First in the Lightning Series this was the debut novel from Cass Sellars and makes a great start for a new author. I recently got sent the second instalment so had to go back and read the first.

Parker, high flying HR exec with a great job and wonderful friends, has a disastrous personal life after catching her wife in bed with a younger more exciting model on their 10th anniversary. Selling up their house and starting again has made her realise how beige her life has become, but she is definitely not in the market for romance.

Sydney is the ultimate player, whoever she glances at falls at her feet and apart for one short term relationship she doesn’t even do overnights. When they meet at a party their attraction is instant, but what neither expect is to meet again, and certainly not to begin a relationship neither one feels ready for.

These main characters are intelligent well-rounded women, not exactly ‘older’ but late 30’s with mature lives and complex emotional energy. They have built a place in the world and both have style and class as well as intricate back histories. They and their friends are likeable and realistic with their fears and concerns; people we can invest in.

The romance between Sydney and Parker is both an instant flash and a slow burn, both women are commitment shy and while they get together very quickly and both realise their own feelings are growing, it takes time for the relationship to solidify.

The romance is matched with a more sinister plot of the mad ex stalking and ultimately invading their new world in a most unexpected way, which both brings them together but also threatens to overwhelm their fledgling relationship.

Well written and edited this was a pleasure to read, and a decidedly good start from a debut author. I did feel the story faded a little towards the end, almost waiting for the sequel, but as a series addict I can live with that feeling of anticipation.

Lightning Strikes is not a bad effort for a debut novel. It was well written with an engaging plot, and the two leads had chemistry. Some of the characters felt like one-dimensional caricatures that didn't really add much to the story, and there were a number of cliches throughout the novel. However, it was an enjoyable read overall.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a great read, I didn't put it down for a couple of hours, I got sucked into Parker's life and the chemistry between her and Syd. The backstory came together perfectly and I loved Sydney's job description. If there was one thing that didn't make this book to five stars it was the situation with Becky. I felt as if it happened and was over majorly quick. As if it was open ended and not enough substance to that part of the story line. Overall this was a fantastic book and I am excited to read more from this author.

This indeed seems like the author's first effort into romance writing. The story, characters and dialog are very interesting and have a lot going for it. Having said that, the book kind of dwindles towards the last 1/4 portion.

The two main characters; Sydney and Parker are polar opposites when it comes to how they lead their lives and relationships. Sydney never wants one, while Parker just got out of an 11 year relationship. Surrounded by best friends and pursued by a psychopath, Parker and Sydney navigate the waters of relationship neither planned on.

The chemistry between them is pretty great and they come across as a couple ready to give 'whatever they have' a go. This romance is not an all nighter, however, it is quite good. The novel ended quite nicely which makes it a bit hard to understand what the next novel will be based on.

For a debut, I feel as though Sellars did a fantastic job. Rarely do you read a debut book and enjoy it from start to finish. I enjoyed the characters, especially Parker. Sad appeared to reform over night. This usually drives me nuts while reading a romance. Sellars wrote Syd’s character in such a way that this didn't even bother me. The story flowed well and I didn't feel any lulls while reading. Have already put Sellars on my future read list. If you are looking for a sweet romance, for an easy weekend read pick this one up. You will not be disappointed.

I liked the beginning of the story when it was just about parker but as soon as Syd got introduced the story went downhill for me. I’m not a big fan of storylines with butch women where they are strongly stereotyped and the femme woman needs to be saved by her and so on. It was also a bit to fast – I just can’t believe that a player like Syd, who was described as not wanting a relationship astroturfing all, all of a sudden is in a serious relationship. Not saying that couldn’t happen but not that fast. I also didn’t like how Becky was made out to be a threat but she just didn’t seem so dangerous to me – not to the point where Sad needed a gun (another bad stereotype).
I feel like his book was full of cliche’s and stereotypes and in this case it didn’t help the story.

This is a debut book for Ms. Sellars. It will be part of a “Lightning” series. I believe that Ms. Sellars has done a good job in character development. Readers will find this beneficial when they read book 2 in her series. It is important to feel connected to the characters to draw the readers into the next story.

two main characters are Parker Duncan and Sidney Hyatt. Sidney is a strong, good looking butch who is only interested in one-night stands. She is comfortable with her personal and professional life—until Parker comes into her life. Parker is a sweet, pretty and sometimes naïve woman who has been burnt by her past partner of 10 years. Parker is only looking forward to carving out a cozy haven to mend her wounds. Of course, the title says it all – BAM … and there is the attraction. The attraction between Parker and Sidney is instantaneous. The bond that develops helps them to withstand a multitude of problems.

Lightning Strikes has a well-developed story line. Parker’s friends provide a very safe environment for her while she is healing from the broken relationship. Most of us can relate to these friends and look for more adventures with them.

I found this book to be a good read. It is one that you can finish in a weekend. When book 2 is published, I will be eager to enjoy the story. I rate this book a 4-1/2 stars out of 5.

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

I don't read much F/F, but I've tried a few and I've been trying to expand my horizons lately. Lightning Strikes sounded promising, even if it was from a newbie author. Sadly, I was disappointed by this one.

I want to encourage this author to keep writing because there was some good there. Maybe much of my issues have to do more with taste than anything else, but I had a number of problems.

When it comes to romance, if you are going to introduce a rake/avowed-bachelorette character and then sell me on the turn-around, you REALLY need to sell me. I just didn't believe for a second that Sydney would go from avoiding all relationships like the plague to devoted girlfriend in the first 20% of the story. It was waaaay too fast for me. I like a slow-burn, and the cuddles and pet names seemed to come out right from the start.

However, my big issue was the cartoonish characterization of Becky. It turned into soap opera-style drama, and it became completely over-the-top. I was practically rolling my eyes, and I just hated how the stalker issue was shoved into the story. It detracted from the romance.

I also had a few little issues that I'm not quite sure how to address. I felt like Sydney was a little weird about what was "acceptable lesbian behavior," like making fun of Becky's pink car (calling it "too femme") and making jabs at straight people. She also was too aggressive with Parker in the beginning, which I didn't love. I also don't read enough lesbian fic to know how tropey this book was... but it felt tropey even to me.

Though I'm being pretty negative, I think that there was some good writing there, however, I wasn't thrilled by this book as a whole.

*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This is not a very original story, in fact is the argument of many lesbian books that I have read. The butch player that gets any woman who wants to have and the femme one cheated by her wife after ten years of marriage. None of them wants a relationship when they first meet. Then they don't know how to stop fighting the attraction they feel for each other. I haven't found  neither the plot nor the situations very interesting, really. But the book has everything: parents, in-laws, gay and lesbian friends, a stalker, a porsche 911, a gun. The fact that the gun appeared very early in the book unnerved me a bit. And the sex scenes are quite soft. In short, a book that although unoriginal can be somehow entertaining to read.

'Lightening Strikes ' is a really lovely story of two people arriving at a point in each of their lives when they need to make a change. Parker is fresh out of a disastrous marriage with no intention of being in a relationship any time soon. Syd is a player who has never considered monogamy her thing. But you can never predict the moment when 'Lightening Strikes'. They have to deal with some very challenging problems relating to the past and family. Will they make it? Finding out was terrific fun. I thought Parker was such a strong character, with guts and the ability to stand up for herself and Syd. They made a perfect couple and I felt invested in their story.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

3 1/2 Stars. This is a debut book from Sellars, and an enjoyable read. I thought the actual writing was quite good. Sellars did not fall into the trap of "telling" readers, like many first time authors do. This book did have a lot of lesfic tropes, but it didn't stop this from being a good read.

The story is about Parker, broken hearted after her marriage of 10 years, ended in infidelity. Parker, wants to start a new life in a new home, and wants to stay far away from a new relationship. When Parker meets Sydney, the attraction is immediate. But Sydney is the biggest player in the bar, sleeping her way through women. Parker sees too many similarities between Sydney and her ex wife. But the more they see each other, the harder it is to stay away. Are they destined to remain friends with benefits, or is a real loving relationship in their future?

Both character are likeable. I had a little trouble with the "player" Syd, but I warmed to her quickly. They are both smart, successful, beautiful people, but the two of them still have plenty of drama to go around. I thought the romance was well done. There is absolute chemistry and good steamy sex scenes. I really enjoyed them as a couple.

My only real issue, with this book, was all the tropes. There was so many, I felt like I could fill out half of my lesfic Bingo card. I think the real reason for so many was Sellars was trying to keep the reader engaged, and just went a little overboard. This book didn't nearly need so many, Sellars writing was good enough without them.

I recommend this book to those looking for a sweet and sexy romance, as long as you don't mind some drama. I think Sellars will only get better with more experience, and I look forward to reading more from her.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell short for me. I started off pretty into it. I liked Parker and I found her backstory to be very interesting. I also really liked her friends and the way she acted around them! Even though I found some of the dialogue to be a bit awkward. Then we get to the bar and meet Syd. I immediately did not like her. She blatantly made Parker a bit uncomfortable but she kept trying to be flirty with her. Then she treated Becky pretty shitty which is not okay even though Becky was obviously crazy and I didn't like her either. Once Syd and Parker got together I liked Syd more, but I never truly warmed up to her. For me characters really make a book so that was a problem. I really liked the way this book handled a lot of topics, like standing up to Parker's parents, but the rest just seemed so dramatic. It's not a very big book, but it managed to have an extreme amount of crazy drama. It just seemed like a bit much to me. I also wasn't a huge fan of the language used. And this is a personal thing nothing more, but I hated almost every single 'cutesy' pet name used, and they were used a lot. When I hear those I just cringe and it makes it hard to notice the good things. This story honestly came off more like an intense fanfiction than anything else. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it didn't work for me in this case.

A handsome roguish butch is seen as a temporary distraction for a heartbroken femme. The distraction becomes all-consuming and both women have to overcome their resistance to romance. The story is charming even if a bit predictable.

genre: contemporary romance with some thriller elements
length: 72,000 words, 24 chapters
main characters:
Parker Duncan, 38, manager at Davidson Properties, brunette with blue eyes
Sydney Hyatt, 35, owner of D.R.I.F.T. (Digital Reconstruction and Independent Forensic Technology), six feet tall butch with very short black hair and gray eyes
setting: Silver Lake, Virginia
my opinion:
- a very good romance with some thriller elements in it, with two interesting leads and some well done minor characters
- recommended to all romance fans especially for those who love butch-femme relationships
- will read future books by Cass Sellars
cover: very nice, well related to the plot
book rating: 5 stars
eARC by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley

The writing quality, character development and points of plot tension were all well done by the author in this volume, however, the tradition of the butch-femme dynamic as a reigning one in this genre is becoming so trite to read. Yes, the lipstick lesbian will tame the wounded, commitment phobic less "feminine" partner and they will end up in ravishing coupledom-cue my dashed hopes. Women come in a vaster array than what was captured by Ms. Sellars and many of her other contemporaries on the page, stop failing to acknowledge that diversity. Redundancy is tiresome and presented the primary weakness of this work-I have read it in dozens of other permutations. I want more from an author whose grasp of the technical aspects of the art ensure her ability to produce better.

My first thought is light and fun read. Parker Duncan, recovering from a broken relationship and broken heart meets Sydney Hyatt, the heartbreaker with an interest in changing her ways. When the two meet, it appears to be a mismatch but wait, not so fast. Though the plot feels very familiar with the heart breaker butch and the heart broken femme and the mystery person working to keep them apart, it was interesting enough to keep me reading because of the nice chemistry between Sydney and Parker.

** spoiler alert ** I have mixed feelings on how to rate and review Lightning Strikes. This book has all the elements of solid writing, good characterizations, and witty dialogue. Parker and Sydney are easy to like, have fascinating careers and cool warehouse apartments. The sex scenes are done well and there is even some impending danger to bring our mains closer together.

My problem lies in the predictable tropes and how quickly our two mains meet, fall in love, and resolve their differences. The book reads like a butch’s wet dream. Sydney is tall and muscular, perfect for the very femme Parker. Syd has a fabulous job, a Porsche in the driveway and a kickass apartment. She sticks to one night stands as she doesn’t believe in commitment. A third of the way into the novel, Parker has won over player extraordinaire Sydney and that’s about all that happens. Oh sure, there is conflict introduced to build tension but it is hard to take seriously when [the stalker/spurned lover drives around in a pink “Barbie car”. It’s hard not to notice a pink car in your neighbourhood. Her presence on page did not feel threatening and I originally thought she was added for comic relief. (hide spoiler)] When danger is introduced, Sydney goes into predictable protection mode. [ Maybe it’s just me having grown up in a country with strict handgun laws but Syd’s penchant for packing a revolver to protect Parker bothered me. (hide spoiler)]

I struggled to stay interested in their lives once Parker and Sydney got together. More effort to ramp up the threat to their happiness was needed to engage this reader.

3 stars

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

Oh my goodness. Great read.! I loved the characters, loved their story and loved their chemistry. This is a very well written book that had me from page one. I couldn't put it down. I was actually disappointed when it ended. I hope there is more of Syd and Parker to come. Highly recommended.

I first want to start out by saying that I enjoyed the authors writing style. There weren’t any glaring typos or editing mishaps that took me out of the story, and it was a smooth read. That being said, I do have some hopefully helpful input as to what would have made it a better story. This is only my opinion!

I feel like there shouldn’t have been Becky’s POV. I think that the villain is more terrifying when you don’t know their thoughts/actions ahead of time and instead are just slightly in the background or just barely around the corner so to speak. It took away the mystery of what she’s doing or where she is if you’re right there with her.

I feel like how much a “player” Syd is and anti-relationships, she sure took to Parker calling her “my love” and “baby” real quick. I would think those words would be avoided for a long time, and especially not said after their very first night together.

I really liked the fact that the story went through a whole relationship. Really felt that it had a closing all around so I wasn’t left hanging and feeling like my ending was cut short.

Recommendation: It’s a buy. Not a stay up all night to read for me, but it was entertaining.