From the Bookshelf of Mostly Sapphic…

The Last of the Loudens

Robin Alexander

Start date: February 1, 2017

Finish date: February 28, 2017

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Jan 21, 2017 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Classic Robin Alexander. Great characters. Witty dialogue. Nice romance. One of my favorite authors for sure.

11 likes · Like · see review

Dec 19, 2016 Heidi rated it really liked it

Love this authors style, always a lot of humor within the story. I find myself smiling and laughing when I read the stories.

6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 21, 2017 Cheri rated it liked it

Shelves: humor, lgbtq, romance

Another fun read with some laugh out loud moments and a sweet romance with no angst or drama.

5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2017 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: lesbian, kindle, romance, humor, american-south, louisiana, intaglio-publications, ghosts, architecture

This is my third book by Robin Alexander and it is another excellent, hilarious read about realistic lesbian women living in small-town Louisiana. I'm starting to clock Alexander's writing style and romantic set-ups pretty well, and while she does seem to have a formula, each of her stories has a heart of its own that draws you right in.

As in many of Alexander's books, this story starts with the new woman in town--or, more accurately, the woman coming back to town. Taryn Louden is the titular "l This is my third book by Robin Alexander and it is another excellent, hilarious read about realistic lesbian women living in small-town Louisiana. I'm starting to clock Alexander's writing style and romantic set-ups pretty well, and while she does seem to have a formula, each of her stories has a heart of its own that draws you right in.

As in many of Alexander's books, this story starts with the new woman in town--or, more accurately, the woman coming back to town. Taryn Louden is the titular "last of the Loudens," the founding family of the small Louisiana town her parents grew up in. Her father has passed and her mother never got along with the Louden side of the family, so when Taryn's aging aunt Julianna asks her to come back home and renovate the once-glamorous Louden mansion, Taryn accepts the offer in an attempt to get closer to her family roots.

She isn't quite expecting the vast amount of work that needs to be put into the renovations, her aunt's bad attitude and increasing eccentricity, or the chatterbox housekeeper who always seems to know everything (but only talks about the boring stuff). And she definitely isn't expecting the gorgeous, level-headed Vicky Andre, the contractor hired to work on the house. The chemistry between the two women blossoms right away, and with the help of some nosy friends and family members, they find themselves getting closer amid small-town drama.

I won't lie and say this is the most exciting read--in fact, that's not a word I would use to describe any of Alexander's books. They're more akin to sinking into a warm bath or floating on an inner tube at the pool. They're cozy and easy to digest. They make you smile and don't demand too much emotional labor--the feelings are always good and the conflicts are always able to be solved. This is the perfect book to crack after a really intense mystery or horror read because it will put you at ease in the best way. That's not to say this is boring by any stretch--Alexander's signature humor and colorful supporting characters always shine through and make for perfect character interactions on every page.

I found the small "paranormal" sub-plot to be pretty similar to the one in Scaredy Cat, and just like in that book, it wasn't my absolute favorite aspect of the story. I'd be totally happy if Alexander rolled with the ghost/paranormal punches in another story completely, but since they take away from the usually light tone of her books, they come off as a little clunky mixed in with such realistic settings. I'd much rather have read a situation where the bumps in the night are actually kids living in the cellar or something, and then we could have another side-splitting scene of Vicky chasing down teens in her boxer shorts, waving a middle finger the whole way down.

My pervy little self sometimes wishes Alexander would edge a little more into full-blown erotic romance because her brief, descriptive love scenes are always scorching, and they always reflect lesbian sex and love in such a beautifully familiar and intimate and realistic way, and they always leave me wanting so much more. Sometimes I read lesbian romance and I just don't see myself reflected back, I see these sanitized and airbrushed queer women who bear such little resemblance to me and my friends that it's like reading in a fog. But Alexander's stories always get right to the heart and soul of why lesbian love is such a beautiful and tender thing that makes for such excellent romantic reading.

This is a great read for when you need something soft and sweet. Read it with a big iced coffee on a warm spring day! ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2023 Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, paranormal, romance, stand-alone, 2023, contemporary, fantastic-heroine, humor, f-f, great-side-characters

4 stars. What a fun read! It’s a romantic comedy with ghosts and paranormal elements and I had a great time reading it. Robin Alexander is a very hit or miss author for me but I find that when her books do land for me they’re pretty great. I really liked all of the characters in this. Taryn inherits her father’s childhood home from her aunt and meets Vicky to help with the renovations. They had great chemistry and fun banter with one another and the romance was sweet. I liked how mature they wer ...more

3 likes · Like · see review