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Jeux de Pouvoir
Amelia Duxton est l’une des riches héritières de Duxton Hotel International. En charge de la branche Europe, son intelligence hors classe, son pragmatisme et sa soif de contrôle en font une femme d’affaires impitoyable. Kai Fisher, quant à elle, n’est pas surnommée l’As de l’Acquisition pour rien. Charmeuse et capable de lire les humains comme personne, elle est réputée pour être une fine négociatrice.
Lorsque Kai et Amelia se retrouvent à flirter au comptoir du Prohibition, les deux jeunes femmes sont loin de se douter qu’elles sont à Las Vegas pour la même raison, l’achat du Mayfair Palace. Si Amelia voit dans ce luxueux hôtel l’occasion de prouver au reste de sa famille qu’elle a les épaules pour devenir présidente, la motivation de Kai est bien différente : elle rêve de voler le contrat des mains de son ennemi juré, l’empire Duxton.
Quand le feu rencontre la glace… la tension est à son comble !
Lorsque Kai et Amelia se retrouvent à flirter au comptoir du Prohibition, les deux jeunes femmes sont loin de se douter qu’elles sont à Las Vegas pour la même raison, l’achat du Mayfair Palace. Si Amelia voit dans ce luxueux hôtel l’occasion de prouver au reste de sa famille qu’elle a les épaules pour devenir présidente, la motivation de Kai est bien différente : elle rêve de voler le contrat des mains de son ennemi juré, l’empire Duxton.
Quand le feu rencontre la glace… la tension est à son comble !
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2020
195 people are currently reading
4366 people want to read
About the author
Lee Winter
36 books2,935 followersLee Winter is a former award-winning veteran newspaper journalist who has covered courts, crime, news, features and humor writing for almost three decades around Australia. Now a full-time author and part-time editor at Ylva, Lee is also a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Golden Crown Literary Award winner.
Want to get in touch? Email: Leewinterauthor@gmail.com
Want to get in touch? Email: Leewinterauthor@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 518 reviews
September 16, 2021
**'A writer should have the three D's when telling a story: drive, discipline and desire. If one is missing then your storytelling will be average..Most characters in a story are conceived from within..'
Remarkable read!
This was sooo good that i'm still tickled with it's neverending exhilarating storytelling. A highly recommended book!
Remarkable read!
This was sooo good that i'm still tickled with it's neverending exhilarating storytelling. A highly recommended book!
December 28, 2020
This is a Lee Winter book. That’s all I really have to say right? Just seeing her name on this book is enough for most WLW readers to want to read this. But, I do enjoy writing positive reviews so I’ll review this anyway. I do think it’s important to point out that this was different than I expected. I started thinking that this was an unusual book for Winter to write, but than I had a duh moment and remembered that Winter wrote the brilliant Requiem for Immortals. This might sound a little odd, but this book reminded me more of Req than of her other novels. There is no morally grey, badass assassin like Req, but they both were enemies to lovers with super strong attraction, and a plot filled with intrigue and espionage (corporate in this book). If you go into this book hoping for a big sweeping romance, you might be disappointed. But if you are interested in the feel of a toned down Requiem for Immortals, but in the business world (and without the killing in Req of course) then you will enjoy this completely gripping read.
I’m still recovering from not sleeping during election week. I thought I’d do the responsible thing and go to bed nice and early, after I read a chapter or two of Hotel Queens. Well at 3am, I turned the final page in this book. I was completely engrossed in this story and I could not have put it down if my house was on fire. The plot of this book, the hotel plot is where this book really shined for me. I guess it is a slight negative that I cared more for the plot than the romance, but I was absolutely hooked in the best way possible. You don’t know who to trust, who’s lying, and what’s going to happen! I flew through the pages of the book and I had a great time reading it.
Okay, let’s talk about the romance next. This was a pretty hardcore enemies to lovers romance. This was not just dislike, these two women are on complete opposite sides. And if you are a fan of Lee Winter, you will know she is the Queen of writing ice queens. There is no one that has written as many great ice queen characters as Winter has and Amelia from this book is another to add to that list. As I alluded to already, this was a different type of romance than I expected. The meat of this book takes place over a week in Vegas. The book spans longer than that but the heart is during that week. A week is not the longest time to overcome being enemies and trying to melt an ice queen. So the romance in this book does not follow a big sweeping arc. Instead, what it really is about is attraction. With such intense physical chemistry, these two women can’t help but be attracted to each other. It was like a magnate pulling them together. Their chemistry was strong, mixed in with some delicious flirting that had a ton of heat. These two women set of sparks when they were together. The mix of anger and heat really worked in the best way. Because of the shorter period of time this book takes place, I think Winter really concentrated on this beginning part of a potential relationship. The middle part of a romance was not really the focus of this book. It was different than I expected, but it worked for the book and characters in it. Plus, there was plenty of heat to keep me happy.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was a well written book that I could not stop reading. This book is a little different. It doesn’t have a grand romance, but it has great chemistry, heat, and connection. The plot is very entertaining and once you pick this book up, you won’t be able to put it down. Even the cover is hot. I don’t think I’ve ever said that before but the cover is great. I highly recommend this to Lee Winter fans especially if you enjoyed Requiem for Immortals.
A copy was give to me for a honest review.
I’m still recovering from not sleeping during election week. I thought I’d do the responsible thing and go to bed nice and early, after I read a chapter or two of Hotel Queens. Well at 3am, I turned the final page in this book. I was completely engrossed in this story and I could not have put it down if my house was on fire. The plot of this book, the hotel plot is where this book really shined for me. I guess it is a slight negative that I cared more for the plot than the romance, but I was absolutely hooked in the best way possible. You don’t know who to trust, who’s lying, and what’s going to happen! I flew through the pages of the book and I had a great time reading it.
Okay, let’s talk about the romance next. This was a pretty hardcore enemies to lovers romance. This was not just dislike, these two women are on complete opposite sides. And if you are a fan of Lee Winter, you will know she is the Queen of writing ice queens. There is no one that has written as many great ice queen characters as Winter has and Amelia from this book is another to add to that list. As I alluded to already, this was a different type of romance than I expected. The meat of this book takes place over a week in Vegas. The book spans longer than that but the heart is during that week. A week is not the longest time to overcome being enemies and trying to melt an ice queen. So the romance in this book does not follow a big sweeping arc. Instead, what it really is about is attraction. With such intense physical chemistry, these two women can’t help but be attracted to each other. It was like a magnate pulling them together. Their chemistry was strong, mixed in with some delicious flirting that had a ton of heat. These two women set of sparks when they were together. The mix of anger and heat really worked in the best way. Because of the shorter period of time this book takes place, I think Winter really concentrated on this beginning part of a potential relationship. The middle part of a romance was not really the focus of this book. It was different than I expected, but it worked for the book and characters in it. Plus, there was plenty of heat to keep me happy.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was a well written book that I could not stop reading. This book is a little different. It doesn’t have a grand romance, but it has great chemistry, heat, and connection. The plot is very entertaining and once you pick this book up, you won’t be able to put it down. Even the cover is hot. I don’t think I’ve ever said that before but the cover is great. I highly recommend this to Lee Winter fans especially if you enjoyed Requiem for Immortals.
A copy was give to me for a honest review.
April 22, 2021
Edit: April 22nd, 2021
I’m not going to add much to my original review, except to say that this was my first Angela Dawe narration (life is weird) and yes, I understand the hype. The narration itself is smooth and spellbinding. She gives each character their own voice, there’s never any risk of mistaking one for another. I wasn’t convinced by Millie’s voice at first but it ended up being one of my favourites. I also love Quinn’s accent (of course I would).
Hotel Queens was one of my favourite books last year, it will probably be one of my favourite audiobooks this year.
------------------------------------------------
Hotel Queens might be my new favourite Lee Winter book, or at least it’s at the top with Breaking Character and Requiem for Immortals.
Amelia Duxton is a genius but she’s also a lesbian, and for that reason keeps being passed over in favour of her nasty brother Oliver. It would be annoying in any family, but in the Duxton family, it means Amelia has been exiled to London (it could be worse and she knows it) while Oliver is the CEO of the family business, one of the most powerful hotel chains in the world. Until Oliver fucks up one too many times and Amelia’s hope of finally being seen as the best choice is back. Kai Fisher has it in for the Duxtons and would like nothing better than to see them ruined, or at least humiliated, not only as revenge for what Oliver did to her but because of the way they treat their employees. As the star negotiator for Hotel Duxton International’s main competition, she has a very real chance of making that happen.
This story is a perfect example of opposites-attract, love/hate, an ice queen and a fire queen, an introvert and an extrovert. Amelia loves order, numbers, honesty. Kai thrives on chaos and charms her way through her deals, adapting her personality on demand – another reviewer very accurately called her a chameleon.
Every interaction between Kai and Amelia is delightful. They’re proof that smart is sexy. Really really really sexy.
The story takes place over a relatively short period of time and focuses on the attraction, the chemistry, the beginning of something that could, in time, become a Happy Ever After. It’s exciting and hot and adventurous, and the enemies-to-lovers aspect adds a measure of danger to spice it all. Obviously the sex, when it happens, is torrid, but what I’ll remember, I think, is the first kiss scene, which feels a lot like a Golden Age Hollywood movie (without the straight protagonists and with a lot more heat), very Cukor. Very much to my taste.
It’s not just all about Amelia and Kai, however. Almost every secondary character is so well-rounded that they could warrant their own novel. Quinn, Amelia’s second-in-command, Milly, Kai’s assistant, Monique Carson, the hotel guest with unexpected and diverse talents, would be my first choices, but even the men around both main characters, especially those in Amelia’s family, would be interesting (if I were into testosterone-filled books).
Hotel Queens is exactly the kind of story I can see Winter having fun writing. And she’s undeniably at her best here. I love ice queen stories when they’re well written but it’s very easy to overdo the ice queen and the melting. In this novel, Winter, who is undeniably the queen of ice queens, strikes the ideal balance. Every time I thought maybe it was going to be too much and end up in clichés, she proved me wrong. Lex wrote in her own review that Hotel Queens reminds her more of Requiem for Immortals than of any other book by Lee Winter and I couldn’t agree more. The story is very different – there’s no assassin here for one – but the writing brought the same feeling of glee as I was reading, an impression of exhilaration. Not only are the characters smart, but the writing is, too. That's how you get books that make my brain happy, not just my heart.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m not going to add much to my original review, except to say that this was my first Angela Dawe narration (life is weird) and yes, I understand the hype. The narration itself is smooth and spellbinding. She gives each character their own voice, there’s never any risk of mistaking one for another. I wasn’t convinced by Millie’s voice at first but it ended up being one of my favourites. I also love Quinn’s accent (of course I would).
