This month, the Golden Crown Literary Society, dedicated to promoting lesbian literature, has announced its 2020 Goldie Awards Winners. Here is the list with our reviews:
Categories
Ann Bannon Popular Choice
‘Judge me when I’m wrong‘ by Cheryl A. Head
Contemporary Romance: short
‘Listen’ by Kris Bryant
‘Listen’ is part of the ‘Senses’ series by this author along with ‘Taste’ and ‘Touch’. It’s the story of Lily Croft, a former Classical music’s child prodigy who quit music altogether unable to handle the pressure of her career. She now suffers from… See Gaby’s full review
‘Because I said so’ by Karin Kallmaker
I have a lot of respect for Kallmaker. She has had such a long and impressive career that whenever her name comes up I kick myself for not having read more of her back library. I am, however, happy to… See Lex’s full review
Contemporary Romance: Mid-length
‘Ordinary is Perfect’ by D. Jackson Leigh
‘After the Summer rain’ by Gerri Hill
Erin Ryder is a workaholic property developer who, after a disastrous breakup, is on the path of self-destruction. After a family intervention, she is sent for three months to a secluded ranch in New Mexico to detox and heal. Her host… See Gaby’s full review
‘Game Changers’ by Jane Cuthbertson
I’m a huge sports fan and that has been something that I have really missed since the virus hit. I deal with anxiety so I love watching baseball or a women’s soccer game since it just gets my mind off of everything else that… See Lex’s full review
‘The Song of the Sea’ by Jenn Alexander
I’m happy to say that I was really impressed by this drama-romance. Not only can Alexander write, but she knows how to make a reader feel. Alexander now has my attention and I will be keeping my eye out for her… See Lex’s full review
Contemporary Romance: Long
‘If the Shoe Fits’ by EJ Noyes
Jana Fleisher is a lawyer practicing family law in Washington DC. A serial casual dater, she has not been able to find even the desire to date the same man more than a few times. Brooke Donnelly literally bumps into Jana and the pair strike a friendship. They quickly… See Tere’s full review
‘The Roommate Arrangement’ by Jae
Stephanie Renshaw is a comedian hoping to get a big break in LA. When she finds an ideal apartment to rent close to the comedy clubs, she jumps at the opportunity. There’s only a catch, the landlords only rent to couples. Stephanie is… See Gaby’s full review
‘Beautiful Dreamer’ by Melissa Brayden
Philadelphia real state broker Devyn Winters left her small hometown of Dreamers Bay a few years ago. She likes the fast pace of a big city and works hard in her successful career. When she comes back to Dreamers Bay due to a family… See Gaby’s full review
Romantic Blend
‘Breathe’ by Cari Hunter
Jemima Pardon is a paramedic with chronic asthma and a reputation for bad luck. She is always attracting traumatic jobs and isn’t very successful in the girlfriend department. When she meets… See Gaby’s full review
‘Alone’ by EJ Noyes
This is Celeste Thorne’s first-person POV recount of her participation on a psychological study. The goal is for her to endure four years in close to complete isolation from human contact. The story begins after… See Tere’s full review
Debut Novel
‘Game Changers’ by Jane Cuthbertson
I’m a huge sports fan and that has been something that I have really missed since the virus hit. I deal with anxiety so I love watching baseball or a women’s soccer game since it just gets my mind off of everything else that… See Lex’s full review
‘The Song of the Sea’ by Jenn Alexander
I’m happy to say that I was really impressed by this drama-romance. Not only can Alexander write, but she knows how to make a reader feel. Alexander now has my attention and I will be keeping my eye out for her… See Lex’s full review
‘Everything grows’ by Aimee Herman
‘Temper CA‘ by Paul Skenazy
Erotic Novel
‘Double Six’ by Brenda Murphy
Historical Fiction
‘Acts of Contrition’ by Elena Graf
Mystery/Thriller/Crime
‘Hard Fall’ by Pascal Scott
San Francisco, 1989. The dead body of Emily Bryson, a university student and part-time exotic dancer, appears on a beach. The police rule it as a suicide but her partner, K. M. “Stone” McStone, has… See Gaby’s full review
‘Galileo’ by Ann McMann
This was a good sequel to the Evan Reed Mystery series. While I liked book one ‘Dust’, I thought this book was much stronger. I have to admit since ‘Dust’ was written eight years ago I had.. See Lex’s full review
Paranormal/Occult/Horror
‘Legacy’ by Charlotte Greene
This was another lesbian paranormal story winner by Greene. I have to be honest that I was never big on Greene’s earlier work, her romances. Since then she has changed it up and her last two books have been… See Lex’s full review
‘A Bittersweet Garden’ by Caren J. Werlinger
This was another good book by Werlinger. It seems like every time I read a new Werlinger book, I have lower expectations than I should. She is a damn good writer and I don’t know why I keep forgetting that. I need to… See Lex’s full review
Science Fiction/Fantasy
‘Sisters of the Vast Black’ by Lina Rather
‘Changing Course’ by Brey Willows
This was a fun lesbian sci-fi romance. I’m a fan of Willows, I have enjoyed all of her books and this was no exception. While she has written urban fantasy, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic books before, this was Willows’ first try in… See Lex’s full review
‘Miranda in Milan’ by Katharine Duckett
‘Thorn‘ by Anna Burke
Rowan is the daughter of a merchant who unknowingly gives her a cursed rose taken during an ill-fated hunting trip. The rose was in a land of eternal winter inhabited by a mysterious woman called the Huntress. Furious at the merchant for killing her wolves and stealing her rose, the Huntress… See Gaby’s full review
Young Adult/New Adult
‘In the Silences’ by Rachel Gold
Gold writes about topics that other authors tend to shy away from. In this book Gold takes on race, gender, and sexuality. Each time I read one of her books I walk away feeling like… See Lex’s full review
‘Everything grows’ by Aimee Herman
General Fiction
‘London Undone’ by Nan Higgins
‘London undone’ is a bit unorthodox in that it’s not really a romance novel, and I like that. Yes, there’s a lesbian romance a the heart of this one, but the story itself is more about the main character’s journey as London gets hit with a series of horrible issues. London thinks she… See Lex’s full review
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