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That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received an ARC of "Closeness" by Y.L. Wigman from Bella Books (via NetGalley).
So, here it is !!!

I hear about Y.L. Wigman’s work since a while now but that the very first time I’m actually able to read one of her books ✅ … The principle of the story is unique and I really loved it, sadly, some things didn’t totally worked for me...

My rating : 3 ⭐️


The story sets (mainly) in Canberra, New South Wales, Australia, and focuses (mainly) on 38 years old Duscha Penhaligon, a talented town planner and 35 years old Honor Boyce, the owner and manager of "Landladies" -- a landscape gardening business she’s building with her partner (or so she thinks …)… Honor had a huge crush on Duscha when the was 16 (and Duscha was 19) … Duscha is still grieving her partner when, out of the blue, she inherits her estranged father’s house, which makes her come back to Canberra. It’s a chance to reconnect with all that was once familiar, to heal her heart and make a fresh start. Honor’s world is profoundly shaken by Duscha’s return. Seeming an ordinary gardener, Honor harbors an extraordinary passion—a secret obsession locked in the past...


Damn !!
That was frustrating and, yeah, let’s say it, (sadly) disappointing… It could have been a really passionating book … Don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad book per se, but I wasn’t blown away ‘cause this novel is relatively short on the word count and, from my POV, definitely too short, especially given the number of characters involved and the complexity of Duscha’s family on her father’s side. Some things which could be seen as good subplots weren’t revisited to their full extent. Yeah, you can say there are a few unfinished conversations and even some loose ends, and, sadly, this lack of development makes the story of this full of potential book a quite lame one... It’s really a shame because there’s a lot of promising sub-arcs in there . Right now, there’s something about this book that leaves me with the feeling of it being itself unfinished. Like I said, there’s really lot of potential in there but, sadly, nothing has any real depth … it would have been interesting to have all the plots and subplots developed way much more … With the book in its current state, it’s more like we have to read a list of samples of what the author can do, but nothing really substantial is coming after that "sampling" … 🤔🤔🤔 I wonder if the author made (because she was asked to do so) some huge cuts in the story ???

The lack of a proper epilogue in this already too short novel is annoying & it reinforces the feeling of unfinished business + it looks like more a HFN than like a HEA …

Having a way much longer book (at least 100 pages more wouldn’t have bothered me) would have been interesting. It would have allowed more room for an ever better character development (for the duet Duscha/ Honor but also for the other two lesbian couples blood-related to Duscha …), a deeper intrigue & more drama (especially where Merrin’s ulterior motive & fraudulous activity are concerned) and, also an ever higher level of paranormal activities … All this would have given more depth to the story.




If I had beta read this novel I would have suggested the author to build the novel differently.
Why ???
=> Because, right now, the flasbacks are derailing a lot the narration and what could have been a good and consistent pace. And the shortness of the novel, in addition, leaves no time nor room to develop properly neither Duscha & Honor’s story, nor anything else, given the number of subplots ...
I think it would have been better to :
°° have a first part dealing with the two historical subplots, presenting Duscha’s ancestors, their stories, their love & how we ended up with this tiny paranormal twist (which could have also been more developed itself) because the story is, as a matter of fact, more about 3 couples during 3 different times, the 2 older couples sort of helping (from the past) the 3rd one to get togeher in present time ... AND also given the weight Irene has historically speaking …
And, then,
°° have a (longer) second part centered on the contemporary romance between Duscha and Honor and dealing, between some other things, with Honor’s past (we don’t know a lot about her bitchy mom for example), Honor’s secret obsession (for Duscha) locked in the past and, of course, the paranormal subplot linked to the house which could be, IMO, considered as being one of the MCs …



I’ll give this author another shot though. Because I like her writing style. I just hope that next time, she’ll be bolder and give her MCs the dimension and the real long length novel they deserve…




If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Sadly not as much as I wanted to
- Did I find the characters believable? => Not as much as they could have been
- Is this book now included in my "must be re-read"-list? => Nope, unless the story is thoroughly reworked and released in an extended version (a very extended one ...)
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope, unless the story is thoroughly reworked and released in an extended version (a very extended one ...)
- Would I read another book by this author? => Yes, because I think she’s a promising author, she just have to be bolder.
- Would I recommend this book => I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …

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Honor Boyce works hard at providing her partner as nice a home life as she can. With her small landscaping business she has worked hard, usually doing the work herself. She’s felt for a long time now that something was missing in her life. She comes from a family that’s never had to worry about money and even though she has a trust fund she wants to make her own way. For some reason she’s decided to keep her true worth from her partner Merrin.
She also never speaks of the huge crush she had when she was only 16 yrs old. Duscha worked at the local groceries store, and probably didn’t have a clue whether Honor felt that way about her.
Duscha Penhaligon grew up in Canberra, New South Wales and when she moved she promised herself she would never live there again. Even though her mother still lived there there were just too many memories connected to Canberra she would just as soon forget. She’s spent the last ten years living and loving her partner Noelle. It’s after Noelle’s death that Duscha moves to Wagga to get one with her life. But before she even gets settled in her new apartment she learns of her fathers death.
She only met her father once and she wasn’t impressed. He lied to Duscha’s mother by never telling her he was married. But as he states in the letter he left for her that didn’t mean he didn’t often think of her. One of the things she’s inherited was the house formerly owned by her great aunt. Problem is it’s in Canberra. Now she’s back finding out all kinds of information on her family and their early interest in the Suffrage Movement in Australia.
Now she finds herself hiring the same young girl she remembers to help with the house and garden. Ms Wigman has given us a great story along with a little history thrown in. One of the best books I've read. Characters you can’t help but like. Simply a great read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bella Books

Duscha is taking the steps to start a fresh new life after losing her partner, but then she gets the call that her father has passed away and she will be inheriting his property. She takes on a renovation project to restore the home to it's former glory. She hires a landscaping company and comes face to face with Honor who she hasn't seen since they were teenagers, where a few chance meetings formed a connection that lasted decades. The two women grow closer throughout the project, discovering each other and uncovering secrets of the history of Duscha's new home.

