What do you think?
Rate this book
Hotel Liaison #1
Hotel Liaison
Two women searching through a secret past discover that their brief hotel liaison is only the beginning.
Laurel Hoffman, an associate professor of women's studies in Berkeley, struggles to stay on track for tenure while caught up in the last throes of a crumbling relationship with a senior colleague. When she hears of a hotel being renovated and a secret room full of papers about women who once stayed there, she knows she has a potential career-saving article.
Stefanie Beresford, the hotel owner, is not exactly receptive when Laurel approaches her about researching the hotel’s history, but that doesn't stop her from flirting with the alluring academic. She doesn't need the distraction, but for the first time in her life she wants to take a chance on more than a fleeting encounter.
While Laurel can't deny her powerful feelings for Stefanie, she fears she's risking her heart as well as her future if she acts on her desires. But can a simple encounter between two rational adults really be all that dangerous?
Laurel Hoffman, an associate professor of women's studies in Berkeley, struggles to stay on track for tenure while caught up in the last throes of a crumbling relationship with a senior colleague. When she hears of a hotel being renovated and a secret room full of papers about women who once stayed there, she knows she has a potential career-saving article.
Stefanie Beresford, the hotel owner, is not exactly receptive when Laurel approaches her about researching the hotel’s history, but that doesn't stop her from flirting with the alluring academic. She doesn't need the distraction, but for the first time in her life she wants to take a chance on more than a fleeting encounter.
While Laurel can't deny her powerful feelings for Stefanie, she fears she's risking her heart as well as her future if she acts on her desires. But can a simple encounter between two rational adults really be all that dangerous?
230 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2008
3 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
J. Lee Meyer
6 books29 followersJLee Meyer utilizes her background in psychology and speech pathology in her work as an international communication consultant. Spending time in airports, planes and hotel rooms allows her the opportunity to pursue two of her favorite passions: reading and writing lesbian fiction.
JLee and her life partner celebrate their lives together in both Northern California and Manhattan.
JLee and her life partner celebrate their lives together in both Northern California and Manhattan.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 30, 2015
Some potentially interesting characters, and I loved the idea of a mysterious cache being found in a hotel, but this didn't really work for me overall—too much emphasis on evil villains who are evilly evil. Not enough for the ex-girlfriend (or soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend) to be abusive—she has to be abusive and an alcoholic and twelve different kinds of unethical and not very bright (despite being a university department chair) and controlling and a sore loser and a philanderer (or at least ready to hit on anything with breasts) and (presumably) bad in bed. With no redeeming characteristics whatsoever.
I can handle one unrealistic villain (and there were some things the author got right, like the time between deciding to leave and leaving being the most dangerous for someone in an abusive situation), but unfortunately it wasn't one; in addition to the female villain above, there's a whole slew of male villains with greasy hair and cigar-chomping habits who are hell-bent on putting down women because...because...because...
Right.
True, let's face it, there are plenty of chauvinists and misogynists out there...but there are also plenty of decent guys,* and the only one who shows up in this novel is kind of...ineffectual and weak-willed. The rest of them all sneer and preen and chortle and high-five each other because, ha-ha! they're screwing women over.
I did like that there was complexity in other areas, with multiple major characters and plotlines. Some of those I did want to be extended—Mrs. C's story could have been its own book, although perhaps better suited to another genre, and Laurel's future in terms of work is a giant question mark. And although I admire her stubbornness, Ember's story also seems unresolved. More mystery would have been nice, too. It was an easy read while I did errands, but not something that's likely to stick with me.
*Or so I am led to understand; my s.o. will tell you that I don't know any guys.
I can handle one unrealistic villain (and there were some things the author got right, like the time between deciding to leave and leaving being the most dangerous for someone in an abusive situation), but unfortunately it wasn't one; in addition to the female villain above, there's a whole slew of male villains with greasy hair and cigar-chomping habits who are hell-bent on putting down women because...because...because...
Right.
