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Leather, Lace, and Locs
Melissa Hart is a shy, mousy introvert, afraid to step out of her comfort zone until she dons a mask and leather as the dominatrix persona Mistress Heart. Living a double life, she develops an intimate relationship with a mysterious client who chips away the wall separating Ms. Hart from Mistress Heart to show Melissa the woman she really is.
Golden Hughes had one goal, to turn her passion for dance into a professional career. Then tragedy strikes and Golden sets her dreams aside for a regular job and steady paycheck. Now that she has everything she needs, her passion for dance is reignited in burlesque performance, putting her in the path of two unique and sexy women.
Zoe Grant has spent most of her adult life putting her wants and needs on the back burner to focus on raising her daughter, her career as a beautician, and expanding her family’s natural hair care products business. When a woman running from a painful past comes to the salon for a life-changing haircut, Zoe finds what she wants and needs in the most unexpected way.
Three friends, each on their own path, discover love could lead to happily ever after.
Golden Hughes had one goal, to turn her passion for dance into a professional career. Then tragedy strikes and Golden sets her dreams aside for a regular job and steady paycheck. Now that she has everything she needs, her passion for dance is reignited in burlesque performance, putting her in the path of two unique and sexy women.
Zoe Grant has spent most of her adult life putting her wants and needs on the back burner to focus on raising her daughter, her career as a beautician, and expanding her family’s natural hair care products business. When a woman running from a painful past comes to the salon for a life-changing haircut, Zoe finds what she wants and needs in the most unexpected way.
Three friends, each on their own path, discover love could lead to happily ever after.
312 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2024
22 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
Anne Shade
13 books33 followersAnne Shade loves writing romances about women who love women featuring strong, beautiful Characters of Color. Her dream is to retire and open a bed and breakfast so she can spend her days doing what she loves…providing wonderful hospitality, writing novels, and planning fabulous weddings.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 10, 2024
Three women, three amazing journeys into confidence, lust and love.
I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Golden, Melissa and Zoe are the best of friends. Golden has worked in finance for years. After her father’s sudden death, she abandoned her dreams of becoming a professional dancer choosing to fulfill his wish to take care of her family. When she stumbles upon a burlesque performance, Golden is mesmerized. The old flame of love for dancing is rekindled. Her new path brings two very interesting popstars in her life. The Rhythm Twins are alluring and sexy and above all, both very interested in pursuing Golden for more than friendship.
Zoe has worked hard the past decade to not only raise her daughter on her own, but also to make their family hair salon a roaring success. There hasn’t been a lot of time left for her own social and romantic life. Then her salon door opens and a woman with long, beautiful hair enters. She looks like an emotional mess and asks Zoe to shave her hair completely. Zoe can’t help but be drawn to Danice. She wants to be her friend in what is apparently an awful time. Zoe can put her own attraction to the woman on the back burner, right?
Melissa is the quiet one of the threesome. She grew up in a very suppressive family where religion dictated what is good and what isn’t. Being gay did definitely fall into the last category. After ruining an important relationship by being too scared to come out, Melissa slowly starts to take control of her own life. Supported by her friends, she gets a job at an art gallery and starts to flourish into a more confident woman. When the gallery owner introduces Melissa to the world of BDSM and kink play, she discovers her dominant side. As Mistress Heart she quickly becomes the most sought after dominatrix. A new client pushes her out of her comfort zone and soon Melissa’s professional mask begins to slip.
I took me a few pages to get into the story because of all the different characters, but once I was invested I was simply eager to get on for a delicious ride. The three main characters are so well written, they each have distinct personalities and emotional struggles. Their friendship is a sight to behold. Not only are they each other’s sounding board, but they also call each other out and encourage each other to overcome their fears.
As a white woman I am simply not able to completely understand the difficulties in the history and lives of people of color. This story does give me an intimate look into the importance of heritage and being proud of it. The characters in this book each bring so much courage and strength into this world, it’s wonderful to be a part of that for a while.
As the three friends embark on their personal journey you get to see each of them thrive. Expect things to get very, very hot as they explore their new romantic lives!
Leather, Lace and Locs is empowering and hella sexy, it deserves to be savored!
I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Golden, Melissa and Zoe are the best of friends. Golden has worked in finance for years. After her father’s sudden death, she abandoned her dreams of becoming a professional dancer choosing to fulfill his wish to take care of her family. When she stumbles upon a burlesque performance, Golden is mesmerized. The old flame of love for dancing is rekindled. Her new path brings two very interesting popstars in her life. The Rhythm Twins are alluring and sexy and above all, both very interested in pursuing Golden for more than friendship.
Zoe has worked hard the past decade to not only raise her daughter on her own, but also to make their family hair salon a roaring success. There hasn’t been a lot of time left for her own social and romantic life. Then her salon door opens and a woman with long, beautiful hair enters. She looks like an emotional mess and asks Zoe to shave her hair completely. Zoe can’t help but be drawn to Danice. She wants to be her friend in what is apparently an awful time. Zoe can put her own attraction to the woman on the back burner, right?
Melissa is the quiet one of the threesome. She grew up in a very suppressive family where religion dictated what is good and what isn’t. Being gay did definitely fall into the last category. After ruining an important relationship by being too scared to come out, Melissa slowly starts to take control of her own life. Supported by her friends, she gets a job at an art gallery and starts to flourish into a more confident woman. When the gallery owner introduces Melissa to the world of BDSM and kink play, she discovers her dominant side. As Mistress Heart she quickly becomes the most sought after dominatrix. A new client pushes her out of her comfort zone and soon Melissa’s professional mask begins to slip.
I took me a few pages to get into the story because of all the different characters, but once I was invested I was simply eager to get on for a delicious ride. The three main characters are so well written, they each have distinct personalities and emotional struggles. Their friendship is a sight to behold. Not only are they each other’s sounding board, but they also call each other out and encourage each other to overcome their fears.
As a white woman I am simply not able to completely understand the difficulties in the history and lives of people of color. This story does give me an intimate look into the importance of heritage and being proud of it. The characters in this book each bring so much courage and strength into this world, it’s wonderful to be a part of that for a while.
As the three friends embark on their personal journey you get to see each of them thrive. Expect things to get very, very hot as they explore their new romantic lives!
Leather, Lace and Locs is empowering and hella sexy, it deserves to be savored!
April 8, 2025
4.0 🎫
Leather, Lace, and Locs by Anne Shade is a story following the personal and romantic lives of three women. This story is rich with representation! Also, it’s cute, it’s steamy, it’s black, and it’s gay! What more could you want to be honest?
There’s literally a bit of everything all throughout and I can assure you that you won’t be bored. There’s BDSM, Poly relationships, sprinkles of black/queer history, burlesque, natural hair care, the arts, single mom, grief. Likeee, something will be relatable or interesting in this read. I don’t care!
And trust, emotions WILL felt!
Getting into the story, I can admit the writing/pov jumps can be disorientating. It’s really felt when it pertains to certain events or situations one of our ladies are in that we as readers should be simmered in so we have even stronger connections and foresight with their personal and romantic developments and achievements. Instead, mid activity or before the grit of certain convos, it’s a jump in time or pov. Sometimes we come back to that in continuation with flashbacks, but other times we aren’t and just told how it happened via convo between the girls or recollection.
I think this really hurts the story and can be frustrating because we don’t see a lot of things happening between our love interests but we are told them and with that, given reactions that tend to be a bit flat. And that goes for the careers too. We don’t sit with our characters long enough to see the development. The meaty middle is desperately needed. Though I do think Melissa got treated a tad better when it came to providing the meaty middle of relationship and career changes, meanwhile I felt disconnected with Zoe and her final romance and spa.
Absolutely love how all three girls are so connected! From people, to experiences, to places. There is always something that connects to the other and it solidifies their friendship/sisterhood even more. Without them meeting each other, all of the things that’s contributed to their success and happiness, most likely wouldn’t have happened without.
Our three mains depth is seen both presently and through flashbacks/relationships really well.
"Do you still have to flip a coin to choose who will date someone?" Golden asked half-jokingly. Jade grinned. "No, our individual tastes have changed over the years, but there have been a few times when we've found ourselves attracted to the same woman, but we no longer flip a coin."
Tbr. I thought this would be weird since they damn near sisters. But I actually enjoyed their relationship ALOT
"How about a movie," Kendra interrupted her, grabbing the remote off her side table with her free hand and turning the television on.
Jade tore her gaze from Golden's but not before Golden saw the depth of her emotion in her eyes. "Yeah, a movie. Good idea."
Golden’s self sabotage was CHOKING. My heart literally ached, made me want to jump in the book and give Golden some words lol
‘"Interesting." Black brought the leather side of the paddle back against her behind with a touch more pressure than before. Melissa gasped, but not due to surprise or pain.
"Is this pleasurable as well, Mistress Heart?" Black's voice had taken on a husky tone. The same tone Melissa recognized from their
"phone" sex during their sessions.’
From seeing her discovering her dominance through that ‘Cat Lady’ photograph and exploring it through Riley, to eventually discover she still has control over herself and her life that she doesn’t always to have to be dominant, she can submit sometimes. And nonetheless to her first love, like ughh
"I don't need anyone to rescue or take care of me anymore. I've been doing just fine on my own." Alex placed their face beside Melissa's "I know. The last thing I want is to take away your strength and independence. I just want to be there when you need someone to help you hold the reins when you're tired of being in control. To show you that you're worthy of being loved when others have you believing otherwise. To be the soft place you land after a hard day."
# Soulmatism
’It only seemed right that one year ago today the three of them had let go of the pain and trauma of their past to make room for a love that, like their friendship, was as tough and malleable as leather, as intricate and complicated as lace, and as strong and binding as locs. Like all those, with the right amount of care and attention, would stand the test of time.’
This was a really nice conclusion, but I do wish this was said with a better end to our ladies story if that makes sense? We don’t get any weddings or anything with our poly, just a dinner that was kind of dry
Departing Thoughts
-While this does feature romance heavily, I think this should be read as a woman’s fiction since the romantic developments are not really the main picture.
-I wanted to be apart of that Turks trip and a lot of the deep conversations our ships seem to have.😩
-While I do like Denice as a person, I also really liked Iman for Zoe. Iman was really freeing for Zoe while Zoe seemed to have to free herself and Denice. Though I did find them a bit cute at the end!
-Do wish Golden, Jade, and Kendra did things separately sometimes so we can see their individual dynamics because we see glimpses and it really clenches the heart strings and brings intrigue of how they would act with Golden based on what we are given about them each.
-Wanted to hear Golden love confession sooo bad!
-Constant usse of the ‘Twins’ was one of my biggest icks I will say😩😭.
Leather, Lace, and Locs by Anne Shade is a story following the personal and romantic lives of three women. This story is rich with representation! Also, it’s cute, it’s steamy, it’s black, and it’s gay! What more could you want to be honest?
There’s literally a bit of everything all throughout and I can assure you that you won’t be bored. There’s BDSM, Poly relationships, sprinkles of black/queer history, burlesque, natural hair care, the arts, single mom, grief. Likeee, something will be relatable or interesting in this read. I don’t care!
And trust, emotions WILL felt!
Getting into the story, I can admit the writing/pov jumps can be disorientating. It’s really felt when it pertains to certain events or situations one of our ladies are in that we as readers should be simmered in so we have even stronger connections and foresight with their personal and romantic developments and achievements. Instead, mid activity or before the grit of certain convos, it’s a jump in time or pov. Sometimes we come back to that in continuation with flashbacks, but other times we aren’t and just told how it happened via convo between the girls or recollection.
I think this really hurts the story and can be frustrating because we don’t see a lot of things happening between our love interests but we are told them and with that, given reactions that tend to be a bit flat. And that goes for the careers too. We don’t sit with our characters long enough to see the development. The meaty middle is desperately needed. Though I do think Melissa got treated a tad better when it came to providing the meaty middle of relationship and career changes, meanwhile I felt disconnected with Zoe and her final romance and spa.
Absolutely love how all three girls are so connected! From people, to experiences, to places. There is always something that connects to the other and it solidifies their friendship/sisterhood even more. Without them meeting each other, all of the things that’s contributed to their success and happiness, most likely wouldn’t have happened without.
Our three mains depth is seen both presently and through flashbacks/relationships really well.
"Do you still have to flip a coin to choose who will date someone?" Golden asked half-jokingly. Jade grinned. "No, our individual tastes have changed over the years, but there have been a few times when we've found ourselves attracted to the same woman, but we no longer flip a coin."
Tbr. I thought this would be weird since they damn near sisters. But I actually enjoyed their relationship ALOT
"How about a movie," Kendra interrupted her, grabbing the remote off her side table with her free hand and turning the television on.
Jade tore her gaze from Golden's but not before Golden saw the depth of her emotion in her eyes. "Yeah, a movie. Good idea."
Golden’s self sabotage was CHOKING. My heart literally ached, made me want to jump in the book and give Golden some words lol
‘"Interesting." Black brought the leather side of the paddle back against her behind with a touch more pressure than before. Melissa gasped, but not due to surprise or pain.
"Is this pleasurable as well, Mistress Heart?" Black's voice had taken on a husky tone. The same tone Melissa recognized from their
"phone" sex during their sessions.’
From seeing her discovering her dominance through that ‘Cat Lady’ photograph and exploring it through Riley, to eventually discover she still has control over herself and her life that she doesn’t always to have to be dominant, she can submit sometimes. And nonetheless to her first love, like ughh
"I don't need anyone to rescue or take care of me anymore. I've been doing just fine on my own." Alex placed their face beside Melissa's "I know. The last thing I want is to take away your strength and independence. I just want to be there when you need someone to help you hold the reins when you're tired of being in control. To show you that you're worthy of being loved when others have you believing otherwise. To be the soft place you land after a hard day."
# Soulmatism
’It only seemed right that one year ago today the three of them had let go of the pain and trauma of their past to make room for a love that, like their friendship, was as tough and malleable as leather, as intricate and complicated as lace, and as strong and binding as locs. Like all those, with the right amount of care and attention, would stand the test of time.’
This was a really nice conclusion, but I do wish this was said with a better end to our ladies story if that makes sense? We don’t get any weddings or anything with our poly, just a dinner that was kind of dry
Departing Thoughts
-While this does feature romance heavily, I think this should be read as a woman’s fiction since the romantic developments are not really the main picture.
-I wanted to be apart of that Turks trip and a lot of the deep conversations our ships seem to have.😩
-While I do like Denice as a person, I also really liked Iman for Zoe. Iman was really freeing for Zoe while Zoe seemed to have to free herself and Denice. Though I did find them a bit cute at the end!
-Do wish Golden, Jade, and Kendra did things separately sometimes so we can see their individual dynamics because we see glimpses and it really clenches the heart strings and brings intrigue of how they would act with Golden based on what we are given about them each.
-Wanted to hear Golden love confession sooo bad!
-Constant usse of the ‘Twins’ was one of my biggest icks I will say😩😭.
March 27, 2024
I got approved for an advanced copy of this book on NetGalley. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read!
This book was so fun - three queer women navigating their passions and love lives??? What more could I want? My only criticism is that some parts were confusing because we were following three women interchangeably without chapter changes. I love a chapter change when the POV changes and it would have helped me organize everything. I also loved that this book introduced me to a throuple romance, a WLX romance, and a dominatrix. I wish the characters could have developed more. I loved the characters and I needed more from each of them!
This book was so fun - three queer women navigating their passions and love lives??? What more could I want? My only criticism is that some parts were confusing because we were following three women interchangeably without chapter changes. I love a chapter change when the POV changes and it would have helped me organize everything. I also loved that this book introduced me to a throuple romance, a WLX romance, and a dominatrix. I wish the characters could have developed more. I loved the characters and I needed more from each of them!
March 31, 2024
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Melissa Golden and Zoe are three friends who are on the journey of discover who they are while finding a lasting love. This is nice read about strong women it’s was bit confusing at time with time jumps between chapters it’s seems and although it’s was about them I like how their impact help others along the way that made their journey more memorable.
Melissa Golden and Zoe are three friends who are on the journey of discover who they are while finding a lasting love. This is nice read about strong women it’s was bit confusing at time with time jumps between chapters it’s seems and although it’s was about them I like how their impact help others along the way that made their journey more memorable.
April 9, 2024
Leather, Lace, and Locs is a wonderful book that works on so many different levels. It’s a story of gender (female and nonbinary), race (Women of Color), relationships (families, friendships, and lovers), ambition (personal and professional), sexuality (lesbian and bisexual), and more. Anne Shade doesn’t rush her story, but instead allows it to develop over a couple of years, dropping in and out of the characters’ lives to show us how they’ve grown.
