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Every Waking Hour
English professor Della Boyd has worked hard to carve out a career for herself in the male-dominated 1950s South. Having escaped an unpleasant childhood, she resolves to keep her nose to the grindstone and work her way up the university ladder. All that changes, however, when she meets her favorite author, Grayson Garland, whose androgynous beauty and taboo kisses cause Della to question everything she's always believed. When Grayson Garland returns to bury her father, the world renowned, eccentric Southern author sets the small town of Rome, Alabama on its ear. But the old antebellum mansion she once called home is haunted with dark secrets Gray is reluctant to face. Sultry nights in the arms of a pretty, oh-so-feminine professor provide ample distraction, but unless Gray can summon the courage to confront her demons, even Della's love won't be able to save her from herself.
214 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2012
2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Paisley Smith
23 books69 followersI’m Paisley Smith! I am a full time freelance writer and can usually be found in front of my computer either writing, chatting, promoting or plotting. It’s a glamorous life…working in one’s pajamas.
I attended college in the Deep South where I obtained a slew of totally useless degrees and developed an unrelenting sense of humor.
My books can be found at Ellora’s Cave , Loose Id, and Cleis Press!
I’m a member of Romance Writers of America.
I attended college in the Deep South where I obtained a slew of totally useless degrees and developed an unrelenting sense of humor.
My books can be found at Ellora’s Cave , Loose Id, and Cleis Press!
I’m a member of Romance Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 4, 2019
I can write pages and pages for this book, criticizing plot, characters and certain events. Trying piece by piece to express the sheer uniqueness and awesomeness of this story but truthfully and beyond any doubt, there were never two characters more compatible and certainly made for each other...
I can't wrap my mind around what I just read. This is not a story about fairies, magic, and sunsets. This is one about alcoholism, darkness, fear, abuse, and wounds. But in its brutality, it shines, like a diamond in the mud. Like two people in love, in love so much that they hurt, they can't live without each other because they heal their wounds in their passion. They survived and they will do so again, brought to their knees and rose again as they vanquished their tormentors. Beautiful in their scarred glory. Beautiful in surviving. Beautiful together.
People who broke and put back together are glued stronger and nothing can bend them again. Their strength and hope will banish the evil and they write their own epilogue any damn way they want!
Smith has this special writing style that just sucks you in like a hurricane. Her voice is completely fresh, unique, incredibly attention-grabbing, and her own. It’s just…really hard to explain.
THIS BOOK WAS...
DARK
FUNNY
FCUKIN SEXY
SAD
AND SO BRUTALLY GORGEOUS!
Ms.Smith, I never hesitate, proud even to bring Every Waking Hour to Show and Tell, knowing the rest of my friends will be bringing the big guns. You wrote one heck of a good book and for that, accept all the stars Goodreads has to offer. Thank you and well done 💕
Tip - Ladies, if you're planning to read this, go for the Maxi pantyliners.
I can't wrap my mind around what I just read. This is not a story about fairies, magic, and sunsets. This is one about alcoholism, darkness, fear, abuse, and wounds. But in its brutality, it shines, like a diamond in the mud. Like two people in love, in love so much that they hurt, they can't live without each other because they heal their wounds in their passion. They survived and they will do so again, brought to their knees and rose again as they vanquished their tormentors. Beautiful in their scarred glory. Beautiful in surviving. Beautiful together.
People who broke and put back together are glued stronger and nothing can bend them again. Their strength and hope will banish the evil and they write their own epilogue any damn way they want!
Smith has this special writing style that just sucks you in like a hurricane. Her voice is completely fresh, unique, incredibly attention-grabbing, and her own. It’s just…really hard to explain.
THIS BOOK WAS...
DARK
FUNNY
FCUKIN SEXY
SAD
AND SO BRUTALLY GORGEOUS!
Ms.Smith, I never hesitate, proud even to bring Every Waking Hour to Show and Tell, knowing the rest of my friends will be bringing the big guns. You wrote one heck of a good book and for that, accept all the stars Goodreads has to offer. Thank you and well done 💕
Tip - Ladies, if you're planning to read this, go for the Maxi pantyliners.
July 14, 2018
English professor Della Boyd idolises Pulitzer prize winner Grayson Garland to the extent that she even moves to Grayson's home town to teach at the local university. She's sort of dating a much older colleague but he doesn't really do anything for her. The death of Grayson's father brings her back to town and Della hopes to finally meet her.
This is set in Alabama in the 50s; a time when there was little acceptance for lesbian relationships. I'm a fan of Smith's writing so it's not a surprise that I liked this. Della is a fabulous character and I loved the way her past worked with her present making her a complex character. I liked Grayson for the most part but there was a moment where she expresses something that doesn't quit fit with how she's been presented.
This is a good read with a lot more depth than I expected.
This is set in Alabama in the 50s; a time when there was little acceptance for lesbian relationships. I'm a fan of Smith's writing so it's not a surprise that I liked this. Della is a fabulous character and I loved the way her past worked with her present making her a complex character. I liked Grayson for the most part but there was a moment where she expresses something that doesn't quit fit with how she's been presented.
This is a good read with a lot more depth than I expected.
March 3, 2025
Okay, so I really love this book. I think this has to be my favorite Paisley Smith so far.
The themes are dark, there is plenty of drama, the heartship of losing yourself to an alcoholic. The love that does not dare speak it's name in a small Southern town in the 50ies. I loved it all!
English professor Della Boyd lives and works in Rome, Alabama - the birthplace of famous writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Grayson Garland. Della has been a life-long fan of the writer and even though Garland has long since left Alabama to live the fast life in California, Della has chosen this small Southern town to work and live to feel close to her idol.
The death of her father brings Grayson back to Rome and Cypress Bend, the Garland estate. Gray hates every minute of it, too many bad memories haunt this place and she can't wait to go back to California. But she hasn't been doing well lately. Inspiration to write her next best seller has dried up, she has money problems and her heavy drinking and subsequent brawling gets her into trouble.
Intent on selling the ancestral home, Grayson needs to spend the summer in Rome to get her affairs in order. That's how she meets Della.
Grayson is not what Della expected her to be. They get off on the wrong foot but Grayson can't help but be amused by the prim and proper professor. She is so pretty, so feminine. And Della can't help but fall for this androginous beauty in man's clothing who gives her feelings no man was ever able to provoke.
Della gives in and gets sucked into an illicit affair, the taboo of being a lesbian can ruin her good name and career. Gray's tortured past and her heavy drinking piles on the heartship. Can her love endure, knowing her past with an alcoholic, abusive father almost ruined her.
I highly recommend!
f/f explicit
Themes: Lawd but the sexytimes are hawt, drama-rama, shades of Ava Gardner, swoon worthy classic 50ies women make me weak in the knees, I never knew I was a lesbian until a Pulitzer Prize winner went down on me and showed me heaven, Gray must have a liver the size of Kansas, OMG give Della a statue already.
5 stars
------------------
update May 4, 2018 - Did a re-read to record it into an audiobook for a friend. Had quite a bit of acting to do to bring all the drama to life ;-)
Still 5 stars.
-----------
update March 3, 2025 - re-reading a lot of my older Kindle books so I'm in a bit of a Paisley Smith bender. Forgot just how much drama-lama there was in this one. Ermagherd!
The themes are dark, there is plenty of drama, the heartship of losing yourself to an alcoholic. The love that does not dare speak it's name in a small Southern town in the 50ies. I loved it all!
English professor Della Boyd lives and works in Rome, Alabama - the birthplace of famous writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Grayson Garland. Della has been a life-long fan of the writer and even though Garland has long since left Alabama to live the fast life in California, Della has chosen this small Southern town to work and live to feel close to her idol.
The death of her father brings Grayson back to Rome and Cypress Bend, the Garland estate. Gray hates every minute of it, too many bad memories haunt this place and she can't wait to go back to California. But she hasn't been doing well lately. Inspiration to write her next best seller has dried up, she has money problems and her heavy drinking and subsequent brawling gets her into trouble.
Intent on selling the ancestral home, Grayson needs to spend the summer in Rome to get her affairs in order. That's how she meets Della.
Grayson is not what Della expected her to be. They get off on the wrong foot but Grayson can't help but be amused by the prim and proper professor. She is so pretty, so feminine. And Della can't help but fall for this androginous beauty in man's clothing who gives her feelings no man was ever able to provoke.
Della gives in and gets sucked into an illicit affair, the taboo of being a lesbian can ruin her good name and career. Gray's tortured past and her heavy drinking piles on the heartship. Can her love endure, knowing her past with an alcoholic, abusive father almost ruined her.
I highly recommend!
f/f explicit
Themes: Lawd but the sexytimes are hawt, drama-rama, shades of Ava Gardner, swoon worthy classic 50ies women make me weak in the knees, I never knew I was a lesbian until a Pulitzer Prize winner went down on me and showed me heaven, Gray must have a liver the size of Kansas, OMG give Della a statue already.
5 stars
------------------
update May 4, 2018 - Did a re-read to record it into an audiobook for a friend. Had quite a bit of acting to do to bring all the drama to life ;-)
Still 5 stars.
-----------
update March 3, 2025 - re-reading a lot of my older Kindle books so I'm in a bit of a Paisley Smith bender. Forgot just how much drama-lama there was in this one. Ermagherd!
August 6, 2015
I screened this several times before I bought a copy, but somehow my brain duped itself into thinking that this was a historical novel with some LGBT romance thrown in. Not so--it was an LGBT historical romance novel. Which is all my fault. I'm not really into romance novels these days--never was, not even in the days when romance meant romance, not sex, explicit, rough and often. I'm not a prude about it and I thought the sex was pretty well done, but, enough already.
By the way, when did "I love you" become a synonym for "we had good sex and I want to go on having more sex with you"? Maybe it's always meant that and I just didn't get it. (I'm not criticizing the book here, just making fun of the human race.)
Anyway, back to the book. It reads fast. It has some intriguing things to say about guilt and fairness and deep south lifestyles in the 1950s. If the author didn't have an annoying habit of throwing in deeply, profoundly introspective one-liners at odd moments, I might have given it three stars. The "show, don't tell" rule is made to be broken, but not with phrases like, "In love. With a woman. Could she possibly be?" Boring.
By the way, when did "I love you" become a synonym for "we had good sex and I want to go on having more sex with you"? Maybe it's always meant that and I just didn't get it. (I'm not criticizing the book here, just making fun of the human race.)
Anyway, back to the book. It reads fast. It has some intriguing things to say about guilt and fairness and deep south lifestyles in the 1950s. If the author didn't have an annoying habit of throwing in deeply, profoundly introspective one-liners at odd moments, I might have given it three stars. The "show, don't tell" rule is made to be broken, but not with phrases like, "In love. With a woman. Could she possibly be?" Boring.
February 10, 2013
Rating: 2.75 stars / Grade: “C-minus”
Disclaimer: I am not a professional reviewer, nor was I solicited for this review. My ebook was purchased at bn.com. I read and comprehended the entire text of this book at least 1 time prior to reviewing.
Spoiler Warning: My reviews generally contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.
I read “Every Waking Hour” a few weeks ago, and I’ve mulled over how to fairly review and rate it ever since. I disliked the storyline and this made it hard for me to appreciate its overall quality. It’s a brave effort at the southern gothic genre and features gut-wrenching addiction drama, but the storyline and the writing quality were a bit inconsistent. I didn’t really enjoy the story, so any little flaw in execution seemed magnified to me.
My single biggest problem with this book: I loathed Grayson Garland, one of the heroines, throughout the entire read. Even the character’s name bugged me. There seem to be a slew of books on the market featuring main characters with names including “gray” or “grey” in them, I assume as a nod to the Fifty Shades mania.
Grayson is overwhelmingly stereotyped in the worst way. She is an emotionally disturbed, alcoholic, cross-dressing lesbian prone to brawling for no reason and getting kicked out of bars. Despite a successful career as a professional author (including a Pulitzer Prize win) Grayson’s financial recklessness has all but bankrupted her. Luckily, her inheritance of her late estranged father’s estate has offered her a chance at a fresh start, but it means living in her hated home town for a spell.
And... That’s pretty much it. Seriously. Equal parts self-indulgent, self-loathing, self-destructive, and self-pitying, Grayson Garland is as flawed and grotesque a character as any Flannery O’Connor ever penned. My problem with Grayson is that she is featured as a main character in a romance novel and I found her neither particularly loveable nor compatible with love interest Della Boyd.
Everybody has at least one relative, friend, acquaintance, neighbor, or coworker just like Grayson and wishes they didn’t. It was impossible to empathize with Grayson because so much of her misery was self-inflicted but the narrative attempted to pass it off as society’s fault due to social intolerance of homosexuality.
I liked Della Boyd, but I could not believe in Della’s attraction to Grayson. I think if Della had been portrayed as a younger, less intelligent woman, her fangirlish adoration of Grayson might have been more credible. A lot of authors have recently enjoyed success with riveting dysfunctional romance fiction, but the characters tend to be stronger and more compelling or the characters themselves are relatively young, i.e., “Beautiful Disaster.” I see that kind of vibe in this book, but the characters come off as more pathetic and unpleasant than anything else.
Paisley Smith’s effort to combine Southern Gothic, addiction drama, and erotic romance is daring and quite different from the author’s previous books. I admired the artistic growth, but this genre combination didn’t appeal to me as a reader. The love scenes, though well-written, distracted and even annoyed me at times. Lengthy, soulful, explicitly described sex just didn’t “gel” well with the more serious content. Because Grayson’s emotional problems and addiction were always portrayed at crisis or near-crisis levels, the more romantic story elements felt fake.
With that said, I was intrigued by Smith’s portrayal of 1950’s rural Alabama and subtle social commentary upon historical perspectives of female homosexuality as a form of mental illness. I would have loved reading additional detail on this subject as well as how lesbian or bisexual women might have coped with these perspectives. More world-building and word-painting would also have been welcome. I didn’t always feel like it was really 1950. Better cultural references (ie, popular songs on the radio, films or T.V. shows, descriptions of fashions, maybe the “no pants” dress code typical for females in schools) might have helped with that.
Overall, “Every Waking Hour” definitely stands out from Smith’s more traditional erotic romances. While this novel didn’t resonate with me, I believe readers attracted to angst and literary grotesque characters will find the read riveting and unique. It’s worth the time for readers looking for “a little more” or “something different” than traditional erotic romance.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional reviewer, nor was I solicited for this review. My ebook was purchased at bn.com. I read and comprehended the entire text of this book at least 1 time prior to reviewing.
Spoiler Warning: My reviews generally contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.
I read “Every Waking Hour” a few weeks ago, and I’ve mulled over how to fairly review and rate it ever since. I disliked the storyline and this made it hard for me to appreciate its overall quality. It’s a brave effort at the southern gothic genre and features gut-wrenching addiction drama, but the storyline and the writing quality were a bit inconsistent. I didn’t really enjoy the story, so any little flaw in execution seemed magnified to me.
My single biggest problem with this book: I loathed Grayson Garland, one of the heroines, throughout the entire read. Even the character’s name bugged me. There seem to be a slew of books on the market featuring main characters with names including “gray” or “grey” in them, I assume as a nod to the Fifty Shades mania.
Grayson is overwhelmingly stereotyped in the worst way. She is an emotionally disturbed, alcoholic, cross-dressing lesbian prone to brawling for no reason and getting kicked out of bars. Despite a successful career as a professional author (including a Pulitzer Prize win) Grayson’s financial recklessness has all but bankrupted her. Luckily, her inheritance of her late estranged father’s estate has offered her a chance at a fresh start, but it means living in her hated home town for a spell.
And... That’s pretty much it. Seriously. Equal parts self-indulgent, self-loathing, self-destructive, and self-pitying, Grayson Garland is as flawed and grotesque a character as any Flannery O’Connor ever penned. My problem with Grayson is that she is featured as a main character in a romance novel and I found her neither particularly loveable nor compatible with love interest Della Boyd.
Everybody has at least one relative, friend, acquaintance, neighbor, or coworker just like Grayson and wishes they didn’t. It was impossible to empathize with Grayson because so much of her misery was self-inflicted but the narrative attempted to pass it off as society’s fault due to social intolerance of homosexuality.
I liked Della Boyd, but I could not believe in Della’s attraction to Grayson. I think if Della had been portrayed as a younger, less intelligent woman, her fangirlish adoration of Grayson might have been more credible. A lot of authors have recently enjoyed success with riveting dysfunctional romance fiction, but the characters tend to be stronger and more compelling or the characters themselves are relatively young, i.e., “Beautiful Disaster.” I see that kind of vibe in this book, but the characters come off as more pathetic and unpleasant than anything else.
Paisley Smith’s effort to combine Southern Gothic, addiction drama, and erotic romance is daring and quite different from the author’s previous books. I admired the artistic growth, but this genre combination didn’t appeal to me as a reader. The love scenes, though well-written, distracted and even annoyed me at times. Lengthy, soulful, explicitly described sex just didn’t “gel” well with the more serious content. Because Grayson’s emotional problems and addiction were always portrayed at crisis or near-crisis levels, the more romantic story elements felt fake.
With that said, I was intrigued by Smith’s portrayal of 1950’s rural Alabama and subtle social commentary upon historical perspectives of female homosexuality as a form of mental illness. I would have loved reading additional detail on this subject as well as how lesbian or bisexual women might have coped with these perspectives. More world-building and word-painting would also have been welcome. I didn’t always feel like it was really 1950. Better cultural references (ie, popular songs on the radio, films or T.V. shows, descriptions of fashions, maybe the “no pants” dress code typical for females in schools) might have helped with that.
Overall, “Every Waking Hour” definitely stands out from Smith’s more traditional erotic romances. While this novel didn’t resonate with me, I believe readers attracted to angst and literary grotesque characters will find the read riveting and unique. It’s worth the time for readers looking for “a little more” or “something different” than traditional erotic romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2015
Amazing sex scenes, but a compelling plot, & very likable characters.... who are trying to deal with a childhood tragedy, alcoholism, & a love, in that time, you dare not speak of! I really enjoyed this story. Its a bit different from the usual lesbian romance I read. They are two very different women....a professor & a writer.....both overcoming many obstacles in their lives, including the time & place they lived in, & their own past issues. This was very well written, in my opinion.....it made me feel like I was there. And not once did I want to scan a page or flip several out of boredom.....I read every word. If you like the 50's time era, a lesbian romance, with some secrets & drama.....don't miss this sweet read!
July 21, 2013
I loved this story!
January 10, 2020
Paisley Smith has come up with a book here that reads like most contemporary fiction, but with the twist of the lesbian romance element. This is not say it's your typical lesbian romance reading though, and at times I felt I had been through a ringer and hung out to dry. This is a deep, moving, and at times, an uncomfortable (albeit for all the right reasons,) story from the 1940's. Her deep understanding of the human conditions of the period pieces she writes oozes familiarity and I can’t help get caught up in her characters again and again. They are so likable (even the seemingly incorrigible ones!) that I can’t help but be immersed in her writing. I find it hard to put her books down; I care about these characters and want to know what happens to them.
You can tell Smith has done her research; the details of the clothing, settings, and cultural behaviors of the time seem spot on. How she writes this story: A sentence; then two words; then one. It drew me in and kept me turning the pages.
This is the third novel I've read by her, and with each story, I appreciate her work even more.
Four stars.
You can tell Smith has done her research; the details of the clothing, settings, and cultural behaviors of the time seem spot on. How she writes this story: A sentence; then two words; then one. It drew me in and kept me turning the pages.
This is the third novel I've read by her, and with each story, I appreciate her work even more.
Four stars.
March 6, 2016
This one I'm giving four stars because I liked the characters and was really enjoying the book and the complexities of all the relationships which would normally get it a three star rating, but towards the end of the book the stakes suddenly got a lot higher and I actually had a moment of 'oh god oh god no please no' then I was reading quickly and much more invested and scared about what could happen to the characters and so then i was so happy when it all got resolved without the horrible thing happening. Even though I knew it would all be okay but I was actually scared for the characters which is something that doesn't happen often and is a testament to the writers skill, so yes I recommend this book but beware it may steal hours of your time.
May 7, 2013
Love everything Paisley Smith writes and was excited to see a historical romance set in the Deep South in the 1950s. I'll have to write a more coherent review when I've processed the myriad of emotions this wonderful book evoked.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews