"A professional ballerina and a burlesque performer meet on a reality TV show."

more info here

Not my favorite author co-writing a romance with her wife

😭😭😭

6 Incredible LGBTQ+ Romance Books Eligible for The Goodreads Choice Awards

It’s Goodreads Choice Awards season once again, and as per usual it has already done its best to be un-inclusive and problematic. In a stroke of creative antagonism, Goodreads removed the Poetry, Middle Grade, and Children’s categories from contention, meaning that three entire genres of books cannot be recognized. At the same time it added “romantasy”, a trend sub-genre that is already…

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Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters

DNF @ 9%

This writing style is 100% not for me. I don't vibe with the lightness or the choppiness of it. It feels very YA to me, which is not inherently a bad thing but for me it's not what I'm looking for in an adult romance. It makes everything seem really immature and I would rather not picture the 30 year olds as high schoolers.

I can't really speak on the relationship because I genuinely couldn't make it past the beginning. The writing did me in and then the vivid description of ASMR served the killing blow. I love ASMR, but I do not need to hear about someone "sensually" messing with cantaloupe seed. That's right. The word that was used was "sensual". Ick.

Anyways, I can't necessarily recommend or *not* recommend this book, I really didn't get far enough in to be able to say anything definitive other than if you are like me in not liking this type of writing style then it's most likely not the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Satisfaction Guranteed by Karelia Stez-Waters

The premise made me laugh, and the book itself did too! I loved Cade especially, the tough as nails daughter trying to prove herself. I’ve always been a bit “prudish” in public so her discomfort was relatable as she learned about the world Selena’s been in for a while.

Selena does have trauma with an emotionally abusive relationship so if that’s a trigger for you steer clear! I think the book handled it well and Selena’s ending with the book made me hug the book to my chest for a few minutes.

If you like reading about dildos, the principles of owning a small business, and art, pick this up next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

12/18/2022

“It is my absolute delight to present eight of the best romance novels out in January 2023. The new year is all full of bubbles and sparkles and hope. And, you know what they always say: “new year, new you, new books.” Well, maybe I added that last bit, but I for one typically ring in the new year by taking stock of the books I am looking forward to reading in the year to come.“

Second Night Stand

The details… Title: Second Night Stand Author: Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters Publisher: Forever Publication date: May 21, 2024 Available formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook Print length: 336 pages Audiobook: 10 hours and 30 minutes; narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan Genre: contemporary romance Themes: friendship, family, women loving women, sapphic relationships, dance, reality television,…

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Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Today's sapphic book of the day is Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters!

Summary: "Fans of Abby Jimenez and Meryl Wilsner will fall in love with this hilarious and refreshingly authentic novel about second chances, pugs, and finding the perfect muse . . .

Business consultant Rose Josten might not have officially reached “pug lady” middle age, but she’s already got the pugs—along with their little Gucci coats and trash-lovin’ appetites. Still, life is good, with her work, her sisters, and a secret hobby creating incredibly tactile (if surprisingly sexy) mindfulness videos. So why does it feel like it’s not quite enough? Which is exactly when former filmmaker Ash Stewart enters camera left, and Rose’s world suddenly goes full technicolor . . .

Ash never looks at anyone. Not since her ex ripped her heart from her chest in Spielberg-esque style, crushing Ash’s reputation, dreams, and directorial career in one brutal blow. But Rose is altogether different. She’s curvy, beautiful, and just so damn put together. And her business expertise might be Ash’s best bet for getting her last film—and her last chance—financed. Now if they can just keep their attraction under wraps, Ash’s lost dream could finally come true. But are they creating movie magic . . . or setting the stage for disaster?"

The dog owner experience

Behind the Scenes - Karelia Stetz-Waters

Any stories any genre that feature butches? Besides gideon the ninth

This is extremely nonexhaustive (and you can always find more at The Lesbian Review, which does a great job categorizing which books have butch MCs), but: https://lgbtqreads.com/representation/gender-identity/

And just for ease, pasting the non-Gideon books currently on the site here:

YA

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

Radical by EM Kokie

Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin

NA/Adult

A Masc for Purim by Roz Alexander

Rooting for You by Roz Alexander (Amz)

The Unbroken by CL Clark

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole (Stud)

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald

Season of Love by Helena Greer

D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins (Stud)

*A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins (Teddy Bear Stud)

Departure from the Script by Jae

The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood (Fantasy)

Against All Odds by Cara Malone

The Night Off by Meghan O’Brien

The Butch and the Beautiful by Kris Ripper

Last Chance by Lily Seabrooke (Amz)

Perfect Pairing by Rachel Spangler

Spanish Surrender by Rachel Spangler

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon (NA)

Eight Kinky Nights by Xan West z”l

Shattered by Lee Winter

Stud Like Her by Fiona Zedde (Amz)

Opposites Attract novella collection (Amz)

Pick a WOSO Player, Get a Sapphic Book Rec!

Part Three: for the anon who wanted 'chaotic gay ruesha littlejohn' - i got you ;)

note: please check content warnings before reading as some may have adult or triggering content - feel free to ask me about anything!

Links: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5

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Ruesha Littlejohn: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Jen Beattie: Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Niamh Charles: Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan

Lucia Garcia: In At The Deep End by Kate Davies

Lena Oberdorf: Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

Ingrid Engen: Lies We Sing To The Sea by Sarah Underwood

Laura Weinroither: Season of Love by Helena Greer

Sveindis Jonsdottir: Yerba Buena by Nina Lacour

Maz Pacheco: Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Jessie Fleming: Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

Jill Roord: Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

Sam Kerr: Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

Millie Turner: Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

Steph Catley: In The Event of Love by Courtney Kae

Victoria Pelova: Edie in Between by Laura Sibson

any requests for more players lmk and i'll do a part four phaha

follow me here on storygraph for more recs 🤭🤭

Hedge xx

Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Business consultant Rose Josten might not have officially reached “pug lady” middle age, but she’s already got the pugs—along with their little Gucci coats and trash-lovin’ appetites. Still, life is good, with her work, her sisters, and a secret hobby creating incredibly tactile (if surprisingly sexy) mindfulness videos. So why does it feel like it’s not quite enough? Which is exactly when former filmmaker Ash Stewart enters camera left, and Rose’s world suddenly goes full technicolor...

Ash never looks at anyone. Not since her ex ripped her heart from her chest in Spielberg-esque style, crushing Ash’s reputation, dreams, and directorial career in one brutal blow. But Rose is altogether different. She’s curvy, beautiful, and just so damn put together. And her business expertise might be Ash’s best bet for getting her last film—and her last chance—financed. Now if they can just keep their attraction under wraps, Ash’s lost dream could finally come true. But are they creating movie magic... or setting the stage for disaster?

Genres: contemporary, romance

Get the book from Blackwell's with free worldwide shipping here!

2023 reading

Apologies to folks who sent me asks, my evil plan all along was to answer these in one post. What are 2-5 already published fiction books you think you want to read in 2023? -Emily Henry's romances (like Sarah Dressen for adults) -The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez -Moby-Dick -Suzume no Tojimari by Shinkai Makoto (novelized version of the movie, which I loved) What are 2-5 6 already published nonfiction books you think you want to read in 2023? -Dead on Arrival: The Politics of Health Care in Twentieth-Century America - An Immense World by Ed Yong -The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee -Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong -Tsudzukeru no Ryoku by Itou Makoto ("Power of Continuing," self-help by someone who worked really hard to get through law school) Esutonia Kinkou by Kaho Nashiki (travel diary by a naturalist/children's author) Any poetry on your TBR? -Mai Der Vang's Yellow Rain -Cathy Park Hong's Engine Empire -Clint Smith's Above Ground Do you plan to read any genres you haven't read much before? I want to read more in Japanese about how to write Japanese poetry. Doing this thing right now where I write a haiku each day and then my students and poet friends read them and explain to me why they are bad. Feel like I'm right at the cusp of a whole new field of knowledge I wanna know about. What 2023 new releases are you most looking forward to? -Aubrey Gordon's You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People (1/10) - f/f romance Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters (1/31) -Lone Women by Victor LaValle (3/21) -graphic novel Lost in Taiwan by Mark Crilley (5/23) - Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead (7/18) Do you have any conceptual reading goals? a. Food books, fun breezy ones and more in-depth ones. b. Books about non-people creatures like animals, bogs, moss, and rivers c. books on Judaism, Jewish history/ literature, and Jewish joy What languages do you plan to read in? Do you want to read anything in translation? English, Japanese, and maybe one cheese book in French. A few of the books linked above are translated from Spanish, Yiddish, and Italian. Are there any reading challenges you want to try? I'm starting my own! It's called Read Jewish Joy (#readjewishjoy) and it's about reading books by Jewish authors that are not centered around the Holocaust or leaving Orthodoxy. It seems the only books people want to read about Jews are exploitative fictional love stories set in concentration camps or memoirs from people who left Judaism. People really love dead Jews and ex-Jews, but not joyous Jews. Are you organizing any reading challenges/events? I'll make a little post about "read Jewish Joy", but there's no minimum number of books you'd need to read to complete the challenge. I recommend continuing your search until you find at least one you love. In my experience, non-Jews are really quick to stop listening to Jews. They search for reasons to shut down conversations and write off this entire thousands-of-years-old culture and religion as quickly as possible. So if you don't like the first book you try, please keep searching until one speaks to you. How do you plan to keep track of your reading? I write book titles down on my wall calendar. If you want my book reviews posted on tumblr, let me know. I love book journaling but I can't write with my hands very much. If anyone knows of a computer-based way to bullet journal, please let me know. What's your 2023 stance on rating/reviewing books? I want to rate fewer books on Goodreads because I'm tired of all of my ratings being used to sell books through Amazon. There are times when I do want to promote authors, especially indie authors, and boost book sales, but I don't like that right now the main place for my book thoughts is owned by Amazon. Do you plan to mostly buy or borrow your books? (Or be the unicorn who reads the books they already own?) Borrow! The Libby app and my local libraries are my absolute havens. How dare you suggest I would read what I own.

10 Anticipated May Book Releases: Memoirs, Queer Fiction, Fantasy, and More

It’s May, and that means I’m back with another list of books coming out this month that I am desperate to get my hands on. Unlike usual, there’s a heavy emphasis on memoirs in this list. I’m not sure what it is about the month of May, but everyone’s publishing! Aside from that, we have queer romance, a thriller, fantasy, and so much more. If I missed out on your book coming out this month (or one…

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wow, lota of books! How do you choose what to read next? Any recent books that you'd recomend?

I HAVE A PROBLEM 😫😫😫😫😫 i'm a mood reader, i guess. so i'll often start a book and go "ooooo what an interesting book too bad the stars haven't aligned for me to dive into this right now"

i use goodreads both to keep track of what i read but also books that catch my attention, and i usually have a handful of books noted down that i want to get to next (then again, it depends on the stars). when i finish a book, i check my "currently reading" collection on my kindle and if nothing there tickles my fancy, i'll spend a few hours browsing my "want to read" bookshelf on goodreads

and i do have recommendations!!

babel, by r.f. kuang: it shot up to my favorite books list while i was halfway through it. it's a love-hate letter to academia, it talks about the dangers of colonialism, what's lost in translation, made me fall in love with linguistics. it's a book i want to reread over and over because i know i'll find something else in it each time i do

satisfaction guaranteed, by karelia stetz-waters: a sapphic romcom that i cherish so much. it's opposites attract, sapphics working in a sex shop. it's a nice light read

11/22/63, by stephen king: i started reading this because oh it's an alternative history time travel book how fun, but then ended up sobbing with the most wonderful love story i've read in a while

i'm glad my mom died, by jennette mccurdy: it's heartbreaking and incredible and it's one of those books that stick with you for a long time

project hail mary, by andy weir: my review on goodreads was "spent half of it crying because i got too attached to a little baby alien with five arms who speaks in songs. wouldn't have it any other way."

Happy Lesbian Visibility Week! 📚📖🏳️‍🌈

Again, I'm not 100% certain these all feature characters who identify specifically as lesbians, especially given that I haven't read them yet, but they are all sapphic. Full titles under the cut!

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C Higgins

Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Alice isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

How to Succeed in Witchcraft and Aislinn Brophy

D'Vaugh & Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C Higgins

Stud Like Her by Fiona Zedde

Second Night Stand by Karelia & Fay Stetz-Waters

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

The Art of Saving the World by Corrine Duyvis

The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

The Divines by Ellie Eaton

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

The Dyke & the Dybuk by Ellen Galford

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley

Boyish² Butch x Butch Yuri Anthology by Akizora Sawayaka, Hanakage Alt, Nekobungi Sumiro, et al

Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alisom Bechdel

A Masc for Purim by Roz Alexander

Chlorine by Jade Song

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember

The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist by SL Huang

The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera