Lavender Secrets

by Sandra Barret

Book by Sandra Barret

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, Lesbian Romance

184 pages, Paperback

First published December 21, 2006

About the author

Sandra Barret is a native New Englander who wanted to be an archaeologist. So of course she ended up a writer. She focuses her fiction writing on science fiction and fantasy stories where strong women save the day. Two of her books (Eye of the Damned and Face of the Enemy) were Goldie finalists. When not writing, she’s reading, gardening, and occasionally digging holes too deep in the back of her historic home in the hopes of finding something more archaeologically significant than coal slag. Dreams never die, they just adapt to life circumstances! You can find Sandra at https://sandrabarret.wordpress.com.

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Melodrama abounds here! I'm all for a good student/teacher story, but this was a mess and all over the place. We have the trifecta of points that anger me: poorly developed characters (and describing their eye and hair color ad nauseam is not the same), absolutely awful, random, and unresolved subplots, and finally most egregious of all: characters drinking white Zinfandel and calling it real wine.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legit waffled between 2 and 4 stars. It's not great, in that you have very little idea why the characters are who they are and do what they do (also, how freaking old is the prof?!), and yet for some reason despite all the missing things and infuriating stupidiities, I liked it.

Storylines are brought in that don't need to exist, especially since they're left unanswered most times. That's the most annoying thing. Second is the seeming stupidity and indecisiveness of the characters at many times.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. Can't tell you why I did so much as I have no idea myself. Te tension between the characters, and the characters themselves was greatly written. Loved it.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love stories like this. It was predictable but entertaining.

[Nessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read but also not very enticing either. The whole book was somehow written in monotone. Non of the emotion felt real. The plot was ok but not enough to make me want to ever read the book again. The Maya sub plot was bizarre and didn’t add to the book at all. The same can kinda be said for the estranged father sub plot, especially since this is a stand alone book. These sub plots would make more sense if they were setting up for something else in a second book. However as a stand alone this book just fell flat. Two pointless sub plots that don’t amount to anything and one unemotional plot that can’t hold the story up.

[Vervada · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I also gave “In Keisha’s Shadow”, another book written by this author, 3.5 stars, but I think I liked that book a little better. But I didn’t want to give “Lavender Secrets” 3 stars, so here we are. It was a good romance, not great but quite enjoyable. I liked it.

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of telegraphed plots, but well put-together.

[Maryp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite. Unfortunately.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started: Feb 9/07
Finished: Feb 12/07
---
This book represents my first foray into F/F romance, and hey, whaddya know, it's not so different from M/F romance, except in the obvious way. You still need sympathetic main characters (check), a good premise (check), plausible reasons for attraction (check), and believable conflict (check). You also need interesting secondary characters (check) and subplots (check), and rising action (check). For contemporary romance, hot sex also counts (check, check, check and check).

I liked the characters in this and wanted the leads to get together, and was never genuinely sure that it would happen, until it did. Their ups and downs kept me interested.

I liked Jasmine and loathed Maya, and I liked all of Emma's dad's second family (but not her dad). I was sorry not to see a more dramatic dénouement to the Maya subplot (bloodthirsty creature that I am), and part of me (the Hollywood happy-ending, everything-tied-up-in-a-neat-package part) really wanted some kind of closure between Emma's mom and her dad. But life isn't neat and tidy, and not everything ends in a way that's meaningful, so I got over that and contented myself with the actual happy ending.

Good story. Good read. And my copy of the book is signed by the author!

[Elaine Burnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb barely touches on the many complexities in Emma's life. I wish Sandra had more room to explore, and resolve, the other facets: family and roommate. All were interesting and she has the writing chops to handle them. I have a special place in my heart for Emma's hometown! But I wish the setting had been better explored--though Emma attends Harvard and scenes are set in Boston, I didn't get a real sense of being there. I was distracted by some geographical errors (the Boylston stop isn't next to the Public Garden) and I was confused as to who lived where because the Green Line doesn't go to Harvard but the Red Line is barely mentioned. But these things wouldn't be noticed by most people. I liked that Emma took the T! Sandra really has a way with character--Emma is very complex and real. I liked that best about this. The ending was a bit over the top and soap opera-ish--perhaps the least realistic. But overall, very enjoyable.

[poppp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book. I liked both of the leads and they felt real. My only problem is that it's too short. Lol. I want more of Emma and Nicole. The student-teacher thing is really interesting even if Emma is already a grad student. I wonder how old Nicole is. I also feel that there were issues that were left hanging a bit, but I still enjoyed it. =)

[Ruby Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

2015 first time I came across this book, this was the very first book of LGBT book I read, and to this day, because of how the story en rolls I will always come back to it, to me this book is awesome, I love how they develop their friendship, it felt so real, and until this day I haven't managed to forget this story, I love Emma and Nicole. Read it!!!! Love is love.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma falls in love with her English Professor Nicole who's about to marry someone else.

This book was an easy read and the romance was lovely. I would have like more development of the characters and their relationships.

[Kayla Brahm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a super sweet toaster oven romance. The 2 MC's had really great chemistry. The sub plots were quite intense which I found myself becoming more invested in then the romance. Overall, it is a solid read.

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a digital book and was quite irritated by the poor structure format. However, putting that aside I enjoyed the book and the romantic plot.