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Paige just inherited a restaurant. Problem is, she can’t cook.
Willow Arches is a queer-destination small town, but Paige doesn’t know that—she’s never even heard of it before a granduncle she never knew about passes and leaves his restaurant, Faux Pas, in her name. A real estate developer by day, for Paige, renovating the restaurant to sell it for a tidy profit is a no-brainer.
But things get harder when the restaurant is in shambles, the town’s bustling queer population is in full force when she arrives right at the start of Pride, and all of them want her gone. With no practical or people skills, and no cooking skills to run the restaurant, she’s in a world of trouble—until Willow Arches’ most eligible bachelorette, brooding soft-butch lumberjane Madison Hartley, sweeps her off her feet and kisses her in the public square.
It’s a tenuous deal: Madison’s help with the restaurant, in exchange for a fake relationship, to keep the suitors off her back for Pride month. Sure, Paige has a massive crush on her, but it’ll all work out somehow, right?
Right?
Faux Pas is a 70,000-word fake-dating small-town culinary romance between a hapless sunshine girl and the sexy grump who lives in the woods. Content warnings for open-door sex scenes, mentions of offscreen past drug use, some lesbian bullies who turn out to be all right in the end, and really, really bad attempts at cooking.
This book is part of the I Heart SapphFic Pride Collection, which contains eight standalone books from some of the top authors in sapphic fiction today. Each one promises a Pride theme and a happy ending. The collection was organized by I Heart SapphFic, which is a website for authors and readers of sapphic fiction to stay up to date on all the latest sapphic fiction news.
Willow Arches is a queer-destination small town, but Paige doesn’t know that—she’s never even heard of it before a granduncle she never knew about passes and leaves his restaurant, Faux Pas, in her name. A real estate developer by day, for Paige, renovating the restaurant to sell it for a tidy profit is a no-brainer.
But things get harder when the restaurant is in shambles, the town’s bustling queer population is in full force when she arrives right at the start of Pride, and all of them want her gone. With no practical or people skills, and no cooking skills to run the restaurant, she’s in a world of trouble—until Willow Arches’ most eligible bachelorette, brooding soft-butch lumberjane Madison Hartley, sweeps her off her feet and kisses her in the public square.
It’s a tenuous deal: Madison’s help with the restaurant, in exchange for a fake relationship, to keep the suitors off her back for Pride month. Sure, Paige has a massive crush on her, but it’ll all work out somehow, right?
Right?
Faux Pas is a 70,000-word fake-dating small-town culinary romance between a hapless sunshine girl and the sexy grump who lives in the woods. Content warnings for open-door sex scenes, mentions of offscreen past drug use, some lesbian bullies who turn out to be all right in the end, and really, really bad attempts at cooking.
This book is part of the I Heart SapphFic Pride Collection, which contains eight standalone books from some of the top authors in sapphic fiction today. Each one promises a Pride theme and a happy ending. The collection was organized by I Heart SapphFic, which is a website for authors and readers of sapphic fiction to stay up to date on all the latest sapphic fiction news.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2022
177 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
About the author
Lily Seabrooke
37 books334 followersLily Seabrooke is a lesbian, trans woman, and author of sapphic romance that stars food, because odds are, at any given time, she's hungry.
Her interests include eating food, thinking about food, writing novels about food, and drinking coffee.
Her interests include eating food, thinking about food, writing novels about food, and drinking coffee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
June 15, 2022
This was a fun read for me. Paige is an unforgettable character in all her splendid dorkiness. Great story and writing. A fun way to celebrate Pride.
July 4, 2022
Paige.
A small town romance and this one is not bad even though I thought the characters got a bit over the top. Some of the townfolk, in particular, three members of the "angry lesbians club" for example, were rude and intrusive in the way they treated Paige and downright posessive in the way they handled Madison. It's weird.
And there's Paige too who's ditzy and airheaded, but she makes it up by being innocent, kind and positive and frankly speaking, I really, really like her. She's the main reason why I followed though with this story and ended up actually liking it. I rooted for her to succeed in whatever she wanted for the restaurant she inherited, looked forward to people treating her better and for her to get the girl.
A small town romance and this one is not bad even though I thought the characters got a bit over the top. Some of the townfolk, in particular, three members of the "angry lesbians club" for example, were rude and intrusive in the way they treated Paige and downright posessive in the way they handled Madison. It's weird.