Hotel Queens was one of my favourite books last year, it will probably be one of my favourite audiobooks this year.
------------------------------------------------
Hotel Queens might be my new favourite Lee Winter book, or at least it’s at the top with Breaking Character and Requiem for Immortals.
Amelia Duxton is a genius but she’s also a lesbian, and for that reason keeps being passed over in favour of her nasty brother Oliver. It would be annoying in any family, but in the Duxton family, it means Amelia has been exiled to London (it could be worse and she knows it) while Oliver is the CEO of the family business, one of the most powerful hotel chains in the world. Until Oliver fucks up one too many times and Amelia’s hope of finally being seen as the best choice is back. Kai Fisher has it in for the Duxtons and would like nothing better than to see them ruined, or at least humiliated, not only as revenge for what Oliver did to her but because of the way they treat their employees. As the star negotiator for Hotel Duxton International’s main competition, she has a very real chance of making that happen.
This story is a perfect example of opposites-attract, love/hate, an ice queen and a fire queen, an introvert and an extrovert. Amelia loves order, numbers, honesty. Kai thrives on chaos and charms her way through her deals, adapting her personality on demand – another reviewer very accurately called her a chameleon.
Every interaction between Kai and Amelia is delightful. They’re proof that smart is sexy. Really really really sexy.
The story takes place over a relatively short period of time and focuses on the attraction, the chemistry, the beginning of something that could, in time, become a Happy Ever After. It’s exciting and hot and adventurous, and the enemies-to-lovers aspect adds a measure of danger to spice it all. Obviously the sex, when it happens, is torrid, but what I’ll remember, I think, is the first kiss scene, which feels a lot like a Golden Age Hollywood movie (without the straight protagonists and with a lot more heat), very Cukor. Very much to my taste.
It’s not just all about Amelia and Kai, however. Almost every secondary character is so well-rounded that they could warrant their own novel. Quinn, Amelia’s second-in-command, Milly, Kai’s assistant, Monique Carson, the hotel guest with unexpected and diverse talents, would be my first choices, but even the men around both main characters, especially those in Amelia’s family, would be interesting (if I were into testosterone-filled books).
Hotel Queens is exactly the kind of story I can see Winter having fun writing. And she’s undeniably at her best here. I love ice queen stories when they’re well written but it’s very easy to overdo the ice queen and the melting. In this novel, Winter, who is undeniably the queen of ice queens, strikes the ideal balance. Every time I thought maybe it was going to be too much and end up in clichés, she proved me wrong. Lex wrote in her own review that Hotel Queens reminds her more of Requiem for Immortals than of any other book by Lee Winter and I couldn’t agree more. The story is very different – there’s no assassin here for one – but the writing brought the same feeling of glee as I was reading, an impression of exhilaration. Not only are the characters smart, but the writing is, too. That's how you get books that make my brain happy, not just my heart.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 26, 2020
Makes me want to play Hotel Tycoon again.
The plot. Is all indeed fair in love and war? The battle between Kai Fisher and Amelia Duxton is about to kick off as they each try to secure the ultimate prize; the acquisition of luxury hotel the Mayfair Palace.
The characters. Is there anyone that can write a better ice queen than Lee Winter? I mean the character of Amelia was introduced and I wanted to immediately reach for my jacket, gloves and scarf. Despite her frosty introduction however, she soon had me warming up to her character. Kai. Where do I begin describing this cocky asshole? And I mean that in the nicest way possible considering I've been called those exact same words over and over. Can I just say that I understand her character and leave it at that?
The writing. I can totally understand why Lex made the comparison between this book and Requiem for Immortals. Two women, both brilliant and cunning in their own respective ways, going head to head trying to outsmart and outplay each other. The fascinating characters and brilliant writing makes this one hell of a page turner.
The special. Just like in Req, as soon as you think you have it all figured out, Lee Winter throws in a plot twist. Page after page, this phenomenal writer kept me caught in the intricate web she was once again weaving. Well done Ms. Winter!
The negative. The book ended. *shrugs*
The verdict. Another winner and fantastic book that will have you reading well into the night. Full 5* rating!
“There’s a line between confident and cocky, and you are lying all over it.”
The plot. Is all indeed fair in love and war? The battle between Kai Fisher and Amelia Duxton is about to kick off as they each try to secure the ultimate prize; the acquisition of luxury hotel the Mayfair Palace.
The characters. Is there anyone that can write a better ice queen than Lee Winter? I mean the character of Amelia was introduced and I wanted to immediately reach for my jacket, gloves and scarf. Despite her frosty introduction however, she soon had me warming up to her character. Kai. Where do I begin describing this cocky asshole? And I mean that in the nicest way possible considering I've been called those exact same words over and over. Can I just say that I understand her character and leave it at that?
The writing. I can totally understand why Lex made the comparison between this book and Requiem for Immortals. Two women, both brilliant and cunning in their own respective ways, going head to head trying to outsmart and outplay each other. The fascinating characters and brilliant writing makes this one hell of a page turner.
The special. Just like in Req, as soon as you think you have it all figured out, Lee Winter throws in a plot twist. Page after page, this phenomenal writer kept me caught in the intricate web she was once again weaving. Well done Ms. Winter!
The negative. The book ended. *shrugs*
The verdict. Another winner and fantastic book that will have you reading well into the night. Full 5* rating!
“There’s a line between confident and cocky, and you are lying all over it.”
April 12, 2021
I want to say without hesitation that Winter has written one of the most perfect first halves of a book that I have ever read. The mix of razor-tongued dialogue, the wink wink chemistry, the build of competitive tension intermingled and propelled forward by two women compelled to be together, there’s everything to savor here. There’s no imperfect moment.
The plot isn’t new. Two high powered executives fighting for the rights to the same pot of gold, a palace-like hotel in London. We’ve seen it before and it’s done well with good details that give an understanding of the industry and the cut throat battles that ensue but it’s not the main event.
Amelia Duxton, beyond wealthy and the chilliest of queens, gorgeous and always in control of her empire meets Kai Fisher, a fire-brand charismatic queen who owns the other side of the world. It’s a masterclass in carving out characters who walk a tightrope of behavior that you as a reader both hate and love. But most importantly, characters that you can’t quit for even a few hours of sleep. After all, who would want to postpone the scenes of fire and ice getting together?
The second half focuses on the outcome of the plot. It turns a rivals trope into a fast moving quandary of back stabbing and double-crossing that had me chuckling, waiting to see how it would all turn out. I loved it but nothing could be better than more Kai and Lia who remind us that smart equals sexy. In the end, the author brings it all home with hot times and much love. Nothing but 5 stars from me.
The plot isn’t new. Two high powered executives fighting for the rights to the same pot of gold, a palace-like hotel in London. We’ve seen it before and it’s done well with good details that give an understanding of the industry and the cut throat battles that ensue but it’s not the main event.
Amelia Duxton, beyond wealthy and the chilliest of queens, gorgeous and always in control of her empire meets Kai Fisher, a fire-brand charismatic queen who owns the other side of the world. It’s a masterclass in carving out characters who walk a tightrope of behavior that you as a reader both hate and love. But most importantly, characters that you can’t quit for even a few hours of sleep. After all, who would want to postpone the scenes of fire and ice getting together?
The second half focuses on the outcome of the plot. It turns a rivals trope into a fast moving quandary of back stabbing and double-crossing that had me chuckling, waiting to see how it would all turn out. I loved it but nothing could be better than more Kai and Lia who remind us that smart equals sexy. In the end, the author brings it all home with hot times and much love. Nothing but 5 stars from me.
March 8, 2023
➥ 3.5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
My most commendable idea yet: read a Lee Winter book for the first of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed this, though... I do admit, I do not think it is Winter's best.
I'm tempted to put Amelia's response to this, because it's probably one of the hottest things I've ever read, but that would be spoiling this novel's peak 😊
The plotline is undeniably well-crafted, and at the end, every single string was aligned with another. However, it is definitely a main complaint of mine that Amelia and Kai did not meet/interact until the 20% mark - that was 150 pages out of my ebook's 600. It's a shame because once they do interact, they're on fire for the rest of the book. Their tension is incredible (Lia's incredible), there is just so much angsty and intrigue - it was fantastic.
Complaint number two...the sex scenes? I mean this is just derived from Kai being in them lol, I just could not take her seriously when she was 'in charge'. She said all this nonsense and it was so awkward and strange.
But on the other hand, I do appreciate that Winter didn't shy from the sex scenes as much as she did in Breaking Character because she really does excel in writing them. Although I didn't like Kai's participation, when Lia was the one in charge, it was fab...
It could also be a possibility that I just liked when Kai was shut up 🤷♀️ (is that too harsh? 😭)
I did feel that there was a lack of range of response during the scenes - I understand this is very specific but any time one character did something to the other, the other's response was "Oh". I think writing in a whimper or just a "Kai..." would be better.
On that note...I did feel like Lia and Kai had the most chemistry when they were angry with each other. Once they got together and (Kai) decided to be civil...it just lost the oomph that it had.
Though I have listed various complaints, I did greatly enjoy this one, and it's lovely to know I can depend on Lee Winter to absolutely nail sapphic sexual tension/chemistry.
Looking forward to reading more of her works! And like I said, what a great book to start the year with 😊💕
“You’re beautiful,” Amelia murmured. “I want to kiss you. I want, very much, to have you naked in my arms.”
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
My most commendable idea yet: read a Lee Winter book for the first of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed this, though... I do admit, I do not think it is Winter's best.
➥ Amelia a.k.a. Lia Huxton (h)...she could do absolutely anything she wanted to me. Winter's crafted such a unique yet fleshed-out character, there's no other way to describe it than delightful. Amelia is cool, calculated, and chronically half-lidded in the hottest manner. Yet...the ice-queen has some tenderness that just melted my heart. I admit I do not believe I'll be able to be coherent with my thoughts on Amelia because I'm simply in love with her. As mentioned, she is unbearably, inexplicably hot, but her heart just shines too...
Kai asked gently: “What’s concern number one for you?”
“What if…I’m so out of practice, I’m terrible?” Her eyes slid closed, and she turned her face away.
➥ Kai a.k.a The Closer (h) was a bit of a task, and the greatest hindrance to my enjoyment. It's rare for Winter to write a character I did not like, so this was unanticipated. She wasn't confident, she was annoyingly arrogant. She jumped to conclusions, she was unprofessional and often unkind. I understand that she has a heart for helping those at the mercy of being hotel employees, but I did not see tenderness or kindness in her character as I read the novel. There was a moment where she was absolutely humbled, but her apology was not quite as genuine as I would have liked it to be, and honestly...I just wanted her to break down and go soft and kind and tender and sweet. Because, in contribution to my unfortunate dislike for her...she was also cringey? This was so odd for me to witness, because I've never come across a Lee Winter character that was cringey - genuinely. In fact, I really did love her books for how believable and real the characters felt, but Kai was so awkward and not-funny and cringey. Amelia seems to find her 'bad lines' endearing but gosh, I couldn't do it. Maybe it's just me though. Here's like...her only moment:
"Would you like that?" Kai asked, and this time, there was nothing teasing in her tone. "Would you like to let down your hair, break out of your nice, safe mold, be a bit...unpredictable?" Her fingers trailed Lia's wrist, brushing against pale skin. Lia's pulse thudded against Kai's fingertips. It was fast. "With me?"
I'm tempted to put Amelia's response to this, because it's probably one of the hottest things I've ever read, but that would be spoiling this novel's peak 😊
The plotline is undeniably well-crafted, and at the end, every single string was aligned with another. However, it is definitely a main complaint of mine that Amelia and Kai did not meet/interact until the 20% mark - that was 150 pages out of my ebook's 600. It's a shame because once they do interact, they're on fire for the rest of the book. Their tension is incredible (Lia's incredible), there is just so much angsty and intrigue - it was fantastic.
Complaint number two...the sex scenes? I mean this is just derived from Kai being in them lol, I just could not take her seriously when she was 'in charge'. She said all this nonsense and it was so awkward and strange.
But on the other hand, I do appreciate that Winter didn't shy from the sex scenes as much as she did in Breaking Character because she really does excel in writing them. Although I didn't like Kai's participation, when Lia was the one in charge, it was fab...
“Then she turned to Kai’s inner thigh, sliding her lips all the way along it, as if claiming the whole leg as hers. It was sensuous as hell. Kai trembled anew. “Fuck,” she whispered.
It could also be a possibility that I just liked when Kai was shut up 🤷♀️ (is that too harsh? 😭)
I did feel that there was a lack of range of response during the scenes - I understand this is very specific but any time one character did something to the other, the other's response was "Oh". I think writing in a whimper or just a "Kai..." would be better.
On that note...I did feel like Lia and Kai had the most chemistry when they were angry with each other. Once they got together and (Kai) decided to be civil...it just lost the oomph that it had.
Though I have listed various complaints, I did greatly enjoy this one, and it's lovely to know I can depend on Lee Winter to absolutely nail sapphic sexual tension/chemistry.
Kai met her eyes, now suddenly earnest. “I’m in room four-eleven.” She bit her lip.
Silence fell, and the amusement washed from Lia’s face, replaced with something charged and interested. But when she spoke, her words were stripped of emotion. “How exciting for you.”
Looking forward to reading more of her works! And like I said, what a great book to start the year with 😊💕
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
April 24, 2021
Update. Audiobook Review
A few months after reading the book, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe. You can trust this narrator to always take a written story to audio heaven and this one wasn’t an exception. As usual, Ms. Dawe did a fantastic job at portraying main and secondary characters and performing emotional moments convincingly. Still, I couldn’t connect to the story completely but it made it much more enjoyable. 4.5 stars.
Length: 11 hours, 26 minutes
Book Review
There’s no doubt that Lee Winter writes lesbian ice queens like no other and a book that features not one but two of these characters is a joy for any fan of this subgenre.
Fire meets ice queen in an archetypical opposites-attract romance with the setting of a cutthroat corporate world of luxury hotels. Both women will compete for the deal of their lives, the acquisition of a state of the art luxury property while fighting against their mutual powerful attraction.
Ms. Winter states in the acknowledgments that she wrote this book in two periods of time, the first one in 2018 when she almost dropped the story for good due to the complexities of the plot. I agree that there is an intricacy of the story and all its nuances that make it hard to write, but Ms. Winter pulled it off without problems. As usual, this is a very well written book that won’t disappoint her fans.
Having said that, I admit that I liked but not loved this novel. This is absolutely my personal taste and I’ve realised that it goes against the majority of the reviews. I think it’s because when I read this author I’m looking for an ultra aloof, hard-to-thaw ice-queen paired with an outgoing, sociable, younger character who normally worships the ice queen. ‘Hotel Queens’ is more the case of two powerful women who meet their match. Even though there is well-written chemistry, for me the tension didn’t feel as strong as in other of Ms. Winter’s books.
There’s also the fact that this is more of a plot-driven book, which is in the driving seat leading the direction of the story while the characters follow. No problem at all with that, again, I think that my expectations were different, and I wasn’t completely invested in the twists and turns of the plot. Some parts of it, especially at the end, sounded a bit contrived and out of character for some secondary characters.
Having said all that, I’m very much looking forward to the audiobook version which will be narrated by the extraordinary Angela Dawe. I’m counting that she’s gonna make me love both main characters and kick it up a notch or two in the chemistry department. For the moment, my rating is 4 stars.
A few months after reading the book, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe. You can trust this narrator to always take a written story to audio heaven and this one wasn’t an exception. As usual, Ms. Dawe did a fantastic job at portraying main and secondary characters and performing emotional moments convincingly. Still, I couldn’t connect to the story completely but it made it much more enjoyable. 4.5 stars.
Length: 11 hours, 26 minutes
Book Review
There’s no doubt that Lee Winter writes lesbian ice queens like no other and a book that features not one but two of these characters is a joy for any fan of this subgenre.
Fire meets ice queen in an archetypical opposites-attract romance with the setting of a cutthroat corporate world of luxury hotels. Both women will compete for the deal of their lives, the acquisition of a state of the art luxury property while fighting against their mutual powerful attraction.
Ms. Winter states in the acknowledgments that she wrote this book in two periods of time, the first one in 2018 when she almost dropped the story for good due to the complexities of the plot. I agree that there is an intricacy of the story and all its nuances that make it hard to write, but Ms. Winter pulled it off without problems. As usual, this is a very well written book that won’t disappoint her fans.
Having said that, I admit that I liked but not loved this novel. This is absolutely my personal taste and I’ve realised that it goes against the majority of the reviews. I think it’s because when I read this author I’m looking for an ultra aloof, hard-to-thaw ice-queen paired with an outgoing, sociable, younger character who normally worships the ice queen. ‘Hotel Queens’ is more the case of two powerful women who meet their match. Even though there is well-written chemistry, for me the tension didn’t feel as strong as in other of Ms. Winter’s books.
There’s also the fact that this is more of a plot-driven book, which is in the driving seat leading the direction of the story while the characters follow. No problem at all with that, again, I think that my expectations were different, and I wasn’t completely invested in the twists and turns of the plot. Some parts of it, especially at the end, sounded a bit contrived and out of character for some secondary characters.
Having said all that, I’m very much looking forward to the audiobook version which will be narrated by the extraordinary Angela Dawe. I’m counting that she’s gonna make me love both main characters and kick it up a notch or two in the chemistry department. For the moment, my rating is 4 stars.
December 4, 2020
I have been waiting for Lee Winter’s new book ‘Hotel Queens’ for what feels like years now. Luckily for me it lived up to all the hype and all of my expectations. I wanted to write notes as I read so I wouldn’t forget anything and I only ended up writing down three words because I got so caught up in the story.
This is an opposites-attract romance that includes rivals and enemies-to-lovers as well. And because Lee Winter wrote this, there is a delightful ice queen as well. Although, anyone who thinks their fish is cute can’t be all that icy. Amelia Duxton, our ice queen, is the vice president of her family’s hotel chain. Kai Fisher is the closer for another hotel and the arch rival of the Duxton family.
‘Hotel Queens’ has everything you’ve come to expect from Winter books; character driven, brilliant women, biting dialogue, there’s also a bit of a corporate espionage going on in the background. I read for romance but honestly, the corporate espionage really captured my attention in this one as well. I couldn’t wait to find out what was actually happening. It had some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming but completely made sense after the fact.
However, the romance was everything I wanted with Amelia and Kai. Amelia is described as a cold fish by all who don’t know her. She’s more interested in the truth and efficiency than being liked or making friends. Kai, is self-described as creative, spontaneous, and a little chaotic. She’s also tough and doesn’t take crap from anyone as is apparent in the first chapter. The build-up and clashing of these two opposites was pure entertainment. But together these two were something else. They brought out the absolute best in each other without trying. They were open and honest from the beginning and once their relationship changed, they allowed themselves to be tender and vulnerable with each other as well.
I also want to mention the side characters. Milly, Kai’s assistant and Quinn, Amelia’s deputy also brought some humor to the story and realness to Kai and Amelia. They were very well developed and I loved reading their scenes with their respective main characters. When they were together you could really see the person underneath the masks they wear for the careers and the corporate world. Milly and Quinn were useful and smart in their own right, and had their own adorable story line.
I highly recommend this to everyone.
One last note, can I just say how gorgeous this cover is as well? Well done!
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This is an opposites-attract romance that includes rivals and enemies-to-lovers as well. And because Lee Winter wrote this, there is a delightful ice queen as well. Although, anyone who thinks their fish is cute can’t be all that icy. Amelia Duxton, our ice queen, is the vice president of her family’s hotel chain. Kai Fisher is the closer for another hotel and the arch rival of the Duxton family.
‘Hotel Queens’ has everything you’ve come to expect from Winter books; character driven, brilliant women, biting dialogue, there’s also a bit of a corporate espionage going on in the background. I read for romance but honestly, the corporate espionage really captured my attention in this one as well. I couldn’t wait to find out what was actually happening. It had some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming but completely made sense after the fact.
However, the romance was everything I wanted with Amelia and Kai. Amelia is described as a cold fish by all who don’t know her. She’s more interested in the truth and efficiency than being liked or making friends. Kai, is self-described as creative, spontaneous, and a little chaotic. She’s also tough and doesn’t take crap from anyone as is apparent in the first chapter. The build-up and clashing of these two opposites was pure entertainment. But together these two were something else. They brought out the absolute best in each other without trying. They were open and honest from the beginning and once their relationship changed, they allowed themselves to be tender and vulnerable with each other as well.
I also want to mention the side characters. Milly, Kai’s assistant and Quinn, Amelia’s deputy also brought some humor to the story and realness to Kai and Amelia. They were very well developed and I loved reading their scenes with their respective main characters. When they were together you could really see the person underneath the masks they wear for the careers and the corporate world. Milly and Quinn were useful and smart in their own right, and had their own adorable story line.
I highly recommend this to everyone.
One last note, can I just say how gorgeous this cover is as well? Well done!
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2020
What a treat. Lee Winter has brought us some of the best Ice Queens in WLW fiction and I wondered how she could top the likes of Catherine Ayers, Elizabeth Thornton and Requiem. The author has outdone herself with a book starring two confident, brilliant women who fight toe to toe over a glitzy hotel acquisition. Ice meets fire leaving the reader scorched and satisfied with Hotel Queens.
There is plenty to love about the cool and imperial Amelia and the take no prisoners deal making Kai but what pulled me in, what had me turning pages was the complexity of the plot and the mountain of lies and deceit the women have to climb to reach their objectives. I loved this story. I love how Kai challenges Amelia to see what is happening around her. I love Amelia’s brilliant mind and business savvy and even her soft spot for her niece because knowledge is sexy at any age. I love the respect, if grudging, each woman has for the skills of the other, how they surround themselves with equally brilliant women. I love how they cannot keep their shields up and ignore their desires, finding that love, like some spring thaw, is inevitable when ice meets fire.
This is a novel which could and should be a bestseller in mainstream markets. It is now my favourite Lee Winter. I didn’t think surpassing the genius that is Requiem for Immortals was possible.
All the Stars for Hotel Queens.
ARC received with thanks from Ylva Publishing for review.
There is plenty to love about the cool and imperial Amelia and the take no prisoners deal making Kai but what pulled me in, what had me turning pages was the complexity of the plot and the mountain of lies and deceit the women have to climb to reach their objectives. I loved this story. I love how Kai challenges Amelia to see what is happening around her. I love Amelia’s brilliant mind and business savvy and even her soft spot for her niece because knowledge is sexy at any age. I love the respect, if grudging, each woman has for the skills of the other, how they surround themselves with equally brilliant women. I love how they cannot keep their shields up and ignore their desires, finding that love, like some spring thaw, is inevitable when ice meets fire.
This is a novel which could and should be a bestseller in mainstream markets. It is now my favourite Lee Winter. I didn’t think surpassing the genius that is Requiem for Immortals was possible.
All the Stars for Hotel Queens.
ARC received with thanks from Ylva Publishing for review.
January 10, 2023
I will admit that I was so excited and in such a hurry to read the new Lee Winter novel, Hotel Queens, that I ploughed through it like it was a race to be won. When I finished the book I felt somewhat disappointed. I tried to write my review but I could not figure out if I liked it or not and why. I sat with it for awhile. Read a few other books. Then I decided to take my time in rereading the book to see how I really felt about it. I am so glad I did. Hotel Queens is a marvellous book.
Ice Queen Amelia Duxton is the Vice President of Hotel Duxton International with her headquarters in London. She is a problem solver of the first order and runs her thirty four hotels with the upmost of efficiency.
Kai Fisher is the VP at Grand Millennium Hotels in the USA. Kai is called ‘The Closer’ by rivals who consistently lose in acquisition battles against her. She is a legend in buying hotels to add to the Grand Millennium roster.
The two meet in Las Vegas where Amelia is giving a speech and Kai is hoping to close her next deal. The story involves family secrets, corporate sabotage and skulduggery expertly written by Ms Winter. It is also a romance with a wonderful slow burn, opposite attracts theme. What I really love about the romance is how Kai gives us a unique insight into Amelia’s Ice Queen personality. Kai explains what she sees when she looks at Amelia and turns every ( supposed ) negative into a positive.
The dialogue is exceptional between Kai and Amelia. You have two highly intelligent women battling with their wits. It is funny and insightful and fun to read.
Finally, I must applaud the book’s cover. It summarizes the novel in picture and eight words. Perfection!
Hotel Queens should be on everyone’s must read list.
5 ⭐️
December 2, 2020
This was my first book by Winter and I loved it. I’ve read so many great reviews of this book and it lived up to all of them.
Judging by this, Winter knows how to write amazing characters. I love a good character driven book and this is definitely one of those. Kai and Amelia are most definitely enemies when they meet and as lovers are steamy and great on the page. I enjoyed reading Amelia’s logical nature and how she responds to both her family and Kai. With Kai I really liked her passion for her job and for people to be treated appropriately.
As mentioned they make for a steamy pair, but for me it was the build up, the clashing personalities, the passionate interactions, the misunderstandings and the finally giving into feelings that make the book for me. I love that Winter depicts these two successful women fighting for what they believe is right and getting everything they want in the end.
Most of the book takes place over one week in a Vegas hotel. I really admire how Winter managed to keep the setting interesting, despite the fact they never really leave the hotel. Milly as Kai’s assistant is a great addition, as is Quinn, Amelia’s second in command.
There’s some intrigue and attempts at subversion that help to keep things interesting and at times amusing, but it doesn’t detract from the power of the characters and how they behave in these situations.
I loved this, would recommend to all romance fans and have to say this is right up there in my top 3 books of the year.
I received an e-ARC directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Judging by this, Winter knows how to write amazing characters. I love a good character driven book and this is definitely one of those. Kai and Amelia are most definitely enemies when they meet and as lovers are steamy and great on the page. I enjoyed reading Amelia’s logical nature and how she responds to both her family and Kai. With Kai I really liked her passion for her job and for people to be treated appropriately.
As mentioned they make for a steamy pair, but for me it was the build up, the clashing personalities, the passionate interactions, the misunderstandings and the finally giving into feelings that make the book for me. I love that Winter depicts these two successful women fighting for what they believe is right and getting everything they want in the end.
Most of the book takes place over one week in a Vegas hotel. I really admire how Winter managed to keep the setting interesting, despite the fact they never really leave the hotel. Milly as Kai’s assistant is a great addition, as is Quinn, Amelia’s second in command.
There’s some intrigue and attempts at subversion that help to keep things interesting and at times amusing, but it doesn’t detract from the power of the characters and how they behave in these situations.
I loved this, would recommend to all romance fans and have to say this is right up there in my top 3 books of the year.
I received an e-ARC directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2020
Lee Winter has done it again, she has written another hit. I'll say it right now, well deserved 5 stars.
Two high power executive women fight for the same coup, both want to close the deal to take over the currently most sought after luxury hotel. They work for two hotel chains that have been in dispute for years and during this electrifying hunt have to learn what it means to be pawns in a power chess game. But they are not called Ice Queen and The Closer for nothing, and their sense of justice makes the warriors in them even more apparent.
I'm in awe of how Lee manages to create these fascinating, interesting, multi-layered personalities. Amelia Duxton, the ice queen par excellence, is a very complex woman who, no matter how well she does her job, is always passed over in the hierarchy of the family. As CEO of the chain's European hotels, she has proven more than once what an excellent manager she is. In the world of numbers, she is the queen, but when it comes to interactions with other people, she doesn't know what to do, and her absolute honesty and bluntness doesn't help her either. Only Imogen, her niece, can lure her out of her hard shell and let her show her soft heart.
Kai Fisher is the charming and chaotic badass woman who did not steal the nickname The Closer. She has a unique flair for reading people and uses her knowledge to bring negotiations to a conclusion. But in her career, she had to overcome some hard low blows and fight her way back up.
When Amelia and Kai meet, it is like meeting fire on ice. They don't know who the other one is, but both feel attracted to each other. The two have great chemistry and the sparks fly like crazy, even if not always in a positive sense at the beginning. There are not a lot of sex scenes but very exciting. But what I liked most about them, were the dialogues, sometimes biting comments, sometimes charming and sweet, then again bitching and fighting. And despite all the bickering the attraction gets stronger and stronger. And when they finally trust and believe each other, they are almost unbeatable together.
Also, the two main supporting actresses are very important for the story and get their bosses to do exactly what is right without acting and reacting too hastily.
Thank you Lee Winter for a few exciting hours. Highly recommended not only to the ice queen fans. A wonderful story in the world of luxury hotels.
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
Two high power executive women fight for the same coup, both want to close the deal to take over the currently most sought after luxury hotel. They work for two hotel chains that have been in dispute for years and during this electrifying hunt have to learn what it means to be pawns in a power chess game. But they are not called Ice Queen and The Closer for nothing, and their sense of justice makes the warriors in them even more apparent.
I'm in awe of how Lee manages to create these fascinating, interesting, multi-layered personalities. Amelia Duxton, the ice queen par excellence, is a very complex woman who, no matter how well she does her job, is always passed over in the hierarchy of the family. As CEO of the chain's European hotels, she has proven more than once what an excellent manager she is. In the world of numbers, she is the queen, but when it comes to interactions with other people, she doesn't know what to do, and her absolute honesty and bluntness doesn't help her either. Only Imogen, her niece, can lure her out of her hard shell and let her show her soft heart.
Kai Fisher is the charming and chaotic badass woman who did not steal the nickname The Closer. She has a unique flair for reading people and uses her knowledge to bring negotiations to a conclusion. But in her career, she had to overcome some hard low blows and fight her way back up.
When Amelia and Kai meet, it is like meeting fire on ice. They don't know who the other one is, but both feel attracted to each other. The two have great chemistry and the sparks fly like crazy, even if not always in a positive sense at the beginning. There are not a lot of sex scenes but very exciting. But what I liked most about them, were the dialogues, sometimes biting comments, sometimes charming and sweet, then again bitching and fighting. And despite all the bickering the attraction gets stronger and stronger. And when they finally trust and believe each other, they are almost unbeatable together.
Also, the two main supporting actresses are very important for the story and get their bosses to do exactly what is right without acting and reacting too hastily.
Thank you Lee Winter for a few exciting hours. Highly recommended not only to the ice queen fans. A wonderful story in the world of luxury hotels.
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
November 13, 2020
"What happens when fire meets ice?" Lee Winter truly writes like no other!
Fans of Lee Winter would be delighted to know that this book is filled with impeccable writing, intriguing schemes, heartbreaking betrayals, and so much steam!
Amelia Duxton (46) is logical, precise, and eternally controlled. She is a very private person who focuses solely on competence, efficiency, and success. Being highly reserved and exacting with rules, she was branded as the “ice bitch.” Kai Fisher (43), on the other hand, is genial, passionate, and in all ways charming. Being adept at human interactions, she can easily sway people and get the deals she wants, thus earning her the name “The Closer.” As a fan, I felt it was special to read Lee’s take on the rivals-to-lovers storyline. I did notice some elements that are common in her books, such as powerful women (but of course!), misjudged or misunderstood characters, and toxic families.
