Going Up

by A.E. Radley

Selina Hale is on her way to the top. She's been working towards a boardroom position on the thirteenth floor for her entire career. And no one is going to get in her way. Not her clueless boss, her soon to be ex-wife, and most certainly not the homeless person who has moved into the car park at work.

Kate Morgan fell through the cracks in a broken support system and found herself destitute. Determined and strong-willed, she's not about to accept help from a mean business woman who can't even remember the names of her own nephews.

As their lives continue to intertwine, they have no choice but to work together and follow each other on their journey up.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Lesbian Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Queer

Paperback

First published June 2, 2019

About the author

***While I have a profile here on Goodreads, it is only to administer my books when necessary (add them, change covers etc).

I do not answer messages on here, I do not engage in groups, and I do not read the reviews.

I believe Goodreads is a place for readers and not authors and so I stay away for the most part. If you do want to contact me, please go to my website***


A.E. Radley is an entrepreneur and best-selling author living and working in England.

She describes herself as a Wife. Traveller. Tea Drinker. Biscuit Eater. Animal Lover. Master Pragmatist. Annoying Procrastinator. Theme Park Fan. Movie Buff.

When not writing or working, Radley indulges in her third passion of buying unnecessary cat accessories on a popular online store for her two ungrateful strays whom she has threatened to return for the last seven years.

Reviews

[Corporate Slave · Rating 5 out of 5]

BAM!! Miss Radley, you get the award for creating the nastiest, most unpleasant, ridiculous creature of an ICE QUEEN ever created in the history of lesfic! I hated her so much that I ended up falling in love with her and having the biggest crush on her! I mean, damn I couldn’t put the book down! It’s amazing how one MC can make or break a book and in this case, Selina did just that :)
So to cut the long story short, this was such a fun read :) i mean there wasn’t even one single sex scene and I loved the book (yes I love me some sex scenes it’s ok to admit that) hahaha ..
I can’t say that there’s depth in the book or that I will forever remember it or that it deeply moved me. But I would say, if you want something fun, cute and adorable that would put you in a fluffy mood then this is your book :)
4.5 rounded up to 5 ..

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by this author and this time around I was prepared going in. No sex scenes.
Thought I to myself, "That's okay. She writes really well, and now that I know, I'm sure I'll enjoy this book."
Nope.

It's so well written (which is why it got 3 stars) and kept me turning the pages but an abrupt ending is probably my biggest pet peeve followed closely by no sex scenes.

Where is the rest...?

Plenty of people seemed to enjoy this one, but I feel slightly robbed.

What a great read. An age gap, an ice queen. But then... Nothing.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wise women say, only fools remember their first.
But I can't help falling in love with Ms.Radley's work.. even though she did pull a fast one in this. Believable plot, nope but it's romance + fiction so the main objective is to?

Maximus: Are You Not Entertained? Are You Not Entertained? Isn't that why you bought the book? - throws away the sword and spits -
Me: You're right Maximus! I shall now shut up and write good notes about this book.

Ms.Radley was one of my first Lesfic author, I have a love - hate relationship with her work but she did write a couple of my all time favorites, Bring Holly Home and The Road Ahead (Book 2 was a huge disappointment)
After reading some positive / wonderful reviews on this, I couldn't pass this up. Selina Hale was a professional asshole and I appreciate that Ms.Radley did not give her a speedy makeover. Kate Morgan, a spunky lead, so what she was homeless. Her pride and integrity were still intact and functioning.

The leads brought out the best in each other and I enjoyed being a spectator to their journey of discovering the new them - as individuals and as a couple. Most of my expectations were shredded, tossed and trampled cleverly by Ms.Radley so kudos to her and also for writing an ex wife from heaven for once instead of the usual from hell kind, quite common in Lesfic world.

I have a soft spot for Brit authors and looks like tea, biscuits and Midsomer Murders will be accompanying me for a few days. If you're familiar with her work, then go ahead especially for KU subscribers but if you're a Radley virgin, this can be your first. Carrie, just in case you stumble upon this, there's A.G.E. G.A.P. and Alexis, remember the ending of Girl Talk and you said this
"*stares at last page* What The Actual F*ck?!" well....

Ms.Radley, if you're planning to write another book about Selina and Kate, I'm game but please don't pull the same trick as you did with The Road Ahead sequel...I wanted to curse but I'm broke.

Why Selina is my kind of asshole
" What business school did you go to again? I'll be sure to donate to them immediately to ensure no more graduates enter the business world so poorly prepared "

Good one, Kate
" There were always rumors about the father of the house and the nanny. The porn industry was practically built on it "

[Bugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I feel like A.E. Radley can go no wrong lately with her writing and storytelling, churning out hit after hit that have delighted, warmed and thrilled my heart and mind! Her latest, "Going Up," was no exception! In fact, I was positively enthralled just by the title of the first chapter, "The Suited Idiot!" I mean, COME ON!!! Who wouldn't be desperately curious to find out just who the suited idiot was and why they'd garner such an abrasive reference, eh? See, that's one of the reasons I utterly adore and revere Radley's writing - her endless wit and dry humour, her vernacular always leave me devouring her stories at not time at all! In other words, her narrative style and storytelling are just my cuppa tea!

Back to this book, it has one of my all-time favourite lesfic tropes - ICE QUEEN. Except in Radley's case, her ice queen named Selina, was a little different than those I've come across in lesfic, thusfar.

Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ice-queen, high powered, age-gap romance with NO hot scene...mix it up with Radley and in all likelihood, you’ll get a pleasant read ☺️

52 y/o ice queen Selina met homeless 25 y/o Kate, whom Selina resented initially cos Kate is an eye-sore squatting at the public carpark within the company’s premises. They met, resented each other, helped each other after initial resentment and over time grew fond of each other. As aptly written in the book - yes, it’s a cliche but cliches existed for a reason. And for some of us, sometimes we just need a dose of it to end a long week....for me at least 😊

[Elske · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very nice and light read. The book was very well written. I like age-gap and ice queen stories and got both in this one. There is just one thing about Kate that I found a little inconsistent. Kate is young but mature because of her life experiences. She comes across as a very strong person with the ability to be true to herself. About halfway in the story though (after some unfortunate developments) it seems that Kate’s confidence in herself and her abilities has suffered. Carrie tells her that it will take a while, but that Kate has to start building her confidence again. Still a short while after this Kate keeps standing up to Selina in such a way that in my opinion needs a lot of self confidence. This puzzled me. Kate and Selina were great main characters, I liked their honesty and the dry humour in the book. Recommend 4 stars

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get that the redeemable ice queen trope is wildly popular. The problem I have with this book is that the first ¾ + of the book there is zero chemistry between the mains other than wildly antagonistic. There are zero good feels. Zero reason for me to care about the MC’s happiness, with the exception of the once homeless Kate. So in order to get to a portion of the book that I actually find interesting I’ve already had to invest hours and hours of boring asshatary of an MC. And by the time I actually get to that point my give a crap meter is broken and I honestly just couldn’t be bothered to care anymore. This one is definitely a swing and a miss for me.

[Cammy Chareon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly enjoyed this book, although I wouldn’t call it romantic. It was a story of how they met, and how they navigated their individual lives and grew as people. I appreciate the growth and development they both went through, but I felt the book ended just when it was time to focus on the romance.

A lot was going on in the book, and sadly there were also storylines that felt unfinished. What happened with Selina’s sister? How did the company react? I wouldn’t mind if it ran a bit longer for the sake of closure.

Oh but despite these, I still liked the story in general. It is well-written and engaging. It would definitely benefit from having a proofreader or editor, but it is pretty good. This would be a 3.75 for me :)

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm beyond pleased that I got to enjoy every word of this story because it has everything that I look for in a romance. There's a stunning ice-queen- check. A lovely woman to melt her heart and make her believe in love again - check. Humorous moments with tons of witty banter - check. I am rather fond of Selina even though she is a piece of work but there's just something so irresistible about a mature woman who is very successful yet social awkward. Then I just had to fall head over heels for Kate because she is such a compassionate and fun-loving woman and I'm sorry she's not real because I would have loved to meet her. This story is definitely high on my favorite books to re-read list!

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an A.E. Radley story, so I naturally, I loved it!

Selina is at the top of her game, but she wants to be higher. Kate is right at the bottom, and wanting to get her life back on track after being let down so badly by the support system. When Selina leaves homeless Kate a coffee, interaction commences between these two, intertwining their lives, but fate has some surprises in store for them both.

This story was something truly unique, a homeless character, and a business woman, and a whole lot of fate acting in mysterious ways to bring them into each other’s lives. I adored how Selina wasn’t all she seemed, and neither was Kate. This is what I love about A. E. Radley stories, I always get more than I expected, and no one is ever quite how I imagined them to be.

I got so emotionally invested in Selina and Kate’s story that I struggled to want to put this book down (and be prepared because if you start an A. E. Radley book it is likely you’ll not sleep and read it in one sitting!) A. E. Radley just has a knack for engaging the reader from the very first sentence and then you are hooked. Every time I get a new A. E. Radley book it becomes my favourite, and it’s happened again.

It was very heartfelt and hard hitting at times, especially where Kate was concerned. The extent of exploring all someone must go through when they find themselves homeless was handled sensitively, but giving insight for the reader of how not everyone who ends up destitute is there of their own making. Life is cruel, the support systems are over stretched, and vulnerable people are at risk. All well portrayed in this story in a realistic manner.

I just loved everything about this story.

Selina is A. E. Radley’s iciest Ice Queen yet! She was so cold and closed off, but as the story progresses and we get a good understanding of her, you realise that just as with any other Ice Queen – she can be thawed. Kate is so sweet, and despite her situation, her positivity but realistic outlook on life is endearing and thought provoking. The fact that these two characters challenge one another, in the best ways, is the real driving force of their relationship. I loved how they interacted, with a wit and banter that only A. E. Radley can really deliver for characters like these.

My favourite A. E. Radley yet (until the next one!). Highly recommend as it was just so amazing!!!

[Best Lesfic Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author takes an improbable twosome and writes such a splendid romance that you actually thing it is possible.

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

[Pinkdturtle tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, thoroughly enjoyed it. Wasn’t exactly besotted by the book, just a nice smooth read.
Well written, loved the characters. Look forward to reading from author.

[Saiesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

How many acts of accidental kindness can a woman make to get a Thank You from someone too prideful?


Selina Hale is driven by her ambition to become a board member at Addington Accounting, and she'll do anything with ruthless abandon to see her dreams come true. When Kate Morgan sets up camp in the parking lot during the day, Selina does almost everything in her power to remove this homeless person from the company's space.

The good parts

Radley's writing style has always been smooth and seamless, and it makes you crave more, makes you turn pages and gobble up the words without taking a breath. Going Up is evidence of what an easy and delightful read this was.

The main characters had their quirks, and the book made sure to display how well Kate and Selina fit together despite a big age gap between them. I started rooting for these characters as individuals and a pairing—a platonic one, mostly.

The best part about this book was the growth of Kate. Every time she doubted herself, there was always a little nudge that said 'Look how much you've achieved' and I thought that her progress throughout the story was beautiful.

One honourable mention is how unapologetic Selina was about her sexuality, and it was a refreshing read to see an older character own her identity in an extraordinary way.

The not so good

Something about the plot itself did not blend well into the romance that Radley was trying to tell. It needed more time, more words, another book perhaps before I could be convinced that Kate and Selina can be more than friends. I would have taken the crushes, but nothing more.

GIVE ME MORE. Another chapter, another book. Just... More than an abrupt ending

The book also seemed to end at a point where everything was fixed, but hadn't quite rounded off properly. I needed an epilogue, or some self satisfaction knowing that despite everything, these characters are still doing well.

Maybe, an epilogue would have helped with showing how Selina changed for the better. Her character was written to be bitchy and mean, and it showed itself wonderfully right to the very end. I liked that she didn't change much, but I still want to know whether that attitude would fly in a relationship.

With regards to writing style, Radley typically starts most of her sentences with She, and it can get annoying after reading three pages of sentences that all start the same way. This fortunately, only becomes noticeable without dialogue breaks at two points in the book. But otherwise it isn't such an issue elsewhere.

Overall

A great read for those days where you want to see characters grow from their harsh situations and pull themselves together. 3.5 stars.

[Book Worm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read for in between.
I liked that the twists and turns. It was fairy tale like - the "bad" character does something to the "good" character to get rid of her and it turns out that this is exactly what fate needed to turn the scales.
I liked that the ice-queen slowly realizes that by messing in someone's life you become responsible for it (the life / the person) in some way.
And I liked the stress on character development, on the development of a relationship.
Amanda Radley leaves us hanging in the end with a fully established basis for a relationship. We can all imagine how this will launch into the air, but be aware reader, you are going to be left at the end of the countdown. The landing on the moon is left up to your imagination.

[F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. My second book by this author, and again we have one MC who is older, rich, and powerful and kinda a, ummm, girl dog, and the other a destitute, young, free spirited but broken sort of saint.
I enjoyed this story even with its flaws. The characters were fun. It wasn’t a romance in the classic sense, or perhaps in any sense.
The story is set close to London, UK, but I kept forgetting that, because the language, characters, and scenes felt very American.

Selina is not quite an Ice Queen, but definitely Ice Royal Family. And I just can’t resist that. I can’t. I’m weak. It made up for the whole outlandish story to have her deliver perfect little ice shards.

It’s free on KU UK.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going Up is a thoughtful, gentle and sweet lesbian romance.

The main characters deal with diverse and painful personal problems. Neither woman suffers fools gladly or shies away from a challenge. The unlikely pair form a turbulent friendship, but the underlying attraction between them keeps drawing them together. Unlike some lesfic, the romantic drama in Going Up stems from big life issues like homelessness, spousal abuse, homophobia, unemployment, divorce, workplace exploitation and age differences. The upheaval that beset Selina Hale and Kate Morgan doesn't magical resolve, but through positive activity and hard choices becomes manageable.

The author treats the characters and storyline with supreme care. There is nothing silly or superfluous in this charming lesbian romance. I sometimes wish that novels about romantic relationships weren't predicated on how beautiful or gorgeous the participants looked. Attraction can follow so many different attributes. Radley emphasized the stunning appearance of her lead characters, but added into the mix intelligence, strength, independence, kindness, generosity and compatibility. Going Up takes on the subject of overcoming the obstacles that life has to offer and shows its characters outgrowing their past in order to create a better tomorrow.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of A.E. Radley books. and this book was great too, however, I thought it would be even better when i would have gotten more, more about the further development of Selina and Kate’s love story. How is it going with Selina her sister etc etc. For me the books just stops while there was still so much too tell. Therefor I could not give this book 5 stars

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book so much. I loved the two main characters and the author's humor. Could be my favorite of all of her books - and there are a lot of them!

If you enjoy the ice queen thing - which isn't something I would ever search out but I know it's a big thing - and you also like witty banter and good, dry humor, you'll very likely love this book.

[Heinerway · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love A.E. Radley's books, but in my humble opinion this one was not one of her best. In any case it was an entertaining story.

[Triet Ngo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book, but it felt a little unfinished (?). You hate Selina at first, like almost despise and wonder how she's lived this long the way she has. But the author turned it around and she ended up being my favorite character. Kate is very independent. She doesn't like handouts, but she knows when to cut the charade and be straight up with people. Which is refreshing after reading so many books with a misunderstanding as the center point. As you expect, they get together and then..it ends? Like all the doubts are tied up in the last 10 or so pages and then it ends. I'm not saying "I want the cliche they have 2 kids and 3 cats." There's a dropped subplot about Selina's sister that I wanted resolution with. I wanted to see Selina reign supreme in her new life. Wanted to see some interactions in the way she's changed with other characters. Is this supposed to lead to another sequel? It doesn't seem like it? What happened to the cat lol? Where are living now? I liked it but the ending left me unsatisfied.

[Tinything · Rating 5 out of 5]

There seemed lots going on in this book, that made me couldnt put it down at all. Which is good because i really it. There was a moment that made my heart skipped a beat and hold my breath waiting while reading what was going to happen Kate. I really like both MCs, especially Kate. She's such a strong will person, confident and dealed with what had been going around her very well. In her case, seemed like luck also on her side as well. Though there is this unsolve problem with Abi, Selina's sister. I would really like to know what is going to happen.

[Kexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh! A E Radley, hang your head in shame. A really good book, cracking, I'd say, but then, suddenly, with many loose ends still in front of mind, it ends. Husband, sister, work, little things.

[Colleen Corgel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine, just fine. This is a bit of a mix of an office romance with a little bit of Cinderella thrown in. Except when our two leads meet, one is homeless and the other confronts her about staying in her office's parking garage. I understand that the idea was to have our ice queen character, Selina Hale, is supposed to remember to be human because of her interactions with the steadfast Kate Morgan, but there's something off about it. It's not Kate, who is just a little too idealistic but is grounded by her experiences both as being on the streets and as a person rejected by her community. It's really Selina, who is 51 years old, and still acts like a petulant child. I can see why Kate, who's in her mid 20's would not want any charity from Selina, because she is just so unlikable. You can tell that Selina doesn't get it - the people in her office don't necessarily respect her, despite fearing her mercurial nature. And it is simply that she is too demanding without caring for anything but her own success. Later attempts at showing that, yes Selina's colleagues and subordinates aren't all that great either, ring hollow because of how tuned out Selina was at the beginning of the book.

This is an age gap romance with a huge gap that proves the younger of the pair to have a better head on her shoulders despite not being successful. It is also about thawing the ice queen, but when you have a person who is as bad at the beginning of the story as Selina, it is hard to see why someone like Kate would really want to be romantically involved with a person like Selina.

[Ameliah Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY 500TH REVIEW!!!!

Guardian Angel or Devil in Disguise
Selina is a super busy executive with no time or patience for anyone. Her only focus is a promotion she has worked ten years for. Kate is a homeless woman who spends her days in the carpark by Selina’s office. One night the prickly woman gives Kate a coffee only to have Kate refuse and read her the riot act when Selina tells her not to be ungrateful. Confused and unsure about the woman and the situation, Selina goes out of her way to help the woman while Kate imparts useful tidbits of common human decency to Selina. Maybe there can save each other…

Awww, that’s what this book is, awww! Its sweet and tender with bits of pettiness and meanness, although not all of it Selina, light, laughter and love, insecurity and reassurance, beauty and sincerity. Both women are so intense and have so much going on in their lives and in site of their differences, they are well suited, even Selina’s ex-wife thinks so lol! This is a feel good story with a heart of gold and enough warm fuzzies to fill the darkest of days. Its truly a thing of beauty!

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally an age gap romance with a large gap. This is only the second one I’ve read. I think Selina and Kate make a great couple. Kate has had a hard time and has made her mature beyond her years. She can stand up to Selina and get her to open up. I have the same 27 yr gap with my partner and it can be challenging but love is love.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ice Queen stories. This one is very good! Loves the characters and their story. I just wish it was bit longer, because I don't like to guess the end!

[Barbro-Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A.E. Radley are always a hit or miss with me. Sometimes I hated them and sometimes i loved them. This falls in the middle. This is a typical story about a bitter cold woman who thaws after she falls in love again. I liked the story, but there were some loose ends. The was an abrupt ending. I liked the build up but would have loved for it to be longer, 60k wording is not much when you’re trying to build a romantic connection. I would have loved more romance and steamy scenes. There were not a single romantic moment in the story, there was one small kiss at the end of the story, and I do mean the end. So if you’re looking for some epic romantic tale don’t bother with this. But if you’re looking for something easy and quick to read when you need a break between all your heavy books this is perfect.

And I do believe I’ve read something similar before, in a Swan Queen fanfic. Knowing that A.E. Radley has based several of her books on her fanfics it might actually be hers that I’ve read. So I kept picturing Regina as Selina and Emma as Kate, and kept trying to figure out which of the OUaT characters where who in this book

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that of all the romance authors, Radley is one of my favourite. I'm not a big romance reader, but many are so formulaic there is no need to read them. But Radley always manages to fill the story out with interesting scenes and events. It's the progression and evolution of two or more lives that she gets so well, and is always - always more complete, for me, than the usual coffee morning romances.

This one meandered a little more than most, but I rather enjoyed the sparring between the two mains. I also enjoy that Radley's stories are often about two women finding their way and coming together. She neatly side steps the 70% sex scene that others find obligatory.

[MEC]

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. This is a light romance with an ice queen trope as well as a rich girl/poor girl trope. Kudos to Radley for actually making one of the characters homeless - it is something you don't see often in story lines and it does raise the idea of how easy it is to fall between the cracks and, once there, how invisible you become and how difficult it is to recover.

I've enjoyed reading a few of Radley's books (haven't made my way through all of them as she is a writing fiend with more books popping up every time I look) but this was a bit of a miss for me. The characters didn't work for me from the outset - so I never got overly invested in the story or the romance and there were quite a few unresolved bits in the subplots. I found Selina was more of a mega-bitch than and ice queen and that made it hard to enjoy the goings on. Radley has a ton of other books for me to try - and I will definitely read another by her. This one just didn't grab me.

[Faraona del sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

This is a beautiful story, the characters are opposites and captivating. Salina is a ride executive married to her job, Kate is a homeless, honest to the point hard working woman, so what are the odds of a romantic relationship between this pair? A.E. Radley made it possible. I definitely recommend it, I enjoyed it since the first page.