Meeting Millie

Oxford Romance, Book 1

By: Clare Ashton

Narrated by: Gabrielle Baker

Oxford—celebrated city of dreaming spires and class warfare—is an ambition come true for geeky upper-middle-class lesbian Charlotte and charismatic working-class straight Millie.

Against the odds, theirs is an instant best friendship. Forever.

Exuberant Millie is a breath of fresh air for polite Charlotte and a force of nature within the university's hallowed walls. And they are going to be the best lawyers of their year and change the world.

But their world changes instead when things go queerly sideways, and they haven't seen each other since.

Ten years on and Charlotte returns to where it all began. She has a new job at a prestigious law firm and Oxford is as beautiful as ever. She's a safe distance from her overbearing barrister mother Nicola and three office floors from her snappy college mentor, Olivia.

Then Millie bounds around the corner wanting to be friends again and it's as if the last decade never happened. Will it be different the second time around? Can they be friends again? Or will love and attraction change things?

©2023 Clare Ashton (P)2023 Tantor

Cute story

It’s a cute story and an easy read. Has a rom-com feel, nothing really outstanding, but enjoyable. The audio performance felt robotic.

Sweet charming romance

Clare Ashton is among my favorite writers because her characters are often warm, quirky and smart and the plots have a degree of whimsy that doesn’t rely on the artificial tortured angst that I see far too often in romance novels.

In this book, Charlotte and Millie are inseparable best mates in college. Millie is supportive of Charlotte’s lesbianism but she’s enthusiastically straight and seemingly oblivious to the fact that Charlotte is in love with her. After graduation, Charlotte is heartbroken a they they go through a painful separation. Many years later, a chance meeting brings them back into one another’s orbits. Millie is desperate to renew their friendship, but Charlotte is wary and wants to protect her heart. As they tentatively try to rebuild the friendship they once shared, deeper feelings begin to emerge.
Both Millie and Charlotte can be oblivious and obtuse in their own ways, but as they begin to become aware of their new feelings the realization and their response seems natural and organic.

This is a lovely slow burn romance, sweet but not too saccharine and sure to put a smile on your face. I’d love to see the stories of some of the supporting characters fleshed out in future books.

Happy Heart, Heart is Happy

This was the sweetest story. These two characters are just so lovable and the development of their relationship is just <3. Charlotte is adorable and sexy - what a combination. The descriptions felt so vivid. UK English vocabulary for the win here. A real feel good. I want to know what happens to Olivia and what happens to Charlotte’s mom. I need a follow up for Charlotte and Millie! It’s a good slow burn, but didn’t feel slow. Worth a read.

Exceptional Sapphic Romance Perfectly Narrated

This is engaging story of an intensely loving friendship with unreciprocated physical desire that evolves further upon second chance.

One of my faves, finally in audio

Absolutely love this book! Charlotte Albright and Millie Banks are beautiful individually, and dynamite together. I've now read it 4 times, and will listen to it again, back-to-back.

Long but great

I love Claire Ashton’s books and this one was as good as the rest of them. A little young MC for me, but the story was good. Narration was good as well.

Loved it!

Listened to this book twice. I took a small break in between listenings as I had started a new book. The new book was probably not a bad book but I think it’s a difficult ask to follow a Clare Ashton book especially when read by Gabrielle Baker.

Touching, beautifully written story. Narrated powerfully.

A story sadly experienced by women who love women. Falling deeply in love with a best friend who cannot reciprocate. But this time the heartbreak is revisited a decade later and the two women rekindle the care and love they never lost.
This lovely story is elevated by the very talented dramatic reading. Kudos!

Sweet

Love this book and can't wait to read Olivia's story in the next Oxford series novel. Now....can we please have an ice queen, age-gap romance for Nicola because I think it would make for a fabulous read?! My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that the very slight lisp of the narrator distracted me a bit toward the end of the novel. It was, at times, hard to distinguish between Charlotte's thoughts and those of Millie. I could sometimes tell the difference by the speech patterns/accents but the narration made it somewhat difficult at times. Overall, this was a great read and I am eagerly waiting for more!

Perfect Slow Burn

I really enjoyed this book. They came full circle and found each other, and everyone knew it but them.