A very enjoyable and feel-good audiobook
I’m still in need of a cheer-up so a feel-good romance with little angst was on the cards for me. Even much better if it’s narrated by Abby Craden.
Rosie Taft is a bookstore owner who has an online friendship with an elusive lesbian romance author. Jane Breslin is a property developer by day and romance author Brie by night. When Jane informs Rosie that her bookstore lease will be terminated, sparks fly and not of the good kind. Neither of them knows the online identity of the other so when Rosie and Brie decide to finally meet in person, things get complicated…
Read Between the Lines is book one of the Ms. Right series by Rachel Lacey which was – according to the author – inspired by the 90s movie You’ve got mail. As in the movie, it’s a mixture of anonymous online flirting with enemies to lovers tropes. There are some similarities to the movie but more as an homage to that iconic film than anything else. Ms. Lacey created a romantic, entertaining, and cute women-loving-women story.
Rachel Lacey is a seasoned author who has authored a good number of books, most of them m/f. I’ve read a couple of her f/f books, Lost in Paradise and Hideaway, which I enjoyed very much. Read Between the Lines was very enjoyable too.
I loved the chemistry between the mains, especially the pull-push between their online attraction and their complicated relationship in real life. Rosie was in such turmoil that she sometimes came across as annoying but her behaviour seemed consistent with her reality. I liked that in this story both characters equally take a journey that changes them and makes them feel better with themselves and each other. I loved that each character’s transformation was done independently for themselves and not as a result of a romantic grand gesture.
My only complaint about the story is that the sex scenes felt a bit watered-down. I know that Ms. Lacey can write sizzling hot intimate scenes so it left me wondering about her choice. It could be as a result of trying to appeal to a wider audience but I’m not sure. To clarify, the scenes aren’t fade-to-black but they felt a bit bland and rushed to me. In any case, every reader is different in their preferences regarding books’ intimate scenes so this might suit some people well. Just keep in mind that you won’t find very explicit scenes here.
Abby Craden narrated the audiobook version and, as usual, did a great job. I feel like I always repeat myself when I’m reviewing one of her audiobooks but she’s an absolute pro who makes every story even better and that’s what gives her the status of a rock star in the world of lesbian audiobooks. This one gave me all the much-needed happy feels. 4.5 stars.
Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
