I think by the summary, most people can guess that this book has a lot to do with recovering drug addicts, but there is very little that this book touches on besides that. If it's a trigger for you, or you're not into that topic at all, then this book won't be for you. It's either dealing with current drugs running through the library that Thea works at, Kit's old life and recovery, or a teenager who also is surrounded by drug use and is trying to escape. Those are the events and conversations that this book focuses on. You've been warned.

Now, when it comes to dealing with drug abuse and recovery, this book is excellent. Having had a sibling go through recovery, I found it very relatable. We've had a lot of the same conversations that Josh and Kit had. It feels written with experience.

Kit and Thea are lovely. Their banter back and forth was adorable, so you could see why they got along and witness the chemistry through sometimes hilarious flirtation. It made sense when they wanted to date each other, even though their backgrounds basically spelled out disaster. I never thought of a recovering addict and a woman who grew up with addict parents being the "opposites attract" in a book, so it was fascinating.

Overall, I thought this was a very unique book that was an interesting read. I would recommend it.

This was well worth the read. I have to admit I was a little on the fence about reading this one. While I had fun with Thoma’s Holt Lasher action series, I think I was worried a book about a heroin addict might be too depressing. I’m glad the early reviews gave me the kick I needed to read this because this was better than I had anticipated. Yes, this story is about a tough subject, but I thought Thoma’s story choices were really well done.

Considering opioid addiction is so rampant in the US, I’m surprised this is one of the few WLW books I have read about a recovering heroin addict. Maybe because it is a tough subject to tackle so authors shy away, well they could take a page out of Thoma’s book because she handled it really well. The drug use was taken seriously, but it never felt like the book was becoming preachy or going the other way and making light of things. It showed the awful sides of drug abuse, but the book wasn’t depressing and hard to read. If anything, this book gave me a little hope.

My favorite part ended up being the romance. It is opposites attract, butch/femme romance and it completely worked for me. I felt the chemistry immediately and I enjoyed watching their connection grow in front of my eyes. I really loved the dialogue. The flirting and teasing was so well done that it put a smile on my face and made my heart happy.

I’m going to keep this review on the shorter side for me. This is the kind of book that is hard to really describe, so you really just have to read it for yourself. I have enjoyed all of Thoma’s books but I think this was her best written one so far. And, it’s also the kind of book that I bet I won’t soon forget. I would recommend this to romance fans that want something with some depth. I’m very glad I read this one.

I’m always careful who I read after authors who write exceptionally well, as I don’t want to treat the one following unfairly. Not everyone can come after Caren J. Werlinger and look good too. I don’t know why I thought Jesse J. Thoma could withstand the challenge since I’ve only ever read one of her books, before I started reviewing.

Maybe because that book, Seneca Falls, made an impression. Since I tend to forget a lot, that in itself is telling.

Guess what? It was the best choice.

When Kit and Thea meet for the first time, Kit is in withdrawal and Thea thinks she’s about to OD on the steps to the library. A few months later, a Narcotics Anonymous meeting brings them back together in that same place. Kit is clean and trying to move on, struggling with the idea that people will always see her as a heroin addict. As for Thea, she’s doing her best to make the library a safe place, for everyone. The connection between them is undeniable but both worry their past will stand in the way of a future together.

Serenity is the perfect example of opposites attract: “Kit screamed excitement, unpredictability, and chaos. Thea craved stability, predictability, and routine”, writes Thoma. Despite all their differences, their journeys are similar, in that they’re both beating the odds and fighting back, even if their first instinct is to protect themselves against the world outside and the feelings it carries along.

The best thing about this novel is the characters. Both Kit and Thea feel very real, but the same can be said about every supporting character, be it Kit’s cousin Josh, Thea’s friends and colleagues, Kit’s sponsor, the drug dealers or Frankie, Thea’s teenage not-so-secret admirer. Kit’s attitude and actions are at times annoying and frustrating but they fit with the character and where she’s coming from. The way drugs and addiction are handled is outstanding, never in a patronizing way but never romanticizing drug use either.

I’m a sucker for stories of redemption and for characters who push their limits, prove themselves to be more than others seem to think. Serenity is all that, and well-written too.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Reading a book that is mostly set in and around a library makes me want to read even more books.

The story starts with Kit almost overdosing in the library bathroom, she stumbles outside and when she passes out on the library steps Thea is called in to come and help her. No help was needed as Kit didn't OD, she just passed out, but she vowed then and there to get clean. After getting clean the NA meeting Kit attends gets moved to the library that changed the course of her life. She meets Thea again and the librarian is not sure what to think of the handsome stranger that she recognizes somehow. When it all clicks even Thea with her addict parents can't keep away from Kit. Both struggle with insecurities and doubts about a relationship, even being friends might be an issue. Once they found some common ground in the teenager that is Frankie they develop more of a rapport with each other and maybe even their own feelings.

The secondary characters in this book add a good dimension to the story, even the drug dealers seem somewhat likable, and who wants to like a drug dealer? Frankie, Josh, and Walter are my favourite secondary characters. Walter holds a very special place in my heart from now on. A thing I didn't like about this book is all the running away Kit did and everyone just forgiving her. I understand the running away but the forgiveness shouldn't and can't always be that easy. Overall I think the book does a good job of portraying a recovering addict and a support system of a substance abuser and how they also have to live with an addiction. The writing did both sides of the story justice and I think it could be confronting for someone who is or was in a similar situation.

Kit Marsden, is a former drug user just trying to keep her life on track. Her NA meetings are at the local library where the beautiful Thea works. Thea Harris, runs the local library, likes her life to be uncomplicated, has a routine and that's how she wants to keep it. When Kit starts flirting with her, Thea is not sure if she wants to even go there, Kit is the total opposite of what Thea wants in a partner.

It's hard not to love Kit and Thea, they both have a great sense of humour and the witty repartee that's a constant in their verbal exchanges make this book such a pleasure to read.  Kit and Thea have great chemistry and their romance is a slow burn. This book also touches on drug rehabilitation and the on going struggles with the commitment to stay clean which gives it a little extra substance. Overall this was a great read and I thoroughly recommend it.

This is a very good book. I enjoyed it specially after so many uninteresting read, the reason why this is a 4 not 5 rating, I felt like the author was repeating the same excuse over and over again. I do get the intensity of the situation and how difficult it must be, but the whole story was based on this one thing. I did not feel like Kit was developing until the very end. I mean they could struggle with many things but to make one step forward then 10 back frustrated me . Also I wanted to know Kit age and surprisingly zoo too "forgot her full nickname ", not age but her story I really found her interesting. Thea’s character was lovely

The relationship itself is amazing, very funny and mature

This book talks heavily about drugs if this is not a problem then I'd recommend it. it's well written

thank you for the team and the author for the free copy

I love the fact that the author kept it real about drug use and addiction. She didn’t gloss over it but made it a real thing in the book. And I loved Frankie and Josh, especially Josh, and how he was there for his best friend through thick and thin. Writing a book on drug abuse could take over a story line but the author did a good job weaving it in the story, making it a part of the character, and still making this book a love story. I loved it

Kit is struggling with her history of being a heroin addict. She would like to forget this part of her life and start over, but real life is not as easy as she would like it to be.
Thea runs the library in a rough neighborhood and tries to keep it free of drugs to create a safe place for the visitors.
Kit's NA group meets in Thea's library, and that's how they get closer.
Author Jesse J. Thoma's book "Serenity" describes how a former drug addict seeks her place in life and copes with the burdens of a former addict. Early in her life, Thea has experienced the impact that substance abuse can have and must struggle to give a former addict a significant place in her life again.
The story is well written and interesting. I would have liked to know a little more about Kit's and Thea's family background, but you could already get a good picture of what kind of upbringing they came from.

I received a copy from netgalley in exchange for a an honest review.

[TW: drug abuse.]

This is an amazing book.

"Serenity" is an emotionally intense story. Librarian Thea Harris thought Kit Marsden had overdosed the first time they met. That encounter turns out to be the beginning of Kit's sobriety. Kit desperately wants to put her past behind her and be a new person without all the baggage of a heroin addict. When the orderly Thea comes into her life again, their connection is undeniable. But Thea comes from a family with addiction history, and with libraries being her safe places, she hopes her library is a haven for all. When drug activities start to seep in, Kit has to learn to face her history and Thea needs to decide if her definition of everyone includes users.

I love Kit and Thea. They are both so much fun but with so much baggage. Their relationship is playful sometimes, but also every definition of risk-taking. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for them to fully embrace each other in their lives, but I am so happy they did. I love their chemistry, how they are so in-tuned with each other, and that they both have their own issues to work through. Kit, in particular, just breaks my heart. She tries so hard and is so scared, and I just want to tell her she is wonderful and worthy of love.

The secondary characters are great, too. Frankie is a sixteen-year-old living a life too close to drugs. She worships Thea and finds connection with Kit. That probably means she is a catalyst for Kit and Thea's relationship to work. Will we get a book on Frankie's future one day? Maybe not, but I can dream. Then there is Kit's cousin Josh. He is the best person anyone can ask for in life. Though he ruthlessly teases Kit all the time, he loves her with all his heart and has never given up on her. He is also painfully honest and I wish there were more real people like him.

The story has one theme, and that is drugs. I appreciate that Thoma did not paint a bad picture for users and made them very relatable. If addiction is a potential trigger, reading this book might not be the best idea. If it is not, I totally recommend "Serenity."

There were two things I did not particularly enjoy. The first one was that the characters used “I’m not blind” multiple times as a throwaway. Ableist language is not okay. The other one was that the last chapter (not the epilogue) escalated a little too quickly for me, but this was a matter of personal taste and the plot was still pretty reasonable.

"Serenity" is a beautiful book about making peace with your past and accepting your own history to become a stronger person. Most of the story is set in a library and involves a certain hot woman covered in sawdust. If you like either, read this.

Kit decide to get help her after hitting rock bottom. It’s been a year since she overcame her heroin addiction. She like to put it behind her and move on with her life but it’s not simple when her supporters tells it’s part of her life and instead of hiding it she should be proud for overcoming her addiction even if it’s a step at a time.

Thea is a librarian who want her library be a safe place for anyone who walks in the door she didn’t have it easy growing up with her parents being drugs addicts she was young when she found her father dead.

When Thea meets Kit it wasn’t the best at the time but neither one could forget the other. When Kit NA meetings are at the library where she almost died she sees Thea and they strike up a friendship that turns into more.

I love the supporting characters Carrie and Walter who encourage Thea to get out her comfort zone which she rarely do because she likes order and predictable but being with Kit makes her want to come out her shell. Kit who just want her addiction to stay in the past realize what her cousin Josh and sponsor Ethel who is also struggling and surprisingly the drug dealer Zookeeper said you cannot change the past but you can accept it that it’s a part of you but it doesn’t have to define you. I like the bond Thea and Kit has with teenager Frankie who in similar situation at home and how they kept her having hope that things get better.

I like that this was about overcoming addiction that’s it’s a journey that you can get better. I like that the neighborhood comes together to help each other even if it’s just to keep everyone safe.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.