Lesbian Fiction

Something’s Different

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The details…

  • Title: Something’s Different
  • Author: Quinn Ivins
  • Publisher: Ylva Publishing
  • Publication date: November 20, 2022
  • Available formats: ebook, paperback
  • Digital file size: 1444 KB
  • Print length: 364
  • Genre: romance
  • Themes: women loving women workplace romance, academics, twins, sisters, mental health and wellness
  • Tropes: ice queen, age gap, workplace romance, boss/assistant

The blurb from the publisher….

An ice queen boss knows there’s something different about her assistant, but she can’t put her finger on it. A fun twin-switch lesbian office romance.

Unemployed academic Caitlyn Taylor comes home to family drama. Her carefree twin Chloe plans to ditch her job to visit a guy she met online. Caitlyn steps in to impersonate Chloe so she won’t get fired for skipping town. Unfortunately, this means answering phones for an icy, dismissive boss.

Busy college president Ruth Holloway never paid much attention to her mediocre assistant. Suddenly, “Chloe” demonstrates insight into faculty politics and a baffling talent for analytics. And since when has she been so attractive?

Caitlyn dreams of getting closer to her sister’s boss but how can she? Everything they’ve shared has been based on a lie.

My thoughts…

I will never turn down a Quinn Ivins book. The storytelling is always fresh and inviting. Her sharp and intuitive craftsmanship generates some of the most entertaining and engaging fiction one will find in this genre. Something’s Different is first-rate romance writing, and another fine example of why Ivins should be an auto purchase for those that adore love stories.

I don’t want to give anything away and ruin the read, but know this: Something’s Different will keep readers on their toes. Ivins adds an element of “mystery and suspense” to the plot that keeps everyone wondering how Caitlyn and Ruth will work through their unusual situation and get their HEA. That’s the beauty of this tale, though. It’s so well-structured and well-woven, one can’t turn away. Readers will have to see how these two lovely and brilliantly written characters meet in the middle and embrace romance. And when they do, readers will be delighted—because these two ladies (or should I say three??) are virtually impossible to resist!

Final remarks…

Ivins just keeps getting better and better. With each new book, her characters grow to be more interesting and likable, and her storytelling manifests more charming and entertaining tales. Something’s Different is different, but in a very good way! If you love smart, original and freshly written romances, you won’t want to miss this one.

Strengths…

  • Fantastic leading ladies
  • Engaging story world
  • Well-mapped and well-plotted story arc
  • Captivating narrative
  • Alluring romance

A peek inside…

Caitlyn fiddled with the bun that hid the true length of her chestnut-brown hair. I should have cut it. 

At home in the bathroom, Caitlyn had thought she’d done enough to copy Chloe’s style. Now, standing before the imposing building that housed the Pulaski administrative offices, doubt nagged at her. 

A pair of Chloe’s false lashes weighed down her eyelids. Caitlyn had even borrowed her sister’s snug charcoal skirt and low-cut pink blouse, although she drew the line at the impractical high heels Chloe wore to the office. If anyone asked, her comfy flats were due to rapid-onset plantar fasciitis. 

Aside from the frumpy shoes and unflattering hairstyle, she looked like Chloe. Didn’t she? Growing up, they’d been mistaken for each other more times than she could count. Most people didn’t notice the slight differences in their bodies and faces. 

Her heart pounded as she pushed through the heavy
door. In her head, she chanted reminders in an effort to calm herself down. We’re twins. We’re identical. It’s fine. 

A custodian nodded at her. “Good morning.” 

“Good morning.” Caitlyn forced a smile as she strode past his trash bin. 

The hallway was quiet, just as she’d hoped. Arriving an hour early had been the right call. No one saw her gaze dart around as she searched for the correct hallway, and while she could only imagine how her face looked—pale and terrified?—she was grateful to be alone. 

Tall glass doors loomed at the end of the hall, matching Chloe’s description. A sign reading Office of the President hung from the ceiling, removing all doubt that she was headed in the right direction. Instead of reassuring her, the sight made her nauseous. This wasn’t some obscure clerical role; Chloe’s boss ran the entire institution. If Caitlyn was caught intruding, the penalty would be high. 

As she reached the doors, she peered through the glass. A sleek wooden desk occupied the center of a spacious reception area. Chloe’s desk. Could she really sit there for an entire week without anyone catching on?

Caitlyn dug in her purse until she closed her fingers around her key chain, now equipped with a stainless-steel key to the presidential office suite. As she held it up to the lock, her hand shook so badly that she missed the keyhole by half an inch.

This is a crime. Caitlyn Taylor had no right to enter the office. If she unlocked the door and walked in, she’d be trespassing. The badge dangling from her collar constituted identity fraud. Somehow, she’d made it through the weekend without backing out, but now the risk had become real.

