Close Reading

by Anya Birch

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 10, 2026

About the author

Anya Birch is the pen name for two married queer women writing sapphic literary romance from the Pacific Northwest. Both came to fiction from academic careers because fiction could hold what scholarship couldn't. They have twelve published books between them, including award-winning titles and bestsellers, and this is their first collaboration. They live with their two kids and one snuggly dog, and have been meaning to get the garden going for several years now.

Reviews

[Patricia Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel!

This is a love story between two academics whose expertise lies in observation. One is skilled in the sciences, the other in comparative literature. Thrown together on a joint project, Priya and Margot slowly develop a deep relationship despite Margot’s deep-seated resistance to getting enmeshed in anything that has the potential of becoming chaotic (as love does).

Here is a story of patience and growth and unfolding—a slow burn between middle-aged women, whose journey is as important as their destination. Lucky for the reader, the characters are compelling and the trajectory beautifully depicted. At no time does the story drag.

As a writer myself, I was intrigued by the structure of the novel. Close Reading feels like a blend of literary and genre fiction. It is simultaneously sophisticated and relatable. It ends well (the promise of the romance genre) and also reads ‘fresh.’

The story is told in first person, present tense and relies on each of the partners’ observations of the other to unfold the relationship. Until the end, there is minimal dialogue between the characters. You might be skeptical about this, but I assure you that this doesn’t impoverish the story in the least. On the contrary, it makes it richer, a new type of reading adventure.

As the novel phrases it: This is a story about two women who have been having a conversation without words for a very long time. “We talk about nothing that matters, [so] everything we say has the quality of mattering enormously because the talking is not the point. The talking is the surface. The point is underneath.”

I received an Advanced Review Copy of this novel. I will be buying the paperback even though I already possess the e-book version. This novel is a keeper. It merits being re-read. I leave this review voluntarily and with pleasure to be sharing my thoughts about this novel.

[Samantha Holder-Venter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much more than I expected. It was deep and thoughtful and FULL in the best possible way. Nothing felt rushed, and I never felt like the story was skipping over the parts that mattered.

I absolutely adored the way Margot and Priya found each other and how they ended up being exactly what the other needed. Their relationship felt so intentional and deeply satisfying. And, for perhaps the first time ever, I’m not mad that I didn’t get an epilogue. The story did enough. It gave me what I needed and left me feeling completely settled with where they ended up.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the spicy scenes. They were so hot, but not because they were particularly explicit. It was the intimacy of them. The tenderness. The care they had for each other was so incredibly evident, and somehow that made everything feel even hotter.

I really loved how, throughout the entire story, they treated each other with such care and respect. It was so clear that these are mature women later in life, and I genuinely appreciated that. Not once did I find myself rolling my eyes and thinking, oh my god, why are you being stupid? Even Margot, with all her walls, never felt immature to me. There were definitely moments where you could argue that she needed to grow, but needing to grow and being immature aren’t the same thing. Her choices made sense for who she was and what she had been through.

I was also really impressed with the portrayal of two powerful, mature women. And I especially loved that Margot being fat wasn’t treated as the defining feature of her character or her story. It was simply part of who she was. Fantastic representation.

Honestly, this book and these characters made me feel settled. And I think that’s one of the nicest things a romance can leave you feeling.

I loved this one so much.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She looks like someone turned the lights off in her a long time ago and someone needs to turn them back on.”

I’m so glad I took a chance on this book! Close reading is a sapphic slow burn featuring women in their 40s with established lives, careers, and baggage. Both are single mothers. Priya is divorced from her husband and has two sons. Margot has an adopted daughter that she raised alone after her cheating girlfriend/partner of four years left her. Both women are academics, college professors at Ardmore College in the Pacific Northwest, and from different fields of study. Margot is from Comparative Literature and Priya is from Ecology and Environmental Science. The two women are assigned to work on a collaborative project between their departments that will last for months. During this time a fondness and love grows between them that is slow and quiet.

I loved the tone and vibe of this book. The author’s writing style is very different from most contemporary romances that I’m used to reading. The writing was smart and academic but also accessible. Despite this being a slow burn the pacing was not slow. The book never dragged and I found myself staying up too late to read “just one more chapter.” One thing that I didn’t enjoy as much was how the author’s tone dominated the characters completely. There were times I had to double check whose chapter I was reading because the book was that cohesive. This isn’t entirely a bad thing but I would have liked each character’s voice to be a bit more distinct. I really identified with Margot and her “System.” I felt seen and was grateful for Priya coming Into Margot’s life and seeing her. We should all be so blessed to have a Priya in our lives.

[Brittany Michaele · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to thank the publisher for the arc copy. all opinions are my own. this review does contain spoilers.

So, I got 4 chapters in and gave up. This book has the quality of writing I'd expect from someone who was given a word count and filled in the blanks with as many descriptors as possible. As shown in the examples below:

"The blazer fits as all my blazers do: precisely, because I have them tailored, because the difference between a blazer that fits and a blazer that almost fits is the difference between armor and a costume, and I stopped wearing costumes a long time ago."

"I know Bea speaks of her with a tenderness Bea reserves for people she has decided to protect—not everyone, and not lightly—and this tells me something I don’t yet have the context to interpret. Bea’s protectiveness is a signal. It means there is something to protect, something that happened, something that made the protection necessary."

And then there's the character descriptions...why are 2 female characters described as fat? There are so many words you could use to describe a heavier set woman and you chose FAT??? Really? But the male character is described as soft around the middle. I did a double take then back tracked to fact check myself.

Overall I found this disappointing. The idea is so cute, with so many lovely tropes I adore. To bad the writing doesn't live up to it.

[Marion Slomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as an ARC read, recommended by someone from my bookclub, and I loved it !

The two characters are as opposed as two people can be, and somehow they find a way to communicate together.
Some will say Margot is a bit too much about the walls she built, and her "systems", but it's a common thing in romance : after being brokenhearted in the worst way possible and at the worst time possible, you understand why she would keep people at arm-length.

As most "ennemies to lovers", this is a (really) slow burn and you have enough time to get attached to the character, and so their "firsts" are even more intense.
You can see how Priya, the least patient woman on earth (except for me), has the patience and kindness to break every brick of the wall one by one, and how, without knowing it, she gives Margot the biggest reassurance ever by connecting with Sophia and being patient and kind with her as well, still remaining herself.

The story is not only about how two women find each other, it's also about friendship and about being a witness to your kids growing up. I found a great amount of tenderness in this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next novels of Lavender House.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's slow, deliberate - like the main characters. Margot is deliberate and controlled because it's the only way she knows to stay safe. Priya is deliberate and controlled because Margot needs that and Priya is determined to support Margot for as long as it takes for the walls to come down.

The MCs and supporting characters are deeply layered and well written. Margot and Priya are middle aged and their maturity fills the pages. The writing is sometimes dense, as is needed when the plot involves 2 university professors writing a research paper. I enjoyed that, though some may not.

This is a SLOOWWW burn - a glacially slow burn. If you need spice in the first 10 pages, this is not your book. But if you want real characters with real issues - especially older characters with imperfect bodies and the baggage that comes with life - Close Reading is a good choice.

I'm curious to read the rest of the Lavendar House series, and am anxious for the next one!

[Danielle Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got an ARC copy

I loved it! The characters feel mature which is fitting since they are in their 40s. I think this does a great job of showing what adult love looks like. It's all in ordinary small things that make a lasting connection.

[Jasmine Shouse]

DNF at 10%

Not the book's fault. I'm just not in the mood for something as cozy as this seems to be. Will revisit when I need something slower-paced and relaxing.