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  • Sunrise on the Reaping – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    I went into this book with a bit of trepidation. The Hunger Games series is still one of my favorites ever and I didn’t want to be disappointed. Collins writes such impactful stories, I admit I was a little scared this book would let me down. The prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, was not my favorite. The writing was excellent, the story still strong with well-developed characters and a great lookback at President Snow’s background. But it WAS about Snow and I couldn’t make myself like it too much, lol.

    However I did love this prequel. It was hard to read with well-placed moments of levity and heart wrenching ones. Toward the end I actually had to close the book at a moment when I realized what was about to happen… not many books make me do that.

    Well written, wonderful characters, awesome social commentary.
    Highly recommend it.

    View all my reviews

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  • Sapphic books with mental health rep (Sapphic Book Bingo #21)

    Sapphic books with mental health rep (Sapphic Book Bingo #21)

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    Sapphic books with mental health rep

    This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo square features sapphic books with mental health representation.

    Read a sapphic book with accurate, authentic, and respectful representation of people living with mental health conditions. For example, the main character could struggle with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mental health issues.

     

    15 sapphic books with mental health rep

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books that highlight mental health:

     

    Waltzing on the Danube by Miranda MacLeod

    Jeanie Brooks is a small town history teacher who sometimes leaps before she looks, but when she books a last minute river cruise for lesbian singles, she knows she’ll have no regrets. Two weeks of beautiful women and glorious adventure against the backdrop of Europe’s most famous cities—what more could she want?

    Eleanor Fielding is an actuarial accountant from Manhattan, and an expert at assessing risk from every angle. Analytical and reserved, the only thing worse than spending the summer floating around with a gaggle of desperate single women is the prospect of her sister nagging her for all eternity if she refuses to go.

    But thanks to a ticketing error, Jeanie and Eleanor unexpectedly find themselves the only two eligible women on the Danube. What starts as an awkward alliance to salvage some enjoyment from the trip soon transforms into something more.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Strap In by Lou Morgan

    Jean is married to her job and there is no room in her life for romance. Until she meets someone who takes her breath away.

    There’s just one catch. Ava’s a woman. And Jean’s straight… isn’t she?

    The chemistry’s scorching but there’s no place for Ava in Jean’s world. But free-spirited Ava is irresistible. And open to a purely physical relationship. This way Jean gets to have her cake and eat it too.

    Yet spending time with Ava makes Jean question everything she thought she knew.

    Is it time to start again?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Warmer, Colder by Alexia Onyx

    There’s nothing more dangerous than the truth, except the pretty little lies we tell ourselves.

    Stasi

    Becca Murphy was always meant to be mine. She betrayed me and buried her love for me deep within her deceptive heart, but she never anticipated me digging myself out of that grave with a singular desire: her. Now that I’m back, I’m determined to drag her demons into the light. I might be dead, but I’m not letting Becca go. This time, she’ll see the truth: it’s always been me.

    Becca

    One drunken night shattered my carefully crafted facade, leaving me suffocating beneath the wreckage of my so-called perfect life. I thought death would grant me peace, but instead, I’m haunted by the woman who knows my deepest secret. As I cling to the crumbling illusion of perfection, Stasi sees me for what I truly am—a goddamn mess. Do I cling to my web of lies, or do I dare to free fall into her tempting embrace?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Don’t Quit Your Daydream by Adrian J. Smith

    What happens in the elevator doesn’t stay in the elevator.

    When Laura Finch’s business partner hires Skylar to bring their company to the next generation, Laura sees red. An obnoxious millennial isn’t someone she wants to work with—they’re known for failing their side hustles. Since Laura gave up everything for Solace Inc to succeed, including her dreams of marriage and family, she’s not willing to risk it on just anyone.

    Skylar Ross vies to succeed in her first big contract and won’t let Laura’s sour personality get in her way. Each day she finds something else intriguing about Laura and all the fronts she puts up. With a dash of humor and hope, Skylar bets on her sunny disposition winning Laura over. What she doesn’t expect is her growing crush on a straight woman to go anywhere.

    Dreams are meant to be scary. What will they risk to make theirs come true?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Hot Honey Love by Nan Campbell

    Chef Stef’s passion for her profession is being severely tested. After a disastrous appearance on a cooking competition show, she has become a meme. The entire Internet now knows her as the Kitchen Bawler. Her ascent through the fine dining kitchens of New York City has been thoroughly derailed, but she has a plan to get her career back on track. She’ll make cooking videos on YouTube to foil the algorithm and overhaul her search engine results. One problem: she knows nothing about creating video content.

    Enter Mallory Radowski. She’s a talented filmmaker currently earning a living as a wedding videographer, with complicated reasons of her own for her reluctance to help Stef. Mallory lives with anxiety, and is the pickiest eater imaginable. Food—Stef’s love language—is untranslatable to her. How can she make Stef’s food look delicious if she won’t eat any of it?

    Stef has to trust that Mallory’s videos can get her cooking food she’s proud of again, but it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire when she starts to fall for her.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    The Storm Within Her by Ami Spencer

    When Kate and Seph met it was flirting at first sight, but with Kate being married it was never meant to be.

    Until the two meet again under the worst possible connection, and Kate is forced to re-evaluate what is most important to her. Especially since Seph is a shadow of the person she knew before.

    Can Seph fight back against the impending darkness that is consuming her to find her way back to Kate, who is devotedly waiting for the woman she knew to return to her?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Battle Scars by Meghan O’Brien

    Returning Iraq war veteran Ray McKenna struggles with battle scars that can only be healed by love. Ray McKenna returns from the war in Iraq to find that she has attained unwanted celebrity status back home. As the only surviving American soldier of a well-publicized hostage crisis, she is the center of attention at a time when all she wants is solitude.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Partly For Love by Anne-Marie Pellow

    Life can change in a heartbeat.

    It happens to Kezia Pope when she comes face to face with a woman who reminds her of Hannah, the only girlfriend she ever had.

    Hannah was the one person who understood her. Hannah never judged her and always looked out for her. Until one night when a prank goes too far.

    Events of the past come flooding back to Kezia, and old addictions she thought she’d laid to rest creep up on her again.

    Olivia Cruz is eleven years older than her wife, Emma. At the end of a working day, all Liv wants to do is put her feet up or go to bed, exhausted and fragile. But Emma has other ideas, and the thought of a night out is too tempting after months of all work and no play. After all, you’re only here once, and life’s for enjoying, right?

    The downward spiral begins. A chance meeting. A wrong decision. A sequence of events turns three women’s worlds inside out.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Lancelot: Her Story by Carol Anne Douglas

    A young girl sees a man rape and murder her mother. She grabs a stick and puts out his eye. Her father raises her as a boy so she will be safe from men’s attacks. She practices and practices until she becomes a great fighter – Lancelot. She wants to protect women, and she does.Lancelot hears about King Arthur, a just king across the sea, and journeys to earn a place at Camelot. She vows to serve him, but fears that Arthur and his men will discover that she is a woman and send her away. Lancelot is shocked to realize that she is falling in love with the king’s wife, Guinevere.Guinevere is a strong woman who would have preferred to be queen in her own right, not through marriage. Saxons attack Arthur’s kingdom, and Lancelot finds out that fighting a war is far different from saving women in single combat. The savagery of war devastates her.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Allure by CEON

    Hannah has an open relationship with her boyfriend, and it’s never been a problem.

    Until she hooks up with the mysterious Morana via a phone app and wakes up the next morning with an insatiable taste for blood.

    Araceli enters Hannah’s life and helps her come to terms with her new status. She has become a vampire, and there is nothing she can do to change that.

    However, if she does not take a life, she will get to keep her soul.

    But how long can Hannah resist her urges, living on tastes from blood-bags, the odd stolen bite from a willing arm?

    When Morana comes back into her life, Hannah finds it harder and harder to resist her allure.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    A Holly Jolly Christmas by Emily Wright

    Holly hasn’t been home for two years. Ever since her brother died, Mistleberry is a haunting ground full of history she’s tried to escape. Her family are grieving, her ex won’t stop calling, and bumping into Vicky Castleton puts the cherry on the crumbling Christmas cake.

    Because Holly’s first love and biggest regret looks better than ever.

    Holly tries to heal the holes in her heart as her family—and persistent best friend—keep pushing her to confront her past. But the more time she spends with her old flame, the more she’s hit with the undeniable truth: her heart has never let go of Vicky. Time’s running out, and years of hiding away and shielding herself have left her with the question: can she conquer her ghosts this Christmas, and risk it all for love?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Love You However by Katherine Blakeman

    This is a statement that I have always tolerated about myself. Except now… it seems to be getting harder.

    My gender has never felt right, but I’ve been able to overlook it. I’ve always been okay with being Jean: retail worker, choir leader and wife of Petra. Our idyllic little life in Cornwall has given me the stability I’ve needed ever since my sister died, and everything’s been ticking along just fine.

    Up until now.

    A blast of menopause hormones has brought my gender to the front of my mind. When Petra is suddenly hurled into the role of ‘headteacher’ at work, it becomes harder and harder to share it with her. With work taking over her life and gender taking over mine, how can we keep our marriage alive?

    And can I realise my true identity before it’s too late?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    The Fairfield Frightless and the Midnight Murders by Kay Solo

    Anastasia Graves and her friends travel to the quaint tourist town of Bellshire nestled high in the mountains to celebrate their high school graduation. During dinner at an old inn they are told a legend of an ancient creature that sleeps within Bellshire Lake, one that feeds off anger and could spell the doom of the world if it were ever to reawaken.

    At first, Anastasia appreciates it for the tall tale it is. But when strange things start happening around the cozy lake town, she starts to fear the story might be more than just something used to scare tourists. To complicate matters further, her attention is divided between two mischievous sirens who seem a little too interested in her, as well as a surly necromancer who watches her from afar.

    As the lake becomes more agitated and the bodies of missing townsfolk start to wander the streets at night, Anastasia steels herself to solve yet another mystery. But when the truth of the legend finally comes to light, she realizes she might be up against something far more deadly than she ever imagined.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Kotov Syndrome by S. Morgan Burbank

    Erika Edens is panicking. Behind on her bills and stuck in a crappy job, she’s blindsided when ex-love-of-her-life Abby shows up needing a place to stay. This is the perfect situation for a second chance… …except that Abby is a computer simulation in the body of an android. Battling the rising hostility of her world and the demons in her head, Erika struggles to come to terms with living in a country increasingly hostile to non-human entities. Can Erika adapt to life with her new roommate? Or will her troubles end any chance at reconciliation before it gets started?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Project O.R.C.A. by Serena J. Bishop

    Kari’s telepathic abilities have made life challenging for her. At eighteen and a recent university graduate, she’s desperate to leave home and work in neuroscience. Will a position at inCog help her explore where her abilities come from and how to better control them? She doesn’t know.

    But she’s going to find out.

    A new job, a new life, and a fresh start on a cruise ship turned business park await her. It’s a thrilling time. But little does she know the excitement will not stop until the ship’s owner’s goals are met. Henry, a billionaire with an interest in unusual sciences, has unique plans for her. Neuroscientist by day, telepathic spy by night. It’s not all bad, though; her clandestine work allows her to see more of the world, receive funding for ORCA, and expose the injustices committed by the affluent.

    But the more she delves into the thoughts of the super wealthy, the more dangerous her new life becomes. Soon she has to ask herself, is the money for ORCA worth the risk?

    “Now the real science begins . . .”

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    American Superstar: Drop the Mic by Shay Paris

    After the disastrous final American Superstar show, Lennon’s world is plunged into darkness. Camila had left her, her parents disowned her, and the online smear campaign had her locked inside her apartment. Struggling to keep her head above water, Lennon realizes she has to fake it until she makes it—no matter how hard that would be.

    Still reeling from the abrupt dumping by Camila and trying her best to move on, Lennon throws herself into reviving her career and writing a hit album, all the while trying to hold together the heartbreak at the rejection of her parents and the loss of Camila.

    Shattered by her decision in New York to save Lennon’s career, Camila continues to battle the fallout while trying to come to terms with her own demons, all while struggling to decide if the life of a performer is something she wants anymore.

    Realizing she made a grave mistake in leaving Lennon, Camila sets out to win back the one person who understood her most in the world while healing the darker parts of her soul.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Leave a comment

    What book will you be reading for the “sapphic books with mental health rep” category? Let us know in the comments!

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  • Sapphic books that include an epilogue (Sapphic Book Bingo #20)

    Sapphic books that include an epilogue (Sapphic Book Bingo #20)

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    Sapphic book that includes an epilogue

    This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo square features sapphic books that include an epilogue.

    An epilogue is a section at the end of the novel that typically takes place months or even years after the main events of the book have concluded. Epilogues are common in genres such as romance, historical fiction, and speculative fiction.

     

    15 sapphic books that include an epilogue

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books that include an epilogue:

     

    Just a Touch Away by Jae

    Hannah Martin has an unusual job: she’s a professional cuddler. While she has a big heart for her clients, she hasn’t found someone special to snuggle up to in her personal life.

    Winter Sullivan isn’t looking for love. She’s an aloof workaholic who’s built walls of ice around herself. She would rather drive toothpicks under her fingernails than cuddle, and she certainly doesn’t want to share her space with anyone.

    When Winter’s estranged father dies, he leaves her one last surprise: she and Hannah, a perfect stranger, will inherit a building together. But there’s a catch: first, they have to live together for ninety-two days.

    Winter is determined to dislike her rival, but soon finds Hannah isn’t what she expected at all. Thanks to a hilarious doormat war, a cuddle dare from Winter’s half sister, and a kiss in the most unusual of places, the frosty fortress around her heart begins to melt.

    Will she be able to accept that love might be just a touch away?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    The Promise by Addison M. Conley

    When the world keeps pulling you under, who do you reach for?

    Life was stupidly hard enough, but when tragedy strikes Mika’s life, her high school world is flipped over and stepped on, hard. Aunt Val moving in sucks even more than she thought it would too. There’s just no way forward. Until the right girl shows up, that is.

    Willow has it all. Popular, pretty, and perky, she’s got senior year wrapped up in a hot little bow. Mika can’t imagine why Willow not only wants to be her friend but is also determined to have her back. When feelings start to bloom between them, Mika wonders if just maybe things will be okay…

    The world doesn’t work like that though, and when Mika is betrayed by her family and learns secrets that upend everything yet again, she isn’t sure how to get through. Can she find the strength to overcome and be the person she wants to be, or will she end up being forced into being someone she doesn’t recognize?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Finding Molly Parsons by Alyson Root

    Faith Parsons is finally 18 and eager to make her lesbian debut. But before stepping into this new chapter, she must escape the only world she’s ever known. Faith’s journey is not just a physical escape but a courageous leap into self-discovery, navigating uncharted territories with a heart full of hope. Guided by fate on a journey to find her long-lost Aunt Molly—the Parsons family’s sapphic secret—Faith is driven by a deep desire to break free from her toxic past and find a new familial embrace.

    As Faith unravels a series of cryptic clues, she meets Carmen, a steamy self-made woman with a penchant for avoiding commitment, Mateo, her sequin-covered counterpart, whose life is a perpetual red-carpet event, and Enid Butcher, the cannabis-loving and self-appointed neighborhood watch. This motley crew navigate family, friendship, and love in this uproarious journey to find Molly Parsons.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Binding Bricks by Ami Spencer

    When your lost chance reappears…

    Grace Khan is disappearing.

    Ten years ago, burdened by the devastation of losing her best friend to a life which didn’t include her, she got swept up in a marriage she should never have agreed to. Now, with the relationship barely more than a contentious cohabitation, she dedicates all her energy to her son, the only light in her otherwise dull and uninspiring life.

    Until across the crowded school playground she sees Mica Davenport. The lost love which has haunted her life with ifs and maybes is back, and their presence relights a fire in Grace that she thought was long extinguished.

    While Grace and Mica navigate the potential of rekindling their friendship, they both also have to face the hand those missing years has dealt them. While Mica argues with themself about getting close to Grace again, Grace has to rediscover who she is outside of being a mother. Quieting the voice of self-doubt which has become her constant companion proves harder than she anticipated, especially when the person offering their unwavering support also reminds Grace of her biggest regret…

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    The Others by Annette Mori

    As a seer and brilliant scientist, Em convinces her wife, Lise, to prepare for the inevitable conclusion, after the chaos caused by foreign countries attacking the United States. Leaving behind a wake of destruction and a new world order. Forcing them to navigate a frightening reality. After ten months in their cozy bomb shelter, they emerge to a world where the vegetation is surprisingly unaffected. Should they band together with other survivors or try to make it on their own? There are others in this unknown world. On the first day outside of their shelter, they meet members of an alternate society. Are they friend or foe? Change is inevitable. But will they change in ways Em and Lise can live with, or will this altered world change them into something unrecognizable?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Wolf Killer by C H Clepitt

    “Honey, it’s the ’80s. You need to find yourself a woman who can hold your hand in public, not one who calls you her ‘friend’ and keeps you away from her boss. You don’t need that kinda heartache. You think it’ll be OK, but it won’t, trust me. It starts to eat away at you.”

    FBI Agent Clara Hunter might not be girlfriend material, but as Red soon discovers, if you have a serial killer on your heels she is just the woman you want in your life!

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Just Kiss Her by Clare Lydon

    When Brooke’s best friend Noah asks her to pose as his girlfriend for his sister’s resort wedding, she can’t refuse. Sure, she’s a lesbian, but it’s a free holiday. How hard can it be to fake it for a few days?

    Harder than Brooke imagined when she meets Noah’s mum, Jen. Sophisticated, confident, and utterly gorgeous, Jen is everything Brooke wants. With each sizzling glance, casual touch, and chance encounter, an irresistible attraction pulls Brooke towards the one woman she can’t have.

    As their holiday in paradise unfolds, this scorching love triangle is about to reach its breaking point under the hot Mexican sun. Jen is strictly off-limits, but Brooke’s heart doesn’t care for rules. Can she keep her feelings buried, or will she just kiss her?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Bittersweet Homecoming by Eliza Lentzski

    They say you can never go home again, but sometimes you have no choice. A phone call in the middle of the night and news of a death in the family has Abigail Henry catching the next flight out of Los Angeles and traveling back to the small hometown she hasn’t visited in a decade. Nearly everything and everyone looks untouched by time, but it’s Abigail herself who has changed.

    A love story by genre, Bittersweet Homecoming grapples with the basic question: Can you really ever go home again? You might never be able to go home again, but it’s Charlotte, the beautiful bartender at the local pub, who can tempt Abigail into staying.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Saving Summer’s Santa by Elle Armstrong

    Ettia’s world is thrown into a spin when she is asked to go to the South Pole, to fill in for her uncle, the summer Santa, who has been taken ill. Upon arriving in Antarctica, Ettia is met with talking kangaroo’s and a sleigh that doesn’t like sand.

    When Cherri gets a call to rescue a stranded vehicle, she doesn’t realise that she may end up saving far more than the cute woman dressed in a mini Santa suit. But can Cherri risk leaving the security of Australia for her damsel in distress?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Sleepless Nights by Iona Kane

    Rock singer Alex Knight is at the top of her game, dazzling fans and selling out stadiums worldwide on her most electrifying tour yet. Her life may be shrouded in secrecy and loneliness, but her meteoric success leaves everyone wanting a piece of her.

    Tyra MacLean knows all too well the dark side of fame. Once a rising star herself, she’s scarred and disillusioned by the celebrity lifestyle, and just wants a quiet life. But when Alex insists on having Tyra and her band join the tour, Tyra has to sacrifice her peace and support her bandmates by returning to the relentless world that nearly broke her.

    As they tour America, can Alex and Tyra overcome their fears and differences to forge a deeper connection? Amid the glitz and chaos of the music industry, love might just be the ultimate encore.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    A Perfect Fifth by Jaycie Morrison

    Two divides perfectly into four, not five.

    Zara Keller is a survivor turned piano phenomenon living for a big dream. When she’s invited to spend the weekend with four long-time friends outside of London, she has little use for luxurious Fullerhill Manor—but Lady Jillian Stansfield might be a different story.

