I have had the wonderful honor and privilege of reading and reviewing two of Julia Watts’s books for Chapter 16. Watts is one of a small group of contemporary southern writers bold enough to write LGBTQIA+ fiction set in the south, and I’m so proud to help share her work with others. The first book I read and reviewed, Needlework, was a young adult book, but Lovesick Blossoms is a traditional novel. Watts’s writing seems to grow exponentially with each new publication, and I am loving having a front row seat to witness her growth as an author.
Lovesick Blossoms is a story about a young southern woman named Samuel who almost gets kicked out of college for making a sexual advance toward another female student (a kiss). One of her professors bails her out, and thus begins an arrangement of a “cover” marriage for both Samuel and the male professor who is also gay. As expected, complications quickly arise as both Samuel and her new husband navigate married life as well as their newfound freedom to pursue their own sexual interests.
As I write in the review, “Watts is known for her fiction about queer individuals in the South, including books like Quiver and Needlework, and Lovesick Blossoms delivers yet another inspiring story about the prejudices LGBTQ+ individuals face in the region. Her characters’ dilemmas are especially poignant given the 1950s setting, a time when gender roles were painfully unyielding.”
Keep reading the review from Chapter 16‘s website below!
Haven’t yet ordered your copy of Palm Up, Fingers Curled? Don’t worry. You can still buy a copy through Abby’s Pango Books shop at the link here: https://pangobooks.com/books/ed57d9f3-2f63-446b-97a5-d81162f8e06f-0iTlsCuu13QcPx6jU8OQlr7FrPh1
Abby N. Lewis 
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