Reviews and Awards
and Other Achievements
Thank you to every single person who talks up books. Word of mouth matters today as much as it ever has. People’s opinions matter more than search algorithms!
Readers often ask what they can do to help lesfic. Posting just a few words about any book is incredibly helpful for both authors and other readers. A good place to start is with how that book made you feel.
- What a story!
- Roller Coaster Finalist at the 2012 Golden Crown Literary Society Awards for Lesbian Romance.
- A new look at prejudice and a different view of pride all painted with the dark purple of a fruity Shiraz.
- These stories are great as stand alone and as surprise returns of characters I had read before.
- In Deep Waters Volume 2: Cruising the Strip Winner of the 2008 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBT Erotica. Co-authored with Radclyffe.
- As close to perfection as I have ever read...
- A gripping story that will delight Kallmaker fans!
- ...Du monde tout une gamme d'expériences intimes rarement contées avec autant de naturel et de légèreté...
- Kallmaker has created a moody, epic, romantic, passionate novel...
- Tell tale warmth, vulnerability, and charm that are so recognizable of this author.
- Velvet in Venice had a beautiful ending, just what we need these days.
- I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t put it down. It even haunted my dreams and I woke in the middle of the night to just keep reading it. I think Kallmaker put her own kind of spell on me.
- Car Pool, like many of Kallmaker's books, presents readers with a sweet romance. But, she doesn't shy away from including real-world issues in her books.
- The dialogue, particularly in conversations between Milla and Tyna, works so well, capturing the first blush of attraction.
- Above Temptation Finalist for the 2010 Lambda Literary Awards: Best Lesbian Romance.
- ...Steamy sex, family drama, and all the angst you could hope for with a main character falling for her straight best friend.
- Las historias apasionantes, divertidas y escritas con la ma maestría y talento de estas escritoras increíbles.
- The perfect mix of angst and comfort.
- A 5 star read that I highly recommend. - Gail at Kindle Canada
- Recommend with 5 stars and look forward to the next book in the series.
- Neither fluffy nor too heavy, Simply The Best hits the right balance, incorporating current news and societal themes in what remains, fundamentally, a romance novel.
- The writer has crafted the characters well, and you can't help but empathise with Irene.
- Christmas cheer, community, healing and attraction, even love.
- I thoroughly enjoyed the antics, deception, and tension between Jamie and Val.
- A very well written and gorgeous little read with a bit of magical realism thrown in.
- Nikki sings her way into Artie’s heart and music plays a key element to their interactions.
- The best kind of romance. It has lesbians, just enough angst and a delightful wit and writing style.
- ...Oh, the journey is so worth it...
- Angela Dawe is the narrator and is the perfect choice to do this novel justice.
- Karin Kallmaker continues to amaze me with yet another story told in a totally different fashion than most...
- In Recognition of Mentorship Awarded by the Executive Director of the Golden Crown Literary Society, the LJ Maas Memorial Award was presented as “recognition of your mentorship of young writers and your commitment and dedication to new authors of lesbian literature.”
- Bell, Book and Dyke: New Exploits of Magical Lesbians This collection of four novellas was a finalist at the 2006 Golden Crown Literary Society Awards for Lesbian Fantasy. The book contains an earlier, shorter version of “Unbeliever.”
- A lovely sweet story of two young women following their dreams.
- Sublime age-gap f/f romance - Swoon for Angela Dawe's spectacular, emotionally vibrant narration!
- This book was like a fantasy come to life. All my life I have had the hots for librarians.
- It's my favourite that I've read by Karin Kallmaker and I can't recommend it highly enough.
- An upbeat romance that begins with a house fire that threatens a woman's livelihood...
- Such a lovely story... You can't stop till the end!
- ...Tous ces ingrédients mis ensemble en font un livre qui se lit facilement, et qui, encore une fois, fait rêver.
- A real gift for characterization and realistically humorous dialogue.
- It wasn't that long ago I thought romance novels had nothing to offer a sophisticated reader. I was wrong...
- I know you said you struggled to write it, but Simply the Best is right up there as one of my favorite books you’ve written.
- She tells stories that can be read over and over again with characters that linger in your thoughts.
- Wine buffs, as well as lovers of a good romance, will enjoy this excellent read.
- Great read. I just want to keep reading. I would love a sequel.
- The dialogue is probably the best I have read by this author and she excels at snappy dialogue.
- A cast of characters who buzz in and out of each other's lives (and apartments) in the course of one busy night...
- Finders Keepers is a rare gem that should be treasured and revisited regularly.
