What do you think?
Rate this book
For the Love of April French
Named a Best Romance of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly, Vulture, The Washington Post, and the Fated Mates podcast!
“This book gave me every last one of the Intense Romance Feelings I crave.” —New York Times bestselling author Talia Hibbert
April French doesn't do relationships and she never asks for more.
A long-standing regular at kink club Frankie's, she's kind of seen it all. As a trans woman, she’s used to being the scenic rest stop for others on their way to a happily-ever-after. She knows how desire works, and she keeps hers carefully boxed up to take out on weekends only.
After all, you can't be let down if you never ask.
Then Dennis Martin walks into Frankie's, fresh from Seattle and looking a little lost. April just meant to be friendly, but one flirtatious drink turns into one hot night.
When Dennis asks for her number, she gives it to him.
When he asks for her trust, well…that's a little harder.
And when the desire she thought she had such a firm grip on comes alive with Dennis, April finds herself wanting passion, purpose and commitment.
But when their relationship moves from complicated to impossible, April will have to decide how much she's willing to want.
Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.
“This book gave me every last one of the Intense Romance Feelings I crave.” —New York Times bestselling author Talia Hibbert
April French doesn't do relationships and she never asks for more.
A long-standing regular at kink club Frankie's, she's kind of seen it all. As a trans woman, she’s used to being the scenic rest stop for others on their way to a happily-ever-after. She knows how desire works, and she keeps hers carefully boxed up to take out on weekends only.
After all, you can't be let down if you never ask.
Then Dennis Martin walks into Frankie's, fresh from Seattle and looking a little lost. April just meant to be friendly, but one flirtatious drink turns into one hot night.
When Dennis asks for her number, she gives it to him.
When he asks for her trust, well…that's a little harder.
And when the desire she thought she had such a firm grip on comes alive with Dennis, April finds herself wanting passion, purpose and commitment.
But when their relationship moves from complicated to impossible, April will have to decide how much she's willing to want.
Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2021
85 people are currently reading
2421 people want to read
About the author
Penny Aimes
1 book146 followersPenny Aimes is a trans woman writing contemporary romance about trans women and other people who don't always find themselves in romance novels.
She was assigned Hoosier at birth but lives now in Denver, Colorado with a beautiful accountant and a very small bird with a very loud voice.
She was assigned Hoosier at birth but lives now in Denver, Colorado with a beautiful accountant and a very small bird with a very loud voice.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
February 5, 2021
Granted, I don’t read a ton of this subgenre, but I have never come across a BDSM romance so unrepentantly fluffy. (And it’s given me a hunger for more, so, recs welcome.) Reading this book gave me the best kind of toothache. I devoured the whole thing in one sitting with a soppy smile on my face.
The set-up: April is a nerdy and nurturing mum-friend; Dennis is also nerdy and gives me intense-but-adorable dad vibes. He is just how I like my romance heroes (devoted and delicious). They have a temporary no-strings sex thing, but Dennis is secretly trying to woo April, which is one of my absolute favourite tropes.
I loved this book for its bouncy, relatable voice, its casually inclusive world (which exists in our regular, terrible, non-inclusive society, but triumphs over it), and the swoony connection between the MCs. I also loved reading a smart, attractive heroine who is nevertheless unrepentantly insecure. I sometimes feel like romance heroines don’t get to be insecure - they can have a couple of hangups, maybe, but there’s some unspoken rule that they have to be ‘strong’ and that ‘strong’ and ‘worried about how the world perceives them’ are two mutually exclusive traits. Obviously, that’s not the case, and this is reflected so wonderfully in April. She is courageous and principled and strong, sure, but when it comes to the weight of being marginalised and having her appearance scrutinised and her gender questioned, she is allowed vulnerability, and her hero is allowed to be one of the things that gives her a boost, and I appreciated that.
Basically, this book gave me every last one of the Intense Romance Feelings I crave. Days later I’m still thinking fondly of the characters like they’re old friends.
The set-up: April is a nerdy and nurturing mum-friend; Dennis is also nerdy and gives me intense-but-adorable dad vibes. He is just how I like my romance heroes (devoted and delicious). They have a temporary no-strings sex thing, but Dennis is secretly trying to woo April, which is one of my absolute favourite tropes.
I loved this book for its bouncy, relatable voice, its casually inclusive world (which exists in our regular, terrible, non-inclusive society, but triumphs over it), and the swoony connection between the MCs. I also loved reading a smart, attractive heroine who is nevertheless unrepentantly insecure. I sometimes feel like romance heroines don’t get to be insecure - they can have a couple of hangups, maybe, but there’s some unspoken rule that they have to be ‘strong’ and that ‘strong’ and ‘worried about how the world perceives them’ are two mutually exclusive traits. Obviously, that’s not the case, and this is reflected so wonderfully in April. She is courageous and principled and strong, sure, but when it comes to the weight of being marginalised and having her appearance scrutinised and her gender questioned, she is allowed vulnerability, and her hero is allowed to be one of the things that gives her a boost, and I appreciated that.
Basically, this book gave me every last one of the Intense Romance Feelings I crave. Days later I’m still thinking fondly of the characters like they’re old friends.
Read
September 1, 2021A remarkable debut with a really strong and immensely readable voice and a wonderful romance.
April is a trans woman with a fair amount of insecurity and trauma because the world is not a kind place to trans women. Also a sub who's a sort of den mother at the local kink club. Dennis is a millionaire dom, but he's as far from a Romance Dom as can be imagined: he's inexperienced, and very insecure after horrendously messing up his marriage (for which he takes responsibility and, refreshingly, the book never gives an alternative interpretation that shows he didn't do so badly really. He fucked up bigstyle, and he owns it.).
It's an enormously fluffy romance considering it's very heavy on the D/s kink. Dennis is head over heels for April and a total cinnamon roll who does his level best to be a good partner--he doesn't bulldoze, he goes out and gets a kink mentor and learns about issues affecting trans women and educates himself, and when he screws up, he accepts it and does better. April is a wonderfully realised character, physically, mentally, and emotionally: we see her pushing Dennis away and not communicating and making a lot of mistakes, but all those things arise with total believability from the rejections she's suffered and the defensiveness she's been forced to acquire due to being attacked so much.
Lovely writing, too, with a really impressive grip on the tone that handles very heavy issues lightly and is often very funny. Nicely handled telling of the same events from two perspectives, and I liked the way the two points of view converged as the book progressed. Clever, that. I did regret the decision to switch heads a lot in the end scene: I found it a bit obtrusive just when I wanted a proper wallow. But, quibble.
Outstanding debut: can't wait to see what else the author has up her sleeve.
April is a trans woman with a fair amount of insecurity and trauma because the world is not a kind place to trans women. Also a sub who's a sort of den mother at the local kink club. Dennis is a millionaire dom, but he's as far from a Romance Dom as can be imagined: he's inexperienced, and very insecure after horrendously messing up his marriage (for which he takes responsibility and, refreshingly, the book never gives an alternative interpretation that shows he didn't do so badly really. He fucked up bigstyle, and he owns it.).
It's an enormously fluffy romance considering it's very heavy on the D/s kink. Dennis is head over heels for April and a total cinnamon roll who does his level best to be a good partner--he doesn't bulldoze, he goes out and gets a kink mentor and learns about issues affecting trans women and educates himself, and when he screws up, he accepts it and does better. April is a wonderfully realised character, physically, mentally, and emotionally: we see her pushing Dennis away and not communicating and making a lot of mistakes, but all those things arise with total believability from the rejections she's suffered and the defensiveness she's been forced to acquire due to being attacked so much.
Lovely writing, too, with a really impressive grip on the tone that handles very heavy issues lightly and is often very funny. Nicely handled telling of the same events from two perspectives, and I liked the way the two points of view converged as the book progressed. Clever, that. I did regret the decision to switch heads a lot in the end scene: I found it a bit obtrusive just when I wanted a proper wallow. But, quibble.
Outstanding debut: can't wait to see what else the author has up her sleeve.
August 25, 2021
Confession Time: I had no expectations going into this book. I accepted it for review after reading the synopsis because . . . well, I'm not sure what drove me to accept it and sign on for the book tour other than I found the synopsis intriguing. I do read and review LGBTQ books so that didn't play into my decision to give it a chance. At any rate, I'm so glad I did! What a jewel!
April French is a kinky, trans woman who's smart, attractive, and a loner. She only does one night stands as she learned the hard way that opening oneself up enough to trust another person means heartbreak. She's just a stopping point for others on their way to forever. People never stay in her life. She's never been anyone's "one and only" and now she prefers it that way. April frequents kink club Frankie's and is actually known there as "mama" for her loving care and willing shoulder for everyone else. Just don't ask April to do relationships . . . not going to happen.
Dennis Martin is a gorgeous if slightly nerdy guy looking for his forever. He's wary after his relationship with his ex-wife went haywire following a bad experimental kink session. Dennis is carrying the blame and trying to learn to do things right. When he walks into Frankies, he's looking for a new, hopefully forever lover and there sits April. It's lust at first sight and after a night together, Dennis manages to convince April to give him her phone number. Can he also win her trust?
Oh my goodness, For the Love of April French is a pure delight to read! I could not believe what a sweet, caring romance this book turned out to be. It's not simple, in fact the story becomes convoluted with some major issues to be worked through, but Dennis's undying devotion in pursuing April and making the relationship work was beautiful to witness. The emergence of the real April French was also a wonderful experience - from being wary and vulnerable to the constant scrutiny of her appearance and confusion over her gender to a loving, confident woman ready to welcome her own forever. I loved every single moment and page of this book. I didn't expect to, but trust me friends - this story is beautifully crafted and written. It delivers on the romance, the trans gender elements, the kink, the love story and the education on so many things I had no idea about. Fans of romance, kinky romance and/or just great love stories will adore this couple and book. Highly recommended.
Special thanks to Carina Press Adores for an arc of this book.
Review posted at Cross My Heart Reviews
April French is a kinky, trans woman who's smart, attractive, and a loner. She only does one night stands as she learned the hard way that opening oneself up enough to trust another person means heartbreak. She's just a stopping point for others on their way to forever. People never stay in her life. She's never been anyone's "one and only" and now she prefers it that way. April frequents kink club Frankie's and is actually known there as "mama" for her loving care and willing shoulder for everyone else. Just don't ask April to do relationships . . . not going to happen.
Dennis Martin is a gorgeous if slightly nerdy guy looking for his forever. He's wary after his relationship with his ex-wife went haywire following a bad experimental kink session. Dennis is carrying the blame and trying to learn to do things right. When he walks into Frankies, he's looking for a new, hopefully forever lover and there sits April. It's lust at first sight and after a night together, Dennis manages to convince April to give him her phone number. Can he also win her trust?
Oh my goodness, For the Love of April French is a pure delight to read! I could not believe what a sweet, caring romance this book turned out to be. It's not simple, in fact the story becomes convoluted with some major issues to be worked through, but Dennis's undying devotion in pursuing April and making the relationship work was beautiful to witness. The emergence of the real April French was also a wonderful experience - from being wary and vulnerable to the constant scrutiny of her appearance and confusion over her gender to a loving, confident woman ready to welcome her own forever. I loved every single moment and page of this book. I didn't expect to, but trust me friends - this story is beautifully crafted and written. It delivers on the romance, the trans gender elements, the kink, the love story and the education on so many things I had no idea about. Fans of romance, kinky romance and/or just great love stories will adore this couple and book. Highly recommended.
Special thanks to Carina Press Adores for an arc of this book.
Review posted at Cross My Heart Reviews
July 6, 2021
4.5*
Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this ARC but what I got was something good.
This is, as odd as that might seem, quite a fluffy and sweet BDSM kink book which focuses on an element of the fetish world I've not really read much about yet, and I really enjoyed it.
There is no way I could ever claim to understand the unique pressures life as a trans woman or a black man in modern day America can bring, but I feel that this book gave me a unique insight into a part of those fears - and joys.
April French is a wonderfully complex character. I adored her, her vulnerability, her strength, her determination to move on and live an authentic life, even with the scars she carries.
Dennis Martin is a gem of a man too. He's made mistakes in his first kink relationship and he's still not really dealt with that when he bumps into Mama April on his first venture to Frankies, a local queer and kink friendly bar his best friend Jason has recommended.
And, at this point, can I just say I hope this is going to be a series and Jason's up next!
What follows is an at times painful to read, at others, a simply stunning expression of self, romance which develops from the initial one night stand into a haltingly beautiful relationship.
I read it all in one go, I couldn't put it down because I just needed to know if they would make it. Of course, this being a Carina Adores line, I really knew they would, but I wanted to see how they managed the journey to reach happiness.
I only haven't given it 5* because I felt I needed more of them once they had resolved the difficulties and were together. The final few chapters felt a bit condensed and we only got off page mentions in the Epilogue to their HEA a year or so later.
I also felt the kink elements themselves didn't always get a full expression on page, there's a bit of steam and then it mostly ends up as fade to black or off page mentions of what they've been getting up to.
While I can understand the difficulties of walking the line between fetishising their experiences, I think it would have helped more for someone who doesn't know much about either being a trans woman or a kink participant, to have seen more of that side of things on page.
But, as it's a Carina Adores line, I was also expecting it, they tend to be more on the low to medium steam level and I was just really pleased to read this book at all!
#ARC kindly received from the publishers Carina Press via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review
Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this ARC but what I got was something good.
This is, as odd as that might seem, quite a fluffy and sweet BDSM kink book which focuses on an element of the fetish world I've not really read much about yet, and I really enjoyed it.
There is no way I could ever claim to understand the unique pressures life as a trans woman or a black man in modern day America can bring, but I feel that this book gave me a unique insight into a part of those fears - and joys.
April French is a wonderfully complex character. I adored her, her vulnerability, her strength, her determination to move on and live an authentic life, even with the scars she carries.
Dennis Martin is a gem of a man too. He's made mistakes in his first kink relationship and he's still not really dealt with that when he bumps into Mama April on his first venture to Frankies, a local queer and kink friendly bar his best friend Jason has recommended.
And, at this point, can I just say I hope this is going to be a series and Jason's up next!
What follows is an at times painful to read, at others, a simply stunning expression of self, romance which develops from the initial one night stand into a haltingly beautiful relationship.
I read it all in one go, I couldn't put it down because I just needed to know if they would make it. Of course, this being a Carina Adores line, I really knew they would, but I wanted to see how they managed the journey to reach happiness.
I only haven't given it 5* because I felt I needed more of them once they had resolved the difficulties and were together. The final few chapters felt a bit condensed and we only got off page mentions in the Epilogue to their HEA a year or so later.
I also felt the kink elements themselves didn't always get a full expression on page, there's a bit of steam and then it mostly ends up as fade to black or off page mentions of what they've been getting up to.
While I can understand the difficulties of walking the line between fetishising their experiences, I think it would have helped more for someone who doesn't know much about either being a trans woman or a kink participant, to have seen more of that side of things on page.
But, as it's a Carina Adores line, I was also expecting it, they tend to be more on the low to medium steam level and I was just really pleased to read this book at all!
#ARC kindly received from the publishers Carina Press via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review
August 21, 2021
Definitely in my Top 10 favorite romances of 2021
April French has become the unofficial "den mother" of local kink bar Frankie's. Everyone turns to April for help when they are new, planning events, and basically being amazing. Despite her place in the community, April still finds it hard to believe new in town Dennis Martin is attracted to HER.
For Dennis, still mending a broken heart and new in town, April is enchanting. Some drinks and flirtation and some very obvious kink alignments lead to an exceptionally scorching night.
Both Dennis and April seem to want more, but both have been hurt in the past. An agreement to keep it "sex only" plus a scorching edging experiment keep these two connected as they sort out their feelings and woes.
Absolutely delicious and thought provoking, and so so so damn sexy.
Story notes - Dennis is a Black cis man billionaire. April is a white trans woman.
CW: self-doubt, dysphoric thoughts, medical procedures (April has laser hair removal on her face), discussions of past harassment, Dennis distress from a bad BDSM experience with his ex-wife, divorce (in the past)
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
April French has become the unofficial "den mother" of local kink bar Frankie's. Everyone turns to April for help when they are new, planning events, and basically being amazing. Despite her place in the community, April still finds it hard to believe new in town Dennis Martin is attracted to HER.
For Dennis, still mending a broken heart and new in town, April is enchanting. Some drinks and flirtation and some very obvious kink alignments lead to an exceptionally scorching night.
Both Dennis and April seem to want more, but both have been hurt in the past. An agreement to keep it "sex only" plus a scorching edging experiment keep these two connected as they sort out their feelings and woes.
Absolutely delicious and thought provoking, and so so so damn sexy.
Story notes - Dennis is a Black cis man billionaire. April is a white trans woman.
CW: self-doubt, dysphoric thoughts, medical procedures (April has laser hair removal on her face), discussions of past harassment, Dennis distress from a bad BDSM experience with his ex-wife, divorce (in the past)
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
October 8, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up
For a BDSM romance this is really very sweet, trauma-informed, and thoughtful in the representation of trans and Black identities. Structurally it's kind of unusual, but I thought it really worked for the story being told. It's a book about love, healing, boundaries, and learning how to love yourself as well. As much as this isn't a world I'm involved in, I was so captivated by the vulnerability of the relationship between these characters and seeing them learn and grow as their relationship also develops. The author credits a sensitivity reader at the end and I'm guessing it was for the depiction of the Black perspective character which felt really thoughtful and authentic. I'm not Black myself so I'll leave any criticism to other reviewers, but I thought this did a good job of exploring the impact different marginalized identities have and the need for education in order to avoid harm. This felt equally true for both characters in the relationship.
Dennis has just moved to Austin after a painful breakup, and is taking an executive position at a tech startup. On a friends recommendation, he visit's Frankies- a local kink club- and there he meets April who he is thoroughly enamored by. April is a regular at the club, and she's usually the one to welcome new doms before they find their way to other women. She's kind and caring, but has walls a mile high when it comes to trust. So accepting Dennis wants more than just a short term thing is going to take some time...
This is an impressive debut and I really hope we see more from Aimes. I've never read a book quite like this and it's very open about April's experience being a trans woman and the challenges that come with that, but it's also this really beautiful romance. Definitely would recommend. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
For a BDSM romance this is really very sweet, trauma-informed, and thoughtful in the representation of trans and Black identities. Structurally it's kind of unusual, but I thought it really worked for the story being told. It's a book about love, healing, boundaries, and learning how to love yourself as well. As much as this isn't a world I'm involved in, I was so captivated by the vulnerability of the relationship between these characters and seeing them learn and grow as their relationship also develops. The author credits a sensitivity reader at the end and I'm guessing it was for the depiction of the Black perspective character which felt really thoughtful and authentic. I'm not Black myself so I'll leave any criticism to other reviewers, but I thought this did a good job of exploring the impact different marginalized identities have and the need for education in order to avoid harm. This felt equally true for both characters in the relationship.
Dennis has just moved to Austin after a painful breakup, and is taking an executive position at a tech startup. On a friends recommendation, he visit's Frankies- a local kink club- and there he meets April who he is thoroughly enamored by. April is a regular at the club, and she's usually the one to welcome new doms before they find their way to other women. She's kind and caring, but has walls a mile high when it comes to trust. So accepting Dennis wants more than just a short term thing is going to take some time...
This is an impressive debut and I really hope we see more from Aimes. I've never read a book quite like this and it's very open about April's experience being a trans woman and the challenges that come with that, but it's also this really beautiful romance. Definitely would recommend. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
June 13, 2021
I'm not a very big reader of kinky romance, and I'll admit I mostly picked up this one for the trans rep, but wow, did I love this. It's overall a very fluffy book and I loved April and Dennis so much!
As a trans woman, April feels like she does not deserve to be loved, so she keeps Dennis at a distance. Dennis, on his part, is in it for the long haul, and he does the most to give her the space and time she needs while working on himself to be the best boyfriend he could be. He's patient without being pushy (April doesn't even know he's doing it), and I loved their relationship so much.
As a trans woman, April feels like she does not deserve to be loved, so she keeps Dennis at a distance. Dennis, on his part, is in it for the long haul, and he does the most to give her the space and time she needs while working on himself to be the best boyfriend he could be. He's patient without being pushy (April doesn't even know he's doing it), and I loved their relationship so much.
August 12, 2021
4.5 stars
Oh, how I love this book - let me count the ways.
The quickfire oh-so-good:
- First, this is an incredibly sweet romance. It's a kink-based relationship and the love and care are utterly melt-worthy.
- Romance featuring a trans woman, written by a trans woman! Woo!
- It does not read like a debut at all. The voice is assured, and considering some of the tricks Aimes pulls off? Woah.
- One of the most interesting things, as a long-time romance reader, is the way she plays with narrative. The story isn't completely linear, but it's not a chopped salad of events, either. Everything makes sense, and the way it plays with conflict and expectations is amazing.
- Speaking of - reader expectations are subverted on the regular in the most interesting way.
- With the non-traditional narrative and subverted expectations, the conflict comes from places you rarely see it, and it's worked through in similarly non-traditional ways. I would love to get into more details, but the last thing I want to do is spoil it for anyone, please forgive.
- Dennis is a Black millionaire and April is a white trans woman, and they recognize that they've both faced oppression and microaggressions while also recognizing that one person's experience doesn't equal the other's. That, being white, April doesn't have the same interactions with police that Dennis does. That Dennis will never know what it's like to move through the world, and more specifically Texas, as a trans person.
- The bits that could be repetitive aren't, and it's so carefully plotted.
- Both characters go to therapy for great reasons! And we see two therapy sessions with different people and dynamics! And Dennis gets a Dom mentor to go over the emotional side of being a top, which I've never seen before!
- Each character has a bestie, but they are very different, not only from the person they're besties with, but the relationship itself. Jason is a white guy who has been friends with Dennis forever and they can read each other's moods and expressions with ease. Fatima is a hijabi woman who's lunch friends with April at work, and over the course of the book we see their relationship deepen and grow.
- ...did I mention that it's sweet and melt-worthy?
The only less-than-perfect things for me are details of a subplot and not even worth mentioning here.
If you like romance and are open to reading a (sweet!) kink-based relationship, you have to give For the Love of April French a try. And feel free to shout at me on social media as you do!
Content notes: BDSM/kink including impact play; mentions of surgery; misgendering; a short, mini panic attack on the page
Thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing a review copy.
Oh, how I love this book - let me count the ways.
The quickfire oh-so-good:
- First, this is an incredibly sweet romance. It's a kink-based relationship and the love and care are utterly melt-worthy.
- Romance featuring a trans woman, written by a trans woman! Woo!
- It does not read like a debut at all. The voice is assured, and considering some of the tricks Aimes pulls off? Woah.
- One of the most interesting things, as a long-time romance reader, is the way she plays with narrative. The story isn't completely linear, but it's not a chopped salad of events, either. Everything makes sense, and the way it plays with conflict and expectations is amazing.
- Speaking of - reader expectations are subverted on the regular in the most interesting way.
- With the non-traditional narrative and subverted expectations, the conflict comes from places you rarely see it, and it's worked through in similarly non-traditional ways. I would love to get into more details, but the last thing I want to do is spoil it for anyone, please forgive.
- Dennis is a Black millionaire and April is a white trans woman, and they recognize that they've both faced oppression and microaggressions while also recognizing that one person's experience doesn't equal the other's. That, being white, April doesn't have the same interactions with police that Dennis does. That Dennis will never know what it's like to move through the world, and more specifically Texas, as a trans person.
- The bits that could be repetitive aren't, and it's so carefully plotted.
- Both characters go to therapy for great reasons! And we see two therapy sessions with different people and dynamics! And Dennis gets a Dom mentor to go over the emotional side of being a top, which I've never seen before!
- Each character has a bestie, but they are very different, not only from the person they're besties with, but the relationship itself. Jason is a white guy who has been friends with Dennis forever and they can read each other's moods and expressions with ease. Fatima is a hijabi woman who's lunch friends with April at work, and over the course of the book we see their relationship deepen and grow.
- ...did I mention that it's sweet and melt-worthy?
The only less-than-perfect things for me are details of a subplot and not even worth mentioning here.
If you like romance and are open to reading a (sweet!) kink-based relationship, you have to give For the Love of April French a try. And feel free to shout at me on social media as you do!
Content notes: BDSM/kink including impact play; mentions of surgery; misgendering; a short, mini panic attack on the page
Thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing a review copy.
June 10, 2021
I want to start this review off by thanking Penny Aimes for being kind enough to give me a copy of FOR THE LOVE OF APRIL FRENCH. Also, Thank you to John Jacobson for marketing this book so beautifully, so perfectly, that I literally had no choice but to obsess over it until it was in my hands.
With that out of the way, I adored this book. It came to me in the middle of a really rough reading slump. Because of this, I made my way through it slowly...well, slowly for me anyway. I do think that FOR THE LOVE OF APRIL FRENCH is the perfect book to devour on a Sunday afternoon. It’s so warm and soft and sexy, the characters are so easy to get lost in. I think I benefitted from taking my time with it though. Honestly, I needed this book. Separate, outside of the coupling, both April and Dennis were beautifully captured. April is a nerdy white trans woman sub who devotes a lot of her life to taking care of her friends. She’s the one in the group who has assumed a certain level of responsibility for most of the others. And like most people who assume roles like this, she had found herself starving for the same level of care and tenderness. There’s also the fact that so many of the cis people she comes in contact with (romantically and otherwise) regularly view her as disposable, someone who they don’t find it necessary to be tender with.
Then, she meets Dennis Martin at a kink club. He’s a Black cis soft dom who absolutely wasn’t expecting to come out of a one-night-stand completely smitten but is ALL IN after one amazing (and sexy as hell) night with April.
When I tell you there is a level of wooing in this book that will make your teeth chatter, I mean it. Dennis wants to show April that he wants more and April is so hesitant and completely unused to being pursued and treated so well that it’s both heartbreaking and exhilarating watching her realize that she’s worth everything in the world and more and that there is someone who KNOWS that.
As for Dennis, he has a rocky past of his own when it comes to love, is trying to forge a path of his own in a new city and the entire time I just really wanted nothing but the best for him. I’m a bit of a hard sell when it comes to moneyed heroes in romance sometimes but seeing April be pampered within an inch of her life was so delicious.
I’ve been likening this book to a warm, secure hug after a cathartic cry. It was soft and warm and comforting but a certain amount of angst was still present. There is an inescapable reality here that could only come from the lived experience of the author being a trans woman and we desperately need more of it.
The nerdy add-ons and the kink were also *chef’s kiss*. Also, Penny is a hell of a writer. Her prose is so lovely and I want to thank her, not just for my ARC, but for writing this book and putting it out into the world.
(Thank you for giving me a new couple to dream about becoming their third too. You know I love smut and you delivered so this was expected.)
With that out of the way, I adored this book. It came to me in the middle of a really rough reading slump. Because of this, I made my way through it slowly...well, slowly for me anyway. I do think that FOR THE LOVE OF APRIL FRENCH is the perfect book to devour on a Sunday afternoon. It’s so warm and soft and sexy, the characters are so easy to get lost in. I think I benefitted from taking my time with it though. Honestly, I needed this book. Separate, outside of the coupling, both April and Dennis were beautifully captured. April is a nerdy white trans woman sub who devotes a lot of her life to taking care of her friends. She’s the one in the group who has assumed a certain level of responsibility for most of the others. And like most people who assume roles like this, she had found herself starving for the same level of care and tenderness. There’s also the fact that so many of the cis people she comes in contact with (romantically and otherwise) regularly view her as disposable, someone who they don’t find it necessary to be tender with.
Then, she meets Dennis Martin at a kink club. He’s a Black cis soft dom who absolutely wasn’t expecting to come out of a one-night-stand completely smitten but is ALL IN after one amazing (and sexy as hell) night with April.
When I tell you there is a level of wooing in this book that will make your teeth chatter, I mean it. Dennis wants to show April that he wants more and April is so hesitant and completely unused to being pursued and treated so well that it’s both heartbreaking and exhilarating watching her realize that she’s worth everything in the world and more and that there is someone who KNOWS that.
As for Dennis, he has a rocky past of his own when it comes to love, is trying to forge a path of his own in a new city and the entire time I just really wanted nothing but the best for him. I’m a bit of a hard sell when it comes to moneyed heroes in romance sometimes but seeing April be pampered within an inch of her life was so delicious.
I’ve been likening this book to a warm, secure hug after a cathartic cry. It was soft and warm and comforting but a certain amount of angst was still present. There is an inescapable reality here that could only come from the lived experience of the author being a trans woman and we desperately need more of it.
The nerdy add-ons and the kink were also *chef’s kiss*. Also, Penny is a hell of a writer. Her prose is so lovely and I want to thank her, not just for my ARC, but for writing this book and putting it out into the world.
(Thank you for giving me a new couple to dream about becoming their third too. You know I love smut and you delivered so this was expected.)
July 19, 2021
We meet April and Dennis just before they meet each other. The first couple of chapters of For the Love of April French capture perfectly that feeling of endless possibility when you meet a potential new romantic partner – all the wonder of meeting someone you want to know better and all the fear that they will be awful, or reject you when they get to know you. It’s an expansive, joyful, terrifying feeling and Penny Aimes nails it.
For the Love of April French is going to end up on my list of favorite reads for 2021. It is an unusual romance, and not because the author and main character are trans women. Aimes plays with the structure of the alternating POV using it to show connection and disconnection. The romance is kink heavy, but it’s not the kind of physical sensation kink more common in BDSM romances. Instead it’s a mental/power kink [spoiler] [end spoiler].
Penny Aimes has blown me away with her talent. April and Dennis dive into this intense relationship that requires enormous trust and vulnerability while at the same time holding back central pieces of themselves. Aimes is so good at showing her characters hold these conflicting emotional states in the same body at the same moment. The alternating POVs allow us to sink into their hopes and insecurities. We spend a long time with April seeing only her perspective long enough to accept her belief that eventually her relationship with Dennis will end. And then we spend time with Dennis, feeling his tension and vulnerabilities. As the two become more in synch, the POV changes come more quickly.
There is some fairly heavy emotional stuff, but no violence. Both April and Dennis feel broken in ways and their relationship is intense. One of my favorite things in a book is when characters go to the therapy, and Dennis and April each have their own therapy journey. It’s an incredibly thoughtful and well considered book. For the Love of April French is not a romance that you go through like potato chips and it’s gorgeous in it’s difference.
I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For the Love of April French is going to end up on my list of favorite reads for 2021. It is an unusual romance, and not because the author and main character are trans women. Aimes plays with the structure of the alternating POV using it to show connection and disconnection. The romance is kink heavy, but it’s not the kind of physical sensation kink more common in BDSM romances. Instead it’s a mental/power kink [spoiler] [end spoiler].
Penny Aimes has blown me away with her talent. April and Dennis dive into this intense relationship that requires enormous trust and vulnerability while at the same time holding back central pieces of themselves. Aimes is so good at showing her characters hold these conflicting emotional states in the same body at the same moment. The alternating POVs allow us to sink into their hopes and insecurities. We spend a long time with April seeing only her perspective long enough to accept her belief that eventually her relationship with Dennis will end. And then we spend time with Dennis, feeling his tension and vulnerabilities. As the two become more in synch, the POV changes come more quickly.
There is some fairly heavy emotional stuff, but no violence. Both April and Dennis feel broken in ways and their relationship is intense. One of my favorite things in a book is when characters go to the therapy, and Dennis and April each have their own therapy journey. It’s an incredibly thoughtful and well considered book. For the Love of April French is not a romance that you go through like potato chips and it’s gorgeous in it’s difference.
I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2021
This was a very sweet and steamy BDSM romance with a trans woman as the heroine! April French feels like a stepping stone, doms only play with her for a little while before moving on to someone else. But when Dennis arrives in town and takes a liking to April she has to figure out if she’s ready for a serious relationship.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between April and Dennis. The steamy scenes were great and weren’t cookie cutter interactions that I’ve seen a million times in other romance novels. Dennis had never been with a trans woman before April, but I appreciated how his attraction to her wasn’t something that sent him into a crisis. He was such a soft character who wanted to learn more so he wouldn’t accidentally do things to make April uncomfortable. There was a lot of depth to both April and Dennis as they have to heal from previous relationships that ended badly and figure out how to be with someone new.
The pacing in the book did throw me off a bit. In the first part of the book the POV switches back and forth between April and Dennis. However, in part two it is only told from April’s POV for a six month period. Then in part three it goes back and tells that same six month period from Dennis’ POV. It seemed like an odd choice to not just have the middle section of the book also be alternating. It made the story feel much longer than it was because after going through a lot of story and getting to a more serious part of their relationship you’re sent back six months to get it all over again from Dennis’ perspective.
But overall I really enjoyed this romance! Both characters were really well fleshed out and they had a lot of chemistry with one another. This book was really unique and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Penny Aimes in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing and advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between April and Dennis. The steamy scenes were great and weren’t cookie cutter interactions that I’ve seen a million times in other romance novels. Dennis had never been with a trans woman before April, but I appreciated how his attraction to her wasn’t something that sent him into a crisis. He was such a soft character who wanted to learn more so he wouldn’t accidentally do things to make April uncomfortable. There was a lot of depth to both April and Dennis as they have to heal from previous relationships that ended badly and figure out how to be with someone new.
The pacing in the book did throw me off a bit. In the first part of the book the POV switches back and forth between April and Dennis. However, in part two it is only told from April’s POV for a six month period. Then in part three it goes back and tells that same six month period from Dennis’ POV. It seemed like an odd choice to not just have the middle section of the book also be alternating. It made the story feel much longer than it was because after going through a lot of story and getting to a more serious part of their relationship you’re sent back six months to get it all over again from Dennis’ perspective.
But overall I really enjoyed this romance! Both characters were really well fleshed out and they had a lot of chemistry with one another. This book was really unique and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Penny Aimes in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing and advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2021
Holy moly did I love this book! It's a top notch contemporary romance. April and Dennis were such compelling characters and I loved watching their relationship develop. These are two grownups figuring out how to love and support one another but of course they’re not always going to get it right. There’s on-page therapy, Dom mentorship, and even visiting a trans support group.
I adored April and Dennis. They were such fully realized characters. From the moment they met at Frankie’s, I was on board. April was a sunshiny delight and Dennis was a steady presence. There’s a lot they have to figure out—April believes there’s no way Dennis will be interested in her long-term, Dennis is reeling from the end of a relationship gone bad—and that’s on top of April figuring out they work for the same company…and choosing not to tell Dennis. Normally I hate lie of omission plots but I totally understood why April, thinking this would be a temporary fling, chose to stay quiet and then couldn’t figure out a way to come clean. And I really liked how the author chose to handle the eventual reveal and how they work through it.
It’s worth noting Dennis is a Black character written by a white author. The author has talked about developing his character before the conversations about whether white authors should write characters of color and how Dennis’s Blackness was intrinsic to who he was. But she also recognized she might not have completely gotten it right. I’m white so I’ll defer to Black readers but it felt like decent rep to me, although I would have loved to have seen Dennis interacting on-page with other Black people, instead of hearing about it in retrospect or phone calls with his family.
This is for sure a new favorite BDSM romance. April and Dennis’s negotiation and consent was hot. This is the longest duration of orgasm control I’ve ever read and I was so impressed with how it was handled. I loved how Frankie’s functioned as a community and all the characters we met there—more stories set at Frankie’s, please and thank you.
I haven’t stopped thinking about the way Penny Aimes structured this. We get six months from April’s POV and then we get the same six months from Dennis’s POV. It was fascinating to see their respective experiences of the same situations and thankfully it never became repetitive. In fact, it was both brilliant and imperative to give us this insight into both characters and see how they were reacting to each other and to life. The structure was so unusual for the genre! I can't think of any other romance like it and I love that she really went for it. It paid off.
I may be prone to hyperbole but this book really does deserve all its praises. I would put it in the category of romances that elevate the genre. Truly a marvel to behold and an impressive debut. I can't wait to see what the author writes next!
Character notes: April is a 32 year old white pansexual trans woman and submissive who works in Operations/product management. Dennis is a Black CTO and Dom. This is set in Austin.
Content notes: misgendering, dysphoria, anxiety, negative self-esteem, rejection by family (comes out to grandma), electrolysis, mention of being groped by TSA, past bad experiences of BDSM with exes (including FMC’s wife punishing her for using safeword), use of safeword , divorced MCs, some diet culture, on-page sex, D/s, orgasm control, sex toys, spanking, masturbation, mutual masturbation, sugar baby kink, dolly kink, impact play, alcohol, pregnant secondary character, gendered insult (dick), mention of transphobic laws, MMC references beating up a HS senior for dating his middle school sister (past), references to racism, reference to AIDS epidemic, reference to homophobic and transphobic performers (no specific language used), reference to boss retiring due to heart attack
I adored April and Dennis. They were such fully realized characters. From the moment they met at Frankie’s, I was on board. April was a sunshiny delight and Dennis was a steady presence. There’s a lot they have to figure out—April believes there’s no way Dennis will be interested in her long-term, Dennis is reeling from the end of a relationship gone bad—and that’s on top of April figuring out they work for the same company…and choosing not to tell Dennis. Normally I hate lie of omission plots but I totally understood why April, thinking this would be a temporary fling, chose to stay quiet and then couldn’t figure out a way to come clean. And I really liked how the author chose to handle the eventual reveal and how they work through it.
It’s worth noting Dennis is a Black character written by a white author. The author has talked about developing his character before the conversations about whether white authors should write characters of color and how Dennis’s Blackness was intrinsic to who he was. But she also recognized she might not have completely gotten it right. I’m white so I’ll defer to Black readers but it felt like decent rep to me, although I would have loved to have seen Dennis interacting on-page with other Black people, instead of hearing about it in retrospect or phone calls with his family.
This is for sure a new favorite BDSM romance. April and Dennis’s negotiation and consent was hot. This is the longest duration of orgasm control I’ve ever read and I was so impressed with how it was handled. I loved how Frankie’s functioned as a community and all the characters we met there—more stories set at Frankie’s, please and thank you.
I haven’t stopped thinking about the way Penny Aimes structured this. We get six months from April’s POV and then we get the same six months from Dennis’s POV. It was fascinating to see their respective experiences of the same situations and thankfully it never became repetitive. In fact, it was both brilliant and imperative to give us this insight into both characters and see how they were reacting to each other and to life. The structure was so unusual for the genre! I can't think of any other romance like it and I love that she really went for it. It paid off.
I may be prone to hyperbole but this book really does deserve all its praises. I would put it in the category of romances that elevate the genre. Truly a marvel to behold and an impressive debut. I can't wait to see what the author writes next!
Character notes: April is a 32 year old white pansexual trans woman and submissive who works in Operations/product management. Dennis is a Black CTO and Dom. This is set in Austin.
Content notes: misgendering, dysphoria, anxiety, negative self-esteem, rejection by family (comes out to grandma), electrolysis, mention of being groped by TSA, past bad experiences of BDSM with exes (including FMC’s wife punishing her for using safeword), use of safeword , divorced MCs, some diet culture, on-page sex, D/s, orgasm control, sex toys, spanking, masturbation, mutual masturbation, sugar baby kink, dolly kink, impact play, alcohol, pregnant secondary character, gendered insult (dick), mention of transphobic laws, MMC references beating up a HS senior for dating his middle school sister (past), references to racism, reference to AIDS epidemic, reference to homophobic and transphobic performers (no specific language used), reference to boss retiring due to heart attack
November 21, 2021
(3.5 stars)
April is a Caucasian, early-30-something, recently transitioned, trans-female submissive. She spends her days doing data entry at a workaday office job, and her nights as the unofficial den mother of Frankie’s, a BDSM nightclub in Austin, Texas.
Dennis is a Black, mid-30-something, cisgendered male dominant, who, like April, is recently divorced from a person who could no longer accept his BDSM lifestyle and sexual preferences. He recently moved to Austin, after selling his start up technology business for millions of dollars and has now taken a job as CTO of a large healthcare company.
April and Dennis meet one weekday night at Frankie’s and immediately form a connection. The pair begin to embark on a BDSM relationship with one another. But will April’s insecurities, and Dennis’ baggage from his tumultuous marriage, keep them from transitioning the relationship to the next level, in a way they both secretly desire?
For the Love of April French is a powerful, enlightening, and unflinching portrait of both the complexities, insecurities, and microaggressions one can face as a transgendered individual. It is also a nuanced and instructive informal treatise on the terminology and often delicate dance required in dominant and submissive BDSM impact plays. Notably, the novel is written by Penny Aimes, a trans woman, who undoubtedly has both personal experience and has done her research into both lifestyles. I knew very little about either of these topics coming into this novel, and felt as though I came away with a lot more knowledge, sensitivity, respect and empathy.
The novel is written in dual perspective, limited-third person, omniscient narrative style. Specifically, a solid portion of the book takes place revisiting six pivotal months in April’s life, while she is engaged in a relationship with Dennis. Then, it flashes back, and retells of the same six-month period, but from Dennis’ perspective. I thought this was a unique choice for the narrator, since typically dual-perspective narratives move forward in time chronologically, with very little overlap between the perspectives time wise, so as to avoid potential redundancies.
As a result, when I first finished reading April’s portion of the story and realized that I was going to have to relive it from Dennis’ perspective, I was initially very frustrated. But as I got into Dennis’ narrative, I was able to understand why Aimes choice to write this book in this fashion. I actually think For the Love of April French was a better book for it. Dennis’ portion of the story filled in some gaps and insights into this relationship, in ways that April’s version could not. The fact that those gaps were filled in later in the book, allowed for some suspense that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. In fact, this book was probably a three-star read for me, until I got to Dennis’ story, around the 50 percent mark, and that elevated the tale to the 3.5 star rating you see above.
So, why the middling rating for this smart, instructive, empathetic, unique and powerful book?
Well, while I truly appreciated this story, and am definitely glad I read it, For the Love of April French wasn’t necessarily an enjoyable reading experience for me. Admittedly, and in this novel’s defense, BDSM isn’t my particular preference. Therefore, the impact play scenes in this story didn’t really arouse me in the way that more “vanilla” scenes do in traditional romance novels.
Beyond that though, a sizable portion of this book deals with April’s crushing and debilitating insecurities. When the book is in April’s perspective, she constantly worries over her physical appearance, and the difficulties she has “passing” as female. She frets over her age, her size, her body hair, and her lack of confidence at her job. For most of the novel, April cannot seem to understand why someone attractive, powerful, rich and cisgendered like Dennis would choose April over some of her younger cisgendered, more traditionally “pretty” friends at the club. Because of this, she often self-sabotages, both in her relationship with Dennis and in her career.
Of course, I empathized with April during the story, as I think most readers will. We all have insecurities, particularly when opening ourselves up to being vulnerable in our romantic relationships and in other aspects of our lives. So, I appreciated the honesty with which Aimes depicted this through the character of April. It just made for kind of an uncomfortable, and rather depressing, first 100 pages of this book.
I also had difficulty buying the sort of insta-love connection we are expected to believe exists between Dennis and April, mere days after their first meeting, as per their respective inner thoughts about one another. BDSM is not portrayed in this novel as being particularly overtly sexual, so this connection wasn’t displayed through sex. But it also wasn’t really portrayed through the characters’ conversations with one another, the bulk of which, at least in the early parts of the book, comprise mainly scripts and role playing. In fact, apart from April’s insecurities, most of the problems in Dennis’ and April’s relationship comes from their NOT revealing to one another crucial bits of information about themselves.
While by the end of the book, I did fully buy into Dennis’ and April’s relationship, and rooted for them to make it as a couple long term, I guess I would have liked to see that connection developed on the page more, before both characters starting musing about loving one another forever.
In the end, I’d say For the Love of April French is a powerful and brutally honest portrait of BDSM and transgendered life, one that isn’t afraid to bare its main characters frailties and vulnerabilities. But, depending on your personal preferences, it might not be to every romance lover’s particular taste.
April is a Caucasian, early-30-something, recently transitioned, trans-female submissive. She spends her days doing data entry at a workaday office job, and her nights as the unofficial den mother of Frankie’s, a BDSM nightclub in Austin, Texas.
Dennis is a Black, mid-30-something, cisgendered male dominant, who, like April, is recently divorced from a person who could no longer accept his BDSM lifestyle and sexual preferences. He recently moved to Austin, after selling his start up technology business for millions of dollars and has now taken a job as CTO of a large healthcare company.
April and Dennis meet one weekday night at Frankie’s and immediately form a connection. The pair begin to embark on a BDSM relationship with one another. But will April’s insecurities, and Dennis’ baggage from his tumultuous marriage, keep them from transitioning the relationship to the next level, in a way they both secretly desire?
For the Love of April French is a powerful, enlightening, and unflinching portrait of both the complexities, insecurities, and microaggressions one can face as a transgendered individual. It is also a nuanced and instructive informal treatise on the terminology and often delicate dance required in dominant and submissive BDSM impact plays. Notably, the novel is written by Penny Aimes, a trans woman, who undoubtedly has both personal experience and has done her research into both lifestyles. I knew very little about either of these topics coming into this novel, and felt as though I came away with a lot more knowledge, sensitivity, respect and empathy.
The novel is written in dual perspective, limited-third person, omniscient narrative style. Specifically, a solid portion of the book takes place revisiting six pivotal months in April’s life, while she is engaged in a relationship with Dennis. Then, it flashes back, and retells of the same six-month period, but from Dennis’ perspective. I thought this was a unique choice for the narrator, since typically dual-perspective narratives move forward in time chronologically, with very little overlap between the perspectives time wise, so as to avoid potential redundancies.
As a result, when I first finished reading April’s portion of the story and realized that I was going to have to relive it from Dennis’ perspective, I was initially very frustrated. But as I got into Dennis’ narrative, I was able to understand why Aimes choice to write this book in this fashion. I actually think For the Love of April French was a better book for it. Dennis’ portion of the story filled in some gaps and insights into this relationship, in ways that April’s version could not. The fact that those gaps were filled in later in the book, allowed for some suspense that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. In fact, this book was probably a three-star read for me, until I got to Dennis’ story, around the 50 percent mark, and that elevated the tale to the 3.5 star rating you see above.
So, why the middling rating for this smart, instructive, empathetic, unique and powerful book?
Well, while I truly appreciated this story, and am definitely glad I read it, For the Love of April French wasn’t necessarily an enjoyable reading experience for me. Admittedly, and in this novel’s defense, BDSM isn’t my particular preference. Therefore, the impact play scenes in this story didn’t really arouse me in the way that more “vanilla” scenes do in traditional romance novels.
Beyond that though, a sizable portion of this book deals with April’s crushing and debilitating insecurities. When the book is in April’s perspective, she constantly worries over her physical appearance, and the difficulties she has “passing” as female. She frets over her age, her size, her body hair, and her lack of confidence at her job. For most of the novel, April cannot seem to understand why someone attractive, powerful, rich and cisgendered like Dennis would choose April over some of her younger cisgendered, more traditionally “pretty” friends at the club. Because of this, she often self-sabotages, both in her relationship with Dennis and in her career.
Of course, I empathized with April during the story, as I think most readers will. We all have insecurities, particularly when opening ourselves up to being vulnerable in our romantic relationships and in other aspects of our lives. So, I appreciated the honesty with which Aimes depicted this through the character of April. It just made for kind of an uncomfortable, and rather depressing, first 100 pages of this book.
I also had difficulty buying the sort of insta-love connection we are expected to believe exists between Dennis and April, mere days after their first meeting, as per their respective inner thoughts about one another. BDSM is not portrayed in this novel as being particularly overtly sexual, so this connection wasn’t displayed through sex. But it also wasn’t really portrayed through the characters’ conversations with one another, the bulk of which, at least in the early parts of the book, comprise mainly scripts and role playing. In fact, apart from April’s insecurities, most of the problems in Dennis’ and April’s relationship comes from their NOT revealing to one another crucial bits of information about themselves.
While by the end of the book, I did fully buy into Dennis’ and April’s relationship, and rooted for them to make it as a couple long term, I guess I would have liked to see that connection developed on the page more, before both characters starting musing about loving one another forever.
In the end, I’d say For the Love of April French is a powerful and brutally honest portrait of BDSM and transgendered life, one that isn’t afraid to bare its main characters frailties and vulnerabilities. But, depending on your personal preferences, it might not be to every romance lover’s particular taste.
August 31, 2021
full review to come but there's therapy scenes yay!
Review at Smexy: https://smexybooks.com/2021/08/review...
This is a debut by trans author Penny Aimes for Carina Adores and there is so much to love about this book! As a trans woman April French has been through so much in her life. Luckily, she has a safe space she does go to quite a bit for kink and that is where she meets Dennis right at the beginning of the book.
But it turns out that he is the new big important boss at her job and she realizes this the very next work day after they have sex. And the realization and the way it’s dealt with within the text is what kept me from rating it an A. But first, let me list the reasons this book is so good. April is a complex, messy character, and if you’ve read any of my reviews before, I love a messy character. And that Aimes allowed her character the space to breath and just…*be* messy? I loved that so much. Many times with underrepresented characters they are portrayed as perfect and I appreciated that we get such a full character here.
April is strong and proud, which makes her anxious in accepting anything from Dennis, Which makes their kink play complicated as it plays out throughout the book, as part of their kink is caretaking and dressing her up. Which is hard to explain – I’d never seen this kind of kink represented and fleshed out so fully on page, I thought the author did a really wonderful job of explaining how this works for them, as well as why Dennis wants to do this and April’s issues with it. There is a power imbalance between them inherently with both money and cishet privilege, and they both acknowledge it and discuss it. Dennis uses his money to buy April clothes and dress her up from far away, and it’s an interesting dynamic that plays out.
Dennis is a Black man and he makes some mistakes early in their relationship in regard to April’s trans-ness. But he openly acknowledges that and apologizes. There is some conversation between the two of them talking about his experiences as a Black man and how they can relate to each other on their…micro-agressions they’ve faced in their lives.
The two of them together work really well as a couple. Dennis is such a soft Dom and this book felt very much like a soft BDSM book, and one I would rec as such. There is a late scene that I loved so much with Dennis coming to April’s side, without her asking for, that brought tears to my eyes because she truly needed someone but was too proud to ask. I felt like their work situation was wrapped up in a satisfying way, and overall I really liked almost all of the plot points.
What didn’t work so well for me is the execution in places. The pacing of the book didn’t quite work for me because of how it was pieced out. In the first part of the book the POV switches off, and then in part two we get a 6 month window from April’s POV, then the same 6 month window from Dennis’s POV. This completely threw me off and I couldn’t get a handle for the pacing at these points – I understood exactly why these choices were made, but I don’t think it worked that well.
This is a great debut and I can’t wait to see what else she writes.
Content Notes: transphobia, misgendering, discussions of transition surgery
Grade: B+
Content Notes: BDSM, kink, transphobia, misgendering, discussions of surgery
Review at Smexy: https://smexybooks.com/2021/08/review...
This is a debut by trans author Penny Aimes for Carina Adores and there is so much to love about this book! As a trans woman April French has been through so much in her life. Luckily, she has a safe space she does go to quite a bit for kink and that is where she meets Dennis right at the beginning of the book.
But it turns out that he is the new big important boss at her job and she realizes this the very next work day after they have sex. And the realization and the way it’s dealt with within the text is what kept me from rating it an A. But first, let me list the reasons this book is so good. April is a complex, messy character, and if you’ve read any of my reviews before, I love a messy character. And that Aimes allowed her character the space to breath and just…*be* messy? I loved that so much. Many times with underrepresented characters they are portrayed as perfect and I appreciated that we get such a full character here.
April is strong and proud, which makes her anxious in accepting anything from Dennis, Which makes their kink play complicated as it plays out throughout the book, as part of their kink is caretaking and dressing her up. Which is hard to explain – I’d never seen this kind of kink represented and fleshed out so fully on page, I thought the author did a really wonderful job of explaining how this works for them, as well as why Dennis wants to do this and April’s issues with it. There is a power imbalance between them inherently with both money and cishet privilege, and they both acknowledge it and discuss it. Dennis uses his money to buy April clothes and dress her up from far away, and it’s an interesting dynamic that plays out.
Dennis is a Black man and he makes some mistakes early in their relationship in regard to April’s trans-ness. But he openly acknowledges that and apologizes. There is some conversation between the two of them talking about his experiences as a Black man and how they can relate to each other on their…micro-agressions they’ve faced in their lives.
The two of them together work really well as a couple. Dennis is such a soft Dom and this book felt very much like a soft BDSM book, and one I would rec as such. There is a late scene that I loved so much with Dennis coming to April’s side, without her asking for, that brought tears to my eyes because she truly needed someone but was too proud to ask. I felt like their work situation was wrapped up in a satisfying way, and overall I really liked almost all of the plot points.
What didn’t work so well for me is the execution in places. The pacing of the book didn’t quite work for me because of how it was pieced out. In the first part of the book the POV switches off, and then in part two we get a 6 month window from April’s POV, then the same 6 month window from Dennis’s POV. This completely threw me off and I couldn’t get a handle for the pacing at these points – I understood exactly why these choices were made, but I don’t think it worked that well.
This is a great debut and I can’t wait to see what else she writes.
Content Notes: transphobia, misgendering, discussions of transition surgery
Grade: B+
Content Notes: BDSM, kink, transphobia, misgendering, discussions of surgery
July 13, 2021
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, I need to add a new shelf: I cried because this book (and that ending) was so perfect that I wanted to dive in and snuggle up to Dennis and April and never leave.
"For the Love of April French" was absolutely, truly stunning. I was 10 pages in when I suddenly thought Oh and I was lost to the book.
This is a love story, a kinky, tough and emotional love story between two people who are both the strongest, and most insecure and gentle, people ever.
April is a trans woman who's used to guarding her heart from people who might, inadvertently or not, harm her; she's insecure and strong and sensitive and afraid and emotional and lovely and by far, one of the most memorable (and remarkable) protagonists I have ever read about. As soon as she appeared, I knew I was going to love her to bits.
Dennis, on the other hand, was an absolute dream: I can't think of nothing I love more than one of the MCs deciding, five minutes into the first meeting with the other MC, that they've met the love of their life and that they're going to woo the other and shower them with care and shelter and understanding and ugh, Dennis turned my heart to mush.
Kink isn't a thing I read much about, mainly because it has to well-thought for me to properly like it, and the book. "For the Love of April French" was definitely the kinkiest book I have ever read, and even though I'm no expert (I won't pretend I understood all of the kinky stuff going on either), I really really loved the sexy and intimate scenes between the two protagonists. It was hot and also emotional, and I got to understand a couple things more about the world of kink (and also myself).
I found the trans rep beautiful and complex and tough and breath-taking; some scenes left me teary-eyed and emotional, and if I was in Dennis' shoes, I, too, would have fallen head-over-heels in love with April.
I totally recommend this book: it was gorgeous, in a quiet "I'll wack you on the head with feelings and then leave you crying from happiness and yearning" sort of way and everybody deserves to read such a well-thought, poignant and soft love story.
Well, I need to add a new shelf: I cried because this book (and that ending) was so perfect that I wanted to dive in and snuggle up to Dennis and April and never leave.
"For the Love of April French" was absolutely, truly stunning. I was 10 pages in when I suddenly thought Oh and I was lost to the book.
This is a love story, a kinky, tough and emotional love story between two people who are both the strongest, and most insecure and gentle, people ever.
April is a trans woman who's used to guarding her heart from people who might, inadvertently or not, harm her; she's insecure and strong and sensitive and afraid and emotional and lovely and by far, one of the most memorable (and remarkable) protagonists I have ever read about. As soon as she appeared, I knew I was going to love her to bits.
Dennis, on the other hand, was an absolute dream: I can't think of nothing I love more than one of the MCs deciding, five minutes into the first meeting with the other MC, that they've met the love of their life and that they're going to woo the other and shower them with care and shelter and understanding and ugh, Dennis turned my heart to mush.
Kink isn't a thing I read much about, mainly because it has to well-thought for me to properly like it, and the book. "For the Love of April French" was definitely the kinkiest book I have ever read, and even though I'm no expert (I won't pretend I understood all of the kinky stuff going on either), I really really loved the sexy and intimate scenes between the two protagonists. It was hot and also emotional, and I got to understand a couple things more about the world of kink (and also myself).
I found the trans rep beautiful and complex and tough and breath-taking; some scenes left me teary-eyed and emotional, and if I was in Dennis' shoes, I, too, would have fallen head-over-heels in love with April.
I totally recommend this book: it was gorgeous, in a quiet "I'll wack you on the head with feelings and then leave you crying from happiness and yearning" sort of way and everybody deserves to read such a well-thought, poignant and soft love story.
November 10, 2021
This was a beautiful book on so many levels and I loved it, but it also made my heart hurt. April is a mtf trans heroine who’s the “mom” of the kink club, taking care of everyone, but she has a hard time believing anyone could want to be in a relationship with her. Dennis is new in town, and essentially falls in love at first sight but has to convince April he’s serious, as well as deal with scars from his own past relationship.
Both characters were so well fleshed-out and both did a lot of growing. April in particular felt very personal, and the amount of microaggressions and shit she had to deal with in order to just be herself was really heartbreaking. Dennis loved her as she was, without question, but that didn’t make everything magically better in the rest of the world.
Although I don’t have personal experience, the kink representation felt very authentic and respectful as well. The characters have a D/s relationship and there was a lot of discussion of best practices and safety.
Both characters were so well fleshed-out and both did a lot of growing. April in particular felt very personal, and the amount of microaggressions and shit she had to deal with in order to just be herself was really heartbreaking. Dennis loved her as she was, without question, but that didn’t make everything magically better in the rest of the world.
Although I don’t have personal experience, the kink representation felt very authentic and respectful as well. The characters have a D/s relationship and there was a lot of discussion of best practices and safety.
January 25, 2022
This book has a cool timeline that I don't think would work all the time, but worked for me here (and I wouldn't mind seeing occasionally in future). Basically, we get their meeting and their first few encounters, then a super quick flash forward and then we get the next six months first from April, then from Dennis, and then . . . well, the rest. It's m/f with a Black MMC and a white trans FMC, takes place around a kink club and the MCs have a D/s relationship. The book negotiates power in and out of relationships, deals with this issue of trust and who deserves it really well, and . . . I don't know. I thought I would like it, but I loved it.
December 30, 2021
This was very good. I really appreciated the work that both MCs put into their relationship and to being better for themselves and for their partner. The deception that lasts most of the book made sense but also was IMMENSELY frustrating to read, that kind of deception is just irritating to me across all spectrums of books even if I understand the reasons. I liked that it wasn't papered over, though, as they so often are. Will definitely read another book by this author!
March 23, 2023
more detailed review will follow, but for now: enjoyed the storyline and character development, had some weak parts and the Dutch translation really wasn’t very great
June 22, 2021
Ahhhh!!!! I loved this book so much, SO MUCH!!!
April French and Dennis Martin are so damn sweet! 😍😍😍 This is the kind of romance that leaves you smiling and sighing in delight.
Con: I only have one con! I didn't particularly like the first half of the book and I think it's because I would've preferred an alternating POV. It read a bit choppy for me but I was determined to see the story through and I'm so happy I did.
Pros: EXCELLENT trans representation. I loved everything about April French. Her insecurity, her neediness, her naivete. Her imperfections humanized her. Readers rarely see this type of heroine in a romance novel. Most of the time someone written in this manner would make you want to throttle her, but I found April endearing and relatable.
EXCELLENT portrayal of a healthy BDSM dynamic. Dennis wasn't an Alpha a-hole. You know the overbearing Doms that crop up in 95% of romances? He was vulnerable, gentle, open to learning and figuring himself out. Gotta love a hero who has self-awareness and is willing to grow.
EXCELLENT portrayal of diversity. Look, it's nice to see an interracial relationship portrayed where it's clear a white author knows Black people in real life. Juneteenth? Blerds? BBQs? I was here for all of it. 🗣 Get it, Ms. Aimes! I loved Dennis’s conversation with his sister and his mom. Authentic dialogue done well. I will say it took me a while to warm up to him though. Again, by the 50% mark, I was #teamDenpril all the way. That man loved him some April. It was also refreshing to read a Black man not rife with stereotypes. White authors more often than not do a disservice to Black characters in their depictions, but Dennis was a cool cat. Well done.
Overall, For the Love of April French is a super solid debut and I'm looking forward to reading more from Ms. Aimes!
April French and Dennis Martin are so damn sweet! 😍😍😍 This is the kind of romance that leaves you smiling and sighing in delight.
Con: I only have one con! I didn't particularly like the first half of the book and I think it's because I would've preferred an alternating POV. It read a bit choppy for me but I was determined to see the story through and I'm so happy I did.
Pros: EXCELLENT trans representation. I loved everything about April French. Her insecurity, her neediness, her naivete. Her imperfections humanized her. Readers rarely see this type of heroine in a romance novel. Most of the time someone written in this manner would make you want to throttle her, but I found April endearing and relatable.
EXCELLENT portrayal of a healthy BDSM dynamic. Dennis wasn't an Alpha a-hole. You know the overbearing Doms that crop up in 95% of romances? He was vulnerable, gentle, open to learning and figuring himself out. Gotta love a hero who has self-awareness and is willing to grow.
EXCELLENT portrayal of diversity. Look, it's nice to see an interracial relationship portrayed where it's clear a white author knows Black people in real life. Juneteenth? Blerds? BBQs? I was here for all of it. 🗣 Get it, Ms. Aimes! I loved Dennis’s conversation with his sister and his mom. Authentic dialogue done well. I will say it took me a while to warm up to him though. Again, by the 50% mark, I was #teamDenpril all the way. That man loved him some April. It was also refreshing to read a Black man not rife with stereotypes. White authors more often than not do a disservice to Black characters in their depictions, but Dennis was a cool cat. Well done.
Overall, For the Love of April French is a super solid debut and I'm looking forward to reading more from Ms. Aimes!
March 20, 2022
Friggin' amazing! I am neither a Black man nor a trans woman but Dennis and April were so real to me. The author did a wonderful job building fantastically believable character backgrounds and conflict in this story. April is a trans woman who's "house mother" at a local BDSM club, and Dennis is the new guy in town, there for a high-profile C-suite level job. They meet at the club and have instant sparkage, but both have some difficult stuff they have to deal with: April just doesn't trust someone will like her enough to actually stay, and Dennis is cautious about entering a new D/s-based relationship, because he screwed up his last one so badly.
This book is a great example of two characters doing their best to communicate honestly, but still managing to stumble into misunderstandings - very realistic. And when they each decide to hold back a vital piece of information, it feels believable, not just written in purely for the sake of conflict. Their big conflict, when they have it, ALSO feels believable.
But aside from their struggles, it's really sweet to see these two fall for each other. They are so thoughtful and careful with one another, and have real conversations about how their identities and relative positions in the world impact their relationship - it's wonderful. But they also just have some fun times, like when April shows Dennis about Texas barbeque. And they each have really good supporting-character friends that help advance the story.
Aimes managed to sneak in millionaire AND workplace romance tropes - some of my least favorites - and do something unexpected and good with them. I was really rooting for these two! Great stuff.
This book is a great example of two characters doing their best to communicate honestly, but still managing to stumble into misunderstandings - very realistic. And when they each decide to hold back a vital piece of information, it feels believable, not just written in purely for the sake of conflict. Their big conflict, when they have it, ALSO feels believable.
But aside from their struggles, it's really sweet to see these two fall for each other. They are so thoughtful and careful with one another, and have real conversations about how their identities and relative positions in the world impact their relationship - it's wonderful. But they also just have some fun times, like when April shows Dennis about Texas barbeque. And they each have really good supporting-character friends that help advance the story.
Aimes managed to sneak in millionaire AND workplace romance tropes - some of my least favorites - and do something unexpected and good with them. I was really rooting for these two! Great stuff.
July 31, 2021
Stunning, sweet, steamy, angsty, and definitely one of my favorite romance reads this year. It’s surprising to think of a BDSM romance as sweet too, but this one did such a good job of balancing the kink journey and emotional evolution between the main couple. It’s a story about love but also acceptance and SELF-acceptance, as well as learning to be truly vulnerable with someone on every level. I really enjoyed the POV changes of it too, it didn’t adhere to the regular structure of alternating chapters but rather gave the first half of the book to April and the second to Dennis before letting us see both of them simultaneously toward the end, which I thought was a fascinating narrative choice that broke away from the typical format and really worked for me.
content notes: misgendering, transmisogyny, references to past poor dom/sub behavior, references to past emotionally abusive relationship
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
content notes: misgendering, transmisogyny, references to past poor dom/sub behavior, references to past emotionally abusive relationship
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 15, 2022
Really emotionally affecting, fun, cute and at times hot. The way in which the protagonists cared about each other and wanted to be good to each other was just a joy to read. What's more, April's life as a trans woman is rendered in such beautiful and well-written detail, with complexity and nuance. A wonderful romance heroine, immensely believable and multidimensional. I loved the first half of the novel a lot, but then the switch to second POV happened (and some ground needed to be re-traced) and the book lost steam for me - it felt like Dennis just wasn't as well-rendered, or at least, some fragments of his life were suggested and then never re-visited again. It's not that he wasn't well done - just not as wonderfully well as April.
Still, such a good debut! I am very interested to see what Aimes writes next.(Hopefully less orgasm denial this time.)
Still, such a good debut! I am very interested to see what Aimes writes next.
August 25, 2021
4.5 stars
I really loved this story and would hate for anyone to pass it up due to the cover. While I believe the model on the cover at least fits the physical description of April, her personality does not come through. It’s not often I will include my opinion on a cover in my review, but when I feel the cover will possibly keep people from picking up the book I will speak up. April has a lot of internal issues she has to work through. April is also one of the kindest people one could meet and is always welcoming and warm to those around her. I actually almost passed on the opportunity to review this book because the cover made me think it would be too gloomy and morose for me. (I know, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.)
This is the debut traditional publication for Penny Aimes, and she did an amazing job. Being a cisgender woman myself, I learned a lot from this book while also being entertained by the story of April and Dennis. I never felt as though I was being lectured, yet the book gave me knowledge I didn’t even realize I didn’t have. On top of that, the love story is so sweet and sexy. April and Dennis have a connection from the start. Even their insecurities and past mistakes cannot tamp the fire.
Both Dennis and April have intense relationships in their past that went from wonderful to terrible. Neither know how to fully trust anymore, themselves or others. This can be extremely detrimental in the BDSM community. They both know this, especially Dennis, and take steps in their lives to protect themselves and others. In doing so, they put up too many walls. Until both of them accept that they need outside help, and seek out such help, they are never going to be able to be fully open with anyone, no matter how much they care. They have to learn to love and accept themselves before they can believe they are deserving of the same from others.
There are plenty of heavy elements in this story, but there is also so much joy. It’s almost as if it’s a coming-of-age story for adults. Especially April. She never had her opportunity to work through the feelings the come with being a teenager and learning who you are at that age. She had to learn who April was now, something she never took the time to fully do before. Even in therapy she kept a part of herself back in fear. Seeing April finally find the confidence and faith in herself was a beautiful thing.
I’m very much looking forward to more from this author. Some of her peripheral characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall this was a story that will stick with me for a long time.
One last thing, the description of this book mentions kink and the characters are into the BDSM community. Don’t let the scare you away if that’s not your usual fare. This is kink-lite, so to speak.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and CarinaPress. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
You can find an excerpt from this story at All In Good Time.
I really loved this story and would hate for anyone to pass it up due to the cover. While I believe the model on the cover at least fits the physical description of April, her personality does not come through. It’s not often I will include my opinion on a cover in my review, but when I feel the cover will possibly keep people from picking up the book I will speak up. April has a lot of internal issues she has to work through. April is also one of the kindest people one could meet and is always welcoming and warm to those around her. I actually almost passed on the opportunity to review this book because the cover made me think it would be too gloomy and morose for me. (I know, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.)
This is the debut traditional publication for Penny Aimes, and she did an amazing job. Being a cisgender woman myself, I learned a lot from this book while also being entertained by the story of April and Dennis. I never felt as though I was being lectured, yet the book gave me knowledge I didn’t even realize I didn’t have. On top of that, the love story is so sweet and sexy. April and Dennis have a connection from the start. Even their insecurities and past mistakes cannot tamp the fire.
Both Dennis and April have intense relationships in their past that went from wonderful to terrible. Neither know how to fully trust anymore, themselves or others. This can be extremely detrimental in the BDSM community. They both know this, especially Dennis, and take steps in their lives to protect themselves and others. In doing so, they put up too many walls. Until both of them accept that they need outside help, and seek out such help, they are never going to be able to be fully open with anyone, no matter how much they care. They have to learn to love and accept themselves before they can believe they are deserving of the same from others.
There are plenty of heavy elements in this story, but there is also so much joy. It’s almost as if it’s a coming-of-age story for adults. Especially April. She never had her opportunity to work through the feelings the come with being a teenager and learning who you are at that age. She had to learn who April was now, something she never took the time to fully do before. Even in therapy she kept a part of herself back in fear. Seeing April finally find the confidence and faith in herself was a beautiful thing.
I’m very much looking forward to more from this author. Some of her peripheral characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall this was a story that will stick with me for a long time.
One last thing, the description of this book mentions kink and the characters are into the BDSM community. Don’t let the scare you away if that’s not your usual fare. This is kink-lite, so to speak.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and CarinaPress. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
You can find an excerpt from this story at All In Good Time.
September 1, 2021
One of my favorite things about reading is getting to experience life through the eyes of other people with very different experiences from my own. Reading the right book really can make you more compassionate and empathetic. For the Love of April French is such a book. April is a transgender woman who has been trying to take up as little space in the world as possible. She moved to a new city after transitioning, works at a tech job where she can mostly avoid interaction, and has few friends. Her one safe place is Frankie's, a BDSM club and bar where she has a reputation as a mothering sort, friendly and welcoming and helpful. One night she meets Dennis, who's new in town and seems really into April, and takes him home for the night. In her experience, the men she meets see her as a waystop until something better comes along, so she tries to keep things casual. But Dennis isn't so easily dissuaded, and he'll have his work cut out for him if he wants to convince April that they deserve a real chance.
This was such a sweet, emotional book. Aimes is generous with her insights about life as a trans woman, including many logistics and concerns I'd never considered (like the excruciating pain of facial electrolysis). My only issue was the way the narrative is structured. We get alternating chapters, then only one character for a long stretch, and then suddenly we're back in time with the other character. It was a little confusing.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
This was such a sweet, emotional book. Aimes is generous with her insights about life as a trans woman, including many logistics and concerns I'd never considered (like the excruciating pain of facial electrolysis). My only issue was the way the narrative is structured. We get alternating chapters, then only one character for a long stretch, and then suddenly we're back in time with the other character. It was a little confusing.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
September 17, 2021
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC & the former for the finished copy as well. All opinions provided are my own.
Penny Aimes’s For the Love of April French is a tender, sensual read told in an unconventional way.
Dennis Martin is a dominant who’s recently moved to Austin from Seattle & meets April, a trans woman & submissive who has a reputation for being “Mama April,” at kink club Frankie’s.
Dennis is still reeling from a relationship that went wrong (see CWs for this) & April has been ultimately rejected by so many people that she’s pretty much given up on the idea of a lasting relationship.
They know they have something special together but when the topic of exclusivity comes up, April says no, & they agree to an orgasm control “project” where they’ll have check-ins.
But that’s not the whole story, & we see both sides as the book progresses, as Dennis & April make more memories together & secrets are revealed.
This book touched my heart—as April’s insecurities & fears about her body are repeatedly met with Dennis’s undeniable attraction & care for her. As she grows more confident in herself & about what she deserves.
Dennis also grows throughout the book, having to process what happened in his past relationship & how to be the dom he wants to be through doing the work.
Not only is there steam—there are great discussions of limits & safe words & obvious respect & appreciation between leads. The conflict is compellingly developed & features one of my catnip: a MC who’s in it for the long haul, who wants to wait with hope for the other MC to change their mind.
On one hand the book’s set-up in showing the same timeline from both perspectives is such a cool way to give more insight into the respective characters, but on the other I did somewhat miss the extra opportunity to see them develop more new, in-person memories together.
Still, this is such a loving read & I rooted for this couple—for their own separate happiness & their happiness as a couple.
4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 08/31.
[CW: Transphobia. Dennis’s first experience as a dom was not done entirely safely—he & his then partner didn’t have appropriate measures in place to maintain limits & boundaries. DM for details. & April has an impact play experience with another dom while she & Dennis are involved in their orgasm control project, although she was “permitted” to do so per their agreement.]
Penny Aimes’s For the Love of April French is a tender, sensual read told in an unconventional way.
Dennis Martin is a dominant who’s recently moved to Austin from Seattle & meets April, a trans woman & submissive who has a reputation for being “Mama April,” at kink club Frankie’s.
Dennis is still reeling from a relationship that went wrong (see CWs for this) & April has been ultimately rejected by so many people that she’s pretty much given up on the idea of a lasting relationship.
They know they have something special together but when the topic of exclusivity comes up, April says no, & they agree to an orgasm control “project” where they’ll have check-ins.
But that’s not the whole story, & we see both sides as the book progresses, as Dennis & April make more memories together & secrets are revealed.
This book touched my heart—as April’s insecurities & fears about her body are repeatedly met with Dennis’s undeniable attraction & care for her. As she grows more confident in herself & about what she deserves.
Dennis also grows throughout the book, having to process what happened in his past relationship & how to be the dom he wants to be through doing the work.
Not only is there steam—there are great discussions of limits & safe words & obvious respect & appreciation between leads. The conflict is compellingly developed & features one of my catnip: a MC who’s in it for the long haul, who wants to wait with hope for the other MC to change their mind.
On one hand the book’s set-up in showing the same timeline from both perspectives is such a cool way to give more insight into the respective characters, but on the other I did somewhat miss the extra opportunity to see them develop more new, in-person memories together.
Still, this is such a loving read & I rooted for this couple—for their own separate happiness & their happiness as a couple.
4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 08/31.
[CW: Transphobia. Dennis’s first experience as a dom was not done entirely safely—he & his then partner didn’t have appropriate measures in place to maintain limits & boundaries. DM for details. & April has an impact play experience with another dom while she & Dennis are involved in their orgasm control project, although she was “permitted” to do so per their agreement.]
August 4, 2021
I received an advance copy from Carina via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.
Content notes:
Gosh, I adored this book so much!!
April French doesn’t date, but she does enjoy her trysts and dalliances and friendships and community at Frankie’s, a kink bar in Austin. One night she meets Dennis Martin, who recently moved to Austin from Seattle, and they immediately connect.
This book feels like a warm hug, which feels like an odd sentiment for a book with kink so central to the relationship and the dynamic between April and Dennis, but it is the best way I can describe it. The romance is so soft and warmed my heart so much. There are so many great lines and small gestures that really display how smitten Dennis especially is for April.
Another element I really enjoyed is how things come up about their experiences and fears, hers as a trans woman and his as a Black man, and the ways they have to navigate the world. This is not an angsty book and it’s definitely not focused on racism or transphobia, but I appreciate the nod to realism as it adds to the hope I feel reading the story. And I loved how both April and Dennis acknowledge how while they’re marginalized in certain ways, they don’t know all the experiences their partner will have, and make efforts to educate themselves. In my mind, this further shows the love they have for one another.
This is just so wonderful! It brought me so much joy to read, and it was so hard to put down because I felt so warm reading this book. I didn’t want to leave the romance because it was so sweet.
I also loved the way Penny Aimes wrote this in terms of pacing and perspective. It’s unique but it works so well at showing the progression of the relationship through April and Dennis’ perspective. It starts with their meeting and is alternating perspectives, but then we get the next several months from April’s POV before getting those same several months from Dennis’ POV, and the final part goes back to alternating between April and Dennis. It allows for a very deep immersion in how each character is experiencing the series of events and the thoughts that go into their choices. It just truly worked so well!
This is absolutely a new favorite, and I hope this book gets all the love it deserves! Especially as I selfishly want more from books from Penny Aimes!
Content notes:
Gosh, I adored this book so much!!
April French doesn’t date, but she does enjoy her trysts and dalliances and friendships and community at Frankie’s, a kink bar in Austin. One night she meets Dennis Martin, who recently moved to Austin from Seattle, and they immediately connect.
This book feels like a warm hug, which feels like an odd sentiment for a book with kink so central to the relationship and the dynamic between April and Dennis, but it is the best way I can describe it. The romance is so soft and warmed my heart so much. There are so many great lines and small gestures that really display how smitten Dennis especially is for April.
Another element I really enjoyed is how things come up about their experiences and fears, hers as a trans woman and his as a Black man, and the ways they have to navigate the world. This is not an angsty book and it’s definitely not focused on racism or transphobia, but I appreciate the nod to realism as it adds to the hope I feel reading the story. And I loved how both April and Dennis acknowledge how while they’re marginalized in certain ways, they don’t know all the experiences their partner will have, and make efforts to educate themselves. In my mind, this further shows the love they have for one another.
This is just so wonderful! It brought me so much joy to read, and it was so hard to put down because I felt so warm reading this book. I didn’t want to leave the romance because it was so sweet.
I also loved the way Penny Aimes wrote this in terms of pacing and perspective. It’s unique but it works so well at showing the progression of the relationship through April and Dennis’ perspective. It starts with their meeting and is alternating perspectives, but then we get the next several months from April’s POV before getting those same several months from Dennis’ POV, and the final part goes back to alternating between April and Dennis. It allows for a very deep immersion in how each character is experiencing the series of events and the thoughts that go into their choices. It just truly worked so well!
This is absolutely a new favorite, and I hope this book gets all the love it deserves! Especially as I selfishly want more from books from Penny Aimes!
March 23, 2023
4.5⭐
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes exceeded all my expectations. If you're looking for a kink romance with good transgender representation or just a romance with solid characters and a memorable story, then you need to give For the Love of April French a read.
New to town, Dennis decides to check out a kink club recommended by his friend. It's mid-week and he doesn't expect to meet anyone, but the chance is always possible. Here he meets April and is instantly taken with her. April is a transgender woman who thinks Dennis is way out of her league, but doesn't turn down his attention. A one-night stand ensues, but Dennis already knows he wants more but can see Aprils hesitation, so they agree to a no strings attached arrangement. The entire time, April is just waiting for the other shoe to drop and this thing between them to die out while Dennis is trying to prove to her, he's in this for real. In the end, will April's lies by omission and self sabotage ruin something amazing.
"Oh, my sweet doll," he sighed. "You had me, though. You always had me."
Where to start with what I loved about this book. April and Dennis were both complex, far from perfect characters. April was so much stronger than she gave herself created for. Seriously, her inner voice was horrible and kicked the crap out of her self-esteem. It broke my heart that she didn't see herself worthy of forever love. Dennis falls hard and fast for April, and he tries to hold on to her with both hands, lavishing her and showing her how beautiful she is. He was a caring, vulnerable, attentive Dom, always checking in , pushing her boundaries without hurting her , always trying to be what she needs. He's never been with a transgender woman before, so he does make some mistakes, but as soon as he recognizes them he apologizes. At one point, he tells her it's not her job to educated him and fully commits to educating himself so that he never accidentally offends or makes her feel uncomfortable. I appreciated that April and Dennis' both had to work on themselves to be ready for each other and that they fought for their relationship in the end.
"His love for the woman who knew hum so well twisted and tangled and planted deep roots in his chest."
While this is definitely a BDSM/Kink romance, it's surprisingly sweet without sugarcoating the kink play. Our couple partakes in a Dom/Sub relationship, light bondage, impact play, edging, and lots and lots of orgasm denial. The intimacy starts off hot and heavy with their one-night stand but mellows out while our couple is working through the parameters of their dynamic and semi long distance relationship because of work travel. The most important part about BDSM is open intimacy communication between couples, and it was ever present with check ins before, during and proper after care.
The story is told in 4 parts, which I thought was an interesting way to write it. The beginning we see from both April and Dennis' POV off their meeting. Then the second part follows April during the next six months, followed by Dennis' side of those same six months. You might think it would be redundant, but it wasn't because we are given scenes between them in Dennis' that weren't in Aprils. The book finished off with dual POV of their relationship at it's climax and the mending of it that follows.
For the Love of April French was simply a wonderfully written romance with high emotions and lots of steam. The only thing holding me back from a solid 5 stars is that it took me a moment to get use to the way the story was told.
Rep: Black MC, Transgender female MC, LGBTQIA+, BDSM /Kink
CW/TW: transphobia, misgendering, discussions of transition surgery.
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes exceeded all my expectations. If you're looking for a kink romance with good transgender representation or just a romance with solid characters and a memorable story, then you need to give For the Love of April French a read.
New to town, Dennis decides to check out a kink club recommended by his friend. It's mid-week and he doesn't expect to meet anyone, but the chance is always possible. Here he meets April and is instantly taken with her. April is a transgender woman who thinks Dennis is way out of her league, but doesn't turn down his attention. A one-night stand ensues, but Dennis already knows he wants more but can see Aprils hesitation, so they agree to a no strings attached arrangement. The entire time, April is just waiting for the other shoe to drop and this thing between them to die out while Dennis is trying to prove to her, he's in this for real. In the end, will April's lies by omission and self sabotage ruin something amazing.
"Oh, my sweet doll," he sighed. "You had me, though. You always had me."
Where to start with what I loved about this book. April and Dennis were both complex, far from perfect characters. April was so much stronger than she gave herself created for. Seriously, her inner voice was horrible and kicked the crap out of her self-esteem. It broke my heart that she didn't see herself worthy of forever love. Dennis falls hard and fast for April, and he tries to hold on to her with both hands, lavishing her and showing her how beautiful she is. He was a caring, vulnerable, attentive Dom, always checking in , pushing her boundaries without hurting her , always trying to be what she needs. He's never been with a transgender woman before, so he does make some mistakes, but as soon as he recognizes them he apologizes. At one point, he tells her it's not her job to educated him and fully commits to educating himself so that he never accidentally offends or makes her feel uncomfortable. I appreciated that April and Dennis' both had to work on themselves to be ready for each other and that they fought for their relationship in the end.
"His love for the woman who knew hum so well twisted and tangled and planted deep roots in his chest."
While this is definitely a BDSM/Kink romance, it's surprisingly sweet without sugarcoating the kink play. Our couple partakes in a Dom/Sub relationship, light bondage, impact play, edging, and lots and lots of orgasm denial. The intimacy starts off hot and heavy with their one-night stand but mellows out while our couple is working through the parameters of their dynamic and semi long distance relationship because of work travel. The most important part about BDSM is open intimacy communication between couples, and it was ever present with check ins before, during and proper after care.
The story is told in 4 parts, which I thought was an interesting way to write it. The beginning we see from both April and Dennis' POV off their meeting. Then the second part follows April during the next six months, followed by Dennis' side of those same six months. You might think it would be redundant, but it wasn't because we are given scenes between them in Dennis' that weren't in Aprils. The book finished off with dual POV of their relationship at it's climax and the mending of it that follows.
For the Love of April French was simply a wonderfully written romance with high emotions and lots of steam. The only thing holding me back from a solid 5 stars is that it took me a moment to get use to the way the story was told.
Rep: Black MC, Transgender female MC, LGBTQIA+, BDSM /Kink
CW/TW: transphobia, misgendering, discussions of transition surgery.
December 11, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up.
Interesting timeline, but not entirely sure it worked for me. First few encounters were dual (alternating scenes/chapters). Then next 6months of relationship development were all her POV, then retold from all his POV, then back to dual for conclusion.
Orgasm denial is a kink I like reading about in the short term (like a day or maybeee a week), but the months-long timeline here didn’t work for me at all
Contains: white trans heroine, Black cis hero, long term orgasm denial (6+ months), dress up/dollification, bondage, impact play, collar, kink nightclub, millionaire hero, coworkers, meddling friend, semi-long distance, Skype sex, enema
CW: transphobia (inc misgendering but zero deadnaming), medical procedure (facial hair removal)
4/5🔥
Interesting timeline, but not entirely sure it worked for me. First few encounters were dual (alternating scenes/chapters). Then next 6months of relationship development were all her POV, then retold from all his POV, then back to dual for conclusion.
Orgasm denial is a kink I like reading about in the short term (like a day or maybeee a week), but the months-long timeline here didn’t work for me at all
Contains: white trans heroine, Black cis hero, long term orgasm denial (6+ months), dress up/dollification, bondage, impact play, collar, kink nightclub, millionaire hero, coworkers, meddling friend, semi-long distance, Skype sex, enema
CW: transphobia (inc misgendering but zero deadnaming), medical procedure (facial hair removal)
4/5🔥
August 24, 2025
new favorite romance EVER??! i had to read it all in one big gulp. big warm fuzzies & so many feelings 🥺
Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews