The was a quick read but the characters played off of each other well. They were easy to root for.

But there was something missing from the book. I could have used some extra drama but it was still enjoyable but I’m just not sure it has reread ability. I’d still recommend giving this one a read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC!

I fell in love with this story and devoured it in a day. Cast Aside tackled some hard topics, like grief, coming out later in life, estrangement, poverty, family expectations, abandonment issues, etc.

The book was different in the way that the love story unfolds. Mel has never had a romantic attraction to anyone. We never get a full answer as to why this was, trauma, being on the aromantic spectrum, it’s never really explicitly said. Which, it doesn’t have to, sometimes we don’t know the why behind things, but I think if it was for or because any of the reasons mentioned above, it would have been a nice segue in spreading some representation or awareness in one or all of those areas. But it’s a minor thing for me. It was refreshing to read about a 35 year old virgin. I don’t believe there is enough representation when it comes things like that in romance novels. Sex is usually not an issue for characters. It’s nice to see characters be human when it comes to sex and have the insecurities or inexperiences that a lot of people probs have but don’t read or talk about.

I feel like Mel was neurodivergent-coded but it was never explicitly said. I would be interested if anyone else feels the same way.

The FWB situation with Tilly and Renna was surprisingly not toxic, dare I say healthy? There are different forms of love out there and their friendship shows that. The way Mel, Renna and Josie handled the situation with Josie having feelings for Mel and the guilt that Mel had for finally having romantic feelings but not for Josie, was incredibly respectful and thoughtful. I liked how Renna would think of how things would be hurtful and would give Mel little reminders. It also showed that Mel didn’t intend to hurt Josie but sometimes doesn’t think about certain things.

Overall, this was an amazing tale of finding yourself, finding your people and ultimately finding freedom.


🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻Fingers crossed for a Tilly and Minnie story, even though I thought for a second maybe Tilly and Josie would get together.

would like to thank netgalley and the pubilisher for letting me read this book

a hospital drama with a twist....

a nurse and a doctor butting heads its a great storyline...

finished this book within a day as it was a quick read but also entertaining... its full of drama with a bit of a twist

This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a romantic and intense medical drama with a strong focus on a same-sex relationship, particularly those who enjoy stories featuring women of color and are looking for a spicy, emotionally charged love story.

I enjoy medical romances and happily read an ARC of this novel. The story is engaging. A skilled orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mel Hardy crosses paths with surgical nurse Serenity (Renna) Lee. Mel doesn’t have the best interpersonal skills and doesn’t like her actions questioned. Renna has advanced training and perceives Mel as seeing her as “less" because she is a nurse. That issue comes up a lot until Mel gets to know Renna better. Mel has never felt the need for a romantic relationship but Renna sparks her interest.

I don’t want to give away more of the plot but both have suffered from losses in the past. They also both have BFF’s they confide in that work at the same hospital with them. I like the medical aspects of the story. It took me longer than it should have to get the characters straight in my mind. I think it was because friends referred to each other by first names and at the hospital it was all last names. I liked Renna trying to be extra careful with Mel as her feelings are new to her. And I thought there was the right amount of heat.

One thing that made the book choppy or harder to follow is changing viewpoints or scenes abruptly. Chapters begin by identifying whose POV is telling the story but it will switch mid chapter. I don’t usually comment on format issues as my copy is an advanced copy and I assume in the final product issues will be fixed. I had a PDF version and it came through aligned to the right on my reader without any separation between paragraphs and scenes. So between POV switching and my copy not having normal breaks it made it much more difficult to read. I would have to pause to think about who is speaking and how much time has passed. I am not marking the book down because of the alignment in my copy but transitions should be smoother. I think the cover is beautiful and fit the characters.

I enjoy f/f romances and this one works for me story wise. It was interesting medically and didn’t get too technical. (3.5 Stars)

Cassidy Langue is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are fun to read, I enjoy the chemistry and tension she builds with her characters.
I hope this medical romance is part of a series. I enjoyed reading it so much.
I will continue to follow her and look forward to more books by this author.