A glimmer of attraction, discovery of shared interests, growth of respect for one another, and the stirrings of desire. These are the building blocks for a nascent relationship. But so many more things are thrown into the equation. Family, friends, past relationships, social standing and life goals are just a few of the issues that will help support or destroy a new bond.
In Awakenings, the first of 26 novels of a series, we meet the main characters: Ryan O’Flaherty and Jamie Evans, juniors at the University of California at Berkeley.
Jamie is the only child of a prominent Bay Area family and has her future all mapped out for her. She will marry her fiancé in less than 2 years, he will work for her father’s law firm, and she will eventually parrot her mother’s life: supporting the right charities, attending the right parties, and fitting into the upper tier of San Francisco society.
Ryan’s choices are far more numerous. She has nearly as many options as she’s had lovers since she stormed out of the closet when she was 17. Her life goals range from being a fire fighter to developing a cure for cancer. And given how much she’s accomplished in her life, she might get to do them all.
The women meet in a psychology class—The Psychology of the Lesbian Experience. The class seems a natural choice for Ryan, but what would make Jamie, an English major, choose it?
When they’re assigned to work on a series of projects together Ryan isn’t particularly surprised to find a seemingly straight woman in the class. She’s had more than a little experience in helping straight women take a dip in the lesbian pool. But Jamie’s inner confusion squelches any interest that Ryan might have had in giving her a little push into bed. They become friends—good friends, and soon become each other’s strongest ally.
But as much as each woman wants to resist it, a smoldering attraction burns under the surface of their bond. Ryan wants only the best for Jamie and is willing to focus her feelings on their friendship. But Jamie’s resolve isn’t so strong. She finds it more and more difficult to keep her needs from destroying not only her well-ordered life, but also her friendship with Ryan.In Awakenings we share the struggles and triumphs of these two remarkable young women as they try to form a relationship. But that’s just the beginning…the beginning of the story of the rest of their lives.
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