For the love of April French

Aimes's steamy, heartfelt debut centers on the eponymous April French, a transgender woman and mainstay of her local Austin kink club scene, putting in the work to make the club feel like a community. She's grown used to being overlooked as a romantic prospect and viewed instead as a supportive caretaker to the club and its patrons. Enter Dennis Martin, a dominant yet tender millionaire recently arrived from Seattle. As he and April fall into a searing game of erotic give-and-take, April must confront what it takes to trust somebody and learn to prioritize her own needs. Aimes nimbly explores the labyrinthine balance of sex, consent, dysphoria, and trauma without ever sacrificing the story's incredible heat. The narrative excels when it zooms in on the characters and their dynamic as they figure out how they fit together; the world outside of April's and Dennis's relationship can become blurry and bland when the perspective pulls out, but when it returns to the two of them, everything comes back into focus. Aimes beautifully accomplishes the feat of making the reader think while also making the reader feel in equal and abundant measure. (Sept.)

DEBUT When April French first hooks up with new-dom-in-town Dennis Martin, she thinks she knows what to expect. She's used to having brief flings with new attendees at the kink club before they get serious with someone else. Dennis and April have an instant connection and enjoy playing together, but each is recovering from a marriage soured by harmful power dynamics. They want to do this relationship right. She's in therapy; he gets a kink mentor. They're curious to learn about each other's experiences--April is a submissive white trans woman and Dennis is a dominant Black cis man (and secret millionaire). Can they develop the trust and confidence to ask for the exclusive relationship they both secretly want? Aimes plays with chronology in the middle of the book: readers follow April for six months, then jump back to see Dennis's perspective of the same period. The format can get repetitive, but it mirrors the characters' separation and delivers some of the delayed gratification they so enjoy. VERDICT Both April and Dennis are thoughtful and introspective, so Aimes's debut novel can lean heavily on explanation. Wealth solves most of the external conflict; it's the internal character development, supported by diverse and well-developed communities of friends, that shines.--Katelyn Browne, Rod Lib., Univ. of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls