Out: A Cam Thomas Story

Cam Thomas #1

by Claire Highton-Stevenson

ASIN moved from less recent edition here

Camryn Thomas finds her life turned upside down. A betrayal she never envisaged happening brings a new beginning that will change her life forever.

Taking a chance, she moves from her hometown of London to the glitzy world of Los Angeles.

She lives by one rule - do not fall in love.

Things go great and life is finally falling into place until she meets the one person who could be worth breaking her rule for.

But, what if that person isn't OUT and this relationship could ruin her career?

Is it worth the risk?

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Celebrity, Lesbian, Butch Femme, Queer, Lesbian Romance

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2017

About the author

Award-Winning and best selling, Claire Highton-Stevenson is an Independent author of contemporary romance and crime novels.

Having worked for many years in emergency services, Claire now spends her time writing, traveling, researching ancestry, following Liverpool FC and enjoying life as much as possible.

She lives in West Sussex, UK. Along with her wife and fur babies.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

**'It is a cliche' that most cliches' are true but then like most cliche's,that cliche' is untrue..Writing is thinking.To write well is to think clearly.That's why its so hard..'

Okay read!
....way too predictable...

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Yes, it’s such a cliche! Yes, it’s so predictable! But I still liked it! Camryn, poor, cheated by girlfriend turned rich, commitment-shy girl met Michelle, closeted Hollywood actress - hmmm...sounds really good to me. Besides, Hollywood romance has always been my cuppa tea (or latte)... so what’s not to like! :)) I’ve enjoyed reading other books written by the same author - so that’s a tick/another plus for me.

[Arn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 stars. This author is really talented in writing angst, the first chapter really hit me hard with my heart starting to beat stronger and faster as I read through the grueling scene. She doesn't just gloss over it like many other authors do, she wrote out that betrayal in every little detail. But after that mostly good feels come eventually and the story overall is pretty sweet.

But while it is sweet it is also quite superficial, it's one of those soul mates kinda themes which I personally don't enjoy that match. Give me properly developed emotional connection over insta love any day. Unfortunately their love boils down to mostly hot and rich chicks doing hot and rich things with some angst in the middle. It's well written though.

Then there are some things that are never revealed or not thought through enough, for example, how a poor Londoner that comes into possession of vast fortunes knows how to manage all that cash so easily and not only doesn't lose any of it but makes more via investments. Or the best friend which we meet in first chapter but who isn't recalled ever again, not even a single conversation with a character who had a pivotal role in the story. The best friend thing might be revisited in the 3rd book but it's kinda late for that.

I absolutely loved sex scenes in this book, it's not cliche with one character being the dominant one, they swap roles and the flow is organic (*winkwink).

Overall a pretty good book and definitely a great start for a new author.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 70% too much pain and bad feels and I hate it when people are horrible to each other. I get conflict. But sort it out. Don't drag it out for a huge portion of the book. You're just wasting my time. Done with it.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it

I saw this book on one of my goodreads friends lists and figured why not...and I am pleased i gave it a chance. Its nothing new as far as concepts. Movie star in the closet falls for Lesbian Bar owner (fyi she's got like an unlimited amount of money). Anyway its actually a really sweet and steamy story with some angst and not so much a happy ending because there's a book two but a good enough ending.
I like the way the author writes. Its not too much detail or unnecessary details or side characters. Looking forward to book two. A kU book that I am strongly thinking about buying

[F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever wondered what you’d do with a) a broken heart b) newly found riches c) a killer body ... when you meet a closeted Hollywood star and fall in instalove... then this will give you some ideas.

Solid 3.5 stars for this romance that doesn’t have much action but somehow entertains.

[Heinerway · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really nice and enjoyable read. But be aware that you will find at the end a very annoying sentence: "To be continued..."

[hubsie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slang. Slang can work sometimes, but it's overuse and mis-use in this book got very tiresome. Examples being "cos," "ya" and improper use of "was." One line actually said "I thought you wasn't leaving!" *shudder.* Also, "learnt?" "leant?" Is this proper English? The switching of perspective mid-chapter also threw me off in the beginning. This book very much needed a better editor.

