I'm always sorry about a bad review, but I simply think this book is not for me. I started it with huge expectations, thinking I would enjoy the dynamics between these two women, but actually I found both of them quite boring and witouth any chemistry between them. I DNF it at 60%.
Nevertheless, I am sure that someone out there found this book absolutely amazing and I am happy that it could receive love somewhere else.

I appreciated the chemistry and romantic undertones between Ava and Jean. From the start, it’s clear that Ava brings out the best in Jean, especially when Jean is navigating her sense of self both personally and professionally. I also appreciated the author’s note on making this a single POV, highlighting Jean’s journey through character development—her sexuality identity (and internal homophobia), her career as a lawyer, and her growing relationship with Ava.

My main gripe is the writing style. I’m not sure if “not a fan of the prose” is the right way to put it, but I found myself struggling to get through certain sections. While I usually am okay with third-person POV, the abundance of corporate work scenes (though necessary to set up a later moment) felt forgettable once read. Many of these parts didn’t seem to add much to the overall story after introducing the side characters.

Jean could also felt SO unlikable at times, but it was clear that much of this came from fear and projection tied to her internal homophobia. When it mattered most, she stepped up. The third act was kinda predictable, and I personally wished it had gone in the opposite direction, but I understand why it served to solidify Jean’s ARC.

Despite the title, the book isn’t overly spicy, but each intimate scene felt purposeful—tying into Jean’s journey of discovering and accepting her sexuality later in life (at 55) while deepening her connection with Ava.

Thank you, NetGalley, Hera Books, and Lou Morgan for the advanced copy!

I really wanted to like this one. Gave it a try, but it’s hard to root for characters who are awful to their love interests.

It’s offical, I need to exclusively read sapphic romances. There was more chemistry and romance in the first chapter than in most of the books I read. The rollercoaster that was Ava and Jean was one I’d ride forever.

Being able to write such beautiful characters with their strengths and quirks and flaws is such a talent. I enjoyed watching Jean and Ava grow into the people they were meant to be and I wish I could read this book for the first time again.

A solid debut, I enjoyed reading this and found it had good flow and steady pacing, lots of spice and some good tropes. This was an age gap, later in life sapphic awakening with some relatable moments.

I would say this is aimed at an older target audience, it does have some lovely deeper/heavy themes and moments which ideally need a trigger warning. But I could see this being a favourite read for those that could relate better to Jean.

It did have an Interesting if odd writing style, which was difficult to get into but worked surprisingly well.
Doesn’t feel believable but it is easy to read,
although very predictable, with third act conflict/breakup.

At times it could feel slow and had a lot of corporate/Jeans work featured, but some parts were necessary and I still did enjoy this read.
There were times Jean irritated me and although she was going through her own fear and trauma I didn’t like how she treated Ava, who on the other hand was a very easy to love and unproblematic character.

A heartwarming and hopeful ending, with happy ever after.

…..

That's not true. Or why would I have chosen my career over her?'
'Because you were scared. Because you were traumatised. Because we live in a world more likely to punish women who are victimised than the men who abuse them.'

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this awesome book

i cant get over that first scene when jean meets ava... in a bar after being stood up... and she tries giving ava the hint to go away she might have better look well both of them better luck if they didnt sit near each other...

but man what a storyline.... i was hooked right from the first page and even though there was some hard hitting scenes as well as the trigger warning at the beginning this was a book i felt compelled to finish to see how it would end....

its an age gap book but its so much more..... the highs and lows of coming out, acceptance by friends and acquaintances but again so much more is covered....

its a compelling read and jean and ava storyline was written amazingly well... its shocking to this this level of writing is just the beginning for this author and i for one am glad i get to read the first book and watch this writing career take off

looking forward to reading more from this author

The premise of this sounded great, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me. I loved Ava but I found Jean unlikable, so I wasn't really rooting for them. It started off strong but then there was so much about Jean's job that didn't add anything. I ended up bored, so was skim reading, but there was so much I just gave up and DNF'd.

Their dynamic sparkles, but also stings in places, the kind of heat that reveals what’s been repressed.

After reading the authors not at the end this book pretty much just feels like it was the authors trauma dump attempted to be turned into a novel. I respect that but it was not for me.

Jean was awful, and instead of truly making her grow we just threw in a super traumatic story to excuse it all. The big plot twist and conflict was so cheap, I felt no chemistry between the two, and I feel like Jean was just using Ava for most of the book.

There are things I hate and love about this book and the most prominent one was that from the first page on I simply had trouble putting it down! This means I simply went to bed way too late a couple of nights because I wanted to read 'one more chapter'. The only other thing I hated about this book is that I finished it and now I miss hanging out with Jean and Ava.

Jean and Ava meet by chance at a bar when Jean is stood up during a date. They hit it off and one thing led to another and they end up in bed together. This interaction had such an impact on Jean that she can't stop thinking about it and after some pondering she seeks Ava out and proposed to become regular sex partners seeing as both women have thriving careers and no time to date but definitely an itch to scratch.

Usually I prefer dual POV stories but not once did it bother me while reading Strap In. It is written so beautifully and I was so hooked that I had a hard time parting with the ladies when real life came knocking on my door.

The pacing is perfectly evened out without any hitches in the story or where you get the feeling the author is making up drama just to create a compelling story. I will be keeping an eye out for future work as I thorougly enjoyed reading Ava and Jean's story.

