Published: March 31, 2021

Lola West

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lola West writes short, sweet, smart, silly, sexy romance. With a Ph.D. in women’s studies and a flair for the dramatic, Lola likes to keep it real. Her loves are cotton candy, astronomy, kitten heels, and small-town hunks. Lola’s heroes make you swoon and her heroines that talk back. Also, she believes that consent is always sexy, even in books.

“So, do me a favor. Wo-man-up and tell the fucking truth.”

Drew has always known a life of absolute privilege. He’s the son of a prominent senator, so Drew is all too comfortable operating in the shadows. Drew knows all too well that he of free to do whatever he wants, as long as he stays out of the spotlight and he jumps when his father calls. Lua grew up surrounded by genuine love and a call to action. Her entire life consists of fighting for the underdog. For giving a voice to the oppressed, for equality and justice for all. Lua is the worst-case scenario for the senator. But Drew can’t get her out of his head. How can two individuals, from completely opposite sides of everything, find common ground?

First, I have to start by congratulating Lola on her first full-length novel. You did the damn thing, and you crushed it.

I devoured this book. Everything about it was so raw, and vulnerable, and honest. I’ve read several of Lola’s precious books. I already adore her and how she creates characters and tells a story. But this book is so different.

The plot development is absolute gold. In true Lola form, she does not shy away from tackling significant issues. And she has created a brilliant world to sink into. From the first sentence, you are swallowed by what is about to happen, and you do not get let go.

The characters in this book are the best (to date) that Lola has created. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the Morgan clan and their spouses and neighbors, but this book is on a different level. And so are the characters.

Something I truly love about Lola’s characters is she doesn’t make anyone perfect. Every single character has flaws, and they are aware of those flaws. But they exist anyway. They thrive. They make mistakes. They are very human. Lola West has the most incredible ability to write the human element.

I love Lua. She is such a strong, intelligent, genuine, compassionate human. She doesn’t shy away from speaking up and speaking out. She knows her life is vastly different than “the norm,” but she doesn’t let that hinder her. Instead, she draws strength from the fact that her life is different. She has had so many incredible values ingrained into who she is, and she has seen the world with open eyes and an open heart.

Drew is probably my new favorite male character from Lola (sorry, Morgan boys). He is such a profoundly complicated, twisted, confused, dynamic character. The growth shown throughout the book with Drew is out of this world. He breaks out of the box created for him, and the way he finally starts thinking for himself- beautiful.

This was a beautiful novel. There are so many real-life moments, so many blissful moments, and there are some gut-wrenching, heartbreaking moments. I laughed, I scoffed, I got angry, and I cried.

Every single character represented something. Every single word carried value and brought this work of art to life. Lola makes some strong points in this novel, and she is unapologetic about it. The range of inclusivity with the characters, their issues, their struggles, and the things they represent is pure magic.

Everything about this book is a solid gold star. If you have never read a Lola West book, this is a beautiful place to begin. This is no fairytale. There are no damsels to be found here. There won’t be macho men riding in on white horses. This is not your mother- or grandmother’s- story. This is so much bigger than that.

Sit down, buckle up, and prepare to fall head over heels for the opposition.