đ Book Reviewđ
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Summary: Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Ireneâs recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secretâbut it's not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they've needed to keep others out. And now they're worried they're keeping a murderer in.
Ireneâs widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to acceptâhis calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.
Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He's seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn't extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousyâand Ireneâs death is only the beginning.
When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House canât lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.
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Rating: âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸đŤ
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My thoughts: happy belayed publishing day to this fabulous story! Thank you so much @bookishfirst @macmillanusa and @levacrosen for the advanced copy! I love this one so much. It was described as a take on knives out and clue and the description couldnât have been more accurate. A beautiful LGBTQ mystery with characters that you just canât trust and a lovable lonely protagonist. And it takes place in San Francisco could it get any better đĽ°seriously run out and buy it if youâre a fan of old school whodunnit mysteries!
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Summary: Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Ireneâs recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secretâbut it's not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they've needed to keep others out. And now they're worried they're keeping a murderer in.
Ireneâs widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to acceptâhis calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.
Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He's seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn't extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousyâand Ireneâs death is only the beginning.
When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House canât lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.
*
Rating: âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸đŤ
*
My thoughts: happy belayed publishing day to this fabulous story! Thank you so much @bookishfirst @macmillanusa and @levacrosen for the advanced copy! I love this one so much. It was described as a take on knives out and clue and the description couldnât have been more accurate. A beautiful LGBTQ mystery with characters that you just canât trust and a lovable lonely protagonist. And it takes place in San Francisco could it get any better đĽ°seriously run out and buy it if youâre a fan of old school whodunnit mysteries!