Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Review by Lauren

source: copy from publisher; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: Fifteen-year-old Aki Simon has a theory. And it's mostly about sex. 

No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual—even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too. 

Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try. 

So when Aki and Lori set off on a church youth-group trip to a small Mexican town for the summer and Aki meets Christa—slightly older, far more experienced—it seems her theory is prime for the testing. 

But it's not going to be easy. For one thing, how exactly do two girls have sex, anyway? And more important, how can you tell if you're in love? It's going to be a summer of testing theories—and the result may just be love.

Review: Aki is pretty sure she's bisexual but she's only ever kissed boys. Only her best friend Lori even knows she feels this way. When the two girls join their local church on a mission trip to Mexico, they both decide to make the summer one worth remembering by having a fling. Aki doesn't count on meeting Christa, a very pretty girl that Aki thinks is way too cool for her, until Christa makes it obvious she's interested in Aki too. The two begin getting to know each other, mostly in secret, as neither of them are out. Plus, Aki has her older brother and father on the trip and she definitely doesn't want them know. For awhile, Lori is the only one privy to the details of Aki's burgeoning summer romance with a girl. 

I've read Talley's first two books and loved them so I was really excited to read this book, since it seemed all about coming to terms with your sexuality and not just gay/straight, but bisexualiyt. There aren't that many YA novels that focus on being bi so it's exciting to come across one done so well. The setting of Mexico was used well, allowing these girls a place to escape normal life and get to know one another from the usual pressures of being a teen. I appreciated that Talley was matter of fact about the sexual aspects of their relationship, as it makes it a responsible read for real life teens. Despite the focus on safety, it's still a romantic and enticing read. I loved getting to know both Aki and Christa - and even when they found things they didn't love about one another, they were able to keep things moving forward. There were definitely lies or lies by omission, but nothing that was added for unneeded drama. 

One of the main things I really enjoyed about Our Own Private Universe is that it doesn't just focus on Aki and Christa. There is also Lori, Aki's best friend, who might not be the same girl Aki always knew. There is Drew, Aki's older brother, who has secrets and life-changing revelations of his own. There is Aki and Drew's father, who both are scared to talk to about important topics since he's their church's minister. They aren't sure how much religion and other personal beliefs will affect how he sees them when he discovers their various truths. Among these characters are other wonderful secondary ones who you really feel like you get to know. I'd personally love to have a book from Jake's perspective - a fellow teen on the trip who helps Aki really think about the world at large and not just the part she occupies. 

Definitely a good read. I would definitely recommend and not just for LGBT+ fans! There is much more to discover within these pages. 

Interested? Check it out on Amazon (I'm an affiliate; I get a small percent of any sale)

Top Ten Tuesday with Author Cass Lennox: Enemies to Lovers Romance

I'm so sorry this is posting late, but Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I have author Cass Lennox today with her Top Ten Tuesday post (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish). Cass is the author of the Toronto Connections series. You can find my review of the first book Blank Spaces here and my review of the second book Finding Your Feet here. Definitely check them out!

Top 10 Favourite Enemies to Lovers Romances

by Cass Lennox

https://casslennox.wordpress.com/

I love this trope so much. So much. Enemies to lovers is brilliant for chemistry, and sets up a first challenge for the relationship to work through. Despite reading and writing in the LGBTQIA+ corner of the genre, I have to confess something here. When I think of this trope, I think of a specific hetero movie scene: the house fight scene in Mr and Mrs Smith. Our two (unfairly hot) protagonists have realized they're secret agents working for different agencies, and they have hits out on each other. Twist! They've been married for years and didn't know they worked for opposing agencies! Whaaaaat?! Cue a ridiculous, destructive fight in their McMansion that ends with a searing kiss. Dang. There's apparently a very thin line between love and hate, and violence aside, it's a hot scene.

But, we're here to talk about books! Enemies to lovers can take form in a variety of ways - business rivals, criminal and law enforcement, players on opposing teams, a broken-up couple, two households both alike in dignity, etc etc. The below are simply some of my faves – there are loads out there and it was really difficult to choose just ten. The trope abounds in romance, and as there's no way I've read them all, I'm expecting great suggestions in the comments!

1. Empty Net, Avon Gale. This trope shows up a lot in the Scoring Chances series (part and parcel of sports romance territory), but oh man do the two guys in this hate each other at the start of this novel. The way Gale unpicks their rivalry and builds up their relationship is wonderful to read.

2. Icecapade, Josh Lanyon. A Christmas short about an ex-thief and an ex-Fed who, after years of cat and mouse, finally catch each other.

3. Slow Burn in Tuscany, Giselle Fox. High school rivalries never die out – or do they? Helped by a trip to Italy, these two women discover there’s more to each other than they thought.

