Review of ’16 Steps to Forever’ by Georgia Beers
I think I have loved every lesbian romance book by Georgia Beers I have read in recent years. She had some sort of writing slump at some point but she’s clearly over it and it makes me really happy. Because when she’s good, she’s really good, in that soft, warm, and, yes, sexy way I love in romance novels.
New city, new job, new life. Brooke Sullivan left Ohio, hoping for a new start away from home. That new life starts with a bang when, a few days into Brooke’s new job at Wolfe Realty, Macy Carr barrels into her, sending raspberry Danishes flying every which way and, of course, directly on Brooke’s ivory suit. As Brooke will find out, Macy’s clumsiness is legendary. What else is legendary is how talented Macy is at staging homes, a skill Sasha Wolfe, Brooke’s boss, plans to make good use of for the new high-end property she’s been hired to sell. Despite the disastrous first impression, Brooke quickly learns that Macy is well worth the effort. Sweet, complex, and still grieving the death of the love of her life, Macy has filled her life with pets (three dogs, two cats), family, and friends. She never thought she would, again, feel what being near Brooke makes her feel.
On the surface, Brooke and Macy are complete opposites. Brooke loves order and logic, Macy thrives in organized chaos. Then again, Brooke brings peace and serenity to Macy’s life while Macy brings the fun side of Brooke (who definitely has a fun side) out. They both make the other feel safe. Not as in playing safe, as in safe to be who they are and, honestly, that’s kind of everything in a relationship.
What I love about Beers’ writing is that she doesn’t need to overstate anything. Her characters are genuinely nice and lovely, and she’s awesome at writing the subtle shifts that move friendship into “more” territory. In romance, what matters isn’t the way the story ends – there will be a happy-ever-after or, at least, a happy-for-now –, it’s the journey, and Beers makes that journey very sweet.
It’s in the details, such as Macy’s relationship with her nephew Tyler, her friendship with Lucas, Brooke’s complicated relationship with religion, her bisexuality, her budding friendship with Sasha… Sasha, whose story Georgia Beers tells in Triple Dog Dare, one of the three novellas that make up Bold Strokes Books’ 2020 Christmas offering, All I Want for Christmas. I’ll be reviewing it very soon but I can already say that while I liked Macy and Brooke’s romance a whole lot, I loved Sasha’s. More soon.
Oh, and Macy needs to get tested for dyspraxia. Just saying.
