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Part of Her Plan
An invitation to Cupid’s Café will change your life.
Lydia Rossi has The Plan all figured out. A great job at Louisville’s fastest-rising tattoo shop, a place of her own, and putting her heroin addiction behind her once and for all. So far, everything fits perfectly into the safety-focused life she’s created, though she can’t forget the one woman who made her want more.
Jenny Sloane’s sole focus is on convincing her brother to let her come home. She’s deceived him into thinking she’s clean, but the truth is—she likes the way she feels when she drinks. If it takes a few white lies to make it happen, she will lie until the cows come home. She doesn’t need anyone, except family.
A note from Cupid’s Café reunites Lydia with her former therapy groupmate Jenny, sparking attraction, but a new complication arises when Jenny moves into the same transitional living house with Lydia. Jenny’s presence threatens to unravel Lydia’s plan, and for the first time Jen’s family-only focus wavers. One moment and one mistake is all it’d take to destroy their futures, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. No strings attached becomes tangled. Can a relationship be part of The Plan after all?
Lydia Rossi has The Plan all figured out. A great job at Louisville’s fastest-rising tattoo shop, a place of her own, and putting her heroin addiction behind her once and for all. So far, everything fits perfectly into the safety-focused life she’s created, though she can’t forget the one woman who made her want more.
Jenny Sloane’s sole focus is on convincing her brother to let her come home. She’s deceived him into thinking she’s clean, but the truth is—she likes the way she feels when she drinks. If it takes a few white lies to make it happen, she will lie until the cows come home. She doesn’t need anyone, except family.
A note from Cupid’s Café reunites Lydia with her former therapy groupmate Jenny, sparking attraction, but a new complication arises when Jenny moves into the same transitional living house with Lydia. Jenny’s presence threatens to unravel Lydia’s plan, and for the first time Jen’s family-only focus wavers. One moment and one mistake is all it’d take to destroy their futures, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. No strings attached becomes tangled. Can a relationship be part of The Plan after all?
- GenresRomance
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2021
3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Peace
12 books40 followersCatherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember. She often blames two things for her forays into speculative fiction—Syfy (when it was SciFi) channel Sundays with her dad and The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells. She graduated in 2008 from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in English and is still chasing the dream of being super rich and famous, mostly so she can sit around in her PJs all day and write stories.
Catherine currently lives on a farm in South Carolina. E-I-E-I-O.
Catherine currently lives on a farm in South Carolina. E-I-E-I-O.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 10, 2021
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club for free in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a story, characters and themes that I really enjoyed. I wish I would’ve liked this more, but there were few things I certainly don’t enjoy in books, and they sort of ruined my reading experience.
For me, the strongest suit of this book were the characters. I found them likable and I would’ve loved to read more about them. Even though the book wasn’t exactly long, it was plenty enough to get me interested in the characters, and I love to see that. The book also deals with very serious, heavy themes, which I usually don’t see in romance genre, and the author handled them surprisingly well.
But I have to get to some of those annoyances I had with the book. First, I hate it when a prologue starts to set up a story but then there’s a time-skip, and I don’t actually get answers that rose from the prologue. Here we had a really interesting setting, an upcoming change to Lydia’s life, and I was so ready to jump into it. And then we skip years ahead! If I had refreshed my memory about the blurb, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so annoyed because I would’ve caught on what’s going to happen, but I felt baited. The story kept moving on like that, skipping forward, and that broke the flow constantly. It could’ve benefited from fleshing out more, truly exploring in the moment those emotions and struggles the characters go through.
Also, while I enjoy dual PoVs, especially when it comes to romance, I found them hard to follow in this book. There wasn’t a consistent rhythm, and the changes of PoV weren’t exactly indicated except inside the chapters. I would’ve wanted them to be clearly marked, so I could catch up right away. In a way, both my complaints are sort of similar. There wasn’t consistency, there weren’t clear indicators, and they were distracting because they confused me thorough the book.
In the end, this was a good read. It didn’t fully satisfy me, but it was a fairly easy read.
This book had a story, characters and themes that I really enjoyed. I wish I would’ve liked this more, but there were few things I certainly don’t enjoy in books, and they sort of ruined my reading experience.
For me, the strongest suit of this book were the characters. I found them likable and I would’ve loved to read more about them. Even though the book wasn’t exactly long, it was plenty enough to get me interested in the characters, and I love to see that. The book also deals with very serious, heavy themes, which I usually don’t see in romance genre, and the author handled them surprisingly well.
But I have to get to some of those annoyances I had with the book. First, I hate it when a prologue starts to set up a story but then there’s a time-skip, and I don’t actually get answers that rose from the prologue. Here we had a really interesting setting, an upcoming change to Lydia’s life, and I was so ready to jump into it. And then we skip years ahead! If I had refreshed my memory about the blurb, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so annoyed because I would’ve caught on what’s going to happen, but I felt baited. The story kept moving on like that, skipping forward, and that broke the flow constantly. It could’ve benefited from fleshing out more, truly exploring in the moment those emotions and struggles the characters go through.
Also, while I enjoy dual PoVs, especially when it comes to romance, I found them hard to follow in this book. There wasn’t a consistent rhythm, and the changes of PoV weren’t exactly indicated except inside the chapters. I would’ve wanted them to be clearly marked, so I could catch up right away. In a way, both my complaints are sort of similar. There wasn’t consistency, there weren’t clear indicators, and they were distracting because they confused me thorough the book.
In the end, this was a good read. It didn’t fully satisfy me, but it was a fairly easy read.
July 19, 2021
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. The book made the struggles of the characters feel extremely real and authentic, without making the characters feel unrelatable to someone who (like me) has very little experience with substance abuse. I appreciated the acknowledgement that various forms of trauma are often related and how they factor together.
I adore Lydia's tattoo shop family, they were so much fun, and I loved seeing how much they supported her, no matter what was happening in her personal life. Honestly, I'd love to read an entire book about them.
The main reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I found it a little challenging to follow at times. I didn't go into this book knowing about the Cupid's Cafe series, and there was very little context about it, it felt almost redundant and like it belonged in a different book. There was also sometimes POV jumps that felt oddly timed, which again, sometimes made it difficult to follow.
Overall, a book I would thoroughly recommend.
I really enjoyed this book. The book made the struggles of the characters feel extremely real and authentic, without making the characters feel unrelatable to someone who (like me) has very little experience with substance abuse. I appreciated the acknowledgement that various forms of trauma are often related and how they factor together.
I adore Lydia's tattoo shop family, they were so much fun, and I loved seeing how much they supported her, no matter what was happening in her personal life. Honestly, I'd love to read an entire book about them.
The main reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I found it a little challenging to follow at times. I didn't go into this book knowing about the Cupid's Cafe series, and there was very little context about it, it felt almost redundant and like it belonged in a different book. There was also sometimes POV jumps that felt oddly timed, which again, sometimes made it difficult to follow.
Overall, a book I would thoroughly recommend.
July 9, 2021
A copy was provided to The Sapphic Book Club for an honest review.
This was a pretty decent read but there were a couple of things that didn’t work for me.
This is the 5th book in a series where different authors write about a romance that is influenced by a cafe, Cupid’s Cafe. This story follows Lydia, a tattoo artist and recovering drug addict who is trying to stick to her plan after a relapse, and Jenny, a musician and an alcoholic who thinks she can get all that she wants while lying about her recovery. I liked all of the characters, especially the secondary characters.
The biggest hurdle for me was that there were a lot of time jumps. The jumps were anywhere between days, weeks, or months long, and involved the characters reflecting on what happened in the in between. While time jumps have their uses, they can disturb the flow for me. The time jumps mostly happened directly after big moments, which I felt took the weight out of the emotional payout. I just felt like all of the big emotional development, which I love, were skipped over.
All in all, a pretty decent read. Im glad I read it and I think others will enjoy the read.
This was a pretty decent read but there were a couple of things that didn’t work for me.
This is the 5th book in a series where different authors write about a romance that is influenced by a cafe, Cupid’s Cafe. This story follows Lydia, a tattoo artist and recovering drug addict who is trying to stick to her plan after a relapse, and Jenny, a musician and an alcoholic who thinks she can get all that she wants while lying about her recovery. I liked all of the characters, especially the secondary characters.
The biggest hurdle for me was that there were a lot of time jumps. The jumps were anywhere between days, weeks, or months long, and involved the characters reflecting on what happened in the in between. While time jumps have their uses, they can disturb the flow for me. The time jumps mostly happened directly after big moments, which I felt took the weight out of the emotional payout. I just felt like all of the big emotional development, which I love, were skipped over.
All in all, a pretty decent read. Im glad I read it and I think others will enjoy the read.
July 14, 2021
Addiction is a very sensitive subject to endeavor to talk about, even more so to permanently put in writing to share with the world. This book doesn’t go into the nitty gritty of the steps and the processes, which is usually a turn off for those sensitive to the subject, but it touches on something much more important. It embraces the insecurity and apprehensions of finding acceptance within an addict, the things that usually push you deeper into your addictions. It is a story of acceptance that calls to readers regardless of their background. Addictions come in many forms, not just substance abuse. Sometimes it’s clinging to pain from the past, or simply feeling alone in the world. This book made me cry, made me laugh, made me swoon at young love, and made me want to throw it brutally across the room and pretend it didn’t exist. Sometimes you just happen upon the right novel at the right time. And this story can easily be the right novel for anyone.
August 4, 2021
An emotional journey
Jenny is desperate to come home so tries to convince her brother she is no longer drinking. When she gets her own way, she is convinced she doesn’t need anyone but her family until she runs into Lydia, a past acquaintance. When Jenny finds herself living in the same house as Lydia her attraction to Lydia and their connection complicates things. Lydia then worries that Jenny’s return to her life will threaten all the carefully made plans she has.
A very emotional and moving story about characters who have very similar experiences but different views and outcomes following their battles with addiction. The story was sweet and rather than focusing on the darker elements, touched them lightly and sensitively to build connection between the reader and the characters whilst exploring the characters own growth and self-discovery.
I didn’t know what to expect from the story but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Catherine has written one of those stories that I just really revel in and enjoy. The conflict is not only between the characters but self-inflicted, which leaves room for development, growth and that sense of self-discovery characters embark on that you can immerse yourself in to. You really feel like you are on a journey with them through the ups and downs and learn to appreciate the mistakes and life lessons the characters encounter on the way.
This is part of a series but what is nice is the story is completely standalone, so you can enjoy it without having to have read any of the other stories. I really enjoyed the story and found it most addictive so hope that Catherine will bring future stories with Lydia and Jenny.
An edgy, unexpected and slightly different romance with highly charged emotional moments, cute moments, and heart-breaking moments that will leave you feeling emotional. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more stories from Catherine Peace in future.
Jenny is desperate to come home so tries to convince her brother she is no longer drinking. When she gets her own way, she is convinced she doesn’t need anyone but her family until she runs into Lydia, a past acquaintance. When Jenny finds herself living in the same house as Lydia her attraction to Lydia and their connection complicates things. Lydia then worries that Jenny’s return to her life will threaten all the carefully made plans she has.
A very emotional and moving story about characters who have very similar experiences but different views and outcomes following their battles with addiction. The story was sweet and rather than focusing on the darker elements, touched them lightly and sensitively to build connection between the reader and the characters whilst exploring the characters own growth and self-discovery.
I didn’t know what to expect from the story but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Catherine has written one of those stories that I just really revel in and enjoy. The conflict is not only between the characters but self-inflicted, which leaves room for development, growth and that sense of self-discovery characters embark on that you can immerse yourself in to. You really feel like you are on a journey with them through the ups and downs and learn to appreciate the mistakes and life lessons the characters encounter on the way.
This is part of a series but what is nice is the story is completely standalone, so you can enjoy it without having to have read any of the other stories. I really enjoyed the story and found it most addictive so hope that Catherine will bring future stories with Lydia and Jenny.
An edgy, unexpected and slightly different romance with highly charged emotional moments, cute moments, and heart-breaking moments that will leave you feeling emotional. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more stories from Catherine Peace in future.
July 21, 2021
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I have no idea what I expected from this book, but it certainly wasn't this!
Jenny and Lydia have real life problems. Both are recovering from their respective addictions (or not, as the case may be) and this book focuses on that, more than the romance, and I really LOVED that. All too often these topics get brushed under the carpet and here, they are front and centre.
Lydia has a plan, to get her own apartment, and then be on her own. Meeting with Jenny again should not waver her from her plan. She's doing well, and is committed to get to the end. Jenny, on the other hand, isn't doing so well and the place in the sober living house SHOULD be her ticket to get to be with her brother again. But Jenny's recovery isn't going to plan, and one single mistake might ruin them both.
At one point, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I started it, and it took a downward turn (I thought) and I contemplated leaving it. But something made me carry on and I am so bloody glad I did!
Yes, it's not an easy read. it certainly isn't a fluffy romance that you can breeze through, but it IS a bloody good book! It shows the struggles, the real life struggles that people face. How people spiral downwards, how they hit the bottom and try to get back up. How the deal with their addiction (in this case drugs and alcohol) and what they do when faced with what might possibly be their last chance.
Jenny and Lydia are not perfect, but they are perfect for each other, and other than the issues with their addictions, the romance side of things moves along slow, at first, but then speeds up, and slows down again. I loved that it wasn't explicit. There is steam and passion a-plenty, but the detailed sex scenes are not here, and I truly think had they been, I would not have liked this book as much!
I've not read anything by this author before, nor any of the previous books in this series, I don't think you need to, to enjoy this one. I might go back and read them!
But please, be aware of the subject matter: drug abuse and alcohol abuse mostly. Some people might not be able to read this because of triggers.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I have no idea what I expected from this book, but it certainly wasn't this!
Jenny and Lydia have real life problems. Both are recovering from their respective addictions (or not, as the case may be) and this book focuses on that, more than the romance, and I really LOVED that. All too often these topics get brushed under the carpet and here, they are front and centre.
Lydia has a plan, to get her own apartment, and then be on her own. Meeting with Jenny again should not waver her from her plan. She's doing well, and is committed to get to the end. Jenny, on the other hand, isn't doing so well and the place in the sober living house SHOULD be her ticket to get to be with her brother again. But Jenny's recovery isn't going to plan, and one single mistake might ruin them both.
At one point, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I started it, and it took a downward turn (I thought) and I contemplated leaving it. But something made me carry on and I am so bloody glad I did!
Yes, it's not an easy read. it certainly isn't a fluffy romance that you can breeze through, but it IS a bloody good book! It shows the struggles, the real life struggles that people face. How people spiral downwards, how they hit the bottom and try to get back up. How the deal with their addiction (in this case drugs and alcohol) and what they do when faced with what might possibly be their last chance.
Jenny and Lydia are not perfect, but they are perfect for each other, and other than the issues with their addictions, the romance side of things moves along slow, at first, but then speeds up, and slows down again. I loved that it wasn't explicit. There is steam and passion a-plenty, but the detailed sex scenes are not here, and I truly think had they been, I would not have liked this book as much!
I've not read anything by this author before, nor any of the previous books in this series, I don't think you need to, to enjoy this one. I might go back and read them!
But please, be aware of the subject matter: drug abuse and alcohol abuse mostly. Some people might not be able to read this because of triggers.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
July 20, 2021
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club for free in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
I really enjoyed reading this book! I felt like the difficult themes (homophobia and addiction, primarily, but also some discussion of chronic health problems) were dealt with well and I found both the characters and the plot to be particularly engaging. I would have definitely read more about certain climactic situations towards the end of the book, but overall felt like the length made this an accessible read.
The characters and events in this book were phenomenal! I was able to connect with both Lydia and Jenny, as well as a host of other background characters. I felt like the problems that characters faced were serious enough to pose a legitimate challenge to their lives, but not too serious as to make their triumphs feel fake. As the story picked up steam, I found myself unable to stay away from the book for long, even though I'm not typically a modern romance lover.
This book is part of a multi-author series relating to a location called Cupid's Cafe. I haven't read other books in the series, so I can't comment on how this book fits into that series, but I found this book enjoyable without the additional background on that (relatively minor) element. I really would have appreciated more content overall, though- several climactic, very emotional events felt like they could have used more detail. Still, it was an incredibly motivating read, and my desire for more information shows how much I enjoyed it!
Rating: 4/5
I really enjoyed reading this book! I felt like the difficult themes (homophobia and addiction, primarily, but also some discussion of chronic health problems) were dealt with well and I found both the characters and the plot to be particularly engaging. I would have definitely read more about certain climactic situations towards the end of the book, but overall felt like the length made this an accessible read.
The characters and events in this book were phenomenal! I was able to connect with both Lydia and Jenny, as well as a host of other background characters. I felt like the problems that characters faced were serious enough to pose a legitimate challenge to their lives, but not too serious as to make their triumphs feel fake. As the story picked up steam, I found myself unable to stay away from the book for long, even though I'm not typically a modern romance lover.
This book is part of a multi-author series relating to a location called Cupid's Cafe. I haven't read other books in the series, so I can't comment on how this book fits into that series, but I found this book enjoyable without the additional background on that (relatively minor) element. I really would have appreciated more content overall, though- several climactic, very emotional events felt like they could have used more detail. Still, it was an incredibly motivating read, and my desire for more information shows how much I enjoyed it!
July 21, 2021
A copy of this book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for honest reviews.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it helped me get back in the swing of reading after a long break away.
The story follows two women on different journeys related to addiction who find those journeys intertwined - for better or for worse.
I found myself especially interested in Jenny's journey, though both halves of this romance are very compelling. All the character have great qualities that make them intriguing and keep you invested in their stories.
I did struggle at times however to tell their voices apart as they sometimes have very simillar mindsets and the switch in perspectives mid chapter took some getting used to.
This story was the first of the Cupids Cafe series that I've read, and I really like the concept of multiple authors writing in this series on a theme with the Cafe as a common thread! I will definitely be looking into the other books in this collection.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it helped me get back in the swing of reading after a long break away.
The story follows two women on different journeys related to addiction who find those journeys intertwined - for better or for worse.
I found myself especially interested in Jenny's journey, though both halves of this romance are very compelling. All the character have great qualities that make them intriguing and keep you invested in their stories.
I did struggle at times however to tell their voices apart as they sometimes have very simillar mindsets and the switch in perspectives mid chapter took some getting used to.
This story was the first of the Cupids Cafe series that I've read, and I really like the concept of multiple authors writing in this series on a theme with the Cafe as a common thread! I will definitely be looking into the other books in this collection.
July 1, 2021
Let my start and finish date be a testament to how much I loved this book. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down! It was the representation of destiny bringing you back to your path via the Cupid cafe mixed with the real struggles of addiction and how each persons journey is different and authentic. Not to mention, some steamy lesbian romance with a climatic peak (pun intended) mixed with comedic twists and turns. The author did a fantastic job of giving you enough background to lure you in while building fantastic characters to make you want more. It was perfectly blended with gut wrenching character struggles, comedy, friendship and romance. I’m begging for a sequel or a spin off!
June 24, 2021
A fantastic new addition to the Cupid's Cafe series!!! Jenny and Lydia are wonderful characters with a scorching romance, and the side cast of the tattoo shop round out a fantastic book!
March 8, 2022
I expected to struggle with this one. While I love the occasional angst, people who have mental illnesses or downward spirals in other regards tend to throw me out of whack. I started this book with the utmost caution knowing I might not make it through. While it was definitely full of angst and there wasn’t much in the way of rainbows and sunshine happening throughout most of the book, it was an oddly positive read. It also, thankfully, did not trigger my sympathetic depression I can get from such books.
Lydia and Jenny keep meeting at cross-paths in their lives where Lydia is so close to success and Jenny is such a hot mess. They’re both dealing with childhood trauma and more than people should have to in their young lives and I could sympathize with both characters.
That being said, I didn’t want Jenny for Lydia for most of the book. I didn’t want her anywhere around. Not because of anything particularly wrong with Jenny but because I so desperately wanted Lydia to succeed at everything and Jenny was a threat to her well-being at multiple points along the story.
In the end, though, Lydia’s story ended up being a much smaller internal conflict while Jenny fought battles on multiple fronts and ended up being my chaos baby I wanted to win. I’ve never struggled with addiction but I have struggled with mental illness and self-destructive behavior enough to be sympathetic to the characters which made their wins all the more satisfying for me.
No spoilers, but the author had me crying at one point followed by laughing my ass off moments later because Jenny, it turns out, is quite the badass when she wants to be. While this book had a lot more heavy topics than I usually prefer in my reading, I would recommend it to others because in the end, the HEA was well worth the journey.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book but opinions are my own.
Lydia and Jenny keep meeting at cross-paths in their lives where Lydia is so close to success and Jenny is such a hot mess. They’re both dealing with childhood trauma and more than people should have to in their young lives and I could sympathize with both characters.
That being said, I didn’t want Jenny for Lydia for most of the book. I didn’t want her anywhere around. Not because of anything particularly wrong with Jenny but because I so desperately wanted Lydia to succeed at everything and Jenny was a threat to her well-being at multiple points along the story.
In the end, though, Lydia’s story ended up being a much smaller internal conflict while Jenny fought battles on multiple fronts and ended up being my chaos baby I wanted to win. I’ve never struggled with addiction but I have struggled with mental illness and self-destructive behavior enough to be sympathetic to the characters which made their wins all the more satisfying for me.
No spoilers, but the author had me crying at one point followed by laughing my ass off moments later because Jenny, it turns out, is quite the badass when she wants to be. While this book had a lot more heavy topics than I usually prefer in my reading, I would recommend it to others because in the end, the HEA was well worth the journey.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book but opinions are my own.
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November 8, 2021I love this book so much. It was hard to write, but absolutely worth the struggle. Jenny and Lydia are a fantastic couple, and Lydia's tattoo family is one of the highlights. I can't wait to write the next books in this world.
If you give Lydia and Jenny a chance, they'll absolutely steal your heart.
If you give Lydia and Jenny a chance, they'll absolutely steal your heart.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews