Spring's Wake by Aurora ReySpring’s Wake by Aurora Rey is charming. It’s the story of Will, Emerson’s sister – which is totally awesome because I really wanted Will’s story when I listened to Summer’s Cove.

Will is settling into Provincetown and reconnecting with her sister. She has a good job with the Dolphin Fleet and is making friends. One of those friends is Graham, a coworker who is staying with her aunt Nora during the summer. Since summer is coming to an end and the dolphin fleet is shutting down for the off season, Will needs some part time work to see her through. Graham suggests that she does some handyman (or handywoman) work at the bed and breakfast that her aunt, Nora, runs.

Will is keen on the idea, not just because she needs the work but because there is something alluring about the older woman.

Nora likes her life ordered and she likes to be in control. Running her bed and breakfast, entertaining friends and family with epic parties and her small but active social life keeps her busy. She doesn’t want anything more from life and is nursing a heart that is not able to trust love.

Graham is staying with Nora for the summer and Nora loves it, but she is concerned when Graham makes friends with Will and when Will seems to be interested in more than friendship with Graham, Nora’s suspicions grow. Will is too old to have a casual job and she seems flighty and unstable. Surely she will break Graham’s heart.

And then there is Graham. She has a serious crush on Will and practically sparkles with excitement when she even looks at her capable butch friend.

Is it possible for Nora’s to put aside her suspicions and give Will enough of a chance? Can Graham get over the fact that Will is not interested in her? Is Will determined enough to break through Nora’s Ice Queen exterior and show her what true love can actually be?

The Characters And Writing

This is the third story in Aurora Rey’s Cape End romance series and every book gets better. Aurora Rey’s character’s are each an individual with flaws, things we love and things that make them gorgeously real.

Will and Nora are both broken by former relationships and yet Rey had them reacting differently to the prospect of romance. Nora ran and Will tried harder. There were times when I wanted to sit them both down and give them a pep talk. – Will you deserve better and Nora, come on girl, you got this!

I also adored Graham as a character and I am thrilled that she gets her own romance in the next book. 

The writing level in this book has also taken a step up again which is exciting to see because the last book was pretty good. I believe that Aurora Rey is an author who is going to become a big name in lesbian fiction romance if she continues on this path. Her books are well written. Her stories are never the same twice and yet each one has a uniquely her flavour. The character work is strong and I find it exciting to see what she comes up with next.

The Narration

Hollis Elizabeth is a great narrator for this series. She flavours the words with accents and voices that fit the story that is being told. She is a great choice and I am thrilled that the final book in the series is also narrated by her.

The Pros

I loved that Rey made Nora a bit of an Ice Queen. She isn’t the traditional Ice Queen in that she is quite warm (but distant) to everyone other than Will because she is guarding her heart.

Will is definitely one of my favourite characters and I loved to see her and Emerson getting along great.

One of the best things about a series like this is that you can get a glimpse of what happened to former main characters in the series and both sets of the main characters from the previous books made an appearance. You don’t have to have read them in order because it doesn’t affect the story at all, but for fans of the series it does provide something extra.

The Cons

None.

sheena's favouriteThe Conclusion

Get Springs Wake if you want a book that checks these boxes:

  • A butch/femme romance
  • An age gap romance (both adults, one in her mid thirties, one ten to fifteen years older – I have a terrible memory so I can’t recall exactly)
  • One Ice queen
  • One gentle butch
  • Two broken hearts that need mending
  • A wonderful cast of side character
  • An unexpected romance (I couldn’t guess where the story was going)
  • A fantastic setting
  • Great narration

Oh, just get the book. It’s adorable.

Excerpt from Spring’s Wake by Aurora Rey

The owner of the voice came into view and Will blinked in surprise. She’d imagined sort of a Martha Stewart type. This woman was no Martha Stewart. Nor was she like any of Will’s aunts—women on the far side of middle age who either clung to their youth or gave themselves over to their role as grandparents. Nora was something in the middle, older but with a kind of refined beauty and poise. Her hair was a sandy blond, perhaps with a hint of gray running through it, that fell in waves to her shoulders. She wore a floral dress that accentuated an hourglass figure. Over it, a dark green apron. She was stunning. Will swallowed.

“Aunt Nora, this is my friend, Will Lange. Will, Nora Calhoun.”

Nora extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Will shook her hand and tried to find her vocabulary. “Likewise.”

“You have an interesting name, Will. Is it short for something?”

Will smiled. “Willa. My dad had a literary streak.”

“And her sister is Emerson,” Graham said.

Nora smiled and Will’s heart rate kicked up an extra notch. “How nice. I always wanted a name with a little more flair.”

Get It Online

When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series

Cape End Romance 

Winter’s Harbor

Summer’s Cover

Spring’s Wake

Autumn’s Light

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781635550351
  • Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
  • Audiobook Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
  • Narrator: Hollis Elizabeth

Aurora Rey Online

If you enjoyed this book then you should also look at

melissa brayden kiss the girl review on the lesbian review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: I received a free review copy of Spring’s Wake by Aurora Rey. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site