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Beyond the Lights
Sawyer Johnson has spent her entire life in a quiet, close-knit small town—surrounded by familiar faces, predictable routines, and a longing for something more. Dreaming of life beyond the town's limits, she's obsessed with the idea of fame, adventure, and the world that exists outside the one she's always known.
Her best friend, Autumn Thompson, is her opposite in every way. Content with their simple life, Autumn values stability and believes the bond they share is more important than any big-city dream. But when Sawyer plans a trip to meet her celebrity crush, Autumn insists on tagging along—determined to protect Sawyer from heartbreak and perhaps prove that love and happiness might be closer than she thinks.
As the two set off on their unexpected journey, tensions rise and buried feelings begin to surface. Sawyer must decide between chasing the dazzling allure of fame and fortune or recognizing the deep, unwavering love that's been right in front of her all along.
A heartfelt LGBTQ+ coming-of-age romance, this story explores themes of friendship, ambition, identity, and emotional discovery, perfect for readers who love best friends-to-lovers stories and the age-old question: Is the grass really greener on the other side?
Her best friend, Autumn Thompson, is her opposite in every way. Content with their simple life, Autumn values stability and believes the bond they share is more important than any big-city dream. But when Sawyer plans a trip to meet her celebrity crush, Autumn insists on tagging along—determined to protect Sawyer from heartbreak and perhaps prove that love and happiness might be closer than she thinks.
As the two set off on their unexpected journey, tensions rise and buried feelings begin to surface. Sawyer must decide between chasing the dazzling allure of fame and fortune or recognizing the deep, unwavering love that's been right in front of her all along.
A heartfelt LGBTQ+ coming-of-age romance, this story explores themes of friendship, ambition, identity, and emotional discovery, perfect for readers who love best friends-to-lovers stories and the age-old question: Is the grass really greener on the other side?
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 19, 2020
10 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue
132 books306 followersNicole Higginbotham-Hogue is a Midwest-based author known for her captivating lesbian romance novels, compelling mysteries, and heart-pounding thrillers. With a talent for weaving emotion, suspense, and authenticity into every story, Nicole has built a loyal readership drawn to her richly developed characters and relatable themes. Her work reflects a deep understanding of human connection, identity, and resilience, often exploring the complexities of relationships in high-stakes settings.
Nicole holds a Master’s degree in Business Management with a focus on marketing, a background that not only informs her strategic approach to publishing but also brings a thoughtful precision to her storytelling. She began writing at a young age, inspired by a book she found in her local library written by a fellow eight-year-old. That early moment of discovery sparked a lifelong passion that has guided her creative journey ever since.
When she’s not writing, Nicole enjoys cooking new recipes, exploring new places through travel, and spending quality time with her family. Her stories are rooted in experience and imagination, making her voice both grounded and uniquely engaging. Whether penning a slow-burning romance or a thrilling mystery, Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue invites readers into worlds where love and intrigue go hand in hand.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 7, 2020
Content warnings: mention of death of a side character’s parent
Beyond the Lights is a cute novella with great potential. I liked the premise but the writing style threw me off a little and the plot was a bit more absurd than I had expected.
Sawyer Johnson (23) is convinced that she is in love with actress Amy Mitchell, whom she has never met before. When she announces her plan of going cross-country to find Amy, her best friend Autumn Thompson (~23, lesbian), who is secretly in love with Sawyer, decides to tag along, hoping for some quality time together. All plans go out the window as they run into Amy filming a movie in a small town in Montana.
It wasn’t easy to connect with Sawyer since her obsession with Amy was fully established before the story. I kept having the thought of her not being ultimately good enough for Autumn; that is not to say Autumn is flawless, however. There were a lot of things Sawyer did out of ignorance and Autumn out of spite. While very relatable, it made Sawyer’s final revelation as well as Autumn’s decision too sudden and underexplored. I ended up loving Autumn’s friend Dawn so much more than I did the two main characters.
Usually, I can overlook writing issues if the plot were great, but sadly, it is not the case here. There were so many instances of “the other woman” it became difficult to read after some point, and the timeline was also a bit off. I sometimes couldn’t tell if things happened in the same day or several days had passed. And, while possible, it wasn’t entirely believable that someone with zero experience of acting could pull off whatever Sawyer had. Throughout the book, too many words were used for self-analyzing and while I’m all for internal dialogues, it kept the story from reaching its true potential as a novella.
The one thing that really made me pause was the constant reiteration of Sawyer’s and Autumn’s virginities, how they are both “saving” themselves for the right woman—Sawyer for Amy and Autumn for Sawyer. It was supposed to be romantic, I guess, but it just made me very uncomfortable.
Beyond the Lights was a quick read with some light graphic sex, but sadly, not a story I would revisit.
I received an e-ARC from the author via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
Beyond the Lights is a cute novella with great potential. I liked the premise but the writing style threw me off a little and the plot was a bit more absurd than I had expected.
Sawyer Johnson (23) is convinced that she is in love with actress Amy Mitchell, whom she has never met before. When she announces her plan of going cross-country to find Amy, her best friend Autumn Thompson (~23, lesbian), who is secretly in love with Sawyer, decides to tag along, hoping for some quality time together. All plans go out the window as they run into Amy filming a movie in a small town in Montana.
It wasn’t easy to connect with Sawyer since her obsession with Amy was fully established before the story. I kept having the thought of her not being ultimately good enough for Autumn; that is not to say Autumn is flawless, however. There were a lot of things Sawyer did out of ignorance and Autumn out of spite. While very relatable, it made Sawyer’s final revelation as well as Autumn’s decision too sudden and underexplored. I ended up loving Autumn’s friend Dawn so much more than I did the two main characters.
Usually, I can overlook writing issues if the plot were great, but sadly, it is not the case here. There were so many instances of “the other woman” it became difficult to read after some point, and the timeline was also a bit off. I sometimes couldn’t tell if things happened in the same day or several days had passed. And, while possible, it wasn’t entirely believable that someone with zero experience of acting could pull off whatever Sawyer had. Throughout the book, too many words were used for self-analyzing and while I’m all for internal dialogues, it kept the story from reaching its true potential as a novella.
The one thing that really made me pause was the constant reiteration of Sawyer’s and Autumn’s virginities, how they are both “saving” themselves for the right woman—Sawyer for Amy and Autumn for Sawyer. It was supposed to be romantic, I guess, but it just made me very uncomfortable.
Beyond the Lights was a quick read with some light graphic sex, but sadly, not a story I would revisit.
I received an e-ARC from the author via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2020
Thank you to Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved reading it, it was a quick read, the story was fast paced. This story evolves around friendship, love and finding yourself. I loved that aspect of it. I think that Dawn and Autumn were very likeable characters.
However, I thought that Amy and Sawyer were both unlikeable characters. In my opinion, they came across quite egocentric and selfish, which I didn't really like in the story.
I'm also stuck between liking and disliking the fact that everything that the characters dream of in this story just suddenly happens to them, as if it is all 'meant to be'.
However, I did like the character development from the main characters.
This is a great book if you want to dream away with a story, because that is really what this story does.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved reading it, it was a quick read, the story was fast paced. This story evolves around friendship, love and finding yourself. I loved that aspect of it. I think that Dawn and Autumn were very likeable characters.
However, I thought that Amy and Sawyer were both unlikeable characters. In my opinion, they came across quite egocentric and selfish, which I didn't really like in the story.
I'm also stuck between liking and disliking the fact that everything that the characters dream of in this story just suddenly happens to them, as if it is all 'meant to be'.
However, I did like the character development from the main characters.
This is a great book if you want to dream away with a story, because that is really what this story does.
October 23, 2020
1 star. I received a copy of this book to give an honest review. This book is about Autumn and Sawyer, small town Iowan girls who have been best friends since they were little. Sawyer thinks she is in love with a actress, Amy Mitchell. Sawyer decides she is going to drive to California to find her, and Autumn, the best friend who is hopelessly in love with Sawyer, decides to come along. They both have never left their small town and think its a good chance to explore.
I did not like this book. It is s waste of time to read. One thing, it was poorly written. There was a couple times that I thought the dialogue did not quite work or should have been more eloquent. One example of bad writing that bothered me in this book was that the author used the phrase "the other woman" too much when talking about characters. There was one point where it was in almost every sentence in a long paragraph. I feel like using their name or something else would have been suited better.
I also did not like how the story went. I did not like how the characters evolved throughout the book and how Sawyer was so set on being in love with Amy. I felt like the characters were too naïve for my liking. I am also not from a small town nor the Midwest so I do not understand that aspect fully. It bothered me how unprobeable the meeting of Amy and Sawyer was and how Amy seemed to instantly like Sawyer. I did not like that part of the book at all. It was not a good book all around, as the characters were not easy to connect with and I was not really rooting for them at all. You can skip this one.
I did not like this book. It is s waste of time to read. One thing, it was poorly written. There was a couple times that I thought the dialogue did not quite work or should have been more eloquent. One example of bad writing that bothered me in this book was that the author used the phrase "the other woman" too much when talking about characters. There was one point where it was in almost every sentence in a long paragraph. I feel like using their name or something else would have been suited better.
I also did not like how the story went. I did not like how the characters evolved throughout the book and how Sawyer was so set on being in love with Amy. I felt like the characters were too naïve for my liking. I am also not from a small town nor the Midwest so I do not understand that aspect fully. It bothered me how unprobeable the meeting of Amy and Sawyer was and how Amy seemed to instantly like Sawyer. I did not like that part of the book at all. It was not a good book all around, as the characters were not easy to connect with and I was not really rooting for them at all. You can skip this one.
June 16, 2021
Like a dream!
Sawyer and her best friend Autumn head out on the road for their first ever time away from home. Sawyer is content to meet her celebrity crush, convinced the two of them should be together, and Autumn tries her best to support Sawyer whilst harbouring her own feelings towards her best friend. When Sawyer and Autumn find themselves thrown into the unknown of a world beyond their home town, they have a lot to deal with if they are going to find the happiness both of them wish for.
This was such a sweet story. I think there is a little bit of Sawyer in all of us, chasing a dream and a nice idea, but with Sawyer actually going out after it, I had to admire her courage. This story really was like something you could only dream about and wish to happen, but I loved that it actually did for Sawyer. What I admired more was Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue’s ability to then make reality play at hand in Sawyer’s dreams and inspirations in only the most realistic way. My heart broke for her when she realised that her ideals were just dreams and not practically possible, even if she came so close to making them so.
I was able to connect to both Autumn and Sawyer though. It was nice to get caught up in Sawyer’s naivety but good to be grounded by Autumn’s realism about the situation. I found myself agreeing with them both and sharing their emotions as the situation changed on many levels.
This really was a feel good, sweet, friends to lovers story that everyone can relate to. I highly recommend the story as it meets all your needs for a good, angsty, romance.
Sawyer and her best friend Autumn head out on the road for their first ever time away from home. Sawyer is content to meet her celebrity crush, convinced the two of them should be together, and Autumn tries her best to support Sawyer whilst harbouring her own feelings towards her best friend. When Sawyer and Autumn find themselves thrown into the unknown of a world beyond their home town, they have a lot to deal with if they are going to find the happiness both of them wish for.
This was such a sweet story. I think there is a little bit of Sawyer in all of us, chasing a dream and a nice idea, but with Sawyer actually going out after it, I had to admire her courage. This story really was like something you could only dream about and wish to happen, but I loved that it actually did for Sawyer. What I admired more was Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue’s ability to then make reality play at hand in Sawyer’s dreams and inspirations in only the most realistic way. My heart broke for her when she realised that her ideals were just dreams and not practically possible, even if she came so close to making them so.
I was able to connect to both Autumn and Sawyer though. It was nice to get caught up in Sawyer’s naivety but good to be grounded by Autumn’s realism about the situation. I found myself agreeing with them both and sharing their emotions as the situation changed on many levels.
This really was a feel good, sweet, friends to lovers story that everyone can relate to. I highly recommend the story as it meets all your needs for a good, angsty, romance.
July 8, 2020
Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue takes us on a journey to make love come true in Beyond the Lights. How many movies have we seen where someone thinks if they just meet this “absolutely unobtainable person” that this person will take one look at them and say, “yup, I was just sitting here waiting for you.” (laugh) Sawyer has really high hopes.
The funny thing is: Higginbotham-Hogue throws a huge monkey wrench in the joke of this trope by making dreams come true! Amy and Sawyer meet in a movie style moment. Then literally everything that happens after seems like everything was meant to be for Amy and Sawyer. I was literally saying “wtf?!!!” (laugh) Wow...I did not see this coming.
Then Dawn comes into the picture, who by the way I am totally crushing on, and “Hello, how you doin’?” Holy sugar, Higginbotham-Hogue has us in a conundrum.
You have to read the book to find out what happens. (laugh) You did not really think I was going to tell you did you?
Higginbotham-Hogue utilizes the beautiful backdrop of Montana to tell the story. It is a great place to pause and fall in love. Take some time and enjoy Beyond the Lights, a slow-burn HEA romance.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
The funny thing is: Higginbotham-Hogue throws a huge monkey wrench in the joke of this trope by making dreams come true! Amy and Sawyer meet in a movie style moment. Then literally everything that happens after seems like everything was meant to be for Amy and Sawyer. I was literally saying “wtf?!!!” (laugh) Wow...I did not see this coming.
Then Dawn comes into the picture, who by the way I am totally crushing on, and “Hello, how you doin’?” Holy sugar, Higginbotham-Hogue has us in a conundrum.
You have to read the book to find out what happens. (laugh) You did not really think I was going to tell you did you?
Higginbotham-Hogue utilizes the beautiful backdrop of Montana to tell the story. It is a great place to pause and fall in love. Take some time and enjoy Beyond the Lights, a slow-burn HEA romance.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
January 29, 2021
Sawyer seemed to be looking for something beyond her own backyard. Autumn was content with her small town but her love for Sawyer meant she was going to help her follow her dream. Sawyer learned a few life lessons in her trip. Communication is key in any relationship whether between friends or lovers. I did enjoy this story.
July 3, 2020
Love found
A very sweet and loving book. Two girls who are friends ultimately become more. Their journey is a very sweet and loving story. I highly recommend this book.
A very sweet and loving book. Two girls who are friends ultimately become more. Their journey is a very sweet and loving story. I highly recommend this book.
November 17, 2020
I received a free copy for my honest review. This one is kind of like a modern day fairytale, never really got into due to not liking either Autumn or Sawyer and glad that it's fast easy reading.
Just found this to be a waste of reading time, it's predictable and kind of lame in a way.
When you realize you have two gay best friends, one's been out as a teen, the other one didn't know the other was, they've been best friends since they where little, do everything together and yet they never did anything intimate together.
Just seems like they would have dated long before they did in this one and it shouldn't take an actress else to make it happen.
Just found this to be a waste of reading time, it's predictable and kind of lame in a way.
When you realize you have two gay best friends, one's been out as a teen, the other one didn't know the other was, they've been best friends since they where little, do everything together and yet they never did anything intimate together.
Just seems like they would have dated long before they did in this one and it shouldn't take an actress else to make it happen.
September 20, 2020
Beyond the Lights is a beautiful expression of feelings between two best friends, Sawyer and Autumn. The author has very gracefully captured the true essence of friendship, love, and love-in-friendship. Sawyer is a small town girl intending to explore life beyond her four walls and meet her childhood celebrity crush Amy Mitchell. In her heart, she is convinced that Amy is the life she wants oblivious to everything else.
Does she meet Amy? Do both of them work out? And, what about Autumn? Would she meet someone too or would she keep waiting for Sawyer to come around? I really can't go on any more... it would simply ruin the suspense.
Surely, in certain instances, this book is a little melodramatic, especially how Sawyer finds her answers to her journey. But, if you ever had a first crazy celebrity crush you could turn worlds around for or enjoy movie love stories you would easily accept that this is possible. At least, I did.
I would definitely recommend this book and would proudly say, I support the LGBTQ Community.
To Commemorate the #LGBTQ Community, PinkWine presents #Pride Merchandise
Does she meet Amy? Do both of them work out? And, what about Autumn? Would she meet someone too or would she keep waiting for Sawyer to come around? I really can't go on any more... it would simply ruin the suspense.
Surely, in certain instances, this book is a little melodramatic, especially how Sawyer finds her answers to her journey. But, if you ever had a first crazy celebrity crush you could turn worlds around for or enjoy movie love stories you would easily accept that this is possible. At least, I did.
I would definitely recommend this book and would proudly say, I support the LGBTQ Community.
To Commemorate the #LGBTQ Community, PinkWine presents #Pride Merchandise
October 22, 2020
Nicole is one of my favorite authors and I was very excited to read this book, unfortunately this wasn’t my favorite books by her. I found myself wishing dawn was the main character as opposed to Autumn and sawyer. I did like autumn more than Sawyer and I thought you had a really happy go lucky personality. I thought the plot was a cute one and I did read it in one sitting Ian enjoyed it. I just thought she had written much better books and as I say you can’t win them all. I still gave it four stars it is hard to find sweet and clean LGBT stories and I think this author is one of the best at that genre. I was given this book for free on Booksprout and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 21, 2022
Small town meets Hollywood in sweet lesbian romance
In this friends-to-lovers romance, fate helps two best friends discover their true feelings. Aside from fate stepping in to force a meeting, the setting is realistic and the characters are believable. There are no all-out villains in this story, just people described in ordinary terms. This story has good bones; some line editing and trimming of inner monologue will help readers enjoy the storyline more.
In this friends-to-lovers romance, fate helps two best friends discover their true feelings. Aside from fate stepping in to force a meeting, the setting is realistic and the characters are believable. There are no all-out villains in this story, just people described in ordinary terms. This story has good bones; some line editing and trimming of inner monologue will help readers enjoy the storyline more.
October 19, 2020
I've read several books written by Nicole Higginbothan-Hogue; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. 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 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 received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
February 22, 2021
Great.
I enjoyed Beyond the Lights. A friends to lovers theme. Reminds me of the lessons from the Wizard of Oz. If you have look further then your own backyard, to find something, you probably don’t need it.
I enjoyed Beyond the Lights. A friends to lovers theme. Reminds me of the lessons from the Wizard of Oz. If you have look further then your own backyard, to find something, you probably don’t need it.
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February 4, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Death of a parent mentioned
Death of a parent mentioned
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews