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Photographs Of Claudia
To win a spot in an elite workshop for studio photographers,Leonora Westcott must put together an extensive portfolio. Her efforts—and inspiration—get a boost when Claudia Galloway, a teacher intern in town for only a few months,volunteers to model.
For Claudia, the sensual poses offer one last chance to flaunt her independence before settling into the scripted life her wealthy fiancé has planned for them in California’s exclusive San Simeon community.
Leo has always seen her subjects as objects of shadow and light on the other side of her lens—until now. Every photograph of Claudia brings her feelings into sharper focus,feelings she fears Claudia will never share. As their series of sessions come to a close, Leo decides to risk her heart. But Claudia has declarations of her own.
Art transforms passion into love in this timeless tale by best selling Lambda Literary and Golden Crown award-winner KG MacGregor.
For Claudia, the sensual poses offer one last chance to flaunt her independence before settling into the scripted life her wealthy fiancé has planned for them in California’s exclusive San Simeon community.
Leo has always seen her subjects as objects of shadow and light on the other side of her lens—until now. Every photograph of Claudia brings her feelings into sharper focus,feelings she fears Claudia will never share. As their series of sessions come to a close, Leo decides to risk her heart. But Claudia has declarations of her own.
Art transforms passion into love in this timeless tale by best selling Lambda Literary and Golden Crown award-winner KG MacGregor.
229 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2010
4 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
K.G. MacGregor
39 books331 followersA former teacher and market research consultant, KG MacGregor holds a PhD in journalism and mass communication. Infatuation with Xena: Warrior Princess fanfiction prompted her to try her own hand at storytelling in 2002. In 2005, she signed with Bella Books, which published the Goldie Award finalist Just This Once. Her sixth Bella novel, Out of Love, won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Women's Romance, and the 2008 Goldie Award in Lesbian Romance. In 2009, she picked up Goldies for Without Warning (Contemporary Romance) and Secrets So Deep (Romantic Suspense).
Other honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Academy of Bards, the Alice B. Readers Appreciation Medal, and several Readers Choice Awards. An avid supporter of queer literature, KG currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lambda Literary Foundation.
KG MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. When she isn't writing, she's either on a hiking trail, a golf course, or if she's really lucky, a cruise ship.
Other honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Academy of Bards, the Alice B. Readers Appreciation Medal, and several Readers Choice Awards. An avid supporter of queer literature, KG currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lambda Literary Foundation.
KG MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. When she isn't writing, she's either on a hiking trail, a golf course, or if she's really lucky, a cruise ship.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 2, 2014
I understand that being in a gay relationship for the first time can be difficult, but I can’t agree with Claudia and some of her decisions, like Seriously? Fuck you, Claudia!
Maybe that’s the only reason why I’m not giving this book 5 stars. As a reader, I can’t “enjoy” this kind of drama because the whole thing is very real to me; I bet a lot of women have done exactly what Claudia did and forgive me if I seem inflexible, but I hate it with all my heart. She had her reasons and I tried to justify her choices, but I have my limits. I can talk about it for hours, believe me, but my rant ends here because I’m trying to keep this review spoiler-free. ;)
Well, if you’re looking for smut or insta-love, this book is not for you. “Photographs of Claudia” is about friends becoming lovers, photography, dreams, family and time. I really liked the writing and the characters, especially Leo. She has friends, but she is introverted and Claudia is the exception, the only person who can see her. Sappy note: This feeling is result of their sessions, their time together inside and outside the studio.
Leo’s friends are an important piece of this story, because Claudia looks at them and realize that a bunch of gay women can be fun AND be a family. She starts hanging out with them and, at one point, she wonders if the grass is greener on the other side. Nice surprise here: Claudia doesn’t freak out, just follows her heart. That's when things get even more interesting.
When it comes to f/f books, I’m not an expert, but I highly recommend this one. :)
__________________________________________
BR with Banana!
Maybe that’s the only reason why I’m not giving this book 5 stars. As a reader, I can’t “enjoy” this kind of drama because the whole thing is very real to me; I bet a lot of women have done exactly what Claudia did and forgive me if I seem inflexible, but I hate it with all my heart. She had her reasons and I tried to justify her choices, but I have my limits. I can talk about it for hours, believe me, but my rant ends here because I’m trying to keep this review spoiler-free. ;)
Well, if you’re looking for smut or insta-love, this book is not for you. “Photographs of Claudia” is about friends becoming lovers, photography, dreams, family and time. I really liked the writing and the characters, especially Leo. She has friends, but she is introverted and Claudia is the exception, the only person who can see her. Sappy note: This feeling is result of their sessions, their time together inside and outside the studio.
“That last picture we took, the one with the overhead light… I was looking at it this morning. I’ve never shot anything so lovely in my life, and it didn’t have anything to do with where the lights were or how I had the camera set. It was just you.”
“But if my head’s down, you won’t be able to tell it’s me.”
“There’s no way I’ll forget it’s you.”
Leo’s friends are an important piece of this story, because Claudia looks at them and realize that a bunch of gay women can be fun AND be a family. She starts hanging out with them and, at one point, she wonders if the grass is greener on the other side. Nice surprise here: Claudia doesn’t freak out, just follows her heart. That's when things get even more interesting.
Women didn’t interest her, at least not in general. It was only Leo, who just happened to be a woman.
It was because she was Leo, whose aura of vulnerability she found more alluring than all the self-confidence in the world.
When it comes to f/f books, I’m not an expert, but I highly recommend this one. :)
__________________________________________
BR with Banana!
February 9, 2021
Plenty of flashbacks in POC, a second chance, friends-to-lovers, toaster oven romance. A really long gap, spanning over 2 decades before Leo and Claudia met again. I get why Claudia and Leo, went their separate ways but that didn’t mean that I have to like it. And when they met again, seemed too good that it was that easy to be together again. I supposed being apart with your soulmate for more than 2 decades can do that to you.
Ratings: High 3+⭐️
Ratings: High 3+⭐️
November 14, 2013
The average rating for this book is right on the money. I'd give it about 3.85 stars. The characters are likable and memorable. The plot is fast-moving and engaging, and as a result I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to know what would happen next.
Claudia is an elementary school teacher who meets photographer Leonora on school picture day. They have mutual friends and also Claudia is familiar with Leo's business, which runs out of an old Victorian house, so they start spending time together. Leo gives Claudia a tour of her studio and home. (The house really comes alive in this portion. I felt like I was walking through the rooms with the characters.) They attend a couple of events their friends are hosting. Then Claudia volunteers to be Leo's model for a set of portraits that are required for a prestigious photography class.
As the two spend more and more time together, their relationship develops in a gradual and realistic way, and the tension between them does the same. When they finally get down to business, it feels real and earned.
There are complications along the way, especially in the last third of the book, but overall the story had a definitive ease to it. I got the feeling the author knew exactly what she was doing at all times.
Related to this point, my main issue with the book is that the author was too leading at times. Events and characters' feelings were explained at every turn, so you knew exactly how the story was progressing at all times. It took a bit of the mystery out of things.
For example, this type of explanatory passage was very common:
What could have been an awkward parting had instead become more evidence of their genuine friendship. Now that she didn't have to worry she had crossed a line, she could focus her anxiety on Claudia spending the weekend with Mike.
It's like the author doesn't trust the readers to figure out what's going on. She has to tell us. I enjoyed the story enough that I could overlook it, but it was annoying at times.
At the end of the day, I'd recommend this book, especially to my friends looking for a good f/f romance. Be warned, though, it isn't near as steamy or as descriptive as our beloved m/m books.
But it's lovely and sweet and pretty sexy in a few scenes. It truly is.
Claudia is an elementary school teacher who meets photographer Leonora on school picture day. They have mutual friends and also Claudia is familiar with Leo's business, which runs out of an old Victorian house, so they start spending time together. Leo gives Claudia a tour of her studio and home. (The house really comes alive in this portion. I felt like I was walking through the rooms with the characters.) They attend a couple of events their friends are hosting. Then Claudia volunteers to be Leo's model for a set of portraits that are required for a prestigious photography class.
As the two spend more and more time together, their relationship develops in a gradual and realistic way, and the tension between them does the same. When they finally get down to business, it feels real and earned.
There are complications along the way, especially in the last third of the book, but overall the story had a definitive ease to it. I got the feeling the author knew exactly what she was doing at all times.
Related to this point, my main issue with the book is that the author was too leading at times. Events and characters' feelings were explained at every turn, so you knew exactly how the story was progressing at all times. It took a bit of the mystery out of things.
For example, this type of explanatory passage was very common:
What could have been an awkward parting had instead become more evidence of their genuine friendship. Now that she didn't have to worry she had crossed a line, she could focus her anxiety on Claudia spending the weekend with Mike.
It's like the author doesn't trust the readers to figure out what's going on. She has to tell us. I enjoyed the story enough that I could overlook it, but it was annoying at times.
At the end of the day, I'd recommend this book, especially to my friends looking for a good f/f romance. Be warned, though, it isn't near as steamy or as descriptive as our beloved m/m books.
But it's lovely and sweet and pretty sexy in a few scenes. It truly is.
March 28, 2013
Ok, I warn you now, there will probably some spoilers in the later part of this review so if you don't want to know anything just stop after this next paragraph...
If you don't experience a full roller coaster ride of emotions as you are reading this book then you need to put it down, get your head out of your butt, stop being a sociopath, pick the book back up and start reading it again! Set both in present day and two decades earlier, we experience life through Leo and Claudia's lives. Friendship, love, responsibility, liability, passion, loss, and pretty much every other emotion you can imagine and that is just the story. I personally felt happiness, joy, love, dread, and hate and that was only through the first 2/3s of the story. In other words this is a great read and should be cherished as such...
Leo and Claudia meet for the first time in elementary school, no not when they were students, but when Claudia is an intern finishing her degree and Leo is in charge of school photos. During a particularly rowdy class, Claudia enters with her class and they are very well behaved and that impresses Leo. Beyond that, Leo is grateful that Claudia not only stays with the class during the photo shoot but actually helps Leo. As a reward Leo offers to take Claudia's picture also and as they are talking they form a tentative friendship based a mutual acquaintance, Sandy, who is one of Leo's only friends and Claudia's mentor in the school, photography and the old Victorian house that Leo uses as her home and studio. When Claudia mentions that she drives by there on her way home from school and has always wanted to see the inside, it gives Leo a great excuse to have her stop by to pick up her photos. When they meet, they decide to go out to dinner and make fast friends. When the annual lesbian halloween party comes around, Claudia asks Leo if she wanted to go together since she would be the only straight woman there. That is the first time that Sandy and her partner Maria realize that Leo thinks more of Claudia than just friendship but don't say anything, instead Maria convinces Leo to apply for a photography seminar to increase her skill set and further her career. As Leo frets about how much time and money that will take, Claudia offers to model for her and Leo is hesitant at first but then realizes that means spending more time with her before she leaves in a couple of months to get married. As the sessions progress their friendship grows and the more unhappy Claudia gets with her fiance trying to impose his own agenda on her. While Leo knows that Claudia is straight she hates the way she is being treated and can only see heartbreak for her if she stays with her fiance. After a few months Claudia realizes she doesn't want to get married and wants to be with Leo. Unfortunately life has a horrible sense of humor because when she finally admits her feelings she also finds out that she is pregnant. While wanting to keep the baby, she still didn't want to be with her ex, but wasn't sure how she would be able to do it on her own. Claudia reassures her that she will be there for her and they decide together that is what they will do, but when Claudia goes home to break the news to her family she gets blindsided by the ex-future-mother-in-law. Large Marge threatens to use all her money and power to take the child away unless Claudia decides to marry her son and raise the baby near them. Seeing no other choice in the matter she throws away her chance at happiness, gets married, has the baby, suffers in her marriage and with her in-laws. As the story flips back and forth from past to present we find Leo photographing a wedding in place of an injured friend. What we don't realize is that the wedding is for Claudia's daughter and this will be the first time they have seen each other in over two decades. Their first meeting was strenuous since it was in the middle of the wedding, during the reception they got a chance to talk but each ended on an awkward statement that neither got a chance to explain since the goodbyes were starting. Leo, figuring Claudia didn't want anything to do with her packs up and decides to drive home so she can be up bright and early to photograph the after ceremony breakfast. As she is pulling out of the parking area, a valet stops her and hands her a note... It is from Claudia and it just says what room she is in... Claudia figures that Leo didn't want anything to do with her and is about ready to go to bed when she hears a knock at the door. Elation lights up both of the women because they both have missed their friendship among other things, unfortunately Leo has to leave to make sure she gets back in time for the breakfast. After all the ta do, they finally get a chance to catch up, and boy do they catch up. Finally Claudia is able to do what she wants since Large Marge has no control over her life anymore and to put the cherry on top of the cake as they were leaving the hotel they run into the ex-mother-in-law and she gets to shove it in her face that she is actually going to be happy, and happy with a woman!!
I know I gave more info than I usually do but I did warn you. I loved this book! The story telling, the story itself, the wanting, and the needing topped with the horrible choice of doing what you want versus what you are forced to do to protect the ones you love. I had to put this book down a number of times just so all the emotions could settle down and I could continue without thinking too much about the last chapter. I have a few more books from K.G. and am chomping on the bit to read them!
If you don't experience a full roller coaster ride of emotions as you are reading this book then you need to put it down, get your head out of your butt, stop being a sociopath, pick the book back up and start reading it again! Set both in present day and two decades earlier, we experience life through Leo and Claudia's lives. Friendship, love, responsibility, liability, passion, loss, and pretty much every other emotion you can imagine and that is just the story. I personally felt happiness, joy, love, dread, and hate and that was only through the first 2/3s of the story. In other words this is a great read and should be cherished as such...
Leo and Claudia meet for the first time in elementary school, no not when they were students, but when Claudia is an intern finishing her degree and Leo is in charge of school photos. During a particularly rowdy class, Claudia enters with her class and they are very well behaved and that impresses Leo. Beyond that, Leo is grateful that Claudia not only stays with the class during the photo shoot but actually helps Leo. As a reward Leo offers to take Claudia's picture also and as they are talking they form a tentative friendship based a mutual acquaintance, Sandy, who is one of Leo's only friends and Claudia's mentor in the school, photography and the old Victorian house that Leo uses as her home and studio. When Claudia mentions that she drives by there on her way home from school and has always wanted to see the inside, it gives Leo a great excuse to have her stop by to pick up her photos. When they meet, they decide to go out to dinner and make fast friends. When the annual lesbian halloween party comes around, Claudia asks Leo if she wanted to go together since she would be the only straight woman there. That is the first time that Sandy and her partner Maria realize that Leo thinks more of Claudia than just friendship but don't say anything, instead Maria convinces Leo to apply for a photography seminar to increase her skill set and further her career. As Leo frets about how much time and money that will take, Claudia offers to model for her and Leo is hesitant at first but then realizes that means spending more time with her before she leaves in a couple of months to get married. As the sessions progress their friendship grows and the more unhappy Claudia gets with her fiance trying to impose his own agenda on her. While Leo knows that Claudia is straight she hates the way she is being treated and can only see heartbreak for her if she stays with her fiance. After a few months Claudia realizes she doesn't want to get married and wants to be with Leo. Unfortunately life has a horrible sense of humor because when she finally admits her feelings she also finds out that she is pregnant. While wanting to keep the baby, she still didn't want to be with her ex, but wasn't sure how she would be able to do it on her own. Claudia reassures her that she will be there for her and they decide together that is what they will do, but when Claudia goes home to break the news to her family she gets blindsided by the ex-future-mother-in-law. Large Marge threatens to use all her money and power to take the child away unless Claudia decides to marry her son and raise the baby near them. Seeing no other choice in the matter she throws away her chance at happiness, gets married, has the baby, suffers in her marriage and with her in-laws. As the story flips back and forth from past to present we find Leo photographing a wedding in place of an injured friend. What we don't realize is that the wedding is for Claudia's daughter and this will be the first time they have seen each other in over two decades. Their first meeting was strenuous since it was in the middle of the wedding, during the reception they got a chance to talk but each ended on an awkward statement that neither got a chance to explain since the goodbyes were starting. Leo, figuring Claudia didn't want anything to do with her packs up and decides to drive home so she can be up bright and early to photograph the after ceremony breakfast. As she is pulling out of the parking area, a valet stops her and hands her a note... It is from Claudia and it just says what room she is in... Claudia figures that Leo didn't want anything to do with her and is about ready to go to bed when she hears a knock at the door. Elation lights up both of the women because they both have missed their friendship among other things, unfortunately Leo has to leave to make sure she gets back in time for the breakfast. After all the ta do, they finally get a chance to catch up, and boy do they catch up. Finally Claudia is able to do what she wants since Large Marge has no control over her life anymore and to put the cherry on top of the cake as they were leaving the hotel they run into the ex-mother-in-law and she gets to shove it in her face that she is actually going to be happy, and happy with a woman!!
I know I gave more info than I usually do but I did warn you. I loved this book! The story telling, the story itself, the wanting, and the needing topped with the horrible choice of doing what you want versus what you are forced to do to protect the ones you love. I had to put this book down a number of times just so all the emotions could settle down and I could continue without thinking too much about the last chapter. I have a few more books from K.G. and am chomping on the bit to read them!
April 10, 2013
I really liked this one!! A well written romance with a twist, but more than that: I just love Claudia's passion for her chosen profession (I've been a teacher most of my life and loved it!)and the details of a photographer's art were really intriguing!
June 13, 2011
A lovely read. sensual and intimate, with a wonderful story. I loved the dialogue, sense of place and tight, focused writing. A winner.
February 20, 2013
I took advantage of a Holiday Special that Bella Books was offering and claimed my free copy of Photographs of Claudia for Christmas this year and am so glad that I did! The story is set on the Monterey Peninsula and that alone would be a winner because KG MacGregor's ability to bring a location alive is a perfect compliment for one of the most beautiful locations in the world. The characters of Leo Westcott and Claudia Galloway are well developed and I loved getting two stories in one. It's not often readers get to watch to souls perfectly matched, fall in love and be able to see them forty years later. The growth of each character was perfectly paced and the lives that their stories reflected were touching. I really enjoyed all aspects of this story from the setting, the characters, the story, and the love that just danced off the pages. Thank you Bella for putting it into my hands, and thank you KG MacGregor for putting it into words.
December 28, 2012
Initially when I started reading this book I had difficulty tracking which parts of the story where flashbacks versus present day. After the first 3 or so chapters I got into the flow of the story and was better able to make the switch from present day to flashbacks.
In many ways, for me, this did not feel like the traditional romance in part because the story is flows between present day and flashbacks and because there was at least one interesting plot twist that I did not anticipate. In fact I thought the story was being told from an entirely different perspective than it actually was.
I also enjoyed that the character development was built around Claudia modeling for Leo so she could apply for an exclusive workshop.
This turned out to be a fun read and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good beach/vacation read.
In many ways, for me, this did not feel like the traditional romance in part because the story is flows between present day and flashbacks and because there was at least one interesting plot twist that I did not anticipate. In fact I thought the story was being told from an entirely different perspective than it actually was.
I also enjoyed that the character development was built around Claudia modeling for Leo so she could apply for an exclusive workshop.
This turned out to be a fun read and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good beach/vacation read.
November 2, 2012
Another "meh"and predictable lesbian romance tale. No new ground covered and the story was obvious after the first couple chapters. And now I have another lesbian fiction pet peeve to add to my list:
SPOILER ALERT! !
My god, how many damn lesbian books are about the women meeting, falling in love, then being forcibly separated for five, ten, twenty years before coming back together again? Every other book I read had this as a plot point. Does that same thing happen in straight romance books?
SPOILER ALERT! !
My god, how many damn lesbian books are about the women meeting, falling in love, then being forcibly separated for five, ten, twenty years before coming back together again? Every other book I read had this as a plot point. Does that same thing happen in straight romance books?
April 16, 2025
I loved it. The main characters are lovely, the f/f romance is just right for me, it is well written, and all in all a real page turner. One part of the plot is maybe a bit of a problem, because the reasoning behind staying with the father of her child, not out of love but allegedly for the child, does not sound completely right to me. You decide. Photographs of Claudia is definitely a great read! 5 out of 5 stars.
April 4, 2023
Considering the poignant nature of this story, I truly appreciated the frequent changes in time frame. It truly softened the brief sense of loss, focusing instead on the glorious nature of a beautiful love that withstands time and separation. Photographs of Claudia is one of those books that stays with you, stirring emotions that run from joy to sadness and back to joy. Wonderful.
July 12, 2017
Loved it, although some won't for some of the life choices one of the characters made. Choices I felt were difficult to make, and were very realistically made by a woman in that position in 1987. Bittersweet, but you'll have you read it yourself to find out what was bitter and what was sweet.
February 5, 2019
Overall an ok read but....
So as usual the quality of the writing is good, but I really struggled with the jumping back and forward in the book and the bit in the present where they got back together felt really rushed and that spoiled the book for me.
So as usual the quality of the writing is good, but I really struggled with the jumping back and forward in the book and the bit in the present where they got back together felt really rushed and that spoiled the book for me.
February 15, 2021
Love doesn’t mean a happy ever after
Being in love doesn’t guarantee that you will have a happy ever after ending. What if falling in love might be as good as it ever gets? That's the dilemma in this story that had way more depth to it than I expected.
Being in love doesn’t guarantee that you will have a happy ever after ending. What if falling in love might be as good as it ever gets? That's the dilemma in this story that had way more depth to it than I expected.
June 2, 2020
Great characters and a good story that was believable and more real life than many of the lesbian fiction/romance books I have read.
July 30, 2011
It's taken me a long time to write this review. That's because when I first read this book, it didn't impact me much. Frankly, not much happens in the book except some romance, and generally romance without something more -- mystery, intrigue, suspense -- bores me. But weeks after I finished the book, I still kept thinking about it.
It was the characters. They stuck with me like people I know. I found myself thinking of them, tried to remember where I'd met them, and then realized, "Oh yeah, they were in that book I read." They were real.
This book was well written, and if you enjoy lesbian romance, you will LOVE this book. If, like me, you struggle with romance novels, you will still enjoy the book because the characters will become your friends.
It was the characters. They stuck with me like people I know. I found myself thinking of them, tried to remember where I'd met them, and then realized, "Oh yeah, they were in that book I read." They were real.
This book was well written, and if you enjoy lesbian romance, you will LOVE this book. If, like me, you struggle with romance novels, you will still enjoy the book because the characters will become your friends.
February 10, 2013
Longer review here:
http://lesbrary.com/2013/02/07/anna-m...
http://lesbrary.com/2013/02/07/anna-m...
November 5, 2011
MacGregor's time switches were so well-written. Excellent story!
November 5, 2014
A wonderfully tender romance as one comes to expect from KG MacGregor. Definitely one of her best!
April 20, 2017
I really adored the story, except for a few things which could've put this book into a positive light (but maybe the author didn't want it that way).
I loved how the characters were described, you get to like both Leo and Claudia quickly. Their chemistry grows at a natural pace and you can feel their emotions ( the pain is heartbreaking at times and I had to take a break from reading to soothe myself out of the story ). The love scenes are really good, this one definitely moves to higher grades on my shelf of erotic books :P
It would be unfair to say anything against a certain plot in the story as I respect the author's decision to do it. But I would've really loved to read a book that puts the situation from a brighter perspective and surprise us with a solution that people can relate to the society today.
I loved how the characters were described, you get to like both Leo and Claudia quickly. Their chemistry grows at a natural pace and you can feel their emotions ( the pain is heartbreaking at times and I had to take a break from reading to soothe myself out of the story ). The love scenes are really good, this one definitely moves to higher grades on my shelf of erotic books :P
It would be unfair to say anything against a certain plot in the story as I respect the author's decision to do it. But I would've really loved to read a book that puts the situation from a brighter perspective and surprise us with a solution that people can relate to the society today.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews