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LGBTQ+ Romance {one scene/ open-door}

E-book via Libby

Soundtrack: we can’t be friends (wait for your love)  Ariana Grande

A true slow-burn workplace/sports romance follows basketball coach Julie and former college star Elle as they try to discover who they are and whether they are individually ready for a relationship. I enjoyed each of these characters separately, but the slow pacing of this book left me struggling to buy this romance. This book is the third in an interconnected series, and I wondered if I would have enjoyed this more had I read the other novels first. I was more interested in the story of Julie’s twin (luckily another book in the series) than I was in Julie’s own romance. Despite the quality of the writing I wasn’t invested till the last 25% of the book. 

Despite the slow pacing, there were several things I enjoyed. The secondary characters are rich with their own stroylines and wha I believe are multiple throwbacks to Kelly’s previous books. There is so much representation from foster system, to migraines, major depressive episode,  to questioning sexual idenity. Kelly handles each of these subjects delicately and with enough detail to feel authenic rather than something on a checklist. 

Individiually, I really enjoyed each of the main characters. Julie was warm and filled with loved her friends and family. Her internal conflict of feeling “stuck” while everyone in her life was moving on without her was relatable. I thought it was particularly creative to contrast her twin’s confidence in their sexual identiy with Julie’s questioning of being demi-sexual. Elle’s reluctance to to be vulnerable, a theme I often find irritating, instead made the reader want to take away her pain.  

As a former Tennessee girl I couldn’t help but love all the Lady Vols nostalgia! While this was not for me I can see why Anita Kelly is a well loved author and hope to read one of her other books soon!