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Nicolette & Dorothea #1
Budding Romance
Budding romance between a sweet-talking gardener and a bluestocking headmistress blooms to full flower in this steamy lesbian historical romance.
On the cusp of the 20th century, France is where libertines indulge poetic desires. Dorothea has fled the structure of dreary old England for the Côte d'Azur. She’s opening a school for elegant young ladies, but it’s a disheveled lady gardener who has caught her eye. Madame Laurent works with her hands, but it’s her words than cultivate Dorothea’s fallow heart.
On the cusp of the 20th century, France is where libertines indulge poetic desires. Dorothea has fled the structure of dreary old England for the Côte d'Azur. She’s opening a school for elegant young ladies, but it’s a disheveled lady gardener who has caught her eye. Madame Laurent works with her hands, but it’s her words than cultivate Dorothea’s fallow heart.
36 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2020
11 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Lara Kinsey
7 books39 followersLara Kinsey loves love, but she lives for steam. She writes high-heat low-angst romance in both historical and contemporary settings, featuring happy couples of all genders. She loves writing strong heroines and gentle heroes carving out their happy endings with a found family. Look for Budding Romance, her lesbian Victorian short story, on Kindle Unlimited.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 22, 2020
Far too short at just a half hour - but a deeply amorous story of a finishing school head-mistress named Dorothea (36) from England, setting up the chateau that will become the school in the French countryside to attract wealthy young ladies to teach.
Before that she had to get the chateau up to elegance, she meets Nicolette a 46 year old gardener and designer, who captivates her with her masculine attire yet very French romantic and poetic words.
There's a lot of metaphor in this, that I admit it went from being deeply erotic, to romantic, but also some cringe for me. However I congratulate the author on doing something different. The prose was unique, as was the story. I really enjoyed the couple and their situation.
A kindle unlimited read - there's a sequel you can get when you sign up to the authors newsletter, that I will check out, and there is also another short FF historical story she has too on KU, which I would also like to try. It's just a shame they aren't fleshed out to be fully fledged novels, because I really feel the characters and the story could be sumptuous if given the proper treatment.
Nicolette is dreamy!
Before that she had to get the chateau up to elegance, she meets Nicolette a 46 year old gardener and designer, who captivates her with her masculine attire yet very French romantic and poetic words.
There's a lot of metaphor in this, that I admit it went from being deeply erotic, to romantic, but also some cringe for me. However I congratulate the author on doing something different. The prose was unique, as was the story. I really enjoyed the couple and their situation.
A kindle unlimited read - there's a sequel you can get when you sign up to the authors newsletter, that I will check out, and there is also another short FF historical story she has too on KU, which I would also like to try. It's just a shame they aren't fleshed out to be fully fledged novels, because I really feel the characters and the story could be sumptuous if given the proper treatment.
Nicolette is dreamy!
October 19, 2020
Something about the spindly Miss Smythe-Barney reminded Nicolette of a delicate plant. Something that resisted cultivation, like wild violet or black raspberries. They needed just the right soil, just the right mix of light and shade, just the right amount of attention to make them thrive.
A sweet, short, low-conflict, low-angst sapphic historical. I really enjoyed the characters; two spinsters, one an English headmistress setting up her new school, the other a capable and alluring French gardener. The setting also had me totally captivated: the Côte d'Azur, brimming with French and Italian allure. The writing was also really lovely; sometimes I think the gardening motif went just a teensy bit too far, but mostly it was just really beautiful and enjoyable to read. I really loved the sense of community in the latter part of the story, and how we got a little history of the area.
It might have been a little too low-conflict, even for me? And I wouldn't have minded if the romance took a little longer to blossom. What bugged me most were little editorial things that can easily be fixed, but took me out of the story/momentarily confused me so much. Mostly the fact that in dialogue, a second person would begin speaking but it wasn't moved to another paragraph. Like... "Heres's some dialogue." Here's some prose. "Here's some more dialogue but it's a completely different person speaking now, and the context clues as to who is speaking don't come until rather late in the sentence, and this is still the same paragraph btw." IDK how often this happened, but it was often enough to remark upon.
Still very cute, gave me a couple butterflies.
A sweet, short, low-conflict, low-angst sapphic historical. I really enjoyed the characters; two spinsters, one an English headmistress setting up her new school, the other a capable and alluring French gardener. The setting also had me totally captivated: the Côte d'Azur, brimming with French and Italian allure. The writing was also really lovely; sometimes I think the gardening motif went just a teensy bit too far, but mostly it was just really beautiful and enjoyable to read. I really loved the sense of community in the latter part of the story, and how we got a little history of the area.
It might have been a little too low-conflict, even for me? And I wouldn't have minded if the romance took a little longer to blossom. What bugged me most were little editorial things that can easily be fixed, but took me out of the story/momentarily confused me so much. Mostly the fact that in dialogue, a second person would begin speaking but it wasn't moved to another paragraph. Like... "Heres's some dialogue." Here's some prose. "Here's some more dialogue but it's a completely different person speaking now, and the context clues as to who is speaking don't come until rather late in the sentence, and this is still the same paragraph btw." IDK how often this happened, but it was often enough to remark upon.
Still very cute, gave me a couple butterflies.
November 21, 2020
This really needed to be at least twice the length, realistically. We never get any real insight into either of the characters, and the whole thing unfolding in 36 pages means that the development of their relationship is very quickly glossed over. There was so much potential here and I would have happily sat with it for a solid 250-300 pages; the author has a really lovely way with words and the sense of place was very strong, particularly in Nicolette's village towards the end of the story. I'll very eagerly await whatever this author has in store next, because beautifully written sapphic romances make the world go round, and the parts of this that were well developed were promising enough to make me excited for potential full length work from this author in the future. It's just a shame that, to over-extend a metaphor, this story never really had the chance to blossom for me.
February 27, 2021
Utterly lovely FF historical romance novelette between a headmistress and gardener. All the flower references! There’s a bit of head hopping but I didn’t mind.
Character notes: Dorothea is a 36 year old white British headmistress. Nicolette is a 46 year old white French gardener. This is set in 1899 Alpes-Maritimes, France.
CW: none noted
Character notes: Dorothea is a 36 year old white British headmistress. Nicolette is a 46 year old white French gardener. This is set in 1899 Alpes-Maritimes, France.
CW: none noted
June 24, 2021
Okay
Eh...this was okay. I liked the characters but would have enjoyed more back story than a novella could provide. I skimmed much of it and the ending was too abrupt.
Eh...this was okay. I liked the characters but would have enjoyed more back story than a novella could provide. I skimmed much of it and the ending was too abrupt.
Read
July 26, 2020This was a lovely introduction to the author's writing for me. I hope to check out more of their titles.
July 10, 2020
This was such a lovely story. The characters were lovely, the setting was wonderful and there was this undercurrent of building supportive community that I loved. Just the thing to brighten your afternoon
June 1, 2020
Dorothea tries to ignore Madame's inviting smile, but forced proximity puts Madame Laurent's charms front and center. The bounds of polite society give way to a lush floral fantasy in their isolated corner of the French Riviera.
Found family, commitment, companionship, and a sweet and steamy historical setting. I'm always biased in favor of my characters, but Nicolette and Dorothea are near and dear to my heart.
Found family, commitment, companionship, and a sweet and steamy historical setting. I'm always biased in favor of my characters, but Nicolette and Dorothea are near and dear to my heart.
June 25, 2022
3 stars. Sweet, quick, and low angst. However, I just don’t think this author really shines with these novellas. The writing is really good but they leave so much to be desired. I liked Nicolette and Dorothea and how cute and insta-love their romance is but you don’t get any type of grasp of them as individuals. Hopefully I enjoy the sequel more and get some more character and personality from them.
April 9, 2021
Cute
This is a cute little romance with very little conflict. I did find the pacing feeling rushed or confusing at times, but it’s still an enjoyable story and the ending is very sweet
This is a cute little romance with very little conflict. I did find the pacing feeling rushed or confusing at times, but it’s still an enjoyable story and the ending is very sweet
July 4, 2023
3.5 stars. This was cute, and I loved all the gardening in this book! I also was so happy to get a book romance with older heroines. It could have been a bit more fleshed out but all in all it was enjoyable.
July 12, 2022
A cute, sweet sapphic historical romance.
March 25, 2021
2.5*
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
June 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
It was a lovely sapphic novella. The pace is fast but enjoyable.
It was a lovely sapphic novella. The pace is fast but enjoyable.
July 11, 2020
Short and sweet, like breathing in some lily of the valley :) As a French reader who actually lived in Nice for three years, it's mostly a loud and crowded city for me (also this is a very flattering depiction of French people, don't be fooled, we're very rude), but once you get into the mountains of the arrière-pays, it is peaceful and a little out of time... anyway, I liked the atmosphere, the snapshots of seasons progressing, and I'm glad Dorothea got me to spend time with Nicolette's parents and that they were so lovely. Would definitely read stories of queer romances amongst the students of this budding finishing school!
July 13, 2020
I just read this glorious novella in a sitting and am overwhelmed with love for the story, the storytelling, and the delightful characters. The imagery was all so lush and lovely and the entire thing was like one of the delicious meals described in the novella. Simple, yet elegant; fresh, yet classic, and wholly charming.
January 28, 2021
Spare and lovely and low angst novelette about a English ‘spinster’ headmistress and the older woman gardener that she hires to redesign the grounds of her finishing school. Lots of sensuous food and flower talk, but a little light on the feelings I felt.
March 20, 2021
the perfect novelette to welcome spring, set in the south of france, during the victorian era (it should be more second empire but i am shushing myself) ladies living in a mansion, gardening, painting, headmistressing and all the floral metaphores for a heartwarming romance.
June 11, 2020
A very great summer read! Romantic, peaceful read. Perfect for my quarantine.
What a great setting in the South of France! I totally loved the descriptions of the surroundings. I could totally picture the villages and buildings amongst a beautiful backdrop.
I always love the characters that Lara Kinsey writes. They do and say sensible/reasonable things. These are lovable/likable characters.
It's going to make it on my reread shelf!
What a great setting in the South of France! I totally loved the descriptions of the surroundings. I could totally picture the villages and buildings amongst a beautiful backdrop.
I always love the characters that Lara Kinsey writes. They do and say sensible/reasonable things. These are lovable/likable characters.
It's going to make it on my reread shelf!
January 22, 2021
This was a lovely read that left my heart full. Two characters that I warmed to immediately, and I loved the depths they were given even in this short novella. The language was beautiful, with the plants and gardening metaphor used evocatively throughout. Nicolette's family and community were an absolute treasure too.
Overall a total source of loveliness and happiness, wrapped in a beautiful garden in southern France. Already looking forward to reading the sequel!
Overall a total source of loveliness and happiness, wrapped in a beautiful garden in southern France. Already looking forward to reading the sequel!
July 9, 2021
This was a bit too short for my liking, but it was nonetheless an ADORABLE sapphic historical romance between a gardener and a bluestocking opening a finishing school 💖 both heroines are older and it was just so, so sweet.
I really would love a full length novel set in Nicolette’s village, even if it’s about someone else in the village! It was so atmospheric and I felt instantly transported to this tiny spot of French countryside.
I really would love a full length novel set in Nicolette’s village, even if it’s about someone else in the village! It was so atmospheric and I felt instantly transported to this tiny spot of French countryside.
July 4, 2020
I feel like this story should have been longer just to allow for some genuine character development. The story spends almost no time giving you insights into the characters. It is gentle and kind to the characters, but I never felt I knew Dorothea and Nicolette enough to be invested in their story.
June 19, 2022
A bit slow, felt a lot longer to me than it actually was. But the sex scenes were good, I like the realism of both women using lube and Nicolette saying it's coz of her age. I like that both women are older (late 30s, mid-40s) particularly for the time period, and I like like practical compromise for their HEA. Just a bit slow, and didn't really grip me.
October 21, 2022
True rating: 2.5
I really really really wanted to like this more, and in many ways I did like it. I just didn't really see much chemistry between the characters and, even for a short story, I think there could have been so much more to make their romance more interesting. It all felt a little forced, and there were a few things that just came out of nowhere that just kind of... Bored me.
I really really really wanted to like this more, and in many ways I did like it. I just didn't really see much chemistry between the characters and, even for a short story, I think there could have been so much more to make their romance more interesting. It all felt a little forced, and there were a few things that just came out of nowhere that just kind of... Bored me.
Read
September 21, 2020This is a lovely little F/F novella set during the Vicotrian era. This is the first thing I've read by Lara Kunsey and it has made me excited to check out other things written by her.
F/F, HR, LGBTQI, Closed door.
F/F, HR, LGBTQI, Closed door.
January 26, 2021
3.5 stars
Super cute, though too short for any real development. If this author ever published a full length novel, I’m absolutely going to read it. I don’t think short fiction like this is my thing though.
Super cute, though too short for any real development. If this author ever published a full length novel, I’m absolutely going to read it. I don’t think short fiction like this is my thing though.
June 21, 2023
i felt that there was something seriously lacking in the characterization and that this short story was just a vent and the product of a smut hyperfixation. definitely more there could have been done here.
September 10, 2020
Full of lush gardening metaphors that I kept highlighting. Super excited for the sequel!
September 17, 2020
This was a sweet short story! I enjoyed the different perspective on the historical romance, and the melodic descriptions of plant life and gardening were lovely. I felt that many things could have been expanded on and nurtured a bit more, but that is just me being greedy!
Over-all it was a cute, quick read!
Over-all it was a cute, quick read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews