I really, really, really adored this book. April and Dennis are both such lovely, messy people and watching them figure out, in healthy ways how to be good together for themselves and for each other was just so sweet and lovely to see.

April and Dennis meet at a club. She's a sub and he's a Dom. She's a white trans woman, who isn't new to kind or the scene but she is divorced and has some definite scars from that and while she's warm and generous and funny, she also has her share of insecurities and a lot of well earned fears. One of the lines that sticks with me is when she tells her friend, Fatima, that she doesn't want a promotion because she's like for once secure and comfortable in what she has, that she doesn't want to risk it changing, even if the chance could be for the better.

Dennis new to Austin, having moved their from Seattle. He's a Black cis guy who is also a millionaire and has come to work at the company April works at for her day job (something he doesn't not know nor does she tell him, which ends up being a bit of an issue). He has an ex of his own, not a wife, a girlfriend, but he also has a ton of scars for his past relationship. He is working very hard to be happy but also puts so much pressure on himself to make everything good, especially when he falls head-over-heels for April very quickly.

The story telling in itself is really, really interesting. It's four parts, the beginning of their relationship in dual POV, the next six months in April's POV, the same six months in Dennis' POV, and the two of them together making it work. Those middle six months did not feel repetitive in any way, in fact, I really think they enhanced the story.

It's funny, on the surface April seemed less together in certain ways, but that wasn't necessarily true. Part of Dennis' survival involved a lot of external presentation but that was a mask in certain ways and seeing behind it was so helpful. He was always lovely on the outside but being able to listen to all his vulnerabilities and traumas made you love him even more and root for them even more as a couple.

That's not to say April wasn't extremely easy to identify with, even if you want to shake her every two seconds. Her fears weren't made up and her constantly protecting herself and looking for an escape plan is logical for about a dozen different reasons, not matter how many good things you want for her. And thankfully Dennis is good for her and their HEA and all the strength and courage it took is totally worth it.

Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley for a wonderful read.

Well, I need to add a new shelf: I cried because this book (and that ending) was so perfect that I wanted to dive in and snuggle up to Dennis and April and never leave.

"For the Love of April French" was absolutely, truly stunning. I was 10 pages in when I suddenly thought Oh and I was lost to the book.
This is a love story, a kinky, tough and emotional love story between two people who are both the strongest, and most insecure and gentle, people ever.
April is a trans woman who's used to guarding her heart from people who might, inadvertently or not, harm her; she's insecure and strong and sensitive and afraid and emotional and lovely and by far, one of the most memorable (and remarkable) protagonists I have ever read about. As soon as she appeared, I knew I was going to love her to bits.
Dennis, on the other hand, was an absolute dream: I can't think of nothing I love more than one of the MCs deciding, five minutes into the first meeting with the other MC, that they've met the love of their life and that they're going to woo the other and shower them with care and shelter and understanding and ugh, Dennis turned my heart to mush.

Kink isn't a thing I read much about, mainly because it has to well-thought for me to properly like it, and the book. "For the Love of April French" was definitely the kinkiest book I have ever read, and even though I'm no expert (I won't pretend I understood all of the kinky stuff going on either), I really really loved the sexy and intimate scenes between the two protagonists. It was hot and also emotional, and I got to understand a couple things more about the world of kink (and also myself).
I found the trans rep beautiful and complex and tough and breath-taking; some scenes left me teary-eyed and emotional, and if I was in Dennis' shoes, I, too, would have fallen head-over-heels in love with April.

I totally recommend this book: it was gorgeous, in a quiet "I'll wack you on the head with feelings and then leave you crying from happiness and yearning" sort of way and everybody deserves to read such a well-thought, poignant and soft love story.

Thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Loved the characters, story and setting. April is a trans woman starting to trust life may be good and finding that she may deserve love, success and happiness. Dennis is trying to find love after a difficult breakup. They meet at a kink club and begin with a ONS that becomes something more.

There is a dual POV, but they are not offered as alternative chapters as in many books, and it was a very interesting choice by the author. It worked for me and really deepened the story to hear I again from another perspective.

I didn't exactly love the way Dennis wanted to control April's wardrobe, but the discussion and negotiation made it far less red flaggy and more about his preferences. The whole Big Lie trope is not one I like, but this was done in a way that was true to characters and their journeys.

All that being said, the writing was engaging and each character (and supporting one) felt like a whole person. Dennis and April have such a tender relationship, and their journey to love each other better was lovely. Buy it, read it, recommend it to your friends.

This is truly a wonderful romance. It's also an amazing story outside the heteronormative white romance world, which we can all use more of.

#FortheLoveofAprilFrench
#NetGalley

I never quite got the appeal of romance novels until I read one about an undead witch with irresistible cravings for the men she falls in love with. The world sees me as a freak of nature so I could never see myself in a traditional romance novel. Eventually, queer romance after queer romance I started to understand both the appeal and how much I longed for these stories, even though I still couldn't fully see myself in most of them because the characters were cis. I love the tragic realism in the majority of the stories that I've read but I also love a good RomCom and For the Love of April French strikes the perfect balance of realism and fantasy.

I saw so much of myself in April and so many of her experiences resonated with me (sadly not the sexy dom millionaire part). It's rare and validating and special to see yourself in these stories. It's empowering to imagine yourself working through the protagonist's struggles. It's delightfully indulgent to see yourself in their HEA. The author is a trans woman and it makes all the difference when we're able to tell our own stories.

The characterization is also incredible. There are a few folks who make up more of the background cast but there is so much thought and detail put into the world building and characterization. I find it unreadable when characters fall flat or where plot moves the story forward instead of character motivation. There were so many refreshing surprises and details. I would be THRILLED to read a sequel. I want to know more!

For those who want to know, there is some sex but not gratuitous IMO. The sex is always about their relationship and how it's developing, not just "sex scenes." It's a BDSM romance and beautifully, thoughtfully and insightfully written (if you're a part of the scene you won't roll your eyes). More importantly, Aimes writes consent in a very sexy way (because it is! Non-consensual sex is traumatizing and THAT is NOT sexy!) and the love interest is so refreshingly unproblematic. Also, if you're NOT into BDSM, the writing is strong enough that it will still read as sexy (for example, April is into chastity play and that is not at all my kink but damn did I get turned on reading about what it did for April).

I had the privilege of reading this as an ARC but I will be purchasing it to revisit whenever I want to escape into this beautiful world, gifting it for others, and excitedly awaiting the author's next release. I just loved this so much. If you think you would enjoy the themes in this book, do yourself a favor and pick it up!

CW: intentional misgendering, non-consensual groping, non-consensual BDSM play

4.5 ⭐

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes exceeded all my expectations. If you're looking for a kink romance with good transgender representation or just a romance with solid characters and a memorable story, then you need to give For the Love of April French a read.

New to town, Dennis decides to check out a kink club recommended by his friend. It's mid-week and he doesn't expect to meet anyone, but the chance is always possible. Here he meets April and is instantly taken with her. April is a transgender woman who thinks Dennis is way out of her league, but doesn't turn down his attention. A one-night stand ensues, but Dennis already knows he wants more but can see Aprils hesitation, so they agree to a no strings attached arrangement. The entire time, April is just waiting for the other shoe to drop and this thing between them to die out while Dennis is trying to prove to her, he's in this for real. In the end, will April's lies by omission and self sabotage ruin something amazing.

Where to start with what I loved about this book. April and Dennis were both complex, far from perfect characters. April was so much stronger than she gave herself created for. Seriously, her inner voice was horrible and kicked the crap out of her self-esteem. It broke my heart that she didn't see herself worthy of forever love. Dennis falls hard and fast for April, and he tries to hold on to her with both hands, lavishing her and showing her how beautiful she is. He was a caring, vulnerable, attentive Dom, always checking in , pushing her boundaries without hurting her , always trying to be what she needs. He's never been with a transgender woman before, so he does make some mistakes, but as soon as he recognizes them he apologizes. At one point, he tells her it's not her job to educated him and fully commits to educating himself so that he never accidentally offends or makes her feel uncomfortable. I appreciated that April and Dennis' both had to work on themselves to be ready for each other and that they fought for their relationship in the end.

While this is definitely a BDSM/Kink romance, it's surprisingly sweet without sugarcoating the kink play. Our couple partakes in a Dom/Sub relationship, light bondage, impact play, edging, and lots and lots of orgasm denial. The intimacy starts off hot and heavy with their one-night stand but mellows out while our couple is working through the parameters of their dynamic and semi long distance relationship because of work travel. The most important part about BDSM is open intimacy communication between couples, and it was ever present with check ins before, during and proper after care.

The story is told in 4 parts, which I thought was an interesting way to write it. The beginning we see from both April and Dennis' POV off their meeting. Then the second part follows April during the next six months, followed by Dennis' side of those same six months. You might think it would be redundant, but it wasn't because we are given scenes between them in Dennis' that weren't in Aprils. The book finished off with dual POV of their relationship at it's climax and the mending of it that follows.

For the Love of April French was simply a wonderfully written romance with high emotions and lots of steam. The only thing holding me back from a solid 5 stars is that it took me a moment to get use to the way the story was told.


Rep: Black MC, Transgender female MC, LGBTQIA+, BDSM /Kink
CW/TW: transphobia, misgendering, discussions of transition surgery

4.5*

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this ARC but what I got was something good.

This is, as odd as that might seem, quite a fluffy and sweet BDSM kink book which focuses on an element of the fetish world I've not really read much about yet, and I really enjoyed it.

There is no way I could ever claim to understand the unique pressures life as a trans woman or a black man in modern day America can bring, but I feel that this book gave me a unique insight into a part of those fears - and joys.

April French is a wonderfully complex character. I adored her, her vulnerability, her strength, her determination to move on and live an authentic life, even with the scars she carries.

Dennis Martin is a gem of a man too. He's made mistakes in his first kink relationship and he's still not really dealt with that when he bumps into Mama April on his first venture to Frankies, a local queer and kink friendly bar his best friend Jason has recommended.

And, at this point, can I just say I hope this is going to be a series and Jason's up next!

What follows is an at times painful to read, at others a simply stunning expression of self, romance which develops from the initial one night stand into a haltingly beautiful relationship.

I read it all in one go, I couldn't put it down because I just needed to know if they would make it. Of course, this being a Carina Adores line, I really knew they would, but I wanted to see how they managed the journey to reach happiness.

I only haven't given it 5* because I felt I needed more of them once they had resolved the difficulties and were together. The final few chapters felt a bit condensed, and we only got off page mentions in the Epilogue to their HEA a year or so later.

I also felt the kink elements themselves didn't always get a full expression on page, there's a bit of steam and then it mostly ends up as fade to black or off page mentions of what they've been getting up to.

While I can understand the difficulties of walking the line between fetishising their experiences, I think it would have helped more for someone who doesn't know much about either being a trans woman or a kink participant, to have seen more of that side of things on page.

But, as it's a Carina Adores line, I was also expecting it, they tend to be more on the low to medium steam level and I was just really pleased to read this book at all!

This was such a fast-paced and entertaining read! I really enjoyed the trans woman perspective, all diversity and the amazing character development of both main characters.

At times, it was a bit too explicit and with too much BDSM kink for my taste, and I would have wished for some more backstory to really get to know both April and Dennis better before they started their dom/sub role plays. But as the story evolved, more was revealed about the reason for their insecurities and the problems they’d both had to deal with, and the more I rooted for them both.

All in all, this was a highly enjoyable, warm and hopeful story, as well as an educational one. I really got some new perspectives and learned a lot from this steamy ownvoices romance with a trans main character!

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores for the ARC! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

3.5 stars rounding up to 4.

This was a very sweet and steamy BDSM romance with a trans woman as the heroine! April French feels like a stepping stone, doms only play with her for a little while before moving on to someone else. But when Dennis arrives in town and takes a liking to April she has to figure out if she’s ready for a serious relationship.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between April and Dennis. The steamy scenes were great and weren’t cookie cutter interactions that I’ve seen a million times in other romance novels. Dennis had never been with a trans woman before April, but I appreciated how his attraction to her wasn’t something that sent him into a crisis. He was such a soft character who wanted to learn more so he wouldn’t accidentally do things to make April uncomfortable. There was a lot of depth to both April and Dennis as they have to heal from previous relationships that ended badly and figure out how to be with someone new.

The pacing in the book did throw me off a bit. In the first part of the book the POV switches back and forth between April and Dennis. However, in part two it is only told from April’s POV for a six month period. Then in part three it goes back and tells that same six month period from Dennis’ POV. It seemed like an odd choice to not just have the middle section of the book also be alternating. It made the story feel much longer than it was because after going through a lot of story and getting to a more serious part of their relationship you’re sent back six months to get it all over again from Dennis’ perspective.

But overall I really enjoyed this romance! Both characters were really well fleshed out and they had a lot of chemistry with one another. This book was really unique and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Penny Aimes in the future.

Wow, I loved this. Probably one of the sweetest BDSM romances I’ve read. Amazing representation with a trans woman and Black man as the lead couple. I just adored how they both learned and grew with each other. The portrayals of kink is so positive and I loved how safe words were used in such realistic ways. Plus on page therapy!

Dennis’s care and support was so lovely and April is so strong and smart, yet insecure. Such an engaging and emotional story-literally could not put it down.

Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

oh my god! this novel is beautiful, sexy, heartfelt, and everything i was looking for when i opened this book. i'm not a huge reader of romances, but seeing this book in an anticipated books list, and then seeing it not only contained a trans protagonist, but also was written by a trans woman? sign me up!

reading the book, the characters are written very well; their struggles are incredibly realistic, as are the ways that they deal with said struggles. those of april resonated with me most, being a trans woman myself, and several things she thinks in this book are things i've told myself at one point or another. aimes does a great job of making you root for the couple.

the sex scenes in this book are absolutely wonderful. i've never seen such active consent or actual safe practices used on-the-page like this. they're also incredibly hot, for what it's worth! the relationship in this book IS a bdsm relationship, so if that's something that's a no for you, be warned!

thank you to netgalley and harlequin carina for providing this ARC!

This wasn't a light love story - both April and Dennis have insecurities that they're working through and there were times when that was difficult to read - but it was a happy and hopeful one. I loved the role that therapy played, and that both of them were willing to do the work to love themselves and to learn more about what their partner needed. That's what was so gooey and sweet about this book. (Throw in a "let me take care of you when you're down" scene, and I'm melting.)

April was such a warm and caring character, but wasn't in the habit of putting herself first or believing that she even deserved more. It could have been easy in Bookland for Dennis to come in and woo her and love her into improved self-confidence, so I was happy that the author showed it isn't that easy and that self-love has to come from within. When Dennis unintentionally said something that triggered April as a trans woman, he immediately owned his mistake rather than claiming ignorance and took the initiative to educate himself on transgender issues (particularly within their city), demonstrating that it wasn't her job to do that for him.

Safe words are an important part of BDSM, but I realized reading this book that I can't remember another BDSM romance where the characters actually used them, so I absolutely loved that for this book. The story takes place mostly from April's point of view and then jumps back several months to show what was happening from Dennis' perspective and while it did feel unique, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. I kind of wish I knew more about how Dennis was feeling earlier, and it also led to some repetition and a bit of confusion on my part.

I was excited to read an ownvoices romance with a trans main character and I not only enjoyed it for the story, but I learned from it too. Everyone deserves a happy ending, and I couldn't be happier to see April get hers. Not only in love, but in life.

This is a very important OwnVoices review of a trans heroine. I picked this book up precisely for that reason. However, a quarter of the way through the book, I realized that I am not the right reviewer for this book. I do not have enough reading experience in the trans BDSM/kink world to do this book justice and review it authoritatively and sensitively in a way that is authentic to the book.

I'm not a very big reader of kinky romance, and I'll admit I mostly picked up this one for the trans rep, but wow, did I love this. It's overall a very fluffy book and I loved April and Dennis so much!

As a trans woman, April feels like she does not deserve to be loved, so she keeps Dennis at a distance. Dennis, on his part, is in it for the long haul, and he does the most to give her the space and time she needs while working on himself to be the best boyfriend he could be. He's patient without being pushy (April doesn't even know he's doing it), and I loved their relationship so much.

4* Grabbed this out of curiosity, and ended up being educated and moved.

This book won't be for everyone - it is not first and foremost a romance and the kink aspect is frequent, in depth and seems to be the main link between the leads, but boy, what an open-minded tale. I am a little sad that the tale surprised me so much, because hey, as a reader of romance, why wouldn't you want and expect a HEA for the leads of a tale you pick up, but I suspect that not every trans person's story will turn out like April's.

I liked how secure in himself and his masculinity Dennis was, and how open and accepting and willing to learn he was. Yes, he made mistakes as a Dom and as a would-be partner/love interest, but he was big enough to admit them, look to make amends, he talked, he opened up and he listened and made changes. He was a generous and reciprocal lover and I loved how he read non-verbal cues from April and was everything she wanted but thought she couldn't have, didn't deserve and wouldn't want for the long term.

April had amazing courage for someone in her shoes, and as someone not in her shoes, I will never be able to truly understand the fears that any trans person must have when considering opening up and sharing themselves with a new lover, but she and her emotions and fears and courage and hopes moved me.

Tbh, I could have entirely skipped the kink aspect of the tale, as I'm not into kink/erotica/BDSM but this was pretty well done and nothing was off putting. I liked that there wasn't a hint of humiliation kink from/towards any of the characters and that everyone seemed so supportive of each other in the kink club/world. Some of it does take a bit of getting used to, such as why be married if you play with others, etc. but overall, the tale worked really well.

The leads were perhaps some of the most honest, open-minded and willing to talk and to fix mistakes that I've ever come across. Both had had issues in their pasts, which were not at all comparable, but both were willing to try again and not give up on dreams of something more than temporary. I liked that Dennis was so open in his thoughts and feelings, which he shared with his bestie, Jason (who may have been trans, too - this bit was never quite clear to me) - he was a refreshing male lead. April's bestie, whose name I think is Fatima, was an unusual sidekick: a Muslim woman who seemed to actually love her husband instead of being in an arranged marriage (I'm of a similar ethnicity and know how many Muslim marriages ARE arranged), who enjoyed sex and orgasms, who was a great ally and friend to the non-passing April, instead of avoiding someone who wasn't cis and het, and, love her, she had balls.

The side characters in this weren't made out to be model-like types, no. The author went for people of all races and sizes and sexualities - the inclusion and diversity were refreshing. There was far less bitchiness than I expected in April's world, and a lot more support and caring, which was heart-warming, in a tale that could have been just about cold, hard kink.

I didn't love the tale as a love story, but I did appreciate it and it did open my eyes even more to the difficulties that trans people face and what they have to do to become the people they were meant to be. I don't recall reading about April's realisation that she was trans in any great detail - I don't think I missed it, as I took my time over this book - which I'd have liked. I totally bought that she was a transwoman and committed to being her true self, though that would be a WIP for some time to come, but I'd have liked to have read more about her finding herself.

Kudos, too, to Dennis's mum and her words of wisdom and caring and kindness - it shows where he came from and why he was the man he was. And, whilst the almost casual mention of a HEA for the leads was almost lost on me, I am so glad they got there.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Carina Press, for my reading pleasure.