This book had a great premise, and I was super excited when I got approved for an ARC, but I thought the final product fell short. It was interesting, and I guess I liked the romance. Still, everything felt so underdeveloped and messy that I couldn't get attached to the characters, story, or relationship, which is disappointing.
The pacing was all over the place, and I couldn't process what was happening or care about it. Additionally, Cade might've been the only character in this book I cared about. She and Selena are the only two who we get any insight into, and Selena annoyed me. She seems like she tries to be as much of an asshole as possible, even in business, where she knows Cade has way more experience and expertise. All the side characters were highly annoying or didn't play enough of a role in the plot for me to care.
As for a final thing that bothered me: Cade makes a valid comment about the store only catering to cis women, which Selena brushes off by saying, "Ruth loved everyone." Selena does end up agreeing, but it's never addressed again. This rubbed me the wrong way because of how much this book equates womanhood to one's physical characteristics, despite claiming to be sex-positive and feminist. It seems both the book and the store were only created with cis women in mind.
It's a fast read and somewhat entertaining, but that's all it has going for it, in my opinion.

Cade Elgin, daughter of renowned gallery owners, serious and focused, self accused boring person. Selena Mathias, ex-painter, sex educator, maker of bad decisions. Cade and Selena seemingly have nothing in common when they're forced to work together to save Cade's dead aunt's failing sex toy shop, Satisfaction Guaranteed.

This book sounded like so much fun I was dying to read it. I mean, a queer rom-com set in a sex toy shop? What could possibly go wrong? This ended up being such a fun, easy read and even more enjoyable than I was expecting. I flew through it and enjoyed every second of it.

I loved the talk of sex positivity and female pleasure. It was so refreshing to read this book and the way Selena talked so openly about sex and pleasure. Never once was anyone slut shamed or shamed in anyway regarding sex (Cade is fairly repressed/hasn't had a lot of sex/never had an orgasam and this is treated as being just as natural as Selena and her love of casual sex and I really appreciated that).

My main complaint about rom-coms I've read recently is that they don't really dig deep into the characters and themes, I didn't have that problem with Satisfaction Guaranteed. The characters were so well fleshed out and so real, there wasn't a cliche in sight. Both our main characters have fully realized arcs, both together and separate of each other, which I love seeing. I really personally related a lot to Cade who is worried that she's missed out on life and she's too boring for anyone to really fall in love with her. Whereas Selena thinks she's made nothing but bad decisions and is trying to get her shit together (also relatable). And seeing the two of them connect and really see themselves for the first time in each others eyes, was just. So good. Their chemistry is everything and I think the pacing of their relationship was perfect. I would 100% reread this book, that's how much I enjoyed it.

My only real gripes with Satisfaction Guaranteed was that the ending felt a little abrupt. I don't want to go into too much detail, I just think the last two chapters could've been drawn out a little and been a bit more emotional but it didn't leave me feeling disappointed or anything. And, this going to sound so nitpicky but I kept noticing it and it pulled me out of the story a few times, but names were used a little too often. I know it gets tricky when you have a lot of people with the same pronouns in one scene (and especially in queer fiction, you need to make sure your reader knows which she you're talking about) but for some reason it just bugged me, there were so many times the author could've just said "she' and instead said their name again in the same sentence it'd already just been used in and yeah. Just a me thing and I did read an ARC so it's entirely possibly it's changed.

Overall: I really enjoyed this. It was a cute, easy to read rom-com kind of book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read!

No spoilers! 🤫 I really enjoyed Satisfaction Guaranteed! It’s a fun sapphic rom-com with great humor, serious 🔥, and a whole lot of toys.

The synopsis intrigued me but I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I was cracking up from chapter 1 and I did not want to put it down. The story was well written and had such a great flow. I would have finished in two sittings if it wasn’t for stupid adulting. The characters were fabulous! I loved the banter and obvious chemistry between Selena and Cade, and everything the side charters added to the mix. There is so much more I could say about this book, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. This was my first read by Stetz-Waters and I am definitely looking forward to more!

You will love the…
🌈 Opposites attract
🌈 Slow-burn
🌈 LOL humor
🌈 Amazing character development

If you are looking for an empowering, sex positive, f/f romance, this book is definitely for you.

Satisfaction Guaranteed is available 6/1/21 Pre-order your copy.

Thank you @NetGalley and @ReadForeverPub for the #gifted e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

#SatisfactionGuaranteed #KareliaStetzWaters #SapphicRomance #QueerRomance #NetGalley #ReadForeverPub #AlisReads #flippin_and_sippin_mn

OMG! This book is shocking in the best way. You just never know what is going to come out of Selena’s mouth. Uptight Cade probably expected craziness when Selena mentioned the name of her grandmother’s clit during her eulogy, but I don’t think she could have imagined how well their partnership would work out.

This was a little slow starting for me (despite the hilarious eulogy), I struggled to connect with the characters. But once we settled into the plot, I really enjoyed the dynamics of these two!

I loved Selena pulling Cade (willingly!) out of her shell and all the new experiences (ahem) she provides for Cade. Their mutual love of art and Cade’s aunt help them bond, but their partnership develops into a full-fledged love affair and it is so fun (and hot, ngl) when Selena shocks Cade.

My favorite part was Cade’s support of Selena agains evil Alex. Posing as her fiancé and giving her a well deserved set down was awesome!!

So much to enjoy about this story! And the grand gesture at the end…. Loved it!

I received an advance of this book from NetGalley and Forever and these are my honest opinions.

4.5*

A sapphic opposites attract sex shop romance? Sign me up! In this adult romantic comedy we follow 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗻 and 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀. Cade, an art gallery owner, meets Selena, former painter, and they inherit a sex shop. They work together to try to pay off its debt. 

This was genuinely such a fun read! I ended up reading it in about a day. The pacing was amazing and help keep me entertained all throughout it. 

"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩"

The characters were definitely a highlight. They were very enjoyable and even though they're quite different i lived them both. Them together was amazing. They're one of my favorite FF relationships that i've read in a while. It's also very sex positive which is always wonderful to see! 

Note that if you don't want to read explicit scenes then this probably isn't for you. But other than that i'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a cute, funny, and sexy sapphic romcom! 

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 & 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

A diamond in an ocean of unique stories.

To say this is a unique book would be an understatement. This is the most unique book I've ever read and I loved every second of it. This is my first time reading a book from Karelia Stetz-Waters and I am so thoroughly intrigued by the writing, the story and the characters.

Art has so much meaning in this book and it also portrays the importance of loving your body, being unashamed, owning it, loving it, taking care of it, being unapologetic for being who you are and so much more.

Readers will fall in love with Cade and Selena and will look at art differently, will want to visit a random store in the middle of Portland, and will want to learn how to use Quickbooks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the earc in return for an honest review.

Loved this book so much! I definitely think we need more lesbian and sapphic rom coms. I think anyone who enjoys casey mcquistion’s or alexis hall’s work will enjoy this as well.

I already said this on Goodreads, but gosh did I love this book. I am genuinely not a romance reader, I prefer fantasy and adventure, but this book completely captivated me. Cheesy and sappy at all the right moments, I simply could not put it down (literally I stayed up way way too late reading it). The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it ended. I look forward to one day getting the physical copy so I can visit Cade and Selena whenever I want.

I will be discussing this book on TikTok (@mckensea) in the coming weeks and before the premier of this book, because I throughly enjoyed it that much.

Trigger warning for past emotionally abusive relationship and that ex does make an appearance.
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SATISFACTION GUARANTEED is an opposites attract romance between Cade Elgin and Selena Mathis after the pair find out they must share the inheritance— a house and a sex toy store— left to them from Ruth, Cades aunt and Selena’s friend. Though Cade wants nothing more than do get this over with and go home, Selena begs her for help in saving the business.
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Based on the very first chapter, I knew I was in for a ride. I was laughing from the get-go. Selena and Ruth were very loud and proud about their bodies and sex, whereas Cade is much more timid and reserved. Selena and Cade balance each other beautifully, working as a team and encouraging and bringing out the best in one another.
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The mutual pinning was so much fun, that yearning build up had me saying “one more chapter” each time. There’s a focus on safe, healthy sex in this story and it was wonderful. I loved to see Cade, who is 29 and has not yet experienced an orgasm, and Selena, who has had a very active sex life but is currently celibate, become business partners, friends and lovers. This book was fun, sexy and heartwarming— their love story will stick with me.
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5/5 stars, SATISFACTION GUARANTEED by Karelia Stetz-Waters is available June 1, 2021!
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Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for sending me an eARC to review!

3.75/5 stars
A special thank you to netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing” for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Cade is the rigid, accountant type and Selena is the free spirited spontaneous type. After Cade’s Aunt Ruth dies, Cade and Selena both find out that they have each been willed ½ of Ruth’s sex toy shop. The problem? Satisfaction Guaranteed wasn't doing well and it's up to them to figure out how to save the store. Watching Cade and Selena find themselves was very entertaining. I genuinely enjoyed their romance and appreciated the spicy scenes! The environment of this book was fun, fast paced, and easy to read through.

Liked:
•sex positivity later on in the book
•curvy rep
•late 20s rep
•queer found families
•self discovery
•message of finding your own vision and standing up for yourself

Critiques:
•This was a very white-centered book.
•There was a lot of conversation that was sex organ specific. Women are women regardless of the vulva; it came off trans exclusionary at times though I am not trans and would suggest finding an own voice reviewer to solidify that viewpoint.
•For this being a feminist book, it was very off putting how Cade spoke about Selena’s clothes and overall person at first. Becket also came off very demeaning in the beginning. Consent jokes are never funny even if it’s between women in a friend group. There was a major shift at 30% and it got much better. This is supposed to be written in a sex educator’s viewpoint and there is a part where Selena has comments about Alex and her long nails. Along the lines of “long nails don't belong to women who sleep with women”. Femmes exist, they have silicone nail tops for that and any sexual educator or toy shop owner would know that. There is no one way to look as a WLW, we have long nails and please our partners safely.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Cade and Selena. They had a spark right off the bat! I found so much humor throughout this title, but also many touching moments. Cade's responsibilty and strength jumps off the page. Her family does somethings that show they love her, but she feels taken advantage of by them. It is hard to be the responsible one in the family. Selena has a ton of baggage, but I felt it was evened out with her creativity and complete lack of embarrassment. She showed Cade that there is nothing within the realm of sexuality that should be hard to talk about. I found myself laughing out loud during their first time together when Cade yells out, what she yells out. I laughed, I cried, I really enjoyed this book. Karelia Stetz-Waters will be on my authors to watch list.

To put things simply: if you think ‘outrageous’ is a synonym for ‘ridiculous’, you probably won’t enjoy this book. I found it pretty charming, in spite of some occasional plot flaws and some extremely immature behavior from our heroines.  It’s a little hammy and sit-commy, too, but some folks will find that appealing.  I appreciated the characters and the sweetness of the romance, and allowed myself to get swept up in the fairytale.

Cadence – Cade - Elgin is the only person at her flashy grandma’s funeral not wearing gold lamé. That’s a big hint as to how outrageous Satisfaction Guaranteed is going to get, as we quickly learn - from one of the funeral’s speakers - that Cade’s Aunt Ruth named her clitoris “Belinda” and, just as soon as the funeral concludes, she’s offered a pot brownie by one of her aunt’s friends.

Deeply mourning her aunt, Cade is shocked to learn that she’s inherited half of Satisfaction Guaranteed – Ruth’s sex toy shop, which is also deeply in debt to its suppliers.  Cade has a life and job at her parents’ gallery in New York and she is planning on getting back to them posthaste; somewhat introverted and used to keeping her emotions under wraps, the vibrant community of Portland isn’t for her.

Down on her luck Selena Mathis owns the other half of the shop, together with half of Ruth’s cabin, and a stake in her house.  Selena has been living on Ruth’s property in her in-law apartment and has been co-managing Satisfaction Guaranteed, so Ruth’s death is a huge blow to her.  She took care of Ruth during her long illness, and Ruth considered her something of a granddaughter by the time she died.  Some years earlier, Selena was involved in an emotionally abusive and coercive affair with her bisexual (and married) art professor Alex, an unhealthy relationship she keeps falling back into. In the wake of Ruth’s death, Alex promptly leaves her husband – something she’s been promising to do for years – and wants to start up with Selena again, but her particular brand of emotional manipulation isn’t something Selena needs in her life, so when Alex calls her, she blurts out that she’s dating Cade, even though she definitely is not. Though Selena is powerfully attracted to Cade from the second she sees her at Ruth’s funeral, they are most assuredly not dating.

Thrown together by the terms of Ruth’s will, which forces Cade to live in the house in order to keep it, the two women are just what Ruth obviously decided were just the thing to save her failing business –and they both have a simmering attraction to one another.  But will love, lust and money collide?

Satisfaction Guaranteed is trope-heavy and sometimes a tad clichéd, but if you’re in the mood for its brand of good-natured goofiness, it might be just what you need.

Selena can come off as a bit… intense, in the way only a woman who sniffs the clothing of a woman she’s attracted to before they kiss can be. She brands herself a “fuck up” due to her failure as an artist, and needs grounding.  Ruth has provided part of that but Cade provides the rest. In turn, naturally, Selena teaches Cade how to live a freer, more fulfilling life and how to wear colors. You know the tale – it’s the one about the stuffed shirt and the flirty free spirit. The book deals well with Selena’s desire to make use of her artistic talents, how Alex’s abuse has undermined her confidence in them, and how her relationship with Cade helps that part of her bloom.

Cade – struggling with issues connected to her flighty parents, whom she thinks only appreciate her for what she does for their business - has never really had an orgasm and considers herself practically virgin even though she’s had (unsatisfying) sex.  Her issue is that she is putting far too much pressure on herself to have an orgasm, and when Selena releases her from that worry – bingo!  Part of me wished that she’d been able to figure that out on her own, but I did like the messy, yet joyful result of Cade and Selena’s sexual sojourn together.  Their romance is sweet, and flows well.

I definitely enjoyed Becket, Selena’s supportive best friend and later, Cade’s confidant, and I liked that Selena got the courage to finally break away from Alex on her own.  The characters definitely develop, one just has to endure a bit of out-there behavior to get it.

Overall, Satisfaction Guaranteed will delight anyone who likes mixing humor with feelings and art with sex swings – but don’t mind a little goofiness thrown in.

Buy it at: Amazon or your local independent retailer
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A cute and silly opposite attract romance. Cade is an uptight art gallery manager. In her eccentric and impulsive family, she's always been seen as the boring and reliable one. When her aunt dies and leaves Cade her sex toy shop and a mountain of debt, Cade would really rather not deal it. But the shop's co-owner, Selena, is cute, quirky, and convinces Cade it's worth a try.

This was an adorable story and a good cozy read. Since it centers on a sex shop, the story integrates some education moments and is refreshingly sex-positive.

F|F contemporary romance with humor, lots of steam, sex positivity and many many toys.

Cade from New York, who's been pigeonholed to be the "boring accountant" by her family, and the free-spirited ex-artist Selena come together to try to save Cade's aunt's sex toy shop.

At the beginning I had some trouble with these two characters, who both seemed a little too one-dimensional. Especially Selena comes across incredibly naïve to the point of feeling unrealistic. But then about a third/half into the book, they both start being more balanced, and multi-faceted. This is also when they start opening up to each other, both on the business side as well as romantically.

When the two get together... It's fireworks. They're so good together; supportive, sexy and cute. Even the conflict feels so real. I actually especially related to their conflict, since I almost broke up with my significant other that way at the beginning of our relationship.(We've now been together for almost 9 years)

One of my favorite parts of the book was the sex positivity and all the sex toys that were introduced in the steamy scenes. Especially in straight romance books, this is never brought up, or if it is, it's considered to only be important for solo acts. I loved that this book addressed the fact that they can enhance the experience and talked about sex and genitals in a free way, without reservations.

I loved the journey this book takes both of the characters through. I love that they realize they're more than who they or others thought they were. And no spoilers, but I loved where they ended up in the end, not tied to expectations of others.

One final note is that the book does get a little spiritual at times. Just as a heads up, if this is an issue for you. I had a bit of trouble getting through those parts, but I didn't let that impact my overall experience of the book, or my rating.

Overall, even though the beginning of the book was a little rough for me, I really enjoyed it once the romance started and found the sex positivity to be a fresh of breath air.

I knew I was going to love the book from the premise: an F/F romance about running a Portland-based feminist sex shop (a la the real life She Bop). And Stetz-Waters did not disappoint! This book was an absolute delight from start to finish! With loveable characters, rich backstories, and a sweet, slow burn romance, It was everything I wanted and more!

Okay. Wow.

This was my first F/F romance book and it did not disappoint.

Cade, who lives in New York inherits half of her late aunt’s sex shop. Satisfaction Guaranteed, which is in total disarray (and in Portland). She and Selena, who was like a daughter to Cade’s aunt, are tasked with trying to save the shop.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this one! The two main characters, are absolutely wonderful. So different (Cade is a by the books accountant/art gallery owner who’s only had sex a few times while Selena is an outspoken, sex positive woman) yet they meshed so well.

This was a slow burn relationship. There were so many sweet moments while still having steam (the steam wasn’t super aggressive, despite the premise of the book!) and healthy conversations about sex-which is so important.

Cade and Selena work so well together. The books also focuses on loss and grief, past relationship difficulties (with some verbal abuse), discussion about sex & pleasure and romance in general.

This wasn’t like any other book I’ve read but I throughly enjoyed it and was eagerly scrolling to the next page. 5/5 from me, I’d absolutely read this one again!

Thank you for the E-ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever publishing for the ARC of this one!

Guys. GUYS . This is a goddamn delight of a book.

Cade and Selena are fantastic characters, together and on their own, and you can't help but pull for them to figure their shit out and realize what's right in front of them the entire time. Selena is a mess and so incredibly relatable. I loved her from her very first introduction (and oh my GOD, what an introduction) and she just grew more and more relatable and endearing as the story progressed.

And Cade. Oh, Cade. I wanted to cuddle her and tell her everything was going to be okay and that it was okay to relax and just BE.

UGH. This was so much fun. The story was quirky and ridiculous (in the best way) and I want to be friends with every single side character.

Also, I think I'm moving to Portland now and opening my own sex shop. I have to.

I have to be honest. When I started reading Satisfaction Guaranteed I started wondering what I had gotten myself into. The book starts out at the funeral of Ruth who dies of cancer where we meet a very interesting cast of characters. The eulogies to Ruth are -- let's just say different. And then there are the people drinking homemade absinthe and passing around pot gummies. I was concerned about the direction this story was heading. But then you quickly ascertain that the story revolves around Cadence "Cade" Elgin and Selena Mathis to whom Ruth leaves her house and her nearly bankrupt sex toy shop, Satisfaction Guaranteed. Cade is the buttoned up, "accountant-type" who likes lists and spreadsheets, while Selena is an artist, and more of a free spirit.

Selena and Cade have to work together to try to save the shop and Ruth's legacy and in the meantime discover a budding friendship and relationship that neither of them can ignore (despite their best efforts.).

This book turned out to be a beautiful story of love and self discovery and healing. The relationship between Selena and Cade was so raw and real. Selena's growth in this book was such a joy to read. From her past traumas which shaped who she was when we first meet her in the book to her infectious positive messages about sexuality and body positivity, it is hard not to love a character like Selena. Cade is more reserved, and some would say repressed in the beginning. Her journey of acceptance and learning that she is worthy of love and passion is beautiful to experience.

The side characters in this book were also a joy. Particularly loved Amy, Cade's friend in New York who she turned to for advice. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Selena is the kind of character that is a giant loveable contradiction. She is messy yet clean, angering yet loveable, and uptight yet totally free. I was so drawn to her and wanted to know everything about her and her journey! I went into this read expecting a funny read about artists and sex shops, but I found this book to be thought provoking, empowering, hopeful, and a beautiful look at a budding sapphic relationship. I loved the contrast of Cade and Selena, showing that opposites do attract in all the best ways. I loved the power and growth that Selena found throughout this story and I wish Cade’s growth was just a little more developed. Overall this was an engaging read that romance lovers should definitely add to their shelves!

Tropes: found family, love at first sight

I don't think I've ever loved two characters more. Cade and Selena meet at a funeral and are thrown together given a bizarre twist of circumstances that include an eclectic aunt and a sex toy store. Cade, the ever-serious accountant from New York, and Selena, the whimsical painter, grow closer as they fight to save the store. In the process, they learn more about themselves, family, belonging, and love. Pick up this delightful novel if you're in need of a mood booster! I read Satisfaction Guaranteed in one sitting and am so excited to be able to read it again!

Thank you, @NetGalley and @ReadForeverPub for an ARC of this beautiful book! Thank you, @kareliastetzwaters, for my new favorite literary characters!

Satisfaction Guaranteed is out on June 1, 2021. Pre-order your copy now!