Scan barcode
hhushaw's review against another edition
2.0
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. Based on the blurb, I was really looking forward to this book, but I was very disappointed. The constant talking in the characters head got me skipping pages. I wanted to be shown their relationships and their lives and not told. I liked the idea of the instant love and how both characters had experienced it themselves years before. But again I was left wanting to be shown and not told. Overall I was very disappointed.
00leah00's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I liked Kesa and Shannon and Paz, even Josie grows on me in the end. However, I think the book spent more time on things like the family issues, work for each main character and Kesa’s weekly mahjong games to really get me to love it. I wanted more romance and I didn’t feel that I got that here. I never really understood why they wanted to be together. Maybe I just didn’t see the chemistry? Its still a good book to read, but I read for the romance/chemistry and I didn’t see it here.
qraveline's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Murder and Racism
pandon's review against another edition
5.0
This was a Karin Kallmaker book, well developed characters, angst, chance taking both in life and in love.
The relationship between Kesa and Josie feels real. At times Josie acts like a petulant, spoiled child. While the repairing of the relationship seems real it almost seems to easy. Maybe they are more mature in handling it than I was/am in my relationships with my sisters.
Shannon and Paz have a good relationship. Shannon’s issues come from learning to trust and take a chance. Kesa also has to learn to believe in Shannon.
I stayed up way to late finishing this book.
The relationship between Kesa and Josie feels real. At times Josie acts like a petulant, spoiled child. While the repairing of the relationship seems real it almost seems to easy. Maybe they are more mature in handling it than I was/am in my relationships with my sisters.
Shannon and Paz have a good relationship. Shannon’s issues come from learning to trust and take a chance. Kesa also has to learn to believe in Shannon.
I stayed up way to late finishing this book.
judeinthestars's review against another edition
4.0
There’s a reason why Karin Kallmaker has been hailed as the queen of lesbian romance. While this might not be her best book (or at least not my favorite), it definitely more than does the job.
Because I Said So is a second chance romance. Four years after an intense three days that ended for the wrong reasons, Kesa and Shannon meet again as Kesa’s younger sister (whom Kesa has been taking care of since their parents’ death) and Paz, whose unofficial guardian Shannon has been for a few years, plan to marry.
There’s a lot to like in this book, but the best is, as often with Kallmaker, both the characters and their jobs. I know it might sound strange, but the way she seems to research her MCs occupation makes their day to day life feel real. It has impressed me since my first Kallmaker book more than 20 years ago, and it still does. Both MCs and the small community of secondary cast are really good (I wish they existed and invited me to dinner, there’s a lot of food in this book and it all sounds yummy), and I loved the Jennifer Lamont cameo.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Because I Said So is a second chance romance. Four years after an intense three days that ended for the wrong reasons, Kesa and Shannon meet again as Kesa’s younger sister (whom Kesa has been taking care of since their parents’ death) and Paz, whose unofficial guardian Shannon has been for a few years, plan to marry.
There’s a lot to like in this book, but the best is, as often with Kallmaker, both the characters and their jobs. I know it might sound strange, but the way she seems to research her MCs occupation makes their day to day life feel real. It has impressed me since my first Kallmaker book more than 20 years ago, and it still does. Both MCs and the small community of secondary cast are really good (I wish they existed and invited me to dinner, there’s a lot of food in this book and it all sounds yummy), and I loved the Jennifer Lamont cameo.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
mjsam's review against another edition
3.0
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t read Kallmaker for awhile, but I’ve always liked her books. This one didn’t grab me though.
So, we actually have four MCs, Kesa, her sister Josie, Josie’s boyfriend Paz, and his ‘guardian’ Shannon. Josie and Paz have known each other less than a month, are 19 and 20, and want to get married. Kesa and Shannon, rightfully, think this is crazy. The two kids decide that everyone should get together to discuss this, and the rest has to be hidden under a spoiler tag.
So, I will just say this about the book in general and those who want to know can hit the spoiler for the rest. First, this is an ARC, so I don’t know if that’s why the flashbacks weren’t in a different format, but I found them very jarring. I also couldn’t really get a feel for either relationship, more background was given on Kesa/Josie and Shannon/Paz than either of the central couples, and as a result I didn’t connect with either of them. I also didn’t really feel the supposed chemistry between Kesa and Shannon.
There’s also a cameo by another character from a Kallmaker novel (I haven’t read it but it seemed obvious so I looked it up) and I was annoyed by Kesa constantly referring to Jennifer by either her full name or as ‘Lamont’, it was just weird.
The best bits of the book were the mahjong scenes. I also give props for three MCs and several secondary characters of colour. Rare that in lesfic the white character is the minority. That said, this never really got off the ground for me, I’d put it around 2.5 stars, rounded up.
I was actually intrigued when I realised that Shannon was Kesa’s previous girl friend, but when the explanations about their relationship came out I was left scratching my head. Paz and Josie had them beat by weeks and though both older MCs were right about them being way too young and not having thought it through, their own insta love was ridiculous. They literally knew nothing about each other, slept together, and it was love? Then they meet again, still know next to nothing about each other and it’s still love? Ok. Nothing hypocritical there. I couldn’t just couldn’t buy into it.
I haven’t read Kallmaker for awhile, but I’ve always liked her books. This one didn’t grab me though.
So, we actually have four MCs, Kesa, her sister Josie, Josie’s boyfriend Paz, and his ‘guardian’ Shannon. Josie and Paz have known each other less than a month, are 19 and 20, and want to get married. Kesa and Shannon, rightfully, think this is crazy. The two kids decide that everyone should get together to discuss this, and the rest has to be hidden under a spoiler tag.
So, I will just say this about the book in general and those who want to know can hit the spoiler for the rest. First, this is an ARC, so I don’t know if that’s why the flashbacks weren’t in a different format, but I found them very jarring. I also couldn’t really get a feel for either relationship, more background was given on Kesa/Josie and Shannon/Paz than either of the central couples, and as a result I didn’t connect with either of them. I also didn’t really feel the supposed chemistry between Kesa and Shannon.
There’s also a cameo by another character from a Kallmaker novel (I haven’t read it but it seemed obvious so I looked it up) and I was annoyed by Kesa constantly referring to Jennifer by either her full name or as ‘Lamont’, it was just weird.
The best bits of the book were the mahjong scenes. I also give props for three MCs and several secondary characters of colour. Rare that in lesfic the white character is the minority. That said, this never really got off the ground for me, I’d put it around 2.5 stars, rounded up.
Spoiler
I was actually intrigued when I realised that Shannon was Kesa’s previous girl friend, but when the explanations about their relationship came out I was left scratching my head. Paz and Josie had them beat by weeks and though both older MCs were right about them being way too young and not having thought it through, their own insta love was ridiculous. They literally knew nothing about each other, slept together, and it was love? Then they meet again, still know next to nothing about each other and it’s still love? Ok. Nothing hypocritical there. I couldn’t just couldn’t buy into it.
rogue_lurker's review against another edition
3.0
Karin Kallmaker is one of the Grande Dames of lesfic - she's published 29 books over the last 20 years and I've always respected her as an author who invests so much into the lesfic community. Despite her voluminous back catalogue of books, I've only read a few Kallmaker's books and never seemed to find the one that made me fall in love with her books. Could be I picked the wrong ones to start with or it could be that I wasn't in the mood for romances when I did read them. Over the last month I've actually read two of her newest books (My Lady Lipstick and Because I Said So) and I was really happy to find that I enjoyed them quite a bit more than the earlier forays I had made into her published works. I would like to have a little chat with her about titles and covers though as they really don't "sell" the stories and without a reading challenge or request for review, I would have passed right by them otherwise.sh
Because I Said So has a lot going on in it, and Kallmaker has gone outside of some of the familiar lesbian tropes, but there may be been a bit too many things and it detracted from this being a full on romance. In this story, none of the characters are super rich or super successful - they are more real and believable, with Kesa working to make ends meet to support herself and her sister and Shannon as an analyst for the US Marshalls who works behind the scenes and trying to make a difference in small ways. Kesa and Shannon meet when their respective kids (Josie is Kesa's sister who she has raised since she was a child, and Pax is a former foster child that Shannon has been watching out for unofficially for the last number of years) announce that they want to marry (after a month of dating) - obviously, neither Kesa nor Shannon approve and they worry about the young people that they have sacrificed so much for over the years and the potential that this decision will impact their bright futures.
Although the Josie and Pax storyline is the impetus of much of this book, it fell a bit flat for me. If I were Kesa, I would have throttled Josie long ago - she is self-absorbed, unappreciative and completely unrealistic. Pax on the other hand is a bit too even keeled and accepting. The idea that they have met and fallen so deeply in love that they want to marry after a month (you'd think they were lesbians in a lesbian romance) despite the objections of their parental figures was a bit forced and just didn't work for me - Josie's reasoning for marrying was trite and didn't really make much sense - I would have bought an unplanned pregnancy as a better reason for them to push to marry - based on their pasts, I could believe that both of them were determined to have a child raised by two parents in a stable or traditional family.
That being said - Josie and Pax's insistence at a shotgun wedding is the impetus for Kesa and Shannon's meeting and gives them the reasons to interact. Based on the development of their relationship, however, they are a bit of a "people in glass houses" kind of situation. There's a nice and smart kind of twist when Kesa and Shannon meet and it gives the romance a fresh spin. The obvious attraction between the two is tempered by they concern for the "kids". There's a push and pull - the attraction is definitely there with a strong chemistry, but life, regrets, and fear get in the way.
I enjoyed the book and some of the chances that Kallmaker took with it - it had enough different spins that I found it intriguing. This is a good read - but I wouldn't classify it as a romance - more of a family drama with some romantic angst.
Because I Said So has a lot going on in it, and Kallmaker has gone outside of some of the familiar lesbian tropes, but there may be been a bit too many things and it detracted from this being a full on romance. In this story, none of the characters are super rich or super successful - they are more real and believable, with Kesa working to make ends meet to support herself and her sister and Shannon as an analyst for the US Marshalls who works behind the scenes and trying to make a difference in small ways. Kesa and Shannon meet when their respective kids (Josie is Kesa's sister who she has raised since she was a child, and Pax is a former foster child that Shannon has been watching out for unofficially for the last number of years) announce that they want to marry (after a month of dating) - obviously, neither Kesa nor Shannon approve and they worry about the young people that they have sacrificed so much for over the years and the potential that this decision will impact their bright futures.
Although the Josie and Pax storyline is the impetus of much of this book, it fell a bit flat for me. If I were Kesa, I would have throttled Josie long ago - she is self-absorbed, unappreciative and completely unrealistic. Pax on the other hand is a bit too even keeled and accepting. The idea that they have met and fallen so deeply in love that they want to marry after a month (you'd think they were lesbians in a lesbian romance) despite the objections of their parental figures was a bit forced and just didn't work for me - Josie's reasoning for marrying was trite and didn't really make much sense - I would have bought an unplanned pregnancy as a better reason for them to push to marry - based on their pasts, I could believe that both of them were determined to have a child raised by two parents in a stable or traditional family.
That being said - Josie and Pax's insistence at a shotgun wedding is the impetus for Kesa and Shannon's meeting and gives them the reasons to interact. Based on the development of their relationship, however, they are a bit of a "people in glass houses" kind of situation. There's a nice and smart kind of twist when Kesa and Shannon meet and it gives the romance a fresh spin. The obvious attraction between the two is tempered by they concern for the "kids". There's a push and pull - the attraction is definitely there with a strong chemistry, but life, regrets, and fear get in the way.
I enjoyed the book and some of the chances that Kallmaker took with it - it had enough different spins that I found it intriguing. This is a good read - but I wouldn't classify it as a romance - more of a family drama with some romantic angst.
lifefullofwords's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Not Karin Kallmaker's best book but still a solid read. I can't say too much about the plot without spoiling it but this book explores the whole concept of love at first sight in a really interesting way. I liked both Suzanne and Kesa. I think the book would have benefited from them spending more time together. I also think that given the central role sex played in their relationship with sex scenes needed to be a bit longer. Paz and Josie played a big role in this book too and while I really liked Paz I could not stand Josie. She was an ungrateful brat. The other thing that dragged down the book was Suzanne's work plot line. It went nowhere and then at the end is unresolved. Kesa's work plot line was great, though, I loved seeing her grow her small business as a designer. There's a great twist about a third of the way through so I almost gave this book 4 stars instead of 3.5 because good twists are rare in romance novels. But ultimately I was left with a vaguely dissatisfied feeling when I finished it and since romance novels need emotionally satisfying endings I decided this book didn't deserve more than 3.5 stars.
corrie's review
4.0
Reading the reviews it's safe to say that Because I Said So is not Karin Kallmaker’s best novel. Consensus is that the two mains Kesa Sapiro and Shannon Dealan spend too much time apart for it to be a gripping romance. And I have to agree.
This ‘second chance’ type romance shows us fragments of their 3 days sex binge, 4 years in the past. We also understand pretty quickly that Shannon was the asshole who ghosted Kesa right after the blessed event and without a single explanation. Kallmaker gives us reasons to make Shannon's actions look more sympathetic, but fact is that a simple apology in the beginning of their second encounter would have made a hell of a difference. But I get it, it needs to be dragged out for tension’s sake.
I think the reason this novel didn’t work so well was the very thin and convoluted plot. The pigheaded youngsters (Kesa’s younger sister Josie and Shannon’s ‘foster son’ Paz - both still in school) wanting to marry right now because ‘the world was going to shit’ struck me as weird. No matter what offer was thrown at them (even cohabitation) they were steadfast on that theme.
What redeemed the novel (partly) was Karen Kallmaker’s solid experience as a writer. She adds rich detail to her scenes, both women had interesting professions albeit Kesa’s side was more colorful, there was sooo much food (don’t read this on an empty stomach!), there was a tad of Filipino culture on Kesa’s side (in the form of her Mahjong family). I felt there was more shine to Kesa than to Shannon.
So, Because I Say So may not be her best romance, we are still dealing with the Empress of Lesfic here.
f/f explicit, but not of the ‘in your face’ kind.
Themes: sisters, work work work, mahjong night, food, so much food, witness protection, sorry seems to be the hardest word, the cover art was not really inspired.
3.6 Stars
* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
This ‘second chance’ type romance shows us fragments of their 3 days sex binge, 4 years in the past. We also understand pretty quickly that Shannon was the asshole who ghosted Kesa right after the blessed event and without a single explanation. Kallmaker gives us reasons to make Shannon's actions look more sympathetic, but fact is that a simple apology in the beginning of their second encounter would have made a hell of a difference. But I get it, it needs to be dragged out for tension’s sake.
I think the reason this novel didn’t work so well was the very thin and convoluted plot. The pigheaded youngsters (Kesa’s younger sister Josie and Shannon’s ‘foster son’ Paz - both still in school) wanting to marry right now because ‘the world was going to shit’ struck me as weird. No matter what offer was thrown at them (even cohabitation) they were steadfast on that theme.
What redeemed the novel (partly) was Karen Kallmaker’s solid experience as a writer. She adds rich detail to her scenes, both women had interesting professions albeit Kesa’s side was more colorful, there was sooo much food (don’t read this on an empty stomach!), there was a tad of Filipino culture on Kesa’s side (in the form of her Mahjong family). I felt there was more shine to Kesa than to Shannon.
So, Because I Say So may not be her best romance, we are still dealing with the Empress of Lesfic here.
f/f explicit, but not of the ‘in your face’ kind.
Themes: sisters, work work work, mahjong night, food, so much food, witness protection, sorry seems to be the hardest word, the cover art was not really inspired.
3.6 Stars
* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
synth's review
1.0
Tbf, this was not BAD. The writing was on par with the usual prolific lesfic writers. The characters followed the usual tropes. I did appreciate that the formulaic break-up didn't happen even if the resolution is the same abrupt/barely believable forgiveness. The angst wasn't entirely bland. But everything is meh, with a good dollop of casual racism and a full gallon of "love at first sight" and a ton of "I can't resist the raging desire merely glancing at you evokes in me so this must be fateful love".
More...