Lesbian Book Review of ‘You matter’ by Jazzy Mitchell.

Chrissy Kramer is used to rejection. When she got pregnant as a teenager, her parents kicked her out and she was left alone with her baby. Now, fifteen years later, she works as a paralegal for Reggie Esposito, a senior law partner at a big Boston law firm and her son Ben is becoming a wonderful young man. When a disgruntled former client attempts to kill her boss, Chrissy saves her life but gets hurt in the process. As Chrissy and Ben stay at Reggie’s house to help with her recovery, both women decide to embark in a relationship in which they’ll both have to decide what really matters.

This novel has the uplifting premise that every person matters despite their own beliefs that they might not make a difference. Chrissy is a character with very low self-esteem, justified by how her parents rejected her when she got pregnant as a teenager. It’s natural that she feels insecure about relationships, and the book explores her fears and hesitancy towards a romantic entanglement. She sees Reggie as everything she feels she cannot be, elegant, classy and successful. Reggie, on the other hand, sees Chrissy for who she is, a dedicated mother, a hard worker, and a beautiful woman.

Although the concept is interesting, I think that this book fails in the execution. One of my issues is the pace of the story which sometimes drags a bit. Another problem I found is that the tension in both the main characters’ relationship and in the crime plot doesn’t flow naturally. For example, one of the parts of the crime plot is rushed at the end and one of the conflicts between the leads seems a bit forced. Having said that, this is an ok read and if you like lesbian drama novels, this book might appeal to you.

Overall, an ok romance with an interesting premise and crime at the side. 3 stars.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.