Mine

by Georgia Beers, Natalie Duke (Narrator)

Listening Length: 7 hours and 59 minutes
What happens when you’ve already given your heart and love finds you again?

Three years after Courtney McAllister loses her partner in a car accident, she’s finally trying to move forward. She’s even dated half heartedly over the past year, but no one is able to penetrate her emotional barricades until she meets aggressive real estate broker Rachel Hart. Despite Rachel’s cool facade, Courtney is drawn to her—when she isn’t furious with her. Still, despite an undeniable attraction, Courtney has given her heart once and doesn’t have room for that kind of love in her life again. Rachel isn’t looking for love, especially not with a woman who belongs to someone else, and taking second place has never been her long suit.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Fiction, Fiction, Queer

Audible Audio

First published October 22, 2007

About the author

Lambda and Golden Crown Literary Award-winning author Georgia Beers lives in Rochester, New York. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and published her first lesbian novel in 2000.

Reviews

[Harrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn't as intense as usually books with grief/loss are. I understand Courtney's reluctance to let Theresa go but I didn't connect with her enough to feel it so I just ended up feeling bad for poor Rachel. The supporting characters especially Courtney's friends were likable. Also whatever happened to the creepy neighbour?

[Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Beers is always a safe bet. This is no exception.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fairly quick read, and I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. I liked it. I really liked that it tackled a difficult subject - loss of one's partner - from several different character's perspectives. My only reason for giving it 4-stars was because I felt it could have been a little longer, with a little more depth with all the characters. I settled on 5-stars because it seems unfair to lower the rating because I liked it so much and wanted more.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. Overall, it was good, but not one I would reread. The grief was well-written. I guess, I'm just used to reading more light-hearted books.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 3.86 ***

Another book that describes my personal experience with the loss of a partner and trying to live your life again once the pain stops being so sharp...

[hubsie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's refreshing when I see a review of older or random reads in amongst all the ARC reviews of the same titles, y'know? I'm actually surprised I hadn't read this one of Ms. Beers', as I have read almost all of her titles.

This was just an ok book, very short and kept my interest, though it was not very strong content-wise. MC Courtney has lost her partner of 10 years and is trying to get on with her life. The realtor who sells her home is other MC, Rachel with the ice-blue eyes and smokin' hot body show. I thought Ms. Beers did a solid job of delving into Courtney's grief, her thoughts and emotions being believable, the guilt she felt moving on absolutely tangible. I thought she did this very maturely, even the awkward scene where the two first try to hook up and things go somewhat awry. I felt sorry for them both. Had they just fallen into bed and had mind blowing sex without even mentioning Courtney's emotional struggles would have been unrealistic.

However, I didn't really feel the sparks between them. Rachel is cold and blunt and standoffish at the beginning. Unsure why Courtney was drawn to her, unless it was all lust-induced. Rachel apparently liked her deep green eyes, but other than that....not a lot of lead up, and love seemed to happen pretty quick. Something just felt off. These two won't be making my top 10 list of lesfic couples.

Big gap: why was oddball neighbour Bob Ross even introduced? I actually thought this was going to be a much different version of the title "Mine," thinking a stalker/creeper was going to emerge. That would have been awesome drama! There's even the scene where he's peering into Courtney's home in the dark . Then....nothing! Nothing is ever mentioned again! Courtney never does get her vegetables he promises! I fucking love vegetables. (and doesn't everyone know someone named Bob Ross? I know I do.)

I listened to the audio of this, and the narrator was pretty good, except for Rachel's voice. Multiple times it is mentioned she has a husky voice, but the narrator was perky and somewhat robotic with her voice. It didn't fit.

Overall 2.5.5 on this one.

[Women Using Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book just got to me. Beers deals with loss and love so delicately and beautifully. The scene with the message machine hit me hard and I will probably never forget it. She took something ordinary and made it so relatable. It captured all the feelings of loss and grief so exceptionally well. Wonderful storytelling. Well told story.

[Farah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Courtney lost the love of her life two and a half years ago. She was having a difficult time to move on, the scene where she was looking at the pictures of her and her wife was really sad.. I could actually feel her lost. She made the decision to sell the house that she bought with her wife and that was how she met her next love interest.
I could not see the sparks between these two ladies, the next thing I read, they were dating then in a relationship. Not my cup of water, maybe it'll be your glass of wine.

[isa Simonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to be very fast and especially very clear: the books of Beers I wouldn’t bother to make a review of each of her books. You can go there with your eyes closed, everything is good, her writing, her stories , her characters, everything. Go ahead, read Georgia Beers without hesitation !!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Beers just gets better and better as an author. As I read her early works ( this one from 2007) I am enjoying her finding her voice and her rhythms. This story about love and loss in different settings. Courtney has lost her love in a car crash three years ago and Rachel is the product of divorce when her family broke apart at 13. Each of them carries scars and makes their budding relationship so hard to navigate. This story has moments of sadness, of regret, of introspection and of joy. I liked this story for its mix of emotions. On to the next Beers story.

[Female Person · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry, I know it's hard to get over the death of a loved one but this book was crappy and painfully annoying. I felt sorry for Rachel throughout this book, right until the end she was competing for Courtney's absolute and complete love which she didn't get and supposedly couldn't get. She was constantly competing with memories of Theresa. All the sex scenes except the last one irritated me and made me cringe. I actually hoped Rachel would leave Courtney, give up on their hopeless romance and pursue someone else.


Georgia Beers undeniably shed some light onto the hardships of getting over the death of a loved one and accepting love again. But this was not the recipe for the perfect romance novel, the romance novel we all crave where the characters find themselves in an all encompassing love, where their love overshadows everything and every other experience of love pales in comparison. It's what we seek in a romance novel, the lie of a love unblemished, absolute and uninterrupted that we crave to fill whatever emotional iota we might have. This book failed in this regard in so many ways. It was not fictional enough I suppose. I guess if your seeking a realistic sort of romance novel this is it. But for me this book was meh and bleh

[MEC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah now ... this is where my true colours appear to come out. I’m a sucker for romance. I picked this book up because Amazon kept telling me I’d like it and then it was staring at me when I was shopping one afternoon at AfterStonewall (displaying the cover definitely makes a difference when you have 10 foot tall bookshelves crammed with lesbian themed novels). The main character, Courtney McAllister, is slowly putting her life back together after her partner passed away three years ago. She’s trying to move on with her life and move from the house that they had shared. After a rather disastrous first meeting with Rachel Hart, her realtor, the two women proceed with a rather touching romance as their relationship develops slowly and they both deal with their own doubts and fears. Courtney’s grief and guilt are still raw and need to be dealt with – which Beers handles admirably and made me stop and think about what the loss of a partner would be like. As this is a romance, the focus of the book both of them and their relationship are well developed and there are lots of sweet, funny and poignant moments between the two – and a nice bit of chemistry. A very nice romance novel.

[Brooklyn Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Beers is one of my favorite authors. Her warm romances, and light drama always make for a good read. Mine was a difficult book for me. Although I have never lost a partner, it always plays in the back of my mind; how I would deal with things if the unthinkable occurred. This book caused me to examine those thoughts, and I found myself wondering if I might feel the same way Courtney was throughout the story, missing Theresa and feeling as though she was cheating on her for moving on. Although I enjoyed Rachel's character, she didn't hold the same interest as Courtney's character did. In the end, everything worked out between Rachel and Courtney, but I was left with the feeling that although one's physical relationship may end upon the passing of a partner, the emotional bond that is formed, never really dies. It simply matures, becoming part of the person and allowing them, if they so choose, to move one with another.
A delicate subject, and at times difficult to read. I would, however, recommend this book to any Georgia Beers fan.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shows the potential for Beers' future success

“Was it possible to give your heart fully to more than one person? Did humans have the ability to find true love a second time? … God, she hoped so. She was too damn young to be alone for the rest of her life. It wasn’t fair.”

“She never had trouble finding a woman who was interested in her. What she did have trouble finding was a woman who interested her.”

“How can it be bad? We can’t be expected to grieve forever, can we? We need to be able to move on. Right?”
+ • + • + • +

Its a book with so much potential from a creative & captive storyline that unfortunately ends up falling well short. Lacking development , details & intimacy in the scenes, characters & situations leaves it feeling more like a summary or outline—not a finished book. Everything seemed to happen in like warp speed & with no emotions or imagery to connect with... If the author reissued an updated version that developed & expounded on the characters & the narrative more, it could potentially be more than just a quickie subpar offering.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Georgia Beer's books and this one is no different. I really felt she captured the difficulties someone would go through when they are trying to move on from the love of their life when they unexpectedly passed away. I think in many romance novels that cover this topic doesn't really focus on the guilt and feeling of cheating they have the way Beer's was able to portray in this book.

