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Yerba Buena
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
When Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her seventh year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner. When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, will pull them apart again and again. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story about two women finding their way in the world.
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review
Megabooks
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Mehso-so

I got the hardcover from #botm one month because I wanted an add on. It‘s just sat on my shelves. Full disclosure: I don‘t have a good track record enjoying YA authors‘ adult debuts, and this is no exception. The characters felt wooden to me but were put in these heightened dramatic situations. She didn‘t seem to know how to make an adult romantic relationship work on paper. Glad I knocked this out on audio and can donate my BOTM copy. 🤷🏻‍♀️

LiteraryinLawrence I was on your wavelength with this one. I really like her YA stuff but this one fell short for me. 4mo
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I wonder why the transition from writing YA to adult is so hard? 4mo
BarbaraBB I know what you mean about YA authors, and often feel the same 4mo
78 likes3 comments
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kissmehardy
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

Can you call a novel a coming-of-age story if the characters are in their late 20s when it's over? I'm going to. Simple yet engrossing and effective prose. Leads who felt like real people. Storylines that converge and separate and converge again, and a romance I was rooting for. This novel has it all! #fiction

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erank58
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

I've been in the worst reading slump since September. I've no desire to pick anything up, and when I do nothing kept my interest! So many DNFs after 30 pages or so. Today I finally forced myself to (sucessfully) get through a one-sitter.

This wasn't my favorite LaCour, but I love what she did here. Each relationship--romantic, queer, or otherwise--was given proper space to grow authentically, without the bow-tie perfection we often expect 💜

51 likes1 stack add
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Sydneypaige
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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I picked this book up off a list of sapphic romance, and let me tell you, just because you are writing about a lesbian relationship, does not make it a sapphic romance. All the trigger warnings for this book; I wish I was properly warned before opening this book. It took me nearly six months to finish this book because it was so heavy. Proceed with caution.

7 likes1 stack add
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NovelNancyM
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

While I didn't find the writing exceptional I enjoyed the story line. Also, if you enjoy descriptions of food and drink, you may like this. The novel once again reinforces how one's family of origin can mess up a human for years if not their lifetime.

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NovelNancyM
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

While I didn't find the writing exceptional I enjoyed the story line and this novel once again reinforces how one's family of origin can mess up a human for years if not a lifetime.

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kera_11
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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very slow meandering plot, split between 2 MCs perspectives. they aren‘t together til after half way through the book. my take away from this book is how addiction impacts different families in similar but different ways, overcoming past traumas and being comfortable in your own sexuality. please please check trigger warnings. this is not a sapphic romance, it is literary fiction with a lot of intense moments. Didn‘t love it as much as I‘d hoped.

Sydneypaige I‘ve been in the middle of this book for MONTHS. It‘s so much heavier than I thought it would be 1y
kera_11 @Sydneypaige I was SO surprised with the immediate trauma in the first chapter and it just doesn‘t really ever stop 1y
7 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Branwen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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#AlphabetGame #LetterY
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This is Nina Lacour's adult debut! I liked it a lot, but I didn't end up thinking it was a favorite of the year, which I was expecting! Still a solid pick, though! 💕 #catsoflitsy #rumpel

Leftcoastzen Rumpel looks like she has something to tell me!😸 2y
Branwen @Leftcoastzen I'm sure it's about how she wants more tuna! 😹😹😹 2y
Becker Pretty little cat 2y
See All 8 Comments
Kitta I picked the same! 2y
batsy 😻 2y
RaeLovesToRead Rumpel 🥰🥰🥰 Hello friend! 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awww Rumpel 😽😽 2y
Branwen @Kitta Nice one! ☺️👍🏻 @Becker @batsy @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you! She's my smallest furry bookworm! 😻💕📚 @RaeLovesToRead Rumpel says hello hello to auntie Rae! 😻💕 2y
44 likes8 comments
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Kitta
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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A fun foodie book for you all that is an easy read! It‘s a sapphic love story that I really connected with. It‘s not a romance novel, more fiction. It had me hungry for more 😆

I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ but I don‘t have a 5 star book to recommend for #lettery! #alphabetgame #lgbt @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing!! 2y
8 likes1 comment
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Cinfhen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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#AlphabetGame

Only one more letter to go @Allylu

A truly beautiful, but at times uncomfortable story of two young women: Sara & Emilie - each harboring pain, loss, regret and family secrets.

