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West of Nowhere
It was a great dream—while it lasted. At twenty-five, Amber Halliday had thought life on the road with the band was her ultimate fantasy come true. In the blink of an eye she finds herself abandoned at a truck stop in Kentucky. No money, no family and nowhere to go.
Even though her common sense tells her to drive on by, Navy veteran Joy Shepard simply can’t ignore a woman in distress. With more than half of a cross-country trip ahead of her, she does have space and a temporary job caring for Joy’s wheelchair-bound father.
Though Amber is grateful for Joy’s help, she’s immediately challenged by Joy’s excessive tidiness and stringent rules. Her father is even worse! For her part, Joy can’t believe anyone is so slovenly, so undisciplined, so…frustrating! Every mile increases the chances that their lives—and their hearts—will end up right where they met: nowhere.
Lambda Literary Award Winner - KG MacGregor
Even though her common sense tells her to drive on by, Navy veteran Joy Shepard simply can’t ignore a woman in distress. With more than half of a cross-country trip ahead of her, she does have space and a temporary job caring for Joy’s wheelchair-bound father.
Though Amber is grateful for Joy’s help, she’s immediately challenged by Joy’s excessive tidiness and stringent rules. Her father is even worse! For her part, Joy can’t believe anyone is so slovenly, so undisciplined, so…frustrating! Every mile increases the chances that their lives—and their hearts—will end up right where they met: nowhere.
Lambda Literary Award Winner - KG MacGregor
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
K.G. MacGregor
39 books332 followersA former teacher and market research consultant, KG MacGregor holds a PhD in journalism and mass communication. Infatuation with Xena: Warrior Princess fanfiction prompted her to try her own hand at storytelling in 2002. In 2005, she signed with Bella Books, which published the Goldie Award finalist Just This Once. Her sixth Bella novel, Out of Love, won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Women's Romance, and the 2008 Goldie Award in Lesbian Romance. In 2009, she picked up Goldies for Without Warning (Contemporary Romance) and Secrets So Deep (Romantic Suspense).
Other honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Academy of Bards, the Alice B. Readers Appreciation Medal, and several Readers Choice Awards. An avid supporter of queer literature, KG currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lambda Literary Foundation.
KG MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. When she isn't writing, she's either on a hiking trail, a golf course, or if she's really lucky, a cruise ship.
Other honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Academy of Bards, the Alice B. Readers Appreciation Medal, and several Readers Choice Awards. An avid supporter of queer literature, KG currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lambda Literary Foundation.
KG MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. When she isn't writing, she's either on a hiking trail, a golf course, or if she's really lucky, a cruise ship.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 13, 2019
Ooooh! Close to being a Really!??! Novel - but you just have to buy the story line and go with it. All a little too pat and a little too much forced angst - and finished with no real sense of achievement or excitement.
May 1, 2015
Well thought idea, little unbelievable but certainly not impossible. Though its a graceful storyline, has likeable characters often it feels boring with excessively dragged clichés.
3.5/5
3.5/5
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March 9, 2023Loved the Navy aspect. Made me wonder what my life would have been like if I'd followed through on joining.
December 23, 2013
It's an okay read. Well written and well edited. Well delineated lead and side characters. But...
I really enjoy romances where the leading ladies are on opposite ends of the personality spectrum / social status / work standing and then get to work their way towards each other. So I started this book with high expectations. It's probably just me, but I find the lead characters not very sympathetic or even likable, despite the fact that they remind me of the polar-opposite leading ladies in Crystal's Heart by B.L. Miller and Verda Foster, one of my all-time favorite reads.
Its been a few months since I last read West of Nowhere, but I remembered feeling that, from their actions, the two ladies don't love each other as much as they love themselves. I realize the author was probably trying for realism, but I am a hopeless romantic. 8-)
3.5 stars
I really enjoy romances where the leading ladies are on opposite ends of the personality spectrum / social status / work standing and then get to work their way towards each other. So I started this book with high expectations. It's probably just me, but I find the lead characters not very sympathetic or even likable, despite the fact that they remind me of the polar-opposite leading ladies in Crystal's Heart by B.L. Miller and Verda Foster, one of my all-time favorite reads.
Its been a few months since I last read West of Nowhere, but I remembered feeling that, from their actions, the two ladies don't love each other as much as they love themselves. I realize the author was probably trying for realism, but I am a hopeless romantic. 8-)
3.5 stars
October 16, 2016
Again too much cliché. What really gets to me is that a lot of the stereotypical lesbian fantasies are so much like the ones man have. There is little softness and lingering, mostly it's directly to the one spot. Terrible!
I do know that there are a lot of women out there who don't fit the stereotype. I wish a lot more of them would start writing. ;-)
I even managed to read the book till the end. As a study of the lesbian stereotype and hoping that my opinion would be changed. In the end its all about being responsible in life and taking care of oneself and others. A good thought which is fitting for everybody on this planet.
However, in this book it was - how fitting - the army and a strong ex-army role model girlfriend that lead to that conclusion. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being responsible and confident. However I do believe that one very strong feminine trait (which can be found in both men and women) is to be soft, to feel, to listen, to nurture, to admit that we are not perfect and to strive for a higher aim than plain success. This description is very close-minded and I hope you do understand the exaggeration in order to make a point.
I find it frustrating that so much lesbian fiction "worships" virtues that are plainly masculine in the worst sense. And yes, I believe that every trait with the label "masculine" or "feminine" can be found in each one of us. However when those virtues becomes a role we play with no bond with the heart it is advisable to look into one's psyche to find why we need to fit the role.
Personally I really don't like writing this kind of review. I apologize to anyone that I have offended!!!
I really need to conquer my usual inhibitions in order to criticise in this way. We have gone a long way since the 1970. Being a lesbian is not a big thing any more. Why do we have to copy the straight role models for our same sex lives? Why can't there be more diversity within the community?
I do know that there are a lot of women out there who don't fit the stereotype. I wish a lot more of them would start writing. ;-)
I even managed to read the book till the end. As a study of the lesbian stereotype and hoping that my opinion would be changed. In the end its all about being responsible in life and taking care of oneself and others. A good thought which is fitting for everybody on this planet.
However, in this book it was - how fitting - the army and a strong ex-army role model girlfriend that lead to that conclusion. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being responsible and confident. However I do believe that one very strong feminine trait (which can be found in both men and women) is to be soft, to feel, to listen, to nurture, to admit that we are not perfect and to strive for a higher aim than plain success. This description is very close-minded and I hope you do understand the exaggeration in order to make a point.
I find it frustrating that so much lesbian fiction "worships" virtues that are plainly masculine in the worst sense. And yes, I believe that every trait with the label "masculine" or "feminine" can be found in each one of us. However when those virtues becomes a role we play with no bond with the heart it is advisable to look into one's psyche to find why we need to fit the role.
Personally I really don't like writing this kind of review. I apologize to anyone that I have offended!!!
I really need to conquer my usual inhibitions in order to criticise in this way. We have gone a long way since the 1970. Being a lesbian is not a big thing any more. Why do we have to copy the straight role models for our same sex lives? Why can't there be more diversity within the community?
November 19, 2013
I really enjoy KG MacGregor's work and this was no exception. Even though it has many of the hallmarks of lesbian tropes I hate, I liked the way the two main characters came together. I enjoyed that the kid wasn't a perfect saint. I bought the ridiculous notion that got them to occupy the same space. I even didn't mind that Amber identified as straight at the beginning (though I generally hate that stuff, she wasn't a self-loathing closet case who had her mind blown open by a lesbian, which made it okay somehow -- a testament to the writing). My biggest complaint and what kept me from giving it 4 stars was the extreme biphobia. Even though at one point, Joy does say that she doesn't think that Amber is gay or even bi, just an opportunist (which is the only time bisexuality is even given as an option), the constant ragging on about the ex and her "ambivalence" or Joy's statement that she needed someone who was "sure" she was gay, were pretty offensive. The idea that one couldn't have a long and satisfying relationship with a bi person or that someone previously involved with men would inevitably leave for a man again was really biphobic and bothered me. It took me out of the story -- the only real saving grace for me was that Amber made a statement about not really caring about labels and Joy's reluctance was more about her ex than anything else. Interestingly the straight panic disappeared pretty soon after they got together, which allowed me to actually enjoy the story. A good read if you can get past the it.
January 28, 2014
It was nice of the author to dedicate this book to women in the service, but the effect of that sentiment was lessened because many of the facts about the Navy in the book were incorrect.
Given that the author has a PhD in journalism it is surprising that she did not check her references before sending the manuscript to the publisher.
This was an average read, as lesbian fiction goes, but I was distracted from the story many times by the errors throughout with regard to Navy terms and traditions.
Given that the author has a PhD in journalism it is surprising that she did not check her references before sending the manuscript to the publisher.
This was an average read, as lesbian fiction goes, but I was distracted from the story many times by the errors throughout with regard to Navy terms and traditions.
July 11, 2017
I was really impressed with the realism of this book. It's not a cookie cutter lesfic romance. The plot is steady and the characters aren't overly perfect; they have flaws and they're well-developed by the author.
September 4, 2022
The kid gets her hands on a gun and instead of yelling at the kid Joy blames Amber? Joy constantly yells and blames Amber for everything the kid does so Amber takes off to join the navy. They are suppose to be in their 20's but Joy acts more like she is 50.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2018
Disappointed
I do enjoy the author's books but this one falls way short of KG MacGregor's talent as a author....try one of her other books.
I do enjoy the author's books but this one falls way short of KG MacGregor's talent as a author....try one of her other books.
July 19, 2019
A wonderful read as always!
September 12, 2019
A great story about evoling women (and one 9 year old snd a cranky, wise old guy) with a plot twist at the end O didn't see coming. Delightful, enjoyable, well written story.
February 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
August 1, 2016
This wasn't my favorite KG MacGregor story. It has an interesting foundation of picking up a stranger and giving them a step up in life, something I think we should all do for each other. However, the overall relationship between the two main characters of Amber and Joy seemed to fall flat. I enjoyed reading the antics of Joy's father, Shep, throughout the story and thought he brought an excellent insight into the stories' progression. However, the introduction of Madison into their lives really started to tick me off and where I had been a fan of Joy's I ended up getting mad at her on Amber's behalf. I'll still be picking up the next KG MacGregor story as I love her ideas and story lines, just wasn't overly happy with this one the way I usually am when I'm finished reading one of her stories.
October 9, 2013
Enjoyable...easy read.
July 14, 2013
Good book, but not my fav of KG.. Want to give it 3,5 stars but not able to so...
January 11, 2014
Not a bad read. Characters are believable.
March 25, 2016
my first F/F romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews