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Loose
If fantasizing were a crime, Chakah DuBois would be locked away for life.
She’s doggedly optimistic about her career as a physical therapist, the San Francisco condo she wants, and the love life she craves. However, being big, tall, and queer isn’t easy, especially in a traditional family featuring a petite, compliant sister; a critical mother obsessed with keeping up appearances; and a doting, conservative father whose love Chakah is afraid to lose by coming out.
With a failed engagement already on her rap sheet, even Chakah’s best friend has found her guilty of being naïve enough to long for unconditional, unbridled love with a person of any gender. Undeterred by naysayers, or the fact she has had to settle for fantasies instead of dates recently, Chakah continues to put her best foot forward.
Things begin to look up once she lands a plum home care assignment with Griffin Gray, the front man of her favorite band whose songs were the soundtrack of her most romantic imaginings, and his injured wife Luz, a bisexual fetish photographer whose unconventional ways have made their marriage as passionate as it is troubled. In the couple, Chakah glimpses a consuming love for which she would gladly serve a life sentence. She becomes close with kindred spirit Luz, which leads to intimacy with both husband and wife.
When the Grays offer her a chance to experience her fantasies, Chakah gambles on having the time of her life with the sexy, wealthy couple, and loses her heart in the process.
Is a three-way relationship worth being branded a wanton woman in the eyes of her family and friends, or would unraveling the social norms that bind her finally give Chakah the happiness she seeks?
Either way, Chakah is letting it all hang Loose.
She’s doggedly optimistic about her career as a physical therapist, the San Francisco condo she wants, and the love life she craves. However, being big, tall, and queer isn’t easy, especially in a traditional family featuring a petite, compliant sister; a critical mother obsessed with keeping up appearances; and a doting, conservative father whose love Chakah is afraid to lose by coming out.
With a failed engagement already on her rap sheet, even Chakah’s best friend has found her guilty of being naïve enough to long for unconditional, unbridled love with a person of any gender. Undeterred by naysayers, or the fact she has had to settle for fantasies instead of dates recently, Chakah continues to put her best foot forward.
Things begin to look up once she lands a plum home care assignment with Griffin Gray, the front man of her favorite band whose songs were the soundtrack of her most romantic imaginings, and his injured wife Luz, a bisexual fetish photographer whose unconventional ways have made their marriage as passionate as it is troubled. In the couple, Chakah glimpses a consuming love for which she would gladly serve a life sentence. She becomes close with kindred spirit Luz, which leads to intimacy with both husband and wife.
When the Grays offer her a chance to experience her fantasies, Chakah gambles on having the time of her life with the sexy, wealthy couple, and loses her heart in the process.
Is a three-way relationship worth being branded a wanton woman in the eyes of her family and friends, or would unraveling the social norms that bind her finally give Chakah the happiness she seeks?
Either way, Chakah is letting it all hang Loose.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2014
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 30, 2014
Whoa! What a rush!
I started penning this review within a few hours of finishing this book. I didn't want to forget my immediate reactions and thoughts. I'd been having a serious WTF spell with IR romance books for the past few weeks. I was at the point of giving up on the genre if I came across one more "light skin, good hair, light-eyed and body like Lil' Kim" type heroine. Yes there are some serious colorist issues happening in my beloved genre that do not sit well with this Grace Jones/Lupita Nyong'o loving chick.
Finally, a non-traditional romance for grown-ups. Granted, if you're a traditional, hearts and flowers, the hero and heroine riding off into the sunset, Loose is so NOT the book for you. This is pansexual, adult, multicultural, thoughtful, intense, messy but beautiful. On the one hand, I almost balk at labeling this complex story a "romance", considering how many tropes Loose gleefully shatters. On the other hand, whyever not call it what it is? The romance genre could stand another much-needed kick in the ass. Besides, who decided that loving only one person in every way that matters, isn't ROMANTIC? Granted, romance is fantasy, but sometimes it's important to see beyond the fantasy to get to the real and the lasting love.
