My apologies for letting this languish on my list! Time makes fools of us all, even when we’re not starring in ghost romances.

Some of the scenes were a bit strong, but overall, the story was well-written.

The Women of Dauphine - Synopsis:

When Cassie’s family moves into a decrepit house in New Orleans, the only upside is her new best friend. Gem is witty, attractive, and sure not to abandon Cassie—after all, she’s been confined to the old house since her murder in the ’60s.

As their connection becomes romantic, Cassie must keep more and more secrets from her religious community, which hates ghosts almost as much as it hates gays. Even if their relationship prevails over volatile parents and brutal conversion therapy, it may not outlast time.

This was an interesting read, and the commentary is fantastic, but the plot felt very rushed and I felt as though there needed to be more to this book to keep it going.

DNF

I did not read this book and I know longer have any interest in reading it. This was during the beginning of my NetGalley “everything looks great so I am going to request it without looking into the book. I have definitely become more selective in choosing what books I want to request and read.

This book deals with so many important topics and incredibly sensitively. The horrors of conversion therapy is something there is still not enough public awareness of in my opinion. I did feel however that it perhaps tried to weave it too many elements for such a short book so it felt a little like I was rushing through the years when I was reading it.

It was very different and very interesting read.
To be in love with a ghost and live with the consequenses, wow.
I liked Cassie alot, and how we got to follow her grow up with seeing and falling in love with a ghost.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a digital ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

To say this was an uncomfortable read is an understatement. I found the conversion therapy with children to be particularly troubling. While this book made me uncomfortable a lot, I am glad I read it so I have an inkling of an idea as to what that must have been like.

I HATE conversion therapy stories. Really hate them. I am a queer reader and part of the LGBTQIAP+ community, so maybe these stories just hit me in a different way. They’re important, I understand what happens but I really don’t want to read them. And if I had known that going in I may not have read this one which would have been a shame because this is a good book. As opposed to some of these sorts of stories, it felt far more nuanced. The main character was actually likeable which was a big plus, and being gay was not just conflated with who you want to have sex with. It reminded me a little of Moira Fowley Doyle’s work – an author I love – possibly because of the magical/ supernatural elements. So in the end, despite my preconceptions, I loved this book and would recommend it.

Official rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Initial Reaction —
This is a lot to unpack from this story, holy cow. It’s definitely not the most heartwarming read, for there is seldom a happy moment that lasts more than a few pages, but it is undoubtedly real. It talks about real issues and subjects, such as sexuality, conversion therapy, PSTD, child abuse, dysfunctional families, and so much more. The only pivotal flaw is that emotional punch to back all of that up is not entirely there.

Full Review —
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Women of Dauphine tells the heart-wrenching tale of a young girl named Cassandra. Raised by strict Christian parents that permit her with little to no breathing room to make her decisions, Cassandra felt completely and utterly trapped. No family to confide in. No friends to lend a supportive hand. No one at all. She simply went through the motions, never doing anything for herself, seeing that there was no one around to push her to pursue her own ambitions, nor did she know what they were.

Cue Gem, the strange and enigmatic girl that lives in Cassie’s most recent household. No one else can see Gem but Cassie, but Cassie never questions it because finally, she found a friend, someone kind and cool that she can have all to herself. The two girl’s friendship quickly evolves into something special, something that could not be easily severed. Nevertheless, once the truth of Gem’s unaging physique comes into fruition, and as Cassie grows from a child into a young girl, it seems that the life circumstances are determined to put their bond to the ultimate test.

There is a lot to unpack from this story, really. It brings into discussion a handful of taboo subjects and controversies, such as sexuality, conversion therapy, child abuse, toxic households and dysfunctional families, as well as the universal theme of growing up and accepting your own individuality. As said before, due to their suffocating religious convictions and overbearing demeanor, Cassie felt obligated to satisfy her parents’ overzealous expectations rather than figure out what she desired for herself. She had to follow the will of God. She had to be the high-achieving, ideal student in school. She had to be compliant and obedient and straight. But Cassie had other ideas stirring in the back of her mind, waiting idly for her permission to blossom, and once that door was breached, there was absolutely no chance of reverting back to that shell of a person.

Gem is not only Cassie’s best friend but her mentor in a lot of ways, being (un)living proof of the significance of open-mindedness, adventure, and adamance. In fact, one of my favorite moments in this book is when Cassie comes out to Gem and how genuinely exited Gem is for her. Cassie needed to be reassured that her attraction for women was normal as well as a revelation to relish in, and Gem is that consolation, advocating desire over standard. Sure, there are obstacles to behold, sometimes too expansive and bottomless to get over with a mere leap, but do not give up hope. Cassie endures her parents’ degradation and wrath. Cassie holds out during the torment of that horrific conversion camp, including the slop food and the beatings and the electricity. Cassie even speaks against Gem herself when she realizes that she cannot forever be bound to the four walls of her room if she wants to live her life and experiment and shatter the chains that had limited her for so long. Trial after trial, Cassie must enter the scene with swinging fists, the battle bloodcurdling, but she does not stop. She keeps swinging. She keeps trekking. And at the same time that the author, Deb Jannerson, is depicting a girl who refuses to yield, she is stressing how unfair it is that one must struggle so hard for joy and ecstasy.

Unfortunately, regardless of all the representation that this book attempts to bring to the table, it lacks the emotional depth to truly dive home a resounding punch and leave the reader simultaneously shaken and moved. In other words, when the book should have taken a moment to slow down and allow a moment to stew to, letting the reader submerge themselves in what was happening, it was hastily glossed over, summarized, and then proceeded with the next stimulating or gruesome event. This seems to be the downfall of more than YA novels, in which the author is almost afraid to go too dark, but I stand by the fact that making that extra stride toward bleakness and helplessness results in a more fulfilling and heartwarming ending. I felt for Cassie, without a doubt, but I could have felt more if certain things were further fermented.

I’ll admit, when all’s said and done, I don’t think that there was a single moment in which I smiled throughout the course of this book. It was extremely somber, and at times, disturbing, but I do believe that this is exactly what Deb Jannerson was trying to accomplish. This is not a story for the light-hearted. This is a story that is supposed to bring awareness, reveal that these are the problems that exist today - extreme cases of them - and begs for a solution because NO ONE should have to SUPPRESS their TRUE CHARACTER. There is no reason that a person should be forsaken happiness. Not for family. Not for one’s perception of God. Nada. Zilch.

I would recommend this book to anyone adores a story about pure and unadulterated resilience against the system, striving for autonomy, and fighting relentlessly for what you want.

As an non LGBTQIA person, I have to admit that there are parts that made me feel uneasy. But this is not a bad thing, God no. It is actually great.
Everything that happens to Cassie throughout this book is unsettling and uneasy and I think it is more to relate to her because of that. It is the need to share that we all get and that makes us feel bounded.
Cassie is a great character. She is strong, she is amazing. A recommended read from me.

I almost feel like this book needs a different rating for each half. It started out really good. Great character development, interesting historical tidbits, unique & intriguing storyline. But then it just kind of fell apart. The characters stopped being interesting and just became rather predictable. The ending didn’t mesh with the rest of the story and felt very rushed. Disappointing...

This book could have used trigger warnings as it contains mentions of sexual assault, suicide, conversion therapy and abuse.

The book definitely highlights the problems and cruelty that goes with these topics, but it can be highly triggering for some people.

But putting that aside, this book is reminiscent of Vox and The Handmaidens Tale as it is a heavy and uncomfortable topic that Jannerson has used as the basis of the book.
All in all the book is beautifully written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Cassie’s family moves into a decrepit house in New Orleans, the only upside is her new best friend. Gem is witty, attractive, and sure not to abandon Cassie—after all, she’s been confined to the old house since her murder in the ’60s.

As their connection becomes romantic, Cassie must keep more and more secrets from her religious community, which hates ghosts almost as much as it hates gays. Even if their relationship prevails over volatile parents and brutal conversion therapy, it may not outlast time.

This was really hard to read. I had no idea going in that it would discuss such heavy topics and not having any warning made it so I was very uncomfortable reading about those things. I had to skim a few parts because the scenes were more graphic than I was prepared to handle.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazing! My heart broke for Cassie, and I loved how her relationship with Gem developed. I'm glad she had Gem throughout all the horrible events with her parents, conversion therapy, etc.
I was really curious about Daze and was surprised to see her make an appearance. I thought for sure that she had another pyromaniac stunt at the end.
I thought the book ended very realistically. Although I wish things could have worked out between them I can understand why it was not in their best interests.

Thank you to NetGalley, NineStar Press and Ms. Deb Jannerson for the opportunity to read and review this Advanced Readers Copy.
4 stars!
Although listed as a YA, this book should not be overlooked by adults. Appropriately published during Pride Month, it is both powerful and painful.

An exquisite tale of forbidden love and the struggle to just "be".

A young girl fights to find herself in a family filled with parental brutality, extreme homophobia and strict religious beliefs.

Cassie, having just moved with her family into a Victorian Style home in New Orleans becomes best friends with the girl who lives upstairs. Only problem is that "Gem" is a ghost and grounded to the house.

Cassie and Gem fall in love, becoming inseparable, a love affair that last many years...until Cassie makes a mistake and finds herself locked up in the "Chose People Camp".

This religious camp helps teens "end relationships with ghosts" and cure them of their homosexual desires... A Conversion Therapy Camp fraught with torture, physical violence and manipulation.

This is a hard read but it's a story that needs to be told over and over again...until one day Everyone Can Just Be.

#TheWomenOfDauphine
#NetGalley
#LGBTQ2
#DebJannerson

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley & author.

needless to say, this is an extremely unique storyline. a lesbian love GHOST story set in the 90s!?

ther eare some dark topics in this book... the main being a conversion therapy that shows just how dark an dinhumane it can be.

this book is YA, but as an adult, I definitely enjoyed it. !

This had me at lesbian ghost story set in my prime angst years of the 90s--what more could one ask for? Ultimately, this ended up being quite a bit darker than what I had been expecting with trigger warnings out the yin-yang. It is not an easy book to get through and try as I might afterwards, I cannot even describe an actual plotline beyond the main character coming to realize she's gay, is in love with a ghost, and then surviving ex-gay(ex-ghost, apparently) conversion therapy. Even though it's lacking a fuller story I still found myself immersed in this world. More shocking to me is that I actually enjoyed the ending! This isn't an easy book, and bittersweet is the overall tone. It's probably not going to be for everyone, but it really is a unique and well-written narrative.

This is very uncomfortable to read. There are a lot of heavy topics in this book. I think the one that will stand out the most is the conversion therapy. It highlights the cruelty of the practice and how it can simply break people. Luckily, we do have some hope in Cassie and her relationship with a ghost. Weird, but I think necessary, given what Cassie had to endure.

Since this is a YA novel, there is an obligatory love triangle - in this case, between human Cassie and Jem and her ex-girlfriend; the latter two being ghosts. At first I couldn't really wrap my head around how Cassie and Jem could touch while other things would go right through the ghost, but I decided to just go with it. I usually roll my eyes at the love triangle, because it's done so much, but in this case, I thought it was a great way to show how normal a love triangle can be for a teen compared to the abnormal abuse Cassie faced.

This is a tough read, but and important reminder about the special abuses that LGBTQ folk have faced despite being in a country like the USA. Good read, recommended.

While the book seemed a little choppy in the beginning and seemed to end fairly abruptly, I ultimately enjoyed and appreciated it. I was drawn in with the paranormal circumstances description, but found an eye-opening story filled with issues the LGBTQIA community have endured and even continue to face. Overall, I would recommend this book to more than just fans of YA paranormal romance.

3.50 Stars. This is a book that was well written but hard to read. Trigger warnings include violence, abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and the one that really bothered me, conversion therapy. Actually, had I realized this book included children in conversion therapy I would have passed on it. I do want to make clear though this is not NineStar Press’ fault or the author’s but mine for not reading the whole book blurb. I find book blubs to often be too spoilerish, so I tend to skim or ignore them all together. I read the first paragraph, saw that this was a lesfic YA-paranormal-romance, and immediately grabbed this book. I just ignored the conversion therapy part that is clearly sitting right there in paragraph two of the blurb.

I’m even having a little trouble rating this as it was well done for a hard read. I guess it really is 4 stars for being well written but 3 for my personal enjoyment, so I’m rounding it out to 3.5. I don’t want to scare people away because the author is talented and I felt good about the book’s ending, but I do have to warn that this is a tough read.

The main character Cassie is quite likeable but you spend a large part of the book just feeling badly for her. Her awful parents, crappy school situation, then the f#cked up conversion therapy. However, Cassie is resilient and while I can’t imagine how much real therapy she is going to need for everything she’s been through, she has incredible strength and it gives you the reader some hope.

This book does include a sweet YA romance. I liked Jannerson’s whole ghost girlfriend approach and I thought it worked really well. The light romance was one of the sweet spots in a tough to read book.

If you think you can handle a book with such topics, this is worth the read. It was not really a book for my personal tastes, but it was well written and not a book I will soon forget. I do hope Jannerson will write something easier to read next as I would like to read her again.