Verdict: A bold, high-energy Prohibition-era sapphic romance full of bootleg whiskey, fast living, and fierce women — a rowdy, fun ride with real heat and heart.
Best for: Readers who want a 1920s underworld setting, tough-and-tender heroines, found-family camaraderie, and a spicy, adventurous slow burn.
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶 (3/5) — sensual and charged, with the wild energy of the era spilling into the romance.
Rating: ★★★★ (a spirited, entertaining series opener in the Whiskey and Wings world).
Tropes: Prohibition era · bootleggers · tough heroines · found family · forbidden love · Whiskey and Wings #1
The Derby Dames by Gabby Ghoulie kicks off the Whiskey and Wings series with a rowdy, high-energy entry in modern historical sapphic romance, trading corsets and ballrooms for speakeasies, fast cars, and even faster women.
What Is The Derby Dames About?
In the wild, lawless world of Prohibition, a crew of fierce, resourceful women runs their corner of the bootlegging trade — and lives loud while they do it. Amid the danger and the whiskey, an electric attraction sparks between two women who should probably know better.
As rivalries, risks, and the ever-present threat of the law close in, their forbidden romance becomes both a refuge and a liability. It is a fast, spirited story about chosen family, dangerous freedom, and daring to want something real in a world built on secrets.
What Makes This Prohibition Romance Work
Ghoulie leans into energy, attitude, and era. Here is what makes it a fun ride:
- A vivid Prohibition setting. Speakeasies, bootleg whiskey, and 1920s danger give the book real swagger.
- Fierce, fun heroines. The women here are tough, resourceful, and refreshingly larger than life.
- Found-family camaraderie. The crew dynamic gives the story warmth beneath the wild energy.
- High-stakes forbidden love. The danger of the era makes the romance feel risky and charged.
- Fast pacing and attitude. It is a rowdy, entertaining read that never sits still.
Book Synopsis
In a world of bootleg liquor and lawless nights, a group of daring women carves out its own kind of freedom. When attraction ignites between two of them, the sparks are as dangerous as the trade they run.
As the risks mount and loyalties are tested, their forbidden romance must survive rivalries, raids, and the constant threat of exposure. It is a spirited, high-energy story about love and family found in the most dangerous of places.
My Review
This is a refreshingly different kind of sapphic historical — loud, fast, and full of attitude. Trading the usual drawing rooms for speakeasies and bootleg whiskey gives the book a swagger that sets it apart, and Ghoulie clearly has a blast with the Prohibition-era energy.
The heroines are the highlight: fierce, resourceful, larger-than-life women who feel right at home in a lawless world. The found-family crew dynamic gives the story genuine warmth, and the forbidden romance crackles against the backdrop of danger and secrecy.
It is a spirited, entertaining read rather than a quiet literary one, and that is exactly its appeal. If you want a rowdy, adventurous slow burn with real heat and a fresh setting, this series opener delivers plenty of fun.
My honest note: A bold, high-energy Prohibition romp with fierce heroines and real heat — a great pick when you want your sapphic historical loud, fast, and fun.
| Element | In The Derby Dames |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Two fierce women drawn together in the bootlegging underworld |
| Core tropes | Prohibition era, bootleggers, tough heroines, found family, forbidden love |
| Setting | 1920s Prohibition America — speakeasies and the whiskey trade |
| Heat level | 🌶🌶🌶 (3/5) — sensual, charged, adventurous |
| Series | Whiskey and Wings #1 |
| Content notes | Crime, violence, danger, period lawlessness |
How Spicy Is The Derby Dames?
This is a mid-heat romance. The intimate scenes are sensual and charged, matching the wild, high-energy tone of the Prohibition setting — the heat is part of the fun rather than the whole story.
If you like your romance adventurous and sensual with plenty of plot, the balance here works well.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a Prohibition-era setting, fierce heroines, found-family camaraderie, danger, and a spirited, spicy slow burn.
You may want to skip it if: you prefer quiet, literary, low-stakes stories or gentler settings — this one is loud, fast, and adventurous.
In short: a bold, high-energy sapphic historical that swaps ballrooms for speakeasies and delivers plenty of fun.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this book part of a series?
Yes — it opens the Whiskey and Wings series, though it tells a complete story with its own arc.
Is there a happy ending?
Yes — a satisfying resolution to the central romance amid the danger.
How explicit is it?
Mid heat — sensual, charged scenes woven into the high-energy plot.
What is the setting like?
Vivid 1920s Prohibition America — speakeasies, bootleg whiskey, fast living, and constant danger.
Is it truly a sapphic romance?
Yes — it is a sapphic historical, with two women at the heart of the story.
If You Loved The Derby Dames, Read These Next
If Ghoulie’s rowdy, high-energy Prohibition world was a blast, find more like it in our full guide to historical sapphic romance. Readers who love fresh settings and fierce heroines will find more to explore there.
For similar bold, adventurous sapphic historicals, try the rest of the Whiskey and Wings series and other spirited, spicy period romances.
The Bottom Line
The Derby Dames is a bold, high-energy Prohibition-era sapphic romance full of bootleg whiskey, fierce women, and real heat. If you want your historical loud, fast, and fun, it is well worth a look. Check The Derby Dames on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
We score every book across eight dimensions to show exactly where it shines. Here is how The Derby Dames performs on the Eikna scorecard.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall — ★★★★ 4.1/5
- ✓ A spirited series opener
- ✓ Fresh Prohibition setting
- ✓ Fierce, fun heroines
- ✓ Rowdy and entertaining
Romance — ★★★★ 4.1/5
- ✓ Charged forbidden love
- ✓ High-energy chemistry
- ✓ Danger-laced connection
- ✓ A satisfying resolution
Characters — ★★★★ 4.2/5
- ✓ Larger-than-life heroines
- ✓ Warm found-family crew
- ✓ Tough and resourceful
- ✓ Easy to root for
Writing — ★★★★ 4.0/5
- ✓ Fast, punchy prose
- ✓ Vivid era atmosphere
- ✓ Plenty of attitude
- ✓ Brisk pacing
Emotional Impact — ★★★★ 4.0/5
- ✓ Real stakes in danger
- ✓ Found-family warmth
- ✓ Freedom-seeking heart
- ✓ A fun payoff
Heat Level — ★★★ 3.0/5
- ✓ Sensual and charged
- ✓ Matches the wild tone
- ✓ Adventurous intimacy
- ✓ Part of the fun
Ending — ★★★★ 4.1/5
- ✓ Satisfying resolution
- ✓ Danger paid off
- ✓ True to the energy
- ✓ Leaves you grinning
Re-read Value — ★★★★ 4.0/5
- ✓ A fun comfort read
- ✓ Fresh setting to revisit
- ✓ High-energy and rowdy
- ✓ A spirited keeper
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