- Smart story with fascinating, unusual, and well developed characters... Of course Abby Craden always gives an unbelievably enjoyable narrative.
- Strong character portraits, interesting and informative plots, and engaging storytelling.
- A great job of blending humor with the realities of life, like smeared makeup when you want to be sexy and limbs that fall asleep...
- Kallmaker's writing gets better and better, her observations on the life lesbian more and more astute. Painted Moon is a very good romance novel with lots of extras.
- Great spirit of Christmas story.
- Both author and narrator are such professionals, they made this audiobook a great experience. Highly recommended.
- One of the finest!
- Just Like That Winner of a Goldie award for Best Lesbian Romance at the Golden Crown Literary Society’s 2006 Awards Ceremony.
- I love the story of Sydney and Faith. I think anyone can relate to their story in one way or another.
- My Lady Lipstick has a well-written plot with innovative character drama and a love story that doesn’t disappoint. The romance sparkles, the characters are enchanting...
- There is a warmth to the author's reading that works perfectly for this story.
- I enjoyed the dialogue as well as the minor characters in the story.
- Kallmaker quietly but effectively sets the stage... Recommended.
- Balance between intellectual and emotional pleasures...
- Added to my 're-read' pile!
- My Lady Lipstick Winner of a Goldie award for Best Lesbian Romantic Blend at the Golden Crown Literary Society’s 2019 Awards Ceremony.
- A fine balance between romance and reality . . . intimate scenes are beautifully appropriate for the period.
- Great romance between two women who are each hiding from their lives in different ways and for different reasons. Five stars!
- A gift to all voracious readers from a splendidly gifted imagination.
- I’ve always been impressed with her writing but this novella was even better than I expected.
- A terrific novel to add to your book shelf.
- 2011 Trailblazer Award from the Golden Crown Literary Society Previous Trailblazers include Ann Bannon, Sarah Aldridge, Jane Rule, Katherine V. Forrest, Lee Lynch, Barbara Wilson, Judy Grahn, Dorothy Allison, Pat Parker, and Ellen Hart. The Trailblazer Award is given to a lesbian writer for lifetime achievement, in recognition of the contributions she has made to the field of lesbian literature. Karin credits one of her proudest and most breathtaking moments as being when Lee Lynch said her name at the 2012 Phoenix Convention.
- ...Filled with humor, lust, and lots of intelligent, interesting dykes.
- ...Full of steamy sex and strong emotional realizations
- Be sure to pick this one up!
- I love that both these women are smart, and it shows...
- A fun and sexy read to put you (or someone else) in the mood!
- The icing on the permissible small sliver of cake is the sexy and truly romantic love story.
- Overall, I really enjoyed the read, so much so that the epilogue brought a tear to my eye. It was just so cute.
- I Heart SapphFic readers have voted Knight of Night the Historical Romance of the Month!
- While every story is a little different, some overlap with the same apartment dwellers, lending continuity to the collection so it acts like a novel...
- A fascinating and totally believable roller coaster with unexpected complications and intriguing plot twists...
- This story is unique, full of magic and adventure, love and nature and spirituality.
- An excellent writer, with lots of experience, and it shows.
- As a journalist, and an environmental one at that with a degree in science, this novel grabbed me hook, line and sinker... The love story was beautiful and inspiring...
- A light, frothy story that is just possibly as light as the cakes made by the main character.
- The way Kirstine and Skyra build a life together without any blueprint or social safety net is nothing short of inspirational.
- Extremely well written in classic Kallmaker style, with a great supporting cast of friends and colleagues and a fascinating exploration on the social scene these women inhabit...
- This tale of love lost and love found makes you cry and laugh at the same time.
- Pure Pleasure!
- I love the interactions between Irene and the coin which for an ‘inanimate’ object has a wonderful sense of humour.
- One of my favourites! Charming and wonderfully written.
- Castle Wrath is the fun, erotic horror lesbian rewrite of Northanger Abbey that we never knew we needed.
- Delightful and thoughtful... A satisfying book.
- It’s clear this is a relationship each of them is going to integrate into her real life… A fun, relaxing, sexy story.
- The lesbian hybrid of Joyce Carol Oates and Danielle Steele.
- A marvelous story of two head-strong women.
- Action-spy-story-mystery with dramatic possibilities and breathtaking plot developments.
- All the Wrong Places Finalist in two categories for the 2005 Lambda Literary Awards: Best Lesbian Romance and Best LGBT Erotica.
- A gem of a read, a gift to all voracious readers from a splendidly gifted imagination.