    The obligations thrust on Jillian Stansfield as Lady of the Manor center on home and family. Even her best friends expect her to put aside the desire for a meaningful life and carry on her legacy through marriage and children. Will the arrival of a fifth person be enough to tip the balance of their “gang of four” in her favor?

    Zara challenges Jillian to pursue grander plans and stirs something new and profound, compelling Jillian to be true to herself and make the hardest decisions of her life. But when tragedy strikes, saving Jillian may cost Zara the goal of a position at the Royal College of Music, and the chance at love.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Frosting on the Cake 3: Still Crazy After All These Years by Karin Kallmaker

    From the cold winter dark of Alaska to the warm summer breezes of Hawaii, take a calendar year’s journey through the lives of women you already love.

    Love finds its full bloom during a Simply the Best May. The glamour of Hollywood combines with a Because I Said So Halloween. Making Up for Lost Time serves up delicious cookies–and lots of kisses. All kinds of family are welcome at the Car Pool Thanksgiving table.

    Inspired by classics like Wild Things and Painted Moon, as well as bestsellers and award-winners like Captain of Industry and Above Temptation, Karin’s third volume of follow-up stories shows the love, tenderness, and romance that stands the test of time.

    Karin Kallmaker’s delightful and moving short stories have won Lambda Literary and Golden Crown awards and are sure to have you falling in love with her characters all over again.

    Available at:

    Bella Books

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Love Never Dies by Laura G. Wiser

    Long before their lives in Cornwall, Julie and Hilary lived in London where they met and fell in love. This is a story of new beginnings; one in which Julie discovers who she is without depending on anyone or any label to define her.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Pursuing Pandora by Maggie Brown

    Corporate Lawyer, Winter Carlyle has become jaded with romance after a messy public breakup.

    When her aunt asks her to visit a high-end nightclub to check on her younger cousin, Winter reluctantly agrees. Poking her nose into his love-life is the last thing she wants to do. So what if he has a crush on Pandora, a lounge singer thirteen year his senior. The cougar might just teach him a thing or two.

    For Pandora, the sultry siren in the low-cut gown facade is all an act. She dislikes adulation and the numerous advances, especially from the Russian gangster and the aging playboy. She has her reasons for being at the club and romance is definitely off the agenda.

    But uptight, reserved Winter is a complication she hasn’t foreseen. And love has a way of striking at the most inopportune moments.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Embers by Tiffany E. Taylor

    If fairy godmothers truly did exist, the only thing in this world Embry Novak would wish for would be the freedom to be herself and live authentically. Her conniving and “fragile” stepmother, however, has Embry’s father convinced he is destined to lose a second wife to illness and death unless Embry does what she says daughters should do: give up their own lives to take care of their parents. Knowing she will be cut off from her butch identity—but racked with guilt at the thought of leaving her still-grieving father to the mercy of her scheming stepmother and her two mean, selfish sons—Embry moves back into his house and bears her hellish life in silence for her father’s sake, dreaming of the day she can finally escape the toxicity.

    Sapphire Keene is the incoming chief executive officer of Crunch, an organically sourced produce subscription box service headquartered locally. With one flagship brick-and-mortar store and thousands of online members, Crunch is wildly successful and Sapphire is looking forward to taking the reins from her retiring dad. But her socialite mother nags at her constantly to forget about this stupid career business and find a suitable man to marry—unaware that it has always been masculine of center females who have piqued Sapphire’s femme interest instead. While avoiding males as best she can, despite her mother’s strident efforts to find her a husband, Sapphire indulges in small, secret trysts whenever she has the opportunity—even though she knows those superficial connections have done little to satisfy her deep longing to find a butch mate with whom she can openly live and love.

    When Embry—a trained chef—meets the store manager of the Crunch physical location while on a shopping trip, she is unaware that the gay, flamboyant matchmaker smells a probable match between Sapphire and Embry, and sets out to do everything he can to make sure the two of them have their happily ever after. But conniving stepmothers, selfish stepbrothers, nagging mothers, business and family obligations, and a rocky path to love seem determined to put a stop to any potential relationship, even though Sapphire and Embry are falling hard and fast for each other. It’s anyone’s guess if they can circumvent the obstacles the universe keeps throwing in their way.

    Unless you have Marlow Matheson on your side, that is. Never underestimate the power of a gay fairy godfather with fabulous sequined sneakers who’s on a mission.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Leave a comment

    What book will you be reading for the “sapphic books that include an epilogue” category? Let us know in the comments!

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  • Vegetarian or vegan character (Sapphic Book Bingo #19)

    Vegetarian or vegan character (Sapphic Book Bingo #19)

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    Vegetarian or vegan character

    This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo features sapphic books with a vegetarian or vegan character.

    For this category, read a book in which at least one of the main characters is vegetarian (doesn’t eat meat, poultry, or fish) or vegan (doesn’t eat any animal product, including dairy and eggs).

     

    15 sapphic books with a vegetarian or vegan character

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books featuring a vegetarian or vegan character:

     

    Something in the Wine by Jae

    All her life, Annie Prideaux has suffered through her brother’s constant practical jokes. But Jake’s last joke is one too many, she decides when he sets her up on a blind date with his friend Drew—neglecting to tell his straight sister one tiny detail: her date is not a man, but a lesbian.

    Annie and Drew decide it’s time to turn the tables on Jake by pretending to fall in love with each other.

    At first glance, they have nothing in common. Disillusioned with love, Annie focuses on books, her cat, and her work as an accountant while Drew, more confident and outgoing, owns a dog and spends most of her time working in her beloved vineyard.

    Only their common goal to take revenge on Jake unites them. But what starts as a table-turning game soon turns Annie’s and Drew’s lives upside down as the lines between pretending and reality begin to blur.

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao

    When a tall, stunning butch protects Mira from her ex-boyfriend at the club—and offers her a safe place to stay—Mira should be relieved. Not flustered. She’s not into women.

    Yet this tough electrician with curves for days makes Mira’s heart race like never before.

    But Isabel, wounded by grief, forces Mira to keep her distance. Until Mira’s desperate to win a union election at work—and only Isabel has the experience to teach her how.

    Soon they’re lingering over dinner, teasing each other as the apartment heats up. And Isabel is making her coffee every morning, hanging her shelves, giving her smoldering looks before bed…

    But Mira can’t afford temptation. Not after living with her nightmare ex.

    No matter how well Isabel takes care of her…or how much Isabel needs healing, too.

    She can’t risk her freedom—or her heart.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    The Wilding of Em’s Path by Ana K. Wrenn

    Untamed and wild, Cynda is an outdoorswoman holed up in the Appalachian backcountry. Her solitary existence is shattered when Kadija, a fierce freedom fighter, tracks her down.

    Kadija demands Cynda return to civilization to face the consequences of an out-of-control project Cynda worked on years ago. But how can she take on the destructive research institute preying on vulnerable, sensitive people when it almost destroyed her once? How can Cynda face the outside world again, now it’s awash in so much fear and violence that it suffocates her?

    As the warring pair reluctantly journey into an oppressive world, the ties that bind them slowly draw them closer. But what happens if those delicate ties ever break?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

     

    Curtain Call by C H Clepitt

    When an assistant to the director role turns into P.A. to her favourite film star, Jen can’t believe her luck. Eleanor Francis is charming, kind and funny, but she has a secret, and when tragedy strikes, things threaten to unravel at an uncontrollable pace. Despite being out of her depth Jen has to adapt to her new role quickly, to protect Eleanor, with whom she is rapidly falling in love.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    The Condition: Impervious by CEON

    This story will send your head spinning, and keep you guessing all the way…

    Eden Dyson’s life is turned upside down by a series of events, one after the other; some are explainable. Most, not so much.

    It begins with Eden visiting her wife in the hospital… and then inexplicably losing four days of her life after a strange and fearful occurrence.

    Following her through her journey of trying to figure out what’s happening turns into a whirlwind of horror after horror; suffering loss, pain, love, danger, hiding, being on the run and accidentally committing crimes.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Heart Failure by Chris Zett

    Dr. Jess Riley’s life is perfect, ticking all the boxes—successful cardiologist, newborn daughter, and a luxurious condo. That is, until she suddenly collapses from acute heart failure. Her entire world crumples along with her exhausted body.

    Jess is forced to face facts—she can’t keep working endless hours, and she’ll have to move back home to recover.

    To her shock, her mother has already taken in Lena Walker, a struggling artist who isn’t a stranger to heartbreak either.

    At first, an unimpressed Jess resents Lena’s cheerful presence. Gradually, though, the two women form a tentative friendship over tai chi, picking fruit, and evening walks with the baby. A sexy massage leads to friends-with-benefits fun. But is it all too soon? Should two barely mended souls try to risk a future together?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Mistress: Found by Emily Alter

    When Iria moved to Cádiz, Spain, and she became a member of the local kink club, she hadn’t been expecting Nerea. A sub who had been deemed unsafe to play with by most Dommes. After their first scene, Iria should’ve stayed away, but she didn’t.

    Nerea had been drifting, going through the motions. Iria forced her to confront her demons, her past. She made her connect with all the emotions she’d all but blocked years ago.

    If only she could learn how to do that, then she could enjoy everything Iria was offering. Every experience Mistress was willing to give her, to test her limits with.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    That Secret Something by Emily Wright

    Rebecca Lawson is off-limits.

    Jess knows this, but Rebecca has captured her heart for as long as she can remember. She’s sporty, tall and confident—all the things Jess is not—but most of all…she’s her best friend Lily’s sister. Nothing can ever happen between them.

    Especially after that slip-up at prom night.

    But when Lily announces her engagement, and Jess and Rebecca are forced to spend time together as the maids of honour, the forbidden feelings intensify and sparks begin to fly.

    Amidst the chaos of raging bridezillas and other wedding disasters, can Jess resist temptation for the sake of her friendship?

    Or will pursuing Rebecca Lawson finally send her life up in smoke?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Thornfruit by Felicia Davin

    There were two secrets in Varenx House, and Alizhan was one of them.

