I got an ARC of this book.

I made it two chapters and I can't imagine continuing. Finding the energy to read is already hard right now (not the fault of this book), so I am just calling it. I won't finish this book and in a few days I will forget I ever tried.

It is trying so, so hard to be a romcom, but it is just coming across awkward and stilted. The number of times the word Christian and Oklahoma are used in chapter one is just surprising. The wedding is awkward and not in a charming or fun way. It was just weird dick jokes and then drinking with strangers. I ended up reading lines out loud to my partner last night to show how stilted everything was and that helped, but it still wasn't enough to want to continue.

Queerly Beloved takes place during the fight for marriage equality and it is a main focus of the story. Amy came out to her family and friends, once. She never figured that coming out could end up being a daily process instead of a one and done. The events that Amy lives through while coming to the realization that she needs to live life as her authentic self is the focus of Queerly Beloved.

This journey takes us through many weddings, fights with friends, and discussions with family about what it means to be gay today and how getting married reflects these circumstances. I had to re-read the synopsis because at first I was thinking I was reviewing a romance by the view of the cover. It does have some romance in it, but the heart of the tale is Amy’s path to self-awareness.

Amy’s growth as a person has to do with more than where she stands as a lesbian in the world. She grows as a friend through her disagreements with her current friends. She finds a career or two during her journey. And she also finds love. (I actually am not a fan of the romance part of the storyline.)

Susie Dumond brings lots of humor to Queerly Beloved. There are many funny wedding incidents. Dumond brings historical significance to this story through the fight for marriage equality. This is one story that made me want to eat cake.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Amy was working in a Christian based bakery called The Daily Bread in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was working as Amelia because she thought it seemed like a good straight name. She couldn’t be honest at work because the company didn’t want anything to do with gays. She was really great at baking and knew that she would love to own her own bakery someday. Then one day in walks Charley who Amy struck up a conversation with and they clicked. Then just out of the blue Donna Young the owner fired her because someone had ratted her out. So Amy is struggling trying to figure out what to do next because she is also helping with some of her Mom’s recent medical bills, her car breaks down in front of the bakery saved day she got fired. Amy calls her best friends Joel and Damien and they rally around her trying to cheer her up while also bouncing ideas off of each other on jobs!

Amy decides she is going to rent herself out as a bridesmaid to basically keep things under control at weddings so the bride can be carefree. I love how Amy could come to the rescue for lots of people she didn’t even know but yet Amy struggled with the emotions of not be truthful, not coming out to certain people for the fear of their reactions and the way Charley ghosted her. If Charley, Joel and Amy would have been truthful to each other things would have been so different. This was a good story but the emotions were so hard to read because people need to be more understanding and this world might be a better place!

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Queerly Beloved 🧁
Author: Susie Dumond
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Amy is a lesbian woman who gets into professional bridesmaiding in Tulsa, Oklahoma before the legalization of gay marriage. The story follows her own growth and dealings with the cognitive dissonance of working in a straight industry as a queer woman. (And it’s also a romcom!)

Something I loved:
I appreciated the author’s emphasis on coming out not being a one time thing. Amy had to discover how she wanted to present herself and embrace her identity, and it was not a one-size-fits-all process. Her character and her found family were all so easy to love and root for.

Something I felt “meh” about:
Lots of pieces of the book were clearly just the authors feelings/understanding of queer issues being used as random plot points/pieces of dialogue. I agree with her perspectives - I just wanted it to feel a little less like a lecture at times and more like the cute/nuanced story it was.

That said, we have a lot of anti LGBTQ legislation (especially for the trans community) on the table rn and challenges faced in this book are still very real, despite thankfully being less prevalent than they were in 2013.

Overall, it was a lovely story full of super likable characters, and I’m happy I read it. I will definitely check out Dumond’s next book 🌈🧁

Set in 2013 Oklahoma, Queerly Beloved follows Amy, a queer baker trying to make ends meet, live by her principles, and survive by passing as straight at her job. There she meets Charley, a cute engineer, and the two are set on their romantic path together.

I really liked this book! I will say that it's way more contemporary fiction than romance and I think that's why I liked it so much. Romance isn't always my cup of tea! I liked Amy as a character and enjoyed seeing her growth throughout the book. I also identified with her in trying to navigate relationships, her morals, and building a career. I liked Oklahoma as a setting and that the the plot went into religion and marriage as an institution and what it can mean for the LGBTQIA+ population, especially at that time. I was in college in 2013 but as I was reading the book it really felt like quite a long time ago.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book! Just go into it knowing it's not SUPER romance heavy. Romance is there, but not the main focus. 5/5 stars from me! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Trigger warning: Homophobia, especially of the religious variety

I want to start off by saying I liked this book, and I liked the romance, but this book was not a romance. This book was a coming-of-gay story about a lesbian in a red state working in a homophobic wedding industry pre-gay marriage legalization. The whole book was about her being gay and trying to reconcile being proud of who she is while working in an industry where she's forced to closet herself for a paycheck. The romance was sprinkled throughout but it was not the primary focus of the story. I would have liked more romance, to be honest. Also there was no steam which is a personal preference and doesn't color my review but it was just one more thing I would have liked more of. I enjoyed the book but it wasn't what I was looking for nor what I was in the headspace for at the time. The message is a very important one but it was A LOT and I think the same message could have been conveyed, maybe even more powerfully, if it was a bit more subtle so the message didn't overwhelm the story. I also just really liked Charley and Amy as a couple and I'm sad we didn't get to experience more of their relationship blossoming. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We need more queer romance and this was perfect! Very closed doors, so the perfect intro to queer romance. I love an own voices story, it really allows me to understand the perspective and you can feel the genuineness through the writing. Super cute title and cover always helps :)

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A book set in Tulsa is perfect for me since I grew up in the suburb of Broken Arrow. Dumond describes the sights and sounds of my hometown with accuracy that took me back to college days at Tulsa University. Amy, the protagonist, lives a life of dual identities as she struggles to live authentically as a lesbian in the red state of Oklahoma. Her friends, family, and love interest fill out the story of her journey from working in a bakery to serving as a bridesmaid for hire. I loved this book so much! When receiving books from NetGalley, readers takes a chance on what type of reading they will experience. With little more than a brief description and cover art, this book was a great choice for me as it checked all of the boxes. I really enjoyed how Dumond captured the time in our state and in the LGBTQ experience in 2013. As always, I know a great book when I have a reading hangover the next day and find myself missing the characters.

Dnfed at 30% for personal reasons. I was triggered by the outting scene and religious bigotry in this book. I think the story is one that needs to be told, I just couldn’t get back into the story after that scene.

Amelia, who goes by Amy to everyone else except her very religious conservative white boss hides who she really is. She is the queer Robin Hood of the Daily Bread bakery, getting paid by the conservative Christian’s who have no idea she is actually a very liberal queer person. By day she works at Daily Bread and by night at Ruby Reds, where she can fully be herself.

Charley, new in town who is researching earthquakes and framing, meets Amy by chance when she walks into the bakery that Amy works at.

Cw/tw

Christianity centered, far right politic endorser owns the bakery.
Casual racism stated, but not called out.
Closeted religious beliefs and sexuality to appease Christian’s
Religious Bigotry

There are probably more but didn’t get pst 30%

This was a cute read that also included great commentary on life for LGBTQ+ folx in Oklahoma (and other states). I loved the conversation between Amy and Teresa about the church and how it lead to Teresa taking action. The friendships were fantastic. To me this was less a romance and more a story of finding yourself. I really enjoyed reading this book!

Queerly Beloved is the perfect book to read to get in the mood for Wedding Season!

Amy, a semi-closeted queer baker living in Oklahoma, is outed at work and fired from her ultra-Christian baking job at Daily Bread. Forced to think on her feet in the hopes of saving herself from having to move back in with her mother, she’s presented with the opportunity to be a Bridesmaid-For-Hire. Needing the quick cash, Amy says yes and quickly realizes that not only is she good at juggling the needs of a worried bride, but she enjoys being able to save the day. Could she make this skill into a full-time job? You’ll have to read to find out!


“Being closeted at work and hiding relationships from her family had turned Amy into quite the accomplished liar. Sometimes she put so much energy into being whoever she thought the people around her wanted her to be that she couldn’t tell if there was any true “Amy” underneath it all.”

Feels
Susie Dumond’s book “Queerly Beloved” reminds me that not all people are afforded the privilege to be their most authentic selves in their everyday lives. I’m very open about my sexuality, and I’m very lucky to live in a part of the world where it’s safe for my partner and I to be out in public. Being able to be my authentic self and not hide is a true privilege, and it’s easy to forget that there are so many other people across the country and the world who aren’t afforded that luxury.

“Amy hated the idea that ‘coming out’ was a once-and-done event, that you’re either out or you’re not. Every time she made a new acquaintance or engaged in small talk with a stranger, she had to decide if, when, and how she would come out to them.”

While it’s fantastic that LGBTQ+ people are finding more and more representation in novels, most of the queer novels coming out (no pun intended) seem to focus on an already out character or a relationship development plot. At least, those are the ones I’ve been seeing recently. Reading “Queerly Beloved” reiterates to me that there is a need for more diversity in our novels, including but not limited to ethnicity, location, and socio-economic status. There are more stories that need to be told.

Technical Assessment
“Queerly Beloved” addresses important topics so the format of the novel is important. It should balance between informational and entertaining. My one critique of the layout and format is that a lot of the paragraphs were longer and dense. Longer paragraphs are okay when mixed in with banter and dialogue. In this story, the prose is heavier than the dialogue. There is a benefit to more prose – readers can immerse themselves in Amy’s perspective. She’s very introspective and ruminates on her choices and feelings throughout the story, which is very important since the story is written in 3rd person.

The drawback, though, is that with longer paragraphs and less dialogue there aren’t many other ways to get the other characters’ reactions or be provided with plot progression. There seems to be more “tell” and less “show”.

Final Thoughts
“Queerly Beloved” sneaks up on you. At first it seems like you’re just reading an LGBTQ romance, but the layers of socio-politics, safety, and security that are embedded between the romance are just as, if not more, engaging. The relationship development between Amy and Charley is the hook to draw you in, but the diamond in the rough is the undercurrent of navigating life as an LGBTQ person in a place where it’s not comfortable to do so.

I would encourage Dumond to lean in further to the Midwest and middle America dynamics and push the envelope. Give us more! More romance, more drama, more perspectives. There are a lot of LGBTQ Americans who could benefit from seeing their own representation on the page, and more allies to offer their support.

Finished with Queerly Beloved and looking for other LGBTQ LitBuzz book reviews?

Lorynn reviewed “She Gets The Girl” by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick. 5 stars!

I reviewed “Count Your Lucky Stars” by Alexandria Bellefleur. Another 5 stars!

I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchange for a review.

Queerly beloved follows Amy, a lesbian baker, who starts a business as a bridesmaid for hire after being fired from her bakery job for being gay. Amy is forced to navigate the heterosexual wedding industry in Oklahoma in the times before gay marriage was legalized nation wide. While hiding part of herself, she also means a lovely lady she finds herself falling hard for.

At times this book was hard to read due to the internalized homophobia Amy deals with and the outwardly homophobic situations. Initially I didn’t love the way the plot was going and I didn’t really care for Amy’s character but she showed growth and ultimately it felt authentic. I wouldn’t however classify this as a romcom. It’s definitely just more literary fiction.
I will definitely pick up more from this author.

This a very sweet and fun LGBTQ rom com! Some of the discussion of LGBT issues came off a little dated and preachy, but it is set in 2013. I did appreciate the author representing so many different outlooks on these issues, but I think the best thing this novel can provide is a fun escapist story with lovable characters.

DNF unfortunately for me. This was what I wanted to read. Fake bridesmaid. A queer woman living in a city that may not be so inclusive.

But at 40% I have nothing. I feel no chemistry between the main character and her love interest. They go on a date less than 48 hours after meeting, but then from there it's such a slow buildup.

Ok. Where do I begin here?!….
This is NOT a romcom. It’s women’s lit with some cute romance and quirkiness sprinkled (wink wink cake reference) in there. Amy the wedding fixer extraordinaire, seemed a little preachy at times, and a tad selfish. Charley is charming and deserves better. The buck stops there. I really didn’t feel chemistry between the two as strongly as I think was intended. There was a lot of awkwardly forced attraction that just didn’t feel organic. I was reaching for indication that this was because of something deeper. Personal struggle with being gay in early 2000s Tulsa maybe? Or identity crisis? Something? Nothing? I felt like I maybe just couldn’t relate or understand the nuances as a straight woman?. But, in the end, thinking that the editing and writing just could benefit from a little more development. The couple needs a little more to really shine. I think the book would do better with more romcom, and could still achieve social commentary and discussion. 3 ⭐️

Thanks so much NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my review!

Queerly Beloved is more of a personal journey the main character goes on, as opposed to a rom com. In fact, there’s barely any romance at all.

Amy is a semi-closeted queer girl living in the middle of Oklahoma, a state where same sex marriage is illegal. Amy loves weddings to the point that she becomes a “professional bridesmaid”, but while pretending to be someone she’s not (straight), she realizes she has never been her true authentic self. This is because of her struggle with religious views against the LGBTQ+ community, anti-LGBTQ+ laws, and the dilemma that she has to pretend to be someone she’s not when she’s working weddings. I struggled with this because the premise was intriguing, but it took too long for Amy to really stand up for something she believes in, and she barely does that. Her insta-relationship with Charley is lackluster at best. This book had a lot of potential, but fell flat for me.

(3 1/2 Stars)

Sometimes it’s a relief to see how far the world has come in less than a decade, and Queerly Beloved showcases that in a quirky and hilarious way!

In Susie Dumond’s debut novel, Amy is struggling to balance her work life with her personal values and beliefs. It’s hard being a queer woman in Tulsa, especially during the time before same sex marriage is legal across the United States. Amy feels most comfortable bartending at one of Cherry St’s LGBTQ bars, but she also loves baking and weddings, two industries in Oklahoma that are saturated with conservative lifestyles. When she’s conceded to never being able to have a wedding or happily ever after of her own, she meets Charley, a queer engineer who’s new in town and a total babe. Could true love and a partnership of her own finally be in the cards?

The wedding mishaps in this novel are such a blast to read! From cake-tastrophes to puking brides, each conundrum is reminiscent of romantic comedy films. As someone who has considered being a professional bridesmaid, I surprisingly found these plot points more entertaining than the actual romance of the novel.

However, this could be due to the fact that Amy and Charley’s romance is rarely discussed. I found their relationship- and to be honest, Charley as a whole, to be one dimensional. Unfortunately, this was the case for many of the supporting characters as well. The novel was already at the end by the time Joel, Damian, and the bar crew were showcasing more than witty banter!

If you’re missing the days of 24 Dresses and Bride Wars, and looking for a coming of age story more than a romance, I highly recommend picking up this new novel when it’s released on May 3rd. You’ll be giggling down the aisle of your local bookshop!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I love this book title and the cover is to die for, I was disappointed with the read.

The book started out strong with Amy and Charley’s meet cute right out the gate. The initial setting with Daily Bread was interesting but I was excited to see where the relationship would go. This book ended up being way more about Amy’s work and business compared to her relationship with Charley. This is fine but I think the cover/synopsis and the fact that it’s labeled as a romance led me astray with my expectations.

I found the writing to be a little stilted as well. There were lots of long paragraphs of unnecessary information that felt like fillers and then the interactions with Amy and Charley were glossed over quickly. For a romance book, I wanted WAY more of their relationship development.

Aside from the lack of romance in this book, many of the interactions between Amy and Charley were awkward and the miscommunication was bad. When Amy told Charley she was not longer working at Daily Bread, Charley’s reaction was so strange… she seemed almost mad. It honestly didn’t make any sense. This book was also LONG. It could’ve ended at 60%.

I really liked Amy as a character. She’s super relatable, funny, empathetic, loving and authentic. I also enjoyed her mother and her friends - Damian and Joel. I did also appreciate the use of pronouns, the author actually using the word lesbian in this sapphic book and the diverse queer characters.

I think there were just too many unnecessary details about Amy’s extended family/her work and it took away from what could’ve been a super cute queer contemporary romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

TW: Homophobia, lesbophobia, outing, Toxic relationships, sexual content, religious bigotry.

So here's the good news with this book. It takes place in a time period when a lot of gays were on the edge of their seats about whether or not gay marriage would be legalized (the story takes place in 2013) and I think (based on my memories of the time) it portrays that time period well. Being out and proud about it was becoming more and more prevalent at the time and I think that this story portrays that well, especially since it takes place in Oklahoma, which is generally super conservative (thanks bible belt). Do I wish that there was less homophobia? Yes, but I also understand why it's in the book. It adds nuance to the story that in the post-2015 we sometimes forget about. I also really enjoyed Amy's business venture with being a bridesmaid. I think throughout the story she really took the lemons life gave her and ran with it and that was very much appreciated.

Now here's what I didn't like. I didn't like the love interest at all. After that first meeting (which was adorbs as heck), Charley's characterization fell flat to me. I think that could have been remedied by having dual POVs or seeing more of their (Amy and Charley's) conversations on the page together. I think that if this is going to be marketed as a romance, there should be significantly more romance in it. It felts like there was like 10% of the book focused on the relationship between Amy and Charley and it should have been more.

I was intrigued by the title and cover of this book and was expecting something more from it. The combination of the setting, the time, and the characters did not do it for me. I know some people will find this book charming and relatable, but that was not the case for me. I would still recommend this book to readers, but there are better options available.