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Verdict: A cosy, low-angst renovation romance: country handywoman Jorgie inherits a falling-down terrace on Melbourne’s gayest street and falls for the woman next door. Readers adore the neighbours and the DIY detail; the recurring complaint is that very little happens.
Best for: Readers who love found family, quirky side characters and home-renovation shows.
Heat level: Medium
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5 — a 4.18 Goodreads average across 688 ratings, 3.74 on StoryGraph from 95 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 687 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Girl next door, inheritance, found family, renovation, slow burn, low angst.
The Number 94 Project is Cheyenne Blue’s 2021 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva. When handywoman Jorgie’s uncle Bruce dies, he leaves her his old house at 94 Gaylord Street — along with an unusual will that ties her to his eccentric friends.
It holds a 4.18 average across 688 Goodreads ratings, with 79% of them four or five stars, 3.74 on StoryGraph from 95 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 687 Amazon ratings.
What Is The Number 94 Project About?
Jorgie plans to fire up her power tools, turn the dilapidated terrace into a desirable inner-city pad, sell it and head home to the country. What she hasn’t counted on is Marta, the cute neighbour who has found her heart-home in Gaylord Street’s tight queer community.
Between too-strong tea and Jorgie’s lack of a working shower, the two connect. But what happens when the renovation is finished?
What Works in This Book
- Gaylord Street: Readers love the neighbourhood as a community — a family of choice they’d want as real neighbours.
- Side characters: Outrageous older neighbour Coral is a standout for several readers.
- The renovation: Renovators and HGTV fans enjoyed the detail on plans, tools, permits and demolition.
- Communication: One reader appreciated that the leads actually talk when big decisions come.
Book Synopsis
A handywoman renovates an inherited house on Melbourne’s gayest street and falls for the girl next door.
When the work is done, will she really leave?
My Review
Cheyenne Blue makes the house a character, and the result is warm, funny and low-stakes. One reader values that the characters look like and have jobs real people have, and another says the last three chapters had them smiling non-stop.
That same gentleness divides readers. A few found it flat, repetitive and slow, with nothing much happening beyond everyday life. One felt little chemistry between Jorgie and Marta, another found the side characters shallowly drawn, one felt the heavy detail dragged the important parts, and one found a small early conflict convoluted.
My honest note: Read it for the neighbourhood as much as the romance.
| Element | In The Number 94 Project |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Jorgie (country handywoman) & Marta (her neighbour) |
| Core tropes | Girl next door, inheritance, found family |
| Setting | Gaylord Street, inner-city Melbourne |
| Heat level | Medium |
| Length | 304 pages (Kindle listing) |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Death of a relative, grief (StoryGraph) |
How Spicy Is The Number 94 Project?
Medium, per the heat rating on our list; one StoryGraph user flags graphic sexual content, and the romance is a slow build.
StoryGraph users flag grief, and single mentions of drug abuse and homophobia.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want community, humour and a gentle slow burn. It is on our low-angst lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you need plot momentum or high romantic tension.
In short: A warm street to spend time on.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 43% five stars, 36% four, 15% three, 3% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 84% tagged it lighthearted and 63% funny.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The community first. Second, Coral. Third, the renovation. Fourth, Cat Gould’s narration.
What readers argue about and complain about: Nothing much happening, above everything. Second, low chemistry for some. Third, too much detail.
The comparison worth making first: Cheyenne Blue’s Not for a Moment, which has more emotional stakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Number 94 Project low angst?
Yes. Ylva calls it light-hearted, and readers describe a sweet, low-angst story with a little manageable angst.
Where is it set?
On the fictional Gaylord Street, a tight-knit, largely queer neighbourhood in inner-city Melbourne.
How slow is the romance?
Slow. Readers call it a slow burn, and several say the story is as much about the neighbourhood and found family as the couple.
How spicy is it?
Medium, according to the heat rating we use on our list.
Is The Number 94 Project on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99. Cat Gould narrates the audiobook.
If You Loved The Number 94 Project, Read These Next
Try more Cheyenne Blue: Not for a Moment, Switcheroo or I Do. Browse our low-angst list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
The Number 94 Project sets out to be a light-hearted renovation romance, and its community is a joy. What holds it back is a thin plot. Recommended for cosy readers. Check The Number 94 Project on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, The Number 94 Project ranks as a good cosy read — warm, uneventful.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ 4.18 average across 688 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 79% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.74 on StoryGraph from 95 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 687 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Girl next door
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Good communication
- ✓ Low chemistry for one
Characters ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Beloved Coral
- ✓ Found family
- ✓ Real jobs
- ✓ Shallow for one
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Renovation detail
- ✓ Humour
- ✓ Drags for some
- ✓ Setting as character
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Tagged lighthearted by 84%
- ✓ Grief for Bruce
- ✓ Low angst
- ✓ Little happens
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Medium
- ✓ Slow build
- ✓ Adult
- ✓ Not the focus
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Smile-inducing
- ✓ Sweet
- ✓ Uncomplicated
- ✓ Satisfying
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Cat Gould audiobook
- ✓ Comfort read
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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