    Alizhan can’t see faces, but she can read minds. Her mysterious ability leaves her unable to touch or be touched without excruciating pain. Rescued from abandonment and raised by the wealthy and beautiful Iriyat ha-Varensi, Alizhan has grown up in isolation, using her gift to steal secrets from Iriyat’s rivals, the ruling class of Laalvur. But Iriyat keeps secrets of her own.

    When Alizhan discovers that she isn’t the only one of her kind, and that a deadly plot threatens everyone like her, there’s only one person she can trust.

    Ev liked having a secret. None of the other girls in the village had a thief-friend.

    Evreyet Umarsad—“Ev” to her parents and her one friend—longs to be the kind of hero she reads about in books. But the rest of the world feels impossibly far away from her life on a farm outside Laalvur. Ev will never lay eyes on the underground city of Adappyr, the stars of the Nightward Coast, or the venomous medusas that glow in the dark depths of the sea.

    At least on her weekly trip to the market, Ev gets to see her thief—the strange young woman who slips by her cart and playfully steals a handful of thornfruit. When the thief needs help, Ev doesn’t hesitate. Together, they uncover a conspiracy that draws them all over Laalvur and beyond.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Something New by Jacqueline Ramsden

    Thea Cooper is heading to her sister’s wedding in Montana for Christmas. The problem is that her ex is going to be there and her mother is hoping they’ll rekindle their romance. All Thea wants is to enjoy the lodge, the holiday, and celebrate her sister.

    Erin Foxglove, wedding planner extraordinaire, is giving up her Christmas to work the Cooper-Perez wedding. Despite her best friend’s hopes that she’ll at least reward herself with a fun little fling while she’s away, Erin isn’t interested. She’s there to do a job and she has her rules about not sleeping with clients.

    That is, until she meets Thea.

    As sparks fly between them, Thea realizes she might not be as straight as everyone thinks, and Erin finds some people are worth breaking her rules for. But, faced with an expiration date on their time at the mountain retreat together, will their romance fizzle out or will they get everything they’re wishing for?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Cinnamon: A dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom by Janet Mason

    Whoever heard of a talking cow? Meet Cinnamon, who in Cinnamon: a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom, tells us about the joys and sorrows of her life. She has difficulty warming up to the farmer who “owns” her. Cinnamon reflects that “everybody knows that humans eat cows,” but overcomes her trust issues to pursue a friendship with Jody the farmer. Cinnamon trusts that it will somehow help her to become friends with the farmer and she is right. Cinnamon gets to know the farmer by spying on her through the kitchen window.

    Cinnamon’s special cow friend Spice has a health emergency, which jolts the farmer into awareness. She is nursing Spice back to health only so that she can be sent to slaughter, with the other dairy cows, in a few years. As Spice recovers, she and Cinnamon have lively conversations in the field: What is money – and what does it have to do with them?

    Cinnamon, the cow, and Jodi, the farmer, become friends and by loving Cinnamon, Jodi (nicknamed Sunflower by Cinnamon) discovers she can no longer eat animal products. Meanwhile, she finds that by eliminating animal products from her diet, she is able to heal her own health issues. As her previous unhappiness disappears, Jodi concocts a plan to turn her small farm into an animal sanctuary where Cinnamon, her special cow friend Spice, and the others can live out their natural lives in peace and harmony.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    The Hex Next Door by Lou William

    What’s a little necromancy between family?

    For the Crow Witch, Icarus “Rus” Ashthorne, Moondale seemed the perfect hiding place. But like they always say, you can’t go home again, and Rus finds out quickly that nothing is how she remembered, while at the same time very little has changed. Then she comes face to face with the only woman she’s ever loved, Az Elwood, and… well, things get messier than she thought they ever could.

    The Elwoods are a staple of Moondale, respected, feared, powerful, and Azure Elwood was always happy with her place amongst them. Happy to play the part of the good little witch, until Rus Ashthorne. Eleven years ago, Rus got on a bus and left Azure behind, but she’s back, with two little girls trailing her like ducklings, and enough unspoken things between them to drown the town.

    Now witch hunters are knocking at their proverbial door, the council of magic is being a real pain in the ass, and Rus wonders how much magic it’ll take to protect the people she loves from herself and the danger following her.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple

    Audible

     

    Oh My Stars by S-Jay Hart

    Can you ever find something you never knew you’d lost?

    You can outgrow a place, it’s common knowledge. You can even outgrow people. Honey Rosenberg has spent her entire life in the small town of Verity Vale and it still fits her perfectly. She lives her life in certainties. She goes to work every day with her sisters at their family deli. She bakes sweet treats that the town clamor for and she spends her nights drinking cider and playing chess, under the moonlight, with her elderly neighbor and best friend.

    Everything is idyllic.

    But life can turn on a dime and when it does, she wonders if things will ever feel the same.

    Liv Henderson thought she had it all, beautiful girlfriend, a luxury seventh-floor apartment with a city view and job she always wanted. But then she is handed something she never asked for. The deed to a place she barely remembers. Suddenly nothing is what it seems and Liv starts to question everything she’s ever known, including herself. As Liv’s life starts to unfurl around her she soon comes to learn that in order to find ourselves we have to be ourselves.

    Sometimes all you have to do is look up.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Striking Gold by Tiana Warner

    When nature lover Ivy inherits a plot of land in the rugged interior of British Columbia, she sets off to escape city life and build her dream homestead. She instantly clashes with her beautiful but frosty neighbor, Annie, who wants to buy Ivy’s land to solve a centuries-old Gold Rush mystery.

    Ivy instead offers to help Annie finish her grandfather’s lifelong quest if Annie will help her build her off-grid oasis. But as they draw closer, Ivy is caught between protecting her land and falling for the ice queen determined to dig it up.

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

     

    The Bigger Picture by Violet Morley

    When Sage’s best friend Marshal asks if she would be his wife, she is prepared to spend the rest of her life helping his political campaign. Sage understands the life she is walking into and has come to peace with what it means for her.

    After an unfortunate incident, Jayden must move back home. Luckily her twin, Marshal, offers her the guest house on his property. Jayden accepts, wanting nothing more than to provide a safe place for her nine-year-old daughter, Lila, while she reevaluates her life.

    Sage and Jayden get off to a rocky start, but while Sage finds herself battling her carefully constructed walls, Jayden struggles to hide her growing feelings for her twin’s fiancée.

    A feel-good romance about two women who find each other by looking at the bigger picture.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Leave a comment

    What book will you be reading for the “vegetarian or vegan character” category? Let us know in the comments!

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  • A Study in Drowning – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning, #1)A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    Five VERY enthusiastic stars!

    What a fabulous read. After all the hype I was ready to be disappointed, but the opposite was true.
    Very well-written, extremely atmospheric, spooky and with a definite feminist aura.

    Yes, I kind of knew (or thought I knew) one of the big reveals (who the real writer was) but other than that it was all surprising (in a good way) and well crafted into the whole plot.

    Can’t wait to read the sequel.

    Well done Ms. Reid. Thank you for a wonderful trip into another world.

    View all my reviews

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  • Problematic Summer Romance – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    Problematic Summer Romance (Not in Love, #2)Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    Another great Hazelwood romance. Ali Hazelwood has quickly become a favorite rom com writer of mine because of how she balances humor with the more serious side of life in a quirky but very intelligent and feministic way. This book is no different.

    I loved almost everything about it. The setting, the banter, the extended family and friends, the dog (OMG, the dog), the slow-burn romance… I can’t tell you how much this book made me smile in almost every page. It’s as close to perfection as you can get.

    There were a couple things that I didn’t like, both very personal so don’t let that stop you from reading the book.

    One was the fact that I wasn’t quite sold on the “I-can’t-touch-her-or-let-her-touch-me” age gap thingy. Their age difference wasn’t really that wide for such a fuss and Conor’s weird “policy” of “no-touching” didn’t sit down well with me. That said, the story flows so well and the characters are so likable that in the end it didn’t really matter that much.

    The other thing was the use of a certain 4-letter word (that rhymes with punt) that has a very crass and honestly, disrespectful connotation for me. The fact that the FMC used it frequently to describe her own female parts really rubbed me the wrong way. Every time she’d say that, it made me feel that Maya really hated herself or thought of herself as filth, unworthy of respect. Hazelwood writes some seriously hot sex scenes with a lot of feeling mixed in (one of the reasons I love her books so much) but when Maya would use the C-word it just kind of ruined it for me.

    Again, personal opinions.

    In brief: the book is awesome, it will have you both laughing out loud and swooning, and both Maya and Conor are amazing together. Highly recommend it.

    View all my reviews

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  • A River Enchanted – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    I fell in love with Rebecca Ross’ stories after reading The Divine Rivals duology which I found to be fabulous: well written and so full of surprises it left constantly wondering what would happen next. So I was very excited to read her previous work, A River Enchanted duology.

    The positives first: again, she writes a beautiful, lyrical world well-developed and magical. The characters are also well developed and likable. The fact that Cadence mirrored the lands of bygone Scotland made me swoon. I also liked the fact that almost all her characters have flaws which makes them very human and therefore more relatable.

    Now the negatives: I got engaged pretty early on (this is a good thing) but after a few chapters I began to feel that something was off and I couldn’t figure out exactly what. Then I realized that there was a lot of passive voice throughout the story and frequent head-hopping. A lot of “she realized”, “he noticed”, that kind of thing. The dialogue was a bit stilted as well and at times it didn’t ring authentic to me. Now, my guess is that Ross did this to give the story a more “vintage” (for lack of a better word) feel to the story but for me it didn’t work very well.

    Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed the story and will be reading the conclusion to the duology, but I was a bit disappointed after reading her amazing “Divine Rivals” which read so much smoother. Still a fan, Ms Ross.

    View all my reviews

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  • Sapphic books set on an island (Sapphic Book Bingo #17)

    Sapphic books set on an island (Sapphic Book Bingo #17)

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    Sapphic books set on an island

    This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo features sapphic books set on an island.

    For this category, read a sapphic book where a significant portion of the story takes place on an island. It could be a tropical beach, a wind-swept, rocky archipelago, or a volcanic landscape with lush forests. Of course, you could also choose to read a book set on a completely fictional island.

    According to Wikipedia, an island is “an area of land surrounded by water on all sides that is distinct from a continent.”

     

    15 sapphic books set on an island

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books set on an island.x

     

    When the Stars Sang by Caren J. Werlinger

    Nearly twenty-five years ago, Kathleen Halloran’s brother drowned during the last summer they ever spent with their grandmother on a remote island off Maine’s coast. Like a siren’s call she can’t resist, Kathleen is pulled back to Little Sister Island. She leaves her job and her girlfriend, packs up her few belongings, and moves into her grandmother’s cottage. Molly Cooper loves life on Little Sister, where the islanders take care of their own. Kathleen Halloran doesn’t belong here, and her arrival stirs up unwelcome memories for the islanders—including Molly’s brother. Molly is certain Kathleen will pack up at the first big blow. When she doesn’t, Molly begins to see maybe there’s more to Kathleen than she thought. Sometimes, before you can move forward, you have to look back.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Can’t Buy Me Love by Georgia Beers

    London Granger gave up her modeling career for investigative journalism only to discover no one would hire her to write anything but fluff. The only way to get ahead? Investigate something people will actually read. That’s how her next assignment becomes “What’s it Really Like to Be a Billionaire?” Her boss hooks her up on a glitzy getaway to St. Kitts undercover, as the totally platonic companion of media mogul Miranda Northbrooke.

    Tennyson Security protects the rich and famous, and Kayla Tennyson built it from the ground up. She has more money than she can spend, but sorting through the fakes and finding someone honest and genuine is tough. She tried with Miranda Northbrooke, and it ended in disaster. But the gorgeous writer she meets while protecting a movie star on St. Kitts just might be the real deal. Until she learns London and Miranda are at the resort together.

    London isn’t sure what she expected of Miranda’s ex, but it certainly wasn’t strength and beauty. And while Kayla would like to write London off as Miranda’s new plaything, she can’t get past how smart and funny she is. London and Kayla are perfect for one another, but if London reveals the ruse, she risks not only the opportunity of her career, but Kayla’s trust as well.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Posing in Paradise by TB Markinson & Miranda MacLeod

    Margo Wells hates everything about Hollywood. Especially actors. But she loves her job as a wardrobe supervisor, until a spoiled film legend has her fired for an accident on set that wasn’t even her fault. Margo faces the real possibility of returning home to Minnesota in defeat. That is until a friend suggests a crazy solution: pose as his cousin’s fiancée for a family wedding in Hawaii and earn some cold, hard cash.

    There’s just one problem. It turns out the cousin in question is none other than Caroline Jacobs, the woman responsible for Margo losing her job. Unfortunately, there’s too much at stake to back out, especially after a desperate Caroline offers to triple Margo’s pay to go through with the charade.

    What could go wrong?

    How about three of Caroline’s most famous exes showing up at the same exclusive island resort at the same time?

    Now Caroline and Margo will have to turn in the performances of their lives to avoid being caught in a lie. But can Margo survive being trapped for two weeks in paradise with so many Hollywood A-listers without choking on her lines? Or worse, falling madly in love with the beguiling blond she’s sworn to hate?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    The Dating Countdown by N.G. Peltier

    Remi Daniels knows what she wants: Maxine King. She screwed up when they were teenagers, but now that Maxine is divorced and back on the island their chemistry can’t be denied. And Remi is ready to pick up right where they left off.

    Maxine King has only ever fooled around with one woman: Remi Daniels. And being back in each other’s orbits they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Maxine has enough to deal with as single mom to her gorgeous daughter and trying to prove herself at work. She can’t add lusting after Remi to that list. To prove that their relationship can be more than just sex, Maxine suggests they keep things casual and go on 10 friend dates. After all, if they can do that it would mean they’re serious about each other right?

    But their dates keep getting reset as they keep breaking their pact. Remi’s getting restless because not making it to the 10 days by their imposed deadline means failure which sucks because each date just shows her how much more she wants Maxine. As the two women try to navigate this budding relationship they both have to combat their Maxine’s of falling for a woman and Remi’s of worrying that Maxine will reject her at the end of their deal.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    See You Next Month by Jamey Moody

    Web designer Kelsey Kenny always dreamed of spending Christmas at the beach, but when her daughters make other plans, she is left on her own. A chance call from her client in the Virgin Islands has her packing her bags for an exciting stay at their resort while she views the property for a website redesign.

    After her divorce, the idea of spending her first Christmas without her two young sons had Isabella Burns anything but merry. To keep from ruining Christmas for the rest of her family, Isabella decided to put her energy into her work. Her newest client was a brand renovation for a resort in the Virgin Islands. There would be plenty of sunshine, tropical drinks and not a hint of snow.

    On their first night, Kelsey and Isabella realize they are the only singles at the resort and quickly become friends. While brainstorming ideas with the CEO they come up with a unique marketing plan that has them returning every month to highlight a specific vacation.

    As their friendship deepens, sparks begin to fly. Is this the island magic the locals talk about? Why does it feel like they’re leaving their hearts in paradise? Could they bring paradise home?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    No One But You by Catherine Maiorisi

    Having been abandoned on her wedding day, bestselling novelist Lily Alexander is understandably cautious about dating again. Wealthy tech entrepreneur and notorious playgirl Robin DiLuca, on the other hand, loves to date. She just doesn’t do commitment.

    When beautiful blond Lily and handsome butch Robin lock eyes across a crowded bar, the current flowing between this unlikely pair is more electrifying than anything either has felt before. Thus begins a long and sultry dance that will lead them to the altar and the promise of the perfect future.

    But when the premature birth of their baby awakens horrendous secrets from Robin’s long-repressed past, she believes the only way to protect Lily and their daughter is to leave. Her decision devastates both women and all those who love them.

    Can Robin’s unexpected encounter with a stranger on a beach be the catalyst for healing these two shattered hearts?

    Available at:

    Bella Books

    Amazon

     

    Calling Home by Jen Silver

    Sarah Frost enjoys her dream job as director of the Frost Foundation making her home at one of their writers’ retreats, The Lodge on the Lake. The general manager of The Lodge is Berry Fields, an old childhood friend.

    Galen Thomas arrives at the island to fill the post of handy person, taking an extended break from her vet’s practice to help her decide how to shape her future life and career.

    When the next group of writers arrives for their two-week retreat, along with Sarah’s grandmother, tensions start to surface. Magda Frost doesn’t approve of the appointment of the “vet” and still questions Sarah’s decision to hire Berry.

    The island idyll is soon undermined by the revelation of events from forty years earlier, threatening the lives and loves of Sarah, Berry, and Galen. Calling home and what they now call home—all are affected by the disturbing legacy from the past.

    Available at:

    Affinity Rainbow Publications

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Paradise Lost and Found by K. Aten

    “Welcome to Paradise Island Resort, where we specialize in sun, sand, and self-improvement.”

    Jess Parker has entered middle age single, bitter, and emotionally wounded. Even her friends have noticed her downward spiral into anger and resentment. Then she wins a self-help vacation to the beautiful Paradise Island Resort. Despite spending the past few years with her emotions on ice, the warm tropical climate and hotter resort manager, Lucia Cruz, succeeds in thawing her heart. Jess falls for Lucia, even knowing that her island stay is limited. Four weeks is hardly long enough when love is on the line.

    Jess will need to make some tough choices about the rest of her life when her time is up. She’s vowed to be a better person and has started making positive changes, but it’s on Jess to put her heart and soul into it. She also holds onto the hope that some connections, no matter how unexpected, simply can’t be broken.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Lost in Paradise by Rachel Lacey

    When a Manhattan businesswoman and a reclusive French artist are stranded together on a deserted island, opposites attract…and sparks fly. But with love on the horizon, will they survive to claim their happy ending?

    Nicole Morella boards a private Mediterranean cruise with one goal: to reclaim herself after her divorce. When she sits next to a beautiful blonde in the ship’s lounge, she’s knocked off balance by the immediate attraction between them, and it’s not just because Nicole hasn’t found her sea legs yet. Fiona stirs things in Nicole that haven’t been stirred in a long time, but a fiery kiss turns dangerous when the ship is hijacked. The women launch a daring escape, leaving them adrift in an empty lifeboat.

    Fiona Boone has been adrift most of her life, but never in such a literal sense. She’s a survivor, though, so when they land on a deserted island, Fiona’s ready to do whatever it takes to stay alive until they’re rescued. In the meantime, she can’t get enough of the feisty woman she’s stranded with, despite her usual fiercely independent nature. Although they’re lost, Fiona finds something unexpected in the comfort of Nicole’s touch. But when an injury puts her life in jeopardy, they begin to worry help won’t arrive in time. If she survives their ordeal, Fiona might just face her biggest challenge yet: falling in love.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Saltblood by TC Parker

    A remote island. A group of prisoners. And an evil as old as time.

    Robin didn’t mean to break the law. Didn’t know at first what law she’d broken. And now she’s on her way to Salt Rock – a new-model prison for a new kind of criminal, way out in the remote Northern Isles of Scotland. On Salt Rock, she’ll meet other prisoners like her – men and women from all over the world, spirited away from the lives they knew for crimes they didn’t know they were committing. She’ll uncover the complex web of conspiracy that connects them all, confronting some of the darkness of her own past in the process. And she’ll come face to face, finally, with an evil as old as the land itself.

    It’s hell in those waters.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Between Boat & Shore by Rhiannon Grant

    When Aleuks arrives in Otter Village, she’s looking for shelter from a storm and somewhere to trade. In Trebbi, she finds much more: a beautiful, confident woman who is serving her community and making space for love – for Aleuks. As the people of Otter Village come to terms with the death of their previous leader and work to appoint a new one, Trebbi comes into her own strength and Aleuks, previously a committed traveller, begins to realise that this is a place where she could settle down.

    This is a gentle romance story with a happy ending. It’s set in the neolithic period, just as farming arrives in Britain and when people are building megalithic tombs, stone circles, and other monuments which survive to intrigue us today. The novel describes the Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland, where the famous Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe, the Tomb of the Eagles, Skara Brae village, and many other ancient remains give clues about what life would have been like at the time.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Islands of Mice by Lucy Jacobs

    Norway. 1942.

