“These thin lines” by Milena Mckay is one of a kind of a lesbian age gap second chance fairytale romance, as it involves two very special characters who evoke so many feelings for the reader: Chiara and Vi and the way they evolve in the world of fashion, which can be really cruel sometimes.

The meaning of the title: “these thin lines” speaks about those specific lines that should never be crossed, when even though the attraction between Vi and Chiara is strong, Chiara is married and can’t cross these lines, and so should Vi.

The Cinderella fairytale starts just when Vi enters Lilien Haus of Fashion and stumbles upon her own feet right in front of Chiara, who is amused and genuinely makes a cute sarcastic joke about Vi’s fall and suspenders. Also, the fairytale continues with Vi’s awful family members’ attitude (not only the stepmother and the stepsisters, but her very own father was always a critique towards Vi). And, of course, in this lesbian Cinderella fairytale, Cinderella’s prince charming is a princess (Chiara).

The layout of the book is very smartly created: part 1 – Candle and part 2 – Shadow and the quote: “When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow” – Ursula K. Le Guin, they all suggest that all our actions have consequences and we will have to reshape ourselves after the new deep truths of our existence. And, this is exactly the case for the two main characters.

Chiara Conti-Lilienfeld used to be a famous worldwide renowned top model, yet she became overshadowed, when she married a famous fashion designer, Frankie Lilienfeld, and joined her wife’s fashion house: Lilien Haus of Fashion. Established in Paris, after twenty years of designing amazing clothes for the above mentioned fashion house, while her wife took all the credit, Chiara can’t find her muse for the next clothes line at Lilien. Her wife is terrible and she is always missing, leaving all the responsibilities to Chiara and her sister, Renate Lilienfeld, and Chiara’s best friend, Aoife Sullivan (head of production). Renate and Aoife love Chiara, because she is loyal, talented and genuine, yet they also cover Frankie’s abominable behavior.

Chiara is secluded in her ivory tower and appears to suffer from the “writer’s block” in fashion, having a certain dress on her mind, but she is unable to conclude her creation. Her muse appears to be Vi Courtenay, a summer intern from a family related to the Savoy royals, which none likes, but Frankie believes they need it for publicity. Contrary to her family’s reputation, Vi is fresh, sincere and talented and so infatuated with Chiara.

I really liked the fact that Chiara Conti is not the “traditional” ice queen, she is warm, compassionate and attentive to Vi’s talents and emotions.

Genevieve “Vi” Courtenay is the most original lesbian Cinderella I have ever read about.

She is young, innocent, talented, yet clumsy, and her clumsiness comes from all the critique her father, her stepmother and her stepsisters freely throw at her and make her feel useless, unattractive and untalented. She has a passion for photography, yet her family denies it and refuse to help her with and she can’t believe her father helped her out to get a job at Lilien Haus of Fashion, so she is suspicious on all his reasons.

With her Cindarella entrance in front of Chiara Conti, her forever crush, Vi is mesmerized by Chiara. She even gives Chiara an idea on how she sees her unnamed dress creation and Chiara is amazed by Vi’s genuine and vivid talent and promises to help her out.

Chaira and Vi share un-appreciations and the ever search of affection from the ones they love and those feelings bring them close together on Paris’s rooftops.

Their chemistry is a burning flame, Vi becomes more infatuated with Chiara and Chiara fights hard to resist Vi and everyone notices it, but they are happy Chiara is creating clothes again, yet Frankie becomes more evil and distant.

I enjoyed very much how Binoche, the cat, entered Chiara’s life and how Vi keeps calling her Brioche.

There are a couple of turning points that bring darkness upon Chiara and Vi’s light and in those certain circumstances of betrail, pain,hurt and unfaithfulness, they cannot go on.

Yet, the consequences of the characters’ actions really shape them accordingly to the new deep truths of their existence.

I enjoyed very much, the author’s carefulness in shaping and reshaping the main characters.

I love the new Chiara and the new Vi in New York.

This time, their attraction is explosive, Vi is not the innocent young girl with a Chiara crush she used to be in Paris, now, she became a passionate and roughened adult by all the things that happened to her, even though she is a famous fashion photographer in New York, she has always wanted one woman, and one woman alone: Chiara.

Chiara’s character became more compassionate and forgiving, even towards Frankie who has caused so much destruction in the past. But, most of all, she became more forgiving towards herself, her talent and her right to love.

I liked the side characters: Aoife, Renate, Binoche and Arabella.

I loved how Milena Mckay created and set at the right moment in the development of the plot, those many situations that encapsulate certain truths about the characters and their actions that have kept the main characters in the shadows and then brought them into light.

I enjoyed a lot Chiara’s childhood story and Frankie’s confession, they were written with an unique perspective of guilt and self soul-searching.

Also, I found the use of the term chiaroscuro (“from Italian chiaro, “light,” and scuro, “dark”, technique employed in the visual arts to represent light and shadow as they define three-dimensional objects. Some evidence exists that ancient Greek and Roman artists used chiaroscuro effects, but in European painting the technique was first brought to its full potential by Leonardo da Vinci in the late 15th century in such paintings as his Adoration of the Magi-1481” — https://www.britannica.com/art/chiaroscuro), very original.

Each new Milena Mckay book writes seems to be a priceless jewelry for the readers.

I couldn’t recommend it more.