Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Genre: F/F Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Tate Grafton has a tough exterior, but underneath she's kind, caring, and fiercely loyal. That's why she first started working at Out in Portland Coffee-it was her way of repaying the shop's owner for taking her in as a homeless teenager. Nine years later, the coffee shop is floundering and Tate feels like she's letting life pass her by . . . until she shares an unforgettable night with a beautiful stranger. When the mysterious woman disappears the next morning, Tate doesn't even know her name.
Laura Enfield was supposed to be in Portland for only a few days-just long enough to oversee a simple business deal before joining her conservative father on his political campaign. But when the closeted Laura romances an employee of the coffee shop her company is shutting down, things get suddenly complicated. Now, the lies she's told for years are beginning to unravel, and her biggest secret is about to be exposed. Laura can't stop thinking about the barista with the soulful eyes, but after a lifetime of deception, can she finally embrace something true?
Excerpt
“My name is…”
The woman cut her off. “I don’t want to know.”
“Tate withdrew her hand, the moonlight cooling. But as soon as she withdrew her hand, the woman grabbed it, holding on as though she were going to shake hands but lingering much longer than any handshake.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said.
She leaned forward, her perfect good looks furrowed by worry.
Behind the woman’s head, Vita flicked her tongue between the V of her two raised fingers.
Tate widened her eyes, the only nonverbal cue she could flash Vita. Embarrass me, and I will strangle you, her eyes said. But she wasn’t sure Vita was listening.
“It’s not that I don’t want to know you.” The woman still held Tate’s hand, now stroking the back of Tate’s knuckles with her thumb. “It’s just…I don’t live here. I live a thousand miles away.” The woman raised Tate’s knuckles to her lips and kissed them. “Right now I don’t want to be me.”
“You’re straight,” Tate said.
Behind the woman’s head, Vita mouthed, So?!
The woman said nothing.
“You’ve got a husband and two kids at home.” Tate extracted her hand. “A husband with a shotgun and two kids who will spend thousands of dollars on therapy when they realize you weren’t going to the PTA meetings at all.”
The woman bowed her head and laughed. Tate could only see her dimples, suddenly apparent in the smooth face. All right, Tate thought. I’ll take it. It was the first time in months that she had sat at the Mirage and not thought about Abigail. She hadn’t even looked up to see if Abigail had come back in the room.
“I don’t have any kids,” the woman said. “I can promise you that. I was married once, but we divorced years ago, and I’m not straight. I just wanted one night where I’m not what I do or where I work or who I know, but that’s silly, isn’t it?”
Tate thought about Out Coffee. About Maggie, Krystal, Vita, and the Mount Tabor Community Garden Association. About her studio apartment off northeast Firline and the old Hungarian couple who lived in the unit below hers. She thought about Portland, with its mossy side streets and its glorious summers.
“If you’re not who you know, where you work, where you live, who are you?” she asked.
“I’m this,” the woman said and took Tate’s face in her hands and kissed her.
Review by Moxxley
While I could connect with Tate, I could not connect with the character of Laura. There was something about her that seemed off and it just left me cold. I really enjoyed the supporting cast of characters. Maggie, Vita, and Krystal really deserve their own story. While I could not connect with Laura, I fell in love with how strong and supportive they were.
While reading the story, I thought I had it all figured out but surprisingly there were a few twists and turns that kept me reading the story. I would definitely recommend Something True by Karelia Stetz-Waters for people to read. I give this story 4/5 Platypires.
Bob's Review
The one real complaint I have is that it seems very anti-male. The only men in the story were NOT complete a$$hats were gay. Not all men are this way! Trust me, my husband and sons are not bad people simply because they are not gay. That really bothered me, and unfortunately is the main point of this book that is sticking with me.
I recommend this for those who like romance bordering on erotica.
Bob says: 3 Platypires
About the Author
Her other works include The Admirer, The Purveyor, and Forgive Me If I've Told You This Before. She lives with her wife, Fay, her pug dog, Lord Byron, and her cat, Cyrus the Disemboweler.
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