Seeing Through it All

By Olivia Hampshire

• “The characters are so real and the message, I guess you would call it the moral of the story really shines through about being yourself and always seeing the good side of the situation. This is one lesbian romance story that I really enjoyed and I can't wait until you come out with your next 8 part bundle that you told me about when I signed up for your newsletter in the book. This House of Romance short story was just wonderful.” Elizabeth, Lansing, MI
• “When I saw the cover, I thought that this might just be a silly book with maybe a little bit of lesbian romance in it, but Olivia Hampshire really came through with some hot love scenes and some strange twist in this book. I really liked the main character, Penelope and her occupation and the situation she was in at her workplace. The end of the story really got me too. I like the House of Romance series. Each story is in the same location, but a totally different stew I guess in each book I read. Thank you Olivia Hampshire.” Linda, Orlando, FL
• “The character Douglas really got me. And the courage of Penelope got me too. It reminded me of my life style and my life situation. And, the relationship she was in with Velma or Vilma whatever the chick's name was, I have been there too. I was not expecting a good lesbian romance story, but it ended up being even more than good. It was a great story.” Sarah, Frankfort, KY
• “Olivia, I am so glad I am on your mailing list. That is how I found out this book was available. I just love Grace and Claudia and their, “establishment of love.” Your see the movies and read the stories of so many this kinds of places that are just a pit of despair for everyone involved, and they are always owned my men. And, in this episode, the main character was totally different than a character in any other lesbian romance story I have ever run into. Too bad you can't use the real name of the House of Romance on the cover of your books. Whatever! Thank you Olivia Hampshire.” Mary, Albany, NY

• Language: English
• Publisher: SB Books
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386537878

Olivia Hampshire

Olivia Hampshire loves writing about the adventures of women in this modern, complex world that is so male oriented and controlled.  Olivia Hampshire loves to write about love and the sexual experiences of men and women. At an early age, Olivia discovered that many people on the planet do not like to talk about sex at all.  Yet each and every one of us are a result of two or more people getting naked, hot and bothered and having sex beyond the wildest imaginations of most of the children produced by these wonderful excursions of passion.  When telling her friends and family that she pens stories of wild, lesbian sex adventure and international political sex affairs, often peoples faces appear to be appalled.   Yes, Olivia Hampshire graduated from an Ivy League school in New England dominated by nervous little boys that drank lots of beer, and feared beautiful women.  Olivia, being one of the most beautiful women in the world, loved women also.  She met her partner, also a women, in an Ivy League, graduate school program where they feel in love, moved to Vermont, adopted 5 children and live happy ever after.  Olivia, her partner the Doctor, and their children love the mountains of Vermont, their travels to all of the continents of the world as well as many long weekends in Manhattan shopping and watching people.

Book preview

 Chapter 1, Hard Body

Penelope was laying in bed, already exhausted from a hard week of work. It was only Wednesday, but she was having a hard time getting up and getting going. She had another hour before work started, and she was determined to stay in bed as long as possible. She was flipping lazily through a welding magazine, playing with the short brown locks of her hair as she turned the pages. Penelope was the type of girl most people would describe as cute. She had a slender, boyish frame. Although she was petite, she was extremely strong. She often surprised people with her amazing feats of strength. When she moved into her apartment, she did not hire any movers. Neighbors watched in hushed amazement as the tiny pixie of a woman hauled bureaus, television stands, and even a small couch over her head and into the apartment. Penelope also surprised people with her voracious eating. She had the metabolism of a teenage boy going through a big growth spurt. She could tuck away a medium, stuffed crust Pizza Hut pie in one evening. This was her Thursday night ritual, gearing her up for a final day of work and an exciting weekend. Despite her eating habits, Penelope never seemed to gain a pound. She weighed 125, but it was all muscle. Anyone but her doctor would never estimate she weighed more than 105, but they didn’t know that Penelope had a six pack (a difficult feat for a woman) and almost no body fat. She was a toned, hard bodied, muscular machine in a tiny, petite package. During the work week, she attracted little attention with her short cropped hair, her Dickies work pants, and her dirty white tank top, covered up with a button-up brown work shirt that had her nickname, Penny, embroidered on a side patch. If it wasn’t for the name on her shirt, most people would think she was a rather tiny young blue collar man. 

The weekends were a different story. Penelope was very serious during the week. She worked very hard, long hours. The weekends were when she relaxed a little bit. Although she mostly kept to herself, she had a few friends. She loved art, and she often spent her weekends in the backyard of the apartment in short shorts that showed off her toned, athletic legs, and a tank top sans work shirt, her face covered with a large metal shield as she used a blow torch to weld metal sculptures. She was quite a sight to see, and she got a lot of male and female attention. If she wasn’t working on her own art, she was hanging out with her friends going to art galleries. She dressed in a tight fitting but tomboy style that turned heads, especially in the art world. Penelope was dreaming about a new sculpture, imagining the designs and how she would execute them in her head. Then her cellphone rang loudly, interrupting her daydream.

Hello, Penelope answered with slight irritation. The caller ID had shown that it was her mother. No doubt calling about her rent. Yes, Penelope said several times. Yes, mom. That’s right mom. Yes, I already sent in your rent check yesterday. Stop bugging me about it. Penelope hung up her phone without another word. She loved her mother, who had taken care of her as a single mom after her father had disappeared one rainy March day when she was only 3 years old. Penelope knew it couldn’t have been easy. She remembered her mother’s sadness and struggles. But things had turned around once Penelope was 18 and old enough to bring in a decent paycheck. Her mother stopped working and took up the life of an invalid. She sat in bed all day moping over her life, watching soaps and drinking boxed wine. She let her looks and her figure go, ensuring that she would never find a man to love and care for her. She stopped paying her rent once her savings got low, and, unable to watch her mom get evicted and unwilling to have her move in, Penelope began paying her rent. She sent in a check to her mother’s landlord on the 29th of every month, without fail. This had been going on for the past four years. And yet her mother still called her every single month and asked her in a whiny, drunk tone, if she had remembered to pay the rent. It was obnoxious, and Penelope hated going through the same conversation month in and month out. Irritated, and her artful daydreams ruined, Penelope hopped out of bed and headed towards the shower. She let out a heavy sigh, there wasn’t much to do but work, work, work.

Penelope scrubbed down her tight body, gave her hair a quick rinse, and then toweled off. She got dressed in her usual work clothes, and headed out the