This companion book to Prince Charming was just as adorable, if not more. It had two sarcastic and witty bad-ass main characters, a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance and hilarious class and culture clashes.

Texan girl Millie Quint takes the chance to leave her broken heart behind when she gets a scholarship for a posh Scottish boarding school. What she didn’t expect though was to share rooms with a real princess. One that is spoilt, high-key and totally reckless. But the loathing and mutual dislike soon turns into a friendship and something more…

I absolutely loved the witty banter and the way Mille stood up to Flora and was (almost) completely unimpressed with her royal heritage. I also loved the queer perspective as an antipole to all ordinary stories with the common girl falling for the handsome prince. It all felt very fresh, yet sweet and heartwarming.

Millie’s and Flora’s journey from enemy roommates to friends and more was very well executed. It was slow burn and actually quite realistic (despite the fact that there are no royals in Scotland…) and I rooted so much for both Millie and Flora, and Millie’s new friends at school. It was also great to get to meet the characters from the first book again, especially Daisy and Miles. (Her Royal Highness is a companion book, not really a sequel, to Prince Charming and works fine as a standalone though. The minor parts referring to events in the first book are so well explained that you understand them perfectly anyway.)

My main problem though, and the reason for giving this book four stars instead of five, was the disappointing ending. The ending was way too fast and cringy, and what’s more, it felt like a complete rip-off of the ending of the movie The Prince and Me.

But that set aside, I adored this queer feel-good book with great characters and a charming, fast-paced and addictive story. It was full of humor, witty conversations, hilarious situations and a super-sweet yet believable sapphic romance. All in all, a royally fun read! 

Rating:
4 stars

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Rainbow Boys is a sweet and heartwarming story about three very different high school boys and about first love, finding yourself and coming out. It was published already in 2001, so some parts felt perhaps a bit dated, but it was nevertheless a wonderful and important book about self-acceptance and finding the courage to be true to who you are and learning to love and be proud despite the bigotry and intolerance around you.

The story follows the three seniors Jason, Kyle and Nelson and is told in turns by the perspective of each of them. They are all very different, and have their own problems to struggle with both at home and with accepting who they are. Jason is a jock who won’t hardly admit even to himself that he’s gay, and who does all he can to hide it from his homophobic and violent dad, his teammates and, not the least, his girlfriend. Nelson on the other hand has been openly queer his whole life but is struggling with his feelings for his best friend Kyle. And Kyle is somewhere in between, secure in himself with being gay, but not ready to come out to his parents.

I immediately rooted for Jason and Kyle, but Nelson never warmed to me the same way. I wanted to feel sorry for him, and the bad things that happened to him, but I just couldn’t see past the way he never took responsibility for his own actions and for the way he treated his friends. Sadly, he just came across as selfish, whiney and manipulative. Nelson’s mother was amazing though!

The writing style was perhaps a bit too much telling rather than showing, and I had some problems with a few cringy scenes. You could also feel that it was a bit dated in the way the boys talked, and the technology (like the use of phones and that it was rare to have your own computer etc.), but most of all in the way that the LGBTQ support group initiative was discouraged by school, and how abuse and bullying was tolerated. But sadly, most of the other struggles that Jason, Kyle and Nelson faced are the same today for many high school teens. There is still so much intolerance and discrimination, fear of coming out and show our true selves. This book was such a great reminder that even though we have come a long way, we can’t take things for granted and there is still so much that remains to be done.

All in all, Rainbow Boys was a sweet, fast-paced and realistic coming of age story, and an important reminder of the struggle the queer community has faced and the fight for everyone’s right to be themselves against homophobia and prejudices. I’m so invested in the characters and can’t wait to follow their journey throughout all books in the Rainbow Trilogy!

