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mischievous_monkey's review
4.0
The takeaway from this book for me is that to have happiness in this life you suffer life's tragedies and upsets, grieve and mourn, and then pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back to living. Not just surviving, but living and reaching out and embracing the good in your life and searching out more.
I will be rereading this book in the future.
I will be rereading this book in the future.
dadjumper's review
2.0
This is a fun concept that ends up being a real missed opportunity.
The concept of "21 year old lesbian gets kicked out and moves to New Zealand to live with an older lesbian woman and seduces here (and by the way the older woman is a sub)" is pretty much my shit.
Unfortunately I think Jay could have done a lot more with the setting and with the couple's dynamic before they get together. Tara moving to New Zealand is basically done and dusted in chapter 1, and it just becomes the setting from there; but in a way that doesn't feel very authentically kiwi. We get some namedrops of places around Wellington (and later, Nelson and Picton) but there's nothing in the writing style or the characters that feels very Aotearoa at all. Even certain turns of phrase feel like they've been localized for an international audience (i've never met anyone who says "gooseflesh" irl).
Also, there's barely any back-and-forth of wondering if the other person is into BDSM. They flirt a little bit, but I think it could have gone a lot further and built a lot more tension before they figure that out.
Also, I have a real problem with how Jay seems to think "topping from the bottom" is a bad thing. Sex, and especially kinky sex, is about communication, and what she's referring to is really just a sub communicating their needs. It was really weird and jarring that it was basically used as a pejorative here.
Also kind of a nitpick but homophobia being a key plot point just isn't that fun to read.
Overall, the sex is a lot of fun but I think the whole book is a real missed opportunity for something a lot more exciting.
The concept of "21 year old lesbian gets kicked out and moves to New Zealand to live with an older lesbian woman and seduces here (and by the way the older woman is a sub)" is pretty much my shit.
Unfortunately I think Jay could have done a lot more with the setting and with the couple's dynamic before they get together. Tara moving to New Zealand is basically done and dusted in chapter 1, and it just becomes the setting from there; but in a way that doesn't feel very authentically kiwi. We get some namedrops of places around Wellington (and later, Nelson and Picton) but there's nothing in the writing style or the characters that feels very Aotearoa at all. Even certain turns of phrase feel like they've been localized for an international audience (i've never met anyone who says "gooseflesh" irl).
Also, there's barely any back-and-forth of wondering if the other person is into BDSM. They flirt a little bit, but I think it could have gone a lot further and built a lot more tension before they figure that out.
Also, I have a real problem with how Jay seems to think "topping from the bottom" is a bad thing. Sex, and especially kinky sex, is about communication, and what she's referring to is really just a sub communicating their needs. It was really weird and jarring that it was basically used as a pejorative here.
Also kind of a nitpick but homophobia being a key plot point just isn't that fun to read.
Overall, the sex is a lot of fun but I think the whole book is a real missed opportunity for something a lot more exciting.
jennabeebs79's review
5.0
This book began with our main character, Tara being kicked out and put on a plane to New Zealand to live with her aunt and uncle. Her awful mother (if you can even call her that) was extremely homophobic and down right despicable a year after living with her extended family, a wonderful cast of supporting characters, she needed to spread her wings. Fortunately, her aunt’s boss had a room to rent. Tara and Kathryn on the surface were complete opposites, but as they got to know one another better, their similar interests led them to find love. Donna Jay’s main characters are intelligent, kind, and strong women. The dialogue is witty and the sex scenes steamy. There isn’t any unnecessary angst, just two nice people finding love. Thanks Donna Jay for another fantastic read
jamietherebelliousreader's review
4.0
4 stars. This was pretty good. I was interested from the start when Tara gets caught in a very compromising situation by her mother and then kicked out of the house to live with her aunt. All of that was really intriguing. Tara eventually ends up living with Kathryn and I liked them together. The chemistry between them was good and I thought both characters were likable. They’re also both into some light D/s which was fun and made for some sexy scenes. Both women had issues going on. Tara with her mother and Kathryn had an awful experience with her former girlfriend/Domme so they both had a lot of things to work through. I really thought they were great together and the romance was fun. I also appreciate that there is no third act breakup. There was a lot of family drama but I liked the way it was handled. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. It’s well written, sexy, and a lot of fun.
onlytal's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Juicy read.
kjanie's review
3.0
3/5 stars
This was a pretty good romance, but it didn't do anything special for me. The characters were fine, the chemistry was good, but I felt like something was missing. This might be a completely me thing (especially since there are so many great reviews for this book), but I just felt really detached reading this. While I enjoyed the characters and the romance enough to finish the book and generally enjoy it overall, this isn't a story that I will be thinking about for days afterwards. In saying that, I liked Jay's writing, so I am definitely willing to try more from this author.
Tara is a young 21-year old who has moved to New Zealand after being shunned by her mother. She moves in with an older woman, her aunt's boss, and things really pick up from there. This is quite a steamy romance, with very well-written sex scenes. I don't usually read BDSM, so this was quite new to me, but it was done it wasn't anything too hardcore. It felt more like something that just spiced up the romance, and was actually a part of the book that I really liked. It really elevated the chemistry between Tara and Kathryn, and gave them an interesting dynamic.
While I think the chemistry was pretty good, although I felt like it came on quite suddenly, I wasn't really convinced about the deeper emotional connection between these two. I liked their scenes together, but I just wasn't convinced of their love, especially towards the end.
There was a lot of family drama in this book, which was entertaining to some extent but also got grating pretty quickly. Tara's mum was just awful and really soured the book. While I'm not against having 'bad' characters, I didn't feel anything genuine about Tara's mum. Instead, she just kept getting worse and worse, and stayed in the story for seemingly no reason. I kind of wish some of the family drama aspects were pushed aside so that we could see more of the characters together. It also wasn't anything particularly unique, with many queer books having a character that has severe mummy/daddy issues. Perhaps if it was done in a more unique/memorable way it would have been interesting, but I just found it to be a hindrance on the story.
This was a pretty good romance, but it didn't do anything special for me. The characters were fine, the chemistry was good, but I felt like something was missing. This might be a completely me thing (especially since there are so many great reviews for this book), but I just felt really detached reading this. While I enjoyed the characters and the romance enough to finish the book and generally enjoy it overall, this isn't a story that I will be thinking about for days afterwards. In saying that, I liked Jay's writing, so I am definitely willing to try more from this author.
Tara is a young 21-year old who has moved to New Zealand after being shunned by her mother. She moves in with an older woman, her aunt's boss, and things really pick up from there. This is quite a steamy romance, with very well-written sex scenes. I don't usually read BDSM, so this was quite new to me, but it was done it wasn't anything too hardcore. It felt more like something that just spiced up the romance, and was actually a part of the book that I really liked. It really elevated the chemistry between Tara and Kathryn, and gave them an interesting dynamic.
While I think the chemistry was pretty good, although I felt like it came on quite suddenly, I wasn't really convinced about the deeper emotional connection between these two. I liked their scenes together, but I just wasn't convinced of their love, especially towards the end.
There was a lot of family drama in this book, which was entertaining to some extent but also got grating pretty quickly. Tara's mum was just awful and really soured the book. While I'm not against having 'bad' characters, I didn't feel anything genuine about Tara's mum. Instead, she just kept getting worse and worse, and stayed in the story for seemingly no reason. I kind of wish some of the family drama aspects were pushed aside so that we could see more of the characters together. It also wasn't anything particularly unique, with many queer books having a character that has severe mummy/daddy issues. Perhaps if it was done in a more unique/memorable way it would have been interesting, but I just found it to be a hindrance on the story.
josb's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was not for me and it wasn't the BDSM that I had a problem with. The book felt really split in half, there was the pre romance where both characters had mild attraction but identified why it could look like the other was being taken advantage of and then the dating part which ignored all those blurred lines after the mains decided to be an official item. The reasons why they could not act on the attraction in the first half were swept away in the second half, which could have been quite poetic if they weren't so heavily impressed. There just needs to be a little bit more work to make me feel okay after you've listed reasons why you shouldn't act on your attraction because they are your boarder, coworker's niece, and homeless.
There was some decent chemistry between the two leads especially during the steamy scenes but some of the interactions felt awkward to me. There was not always a description after orders were given, making the affirmative response come across as wooden. I just had a hard time picturing the change in these two characters from their personal lives and wished I was walked through it a bit more.
The characters seemed to feel like they were in their 40s with the specific language they used. The 20 year old was using old colloquialisms that I have rarely heard a person under 30 use, even when I was under 30. I could have probably let it slide if, again, there was more reasoning as to how Tara adopted this at such an early age.
Not something I would suggest to anyone interested in trying a book by Jay. I was pleasantly surprised by 44 hours but this one just felt a little all over the place compared to it.
There was some decent chemistry between the two leads especially during the steamy scenes but some of the interactions felt awkward to me. There was not always a description after orders were given, making the affirmative response come across as wooden. I just had a hard time picturing the change in these two characters from their personal lives and wished I was walked through it a bit more.
The characters seemed to feel like they were in their 40s with the specific language they used. The 20 year old was using old colloquialisms that I have rarely heard a person under 30 use, even when I was under 30. I could have probably let it slide if, again, there was more reasoning as to how Tara adopted this at such an early age.
Not something I would suggest to anyone interested in trying a book by Jay. I was pleasantly surprised by 44 hours but this one just felt a little all over the place compared to it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Emotional abuse
willasaywhat's review
5.0
This one was recommended to me by the author, and subsequently by several others. It’s a quick read, but quite honestly right up my alley. A bit sarcastic, playful but with just enough spice and a delightfully sugar filled ending.
littlebookterror's review
fast-paced
2.5
it's another one for the fictional "I don't know what exactly it is but the writing/plot/romance did nothing for me" category.
Is this a cool premise? Yes - my favourite parts where definitely the dynamic between Tara and her aunt and her family and how much support they gave her.
Was there BDSM? Yes? But it's pretty lowkey and honestly, there wasn't much power exchange going on. While Tara was a bit more outspoken about her interests, Kathryn did not seem particularly subby.
Let's talk about the OCD rep for a minute. (I don't have OCD, so take all this information with a grain of salt.)
While I know the saying „a little OCD“ or "a tad OCD" is generally frowned upon, it is of course possible to have a mild form of a mental disorder. Not every person with depression has self-harmed, not every person with OCD has compulsions that take up hours of each day. There are uncommon types of OCD that you might not associate with the disorder like you do with e.g. handwashing, so I was thinking this might feature something like that.
The book did not convince me Kathryn has OCD or "OCD tendencies" as calls it. She likes to have everything in her kitchen organized and is uncomfortable with change. She likes to keep to a schedule and disliked surprises. I would call her rigid or uptight but that does not make someone have OCD.
There is no obsession (there is no mention of daily thoughts/actions she performs or things that take up time) and there is no compulsion (no checking, counting, repeating,etc.) and these rarely come separately.
It doesn't help that it's only brought up as an afterthought, the thoughts never came up randomly. And then after the halfway point, it's never mentioned at all.
Is this a cool premise? Yes - my favourite parts where definitely the dynamic between Tara and her aunt and her family and how much support they gave her.
Was there BDSM? Yes? But it's pretty lowkey and honestly, there wasn't much power exchange going on. While Tara was a bit more outspoken about her interests, Kathryn did not seem particularly subby.
Let's talk about the OCD rep for a minute. (I don't have OCD, so take all this information with a grain of salt.)
While I know the saying „a little OCD“ or "a tad OCD" is generally frowned upon, it is of course possible to have a mild form of a mental disorder. Not every person with depression has self-harmed, not every person with OCD has compulsions that take up hours of each day. There are uncommon types of OCD that you might not associate with the disorder like you do with e.g. handwashing, so I was thinking this might feature something like that.
The book did not convince me Kathryn has OCD or "OCD tendencies" as calls it. She likes to have everything in her kitchen organized and is uncomfortable with change. She likes to keep to a schedule and disliked surprises. I would call her rigid or uptight but that does not make someone have OCD.
There is no obsession (there is no mention of daily thoughts/actions she performs or things that take up time) and there is no compulsion (no checking, counting, repeating,etc.) and these rarely come separately.
It doesn't help that it's only brought up as an afterthought, the thoughts never came up randomly. And then after the halfway point, it's never mentioned at all.