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Simple Pleasures
The new romance from Lambda Literary Award winner Kenna White!
A mile wide and with winds rising over 200 miles per hour, the EF-5 tornado that laid waste to Joplin, Missouri, took everything from Dale Kinsel. Already struggling to get through the months after the death of her partner Sydney, Dale doesn’t believe she can find the strength to dig through the rubble.
The last thing she needs is Sydney’s sister, Taren, crossing her path again. There is nothing but bad blood between them and Taren’s help doesn’t change that. Surrounded by a broken landscape, Dale has little hope of reclaiming even the simple pleasures. But life—and love—have a way of starting over.
A mile wide and with winds rising over 200 miles per hour, the EF-5 tornado that laid waste to Joplin, Missouri, took everything from Dale Kinsel. Already struggling to get through the months after the death of her partner Sydney, Dale doesn’t believe she can find the strength to dig through the rubble.
The last thing she needs is Sydney’s sister, Taren, crossing her path again. There is nothing but bad blood between them and Taren’s help doesn’t change that. Surrounded by a broken landscape, Dale has little hope of reclaiming even the simple pleasures. But life—and love—have a way of starting over.
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2013
6 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Kenna White
22 books91 followersAward winner, Kenna White, has been a best-selling romance author with Bella Books since 2004. She was born in a small town in Southwest Missouri, but has lived from the Colorado Rocky Mountains to New England. Splitting time between Puget Sound and the Ozarks where bare feet, faded jeans and lazy streams fill her life, she enjoys her writing, traveling, substitute teaching, making dollhouse miniatures and life's simpler pleasures.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 29, 2017
Am amazing story! this book has it all-romance,light angst,plot twist and most of all characters that you'll fall in love with...well written and highly recommend (paperback!)
February 9, 2020
The romance here is slow-burn rivals to lovers with little angst. But it wasn't only plot. There was a lot going. It was quite emotional at times. Dealing with grief, aftermath of a tornado etc.
September 10, 2022
Just listened to the audiobook read by Abby Craden and wow! This book was a bit depressing because of the tornado storyline, but Abby’s voice is just so wow and addictive that I was able to listen to it, no matter how sad it was, but it also had happy moments between Dale and Taren and that also made it worth it. It was a nice romance to listen to during this afternoon while avoiding finishing writing my thesis lol
November 6, 2022
3.5 stars
There was a lot I liked about this listen. First - the story. Set in Joplin Missouri at the time of the horrific F-5 tornado, author Kenna White brought home the terrifying experience and the devastating aftermath. The characters in this story are everyday people. MC Dale Kinsel is a department manager at the Home Depot when her home is demolished by the storm. She's already grieving the loss of her partner Sydney to illness and while she knows she has to pick herself up and keep going, very little is going her way.
Circumstances bring Sydney's sister Taren back into Dale's life, which Dale doesn't need right now. They didn't part on good terms after Sydney's death and she will need every ounce of strength she has to rebuild the pieces of her life.
Abby Craden narrated this book and did a terrific job as always. I was really invested for the first 75 percent of the book and then various factors diminished my enjoyment. Partially because of the contradictory choices Dale makes in the story, including an obnoxious girlfriend and pride taken to the extreme. And I also questioned her eventual feelings for Taren, primarily because of her focus on Taren's beauty, rather than the woman she was.
If not for those things, I would have liked it a lot more. White certainly knows how to weave her way around a story and I am so happy that I've discovered her work, though a number of years too late. Not sure why she wasn't on my radar years ago.
There was a lot I liked about this listen. First - the story. Set in Joplin Missouri at the time of the horrific F-5 tornado, author Kenna White brought home the terrifying experience and the devastating aftermath. The characters in this story are everyday people. MC Dale Kinsel is a department manager at the Home Depot when her home is demolished by the storm. She's already grieving the loss of her partner Sydney to illness and while she knows she has to pick herself up and keep going, very little is going her way.
Circumstances bring Sydney's sister Taren back into Dale's life, which Dale doesn't need right now. They didn't part on good terms after Sydney's death and she will need every ounce of strength she has to rebuild the pieces of her life.
Abby Craden narrated this book and did a terrific job as always. I was really invested for the first 75 percent of the book and then various factors diminished my enjoyment. Partially because of the contradictory choices Dale makes in the story, including an obnoxious girlfriend and pride taken to the extreme. And I also questioned her eventual feelings for Taren, primarily because of her focus on Taren's beauty, rather than the woman she was.
If not for those things, I would have liked it a lot more. White certainly knows how to weave her way around a story and I am so happy that I've discovered her work, though a number of years too late. Not sure why she wasn't on my radar years ago.
October 11, 2024
Lovely intense sapphic romance by a new to me author and well loved narrator!! Loved the little twists and turns with Dale and her growth from a tension filled softball game to surviving a major hurricane to survivor’s guilt to finding love in the last place she thought to look. Taren was sweet and tender, supportive and loving. Zoe, Dale’s sister, was annoying from beginning to end and really just made Dale shine more lol. Janice, as Dale’s first ‘girlfriend’ since her Sydney had died from cancer, was horrendous and it was blatantly obvious that it was only lust between them.
*SPOILER* It was satisfying when Dale figured it out lol.
PTSD, survivor’s guilt, alcoholism, cheating (not MCs), lightly graphic descriptions of the hurricane aftermath, death. Not a light read but with lots of light moments to balance the story out with love coming through in the end.
*SPOILER* It was satisfying when Dale figured it out lol.
PTSD, survivor’s guilt, alcoholism, cheating (not MCs), lightly graphic descriptions of the hurricane aftermath, death. Not a light read but with lots of light moments to balance the story out with love coming through in the end.
December 5, 2013
I feel like I have lived through a tornado.. The raw emotions, the vivid descriptions were amazingly real. I haven't had a story bring me to tears so often. The main character was very lovable and yet flawed too. Definitely worth reading!
October 31, 2022
Wow! So many interesting plot twists in this one. I listened to the audiobook and it was only 5+ hours, but there was a lot of story in this book. Some things I thought might be coming, but wasn’t sure, did happen, but it was very well written and funny (at times), although never felt rushed. There was one part towards the end that I didn’t see coming. That’s all I’ll say. It was a good twist, though, and actually made the MC’s behavior a lot more understandable. I thought the characters were all pretty well fleshed out and definitely likable. Very pleasurable read. If you want to read a book that illustrates the different ways PTSD manifests, but still has a sense of humor (maybe it’s the dialogue?), this is a good one to listen to.
January 22, 2016
Amazing story!
What an amazing story of survival and what the definition of community is all about! This author captured the true essence of survival and also of the development of a love story is such a poignant manner. Job well done!
What an amazing story of survival and what the definition of community is all about! This author captured the true essence of survival and also of the development of a love story is such a poignant manner. Job well done!
May 27, 2014
Another home run for Kenna White. Simple Pleasures was simply a pleasure to read. If you like tender, sweet romances you'll want to check this one out.
May 23, 2023
2.75
The beginning was alright, the middle wasn’t too bad, then the ending was just… weird? All of the sudden they’re together and I don’t know how to feel. Plus I didn’t like how Dale’s exes were portrayed negatively as if that’s the only valid reason that she and Taren can be together. Like why can’t Dale fall in love with more than one person, especially at different times and not cheating on anyone.
The beginning was alright, the middle wasn’t too bad, then the ending was just… weird? All of the sudden they’re together and I don’t know how to feel. Plus I didn’t like how Dale’s exes were portrayed negatively as if that’s the only valid reason that she and Taren can be together. Like why can’t Dale fall in love with more than one person, especially at different times and not cheating on anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2024
Baseball, cancer, tornadoes, Recovery. So much has happened with the warming of our planet. Although this disaster and its after effects was in Missouri, it could follow the floods in Australia New Zealand, and many other countries. As the title suggests, its the simple pleasures that are important. Kenna White is a new author to me but Abby Craydens narration is rock solid Thankyou
March 19, 2025
Don’t read this if you don’t want to be sad for most of the book. That being said, this was a great (but quite sad) story! I wanted more to the romance, but it was still sweet in a way. The last quarter packed a lot of things into it at once which kind of blew me, but altogether it was enjoyable.
3.8 stars
3.8 stars
November 10, 2025
As someone who is terribly afraid of tornadoes, this book did not trigger me but rather was an engaging and emotional description of going through the horrific tornado and the aftermath. The romance in the story was average...the focus and best part was surviving the tornado and the recovery afterward.
December 16, 2020
I never thought I’d find a LGBTQ book involving a tornado! A dream come true. I really enjoyed this from start to finish!
April 23, 2014
Was a book I couldn't put down easily. The characters were fascinating and real. The storyline about the Joplin Missouri tornado. I liked the way the characters seemed more real than some books. The inclusion of more real to life scenarios such as waxing one's upper lip. Just felt more real than fiction in those scenarios. Generally good though it seemed rush to ending.
May 25, 2014
Meh. Disappointing for a White book.
The characters didn't feel fully realized and it read like White wanted to tell the story of the freak tornado and unfortunately didn't find a better way to do it. The parts describing the Tornado and its aftermath are good and even gripping, but all the rest isn't.
The characters didn't feel fully realized and it read like White wanted to tell the story of the freak tornado and unfortunately didn't find a better way to do it. The parts describing the Tornado and its aftermath are good and even gripping, but all the rest isn't.
January 15, 2017
If you like the lesbian romance genre it's a solid entry. Lots of fun tropes, hurt/comfort, enemies to lovers, fake dating.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews