Just Like Her

Like Her #3

by Fiona Zedde

Has this 40-year-old virgin finally found someone who makes her want to risk it all?

In this slow burn, friends to lovers romance, Delphine’s life is made up of secrets. About her passions, her sexual identity, and even her past.

She coasts along on a tide of half-truths until a familiar “straight” woman splashes deeper into her world, threatening her tenuous peace of mind.

This woman wants to be everything Delphine has never had before – a confidant, a seductress, a trusted lover. But, by giving in to this siren, is Delphine setting herself up for heartbreak?

Genres: Romance, Lesbian

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2024

About the author

Jamaican-born Fiona Zedde is the author of several novellas and novels of lesBiQueer love and desire, including the Lambda Literary Award finalists, Bliss and Every Dark Desire. She loves French pastries, English cars, Jamaican food, and currently lives in Spain.

Her novel, Dangerous Pleasures, received a Publishers Weekly starred review and won an About.com Readers' Choice Award for Best Lesbian Novel/Memoir. Her latest book, Just Like Her, is out now. Find out more about her catalog of 30+ books at www.FionaZedde.com.

Reviews

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Lindsey G · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - I feel a little too seen after this but yeah, love them down😭🫶🏾

[Gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

Fiona Zedde’s Like Her series keeps getting better and better!!! I imagine most people will still consider Stud Like Her to be their favorite book in the series, but Just Like Her now has a very special place in my heart!!
Our main character, Delphine, is super autistic-coded. This book opens with the sweetest scene of her not understanding that a “close gal pal” actually was interested in sleeping with her. Zedde’s trademark humor is evident in this encounter, as Delphine is being presented with birthday sex she doesn’t want, and having a very conflicted inner monologue about it:

“Coughing up the too-sweet air, she jerked out of her friend’s way, but that didn’t stop Imani from wriggling out of the dress to show off her nude body. If nothing else, she looked well moisturized.” (11)

Even better than these hilarious early moments, we come to find out that Delphine’s asexuality is a driving force in her personal relationships, but also in her career development. Again, I felt awed by how easily Zedde was able to pick up on very niche circumstances in sapphic life!! I know several Black queer women, who seem to have a radioactive forcefield that marks us not just as autistic, but also as clearly asexual. This force field is so strong that when I mention my girlfriend to coworkers, many of them are genuinely shocked—not because they thought I was straight, but because they thought I lived alone with 35 cats.

Delphine is such a fun example of a person like this: she is known for being passionate about and dedicated to her career, but because of her neurodivergence, everyone seems to think that passion does not extend to a desire for an intimate relationship. In my favorite parts of Just Like Her, Delphine reflects on this desire, and what she thinks is missing in her life. Her hopes for a life partnership initially have little to do with sexual fulfillment, and moreso are about all the other joyous ways you can spend time with someone:

“Delphine didn’t want the sexual intimacy that came with a romantic relationship, but sometimes she ached for the other part of it. Companionship. Knowing someone would always have her back. Coming home to a smile and shared meal at the end of a long day. Karima swam to the surface of her mind. The outrageous gift she’d recently sent. The way opening the included card had made Delphine feel. Seen. Cared for.” (56)

Readers, I cannot overstate how much I appreciated this content! As Angela Chen notes in Ace, many asexual people are often told that our intimate relationships are no different than friendships. For anyone struggling with this sort of criticism, I think you will find much to love in Just Like Her! This story is a beautiful affirmation of all the ways you can fall in love with someone because of how they cheer you on, how they make you laugh, how they carry themselves, and how they do a million other things besides rubbing their parts against yours.

HOWEVER….this isn’t to say the eventual sex scenes aren’t fantastic! Per usual, I have no notes to Zedde on this. I am amazed by how she describes certain split-second feelings and sensations with such accuracy, and the tension between these characters is top-notch. Every scene feels new and exciting, which can sometimes be a challenge in romance novels. What’s even better, these sex scenes felt uniquely earned. Because this book doesn’t start with Delphine’s sexual attraction to Karima, and said attraction never feels like a requirement for their romance to bloom, it made the eventual scenes all the more precious.

Overall, I really loved most all parts of this book. The mother’s villainy was a bit overdone, but in general, I loved the expansion of the setting to include Delphine’s hometown, and how Karima and Nicole helped her see the positives in Willowbrooke. The job setting is a continuation of Stud Like Her, since Delphine is Chance’s boss. I loved the affordable housing workplace dynamics in Book 2 and continued to love them in Book 3! In Just Like Her, Delphine is tasked with “client management” of an obnoxious donor—something any nonprofit employee will be all too familiar with. Our third-act breakup even made sense to me, and I loved how Karima handled the reconciliation with such poise. This is just a great time from beginning to end, and I strongly recommend it!! 😊

[Katta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, slow burn romance with demisexual and queer awakening rep. Loved Karmina and Delphine together!

[Deja Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Ay Karima 🥰

This might be my favorite Zedde book yet. I don’t know what she sprinkled on these pages but it was just the right amount of everything I need in a romance.

Delphine and Karima made quite a pair. I saw a big part of myself in Delphine—spent a whole while confused about where I stood on (any) spectrum so Delphine’s reaction to that unexpected advance at the beginning made complete sense to me. 😂

Sexuality isn’t always a straight shot for some of us and its fluidity can make it hard to pin even yourself down. As always, Zedde explores sexuality and all its nuances in a natural and enlightening way.

