hhushaw's review against another edition
4.0
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. So much angst, I really felt it this time, and as Meg is my favorite character, it tore at me. I love Tracy though, and once again this book was a knockout. Cummings is amazing at bringing these characters and their lives together and woven into the reader's lives.
imzadirose's review against another edition
5.0
Received by Netgalley for my honest review.
Back to Bay West, and I loved it, just as much as the first. Didn't like some stuff though, but that's just me projecting my own wants and opinions onto the book! :)
I love the community aspect of this book and how they are almost always doing things together. It sounds like a wonderful community to live in, I wish there were communities like that everywhere. I loved all the different stories on, except for Meg's. Hers had quite the emotional roller coaster, so I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will love that, I'm just not one of them. I was glad for her at one point and then so bummed out again. I didn't really care for what she was up to at the end, so I'm hoping that will work out better than I fear. I want good things for her!
Bay West is a community that grabs you and pulls you in. It makes you feel like the characters are your friends and you are just checking in on them. I know I will continue to read the series. Recommended for GLBT fans.
Back to Bay West, and I loved it, just as much as the first. Didn't like some stuff though, but that's just me projecting my own wants and opinions onto the book! :)
I love the community aspect of this book and how they are almost always doing things together. It sounds like a wonderful community to live in, I wish there were communities like that everywhere. I loved all the different stories on, except for Meg's. Hers had quite the emotional roller coaster, so I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will love that, I'm just not one of them. I was glad for her at one point and then so bummed out again. I didn't really care for what she was up to at the end, so I'm hoping that will work out better than I fear. I want good things for her!
Bay West is a community that grabs you and pulls you in. It makes you feel like the characters are your friends and you are just checking in on them. I know I will continue to read the series. Recommended for GLBT fans.
macaruchi's review against another edition
5.0
Great sequel, I loved it as much as the first book. The author continues the story started in [b:Totally Worth It|25159209|Totally Worth It (Bay West Social, #1)|Maggie Cummings|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1444747485s/25159209.jpg|44862772] with the same characters we loved and some new ones. It feels like the story is still not over, so I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series.
judeinthestars's review against another edition
4.0
Serious Potential is the second novel in the Bay West Social series. The first one, [b:Totally Worth It|25159209|Totally Worth It (Bay West Social, #1)|Maggie Cummings|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444747485l/25159209._SY75_.jpg|44862772], introduced us to lesbian-exclusive development Bay West, on Staten Island, through Meg’s move there. Meg is the constant, the main character, around whom others gravitate.
In book 1, the main couple storyline – besides Meg’s – was between Lexi and Jesse. In this episode, it’s between Meg’s best friend Tracy Allen, professional golf player, and Jennifer Betsy, Jesse’s best friend. Tracy has left California, temporarily at first, after her breakup with a closeted celebrity. Her golf carrier isn’t going anywhere either, and she feels a change of scenery will do her good. She’s not looking for anything serious, but when she meets Betsy, everything changes. Betsy tries her best to resist Tracy’s charms, who she thinks will be leaving soon, when all she wants is a committed relationship.
Even as she gives Tracy and Betsy a sweet romance, Maggie Cummings sure enjoys torturing Meg. Not only do her exes seem happy together, which is never an easy situation, the woman she thinks could be The One might not be after all. And the one she barely looks at might be the love of her life.
While romance plays a big part in this series, it’s not why I enjoy it so much (even though the romance arcs are really good). I love the atmosphere, the universe Cummings has created, the characters. They are normal people, with normal jobs, some exciting, others not at all (at least to me). They are relatable. They don’t have extraordinary lives, yet their stories are far from boring. They are moving and heartwarming, fun and bittersweet. I’m taking a short break from Bay West because I don’t want to get to the end of the series too quickly, but I’ll be reading the third book, [b:Definite Possibility|34722606|Definite Possibility (Bay West Social, #3)|Maggie Cummings|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490712701l/34722606._SY75_.jpg|55903284], real soon.
In book 1, the main couple storyline – besides Meg’s – was between Lexi and Jesse. In this episode, it’s between Meg’s best friend Tracy Allen, professional golf player, and Jennifer Betsy, Jesse’s best friend. Tracy has left California, temporarily at first, after her breakup with a closeted celebrity. Her golf carrier isn’t going anywhere either, and she feels a change of scenery will do her good. She’s not looking for anything serious, but when she meets Betsy, everything changes. Betsy tries her best to resist Tracy’s charms, who she thinks will be leaving soon, when all she wants is a committed relationship.
Even as she gives Tracy and Betsy a sweet romance, Maggie Cummings sure enjoys torturing Meg. Not only do her exes seem happy together, which is never an easy situation, the woman she thinks could be The One might not be after all. And the one she barely looks at might be the love of her life.
While romance plays a big part in this series, it’s not why I enjoy it so much (even though the romance arcs are really good). I love the atmosphere, the universe Cummings has created, the characters. They are normal people, with normal jobs, some exciting, others not at all (at least to me). They are relatable. They don’t have extraordinary lives, yet their stories are far from boring. They are moving and heartwarming, fun and bittersweet. I’m taking a short break from Bay West because I don’t want to get to the end of the series too quickly, but I’ll be reading the third book, [b:Definite Possibility|34722606|Definite Possibility (Bay West Social, #3)|Maggie Cummings|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490712701l/34722606._SY75_.jpg|55903284], real soon.
ekalmusla's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes you hear that nothing can ever beat the original. But then there are those that say that the sequel was better than they could have imagined. Things that come to mind are The Godfather, Part II; The Empire Strikes Back; heck, even Toy Story 2 (still the number one rated Pixar movie to this day). And in the case of the Bay West Social series by [a:Maggie Cummings|8422894|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1444747641p2/8422894.jpg], I'd have to put her in the latter category.
Cummings' debut novel [b:Totally Worth It|28091282|Totally Worth It|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449151288s/28091282.jpg|44862772], the first in the series to introduce us to the New York City lesbian condo community, laid out the expectations for the series. But it was her second novel, [b:Serious Potential|28695831|Serious Potential (Bay West Social, #2)|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1455172665s/28695831.jpg|48893556] that has truly sealed the deal for me. Enjoyable, charming, quirky, and yet still full of human emotions and tribulations, Serious Potential was a great, fun, enjoyable read. I look forward to the rest of the series where I will be able to review it as a whole.
Cummings' debut novel [b:Totally Worth It|28091282|Totally Worth It|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449151288s/28091282.jpg|44862772], the first in the series to introduce us to the New York City lesbian condo community, laid out the expectations for the series. But it was her second novel, [b:Serious Potential|28695831|Serious Potential (Bay West Social, #2)|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1455172665s/28695831.jpg|48893556] that has truly sealed the deal for me. Enjoyable, charming, quirky, and yet still full of human emotions and tribulations, Serious Potential was a great, fun, enjoyable read. I look forward to the rest of the series where I will be able to review it as a whole.
theamandashelby's review against another edition
4.0
I do not get to write this often, but I think Serious Potential was better than the first novel. I know right!! This one I still thought really lacked the "romance" feel (I thought the same thing for the first novel) but this one was better. I dislike the head hopping. Especially switching POV mid-chapter. Lesbian fiction is horrible about this, and it really drives me nuts. I get the Meg character, the "I want to be in love, but can never find the right person" type. I am looking forward to book 3 (there will be a book three I assume, seriously if the author leaves us hanging I may change my liking of the book). The ending of Serious Potential for me was a bit rough. I just read a whole book about a couple who in the end breaks up? I seriously thought that they would scoot along, and book three would be like 6 months later (Meg and Sahsa had broken up, but were super friends). Alas, this did not happen. Instead we are pushed along through this book, becoming semi-attached to a character and her family loss only to have her end up being.. well... nothing I guess. What kind of romance ends with the characters breaking up? Ugh.. it was disappointing. I am happy for Betsy and Tracy, but we need to focus on one couple per book. ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for honest review.
munleigh's review against another edition
4.0
It's been two years since Meg McTiernan moved to Bay West and one year since Lexi and Jessi became a couple. Meg is still single and finds herself attracted to Sasha Michaels when they finally meet at work. Meanwhile, Meg's friend Tracy just broke up with her girlfriend in LA and drops in on Meg at Bay West to figure things out.
Maggie Cummings does not disappoint with the sequel to the Bay West Social series.
I love that she mentions the old couples as well as the new and we see how far their friendships has developed between Meg, Tracy, Betsy, Lexi and Jesse.
The chemistry between the couples that formed within this book were just as believable as the problems within the relationships.
I can't wait to see what else the author has in store with these characters in the future, assuming the series did not end yet.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-rU
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Maggie Cummings does not disappoint with the sequel to the Bay West Social series.
I love that she mentions the old couples as well as the new and we see how far their friendships has developed between Meg, Tracy, Betsy, Lexi and Jesse.
The chemistry between the couples that formed within this book were just as believable as the problems within the relationships.
I can't wait to see what else the author has in store with these characters in the future, assuming the series did not end yet.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-rU
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
lezreviewbooks's review
5.0
After listening to the first audiobook in the Bay West Social series by Maggie Cummings, ‘Totally Worth It’, I couldn’t wait to get ‘Serious Potential’, the second book. Now, I’m eager to listen to the third and final installment, ‘Definite Possibility’. This series is definitely addictive.
The Bay West Social series books follow a group of friends who live in Bay West, a lesbian community in Staten Island, NYC. Even though each novel presents a couple, the romantic misadventures of one of the characters, Meg McTiernan, is featured throughout the whole series. ‘Serious Potential’ features California golfer Tracy Allen and Bay West resident Dr. Jennifer Betsy.
I never thought I’d say this but what I love about this series is all the lesbian drama. I normally have low tolerance with dramatic plots but in this series, the stories seem so real that it could describe any group of lesbian friends. And, as we know, there’s always drama in a lesbian bunch.
What makes this series so special is that Ms. Cummings describes the group dynamics with great skill. There are a few parallel stories in this installment: Meg & Sasha, Tracy & Betsy, Lexi & Jesse, but the author manages to balance them all so the reader can see and enjoy all the relationships evolving (or not). Every couple has great chemistry and the intimate scenes are hot.
AJ Ferraro narrates books one and two in the series and I sincerely hope she does number three too. This is not an easy story to narrate as there are a good number of main and also secondary characters but Ms. Ferraro makes all the voices distinctive and recognisable. There are also a few emotional scenes which she narrates with ease. Listening to these audiobooks is like watching a lesbian tv show and I can’t wait to get where the author takes the characters next. 5 stars for both the story and the narration.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
The Bay West Social series books follow a group of friends who live in Bay West, a lesbian community in Staten Island, NYC. Even though each novel presents a couple, the romantic misadventures of one of the characters, Meg McTiernan, is featured throughout the whole series. ‘Serious Potential’ features California golfer Tracy Allen and Bay West resident Dr. Jennifer Betsy.
I never thought I’d say this but what I love about this series is all the lesbian drama. I normally have low tolerance with dramatic plots but in this series, the stories seem so real that it could describe any group of lesbian friends. And, as we know, there’s always drama in a lesbian bunch.
What makes this series so special is that Ms. Cummings describes the group dynamics with great skill. There are a few parallel stories in this installment: Meg & Sasha, Tracy & Betsy, Lexi & Jesse, but the author manages to balance them all so the reader can see and enjoy all the relationships evolving (or not). Every couple has great chemistry and the intimate scenes are hot.
AJ Ferraro narrates books one and two in the series and I sincerely hope she does number three too. This is not an easy story to narrate as there are a good number of main and also secondary characters but Ms. Ferraro makes all the voices distinctive and recognisable. There are also a few emotional scenes which she narrates with ease. Listening to these audiobooks is like watching a lesbian tv show and I can’t wait to get where the author takes the characters next. 5 stars for both the story and the narration.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
ekalmusla's review
4.0
Sometimes you hear that nothing can ever beat the original. But then there are those that say that the sequel was better than they could have imagined. Things that come to mind are The Godfather, Part II; The Empire Strikes Back; heck, even Toy Story 2 (still the number one rated Pixar movie to this day). And in the case of the Bay West Social series by [a:Maggie Cummings|8422894|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1444747641p2/8422894.jpg], I'd have to put her in the latter category.
Cummings' debut novel [b:Totally Worth It|28091282|Totally Worth It|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449151288s/28091282.jpg|44862772], the first in the series to introduce us to the New York City lesbian condo community, laid out the expectations for the series. But it was her second novel, [b:Serious Potential|28695831|Serious Potential (Bay West Social, #2)|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1455172665s/28695831.jpg|48893556] that has truly sealed the deal for me. Enjoyable, charming, quirky, and yet still full of human emotions and tribulations, Serious Potential was a great, fun, enjoyable read. I look forward to the rest of the series where I will be able to review it as a whole.
Cummings' debut novel [b:Totally Worth It|28091282|Totally Worth It|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449151288s/28091282.jpg|44862772], the first in the series to introduce us to the New York City lesbian condo community, laid out the expectations for the series. But it was her second novel, [b:Serious Potential|28695831|Serious Potential (Bay West Social, #2)|Maggie Cummings|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1455172665s/28695831.jpg|48893556] that has truly sealed the deal for me. Enjoyable, charming, quirky, and yet still full of human emotions and tribulations, Serious Potential was a great, fun, enjoyable read. I look forward to the rest of the series where I will be able to review it as a whole.
imzadirose's review
5.0
Received by Netgalley for my honest review.
Back to Bay West, and I loved it, just as much as the first. Didn't like some stuff though, but that's just me projecting my own wants and opinions onto the book! :)
I love the community aspect of this book and how they are almost always doing things together. It sounds like a wonderful community to live in, I wish there were communities like that everywhere. I loved all the different stories on, except for Meg's. Hers had quite the emotional roller coaster, so I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will love that, I'm just not one of them. I was glad for her at one point and then so bummed out again. I didn't really care for what she was up to at the end, so I'm hoping that will work out better than I fear. I want good things for her!
Bay West is a community that grabs you and pulls you in. It makes you feel like the characters are your friends and you are just checking in on them. I know I will continue to read the series. Recommended for GLBT fans.
Back to Bay West, and I loved it, just as much as the first. Didn't like some stuff though, but that's just me projecting my own wants and opinions onto the book! :)
I love the community aspect of this book and how they are almost always doing things together. It sounds like a wonderful community to live in, I wish there were communities like that everywhere. I loved all the different stories on, except for Meg's. Hers had quite the emotional roller coaster, so I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will love that, I'm just not one of them. I was glad for her at one point and then so bummed out again. I didn't really care for what she was up to at the end, so I'm hoping that will work out better than I fear. I want good things for her!
Bay West is a community that grabs you and pulls you in. It makes you feel like the characters are your friends and you are just checking in on them. I know I will continue to read the series. Recommended for GLBT fans.