برچسب: MicroTrope

  • Teaching the other character a skill (Micro-Trope #9)

    Teaching the other character a skill (Micro-Trope #9)

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    Micro-trope - Teaching the other character a skill

    It’s time for another Micro-Trope category. This one features sapphic books in which one character teaches the other character a skill.

    It could be a practical skill such as cooking or fighting, a sport, or a craft such as pottery, woodworking, or knitting.

     

    15 sapphic books with the “teaching the other character a skill” micro-trope

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books that include at least one scene in which one character teaches the other a skill.

     

    Just for Show by Jae

    What happens when a perfectionist, overachieving psychologist and an impulsive, out-of-work actress start a fake relationship?

    Claire Renshaw thought she had it all: a successful career as a couples therapist, a publishing contract for her self-help book, and a happy relationship. But her perfect world falls apart when her fiancée calls off their engagement. Because of that, even her book deal might be off the table. After all, readers don’t want relationship advice from someone who can’t even make her own relationship work.

    So Claire sets out to hire herself a fake fiancée.

    Lana Henderson, the actress who shows up to audition for the role, is not exactly Claire’s ideal woman. Her frankness and the messes she leaves everywhere drive Claire up the wall. At least she won’t fall in love with someone like Lana.

    But soon, Lana starts to win her over with her big heart, tickle fights, and—gasp!—carbs after six. The longer they pretend to be a love-struck couple, the less fake their kisses feel and the more the lines between reality and role begin to blur.

    Once the book contract is signed, will they walk away or is their relationship no longer just for show?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Learning Curves by Rachel Lacey

    For Audrey Lind, working with clay still evokes memories of her favorite professor. The woman’s zeal for art history ignited Audrey’s own academic career—and her tweed blazers and British accent kindled her first female crush. After fate brings Audrey back to Northshire University to teach, she’s thrilled to be working alongside her former mentor, but the grumpy woman she encounters upon her return is nothing like the dynamo she remembers.

    Divorce and a stalling career have turned Dr. Michelle Thompson bitter and guarded. When Audrey swoops in to teach the Women in Art class Michelle’s been pitching for years, she longs to hate her. But her young rival is too kind, too enthusiastic, too irresistible. And her passion for life slowly reawakens Michelle’s own.

    Wary of age gaps and workplace politics, they suppress their smoldering attraction—until one wine-filled night at the pottery wheel puts their romantic truce to the test. Will they keep things on the tenure track or risk it all for love?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    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

     

    Just Marry Her by L.R. Martiny

    Missy Greenwood moves to St. Croix to take on her dream job as the assistant to famous television dog trainer Quincy Adams. She’s long harbored a crush on her hot boss as she watched her from the mainland. But now she’s face to face with her idol, and the young protégé is lost in lust.

    Quincy’ new assistant landed on her set just in time. Quincy’s ex is trying to weasel her way back into her life and the press is hounding her about her non-existent dating scene. Her solution: ask Missy to enter into a fake marriage that will get everyone off her back.

    It all seems simple enough, but Missy wants more than a marriage of convenience with her boss. And when the honeymoon gets super steamy, she wonders if can she manage to train Quincy’s hardened heart.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Holy Water and Whiskey Scars by Ali Spooner

    Faith Wilson and Logan Bronson have family secrets to protect and a legacy to uphold to support their small rural Appalachian community. Their commitment to each other is strong, and their desire to aid the struggling families however they can, lead them both down an exciting but dangerous path. Will their love continue to grow and be the glue that binds the community together, or will they flee the withering community?

    Available at:
    Amazon

     

    Sour Grapes by Eliza Lentzski

    At this stage in her life, June St. Clare never imagined she’d be starting all over again—a new job, a new city, a new love? Looking for a fresh start after tragedy, June finds herself the unexpected owner of Lark Estates—a micro winery in the heart of Napa Valley. There, June is determined to learn the business and do her best, even if she’s convinced that her assistant winemaker, the beautiful but elusive Lucia Santiago, wants to see her fail.

    Lucia Santiago grew up on vineyards, almost like a grapevine herself, working her way up from cellar rat to assistant winemaker. When the property where she works is suddenly sold to a woman with no prior experience, she can’t help but feel resentful of the winery’s lovely but inexperienced new owner. It’s too bad June’s helplessness is almost endearing, stirring up emotions Lucia didn’t quite expect.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Sister Matthew and Sister Rose: Novices in Love by Carol Anne Douglas

    Maureen Collins, recently named Sister Matthew in the novitiate at St. Euphrosnye’s convent in Western Maryland in 1962, doubts the existence of God. She entered the convent for several reasons: she thinks being surrounded by believers might help her believe; she knows she’s attracted to women and wants to avoid pressure to date men and marry; and she feels guilty about something that happened when she was in high school.

    She quickly falls in love with Rose Clancy, now Sister Rose, another novice who also is attracted to women. Rose is more religious, but she reciprocates Sister Matthew’s feelings. She grew up with an alcoholic mother and found a refuge among the nuns who taught her.

    As the two move through postulancy and the novitiate, they encounter many challenges from the strict rules to memories of their respective pasts. The memory of an old murder intrudes in the present.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Out at the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story by Lynn Ames

    “Dot Wilkinson was the greatest female catcher ever to play softball. A bold, pioneering athlete, she refused to let others define her and instead defined herself. Her story is an inspiration to people everywhere.” —Billie Jean King, Sports Icon and Champion for Equality

    It’s not simply that Dot Wilkinson was one of the most decorated women’s softball players, bowlers, and athletes of all time and one of the original players from the three-time-world-champion PBSW Phoenix Ramblers softball team (1933–1965). Nor was it the length of her time here on Earth—over a century—although any of these things by themselves would be impressive.

    The magic of Dot’s story is in the details. It’s the tale of a childhood spent in poverty, an indomitable, unbreakable spirit, a determination to be the very best to play whatever sport she undertook, the independence to live her personal life on her own terms, and her tremendous success at all of it.

    Over more than a decade of countless conversations and interviews, Dot shared all of it with her dear friend, author Lynn Ames. Dot held nothing back. Out at the Plate, told through the lens of Dot and Lynn’s friendship, is the story of a forgotten era in women’s history and sports, and one extraordinary woman’s place at the center of it all.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    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

     

    Moon Over Cape Cod Bay by Renn Loraine

    Marion has been discovered in a locked room, covered in blood, next to the lifeless body of her father – a man she hated. She knows she’s in trouble. She knows what it looks like. And what’s worse, no one believes her when she tells them she saw his killer.

    Intent on protecting her young niece from a threat she knows still exists, Marion hires a woman to watch over her – the attractive and engaging Sena. But things get complicated when Sena awakens something in Marion that she has long suppressed.

    Marion knows that the investigators are targeting her, and she’s running out of time. Because they’re going to find her guilty of murder – unless she can find the killer who walks through walls.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee

    Jessica Jae-un Miller came to Peach Blossom, Georgia, for a visit, not a breakdown. But when her rental car dies on the outskirts of town, mechanic Lavenia ‘Vini’ Williams provides a tow — and a very welcome jump start to Jessica’s heart. It’s been a minute since Jessica’s last fling — her relationship specialty — and Vini checks all the right boxes. If only the sexy car whisperer seemed interested…

    Vini knows herself and what she wants. She loves her job, her family, her hometown — but she’d love to fall in love. Jessica stirs up all the right feelings, but the city girl has no intention of staying in Peach Blossom. Why sign up for a broken heart?

    But the temptation is real as Vini goes out of her way to drive a carless Jessica around town. The pair can’t seem to keep their distance — or their hands to themselves. With only six weeks to figure out where their red-hot chemistry might lead, Vini and Jessica will have to decide if home can be where the heart is when the heart only knows how to run.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    The Lily and the Crown by Roslyn Sinclair

    Ariana “Ari” Geiker lives an isolated life on an imperial space station commanded by her father. The skilled, young botanist rarely leaves her living quarters, where she maintains an elaborate garden. When an imperious older woman is captured from a pirate ship and given to her as a slave, Ariana’s perfectly ordered life is thrown into chaos. Her nameless slave is watchful, intelligent, dangerous, and sexy, and seems to know an awful lot about tactics, star charts, and the dread, marauding pirate queen, Mir. What happens when the slave also reveals an expertise in seduction to her innocent mistress?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Straight Girls Don’t Cry by S.E. Chandler

    Canny, well, she goes by her last name because Rose never fit her anyway, is getting by week to week–and sometimes, table to table–after dropping out of art school. So what if she’s talented. Life isn’t supposed to work out for the daughter of an addict and get-rich-quick (get-broke-quicker) schemer.

    Still Canny believes in humanity and helps out an overwhelmed mom of three, Ella, struggling to enjoy a meal out with a useless husband, Callahan. Ella offers Canny a nanny job, but she has reservations–and no idea what a nanny does. Of course, she falls in love with the Three Amigos, and can’t believe her luck with Ella’s generous offer.

    She soon finds herself falling for Ella too. Useless Husband’s philandering pushes them together…but then drives them apart. Will her lost chances and found family go the distance or end in agony ever after?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Witchbound: Book One by Sable Cross

    A forbidden book…

    A forbidden spell…

    A forbidden love…

    Strawberry has always struggled for recognition, among her magical superiors, hindered by her unconventional talents and her family’s disgraced legacy. Seeking the opportunity to prove herself, she takes an ancient and prohibited tome written in mysterious runes, and strikes a dangerous bargain with the formidable Eris Divine, the seductive and coldly regal vampire queen who rules the city’s supernatural underworld.

    As Strawberry delves deeper into her magical studies under the irresistibly aloof Eris, forbidden passion blossoms, and an undeniable spark ignites between the optimistic witch and the immortal queen.

    Eager to gain Eris’s approval, Strawberry performs a forbidden spell so powerful it almost kills her, and binds the unsuspecting vampire queen to the witch priestess.

    Overcome with guilt, Strawberry struggles with the knowledge and subsequent result of the binding spell. And with the supernatural factions on the brink of war, how will she confess to the already overworked Eris what she’s done?

    How does she face the woman she loves more than life with a secret and a betrayal so devastating?

    And how will the supernatural factions react when they learn of Strawberry’s reckless disregard for the most powerful of all magic?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Rand by Silvia Shaw

    Three hundred ago, Rand’s most powerful talisman, a medallion called the “Circle of Sheda”, was taken through the portal into Earth and lost. When Dr. Savannah Cole is on an archeology dig in Algeria, she takes shelter from a violent sandstorm and discovers the mysterious artifact under a Berber ruin. She soon learns unknown forces are at play, powerful secret forces beyond her control.

    Compelled to wear the medallion, she is swept through the portal into Rand. There, she must forge a new life and embrace her role as the wielder of ancient magic. Never before has someone from the “other world” been chosen to bear the medallion, someone not a warrior. It’s a puzzle Savannah must solve before it’s too late. Why has she been chosen? As she battles demonic creatures and dark sorcery, she fights to take her place as the rightful bearer in the long line of warrior women. But, the question remains; what is coming that the lost medallion must resurface after so many years?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

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    What book will you be reading for the “teaching the other character a skill” micro-trope category? Let us know in the comments!

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  • Accidental admission of love (Micro-Trope #8)

    Accidental admission of love (Micro-Trope #8)

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    Accidental admission of love

    It’s time for another Micro-Trope category. This one features sapphic books with an accidental admission of love.

    One character accidentally confesses their love to the other. It could be an unguarded moment, an unplanned outburst, a heated argument, or an accidental slip of the tongue that changes everything between them.

     

    15 sapphic books with an accidental admission of love

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books that include an accidental admission of love.

     

    Chemistry Lessons by Jae

    Kylie and Regan have been best friends since kindergarten, supporting each other through thick and thin.

    While everyone thinks they would be perfect for each other, they insist there’s no chemistry between them—and Regan should know since she’s a chemistry teacher.

    To prove it, they agree to a little chemistry experiment: they’ll go on three dates with each other.

    So what if their gazes start to linger and accidental touches no longer feel platonic? They chalk it up to the romantic atmosphere—until a friendly good night kiss turns passionate.

    Can their friendship go back to the way it was before? Do they even want it to? Or will they risk losing what they have for a chance at love?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Book Lovers by T.B. Markinson & Miranda MacLeod

    Librarian Bennet Webb’s dream trip to Bath was supposed to be perfect, a literary pilgrimage to honor Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, topped off with a proposal from her longtime boyfriend. Instead, Bennet finds herself alone in the city of her dreams. That is until she meets an unexpected companion who changes everything for the better.

    Alice Higgins is a waitress by day, aspiring novelist by night, and sworn enemy of all things Austen. But when a flustered yet adorable American tourist stumbles into the restaurant where she works, Alice is surprisingly willing to reconsider her views.

    Soon the pair strike up a transatlantic book swap. Alice will read Bennet’s beloved classics, and Bennet will try Alice’s contemporary picks. What begins as a literary experiment turns into a connection that deepens with every page. Could the love stories they share lead to a happily ever after they never expected?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Shay’s Gamble: A Worlds Apart Romance by Amber Perez

    In Sin City to celebrate her best friend’s upcoming nuptials, Shay, dealing with her failed marriage, is not in a party mood. But when she locks eyes with a mysterious woman across a crowded room, her strict, traditional upbringing wars against her long-hidden desires. She aches to embrace her true self, go all-in and hit the jackpot.

    Allie, a student struggling to provide for her younger sister, heads to Vegas to celebrate her engagement. She thought she hit the big time when she landed the ridiculously wealthy and handsome Jackson Pemberton IV, but as his true colors are shown, it leaves her questioning everything. Maybe financial stability comes at too high a price. Perhaps it’s all or nothing in life. Responsibility battles against following her heart’s desires.

    When the two bridal parties repeatedly collide, sparks fly, and they team up to make the most out of their Vegas experience. That decision tosses a wild card at Shay and Allie, forcing them to face feelings they never expected.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Flipping Hearts and Homes by Chris Zett

    Handywoman Rowan is rooted in her small-town community, accepting every odd job to keep her family’s hardware store afloat. When she inherits an old house, it’s the perfect opportunity to flip it to pay off her mom’s debt.

