{"id":11242,"date":"2019-02-12T00:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T22:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/?p=11242"},"modified":"2023-06-15T11:01:58","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T09:01:58","slug":"blissfully-blindsided-alexander","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/blissfully-blindsided-alexander\/","title":{"rendered":"Blissfully Blindsided by Robin Alexander: Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Blissfully<\/a>Blissfully Blindsided by Robin Alexander<\/b><\/span> is a hilarious, sweet, small town romance that\u2019s sure to leave you happy.<\/span><\/p>\n

After more than a decade in a job that kept her on the road, Caleigh Breaux is ready to stay in one place. She\u2019s taken a job in Falcon, Louisiana so she can be close to her grandparents, and is hoping she\u2019ll finally have time to settle down and stop settling for hookups.<\/span><\/p>\n

She and her car almost make it to the small town when she gets a flat tire on a road in the middle of nowhere. Caleigh can\u2019t believe her luck when a beautiful woman stops to help her, since Blaze Sonnier turns out to be exactly what she\u2019s looking for. <\/span><\/p>\n

Blaze doesn\u2019t have many friends in town, having long had a reputation for doing outrageous things. A viral video of her punching out a couple of women in a parking lot while wearing an Easter Bunny costume is just the latest example, and no one cares that it wasn\u2019t her fault. Since people in Falcon can\u2019t be bothered to see Blaze for the kind, funny person she is, she\u2019s surprised to meet Caleigh\u2014her ideal woman\u2014and find Caleigh is just as interested in her<\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Throw together some family drama, small town gossip, and a totally lovely romance, and you\u2019ve got another excellent romcom from Robin Alexander.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Characters<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Tara:<\/b> I doubt this will be a shock to anyone, but I loved Blaze and Caleigh. They\u2019re so lovely together and it\u2019s cute seeing how they\u2019re almost surprised to find each other. Their banter and chemistry is a total delight and had me smiling all the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a bunch of side characters who are also great, including Blaze\u2019s menopausal sister, her mother who\u2019s back after being out of their lives for decades, her best friend, and Caleigh\u2019s grandparents. Each of them add their own little spice to the story and frequently had me laughing out loud.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kelly:<\/b> If there is one thing I can count on with Robin Alexander, it is that her novels will be populated by zany and interesting characters. With Blaze and Caleigh, we see a new host of crazy traits wrapped in Alexander\u2019s signature southern charm. I also loved both of them. On the surface, Caleigh seemed like the serious character to Blaze\u2019s crazy one, but when you dig a little deeper you see they are both oddballs and that was why they worked so well.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Writing Style<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Tara: <\/b>This book has zero angst and that was perfect for me. Just like Temporary Girl<\/span><\/a>, I read it while on vacation, and it was a wonderful way to escape from the world for a few hours. There *is* conflict, just not a lot of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

It would be easy for me to keep saying that it\u2019s hilarious, because it is, but this book is just all-around lovely. Alexander does a great job of building a relationship I believed in, while making familial love a strong element in the book too. <\/span><\/p>\n

Kelly:<\/b> Robin Alexander has a smooth writing style that draws you into her story\u2019s antics before you even realize fully what\u2019s going on. Right off the bat, her interesting characters kind of grab your attention and make you want to know more about them. One of the things I always love about Alexander\u2019s novels is the way she crafts such unique people. And it\u2019s not just her main characters, but each and every secondary character gets the same treatment. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Pros<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Tara:<\/b> Engaging characters, adorable romance, fun dialogue, and situations that had me laughing\u2014it delivered everything I want out of a romantic comedy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kelly:<\/b> For me, a pro was that there was zero angst in this book. I\u2019m not typically a fan of angst and Robin Alexander doesn\u2019t need it to tell a good tale. It was light, hilarious, and delivered that happy ending I like in a romance novel.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cons<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Tara:<\/b> This book is SO much better than its cover.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kelly:<\/b> I\u2019m not the cover snob that Tara is. To me, the book had an average cover, very similar to the majority of other lesbian romance books I\u2019ve seen. <\/span><\/p>\n

