Georgia Beers

Julia Martini is the new owner of her family's struggling bar, and she's determined to make it a success - not just because she's sunk a lot of her money into the place, but also because she wants her father to finally approve of her. He loves her, she knows that, but it feels like he's held her at arm's length ever since she came out as a lesbian.

Savannah McNally is a home health care worker who's basically been a caretaker in one way or another since her mother died. She's used to people show more needing her, which is part of why it stings a little that her dad and younger siblings seem to be turning to her dad's new girlfriend, Dina, more and more. Still, Dina seems to be good for her dad, so she tries to adjust. She feels vaguely guilty when she and her friend agree to meet at Martini's, a bar owned by a family that, for some reason, her dad hates - and then she meets Julia and is completely charmed by her.

In the acknowledgements, the author mentions that this series was inspired by her desire to write family-centered romances similar to stuff Nora Roberts and Jill Shalvis have written. Since Beers writes lesbian romances, in order to make the focus on a single family more believable, she opted to center things around three cousins rather than three siblings. This first book focuses on Julia Martini, while Book 2 focuses on her cousin Vanessa (a teacher), and Book 3 focuses on Amelia (who, in Book 1, is going through a painful divorce). Of the three, Amelia is the oldest. They've all been really close since Julia and Vanessa first came out to Amelia, who was already out.

As someone who is personally a big fan of Nora Roberts' "big, loud, loving family" romances, this book clicked with me right away. I loved the way Julia, Vanessa, and Amelia interacted, and there were plenty of family-related complications without making things too angsty.

Although I don't mind angst, it helps to be in the mood for it, and I was grateful that this was generally a low-angst read. There were a few potential issues - Savannah's concerns about her father showing early signs of dementia, incidents with Savannah's addict younger brother, and an overly clingy bar customer with a crush on Julia - but for the most part things didn't get too heavy. The bit that most concerned me was the customer with a crush on Julia. I honestly thought that would take a turn for "call the cops," so it was surprising (but also a relief) when that storyline fizzled out into nothing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and definitely plan on reading more by this author.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

Abby Hayes and Erica Ryan are both heading back from London when the unthinkable happens - September 11th. In mid-air and with American airspace closed, their plane has to divert to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. While in Canada waiting to go home, the pair are thrown together more than once, and a spark develops between them. But with emotions running so high and the two living hundreds of miles away from one another, it's difficult to trust what is real and what isn't.

I read a lot of queer show more romance books, but oftentimes I come away feeling disappointed. Either it feels like one of the characters needs "fixed" (something I despise with the passion of a thousand burning suns) or they look at one another and instantly fall in true love. All of those things irritate me. But, thankfully, none of those things occur in this book. Erica might be considered shy and standoffish, but it's not like she's unlovable because of it. Erica doesn't even like Abby at first and dubs her "Pollyanna." My only real complaint is that the author has a tendency to switch points of view mid-chapter (or even mid-paragraph), which can be confusing and distracting.

Otherwise, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I liked that the relationship definitely took prominence, but at the same time, the author explored the depth of emotions that people were feeling directly after September 11th, from anger to sadness to a desire for companionship. And the people of Gander were wonderful to read about, too. The Gander part was somewhat true, by the way; I'm sure that the people were fictional, but the situation definitely wasn't.

Altogether, I recommend this book. show less

Georgia Beers did a hard thing in writing a lesbian romance set in the immediate wake of 9/11. To acknowledge that good things can happen in the midst of immense tragedy is not always a welcome point of view, no matter how true it is. The introvert/extrovert dynamic is well-written, and, considering the fact that in 2001, introvert and extrovert were still terms heard almost solely in a counselor's office, the other characters' confusion over Erica's coping mechanisms is understandable. show more Maybe it's not the most realistic book, but I still enjoyed the story, the characters (main and supporting), the background information, all of it. There were some things that hit hard, because, just like everyone else 25 or older, I can remember where I was when I heard, how horrified I was at the footage, and the impact that all of it had on my life. This book was written with a lot of heart and with a lot of care. show less

Dare to Stay is the final book in the Puppy Love Series by Ann McMan. In this finale, the reader finally gets to learn more about Jessica Barstow, the owner of Junebug Farms. Jessica is very stubborn and does not respond well to change, while Sydney Taylor, the new television reporter assigned to host the shelter's televised fundraiser, wants nothing more than change. Jessica's stubborn attitude was very annoying to me, as she was way too young to be so set in her ways, and Sydney's snarky show more attitude toward her new home was off putting. In the end, they both grew on me, and I enjoyed the story. I'm sorry the Puppy Love series is over; I'll miss Junebug Farms. show less