Words We Don't Say by K.J. Reilly

GENRE: YA, Coming of Age

Have you ever thought of everything we don't say and how that effects us? This is what this book seems to address dealing with loss, anger, love, and self doubt. It has a unique voice in Joel and his use of unsent text messeges. The issues this book raises and the discussions that could/should be had are important. Perhaps one day we will all be able to speak even if the words are unpleasent but not hate filled, without trigger warnings.

So Lucky by Nicola Griffith

GENRE: Overcoming Obstacles, Self Discovery

M.S. is not often a topic in a book. Griffith made M.S. the antagonist is an artful way. She takes you on the ride with Maya of her ups and downs. The journey through the stages of grief was amazing and subtle. You felt what the character felt.

Gigolo Girls by Saxon Bennett and Layce Gardner

GENRE: Humor, Lesbian Romance

Yet another Bennett and Gardner book that had me laughing out loud! Where they come up with these characters and situations I would love to know. I compare them to Carl Hiassen. They are absolute comedic genius!

The End by M. Rose Flores

GENRE: Zombie Apocalypse

The End is a well paced zombie book. The main characters of Cate and Melody are fairly developed and fit well with the plot. I would like to find out what happens to the characters so I really would like to see a sequel.. I think the characters, especially Cate, can be developed more in future books.

Rescue Her Heart by K.C. Luck

GENRE: Lesbian Romance, Space

I really enjoyed this book. It is a slightly different twist on the police officer/military officer and civilian love story. The characters were well developed. There was pleanty to0 keep the plot flowing and it was very readable. Normally I shy away from anything space but this was very well done and not "out there". I am looking forward to reading more from Ms. Luck.

The Best Lines (Chicago #1) by Nicole Pyland

GENRE: Lesbian Romance


Another fantastic random find. The characters are well developed and the relationships are complex all around. The story flowed really well. I love how the relationship between the two main characters develops as a friendship first. I plan to read more by this author.

Healing Springs by Rhavensfyre

GENRE: Lesbian Romance

This was an amazing love story about growth and acceptence. It is not a smack you in the face with sex love story. It has an important messege of loving yourself and not missing what is in front of you.

The characters are amazing and fairly complex. The plot rolls at a good pace. Overall it leaves you with the warm fuzzies.

The Creator (Alex Hope #3) by A.J. Estelliam

GENRE: Crime, Suspense, Lesbian Romance

Alex and JJ are back with a very "Silence of the Lambs" meet "Psycho"  type villian. This was an enjoyable macabre read. I know kinda an oxymoron but if you like crime novels you will love the Alex Hope series. The characters are well done and the plot flows. Yes, there is romance but I feel it is almost secondary to the crime solving but no less enjoyable.

Breakthrough by Kris Bryant

GENRE: Lesbian Romance


This is the second book I read by Kris Bryant. The first was [Jolt]. [Breakthrough] was another well written and well developed romance. I love how Kennedy is both self assured and incredibly akward. The easy banter between the two women as they become friends and more was spot on. I hope to read more books by Bryant.

Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

GENRE: Contemporary Issues, YA, Civil Rights, LGBTQ+

This book has left me speechless, in awe, and in tears. The timeliness of it with the #MarchFor OurLives can not be understated. It reminds us that minorities have been faced with violence for too long and often at the hands of those who are supposed to serve and protect.  The diversity of the characters is truely a quilt of the underrepresented within this country. The care and compassion that Oshiro uses to create such deep characters makes a true impact on the reader. As a middle and elementary school teacher I don't think I could use this book to teach but I can recommend it. I think this book needs to be in every high school library in the country though and possibly used in the curriculum . It is a discussion that needs to be opened.

Rocks and Stars by Sam Ledel

GENRE: Coming of Age, Contemporary Lesbian Romance

I believe this is a debut novel and if Iam correct it was an great start! I loved the uncertainty of the main character and the fact that she made mistakes. It made it way more realistic. The flow of the story went well and was very readable. I hope there is more to come from this author.

Road Blocks (By Design, #8) by J.A. Armstrong

GENRE: Lesbian Romance, Politics, Family Life

The saga of the Fletcher-Reid household is always entertaing. Big decisions need to be made and as usually the characters handle them with their usual self effacing and down to earth style. Humor and love can help you handle anything as Armstrong shows us in this series.

Building Blocks (By Design, #7) by J.A. Armstrong

GENRE: Lesbian Romance, Family Life

This series is seriously addicting! I absolutely love JD and Candace. The true test of any series is keeping it interesting. Armstrong has done this mainly by creating characters that are flawed. No one is perfect but it is how people fit that matters. Well done. Next!

If I Tell You by Alicia Tuckerman

GENRE: Lesbian Romance, YA, Coming Out

A well written emotional ambush. I can best compare this to [John Green's] [Fault In Our Stars] for tissue necessity. [Tuckerman] has written a beutiful coming of age/coming out novel that captures all the struggle and complexities involved. Then she added a twist! The characters were amazing and although someof the terminoligy(I am not familiar with Aussie) was a bit different the messege was timeless.

Rescue Me by Saxon Bennett and Layce Gardner

GENRE: Lesbian Romance, Quirky Humor

The chemistry between these two authors shows in their writing. Although this book didn't make me laugh out loud as much as [More Than A Kiss] is was still a light hearted romp. The characters are quirky and random things happen. Saxon and Gardner are becoming my goto authors when I need a pick me up.

Tale of a Tooth by Allie Rogers

GENRE: Lesbian Fiction, Domestic Abuse

This book was a little difficult to read for a few reasons. It should  come with a trigger warning since it deals with domestic abuse in a realistic manner. That said it was still a well written book. One of the things that made it hard to read was a that the voice of the story is 4 yr old Danny. Everything is told from his point of view and in the way his brain sees it. To me it also seemed Danny was on the autism spectrum so that added a different twist. It is a hard hitting book but definately worth a read.

Buried (Alex Hope #2) by A.J. Estelliam

GENRE: Mystery, Lesbian Romance

The way Estelliam writes just hooks you and will not let go. This is the second Alex Hope book and it was even better than the first, which was pretty amazing. Some authors struggle to mix romance with the suspense/mystery but Estelliam gets just the right mix so that one aspect doesn't over ride the other. The charcters are well developed and keep growing as the books progress. The setting is almost a character in itself because it plays a vital part in the story.

Altered Seasons: Monsoonrise by Paul Briggs

GENRE: Science Fiction, Climate Fiction, Environmental

I am a nerd for cli fi. This was a very well written and researched book but it told a story not just information overload. The characters were from different backgrounds and therefore had different perspectives on the events as they happened. The fact that politics, buisness, and science all were addressed in the book shows the author understands that events like this(even though fictional, for now) effect everyone. He had a very global perspective and the consequences were a bit frightening.