I enjoyed this book and the author’s writing, but the story itself was so very frustrating.

I really felt for Nailiah who has waaaay too much going on to be dealing with the selfishness and toxicity of Scottie (love interest) and Pauline (best friend). I can’t stand when people play the victim when they, in all reality, are the villain. Nailiah has some issues that she really needs to work on, she could start by getting rid of the toxic people in her life (Scottie and Pauline).

There were some questions left unanswered, but they weren’t really detrimental to the story.

This would make a great book club section because there is so much to discuss when it comes to black women and relationships, including working, friends, love, and family.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a honest review.*

I really enjoyed the family aspect of this book. Nailah and her family were very close and open with each other. I loved the conversations and trust that they had with each other. It was refreshing to read about a close knit family that could be open and accepting.

As for the rest of the book? I thought Scottie and Nailah's relationship was very insta-love, but they also complimented each other well when they communicated. That was one of the main issues I had with this book. Scottie tried to be open and honest with Nailah, but at time Nailah was extremely close-minded and was not open for discussions. I also didn't enjoy Pauline's character. I thought she treated Nailah pretty crappy considering the situations that happened in the book, though her and Nailah did have open communication as friends.

I learned alot about the LGBTQIA community in this book as well, which I appreciated. I honestly didn't know the different identities within the gay community, especially between females. It opened my eyes and now I will know to be more inclusive and thoughtful with any future discussions I might have.

I'm going to be honest, I could not really invest in this book.

As a Queer Jamaican woman, I was looking forward to reading this story but was unable to dive in due to the writing style and characterisation. It's not a bad book, just not for me.

I gave it a neutral rating but DNF'd and will probably never finish.

My first time reading this Author, want be the last what I love most about this book was how close Nailah family was. I did not care for Pauline made me sick it was a easy read got to the point I look forward for more from this Author.

Femme Like Her is an emotional and romantic WLW novel following Nailah Grant and her relationships with her family and a woman named Scottie.

This book was pretty good, I enjoyed it the whole way throughout. It wasn't amazing and at times the settings seemed to be a bit unrealistic but I can look past that when I enjoy the overall story. It did start off really slow but did pick up speed a couple chapters in and the ending was great. I really enjoyed how the characters were all flawed and made mistakes throughout the novel and the people around them called them out when they messed up. It was really refreshing to read people written in that way as opposed to to perfect characters.

3/5 stars for this book, a slow start but a great ending and great characters. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this copy to review.

Ok so i managed to get this after the published date. Now this is me first time reading from Ms.Zedde
When it comes to books I do read for character development most of the time. I most say these characters defiantly got a rise out of me, Nailiah in particular. The lust was steamy but the romance was not Nailiah so terrible for believing in Scotties ex over her, yet she doesn’t go into her personal life with her AT ALL and lied about having a kid in the first place; Nailiah is so “terrible” because she’s shocked that Scottie doesn’t want to be a mother and lied about having a kid. At times i feel like the misunderstanding trope is overused then of course the unwanted impregnation it just took me out

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. I started it, and I tried to read it, but it just didn't do it for me. I went back to it, but I still could not complete it. I think I am just going to just give it up. Dnf list for me.

It’s not that I don’t want to fall into her— I do. God, I do. But this is scary, just how fast she brought me back to how things were between us in the beginning. Charmed and surprised. Turned on. Ready to follow wherever she leads.


3.5 stars. After a little bit of a rollercoaster with this one, I ended up really really liking and appreciating it. It takes some turns that I didn't expect it to, and doesn't always follow the script as far as typical romances go. It also made me feel super seen in a way I just don't ever get in romances.

After a bad experience years ago, Nailah has made up her mind never to date another femme like her, until bold, brazen, feminine Scottie breezes into her life. It's an interesting premise, though I did get a little impatient with it. Not that there's anything wrong with having a preference, but when it was revealed WHY Nailah had made that rule for herself, it just wasn't totally convincing? IDK if I missed something while reading, but the way I understood it, it all seemed a little overblown.

The book's strengths, for me, lay elsewhere. I loved having a protagonist from the Caribbean; it's always a delight to see that representation and recognise the details that the author is careful to put in. This is my first book by Zedde, but I'm going to make sure it's not the last, because I loved every bit of Jamaica we got. I loved her writing, which was descriptive and lush, simple and down-to-earth by turns. The steam, when we got it, was at 110%. The romance was just as good. I started off not being terribly convinced of their attraction/connection, but then they shared a few moments that were relatively simple but had me swooning all over anyway. (Swimming! Late night phone calls that become early morning phone calls! That time up against the door! 🥺) I freaking loved Scottie; every single thing about her. I definitely liked her more than Nailah, our protagonist, but after Nailah did her growing and learning, I liked her a lot too.

What I love best about the book is that it touches on a part of motherhood that you just don't see books do; not in this way, and definitely not romance books. It meant a lot to see it because it's so close to my own views, and the character that held those views was misunderstood at first, but never vilified or castigated by the text for it. I'm being deliberately vague to avoid spoilers, but it just made me so damned happy (though the topic itself isn't what I'd call cheerful).

I had my other nitpicks. Like I said, the plot wasn't always convincing. The shenanigans with Pauline's gfs were kinda irritating to me. Sometimes the way other women were described made me narrow my eyes, but it was never malicious (except one comment about ~crazy~ dark-skinned women that made me want to fight). A little bit of gender essentialism.

Still, very solid, and very enjoyable. I'd definitely rec it!

Wow, what a roller coaster of a book. I have been excited fo read this book since hearing about it online. Here are the things I enjoyed about Femme like her:

- the world building is fantastic, I used to live in Atlanta and femme like her took me right back there
- femme/femme romance was the main draw for me, I really don’t care for the weird gender politics about femme “having” to be paired with studs so I really enjoyed reading about a femme/femme pairing
- the exploration of Nailah’s internalized femme phobia
- the way Nailah and Scottie resolve their big fight

Here’s what I didn’t care for: (content warning, mild spoilers)

- Nailah was so trash for being angry with Scottie around her reproductive choices, especially since those choices involved coercion and a rape (yes, “stealthing” is sexual assault and I wish it was made clearer in the book, the way it seemed liked the book was demonizing Scottie didn’t sit right with me)
- Nailah’s reason for being mad with Scottie early in the chapter felt flimsy? they’d been on one date at that point and she acted like she’d been jilted at the altar.
- gender politics. and conversation about reproduction had a weird subtext

I liked the writing and characters, will definitely check out more by the author.

I really enjoyed this contemporary F/F romance by new-to-me author Fiona Zedde.
There's lots to love about this book - the characters are fierce, the chemistry between the two of them is off the charts, and the story line is intriguing.

The 1st POV from one main character only worked well with the build up of the story.

Consent warning #CW : Please note that one of the characters experienced a non-consent sexual experience before the story starts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me permission to read this before publication date in exchange for a review.

Liked it but didn't love it... Kinda undetermined... There are some good moments but to me the characters lacked maturity a bit. 3 stars from me.

I am a character reader, especially with romance novels. If I’m going to enjoy a book, it better have well-developed characters with lots of great chemistry. Luckily, I’ve read enough of Fiona Zedde’s stories to know I would love the inhabitants of her latest book, Femme Like Her, and I did love both the people in it and the story.
This tale is told in First Person POV through the eyes of Nailah Grant, the central figure in the story. Nailah is going through a few life changes when she meets Scottie in a bar. The chemistry is definitely there, but Scottie is a fellow femme, and Nailah doesn’t date femmes. Scottie doesn’t seem to take no for an answer though, and thus begins a steamy love story. But can this romance survive the problems that appear almost from the beginning of their budding relationship?

I connected with Nailah immediately, but it took a little longer to understand Scottie, mainly because we only see her through Nailah’s eyes. Both women have tons of personality and are obviously attracted to each other, but they also have issues that could derail their romance. This provides the perfect amount of angst to the overall story. There is also the theme of femme and butch characters, and the possible different pairings. I’ve never really cared that much about whether a person is butch or femme, but it is discussed in the novel, and does affect the two main characters.

I must mention the absolutely stunning cover of this book. I was interested in reading this story because of the author, but the cover would have caught my interest even without the author’s name. It is a striking cover, and the artist should be proud.

I thoroughly enjoyed this steamy romance novel, and can recommend it to all who enjoy a great love story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author for an honest review.

A continuation of her short The Magical Femme, A Femme Like Her is the story of Nailah and the femme she can't get off her mind, Scottie. I am a fan of Fiona's work and she is brilliant at writing chemistry between characters and that is evident here. The story is told from Nailah's point of view which is one aspect I didn't love. I feel like reading Scottie's point of view would have made the story more well rounded, but I understand that she may have wanted to omit that to maintain the mystery of the character.

I enjoyed many of the scenes, my favorite being the two hanging out at a winery and taking a dip in a nearby lake. Zedde has a way with words and I felt so immersed in that moment. The ending however wasn't my favorite and it felt like it was over rather abruptly, especially since it is the scene where they make up after not speaking for a period of time. Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read even with the issues I mentioned.

Fiona Zedde is a great writer, and I consider her to be a trailblazer in Black queer romance. 'Femme Like Her' was a great novel that had all the elements that make a Fiona Zedde story incredible: complex characters, perfect pacing, and palpable chemistry. I really enjoyed this novel and definitely recommend it!

A beautiful and eventful love story! The only thing is at times the author told us what was about to happen before it came across in dialogue.

I loved reading this book! Great pacing, a sweet relationship balanced with steam. See review links.

The story of two black women that work against the prejudice of the world, their own traumas from the past and the prejudices within themselves to come stronger on the other side and truly appreciate the new love that has graced each of their lives.

To me, the story was more about being Femme. There is growth, friendship, family, love and intimacy of love that goes beyond Femme. Yet, despite all the heavy lifting of serious topics, the books have a lighter feel to it.

I liked the story, the characters, the conversations but the villainous side felt a little out of place as a new villain rose in the end despite the building drama with a woman from the past. The ending left a little to be desired for as the beginning and the climb was pretty good, making if feel out disconnected.

I truly felt like the title didn't do the book much justice.

Mild Trigger Warning

4 steamy stars (came out Dec 8, 2020)

**ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.**
#NetGalley #FemmeLikeHer

Pros: Black f/f love, Black bisexual femme MC with dom-energy, Black lesbian femme MC, off-the-charts chemistry between the MCs, steamy sex scenes that had me feeling all kinds of things, supportive families, discussion of queer acceptance (or lack thereof) in Jamaican culture

Cons: Misunderstanding trope, overhanging work drama that was never integral to the plot or resolved, use of words like "crazy" to describe women acting violently in a relationship

Similar vibes: None that I know! This is the best BIPOC f/f romance I think I've ever read.

TW: near car crash x 2, talk of abortion, unwanted impregnation, emotional abuse in a relationship

Video link: [when filmed]

I just don’t think this book was for me. By chapter 4 I figured it was the writing style. I’m giving a neutral rating but after reading other reviews I am glad some are enjoying this book

I really, really wanted to enjoy this! Contemporary romance really need more voices like this.

The book follows Nailah, Jamaican-born, American from Atlanta, who struggles with connecting her identity with her Jamaican culture. I really enjoyed her interaction with family and how her coming out was addressed. But she doesnt only have issue with how her culture sees her, but how she sees herself and others. That becomes very clear when she starts her steamy relationship with Scotty that soon gets complicated.

This book is stuck in between non fiction and romance and it never unstuck... I wold however be curios of future books by this author and her progress.