A Story About Recoveries Many Challenges
4.25 out of 5 stars
It’s weird being this honest upfront, but I picked this book up because of the softball glove on the front. I’m a sucker for a good sports romance, but I somehow completely missed the tornado behind it. Now, not knowing that going into it (because I try really hard NOT to read the description/synopsis before reading so I don’t spoil anything) didn’t obviously ruin anything for me. But at its forefront, this starts with sports, but the rest of the story is about recovering in pretty much every meaning of the word.
Dale might be one of my favorite characters in a sapphic romance I’ve read in a bit. Her attitude and how she went about things were reminiscent of a few friends of mine. She just seemed like someone that I would want to hang out with. Her struggles and story were excellent, and I won’t take away from any of those discoveries throughout Simple Pleasures.
This was one of the first romance books I couldn’t tell right away who the two main characters would be. It’s not that White kept it a secret; it focused more on Dale’s life and struggles with picking up the pieces. I like that it felt like White added Taren into the story as almost a next step, instead of the “she’s here to solve all of Dale’s problems.” Taren felt more like that missing piece that gets added later, making everything seem brighter and easier.
Simple Pleasures was a story about recovering from personal struggles and ones left in the wake of an EF-5 tornado. A story I breezed through and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Of course, Abby Craden nails the performance of this – really helping this story come to life.
Book Description:
A mile wide and with winds rising over 200 miles per hour, the EF-5 tornado that laid waste to Joplin, Missouri, took everything from Dale Kinsel. Already struggling to get through the months after the death of her partner Sydney, Dale doesn’t believe she can find the strength to dig through the rubble.
The last thing she needs is Sydney’s sister, Taren, crossing her path again. There is nothing but bad blood between them and Taren’s help doesn’t change that. Surrounded by a broken landscape, Dale has little hope of reclaiming even the simple pleasures. But life—and love—have a way of starting over.
Simple Pleasures by Kenna White
Narrator: Abby Craden
Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
Published by Tantor Audio on September 6th 2022
Genres: Friends to Lovers, LesFic/Sapphic Fiction
Format: Audiobook
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