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These Thin Lines
Some lines should never be crossed...
In the heart of Paris, Chiara Conti is a Queen trapped in an Ivory Tower of haute couture, fortune and lovelessness. Lonely and dejected, she’s longing for inspiration, for direction, for understanding.
When Vi Courtenay falls at her feet, losing her shoe like a veritable Cinderella, events are set in motion that will unravel their carefully fashioned lives.
With everything tainted, will the thin lines they rend ever be mended?
In the heart of Paris, Chiara Conti is a Queen trapped in an Ivory Tower of haute couture, fortune and lovelessness. Lonely and dejected, she’s longing for inspiration, for direction, for understanding.
When Vi Courtenay falls at her feet, losing her shoe like a veritable Cinderella, events are set in motion that will unravel their carefully fashioned lives.
With everything tainted, will the thin lines they rend ever be mended?
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2023
271 people are currently reading
1976 people want to read
About the author
Milena McKay
20 books1,516 followersMilena McKay is a Lambda Literary and Golden Crown Literary Society award-winning sapphic fiction author.
She is a cat whisperer who wears four-inch heels for work while secretly dreaming of her extensive Converse collection. Would live on blueberries and lattes if she could.
Milena can recite certain episodes of The West Wing by heart and quote “Pride and Prejudice” in her sleep. Her love for Cate Blanchett's Carol Aird knows no bounds.
www.milenamckay.com
She is a cat whisperer who wears four-inch heels for work while secretly dreaming of her extensive Converse collection. Would live on blueberries and lattes if she could.
Milena can recite certain episodes of The West Wing by heart and quote “Pride and Prejudice” in her sleep. Her love for Cate Blanchett's Carol Aird knows no bounds.
www.milenamckay.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
October 16, 2023
Milena McKay knows how to write memorable entrances for her characters. Will we ever forget the moment that Magdalene Knox walked into the faculty meeting at Three Dragons and made her pronouncement? Doubtful. And while these characters are completely different, both make an impression right off the bat - setting the stage for another story that proves McKay is at the top of her game.
I fell in love with former supermodel/fashion designer Chiara Conti and klutzy-but-lovable blueblood intern Vi Courtenay at the outset. There are no ice queens here, which is refreshing considering Chiara is one of the most beautiful and accomplished women in the world and Vi descends from royalty. But all is not what it seems for either woman. I have to wonder if McKay sensed that readers were still recovering from A Whisper of Solace's Neve Blackthorne and decided to give us a less painful, angsty read. That's not to say it's all smooth sailing or that this isn't as rich in story as her other works. It's just different, proving the author has much in her wheelhouse to draw from.
McKay writes deep longing and underappreciation with breathtaking insight and understanding. As we get to know both Chiara and Vi, we desperately want them to have the happiness they deserve. Chiara and Vi are at two different places in their lives. While Chiara has life experience and success, she also has ties and baggage. The younger Vi is still trying to find her place in the world but has to scale deep-seated emotional mountains to get there. Hers and Chiara's well fleshed out backstories provide everything we need to know about who they are and why they make some of the decisions they do - even when it hurts them.
Their story is beautiful and I felt Vi's utter infatuation and Chiara's warmth to my core. As is her way, McKay wraps the romance in smart, interesting storytelling and gives us some wonderful Easter Eggs along the way.
Fans of this author have gotten spoiled with Abby Craden narrating audiobook versions of her books. We are fortunate that she did this one as well and it was delicious. Abby chose not to voice Chiara with an Italian accent. Why, I don't know for sure - but I surmise she wanted to make sure she could nail the emotional arc while perhaps not feeling she could do it enough justice having to focus on the accent as well. Regardless, she used a low, sensual tone for Chiara and captured her character and emotions so beautifully that I don't feel like it took anything away from the experience. Craden had a number of accents to tackle here - none of them easy.
When I first read this wonderful story it was all in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. It kept me up until almost two in the morning and I had to go to work the next day. But hey - when Milena releases a new book, who needs sleep?!?
The audiobook version had me just as riveted. We are so fortunate to be able to experience McKay's incredible storytelling in this format as well!
Can't recommend this one enough, folks.
I fell in love with former supermodel/fashion designer Chiara Conti and klutzy-but-lovable blueblood intern Vi Courtenay at the outset. There are no ice queens here, which is refreshing considering Chiara is one of the most beautiful and accomplished women in the world and Vi descends from royalty. But all is not what it seems for either woman. I have to wonder if McKay sensed that readers were still recovering from A Whisper of Solace's Neve Blackthorne and decided to give us a less painful, angsty read. That's not to say it's all smooth sailing or that this isn't as rich in story as her other works. It's just different, proving the author has much in her wheelhouse to draw from.
McKay writes deep longing and underappreciation with breathtaking insight and understanding. As we get to know both Chiara and Vi, we desperately want them to have the happiness they deserve. Chiara and Vi are at two different places in their lives. While Chiara has life experience and success, she also has ties and baggage. The younger Vi is still trying to find her place in the world but has to scale deep-seated emotional mountains to get there. Hers and Chiara's well fleshed out backstories provide everything we need to know about who they are and why they make some of the decisions they do - even when it hurts them.
Their story is beautiful and I felt Vi's utter infatuation and Chiara's warmth to my core. As is her way, McKay wraps the romance in smart, interesting storytelling and gives us some wonderful Easter Eggs along the way.
Fans of this author have gotten spoiled with Abby Craden narrating audiobook versions of her books. We are fortunate that she did this one as well and it was delicious. Abby chose not to voice Chiara with an Italian accent. Why, I don't know for sure - but I surmise she wanted to make sure she could nail the emotional arc while perhaps not feeling she could do it enough justice having to focus on the accent as well. Regardless, she used a low, sensual tone for Chiara and captured her character and emotions so beautifully that I don't feel like it took anything away from the experience. Craden had a number of accents to tackle here - none of them easy.
When I first read this wonderful story it was all in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. It kept me up until almost two in the morning and I had to go to work the next day. But hey - when Milena releases a new book, who needs sleep?!?
The audiobook version had me just as riveted. We are so fortunate to be able to experience McKay's incredible storytelling in this format as well!
Can't recommend this one enough, folks.
February 4, 2023
Modern day Cinderella.
This is another fantastic story by Milena McKay who is one of my favourite authors. I love her books not only because she writes my favourite kinds of stories, i.e. ice queen, age gaps - but also because she writes very well. She writes in a way that draws me in and I'm referring to her style of writing and her use of language. The story plot is also good, the characters are charming and the romantic parts are exactly how I like them to be - passionate - and they always happen at the right moments. Not too early and not too late into the book.
This story is written in a modern day fairytale style, structured in two parts and in a way that flows well and has both POVs. The young and innocent 25 year old Vi has a crush on her older, married boss, Chiara. It's a puppy love crush and the dynamics between them is sweet. But the environment that they work in is toxic because of Chiara's spouse and I can't shake away the feeling that there's a bit of power imbalance between them, not only because of the professional hierarchy and age difference, but because of how besotted Vi is with Chiara. The good thing is, by the second part of the book, the couple dynamics appears to be a lot more balanced as Vi matures and becomes way sexier than before.
This is an excellent story for lovers of the ice queen and age gap tropes. Trust me, I was so engaged throughout the book and I couldn't put it down until the end.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is another fantastic story by Milena McKay who is one of my favourite authors. I love her books not only because she writes my favourite kinds of stories, i.e. ice queen, age gaps - but also because she writes very well. She writes in a way that draws me in and I'm referring to her style of writing and her use of language. The story plot is also good, the characters are charming and the romantic parts are exactly how I like them to be - passionate - and they always happen at the right moments. Not too early and not too late into the book.
This story is written in a modern day fairytale style, structured in two parts and in a way that flows well and has both POVs. The young and innocent 25 year old Vi has a crush on her older, married boss, Chiara. It's a puppy love crush and the dynamics between them is sweet. But the environment that they work in is toxic because of Chiara's spouse and I can't shake away the feeling that there's a bit of power imbalance between them, not only because of the professional hierarchy and age difference, but because of how besotted Vi is with Chiara. The good thing is, by the second part of the book, the couple dynamics appears to be a lot more balanced as Vi matures and becomes way sexier than before.
This is an excellent story for lovers of the ice queen and age gap tropes. Trust me, I was so engaged throughout the book and I couldn't put it down until the end.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Read
February 14, 2023‘These Thin Lines’ - Milena McKay
Within minutes of finishing ‘These Thin Lines’, I sent a message to Mila beginning with ‘WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?’ I know she blinked in pre-caffeinated concern but I was compelled to capitalise because with ‘These Thin Lines’ Milena has done what Milena always does with her novels; soaked her words in elegance and precision so we drown in the story’s fragile strength.
In the first few sentences of ‘These Thin Lines’, Milena proposes that we accept the fairytale of Cinderella as our reading GPS. Vi’s shoe, flung from her foot by the force of her stumble through the door of Lilien Haus of Fashion in Paris. The door which is opened by Chiara Conti who smiles at the puppy-like tangle of limbs. The door opened by Vi’s clumsiness. The door which opens hearts so we embark on a journey that incorporates generous servings of the Cinderella motif and a soupçon of others. Longing, lovelessness, ivory towers, and lines. Such thin lines.
Thin lines are particularly difficult to navigate. Bold lines? They are large, and safe. But thin lines require tentative movements, where you hold your breath, where you tingle with a sense of foreboding at the audacity of your step. Milena gives us the tentative audacity of Vi and Chiara. She gives us characters manipulating events where we hold our breaths as each revelation makes the story shiver, makes the lines wobble. She gives us lines.
Lines such as those which encircle Chiara, hiding in her attic of dreams and designs, in a marriage that binds her love to one who has crossed too many lines. Lines such as those tugging on Vi’s heart as she reaches across to grasp unattainable love.
“For as long as she could remember, she never could quite inhale with her whole chest around her father. She loved him, she wanted to please him and make him proud. He was all Vi ever had, and his approval was everything she ever dreamed about…and she was permanently looking for scraps from his table.”
The Cinderella motif navigates the tightrope of Milena’s story. In the fairytale, Cinderella, born into high society, is reduced to a state of degradation, and is forced to occupy a servile position. Milena gives us Vi, the new intern at Lilien Haus of Fashion. The gopher. The lackey. But we know, don’t we, that Cinderella emerges on certain festive occasions as a temporarily brilliant being, always returning to her obscure position, until at last she is recognised; after which she remains permanently brilliant, her period of eclipse having been brought to a close by her recognition, accomplished by the aid of her lost shoe or slipper. We know this because we know the fairytale.
Milena threads new interpretations into her story, like those threads in the clothes at Lilien Haus. Like Chiara who occupies a metaphorical servile position, designing the fashion lines in her attic, while others step into the glory that her work receives. Chiara also emerges on certain occasions, then retreats, but her light, her truth, appears, and ultimately she remains permanently brilliant, her period of eclipse brought to a close by her truth.
Accomplished by the aid of a lost shoe.
Over hundreds of years, the story of Cinderella has transformed from a dark tale of an independent woman seeking vengeance into the technicolour Disney version featuring the coy, helpless, feather-brained girl.
With her inimitable style, Milena plucks the best of these tales, the point of these tales, and entwines the past and present Cinderellas, to ensure that Vi is resourceful. That Vi has initiative. That Vi understands her ignorance. That Vi eventually forgives those crossing her lines. But Milena also ensures that Vi is to be rescued. That Vi is idealistic. That Vi is naive. That Vi is helpless. That Vi deserves everything. That Vi is paralysed by all those thin lines. That Vi hopes for love, and awaits her rescue because to do otherwise would mean that she is reduced to ash.
Milena’s characters poke fun at fairytales, through pointed, occasionally snarky, dialogue, often remarking on how similar their behaviour is to the characters in Cinderella.
“…As for all the fairytale bullshit…” Aoife gave her a direct look. It was remarkably steady. “Just remember that your princess is married. For better or for worse—”
It is a clever tool; one which adds layers to the story. Here is a fairytale; isn’t it cute? Here is a fairytale; look at these characters. Here is a fairytale; an allegorical homage.
Milena pays particular attention, as she does, to the language she uses, ensuring that while it is modernised, and current, it also has the feel of being slightly removed from the reader. We look on as the story of Vi and Chiara is revealed in the language of the haute bourgeoisie. Precise and measured. Laden with gossip. We are immersed in the story, yet watch from the stalls as the events gain momentum.
I must mention one particular element of the story. It’s a single word, but it’s so very Milena McKay. Chiara, for reasons I won’t divulge, creates a new fashion house and names it Chiaroscuro. I’m surprised Milena didn’t hear my gasp from eleventy billion kilometres away. I should have capitalised it. Outside of the novel, Chiaroscuro is an art movement which involves the combined use of light and shadow. However, the meeting point of these two values usually gives rise to sharp lines or contours. When you read it, you’ll notice that 'These Thin Lines’ is separated into two halves; ‘Candle’ (Vi’s story) and ‘Shadow’ (Chiara’s)
I know, absolutely, that Milena needed us to realise that Vi’s candle burns so brightly that shadows are exposed and illuminated to reveal their secrets. Like Chiara’s secret. But candle light is fragile. One breath and all is lost. Then the shadows creep forward. Act Two.
“Chiara deliberately shied away from the spotlight, keeping herself in the shadows, creating a sense of mystery about Chiaroscuro.”
See?
Here’s another piece of awesomeness. Chiara is speaking about Vi’s eyes; the depth, the experience, the shadow without the light.
“And there it was again, that silent something in those ash depths, something that hadn’t been there five years ago, when Chiara had known every shade, every shadow in them. But it had been here, hanging between them every second since Vi had stepped into Chiaroscuro, like a foreshadowing of things to come.”
‘These Thin Lines’ is a careful, delicate tribute to a fairytale, complete with a fairy Godmother, and a ball, and an unpleasant stepmother. We want Vi to have it all. We want Chiara to find it all. We want open spaces for them on the other side of those lines. We want.
The other morning, I shouted at Milena, “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?” The question led a parade of compliments and exclamations that filled her screen.
I was actually asking Milena why she writes like this. The answer is because she can.
Within minutes of finishing ‘These Thin Lines’, I sent a message to Mila beginning with ‘WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?’ I know she blinked in pre-caffeinated concern but I was compelled to capitalise because with ‘These Thin Lines’ Milena has done what Milena always does with her novels; soaked her words in elegance and precision so we drown in the story’s fragile strength.
In the first few sentences of ‘These Thin Lines’, Milena proposes that we accept the fairytale of Cinderella as our reading GPS. Vi’s shoe, flung from her foot by the force of her stumble through the door of Lilien Haus of Fashion in Paris. The door which is opened by Chiara Conti who smiles at the puppy-like tangle of limbs. The door opened by Vi’s clumsiness. The door which opens hearts so we embark on a journey that incorporates generous servings of the Cinderella motif and a soupçon of others. Longing, lovelessness, ivory towers, and lines. Such thin lines.
Thin lines are particularly difficult to navigate. Bold lines? They are large, and safe. But thin lines require tentative movements, where you hold your breath, where you tingle with a sense of foreboding at the audacity of your step. Milena gives us the tentative audacity of Vi and Chiara. She gives us characters manipulating events where we hold our breaths as each revelation makes the story shiver, makes the lines wobble. She gives us lines.
Lines such as those which encircle Chiara, hiding in her attic of dreams and designs, in a marriage that binds her love to one who has crossed too many lines. Lines such as those tugging on Vi’s heart as she reaches across to grasp unattainable love.
“For as long as she could remember, she never could quite inhale with her whole chest around her father. She loved him, she wanted to please him and make him proud. He was all Vi ever had, and his approval was everything she ever dreamed about…and she was permanently looking for scraps from his table.”
The Cinderella motif navigates the tightrope of Milena’s story. In the fairytale, Cinderella, born into high society, is reduced to a state of degradation, and is forced to occupy a servile position. Milena gives us Vi, the new intern at Lilien Haus of Fashion. The gopher. The lackey. But we know, don’t we, that Cinderella emerges on certain festive occasions as a temporarily brilliant being, always returning to her obscure position, until at last she is recognised; after which she remains permanently brilliant, her period of eclipse having been brought to a close by her recognition, accomplished by the aid of her lost shoe or slipper. We know this because we know the fairytale.
Milena threads new interpretations into her story, like those threads in the clothes at Lilien Haus. Like Chiara who occupies a metaphorical servile position, designing the fashion lines in her attic, while others step into the glory that her work receives. Chiara also emerges on certain occasions, then retreats, but her light, her truth, appears, and ultimately she remains permanently brilliant, her period of eclipse brought to a close by her truth.
Accomplished by the aid of a lost shoe.
Over hundreds of years, the story of Cinderella has transformed from a dark tale of an independent woman seeking vengeance into the technicolour Disney version featuring the coy, helpless, feather-brained girl.
With her inimitable style, Milena plucks the best of these tales, the point of these tales, and entwines the past and present Cinderellas, to ensure that Vi is resourceful. That Vi has initiative. That Vi understands her ignorance. That Vi eventually forgives those crossing her lines. But Milena also ensures that Vi is to be rescued. That Vi is idealistic. That Vi is naive. That Vi is helpless. That Vi deserves everything. That Vi is paralysed by all those thin lines. That Vi hopes for love, and awaits her rescue because to do otherwise would mean that she is reduced to ash.
Milena’s characters poke fun at fairytales, through pointed, occasionally snarky, dialogue, often remarking on how similar their behaviour is to the characters in Cinderella.
“…As for all the fairytale bullshit…” Aoife gave her a direct look. It was remarkably steady. “Just remember that your princess is married. For better or for worse—”
It is a clever tool; one which adds layers to the story. Here is a fairytale; isn’t it cute? Here is a fairytale; look at these characters. Here is a fairytale; an allegorical homage.
Milena pays particular attention, as she does, to the language she uses, ensuring that while it is modernised, and current, it also has the feel of being slightly removed from the reader. We look on as the story of Vi and Chiara is revealed in the language of the haute bourgeoisie. Precise and measured. Laden with gossip. We are immersed in the story, yet watch from the stalls as the events gain momentum.
I must mention one particular element of the story. It’s a single word, but it’s so very Milena McKay. Chiara, for reasons I won’t divulge, creates a new fashion house and names it Chiaroscuro. I’m surprised Milena didn’t hear my gasp from eleventy billion kilometres away. I should have capitalised it. Outside of the novel, Chiaroscuro is an art movement which involves the combined use of light and shadow. However, the meeting point of these two values usually gives rise to sharp lines or contours. When you read it, you’ll notice that 'These Thin Lines’ is separated into two halves; ‘Candle’ (Vi’s story) and ‘Shadow’ (Chiara’s)
I know, absolutely, that Milena needed us to realise that Vi’s candle burns so brightly that shadows are exposed and illuminated to reveal their secrets. Like Chiara’s secret. But candle light is fragile. One breath and all is lost. Then the shadows creep forward. Act Two.
“Chiara deliberately shied away from the spotlight, keeping herself in the shadows, creating a sense of mystery about Chiaroscuro.”
See?
Here’s another piece of awesomeness. Chiara is speaking about Vi’s eyes; the depth, the experience, the shadow without the light.
“And there it was again, that silent something in those ash depths, something that hadn’t been there five years ago, when Chiara had known every shade, every shadow in them. But it had been here, hanging between them every second since Vi had stepped into Chiaroscuro, like a foreshadowing of things to come.”
‘These Thin Lines’ is a careful, delicate tribute to a fairytale, complete with a fairy Godmother, and a ball, and an unpleasant stepmother. We want Vi to have it all. We want Chiara to find it all. We want open spaces for them on the other side of those lines. We want.
The other morning, I shouted at Milena, “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?” The question led a parade of compliments and exclamations that filled her screen.
I was actually asking Milena why she writes like this. The answer is because she can.
dnf
February 3, 2023I'm sad to say...this was a mess. So I've chosen to abandon ship while I can. There's a Cinderella-esque twist to this, but that just resulted in a naive, annoying, juvenile fmc. The plot in general is questionable and odd. One moment it feels kind of fairy-tale-like, and the next it's leaning into contemporary. Pragmatically, I skipped to one of the sx scenes to opinionate on that aspect. It was um...okay. Not too impressed on that front, and though bearable, it definitely wasn't good enough to save the book in general. I'd still be open to reading another one of McKay's future books, as I enjoyed The Headmistress, but this was a disappointment for sure. I'm sad to remove myself from the QLLC group read this month, but this did not work for me.
November 25, 2024
McKay uses words like a painter would use a paint brush. The aesthetic that emanates from her book is always artwork : from outside with the cover, the pictures and videos made to promote the book, to inside with the prose, rich vocabulary, the title of the chapters carefully chosen.
I had the impression of reading two books : first one took me in a parisian fairy tale haze, written with so much delicacy, giving me the feeling of holding fragile porcelaine. Two broken souls, seeking love and approbation from obnoxious people supposed to love them unconditionally, finding each other. I wish I could stay in that haze but the spell got broken eventually.
Second part took me in a contemporary second chance romance, more raw and feral.
The fairy tale theme is highly predominant with Cinderella and some Rapunzel vibes in an ivory tower, being each other knight in a shining armor. But there is another recurring theme in the book : light and shadow. I admire how McKay can follow a thread through her books : from the names of the two parts of the book, to Chiara’s inner battle between the comfort of staying in the shadow (first her wife’s, then her brand) and her attraction for the spotlight of recognition, after a lifelong of feeling like a disappointment. With McKay sense of detail, even Chiara’s brand reflects that duality.
I fell in love with Vi and Chiara, and of course McKay knows how to write rich side characters (special mention to Renate), then merging these new characters with beloved characters from the McKay universe.
What can I say about this book except that I loved it despite the main character said Belgian croissants were better than french ones and my french heart was DEEPLY offended 😝. There is just some points in the timeline and some plots that brought questions in my head but I can live with them.
If you read her previous work and liked it, you will certainly like These thin lines : It's less intense that A Whisper of Solace, holding the gold medal in that field, but the McKay's signature is definitely here, with a well balanced mix of plots, beauty and pain.
If her work is unknown to you, correct that ASAP.
I had the impression of reading two books : first one took me in a parisian fairy tale haze, written with so much delicacy, giving me the feeling of holding fragile porcelaine. Two broken souls, seeking love and approbation from obnoxious people supposed to love them unconditionally, finding each other. I wish I could stay in that haze but the spell got broken eventually.
Second part took me in a contemporary second chance romance, more raw and feral.
The fairy tale theme is highly predominant with Cinderella and some Rapunzel vibes in an ivory tower, being each other knight in a shining armor. But there is another recurring theme in the book : light and shadow. I admire how McKay can follow a thread through her books : from the names of the two parts of the book, to Chiara’s inner battle between the comfort of staying in the shadow (first her wife’s, then her brand) and her attraction for the spotlight of recognition, after a lifelong of feeling like a disappointment. With McKay sense of detail, even Chiara’s brand reflects that duality.
I fell in love with Vi and Chiara, and of course McKay knows how to write rich side characters (special mention to Renate), then merging these new characters with beloved characters from the McKay universe.
What can I say about this book except that I loved it despite the main character said Belgian croissants were better than french ones and my french heart was DEEPLY offended 😝. There is just some points in the timeline and some plots that brought questions in my head but I can live with them.
If you read her previous work and liked it, you will certainly like These thin lines : It's less intense that A Whisper of Solace, holding the gold medal in that field, but the McKay's signature is definitely here, with a well balanced mix of plots, beauty and pain.
If her work is unknown to you, correct that ASAP.
February 28, 2023
Enthralling. Every new Milena McKay book seems to up the ante. My mind was blown when I read Whisper of Solace which was a wild walk between love and obsession. If you haven’t read that Category 5 hurricane, look it up. I was ready for the next book by this author.
These Thin Lines is an age-gap entanglement that refuses to be ordinary. Chiara Conti is a supermodel turned couture genius. She creates the fashion lines that keep her wife’s Lilienfeld House in the luxury elite. Then a young, blue-blood intern stumbles her way into Chiara’s purview. Vi Courtenay can’t help herself. She had a poster of the Chiara up on the wall of her teenage bedroom and now she works in the same place as her idol. Yes, there’s humor in the story too.
Nothing is ever a linear, flat path in a McKay story so even though there is the high drama and misunderstandings that are typical of an angsty romance, there is much more to the book. Because in the end, people often already know the truths of their partners, their families, and themselves. It’s the reckoning that we await, so we read and watch with trepidation and thrill as Chiara and Vi make their way to the inevitable, time and time again.
I would say that Vi and Chiara are my favorite McKay characters so far, fragile but determined to be strong. The supporting characters, Aoife, Renate, and Zizou are wonderful as well. Binoche the cat steals her scenes. Highly recommend.
Received an arc courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.
These Thin Lines is an age-gap entanglement that refuses to be ordinary. Chiara Conti is a supermodel turned couture genius. She creates the fashion lines that keep her wife’s Lilienfeld House in the luxury elite. Then a young, blue-blood intern stumbles her way into Chiara’s purview. Vi Courtenay can’t help herself. She had a poster of the Chiara up on the wall of her teenage bedroom and now she works in the same place as her idol. Yes, there’s humor in the story too.
Nothing is ever a linear, flat path in a McKay story so even though there is the high drama and misunderstandings that are typical of an angsty romance, there is much more to the book. Because in the end, people often already know the truths of their partners, their families, and themselves. It’s the reckoning that we await, so we read and watch with trepidation and thrill as Chiara and Vi make their way to the inevitable, time and time again.
I would say that Vi and Chiara are my favorite McKay characters so far, fragile but determined to be strong. The supporting characters, Aoife, Renate, and Zizou are wonderful as well. Binoche the cat steals her scenes. Highly recommend.
Received an arc courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2023
I was lucky enough to get an arc for These Thin Lines by Milena McKay and once again I was blown away by the way this author writes a wistful, dreamy romance.
Chiara Conti is trapped in a life where she is constantly trying to be enough. She lives in a grey cloud and struggles to see beyond it. She desperately wants to be seen, be inspired, and be understood for who she is! Little did she know that the color grey in the form of eyes that can see into her soul would come to her rescue, lift her out of the cloud and shower her with love and acceptance.
Vi Courtenay’s life is a fairytale, she has a distant and withholding father, at times cruel stepmother, and stepsisters who are arrogant and dismissive. So, when she literally falls and loses her shoe like a modern-day Cinderella at the feet of the most beautiful woman, she’s ever seen she wasn’t that surprised. But when grey eyes meet amber ones, her world comes to a standstill, before one touch from the ethereal queen that is ‘The Chiara’ starts it spinning again, and Vi knows that something has changed and nothing in her world will ever be the same again.
Oh, how I love this book! The way this author writes always transports you to another time and place. I know it’s a contemporary romance, but the language, sentence structure, and dialogue McKay uses make you feel like you’re in one of those dreamy black-and-white movies where anything is possible and you honest to godly swoon.
Be prepared to fall in love with Chiara and Vi! These women are just beautiful. Chiara is this gorgeous, deep, complex character who is shrouded in sadness but has the most beautiful heart and soul! I was in love within minutes of reading and by the end, I was so far gone that I was bereft that the book ended! I need more! Vi is sweet, kind, and delicious, god how I wanted to protect her from the world. Together they will make your heart race and soar, you’ll want them to be happy with themselves and your heart will ache for them to be happy together. Separately they are enough and together they are everything!
The book is set in the world of fashion, in a fashion house to be exact and the author shows us the inner workings of how a collection is brought together. There are an array of characters who leave you with strong feelings whether those feelings are good or bad is for you to find out! But I have to give a shoutout to Aoife, Chiara’s long-time friend, and employee. She’s sassy, protective, and utterly delightful. She had me laughing so many times throughout the book. I can’t not mention Binoche the ice queen kitty! It wouldn’t be a McKay book without an icy character and this time she gave us her in the form of a chocolate furball who ruled the roost with disgruntled meows, sharp claws, and an icy hiss.
As ever in a McKay book look out for easter eggs that tie all her universes together they made me smile, I adore it when authors give us snippets and cameos of characters and places from their previous books. I was especially elated to find out more about a character I love from The Delicate Things We Make.
You can feel the love McKay has for her characters and this book is no exception! The dedication to giving Chiara and Vi the happy ending they deserve jumps off the page. However as always in a McKay book, there is all that delicious anguish to get through first.
Milena McKay has done it again! She’s proved that she is one of the best! Every book McKay writes is different and everyone is as beautiful as those that came before it. This book is everything! From the characters to the surroundings, McKay has written another story that whisks you away from reality and leaves you feeling like you’ve been on the most satisfying journey! Sometimes the path is smooth and at others, it’s rocky and treacherous, but in the end, you’re left with a heart full of warmth and happiness.
So, settle into your comfy reading spot and be prepared to be held hostage there because once you start reading, you won’t want to stop.
This is the part that I want to give more than 5 stars (pesky 5 star limit) because this book deserves all of them. Highly recommended!
Chiara Conti is trapped in a life where she is constantly trying to be enough. She lives in a grey cloud and struggles to see beyond it. She desperately wants to be seen, be inspired, and be understood for who she is! Little did she know that the color grey in the form of eyes that can see into her soul would come to her rescue, lift her out of the cloud and shower her with love and acceptance.
Vi Courtenay’s life is a fairytale, she has a distant and withholding father, at times cruel stepmother, and stepsisters who are arrogant and dismissive. So, when she literally falls and loses her shoe like a modern-day Cinderella at the feet of the most beautiful woman, she’s ever seen she wasn’t that surprised. But when grey eyes meet amber ones, her world comes to a standstill, before one touch from the ethereal queen that is ‘The Chiara’ starts it spinning again, and Vi knows that something has changed and nothing in her world will ever be the same again.
Oh, how I love this book! The way this author writes always transports you to another time and place. I know it’s a contemporary romance, but the language, sentence structure, and dialogue McKay uses make you feel like you’re in one of those dreamy black-and-white movies where anything is possible and you honest to godly swoon.
Be prepared to fall in love with Chiara and Vi! These women are just beautiful. Chiara is this gorgeous, deep, complex character who is shrouded in sadness but has the most beautiful heart and soul! I was in love within minutes of reading and by the end, I was so far gone that I was bereft that the book ended! I need more! Vi is sweet, kind, and delicious, god how I wanted to protect her from the world. Together they will make your heart race and soar, you’ll want them to be happy with themselves and your heart will ache for them to be happy together. Separately they are enough and together they are everything!
The book is set in the world of fashion, in a fashion house to be exact and the author shows us the inner workings of how a collection is brought together. There are an array of characters who leave you with strong feelings whether those feelings are good or bad is for you to find out! But I have to give a shoutout to Aoife, Chiara’s long-time friend, and employee. She’s sassy, protective, and utterly delightful. She had me laughing so many times throughout the book. I can’t not mention Binoche the ice queen kitty! It wouldn’t be a McKay book without an icy character and this time she gave us her in the form of a chocolate furball who ruled the roost with disgruntled meows, sharp claws, and an icy hiss.
As ever in a McKay book look out for easter eggs that tie all her universes together they made me smile, I adore it when authors give us snippets and cameos of characters and places from their previous books. I was especially elated to find out more about a character I love from The Delicate Things We Make.
You can feel the love McKay has for her characters and this book is no exception! The dedication to giving Chiara and Vi the happy ending they deserve jumps off the page. However as always in a McKay book, there is all that delicious anguish to get through first.
Milena McKay has done it again! She’s proved that she is one of the best! Every book McKay writes is different and everyone is as beautiful as those that came before it. This book is everything! From the characters to the surroundings, McKay has written another story that whisks you away from reality and leaves you feeling like you’ve been on the most satisfying journey! Sometimes the path is smooth and at others, it’s rocky and treacherous, but in the end, you’re left with a heart full of warmth and happiness.
So, settle into your comfy reading spot and be prepared to be held hostage there because once you start reading, you won’t want to stop.
This is the part that I want to give more than 5 stars (pesky 5 star limit) because this book deserves all of them. Highly recommended!
February 21, 2023
I'm having the hardest time engaging with this story. Vi is what my family would call gormless. Which is an actual slang term from the UK (now that I've looked it up) and we're actually using it more-or-less correctly. Melissa probably knew that already... Anyway, Vi acts gormless though she isn't actually stupid or dull. She has a volitionless helplessness that is wearing on my nerves.
And this is nowhere more apparent than her relationship with the monkeyspit that is her father. Vi muses, repeatedly, that she loves him and wants his approbation, even as she muses how she knows he's a jerk and emotional withholder. And I honestly don't get this, even though I know it's totally a thing people do. Maybe I'm jaded by my disconnect from my own father once he turned his narcissism my direction. I'm not sure if I still loved him or not, I mean, probably? But I definitely stopped looking for approbation in a place where that impulse would only be used against me. I mean, how many bruises do you need your heart to endure before you stop going to that source of pain?
And since she's pining for a married woman, that pain exists in pretty much all of the important aspects of her life. Okay, not all. She is blossoming like a desert flower in the rain at her job where people actually appreciate her. And that's not a drag. But everything else pretty much is.
I'm actually torn on the relationship a bit. The chemistry is out of this world and I really, really like them together as you can see how much each would benefit from the other. But there's that pesky being-married-to-Satan thing going on. Which is its own problem. I mean, I get that the marriage has to fail for the second half of the story to gel. But did we have to have Frankie be such a constant snotrag all the time? And one who is probably cheating right in the company she shares with her spouse?
Anyway, none of that really matters so much as Vi's meandering through her own life. I suppose it's a problem because I admire and like strong women and both of our protagonists are in their weakest moments during this first half of the story. And there's nothing to indicate that there's anything more there. Besides the blistering chemistry, I mean.
So two stars for this. The second for the excellent writing and interesting background and the promise of what will eventually be a great match. I'm sad I bogged down so hard that I can't make it through to the promised good stuff.
And this is nowhere more apparent than her relationship with the monkeyspit that is her father. Vi muses, repeatedly, that she loves him and wants his approbation, even as she muses how she knows he's a jerk and emotional withholder. And I honestly don't get this, even though I know it's totally a thing people do. Maybe I'm jaded by my disconnect from my own father once he turned his narcissism my direction. I'm not sure if I still loved him or not, I mean, probably? But I definitely stopped looking for approbation in a place where that impulse would only be used against me. I mean, how many bruises do you need your heart to endure before you stop going to that source of pain?
And since she's pining for a married woman, that pain exists in pretty much all of the important aspects of her life. Okay, not all. She is blossoming like a desert flower in the rain at her job where people actually appreciate her. And that's not a drag. But everything else pretty much is.
I'm actually torn on the relationship a bit. The chemistry is out of this world and I really, really like them together as you can see how much each would benefit from the other. But there's that pesky being-married-to-Satan thing going on. Which is its own problem. I mean, I get that the marriage has to fail for the second half of the story to gel. But did we have to have Frankie be such a constant snotrag all the time? And one who is probably cheating right in the company she shares with her spouse?
Anyway, none of that really matters so much as Vi's meandering through her own life. I suppose it's a problem because I admire and like strong women and both of our protagonists are in their weakest moments during this first half of the story. And there's nothing to indicate that there's anything more there. Besides the blistering chemistry, I mean.
So two stars for this. The second for the excellent writing and interesting background and the promise of what will eventually be a great match. I'm sad I bogged down so hard that I can't make it through to the promised good stuff.
March 5, 2023
Incredible read ! The storyline , the characters, the writing style.. just incredible!
February 4, 2023
WOW. So much emotion, intensity and heartbreak before the HEA for the two MCs.
I was devastated at the end of part one. Although I liked part one better than part two. There’s so much pain in part two before the forgiveness takes place. But the two MCs worked better as a couple in part two.
The writing and wording was outstanding. You must pay close attention to get all the references and meanings. One read is surely not enough for this.
Thank you Milena McKay for another outstanding book.
I was devastated at the end of part one. Although I liked part one better than part two. There’s so much pain in part two before the forgiveness takes place. But the two MCs worked better as a couple in part two.
The writing and wording was outstanding. You must pay close attention to get all the references and meanings. One read is surely not enough for this.
Thank you Milena McKay for another outstanding book.
February 9, 2023
5 ⭐️
Wow, another amazing and gripping story by Milena McKay. Milena has a very unique way with words that captivates me every time. The stories remind me of great pieces of music. Creative, humorous, accusatory, tender, fast and slow flowing, stormy and destructive, and then again full of love - with all facets of emotions.
At over 300 pages, the book is long but never boring. I love it when I get to know the protagonists really well and learn a lot about them to understand why they act the way they do. And not only the MCs but the supporting cast is well developed too and that together gives the story incredible depth.
When young Vi Courtenay begins her internship at the Lilien House of Fashion, organized by her family, she literally falls like Cinderella at the feet of Chiara Conti, the fashion queen of the house. Not exactly the perfect entrance. Vi has a difficult relationship with her family. Love is a foreign word, esteem is calculated with money and prestige, and empathy is a foreign word. I can't imagine growing up in such an environment, my family is the pure opposite. The values that my parents had given me on the way, Vi has to find out and define for herself.
Chiara, who is a bit older, is quickly taken in by Vi and finds an ally in her. Chiara is the creative head, working in the background, she prefers to stay out of the limelight but suffers from her unhappy marriage to Frankie, the face and co-owner of the Lily House.
As different as the two women are in many ways, what they have in common is the ability to truly see and feel the other. They can support and build each other up like no one else - or destroy them. Vi is infatuated with Chiara from the start, and Chiara, several years older than Vi, enjoys Vi's attention and she becomes something like her muse, the inspiration for the new fashion line. But fashion espionage, lies and grudges are a very toxic and mine-contaminated environment that hardly anyone survives unscathed. And Vi and Chiara are not spared from it either and have to reorient their lives.
The story is divided into two parts, the first part we experience from the point of view of Vi, and the second part from that of Chiara. The plot is excitingly constructed, and the writing style is fabulous. The characters are complex and their stories are intricate with surprising twists and turns. There is no shortage of humor either, and the cat Binoche aka Brioche makes some excellent appearances of her own, as does the famous ice queen par excellence Neve Blackthorne from "A Whisper Of Solace". A big name in her business, it's actually not entirely surprising that Neve makes a guest appearance in Fashion World, and I loved it.
Thank you Milena for once again a fascinating story that made me feel so much, a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Wow, another amazing and gripping story by Milena McKay. Milena has a very unique way with words that captivates me every time. The stories remind me of great pieces of music. Creative, humorous, accusatory, tender, fast and slow flowing, stormy and destructive, and then again full of love - with all facets of emotions.
At over 300 pages, the book is long but never boring. I love it when I get to know the protagonists really well and learn a lot about them to understand why they act the way they do. And not only the MCs but the supporting cast is well developed too and that together gives the story incredible depth.
When young Vi Courtenay begins her internship at the Lilien House of Fashion, organized by her family, she literally falls like Cinderella at the feet of Chiara Conti, the fashion queen of the house. Not exactly the perfect entrance. Vi has a difficult relationship with her family. Love is a foreign word, esteem is calculated with money and prestige, and empathy is a foreign word. I can't imagine growing up in such an environment, my family is the pure opposite. The values that my parents had given me on the way, Vi has to find out and define for herself.
Chiara, who is a bit older, is quickly taken in by Vi and finds an ally in her. Chiara is the creative head, working in the background, she prefers to stay out of the limelight but suffers from her unhappy marriage to Frankie, the face and co-owner of the Lily House.
As different as the two women are in many ways, what they have in common is the ability to truly see and feel the other. They can support and build each other up like no one else - or destroy them. Vi is infatuated with Chiara from the start, and Chiara, several years older than Vi, enjoys Vi's attention and she becomes something like her muse, the inspiration for the new fashion line. But fashion espionage, lies and grudges are a very toxic and mine-contaminated environment that hardly anyone survives unscathed. And Vi and Chiara are not spared from it either and have to reorient their lives.
The story is divided into two parts, the first part we experience from the point of view of Vi, and the second part from that of Chiara. The plot is excitingly constructed, and the writing style is fabulous. The characters are complex and their stories are intricate with surprising twists and turns. There is no shortage of humor either, and the cat Binoche aka Brioche makes some excellent appearances of her own, as does the famous ice queen par excellence Neve Blackthorne from "A Whisper Of Solace". A big name in her business, it's actually not entirely surprising that Neve makes a guest appearance in Fashion World, and I loved it.
Thank you Milena for once again a fascinating story that made me feel so much, a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
March 17, 2023
Another wonderful story by Milena McKay.
January 29, 2023
'These Thin Lines' is yet another stunning story from Milena McKay's majestic pen!
I can't wait for every Sapphic book reader to get their hands on this one blast of a breathtaking gem! And even though the pacing of the story started off relatively slow for me, but once the story picked up—and oh crikey did it pick up!—I was hooked! It was such a painful task to put it down, I swear!
The storyline is divided into two parts: first part is entitled 'Candle,' and the second part is entitled 'Shadow.' Part 1 is written in Vi Courtenay's POV, while Part 2 is written in Chiara Conti's (both in 3rd person). So readers will get to know both MCs along the story closely. And as for me—from 'Candle' to 'Shadow'—I went from being a goner for Chiara Conti to being a colossal protector of Vi Courtenay! And while both women deserve a big, tight hug, they also deserve some not-so-gentle shaking.
And without giving away major spoilers, I'll just say this: there's more than a couple of scenes here that I never saw coming. I did not get any notice about universes colliding in this story; therefore in more than one occasion, I found myself "too gay to function"—so to speak! And I loved every bit of it!
Also, I have to give two supporting characters a huge, deserved shout-out for their impeccable and much-needed timing for comic relief and comfort: Aiofe and the chocolate ball of fur, Brioche—I mean Binoche! A lot of readers will surely fall in love with Binoche!
And as for the author's writing, it is impressive. Damn impressive. I thought I wouldn't be impressed with her writing anymore after three full-length novels and a novella, and yet with 'These Thin Lines,' I am as impressed with McKay's words and writing style as I was with all of her previous books. It's actually borderline mind-boggling to me, but I sure feel privileged to "experience" such brilliance of hers.
OUT on January 31, 2023, y'all don't want to miss 'These Thin Lines' by Milena McKay.
But y'all have to brace yourselves, 'cause this book is out to blow your minds with all of its twists and angst. Have a cup or two of chamomile tea ready on your nightstand.
That's all. Ciao!
𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘔𝘤𝘒𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸...
I can't wait for every Sapphic book reader to get their hands on this one blast of a breathtaking gem! And even though the pacing of the story started off relatively slow for me, but once the story picked up—and oh crikey did it pick up!—I was hooked! It was such a painful task to put it down, I swear!
The storyline is divided into two parts: first part is entitled 'Candle,' and the second part is entitled 'Shadow.' Part 1 is written in Vi Courtenay's POV, while Part 2 is written in Chiara Conti's (both in 3rd person). So readers will get to know both MCs along the story closely. And as for me—from 'Candle' to 'Shadow'—I went from being a goner for Chiara Conti to being a colossal protector of Vi Courtenay! And while both women deserve a big, tight hug, they also deserve some not-so-gentle shaking.
And without giving away major spoilers, I'll just say this: there's more than a couple of scenes here that I never saw coming. I did not get any notice about universes colliding in this story; therefore in more than one occasion, I found myself "too gay to function"—so to speak! And I loved every bit of it!
Also, I have to give two supporting characters a huge, deserved shout-out for their impeccable and much-needed timing for comic relief and comfort: Aiofe and the chocolate ball of fur, Brioche—I mean Binoche! A lot of readers will surely fall in love with Binoche!
And as for the author's writing, it is impressive. Damn impressive. I thought I wouldn't be impressed with her writing anymore after three full-length novels and a novella, and yet with 'These Thin Lines,' I am as impressed with McKay's words and writing style as I was with all of her previous books. It's actually borderline mind-boggling to me, but I sure feel privileged to "experience" such brilliance of hers.
OUT on January 31, 2023, y'all don't want to miss 'These Thin Lines' by Milena McKay.
But y'all have to brace yourselves, 'cause this book is out to blow your minds with all of its twists and angst. Have a cup or two of chamomile tea ready on your nightstand.
That's all. Ciao!
𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘔𝘤𝘒𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸...
October 28, 2023
This is the third book in a row where the author is consistent in her… consistency. First with The Headmistress, then with a Whisper of Solace, and now with this book. Both the chapter titles and the beginning of each chapter follow a theme. The fairy tale theme is wonderful, and I cherish every single first sentence in each chapter, as I do the chapter titles. It’s becoming a lost art to name chapters. And to do it so wonderfully? Superb. The titles of each part are nothing to sniff at, either. Light for Vi, Darkness for Chiara. Really smart.
Another shared trait with the above-mentioned books: The appearance of the mains is epic. Immediately Vi’s “innocence” and Chiara’s other-worldly personality is put on display.
Since The Headmistress, the level of angst seems to be increasing. It’s like the author is on a track course to graduate on Angst Maestro. Personally, I love it, because after all is said and done the resolution makes it all so much sweeter, but I know this level of angst is not for everyone. Now, I’ve seen a couple of reviews where the reader felt the angst level is lower than A Whisper of Solace. I don’t quite agree, I think both mains go through deep angst for pretty much all this ride.
The chemistry between the protags is out of this world. What a lovely couple of tortured souls – each for different reasons, but both “enduring their lot”, and finding solace in each other, a solace that escapes them for far too long. They see each other in a way than no one else sees them. It’s really quite beautiful.
For me, the pace is perfect. I appreciated that it’s a “longer” book, and I had to work through all the nooks and crannies. The older I get, the more I appreciate solidity to a story. Just the same as with The Headmistress and A Whisper of Solace, I read this book slowly, didn’t plow through it, instead leaving a gap between chapters so as to let them settle in my mind.
I will be re-reading, or listening, to this book again, I’m sure.
PS: No ice queens to be found in this story, perhaps baring Renate, and surely Gwynneth who adds an Ice Queenesh touch to the story. In this case, however, more than Ice Queen vibes we get the spite of an evil villain, who could not be absent in any self-respecting fairy tale.
This writer is damn smart.
Update: Just finished the audio and I can't get over how Abby Craden brings to life this author's books. 5 stars.
Another shared trait with the above-mentioned books: The appearance of the mains is epic. Immediately Vi’s “innocence” and Chiara’s other-worldly personality is put on display.
Since The Headmistress, the level of angst seems to be increasing. It’s like the author is on a track course to graduate on Angst Maestro. Personally, I love it, because after all is said and done the resolution makes it all so much sweeter, but I know this level of angst is not for everyone. Now, I’ve seen a couple of reviews where the reader felt the angst level is lower than A Whisper of Solace. I don’t quite agree, I think both mains go through deep angst for pretty much all this ride.
The chemistry between the protags is out of this world. What a lovely couple of tortured souls – each for different reasons, but both “enduring their lot”, and finding solace in each other, a solace that escapes them for far too long. They see each other in a way than no one else sees them. It’s really quite beautiful.
For me, the pace is perfect. I appreciated that it’s a “longer” book, and I had to work through all the nooks and crannies. The older I get, the more I appreciate solidity to a story. Just the same as with The Headmistress and A Whisper of Solace, I read this book slowly, didn’t plow through it, instead leaving a gap between chapters so as to let them settle in my mind.
I will be re-reading, or listening, to this book again, I’m sure.
PS: No ice queens to be found in this story, perhaps baring Renate, and surely Gwynneth who adds an Ice Queenesh touch to the story. In this case, however, more than Ice Queen vibes we get the spite of an evil villain, who could not be absent in any self-respecting fairy tale.
This writer is damn smart.
Update: Just finished the audio and I can't get over how Abby Craden brings to life this author's books. 5 stars.
February 5, 2023
Once upon a time, in a faraway land of the McKay multiverse, there was an intern named Vi Courtenay who fell in love with a married woman named Chiara Conti. An age-gap sapphic romance that was intricate, intriguing, glorious, and hot. To describe my experience reading this book, I can say that it gave me everything I needed to feel. Beautiful character creation, the story flows nicely, and page after page, words have been used and played well, and I enjoyed it. Also, the book cover is gorgeous, and Aoife is a fantastic supporting character; she's a magical addition to this fairytale. Love her.
January 27, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yet another great read from McKay. I was lucky to receive an ARC and read it in two days. This story is a kind of sequel to Delicate Things but not. Yes I know that is confusing but it is about the characters working in the International Fashion Industry and involves the appearance of one of the characters from Delicate Things.
The main character Vi and Chiara leap from the page as we have come to expect from this author. The twists and turns of the story are woven through the fairytales paralleled. The guilt, the angst, and of course the love are full throttle so hang onto your seat. Do I recommend this book? Of course I do.
Yet another great read from McKay. I was lucky to receive an ARC and read it in two days. This story is a kind of sequel to Delicate Things but not. Yes I know that is confusing but it is about the characters working in the International Fashion Industry and involves the appearance of one of the characters from Delicate Things.
The main character Vi and Chiara leap from the page as we have come to expect from this author. The twists and turns of the story are woven through the fairytales paralleled. The guilt, the angst, and of course the love are full throttle so hang onto your seat. Do I recommend this book? Of course I do.
abandoned-dnf
February 20, 2025I’m calling it. DNF at 75% in. I tried. I really tried to drag myself to the end of this one but I just can’t do it. I absolutely don’t care about this couple. I found Vi unbelievably irritating from the jump and have not wavered from that impression since. Her clumsiness is not endearing, it’s too much (she’s giving Bella Swan). The fact that she had to remind herself that Chiara is married 8 million times was repetitive and frankly, pretty pathetic on her part. Her whole pov left me mostly with the impression that she was a little pathetic and needed to move on. Chiara made no sense to me at all. She’s clearly not in love with her wife, she’s also clearly not in love with Vi, but the attention is nice. Frankie was so cartoonishly awful that it was just annoying. There was hardly any actual plot happening!? I was so bored! I think the choice to do one pov for the whole half of the first arc and one for the second was interesting as a concept, but it just left me super frustrated as a reader.
I don’t know. I LOVED The Headmistress and Magdalene Nox, but I’ve really been disconnected or disliked almost everything else I’ve read by McKay. I always dislike one of the MCs enough not to root for the couple, and that absolutely sucks. I think I’ll give the ballet one a try, bc I love and miss dance, and I loved so much the Headmistress/Magdalene duology (and I really liked Neve!! And her whole arc lol, I just hated Audrey and didn’t want them together) but that might be my final one. Because maybe that was an outlier and this author isn’t for me. Which would be a real bummer.
I don’t know. I LOVED The Headmistress and Magdalene Nox, but I’ve really been disconnected or disliked almost everything else I’ve read by McKay. I always dislike one of the MCs enough not to root for the couple, and that absolutely sucks. I think I’ll give the ballet one a try, bc I love and miss dance, and I loved so much the Headmistress/Magdalene duology (and I really liked Neve!! And her whole arc lol, I just hated Audrey and didn’t want them together) but that might be my final one. Because maybe that was an outlier and this author isn’t for me. Which would be a real bummer.
February 1, 2023
So melodramtic... even the sex was melodramatic. Did they cry every time? I did end up skimming a parts of this book... but here's the gist of why i started skimming after about 40%.
I really don't like the "clumsy, falls over all the time and can't string words together but is secretly brilliant" type of gal- Like she's perfect which noone really is so the only way the author could think to give her a real personality was by giving such cliched "flaws". It's like the book version of the movie trope "she wear glasses and her hair is frizzy". And then she's over the top infatuated with the older gorgeous goddess woman who is also PERFECT, oh wait no not perfect - she has dyscalculia... as if that's the worst possible diagnose in the world. Oh and she's married... which Vi has to tell herself, and the reader about 800 times. She's of course married to a complete asshole - because there has to be a reason that relationship ends which apparently can't be you know - normal relationship problems!
Which brings me to my next point...I really hate the "bad" character that is so over the top bad, it's just silly. Why did Chiaras wife need to be the worst person on the planet? It just become so black and white between these characters which is completely unbelieveable. There is no nuance.
Now, the romance... again, it's so over the top it actually borders more on obsession/stalking. There is a lot of tell not show... like I didn't really feel the chemistry? The second half of the book also presented us with a completely different Vi - like I understand time has passed and whatever but there wasn't a trace of the character from the first half?
And the whole evil stepmother, horrible father and wicked stepsisters was too much for me. It felt forced so that it could match the whole Cinderella vibe she was going for. I can understand her fathers reasons for being aloof and cold to his daughter, but that did not in any way explain why he was directly cruel...
This was a soap opera in book form.
All that said... McKay does have good prose and there is beautiful parts in her writing and I feel like this had so much potential! - which is why I'll give 2 stars.
I really don't like the "clumsy, falls over all the time and can't string words together but is secretly brilliant" type of gal- Like she's perfect which noone really is so the only way the author could think to give her a real personality was by giving such cliched "flaws". It's like the book version of the movie trope "she wear glasses and her hair is frizzy". And then she's over the top infatuated with the older gorgeous goddess woman who is also PERFECT, oh wait no not perfect - she has dyscalculia... as if that's the worst possible diagnose in the world. Oh and she's married... which Vi has to tell herself, and the reader about 800 times. She's of course married to a complete asshole - because there has to be a reason that relationship ends which apparently can't be you know - normal relationship problems!
Which brings me to my next point...I really hate the "bad" character that is so over the top bad, it's just silly. Why did Chiaras wife need to be the worst person on the planet? It just become so black and white between these characters which is completely unbelieveable. There is no nuance.
Now, the romance... again, it's so over the top it actually borders more on obsession/stalking. There is a lot of tell not show... like I didn't really feel the chemistry? The second half of the book also presented us with a completely different Vi - like I understand time has passed and whatever but there wasn't a trace of the character from the first half?
And the whole evil stepmother, horrible father and wicked stepsisters was too much for me. It felt forced so that it could match the whole Cinderella vibe she was going for. I can understand her fathers reasons for being aloof and cold to his daughter, but that did not in any way explain why he was directly cruel...
This was a soap opera in book form.
All that said... McKay does have good prose and there is beautiful parts in her writing and I feel like this had so much potential! - which is why I'll give 2 stars.
March 20, 2023
Learn from experience: read her last book in 2021 & that didn’t work either. Move on….
January 30, 2023
Whenever I read a book by Milena McKay, I take a journey. Her new release, These Thin Lines, is no different. I eagerly hopped on the magic carpet that would transport me into this epic story of love lost and love found with McKay’s extraordinary abilities to weave multiple plots together while adding events you did not expect.
McKay leaves no stone unturned when she writes. Every word is essential and not wasted. Every chapter heading is part of the story. The book is divided into two parts. Part one is Candle, the POV of Vi Courtenay, the soft, warm light. Part two is Shadows, and we enter the POV of Chiara Conti, who prefers to live in the cool shadows, undetected.
Lines are one of the metaphors McKay uses to tell her story. Chiara is a fashion designer and seamstress who threads and stitches beautiful works of art. Vi Courtenay, a visual artist, uses lines to compose her art. Many aspects of the story are about erased boundaries, lines crossed, parallel, intersecting, and blurred.
The author uses them to create characters and describe locations. The lines are apparent on the faces, hands, and bodies—the lines of buildings, streets, and staircases. McKay draws with her words. Those exquisite and sensual charcoal drawings of gorgeous lines, but not forgetting the residue and imprint left behind on an artist's fingers.
Chiara and Vi are the main characters in this fairytale, but every character, including the cat Binoche, has weight and substance and has crossed lines in their lives. It all comes out of the shadows and into the light; so beautifully written. You will be swept into the story and put through your paces, which I welcomed.
McKay’s writing always leaves me to reflect. Sometimes congruities occur, as they did while I was reading. I have also been re-reading Audre Lorde and her poem “Questionnaire to Oneself” resonated with me. A few days ago, I went to see Monica Bellucci in her one-woman show, Letters and Memoirs. I was reading These Thin Lines as I waited for the show to begin. Bellucci's performance is reciting the previously unpublished letters and writing of Maria Callas interspersed with her music. The letters are a sharp contrast between the person and the image. I realized Callas was stuck in an ivory tower with what always seemed like a Cinderella life with her magnificent voice. It felt like a tragedy.
For me, the parallels between Callas, Vi Courtenay, Chiara Conti, and Lorde rest with two of the questions from Lorde’s poem. Question 3. What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own until you sicken and die from them, still in silence? Question 4. If we have been socialized to respect fear more than our own need for language, ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen to me if I tell this truth?
Read Milena McKay’s beautiful book. Her words are always profound to me. You will no doubt draw your parallels, and many events and incidents threaded throughout make this author's writing so remarkable.
With gratitude to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.
McKay leaves no stone unturned when she writes. Every word is essential and not wasted. Every chapter heading is part of the story. The book is divided into two parts. Part one is Candle, the POV of Vi Courtenay, the soft, warm light. Part two is Shadows, and we enter the POV of Chiara Conti, who prefers to live in the cool shadows, undetected.
Lines are one of the metaphors McKay uses to tell her story. Chiara is a fashion designer and seamstress who threads and stitches beautiful works of art. Vi Courtenay, a visual artist, uses lines to compose her art. Many aspects of the story are about erased boundaries, lines crossed, parallel, intersecting, and blurred.
The author uses them to create characters and describe locations. The lines are apparent on the faces, hands, and bodies—the lines of buildings, streets, and staircases. McKay draws with her words. Those exquisite and sensual charcoal drawings of gorgeous lines, but not forgetting the residue and imprint left behind on an artist's fingers.
Chiara and Vi are the main characters in this fairytale, but every character, including the cat Binoche, has weight and substance and has crossed lines in their lives. It all comes out of the shadows and into the light; so beautifully written. You will be swept into the story and put through your paces, which I welcomed.
McKay’s writing always leaves me to reflect. Sometimes congruities occur, as they did while I was reading. I have also been re-reading Audre Lorde and her poem “Questionnaire to Oneself” resonated with me. A few days ago, I went to see Monica Bellucci in her one-woman show, Letters and Memoirs. I was reading These Thin Lines as I waited for the show to begin. Bellucci's performance is reciting the previously unpublished letters and writing of Maria Callas interspersed with her music. The letters are a sharp contrast between the person and the image. I realized Callas was stuck in an ivory tower with what always seemed like a Cinderella life with her magnificent voice. It felt like a tragedy.
For me, the parallels between Callas, Vi Courtenay, Chiara Conti, and Lorde rest with two of the questions from Lorde’s poem. Question 3. What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own until you sicken and die from them, still in silence? Question 4. If we have been socialized to respect fear more than our own need for language, ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen to me if I tell this truth?
Read Milena McKay’s beautiful book. Her words are always profound to me. You will no doubt draw your parallels, and many events and incidents threaded throughout make this author's writing so remarkable.
With gratitude to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.
February 6, 2025
4.25 stars. Another solid romance from Milena McKay! God, I love Chiara SO MUCH — her playfulness, her kindness, her brilliance…gosh 😍. I also appreciated the ADHD/dyscalculia rep we got with Chiara, and the author’s afterword about this was very touching. Vi is also a wonderful character, and I related so much to her being a sensitive disaster lesbian and somewhat of a late bloomer 🥹🤣.
The themes of love, regret, self-worth, and forgiveness in this book are so good. As many other readers (and the author herself) have pointed out, Milena McKay’s books always involve some sort of powerful message, and I am SO here for it.
Why not 5 stars? Unfortunately, I found the second half of the book to be less compelling than the first half. It started off with a BANG, lemme tell you, but then…idk? Maybe I expected the reconciliation to be more *angsty.* And maybe it’s because I just finished reading Reverence, and I wanted the Chiara/Vi relationship to be as compelling as the Juliette/Katarina relationship. Sadly, that didn’t quite end up being the case, even though I really do love Chiara and Vi together.
Onto Milena McKay’s other books! 🤩🤩
The themes of love, regret, self-worth, and forgiveness in this book are so good. As many other readers (and the author herself) have pointed out, Milena McKay’s books always involve some sort of powerful message, and I am SO here for it.
Why not 5 stars? Unfortunately, I found the second half of the book to be less compelling than the first half. It started off with a BANG, lemme tell you, but then…idk? Maybe I expected the reconciliation to be more *angsty.* And maybe it’s because I just finished reading Reverence, and I wanted the Chiara/Vi relationship to be as compelling as the Juliette/Katarina relationship. Sadly, that didn’t quite end up being the case, even though I really do love Chiara and Vi together.
Onto Milena McKay’s other books! 🤩🤩
February 18, 2023
Another story, another masterpiece!! I don’t even have the right words to describe Milena Mckay’s talent, the way she captivates and enthralls with her words, just wow!! I’m so happy to be alive at the same time as her and feel honored to read her stories, that’s how good they are and this one is no exception!! Vi and Chiara’s story was breathtaking and heartbreaking and hopeful and healing 🥰 I enjoyed watching them make each other happy and get their very well deserved happy ending! And I also enjoyed “seeing” characters from Milena’s other books, it made me want to reread them again 🤩
100% recommend this beautiful work of art!
Can’t wait to see what the next book will be about!! Hope it has yet another cat 😂 they give another life to the stories and I love it!
100% recommend this beautiful work of art!
Can’t wait to see what the next book will be about!! Hope it has yet another cat 😂 they give another life to the stories and I love it!
January 31, 2023
Can I give more than 5 stars? Because lesbehonest, if Milena McKay writes it, I will read it and love it. This story was no exception; characters filled with depth, a plot so detailed that the reader feels as they are part of the story. This was a beautifully written, complex story but I have come to expect nothing less from Milena.
There’s no ice queen this time but there’s longing, emotions, and warmth. What I love most about Milena’s writing is that no two characters are the same. They’re delicately written and filled to the brim with their own individual beauty.
In These Thin Lines, the reader is dropped into the beautiful city of Paris, where we meet a queen, Chiara Conti , trapped in an ivory tower and Vi Courtenay, a shoe losing Cinderella. Through all the twists and turns, we are met with angst. Full blown angst. And I loved every second of it. The book is broken into two parts, Candle and Shadow, which allows the reader both POVs of the main characters. And while this is a love story, it’s so much more than that. It’s understanding. It’s fully healing yourself to be open to a happiness that you seemed unworthy of.
Without giving too much away, please go pick up this book. You won’t regret it.
Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2023
Wow, so much angst. McKay’s ability to set a mood and tone is phenomenal. This reminds me of the feel of The Delicate Things We Make.
It took me a while to get into this book but once I connected with the writing style I was totally into it. Another McKay masterpiece in my mind.
It took me a while to get into this book but once I connected with the writing style I was totally into it. Another McKay masterpiece in my mind.
March 29, 2024
I'm convinced that Milena McKay is magic. She is a gift to the world. Her words are achingly beautiful. The way she writes is truly an art form. I went into this book blind, already knowing that I was in for it because this author's writing is saturated with color and emotion - but also the cover. This cover is a STUNNER! There's a level of elegance to this book that I just can't accurately put into words. It's something you just have to experience. The relationships and the raw sexuality of these beautiful women are so eloquently written that it's addicting. It just won't let you go. I legitimately think that McKay's writing might alter my brain chemistry.
This book broke my heart and so incredibly slowly, stitched it back together. These Thin Lines reads as a contemporary fairy tale set in beautiful Paris. McKay brings Paris to life in a way that I've not experienced in a book before. Her portrayal of the the city is so vibrant and real, that reading (and listening) to her descriptions makes you FEEL like you're on the cobblestone streets. You feel the mist of the rain on your skin. Her descriptions and the tone of her writing bring a very clear picture to my mind of how the city looks and feels in the first part of this book. It's the same for New York in the second part of the book. It's like I can hear Renate and Aoife bickering in the studio. Her writing evokes so much feeling. I'm telling you - alters my brain chemistry!!!
Vi and Chiara are such complex characters, both carrying wounds from their past, both resisting the pull to each other for their reasons. I was positively desperate for these two to be together. Their journey was heart-wrenching and so beautiful. From the desire they have for each other, these women working through their pasts and their secrets and finding their way to each other even when they're apart- it's just captivating.
One of the things I love so much is McKay's chapter titles. They're so incredibly unique and provide a cryptic glimpse into each chapter that (for me) enhances the reading experience of her work. I have no idea why but I'm smitten with her chapter headings. Additionally, McKay's cast of supporting characters is just stellar. Neve Blackthorn's name was very present in this book and I'm desperate to dive into Neve's story. The worlds that McKay writes - I just need to exist in them. These incredibly powerful, beautifully flawed, gorgeous women are absolutely captivating.
I also have to mention THE CAT! I'm obsessed with the cats that McKay writes. They just add a sense of levity and an additional layer of uniqueness to her stories that are so real... because cats just make everything better
I listened and read this book simultaneously and I have to rave about this audiobook. Abbey Craden narrated this book and did a phenomenal performance. The pairing of McKay's writing style and Craden's performance is just spectacular!
This book broke my heart and so incredibly slowly, stitched it back together. These Thin Lines reads as a contemporary fairy tale set in beautiful Paris. McKay brings Paris to life in a way that I've not experienced in a book before. Her portrayal of the the city is so vibrant and real, that reading (and listening) to her descriptions makes you FEEL like you're on the cobblestone streets. You feel the mist of the rain on your skin. Her descriptions and the tone of her writing bring a very clear picture to my mind of how the city looks and feels in the first part of this book. It's the same for New York in the second part of the book. It's like I can hear Renate and Aoife bickering in the studio. Her writing evokes so much feeling. I'm telling you - alters my brain chemistry!!!
Vi and Chiara are such complex characters, both carrying wounds from their past, both resisting the pull to each other for their reasons. I was positively desperate for these two to be together. Their journey was heart-wrenching and so beautiful. From the desire they have for each other, these women working through their pasts and their secrets and finding their way to each other even when they're apart- it's just captivating.
One of the things I love so much is McKay's chapter titles. They're so incredibly unique and provide a cryptic glimpse into each chapter that (for me) enhances the reading experience of her work. I have no idea why but I'm smitten with her chapter headings. Additionally, McKay's cast of supporting characters is just stellar. Neve Blackthorn's name was very present in this book and I'm desperate to dive into Neve's story. The worlds that McKay writes - I just need to exist in them. These incredibly powerful, beautifully flawed, gorgeous women are absolutely captivating.
I also have to mention THE CAT! I'm obsessed with the cats that McKay writes. They just add a sense of levity and an additional layer of uniqueness to her stories that are so real... because cats just make everything better
I listened and read this book simultaneously and I have to rave about this audiobook. Abbey Craden narrated this book and did a phenomenal performance. The pairing of McKay's writing style and Craden's performance is just spectacular!
February 2, 2023
Milena McKay does it again
To me Ms McKay one of the best writers out there. I’m not going to give you anymore details as I’m sure better wordsmiths than I have written reviews more detailed. I will say this however, run, don’t walk to get your hands on this novel, it’s brilliant. Pure and simply brilliant.
To me Ms McKay one of the best writers out there. I’m not going to give you anymore details as I’m sure better wordsmiths than I have written reviews more detailed. I will say this however, run, don’t walk to get your hands on this novel, it’s brilliant. Pure and simply brilliant.
July 6, 2024
At this point I am distraught that this was my last book in Milena's back catalogue adn as always, I listed to Abby Craden's impeccable narration.
No ice queens here but we do get fashion icon Chiara Conti and klutzy, sweet and loyal Vi Courtenay. Vi is sent by her family to intern at the fashion house Chiara's wife owns. All is not well between Chiara and her wife and Chiara is Vi's adolescent fantasy come to life. We see the development of their friendship and they are so very sweet together.
Told in two parts (first Vi, then Chiara) the progression of their relationship and the external factors that impact them is heartrending. I loved seeing Vi in part two. So much more confident and sexy though still with that underlying clumsiness that was so endearing.
Adored these two absolutely!
No ice queens here but we do get fashion icon Chiara Conti and klutzy, sweet and loyal Vi Courtenay. Vi is sent by her family to intern at the fashion house Chiara's wife owns. All is not well between Chiara and her wife and Chiara is Vi's adolescent fantasy come to life. We see the development of their friendship and they are so very sweet together.
Told in two parts (first Vi, then Chiara) the progression of their relationship and the external factors that impact them is heartrending. I loved seeing Vi in part two. So much more confident and sexy though still with that underlying clumsiness that was so endearing.
Adored these two absolutely!
February 1, 2023
I don't know how Milena McKay can reduce me to an incoherent mess every single time!
It's impossible not to fall in love with her characters and clumsy, baby gay Vi and beautiful, precious Chiara are no exception.
Their journey is not a smooth one but it's worth it.
And to anyone that ever felt undeserving and unlovable just remember Chiara's words "You should never beg for love [...] There is no earning it, there is no deserving it. You are a joy. And you are precious. Your family, those who vowed to love and cherish you, should not make you prove your worth over and over again"
It's impossible not to fall in love with her characters and clumsy, baby gay Vi and beautiful, precious Chiara are no exception.
Their journey is not a smooth one but it's worth it.
And to anyone that ever felt undeserving and unlovable just remember Chiara's words "You should never beg for love [...] There is no earning it, there is no deserving it. You are a joy. And you are precious. Your family, those who vowed to love and cherish you, should not make you prove your worth over and over again"
March 28, 2023
if i had a nickel for every time milena mckay made me fall in love with a powerful intimidating older woman in her book and absolutely destroyed me with her writing in said book i’d have four nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened four times.
i already knew i would love this book simply because it's written by milena mckay and there's a reason why she's one of my favorite romance writers. not just sapphic romance. period. oh i am so obsessed with her writing, it is just that good. i was kind of sad that i had to finish this book because i simply did not want to, i could be immersed in this universe and these characters for days and days and i would not mind, but i couldn't tear my eyes off of it, it had gripped me from the beginning until the end. very few books can do that and all of mckay's work managed to do so. it's so well written and i loved it. i was giggling and blushing and kicking my feet the entire time i was reading this book because: WOMEN. that's it. i couldn't relate more to vi because i am also a very useless baby gay.
CHIARA MY BELOVED!!!!!!
i already knew i would love this book simply because it's written by milena mckay and there's a reason why she's one of my favorite romance writers. not just sapphic romance. period. oh i am so obsessed with her writing, it is just that good. i was kind of sad that i had to finish this book because i simply did not want to, i could be immersed in this universe and these characters for days and days and i would not mind, but i couldn't tear my eyes off of it, it had gripped me from the beginning until the end. very few books can do that and all of mckay's work managed to do so. it's so well written and i loved it. i was giggling and blushing and kicking my feet the entire time i was reading this book because: WOMEN. that's it. i couldn't relate more to vi because i am also a very useless baby gay.
CHIARA MY BELOVED!!!!!!
August 22, 2023
While I licked, maybe loved, the other books I read by McKay, this one just doesn’t live up to that same standard for me.
I feel like the author used a lot of words for the sake of being wordy. There is simply no need to repeat similar words and lines time and time again in even one sentence or the next one. I grew very irritated by that.
For some reason it irked me that McKay starter every chapter in a similar way, I just could not roll my eyes at that.
While I still enjoyed most of the story, I just think that the writing choices could have been different, certainly be more to the point. This is just my opinion, tons of people still enjoyed this for what it is AND the way it’s written, I just don’t really care much for the latter. What I loved about this book? Binoche. I do love a cute pet, or in this case a fickle feline ;) (obviously there is more I enjoyed, I just wanted to mention Binoche)
I feel like the author used a lot of words for the sake of being wordy. There is simply no need to repeat similar words and lines time and time again in even one sentence or the next one. I grew very irritated by that.
For some reason it irked me that McKay starter every chapter in a similar way, I just could not roll my eyes at that.
While I still enjoyed most of the story, I just think that the writing choices could have been different, certainly be more to the point. This is just my opinion, tons of people still enjoyed this for what it is AND the way it’s written, I just don’t really care much for the latter. What I loved about this book? Binoche. I do love a cute pet, or in this case a fickle feline ;) (obviously there is more I enjoyed, I just wanted to mention Binoche)
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