This was such an adorable read! I can’t believe it took me so long to read my first graphic novel... I’ve had Heartstopper on my TBR for ages but for some strange reason never gotten around to buy it. Now I’ve finally read it and of course I loved it to pieces and wish I’d read it much sooner!

Charlie and Nick completely stole my heart in this slowburn friends-to-something-more story!

Charlie was outed last year, so now the whole school knows he’s gay. Among others the one-year-older Ben who keeps asking Charlie for secret kissing-meetings while having a girlfriend and being such an overall jerk.

Nick is the cheerful, kind and soft-hearted rugby player who encourages Charlie to join the rugby team and soon finds himself having much stronger and different feelings for Charlie than for any other of his team mates…

I loved the cute and basic (almost “unprofessional”) art and the sweet story about teenage love, being true to yourself and the wonderful way Alice Oseman let the characters give us readers so many important messages, disguised as part of the dialogue.
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Like how the rest of the rugby team was surprised by how good Charlie was, or the teacher over-hearing Charlie’s friends discussing weather Nick could be gay or not when he doesn’t look like it.

All in all, this was such a cute and adorable read that I recommend with all my heart! 

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Alice Oseman

Happy Book Birthday to Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Carina Adores Blog Tour celebrating the release of this sweet f/f romance with the perfect mix of quirky and angst! 

The story follows twenty-two years old college drop-out, bisexual and overweight Poppy, who is faced with an unexpected pregnancy after a drunk booty call with her stoner ex-boyfriend. Already heavily criticized by her horrible mother for her far-from-perfect life, Poppy feels strongly that she should have an abortion, but eventually decides to keep the baby nevertheless. In search for encouragement, she decides to join a knitting group, where she not only finds a new hobby and new friends, but the love of her life, Rhiannon. Not really the perfect timing to find your dream partner at the same time as you find out that you are pregnant…

I loved the fun and witty way in which the story was told, with the amazing dynamics in the knitting club and their banter, positivity and friendship. Generally, all dialogues in the book were great; realistic as well as so fun that I laughed out loud at times!

I really appreciated the open discussions about abortion and how any choice is right as long as it’s the woman’s own decision, and about being proud of yourself even though you don’t live up to the unfair expectations by other. There was also some very positive bisexual representation that warmed my heart, and I truly enjoyed the way Poppy was confident in her own body, and the overall feel-good vibes. 

There were two things I had problems with though. The first was that it all felt too rushed at times, both the love story and the relationship with the members of the knitting club. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Poppy and Rhiannon, and even though Rhiannon made it clear from the very start that she didn’t want to be a parent of Poppy’s baby, it felt like the story was pushed there anyway. The relationship with the knitting club also went from acquaintances to best friends in a very rushed manner. My other problem was that I didn’t fully root for Poppy. I enjoyed her inner monologues and her sarcasm and wit, and the way she grew character-wise throughout the story, but she still came across as a little too selfish, bitchy and immature, and I didn’t like the way she treated her friends from the knitting club, or her sister, at times. There was also a special moment/twist in the story and the way both Poppy and Rhiannon acted that made it really hard to stay rooted and cheer for any of them. I understand that this conflict was needed for the dramaturgy, but it was executed in an unnecessarily appalling way.

But all in all, this was a really fun, heartwarming, quirky and fast-paced f/f romance story with a fresh and original plot line, and the important message to not accept other people’s expectations of you. 

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

Rating:
3.5 quirky stars rounding up to 4

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Author info:
Hettie Bell grew up in small towns in New Brunswick and British Columbia, and now lives outside Edmonton Alberta with her family. She first fell for Highland historicals as a preteen, and that love deepened as the romance genre grew more diverse and queer. A proud bisexual woman, she’s honored to write all the happy endings she never thought she’d get to read. When she’s not writing, she's knitting one of the at least three projects she has on her needles at any given time.

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This graphic novel was so utterly adorable! I loved the art, the wonderful characters and the witty dialogues. It really warmed my heart with its perfect mix of teenage angst and cheerleading, queerness and character growth, and the way it illustrated how hurtful people’s comments can be and the powerful message that no one should ever need to be afraid to be who they are. It was just completely irresistible and such an important eye-opener!

The story follows the smart, but antisocial lesbian Annie. Starting her senior year of high school, she’s more or less forced to join the cheerleader squad to round out her college applications. Her former friend BeBe is the first trans girl ever to have been named cheerleading captain, but she’s struggling not only with her transition but with her overprotective parents, her fear of being seen as trouble if she stands up for herself, and the everyday issues like being denied to change in the girl locker room and falling in love. Through the squad training the two of them rekindle their friendship they’d lost and awake feelings for each other that are even stronger than that…

I really appreciated how insightful and eye-opening the story was in how hurtful things people say without meaning it can be. Like saying to BeBe that she’s “just like a girl” and treating her like a mascot instead of a real person. Or the way her parents kept her under constant surveillance out of fear for anyone harming her, and putting pressure on her by blaming lesser grade, or other things, on the transition. ​But most of all, I loved the clear message about how it was never a choice for BeBe not to be the girl she is and that no matter how stressful and hard the transition is, it’s still better than living a lie and trying to be a boy.

