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The Lavender List
After the Second World War, Amelia Maldonado opts to live a quiet life bussing tables at a diner during the day and going out for auditions at night. The one bright spot is her friendship with the charming Laura Wright, a well-heeled woman with a mysterious war-related past.
When Laura shows up outside the diner barely conscious and spitting lousy lies, Amelia takes it upon herself to figure out the truth. From mobsters to spies, Amelia quickly finds herself forced back into a world of shadows she thought she’d escaped long ago and thrust into partnership with the one person she’s sure can ruin her—the enigmatic Laura Wright.
62,000 words
When Laura shows up outside the diner barely conscious and spitting lousy lies, Amelia takes it upon herself to figure out the truth. From mobsters to spies, Amelia quickly finds herself forced back into a world of shadows she thought she’d escaped long ago and thrust into partnership with the one person she’s sure can ruin her—the enigmatic Laura Wright.
62,000 words
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2016
3 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Meg Harrington
3 books11 followersMeg Harrington is the author of several popular fic series online and lives in Brooklyn with her dog, her roommate, and two cats of indeterminate ownership.
When she isn’t writing about women loving other women, she’s pondering the evolution of transformative art and working as a tech journalist.
Serial Novel: The Living
When she isn’t writing about women loving other women, she’s pondering the evolution of transformative art and working as a tech journalist.
Serial Novel: The Living
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
June 19, 2018
If you're looking for a really unorthodox f/f romance then "The Lavender List" fits that bill.
The story is a fictional historical account of the path two women take shortly after the end of WWII. Laura is a war-time assassin that has adventure in her blood while Amelia is a waitress with her eye set on Hollywood. The two have great chemistry and feel right together. Unfortunately, due to the time period, it's not all sunshine and roses so this is not a straight forward romance. Though our leads have some faltering missteps on their road to happily ever after there is still often a light-hearted tone to the book.
I found the read to be an enjoyable mix of the romance, action, thriller, caper, and historical genres. It has a campy feel and is a nod to the old classic films that referred to women as broads and dames. The ride through all of the genres can feel bumpy at times but it's still a fun adventure. I never laughed out loud but much of the story is amusing and has refreshing dialogue.
I will say, as much as I enjoyed the characters and spoofy tone of the book I still kind of felt, I don't know, sad for some parts of the story because the ladies couldn't allow themselves to be. There were also a few times I thought Amelia would've had an opposite reaction to how she did so that threw me some but, generally, I appreciate the story for being so different.
If you're curious, Laura is a bisexual character while Amelia is lesbian. Amelia is also part Puerto Rican and Italian.
On the whole, a fun send up and recommend.
The story is a fictional historical account of the path two women take shortly after the end of WWII. Laura is a war-time assassin that has adventure in her blood while Amelia is a waitress with her eye set on Hollywood. The two have great chemistry and feel right together. Unfortunately, due to the time period, it's not all sunshine and roses so this is not a straight forward romance. Though our leads have some faltering missteps on their road to happily ever after there is still often a light-hearted tone to the book.
I found the read to be an enjoyable mix of the romance, action, thriller, caper, and historical genres. It has a campy feel and is a nod to the old classic films that referred to women as broads and dames. The ride through all of the genres can feel bumpy at times but it's still a fun adventure. I never laughed out loud but much of the story is amusing and has refreshing dialogue.
I will say, as much as I enjoyed the characters and spoofy tone of the book I still kind of felt, I don't know, sad for some parts of the story because the ladies couldn't allow themselves to be. There were also a few times I thought Amelia would've had an opposite reaction to how she did so that threw me some but, generally, I appreciate the story for being so different.
If you're curious, Laura is a bisexual character while Amelia is lesbian. Amelia is also part Puerto Rican and Italian.
On the whole, a fun send up and recommend.
February 7, 2017
I love me a good spy caper. Even better if it's a lesbian-flavored one. So this was a no-brainer when reviewing opportunities came up. It turned out to be quite a bit different from what I expected. Though spiced up with liberal doses of action and intrigue, this book is, at its heart, more lesfic romance and drama than spy thriller. It's also one about choices in life or the lack of them that women had back in the 40s and 50s.
The book is split into two time periods, roughly 6 years apart. The first half happens in post-WWII New York. Fresh from a very productive stint (in terms of kills ;) ) in the French resistance, uber spy Laura finds herself slumming in a lowly job managing security in a soon-to-be-superfluous munitions factory. With no government jobs for women in intelligence, she picks up unofficial odd jobs here and there and stays in a cheap women's only 'hotel'. Aspiring actress Amelia, who waitresses at a diner she frequents, has taken quite a shine to the mysterious Laura, luring her with free, late-night pie and sparkling conversation. When Laura turns up black and blue outside her diner one night, Amelia takes it upon herself to play the knight in shining armour and track down whoever was responsible, even reluctantly reaching back to her shady past for help.
Intrigued? So was I. But the plot didn't go the way typical thrillers do. Instead, it veers off in unexpected though just as interesting ways. While I can't give away the juicy details, let's just say that this should please romance readers more than thriller fans. ;)
With the exception of the prologue, the entire first half of the book is from Amelia's point of view. The style of writing is different (chopped prose?) and takes a bit of getting used to. After a while it started to sound very Amelia--street-smart, sassy, working class--filled with colorful similes and metaphors. The atmosphere has a noir-ish vibe to it. The main characters' backgrounds and exploits are straight out of over-the-top comicbook fare. Laura's work predicament sounds like TV's Agent Carter. (Might this be an ex-fanfic? I wasn't sure, but in my mind, the enigmatic and alluring Laura was straight out of Carol, including the . Cate Blanchett was a better visual fit too. ;) )
The second half of the book starts after a six-year gap, and Laura and Amelia are in very different stations in life, but both devoted to their respective careers. When they meet up again (spoiler? nah, of course they'll meet up again, this is a romance!), sparks rekindle. But so does danger. The tables are turned as Laura now plays knight to Amelia's damsel. As the danger draws ever nearer and the escape route grows narrower, Laura is faced with the same predicament as before. She's endangering Amelia....again. Will she need to repeat history, or can she change things this time around?
Laura gets some POV chapters in the second half, which is nice because she was such an enigma and I was, like Amelia, completely smitten. Although...I had to pay closer attention to their scenes together because it was sometimes hard to tell whose POV it was at the time, or whose lines I was reading. A minor obstacle that slowed my reading, but it's there.
Interestingly, for a book that doesn't take itself too seriously (with regards to the plot, the situations and the characters) it also touched on some heavy social themes like the lack of satisfying opportunities for women, lack of equal recognition, the lack of choice. As Laura's boss says, men in their line of work, they can get to have friends, but women..only husbands. There's also a bit about that time in the USA when McCarthyism threatened innocent individuals. But probably the most prescient (and ominous) political point in the book is made when Laura and Amelia argue about the war that just ended. And Laura says 'We think that, don’t we? We win a battle. Stop a Nazi. Kill a fascist. War's over. Fantastic job, kids. Pack up and move on. It’s not over." Not even today. It just got a whole lot more complicated. :(
Still and all, those 'heavy' issues are peripheral to the book. It remains primarily a romance.
Bottom line: Recommended for romance readers who like a dash of danger and a bit of adventure with dollops of romance, accompanied by the usual but well-disguised lesfic tropes. ;)
Note: Might wanna download a sample before buying, though, as the writing style is a bit...different.
4.4 stars
ARC from Ylva
The book is split into two time periods, roughly 6 years apart. The first half happens in post-WWII New York. Fresh from a very productive stint (in terms of kills ;) ) in the French resistance, uber spy Laura finds herself slumming in a lowly job managing security in a soon-to-be-superfluous munitions factory. With no government jobs for women in intelligence, she picks up unofficial odd jobs here and there and stays in a cheap women's only 'hotel'. Aspiring actress Amelia, who waitresses at a diner she frequents, has taken quite a shine to the mysterious Laura, luring her with free, late-night pie and sparkling conversation. When Laura turns up black and blue outside her diner one night, Amelia takes it upon herself to play the knight in shining armour and track down whoever was responsible, even reluctantly reaching back to her shady past for help.
Intrigued? So was I. But the plot didn't go the way typical thrillers do. Instead, it veers off in unexpected though just as interesting ways. While I can't give away the juicy details, let's just say that this should please romance readers more than thriller fans. ;)
With the exception of the prologue, the entire first half of the book is from Amelia's point of view. The style of writing is different (chopped prose?) and takes a bit of getting used to. After a while it started to sound very Amelia--street-smart, sassy, working class--filled with colorful similes and metaphors. The atmosphere has a noir-ish vibe to it. The main characters' backgrounds and exploits are straight out of over-the-top comicbook fare. Laura's work predicament sounds like TV's Agent Carter. (Might this be an ex-fanfic? I wasn't sure, but in my mind, the enigmatic and alluring Laura was straight out of Carol, including the . Cate Blanchett was a better visual fit too. ;) )
The second half of the book starts after a six-year gap, and Laura and Amelia are in very different stations in life, but both devoted to their respective careers. When they meet up again (spoiler? nah, of course they'll meet up again, this is a romance!), sparks rekindle. But so does danger. The tables are turned as Laura now plays knight to Amelia's damsel. As the danger draws ever nearer and the escape route grows narrower, Laura is faced with the same predicament as before. She's endangering Amelia....again. Will she need to repeat history, or can she change things this time around?
Laura gets some POV chapters in the second half, which is nice because she was such an enigma and I was, like Amelia, completely smitten. Although...I had to pay closer attention to their scenes together because it was sometimes hard to tell whose POV it was at the time, or whose lines I was reading. A minor obstacle that slowed my reading, but it's there.
Interestingly, for a book that doesn't take itself too seriously (with regards to the plot, the situations and the characters) it also touched on some heavy social themes like the lack of satisfying opportunities for women, lack of equal recognition, the lack of choice. As Laura's boss says, men in their line of work, they can get to have friends, but women..only husbands. There's also a bit about that time in the USA when McCarthyism threatened innocent individuals. But probably the most prescient (and ominous) political point in the book is made when Laura and Amelia argue about the war that just ended. And Laura says 'We think that, don’t we? We win a battle. Stop a Nazi. Kill a fascist. War's over. Fantastic job, kids. Pack up and move on. It’s not over." Not even today. It just got a whole lot more complicated. :(
Still and all, those 'heavy' issues are peripheral to the book. It remains primarily a romance.
Bottom line: Recommended for romance readers who like a dash of danger and a bit of adventure with dollops of romance, accompanied by the usual but well-disguised lesfic tropes. ;)
Note: Might wanna download a sample before buying, though, as the writing style is a bit...different.
4.4 stars
ARC from Ylva
October 23, 2019
Sit up and pay attention film noir fans.
Chances are if you liked movies like The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo and Citizen Kane, you're going to like this book. It can basically be split into two parts.
Part 1 takes place in 1946 and focuses on things like America's recovery from World War II and the lives of those whose special skill sets are no longer needed by their government.
Part 2 takes place in 1952 and has a larger focus on the Cold War and the country's fight against the rise of communism with government spies lurking behind every bush and lamppost.
The story follows Amelia, a waitress and aspiring actress who lands herself in hot water when her friend Laura shows up wounded behind the diner where she works. Amelia goes digging for answers and soon finds out that Laura isn't who she says she is. What follows is an action packed fight for their lives filled with car chases, flying bullets, spies, mobsters and assassins.
So here's what you can expect:
Humor - The book has tons of it in the first part.
Slang - You may as well be dropped in the 1940's.
Chemistry - Great build up and execution.
Pining - Two women together in that era?
Tears - You will cry, probably more than once.
And last but not least frustration. As much as I loved this unconventional and wonderfully written story it was also very frustrating to read at times. It sure wasn't easy being a woman who loved women back then.
Overall rating is a 4,5*. Finally, here's a tiny excerpt that had me dying of laughter when I read it:
Jumpin’ Jehosohaphat, the guy talks a lot of French. Enough that Amelia’s waiting for him to pop a baguette out of his pocket and then bend over for the Germans.
Chances are if you liked movies like The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo and Citizen Kane, you're going to like this book. It can basically be split into two parts.
Part 1 takes place in 1946 and focuses on things like America's recovery from World War II and the lives of those whose special skill sets are no longer needed by their government.
Part 2 takes place in 1952 and has a larger focus on the Cold War and the country's fight against the rise of communism with government spies lurking behind every bush and lamppost.
The story follows Amelia, a waitress and aspiring actress who lands herself in hot water when her friend Laura shows up wounded behind the diner where she works. Amelia goes digging for answers and soon finds out that Laura isn't who she says she is. What follows is an action packed fight for their lives filled with car chases, flying bullets, spies, mobsters and assassins.
So here's what you can expect:
Humor - The book has tons of it in the first part.
Slang - You may as well be dropped in the 1940's.
Chemistry - Great build up and execution.
Pining - Two women together in that era?
Tears - You will cry, probably more than once.
And last but not least frustration. As much as I loved this unconventional and wonderfully written story it was also very frustrating to read at times. It sure wasn't easy being a woman who loved women back then.
Overall rating is a 4,5*. Finally, here's a tiny excerpt that had me dying of laughter when I read it:
Jumpin’ Jehosohaphat, the guy talks a lot of French. Enough that Amelia’s waiting for him to pop a baguette out of his pocket and then bend over for the Germans.
November 13, 2016
The Lavender List is set in 1946, just a year after the Nazi regime has defeated and the Americans have left Europe. This was a time of economic prosperity for many Americans after years of tumultuous foreign affairs and finally fully recovering from the Great Depression. You also have the beginning of the Cold War and the undeniable fear of the Communist regime. Why the history lesson, cause welcome to a book that is going to tackle it all while wrapped up in a delicious story filled with spies and Hollywood beauties.
Amelia Maldonado is a starving actress working at a local diner to pay her bills. She spends her days wiping down tables, pouring coffee and waiting for her crush, Laura Wright, to walk through the door. Her dream is to finally make it on Broadway. This Brooklyn girl has spunk in spades. She knows what she wants, who she wants and has dogged perseverance of making it as an actress. Amelia also has an another side to her, a rough and tumble girl, who's past involves robbing banks and driving the getaway car. This Brooklyn girl knows the local mob boss, well because he is her uncle. This character is one to cherish, she’s multifaceted, she has depth and she is no one’s damsel in distress. She’s pretty easy to love!
Laura Wright is an undercover spy for the CIA. Laura spent her youth in the war, fighting Nazi’s and doing whatever it takes to win the war. She’s intelligent, she gorgeous, she is literally James Bond in a skirt (minus the British accent of course). While Laura is emotionally distant, Amelia is the one person that can crack her ultra-tough exterior. Amelia can see who she really is, and notices just the slightest of changes in her demeanor that cue her into to how Laura truly feels. She sees past the character she often plays and often calls her out on it often. My perspective is that Amelia is the one person who is Laura sees as her equal.
