This is the second book in the Jade Harbour Capital series, but each book can be read as a standalone as they focus on different characters. What both books in this series have in common though is the addictive stories set in the Canadian finance world and that they are full of diversity and family bonds. Just like with the first book, Hard Sell, I read this one in one sitting, completely hooked from the very first page!

In Going Public, the two main characters are Jade Harbour partner and playboy Raymond Chao (Ray) and his assistant, the shy, sweet and demisexual Elvin Goh. Elvin has been in love with Ray for as far as he can remember, but never even hinted it to Ray. Not only because Ray is his boss, but also because he knew Ray would never be interested in him that way, being a filthy rich and flamboyant player who goes from party to party and bed to bed. But when a scandal hits, Raymond leans more and more on Elvin and reveals more of himself in a way that starts to build a whole new intimacy between them.

I loved the slow burn romance, the right amount of angst, demisexual awakening and diversity. I also really enjoyed the family bonds and dynamics, with Elvin taking care of his large family and Ray’s strained relationship with his family and especially his father and head of the dynasty, Chairman Chao. I have to admit that I missed my favorite couple from the first book, Danny and Toby though. It would have been lovely to get some glimpses of their life after Hard Sell, to connect the two books in this series more.

But all in all, this was an addictive, romantic and highly enjoyable story with a bit of a thriller/mafia twist, and I sincerely hope that we will get more books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the ARC! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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Hudson Lin

This was such a sweet and enjoyable sports read about a high school girl pursuing her dream to play varsity football. I loved how empowering this story was, and how the romance played a smaller part than the love for the game, and how nothing stood in the way of that.

As the youngest sister of three former quarter backs, football has always been in Julia Medina’s heart and blood, but she’d kept her dream hidden and played volleyball instead. But dreams have a way to make themselves heard and eventually Julia decides to stop running from it and try out for the QB position, despite the controversy it creates amongst the football team, their parents, her former volleyball teammates and not to mention her boyfriend, who also is trying out for the QB position this year…

It was so refreshing that Julia was such a though and headstrong character that didn’t let anything stand in her way and that the romance part wasn’t the most important in the story, as is often the case in many YA book. It was so empowering to see how she held strong in her beliefs even though she knew she risked losing her boyfriend and best friend, and her volleyball scholarship.

I also really loved the family dynamics and Julia’s supportive brothers and abuelita, as well as her supportive team mates Square and D. (One of my favorite scenes from the book was the one where Square was standing in as girlfriend for Julia’s former best friend, giving “girly advice”, it was so adorable!)

What I didn’t enjoy as much though was the selfish way Julia acted when it came to both her boyfriend Owen and her best friend Ally. Going behind their backs and not telling them that she was quitting volleyball to play football (and even compete with Owen for the QB position), and then being upset when they didn’t immediately support her was a really bad move. And when she on top of that almost cheated on Owen, didn’t sit well with me. (Don’t want to go into that specific issue more, to avoid spoilers, but just let me say that it wasn’t great what Julia did.)

But all in all, this was a sweet and uplifting story about chasing your dreams no matter what anyone tells you, with some great friendships and heartwarming family support.

Thank you Wise Wolf Books for the ARC! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
3.5 stars rounding up to 4

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Tamara Girardi

This was such a sweet and heartwarming read! There were two love stories intricately interwoven; a second chance one set in modern time between Lillian and her childhood love Nick, and a forbidden m/m romance in the Napoleonic era between the two soldiers Henry and Robert. Now two hundred years later, the two love stories come together, as Henry still haunts Ashlington Manor that Lillian now owns, in his desperate search for Robert.

In 1807 Henry escapes his father’s expectations by taking a commission in the British Army where he meets Robert Westbrook. Standing shoulder to shoulder through the Peninsula War, not only fighting the French but each other’s demons, their bond grows into something deeper. Until disaster strikes…

Now, in 2015 Lillian inherits Ashlington Manor after the death of her father. When returning to her childhood home, she stumbles not only upon the mystery of her ancestor Henry, but also on her childhood love Nick. Now past and present comes together in two stories of lost loves and second chances, and finding out what it truly means to be home.

I enjoyed both romances, but especially the one between Henry and Robert. Set against the backdrop of the horrors of war and the fear for discovery and damnation for being in love with a man, it was so gripping and emotional, and my heart truly ached for Henry. It took me a bit longer to warm up to Lillian, and her part of the story dragged a little at first, with her completely selfish and unemphatic fiancée and their life in London. Even though I wanted nothing more than for Lillian to ditch her fiancée and her London life, for a life at Ashlington Manor with Nick, I didn’t appreciate that she cheated on him. It would have been so much better if she’d called it off before getting involved with Nick. That part really didn’t sit well with me. But that set aside, both romances were sweet and swooning and I really enjoyed the connection to a decedent through history and how the two stories came together in the end.

All in all, it was a wonderful, sweet and highly entertaining read.

Thank you Pride Book Tours for the free review copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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Rowan MacKemsley

Young Mungo is the second book by Douglas Stuart, the author of the 2020 Booker Prize winner Shuggie Bain. Shuggie Bain was such a brilliant, but also raw, heartbreaking and brutal book, that had such a deep impact on me. Young Mung was therefore one of my most anticipated new releases this year and I was so grateful for the opportunity to read an ARC of it. But even though the writing style and the portrayal of working-class life and toxic masculinity was quite similar to Shuggie Bain, this book was a little less devastating and Mungo a little less engaging character.

Just like Shuggie Bain, Young Mungo is a vivid coming-of-age story taking place in a depressing working class setting in Glasgow, with neglecting and abusive parents, alcoholism, homophobia and violence. Mungo is a bit older than Shuggie though, so the aspect of him realizing that he is gay and the forbidden relationship with James becomes central to the story. Despite all odds, Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic, meet and fall in love when they should have been sworn enemies and despite knowing the harsh reactions this will evoke.

The story is told in a dual timeline, but with only a few months in between. From the present it takes us backward to Mungo’s life in the period up to and during the romance with James, and then back again. The story taking place in the present time reflects the aftermath of the relationship and adds a horrific twist when Mungo’s mother sends him on a camping trip to a remote Scottish loch with two men she knows from AA to make him ‘man up’, but only to send him straight into the hands of two child molesters. (No spoiler, this part is actually the opening scene of the book.) Like in Shuggie Bains, there isn’t any good news to expect. Around Mungo, his alcoholic mother and his siblings (Hamish, the brutal gang leader and Jodie, who dreams of going to university) there is poverty, unemployment, violence and prejudice, and an overall sense of hopelessness.

The mother is a little less in focus compared to Agnes in Shuggie Bain, so this book is more clearly Mungo’s own story. But that was perhaps also what made this book less engaging and emotional than Shuggie Bain, since Mungo as a main character is a bit bland and I never fully rooted for him the way I rooted for Shuggie, and the way I wanted to protect him from his mother. So, even though this book was not more brutal, violent or heartbreaking than Shuggie Bain I still found myself struggling more with the content this time. Perhaps because it felt too much after reading Shuggie Bain, or perhaps because I didn’t root as much for Mungo and therefore the joy and love that nevertheless was in the book didn’t outweigh the dark and disturbing parts.

But all in all, this was another beautifully written, heartbreaking and tragic coming-of-age story that showed the violence faced by many queer people and the terrible consequences that can come from loving someone you’re not supposed to in a surrounding full of toxic masculinity, prejudice and religious fundamentalism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC of this book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.

Rating:
3.5 stars rounding up to 4

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Douglas Stuart

I absolutely love Beth Bolden’s adorable and heartwarming Food Truck Warriors series, so this sixth and last book was a bittersweet read. I sure will miss my Food Truck Warriors! But on the other hand, I’m so happy for this wonderful and satisfying conclusion of the series. Beth Bolden did an amazing job wrapping it all up!

Just like the previous books in this series, Ride or Die can be read as a standalone. Even though the characters from the other books make their appearances, each book focus on a new character amongst the group of gay food truck owners in LA. I really love the way Beth Bolden keeps giving us glimpses of the characters from her previous books and how she’s created her own universe by weaving her stories and characters together without making the story plot less understandable if you’d jump straight into this one as your first read.

This time we got the story of the food truck owner Ren Moretti and security professional Seth (partner with Lennox from the fourth book) and how love can find a way to win even a non-believer like Ren over…

Ren is the player of the food truck lot, known for his one night stands and for not believing in love. Seth on the other hand definitely believes in love and is not interested in anything but a serious relationship. So when attraction hits, neither will bulge to give into what the other person want…

I really loved Ren’s and Seth’s slow burn romance and how Ren slowly began to trust Seth (even though he didn’t really know it was Seth he chatted with…) and dared to open up about his problems and feelings, and finally surrender to the notion that love might be for him too after all.

I did miss my favorite couple from the series, Tate and Chase, who had almost no part in this story at all. But other than that, I was completely satisfied with this adorable conclusion! It was such a swooning, sweet and addictive M/M romance story that warmed my heart. I binge-read the whole book in just a few hours - that’s how addictive it was!
 
Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the ARC and blog tour invitation! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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This was such a cute and heart-warming second-chance M/M novella with adorable characters that immediately stole my heart! I also really appreciated the diversity with a main character on the ace spectrum.

This fast-paced and highly enjoyable short story follows NHL player Dane Roxborough as he flees Boston and seeks refuge at his parents’ inn for the summer to hide from a kiss-and-tell story with leaked indecent photos from a one night stand. But as if that isn’t enough, the big love of his life, Grant Lilly, is working at the inn and reconnecting again resurrects all the feels.

I really rooted for Dane and his shame for being fooled and used for his one night stand to claim his fifteen minutes of fame, and it was so adorable how he longed for Grant and tried to vow him with mismatched flowers and Boston sightseeing tours. I also really loved Grant. He was such a sweet character, who’d never had any sexual feelings for anyone but Dane, but still hadn’t gotten over his broken heart.

Even though it was a short story, it had more depths and felt more fleshed out and thorough than many full length novels. The romance was a wonderful slow burn one, with some amazing character growth and realistic doubts.

The only thing I really didn’t like was the way Dane’s parents kept Grant in the dark after all the things he’d done for them and always being loyal. It felt like a back stab and made Dane’s family seem very selfish and false.

But all in all, Chasing Sunsets was such fast-paced, sweet and engaging story about falling in love with your best friend and about awakenings; to realize what you truly want in life and about being brave enough to chase after it. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Prolific Works for the free review copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
​4 stars

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Amy Aislin

This was such an adorable second-chance M/M novella about two former best friends trying to forgive each other for what happened between them ten years ago when they were teenagers for a second chance at getting it all right. It’s a story about acceptance, bravery, and forgiveness – of both yourself and the person who has hurt you.

Owen Bannister and Zach Baldwin had been best friends forever, and as teenagers they were about to be even more than that. But in a reckless moment after winning a music competition on TV, Zach ruins everything between them. Ten years later, Zach is a national superstar, and Owen is a local pub owner, but neither of them has ever forgotten, nor stopped missing, the other. When Zach suddenly walks into Owen’s bar, flames start to spark again, but can they find a way to deal with the mistake Zach made and find a way back to each other, and get the happily ever after they should have had all those years ago?

Even though this story is only about 70 pages, it’s amazing how Lisa Henry managed to make you root for the characters so completely and describe the background story. I loved the glimpses we got from Owen’s and Zach’s childhood friendship and how they were starting to get stronger feelings for each other, but I would have loved to get so much more! I truly hope that Lisa Henry will extend this novella to a full-length novel, both the story and the characters really deserve that!

​Thank you to Prolific Works for the free review copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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Lisa Henry

Reading the blurb about this friends-to-lovers and bi-awakening story taking place in the 1970s, I really thought I would love this book. But sadly, I ended up feeling slightly let down by it. It had so much potential, but due to the writing style, the immature and manipulative characters and the unnecessary drama it didn’t meet my high expectations.

The story follows the two college students Troy Larson and Jessie Smith, who have been best friends forever, always spending their annual summer vacation together with their families at a Northern Minnesota lake resort. This summer though, things are feeling off between them. Jessie is angsty, and clearly hiding something. When Troy accidently stumbles upon Jessie in an illicit act with another man, he suddenly understands the reason for Jessie’s behavior. But he also starts to question his own feelings and has to deal with jealousy, confusion about his own sexuality and the fear of losing his best friend.

The story about two friends starting to have feelings for each other, the historical backdrop with the rise of the gay movement and how being gay would make it impossible for Troy to become a teacher, had such potential to be a truly gripping and engaging story. But sadly, the main characters felt so immature and the telling was a bit too plain for the story to meet its full potential. It was as if the author had to tell us how much Troy loved Jessie, since his actions didn’t show it. It sure didn’t seem like true love in the way Troy got attracted to almost everyone he met, boy or girl, thinking they were “a fox”, nor how he manipulated drama just to force Jessie to confess his feelings. Troy felt so shallow and selfish that I couldn’t root for him at all. I appreciated the way Jessie felt more fleshed out and more mature in the way he understood the consequences of a gay relationship at that period of time, but the romance part with him and Troy never gave me the right feels.

In the book, there were several episodes where the characters played truth or dare / spin the bottle games. The first one of those was fun and a great way to get the main characters to act on their feelings, but to repeat this idea multiple times was a bit over the top. I also really had an issue with the way Troy enjoyed watching his sister kiss another girl, that scene didn’t sit well with me at all.

