Passion's Shadow

by Nicole Conn

Fall into the passions of a love triangle as a mother and daughter find themselves in love with the same woman in this romantic and chic tale of addiction in multiple forms.

Lindsay Brennan is a Portland architect whose devotion to her work takes the place of all other things in her life. Sondra Pinchot, an interior designer, has always depended on the comfort of alcohol when things became too much. Her dutiful daughter, Samantha, is trapped in the affair of her mother’s alcoholism as it has become a natural habitat.

When Lindsay and Sondra begin work on a project together, they find themselves in a sparking romance that is hard for either of them to deny. But when Sondra’s alcoholism lands her in a rehabilitation center and Samantha takes her place on the project, sparks fly between Lindsay and Samantha, igniting an intense relationship.

As fate brings the three women together and their private addictions give way to deeper passions, they learn that sometimes love can be the most dangerous addiction of them all.

Genres: Lesbian Fiction, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Nicole Conn best known for her Cult Classic, Claire of the Moon. Elena Undone, A Perfect Ending, little man and More Beautiful for Having Been Broken. It took her 25 years, but finally in 2025 – her sweeping epic romance, Descending Thirds was published March 15, 2025.

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a garage-sale-leftovers free pile here in Portland. You know those romance novels you find at the grocery store? This was like one of those, except aggressively earnest and forcefully queer. Not what I'd usually read, and not really thrilling as the prologue makes you think it will be. Conn seemed to stuff in every character she was workshopping into this novel, and it shows -- did we really need Megan's storyline? (No.) Maybe Conn wanted a token straight couple like other novels would have the token gay couple? Also, I've never noticed so many sentence fragments in someone's writing style before, nor little quips. Example: "Oh, but Snag loved him. Adored him beyond words. Wouldn't trade him for all the Nordstrom's sales in Pioneer Square." Oof.

However, I can't stop myself from giving it four stars. Maybe I liked it so much just because it's set in Portland (where I live) and I'm still only a couple years out from my own coming out, so I'm still giddy at everything sapphic. Maybe it's the longing that if I had been exposed to queer fiction like this when I was younger, discovering my true queerness would have come sooner. I might be reading too much into it though. It certainly didn't hurt that the sapphic sex scenes were hot -- Lindsay is a total stud. I'll definitely be keeping this one on my bookshelf.

CW: alcoholism, suicide

[Jenny Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much fun to read, love a 90’s lesbian romance! Like reading the L Word.

[Genette García · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book that I read from Nicole Conn. In the beginning I thought it was a mystery but it turn out to be a story about an work a alcoholic professional, beautiful and her relationships with the women she comes to work for. A complicated sets of events that won't let you put the book down. Very good book by Nicole Conn. You can also check her movies like Claire of the Moon and Selena Undone. The most recent is A Perfect Ending, Amazing, priceless acting by Barbara Niven and Jessica Clark and let me not forget the sound track and the perfect pavane.

[Ulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary and breathtaking! It took me ages to finish, as I was afraid.
It's a thriller, a love story, and a very intensive, intelligently written story, mainly about three women whose lives intertwine . . . creating feelings, leaving havoc after them . . . brilliant and deeply moving

[Shannon Wyss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book populated by annoying characters who pretty much all needed to be in some serious therapy. Their flaws and the origins thereof, so obvious to the reader, are completely unreachable to them. However, i still enjoyed the story.