    She never intends to get tangled up with beautiful, adorably nerdy Maia, a visiting big-city radiologist, staying at her aunts’ place to mend a broken heart.

    Evenings at a nearby lake, renovation projects, and a wild storm keep throwing Maia and Rowan together, and an undeniable attraction sparks. But what future could there ever be for two people with such different goals?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    On the Same Page by Haley Cass

    Riley Beckett met Gianna Mäkinen – drop-dead gorgeous influencer, trilingual, daughter of world-famous models, yes, that Gianna Mäkinen – their first year at Boston University, and it changed everything for the both of them. After all, when you find the person who just gets you, nothing feels quite “the same” right?

    And in the ten years since, Riley has come to depend on Gianna more than anyone else in her life. She knows Gianna just as well as she knows herself – maybe better, some days. She knows Gianna is incredibly sex-positive, she knows Gianna doesn’t do romance or relationships, and she knows nothing could ever come between them.

    This is what makes sense to her, all of this is status-quo. But when a holiday party mix-up sets in motion a domino effect of changes to these previously inalienable truths, Riley has to question everything she thought she knew about their relationship. What, exactly, does Gianna mean to her after all?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Chrysalis and Requiem by Quinton Li

    At Adraredon Academy, fervent passion, contemporary companionship, and forbidden desires intertwine with tall gothic spires, ancient halls, and centuries of history. Veaer Rosell can’t imagine a better place to satiate her craving for beauty, knowledge, and art.

    Yet senior year shatters her illusion of tranquillity and civil intellect when she witnesses the headmaster’s daughter murder another student and is confronted by an unthinkable choice: avenging her fallen peer or taking this secret to the grave, one way or another.

    But fate laughs at Veaer’s expense when the headmaster’s daughter requests her aid. Driven by an all-consuming thirst for answers, Veaer becomes an untimely partner in solving a murder they both know the answer to, unaware of the intricacies that come with learning the bigger picture and playing with death.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Leveling Up by Jazzy Mitchell

    Six years after completing her internship, Clarke Parson, a video game graphic designer and animator, finds herself back in the orbit of Haboob Software’s CEO, Fran Silvetti. Clarke contacts Fran to warn her that the game her company is developing was stolen from Clarke’s computer by an ex-girlfriend after an acrimonious breakup. As Clarke is swept into a torrid affair with the fascinating woman, she covets their time together, hoping Fran may someday return the love Clarke harbors for her.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Returning Home to Her by Jutta Swietlinski

    Linet, a single mother in her forties with a walking disability, is still grieving for her wife when she unexpectedly receives a letter: After long silence, her old friend Janet invites her to the opening of her art gallery. Linet flies to San Francisco with her son to visit Janet and her husband. The two women are soon able to revive their former friendship. On a walk, Linet surprisingly runs into Livia, the first woman she ever fell in love with. Their old feelings flame up anew and they begin a passionate romance again. But then a fatal accident happens. And everything will change forever …

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Like They Do In the Movies by Nan Campbell

    The Dream: rich and famous screenwriter of hilarious sapphic rom coms.

    The Reality: pushing out trashy celebrity gossip for cash.

    The Grand Plan: advance career by engineering a celebrity takedown.

    Fran Underhill’s adoration for the entertainment industry is in flames, transformed into a loathing of celebrity culture and all those who benefit from it. When a personal assistant gig for one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses falls into her lap, Fran is determined to use the experience to her advantage with a series of tell-all articles. Just enough clickbait to get her next screenplay sold. Now if only she can ignore that ferocious and inconvenient attraction to her new employer.

    Chelsea Cartwright—actress, mother, and ex-wife to Hollywood royalty—is struggling. A competent new assistant will do much to ease her burdens, but who could predict the intense and long-buried feelings Fran would awaken. And what will the fallout be when she finds out Fran is a member of the gossip media—with Chelsea’s public destruction in her sights.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    A Perfect Place to Cry by S-Jay Hart

    Rowan isn’t sure she believes in love. Not the romantic type, anyway. She’s been hiding from the prospect of it for years now, an easy thing to do when you live in the middle of an eighty acre campground. She likes her quiet existence, greeting campers, pitching tents, and kayaking on the little river that leads to Lover’s Lake. Besides, her best friend Amber fills her life with enough love related dama for the two of them.

    Indie knows a thing or two about secrets. She’s good at keeping them and exceptional at being one. When her three year love affair comes to an abrupt end, heartbroken, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about life and love. But it’s not as easy as simply moving on. Not when her ex can’t seem to let her go. When an accidental invite forces her into close proximity with her secret lover, Indie decides to accept.

    Will she be able to get through this and find the closure she’s looking for? Sometimes the answers we seek aren’t as important as the answers we find.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Tour of Love by Shannon O’Connor

    I didn’t think it would be hard to be her fake girlfriend, until I realized I was falling in love with her.

    Heather Owens:

    I didn’t plan on moving back to Lovers, Maine until we had found a place to live. But when I found my girlfriend tongue deep in another woman, I realized I was going to need my own place. Luckily, my high school best friend offered me her parents guest house for the summer. Except now my life consists of dodging my ex girlfriend and settling in. I busy myself with my photography especially the infamous Lovers’ Lighthouse— the last place I expected someone to catch my eye.

    Sage Brooks:

    Grad school and work are all I have time for, until a pink haired beauty walks in and I’m convinced this is love at first sight. My desire to know her leads us to the top of the lighthouse, where she blurts that she’s done looking for love. I’m sure my chances are over—until she jokes about needing a fake date to her best friend’s wedding. One in which her cheating ex is also in. I’m all too eager to jump at the chance, even if the idea of it not being real kills me.

    But as Heather and Sage get to know each other will the lines between fake and real begin to blur?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Zen Traveler’s Heart by T.J. Mindancer

    Zen Benbrook, aka Zen Traveler, is a popular solo travel vlogger who walks around the world. Bri, aka Solo-ing With Bri, is the fedora-wearing queen of solo travel vloggers, who showcases cities and cultures.

    Marquardt is a tiny country nestled in the Alps on the border of Austria and Italy that’s emerging from over a half-century of a repressive regime under a iron-fisted dictator. The new president is ready to embrace the modern world and capture the tourist trade. Zen and Bri, along with six other solo travel vloggers are invited to test Marquardt’s tourist-readiness. They soon discover that Marquardt is nowhere near ready for tourist.

    For Zen, dealing with Marquardt’s stumbling attempt to open its borders to the world is simple compared to hiding the massive crush she has on Bri. Zen happens to know a small fact that Bri doesn’t mention in her bio that gives Zen a glimmer of hope. Zen has just seven days to win Bri’s heart or regret not trying for the rest of her life.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Firelight by Sabrina Blaum

    Sometimes fate doesn’t follow your wishes. Gwendoline Dagon is set to become queen—a role she never wanted—after the unexpected death of her sister. She clashes with Amara Payne, High Mage and royal magical advisor, who is tasked with preparing Gwendoline for the throne.

    Amara has no patience for Gwendoline’s rage, given she has dedicated her life to duty and the crown. The two women struggle to understand each other and have different ideas on how the future should play out, not just for themselves, but also for the entire kingdom.

    Along the way, they uncover hidden facets of themselves while navigating a world filled with political intrigue, magical lore, and societal expectations. They must learn to cooperate with each other as both outside and inside forces work to tear the kingdom apart.

    firelight is a tale of forbidden romance set against the backdrop of courtly schemes where duty clashes with desire—a narrative exploring whether Gwendoline and Amara can carve out their own destiny despite being entangled in webs woven by tradition and power struggles within Reshaya.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Of Light and Love by E.V.Bancroft

    Carolyn Trent-Parker is one of her generation’s best artists but after losing her wife two years ago, she can no longer paint. In fact, she doesn’t want to do much of anything except hide away. Unwilling to move from her home but with no means of income, she’s forced to get a lodger.

    Laura Kingston-Lopez is heartbroken and disillusioned, and she heads to England to pursue her masters in animation. She needs a place to stay but isn’t prepared for what she gets. Her new landlady, Caro, is unwelcoming, grumpy, and completely fascinating.

    Opposites in every way, they push each other in unexpected ways. Can Caro rediscover her creativity? And even if she does, can Laura let go of her past so they can paint a new future?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    A Little’s Monster by Ellie Rose

    Stuffie Hospital receptionist, Christie, has been bratting postal worker Dana pretty much since she started, but when Dana’s route changes without notice, Christie experiences a full autistic meltdown.

    Dana is absolutely smitten by the lovely Little who brats her every day, and she wants to be her Daddy more than anything, but Christie is nervous and scared. Will this Daddy be able to support her Little girl?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    For The Record by Jen-Lea Mercy

    Recently widowed, the last thing Sawyer Lavoie wants is to be dragged out for a night of dancing. And she especially doesn’t want to be hit on by a twentysomething, cocky lesbian overachiever. Not because she’s mourning her late husband, but because Sawyer has zero interest in entertaining women her daughter’s age.

    McCoy ‘Coy’ Miller can charm her way into almost any woman’s bed. As a certified playgirl, she’s convinced the chase is sweeter than the capture. When she first meets the smokey-eyed beauty and her foolproof pickup lines crash and burn, Sawyer quickly becomes Coy’s biggest chase yet.

    When a flat tire brings them together again, Sawyer can’t decide if it’s luck or misfortune, but learns that McCoy’s mechanical skills are—reluctantly—exactly what she’s been looking for.

    As they become closer, Coy’s ready smile and kind eyes threaten to destroy every defense Sawyer has built. Can she thaw long enough to let McCoy in, or will they forever be at an impasse?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Leave a comment

    What book will you be reading for the “accidental admission of love” category? Let us know in the comments!

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  • Watching fireworks together (Micro-Trope #7)

    Watching fireworks together (Micro-Trope #7)

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    Watching fireworks together

    It’s time for another Micro-Trope category: Watching fireworks together.

    For this square of the Sapphic Book Bingo, read a sapphic book with a scene in which two characters watch a fireworks display together, e.g., on New Year’s Eve or the Fourth of July.

     

    15 sapphic books in which the characters are watching fireworks together

    Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books in which the main characters are watching fireworks together.

     

    Just for Show by Jae

    What happens when an overachieving psychologist with OCD tendencies and an impulsive, out-of-work actress start a fake relationship?

    Claire Renshaw thought she had it all: a successful career as a couples therapist, a publishing contract for her self-help book, and a happy relationship. But her perfect world falls apart when her fiancée calls off their engagement. Because of that, even her book deal might be off the table. After all, readers don’t want relationship advice from someone who can’t even make her own relationship work.

    So Claire sets out to hire herself a fake fiancée.

    Lana Henderson, the actress who shows up to audition for the role, is not exactly Claire’s ideal woman. Her frankness and the messes she leaves everywhere drive Claire up the wall. At least she won’t fall in love with someone like Lana.

    But soon, Lana starts to win her over with her big heart, tickle fights, and—gasp!—carbs after six. The longer they pretend to be a love-struck couple, the less fake their kisses feel and the more the lines between reality and role begin to blur.

    Once the book contract is signed, will they walk away or is their relationship no longer just for show?

    Available at:

    Ylva Publishing

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    Lexi’s Cup of Tea: A Worlds Apart Romance by Amber Perez

    Lexi Nichols thought she was on the verge of fulfilling all her dreams: a successful modeling career, one-of-a-kind friends, a degree in pediatric nursing, and a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend. But when her job aspirations hit a dead end and she finds out her “girlfriend” may not feel the same way, her world comes crashing down around her. With nothing in life living up to her expectations, she runs to her sister in Tennessee in an attempt to find the purpose she’s lost.

    Van Astor, queen of one-night stands, thought she was content to spend her days at a nine to five, pursuing her passion of skateboarding on the weekends, and partaking in random hook-ups whenever the desire struck. But when her boss’s exotic sister visits for the summer, she finds herself rethinking her devil may care attitude.

    When the two cross paths at a party for Lexi’s sister, their chemistry is instantaneous and undeniable, even as Lexi insists Van isn’t her type. It seems life has offered them the perfect summer setup: friends with benefits and no strings attached. With Lexi’s unwavering insistence that she return home to prove she can make it without the help of her sister, the end of summer approaches and they find themselves struggling with feelings that weren’t part of the arrangement.

    Can they find a way to overcome their pasts and expectations? Or will Lexi decide Van just isn’t her cup of tea?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Whisk Me Away by Georgia Beers

    Whisk Me Away is must-see TV. When the famous host arranges a retreat for up-and-coming pastry chefs, Regan Callahan applies. Everything she’s been working for is served up hot and delicious right under her nose: recognition of her self-taught skills, learning from a master, there’s even been a secret prize hinted at that just might give her the means to buy her boss’s bakery when he retires. It’s not supposed to be a competition, but if it is, she’ll do anything to win.

    Ava Prescott has no intention of allowing that to happen. Not that she’s worried. Regan doesn’t have what it takes. Just like she couldn’t excel with Ava as her boss when they worked together at the high-end restaurant in New York City. Their rivalry sharp as a lemon tart, Ava’s going to win, then she’ll ditch the high-pressure kitchen and open a small restaurant where she’ll have the creative freedom to follow her instincts, and her unique desserts will blossom.

    Their styles are different. Their personalities are miles apart. Regan’s a gorgeous flake. Ava, a beautiful untouchable ice queen. Let the competition, and the ovens, heat up. Everyone knows the best recipes come straight from the heart.

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    I Knew I Loved You by Amy DeMeritt

    Dani is an introvert and has more walls than a Roman fortress. Her – gorgeous – best friend, Taylor, is an extrovert and one of only two people who’s ever been allowed inside Dani’s walls. They’ve been best friends for over seventeen years, and Dani has secretly been in love with her for nearly just as long. For the past several years, life and people have caused them to somewhat drift apart.

    But when Taylor invites Dani to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to a luxury resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida, they get the space and solitude they need to hash out the reasons Dani has slowly closed her walls against Taylor and heal their friendship. And through the emotional reconnecting, something else blossoms between them, something Dani had always dreamed about and nearly lost hope of ever experiencing.

    As their relationship transitions from one of friendship to one of passion, romance, and commitment, Dani and Taylor reevaluate their career paths, both helping each other to achieve what they want for their future. To follow her dreams to become an artist, Dani will have to learn how to control her ego, overcome her fears, and tear down the walls she’d spent most of her life erecting around her mind and heart.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    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

     

    Treasure by Chance by Brenda Murphy

    Fire Investigator and legendary stud about town Mel Michaels is not looking for love. Raising her niece, Nicole, after her sister’s death is her full-time job. Who needs a potential heartbreak when Mel’s natural charm and swagger has opened every bedroom door she’s ever knocked on?

    Music teacher Sofia Ortega has spent the last three years putting her life back together after a bitter breakup. Back in her hometown she is content with her life and sworn off relationships. After their chance encounter ends in a torrid one-night stand, both women are forced to choose, protect their hearts or take a chance?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Ready for Love by Catherine Maiorisi

    After watching the woman she’s professed to love for more than twenty years marry someone else, Renee Rousseau vows to free herself of the unrequited love before she and her friends meet the married couple in Paris. In ten weeks.

    Then Renee encounters Lady Constance Martindale—the only other woman she’d ever imagined a future with—and she’s sure the universe is playing with her. Sixteen years ago they’d agreed to a casual, time-limited relationship. But when it turned to love, they both panicked and Constance dumped Renee before Renee could dump her. A first.

    But the past is the past and sixteen years is a lifetime. Can passion be renewed? And what about her love for the woman who just got married?

    Available at:

    Bella Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

     

    Reservations by Donna Jay

    When a mysterious stranger rescues Rose Collins from the date from hell, she’s intrigued despite her scepticism about fate. The last thing this curvy office manager expects is for her alluring saviour to reappear with a job offer.

    Alex Carpenter can’t stop thinking about the confident woman she rescued. Her dream of opening an exclusive women’s retreat with fantasy-themed suites finally feels within reach – if only she can convince Rose to join her business venture. But what started as professional admiration is quickly complicated by undeniable chemistry.

    Rose never imagined her next career move would involve managing a hotel where every room tells a different story, each more provocative than the last. Worse, her new boss seems more interested in her organisational skills than exploring their sizzling attraction.

    As they work in close quarters, maintaining professional boundaries becomes increasingly impossible.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Hoops & Heartstrings by Eliza Lentzski

    When a devastating injury threatens Lex Bennet’s dream of playing in the women’s professional basketball league, her world is turned upside down. Despite the setback, Lex is unexpectedly drafted by the new expansion team in Boston. Her jubilation is short-lived, however, when she finds herself on the same roster as Eva Montgomery, her long-time college rival and the woman responsible for her injury.

    Once adversaries on the court, Lex and Eva must navigate their new dynamic as teammates. As they confront their past and strive to find common ground, unresolved emotions and an undeniable attraction simmer between them, becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

    For Eva, the pressure of professional sports is compounded by her struggle with coming out. Her evolving relationship with Lex—from fierce adversaries to something more complicated—adds layers of tension and uncertainty.

    Can they overcome their past and build a future together, both on and off the court? With the scrutiny of fame threatening to expose their relationship, will Eva find the courage to embrace a future with Lex? And will Lex’s support be enough to guide them toward happiness?

    Old rivals, new teammates—will their unresolved past lead to love or disaster?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Novel Problems by Elizabeth Luly

    Hannah Taylor has some novel problems. The best-selling fantasy author, who writes under a secret pen name, is suffering from writer’s block after her long-term relationship collapses. With the deadline for her next novel fast approaching, Hannah flees Manhattan for Sapphire Springs, New York, planning to hide away until she finishes her book. But when she’s forced to visit the local cafe-bookstore, she accidentally finds herself with a new job and one very attractive new boss. Distractions she definitely doesn’t need with her looming deadline… or does she?

    George O’Grady worked hard to turn Novel Gossip into the cafe-bookstore of her dreams, but staff shortages are putting the normally unflappable lesbian under pressure. Hannah’s appearance is a godsend. Although it would be easier if her new employee was less distractingly lovely, because George has a strict rule against dating employees.

    Over the course of the summer, Hannah and George grow closer. But can the two book lovers overcome their novel problems, rules, and relationship baggage to write their own happy ending?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    A Troublemaker in Her Eyes by Genta Sebastian

    It’s a hot, humid summer on the island of Terceira in1969. Young Capt. Traf Mendes is vengefully bitter after her gorgeous gypsy girlfriend, Carmen, suddenly married a man. The original Troublemaker takes her sense of betrayal out on all the island femmes, creating mischief by starting a contest between the butches to see who can collect the most panties before the American long Thanksgiving weekend. Determined never to trust another woman, Traf becomes the Ice Butch, quickly collecting trophies, not girlfriends.

    But Capt. Betty Sullivan, the pretty blonde American nurse, keeps distracting her. Sometimes it seems like she’s setting Traf up, waiting to trap her into admitting she’s a lesbian to destroy her career. Other times, the guitar playing hippie from San Francisco seems to be only a lonely woman far from home, looking for a friend.

    Traf’s attraction is undeniable, but she keeps it under control through the trauma of a plane crash, the pleasures of showing Betty her island, and a festive American style Thanksgiving dinner. But when Betty asks Traf to set her up with a lesbian lover, what’s an Ice Butch Troublemaker with serious trust issues to do?

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    The Hues of Me and You by Morgan Lee Miller

    Arlette Adair has always done what’s right. From the day she was born, she’s lived the life her parents forced upon her. Now, she’s stuck in a sparkless relationship and a job she never wanted. Her father’s presidential campaign will forever root her in the world of politics that she’s trying to escape from.

    Brooke Dawson has always made her own rules. She’s a struggling freelance artist by day and a catering bartender at night, but her heart is full…almost. When she picks up a bartending shift at a high society party, she hopes to bring home enough money to pay her rent. She never expects to run into Arlette Adair: her former best friend, the girl she spent all of college secretly crushing on, and the one who got away.

    Now face-to-face with their unresolved past, Arlette and Brooke quickly fall back into their old ways while dancing around the biggest question: Why hadn’t they fallen in love all those years ago?

    Available at:

    Bold Strokes Books

    Amazon

    Apple Books

    Audible

     

    The Forever and The Now by KJ

    Bron McIntyre, forty-two, has it all together. Terrific job. Loving family. No desperate need for a girlfriend but would be interested if one came along. Bron McIntyre is Teflon.

    Kate Agostino, forty-eight, is not Teflon. Yes, she has a terrific job. But a loving family? Not really. And her personal life is rapidly disintegrating and turning into dust.

    When her orange smoothie explodes all over her business suit while she’s on her afternoon walk, Kate simply shakes her head in resignation.

    Bron, having witnessed the smoothie eruption, races to help, and suddenly her life takes an unexpected turn.

    Falling in love is like watching the grandest sunset on the calmest ocean where the tiniest ripples wear silver sparkles as their hats. Kate and Bron find that sunset on that ocean with those ripples of love, but what happens when you take that love for granted? What happens when your person disappears? The answers are hard to hear and Bron chooses not to listen.

    After a relationship break, a family intervention, and conversations that rip apart seams, Bron and Kate eventually find themselves, each other, and their now. And what they discover is that love is the large and the deliberate, and the simple and the small.

    So when tragedy strikes, they call on its strength because, when you think about it, love can live on in the forever, particularly if it lives courageously in the now.

    A beautifully poignant story about life, love and a loss so tragic that sometimes even the grandest sunset on the calmest ocean with the ripples wearing hats is too heartbreaking to bear.

    Available at:

    Amazon

     

    Halcyon Nights by MJ Duncan

    Emerson Riis has a job she loves, friends she considers family, and her goofy malamute Sasha for company. As far as she’s concerned, life in the small town of Mystic is pretty much perfect. Enter Mari Davenport, a Hollywood screenwriter with a dozen blockbusters to her name, who arrives in a car that is completely unfit for the north woods of Minnesota. Their paths cross in a way that could have been plucked straight from one of Mari’s romcoms, and though their attraction is instant and their chemistry off-the-charts, the fact that Mari must return to LA at the end of her six-month writing sabbatical looms ominously on the horizon. As Emerson and Mari’s feelings grow, will they find a way to rewrite the ending to their story, or are they meant only for this sweet but short-lived season of halcyon nights?

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

    Back In Your Arms by Monica McCallan

    Seventeen years ago, Quinn McKinley left her small town of Kingsford for a shot at a happier life. Now a successful real estate agent in New York City, she’s brought back on behalf of a client, begrudgingly accepting her return home in order to close the deal of a lifetime.

    Coming back opens doors she’s done her best to keep closed all these years, namely, how she felt about her childhood best friend, Sawyer Kent.

    Sawyer’s spent her whole life in Kingsford, working at her family’s antique store and trying to make everyone happy. Quinn’s return is unexpected, knocking her routine existence more than a little off balance. She’s still frustrated at how Quinn left things between them, and even if she has all kinds of unresolved feelings, she’s got bigger problems to worry about right now.

    Available at:

    Amazon

    Audible

     

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    What book will you be reading for the “watching fireworks together” category? Let us know in the comments!

     

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