A book set in Tulsa is perfect for me since I grew up in the suburb of Broken Arrow. Dumond describes the sights and sounds of my hometown with accuracy that took me back to college days at Tulsa University. Amy, the protagonist, lives a life of dual identities as she struggles to live authentically as a lesbian in the red state of Oklahoma. Her friends, family, and love interest fill out the story of her journey from working in a bakery to serving as a bridesmaid for hire. I loved this book so much! When receiving books from NetGalley, readers takes a chance on what type of reading they will experience. With little more than a brief description and cover art, this book was a great choice for me as it checked all of the boxes. I really enjoyed how Dumond captured the time in our state and in the LGBTQ experience in 2013. As always, I know a great book when I have a reading hangover the next day and find myself missing the characters.

Dnfed at 30% for personal reasons. I was triggered by the outting scene and religious bigotry in this book. I think the story is one that needs to be told, I just couldn’t get back into the story after that scene.

Amelia, who goes by Amy to everyone else except her very religious conservative white boss hides who she really is. She is the queer Robin Hood of the Daily Bread bakery, getting paid by the conservative Christian’s who have no idea she is actually a very liberal queer person. By day she works at Daily Bread and by night at Ruby Reds, where she can fully be herself.

Charley, new in town who is researching earthquakes and framing, meets Amy by chance when she walks into the bakery that Amy works at.

Cw/tw

Christianity centered, far right politic endorser owns the bakery.
Casual racism stated, but not called out.
Closeted religious beliefs and sexuality to appease Christian’s
Religious Bigotry

There are probably more but didn’t get pst 30%

This was a cute read that also included great commentary on life for LGBTQ+ folx in Oklahoma (and other states). I loved the conversation between Amy and Teresa about the church and how it lead to Teresa taking action. The friendships were fantastic. To me this was less a romance and more a story of finding yourself. I really enjoyed reading this book!

Queerly Beloved is the perfect book to read to get in the mood for Wedding Season!

Amy, a semi-closeted queer baker living in Oklahoma, is outed at work and fired from her ultra-Christian baking job at Daily Bread. Forced to think on her feet in the hopes of saving herself from having to move back in with her mother, she’s presented with the opportunity to be a Bridesmaid-For-Hire. Needing the quick cash, Amy says yes and quickly realizes that not only is she good at juggling the needs of a worried bride, but she enjoys being able to save the day. Could she make this skill into a full-time job? You’ll have to read to find out!


“Being closeted at work and hiding relationships from her family had turned Amy into quite the accomplished liar. Sometimes she put so much energy into being whoever she thought the people around her wanted her to be that she couldn’t tell if there was any true “Amy” underneath it all.”

Feels
Susie Dumond’s book “Queerly Beloved” reminds me that not all people are afforded the privilege to be their most authentic selves in their everyday lives. I’m very open about my sexuality, and I’m very lucky to live in a part of the world where it’s safe for my partner and I to be out in public. Being able to be my authentic self and not hide is a true privilege, and it’s easy to forget that there are so many other people across the country and the world who aren’t afforded that luxury.

“Amy hated the idea that ‘coming out’ was a once-and-done event, that you’re either out or you’re not. Every time she made a new acquaintance or engaged in small talk with a stranger, she had to decide if, when, and how she would come out to them.”

While it’s fantastic that LGBTQ+ people are finding more and more representation in novels, most of the queer novels coming out (no pun intended) seem to focus on an already out character or a relationship development plot. At least, those are the ones I’ve been seeing recently. Reading “Queerly Beloved” reiterates to me that there is a need for more diversity in our novels, including but not limited to ethnicity, location, and socio-economic status. There are more stories that need to be told.

Technical Assessment
“Queerly Beloved” addresses important topics so the format of the novel is important. It should balance between informational and entertaining. My one critique of the layout and format is that a lot of the paragraphs were longer and dense. Longer paragraphs are okay when mixed in with banter and dialogue. In this story, the prose is heavier than the dialogue. There is a benefit to more prose – readers can immerse themselves in Amy’s perspective. She’s very introspective and ruminates on her choices and feelings throughout the story, which is very important since the story is written in 3rd person.

The drawback, though, is that with longer paragraphs and less dialogue there aren’t many other ways to get the other characters’ reactions or be provided with plot progression. There seems to be more “tell” and less “show”.

Final Thoughts
“Queerly Beloved” sneaks up on you. At first it seems like you’re just reading an LGBTQ romance, but the layers of socio-politics, safety, and security that are embedded between the romance are just as, if not more, engaging. The relationship development between Amy and Charley is the hook to draw you in, but the diamond in the rough is the undercurrent of navigating life as an LGBTQ person in a place where it’s not comfortable to do so.

I would encourage Dumond to lean in further to the Midwest and middle America dynamics and push the envelope. Give us more! More romance, more drama, more perspectives. There are a lot of LGBTQ Americans who could benefit from seeing their own representation on the page, and more allies to offer their support.

Finished with Queerly Beloved and looking for other LGBTQ LitBuzz book reviews?

Lorynn reviewed “She Gets The Girl” by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick. 5 stars!

I reviewed “Count Your Lucky Stars” by Alexandria Bellefleur. Another 5 stars!

I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchange for a review.

Queerly beloved follows Amy, a lesbian baker, who starts a business as a bridesmaid for hire after being fired from her bakery job for being gay. Amy is forced to navigate the heterosexual wedding industry in Oklahoma in the times before gay marriage was legalized nation wide. While hiding part of herself, she also means a lovely lady she finds herself falling hard for.

At times this book was hard to read due to the internalized homophobia Amy deals with and the outwardly homophobic situations. Initially I didn’t love the way the plot was going and I didn’t really care for Amy’s character but she showed growth and ultimately it felt authentic. I wouldn’t however classify this as a romcom. It’s definitely just more literary fiction.
I will definitely pick up more from this author.

This a very sweet and fun LGBTQ rom com! Some of the discussion of LGBT issues came off a little dated and preachy, but it is set in 2013. I did appreciate the author representing so many different outlooks on these issues, but I think the best thing this novel can provide is a fun escapist story with lovable characters.

DNF unfortunately for me. This was what I wanted to read. Fake bridesmaid. A queer woman living in a city that may not be so inclusive.

But at 40% I have nothing. I feel no chemistry between the main character and her love interest. They go on a date less than 48 hours after meeting, but then from there it's such a slow buildup.

Ok. Where do I begin here?!….
This is NOT a romcom. It’s women’s lit with some cute romance and quirkiness sprinkled (wink wink cake reference) in there. Amy the wedding fixer extraordinaire, seemed a little preachy at times, and a tad selfish. Charley is charming and deserves better. The buck stops there. I really didn’t feel chemistry between the two as strongly as I think was intended. There was a lot of awkwardly forced attraction that just didn’t feel organic. I was reaching for indication that this was because of something deeper. Personal struggle with being gay in early 2000s Tulsa maybe? Or identity crisis? Something? Nothing? I felt like I maybe just couldn’t relate or understand the nuances as a straight woman?. But, in the end, thinking that the editing and writing just could benefit from a little more development. The couple needs a little more to really shine. I think the book would do better with more romcom, and could still achieve social commentary and discussion. 3 ⭐️

Thanks so much NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my review!

Queerly Beloved is more of a personal journey the main character goes on, as opposed to a rom com. In fact, there’s barely any romance at all.

Amy is a semi-closeted queer girl living in the middle of Oklahoma, a state where same sex marriage is illegal. Amy loves weddings to the point that she becomes a “professional bridesmaid”, but while pretending to be someone she’s not (straight), she realizes she has never been her true authentic self. This is because of her struggle with religious views against the LGBTQ+ community, anti-LGBTQ+ laws, and the dilemma that she has to pretend to be someone she’s not when she’s working weddings. I struggled with this because the premise was intriguing, but it took too long for Amy to really stand up for something she believes in, and she barely does that. Her insta-relationship with Charley is lackluster at best. This book had a lot of potential, but fell flat for me.

(3 1/2 Stars)

Sometimes it’s a relief to see how far the world has come in less than a decade, and Queerly Beloved showcases that in a quirky and hilarious way!

In Susie Dumond’s debut novel, Amy is struggling to balance her work life with her personal values and beliefs. It’s hard being a queer woman in Tulsa, especially during the time before same sex marriage is legal across the United States. Amy feels most comfortable bartending at one of Cherry St’s LGBTQ bars, but she also loves baking and weddings, two industries in Oklahoma that are saturated with conservative lifestyles. When she’s conceded to never being able to have a wedding or happily ever after of her own, she meets Charley, a queer engineer who’s new in town and a total babe. Could true love and a partnership of her own finally be in the cards?

The wedding mishaps in this novel are such a blast to read! From cake-tastrophes to puking brides, each conundrum is reminiscent of romantic comedy films. As someone who has considered being a professional bridesmaid, I surprisingly found these plot points more entertaining than the actual romance of the novel.

However, this could be due to the fact that Amy and Charley’s romance is rarely discussed. I found their relationship- and to be honest, Charley as a whole, to be one dimensional. Unfortunately, this was the case for many of the supporting characters as well. The novel was already at the end by the time Joel, Damian, and the bar crew were showcasing more than witty banter!

If you’re missing the days of 24 Dresses and Bride Wars, and looking for a coming of age story more than a romance, I highly recommend picking up this new novel when it’s released on May 3rd. You’ll be giggling down the aisle of your local bookshop!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I love this book title and the cover is to die for, I was disappointed with the read.

The book started out strong with Amy and Charley’s meet cute right out the gate. The initial setting with Daily Bread was interesting but I was excited to see where the relationship would go. This book ended up being way more about Amy’s work and business compared to her relationship with Charley. This is fine but I think the cover/synopsis and the fact that it’s labeled as a romance led me astray with my expectations.

I found the writing to be a little stilted as well. There were lots of long paragraphs of unnecessary information that felt like fillers and then the interactions with Amy and Charley were glossed over quickly. For a romance book, I wanted WAY more of their relationship development.

Aside from the lack of romance in this book, many of the interactions between Amy and Charley were awkward and the miscommunication was bad. When Amy told Charley she was not longer working at Daily Bread, Charley’s reaction was so strange… she seemed almost mad. It honestly didn’t make any sense. This book was also LONG. It could’ve ended at 60%.

I really liked Amy as a character. She’s super relatable, funny, empathetic, loving and authentic. I also enjoyed her mother and her friends - Damian and Joel. I did also appreciate the use of pronouns, the author actually using the word lesbian in this sapphic book and the diverse queer characters.

I think there were just too many unnecessary details about Amy’s extended family/her work and it took away from what could’ve been a super cute queer contemporary romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

TW: Homophobia, lesbophobia, outing, Toxic relationships, sexual content, religious bigotry.

So here's the good news with this book. It takes place in a time period when a lot of gays were on the edge of their seats about whether or not gay marriage would be legalized (the story takes place in 2013) and I think (based on my memories of the time) it portrays that time period well. Being out and proud about it was becoming more and more prevalent at the time and I think that this story portrays that well, especially since it takes place in Oklahoma, which is generally super conservative (thanks bible belt). Do I wish that there was less homophobia? Yes, but I also understand why it's in the book. It adds nuance to the story that in the post-2015 we sometimes forget about. I also really enjoyed Amy's business venture with being a bridesmaid. I think throughout the story she really took the lemons life gave her and ran with it and that was very much appreciated.

Now here's what I didn't like. I didn't like the love interest at all. After that first meeting (which was adorbs as heck), Charley's characterization fell flat to me. I think that could have been remedied by having dual POVs or seeing more of their (Amy and Charley's) conversations on the page together. I think that if this is going to be marketed as a romance, there should be significantly more romance in it. It felts like there was like 10% of the book focused on the relationship between Amy and Charley and it should have been more.

I was intrigued by the title and cover of this book and was expecting something more from it. The combination of the setting, the time, and the characters did not do it for me. I know some people will find this book charming and relatable, but that was not the case for me. I would still recommend this book to readers, but there are better options available.

Amy has spent her entire life putting other's needs before her own, working as a baker and a bartender in mid-2010's Tulsa. That is until she's outed and fired from her job at a Christian bakery, and turns her one-off gig of subbing in for a bridesmaid into a full-time business, thanks to her love of all things weddings. Between her new business and meeting Charley, Amy has found what she really wants, and her chosen family is beyond thrilled that she is becoming her authentic self. But when her desire to people please kicks into overdrive and begins to strain her relationships to the breaking point, Amy must decide what it looks like to be true to herself.

What I loved about this book was learning about Amy and watching her grow and develop throughout the story. That said, the rest of the characters felt underdeveloped, especially Charley. Their romance was cute, however I just needed to learn more about Charley to really be invested. I also found the ending to be a little rushed, but I loved the epilogue and seeing where all of the characters were so many years later! I thought this was a super enjoyable read, and really appreciated the important discussions that happened in the story.

TW: Homophobia, outing, and mentions of conversion therapy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book before it comes out in May. I'll be honest, I had no idea what this book was really about when I agreed to read an E-ARC. I saw the cover, and thought it would be another cute LGBTQIA+ romance. Well it is that, but this book also sets the scene for what life is like for LGBTQIA+ individuals in a red state back in the 2010s. This story follows Amy a baker with aspirations of opening her own bakery, but for now she works in the best bakery in Tulsa which also happens to be owned by a very conservative religious family. This book shows Amy'a struggle to be herself as she tries to reconcile the fake straight persona she projects at work and her real true lesbian self that she gets to let out with her mom and at night working in a gay bar. I liked aspects of this story, but it felt like there was just a lot packed in. There is some romance, but the majority of this book is about self growth and acceptance. The end of this book just felt too rushed compared to how detailed other aspects of this book for about random people's weddings that Amy goes to as a paid bridesmaid. But that being said I still enjoyed this book, it just wasn't what I was expecting. If you are looking for a romance novel look elsewhere, if you want a fiction story about a LGBTQIA+ woman in Tulsa who gets fired for being gay and starts her own adventure helping people at weddings while also trying to find love and accept herself then give this book a shot.

Sadly, although I loved the premise of the book - I couldn’t connect with the characters that well. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wavered between three and four stars but in the end I'm not sure it was quite four-star material, but for the most part it was a worthwhile read. Amy is a great protagonist to follow through all her ups and downs. Like a few other recent books marketed as queer romance, I'm not sure the romance label is fitting. It's a part of it but a larger part is about Amy coming of age. Also, it's always great to read a queer-centric book that takes place outside the usual coastal metro city setting.

My main issue is that it didn't quite work to have the book take place in 2013 and be so focused on marriage equality. 2013 is too recent to feel historical or nostalgic but too long ago to feel current. Mostly, I was not much in the mood to have the entire marriage equality debate rehashed or have the concept be so glorified to the point where it's implied that homophobia and transphobia just went away once it was legalized. It felt like the whole narrative was built on it at a time when it would be really nice to move on.

The other thing is that is was too long. It took me a while to get through and I think I would have still been able to get the same out of it if it were 100 pages shorter.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for granting me permission to read and review this digital ARC of Queerly Beloved.

Honestly, I loved the cover so that alone drove me to want to read this book. Secondly, even as a cis-woman, I believe is supporting my amazing family, friends, strangers in the LGBTQIA family. Being an ally is so important to me and I love to read books to help me grown and learn how to better support those around me

This book is so cute -but its thoughtful just the same. The characters are relatable and the discussions around LGBTQIA were thought provoking. I think this is a great read to encourage discussion about LGBTQIA. Its well written and a great story

This is more about a woman acknowledging and becoming her true self than it is a rom-com. It's 2013, Amy finds herself being a full time bridesmaid (seriously) when she's fired from her job at a Christian bakery in Oklahoma because she's gay. She's just met Charlie. an engineer for an oil company, who is more confident in her identity. It's easy to point out the issues with this- that Charlie isn't really well fleshed out among others things- but read it generously and it's a fine one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'd like to see more from Dumond.

First of all, this cover is so cute! Second of all, there were a lot of aspects of this story to enjoy. I loved the food descriptions of all of the bakery treats, the lovable side characters and the descriptions of the realities of growing up queer in the Midwest. The discussion throughout the book of Southern Baptist and Midwestern life was spot on, and I'm speaking as someone who was raised as a Southern Baptist in the Midwest! I seriously felt like I was highlighting entire pages at times while reading because the author was offering such good social commentary through the main character's perspective.

But, this book is marketed as a rom com, which it is not. I really think that tempers expectations in the wrong direction. This is more of a personal journey story, with a hint of romance here and there. I actually didn't much care for the romantic interest, Charley, and her lack of communication/care for Amy throughout the book. I thought it was cheesy that they ended up together after all she put Amy through. Their connection just didn't scream "love" to me.

The first 30% or so was also much more engaging than the first in my opinion. The story started to drag during the last two-thirds, and there was just so much going on with side characters that it got a little hard to remember the actual point of the story. Also, I'm sad that the "Queerly Beloved" part of this book didn't actually come out until the literal last pages in the epilogue - that was disappointing.

Overall, this was a good read, especially if you like LGBTQ+ stories and/or are from the Midwest and/or have deconstructed your faith.