My one complaint about this particular novel, and it\u2019s NOT a big one because I really liked the story, is that her characters fit so completely together a little early for me. Have you heard the joke \u201cWhat does a lesbian bring on a second date?\u201d Answer: \u201cA U-Haul.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Or even this joke, \u201cWhat is the average time between lesbian relationships?\u201d Answer: \u201cNegative 3.5 days.\u201d Okay, so they don\u2019t have any previous relationship drama in Blissfully Blindsided, however they do kind of U-Haul in this one.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"taras<\/a>The Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Tara: <\/b>I don\u2019t know if Blissfully Blindsided has beaten out Just Jorie<\/span><\/a> for my favourite Robin Alexander romance, but it\u2019s pretty damn close! If you\u2019re looking for a low-stress book so you can hide away from the world for a while, pick this one up. It\u2019s completely adorable and well worth your time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Kelly:<\/b> Never disappointing. That is my first thought when I look at any title by Robin Alexander. Seriously, I now own 12 of her novels and every single one has been a joy. Unlike Tara though, Just Jorie is still my favorite. If you want to laugh, don\u2019t want a bunch of angst and drama, then definitely give this one a read. Any fan of Robin Alexander will know they\u2019re getting a great read. And anyone who is new to Robin Alexander will become a fan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Excerpt from <\/b><\/span>Blissfully Blindsided by Robin Alexander<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Blaze walked to the back of the car and tried to keep her expression neutral as Caleigh opened the trunk and revealed what looked like hundreds of boxes. \u201cWow, so you\u2019re really into shoes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know that you\u2019re thinking\u2014I\u2019m that woman. The prissy one who can\u2019t change her own tire and has a ton of clothes and shoes, and her highest priority is getting her nails done. I swear I\u2019m not, even though the evidence points to the contrary,\u201d Caleigh said as she gathered boxes. \u201cMy former job required me to travel constantly, and I didn\u2019t have a real home. It made no sense to buy things to decorate an apartment I rarely saw, so I compensated by buying things I did use, and that was clothes and shoes. The moving van that had my few furnishings left before I realized I forgot to pack my shoe closet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou had a whole closet dedicated to shoes?\u201d Blaze asked as she grabbed boxes too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had the same job since I graduated college, and I\u2019m almost forty. That was a lot of years of collecting shoes, so yes. When I get into my new place, I\u2019ll sort through them, then donate most to a women\u2019s shelter.\u201d Caleigh dropped an armload of boxes onto the road. \u201cI am that<\/i> woman. Oh, my God! I am! I can\u2019t change a tire! I have a ton of shoes! I don\u2019t know how to work in an office, and this is proof!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Blaze\u2019s jaw sagged slightly as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. \u201cPeople wear shoes in an office,\u201d she said numbly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I wore mine on the road!\u201d Caleigh snatched a shoebox out of the trunk and spiked it on the ground like a football. She waved her hands around wildly and stared at the sky. \u201cIs this a sign? Is the universe trying to tell me through a flat tire that I should\u2019ve stayed in my old job where I knew what I was doing?\u201d Breathing heavily, she met Blaze\u2019s startled gaze. \u201cI can\u2019t even change my own tire, so how am I gonna run a whole human resources department?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Blaze looked at the shoes and boxes scattered around Caleigh\u2019s feet thinking they\u2019d be there for hours if Caleigh continued to have an emotional crisis. \u201cHow long have you been driving?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince I got my learner\u2019s permit at fifteen years old,\u201d Caleigh replied, looking confused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI mean today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Shit.\u201d Caleigh thought for a moment. \u201cDon\u2019t judge, I\u2019m gonna have to use my fingers to count.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Get It Online<\/b><\/h3>\n

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<\/i><\/p>\n

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Bits and Bobs<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n