The Senator’s Wife by Jen Lyon is the first of a three book series of an intensely slow-burn, high angst romance.
Alex Grey is a professional soccer player who has been working towards fulfilling her dreams of getting onto the national soccer team. While on vacation on an island in South Carolina, she happens to be in the right place at the right time when she watches a small sailboat capsize during a storm. Grey doesn’t think twice about the possible risks to her own life as she dives headfirst into saving the boater’s life. Grey rescues a striking older woman, Catharine Cleveland. Grey is invited to dinner as a thank you for Catharine’s near-death experience and can’t deny the intrigue that comes with meeting the captivating woman. From their first conversation, Grey hoped this chance meeting wouldn’t be the last.
Grey was raised in a Southern Baptist household and can’t quite grasp the effects of what being with a woman would mean for her life. She’s only ever dated men and has always cherished her closest relationship with her long-time best friend Caleb. As they’re growing together, Caleb expresses his interest in her. Deciding to be with Caleb would be the easy route in terms of upholding her straight image for potential sponsors backing her through her soccer career. Beyond that, she’s going full-throttle in her attempts to make the USWNT and has to maintain a certain image for the company that writes her a contract.
Catharine Cleveland is married to an uncaring and callous husband, Carlton, a U.S. Senator. She is extremely successful in her own right as she’s the CEO of a global transportation company: WorldCargo also known as Brooks Corp. Despite her success, she’s weighed down by her loveless marriage and the looming threat that her father could take away her business whenever he pleases. Her marriage was arranged by her father over twenty years prior after he discovered her sleeping with her charming best friend, Nathalie Comtois. Before she left for the states, he explains that he’s giving her a minority stake in WorldCargo to extend the company into the U.S. He does this, not out of love, but to uphold his end of the bargain of passing down the company to his family’s next generation. He specified having a stake in the family business was reliant on her good behavior. Now by simply knowing Grey, this brings her out of the monotony and fog of the every day and has her seriously considering risking everything to ensure Grey has a place in her life.
Roadblocks aplenty, Grey and Cleveland can’t deny their mutual attraction. Throughout the entirety of the novel, both women have to determine what they’re willing to sacrifice to be together. Will Catharine finally get out from under the thumb of her egotistical husband and find a way to fight for her business from her controlling father? Will Grey allow room for self-discovery despite everything she was raised with and is she willing to enter into the intimidating life of a successful, poised woman that comes with notoriety amongst the 1%? And most importantly, will the major differences between the two characters keep them together or force them apart?
Writing
There is something special about this debut novel of Jen Lyon. There are no questions about what goes on within the minds of Alex Grey and Catharine Cleveland. A few chapters in, you’d easily recognize who’s point of view you’re reading from even if no names were mentioned.
I loved the ability to see both of their internal monologues and how contrasting it was to what they voiced out loud to either save face or feel each other out. Lyon gives us the perspective of both Grey and Cleveland. Lyon did an incredible job at separating out the character’s traits, clearly defining who they are and how they make decisions.
Throughout Lyon’s writing, we’re introduced to numerous secondary characters more so on Alex Grey’s side. Since she’s a part of a team we get to meet about 4 or 5 of her teammates consistently in the book. If you’re familiar with real life NWSL or USWNT, you’ll find some of the characters reminiscent of the members of those teams which makes it feel almost nonfictional at times. I enjoyed the support and camaraderie between not just Alex and her teammates but all of them together. You can see they each have their own relationships with each other and it makes you want to know each of them more in-depth.
As for Catharine Cleveland, she keeps her circle small. Her best friend, Nathalie, whom she had an affair with in their youth is the definition of charismatic. There are times where Grey becomes a bit jealous in her presence and I didn’t blame her for it. We also meet a few of Cleveland’s friends that consists of a dancer with the Melbourne Repertory, an acclaimed Slovenian cellist, an “artist to the elite” and an entitled real estate mogul from Australia.
I can’t close this section without at least mentioning Lyon’s incredible talent when it comes to setting the scene. Often the characters are traveling and end up staying at hotels or staying in cities throughout the country due to Alex’s soccer games or Catharine’s business ventures. Catharine also has some pretty stunning homes that fit her character to a T.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
When you give me a book that brings characters together beyond flirty banter and close proximity, I’m way more inclined to like it. Usually, I seek out more intimate scenes and steam would be a must, however, in this series descriptive sex scenes are left to the imagination. With that said, the chemistry is extremely powerful and I was able to put aside my own reservations to stay invested in the book. Catharine and Alex are oftentimes not together in this book, yet every interaction they have caused my heart to race. From the moment Alex saves Catharine’s life by dragging her out of rough seas to a chance meeting, there is an undeniable need for these characters to remain in each other’s lives. As a reader, you visit dozens of locations between each of the characters but the tether to Catharine and Alex remains solid and withstanding.
Catharine was my favorite character and one that will stick with me for a long time. She was exacting in the way she knows what she wants, how she runs her business, how she carries herself and how she wants others to see her. While I enjoyed Catharine’s perspective more, I also loved learning more about women’s soccer. I’m a big fan of NWSL and USWNT as it is, so I loved getting a look of how it feels to be on the field and on a team as powerful as that one.
Heads Up
A few items to note as a heads up. For those who are not fans of cheating in a book, Catharine cheats on her husband. For me, I was able to put that part aside. I despised the husband the whole way through and I wanted her to find her happiness that she deserved.
Well into the book, there is one scene with domestic violence. Generally there are some dark themes that come through. Catharine endures emotional abuse by her husband. She was also physically abused by her father.
Alex’s parents pass away in a plane crash when she’s young and is taken in by her pastor uncle and aunt. They aren’t good to her and use her for her money when it’s convenient for them.
The Conclusion
You might as well just go ahead and buy the whole series by Jen Lyon. You’ll be hooked after the first chapter so I’m saving you some deliberation time. Normally, I’m kicking myself if I’m reading a book months after its publish date but I was so happy to have the option to pick up the second book right away.
Alex and Catharine’s connection is irrefutable and honestly, rare. Too often, lesbian romance novels end up skimming the surface while this book goes deep into the minds of each character. When Alex saves Catharine from her near-death experience it automatically puts a weight on their relationship that marks it as significant.
While I would have appreciated more descriptive sex scenes, the adoration and chemistry between the two seep from every interaction. This is one of those books that you won’t forget as the story and writing itself envelopes you into Jen Lyon’s world that she’s built for these characters. You’ll only wish that Jen Lyon had more books out than she has at present.
Excerpt from The Senator’s Wife by Author
“Now, tell me,” Catharine took a step back, giving her space, and folded her gloved hands into her pockets. “What are we doing here?”
Alex averted her eyes back to the memorial, her face as cold and set as the figure in bronze. “I just—” she took a breath and let the air out slowly, composing herself. “I can’t do this.”
She shut her eyes and Catharine waited, watching her expressionless face. “And what is it you can’t do?” She asked at length.
“This!” Alex came alive with the sharpness of the word, her voice wavering with emotion. She turned to Catharine, pulling her hands from her pockets and gesturing between the two of them. “This! This here, whatever this is. I don’t even know what this is.” She covered her face in frustration, and Catharine wanted to reach out to touch her, to console her, but she dared not.
Instead, she waited for her to go on.
“I can’t—” Alex started again, still hiding behind her hands. “I can’t be the only one—whatever this is between us—it can’t just be me that feels this.”
“Alex—” Catharine reached forward to draw her hands from her face, but as soon as she touched her Alex jerked away as if she had been struck.
“Please, don’t!” She shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself defensively. She looked like she was about to lose her battle against the tears threatening at the brim of her eyes. “You don’t understand!”
“I do understand!” Catharine cut in sharply, her own anger piqued. “I understand far more than you will ever know!”
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Series: The Senator’s Wife series
The Senator’s Wife
Caught Sleeping
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9798987732007
Publisher: Bowkers
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