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Lands End
Eileen's life is everything she thought it would be. She has a fabulous career as a zoologist, lives in the city, has amazing friends, and a family she adores. Eileen never thought she'd live to see herself so happy. Sure, her living situation is not ideal, and living in the city is expensive, but Eileen could not be happier with her life.
Alta is one of San Francisco's top real estate agents. She's great at her job and finds fulfillment in making a sale. As a faithful Jewish woman, Alta never pictured herself living so far from her family and single at the age of thirty-five, yet this is where Alta is in life. With pressure coming from her mother and biological clock, Alta feels a sense of anxiety about never finding the right man for marriage. It's just that the thought of being married causes Alta more stress than the idea of never having children.
When Eileen and Alta's paths keep crossing, they strike up a friendship. Both women have so much in common that they find it hard not to become instant BFFs. Yet, this friendship becomes blurred when Eileen finds herself in need of a new home, and Alta offers up her guest bedroom.
Even though friendship is all the women wanted, they can't help but feel more for each other. Yet, with imposing family, religious beliefs, and meddling friends, they can't help but think that loving one another is too hard.
Will love win? Or will the Eileen and Alta find that they can never be together freely?
Alta is one of San Francisco's top real estate agents. She's great at her job and finds fulfillment in making a sale. As a faithful Jewish woman, Alta never pictured herself living so far from her family and single at the age of thirty-five, yet this is where Alta is in life. With pressure coming from her mother and biological clock, Alta feels a sense of anxiety about never finding the right man for marriage. It's just that the thought of being married causes Alta more stress than the idea of never having children.
When Eileen and Alta's paths keep crossing, they strike up a friendship. Both women have so much in common that they find it hard not to become instant BFFs. Yet, this friendship becomes blurred when Eileen finds herself in need of a new home, and Alta offers up her guest bedroom.
Even though friendship is all the women wanted, they can't help but feel more for each other. Yet, with imposing family, religious beliefs, and meddling friends, they can't help but think that loving one another is too hard.
Will love win? Or will the Eileen and Alta find that they can never be together freely?
328 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2020
About the author
Mariah R. Embry
14 books53 followersMariah R. Embry is a fiction author, focusing on romance, murder-mystery, and science fiction. Originally from the Bay Area, California, Mariah loves her home for many different reasons, but the number one is the beauty that it gifts. She finds inspiration in everything she sees on a day to day basis. From the rolling hills to mountains, or laying out on the beach watching the tide and occasional pop-up of dolphins swimming in the distance.
California's landscape has been a massive influence on Mariah's work, however, music also plays an enormous role too. Mariah loves--loves--loves music! She believes that the merging of sounds is one of the most spiritual practices in the world. It does not matter the genre of music; she loves it all. Most of her work is inspired by different songs, some of which Mariah quotes in her novels.
When Mariah is not writing, she can be found hanging out with friends, chilling at home with her partner and kitties, visiting her family, or meditating. To Mariah, life is about living, and she enjoys living it.
California's landscape has been a massive influence on Mariah's work, however, music also plays an enormous role too. Mariah loves--loves--loves music! She believes that the merging of sounds is one of the most spiritual practices in the world. It does not matter the genre of music; she loves it all. Most of her work is inspired by different songs, some of which Mariah quotes in her novels.
When Mariah is not writing, she can be found hanging out with friends, chilling at home with her partner and kitties, visiting her family, or meditating. To Mariah, life is about living, and she enjoys living it.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 14, 2020
3.75 Star - Solid and engaging read. Would recommend.
You get everything in this story: the meet cute, falling into friendship, falling in love, relationship ups and downs, accepting family, homophobic family and a 5 yrs later epilogue. I enjoyed reading this a lot. One quibble is there is some weird word choices that stuck out on occasion like "Wha--no! Alta exclaims, engorged in the story." :) One thing to note: there is a fair amount of drinking and getting drunk and some pot use in the story for those that don't like reading about that, this might be one to skip. It did not bother me however.
You get everything in this story: the meet cute, falling into friendship, falling in love, relationship ups and downs, accepting family, homophobic family and a 5 yrs later epilogue. I enjoyed reading this a lot. One quibble is there is some weird word choices that stuck out on occasion like "Wha--no! Alta exclaims, engorged in the story." :) One thing to note: there is a fair amount of drinking and getting drunk and some pot use in the story for those that don't like reading about that, this might be one to skip. It did not bother me however.
July 14, 2020
I really enjoyed the diverse characters and their storylines, and whilst a difficult read at times, the book deals with difficult topics well. Racism and homophobia are never easy topics to read about, but the author encourages you to confront these whilst still moving the story along.
The storyline encouraged me to keep reading as I wanted to know what would happen with the MCs, and I really enjoyed the mothers in the story too. The HEA is hard won - but unfortunately probably realistic for some.
If you're looking for something different I'd encourage you to read and appreciate for the storyline.
The storyline encouraged me to keep reading as I wanted to know what would happen with the MCs, and I really enjoyed the mothers in the story too. The HEA is hard won - but unfortunately probably realistic for some.
If you're looking for something different I'd encourage you to read and appreciate for the storyline.
October 31, 2022
Eileen, a biracial zookeeper, meets Alta, a white, religious Jew, at a party and then at a place overlooking the San Francisco Bay called Land's End. The two quickly become close friends and Eileen, who's out as a lesbian, feels she has to hide her feelings for Alta because she assumes she's straight. But Alta is trying to work through all the new things she's feeling for Eileen.
There are so many things wrong with this book. Let me at least start off with the one thing I enjoyed: the scenes of Eileen in the zoo dealing with the animals. I don't know much about zookeeping, but those scenes were sweet and heartfelt. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of the book. The writing is subpar; there were copy editing errors throughout; and almost everything about Alta's Judaism was either inaccurate or felt off.
Alta's parents moved to NYC from Israel, and although Hebrew was their first language, Alta doesn't call them Ima and Abba and instead calls them ma and pa. Alta moves to San Francisco to make money as a realtor, which she could have done quite well in NYC. She's lived there 5 years and has no friends. But yet she goes to shul, knows the rabbi well (who she calls by his first name instead of using his title out of respect), but never made a friend there? That seemed unlikely. There's nothing about keeping kosher even though Alta's had a strict upbringing.
I could go on.
Plus there are song lyrics throughout the book without any permissions.
The worst thing is that I had high expectations for a book with a religious Jewish MC and this book was disappointing in so many ways.
There are so many things wrong with this book. Let me at least start off with the one thing I enjoyed: the scenes of Eileen in the zoo dealing with the animals. I don't know much about zookeeping, but those scenes were sweet and heartfelt. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of the book. The writing is subpar; there were copy editing errors throughout; and almost everything about Alta's Judaism was either inaccurate or felt off.
Alta's parents moved to NYC from Israel, and although Hebrew was their first language, Alta doesn't call them Ima and Abba and instead calls them ma and pa. Alta moves to San Francisco to make money as a realtor, which she could have done quite well in NYC. She's lived there 5 years and has no friends. But yet she goes to shul, knows the rabbi well (who she calls by his first name instead of using his title out of respect), but never made a friend there? That seemed unlikely. There's nothing about keeping kosher even though Alta's had a strict upbringing.
I could go on.
Plus there are song lyrics throughout the book without any permissions.
The worst thing is that I had high expectations for a book with a religious Jewish MC and this book was disappointing in so many ways.
August 8, 2020
Odd Errors Distract from Story
I know that this story deals with some hard-hitting issues, including complex family drama, faith, and homophobia. But I kept getting distracted by the bizarre errors in grammar, punctuation, and usage. Clearly, this author did not have this book professionally copyedited or proofread. Not only were commas an issue—as they seem to be in most self-published works that aren't copyedited or proofread—but there were some odd problems I've never seen in other books. The author doesn't know how to use “‘o’clock” time designations correctly nor does she understand that the possessive form of “I” is not “I’s”! These became so distracting that I felt like I couldn't concentrate on the story and was just looking for the next usage oddity. I did receive an ARC copy of the book, but these errors are in the published version at Amazon. I did think the exploration of lesbianism within the context of strong religious faith and homophobia is a great one for a novel, but I just wish the author had a better grounding in grammar (or hired a pro) so that wasn't a barrier to the story. I also thought that, perhaps, the story was a little high on the angst scale. Some misunderstandings just made little sense, and I felt like they happened too often. After a certain point, their ups and downs felt unbelievable. Another thing I found was unbelievable—and this is definitely a teeny-tiny, itty-bitty point—is that travel time between Fremont and San Francisco would never take 35 minutes unless it was deep dark in the middle of the night! I lived just south of Oakland for over 10 years, and negotiating traffic in the Bay Area is problematic during daylight, the rush hours, and the evenings on the weekends!
