Lesbian Romance Should be Escapism
Sometimes you just want a little escapism. You’re not looking for good literature or next Great American Novel. You just want an engaging story with a few likeable characters that will make you forget your dreary life for a few hours. When I’m looking for that, I pick up a lesbian Romance novel.With a background as a stagehand, I was looking forward to reading Different Dress, by Lori L. Lake, a romance novel that takes place on a country music tour. I was expecting a fun read, some girl-on-girl action, a little lesbian drama and happily ever after.
Too Much Information
What I got instead was way too much information. Lake likes to describe little details. The problem is these details do nothing to keep the story moving or add any real value.After breakfast, she paid, left a good tip, and headed out of the restaurant… She made her way across the parking lot to the semi, unlocked the back, and threw open the double doors. It took a little work, but she got the ramps pulled out, then scooted up into the cavernous opening. They kept the things they needed least often toward the back, with the PA system, gear, and equipment toward the front.
And that’s only a fraction of the paragraph. In all Lake takes 350 words just to get Jamie’s motorcycle out so she can go for a ride! Life is too short for this.
Good Writing, but Too Much of It
Lake is a decent writer and has a great ability to create compelling characters. I found myself really liking Kip, the up and coming singer and Jamie her love-interest stagehand. I really wanted them to get together. The problem is Lori Lake writes too much. No one wants to wait until page 318 of a 340-page novel for their protagonists to get it on. Yet, that is what Lake forces her readers to do.What Lake needs is to remember what lesbian romance is really for and a good editor who can cut the story in half. Then Different Dress will be worth reading.
