Lesbian Romance
What’s the Deal?
Alexis Chambers accompanies her older sister to a strip club for her sister’s bachelorette party. There she mets and is instantly taken with Treasure, a young woman whose actual name is Trisha who is working at the club that night as part of the entertainment. Alexis isn’t the only one captivated by their first meeting and Trisha also finds herself unable to stop thinking about the baby butch she saw that night in the club. After a private dance, and a shared sultry moment, they part ways, both young women returning to their separate lives.
Weeks later, a chance encounter on the college campus brings the two women back together and sparks fly immediately. What unfolds is a delightful exploration of the attraction they share for one another, how that attraction enhances and enriches their lives, and how they navigate the challenges of a relationship between two people who come from very different walks of life.
Real Talk
Oh this book! This is the first book I read by Rebekah Weatherspoon and I am undeniably hooked on her writing. Trisha Hamilton is a 20 year old who has had to grow up quickly. She is living on her own, supporting herself, helping her mother with finances and putting herself through college with the money she makes from working as a stripper. But what I found is that Trisha doesn’t spend one minute bemoaning her situation or even dwelling that much on how difficult her life is.
What I loved about Trisha was that she didn’t feel sorry for herself. She thought about what she wanted, she decided on it, and then she went after it with spunk and tenacity. She had a real personality that jumped off the page at you. I found her to be thoughtful, kind, compassionate, bright, witty, charming, respectful, level headed, logical, and a strong woman who wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and what she believed in. She didn’t let her profession define her and her strength was incredibly admirable. I think it’s clear that she was my favorite character.
Alexis Chambers is an 18 year old who has had to do some quick growth of her own in a completely different way. She comes from a family of privilege who has achieved much and they have the money and abundance to show for it. While this might prompt some to think that she has been completely babied her entire life, it just goes to shed light on the internal growth that Alexis has had to work on, both within the context of story and even before we meet her. She is on the mend after battling with depression, a fight which culminated in a failed suicide attempt the year before we meet her. But Alexis has not given up and she is dedicating herself to re-entering the land of the living and finding something worth living for. I could identify with Alexis’ struggle in trying to find her own place and her own voice among so many other strong personalities within her family who could easily outshine her with their own achievements. I could sympathize with her desire to be perfect in order to gain the love of her family members even when she didn’t fit into their view of perfection. She struggles with being a lesbian when that was never part of the cookie cutter plan, and she is often fighting a shyness that threatens to immobilize her. I felt for her, but more than that, it made her interesting and dynamic as a character. It gave her layers that I could appreciate.
I don’t think I anticipated just how sweet this story would be. I laughed and teared up, I gasped and talked out lout to the characters (a sure sign that a book was completely successful at dragging me into the world and making me a part of it). Even in the passionate, steamy moments, and believe me there are many and they are so satisfying, this book was beyond adorable.
The interactions between the two women felt natural; never forced, as though I was reading about two friends, two real, flesh and blood people that I could call up on the phone after I was finished reading. To boot, the story was choc-full of good writing that had me highlighting lines and paragraphs on my kindle reader more times than I can remember in recent history.
Rebekah Weatherspoon’s writing is beautifully effortless and she constructed a story with realism and emotion without making it depressing. The turmoil and the unfolding of this romance had me glued to the page and reading straight through from the beginning of this book to the very end. I loved that I was completely engaged throughout the entire story. I was never bored, never wanted to skip a paragraph. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t miss a moment between these two beautiful women. And I now feel that way about Rebekah Weatherspoon’s writing as a whole. I don’t want to miss a moment.
This was a well crafted, neat story with lovable characters a believable plot and moments that had me laughing out loud and romance that made me want to re-create some of those scenes in my real life. A great happily-ever-after tale by a female writer of color about two women of color who find and fight for love. Just plain awesome! I’m not sure what else I could want in a book. This book was a such a good date. I’m ready to go get more of Rebekah Weatherspoon’s books and start binging!
Totally a five star read. Do yourself a favor and give this book a read. It is so worth it. Links are at the top 🙂
Wishing You Romance, Whimsy and a
Happy New Year!!
Until Next Time Lovelies
Read and Review,
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Ava~
Roses and Whimsy 