Also, who likes exclamation marks? Not me. Exclamation marks got even more overuse and mis-use in this story, which made it feel juvenile. I believe the characters are supposed to be in their 30's, but it reads like a YA novel, with two teenagers unable to reign in their emotions. Double those exclamations with question marks and that is a formula for extreme annoyance for me. The flow gets thrown off and I had a hard time taking this book seriously.

Those big annoyances aside, which are hard to overlook, the story was somewhat sweet. I was drawn into the first chapter and thought the writer handled the betrayal Camryn faced with alarming accuracy, which did make me a bit emotional. I liked the added lottery win angle and how business savvy Camryn became, taking control of her life in a responsible way. The character of Michelle felt flat to me, maybe the following books delve into her story more, but unless the other books mature, I think I will skip them.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!!!!!! Just Wow!!!! What a read. This had everything from angst, to romance, to cute fluff. It was just perfect.

Cam takes you on a journey from her heartbreak, to protecting herself, to letting herself love again. Michelle ‘Shelly’ Hamlin changes life for her, but has her own demons to deal with as an actress who hasn’t come out yet.

All they go through is so emotional, and the connection you can feel with both characters is strong. Your heart will break for both of them, hate their stubbornness at times, and just love them. It’s impossible not to! I want a Cam! Where can you get one?

Just brilliant! I would highly recommend this to anyone as a read that you won’t forget, and you will want a Cam, I can guarantee it! Can’t wait to read the next title in this series!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I was afraid it was going to be another typical story about a woman finding love again after a bad breakup. I quickly found out that was not the case! While Cam does find love again after a bad breakup, there's nothing typical about it! She starts her life over in a very spectacular and unexpected way, and she finds love under equally unexpected circumstances. The relationship that develops is far from typical and had me invested from the start! The writer has a very honest, conversational style that makes you feel like you know the characters. If you like lesbian romances and you're looking for something with a bit of a different plot, look no further!

[Margaret L. Hedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

I really enjoyed Out. I loved both the main characters, Cam and Michelle. Great story. I look forward to the next book. I thank the author for making this book available on Kindle Unlimited.

[Heather Henkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

I enjoyed reading the story. It is a shame that famous people don't get more private lives. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Peter Rauth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend left this behind on a visit some months ago. Didn't think 'les-fic' would be my cup of tea, particularly as I barely understand straight women. Nonetheless, I did find the story strangely compelling and an interesting glimpse into the lesbian scene, which frankly I would not be interested in, save for author's ability to tell a good story and depict the nature of sapphic relationships with some style. Might just go and have a gander at "Next" - her new novel.

[Nico Genes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing this novel is lesbian fiction, my first thought was that the name OUT means that one of the characters will come OUT (I admit I didn’t read the blurb at that moment:-)) and, while reading it, soon I realized that OUT it’s also the name of a gay bar, cool wordplay. I liked that this coming out was for a movie star, which makes it harder in a different way than for not-famous people. Gorgeous movie star Shelly Hamilton falls in love with blue-eyed blonde Cam, the owner of the gay bar. While for Cam this means finding love again after a harsh breakup, for Shelly this means finally following her sexual orientation. The story is sweet, nothing very new as a concept, but still lovely and some twists and quite steamy at times. It features a fair amount of betrayal and angst but the happy ending will do. I liked the writing style of the author and hats off for this being her debut novel.

Reader type: If you like lesbian fiction and you're looking for some sweet romance with steamy scenes, look no further! Or better say, if you like romance, curl up and enjoy reading it. A real page-turner.

My favorite quotes from this book:
“...and it burned her to the core to see it so up close and personal. Watching as someone else leant in and kissed her, those same soft lips that until two weeks ago had been solely hers to kiss.”

“Even under these circumstances, with her heart hurting the way that it was, Cam still saw the beauty of it all.”

More book reviews on: https://www.nicojgenes.com/book-reviews.

[Purpleberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, a bit predictable with the prerequisite mind-blowing sex and ultimate breakup followed by running away and no communication. There is a HEA, and two more books in the series which I will probably not read. Not for any real reason, just can’t really be bothered.

Both leads are gorgeous, wealthy and have incredible support systems. The secondary characters are amazing, always just right there in times of trouble with just the right information and advice. Cam never wants for female companionship and both of them can flit off to overseas at a moments notice, so basically exactly like my life except for the fact that it’s completely the opposite.

Again this wasn’t bad, just not super memorable. With the Big Reveal never being an issue (we know Cam’s big secret right from the start) plus the nonstop head-hopping we do means there isn’t really any tension or mystery.

If you’re in the mood for a coloring book lesfic romance with decent sexytimes and a good helping of angst plus bonus groveling before both of them stop being stupid and actually communicate, then I recommend this read to you!

Rating: three solid stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book

Girl gets heart broken, swears to never fall in love again, moves to LA and creates a new life. There is the usual angst, and a wonderful first time experience.

This book could have used a little tighter editing but it wasn’t bad enough to keep me from reading the next book in the series. 😉

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

[Ceh131973 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book recommendation I got from a book chat. I am loving those since it is helping find amazing books like this. Cam is a main character that you really want to see everything work out for because she is just authenic. Of course some things are not realistic but it is fiction and I guess some people get that lucky. The relationship,although it is the soul mate thing, develops nicely. They even have road bumps(or more like potholes into Narnia). This is where the secondary characters come in to help fix things. I like that the secondary characters are not fluff but played a role is directing the plot but aren't overbearing. I definately will read more in this series. It is binge worthy.

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters, with great depth and personalities that are flawed, some endearing and some not. This is the first of a series that has me hooked to find out more. It is a story of the ultimate betrayal, self-discovery, and learning to trust again. The question that came to me as I finished "Out", was, what does it take to break out of the boxes we self impose upon ourselves, to keep our hearts safe from pain? Cam has to find her way 'out' of that box, to open herself to possibilities for a better future. What's next??? I'm going to check it out.

[Lisa Marie Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a roller coaster of a book and well written too. I won't tell the story, except that it features a fair amount of betrayal and angst but like all good romances it has a happy ending. The author has left it hanging with a specimen chapter from the sequel which is fine by me. The romance is steamy but certainly not over the top and, as a good example of lesfic, it was a refreshing change from the usual m/f billionaire romance.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little love story, albeit with a 'Hollywood' kind of story line and a good start on the first book. This first book seemed to be all from Cam's view point, so I hope the next book is a bit more from Michelle's.
I liked it... will look for the next one in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Well written, this book promises Cam and Michelle's story still has plenty of adventure and drama to entice first time Claire Highton-Stevenson readers to put the entire Camryn Thomas Story series on their must read list.

[sarah king · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH YEAH !!

This is a hot steamy romance. Written by a lesbian - who knows how to write about Lesbians !!! It's got some super sexy scenes and the perfect amount of angst.

[isa Simonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, i have to read the next books. A very good author.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It was loaned to me by a friend and I can’t wait to read the rest.

[Patricia OHara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting from the beginning

I had already read your 3rd book before realizing that 2 mor existed. So now the first one is read. Michelle and Cam really has a wonderfully rocky start. The plot, including the brief description of the past girlfriend, Jessica, made her motives for not wanting to Love understandable. The love entering Cams life and Michelle coming out was well written, providing a detailed storyline. Great book! Now onto book 2!

[Jaie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really needed an editor!! It read like a good first draft, the characters were pretty well drawn and the story was standard romance. But the perspective switching mid-paragraph... The weird dialogue... The weird beginning which established Cam but could have been done better differently... The weird flashbacks, which again, would've fit better differently

Good start, needs tighter finalizing.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story

A very beautiful story with a character and realistic dialogues. Beautifully described characters, feeling that you are there in their moment. Plus now i am looking forward to read the next books.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

I love Cam and Michele. They have so much chemistry and love. The story is well written except a couple of sentences. It was easy to follow with hot love scenes. Can’t wait to read the next in series.

[vacatedboat]

DNF at 48%.