The story allows us time to get to know Melissa, Golden, and Zoe as women first, to understand where they’ve come from, and to appreciate what they mean to one another. They’re strong, passionate, empowered women, all of whom are on the cusp of change. By the time romance enters the story, we’re already connected to them all, so we’re immediately invested in the relationships that do develop.
As much as I loved the women, I loved the diversity of this story even more. We see Melissa discover an inner strength she didn’t know she had as a professional dominatrix, with a nonbinary client tempting her to take professional personal. Golden walks away from a steady job to pursue her dreams of dancing, building her own burlesque studio, all while she anxiously navigates the temptation of a polyamorous relationship with two women she’s afraid to admit she loves. And then there’s Zoe, who meets a woman through her hair salon who quickly shifts from client to friend to lover, but with a lot of baggage to be sorted. They’re all wonderful story threads but, for me, Golden was the heart and soul of the story, and seeing her find happiness made me happy.
As with any HEA romance, there’s no real drama or suspense in wondering if the women of Leather, Lace, and Locs will find love, but the joy of discovering how they find love is exquisite. Just an altogether lovely read.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/...
The story allows us time to get to know Melissa, Golden, and Zoe as women first, to understand where they’ve come from, and to appreciate what they mean to one another. They’re strong, passionate, empowered women, all of whom are on the cusp of change. By the time romance enters the story, we’re already connected to them all, so we’re immediately invested in the relationships that do develop.
As much as I loved the women, I loved the diversity of this story even more. We see Melissa discover an inner strength she didn’t know she had as a professional dominatrix, with a nonbinary client tempting her to take professional personal. Golden walks away from a steady job to pursue her dreams of dancing, building her own burlesque studio, all while she anxiously navigates the temptation of a polyamorous relationship with two women she’s afraid to admit she loves. And then there’s Zoe, who meets a woman through her hair salon who quickly shifts from client to friend to lover, but with a lot of baggage to be sorted. They’re all wonderful story threads but, for me, Golden was the heart and soul of the story, and seeing her find happiness made me happy.
As with any HEA romance, there’s no real drama or suspense in wondering if the women of Leather, Lace, and Locs will find love, but the joy of discovering how they find love is exquisite. Just an altogether lovely read.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/...
August 21, 2025
Listen…I’ll say what I always do with these sorts of books: if you’ve haven’t read Chencia Higgins’ books, Meka James’ sapphic work, or even the better Fiona Zedde stuff (I’m a Just Like Her supremacist), don’t even think of starting here!! But, if you’ve read all the high-quality Black sapphic romances, and just want something on theme and new, then feel free to keep reading this review. 😊
I would even recommend Fiona Zedde’s “Like Her” series to THIS author, because the femme/stud brainrot really limited certain aspects of the romance in Leather, Lace, and Locs. Overall, I thought most of the characters seemed believably drawn to one another, and genuinely supportive. The issue is that in cases like Melissa/Black, I felt like Anne Shade was warping the narrative to make sure the more masc character remained “on top” at all times, instead of letting more organic dynamics flow into the story. Like why set up the character in a certain way, just to be like “nope except when she’s with her man!!” When will my people emancipate ourselves from the mental slavery of heteronormative lesbian relationships!!! We’re already gay, can we PLEASE cease with the repressive gender roles.
Another funny part is how Leather, Lace, and Locs kept overlapping with my August nonfiction reads!!! Zoe’s discrimination from small business lenders immediately called to mind The Banks We Deserve by Oscar Perry Abello. If you don’t want to side-eye Golden’s brief stint at a private equity firm, DO NOT pair this book with Bad Company by Megan Greenwell—actually you might want to just avoid any critical news media about any corporate buyouts in the 21st century. 🤔
Besides the questionable professional choices of some of the characters, there is just weird work stuff all around. I know it’s par for the romance course to have unrealistic entrepreneurial end games, but why does one of said end games result in Melissa’s boss harassing her into a certain niche career?!?! NOT OKAY. Speaking of harassment, the twins’ allegation subplot was irritating and unnecessary. I don’t like when people bring up serious topics of abuse just to weasel their way out of them by being like “oh this was just a disgruntled liar.” Just insensitive for no reason.
My final complaint is the genealogy stuff. I love a good family history saga, and the overall setup of the adventure to Montmartre was really cool. But, I am just tiredddddd of the Black luxury fetishes when it comes to historical work. This may just be because I’m coming off several buddy read books about the Harlem Renaissance (only two of which I actually enjoyed), but I don’t understand why so many modern authors only want to write about expats or “cosmopolitan” Black people in history. Or rather, I know WHY they are doing this, but it’s just as disappointing as the authors who fail to engage the history of Black land stewardship with specificity and rigor (most recently, The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight and Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.) We just need more precision in general, I’m begging everyone!!!
Okay, I’m going to stop here—I think I’m just cranky because this is the fifth review I’ve churned out in a single day. 😭 Now that I’m officially caught up for my August reading, expect less critical thoughts on passable beach reads. And, for anyone who still wants to try this, I’ll wish you good luck!!!
I would even recommend Fiona Zedde’s “Like Her” series to THIS author, because the femme/stud brainrot really limited certain aspects of the romance in Leather, Lace, and Locs. Overall, I thought most of the characters seemed believably drawn to one another, and genuinely supportive. The issue is that in cases like Melissa/Black, I felt like Anne Shade was warping the narrative to make sure the more masc character remained “on top” at all times, instead of letting more organic dynamics flow into the story. Like why set up the character in a certain way, just to be like “nope except when she’s with her man!!” When will my people emancipate ourselves from the mental slavery of heteronormative lesbian relationships!!! We’re already gay, can we PLEASE cease with the repressive gender roles.
Another funny part is how Leather, Lace, and Locs kept overlapping with my August nonfiction reads!!! Zoe’s discrimination from small business lenders immediately called to mind The Banks We Deserve by Oscar Perry Abello. If you don’t want to side-eye Golden’s brief stint at a private equity firm, DO NOT pair this book with Bad Company by Megan Greenwell—actually you might want to just avoid any critical news media about any corporate buyouts in the 21st century. 🤔
Besides the questionable professional choices of some of the characters, there is just weird work stuff all around. I know it’s par for the romance course to have unrealistic entrepreneurial end games, but why does one of said end games result in Melissa’s boss harassing her into a certain niche career?!?! NOT OKAY. Speaking of harassment, the twins’ allegation subplot was irritating and unnecessary. I don’t like when people bring up serious topics of abuse just to weasel their way out of them by being like “oh this was just a disgruntled liar.” Just insensitive for no reason.
My final complaint is the genealogy stuff. I love a good family history saga, and the overall setup of the adventure to Montmartre was really cool. But, I am just tiredddddd of the Black luxury fetishes when it comes to historical work. This may just be because I’m coming off several buddy read books about the Harlem Renaissance (only two of which I actually enjoyed), but I don’t understand why so many modern authors only want to write about expats or “cosmopolitan” Black people in history. Or rather, I know WHY they are doing this, but it’s just as disappointing as the authors who fail to engage the history of Black land stewardship with specificity and rigor (most recently, The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight and Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.) We just need more precision in general, I’m begging everyone!!!
Okay, I’m going to stop here—I think I’m just cranky because this is the fifth review I’ve churned out in a single day. 😭 Now that I’m officially caught up for my August reading, expect less critical thoughts on passable beach reads. And, for anyone who still wants to try this, I’ll wish you good luck!!!
April 7, 2024
3.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Cons:
- I think it really would have worked better as a trilogy like Bright Falls because there was a LOT happening with all three friends. I would have liked to be able to focus more on each relationship and woman’s backstory.
- It would benefit from another quick edit, as I found a fair few typos, though they normally did not take away from my reading experience.
Pros:
- Mainstream sapphic books are definitely in need of more representation of people of color, and I loved how the stories intertwined with that representation.
- We got some nonbinary rep as a treat!
- The smut was good and plentiful 👌🏼
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Cons:
- I think it really would have worked better as a trilogy like Bright Falls because there was a LOT happening with all three friends. I would have liked to be able to focus more on each relationship and woman’s backstory.
- It would benefit from another quick edit, as I found a fair few typos, though they normally did not take away from my reading experience.
Pros:
- Mainstream sapphic books are definitely in need of more representation of people of color, and I loved how the stories intertwined with that representation.
- We got some nonbinary rep as a treat!
- The smut was good and plentiful 👌🏼
May 6, 2025
very cute stories but would’ve been better as three separate books in a series so each character could develop more, i feel like there was a lot of skipping and jumping
April 13, 2024
An entertaining (and spicy) read about the importance of friendship and going after what you want!
Melissa, Golden and Zoe are best friends. All are looking for changes in their professional lives and aren’t sure where romance fits into the picture. Melissa goes from closeted and hiding from her religious parents to a professional Domme. Zoe expands her hair care business and finds professional success while raising her daughter as a single mom. Golden’s passion for dance is reignited and she reconnects with her family history through burlesque.
This was a classic romance novel, but with three romances in one (including 3 third-act breakups). The characters felt fully fleshed out and unique to me. The emphasis was more on Melissa, Golden, and Zoe’s backstories, rather than that of their love interests. I loved that the book focused on the importance of friendship. I also enjoyed the international travel aspects (Paris and St. Kitts). It was also great to see poly rep and non-binary rep!
I’ve read some other reviews that mentioned the time jumps in the narrative were sometimes confusing. I agree that it would have been helpful to have headings indicating that time has changed (“2 weeks later,” “6 months later,” etc.)
I found all three main characters compelling and wish I got to spend more time with each of them. I would have read a full-length book about each character if this were a trilogy. I think a trilogy would have allowed each character to have more depth. For example, I would have liked to see more of what happened in the intervening time rather than having so many time jumps.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend! I definitely plan to read more of Anne Shade’s work in the future.
Content warnings:
Highlights:
💖 celebrating both romantic love and the love between friends
💖 sapphic romance: F/F/F, F/F, and F/NB
💖 spicy scenes 🔥🔥🔥
💖 3 best friends all find love
💖 professional dominatrix, burlesque dancer, and hairdresser
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!
Melissa, Golden and Zoe are best friends. All are looking for changes in their professional lives and aren’t sure where romance fits into the picture. Melissa goes from closeted and hiding from her religious parents to a professional Domme. Zoe expands her hair care business and finds professional success while raising her daughter as a single mom. Golden’s passion for dance is reignited and she reconnects with her family history through burlesque.
This was a classic romance novel, but with three romances in one (including 3 third-act breakups). The characters felt fully fleshed out and unique to me. The emphasis was more on Melissa, Golden, and Zoe’s backstories, rather than that of their love interests. I loved that the book focused on the importance of friendship. I also enjoyed the international travel aspects (Paris and St. Kitts). It was also great to see poly rep and non-binary rep!
I’ve read some other reviews that mentioned the time jumps in the narrative were sometimes confusing. I agree that it would have been helpful to have headings indicating that time has changed (“2 weeks later,” “6 months later,” etc.)
I found all three main characters compelling and wish I got to spend more time with each of them. I would have read a full-length book about each character if this were a trilogy. I think a trilogy would have allowed each character to have more depth. For example, I would have liked to see more of what happened in the intervening time rather than having so many time jumps.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend! I definitely plan to read more of Anne Shade’s work in the future.
Content warnings:
Highlights:
💖 celebrating both romantic love and the love between friends
💖 sapphic romance: F/F/F, F/F, and F/NB
💖 spicy scenes 🔥🔥🔥
💖 3 best friends all find love
💖 professional dominatrix, burlesque dancer, and hairdresser
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!
July 13, 2024
This novel had me feeling every possible emotion as I read it. The complexities of the intertwined relationships between Golden, Zoe and Melissa made for a hard to put down novel. Ms. Shade wrote a novel that was so much more than the usual women meets love interest women falls in love woman lives happily ever after. I love the formula for romance novel but am I always excited when authors put their own twist on that formula. If you have no interest in spoilers don’t read anything past this point, all comments made afterwards are spoilers. The best way to express my thoughts for how this book made me feel is to split it between the three distinct yet intertwined
Golden and the Rhythm Twins: Falling in love is never easy especially when you have made major life changes and are dealing with some serious childhood trauma from the early death of her father. It is due to this trauma that Golden struggles to deal with her feelings for two women that want to give her the world.
Zoe and Danica: Zoe spent most of her adult life trying to raise her daughter as a single mother while running a business. AS such she has left no time in her life for a relationship. On one fateful afternoon a new client walks into her shop and changes the trajectory of her life.
Melissa and Black/Alex: Melissa starts the novel off at a crossroads. Her family has disowned her due to her sexuality and she hates her job. After a recommendation from her best friend that nets a career managing an art gallery she starts to blossom. Her inspirational new boss also introduces her to the world of BDMS. Before long Melissa begins an additional career as Mistress Heart. It is during her time as a professional Domme she begins to develop feelings for one of her clients that for some reason she can’t help but feel like she’s met them before.
Each of these complex stories could have been told as independent novels but instead we were given a complex story of how the right friends can help you navigate the different changes that romantic relationships have on the way one lives in her truth. I don’t want to go too deep into the details of this novel because I feel everyone should have the opportunity to experience the lives of this beautiful friend group.
Golden and the Rhythm Twins: Falling in love is never easy especially when you have made major life changes and are dealing with some serious childhood trauma from the early death of her father. It is due to this trauma that Golden struggles to deal with her feelings for two women that want to give her the world.
Zoe and Danica: Zoe spent most of her adult life trying to raise her daughter as a single mother while running a business. AS such she has left no time in her life for a relationship. On one fateful afternoon a new client walks into her shop and changes the trajectory of her life.
Melissa and Black/Alex: Melissa starts the novel off at a crossroads. Her family has disowned her due to her sexuality and she hates her job. After a recommendation from her best friend that nets a career managing an art gallery she starts to blossom. Her inspirational new boss also introduces her to the world of BDMS. Before long Melissa begins an additional career as Mistress Heart. It is during her time as a professional Domme she begins to develop feelings for one of her clients that for some reason she can’t help but feel like she’s met them before.
Each of these complex stories could have been told as independent novels but instead we were given a complex story of how the right friends can help you navigate the different changes that romantic relationships have on the way one lives in her truth. I don’t want to go too deep into the details of this novel because I feel everyone should have the opportunity to experience the lives of this beautiful friend group.
March 22, 2024
A body positive book that feels like you slipped into the table next to some besties spilling the tea and you get to listen in on every drop. The MC's were messy humans- beautifully messy in their life pursuits. From finance to burlesque, a hair salon woven into a community, and a babysitter turned art studio manager and Domme delight, the story and character arcs hit hard and fast and you will love every twist and turn- every setback and triumph- every doubt and, of course, every girls night.
There are a lot of women in this book. It may be only three MCs, but you get to see how they touch the lives around them. Whom they hold close, who they let go, and how it shapes and strengthens bonds between the them.
The only critique I have are the time jumps. I wished at the beginning of the chapter it said 2 weeks later, 6 months later, 1 year later and epilogue. I started reading a chapter and then was jarred into character futures. I didn't realize I was on the last chapter until each life was being surmise and tidied up. It felt a bit unfinished, the ending, somewhat rushed.
Overall, time leaps aside, you're gonna love the book. Keep your heart and mind open to their journeys and get lost in some sapphic fiction that will make you wanna dance, make you buy that ticket to travel, and hug the ones ya love a little longer and a little harder.
There are a lot of women in this book. It may be only three MCs, but you get to see how they touch the lives around them. Whom they hold close, who they let go, and how it shapes and strengthens bonds between the them.
The only critique I have are the time jumps. I wished at the beginning of the chapter it said 2 weeks later, 6 months later, 1 year later and epilogue. I started reading a chapter and then was jarred into character futures. I didn't realize I was on the last chapter until each life was being surmise and tidied up. It felt a bit unfinished, the ending, somewhat rushed.
Overall, time leaps aside, you're gonna love the book. Keep your heart and mind open to their journeys and get lost in some sapphic fiction that will make you wanna dance, make you buy that ticket to travel, and hug the ones ya love a little longer and a little harder.
April 10, 2024
Anne Shade's bio says that she "loves writing romances about women who love women featuring strong, beautiful Characters of Color." Boy if this isn't a true statement! This book was the perfect example of love, friendship, and knowing and accepting yourself. The author took her time with this book in the development and growth of the characters. Gold, Melissa, and Zoe were each strong and powerful women, who value the friendship they share. They are all on a journey of change that embodies courage, love, and self-discovery. They are all bosses in their own rights.
I was invested in this story from the beginning. The writing makes me feel like these are my friends, and I'm doing life right along with them. Seeing these three women of color thrive made me so happy and proud. It was great to watch them all navigate their love lives. The open-mindedness of these characters was heartwarming. The diversity in this book was PHENOMENAL! The spice was also *chef's kiss*. This book was EVERYTHING!!
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was invested in this story from the beginning. The writing makes me feel like these are my friends, and I'm doing life right along with them. Seeing these three women of color thrive made me so happy and proud. It was great to watch them all navigate their love lives. The open-mindedness of these characters was heartwarming. The diversity in this book was PHENOMENAL! The spice was also *chef's kiss*. This book was EVERYTHING!!
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 6, 2024
Leather, Lace and Locs by Anne Shade was a refreshing novel about 3 friends who want happiness for each other but, scared to take the leap into love themselves. Golden has given up dance after a tragic loss in her life and wants to keep any new people from entering her circle. Zoe is a single mom, who throws herself into her work. Making sure she maintains a full calendar, keeps her distracted from anything else. Melissa is trying to find her footing in the world after being outcast by her family for her lifestyle. I love how each woman comes into her own, realizing what it is they want out of life and making the hard decision to prioritize themselves. The history aspect of Golden's story and her families ties in France also was such a great part of the story, it had me doing my own research about African American history in Montmartre. Overall, I enjoyed this book. The spice, the sisterhood and the grown woman energy made this book a worthwhile read. I was given a free copy for an honest review through Netgalley.
May 11, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for making an advanced copy available.
I thought this was a solid book from Anne Shade and I think most readers will enjoy it. The main characters, Golden, Zoe and Melissa, are interesting, each of their story lines are full enough to keep you engaged, and when they get together, you feel like a part of the friend group.
Where it missed the mark for me was the consistent telling and not showing that went on, especially in the first half of the book. I was not engaged with the love interests for any of them because we never really got to see them fall in love. If this were labeled as women's fiction, then that would have been fine, but it is being marketed as a romance. Each of them meet their love interests fairly early on, but for some reason the time that should have been spent building up those relationships gets glossed over. Only one of them, Melissa, actually gets to spend extended time with her love interest Black, and they had some sexy interactions but for a majority of that, Black is anonymous (Melissa begins work as a Dom). Same with the career changes for Melissa and Golden, two major plot points that go from 0-100 with nothing allowing us to see them develop these new fields of interests. Instead we are told little tidbits and then time jumps and they are now doing these new exciting things.
That was the other thing I didn't like, the time jumping. We would skip ahead a month, several months, a year and it would come out of nowhere. I don't think there is anything wrong with time jumps but often it was in those times not discussed that important events would take place.
Overall, the book is well written and it kept me interested enough to see how it ends, but it felt anticlimactic when it did. I'm always happy to see more sapphic fiction with women of color because it is sorely needed, so I would still recommend others read it and judge for themselves.
I thought this was a solid book from Anne Shade and I think most readers will enjoy it. The main characters, Golden, Zoe and Melissa, are interesting, each of their story lines are full enough to keep you engaged, and when they get together, you feel like a part of the friend group.
Where it missed the mark for me was the consistent telling and not showing that went on, especially in the first half of the book. I was not engaged with the love interests for any of them because we never really got to see them fall in love. If this were labeled as women's fiction, then that would have been fine, but it is being marketed as a romance. Each of them meet their love interests fairly early on, but for some reason the time that should have been spent building up those relationships gets glossed over. Only one of them, Melissa, actually gets to spend extended time with her love interest Black, and they had some sexy interactions but for a majority of that, Black is anonymous (Melissa begins work as a Dom). Same with the career changes for Melissa and Golden, two major plot points that go from 0-100 with nothing allowing us to see them develop these new fields of interests. Instead we are told little tidbits and then time jumps and they are now doing these new exciting things.
That was the other thing I didn't like, the time jumping. We would skip ahead a month, several months, a year and it would come out of nowhere. I don't think there is anything wrong with time jumps but often it was in those times not discussed that important events would take place.
Overall, the book is well written and it kept me interested enough to see how it ends, but it felt anticlimactic when it did. I'm always happy to see more sapphic fiction with women of color because it is sorely needed, so I would still recommend others read it and judge for themselves.
March 31, 2024
Ladies and their hair. Ladies and their love life. Ladies and their understanding of friendship. Zoe Grant, hairdresser with a flair, looking for a love connection. Golden Hughes, corporate business women, not doing what she loves and decides to finally make a change. Golden is not necessarily looking for love. Melissa Hart, house manager/nanny, knows she needs to make a change and with the help of friends she does and wow what a change. These women are there for each as they navigate life and relationships. Interesting as well as an enjoyable read as each likeable women looks to find their life passion and love. I really liked the book cover. Nice.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NeGalley
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NeGalley
April 15, 2024
I didn't know what to make of this book from its blurb but it intrigued me and I always love books by and about people of colour. This is such a good book and I only wish I could have read it faster. I tend to read character led books a lot slower than action led books though so definitely not a fault of the author, just this reader!
I love the character growth from all 3 main characters. I love the mix of queer representation throughout the book. I love how you feel like part of their friend group. I love how their friendship is written.
I love this book. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
I love the character growth from all 3 main characters. I love the mix of queer representation throughout the book. I love how you feel like part of their friend group. I love how their friendship is written.
I love this book. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
July 25, 2025
“Leather Lace and Locs” by Anne Shade
A story like no other !
You follow not one , not two but three bi/sapphic black women on their journey of self discovery and finding true romantic connections . All three have their own issues and their own hiccups ranging from grief to childhood trauma. But to read a book filled with so much love and so much REAL life is so refreshing. You truly get to see each woman grow into herself. Find their passion and realize what really means the most to them.
I found myself putting the book down simply because I could not stand the thought of it ending 🥹
GO READ THE BOOK !
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
A story like no other !
You follow not one , not two but three bi/sapphic black women on their journey of self discovery and finding true romantic connections . All three have their own issues and their own hiccups ranging from grief to childhood trauma. But to read a book filled with so much love and so much REAL life is so refreshing. You truly get to see each woman grow into herself. Find their passion and realize what really means the most to them.
I found myself putting the book down simply because I could not stand the thought of it ending 🥹
GO READ THE BOOK !
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
April 19, 2024
Thanks Net galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I went into this not knowing what this book was about but I knew I loved the cover. This books follows three friends and each friend has a interesting backstory.
For me each character had a story good enough for each to have their own book and I believe I would have enjoyed the book more. The story for each person was so in depth and well develop it was a lot to taken in because it was too much happening for one book.
While I have this book 3 stars I think people should give it a try.
I went into this not knowing what this book was about but I knew I loved the cover. This books follows three friends and each friend has a interesting backstory.
For me each character had a story good enough for each to have their own book and I believe I would have enjoyed the book more. The story for each person was so in depth and well develop it was a lot to taken in because it was too much happening for one book.
While I have this book 3 stars I think people should give it a try.
April 25, 2024
This was an awesome read! I really enjoyed our three main characters find their happily ever afters. The different relationship dynamics were fun and added good variety throughout the book. For this being one book about three relationships I could have used more overlap of the story lines to make it a bit more cohesive. Honestly, I would have loved for this to be a trilogy where each book focused on one of the three friends. I think that would have given the author the space to expand the friendship dynamics and the relationship dynamics.
April 1, 2024
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
A special thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book to review.
Really interesting book. Wonderful representation on women of colour and a deep exploration of our black girl magic. Honestly so nice to find a book that represents a large part of my familial culture.
I'm also very in love with the sapphic elements of this book (it's honestly me in a book and I'm here for it and thriving)
One thing I will say is the time jumps sometimes threw me a little. I'd go back and reread a couple of lines to refresh myself on where we were I'm the story and who's storyline we were following. Maybe some cute headings with the chapters MC would be grand.
Nonetheless, really lovely book 💛
A special thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book to review.
Really interesting book. Wonderful representation on women of colour and a deep exploration of our black girl magic. Honestly so nice to find a book that represents a large part of my familial culture.
I'm also very in love with the sapphic elements of this book (it's honestly me in a book and I'm here for it and thriving)
One thing I will say is the time jumps sometimes threw me a little. I'd go back and reread a couple of lines to refresh myself on where we were I'm the story and who's storyline we were following. Maybe some cute headings with the chapters MC would be grand.
Nonetheless, really lovely book 💛
May 7, 2024
I felt like this book had great potential but I felt a little let down by it. The three main characters were interesting but I feel like all their stories could have made up separate books - this would have given them the depth they deserved and this would have also left more room for more ‘showing’ and less ‘telling’ when it came to the love stories. Overall this was a solid read, I just think my expectations might have been a little high!
September 6, 2025
Characters and relationships within the story were lovable, but it was hard to really get attached.
Grammar and plot development could be a hindrance for fellow writers/editors or even people who are formally educated in English and story writing. Rated 3 stars because I did get some enjoyment from the story.
Grammar and plot development could be a hindrance for fellow writers/editors or even people who are formally educated in English and story writing. Rated 3 stars because I did get some enjoyment from the story.
March 25, 2024
There’s nothing like a book that has just the right amount of drama. This book didn’t let me down. At first I thought that I wasn’t going to like it but to my surprise that quickly changed. I enjoyed the characters but was a bit disappointed with the ending as I thought it would be more. This was a great read!!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 10, 2024
Golden, Zoe and Melissa have been best friends for years. They have helped each other through tough times and good. All three are likeable and interesting characters. The story is engaging as we follow the three women’s stories of fully coming into themselves and risking to love. Each character is unpacked so that I felt I gained an understanding of why and who each of them are.
I loved reading this own voices book with WOC and queer representation that flowed effortlessly. The cover art is beautiful!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
I loved reading this own voices book with WOC and queer representation that flowed effortlessly. The cover art is beautiful!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶🌶🌶
I got this as ARC from Netgalley. I really loved the characters Melissa, Golden, and Zoe. They are 3 friends and are trying to find their ever lasting love, which they do eventually. I was confused a little with how the chapters were written. But overall I do recommend this book.
🌶🌶🌶
I got this as ARC from Netgalley. I really loved the characters Melissa, Golden, and Zoe. They are 3 friends and are trying to find their ever lasting love, which they do eventually. I was confused a little with how the chapters were written. But overall I do recommend this book.
July 29, 2024
Itʻs really good
Such a pleasure to read a well put together story. It was well written with great character development, one story from different perspectives that come together to tell the story of their beautiful friendship. This author has gained a fan!
Such a pleasure to read a well put together story. It was well written with great character development, one story from different perspectives that come together to tell the story of their beautiful friendship. This author has gained a fan!
November 7, 2025
This is honestly the best sapphic book I’ve ever read! Three complex love stories along with friendship and family dynamics wrapped into one book and it was executed perfectly! This book is like the show Harlem if it was 10x better! This was such an amazing read!!
July 23, 2024
Yes. All the sapphic black girl magic that I need in one book. YES.
December 30, 2024
I typically dislike romance novels, but I enjoyed this one. Maybe because it featured Black women and other women of color and it incorporated new topics like burlesque dancing and expats in Paris.
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