cover image Far from Home

Far from Home

Lorelie Brown. Riptide, $16.99 trade paper (208p) ISBN 978-1-62649-452-7

The oddest of odd couples finds unexpected joy in Brown’s warm, sweet contemporary romance. American citizen Rachel, a not-quite-asexual assistant film producer struggling to make a living in L.A., is drowning in student debt; Indian immigrant Pari Sadashiv, a lesbian logistics manager, needs a U.S. green card to advance her career. When Rachel offers to marry Pari in exchange for funds, it’s just party banter at first—but what’s to stop them from crafting a friendship with legal and financial benefits? Their platonic plans quickly go awry as Pari’s mother moves in to help plan the wedding, forcing them to live their lie. As Rachel feels herself awakening to an attraction she didn’t even know was possible, Pari has to decide whether she can live with the possible fallout of Rachel’s tentative first foray into same-sex love. The cultural elements feel real, interesting, and important in the context of the story. The slow blossoming of Rachel and Pari’s relationship is hot and delicious, and the romance is excellently seasoned with the intricacies of the mother-daughter relationship on Pari’s side and Rachel’s struggles as a recovering anorexic. Brown deftly handles Rachel’s unreliable narration, drawing readers deep into the women’s tender romance. (Aug.)