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Fair Oaks #2
Not the Marrying Kind
Small-town florist Ashley Gaines loves her little flower shop and putting together the perfect bouquets for weddings and other happy occasions. Her own love life, however, is far from blossoming. Ash has decided that staying in the closet is safer than risking her heart again.
Local bakery owner Sasha Peterson hasn’t had much luck mixing it up with romance either. Besides, she’s too busy whipping up delicious treats to have time for a relationship.
But when their town’s first lesbian wedding forces them to work together, Ashley and Sasha discover they have more in common than they imagined.
During food fights, cake tastings, and slow waltzes, they begin to see each other in a new light. Soon Ashley has to admit to herself that Sasha is tempting more than just her sweet tooth.
What else is on the menu in this delicious lesbian romance? Find out in this second book in the Fair Oaks series by award-winning author Jae. It’s featuring new main characters and can be read as a standalone.
Local bakery owner Sasha Peterson hasn’t had much luck mixing it up with romance either. Besides, she’s too busy whipping up delicious treats to have time for a relationship.
But when their town’s first lesbian wedding forces them to work together, Ashley and Sasha discover they have more in common than they imagined.
During food fights, cake tastings, and slow waltzes, they begin to see each other in a new light. Soon Ashley has to admit to herself that Sasha is tempting more than just her sweet tooth.
What else is on the menu in this delicious lesbian romance? Find out in this second book in the Fair Oaks series by award-winning author Jae. It’s featuring new main characters and can be read as a standalone.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 17, 2019
128 people are currently reading
1476 people want to read
About the author
Jae
126 books3,804 followersJae is the author of twenty-six award-winning romances between women. She lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
April 17, 2019
Jae’s books just never disappoint. It’s so refreshing to know when a new book by Jae comes out that it is going to be a good read and this was no exception. While I would not put this in my all-time favorite list by Jae, it was still a really enjoyable romance that I think will appeal to just about any romance fan.
This is the second book in the Fair Oaks series. You can read this one on its own, but it would not hurt to read Perfect Rhythm first. The mains from Perfect are important secondary characters in this book. Also, for fans of Jae’s Hollywood Series, Grace and Lauren do make an appearance in this book.
This book had a really nice pace. Like all of Jae’s books it is on the longer side, but it never dragged for me. Every page seemed important and I could have read even more when the story was over. Since I personally prefer my romance with excitement, mystery or even dragons, I can sometime get a little bored with pure romances. That just doesn’t happen with Jae, every moment as little as it was, held my attention and I really enjoyed the whole story.
The best part of this book was of course the romance. It’s a nice paced, slow burn romance. Actually, the characters in the beginning hardly even like each other so it was great to see the relationship slowly build to something meaningful. While the book had enjoyable sex scenes, the intimacy between the characters is what really meant a lot to me. It felt like two people falling in love, and I enjoyed every second of it.
I really have no complaints; this was just a well done romance. If you are a Jae fan or just a romance fan, don’t hesitate to read this you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what Jae has in store for us next.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
This is the second book in the Fair Oaks series. You can read this one on its own, but it would not hurt to read Perfect Rhythm first. The mains from Perfect are important secondary characters in this book. Also, for fans of Jae’s Hollywood Series, Grace and Lauren do make an appearance in this book.
This book had a really nice pace. Like all of Jae’s books it is on the longer side, but it never dragged for me. Every page seemed important and I could have read even more when the story was over. Since I personally prefer my romance with excitement, mystery or even dragons, I can sometime get a little bored with pure romances. That just doesn’t happen with Jae, every moment as little as it was, held my attention and I really enjoyed the whole story.
The best part of this book was of course the romance. It’s a nice paced, slow burn romance. Actually, the characters in the beginning hardly even like each other so it was great to see the relationship slowly build to something meaningful. While the book had enjoyable sex scenes, the intimacy between the characters is what really meant a lot to me. It felt like two people falling in love, and I enjoyed every second of it.
I really have no complaints; this was just a well done romance. If you are a Jae fan or just a romance fan, don’t hesitate to read this you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what Jae has in store for us next.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
March 29, 2019
I hadn't realized that this was a secondary book to 'Perfect Rhythm.' No worries, you do not need to have read that book to enjoy this one.
Ashley is a mega closeted lesbian that owns the one flower shop (The Flower Girl) in the town of Fair Oaks, Missouri. She has convinced herself that she needs to live a life alone because there is no way that she can come out. Her parents would disown her, the town would hate her, she would lose business, etc. Plus, it is not like there are any other available girl loving ladies in her town anyway.
She is thrown into working with the local baker, Sasha, who just happens to be pansexual. And thus begins a journey of self acceptance.
I could really relate to Ashley's character. I was out to everyone except my parents until I was 30 years old. Like Ashley, I felt they would disown me if they knew. Ashley's dad was OK with a gay wedding so long as they didn't have anything to do with it. I donated services to design a gay prom website and showed it to my dad. He said "I wish you would pick better clients." Ashley's mom didn't think fondly of the gayness either. When I decided to move out and move to Kansas, my mom's departing words were "I just don't want to hear anything gay." So I could really understand what Ashley was struggling with.
The chemistry was off the charts between Ashley and Sasha. On top of that, all of their interactions were charged with emotion. This book really gave me the feels. Quite a few times, actually.
Anyhow, I loved it.
I received an ARC from YLVA Publishing for an honest review
Ashley is a mega closeted lesbian that owns the one flower shop (The Flower Girl) in the town of Fair Oaks, Missouri. She has convinced herself that she needs to live a life alone because there is no way that she can come out. Her parents would disown her, the town would hate her, she would lose business, etc. Plus, it is not like there are any other available girl loving ladies in her town anyway.
She is thrown into working with the local baker, Sasha, who just happens to be pansexual. And thus begins a journey of self acceptance.
I could really relate to Ashley's character. I was out to everyone except my parents until I was 30 years old. Like Ashley, I felt they would disown me if they knew. Ashley's dad was OK with a gay wedding so long as they didn't have anything to do with it. I donated services to design a gay prom website and showed it to my dad. He said "I wish you would pick better clients." Ashley's mom didn't think fondly of the gayness either. When I decided to move out and move to Kansas, my mom's departing words were "I just don't want to hear anything gay." So I could really understand what Ashley was struggling with.
The chemistry was off the charts between Ashley and Sasha. On top of that, all of their interactions were charged with emotion. This book really gave me the feels. Quite a few times, actually.
Anyhow, I loved it.
I received an ARC from YLVA Publishing for an honest review
May 30, 2019
The thing about Jae is that her romance rarely goes wrong! This one is no different! Her writing style is so smooth, it’s like I’m constantly with a smile when I’m reading her books..
almost all reviews mention that you don’t need to read Perfect Rhythm before this book, but I really do recommend that you do that. It will add more joy to you :) and for bonus points you get a hint of 2 characters that I really like: Grace & Lauren from Damage Control :)
I think I preferred this one even slightly more than Perfect Rhythm because I connected more with the characters. The chemistry is so strong between them but more importantly the emotions were off the chart! This is the thing I always like about Jae, for some reason you can really feel what her characters are feeling (I can’t explain it well but Jae has a talent with the level of emotions she passes on to the readers that you don’t find a lot.)
I could really also connect with Ash’s closeted situation and I think Jae was brilliant in the way she managed to bring her point through.
The ending though was a bit abrupt I think I needed one more chapter to see the town’s reaction towards the MCs.
My rating is 4.25 and I definitely recommend this book..
“An ARC was given to me for an honest review.”
almost all reviews mention that you don’t need to read Perfect Rhythm before this book, but I really do recommend that you do that. It will add more joy to you :) and for bonus points you get a hint of 2 characters that I really like: Grace & Lauren from Damage Control :)
I think I preferred this one even slightly more than Perfect Rhythm because I connected more with the characters. The chemistry is so strong between them but more importantly the emotions were off the chart! This is the thing I always like about Jae, for some reason you can really feel what her characters are feeling (I can’t explain it well but Jae has a talent with the level of emotions she passes on to the readers that you don’t find a lot.)
I could really also connect with Ash’s closeted situation and I think Jae was brilliant in the way she managed to bring her point through.
The ending though was a bit abrupt I think I needed one more chapter to see the town’s reaction towards the MCs.
My rating is 4.25 and I definitely recommend this book..
“An ARC was given to me for an honest review.”
April 24, 2019
I enjoyed every moment of reading this novel, probably even more than Perfect Rhythm. Set in the same small town of Fair Oaks, Sasha is the owner of the local bakery and Ashley is the owner of the only flower shop. Everybody knows everybody in this town and if they grew there, they also went to the same school. Ashley was the cheerleader and prom queen and it was expected that she would marry the star football player and prom king. But she didn’t and, in fact, she’s been seemingly single for over a decade. Sasha has been single for a long time too so it’s not particularly well-known that she’s pansexual. When Holly and Leo decide to get married in a low-key ceremony they ask Sasha to do the cake and Ashley to do the flowers, which means working together to coordinate colours and design.
The beauty of this novel is less about the story line and more about the execution. Sasha and Ashley are carefully built up so that they become fully rounded people. I got to see their motivations through both their dialogue and inner thoughts. Ashley’s fear of being exposed is palpable but it gave me an understanding of her point of view rather than disliking her for it. She’s complex and so is Sasha, but in a different way. The story is not a huge surprise but the unfolding of it is engaging and endearing.
I sometimes find that slow-burn have the main characters circling around each other until a sudden epiphany at 95% and I end up feeling that the entire middle bit could have been cut out. This is not the case here because Ashley and Shasha interact with each other throughout bringing loads of different dynamics to their relationship with each other and to those around them. I was also relieved that there wasn't an excessive amount of wedding planning. The secondary characters are more than just sounding boards for the mains and create a strong sense of the attitudes of townspeople.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
The beauty of this novel is less about the story line and more about the execution. Sasha and Ashley are carefully built up so that they become fully rounded people. I got to see their motivations through both their dialogue and inner thoughts. Ashley’s fear of being exposed is palpable but it gave me an understanding of her point of view rather than disliking her for it. She’s complex and so is Sasha, but in a different way. The story is not a huge surprise but the unfolding of it is engaging and endearing.
I sometimes find that slow-burn have the main characters circling around each other until a sudden epiphany at 95% and I end up feeling that the entire middle bit could have been cut out. This is not the case here because Ashley and Shasha interact with each other throughout bringing loads of different dynamics to their relationship with each other and to those around them. I was also relieved that there wasn't an excessive amount of wedding planning. The secondary characters are more than just sounding boards for the mains and create a strong sense of the attitudes of townspeople.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
June 24, 2019
Honestly, I was wary going into this book. The first title in the series, "Perfect Rhythm", I found frustrating and I wasn't all that taken with the leads, Holly and Leo. And, in general, the last batch of Jae's books have been hit or miss. I wouldn't say I've ever read a bad Jae book. But a blah one? Yes.
"Not the Marrying Kind" takes place in the same small town of Fair Oaks, Missouri and stars Ashley, the "bad guy" from book one. And, oh my god, finally! This book was *good*. Ashley is a great character because she's warm-hearted, capable, and is deeply in the closet.
Except for the small percentage of people that were born waving a pride flag and sliding down a rainbow into their new lives I think, even for those of us who are out, we all at one time or another knew what it was like to NOT be and all of the fears and anguish that entailed which makes this a very relatable story and Ashley a completely sympathetic character.
Along with the romance, the description of rural America, with not so open townsfolk and parents, and what it's like to live in that world were well done, creating some great tension in the story.
Along comes Sasha, another lovely character that is so easy to like, and the two have fantastic chemistry and are a great yin to yang partnership. The fun in the book is seeing Ashley and Sasha interact and watching them fall for each other. And, really, isn't that what we keep reading romances for? So many romance books miss the mark with that simple component but Jae nailed it.
I did like that the author made Sasha a bisexual character and a different looking leading lady than we're used to. Though, I did have have a hard time figuring out what Sasha looked like...not from a lack of description by Jae but I just couldn't settle on her image? Perhaps it was like a Miranda Hart and shorter version of Taylor Swift pairing?
I also was a little taken aback by an action Sasha takes towards the end of the book because it was kind of juvenile (which is very unlike her)...but anyway...
Yes, almost forgot. Sasha and Ashley communicate! Thank you! They're adults.
Some of Jae's books include no sex scenes but this one has two and they are smoking hot. Her ability to write these types of scenes has improved so kudos to her.
I'll add that whenever Holly or Leo made an appearance I fought rolling my eyes. I didn't read the first book as refresher before getting to this one so that's a spontaneous reaction from those two and I couldn't wait for them to leave the scenes. Luckily, they're not in it that much.
All and all, a really great story that I enjoyed quite a bit. 4.4 stars.
"Not the Marrying Kind" takes place in the same small town of Fair Oaks, Missouri and stars Ashley, the "bad guy" from book one. And, oh my god, finally! This book was *good*. Ashley is a great character because she's warm-hearted, capable, and is deeply in the closet.
Except for the small percentage of people that were born waving a pride flag and sliding down a rainbow into their new lives I think, even for those of us who are out, we all at one time or another knew what it was like to NOT be and all of the fears and anguish that entailed which makes this a very relatable story and Ashley a completely sympathetic character.
Along with the romance, the description of rural America, with not so open townsfolk and parents, and what it's like to live in that world were well done, creating some great tension in the story.
Along comes Sasha, another lovely character that is so easy to like, and the two have fantastic chemistry and are a great yin to yang partnership. The fun in the book is seeing Ashley and Sasha interact and watching them fall for each other. And, really, isn't that what we keep reading romances for? So many romance books miss the mark with that simple component but Jae nailed it.
I did like that the author made Sasha a bisexual character and a different looking leading lady than we're used to. Though, I did have have a hard time figuring out what Sasha looked like...not from a lack of description by Jae but I just couldn't settle on her image? Perhaps it was like a Miranda Hart and shorter version of Taylor Swift pairing?
I also was a little taken aback by an action Sasha takes towards the end of the book because it was kind of juvenile (which is very unlike her)...but anyway...
Yes, almost forgot. Sasha and Ashley communicate! Thank you! They're adults.
Some of Jae's books include no sex scenes but this one has two and they are smoking hot. Her ability to write these types of scenes has improved so kudos to her.
I'll add that whenever Holly or Leo made an appearance I fought rolling my eyes. I didn't read the first book as refresher before getting to this one so that's a spontaneous reaction from those two and I couldn't wait for them to leave the scenes. Luckily, they're not in it that much.
All and all, a really great story that I enjoyed quite a bit. 4.4 stars.
April 6, 2019
ARC received from YLVA in exchange for an honest review.
All of Jae’s books are worth the read, they’re also longer than the usual lesfic, which I appreciate. This one is a sequel to Perfect Rhythm and while you don’t necessarily have to read that first, I highly recommend it, first because it’s a great read, but also because this makes more sense if you do.
I have to admit, I did not like Ashley in Perfect Rhythm and she got on my nerves here too, especially in the first third of the book. She’s Narnia deep in the closet and reluctant to come out because she lives in a small town and also fears her parent’s rejection. There’s also a deeper family issue that drives this and while it does make Ashley more sympathetic once revealed, I was still annoyed by her constant denial of what she wanted just so other people would be happy/her own fears.
So, Ashley is a florist in said small town and Sasha owns a bakery across the street. Ashley and Sasha are also friends of Leo and Holly (MCs from Perfect Rhythm) who are getting married and ask Ashley and Sasha to help with the wedding flowers/cake. This forces them to spend a lot of time together and the unfolding of their friendship and romance was slow and sweet. Ashley becomes more likeable the more she interacts with Sasha (who is a delight from the start) but her push/pull closet stuff gets repetitive and makes the book drag.
Holly and Leo feature quite a bit (and have some great scenes, especially with Ashley) and other characters from Perfect Rhythm also feature, plus there’s a cameo from a couple from the Hollywood series, (which hit my pet peeve of authors feeling the need to tie all of their books together, but was less annoying than usual).
Ashley’s family issues take up a fair portion of the book, yet the pivotal issue around her sister doesn’t really get explained enough, I would have liked a discussion between the leads around such a huge thing in one of their lives, that seemed odd.
I did like that the book doesn’t gloss over life in a small town for LGBTQIA people, it’s no magical utopia where everyone just accepts everyone with no repercussions. I also thought the relationship resolution could have happened a bit sooner, the ending felt a bit rushed. I’m actually assuming there will be another book featuring Sasha’s chef friends, so maybe we’ll see these two again.
Overall, Jae’s written another sweet romance, and there are multiple characters that readers will be able to relate to (kudos also for including a pansexual lead). It was also nice to catch up with Holly and Leo again. 4 stars.
All of Jae’s books are worth the read, they’re also longer than the usual lesfic, which I appreciate. This one is a sequel to Perfect Rhythm and while you don’t necessarily have to read that first, I highly recommend it, first because it’s a great read, but also because this makes more sense if you do.
I have to admit, I did not like Ashley in Perfect Rhythm and she got on my nerves here too, especially in the first third of the book. She’s Narnia deep in the closet and reluctant to come out because she lives in a small town and also fears her parent’s rejection. There’s also a deeper family issue that drives this and while it does make Ashley more sympathetic once revealed, I was still annoyed by her constant denial of what she wanted just so other people would be happy/her own fears.
So, Ashley is a florist in said small town and Sasha owns a bakery across the street. Ashley and Sasha are also friends of Leo and Holly (MCs from Perfect Rhythm) who are getting married and ask Ashley and Sasha to help with the wedding flowers/cake. This forces them to spend a lot of time together and the unfolding of their friendship and romance was slow and sweet. Ashley becomes more likeable the more she interacts with Sasha (who is a delight from the start) but her push/pull closet stuff gets repetitive and makes the book drag.
Holly and Leo feature quite a bit (and have some great scenes, especially with Ashley) and other characters from Perfect Rhythm also feature, plus there’s a cameo from a couple from the Hollywood series, (which hit my pet peeve of authors feeling the need to tie all of their books together, but was less annoying than usual).
Ashley’s family issues take up a fair portion of the book, yet the pivotal issue around her sister doesn’t really get explained enough, I would have liked a discussion between the leads around such a huge thing in one of their lives, that seemed odd.
I did like that the book doesn’t gloss over life in a small town for LGBTQIA people, it’s no magical utopia where everyone just accepts everyone with no repercussions. I also thought the relationship resolution could have happened a bit sooner, the ending felt a bit rushed. I’m actually assuming there will be another book featuring Sasha’s chef friends, so maybe we’ll see these two again.
Overall, Jae’s written another sweet romance, and there are multiple characters that readers will be able to relate to (kudos also for including a pansexual lead). It was also nice to catch up with Holly and Leo again. 4 stars.
April 9, 2019
The setting for this novel could not be more perfect. Small town middle America with its small town middle America mindset. I was frustrated with and for Ashley and her desperate attempt to keep her true sexual identity a secret from the entire town of Fair Oaks, Missouri. It was painful watching Ashley duck and weave her way through life, guarding every word and action.
Ash may have been my least favourite character in Perfect Rhythm but Sasha was just a blip on my radar. She is easy to love in this story. Her bakery and her bravery were a welcome diversion from the tightly wound florist. The food as metaphor scenes were sweet and romantic.
As frustrated as I was with Ashley I did enjoy this slow burn romance. Jae has a talent for pulling the reader in with memorable scenes and wonderful dialogue. It is easy to feel the heartfelt emotions and the longing to be loved winning out over fear of what could happen to Ash’s secure and lonely world.
A memorable read and a nice tie in with Perfect Rhythm but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel.
ARC received with thanks from publisher for a honest review.
Ash may have been my least favourite character in Perfect Rhythm but Sasha was just a blip on my radar. She is easy to love in this story. Her bakery and her bravery were a welcome diversion from the tightly wound florist. The food as metaphor scenes were sweet and romantic.
As frustrated as I was with Ashley I did enjoy this slow burn romance. Jae has a talent for pulling the reader in with memorable scenes and wonderful dialogue. It is easy to feel the heartfelt emotions and the longing to be loved winning out over fear of what could happen to Ash’s secure and lonely world.
A memorable read and a nice tie in with Perfect Rhythm but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel.
ARC received with thanks from publisher for a honest review.
February 4, 2023
Not the Marrying Kind by Jae is a wonderfully satisfying follow-up to one of the most romantic books I've ever "read" (listened to), Perfect Rhythm. To get the most out of Marrying Kind, you really do need to listen to Rhythm first.
Rhythm begins when hugely successful out lesbian pop star Jenna "Leo" Blake goes back to her home town of Fair Oaks, MO after a good many years to see her ailing father. There, she meets his caretaker, Holly - someone she knew as a child - now all grown up, caring, confident, beautiful and not altogether impressed with her. Holly is asexual and their story focuses on what happens when Leo and Holly develop feelings for one another. Can an asexual person have a satisfying relationship with someone who isn't? How would they navigate that? Will Leo go back to her big pop star life and break Holly's heart? That book was a huge surprise for me as I wasn't sure I would be able to relate to the asexuality aspect. I love it when I learn something new and felt enlightened afterwards and maybe even a little embarrassed that I didn't know more about the subject. Both characters are so well written, likable and actually communicate like grownups. Really - it's as romantic as they come.
Marrying Kind picks up shortly after the first one ends and focuses on the story of the very closeted town florist, Ashley, and Sasha, a woman who owns and runs the bakery. Both women's lives revolve around their work and neither has time for a relationship. But when a huge event in town forces the two to work closely together over an extended period, will their walls come down? Coming out isn't always easy and sometimes comes at huge personal risk. Will Ashley - who is in her 30s - finally decide that her happiness is worth possibly losing her parents and business over? Can Sasha stop herself from falling in love with Ashley, knowing she could be in for heartbreak?
Both stories are absolutely swoon-worthy, and melted this die-hard romantic's heart. They are also both narrated by the ridiculously talented Angela Dawe. I'm not embarrassed to say that I'm having a serious love affair with that woman's voice. I absolutely loved both of these!
Another listen - March of 2020. *more swoons* I want more lesfic authors to hire Angela Dawe to narrate, dammit. She's so amazing. It's been seven months since I listened to this and loved it just as much the second time. Especially the second half!
Third listen - November 2021 - still love it! Though Sasha’s voice isn’t my favorite of Dawe’s, I appreciate everything she does with this book! Loved Sasha and Ashley’s undeniable chemistry and how sexy they were together!
Fourth listen - February 2023 - Damn, I love these books. So many feels!
Rhythm begins when hugely successful out lesbian pop star Jenna "Leo" Blake goes back to her home town of Fair Oaks, MO after a good many years to see her ailing father. There, she meets his caretaker, Holly - someone she knew as a child - now all grown up, caring, confident, beautiful and not altogether impressed with her. Holly is asexual and their story focuses on what happens when Leo and Holly develop feelings for one another. Can an asexual person have a satisfying relationship with someone who isn't? How would they navigate that? Will Leo go back to her big pop star life and break Holly's heart? That book was a huge surprise for me as I wasn't sure I would be able to relate to the asexuality aspect. I love it when I learn something new and felt enlightened afterwards and maybe even a little embarrassed that I didn't know more about the subject. Both characters are so well written, likable and actually communicate like grownups. Really - it's as romantic as they come.
Marrying Kind picks up shortly after the first one ends and focuses on the story of the very closeted town florist, Ashley, and Sasha, a woman who owns and runs the bakery. Both women's lives revolve around their work and neither has time for a relationship. But when a huge event in town forces the two to work closely together over an extended period, will their walls come down? Coming out isn't always easy and sometimes comes at huge personal risk. Will Ashley - who is in her 30s - finally decide that her happiness is worth possibly losing her parents and business over? Can Sasha stop herself from falling in love with Ashley, knowing she could be in for heartbreak?
Both stories are absolutely swoon-worthy, and melted this die-hard romantic's heart. They are also both narrated by the ridiculously talented Angela Dawe. I'm not embarrassed to say that I'm having a serious love affair with that woman's voice. I absolutely loved both of these!
Another listen - March of 2020. *more swoons* I want more lesfic authors to hire Angela Dawe to narrate, dammit. She's so amazing. It's been seven months since I listened to this and loved it just as much the second time. Especially the second half!
Third listen - November 2021 - still love it! Though Sasha’s voice isn’t my favorite of Dawe’s, I appreciate everything she does with this book! Loved Sasha and Ashley’s undeniable chemistry and how sexy they were together!
Fourth listen - February 2023 - Damn, I love these books. So many feels!
April 8, 2019
I received this book from Ylva Publishing for an honest review
I start off, immediately, by noting a few things of note to make sure I remember to mention at some point: 1) this is something like the 80 billionth (not really) story I started that included sex (even that mystery that I read the other day), but, I thought that it worked out quite well in this book (at least the first time, though there’s reasons I had issues with the end game sex (more later); 2) this is also something like the 8 billionth time I read a story wherein a small town setting or family pressure has a negative impact on relationships (one of these days I’m going to purposefully search out works set in massive big cities where no one knows their neighbor or gives a . . . lick about whether the neighbor is gay or not, and one where family pressure is ‘weirdly’ not a concern); 3) this is the second book in a listed series (worded that way because of cameos by others from a different series).
I read the prior book in the series so I’m not certain if my ‘it is probably better to read that other book first’ really is correct or not. If nothing else, if you ever plan to read that first book in this series, then it’d be easier to read that other one first, since the two main stars in that book play a rather important role in this book here. Which may or may not spoil things for that prior book.
I like reading romances, obviously enough since I just did read one. Most seem to involve a lessor or greater ‘rough stumbling steps’ to get to relationship-land/couple-dom. That’s all fine and good – if you are a regular reader of the genre, you know that this stumbling tends to be one of the main plot lines (unless there is instant lust/hook-up, then different paths are followed) – but I was reminded while reading this book that I like being able to spend a little more time with the people who, along with me as reader, suffered to get to ‘the payoff’ – that being people in a committed relationship. Which leads back to one of my ‘more later’ comments near the beginning (maybe my only ‘more later’, I don’t know, I wrote this paragraph after that other one, not in order of this review): in addition to the ‘two (or more, with more being rare) coming together over a long bumpy stretch’, there’s the other thing I see common in romances – the ‘payoff’ being shown though an short or long ‘love making’ (as opposed to sex) session nearish the end of the book. I have no real problem with that except: 1) it tends to be around 92 to 95% into the book and the couple is ‘finally’ acknowledging they should be a couple and I’m worrying that the book will end somewhere around 95 to 97% with barely anything else set during the time the happy couple are actually a couple; 2) unless I’m ‘in the right mood’, I do not particularly care about descriptions of a sexual nature (which is why I like it when there’s a bit of humor in the mix, and when no real important plot point is revealed during the sexy times (because I’m probably not reading that closely). And yes there is love making near the end of this book – something of a ‘payoff’, and ‘coming together’ of the couple. I wasn’t certain until it occurred, but there was also some stuff that occurred later with them as a couple.
It could be pointed out that I, or a reader in general, ‘gets to see’ a ‘happy couple’ long after their times of trouble (the period when they worked to, through, and around the issues keeping them apart, or that broke them apart and required ‘work’). And it is true; there are several couples in this book who I had previously read in other works by this author. The problem, though, is that they really are side characters here. Sure, two of them provide much needed plot (they are getting married, they are doing so openly in the same small town one of the two main characters is scared to death to be openly herself in; the two main characters are tasked with working together on the wedding), but you see nothing from their POV, and so it’s not the same thing as seeing them as a couple from their POV. That would be Holly and Leo. The other couple from prior works would be Grace and Laura (Lauren? I forget which) – from the Hollywood series. As seems to happen with them – they are talked about more than they are seen.
Mmphs. It’s after midnight, I shouldn’t be writing a review. I’m being long winded and stuff.
Right, so: Ashley Gaines is an adult woman who owns and runs her own florist shop. She grew up in the small town her shop is located in, and she’s always presented a front of being ‘proper’, and, by god, straight. Her parents are alive and she has constant interactions with them. She’s fairly confident that her parents would be deeply disappointed if they learned that she is a lesbian. Also she’s worried about what other people think – especially as it might directly impact her business. She’s one of the two main points of views. At one point in time she was friends with Leo and Holly (at separate points in time, I believe, though I’m not 100% sure about that). That’s important because those two women are getting married and want Ash to do their flowers. Oh, and they want Sasha Peterson, the other main POV character, to do the baking.
Sasha and Ash did not actually need the wedding as an excuse to bump into each other – their stores are literally across the street from each other. But it does force them together more than might otherwise have happened.
Sasha Peterson . . . . um. Hmm. I somewhat recall her backstory with less confidence than Ash’s. Mostly because there is some similarity to Sasha’s backstory and a recent television episode I watched.
Let’s see: Sasha runs a bakery. At some point in time she was off elsewhere getting trained and stuff, but it is unclear in my mind if she spent that much time outside the small town or not. The bakery, it is learned along the way, may or may not have been Sasha’s aunt, who still works in the bakery. Ah – important point I just remembered – Sasha’s mother ran off when Sasha was a kid. She fears people running away from her.
Neither Sasha nor Ash wishes to have any kind of relationship and neither see themselves as the marrying kind. For differing reasons. Sasha’s pansexual, though most do not know this in the small town as she’s never seen any reason to broadcast this information (she’s not dating anyone, so, what does it matter?). Ash is a lesbian so far into the closet that . . . um . . she smells like moth balls? Bah, she’s deep in the closet.
Sasha had a slight ‘lust for’ Ash when they were in school. Ash knew of Sasha, but they didn’t really run in the same circles . . . for the most part. They both, when the book opens, believe the other is 100% straight.
Revelations occur, misconceptions are shattered, sex occurs, a wedding occurs, people act alternatingly okay with the concept of gay people and horrified by the concept (with a mix of giggling gossipy ‘she’s a lesbian’ – mostly from Travis).
Overall a good solid book. There’s nothing tremendously outstanding, or upsetting about the book.
Rating: 4.28
April 8 2019
I start off, immediately, by noting a few things of note to make sure I remember to mention at some point: 1) this is something like the 80 billionth (not really) story I started that included sex (even that mystery that I read the other day), but, I thought that it worked out quite well in this book (at least the first time, though there’s reasons I had issues with the end game sex (more later); 2) this is also something like the 8 billionth time I read a story wherein a small town setting or family pressure has a negative impact on relationships (one of these days I’m going to purposefully search out works set in massive big cities where no one knows their neighbor or gives a . . . lick about whether the neighbor is gay or not, and one where family pressure is ‘weirdly’ not a concern); 3) this is the second book in a listed series (worded that way because of cameos by others from a different series).
