I loved the cover for this book, cute, whimsical and meet-cutey. I really liked the blurb too, it promised a sweet romcom because baking, weddings, bridesmaids duh!!

However, as I got into it, I think my expectations of the story and what I was reading didn’t quite match-up. While there is a sweet romance underneath all of this, the focus is really about Amy and her struggles with having to hide a significant part of herself from others when in “straight” society where she earns a living vs being able to be her full true self only at the lesbian bar where she works part time. Unfortunately, I only came to this realization after I was almost half way into the book and I was not seeing the romance progressing as quickly as it should have. This ended up being a little frustrating as I mentally had to reset myself.

Aside from that, this is a well written story, and since the focus is entirely on Amy you do get a very true sense of the challenges she faces between trying to make ends meet and standing up to what she believes in. I will admit, I kept teetering between anger and sadness as Amy encountered one prejudiced attitude, comment after another and what she was juggling felt all too real. While the book tried to keep it light, it did affect me emotionally. I thought the pacing of the book dropped a tad as Amy goes through the implosion of her relationships and some contemplative bits did sound a bit repetitive. But, the romance picks up pace again towards the end and a few surprises later the conclusion wraps up with a strong finish.
Overall it was a good read, not quite what I expected but interesting nonetheless. 3.75🌟s

AHSGKJHSG this was adorable. i loved how inclusive it was, the story was so sweet and fluffy yet realistic. it's the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump!

Thank you to Netgalley for this eArc! I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it definitely didn't have quite as much romance as I was expecting based on the initial summary, but I appreciated the queer self-discovery that we experience through the book.

Ehh. I just wanted a better romance. I didn't want the characters together because I don't think they work together. They say "we can make this work if we want to" as if its being forced and it doesn't really make sense (spoiler, because it doesn't). A lot of the story is the main character whining about their life and one chapter they say love their new job and the next chapter their not sure about it. Things weren't consistent and I think it could have been 100 pages shorter.

This is a unique story exploring the Life of Amy, a 20 something, in Tulsa as she tries to find her way in the world without having to hide who she is. Along the way, we meet a great slew of supporting characters!

In terms of a romance novel this was an incredible slow burn. I actually felt it was wrongly categorized as a romance, as it felt like it purposefully glazed past the intimate scenes as to not take away from the heaviness of the story and what the characters in the community go through while living in Tulsa.

The story it’s self was incredibly heavy. Though Amy has a great community of friends that support her identity there is also many people in the community that are no accepting. The book starts with her loosing her dream job at a bakery, not because of her lack of skills but instead because she’s a lesbian. Dumond does an incredible job exploring the hardships of the queer community in a state that in 2013 wouldn’t allow same sex marriage. The book was equal parts heart warming and heart breaking, and the epilogue wrapped the story up so nicely giving absolutely everyone their HEA. I’m obsessed!

I thought this was a cute story and I really enjoyed it. I think our college students will love it, so I've already ordered a few copies for them to checkout. It's going to be a hit here.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this book for my honest review.

This book started off really great for me, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the adorably sweet Amy, the semi-closeted lesbian baker from Tulsa, Oklahoma. This was set back in 2013 before same sex marriage was legal in Oklahoma, so a lot of the book talks about the struggle for equality and Amy being comfortable showing her queer side when out and about town, etc. which I do think it could sometimes become repetitive throughout the book which made her come off a little whiny. I also think at one point Amy did come off pretty selfish and maybe a tad needy/over the top, which was a little annoying, too.

In the end I was won over by the happily ever after wrap up, and by the growth Amy finally showed over the last part of the story. I would say this was a little bit coming of age/finding out who you are, and a little bit romance.

3.5 stars

Such a fun romance with LGBTQ history mixed in, not to mention feeling like you have a tour guide of Tulsa.

I DNF-ed this one, which was really disappointing to me because the cover was cute and I liked the title, but the instalove was a bit too unbelievable and the pace was a little awkward in my opinion. DNF-ed at 43%

Received from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Bouncing between three and four stars here. I enjoyed seeing Amy's growth as she went from being closeted-at-work to more fully out. The setting (Tulsa, Oklahoma, prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage) was interesting for me too -- giving me an idea of what it might be like to be an LGBT+ person in a less accepting place than the dark blue bubble where I live. But the writing often seemed somewhat stilted, with info-drops that sounded more like they were coming from the author than the voice of the character. The book suffers a little from being marketed as a rom-com, when the focus is more on the development and change of Amy's character than the development and change of the relationship.

All in all, I enjoyed reading it and I LOVED the cover.

This was a little too slow for me, but the ending was definitely worth it. A cute light read. I didn't connect to the characters very deeply, especially Charley. I wish I knew more about her.

Amy has enjoyed baking since she was a child, and Daily Bread is the best bakery in Tulsa, OK, giving her the chance to learn invaluable skills if she decides to pursue her dream of opening her own bakery someday. However, the owners are very anti-LQBTQI+, and so Amy has to hide that she is a lesbian. At her other job, as a bartender at Ruby Red's, a lesbian bar, she is open about her sexuality, and she has a supportive mother and numerous friends in the local LGBTQI+ community. A chance encounter at her cousin's wedding leads to an offer to serve as a professional bridesmaid at an upcoming wedding, filling in for a bridesmaid that had to back out at the last minute. [The professional bridesmaid seems to be a popular plot device lately, although this is the first book involving that plotline that I have read where the bridesmaid was queer.] Amy's various skills are called upon to ensure that the wedding goes well, solving multiple mini-crises, and she soon decides to advertise her services as a professional bridesmaid. The success of this new venture is especially important as the owner of Daily Bread somehow found out that Amy was a lesbian and fired her (despicable but legal), and so Amy really needs the income.

The book is set in 2013, when same sex marriage was still illegal in many states, including Oklahoma, but favorable court decisions were starting to be issued, bringing both hope and despair to the LGBTQI+ community. Amy really enjoys helping ensure that brides have their special day, but it becomes harder and harder to participate in these weddings, knowing that her friends and herself are not allowed to have the same experience. Adding to these difficulties, not long before she is fired from Daily Bread, a new customer, Charley, visits the bakery, and Amy develops an instant connection with Charley, who is also queer and has recently moved to Tulsa for work. A relationship develops, but it is on somewhat shaky grounds. Relationship issues and work stresses will temporarily break apart one of Amy's most important friendships and will force her to re-evaluate how she lives her life, particularly how she hides an essential part of herself in her job.

The book has many poignant moments, especially some of the discussions among queer characters about the issue of marriage equality and acceptance. There are also some very humorous moments -- especially at her cousin's wedding, where the groom's cake, which is supposed to have a peacock design, has a very different and, in the context of a conservative Christian wedding, very disturbing design, and Amy has to use her baking and cake decorating skills to salvage and redesign the cake. Things will eventually turn out well for Amy, but it will be quite the adventure getting to that point.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This was such a cute little book and I loved it. It was heartwarming and literally the cutest. I fell in love with the characters and the story. Thank you for the ARC.

dnf @ 22%. i really wanted to like this one - cute cover! and it would help me knock oklahoma off my 50 states reading list and q off my a-z list! - but i just can't. i'm so bored. i'm not vibing with it. the instalove is questionable at best. i can't continue.

Queerly Beloved is a sweet lesbian rom-com with Amy our main protagonist working at a conservative and family oriented bakery while hiding her sexual orientation.

Amy finds love with Charley, a fresh to Tulsa engineer and the two are drawn to each other after a fortuitous visit from Charley at the bakery.

The romance seemed to take a back seat to Amy’s journey with finding solace in her queerness and discovering her true self.

Amy’s “found family” was a delight and an enjoyable addition to the overall story.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so well written and I just could not put it down! I found myself really relating to the main character Amy. I too love weddings and I actually am in the process of planning my wedding and I was able to find inspiration within. Amy was super relatable and I was rooting for her this entire book. I also really enjoyed how the author was able to take on the topic of legalizing gay marriage and accurately portray what many people were going through, especially in the flyover states. This would seriously make the best Netflix rom-com. Pick this book up if you want something light and fluffy with super loveable characters. Can't wait to reread this one!!

I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group, for allowing me to read Queerly Beloved early!

Queerly Beloved is Susie Dumond's debut novel and I tend to tread more lightly around debuts because they're just the start of a writer's career and in no way define them. This is to preannounce I didn't entirely enjoyed reading the novel. The premise caught my interest otherwise I wouldn't have sent a request, but I ended up not liking the novel itself. It happens and this is why I will not share my review on Goodreads with a star rating as I think it's probably a case of "it's not you, it's me".

As someone who identifies as a straight, cis woman, this book really opened my eyes as far as perspective goes. As someone who considers themselves an ally and supporting my friends in the LGBTQ+ community, I am always looking for opportunities to expand my perspective. And this story was a beautiful opportunity for that.

I adored the characters that were created in this story and watching them grow separately and together made for a captivating storyline. Additionally, I love love so much that I felt drawn to Amy’s character and the business she has created for herself. Watching her interact with her family, friends, and potential love interests while learning to love and live as authentically her really kept me engaged in the storyline. Without revealing anything, the ending of this book made me cry happy tears.

I highly recommend this book to those who are fans of found family, LGBTQ+ romance, and learning to live authentically.

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Review posted on instagram.com/readwithemstar

In depth review coming soon to emg11595.wixsite.com/readwithemstar

An adorable wlw romcom set during the 2010s fight for marriage equality in America. A great look at what marriage means to the queer community

Queerly Beloved is a book about Amy, a baker at a conservative, family values centered bakery who also moonlights as a bartender at the gay bar down the block. Baking is her passion, and she feels that while living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in order to get an education in running a bakery (and to keep herself afloat financially), she has to hide the fact that she's a lesbian. After back to back shifts at the bakery, then the bar, then the bakery again, she meets a woman named Charley who just moved to town and who sticks around until after close to get to know Amy. Amy ends up asking Charley on a date. Around the same time, Amy attends her conservative cousin's wedding - one that as a child she assumed she would be a part of but as an adult is shunned from because of her sexuality. After fixing a cake-tastrophy during the reception, she is invited to be a bridesmaid-for-hire by one of her cousin's friends. That's when the story really kicks into gear.

The book was a really quick read, which will make it perfect for summer. It has a funny concept and is set up at the beginning as a kind of feel good, funny rom-com. I think it missed the mark slighty, however. It read more of a finding yourself novel with some rom-com vibes peppered throughout. There were some really cute and some really funny scenes - Amy and Charley going to the Center of the Universe, for example, and the bachelorette party at the gay bar. I found that at times, however, I struggled to connect to the characters. The book would've benefitted from seeing more of the characters (and their interpersonal relationships) more fleshed out. I also feel that some of the more serious notes touched on in the book fell flat for me because we didn't know the characters who brought them up well enough. Autumn's Thanksgiving day speech and Jae's take on marriage equality were both moments that pulled me out of immersion in the book. Overall, though, it was a fun read, and one that made me want to bake a batch or two of my own cupcakes.

Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the eARC.