Rating:
3.5 stars rounding up to 4 for its important message and how it paved the way for other LGBTQ+ books

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​Author info:
Alex Sanchez

This final installment in the fabulous Asgard Awakening series was the absolute perfect conclusion to this fun and queer retelling of the Norse mythology set in the 21st century. It was both so exciting to reach the end of the story and so sad that it was time to say goodbye to Loki, Gunnar Magnusson, Freddie, Darryll Donovan and all the other characters I’ve come to love during these four books.

Loki is the former Norse god of mischief who has been reborn as a woman. Throughout the series he’s been on a quest to regain his immortality together with his friends (and love interest) Gunnar Magnusson. Here, the story continues where the third book ended, with Gunnar Magnusson and Loki trying to change Loki’s destiny to die on a Tuesday by going parachuting of the Golden Gate Bridge. Luckily neither of them dies, but upon landing they find themselves being chased by Allfather Odin who wants to kill Loki for things he’s done in the past (Ragnarok for example…) together with Thor, who has been reincarnated as the sweet Darryl Donovan, but has now regained his memories and been transformed back to his old caveman self.

As always Loki causes chaos and mischief wherever he goes, but now he’s reached the end of the journey and it’s time to face his past and take responsibility for his wrongful actions in a final judgement.

I’m so in love with all the characters and their growth during this series. Especially Loki of course, who’s grown from a selfish and immature trickster god to a decent and caring person who starts to see things from others’ perspective and realize how much pain he’s caused others.

“You’ve grown soft in this modern age,” Huginn catches my eye. “It’s a good look for you, Loki.”
Am I becoming… decent? Nah. That would be utterly embarrassing.

Generally, this book felt a bit more grown-up than the others in the series, with Loki getting so many revelations and gaining a lot of new insights. At the end of the journey, he’s realized that life isn’t about the destination, but about how you treat those you encounter on the way, and that love can come in many different ways.

“Our souls don’t care which clothes we wear. Nor do they care whom we fall in love with. Love is love.”

I love the found family he’s created along the way with his friends. I also absolutely adore the fresh take on gender that is so well executed and unique throughout this series. The way Loki (and many of the other characters) swaps between pronouns without losing his identity is so well done.

“I’m both woman and man with the best parts of each. I am both genders and neither. I am anything and everything I could ever wish to be. I am Loki.”

Some parts of the story were perhaps a little long, especially up until the big trial part, but all in all it wrapped up things so well in the end and was a perfect finale to this completely unique urban fantasy comedy. This is an amazing series with an important message about gender and identity and the love and importance of found families. Not to mention that it is utterly hilarious, I laughed out loud so many times! I recommend this series with all my heart, also to those who don’t normally read fantasy!

Thank you to the author Kendall Grey for the free review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Rating:
4.5 epic stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Kendall Grey

Happy Book Birthday to Best Laid Plans by Roan Parrish! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Carina Adores blog tour celebrating this adorable, sweet and heart-warming m/m romance about two very different men finding each other by chance and being brave enough to show their most vulnerable selves for a chance of love and happiness.

Charlie Matheson has spent his life taking care of others and putting his own dreams on hold. When his parents died two days before his eighteenth birthday, he gave up on his football career to take care of his younger brother and his father’s hardware store.

Rye Janssen on the other hand has spent his life breaking things and running away from obligations and relationships. He’s never experienced kindness and true generosity from others, or had a place to call home. Not until he inherits a crumbling house from a grandfather he’s never met and ends up in small town Garnet Run, where the handsome hardware store owner keeps offering his help.

This book had so many things I love like opposites attracts, small town originals, second chances, sexual awakening and cats. So many adorable cats! There was also the right amount of angst and a burning attraction, and some truly amazing character developments. I loved the way Charlie slowly realized that he was allowed to focus on himself and his own happiness for once, and how he was brave enough to put his heart on the line. And Rye grew on me so much in the way he pulled himself together, started to trust other people and letting them into his life and allowing himself to be “all mushy inside”.

