Member Reviews
I'm struggling a bit trying to come up with a fitting review for this book. When I picked it up I was expecting a light, slightly soap-opera-y romance; and that I got. However, and despite going into it with almost no expectations, I was still slightly disappointed.
Now, before I go any further, I need to say that I have not read the previous books in the series - I still managed to make sense of the characters and their relationships (in other words, I don't think it's necessary to have read the first two books in order to understand this one). That being said, would having read the first two books have made me enjoy this one more? Maybe... but i don't really care enough to try and find out.
Now that that's out of the way, I have to admit that the characters were quite the disappointment. Again, I have not read the previous books in the series, but if that's them after two books worth of character development... I was right to not read the entire series. I seriously found all of them either underdeveloped, annoying, or a mix of both. I was quite fond of Lexi and Jesse until I found out Lexi used to be Jesse's intern when they started dating which is just a bit weird? They obviously have a great relationship right now, but the beginning of their love story is not really my cup of tea.
As for Sam and Lucy? First of all, I was not feeling it. I just can't understand how and when their feelings for each other developed. Sure, they were attracted to each other from the very beginning, but when did they fall in love? More importantly, why did they fall in love? I honestly couldn't tell you. It was all a bit too-much-sex-not-enough-romance. Despite not being a massive fan of their relationship, I thought Sam was an okay character, and she definitely had her moments. Lucy, I was not a fan of. How is a woman in her thirties so insecure about and conscious of her girlfriend's past love life? Seriously, get a grip. I hate the whole "I want to be the only one to touch you/make you feel this way / your past bothers me" trope SO MUCH. I've been on the receiving end of such behaviour and honestly it. sucks. Especially since Sam is a woman in her late twenties - is she supposed to not have a romantic/sexual past?? I'm so frustrated.
I was, however, quite fond of Sasha, even if she was done dirty. Again, I have not read the previous books, so I don't really know how that plotline played out, but why is the only bisexual character of the book a cheater? I thought we had moved past such stereotypical and harmful depictions. In my opinion, she was the book's most compelling character, but I can't overlook these aspects of her characterization.
Overall, I can't say I particularly enjoyed this book. I certainly liked the sense of community and certain sweet moments between the characters (even if they occurred more often in their platonic than their romantic relationships), but ultimately, it was not the book for me.
There was nothing wrong with the book apart from the fact that the story just did not grab me. I found myself feeling obligated to read it, instead of reading it for pleasure. The writing itself was solid, but it was just personal opinion.
Received from NetGalley for my honest review
Completed 1/27/18
254 page ebook
Was so glad to get back to Bay West, my favorite lesbian community. This series is just good. There's little pettiness, there's real like situations, there's lovable characters. It's everything you want in a series about a tight knit community.
The things I want to praise about are all spoilery, so I don't wanna go there. :/ I like what finally happened with Meg, because ugh the start of the book. I didn't like, at all, what was going on with Lexi/Jesse. Unfortunately if that continues on in the next book, with more than just a blurb about it, I will probably have to end my love affair with these books. We'll see. The books tend to be about Meg and whoever new is in town, as long as it stays that way, we'll be all good. If it focuses on the other stuff, I'll be super disappointed, but that's just me.
Recommended for GLBT fans, and those who like reading about the ongoing sagas of a small community.
Setting = A
Plot = B
Conflict = B
Characters = B+
Theme = A
I love the fact that this series doesn't focus on one main couple in each book, it focuses on a group of friends and what is going on with each of them. In that way there is more than one romance running at a time. It is nice to keep up with each of them, and their strong friendships are the foundation for a great series.
I enjoyed getting to know Sam better in this book and I see her in a whole new light now. I really liked her character in this story. As always, Meg and Lexi take leading roles in the storyline too. I can't wait to see what happens next at Bay West!
I was unable to review this book because of a conflict in my schedule. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the publisher or the author of the work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review for you and I look forward to reviewing for you in the future.
I really enjoy this series and would recommend going back and reading the previous two books before getting in to this one. It helps as all the previous characters are back, in particular the return of Sam & Lucy which is center in this book. For those that don't remember, Sam and Lucy were in the first book in totally separate situations. In this book they meet and sparks fly from the get-go, despite both of them not interested in a relationship. I liked both characters, which was a little of a surprise as I wasn't the fondest of Sam's initially.
I don't really have much in the way of critiques for this book. It was a smooth and pleasant read, where I felt like I was coming back to old friends. The only thing I wish we would have gotten was more of Lexi and Jesse with the whole wanting a baby and picking a donor. It's such a big deal and I felt like there wasn't enough time spent on that part of their life, when you have a book that does go back and forth from characters POVs.
This is book 3 of Bay West Social series about a group of friends living in a lesbian condo in Staten Island. I haven't read the previous two so I feel that I lost a bit on the background story of some characters. However, 'Definite possibility' reads as a stand alone novel. The story revolves around two couples: ex girlfriends Meg and Sasha and the owner of Lucy's coffee store and butch/player Sam. The two parallel romances gives a quicker pace to the book with more drama and romance. There's even an unexpected twist at the end involving Lucy's sister that came as a complete surprise to me. But what I really liked is that the story goes beyond both romances and is a tale of friendship, family and love. I only wish I had read the previous books first in order to enjoy it fully.
Overall, a heart warming and feel good story with a bit of drama on the side. 4 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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I enjoyed this book, well written with well developed characters, including some familiar faces from the previous book in the series. The leads had good chemistry and the angst level was just right. It was an enjoyable read for a quiet afternoon.
This is the 3rd book in the Bay West Social Series, set in Staten Island, NY. I loved the first two and was so looking forward to catching up on the stories of Meg, Lexi, Jesse and all of the other women living in the amazing lesbian condo community. ‘Definite Possibility’ is just as addictive as its predecessors! The family feel of Bay West is what makes these books special and there is so much scope for the series to run and run.
Meg is now in a relationship with dentist, Reina Ramirez but can’t seem to forget her ex, Sasha, who broke her heart. Can she ever just be friends with Sasha - or will there be more? Lexi and Jesse have settled into married bliss and Lexi seems keen on becoming more involved in the running of the complex. I loved the insight into how it all runs and the different women all living there. Lexi’s friend Sam is back after a failed romance on the West Coast and has her sights set on coffee shop owner, Lucy, who is reluctant to commit to anything but her business. Their blossoming relationship was sweet and romantic and written with such understanding. The book was a delight to read and like all of the best romance novels left me with a happy feeling and the wish that this series could go on forever.
I was given this ARC by Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I have enjoyed this series so far and would say this book is definitely my fav of the 3. I think Cummings does a great job to move all stories along well and provide different stages in each story which works well!
I really enjoyed Sam and Lucy's story. It was a great romance to read and they fit so well together! I will admit it because there are some time between books and due to so many characters in the stories it did take me some time to remember Sam and Lucy from the earlier books. But it did't take too long and I was back on track.
I was unsure on how Meg's story would good with the return on Sasha (who I honestly wasn't expecting a return). I actually thought this was done really well! I was definitely rooting for Sasha not long from the start of this book.
It seems to me that this was the end of this series however I also felt like there was a small opening for maybe another Bay West Social series but with different main characters. Not sure what others thought.
Loved it!!
Wow, this was amazing. This was worth the read. Loved the story. Strong characters that draw you in. It's the third installment in the series and I have yet to read the first two but you can be sure I'm headed over to purchase them. I thought this could stand alone and it does. I can imagine the series will be icing on the cake. I highly recommend.
This book made it hard for me to read because from the beginning I could absolute not stand Sam - she that kind of character I just don’t like in books - too sure of herself, feeling being butch gives her some kind of badge .....
I liked the other parts with Meg and her troubles with Reina and Sasha - I kind of read the book for that story line and kind of read over Sam’s storyline kind of quickly.
Definite Possibility had a little bit of everything in it to engage the reader. It was about relationships: the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly aspects to it. There was a cheating subplot, a divorce, forgiveness, and a mutual friendly breakup. However, the plot I found most enjoyable and realistic in today’s world was concerning Jesse and Lexi’s donor dilemma. The arguments concerning the donor- whether to go to a sperm bank or someone they knew- were realistically portrayed and the pros and cons were maturely argued. It was refreshing to see how that relationship stood strong amid life altering decisions.
As a native NYC resident, I was also partial to the setting. I commiserated with the characters’ bumper to bumper trek on the Belt Parkway. It did make for interesting conversation.
Overall, the plot was good and the characters were multidimensional. The dialogue was at times witty and emotional. It was a good read. Therefore, it is a “definite possibility” that you might enjoy this book also.
With this third book of the Bay West Social series, I have begun to get into the atmosphere that the author wishes to reflect. The first two books were a bit confusing to me. In the first I found that the characters were childish and superficial, their problems did not reach me. In the second book, it was almost the same, superficial characters, flat relationships, little interest in general, with the add that the behavior of some of the protagonists was a bit incoherent. The first two books also seemed to me that they had too many characters to follow. Anyway, after reading this third part, I understand that without the first two books I would not have found this third part so interesting. The characters have seemed more grow and mature, especially Lexi and Meg. The different histories complement and intertwine with great fluidity. And, at the end, there are threads and new characters that predict a new chapter in the series, which I will wait with a lot of interest. A very entertaining and recomendable read.
A strong series with characters confronting realistic situations and balancing relatable relationship difficulties that are part and parcel of adult life. I particularly like that the author continues to have no undesirable characters among the small group of women and that their apartment complex is a place that I would love to see exist, perhaps even reside in. I hope that further books will continue to chronicle the travails of Jesse, Lexi, Meg and Sam.
So I had no idea this was book 3 of a series. It explains why I was confused early on about who some of the peripheral characters were. Even though I did not read the first two books I do not think I was at a disadvantage reading this one. There were two love stories going on and I was curious as to why there was character development for the one couple, but not the other. Again, this is probably because these people were introduced in a previous book.
I really liked the characters and the story line. Now that I know this is a series I will definitely go back and look for the others. My only criticism of the book is that the ending with Sam and Lucy seemed a bit rushed. Not that I thought it needed to drag out too far, but it just felt a bit hurried.
I read the first two in the series before reading this one. And i have to say, the first two were head and shoulders better than this one. Perhaps, its because the two main protagonists (best friends) were heavily featured and not so much in this book.
Anyhow, Sam (from book 1) is the one with the romance this time around and while her absence was never explained in book 2, she's back with a bang in this one. So much so, that I found myself speed reading through her romance to get to Meg and Sasha's unfolding drama on the side. Unfortunately, Jesse & Lisa are casualties and it would have been better if the book had not tried to resolve issues between Meg & Sasha. Because this way, that seemed slow at first and then rushed later.
Im really just picking apart the book because my expectations were a tad too high I think. Still a great read.
Another great installment in the Bay West Social series!
This one starts a few months after the previous book ended, and we continue the story of Meg, Lexi, Jesse and Sam.
This book series feels like a TV show, with every book being a different season. This book could serve as the end of the series, but I would love to see more. Can’t wait until next season… I mean, book :)
I highly recommend this series.
I'm a fan of this chick-lit, lesbian soap opera that is the Bay West Social series. I must admit I was a little worried about this 3rd book. How would everything work out, would my favorites get a happily ever after? I'm happy to say this lived up to my expectations. Is this the end of Bay West? I'm guessing yes. If so, I will really miss these characters I have connected with. And If this is the end, I'm happy how it worked out.
I must admit I was a little less than impressed with the beginning of the book. I'm not a fan of Meg with Marnie. (Her name is Marnie right? That's how much I can care less since I can't even remember her name). Sam, came back to Bay West. Again honestly it didn't do anything for me. I can't even remember Sam or if I should feel bad she is back in Bay West looking to start her life over. On top of those two things, the juicy tidbit we were left about Cam, honestly just fizzled out. Not a good beginning for me at all.
I would say it was about the middle of the book, everything started to change. Sam ended up being such a sweetheart. If she had been more of a main character, she would have been one of my favorites. There was also some drama that heated up and finally the book took off.
Now I have to talk shortly about Meg. I know she can drive some people nuts, but Meg has been my favorite since day one. She has gone through plenty in this series. In fact I think Cummings loves to torture her. I was so angry about what Sasha did to her, in the second book. Everyone seemed to find love, but Meg. Well this book was finally Megs chance right? If yes, was it going to be someone from her past, or some wonderful new woman that sweeps her off her feet? Well I'm going to keep that tidbit to myself, so you as a reader can experience it with no spoilers. I will say I was surprised by how much I agreed with Meg's ending. Cummings won me over on her path for Meg. If you are a Meg fan, I believe you will feel the same.
Besides the few bumps in the beginning, this book was a great third installment in the Bay West Social series. If this is the end, I go away happy, if it's not, I will be back for the next.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.