by
Claire, a Detective Inspector in her late forties, has known and worked with Estelle for many years. Ever since they met, it felt like there could have been something more there: Estelle's gentle flirting and compliments have been a constant in Claire's life, but her self confidence never allowed her to truly believe the other woman meant anything by it.
Until one day, Claire breaks her leg and finds out soon after that Estelle has decided to retire from the police, at only 56. Something doesn't feel right there, but before Claire can begin to ask more questions, Estelle offers to take her away to her seaside cottage for a week. After all, with Claire on sick leave and Estelle retired, they both have the time.
Surely a week of lazy mornings, too much food and wine, and walks through the countryside aren't enough to make Claire fall when she’s resisted for so long?
Publisher: Independently Published
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: F-F
Heat Level: 5
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Lesbian
Protagonist 1 Age: 46-65
Protagonist 2 Age: 46-65
Tropes: Age Difference, Beach Romance, Everyone is Queer, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Interracial Relationship, Opposites Attract
Word Count: 50000
Setting: Devon, UK
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
She grumbles and rolls to her side, blindly reaching for her phone and answers without giving her eyes enough time to focus on the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“How about a sea-side recovery?”
It takes a couple of seconds for her to realise that this is Estelle’s voice, and that she hasn’t the foggiest what she’s talking about. She clears her throat, voice still thick with sleep.
READ MORE“What?”
“I have a cottage in Devon, on the coast, thought you might like it there.”
Claire falls onto her back with a groan.
“Estelle, I’m barely awake, I have no idea what you’re on about.”
COLLAPSEMy love for Merlina Garance’s books has ascended to the level when I read them before they’re even up on Goodreads, so this review will decant in my notes app for a while, like the fancy wines this book didn’t fail to provide. As always, I’m thankful for the ARC and voluntarily leaving a review.
Mending Bones is the highly anticipated (it’s been for me, at least!) third and last novel in the Leicester trilogy, following The Flourishing and Just Stu.
Here, we find our beloved Claire Atkins (the MVP supporting character who stole our hearts in book 1 and 2) finally in the role of the protagonist. We happen to get to her at the time of a domestic incident some readers will remember reading about in Just Stu, and the aftermath of it. Though the recovery won’t be difficult on the physical level, it takes a toll on Claire’s mental health, and she is sure she will go mad with boredom. Thankfully, her ever-flirty friend and colleague Estelle (also known as the love of my life from now on) comes up with a plan to get her out of town for a couple of days…
If you wonder where this trip will take Claire, in terms of feelings, you’ll be delighted to hear that this book will come out soon.
To surprise of absolutely no one, I loved this book. I love Merlina’s writing style, I love the characters from these books, I wish I could hang out with them in real life. Getting to know Claire better was awesome, as was being able too see some old friends again (though I’d like to file a complaint for the low amount of Thalia mentions in this book). Estelle was the real revelation. After her appearance in Just Stu I couldn’t wait to read more of her, and was not disappointed in the slightest. She is just wonderful, so full of life and shades and personality, just like all of Merlina Garance’s love interests are. They don’t just exist to get the romance going, they live and breathe on page, and make you want to get to know them just as much as the protagonists.
As always, the characters and dialogues are what I appreciated the most in this book. The plot is mostly romance, as fits a book of this length, but it did take an unexpected turn I didn’t see coming, and that got me hooked and worried until resolved. Speaking of length, I wish this book was longer, but you’ll see there’s a reason why it was written this way: what we read is a very specific portion (possibly the juiciest one) of a story that, in a way, unfolds over a decade. As much as I’d like to know more, I’m content with Merlina’s choice of telling this moment in particular.
Mending Bones is a short, sugary and spicy quick-burn romance book that made me laugh, cry and even snort milk out of my nose one time (that’s on me for reading at breakfast time, really). The fun, the angst and the sexy scenes are well balanced and all of them feel authentic and memorable. It also holds a wonderful message, not just hidden along the lines but voiced out loud in various points, that no matter who you are, how you look or how old you are: you have a right to belong, take your space and be yourself, unapologetically. You deserve good things.
With a level of spice that tops The Flourishing (and a level of denial and dumbassery from the main character that matches Just Stu’s), Mending Bones is the perfect conclusion to the Leicester trilogy, though that won’t stop me from gently poking Merlina with a stick and demanding more content. If you’re reading this, help a boy out and read these books to show this wonderful author just how much love their work deserves. Let’s get a round of applause, folks! Merlina: you did it again.