As always for me I loved the characters and would reread in the future.

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book is honestly so frustrating.

Both heroines are awesome. I love them both from the very beginning of the story. But there just aren't enough 'intimacy' or intimate moments throughout the story.

Overall, it feels as though the author had wasted two very awesome female leads with poor plot structuring and scene writing.

If you are looking for a book with lots of emotional/intimate moments, then you certainly won't find much here.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a Georgia Beers book. This one was no exception.

**Doing a re-read 3 years after my first reading. **

Finished the re-read. Yeah, I cried a few times. So what?

[Ulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Beers is one of my absolute favourite writers, and this one is really good!

[Yoly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about real loss. It's Georgia Beers, so of course it was good.

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feeling sorry for Rachel. ...but when the heart sets on what it wants it don't matter

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this somewhat difficult story. Two very strong characters whose world had been altered by loss. Georgia Beers delicately helps us look at difficult issues. Rachel lost her innocent, gentle heart when her folks divorced. She had to learn to fend for herself and her younger sister at too young because her mom checked out. Courtney lost her wife to an accident and her heart shattered. As she begins to move on by selling the house they lived in she meets Rachel. I really love the dance they do throughout the story as they admitted to a connection. It was both sad and heart wrenching to see them open to each other. It was so wonderful how they helped each other grow into a new step in living. I would like to have more in their story, seems like they were just so loving by the end of the story but I loved their growth. The tackle of such hard issues in such loving even fun dialogue was beautiful. I loved this book.

[Alealea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went on a Binge last Friday that is still ongoing, a GB binge to be specific and I had a bit of everything, some good stories, some peanuts, and some I almost dnf.

This one was pretty good.
It goes for a touchy subject, widowing and starting over, and does it really well.
The widow is a great character, the romance is sweet, the secondary characters are mostly well drawn and solid.
The only flashback was well-time, and a pretty powerful kick in the stomach and added the right tension.
The wet dreams were... well pretty hot ^^

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone handles grief in their own way. There is not one “correct” way to grieve. But after losing a spouse/partner, it is comforting to learn that your struggles an feelings are a normal part of the process. I loved the way Courtney wasn’t afraid to join a support group for grief. The willingness of both main characters to look at themselves and their lives was a plus for this story. Liked both Courtney and Rachel and the supportive cast of characters that helped them “see”. And yes, I did have to wipe my cheeks a couple of times (is it raining in here?). Good story!

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Georgia Beers books. This was no exception. The story centers on the loss of a partner after a fatal car accident and the period of grief of the one left behind. It also deals with parent's issues, resentments, let downs and it does it very well. The characters are likeable and you feel for them. It is a sweet romantic story, love reigns over baggage and fear of commitment. I can always count on a Beers story to lift my spirits.

[Regina Pride · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of Ms Beers early works, and where it was well written, it did not seem to have the same voice or style that I have associated her latter books to have. Some of her usual humor was lacking in this book. I say this just to point this not, not to put it down because I still enjoyed this book. It was more dramatic, and it spoke of another side of her, but yet quite good also.

[Jan Gwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

touching portrayal of loss of a loved one

This book had me cheering and crying many times. The parts about grief counseling and support groups hit especially hard. When they finally got their feelings about each other and their varied losses in the past out in the open, was a great way to finish the book

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, it has interesting characters and a good if a bit meandering story. Like a lot of romance novels its plot lite but character heavy, but that works well if the author is good with the characters.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s painfully well written. It’s a heavy subject and even though there’s a sweet romance, it stays a heavy subject. The story offers hope, hope that it gets easier, hope to find love again, but in the end I could still feel the weight on my heart and the tears in my eyes.

[Vita L. Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two beautiful women with baggage. This was a riveting, complicated story. But the compassion throughout is palpable. I couldn't put it down , I'd love to know more about Rachel and Courtney. Both intelligent, complicated, loving women. You won't be disappointed.

[Mayra Luria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart warming, difficult and healing

Never disappoints and always brings new perspectives to human issues and great romances with wonderful characters and endings.
The only warning is I couldn’t put the book down so make sure you have time to read.