When it comes to sapphic romance, Melissa Brayden is a true icon. Her 26 books play a big part in our growing canon. I’ll confess that I haven’t read many after not getting on with Kiss the Girl, where a woman of colour is repeatedly described as “exotic.” But it was published nearly a decade ago, and Brayden has grown both as a person and an author in that time.
At a romance writing event last year she gave an incredibly heartfelt and encouraging answer to my question about including Black characters in my own novels – an exchange which meant the world to me. So I decided to revisit Brayden’s work, and am very glad to have read her latest novel: Marigold.
Marigold Lavender is sunshine personified. She brightens her family, her community, bringing warmth and kindness to everything that she does. Sometimes MG longs for a life full of adventure beyond Homer’s Bluff, the small town where she’s lived for 35 years. Homer’s Bluff doesn’t exactly have a lively lesbian scene. But there are deep roots – MG’s family, and the lavender business they run together. Plus, she’s fiercely protective of her siblings in the wake of their mother’s death. So, when a restaurant critic savages her baby sister’s restaurant – named Marilyn’s after their late mum – MG goes scorched earth, leading a boycott of the paper.
Cosmopolitan food critic Alexis Wakefield travels across the country to visit restaurants. She’s an expert in her field, knowing all about what food should be – and what it shouldn’t. Alexis has built a very successful brand from her snarky takes on substandard dishes… until MG’s viral campaign gets her cancelled. Alexis returns to Homer’s Bluff to do some soul searching. Though she initially scoffs at rural America, Alexis ends up falling for the authenticity of the town – and one of its inhabitants. Every time they meet, sparks fly between MG and Alexis. And hatred turns into a different kind of passion.
Marigold has a lovely atmosphere. It manages to be both sweet and sexy. The vibe reminds me of Steel Magnolias; a small-town story that’s beautiful because of its sincerity. But this book also feels incredibly current, with an accurate depiction of social media and its toxicity. Brayden’s take on cancellation as “a long-form time out” felt particularly on the money – while I read Marigold, my news feeds filled up with glowing coverage of Caroline Calloway’s $65 memoir four years after she went viral for all the wrong reasons.
And – in the same way I’m sceptical about Calloway’s motives – I had doubts about Alexis. Brayden does an excellent job of depicting how social media rewards conflict and cruelty through this character – Alexis gained a huge following through being savage in her reviews, and she has fully leant into this persona. Yet, unlike a great many cancelled, Alexis puts real thought into her behaviour. She accepts accountability for her actions and grows as a person. Which makes her arc very compelling.
I loved MG from the opening page, read in the waiting room for therapy, when I discovered that she too is a maladaptive daydreamer – someone who immerses herself in imagining elaborate scenarios to escape the disappointments of her own life. At points MG gets a little bit too mid-2000s Manic Pixie Dream Girl. But for the most part her quirkiness and charm make Marigold easy to root for – especially as she puts her heart and soul into holding her family together following a devastating loss.
And while at first glance it might look like Alexis is the one that needs to change, MG’s growth arc is just as impressive. It takes immense courage for her to live in reality as much as fantasy. MG and Alexis complement one another perfectly.
As well as being a smouldering hot Enemies to Lovers, Marigold is an elite Opposites Attract romance. Marigold dreams of a committed relationship; building a family of her own, just like her brother and sisters. Whereas Alexis is a one-night-stand type of girl. Her longest and closest relationship is with her dachshund. But our leading ladies catalyse meaningful change in one another, and it’s a gorgeous love story.
I have to admit, there’s one thing I struggled with through the novel. MG has a sister called Aster. And Alexis has a sister called Aspen. The similarity in these side characters’ names and roles meant I struggled to keep them straight in my head, which got confusing at points. But otherwise I haven’t a single criticism to make.
Until picking up this book, I had no idea that a romance novel without graphic sex scenes could be so hot. But the subtle poetry of Brayden’s words adds a powerful emotional resonance to the love between her characters. Marigold is a heartwarming, wholesome story – the perfect pick-me-up.
Copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lou Morgan 