As serious as the issues of war, McCarthyism and a litany of others the book at is core is not really about that. As serious as those issues were the book has a lighter tone. The book is more a fun action packed adventure with two leads that have serious chemistry. This story is unique in so many ways. The best part though is it grabs your attention and your heartstrings, it doesn’t get much better than that. 5 stars
**I have been borderline obsessed with the presidential election for months. Needless to say, my mind was blown and my heart was broken when I realized that Mr. Trump would be our 45th president. My emotions have been all over the place, and still are, to be honest. I picked up this book as a way to escape the turmoil. So if you read this review, Meg Harrington, I just wanted to thank you for giving me a great book to escape into during really shitty week.
Amelia Maldonado is a starving actress working at a local diner to pay her bills. She spends her days wiping down tables, pouring coffee and waiting for her crush, Laura Wright, to walk through the door. Her dream is to finally make it on Broadway. This Brooklyn girl has spunk in spades. She knows what she wants, who she wants and has dogged perseverance of making it as an actress. Amelia also has an another side to her, a rough and tumble girl, who's past involves robbing banks and driving the getaway car. This Brooklyn girl knows the local mob boss, well because he is her uncle. This character is one to cherish, she’s multifaceted, she has depth and she is no one’s damsel in distress. She’s pretty easy to love!
Laura Wright is an undercover spy for the CIA. Laura spent her youth in the war, fighting Nazi’s and doing whatever it takes to win the war. She’s intelligent, she gorgeous, she is literally James Bond in a skirt (minus the British accent of course). While Laura is emotionally distant, Amelia is the one person that can crack her ultra-tough exterior. Amelia can see who she really is, and notices just the slightest of changes in her demeanor that cue her into to how Laura truly feels. She sees past the character she often plays and often calls her out on it often. My perspective is that Amelia is the one person who is Laura sees as her equal.
As serious as the issues of war, McCarthyism and a litany of others the book at is core is not really about that. As serious as those issues were the book has a lighter tone. The book is more a fun action packed adventure with two leads that have serious chemistry. This story is unique in so many ways. The best part though is it grabs your attention and your heartstrings, it doesn’t get much better than that. 5 stars
**I have been borderline obsessed with the presidential election for months. Needless to say, my mind was blown and my heart was broken when I realized that Mr. Trump would be our 45th president. My emotions have been all over the place, and still are, to be honest. I picked up this book as a way to escape the turmoil. So if you read this review, Meg Harrington, I just wanted to thank you for giving me a great book to escape into during really shitty week.
January 17, 2017
It’s 1946 and Amelia Maldonado is waiting tables hoping for her big break as an actress when the mysterious and beautiful Laura Wright turns up bruised and beaten outside Amelia’s diner. Amelia's attempt to find Laura’s attackers brings her back to a past she would like to forget. She soon discovers Laura is much more than a munitions plant security supervisor. When Amelia ends up holding something valuable to both the mob and the government, she becomes the target Laura must protect. Let the campy spy thriller begin. These are a couple of broads you don’t want to mess with.
The author has a unique writing style which fits the pulp fiction books common in this era. Like a gangster’s tommy gun the dialogue is choppy and rapid fire. The POV takes a bit of getting used to with all the “Amelia is unimpressed…” and “Amelia cups her face…” sentences. I was glad when the POV switches to both Amelia and Laura’s point of view mid-way through the novel as I was getting tired of hearing Amelia’s name.
I liked the film noir atmosphere of this post war romantic crime thriller. The romance is slow to develop but does build into a solid relationship as bullets and bad guys fly about the women. There is miscommunication but not of the predictable romance variety. This is more of a
More than the unexpected romantic entanglements I was impressed with how the author demonstrated the mentality of “a woman’s place” in this time in history. These are women who had exciting and or valuable jobs during the war, and then they didn’t. The condescending way men spoke to women was portrayed with all the frustration women in the Forties and Fifties must have felt. No woman was complete without a man at her side. Women could not be seen taking important jobs away from men. A woman showing interest in another woman was abhorrent and inexcusable. Men could be “light in the loafers” and have successful careers but any hint of women being anything but docile and domesticated was scorned and frowned upon. Harrington drives home the limitations for women in this era by giving us a rollicking pair of fearless dames to cheer for, women who believed they deserved to be treated as equals and not doormats.
An unusual and entertaining read.
Thanks YLVA for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The author has a unique writing style which fits the pulp fiction books common in this era. Like a gangster’s tommy gun the dialogue is choppy and rapid fire. The POV takes a bit of getting used to with all the “Amelia is unimpressed…” and “Amelia cups her face…” sentences. I was glad when the POV switches to both Amelia and Laura’s point of view mid-way through the novel as I was getting tired of hearing Amelia’s name.
I liked the film noir atmosphere of this post war romantic crime thriller. The romance is slow to develop but does build into a solid relationship as bullets and bad guys fly about the women. There is miscommunication but not of the predictable romance variety. This is more of a
More than the unexpected romantic entanglements I was impressed with how the author demonstrated the mentality of “a woman’s place” in this time in history. These are women who had exciting and or valuable jobs during the war, and then they didn’t. The condescending way men spoke to women was portrayed with all the frustration women in the Forties and Fifties must have felt. No woman was complete without a man at her side. Women could not be seen taking important jobs away from men. A woman showing interest in another woman was abhorrent and inexcusable. Men could be “light in the loafers” and have successful careers but any hint of women being anything but docile and domesticated was scorned and frowned upon. Harrington drives home the limitations for women in this era by giving us a rollicking pair of fearless dames to cheer for, women who believed they deserved to be treated as equals and not doormats.
An unusual and entertaining read.
Thanks YLVA for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2022
All I can say is this book really, really entertaining. The plot (the mystery or suspense or whatever) didn't really work for me because it seems a bit er, weak for me but Amelia and Laura help me to like the book. The chemistry between them really great and I love both of them individually and together. So, yeah, 4 stars from me for Laura and Amelia's relationship. It's an easy, entertaining and romantic book. Love it. Totally will reread and read another book from Meg Harrington.
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Reread for the second time 09/12/2020
"Disaster's a small price if I get to spend the rest of my days with you." (Meg Harrington, 2016)
I have to knock one and a half stars after rereading this book. I blamed myself tho because I don't get much of the slangs or the inside jokes or the events surrounding this story about WW 2 and some kind of spy organizations. It is still entertaining but just not that much entertaining. I don't know why but I also get a little cringy reading the banter between Laura and Amelia, although some parts are also funny. I think what I like the most about this book is how witty it is (and also the love scenes are pretty good too).
Anyway I give this book 2.5 stars and I rounding it up to 3 stars.
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Reread for the second time 09/12/2020
"Disaster's a small price if I get to spend the rest of my days with you." (Meg Harrington, 2016)
I have to knock one and a half stars after rereading this book. I blamed myself tho because I don't get much of the slangs or the inside jokes or the events surrounding this story about WW 2 and some kind of spy organizations. It is still entertaining but just not that much entertaining. I don't know why but I also get a little cringy reading the banter between Laura and Amelia, although some parts are also funny. I think what I like the most about this book is how witty it is (and also the love scenes are pretty good too).
Anyway I give this book 2.5 stars and I rounding it up to 3 stars.
June 9, 2018
This was a very self-indulgent read for me. It’s very entertaining and fast paced and completely character driven, I was done in one sitting.
Like others have mentioned this is a romance disguised as a spy thriller, the plot is interesting enough but it’s not very deep or convoluted and it’s mostly there to further the relationship between the main characters.
I really like the writing style, it gives the characters a clear voice and, along with the metaphors and cultural references, does a great job at inserting the reader (is that the right expression?) in that time period.
