I worried that my fifth sister wouldn’t be likeable enough. For starters, she’s really pretty. She’s a little fixated on her appearance too, and those who aren’t fond of her consider her shallow.

Of course, there’s much more to her than that, but would my readers stick with her long enough to find out? I hoped so.

Well, Celestine and her story have gotten three reviews in the last two days and I’m delighted that people like her. They really like her.

Reviewer Gina Rae Mitchell said “This is perhaps my favorite so far in the series.”

Ally of Fabulous and Brunette called the book “Another fantastic addition to an already successful book series!!!”

And Merissa of Archaeolibrarian said Celestine’s book was a “brilliant addition to a fantastic series.”

Phew.

One thing almost every reviewer has mentioned is that they liked the way I told the story of two women in love. This means a lot to me. Family and friends have forged my strong support of and alliance with the LBGTQ+ community and I wanted this part to work well.

The other thing that got mentioned often is a few small scenes revealing more about Celestine’s mother. Originally I wasn’t sure I would include this information, but when I began to write it, it jumped from my brain through my fingers and onto the page with an electrical current I couldn’t stop. (And I know better than to try.)

This happens once in a while when I write and it is one of the greatest highs I know. I barely rewrote a word of those scenes later, and I’m glad readers have found them as powerful as I did. Obviously, Mom needed the chance to have her say.

I know there are many more reviews to come. They won’t all be good … I’ve been to this rodeo before. But today I’m savoring the moment.