I read the prior book in the series so I’m not certain if my ‘it is probably better to read that other book first’ really is correct or not. If nothing else, if you ever plan to read that first book in this series, then it’d be easier to read that other one first, since the two main stars in that book play a rather important role in this book here. Which may or may not spoil things for that prior book.
I like reading romances, obviously enough since I just did read one. Most seem to involve a lessor or greater ‘rough stumbling steps’ to get to relationship-land/couple-dom. That’s all fine and good – if you are a regular reader of the genre, you know that this stumbling tends to be one of the main plot lines (unless there is instant lust/hook-up, then different paths are followed) – but I was reminded while reading this book that I like being able to spend a little more time with the people who, along with me as reader, suffered to get to ‘the payoff’ – that being people in a committed relationship. Which leads back to one of my ‘more later’ comments near the beginning (maybe my only ‘more later’, I don’t know, I wrote this paragraph after that other one, not in order of this review): in addition to the ‘two (or more, with more being rare) coming together over a long bumpy stretch’, there’s the other thing I see common in romances – the ‘payoff’ being shown though an short or long ‘love making’ (as opposed to sex) session nearish the end of the book. I have no real problem with that except: 1) it tends to be around 92 to 95% into the book and the couple is ‘finally’ acknowledging they should be a couple and I’m worrying that the book will end somewhere around 95 to 97% with barely anything else set during the time the happy couple are actually a couple; 2) unless I’m ‘in the right mood’, I do not particularly care about descriptions of a sexual nature (which is why I like it when there’s a bit of humor in the mix, and when no real important plot point is revealed during the sexy times (because I’m probably not reading that closely). And yes there is love making near the end of this book – something of a ‘payoff’, and ‘coming together’ of the couple. I wasn’t certain until it occurred, but there was also some stuff that occurred later with them as a couple.
It could be pointed out that I, or a reader in general, ‘gets to see’ a ‘happy couple’ long after their times of trouble (the period when they worked to, through, and around the issues keeping them apart, or that broke them apart and required ‘work’). And it is true; there are several couples in this book who I had previously read in other works by this author. The problem, though, is that they really are side characters here. Sure, two of them provide much needed plot (they are getting married, they are doing so openly in the same small town one of the two main characters is scared to death to be openly herself in; the two main characters are tasked with working together on the wedding), but you see nothing from their POV, and so it’s not the same thing as seeing them as a couple from their POV. That would be Holly and Leo. The other couple from prior works would be Grace and Laura (Lauren? I forget which) – from the Hollywood series. As seems to happen with them – they are talked about more than they are seen.
Mmphs. It’s after midnight, I shouldn’t be writing a review. I’m being long winded and stuff.
Right, so: Ashley Gaines is an adult woman who owns and runs her own florist shop. She grew up in the small town her shop is located in, and she’s always presented a front of being ‘proper’, and, by god, straight. Her parents are alive and she has constant interactions with them. She’s fairly confident that her parents would be deeply disappointed if they learned that she is a lesbian. Also she’s worried about what other people think – especially as it might directly impact her business. She’s one of the two main points of views. At one point in time she was friends with Leo and Holly (at separate points in time, I believe, though I’m not 100% sure about that). That’s important because those two women are getting married and want Ash to do their flowers. Oh, and they want Sasha Peterson, the other main POV character, to do the baking.
Sasha and Ash did not actually need the wedding as an excuse to bump into each other – their stores are literally across the street from each other. But it does force them together more than might otherwise have happened.
Sasha Peterson . . . . um. Hmm. I somewhat recall her backstory with less confidence than Ash’s. Mostly because there is some similarity to Sasha’s backstory and a recent television episode I watched.
Let’s see: Sasha runs a bakery. At some point in time she was off elsewhere getting trained and stuff, but it is unclear in my mind if she spent that much time outside the small town or not. The bakery, it is learned along the way, may or may not have been Sasha’s aunt, who still works in the bakery. Ah – important point I just remembered – Sasha’s mother ran off when Sasha was a kid. She fears people running away from her.
Neither Sasha nor Ash wishes to have any kind of relationship and neither see themselves as the marrying kind. For differing reasons. Sasha’s pansexual, though most do not know this in the small town as she’s never seen any reason to broadcast this information (she’s not dating anyone, so, what does it matter?). Ash is a lesbian so far into the closet that . . . um . . she smells like moth balls? Bah, she’s deep in the closet.
Sasha had a slight ‘lust for’ Ash when they were in school. Ash knew of Sasha, but they didn’t really run in the same circles . . . for the most part. They both, when the book opens, believe the other is 100% straight.
Revelations occur, misconceptions are shattered, sex occurs, a wedding occurs, people act alternatingly okay with the concept of gay people and horrified by the concept (with a mix of giggling gossipy ‘she’s a lesbian’ – mostly from Travis).
Overall a good solid book. There’s nothing tremendously outstanding, or upsetting about the book.
Rating: 4.28
April 8 2019
April 9, 2019
This author is one of my favorite ones, I loved every single book I’ve read so far. And this one was no exception. The story of Ashley and Sahsa takes place in the same town as Holly and Leo from «A Perfect Rhytm», and Holly and Leo’s wedding is the background for this book. I think, it’s better for understanding to read first «A Perfect Rhytm», but it’s not absolutely necessary.
In the early thirties, Ashley, the Flower Girl shop owner, is still way deep in the closet and has thrown away the key. She fears to lose her parents, to lose customers and to lose friends. She is convinced she will never be able to come out in the small town of Fair Oaks. And it’s fruitless to think about it because there‘s no other single lesbian available in town. What she didn’t know is, despite the fact, that every Saturday they meet with the same group of friends in a bar, that Sasha is pansexual. Sasha is the baker in town, who had a crush for Ashley since high school but never mentioned it to anybody. And anyway, she’s not the marrying kind of woman.
For an upcoming wedding they are thrown together to make sure, Ashley‘s flowery decorations at the venue match with the wedding cake from Sasha. They quickly realize that not everything is right, what they thought of the other. And suddenly, there is an opportunity for love, isn’t it?
Jae brings so many emotions between the pages, just fantastic. Like the MCs awkwardness in some dialogues and interactions, but also their teasing, their nervousness around each other and the growing attraction. I could feel all the emotions. Ashley’s struggling with her fears, but also with her growing feelings for Sasha, were almost palpable. Her journey to accepting herself and to believe that she can have a relationship with another woman, that she can overcome her fears of her coming out, isn‘t easy. Will she be able to take this route? Then there is Sasha, who wasn’t looking for a relationship, she’s not the marrying kind, but the more time she spent with Ash, the feelings for her were changing into something much stronger than just for a friend. But she can’t handle the push and pull from Ash for long.
I highly recommend this book to all romance fans, who like a slow burn love story.
My rating 5 stars
Many thanks to Ylva Publishing for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
In the early thirties, Ashley, the Flower Girl shop owner, is still way deep in the closet and has thrown away the key. She fears to lose her parents, to lose customers and to lose friends. She is convinced she will never be able to come out in the small town of Fair Oaks. And it’s fruitless to think about it because there‘s no other single lesbian available in town. What she didn’t know is, despite the fact, that every Saturday they meet with the same group of friends in a bar, that Sasha is pansexual. Sasha is the baker in town, who had a crush for Ashley since high school but never mentioned it to anybody. And anyway, she’s not the marrying kind of woman.
For an upcoming wedding they are thrown together to make sure, Ashley‘s flowery decorations at the venue match with the wedding cake from Sasha. They quickly realize that not everything is right, what they thought of the other. And suddenly, there is an opportunity for love, isn’t it?
Jae brings so many emotions between the pages, just fantastic. Like the MCs awkwardness in some dialogues and interactions, but also their teasing, their nervousness around each other and the growing attraction. I could feel all the emotions. Ashley’s struggling with her fears, but also with her growing feelings for Sasha, were almost palpable. Her journey to accepting herself and to believe that she can have a relationship with another woman, that she can overcome her fears of her coming out, isn‘t easy. Will she be able to take this route? Then there is Sasha, who wasn’t looking for a relationship, she’s not the marrying kind, but the more time she spent with Ash, the feelings for her were changing into something much stronger than just for a friend. But she can’t handle the push and pull from Ash for long.
I highly recommend this book to all romance fans, who like a slow burn love story.
My rating 5 stars
Many thanks to Ylva Publishing for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
May 2, 2019
Jae is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is so clear and vivid. I’m always a very happy reader when I know I have a Jae book to look forward to. I’m also glad to say that Not the Marrying Kind made me as happy as all of her other tales.
Not the Marrying Kind is the sequel to Perfect Rhythm. The setting is the same for both stories; a small town in Missouri called Fair Oaks. Readers of the first book will also recognize many of the characters, including the two main characters for this new novel. Not the Marrying Kind tells the story of Ashley Gaines, the one florist in Fair Oaks, and Sasha Peterson, who runs the town’s bakery. The two are thrown together when Leo and Holly, the main characters from Perfect Rhythm, ask for their help with Leo and Holly’s wedding. In spite of knowing each other since childhood, Ash and Sasha find a growing attraction to each other as they work to make the wedding a success. However, Ashley has a secret she has kept from almost everyone. The secret could derail any attraction the two have begun to feel for each other, and could lead to heartache for both.
Jae has done an excellent job recreating the setting and continuing the story line of all the characters in both books. I’ve always loved how she allows us to revisit our favorite characters from her other books. Somehow, that makes things seem more real, to me anyway. I was also impressed at how Jae took a character from the first book who was portrayed as almost a ‘bad guy’, and turned her into one of the main characters of this story. Ashley was complicated and not a very nice person to Leo and Holly in Perfect Rhythm. Jae showed us why in Not the Marrying Kind, and even made her likable, though still complicated.
This is a beautiful sequel to Perfect Rhythm, and I encourage you to read that book before this one. Both books are wonderful reads, and I believe reading them in order will only enhance your enjoyment of both.
I received an ARC from Ylva for an honest review.
Not the Marrying Kind is the sequel to Perfect Rhythm. The setting is the same for both stories; a small town in Missouri called Fair Oaks. Readers of the first book will also recognize many of the characters, including the two main characters for this new novel. Not the Marrying Kind tells the story of Ashley Gaines, the one florist in Fair Oaks, and Sasha Peterson, who runs the town’s bakery. The two are thrown together when Leo and Holly, the main characters from Perfect Rhythm, ask for their help with Leo and Holly’s wedding. In spite of knowing each other since childhood, Ash and Sasha find a growing attraction to each other as they work to make the wedding a success. However, Ashley has a secret she has kept from almost everyone. The secret could derail any attraction the two have begun to feel for each other, and could lead to heartache for both.
Jae has done an excellent job recreating the setting and continuing the story line of all the characters in both books. I’ve always loved how she allows us to revisit our favorite characters from her other books. Somehow, that makes things seem more real, to me anyway. I was also impressed at how Jae took a character from the first book who was portrayed as almost a ‘bad guy’, and turned her into one of the main characters of this story. Ashley was complicated and not a very nice person to Leo and Holly in Perfect Rhythm. Jae showed us why in Not the Marrying Kind, and even made her likable, though still complicated.
This is a beautiful sequel to Perfect Rhythm, and I encourage you to read that book before this one. Both books are wonderful reads, and I believe reading them in order will only enhance your enjoyment of both.
I received an ARC from Ylva for an honest review.
July 5, 2019
Honestly I was a little reluctant about reading this book. Not only because I wasn't a fan of Ashley after her awful behavior in Perfect Rhythm but also because the woman was in a closet that would put Fort Knox to shame.
It says a lot about Jae's writing that at the end of this book I really came to like her. Having been in a relationship with someone who's in the closet, I was fully prepared to launch a full on attack on her character. Slowly but surely however Jae won me over by revealing the massive burden this woman had placed on her own shoulders.
Though I didn't always agree with her actions I understood eventually why she was so terrified of coming out. Reading her story as she gradually fell for Sasha and came to the realization that not everyone would immediately hit her over the head with their bible if they found out she was gay, really had me rooting for her to get her own happy ending.
As for Sasha, there's not a lot I can say about her, she's simply delightful. Although maybe stop using so many bloody pizza and steak metaphors for relationships!
Even though this book was a page turner there were several moments that had me rolling my eyes because Jae pulled out pretty much ever single Rom Com cliche there was. It made for a fairly predictable read especially since there was very little angst involved in the story.
This is a great book if you're looking for a sweet and angst free slow burn about finding the courage to live your own life and finally choosing to pursue your own happiness.
It says a lot about Jae's writing that at the end of this book I really came to like her. Having been in a relationship with someone who's in the closet, I was fully prepared to launch a full on attack on her character. Slowly but surely however Jae won me over by revealing the massive burden this woman had placed on her own shoulders.
Though I didn't always agree with her actions I understood eventually why she was so terrified of coming out. Reading her story as she gradually fell for Sasha and came to the realization that not everyone would immediately hit her over the head with their bible if they found out she was gay, really had me rooting for her to get her own happy ending.
As for Sasha, there's not a lot I can say about her, she's simply delightful. Although maybe stop using so many bloody pizza and steak metaphors for relationships!
Even though this book was a page turner there were several moments that had me rolling my eyes because Jae pulled out pretty much ever single Rom Com cliche there was. It made for a fairly predictable read especially since there was very little angst involved in the story.
This is a great book if you're looking for a sweet and angst free slow burn about finding the courage to live your own life and finally choosing to pursue your own happiness.
April 21, 2019
The first book of the series wasn’t what I was looking in a romance book, so I was going to skip this one.
I have maybe 5 books right now that can’t keep me interested enough to finish them, so they are paused(?) indefinitely until I find the will to read them or the strength to give them up. But I had a lousy week, I was dreading Holy Friday and Holy Saturday because my parents are Catholic, and we are Mexicans living in a small town in Mexico, and apart from everything, it is very hard for me to say "no, I'm not interested, I'm not going to do it" to them, because they love going to all those religious rites as a family, it’s what’s expected from my siblings and I. So I really needed something good to read, something that would capture me and will make the dreaded days tolerable and my brain kept telling me “it’s Jae, you’re probably going to enjoy it even if it’s not for you” so I started it, hopping for the best but not really expecting much, thinking it was going to be another paused indefinitely book on my list.
I WAS SOOOOOOO WRONG. Ashley character was amazing, Sasha is obviously someone out of my dreams because someone so understanding and patient can’t be real. The thing is, I live in a small, gossipy, very Catholic, homophobic town. I live in the closet. I don’t want to get out of it because I have a business that will probably suffer AND my family it’s not going to take it well, we love each other a lot, we are so close and supportive in every other aspect of our lives, but I know this is something I can lose them for and I’m so scared of them finding out I’m gay I stay away from it all and tell people I’m going to be a spinster. I “seek” relationships online praying not to find one, only talking with woman I know I’m not really attracted to, and that I can justify never talking to them again, so I don’t meet anyone I have to come out for or lose.
I know not everywhere in the US is safe for LGBTQ+ people, but you have it so much easier that many countries. Ashleys situation is a reality for a lot of people and this book gives me not courage, but hope. An apology if this review IS more about me than the book, I know it was very personal, but I was reading other reviews and it seemed necessary to let you know that there are people like Ashley.
I have maybe 5 books right now that can’t keep me interested enough to finish them, so they are paused(?) indefinitely until I find the will to read them or the strength to give them up. But I had a lousy week, I was dreading Holy Friday and Holy Saturday because my parents are Catholic, and we are Mexicans living in a small town in Mexico, and apart from everything, it is very hard for me to say "no, I'm not interested, I'm not going to do it" to them, because they love going to all those religious rites as a family, it’s what’s expected from my siblings and I. So I really needed something good to read, something that would capture me and will make the dreaded days tolerable and my brain kept telling me “it’s Jae, you’re probably going to enjoy it even if it’s not for you” so I started it, hopping for the best but not really expecting much, thinking it was going to be another paused indefinitely book on my list.
I WAS SOOOOOOO WRONG. Ashley character was amazing, Sasha is obviously someone out of my dreams because someone so understanding and patient can’t be real. The thing is, I live in a small, gossipy, very Catholic, homophobic town. I live in the closet. I don’t want to get out of it because I have a business that will probably suffer AND my family it’s not going to take it well, we love each other a lot, we are so close and supportive in every other aspect of our lives, but I know this is something I can lose them for and I’m so scared of them finding out I’m gay I stay away from it all and tell people I’m going to be a spinster. I “seek” relationships online praying not to find one, only talking with woman I know I’m not really attracted to, and that I can justify never talking to them again, so I don’t meet anyone I have to come out for or lose.
I know not everywhere in the US is safe for LGBTQ+ people, but you have it so much easier that many countries. Ashleys situation is a reality for a lot of people and this book gives me not courage, but hope. An apology if this review IS more about me than the book, I know it was very personal, but I was reading other reviews and it seemed necessary to let you know that there are people like Ashley.
April 18, 2019
4.5☆
I loved it. I think its better than the first one.
I loved it. I think its better than the first one.
May 12, 2019
I always look forward to reading a book by Jae and am happy to say this one was absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!! It was enjoyable and it was really nice seeing the main characters fall in love. The pacing was wonderful as always and it was descriptive I felt as if I was there.
I don't have a sweet tooth but am suddenly finding myself craving a cupcake.
4.5 stars
I don't have a sweet tooth but am suddenly finding myself craving a cupcake.
4.5 stars
April 20, 2019
Ashley Gaines is a florist adamant to remain in the closet as she lives and works in a conservative small town. Her neighbour and bakery owner Sasha Peterson is a pansexual who likes to stay away from relationships. Living in a small place, they know each other but aren't friends. When they are asked to help organising Leo and Holly's wedding, they start sharing more time together and eventually realise that they are attracted to each other. But Ashley is determined to stay in the closet and Sasha isn't the marrying kind anyway. Will they find their happily ever after?
This is book two of the 'Fair Oaks' series which started with 'Perfect rhythm'. Even though this novel reads as a standalone, many events refer to the previous book and it catches up with Leo and Holly's relationship. Having said that, Ashley is not a likeable character in 'Perfect rhythm' so, if you read that first, it might take you long to warm to her in this new book.
To say that this is a slow-burn romance is an understatement as the author takes her time to develop both characters' personalities and their budding relationship. This makes the story credible in redeeming Ashley's hurtful actions of the past and in challenging Sasha's assumptions about commitment. Even though Ashley's self-inflicted repressed sexuality might feel alien to younger generations or people living in big cities, Jae's description of the circumstances that force Ashley to remain in the closet will strike a chord with many readers. In this series, the author continues to challenge our views about sexuality by introducing a pansexual character, in addition to the asexual and non-binary characters that were featured in book one.
'Not the marrying kind' balances the above-mentioned serious issues of diverse sexual preferences and society's pressure on LGBTQA+ individuals, with the sensual world of baking and flowers. The use of the hidden meaning of flowers and baking metaphors, in addition to a few playful scenes and wonderful slow-burn chemistry, introduces lightness and beauty to the story. As usual, Jae excels in bringing out the romance and depicting the characters' intimacy with, for example, an excellent remake of a famous 'Fried Green Tomatoes' sequence plus a very steamy undressing scene. As a bonus, readers who enjoyed Jae's 'Damage control' will have the chance to catch up with Grace and Lauren's relationship.
Overall, an entertaining, sensual and fun slow-burn romance which raises deep issues of sexuality and coming out. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
This is book two of the 'Fair Oaks' series which started with 'Perfect rhythm'. Even though this novel reads as a standalone, many events refer to the previous book and it catches up with Leo and Holly's relationship. Having said that, Ashley is not a likeable character in 'Perfect rhythm' so, if you read that first, it might take you long to warm to her in this new book.
To say that this is a slow-burn romance is an understatement as the author takes her time to develop both characters' personalities and their budding relationship. This makes the story credible in redeeming Ashley's hurtful actions of the past and in challenging Sasha's assumptions about commitment. Even though Ashley's self-inflicted repressed sexuality might feel alien to younger generations or people living in big cities, Jae's description of the circumstances that force Ashley to remain in the closet will strike a chord with many readers. In this series, the author continues to challenge our views about sexuality by introducing a pansexual character, in addition to the asexual and non-binary characters that were featured in book one.
'Not the marrying kind' balances the above-mentioned serious issues of diverse sexual preferences and society's pressure on LGBTQA+ individuals, with the sensual world of baking and flowers. The use of the hidden meaning of flowers and baking metaphors, in addition to a few playful scenes and wonderful slow-burn chemistry, introduces lightness and beauty to the story. As usual, Jae excels in bringing out the romance and depicting the characters' intimacy with, for example, an excellent remake of a famous 'Fried Green Tomatoes' sequence plus a very steamy undressing scene. As a bonus, readers who enjoyed Jae's 'Damage control' will have the chance to catch up with Grace and Lauren's relationship.
Overall, an entertaining, sensual and fun slow-burn romance which raises deep issues of sexuality and coming out. 4.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
April 29, 2019
Jae is one of the premier writers in the romance genre. She knows how to write a romance novel that keeps you engaged and gives you those amazing butterflies. Not the Marrying Kind maybe one of her best books yet. This romance is sweet, well developed and pulls at your heartstrings. This book was so good and I hated to see it end.
While this is a spin-off of A Perfect Rhythm, you definitely do not need to read the latter before you start this one. Our main characters are Ashley and Sasha and the story throws the two protagonists together as they plan the flowers and coordinating wedding cake for their friends Holly and Leo's upcoming nuptials.
Ashley owns the one and only flower shop in this sleepy mid-west Missouri town. Ashley is deep in the closet, you can count the number of people that know her sexuality on one hand. She is terrified of disappointing her parents and fears that if she is out her business in the conservative community would suffer greatly. Ash has convinced herself that she is fine living her life alone and without a love interest. The risk is just too great.
Sasha is an amazing baker who runs the local bakery. A popular resident who came back home after culinary school. Sasha is a pansexual, who is out but rarely speaks of her sexual preferences or past relationships she had before coming back to her hometown. Ashley was her high school crush but since then they only speak pleasantries to each other in passing.
When Holly and Leo pick their friends to do the cake and the flowers, Sasha and Ashley are thrown together. Sasha pushes Ashley to open up and these two leading ladies develop an amazing friendship with an undercurrent of sexual tension. They are attracted to each other but no it is a no-go.
Where this book really excels is the slow burn racked with emotions. This book pulls that string just tight enough and then gives you all the emotions. I loved the dialogue between the two mains. Ashley's fear of revealing her sexuality is palatable. You feel her nervous energy pop right off the page. Sasha's quiet strength gives her the courage to reveal her true self and to stop suppressing all of her emotions. So many feels in this one! THIS BOOK IS SO, SO GOOD!
While this is a spin-off of A Perfect Rhythm, you definitely do not need to read the latter before you start this one. Our main characters are Ashley and Sasha and the story throws the two protagonists together as they plan the flowers and coordinating wedding cake for their friends Holly and Leo's upcoming nuptials.
Ashley owns the one and only flower shop in this sleepy mid-west Missouri town. Ashley is deep in the closet, you can count the number of people that know her sexuality on one hand. She is terrified of disappointing her parents and fears that if she is out her business in the conservative community would suffer greatly. Ash has convinced herself that she is fine living her life alone and without a love interest. The risk is just too great.
Sasha is an amazing baker who runs the local bakery. A popular resident who came back home after culinary school. Sasha is a pansexual, who is out but rarely speaks of her sexual preferences or past relationships she had before coming back to her hometown. Ashley was her high school crush but since then they only speak pleasantries to each other in passing.
When Holly and Leo pick their friends to do the cake and the flowers, Sasha and Ashley are thrown together. Sasha pushes Ashley to open up and these two leading ladies develop an amazing friendship with an undercurrent of sexual tension. They are attracted to each other but no it is a no-go.
Where this book really excels is the slow burn racked with emotions. This book pulls that string just tight enough and then gives you all the emotions. I loved the dialogue between the two mains. Ashley's fear of revealing her sexuality is palatable. You feel her nervous energy pop right off the page. Sasha's quiet strength gives her the courage to reveal her true self and to stop suppressing all of her emotions. So many feels in this one! THIS BOOK IS SO, SO GOOD!
August 8, 2019
Finally finished this one. Honestly I dont know why it took me so long because I did enjoy both characters. I do wish the ending was more definite like accepting of Ashley's parents but it was good nonetheless. It's also great how pretty much all of Jae's book take place in the same universe. Grace and Lauren make a cameo in this one. Anyway, it's free with Scribd and so is the audio which is narrated by Angela Dawes (a personal favorite).
September 16, 2019
This is the second novel in the Fair Oaks universe. The first one, ‘Perfect Rhythm’, I enjoyed greatly. I was a little worried as one of the main characters in this novel was not very likable in the previous installment, but as someone from GR (sorry, can’t remember who!) told me, not a concern in this book.
Ashley Gaines is Fair Oaks’ only florist. She is also a closeted lesbian content with her life, or so she believes. Sasha Peterson is the town’s bakery owner. She’s put her love life on hold not because she doesn’t want to come out, but simply because no one has come along in a long time. As the first lesbian wedding the town has seen comes to fruition, the baker and florist have to come together to work on design. Ash and Sasha realize there is more than just a simple attraction in between them, but can Ash leave the closet for Sasha?
This book was another great story by Jae. I’m not sure I would have seen this story through if another less talented author was behind it. It was at times difficult to listen to a grown woman be so paranoid and so secretive about her sexuality. Excuse after excuse on how to cover up actions and situations that could give her up as a lesbian. Jae balanced those enough while developing the mains’ relationship to keep me engaged and get my support for Ash.
The book is predictable in the sense of how the characters act and in the end result, but I felt the resolution was credible and satisfactory. Ash’s reasons to remain in the closet included her business and livelihood, so most definitely something to consider. At times her situation felt suffocating, and the ‘why don’t you move someplace else?’ crossed my mind more than once. The mains’ chemistry was good and Sasha was a sweetheart, with Ash being less likable but likable nonetheless.
This audiobook is available through Scribd. Narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Angela Dawe did another great job. I will confess that I did have to get used to Sasha’s voice as it wasn’t as deep as I expected for someone around 6 feet tall. Maybe in the end that contributed to her overall sweetness and likability. The narration was on point and brought he book to life nicely.
Overall another good installment to the Fair Oaks series that will not disappoint Jae’s fans. 4stars
Ashley Gaines is Fair Oaks’ only florist. She is also a closeted lesbian content with her life, or so she believes. Sasha Peterson is the town’s bakery owner. She’s put her love life on hold not because she doesn’t want to come out, but simply because no one has come along in a long time. As the first lesbian wedding the town has seen comes to fruition, the baker and florist have to come together to work on design. Ash and Sasha realize there is more than just a simple attraction in between them, but can Ash leave the closet for Sasha?
This book was another great story by Jae. I’m not sure I would have seen this story through if another less talented author was behind it. It was at times difficult to listen to a grown woman be so paranoid and so secretive about her sexuality. Excuse after excuse on how to cover up actions and situations that could give her up as a lesbian. Jae balanced those enough while developing the mains’ relationship to keep me engaged and get my support for Ash.
The book is predictable in the sense of how the characters act and in the end result, but I felt the resolution was credible and satisfactory. Ash’s reasons to remain in the closet included her business and livelihood, so most definitely something to consider. At times her situation felt suffocating, and the ‘why don’t you move someplace else?’ crossed my mind more than once. The mains’ chemistry was good and Sasha was a sweetheart, with Ash being less likable but likable nonetheless.
This audiobook is available through Scribd. Narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Angela Dawe did another great job. I will confess that I did have to get used to Sasha’s voice as it wasn’t as deep as I expected for someone around 6 feet tall. Maybe in the end that contributed to her overall sweetness and likability. The narration was on point and brought he book to life nicely.
Overall another good installment to the Fair Oaks series that will not disappoint Jae’s fans. 4stars
August 12, 2019
This is second in a series and you meet both protagonists in the first and a lot of character background is communicated there as well. So I definitely recommend reading these in order.
This one wasn't nearly as good as the first, for reasons that are setup there. By which I mean that Ashley is so far in the closet she's a ruling Queen of Narnia. Fortunately, Jae is a good enough author that this isn't a case of negative motivation*. Ashley doesn't want the scrutiny of being an open lesbian in a city she feels would actively reject/censor/draw-and-quarter her if she were to come out. To be fair, she has seen some of the reactions to Holly and Leo in the first book and knows she doesn't have the independence of those two. Her little flower shop relies on the good will of the town, or at least she thinks it does. And therein lies the problem, really. She makes a ton of assumptions and is too scared to test them or to consider alternatives.
Which is too bad because Sasha is pretty much the perfect compliment for Ashley. She's bold and determined and gregarious and encourages Ashley in a gentle and giving way that makes her stronger and more confident. Can you tell that I liked Sasha more than a little? Pretty much my entire engagement with the story was with how kind and supportive Sasha was.
So that's the background. Here's the problem: This is the only conflict in the entire novel. The whole story was Sasha and Ashley falling in love with Ashley afraid to admit it openly and Sasha being supportive and kind. And that sounds more horrible than it is because Sasha isn't weak or willing to put up with being a dirty little secret. So there's some good discussion and the back and forth between them isn't weak. Still. The only conflict for the entire story.
And I had a personal problem in the story in that every "conservative" example was a monomessage with zero deviation. All the hateful neighbors expressed themselves in exactly the same way, using exactly the same language and that made it feel like a thin joke rather than something to actually take seriously as a bar to our heroines being together. And frankly, I didn't buy it anyway. I mean, I live in suburban Utah with people who identify strongly as conservative and religious and who would vote against gay marriage if they could. But when it came up in Sunday School that our gay niece was going to live with us long-term because her parents wouldn't house her any more, all I got were a lot of smiling nods and encouragement. And I still get the occasional enquiry asking how she's doing even though it has been a couple years. And that persists even when I sometimes say, "well, she's visiting her girlfriend in Canada this month, so she's pretty happy right now."
I dunno, maybe I only see the supportive side of these people because they know my situation and care about me and my family. But that's exactly my point! Some people might be stone-cold jerks and be willing to picket a gay wedding or tell someone they're going to hell because of their lifestyle or kick their gay daughter out of their house because they don't want her "influence" on the other children (I know, right? Like gay is communicable?). But there are kinder and nicer people, too. People who are happy for your happiness even if they disagree with you about a point of policy or politics or whatever. So seeing this single kind of reaction play out with multiple people in the story felt both alien and manufactured to me—like if the author didn't actually know any small-town conservative folks and could only conceive of there being the one kind of "those people".
Anyway, this ends up with three stars because despite all the above, I liked these two together and I loved Sasha's loving support being such a great influence on Ashley and seeing Ashley overcome her fear. Although, it almost dropped further when it ended before we got any resolution to how the town would react. I mean, we get an indication. But for all the reader knows, Ashley and Sasha end up moving to Kansas City because their respective businesses failed when the townfolk got vindictive and refused to buy their goods...
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes and a heavy make-out scene that almost got far enough. So this is the middle of my steam tolerance, but edging higher. Both scenes were way longer than they needed to be and the second was completely gratuitous. The first was needed for the story because their care for one another in intimacy was important to understand their relationship arc. But it still didn't need all the pages.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
This one wasn't nearly as good as the first, for reasons that are setup there. By which I mean that Ashley is so far in the closet she's a ruling Queen of Narnia. Fortunately, Jae is a good enough author that this isn't a case of negative motivation*. Ashley doesn't want the scrutiny of being an open lesbian in a city she feels would actively reject/censor/draw-and-quarter her if she were to come out. To be fair, she has seen some of the reactions to Holly and Leo in the first book and knows she doesn't have the independence of those two. Her little flower shop relies on the good will of the town, or at least she thinks it does. And therein lies the problem, really. She makes a ton of assumptions and is too scared to test them or to consider alternatives.
Which is too bad because Sasha is pretty much the perfect compliment for Ashley. She's bold and determined and gregarious and encourages Ashley in a gentle and giving way that makes her stronger and more confident. Can you tell that I liked Sasha more than a little? Pretty much my entire engagement with the story was with how kind and supportive Sasha was.
So that's the background. Here's the problem: This is the only conflict in the entire novel. The whole story was Sasha and Ashley falling in love with Ashley afraid to admit it openly and Sasha being supportive and kind. And that sounds more horrible than it is because Sasha isn't weak or willing to put up with being a dirty little secret. So there's some good discussion and the back and forth between them isn't weak. Still. The only conflict for the entire story.
And I had a personal problem in the story in that every "conservative" example was a monomessage with zero deviation. All the hateful neighbors expressed themselves in exactly the same way, using exactly the same language and that made it feel like a thin joke rather than something to actually take seriously as a bar to our heroines being together. And frankly, I didn't buy it anyway. I mean, I live in suburban Utah with people who identify strongly as conservative and religious and who would vote against gay marriage if they could. But when it came up in Sunday School that our gay niece was going to live with us long-term because her parents wouldn't house her any more, all I got were a lot of smiling nods and encouragement. And I still get the occasional enquiry asking how she's doing even though it has been a couple years. And that persists even when I sometimes say, "well, she's visiting her girlfriend in Canada this month, so she's pretty happy right now."
I dunno, maybe I only see the supportive side of these people because they know my situation and care about me and my family. But that's exactly my point! Some people might be stone-cold jerks and be willing to picket a gay wedding or tell someone they're going to hell because of their lifestyle or kick their gay daughter out of their house because they don't want her "influence" on the other children (I know, right? Like gay is communicable?). But there are kinder and nicer people, too. People who are happy for your happiness even if they disagree with you about a point of policy or politics or whatever. So seeing this single kind of reaction play out with multiple people in the story felt both alien and manufactured to me—like if the author didn't actually know any small-town conservative folks and could only conceive of there being the one kind of "those people".
Anyway, this ends up with three stars because despite all the above, I liked these two together and I loved Sasha's loving support being such a great influence on Ashley and seeing Ashley overcome her fear. Although, it almost dropped further when it ended before we got any resolution to how the town would react. I mean, we get an indication. But for all the reader knows, Ashley and Sasha end up moving to Kansas City because their respective businesses failed when the townfolk got vindictive and refused to buy their goods...
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes and a heavy make-out scene that almost got far enough. So this is the middle of my steam tolerance, but edging higher. Both scenes were way longer than they needed to be and the second was completely gratuitous. The first was needed for the story because their care for one another in intimacy was important to understand their relationship arc. But it still didn't need all the pages.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
April 30, 2019
Fantastic story. Enjoyed every minute of it.
Ashley has always hidden in the proverbial closet. She likes it there, it’s safe and she isn’t hurting anyone. That is, until she finds out that her friend, Sasha is bisexual. Now she is seeing Sasha in a whole new light and with them working closely together on the wedding of the season for their mutual friends, it’s only a matter of time until sparks fly, especially because Sasha has always harboured a crush on Ashley. But with Ashley too scared to come out and Sasha not wanting to be anyone’s secret, it could never work… right?
This was really a great book. The pace was perfect, the chemistry between both protagonists was on fire and I really enjoyed the storyline. I loved Sasha and Ashley together. Even as friends they had something special going on. I also think the chemistry between Sasha and Ashley is possibly the best Jae has ever written. It was sexy while intimate and left this reader a little hot under the collar.
I absolutely adored that Holly and Leo from the first book in the Fair Oaks series, Perfect Rhythm were in this one too. In fact, Perfect Rhythm was where we were first introduced to Sasha and Ashley and honestly, I didn’t see Jae putting these two together. The community of friends they have in Fair Oaks that accept them is amazing and I really hope Jae continues to tell us more stories from the Fair Oaks Community… Who could be next?
5 stars
Ashley has always hidden in the proverbial closet. She likes it there, it’s safe and she isn’t hurting anyone. That is, until she finds out that her friend, Sasha is bisexual. Now she is seeing Sasha in a whole new light and with them working closely together on the wedding of the season for their mutual friends, it’s only a matter of time until sparks fly, especially because Sasha has always harboured a crush on Ashley. But with Ashley too scared to come out and Sasha not wanting to be anyone’s secret, it could never work… right?
This was really a great book. The pace was perfect, the chemistry between both protagonists was on fire and I really enjoyed the storyline. I loved Sasha and Ashley together. Even as friends they had something special going on. I also think the chemistry between Sasha and Ashley is possibly the best Jae has ever written. It was sexy while intimate and left this reader a little hot under the collar.
I absolutely adored that Holly and Leo from the first book in the Fair Oaks series, Perfect Rhythm were in this one too. In fact, Perfect Rhythm was where we were first introduced to Sasha and Ashley and honestly, I didn’t see Jae putting these two together. The community of friends they have in Fair Oaks that accept them is amazing and I really hope Jae continues to tell us more stories from the Fair Oaks Community… Who could be next?
5 stars
May 21, 2019
3.5 stars. I haven't had much luck with the last few Jae books but this one was good. A bit annoying and drawn out at times but nice nonetheless. I wish all the length wasn't spent on them getting together, some more of that uninterrupted sweetness would have been nice. But all in all, I enjoyed what I got.
June 26, 2023
Listen people, don't muck about: no one beats Jae at her best - The best book ever? - has to be Paper Love - don't get me started... and I love this, this gene of brilliance. Thank you Jae.
November 4, 2019
4.5 stars for this sequel to Jae’s Perfect Rhythm. Although it’s not essential to read Perfect Rhythm first, it might help to fully appreciate the characters in this book. Besides it is a good book that I highly recommend.
This is a slow burn romance between florist Ashley Gaines, and baker Sasha Peterson. Ashley and Sasha agree to work together on Perfect Rhythm’s main characters, Holly and Leo’s wedding. Ashley identifies as a lesbian but is deeply in the closet and Sasha is a pansexual. Many readers of Perfect Rhythm disliked/hated Ashley. I didn't like or agree with her actions but I felt sympathetic towards her. So I was happy to learn that Ashley was the center of this sequel. I thought she deserved her story to be told and to find happiness. She fears that her parents would find out and her small-town flower shop business would suffer if her secret got out. However, it not so simple, there is more to her story.
We watch as the friendship between Ashley and Sasha grows and slowly becomes romantic. Will Ashley finally overcome her fears and make her own happiness her priority? Obvious answer. But it is an enjoyable book to read, that I highly recommend.
Note: Another cameo from Jae’s other books includes Lauren and Grace from her Hollywood series.
This is a slow burn romance between florist Ashley Gaines, and baker Sasha Peterson. Ashley and Sasha agree to work together on Perfect Rhythm’s main characters, Holly and Leo’s wedding. Ashley identifies as a lesbian but is deeply in the closet and Sasha is a pansexual. Many readers of Perfect Rhythm disliked/hated Ashley. I didn't like or agree with her actions but I felt sympathetic towards her. So I was happy to learn that Ashley was the center of this sequel. I thought she deserved her story to be told and to find happiness. She fears that her parents would find out and her small-town flower shop business would suffer if her secret got out. However, it not so simple, there is more to her story.
We watch as the friendship between Ashley and Sasha grows and slowly becomes romantic. Will Ashley finally overcome her fears and make her own happiness her priority? Obvious answer. But it is an enjoyable book to read, that I highly recommend.
Note: Another cameo from Jae’s other books includes Lauren and Grace from her Hollywood series.
April 17, 2019
4.5 ☆
I loved it. I think its better than the first one.
I loved it. I think its better than the first one.
April 5, 2019
I've been really looking forward to this story, after Jae announced that she'd give Ashley her own story in her next book. Ever since "Perfect Rhythm," where Ashley first appeared as a significant secondary character and quickly became my favourite in the book, I had always wished she would have her own story to tell. So, just imagine my excitement when Jae basically fulfilled my wish with "Not The Marrying Kind” starring Ash!!! Needless to say, I had such a blast exploring the deconstruction of deeply and fearfully closeted florist, Ashley Gaines!
Ash’s tumultuous journey of finally accepting herself and living her life in truth, honesty and love was told against the backdrop of Leo and Holly’s wedding planning and preparations, ending with the town celebration of their wedding ceremony. Before I continue, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that whilst it's not necessary to read this book's predecessor, "Perfect Rhythm" (also coined as Book 1 of the Fair Oaks series), since all the relevant characters, primary and secondary alike, appearing in this book, were all introduced and depicted in the Book 1, I reckon it's to the reader's best interest to do so first, just to better understand where they were coming from in terms of their characters, situations, circumstances..all of which are important going forward when delving deeper into them in Book 2. Obviously, it's not compulsory, but if you ask someone like me who values the exploration of characters in great detail in order to enjoy the story completely, I'd think reading Book 1 first would be a no-brainer. But that's just me, obvs! Anyway....
The other protagonist in this story was Sasha, Fair Oaks' baker. Sasha and Ash were in high school together, just like they both were with Leo and Holly. In Book 1, it was established that she was also Holly's best friend. Sasha, as we discovered in this installment, had a long-term crush on Ash since high school, unbeknownst to Ash or anyone else in her clique, not even Holly. She had kept it to herself all these years. There wasn't really any interaction between Ash and Sasha in Book 1 despite knowing each other, obviously, and belonging to the same clique, but in this installment, Jae established that one of Ash's daily routines was to pop by Sasha's bakery to order her usual vanilla cupcakes, which pique my interest immediately, as I finally got to observe how Sasha suppressed her crush on Ash with purposeful nonchalance in their brief, casual interactions! Needless to say, Jae's description of their awkward interactions, verbal and non-verbal alike, was humorous and fun to read, whilst at the same time, feeling their chemistry building each time! Whenever they were in the same room, I could literally feel the air of nervousness mixed with aloofness from the words and expressions that Jae created in those scenes ever so effortlessly, which made me even more thrilled about how their undeniable attraction to each other would lead them to getting more friendly and closer with each other!
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
*An ARC copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Ash’s tumultuous journey of finally accepting herself and living her life in truth, honesty and love was told against the backdrop of Leo and Holly’s wedding planning and preparations, ending with the town celebration of their wedding ceremony. Before I continue, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that whilst it's not necessary to read this book's predecessor, "Perfect Rhythm" (also coined as Book 1 of the Fair Oaks series), since all the relevant characters, primary and secondary alike, appearing in this book, were all introduced and depicted in the Book 1, I reckon it's to the reader's best interest to do so first, just to better understand where they were coming from in terms of their characters, situations, circumstances..all of which are important going forward when delving deeper into them in Book 2. Obviously, it's not compulsory, but if you ask someone like me who values the exploration of characters in great detail in order to enjoy the story completely, I'd think reading Book 1 first would be a no-brainer. But that's just me, obvs! Anyway....
The other protagonist in this story was Sasha, Fair Oaks' baker. Sasha and Ash were in high school together, just like they both were with Leo and Holly. In Book 1, it was established that she was also Holly's best friend. Sasha, as we discovered in this installment, had a long-term crush on Ash since high school, unbeknownst to Ash or anyone else in her clique, not even Holly. She had kept it to herself all these years. There wasn't really any interaction between Ash and Sasha in Book 1 despite knowing each other, obviously, and belonging to the same clique, but in this installment, Jae established that one of Ash's daily routines was to pop by Sasha's bakery to order her usual vanilla cupcakes, which pique my interest immediately, as I finally got to observe how Sasha suppressed her crush on Ash with purposeful nonchalance in their brief, casual interactions! Needless to say, Jae's description of their awkward interactions, verbal and non-verbal alike, was humorous and fun to read, whilst at the same time, feeling their chemistry building each time! Whenever they were in the same room, I could literally feel the air of nervousness mixed with aloofness from the words and expressions that Jae created in those scenes ever so effortlessly, which made me even more thrilled about how their undeniable attraction to each other would lead them to getting more friendly and closer with each other!
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
*An ARC copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
April 23, 2023
4.5/5 stars
RE-READ: May 2023
I have bumped up my initial rating to a 4.5/5 as I can’t seem to stay away from this book. Something about it hits right and is the perfect heartwarming read for when I’m feeling low.
RE-READ: July 2021
I have read quite a few Jae books now, and I have yet to be disappointed. This is just another great read by her, I enjoyed every minute of it. I am usually weary of reading books about characters deeply in the closet in romance books unless it is dealt with well. Instead of feeling frustrated by Ashely, I related to her anxiety and it really made me care for her more. Really just watching Ashley grow as a character was really rewarding for me and I enjoyed it so much. While I feel like a lot of people rave about Sasha (I mean she is great, so I understand), I feel like Ashley was such a sweet, thoughtful character and I honestly loved her.
This had the signature slow-burn that I have learnt to expect from Jae's books. While there was chemistry in this book and it sizzled on the page with every small touch and glance, it was the heart behind the relationship that really sold it for me. Their friendship and the connection between them felt so strong and heartfelt, I loved every minute of it. I feel like they were truly a team together, the kind of relationship that I can imagine lasting for a lifetime. If you're looking for angst, this might not be the book for you. But if you want a sweet, heartwarming and fun book, then this is definitely a great pick!
RE-READ: May 2023
I have bumped up my initial rating to a 4.5/5 as I can’t seem to stay away from this book. Something about it hits right and is the perfect heartwarming read for when I’m feeling low.
RE-READ: July 2021
I have read quite a few Jae books now, and I have yet to be disappointed. This is just another great read by her, I enjoyed every minute of it. I am usually weary of reading books about characters deeply in the closet in romance books unless it is dealt with well. Instead of feeling frustrated by Ashely, I related to her anxiety and it really made me care for her more. Really just watching Ashley grow as a character was really rewarding for me and I enjoyed it so much. While I feel like a lot of people rave about Sasha (I mean she is great, so I understand), I feel like Ashley was such a sweet, thoughtful character and I honestly loved her.
This had the signature slow-burn that I have learnt to expect from Jae's books. While there was chemistry in this book and it sizzled on the page with every small touch and glance, it was the heart behind the relationship that really sold it for me. Their friendship and the connection between them felt so strong and heartfelt, I loved every minute of it. I feel like they were truly a team together, the kind of relationship that I can imagine lasting for a lifetime. If you're looking for angst, this might not be the book for you. But if you want a sweet, heartwarming and fun book, then this is definitely a great pick!
April 23, 2019
I would have like this book better if it did not keep repeating the phrase “Not the marrying kind” in the story. But there were parts that touching enough for me to overlook the repetitiveness.
September 13, 2021
2nd read: September 10, 2021
THIS IS SO CUTE!! Why didn’t I rate it 5 stars the first time??? 🥺🥺🥺 The tenderness, the vulnerability, the love! Also, Grace and Lauren are so awesome.
Buddy reread with Gabriella!
1st read: May 9, 2020
Ashley Gaines is happy with her flower shop. She does not want the drama of coming out, so for the most part, stays away from romance. When Leo and Holly ask her to work with local bakery owner Sasha Peterson, nothing should have happened. But Ashley and Sasha are drawn toward each other. Is their chemistry worth risking Ashley's familial relationships and Sasha's heart?
The Fair Oaks series had an asexual character Holly and a pansexual one Sasha. I also love the choice of Sasha being a more masculine-of-center pansexual woman. Jae really writes with the purpose of reflecting a wider spectrum of people, and I really respect her for that. I will forever read all her future books. Her works are the kind you would pick up after a bad day, knowing they will warm your heart no matter what.
The romance in Not the Marrying Kind was both beautiful and slightly sad as the pair were figuring out their own feelings. I totally felt the fear of coming out Ash had been holding onto for fifteen years and the openness of Sasha. Also, the interactions between Ash and Sasha were so sweet. I especially love the food fight scene, because it was so liberating and emotional. It also helped move up Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe in my to-read list.
Before starting Not the Marrying Kind, I strongly suggest reading Perfect Rhythm first. With part of Ash's back story in there, it would feel more like coming full circle as she sought to resolve the heartaches and rifts between her and Leo and Holly in this sequel.
This book made my heart ache in all the right ways, and I love seeing the character development of Ash and the initial friendship-building of her and Sasha. Maybe they would make cameos in Jae's other books, just as Grace and Lauren made appearances in this one. I think I would be rereading this one very soon.
THIS IS SO CUTE!! Why didn’t I rate it 5 stars the first time??? 🥺🥺🥺 The tenderness, the vulnerability, the love! Also, Grace and Lauren are so awesome.
Buddy reread with Gabriella!
1st read: May 9, 2020
Ashley Gaines is happy with her flower shop. She does not want the drama of coming out, so for the most part, stays away from romance. When Leo and Holly ask her to work with local bakery owner Sasha Peterson, nothing should have happened. But Ashley and Sasha are drawn toward each other. Is their chemistry worth risking Ashley's familial relationships and Sasha's heart?
The Fair Oaks series had an asexual character Holly and a pansexual one Sasha. I also love the choice of Sasha being a more masculine-of-center pansexual woman. Jae really writes with the purpose of reflecting a wider spectrum of people, and I really respect her for that. I will forever read all her future books. Her works are the kind you would pick up after a bad day, knowing they will warm your heart no matter what.
The romance in Not the Marrying Kind was both beautiful and slightly sad as the pair were figuring out their own feelings. I totally felt the fear of coming out Ash had been holding onto for fifteen years and the openness of Sasha. Also, the interactions between Ash and Sasha were so sweet. I especially love the food fight scene, because it was so liberating and emotional. It also helped move up Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe in my to-read list.
Before starting Not the Marrying Kind, I strongly suggest reading Perfect Rhythm first. With part of Ash's back story in there, it would feel more like coming full circle as she sought to resolve the heartaches and rifts between her and Leo and Holly in this sequel.
This book made my heart ache in all the right ways, and I love seeing the character development of Ash and the initial friendship-building of her and Sasha. Maybe they would make cameos in Jae's other books, just as Grace and Lauren made appearances in this one. I think I would be rereading this one very soon.
May 30, 2019
I am a fan of Jae, and her books never disappoint. While Perfect Rhythm, the first in this series, wasn’t one of my favorites, this book was absolutely fantastic. I still enjoyed Perfect Rhythm, but not the same way I loved this one. I also must admit I didn’t remember either character from the first book. As I began reading I did remember Ashley, but you would be fine jumping in reading this one first.
I’m typically not a big fan of coming out or closet romances, but for this book, it just worked. Usually, I get aggravated at the antics a character is willing to do in order to remain closeted. What makes coming out books work for me, is if I can “buy in” the love two characters have for one another is enough to overcome the clearly written fear or anxiety of coming out. Jae did this perfectly in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romance.
I’m typically not a big fan of coming out or closet romances, but for this book, it just worked. Usually, I get aggravated at the antics a character is willing to do in order to remain closeted. What makes coming out books work for me, is if I can “buy in” the love two characters have for one another is enough to overcome the clearly written fear or anxiety of coming out. Jae did this perfectly in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romance.
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