Now onto the characters which is what this book is really about. Amelia's independent and sassy personality very easily won me over and I could totally relate to her massive crush on the elegant and mysterious woman who lived across the hall. I loved their dynamic and I really liked that the second part of the book gave us Laura’s pov too so we could understand better her perspective and the extent of her feeling for Amelia.
I admit I might be slightly biases because this clearly used to be an Agent Carter fanfic and I loved them and that show, but their relationship and specifically Amelia’s character are much more flashed out here and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.
I do think there were some negative points but I loved this book and the flaws were very easily overlooked.
Like others have mentioned this is a romance disguised as a spy thriller, the plot is interesting enough but it’s not very deep or convoluted and it’s mostly there to further the relationship between the main characters.
I really like the writing style, it gives the characters a clear voice and, along with the metaphors and cultural references, does a great job at inserting the reader (is that the right expression?) in that time period.
Now onto the characters which is what this book is really about. Amelia's independent and sassy personality very easily won me over and I could totally relate to her massive crush on the elegant and mysterious woman who lived across the hall. I loved their dynamic and I really liked that the second part of the book gave us Laura’s pov too so we could understand better her perspective and the extent of her feeling for Amelia.
I admit I might be slightly biases because this clearly used to be an Agent Carter fanfic and I loved them and that show, but their relationship and specifically Amelia’s character are much more flashed out here and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.
I do think there were some negative points but I loved this book and the flaws were very easily overlooked.
January 24, 2017
For me this book took an unexpected twist in that I found I no longer wanted to read it...at first I had such high, high hopes. I liked the cover, I found myself pulled in almost right away and then, after several put downs and pick-ups, I realized that between not having enough time to give it more time I just could not give it the full attention I felt it deserves. The writing style goes well with the era, things move along at a good pace and there is a snappiness throughout that is almost charming and endearing. For me, it is that I just could not find either main character likable nor interesting enough. I took The Lavender List off my Kindle for now and, hopefully, when I have more time I will try and give it another chance...I remember seeing this reviewed ahead of its publication and being so very excited for its release. Maybe, at some future point, I can get that excitement back...
May 3, 2017
I'll admit this is not usually the kind of story that I would normally choose to read. But, saying that I'm really glad I did. It is so well written and the plot is developed excruciatingly slowly (which I may add suits this book) but WOW!!. I will definitely be on the look out for more from this author in the future. It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did I really enjoyed it and found I wanted to know what happened next. It presents itself as a very serious mystery and in many ways it is, but I found the author has a very dry sense of humour which comes out quite often. Also it highlights the issues of that time in our history when being a lesbian was really socially unacceptable. Give it a go, I really don't think you'll be disappointed.
December 9, 2016
I was quite interested in this book when I first noticed it (I forget when and where that was). Seemed quite intriguing, with a relatively obvious vibe of 'Agent Carter' sprinkled through the book description. But.
That 'obvious vibe' turned out to correspond to what was found in the book - at least for the first 46% of it. Whereupon the book leapt forward in time onto a side track I didn't expect or want.
Man I hate when the condescending asshole man ‘wants to protect’ his ‘love’ so he ‘doesn’t allow’ (as if that’s his choice) a woman to do something . . . like say dangerous (in a particular type of book that ‘dangerous’ part might be ‘getting out of bed while pregnant), fun, risky, whatever. Occasionally it’s worded in just the right way with just the right characters so that it is less annoying.
‘Obviously enough’, the preceding paragraph doesn’t apply, right? I mean, we are talking about two women here, not some alpha male caveman type pounding his chest while grunting ‘me man, you woman’. I’d say ‘to be fair’ things were worded differently here (not that that was necessarily better ). Except – later, when people talked about it, they reverted back to ‘I didn’t want you in danger’ type of talk. And the characters didn’t fit.
They really really didn’t fit. For that ‘you weak woman, me strong women, me protect you, you cower over there and hide. Listen to me! DO IT!’ type of thing. For one, the one doing that ‘I strong woman’ came from a privileged pampered background – and developed into a legitimately capable strong woman with fighting skills. What about the ‘weak woman, do what I say?’ part of the equation, a real damsel in distress type, right? Um. No. A highly skilled multiple bank robber as a teenager. Not exactly a cowering wilting flower of delicacy who needed to be protected by someone self-sacrificing themselves for love by leaving their life. For fuck sake.
Got distracted there. Let me see if I can get back into this review thingie.
1 – Story about Laura Wright who worked for the OSS in France leading a resistance group. The war is over now, though, the OSS is disbanded, and women are no longer needed or wanted in the spy force (and, growing more apparent, in the work force). Just like Agent Peggy Carter, Laura Wright also left the war having left behind a ‘love of her life’ type person – shockingly, both Carter’s and Wright’s loves were/are men (though only Carter’s ‘love’ is a superhero (Captain America).
It’s 1946 and Wright now works in a bomb factory (I’d the idea she was a manager or . . . um . . . something like that). She’s from Connecticut. With a New England kind of accent. She lives in a large building in New York with a bunch of other women. And, as the book opens, she is asked by one of her old colleagues to do something spy like. She also has a friend who lives in that same building, and who works in a dinner that Laura likes to visit. And has a French ‘friend’ (instead of English, like on the TV show). But that prologue part, that ‘as the book opens part’, is the only point during which Laura has a point of view until much later in the book, about half way through she begins to have her side of the things pop back up again. The first half (and half of the second half) of the book is from the point of view of that friend that works in the dinner.
2 – Amelia Maldonado is a ‘struggling actress’ who works at a diner, lives in building filled with women, and has connections to the mafia – family connections. Her point of view appears throughout the book (except in the prologue), though alternates with Laura’s point of view at times in the second half.
3 – This POV choice – having the story from Amelia’s instead of Laura’s point of view for the 1946 part of the book, means that there are a lot of ‘Amelia noticed that Laura had another bruise . . . Amelia noticed that Laura was sneaking out of the building . . .Amelia noticed another bruise when she saw Laura the next day . . ‘type of stuff going on. As in, while there was action going on, the only part the reader knows about directly is when Amelia herself is in on the action. This does occur, just less often than the actual spy.
4 – The book takes place in 1946, then somewhere around the half way point, leaps ahead to 1952. With some huge changes having occurred to the two lead characters during this six year break from the reader’s eye.
The book started off interestingly enough, but then we got out of the prologue and suddenly everything was from the waitress’ point of view. That was . . . well, I could live with that. Watching as Amelia tried to figure out what was going on with Laura, why she kept getting beaten up (and having some rather interesting ideas that were reasonable but wrong). Investigating. Cleaning a diner. Trying out for acting roles. You know, just living life in the late 1940s.
I was somewhat less excited about how the book turned, though, at roughly the 46% mark (somewhere after there). Had an initial wave of dissatisfaction with what was going on when the world changed to the 1950s, but there was enough to keep my interest and keep me reading.
So – the long and short of it is – it was neither as good as I was hoping when I first heard of the book; but it was also not as bad as I thought it was going to be after that ‘deep wave of dissatisfaction’ overwhelmed me at the half way point.
Rating: 3.33
December 9 2016
That 'obvious vibe' turned out to correspond to what was found in the book - at least for the first 46% of it. Whereupon the book leapt forward in time onto a side track I didn't expect or want.
Man I hate when the condescending asshole man ‘wants to protect’ his ‘love’ so he ‘doesn’t allow’ (as if that’s his choice) a woman to do something . . . like say dangerous (in a particular type of book that ‘dangerous’ part might be ‘getting out of bed while pregnant), fun, risky, whatever. Occasionally it’s worded in just the right way with just the right characters so that it is less annoying.
‘Obviously enough’, the preceding paragraph doesn’t apply, right? I mean, we are talking about two women here, not some alpha male caveman type pounding his chest while grunting ‘me man, you woman’. I’d say ‘to be fair’ things were worded differently here (not that that was necessarily better ). Except – later, when people talked about it, they reverted back to ‘I didn’t want you in danger’ type of talk. And the characters didn’t fit.
They really really didn’t fit. For that ‘you weak woman, me strong women, me protect you, you cower over there and hide. Listen to me! DO IT!’ type of thing. For one, the one doing that ‘I strong woman’ came from a privileged pampered background – and developed into a legitimately capable strong woman with fighting skills. What about the ‘weak woman, do what I say?’ part of the equation, a real damsel in distress type, right? Um. No. A highly skilled multiple bank robber as a teenager. Not exactly a cowering wilting flower of delicacy who needed to be protected by someone self-sacrificing themselves for love by leaving their life. For fuck sake.
Got distracted there. Let me see if I can get back into this review thingie.
1 – Story about Laura Wright who worked for the OSS in France leading a resistance group. The war is over now, though, the OSS is disbanded, and women are no longer needed or wanted in the spy force (and, growing more apparent, in the work force). Just like Agent Peggy Carter, Laura Wright also left the war having left behind a ‘love of her life’ type person – shockingly, both Carter’s and Wright’s loves were/are men (though only Carter’s ‘love’ is a superhero (Captain America).
It’s 1946 and Wright now works in a bomb factory (I’d the idea she was a manager or . . . um . . . something like that). She’s from Connecticut. With a New England kind of accent. She lives in a large building in New York with a bunch of other women. And, as the book opens, she is asked by one of her old colleagues to do something spy like. She also has a friend who lives in that same building, and who works in a dinner that Laura likes to visit. And has a French ‘friend’ (instead of English, like on the TV show). But that prologue part, that ‘as the book opens part’, is the only point during which Laura has a point of view until much later in the book, about half way through she begins to have her side of the things pop back up again. The first half (and half of the second half) of the book is from the point of view of that friend that works in the dinner.
2 – Amelia Maldonado is a ‘struggling actress’ who works at a diner, lives in building filled with women, and has connections to the mafia – family connections. Her point of view appears throughout the book (except in the prologue), though alternates with Laura’s point of view at times in the second half.
3 – This POV choice – having the story from Amelia’s instead of Laura’s point of view for the 1946 part of the book, means that there are a lot of ‘Amelia noticed that Laura had another bruise . . . Amelia noticed that Laura was sneaking out of the building . . .Amelia noticed another bruise when she saw Laura the next day . . ‘type of stuff going on. As in, while there was action going on, the only part the reader knows about directly is when Amelia herself is in on the action. This does occur, just less often than the actual spy.
4 – The book takes place in 1946, then somewhere around the half way point, leaps ahead to 1952. With some huge changes having occurred to the two lead characters during this six year break from the reader’s eye.
The book started off interestingly enough, but then we got out of the prologue and suddenly everything was from the waitress’ point of view. That was . . . well, I could live with that. Watching as Amelia tried to figure out what was going on with Laura, why she kept getting beaten up (and having some rather interesting ideas that were reasonable but wrong). Investigating. Cleaning a diner. Trying out for acting roles. You know, just living life in the late 1940s.
I was somewhat less excited about how the book turned, though, at roughly the 46% mark (somewhere after there). Had an initial wave of dissatisfaction with what was going on when the world changed to the 1950s, but there was enough to keep my interest and keep me reading.
So – the long and short of it is – it was neither as good as I was hoping when I first heard of the book; but it was also not as bad as I thought it was going to be after that ‘deep wave of dissatisfaction’ overwhelmed me at the half way point.
Rating: 3.33
December 9 2016
December 8, 2018
Why didn’t anyone tell this was such a splendid book?!?!
No you did actually when I look at the many 4 and 5 star reviews, so the fault is all mine.
Spies and actors and car chases, oh my! I loved everything about this book. The plot was super engaging and Amelia and Laura had bucket loads of sizzling chemistry. A lot happens to them during the course of the story and it’s by no means easy sailing for our heroines. I don’t think sweet romance will apply here but you will get your money’s worth with these two.
Now I want more Meg Harrington and there seems to be a book (Break Apart) that was planned for last year (2017) but didn’t get published by Ylva. Did it get pushed back? Does anyone know what the plans are for this one because the blurb sounds great!
Also I found out whilst reading the author’s info in the back of the book that she has written some very good fanfic as maggiemerc. Check out her legendary Monomythical series (Swan Queen) on AO3.
The Lavender List was a fantastic read by a talented author. I highly recommend!
f/f explicit
Themes: New York, spies, CIA, Nazis, mobster family, getaway driver, on the run, communist witch hunt, impossible love, many roadblacks, but oh these two ladies are a perfect match.
5 stars
No you did actually when I look at the many 4 and 5 star reviews, so the fault is all mine.
Spies and actors and car chases, oh my! I loved everything about this book. The plot was super engaging and Amelia and Laura had bucket loads of sizzling chemistry. A lot happens to them during the course of the story and it’s by no means easy sailing for our heroines. I don’t think sweet romance will apply here but you will get your money’s worth with these two.
Now I want more Meg Harrington and there seems to be a book (Break Apart) that was planned for last year (2017) but didn’t get published by Ylva. Did it get pushed back? Does anyone know what the plans are for this one because the blurb sounds great!
Also I found out whilst reading the author’s info in the back of the book that she has written some very good fanfic as maggiemerc. Check out her legendary Monomythical series (Swan Queen) on AO3.
The Lavender List was a fantastic read by a talented author. I highly recommend!
f/f explicit
Themes: New York, spies, CIA, Nazis, mobster family, getaway driver, on the run, communist witch hunt, impossible love, many roadblacks, but oh these two ladies are a perfect match.
5 stars
November 10, 2016
** I was given a copy from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.**
I'll start off with the TL;DR version of my review: It's a great book. It's a fast paced, full of action, quirky love story with plenty of funny and surprising moments. It was truly a enjoyable, quick read. Buy it. Read it. Come back here to find out if Miss Harrington has written any other book that you can also read right away. Get sad because she hasn't. And then brighten up because it means she eventually will. The end.
That out of the way, the rigmarole version where I exult and praise the finer points of this very entertaining reading goes something like this:
The Lavender List was an unique read for me because of its unusual storytelling approach. It's quite the quirky read, being slightly off-kilter, but in the best possible way. Like a very good indie movie.
I also really enjoyed Miss Harrington writing style. Her narrative technique is a bit unusual and it took me a few chapters to get use to it, but once I did I actually started to appreciate it for what it was. And there is quite a bit of humor in this book as well, the deadpan kind of humor, where when it's funny, it's not because it's actually trying to be funny, but because it's just actually making fun of the absurd situations the protagonists find themselves in.
Both main characters were just very fun and interesting. Laura basically is Marvels Peggy Carter. But that's okay, because honestly she is Peggy Carter done right, not just a one-dimensional character that is a perfect super agent. While she is quite perfect at her job, her personal life is just quite a mess. And she is quite a mess. And that adds a bit of depth to what could have passed just as another female 007.
And then there was also Amelia. I loved Amelia. While Laura is pretty much all you (us, the readers) expect her to be, Amelia is not. I'm actually under the impression that the whole cast of this book are well done spin-offs of the character clichés they are suppose to represent in a novel. Miss Harrington takes an archetype, steers it away from becoming a stereotype and adds spirit to what otherwise could have been a very flat, predictable character. And on that note, Amelia is my favorite of the bunch. And it's difficult to explain why is that without giving it too much away, so I'll just leave it at that and you can find out for yourself if you agree or disagree with me.
But the bottom line here is that even if there maybe could be a few nods to more serious aspects of women working for military organizations in that time period or the claustrophobic environment created by the fear and paranoia of the McCarthy era, the fact remains that this book is not about that. It never tries to be about that and it's good because of that. The more grievous aspects of that era is only used as background noise for what is actually a very fun, fast-paced, action (love) story.
It never takes itself too serious and that's why I enjoyed it so much.
In the end, this book was not what I thought it would be. And I meant that not as a criticism but as a praise. It was really an unique story that caught my attention and made me finish the book a lot faster than I ever intended to just because I was really enjoying it.
Highly recommended 4.5 stars in my verbose but honest opinion.
I'll start off with the TL;DR version of my review: It's a great book. It's a fast paced, full of action, quirky love story with plenty of funny and surprising moments. It was truly a enjoyable, quick read. Buy it. Read it. Come back here to find out if Miss Harrington has written any other book that you can also read right away. Get sad because she hasn't. And then brighten up because it means she eventually will. The end.
That out of the way, the rigmarole version where I exult and praise the finer points of this very entertaining reading goes something like this:
The Lavender List was an unique read for me because of its unusual storytelling approach. It's quite the quirky read, being slightly off-kilter, but in the best possible way. Like a very good indie movie.
I also really enjoyed Miss Harrington writing style. Her narrative technique is a bit unusual and it took me a few chapters to get use to it, but once I did I actually started to appreciate it for what it was. And there is quite a bit of humor in this book as well, the deadpan kind of humor, where when it's funny, it's not because it's actually trying to be funny, but because it's just actually making fun of the absurd situations the protagonists find themselves in.
Both main characters were just very fun and interesting. Laura basically is Marvels Peggy Carter. But that's okay, because honestly she is Peggy Carter done right, not just a one-dimensional character that is a perfect super agent. While she is quite perfect at her job, her personal life is just quite a mess. And she is quite a mess. And that adds a bit of depth to what could have passed just as another female 007.
And then there was also Amelia. I loved Amelia. While Laura is pretty much all you (us, the readers) expect her to be, Amelia is not. I'm actually under the impression that the whole cast of this book are well done spin-offs of the character clichés they are suppose to represent in a novel. Miss Harrington takes an archetype, steers it away from becoming a stereotype and adds spirit to what otherwise could have been a very flat, predictable character. And on that note, Amelia is my favorite of the bunch. And it's difficult to explain why is that without giving it too much away, so I'll just leave it at that and you can find out for yourself if you agree or disagree with me.
But the bottom line here is that even if there maybe could be a few nods to more serious aspects of women working for military organizations in that time period or the claustrophobic environment created by the fear and paranoia of the McCarthy era, the fact remains that this book is not about that. It never tries to be about that and it's good because of that. The more grievous aspects of that era is only used as background noise for what is actually a very fun, fast-paced, action (love) story.
It never takes itself too serious and that's why I enjoyed it so much.
In the end, this book was not what I thought it would be. And I meant that not as a criticism but as a praise. It was really an unique story that caught my attention and made me finish the book a lot faster than I ever intended to just because I was really enjoying it.
Highly recommended 4.5 stars in my verbose but honest opinion.
November 7, 2016
So, once upon a time automat waitress and aspiring actress Angie Martinelli had a massive crush on her enigmatic neighbour in the Griffith Hotel for proper young ladies, secret WWII hero Peggy Carter...oh, no wait silly me that's Marvel's Agent Carter. The leading ladies in this story are called Amelia Maldonado (totally a different person) and Laura Wright (she's not even British).
Once I got past the uber/fanfiction block, I really enjoyed this book. Both of our heroines are heart-achingly wonderful and noble, while also managing to be incredibly sweet, stubborn and utterly human. One Harrington gets the comic book element out of her system this turns into a fascinating portrayal of the paranoia of early fifties America with reds under every bed (and more shockingly gays in many of them too). The eponymous Lavender List is reminder of the stifling environment we have only recently begun to emerge from and some people might be surprised by a few of the names listed.
Despite my initial reservations, this is well worth a read and if it sparks your interest you should also check out the documentary "Tab Hunter Confidential" the story of America's boy next door movie superstar, who just so happened to be gay. Funnily enough, an actor named Tab pops up as a sham date in the middle of The Lavender List!
Once I got past the uber/fanfiction block, I really enjoyed this book. Both of our heroines are heart-achingly wonderful and noble, while also managing to be incredibly sweet, stubborn and utterly human. One Harrington gets the comic book element out of her system this turns into a fascinating portrayal of the paranoia of early fifties America with reds under every bed (and more shockingly gays in many of them too). The eponymous Lavender List is reminder of the stifling environment we have only recently begun to emerge from and some people might be surprised by a few of the names listed.
Despite my initial reservations, this is well worth a read and if it sparks your interest you should also check out the documentary "Tab Hunter Confidential" the story of America's boy next door movie superstar, who just so happened to be gay. Funnily enough, an actor named Tab pops up as a sham date in the middle of The Lavender List!
November 13, 2016
First I honestly recommend this book with 4,5 stars.
Settled after WW II, it's a time, I hardly can imagine, especially as a lesbian. I live in the largest city in Switzerland, where you can open show your affection to your girlfriend/wife, without being bullied. Thanks to all the people who have fought for this.
On the first sight, the two women in the story are very different. On one side the waitress and aspiring actress and on the other hand the spy who has hunted nazis during the war. But the more you lern about the women, the more you can see, they aren't that different.
You can see how they dance around each other with growing feelings for another and not knowing, if they should react to them. It is very well written and exciting. And intervowen in the romance is a espionage story with surprising twist and turns. Especially Amelias past is rather surprising. The story is developing in a fast spy game with chasing cars and women and shootings.
The only critique I have, is, the break in the middle, where the story jumps forward six years, is a litte bit too hard and abrupt for me.
But over all, it is a very exciting story, fast and well written, where I didn't know till the end if they will finally come togheter or not.
Thanks to Ylva for the ARC of The Lavender List for a honest review.
Settled after WW II, it's a time, I hardly can imagine, especially as a lesbian. I live in the largest city in Switzerland, where you can open show your affection to your girlfriend/wife, without being bullied. Thanks to all the people who have fought for this.
On the first sight, the two women in the story are very different. On one side the waitress and aspiring actress and on the other hand the spy who has hunted nazis during the war. But the more you lern about the women, the more you can see, they aren't that different.
You can see how they dance around each other with growing feelings for another and not knowing, if they should react to them. It is very well written and exciting. And intervowen in the romance is a espionage story with surprising twist and turns. Especially Amelias past is rather surprising. The story is developing in a fast spy game with chasing cars and women and shootings.
The only critique I have, is, the break in the middle, where the story jumps forward six years, is a litte bit too hard and abrupt for me.
But over all, it is a very exciting story, fast and well written, where I didn't know till the end if they will finally come togheter or not.
Thanks to Ylva for the ARC of The Lavender List for a honest review.
November 15, 2016
It was supposed to be a quick read but it took me a lot longer to get through it than I anticipated because I had to force myself to finish it. The sentence structure was very strange and annoying to read and it was hard to follow who said what. It sometimes would have made sense for one person to say something but at the end it got all turned around and another person actually said it, even though it didn't really make sense or the monologue was disrupted by that.
As for the story, it didn't really play out to be an enjoyable story either. I usually like historic novels of that timeframe but this book just didn't work for me.
All in all I would not recommend this book!
As for the story, it didn't really play out to be an enjoyable story either. I usually like historic novels of that timeframe but this book just didn't work for me.
All in all I would not recommend this book!
November 21, 2016
When you take a bisexual spy/agent and a lesbian waitress/actress/bank robber and then mix them in with some incredible action and sexy kisses - its a simple recipe for a fantastic novel!
This was a really fun book to read. The characters were quirky and the women badass. The author did a really good job of bringing us back in time to the 40s and 50s. It felt real and natural. And god did I love some of Amelia's little sayings - Jumpin Jehosaphat - that I haven't heard since my grandmother was alive. The action was amazing and believable. I really love that Amelia could drive a car like the best of them!
The only thing that gave me pause was the style of the writing. The writing was excellent but it was different, and although it was a good different, I found it personally a little hard to read. It was fast paced, which is perfect for the exciting action and snappy dialogue, but I found I couldn't connect to the characters. With limited details, I didn't know them. I felt like I didn't understand how they feel or what their motivation was, or even how they felt about each other.
If you want an action novel set in the 40s with a little romance thrown in then this is the book for you. Its a quick read and worth it!
I received an ARC from YLVA in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really fun book to read. The characters were quirky and the women badass. The author did a really good job of bringing us back in time to the 40s and 50s. It felt real and natural. And god did I love some of Amelia's little sayings - Jumpin Jehosaphat - that I haven't heard since my grandmother was alive. The action was amazing and believable. I really love that Amelia could drive a car like the best of them!
The only thing that gave me pause was the style of the writing. The writing was excellent but it was different, and although it was a good different, I found it personally a little hard to read. It was fast paced, which is perfect for the exciting action and snappy dialogue, but I found I couldn't connect to the characters. With limited details, I didn't know them. I felt like I didn't understand how they feel or what their motivation was, or even how they felt about each other.
If you want an action novel set in the 40s with a little romance thrown in then this is the book for you. Its a quick read and worth it!
I received an ARC from YLVA in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2016
Reads like a 1950's spy "B" movie. Quick, short sentences delivered like Bogart as a gangster. THe romance is wearing. The main character is first in love with a male co-spy, then falls for female, then marrys and has two children, then back with the female. The investigation and resolution was contrived. Im not sure whether this was suppose to be a comedy, spy novel or romance. It did not accomplish any. I cant recommend this book.
December 5, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It was a good mix of romance and suspense, and I also really like the historical aspects. For the most part, I thought the author did a good job with pacing, but there were a few instances where I thought the story dragged a bit. I would recommend this, especially for folks that want something a bit outside the normal romance.
ARC received from publisher in exchange for honest review
ARC received from publisher in exchange for honest review
January 6, 2019
As much as I liked the first half, the second left too much of a bad taste in my mouth.
January 13, 2017
3.5
1950’s thriller romance which finds an ex mobster, Amelia, working in a diner and doing auditions. Her crush is the swarve and sexy Laura who lives in the room next door at their boarding hotel. When Laura turns up at the diner with a bad cut and bruises Amelia starts to wonder quite where she goes all dolled up in the evenings, and her investigations lead her into a world of car chases, gun battles and the ongoing war between the USA and communist Russia.
I enjoyed the plot although it didn’t go where the blub suggested, ie back into Amelia’s mobster world. It was interesting to eplore what happened to the brave women who risked everything to work with the European resistance against the Nazis after the war – the expectation fof them to go home and settle into 1950’s normalcy of home and children.
This is certainly full of suspense. Both the romance and the thrill of the chase, with spies and mobsters and even the ‘good guys’ taking a hand. The first half sets the real characters, the second shows what they have become, far from the women they are perceived to be.
The characters of Amelia and Laura are likable, although I never really felt connected to them, but then that is also an element of those 1950’s stories, cool and slightly distant however much the hearts may be fluttering underneath.
The style worked really well for this plot and period, short, catchy writing, lots of sarcasm, definitely imitation the noir of 1950’s detective stories. At times the POV in the second half was a little difficult to follow, it certainly jumps around a great deal. But my only real issue was some of the language used was decidedly not 1950’s NYC, one phrase threw me out completely, the setting and props all seemed perfect for the era, but the language felt decidedly modern.
Overall I enjoyed it and it was a fun and entertaining read.
Publisher review copy recieved.
1950’s thriller romance which finds an ex mobster, Amelia, working in a diner and doing auditions. Her crush is the swarve and sexy Laura who lives in the room next door at their boarding hotel. When Laura turns up at the diner with a bad cut and bruises Amelia starts to wonder quite where she goes all dolled up in the evenings, and her investigations lead her into a world of car chases, gun battles and the ongoing war between the USA and communist Russia.
I enjoyed the plot although it didn’t go where the blub suggested, ie back into Amelia’s mobster world. It was interesting to eplore what happened to the brave women who risked everything to work with the European resistance against the Nazis after the war – the expectation fof them to go home and settle into 1950’s normalcy of home and children.
This is certainly full of suspense. Both the romance and the thrill of the chase, with spies and mobsters and even the ‘good guys’ taking a hand. The first half sets the real characters, the second shows what they have become, far from the women they are perceived to be.
The characters of Amelia and Laura are likable, although I never really felt connected to them, but then that is also an element of those 1950’s stories, cool and slightly distant however much the hearts may be fluttering underneath.
The style worked really well for this plot and period, short, catchy writing, lots of sarcasm, definitely imitation the noir of 1950’s detective stories. At times the POV in the second half was a little difficult to follow, it certainly jumps around a great deal. But my only real issue was some of the language used was decidedly not 1950’s NYC, one phrase threw me out completely, the setting and props all seemed perfect for the era, but the language felt decidedly modern.
Overall I enjoyed it and it was a fun and entertaining read.
Publisher review copy recieved.
January 18, 2018
I enjoyed the ride, though the characters were not as engagingly written as they were in the fanfic that spawned this book. Possibly because they had to be modified to become originals, I felt they lacked clarity and I wasn't clear on what motivated them. The story went places I wasn't expecting, and some of those places were a bit disappointing. The conflict keeping the two women from each other became somewhat redundant. While it was cool that time passed enough to bring the story into the McCarthy era, it might have been better for the whole story to have just focused on that time, for Amelia not to have been essentially two separate characters. Then the McCarthyism could have played a bigger role than "it's better for you if I pretend to be dead/disinterested/etc." I absolutely trust that Harrington could have written a real doozy of a twisty turny historical political thriller romance if the source fanfic had been discarded entirely. The choice of narrator per chapter was a bit odd, as it went from being all Amelia to suddenly switching to Laura for a chapter or two, then back to Amelia. Could have done with more consistency of vision. I would read Harrington's next book, since this is one of the rare lesbian romances that didn't make me feel overwhelmingly yucked out (I don't think this one made me feel yucky at all, though I could have done without one of the man-related plots), and it kept me reading the next chapter late into the night.
Recommended for those looking for lesbian romance set in the 40s and 50s, with a little spy stuff mixed in.
Recommended for those looking for lesbian romance set in the 40s and 50s, with a little spy stuff mixed in.
November 25, 2016
Who doesn't love a good post-war spy story with a bit of intrigue, sex and adventure?
This book is so wonderfully perfect in its execution of all three! It jumps straight into the middle of the unfolding friendship between Amelia, a wannabe actor working in a diner, and Laura, a factory worker and Amelia's neighbour at an all women's boarding house in New York. The first few pages revolve around Amelia finding her friend bloodied and bruised outside of her diner late at night in need of help under mysterious circumstances. What unfolds is an action packed plot spanning several years and multiple incidents in which the girls find themselves flung together and have to figure out their feelings for each other as well as who or what might be plotting against them.
The author manages to paint to amazingly full and complete characters who are shining examples of women of that era. Each has or finds different elements of strength throughout the plot and the witty banter that is exchanged between all of the characters had me laughing out loud is some very embarrassingly public places!
