Lorelie Brown (1979–2023)

This is shorter than I generally like novels to be (and I would have enjoyed reading more of this one! but without the extra pages adding some Dramatic Angst Twist onto the end, of course), and I'm super suspicious of first-person narration. But I'm really charmed and also moved by the relationships brought to life here--perhaps more by the growing relationship between the insecure (and ill) California-surfer-girl narrator and her romantic interest's dosa-cooking wedding-planning Indian show more mother than by the one between the two lead characters, even. And the first-person approach is carried off successfully, I think.

Content warning for disordered eating and related thoughts. show less

I'm really torn on the rating of this one. I think it's better than just three stars and it's the characters and the inclusion of and handling of anorexia bumped it to a pretty solid 3.5 for me. I debated on whether I should round up or down - since Goodreads seems determined to never allow for .5 stars - and while there were a few things that really pulled me out of the story on numerous occasions, the strength of my emotional connection with the characters pushed me to round up.

I thought show more that Rachel felt like a genuine and complex character and, even though the book is told in first person POV, I was comfortable with my level of understanding of Pari, too. For me, the most compelling part of the book was the way Rachel's anorexia was handled. I don't know anyone - at least I don't think I do - who has suffered with the illness but I feel like I've gained some insight into the condition and a bit of what it must be like. I thought the author did a great job of keeping it in the forefront but never in any sort of preachy way that may have felt forced or contrived.

So what were these things that pulled me out of the story and prevented me from giving it a solid 4 stars or more? Well, the first person POV used with present tense was the first thing. It didn't mess me up all the time and I mostly got used to it but everyone once in a while - YANK! - right out. But probably the biggest thing was some of the word choices. There were times when phrases or passages seemed like they had the wrong words mixed in. One example was something along the lines of Rachel noticing that Pari was tired and the phrase "she could tell by the weariness of her cheeks" was used. Or words really close to that - I don't have the book open in front of me but it was the weariness of her cheeks. That pulled me out of the story so badly that I had to text a friend to make sure it wasn't just me because I don't know how cheeks can look weary. There were a few places where I felt like the author was trying to make a passage feel more poetic but the actual words didn't do it for me and I spent more time wondering what words would have made it flow better or make more sense than I did being immersed in the scene. Things like that.

I was typing up the last sentence of this little review when I remembered that I wish so hard that there had been another chapter or three between the last chapter and the epilogue. How wonderful would it have been to experience what they went through to get to that epilogue? I'm not the sort of person who needs everything all wrapped up with a bow but damn, what a bunch of important things to not address. At least that's how I feel about it.

So after reading all this you may be wondering why I still rounded up... It's the story, the characters, and how I felt while reading it. Also I didn't see any typos so that's a bonus. I'll stick by the 4 stars because I had a very hard time putting it down and I think I'm going to miss Rachel and Pari. And Pari's mom. That doesn't happen very often for me anymore. show less

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Riptide Publishing for an honest review.

To start off - I have one specific semi-major problem with the position I find myself in at this exact moment. And that's the part wherein it appears that all, after a quick check, of the other books published by this author, including those put out under another name, are all MF romances. I do not know what to do with myself now. heh-mmph.

Right, so. This is the first book I've read by this author under show more this or the other name I know they publish under (is on both bio of author and in book, Katie Porter).

This book here stars Rachel Fizel and Pari Sadashiv. Sadashiv is a native of India, and Fizel is a native of California, specifically the location they are currently in. San Sebastian California (my quick look at the other books by the author spotted San Sebastian appearing in at least one other book description).

The reader enters the action after a specific point. So how it came to pass that Rachel jokeningly, or otherwise, said something along the lines of 'I would marry you' to Pari is unclear. Looking and I see that the comment is literally the first thing in the book. By everything else that is revealed, it turns out that Sadashiv is legally in the USA on a specific type of work VISA, one tied to her current employer. But she wishes to become an independent contractor. Which she can't do under her current VISA, and going through immigration the 'normal way' has become a lot harder recently. So . . . she is open to the idea of marrying someone for a green card, and hopefully, for citizenship if whoever she marries and herself are able to stick together long enough.

One slight issue rears its head immediately. Rachel is not a lesbian. Which might be a small sign or point of contention when immigration investigates. That specific issue is pushed past.

Before you know it, Rachel and Pari are now living together. Going through the beginning motions of setting up their 'fake' marriage. They seem to get along well enough, so Pari decides to inform her parents via webcam. This leads to the mother announcing that she will be there shortly and will help with the wedding. The huge wedding of many guests.

One potential problem pops up fairly quickly after the mother arrives. Rachel, who - remember, is not a lesbian, has been having these rather lustful feelings for Pari. And Pari, for her part, keeps flirting with Rachel. That is not, specifically, the problem though. No, it's more the part wherein Rachel makes a move on Pari and Pari shuts her down. Arguing that they have to just remains friends, because they have 2 years to get through. If they tried to have a relationship - especially since Rachel, up to this point in her life, had not been a lesbian, then things might just fall apart.

Moving past doing a run down of the plot . . ..

I'd never heard of this author before. The subject matter - a variation of 'lesbian for you' or 'straight woman falls for lesbian woman' is one of those themes that I can rapidly grow tired off. The concept of a woman who is very much inside her own head, berating herself, measuring herself, taking very close eye on what she eats and how she interacts with the world is not one that I would think I would want anything to do with. Funny how everything unfolded then, eh?

No idea why, but my very first glimpse of this book caused two things to unfold within me - a strong desire to read this book, and the acknowledgement that this has certain things within it that could trigger annoyance in me. But from first glimpse of the book on Netgalley, to first glimpse of the actual text once I got the book, to the end of the book, I found myself in a happy kind of trance.

I loved every single moment of this book. At some point I thought to myself that I just want to be a fly on the wall, just . . . something. Watch them be together. I want to be able to watch them through the years of their lives, see them sitting on a beach, both in their seventies, just watching the sun set. I've no real idea why exactly I feel this way, but I rather enjoy both of the main characters, and, for that matter, Pari's mother.

Heck, I have a tendency to skim the erotic portions of books. Sometimes reading closely, sometimes barely reading, but mostly skimming. Here? I wanted to read each word. Feel it, caress it. Live it. So, obviously, I wasn't going to be skimming when graphic displays of an erotic nature occurred. And, quite frankly, I rather loved those sections of the book as well.

Well, I've just babbled, as I sometimes do, so I'll move on. If you, the reader of the review, take just one thing away from this review, it is this - this is a lovely book here. (oh, and I should probably have, at some point, noted that this is only the second book I've placed on my top rated shelf).

June 10 2016/July 1 2016 show less

I'm really torn on the rating of this one. I think it's better than just three stars and it's the characters and the inclusion of and handling of anorexia bumped it to a pretty solid 3.5 for me. I debated on whether I should round up or down - since Goodreads seems determined to never allow for .5 stars - and while there were a few things that really pulled me out of the story on numerous occasions, the strength of my emotional connection with the characters pushed me to round up.

I thought show more that Rachel felt like a genuine and complex character and, even though the book is told in first person POV, I was comfortable with my level of understanding of Pari, too. For me, the most compelling part of the book was the way Rachel's anorexia was handled. I don't know anyone - at least I don't think I do - who has suffered with the illness but I feel like I've gained some insight into the condition and a bit of what it must be like. I thought the author did a great job of keeping it in the forefront but never in any sort of preachy way that may have felt forced or contrived.

So what were these things that pulled me out of the story and prevented me from giving it a solid 4 stars or more? Well, the first person POV used with present tense was the first thing. It didn't mess me up all the time and I mostly got used to it but everyone once in a while - YANK! - right out. But probably the biggest thing was some of the word choices. There were times when phrases or passages seemed like they had the wrong words mixed in. One example was something along the lines of Rachel noticing that Pari was tired and the phrase "she could tell by the weariness of her cheeks" was used. Or words really close to that - I don't have the book open in front of me but it was the weariness of her cheeks. That pulled me out of the story so badly that I had to text a friend to make sure it wasn't just me because I don't know how cheeks can look weary. There were a few places where I felt like the author was trying to make a passage feel more poetic but the actual words didn't do it for me and I spent more time wondering what words would have made it flow better or make more sense than I did being immersed in the scene. Things like that.

I was typing up the last sentence of this little review when I remembered that I wish so hard that there had been another chapter or three between the last chapter and the epilogue. How wonderful would it have been to experience what they went through to get to that epilogue? I'm not the sort of person who needs everything all wrapped up with a bow but damn, what a bunch of important things to not address. At least that's how I feel about it.

So after reading all this you may be wondering why I still rounded up... It's the story, the characters, and how I felt while reading it. Also I didn't see any typos so that's a bonus. I'll stick by the 4 stars because I had a very hard time putting it down and I think I'm going to miss Rachel and Pari. And Pari's mom. That doesn't happen very often for me anymore. show less