I have to say, I thought I knew what to expect from this one as it has tropes I have seen before, but Frame did a great job in making me interested in these character.

Fair warning: The book starts off strong, loses steam, and picks right back up. Don't give up on it!

A tricky one to review as I think it appeals to a reasonably specific audience.

The two main characters are big-time lawyer Davina Trent and bohemian travelling nanny Wendy Darling. The two cross paths when Davina becomes the custodian of her deceased cousin's two children and hires Wendy to help out until they head off to boarding school.

What I liked about the book was the softening of Trent and her growth in becoming a more complete person. Wendy seems close to perfect to begin with so her character didn't evolve quite so much.

The two develop a bond, but given the employer/employee nature of their relationship, they're both slightly reluctant and careful. It doesn't take long however for the two to really connect. At that point it became a tad more difficult for me as a reader as it very much seemed a subservient relationship which didn't appeal as much to me. There's definitely fire between them and a nice bow wrapped up at the end.

Overall I think it was a pretty good and fast-paced read.

One of the author's best works to date - both Trent and Wendy were so well developed they came alive. I could really picture them and they jumped off the pages. They had fantastic chemistry, and their sexual dynamic was deliciously well written. The supporting characters and the storyline about Alice's trauma was also sensitively written and well handled. I teared up in more than one scene where the children were talking about their dad.

Stevie‘s review of Someone to Love (An Unexpected Romance, Book 2) by Jenny Frame
Contemporary Lesbian Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 10 Dec 19

Although I love Jenny Frame’s contemporary novels generally, I wasn’t particularly taken with Unexpected, partly because of the OTT behaviour of the protagonists’ ex-girlfriends. I was intrigued by the premise of this one, and decided to see if one of those ex-girlfriends could, indeed, be redeemed. Davina Trent – just Trent to her friends – broke up with Becca prior to the previous book, because she didn’t want a family, whereas Becca did. Although she is secretly a little envious of how Becca’s life has turned out, Trent’s work as a divorce lawyer has further convinced her that there’s no such thing as a happy ever after for most people. And then two children come into her life, turning everything upside down, especially Trent’s long-held beliefs and expectations.


The children in question are the son and daughter of Trent’s cousin – and childhood friend – David, and they have survived a car crash in which he was killed instantly, their mother having died three years earlier. When Trent meets the children, she wants as little to do with them as possible, but has to take them home with her if they aren’t to end up in the care of Social Services and to face the possibility of being split up. Trent is convinced that the best place for them will be boarding school – in spite of their young ages – and determines to hire a nanny until places can be arranged.

Wendy Darling – her father had a sense of humour when naming her – dropped out of university after an ex took all her money and left her with massive debts. After spending five years working abroad, Wendy has cleared those debts and is in a position to return and finish her degree. A short-term nannying contract, with accommodation, is exactly what she needs to tide her over until term starts. Of course, she hadn’t bargained on falling so hard for both her charges and their guardian.

Trent and Wendy are both understandably damaged by their respective childhoods – we see quite a lot of indications of what happened in both, and while Wendy did at least have grandparents who loved her, she has also had her trust in people shattered by her ex’s behaviour. Slowly but surely we see them learn to live together and to reach out to each other in times of need, and without at first realising it, they and the children become a proper family.

I loved this book so much and was also very glad that we get to revisit Becca and Dale from the first book – and their children – under less trying circumstances. I’d love to see more books in this series now.

Grade: A

A good story but sometimes it felt a bit rushed. Not the first part though, that was perfect. I liked the main characters!

Someone to Love by Jenny Frame

3/5 Stars

Nice drama romance. Pulls at the heartstrings.
I enjoyed this story but for me it started off a little slow. Once I got going I was glad I did.

Thank you #NetGalley for this book I'm exchange for my honest review

This is a nice enough romance but nothing to make it stand out. Davina Trent is a high-powered divorce lawyer who is totally closed off from her emotions. A tragic accident makes her the guardian to two young children. Her busy life doesn't have space in it for children but she's not one to shirk her responsibilities. Wendy has been wandering the globe to repair her broken heart and financial debt. A job as a nanny to two traumatized children is exactly the interim gig she needs before returning to university.

I kept thinking how much this felt like 'The Sound of Music' minus five children, a great score and Julie Andrews. Okay, so not entirely, but more the sentiment. Trent and Wendy didn't have enough personality in the present given their respective backgrounds to make me feel empathy with them. I found them both to be fairly one-dimensional stereotypes.

I don't mind children in romances but these two didn't tug at my heartstrings. Their circumstances and their response to it could have a wonderfully powerful way to bring the story together but instead it was a little bland.

There was too much repetition around the age gap, both of their resistance to trusting again and Trent's feelings of inadequacy around children. Trent's one night stand didn't add any value to the story for me either.

This is my least favourite story by Frame and although I am rating it two and a half stars, I can't bring myself to round up.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion
Plot and romance was typical. It wasn’t unique. It is a safe book for beginning romance.

This is a sequel to Ms. Frame’s book, Unexpected, which featured the characters Becca and Dale. The main characters in this book are Davina Trent, Becca’s ex-fiancé, and Wendy Darling. Davina is a smart, driven, successful divorce attorney. Wendy is a woman who is heartbroken after her fiancé left her shortly before their wedding. She was saddled with many bills which have taken her five years to pay off. Because of this nasty breakup, Wendy never wants to give her heart to anyone again. During the five years she works many jobs internationally to pay off the bills and enjoys experiencing other countries and their cultures.

With different views on life, how do they ever meet? Davina finds herself with two young children after her cousin dies. She is totally butch and has no idea how to take care of children. The best solution is to find a nanny to take care of them. Wendy has a lot of experience after being a nanny during the five years that she was traveling. In addition, she is one semester short of attaining her early childhood education degree. Wendy becomes the nanny of Davina’s two children. Davina and Wendy are attracted to each other, but neither wishes to act on her feelings. Davina feels she is too old for Wendy and Wendy does not want to risk her heart.

Ms. Frame has done a great job with this romance. As usual, her character development is excellent. Although the plot is simple, readers will enjoy it. It is also a believable story. For those who read Unexpected, you will find Becca and Dale included in this story. This is definitely an upbeat book with a cheerful ending.

If you like romances, Someone to Love is for you. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a fun spinoff! I had to read the first title in this series when I did a bit of research to have background. I truly enjoyed knowing the main character beforehand. Well developed characters and an interesting unique storyline really makes for a great book that is hard to put down.

I absolutely adore this book. I waffled back and forth on how to rate it after completing it, but I ultimately went with a full 5 stars. It is not a typical lesfic novel, but that is what continues to amaze me with the genre. There are so many different ways stories can develop. This story has so many elements that intertwine to make a beautiful love story, not just between 2 women, but between them and the children they support, ultimately making them into a family.

Davina Trent is a top divorce lawyer who lives to work. She has relations with other women, but never a relationship. She has had her heart broken before and doesn't have time for that again. When her cousin is killed in a car crash, she is the next of kin to his two children and has to care for them. Not being prepared to raise children, she hires a nanny, Wendy Darling, to watch out for them. Wendy herself has been through heartbreak where an ex-fiance took all of her money and then left her, crushing her in the process. The two children have been through a traumatic experience, losing their father and everyone they knew that loved them. This group of four are all on a path to creating a unique and loving family.

There was a line at the end of the book about how all of the people around Trent and Wendy (their friends Rebecca and Dale) were not blood relations, but they had all formed a family. I think this was the line that ultimately pushed me over to giving the book the 5-star rating. It summed up how I feel about families and what they are. It isn't about blood relations. It is about the love that they form and share with each other. There are so many blood-related families that will never share the same love that a family like the one in the story will share. This is a book I will return to for an enjoyable read, of people who have been broken, but find each other and are able to heal.

I was provided with a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers, Bold Strokes Books Inc., of 'Someone to Love' for affording me the opportunity to read the book and review it.
I’m familiar with the author’s audible books, but this is the first book of hers I have actually read. On the basis of this it will certainly not be the last.

This may be a sequel with characters from Frame’s novel “Unexpected”, but it stands comfortably as a stand-alone, although some readers may prefer to read them in sequence. I read it as a stand-alone and it worked well.

Quite simply it is an instant engrossing story and the pages turn themselves. The characters are multidimensional with flaws as well as hurtful pasts which have affected them and outwardly manifest in the way they handle people and situations. All the sensitive subjects were deftly and appropriately handled, and Frame shows insight and provided excellent means for resolving past hurts from grief and loss. In the real world it could be a longer process, but in the storyline with these characters, it works.