    The islands of Smøla are darkened not just by the long nights, but by blackout and Occupation. Solveig Eik dreams of being a hero. She’s bored of her everyday life, of tearing propaganda posters off walls, listening to hidden radios, and arguing with Liv Sunde – the islands’ glamourous schoolteacher and the girlfriend of the German colonel.

    Opportunity steps out of the shadows when she finds a man, hiding from the Germans in a cave. As Solveig navigates treacherous waters and her plans spiral out of control, she finds that all too often the line between patriot, hero and traitor is razor thin.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Broad Awakening by Mickey Brent

    After kissing at the Belgian coast, Hélène and Sylvie find ruts in their road to eternal bliss. In this sequel to Underwater Vibes, Hélène struggles to avoid Sylvie, her sexy Greek swimming coach. Attempting to shun her deepest emotions to save her marriage, inner turmoil makes Hélène react in bizarre, self-destructive ways. An intimate dinner turns sour as Sylvie’s tempting ex lurks nearby. When Sylvie heads to the airport with a mysterious, gorgeous woman, and a psychic reveals unexpected news, Hélène must face up to her feelings or risk losing Sylvie forever.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Under Her Roof by Allison Temple

    My name is Gillian and I have three problems:

    A fallen tree through the roof of my family’s remote island cottage.

    A sister trying to sell said cottage out from under me.

    A dead body in the living room. Sadly, it’s not my sister’s.

    Actually, make that four problems: my ex, Amanda, just showed up uninvited. Apparently, she’s a spy, undercover to investigate the luxury wine auction hosted by my conniving sister.

    We’ve got no connection to the mainland and a murderer on the island, so tonight Amanda and I have three missions:

    Find the killer

    Stay alive

    Escape by sunrise

    Actually, make that four missions: Do not fall in love, because apparently Amanda and I are far from over.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Blade of the Crown by Cara N. Delaney

    When crown princess Zhenya’s father dies, she knows what her future holds. With weak magic of her own, she is expected to marry someone who will bring true power back into the bloodline. But before she can make her decision, Zhenya narrowly survives an ambush – and finds herself in a new predicament.

    Keryth has spent years fighting her way up the ranks of the royal guard, but her ambitions reach even higher – commander, or even the monarch’s personal entourage. When the king dies, she sees an opportunity, but before she has a chance to impress her new queen, she has to make a rash decision to save both their lives.

    Stranded on a remote island and trapped by a strange fog, Zhenya and Keryth are forced to work together to survive. In such close proximity, it doesn’t take long for the lines between royalty and commoner to blur, and feelings blossom that neither woman is sure they can afford.

    Their fragile peace is shattered when they make a harrowing discovery – their misfortune was not an accident. Now in a race against time, they both need to find their strength and unravel the mystery of the island to return home, or risk losing everything – and each other.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Encrypted Hearts by E.V. Bancroft

    Cam Langley, a sharp-witted codebreaker at Bletchley Park, dresses like a man and makes no secret of who she is. Gloria Edwards, eager to escape her domineering father, joins the war effort and is quickly drawn into Cam’s orbit.

    Cam feels an immediate attraction, while Gloria is caught off guard, having only ever been with men. As they work closely together, their connection deepens, but a spy within Bletchley threatens to destroy everything.

    Can they survive the chaos of war, or will secrets tear them apart?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Crowns & Swords by J.L. Meyrick

    Freddie, a runaway princess, is determined to elude her parents’ attempt to sell her into a loveless marriage.

    Grace, captain of the Sea Dragon, is trying to keep her crew out of trouble.

    Suddenly immersed in an alternative way of life, Freddie must weigh whether she’s ready to overhaul everything she was raised to expect. She’s introduced to an entire community of people just as they’re thrown into peril. Drawn into the war, she fought so hard to avoid.

    When the tri-kingdom war reaches the shores of their little hideaway, Grace must lead her crew and her people against the dangerous villain invading the community.

    Can they win against Valentine, or will their newfound romance be lost to the sea?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Leave a comment

    What book will you be reading for the “sapphic books set on an island” category? Let us know in the comments!

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  • Characters with a strong initial dislike (Sapphic Book Bingo #16)

    Characters with a strong initial dislike (Sapphic Book Bingo #16)

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    Characters with a strong initial dislike

    This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category features characters with a strong initial dislike. That animosity might develop into an enemies-to-lovers romance, but the dislike between the characters won’t always go that far. Sometimes, their personalities simply clash or they are rivals competing for the same goal. In any case, the two characters can’t stand each other in the beginning of the book.

     

    15 sapphic books featuring characters with a strong initial dislike

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books in which the characters start out not liking each other.

     

    Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae

    At a singles auction where no one was bidding on love, a warmhearted ER nurse finds herself dating a prickly doctor in this enemies-to-lovers lesbian romance.

    Ellie Fisher loves most things about being a nurse in the emergency department…just not working with Regina Novak, an icy attending physician who acts as if she’s God’s gift to medicine.

    The dislike is completely mutual. Regina thinks Ellie is a starry-eyed romantic with a sentimental attitude that has no place at work.

    When Regina gets talked into volunteering at a singles auction, Ellie accidentally bids on her—and ends up winning. Oops!

    Since the money raised is for a good cause, they reluctantly decide to go through with the dates.

    Thanks to a baking class that turns into a competition and a hot-as-hell road trip snack incident, the ice between them starts to thaw. Is it possible the ER isn’t the most unromantic place on earth after all?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Cabin Fever by Addison M. Conley

    Kate Minton’s life is collapsing. She’s fired, her estranged father dies, and her girlfriend dumps her. Her older half-brothers inherit everything, and all Kate gets is a remote, rundown Idaho cabin that no one knew existed. But if Kate lives there for a year, she’ll inherit half a million dollars. The move leads her to family secrets and an infuriating, and inconveniently sexy, contractor. She goes for the money, but will she stay for something deeper?

    Riley Anderson lives in rural Idaho, helping her aunt run the family store and maintaining her construction business, while also avoiding dealing with a past that continues to haunt her. When she takes on Kate’s cabin renovations, she’s not impressed with the city slicker. But as they’re forced to spend time together, they find they have more in common than either of them could have ever imagined.

    Will the pull of the big city be too much to resist? Will Riley find the strength to trust Kate, or will cabin fever be too much to bear?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    No Shelter But the Stars by Virginia Black

    Kyran Loyal is the last heir to the lost throne of a forgotten planet, the figurehead of a nomadic people fleeing the galactic tyranny of a brutal regime. Davia Sifane is the unrecognized daughter of an imperial despot. When happenstance pits them against each other in battle, neither expects the outcome: they are the only two people to survive. Marooned on a barren moon, their only hope of survival is to rely on each other, but what they learn will either kill them or change the galaxy forever.

    Available at:

    Bywater Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    She Sings of Old, Unhappy, Far-off Things by Caren J. Werlinger

    Margaret Braithwaite was a rising Regency scholar and an acclaimed author. Thirty years later, she’s a one-book wonder, a fifty-something college professor with the dubious distinction of being an expert on Jane Austen, hidden in the shadow of her famous husband and his Civil War novels. “Too young to retire, and too old to start over,” Margaret feels as dried up and dead as the neglected gardens her husband took such pride in before he became ill.

    Wyck Fitzsimmons is the Asheville landscape architect Gavin Braithwaite hires to restore his precious gardens to their former glory. She learned a long time ago that plants and trees are safer and more reliable companions than other people.

    Under Wyck’s care, the gardens begin to come back to life, but the flowers aren’t the only thing blossoming. For the first time in decades, Margaret feels the stirrings of love, but those long-buried feelings frighten her more than the prospect of withering away alone in her ivory tower of academia.

    Gavin, more observant than most people give him credit for, sees the attraction developing between his wife and his gardener. Using every means at his disposal, he arranges things so that Margaret has no choice but to remain faithful to him, even after death.

    Margaret, confused and faced with losing everything that offers her any kind of security, flees to England – to Austen and Wordsworth country – where she tries to forget Wyck and all the feelings she has awakened.

    Back in North Carolina, Wyck must come to terms with her own past and somehow find a way to forgive before it’s too late to make amends.

    Love, it seems, can take root in even the most barren hearts, if only Margaret and Wyck can find the courage to let it grow.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    A Calculated Risk by Cari Hunter

    Detective Jo Shaw has it all worked out. She’s good at her job, she has loads of mates, and she likes being single. She doesn’t need complications, but an emergency call to the stabbing of a young woman brings plenty of those. Jo has to risk her career to save the woman’s life, and a bad night gets worse when the trauma surgeon turns out to be Isla Munro, Jo’s only real love, who walked out on her fifteen years ago and never came back.

    With the victim’s children missing and the husband the prime suspect, Jo’s investigation is stonewalled by a community living in fear. As one dead end leads to another, she and Isla are forced to put their differences aside and work together. But the case is far more dangerous than Jo realizes, and her determination to sort the truth from the lies may put her own life on the line.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd

    Mattie Belman’s life has gone from dismal to desperate. After the loss of her acting career, her marriage, and her usual optimism, she’s back home teaching high school theater. Maybe it’ll be a fresh start.

    St. Rita’s arrogant soccer coach Jillian Reed sees Mattie’s musical as an outrageous distraction for her champion players. When Jillian declares war, Mattie is far too stubborn to back down.

    But as Mattie discovers there might be more to Jillian than spectacle, fire, and ego, she gets dangerously close to her iron-willed colleague. Can she avoid temptation? Or will the growing flame in Jillian’s dark eyes ignite them both?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Ready to Score by Jodie Slaughter

    Jade Dunn has spent years trying to climb her way to the top of the southern high school football food chain. Now, the only thing standing between her and that future head coach spot is years of small-town good ‘ol boy politics. When she scores an invite to a highly coveted monthly poker game perfect for networking, she jumps at the chance for a seat at the table. Only to find the one person with the ability to shake her there. An infuriatingly sexy art teacher who plays her cards like she’s gunning for Jade’s deserved spot.

    Francesca Lim never thought she’d be happy in a small town, not after living and breathing hardcore Texas football her whole life. But two years ago, the promise of forever love had her leaving behind a burgeoning coaching career for a new life – only for it to burst into flames. Now, she has a chance to gain back a piece of her life she thought she’d left in Houston. The only one standing in the way? The prickly assistant coach that Francesca can’t keep her mind or hands off of.

    Not wanting to risk losing out on a dream job, Jade and Francesca can’t afford to give in to the iron hot attraction that simmers beneath their biting interactions, so they try desperately to ignore it. Too bad their hearts don’t seem to be as on board with the game plan.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    A Heart Full of Hope by Cheyenne Blue

    Smalltown handywoman Hazel Lee has learned to live her best life regardless of what the universe throws at her. But her patience is sorely tested when a bossy, big-city executive blows in and starts questioning Hazel’s motives for helping an elderly friend.

    High-powered businesswoman Imogen Alexander has her career all set. Then her elderly uncle takes a bad fall in his home. Imogen figures she can surely run his life as tightly as her work, but she doesn’t count on an annoying local woman being all up in his business.

    Hazel has one leg, two jobs, and a whole bunch of opinions. Worse, now meddling old Uncle George seems intent on match-making the women together.

    But what could an icy standoffish executive in hot skirt suits possibly have in common with a cute butch with charm to burn?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    We Met in a Bar by Claire Forsythe

    Wealthy nightclub owner Erica turns undercover bartender on a mission to catch a thief. The ridiculous idea seemed comical when her brother proposed it. After all, Erica has never worked a day in her life. But when her pushy mother plays matchmaker with yet another woman Erica isn’t interested in, she escapes on a train to London, to a club she hasn’t set foot in since inheriting it. There she meets no strings, no commitments Charlie, who couldn’t be further from Erica’s type. Erica has never met anyone who gets under her skin so much, and that’s surely a bad thing, right?

    Charlie lives for the thrill of the chase. She loves women a little too much to imagine herself settling down. The very thought of a relationship is a terrifying prospect. It doesn’t matter anyway because she’s never met anyone who has held her interest for anything longer than a quick fling. All that changes when she meets the mysterious new bartender at her local club. Getting to know the obnoxious yet beautiful woman is a challenge she can’t resist. She just hadn’t bargained on her heart getting involved.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    For Love and Liberty by Eden Hopewell

    Abigail Caldwell never expected to inherit her family’s textile empire. Now, burdened by a legacy built on exploitation, she’s determined to make things right. But changing a system ingrained in centuries of tradition and prejudice is harder than she imagined. Especially when her heart yearns for something—someone—society forbids.

    Sarah Moore knows the mill’s harsh realities all too well. Every day is a struggle for survival, a battle against a system designed to grind down those deemed unworthy. When a workers’ strike erupts, Sarah finds herself leading the charge, her fiery passion igniting hearts and minds. But she never expected to find hope—and forbidden love—in the arms of the mill’s beautiful, enigmatic new owner.

    As their paths collide amidst the tumult of social unrest, Abigail and Sarah find themselves drawn to each other, their connection defying the chasm that separates their worlds. But the more they fight for a just future, the more their forbidden love threatens to unravel everything they hold dear.

    Will they risk their hearts—and their futures—for a love that could shatter the very foundations of Philadelphia society?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Reel to Real Love by Elle E. Ire

    Finding the right romantic partner is always a challenge—especially when your first spouse turns out to be a greedy, business-obsessed hardass who winds up on her CEO office floor with a bullet through her brain.

    After the murder of her first wife, Elaine is ready for a vacation and a solid relationship with a woman who only has time for her. Thanks to some found alien technology, Elaine can get what she wants… sort of. Okay, so a computer-generated tangible holographic image of a twentieth-century film star is about as far from “solid” as it gets. But as her themed pleasure cruise on a passenger starliner progresses and an additional plot to murder Elaine reveals itself, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to her fantasy companion.

    Ricky might be the result of exceptional programming, but she proves to be more than the sum of her particles. She shows Elaine more affection, and eventually more protection, than any so-called “real” woman in her life ever has, leaving Elaine to wonder—are Ricky’s feelings for her truly artificial? Or is this REEL TO REAL LOVE?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Where the Waves Kiss the Shore by Iona Kane

    Kasia Wojcik has poured her heart and soul into running the charming hotel she now calls home on the breathtaking Irish island of Inishderry. If only the indifferent Walsh family who own the place shared her dedication.

    Enter Tierney Walsh, a free spirit who believes life is too short for commitments. She sees her family’s island home as a place for laughter and leisure, not responsibility and hard work.

    As winter’s chill sets in, Kasia and Tierney find themselves thrown together on the island. Can they bridge their differences to save their cherished hotel? And amid their struggle, will they also discover a love that can weather any storm?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Score to Love by Johana Gavez

    Antonia Carvalho left her native Brazil in search of a dream: a professional soccer career and better opportunities for her and her brother. The plan is simple; score as many goals as possible with the Houston Starlight and become one of their top players. She won’t let anything get in the way. Not even Camila Sánchez, her attractive but annoying teammate.

    Camila Sánchez spent all her life in the shadow of her father, a former soccer star and coach. There’s no time for distractions as she fights to show everyone she deserves her spot on the team. Playing for the Houston Starlight is her opportunity to shine. She won’t let Antonia steal her spot on the team, no matter how much chemistry they have in bed.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    An Unlikely Partnership by Katie Trapp

    Rue Lovelace was not accustomed to change. She enjoyed her mundane life. So, when her mentor abruptly skips town leaving her in his place as Head Custos witch and new owner of a mystery ring, she doesn’t handle it the best, especially when she finds out part of her new role is to assist the police with Other-world issues. If it got out that she was working with the cops, her family business would be ruined.

    An uptick in Other-world crime has workaholic Detective Niko Moscato running on empty, or at least that’s what she’s telling herself. When a man is murdered, her whole world flips upside down upon meeting the sassy witch currently in the Head Custos position. She’s met with a wall of ice that doesn’t help the case. And neither do the new feelings fluttering in her chest.

    Both women struggle to navigate the new partnership while keeping a few secrets hidden away. But when the murders start getting a little too close to home, they have to begin doing something neither is good at relying on each other. The pressure is on to solve the case quickly before anyone else is killed. Or their partnership implodes. Either way, it’s going to get messy before it’s all over.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Tapping into Love by Monica McCallan

    Lucy Parsons wants absolutely nothing to do with the Westmoore family or the maple syrup they produce. When Sierra Westmoore blows back into town after her father’s death and tries to rent a room at Lucy’s family’s bed-and-breakfast, The Maple Inn, Lucy kicks her out on the spot. It doesn’t matter that Sierra hasn’t set foot in Maple Run in fifteen years—the Westmoores are not allowed.

    But small towns don’t leave a lot of room to hide, and Sierra and her brother, Drake, have set their sights on improving the town’s opinion of them now that their father is gone.

    Lucy doesn’t believe any Westmoore could have good intentions, and although she may have to play nice with Sierra, it doesn’t mean she’s going to like it.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Hate to Love You by Shannon O’Connor

    Two unlikely roommates, hot summer nights & a forbidden sapphic romance.

    Ryleigh:

    When Alana suggested I move into the second house on the Lovers Estate, I took her up on it. Even though that meant sharing the space with Alana’s little sister, who happened to hate my guts.

    Wrenn:

    Of course my older sister just had to open her big mouth and invite her friend to stay with me. It was bad enough having to see her in my sister’s wedding, but to see her at my kitchen table? I thought after we hooked up that it might be the start of something, until the next morning when I woke up alone. Now all she wants to do is talk about what happened and I just want to avoid her.

    Ryleigh and Wrenn are sure they still hate each other but as the summer nights heat up, so do their feelings.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Leave a comment

    What book will you be reading for the “characters with a strong initial dislike” category? Let us know in the comments!

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  • Character rides a motorcycle (Sapphic Book Bingo #15)

    Character rides a motorcycle (Sapphic Book Bingo #15)

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    Character rides a motorcycle

    This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo features sapphic books in which the main character rides a motorcycle. Picture rumbling engines, sexy leather jackets, and that rush you get on a bike ride!

    Maybe the character is a proud member of Dykes on Bikes, or they just enjoy the freedom of the open road.

     

    15 sapphic books in which the main character rides a motorcycle

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books with a main character who rides a motorcycle.

     

    Don’t Give a Nix by Ali Williams

    Being a Nix is bad enough, what with water pollution and the world’s aversion to river demons, but when the River Arun’s Goddess turns matchmaker, nothing will be the same again for the Nixes of her river.

    Kit

    Running a pub by a river isn’t easy for a Nix, but I’m determined to have an ordinary life. So what if my hands are covered in burns from accidentally touching steel kegs? It’s a small price to pay to see my best friend Marla every day. To be normal. But the river goddess Trisantona wants more from me, and I’ll be damned if I comply…

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Incendiant by Virginia Black

    War witch Joan Matthews wants little more than to build a life with Leigh Phan. Their hometown is rebuilding under Joan’s protection, but not everyone is happy with her solution to the most recent vampire crisis.

    Meanwhile, Leigh’s bloodling powers lead to unforeseen consequences, and Joan is forced to honor a favor owed to a dangerous foe. Neither knows a greater threat lurks behind seemingly unrelated attacks across the land.

    Together, Joan and Leigh once saved the town of Calvert. Now that they are separated, each must learn to save herself, or all their gains will be forfeited—and everyone they know will pay the price.

    Available at:

    Bywater Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    One Golden Summer by Clare Lydon & TB Markinson

    Would you trade fame for love?

    Saffron Oliver is the golden girl. Golden hair. Golden skin. Golden movie career.

    Only one problem: she hates it.

    She flees to her sister’s seaside town – where she meets the confident & charming Kirsty McBride.

    Kirsty is everything Saffron wants to be. Perhaps also, everything she wants.

    But Saffron can’t have it all. So now, she has to decide: does she crave Kirsty enough to blow up her golden life?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    For Better or Worse by Amy DeMeritt

    When Toni’s wife, Corinne, receives a mysterious letter that sends her flying out of their apartment without explanation, their once perfect and happy marriage and life become embroiled in doubts and fears.

