Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters

A solid three-star adventure. The characters were compelling and the idea for the story was very fun. What didn’t quite work for me was the execution. There were several personal struggles for both Cade and Selena that were never really explored. Some of the family issues in Cade’s life just got brushed off in a hurry, as a joke. I kept wanting to give her a hug.

There are some complex power dynamics that start the story for Selena, but they all fade to mild annoyances by the end of the book. Something about that letdown made the character arc less exciting for me. Though she takes real steps to heal and protect herself and others from harm, that section is rushed. I wish we stayed in her power for longer.

Most disappointingly to me, the sex toy usage was very confusing. For a book about a sex shop, the one thing I was hoping would be fun and hot, was all the toys in their relationship. But when it really got down to it, I had a lot of concerns about how they were using the toys. I wanted more explicit education on normalizing play and toys during sex and it never happened. Other books with similar vibes (Not sorry for this pun), achieved this more successfully.

Lastly, I am so excited to have read a lesbian novel that is getting noticed and talked about. It’s a thrill to find one among the tens of heterosexual couples being published every week. For that alone, I will read more of Karelia Stetz-Waters-Sky - Sky