Two of a Kind

by Eden Emory, Ashley Pines

From Eden Emory and Ashley Pines comes a second chance, steamy wlw holiday romance. This is a standalone and contains an HEA. Hazel This trip was supposed to be about him . Chris, my dead fiancé. I had it all planned. The cabin. The friends, back together after a year of mourning. The annual ornament exchange. But what I didn’t expect is Quinn. From the moment that little ‘going’ icon popped up beside her name, she was all I could think about. Her. That stupidly small dorm room. The way she’d made me feel. I told myself I could ignore the messy feelings between us, but that all went out the door when we were snowed in together, alone . It would take more than spiked hot cocoa to keep me from losing myself in the memories of her. Quinn All I wanted to do was give Hazel the space she needed to grieve. She was my best friend, and so was her now dead fiancé. It was the least I could do for the both of them. But going up to that cabin was a mistake . I could handle being next to Hazel when all our friends were around. But when we were forced alone by a freak snow storm? The memories of our past would resurface as the real world melted away, leaving me unable to separate my desire for her and the reality of our situation. At least alone in the cabin, I could pretend she was mine once more. Would I be willing to do whatever it took to keep her forever , or would I be ringing in the New Year alone ?

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, Christmas, LGBT, Contemporary, Second Chance, Novella

166 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2022

About the author

Also writes under Elle Mae.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a holiday romance and I saw this recommended, so I picked it up and it delivered on everything I wanted! It's an emotional sapphic, snowed in romance where one heroine lost her fiancé to cancer, but she has a history with the other heroine and they have to go to a cabin where their friend group would go every winter to celebrate the holidays together. This is the first time without her fiancé, so it was definitely sad watching them have traditions and have to think about their friend who passed away.

The two heroines end up snowed in together and are forced to confront their feelings. I do wish more time was spent on the reconciliation part of the story. The lead up was so good and emotional, but I feel like they got together a bit too quickly.

If you're looking for an emotional but still spicy holiday romance, definitely pick this up!!

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

At a third in, I stopped caring. Okay, that's a lie. I never really started. The grief in this is overwhelming with Hazel still hurting a year after her fiancé died. Which isn't unreasonable! It just hangs like a pall over this so-called romance and made it hard for me to engage with her because everything about her is artificial (as an "influencer" despite her mourning) and stressful.

And Quinn is just as bad! Sorry, another lie. Quinn is worse. Her best friend died and her other best friend is in mourning and she has left Hazel high and dry for a year, dodging calls, texts, and even visits, without explanation or apology. I've been waiting for one or both because that's a really crappy thing to do to someone you supposedly love. I need an answer to what she is thinking because without it, she's just a monster.

So I couldn't engage with either and every time they do a flirt thing I want to smack them both. I don't care about anything until you have the conversation! I'm sure the authors were counting on the mystery to hold interest but for me, at least, it was the opposite. By the time they were snowed in and had nothing but talking to do and they were both still avoiding anything real I had had enough. This is painfully obtuse. The situation should have been interesting, but the authors were so busy giving me nothing that I finally decided that's what they deserve in turn. Only I can't give zero stars, so one it is.

[•.~*Izzy*~.• · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25⭐️ it was decently okay i just wish the authors did a better job at having them two talk everything out before jumping into something so quickly. to me it just felt like the heavy themes in the book were just skirted around and not fully addressed, which i think would be absolutely necessary in a situation like this. and yeah it was just not handled the best for me, i wish it would have been a lot more.

[Xristiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but i had some issues with it. I felt distant with the characters and because of that  I struggled connecting with their thoughts and feelings. The plot was good for a novela but I found it a little boring at times. The ending though was very good and an amazing closure to the story. 

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Tropes:
- forced proximity
- second chance
- miscommunication (like seriously awful)
- angsty pining

So, I let myself cool off and take a moment after finishing Two of a Kind, and will admit that it is a very sweet sapphic second chance romance that’s set around the holidays, BUT I still can’t get over the Chris thing and how that was handled. I 100% get why he did it (and why everyone went along with it), but Jesus Christ that was kind of cruel and heartbreaking at the same time…

Other than that I struggled with the pacing for the first like 40ish percent of the book, but once things picked up they didn’t slow down and it was a rollercoaster of emotion.

[sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

i thought reading a lesbian romance would help escape the usual owning/possessing trope but apparently not.. lovely :/

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

i loved this so much, there’s miscommunication but i felt like it added more angst to the story so i didn’t mind it. i loved the characters sm much and how they were able to reconcile. the only thing i didn’t like is that for a big part of the book it seems that Hazel is still grieving her late fiancé even if a year passed

[☁️˚ʚ oriana ɞ˚☁️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

this was such a good read for such a short book. i absolutely loved it. i mf love forced proximity and this story DELIVERED!! the spice was SO good. eden emory does it AGAIN. she's honestly becoming one of my favorite authors. please write more books i'll read every single one of them!! <3

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devour romances with lots of angst, so I was beyond excited to come across this one! It was just done so well, I even got emotional near the end. Loved loved loved it 😭

[Aunt Missa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed something quick and super spicy, and yes, it’s a holiday novella. The spice was fantastic, but the themes were very deep. I wish that the two MCs had hashed things out at the beginning, because they were dealing with grief and illness. There were some things that were never resolved, one pretty big thing, that kinda got brushed under the rug. There was, of course, a happily ever after. I just hope the two got some therapy for their grief and guilt.

[Sterling Sapphic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do so love the second-chance romance trope. This is the first novel I've read from Ashley & Eden and I have to say, I quite enjoyed it! Getting snowed in at a cabin with your old flame?! OKAY!!!
While it did deal with some heavier topics (death and cancer) that pulled on your emotions AND it was very short, I think the authors did a great job rounding out the story and giving the characters their HEA.

This was a really quick, steamy read. Highly recommend it to keep you warm on a cold winter's night.

[Emily Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 ⭐️ A spicy sapphic cabin romance.

This was a solid read. The story kept me interested and the tension between the two MC’s is everything.

Two of A Kind is a pretty angst heavy read with drama and a whole lot of emotions swirling around. It’s ex best friends to hate to more, with a lot of emotions that needed to be worked through. Definitely leans a little into the dark romance side slightly.

I do wish the writing was a bit more polished, it felt a little rough draft at some points with a lot of short clipped sentence structures that made it a stilted at some points. It’s also a pretty short read, and I do feel like the story needed an extra 50 pages to flesh out some of the story.

If you’re looking for spice - this was VERY spicy.

There are some grammatical issues eg on page 116. Nothing wild just a few slight errors.

Rep// sapphic MC’s, romance is WLW.

TW’s listed below, please skip if you don’t want spoilers.






Tw//CW// death of a loved one (past), sickness, graphic sex scenes with some BSDM themes (eg orgasm denial and ownership),

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn’t about me owning her anymore, it was about her owning me. A love letter written with my hands and mouth on her skin.

3.5 stars. A sexy, angsty, second chance f/f romance. Best friends to lovers to friends to lovers, with the added angst of one of them getting engaged to another mutual friend who has passed away by the time the story starts. Quinn and Hazel have a lot in their past, and after 11 months of barely speaking to one another, they meet up again for their friend group's traditional Christmas getaway. I loved the forced proximity, getting snowed in, and how they had to work to confront the things that went wrong. It has more wintery vibes than Christmassy vibes, but since I'm coming down from the Christmas romance high, I didn't mind.

I don't usually love romances with messy plotlines like this, but it worked for me. I do wish we'd seen more of Quinn and Hazel's past relationship. Not necessarily flashbacks; I just wanted them to talk about it more, what things were liked between them when they were friends, when they became more, and when Hazel got together with Chris. Speaking of, I did like Chris as a character. In a story that deals heavily with grief like this, it was important that his presence be felt, but not too heavily? The authors did a good job with that. I found the last quarter of the book a lot less coherent, and the third act conflict was very much overblown I think? And it definitely needed a closer edit. Still, I really really liked it. The friend group was fun, and these characters were instantly likeable, and I wanted them to be together so much. I wish the chemistry outside of the bedroom had been better written, but to be honest, the smut is contributing a lot to my rating; it's D/s in a way I really like.

Kudos. I'll look out for these authors again.

[Wicked Fox ✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a satisfying read. The angst was perfection and not to mention it's an angsty sapphic holiday romance. Hazel and Quinn have come a long way and having their HEA almost moved me to tears 😭

[madi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ this was really fun quite cute pretty much all of it was just sex but it was a slay nonetheless what i would expect from a tiktok recommend book made in 2022 (had a bereal. reference and i almost threw up) loved the characters tho would def love a more in depth character delve for literallt everyone ummmm yas idrk i want a gf 🙄🙄🙄🙄

[Charity (TAKING A BREAK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: mentions of death, grief, mentions of cancer.

Character Development: ★★★★
Character Chemistry: ★★★
Plot: ★★
Spice: ★★★
Ending: ★★★★

Two of a Kind is definitely worth the read. The miscommunication between these two characters kept me on my toes. Watching both POV's love each other from afar but also hate loving each other was toe-curling. Their history of meeting is simple, but one failing to commit and accept their feelings pushed them towards someone else- someone close. Three Best Friends in this weird dynamic of a love story that never seems to go right. In the end though, we FINALLY see them communicate and navigate their feelings. Of all the bumps along the way, including a very heavy secret that almost ended it all, Quinn and Hazel receive their much-deserved HEA.

[cassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2 of a kind stars⭐️✨
Recommend: Eh
Genre: Sapphic Christmas Novella
*spoiler free review*
Hazels fiancé Chris just passed away. Hazel , chris , and their friends have a tradition of going to a cabin and getting drunk and hanging out for Christmas. They still end up going because Chris would have wanted them to but the tricky thing is that Chris’s best friend Quinn is Hazels ex girlfriend. ( all of this is in the synapse) Honestly went into this with such high hopes and was heavily disappointed. Was a bit rushed feeling with mediocre sex scenes and a messy plot.

[Brandi Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really had me hooked from the start, I didn’t want to put it down truly. It sparked the inspiration to start reading more! Though some of it felt a little predictable it was still great story telling! The ending almost felt a little sped up but overall I was very satisfied with this book!!

[edu · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I kissed her like it was the last time. I kissed her like it was a lifeline. And most importantly, I kissed her like this kiss alone could put into words just how much I loved her … because I had no words left to explain just how much she meant to me." (3,5)👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏻

[Jayde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about a short Christmas read where they get stuck in a snow storm 🤌🏼 gets me every time

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two of a Kind is a sapphic, holiday novella with forced proximity (snowed in), angst, and filled with lots of tension and emotions!

Hazel and Quinn head to a cabin to spend the holidays with their college friend group. They had a history together in the past, and are also still grieving over the loss of one of their mutual friends, who Hazel was also engaged to.

This one ended up being okay for me. It is a short KU read, it does have miscommunication for the plot and it felt drawn out but then rushed at the end.

CW: grief, passing of a loved one

[asiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

messy sapphic representation is important for society! and my cliché kryptonite is the snowed in trope 😁

[Morgan Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday Book Review! ❄️✨

This was such a sweet, spicy, second chance holiday romance! I was looking for a short holiday read and decided to start this after I saw people buzzing about it on bookstagram! I literally read it in less than 2 hours. It was very angsty and super spicyyyyy. 🌶😮‍💨

I would describe Hazel and Quinn’s story as lovers to enemies to lovers. After a tragedy puts distance between them, they are forced together in a snowy cabin at Christmas time. Out of boredom, they decide to play a game of strip poker and one thing leads to another. How long will they be able suppress their feelings for one another? This book is currently on KU! ☺️

Trigger Warning: Grief & Loss

[Danii ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

Mi cara luego de terminar el libro: 💀

La primera mitad del libro fue entretenida y el spice was the spiciest pero luego de eso los personajes y la trama se tornaron RIDICULOS!! La protagonista tenía los estandares en el suelo y lo unico bueno que podía decir de su prometido, muerto, era que decía gracias y por favor a los meseros 😶 Nunca pude empatizar con el personaje de Quinn y me pareció una egoísta y un personaje no muy coherente y difícil de entender. La verdad lo único bueno que me llevo es el spice y las vibes del principio. Además que el final fue super acelerado??? Como le pides matrimonio a alguien con la cual ni si quiera has sido pareja 😭 Todo resultaba conveniente y absurdo.

This was a no for me.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect quick sapphic holiday romance to read on a chilly night with a hot drink and a cozy blanket. I lost count of how many times I got butterflies reading about these two lovebirds as they try, very unconvincingly, to hide their feelings for each other. Hazel is the sweet and silly to Quinn’s spicy and cheeky nature and the banter between the two is so well executed that I had to put the book down sometimes just to squeal about these two idiots. Even with the backdrop of the sadness and feelings of guilt that start off the whole series of events, you can’t help but root for these two as they try to navigate through that. And if you successfully make it to the end? The epilogue is a real treat that left me smiling from ear to ear as I closed the book. Overall, a wholly satisfying read that is just the right mix of cute and smutty for the holidays.

[han ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

“she had always been the one i felt the most at peace with and my world had changed drastically so that she was in the center of it.”

adorable, smutty, short, and most of all, sapphic! i absolutely loved this holiday novella. anything co-written by eden and ashley, i’ll eat up every single time. hazel and quinn’s chemistry was so delicious, and that new year’s eve plan that quinn made? so freaking sweet. this is a must-read!

[Faellia · Rating 2 out of 5]

usually im a fan of elle mae and most of what she writes but this was just an :// i barely got through it, i cant tell if its because the first few chapters go on so slowly and how many white people names are in there, but i don't remember a single thing lmao

at least the smut was good

[Rikki Ziegelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 for me, and I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars but ultimately settled on 3. It really could’ve been a hit if it was like 150 pages longer and more developed! I didn’t have enough time to become invested in the story.

[telemakhos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here I said I was going to be done with romance novellas in 2023 because they don't do much for me and then Two of a Kind made me cry, laugh, and make me fan myself. Hot damn.

[kels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a spicy sapphic novella but I wasn’t expecting to CRY????