One Way or Another by A.L. Brooks
$6.99 / E-BOOK
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Description
A fun, sexy, lesbian romance about finding not what we want, but what we need.
Corporate lawyer Sarah Connolly keeps her love life simple—no strings, no complications, and definitely no falling in love. It works for her, even if it’s getting a little, well, boring.
Demure teacher Bethany Keane has been out of the dating pool for ages but is ready to dip her toe back in. She would love to be swept off her feet by some beautiful, romantic soul.
A chance encounter outside a sex shop in London draws the unlikely pair together and the attraction is immediate and powerful. But how can two people so different even connect, let alone fall in love? Can Ms. Wrong ever be right?
A fun, sexy, lesbian romance about finding yourself and discovering not what we want, but what we need.
Additional information
| Publication Date | October 2018 |
|---|---|
| Formats | epub (for Kindle Reader/Kindle Apps, for iBooks, Nook etc.), mobi, and pdf |
| Length | 63,000 words |
| Language | English |
| ISBNs | 978-3-96324-095-9 (mobi), 978-3-96324-096-6 (epub), 978-3-96324-097-3 (pdf) |
| Publisher | Ylva Publishing |
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Miira – :
Bethany hasn’t dated in ages. Sarah doesn’t do relationships. They meet sort of accidentally in front of a sex shop – one’s nervous, one’s outrageously flirty. This is, at first look, a simple opposites attract type of a romance, but there’s more layers than you’d think. I won’t spoil it, though, because there are enough hints throughout the slow burn (but fortunately not too slow!) romance.
I really, really liked this one. I grinned, laughed out loud at times (so glad I wasn’t reading in public!), sighed happily, and at one point ground my teeth and needed some chocolate to take a break. I may also have called Sarah a few choice names.
The pacing was great, ditto the dialogue, supporting characters.. and just about everything! So.. five stars? Yeah, close enough, I’ll round this up to five. Maybe a bit more length and a bit less obvious secondary romance (glad it wasn’t explored in great detail) and it would have been a certain, solid five.
Pat Iserman – :
Sarah and Bethany have a very rocky start.Sarah has been playing the love them and leave them routine for so long that she’s forgotten how to relate with any sincerity.Bethany is no pushover.She knows what she wants so sparks fly while these 2 figure things out.
Karola – :
***free ARC
Bethany is finally coming to terms with her life, what she wants and sure don‘t want. But to overcome her shyness isn‘t that easy, especially not with a very forthcoming Sarah who she met in front of a sex-shop. Sarah is beautiful, sexy and her only interest is in one nightstands. But something about this shy Bethany is tormenting her feelings and thoughts. With a few hurdles and the help of their families they will get to the point where a relationship is growing and the exploring of fantasies in the bedroom is more than just sex (but it‘s sure hot).
cheekybugger13 – :
I was very excited to read Angela Brooks‘ (A.L. Brooks) latest, “One Way Or Another” (because it’d been a while since reading her last book) & by gosh, it was well worth the wait! This book was such a marvellous read I practically inhaled it in no time at all! Pure Brooks style – humour, wit, with a touch of naughtiness, complete with some sly sexiness to boot! Positively delish!
The first few pages of the first chapter alone grabbed me already because….well, I certainly didn’t expect Sarah and Bethany’s first meeting to be in (or rather, outside) a…..sex shop! That in and of itself gave me the chuckles because…well, you need to read about the circumstance to which these two women “bumped” into each other! Oh, what could go wrong, eh?
A shy primary school teacher + an attractive nosy parker + a parent + sex shop
= Hilariously AWKWARD!
Honestly Bethany and Sarah’s first meeting in and outside the shop was one original, creative, unusual, not to mention, hilarious first-meet scene I’ve read in lesfic! Their chance meeting was like fate playing a joke on them or something. I mean, a sex shop?! Well, I never…! Fate, it seemed, wasn’t without a hint of irony, eh? Seriously, though, what was memorable for me was how devilishly naughty and sexy it was! I was chuckling all the way through the scene! Thank you, Brooks, for coming up with this mad but utterly adorable idea, well done!
One thing that I absolutely loved about Bethany and Sarah was how Brooks’ crafted these two characters in this story. The saying, “Do not judge a book by its cover,” was exactly what Brooks portrayed ever-so brilliantly with Bethany and Sarah’s characters. See, we all have preconceived ideas about people we initially see/meet, based on past experiences and stereotypes. So we draw our assumptions about them right off the bat. Only after we get to know them more do our perceptions about them change. That’s just the nature of the business, innit? And that’s what Brooks conveyed in this story. So, back to Bethany and Sarah…
Sarah’s first impression of Bethany was that she was this beautiful, shy, demure, timid primary school teacher (there, the profession itself already projects a certain preconception and presumptions about the person, innit?) who came off as nervous and helpless, hence, presumably needed “saving.” Whereas, Sarah was this tall, attractive, confident-looking woman in a suit who came off as utterly arrogant, aggressive and shallow upon Bethany’s first impression of her! Although, their instant attraction to each other and their chemistry were oh-so palpable from the start! But with all the preconceived ideas they both had about each other, especially on Bethany’s part about Sarah’s attitude, it was truly a riot to read how these two polar opposites slowly manoeuvred their way around their prejudice, doubts, fears, not to mention the growing strength in the pull of their feelings toward to each other. I loved the moments where Sarah discovered just how wrong she was about Bethany the more time she spent with her. Sarah, on the other hand, as Bethany soon discovered, wasn’t the typically (or rather, stereotypically!) confident, cockily “butchy” persona that her appearance and attitude would led people to believe. Oh, those moments alone, are part of the reason to explore this story yourselves!
Brooks’ insightful depiction of Sarah’s internal struggles about falling in love, commitment, relationships as her age-old fears (issues of abandonment, disappointment, heartache) that kept haunting her; and on the flip side, Bethany’s own dilemma as she struggled with her own deep-seated fairy-tale ideas about love and romance, were resolutely compelling and evocative to discover. How could two polar opposites reconcile their different views about love, romance and commitment? But, as we know, opposites do attract, as Brooks gradually revealed Bethany and Sarah’s moment of truth and realisation, most notably Bethany’s. Let’s just say, “Never meet your idol (fantasy),” eh? It sure was a sticky situation but one ticklishly entertaining read, though! Poor Bethany! Oh, when Bethany compared her “tricky” situation with the case of the 2 buses, I chuckled because Brooks hit the nail there about the mad behaviour of our buses! (Yes, happened to me with those wretched double-deckers more times than I wanna admit!) Positively spot-on as an analogy for Bethany’s “predicament!” Anyway, Sarah and Bethany soon discovered that what they were looking for in love and life actually mirrored each other’s! Like yin and yang, really. Who knew they’d fit like a glove, eh? As they say, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You’ll never know what you’re gonna get.” Innit the truth.
Brooks made their constant push-pull utterly addictive to read because their moments were often amusing, with just a touch of intensity which I thought only made their growing connection even more captivating. Also, I was gratified that Brooks presented the story based on both Bethany and Sarah’s POV, which allowed me to have a much deeper understanding of their respective inner psyche and perspectives . Plus, Brooks added a little spice into it – injecting a little dominant/submissive dynamic between the two characters. Except, she turned the dynamic play on its head, changing the perspectives of Bethany and Sarah’s roles, which, imo, further enriched the multidimensional aspects of their characters. It sure made their story even more compelling and refreshing! Brooks portrayed another facet of what constituted a truly fulfilled love between two people. In this case, both Bethany and Sarah were looking for the same thing in true love – someone to share their deep-seated physical needs and desires of love that would fulfill its emotional part, hence achieving total intimacy in the art of loving. In the end, they did have one crucial thing in common after all, despite their differences, which turned out to be the epitome of how being open and honest about their desires sealed the love they had for each other. One way or another, these two lovebirds were destined to be together, weren’t they?
Needless to say, I loved how Brooks so skilfully weaved this absorbing romance into a perfectly paced road to achieving long-lasting love and intimacy between Bethany and Sarah. I appreciated the fact that their romance wasn’t instant but that it took time for them to recognise their feelings and accepting them. Brooks’ tale of their love story wasn’t a fairy tale – falling in love and living happily ever after, the end. Nope, instead, it was a well-thought-out, well-developed one that allowed these two characters to not just be either one’s object of love but to make an effort to learn, cultivate and discover from each other what real love meant. As Erich Fromm said, “Real love is not something we fall into, it is something we learn how to do.” And that’s what I thought Brooks effectively achieved, imo, in depicting a grown-up, thought-provoking love story which was authentically true and unique to these two particular individuals. But that’s just my interpretation, though.
Oh, another thing worth mentioning are the secondary characters. Just like her previous books, Brooks once again crafted some very interesting ones that I really enjoyed getting to know. I particularly loved Bethany’s mum, Alice, who was always 100% supportive of everything that Bethany did in her life including her love life. I loved Brooks’ depiction of their symbiotic relationship which was utterly heartwarming. Bethany and her mum were best mates, really! Heart-tugging feels, tbh! As for Sarah, I had so much fun with her aunt, Elise, and her live-in caretaker, Jonathan, who was more like Elise’s son and Sarah’s brother than anything, really. Sarah and Elise’s relationship was more like a mother-daughter one. You’ll understand why that is when you read it, which I urge you to. Brooks weaved a heartfelt back story of Sarah’s, which also shaped the person that Sarah became. Sarah and Jonathan’s relationship was nothing short of sibling-like and their constant bickering made me chuckle! Oh, and Elise’s character was a little larger than life and she was one witty woman with a fabulous sense of humour, and lots of naughty cheek on the side!
All in all, I highly recommend this utterly enjoyable adult romance between two superbly crafted characters that captivated me attention with their utterly heartfelt love story filled with humour, light drama, and all-around sexiness and sensuality that I absolutely savoured! “One Way Or Another” is a little different than I expected, which is why it was so refreshing for me to explore and revel in as I devoured the entire book in a blink of an eye! Bethany and Sarah’s heartening and gratifying journey will be in me reread list, obvs!
Dee – :
4.5 stars
This is hands down my favourite book by A.L. Brooks. Although her characters (not only in this books) infuriate me at times, they are compelling and I can’t stop reading.
From the first meet at the sex shop, I was all in. Bethany and Sarah are wonderful leads, destined to be together, despite their differences.
The side characters add immense depth to this story. Bethany’s mother, Alice, is the bomb. And Jonathan, be still my heart!
My ears perked up when there was mention of exploring BDSM, and while that did come about, it’s purely on an introductory/explorative level. No whips and chains, just sensual yumminess.
pharridge – :
An interesting first meeting between the principle characters leads to an up and down, somewhat rocky relationship between Bethany and Sarah. A slow burn of a novel that shows opposites do attract in ‘one way or another’!
A good storyline that had me rooting for both Sarah and Bethany separately at different times throughout their journey.
Kitty Kat – :
I love it when a book surpasses my expectations and this one does by quite a way. I’ve loved everything AL Brooks has written this far and knew it would be good but ‘One Way Or Another’ was sublime. It’s the story of primary school teacher Bethany, a woman one could easily mistake for being timid, shy and quiet. When she bumps into worldly-wise Lawyer Sarah whilst perusing the wares in a sex shop, little does she know her life is about to change. Do they want the same things? Sometimes we don’t realise what we really want until someone offers it. And that makes it all the more delicious.
Bethany really surprised me as I got to know her. She had a innate strength and sense of purpose and I loved seeing her begin to change her life. Sarah came across as so sure of herself and in control at first. Finding out about the real woman beneath was a revelation. Their story left me feeling all mushy and full of the joys. It was romantic and emotional and the sex was erotic and frankly beautiful in its intensity. I highly recommend ‘One Way or Another’. 5+++ Stars
I was given this ARC for review.
stephasselin – :
One way or Another by A.L. Brooks
Bethany Keane, a shy primary school teacher, finds herself standing in front of a sex shop. While she is still debating whether she will go in or not to buy the sex toy she wants to get back into an active sex life, after being celibate for a few years, she meets Sarah Connolly. Sarah is a corporate lawyer and a regular buyer at the sex shop. She is a player and excels at getting a woman fall to her feet. The meeting is a result of unexpected circumstances, and being turned down by Bethany, only makes Sarah try for more.
The story was great and had a big potential. After reading, I personally wish the characters had more chemistry with each other. Since they met in front of a Sex Shop, a random and unexpected place to meet, and they don’t seem to get along right away, I was waiting for a mind-blowing attraction to develop between them both. Throughout the book, it is obvious that they complete each other and have great interactions, but at times it ‘’lacked’’ the spark that would’ve made them even more warm to one another and captivate the reader’s attention, in this case, mine.
From the premise of the book, I was sure I would find myself reading a book without an actual plot and mostly filled with sex scenes, which I was happy it wasn’t the case. One way or Another is a fun, intriguing and fast read book. It doesn’t get too intense in the BDSM world as I at first thought it would and its characters are perfect for the universe.
It was fun to see the shy Bethany, becomes the not-so-shy Bethany in the bedroom, while the dominant and fierce Sarah can let herself be dominated at times. The contrast is great to read and gives a good pace to the book.
It was another great book by A.L. Brooks. I recommend it as a funny and fast read. The characters are loveable, or at least Bethany is… Sarah takes more time to get used to.
@RainbowMReviews
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. *