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The Right Time
Timing is critical in so many of the events that make up our lives. Your dismal scores on the SAT forced you to attend your safety school, but you met the people who formed the peer group that has loved and supported you for your entire adult life. If it hadn't been raining, you wouldn't have dashed into the coffee shop and met the cute barista you spent your thirties with. Small decisions, some almost inconsequential, each producing big results.
When Hennessy Boudreaux's boss asks her to talk an insolent young woman into leaving the limo she's commandeered, she never could have guessed that day would change her life. But meeting Townsend Bartley does indeed change her life, for better and worse. Through the years, their lives float together, then drift apart, always with the promise of love just out of reach.
Obstacles, some of them massive, continue to trip them up and make their dreams seem insurmountable. But patience, hard work, and timing can work together to produce a love too strong, too vibrant and too fulfilling for any woman to resist.
When Hennessy Boudreaux's boss asks her to talk an insolent young woman into leaving the limo she's commandeered, she never could have guessed that day would change her life. But meeting Townsend Bartley does indeed change her life, for better and worse. Through the years, their lives float together, then drift apart, always with the promise of love just out of reach.
Obstacles, some of them massive, continue to trip them up and make their dreams seem insurmountable. But patience, hard work, and timing can work together to produce a love too strong, too vibrant and too fulfilling for any woman to resist.
514 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2015
17 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Susan X. Meagher
59 books370 followersSusan X Meagher was born in southern Illinois and grew up in East St Louis. She attended college in Chicago and started her working career there. She and her partner moved to the Los Angeles area in the late 80's. It was there that she started to write. Her first few books were simply posted on the web and became the I Found My Heart in San Francisco series. In 2002 she moved to New York and divides her time between Manhattan and the Jersey Shore. She has published thirteen books in the series and has gone on to write many individual books as well. She has partnered with other authors on two short story books and has written many stories that have been published in other mainstream anthologies. Susan is active in the lesbian author community and loves to attend Women's week at Provincetown and the GCLS annual conventions. Her stories revolve around the relationships that two women can build when given a chance and how those relationships can strengthen the individual and the partnership. Her genre is lesbian romance/fiction and she believes strongly in the happy ending that we all so deserve. Susan X Meagher was awarded a 2011 Lesbian Fiction Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite Lesbian Fiction Writer. She is the recipient of the 2014 Alice B. Medal for her body of work.
From the author's website: I live in New York with my spouse, Carrie. We've lived in Chicago and Los Angeles for significant periods, but New York fits us very well. I love to discuss my work and fiction in general. My goal in writing is to explore feelings. I want to entertain, but I also want to make people think. I've heard that life is all about finding out who we are. To me, life if about finding out who other people are. I'm interested in the small details of life, that's how a story about two young women in college is slowly becoming a 26 book series. The joke in Seinfield was that it was about nothing. I feel the same about most of my books. They are about the many things that happen when nothing is happening. The small joys and sorrows of everyday life can be fascinating, especially if you care about the people involved. I try to create characters that will make a reader care deeply. I'm always interested in hearing how close I am to that goal. So please drop me a line whenever you have a comment or a question about a story. Writing is a pretty solitary pursuit and it's great to know that I'm not alone.
From the author's website: I live in New York with my spouse, Carrie. We've lived in Chicago and Los Angeles for significant periods, but New York fits us very well. I love to discuss my work and fiction in general. My goal in writing is to explore feelings. I want to entertain, but I also want to make people think. I've heard that life is all about finding out who we are. To me, life if about finding out who other people are. I'm interested in the small details of life, that's how a story about two young women in college is slowly becoming a 26 book series. The joke in Seinfield was that it was about nothing. I feel the same about most of my books. They are about the many things that happen when nothing is happening. The small joys and sorrows of everyday life can be fascinating, especially if you care about the people involved. I try to create characters that will make a reader care deeply. I'm always interested in hearing how close I am to that goal. So please drop me a line whenever you have a comment or a question about a story. Writing is a pretty solitary pursuit and it's great to know that I'm not alone.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 10, 2015
It's Susan Meagher so of course it's a good, long story !! Watching two teenage girls, grow and mature. Dealing with addiction and sobriety as well as coming out. Was a little slow paced, but it made you see the growth of the girls. I am craving fried chicken and gravy now, as well as good sweet tea!
