Curious Wine

by Katherine V. Forrest

ASIN B00501GO2W moved to the most recent edition here

The intimacy of a cabin at Lake Tahoe provides the combustible circumstances that bring Diana Holland and Lane Christianson together in this passionate novel of first discovery.

Candid in its eroticism, intensely romantic, remarkably beautiful, CURIOUS WINE is a love story that will remain in your memory.

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Fiction, Lesbian, Queer, Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Fiction

170 pages, ebook

First published May 5, 1983

About the author

Katherine V. Forrest is a Canadian-born American writer, best known for her novels about lesbian police detective Kate Delafield. Her books have won and been finalists for Lambda Literary Award twelve times, as well as other awards. She has been referred to by some "a founding mother of lesbian fiction writing."

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are certain books classified as classics that are important in lesfic. Forrest's name comes up a lot because she was writing lesfic before many others. At least lesbian books that weren't considered pulp, that had horrible endings. This is a classic lesbian romance, that if you changed a few things, could be written today. And considering this was published when I was 1 years-old, that's pretty good.
The main characters do fall in love very quickly, but what I like about it was its sensuality. We don't see that often in books anymore. The touching and stroking and kissing, that doesn't just lead to sex, but is done because you love a person. It was nice to read. And overall I thought the sex scenes were pretty well written for 1983.
I do wish there wasn't a rape scene. It's not overly horrific, but I wasn't expecting it, so it was a bit jarring. And the character seemed to get over what happened to her at light speed.
I did feel like Daughters of a Coral Dawn, Forrest's classic sci-fi book, made me feel more. But I do understand why this is considered a classic.

[Arn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

It's interesting that almost nothing really told me this is a 40-year-old book. Yes, smartphones are not around and certain attitudes are but the book doesn't really mention anything out of date we don't use or experience today.

The writing is stiff at times, especially in dialogue but it comes off as more real as if people felt less need to sugarcoat the realities of life. But at the same time, the notion of love feels more idealized, less jaded than what we read in books of today.

As other reviewers have already mentioned I really enjoyed the sensuality and intimacy of their budding relationship. No clothes are torn down in this read, only love is made.

Now where the book comes short is in using rape as a cheap plot device that is forgotten and gotten over in 2 seconds, it's added only to make the character change her mind about something which is a terrible use of the theme, and I always dislike being immediately thrown in the midst of 6-7 or so characters I don't know yet. And when I finally learn who is who, almost all of them are out of the picture. There are also some secondary plot threads I wish were expanded on.

Overall, it's an interesting book to read once.

[Velvet Lounger · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Nothing interesting can possibly happen in a cabin full of women.” So ends the first chapter of Curious Wine, Katherine Forrest’s classic novel of the early 80’s in which 6 women bring their personal issues to a beautiful Tahoe cabin for a weeks skiing in an era when encounter groups were in, padded shoulders were the norm and lesbian romance was definitely still in the closet.

Diane is depressed about breaking up with her boyfriend. As she meets the group she instantly bonds with the gorgeous but cool Lane, high powered lawyer with a trail of downtrodden men. The remaining four women are led by Liz, the angry and bullish “first wife”, Chris her uptight and narrow-minded spinster sister, Millie the aging hippy and Madge who’s too scared of the truth to find out if she is being betrayed. Add into the mix a large quantity of alcohol and some grass; a meltdown is bound to happen.

Needless to say the encounter games don’t go to well, feelings of pain and anger get out of hand and rather than bonding the group ends up hurting each other with truths they don’t want to know. Out of which the sensitive Diane reaches out to Lane for comfort. One thing leads to another and suddenly they are on the verge of a sexual encounter.

————————————-

Let me start by saying I LOVE THIS BOOK. Yes its short and obvious and so unrealistic.. but i love the characters, the story is so sweet, and i can fogive the dated games, clothes and behaviour because of what it represents.

Curious Wine was Katherine V. Forrest’s first novel, published in 1983 and is without a doubt a classic. It is one of the groundbreaking novels of its generation, it moved away from the pulp fiction into romance, was solidly about women and was written by a lesbian for lesbians.

Today many reviews criticize it for the soppy and cheesy sex, the paucity of terminology and the unlikelihood of two ‘straight’ women having sex, falling in love and deciding to live happily ever after in 3 days. People – normally women who probably were barely born in 1983 – complain about the ridiculous encounter games, the dated fashions and the shallow plot and characterisation.

But to do so is to take the book out of context. This is a first novel written in a virtual vacuum of lesbian romance. In 1983 women did try to bond in stupid games, they were this nasty to each other – they thought they were ‘helping’ when in retrospect they were destroying each other. At that time there was virtually no current lesbian fiction – the pulp fiction of the 50’s and 60’s was homophobic and frequently written for a sleezy male audience. And the sexual norm of the day was either Deep Throat style porn or uptight bosom heaving Mills and Boon.

If you want to read an novel full of deep characters agonizing over coming out, or compare this to modern sexplicit girl on girl action you will be disappointed. But it is a great novel. It is well worth the read – at 160 pages it wont even take too long. And it deserves the title classic for its groundbreaking exploration of a woman’s reaction to her first lesbian encounter.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m starting to think I shouldn’t read the classic sapphics because wow.
The first half is awful with the friend group being awful to each other. Then there’s an on page sexual assault of the main character. She doesn’t appear to be traumatized as she then moves on to a sex fest with her female love interest the same night.
But there is a happy ending so I can see why people in the 80’s loved this so much. I guess.

[Guerunche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this book... *sigh*

For lesbians over the age of 40 (okay, probably 50), Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forrest is something like the holy grail of lesbian literature. We are so fortunate now to have numerous sources to purchase (or even read for free) stories featuring lesbian characters, but back in the early 80s there were very few publishers that produced it. And people searching for representation had to seek out gay and lesbian bookstores to be able to find stories that reflected our lives. (Keep in mind it would be another decade before Amazon was founded.) For many of us, this book was the first lesbian fiction we'd ever read. It's the story of San Francisco attorney (also rare in the early 80s) Lane Christianson who travels to Lake Tahoe to meet up with a group of professional women in a cabin where they planned to enjoy a skiing weekend. There she makes a connection with Diana Holland, a human resource professional, when they are assigned a room together. Diana has never been attracted to a woman before but is immediately drawn to Lane. And while Lane had a brief encounter with a woman once in her youth, she has been with men since. When they meet, their affinity for one another is immediate and strong. And in a very short period of time, they realize there could be something truly deep and meaningful between them.

This book is SO beautiful and tender. And the chemistry between Lane and Diana is completely off the charts! I have lost count of how many times I've read this over the years. And yes - though it's a little dated now, it still holds up much better than most might think. An audiobook of this work was first produced back in 2009. It was abridged, so only ran for three hours and 16 minutes. It was narrated by someone with an English accent - which was jarring, considering it is set in the United States with American characters. So when I saw that this unabridged version was going to be released with a new narrator, I was thrilled! In my review of that early audio release, I said how much I wished they would do just that in honor of the 40th anniversary, which would be 2023. It's a year early, but hey - somewhere the lesbian goddesses were listening.

Having the complete story now makes ALL the difference. As does having a much better narrator. Jill Smith (who narrated Far From Home by Lorelie Brown and others) did a more than serviceable job with the story. While some of the peripheral characters were just okay, she does a beautiful job with Lane and Diana. Their scenes are so intimate. So romantic. And eventually, very, very sexy. Their more intimate scenes are absolutely gorgeous.

