Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Lavender & Gin in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I was unable to read it before the archive date. I look forward to finding this book at my local library or independent bookstore!

I love a good historical fiction novel and this one being sapphic made it so much better! I was hooked from the start. Definitely recommend!

A love story between Sophia, a beautiful courtesan in the prohibition era, and Andrew ( Andrew?) the boss of a local mafia who delivers booze for the Purples, the actual owners of it.
Andrew whose sister went over to live in Chicago a happy married life, makes the best job in the area, takes care of everyone, fair and square but Sophia shakes her world up, makes her feel safe and as if there was a place called home, but the prohibition is hard specially for pansies who deliver booze.

A nice love story, I would not say life changing, but overall good, recommended to readers who enjoy sapphic stories with hopeful endings.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pacey story of love, secrets and betrayal. Prohibition is in full swing, America has entered an economic depression and Kassia’s twin brother Andrew has been reported as missing, presumed dead in action. Alone with her grieving, resentful mother, with few options to make a living as a woman, Kassia successfully adopts her brother’s identity. But will the money and power of heading up a Jazz-age Detroit bootlegging gang, running liquor to speakeasies and dodging arrest satisfy Kassia’s ambition? And what lengths will she go to in order to protect her fiercely won male identity? What options does she have when the leader of another gang asks her to betray Sophia, a woman who runs a gay underground club and who Kassia finds so beguiling, with the threat she will lose everything unless she does?

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for my honest opinion.

I love historic reads especially during this time period and make sapphic is even better! Someone can easily read this book in day. I had moments when I was completely in it and others when I felt like skipping ahead.

3.5 ⭐️

4.5 rounded up

What an absolute delight. And this is a debut novel? I can hardly wait to see what Ms. Aaronson comes up with next.

When I think of sapphic mobsters, my mind immediately goes to Ali Vali's Cain Casey. But Aaronson brings a more realistic character to life with Kasia/Andrew Kasowski. She's no super-human, Mary Jane. She's tough and filled with insecurities and lonely and loyal and all the things that make her feel like a real person.

The descriptions of how Kasia's gang do their work and of Prohibition Era Detroit put me right there with the characters. With the exception of some POV issues (former editor/proofreader - I can't help it) Lavender & Gin is damn near perfect. I would - and may - read it again and I absolutely recommend it to everyone who loves historical romances and/or butch/femme representation.

I genuinely liked Kasia and Sophia. I wish them all the best and will think of them now and again.

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read a new author I might have otherwise missed.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I love reading stories set in this era so I knew I had to jump on this when I saw it.

The stuff with Kasia and the gangs was cool and the romance between Kasia and Sophia was sweet, if a little insta-lovey for my taste, but I overall found the character building lacking.

I would have liked to have seen more of Kasia becoming Andrew, becoming a gang leader, working her way up to the position we skip to her being in.

I also didn’t really like that these women lost. I would have preferred they chose each other over what they had rather than losing it all and running together, but that’s just a personal preference.

Still an enjoyable read and I’d like to see what this author does next.

I love it when historical romance makes you take a deep dive into the past, and you can feel the passion and the amount of research the author did.
Lavender & Gin takes us to the Prohibition era, where queer people gathered in hidden bars and gangs ruled the alcohol distribution.

Kasia’s story is a bit hard to swallow at times. She had to take her brother’s identity to ensure money and protection for her family and her neighbors, even if it is at her depends. Her attitude was understandable considering the circumstances, but I could feel that she was playing a role and had lost her identity.

I loved how Sophia and The Lavender allowed Kasia to be vulnerable and live her truth. Her struggles and dilemma were moving, especially with everything that happened near the end of the book.
I also appreciated how the difficulties faced by queer people, but also the sense of community they manage to build, were depicted without being sugarcoated.

On the romance side, who doesn’t love a good old butch/masculine presenting woman losing it over a strong femme? The tension was there and subtle in a way that is not too subtle.

The story felt well-balanced, and the writing was fluid, which made the reading experience very enjoyable.
Lavender & Gin is a great debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from Abigail Aaronson.

A world with a gang making liquor deliveries crossed with a woman disguised as a man who had to publically change her identity in order to survive? Yes, please. I loved the struggle Kasia had with maintaining the public facade of taking on her dead brother's identity in order to reach her goals, but then realizing that the queer speakeasy is a whole new world she never thought possible. The author captured and conveyed Kasia's angst very well, and I did root for her to figure things out so she could truly live her life.

Lavender & Gin follows Kasia, a polish woman during the prohibition era that takes over her twin brothers identity after he goes MIA during the war to take care of their mother.

Kasia turns to a gang in Detroit responsible for selling and supplying alcohol to bars and clubs. A new buyer pops up, an underground queer club that peaks Kasia’s interests because of the owner Sophia.

Sophia opens up a new world to Kasia, one she thought she’d never be able to be part of. The stakes start to get high though when the Chief of Police is cracking down and arresting everyone involved in queer activity or the buying of alcohol.

Kasia was made to look super tough in the beginning, but VERY quickly that veil fell once she met Sophia. Did Kasia piss me off at times? Yes. Did I also love her? Also yes.

The ending was a bit odd and stressed me out, but it all pulled together once it was said and done.

This book was filled with action, finding oneself, love, understanding, and acceptance. It was also filled with sadness and anger. Lavender & Gin really brought you along for the ride.

I read this book in a day, and don’t regret a minute of it. This was a wonderfully written historical sapphic romance.

Please note: I received an arc copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley for a copy!

I like to read historical books, and I had high hopes about this book. Overall an interesting read but I would have liked to read way more about the 10 years where Kasia became a thug and pretended to be her brother. Now we have the before and 10 years after but the struggle to get there not at all described. I also would have loved to see way more interaction between Kasia and Sophia, now I have such a hard time to believe they will last after the initial lust phases out. The book only has Kasia's POV and with her non existing past romantic history it would have helped to also read Sophia's POV to understand why someone with so much experience fall for Kasia to believe this could be end game. The epilogue is so short so no help at all unfortunately. The book is still worth 4 stars though since I enjoyed the read.

Wow, what a beautifully written book!

While most of the book was an antagonising slow burn, it made the flourish of the relationship between Kasia and Sophia all the more sweet.

The historical aspect of the book was excellently written and helped to create a tense and nervous feeling for the reader, bringing with it a desire to protect both Kasia and Sophia.

The development of Kasia’s confidence and character was refreshing and made for a delightful and satisfying read!