Review- For the Love of Laura by Cassidy Ryan

For the Love of Laura
by Cassidy Ryan
2008
Contemporary/ Lesbian
10K+ words- $2.49
Ebook- Torquere Press

Buy it ARe, Fictionwise

Grace, from the popular Sip, What the Heart Wants, and Laura are in a loving and committed long-term relationship. As Laura’s thirtieth birthday approaches, her beloved god-mother Sarah arrives to help her celebrate. Grace is nervous about meeting the other most important woman in her lover’s life, but her concerns are quickly swept aside when she realizes that they have a lot in common -- not least of all, their love of Laura.

Unfortunately, Sarah brings with her a secret that will test the strength of Grace and Laura’s relationship. Grace finds herself placed in the impossible situation of having to keep that secret from Laura. Will Laura understand that Grace acted out of love, or will the magnitude of the lie tear them apart?

This is the second book of Cassidy Ryan’s that I’ve read and I really enjoy the way she writes. While this story wasn’t as satisfying to me as her other book, mainly due to subject mater, I was still happy with it because of the writing and characters.

The blurb is pretty much just about what this book is about, so I’ll go from there.

For the Love of Laura is basically about a brief time period in the relationship between Laura and Grace. They’re already an established couple, so this isn’t a budding love story really. It’s more about the testing of Grace and Laura’s relationship from an outside force.

Right from the beginning, although it’s not shared until further in the book, I guessed what’s going on and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there. I kept reading with some trepidation because it’s not a subject matter or plot device that floats my boat really. There is a happy, although poignant, ending in case anyone is starting to wonder at this point, so no worries there.

The one thing that did save this for me is that this is a short story so things aren’t too developed. Or more to the point, not talked to death enough to break your heart. I know I gripe like hell about short stories that aren’t developed. However, in this case, due to what could be a downer plot device, I was happy that Cassidy Ryan stuck mainly with the positive side of it for the characters, leaving out details that might have disturbed me.

What is clear is that both Grace and Laura really love each other and although Grace is forced to make a lose-lose decision that could jeopardize them as a couple, she does so and faces the consequences. The situation that is going on this book, and what Grace is asked to do, made me think a lot about what I’d do in the same situation. So this is a story in which some deep thought might occur for the reader.

As in In My Skin, I had the same feeling of deep intimacy with the characters; they are very comfortable in their own skins and with each other. I find there’s something really pleasurable and comforting about reading or hanging out with characters that I could be good friends with. Cassidy Ryan does have a way of writing that is very easy and pleasing and for this I kept reading even knowing where the story was going and not really wanting to go there.

For the Love of Laura is ultimately a sweet story about love and being there for a partner through thick and thin. And I actually liked that it’s not one of the more common plot foils to love in a contemporary since lately all the contemps I’ve been reading have been sexual run-ons with no focused plot. And speaking of contemporaries, this book was just the right length for that to keep it interesting and on track without superfluous sex or long, drawn out emo discussions.

Sex rating: Wet panties- semi graphic sexual scenarios, mostly vanilla.

Grade: B