Customer Reviews

Until Soon

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Until Soon by Maya Indigal is a romantic tale about love and friendship between Andrea "Andi" Marlow and Cara Jane "CJ" Lipinski. The setting is Northeast Valley College, a small liberal arts college in New England.

Andi is a serious, studious, shy, and cautious second year graduate assistant for the English Department. She has had her heart badly broken in the past so she's very reluctant to repeat history. CJ is the modest captain and star basketball player who's quite the celebrity, and is frequently written up in the school's paper. She's outgoing, fun loving, and willing to take risks both on the court and in life. She has a voracious appetite for life...and food, but she's not just another "dumb jock." A history major, CJ has a lot on her plate, including finishing her senior course load, basketball championships, and deciding what to do with her future. She gives one hundred percent to everything she does from winning a basketball game to winning the love of her life. Opposites attract as graduate assistant and student meet by chance at a mandatory donor reception for the college. Sparks fly.

Andi offers CJ help on a research project she is having trouble with, and CJ takes the English teacher up on her offer. She visits Andi during her office hours, which marks the beginning of a possible relationship. The women clearly enjoy each other's company and quickly develop a deep friendship and affection for one another. Are they destined to be lovers or just friends? Andi ponders the dilemma of CJ being a student, even though she isn't her student. She also doesn't want to risk getting hurt again. What if the object of Andi's desire is within her reach, but she is too afraid to risk her heart? What if CJ's "the one," but Andi has so much at stake, both professionally and personally, that it almost paralyzes her? Read Until Soon to see if their relationship morphs from teacher/student, to friends, to hopefully, so much more. The author tortures and tantalizes. The reader wants Andi and CJ to wake up and realize that they are perfect for each other. It is the desire and longing that keeps the reader glued to the pages of Indigal's, Until Soon.

The academic setting, believable characters, and interesting story captivate the reader who can imagine the smells of food cooking, hearts beating, bodies tingling, stomachs growling, and "hear" the captivating music of the Indigo Girls. Events occur which bring the gals even closer together, but will it keep them together?

Indigal writes, "She [Andi] debated about removing her collection of lesbian books by Katherine V. Forrest, Radclyffe, Lori L. Lake, and the rest of the "writin' gals," as she called them...," when she wasn't yet "out" to CJ. Andi had invited the student over to her apartment to work on the research project because her office was too cramped to spread out. Could there be ulterior motives at work here?

Maya Indigal proves that she too is one of the "writin' gals." I believe Until Soon earns her the right to be mentioned in the same sentence as Forrest, Radclyffe, and Lake. Once I picked up Until Soon, I could not put it down. Indigal is so adept at engaging her readers that it's hard to believe this is her first novel. Until Soon is not soon enough for a sequel. You'll see what I mean after you read this five star book

Maya Indigal has written a gem. Wonderful character development, CJ and Andi grow on you page by page. At first I thought this book was another "uber" X&G story, which is not a bad thing, just a bit overdone. Though Indigal's physical descriptions have some of those elements, she adds her own touches, ending up with unique and very likable women. As a fan of well-written sex scenes, I was satisfied with the climax, so to speak, of this sweet love story. The reader will feel the anticipation, and the excitement in the fulfillment of their passions. Well done, and highly recommended.

From the moment the author approached me to read the draft of Until Soon, I considered it one of the best conceptions of original lesbian fiction I had read. A genre that has been clouded with tired cliques and predictable storylines; Maya Indigal has achieved originality with her work. The characters come to life in this well written novel. Andi and CJ are bright stars in this tale about love and the journey and courage it takes to open ones heart. Until Soon sits on my shelf well read and much loved.

I loved this book and I liked the two women's conflict over whether or not to reveal their true feelings towards one another.I read the book and had the feeling of'Why don't you two just tell the other how you feel about them?'I also recommend the Honor Series by Radclyffee(I think I spelled it wrong) .

Please, read the other reviews for the plot of this book. I found that I only continued to read this book to the end on the hope that these women would just get over it already and get the dirty deed done. I enjoy a tease but this book was torture. The reason it was torture? I just didn't buy the reasons the one character had for not telling the other character how she truly feels. I won't spoil it for you by revealing the reasons but believe me they are lame. Especially, when the author had her on the brink of confession so many times. I found myself towards the end of the book just reading the first sentence of each paragraph in order to get through it. I didn't feel like I missed anything by using that technique. Actually, it made reading the book much more enjoyable. I wished I'd done it from the start. As my partner stated so concisely, "This author liked hearing her own words, a lot!". If you must read this very descriptive book (what could be said in one word this author uses 50), use the first sentence method. That would be the only way to make this book a two star instead of a one!

Sweet parts, angsty parts, slightly steamy parts... this novel has it all.

A couple of intriguing main characters with a solid supporting cast against a pleasing backdrop of a small New England college town. Nicely paced: the main characters' relationship and the entire story moves forward without feeling rushed and without glaring plot gaps.

Where some of the more prolific authors have become almost formulaic in their output, Maya's contribution is an invigorating change of pace.

A more than worthwhile way to spend a lazy weekend.

Delightful, Warmhearted Romance !

No murders or disasters, a little angst, a little passion and a nice long read. Perfect for a cloudy weekend at home or vacation. Two delightful people and their caring friends. I would love to see them again in a sequel or short story.

From the publisher's website - Andi Marlow, ex-swimmer and grad assistant, takes classes and teaches part time at a small liberal arts college in New England. Quiet and studious, she resists her friends' attempts at matchmaking in order to protect her once-broken heart. Her isolated and ordered world is disrupted when she meets Cara Jane Lipinski, a senior history major at the college. Athletic and outgoing, CJ is immediately drawn to Andi when the two women first meet at a university function. Andi is charmed by the outgoing basketball star and a comfortable friendship soon develops. Even while the women's growing sense of attraction increases, Andi's past relationship anguish and current job pressures keep her from following her heart toward CJ. The two women must struggle against personal, emotional, and physical challenges in order to bridge the gap between their insecurities and their desires.