Adrift

by Sam Ledel

Janeth Castro never expected to be the most prominent bootlegger in Southern California. After growing up in Central Mexico and falling into her role in the business, she’s torn between supporting her family values and living life on her own terms. The last thing she needs is a white woman protesting at her door.

Alice Covington is many a pickpocket, a drifter, and now a daughter of the Prohibition movement. Under her mother’s cruel eye, she follows the protests to a mysterious mansion by the sea. Determined to play by her parents’ rules—which include not falling in love with a woman—she is surprised to find the great house host to the most surprising, and attractive, rum smuggler in town.

Janeth and Alice are caught in storms that neither can seem to escape. Obligation, fear, and old guilt claw daily at their hearts, and their chance meeting leads to an unexpected romance that may be just what they need to find safe harbor.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2024

About the author

Sam Ledel is the author of nine novels with Bold Strokes Books. Her debut, Rocks and Stars, was a 2019 Goldie Finalist for Young Adult fiction. She is twice a finalist in the LGBTQ+ category of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards - in 2023 for Wildflower Words and in 2025 for Adrift, both historical romances. Her 2025 novel Discovering Gold placed first in Women's Fiction in the CIPA EVVY Book Awards.

Ledel enjoys being able to write in her free time, usually with a cup of tea in hand. She is currently working on her next novel.

Reviews

[Lady Olenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I like the flow of the story. Every chapter had something exciting to add to the story and moved it along. The characters were written well in a sense they were well rounded, believable characters that could have easily lived during the story’s time and setting. The conflicts were relentless which buoyed the story and made the read not boring at all.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical story takes place during prohibition in San Diego. Janeth is a Mexican immigrant that has befriended a rich, older, white man, Mr Miles. He takes her into his bootlegging business and insists he is her “uncle” letting her live in his house. After he’s injured, Janeth assumes more responsibility calling on shopkeepers to collect payments for their tequila deliveries.

One day Janeth is calling on a client and her purse is stolen by pickpocket, Alice Covington. Alice and her parents are very successful swindlers with multiple scams.
They develop and instant attraction and trust. Alice tells Janeth immediately about the theft and Janeth feels sorry for her.

I felt this book had tons of potential with two great character backgrounds and an unusual plot line for sapphic fiction. The attraction happened without enough emotion to be believable since Janeth was a straight woman. And Alice managed to seduce her with very limited experience her self. I was hoping for Alice to rush in and save Janet’h from the aggressive bootleggers trying to take over her uncle’s business. But the book ended with an HEA that seemed unlikely for a story set in the 1920s.

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Sue Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

an historical fiction based on the prohibition years.... i wish i could love this era but they way they treat women makes me no mad....so i was never really going to be this book biggest fan because of that though the two main characters did add a certain charm to it

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a lot! I thought the historical setting was family well executed and the romance was sweet. I particularly enjoyed how both women were breaking the law in their own ways and found some solace with one another. I do wish we got a little bit more focus on prohibition and why it was dumb and counter productive since the plot did centre around it quite a bit (a bootlegger) and someone taking part in the temperance movement. I did like the focus on how Janeth and her family had certain struggles due to being people of colour but I do wish there was a little more discussion on how the consequences of Janeth and Alice's crimes would be different due to skin colour, because it seemed odd to me that Janeth's brother and sister in law were so concerned about her associating with white people in case she got caught breaking the law but then they were also the ones who pushed her into the bootlegging? and they never seemed to actually discuss how big the ramifications could have been. All in all this was a sweet well executed historical romance with just enough drama to keep you on your toes!

Thank you to Netgally and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Janeth has loss a lot in her life she been taken in by her Uncle who is running a bootlegging business which she helps and they have sweet relationship and vows never to be taken advantage of but longs for more in life. Alice had to get away with her family after being discover with her girlfriend but she doesn’t enjoy doing what her parents does being a grifters she longs for a life for herself where she can be herself. Janeth and Alice meets and find refuge with each other that’s soon turn into love but it’s not with it’s up and down but will they over come it. I enjoy the read.

[Jamie R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction is a difficult read for me as it is painful to be reminded of the way women were treated. It doesn’t help that history seems to be repeating itself in present day with the attack on women’s rights.
That said, the author is skillful in writing about the times without fully delving into the brutality (to my relief). Women saving themselves is always a welcome relief. The writing is good, flowing and thorough. The scene is well described and the characters stories unpacked.
This book explores homophobia, racism, and patriarchal oppression in the era of prohibition. In addition, difficult family dynamics are explored and the pain of breaking free and living life in your truth.
The story takes place in Seaside/San Diego, California. Janeth is an immigrant from Mexico who has suffered loss and now helps run a bootlegging business with her “uncle”, a man that has taken her in and acts as her guardian. Their relationship is sweet and endearing. She lost her husband and his family years before.
Alice is new to San Diego after being discovered with her gf in Oklahoma. The traumatic separation leads to her family relocating in San Diego. Her parents are grifters and require her to participate in the family business. Never thinking she would be able to be true to herself or find love again, she runs into Janeth while protesting the bootlegging business with the missionaries. She is only there to steal from the donations they receive.
The two develop a friendship and the story follows them and their respective lives as Janeth realizes she is attracted to Alice. A first for her. Of course, there is the evil bad guy that I cringed whenever he appeared.
Will they be able to surrender to their feelings in light of the dangers they face by doing so?

Arc received by NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and it was an enjoyable read for a historical fiction. The writing was good as was the setting in Seaside during the prohibition. A lot of research went into this and it showed throughout the book.

Janeth Caestro works with her "uncle" in his rum smuggling business and helps take care of him as well. It's a dangerous job for a woman and she knows it, but as a Hispanic in a predominately white community, she preserves. She longs for more, but doesn't know what it is until she meets Alice.

Alice Covington moves to Seaside from Oklahoma after an incident. She works with her parents as a thief in order to get by day to day. She meets Janeth on accident and feelings she'd tried to bury come flooding back. They embark on a friendship that turns into something more.

The longing, the fear, the helplessness was all very well written and their chemistry was done very well. The language and setting was fitting for what I imagine the 1920's was like. This won't be my last book by Ledel, but I will chose something that isn't a historical romance for my next book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.