ARC Review: ‘The Lovers’ by Rebekah Faubion
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Lovers
by Rebekah FaubionPublished by Berkley on September 24, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance, FF Romance, Lesbian Romance, LGBT Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 350
Source: Netgalley, the publisher
Audience: 18+/Adult
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A second chance at love is in the cards for two women working a stylish California wedding in this charming debut romance.
If Kit Larson believes one thing, it’s that the cards never lie. She’s seen it proven time and time again as a tarot reader and mystic influencer. But unfortunately the cards didn’t warn her about her most recent breakup or her parents’ divorce, so when Kit is offered a gig at another influencer’s boho-chic Joshua Tree wedding she accepts for the distraction. And distract it does when she finds out her high school crush, Julia, is the wedding planner.
Julia Kelley is her agency’s most sought-after wedding planner, and for a good reason—she's a perfectionist. Control means never showing others the vulnerable, blobby mess she really is deep down inside. Having an ex-girlfriend in the bridal party is a problem, sure, but reconnecting with the beautiful tarot reader who broke her heart as a teenager is so much worse.
Kit’s cards once told her that she and Julia were Twin Flames, two halves of the same soul. With wedding events pushing them together, their spark reignites . . . and so does a chance at being lovers.
A book cover can indeed convince readers to read a book, which is what happened to me when I first came across The Lovers cover. It’s absolutely stunning, and I couldn’t wait to read it. Not only did the cover persuade me, but so did the synopsis and the fact that it’s a Second-Chance Romance story, which happens to be one of my favorite tropes. This is Rebekah Faubion’s debut novel, and I always love finding new authors and I can’t wait to check out what other books she writes in the future.
The story is told from a dual point of view (POV), with Kit Larson and Julia Kelley being the main characters. Kit and Julia were friends when they were younger, and at one time, the cards said they were Twin Flames and were meant to be together. One of them, though, decided to leave and break the other’s heart. Now, they are forced back together at a wedding years later working together. Julia is the Wedding Planner, while Kit is the tarot card reader for a fellow influencer’s wedding. The more time they spend with each other, the more the spark they had before is reignited. However, both of them will have to work through some things first, and hopefully, everything will align for them in the end. (Which it definitely does.) =)
I enjoyed this Second-Chance Romance story between Kit and Julia and rooted for them to be together the whole time. It was apparent they were always supposed to be together; they just had to work through some things, mostly being honest with one another and with themselves. I felt for Kit because her parents, who had the perfect marriage after so many years and always pushed to have a Rom-Com life, were going through a divorce now. When it came to Julia, I felt for Julia because she had always loved Kit, but Kit had broken her heart. Kit makes up for it at the wedding when they are reunited. It’s like they were never apart when they do get together, and this is why I love second-chance romance stories.
I have to admit that I almost didn’t finish this book because the author became overly descriptive about certain things. While I enjoy details in the storyline that make me feel like I’m there with the characters, I prefer to focus on the characters themselves rather than their clothing or specific information about influencers. I did appreciate the setting and learning more about the tarot cards, especially from Kit’s perspective, but there were times when it felt like too much, and I wanted to focus on Kit and Julia. Despite this, I’m glad I finished the book because, in the end, I was happy that Kit and Julia found each other and were back together after being apart for so long.
Overall, this is a good book, and I give it 3.5 stars. I have already convinced my college-aged daughter to read it because she’ll probably appreciate the pop culture and influencer information more than I did. The book cover alone probably sold her because she’s always loved tarot cards.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy reading Second Chance Sapphic Romance stories, you should check out this debut novel from Rebekah Faubion.
What to Expect:
🩷Sapphic Romance
💜Second Chance
💙Friends to Lovers & Twin Flames
🩷Forced Proximity
💜Tarot Card Reader/Content Creator FMC
💙Wedding Planner FMC
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About Rebekah Faubion
Rebekah Faubion is the author of queer rom-coms with tons of heart and more than a little steam. The Lovers, her debut, releases September 24th, 2024. She is also the author of young adult horror novel Lost Girls coming from Delacorte Press in 2026. When she isn’t writing books that make her bi soul sing, she enjoys watching anything romantic or scary (or, better yet, both), hiking in the Hollywood Hills, and reading tarot by candlelight.
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