As a recreational cyclist, I was pumped to pick up a book that has bicycles on it. This was not a sports romance though, just to be clear. Sol Cycle is a contemporary romance with accounting problems and a bicycle shop as its backdrop.

It started quite slow for me despite my excitement but it picked up somewhere in the middle. I did like the pacing of the story, there were also twists that I appreciated. There’s growth and breaking old patterns as promised in the blurb and which is good character development, however, I struggled to connect with the MCs despite having cycling as a shared love. I wish I could say that I learned to love them. They just felt so out of reach. And as someone who went through some corporate bullcrap like Angelique, (spoiler alert!) her decision to go back to Lithium in the end was disappointing. I personally would never go back to a company that has done something so underhanded to me despite the change of management. It’s too painful (end of spoiler alert). Furthermore, the book cover is also not accurate. But yes I know, I’m nitpicking. I’m not usually like this but cycling is close to my heart and I wanted everything to be accurate.

It’s a full-fledged novel, I could see others loving it but this was just not for me. Maybe it’s too close to home.

Thank you #boldstrokesbooks for providing me with an ARC via #netgalley for an honest review.

If you like to bike ride, you will really enjoy this book!
The story revolves around Ang and Krista. Ang was next in line to get a big promotion, but someone who was less qualifies gets the job and she quits. She is left with lots of time and no real way to fill it. She picks up riding her bike, which she has always enjoys.
Krista owns Sol Cycle, which is her pride and joy. She inherited it from her uncle and she is still learning the ins and outs of her business.
Krista and Ang meet unexpectedly in the park and then keep running into each other, until Ang applies for a job at Krista's bike shop. Ang helps Krista get her finances and inventory straightened out so that things are going more smoothly. The two women begin spending more time with each other outside of work and they begin to find out that sometimes love and work do not mix.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one just didn’t work for me. I wasn’t able to stick it out to the end. Thank you for the ARC, though.

So Cycle is a book about growth and letting go of patterns you weren't necessarily aware of. Both Krista an Ang are set in their ways and just sort of accepted the way things were in their life. But meeting each other created a shift in both of them which they needed to grow.

I enjoyed seeing their struggles and doubts reflected on the pages between their romance and their work related issues.

The side characters were also a great addition to the story and I enjoyed their contribution to the MC's story.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

• Age Gap
• Dual POV
• Pets
Ang is a 37-year-old businesswoman at a corporate retail center, who is determined to climb the ladder at work. Krista a laid-back person and the owner of Sol Cycle. They both take delight in riding bicycles. One day, Ang is overlooked for a promised promotion and immediately quits her job. She decides to take up cycling again and finds that her bike isn’t functioning properly. So, in the middle of the park, Krista finds her meddling with her bike and decides to stop at help her. Krista invites her to her cycle shop and a couple of days later, Ang comes in with said bike. After fixing and cleaning her bike, Krista invites Ang out for lunch and then offers her a manager position at Sol Cycle. Even though they both know it’s a long step down from what Ang used to do, she eventually gets the job. Things heat up between the two. Krista’s been working a new inventory program for her shop and can’t figure out why it isn’t computing the numbers correctly. It becomes an issue for her, Ang, and other people at the shop.
I liked that this wasn’t a slow burn romance. I liked the surprises in the book. The banter was incredibly cute as well. However, it was a very slow start for me. This is somewhat as romance novel, like there is some romance in it, but it almost took a backseat to the side plotline. The Swifty plotline overlooked the romance feature of this book. While I love a good mystery, this wasn’t it either.

#SolCycle #KimberyCooperGriffin #BoldStrokesBooks #NetGalley #eArc #ARC

<i>Thank you to Kimberly Cooper Griffin, Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

Loved the characters and the storyline between them. Overall, this is a story I recommend to anyone who enjoys a WLW book. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book

Sol Cycle I really did struggle with through the first part of the story, I found it difficult to get into but once I got past the middle mark things seemed to happen quickly and slightly more interesting. I did (somewhat) enjoy it, once it got started but did find it very predictable.
For me it was just below average, it's okay, but not my ‘cup of tea’.

I've given Sol Cycle a 2.7 out of 5.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Cute love story about LGBTQ+ characters navigating life

This story revolves around Ang, a corporate manager who recently quit her job after being passed over for a promised promotion, and Krista, a former Olympic hopeful now running her own business. While I hoped this book was going to be as great as the authors last book , Can’t Leave Love, I feel as though Sol Cycle just didn’t live up to expectations. There main issue with the business labeled as “accounting issues” was easily figured out from a readers view, and I was disappointed that it took as long as it did to come to light. While the chemistry felt real between Ang and Krista, I felt that their common hobbies were thrown out the window to focus on other issues/people in the book.

I received an arc through NetGalley

An enjoyable read. I loved both the main characters Ang and Krista. They both met at the park and couldn't stop thinking about each other. They shared a hobby in common and developed a friendship that eventual turned into something else


Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books.

A very quickly and very enjoyable read. I loved both Ang and Krista and could identify with their issues. I found the book keeping drama a little over the top. It seemed obvious what was going on but seemed quite drawn out. There was also a LOT of mention of Cleo which started to get mildly irritating! With regards to the romance I thought it was handled really well and at just the right speed. I really enjoyed the story and found myself reaching for my book more often than I normally would

Angelique Kennedy’s life was in a role that means she will be getting a promotion, making more money and still be exhausted. Oh, well this is what she worked for. When all of Ang’s plans turned to dust she quit her job. Nothing worse than taking orders from the person you trained. Now it’s Kat and Geri, Ang’s best friends who tell her she’s got to get back into the dating scene but Ang’s just not ready. Besides right at her side is her trusty cat, Cleo. One thing she’s been trying to get back into is bringing out her bike and starting riding again. But the bike needed a little work, so…..
Krista Olafsottir is the owner of her very own bike shop. She’s worked there for years but recently bought it from her retiring uncle. Now ‘Sol Cycle’ was all hers, along with all the paperwork involved i n running a business. Swifty, who’s worked there before Krista was even born, helped with some of it but nothing adds up.
Now Ang’s going to work at ‘Sol Cycle’, just to have something to do. Falling for Krista wasn’t part of her plan. Krista also was staying clear of the idea of having a relationship, been there, done that.
Ms Griffin has given us a totally, thoroughly enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

3.5
Words that come to mind for this book: destiny, sporty, boss ladies, spicy, friendship, adulthood, workforce.

This book was more about people who happen to be queer than about queer people. Let me elaborate:
It has a queer love story and queer characters, but it doesn't include the struggles of coming out which I'm more than ok with. It's been established pretty early that the main characters like women. The love story between Ang and Krista is a subplot. The book centers on how the characters navigate their work, friendship, and love. I would say that the author did a great job creating these characters - both main and side characters. I didn't like the plot flow as much though. There were a few jumping around (both time and location) that disrupt my reading and that sometimes irks me. Overall a good read and I wouldn't mind reading another book by Griffin.

Very good book. The main characters were well written and the story was well developed. The relationship between Ang and Krista was a slow burn friends to lovers romance. Krista is the owner of Sol Cycle and Ang is a corporate executive for a company that doesn't appreciate her talents. She leaves, but after a while decides to look for other employment and this is where she meets Krista for the second time by chance. I really liked this book and I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family, I look forward to what comes next from this author.

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


Krista and Angelique meets by accident when they were at the park and can’t get each other out of their head. Angelique quits her corporate job because she having been enjoying the work lately she been missing riding her bike and windups helping Krista who owns a bike shop. As they both grow closer the two of them realize they want more then the friendship they are forming. This was a cute read with some angst.

This was the second book I've read by this author and I enjoyed both of them. Krista and Angelique meet in the park twice and can't seem to get each other off their mind. When Angelique quits her corporate job she ends up helping Krista in the bike shop she owns. Shenanigans ensue and the two of them realize they want more than a relationship at work. There are a couple side plots that I liked but did feel like they took up a bit too much time in the book as a whole. I did love both main characters and there are some side characters that were really funny as well. I'd have liked some more interactions with Krista's family as it seemed they were really close but we only meet two of them. I did like the cycling background Krista and Angelique shared, but their shared hobby kind of fell to the wayside because of the busy side plots. It was an enjoyable read though and I'll be sure to pick up the next new release by Kimberly Cooper Griffin.

This book has so many ups and downs and I might not even call it a romance. Yes, of course there is a romance but I would maybe prefer to call it accounting troubles with a side of romance. I feel like our two smart main characters, Ang and Krista, are made out to be a little bit of nitwits when it comes to this. Especially Ang who just resigned from her high powered executive job should have easily spotted what was going on. I figured it out straight away, but because the issues was ever present and just not figured out it took away a lot of the pleasure of reading this book.

Also the darker moment comes rather quickly and is born out of a slight annoyance/ miscommunication right at the start of the romance actually. It’s a bit over the top, also with the other drama going on, it could have been a different type of drama to hit a reader more in the feels.

Overall I’d say this is just an ok read, with maybe too many downs to be fun.

I thought the book was well-written and I enjoyed the characters. I did, however, feel as though the mysterious accounting issues overshadowed the romance in some parts. Like others have said, I would have like more character development instead of the bike shop mystery. But overall, I did enjoy the book.

Cute story with likeable characters, but the romance felt rushed and then overshadowed by the mysterious book keeping issues at the bike shop. I would've enjoyed a bit more tension between Ang and Krista before they slept together, but overall it was a quick, fun read.

Ang and Krista meet by accident after Ang quits her job. The plot revolves around the bicycle shop Sol Cycle, which is a small bicycle shop in Denver Colorado. The characters are well written and real. The story kept my interest and it had emotions such as love, anger, uncertainty and friendships. The feeling of family was throughout the story and gives a warm feeling. I recommend this book for age gap romance readers.