![\"georgia](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/starting-from-scratch-by-georgia-beers-201x300.jpg?resize=201%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>1 Starting from Scratch by Georgia Beers<\/b><\/h3>\nPublished by: <\/b>Brisk Press<\/p>\n
Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n
What happens when your life takes an unexpected turn?<\/p>\n
What happens when you need to protect the one you love from the one you want to love?<\/p>\n
What happens when you lose something you never knew you wanted?<\/p>\n
Lambda and Golden Crown Literary Award-winning author Georgia Beers brings to you her long-awaited seventh novel, Starting from Scratch, a story where learning, laughing, loving, and baked goods are just a few of life\u2019s basic ingredients.<\/p>\n
Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n
Starting from Scratch\u2026where life is what you make it.<\/p>\n
That Avery loves Max as much as she loves Elena is just one of many, many things I love about this book. I like the added complication that Max had two moms before Avery fell for Elena. There are so many times in my own life as a mother that I remember Avery\u2019s disappointment that Cindy isn\u2019t watching when Max does something well at his game. That one scene has improved my life as a parent. That the title fits in with the parenting theme adds even more to my love of this book.<\/p>\n
Get It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read Our Review Here<\/a><\/p>\n [tweetthis]Starting from Scratch by Georgia Beers made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by<\/b>: Bold Strokes Books<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n Sometimes baseball is just a metaphor for life, and sometimes it works the other way around. All Sarah Duke ever cared about was baseball, and she\u2019s finally earned her shot as a full-time sports writer. She loves the work, she loves being one of the few women to ever gain access to a man\u2019s world, but most of all, she loves the game. When Duke meets Molly Grettano and her two sons at the ballpark, she instantly connects with the young family, but Molly isn\u2019t sure Duke\u2019s ready for something more. Molly wants someone softer, more feminine, and more importantly, someone steady. She and her boys have been abandoned before, and she\u2019s vowed to never to put them in that position again. If she were ever to trust anyone, it would have to be someone fully dedicated to her and her children. Duke has a lot of heart, but neither woman is sure there\u2019s enough room left in it for anything other than baseball.<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n The romance that grows between Duke and Molly is intertwined with Duke\u2019s love for Joe and Charlie. Though it\u2019s clear that Joe and Duke bond over baseball, what caught my heart more was how Charlie was portrayed. As Duke and Molly discuss, he is his own person, and I appreciated seeing the depiction of a quirky kid. His response to the question, \u201cAnd who might you be?\u201d captures the spirit of childhood so beautifully. I love how this book explored the delights children can bring to the adult world, even when they are wrapped in a challenging package.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [tweetthis]Heart of the Game by Rachel Spangler made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by: <\/b>Companion Publications<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n World-renowned artist Madison Lorraine leads a quiet life in Islamorada, Florida, with her nine-year-old daughter, Mo. Madison hasn’t painted in over three years since her wife and muse, Callie, lost her battle with cancer.<\/p>\n Supermodel Gabrielle Valenci’s arrival at her family home in Islamorada unsettles Madison’s comfortable routine. Gabrielle has left a floundering relationship behind in New York and travels to Florida to undergo the last of her chemotherapy. Her prognosis is excellent, but her journey since the initial cancer diagnosis has been rocky.<\/p>\n The appearance of a dolphin in their cove coincides with Gabrielle’s arrival next door. With each unannounced visit, he inspires Gabrielle and Madison as he gently nudges them together. Soon, Madison is accompanying Gabrielle to her treatments. Although the bond between them strengthens and their mutual attraction grows, both are hesitant to take the next step. Can they learn To Love Free again?<\/p>\n Sometimes, the fragile human heart is reluctant to heal. But Madison and Gabrielle never counted on the persistence of one determined, magical dolphin they call “Free.”<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n In this book, Madison is a widow who is now a single mom. Since Mo is a bigger kid, she and her mom have a relationship. Together they have vulnerabilities, and they have hope. I love how this book included the realities that a date is complicated by the fact that moms need someone to watch their kids. I also liked how carefully Madison weighs whether or not she can risk both her heart and Mo\u2019s on a future with Gabrielle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [tweetthis]To Love Free by Chris Paynter\u00a0 made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by:<\/b> Ylva Publishing<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n A successful anaesthetist, Anna is focused on herself, her career, and her girlfriend. Everything changes abruptly when her brother\u2019s and sister-in-law\u2019s deaths devastate her and her family. Left responsible for her young niece and nephew, Anna finds herself dumped and alone in Melbourne, a city she doesn\u2019t even like. She tries to navigate the shock of looking after two children battling with their grief while managing her own.<\/p>\n Filled with self-doubt, Anna feels as if she\u2019s making a mess of the entire thing, especially when she collides with a long-legged stranger. Anna barely has time to brush her teeth in the morning, let alone to date a woman\u2014least of all one who has no idea about the two kids under her care.<\/p>\n Just when Anna finally starts to feel as if she\u2019s getting some control of the situation, the biggest fight begins and Anna really has to step up once and for all.<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n This book covers the parent immersion with the inherited children. Benson explores the struggles and the stresses, but also the great joys of parenting without getting bogged down in the dreary day to day. It really is the moments that highlight how Anna becomes a mom to her niece and nephew.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read Our Review Here<\/a><\/p>\n [tweetthis]All the Little Moments by G Benson made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by:<\/b> Bella Books<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n In Without Warning, they fell in love. In Aftershock, that love was tested and reaffirmed. Now Anna and Lily Kaklis face questions about family and future when a homeless woman is killed in San Francisco, leaving a three-year-old who happens to be Lily’s nephew in foster care.<\/p>\n Lily will not allow her birth mother to ruin another childhood, but ways to save the little one rapidly dwindle. She can’t arrange for adoption herself, not when Anna is clearly terrified at the prospect of raising a child.<\/p>\n Anna is happy to let Lily do the temporary parenting necessary until a suitable adoption placement can be found. It won’t last long, and then their lives will go back to normal. At least that was the plan, then Lily is called away. Anna finds herself alone with her worst nightmare: a toddler.<\/p>\n In this third book of The Shaken Series, 2007 Lambda Literary winner KG MacGregor continues the compelling tale of two women who discover that real love has no limitations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n An earthquake didn\u2019t break them. Old demons only tested and deepened their commitment. Even a four-year-old couldn\u2019t tear them apart. Now Anna and Lily Kaklis embrace a new adventure: adding to their family.<\/p>\n As usual, the timing couldn\u2019t be better. Lily\u2019s only involved in the most important case of her career, and Anna\u2019s struggling to keep her auto empire above water in the sinking economy. It\u2019ll be easy to fit in trips to the fertility clinic, right?<\/p>\n What Anna knows is she\u2019s no longer afraid of parenting and their adopted son Andy deserves siblings…whether he thinks so or not. But when Lily\u2019s pregnancy faces complications, it\u2019s a tumultuous journey as they test their understanding of love in brand new ways.<\/p>\n In this fourth book of the award-winning The Shaken Series, Lambda Literary Award winner KG MacGregor continues the compelling tale of two women who discover that real love has no limitations.<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n I know it\u2019s kind of cheating to list a series, but then I get to say how I loved that Anna and Lily faced several parenting issues. In Small Packages, MacGregor explores the effect of adopting a young child has on her established couple. In Mother Load, MacGregor\u00a0 showcases Anna\u2019s parenting and explores some fertility issues.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [tweetthis]Books 3 and 4 of The Shaken Series by KG MacGregor made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by: <\/b>Ylva Publishing<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n Spurred on by overwhelming and ever-increasing debts, Emily White takes a job working in the first-class cabin on the prestigious commuter route from her home of New York to London with Crown Airlines. A gruelling transatlantic schedule means she is in the air nearly as much as she is on the ground and desperately misses her five-year-old son.<\/p>\n On board she meets Olivia Lewis, who is a literal high-flying business executive with a weekly commute, a meticulous schedule, and terrible social skills.<\/p>\n When a personal emergency brings them together, will Emily be able to swallow her pride and accept help from Olivia? And will Olivia be able to prevent herself from saying the wrong thing?<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n This book tackles the harsh realities of a tricky parenting situation, the enormous sacrifices that are made in terms of juggling work hours and child care. It doesn\u2019t sound very romantic, but it is one of those stories that puts you into such a real conflict that you feel compelled to see how it\u2019s all going to work out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read Our Review Here<\/a><\/p>\n [tweetthis]Flight SQA016 by A.E. Radley made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by: <\/b>Ylva Publishing<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cLuke\u201d Hamilton has always been sure that she\u2019d never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man.<\/p>\n After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life.<\/p>\n But now they find themselves married and on the way to Oregon in a covered wagon, with two thousand miles ahead of them.<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n I loved that Luke was such a good dad to Nora\u2019s daughter, Amy. Can you even imagine what it would be like to have a kid and be traveling out west by wagon train to help settle the western territory? I can, because I read this book.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read Our Review Here<\/a><\/p>\n [tweetthis]Backwards to Oregon by Jae made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by: <\/b>Penikila Press<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n The problem with starting over in another state after losing your partner is that your new friends don\u2019t understand why you can\u2019t just get over it. They never saw how you were together, how much you loved her, how she was your life. They only see a number: three, as in, the number of years since she died. That\u2019s all the evidence they need to begin pressuring you to get back out there again. It doesn\u2019t matter that you\u2019ve told them to back off. No, they feel it is their duty to butt into your life and ambush you with blind dates.<\/p>\n This wasn\u2019t a predicament Briony Gatewood anticipated when she relocated for tenure at a prestigious university. Yet after a year with her new friends, they\u2019ve ceased being merely concerned and moved on to obnoxious. As if being fixed up wasn\u2019t bad enough, the dean at her college just volunteered her to teach a potentially career damaging class. Along for the experimental course is the socially challenged M Desiderius, a fellow professor who won\u2019t ever win a faculty popularity contest. But as they start working together, Briony begins to understand M\u2019s aloofness and is intrigued by the shy, brilliant, passionate woman. Enough so that she\u2019s starting to believe her friends when they say it\u2019s time to move on. And M, as complicated as her past has been and reticent as she seems now, may be the perfect person to help Briony finally heal and love again.<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n I love that both Briony and M both have little people in their lives and the boys\u2019 friendship contributes to their growing relationship. Because of Briony\u2019s son is friends with Hank, she knows a bit of sign language which comes up in a scene that tips her friendship with M into something a bit more.