Catherine Des Lauries is a choreographer in Paris but is currently staying with her grandfather in a small town in Colorado. She is there recovering from the break up of her five year relationship. While there she meets Jesse Morgan, an up and coming country music star. Jesse lives in Nashville, but returns to her hometown to visit her parents and appear in the local music festival. There is some instant attraction between the pair but Catherine isn’t ready to trust in love again.

I actually had to start this book a couple of times because I didn’t really connect much with the characters. Also I found the middle a little slow. But I’m glad I pushed through and read to their HEA. I love Jesse especially on her mini farm and with her animals. And I love both the mother’s who are loving and give great advice. It was harder for me to understand and enjoy Catherine’s character. I did like the story by the end and the epilogue helped me believe in the relationship.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️
🎸💃🚜🦙🇫🇷

I enjoyed this debut by Iris Eliot. Out There is about a French woman, Catherine who comes to stay with her grandfather and help with his pottery business in Maple Springs, USA after catching her partner in bed with someone else. When she arrives, a festival is happening for a local singer, Jesse, who grew up there and is making it big with her country singing.

Catherine is your typical grumpy woman, which is fair considering what she is going through, but she instantly dislikes the country singer even though she hasn't even met her. Then a beautiful woman walks into the pottery shop looking for Catherine's grandfather, who isn't there because he is helping set up the festival, and she makes her thoughts clear to the woman, unknown to her at the time that it was Jesse herself.

The attraction to each other was clear from the start, and even with the awkward start, Jesse had such a sunshine attitude about the whole thing that she tried to win Catherine over anyway. Even though the attraction was instantaneous, their sexual relationship was not. It was slow burn, with enough tension to light a fire with just a spark.

It was really cool to see such a grumpy character turn into someone who learned to trust again. I sympathized for Catherine, and could see why she didn't want to get her heart broken again, so her progress was amazing to witness. Jesse was such a sunshine that she was loveable from the start. Her songs would be really interesting to listen too, if only they were real!

Such a great debut, highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

The main characters are Catherine and Jesse.
Catherine escaped from Paris and a cheating partner to Maple Springs, Colorado where her grandfather owns a pottery shop. She plans on helping him until she figures out what is the next step in her life.
Jesse is from Maple Springs and is a well known country singer. She has a place in Maple Springs that she visits when she can and she attends the Maple Springs Country Music Fest as the headliner.
Catherine is there during the Music Fest and has a clear distain for the crowds that has descended upon the town and to see Jesse perform. When a woman comes into the shop, Catherine tells her how much she does not like the crowds and what is the big deal about Jesse.
What Catherine does not know at the time, that woman is Jesse and she realizes how attractive this country singer is. Jesse is interested in getting to know this woman, as well.
Catherine has given up on finding a new love after what happened and Jesse is gearing up for a grueling tour.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Overall, a cute story. I liked it and thought the author did a great job with this debut.


Thank You Bella Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I want to start by saying I have a complicated relationship with this book. It is a debut novel, and it feels like one. The premise was interesting, and it was a HEA, which I prefer. It was a romcom. I did chuckle a few times. I also liked most of the dialogue, particularly the things Jesse said. There was witty banter. Also, for some reason, I really enjoyed it when they spoke each other's names during conversations. I learned some French cuss words from Catherine, that was amusing. The writing style wasn't my favorite. The perspectives switched between main characters without warning, and I had to backtrack once I realized whose head I was in. There were odd word choices and descriptions that didn't work for me.
It began with insta-lust, I guess you could say. They were smitten immediately, but it didn't feel natural. To me, the entire relationship felt very forced. They seemed like they would make great friends, but there was zero chemistry, which in-turn made the sex scenes awkward. They spent a lot of time talking and getting to know each other, but as one was a commitment-phobe due to a bad break-up, they tried to remain emotionally detached throughout the entire story.
This leads me to the next issue. The majority of the book was the two main characters repeating the same information to themselves and each other, again and again. It felt utterly redundant, and I skimmed a lot. I could not stay engaged and would have DNF'd if I wasn't committed to this ARC review. The MCs were a bit immature. I did not think they acted their age regarding relationships. I suppose that left them a little room to grow, but I didn't exactly enjoy the process. I didn't believe the contrived angst either.
I found that I really liked Jesse right along with Catherine. I was very frustrated with Catherine and rolled my eyes a lot. I also liked Catherine's matchmaking grandfather, Fletcher. There was some mental health rep with Catherine's ex, Chloe.
When Catherine and Jesse discussed Jesse's sister, Catherine dropped some real wisdom there, which I appreciated.
There was a third-act break-up, imparted insight, and sudden epiphany. Formulaic.
I liked Catherine's mom and all of her interactions. She was fun.
The final scene was good, and the epilogue was a nice addition.
I will not recommend this book, but I won't say not to read it. For me, it was more frustrating than fun. Some of the things that bothered me may not be issues for others. I am giving it a 2.5-rounded down. I think the author has potential.

4⭐️
Never let a bad breakup cause you to spend your life in distrust. The right person is out there, somewhere, probably exactly where you would never expect her to be. Don't let the fear of a bad breakup nip a promising new love in the bud.

Catherine Des Lauries is at exactly this point. She fled to live with her grandfather in the small town of Maple Springs, Colorado, leaving her whole life behind in Paris. She is still licking her wounds and has sworn off love. But then the annoying and gorgeous country singer Jess Morgan enters her life and throws all her resolutions overboard again. Can Jess convince the Frenchwoman that she is the one for her and that they will find a way to be together?

Jess Morgan is almost too good to be true, so the grumpy and suspicious Catherine doubts her. What is beautifully told is Catherine's understandable inner turmoil. She longs for her life back in the big city of Paris and her job as a dance choreographer. But there is also the attraction of this down-to-earth country music star with no airs and graces, despite her success, and the peace and seclusion of Jess' ranch. What's more, she has sworn off love.

It's not easy for Jess to win Catherine's trust, but Jess doesn't give up that easily. For the first time in her life, there is someone who is just as important as her music, and she doesn't want to lose that person again. I liked how Jess fought for the woman's trust and love until Catherine slowly realized she was powerless against Jess' charm.

The middle part of the story drags on a little with lots of inner dialogue from both women and is sometimes a little repetitive. But overall an entertaining, light, and sexy story with good dialogue, without too much drama, but also without any big surprises.

In Iris Eliot's Out There, Catherine Des Lauriers, a disillusioned Parisian, seeks solace from her cheating ex in the unlikeliest of places: Maple Springs Country Music Fest. As fate would have it, she encounters Jesse Morgan, the festival's star attraction, and unleashes her disdain for the event and Jesse herself. Much to Catherine's astonishment, Jesse turns out to be the enigmatic stranger she met at her grandfather's pottery shop. Jesse, a successful singer-songwriter, has everything a woman could desire: fame, adoration, and a life filled with joy. Yet, she yearns for something more meaningful, a connection that goes beyond the superficial. As Catherine and Jesse navigate the Colorado wilderness, their initial animosity transforms into a deep and undeniable attraction. However, their newfound love faces a formidable challenge: can their relationship endure the vast cultural and lifestyle differences that separate them? Eliot's writing is captivating, painting a vivid picture of the vibrant music festival and the stunning Colorado landscape. The characters are well-developed and relatable, their emotions and struggles palpable. Catherine's journey from cynicism to love is particularly poignant, as she learns to embrace the unexpected and let go of her preconceived notions. Jesse's vulnerability and her desire for a genuine connection add depth to her character, making her more than just a stereotypical country star. Out There is a testament to the power of love to transcend boundaries and bridge seemingly insurmountable gaps. Eliot's exploration of love, identity, and the pursuit of happiness is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. This book is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and anyone who believes in the transformative power of love.

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

Catherine Des Lauriers hates life at the moment.... starting with that damn festival, her heart ached though from the betrayal by her girlfriend but the aggravation from the music festival had her seething

so it didnt help whilst in the shop she had a customer

Jesse Morgan walked into the shop and was struck dumb by the beauty in front of her.... though the vision was obviously having a bad day didnt extract from her beauty

catherine ended up going to the festival and was so struck dumb by the sight of the person on stage she left soon after...totally embarrassed and not knowing what to do

have to say i thoroughly enjoyed this book and all that happened around those two, if only life was really like that...

This was my first experience with author Iris Eliot and unfortunately I found this book to be a little Out There. I liked the premise of the book and am a sucker for a good enemies to lovers or misunderstanding trope but sadly the writing didn’t pull me in to the story and the dialogue was cringy. I just couldn’t get into it and stopped reading after a few chapters.

How can you trust again when the relationship you’ve worked so hard for ultimately breaks your heart and ruins your experience of the world?

I received an advance copy for free from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Catherine Des Lauriers is gathering the pieces of herself that are left after her girlfriend of five years ruins everything by cheating on her in the most excruciating way. Catherine runs away leaving her life and career in Paris to hide away in a tiny town in Colorado. She finds solitude with her grandfather and his pottery shop. If only the tiny town wouldn’t have blown up with an exuberant music festival honoring their hometown country star Jesse Morgan. Catherine can’t for the life of her detest anything more. That Jesse woman should just hike on back to her star studded life in Nashville and leave Catherine the hell alone. Sulking in the pottery shop her life is bound to go in a very unexpected direction when a beautiful, charming and very sexy woman turns up asking about her grandfather. Catherine can’t help but be charmed even while ranting on about the nuisance that is Jesse Morgan and the annoying adoration this town has for her. If only the gorgeous visitor didn’t turn out to be bloody Jesse herself.

Jesse Morgan is living the life. She is successful in her music career and loves her life at her farm with her animals. It would be so much easier if she hadn't met the most alluring French Woman back in her home town. Jesse can't help but wanting to
know this woman with the faint accent and most expressive eyes. While they get to know each other Jesse's only purpose in life becomes gaining Catherine's trust and proving to her that Jesse only wants her.

I loved the way Jesse works so hard to get Catherine to trust her and I understand Catherine's hesitation to fall head over heels. It's a lost cause of course. Catherine keeps fighting and falling deep at the same time. It's lovely to see the internal
struggle unfold.

It was hard to keep up sometimes with who was saying what exactly. It made go back and read over the same paragraph again and that broke up the flow while reading.

I liked the alternate point of view between Catherine and Jesse. It worked well for understanding where they were both coming from. And the physical connection is pure fire!

It wouldn't be a sapphic romance without the HEA and it's a good one for sure. I would have loved to learn more about how Jesse and Catherine would evolve together once Catherine's walls finally crumbled.

Dive into this story and ride the waves of internal struggling and ultimately giving up any resistance of falling for the one, as unlikely as it seems.

+Enemies to lovers
+Celebrity/normie
+ Sapphic
+Slow Burn
+Kinda epistolary
- 3rd act break up

Not a bad list of story elements. I enjoyed Eliot's tale of Jesse and Catherine's long distance romance.

Thank you to Bella Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Jesse and Catherine as I delved into their story, I struggled to see Jesse and Catherine as a believable couple. Their dynamic felt more like that of friends rather than romantic partners, with much of their interaction happening through phone calls and texts due to their geographical separation. This lack of physical proximity made it difficult for me to sense any genuine romantic tension building between them.

Despite this, I found solace in the charming ensemble of meddling small-town characters and the lighthearted banter sprinkled throughout the narrative. The slow-paced plot allowed for a leisurely exploration of the storyline over time, but it failed to ignite the passionate romance I had hoped for between Jesse and Catherine. While I appreciated the overall cast of characters and plot, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing in their love story. I yearned for a deeper connection that would have made their relationship truly come alive on the pages.

Catherine Des Lauriers moves to Maple Springs, Colorado after a bad breakup to try and forget her ex and to heal, but there's a country festival in town that ruins her escape. She ends up going off on an unsuspecting customer in her grandfather's shop who happens to be Jesse Morgan, the star that the festival is for.

Jesse Morgan comes back to town every summer for the festival and has no intention of meeting someone, but Catherine gets under skin and not always in a good way. They are forced together somewhat at first and then it goes from there.

I had mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the premise and I liked the characters for the most part, but it really didn't have much plot which downgraded it for me. Overall, it was a light, entertaining read, but just not for me.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hometown country star Jesse returns home every summer for a festival in her honour. Except this time Maple Springs has a brand new, and temporary, resident in Catherine. And Catherine loathes Jesse and the festival. So the perfect premise is set. I enjoyed the banter, the lightness and all the meddling residents (and visitors).

After a bad breakup, all Catherine Des Lauriers wants is to kick her wounds in the quiet town of Maple Springs.

Alas, the country music festival spoils that. Worse, she unloads her annoyance on a attractive woman...who turns out to be the star of the festival.

Oops.

Jesse Morgan had no intention of finding a date in Maple Springs, but she can't get cranky Catherine off her mind.

Good read, if a bit light on plot. Its 99% character bits, so if that's not your thing it may not work for you.

It also has the 'break them up for drama at the 4/5 mark in the book' thing, that honestly irks the heck out of me.

It REALLY needs more... well, plot more or less. It's entertaining and was pretty good, but very very light.