Review shared on Goodreads, Amazon, B & N and V's Reads: https://vsreads.com/2017/07/20/tbr-thursday-as-la-vista-turns-a-review/

Zane Jaffe is a realtor who’s got a list for her life. Right now, the top priority is to get pregnant, though she’s a single lesbian woman. She’s been “fake dating” her friend “Dred” (short for Mildred) a cantankerous black pan-sexual woman who is raising an infant son with the help of her cousin Obie and his boyfriend Everett–who live in a big farmhouse on the edge of La Vista. (Obie and Everett are the couple from Gays of our Lives). Thing is, Zane’s sorta/kinda wanting more than a fake relationship with Dred. Maybe. It’s not on her list though…

After twelve failed cycles of inseminations, Zane’s really down on the prospect of pregnancy. She wants it so badly she’s willing to try some unconventional work–like accepting the donation of a dear friend’s…specimen. And, while all this is coming, literally, to a head, Zane’s determined to create a venue for all her friends to gather and mourn the loss of so many in their community. She’s working hand-in-hand with Keith, Josh and Cam, our menage from ONE LIFE TO LOSE, to be sure this “wake” is tasteful and positive. Add to all this the drama building between Zane and Dred, and well, it’s definitely a soap opera.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story. I knew there would a romance, but I didn’t expect to be so viscerally engaged in the pregnancy battle. It was such a whirlwind being inside Zane’s head, and connecting with her deep sense of loss when she hadn’t conceived. Hand to God, I think I got sympathetic menstrual cramps as a result. I did get frustrated with Zane’s inability to think about life beyond her lists. It was clear that Dred was reaching out, and Zane’s so keyed into her own headspace that she messed that right up. But, she did make it right, let her iron focus slip, and saw the good of it. Saw the beauty of living unscripted, and finding unexpected love.

This book was a fantastic resolution to the stories in the series. We see all the players as they assist Zane’s efforts with the “wake” and her pregnancy woes. They aren’t features, but their vignettes cap off the stories we’ve experienced with them, and the sense of wholeness is further developed when the wake happens. All these people were touched by tragedy and love, and their lives are all the richer than when we began. I’ve really enjoyed the spectrum of persons in the books, and recommend them to any reader who likes sexually diverse fiction. I hadn’t realized I’d needed catharsis from the first four books, but I’m all the better for it, too. Highly recommend. A review copy was received via NetGalley

Having been invested in this series since the beginning, I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to end. Especially after the suspense was ended in the last book in the series, I wanted to see how things would end up with everyone. Find out how they are all adjusting after finding out who the killer was.

Zane has been a favorite character of mine since the start – and the fact that this is her book? Made it all the better. I must admit though, since Zane was my favorite, I was a bit worried that her book wouldn’t live up to what I had hoped for her. Needless to say – I was blown away because it was written in a way that I couldn’t help but root for both Zane and Mildred. Zane wasn’t expecting to fall in love, but she did. And I loved how it scared her. Because it made the book more real.

Mildred’s character was one that tugged on my heartstrings. I wanted so much for her to smack Zane upside the head, but that isn’t her. She was tough, and you knew that, but she also showed her soft side.

Overall – I would say that if you have been invested in this series, then you should check this book out!

If you haven’t read the series – you should be able to read this book as a standalone, but I can’t guarantee it.

100% not a standalone. I spent so much of this book completely lost and while some of the writing was snappy and fun, I had no idea who was who and who loved who and what the living hell was happening.

This book, as with the previous one in the series, felt less like a romance and more like a story about planning a party and IVF. I think the pregnancy aspect really was overwhelming at time when I would have loved more of a romance between Zane and Dred. The other thing I was longing for, with this being the final book in the series, was an epilogue.

<i>*I received this book from NetGalley and Riptide Publishing in return for a fair review.*</i>

This book stars Suzanne ‘Zane’ Jaffe who is thirty-five, works in real estate, is a lesbian, and – throughout the course of this series – more exactly for the past 12/13 months, she has been attempting to become pregnant through artificial means. While that has been going on, around month 3 or 5, Zane started ‘dating’ another woman named Dred (Mildred) who has a kid of her own (baby James). Pretend dating – to get her friends, mostly Jaq, to stop talking about Zane hooking up with someone. Or, at least it was supposed to be pretend dating.

And so – that’s what this book is about. Zane, who has appeared in the previous five books as a side character, is now front and center and having a point of view of her own (the only point of view in the book). Trying to get pregnant. While that other plot line that has bounced along in the series, that serial killer guy . . . <spoiler>don’t click on the spoiler unless you’ve read books 1-4 <spoiler>was concluded in the last book, but people are still freaking out, so Zane is planning on/thinking about/is arranging for a ‘wake’ because Club Fred’s is filled with depressed people</spoiler>.</spoiler>. So plot lines – Zane 1) is trying to get pregnant; 2) is planning a party at Club Fred’s; 3) is pretend dating Dred; 4) is working through the concept of trying to become pregnant for the past year; 5) is working through the concept that maybe she doesn’t want to just be ‘pretending’ with Dred.

Meanwhile . . . I haven’t actually said much that wasn’t in the book description.

Everyone that has appeared in the series, at least the main characters, show up in this end-book. Emerson and Obie from book one play prominent roles – they kind of have to since they live in the same house that Dred lives in (with Baby James) – there’s a story there, apparently ‘Aunt Florence’ mostly raised Obie and Dred (so those two grew up together). Jaq and Hannah from book two – more Jaq, also play important roles, since Jaq, Zane, and Carlos (who doesn’t get a book of his own) ‘grew up together’ (not exactly sure what that means fully, though I know they went to school together, though Carlos is somewhere around being at least three months older than the other two – as a ‘hint’ – Carlos is the one who self proclaims himself to be a ‘dwarf’). Ed and Alisha, from book 3, have less of an ‘in’ into this story group, but are known by Zane and so appear here in the book. I’m not sure what Zane’s connection, exactly, is with Keith/Cam/and Josh (those three being the mains of book 4), but they play a large role in this book since Zane keeps bouncing over to their community center for ‘reasons’ – some of which correspond to Zane’s need to throw a party.

Before I go too far - it should be noted: This book really is one that is better read after the other books in the series. There’s a ton of information to already know – some of which is revealed/rementioned in the book, but . . . to a lesser extent than might have occurred if the other books in the series hadn’t existed. Just a warning. Mind you, I did only complete books two and three, and still came to the conclusion that I did regarding book five (this book here) – a conclusion to be mentioned later.

Of less importance, and more of just something I noted along the way - I've known about this book, and its cover, from the beginning - since I started reading the first word in this series (or, at the very least, around the same time I read book two – <a href=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29862915-the-butch-and-the-beautiful>The Butch and the Beautiful</a>). So I've pictured Zane as the woman on the cover of this book whenever she popped up in the series. Well, it appears that - yes she has purple hair; she also has some portion of her head 'shaved' - unless I misread 'my half-shaved purple' - unlike the woman on the cover of the book.

Right, so, the story itself – I was bouncing along nicely with the story, watching it unfold – Zane’s all angsty about getting pregnant, and feeling like maybe she shouldn’t have suggested that ‘pretend’ dating idea to Dred, because now she wants to actually date her; while also throwing together plans to hold a party – maybe at Club Freds. You know, the plot was unfolding. Then the main character started doing a few stupid things – things that she knew were stupid, took the time to think about them, and then did them anyway. And . . . it annoyed me. That was around 62% into the book. You know what happened after that? The unexpected. I spent a good portion of the last 38% of the book giggling and outright laughing and or being happy with the book (there's a hilarious scene wherein Zane is 'impregnating' herself, while Dred watches. . . and 'helps'; I knew that scene was going to occur because there were 'mentions' before it happened - frankly I kind of expected to be grossed out, instead I found it hilarious). Odd, that. *shrugs*

But what I’ve already noted is what the book is about – an end book the series, ‘stuff’ has occurred, the ‘camera’ has focused on certain characters in this La Vista place in California – zeroing in on a few queers here and there – starting with the gay guy with MS (specifically mentioning Emerson, since this is a one camera ‘comedy’ type situation, as in one point of view – more later), then the ‘stereotypical’ Butch-Femme match-up of book 2 (of which, the couple joked in this book here, book 5, that they’d be the ones to talk to the old guard queers, because of their Butch-Femme situation), then both a transgender story and a twist on the idea of what it means to be queer – with the third book focusing on a MF couple (one of whom is transgender (and ‘ethnic’), other one thought of themselves as being a lesbian before joining up with this man). Fourth book pulled in a ‘poly’ gay relationship.

So, what did book five pull in? At the outset it pulled in a woman who was willing to pretend to date another woman to ‘hold off’ on pressure from friends to ‘find someone’ to ‘help’ with this pregnancy hunt (more help hold hand, and the like, not help as in impregnate). Said woman, Zane, never planned to end up in an actual real relationship – it’s not in her plans, not on her list. No, she wants to get pregnant. And have a family that way. She’s not aromantic, or asexual though, no she’s a lesbian with a strong need to have a certain freedom that comes from being able to come home to your place, and bounce around naked – because no one else is there. Her ‘pretend’ girlfriend is a self-described pansexual woman, who has a kid of her own, and is and/or gives the impression of being chubby. That being Dred, who is also, as noted somewhere above, connected to an older woman named Aunt Florance who raised her and Obie (the story behind that might have been mentioned at some point, but if so, I missed it). Dred, or Mildred, is the individual who allows me to put the book on my ‘person of color’ shelf, being as she’s half-white/half-black.

Dred’s actual occupation is not one that I was able to pin down. As far as I could figure out, Dred has varying income – as in one month she might pull in 200 dollars, another month could see 500 or more; and somehow or another that income comes from photographing people getting married. I believe she’s a photographer who owns her own company. I could be wrong about that. It’s not easy to tell completely, since everything about her comes through Zane’s eyes since Dred doesn’t have a point of view of her own.

One interesting aspect of bouncing around among a group of people who know of each other – some closely, some more of a passing acquaintance, is the neat part of watching the POV pull in some side characters – and see them slightly differently than others have in the past (like Donald that old Asian dude who is a legend; or Fredi; or any of the main characters seen through someone else’s eyes).

Overall I enjoyed the book – it wasn’t as angsty as I thought it might end up being, though there were moments wherein I thought it might end up being. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a bunch of angst involved – about pregnancy, relationships, etc. Just . . . not an overwhelming amount.

I liked both main characters, and the individuals who they bumped into, though a reader really gets to know Zane more than anyone else. One of those unfortunate aspects of a one person point of view. Still, I got to know Dred and Zane well enough to like them together.

Last note: <b>This book will be published February 27 2017</b>.

Rating: 4.97

January 19 2017

One of my favourite things about this book is that it was about family -- the families we choose and make. The different queer identities and relationships was wonderful and really showed the diversity of the queer community. This was the first book I've read in this series, and the number of characters (who are the romantic leads in other books) was a little overwhelming. In addition, the book dealt with the aftermath of a mystery that took place throughout the rest of the series. However, the main relationship, a f/f friends-to-more romance between Zane and Dred was engaging and romantic. Overall, a wonderful glimpse of a queer community and a lovely read.

And we come to the end of this wonderful series. I couldn't have been more happy than to see Zane end up with Dred, and the family that was beginning to be built at the very start of this series with her, Obie, Emerson and baby James.

This story had a real family focus to it; family, and the different kinds of family that queer people can build. The focus was on those living in the farm house together, mentioned above, but there were also a couple of references to the polyamorous family that was beginning to be built in One Life to Lose. I actually think that I loved seeing Keith, Cam and Josh together in this book more than I loved them even in the book that focused on the three of them.

This book had all the good tying in that the fifth book of a series is meant to do, as well as having a stellar romantic thread between Zane and Dred. But, boy howdy, has there ever been a tendency towards commitment phobes in this series of books! Both Zane and Dred could give everyone else in this set a real run for their money.

I loved the theme of family, also seen in the community surrounding Club Fred's, tying this whole book together. I'm a huge fan of alternative family models, and seeing so many in this book just made me feel all warm and fuzzy while reading it. Definitely a good round off to a fun series.