    What was in that letter? Who was it from? Is Corinne in danger?

    Before Toni can learn the answers to those questions, she learns something about her own past that shatters everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Her father and uncle didn’t just teach her and her brother, Nico, how to protect themselves against schoolyard bullies and street thugs. With distant ties to the Italian mafia in New York, they were always under a certain undefinable level of danger, even in Denver, Colorado.

    While mending their marriage, and preparing their minds and bodies for their new reality, the past catches up to them. Caught in the middle of a war between mafia factions, the promise of for better or worse that Toni and Corinne made to each other on their wedding day over five years ago, is put to the ultimate test.

    Can they survive the mafia assassins hunting them? And if they do, will their marriage survive?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Last Chance by Claire Highton-Stevenson

    Nora Brady has one last shot at the career she adores. After a devastating injury knocks her off the women’s football A-list, the tenacious midfielder accepts an offer to play for a struggling young team longing to compete in the big time. With matches to win and a reputation to prove, nothing can disrupt Nora’s laser-focus on her goal…except her ridiculously sexy new boss.

    Gabriella Dean will do whatever it takes to build a top-tier program. Even if it means signing the hot, confident player who awakens her long-slumbering passion. The more Gabby gets to know Nora, the more her attraction and feelings for the younger woman grow, but giving into her desires could lead to professional failure, public embarrassment, and the heartache she’s guarded herself against for so long.

    As Nora and Gabby’s connection deepens, it threatens their careers and the future of the lovable, motley group of young women they’ve both come to view as family. With the weight of the entire team’s hopes and dreams resting on them, will they risk everything to follow their hearts?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Stormy Ink by Diana Jayne

    Art graduate Jade O’Connor is on a mission. She needs an intricate tattoo—something elegant and beautiful—to cover her perceived imperfections. Her search for the right artist brings her to a Hawke’s Bay tattoo studio and the surprising discovery that her crush from eight years ago owns it.

    Quiet, confident tattoo artist Taylor King is proud of her business and the life she’s built for herself. When Jade walks into her store, a spark ignites that goes beyond skin deep.

    As the women get swept up in each other, disaster strikes. Can Jade and Taylor’s newfound relationship survive the pressure of being forced into each other’s space? Is it all too much? Or is it true there are some things you can only learn in the darkness of a storm?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Don’t Call Me Hero by Eliza Lentzski

    It’s been over a year since Cassidy Miller retired from the United States Marine Corps, but try telling that to her nightmares. She knew that coming back after eight years in a war zone wouldn’t be easy, but she’d underestimated the real difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life. War is hell, but the aftermath is endless. Looking for a fresh start, she’s left her friends and career in Minneapolis to be a police officer in northern Minnesota.

    It’s in the tiny town of Embarrass where she learns more about Julia Desjardin. The city prosecutor is cool, professional, and untouchable. But she and Cassidy have history, and Cassidy isn’t going to let her easily forget that.

    For all their surface differences, Cassidy and Julia have more in common than they first realized—both are reluctant to hand over their pasts to be judged and studied. But it might take someone just as damaged as the other to help each cope with the skeletons in their respective closets.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Stunted Heart by Helena Harte

    A stunt rider who lives in the fast lane. An ER doctor who can’t take chances. A passion that could turn their worlds upside down.

    Taryn Taylor lives for adrenaline, on the bike and in the bedroom. Settling down has never been part of the plan. But when she meets brilliant, guarded ER doctor Cassandra Kennedy in Vegas, one night turns electric. Neither of them expects the spark to last… But what if this fire was meant to burn forever?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Loving Artemis by Janet Mason

    Artemis found the love of her life when she met Linda, but their passionate relationship fizzles when Artemis lands herself on the other side of the law. Pulling the pieces of her life together, Artemis rekindles her relationship with Linda, and together they raise a daughter.

    Meanwhile, Grace, running from her past, starts a life with Thalia. At a pride parade, Grace spots someone who reminds her of Artemis, who she was briefly involved with in her youth. Old feelings are rekindled. A lifetime of rejection, abandonment, and fleeing rears its head. Now she must come to terms with her past, put her relationship with Artemis to rest–or risk losing everything.

    Artemis and Grace embark on a journey of revolution, love, and marriage and discover that love finds us when we least expect it.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    The Found Jar by Jaycie Morrison

    Horror fiction writer Emily Harris just wants to be left alone with her work. But plagued by writer’s block, she reluctantly agrees to join her friends at their luxurious beach house for the summer. Maybe a change of scenery will inspire her.

    Local housekeeper Beck Reynolds keeps her life simple—saving for a boat and avoiding the town bullies while she attends art classes. Meeting successful but prickly Emily leaves her feeling awestruck, and she wants to make a good impression, even though Emily seems determined to run her off. But Beck’s not the one who is just visiting.

    Emily knows all about loss, and guilt, and rejection. Opening her heart has always gotten her hurt, and she’s absolutely not letting anyone in, even someone good, or good-looking, like Beck.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Straight Girls I’ve Loved Before by S.E. Chandler

    Sometimes one word is worth a thousand pictures.

    Perpetual player, Frankie, is dumped by her latest straight girlfriend for her serial philandering. But this time, Frankie knows Megan is worth fighting for. She vows to change her wandering ways to win her back. Her BF Sam encourages her soul-searching as Frankie pens letters to former lovers apologizing for how she hurt them.

    An online group of exes emerges revealing one of the very vulnerable letters Frankie sent. After it goes viral, Sam tries to help Frankie see the bright side. Frankie’s grandmother cooks up more than incredible Italian, and an unexpected revelation from an unrequited lover sends Frankie reeling…and right back to Megan.

    Will she earn her way back into Megan’s familiar arms with how much she’s changed, or will she take a chance on the woman who’s been there all along?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Starting Over by Jen Silver

    Ellie Winters, a successful potter, is living on a remote hilltop farm inherited from her parents. Her well-ordered life is shaken apart when her past meets her present. Robin Fanshawe, Ellie’s philandering long-term lover, has a fragile truce with Ellie. The arrival of women from Robin’s present threatens to break that tentative pact. Charming Dr. Kathryn Moss, an archaeologist and an old lover of Ellie’s, arrives on the farm searching for a new site to dig. When she discovers a previously unknown Roman settlement and ancient burial site on Ellie’s farm, Ellie allows her to start an archaeological dig of the area. Will Ellie also allow the rekindling of an old romance or will she stay with Robin? Can that long term relationship, albeit tentative, recover from this collision or will an old romance trump everything she knows? Will Robin, seeing the interaction between Ellie and Kathryn, leave her womanizing ways behind? Will she take a chance on giving herself wholly to the woman she loves? These questions and the mystery of whose royal resting place is disturbed at Starling Hill are answered in this classic romance of simmering passions, anguished loss, and the wonder of love.

    Available at:

    Affinity Rainbow Publications

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    For The 1000th Time by Jen-Lea Mercy

    Years ago, Abi left Vancouver heartbroken. Now she’s back — older, wiser, and sexier. Tess won’t know what hit her.

    Abi Young is well acquainted with unrequited love and the void it leaves behind. While she had hoped moving to a different city would extinguish any residual feelings for her best friend’s older sister, it turns out absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

    As the maid of honor, all Tess Moore wants is to give her sister the wedding of her dreams. Even if it means stepping out of her comfort zone and organizing a pre-wedding bridal party adventure. To make matters worse, the woman whose heart she shattered years ago will be participating. A woman she’s never been able to forget.

    After what happened between them, two weeks in proximity to Tess should be hell for Abi. Instead, she deems it one last chance to show Tess the woman she’s become.

    Will Tess be able to relax her role as the responsible sister long enough to notice? Or will Abi forever be seen as the kid with a silly crush?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Ignis by KJ

    Felicity Davis, principal of Rawson Girls Grammar School, is a passionate educator, an inspirational leader, some say even an ice queen, although she’s not sure about that last one. But one thing Felicity knows is that she is perfectly happy with her life. That is until the trauma, the darkness of her past, comes crashing into her present, revealing a deeply buried secret, and placing Felicity and those she loves in incredible danger. Inspector Tal Diamandis takes on the case, attempting to extinguish the flames of Felicity’s past before they consume her. Matters become complicated as Felicity and Tal realise their mutual spark of attraction but when they finally connect the shocking links, the explosive conclusion will leave everyone reeling.

    Can Felicity play with fire or will the fire become an inferno?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    It’s All About Bex by Melissa Tereze

    Ellis Patterson can’t lie, the unexpected visit of her best friend’s auntie could be the most exciting thing that’s happened since Ellis drifted to this small town several months ago. She pictures Bex Naylor as a typical favourite aunt: eccentric, childless, probably flitting about in flowered dresses, burning sage.

    But Bex defies every stereotype. Black leather on her long, slim body, motorcycle to match, Bex has been following the wind for a year. And when those bright green eyes lock with Ellis’, she feels like she’s died and gone to heaven.

    Bex’s attraction to Ellis is instant and electrifying. Despite the younger woman’s butch appearance, there is a softness to her that Bex finds appealing. When she discovers how easy it is to make Ellis blush, Bex suspects making those dimpled cheeks bloom pink could become her favourite hobby while she’s back in town. But being home again is…complicated. The last thing she wants is to let old grudges and tangled family emotions touch Ellis’ sweetness.

    Though Bex can forgive, certain people will never forget. And one of them would like to see her gone—permanently.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Coffee, Cars, and Necromancy by Neen Cohen

    Stuck in a perpetual nightmare, Lily just wants a break. But a dead body stands in her way of a good cup of coffee and a day basking in the sun. As a necromancer, this job wasn’t hers to take. But this time she can’t turn away as the dead leads to the living—the one living person Lily never wanted to see again.

    Detective Larissa Alanor has been a pain in Lily’s existence. Ever since her baby sister died, Alanor has blamed one person and one person only, Lily. But the connections can’t be denied, as the past and the present collide.

    Will these two enemies come together to solve the real mystery? Or will they stick to their guns while more lives are at risk?

    Available at:

    Amazon
     

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