September 11, 2021
Love lost and lost found which spanned over 10 years between 17 years old self-destructive, alcoholic rich girl Townsend and 18 years old house leader Hennessy who met during summer camp. What follow is lots of heartache and angst between 2 persons who first fell in love at the wrong time and against all odds finally have their HEA
Solid 4 ⭐️
Solid 4 ⭐️
October 20, 2015
This is one of those books where, if I was rating it on my enjoyment alone, I'd give it a 2 but I appreciate that the quality of the work is better than that, and as such, shouldn't be marked that low just because it's not my cup of tea.
This book sprawls. It's not just slow build, it's snail build and covers our leads over 20 years. I actually it look forward to seeing more books expand their horizons, so to speak - as the in build constraints of print run considerations becoming less and less a factor. But. It's too slow and too sprawling for my tastes.
Plus one of our leads, Hennesay, is too good. Too pure hearted. On the flip side, Townsend, our other lead, is too stereotypically troubled but rescued etc etc
Having said that, I can absolutely see how someone else will love this book and it's slow southern charm.
Just not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
This book sprawls. It's not just slow build, it's snail build and covers our leads over 20 years. I actually it look forward to seeing more books expand their horizons, so to speak - as the in build constraints of print run considerations becoming less and less a factor. But. It's too slow and too sprawling for my tastes.
Plus one of our leads, Hennesay, is too good. Too pure hearted. On the flip side, Townsend, our other lead, is too stereotypically troubled but rescued etc etc
Having said that, I can absolutely see how someone else will love this book and it's slow southern charm.
Just not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
August 1, 2018
This book would have easily gotten all the stars, if not for the end. The journey was amazing, a long ass book that I could really dig in. The characters stories were amazing, that being said, they deserved a better ending...at least a couple of chapters. Worth the ride though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2016
A love story full of angst, heartbreak and missed opportunities, this is a romance that stretches out over 10 years. A story very much in 2 halves. In the first a self destructive and self-abusive rich kid and a girl from the wrong side of the wrong side of the tracks find a bond that forms a lifetime connection. In the second 2 women with complex lives and relationships reconnect over and over again, but never seem to both be in the right time and place.
Susan Meagher is a great storyteller, she creates meaningful plots, strong characters and deep emotions. She deals with complex situations and real life issues with care and attention.
The first half of this book was not an easy read for me. I appreciated the intent, and the way in which the author deals with such a difficult subject, but it was too long, too drawn out, too much angst. The goody is just too good and her denial too prolonged, I couldn’t bring myself to like her. The point of the first section, as well as defining the characters and history, dealing with the impact alcoholism on the individual and their children, is to set the scene for the deep-seated love these women share.
This leads us to a more traditional romance, where we see both women long for something they think they’ve lost the chance of, and as each one reaches for it the other seems to have just moved away. The denouement is everything we expect… except the author fades to black, ending the novel without giving us the expected thrill, an unusual move from an author who is not normally shy of explicit sex scenes.
For me the second half of the novel was just intriguing enough to overcome my frustration of the scene setting, but only just. I struggled to get through that first section without giving up, and that is the first time I have ever had to force myself to read on in one of Susan Meagher’s books.
This story will speak to many women out there who have struggled with their own addictions, or those of their loved ones, especially a parent or child. It is extremely well done, and like a great tragedy from a classic author, it takes work from the reader. Not a light read or a gentle romance, but worth the effort.
3.5 stars from me
Susan Meagher is a great storyteller, she creates meaningful plots, strong characters and deep emotions. She deals with complex situations and real life issues with care and attention.
The first half of this book was not an easy read for me. I appreciated the intent, and the way in which the author deals with such a difficult subject, but it was too long, too drawn out, too much angst. The goody is just too good and her denial too prolonged, I couldn’t bring myself to like her. The point of the first section, as well as defining the characters and history, dealing with the impact alcoholism on the individual and their children, is to set the scene for the deep-seated love these women share.
This leads us to a more traditional romance, where we see both women long for something they think they’ve lost the chance of, and as each one reaches for it the other seems to have just moved away. The denouement is everything we expect… except the author fades to black, ending the novel without giving us the expected thrill, an unusual move from an author who is not normally shy of explicit sex scenes.
For me the second half of the novel was just intriguing enough to overcome my frustration of the scene setting, but only just. I struggled to get through that first section without giving up, and that is the first time I have ever had to force myself to read on in one of Susan Meagher’s books.
This story will speak to many women out there who have struggled with their own addictions, or those of their loved ones, especially a parent or child. It is extremely well done, and like a great tragedy from a classic author, it takes work from the reader. Not a light read or a gentle romance, but worth the effort.
3.5 stars from me
February 12, 2018
I think this book lacks an epilogue
July 6, 2020
Susan X Meagher's lesbian romance THE RIGHT TIME is a stunning and memorable tale of two young women who first meet at a summer camp. They are attracted to one another, but each has a lot of baggage to resolve and, for them, it's the wrong time. How does one get to the right time? Well, Meagher's psychological study of growing up lesbian pits two marvelously detailed characters, Hennessey Boudreaux from South Carolina and Townsend Bartley from Boston, for and against each other until--via the process of living--they grow up and figure it out. It's the perfect three-act play and extremely well written. Meagher pens novels with lots of glorious detail that feed your senses as well as your mind and emotions. This is a top-notch read, and I can highly recommend it.
April 14, 2016
In a few words: Slow. Long. Angst.
July 23, 2025
Young girls being too casual about men and sex is definitely worse than alcoholism! But no one is ever brave enough to say it, and the first half of the story is just awful, so if you want a lighthearted story, I suggest you leave
February 14, 2017
This is one of my favorite books, I've read the e-book and the academy version at least 5 times and it captures me every time
July 6, 2016
Tissues are required.
I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started this book. The two main characters Hennessey and Townsend where excellent. The storyline of their friendship and troubles made for a story that kept me reading. it was definitely a slow moving storyline. I was kinda of disappointment that it end just like it did. But I would definitely recommend this book.
I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started this book. The two main characters Hennessey and Townsend where excellent. The storyline of their friendship and troubles made for a story that kept me reading. it was definitely a slow moving storyline. I was kinda of disappointment that it end just like it did. But I would definitely recommend this book.
December 19, 2015
I'm having a tough time rating this. The story is well written but I wasn't expecting the characters to be teenagers and about 1/2 thru I realized this storyline just isn't my cup of tea. From a technical standpoint its cohesive, but personally I've had enough romantic entanglements with alcoholics/people with drinking problems to not enjoy reading about them for pleasure.
October 5, 2015
Read this online some time back, this is a substantially extended. cleaned up and improved version. Even better now if my memory serves me right.
December 24, 2018
turns out to be a long read. so much angst and missed opportunities. still glad I read this, it has strong characters and their development through the book were realistic, given the timeline and relatable. there were times, I couldn't bring myself to read the sad parts, the author was too good at tugging heartstrings, I could hardly bear it. it's good as most of the times when I'm reading, I'll roll my eyes for their plot are too dramatic and unrealistic.
only thing I was disappointed about was the short ending, given the length of the book depicting how close Hennessey's family were, I would hope to read what's life like after the finally got together. all the angst and sadness, a good chapter to share the bliss would have been awesome. they are so cute together.
only thing I was disappointed about was the short ending, given the length of the book depicting how close Hennessey's family were, I would hope to read what's life like after the finally got together. all the angst and sadness, a good chapter to share the bliss would have been awesome. they are so cute together.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews