Member Reviews
Very nice romance by Aurora Rey. This is the fourth in the series but honestly, it can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the characters their story the chemistry and can relate to the family challenges. I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed. My students are going to LOVE it.
Autumn’s Light is the fourth of a delightful and sexy romance series. I have grown to love these stories after finally digging in. In some ways this book plays on standard tropes: butch Mat, unwilling to settle down, meets romantic femme Graham in Provincetown. Yet this story changes it up a bit. A summer fling stretches on but gradually turns into more as autumn approaches. It's a shame the word autumn isn't actually used by North Americans though, it's so much more poetic than fall.
In truth, I liked this book a lot but the fact it ties up a wonderful series is a plus and makes me love it more. I recommend reading the other stories in order although this can certainly be read stand-alone. For me, knowing supporting characters from earlier books, as well as some of Graham’s background, is a plus. As expected, the writing is excellent, and the book is so easy to get caught up in. Recommended.
There is something innocent and nostalgic about this story. This is definitely my favorite book by Aurora Rey so far. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely got it's hot parts, but it feels so much more real than many lesfic romances. This one HAS to be added to your must read list. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. You can see from my other reviews that I'm going to say the truth, good or less than.
Aurora Rey has shown a mastery of evoking setting and this is especially evident in her Cape End romances set in Provincetown. I have loved this entire series and the fact that my favourite characters pop up in this one too is wonderful. ‘Autumn’s Light’ is the story of Graham, a naturalist working on a dolphin spotting boat. She wants her happily ever after but is fed up waiting for it to happen. When she spots a gorgeous woman working one of the lobster boats in the harbour, she tells herself she can keep it casual and no-strings. Mat makes it clear she can’t offer more than that. Can either of them stick to their guns?
Their story was off-the-scale in terms of sexual intensity and emotion. Mat’s journey was complex and I felt my emotions change towards her as the novel progressed. I really liked her and felt great empathy for her. Graham was sweet and caring and I hoped that she would get what she really craved. I loved that we also got to see Graham and Mat interact with her Aunt Nora and girlfriend Will. We got to see so many sides of Graham this way – as a niece, a friend, a scientist and a lover.
There was a calm, cosy and homely feel right away in the story and the feel-good quotient had me hoping this was not going to be the end of this series. I highly recommend ‘Autumn’s Light’.
I was given this ARC in return for an honest review.
This author has grown on me throughout this series,, but in my opinion this book is by far the best. Perfect blend of sexy-steamy and heartwarming romance. Definitely worth a read. I'll be sure to add this author to my must read list.
This is a read about family, communication, and being who you are. I enjoyed reading about Graham and her desire for a meaningful relationship. She is a likeable character that you want to cheer for. Mat is commitment challenged from a previous relationship and lacks quality interaction with her family that she loves very much. Graham's self-talk was interesting as she processed her feelings about Mat. I enjoyed how their relationship grew with the encouragement and support of friends and family, especially Dom and Jessica. Though there was much self-reflection and should I or shouldn't I, it was an enjoyable story and the sex was hot!
3.5 Stars. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I have to be honest while I have liked this whole series, I didn’t love any of the books. Luckily all the books are readable and I thought this was another good installment. This book does include (if sometimes briefly) all the main characters from previous books. If you are new to the series, and wondering about reading order, the first book Winter’s Harbor is a bit of a standalone. The second, third, and fourth books are much more entwined with each other. I would suggest to most people you could start reading at the second book. I do want to mention that the third and fourth books are the most connected. So if you are not interested in the first or second book, I highly recommend reading Springs Wake before you read this one.
This story stars Graham, who was a secondary character that played a large roll in book 3 Spring’s Wake. With her friends all around her happily in love, Graham is searching for love herself. When she sees a local lobster fisherman, she can’t take her eyes off her. It’s definitely lust at first site. Fisherman Mat notices Graham too. The problem is Mat is far from ready to settle down. Can Graham date Mat with the promise of nothing serious, or is she risking a broken heart?
I mentioned before that I enjoyed this more than I expected. I have become comfortable in this series and was looking forward to Graham’s story. The problem was I really struggled in the beginning of the book. I started it and actually put it down to read two other books. That is really rare for me. Normally I read one book until it is finished. I just could not get into the story. Luckily, as the book went on, I started to feel more connected to the characters and I started to care about the outcome. For me the book improved as it went on.
It is a very interesting romance. It’s not just no-strings sex, it’s more like a relationship but not really. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I can’t really explain more, but it’s different from the normal romantic relationships we read. That difference helped this not feel so same old same old. I liked both characters and found myself caring about them. The chemistry is not off the wall, but it is there and I liked them as a potential couple.
There is not a ton that happens in the book, no big excitement. But I found fun in reading about the characters jobs and time with their family. It’s a low key book, but once I got past the beginning I never found myself being bored.
If you are a fan of this series, I think you will enjoy this finale installment. It was nice to check in with previous couples and get to know Graham more. These are not really the kind of romances that will knock you off your feet, but they are all good reads.
Another in the series of Rey's that takes place in Provincetown and the surrounding Cape.
This time it's Graham's turn (Will's best friend and Nora's niece from a previous book in the series) to try and find love.
Mat is a lobster man (apparently in this book they don't like being called lobster women. Don't know if that was real or not, but, it was a cool little extra tidbit that made the narrative pop). Mat doesn't see herself settling down, or even ever letting her family life and dating life cross paths. But, then, she meets Graham. They start a no strings attached sorta of thing. It's what they both think that they want.
Of course, that doesn't go quite to plan, and they both slowly start falling in love, but, aren't sure that they're read to go past easy into forever.
And while I liked that story, the story that I liked even more was that of Mat's cousin Dom and his girlfriend Renata. He was a transgender man and as far as I could tell Renata was a cis woman, and it was an awesome story (love to see more of it in short story or the like).
It was another fun addition to a great series. I'm so glad that I've read them. In addition to great characters I sorta feel like I've now been to that tippy end of the Cape as well. (I know, bad lesbian, I haven't in real life).
I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bold Strokes Books.
This is an average romance, just ok for me. I think the author did not want the story to have excessive drama and the result has been a bit flat. With the previous book of this author I already had this same feeling. That the characters are very self-contained and passive, mostly by their own self-talk and the lack of dialogue outside their minds. Because the truth is that the beginning in this case promised better results, but it has only been a feeling that soon disappeared, with the lack of enthusiasm and comfort of the two protagonists in their belief that nothing serious can arise from their relationship.
And for me this type of story is annoying and tiresome, sometimes more than others, but this time I think my current mood makes me more demanding. And although I am not going to give it a low score, since for many people this story is going to work well, I will not consider it as nothing extraordinary either.
This is only the second book in the Cape End Romance series that I’ve read and I enjoyed it far more than I did Spring’s Wake. The character I liked most in Spring’s Wake was Graham and she is one of the main characters in this instalment. Graham has finished her studies and has returned to Provincetown to a permanent job with the Dolphin Fleet. She hasn’t had a date in a year and decides that maybe it’s time to try a more casual approach to dating. Mat Pero, local ‘lobersterman’, isn’t interested in relationship and spends much of her time seeking the approval of her traditional Portuguese family. When Graham and Mat meet in a bar, the chemistry is palpable and it seems like they want the same thing.
I loved watching their relationship unfold and the time it took for Graham and Mat to get to know each other. Graham is still the likeable, open and generous person she was in Spring’s Wake. Mat has a much more complicated background so while she’s not as instantly likeable, her character is developed well enough that I understood where she was coming from. They both express a wonderful desire for each other and there is a good balance between the explicit and fade-to-black intimate moments.
I preferred Nora (Graham’s aunt) and Will as secondary characters than I did as main characters. Mat’s Catholic family, especially Dom, add a nice dimension to the mostly lesbian secondary characters.
This was easily an over four star read for me.
Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
I am so sorry to see this Cape End series end! Autumn's Light was a perfect and satisfying conclusion to the four-part series. Graham was adorable in Spring's Wake, and I was thrilled she got her own story. There's not a lesfic trope I don't love, but this book was a trope-buster! The normally reserved Graham saw Mat at work and just decided to go for it! Sometimes sex right off the bat becomes repetitive, but it surely didn't here. Aurora Rey excels at writing butch/femme romance, and this one may be my favorite of hers yet because it breaks the mold. Looking forward to her next book.
I'm 50/50 about this book. the writing is good and the story is somehow not that much used, yet I hated Mat. I don't know something was off but I cant seem to know where. Maybe my review is helpless but honestly I'm so confused when i finished the book. I had no feeling expt feeling relieved that i did not give up on it.
Having said that I really do recommend reading Autumn's light make up your mind about it. I did not regret the time i spent reading , the story is indeed fresh.
I was giving a free copy in exchange for an honest review
This book is exactly why Aurora Rey is my absolute favourite author - there is always something about her books that just touch my soul.
This is the fourth book in the Cape End Romance series, however you don't need to read any of the previous books to read and enjoy this one. Each book follows a lovely couple and this book is Mat and Graham's story. Graham is a naturalist, and works on a boat giving whale watching tours to tourists while tracking whales in the region. One day she catches sight of a deliciously sexy Lobsterman, Mat. Graham decides it's been far too long without a single date and decides to take a chance on casual dating, even though she longs for a long-term relationship. Mat only does casual relationships, she struggles to reconcile her sexuality with her conservative and close-knit Portuguese family. Are Mat and Graham set up to fail from the beginning, or is it possible that love can overcome everything?
Mat and Graham such strong and gorgeous women, inside and out. I love their quiet confidence and surety in who they are. The ebb and flow of their relationship is natural and well paced. I loved their conversations, their chemistry, their romantic meals. As always I love the role that food plays in all of Aurora Rey's books, and the respect for local and seasonal ingredients.
Aurora Rey has been absolutely excelling at the love scenes in her recent books. She's really been stepping it up. Both with the spice factor and the depth of emotions she weaves through the scenes. Just incredible. I'm not always a fan of having a sex scene early in the book, for fear it becomes repetitive, but it definitely worked perfectly in this book. And gosh, it was not repetitive.
Dom and Renata are the absolute sweetest thing ever. EVER. I also loved seeing all my favourite couples (and they're all my favourite) from previous books as well. There was so much love and support in this book and it left me with a huge smile on my face. As always when I get sucked into an Aurora Rey book, I can't put it down, but then I'm devastated when it's over.
I can't wait to purchase the paperback of this book to complete my collection. And, I'm looking forward to setting aside some time to read all four books one after the other and overindulge in perfection.
My words are not enough to say how much I love Aurora Rey's books, but I can definitely recommend every single one!
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.