The Taboo Shoe Club Volume 2- Bethany Renee Lindemann Bethany Golden is the golden girl that runs the exclusive St. Charles Hotel, which caters to the business world elite. With her advanced education and outrageously excellent connections, she gets members what their heart truly desires each and every visit. Bethany’s attention to detail and propensity for confidentiality makes her a hot commodity in hotel management. The only issue is that she can’t apply her finely honed skills to her love life. When her last relationship fails miserably, she moves in with her best friends. The problem is, they are guys, they are gorgeous, and they are hot for each other. Cast out by their families for their preferences they seek comfort in each other. What seems like a safe setup turns into a year of pining for roommates that only have eyes for each other. Bethany makes up her mind to end her third wheel status with the support of her Taboo Shoe Club friends. This group of ladies command their respective fields dressed in only the finest designer high heeled shoes. With their support Bethany is determined to achieve greatness in Gucci. Unbeknownst to Bethany, her roommates, Abner and Pierce, would love nothing more than to share her, but only with each other. Abner Finn, the devastatingly handsome, “Pretty Boy” and financial accountant, often leaves women and men drooling in his wake. Pierce McKay, the misplaced Californian “Surfer Dude” type, is a native New Yorker that loves numbers and his partner. The two men struggle with their attraction to Bethany and their love for each other. Insecurities developed from their unaccepting families have Abner and Pierce rethinking their bisexual status. To further the problem, not everyone in their circle wants them to live their true dual natures. Somehow, they need to convince their friends and Bethany that their relationship has room for one more. Are they man enough for a strong woman like Bethany? 1st This novel contains very vivid and steamy depictions of MM, MMF, MF encounters as the characters try to find love. 2nd This standalone romance story features very adult themes that includes exploring different sexual identities including polyamory and bisexuality.
Renee Lindemann has been writing for over ten years, mostly for friends and family. Her husband finally convinced her that it was time to start the publishing process. Renee has always been fanscinated by love and the beauty of adult relationships. Renee brings her brand of contemporary adult love stories to a very captive audience. When Renee is not writing sizzling stories she works as a registered nurse. Renee lives with her husband, four daughters, and old beloved housecat Punk.
Characters of Colour? Yes! Our MC is biracial! There are several other non-white, named characters. All are really well realised, none are caricatures or stereotypes. A real rarity.
GLITTFAB/Queer characters? HELL YES! This is the BEST kind of ménage book - one where everyone involved is loving on everyone else. Bi erasure is a real & super harmful thing, which is faced & handled with tact at several different points in the book. As well as the main relationship, there are several other named GLITTFAB folx in the cast. Some were a little on the caricature side, but none became tropes.
Disabled characters? All three MCs have histories of abuse & neglect. Those experiences affect them all, & their relationships with society, in profound ways. It’s frustrating that only once suicide entered the picture, did that one MC get mental health care. There’s not even the consideration that these people, all with histories of abuse, would benefit from mental health care. Anyhow. No character has a physical or intellectual disability; no character is neuro-atypical.
Worth my time? Debatable. At 6 hours’ read time, This book was difficult to read, between the frankly bizarre use of grammar to the clear but incorrect intervention of Spell Check. The most glaring example in my eyes would be “neither regions”, instead of “nether regions”. When paired with the Gauntlet of Commas, I felt like most of my time was spent back-tracking & deciphering instead of reading. The strange use of “shake [character’s] head”, sometimes with the addendum “in agreement” (instead of nodding) added another layer to the deciphering game.
Re-read? Without a serious overhaul, no way. I was asked why I was even continuing to read - we managed to work out that I was still enjoying this book, despite my struggles, but I didn’t enjoy it enough to do again.
Recommend? To those looking for a bit of GLITTer in the ménage, or some POC in their casts.