Review of Lesbian Book Series ‘Destined’ by Suzanne Falter.
This is book 3 of the ‘Oaktown Girls’ series which follows a group of friends living in the San Francisco Bay area. ‘Destined’ resumes the story of Lizzy and Kate who met in book 1, and Frankie and Sally, of book 2. There is also a short intrigue subplot and two new characters, Rosalind and Monroe, whom we are surely going to read more about in the next book. Kudos to Ms. Falter for introducing a non-binary character so uncommon in lesfic.
‘Destined’ catches up with auto mechanic Lizzy and her girlfriend Kate, an Irish illegal alien who is wanted by the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to deport her. As Kate seeks sanctuary in a church and ends up isolated and depressed, the obvious solution is for them to get married but, is Kate ready for commitment?
Meanwhile, the new relationship between SFPD officer Frankie and her psychic girlfriend is in crisis when Sally has a vision of a tragedy in Oakland that could be avoided if Frankie’d trust Sally’s premonition. But that goes against Frankie’s beliefs. Can they find a way to move their relationship to the next level and avoid a catastrophe in the process?
I really enjoyed this book and it’s so far my favourite in this series which needs to be read in chronological order. The characters’ development and their stories are growing with each installment and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Each character is well-defined in their personality traits and shortcomings. They form a group of people very diverse in temperament and ethnicity which is very refreshing and entertaining to read.
In ‘Destined’, there is a mix of romance, intrigue, angst, and even unrequited love. Even though the intrigue subplot is brief and leaves an open ending, there is potential for further development of that story. Its protagonist, Rosalind, has definitely a story to tell. I hope that non-binary pianist Monroe has more space in the next book as they are an intriguing character. Both main couples have good chemistry and are easy to like which makes this whole series, and this book, in particular, a very entertaining read.
Overall, a very good addition to the ‘Oaktown Girls’ series with a mix of romance, intrigue, angst, and even unrequited love. So far, my favourite in the series. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
