The Life Bestowed

Now Available on Amazon!


The Life Bestowed by Patricia Spencer

Jean Louise (“Scout”) Neal has been living a predictable life that even she describes as ‘same-old’. She’s a Nurse Practitioner in beautiful Prince Edward County, Canada. She has her home, her routine, and her Gal Pals. Life is under control.

Then she starts working with Professor Kit Delaney, a trans woman who is teaching health care providers how to give culturally-competent medical care to sexual and gender minority patients.

Scout knows little about trans people, but a cautious step at a time she and Kit deepen their relationship. Same-old goes out the window. Then crisis strikes and their families enter the picture. It becomes clear that in order to move forward as a couple, Scout and Kit also need to look back.

The Life Bestowed is a slow burn romance between mature women that examines the complexities of love and identity and explores how our wider circle of loved ones are woven into the very fabric of who we are.

The Life Bestowed is the second book in The Prince Edward County Series.

Backstory on
The Prince Edward County Series

I got the idea for this series in the summer of 2021 while driving through beautiful Prince Edward County, Ontario. Though I am from the nearby city of Kingston, I feel Kingston is more a murder mystery city than a romance town, so I came up with the idea of writing a series of love stories based in The County.

I concocted four Gal Pals: Darcy, Scout, Natalie, and Lara. The Gals are all women in their 50s, with varied life experience and insight. I love romances but rarely find complex stories featuring older women, so I decided to write them myself.

Each novel in The Prince Edward County Series can be read as a stand-alone romance. However, the stories are richer if read in order. The core Gal Pals appear in all the novels, with their new partners joining the ensemble as the series unfolds.

Customer Reviews

A highly-recommended book

It didn’t surprise me that [Patricia Spencer] has already won a coveted “Goldie”. The way she lets readers participate in the life and love of these two mature women is nothing but masterful, and the writing, the pacing, the insertion of backstories, the revelation of characters was a joy to read.
~ TheLesbianReview.com

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read!

It is so incredibly real, intelligent, heart-warming, and gut-wrenching! I couldn’t put this book down! It had me smiling, then crying. It is truly brilliant!

~ TM-C, on Sapphic Book Lovers

A sincere and sensitive exploration of identity, sexuality and love

The characters’ interactions are filled with raw and vulnerable moments, exposing truths that are often difficult to confront. Despite the challenges they face, the story highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love, offering a profound examination of the human condition.

~ Women Using Words review

A brilliant book with unforgettable characters

Another brilliant book by Patricia Spencer with unforgettable characters, incredibly difficult situations, and an examination of love…  After reading the last paragraph, I set the book down and muttered: “Oh, wow… just wow”.

~ Pat Schneider, Amazon

A romance to take your breath away

The Life Bestowed is a must-read. Period.

~ Della B, Amazon.ca

A beautiful Romance of understanding and love

This book deserves a wide audience and I recommend it without reservation. You won’t be disappointed.

~ G Nascimento, Amazon.ca