Review by Booklist Review
Eden Sands isn't exactly a washed-up pop star, but she's no longer selling out arenas and her last album was a flop. After Eden's Grammy performance with rising star Anna Moss, their management teams decide they should tour together, which thrills Anna, who has had a crush on Eden since forever. Anna is openly pansexual, while Eden is divorced from a man, but the more she spends time with Anna, the more she questions whether or not she is really straight. The fans pick up on the chemistry, too, with the hashtag EDANNA following them around on every stop of the tour. While taking a few days off at Eden's hideaway in Vermont, things get steamy, but does that mean their love will last when the tour is over? The latest from Lacey (Unleashed, 2014) plays nicely with power dynamics: Eden is older and more established in her career, but Anna is more secure in her sexuality and helps guide Eden through her coming-out process. Both singers have star power, and it's a pleasure to watch them fall in love.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Lacey (Read Between the Lines) pairs up pop stars in this uneven sapphic rom-com. Eden Sands, 36, needs a win. Her latest album is underperforming, and she's struggling to get her life on track after her divorce. To shake things up, she agrees to add up-and-comer Anna Moss, 27, to her Grammys performance. When their duet stirs up buzz, her manager suggests inviting Anna to open for Eden on tour. Anna's thrilled: Eden has been her idol and celebrity crush since her teenage years. Because pansexual Anna is out and proud, fans begin to speculate about the chemistry between the two performers, even creating a ship name: Edanna. Eden is happy for the attention, but she's also sure she's straight and insists that her feelings for Anna are purely platonic. As the pair spend more time together on the road, however, Anna develops real feelings and Eden questions her sexuality. It's an achingly slow build undermined by a rushed third-act conflict and an unearned sickly sweet epilogue. Unfortunately, this wonky pacing detracts from the story's power. Romance fans will be more frustrated than carried away. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
This sapphic romance features two pop stars at different stages in their lives and careers. Eden Sands has been a pop icon since age 16, but now, in her 30s, she's intensely private and concerned that her star is fading. Meanwhile, mid-20s Anna Moss has just jumped, successfully, from acting to music and is the hot new thing. Eden and Anna's duet at the Grammys turns into touring together, while Eden slowly realizes that she's attracted to Anna even though she previously considered herself to be straight. Lacey (No Rings Attached) does not shy away from interrogating the power differential between Eden as a headliner and Anna as her opening act, even as Anna's self-awareness and comfort with her pansexuality give her a level of experience inside their romantic relationship. This is primarily a romance of self-discovery and exploration; the external conflict explodes very late in the book and is resolved almost immediately, despite touching on significant background trauma. VERDICT Like Anna's very online fans, readers may find themselves shipping #EdAnna, but Anna's burgeoning professional confidence and Eden's discovery of her desire for women also take center stage.--Katelyn Browne
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