I vote that every lesbian should experience this book. For those who are younger, it illustrates that although things were so very different back in the mid-70s when this was set, that women have always loved one another - and passionately at that. They're the ones that paved the way for the openness many of us enjoy today. And for older lesbians, it's wonderfully nostalgic and just so damn swoon-worthy. There are some surprising - even jarring - moments in the book and while it rings very true, not all of it is easy to read or hear. That said - this book means so much to so many. It made us feel seen. Represented. And now - with this updated audio release, it finally gets something more worthy of it.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second library book I’ve read in a long time. Second library book since I moved. And, oddly enough and unexpectedly, both include a wlw or f/f plot-line. One has that as the main theme (this book); other has that as a subplot (Mira Grant’s ‘Into the Drowning Deep’).

I’d like to say something along the lines of ‘this is the oldest lesbian fiction book that was both a romance and one with a ‘happy for now’ type ending’ – unlike lesbian pulp that I’ve read that tended to have unhappy endings, and/or if there is a happy ending, it definitely didn’t involve two women together at the end. Except: neither of the main characters (though only one has POV) are lesbians before meeting each other; both show signs of being much more likely to being somewhere on the bisexual scale than lesbian (as in, both still seem happy with the idea of sex with men, though one might have decided that they are all the way lesbian now – the one without POV thoughts, so not sure; other though is in the ‘I find men attractive, no woman – but for you’ column). Sooo . . happiest oldest, in publication terms, bisexual fiction? Something like that.

I really need an f/f shelf so I can look for those books. Since bisexual fiction ‘doesn’t rest upon’ lesbian fiction shelf (unless I’m 100% certain a lesbian is 1) involved; 2) has POV -> neither is present in this specific book; I’m not 100% certain, and the one that might be a lesbian now, does not have POV). I make that comment because I’m now going through my Lesbian Fiction shelf looking at publication dates.

Neither of the first two I’ve read fall inside the ‘lesbian pulp’ genre, but neither have happy outcomes for lesbians. Then a bunch of lesbian pulp books (~6). Then the ones I read published in the 1980s, which includes this book here. Including this book here, I’ve read four published in the 1980s lesbian fiction books – and only this one has a ‘happy outcome’ for lesbians, the other three were lesbian mysteries by the same author as of this book here.

Right, now that I’ve lost everyone . . this book here…

A massively huge number of women, at least it appears that way at first, spend a few days together at Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Millie, Madge, Chris, Liz and . . . I think Vivian are all friends. Vivian (who annoyingly includes her own name in her conversations; ala ‘Vivian is happy to see you’, though she does occasionally use I) isn’t staying at the cabin owned by Liz, and so I’m not sure if she actually is one of the groups friends – though I assume she is and that is why the main and only point of view character is staying at Liz’s cabin – Diana Holland. No one staying at the cabin has meet Diana before, though some information about her past has been shared by Vivian with Liz. Another guest, not yet named, is also brand-new to most of the group. Lane Christianson was invited to join the group by her friend Madge.

I’ve a vague idea that Millie might be in her twenties, but everyone else is somewhere between 34 and 54 (give or take ten years, though on the upper end).

As noted – all are there for a few days vacation, all but Diana there for skiing (Diana doesn’t ski, when the others are skiing, she drives to town to gamble). Also, as expected, all of them . . . wait, what’s this? Completely confusing me, when I came across this information . . . every bloody single person, including Vivian who isn’t staying at the cabin, is 100% heterosexual. And talk a lot about men. And screwing, and stuff. Most have boyfriends or husbands. For example: Diana, the POV, just broke up after a long term (5 year?) relationship with a man named Jack who cheated on her; she’d also previously been married (for 7 years?).

So, I entered this book expecting to find lesbians in this lesbian fiction book to find a bunch of disgruntled heterosexual women. There’s a lot of drinking and drug partaking, but no that does not lead to ‘accidental’ woman on woman action.

Two of the women, though, seem quite taken with another woman at the party. Happily both have fixated on each other (as opposed to other members of the vacation party). Weirdly and conveniently the two share the same upper loft sleeping area. Before either even think of using the bed for anything more than sleep, both suggest ‘sharing heat’, or whatever words they used, by using that bed instead of having the other back in the other room (which wasn’t really described but seemed small, cramped, and might not actually have a full-fledged bed).

Events conspire to have both become huggy/consoling the other. Kissing breaks out. Groping as well. When Lane starts pulling on Diana’s pj bottoms, Diana has a ‘holy fuck, I’m NOT A LESBIAN!!!!’ moment that causes Lane to stop her actions. And Diana to flee (the next morning), even though her body is screaming ‘please continue this new experience with the other women. PLEASE!’

Diana grapples with the idea she is/isn’t interested in Lane. Gazes upon other women while gambling. Finds none attractive, sexually. Spots men. Finds them sexually interesting. So much so she goes to one of their rooms. Whereupon . . . well, I’d not normally state this spoiler opening, but it’s important to note that a dubious consent (‘can there be consenting rape?’) moment occurs.

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ve indirectly noted that this book was published in the 1980s, but did not mention when the book was set. If I recall correctly, the book was set in 1978 or 1979. A time I’m much more able to except the concept of ‘noooo I can’t be a lesbian!!!’ reactions. What with society being quite negative, and even the somewhat underground books for people of a certain persuasion were . . . quite negative about lesbians (see: lesbian pulp). Basically, what I’m saying is that, in the exact right circumstances a positive vibe might have developed for a specific woman in this era, but 99.9999% of women, even if they come from a family that’s deeply to the left, politically, are going to fear finding themselves being attracted to women. Or, at least, that’s my understanding. I was not in my mid-30s in 1978 (though I was alive in that year).

Right, I went into that long diversion because I needed to note that this specific trope comes up a lot in lesbian fiction. It is something like . . . required, almost, that the books be about two non-lesbians who find each other then realize, reluctantly, that they might like women (at least there’s a ton of lesbian fiction that goes that route; I’ve also read a ton involving women 100% okay with the idea of being attracted to women and having relationships with women who find women who are similarly 100% okay with the idea). I’ve forgotten how this paragraph started. Certain tropes annoy me in lesbian fiction; based on certain factors, it is easier for me to ‘accept’ these tropes, since they are probably closer to reality than many other possible paths.

This was an interesting book, though hampered by being a solo point of view book. Also too large focus on men and humping men. But no matter, still interesting.

I rated this book 3.5 (as in put on that shelf), though now that I come to the part where I actually rate the book in my review, I’m not actually sure what to rate it. So 3.5 it shall be rated.

Rating: 3.5

July 27 2018

[Jutta Swietlinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was not until I read this book for the first time (on the occasion of this year’s Pride Month) that I realized that it’s a lesbian/sapphic classic.
This romance novel was written in 1983, more than forty years ago. No wonder that it deals as much with the budding love between two women as with the view that sapphic love is something out of the ordinary and that it requires a lot of courage to come out as a lesbian. So you can read it as an interesting contemporary document today which made me reflect on how much the attitude towards queer topics in the so-called Western world has changed over the years.
The literary quality of the story didn’t really convince me anyway at first, though, to the point where Diana and Lane start to get closer to each other. The love scenes are really beautifully written, in a very romantic and sensual way, so that I enjoyed reading them very much. Almost enough to make me forget that communication and interaction between the characters in this book is a little strange sometimes.

***Trigger warning***: Rape!
There’s a scene in the novel where Diana is raped by a man, and afterwards the rape is played down somewhat, even joked about! Another sign of the times, I guess. 🙁

3.5 stars.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lane and Diana are a swoonworthy couple. Both women are brilliant and beautiful, and it’s no wonder that they’re drawn to each other. Their chemistry is palpable even before Diana starts to figure out her feelings for Lane, and Diana’s journey of self-discovery had me enthralled as she figures out what their relationship means for her life.

Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/curi...

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older lesbian book. It had a 'Desert Hearts' type of feel to me. It definitely was dated. It was a forbidden love story of sorts, which always get me. So I overall enjoyed this. Because this was older, I was constantly fearing the inevitable bad ending. But consider my surprised!

[Aliki (semi hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is MY Holy book! I will be reading it in times of desperation and praying on it!
Katherine V. Forrest, thankyou for writing one of the og lesbian books, your masterpiece will be forever with me 🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡

----------------

A LESBIAN ROMANCE WRITTEN IN 1983?? I AM SAT

[Lucky Luc · Rating 5 out of 5]

While set in the very late 1970s, this is a pretty amazing book about two women who meet on a girls’ camping trip to Tahoe and fall in love. The build up to the first time they made love was so tender, honest and incredibly sexy. The sex scenes were very well done and would hold up as quite steamy even by today’s standards. Good read if you want a FF.

[KT]

I bumped into a kind older woman in the used LGBT shelf at a beach-side book store who emphatically recommended this one. Felt pretty good taking home a paperback classic for $5, hope to get around to it!

[Guerunche · Rating 4 out of 5]

This updated review is for the Audiobook version - 4 Stars. The paperback version - 5 Stars.

For lesbians over the age of 40 (maybe 50?), the book Curious Wine by Katherine V Forrest is something like the holy grail of lesbian literature. We are so fortunate now to have numerous sources to purchase (or even read for free) stories featuring lesbian characters, but back in the early 80s there were very few publishers that produced it. And people searching for representation had to seek out gay and lesbian bookstores to be able to find stories that reflected our lives. (Keep in mind it would be another decade before Amazon.com was founded.) For many of us, this book was the first lesbian fiction we'd ever read. It's the story of San Francisco attorney (also rare in the early 80s) Lane Christianson who travels to Lake Tahoe to meet up with a group of professional women in a cabin where they planned to enjoy a skiing weekend. There she immediately makes a connection with Diane Holland, a human resource professional, and they are assigned a room together. Diana has never been attracted to a woman before but is immediately drawn to Lane. And Lane had a brief encounter with a woman once but has been with men since. When they meet, their attraction is immediate and strong. This is the story of how their love blossoms. It is SO beautiful and tender. I have lost count of how many times I've read it over the years. And yes - though it's a little dated now, it still holds up quite well. When I saw that an audiobook was produced of the book back in 2009, I decided to give it a try. This audiobook is short at 3 hours and 16 minutes, and is priced accordingly on Audible at $6.50. The experience listening to it was quite different than reading it. First, the audiobook begins with a snippet from the opera Lakme (The Flower Duet) by Delibes. If you're not familiar with the music, please do listen to it here on YouTube. It's a lesbian staple and absolutely gorgeous. https://youtu.be/C1ZL5AxmK_A
The work is narrated by English actress Jane Merrow. She's got a beautiful English accent and reads well, though I'm not sure why she was chosen to do this particular book because the women in the story are from California. It made me wonder. Then at the end of sections of the book, a clip of classical music plays. That made me chuckle and took some adjusting. I would say if you have never read Curious Wine, you'd definitely want to read the book first. It really is a classic and a must-read if you love lesbian literature or the history of it. Then, if you want to listen, go for it. It's not quite as affecting. I couldn't help but think how much improved it would be if Abby Craden or Angela Dawe narrated it. I would love to see a 40th anniversary edition made of it in 2023 - with special features and updated narration.
Five stars for the story, 4 stars for the narration and 4 stars for the production. (It was 2009, so cutting it some slack.)

[Mel Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was an absolutely beautiful love story about two people that were meant to be together. I loved the constant references to Emily Dickenson. I thought it was an original story line and way ahead of it's time. I will definately be reading more books by Katherine V. Forrest in the very near future. This book made me laugh, smile, and almost cry. I really enjoyed how the author had such a perfect way of describing the emotions felt by the characters in the book. One of my favorite books.

[Jaie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was on a list of classic lesbian romance novels so I read it. Written in 1983 and set in 1978, it was very dated. Like watching Dessert Hearts now, I can understand that it was maybe groundbreaking in its day but it just doesn't hold up well. The romance happened fast which I found hard to believe. And *spoiler* there was a rape which I found disconcerting and inadequately processed. And if it was there to compare a hetero relationship with a gay one, a bit problematic.

[L.T. Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Curious Wine 13 years ago and it was my first time ever reading a lesbian romance. 13 years later I still read it all the time and find myself always anticipating the first time Lane and Diana come together. Some of the descriptions may be dated for younger people but this story is truly timeless.

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“After the first night with you, when I knew I would come to you again, all that day I thought of an Emily Dickinson line: ‘I had been hungry all the years.’”

It's incorrect to say that I have mixed feelings, because my feelings aren't really divided on this. I really, really liked it. It was touching and intense and romantic in a particular way I've gotten before from lesbian classics, and that I'm beginning to be addicted to. However, there were two things about it that I really didn't like. So that definitely affected my feelings and my rating. Overall, I'm really glad that I read this; it's one of those books that I've heard about for years, and have always wanted to read.

(I'm labelling this as historical romance, which... eh. It doesn't feel all that historical, but it's what fits best.)

In 1978, a group of women (friends, acquaintances and strangers) meet up for a mini vacation at a cabin at Lake Tahoe. There, Diana meets Lane, and at first has no words for the immediate pull she feels towards the other woman; she's never felt like this before. But over the next few days, they build this intense, overwhelming, deeply romantic connection. And it's lovely. SO GOOD. I'm a sucker for romances that are described in that earth-shattering, sweepingly beautiful way. 9 times out of 10, I really don't like insta-love, but this was one of the few cases where it absolutely worked for me. There's a section where the women play a few games to get to know each other better, and there's a bit where Diana and Lane are gazing into each other's eyes, then touching each other's faces, and I felt like the ground was moving beneath me. Everything about their connection, both emotional and physical, was so lovingly described. And every single one of their intimate moments felt electric and charged, even when they weren't particularly explicit. This is full of self discovery, questioning and inner turmoil. As relatively quick as this was, this still didn't feel easy for the characters. They had baggage to work through to be together, and I ended up loving that journey.

There were two things about this that I hated. First was the way the racist character was dealt with. One of their new acquaintances says something really horrible and racist near the beginning, and while Diana and a few others are appalled, their reaction is to just... change the subject so that they can avoid having an uncomfortable conversation. On its own, that would have been fine or whatever. But Chris, the racist, is further characterised as a sweet, gentle, motherly soul who just needs to learn greater tolerance. Her racism is never explicitly mentioned again. It really rubbed me the wrong way. I suppose it's very period-typical for them to have such a lukewarm reaction to bigotry, but eugh.

My second big problem was the rape scene. Luckily, I had been forewarned about it, so at least it didn't catch me off guard. But I still really hated it. Rape as a plot device is always detestable to me, and it was especially so in this case. The main character barely processes what happened to her, and bounces back from it so quickly. Obviously every person reacts differently, but it felt so gross and disrespectful to include a scene like that, and then barely deal with the aftermath. It honestly felt like the scene was just there to punish Diana for rejecting Lane the previous night, and it was gross.

Despite those two pretty sizeable flaws, I'm still rating this 4 stars (3.75 if I'm feeling picky), which I guess says a lot about the rest of the book. I really adored the writing, and the romance, and these characters really grew on me. I loved the role that poetry played in their courtship, and all of the quotes had me weak in the knees. I also listened to the audiobook as read by Jill Smith, who had a simple and elegant narration style that was to die for. I was so swept away. This definitely reads like a book that is 'of its time', and I don't always have a lot of patience for those. This won't work for everyone. But I had such a good time with it. I could definitely see myself rereading it eventually.

Content warnings: past parental death, partner death, grief, internalised lesbophobia and biphobia, racism, rape

“Why must you be so very beautiful.” 
After a moment Lane said, “For you.”

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I love a good sexual orientation discovery story and this was definitely it. I really liked the main character Diana and her romance with Lane. They had really good chemistry. Sure, the relationship moves really fast and they say “I love you” awfully fast the way it’s written it made total sense for them.

I liked the writing style and how consumable and addictive it was. The characters felt real and flawed which I appreciate. However, I feel like the rape added absolutely nothing to the overall story and really could’ve been left out. It was jarring and pointless. Nothing comes from it. Other than that this was a really good read with a lovely romance.

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorites. I reread this every few years since it first came out. There just something tender about that first time with someone.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it will tell you exactly why women would choose to become lesbians and why that is so much better than the alternative! Seriously though, it may seem cheesy today, but what do you expect from lesbian fiction written in the early 80's? That's part of the fun, just the descriptions of the clothes and the party games are so weird and hilarious. But you have to see it for what it meant at the time, and consider it a part of women's history. I am sure it was a huge milestone at the time to write about a two women discovering each other and choosing to live as lesbians in a time when that was highly unusual. Their thoughts and feeling still apply today. And Katherine's love scenes - awesome - hot, and yet, not x-rated at all. It's a fun and easy read, and you can easily justify reading lesbian romance brain candy by considering its important historical context.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fast read. I started it on a Wednesday and finished it on Thursday, less than 24 hours later.

This was written in the early '80's and set in 1978. It is the story of a woman in her thirties who, after the breakup of a relationship with a man, suddenly finds herself drawn to another woman. It's a love at first sight for both women and while neither woman has been in a real relationship with a women, Lane, the woman the protagonist, Diana falls for, at least recognized the tendency in herself.

It's a sweet, tender story set in a time when they were going to have to live their relationship in secret. For me, that was the sad part....the kind of secrecy they were worried about seems so alien now. Yet it was because, in part, of women like that that refused to live in secrecy that I can be so open today.

I'm not going to pretend this is great literature. It's a fairly utopian love story. It's a fantasy that many people hold about love at first sight and while that may not be true for most, the sudden, instant recognition of something that had gone unnoticed until then is very real for many women. The story may be utopian but it is grounded in reality.

[chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

cw: rape, era consistent casual homophobia

When I first read this lesfic classic, the only other two “lesbian” books I was aware of were Rubyfruit Jungle and Annie On My Mind, but neither of those books stirred my babygay FEELINGS like Curious Wine did at that time.

Back then, Diana and Lane’s story was a true romance on paper when I had *never* seen anything like it modeled for me in life or in fiction before. I was totally enraptured and perceived no flaws.

Reading it again in 2022 was like reading a different story from what lingered in my rosy nostalgic memories. The romance seemed natural enough but the dialogue structure gave the whole story a stilted cadence that made it incredibly difficult to read aloud (my partner had never read it so we decided to read it together). And the use of rape as a character motivation was absolutely intolerable to me as a present-day reader.

This book will still hold a place of importance for me, historically, but I will likely not read it again. I believe there are other “lesfic classics” that have better stood up to the test of time.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm really struggling between giving it a 3 or 4 stars. if the book had only been about diana and lane, i'd have given it 5 stars. their story was perfect. as individual characters, they were both compelling, smart and beautiful and as a couple it was just a pure firework.

but then the author added the whole groupe of women, whose stories were interesting but it just kept you from focusing on diana and lane which was a shame. and there is also the absolute horrible casino night interlude which was so wrong (but let's just forget about it ever happening).

WHAT MATTERS is that i got to read about two women, embracing their new love for each other, without denying their previous love stories with men, written in a peculiar but in the end rather nice style, WITH lots of DICKINSON POETRY EXTRACTS and it was AMAZING. so 4 stars it is.

[Agirlcandream · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated, but a classic to be sure.

[Dee]

How the hell can an e-book that has been out for 7+ years, and is only 170 pages, be priced at $11.50?

Prolific authors in this genre don't even charge that much.

Adds to Wishlist.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing.

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I wish I would have read it when it came out.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rep: bi mc, lesbian li

[Sambina Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

80’s lesbian smut, how can you go wrong?

[Sydney Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given to me by my sweet coworker Chloe who knew I was in a reading slump and wanted romance…. We need more Chloe’s in the world 💅💅