Second Night Stand

Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters. Forever, $16.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-1-5387-5611-9

Karelia Stetz-Waters (Behind the Scenes) and her wife, debut author Fay Stetz-Waters, lay out their mission to “share our vision of a happy relationship through romance” in the acknowledgments that open this light lesbian romance. Unfortunately, the ensuing narrative becomes disappointingly bogged down in the protagonists’ mommy issues. Lillian Jackson is a Black ballerina, driven to pursue excellence by the mental soundtrack of her mother’s icy, perfectionist commentary. Meanwhile, white burlesque dancer Izzy “Blue Lenox” Wells only wishes she were the focus of such maternal concern. Instead, she was abandoned after a childhood of neglect. Each woman avoids relationships to better manage their emotional chaos, but that doesn’t mean they can’t indulge in some casual sex when Lillian picks up Izzy at a Portland, Ore., dive bar. The women are unaware they’ve both auditioned for a reality talent show, meaning this hookup will be far from their final encounter. Lillian’s ballet company and Izzy’s burlesque troupe both make the cut, setting up a rivals-to-lovers trajectory that wallows in dysfunction for 15 chapters—Izzy even muses that she falls “for her mother in hot lesbian form every time”—before a greenroom blackout thankfully spurs a break in their emotional logjam. The rest of the story unfolds as a warm, almost wish-fulfillment happily ever after, but it’s a touch less convincing after all the self-absorbed angst. This misses the mark. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (May)