I'm actually awarding the five stars to Luz Gray as well as to the overall story, which was amazing. Goddess, if there were more romance heroines written like her, I'd be a happy camper indeed. Let's be real here: Latinas, Asian, Native American and Middle Eastern women are even more rare in romance than Black women (and the only reason Black women exist is because we've been the driving force behind the genre of interracial romance). So coming across a Luz was a wonderful surprise. But I had little idea just how awesome this woman turned out to be. If she existed, I'd so want to be best friends with her, and I don't say that about a lot of fictional characters. Sexy, savvy, unapologetic about who she was, where she came from and what she wanted. A woman who loved passionately, but did not need a man (or a baby) to complete her. If any man wanted a "got your back even going through hell in a gasoline thong" kind of woman, Luz was it. She had a level of complex realness I've not seen in pretty much ANY genre in years. If I could cite a true feminist romance heroine, Luz would definitely be at the top of that list.
And sadly, it's a pretty short list.
Interestingly enough, the main character of the book, Chakah DuBois gets totally upstaged (and in my mind rightfully so). She could have been an interesting character. She had an interesting story--black and queer. A physical therapist about to meet the rocker of her dreams? How often are we regaled with a PoC lesbian heroine in any books? She could have been amazing, fearless. At the very least an ordinary lesbian struggling to deal with family issues (which were there in spades). Instead I got pages of "oh woe is me. I'm big, tall and black. Pity me. Until a man (and/or a woman) comes along to validate my existence."
Pardon my French but frack that nonsense!
There were so many times I wanted to snatch Chakah by her locs and knock some sense into her. I wanted to tell her "Act like a freaking ADULT! Tell your black version of Mommy Dearest to step off and make yourself happy!"
I do NOT like sad sack heroines of ANY COLOUR! And I loathe the whole "dark-skinned, big woman equals tragic mammy" trope that seems questionably popular in fiction. Be big! Be beautiful! Be freaking FABULOUS! Take a tip from Gabby Sidibe and Adele! To be fair, coming out and living authentically is hard enough; for PoC, it's even harder, especially for those growing up in highly traditional households and communities where homosexuality is not just frowned upon, but cause for ostracization by the community. And Chakah, bless her, had to deal with not just family, friends and an ex-lover (male) but one of the biggest founts of gossip next to TMZ--the black church. In fact, TMZ could take lessons from Sister Doretha and Deaconess Hazel, lol.
Griffin? Hmm. He had his moments of sweetness and swoonworthy-ness but like Chakah, he also irritated the hell out of me. I wanted to snatch his ass too and remind him that hey, no one expects rock stars to be "traditional". To be fair, I do like my rock stars just slightly hedonistic and not caring about appearances (and I am so not a fan of Maroon 5. I like my rock loud, dangerous with lots of time changes, lol). He could have made Luz happy had he not tried to change her. Had he cared more about who she WAS rather than what he and others wanted her to be (and to her credit, Luz admits she allowed it to happen out of love). The only time he seemed to get that was with his music, and the fact that he's on the knife edge of losing Luz. And the whole "baby mama" thing he was contemplating with Chakah? I wanted to slap him with my trusty Clue Bat. Just ugh! He loved Luz (his wife since they were in their late teens) but he didn't know how to let her BE. A large part of the novel was him having to painfully learn how to.
And yet, I still gave this edgy, gutsy novel five stars. Why?It took risks. It showcased the multi-ethnic polyglot that is San Francisco. I hate when authors whitewash diverse cities, thinking it makes perfect sense. NOT! It went places few romances would dare to go. Bisexuality is explored without judgment. The secondary characters were just as fully realized. I loved Chakah's roommates Briggs and Remy. Briggs especially was ride or die. A black gay man who made his peace with who he was and wanted the same for his girl Chakah. And he wasn't neutered, there were hints of a relationship which I appreciate. Remy was Korean and our first introduction to him is bare-assed, in the middle of a quickie on the shared couch with some woman he'd just met. So much for the stereotypical role of socially inept, nerdy sidekick most Asian male characters are reduced to. The story didn't gloss over the emotional ramifications of a permanent triad. If you're looking for menage-type jollies, this novel will disapoint (though there are some erotic scenes). It showed just how the best of intentions can have unforseen consequences.
And Luz! She really made the entire novel for me. The bad thing is now, I'll probably be comparing every future romance heroine to her and being disappointed because most will fall short.
I started penning this review within a few hours of finishing this book. I didn't want to forget my immediate reactions and thoughts. I'd been having a serious WTF spell with IR romance books for the past few weeks. I was at the point of giving up on the genre if I came across one more "light skin, good hair, light-eyed and body like Lil' Kim" type heroine. Yes there are some serious colorist issues happening in my beloved genre that do not sit well with this Grace Jones/Lupita Nyong'o loving chick.
Finally, a non-traditional romance for grown-ups. Granted, if you're a traditional, hearts and flowers, the hero and heroine riding off into the sunset, Loose is so NOT the book for you. This is pansexual, adult, multicultural, thoughtful, intense, messy but beautiful. On the one hand, I almost balk at labeling this complex story a "romance", considering how many tropes Loose gleefully shatters. On the other hand, whyever not call it what it is? The romance genre could stand another much-needed kick in the ass. Besides, who decided that loving only one person in every way that matters, isn't ROMANTIC? Granted, romance is fantasy, but sometimes it's important to see beyond the fantasy to get to the real and the lasting love.
I'm actually awarding the five stars to Luz Gray as well as to the overall story, which was amazing. Goddess, if there were more romance heroines written like her, I'd be a happy camper indeed. Let's be real here: Latinas, Asian, Native American and Middle Eastern women are even more rare in romance than Black women (and the only reason Black women exist is because we've been the driving force behind the genre of interracial romance). So coming across a Luz was a wonderful surprise. But I had little idea just how awesome this woman turned out to be. If she existed, I'd so want to be best friends with her, and I don't say that about a lot of fictional characters. Sexy, savvy, unapologetic about who she was, where she came from and what she wanted. A woman who loved passionately, but did not need a man (or a baby) to complete her. If any man wanted a "got your back even going through hell in a gasoline thong" kind of woman, Luz was it. She had a level of complex realness I've not seen in pretty much ANY genre in years. If I could cite a true feminist romance heroine, Luz would definitely be at the top of that list.
And sadly, it's a pretty short list.
Interestingly enough, the main character of the book, Chakah DuBois gets totally upstaged (and in my mind rightfully so). She could have been an interesting character. She had an interesting story--black and queer. A physical therapist about to meet the rocker of her dreams? How often are we regaled with a PoC lesbian heroine in any books? She could have been amazing, fearless. At the very least an ordinary lesbian struggling to deal with family issues (which were there in spades). Instead I got pages of "oh woe is me. I'm big, tall and black. Pity me. Until a man (and/or a woman) comes along to validate my existence."
Pardon my French but frack that nonsense!
There were so many times I wanted to snatch Chakah by her locs and knock some sense into her. I wanted to tell her "Act like a freaking ADULT! Tell your black version of Mommy Dearest to step off and make yourself happy!"
I do NOT like sad sack heroines of ANY COLOUR! And I loathe the whole "dark-skinned, big woman equals tragic mammy" trope that seems questionably popular in fiction. Be big! Be beautiful! Be freaking FABULOUS! Take a tip from Gabby Sidibe and Adele! To be fair, coming out and living authentically is hard enough; for PoC, it's even harder, especially for those growing up in highly traditional households and communities where homosexuality is not just frowned upon, but cause for ostracization by the community. And Chakah, bless her, had to deal with not just family, friends and an ex-lover (male) but one of the biggest founts of gossip next to TMZ--the black church. In fact, TMZ could take lessons from Sister Doretha and Deaconess Hazel, lol.
Griffin? Hmm. He had his moments of sweetness and swoonworthy-ness but like Chakah, he also irritated the hell out of me. I wanted to snatch his ass too and remind him that hey, no one expects rock stars to be "traditional". To be fair, I do like my rock stars just slightly hedonistic and not caring about appearances (and I am so not a fan of Maroon 5. I like my rock loud, dangerous with lots of time changes, lol). He could have made Luz happy had he not tried to change her. Had he cared more about who she WAS rather than what he and others wanted her to be (and to her credit, Luz admits she allowed it to happen out of love). The only time he seemed to get that was with his music, and the fact that he's on the knife edge of losing Luz. And the whole "baby mama" thing he was contemplating with Chakah? I wanted to slap him with my trusty Clue Bat. Just ugh! He loved Luz (his wife since they were in their late teens) but he didn't know how to let her BE. A large part of the novel was him having to painfully learn how to.
And yet, I still gave this edgy, gutsy novel five stars. Why?It took risks. It showcased the multi-ethnic polyglot that is San Francisco. I hate when authors whitewash diverse cities, thinking it makes perfect sense. NOT! It went places few romances would dare to go. Bisexuality is explored without judgment. The secondary characters were just as fully realized. I loved Chakah's roommates Briggs and Remy. Briggs especially was ride or die. A black gay man who made his peace with who he was and wanted the same for his girl Chakah. And he wasn't neutered, there were hints of a relationship which I appreciate. Remy was Korean and our first introduction to him is bare-assed, in the middle of a quickie on the shared couch with some woman he'd just met. So much for the stereotypical role of socially inept, nerdy sidekick most Asian male characters are reduced to. The story didn't gloss over the emotional ramifications of a permanent triad. If you're looking for menage-type jollies, this novel will disapoint (though there are some erotic scenes). It showed just how the best of intentions can have unforseen consequences.
And Luz! She really made the entire novel for me. The bad thing is now, I'll probably be comparing every future romance heroine to her and being disappointed because most will fall short.
April 17, 2014
Disappointed- BRAB Online Book Club
I watched the trailer on this book and was very excited and then I read the book, and what a disappointme nt. Griffin Gray, a musician was married to Luz Gray, a bi-sexual woman who was into having threesomes.
Chakah Dubois, a physical therapist was hired to work with Luz after she had an accident. She was also a bi-sexual woman who had an instant attraction to the couple.
There is a hint of BDSM, but not really. Luz wanted out of her marriage but not really. Chakah was confused as ever, plus she had Mommie issues. I felt this book was all over the place and I couldn't put a finger on what type of book it was supposed to be.
There are two authors listed and I have read Savannah Frierson's books and enjoyed every one of them except this. I have never read BJ Thornton but I must reiterate that it was a disappointing read for me.
I watched the trailer on this book and was very excited and then I read the book, and what a disappointme nt. Griffin Gray, a musician was married to Luz Gray, a bi-sexual woman who was into having threesomes.
Chakah Dubois, a physical therapist was hired to work with Luz after she had an accident. She was also a bi-sexual woman who had an instant attraction to the couple.
There is a hint of BDSM, but not really. Luz wanted out of her marriage but not really. Chakah was confused as ever, plus she had Mommie issues. I felt this book was all over the place and I couldn't put a finger on what type of book it was supposed to be.
There are two authors listed and I have read Savannah Frierson's books and enjoyed every one of them except this. I have never read BJ Thornton but I must reiterate that it was a disappointing read for me.
August 17, 2014
I am a fan of this author but I didn't know what to expect.
I struggled with Luz's character. I realize part of it was that she didn't fit neatly in a character type. She was all over the place...but I guess we can all be that way. Chakah's relationship with her mother was painful.
I liked that the author didn't gloss over what it means to be "come out", whether by force or choice, to your family and/or friends.
Once I stopped trying to predict where this story was going, I was able to enjoy the book. You have three people needing to be validated and loved for who they are.
I struggled with Luz's character. I realize part of it was that she didn't fit neatly in a character type. She was all over the place...but I guess we can all be that way. Chakah's relationship with her mother was painful.
I liked that the author didn't gloss over what it means to be "come out", whether by force or choice, to your family and/or friends.
Once I stopped trying to predict where this story was going, I was able to enjoy the book. You have three people needing to be validated and loved for who they are.
April 18, 2014
I loved this book for tackling a nontraditional romance and treating it with respect and delving into the emotions of a deep romance instead of simply employing threesomes for the sexy possibilities. It's so refreshing to read a romance novel where the women aren't all model-level beautiful but don't know it and then men are all heroes who themselves need the love of a sweet woman to be saved. This novel explored the interplay with size, race and sexuality in a way that is so much more real than most. Loved it!
January 4, 2023
I'm a bit conflicted about this one. It was enjoyable and covered a timely topic but I had some issues with the characters. And the ending was left a bit left of center... I need to think about it more.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews