This was a compilation of three short stories focusing on bitch/femme romances. All authors are amazing so I was very excited to read this. While all stories have a common theme I did find them different and special in their own way. Short stories can be hard to get into or feel invested with the characters, but these author did a great job in dragging and keeping you into the story. Overall, this was a quick and chill read that you can consumed in little read spans and fulfill your romantic craving.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

well. what can I say... I thought they were all good. fast paced stories. However my favorite stories was about Maisie the waitress and Aiden the truck driver. I would recommend.

Thank you Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited to read this Anthology! And here are my thoughts. It consisted of three different short stories by different authors, each carried a different tone, style, and plot. (Naturally.)

“Follow Her Lead” was the first one to make an appearance. While the idea behind it was awesome, I felt like the story lacked some grit. The dance lessons and scenes were great. I loved Gabby’s character and how she handled herself but Jude was just all over the place. She seemed too one-sided for my taste. 2.5/5 I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I would’ve liked and had a hard time getting through it.

“Just As You Are,” was probably my favorite from the series. It gets a high of 3.5/5. The characters resembled real-life issues that one might experience. Meeting online, trying to make a good impression, things blowing out of proportion! Yeah, all too relatable to the audience especially since Dylan had some previous damage to get through and work on herself. Carrie was amazing, breaking gender roles, left and right!

“An Epiphany in Flannel” was the final one. I really wanted to name it the showstopper but some parts of it just made me cringe… a little. I understand Maisie had conservative parents but the dialogues seemed forced and unnatural. Aiden was sweet and amazing but the ending blew my mind! What a crazy thing to do. Felt a little hallmark-ey but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 3/5

So, this gives me an overall rating of 3/5.

Thanks, Netgalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

Gosh I loved those stories. All of them. They were sexy but still with depth. Totally recommend! Especially the one with the waitress.

I love Bold Strokes Books and the authors (particularly Meghan I'Brien, who I was excited to see back after a hiatus) in the book, but unfortunately I can't recommend this compilation. While the cover is great, and the idea behind the theme is a good one, I found that the stories were simply too short and so the characters tended to feel stereotypical, the drama heightened, and the conclusion rushed. I would highly recommend checking out other works by these offers, but this book is a pass / library check out at best.

This collection features three bite-size butch/femme stories. I recommend it to those who want a taste of the three authors' writing styles. This book is a fast, enjoyable read for a lazy afternoon.

Opposites Attract: Butch/Femme Romances is a delightful collection of three novellas by Aurora Rey, Angie Williams, and Meghan O’Brien. With three such accomplished writers, I figured I would definitely enjoy these stories, and I was totally right.

Each of these tales showcases the authors’ versions of a butch/femme match.
In ‘Follow Her Lead’ by Aurora Rey we have the corporate venture capitalist falling for her private dance instructor.
‘Just as You Are’ by Angie Williams has two rather unorthodox personalities since the two main characters don’t have stereotypical butch/femme personas.
Meghan O’Brien’s ‘An Epiphany in Flannel’ has her main characters portraying what most of us would think of as your typical butch/femme pairing with a handsome truck driver falling for a very feminine waitress.

I loved all three novellas. Each story is special in its own way, and there is no way I would try to pick a favorite.
They are all entertaining tales with well-developed and engaging characters, well-paced plot lines and beautiful love stories. Best of all, each novella is short enough to read in one sitting. Honestly, I would love to read more about these couples, and I think you might feel the same after you read them as well.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I love books of novellas because you get bite-size stories and a chance to try out new authors. The problem with them is that they are hard to rate as a whole. Separately I would rate the stories 5, 4,and 3 stars.

My favorite was Follow her Lead by Aurora Rey. It explored the fake relationship/date for hire trope in an interesting way. I enjoyed the way the characters interacted and how the reader got to see high-strung Jude relax as she learned to dance and spent more time around Gabriella.

The other two were still good. However, I thought the main conflict of Just as You Are was a little weak and that the pace was slow but it was nice to see such a real-life situation reflected in a story as the couple takes things slow while one person does the work to recover from a breakup.

I would have really liked An Epiphany in Flannel if Maisie's parents weren't quite so horrible. It made the story unbelievable and, for me, unenjoyable. Their effect on the story could have been the same if they were incredibly homophobic instead of abusive in every way. Other than Maisie's interactions with her mother, I thought this was a very good story. Perhaps don't read it if you would find physically and verbally abusive alcoholic parents triggering.

Overall, I think this book is a great compilation of three quick, enjoyable, and sexy reads.

This anthology has 3 short stories with different lesbian couples, in different situations. The level of enjoyment went up and down in different moments of each story, and despite them having some angst and conflict, most of them was pure fluff. Overall I feel like it deserves a rating of 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

The first story is “Follow Her Lead”, by Aurora Rey. Here we have Gabby, a dance teacher, and Jude, a serious businesswoman - almost a sunshine/grumpy trope, at first. Jude needs a dance teacher for a ball, and they fall for each other from the first meeting. It felt a lot like a romcom movie, something very light and predictable I’d watch to relax after a long day. 3 stars.

“Just As You Are”, by Angie Williams, sadly was my least favorite of the three, and I’m giving it 2.5 stars because it at least had some cute moments. Both protagonists felt very immature for their age, with conflict showing up over something very small. The dialogue didn’t feel very real to me, and it was all so melodramatic I couldn’t help but think they should deal with their issues before trying to date each other.

The winner of the book is “An Epiphany In Flannel”, by Meghan O’Brien. Here we have things from Maisie’s perspective, a waitress in a diner of a small religious town, who meets and falls at first fight for sweet trucker Aiden. The way they interacted with each other was really adorable, and I loved seeing them falling for each other (even though by the end I felt it was a bit too rushed, a bit too insta-love for me). Despite that, I think we got too little about Aiden, which made harder to get to know her beyond the gentle way she interacted with Maisie and her dog, so I’m giving it 4 stars.

Overall I had fun reading these novellas, and I'll probably check out other stuff by the authors soon!

3 butch/femme stories in one book. They were fast read and I really enjoyed reading these because I haven't really seen mutch butch/femme stories. Not a lot of plot though but who really cares if you get hot and steamy scenes :D

Usually the short story books, or of medium length as in this case, are remarkable for one thing or another, for one of their stories, for one of their authors, for which they deserve a good rating. I am sorry to say that this is not the case. Even my much appreciated Meghan O'Brien has disappointed me here.

The stories have in common a type of stereotypical couple, butch / femme, but they have wanted to dismantle some of the myths that these profiles carry. And along the way what they have achieved is to create three stories that are confusing and that get mixed up in the attempt, each one in itself has been deceiving in that regard, similarly.

In trying to dismantle stereotypes, they have become repetitive and meaningless. Little to save among all that, just the effort and willingness.

3.5 stars. A trio of very cute, competently-written butch/femme novellas, some more enjoyable than others. I really adore butch/femme romance, the world needs more of them in my very non-biased opinion, and I'm determined to read more. These were great little romances, each with a different feel and different types of characters!

Before I get into the novellas themselves, I have to say, I really wish that authors didn't feel obligated to include 'I love you's and an HEA even in very short romances. Whether it's insta-love or not, (and these did all smack of insta-love, not my favourite thing), in a novella/short story, it almost always feels rushed and unbelievable to shoehorn in an 'I love you' when it doesn't feel earned. I guess your mileage may vary on this, but I would be more satisfied with an HFN, or just the knowledge that the characters will come to care for each other deeply in the future. But that's just a little nitpick.

Follow Her Lead - Aurora Rey
3.5 stars. A high-powered, slightly socially inept businesswoman strikes up a romance with a woman she hires to teach her to dance. Really sweet, and I adored all the dancing scenes. The romance of it was impeccable. The conflict in this one kind annoyed me (would Jude really have been THAT dense?) but I really liked the characters.

Just As You Are - Angie Williams
3 stars. This story had my favourite premise. A geeky butch has to try to overcome her insecurities and the shadow of her overbearing ex if she wants to seriously have a chance with the new woman in her life. I really loved the turning away from stereotypes, and the emphasis on butch women being allowed to be vulnerable. However, I couldn't really connect with the writing in this, and I didn't fall in love with the characters. Also I just tend not to love 'terrible ex' type plots.
 
An Epiphany in Flannel - Meghan O'Brien
4 stars. A waitress from a conservative family in a small town falls for a trucker who's passing through town. Easily my favourite. Even though it was just as short and kinda insta-lovey like the others, the chemistry and the connection between Maisie and Aiden felt fully fleshed out and palpable, and I really came to like this couple. This is arguably the story with the least plot? But in terms of character development, I really liked it. It was also the sexiest of the lot. 🔥 Out of all of them, this is one I would really love to see a full length novel of.

I'd definitely recommend this overall; they're three unique stories that whet my appetite in just the right way.

Content warnings: anxiety, emotionally abusive ex-partner, homophobia.

“A femme is velvet-covered steel and a butch is steel-covered velvet.”
Lesléa Newman


I enjoy reading novellas and am impressed with authors who can lay out plot, characters and setting in the short time allowed while making us care about all of the above. No easy feat.
Opposites Attract takes a look at the butch/femme trope, one of my favourite tropes in lesbian romance novels.

Follow My Lead by Aurora Rey

Venture capitalist Jude Benoit has been named Majesty of Artemis and will be expected to dance the first dance at the Artemis Ball. Gabriella Viard, a dance instructor and owner of her own small dance studio is hired by PA Muriel to help Jude overcome her rich girl TDL (traumatic dance lessons) memories from childhood.
I enjoyed this rich butch/working class femme romance. Rey does an admirable job of fleshing out Jude and Gabby and making us care about this wealthy uptight businesswoman and her interactions with the beautiful and down to earth dance instructor. The story has that Pretty Woman vibe to it with Jude’s lack of understanding of how her entitled life differs from Gabby’s world. Miss-steps happen as expected along with a sweet, predictable ending.

4 stars

Just as You Are by Angie Williams

I had trouble connecting with this story of two women loaded down with baggage from previous relationships stepping back into the dating game. Masculine of center Dylan comes across as damaged goods while femme auto mechanic Carrie is quick to judge and decide Dylan is not worth the effort. Their lack of communication is uncomfortable to watch. Carrie is more steel than velvet, not willing to give Dylan a chance to explain her behaviour. Dylan is more mush than steel.
3 stars

An Epiphany in Flannel by Meghan O’Brien

I wish O’Brien would make this a full length novel, her story is that rich and full of heart. Young Maisie Davis works long hours waitressing at Moe’s Diner while trying to complete her college degree. When a handsome trucker stops by for a short stack of pancakes, Maisie is overwhelmed by her attraction to Aiden Crane. Aiden is every femme's wet dream butch.

There is so much more to this story than the simple toaster oven scenario. Meeting Aiden opens Maisie’s eyes to new possibilities but she also must deal with a homophobic and controlling mother and community. Does she throw away security for a chance at love? This one had me fully engaged, hoping Maisie would find a way to her own personal HEA.
5 stars.

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

In this book we get 3 novellas about butch/femme interactions. I expected more plot but who am I to complain if there are a lot of steamy scenes. All tree stories have good characterizations and explore different feelings and how the past and upbringing can influence on people and their freedom of identity and love.
In the first one we get Gabby and Jude both openly gay but a contrast of social status between them that can create insecurities and awkwardness.
The second couple Carrie and Dylan is based more on stereotypes how someone is expected to behave and feel.
While the third story between Maisie and Aiden is based on prejudice and discovering oneself.

This book contains 3 novellas exploring romances between "butch" and "femme" characters, to varying levels of success. I was not impressed with Just as You Are, it felt pretty abrupt and unbelievable. This may be partially a result of the novella format, but it just wasn't very well-developed and I really didn't care for either of the main characters. I most enjoyed Follow Her Lead, as the characters felt believable and the author introduced some backstory in a way that felt natural to the story in order to allow us to understand their motivations.

If you’re looking for an interesting butch/femme anthology with some unique characters, romance, and storyline variety, then this is the book for you.

My favorite story was the last one by the queen of lesbian erotica, Meghan O’Brien. This was a sweet romance between Maisie, a twenty-four year old small town waitress who is repressed by her judgmental parents. One night on graveyard shift a trucker walks into the diner where Maisie works and orders a stack of pancakes. The trucker could be mistaken for a man but is actually Aiden, a woman. There is immediate chemistry between the two. The story is about the relationship that develops between Maisie who is a virgin and Aiden.

I also found Follow Her Lead by Aurora Rey engaging with a story about a high tech executive, Jude Benoit, being named the Majesty of the lesbian Marci Gras ball. As such she must lead the first dance of the ball, but doesn’t know how to dance. So her assistant sets her up with eight dance lessons from Gabby Viard. Over the course of these lessons they fall in love.

The middle story by Angie Williams was Just as You Are. I am a fan of Angie’s two books, but this novella fell flat in my opinion. Dylan is confident in my areas of her life but not confident in some of the traditional butch roles like car repair. Carrie owns a automobile repair shop. On their first date Dylan’s car has a flat tire and she wants to call her auto club to come out and change the tire. Carrie asks if she can simply change the tire so they can be on their way to the restaurant. Due to past hurts from her previous girlfriend, Dylan gets upset thinking she’s already not enough for Carrie. This theme played throughout the entire novella and wears on the reader.

Overall I’d rate the novellas 3.75 stars.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three different stories all with different feels. Steamy sex scenes with plenty of romance. Something to keep you entertained during lockdown. Definitely recommend a read! Throughly entertaining ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thus is a 3 story book about a Butch lesbian and a Femme lesbian. The feme's in the stories are stronger than the Butch's. I found the the plots and characters very good. . The characters are very opposite but make for a good romance. The weaknesses are very evident and make for good stories .I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley but my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meghan O'Brien is my all-time favourite writer, and I swooned with excitement when I saw she'd written something new. She is the queen of creating sizzling chemistry and building up anticipation, as well as writing complex characters that are strong but vulnerable, and this novella was no exception. Despite the short length, the characters were very well developed, the chemistry between them was palpable and I was left wanting more. Being a massive fan of her earlier works and having literally memorised them, I'd found O'Brien's works after The Night Off a little disappointing and missing that spark that made her writing so special, and I was so glad to see a touch of the earlier Meghan O'Brien in this story. I hope she's back with a full-length novel soon as this novella only made me realise how much I'd missed her writing.

I am a fan of Aurora Rey and enjoyed the characters she'd created in her novella, which was the first one in the book. I found the writing engaging but found the I love yous a little hard to believe, as the main characters never even went on a proper date and I didn't feel like we saw the chemistry building. There was a lot of room to add some chemistry and a touch of sizzle to the dancing class scenes given the amount of physical contact required, and I felt that the author missed an opportunity there.

The second novella was from an author I hadn't read before - this was the one I found least engaging, as I didn't connect with the characters. The dialogue didn't read naturally and the characters felt a little flat.

This books consists of 3 novellas with a butch/femme theme which I absolutely think there should be more of. I’ve read past reviews where some don’t care much for that dynamic but I have always loved it. The 3 authors did a fabulous job in writing the butch characters specifically.

In Aurora and Angie’s novellas the characters Jude and Dylan are perfectly chivalrous, masculine, and charming while at the same time some of the “typical butch” stereotypes were removed. For example, Dylan couldn’t fix a thing so save her life, but her very feminine partner worked in a male dominated field.

Meghan O’Brien’s character, Aiden, is butch trough and trough! I loved how Aiden was basically Maisies savior. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and it didn’t make Maisie feel “weak” by any means. This novella had a more serious subject matter. I would actually love to read this particular story in a full novel. It could definitely be expanded and done well in my opinion.

All in all, kudos!