Entangled

by Maria V. Ciletti

Hayden Crissman is a very responsible girl and has done all the right things to get accepted into a prestigious university in Erie, Pennsylvania, with the help of her English teacher Abbey Spencer, whom she idolizes.

When their paths cross again after graduation, Hayden sees another side of her favorite teacher and witnesses a deeply personal, more vulnerable woman.

What ensues will test both women's sense of propriety, logic, and love.

Genres: Lesbian

210 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2011

About the author

Maria V. Ciletti is a registered nurse working as a medical administrator in Niles, Ohio. Her new book, a self-help memoir titled, I Have to Leave You Now: A Survival Guide for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Alzheimer's Disease,is scheduled for release in September 2014 by Dragonfly Publications. Maria's first novel, The Choice, published by Harrignton Park Press, premiered May 1, 2007. Her subsequent romance novels, Clinical Distance (2009), Collide (2010) Entangled, (2011) as well as the sequel to The Choice and Clinical Distance, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (2012)were published by Intaglio Publications. Maria also writes articles for practice management magazines. Her essay, The Softer Side of Medicine, has appeared in the April 2014 edition of Sinister Wisdom. She lives in Niles, Ohio with her partner, Rose."

Reviews

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book...not so lengthy but makes an appreciated story.

[Nicky Sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Entangled” by Maria V. Ciletti is not just a coming out of the closet novel for an almost 18 years old graduate in love with her former teacher, but it has a certain profoundness of inter-human relationships, I mean treason : how a woman that supposed to have loved another woman harms her by risking her job as a teacher, patience : on how a young girl develops into a young woman, yet her feelings still persist, judgemental : on how some Christian small groups treat homosexuality, mainly lesbianism.
Hayden Crissman is the almost 18 years old graduate who is eager to find a purpose in life after highschool, as for the summer she leaves her native town for Eerie to work in a fast food with her best friend, Cali. Apparently, accidentally, she and Cali drop down at the Zone, the local gay bar, yet Cali is there for a purpose and Hayden surprisingly sees there Miss Spencer, her former teacher, who looks pretty bad, disappointed and hopeless. Hayden is secretly in love with Abbey Spencer and saves her from embarrassing situations quite often lately. She sees Miss Spencer often now as Cali wants to go more often at the Zone to see Joey, who happens to be another woman.
„Dear Diary,

I had the dream again: The dream where Miss Spencer and I are walking on a beach and the sun is setting. The sky is ruby red, and I can feel the warm breeze on my skin. We walk out on a sandbar, and Miss Spencer reaches over and takes my hand. She turns toward me and looks into my eyes, then she leans in and kisses me. The kiss is soft and sweet, and I don’t want her to stop…and then I wake up. Why would I be having these dreams, dear diary? Does this mean I’m a lesbian? I don’t want to be gay. I don’t want to be a freak.”



„The dream about Miss Spencer disturbed her because it aroused feelings in her she didn’t understand. Why wasn’t she like all the other girls in her class who were boy crazy? Was it just general admiration or a schoolgirl crush that she felt? Wasn’t she too old for that? And anyway, why Miss Spencer? If she was going to have a crush on a teacher, wouldn’t it be on Mr. Gennero? All the girls, including her best friend, Calli Karra, drooled over Mr. Gennero. His dark Italian looks set many a schoolgirl’s heart aflame. But not Hayden’s. She had other feelings—feelings she thought separated her from everyone else—and those feelings were so frustrating that they kept her up some nights.

Abbey Spencer is one of the few lay teachers at St. Mary’s and Spencer played a big part in Hayden’s decision to go to college. Miss Spencer’s upbeat personality and positive outlook made her one of the most well-liked teachers at St. Mary’s. She likes Hayden and finds her very special and quite an adult in comparison to her classmates, yet she never considers a relationship or even a fling with her.

Abbey is in a relationship with one of her former teachers, Ann White who lives in Eerie and now their liason somehow is shattered by Abbey’s decision to go teach at St. Mary’s and move into another town. Their love has beauty in it, a student fascinated by her teacher falls for her and vice-versa, yet now after few years, even though Abbey’s love hasn’t perished and she found Ann kissing the Dean of her University during Christmas, she can’t let Ann go, as she is her first love. Yet, Ann behaves amazingly cruel this time, Abbey overhears a discussion between Ann and her new lover, Jackson Price, saying that Abbey was just a fling and she will end the relationship tonight and she actually does, by telling Abbey that her feelings have changed and she isn’t gay anymore (bunch of crap), she wants to experiment her relationship with a man, but she is actually using Jackson for a better position at the University which is lame and makes her the villain of the book. Abbey finds herself in a pretty difficult situation as she loses Ann (actually Anne is losing Abbey) and her home as she was living in Ann’s house and now Ann practically throws her out and Abbey lives at the Holliday Inn. She takes it pretty bad and drinks a lot, while her former student, Hayden keeps saving her from embarrassing situations as being seen drunk around Eerie or getting arrested in the park. She remembered Hayden’s look at her, it was the same as she was looking at Ann, full of love, admiration and fascinating, alluring desire. She was so lost in her own pain and disappointment that she let Hayden kiss her and take care of her adn she just loved it.

Abbey was left by Ann, who choose to experiment a new relationship with Dean Jackson Price and throws Abbey out of her live, but after a short time she realizes that this new relationship will involve new responsabilities for her, like taking care of Jackson’s children and Ann didn’t liked to lose, she didn’t want to lose Abbey for selfish reasons as Abbey was exactly as she had wanted : her human puppy dog. Abbey was still in love with with Ann and wanted her back and she knew Hayden could do better than her, she is still underestimating herself by taking the second choice : Ann, and while she brakes up with Hayden, Ann shows up incredibly cruel, by embarrassing Abbey in front of Hayden and making Hayden incredibly uncomfortable and also, she takes a picture of Abbey kissing Hayden on her cheek. Abbey doesn’t want to go back to Ann, yet Ann threatens her she will show that picture to Abbey’s school council and make it so that Abbey loses her job and becomes all to dependable on Ann. Abbey is stunned and terrified by Ann’s reaction and she is dragged into an outrageous scandal and trial, which also involves Hayden, both are being set on trial and their sexuality is now open. Abbey, Hayden and Ann are asked to testify, Hayden has to ensure the judge she initiated the kiss and the relationship, as she was under aged (almost 18 years old) and that Abbey is innocent. Ann declares that Abbey’s relationship with Hayden is unethical, yet she get’s involved in the trial’s swirl and her relationship with Abbey is now obvious and her sexuality is open now, things she wanted so much to keep be kept a secret, in the past. Ann loses Abbey and the situation with Jackson is now obvious, not being love of experimental, but taking advantage of. Abbey loses her job, yet she is now free of Ann, free of everything as everyone knows now her being a lesbian (she felt so captive as she had to keep her relationship with Ann a secret for the sake of Ann’s position at the University).

This trial is an amazing example on how harmful the lack of freedom is, of how our own insecurities, fear of what others think of us can take away all we have for the moment, yet actually the society has to change and acknowledge equal rights of love, equal rights on how love should be, heterosexual or homosexual, it doesn’t really matter, the right to love is universal and it shouldn’t affect professional lives nor the right to love openly whom we want. The cliche of a student being in love with a teacher is an amazing example on how flexible and fluid love is and how age is just a number and knowing how hard it is to find the right love is, the cliche starts to melt and love is love, and that’s it!

Abbey and Hayden meet again after some time at Cali and Joey’s wedding in lesbiantown of Provincetown. Abbey is afraid of flight and holds on tight to Hayden, while Hayden’s eyes never cease to leave Abbey, Hayden is still in love with Abbey and always will, as she is a dream to come true.
We don’t really find out how Abbey and Hayden will find love and how they will fit in together, but it is obvious that Abbey will have a teaching job in Provincetown and Hayden will follow.
An easy read and a great lesson of love, betrail, coming out and settling in. Loved Hayden’s innocence, first love and the butterflies in her stomach, also enjoyed Abby’s strength to fight against Ann and the society and the courage to find her way again, and a new love again next to Hayden, not so much younger yet.


https://inkmarksonemptydreams.com/201...

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy summer lesbian romp

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick easy read. Enjoyed reading this

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it ended before I was ready to stop reading it! It was an interesting read, bringing age and gender into play. I was surprised by the bittersweet ending, however the epilogue made up for that.

At the beginning of the book, I was ready to forgive Ann; it wasn't her fault that she fell out of love with Abbey or whatever, and felt affection for Jackson. But then she turned into such an insufferable and vindictive - sorry for my language - cunt that Abbey telling her off was much less than she deserved. Jeez she made me rage. I was rooting for Abbey and Hayden the whole time!

Entangled is a good coming-of-age story about a first love (and the drama that can come with it, heh!), and definitely worth checking out.

I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't received my copy yet, just received notice I had won. 8/28/13
Received my copy, have 2 plus my current read in front, but hope to start soon. 9/6/13
Started 9/12/13 and finished 9/13/13

Hayden has graduated high school and is starting a summer job with her best friend, Calli, 90 miles away from home. She has been helped by her Junior Year English teacher, Miss Spencer, to apply for a scholarship so she will be able to attend college. Running into Miss Spencer after starting their new jobs throws Hayden's life into turmoil.

Okay, I really didn't understand what the turmoil was until I read the book. I actually had a really hard time with the authors way of portraying homosexuality as a huge no-no in society and trying to say the story took place in 2010. I live in a pretty religious and conservative place but even those around me were much more accepting than those in the book. Anyways, the story was interesting and a really easy read.

[Twoina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about lesbian relationships. What I took from it was that relationships, no matter who is involved, are difficult. The story could have just as easily been about a hetero relationship. The only problem I had with it is that everyone Abbey met turned out to be a lesbian. Her two former students, one of whom she became involved with leading to serious complications, turned out to be lesbians even though neither one had thought much about it. Other than that I enjoyed this book. It's not my usual type of read. I like scary books but it was a fast and easy read. Good for a day on the beach.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a strange book; most of the story reads like a throw back to lesbian pulp fiction of the 50s/60s, but the epilogue is a complete tonal shift. The relationship between teacher and student never felt particularly believable, well developed, or interesting

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect title for this story! Wow, really had me hooked from the beginning.