Now, if ever I had a book bae, that would be Karima. I fell in love with her just as hard. Sexy without trying, open, charismatic and empathic. Pacing was perfect. Love how their relationship unfolded. I couldn’t get enough of these two.

This series just gets better and better. Zedde does love the way I like it, real and raw, never too sweet and as always, when the spice hit, it was…🤌🏽 😮‍💨

This was ❤️❤️❤️. That is all.

[Alicia Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona Zedde
Just Like Her: A Queer Romance
New Release


Favorite quote She met Karima’s eyes. “What I want is you in my room. In my bed. Is that okay?



I have eagerly anticipated the release of this book for several months, and my excitement level is through the roof. As soon as it became available, I wasted no time in purchasing it. This book serves as a continuation of the previous installment, featuring familiar characters that I was delighted to encounter again. Delphine, the central figure. Delphine carries a burden from her past that she strives to forget, while also suppressing emotions of fear, loneliness, and anxiety that she prefers to keep hidden. At the foundation, she exhibits exceptional leadership skills and holds a deep affection for her dedicated staff, a group of women who share her passion for the foundation's success and growth.

I wholeheartedly recommend all of Fiona Zedde's books, as she is a remarkable author who has a unique ability to connect with black women, particularly black queer women, through her writing.

Delphine yearns for a sense of security after enduring challenging experiences with her family, and Karima is determined to provide that comfort for her. Delphine and Karima share an undeniable bond that allows them to understand each other without the need for words. It's as if Karima can read Delphine's thoughts. The intimate scene of them conversing in bed at the bed-and-breakfast captures a desire for closeness that many of us are too afraid to express in our own lives. It exemplifies the trust and vulnerability required to ask questions that we hesitate to pose to ordinary individuals due to fear of judgment or shame. Karima has become Delphine's confidante, someone she can rely on.

This book delves into profound issues, addressing the impact of the black church. It sheds light on how the Bible and certain scriptures can sometimes cause harm within our own community, leading individuals to condemn their own children and themselves. In essence, the church's teachings can break down families, inflict unnecessary trauma, and subject people to years of therapy. Unfortunately, the black community has suffered more harm than good from the church. This is solely my personal opinion, coming from someone who has experienced the church firsthand. It saddens me that we still alienate our brothers and sisters, including myself, from the LGBTQ+ community, making them feel disconnected and unwelcome. Ultimately, we are only hurting ourselves. It is crucial to remember that God is love, and my hope is that one day we will all embrace this truth. Personally, I have chosen to distance myself from the church, as I have found it to be unwelcoming. The church is not defined by the building; it is the people within it. This book is a perfect representation of the issues discussed, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to read it. Fiona Zedde possesses an extraordinary talent, and I adore her books. I highly recommend this captivating story. It is certainly worth reading and I eagerly anticipate her future releases. I pledge to support her work, irrespective of the circumstances, as this book is truly exceptional and a recent publication.

[Roxanne Wyndham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it was going to be a “I never felt sexual attraction until I met you” but I didn’t know how they were going to play it out. I’m glad it didn’t discredit asexual people and showed honestly it’s the fact that Delphine never let her guard down to emotionally open up to anyone because of her traumatic childhood. Her not realizing she was Demisexual had to do with her inability to see herself as someone to be loved and cared for so she built the way and would not let anyone take a peek, climb over or god forbid tear it down lol. Karima was able to peek over the wall because she should care and protection towards Delphine something she was missing in her childhood, something she yearned for but didn’t dare let herself imagine she could have. Karima protectiveness, kindness and fierce loyalty to ppl she brings into her life started the dismantling of that wall brick by brick which that allowed Delphine to understand herself, her desire and who belongs on her life. Not only with Karima but with her sister Nicole. As a child of abuse I resonated with her, I went hyper-sexual due to my trauma and she went asexual (sexuality doesn’t need trauma but trauma can induced asexual tendencies) to me different sides of the same coin. I loved the book. One of my favs.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!!

It was so good, I never wanted it to end! The MC’s were equally beautiful, strong, and brilliant women who made this book a true treasure to read… I especially touched by how loving, caring, and patient Karima was with Delphine in the mist of all of her family drama. Everyone deserves to have a Karima in their life! ❤️❤️❤️

[fhmltn · Rating 5 out of 5]

another book in this series that absolutely smashed my expectations!! a beautiful and honest sex-receptive ace rep story, this author is clearly just so thoughtful and aware of all of the different sapphic experiences. even within shorter books these characters as always are well rounded, interesting and loveable. amazing!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kenya Sykes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A “True” Queer Romance

This book was absolutely delicious. The sexy, slow burn discovery romance of two people falling innocently for each other and the possibility of love and life was such a great ride. I read this book so fast and I hated for the story of Delphine and Karima to end, but loved the way that it did.

[Donna J. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

As always, Fiona Zedde delivered another masterpiece! Delving into the crushing effects of childhood trauma, Fiona gives readers the joy of forgiveness, reconciliation, opening to love, and creating family. I can’t wait to read this book again and again!

[Camille Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

So want to know what happens next

I loved the characters and the story line. I would love for there to be more books to make a series because I want to know what comes next, I want to know about the twins growing up and more of their lives together.

[Shera Salanick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please release the book it’s going to be as good as the other two I can’t wait to read it. Your literally one of my favorite authors.

[Aries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!!!! I loved the characters with the exception of a couple. I was emotionally invested from beginning to end.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!

I was captured by each character from the very beginning! This was a good way to pass the time in between my busy schedule!

[Littlebookterror]

-is it still true that this book has demisexual representation