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Verdict: A sweet, zero-spice twist on “the other woman”: a cat-rescue coordinator plots revenge on her cheating boyfriend with the closeted country singer he’s also dating, and they fall for each other. Readers love the premise, the pets and the supporting cast; several wanted more time together before the “I love yous” and less of Jo’s back-and-forth.
Best for: Readers who want a clean, cosy coming-out romance on Kindle Unlimited.
Heat level: Kisses only
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.3/5 — a 3.93 Goodreads average across 318 ratings, 3.6 on StoryGraph from 38 reviews, and 4.2 stars across 397 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Partners in revenge, celebrity/non-celebrity, closeted singer, coming out, cheating ex, pets.
Because You Can is Leigh Landry’s 2020 contemporary sapphic romance, book one of the NOL series. Animal rescuer Molly Hebert is set to catch her cheating boyfriend mid-date and kick him to the curb — until she sees his companion is a famous country singer.
It holds a 3.93 average across 318 Goodreads ratings, with 62% of them four or five stars, 3.6 on StoryGraph from 38 reviews, and 4.2 stars across 397 Amazon ratings.
What Is Because You Can About?
Josephine Broussard would do anything for her bandmates, even hide her true identity to appease their fans. But she can’t hide her feelings for Molly, or resist Molly’s plan to make the boyfriend think twice before hurting anyone again.
Jo has to loosen her unyielding sense of responsibility while Molly battles her own insecurities.
What Works in This Book
- The premise: Readers love the girlfriend and the “other woman” running off together.
- Pets: Cat rescues, and a cat named Bananas who one reader says needs his own novel.
- Supporting cast: Several readers praise the found-family friends.
- Humour and heart: One Landry fan laughed often and teared up.
Book Synopsis
Two women dating the same man team up for revenge.
Partners in revenge might just become partners in love.
My Review
It’s a genuinely fresh setup, and Landry handles Jo’s fear of coming out as a public figure with sympathy. The book is light, easy and full of warmth.
The recurring problems: the couple spend little time together before declaring love, several readers found Jo’s repeated retreats frustrating, and one felt it lacked passion. One reader also wished for a more satisfying comeuppance for the ex.
My honest note: A pleasant, free-with-KU afternoon read.
| Element | In Because You Can |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Molly Hebert (cat-rescue coordinator) & Jo Broussard (country band singer) |
| Core tropes | Partners in revenge, closeted celebrity, coming out |
| Setting | New Orleans (per readers) |
| Heat level | Kisses only |
| Length | 272 pages (print) |
| Series | NOL #1 |
| Content notes | Cheating ex, closeting |
How Spicy Is Because You Can?
Not at all — sweet and closed door.
No content warnings have been submitted on StoryGraph.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a sweet, clean celebrity romance with pets. It is on our celebrity lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you need a slow, developed romance or any heat.
In short: Cute premise, quick feelings.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 34% five stars, 28% four, 32% three, 2% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 83% tagged it lighthearted. Several positive reviews come from advance copies.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The premise first. Second, pets. Third, supporting cast. Fourth, warmth.
What readers argue about and complain about: Rushed love, above everything. Second, Jo’s back-and-forth. Third, no heat.
The comparison worth making first: Falls From Grace, a steamier, deeper country-star romance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How spicy is Because You Can?
Not at all. Readers describe it as zero spice, and one notes the first real kiss comes around three-quarters of the way through.
Does it have a happy ending?
Yes — one reader calls it a wholesome HEA that left her smiling.
What is the premise?
Molly catches her boyfriend on a date with country singer Jo, and instead of confronting them, the two women team up for revenge. One reader sums it up as Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” with a twist.
Is Jo out?
No. Jo hides her identity to protect her all-woman band, and her back-and-forth over coming out frustrates several readers.
Is Because You Can on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, when we checked — or $4.99 to buy on Kindle.
If You Loved Because You Can, Read These Next
Try Falls From Grace or Irregular Heartbeat. Browse our celebrity list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Because You Can sets out to be a sweet revenge-to-romance story, and its premise and warmth deliver. What holds it back is a romance that jumps to love too soon. A cosy Kindle Unlimited pick. Check Because You Can on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Because You Can ranks as a fair sweet pick — charming, rushed.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ 3.93 average across 318 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 62% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.6 on StoryGraph from 38 reviews
- ✓ 4.2 stars across 397 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Revenge pact
- ✓ Quick I love yous
- ✓ First kiss late
- ✓ Wholesome HEA
Characters ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Self-aware Molly
- ✓ Frustrating Jo
- ✓ Found family
- ✓ Bananas the cat
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Humour
- ✓ Easy read
- ✓ Nice turns of phrase
- ✓ Little development
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Coming out
- ✓ Teary for one
- ✓ Some angst
- ✓ Lighthearted
Heat Level ★☆☆☆☆ 1/5
- ✓ Kisses only
- ✓ Zero spice
- ✓ Sweet
- ✓ Closed door
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Smile-worthy
- ✓ Series continues
- ✓ No comeuppance
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ $4.99 Kindle price
- ✓ 272 pages
- ✓ Comfort read
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