I read Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas at the very end of 2023, then again in January, then once more last week while prepping for this review. It’s probably my favorite sapphic read of the year. Shout out to my book club for knowing me so well when they threw this my way. I hadn’t heard of the “bully romance” sub-genre before, which Tryst falls into. It’s sort of a mix of “enemies-to-lovers” and “Ice Queen,” in which one character treats the other horribly before they fall in love/admit they’re in love. I think this trope works particularly well for YA/NA books as it’s much harder to portray an adult bully in a serious (and redeemable) light. It’s also not the type of genre everyone will love. My partner, who I begged to read Tryst, couldn’t get past a particularly cruel scene in the very beginning, where I found myself even more drawn in, curious as to how the character would be redeemed and then loved. But that’s getting ahead, let’s back up to a quick plot—
The story is set in a fictional area of Florida in which the wealthy live across the tracks, away from those in Sanoa Bay who get by in the swampy mush through grit and tact. Clay Collins is the golden girl of Marymount Academy, the private Catholic high school where the wealthy send their youths, except for Olivia Jaeger who attends on scholarship, believing to fill their diversity quota as she’s the only minority. Clay has had it out for Liv the entire time they’ve been at Marymount, and though graduation is just around the corner—or, perhaps because graduation is just around the corner—Clay is set on tormenting Liv every chance she gets. Of course, this dynamic breaks down to reveal secrets and truths, and it’s a fun, angsty ride to love and heartache.
The characters and relationship dynamic—
At the onset, Clay actually thinks her life is perfect, or at least she recognizes how pretty it looks and the privilege she holds being white with affluent parents, but emotionally, her feelings don’t align, and there’s an internal struggle she goes through of reckoning with the lies she’s told herself. The anger we see Clay take out on Olivia is itself very interesting and relates to Clay’s disillusion. Imagine the one thing you want being right there in front of you and your own internalized homophobia and trauma preventing you from reaching it. It’s a tragic set up, and I found myself feeling deeply for Clay while disagreeing with her actions. Even if Clay lacks internal self-awareness, it’s out of denial, not stupidity. Her observations to the cruelties of life are sophisticated beyond her age—a perspective framed by loss and suffering. This deepens the well from which her anger extends, and there’s depth to her beyond being a repressed lesbian.
Olivia’s situation in life is Clay’s opposite—both her parents are deceased, and she lives with her five older brothers. The Jaeger family is close, and they love and support each other, but there’s limitations based on poverty and their own varying levels of emotional maturity. Despite this, Liv matches Clay’s intelligence and bite, if not exceeding it. Her ambition to leave the Bay and pursue her dream of studying theater at Dartmouth is a driving force, and the narrative doesn’t water down the unfair way she’s treated as she loses opportunities to her white, upper-class peers. I’d say that Liv’s understanding in this area surpasses Clay’s, but we see Clay throw her privilege in Liv’s face again and again, even taunting the displacement of their community which is being threatened by gentrification.
Having two complex characters lends itself to a relationship dynamic that has enough start and finishes to make an Olympic track star stumble. What helps these two along is the way they understand each other, especially Olivia, who sees through Clay so pointedly (e.g. “Hit me. Then I can hit you back and numb you like you want me to. Bullies are always in so much more pain than they inflict.”). Clay loves Olivia in the same way the “bad kind” in class is willing to do anything for attention. We see her shed the social bounds of her upbringing in exchange for a place in Liv’s heart, though this takes the entirety of the book. There’s a huge amount of grace Liv extends to Clay and her friends that I think demonstrates a great amount of strength and character.
I suppose I shouldn’t leave out the heat between these two. Not only is the sex hot and gratuitous, it’s utilized in a way that assists in showing vulnerability, especially for Clay who has a fixation on giving Liv her virginity.
World building and themes—
Despite this being a romance novel about two girls falling in love, there’s so much depth to the narrative that really rounds it out beyond the genre, which I think has personally made it hard for me to find another “bully romance” to enjoy. Themes such as classism, loss, and family dysfunction build the story up to create something that feels so true to life. The world building is outstanding. Sanoa Bay became a place I could smell. Having detailed descriptions of all the locations on both sides of the tracks helped demonstrate the classism and emotions the characters felt related to this.
Ending thoughts—
Like I said, Tryst Six Venom isn’t going to be for everyone. Many of us haven’t utilized our trauma to hurt others, at least not intentionally, but we’ve all made mistakes—something Liv has a clear understanding of. Personally, I find reading beyond one’s comfort zone is a way to grow emotionally and intellectually, which is why I’m always looking for books that challenge me. However, the world outside our pages may be challenging enough for some, and we all read for different reasons. If this novel does sound interesting to you, I think it’s a story we can all take something from while enjoying the ride.