And there's Paige too who's ditzy and airheaded, but she makes it up by being innocent, kind and positive and frankly speaking, I really, really like her. She's the main reason why I followed though with this story and ended up actually liking it. I rooted for her to succeed in whatever she wanted for the restaurant she inherited, looked forward to people treating her better and for her to get the girl.
June 8, 2022
This one was a struggle to finish. Didn’t care for the writing style or the mc Paige. She was the most ditzy person I’ve read about. I did like Madison and if not for her this would have been a DNF for me.
June 8, 2022
I was having a hard time at the start of the book because Madison was a bit of an arsehole, but luckily Paige has more patience than I do, and it turns out she's a softie. Madison really grew on me. She’s dope.
I think Paige is one of the most adorable characters I've ever read about, and if she were a real person I'd totally hit the fcuker in the face who ever thinks of intentionally hurting her. She gets a tad annoying with her “positivity” tho… 😱
Aside from meeting a great main like Paige, it took a while for me to get into the story and I was bordering on this being an okay read. The change in attitude from the Angry Lesbian's towards Paige and helping her made it all good.
I think Paige is one of the most adorable characters I've ever read about, and if she were a real person I'd totally hit the fcuker in the face who ever thinks of intentionally hurting her. She gets a tad annoying with her “positivity” tho… 😱
Aside from meeting a great main like Paige, it took a while for me to get into the story and I was bordering on this being an okay read. The change in attitude from the Angry Lesbian's towards Paige and helping her made it all good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2022
5 stars
I loved this book. Not only was the writing great, but the story was too. I loved the main characters, Paige and Madison and the way they acted around each other. I was nearly able to feel their chemistry. There were some great side characters too, especially Laura, Angeline and Frances. And of course Faux Pas as it plays an important part too. There is a lot of humour in this book too. There were several times that I laughed out loud. But the best thing of this story is the warmth in this story, it made me feel good. Recommend.
I loved this book. Not only was the writing great, but the story was too. I loved the main characters, Paige and Madison and the way they acted around each other. I was nearly able to feel their chemistry. There were some great side characters too, especially Laura, Angeline and Frances. And of course Faux Pas as it plays an important part too. There is a lot of humour in this book too. There were several times that I laughed out loud. But the best thing of this story is the warmth in this story, it made me feel good. Recommend.
April 11, 2024
Rounding up because the epilogue was exactly what I wanted and it really tied it together.
This was pure fun. Our main character was a hot mess with a heart of gold, and even I was charmed by her antics.
I appreciated that the author had the bravery to keep the character consistent throughout the book. Typically, we see tongue-tied characters get over their affliction as the romance gets underway. It was nice to see her stay tongue tied throughout. It's not something that would go away in a person after a month.
I liked the muscle girl love interest and the grumpy+sunshine pairing we had going on. I will say the secrets being held back from our lead were actually juicy. I find that when a secret isn't shared right away, it doesn't always seem worth it when the reveal finally happens. This one was pretty shocking.
Recommend if you are looking for an ice queen melting trope, but you want to see multiple ice queens melt.
This was pure fun. Our main character was a hot mess with a heart of gold, and even I was charmed by her antics.
I appreciated that the author had the bravery to keep the character consistent throughout the book. Typically, we see tongue-tied characters get over their affliction as the romance gets underway. It was nice to see her stay tongue tied throughout. It's not something that would go away in a person after a month.
I liked the muscle girl love interest and the grumpy+sunshine pairing we had going on. I will say the secrets being held back from our lead were actually juicy. I find that when a secret isn't shared right away, it doesn't always seem worth it when the reveal finally happens. This one was pretty shocking.
Recommend if you are looking for an ice queen melting trope, but you want to see multiple ice queens melt.
June 29, 2022
A very fun read!
June 6, 2022
First story I read by this author was part of the Love on Location anthology and I liked the style. I still like the style in this novella, but the main character is just a bit too ditzy for me.
The story is fun an Avery thing but Paige is just a little too oblivious, too gullible, too air headed I suppose. Her love interest is a perfect grump to this sunshine of a person. The fake dating is a bit intense and over the top, as is this town. I’m pretty sure it was all intended to be light and airy, but I’m wondering if it’s a little too much while I’m writing this.
The story is fun an Avery thing but Paige is just a little too oblivious, too gullible, too air headed I suppose. Her love interest is a perfect grump to this sunshine of a person. The fake dating is a bit intense and over the top, as is this town. I’m pretty sure it was all intended to be light and airy, but I’m wondering if it’s a little too much while I’m writing this.
August 17, 2022
I keep on trying LS but the writing doesn’t work for me. Part of the Independent SapphFic series and worth reading because of that… number 5 here I come.
June 4, 2022
The second book I've read by this author, and the second book I've tried in this multiple author series (though I only got 77% into the first one before I had to stop reading). I read the first book by this author almost a year ago. Gave that one ~5 stars. Giving this one ~5 stars.
The book opens with the main character and only point of view character, Paige, driving towards a small town. Well, literally opens with her on the side of the road after one of her tires exploded. Settling into her new existence as someone on the side of the road, she spots an absolutely gorgeous woman come over and offer to help her. Before she can mumble much, her tire has been changed/fixed. Whereupon she was pointed towards the town and told to go forth.
The two meet again while Paige is being bullied and mocked by three lesbians. The three spot her savior and immediately begin gossiping about how gorgeous she is and how they want her (or something like that). Alternating ignoring Paige, mocking Paige, and mooning over Madison (the name of that tall gorgeous butch). I haven't actually mentioned them meeting, eh? Well that occurs when Madison walks right up to Paige and kisses her right in front of everyone in the town (I forgot to mention that this is a town basically made up of LGBT people and its Pride Month).
Why'd Madison do that? Was she just taken with her first meeting with Paige? No - she decided to "use" Paige as a shield. They'd pretend to date so that people wouldn't fling themselves at Madison. This plan being conveyed after Madison openly kissed Paige not before.
So Paige and Madison pretend date. While Madison helps Paige do what she was in the small town to do: take the restaurant she inherited, rebuild it, and sell the place.
Besides being a gorgeous butch everyone wants, Madison is also super grumpy and seemingly anti-social. Living out in the woods by herself doing stuff like chop wood. Appearances are not always what they seem.
Besides being helpless with blown tires, and keeping from lusting after Madison, Paige is a successful real estate developer in San Francisco. And the kind of woman who only seems to own dresses (in the beginning there was a point made that she kept putting on and wearing dresses, though noting her clothing didn't seem to keep up throughout the book). She's also . . . I'm not really sure how to describe her. At one point "airhead" gets used, and my initial reaction was something like "wait, what?" But, eh, probably depends on definitions. She seemed less like what I'd think of as an airhead, and more like someone that babbled a lot, was easily distracted, and almost never "caught on" immediately when people said . . . well, anything. Though she'd also almost always realize what they meant almost immediately after getting it wrong initially.
Someone: "Take the stage."
Her: "Where? Where am I taking the stage? *few seconds* oh, you mean get on it."
She'd also have trouble keeping on topic, but also easily lead back to it.
Right, so. Let's move on.
Liked the characters, those with and without POV's; those who were main and those who were side characters. A few moments were humorous. Romance was nice enough. Story was solid-ish. Enjoyable book.
Now back to seeing if I can finish that first book I started in this series.
Rating: 5
June 3 2022
The book opens with the main character and only point of view character, Paige, driving towards a small town. Well, literally opens with her on the side of the road after one of her tires exploded. Settling into her new existence as someone on the side of the road, she spots an absolutely gorgeous woman come over and offer to help her. Before she can mumble much, her tire has been changed/fixed. Whereupon she was pointed towards the town and told to go forth.
The two meet again while Paige is being bullied and mocked by three lesbians. The three spot her savior and immediately begin gossiping about how gorgeous she is and how they want her (or something like that). Alternating ignoring Paige, mocking Paige, and mooning over Madison (the name of that tall gorgeous butch). I haven't actually mentioned them meeting, eh? Well that occurs when Madison walks right up to Paige and kisses her right in front of everyone in the town (I forgot to mention that this is a town basically made up of LGBT people and its Pride Month).
Why'd Madison do that? Was she just taken with her first meeting with Paige? No - she decided to "use" Paige as a shield. They'd pretend to date so that people wouldn't fling themselves at Madison. This plan being conveyed after Madison openly kissed Paige not before.
So Paige and Madison pretend date. While Madison helps Paige do what she was in the small town to do: take the restaurant she inherited, rebuild it, and sell the place.
Besides being a gorgeous butch everyone wants, Madison is also super grumpy and seemingly anti-social. Living out in the woods by herself doing stuff like chop wood. Appearances are not always what they seem.
Besides being helpless with blown tires, and keeping from lusting after Madison, Paige is a successful real estate developer in San Francisco. And the kind of woman who only seems to own dresses (in the beginning there was a point made that she kept putting on and wearing dresses, though noting her clothing didn't seem to keep up throughout the book). She's also . . . I'm not really sure how to describe her. At one point "airhead" gets used, and my initial reaction was something like "wait, what?" But, eh, probably depends on definitions. She seemed less like what I'd think of as an airhead, and more like someone that babbled a lot, was easily distracted, and almost never "caught on" immediately when people said . . . well, anything. Though she'd also almost always realize what they meant almost immediately after getting it wrong initially.
Someone: "Take the stage."
Her: "Where? Where am I taking the stage? *few seconds* oh, you mean get on it."
She'd also have trouble keeping on topic, but also easily lead back to it.
Right, so. Let's move on.
Liked the characters, those with and without POV's; those who were main and those who were side characters. A few moments were humorous. Romance was nice enough. Story was solid-ish. Enjoyable book.
Now back to seeing if I can finish that first book I started in this series.
Rating: 5
June 3 2022
October 30, 2022
Absolutely wonderful. Lily Seabrook had been one of my favourite authors for a while, and this might be my new favourite of her books. It's so sweet, the characters and character development are just...ugh I loved every minute of it and I'm going to miss these characters! Watching these big gay dorks figure out how to communicate is such a treat.
August 14, 2024
Another gem from my TBR shelves! And a fun, and funny, opposites attract, slow burn, fake romance love story! Paige is so quirky and funny, especially when she's really trying to explain herself or cooking! Madison has personal demons that Paige helps her demolish. But it takes time. I love this book! Lily did a great job with this story. 5 stars!
July 31, 2022
I have never before read a book with a main character that is this ditzy. It's mostly endearing. Mostly.
Initially, Paige comes off as city-savvy, but otherwise clueless. As time goes on, she mostly just becomes more clueless, and as others point out, helpless. To the point you almost start to wonder how she made it to adulthood. But she did. Somehow. And I mostly didn't mind it. She was written well, in a sweet and charming way. Her repeated word-salad had me laughing out loud. But it got to be too much near the end, as if Lily Seabrooke ran out of ideas on how to make her clumsy and silly, but intelligent, and she segued into, well, stupid. Two examples:
One: "I usually read aloud even when I'm alone," I said. "It, uh...it just helps me visualize the story."
"So, really," Madison said, "I had no choice but to show up."
Angeline blinked fast. "Who in the world reads aloud when they're alone?"
"Oh, me, I do that," I said. "Wait, I just said that."
Yeah, I rolled my eyes, too.
Example two: "Man, just gimme your cell, we can talk that way."
I blinked. "Um-like-what kind of cells? Do you need a hair?"
He stared.
"Does it...need to be a living cell?"
He kept staring.
"Oh. Cell phone. Phone number. Yeah. I can do that."
That was not funny. That was ridiculous. And makes no sense, because just a couple of scenes prior, Paige was literally exchanging phone numbers with Angeline, and it was her idea! WTF??
But there were parts that were genuinely funny. Such as: 'I did the live reading at the library. I was so nervous I started with the book upside-down and got confused why the words looked wrong, and I didn't even get through the first paragraph before I completely forgot what the word 'through' was and mispronounced it four completely different ways before I remembered what it was....'
Yeah, me, too, Paige. Me, too.
As for Madison, I loved her. I thought she was a great character. Wonderfully sarcastic and a little harsh and not great with people. That is a personality type I know well. As it turns out, she was mostly gruff because she was grieving, not because she hates everyone. But I thought she was great, and consistently written. I hate character arcs that turn someone into a whole new person in one book. Just no.
And the Angry Lesbians Club? I still hate them. Yes, their motivations became clear later on, and maybe they weren't so bad, but they were still bitches. 'Once bitten, twice shy'. True, yes, but that doesn't excuse the way they acted, and not nearly enough apologies went around.
Also, I kept getting confused as to the past. Even when it was being explained, it was still hard to follow, because apparently, when talking about past events, no one can just...be clear. Like the whole thing with the drugs, and her ex being the one selling them? I had to read that, like, 5 times, and then just stop and really think about it, before I felt like I got it. And maybe I just shouldn't read late at night, but I felt that could have been laid out a little more clearly than it was.
All in all, three stars, because it made me laugh a lot and because I loved Madison. Oh, and also because it was nice to have a sex scene it which it wasn't just one-and-done, or maybe-I-can-take-a-second-orgasm. Because does no fictional character have ANY stamina??
Initially, Paige comes off as city-savvy, but otherwise clueless. As time goes on, she mostly just becomes more clueless, and as others point out, helpless. To the point you almost start to wonder how she made it to adulthood. But she did. Somehow. And I mostly didn't mind it. She was written well, in a sweet and charming way. Her repeated word-salad had me laughing out loud. But it got to be too much near the end, as if Lily Seabrooke ran out of ideas on how to make her clumsy and silly, but intelligent, and she segued into, well, stupid. Two examples:
One: "I usually read aloud even when I'm alone," I said. "It, uh...it just helps me visualize the story."
"So, really," Madison said, "I had no choice but to show up."
Angeline blinked fast. "Who in the world reads aloud when they're alone?"
"Oh, me, I do that," I said. "Wait, I just said that."
Yeah, I rolled my eyes, too.
Example two: "Man, just gimme your cell, we can talk that way."
I blinked. "Um-like-what kind of cells? Do you need a hair?"
He stared.
"Does it...need to be a living cell?"
He kept staring.
"Oh. Cell phone. Phone number. Yeah. I can do that."
That was not funny. That was ridiculous. And makes no sense, because just a couple of scenes prior, Paige was literally exchanging phone numbers with Angeline, and it was her idea! WTF??
But there were parts that were genuinely funny. Such as: 'I did the live reading at the library. I was so nervous I started with the book upside-down and got confused why the words looked wrong, and I didn't even get through the first paragraph before I completely forgot what the word 'through' was and mispronounced it four completely different ways before I remembered what it was....'
Yeah, me, too, Paige. Me, too.
As for Madison, I loved her. I thought she was a great character. Wonderfully sarcastic and a little harsh and not great with people. That is a personality type I know well. As it turns out, she was mostly gruff because she was grieving, not because she hates everyone. But I thought she was great, and consistently written. I hate character arcs that turn someone into a whole new person in one book. Just no.
And the Angry Lesbians Club? I still hate them. Yes, their motivations became clear later on, and maybe they weren't so bad, but they were still bitches. 'Once bitten, twice shy'. True, yes, but that doesn't excuse the way they acted, and not nearly enough apologies went around.
Also, I kept getting confused as to the past. Even when it was being explained, it was still hard to follow, because apparently, when talking about past events, no one can just...be clear. Like the whole thing with the drugs, and her ex being the one selling them? I had to read that, like, 5 times, and then just stop and really think about it, before I felt like I got it. And maybe I just shouldn't read late at night, but I felt that could have been laid out a little more clearly than it was.
All in all, three stars, because it made me laugh a lot and because I loved Madison. Oh, and also because it was nice to have a sex scene it which it wasn't just one-and-done, or maybe-I-can-take-a-second-orgasm. Because does no fictional character have ANY stamina??
December 7, 2022
Over The Top, But In A Good Way
Everything was over the top: the town mean girls, Paige’s Ernest cluelessness, but it also made it endearing. And Madison, with all of her baggage, served as a nice counterpoint to it all.
I think what brought this to a four-star read for me was that I did not expect all of the intricacies of Madison’s backstory and how it connected to Paige. And when the relationship conflict came to head, I didn’t feel like it was only created just for conflict. I think I would read more by this author.
Everything was over the top: the town mean girls, Paige’s Ernest cluelessness, but it also made it endearing. And Madison, with all of her baggage, served as a nice counterpoint to it all.
I think what brought this to a four-star read for me was that I did not expect all of the intricacies of Madison’s backstory and how it connected to Paige. And when the relationship conflict came to head, I didn’t feel like it was only created just for conflict. I think I would read more by this author.
Read
May 31, 2023So what's Paige's back story? I must've missed the ex- and granduncles connection, b/c I was confused at the big revelation towards the end. It was cute enough, but not my style. Not only was the town full of gays, but full of gays that loved to all say "touche" too much. Interested to read at least one more of Lily's efforts to see if it was just the story that didn't resonate, because she writes body language really well and I can picture the scenes clearly.
June 11, 2022
First book I read by this author. It was enjoyable. Not a huge fan of first person stories. I like seeing both MCs POV, but still good job. I liked Paige mostly except her rambling got annoying and Madison kept some massive secrets that were instantly forgiven. Not sure how realistic that is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2022
When Paige inherits a rundown small town restaurant from a relative she never knew, it takes less than a day for her to realize she’s in over her head. She has zero cooking or building repair skills and half the town already seems to hate her. But when the uber capable Madison offers to help Paige in exchange for her participation in a fake relationship to keep away unwanted advances, Paige has the chance to learn things she never thought possible and maybe even win the hearts of the eccentric town people and her fake girlfriend.
Faux Pas is hot, hilarious, and heartwarming. With her hapless but guileless charm, Paige is an impossibly endearing main character. Her knack for seeing good in even the most acerbic personalities wins over the reader just as thoroughly as it does Madison and the colorful queer community she stumbles into. Watching her blunders and surprising triumphs is entertaining from start to finish.
If you enjoy laugh out loud sapphic romcom, you’ll be enthralled with Faux Pas.
Faux Pas is hot, hilarious, and heartwarming. With her hapless but guileless charm, Paige is an impossibly endearing main character. Her knack for seeing good in even the most acerbic personalities wins over the reader just as thoroughly as it does Madison and the colorful queer community she stumbles into. Watching her blunders and surprising triumphs is entertaining from start to finish.
If you enjoy laugh out loud sapphic romcom, you’ll be enthralled with Faux Pas.
June 16, 2022
Good book
Paige is the most funniest and 100 mph person I have ever read, and love her. She has a way that the three mean girls end up liking her and helping her with Faux Pas while she helps them in her corny way. Madison helps fix the restaurant and helps Paige learn to cook but in return Paige has to be Madison fake girlfriend to keep the three mean girls away. Paige ends up wanting the restaurant and to make her and Madison a real couple. Love all the funny things and how Paige wins everyone over.
Paige is the most funniest and 100 mph person I have ever read, and love her. She has a way that the three mean girls end up liking her and helping her with Faux Pas while she helps them in her corny way. Madison helps fix the restaurant and helps Paige learn to cook but in return Paige has to be Madison fake girlfriend to keep the three mean girls away. Paige ends up wanting the restaurant and to make her and Madison a real couple. Love all the funny things and how Paige wins everyone over.
June 15, 2022
Great.
I really enjoyed Faux Pas. There are quite a few unexpected twists. Enough to keep you engaged all the way to the end.
I really enjoyed Faux Pas. There are quite a few unexpected twists. Enough to keep you engaged all the way to the end.
July 1, 2023
Loved that. I’m a sucker for the fake dating trope🙄
August 1, 2023
So far I’ve liked the rest of the books in this sapphic series but this one was rough.
The only reason I didn’t DNF was because of Madison. Paige was awful. It’s one thing to be a little ditzy but even she couldn’t even follow the most basic conversations. Her word vomit got increasingly more annoying to read throughout the book. There was one relatively intelligent paragraph about her job that felt like it was from a completely different character and out of place. She’s supposed to work for a property developer in her other life but has no clue about any aspects of running a property. I get there are differences between working in an office and hands on but …
There was a lot of backstory that was just confusing and a bit contradictory. No one just came out and said anything clearly about something that happened in the past and it got difficult at times to fill in all the blanks.
There were several times I wanted to quit but thought maybe there would be some redemption. Once it became clear redemption wouldn’t happen I felt like I had invested so much time and energy into the book that I had to finish it.
The only reason I didn’t DNF was because of Madison. Paige was awful. It’s one thing to be a little ditzy but even she couldn’t even follow the most basic conversations. Her word vomit got increasingly more annoying to read throughout the book. There was one relatively intelligent paragraph about her job that felt like it was from a completely different character and out of place. She’s supposed to work for a property developer in her other life but has no clue about any aspects of running a property. I get there are differences between working in an office and hands on but …
There was a lot of backstory that was just confusing and a bit contradictory. No one just came out and said anything clearly about something that happened in the past and it got difficult at times to fill in all the blanks.
There were several times I wanted to quit but thought maybe there would be some redemption. Once it became clear redemption wouldn’t happen I felt like I had invested so much time and energy into the book that I had to finish it.
July 23, 2022
This one didn’t connect for me as much as it did for other readers that I trust. Paige Farrell inherits a restaurant from a relative she didn’t know in the small town of Willow Arches. She is a real estate developer and her plans are to come to town, renovate and sell it. The town itself is cute and very gay friendly. But the restaurant is going to need a lot more work than expected. Madison Hartley is a brusk lumberjane and for reasons of her own says she will help Paige renovate in exchange for posing as her girlfriend for Pride month. I disliked Madison and found her very much a controlling bully in the beginning. Of course she isn’t as bad as that but because of her lack of communication made my dislike continued longer than it should. Paige is likable and people pleasing and wins over the townspeople but that doesn’t mean she has skills to run a restaurant. The book is over the top in silliness so I’m going to blame myself for not enjoying it more.
July 31, 2024
Okay this only took me this long to read because I was reading 6000 things at once 💀
Anyway! This was one of my favorites in the collection thus far. Loved the setting of a small town and a redemption arc. Can’t wait to read the rest!
Anyway! This was one of my favorites in the collection thus far. Loved the setting of a small town and a redemption arc. Can’t wait to read the rest!
June 7, 2022
Miss Helpless wins over the town!
Paige has never heard of Willow Arches, a small town queer destination, before her grand uncle passes away and leaves her his restaurant, Faux Pas. As a real estate broker in San Francisco, her goal is to renovate it and sell quickly, but she arrives at the beginning of Pride month and everything changes for her when she meets Madison, a lumberjane who truly idolized her grand uncle.
Full of humor and plenty of good things, this rom-com was nothing like I had ever read before. Paige has to be the least pretentious character I've ever read. Her dialogue and inner monologue sped through this book at 100 mph. I, as the reader, couldn't take a breath until someone else talked! The adrenaline just pumped through Paige's body. However, her naivete and friendly spirit were really special. This young and delightful young lady won over the entire Pride community and I hope she wins over thousands of readers, too. It's a charming, delightful book!
Paige has never heard of Willow Arches, a small town queer destination, before her grand uncle passes away and leaves her his restaurant, Faux Pas. As a real estate broker in San Francisco, her goal is to renovate it and sell quickly, but she arrives at the beginning of Pride month and everything changes for her when she meets Madison, a lumberjane who truly idolized her grand uncle.
Full of humor and plenty of good things, this rom-com was nothing like I had ever read before. Paige has to be the least pretentious character I've ever read. Her dialogue and inner monologue sped through this book at 100 mph. I, as the reader, couldn't take a breath until someone else talked! The adrenaline just pumped through Paige's body. However, her naivete and friendly spirit were really special. This young and delightful young lady won over the entire Pride community and I hope she wins over thousands of readers, too. It's a charming, delightful book!
April 13, 2023
Delightfully Ridiculously Cute
Paige is a city girl. She’s also helplessly delightfully ridiculously cute. And she couldn’t tell a lie to save her own life. This optimistic happy force of nature who has no idea of what a force she really is becomes the focus of an entire small town where many ghosts still lurk on the shadowy edge of people’s lives.
Madison ostensibly wants Paige to be her fake girlfriend for Pride month. Paige agrees but finds herself drawn into Madison’s wake quickly.
But as a slow burn romance develops between Paige and Madison, Madison and the entire rest of the town must first come to grips with each of their personal demons.
Will the past tear them all apart? Or can Paige renovate her grand uncle’s restaurant and help each of them move forward with their lives?
A lovely book!
Paige is a city girl. She’s also helplessly delightfully ridiculously cute. And she couldn’t tell a lie to save her own life. This optimistic happy force of nature who has no idea of what a force she really is becomes the focus of an entire small town where many ghosts still lurk on the shadowy edge of people’s lives.
Madison ostensibly wants Paige to be her fake girlfriend for Pride month. Paige agrees but finds herself drawn into Madison’s wake quickly.
But as a slow burn romance develops between Paige and Madison, Madison and the entire rest of the town must first come to grips with each of their personal demons.
Will the past tear them all apart? Or can Paige renovate her grand uncle’s restaurant and help each of them move forward with their lives?
A lovely book!
June 18, 2022
A Great Story for Sapphic Pride Book 4!
I love Lily Seabrooke’s writing and storytelling. This book had some heartbreaking and heartwarming pieces to it and it unraveled into a sweet and loving story. Paige inherits a restaurant from a GranUncle she didn’t know about. Madison is the local lumberjane who is a loner but the town gay women want her. So Madison decides that Paige should be her girlfriend during Pride to keep the women from hitting on her. In exchange Madison will help Paige get the restaurant up and running. But they are up against so many obstacles including the mean lesbian girls. I enjoy the story but must confess I still don’t understand what went on between Maya and Paige’s uncle.
I love Lily Seabrooke’s writing and storytelling. This book had some heartbreaking and heartwarming pieces to it and it unraveled into a sweet and loving story. Paige inherits a restaurant from a GranUncle she didn’t know about. Madison is the local lumberjane who is a loner but the town gay women want her. So Madison decides that Paige should be her girlfriend during Pride to keep the women from hitting on her. In exchange Madison will help Paige get the restaurant up and running. But they are up against so many obstacles including the mean lesbian girls. I enjoy the story but must confess I still don’t understand what went on between Maya and Paige’s uncle.
July 13, 2022
Wow! Excuse me for a moment while I cool myself down after that epilogue! And really, after that book! Paige's dialogue sounds like the inside of my brain sometimes, and while Madison puts up such a front; once we get behind that to see the real Madison, especially to see her through Paige's eyes, this becomes a couple I can't get enough of! As a small-town girl myself, I love a good fictional small-town setting, and Willow Arches is a fun place to get to know as Paige gets to know it and its people.
If I had to find a flaw, I'd probably only complain that I wish it was longer: that's not a criticism; it's just that Lily Seabrooke has brought me people and a place that I don't want to leave, but as all books does, it has a final page…and so I must go
If I had to find a flaw, I'd probably only complain that I wish it was longer: that's not a criticism; it's just that Lily Seabrooke has brought me people and a place that I don't want to leave, but as all books does, it has a final page…and so I must go
August 5, 2022
Loved this book!
I found this story to be both compelling and delightful. Paige is funny, goofy, and full of insecurities, but underneath all that, she's got unexpected strength. And she grows through the course of the novel.
Madison is the opposite: grumpy, emotionally distant, but very competent in multiple ways. She also changes and grows. As do the little group of mean lesbians who bully Paige in the beginning.
It might be easy to dismiss this story as lightweight because of the humor and Paige's silliness, but that would be a mistake. Underneath the lighthearted themes are threads with weight and consequence not often found in a romance. Good stuff!
Great work, Ms. Seabrooke!
I found this story to be both compelling and delightful. Paige is funny, goofy, and full of insecurities, but underneath all that, she's got unexpected strength. And she grows through the course of the novel.
Madison is the opposite: grumpy, emotionally distant, but very competent in multiple ways. She also changes and grows. As do the little group of mean lesbians who bully Paige in the beginning.
It might be easy to dismiss this story as lightweight because of the humor and Paige's silliness, but that would be a mistake. Underneath the lighthearted themes are threads with weight and consequence not often found in a romance. Good stuff!
Great work, Ms. Seabrooke!
July 25, 2022
love soft butches!!! ❤️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🌈🌎🐾
I want to live in an LGBTQIA+ community. Willow Arches sounds perfect to me. I’d like to know where it is.
This story brought two women together by chance, or so it appeared. Paige and Madison’s journey was one of discovery, trust, and love. The secondary characters were antagonistic at first. But the coven soon figured out the Paige had sincere intentions to rebuild Faux Pas and love Madison with her whole being. A very good read. I heartily recommend this and any other works by Lily Seabrooke. Thank you
Peace
I want to live in an LGBTQIA+ community. Willow Arches sounds perfect to me. I’d like to know where it is.
This story brought two women together by chance, or so it appeared. Paige and Madison’s journey was one of discovery, trust, and love. The secondary characters were antagonistic at first. But the coven soon figured out the Paige had sincere intentions to rebuild Faux Pas and love Madison with her whole being. A very good read. I heartily recommend this and any other works by Lily Seabrooke. Thank you
Peace
June 4, 2022
This is not a Faux Pas - cute romance
Paige is a unique character and I like her.
Lily Seabrooke has created a complicated mess to position Paige where she is needed. Then makes the most of it in the most delightful ways. I like the town and its people. They are just as important to Paige's story as she is. Seabrooke creates a memorable and unique addition to the Sapphic Pride Collection.
Paige is a unique character and I like her.
Lily Seabrooke has created a complicated mess to position Paige where she is needed. Then makes the most of it in the most delightful ways. I like the town and its people. They are just as important to Paige's story as she is. Seabrooke creates a memorable and unique addition to the Sapphic Pride Collection.
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