I loved Roan Parrish’s writing style and how she made us readers come along on Charlie’s and Rye’s journey from emotionally damaged to living their life to the fullest. I loved the wonderful chemistry between Charlie and Rye, as well as the secondary characters in Charlie’s brother Jack and his boyfriend Simon. I read this book in one sitting, it was so addictive and I rooted so much for all characters that I just couldn’t bear to put it down until the very end! (Jack and Simon were the main characters in the first book in the Garnet Run series, Better Than People, and it was so great to meet them again, but Best Laid Plans can definitely be read as a standalone as without their backstory).

The only minor objection I have is how the book took a jump from sweet, awkward, inexperienced romance to a very explicit sexual thing happening. I won’t go into details, but there were a few scenes that just went in a direction I hadn’t expected, nor appreciated. But that’s just my personal reaction, and I can really understand the symbolism that Roan Parrish wanted to go for and how different others might interpret it, and thus appreciate it much more.
​
But all in all, Best Laid Plans, was such an uplifting, heart-warming, sweet and romantic story about second chances and awakenings; how it’s never too late to finally find that thing that makes you happy, to find new meanings in life and new people to love, if you’re just brave enough to let down the guard and be vulnerable and true.

Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4.5 adorable stars rounding up to 5

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Happy Book Birthday to Chasing Hope by Gwen Martin! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Gay Book Promotions Release Blitz for this heartbreaking and beautiful book that is full of pain and hope, grief and joy, loss and love, and amazing characters!

Chasing Hope is of the most authentic stories I’ve ever read about the devastating grief and guilt, and how to find the strength to go on living, after being through the worst thing that can happen to a parent; losing your child. But at the same time as it dealt with all this hurt and loss, it was also such a sweet and heart-warming small town, second chance, m/m romance. I binge-read this book with an aching heart, unable to put it down until I knew what would happen to Sean and Jonah, sobbing and smiling at the same time. ​

The story follows twenty-seven years old Sean, who - despite his young age - has already lost everything worth living for. In an attempt to get away and build some kind of new life, he moves to a town where no one knows about him, the death of his child, or his failed marriage. Here, his life collides with the almost forty, somewhat disillusioned, owner of the local diner, Jonah, who had to give up on his university plans and move back home to take care of his dying father. But when the two of them meet, Jonah finds a new spark in his life, and Sean slowly starts to smile and feel again. Maybe there is hope after loss and a chance for love again for them both?

This book deals with a lot of heavy topics, such as loss of a child, guilt and grief, PTSD, depression and trust issues, but it was so wonderfully written and had so much hope, love and heart-warming friendships that it never felt too heavy. No matter how raw and authentic the descriptions of how devastating and life-shattering the loss of a child were, it was never all darkness and sorrow, there was always a hint of light at the end of the tunnel.

And the characters were amazing and so real and multifaceted. And adorable! I rooted immediately for both Sean and Jonah and my heart ached for them both in their struggles with insecurity and fear to open up and be brave enough to love again. Sean’s bisexual awakening and his feeling of being on thin ice and not really knowing what to do - of being something of a virgin again when being intimate with a man - was so well and realistically described. As was his feeling of guilt for being happy when his daughter was dead, and the way he reacted to certain triggers. I understand why Sean acted the way he did in some of the situations (trying to keep it vague here not to spoil anything…) but it nevertheless broke my heart and made me read the book feverishly, hoping for the HEA both Sean and Jonah deserved so much to come, but fearing that all the broken things wouldn’t be possible to mend.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book! Chasing Hope was a gripping, devastating and utterly honest story about love and grief, hope and loss. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, showing that it’s never too late for second chances if you’re willing to chase them.

Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this gem! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Gwen Martin

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This is the third book in the fabulous Asgard Awakening series, and just like the other books it was such a fun and queer retelling of the Norse mythology set in the 21st century. This time, Loki’s hilarious mischiefs involved some absolutely epic drag queens, an earthquake-causing orgasm and more friends turning into reincarnated Gods.

The story follows the former Norse trickster God Loki, who has been reborn as a woman, and his friends, Freddie and Gunnar Magnusson, as they try to track down Loki’s lost runes. After the mayhem they caused in Las Vegas in the second book, they are now heading to a drag queen pageant in San Francisco, where the evil Asgard Awakening’s actor Damien Drakkar is head of the panel. In order to get the rune back that Damien is keeping, Loki tries to seduce him but it all misfires heavily. But on a positive note, apparently Gunnar Magnusson looks even more amazing in a dress and heels…

I’m so in love with all the characters and I absolutely adore the fresh take on gender that is so well executed and unique throughout this series. The way Loki swapped between pronouns without losing his identity was so well done. In this installment, Loki gets to discover what it’s like to live in a man’s world.

“But now that I’m a woman, I’m not very fond of this unwritten rule.”

Loki also has to struggle with the inability to lie, which is a hard lesson for a former trickster God, and the guilt for betraying his friends by keeping their real identities as reincarnated and former foes a secret. Even though there was so much going on, the story was a bit slower in this book and at times it felt like a build-up for the finale. But it was nevertheless a fantastic read, and I can’t wait for the final installment when all things will be revealed and, hopefully, Loki can have his true happily ever after with Gunnar Magnusson in his original identity (keeping it a bit vague here not to spoil anything…).
​
Thank you to the author Kendall Grey for the free review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Kendall Grey

This final installment in the adorable To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series was the absolute perfect conclusion that brought me all emotions at the same time. There was so much tears and joy and warmth and nostalgia and unexpected twists and the perfect non-cheesy ending.

It’s time for senior year and all exciting things like prom, college applications and big plans for the future. Lara Jean and Peter will both go to Stanford and live happily ever after… right? Only that “life is beautiful, and messy, and never goes according to plan,” as Lara Jean herself put it, so there’s a lot of heartache coming up. A lot. I hadn’t expected to cry, but this book was a real tearjerker. Already from the beginning the story was more melancholic and with a more mature Lara Jean, who’s about to enter adulthood and leave her nest and who’s feeling both excited and sad and scared at the same time.

As in the previous books, my absolute favorite part was the Song Covey family and their wonderful dynamics. Lara Jean’s dad is my absolute favorite literary dad of all times, and I’ve come to cherish Trina so much too. But the best part was seeing Kitty grow into her own person and, while still being hilarious and feisty, also being more considerate and open to admitting her feelings. I truly appreciate how the family has always been at the core of the story throughout this series.

What surprised me most though was how much I loved Peter this time. I’ve not been a huge fan of him in the previous two books, but here he totally stole my heart. His and Lara Jean’s relationship was so much better in this book, without the unnecessary drama and insecurity from before. I was so happy to see the added layer of maturity and that the dating troubles and conflicts were truly realistic this time. The downside to that though, was that they also brought me a lot of tears and broke my heart… but I guess that comes with the territory.

All in all, this was my favorite book in the series! It was the absolute perfect conclusion of this super sweet and quirky coming-of-age, feel-good, YA story with an adorable romance and heartwarming family ties. Highly recommended!

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Jenny Han

This was such a gripping, angsty, emotional, poignant and sweet small-town, friends-to-lovers M/M romance! I rooted so for the main characters and suffered with them in their longing, heart ache and fight to deny their feelings. But at times I was also so annoyed and angry with them for not trusting their friends and family, and for being so afraid to trust each other and to allow themselves the lives they both deserved.

The First Man is the second book in the From Connemara With Love series, but it can very well be read as a standalone. The main characters from the first book, The Best Man, have important roles here too, but focus in this book is on Ellie’s brother Shane and his long secret love, Andy.

For seventeen years, Shane and Andy have kept their feelings for each other a secret. Even to themselves; not admitting what they really are to each other, nor that what they are feeling is true love. Instead, they’d both done all they could to deny the feelings, to avoid touching each other, to suppress all emotions, ending up heartbroken and living a life in constant torment and hiding their true selves.

“If I can’t have him, I don’t think I could ever want anyone else.”

It took me a while to get into this book. The angst and heartache were so raw already from the start, which was a bit hard to relate to until we were provided with the backstory from Shane’s and Andy’s long history and how they first fell in love. And since I hadn’t read the first book, it was a bit confusing with all characters at first, especially as the same person could be referred to by either his first name or surname without any explanation. But once I understood the latitude of Shane’s and Andy’s love story, and the reasons for their actions, I rooted so much for them both. They were both so adorable, so broken, so much in pain and yet always putting other people’s needs and wishes before their own happiness.

This book is one of the honest and rawest descriptions of how devastating love can be that I’ve ever read. The love between Shane and Andy was so obvious and strong, and they wanted each other so much it almost destroyed them to hide it. At times it was almost too painful to read about their distress and longing, and I wanted to scream at them both to just be brave and take a chance on each other.

“Do you know how it feels to spend your entire life pretending to be someone else? Do you know what it’s like to love the only person you’re not allowed to love?
You can’t seem to feel anything other than him; when you walk away, you know that you’re turning your back on the only thing that’s good in your life.
Yet you still walk away.”

There were two things I had problems with though. The first was the premise that Shane and Andy had to keep their love a secret. I felt that the fear of not being accepted by their friends, family and the small town didn’t really add up with the way the other characters in the story were described. Their friends and family all seemed open-minded enough and obviously loving them, so the need to stay in the closet didn’t seem fully authentic. It also made me annoyed that Shane and Andy never even gave their friends and family the chance to get to know the real persons, but lived their lives constantly pretending to be someone else. And then there was the issue with how the love story started. I really did not like that they started to have an affair when Shane was only sixteen to Andy’s twenty-one. The age difference was no problem when they were older, but the idea that Shane was so young, even though he was the one taking all the initiatives, just didn’t sit well with me.

But all in all, The First Man was a gripping, devastating and utterly honest love story that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It was my first read by Alex Kelly, but it will certainly not be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the opportunity to read this gem in advance. (It will be released on 25 February.) All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Alex Kelly

Gilded is the second book in the Asgard Awakening series and what an excellent sequel! Just like the first book, Runed, it was such a fun, queer and totally hilarious retelling of the Norse mythology set in the 21st century. But this time there were also some extra layers of pain and regret that gave the story more depths and made it even more fabulous.

The story follows the former Norse trickster God Loki, who has been reborn as a woman, and his friends, Freddie and Gunnar Magnusson, as they try to track down Loki’s lost runes. This time, the journey took them to Las Vegas and the gilded Nine Realms Resort, where chaos erupted (to put it mildly). But there were also some important realizations and gender explorations, amazing character developments, sweet budding romances and wonderful friendships.

This series is really something unique and over the top in the best possible way! I completely adore it, but it’s almost impossible to describe it in a way that makes it justice. There are so many things to love about it. I especially want to give huge praise for the unsentimental way gender identity was explored throughout the book and how Loki dealt with it all, and his burgeoning emotions for Gunnar Magnusson.

“Our souls don’t care which clothes we wear.”

The way Loki swapped between pronouns without losing his identity was so well done. There was such a wonderful scene when Freddie tried to explain everything about having your period and female products to Loki, and her failed attempts to use a tampon was absolutely priceless!

And the way Loki constantly misinterpreted Freddie’s proverbs made me laugh out loud so many times! But there was also a more serious tone this time, with Loki’s nightmares about all the bad things he’d done and his regrets causing panic attacks, that added an extra layer to the story. It was still so much fun, but now also more gripping and emotional.

All in all, this is an amazing, absolutely unique and addictive urban fantasy comedy that I recommend with all my heart! I can’t wait to continue the series and find out what crazy adventures that lies ahead for the beloved characters.

Thank you to the author Kendall Grey for the free review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Rating:
4.5 gilded stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Kendall Grey