Scavengers: Lesbian Adventure Club: Book 1by Rosalyn Wraight
May 21, 2008
Contemporary/ Lesbian- non romance
98 pg- $11.99 paper, $7.99 ebook
Ebook- Pub: Don’t Waste Daylight
Buy it Amazon, DP books, Don’t Waste Daylight
The Lesbian Adventure Club, aka Dykes Who Dare, Scavenger Hunt
5 Couples
8 Clues
24 Hours
1 Pants-Pissing Good Time
The rules of the game are simple: trust no one, steamroll if you have to.
In the end, it matters if you win and how you play.
Series Introduction: This ongoing series revolves around five lesbian couples-from a variety of careers and at different stages in their relationships-who spend a weekend per month immersed in an adventure concocted by one of the couples. While the stories center upon the adventure, the foundation of each is built upon the gritty issues of friendship and trust between women. Told in first-person by character Kate Sutter, a newspaper reporter, the writing is crisp, and yet, it utilizes her unique perspective and peculiar sense of humor, sending it between the extremes of sentimentality and outright hilarity.
I’ve read and reviewed a few of Rosalyn Wraight’s mystery books here on LVLM and enjoyed them even if I did have some issues with the writing. The same goes for her Lesbian Adventure Club series. Scavengers is the first book in this series and sets up the tone with character development and interaction for the rest of the series.
I can’t really categorize this book as anything I’ve read before; it’s not romance, although this is a book about couples and their ongoing conflicts and relationship issues, so there are some relationshippy things that happen. I’d say this is more chick lit since it is about the everyday lives of a group of women, couples, who get together regularly for an adventure/mystery themed weekend with specific rules.
In this story, told in first person by Kate, the women go on a 24 hour scavenger hunt. They all take turns sponsoring the event and Kris and Ginny are responsible for setting up this current adventure for the group of women. They are the oldest couple, both in their late 50’s and also the longest together, 24 years, so they are looked up to by the others. They’ve chosen to do a scavenger hunt for this particular adventure. The women are given several clues during the course of the day and they all have to go out as couples and do what the instructions say. The winner is to pay for dinner for all.
I thought this is a fun and interesting concept, not one that I’ve read before to keep a story going. There’s a lot of ribbing, rivalry and camaraderie between the women as they fight to be the fastest at completing the projects. It’s kind of like hanging out with a bunch of friends during a weekend, but with a fun purpose involved.
Although this story is told from Kate’s POV, we do get some glimpses into the other characters and what they’re about. But mostly, in this book it's Kate and Claudia’s story being worked out during this weekend. Kate and Claudia have been having problems, with Claudia moving away emotionally from Kate and the group for a while now. Kate’s been upset about it, but has been at a loss what to do. What I liked here is that Kris and Ginny, being the wise older couple, are sensitive to what’s going on with the other couples and they see what’s happening to Kate and Claudia. They work out their weekend scavenger hunt to also include some things and situations that could help Claudia and Kate work things out.
So this isn’t only about a mystery hunt or game, it does have a lot of character growth within that realm, which I really liked. What I was really thankful for also, was that this didn’t go the way of the emo drama that happens often in contemps. These women are very real and fun to hang out with.
Two characters, Holly and Laura, are from Rosalyn Wraight’s other series, a mystery series that features detective Laura McCallister. I’m quite fond of Laura as a character and we get another glimpse into her private life with Holly from a different perspective, which I liked as they are part of this group of women.
Unlike the other books I’ve read of Rosalyn Wraight’s, I didn’t find any issues with the writing itself. This is a nicely written book, with lots of humor and human moments with an unusual backdrop for it. And for those who like to read lesbian stories without any sex but with some minor romance to it, this book will hit the spot.
I don't know how the other books in the series will read. There are currently 10 I believe. While I enjoyed the format for its uniqueness, I’m not sure how it would pan out over a long series. I’ll definitely read one of the other ones at some point though to see how it’s carried as the characters are interesting and I do like the concept of mystery weekends.
I think if you’re looking for something light and fun to read that offers something a bit different then you’ll like this book and maybe even the series.
Sex rating: Dry panties- there’s no sex in this book
Grade: B+
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