Other Girls

by Avery Brooks

Sam and Ashley were once other girls...
Three years after the sudden loss of her wife to a brain aneurysm, thirty-four-year-old Samantha Parker focuses her attention on caring for her five-year-old son Jake. She lives in her hometown of New Orleans where she has a close relationship with her family and her best friend, Drea, who is a loyal friend when she’s not busy sleeping her way through the local lesbian population.
Sam’s wife Anna was the love of her life and she can’t imagine ever finding such a love again. Instead, she focuses on being the best mother to Jake she can be and getting through each day as it comes. It’s not exciting, but she understands that she had her love story with Anna. As long as she gets her weekly girls’ night out with Drea and her softball team keeps winning, everything is fine. That is, until Ashley Valence, the girl who tormented Sam throughout high school, moves back home after sixteen years. Ashley, the former softball star, joins Sam’s softball team, sending Sam into a series of nightmares. As tensions rise on the softball field, the unexpected and undeniable chemistry between the women grows.
No matter how much Sam wants to hate Ashley, those once icy green eyes only hold warmth now. As Sam introduces Ashley into her life with Jake, she begins to let go of the past to follow her heart. But when Jake is bullied by a student at school, all of the former hurts resurface for Sam, and she lashes out at Ashley in an attempt to protect both herself and her son. Though Sam realizes her knee-jerk reactions are wrong, she also begins to realize that she’s in love with Ashley.
One last problem remains—can she trust her heart to someone who once hurt her so deeply?

81,000 words

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Second Chance, LGBT, Ebooks

246 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2019

About the author

Avery Brooks grew up on the East Coast and has spent the years since gradually moving west. She has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology and has spent much of her life studying dominance, climate change, social justice issues, and human rights atrocities. While conducting postdoctoral research in New Orleans, she fell in love with the city, which has featured prominently in her writing. She has taught at multiple universities, but her most rewarding experiences involved teaching interdisciplinary courses on dominance, climate change, and LGBTQ+ studies.

Avery is a graduate of the 2018 Golden Crown Literary Society's Writing Academy. Her novel Other Girls was a 2020 Goldie Finalist in Contemporary Romance. When she's not busy reading and writing fiction, she uses her free time to advocate for social justice issues, women's empowerment, and animal conservation in the face of a rapidly changing climate. She lives in Colorado, where she enjoys hiking with her two dogs, trying different microbrews, and rooting for the Saints.

Librarian note: Multiple authors with the same name in the GR database; this author is entered with 2 spaces.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good read. When I heard enemies to lovers and that there would be softball involved, I had a feeling this would be a Lex book. There are a few types of romance I just love with fauxmances and enemies to lovers being right at the top of that list. These two different kinds are actually both alike in what I enjoy about them. In both cases while there may be some initial attraction, the author has to work really hard to make these kinds of romances believable. There is no insta love here. When one if not both characters hate each other, the author really has to develop a good romance to convince me that this potential couple is meant to be together. I’m happy to say that Brooks was successful in doing just that.

Sam is the single mother of a cute 5 year old boy. After the sudden passing of her wife three years ago, Sam is still struggling in her grief. One thing Sam looks forward to the most is her recreational softball team. Unfortunately, that comfort is suddenly shattered when the newest team player just happens to be one of the bullies that made her high school life a living hell. While tension and unexpected chemistry is present between the two, Sam can’t decide if she can trust that Ash has changed or if she still is the mean girl she was sixteen years before.

I really enjoyed this read. I think romance fans are going to be happy with it too. This is a debut for Brooks and that makes me even more impressed. The book does have a few small bumps that I wasn’t surprised to see by a debut author. The book was a little predictable at times. You could see the main conflict coming a million miles away. And I also thought the ending dragged a little and got a bit repetitive. It kept switching between both POV’s, with both characters thinking the same thing multiple times. I’m sure Brooks will get more used to what little parts she can cut out without affecting the outcome. But besides those two small issues, I enjoyed the whole rest of the book. This was a real quality romance and it makes me excited to think what else Brooks might write next.

I thought Brooks was very successful in making me feel. A character who had been bullied as a kid and was a single mother because her wife had died, I expected this book to choke me up at times. I wanted some drama that needed tissues; I did not want a fluffy romance. Brooks absolutely delivered. While this was not a doom and gloom book, I had to bust out the tissues multiple times, just like I wanted. I love when an author can make me feel and I’m impressed by how well Brooks was able to do that. This book was the perfect mix of good feels to tissue ratio and I really enjoyed it.

I absolutely recommend this to fans of enemies to lovers romances. This was a quality debut and I really enjoyed it. I would also recommend it just to romance fans that like a little drama mixed in. This book will make you feel which I think is always a good thing. Brooks is an author that I would not hesitate to read in the future. If she started off this well, I have some pretty high hopes for her.

This is slightly off-topic. Bywater Books may be a really small lesfic publisher but they are pretty mighty. I have read more books from them this year than I ever have before and I have been really impressed. While they have big gun authors like Ann McMan and Rachel Spangler, they seem to be really good at finding debut authors too. I love discovering new authors with lots of potential so I’m going to be keeping a closer eye on Bywater from now on.

A copy was given to me by https://lezreviewbooks.com for a honest review.

[Harrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why the blurb says 'the girl who tormented Sam throughout high school' when technically Ash didn't bully Sam. It was always Jackie while Ash just stood there and let it happen. I don't mean to defend her, she was obviously in the wrong but not as much as I expected.
Chemistry really shines when the characters initially hate each other. Sam and Ash's fight at the softball field was such a big yes! I really need to read more enemies to lovers. Sam and Ash had really good slowburn and they were freaking adorable once they got together. I didn't love the second half as much because unnecessary angst alert!. When Jake was bullied Sam just blew up at Ash and made her cry which was not cool, like she is not your emotional punching bag lady. Ash forgave her way too easily. I felt bad for Ash because of her toxic home environment when she was a child and she never had anyone even as an adult either. So, the ending was heartwarming because she finally got a family.

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

4.5*

Is it possible to fall in love with the person who made your life as a teenager hell?

Since her wife Anna died suddenly, Sam Parker has been raising her young son Jake on her own, with the help of her best friend Drea and of her parents. Apart from her job (which she would love if it wasn’t for the insufferable colleague who keeps claiming all the credit for the team’s hard work), her adult time is her Friday nights with Drea and her softball team. She might not be deliriously happy but she’s doing okay. Until Ashley Valence comes back to New Orleans and becomes the team’s star pitcher. Sam’s high school years of being bullied by Ashley and her friends flow back in nightmares.

There’s nothing Ashley – Ash – is more ashamed of than the way she treated Sam as a teenager and she’ll do everything to try and make up for it. Yet life is never black and white and while there’s no excuse for teenage Ashley’s behaviour, there are explanations. Ash has worked a lot to change, which Sam will come to see.

Seriously, where do all these awesome debut novels come from? Even though Other Girls doesn’t really feel like a debut novel. There are a few flaws in this book, but nothing huge. I kept wondering where Anna’s family was, for example. The writing is excellent, so is the pace, the angst is never forced and Ash’s path to redemption just flows. As wary as I was at first of the storyline, it feels completely natural. The chemistry between Ash and Sam is subtle but real. Despite what happened in high school, they’re both good people, kind and compassionate and open-minded. I loved the fact that the bullying was only one – if significant – aspect of the story, that they both had lived through other things and were ready for each other when they met again.

One of the things I love about second chances and enemies to lovers romances is how convincing the author needs to be to make them believable. When you dislike (or more) someone, or when you’ve already had a failed relationship with them, there’s obviously a lot of work involved (both on the author’s part and on the characters’) for a relationship to take off. Brooks totally makes it work.

There’s a second love story in Other Girls, that of the characters (reflecting the author’s) with the city of New Orleans. Ash came back because, regardless of the bad memories from her childhood, there’s no place she loves more than New Orleans. Sam never left for the same reasons. Brooks shares her love through little things, in the way she mentions a smell, a sound, the food, a view. There aren’t overwhelming depictions, just low-key touches here and there.

Another awesome thing about this book is despite the premise being as sad as can be (Sam was bullied as a kid and she’s a widow, Ash survived a violent childhood), it’s not a sad story. There are a lot of feelings and you’d best keep tissues at hand, but the overall impression is one of hope and promise.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When your bully comes calling.

Sam is a single mother in New Orleans. A marketing professional just trying to get by. Her simple life is thrown into turmoil when her high school bully, Ashley, comes back to town unexpectedly.

