The second book by J J Hale was well written. It was nice to see the improvement of her writing from the first book. I enjoyed this friends/roommates to lovers. The connection between the MCs was electric. I loved seeing their relationship grow. As each person grew in the book, you could also see their bond strengthen. I hope there are more books coming.

This book was a satisfying read. I really enjoyed the characters and the story, all nicely written. I definitely look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Truly Enough by J. J. Hale in exchange for an honest review. I have tried to read this book multiple times but can’t stay interested past the 20% mark. I didn’t get on with the writing style and felt the characters were pretty one dimensional. I am sure this book is for some readers, but unfortunately it is not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Robyn and Lexi have been roommates for more than three years; they are supportive and respect each other’s boundaries.

Robyn, 32, is a firefighter, living dangerously day in and day out, as is her father, who lost his life in one of his many life-saving missions. She is a lesbian and not a relationship-type woman. She rather prefers one-night stands and crazy flings with wild sex with random women.

Lexi, 28, is a creative person. She makes paintings for art galleries as well as corporate companies. Currently, she is stressed as she is stuck both professionally and personally with a creative as well as mental block. And she is demisexual.

To make life easier for Lexi, Robyn takes her to a car boot sale, hoping she will be inspired to get back to her artistic rhythm. And it did the trick; Lexi was overwhelmed by Robyn’s kind and thoughtful act. Somewhere, over the years, the two had formed a deeper connection between them.

Meanwhile, Lexi accompanies Robyn as her fake girlfriend to Robyn’s sister’s wedding anniversary party, mainly to satisfy her mother and show her relationship status. That is when Lexi throws a bombshell about her gender preference in a nonchalant manner, which makes Robyn shockingly surprised and happy.

Gradually, Lexi discovers her crush on her long-time roommate Robyn, and she soon follows it with casual flirting and bantering, which eventually leads to both of them unleashing their mutual affection towards each other through intense and intimate lovemaking, igniting the lustful flames.

Through their newfound emotional and physical bonding, both of them self-discover the unknown side of ‘themselves’ in their happy and vulnerable states.

Soon Lexi aces in her creative pursuit through painting her way to freedom and passion with Robyn’s support, as Robyn has a promotion in waiting in her job that she loves more than anything until she hears the news that their building has caught fire.

When she goes with her fire crew, it is her apartment from which smoke is emanating with no Lexi in sight. She is stunned and worried. What happened to Lexi and their mutual love for each other? Did they become a real couple? Why wait? Read it now.

This queer romance novel has a perfect recipe with varied emotions and sentiments and family and friendship dynamics (with long-drawn sex scenes as an additional bonus) thrown in to make it a wholesome meal that would fulfil the appetite of all queer lovers and supporters. A definite must-read from my side.

Unfortunately, this one didn't quite click with me. While it didn't reach the level of being the worst, it didn't resonate as a particularly enjoyable read. The narrative's self-awareness felt like a stumbling block, deviating from the engaging flow that good fiction demands. Instead of letting characters unfold organically, there was an excess of straightforward exposition.
Robyn, a firefighter, and Lexie, an artist grappling with creative block, embark on a journey where happiness is hard-won amidst a major misunderstanding. It's a quick read, but my recommendation would lean towards exploring other options.

Robyn and Lexi are the main characters in this book. Robyn is a firefighter and Lexi is a artist and they are roommates. They are both dealing with loss and trying to keep their heads above water. They lean on each other more and more as things get tougher to deal with. Then they realize they only need each to get through all of this.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I knew when reading this author's debut Truly Wanted it was an author I had to keep my eye on. Reading this book just proved to me I was right.

Robyn, a broody firefighter hurt by the loss of her father years ago and Lexi, a bright artist have been roommates for years. But then things change. They notice each other and after a fake date night things have gotten confusing.

One of the best parts of this book is that they communicate with each other. This was not just roommates to lovers, but also friends to lovers.

It was great seeing Brooke and Sam from Truly Wanted again and be such a big part of the story.

The way Lexi deals with her neurodivergence is also really great. I loved the sister dynamics in figuring that part out.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

Artist Lexi and firefighter Robyn are long term friends and roommates and are supportive of each other’s different lifestyle choices. Lexi identifies as straight and Robyn as a lesbian. They both carry emotional baggage from their past which spills over into their romantic relationships, and both are supportive of each other’s choices.

This enjoyable story demonstrates how events and circumstances can affect individuals over several years and when feelings and emotions start to change, how they both adapt, and accept change with support from other friends and family.

Both characters evolve more fully over the course of the storyline due to their ability to take note, reassess and their deeper feelings towards the other.

An enjoyable read with a good storyline and a pleasing ending. 4.5*

A friends to partners romance between a firefighter and an artist, this is an enjoyable read. I particularly liked the inclusion of one of the characters having ADHD and the way the other character found practical ways to support her. The characters were well developed, the friendship circle of other lesbian/bi women, who met in the one gay bar, was also believable and fun to read. I couldn't quite get a sense of place, at times it felt American and then they would speak Irish and talk about Edinburgh, which I found slightly distracting. I really enjoyed the descriptions of painting and the creative process too.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘Truly Enough’ is JJ Hale’s second novel and this friends to lovers storyline was one that I couldn’t put down. Lexi is my favourite of the two MCs in that she has a loveable awkwardness and a very relatable level of self doubt. She is an artist to her core but takes on soulless commissions just to pay the bills, she worries that her father’s doubts over her career choice will ultimately be proven right. Although her roommate, Robyn, is always there to support her and believe in her even when she can’t see her talent. I really liked Robyn because even though she is a firefighter and has this ‘hero’ demeanour, Hale really gave her a strong backstory and personality that wasn’t simply defined by her job. Just like Lexi she has her own insecurities and worries, most stemming from the loss of her father. She hopes to live up to the legacy that he left behind but cannot forget her mother’s heartbreak and swears never to do that to anyone in her life.
For me I really connected to the ethos of their story, in that they both feel like they have to live certain aspects of their lives to make others happy in some way, but neglect to see the bigger, more detrimental consequences to their decisions. The two women need one another to see what is truly in front of them and that of course leads to a romance with its own challenges. This second release from Hale has definitely cemented her as a go-to writer for me of this genre; one who gets under the skin of her characters and brings them to life in the most honest but beautiful ways. Definitely a scorching, sapphic summer must-read.

This was such a great book! I loved the complexity of the characters and the trials and tribulations that they encounter throughout the book. It was a really nice friends to lovers book. And I enjoyed the fact that it brought up disabilities and Demi-sexuals.

Robyn and Lexi have been roommates for several years. They are the best of friends and have cheered on each other’s romantic quests in the past, Robyn being wholeheartedly lesbian and Lexi straight. Although this book is definitely a romance, it explores the idea of how relationships can change over the course of time.

The writing is tight and the author gives the characters time to adjust to their new feelings towards one another and to discover what each really wants in a partner. I believed them when the intimacy and trust they already shared as friends morphed into romantic love. One of my favorite aspects of the book is seeing how both Lexi and Robyn have to reassess their fears and priorities. Robyn is a firefighter, accustomed to being a free bird, afraid of loss. Lexi is considering who she might be beyond her past assumptions about herself. I also loved how Lexi’s art factored into her state of mind and heart.

The book is both a thoughtful and sexy read. Truly Enough is in the same universe as book 1 in the series but can be read as a standalone.

This was a sweet friends to lovers romance. Overall, I enjoyed the plot and MC’s were well developed. My only feedback was I felt the dating/falling in love was rushed/almost immediate.

Thank You NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books.

Beautiful

Robyn is spending her days focused on honouring her father’s legacy, and as a Firefighter knows just how easy it is for life to be over and the devastating affects one others. Robyn’s roommate Lexi couldn’t be more different, passionate about art and trying to prove to her father it can be a career, she gets bored easily taking jobs that don’t allow her to express her creativity. When her career comes under threat of a looming deadline, Lexi finds support in Robyn that becomes more than just friendship.

Such a beautiful story about acceptance and finding peace with your fears and worries. Robyn and Lexi were total opposites that you’d never expect to work but it was only through them trying hard to understand why there were so different that they learned that acceptance of one another and that support would help them both deal with things that were causing them so much inner turmoil. Lexi was flighty and free but heavily weighed by emotions and need for support from someone who didn’t always harshly judge her choices, whereas having not experienced that directly but witnessed and similar heaviness on her own mother, Robyn was so serious and needed to learn to lighten some of that and not take things so personally.

I loved how much they learned from one another through their growing relationship and the incidents that lead to their initial connection and beyond. Those moments shaped them and their relationship into one that was relaxed, natural and honest in a way only true feelings and love for another allows for. How Robyn became that inspiration and sparked Lexi’s creativity was magical, and really quite true. When you feel loved and supported, it can really help you achieve anything.

Although this is part of a series, it is a standalone story so you can completely enjoy it without having read the first book. I hadn’t read it but there was nothing unexplained or confusing when references to the first story were made. A simple and beautiful story that I absolutely adored.

Robyn and Lexi's story in a cool dip a placid lake. Not used to such a low stakes romance story. The Demi and ADHD rep truly took it up a notch too. I'll def be checking out the first book in this series.

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

Found this a quick and easy but enjoyable read. The MCs were both very likeable personalities and there was plenty of back story which was great for helping the reader understand the underlying feelings that shaped how they reacted to situations. There was no great angst in the story but I loved the way the author dealt with ADHD in the storyline, it was done in an understanding and true to life way and not made a big deal of. All in all a good read.

Good story. Robyn and Lexi were really cute together. I felt that Robyn was the more mature of the two main characters, because of how she always wanted to make sure that her friends and family were always safe, maybe because of her job being a firefighter and always wanting to keep people safe as for Lexi she felt more immature too me not because she's an artist, but her personality just came off that way, but she was still very likeable character. There's action and drama throughout this story and the supporting characters were well written and helped to make this a good story. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. This is the 1st book I have read by this author.
Two roomates who basically fall in love having both gone through different life issues. Robyn who lives for her work as a firefighter and Lexi who is an artist and seems to be having a block.
It was interesting how the author addressed adhd throughout various parts in book and how it may have been having an effect on the character(s)
Will be looking out for next book thankyou for advanced copy.

Love a good friends to lovers book, and this one managed to be that - while also having characters dealing with grief and discovering more about themselves. Can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!