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A Shot in the Dark
An emotionally powerful romance novel about two people finding love after struggling with addiction--ultimately discovering what it means to be completely and unapologetically themselves.
Elisheva Cohen has just returned to Brooklyn after almost a decade. The wounds of abandoning the Orthodox community that raised her, then shunned her because of her substance abuse, are still painful. But when she gets an amazing opportunity to study photography with art legend Wyatt Cole, Ely is willing to take the leap.
On her first night back in town, Ely goes out to the infamous queer club Revel for a celebratory night of dancing. Ely is swept off her feet and into bed by a gorgeous man who looks like James Dean, but with a thick Carolina accent. The next morning, Ely wakes up alone and rushes off to attend her first photography class, reminiscing on the best one-night stand of her life. She doesn't even know his name. That is, until Wyatt Cole shows up for class--and Ely realizes that the man she just spent an intimate and steamy night with is her teacher.
Everyone in the art world is obsessed with Wyatt Cole. He's immensely talented and his notoriously reclusive personal life makes him all the more compelling. But there's a reason why his past is hard for him to publicize. After coming out as transgender, Wyatt was dishonorably discharged from the military and disowned by his family. From then on he committed to sobriety and channeled his pain into his flourishing art career. While Ely and Wyatt's relationship started out on a physical level, their similar struggles spark a much deeper connection. The chemistry is undeniable, but their new relationship as teacher and student means desperately wanting what they can't have.
In this deeply romantic adult debut, bestselling author Victoria Lee creates stunningly genuine characters and crafts a love story that you won't ever forget.
Elisheva Cohen has just returned to Brooklyn after almost a decade. The wounds of abandoning the Orthodox community that raised her, then shunned her because of her substance abuse, are still painful. But when she gets an amazing opportunity to study photography with art legend Wyatt Cole, Ely is willing to take the leap.
On her first night back in town, Ely goes out to the infamous queer club Revel for a celebratory night of dancing. Ely is swept off her feet and into bed by a gorgeous man who looks like James Dean, but with a thick Carolina accent. The next morning, Ely wakes up alone and rushes off to attend her first photography class, reminiscing on the best one-night stand of her life. She doesn't even know his name. That is, until Wyatt Cole shows up for class--and Ely realizes that the man she just spent an intimate and steamy night with is her teacher.
Everyone in the art world is obsessed with Wyatt Cole. He's immensely talented and his notoriously reclusive personal life makes him all the more compelling. But there's a reason why his past is hard for him to publicize. After coming out as transgender, Wyatt was dishonorably discharged from the military and disowned by his family. From then on he committed to sobriety and channeled his pain into his flourishing art career. While Ely and Wyatt's relationship started out on a physical level, their similar struggles spark a much deeper connection. The chemistry is undeniable, but their new relationship as teacher and student means desperately wanting what they can't have.
In this deeply romantic adult debut, bestselling author Victoria Lee creates stunningly genuine characters and crafts a love story that you won't ever forget.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2023
About the author
Victoria Lee
9 books1,741 followersVictoria Lee grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where she spent her childhood writing ghost stories and fantasizing about attending boarding school. She has a Ph.D. in psychology, which she uses to overanalyze fictional characters and also herself. Lee is the author of A Lesson in Vengeance as well as The Fever King and its sequel, The Electric Heir. She lives in New York City with her partner, cat, and malevolent dog.
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September 7, 2023I think that this is a really good book and simultaneously a deeply average romance novel.
Allow me to elaborate: in the synopsis you’re sold on this premise of a queer student teacher romance and while there’s some of that certainly, I think veteran readers of the romance genre will be expecting something a little different than the narrative that unfolds on page. (I was definitely expecting a more typical romance narrative going into it)
More to the point of it being a good book, it’s a very emotionally evocative story about two artists who are recovering addicts and who find great solace in each other, their connection is almost inexplicable and so the story unfolds with them often by each other’s side helping one another navigate their recovery, family drama, religious trauma and artistic journeys. As fascinating and well rendered as all that is, going back to my first point there’s a real lack of relationship development and intimacy building and traditional romance structure in the way that i think many romance lovers will be accustomed to. It’s sorta just understood that there’s something there, and that their relationship is headed somewhere but it’s an understated sort of romantic journey, with Ely’s artistic journey and her recovery and reconnection to her religion taking center stage while Wyatt stands supportively by her side, dealing with a few hang ups of his own and occasionally bringing up the inappropriateness of their interactions due to their respective positions in this art program.
It was an interesting read, one that sorta defies a rating because I enjoyed it to some degree definitely, I found it quite poignant and touching with intriguing themes and fascinating characters, but as a romance it didn’t necessarily wow me. I think this is better labeled as Contemporary rather than Contemporary Romance, and if you approach the novel as more of an emotional character study than anything it’s quite excellent.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my review copy all thoughts are my own.
Allow me to elaborate: in the synopsis you’re sold on this premise of a queer student teacher romance and while there’s some of that certainly, I think veteran readers of the romance genre will be expecting something a little different than the narrative that unfolds on page. (I was definitely expecting a more typical romance narrative going into it)
More to the point of it being a good book, it’s a very emotionally evocative story about two artists who are recovering addicts and who find great solace in each other, their connection is almost inexplicable and so the story unfolds with them often by each other’s side helping one another navigate their recovery, family drama, religious trauma and artistic journeys. As fascinating and well rendered as all that is, going back to my first point there’s a real lack of relationship development and intimacy building and traditional romance structure in the way that i think many romance lovers will be accustomed to. It’s sorta just understood that there’s something there, and that their relationship is headed somewhere but it’s an understated sort of romantic journey, with Ely’s artistic journey and her recovery and reconnection to her religion taking center stage while Wyatt stands supportively by her side, dealing with a few hang ups of his own and occasionally bringing up the inappropriateness of their interactions due to their respective positions in this art program.
It was an interesting read, one that sorta defies a rating because I enjoyed it to some degree definitely, I found it quite poignant and touching with intriguing themes and fascinating characters, but as a romance it didn’t necessarily wow me. I think this is better labeled as Contemporary rather than Contemporary Romance, and if you approach the novel as more of an emotional character study than anything it’s quite excellent.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my review copy all thoughts are my own.
July 2, 2023
Okay. Ookay. Ookaay. I’m trying to put into words what an insanely good book A Shot in The Dark is and what it did to me, so forgive me if this review seems to be a vomit of incoherent thoughts.
Want. Need. Desire. That’s what this beautiful love story is about. A craving for addictive substances, still, after so many years of both being sober. A yearning to be completely and unapologetically themselves after both having lost their family all at once. A longing for each other after just one night together and simply feeling lost without the other. A hunger so tangible on every page, in every sentence, that it made the constant tension in the book jump over to my body and soar through my veins until my stomach flipped, my chest tightened, and my heart ached. But that tension also let a smile reach my eyes, and that same body, stiff from anxiety and worries, began to tingle. My heart opened up time and again for those two beautiful people, a professor and a student, both photographers, both sober, both abandoned by their families, and their forbidden love.
This story belongs to the category of books I desperately want to read. Need to read. Desire to read. Darker, heavier topics against the backdrop of a love story. Flawed and fully fleshed-out characters jumping off the pages. Mesmerizing poetic and descriptive writing. I hadn’t read anything by Victoria Lee before, but this story made me obsessed, and I can’t wait to read more of their books! Thank you so much, Victoria, for one of the best novels I read this year!
I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Want. Need. Desire. That’s what this beautiful love story is about. A craving for addictive substances, still, after so many years of both being sober. A yearning to be completely and unapologetically themselves after both having lost their family all at once. A longing for each other after just one night together and simply feeling lost without the other. A hunger so tangible on every page, in every sentence, that it made the constant tension in the book jump over to my body and soar through my veins until my stomach flipped, my chest tightened, and my heart ached. But that tension also let a smile reach my eyes, and that same body, stiff from anxiety and worries, began to tingle. My heart opened up time and again for those two beautiful people, a professor and a student, both photographers, both sober, both abandoned by their families, and their forbidden love.
