Review – A Perfect Balance: A Romancing the Page Novella, by Laura Ambrose

Back in November I reviewed a quick and cosy novella called A Hidden Hope. It was a delightful afternoon’s read, so I was very pleased when I managed to get my greedy gay hands on book number two in the Romancing the Page series.

In the first story in the series, Natalie and El are two critique-partners-turned-enemies who do their best to fight their mutual attraction and top the SFF lists.

In book number two, A Perfect Balance, we find the story of two different women, Emma and Sage. Together they have enjoyed a long-standing sexual relationship with no names, no details, and no strings attached, just nicknames and some light D/s action. The story follows them as they are unexpectedly thrown together in the publishing world they both love. To make matters worse, they find the D/s roles they are used to are reversed as the sub becomes the superior. Can they shift their power dynamic and work together without losing everything?

The characters may be new, and the plot stands alone, but the overarching theme is the same as in A Hidden Hope: genre-writing women must decide whether their unforgettable and all-consuming passion for each other is worth the risk – of being outed, of being hurt, of losing something important. It’s another vulnerable and comforting story of opposites coming together, this time helping others along the way as well as each other.

Like the first book in the series I was sometimes brought out of the story by typos or small mistakes, but this does little to detract from the charm of the London publishing world contained in the book. So much is utilised to keep you captivated – the scent of roses, the sounds of string music, the sting of candle wax.

All in all, it’s a sweet book about the wonders of reading, the smells and sounds of other worlds, and the joys and vulnerabilities of being a woman who loves women.

Also, if you’re a fan of the ‘oh no there’s only one bed whatever shall we do’ trope, let’s just say you’re in for a treat.

You can find your own copy here, and follow the author on Twitter here.

Thanks again to Laura Ambrose for the review copy! If you’d like to send me a book for review, I’m always happy to have something to read!

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