Baltimore has always been a place where stories breathe—where generations pour truth into rowhomes, church pews, corner bars, and quiet kitchen tables. Two local authors, known collectively as Naomi + Rivers, have captured that spirit in their new novel, Why Not Us?—a moving story of love, caregiving, and the ways we build family beyond blood.
The wife writing team—both retired U.S. military veterans—were inspired by personal experiences when several family members and friends faced cancer diagnoses. Each journey was different, yet shared a familiar thread: caregiving can be both a powerful expression of love and an emotional burden.
“We wanted to honor a narrative that often goes unseen—especially in LGBTQIA+ stories,” the authors shared. “Chosen family matters. Sometimes the people who show up for you aren’t related to you at all.”
In Why Not Us?, readers meet Jasmine, whose best friend Leslie is diagnosed with cancer. Jasmine steps into the chaos of hospital visits, treatment schedules, and caring for Leslie’s nine-year-old daughter, Portia. Meanwhile, Jasmine’s partner T struggles to cope as their relationship is overshadowed by the emotional toll of caregiving.
The novel examines a question many readers will recognize:
How do you protect love when life keeps asking for more?
A Veteran Partnership—On and Off the Page
Naomi and Rivers both served in the U.S. military—Naomi as an Army logistics officer and Rivers as a Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer. The discipline, adaptability, and teamwork they developed during service shape how they write together and how their characters navigate life’s hardest moments.
Their debut novel, THIS: A Simple, Complex Love Story, was written over the course of 20 years, chapter by chapter, while they were deployed in different parts of the world. Writing became a tether—a way to stay connected.
For their second novel, they refined their process. Naomi drafts consistently several days a week; Rivers serves as the internal developmental editor, adding depth, rhythm, and emotional sharpness to the story.
“Communication, kindness, and patience—that’s what keeps our partnership strong,” they said. “It’s also what keeps Jasmine and T going.”
Baltimore as Character, Not Just Setting
The city of Baltimore is the heartbeat of Why Not Us?.
Naomi grew up here, and Rivers brings an architectural eye to the details—patterns in neighborhoods, the colors and textures of the city, the sounds that announce where you are without needing a street sign.
“Baltimore is a character in this book,” they said. “We wanted to show the Baltimore that doesn’t make the national headlines—the Baltimore full of pride, history, and resilience.”
Readers will recognize real neighborhoods—from the quiet beauty of Ashburton to the charming streets of Mt. Washington—and the everyday places where Baltimoreans live, work, worship, and fall in love.
Caregiving as Love Language
At its core, Why Not Us? explores caregiving—the emotional labor that often falls to women and daughters, sometimes unexpectedly.
The book highlights both the beauty and strain of caregiving:
the deep connection formed through sacrifice, and the emotional toll when caring for one person means you have less to give another.
“Providing care connects us as humans,” the authors said. “It challenges us, reshapes us, and reveals what love really looks like.”
A Message of Hope
With a compelling mix of romance, heartbreak, and second chances, Naomi + Rivers want readers to walk away with one feeling:
Hope.
“We want readers to celebrate their chosen family—the people who show up, no matter what.”
About the Authors
Naomi + Rivers write lesbian romance and women’s fiction. They live on the East Coast with their two rescue dogs. Their work appears in I Heart SapphFic’s Favorite Scenes from Favorite Authors and From a Black Perspective: The Homeland (Rainbow Room Publishing).
Why Not Us? – Now Available
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