Her lungs tightened until it was hard to breathe—a sensation she might have interpreted as cardiac arrest if she hadn’t spent a lifetime experiencing it every time she risked getting into trouble. 

It was the same feeling she’d had when her college roommate had persuaded her to try marijuana at a party. Afterward, while Shannon snored in the next room, Caitlyn had stayed up googling criminal penalties and researching how long the drug could be detected in urine and hair. 

She’d had the same feeling in grad school after deducting bogus “school supplies” from her taxes until her burden no longer exceeded her bank balance. As the envelope with her tax return had slipped from her grasp, she’d jammed her fingers into the mail slot, hyperventilating as she desperately tried to retrieve it. But the steel box was secure, condemning her to months of worry that a SWAT team would descend on her apartment to haul her to jail over six hundred dollars.

Every time she broke the rules, she regretted it. So what the hell am I doing? 

I can’t do this. Caitlyn dropped the unused key into her purse. Her breathing slowed as her panic waned. Soon she would be safe in her car, driving away from the world’s worst decision at forty-five miles per hour. 

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, causing her to jump and whirl around.

A tall blonde strode toward her, wearing a teal blazer with beige pants and functional brown loafers. Ruth Holloway. Her short, layered hair had grown since the photo portrait, and the waves were mussed. She also wore considerably less makeup. However, her blue eyes were even more vivid in person, the color popping even from several yards away. 

As Ruth approached, she squinted at Caitlyn. “Who are you, and what have you done with Chloe?”

Oh God. “I…um…” Caitlyn trembled. 

Ruth stopped a few feet away. “You’ve never arrived even one minute before nine, and now you’re showing up at eight? On a Monday, no less. I should alert the Gazette.” 

Relief washed through Caitlyn, full-on meltdown averted. But now she was trapped. “I had an early appointment.” Her voice cracked. 

“I see.” Ruth’s forehead creased beneath errant wisps of hair. 

Shit. Caitlyn was already fucking up. Chloe would never schedule an early appointment. She’d been last out of the womb and late to every engagement ever since. 

“Are you all right?” Ruth studied her. “You look flustered.” 

Caitlyn flushed under the scrutiny. Chloe had described Ruth as so indifferent toward her that she wouldn’t notice if someone literally replaced her for a week. But the concern in Ruth’s gaze appeared genuine. 

“I’m fine.” Caitlyn took a breath. “Thank you for asking.”

“Good.” Ruth continued to stare. 

Caitlyn dropped her gaze to break eye contact, only to be confronted with the sleek curve of Ruth’s neck and the silky white blouse that drooped to bare a hint of cleavage. Ruth’s clothes fit, but they weren’t tailored, as though she’d grabbed her usual size at a department store and decided good enough. Still, the functional outfit couldn’t hide Ruth’s hourglass curves. Ruth was gorgeous and powerful with obvious intelligence behind her probing gaze. Caitlyn struggled to control her breathing as the vision in front of her, combined with the high-stress situation, overloaded her brain. 

“Well?” Ruth gestured at the door. Her clear nail polish gleamed under the florescent lights. 

“Right. Of course.” Caitlyn fumbled for the key. Avoiding eye contact, she unlocked the door and held it open. 

As Ruth whisked past her, Caitlyn detected the faint scent of lavender. It didn’t smell like perfume. More like soap or shampoo. Ruth probably didn’t bother with fragrance. She had the clean, polished look of a professional who maintained impeccable grooming with as little effort as possible. Minimal makeup, sturdy shoes.

Oblivious to Caitlyn’s staring, Ruth disappeared into her office, leaving the door ajar—probably so she could yell to summon Caitlyn, a habit Chloe had warned her about. 

This was her chance to run, to let Ruth think Chloe had arrived early and then split for good. But despite her wobbly stomach and rapid heartbeat, something drew her forward until she stood beside the assistant’s desk. 

She wanted to know more about Ruth. 

The portrait hadn’t lied. Ruth was young for a president, with intense and captivating eyes. How had she achieved so much at her age? Especially if she was as unpleasant as Chloe claimed. 

Caitlyn was curious. Yet the brief encounter had driven home the point that she was deceiving a human being who would no doubt be horrified to learn the truth. Whatever Ruth’s flaws, she didn’t deserve to spend her day working with a fraud. 

And she’d hang me if she knew. Meeting Ruth in person had left little doubt that she’d be livid if she found out the truth. 

“Chloe?” Ruth appeared in the doorway. Her hair had been tamed into place. “Jack is stopping by at nine for a quick meeting. I assumed you’d still be arriving. But since you’re already here, I’d like you to take notes.”

“Oh sure. Absolutely.” Caitlyn’s head bobbed while she searched her memory for the name. Jack Downey, Budget Director. Chloe’s presentation had included a photo of an Irish man in his mid-fifties, along with a note that he met with Ruth regularly. It had to be him. 

“Thanks. See you soon.” Ruth disappeared into the office again. 

Caitlyn gulped. How could she leave now? If she wanted to avoid suspicion, disappearing before the meeting wasn’t an option. 

Jolted out of her indecision, Caitlyn plopped into the swivel chair. She located the power button and started the computer on the desk. As it whirred to life, she caught her reflection in a small mirror that Chloe had left on the desk, next to a slouching makeup bag. Aside from the headband, she looked like Chloe. 

Holy fuck. I’m really doing this.

*******

Something is wrong with Chloe. 

The thought had nagged at Ruth ever since she’d arrived. Now seated across from Chloe at the table in her office while Jack prattled on about the budget, Ruth grew even more suspicious. 

What Chloe lacked in ambition, she made up for by being predictable. She usually arrived five minutes late, checked the voice messages, and then spent most of the day on her iPhone. As a receptionist, she was decent—personable, nice to everyone—but rarely lifted a finger outside of her assigned duties. Her notes were adequate, but minimal. 

This morning, however, Chloe’s typing was rapid, almost frantic. When she wasn’t wasn’t taking notes, her gaze shifted between Ruth and Jack as if she weren’t sure which one would strike first. She also kept scratching her arms. It was unnerving. 

Then there was her appearance. Chloe typically styled her hair in ringlets, crisp from a curling iron and frozen with hair spray. Today, she wore a cloth headband at her hairline, and the rest was knotted into a bun. Ruth wondered if the conservative hairstyle and skittish demeanor were related to Chloe’s early arrival on campus and the supposed appointment she’d mentioned.

“One more thing,” Jack said. “The VP came to see me.” 

Ruth’s lips twisted into a sneer. “Oh? What did Alice want?” 

“Another faculty position. The math department wants to hire, and she’s supporting them.” He held out his palms. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.” 

Ruth scoffed. “Oh, come on. Another hire in math?”

“Well, they lost a full-time faculty when Donnie retired. They want to replace him.”

“For God’s sake.” She rolled her eyes. “They lost a grouchy, old crank who was out on medical leave every other semester. Now they’re pretending it was a devastating loss to the department?” 

Jack cracked his knuckles. “I hear you. But the argument they’ll make is that we could hire a new tenure-track professor for less than half of what we paid Donnie, so we’d still save money.” 

“God, some of these full professor salaries are obscene. He made almost as much as a dean.” Ruth shook her head. “Remind me, how much does a new tenure-track professor make?” 

“Sixty thousand, plus benefits—so, eighty-five thousand.” 

“And how much would we pay an adjunct to cover his courses?” She asked the question slowly, as though prompting a small child. 

Jack chuckled. “About twelve thousand per semester.” 

“Exactly. You’d think the math department could arrive at that point on their own, but I suppose I’m expecting too much. Anyway, we need that money in ten other places. Student services, for one.” She glanced over to make sure Chloe wasn’t transcribing her frank comments, then did a double take. 

Chloe sat with her back straight and her fingers clenched into fists, eyes flashing with unmistakable fury. 

“What’s wrong?” Ruth asked. 

Startled, Chloe dropped her hands into her lap. “Nothing.” She softened her scowl into a more neutral expression, but her jaw remained tense. 

Was Chloe angry on behalf of the math faculty? Why would she care? Ruth sat back and leveled a stern gaze at her. “If you have an opinion about our budget discussion, I’d be fascinated.” 

“I don’t have an opinion.” Chloe looked down at her lap. 

Ruth pushed to her feet with a heavy sigh. Why even bother? “Okay. I’ll deal with the math department. Keep me posted on summer revenue. Chloe, please send me the notes and then delete them.”

“Okay.” Chloe closed her laptop, slid out of her chair, and scrambled to the exit. 

Jack jerked a thumb at the door. “What’s up with her?” 

“No idea.” Then a sudden thought occurred to her. The scratching, the odd behavior, the irrational anger. Was Chloe on drugs? 

Ruth massaged her temples. She had vowed to wait until noon before taking her second aspirin of the day, but she already knew she wouldn’t make it.

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A bit about the author…

Quinn Ivins has been addicted to romance since she was a teenager, when she stayed up on school nights to read more X-Files fanfiction.

Now finally done with school after 27 years, she has published three lesbian romance novels. Her second book, Worthy of Love, won the 2022 Goldie award for Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length.

Quinn lives in the United States with her wife and her son.

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