Sanctuary

by I. Beacham

Cate Canton has only one goal: to crush her professional rival, Dita Newton, and reclaim the future unjustly stolen from her. The only obstacle is her attraction to the woman she has vowed to destroy.
Young Cate Canton dreams of becoming a designer and running Seraphim, the Boston fashion house her late mother started. Born into a loving family, and with everything to live for, she loses it all when misfortune and tragedy strike. In the aftermath of betrayal, Cate vows to reclaim her destiny. Fueled by revenge, she becomes a ruthless businesswoman with her own successful fashion empire, plotting to one day take over her mother’s business by any means necessary.
But one person stands in her way—Dita Newton, the beautiful, gifted designer who now runs Seraphim. Cate will need to crush her lifelong adversary to succeed, but Dita strikes back in the most unexpected way—by stirring Cate’s fragile, hidden heart. A contemporary high-stakes drama between two driven, passionate women.

Genres: Lesbian, LGBT, Lesbian Romance, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fashion, Femme Femme

269 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

I. Beacham grew up in the heart of England, a green and pleasant land, mainly because it rains so much. This is probably why she ran away to sea, to search for dry places. Over the years, and during long periods away from home constantly travelling to far away places, she has balanced the rigidity of her professional life with her need and love to write. Blessed with a wicked sense of humor (not all agree), she is a lover of all things water, a dreadful jogger and cook, a hopeless romantic who roams antique stores, an addict of old black and white movies, and an adorer of science fiction. In her opinion, a perfect life. She is recently retired from the Royal Navy and went back to her hobby of writing.

Read the Bold Strokes Books Interview with I. Beacham
Read the LeftLion Magazine Interview with I. Beacham

Reviews

[Pin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few days ago, I read Sanctuary for the second time and enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than I did the first time. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good romance with a high level of angst.

[Harrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It was strange what attracted one person to another, and how often there were no signs to suggest an attraction would even be likely. The essence of the heart was such a well-kept secret.”

This one had everything romance, good writing, slowburn. MCs are damaged people torn between loving and hurting each other. The romance was very volatile and emotional. It really hurt to watch them hurt each other. It had a lot of angst, in fact I don't think the betrayal was big enough to require such level of angst. Dita was quite unfair to Cate. The more I read, the angrier I got at her. At least she realized her mistake in the end.

[Lady Avalon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, that's the 100th book read this year - challenge accomplished and to celebrate it, I think it deserves a review ;) (This is an exception ladies, don’t get used to it! *smiles*)

First, I want to confess that I am a sucker for romance. And IMHO, there are two essential ingredients for a good love story: a bit of drama and a hint of angst; and this book has both (some might say it had too much of both, and I know for sure it’s not an easy task to find a balance and to please everyone).

I really liked the plot and the MCs – both with a past devoid of love, understanding and support. Cate, with an overwhelming desire for revenge; Ditta who took ages but finally learnt how to trust people and see the good in them, felt betrayed by the one she had fallen deeply in love with. Can they make amends for past wrongs?

I’ve also noticed that most people who gave a low rate (1 or 2 stars) claims it was mainly due to what they call “rape scene” – so please, be aware if you are “over-sensitive” about this topic. I myself don’t know if I would classify it as rape, but I understand some people do.

I’d definitely recommend it, and my rate is 4,5 stars (rounded up to 5 taking into account it’s Ms Beacham's debut novel).

And to finish this short review, I take the liberty of choosing a soundtrack for this book. I’ve chosen two songs – one from a singer across the pond (USA) and another one from the “old continent” (Europe).

**“The Story” (originally sung by Brandi Carlile, but I prefer the version recorded by Sara Ramírez).
**Perdóname (“Forgive me” a duet sung by Pablo Alborán – Spanish singer – and by the Portuguese fadista Carminho).

[Angie Engles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like The Rarest Rose, Sanctuary is well-written and a read that keeps you turning the page almost frantically to see what happens next. Unlike The Rarest Rose, however, Sanctuary is missing the underlying lovely sweetness that makes that novel so special and the reader feeling better for having read it.

The former book reflects everything that is good about love while the latter is one long worn-out experience that, though very easy to relate to in some parts, makes one wonder why anyone ever falls in love at all.

I would be tempted to give this a full five stars for its deep emotional impact and unforgettable characters, but am seriously troubled by a scene that is brutal and cannot be justified, no matter how much the person committing the act has been hurt.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't like this book and would have given it one star except it gets more readable once Cate stops being a terrible person. Of course, then Dita shuts down and it's just big feelings all around, all built on misunderstanding, and I hate books where the conflict can be resolved with a conversation or two.

Also, I'm not even going to bother throwing this behind a spoiler tag because I know rape scenes are often a no-go for romance readers. The author very closely skirts the consent line a couple of times, so that the kindest I can call it is an unintentional rape. The person who did it immediately felt bad once she realized what had happened, but I really don't like that the other person brushed it off as no big deal even though it clearly affected her. What an ugly scene.

One last pretty big beef: they both think they're in love after a week or so. They barely know each other. How is that enough for them to have that HEA at the end?

I won't read it again, I can't particularly recommend it, but I don't regret reading it either. I just need to go find something lovely and fluffy now.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can not choose the person you fall in love with. But you can control how you treat people. Sometimes you have to make mistakes to find out what's really important. The question is whether it is too late to reverse what you have done. If you like a story with a lot of angst, you should read this book. It is the journey that Cate and Dita have to go through, which makes this book so interesting.

[P. Industry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently abusive relationships and/or rape are fine if you're a lesbian now.

Cate is the cast-off scion of a clothing designer and a successful real-estate baron. Poor company in her youth gave her an unenviable reputation for drugs and crime; this comes to a head when she causes an accident which kills her sister. Driven out by her father after the death of her mother, she ends up in Italy studying fashion. Although her fashion house is successful, she drowns in her own bitterness.

Dita is the hardscrabble, hard-nosed kid looking for her big break. Unwanted by either parent, she inherits as its legacy an overwhelming, fierce ambition. Given control of Cate's mother's company by Cate's father, her enormous talent begins to make itself felt.

The only fly in Dita's ointment is that Cate is hell-bent on revenge. Locked in a strange mixture of envy and hatred for her mother's fashion label, Cate moves to crush it utterly. Imagine her surprise then when both young chief designers end up in Italy in the same hotel on holiday; for Cate it's the perfect chance to strike. The only problem is that even as Cate does so, she falls in love with Dita and starts to rethink her entire vengeance arc. Will her revenge ruin everything she actually wants?

Yes. Yes it will.

WTF, the drama in this book is unbelievable. No, literally, I couldn't believe it. There must be some sort of quota for angst in a single book, because after three-quarters of "Sanctuary" I was scratching my head and wondering why either of them was bothering with the other; they literally knew each other for a week. After that Dita loathes Cate with an intensity which lasts... ten years? Cripes. But somehow I am supposed to believe that anyone would bother putting up with this instead of chalking it up in the "loss" column and moving on? Instead Cate rearranges her whole life to financially support and forlornly pine after a women who treats her with nothing but naked contempt; nothing about that screams "healthy". I'm not sure about anyone else out there, but just in general guilt doesn't seem the ideal emotion to base a life-partnership on.

Let's talk about guilt, shall we? Because up to a point I actually felt Dita had a leg to stand on. She'd gone and shagged a liar on holiday, and that liar had proceeded to attempt to destroy her company; further, Cate actually succeeded in stealing her work. Man, that sucks balls - the contempt with which Cate was lathered was well earned. But I said "up to a point" she had sympathy, because in one particularly horrifying scene she rapes Cate in her hotel room, leaving on a chunky costume jewelry ring (with predictably bloody results), and then walks out leaving $200 cash next to her. Here's a tip; if you hear someone say "no, no" several times, then they mean "no" and you should stop. I don't give a shit how badly your feelings were hurt ten years ago. If you're rip up someone's vagina because of your carelessness - especially while they're saying "no, that hurts" but you ignore it because you don't give a shit what they want - then you're a) ghastly, and b) a rapist. If that happened in real life, the victim would be in hospital and they would be lucky to get away without pretty serious mental repercussions. But somehow I was supposed to forgive the whole episode, because actually Dita was angry. No. No, I'm not going to forgive anything - I barely have words for how pathetic that is, and the book doesn't get a pass on it. Although the book badly tries, even making Cate says several times she doesn't mind (wut). The event pushed me, however, into a space where I simply didn't want either of the two characters to be together. I wanted Dita to be arrested, actually; there's enough domestic violence and sexual assault in the world without lesbians normalising it in our media as well.

What a foul book. What a foul relationship. Angst doesn't have to mean abusive.

I gave it a single star more than it deserved because I liked the relationship between Cate and her Dad. Fuck the rest of this bullshit.

[XR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodness me, when people say this one's a tear jerker, they're not bloody joking!

The ongoing drama between Cate and Dita was so incredibly frustrating, only because I wanted them to be together and live happily ever after, design great clothes and have gorgeous babies. The longing, the angst and the character development was brilliant though, so my impatience was satiated.

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know more about fashion, fabrics and texture since reading this book. Starting a relationship can be difficult and even more difficult if you do not go in the "right" way. I enjoyed this book and the challenges it presented in regards to starting a relationship.

[Musa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of revenge, hate, love and redemption. Revenge maybe sweet at the time you plot it, but the "victory" comes after the revenge may not carry the same taste. If you feel like having an emotional ride - try this one.

[Kexx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just nasty people: no, damaged people being horrid to each other. If I Beacham really believes people act like this she’s either warped or lived a sad & damaged life.

[Sprinkles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the review of a conflicted cupcake.

I don't know whether to rate this five stars for my emotional reaction (albeit, gained in a wretched way) or one star for taking my perfectly good angst popsicle and chucking it into the sand.

Femme fashion designers? Yum. Believable chemistry? Sure. Writing filled with savory language? You bet. Drama that tickled my fiction fancy? Indeed.

Cate's character. Oh, I'm angry at this story because I fell for her so hard. While she agonized over her predicament and made mistake after mistake, I sympathized with her. Beautiful, sophisticated, and hapless, that Cate Canton. I liked Dita's character at first. Reminded me of the Gossip Girls series I read as a teen. Serena van der Woodsen had the drop-dead blonde factor and amiable qualities, but we all knew Blair Waldorf was the good stuff. The similarities stop there; I had to bring it up since I felt the same for Serena as I did Dita at first- I only liked her. On the Italian vacation, Dita could approach Cate with an openness and playfulness while Cate struggled. So, while Cate's decisions reasonably wrecked Dita's trust, I wanted to hug Little Miss Deception. What she had done for the Nordstrom deal was reprehensible and mixing their attraction would devastate anyone.

See? I was on board there.

I found them getting to know each other intriguing and sexy. I'm into Cate's cold exterior that cracked little by little for Dita. Their banter, their flirty glances, their push-and-pull. I read all that twice before finishing the book.

/cue my lopsided, sandy popsicle/

Beware of spoiler-y rant at this point:

That goddamned rape scene. My dread went deeper and deeper as Dita forced their kiss, then forced herself on Cate. Which burns me all over again because I considered the scene right before, when they were heatedly drinking wine and talking, to be very sexy. What transpired was not. I kept wishing for Dita to snap out of it before it went too far. Nope. I had to read through her nasty disdain and pleasure in overpowering a woman who only wanted forgiveness. I don't care how much business suffered, Dita had no right to violate anyone this way. It was a sole play of power and zero pleasure. I don't care if Cate eventually somewhat-consented. It shouldn't have happened.

"The object of her revenge [Cate] made only one movement, to reach down between her legs and remove Dita’s hand, which still rested there."

Does that sound like good ol' lovemaking? It does not. Cate physically removed those fingers as Dita lay on top of her, sweaty with vengeance. Dita got off on that, let us not forget. Then, driving the point home, Dita left two hundred dollars on the bed. I marked this a big WTF?????? on my Kindle. Besides that being absolutely disgusting, who the hell carries around that much money? Personally, I don't have a problem with sex workers who choose to do so, but obviously this was not the case.

AND THEN THE BLOODY RING. Dita, in her infinite callousness, was too busy assaulting this woman to notice her hand covered in Cate's blood. She ripped the woman's insides to ribbons and Cate still blamed herself.

From here, I could no longer enjoy Dita's character.

This book didn't fully acknowledge the heinousness of that hotel scene. Dita felt bad at first, then for the rest of the story I had to suffer her whining about how Cate hurt her. Seriously? After literally washing her hands of another's blood, she put herself on the high ground to look down on Cate with anger? Unbelievable.

Don't get me started on how the cute word "encounter" replaced any allusions to rape. Dita Newton actually used the word "invidious" in normal conversation, yet she couldn't conjure up that four-letter term for what she committed?

I'm so mad. That rape was needless. The hotel could have led to sexual frustration or a drunken groping or something. Nope, I read the rest of the story numb to anything Dita uttered. Her remorse was fleeting and hardly brought up again. Cate forgave her easily, which makes me angrier. A victim taking the fall for Dita's actions. She could do so much better. Cate's line "Maybe we should be lovers." would've had me swooning if it wasn't aimed to Dita. Honestly, I liked the rest of the story, further proving the hotel scene was shock-factor angst that tainted an otherwise explosive romance. This could've been an easy five rating.

Two-and-a-half stars. Rounded down.

[Maza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I envy Ms Beecham for her ability, creativity and imagination. I am in love with these two women who shared their journey through love, pain, heart breaks, forgiveness, and vulnerability, beautifully. I read this book and as soon as finished it I started reading it again! And while reading I felt I am walking with them through the whole story.
This work hasn’t been recognised in its true value. I wanted to thank my goodread friend once again to recommend Ms Beecham writings. What a wonderful journey.

[Dide · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 star rating
A lot of time lost on finding back a true love. This story tells a tale of that time and it is so well done.

[FSH78 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I found the characters easy to like and easy to empathize with. Although there seemed to be quite a few coincidences in meetings between the two main characters I still enjoyed their encounters. Worth a read.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book but I really wish I hadn’t read the ending 😭😭😭 why would you end a beautiful sapphic book with a homophobic/misogynistic quote?

The characters are obviously toxic but the DRAMA - living for it!

[Lauren Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cate: "Dita why do you ring my doorbell every day at 3am, tell me to eat shit then run away?"
Dita: "I just hate you so much Cate."
Cate: "You need to get a fucking life, Dita."

[Letts · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read this book a few times over the years. It is only now I’m realising how problematic and toxic the characters are. cringe

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book that fails at showing rather than telling, which rends us a very weak, repetitve, boring and unbelievable story.
The main carachters and their actions are hardly believable. The motives behind their actions seem to partially lay in their complicated pasts, but we do not get to "relive" those pasts, we only get a short summary. The author seems to believe also that by providing a short summary it will be enough to justify the actions of its carachters, but it's hardly enough. Specially when one of them uses physical violence. How could that ever be justified?

The love story is also a bit ridiculous. This story is full of angst and drama, including revenge, but all this comes from a one week love story, that starts at "almost" first sight, without any details of what made them fall for each other. and this love is suposed to have lasted for years, even without seeing each other.... Yeah, right.


So, as a summary, many hard feellings but little story

[Isha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a bad idea to begin reading this book at midnight when I had work in the morning. I cried myself to a headache at 3:30 a.m., and sleep was on my wish list. I enjoyed Sanctuary more than I anticipated, as it was well-written with an engaging story. I loved Cate from beginning to end, as I am a sucker for characters with ice queen reputations. I liked Dita for her openness and playfulness in the beginning, but the hotel scene ruined it at the end. The fact that Cate tolerated it instead of kicking Dita off the bed and then brushing it off as though she deserved it got me mad. However, Dita did realize her mistake at last, but to my liking, she didn't apologize enough for such cruelty even though it was unintended. The yearning and angst were emotionally draining, but overall, it was a good read.

[Susana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beacham wrote some good J/7 fanfiction short stories with a high degree of angst (e.g. Tempus Omnia Revelat) and I was curious about her transition to full-length original fiction although the blurb didn’t sound very enticing. The angst is there once again with vengeance and deception as the leitmotifs to move the story forward. However, apparently, Beacham still has a lot to learn in order to write a good romance. The characters are still remarkably similar to Janeway and Seven, the plot is very predictable, there is too much head hopping and the characters’ actions and motivations keep getting explained to the reader.

[Anja · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't really understand the great praise (which was a reason I bought it). I've read many books that are way better. The two main characters, well, develop and change during the story, but not in a good way. Cate does something that makes Dita really angry. In my opinion it doesn't justify Dita's strange behavior all the way (and definitely not the kind of 'rape' she commits and how she treats her afterwards). You can't really feel the love they have for each other, it's all anger and frustration and refusal. Don't bother buying it if you want a nice little romance, it's a lot of blah blah (verbose and dawdling along)

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book about 5-6x already and I never get tired of it. Angsty. Two wounded women longing for each other but never meet half way. One is plotting revenge, the other reaching out for love and gets role reversal. Once Cate is finally ready to forgive and reach out for love, Dita is now out for revenge. It's heartbreaking. The plot is very apt for the two women: Both are working in the fashion industry -- High stakes in popularity and creativity which both women possess. It's a battle between power and love. With two women wanting to stay relevant in the industry, when and how does love come into place?

[Chand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading angst as much as the next person, but this one really didn't work for me. I couldn't understand the reason for so much angst. The nature of the betrayal didn't really justify so much anger and hurt.

[Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

sanctuary: you'll either love it or hate it
5 stars

[Renate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A absolutely must read. The 2 main characters are so different. It is a fun read...great for the holidays.
Looking forward to other books from this author, hopefully soon.