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Oxford Romance #1
Meeting Millie
Oxford – celebrated city of dreaming spires and class warfare – is an ambition come true for lesbian, geeky, upper-middle-class Charlotte and straight, charismatic, working-class Millie.
Against the odds, theirs is an instant, best friendship. Forever.
Exuberant Millie is a breath of fresh air for polite Charlotte and a force of nature within the university's hallowed walls. And they are going to be the best lawyers of their year and change the world.
But their world changes instead when things go queerly sideways, and they haven’t seen each other since.
Ten years on and Charlotte returns to where it all began. She has a new job at a prestigious law firm and Oxford is as beautiful as ever. She’s a safe distance from her overbearing barrister mother Nicola and three office floors from her snappy college mentor, Olivia.
Then Millie bounds around the corner wanting to be friends again and it's as if the last decade never happened. Will it be different the second time around? Can they be friends again? Or will love and attraction change things?
Meeting Millie is a sapphic romance about the nature of friendship, how two people change over the years, and how they see themselves and each other.
Against the odds, theirs is an instant, best friendship. Forever.
Exuberant Millie is a breath of fresh air for polite Charlotte and a force of nature within the university's hallowed walls. And they are going to be the best lawyers of their year and change the world.
But their world changes instead when things go queerly sideways, and they haven’t seen each other since.
Ten years on and Charlotte returns to where it all began. She has a new job at a prestigious law firm and Oxford is as beautiful as ever. She’s a safe distance from her overbearing barrister mother Nicola and three office floors from her snappy college mentor, Olivia.
Then Millie bounds around the corner wanting to be friends again and it's as if the last decade never happened. Will it be different the second time around? Can they be friends again? Or will love and attraction change things?
Meeting Millie is a sapphic romance about the nature of friendship, how two people change over the years, and how they see themselves and each other.
390 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2023
1130 people are currently reading
16492 people want to read
About the author
Clare Ashton
16 books1,623 followersClare Ashton loves writing sapphic stories. Whether it’s a romcom or mystery, there’s always a queer woman about. With gorgeous settings, from the hills of Wales to college halls of Oxford, every book is a travel destination from the comfort of an armchair. Best known for her award-winning, sunny romance, Poppy Jenkins, and rollercoaster family drama, The Goodmans, Clare has a new series that captures the best of both and more, with Meeting Millie kicking off The Oxford Romance series.
Clare lives in the UK with her wife and kids and can be found spending too much time on social media – https://linktr.ee/clareashton
Clare lives in the UK with her wife and kids and can be found spending too much time on social media – https://linktr.ee/clareashton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 964 reviews
May 1, 2023
➥ -1 Star *:･ﾟ✧
As soon as I noticed that Chandler rated this 5 stars, I worried for my enjoyment because our tastes are like polar opposites, no matter how much I love her. I'm usually incredibly apprehensive to rating a sapphic book 1 star, because it takes a lot for me to hate one, but here we are.
This was so sorely lacking for me, in pretty much every single aspect. In fact, not only was it lacking, it was offensive sometimes too. Even Chandler mentioned how the character who doesn't know she's bisexual until the last 20% is spewing slurs from the beginning of the novel: l*sb*, d*ke etc. She also casually showed disgust to the possibility of loving a woman.
Crazy. Anyway, then in terms of writing, this is of the worst I've read recently. What the fuck am I supposed to make of this?:
Then, I read the phrase "she stared in silence until she threw back her head and laughed" approximately 7 times. SEVEN TIMES.
Then there's this shit - Millie takes a pregnancy test, and says this in her inner monologue.
As if being queer makes your life easier - unbelievable. Ignorance on so many levels. And, she dated homophobic men.
WAS this necessary?? QUICKLY.
Generally, this book lacked depth. There was no build up to anything and there was no relationship development. Just randomly, one day, Millie felt attracted to Charlotte and all problems were resolved. The dual timeline was messy too.
Millie's expression of her attraction was so strange.
For a book with such a gorgeous cover, this was an incredibly alarming read.
“Flames ignited from deep inside Millie’s knickers. Her nipples perked up so quickly she feared they pinged out loud.”
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
As soon as I noticed that Chandler rated this 5 stars, I worried for my enjoyment because our tastes are like polar opposites, no matter how much I love her. I'm usually incredibly apprehensive to rating a sapphic book 1 star, because it takes a lot for me to hate one, but here we are.
This was so sorely lacking for me, in pretty much every single aspect. In fact, not only was it lacking, it was offensive sometimes too. Even Chandler mentioned how the character who doesn't know she's bisexual until the last 20% is spewing slurs from the beginning of the novel: l*sb*, d*ke etc. She also casually showed disgust to the possibility of loving a woman.
“Charlotte asked. “Have you ever been attracted to girls?” Charlotte wrinkled her nose. Millie loved that expression of confusion on her friend.
“Me?” Millie said, genuinely surprised. “No, thank god.”
Crazy. Anyway, then in terms of writing, this is of the worst I've read recently. What the fuck am I supposed to make of this?:
“Charlotte’s expression was as blank as a virginal bedpost.”
Then, I read the phrase "she stared in silence until she threw back her head and laughed" approximately 7 times. SEVEN TIMES.
Then there's this shit - Millie takes a pregnancy test, and says this in her inner monologue.
“God, she wished she was a lesbian sometimes. How lovely to have sex and not worry it’d ruin your life.”
As if being queer makes your life easier - unbelievable. Ignorance on so many levels. And, she dated homophobic men.
“You’re obsessed.” Charlotte felt her cheeks rise again, the familiarity too enjoyable and compelling to resist.
Millie shrugged. “Just hungry.”
“You can’t be hungry after that ice cream,” Charlotte spluttered.
“Of course I can.”
“I never understood how you packed so much food into your petite body.”
WAS this necessary?? QUICKLY.
Generally, this book lacked depth. There was no build up to anything and there was no relationship development. Just randomly, one day, Millie felt attracted to Charlotte and all problems were resolved. The dual timeline was messy too.
Millie's expression of her attraction was so strange.
- “A rush of heat. The strike of arousal, from breast to core. It hit instantly and Millie almost folded into Charlotte. The temptation to turn into a kiss and cup Charlotte’s breast was overpowering.”
- “And Charlotte smelled of honey. And Millie liked it when her boobs bounced.”
- “Voluptuous, shapely, breasts. Magnetic blooming bounties of bosomness."
For a book with such a gorgeous cover, this was an incredibly alarming read.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
March 20, 2023
top fucking notch. so cute. so sexy. so gay 🥰
if you don’t like miscommunication and angst you probably will not enjoy this. there is also some usage of the d-slur that made me scratch my head but i’m also not a lesbian so i shan’t pass judgment.
if you don’t like miscommunication and angst you probably will not enjoy this. there is also some usage of the d-slur that made me scratch my head but i’m also not a lesbian so i shan’t pass judgment.
April 25, 2023
**'There are many types of fictional storytelling but it's how you as a writer execute and put it together that makes it count-- and is readable to any reader..'
Delightful read!
An elating story with the slowest of slowly developed relationship. From truly best friends to separating for a few years to eventually slowly slowly slowly falling in love. A highly recommended book!
Delightful read!
An elating story with the slowest of slowly developed relationship. From truly best friends to separating for a few years to eventually slowly slowly slowly falling in love. A highly recommended book!
October 16, 2023
Edit: October 16th, 2023, audiobook review.
I already knew when I started listening to this audiobook that I would love it. I had a slight apprehension about the narration because there were tiny details I didn’t love completely in Gabrielle Baker’s performance of Finding Jessica Lambert, but none of them got in the way of my enjoyment with this one. She does Millie and Charlotte (and all the other characters) justice and I think I fell in love with the MCs even more through her narration. That’s saying a lot, since Clare Ashton wrote them splendidly in the first place.
I love Charlotte and Millie. I simply love them. They have extremely different personalities, they’re relatable, they’re complex and flawed, and good people. They’re perfect for each other, and would also have been perfect as friends, which is one of the reasons I love this story so much. The line between love and romantic love can be extremely thin. It sometimes needs to be crossed and sometimes not. The friendship is enough in and of itself, the romance isn’t necessarily “more”. That said, and Meeting Millie is a lovely depiction of that, friendship can be an excellent and strong foundation for a romantic relationship. Loving a person doesn’t always mean liking them but it does help when both go hand in hand.
I already wrote most of my thoughts in my review of the book (link below), and they’re all still true. As I was listening, once the friendship took a turn towards romance, all I could think of was that Millie realising she finds Charlotte hot is a thing of beauty, even more so in audio. It’s sexy and funny, tender and enchanting. 5⭐️
------------------------------------------------
This book started breaking my heart from the very beginning, even as it made me laugh. A quarter in, I knew it was touching something very intimate in me, about friendship and caring (or not caring) about people, about needing them (or not needing them) in one’s life.
Charlotte Albright is back in Oxford for a fresh start and a new job but how is she supposed to start anew when one of the first people she comes across is the former best friend she cut from her life? Then her mother announces… I’ll stop here, you’ll find out for yourself but ugh, poor Charlotte.
Clare Ashton always write fantastic characters. Charlotte and Millie became best friends almost from the day they met in their first year of law school. They’re complete opposites and perfect for each other because of that. Charlotte is tall and lanky, always stooping under the weight of her respected barrister mother’s expectations and comparisons to her seemingly perfect sister. She’s quietly brilliant, a hard worker who misses out on promotions because she’s not loud or assertive enough. Millie is brash and sassy, all curves and unabashed sensuality, going through men like Kit Kats, easygoing and unbothered by whatever people think. Surprisingly, Charlotte’s mother loves Millie, who was the most promising student, and whom she wished to mentor. While Millie’s mum (who raised her on her own and is the best role model) is completely supportive of her change of careers, Charlotte’s is mystified by it.
Another person who doesn’t understand how Millie, as talented a lawyer as she was, could step away from such a lucrative career is Olivia, Charlotte’s former college mother. A senior partner in the law firm Charlotte recently joined, she always looks out for her, and is very distrustful of Millie, for almost everything she is but first of all for breaking Charlotte’s heart once already. I love Olivia, she’s bitchy and cold (though not always), in awe of Charlotte’s mother, completely embarrassed by her own very warm and loving mum (whom Charlotte adores). This is Clare Ashton‘s first series and I hope Olivia gets her own ice queen-y book.
Before it turns to romance, Meeting Millie is a story of friendship. Things might change faster in Charlotte’s mind but for Millie, for years, it’s all about friendship. Being soulmates, which doesn’t always mean being lovers. When Millie lost her best friend, her heart broke, as painfully if not more than if they’d been a couple. The heartbreak is real for Millie, even before her feelings for Charlotte change, and when they get reacquainted as adults, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get her friend back.
And of course, this book also turns an extremely close friendship into something else, not necessarily something more but definitely something with added layers, and I don’t know how my heart is supposed to deal with all these beautiful emotions. Because Ashton, as usual, handles it with both humour and sensitivity, navigating every slippery slope masterfully.
Would Millie’s feelings for Charlotte have evolved the way they did had she not gone through the ordeal that made her whole world explode? The idea that losing the life she knew is the reason other possibilities – specifically, Charlotte – occurred to her would make me slightly uncomfortable if I didn’t get the impression the feelings were always there and all that was missing was Millie’s awareness not of the feelings themselves but of what they meant to her.
In another book I read recently (Hero Complex by Jesse J Thoma), one of the MCs explains that there are three people in each of us: the person strangers and distant acquaintances see, the person people who know us see, and the person we think we are. None is whole or one hundred per cent accurate. Millie was convinced she was straight, until she wasn’t. Despite queer people being a lot more visible than we used to be, despite representation having grown exponentially almost everywhere, a lot of people still realize later in life. And thirty-two (Millie’s age) really isn’t that old to find out, it takes some people much longer, for all sorts of reasons. Visibility and representation are only one facet of what makes someone come into themselves. Every journey is unique and they’re all valid.
I’ll end this review with two asides. First of all, the cover artist is Leni Kauffman, who also illustrates Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls books (Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date) and she did a wonderful job of representing the characters and mood of the story. And those curves…
Second, how would I not love a book which includes sentences like this one: “(Charlotte) had the finesse of a giraffe roller skating when it came to dealing with attractive women”? The description is so perfectly Charlotte and the words are so perfectly Millie, I dare you not to fall in love with these two. 4.5⭐️
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
I already knew when I started listening to this audiobook that I would love it. I had a slight apprehension about the narration because there were tiny details I didn’t love completely in Gabrielle Baker’s performance of Finding Jessica Lambert, but none of them got in the way of my enjoyment with this one. She does Millie and Charlotte (and all the other characters) justice and I think I fell in love with the MCs even more through her narration. That’s saying a lot, since Clare Ashton wrote them splendidly in the first place.
I love Charlotte and Millie. I simply love them. They have extremely different personalities, they’re relatable, they’re complex and flawed, and good people. They’re perfect for each other, and would also have been perfect as friends, which is one of the reasons I love this story so much. The line between love and romantic love can be extremely thin. It sometimes needs to be crossed and sometimes not. The friendship is enough in and of itself, the romance isn’t necessarily “more”. That said, and Meeting Millie is a lovely depiction of that, friendship can be an excellent and strong foundation for a romantic relationship. Loving a person doesn’t always mean liking them but it does help when both go hand in hand.
I already wrote most of my thoughts in my review of the book (link below), and they’re all still true. As I was listening, once the friendship took a turn towards romance, all I could think of was that Millie realising she finds Charlotte hot is a thing of beauty, even more so in audio. It’s sexy and funny, tender and enchanting. 5⭐️
------------------------------------------------
This book started breaking my heart from the very beginning, even as it made me laugh. A quarter in, I knew it was touching something very intimate in me, about friendship and caring (or not caring) about people, about needing them (or not needing them) in one’s life.
Charlotte Albright is back in Oxford for a fresh start and a new job but how is she supposed to start anew when one of the first people she comes across is the former best friend she cut from her life? Then her mother announces… I’ll stop here, you’ll find out for yourself but ugh, poor Charlotte.
Clare Ashton always write fantastic characters. Charlotte and Millie became best friends almost from the day they met in their first year of law school. They’re complete opposites and perfect for each other because of that. Charlotte is tall and lanky, always stooping under the weight of her respected barrister mother’s expectations and comparisons to her seemingly perfect sister. She’s quietly brilliant, a hard worker who misses out on promotions because she’s not loud or assertive enough. Millie is brash and sassy, all curves and unabashed sensuality, going through men like Kit Kats, easygoing and unbothered by whatever people think. Surprisingly, Charlotte’s mother loves Millie, who was the most promising student, and whom she wished to mentor. While Millie’s mum (who raised her on her own and is the best role model) is completely supportive of her change of careers, Charlotte’s is mystified by it.
Another person who doesn’t understand how Millie, as talented a lawyer as she was, could step away from such a lucrative career is Olivia, Charlotte’s former college mother. A senior partner in the law firm Charlotte recently joined, she always looks out for her, and is very distrustful of Millie, for almost everything she is but first of all for breaking Charlotte’s heart once already. I love Olivia, she’s bitchy and cold (though not always), in awe of Charlotte’s mother, completely embarrassed by her own very warm and loving mum (whom Charlotte adores). This is Clare Ashton‘s first series and I hope Olivia gets her own ice queen-y book.
Before it turns to romance, Meeting Millie is a story of friendship. Things might change faster in Charlotte’s mind but for Millie, for years, it’s all about friendship. Being soulmates, which doesn’t always mean being lovers. When Millie lost her best friend, her heart broke, as painfully if not more than if they’d been a couple. The heartbreak is real for Millie, even before her feelings for Charlotte change, and when they get reacquainted as adults, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get her friend back.
And of course, this book also turns an extremely close friendship into something else, not necessarily something more but definitely something with added layers, and I don’t know how my heart is supposed to deal with all these beautiful emotions. Because Ashton, as usual, handles it with both humour and sensitivity, navigating every slippery slope masterfully.
Would Millie’s feelings for Charlotte have evolved the way they did had she not gone through the ordeal that made her whole world explode? The idea that losing the life she knew is the reason other possibilities – specifically, Charlotte – occurred to her would make me slightly uncomfortable if I didn’t get the impression the feelings were always there and all that was missing was Millie’s awareness not of the feelings themselves but of what they meant to her.
In another book I read recently (Hero Complex by Jesse J Thoma), one of the MCs explains that there are three people in each of us: the person strangers and distant acquaintances see, the person people who know us see, and the person we think we are. None is whole or one hundred per cent accurate. Millie was convinced she was straight, until she wasn’t. Despite queer people being a lot more visible than we used to be, despite representation having grown exponentially almost everywhere, a lot of people still realize later in life. And thirty-two (Millie’s age) really isn’t that old to find out, it takes some people much longer, for all sorts of reasons. Visibility and representation are only one facet of what makes someone come into themselves. Every journey is unique and they’re all valid.
