Variance

by Zoe Abrams

Mariana Ellis operated in the shadows. A tracker able to find anyone, Mari buried herself into her work, running from her haunting past.But, when a young woman from the Slums goes missing, Mari finds herself in the middle of something much larger than she anticipated.In too deep, Mari's only choice is to turn to Parker, the grudge he holds keeping them apart for ten years, and Sebastian whose scars run deeper than the secrets he keeps.With not just her heart on the line, Mari must decide to accept their help, or continue on her own.Facing her past will be impossible, but isn't saving someone worth it?*Variance is a standalone, MFM romance and is suitable for mature readers only.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2022

About the author

Zoe Abrams resides in the sometimes warm but mostly cold region of Michigan. She is happily married to a human man and has produced two offspring, which she is immensely proud of. Zoe writes all kinds of romance books, but they mostly tend to be on the sweeter side.

She enjoys reading, of course, journaling, knitting, cooking, and all things witchy. You'll most likely find her curled up with her heated blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book in the best lighting in her house. For aesthetic purposes.

Reviews

[Kylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first solo book release by Zoe, and she did an amazing job with it. I really loved the dynamics of the characters she built. They were all very interesting characters, and I loved to watch them grow individually throughout the book and together. I really liked how this world seemed very ahead of its time. This book has its twists, and I was most definitely looking forward to the next page as I read it.

The FMC Mari was a very strong person. She does not let anyone walk all over her. Can I just say plot twist! There were some things thrown at us that I was not expecting to see at all. It was such a fun read, and I loved being put on the edge while reading this book. I’m gonna save more about the characters for you all to read and find out more about😏.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. It gave some very nice SPICY scenes, and Zoe did an awesome job with these. I did not put it down. I loved the characters and would definitely read this book again. I can’t wait to see if Zoe will create more books in this world; it was amazing. Can’t wait to see what Zoe writes next!

[Suella.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Debut

Zoe knocked it out of the park with her debut solo book! I fell in love with this world, and with Mari and her men. The world building is great, and there were twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat! It’s been awhile since I’ve had a book throw me a curveball that I didn’t see coming, and this one delivered! It has some very nice 🔥🔥 scenes, especially when we have more than 2 people involved! 😜
We also meet some interesting side characters, and I would definitely love some more books set in this world!

[Lucinda Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Mari. She is such a strong will person and doesn't allow anyone to boss her around. A strong woman is always something I look forward to in a book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole book. I finished it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Definitely will be putting this book on my re-read list.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

I really loved Mari. She was very strong willed and wouldn't let anyone push her around, including her own friends, which I admired. I loved the futuristic twist on the world, it gave an almost dystopian feel to it. It was really interesting to read.

I didn't see the plot twist coming even though I had a bad feeling leading up to it. It still caught me by surprised and I was hooked.

Thank you Zoe for giving me an ARC to review!

[Cozy Ginger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much for providing me with an ARC for this book, I truly appreciate it. I want to be sure to provide an honest review of the book.

There were a lot of fun elements to this book but unfortunately for me it fell flat. It presents like a dystopian world however when those elements ( phones are now holos, a sort of caste system etc ) are removed it just feels like a normal urban setting story. To me that usually means the world building isn’t strong and certain elements don’t necessarily need to be there since they can be easily taken out and the story continues on. I would have loved it if the author expanded more on this new world and breathed life into it.

The story felt like a race track with mini obstacles in the way that were easily solved within a few pages. Sometimes I felt like the reactions to situations were misplaced and odd. Which brings me to the dialogue; it felt very juvenile and clipped. Certain wordage was repeatedly used throughout the book, and when this happens it tends to stick out like a sore thumb to me. It didn’t feel like the characters were saying much of anything and if they did it had no depth to it.

The characters supposedly had this childhood connection but it was completely glossed over. I would have loved to know more about them, to get me invested in their lives and make me care about them. There, again, felt like there was no depth to them. I’d love to know more because they have such potential!

The spice was good! I felt it was repetitive in the order of which things went down.

I probably won’t continue reading this author but I would recommend it to someone looking for a beach read. I know my book club wouldn’t be into it but I know this book is for someone. This is the authors debut and I think they have a lot of potential however this book fell flat for me.

[Austarus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally, this book had me hooked in specific chapters. The starting points regarding each character gave me a page-turning sense in that I needed to know how Mari was going to figure things out with her current case as well as the skeletons that people around her kept hidden. The plot twists were timed well and the details that went into certain *spicy* scenes were pretty to me. One thing that did stand out to me was that the world building aspect wasn't super strong/detailed at the start which had me filling in some blanks with my own imagination. I'm not sure if that was the intended element or not, but it seemed like Variance took place at the start of a dystopian society rather than how deeply rooted it could have been. Another thing to me was that I felt certain links/relationships were a bit rushed. I do admire that there were trigger warnings address at the very beginning as to give the readers a sense of what they are getting into with the story. Mad respect for that!

I truly do appreciate being an ARC reader for this book. As with any book, this is just the start of something that could become truly beautiful or a masterpiece with time.

[leora shep · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very well written and loved all the characters. Mari is a complete badass and I loved watching her character grow throughout the book. I loved the character development of the rest of the characters as well. The suspense was there but at some points I felt that the story was a bit dragged out (but that may have just been me wanting to know what happens next). The ending was fantastic and totally not what I expected. The writing was absolutely amazing and overall I was really captured by the story. There were a few chapters that were a bit too graphic/sexual in my opinion (but I know some people love that stuff but this is just my opinion). I would definitely recommend this book.
Thank you Zoe for the ARC. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This a Zoe Adrams debut book and it was such a good read. I was hooked until the end. Mari is such a badass, strong female lead. I also love both Parker and Sebastian characters as well. The book keep me in suspense until the end. I really enjoyed the spicy scenes with Mari and her men. I also enjoyed the side characters and I wouldn’t mind reading more about this world.

I would recommend if you like:
* Badass female lead
* suspense
* spicy scenes 🔥🔥

Be sure to check your trigger before reading.

A special thanks to Zoe for giving me an ARC to review.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Variance combines the best of romance with a mysterious plot and a hint of fantasy/dystopian. The mystery-like plot keeps the reader engaged throughout, while the dystopian world creates an interesting backdrop for the book. The romance was inclusive, with representations outside of the heteronormative sphere, and the novel incorporated creative use of spicy scenes to further the plot and aid in character development. Overall, Variance is a great read for fans of TV shows like Fringe and Continuum, which straddle the line between science fiction and crime drama.

[Elie Quiroz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5
This is my first book by this author. I like the book overall. The setup and world-building are great. From the start, I was interested in the story of Mari and the people around her. I loved her woman boss attitude and her willingness to take on cases no matter what is stacked against her. Seb and Parker are both good love interests that pulled at Mari's heart.

I did not expect the twists and turns that it took with the villains in the story. Every chapter I was left on my toes, trying to figure out who was good or bad.
I

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story progression. It was decently paced and only seemed rushed in a couple of instances. It had a few curveballs that I only saw coming right before the reveals, which is always a pleasant surprise!

I'll be interested to see how the story continues between the three main characters.

[Kirsten Reda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! 😄 The main FMC is a strong willed badass, that doesn't let anyone push her around. 💪There were so many twists and turns that kept me in suspense until the end! I also loved the world building and the spicy scenes! 😏 🔥 I can't wait to see what Zoe will be putting out next!❤️