Title: Wednesday Nights
Author: Donna Jay
Publication Date: March 16, 2024
Genres: Romance
Protagonist Gender: Female
Whenever you pick up a new Donna Jay novel, you know you're in for a fantastic read. There are certain things she does very well - realistic characters, convincing drama, genuine relationships, and fabulous friends - that you can always count on. Then, of course, there are the things you don't know - the erotica-to-romance ratio, the lesbian/bisexual mix, and the nature of the subtle but well-orchestrated themes - that are so much fun to discover.
Wednesday Nights is one of her lovers-to-friends romances, and I loved how proudly and confidently it moves from casual sex and exploratory BDSM kink, uncomplicated by feelings, to the first realizations of romance. The titular nights were never supposed to be about anything more than no-strings-attached intimacy, but Haylee and Angela are so perfectly paired, it's not a question of if they'll get together but when.
Tied up in all of that are a variety of themes, the most powerful of which revolve around the give-and-take of a relationship, pleasing others versus pleasing yourself, perceptions of ethical non-monogamy, and the interplay of caring for others and not wanting to be a burden. I mentioned subtle, and that's part of what Donna always does so well. The themes are there, inescapable by the end of the story, but you never feel like she's stretching to make a point.
There's also an element of storytelling and roleplaying to the story that I thought was lovely, giving it an air of romantic fantasy that plays very well against some of the more sorrowful dramas of real life. I wasn't quite sure where the story was going to end up, but I was entirely delighted with how it found its HEA.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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