thelesbianlibrary's Reviews (357)

Tatum Vega finally has the life she always envisioned for herself. A tranquil existence in Chile with her partner Vera and a cozy museum job where she’s surrounded by beautiful art. And despite her past hardships she is happy… as long as she ignores the memories of her decade spent living under the thumb of renowned yet manipulative author M. Dominguez.

All that Tatum has pushed down is forced to surface, however, when a U.S. reporter contacts her for an interview regarding her past with Dominguez. And when he reveals her old infatuation has been accused of assault she is compelled to reevaluate their complex and intense relationship. Although Tatum assures the reporter she is not a victim in the same way, questions and memories begin to plague her as the story unfolds. Did he groom her? Was she a victim of his web of deceit and women? And why can’t she put him in the past to properly move on? As Tatum continues down the rabbit hole she discovers that she may not like the answers. Can she come to terms with what happened over those 10 years? Or will denial and Dominguez’s manipulation get the best of her?

This book surprised me in so many ways. I did not anticipate loving it as much as I did. The synopsis sounded intriguing but nothing could have prepared me for the complex emotions and uncomfortable situations. Bonus points as well for being a debut. I think Ursula Villarreal-Moura is an author to look out for in the future because if this is their first book I can only imagine what greatness is to come.

Tatum is a wildly nuanced and layered main character. Her struggles with being one of the only minorities in an extremely white Massachusetts college start the story off with a feeling of isolation. With reading and art as the only true escape her favorite book quickly becomes her main source of solace. So when the author responds to her fan letter, the reader can’t help but be as excited as Tatum. You spend so much time in her mind that when someone who we think (the reader and Tatum) truly sees us it is a life-altering moment. Their connection over their Latinx identity is a huge catalyst in their 10-year relationship and it is wildly interesting how he uses that to both deject Tatum and connect to her.

Tatum’s sexuality is another main focus of her growth and is one of the only things separate from Dominguez. That she ended up with Vera shows the amount of maturing and self-discovery she was able to do once she was out from under his thumb. And the way her sexuality is handled by him shows the cruel side of his otherwise alarmingly calm nature. The grooming is eerily well-written throughout the whole book, but these moments especially showcase his slimy tactics.

I love dual-timeline plots so I enjoyed how this took place both in Vera’s current life, while she discusses with the reporter. And in a letter she is penning to Dominguez, which recounts their decade together. My heart broke for young Tatum so many times and she seemed to never quite be able to free herself from him. Even in instances where she seemed she was growing distant, there was always something to reel her back into his web. We grew with Tatum as she went from college, back to Texas with her parents, and then finally to New York, where she spent the majority of her early to mid-adulthood. The plot never lulled and even though we knew their friendship ends it kept you guessing as to the events that took place over those 10 years. What an incredible premise.

Plot and characters aside this may have been some of the best writing, on a line level, I’ve ever read. If the plot and characters haven’t won you over yet then I implore you to pick this up just for the amount of annotations within its pages. Even the areas of her identity where I couldn’t personally relate I still felt so deeply due to the stunning writing of her character. This book is not just a one-and-done, it is a pen-marked and cracked-spine favorite.

All in all, I think this read is a must for 2024. Between the excellently crafted lines, the complex characters, and the gut-wrenching plot there is something for everyone. The intersection of Tatum’s identities brings so much to the table and is ripe for discussion. If you like layered stories, thick with quotable moments then this book is for you. Happy reading!

Thank you to Celadon Books for sending me an ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Max Van Doren is stuck in every area of her life and she’s tired of it. Tired of being unsure of her next career move despite being a great assistant to a huge Hollywood talent agent. Tired of hiding in her bedroom while her queer influencer roommate hangs out with her cool group of friends. Tired of being hopelessly head over heels for her favorite bartender Sadie, who she’ll never have a chance with. And the worst part of it all? Max knows exactly what she wants but is completely clueless about how to get there.

So she can’t resist agreeing when her roommate offers her the chance to have a complete life overhaul for free through a new self-actualization app. The only catch? Completely exposing herself and documenting every step of the journey. However, despite the entire internet knowing Max’s inadequacies the app does seem to be helping. And stepping out of her comfort zone is starting to pay off. That is until a video is posted that twists Max’s good intentions into selfish wants and sends her spiraling. Can Max salvage her relationship with Sadie, save her job, and fix her friendships before her fairy god-app vanishes? Or will her life turn back into nights alone with microwaved burritos at midnight?

I enjoyed this book. I had read the sister book to this one, For Her Consideration, last year so I jumped at the chance to pick up At Her Service early. And I was not disappointed at all. Something about Amy Spalding’s writing hooks me instantly and I find myself just blowing through her books. This was a mix of relatable characters, great writing and an ever-shifting plot perfectly blended into a fun, flirty, and layered rom-com.

Max’s mix of nihilism and optimism highlights being a queer 20-something in today’s wild world. She is somehow completely contradictory yet perfectly complimentary to herself and it leads to a character that feels like she has stolen the thoughts from your head. Not to mention the short masc rep which is so needed in sapphic books. As a short person, I felt very, very seen and yes that does make me a little biased but I’ll take it.

Her plight of seeking romantic and platonic connections felt very true to her character and the struggles of so many new adults. In my opinion, finding romance is easier than finding family through friendships so to see the book give a lot of attention to that aspect felt all too real. And the masc for masc representation? Sheer perfection.

The plot was spot-on, as expected. The book never stalled or dragged in any place because there were so many different subplots going on. There is Max and Sadie’s friendship turned to romance as the main focal point. But there was also Max’s roommate Chelsea who sponsored her for the app and their dysfunctional dynamics. There was Max’s weird relationship with her coworkers and feeling unseen in her work environment. There was Max’s internal battle for self-confidence and believing in her abilities. There was Max’s struggle to find friends and feeling lonely. And to top it off trying to save a historic queer bar!! All of these plot points may sound overwhelming at first glance but they were woven together in a way that was layered and human rather than jumbled and random.

All in all, I highly recommend this book if you are generally a fan of sapphic rom-coms. I think this read is exactly what it looks like in the best of ways. You know the general idea of what you’re getting and it does follow a typical romance guide. However, it still finds ways to surprise and enthrall you that are unique to the story and characters. If you like heartwarming and relatable stories about sapphic love then you are in the right place. Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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