In contrast to some lesbian novels of the time, such as Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle (also, incidentally, published by Daughters), which used a prototypical bildungsroman technique with a lesbian placed squarely at the center, Lover reflects complex notions of radical lesbian philosophy, community, family structure, and eroticism by using highly inventive, often fantastical storytelling techniques. In Harris's introduction to the 1993 edition, she writes, "Lover should be absorbed as if it were a theatrical performance.
In contrast to some lesbian novels of the time, such as Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle (also published by Daughters), which employed a traditional coming-of-age narrative with a lesbian at its core, Lover presents intricate ideas about radical lesbian theory, community, family dynamics, and sensuality through innovative, often fantastical storytelling methods. In Harris's introduction to the 1993 edition, she suggests that Lover should be experienced as if it were a theatrical production.