Confessions of a Straight Gay Woman by Daralyse Lyons (#lesbian #romance #drama)

As the holiday come to an end, I find myself looking back at all the stories I somehow never got to, and feeling horribly guilty about it . . . so this week I am continuing to tackle the review pile from the bottom, catching up on my oldest reads, and doing my best to celebrate them as they deserve.

Confessions of a Straight Gay Woman was not at all the book I expected. It was beautiful in some ways, but painful in others, and the overwhelming promise of darker confessions to come cast a pall over the read. Make no mistake, Daralyse Lyons is talented author who makes her characters come alive, but sometimes that just makes the pain cut deeper.

Ray is a damaged young woman with a lot of grief behind her. She never intended her friendship with Leda to be more than that, but she appreciates the other woman's attraction, and ultimately decides that even a false love is better than no love at all. Actually, that is not entirely fair to Ray, since she does try to make it work, but it is what she does to prolong the lie that is so devastating.

I dare not say more than that, since you need to discover the twists, betrayals, and reveals for yourself. It is a wonderfully written book, with character who leap off the page. Lyons knows how to evoke emotions, and how to build bonds with the reader, and that is something to be admired . . . even if it twist the dagger in the heart a bit deeper.

Writing isn’t so much what I do.  It’s who I am.  Ever since I was five years old, I knew I wanted to tell stories for a living.  I have a tendency to fall in love with characters and a somewhat (by which I mean extremely) fanatical need to put their lives down on paper.

@daralyselyons

Reviewed by Sally