\u00a0 The boys aren\u2019t there, but it\u2019s one of my favorite scenes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [tweetthis]Blessed Twice by Lynn Galli made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by:<\/b> Bella Books<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n Two very different reasons brought Laura Izmani and Helen Baynor to the Beach Boardwalk for a symbolic ride on the biggest wooden roller coaster on the west coast. They part strangers, but only after sharing an experience that shifted both of their lives onto new tracks.<\/p>\n Their paths cross again decades later when Laura interviews with Helen to become the private chef for the Baynor household. Given what Laura revealed during that fateful coaster ride, she\u2019s relieved that Helen seems to have forgotten her.<\/p>\n Fiercely protective of her children, Helen\u2014now a famous stage actress and widow with teenaged twins\u2014divides her time between home in a sleepy California enclave and the bright lights of Broadway. Continuing her carefully managed life until her children leave for college is all she wants.<\/p>\n Their first roller coaster ride together may turn out to be only a prelude…<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n I love that Helen\u2019s children are grown but still important to her and that the romance grows as Laura nurtures the teens. That the trust slow to build between the women is tested by Julie\u2019s food allergy rings so true to me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read Our Review Here<\/a><\/p>\n [tweetthis]Roller Coaster by Karin Kallmaker made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n Published by:<\/b> Bold Strokes Books<\/p>\n Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n From Book 1:<\/b> Brains, guts, and ruthless ambition should be enough to come out on top in any fight. Except when the battle is over love, all bets are off. Derby Cain Casey was groomed from birth to take the reins of the Casey family enterprises, which just happens to be one of the major crime organizations in New Orleans. Surviving by never turning away from a fight and knowing how to win at all costs, Cain is as careful with her heart as she is with her business – until she meets Emma Verde. The farm girl from Wisconsin puts a hit out on Cain\u2019s heart and leads her down a dangerous road filled with great joy and devastating sorrow. The Devil Inside is the story of unexpected passion, a shattering betrayal, and the challenge of love put to the test.<\/p>\n Why I Love It<\/b><\/p>\n I know a mob boss doesn\u2019t scream great mom, but I adore Cain and her family and watching them evolve. I will never forget how it\u2019s fighting for her children that pulls Emma in so utterly. They may be breaking the law, but their family is the center of world. It\u2019s also fun to see how their family grows over the course of the series.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read Our Review Here<\/a><\/p>\n [tweetthis]The Devil Series by Ali Vali made this Top 10 list[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n That was a list of the Top 10 Lesbian Mothers In Fiction by Laina Villeneuve.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is an awesome list of the Top 10 Lesbian Mothers In Fiction done by author Laina Villeneuve. Last Mother\u2019s day, I tossed out a post about some of my<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":4776,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,1,919,71],"tags":[70,1679,99,85,313,500,501,312,303,209,26,317,498,499,307,2493,198],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/amazon-us.png?resize=158%2C70&ssl=1\")
<\/a> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/amazon-uk.png?resize=158%2C70&ssl=1\")
<\/a> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/amazon-canada.png?resize=158%2C70&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"Heart](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Heart-of-the-Game-by-Rachel-Spangler-194x300.jpg?resize=194%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>2 Heart of the Game by Rachel Spangler<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"To](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/To-Love-Free-by-Chris-Paynter-1-199x300.jpg?resize=199%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>3 To Love Free by Chris Paynter <\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"g](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/All-the-Little-Moments-by-G-Benson-188x300.jpg?resize=188%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>4 All the Little Moments by G Benson<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n5 The Shaken Series books three and four by KG MacGregor<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Small](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Small-Packages-by-KG-MacGregor-198x300.jpg?resize=198%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Book 3 Small Packages by KG MacGregor<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n![\"Mother](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Mother-Load-by-KG-MacGregor-196x300.jpg?resize=196%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Book 4 Motherload by KG MacGregor<\/b><\/h3>\nGet This On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"flight](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Flight-SQA016-by-AE-Radley-197x300.jpg?resize=197%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>6 Flight SQA016 by AE Radley<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"jae](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Backwards-To-Oregon-by-Jae-197x300.jpg?resize=197%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>7 Backwards to Oregon by Jae<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"Blessed](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Blessed-Twice-by-Lynn-Gallie-200x300.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>8 Blessed Twice by\u00a0<\/b>Lynn Galli<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"Roller](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Roller-Coaster-by-Karin-Kallmaker-195x300.jpg?resize=195%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>9 Roller Coaster by Karin Kallmaker<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelesbianreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/The-Devil-Inside-by-Ali-Vali-183x300.jpg?resize=183%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a>10 The Devil Series by Ali Vali<\/b><\/h3>\nGet It On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\nCheck out all Laina\u2019s Books on Amazon<\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\nCheck out Laina Villeneuve on Bella Books<\/a><\/h3>\n