This story belongs to the category of books I desperately want to read. Need to read. Desire to read. Darker, heavier topics against the backdrop of a love story. Flawed and fully fleshed-out characters jumping off the pages. Mesmerizing poetic and descriptive writing. I hadn’t read anything by Victoria Lee before, but this story made me obsessed, and I can’t wait to read more of their books! Thank you so much, Victoria, for one of the best novels I read this year!
I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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July 31, 2023this was incredibleeeeee omg i beg you all to pick it up!! such a touching story of healing and finding community, with a lovely lovely romance at its centre. the connection and tension between ely and wyatt from the very beginning was just *chef's kiss* and only intensified as the novel went on. they are both so human and flawed and just truly brilliant three-dimensional characters, and absolutely perfect for one another in every way.
the writing is sharp, switching from humour that had me grinning like a fool to cutting deep with ease. the tone, despite not being as upbeat as typical for the genre, worked amazingly with the story. in fact, victoria lee has struck what is in my opinion the perfect balance between relationship development and everything else in a romance novel. it is heavy at times as both wyatt and eli navigate their recovery and eli grapples with her place within judaism without ever tipping into the realm of too much. at the same time, it gives plenty of space for their relationship to develop without squandering or trivialising the other threads of their lives. there are several side characters who a friend of mine compared quite accurately to those of casey mcquiston: they exist outside of the protagonists with their own lives, emotions and personalities, and are very easy to grow attached to. if you loved one last stop, then this is definitely a book for you, from the characters to the vibrant new york setting to the tender portrayal of queer identity.
a shot in the dark is easily one of my favourites of this year!
(note that i've marked this as sapphic because ely, our main character, is pansexual. the romance is m/f)
i also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via netgalley*
the writing is sharp, switching from humour that had me grinning like a fool to cutting deep with ease. the tone, despite not being as upbeat as typical for the genre, worked amazingly with the story. in fact, victoria lee has struck what is in my opinion the perfect balance between relationship development and everything else in a romance novel. it is heavy at times as both wyatt and eli navigate their recovery and eli grapples with her place within judaism without ever tipping into the realm of too much. at the same time, it gives plenty of space for their relationship to develop without squandering or trivialising the other threads of their lives. there are several side characters who a friend of mine compared quite accurately to those of casey mcquiston: they exist outside of the protagonists with their own lives, emotions and personalities, and are very easy to grow attached to. if you loved one last stop, then this is definitely a book for you, from the characters to the vibrant new york setting to the tender portrayal of queer identity.
a shot in the dark is easily one of my favourites of this year!
(note that i've marked this as sapphic because ely, our main character, is pansexual. the romance is m/f)
i also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via netgalley*
May 1, 2023
Imagine having the range to write dystopian, dark academia, AND adult contemporary romance, all queer in different ways, and all so incredibly well written. Victoria Lee doesn't have to imagine, that's for sure, because after reading all of these books, I'm convinced they can pull off any genre.
I'm so thankful for the chance to read this early, because this was truly one of my most anticipated releases of the year. And it's an immediate new favourite for me, because this was such a fantastic read.
In the first few chapters, this book already had me grinning like a fool. We start off by following Ely when she arrives in New York for summer school, meets her new roommates, and comes to a queer club with them. There she meets this charming stranger, and has a one night stand with him. Only to find out the next day that he's her professor. From then on the book is dual POV, which I adore in romance, and I thought the set up of it was done so well too.
The book is on the more emotional side of romance, as both characters are in recovery from addiction, and both of them have been kicked out by their families. I loved how they found support in each other without making each other into their sole support system - they also build other meaningful relationships on the way.
It's also a book that talks heavily about Ely's Jewishness, as she's grown up in an Orthodox Jewish family and is grappling with what religion means to her and her place among Jewish people after having been kicked out by her family. I thought this was such an interesting perspective, and Ely finding new community and working through this through her art project was so good to see.
All in all, this is a book that packs a lot into it, but I never felt like it was too much, or too heavy. It mainly just felt really human, seeing two characters with trauma and raw edges find love.
I'm so thankful for the chance to read this early, because this was truly one of my most anticipated releases of the year. And it's an immediate new favourite for me, because this was such a fantastic read.
In the first few chapters, this book already had me grinning like a fool. We start off by following Ely when she arrives in New York for summer school, meets her new roommates, and comes to a queer club with them. There she meets this charming stranger, and has a one night stand with him. Only to find out the next day that he's her professor. From then on the book is dual POV, which I adore in romance, and I thought the set up of it was done so well too.
The book is on the more emotional side of romance, as both characters are in recovery from addiction, and both of them have been kicked out by their families. I loved how they found support in each other without making each other into their sole support system - they also build other meaningful relationships on the way.
It's also a book that talks heavily about Ely's Jewishness, as she's grown up in an Orthodox Jewish family and is grappling with what religion means to her and her place among Jewish people after having been kicked out by her family. I thought this was such an interesting perspective, and Ely finding new community and working through this through her art project was so good to see.
All in all, this is a book that packs a lot into it, but I never felt like it was too much, or too heavy. It mainly just felt really human, seeing two characters with trauma and raw edges find love.
June 23, 2023
thank you netgalley for the arc !
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 4/5 stars *ੈ✩‧₊˚
read if you like:
♡ there is only one bed
♡ accidental one-night stand between professor x student (but make it clumsily and cutely respectful)
♡ lgbtqia and trans rep
♡ orthodox judaism rep
♡ beautiful story of recovery from drug abuse and self-forgiveness
♡ dual pov
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
booked in with my dentist after this one for the cavities i could feel forming; so sweet. well worth the health of my teeth though!!
brimming with tenderness, a shot in the dark paints a portrait of two broken individuals whose sharp edges come together perfectly just like in kintsugi.
after almost a decade following her getaway from new york and disgraced exile from the orthodox community she grew up in - elisheva cohen is finally back. having returned to brooklyn for the sake of an auspicious scholarship and opportunity to study under the tutelage of the mythologized wyatt cole, she finds herself juggling with the herculean task of keeping the past under wraps. despite her best efforts it seems intent on coming at her from every quarter, manifested in relics from a religious history she still surreptitiously guards close to her heart. no sooner has ely’s first night ended than in a comedic stroke of fate, she’s stumbled into a chance encounter at a queer club, an ensuing one-night stand and then the next morning verging on being late to her very first class with… the very man she just had an electric one night stand with - the wyatt cole. cue the queer grey’s anatomy drama and so much more.
╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
this is my very first victoria lee novel and colour me wildly impressed. whilst the inciting event of two strangers going for a romp, insensible to the fact that come morning they’re in for a nasty surprise and oh hey student x professor (partial as I am to this) - is tropey if not a little tired, lee deftly turns every expectation on its head almost immediately. this is a gorgeous, hilarious and intimate character study of two kindred spirits holding each other’s hands through the warfare of substance abuse, being disowned by family and their fear of who exactly they each are beneath the carapaces they’ve built between themselves and vulnerability. this was lee annexing a trope and breathing new life into it, revitalising it as a romance between a trans man (wyatt) and queer woman (ely). their struggles as recovering addicts suffused with heart-wrenching self-loathing are far more raw and - at the risk of sounding trite - real than most romance novels will have the chutzpah to even attempt to portray. let me just confess this now too because i’m desperate to get it off my chest… i am irrevocably in love with wyatt. he’s so sensitive and swoon-worthy; there’s my two-pence no one asked for!! also, lee’s comedic timing in wyatt and ely’s banter and internal monologuing is absolutely unparalleled, i was incorrigibly snorting with every page-turn. as for why i haven’t bestowed my elusive 5 star rating? much as i loved wyatt and ely, their push and pull, more notably wyatt’s caprice towards their relationship (though motivated most nobly) exhausted even me. i applaud but also castigate ely for putting up with it because we left that no self-respect back in pre-wollstonecraft’s a vindication of women’s rights sister. get up!!! but also good for you get it girl.
╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
conclusion:
amidst themes of religion, dynamic familial bonds weighted in turns with disappointments and hopes - and dogged by pasts they can’t outrun, ely and wyatt tangle up in more than just their bedsheets. a uniquely sweet, masterfully written and tender-like-a-bruise queer love story, a shot in the dark has burrowed its way into my heart and hopefully it will yours too.
╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 4/5 stars *ੈ✩‧₊˚
read if you like:
♡ there is only one bed
♡ accidental one-night stand between professor x student (but make it clumsily and cutely respectful)
♡ lgbtqia and trans rep
♡ orthodox judaism rep
♡ beautiful story of recovery from drug abuse and self-forgiveness
♡ dual pov
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
booked in with my dentist after this one for the cavities i could feel forming; so sweet. well worth the health of my teeth though!!
brimming with tenderness, a shot in the dark paints a portrait of two broken individuals whose sharp edges come together perfectly just like in kintsugi.
after almost a decade following her getaway from new york and disgraced exile from the orthodox community she grew up in - elisheva cohen is finally back. having returned to brooklyn for the sake of an auspicious scholarship and opportunity to study under the tutelage of the mythologized wyatt cole, she finds herself juggling with the herculean task of keeping the past under wraps. despite her best efforts it seems intent on coming at her from every quarter, manifested in relics from a religious history she still surreptitiously guards close to her heart. no sooner has ely’s first night ended than in a comedic stroke of fate, she’s stumbled into a chance encounter at a queer club, an ensuing one-night stand and then the next morning verging on being late to her very first class with… the very man she just had an electric one night stand with - the wyatt cole. cue the queer grey’s anatomy drama and so much more.
╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
this is my very first victoria lee novel and colour me wildly impressed. whilst the inciting event of two strangers going for a romp, insensible to the fact that come morning they’re in for a nasty surprise and oh hey student x professor (partial as I am to this) - is tropey if not a little tired, lee deftly turns every expectation on its head almost immediately. this is a gorgeous, hilarious and intimate character study of two kindred spirits holding each other’s hands through the warfare of substance abuse, being disowned by family and their fear of who exactly they each are beneath the carapaces they’ve built between themselves and vulnerability. this was lee annexing a trope and breathing new life into it, revitalising it as a romance between a trans man (wyatt) and queer woman (ely). their struggles as recovering addicts suffused with heart-wrenching self-loathing are far more raw and - at the risk of sounding trite - real than most romance novels will have the chutzpah to even attempt to portray. let me just confess this now too because i’m desperate to get it off my chest… i am irrevocably in love with wyatt. he’s so sensitive and swoon-worthy; there’s my two-pence no one asked for!! also, lee’s comedic timing in wyatt and ely’s banter and internal monologuing is absolutely unparalleled, i was incorrigibly snorting with every page-turn. as for why i haven’t bestowed my elusive 5 star rating? much as i loved wyatt and ely, their push and pull, more notably wyatt’s caprice towards their relationship (though motivated most nobly) exhausted even me. i applaud but also castigate ely for putting up with it because we left that no self-respect back in pre-wollstonecraft’s a vindication of women’s rights sister. get up!!! but also good for you get it girl.
╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
conclusion:
amidst themes of religion, dynamic familial bonds weighted in turns with disappointments and hopes - and dogged by pasts they can’t outrun, ely and wyatt tangle up in more than just their bedsheets. a uniquely sweet, masterfully written and tender-like-a-bruise queer love story, a shot in the dark has burrowed its way into my heart and hopefully it will yours too.
╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝
September 4, 2023
this review is going to be fucking incoherent but i bought this book before its release date completely coincidentally, serendipitously, and unknowing. i fully subscribe to the posit that this book crept into my life for a reason and was intricately intertwined with the circumstances surrounding. (i also acknowledge that that makes this review deeply subjective, but then again what review isn’t lol)
i knew it from the first old fashioned we were cursed. we never had a shotgun shot in the dark.
i knew it from the first old fashioned we were cursed. we never had a shotgun shot in the dark.
September 5, 2023
4.5 stars. Basically once I started this book it was impossible to put down. So hard to put down in fact that I got distracted reading outside and ended up with a weird embarrassing sunburn. This is meant to be taken as high praise.
A Shot in the Dark follows Ely as she returns to NYC to pursue a summer course in photography at the art school where her favorite, reclusive artist Wyatt Cole will be teaching. In the grand tradition of romance novel plot devices, Ely ends up unknowingly meeting and sleeping with Wyatt the night before her first class. Of course they are able to work things out in the end, but I really enjoyed the journey of both of them dealing with ongoing addiction recovery and facing their estranged families and pasts. I also was especially drawn to the setting of Parker Art School, since once upon a time I spent two summer taking studio art and photography classes at the actual Parsons School of Art and Design in NYC.
Overall, I just really was rooting for both characters, especially Ely as she slowly started to reconnect with her Jewish faith and find community again. It’s also probably important to know that this is a M/F romance that does feature a trans man, but it refreshingly wasn’t really a focal point of the plot or even presented as one of the most interesting things about Wyatt.
Highly recommend! Thanks so much to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A Shot in the Dark follows Ely as she returns to NYC to pursue a summer course in photography at the art school where her favorite, reclusive artist Wyatt Cole will be teaching. In the grand tradition of romance novel plot devices, Ely ends up unknowingly meeting and sleeping with Wyatt the night before her first class. Of course they are able to work things out in the end, but I really enjoyed the journey of both of them dealing with ongoing addiction recovery and facing their estranged families and pasts. I also was especially drawn to the setting of Parker Art School, since once upon a time I spent two summer taking studio art and photography classes at the actual Parsons School of Art and Design in NYC.
Overall, I just really was rooting for both characters, especially Ely as she slowly started to reconnect with her Jewish faith and find community again. It’s also probably important to know that this is a M/F romance that does feature a trans man, but it refreshingly wasn’t really a focal point of the plot or even presented as one of the most interesting things about Wyatt.
Highly recommend! Thanks so much to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 8, 2023
A Shot In the Dark is Victoria Lee's adult debut, a contemporary romance that I know will get people complaining that it is not fluffy or light enough. It has something very Victoria Lee to it, while I have only read A Lesson In Vengeance both books share a similar dark plot point.
Elisheva returns to New York City where she grew up in an Orthodox community that later her shunned her for substance abuse. She returns sober and with a plan: to study photography with a legend, Wyatt Cole. On her first night back, she goes to a local queer nightclub and hooks up with a very hot trans stranger. Since this is a romance novel you won't be surprised to learn that it is revealed the next morning that he is her teacher. Wyatt immediatly set strict boundaries so they don't act on their steamy connection. But while they try to ignore their chemistry, they end up bonding and connecting over their addiction recovery and complicated families.
Listen, listen, I LOVED it. I have been asking for a m/f romance with a trans man that feels respectful but accurate, where he is sexy and hot but takes into account his life experience. This is it. But it's not for everyone. It's been a trend for me this year to get super into romance novels that are so much more than romance novels, that have full, complex and messy characters who have so much more going on in their life than just romance. The dialogue is witty, the writing is sharp and hurts when it needs to. Chef's kiss
One thing that I appreciated is how much care is taken to actually build and develop their relationship (yes I think that most romances fail at this particular point, which is supopsed to be at the heart of it). Wyatt and Ely have shared one night together and their desire doesn't go away, they are both very attracted to each other but they're not /in love/ yet. No this comes as the characters learn about each other, their world, pasts and families. As they are vulnerable with each other and learn to trust one another.
Ely is such a complex character and very much a Victoria Lee protagonist. She's a pan girl from a community that has hurt her and that she has hurt. She's no longer the wound we see in flashbacks but is healing and while her recovery journey is not perfectly linear she takes it one day at a time and reconnects as she can with other Jewish people.
It's very obvious that Ely is /the/ protagonist and that Wyatt comes second to her in the novel. He does have some things going on mainly towars the end, but a lot of his character revolves around helping and asissting Ely in her journey. It may be dual POV but she is the star. It does make sense, he's slighlty older and has most of his life together. I did wish we got a little but more from him but that's the rooting for trans characters in me showing.
While it's a romance, there is a large and lively supporting cast in a way that reminded me a bit of Casey McQuiston side characters. They're not just there, they do exist beyond the narrative.
Since both characters are photographers, there are a lot of discussions about art, the process, how it exists in relation to you. Do not expect anything new or groundbreaking about making art but it did flesh out nicely Ely (and a bit) Wyatt as characters.
Oh and the sex scenes (first one mostly) were extremely well-done and respectful of Wyatt's trans identity. Shoutout to Wyatt's trans guy strap on backpack.
Elisheva returns to New York City where she grew up in an Orthodox community that later her shunned her for substance abuse. She returns sober and with a plan: to study photography with a legend, Wyatt Cole. On her first night back, she goes to a local queer nightclub and hooks up with a very hot trans stranger. Since this is a romance novel you won't be surprised to learn that it is revealed the next morning that he is her teacher. Wyatt immediatly set strict boundaries so they don't act on their steamy connection. But while they try to ignore their chemistry, they end up bonding and connecting over their addiction recovery and complicated families.
Listen, listen, I LOVED it. I have been asking for a m/f romance with a trans man that feels respectful but accurate, where he is sexy and hot but takes into account his life experience. This is it. But it's not for everyone. It's been a trend for me this year to get super into romance novels that are so much more than romance novels, that have full, complex and messy characters who have so much more going on in their life than just romance. The dialogue is witty, the writing is sharp and hurts when it needs to. Chef's kiss
One thing that I appreciated is how much care is taken to actually build and develop their relationship (yes I think that most romances fail at this particular point, which is supopsed to be at the heart of it). Wyatt and Ely have shared one night together and their desire doesn't go away, they are both very attracted to each other but they're not /in love/ yet. No this comes as the characters learn about each other, their world, pasts and families. As they are vulnerable with each other and learn to trust one another.
Ely is such a complex character and very much a Victoria Lee protagonist. She's a pan girl from a community that has hurt her and that she has hurt. She's no longer the wound we see in flashbacks but is healing and while her recovery journey is not perfectly linear she takes it one day at a time and reconnects as she can with other Jewish people.
It's very obvious that Ely is /the/ protagonist and that Wyatt comes second to her in the novel. He does have some things going on mainly towars the end, but a lot of his character revolves around helping and asissting Ely in her journey. It may be dual POV but she is the star. It does make sense, he's slighlty older and has most of his life together. I did wish we got a little but more from him but that's the rooting for trans characters in me showing.
While it's a romance, there is a large and lively supporting cast in a way that reminded me a bit of Casey McQuiston side characters. They're not just there, they do exist beyond the narrative.
Since both characters are photographers, there are a lot of discussions about art, the process, how it exists in relation to you. Do not expect anything new or groundbreaking about making art but it did flesh out nicely Ely (and a bit) Wyatt as characters.
Oh and the sex scenes (first one mostly) were extremely well-done and respectful of Wyatt's trans identity. Shoutout to Wyatt's trans guy strap on backpack.
September 18, 2023
Thank you so much to Ballantine, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I absolutely adore Victoria Lee's writing. So when I saw they were releasing not only their adult debut, but a romance, it immediately jumped to my most anticipated list.
In the end, this book was really difficult for me to rate. Because I think it is a stunning, emotional, exceptionally well written contemporary with so many timely and important themes. And if I had gone into this with the right expectations for a deep contemporary, I think this is something I would have been raving about.
But I went into this through the lens of a romance and was left wanting more from the romance portion.
So I have 2 warring feelings over this book.
Which leads me to my main takeaway for this book - go into this expecting a contemporary with a romantic subplot and I can pretty much guarantee you'll fall in love.
This follows 2 main characters who have a clandestine meet cute at a queer club on the heroine's first night back in New York. And after a mind blowing one night together, they learn that the hero is supposed to be the heroine's teacher for a summer photography program. Throwing a seemingly insurmountable power imbalance in the mix.
There was SO MUCH to love about this book. The discussions of addiction were powerful and heartbreaking. The way Lee explored not only the personal toll it took, but the way it affects relationships was amazing.
They really put you into the head and life of these characters so you were able to not only see how and why they got to where they were, but the emotional impact it had on everyone. And made you empathize with not only the main characters, but the family and friends that were affect as well.
And Victoria Lee is officially on my list of favorite author's who write about gender and sexuality. There is a constant discussion in the community about who "has the right" to tell certain stories. And while I 100% believe that authors can write outside their own experiences, there is something extra special about reading own voices experiences.
The way gender is handled in here blew me away. And not only the discussions and conversations had, but the word and writing choices that were made - they knew exactly what details to give and not give that felt real, authentic, and confirming.
On top of all of that, the way religion played into this story was one of the rare exceptions to my rule of not loving religious themes. Because it played perfectly into the heroine's journey.
All of this to say, that the actual plot and themes of this book are perfection.
But again, I went into this with the lens of a romance, and that portion just didn't deliver as much as I was expecting.
These 2 have palpable chemistry from the very beginning. Their first meeting (and STEAMY night together) was electric. But the romantic conflict felt murky as best.
I'm always here for a forbidden, star crossed lovers, we can't be together romance. But I felt like this one had a pretty simple solution, that they even worked out, pretty early on. But then the hero kept insisting it was an issue.
Which made the entire conflict feel self inflicted. Which is totally fair. But became quite repetitive.
And the final grovel was just too underwhelming. I needed him to GROVEL. And instead it was a simple apology and immediate forgiveness. I needed the drama. Especially after the emotional rollercoaster he put her through.
In the end, I LOVED the plot and themes. And I think going into this with the lens of this being an emotional and personal journey during a potentially triggering return home, will leave you falling in love with this story and characters.
AND - I highly recommend the audiobook! The narrator is also Jewish and there is a lot of Hebrew and Yiddish throughout the book. I know I personally love getting to hear the story and languages as intended (and not in my terrible Midwestern accent).
I absolutely adore Victoria Lee's writing. So when I saw they were releasing not only their adult debut, but a romance, it immediately jumped to my most anticipated list.
In the end, this book was really difficult for me to rate. Because I think it is a stunning, emotional, exceptionally well written contemporary with so many timely and important themes. And if I had gone into this with the right expectations for a deep contemporary, I think this is something I would have been raving about.
But I went into this through the lens of a romance and was left wanting more from the romance portion.
So I have 2 warring feelings over this book.
Which leads me to my main takeaway for this book - go into this expecting a contemporary with a romantic subplot and I can pretty much guarantee you'll fall in love.
This follows 2 main characters who have a clandestine meet cute at a queer club on the heroine's first night back in New York. And after a mind blowing one night together, they learn that the hero is supposed to be the heroine's teacher for a summer photography program. Throwing a seemingly insurmountable power imbalance in the mix.
There was SO MUCH to love about this book. The discussions of addiction were powerful and heartbreaking. The way Lee explored not only the personal toll it took, but the way it affects relationships was amazing.
They really put you into the head and life of these characters so you were able to not only see how and why they got to where they were, but the emotional impact it had on everyone. And made you empathize with not only the main characters, but the family and friends that were affect as well.
And Victoria Lee is officially on my list of favorite author's who write about gender and sexuality. There is a constant discussion in the community about who "has the right" to tell certain stories. And while I 100% believe that authors can write outside their own experiences, there is something extra special about reading own voices experiences.
The way gender is handled in here blew me away. And not only the discussions and conversations had, but the word and writing choices that were made - they knew exactly what details to give and not give that felt real, authentic, and confirming.
On top of all of that, the way religion played into this story was one of the rare exceptions to my rule of not loving religious themes. Because it played perfectly into the heroine's journey.
All of this to say, that the actual plot and themes of this book are perfection.
But again, I went into this with the lens of a romance, and that portion just didn't deliver as much as I was expecting.
These 2 have palpable chemistry from the very beginning. Their first meeting (and STEAMY night together) was electric. But the romantic conflict felt murky as best.
I'm always here for a forbidden, star crossed lovers, we can't be together romance. But I felt like this one had a pretty simple solution, that they even worked out, pretty early on. But then the hero kept insisting it was an issue.
Which made the entire conflict feel self inflicted. Which is totally fair. But became quite repetitive.
And the final grovel was just too underwhelming. I needed him to GROVEL. And instead it was a simple apology and immediate forgiveness. I needed the drama. Especially after the emotional rollercoaster he put her through.
In the end, I LOVED the plot and themes. And I think going into this with the lens of this being an emotional and personal journey during a potentially triggering return home, will leave you falling in love with this story and characters.
AND - I highly recommend the audiobook! The narrator is also Jewish and there is a lot of Hebrew and Yiddish throughout the book. I know I personally love getting to hear the story and languages as intended (and not in my terrible Midwestern accent).
October 4, 2023
Not sure anyone could have told me that a romance between a transman and a pansexual lapsed Hasidic woman, both of whom are recovering addicts, would be one of my favorite romances of the year. The book is romantic and sexy but also filled with lives that seem real and interesting.
Starting with the craft, Victoria Lee can write. This book is well constructed, there is a sense of immediacy that moves the story though in fact there is not a ton of action, and the dialogue crackles with authenticity. I complain with romances all the time that stories are set in NYC and clearly, the writer came here a couple of times, caught a performance of MJ or Hamilton, visited the M&Ms store, ate a Magnolia Bakery cupcake, went home and binged the first 3 seasons of Sex and the City and decided she really knew this city and could place a book here, but Victoria Lee knows this city and writes about it with the grace, wonder, and annoyance that are everyday requirements for living here. E.B. White famously said:
There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something.
...Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.
Lee, like me, definitely comes from the third group and she tells our story.
Secondly, Lee has created real and fascinating characters filled with talent and pathos, fueled by difference and rejection, they are walking blocks of need - the need for love, community, forgiveness, and contentment and yet when those things come their way they are too scared and too scarred to accept them. But Ely and Wyatt are not just needy, they are funny, fun, curious, smart, and creative as are the found families they gather around themselves.
The story is simple(ish.) After being thrown out of her home and her Orthodox Jewish community when she was 17, after years of addiction (and the selfishness and dishonesty and thievery that goes with that) Ely (short for Elisheva) moves to LA where she moves on from oxy to full-blown heroin addiction. She cleans up and refocuses on her art (photography and multimedia.) After nearly 5 years of sobriety she moves back to NYC (where she has not been since being effectively excommunicated) to study under a photographer she admires who has just started teaching at "Parker" (it is Parsons of course.) Wyatt is a transman. Kicked out his own fraught family when he comes out as trans while in the military when that was not allowed and is dishonorably discharged Wyatt sinks into the embrace of alcohol and drugs. Like Ely he does plenty of unsavory things to keep himself high, but eventually embraces sobriety. While he has relapsed, he has been sober for over 10 years when he meets Ely. I won't say more, but there are lots of interesting events and hurdles and lots of just living packed into these pages.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the realistic way Lee talks about the Queer community and a couple of Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. There is a palpable love and acceptance that flows from the people we meet even in passing, and especially amongst the people who became Wyatt and Ely's friends who were weird and complicated, generous and wise. Another thing I loved is how Lee wrote about Ely's creative process and that of her friends.
Finally, I listened to this, and the readers were both good, but I was especially impressed with Gilli Messer who voiced Ely. She sounded exactly how I would think Ely sounded, and her charm and boldness and also her hurt and uncertainty were right there.
Starting with the craft, Victoria Lee can write. This book is well constructed, there is a sense of immediacy that moves the story though in fact there is not a ton of action, and the dialogue crackles with authenticity. I complain with romances all the time that stories are set in NYC and clearly, the writer came here a couple of times, caught a performance of MJ or Hamilton, visited the M&Ms store, ate a Magnolia Bakery cupcake, went home and binged the first 3 seasons of Sex and the City and decided she really knew this city and could place a book here, but Victoria Lee knows this city and writes about it with the grace, wonder, and annoyance that are everyday requirements for living here. E.B. White famously said:
There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something.
...Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.
Lee, like me, definitely comes from the third group and she tells our story.
Secondly, Lee has created real and fascinating characters filled with talent and pathos, fueled by difference and rejection, they are walking blocks of need - the need for love, community, forgiveness, and contentment and yet when those things come their way they are too scared and too scarred to accept them. But Ely and Wyatt are not just needy, they are funny, fun, curious, smart, and creative as are the found families they gather around themselves.
The story is simple(ish.) After being thrown out of her home and her Orthodox Jewish community when she was 17, after years of addiction (and the selfishness and dishonesty and thievery that goes with that) Ely (short for Elisheva) moves to LA where she moves on from oxy to full-blown heroin addiction. She cleans up and refocuses on her art (photography and multimedia.) After nearly 5 years of sobriety she moves back to NYC (where she has not been since being effectively excommunicated) to study under a photographer she admires who has just started teaching at "Parker" (it is Parsons of course.) Wyatt is a transman. Kicked out his own fraught family when he comes out as trans while in the military when that was not allowed and is dishonorably discharged Wyatt sinks into the embrace of alcohol and drugs. Like Ely he does plenty of unsavory things to keep himself high, but eventually embraces sobriety. While he has relapsed, he has been sober for over 10 years when he meets Ely. I won't say more, but there are lots of interesting events and hurdles and lots of just living packed into these pages.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the realistic way Lee talks about the Queer community and a couple of Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. There is a palpable love and acceptance that flows from the people we meet even in passing, and especially amongst the people who became Wyatt and Ely's friends who were weird and complicated, generous and wise. Another thing I loved is how Lee wrote about Ely's creative process and that of her friends.
Finally, I listened to this, and the readers were both good, but I was especially impressed with Gilli Messer who voiced Ely. She sounded exactly how I would think Ely sounded, and her charm and boldness and also her hurt and uncertainty were right there.
December 17, 2023
4.5 stars
Wow, how to describe this book? It’s a romance, for sure, but so much more! Elisheve/Ely Cohen is in recovery from addiction. She’s got four years sober behind her when she ventures back to NYC (after eight years in California), where she grew up, to study photography under a particular teacher, Wyatt Cole. Ely was raised Chabad in Brooklyn, which - for those who don’t know - is a particular kind of Orthodox/Chasidic Judaism. She left Chabad and New York due to the effects of her addiction, not because of anything to do with being Chabad or Jewish in general. So she is definitely “off the derech”, as the expression goes.
The publisher’s blurb gives a lot away, so if you’ve read it, you know that Ely has a one-night-stand with Wyatt before she knows who he is. When she shows up in class, it creates an ethical/professional problem for them both, but especially for Wyatt. It turns out that Wyatt is also in recovery (10 years for him!) and that he is transgender and has been disowned by his family because of that. These two young people have such a deep connection; I was really rooting for them to figure out a way to be together despite the professional issues. They both have family estrangement issues, although for very different reasons, and that adds a layer to their shared experience of addiction.
Most of the story is told from Ely’s POV but there are several chapters told from Wyatt’s POV, which worked very well. Flashbacks gradually reveal the tragedy that sent Ely fleeing to LA.
I raced through this one because I really, really wanted to find out what would happen next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I was rather late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrators, Gilli Messer and Scott Turner Schofield, did a lovely job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.
Wow, how to describe this book? It’s a romance, for sure, but so much more! Elisheve/Ely Cohen is in recovery from addiction. She’s got four years sober behind her when she ventures back to NYC (after eight years in California), where she grew up, to study photography under a particular teacher, Wyatt Cole. Ely was raised Chabad in Brooklyn, which - for those who don’t know - is a particular kind of Orthodox/Chasidic Judaism. She left Chabad and New York due to the effects of her addiction, not because of anything to do with being Chabad or Jewish in general. So she is definitely “off the derech”, as the expression goes.
The publisher’s blurb gives a lot away, so if you’ve read it, you know that Ely has a one-night-stand with Wyatt before she knows who he is. When she shows up in class, it creates an ethical/professional problem for them both, but especially for Wyatt. It turns out that Wyatt is also in recovery (10 years for him!) and that he is transgender and has been disowned by his family because of that. These two young people have such a deep connection; I was really rooting for them to figure out a way to be together despite the professional issues. They both have family estrangement issues, although for very different reasons, and that adds a layer to their shared experience of addiction.
Most of the story is told from Ely’s POV but there are several chapters told from Wyatt’s POV, which worked very well. Flashbacks gradually reveal the tragedy that sent Ely fleeing to LA.
I raced through this one because I really, really wanted to find out what would happen next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I was rather late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrators, Gilli Messer and Scott Turner Schofield, did a lovely job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.
August 11, 2023
This pitch-perfect queer NYC romance between a trans man and a pan, ex-Orthodox Jewish woman exceeded all my expectations!!
A one-night stand turned forced proximity/forbidden romance between an Art photography Professor and his up and coming student had soo much chemistry and all the feels!! I loved both the MCs as they grapple with family trauma and past addictions (both are recovering addicts).
Excellent on audio and perfect for fans of books like Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly or Bellies by Nicola Divan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! I am excited to read whatever this author writes next!!!
A one-night stand turned forced proximity/forbidden romance between an Art photography Professor and his up and coming student had soo much chemistry and all the feels!! I loved both the MCs as they grapple with family trauma and past addictions (both are recovering addicts).
Excellent on audio and perfect for fans of books like Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly or Bellies by Nicola Divan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! I am excited to read whatever this author writes next!!!
October 17, 2023
will i have more coherent thoughts later? mayhaps. just know a victoria lee book will never do me wrong.
— — —
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UPPPPPP NEW VICTORIA LEE BOOKS. BOOKS AS IN PLURAL. ALSO ADULT FICTION. I WILL NOT BE QUIET ABOUT THIS.
— — —
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UPPPPPP NEW VICTORIA LEE BOOKS. BOOKS AS IN PLURAL. ALSO ADULT FICTION. I WILL NOT BE QUIET ABOUT THIS.
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 26, 2023upsetting when your most anticipated novel of the year doesn't hit like you wanted it to but i just don't care to read any further, dnf @25%
Want to read
May 2, 2023normally i am not a big reader of books focused on romance but. trans gender,
Want to read
April 9, 2023Queer Adult contemporary romance between an artist and a photographer? Don't mind if I do.
May 20, 2024
I wasn’t expecting to love this. My feelings for romance novels are usually either didn’t like, got bored, or was indifferent, but I had to give the pretty pink cover a shot (in the dark. haha.)
As a queer sober romance, this will always have a special place in my heart. I loved the characters, the pacing, the dialogue, the topics. Much to love, and I hope Victoria Lee continues to write contemporary romance :)
(also this is my 1,000th read book on goodreads!)
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of may, 2024≫
╰┈➤ 1. nightbitch by rachel yoder
╰┈➤ 2. brain on fire: my month of madness by susannah cahalan
╰┈➤ 3. louder than hunger by john schu
╰┈➤ 4. five survive by holly jackson
╰┈➤ 5. cold by mariko tamaki
╰┈➤ 6. a shot in the dark by victoria lee
As a queer sober romance, this will always have a special place in my heart. I loved the characters, the pacing, the dialogue, the topics. Much to love, and I hope Victoria Lee continues to write contemporary romance :)
(also this is my 1,000th read book on goodreads!)
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of may, 2024≫
╰┈➤ 1. nightbitch by rachel yoder
╰┈➤ 2. brain on fire: my month of madness by susannah cahalan
╰┈➤ 3. louder than hunger by john schu
╰┈➤ 4. five survive by holly jackson
╰┈➤ 5. cold by mariko tamaki
╰┈➤ 6. a shot in the dark by victoria lee
August 23, 2023
Got an arc from work
This was REALLY GOOD. It’s a romance but it’s not a rom com, I don’t know where I mistakenly got that from because it’s heavy but it’s got so much heart. I really loved it. I look forward to seeing what else Lee has in the adult sphere, because I love their YA and this proves I’ll buy anything they write
This was REALLY GOOD. It’s a romance but it’s not a rom com, I don’t know where I mistakenly got that from because it’s heavy but it’s got so much heart. I really loved it. I look forward to seeing what else Lee has in the adult sphere, because I love their YA and this proves I’ll buy anything they write
June 19, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via NetGalley, but I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the publishers, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell , and the author for the opportunity!
Overall, this is probably a 3.5 rounded down for me! This is my first read from Victoria, and I've got to say that I find the writing style to be really easy to dive into! The chemistry between Wyatt and Ely was believable and pretty palpable right from the get-go, and the professor/student vibes in the beginning were also pretty strong. Wyatt is 32 and I think Ely is somewhere in her mid-late 20s (a guess based on her history that's explored here)! So luckily it's not as stressful as some taboo reads can be, lol!! 😂
I'll start off with the fact that I really liked the kind of slice of life vibes here coupled with the themes of identity in the sense of both being recovering addicts and also there are themes of religion and belonging. I'd say the Jewish rep appeared to be well-packaged, as someone who is not Jewish. I'm also not really religious at all, but I could understand and sympathize with Ely, and there was a lot I learned about! Just keep that in mind that religion is a VERY important part of Ely's character, and a topic that is discussed HEAVILY. Wyatt is also the first trans man MMC I've read in a romance book, and I really liked him here! His history with addiction, and his estranged relationship with his family was explored really well here. It was really cute watching him be awkward and shy around Ely (and god damn, he was great in the spice).
While I believed in the chemistry in the relationship, and definitely appreciated the exploration of both characters' past and present traumas and the importance of art and photography in their lives, I think that there were still a couple things that didn't work for me. The pacing was something that bugged me by the end, and then the "main-ish" thing that was holding them back from being together. We're told from the get-go from Wyatt that Ely can't be together because she was his student and also tries to keep things professional -- but then they keep texting immediately, and they hang out all the time and learn more about each other after the first night.
Which is fine, but then this ALL culminates to the last 10% I might've missed it, but to be honest, I'm still not 100% sure if there's technically a taboo after Wyatt had Ely be under another teacher? So it just felt kind of weird that it was talked about again but also nothing really changed, if that makes sense.
But again, I was pleasantly surprised I was able to blaze through this and it was still fun! Really liked the side characters too. I'd definitely try out Victoria's other books!
Overall, this is probably a 3.5 rounded down for me! This is my first read from Victoria, and I've got to say that I find the writing style to be really easy to dive into! The chemistry between Wyatt and Ely was believable and pretty palpable right from the get-go, and the professor/student vibes in the beginning were also pretty strong. Wyatt is 32 and I think Ely is somewhere in her mid-late 20s (a guess based on her history that's explored here)! So luckily it's not as stressful as some taboo reads can be, lol!! 😂
I'll start off with the fact that I really liked the kind of slice of life vibes here coupled with the themes of identity in the sense of both being recovering addicts and also there are themes of religion and belonging. I'd say the Jewish rep appeared to be well-packaged, as someone who is not Jewish. I'm also not really religious at all, but I could understand and sympathize with Ely, and there was a lot I learned about! Just keep that in mind that religion is a VERY important part of Ely's character, and a topic that is discussed HEAVILY. Wyatt is also the first trans man MMC I've read in a romance book, and I really liked him here! His history with addiction, and his estranged relationship with his family was explored really well here. It was really cute watching him be awkward and shy around Ely (and god damn, he was great in the spice).
While I believed in the chemistry in the relationship, and definitely appreciated the exploration of both characters' past and present traumas and the importance of art and photography in their lives, I think that there were still a couple things that didn't work for me. The pacing was something that bugged me by the end, and then the "main-ish" thing that was holding them back from being together. We're told from the get-go from Wyatt that Ely can't be together because she was his student and also tries to keep things professional -- but then they keep texting immediately, and they hang out all the time and learn more about each other after the first night.
Which is fine, but then this ALL culminates to the last 10% I might've missed it, but to be honest, I'm still not 100% sure if there's technically a taboo after Wyatt had Ely be under another teacher? So it just felt kind of weird that it was talked about again but also nothing really changed, if that makes sense.
But again, I was pleasantly surprised I was able to blaze through this and it was still fun! Really liked the side characters too. I'd definitely try out Victoria's other books!
Read
May 5, 2024This book is….fine. It will work for many, but it did not work for me.
It bills itself as a romance, but when you’re a chronic romance reader like me and have read thousands of these things, I can easily tell the pacing here is off and it doesn’t hit the usual beats expected in the genre. I will also say that this book is trying to do too much. Yes, there is that underdeveloped and off-paced romance threaded throughout, but this book is also trying to explore addiction and the repercussions of a strict religious upbringing.
As a person with addiction issues who knows other people with addiction issues, I can say that of course we are all different. So while some may find Ely and Wyatt’s experience with addiction relatable, it didn’t quite ring true for me, like the author was going through the motions of what she thinks these characters would feel without totally understanding how addiction works. I was also put off by how heavily AA and NA (and, by extension, the language common to those organizations) were featured in this book. While these organizations have worked for thousands, they are not the only path to recovery and sometimes not even the best path to recovery, and I am wary of media that implies that it is.
I also found the intense focus on religion in this one difficult to navigate. As an atheist, media that centers organized religion is typically a no for me. More than that, however, this author references cultural norms and traditions specific to Judaism, as well as the language that accompanies, them without also offering a reader ignorant of these norms and traditions (it's me!) insight on their relevance/importance in the community. And because I'm here for the romance and not interested in doing independent research, the nuances of those aspects were lost on me, making parts of the book inaccessible.
Finally, and this is tough to explain, but while reading this book I had to wonder, is all representation good representation? I was so pumped to read a romance featuring a trans character, but Wyatt felt so one dimensional to me. His transness and its significance to him did not imo play the major role in the story that I was expecting it to, hoping it would. It felt like one huge missed opportunity, and also felt more like, as one reviewer put it, ticking a box on the diversity checklist rather than anything real.
However, there will no doubt be people that this book resonates with. So, I guess, good luck to you, as this book is, after all….fine.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
It bills itself as a romance, but when you’re a chronic romance reader like me and have read thousands of these things, I can easily tell the pacing here is off and it doesn’t hit the usual beats expected in the genre. I will also say that this book is trying to do too much. Yes, there is that underdeveloped and off-paced romance threaded throughout, but this book is also trying to explore addiction and the repercussions of a strict religious upbringing.
As a person with addiction issues who knows other people with addiction issues, I can say that of course we are all different. So while some may find Ely and Wyatt’s experience with addiction relatable, it didn’t quite ring true for me, like the author was going through the motions of what she thinks these characters would feel without totally understanding how addiction works. I was also put off by how heavily AA and NA (and, by extension, the language common to those organizations) were featured in this book. While these organizations have worked for thousands, they are not the only path to recovery and sometimes not even the best path to recovery, and I am wary of media that implies that it is.
I also found the intense focus on religion in this one difficult to navigate. As an atheist, media that centers organized religion is typically a no for me. More than that, however, this author references cultural norms and traditions specific to Judaism, as well as the language that accompanies, them without also offering a reader ignorant of these norms and traditions (it's me!) insight on their relevance/importance in the community. And because I'm here for the romance and not interested in doing independent research, the nuances of those aspects were lost on me, making parts of the book inaccessible.
Finally, and this is tough to explain, but while reading this book I had to wonder, is all representation good representation? I was so pumped to read a romance featuring a trans character, but Wyatt felt so one dimensional to me. His transness and its significance to him did not imo play the major role in the story that I was expecting it to, hoping it would. It felt like one huge missed opportunity, and also felt more like, as one reviewer put it, ticking a box on the diversity checklist rather than anything real.
However, there will no doubt be people that this book resonates with. So, I guess, good luck to you, as this book is, after all….fine.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
August 30, 2023
A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee. Thanks to @dellbooks and @netgalley for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ely has returned to Brooklyn after leaving her family and then getting sober. She has burned bridges with her family but is determined to succeed in her new art program. She is surprised to find out her professor is the man she had a one night stand with once she moved.
This was my first of Victoria Lee’s books and I’m very glad I tried it. It was a romance but has some additional tropes that really interested me: addiction recovery, lgbtqia romance, and religious identity. I enjoyed the information about the Orthodox Jewish community and Ely’s cognitive dissonance after leaving. The parallels between this and Wyatt’s conflict with his family well very well done.
“I wonder what it’s like to exist in the world as someone who didn’t ruin their life when they were eighteen.”
A Shot in the Dark comes out 9/5.
Ely has returned to Brooklyn after leaving her family and then getting sober. She has burned bridges with her family but is determined to succeed in her new art program. She is surprised to find out her professor is the man she had a one night stand with once she moved.
This was my first of Victoria Lee’s books and I’m very glad I tried it. It was a romance but has some additional tropes that really interested me: addiction recovery, lgbtqia romance, and religious identity. I enjoyed the information about the Orthodox Jewish community and Ely’s cognitive dissonance after leaving. The parallels between this and Wyatt’s conflict with his family well very well done.
“I wonder what it’s like to exist in the world as someone who didn’t ruin their life when they were eighteen.”
A Shot in the Dark comes out 9/5.
September 23, 2023
Trigger Warnings: Substance abuse, cursing, alcohol/drinking, sex, NA meeting, past overdose, transphobia, abusive parent, antisemitism, drug use both on page and recounted, religious trauma, breaking sobriety/relapse, death of a parent, domestic violence
Representation: Pansexual, Transgender, Orthodox Jew, twins
A Shot in the Dark is an emotionally powerful romance novel about two people finding love after struggling with addiction--ultimately discovering what it means to be completely and unapologetically themselves.
Elisheva Cohen has just returned to Brooklyn after almost a decade. The wounds of abandoning the Orthodox community that raised her, then shunned her because of her substance abuse, are still painful. But when she gets an amazing opportunity to study photography with art legend Wyatt Cole, Ely is willing to take the leap.
On her first night back in town, Ely goes out to the infamous queer club Revel for a celebratory night of dancing. Ely is swept off her feet and into bed by a gorgeous man who looks like James Dean, but with a thick Carolina accent. The next morning, Ely wakes up alone and rushes off to attend her first photography class, reminiscing on the best one-night stand of her life. She doesn't even know his name. That is, until Wyatt Cole shows up for class--and Ely realizes that the man she just spent an intimate and steamy night with is her teacher.
Everyone in the art world is obsessed with Wyatt Cole. He's immensely talented and his notoriously reclusive personal life makes him all the more compelling. But there's a reason why his past is hard for him to publicize. After coming out as transgender, Wyatt was dishonorably discharged from the military and disowned by his family. From then on he committed to sobriety and channeled his pain into his flourishing art career. While Ely and Wyatt's relationship started out on a physical level, their similar struggles spark a much deeper connection. The chemistry is undeniable, but their new relationship as teacher and student means desperately wanting what they can't have.
This eARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is deeply romantic and hard to believe that it’s the author’s adult debut. She creates genuine characters and a beautiful love story. Despite being many years of both being sober, the cravings continue. The author handles addiction and relapse with such care and genuine reality. Both characters also yearn to be fully themselves despite both having muddy pasts, but that desire to be better reads so strongly on the page. I think it’s important to remember that while these characters deal real problems, they are in fact characters- meaning they may not depict the journey of all who have similar struggles or storylines. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it made an excellent audiobook.
Representation: Pansexual, Transgender, Orthodox Jew, twins
A Shot in the Dark is an emotionally powerful romance novel about two people finding love after struggling with addiction--ultimately discovering what it means to be completely and unapologetically themselves.
Elisheva Cohen has just returned to Brooklyn after almost a decade. The wounds of abandoning the Orthodox community that raised her, then shunned her because of her substance abuse, are still painful. But when she gets an amazing opportunity to study photography with art legend Wyatt Cole, Ely is willing to take the leap.
On her first night back in town, Ely goes out to the infamous queer club Revel for a celebratory night of dancing. Ely is swept off her feet and into bed by a gorgeous man who looks like James Dean, but with a thick Carolina accent. The next morning, Ely wakes up alone and rushes off to attend her first photography class, reminiscing on the best one-night stand of her life. She doesn't even know his name. That is, until Wyatt Cole shows up for class--and Ely realizes that the man she just spent an intimate and steamy night with is her teacher.
Everyone in the art world is obsessed with Wyatt Cole. He's immensely talented and his notoriously reclusive personal life makes him all the more compelling. But there's a reason why his past is hard for him to publicize. After coming out as transgender, Wyatt was dishonorably discharged from the military and disowned by his family. From then on he committed to sobriety and channeled his pain into his flourishing art career. While Ely and Wyatt's relationship started out on a physical level, their similar struggles spark a much deeper connection. The chemistry is undeniable, but their new relationship as teacher and student means desperately wanting what they can't have.
This eARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is deeply romantic and hard to believe that it’s the author’s adult debut. She creates genuine characters and a beautiful love story. Despite being many years of both being sober, the cravings continue. The author handles addiction and relapse with such care and genuine reality. Both characters also yearn to be fully themselves despite both having muddy pasts, but that desire to be better reads so strongly on the page. I think it’s important to remember that while these characters deal real problems, they are in fact characters- meaning they may not depict the journey of all who have similar struggles or storylines. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it made an excellent audiobook.
November 16, 2023
Definitely a love story and not a romance and WOW what amazing representation this book has. The research and emotional storytelling Victoria Lee accomplished with these two characters, it’s something to be proud of.
The topics on substance abuse and addiction were well done (trigger warnings) and hard to read for so many reasons, but I couldn’t be happier to have read Ely and Wyatt’s story.
I mean even the research on art, NYC, and the different religious communities were well thought out and looked into. I learned so much and found their relationship to be so honest.
The topics on substance abuse and addiction were well done (trigger warnings) and hard to read for so many reasons, but I couldn’t be happier to have read Ely and Wyatt’s story.
I mean even the research on art, NYC, and the different religious communities were well thought out and looked into. I learned so much and found their relationship to be so honest.
August 18, 2023
Thank you Dell / Ballantine for the ARC!
I’m going to need EVERYONE to read this book like, immediately. If you love your romance with a healthy dose of heavier subjects and ones that don’t shy away from the grit and vulnerability of real-life relationships, this is for you. I loved A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee and was extremely eager to see how their writing transcribed into adult contemporary romance and man… I was not disappointed. This book is raw and vulnerable and and I genuinely couldn’t recommend it more.
A Shot in the Dark follows the story of Ely, new student at a prestigious NYC art school for photography, and Wyatt, professor at said school, as they navigate a one night stand that turns into more, While it’s definitely a romance with all its trappings, it’s a look into rediscovering what it means to be in community with one an other. I absolutely adored the emotional connection between the two characters and how thoughtfully Lee explored both of their identities— Wyatt as a transman estranged from his family and Ely as she reacquaints herself with the Chassidic Jewish community she left eight years prior. While both characters had life experiences the other couldn’t relate to, the kindness and care they showed each other as they healed was really one of the best parts of the book. While I’d definitely recommend checking TW, especially if you’re sensitive to depictions of addiction, I really couldn’t recommend this book more. It was such a wonderful read and I finished it with a tightness to my chest only the best stories can bring.
Also— the YEARNING. Immaculate. No notes.
I’m going to need EVERYONE to read this book like, immediately. If you love your romance with a healthy dose of heavier subjects and ones that don’t shy away from the grit and vulnerability of real-life relationships, this is for you. I loved A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee and was extremely eager to see how their writing transcribed into adult contemporary romance and man… I was not disappointed. This book is raw and vulnerable and and I genuinely couldn’t recommend it more.
A Shot in the Dark follows the story of Ely, new student at a prestigious NYC art school for photography, and Wyatt, professor at said school, as they navigate a one night stand that turns into more, While it’s definitely a romance with all its trappings, it’s a look into rediscovering what it means to be in community with one an other. I absolutely adored the emotional connection between the two characters and how thoughtfully Lee explored both of their identities— Wyatt as a transman estranged from his family and Ely as she reacquaints herself with the Chassidic Jewish community she left eight years prior. While both characters had life experiences the other couldn’t relate to, the kindness and care they showed each other as they healed was really one of the best parts of the book. While I’d definitely recommend checking TW, especially if you’re sensitive to depictions of addiction, I really couldn’t recommend this book more. It was such a wonderful read and I finished it with a tightness to my chest only the best stories can bring.
Also— the YEARNING. Immaculate. No notes.
November 20, 2023
Wowow super sexy and loved the romance! Give me the himbo of my dreams Victoria!
The book served up some topics that weren't super familiar to me like religious trauma and addiction, but made those topics feel accessible enough for me to follow those parts of the book.
Okay byeee
The book served up some topics that weren't super familiar to me like religious trauma and addiction, but made those topics feel accessible enough for me to follow those parts of the book.
Okay byeee
May 20, 2024
Firstly I want to clarify this isn’t a sapphic book like the tags say. It’s a queer MF Romance novel. That being said this was a really good book. About to recovering addicts finding love and navigating past addictions art and more. Wyatt at times was so infuriating with drawing Ely In and pushing away and so on. I also loved how they faced their past with their family’s too. 4.5*
November 25, 2023
Damn near perfect
August 6, 2024
Lowkey so good???
November 20, 2023
This book could’ve been a 5 star read if the last like 50 pages were taken out. And maybe some other plot points.
I really enjoyed reading a book from the perspectives of addicts—something new for me. Ely and Wyatt were both very problematic and stupid in realistic ways which made them really likeable. I think there was just too much going on for this to be considered a romance book, and I really wanted it to be a romance book.
I really enjoyed reading a book from the perspectives of addicts—something new for me. Ely and Wyatt were both very problematic and stupid in realistic ways which made them really likeable. I think there was just too much going on for this to be considered a romance book, and I really wanted it to be a romance book.
October 22, 2023
Definitely not what I was expecting going in. The fact that Wyatt being trans is almost relegated to fun fact, in my opinion, until the very end was really disappointing as someone who is transmasc and was looking forward to that being a bigger part of Wyatt's character and the story as a whole. The first sex scene is very clear in stating that Wyatt is not comfortable being touched, which is a thing for a lot of trans people, but then in the second sex scene he says he trusts her and then we just get a fade-to-black that says that Ely made him cum twice and they even got to do it TOGETHER and wasn't that magical? Not only do we not get to see the same level of care and attention and honestly eroticism placed on Wyatt, but there is no discussion of boundaries, what he's ok with Ely doing and what to call him and his genitalia during sex- conversations that every trans person has with their partners, especially if they're having sex with a cis person.
There's also the fact that they both clearly have a LOT of trauma that they both acknowledge they have, and not to hammer on Wyatt but he is the weaker of the two characters- cha'boy was physically and emotionally abused his entire childhood, was dishonorably discharged from the Marines (which we gloss over but that is a serious thing that makes your life significantly harder as a civilian) for being trans, was disowned and spent years as a drug addict until he was eventually able to pull himself up by his bootstraps singlehandedly (we never talk about him having any support system other than like 2 people at NA???), transition legally and medically (Which is never talked about either!!) and become a well-off and famous photographer (despite having no formal training and no connections) who isolates himself from everyone... and he never once goes to therapy about it, he just gets into a complicated relationship with someone who is just starting to rebuild their life bc they want to fuck each other so bad it makes them look stupid. Bc that's all that's there- the whole romance happens in the span of two months. They don't talk about anything except their sobriety, photography, and how much they want to be together but CAN'T until the last quarter of the book.
It's clear that the author knows about addiction and Judaism, as those are the parts that the most care and attention were placed on, but it was at the cost of everything else feeling sketched in. I was just simply promised that those would be aspects of a different story, an adult queer romance, and I could barely imagine these two together at all let alone believe they're picture-perfect for each other.
Anyways, not mad just disappointed ✌️
There's also the fact that they both clearly have a LOT of trauma that they both acknowledge they have, and not to hammer on Wyatt but he is the weaker of the two characters- cha'boy was physically and emotionally abused his entire childhood, was dishonorably discharged from the Marines (which we gloss over but that is a serious thing that makes your life significantly harder as a civilian) for being trans, was disowned and spent years as a drug addict until he was eventually able to pull himself up by his bootstraps singlehandedly (we never talk about him having any support system other than like 2 people at NA???), transition legally and medically (Which is never talked about either!!) and become a well-off and famous photographer (despite having no formal training and no connections) who isolates himself from everyone... and he never once goes to therapy about it, he just gets into a complicated relationship with someone who is just starting to rebuild their life bc they want to fuck each other so bad it makes them look stupid. Bc that's all that's there- the whole romance happens in the span of two months. They don't talk about anything except their sobriety, photography, and how much they want to be together but CAN'T until the last quarter of the book.
It's clear that the author knows about addiction and Judaism, as those are the parts that the most care and attention were placed on, but it was at the cost of everything else feeling sketched in. I was just simply promised that those would be aspects of a different story, an adult queer romance, and I could barely imagine these two together at all let alone believe they're picture-perfect for each other.
Anyways, not mad just disappointed ✌️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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