True, let's face it, there are plenty of chauvinists and misogynists out there...but there are also plenty of decent guys,* and the only one who shows up in this novel is kind of...ineffectual and weak-willed. The rest of them all sneer and preen and chortle and high-five each other because, ha-ha! they're screwing women over.
I did like that there was complexity in other areas, with multiple major characters and plotlines. Some of those I did want to be extended—Mrs. C's story could have been its own book, although perhaps better suited to another genre, and Laurel's future in terms of work is a giant question mark. And although I admire her stubbornness, Ember's story also seems unresolved. More mystery would have been nice, too. It was an easy read while I did errands, but not something that's likely to stick with me.
*Or so I am led to understand; my s.o. will tell you that I don't know any guys.
April 5, 2015
Some parts were fun, the "exciting" and "gloat-worthy" type. Other parts were just meh. Some characters were well written, most were just cardboard cut-outs. I liked the story but not that much. The protagonists are unbelievably lucky people. hahaha! I say let the needle infinitely wobble between 2.5 and 3.
April 2, 2022
Determined to renovate and open a hotel for women in San Francisco, Stephanie breaks from her wealthy, hotel-owning family and sets out on a venture with her best friend, Denny and Denny's mom. When a wall is broken down during the renovation, a treasure trove of documents are discovered. Alerted to this by a student, Professor Laurel Hoffman thinks these documents may help her advance toward tenure. But she hides the project from her abuse partner who is also head of her department. When Laurel meets Stephanie, there's an instant attraction but many complications. The plot of the book not only focuses on the romance, but on efforts to finance the renovation, a plot to undermine the whole venture, the increasing violence in Laurel's relationship, and mysteries of just what was going on in that hotel in its past.
I was very engaged in the book, following all of these threads through to the end. I'm going with a 4 because there were loose ends that the author didn't tie up (e.g., the mysterious behavior of Denny's mother, the possible romantic connection between Denny and the contractor, Jock; and the fate of the young student, Ember). Also, Laurel's recovery from her abusive relationship was way too easy. No therapy, just a new relationship.
Also, a content warning: the book features scenes of domestic violence that are pretty graphic. Because it was published in 2008, these kinds of warnings were not yet in use.
I was very engaged in the book, following all of these threads through to the end. I'm going with a 4 because there were loose ends that the author didn't tie up (e.g., the mysterious behavior of Denny's mother, the possible romantic connection between Denny and the contractor, Jock; and the fate of the young student, Ember). Also, Laurel's recovery from her abusive relationship was way too easy. No therapy, just a new relationship.
Also, a content warning: the book features scenes of domestic violence that are pretty graphic. Because it was published in 2008, these kinds of warnings were not yet in use.
January 25, 2021
Everyone is gay, unless they're a bad white guy.
February 21, 2017
Nice character development but too many coincidences
October 28, 2015
What can I say, it was fluff. It was fun, escapist fluff with a feminist flavour (without bringing in critical theory or anything more than 2 dimensional).I read it all in one day. I guess it was the sort of fluff I really wanted to be reading. Also one of the hot protagonists was "Stef". How awesome is that?
I'm not dissing it for not being more learned. And it wasn't a "skip to the sex scene" sort of a book either, there was stuff that happned in between- good guys and bad guys and friendship and idealism.
FUN
I'm not dissing it for not being more learned. And it wasn't a "skip to the sex scene" sort of a book either, there was stuff that happned in between- good guys and bad guys and friendship and idealism.
FUN
January 5, 2013
Compared to other lesbian books it was actually a book I enjoyed. It wasn't about sex sex sex. It was a developing of the characters. I love learning history and so to know she is brought in on this room for feminist rights in the past was intriguing. Adding romance to it as well as a bitchy soon to be ex that shows how people just like in real life use other people for there own ends. I would read again.
August 4, 2011
Not the best. There were a lot of coincidences, the male characters were pretty one-dimensional, and I had a hard time just believing the plot.
January 23, 2016
Absolutely loved iiit! A lot of powerful women, a lot of fun!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews