Planning to reconnect with an old flame, Chance meets Garett, an extremely hot young woman for whom the word “instalust” seems to have been invented. The only thing standing in the way of a very obviously mutual attraction is Chance’s ambivalence about dating another stud.

After exploring the femme on femme dynamics in the Black queer community of Atlanta in Femme Like Her, Fiona Zedde moves on to butches/studs with two very interesting and endearing characters.

Zedde writes compelling and electrifying chemistry and lust. From the first look, the first breath, the connection and attraction between Chance and Garett is tangible and plausible. If the whole book was written with as much passion, it would be a 5* read, easily, but it feels as if the author was impatient to get to the good parts and the beginning of the story is rushed, a lot more telling than showing. If that bothers you, know that once you’ll get into the heart of the story, it won’t matter anymore, so keep reading.

Chance is a wonderfully complex character. In her work life – she’s a grant writer for a foundation that provides lodging and community to older lesbian and queer women –, she’s strong and efficient. In her private life, she’s struggling to accept the reality of her attraction, which led to her spending ten years in a toxic relationship, and resents her parents’ decision to move to Mexico, feeling abandoned by them even though she’s well into her thirties. However, she’s very close to her – straight – sister Karima, who calls her out on all this whenever she gets the opportunity. The sisters’ relationship with each other is one of my favourite parts of the story.

Garett seems more unidimensional at first. She’s young, cocky, successful, all swagger and hot stuff. However, as the story develops, she also proves to be earnest, supportive, kind, and flawed. I also have to mention Miss Betty, who isn’t a big character but whenever she appears, she’s wonderful.

As I’ve written above and, I think, in all my reviews of Zedde’s books, she excels at writing chemistry and sex scenes. Zedde doesn’t hide need and desire behind metaphors and circumlocutions and it’s not only hot, it’s refreshing. What I should have mentioned too is the atmosphere of her stories. When you’re reading a Fiona Zedde book, you know you’re reading a Fiona Zedde book.

Stud Like Her @ Bookshop.org / IndieBound / amazon

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