I’ll end this review with two asides. First of all, the cover artist is Leni Kauffman, who also illustrates Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls books (Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date) and she did a wonderful job of representing the characters and mood of the story. And those curves…
Second, how would I not love a book which includes sentences like this one: “(Charlotte) had the finesse of a giraffe roller skating when it came to dealing with attractive women”? The description is so perfectly Charlotte and the words are so perfectly Millie, I dare you not to fall in love with these two. 4.5⭐️
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
October 4, 2023
5⭐️
Clare Ashton is a master in creating multi-layered characters and forging wonderful stories around them. "Meeting Millie" is fantastic - deep, complex, humorous, sexy, and with great dialogue. Anyone who loves that will get their money's worth with this book. I just loved it.
Charlotte and Millie have been best friends since they first met at Oxford University. At first glance, they almost couldn't be more different. Charlotte is tall and slim, lesbian, reservedly friendly, sweet, and nerdy, and comes from a middle-upper-class family. On the other side, straight Charlotte, who is never at a loss for a quip, extrovert, witty, with sexy curves, is the daughter of a working-class single mother. Both studied law and together they want to make the world a better place. But Charlotte's feelings for Millie, drive a wedge into their friendship and break them apart. Ten years later, their paths unexpectedly cross again. Can they pick up where their old friendship left off? The urge to be close is strong, but what if old feelings resurface? Or new ones are added?
I adore both women. Charlotte, is deliberate, sometimes still insecure, but a smart businesswoman who has no idea how she comes across to others and is oblivious to how beautiful she is. And with Millie, I would like to go stealing horses and playing sports. Her humor is great, even if it sometimes only serves to hide her feelings. I would love to have both of them as friends. They made me laugh and cry and both are sexy as hell.
The story is polished and stirred up a lot of emotions in me. And I love it when that happens. Millie and Charlotte had a very close friendship. Even though they haven't seen each other in ten years, the old familiarity is immediately back in many ways. But the separation and life have changed them. Especially Charlotte has changed through a drastic and painful experience and has lost some of her carefree spirits. Together with Charlotte, we learn what Millie had to go through, and also my eyes did not remain dry.
The reapproach and the rebuilding of trust and friendship are wonderfully told, I had the feeling I would accompany them as an invisible person. They have to admit to themselves that they were both to blame for the breakup and realize that they had suffered equally. They enjoy their regained friendship. But soon Charlotte struggles again with her feelings for her best friend, but she knows another heartbreak she wouldn't survive. And Millie realizes with amazement that what she always wanted deep down, but didn't admit to herself, is right under her nose. So again, feelings that go beyond friendship come into play. What will they do? Will they accept and acknowledge them? But read for yourself if and how they will get around these cliffs.
The supporting characters are almost a story in themselves. They are also very different and despite all the nagging and bickering, I love them all. I really hope Olivia is the next one who gets her own book. And since this is a series, I'm sure we'll see many of them again.
I highly recommend it to all romance lovers.
Clare Ashton is a master in creating multi-layered characters and forging wonderful stories around them. "Meeting Millie" is fantastic - deep, complex, humorous, sexy, and with great dialogue. Anyone who loves that will get their money's worth with this book. I just loved it.
Charlotte and Millie have been best friends since they first met at Oxford University. At first glance, they almost couldn't be more different. Charlotte is tall and slim, lesbian, reservedly friendly, sweet, and nerdy, and comes from a middle-upper-class family. On the other side, straight Charlotte, who is never at a loss for a quip, extrovert, witty, with sexy curves, is the daughter of a working-class single mother. Both studied law and together they want to make the world a better place. But Charlotte's feelings for Millie, drive a wedge into their friendship and break them apart. Ten years later, their paths unexpectedly cross again. Can they pick up where their old friendship left off? The urge to be close is strong, but what if old feelings resurface? Or new ones are added?
I adore both women. Charlotte, is deliberate, sometimes still insecure, but a smart businesswoman who has no idea how she comes across to others and is oblivious to how beautiful she is. And with Millie, I would like to go stealing horses and playing sports. Her humor is great, even if it sometimes only serves to hide her feelings. I would love to have both of them as friends. They made me laugh and cry and both are sexy as hell.
The story is polished and stirred up a lot of emotions in me. And I love it when that happens. Millie and Charlotte had a very close friendship. Even though they haven't seen each other in ten years, the old familiarity is immediately back in many ways. But the separation and life have changed them. Especially Charlotte has changed through a drastic and painful experience and has lost some of her carefree spirits. Together with Charlotte, we learn what Millie had to go through, and also my eyes did not remain dry.
The reapproach and the rebuilding of trust and friendship are wonderfully told, I had the feeling I would accompany them as an invisible person. They have to admit to themselves that they were both to blame for the breakup and realize that they had suffered equally. They enjoy their regained friendship. But soon Charlotte struggles again with her feelings for her best friend, but she knows another heartbreak she wouldn't survive. And Millie realizes with amazement that what she always wanted deep down, but didn't admit to herself, is right under her nose. So again, feelings that go beyond friendship come into play. What will they do? Will they accept and acknowledge them? But read for yourself if and how they will get around these cliffs.
The supporting characters are almost a story in themselves. They are also very different and despite all the nagging and bickering, I love them all. I really hope Olivia is the next one who gets her own book. And since this is a series, I'm sure we'll see many of them again.
I highly recommend it to all romance lovers.
March 12, 2023
I just adored this book. It is such a good friends-to-lovers story and now may be the one I compare all others too. The longing and pining was perfection.
November 13, 2025
Update 11/13/25: Third Time and just as romantic and spicy. Working my way to Nicola’s story.
Update 9/19/24:
Loved it again the second time.
Charlotte falls hard for Millie the moment she spots the blonde stunner next door in their college dorm. In spite of the sting of a one sided love, they end up being best friends. Of course, the drama inevitably comes to an ugly head and it sadly ends their friendship. Ten years later, they are both adults, working and building lives when they discover each other again in Oxford. What happens next is a testament to life being ever changing.
While most books focus on the thing that happens next, Meeting Millie is about the characters and how they evolve as individuals and as a couple. The author carefully, achingly takes her time showing us Millie and Charlotte’s love for one another, breathtaking scenes and quiet conversations that made me sigh and gasp. But the author also spends time on each character away from the other so we witness the changes in Millie and Charlotte on their own which in turn affects their relationship. Meeting Millie is gorgeous storytelling, seamlessly constructed with perfect notes, never a wrong turn or a wasted passage. Humor, passion, the heady power of two people making profound connections. It’s all here. Read the book or listen to the wonderful narration of Gabrielle Baker but do not miss this one.
Update 9/19/24:
Loved it again the second time.
Charlotte falls hard for Millie the moment she spots the blonde stunner next door in their college dorm. In spite of the sting of a one sided love, they end up being best friends. Of course, the drama inevitably comes to an ugly head and it sadly ends their friendship. Ten years later, they are both adults, working and building lives when they discover each other again in Oxford. What happens next is a testament to life being ever changing.
While most books focus on the thing that happens next, Meeting Millie is about the characters and how they evolve as individuals and as a couple. The author carefully, achingly takes her time showing us Millie and Charlotte’s love for one another, breathtaking scenes and quiet conversations that made me sigh and gasp. But the author also spends time on each character away from the other so we witness the changes in Millie and Charlotte on their own which in turn affects their relationship. Meeting Millie is gorgeous storytelling, seamlessly constructed with perfect notes, never a wrong turn or a wasted passage. Humor, passion, the heady power of two people making profound connections. It’s all here. Read the book or listen to the wonderful narration of Gabrielle Baker but do not miss this one.
March 10, 2023
This book. I can’t remember a character study on friendship as well done and deeply moving as this in all the friends to lovers stories I have read in the past. The bond Charlotte and Millie share is incredible. Even when they break each other’s heart there is still room for forgiveness. MIllie’s sense of humour and at times outrageous behaviour are the perfect foil for the more reserved Charlotte, uncomfortable picking up emotional cues and barely able to hold in check her love for Millie.
Kudos to Clare Ashton for giving us such great bisexual representation. Millie’s awakening is something special to watch. So well done.
Available on KU
Kudos to Clare Ashton for giving us such great bisexual representation. Millie’s awakening is something special to watch. So well done.
Available on KU
March 2, 2023
Book hit way tooooo close to home 💀
March 4, 2023
The first chapters made me mistake that book for a light simple friends to lovers story. What was I thinking ? It's Clare Ashton. She gives so much depth and emotion to her characters, before you know it you are caught in emotions and you can't let go.
Ashton descriptive writing always gives life to her stories in a really vivid way whether for the scenery or the characters.
First part was a back and forth between past and present, making me fall in love with Millie along with Charlotte, and unveiling what lead to the fall out. Ashton cleverly mirrored the situation in second part,reversing roles. Difference is while the young version of Charlotte made a rash decision out of self preservation and inability to compartmentalize, mature versions of Charlotte and Millie carry the weight of years of loss and hardships on their shoulders; they both want to protect and nurture their friendship at all cost.
Ashton gives her characters time to feel, to understand their feelings and coming to terms with them. The extremely slow burn felt realistic, earned and beautiful. Ashton is a master in writing emotions, characters' inner battle, pulling out from readers
love, laugh and tears (special mention to the heartbreaking scene where Millie shares what she has been through 💔). Side characters aren't here just to decorate, each one serving a purpose.
Now I am clearly dying for a follow-up of Millie and Charlotte and I wish very much to see Olivia having her own story.
If you are into friends to lover/second chance novel with colourful characters,dive head first.
Ashton descriptive writing always gives life to her stories in a really vivid way whether for the scenery or the characters.
First part was a back and forth between past and present, making me fall in love with Millie along with Charlotte, and unveiling what lead to the fall out. Ashton cleverly mirrored the situation in second part,reversing roles. Difference is while the young version of Charlotte made a rash decision out of self preservation and inability to compartmentalize, mature versions of Charlotte and Millie carry the weight of years of loss and hardships on their shoulders; they both want to protect and nurture their friendship at all cost.
Ashton gives her characters time to feel, to understand their feelings and coming to terms with them. The extremely slow burn felt realistic, earned and beautiful. Ashton is a master in writing emotions, characters' inner battle, pulling out from readers
love, laugh and tears (special mention to the heartbreaking scene where Millie shares what she has been through 💔). Side characters aren't here just to decorate, each one serving a purpose.
Now I am clearly dying for a follow-up of Millie and Charlotte and I wish very much to see Olivia having her own story.
If you are into friends to lover/second chance novel with colourful characters,dive head first.
April 25, 2023
3.5 rounded up.
If friends to lovers is your thing, you’ll likely love this. I just had a tough time getting through 60% of the book where the feelings were completely one sided. But if you like slow burn, estranged friends to lovers lesbian romance this is the one for you
If friends to lovers is your thing, you’ll likely love this. I just had a tough time getting through 60% of the book where the feelings were completely one sided. But if you like slow burn, estranged friends to lovers lesbian romance this is the one for you
June 11, 2023
I just couldn't enjoy it for long. Everything I thought I was liking it Charlotte, Millie or the friend Olivia said or did something problematic that I just couldn't ignore. I live the cover and while some of it was enjoyable it wasn't for me over all.
September 15, 2023
**Update after listening to the audiobook release. I loved it just as much - if not more! Narrator Gabrielle Baker beautifully performed the swoon-worthy friendship and evolving feelings of the characters. *sigh* And I was reminded what a master storyteller Ashton is.
Clare Ashton slays me with her storytelling skills! She develops characters that wrap themselves around your heart and won't let go.
This is one of the few true friends to lovers romances I've ever read. And by true - I mean these women became the best of friends at Oxford Law School and while Charlotte couldn't help being taken with Millie at the outset, that's what they were. Millie is a smart, gregarious working class straight woman who tears through men like nobody's business. She also looks like a young Marilyn Monroe with a figure to die for. Charlotte is a more reserved, upper class student whose barrister mother has the highest expectations of her. She is also coming to terms with the fact that she's gay, but the thought of exploring it terrifies her.
Though opposites in many ways, she and Charlotte are also twin souls of sorts who grow to support, then adore one another through good and bad times. Millie has no issue with Charlotte's sexuality and even drags her to a gay bar to explore that side of herself and find a girlfriend. But the longer they are friends the closer they become, and Charlotte's feelings begin to develop into something more despite knowing Millie will never see her that way. A painful falling out results in the loss of a friendship that means everything to both of them and they go their separate ways.
But fate brings them back to each other's orbit a decade later and in short order they realize that their friendship is something neither is willing to risk losing again. Millie has had a career change and has moved back to Oxford, where Charlotte is starting a new job as an associate solicitor at a prestigious firm. She's had a steadily growing career to that point, and is hoping that this will be the one that will bring her the kind of success she's been hoping for. Millie has transformed in many ways, yet she's still the delicious, exuberant creature she always was. Surely Charlotte can embrace their friendship again knowing what the score is after all these years. She and Millie... they're forever. A platonic relationship will have to be enough. Right?
While this is ultimately a beautiful romance, it's not made out to be an easy route to get there. Not a few lesbians have fallen in love with their best friends and have been hurt by that. Millie's life experiences since they've been apart have changed much about how she travels through life and what she deems as important. The love and support they offer one another throughout their relationship is swoon-worthy. The build is fabulous. It's lovely witnessing Millie's gradual transformation as she realizes a significant change is occurring within her as it relates to Charlotte.
I absolutely loved this book! And the cover is as gorgeous as what's between the pages. A paperback will definitely be living on my shelves as well.
Clare Ashton slays me with her storytelling skills! She develops characters that wrap themselves around your heart and won't let go.
This is one of the few true friends to lovers romances I've ever read. And by true - I mean these women became the best of friends at Oxford Law School and while Charlotte couldn't help being taken with Millie at the outset, that's what they were. Millie is a smart, gregarious working class straight woman who tears through men like nobody's business. She also looks like a young Marilyn Monroe with a figure to die for. Charlotte is a more reserved, upper class student whose barrister mother has the highest expectations of her. She is also coming to terms with the fact that she's gay, but the thought of exploring it terrifies her.
Though opposites in many ways, she and Charlotte are also twin souls of sorts who grow to support, then adore one another through good and bad times. Millie has no issue with Charlotte's sexuality and even drags her to a gay bar to explore that side of herself and find a girlfriend. But the longer they are friends the closer they become, and Charlotte's feelings begin to develop into something more despite knowing Millie will never see her that way. A painful falling out results in the loss of a friendship that means everything to both of them and they go their separate ways.
But fate brings them back to each other's orbit a decade later and in short order they realize that their friendship is something neither is willing to risk losing again. Millie has had a career change and has moved back to Oxford, where Charlotte is starting a new job as an associate solicitor at a prestigious firm. She's had a steadily growing career to that point, and is hoping that this will be the one that will bring her the kind of success she's been hoping for. Millie has transformed in many ways, yet she's still the delicious, exuberant creature she always was. Surely Charlotte can embrace their friendship again knowing what the score is after all these years. She and Millie... they're forever. A platonic relationship will have to be enough. Right?
While this is ultimately a beautiful romance, it's not made out to be an easy route to get there. Not a few lesbians have fallen in love with their best friends and have been hurt by that. Millie's life experiences since they've been apart have changed much about how she travels through life and what she deems as important. The love and support they offer one another throughout their relationship is swoon-worthy. The build is fabulous. It's lovely witnessing Millie's gradual transformation as she realizes a significant change is occurring within her as it relates to Charlotte.
I absolutely loved this book! And the cover is as gorgeous as what's between the pages. A paperback will definitely be living on my shelves as well.
June 12, 2023
Brilliant book! I laughed, I cried, I rooted for the girls ...
[Deep breath and ...]
Sometimes a story comes along and you just bond with it right away, and everything slots into place and the characters become like friends, and you root and cheer and you feel like you're there, and you can't tear yourself away and if you do, you think about it and them and can't wait to get back... and that and more...
[And breathe.]
This.Is.That.Book 😃
For me, Meeting Millie is close to romance-novel perfection ❤
[Deep breath and ...]
Sometimes a story comes along and you just bond with it right away, and everything slots into place and the characters become like friends, and you root and cheer and you feel like you're there, and you can't tear yourself away and if you do, you think about it and them and can't wait to get back... and that and more...
[And breathe.]
This.Is.That.Book 😃
For me, Meeting Millie is close to romance-novel perfection ❤
September 22, 2023
5 ⭐️ - a really lovely friends-to-lovers toaster oven romance
I really enjoyed this book. I liked both characters immensely. I was rooting so hard for them. The mutual pining was delicious. When they finally confessed their feelings it was such a great moment. Doesn’t hurt that Clare Aston knows how to write a steamy and emotional love scene. Kindle Unlimited.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked both characters immensely. I was rooting so hard for them. The mutual pining was delicious. When they finally confessed their feelings it was such a great moment. Doesn’t hurt that Clare Aston knows how to write a steamy and emotional love scene. Kindle Unlimited.
April 30, 2025
If you handed me chapter 1 of this, and said "anticipate your star rating you'll give this".
The answer would have been "5 STARS!" screamed into your face with enthusiasm.
The writing skill to hook me into 2 loveable MC's RIGHT AWAY.
I was squealing in chapter one!
Insta chemistry, feet swinging goodness, super strong meet-cute moment, PERFECT SET UP..........
Hearing the words "Chapter 2 - 13 years later".................
sigh.
What....... the ........ fuck......... is........... this..............
I admit, I am reactive, chihuahua with a stranger in the house-style with my emotions, AND I KNOW THIS.
BUT my initial eye twitch moment DID PASS, and I reeled in my emotions and was smiling again like a man with a fish in a tinder profile picture IN NO TIME👏
Because Charlotte was just so fucking wholesome in her love and adoration for her bestfriend, Millie.
And Millie (personality, not life experiences) felt really similar to me, she's unhinged and says anything that comes into her brain.
This is a bestfriends to lover with the SLOWEST Sapphic BI-awakening and burn, a lot of UNDERSTANDABLE miscommunication, a lot of "FUCKING JUST TALK AND THEN KISS" moments.
(AND THE LOVE CONFESSION HAD ME SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALING MY DUDES, I'VE SAID IT ONCE AND I WILL SAY IT
I had to take a star off because this book needed to be 20% shorter, 14.5 hours for a contempt romance (Sapphic or not) is at least 1.5 hours too long, and once the slow burn started burning, it was just fuck fuck and then some more fuck, and I wish there had been more emotions from them.
Also the word "bottom" 🤢🤢 plez nooooooo.
But LOVED IT OVERALL, made me feel nostalgic for dating women, because fuck women are cool.
The answer would have been "5 STARS!" screamed into your face with enthusiasm.
The writing skill to hook me into 2 loveable MC's RIGHT AWAY.
I was squealing in chapter one!
Insta chemistry, feet swinging goodness, super strong meet-cute moment, PERFECT SET UP..........
Hearing the words "Chapter 2 - 13 years later".................
sigh.
What....... the ........ fuck......... is........... this..............
I admit, I am reactive, chihuahua with a stranger in the house-style with my emotions, AND I KNOW THIS.
BUT my initial eye twitch moment DID PASS, and I reeled in my emotions and was smiling again like a man with a fish in a tinder profile picture IN NO TIME👏
Because Charlotte was just so fucking wholesome in her love and adoration for her bestfriend, Millie.
And Millie (personality, not life experiences) felt really similar to me, she's unhinged and says anything that comes into her brain.
This is a bestfriends to lover with the SLOWEST Sapphic BI-awakening and burn, a lot of UNDERSTANDABLE miscommunication, a lot of "FUCKING JUST TALK AND THEN KISS" moments.
(AND THE LOVE CONFESSION HAD ME SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALING MY DUDES, I'VE SAID IT ONCE AND I WILL SAY IT
I had to take a star off because this book needed to be 20% shorter, 14.5 hours for a contempt romance (Sapphic or not) is at least 1.5 hours too long, and once the slow burn started burning, it was just fuck fuck and then some more fuck, and I wish there had been more emotions from them.
Also the word "bottom" 🤢🤢 plez nooooooo.
But LOVED IT OVERALL, made me feel nostalgic for dating women, because fuck women are cool.
June 25, 2024
I have so many conflicting feelings about this book. On the one hand, this was quite cute. We have best friends coming back together after years apart, reconnecting, making space for each other in their new lives, and slowly realizing they are each other's 'love of their life.' Charlotte and Millie's interactions in the present are rather adorable, and there were a few moments I audibly sighed at their sweetness to each other and found myself grinning from ear to ear.
On the other, these characters were actively shitty to each other on several occasions, in pretty serious ways. From regular lesbian slurs (being uttered by a bisexual woman who, at the time, thought she was straight), to rampant slut shaming and biphobia, to a sense of entitlement to a friend's romantic and sexual attention because they're *checks notes* open to kissing women, there were MANY moments I seriously questioned why any of these people continued to interact with each other at all.
I'm honestly kind of baffled that I'm able to have such strong, opposite reactions to this book, hating all of the characters while also liking them, despising how they treat each other while also finding them quite caring and sweet. Honestly, it's a rollercoaster of a book, and I'm not sure it had to be.
Let's address the main characters:
Charlotte: She is our lesbian protagonist, in love with her (straight-at-the-time) college BFF. She then finds Charlotte proceeds to slut shame Millie more than once when she gets jealous and angry, which is such a low blow and honestly should be enough to end a friendship forever.
Millie: She is our 'straight' protagonist, who is actually bisexual (though a late bloomer). She endlessly taunts her lesbian best friend, flirting with her, kissing her, and just generally being really shitty because she KNOWS Charlotte has a crush on her. She also loves to throw around lesbian slurs like d*ke and l*sbo - and once again, these feel like reasons to end a friendship for good.
On top of all that, I don't think Millie is well-written as a bisexual woman. While coming to terms with your sexuality later in life is a widespread experience for bisexual women (as I know well), Millie is constantly objectified and vilified in this story in a way that makes me deeply uncomfortable. Not only is she written in a "men writing women" kind of way, described as some sort of magical seduction goddess with siren abilities who has curves for days and breasts that are always breasting boobily, but she is written as super sex-positive/hyper-sexual (which is fine in and of itself, but considering she ends up being bisexual and all of the negative stereotypes associated with bisexuality and promiscuity, I don't love this choice. ESPECIALLY because she is repeatedly slut-shamed and slammed with biphobia.)
In contrast, Charlotte seems to be much more respectfully handled as a lesbian, very seldom objectified and portrayed as "sweet and loyal" despite her terrible behaviour on more than one occasion, including ghosting her best friend because she wasn't in love with her.
I could relate to Charlotte's introverted yet friendly demeanour, slow to anger but willing to fight for what she believes in - while finding her entitlement, jealousy, and meanspiritedness deeply offputting.
I loved Millie's effervescent and profoundly empathetic, and nurturing personality while finding her casual use of slurs and manipulation incredibly shitty.
*quick note: I don't think there's anything wrong with Millie wishing she could have sex without getting pregnant, which I saw a few reviewers getting angry about. Considering reproductive health is a huge issue/burden on people who can get pregnant, wishing they could engage in a healthy sex life without the constant anxiety and fear of a potential pregnancy is very normal. She never said she thought being a lesbian/bisexual would be easier in general than being straight, just that sex between cis women removes the risk of pregnancy, which is... true?
So, where does that leave me?
Honestly, I have no idea. I loved parts of this and hated others, and I am generally incredibly baffled by the author's decisions regarding these characters. This could have been one of the most wholesome romances I've ever read, with deeply loveable characters, but what we ended up with was a mess that left a bad taste in my mouth.
Representation: lesbian MC, bisexual MC (poor rep, IMHO), lesbian secondary character
Trigger/Content Warnings: slut shaming, misogyny, biphobia, lesbian slurs
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On the other, these characters were actively shitty to each other on several occasions, in pretty serious ways. From regular lesbian slurs (being uttered by a bisexual woman who, at the time, thought she was straight), to rampant slut shaming and biphobia, to a sense of entitlement to a friend's romantic and sexual attention because they're *checks notes* open to kissing women, there were MANY moments I seriously questioned why any of these people continued to interact with each other at all.
I'm honestly kind of baffled that I'm able to have such strong, opposite reactions to this book, hating all of the characters while also liking them, despising how they treat each other while also finding them quite caring and sweet. Honestly, it's a rollercoaster of a book, and I'm not sure it had to be.
Let's address the main characters:
Charlotte: She is our lesbian protagonist, in love with her (straight-at-the-time) college BFF. She then finds Charlotte proceeds to slut shame Millie more than once when she gets jealous and angry, which is such a low blow and honestly should be enough to end a friendship forever.