But all in all, it was a fast-paced and enjoyable story and I really appreciated the love and support Troy’s father and siblings gave him. I also very much enjoyed the parts with Troy discovering gay life and how he was so open to admit his feelings and try new things. So even though this book didn’t meet my expectations, please don’t let this discourage you from giving it a try!

Rating:
​3 stars

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Christie Gordon

This was such a pleasant surprise! I totally loved this witty, charming, opposites-attract, banter-making-sparks-fly romance with more depth than expected! I read it in one sitting, completely hooked.

The story follows music student Hannah Wells, who has been through an assault and is now trying to not let that stop her from having a healthy relationship, and bad boy hockey star Garrett Graham, who also hides a dark secret and an abusive past. When Hannah feels attracted to a guy but doesn’t know how to get his attention, and Garrett fails his ethics class, they strike a deal to help each other out. The only problem? The end game suddenly looses its attraction when they fall in love with each other instead…

This book was recommended to me by a dear friend, but nevertheless the blurb made me think it was just another ordinary romance. How wrong I was! (So sorry Sophie, I should never have doubted your recommendation!) This book was absolutely extraordinary! It’s far, far from just another romance story, it was both so much more fun and had so much more depth than expected!

Some parts in the beginning, with Garret sleeping around and not caring one bit about the girls were perhaps not that great, nor was Hanna’s instalove crush on the newly transferred football player Justin, which felt completely out of character. But once Hannah and Garret started the tutoring session it was pure perfection.

I really loved the hilarious banter between Hannah and Garret! The opposites-attract romance was so well done in the way their teasing and arguing made sparks fly. I also loved the way they both had troublesome pasts to deal with, and how they slowly opened up and showed their most vulnerable selves to each other.

Garret turned out to be such a sweetheart in the end, definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends! The character development was just amazing, and the way he’d lived through domestic abuse felt so authentic and real.

And Hannah was such a complex, fleshed out and wonderful character! I rooted so for her and my heart broke when learning about her rape and how it had affected not just her but also her entire family. It was so well described how Hannah wanted to get on with her life and not let herself be diminished to just a rape victim, but how she fought to take her life back again.
 
All in all, this was such a pleasant surprise! Hilarious, addictive, with funny dialogues and amazing chemistry, and with characters that completely stole my heart! But also with an important message and more depth than just your ordinary romance.

Thank you so much Sophie (Sophie’s Reading Corner) for the recommendation that made me find this gem! And sorry again for being skeptical, I truly regret not reading this book sooner!

Rating:
4.5 glorious stars rounding up to 5!

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Elle Kennedy

This was an absolutely marvelous read! Such a poignant, angsty and passionate story about forbidden love and political oppression set in the 1980s Poland. So beautifully written that it felt like reading poetry, and so addictive and heart-wrenching that I read it in one sitting.

The story is told by Ludwik Glowaki, now living in New York but looking back at his life in communist Poland. As a university student, Ludwik was sent to a summer agricultural camp, where he met the handsome and carefree Janusz. Spending the late summer evenings together by the river, the two of them fell madly in love, but their intense affair was not only condemned by the Catholic society, it was also a criminal offense and something of which even the slightest suspicion would draw the attention of the communist party.

Tomasz Jedrowski has a way with words that is absolutely brilliant. The writing style was so beautiful and poetic, precise yet vivid, and with a wonderful smooth flow, even though the story was such a heartbreaking one and so full of melancholy. In this debut, Tomasz Jedrowski wove together a vivid and intriguing story showing the political system, the homophobia, how the old communist regime was beginning to crumble but had not yet lost its controlling power and the different ways in which Ludwik and Janusz adjusted to the circumstances to eventually find themselves on opposite sides of the political divide. It captured the atmosphere and the suppressed feelings, longings and tension between the character in a perfect way, and showed how the reality with a society built on connections, the poverty and misery amongst the people, the way the uproar was formed and how it all affected the characters’ behavior and choices, left Ludwik and Janusz to struggle not only with their forbidden love, but also to see their relationship slowly being torn apart by their political differences.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and recommend it with all my heart! Swimming in the Dark was such a poignant and gripping, melancholy yet heartwarming and beautifully romantic story about forbidden love and the struggle for freedom in a turbulent historical era. I know that this breathtakingly emotional and engaging story and its complex and amazing characters will stay in my heart for a very long time!

Thank you so much Jonathan (Wander with Jon) for the recommendation that made me discover this gem!

Rating:
5 stars

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Tomasz Jedrowski