Several reviewers have lately begun writing #FallBackFriday reviews, where they choose books that have been published for a while and give them some new exposure with current reviews. I liked that idea and decided to review a very special book, for me anyway.
Tropical Storm by Melissa (Missy) Good is important to me for many reasons, but one of the most important is this is the very first lesbian fiction book I ever read. This is where my love of lesfic began. I found Missy’s website, merwolf.com in the late 1990’s when she was becoming very popular online with her Xena fan fiction. Then she wrote Tropical Storm and allowed her fans to read it as she wrote the book by posting the first draft online.
Tropical Storm is a love story about two women, Dar and Kerry, who meet and fall in love during a time in our history when there were no real protections or rights for lesbians and gays, and when it was still sometimes dangerous to come out to your family, friends, and co-workers. Hearts and minds were just beginning to change during this period, but not fast enough for many. This is one of the main themes in this book and several other books in this series. Yes, this book is an uber fiction story based on the Xena and Gabrielle characters from the show. You will recognize the characters from their descriptions, but the characters do change, grow, and become their own persons through the books.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this book over the years. The first time was online as Missy wrote the book. It was published in 1999, and I have an autographed first edition that I bought from Missy when I met her at a convention in Orlando, Florida that year. I’ve since bought an updated eBook version published I believe in 2010.
I love this book as well as all of the books in the series, and I’ve read all of them multiple times. Every time I do, it’s like visiting an old dear friend. I know I’m biased, but I can only give Tropical Storm my highest praise.
Rainbow Reflections 