I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot to discover and feel right along with Sam.

Sam wants so much more from her career. She has been working hard for a long time but never getting anywhere because she is not a part of the boys club. Ashley brings back a flood of insecurities as Sam recalls her horrible childhood and all of the bullying she had to endure. And those feelings conflict with how she is feeling now for Ashley, who seems be completely different than her younger self, but how can Sam be sure? And Sam is still holding a torch for her deceased wife. With Anna being taken away from her so abruptly she has never felt any closure. The guilt of moving on plays a big part in this.

This has a very good balance of angst, conflict, and hope. The characters were both flawed and real and I loved them.

I highly recommend this book to people who like to read romance, loss, forgiveness, moving on, moving up, softball, New Orleans, kids, and giraffes.

[Loek Krancher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emotionally charged story!

Between love and hate lies a very thin line. One step over this line can make a relationship very intense and complicated. A run-in and all the pain from the past came back with a vengeance. Sam freaked out and that was the beginning of a rollercoaster of emotions. What an unforgettable romance! At times, it was hard to read. There were so many emotions. From disbelief, anger, frustration, sadness to happiness. The writing is very well done and you're going to love the characters. Two thumbs up for this debut novel!

[F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam is widowed and raising her little boy Jake in New Orleans. She has a great network of friends and family to support her but still carries the scars and insecurities of years of being bullied in school. One of these bullies, green eyed, blonde, athletic Ash, comes back into her life. Ash is changed. And remorseful. Should she give her a chance?

For all its themes of bullying and grief and whatnot, this is a gentle, warm and uplifting read. There is just enough detail of the setting to make you feel you’re there, enough details in the cooking that you can almost taste it (but not so much that you could use it as a recipe...). Sam, Jake, Ash, and the supporting cast are lovely.
What’s missing is some true high and lows. This is a lovely amble along romance lane. Perfect soul food, but a bit of spark is missing perhaps.

[Mekeia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good debut. Warm, sweet, and just an all around good romance. Maybe needed slight trimming, but even without that, I really enjoyed reading it. And I look forward to more of this author's work.

[XR · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading so many reviews, I'm glad I got this book. Aside from Sam and Ash... Drea, Jake and Goose have got to be my favourite characters.

Also, bullying sucks major gonads. Don't do it!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really not sure what to make of the title or the book cover because neither are great for the novel inside. So ignoring all that, Other Girls (what other girls?) is a enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance that deals with grief and bullying and forgiveness. And all of that is what drew me to this novel that I'd never heard of by an author unfamiliar to me. The execution of the storyline fell a little flat, but considering this is a debut novel, I'm willing to forgive some of the repetitiveness of the narrative.

What really didn't work for me is the way Brooks continuously forecasted tension by some gut feeling a character has, i.e. something happens that seems rather innocuous, but the narrator will tell the reader that the character feels angst in the moment so that the reader knows, without a doubt, that something is wrong. And, well, the narrator shouldn't have to that so explicitly. If the actions don't hint at angst on their own, that's a failure of the writing.

But, for the most part, I did enjoy the novel. I liked that Brooks explored the idea that trauma isn't a linear experience. The romance was also lovely and I enjoyed watching all the flirting. This is also a book that loves New Orleans, and, well, I also happen to love New Orleans.

[Heat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bit of a tear jerker - really enjoyed it - based around Softball and emotions - what is there not to like. My first by this author - will be chasing her down.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had me thinking very hard about whether I wanted to suspend belief and just go with the premise or not. As a person who has been bullied I just think I could forgive the person, but I don’t want to be their friend because people do not fundamentally change.

This book is about Ash and Sam who were in the same high school together. Ash was the mean girl and Sam got bullied. She never quite got over the bullying and carried that pain and hurt into adulthood. There were a lot of situation that happened that could have been solved with a conversation. There was also the issue of Sam’s wife dying and leaving her with a child.

The writing was good, the premise was annoying and not something I would normally read, but this book was good. The premise like I said was silly and not very believable. If you like stories about second chances then this is a pretty good read.

[charlotte, · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rep: lesbian mcs

CWs: past child abuse, death of a spouse, bullying

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a 3.5 for this one. The premise seemed interesting but I felt the pace kind of weird. I was discovering things and making assumptions, trying to guess what was gonna happen with some interaction and then the author would tell me, just put in words the unspoken, or at least I felt it that way, and it took a lot of the enjoyment out of it. I like to guess, but I don’t like it when it’s instantly resolved and explained.

Having said so, take a chance, it’s a fun, easy read. The kind that makes a lazy evening at home more enjoyable.

[Best Lesfic Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title and the cover almost made us think that this is a paranormal story, but it turns out that this is amongst the best enemies-to-lovers books we’ve read.

Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enthralled by this enemies-to-lovers romance by debut author Avery Brooks.

Set in New Orleans, the story pulls you in from the very beginning, with Sam and her young son Jake trying to get on with their lives after Sam's wife passed away three years earlier. Sam's focus is on her son and her softball team, in that order. Life seems to be getting a little better for them until Ashley, a woman who used to bully Sam in high school, joins her softball team. Things get a little tense as Sam tries to reconcile the awful way Ashley used to treat her with the kind woman Ashley seems to have grown into. To both of their surprises, Sam and Ashley find themselves entering into a relationship while they face the difficulties of their pasts in order to build their future.

This is a solid romance and the characters are very relatable. I very much recommend it.

[Alex Lfr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ha sido complicado valorar este libro porque hay demasiados frentes abiertos a la vez y diera la sensación de que la autora no sabe en cuál centrarse o profundizar y el resultado final es un poquito superficial.
Primero el tema del bullying, luego el proceso mediante el cual una persona puede perdonar a su agresor (si bien pasivo) y llegar a enamorarse....pero luego se añade la reciente viudedad y la inseguridad....para añadir problemas en el trabajo y con su hijo. Y eso sólo con Sam porque Ash tiene otro melón interesante.
La situación explota donde me esperaba que explotase pero una vez más parece que apenas se roza la superficie de la situación. Quizás con un poco más de “show” y menos “tell” la historia tocaría más la fibra y en este sentido creo que la autora puede trabajar un poco más porque la premisa del libro es buena pero se queda corta en su desarrollo y es una pena.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam was relentlessly bullied n high school by Jackie and her girlfriend gang, including Ashley, which ended with Sam slammed to the floor face first at homecoming, bleeding like a stuck pig.

Years later, Ash has reappeared, trying to be friendly and not bringing up their history at all.

(Which feels weird. If Ash is serious about making up to Sam, as shown in her POV chapters, apologizing would be a first step.)

And the stuck in a elevator trope. Ash's Tragic Backstory.

They go from Sam hating her to banging weirdly quick.

Yeah just... overall I didn't BUY it, pretty much. Ash's behavior just didn't work for me, and that makes the rest of the book sorta fail. Decently written, but that's it.

[Angela Rassette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

You will really like this book, it is a good read. I couldn’t put it down once I started it.
She has had years of therapy after being bullied in high school.
Now, years later and 3 years after her wife’s death raising her son, her bully come back to town.
Nightmares start back up coupled with problems at work and life becomes unbearable; until she realizes “her body” is attracted to Ash, but still hates her for bullying in high school.
Things come head on the softball field and told by the coach to get their stuff figured out out one would be leaving the team.
There are more ups and downs but thing eventually work itself out.

[Beth Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this excellent debut romance about a widowed mom who runs into the woman who bullied her in high school. The scenario creates a lot of tension and a lot of angst, and Brooks handles it well. The two main characters were well-developed and fortunately, so were the other characters. Drea is an excellent side character and Sam's son is adorable.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good woman-loving-woman romance.

[S.S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great debut novel from Avery Brooks exploring the theme of how much do our school experiences shape us and is it possible to change. What role does family relationships play in who we are and how we react to events.
The love story between Sam and Ash is well developed and the love letter to the setting of New Orleans was lovely.
Now we just need Drea to have her own story told.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the main characters and the way they reconnected. Also enjoyed the interaction with Drea and Jake. Would love to know how long Sams place of employment lasted after she left.

This book also had just the right amount of angst.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but was a bit confused sometimes about the POV. It's written in the third person and mostly from Sam's POV. But every once in a while it's switched to Ash's POV. Plus there were 2 people called Allison in it which was a bit confusing as well.

[lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

they should let you do half stars on this damn app this is definitely more of a 3.5/5 for me!

[CDL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Other Girls. The emotional depth, the characters and setting all worked beautifully. I look forward to other works by Avery Brooks.

[bookster · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars