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misthios_pat's review against another edition
3.0
A good read, it started strong and amusing with MC and LI interactions being quite entertaining and lively, I was a bit giddy waiting for them to finally go for it, and when they went it was worth it. It was quite spicy and unlike my food, I like my readings just like that
The one thing that I thought was annoying was the lack of a proper time passing indicator, I know it was 6 weeks but when things happened were not clear and it kinda weighted down on my judgment. I mean, I thought they were saying some stuff after a week, but then Mac was going home and made sense of was over a month.
Anyway, it was free and I'm very grateful, with a read even though I didn't rate it higher
The one thing that I thought was annoying was the lack of a proper time passing indicator, I know it was 6 weeks but when things happened were not clear and it kinda weighted down on my judgment. I mean, I thought they were saying some stuff after a week, but then Mac was going home and made sense of was over a month.
Anyway, it was free and I'm very grateful, with a read even though I didn't rate it higher
readlexread's review
I petition for yt authors to not have Black Women in their covers. First off, I really did enjoy this book buuut there was always something just off about the MC whose POV we get. Mac is Black woman who is a war vet. While yes we think about and experience racism and macro and micro aggressions on a daily basis but the way some of the stuff happened or was worded always seemed just a little off or overdone and so when I finished and went to the authors website and found the picture, I wasn’t too shocked to find that the author is white. I don’t mind yt authors writing Black characters but it just kinda gives me pause when that’s the POV because a Black reader is going to pick up something not quite being right. Particularly when it’s a real world, real place setting. All that aside, I did enjoy this book and their relationship. Imma enjoy most anything sapphic. It was the right mix of pining, tension, and drama.
jacemchale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
Minor: Child death and War
vixdag's review against another edition
4.0
One by Brenda Murphy is a sexy, erotic romance about finding love when you least expect it. Regan “Mac” MacDonald is flying to Italy to attend her first formula one race, something she had always wanted to do with her father. While waiting for her delayed flight, she meets Lana Baroni, a rich and talented engine designer for her family’s elite car company. Sparks fly and the two women find themselves in a fiery whirlwind of a romance.
There are so many things to like about this book. Let’s start with the easy part. It is full of spicy sex scenes which are even sexier because both women are hovering around the age of forty and they know what they like and are willing to ask for it. There is realness to their encounters because they develop a high level of respect and trust over the course of the book. I also flat out liked each of them. If I don’t like the two main characters, the most interesting plot won’t save the book for me.
The book is told in the third person from Mac’s point of view, but the author provides the reader with a continuous inner dialogue that expresses Mac’s feelings of insecurity. At times she is quite harsh with herself. She is a war veteran and her struggles with PTSD make it hard for her and a disfiguring war wound makes it even harder. She gets by with her stone, butch persona, but when she becomes involved with Lana, her soft and vulnerable side shines through.
On the outside the two women appear to be complete opposites. Mac is an African American war veteran who grew up in a household where jobs were often hard to come by for her father. Lana on the other hand, is a wealthy heiress who it seems has never wanted for anything. As the plot develops, it becomes clear that Mac and Lana have more in common then what would appear. They are both strong willed, stubborn, and fighters.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how the author portrays the racial prejudice that Mac faces at almost every turn. The character takes it in stride, to a point, but as the reader, it made me uncomfortable and it should. The arbitrary treatment Mac receives due to the color of her skin is ugly and base and it should be acknowledged as such.
I really wished there had been more back story on Lana’s daughter and I was left wondering how Mac would fit into Lana’s privileged world. Mac most certainly would not want to be a “kept” woman so I found myself creating a future for her and Lana beyond the last page.
This was a fun read.
There are so many things to like about this book. Let’s start with the easy part. It is full of spicy sex scenes which are even sexier because both women are hovering around the age of forty and they know what they like and are willing to ask for it. There is realness to their encounters because they develop a high level of respect and trust over the course of the book. I also flat out liked each of them. If I don’t like the two main characters, the most interesting plot won’t save the book for me.
The book is told in the third person from Mac’s point of view, but the author provides the reader with a continuous inner dialogue that expresses Mac’s feelings of insecurity. At times she is quite harsh with herself. She is a war veteran and her struggles with PTSD make it hard for her and a disfiguring war wound makes it even harder. She gets by with her stone, butch persona, but when she becomes involved with Lana, her soft and vulnerable side shines through.
On the outside the two women appear to be complete opposites. Mac is an African American war veteran who grew up in a household where jobs were often hard to come by for her father. Lana on the other hand, is a wealthy heiress who it seems has never wanted for anything. As the plot develops, it becomes clear that Mac and Lana have more in common then what would appear. They are both strong willed, stubborn, and fighters.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how the author portrays the racial prejudice that Mac faces at almost every turn. The character takes it in stride, to a point, but as the reader, it made me uncomfortable and it should. The arbitrary treatment Mac receives due to the color of her skin is ugly and base and it should be acknowledged as such.
I really wished there had been more back story on Lana’s daughter and I was left wondering how Mac would fit into Lana’s privileged world. Mac most certainly would not want to be a “kept” woman so I found myself creating a future for her and Lana beyond the last page.
This was a fun read.
sashastorylover's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to read One for three reasons 1) f/f romance, 2) Italy, 3) motorcycles and how does the book deliver!
I enjoyed reading the story a lot! The writing is very engaging 3rd person pov, it's well-paced and truly interesting to read.
The protagonist is 40 year old army vet Mac, she's Black-Irish lesbian and a USA citizen. During her flight to Italy, where she's going to see Formula One race, she meets gorgeous woman and the romance happens. The love interest is engineer and designer Lana, a rich Italian 41 year old woman. Lana and Mac both passionate about cars, motorcycles, engines and Formula One. They bond over it, they have great chemistry together. I appreciate open communication between them. Also I rarely read stories about 40 years old queer people, so it was exciting.
Mac has PTSD, several scars and she lost her breast during service. The novel has several scenes of her waking up from nightmares, being wary of crowds and talking about her service and her worries with Lana. A lot of Mac's worries are caused by her low self-esteem and the regular angst of romance novels is mostly costed by her insecurities.
The novel is rich in sex scenes, I loved them! They are well-written and very emotional. I do have a small criticism. I wish there were either a little less of them or a little more of the plot outside of the romance. The novel is very characters-driven and their dynamics is the key to the story, but I wish we could see more of Italy or Lana's work place.
All in all, I'm very happy I got recommended this novel and decided to try it out. It's so worth reading. I'm bumped there're so few reviews on goodreads.
Sapphicathon Bingo: Book 6: Under 500 ratings on Goodreads & QWOC MC & Disabled MC
Content warning: PTSD, scars, homophobic relatives
I enjoyed reading the story a lot! The writing is very engaging 3rd person pov, it's well-paced and truly interesting to read.
The protagonist is 40 year old army vet Mac, she's Black-Irish lesbian and a USA citizen. During her flight to Italy, where she's going to see Formula One race, she meets gorgeous woman and the romance happens. The love interest is engineer and designer Lana, a rich Italian 41 year old woman. Lana and Mac both passionate about cars, motorcycles, engines and Formula One. They bond over it, they have great chemistry together. I appreciate open communication between them. Also I rarely read stories about 40 years old queer people, so it was exciting.
Mac has PTSD, several scars and she lost her breast during service. The novel has several scenes of her waking up from nightmares, being wary of crowds and talking about her service and her worries with Lana. A lot of Mac's worries are caused by her low self-esteem and the regular angst of romance novels is mostly costed by her insecurities.
The novel is rich in sex scenes, I loved them! They are well-written and very emotional. I do have a small criticism. I wish there were either a little less of them or a little more of the plot outside of the romance. The novel is very characters-driven and their dynamics is the key to the story, but I wish we could see more of Italy or Lana's work place.
All in all, I'm very happy I got recommended this novel and decided to try it out. It's so worth reading. I'm bumped there're so few reviews on goodreads.
Sapphicathon Bingo: Book 6: Under 500 ratings on Goodreads & QWOC MC & Disabled MC
Content warning: PTSD, scars, homophobic relatives