Lizardo94

Reviewed for Evie at In Love With Romance

Review copy courtesy of the publisher



I'm trying to figure out how to write this review and can I tell you that it ain't easy? I'm giving this one 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed it. A lot. Does that mean I'm "into" women?? Just kidding! Let me give you some details and then I'll tell you why this was a great book!

First off, two warnings. 1.) This is a F/F erotic romance. Not a single penis in sight. And holy crap, it's really pretty hot! 2.) This is also a novella (approx 75 pages). Ugh. I hate novellas and this one is the reason why... I WANT MORE!!!!!

I thought that Bella Key started off like any other romance. You see your heroine and immediately like her. For me, this was true because I totally understood Maddie and her feeling about the Miami heat. Well, not so much MIAMI heat but living in South Carolina, I have a good idea of how miserably hot it was for her, especially since she lives in Portland, Oregon!! Maddie was in Miami for a business trip and it was her incredibly apt description of the suffocating humidity that had me identifying with her right from the start! Sure, I know I should be used to the heat and humidity of the Midlands and Low Country but I'm not and I just don't see it happening. Heat is hotter down here, dammit! LOL! Anyway, back to the book (hello!). So Maddie is a smart, career oriented woman who is having a bit of a problem. I wouldn't say she's having a meltdown, per say, but she does decide to take a quick trip down to the Florida Keys instead of getting on her scheduled flight and going home. That's the other reason I warmed up to Maddie so fast: I really wish I could do that... just on a whim, decide to blow off my flight, rent a car and see where the day takes me. First, I do NOT have the guts to do that and second, I really do not have the funds to do that! LOL! But it sounds like so much fun. Just to have an adventure by yourself, to calm down, to relax and regroup. Ahhhh, sounds perfect!

Once Maddie reaches Bella Key, she meets Sunny. I really liked Sunny too! Sunny seemed effortlessly cool and who doesn't want to be that?? Also, she let's Maddie use her restroom, even though her B&B is closed, which I think makes her a saint! Have you ever been to a tourist-y type area and tried to use a non-public bathroom? Yeah, right! You'd think you were trying to poop on the front lawn with the way some people act!! So Sunny is the owner of this B&B that Maddie was hoping to stay in. But Sunny thinks Maddie seems pretty great and they make a deal that allows Maddie to stay if she cooks while she's there. Sounds like a great plan to me! I liked how trusting Sunny was but at the same time, it sort of seemed like Sunny was just one of those people that has a natural talent for reading other people. She can talk to you for a few minutes and just kind of knows what you need and what kind of person you are. I think she'd make a great shrink! LOL!

So the author does this great job of introducing the two main characters in a way that has you liking them without realizing that you like them. At least, that's how it went down for me. I had only a couple of issues (other than it being WAY too short). First, the reason that Sunny's B&B is closed is that the A/C is not working. Well, its not that it isn't working but more that it isn't working well enough for "some" people. I get that we have to have a reason for Sunny and Maddie to be there alone but I thought this was a little strange. Especially since it seemed like it was the end of the busy season for Sunny anyways? And it didn't seem like it was uncomfortably warm for either of the women in any case. But it wasn't a huge big deal for me. Second, there's this scene where Maddie spies on Sunny when Sunny is having... umm, let's say that Sunny is having some Sunny Time, ok? I thought this scene seemed out of place and maybe a teensy bit gratuitous. Not a lot but I found myself thinking, "What the heck was THAT for?" On the other hand, it was a pretty hot scene so I didn't mind it all THAT much after all! LOL!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It may be a little risque for some due to the F/F romance involved but come on, we're all adults here, right? And to each their own. I'm a happily married woman (for the most part!) and I found this novella to be seriously hot! Having said that, it's not in your face or trying to make a political statement so just calm down and step off your soap box. Relax, ok? The SexyTime scenes between Sunny and Maddie were pretty tame. If one of them was replaced with a man, I doubt this would be considered erotic romance. Not even a little bit. So it's not like crazy, out-there with the lesbian sex or anything. I think it's a great little F/F romance that would be a perfect start for someone who was interested in going outside the M/F romances and interested in trying something different. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes novellas and wants to read something other than the same old, same old.