Let me start with the most superficial part - the cover is absolutely stunning! It’s one of the best book covers I’ve seen so far. Personally, I also enjoy it when Lee’s chapters have their own titles; her wit and her flair for words are easily reflected in them.
Hotel Queens is highly plot-driven. Lee weaved the events and intrigue so well that you would find it difficult to put the book down. The details and pieces were connected in sensible ways. The book must have entailed a lot of research on hotels and hospitality management, but of course I expected no less from an award-winning journalist. :) I also appreciate how she highlighted the plight of those who work in the service industry; their struggles are oftentimes overlooked or ignored. It’s wonderful to make people aware of these things.
I loved the characters, even though they could be frustrating at times. There were instances wherein I felt that they were just going around in circles in their arguments. But as always, Lee’s characters are three-dimensional, with strengths and weaknesses that make them real. The little bits from their histories and their relationships with others were seamlessly woven into the story. Amelia is not your typical “ice queen” who is snide or caustic; she is more like Bess (Breaking Character) who is reserved. There isn’t really much thawing, but more of needing to be honest with herself and learning how to let go of her need for control. Amelia’s deputy and Kai’s assistant were also sources of humor and light-heartedness during tense situations. To add to this, I simply adore Amelia’s relationship with Imogen.
Although I loved the plot, I did find the romance a bit lacking. It’s understandable, though, because Lee must have focused on the bigger picture, which is the acquisition of the sought-after hotel, the Mayfair Palace. Nevertheless, their banters were oozing with wit and spark. It wasn’t random flirting, but an exchange of little pieces of who they really were. And their chemistry was palpable! It was fun seeing Kai try her darnest to charm the socks off the more rigid Amelia. They are opposites and are good at different things, but they just fit; they truly met their match in each other. At first, I wasn’t as invested and heartbroken because I felt they haven’t had enough time to develop the “relationship.” Readers have to be patient because their relationship went through a lot – attraction, confusion, rejection, disappointment, anger, and so much more. There was so much push and pull between them. But hey, this is Lee! Trust her to make us happy in the end. :)
Honestly, I was a little disappointed in how some issues were wrapped up. I thought that the roles that Joe Duxton and Mr. Stein played were too significant and warranted more discussion or confrontation. I also wish there were more chapters focused on Amelia and Kai being together, cementing their relationship further. But I still loved the book greatly! I have been waiting for this since it was first announced, and it is truly worth the wait. I am convinced Lee Winter could do no wrong (much thanks to her girlfriend, I believe. :P) Overall, this is a smart, exciting, and socially relevant book you will enjoy!
Ylva Publishing blessed me with an ARC for an honest review :)
Fans of Lee Winter would be delighted to know that this book is filled with impeccable writing, intriguing schemes, heartbreaking betrayals, and so much steam!
Amelia Duxton (46) is logical, precise, and eternally controlled. She is a very private person who focuses solely on competence, efficiency, and success. Being highly reserved and exacting with rules, she was branded as the “ice bitch.” Kai Fisher (43), on the other hand, is genial, passionate, and in all ways charming. Being adept at human interactions, she can easily sway people and get the deals she wants, thus earning her the name “The Closer.” As a fan, I felt it was special to read Lee’s take on the rivals-to-lovers storyline. I did notice some elements that are common in her books, such as powerful women (but of course!), misjudged or misunderstood characters, and toxic families.
Let me start with the most superficial part - the cover is absolutely stunning! It’s one of the best book covers I’ve seen so far. Personally, I also enjoy it when Lee’s chapters have their own titles; her wit and her flair for words are easily reflected in them.
Hotel Queens is highly plot-driven. Lee weaved the events and intrigue so well that you would find it difficult to put the book down. The details and pieces were connected in sensible ways. The book must have entailed a lot of research on hotels and hospitality management, but of course I expected no less from an award-winning journalist. :) I also appreciate how she highlighted the plight of those who work in the service industry; their struggles are oftentimes overlooked or ignored. It’s wonderful to make people aware of these things.
I loved the characters, even though they could be frustrating at times. There were instances wherein I felt that they were just going around in circles in their arguments. But as always, Lee’s characters are three-dimensional, with strengths and weaknesses that make them real. The little bits from their histories and their relationships with others were seamlessly woven into the story. Amelia is not your typical “ice queen” who is snide or caustic; she is more like Bess (Breaking Character) who is reserved. There isn’t really much thawing, but more of needing to be honest with herself and learning how to let go of her need for control. Amelia’s deputy and Kai’s assistant were also sources of humor and light-heartedness during tense situations. To add to this, I simply adore Amelia’s relationship with Imogen.
Although I loved the plot, I did find the romance a bit lacking. It’s understandable, though, because Lee must have focused on the bigger picture, which is the acquisition of the sought-after hotel, the Mayfair Palace. Nevertheless, their banters were oozing with wit and spark. It wasn’t random flirting, but an exchange of little pieces of who they really were. And their chemistry was palpable! It was fun seeing Kai try her darnest to charm the socks off the more rigid Amelia. They are opposites and are good at different things, but they just fit; they truly met their match in each other. At first, I wasn’t as invested and heartbroken because I felt they haven’t had enough time to develop the “relationship.” Readers have to be patient because their relationship went through a lot – attraction, confusion, rejection, disappointment, anger, and so much more. There was so much push and pull between them. But hey, this is Lee! Trust her to make us happy in the end. :)
Honestly, I was a little disappointed in how some issues were wrapped up. I thought that the roles that Joe Duxton and Mr. Stein played were too significant and warranted more discussion or confrontation. I also wish there were more chapters focused on Amelia and Kai being together, cementing their relationship further. But I still loved the book greatly! I have been waiting for this since it was first announced, and it is truly worth the wait. I am convinced Lee Winter could do no wrong (much thanks to her girlfriend, I believe. :P) Overall, this is a smart, exciting, and socially relevant book you will enjoy!
Ylva Publishing blessed me with an ARC for an honest review :)
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December 16, 2020Hotel Queens - Lee Winter
Amelia Duxton, the CEO of the European division of Hotel Duxton, is logical, precise, orderly, completely honest to the point of being blunt, and not known at all as a ‘people person’. In fact, she’s intensely private, thanks very much, and sees no need to engage in anything other than efficiency, competency, and data. Irregularities are disturbing.
Kai Fisher, a deal-making, hotel-buying executive with Grand Millennium Hotels, is about to become a rather disturbing irregularity in Amelia’s life. Kai is chaotic, passionate, persuasive, and possesses a set of such finely-tuned social skills that she brings them into play even when a deal isn’t on the table. Reading people is her thing, because once you understand people, you get the deal.
So, what happens when the deal is the prestigious Mayfair Palace hotel? Both Amelia and Kai want the hotel for their respective chains, and yet neither has any inkling of their rivalry.
Lee Winter writes strong women. She writes about strong women who have to dodge, weave, or deliberately stomp all over societal expectations to move forward in their careers. She writes about strong women who have to blend, and pretend. Lee Winter writes queens. And in Hotel Queens, we are blessed with two; fire and ice.
Speaking as someone who has never written a queen-like character—icy or otherwise—I have absolutely no authority to discuss one at all, let alone two. But I do know this… an elemental queen should have more than one layer. She must be multi-dimensional, otherwise her element (ice/fire) is her entire person, when all it’s supposed to be is her mask.
As with all characters (and in real-life, if we’re going to get properly psychological), mask-wearing is about protection. Amelia’s mask is her barrier against family expectations, and a moat between public and private relationships. A wall. Kai’s mask is bold and persuasive and fluid, like those shimmery, oblique images that change depending on which angle you view it from. It prevents others from probing too closely for the truth.
In Hotel Queens, we are presented with two characters who are at odds. We know that they are destined to connect romantically (it says so in the blurb) but for most of the book, Amelia and Kai connect poorly or simply don’t connect at all. Yet, they seem to be a reflection of each other. Like a really pissed off yin-yang symbol, where fire and ice equals steam. But this is where Lee Winter’s assemblage of very specific plot points turns this story into a journey, rather than a states of matter science experiment.
Fiction is a wonderful medium for ripping off masks. A delicious amount of self-examination needs to occur for the character to understand their person, their space, their connection, and then to allow another person to witness it.
Amelia and Kai are top executives in their respective companies. They’re on top of things, being all executive-y, yet Lee Winter likes to take us on twisty journeys, and she forces the main characters to confront the hard truth that what protects them might ultimately hinder their ability to see the secrets that emerge.
Ah, secrets. Another element of the human psyche in fiction. Lee Winter does human psyche well. In Hotel Queens, secrets emerge, and they’re credible secrets. They make sense. The magnitude of the threads that start to unravel match the importance of the Mayfair Palace deal. It would have been a travesty if Kai and Amelia’s common goal was picked apart and blocked by an issue that could be solved in a paragraph. But the secrets that are revealed are weighty, important, lifetime dramas that impact on their decisions. It’s really good. Well-researched, meaty stuff. I loved it.
And! Along with all the other awesomeness, Lee Winter mentions, just ONCE, the theatre of Kabuki. I wanted to leap on a plane and fly to Lee’s magical author island and hug her. So, Kabuki theatre, just like a novel with a really meaty, well-researched, secret-revealing plot (see my reviewer-gushing bit above), is a Japanese performance style where what is on show is often only part of an entire story. Kabuki is about showmanship. It’s about wearing a mask to hide secrets until the secrets become too large to hide. This! Masks flying off everywhere in Hotel Queens. Not just off the characters, but off family histories, and toxic relationships, and business praxis, and…this is what Lee Winter does. She writes PLOTS.
Then, to set the entire story in Las Vegas, a city which has been an unintentional monument to Kabuki theatre since its inception, is wonderful.
There are some fabulously funny lines and moments in this novel. The lines are more Amelia’s and the moments are more Kai’s, and this matches their cerebral / exuberant physicality contrast.
Amelia’s —‘…people were less likely to create legal problems when you gave them a fair hearing before pointing out they were a waste of skin and oxygen.’
Kai’s—‘…Goddamnit! She hurled her coffee cup away. Adrenalin spiked her throw, and the cup slammed into the back of the cyclist, who’d just braked hard for a wayward pedestrian. Brown liquid spattered up his ass, legs, and bicycle. Kai blinked.’
I’ve deliberately chosen examples from the first 42 pages of the novel because they were published early on the Ylva website (the teasers!) and I don’t want to spoil any more of the book.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The secret-revealing is a drip-feed of intrigue, allowing us to process and apply the revelation to our developing understanding of the characters. Then we are given a picnic basket of information and we have to herd metaphorical kittens of revelations along with Amelia and Kai. It’s a ride.
Hotel Queens. A lot more goes on behind the front door.
Amelia Duxton, the CEO of the European division of Hotel Duxton, is logical, precise, orderly, completely honest to the point of being blunt, and not known at all as a ‘people person’. In fact, she’s intensely private, thanks very much, and sees no need to engage in anything other than efficiency, competency, and data. Irregularities are disturbing.
Kai Fisher, a deal-making, hotel-buying executive with Grand Millennium Hotels, is about to become a rather disturbing irregularity in Amelia’s life. Kai is chaotic, passionate, persuasive, and possesses a set of such finely-tuned social skills that she brings them into play even when a deal isn’t on the table. Reading people is her thing, because once you understand people, you get the deal.
So, what happens when the deal is the prestigious Mayfair Palace hotel? Both Amelia and Kai want the hotel for their respective chains, and yet neither has any inkling of their rivalry.
Lee Winter writes strong women. She writes about strong women who have to dodge, weave, or deliberately stomp all over societal expectations to move forward in their careers. She writes about strong women who have to blend, and pretend. Lee Winter writes queens. And in Hotel Queens, we are blessed with two; fire and ice.
Speaking as someone who has never written a queen-like character—icy or otherwise—I have absolutely no authority to discuss one at all, let alone two. But I do know this… an elemental queen should have more than one layer. She must be multi-dimensional, otherwise her element (ice/fire) is her entire person, when all it’s supposed to be is her mask.
As with all characters (and in real-life, if we’re going to get properly psychological), mask-wearing is about protection. Amelia’s mask is her barrier against family expectations, and a moat between public and private relationships. A wall. Kai’s mask is bold and persuasive and fluid, like those shimmery, oblique images that change depending on which angle you view it from. It prevents others from probing too closely for the truth.
In Hotel Queens, we are presented with two characters who are at odds. We know that they are destined to connect romantically (it says so in the blurb) but for most of the book, Amelia and Kai connect poorly or simply don’t connect at all. Yet, they seem to be a reflection of each other. Like a really pissed off yin-yang symbol, where fire and ice equals steam. But this is where Lee Winter’s assemblage of very specific plot points turns this story into a journey, rather than a states of matter science experiment.
Fiction is a wonderful medium for ripping off masks. A delicious amount of self-examination needs to occur for the character to understand their person, their space, their connection, and then to allow another person to witness it.
Amelia and Kai are top executives in their respective companies. They’re on top of things, being all executive-y, yet Lee Winter likes to take us on twisty journeys, and she forces the main characters to confront the hard truth that what protects them might ultimately hinder their ability to see the secrets that emerge.
Ah, secrets. Another element of the human psyche in fiction. Lee Winter does human psyche well. In Hotel Queens, secrets emerge, and they’re credible secrets. They make sense. The magnitude of the threads that start to unravel match the importance of the Mayfair Palace deal. It would have been a travesty if Kai and Amelia’s common goal was picked apart and blocked by an issue that could be solved in a paragraph. But the secrets that are revealed are weighty, important, lifetime dramas that impact on their decisions. It’s really good. Well-researched, meaty stuff. I loved it.
And! Along with all the other awesomeness, Lee Winter mentions, just ONCE, the theatre of Kabuki. I wanted to leap on a plane and fly to Lee’s magical author island and hug her. So, Kabuki theatre, just like a novel with a really meaty, well-researched, secret-revealing plot (see my reviewer-gushing bit above), is a Japanese performance style where what is on show is often only part of an entire story. Kabuki is about showmanship. It’s about wearing a mask to hide secrets until the secrets become too large to hide. This! Masks flying off everywhere in Hotel Queens. Not just off the characters, but off family histories, and toxic relationships, and business praxis, and…this is what Lee Winter does. She writes PLOTS.
Then, to set the entire story in Las Vegas, a city which has been an unintentional monument to Kabuki theatre since its inception, is wonderful.
There are some fabulously funny lines and moments in this novel. The lines are more Amelia’s and the moments are more Kai’s, and this matches their cerebral / exuberant physicality contrast.
Amelia’s —‘…people were less likely to create legal problems when you gave them a fair hearing before pointing out they were a waste of skin and oxygen.’
Kai’s—‘…Goddamnit! She hurled her coffee cup away. Adrenalin spiked her throw, and the cup slammed into the back of the cyclist, who’d just braked hard for a wayward pedestrian. Brown liquid spattered up his ass, legs, and bicycle. Kai blinked.’
I’ve deliberately chosen examples from the first 42 pages of the novel because they were published early on the Ylva website (the teasers!) and I don’t want to spoil any more of the book.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The secret-revealing is a drip-feed of intrigue, allowing us to process and apply the revelation to our developing understanding of the characters. Then we are given a picnic basket of information and we have to herd metaphorical kittens of revelations along with Amelia and Kai. It’s a ride.
Hotel Queens. A lot more goes on behind the front door.
September 9, 2021
27/12/2020: It’s 6:40AM and I’ve been reading all night and my cheeks hurt from smiling. Lee Winter is phenomenal!! All her books are just wow. So beautiful. The story was super interesting, Kai and Amelia have a lot of chemistry, not to mention the FLIRTING!! Those pickup lines had me laughing so hard 😂 Bless Kai lmfao I also loved Milly and Quinn. Such a nice cute surprise. This book was everything I needed right now. Something fluffy and hot and heartwarming and amazing. Thank you, Lee Winter, for this work of art! Simply beautiful. 100% recommend.
08/09/2021 (reread): Just listened to the audiobook version and it was perfect! The narrator was excellent and the story just as amazing and captivating as I recalled 💛
08/09/2021 (reread): Just listened to the audiobook version and it was perfect! The narrator was excellent and the story just as amazing and captivating as I recalled 💛
February 5, 2021
You can't go wrong with Lee Winter. She is honestly in a league of her own as far as lesbian fiction goes.
Having said that, this was not my favorite of hers. It was solid. There was a really awesome scene where the two mc's meet. The dialogue and banter was some of the best I've read. And I liked the undercover aspect to the story. That provided some fun moments.
But the overall story just didn't pull me in like I would have liked for some reason. I'm not entirely sure what it was. But everyone else loved it, so I'm sure it is just me. Maybe I was in a weird mood reading it.
Having said that, this was not my favorite of hers. It was solid. There was a really awesome scene where the two mc's meet. The dialogue and banter was some of the best I've read. And I liked the undercover aspect to the story. That provided some fun moments.
But the overall story just didn't pull me in like I would have liked for some reason. I'm not entirely sure what it was. But everyone else loved it, so I'm sure it is just me. Maybe I was in a weird mood reading it.
January 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Very much. What's not to love? Fascinating main characters, charming supporting characters, witty dialogues, intrigue, villains, great plot...
Lee Winter confirms once again she's one of the most important lesbian fiction writers.
Lee Winter confirms once again she's one of the most important lesbian fiction writers.
November 26, 2020
Fan of Lee? Love her Ice queens and their inevitable slow melting? Can't get enough of the witty banter between cocky assholes and sexy smug 'i hate everything cocky' heroines? What about a good dose of intrigue mixed in? Look no more.. This is your book.
March 25, 2021
Audiobook: Angela Dawe was simply outstanding!
I’m not a big fan of ice queens but I loved this one. Winter did a phenomenal job at...humanizing? the ice Queen and I totally got behind the character instead of being annoyed by it-which is usually what happens to me in this situation. If the character is not likable, why would I ever want to see it succeed and fall in love? So yeah, this one is a rivals, ice Queen and corporate war book. Loved the characters and the resolution. Winter seems to always deliver for everyone, but this one was a winner for me as well. Easy 5 stars.
I’m not a big fan of ice queens but I loved this one. Winter did a phenomenal job at...humanizing? the ice Queen and I totally got behind the character instead of being annoyed by it-which is usually what happens to me in this situation. If the character is not likable, why would I ever want to see it succeed and fall in love? So yeah, this one is a rivals, ice Queen and corporate war book. Loved the characters and the resolution. Winter seems to always deliver for everyone, but this one was a winner for me as well. Easy 5 stars.
March 28, 2021
I am such a bad WLW reader/ reviewer. This year I’ve read my first E.J. Noyes book and this was my first by Lee Winter. What have I been doing all this time?
So much has already been said about Hotel Queens and I agree. It’s a marvellous book and Lee Winter writes the best ice queen. Amelia and Kai are both great characters and they compliment each other rather well. The story is entertaining and the romance hot or should I say steamy? I like that Winters shows different sides to her characters and let’s them make mistakes, but not the eye rolling drama things that you see so often in WLW.
The dealings of the hotel world and the different approaches both mains have to that is fun to read as well. A straight shooter, no nonsense type of person vs the charmer. It raises the question do you really catch more flies with honey? Not if the fly is as smart as Amelia.
All in all I loved it a lot, I wanted to finish it in one sitting because it is just so captivating, but my eyes and my brain told me I wanted to sleep for a couple of hours as well.
I am getting my act together and I will start reading the author’s back catalogue. I can’t wait!
So much has already been said about Hotel Queens and I agree. It’s a marvellous book and Lee Winter writes the best ice queen. Amelia and Kai are both great characters and they compliment each other rather well. The story is entertaining and the romance hot or should I say steamy? I like that Winters shows different sides to her characters and let’s them make mistakes, but not the eye rolling drama things that you see so often in WLW.
The dealings of the hotel world and the different approaches both mains have to that is fun to read as well. A straight shooter, no nonsense type of person vs the charmer. It raises the question do you really catch more flies with honey? Not if the fly is as smart as Amelia.
All in all I loved it a lot, I wanted to finish it in one sitting because it is just so captivating, but my eyes and my brain told me I wanted to sleep for a couple of hours as well.
I am getting my act together and I will start reading the author’s back catalogue. I can’t wait!
April 25, 2021
"Hotel Queens" is one of the best rom-coms I've read in lesfic. Not only does it have all around fantastic dialogue that is so well-written it had me smiling ear to ear and sighing in relief for the entire read but it also gets the distinction of having some of the best flirting between two characters that I've ever read. Lee Winter was really on her game in this book and I was in awe, especially for the first bar scene.
Two very opposite women but both with type A personalities vying for the same career opportunity...It set up some excellent tension and suspense. I will say that the book did start feeling long (because so much is packed into it) but Lee Winter wrote the storyline in a completely unpredictable way so I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled to go on the journey. Amelia an Kai are both lovely and amusing characters that have a very sizzling but slow burn romance and the supporting cast was great, too.
Though I usually enjoy this author's works, I admit she has two very big misses with me and I was worried about this one as I picked it up. I'm so glad to say this was a complete breath of fresh air and an absolutely fun read. Recommend.
4.75 stars
Two very opposite women but both with type A personalities vying for the same career opportunity...It set up some excellent tension and suspense. I will say that the book did start feeling long (because so much is packed into it) but Lee Winter wrote the storyline in a completely unpredictable way so I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled to go on the journey. Amelia an Kai are both lovely and amusing characters that have a very sizzling but slow burn romance and the supporting cast was great, too.
Though I usually enjoy this author's works, I admit she has two very big misses with me and I was worried about this one as I picked it up. I'm so glad to say this was a complete breath of fresh air and an absolutely fun read. Recommend.
4.75 stars
November 29, 2020
Lee Winter is completely in her element when she writes corporate ice queens. It's like she was born to do it. To make the corporate aspect work you must have extremely intelligent characters who leave no doubt they are capable of being successful in their respective professions. Winter can do that like she breathes. She did it with The Brutal Truth and here she absolutely nails it again. And refreshingly, it's not a retread of that equally terrific book. Not even close.
High powered hotel executives Amelia Duxton and Kai Fisher are vying to buy the magnificent Mayfair Palace Hotel - and by chance happen to meet in a Las Vegas hotel bar, completely unaware of who the other is. For me, this first meeting was the most thrilling part of the book. The writing is just brilliant - very cat and mouse, playful and sexy as hell - cranking the anticipation factor all the way up to high. The story then takes us on a surprising and interesting ride while we learn exactly who these women are, who will ultimately succeed and what it will cost them to get there.
The story is relatively complex at times - enough to keep you on your toes but not enough to lose you either. And because Winter is also socially conscious, she also highlights inequities in the hotel industry which give the reader food for thought without stuffing it down our throats.
When Winter is in her zone, there are few more satisfying reads. This is in the top three of her books along with Truth and Requiem for Immortals. I absolutely cannot wait to hear Angela Dawe narrate it!
High powered hotel executives Amelia Duxton and Kai Fisher are vying to buy the magnificent Mayfair Palace Hotel - and by chance happen to meet in a Las Vegas hotel bar, completely unaware of who the other is. For me, this first meeting was the most thrilling part of the book. The writing is just brilliant - very cat and mouse, playful and sexy as hell - cranking the anticipation factor all the way up to high. The story then takes us on a surprising and interesting ride while we learn exactly who these women are, who will ultimately succeed and what it will cost them to get there.
The story is relatively complex at times - enough to keep you on your toes but not enough to lose you either. And because Winter is also socially conscious, she also highlights inequities in the hotel industry which give the reader food for thought without stuffing it down our throats.
When Winter is in her zone, there are few more satisfying reads. This is in the top three of her books along with Truth and Requiem for Immortals. I absolutely cannot wait to hear Angela Dawe narrate it!
June 30, 2021
This was simply fantastic, but I should have expected that from Winter. She's very good with powerful women and this book features two front and center. Further, they're in more-or-less equal footing in their power dynamic, each at the top of the capability curve and setup in opposition by circumstances. Which creates a great challenge, and I'm so glad Winter was up to it.
I particularly appreciated how Lia and Kai were such great complements to each other—each excelling in a different kind of intelligence. So Kai gets people and what makes them tick. She has built a career on making sure people get what they need so that she gets what she wants. Winter makes this feel very present as we see Kai thrashing about with the unexpectedly difficult Lia. Pulling this off without undermining Kai's skill had to have been challenging, but there's no hint of strain in the story.
I particularly liked how well Lia was portrayed. She's Kai's opposite. Numbers and reports are her jam, while people confound her. That's easy to take to stereotype land and nearly impossible it imbue with believable humanity. Only Winters made it look easy.
It was a real treat being along with these two powerful women getting to know, and trust, one another. And don't even get me started on their respective assistants. Oh wait. Now I think on it, a lot of that tricky characterization was enabled through the assistants who were more than they appeared. I think I got distracted by their sideband friendship and quirky (in different ways) humor, so didn't notice how well they highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of their bosses.
Anyway, I can tell that I'm barely coherent in this review. I loved the story. I was engaged early and just sank into their world for the duration. Such a treat.
A note about Steamy: There's a single, fairly long, explicit sex scene, putting his on the low end of my steam tolerance. My favorite part of both the steam and the sexy banter is how Winter wove their relationship into a fascinating power dynamic where they passed control back and forth organically as an enhancement to their intimacy. That worked on every level, I think.
I particularly appreciated how Lia and Kai were such great complements to each other—each excelling in a different kind of intelligence. So Kai gets people and what makes them tick. She has built a career on making sure people get what they need so that she gets what she wants. Winter makes this feel very present as we see Kai thrashing about with the unexpectedly difficult Lia. Pulling this off without undermining Kai's skill had to have been challenging, but there's no hint of strain in the story.
I particularly liked how well Lia was portrayed. She's Kai's opposite. Numbers and reports are her jam, while people confound her. That's easy to take to stereotype land and nearly impossible it imbue with believable humanity. Only Winters made it look easy.
It was a real treat being along with these two powerful women getting to know, and trust, one another. And don't even get me started on their respective assistants. Oh wait. Now I think on it, a lot of that tricky characterization was enabled through the assistants who were more than they appeared. I think I got distracted by their sideband friendship and quirky (in different ways) humor, so didn't notice how well they highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of their bosses.
Anyway, I can tell that I'm barely coherent in this review. I loved the story. I was engaged early and just sank into their world for the duration. Such a treat.
A note about Steamy: There's a single, fairly long, explicit sex scene, putting his on the low end of my steam tolerance. My favorite part of both the steam and the sexy banter is how Winter wove their relationship into a fascinating power dynamic where they passed control back and forth organically as an enhancement to their intimacy. That worked on every level, I think.
December 10, 2021
Audiobook: Wow, even though I read this a year ago, I enjoyed it even more with Ms. Dawe's narration. I got way more depth from the characters, and absolutely loved the dynamic between the two MCs. These are two very strong, assertive, kick-ass women, and the story had such a good pace to it! I loved the back-stabbing, shitty families, secondary characters, the business-speak (which was just the right amount so my eyes didn't glaze over), and can we just talk about the two right hand women, Millie and Quinn? Please Ms. Winter, say there will be a short story coming with these two involved.
I'm bumping this to a 5 star, yo.
---------------------------------
Another excellent read by Ms. Winter, I am not surprised! I was very much looking forward to this one and she did not disappoint. MC Amelia and MC Kai were such a chemistry-laden pair, they played off each other's weaknesses and strengths. They had such dislike for one another from first meet, but underneath was a mutual fascination that could be seen from space. This one had me riveted.
4.25/5.
I'm bumping this to a 5 star, yo.
---------------------------------
Another excellent read by Ms. Winter, I am not surprised! I was very much looking forward to this one and she did not disappoint. MC Amelia and MC Kai were such a chemistry-laden pair, they played off each other's weaknesses and strengths. They had such dislike for one another from first meet, but underneath was a mutual fascination that could be seen from space. This one had me riveted.
4.25/5.
November 28, 2020
Lee Winter writes to seduce!
Lee Winter's newest ice queen is finally revealed and this time, the ice queen has met her match.
Lia and Kai are at the top of their game, rival executives vying for the coveted hotel deal. But a night at the bar together leads them to explore something quite unimaginable - that is to be attracted to and ultimately fall in love with someone so unattainable and so different and yet so right.
If anyone can pull off putting two alpha females together, its Lee Winter. Lia and Kai are the same but completely different people. And it's hypnotic to watch the ice queen and fire queen banter, fight off the attraction and then surrender completely to each other.
To put it simply, this book is captivating. Because this author doesn't write banters and love scenes to seduce the characters. She writes them to seduce the readers and I loved every bit of it.
Lee Winter's newest ice queen is finally revealed and this time, the ice queen has met her match.
Lia and Kai are at the top of their game, rival executives vying for the coveted hotel deal. But a night at the bar together leads them to explore something quite unimaginable - that is to be attracted to and ultimately fall in love with someone so unattainable and so different and yet so right.
If anyone can pull off putting two alpha females together, its Lee Winter. Lia and Kai are the same but completely different people. And it's hypnotic to watch the ice queen and fire queen banter, fight off the attraction and then surrender completely to each other.
To put it simply, this book is captivating. Because this author doesn't write banters and love scenes to seduce the characters. She writes them to seduce the readers and I loved every bit of it.
December 10, 2020
Content warnings: blackmailing, homophobia/homomisia, misogyny, abuse, manipulation, mention of drugs
This is my second Winter’s book and I am so thrilled to continue with my recent streak of wonderful reads.
VP of the Europe division of Hotel Duxton International Amelia Duxton (46, lesbian) has been sent stateside to deliver a speech at a conference in place of her brother Oliver, VP of Duxton USA. At the conference at Duxton Vegas, VP of Grand Millennium Hotels Kai Fisher (43), The Closer, arrives from New York in an attempt to negotiate a deal on Mayfair Palace, which the Duxtons are also after. Both VPs are in Vegas for work-related projects; neither expects to find the other, one fire, one ice, in steamy encounters.
Having a balanced storyline of both romance and intrigue is not easy, yet Hotel Queens delivers it all. In a broader scope, it is an intense story of business politics with an enemies-to-lovers relationship development between Amelia and Kai.
The attraction between the mains is somewhat insta-lust, but their chemistry is so palpable since their first scene together I was rooting for them hard. I love their banters and conversations as well as the attempted denials of their own feelings. All their vulnerabilities and uncertainties left me breathless, and I was worried if either woman would make horrible decisions for the sake of creating conflicts, but I was happily relieved to find everything perfectly logical and completely in-character.
There were absolutely no dull times, and in each chapter, we are met with new things, new information, and new developments. I read the whole book in one huge sitting and by the end it felt like I had been running for hours—energized and unable to stop. The plot was carefully orchestrated and calculated, each character indispensable pieces in this rapt game of chess. While business politics calls for truly devious and screwed-up characters, there are many lovely secondary ones, too, including Amelia’s adorable second-in-command Quinn Hartman (36, gay, Black), Kai’s godsend of a personal assistant Milly Valentine (late-20s), who is definitely too pure for the world, and CEO-sex-fantasy business owner Monique Carson.
Even though many dreadful things happened throughout the book, there were a lot of fun occasions and playful dialogues that had me laughing. I love Amelia’s no nonsense attitude and being completely straightforward and upfront, her whizzy math skills and righteousness of standing up for what she knows. I love Kai’s perceptiveness and warmth, how she both consciously and unconsciously play into people’s desires and being caring of people. Both ice and fire queens are career women in their forties with strong personalities and personal beliefs. There is also a very sweet secondary romance that I am glad to see.
Hotel Queens has an amazing mix of romance and intrigue with a fully fleshed-out supporting cast. The book not only closes on a happy note of the relationship between Amelia and Kai but also comes as full a circle in terms of all other matters. It would certainly make a great TV series as well.
I received an e-ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This is my second Winter’s book and I am so thrilled to continue with my recent streak of wonderful reads.
VP of the Europe division of Hotel Duxton International Amelia Duxton (46, lesbian) has been sent stateside to deliver a speech at a conference in place of her brother Oliver, VP of Duxton USA. At the conference at Duxton Vegas, VP of Grand Millennium Hotels Kai Fisher (43), The Closer, arrives from New York in an attempt to negotiate a deal on Mayfair Palace, which the Duxtons are also after. Both VPs are in Vegas for work-related projects; neither expects to find the other, one fire, one ice, in steamy encounters.
Having a balanced storyline of both romance and intrigue is not easy, yet Hotel Queens delivers it all. In a broader scope, it is an intense story of business politics with an enemies-to-lovers relationship development between Amelia and Kai.
The attraction between the mains is somewhat insta-lust, but their chemistry is so palpable since their first scene together I was rooting for them hard. I love their banters and conversations as well as the attempted denials of their own feelings. All their vulnerabilities and uncertainties left me breathless, and I was worried if either woman would make horrible decisions for the sake of creating conflicts, but I was happily relieved to find everything perfectly logical and completely in-character.
There were absolutely no dull times, and in each chapter, we are met with new things, new information, and new developments. I read the whole book in one huge sitting and by the end it felt like I had been running for hours—energized and unable to stop. The plot was carefully orchestrated and calculated, each character indispensable pieces in this rapt game of chess. While business politics calls for truly devious and screwed-up characters, there are many lovely secondary ones, too, including Amelia’s adorable second-in-command Quinn Hartman (36, gay, Black), Kai’s godsend of a personal assistant Milly Valentine (late-20s), who is definitely too pure for the world, and CEO-sex-fantasy business owner Monique Carson.
Even though many dreadful things happened throughout the book, there were a lot of fun occasions and playful dialogues that had me laughing. I love Amelia’s no nonsense attitude and being completely straightforward and upfront, her whizzy math skills and righteousness of standing up for what she knows. I love Kai’s perceptiveness and warmth, how she both consciously and unconsciously play into people’s desires and being caring of people. Both ice and fire queens are career women in their forties with strong personalities and personal beliefs. There is also a very sweet secondary romance that I am glad to see.
Hotel Queens has an amazing mix of romance and intrigue with a fully fleshed-out supporting cast. The book not only closes on a happy note of the relationship between Amelia and Kai but also comes as full a circle in terms of all other matters. It would certainly make a great TV series as well.
I received an e-ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2024
I. Absolutely. Adored. This.
And when I say I adored it, what I mean is I LOVED it. And by LOVED it, I mean I *ACHED* for more of the story and Amelia and Kai. As engaging a couple as I’ve read this year, along with Roslyn Sinclair’s Jules & Vivian, which puts Lee Winter into the same uber alles category of lesfic writers, for me.
Opposites attract, ice queen, forced proximity, enemies to lovers (even if they don’t know that right off) tropes are all on full and glittering display here. And the plot through which the romance is interlaced is super too. I’ve worked in hospitality, and so I bonded with the setting, set-up, and environment in Hotel Queens, and so that’s why I’ll say that this is pretty much as good as it gets in lesbian romance.
I had the very great pleasure of listening to this on audio. Angela Dawes’ performance is simply flawless. Lady Abby Craden herself could do no better than Ms. Dawes does, who fully brings the characters and story to sparkling life. I’ll certainly be listening to more stories on the strength of Angela Dawes narrating.
And when I say I adored it, what I mean is I LOVED it. And by LOVED it, I mean I *ACHED* for more of the story and Amelia and Kai. As engaging a couple as I’ve read this year, along with Roslyn Sinclair’s Jules & Vivian, which puts Lee Winter into the same uber alles category of lesfic writers, for me.
Opposites attract, ice queen, forced proximity, enemies to lovers (even if they don’t know that right off) tropes are all on full and glittering display here. And the plot through which the romance is interlaced is super too. I’ve worked in hospitality, and so I bonded with the setting, set-up, and environment in Hotel Queens, and so that’s why I’ll say that this is pretty much as good as it gets in lesbian romance.
I had the very great pleasure of listening to this on audio. Angela Dawes’ performance is simply flawless. Lady Abby Craden herself could do no better than Ms. Dawes does, who fully brings the characters and story to sparkling life. I’ll certainly be listening to more stories on the strength of Angela Dawes narrating.
May 9, 2021
This truly is an enjoyable read. I love the 2 main characters, Kai and Amelia. I love the secondary characters, Quinn and Milly. There's chemistry and fantastic dialogue mixed with an interesting story line. It's great to see how the relationship between Kai and Amelia evolve from enemies to lovers. Just when I thought I knew how the story will end, the plot took some unexpected twists and turns, which was delightful.
November 6, 2024
4.5
As you’d expect from Lee Winter, this was an excellent read! Kai and Amelia are brilliantly portrayed as strong, intelligent women, each carrying a hidden softness that only the other can draw out. The corporate espionage plot is cleverly written, keeping you on your toes and eager to see what unfolds next. For the most part, the story flows smoothly, with a gradual shift from tension to a powerful, heartwarming relationship, culminating in a wonderfully sweet HEA.
If I had one critique, it’s the jump from animosity to romance. In the first half, they’re very much at odds, and then—bam—they’re suddenly together within the span of a chapter. A bit more buildup to that moment would have made the transition even more satisfying.
But overall, this book delivers all the best elements of a classic Winter story: depth, suspense, and romance!
As you’d expect from Lee Winter, this was an excellent read! Kai and Amelia are brilliantly portrayed as strong, intelligent women, each carrying a hidden softness that only the other can draw out. The corporate espionage plot is cleverly written, keeping you on your toes and eager to see what unfolds next. For the most part, the story flows smoothly, with a gradual shift from tension to a powerful, heartwarming relationship, culminating in a wonderfully sweet HEA.
If I had one critique, it’s the jump from animosity to romance. In the first half, they’re very much at odds, and then—bam—they’re suddenly together within the span of a chapter. A bit more buildup to that moment would have made the transition even more satisfying.
But overall, this book delivers all the best elements of a classic Winter story: depth, suspense, and romance!
December 30, 2020
“Two rivals, one dream deal, so many secrets”.
Two things immediately come to mind when I think of Lee Winter - writing excellence and ice queens - and her latest novel Hotel Queens has it in spades!
It starts with a bang when our main characters meet at a bar in Vegas. They flirt, make a connection and spend one passionate night together. Little do they know their paths will cross again in a most unexpected way.
Amelia Duxton, vice president of Hotel Duxton International – Europe, wants to acquire the highly coveted Mayfair Palace to help her secure the job as CEO of the family’s hotel empire. Kaida (Kai) Fisher aka ‘The Closer’ is going to use her super powers to steal the deal right from under the noses of the family she hates the most, the Duxtons. When Kai finds out who Amelia really is we have the real start of our enemies to lovers adventure. Winter makes sure to give us a fast-paced multi-layered plot with brilliant characters and plenty of corporate intrigue. I was glued to the pages from beginning to end and couldn’t put it down.
When order meets chaos it’s quite a ride and I loved Amelia and Kai. They might hate each other’s guts but their attraction was crazy off the scale. Here Winter shows her specialty by melting ice queen Amanda and mellowing fiery Kai in a believable manner. Only a smart writer can make this work!
I’ve been on a bit of a Lee Winter audio book spree these last months and I can’t wait to find out what narrator Angela Dawe will do with this marvelous material.
f/f and they bring plenty of heat
Themes: Las Vegas, fire queen meets ice queen, hotel executives, little dragon, Scorched Earth, what’s up with Hamadani, Kaida’s unconditional loyalty to Mr. Stein, Quinn and Kai have an adventure of their own, I love hotel guest Monique Carson! Talk about a dark horse.
I love the cover design for this book.
5 Stars
* A free copy was provided by Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Two things immediately come to mind when I think of Lee Winter - writing excellence and ice queens - and her latest novel Hotel Queens has it in spades!
It starts with a bang when our main characters meet at a bar in Vegas. They flirt, make a connection and spend one passionate night together. Little do they know their paths will cross again in a most unexpected way.
Amelia Duxton, vice president of Hotel Duxton International – Europe, wants to acquire the highly coveted Mayfair Palace to help her secure the job as CEO of the family’s hotel empire. Kaida (Kai) Fisher aka ‘The Closer’ is going to use her super powers to steal the deal right from under the noses of the family she hates the most, the Duxtons. When Kai finds out who Amelia really is we have the real start of our enemies to lovers adventure. Winter makes sure to give us a fast-paced multi-layered plot with brilliant characters and plenty of corporate intrigue. I was glued to the pages from beginning to end and couldn’t put it down.
When order meets chaos it’s quite a ride and I loved Amelia and Kai. They might hate each other’s guts but their attraction was crazy off the scale. Here Winter shows her specialty by melting ice queen Amanda and mellowing fiery Kai in a believable manner. Only a smart writer can make this work!
I’ve been on a bit of a Lee Winter audio book spree these last months and I can’t wait to find out what narrator Angela Dawe will do with this marvelous material.
f/f and they bring plenty of heat
Themes: Las Vegas, fire queen meets ice queen, hotel executives, little dragon, Scorched Earth, what’s up with Hamadani, Kaida’s unconditional loyalty to Mr. Stein, Quinn and Kai have an adventure of their own, I love hotel guest Monique Carson! Talk about a dark horse.
I love the cover design for this book.
5 Stars
* A free copy was provided by Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
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