Aurora Rey is rapidly securing a spot amongst my favourite writers. She has the talent to write about real life stuff, puts in realistic conversations and responses/actions without it becoming boring. She pulls you into the life of her main characters, in this case Quinn and Amanda who meet up later in life after both having gone through a divorce, and lets you follow the road with them without burdening your reading with excess drama or convoluted ploys to get to that break-up point almost all books have at the 80% mark.
And don't get me wrong, I do like a book full with drama and angst from time to time, but throw a book like this in your reading pile every once in a while to get you mellow, relaxed and hopeful: normal people, living normal lifes with ordinary circumstances really do find their romantic happily ever after too!

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

Thanks to Netgallery and the author for an advanced copy!

Brief summary: Amanda's bakery is getting a remodel and oops, the architect she hired to lead the project is charming and gorgeous. As they bond and take on the project together, wouldn't it be a shame if they fell in love?

This was such a lovely read. Aurora Rey has a way of writing realistic back and forth conversations filled with humour and emotions and balancing character dynamics with the perfect amount of realistic fear, tension and honesty. Amanda is sweet and hardworking, Quinn is quietly fierce and loyal. They click so well and you really find yourself enjoying the everyday activities and family bonding. It takes great skill for an author to make you super invested in mundane routines. Rey does it perfectly.

I loved the communication between Quinn and Amanda and how they would take realistic breaks to deal with things and also exist outside of their newfound relationship. It's always so refreshing to see older lesbian couples. It makes older readers feel way more relaxed and content about finding love later on.

There's no rush; Rey reminds you constantly to have hope for love no matter what your previous experiences, or lack of, have been like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.


Not much to say about this book.
It was a great romance read.
Characters Quinn and Amanda were written well and found them relatable. It was a breath of fresh air to read about a couple finding romance who are older than the usual novels out there.
Mel, however needs to chill. I was/am not a big fan of hers.
The plot was smooth flowing and went quick. I was tapping those pages on my Kobo and next thing I knew, I was half done.
Overall, it's cute, breezy, adorable book. It's going to have a spot on my recommend list for sure.

Aurora Rey is an excellent writer but I didn’t feel the chemistry and the attraction in this book. Quinn is waaaay too old to be as insecure and self doubting as she was. It was, as my wife likes to say, “that’s not cute” As for Amanda, it kind of felt like she fell into a relationship with Quinn, that she wasn’t really into it throughout the story, and that it became safe because it was totally opposite from her previous relationship. I’ll still buy Aurora Rey without hesitation; this one fell short for me.

Aurora Rey's books are always a delight to read. Getting older myself I like when lesfic romances have more mature characters in their late thirties and forties.

Amanda, a cake baker, divorced and mother of college-aged kids meets Quinn, architect and still getting over her divorce. Amanda is ready to expand her bakery and hires Quinn to design the expansion. There is an instant spark between the two.

After her divorce, Amanda hasn't dated, instead choosing to focus on her bakery and her kids. Her ex, Mel on the other hand remarried and choose the lifestyle of high profile career and money.

Because what is a lesfic book without angst, Mel shows up right when Amanda starts getting to know Quinn. I did find it annoying that Amanda nor her friends pointed out how obvious it was Mel wanted her back only after her marriage was going bad and finding out Amanda was getting involved with someone else. I found it hard to believe Mel still loved her and only just now saw the light.

Quinn is a very patient woman. It was good to see her character evolve and standing up for herself.

A great weekend read!

Cupcakes and Contentment
Amanda is a divorced lesbian with two college aged teens. She hasn’t dated since they were small, instead throwing herself into raising them and growing her bakery business. A brief fling with her ex reminds her that there is more to life and also why they are exes. Quinn is still feeling the sting of her divorce. She is so tired of being set up by her family and friends but can’t seem to say no. She is an architect and has been hired by Amanda to renovate her bakery. When the two meet, both are smitten and maybe ready to open themselves up to a relationship…. Too bad Amanda’s ex has decided to stick around…

I LOVED this story!! Ms Rey NEVER fails to cheer me up when things are tough and she worked her magic on me once again! Besides being so well written, with excellent characters and story development, it is filled with lovely feels and mushy goodness. I adored watching Amanda and Quinn in that sweet yet awkward first stage of attraction when they aren’t sure about the other... Then seeing them gain confidence and fall for each other….There were several Awww moments for me and being the sap I am there were a few happy tears too. This beautiful romance is sure to win a spot in your heart too.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rey is fast becoming a favourite of mine. This was a lovely, sweet romance.

This takes place in the same universe as [book:The Last Place You Look|52962361] and features one of the secondary characters, Amanda, as one of the MCs here, and some of the other secondary characters for LPYL. I haven’t read [book:Built to Last|25898774], but Joss and Olivia were mentioned so much here that I assumed they had to have their own book and will now have to go read it.

So, the basic premise is that Amanda runs a bakery and wants to expand the space and Quinn is the architect she hires for the project. Both are divorced, Quinn only recently, while Amanda has been split from her ex Mel for years, but hooks up with her again just prior to meeting Quinn.

Both Quinn and Amanda are interesting characters, and they have great rapport and chemistry with each other. I loved how their relationship unfolded and how they got to know each other and interacted. They both also have great families, Amanda’s son Cal (who also featured in LPYL) was a definite highlight. Though I did think it was weird that Quinn’s family just sort of disappeared around the 60% mark, I’d have liked to have seen Amanda meet them.

Amanda’s circle of friends is pretty much the same circle of friends from LPYL, since she’s friends with Julia and it was nice to catch up with them. The only sticking point in this book was Amanda’s ex Mel, who is in the middle of a messy separation from the woman she left Amanda for and now wants Amanda back. Pretty much every scene with her annoyed me, especially the big scene towards the end. Amanda with Mel also annoyed me, the first drunken hookup I could understand, but why she went back for more was unfathomable and honestly made me think less of her. That Mel then kept popping up was the only flaw and why I knocked off a star.

I did like that the requisite drama didn’t lead to an actual breakup and was resolved with all of the characters involved actually talking to each other. The epilogue also added to the story instead of being used to wrap up plot lines, which I appreciated and I believed the HEA for these two and thought it was earned. 4 stars.

I am usually a big fan of stories involving, especially if they involve baking, and this one is no exception.

Amanda has been divorced for a decade when one night she gets drunk with her ex and wakes up with her. She regrets her decision but when she does it again and sets a date with her ex she starts hoping to rekindle what they once had. That is until she gets stood up and comes to her senses when she remembers why they broke up in the first place. Amanda is renovating her successful bakery, she hires architect Quinn to do the design of the space. Quinn is recently divorced and her friends and family have been setting her up on unsuccessful blind dates ever since. There is an instant attraction between the two women, but are they ready to open up and love again?

Everything about this story is sweet, apart from the angst moment at about the 90% mark of the book, it's over the top if you ask me. As is the resulting fallout. As with every book with food it left me hungry for mostly sweet treats. I think the main characters are well suited for each other, both a tad insecure because of their past, but bold with each other. I like how Amanda's kids are an important part of the story as well, although they are (almost) grown-ups their opinion on their mom's relationship/ partner matters to all parties involved. I could understand when people say the story is a bit flat because it sort of is, but I enjoyed the easygoingness of this story.

I'm starting to see more and more lesbian fiction books these days that focus on "women of a certain age". This is one of those books and I'm loving it! I love reading about mature women who have emotional baggage and rich histories before getting together. It adds so much to the story.

In Twice Shy, two divorced women - one with practically-grown children - meet and make their way toward a relationship. The story was realistic and fun to read. The characters were great, and their stories believable.

When Amanda takes over the storefront beside her bakery, she plans a remodel and expansion. She hires Quinn, an architect, to make her bakery dreams come true. Neither woman was expecting the immediate connection between them. Both women have been married before, and so they start up a tentative flirtation. But while Amanda and Quinn take a chance on a second love, Amanda's ex-wife is not so keen on Amanda moving on.

There is no more perfect combination than romance plus food plus a good renovation project!
I loved loved loved the slower burn of this romance the chemistry and the tension was so high with such a sweet payoff. Both women were more older and more mature so they knew what they wanted, and that made for a very empowering story. Quinn's character was so strong and steady but also had her own insecurities - this made her such a very real character that let the reader form a really strong connection with her. The kiddos brought another nice dimension to the book - heartwarming and meddlesome at the same time.

I also really loved seeing so many old friends from other books - Olivia and Joss from Built to Last, Taylor and Julia from Last Place you Look and Drew and Hannah from Recipe for Love. If you haven't read those books I highly recommend them as well - I'm definitely off for a re-read to stay in this lovely little interconnected world for a little while longer.

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

Amanda Russo owns a bakery and is the baker. She decides to buy the shop next to hers and expand her business. She hires Quinn Sullivan as the architect to turn her dreams into a reality. As the women spend time together on the project, they are aware of the underlying attraction between them. Amanda is dealing with her ex who doesn't want to remain an ex and Quinn is still recovering from her breakup. However, the women realize that they cannot resist the attraction. The question is will Amanda's ex will be willing to give her up and will Quinn be able to deal with a new chance at love.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars. Amanda Russo knows better than to sleep with her ex-wife, yet she does it anyway. 'She doesn't regret it until she realizes her ex-wife has not changed at all. She hires an architect, Quinn Sullivan to update her bakery. Quinn immediately feels a connection to Amanda and wants to ask her out, even though she is a client. Quinn is also over her divorce and willing to date again. There is only one problem, Amanda's ex-wife won't seem to get the hint that Amanda is wanting to move on.

I enjoyed this novel. The dynamic between Amanda and her ex-wife and Amanda and Quinn were fun to read. I enjoyed the way Amanda and Quinn's relationship evolved throughout the novel. Amanda's storyline was a little predictable with the ex-wife. I enjoyed how Quinn and Amanda relationship started out professional and evolved from there. This book was good, but not amazing and a little forgettable. I am writing this review about a week after I read the book and I am having trouble thinking of all the details of this book. If you enjoy this author, you will enjoy this novel. I am not sure this is the first novel I would recommend.

Aurora Rey is one of my favorite authors, which means I never bother with reading the blurb - every book is an automatic must-read. Her niche is the strong sassy femme finding her sweet sensitive butch, general set in upstate New York. And it always works. I really liked this couple, both approaching 50 and each with her own full family life that includes an ex. Throw in college age kids, interfering siblings, a bakery remodel and you have a really nice, well written story. There are cameo appearances by characters from three previous books, which I always enjoy, plus lots of great food. And you know the love scenes are going to be off the charts hot. For me this one is a do-not-miss must read.

Amanda Russo has been divorced from her wife, Mel, for about ten years. She hasn't dated in awhile and is more focused on her bakery and her two children, one who is in college and the other soon to start college. Amanda hires an architect, Quinn Sullivan, to remodel her bakery and finds herself attracted to Quinn.

Quinn has been divorced from her wife for about one year. She has dated extensively during that time but hasn't meet anyone who has inspired her or that she developed any real chemistry with during one or two dates. During her initial meetings with Amanda on the bakery remodel she feels the missing chemistry that she hasn't experienced on her other dates. However, Quinn is a bit weary of Amanda's ex.

This was a good read with a fairly low drama factor which highlighted the development of a relationship between two middle aged women. Each woman faced challenges in their dating life brought on by family, ex's, friends, and work, so it definitely reflected real life experience. I enjoyed both main characters and Amanda's son, Cal's, openness toward his mother's newly developing relationship with Quinn. There were also some steamy scenes to enjoy! 4 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having really enjoyed the author's previous two books, this wasn't my favourite work of hers. I liked the diversity of her supporting characters. I enjoyed the fact that the leads were divorced and older and weren't instantly drawn to one another, but this also meant the main characters and the romance felt too 'real-life' for me and lacked the chemistry and the escapism I read romance novels for. I couldn't connect with the main characters (their lives were so different from mine) and also didn't particularly enjoy the fact that one of them was sleeping with her ex for the first third of the book. Very well written book with well-developed characters, but it just didn't work for me as a matter of personal taste.

When you pickup an Aurora Rey book you know you are in for a treat. In this book she gives it all. She develops two main characters who you end up cheering for throughout the book, despite their many ups and downs because you know these two women if they ever can get it together really would be wonderful. Amanda comes with to college age children who have opinions about her dating, plus an ex-wife who wants her back. Quinn on the other hand Has an array of sisters who keep putting her up for blind dates with eligible women. The problem is Quinn is not really happy with any of them because there’s no connection. When Amanda and Quinn meet they do have a connection however there is, of course, lots of obstructions in their way to ever possibly finding that happy ever after. Quinn has some issues with self-confidence when it comes to putting herself out there to find love with Amanda.
What I liked about this book is how the author writes About the challenges of middle-age women getting into the dating process, it’s realistic and not an easy thing to maneuver. I also like the way despite the possibility of heartbreak these two women are willing to try knowing that it won’t be an easy path to find the love they’re both looking for. When I ended this book I knew for sure it was one that was going to go on my to read again pile because it’s so well done with just the right amount of heat that we all love in our romance novels.

Was a good story between Amanda & Quinn. I like the way they actually meet both important business women. Was an easy read and a quick one

“Twice Shy” is an adult romance book centered around Amanda, who’s trying to avoid getting back together with her ex-wife, and Quinn, who’s still struggling with her divorce and trying to avoid being set up with random women. The two of them end up meeting, and quickly become attracted to one another. However, Amanda’s ex-wife tries to get in the way of their newfound relationship and get Amanda back.

The main critique I have about this book is how it starts off pretty slow at first. However, it gradually begins to pick up as Amanda and Quinn realize that they’re attracted to one another, and I loved the romance between the two of them that happens throughout most of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to fans of adult romance.

This was a great and cozy lesbian romance, which did not bother me one bit. The writing is and story is great and it also involves a bakery. This reminds me of my friend Karen and her wife after she got out of longtime toxic relationship with her cheating girlfriend. Glad she is happy and i think she would like this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Aurora Rey, and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,

Available: 10/13/20

'Twice Shy' by Aurora Rey is pretty sweet romance about two women giving love a second chance.

Amanda and Quinn are not looking for love when they begin a working relationship. Amanda is a baker who is expanding her business and Quinn is the architect in charge of designing the expansion.

The chemistry is pretty obviously felt by both sides upon meeting but I never felt like this was insta-love, which I was glad about. Rey takes the time to let the characters get to know each other and to have the relationship grow organically over time. I especially enjoyed the scenes where Quinn interacted with Amanda's college age children because I felt it really conveyed how she cared about Amanda with wanting to make a good impression on her kids.

This is a pretty low angst read in my opinion and I felt that it could've been prevented if Amanda had explained to having had a hookup with her ex-wife right before she and Quinn started dating.

And to top it off, there were several scenes with family and friends, some of which you may recognize from Rey's previous releases of 'The Last Place You Look.' and 'Recipe for Love' which is always fun.

I definitely recommend this for anyone wanting a nice, low-drama read.

An ARC was given to me by NetGalley for an honest review.