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
I know that this story deals with some hard-hitting issues, including complex family drama, faith, and homophobia. But I kept getting distracted by the bizarre errors in grammar, punctuation, and usage. Clearly, this author did not have this book professionally copyedited or proofread. Not only were commas an issue—as they seem to be in most self-published works that aren't copyedited or proofread—but there were some odd problems I've never seen in other books. The author doesn't know how to use “‘o’clock” time designations correctly nor does she understand that the possessive form of “I” is not “I’s”! These became so distracting that I felt like I couldn't concentrate on the story and was just looking for the next usage oddity. I did receive an ARC copy of the book, but these errors are in the published version at Amazon. I did think the exploration of lesbianism within the context of strong religious faith and homophobia is a great one for a novel, but I just wish the author had a better grounding in grammar (or hired a pro) so that wasn't a barrier to the story. I also thought that, perhaps, the story was a little high on the angst scale. Some misunderstandings just made little sense, and I felt like they happened too often. After a certain point, their ups and downs felt unbelievable. Another thing I found was unbelievable—and this is definitely a teeny-tiny, itty-bitty point—is that travel time between Fremont and San Francisco would never take 35 minutes unless it was deep dark in the middle of the night! I lived just south of Oakland for over 10 years, and negotiating traffic in the Bay Area is problematic during daylight, the rush hours, and the evenings on the weekends!
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
November 29, 2020
I wanted to like this book because it deals with some very interesting profiles, namely an orthodox Jewish woman who likes her faith and a black lesbian zookeeper. But it was not executed well.
I will say I easily overlooked the lack of editing; for the most part, it didn't deter from the story. But the story itself was overdramatic and over-soulmate-y and over-alcoholized and oversexual (). That is, the religious thing gets resolved literally with one 10-min conversation with her rabbi. That's literally all it took. But everything happens super quickly in this book (e.g. ).
I did appreciate that the way the Jewish woman saw her parents got flipped and believably explained; it was refreshing even if it was a tad heavy-handed. And I will say the book definitely feels a lot more humanizing to black women, and especially black lesbians, despite some of the obvious things authors have been told to avoid and which irked me (e.g. food descriptions of skin color, or "girl" said all the time, or romantic pairings always between a white person and a black person – the latter generally offering more emotional labor to her partner than the other way around).
I will say I easily overlooked the lack of editing; for the most part, it didn't deter from the story. But the story itself was overdramatic and over-soulmate-y and over-alcoholized and oversexual (). That is, the religious thing gets resolved literally with one 10-min conversation with her rabbi. That's literally all it took. But everything happens super quickly in this book (e.g. ).
I did appreciate that the way the Jewish woman saw her parents got flipped and believably explained; it was refreshing even if it was a tad heavy-handed. And I will say the book definitely feels a lot more humanizing to black women, and especially black lesbians, despite some of the obvious things authors have been told to avoid and which irked me (e.g. food descriptions of skin color, or "girl" said all the time, or romantic pairings always between a white person and a black person – the latter generally offering more emotional labor to her partner than the other way around).
July 15, 2020
I took off a star for the weird editing mistakes: Ortho Dox, bag/back, etc.
Eileen's life is content and uncomplicated. She's a zoologist that works hard and has a wonderful group of friends (who she calls "tribe" - this bugged me). When talking to her friends she says, "Girl" a lot. She goes out with a friend to a work celebration and mets a few people, Alta being one. They eventually meet up again and decide to be friends. Alta is straight. Isn't she?
It was nice to read a book where the MC did a "dirty" job instead of a white collar job.
I appreciated the use of Hebrew and then translation as this is a large part of Alta's life. I felt the struggles were extremely realistic between religion on homosexuality. It became uncomfortable at times because it was so realistic.
Eileen's life is content and uncomplicated. She's a zoologist that works hard and has a wonderful group of friends (who she calls "tribe" - this bugged me). When talking to her friends she says, "Girl" a lot. She goes out with a friend to a work celebration and mets a few people, Alta being one. They eventually meet up again and decide to be friends. Alta is straight. Isn't she?
It was nice to read a book where the MC did a "dirty" job instead of a white collar job.
I appreciated the use of Hebrew and then translation as this is a large part of Alta's life. I felt the struggles were extremely realistic between religion on homosexuality. It became uncomfortable at times because it was so realistic.
June 27, 2020
Interesting and thoughtful romance
Is love at first sight true or do you grow to love someone? Out lesbian meets an orthodox Jewish woman who seems to be ruled by her family and tradition and she thinks she is straight. A friendship grows but internalized homophobia is stopping their relationship. Finally when speaking to her rabai he says love comes in all forms and her father interpretation of scripture is wrong. Many more problems try to drive them apart but their love is strong. This is a gun but difficult read where Spoiler you'd like to scream at the characters at some times. This shows great writing skills to make them come alive! Read it and you'll love it!
Is love at first sight true or do you grow to love someone? Out lesbian meets an orthodox Jewish woman who seems to be ruled by her family and tradition and she thinks she is straight. A friendship grows but internalized homophobia is stopping their relationship. Finally when speaking to her rabai he says love comes in all forms and her father interpretation of scripture is wrong. Many more problems try to drive them apart but their love is strong. This is a gun but difficult read where Spoiler you'd like to scream at the characters at some times. This shows great writing skills to make them come alive! Read it and you'll love it!
July 2, 2020
Great Story!
I really liked this story. The character of Eileen was written so well. Her positive attitude and appreciation for all things good makes you fall in love with her. Her ethnicity melds in to the story. Alta who grew up with all the pressures of being a good Jewish girl, successful and expected to marry and have babies. When these two wind up at the same special viewing spot after an initial meeting amongst friends, their chemistry shocks them both. They develop a friendship that turns faster than they both realized. This lends for a great storyline with so many ups and downs. Definitely will check this writer out again. A Must Read!
I really liked this story. The character of Eileen was written so well. Her positive attitude and appreciation for all things good makes you fall in love with her. Her ethnicity melds in to the story. Alta who grew up with all the pressures of being a good Jewish girl, successful and expected to marry and have babies. When these two wind up at the same special viewing spot after an initial meeting amongst friends, their chemistry shocks them both. They develop a friendship that turns faster than they both realized. This lends for a great storyline with so many ups and downs. Definitely will check this writer out again. A Must Read!
March 17, 2021
Many good points
The characters were likable, the premise was interesting and much effort was made to bring in elements such as writing certain passages in Hebrew. Extra points for not identifying a character’s race until it was actually salient for the story.
There were a few issues, however. Having a main character be Jewish and not even knowing what day of the week temple services are (the Jewish sabbat is from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and services are Saturday). Some of the story transitions didn’t flow, they felt a bit forced, as did some of the dialogue.
Overall, it was a worthwhile story and I hope the author continues to hone her skills.
The characters were likable, the premise was interesting and much effort was made to bring in elements such as writing certain passages in Hebrew. Extra points for not identifying a character’s race until it was actually salient for the story.
There were a few issues, however. Having a main character be Jewish and not even knowing what day of the week temple services are (the Jewish sabbat is from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and services are Saturday). Some of the story transitions didn’t flow, they felt a bit forced, as did some of the dialogue.
Overall, it was a worthwhile story and I hope the author continues to hone her skills.
October 9, 2022
A sweet and cosy romance – feels like real life problems but with a happy ending
This is a very sweet story of a seemingly straight Jewish woman, Alta, and biracial lesbian, Eileen, falling in love and confronting their own fears and families to find their HEA. At times, it is sweet, sad, funny, and definitely cosy with enjoyable love scenes and believable characters.
The language in the 2020 edition can be distracting (nothing a thorough proofread cannot fix) but in spite of it, the plot is sound and the characters endearing. This novel definitely joins others on my read-again list.
This is a very sweet story of a seemingly straight Jewish woman, Alta, and biracial lesbian, Eileen, falling in love and confronting their own fears and families to find their HEA. At times, it is sweet, sad, funny, and definitely cosy with enjoyable love scenes and believable characters.
The language in the 2020 edition can be distracting (nothing a thorough proofread cannot fix) but in spite of it, the plot is sound and the characters endearing. This novel definitely joins others on my read-again list.
July 22, 2020
This is the 1st book I've read written by Mariah Embry; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
April 11, 2021
A Righteous Women
Eileen is a zoologist at the San Francisco Zoo and is having the best life. Alta is a top real estate agent and a faithful Jewish woman. When the meet and their paths keep crossing they become best friends. When their attraction grows, they have lots of distractions in their paths. An erotic romance and love story.
Eileen is a zoologist at the San Francisco Zoo and is having the best life. Alta is a top real estate agent and a faithful Jewish woman. When the meet and their paths keep crossing they become best friends. When their attraction grows, they have lots of distractions in their paths. An erotic romance and love story.
June 18, 2021
AWESOME MULTIRACIAL BOOK
This book was educational, informative and a darn good book. It touched on many areas of the trials that lesbians deal with to make a relationship work. But dealing with religious, hemophogia and race can be a challenge. That's why this book is a must read. Great story and written quite well.
This book was educational, informative and a darn good book. It touched on many areas of the trials that lesbians deal with to make a relationship work. But dealing with religious, hemophogia and race can be a challenge. That's why this book is a must read. Great story and written quite well.
March 28, 2026
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I really wish that if authors were going to self-publish or buy themselves a publishing deal, they would also invest in an editor. This book was so poorly written it was unreadable, and I gave up after the first chapter or two. DNF.
I really wish that if authors were going to self-publish or buy themselves a publishing deal, they would also invest in an editor. This book was so poorly written it was unreadable, and I gave up after the first chapter or two. DNF.
May 20, 2020
Kept my attention throughout
August 10, 2020
Great.
I really loved Lands End. A great romantic friends to lovers story. Tacking the issue of strong religious beliefs adds interest to the story.
I really loved Lands End. A great romantic friends to lovers story. Tacking the issue of strong religious beliefs adds interest to the story.
July 27, 2020
Great book that addresses family, friends, religion, and acceptance.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews