Thank you to Berkely Romance for the free book. The Lovers follows ex-best friends Kit, a tarot reader, and Julia, a wedding planner, as they get stuck spending the weekend together in the desert for a wedding. Kit and Julia had a little fling in high school until summer ended and Kit ran off scared. Ten years later they meet again and the feelings start to bubble up. I really liked the friends to lovers and second chance romance of this story. Having met my wife in high school, it was very relatable to read about that connection of finding yourselves together at a young age. It’s a very sweet queer romance, however I did have some issues with it. My biggest of those being Kit’s reluctance to come to terms with her sexuality. I understand that everyone’s experience is different, but it was a bit hard for me to believe that Kit was scared to come out to her loving parents and her queer best friend in her very queer loving hometown of LA. It made me more confused than sympathetic for her. Other than that I felt there was a lot of unnecessary fluff in some places- there was a whole scene where Julia tells us about a big conversation she had with Kit but I wished I could see that actually play out and learn about them as they learned about each other. Also the sex scenes were kinda eh and not super realistic. Overall it’s a good romance but it was lacking a bit for me.

The Lovers made my bi heart so happy!! As someone who didn’t openly acknowledge their queerness until their late 20’s, I found a kindred soul in Kit. I was able to relate so much with her and I really admired her character growth. Julia’s ability to forgive and understand Kit’s struggle with coming out and the willingness to build back trust between them was a highlight to this romance. The tarot element was a ton of fun and makes me want to take out some of my cards and do a lil reading just for funsies. I don’t often find myself identifying heavily with fictional characters, so being able to do so with Kit was truly special. I want to thank the author for putting this story out in the world - I feel so seen as a bi woman and would love to see more similar storylines in romance.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for sending me an early copy!

The twin flames part of this story I absolutely hated, but other than that this second chance romance was good! I thought there was a TON of chemistry between Kit and Julia and I do love me a chaotic wedding.

I was so excited for this book and it was a fun read! I couldn't believe this was Faubion's first novel! I thought the setting was so unique and entertaining. And as a tarot girlie, I really enjoyed how prominently and authentically tarot was featured in the story! Can't wait to read more from this author in the future!

I tried very hard to get into this one but it just didn't work for me. Kit and Julia were okay characters but I didn't really feel a strong connection to either. They did have good romantic chemistry but I felt like everything else kind of fell flat. The vibes of the whole wedding were a little too eccentric to keep me engaged or invested in the story. I wanted to like this book so much but in the end it just didn't work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The premise of this queer romance was pretty compelling - lovers to exes to lovers again, but the motivations and fears of one protagonist seemed like quite a stretch. It's hard to believe someone who is from LA would be so stuck on compulsory heterosexuality in 2024, but it was still a fun little read set in one of my favorite places, so it was worth it!

Rebekah Faubion does a great job with the second chance romance trope, delicately building out the characters' past to make their present romance all the more satisfying when it happens. HOWEVER, my biggest issues with this book were the lengthy descriptions of the setting that seemed completely unnecessary and, more importantly, the discussions around coming out that included a slew of biphobic language that at times was very uncomfortable to read, especially as a queer person. I can understand what the author was trying to do, but between the biphobia and the lack of diversity in the romance, this definitely missed the mark.

I did not finish this book. It didn't grab me at all. I'm sure it would appeal to some readers but not to me.

So cute! I absolutely adored this one. I received an ARC of this (thanks!) and would love to pick up a physical copy for my home library. Kit and Julia are everything you want a second-chance romance to be. If you're looking for a sapphic romance, choose this one!

I love a good bi-awakening book but this was not it. I had such high hopes at the beginning and should have DNF'd when I started cringing over the influencer stuff.

I loved the romance, but did not love the side characters. There was zero diversity, and seemed to have obvious stereotypes. However, romance and chemistry was truly amazing. Not for me, but i can see it being great.

Another tale of parental expectations warping someone's childhood development into an adult, and escalating the pressure not to let them down.

But it also has an adorable relationship, revisiting the thing that made you question your identity in the best way, and being able to still feel connected to someone even with years and hurts between you.
Some of those hurts get fixed, there's a bit of petty revenge, and moments of revelation.

Tarot plays a big part in the story too, and it's always fascinating to know the different interpretations of the cards. It was also fun to be inside the head of someone trying to balance what they see and know with what the person who is getting the reading wants to hear.

Overall, AdORABLE, and with satisfying resolutions to all the plots.

A beautiful sapphic romance filled with angst, yearning, and second-chance magic! Second chance romances are forever favorites, and The Lovers delivered! Kit and Julia, former best friends and flames, reconnect at a wedding in the desert, and their chemistry is undeniable. Julia’s confidence and Kit’s journey to self-acceptance made this story so sweet and satisfying. The chaotic wedding backdrop added fun to their love story.

I think this is just a beautiful book. It’s a romcom in all its might but also gives that extra heart. I cried so many times not because it’s exactly sad but because I felt so very (as cliche as it sounds) seen in so many of her words and the characters experiences. Like living in someone else’s fictional life or even my own, being scared of who I am, being scared in general to let go. I just loved it and it all
Weaves together so well.

While I loved the history and romance between Kit and Julia, some of the supporting characters and obvious stereotypes didn’t sit well with me. There wasn’t much diversity in the cast, and the influencer aspects felt a bit pandering. Even so, the setting was beautifully vibrant and allowed Kit and Julia space to rediscover their connection, which was the best part for me. Overall, this book wasn’t quite my style, but I can see it resonating with other readers.

THE LOVERS is a sapphic second chance romance and probably one of my favorite sapphic romances this year (if not all-time). it follows kit, a tarot card reader who gets invited to work a wedding in joshua tree, only to find out her ex best friend/girlfriend/first love, julia, is planning the wedding. despite the time and distance between them, their chemistry is too strong to ignore.

this was such a sweet story of reconnection and first love and i absolutely adored every bit of it! the california vibes were immaculate and i loved the side characters, as well as julia and kit's individual character arcs. this was a stunning debut and i absolutely can't wait to read more from rebekah!

read if you like:
- fated love
- friends to lovers
- forced proximity

thanks to berkley for the advanced copy! THE LOVERS is out now so run and get a copy!!

The autumnal sapphic book of my dreams! I absolutely gobbled this up in one day and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

3.75⭐️ The lovers is a sapphic second chance romance between tarot card reader kit and wedding planner Julia. The two who used to be best friends reconnect after 10 years at a wedding Julia is planning and Kit is hired to be entertainment for.

Overall I thought this book was pretty good. It kept me entertained and I liked both the main characters and the story. If you’re looking for something easy to read then definitely check this out.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book.

I wanted to love the book, the cover is absolutely stunning. The second chance was SECOND CHANCING and the chemistry between Kit and Julia was palpable. I will say there were some critiques I had for the book, it felt very novice when it came down to their queer relationship and the constant 'baby gay' nonsense being spewed was just not my cup of tea. The book also lacked any diversity.

unfortunately, this one is a dnf for me. i got around 25% and i had to put it down.

the concept of tarot and a cute sapphic romance is great (we all know astrology is gay) but from the jump this portrayed bisexuals in a weird, hypersexual way.

the other issue i had is that there's only one lesbian character and she's portrayed as an evil monster; i gave up when she issued the proclamation that the mc was a "manic pixie dream cunt".

other than that, this wedding that the characters were working on was a rich people soiree and it was exhausting reading about how rich and insufferable every character was while the writing was smugly celebrating everyone being super-rich and insufferable, but also super skinny and white.

i think this book suffers from a continual problem that i see in the wlw romance genre, which is that a lot of these books feel like someone wrote a hetero romance and switched up some pronouns. i remember reading this tweet once about how some gay people aren't queer at all and this book reminded me of that.