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Verdict: A warm, funny butch/femme romance built on a water aerobics meet-cute, a genuinely likeable vet and real 5/5 heat, let down by a final act that stalls on a conflict many readers felt the book didn’t need.
Best for: Readers who want a steamy, low-angst sapphic romance with a sweet butch lead, meddling seniors and plenty of animals, and who are happy to forgive a manufactured break late in the book.
Heat level: ★★★★★ (5/5 — romance.io’s “explicit and plentiful”)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5 — a 4.09 Goodreads average across 566 ratings, with the same complaint about the last fifth of the book coming up across the four-star reviews)
Tropes: Butch/femme, meet-cute, pregnant heroine, single mother by choice, bad timing, casual-to-serious, small town, meddling elders, grief, dual POV.
Over the Moon With You by Jaime Clevenger is a standalone contemporary lesbian romance published by Bella Books in June 2022 and set in and around Davis, California — and the collision at its centre is Paige Dannenberg, a farm vet roped into covering her mother’s Saturday water aerobics class, and Seren Winters, a massage therapist who is four months pregnant, grieving her mother and determined that this is the worst possible year to fall for anyone.
It holds a 4.09 average across 566 Goodreads ratings and 3.89 across 104 StoryGraph reviews. More than three quarters of Goodreads raters give it four or five stars and almost nobody goes lower than three, so this is not a divisive book. What it is, repeatedly, is a book readers loved for most of its length and then felt lose its footing. Where that happens, and whether it will bother you, is the thing worth understanding before you start.
What Is Over the Moon With You About?
Over the Moon With You is a small-town lesbian romance with a deadline built into it. A pregnancy is a clock nobody can pause, so the usual small-town machinery — the nosy neighbours, the family who knows everything, the question of who stays and who leaves — runs on a schedule. The book is less about whether these two want each other, which is settled in the first chapter, than about whether a relationship can start when one partner’s life is already committed to something bigger.
Seren is defined by what she has lost: her mother, recently, and with her the house she is now clearing out to sell and the town she only came back to in order to be a carer. She has planned her pregnancy alone and planned to raise the baby alone. Paige is defined by what she assumes — that she can make room for anything, and that being steady and kind will be enough. romance.io tags it dual POV in third person, so the push-and-pull reads as two people with reasons rather than one person stalling.
What Makes This Butch/Femme Small-Town Romance Work
- The meet-cute: Seren knocks the instructor into the pool, fully clothed, on day one. Readers repeatedly call it funny, and it sets a romantic-comedy tone that the first half sustains.
- The water aerobics seniors: The class of outspoken older women is the most-praised supporting element by a distance. Reviewers describe them as spicy, sassy and meddling, and one reviewer wants to be one of them someday.
- Paige: The hot butch instructor of the blurb turns out to be sweet, dorky and patient, and “sweet” is the recurring word. Readers repeatedly say they adored her.
- The vet detail: Newborn calves, cats and farm calls run through the book. Reviewers note that Clevenger works as a vet herself and say the animal scenes feel realistic because of it.
- The chemistry: One reader says it had the best early getting-to-know-you chemistry of any F/F book they had read, and that the dating feels organic rather than rushed straight into bed.
Book Synopsis
Paige Dannenberg spends her days on farm calls around Davis, delivering calves and dreaming of land of her own. She has never set foot in a water aerobics class. But when her mother, Bea, injures her tailbone and can’t teach her Saturday group, Paige is the one who gets the phone call — and the class, mostly retirees with opinions about everything, is not inclined to go easy on a substitute with no sense of rhythm.
Seren Winters has only turned up because her doctor told her to. She is thirty-eight, fifteen weeks pregnant after deciding to become a mother on her own, and living in the house her late mother left behind while she gets it ready for sale. She has a plan for the next six months and a vague intention to leave town after it. What she doesn’t have a plan for is walking into the pool area on her first morning and sending the new instructor into the water.
The attraction is immediate and mutual. Seren’s answer is that the timing makes anything serious impossible, so the sensible thing is to keep it light. Paige agrees, because she would rather have some of Seren than none. The class, Bea and Seren’s best friend Leslie all have views. And as the weeks go by and the pregnancy moves forward, both women have to decide whether something casual can stay casual — and what Seren is really protecting when she keeps insisting it has to.
My Review
The premise is the book’s best idea, and it is a braver one than the cover suggests. Pregnancy romance is a hard sell in sapphic fiction, and several reviewers say outright that it is not a setup they normally pick up. Clevenger gets around the reluctance by making the pregnancy Seren’s own deliberate choice — no ex, no complication — so the only question is whether a new relationship can fit around it. That is a real question, and the book treats it as one rather than as a cute obstacle.
The second strength is tone. This is a comfort read with texture: the aerobics class supplies the comedy, the farm calls supply the warmth, and Seren’s grief for her mother gives the lighter scenes something to push against. StoryGraph readers file it as funny first and emotional second. Paige in particular carries the book — she is easy to like, and the dual POV lets us see how much she is holding back in order not to crowd Seren.
Where it struggles is the last fifth, and this is the most repeated criticism in the reviews rather than my own gripe. One four-star reviewer says the book felt complete at around 80% and then cringed, knowing the angst was coming. Another says the first 80% was five-star material before it lost momentum. A third calls the late break over the top when a mature conversation would have done the job. Stacked on that are the secondary complaints: that the conflict feels created rather than earned because the couple are so in sync, that Seren’s back-and-forth about commitment gets repetitive once the relationship has clearly taken off, and that large time jumps are needed to reach the birth after a first half that covers only a few weeks.
One expectation to reset: the blurb sells a meet-cute romp, and for most of its length that is what you get — but the ending is a hopeful beginning rather than a wrapped-up epilogue, and at least one reader felt it ended abruptly. If a bow-tied future is what you want, calibrate; if a pregnancy plot is what worried you, relax, because readers who usually avoid them say this one works.
My honest note: A four-star romance for four-fifths of its length, pulled down by a third-act break the book didn’t need. If manufactured late conflict ruins a romance for you, you will notice it here. If you can ride it out, Paige, the seniors and the calves are worth the trip.
| Element | In Over the Moon With You |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Paige Dannenberg & Seren Winters — butch farm vet and femme massage therapist, a casual fling that refuses to stay casual |
| Core tropes | Butch/femme, meet-cute, pregnant heroine, single mother by choice, bad timing, meddling elders |
| Setting | Davis, California — a community pool, farm calls and the house Seren’s mother left behind |
| Heat level | 5/5 — explicit and plentiful |
| Series | Standalone — companion novel Under the Stars with You (2023) follows Seren’s best friend Leslie |
| Content notes | Explicit sexual content, detailed pregnancy and childbirth, recent death of a parent and grief, morning sickness and vomiting, a parent’s injury |
How Spicy Is Over the Moon With You?
A 5/5. romance.io places it in its top band, “explicit and plentiful,” though that rests on only 13 ratings, so it is worth reading alongside what reviewers report. They broadly agree: the scenes are described as hot, very steamy and a clear payoff to the build-up, and one reviewer credits it with an excellent amount of steam. The one dissent on quantity is useful — a longtime Clevenger reader felt there were fewer sex scenes than in some of her other books, while saying the ones present were well done. Expect explicit, open-door scenes rather than wall-to-wall heat.
The element worth knowing in advance is the dynamic. Paige is the top, and the book leans into butch top talk in bed; one reader found that stereotyped and says it lost them once the sex started, while others clearly enjoyed it. The scenes also take place during Seren’s pregnancy, which is part of the premise. No reviewer I found flags anything beyond that. For butch/femme romance in the same top heat band, At Her Service sits at the same level, and Wicked Fem matches the heat with a much kinkier dynamic.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a sweet, steady butch love interest, you enjoy explicit heat inside a low-angst romance, you like comic supporting casts and animals on the page, and you are curious about a pregnancy romance handled without an ex in the picture.
You may want to skip it if: a late-book breakup that could have been one honest conversation drives you up the wall, you want a heroine who knows her mind early, you need an epilogue that shows the future, or pregnancy plots and top/bottom butch/femme dynamics are not for you.
In short: a charming, steamy comfort read that runs out of road before it runs out of pages.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
There is no viral moment behind this book, and nothing new pushing it in 2026. Its readership came in two waves that are easy to see in the reviews. The first was the launch: many of the early Goodreads reviews are NetGalley advance copies from Bella Books, and several reviewers say a Clevenger book is an automatic read for them. The second is audio. The audiobook is narrated by Abby Craden, who reads Clevenger’s Paradise Romance series too, and runs 8 hours 23 minutes from Tantor. Listeners who mention her are positive, one saying the narrator gave every character a distinct voice and another that the audio had them laughing from the first line.
Prefer audio? Listen to Over the Moon With You on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Paige, first and most consistently — “sweet” is the recurring word, with “swoony” and “dorky” close behind. Second, the humour: StoryGraph readers tag it funny more than anything else, 64% of them, and the aerobics seniors and Paige’s mother, Bea, are singled out repeatedly. Third, the animals and the vet detail, with reviewers saying Clevenger’s own veterinary background makes it feel believable. Fourth, the heat. Notably, readers who say they normally avoid pregnancy storylines are some of the book’s warmest reviewers, and at least one calls it their new favourite Clevenger.
What readers argue about and complain about: The final act, above everything. Several readers say the book felt complete, or five-star, at about the 80% mark and then slowed down, with a break between the leads that felt forced and a pacing drop that one calls almost boring. The second theme is the conflict itself: one NetGalley reviewer says they did not really see the problem in the couple’s problem, and another found Seren’s hesitancy repetitive once the relationship was obviously serious. Third, the ending — one reader thought it rushed and abrupt, another wished for an epilogue, and one found a choice in the final chapter odd given how central the baby is. The genuine split is the bedroom dynamic: readers who mention Paige as a confident top mostly enjoy it, and at least one found the butch top talk a cliché.
The standalone question worth asking first: This one is self-contained. Paige and Seren end together, and readers variously call the resolution a low-angst HEA and a happy-for-now; one wished there had been an epilogue. Nobody reports a cliffhanger. Under the Stars with You (2023) moves on to Seren’s friend Leslie and sits at 4.04 across 358 Goodreads ratings. If you want more Clevenger, Three Reasons to Say Yes is the stronger place to go next at 4.16, and it has the same narrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Over the Moon With You a butch/femme romance?
Yes. Paige is described as butch from the blurb onward and Seren is femme, and Goodreads readers shelve it as butch/femme. Paige is also the top in their relationship.
Does Over the Moon With You have a happy ending?
Yes, with a caveat. Paige and Seren end together and there is no cliffhanger, but at least one reader calls it happy-for-now rather than a long-future ending, and another felt it ended abruptly.
How spicy is Over the Moon With You?
A 5/5. romance.io rates it “explicit and plentiful,” and reviewers call the scenes very steamy. One longtime Clevenger reader notes there are fewer scenes than in some of her other books.
Is Over the Moon With You part of a series?
No. It is a standalone, though the companion novel Under the Stars with You (2023) follows Seren’s best friend Leslie in the same world.
Is there an audiobook of Over the Moon With You?
Yes. Abby Craden narrates it for Tantor, and it runs 8 hours 23 minutes. Listeners who mention the narration praise it.
If You Loved Over the Moon With You, Read These Next
Stay with the author first: Three Reasons to Say Yes pairs another steady butch professional with a femme lead at slightly lower heat, and it is the better-rated Clevenger. If the setting is what you loved, Spindrift pairs a small town with a butch/femme couple at 4/5 heat. And if you want Clevenger’s bigger emotional swing, All the Reasons I Need puts another hesitant heroine opposite a patient butch, with heavier material underneath.
For more in this register, browse our butch/femme lesbian romance guide or the full Book Reviews collection.
The Bottom Line
Over the Moon With You sets out to make a pregnancy romance feel light without making it trivial, and for most of its length it succeeds. Paige is a butch lead readers adore, the aerobics class is funny, and the heat is real. It also leans on a late break that many readers felt was unnecessary, drags Seren’s hesitation out past the point of tension, and closes on a happy-for-now that some wanted to see through. Whether that trade works depends on your tolerance for third-act drama — but if you want a steamy, kind-hearted butch/femme comfort read, it is worth the trip. Check Over the Moon With You on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Over the Moon With You ranks as a warm, steamy butch/femme comfort romance — funny and genuinely charming, held back by a manufactured third act, and best approached for Paige, the seniors and the heat rather than for a sweeping emotional arc.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ 4.09 average across 566 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 3.89 across 104 StoryGraph reviews
- ✓ 77% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ Last fifth the recurring complaint
Romance ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Chemistry praised from the first scene
- ✓ Dating described as organic, not rushed
- ✓ Bad-timing premise treated seriously
- ✓ Late break widely felt unnecessary
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Paige the most-loved element
- ✓ Aerobics seniors and Bea steal scenes
- ✓ 85% of StoryGraph readers call them loveable
- ✓ Seren’s hesitation grates for some
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Humour praised across reviews
- ✓ Vet scenes feel authentic
- ✓ Dual POV in close third
- ✓ Pacing drops, some jokes repeated
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Grief for Seren’s mother underneath
- ✓ 57% of StoryGraph readers call it emotional
- ✓ Trust and vulnerability the real theme
- ✓ Conflict felt manufactured to several readers
Heat Level ★★★★★ 5/5
- ✓ romance.io’s “explicit and plentiful” band
- ✓ Reviewers call the scenes very steamy
- ✓ Confident butch top dynamic
- ✓ Only 13 romance.io votes; fewer scenes than usual
Ending ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Paige and Seren end together
- ✓ No cliffhanger, standalone resolution
- ✓ Some readers loved the ending
- ✓ HFN, no epilogue, called abrupt by one
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Abby Craden audio, 8 hours 23 minutes
- ✓ One reader reread it before the companion
- ✓ Comfort-read tone rewards a return
- ✓ Sagging final act discourages a second pass
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