Can't recommend this book enough! So much fun!
This book is so wonderfully perfect in its execution of all three! It jumps straight into the middle of the unfolding friendship between Amelia, a wannabe actor working in a diner, and Laura, a factory worker and Amelia's neighbour at an all women's boarding house in New York. The first few pages revolve around Amelia finding her friend bloodied and bruised outside of her diner late at night in need of help under mysterious circumstances. What unfolds is an action packed plot spanning several years and multiple incidents in which the girls find themselves flung together and have to figure out their feelings for each other as well as who or what might be plotting against them.
The author manages to paint to amazingly full and complete characters who are shining examples of women of that era. Each has or finds different elements of strength throughout the plot and the witty banter that is exchanged between all of the characters had me laughing out loud is some very embarrassingly public places!
Can't recommend this book enough! So much fun!
March 5, 2018
2.5. Aspiring actress/current waitress Amelia is determined to help her crush, Laura, who shows up at the diner bruised and barely conscious--she thinks Laura is a call girl, but as it turns out, she's a spy. Also it's 1946, Laura has a mysterious war time past, they live in a women's hotel, and their neighbor who appears to be a midwestern hayseed is actually a Russian assassin. If you think this sounds like a knock off of Agent Carter, you're right!
To be fair, I picked it up because I'd heard that it started out as Agent Carter fanfic. But the author didn't really even attempt to file off serial numbers, she basically just gave them new names. (And Steve became a French Resistance fighter who died.) It wasn't even really great Agent Carter fanfic, and then it randomly jumped ahead six years with an unrelated plot. Meh. I'll stick with the show.
To be fair, I picked it up because I'd heard that it started out as Agent Carter fanfic. But the author didn't really even attempt to file off serial numbers, she basically just gave them new names. (And Steve became a French Resistance fighter who died.) It wasn't even really great Agent Carter fanfic, and then it randomly jumped ahead six years with an unrelated plot. Meh. I'll stick with the show.
February 9, 2017
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The first half of this romance/spy thriller was excellent and easily five stars. It moved quickly, was written snappily and in a style very fitting to the noir/detective stories of the times and had a nice romance and sex scenes. It also dealt with the difficulties of same sex relationships in what seems like a realistic manner.
However I found the time jump to the 50's and everyone's decisions in this future period to not be quite as strong. I also was a little confused by some of the major plot points, and feel that a little build up in that area would have strengthened the spy thriller part of the story. I did like the romance, and it was nice to see some of the side characters from the first half of the book return again.
The first half of this romance/spy thriller was excellent and easily five stars. It moved quickly, was written snappily and in a style very fitting to the noir/detective stories of the times and had a nice romance and sex scenes. It also dealt with the difficulties of same sex relationships in what seems like a realistic manner.
However I found the time jump to the 50's and everyone's decisions in this future period to not be quite as strong. I also was a little confused by some of the major plot points, and feel that a little build up in that area would have strengthened the spy thriller part of the story. I did like the romance, and it was nice to see some of the side characters from the first half of the book return again.
November 24, 2016
I received an ARC copy for an honest review. Firstly, I don't normally go for historical romances but I thought, why not? Despite my early prejudice , I was very quickly drawn in. The plot had twists & turns, so many twists and turns! I loved that it kept me guessing and I'm very impressed the author dragged me into her post Second World War world! The humour was unexpected and the famous name dropping was FABULOUS!
As the saying goes, "don't judge a book by its cover" or in this case the blurb. I'm so glad I took a chance and I will definitely buy Her books again.
As the saying goes, "don't judge a book by its cover" or in this case the blurb. I'm so glad I took a chance and I will definitely buy Her books again.
November 27, 2016
I really really wanted to like this story but couldn't get into it. The storyline seemed very rushed and couldn't get the character development to move with it. Her writing style was good but not anything that drew you in. Good book but not something I would read more than once.
June 2, 2017
this could've been cartinelli if marvel let them be gay
September 15, 2017
One of those really great fanfic that deserved to be published. If you were a sucker for Cartinelli then you would definitely love this one. :)
November 7, 2019
Irreverent fun.
December 1, 2016
"The Lavender List" started slowly for me. Although I was intrigue by the premise -- period lesbian spy has adventures and falls in love! -- I had difficulty getting into it.
Period-type lesbian genre fiction, I have found, falls broadly into three categories:
1) alternate history/historical fantasy in which society in general pretty much cool with queerness -- female knights or pirates run around having adventures and falling in love with other lady-types, and this is considered at worst a tad outré by their contemporaries, if not totally unremarkable. (Escapist fun!)
2) period fiction in which attitudes towards queerness are closer to what historical evidence suggests, but our heroines have a relatively easy time of it, because, eg, of a high degree of social privilege, geographic isolation, etc. They pay some social cost, but don't need to worry about utter social ruin, or extreme physical violence. (Escapist fun with sad/angry-making bits.)
3) period fiction where ladies are queer, and it truly sucks. Their queerness is very incompatible with their society and the life they would lead, and any sort of compromise is negotiated only with great difficulty and significant sacrifice. (Too many feels to be [just] escapist fun, although there may be fun/sweet/happy bits.)
"The Lavender List" is firmly a type three.
I have and do enjoy stories of all three types, but it's the third I am most hesitant about, largely because I read mainly for the escapism these days, and reading about oppression sends me crashing back to reality pretty quick.
All that said, "The Lavender List" was worth it. I came back to the book after a break determined to give it another shot, and was quickly immersed. I was not initially gripped by either the plot or the characters, and wasn't sure where to direct my attention. That was the quarter third of the way through the book or so. A third of the way through I was definitely interested, and half-way through I was sold, rooting for Laura and Amelia to pull through, and not sure they would.
There is a decided dearth of competent and kick-ass female spies in books, and Laura fills this role nicely. Amelia is equally glamourous and bad-ass. If any of this sounds intriguing, I don't think you'd regret picking up this book.
Period-type lesbian genre fiction, I have found, falls broadly into three categories:
1) alternate history/historical fantasy in which society in general pretty much cool with queerness -- female knights or pirates run around having adventures and falling in love with other lady-types, and this is considered at worst a tad outré by their contemporaries, if not totally unremarkable. (Escapist fun!)
2) period fiction in which attitudes towards queerness are closer to what historical evidence suggests, but our heroines have a relatively easy time of it, because, eg, of a high degree of social privilege, geographic isolation, etc. They pay some social cost, but don't need to worry about utter social ruin, or extreme physical violence. (Escapist fun with sad/angry-making bits.)
3) period fiction where ladies are queer, and it truly sucks. Their queerness is very incompatible with their society and the life they would lead, and any sort of compromise is negotiated only with great difficulty and significant sacrifice. (Too many feels to be [just] escapist fun, although there may be fun/sweet/happy bits.)
"The Lavender List" is firmly a type three.
I have and do enjoy stories of all three types, but it's the third I am most hesitant about, largely because I read mainly for the escapism these days, and reading about oppression sends me crashing back to reality pretty quick.
All that said, "The Lavender List" was worth it. I came back to the book after a break determined to give it another shot, and was quickly immersed. I was not initially gripped by either the plot or the characters, and wasn't sure where to direct my attention. That was the quarter third of the way through the book or so. A third of the way through I was definitely interested, and half-way through I was sold, rooting for Laura and Amelia to pull through, and not sure they would.
There is a decided dearth of competent and kick-ass female spies in books, and Laura fills this role nicely. Amelia is equally glamourous and bad-ass. If any of this sounds intriguing, I don't think you'd regret picking up this book.
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