I really enjoyed this book, there were some odd bits but overall I enjoyed this so much that I can't give this anything less than 5 stars. I really enjoyed the parts of historical fiction in this book, I learned about little pieces of history that I am not familiar with and we got a cute little bonus love story. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Honor and Duscha, they had a really nice connection. There were also great secondary characters, with some lovely family moments and great friendships.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m very pleased I decided to read Closeness by Y.L. Wigman. I didn’t realize that it would be filled with so many of the genres and tropes that I love to read.

This story takes us through three generations of women in the Coxall family and the ladies they loved. In effect, we are getting three romances in one novel through the eyes of the present day couple Duscha and Honor. Through Duscha, we learn the stories of Aunt Charlotte and her lover Sylvia, and Duscha’s Great Aunt Irene and her partner Ruby. With Irene and Ruby’s story, we get the chance to learn about the Australian and UK Suffragette Movement of the early 1900s. The reader is also given an idea of how same-gender couples had to live in a time when homosexuality was illegal and thought to be perversion. Women especially had to deal with being the responsibility (read, property) of their parents or husband. That part of the novel was especially fascinating to me even though it was hard to read sometimes.

With this book, we not only have three f/f romances, historical fiction, and family drama, there is also a small element of the paranormal.

I must mention the stunning cover created by Kayla Mancuso. The three colors she used in the cover (green, white, and violet) have a special significance in the story, but I’ll let you discover that as you read.
I totally enjoyed reading this novel. If you love a good romance coupled with history, drama, and a bit of the paranormal, then I think you’ll enjoy Closeness as well.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

3.25 stars. This book is a little bit different. I found it to be an interesting read but I probably wouldn’t revisit it. If you like a mix of contemporary and historical romance you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

Set in Australia Duscha inherits a home from her estranged father unexpectedly. She’s mourning the death of her partner and the house gives her the opportunity to go back to Canberra. The house is old and needs a lot of work, which inspires her to hire a gardener.

Honor owns her own gardening/landscaping company. Her partner Merrin is the firms accountant after Honor gives her the responsibility when Merrin experiences health difficulties. Honor is called to Duscha’s to give a quote for the gardening work, when they realise they have a connection from their pasts neither expected to encounter again.

The narrative is interspersed with historical information as to how Duscha came to inherit the house. Some of this is done through her discoveries, others are done through historical flashbacks. Whilst I enjoyed the short stories that were told, I found it jarring at times to be pulled from one timeline to another. There’s also a subterfuge plot line for Honor.

I appreciated how their discovering each other again as contractor/contractee and then friends is built into the narrative. It does provide a little bit of angst, but I’m happy to say there’s no crazy conflict and the majority of the angst in the book is provided by their feelings about their situation and the things going on around them.

I liked the relationship Honor had with her father, which grew on me after initially feeling quite differently differently about it, and Duscha’s relationship with her mother. The couple of friendships interspersed in the storyline also helped with understanding both characters.

There were a couple of small bits that weren’t revisited to the full extent I would have liked but I can understand why they perhaps won’t in the overall narrative. However there was something about the book that left me with a sense of it being unfinished. It’s possible it’s because it crams in a lot in a relatively short word count.

All in all I think this book has elements people will enjoy, with a good narrative, interesting setting and elements of mystery, paranormal, romance and family conflict.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Duscha returns to her hometown Canberra when her estranged father leaves her house. While she there refurbished the house she founds a letter from her aunt whom she never met written to her.

While she stills grieves her partner Noelle she has the support of her mother and friend Michele. When she hire Honor to maintain her yard and get it back to shape they remember they cross paths when they were teenagers.

Honor never really forgotten Dusha as she builds her business with her partner Merrin things become more complicated as their friendship grows but Dusha won’t act on it until Honor work out the things in her life.

This good read. I like that it had elements of paranormal we learn their were two other loves stories that happen in the house Dusha inherited Irene and Ruby who were suffragettes and Sylvia and Charlotte who were from the 60s.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Duscha Penhaligon of New South Wales returns to her home town of Canberra after inheriting a house from her father. She is the result of an affair and only has met him once. She is able to get a job in her field and be near her mother. As she paints and refurbishes the house she discovers a letter from an aunt she never met specifically written to her. Two other love stories of couples who lived in the house are told in flashbacks. Irene and her secretary Ruby who were suffragettes at the turn of the century and Sylvia and Charlotte from the 1960s. Duscha hires Honor Boyce to get the yard in shape. They actually remember meeting each other a few times in their teens and Honor has never forgotten Duscha.

My favorite things about the story were the setting and history. All the Austrialian slangs and lingo made me feel I was experiencing a different country. The history particularly in regards to the laws for gays is weaved into the story well. I even liked a hint of the paranormal. The writing style seems too formal. Maybe it is a cultural difference, but I don't feel the conversations flow easily. And some storylines don't go anywhere. Honor's father makes a big deal of wanting to know about Duscha's finances, which is important because of Honor's past relationship. But the two woman never have the conversation. It could have been sweet to have Duscha offer to pay for the additional education Honor needs in her field only to find that Honor has her own money. But that story never plays out. I did like that Duscha wouldn't become involved with Honor until she sorts out her own circumstances.

Overall a good read, particularly for the historical aspects. But the main romance felt weak in comparison. The novel is clean for language, violence and has very limited heat. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.