This is my second book by Gayle. I enjoyed both, but New Life was my favorite of the two. I enjoyed reading a different style of romance book. This book follows the daily life of an established couple, Trigena and Karrie. It shows the love/struggles/hardships and experiences between two individuals starting a new adventure in their life. Books that show the daily routines of a couple already established can be very hit or miss with me. For me, this book was a hit. It was funny, and heartbreaking, full of emotions and left me wanting to continue reading about the characters. Trig and Karrie have this awesome relationship, and bringing a kid into the mix creates a new strain for the couple. I enjoy books where the main characters feel real. Their arguments, small obstacles feel real. Gayle created two very well developed characters, and as a reader I really connected. The book has good supporting characters as well, and is well written. This is a book I will be reading again in the future

I was unable to review this book because of a conflict in my schedule. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the publisher or the author of the work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review for you and I look forward to reviewing for you in the future.

Stevie‘s review of New Life by Jan Gayle
Contemporary Lesbian Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 16 May 17

Lots of romance novels use the birth, or imminent birth, of a new baby as shorthand for a couple living happily ever after, although cynical me has always wondered whether that’s truly the case for all our protagonists, and if indeed some of them would be happier to grow together a little more before adding an extra human to the mix. The trope always assumes that the new or expectant parents are as happy as each other about the baby’s arrival too, so it was quite a refreshing change to read a blurb in which a planned pregnancy isn’t filling both halves of a couple with equal joy.

Trig and Karrie are happily married with a supportive group of friends and co-workers and seem to have everything settled in their lives, until Karrie announces that she wants to start a family: something Trig has never planned on. Although Karrie talked about having children when they first met, Trig always assumed that this difference in attitudes would fade away if they never discussed it. Now she’s faced with the possibility of either keeping her feelings quiet or squashing her wife’s dreams. Believing that it will take several rounds of inseminations for Karrie to get pregnant, allowing time for her to come to terms with the situation, Trig is taken aback when Karrie gets pregnant first time round. Furthermore, she has to contend with a slowdown in her work, some issues at Karrie’s work, and resistance to the idea of Karrie’s pregnancy from her semi-estranged father.

This story isn’t all doom and gloom, though. Karrie and Trig’s relationship is strained at times, but that never stops them from enjoying each other’s company or from going out on date nights and visits to friends. I also enjoyed the sections dealing with Trig’s volunteer work on a search and rescue team, although that ultimately led to a slightly contrived deus ex machina moment that helped Trig resolve her feelings over the imminent birth.

All in all, a pleasant enough read, though possibly a little too angsty for me at times. I never quite felt fully engaged with the main characters, but it’s always nice to see a trope turned inside out and thoroughly dissected.

Grade: C

This was my first by this author and definitely won't be my last. It is really well written and the characters are realistic and likable. The book is mainly about self doubt. I started it late one night with the intent of reading a few chapters before sleep. Well lets say I got no sleep. I couldn't put it down.


The Books two main characters Trigena and Karrie have been together forever. They are now having a baby and Trigina is having doubts. She never wanted children but because she loved Karrie she agreed. Now only months away her self doubts take flight. (What a great name Trigena)


The author uses both main characters to tell the story and she switches between the two with ease and it works really well. Plus you get each of their feelings and there is no guess work. Trigina is having doubts whereas Karrie is loving her hormone built journey to motherhood. The journey isn't smooth running as Karrie has to deal with her maternity leave as well as the sperm donor wanting to be more active in the child's life. Trigina tends to react with anger whereas Karrie dissolves into tears.


The end made the book a little exciting. Trigina is a Search and rescue volunteer. A child lost in the mountains sent her away two weeks before the birth of their child. It took Trigina to be involved in an accident and rescuing the young child to realise her doubts was just that, doubts.


I would definitely recommend this book. It is a great romance but one from a different way. We are normally reading about people getting together this book takes us to the next step of actually being together. Enjoy!


*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1981277767


https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RYSMYYLWRVF2D/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Trig and Karrie have a great relationship and Trig wants it to stay that way. She has never wanted kids but when Karrie gets pregnant from a donor on the first attempt she feels backed into a corner. She hasn’t been able to make her real feelings clear to Karrie and worries that once the baby comes she won’t be a good mother and she’ll be pushed into the background as Karrie gets what she has always wanted. This was a well written story of an ordinary marriage between two women and the problems they face when they haven’t been completely open with each other. I liked Trig and could see where she was coming from. She was scared and felt unable to confide this in Karrie who frankly had a tendency to go cold on anyone who disagreed with her. She was quite single-minded in her goal of having a family. The story dealt with how they work through their differences and it was interesting to see how this developed.

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

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.


This is my first time reading anything by Jan Gayle but it won't be the last.

This is the story of Trigena and Karrie. I have never heard the name Trigena before and would like to know it's origin. Most lesbian romance is usually girl meets girl, girls both like each other, something causes one girl to think she is not right for other girl, and then said girl realizes she can't live without other girl, they get together, declare their love for each other----the end. This novel was refreshing in that they have been together for over ten years and married for a couple of those years.( Now that same sex couples are allowed to legally get married in the U.S. it is great to see married characters in lesbian novels.) The tension comes from Karrie wanting to have a baby but Trigena doesn't want the same thing, but she is never honest about her feelings and she leads Karrie to believe that she wants children too. That's where the angst comes into play, when Trigena reveals her true feelings. I enjoyed reading about an established couple being the focus of the story. Many lesbian novels have couples that have been together but they are usually secondary characters. If there is a couple that has been together for a long time, the spark is waning and one or both is faced with a cheating partner. Trigena and Karrie still have great love for one another which was wonderful to see. I won't say here for those who have not read this book yet but I saw how the resolution of their problems would work out long before I read the last page but that did not take away from my enjoyment of reading this book. My only negative about this book would be the abrupt ending. It seems very typical that once the there is resolution to the angst in the book the author writes another page or two and ends the book. I personally would have liked to see Trigena and Karrie adjusting to their new life situation for a few more chapters before ending the book. I would recommend this novel and the author.

This was a wonderful surprise. I always think a well written story is when we pick up the characters down the road and examine how they treat each other and stay in love with each other. It's how we change ourselves for one another after years together that tell us whether a relationship will stand through thick and thin or not.

Loved reading about the art, the wood working, the SAR training as well. I think maybe that's why I enjoy reading Lesbian romance so much.

Definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a good read.

New Life was a love story, but it was also an awakening of sorts. It was an awakening of inner conflict, turmoil, regret, but also of renewal, courage, and acceptance. Throughout the book, and in alternating chapters, the reader was given the point view of both main characters, Trigena and Karrie. This was nicely done in order to get a glimpse into the emotional level of each character’s perspective on marriage, love, and impending motherhood. Karrie was pregnant and Trigena was her very supportive partner. Or so it seemed…and herein remained the problem.
The main characters, along with great secondary characters, were well developed with realistic dialogue, especially in today’s social environment.It was especially refreshing to see how the author did not come to any easy resolutions concerning Karrie’s relationship with her estranged father.
This was a good book with an interesting plot, and you will remember the characters long after you have finished reading this book.

I'm rating this book 3.5 stars.

I wasn't sure of this book when I read the blurb, I was interested but still not confident it would be for me. However I have been wanting to read more books with the characters in the midst of the relationship instead of the start. I found it did work for me and that I did enjoy it. I liked that the characters had a bit to work through as a couple however it didn't lead to the relationship going in complete turmoil.

I found myself a little bored through the middle which I had to push through. The end picked up and got my attention. I also did find that I would have liked more gradual self discovery for Trig as she works through her fears and what she wants.

As a whole I enjoyed the book but found certain aspects not quite hitting the mark.

This is the first book I've read from this author. It was a Nice read. Well written good storyline that I'm sure you will enjoy as much as I did. The characters are likable and keep the pages turning. I would recommend this.

A richly detailed introspection into a subject that is of enormous significance to me personally and too rarely discussed in the scheme of fictional relationships. This plot successfully blended a chronicling of the personal strife as well as triumphs that can accompany the journey toward parenthood, with additional perspective provided on the significance of doing that while immersed in a multiracial relationship. I found myself deeply touched by the closeness between Karrie and Trigena, whose fear of mothering was not quickly or patently assuaged. The reflection and struggle that both women endured lent great comfort to me about the universality of the larger questions in life. I very much appreciated the opportunity to read more of Ms. Gayle's work.

I have liked and enjoyed this book very much. First of all because the subject implies daily life of a couple. The two main characters seemed so very real to me. And the course of the story is very believable, too. I personally have not ever had the motherhood call or whatever it is named. So I can easily relate with the concerns that Trigena has along the book. The fact that the book is narrated in first person, alternating the point of view from Trigena to Karrie in each chapter, allows to mantain a perspective of what they feel in each situation the author puts them through.  The one thing that have not let me completely satisfied is the abrupt end. After all that they go through I have liked a little bit of family life with the new one included. But this don't quite spoil the good sensations that this book has left in me.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32073037-new-life" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="New Life" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476986909m/32073037.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32073037-new-life">New Life</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13652986.Jan_Gayle">Jan Gayle</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1983908363">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review. No synopsis necessary. This is an angst filled romance about married couple Trigena (who never wanted children) and Karrie (who becomes pregnant). The age-old aspects covered the gamut from finances to whether Trigena will be a good parent and all the hormonal ups and downs in between flowed well. I was pleasantly surprised at the deftness with which the author handled the storyline. Good job Ms. Gayle. 4 stars.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

This is the first book I have read by Gayle, so I honestly had no idea what to expect. I'm happy to say I really liked this story. I sat down to only read a few chapters, but I became so hooked in the story, before I knew it it was over. This is a well written, good read, and I think others will enjoy this.

What happens when you are happily married to the love of your life, but you have a secret she does not know? You never wanted kids, and hope your wife will forget that she does. When the day comes that your wife turns to you and says she wants to start a family, what will you do? Trigena does nothing, hoping her wife won't get pregnant right away. Very soon Karrie is sporting a pregnancy bump, and Trig still has not said her fears. Can a baby bring these too closer, or will it tear two soul mates apart?

This book is in first person, but it switched the POV of both Trig and Karrie. It worked well in this story. You really got to understand how both characters where feeling, and Gayle handled the transitions well. While a lot of this book was about being pregnant, work, dealing with a sperm donor, and Trig's fear, it was a nice change from the normal lesfic book. So many times we read about a new couple falling in love. I absolutely enjoy those books, but it was nice to know what happens after the characters get together. What I really enjoyed about this book was about the last 1/4. I did not see that coming, talk about some excitement thrown into the book. While I liked the whole book, the excitement towards the end, just made it even better. My only real complaint, I would have liked this book to be even longer. I was enjoying myself, and then the book was over, I wanted more.

I am pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book. This is an easy book to recommend to romance fans that want to know what happens after a couple gets together. I would not hesitate to read more by Gayle in the future.

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

This story was a little bit too shallow for me – there were a few problematic topics like K’s career, her relationship with her father and the racial problem, the donor issue and so on that was just scratched at the top but not further dealt with and went back to simple topics and interchanges. I though K was a very likable character but I could not stand Trig. She was too controlling for my taste and everything had to be her way.
It was a rather short book and a quick read.

I'm going to keep this review as short as possible because I personally have trouble reading first person POV books. This one was a struggle to get through, so it's not really a fair assessment of the book to say the least. The constant "I did this...I did that..." was too repetitive for my taste. I also found that the voices of the two main characters sounded far more juvenile than their indicated age.

I did find the switching POV of both characters to be really helpful because I really like to know what both parties are thinking. Although, sometimes it was also confusing as to which person's head we were in.

Gosh, this book was definitely not lacking the sweeping romantic gestures and the sexy times in the bedroom. Total swoon worthy story! Also Trig with her woodworking and her muscles is one sexy character. Damn! If you like first person POV stories and you like romance with a healthy dose of emotional turmoil this is an excellent book for you.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy Jan Gayle's books. In this one Trigena and Karrie are going to have a baby.

This is the story of two women who love each other, but each has a different desire in terms of what 'family' means. Karrie wants a child. Trigena doesn't.

This book is about the reality of relationships. These two women deeply love each other. And they have proven that they are committed to each other. But as all couples go through there are desires each person has as an individual.

In a lot of ways the story is very simple. There is daily living and different points of views about each interaction. I prefer not to revisit a scene over again, but the author wants to have both perspectives with equal voice since this is ultimately about a hard decision. To have a child or not. To be a single parent or do this as a couple.

As a couple Trigena and Karrie have been together a long time. So I was a little surprised that Trigena didn't realize Karrie was serious about a child. That was almost a little hard for me to believe as a reader. But then as the author so elegantly shares, Trigena probably was hoping that Karrie (as the years went passed) had lost interest in the desire for a family.

This book touches on what a lot of couples go through who love each other and have to navigate different life goals. Where to live, career goals and the idea of family.

This is a story about real life. And it's well written.

Trigena and Karrie are going to have a baby. K has always wanted to be a mom. Trig has never been interested in parenting but she loves her wife and agrees to the insemination. This is a simple story of an every day family dealing with the impending birth of their first child. It's representative of a lot of couples facing a major shakeup/addition to their family. There are financial concerns, job related issues and the age old question of "will I be a good mom?" Add in a whole lot of pregnancy hormones and their accompanying tears and fears and you have Karrie and Trig facing an uncertain future.

There are plenty of sexy times to keep romance lovers interested and I did enjoy the action scenes near the end which were well done but my overall impression of the novel was of an average read. This couple spends a lot of time doing every day chores, changing into comfy tee shirts and shorts after a hard days work (too many times) and leading average lives. The story is told in first person from each woman's perspective and the viewpoint swings back and forth within chapters. It is meant to help the reader understand what K and Trig are going through but I found it distracting as it took a couple of sentences for me to figure out who was relating their thoughts from one scene to the next. When geography separates our two mains this technique works better but it kept me off balance for the majority of the book.

I also thought opportunities to deepen the novel were missed when issues surrounding the pregnancy were touched on but not pursued. (view spoiler) Each issue was touched on but did not have the impact it might have if given time to develop.

A pleasant story with potential.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

The appeal for me was a couple living their day-to-day life. Trigena Gilmore, madly in love living the dream of not only falling in love but being in love. Perfect, nothing else needed or wanted, period. Dr. Karrie Gilmore, madly in love living the dream of not only falling in love but being in love. Perfect, except, she wants children. This is were the story unfolds as we hear the thoughts and feeling from the main characters. There are a few bumps and challenges along the way and a moment of realization and appreciation for what you have and how much love is possible when you care. I liked the supportive friends and the calming personality of the midwife, Jules. Enjoyable and entertaining.