{"id":7360,"date":"2017-12-14T00:00:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-13T22:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/?p=7360"},"modified":"2023-06-13T17:50:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T15:50:34","slug":"curious-wine-katherine-v-forrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/curious-wine-katherine-v-forrest\/","title":{"rendered":"Curious Wine by Katherine V Forrest: Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Curious<\/a>Curious Wine by Katherine V Forrest<\/strong> is a beautiful story about finding out who you are when you least expect it. Published in the early 1980s, it\u2019s a classic lesbian romance that\u2019s won the hearts of many a reader, and for good reason.<\/p>\n

Diana Holland needs a break and her colleague Vivian convinces her to stay at a friend\u2019s cabin in Lake Tahoe with some other people who are also looking to get away from it all for a few days. When she arrives, she\u2019s immediately struck by Lane Christianson, who ends up being her roommate. Diana has always thought she was straight, but the more time she spends with Lane, the more she realizes that may not be the case.<\/p>\n

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

Lane and Diana are a swoonworthy couple. Both women are brilliant and beautiful, and it\u2019s no wonder that they\u2019re drawn to each other. Their chemistry is palpable even before Diana starts to figure out her feelings for Lane, and Diana\u2019s journey of self-discovery had me enthralled as she figures out what their relationship means for her life.<\/p>\n

There are a bunch of side characters in the book, between Vivian and the other women staying in the cabin. I sometimes found it a bit difficult to remember who was who apart from Lane, Diana, and Liz, who owns the cabin. Because I mostly read contemporary lesfic these days, I had an even harder time remembering that all of those other women are straight. That\u2019s not a knock on the book, because the characters are all there for a reason. Also, of course they all identified as straight, given when it was published.<\/p>\n

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

Curious Wine is masterfully written. It\u2019s perfectly paced and surprisingly erotic, since it\u2019s very much a romance novel and not an erotic romance. What does that mean? To me, romance = relationship drives the story, and erotic romance = sex drives the relationship development. Curious Wine solidly falls in the \u201cromance\u201d category.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a scene where the women in the cabin are playing encounter games, which are trust games like falling backwards so someone can catch you. This scene was the most compelling piece of writing I\u2019ve read recently. Not only does it contain an important moment for Lane and Diana\u2019s relationship development, but it also showcases some damn fine character work as all of the women interact with each other.<\/p>\n

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

Oh goodness. Everything? The writing is excellent, the characters are wonderful and memorable, and Lane and Diana\u2019s relationship is just lovely beyond words.<\/p>\n

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

This isn\u2019t a con as much as it\u2019s a content warning because there\u2019s a sexual assault that happens to one of the main characters on the page. It makes sense and is part of her journey, but it\u2019s graphic so be warned if that\u2019s an absolute no-go for you.<\/p>\n

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

Curious Wine\u2019s importance can\u2019t be understated. When I mentioned in The Lesbian Review Book Club that I was reading it, a bunch of women\u2014readers and authors alike\u2014chimed in with how much they love it, many saying that it was their coming out book. It was game changing for lesbian romance, and the genre wouldn\u2019t be where it\u2019s at today without it (and if you want more on that, listen to Karin Kallmaker talk about why Curious Wine changed her life in this podcast<\/a>).<\/p>\n

I may have been late to the party with Curious Wine, but am I ever glad I showed up at all. I wholeheartedly loved it and I\u2019ll be reading it again many, many times.<\/p>\n

Excerpt from Curious Wine by Katherine V Forrest<\/b><\/h2>\n

Lane stretched lazily. \u201cI think I can smell bacon through the floorboards. I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who work long hours usually have terrible eating habits,\u201d Diana observed. \u201cIs that how you stay so slender?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI eat enough for three people. I must be part hummingbird.\u201d She looked down at her body, frowning. \u201cI\u2019m all angles. You look like one of those soft pretty women they grow by the bushel down in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pleased, Diana said, \u201cI\u2019ve heard that compliments from other women mean more because they\u2019re sincere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s very true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diana\u2019s smile deepened. \u201cAs long as we\u2019re being sincere, I thought they only produced oil wells in Oklahoma, not such beautiful women.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lane lowered her eyes. \u201cThank you,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

Astonished by her reaction, Diana said, \u201cYou\u2019ve been told that a thousand times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lane continued to look away from her. \u201cI wonder if Field Marshal Liz has us in alphabetical order again this morning. \u201c\u2018That means you, Christianson,\u2019\u201d she mimicked.<\/p>\n

Diana chuckled, wondering at Lane\u2019s self-consciousness.<\/p>\n

Get This Book On Amazon<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

[tweetthis]I just read this review for Curious Wine by Katherine V Forrest\u00a0[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n

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