Millie: She is our 'straight' protagonist, who is actually bisexual (though a late bloomer). She endlessly taunts her lesbian best friend, flirting with her, kissing her, and just generally being really shitty because she KNOWS Charlotte has a crush on her. She also loves to throw around lesbian slurs like d*ke and l*sbo - and once again, these feel like reasons to end a friendship for good.
On top of all that, I don't think Millie is well-written as a bisexual woman. While coming to terms with your sexuality later in life is a widespread experience for bisexual women (as I know well), Millie is constantly objectified and vilified in this story in a way that makes me deeply uncomfortable. Not only is she written in a "men writing women" kind of way, described as some sort of magical seduction goddess with siren abilities who has curves for days and breasts that are always breasting boobily, but she is written as super sex-positive/hyper-sexual (which is fine in and of itself, but considering she ends up being bisexual and all of the negative stereotypes associated with bisexuality and promiscuity, I don't love this choice. ESPECIALLY because she is repeatedly slut-shamed and slammed with biphobia.)
In contrast, Charlotte seems to be much more respectfully handled as a lesbian, very seldom objectified and portrayed as "sweet and loyal" despite her terrible behaviour on more than one occasion, including ghosting her best friend because she wasn't in love with her.
I could relate to Charlotte's introverted yet friendly demeanour, slow to anger but willing to fight for what she believes in - while finding her entitlement, jealousy, and meanspiritedness deeply offputting.
I loved Millie's effervescent and profoundly empathetic, and nurturing personality while finding her casual use of slurs and manipulation incredibly shitty.
*quick note: I don't think there's anything wrong with Millie wishing she could have sex without getting pregnant, which I saw a few reviewers getting angry about. Considering reproductive health is a huge issue/burden on people who can get pregnant, wishing they could engage in a healthy sex life without the constant anxiety and fear of a potential pregnancy is very normal. She never said she thought being a lesbian/bisexual would be easier in general than being straight, just that sex between cis women removes the risk of pregnancy, which is... true?
So, where does that leave me?
Honestly, I have no idea. I loved parts of this and hated others, and I am generally incredibly baffled by the author's decisions regarding these characters. This could have been one of the most wholesome romances I've ever read, with deeply loveable characters, but what we ended up with was a mess that left a bad taste in my mouth.
Representation: lesbian MC, bisexual MC (poor rep, IMHO), lesbian secondary character
Trigger/Content Warnings: slut shaming, misogyny, biphobia, lesbian slurs
You can find me on...
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November 19, 2024
I really wanted to love this one! Based on my Goodreads friends’ reviews, I thought I would—but sadly, it just didn’t click. There’s nothing wrong with it—the writing is solid, the characters are likable, and it has all the ingredients for a great second-chance, friends-to-lovers sapphic romance. But compared to other books in the same trope, it didn’t grip me the same way.
It was frustrating how Charlotte finally moves on from Millie, only for Millie to suddenly realize she has feelings for Charlotte. It felt a bit like the classic “if I can’t have you, I don’t want anyone else to” dynamic, which I don't like. For the first time ever in a lesfic, I actually found myself wishing the main characters had just stayed friends—it would have felt more natural.
That said, if you’re a fan of second-chance romance and love those slow-burn rekindling stories, this could still be a great fit for you. It just wasn’t for me this time.
It was frustrating how Charlotte finally moves on from Millie, only for Millie to suddenly realize she has feelings for Charlotte. It felt a bit like the classic “if I can’t have you, I don’t want anyone else to” dynamic, which I don't like. For the first time ever in a lesfic, I actually found myself wishing the main characters had just stayed friends—it would have felt more natural.
That said, if you’re a fan of second-chance romance and love those slow-burn rekindling stories, this could still be a great fit for you. It just wasn’t for me this time.
September 10, 2024
for some reason i kinda feel bad giving this book 2 stars but it was just SO lackluster that i cannot justify giving it anything higher. i think the dual timeline could’ve helped pace the story way better than it did, and the feelings between the characters honestly didn’t feel as authentic and raw as slowburn friends to lovers usually does for me. i’m so sad because i really really wanted to like this one
April 2, 2023
I struggled with Ashton’s Finding Jessica Lambert, but when I got into it it was a fine a read. This one is much the same, very hard for me to get into but I didn't end up liking it. Not at all.
The writing to me seems rather stilted and forced, there is no good flow in it. Some word choices don't sit right with me and the story is just incredibly flat.
There is talk of this deep friendship, spanning 4 years, when we get the dual time line chapters that doesn’t really shine through. We just read about the infatuation of Charlotte with Millie. And how the exuberant Millie is the polar opposite of quiet Charlotte. And now, in present times, the tables have turned. It's just not great.
And Millie and Charlotte’s friendship in the present time? Superficial, much like the characters in general. The deeper stuff gets about half a page and we are back on whatever else.
What irked me most, too much to sum up actually, but the following ranks high.
Why, when you’ve had sex and declared your undying love, do you keep calling that other person your friend? Baffling, utterly baffling. Just like lines like “erotic and juicy on her body.”
I hate ranking 1 star, but the writing, the characters, and the story are just not enjoyable for me. And I can't understand it being good enough for anyone looking at it with a bit of a critical eye.
The writing to me seems rather stilted and forced, there is no good flow in it. Some word choices don't sit right with me and the story is just incredibly flat.
There is talk of this deep friendship, spanning 4 years, when we get the dual time line chapters that doesn’t really shine through. We just read about the infatuation of Charlotte with Millie. And how the exuberant Millie is the polar opposite of quiet Charlotte. And now, in present times, the tables have turned. It's just not great.
And Millie and Charlotte’s friendship in the present time? Superficial, much like the characters in general. The deeper stuff gets about half a page and we are back on whatever else.
What irked me most, too much to sum up actually, but the following ranks high.
Why, when you’ve had sex and declared your undying love, do you keep calling that other person your friend? Baffling, utterly baffling. Just like lines like “erotic and juicy on her body.”
I hate ranking 1 star, but the writing, the characters, and the story are just not enjoyable for me. And I can't understand it being good enough for anyone looking at it with a bit of a critical eye.
March 8, 2023
Meeting Millie by Clare Ashton : a straight promiscuous woman who sleeps with every man that looks her way suddenly decides she's in love with the best friend that she has known for years and never fancied, because she realizes she can't have kids and live her heterosexual dream and she needs someone as a plan b. What a riveting romance!
I forgot to add in Ashton's quest to writing this mess she also made sure to include what can be considered a lesbian who ended up happily married to a man. She could have easily made her bi. Anyone could have used that ambiguity to assume she was bi. But then she included another character's interactions with her to show how surprising and offensive her ending up with a dude is. Why even write that in the first place? #homophobictrope
I forgot to add in Ashton's quest to writing this mess she also made sure to include what can be considered a lesbian who ended up happily married to a man. She could have easily made her bi. Anyone could have used that ambiguity to assume she was bi. But then she included another character's interactions with her to show how surprising and offensive her ending up with a dude is. Why even write that in the first place? #homophobictrope
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2023
Ashton's writing is so on point. Fan-fucking-tastic… I really enjoyed this book.
January 7, 2026
First in German:
Dieses Buch ist so schön, dass ich es förmlich verschlungen habe. Schon nach dem ersten Kapitel war ich begeistert von Millie und Charlotte. Zwei Frauen, die so unterschiedlich sind und sich dadurch perfekt ergänzen. Vor allem Millie mochte ich auf Anhieb und ich konnte Charlottes Verliebtheit in ihrer Studentenzeit sehr gut nachvollziehen. Millie ist eine Frau, die in einem Raum kommt und durch ihre Ausstrahlung alle Blicke auf sich zieht. Sie ist offen, herzlich und ehrlich. Charlotte ist eher eine ruhige Persönlichkeit, die ihre Worte bewusst wählt und vorher lange darüber nachdenken muss.
Aber nicht nur die beiden Hauptcharakteren haben das Buch so genussvoll gemacht, sondern auch das drumherum. Als erstes fand ich das Setting in Oxford einfach unglaublich toll. Ich war noch nie da, aber jetzt nach dem Buch möchte ich es sehr gerne. Zweitens mochte ich die Nebencharakteren sehr. Ich musste oft über Charlottes Freundin Olivia lachen, die eigentlich so unnahbar wirkt, aber ihr Herz am rechten Fleck hat. Aber auch Olivias Mom hat es mir sehr angetan. Ich weiß, dass es über die beiden Frauen auch noch ein Buch Clare Ashton gibt, die ich unbedingt lesen muss.
Die Handlung fand in der ersten Hälfte des Buches teilweise in der Vergangenheit und in der Gegenwart statt. Das hat sich wunderbar miteinander verwoben, so dass man aufgrund von Geschehnissen in der Studienzeit der beiden Frauen auf die Gegenwart schließen konnte. Es gab einige Geheimnisse, die erst nach und nach ans Licht kamen und die mich dazu brachten immer weiter zu lesen.
Aber am meisten liebte ich die Entwicklung der Beziehung und den extremen slow burn Effekt in der Liebesgeschichte der Frauen. Es war immer wieder sehr emotional und manchmal wollte ich vor allem Millie einfach in den Arm nehmen, um sie zu trösten. Ich hatte oft mit den Tränen zu kämpfen, so sehr hat mich diese friends-to-lovers Geschichte berührt. Der Schreibstil hat mich tief in das Gefühlsdurcheinander von Millie und Charlotte hineingezogen.
Ein wunderbares Buch, was ich sehr empfehlen kann. Ich habe jede Sekunde, die ich mit Millie und Charlotte verbracht habe, genossen und werde es sicherlich noch einmal lesen. Es ist toll, dass es ins Deutsche übersetzt wurde.
Danke an NetGalley!
--------------
Now in English:
This book was so beautiful that I devoured it. After the first chapter, I was already fascinated by Millie and Charlotte. Two women who are so different and yet complement each other perfectly. I especially liked Millie right away, and I could really relate to Charlotte's infatuation during her student days. Millie is a woman who walks into a room and draws everyone's attention with her charisma. She is open, warm, and honest. Charlotte is more of a quiet personality who chooses her words carefully and has to think about them for a long time beforehand.
But it wasn't just the two main characters that made the book so enjoyable, it was also everything else about it. First of all, I really liked the setting in Oxford. I've never been there, but now after reading the book, I'd really like to go. Secondly, I really liked the supporting characters. I often had to laugh at Charlotte's friend Olivia, who seems so unapproachable but has her heart in the right place. I also really liked Olivia's mom. I know there's another book by Clare Ashton about the two women that I absolutely have to read.
The plot took place partly in the past and partly in the present in the first half of the book. This was wonderfully interwoven, so that events in the two women's student days allowed the reader to draw conclusions about the present. There were some secrets that only gradually came to light, which kept me reading.
But what I loved most was the development of the relationship and the extreme slow burn effect in the women's love story. It was always very emotional, and sometimes I just wanted to hug Millie to comfort her. I often had to fight back tears, that's how much this friends-to-lovers story touched me. The writing style drew me deep into Millie and Charlotte's emotional turmoil.
A wonderful book that I highly recommend. I enjoyed every second I spent with Millie and Charlotte and will definitely read it again.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Dieses Buch ist so schön, dass ich es förmlich verschlungen habe. Schon nach dem ersten Kapitel war ich begeistert von Millie und Charlotte. Zwei Frauen, die so unterschiedlich sind und sich dadurch perfekt ergänzen. Vor allem Millie mochte ich auf Anhieb und ich konnte Charlottes Verliebtheit in ihrer Studentenzeit sehr gut nachvollziehen. Millie ist eine Frau, die in einem Raum kommt und durch ihre Ausstrahlung alle Blicke auf sich zieht. Sie ist offen, herzlich und ehrlich. Charlotte ist eher eine ruhige Persönlichkeit, die ihre Worte bewusst wählt und vorher lange darüber nachdenken muss.
Aber nicht nur die beiden Hauptcharakteren haben das Buch so genussvoll gemacht, sondern auch das drumherum. Als erstes fand ich das Setting in Oxford einfach unglaublich toll. Ich war noch nie da, aber jetzt nach dem Buch möchte ich es sehr gerne. Zweitens mochte ich die Nebencharakteren sehr. Ich musste oft über Charlottes Freundin Olivia lachen, die eigentlich so unnahbar wirkt, aber ihr Herz am rechten Fleck hat. Aber auch Olivias Mom hat es mir sehr angetan. Ich weiß, dass es über die beiden Frauen auch noch ein Buch Clare Ashton gibt, die ich unbedingt lesen muss.
Die Handlung fand in der ersten Hälfte des Buches teilweise in der Vergangenheit und in der Gegenwart statt. Das hat sich wunderbar miteinander verwoben, so dass man aufgrund von Geschehnissen in der Studienzeit der beiden Frauen auf die Gegenwart schließen konnte. Es gab einige Geheimnisse, die erst nach und nach ans Licht kamen und die mich dazu brachten immer weiter zu lesen.
Aber am meisten liebte ich die Entwicklung der Beziehung und den extremen slow burn Effekt in der Liebesgeschichte der Frauen. Es war immer wieder sehr emotional und manchmal wollte ich vor allem Millie einfach in den Arm nehmen, um sie zu trösten. Ich hatte oft mit den Tränen zu kämpfen, so sehr hat mich diese friends-to-lovers Geschichte berührt. Der Schreibstil hat mich tief in das Gefühlsdurcheinander von Millie und Charlotte hineingezogen.
Ein wunderbares Buch, was ich sehr empfehlen kann. Ich habe jede Sekunde, die ich mit Millie und Charlotte verbracht habe, genossen und werde es sicherlich noch einmal lesen. Es ist toll, dass es ins Deutsche übersetzt wurde.
Danke an NetGalley!
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Now in English:
This book was so beautiful that I devoured it. After the first chapter, I was already fascinated by Millie and Charlotte. Two women who are so different and yet complement each other perfectly. I especially liked Millie right away, and I could really relate to Charlotte's infatuation during her student days. Millie is a woman who walks into a room and draws everyone's attention with her charisma. She is open, warm, and honest. Charlotte is more of a quiet personality who chooses her words carefully and has to think about them for a long time beforehand.
But it wasn't just the two main characters that made the book so enjoyable, it was also everything else about it. First of all, I really liked the setting in Oxford. I've never been there, but now after reading the book, I'd really like to go. Secondly, I really liked the supporting characters. I often had to laugh at Charlotte's friend Olivia, who seems so unapproachable but has her heart in the right place. I also really liked Olivia's mom. I know there's another book by Clare Ashton about the two women that I absolutely have to read.
The plot took place partly in the past and partly in the present in the first half of the book. This was wonderfully interwoven, so that events in the two women's student days allowed the reader to draw conclusions about the present. There were some secrets that only gradually came to light, which kept me reading.
But what I loved most was the development of the relationship and the extreme slow burn effect in the women's love story. It was always very emotional, and sometimes I just wanted to hug Millie to comfort her. I often had to fight back tears, that's how much this friends-to-lovers story touched me. The writing style drew me deep into Millie and Charlotte's emotional turmoil.
A wonderful book that I highly recommend. I enjoyed every second I spent with Millie and Charlotte and will definitely read it again.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
June 2, 2023
This book was absolutely delightful. Millie's character is charming and multi-faceted, with just the right amount of wit and humor tossed in the mix. Ms. Ashton's writing is snappy and clever and keeps the story moving along.
I fell in love with Oxford throughout the novel, and will be adding it to my list of travel destinations. If you are looking for a feel-good romance with lovely writing and characters that will make you smile--this is it.
I fell in love with Oxford throughout the novel, and will be adding it to my list of travel destinations. If you are looking for a feel-good romance with lovely writing and characters that will make you smile--this is it.
March 31, 2023
After seeing the majority of people love this book, I'm unfortunately disappointed 😬. It did make me want to visit Oxford more than I already do though!
What I liked:
Charlotte. She was a bit naive considering she's a highly intelligent solicitor, but I found it endearing nonetheless. Her obliviousness when it came to women interested in her was funny.
The setting. Oxford is beautiful.
All the side characters. Olivia, Nicola, Geeta, Millie's landlady (I've forgotten her name 😅) they were all really great with unique voices and personalities.
It was low angst, which I love.
What I didn't like:
Millie. OK, so her character was fine to an extent, it's more the story surrounding her. I know a lot of people figure out their sexuality at a later age, but it wasn't done that well here. She just suddenly seemed to realise she found Charlotte attractive. It came out of nowhere. Especially considering they'd kissed at uni and Millie had 'fooled around' with a woman then too (Idk what that means exactly, when the text says she's never slept with a woman). I think more groundwork/foreshadowing should have been done for her bisexual reveal.
Also I'm not an expert on trauma, but her libido disappeared after a traumatic event, which is normal (I'm not going to say what it is due to spoilers, but it's not assault) but the way it came back only for Charlotte was weird.
When Charlotte asked her if she liked women at uni, Millie said (I'm paraphrasing) "god no" as if it was an awful thing. That just didn't need to be included. She also says slurs when they're at uni.
The writing was quite clunky in places, with odd sentence structures.
The dual timeline was OK, and then was just dropped. Random, I guess.
What I liked:
Charlotte. She was a bit naive considering she's a highly intelligent solicitor, but I found it endearing nonetheless. Her obliviousness when it came to women interested in her was funny.
The setting. Oxford is beautiful.
All the side characters. Olivia, Nicola, Geeta, Millie's landlady (I've forgotten her name 😅) they were all really great with unique voices and personalities.
It was low angst, which I love.
What I didn't like:
Millie. OK, so her character was fine to an extent, it's more the story surrounding her. I know a lot of people figure out their sexuality at a later age, but it wasn't done that well here. She just suddenly seemed to realise she found Charlotte attractive. It came out of nowhere. Especially considering they'd kissed at uni and Millie had 'fooled around' with a woman then too (Idk what that means exactly, when the text says she's never slept with a woman). I think more groundwork/foreshadowing should have been done for her bisexual reveal.
Also I'm not an expert on trauma, but her libido disappeared after a traumatic event, which is normal (I'm not going to say what it is due to spoilers, but it's not assault) but the way it came back only for Charlotte was weird.
When Charlotte asked her if she liked women at uni, Millie said (I'm paraphrasing) "god no" as if it was an awful thing. That just didn't need to be included. She also says slurs when they're at uni.
The writing was quite clunky in places, with odd sentence structures.
The dual timeline was OK, and then was just dropped. Random, I guess.
April 23, 2023
disappointing. i really wanted to enjoy this book since everyone else seems to love it, but i didn't.
October 11, 2024
I’m late to listen to this book and as others have said it was excellent. I throughly enjoyed the audio on this one. Millie was so witty and clever, her sarcasm made lol. 😂. I am looking forward to the next one in this series.
did-not-finish
March 12, 2024I tried. I really, really tried. This was a DNF for me at the near 50% mark.
I wasn't invested in either character. Or the romance. I couldn't see these two together at all and I just couldn't justify another 7+ hours of the audiobook. I tried with speed 1.5x too, but have decided to park it.
Onto the next!
I wasn't invested in either character. Or the romance. I couldn't see these two together at all and I just couldn't justify another 7+ hours of the audiobook. I tried with speed 1.5x too, but have decided to park it.
Onto the next!
March 14, 2023
Did Clare Ashton write this book for me--a second-chance, friends-to-lovers romance set in Oxford? I mean, that's the kind of book I would dream up in some sort of wish list. And, boy, did it live up to all my expectations and the hype of everyone who's read it so far.
Charlotte Albright is tall and awkward and shy and trying to live up to the expectations and example set by her parents and sister. She's made it to Oxford, as expected, but she's already let them down by choosing to attend St. Hilda's College instead of the famed Magdalen College, where the rest of her family went. But that choice has put her directly in the path of Millie Banks, who's so different than anyone she's ever met--she's disarming, irreverent, unapologetic, gorgeous, and kind. They're opposites in nearly every way, which makes them so complimentary for one another. Their bond seems unbreakable, which is why it's hard to understand why over a decade passes without them speaking. It's only due to a chance encounter, in the city that brought them together the first time, that their paths cross again. And despite the pain of the ending of their friendship and the impact of the events of their lives during their separation, their bond remains as strong as it did when they were young adults. They're both changed, but they're both still so much the same that they can't help but fall into old patterns and some surprisingly new ones, too.
What I love about a well-told friends-to-lovers story is the potential for angst--all that unrequited, unspoken longing. Clare Ashton delivers here with just the right amount of angst delivered in a super slow burn. And I do love a good slow burn.
I'm a bit at a loss for what to say about this without it turning into a rambling gush. I will say this is probably my favourite read since I finished Delilah Green Doesn't Care last March, which means I've been looking for book that will deliver that same high for nearly a year.
On a personal note, this really took me back to my days at Oxford, including a blessed reference to Keble College. Oxford was a magical experience for me, so to have this book that allows me to visit again and again is really special. I mean, I do love Jude the Obscure, too, but Meeting Millie won't leave me depressed.
Charlotte Albright is tall and awkward and shy and trying to live up to the expectations and example set by her parents and sister. She's made it to Oxford, as expected, but she's already let them down by choosing to attend St. Hilda's College instead of the famed Magdalen College, where the rest of her family went. But that choice has put her directly in the path of Millie Banks, who's so different than anyone she's ever met--she's disarming, irreverent, unapologetic, gorgeous, and kind. They're opposites in nearly every way, which makes them so complimentary for one another. Their bond seems unbreakable, which is why it's hard to understand why over a decade passes without them speaking. It's only due to a chance encounter, in the city that brought them together the first time, that their paths cross again. And despite the pain of the ending of their friendship and the impact of the events of their lives during their separation, their bond remains as strong as it did when they were young adults. They're both changed, but they're both still so much the same that they can't help but fall into old patterns and some surprisingly new ones, too.
What I love about a well-told friends-to-lovers story is the potential for angst--all that unrequited, unspoken longing. Clare Ashton delivers here with just the right amount of angst delivered in a super slow burn. And I do love a good slow burn.
I'm a bit at a loss for what to say about this without it turning into a rambling gush. I will say this is probably my favourite read since I finished Delilah Green Doesn't Care last March, which means I've been looking for book that will deliver that same high for nearly a year.
On a personal note, this really took me back to my days at Oxford, including a blessed reference to Keble College. Oxford was a magical experience for me, so to have this book that allows me to visit again and again is really special. I mean, I do love Jude the Obscure, too, but Meeting Millie won't leave me depressed.
March 31, 2023
I shall preface with I DNFed this at about 20%, 80 or so pages in.
First of all this jumps back in time and back to the present within chapters, it can be very jarring and personally I don’t like this method of storytelling.
But in the 20% I did read we have Charlotte who is a lesbian and has been out since before she was 19. And then we have Millie who when they are in college in the flashbacks she’s straight. And I didn’t read enough of the “present time” chapters to know if she still identifies as straight. One can safely assume she is, until she gets romantically involved with Charlotte, whenever that happens.
Not to mention that Millie laughs when she realizes one of their neighbors is queer. Which prompts Charlotte to ask why Millie is laughing and leads to Charlotte coming out to Millie and not even a few paragraphs later Millie is making Charlotte go with her to a gay bar.
So tell me why a straight woman would use not one but 2 lesbian slurs at her lesbian friend?
“We are going in search of lesbians. Non-college dykes. Until you throw off your virginal shackles and gain your Level One Lesbian badge.”
And
“There must be another way to meet women,” she (Charlotte) said in a tumble of words. “No, there isn’t.” Millie smiled. They’d been through this several times. “Not real-life lesbos who want your bod.”
Not to mention the writing is odd. Like why?
“Charlotte’s expression was as blank as a virginal bedpost.”
Anyway I’m getting weird icky vibes from this and it’s honestly a shame because the cover is absolutely gorgeous.
First of all this jumps back in time and back to the present within chapters, it can be very jarring and personally I don’t like this method of storytelling.
But in the 20% I did read we have Charlotte who is a lesbian and has been out since before she was 19. And then we have Millie who when they are in college in the flashbacks she’s straight. And I didn’t read enough of the “present time” chapters to know if she still identifies as straight. One can safely assume she is, until she gets romantically involved with Charlotte, whenever that happens.
Not to mention that Millie laughs when she realizes one of their neighbors is queer. Which prompts Charlotte to ask why Millie is laughing and leads to Charlotte coming out to Millie and not even a few paragraphs later Millie is making Charlotte go with her to a gay bar.
So tell me why a straight woman would use not one but 2 lesbian slurs at her lesbian friend?
“We are going in search of lesbians. Non-college dykes. Until you throw off your virginal shackles and gain your Level One Lesbian badge.”
And
“There must be another way to meet women,” she (Charlotte) said in a tumble of words. “No, there isn’t.” Millie smiled. They’d been through this several times. “Not real-life lesbos who want your bod.”
Not to mention the writing is odd. Like why?
“Charlotte’s expression was as blank as a virginal bedpost.”
Anyway I’m getting weird icky vibes from this and it’s honestly a shame because the cover is absolutely gorgeous.
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