This book's main characters are Renee and Hunter. Renee is a professor and is very uptight and rigid and no one knows anything about her personal life. Hunter is an installer of IT programs.
These two women are instantly attracted to each other. Renee never having any feelings towards women is totally rattled. Hunter is very amused by the way Renee is handling this.
It was an interesting story and a love story between 2 older women is a breath of fresh air.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Renee Lawler is the English department chair at a small but reputable New England university, and she lives an ordered and predictable life with no need for any romance. She’s never allowed herself the possibility, that is, until she meets Hunter at a conference and then runs into her again on campus. Hunter sparks something in Renee and though there is no room for those feelings in Renee’s life, she can’t seem to fight her attraction to Hunter. Will she be able to change after all this time in order to pursue these feelings?

I saw Kat Jackson’s name and instantly wanted to read this book. I didn’t immediately realize it was in the same world as The Roads Left Behind Us (which I also loved), but it was fun revisiting some of those characters while getting to learn Renee’s story as well. I loved the slow-burn between Renee and Hunter and was rooting for them. I’ll admit, I’m a little more like Renee than I’d like to admit, so it was interesting reading her story and seeing so much of myself in the pages. Definitely recommend.

Dr Renee Lawler is an. English professor at a small university. She has a 25 year old daughter who she had when she was artificially inseminated. Renee is a tightly organized and. very mindful person who does not do emotions or feelings. when she meets Hunter at a bar, she is intrigued by her and can't stop thinking about her Renee does not see yourself as a lesbian and does not in fact date at all. and instead focusing on her career. I found the characters very good and appealing. Hunter is an over the top woman. And uses feelings whenever she can. Renee uses. only her mind and does not need feelings. When the two come together. there is conflict, emotion and feelings. I like this book and that the characters were very different. But they got together anyway. And at least one of them, Renee. learned about herself. and what she really wants. I recommend this book for all romance readers.

Renee Lawler returns in this second book set at Pennbrook College. I enjoyed the story of Callie and Kate in The Roads Left Behind Us and really loved Renee as a side character in that one. She was the all knowing department head with a quiet authority that stole scenes. In this Renee meets a mysterious stranger at the same time she is encountering some issues with her past. These all throw her for a loop and her normally calm and collected demeanor goes out the window.
Unfortunately this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I had a hard time getting through this and connecting with Renee as I did in the first book. This one was written in third person present tense and it felt off immediately but it also made Renee seem more self involved somehow. I felt disconnected from her character and wasn't able to get invested in her story. Though the newfound attraction to Hunter at a bar throws Renee into a quest to understand herself the romance is very much not at the forefront in this book. The method of introspection Renee takes is almost clinical and she seems so detached at times from her life and friends. I liked Hunter and her character but she seems almost a side character and doesn't actually have many scenes considering she's the other half of the couple in the book. I don't mind books that focus more on one character and their own journey but I need more depth than I felt we got in Renee's fairly vague background story. I have more questions than answers at the end and a romance that seems to have been just beginning on the last page. I did like Jess and her scenes but her relationship with Renee just paints Renee in a worse light. I felt we got an unlikable MC instead of the air of mystery we had to begin with.
As I said though, I did enjoy the previous book I read by Jackson and am hopeful the next one will work better for me than this one. I will also suggest reading other reviews as some of these points of contention may just be me.

I enjoyed this story and loved Kats writing style. I enjoyed the story very much an found Renes character stoic yet intriguing. However, it suited her personality very well. Going on her journey as she discovers romance was wonderful and very funny at times. Well done, Kat!! I recommend. 4 stars

Renee is the well respected English Department Chair of a small New England university and she’s managed to live her life, so far, without dealing with those nasty things like ‘feelings’. She has been driven from an early age, knowing where she wanted to go and taking the steps necessary to reach her goals.
She comes across as a very unlikeable character and unfortunately my opinion after reading this book hasn’t changed.
The introduction of a possible romance or the unexpected visit for her daughter. She didn’t want or need someone in her life. Her friends didn’t even know she had a child, the same friends she has worked with for years. Why they were her friend I’ll never know.
Might have been a pretty good read but I usually cheer on the star characters but it’s hard to do when you find the lead so unlikeable.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bella Books

This is a tough one for me to review. There are so many parts that I really liked, but for some reason I also found this hard to finish.

Dr Renee Lawler has spent her life focussed primarily on her career in Academia. She's had few relationships, romantic and platonic, however has an instant attraction to Hunter, a woman she meets at a conference. This starts the beginning of Renee's realisation of her sexuality, as well as coming to terms with feelings and how her behaviour comes across. Although I felt the chemistry between Renee and Hunter, I wasn't quite convinced of their partnership. I found Renee to be quite unlikeable at times, and although I got her from a characterisation point, I wasn't quite sure what Hunter saw in her other than her physical attractiveness. I also wished we were told more about Hunter in the novel. I think this stems where I found that the novel didn't quite win me over.

Kat Jackson can spin a tale though, and I really love the way she writes. Although this one has left me a little perplexed in my thoughts and feelings towards it, I'd recommend a read for yourself.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Another good read by Kat Jackson! She's becoming one of my favourite authors and I certainly look forward to future realises. I love her writing style, her enjoyable characters that always have that chemistry needed from the onset and her great storylines that capture you from the start.

4 out of 5

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this funny book

oh the innuendoes in this one are so funny and the situations, those laugh out loud moments.....

dr renee lawler is at the height of her career but she is about to be meet her match...

and it all started at a conference.... when she met hunter....

from that meeting onwards she couldnt forget

and her world is about to come crashing down around her when hunter appears at her college..

renees world that she has total control over is about to be dismantled and she cant stop it...its so funny in places and cringeworthy

its not a bad read though

A vague follow up to The Roads left behind us, in that some of those characters appear, this time we are focussed on rather prickly Renee a stuffy English Literature professor, who finds herself inexplicably drawn to Hunter whom she meets at a conference. The dynamic between them is good, and their various individual struggles are well presented. I enjoyed the return of previous characters although sometimes got lost in the banter as its been a while since I read the last book. I also wanted more about Renee's studies, it sounded super interesting and the focus on literature was one of the best things about the last book. A solid 3.5.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really interesting book. This is a story about finding your true self later in life. Renee' is a English d.department administrator that also teaches on the side,. She meets Hunter an IT tech at a conference for published authors of English Literature and this is where the story begins for me. I liked the relationship between these two women, it was equal parts fun, funny, and kind of heartbreaking all at once. I felt that Renee' was too much in her head and sometimes missed big queues, especially ones where her romantic emotions were involved. Hunter I felt was
the more mature and level headed one in this relationship, because she seemed more secure in her emotionally. The addition of Renee's daughter was equal parts emotional, sad ,funny and heartwarming. The other characters were written well and helped to move the story without bogging it down with unnecessary scenes. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

This book took me a bit to become fully invested simply because Dr. Renee Lawler isn’t the easiest person to route for or love. She is a forty-seven year old exacting, predictable, somewhat unfeeling English department chair. Renee is surprised when her twenty-five year old daughter, Jessica, returns home to New Hampshire from Brooklyn with something personal to share. On top of this revelation, none of Renee’s work colleagues even knew that she had a child.

Renee’s life begins to change when she meets someone at a conference in Vermont. The story describes Renee’s journey after meeting Hunter and then later discovering that Hunter is implementing an IT hardware project at Renee’s university.

I found the book an intelligent story that made the reader think about what if these situations happened to me, how would I handle them. The book also delved into the growth and development of Renee and Jess. 4 stars

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

Kat Jackson's work is just a cut above. Fans of her work have already met Doctor Renee Lawler previously, a perpetual educator and scholar with no time or interest in any kind of personal life. Until she is bowled over while presenting at an academic conference. Her inner monologue as she sorts out her new attraction is a pleasure to watch. There's a side story with a daughter that didn't quite ring true to me, but it wasn't enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story.

I haven't missed a Kat Jackson masterpiece yet, and I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Late, but never too late: the ice-queen finding love
Kat Jackson has really found her mature writers voice. I very much enjoyed how the life of Dr. Renee Lawler after 47 years of order. purpose. predictability slowly but inexorably crumbles. There is a sudden constant onslaught of the unpredictable: Hunter, Jess, an adorable cat, the former, oh so predictable collegues. Everything changes subtly and not so subtly to take down the high walls that Renee has erected around her and her personal life.
Renee who at the start comes across as a nearly asexual woman (nothing wrong with that) and totally focused on her career and only her career is startled by meeting the intriguing Hunter - an androgynous woman who ignites a sudden attraction that starts to consume the frozen desert of Renee‘s emotions.
I loved how Jackson captured perfectly the complex character of Renee (fun: dressing up as a high-femme). And a big bonus: I had some chuckles while enjoying her journey. I would have loved more insights into Hunter and what happens on her side.
It was fun to meet again some of the characters of previous books, but The Missing Piece can be read easily as a stand-alone.

PS.: I am sure future generations of literary archeologists will be able to date f/f literature by the ever-developing awareness and terminology of LQBTIAQ+ categories, wink.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.

Dr. Renee Lawler has always had one focus, her career. She never felt the need to prioritize human interaction or relationships. Her career has thrived and as the chair of the English Department at Pennbrook University, she inspires both fear and respect.
Renee's perfectly ordered existence is disturbed when she meets Hunter at a work conference. Hunter is an androgynous woman who is comfortable in her own skin and immediately drawn to the icy Dr. Lawler. Renee's journey is fascinating, and I enjoyed reading how she navigated the unchartered waters of not just her attraction to another woman, but her first real attraction to anyone in her over forty years of life.
What I enjoy most about Kat Jackson's writing is she doesn't feel the need to follow the formula. Her characters are just as unconventional as their creator. Her writing is intelligent, and her characters show tremendous growth as the novel progresses. Jackson is a unique voice is the sapphic community and one who seems to improve with every book.

An ARC was provided by Bella Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

Regrettably this book was not more me. I couldn’t get into either main character and the writing style was not enjoyable for me.
It seems like written in third person but past tense. I stopped at the 35% mark.

Other people did enjoy it. So read their reviews. I enjoyed Kat Jackson’s Golden Hour and I will read another book of her in the future.

ARC received from Net Galley for an honest and voluntary review.

The most important thing to Dr. Renee Lawler is her career and she loves being department chair of English at a prominent New England university. She has been so career driven that her two closest colleagues didn’t know she has a 26 year old child who has just moved home to be with her. (A lot of the parenting was handled by Renee’s parents.) Renee is brilliant at her work and loves the control teaching gives her. But she is also very feelings repressed. So much so that she is surprised when she is distracted at a work conference by Hunter an androgynous woman. Renee’s is single and has never dated as it wasn’t important to her career. She is clearly confused that at the age of 47 she is experiencing attraction for the first time. Jess (her child) is wonderful at poking and prodding their mom to explore her feelings.

Either you’re going to like Renee’s prickly character or you’re not. While it seems odd she’s never talked about her family it fits her personality. I found her mind fascinating and her bumbling funny. I liked her two friends/colleagues but thought the crush storyline wasn’t necessary. Hunter is smooth but I wish there were a few more conversations like the one in the epilogue. I even like the cat as a comforting presence.

I enjoyed the smart writing style and it being a first romance for a mature character. Than you to Bella Books for the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review.

Dr. Renee Lawler lives her life being prepared. She is the English chair of her department and runs a very tight ship. Both students and staff fear her scorn yet her friends admire and respect her. Renee has kept herself single throughout her life and is quite content with her decision to keep her life orderly. Things start to change though when Renee meets Hunter at a conference. Hunter is an androgynous woman who makes Renee feel things. Feelings are somewhat foreign for Renee who believes her brilliant mind should control her life. Renee has only dated men in her past and that she feels attracted to Hunter just doesn’t make any logical sense.

This is my first read of a Jackson novel and I am adding her to my list of authors to explore. There is a maturity and confidence in her writing which is totally engaging. Jackson’s voice is very distinctive which elevates the story being told. Both main characters could have been left as caricatures of two distinctive types of women. In Jackson’s capable hands, Renee and Hunter are fleshed out and become complex individuals.

The Missing Piece is a late in life coming out story which is well written, entertaining and enlightening. Fans of romance should not let this novel pass them by.

I received a free advance review copy from Bella Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"Witty words and thinly veiled subtext are the way to a lexicon-lover's heart, after all."

You ain't jus whistlin' Dixie.

This book had me at lexicon and, yes, I've applauded the author's acumen for language in a previous review; however, I feel I may be continuing down this path for books to come. Mercurial... omniscient... leave me to get lost in their mellifluous words.

The banter, the wit, the conversations, the pet peeves, the brain over heart, the icky feelings, awakenings, robotic self-defense mechanisms caused an eerie sense of déjà vu. Maybe the author is highlighting the universality of life's little and big moments? Those quintessential happenings that shape you may, in fact, be shaping thousands of people just like you? Like when you read about your star sign and mutter "wow, that's so me", but in actuality, 98% of people could read your star sign and feel the exact same thing? That. That's how reading this book felt to me.

Maybe "Renee's" are pre-destined to be less touchy feely, more career driven, and pursue academia, but this book? I very much enjoyed the tangled web of feels and remain pondering how unique my life experiences ever were. Here is to many more self-revelations in the future.

Interesting start. This is the first book I’ve read with a main secondary character, coming out or announcing their non binary status. (They have otherwise tended to be just announced as non binary, or just suitable pronouns. They have not been “ main characters”, in both senses of the words.)This book has a longer section with the learning to use the correct pronouns, than I have read before.
I’m not sure how I feel about the complex, imperfect main. There are times I think she is selfish and times I just feel sorry for her.
This book is not a light read, I don’t mean it is heavy and needs to waded through, but it is a book that I want to savour some of the sentences. It is not frothy, but there is humour. Many of the lines and sentence structure has made me smile.
3.5, do I up to 4? Yes. Yes I think I do because this book made me think! A worth while read.
A one second anniversary? Should be mandatory!