It’s tough to choose only eight books… So many great reads and authors! 

Books to take

‘The Goodmans’ by Clare Ashton

The first impression is that this is a ‘best friends to lovers’ romance but it’s so much more. This book has it all: love, romance, family drama, angst, quirky humour, sex, social criticism, redemption and deep insights in motherhood and aging. It even has unexpected twists and turns. Ms. Ashton delivered a tale that transcends lesbianism and England to describe humanity in general.

‘Who’d have thought’ by G Benson

The theme of sham marriage is not new in lesfic but Benson presents it here so skillfully that makes up for the lack of originality. Both main characters are crafted with special detail in their personalities and little quirks. Ms. Benson’s descriptions are quite cinematographic, the reader can actually feel their chemistry growing slowly until it sizzles out of the pages. The plot keeps the reader guessing the reasons for the sham marriage and even manages a nice twist at the end.

‘Kiss the girl‘ by Melissa Brayden

It’s hard to pick one novel by this accomplished author but among so many great books by Ms. Brayden, ‘Kiss the Girl‘, book 1 of the ‘Soho Loft Romance’, is still my favourite. This book has it all, boardroom drama, family conflict, sizzling chemistry, and a beautiful romance. Both main characters are endearing and totally made for each other. The cast of group of friends is great, all of them with distinctive multilayered personalities. This is a superb introduction to the series, pity that I can only take book one.

‘Just for show’ by Jae

This is another fantastic book by Jae, a heartwarming romance about a fake relationship between psychologist Claire Renshaw and barista/actress Lana Henderson. As usual, Jae likes to deviate from the common stereotypes portraying Lana as a plus-size woman proud to show her curves and happy to enjoy food. Jae tackles issues such as anxiety and OCD with tact and the rest with a healthy dose of humour. She exploits the absurd fake relationship situation with great skill.

‘Ask, tell‘ by EJ Noyes

This is a beautiful love story between two US army doctors (one higher ranked than the other) in times of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. This book goes beyond the typical lesbian romance, it has suspense, action, angst and there is even a place for social and political criticism. All perfectly balanced, realistic and beautifully written considering this is a debut novel. I wish I could also take its sequel, ‘Ask me again‘.

‘Laid bare. A collection of erotic lesbian stories’ by Astrid Ohletz & Jae (editors).

This is a collection of eleven short erotic lesbian stories edited by Astrid Ohletz & Jae for Ylva Publishing. Erotica couldn’t be left out of my castaway reads, and as this book features many of my favourite authors, it’s a great way to get more of my book allowance. Normally the quality of the stories in compilations is mixed but I’m happy to say that in this case all of them are really good. Some of my favourites are Lee Winter’s ‘Flashbang‘, Harper Bliss’s ‘58 Seconds‘, A.L. Brooks’s ‘Houseshare’ and Lola Keeley’s ‘Stress Management‘.

‘Fated love‘ by Radclyffe

A prime example of medical romance, ‘Fated love‘ is a beautiful story of endurance in coping with bereavement and illness. The mains chemistry is absolutely off the charts and despite the curveballs that life throws them, they completely belong to each other. This book has all that medical romances should have, ER fast paced scenes, great dialogues, family life, and superb romance.

‘Trigger‘ by Jessica L. Webb

This is a fantastic science fiction story well written and with a very original plot. Even if the story can be categorised as sci-fi, the author makes the events seem plausible with a great mix of action and thriller. Right from the start, the reader is taken into a plot full of twists which keeps the reader turning pages. There is a romance on the side that makes things even more interesting. A solid debut by Ms. Webb.

Song

‘Milonga del Angel‘ by Argentine Tango composer Astor Piazzolla because it’d remind me of home.

Luxury item

A comfy bed. Everyone needs a good night’s sleep!