4. A Seditious Affair, KJ Charles. A brilliant book in an incredible historical series, this is about a Radical and a Tory. Turns out politics need not completely divide us.

5. The Burnt Toast B & B, Heidi Belleau and Rachel Haimowitz. Things turn upside down for B&B owner Derrick when an injured stuntman, Ginsberg, moves in. So naturally he decides to drive him out through sheer incompetence. Too bad Ginsberg takes this as a challenge to help turn the B&B around instead.

6. Off Campus, AJ Cousins. I adored this. Two roommates who can barely stand each other slowly chip away at each other's defences.

7. Peter Darling, Austin Chant. A twist on a Peter Pan retelling, with a grown up trans Peter and a Hook who isn't as villainous as his reputation would make him out to be.

8. The Two Gentlemen of Altona, Lisa Henry and JA Rock. Another criminal and Fed story, but this one's hilarious and full of Shakespeare references.

9. The Distance Between Us, LA Witt. Two guys break up, but need to live together until they can get rid of the house. Enter sexy lodger Kieran, and suddenly sharing things doesn't seem so bad.

10. Hold Me, Courtney Milan. Two online friends (with potential for more) are passionate enemies IRL. Emphasis on the 'passionate'.

Interview with Author Geonn Cannon

I'd like to welcome author Geonn Cannon to the blog today! He was kind enough to answer the following questions for me, so please read on and leave your thoughts!

1. Since 2007, you have begun writing professionally, which is often an author's ultimate dream. What made this the right time for you to do this? 

It wasn't my decision, actually. I had been writing and submitting original stories for a while before that, but nothing ever came of it. Then I wrote a novel called "On the Air" and I was posting it to a website chapter-by-chapter. The site's archivist was reading it and contacted me, said she worked for a publisher, and if I wanted to get it published she could put in a good word for me. A month later, the publisher accepted the manuscript. It was just a case of the right story at the right time.

2. You have published 30 novels in your career. Do you ever celebrate at a certain milestone? Do you have a number of books that you would love to reach or surpass?

I always celebrate a publication, even if it's just a small thing like having some ice cream or splurging on a movie. My goal was to have one novel for every year I've been alive, and I'm actually going to surpass that by my next birthday this December. My 2017 releases should push me over the edge where my age is smaller than the number of books I have in the world.

3. You have won two Golden Crown Literary Society Awards, and you noted that you are still the only man to have won a Goldie. Do you know why this is, and do you hope to win another in the future?

I think it's for the same reason the Goldies (and other events like them) exist. Novels written by and about women and/or homosexual romances tend to be overlooked or dismissed from other awards. They exist as a place where these writers and novels can get the recognition they deserve. The reason straight men don't tend to win Goldies is because the competition is full of amazing, talented women. Being recognized alongside them is a huge honor and the biggest compliment my writing can receive. I definitely hope to win more! I have high hopes for a few novels that are/will be eligible for the next award ceremony. Fingers crossed!

4. Since you have written so many titles already, do you have favorite books or ones you recommend people read first when they discover your writing?

I do! I write in a wide variety of genres, so sometimes I can tell what someone will be drawn to. If I think they'll like a dark antihero, I push them toward "Girls Don't Hit." If they have scifi and steampunk all over their Facebook, it's "Trafalgar & Boone." But my go-to suggestion is always "The Rise and Fall of Radiation Canary." It's the book that I feel encompasses my career and my talent, and it includes everything I wanted to put in a novel when I first started writing. It has romance, it has someone finding a happy ending outside of a relationship, it has breakups and heartbreak, and it all takes place in Seattle (which I think is the most beautiful city in the world).

5. When reaching out for this interview, I was looking for authors that wrote LGBT+ literature, so how does your work fit that "genre"?

All of my novels feature women, first and foremost. I've always loved writing female characters and I was drawn to female characters in the shows I watched, and writing lesbian romances gave me a chance to double the number of women in my books. I've always said that I wanted to write stories about women who happen to be gay rather than focusing on that sexuality. Riley Parra is a cop fighting demons, and she has a girlfriend. Karen Everett and Lana Kent start a band, and they're attracted to each other. Claire Lance is a former cop on the run after being framed for killing her lover, who happened to be a woman. Their sexuality is important, but only as important as it is for anyone in their day-to-day lives. They aren't struggling with their sexuality, their goal isn't to come out to their friends and family. They're past that and they have other hurdles to overcome. That's what I try to write. I want to write about awesome women doing amazing things, and occasionally they might kiss another woman. 

***

Thanks to Geonn Cannon for answering these questions! Be sure to follow him on the following sites to keep up with his latest releases!

Website: http://www.geonncannon.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1407712.Geonn_Cannon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeonnCannon