving love, separation and decades apart, can two old friends find forgiveness and healing? Recently.
September 20, 2016
The Good:
FEMINIST LESBIANS!
Now that I have your attention, I can tell you that there certainly were good points to this book. The subject matter was a real strong point - most LBGT literature features teenagers scared of coming out, experiencing their first loves and understanding prejudice for the first time. Instead this story features two grown up women; women who are not merely driven by hormones, and who stand to lose so much over their affair. They meet again when both women are in their seventies, and this was a charming, relevant inclusion. When was the last time an LBGT book touched on the older generation? Issues of sexuality aren't just confined to teenagers and young adults - they're just a whole lot louder about it.
This novel was set in the 1970s , which is a decade I'm not too familiar with on the whole. My historical literature leanings err towards anything during or before the second world war, and so it was fascinating to explore a previously unknown period in time. The author decided to sprinkle the narrative with seventies slang, and the issues facing women during that decade were handled with great care. I do feel like I'm coming out of this book knowing more about what it must have been like to be a woman in the seventies - to juggle work, home life and gender inequality.
The bad:
This book was SLOW. Like, really slow. Like a snail on top of a tortoise who just smoked a joint and took a horse tranquilliser slow. At 30% of the way through, I was idly enjoying myself, but I found myself wondering exactly WHY I was still reading. Very little had actually happened by this point, and if I hadn't been sitting on a crowded bus with nothing else to do, I probably would have abandoned this book. I'm not a patient reader. This is perhaps my issue, rather than the author's, but I like books to get to the point. Tell me a story, keep me hooked. I only have so much time in my life to devote to a book -please don't make it a chore for me to keep reading.
I also have to point out that men were basically absent from this book. I get that at its heart its a tale of women, feminism and lesbianism, but that doesn't mean that men need to be relegated to the 'kind of shit husband' category. All we really learn about one of the main character's husbands is that he wants her to give up her job because he earns more and she needs to take care of the children. This is of course used as a catalyst for the character's resulting actions, but it would have been nice to have more than a paper cut out of a man in the background. Not every man sucked in the seventies, people.
The ugly:
Finally, this book committed an unforgivable act in my eyes: the main characters had absolutely no chemistry. At first I was so excited to hear about their grand love affair, but it turned out to be so lacklustre. Sure, these women fell in love - but WHY? They seem to have very little in common, neither of them have greatly exciting personalities, and the romantic scenes between them had all the heat of a damp flannel. I LOVE love stories. I'm a bitter, angry human being, but I'm a sucker for romance. I want to swoon along with the characters; I want to be swept up in a whirlwind of wanting, needing and having. To be honest, I didn't really understand what made the main characters want to be together at all. If I had so little sexual chemistry with my husband, we'd be roommates, not lovers.
See more reviews like this at https://rantybooks.wordpress.com/
FEMINIST LESBIANS!
Now that I have your attention, I can tell you that there certainly were good points to this book. The subject matter was a real strong point - most LBGT literature features teenagers scared of coming out, experiencing their first loves and understanding prejudice for the first time. Instead this story features two grown up women; women who are not merely driven by hormones, and who stand to lose so much over their affair. They meet again when both women are in their seventies, and this was a charming, relevant inclusion. When was the last time an LBGT book touched on the older generation? Issues of sexuality aren't just confined to teenagers and young adults - they're just a whole lot louder about it.
This novel was set in the 1970s , which is a decade I'm not too familiar with on the whole. My historical literature leanings err towards anything during or before the second world war, and so it was fascinating to explore a previously unknown period in time. The author decided to sprinkle the narrative with seventies slang, and the issues facing women during that decade were handled with great care. I do feel like I'm coming out of this book knowing more about what it must have been like to be a woman in the seventies - to juggle work, home life and gender inequality.
The bad:
This book was SLOW. Like, really slow. Like a snail on top of a tortoise who just smoked a joint and took a horse tranquilliser slow. At 30% of the way through, I was idly enjoying myself, but I found myself wondering exactly WHY I was still reading. Very little had actually happened by this point, and if I hadn't been sitting on a crowded bus with nothing else to do, I probably would have abandoned this book. I'm not a patient reader. This is perhaps my issue, rather than the author's, but I like books to get to the point. Tell me a story, keep me hooked. I only have so much time in my life to devote to a book -please don't make it a chore for me to keep reading.
I also have to point out that men were basically absent from this book. I get that at its heart its a tale of women, feminism and lesbianism, but that doesn't mean that men need to be relegated to the 'kind of shit husband' category. All we really learn about one of the main character's husbands is that he wants her to give up her job because he earns more and she needs to take care of the children. This is of course used as a catalyst for the character's resulting actions, but it would have been nice to have more than a paper cut out of a man in the background. Not every man sucked in the seventies, people.
The ugly:
Finally, this book committed an unforgivable act in my eyes: the main characters had absolutely no chemistry. At first I was so excited to hear about their grand love affair, but it turned out to be so lacklustre. Sure, these women fell in love - but WHY? They seem to have very little in common, neither of them have greatly exciting personalities, and the romantic scenes between them had all the heat of a damp flannel. I LOVE love stories. I'm a bitter, angry human being, but I'm a sucker for romance. I want to swoon along with the characters; I want to be swept up in a whirlwind of wanting, needing and having. To be honest, I didn't really understand what made the main characters want to be together at all. If I had so little sexual chemistry with my husband, we'd be roommates, not lovers.
See more reviews like this at https://rantybooks.wordpress.com/
Displaying 1 - 16 of 17 reviews