Review Tuesday: Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue -- #ReviewTuesday #LesbianRomance #FakeMarriage #ForcedProximity

Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue

Ylva Publishing, 2023

Being a single parent is never easy, but Sarah will do whatever is necessary to give her eight year old daughter Noa a life of love and security. Her ex-partner Cait, the biological mother, is off doing humanitarian work in remote African villages, leaving Sarah to juggle her demanding boss, all the cooking and housework, Noa’s education, and the occasional pizza night with friends Kristin and Andi. Though she doesn’t have much time for herself, Sarah enjoys the satisfaction of watching their child mature into a creative, kind, independent individual.

Andi has built her life around her career as a skilled craftswoman, much in demand for interiors including her trademark trompe l’oeil paintings. Rejected by her mother and grudgingly raised by her aunt, Andi has zero interest in children. She has learned to stay strong and live on her own, without love. At this point, caring deeply for anyone seems an unnecessary risk.

When Cait’s wealthy parents show up at Sarah’s door intending to claim custody of Noa, Andi unexpectedly steps in, claiming to be Sarah’s new live-in partner. The consequences of her charitable impulse turn out to be far reaching, as Rosalind and Lionel, Noa’s grandparents, turn on the legal pressure and force the two women to maintain the charade of a happy family. Before long Andi finds herself living in Sarah’s cluttered but comfortable house, picking Noa up at school, even sleeping in Sarah’s bed (while Sarah bunks down on the couch).

Andi tells herself the situation is only temporary, until they can manage to contact Cait. But the days lengthen into weeks, Cait remains unreachable, and the grandparents become increasingly assertive in their quest to rip Noa away from her mother. Meanwhile, to her surprise and alarm, Andi discovers she has developed warm feelings for both Noa and her mother.

Not for a Moment is a sweet, satisfying lesbian romance with appealing characters and believable conflicts. Anyone who reads my reviews will know that I have some issues with trope-heavy romance, due to its predictability. This novel utilizes several popular tropes, in particular “forced proximity” and “fake marriage”. However, Ms. Blue manages these themes with great skill.

The threat posed by Rosalind’s and Lionel’s custody claim feels real and imminent. Having Andi pose as Sarah’s partner is a logical response to that threat. Unlike some romances, the relationship between Sarah and Andi develops at a realistic pace, with the inevitable setbacks and misunderstandings. Both women are old enough to appreciate the dangers of promising too much – especially when there’s a child involved. There’s no insta-love here, but a far more gradual build-up of attraction, affection and trust.

The book includes only one explicit love scene. However, there are a number of luscious kisses that gradually raise the temperature between the two women. There’s also a wonderfully intimate conversation, about halfway through the book, in which Andi and Sarah describe for one another what they enjoy sexually. This sort of discussion is actually pretty rare in romance novels. The preferences they’ve shared make their physical compatibility more plausible when they finally do fall into bed together.

Rosalind and Lionel are portrayed as self-centered but well-meaning. I enjoyed Lionel’s increasing assertiveness, as he comes to realize their quest for custody is not in Noa’s best interests. Rosalind seems a bit too nasty to be true, a little cartoonish, but one thing is clear: Noa would be miserable in her care.

Which brings me to the final character, who really clinched my enjoyment of the story: Noa. She’s feisty, funny, naughty and ambitious. Ms. Blue has an acknowledgment in the front matter, thanking friends who helped her figure out how an eight year old would talk. Noa’s voice rang true for me. I could easily imagine the child she was, and the woman she’d grow up to be. It’s no wonder that Andi fell in love with her, as well as with her mother.

As usual, Cheyenne Blue writes with sensitivity and insight. While grabbing a cover image to post with this review, I noted that Not For a Moment has over eight hundred ratings on Amazon, the majority five stars.

I’m impressed, but not that surprised.