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LiteraryinLawrence
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Mehso-so

This was my book for #lmpbc. I‘m surprised because I love this author, but this book wasn‘t great for me. A lot of it is pretty depressing, and I am not in a great mindset for that, I guess. I‘ll be really curious what my fellow readers think, though, and I hope they love it!

Kitta I‘ve never read anything by the author before but I listed it as a pick! 2y
Mccall0113 I will be a few days late getting my book out. This semester of grad school nearly killed me. Lol 2y
LiteraryinLawrence @Mccall0113 That‘s ok! This is supposed to be fun, not stressful. 💗 2y
LiteraryinLawrence @shellleigh33 Should arrive to you by Thursday! 2y
72 likes5 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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“Mama, that book is not nearly as interesting as I am.”

DivineDiana I must agree with Pickles! ❤️ 2y
jimfields3 That‘s a familiar look to me, too. 2y
TrishB Look at that face 🐶♥️ 2y
See All 7 Comments
batsy Pickles has a point 😍 2y
squirrelbrain No books are as interesting as puppy dogs! 2y
Cortg So cute!
2y
eanderson Awww, Pickles!!! 2y
52 likes1 stack add7 comments
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marleed
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

I liked this. My biggest takeaway is the many directions addictions can take and how each addiction uniquely but negatively impacts a family.

HeatherBookNerd I like Nina LeCour, but I had to bail on this because I couldn‘t quite handle what was happening to those kids. It was too much for me. 2y
68 likes1 comment
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sprainedbrain
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

I‘ve not read LaCour‘s previous (YA) novels, but I am in love with this, her first ‘adult‘ novel. Beautifully written, complex and melancholy, this is a character-driven story about two women and their messy lives, and it just feels so authentic to me. The author‘s ability to make fictional characters seem so painfully real put me in mind of Sally Rooney (that‘s high praise).

Great on audio: Julia Whelan is one of the best narrators.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

shawnmooney Nice review! Might I coax you to come on Zoom and chat with me about this book for 10 or 15 minutes for my Bite-sized Book Chats series? If you have no idea what I‘m talking about, the playlist of all 48 or so episodes is here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU-61cZp1pQdBH5V0Zb9q-2ujl4PY8nhf. I‘d be so happy to have you on as a guest! 2y
sprainedbrain @shawnmooney Shawn, I love your book chats! I am not sure I‘m clever enough to be any good, but I‘m willing to try. 😉 2y
CarolynM Stacked🙂 2y
shawnmooney @sprainedbrain Please excuse the delay – that is awesome! If we don‘t follow each other on Goodreads or Instagram – if we do, I don‘t know your ID either place – drop me an email shawnmooneyincanada@gmail.com and we can discuss further! 2y
89 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Soubhiville
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

Absolutely loved this. Beautiful step into adult novels Nina La Cour, brava!

I very rarely drink, but when I do I love a signature unusual cocktail, and the titular one sounds delicious. The friendships, the families, the love story, all of it was wonderful. I can‘t wait to see what the author does next.

(Trigger warnings! Check before reading.)

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mdemanatee
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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The official start to summer reading.
https://youtu.be/kzZ8qZZtPlI

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Rhondareads
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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My weekend reading.❤️📚

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Christine
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

This one grew on me. I wasn‘t sure about the shifting perspectives and timelines and had plenty of those “I wish we spent more time with x situation/character” moments…but then often we did! So that was fun. What I loved most were the California settings and how having two of those (NorCal - Russian River area and SoCal - LA) added depth to the CA sense of place. I also loved the complexity of how the title of the book was woven into the story.

LiteraryinLawrence My book club is considering this one. Do you think it would lend itself to discussion? 2y
Christine @LiteraryinLawrence I do! Lots of identity and social issues are touched on, and some are less explored/developed than others. And here on Litsy it seems like there are differing opinions re: how it met expectations (esp. around love story vs. more literary fiction vibes). So plenty to discuss, I think! 2y
42 likes2 comments
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Kempfme
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
Mehso-so

This is my first read by Nina LaCour, so I was not sure what to expect. This is a story of two damaged lives finding each other in a plant shop. It has a lot of triggers: sex, drugs, abuse, and young death. The first couple of chapters were great paced, but as I kept reading I found myself not carrying about the story because the character's were not that interesting and it was a little hard to follow the changes of POV.

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BekaReid
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

Nina LaCour weaves the stories of two fractured people from two fractured families as they discover who they are and who they're not. It's a character driven plot with beautiful, direct prose that draws you in and carries you through.

13 likes1 stack add
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mgschu
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

I came in with high expectations (LaCour is one of my favorite authors) and those expectations were blown away. I‘m not sure I have words for how much I loved this. The prose is more bare, more raw, more simple than some of LaCour‘s other work but somehow, still, rich and full and so very lovely. She creates characters and dynamics and journeys and trauma so familiar and still so unique. A love story you root for before they even know each other.

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BekaReid
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Today's plans. Skullbert is rockin' his new headband. 🏳️‍🌈

LiteraryinLawrence My pre-order arrived yesterday and I‘m excited too!! 2y
Leftcoastzen Beautiful photo! 2y
16 likes2 comments
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TheReadingRaccoon
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

Yerba Buena is the adult debut of author Nina LaCour. It is a contemporary “coming of age” novel featuring two young women living on their own terms in Los Angeles. This novel has everything from cocktails, flower arranging, home renovation and Creole culture. I highly recommend it to readers that enjoy gritty stories about complicated young women. 5 stars

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Beachesnbooks
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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June TBR 🌈 Continuing with my annual tradition of focusing on books featuring LGBTQIA+ authors and characters during Pride month! And lots of 2022 releases, too.

28 likes1 stack add
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BekaReid
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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So excited for this book! I managed to get to my local indie store @AaronsBooksLititz just before closing tonight to pick it up! 😊

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Branwen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

I really liked this one a lot! I have loved all of Lacour's YA books so I had high hopes for it! It wasn't extraordinary; it didn't shake my world up, but it was enjoyable and pleasant and a great read! 💕📖 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #rumpel

LiteraryinLawrence Kitty!! I‘m sorry the book didn‘t blow you away. Mine should be arriving soon and I agree, I have very high hopes for it. 2y
rubyslippersreads Your upside-down kitty! 😻 2y
RaeLovesToRead Rumpel's expression 😸😸 2y
Branwen @rubyslippersreads 😺💕 @RaeLovesToRead She always makes me laugh! 😺 @LiteraryinLawrence It's totally okay! They can't all be life changers, I guess! 😄 I still did really enjoy it and gave it 5 stars on goodreads, so that's good! 2y
58 likes4 comments
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JoyBlue
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

The first novel I‘ve read by this author—and her first piece of adult fiction (she usually writes YA)—is an emotional and gut-wrenching journey through the lives of two young women. Publication is expected May 31. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#yerba-buena

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #YerbaBuena

TheBookHippie I have it sitting here… I‘ve been looking at it for weeks 🤣🤣🤣🤣. I can‘t make myself read sad. 2y
JoyBlue @TheBookHippie I hear you! I got approved for the NetGalley on February 15, but didn't start reading until May 14 (finished on the 15th—exactly three months after approval—yikes!). I'm really glad that I read it, but it may not be the book for everyone, especially at this time. 💙 2y
39 likes2 comments
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Branwen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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I received this promotional poster for preordering the tagged book! 📚💕 I forgot this was coming, especially since I canceled my original preorder when I chose it for my Book of the Month pick! Oops! 😳 Isn't the artwork so pretty? 😍

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Kitta
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

Read through this #botm in a day!

A story of two women and how their lives eventually intertwine. Literary lesbian romance, with more focus on the literary than romance angle. This lives and the struggles they go through are detailed, making them seem more real.

Rating this 4/5, great quick queer read. Spoiler thoughts in comments.

Kitta Spoiler: I‘m sorry but no one goes from nothing to shooting heroin immediately! That part wasn‘t believable at all. I wish they made her overdose on something else. 2y
Kitta Also why would her dad make that drawing and then keep it for someone to find? Seems unlikely and strange behaviour. 2y
18 likes2 comments
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Megabooks
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Bailedbailed

So yeah, I‘m not a fan of romances, but sometimes I can do literary ones, which is what this is. However, I just finished another literary romance (Carol by Highsmith for Author a Month), so I‘m putting this one in the vault…

Maybe I should‘ve gone with the thriller…🤔 #botm

Cinfhen Awww, that‘s a shame, that you didn‘t connect. I had a hard time categorizing this one / i guess literary romance is a good description but it wasn‘t really romance-y for me. I think I was drawn in by the narration and I liked the idea of working with plants & flowers 🌸😊maybe another time you‘ll feel differently. Did you like 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I‘m not sure how I feel about Carol. I finished it 2 days ago, and I‘m still not ready to write the review. (But it will probably come to me today.) I feel one way about it couched in the context of its time and how groundbreaking it was and another way reading it as a person in 2022. The audiobook was great. Cassandra Campbell narrates. Plus I‘m having trouble following the Egan, which I loved. 2y
AbstractMonica I tried picking this one up a few times, but couldn‘t stay interested one bit. Hopefully I can try reading it again in the near future. 2y
Soubhiville Seeing your post today I had to flip back to why you DNF‘d this. I really like this author‘s YA. But I get it. Looks like the rest of your week held some really great books though, so yay! 2y
84 likes4 comments
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LMJenkins
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Loving my colorful #BOMC selections for May!

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Branwen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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WHOO HOO! MY BOOK OF THE MONTH BOX ARRIVED TODAY! 🎉🎉🎉 At least this month I don't have ANY hesitation over which book to start first - I've loved Nina Lacour's YA fiction for a while now, so I'm dying to read this adult book by her! 😍 #botm #bookmail

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Cinfhen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

#ARC #Audio #NetGalley #SapphicNovel
A beautiful, mesmerizing story of Sara & Emilie - each harboring pain, loss, regret and family secrets.
Both looking to unburden their past, both too afraid to let go.
I LOVED this book 💜
Audio narration was excellent 🎧🙌🏻

LeeRHarry Happy to hear you enjoyed this 😊 makes me more excited to read it! 2y
Cinfhen My first book by the author @LeeRHarry but im excited to delve into her backlog 💞💞💞 2y
AmyG I just saw t was released today and was wondering how it is. Now I know. Thank you. 2y
See All 7 Comments
Cinfhen Oh wow @AmyG according to #NetGalley it releases May 31 2y
AmyG I thought I just saw it released? 🤣 Ha....I must need more coffee. (edited) 2y
Cinfhen It could have released today @AmyG but another cup of coffee isn‘t a terrible plan ❤️ 2y
Megabooks I‘m not really sold on it after the first 50 pages but I will finish. I‘m hoping I‘ll warm up to it. 2y
83 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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AbstractMonica
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Excited to read all the books! #bookmail

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Cinfhen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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LOVING this - audio is 🫶🏼#NetGalley

kspenmoll Beautiful photo! 2y
Megabooks Great photo! It arrives today in my BOTM box!! 👍🏻👍🏻 2y
Cinfhen I just realized that my flowers are similar to the ones on the book cover. I‘m LOVING the audio SO MUCH @Megabooks @kspenmoll 2y
67 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Kitta
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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#BOTM picks for this month! I was also tempted by Darling Girl but decided to go with Yerba Buena in the end.

Hunger I‘ve always wanted to read so I figure why not add it on?

I‘m so behind in reading BOTM books though, I‘ve bought two each month and only read one of them 😂 so many books so little time.

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Beachesnbooks
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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My May #botm picks! I was planning to skip & add Book of Night to a later box based on the picks spoilers, but I was so happy to see Yerba Buena as a surprise pick, since that's been on my tbr for awhile.

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Branwen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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WHOO HOO!!! THE BOTM CHOICES ARE LIVE TODAY! 🎉🎉🎉

What is everyone going with this month? I am super excited about the tagged book! 💕📚💕

#botm

LiteraryinLawrence I already preordered the LaCour book and am so looking forward to it! I always love anything she writes! 2y
vivastory I went with Breathless & Siren Queen 2y
jlhammar I also got Take My Hand and Bloomsbury Girls. Threw in The Change for my third. 2y
50 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Megabooks
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Yay yay it‘s #botm day!

This was just an okay month for me despite getting three books. I‘m really excited about the two add ons, but once again, the main selections were underwhelming. I would‘ve gotten Bloomsbury Girls, too, if it had been a regular pick. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cinfhen Ohhh, need to think what I want to do!! Have an ARC for your tagged book. 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen that‘s mysterious 🤨🤔 2y
Megabooks Okay, I‘m warming up to my choices. Pretty psyched for my box now! 2y
See All 7 Comments
CBee I look forward to seeing your review of 2y
Megabooks @CBee thanks! I‘m trying to finish BOTM choices the month I order them so we‘ll see! 2y
Kitta I‘m thinking of getting Yerba Buena too! Wasn‘t wowed by the selections but I‘m in the mood to read something like this. 2y
Megabooks @Kitta same. I can get behind a literary romance more easily than a rom-com. (edited) 2y
65 likes7 comments
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Cinfhen
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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#UpNext #ARC #NetGalley #ThingsInCommon @Clwojick
So while reading my current ARC, I discovered the mention of #YerbaBuena which is another #ARC I need to read #Kismet

Clwojick 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2y
60 likes1 comment
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ErikasMindfulShelf
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

Put this on your tbr for May. This is Nina Lacour‘s first adult novel. I loved her YA novel We Are Okay, and this one did not disappoint. There is a lot of sorrow in her novels, but also hope and love. The audio was great. Julia Whelan does a great job narrating as always.

LiteraryinLawrence I‘m glad you loved it! I am a fan of her YA as well and recently preordered this one. 2y
LeeRHarry Glad you enjoyed it - I‘ve read a few of hers and really liked them, have this one on my TBR for Feb. 2y
43 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Well-ReadNeck
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Panpan

Good narration on #audiobook. Based on the blurb and cover, I expected (WANTED) a full-blown romance. The love story is in here, but it‘s mostly two parallel stories and the coming together is slow and painful.

LeeRHarry Oh no I‘ve loved her other books! 2y
67 likes1 comment
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

A perfect book? Just lovely: gorgeous, understated, evocative prose; a rich sense of place; a focus on pleasure, beauty, and growth while not forgetting pain, loss, and grief; intricate queer characters whose lives felt so true. LaCour follows two women, Emilie and Sara, from teenagehood to late twenties, charting their journeys until they have a chance meeting and are instantly drawn to one another. This book made me feel good about being alive.

CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian Sara is a bartender, hence the bookmark the publisher gave me with a cocktail recipe on it! 2y
45 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Loving this book so far, gorgeous writing and very real characters. I also love mint chocolate chip ice cream. #QueerBooks #LGBTQBooks #LGBTQ #BisexualBooks

43 likes2 stack adds
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vlwelser
Yerba Buena | Nina LaCour
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Pickpick

This book is great. I like this author but I loved this book which is her first adventure into adult fiction. I read this so quickly but it may be a pretty short book.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Pub date is 2/8/2022
#ARC #Netgalley

LiteraryinLawrence This is exciting! I really love her YA stuff and had no idea she was venturing into adult lit. Definitely want to read it! 2y
TheAromaofBooks I am way into this cover!!! 2y
40 likes2 stack adds3 comments