An ARC was given to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

This was more than I was expecting, in a good way. The story of an older woman discovering her sexuality later in life, with a much younger, hot woman, felt a little far fetched in places. But the way the characters related to each other was more realistic, and the questions that were raised felt real. I was invested in the story, and enjoyed the way the main character came to a truth about how she wanted to live her life.

I can’t believe this was the authors debut novel and then to read it wasn’t the story the author originally planned out had me shocked. You genuinely wouldn’t have know it, the writing style was amazing, it didn’t just tell the reader what the characters were feeling, it made the reader feel it alongside them. I felt everything from laughter to love and heartbreak

This book gripped me from the get go, and pulled me into the world of Jean and Ava, I loved them, I think the way the author highlighted the different issues they both face was amazing and I thought it was so well written.

The way Ava was so patient and understanding whilst Jean discovered and became her true self was beautiful

The plot had me in shock at some points, the twists kept coming. When the situation with the client happened my heart was in my throat, you truly felt all the emotions that characters were going through in that moment.

This book highlights bravery, self discovery and well and truly choosing yourself for the first time

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed Ava and Jean's relationship and watching them grow together. I enjoyed Jean exploring her sexuality and learning about herself. However, I felt the business aspect of the story was just a bit boring and it didn't really keep my attention a lot of the time.

I loved watching them slowly progress into more. Whether it was spending nights together with Twix and jelly beans or going out for dinner, I enjoy them together so much.

Ava's sister, Aaliyah is pretty humorous. I definitely laughed when she said most women Jean brings home are like vampires and disappear before the sun comes up. I though Aaliyah's daughter was cute and the date to the zoo with Jean and Ava was perfect. My favorite part was when Jean and Ava went swimming in the rain in Scotland. I feel like it was such a spontaneous adventure and I can only imagine how beautiful it was.

While they both had some issues they needed to work on, I'm glad that they finally learned to communicate. Thank you to Netgalley, Hera Books, and Lou Morgan for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

A steamy, sapphic age gap read that I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did! I loved Jean's personal growth throughout the book and her transformation once she began to discover her true self. I felt like the setting was very work focused and would have loved more interaction with Jean's friends and Ava's family. The first half of the book is a little slow but the second half really picks up.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I love that this book centers around a woman in her 50s who comes out later in life and struggles to come to terms with accepting it, ultimately gets there. This book drags a bit in the middle, with too much subplot about Jean’s work, which while important to her as a character, the amount of side characters introduced in regards to her work, were a little uninteresting as there wasn’t to developed for them. Aside from that, an easy and enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! The writing was very good and I loved every character, even grumpy Jean!!! And the book is even spicy

I keep trying sapphic books in hope that I may find one that I love and is appropriately representative. This book gives lesbians the same representation as all the others. The characters lacked chemistry from the jump. Primary example, heavy flirting at a bar/club the first few pages is how all sapphic books begin. For once, I want something different and I was let down.

The first 20% of this book was off to a great start but then when their work got involved it quickly bored me. Also, I’m not sure Jean is a lesbian? I feel like she might be just curious and attracted to Ava? The way she described women’s anatomy made it sound so unappealing it was hard to believe she was into it.

Strap In by Lou Morgan might sound like a no-holds-barred spicy romance—and it certainly delivers on heat—but don’t let the title fool you: beneath the sizzle lies a deeply emotional and unexpectedly profound journey of self-discovery. At the center is Jean, a career-driven woman who’s always kept love at arm’s length, until the enigmatic and magnetic Ava crashes into her world. What starts as a no-strings-attached affair quickly evolves into something far more complicated, forcing Jean to confront not only her assumptions about her sexuality but the tightly controlled life she’s built around herself.

Morgan crafts a story that’s as much about identity and vulnerability as it is about passion. Jean’s emotional unraveling is honest, raw, and at times deeply moving, making her transformation feel earned and resonant. Ava’s free spirit serves as a catalyst for change, but it’s Jean’s journey that forms the heart of the novel—messy, brave, and utterly relatable. Strap In is a must-read not just for its steam, but for its rare ability to balance sensuality with soul-searching. That said, the story does explore some heavier emotional territory—so readers should be aware there are trigger warnings. This is a bold and beautifully layered ride you won’t forget.

thanks to netgalley, hera books, and lou morgan for the arc in exchange for an honest review of this book! ✨

strap in follows our protagonist, jean, a workaholic lawyer in her 50s, as she navigates an unforeseen romance with self-assured, 30-something ava. the book follows jean as she navigates through questioning her sexuality, career challenges, and her blossoming relationship with ava.

i loved that this book featured an older protagonist working through her sexuality later in life, and how her experiences in life complicated that journey. i felt the uncertainty was well-portrayed, and there was obvious chemistry and great banter between our two leads. although main characters in their 50s and 30s is not “old”, i loved reading about characters besides the typical 20-somethings i often come across in romance reads. the setting of the legal world was also a plus for me, i love to see ambitious women.

i do have to remove a couple of stars, mostly because i felt the story dragged on a lot in the middle, and i felt there were a few too many side characters in jean’s life that it was tough to keep track of. i would have also liked to eventually meet jean’s sister or more of ava’s friends, rather than spend so much time in a work setting.

lou morgan’s debut has promise - though it wasn’t my cup of tea, i’d be happy to read their next projects!