The author weaves characters’ backstories into the storyline and demonstrates what is possible, and that the right person can unlock the most affected. It’s a novel of hope, of growth, of overcoming past hurts, and frankly who doesn’t have them? And it’s a novel that promises a secure, happy future for the characters. And it also shows that no matter how complicated we see ourselves, there is someone for everyone, who can enrich their lives and help them achieve their dreams, overcome obstacles, and attain what they may have considered impossible.

I really enjoyed reading 'Someone to Love' and look forward to reading more novels by Jenny Frame in the future.

As a sequel to 'Unexpected,' I really was taken by surprise by the content of this story. I did not think there was going to be any involvement with Trent, Becca's ex-lover for some reason. Playing with the vibes found similarly in 'Courting the Countess,' also by Jenny Frame, any reader will most likely find a treat in this story of Trent, a woman whose focus on life and emotions grow from being inward to outward for those she grows to care about, Wendy and her two young cousins she brings into her heart, Noah and Alice.

The way Frame introduces the sensitive subject of mental health that varies among the main characters were also, I feel, respectful and carefully implemented, which also allowed me further insight into the mind of people who suffer from similar type of experiences and how to help others.

The domesticity of this story, much like its predecessor, was enjoyable. Yet, I feel that the antagonist could've been developed more. I feel like the antagonist in 'Unexpected' was much more developed and made me hate her more. To be honest, I was expecting a confrontation between Claudia and Wendy. I feel it would have given Trent more value as a character who fights for what she believes in, even if she is afraid of what may happen after. She did grow up emotionally, so to speak, unlike Peter Pan, but she had her own Wendy to guide her down that path, getting rid of any doubts she had about her life. It was a cute device that was in play in the story and I found it endearing.

Overall, this story shows readers that one is never too old to grow up and find the next big adventure in their life, whether it's growing up or finding someone to love.

Again this is a good read, because I’m a huge fan of Jenny Frame.
However if I’m being honest, it didn’t have much spark as Jenny’s other books. The story line wasn’t so in-depth and was quite generic to me.

Nevertheless I appreciate J.F efforts, cause this book doesn’t define the quality of her other books. She’s still a great author 😊

Thanks NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review

It took me a moment to catch on that this is book two of a series., with the first being 'Unexpected'.

Trent is not a likable character, it took more than half of the book for her character to be redeemed a bit. I didn't even realize she was butch went she appeared in "Unexpected" Although I shold know, Jenny Frame's books are all with a butch/femme relationship.

It is a good read if you can put realism aside. Trent and Wendy are totally different person from each other. The only thing they have in common are the kids. But if you enjoy heavy angst, butch/femme relationships, and stories with kids, this book is right in your alley.

Here’s why I did not enjoy this read:

Firstly, there wasn’t much of a romance. Wendy and Trent barely interact on a friendship level. Like, if they aren’t talking about the kids or processing Trent’s past trauma, what do they even have to talk about? This book doesn’t take the time to build their relationship at all, or even at least to build a compelling case for why they should be together. Wendy doesn’t even see Trent as a real person for most of the book, and calls her “damaged” as a reason for why she can’t be into her. She literally calls her “damaged” (this upset me lol) after Trent reveals some of her past to her. Tell me why I should root for them again? Wendy sees the family as something to fix. She sees all her families as that, tbh and woowww the ego of it all.

And with such a weak argument for them as a couple, it is repeated, several times throughout the book, why they should not be together. I’m sorry, but I agree with the naysayers? Wendy and Trent have so many power dynamics working in Trent’s favour and none of them are addressed in a meaningful way. The obstacles are just repeated and refuted in word over and over. Each time Wendy says “I know my own mind!” Or something, I just think, “Sure, hon.” and maybe this is because Wendy gets very little space in the story for her own growth arc and internal thought process concerning her growing feelings for Trent. It all happens very fast. What I am trying to say is that this book was rushed, okay?

Secondly, this book deals with a lot of heavy issues. Death of parents, physical trauma, and past emotional and physical abuse. That is a *lot* to take on as a reader and if you’re looking for a book that is going to jump in and out of these issues and handle them with little care or time, this is the book for you.

I know I cannot expect drawn out conversations and a beat-for-beat chronicling of the healing process but I think I can at least expect more than a conversation where the childhood trauma is cried about and then the scene quickly transitions into a sexual one. And even though the moment is cut short, that particular thread of processing is just never really picked up again.

Trent also has terribly low self-esteem to deal with. Every time she self-reflects I feel like cringing because it’s painful to watch. And she carries on like that right to the end too, the key problem unaddressed, as if it’s just regular momentary insecurity.

It must be said here that I have read and enjoyed (and recommended) other Frame books so I’m not new to her style, but I have never seen her attempt to take on so much in one book, and this one suffers greatly for it. There are a multitude of relationships to build and crises to resolve, and in the end, none of them are done very well.

Lastly, I resent the message of this book. The idea that Trent just needed some love and guidance. She needs that, yes, but more than that, she urgently needs therapy. Your loved one isn’t there to “fix” you, that is far too much to put on one person, even if their own inflated sense of self (I’m looking at you, Wendy) is eager to receive that responsibility.

Someone to love by Jenny Frame.

Davina Trent a top successful ruthless London lawyer whose life is turned upside down when suddenly Trent’s only relative is killed in a horrific car accident, leaving her next of kin to his 2 young traumatised children. As she has no idea what to do with them, her experience of children is nil, She decides to pack the children off to boarding school but has to wait 6 months for the new school year to start. Her closest friend is horrified and says she must get a nanny for the interim period. Trent interviews prospective nannies to find one suitable . The last nanny is late,s he won’t take the lift to the 10th floo,r but wendy is everything trent is looking for. Whilst the eldest child Alice is working through her traumas Trent find herself doing the same having had a particularly abusive childhood all the while developing a very close relationship with Wendy although they have such differences

Well written book quite heart wrenching at times. Very Enjoyable.

I took a chance on this book as I normally don't really like the butch/femme character types and on top of that I'm not fond of the big age gap in stories. Why did I read this book you might ask yourself. The plot sounded interesting.. It was a solid story about Trent, a 40 year old divorce lawyer ,who gets traumatized children in her life when her cousin dies and she can't handle kids. Enter Wendy Darling, a 26 year old nanny who is going to help her out. Now everyone can imagine the storyline for themselves. And that touches on the biggest downside of the book: nothing really happens and stuff that does happen gets resolved very fast.

You won't really go wrong with this book, but it will not stick in your brain with memorable moments either. But considering the fact that I had to get over my butch/femme aversion first and still managed to reasonably enjoy this book means that people who are enjoying this type of relationship will have a good book to put on their "to-read list"

**Many thank to Bold Strokes for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

A Spoonful of Sugar.....
Trent's life suddenly changes when her cousin dies and leaves two children that need her help. Finding herself suddenly thrust into parenthood, can she rise to the challenge of being a parent? And how could both Trent and the kids navigate through the emotional baggage they had? Since Trent is neither ready nor equipped to take on the huge responsibility of caring for the children, she hires Wendy as the nanny.
I couldn't help rooting for Trent. After understanding how Trent was raised and the impact that had on her perception of family, it was very gratifying to see Trent finally begin falling in love with the kids and with Wendy. But how could you not fall in love with someone as refreshing as Wendy?

This book is similar to the previous one of this author, Unexpected, both in her argument and in the profile of her protagonists. In fact the two are part of the Unexpected Romance series, so it is normal that it is so. The protagonists of the first book, Dale and Becca, also appear in this one, although very fleetingly. But, as always, it's nice to hear about characters that appeared in previous books, so that's very welcome. And although it is part of a series it is completely independent and can be read without having read the previous one.

As usual in this author, the two women protagonists have a very defined role, a buch and a femme. In this case, the Buch woman, Davinia Trent, is a divorce lawyer who does not believe much in love or family. Until a misfortune makes her have to take care of her two nephews and that's when Wendy Darling crosses her path to take care of being the babysitter of the children. The formula here is: the buch woman without family attachment even with her new obligations, the babysitter who quickly gets the affection of the children, interaction between the two women forced to live in the same space, sharing moments of stress and anxiety, getting used to living together.

For some it may be too simple, there is not much drama even though it is glimpsed at some point. For me it has been good and nice enough.