Tag Archive: LGBT



A Woman Ignored (A Woman Lost, #2)A Woman Ignored by T.B. Markinson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Know what I hate? Having to wait for the next book! I really love the characters in T.B. Markinson’s series which includes: A Woman Lost (book 1) and A Woman Ignored (book 2). I relate to Lizzie, the main character, a lot.

You know, I have had a hard time figuring out how these two books kept me so enthralled. There was no great mystery to figure out. No one is flying in spaceships. Nor is there a race to the finish of any kind. Yet I could not stop reading until I was finished with this second book. And though there is no cliffhanger, I am holding my breath hoping for the next steps.

I’ve had the kind of mother that Lizzie had. I’ve been through a lot of things like she has. No, I’m not rich with my own trust fund, which means I had to work harder at relating to others and still have a very hard time. Being with people wears me out. I think that is why I found myself reading a lot about autism and Asperger’s syndromes. And often my friends choose to show me how naïve I am. What they don’t understand is that I don’t know any other way of being. Thank goodness they still want to be friends with me, just as Lizzie’s friends cling to her. Ms. Markinson writes her world and characters so realistic that you feel you are hanging out with people you have known forever. And that is why when tragedy strikes it hurts the reader deeply.

If you get the chance to read these two books give them a try. Maybe you can explain how much empathy can be had for a reader. I picked the first one up for free though it is only $2.99 right now. And I see that book two is now free on Kindle Unlimited.

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Busy Bees: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 2Busy Bees: The Morelville Mysteries – Book 2 by Anne Hagan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I hate when I finish a book too early to go to sleep yet too late to write a review. But I’ll do the best I can nearly 24 hours and two books finished later.

Isn’t Kindle Unlimited the bomb? Do they still say that? What I mean to say is I am happy I am able to pick and and read some books even when I haven’t the money to buy them at the moment. Having read Morelville’s first book, Relic, I was curious as to what would happen to the new lovers. The last book didn’t end with a cliffhanger but the author, Anne Hagan, included the first chapter in book two at the end of book one. I like that. It did make me want to read more.

As the sheriff, Mel Crane, discovers yet another murder her lover, Special Agent Dana Rossi, is recovering from being shot in the leg in the last book. Sheriff agrees to let Dana move into her home to recuperate. Jumping the quick lesbian relationship to skip some levels, straight to the moving in. “Dating” will have to wait until later.

Except for a few editing errors, this book read quite well and kept me engaged, wondering how in the world they will catch the bad guys. Within the mysteries, are realistic characters who seem to have realistic relationships. And I hate to see my new friends go away. Luckily, I have book three ready for when I can get to it. I look forward to more!

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A Woman LostA Woman Lost by T.B. Markinson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, that’s what I get for not writing the review the minute I finish reading a book. I have to take a moment away from the other books I’m reading to remember this one. Deep breath. Taking a moment. …

Let me start with how much I identified with the main character. No. I am not rich. My parents and brothers weren’t like Elizabeth “Lizzie” Petrie’s. But the cluelessness of what others feel. That’s where I relate. I could tell that others related to it too; the passages of highlighted passages were the ones I might have highlighted myself if I weren’t in such a hurry to see what happens next. Is she going to get the girl or live her life alone regretting that she didn’t see how she caused the break-up.

This was a contemporary story. T.B. Markinson wrote a believable tale in that the reader can feel themselves in the shoes of the characters, smell the trees, see the chipmucks of the Colorado area scampering in the areas Lizzie lives and camps in.

I loved this book so much that I made sure I had book two ready to go when I finished. I can’t wait to see what happens to Liz next.

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The Charlton Affair: A romantic crime novelThe Charlton Affair: A romantic crime novel by MJ Doherty

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was MJ Doherty’s first book? AMAZING! I loved this book! It pulled me in from the first erotic dreams of the beginning on into the crimes and drama and suspense that continued to the end of the book.

Ms. Doherty built believable characters, so much so that I didn’t want to leave them behind. I do hope there will be a sequel!

There is romance and love and relationships to live through and figure out. That is the lower drama. But the stuff that keeps a person turning pages is how to come out of this story alive. Gripping tale! What I found most interesting is how often the point of view changes. It isn’t just the main characters, but some of the lesser characters can be part of the story telling. Well done! And it is done in such a way that the reader doesn’t get lost trying to figure whose head she is in now.

I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you, Kindle Unlimited for letting me read it for free! I think I will buy it soon as it is that good a read!

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If You Could Be MineIf You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This should be required reading for everyone. This is the kind of thing my teachers should have given the class back in high school rather than Lord of the Flies or The Great Gatsby, and other male dominated books that I found did not relate to my life in any way, nor give me any insight into what real life was for others. The depth of this book comes from a soul who lives in a country ruled by misogynistic males, who prize their women for what a woman can do for them. Those who follow a religion written by the same type of misogynists.

The main character of this story is an example of the least of the least people. She discovers when she is 10 that she is in love and wants to marry her best friend. When she tells her mom that fact her mother tells her it’s a sin and never to speak of it again. So she becomes spiritually and emotional alone. Even the person she loves denies her hope of continuing a relationship into adulthood.

If You Could Be Mine includes other LGBTQ beings and how they deal with the issues even our own American counterparts deal with, but in Iran and that part of the world, the bigotry is even deeper. Sara Farizan has written a believable story and opened our eyes to the plight of our Iranian sisters. I think that fiction is often easier to deal with than any other media. It is the next best thing to climbing inside another person and finding out how it is to live someone else’s life. Isn’t that how Reality TV started? We all are curious as to how others live.

I was surprised by the ending. I wanted more, yet could see it was a more realistic ending. I wish for a part two to see what happened next. Not that we were left on a cliffhanger, but because of loving the character so much I want to see more about this character’s life as an adult.

Please read this if you get the chance. It is free through Kindle Unlimited. But I plan to buy the Kindle and Audible versions when I get the chance. It is worth a second read.

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Desert Wind Desert Wind by Sophia DeLuna

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a delightfully different kind of story. Beyond this, I plead ignorance. I haven’t heard of the deities mentioned in the story. I assume this was a world and goddess that emerge from the author’s imagination, yet I think I could bow to the higher being who shows miracles of kindness.

As the title suggests the story takes place in a desert land. Other than that I can’t say I know where in our world or when it may have happened. Still this couple is pregnant. It’s wanted but if both parties are lesbian, how and with whom had the mother conceived?

Now, I admit to loving this story more than other short stories by Sophia DeLuna. Still I beg, plead! Please tell more! This could not only be a book. It could be a series! I loved it!

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Fire and IceFire and Ice by Sophia DeLuna

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh, how I wish this were a book rather than a very short story. A writer writes at the coffee shop. Truth being better than fiction? We will never know. Please, Ms. DeLuna, tell us more!

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A Matter of Faith A Matter of Faith by Sophia DeLuna

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sorry it has taken me so long to review this. I picked this up so long ago that I can’t even remember when or why. But since I was feeling my addiction to Sophia De Luna’s writing, I thought now was the time.

Okay, this was a short story. Not my favorite kind. It was long enough to care about the characters and for a storyline to develop. But, as is my customary response: I wanted more. This could make a marvelous epic fantasy with LBGTQ flavors. Tell me more about the world, the kingdom, the characters and their families. Why doesn’t the secondary character have faith in herself or life itself? How were the talents of healing discovered and are their other talents?

What happens next?

I loved it so far. I want more!

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Taxi - Tactics (Book 7)Taxi – Tactics by Sophia DeLuna

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ulrike, you did WHAT!! Well, what did you have in mind, Carmen? Yeah, that’s what I thought!

There. I’ve summed it up. Would I have done what Ulrike did? Nope. Wouldn’t have had the nerve or the idea. I’m stuck with whatever Carmen would have come up with. Stuttering my way through to absolutely nothing.

What’s this all about? Gosh, I can’t tell you. You have to read it for yourself. I am curious as to how others would handle this situation. What tactics would you use? Remember jobs and reputations are on the line. But it is a situation that comes up on a daily basis. Like I’ve said before, Sophia DeLuna uses realistic problems and handles them through the characters of Ulrike and Carmen. I have to say I was quite surprised with what was done and I have to admit to what I wouldn’t have known what to do. Real life like this scares me. As advanced as we think we all are on LGBTQ issues, this situation still exists.

As I have said before, I love these episodes by Ms. DeLuna. They challenge my mind. They warm my heart. It is a little like watching a soap opera. And at this point I can’t wait until Sophia finishes the next Taxi event! By the way, thank you, Ms. DeLuna for letting me read these last few for free. When I can, I will buy these stories for friends, thereby passing on the kindness.

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Taxi - Tuxedo (Book 6)Taxi – Tuxedo by Sophia DeLuna

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love visiting with my friends, Carmen and Ulrike. In this episode, Carmen has tickets to the opera and as the title suggests a tuxedo is involved. Some of us just can’t do dresses!

Do you want to know why I love these little book events? The writing is so flawless. The dialogue and situations are quite realistic. The troubles this couple encounter are also lifelike. And the way the author handles these situations are sometimes mature and responsible, sometimes not so much, but, real. What couple handle things beautifully every time? Most of us just muddle through our problems. We learn to talk it out, but some of us are better at that communication thing than others.

Most often I relate to Carmen in her ways of dealing with things. But in this chapter I related more to Ulrike. For me that is a grand feeling as I wish I was more like Ulrike and the ways she deals with the world.

Anyway, I highly recommend this series to those who want to read of lesbian relationships. The erotica is minimal, so if that offends, don’t worry. Some of us would like more, but that kind of book is a dime a dozen. These gems are about how this couple navigate being in a relationship. I was fortunate to have received the last few from the author but, when I get a few dollars ahead, I will buy them for others. After all, you can tell the work Sophia DeLuna puts into each and every story. By the way, you can find them on Smashwords. Most are $.99 or less. Check ’em out!

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