All in all, this was an amazing, funny, adorable, sweet and fast-paced read with an important message and wonderful representation and characters! I cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the free review copy and the opportunity to read this gem! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Crystal Frasier
Val Wise

This was such an adorable, sweet and heartwarming m/m foodie romance! I loved that it was low on angst and drama, but still full of suspense and totally addictive! (I binge-read it in just a few hours, that’s how addictive it was…)

The story follows Tony Blake who is running a food truck together with his brother Wyatt. Whereas Wyatt is happily married to his hot baseball player Ryan, Tony is recovering from being dumped by his ex-boyfriend. When Wyatt gets too busy with his cook book projects, and hires Lucas Barnes to help Tony out for the summer, Tony might just have a chance on his own happily ever after. If only he dared to trust again… And if only Lucas could allow himself to break his no-relationship-rule… And if co-worker Jeremy could stop being a jealous jerk and stop accusing Lucas for the thefts that are happening…

I completely fell for both Tony and Lucas from the very beginning! I loved how sweet and kind, yet tough, Tony was and how self-aware he was. He’d been a rough time, but had come out stronger and with a realization of his own fault and problems. And Lucas, he was such a sweetheart. I loved how he always spoke his mind and how determined he was to make his vegan energy bar business a success. And the chemistry between them… it was absolutely sizzling and flaming hot! The tiny food truck kitchen was burning up by more than the heat from the cooking… The attraction was instant, but the romance was nevertheless a gorgeous slow-burning one, where both Tony and Lucas were scared by their strong feelings. The mystery part added a bit of extra suspense, but most of all a reason for Tony and Lucas to go on stake-outs together and building up such high amounts of suppressed longing and desire in Lucas’ small car that it was almost physically palpable for us readers…

For those of you that have read Beth Bolden’s books before, some of the characters in this book are known from her Kitchen Gods series (Wyatt and Ryan’s story was told in Catch Me), but all books can be read as standalones. I am so happy that I’ve found this new to me author and for the possibility to go back to her previous books to connect even more with the characters I’ve already come to love and how she’s created her own foodie universe by weaving her stories together. The food aspect really does add something extra to the stories too.
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All in all, Drive Me Crazy was such a heartwarming and charming, sweet and romantic, and very sexy, story about two men falling head-over-heals in love with each other no matter how much they tried not to. Highly recommended and I can’t wait to continue with the second book, Hit the Brakes, and then to go back and read more about how Wyatt and Ryan fell in love in Catch Me.

Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free review copy for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4.5 swooning stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Beth Bolden

I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Gay Book Promotions Book Blitz for Love Him/Hate Him by Chris Bedell! This was an enjoyable and fast paced high school murder mystery and m/m enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers (yes, multiple times!) story.

When 17-year-old Connor’s friend Evelyn suddenly dies by falling down the stairs, something doesn’t feel right about the accident, and he starts his own investigation to find out the truth. The problem is that this means having to deal with Evelyn’s twin brother, Liam, who Connor has a very complicated relationship with, to say the least… Connor is out and proud to be queer, but Liam is the opposite. After a hock up at a party last spring, Liam suddenly turned homophobic and punched Connor in front of everyone in the school hallway, leaving Connor hurt and confused.

I really rooted for Connor, and I could understand his attraction for Liam, even though Liam was such a jerk at times. Liam had his own struggles with his abusive and homophobic father though, which made his actions a bit more understandable. And the on/off, enemies-to-lovers parts did make the story very addictive. I really wanted them to just be honest with each other and find happiness together.

A part that didn’t work as well as I’d hoped for though was the murder mystery. The whole plot felt too unrealistic, the characters actions not very believable and the twists were too easy to see through. But even though some parts were a bit too unrealistic for this book to be fully as great as it could have been, it was overall a very suspenseful and enjoyable high school story.
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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:
3 stars

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​Giveaway:
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or a $10 Between the Lines Publishing Gift Code!

This final book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy was a good and bittersweet ending with satisfying closure for the characters, but there were some parts that I just didn’t like and I didn’t get the ending that I personally had hoped for.

“You live in a single moment. I live in a thousand.”

In this third book, the Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne, and a weakened Alina is hiding and being forced to form dubious alliances to protect herself while hunting for the firebird to get her powers back. She’s also searching for Nikolai, desperately looking for confirmation that he’d survived.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. All in all, I’m content with how the entire trilogy came together at the end, but I didn’t like the turn the story took in some aspects. But on the other hand, some of the characters that I didn’t like in the other books redeemed themselves and made me unexpectedly root for them in the end. I personally would have loved for even more focus on Nikolai in this story though. He’s definitely my favorite character of them all. But on the other hand, he’ll get his very own story in the King of Scars series, so I guess I’ll just have to wait for that to get satisfaction for my Nikolai-cravings... I still don’t understand why everyone loves the Darkling though. Sorry for this unpopular opinion, but I liked him less and less for each book. To me, he was just evil and nothing he did made me feel empathy or understanding for him.

The plot was fast-paced and addictive, but it felt a bit all over the place at times, and there wasn’t really the epic finale I’d expected. Sadly, I also didn’t get the happy ending for the two characters I’d personally hoped for (not saying anything more to risk spoiling things), but it was nevertheless an interesting and well-written conclusion that wrapped up this trilogy in a satisfying way. Even though the ending wasn’t the one I’d hope for, I really feel that it completed the series so well and that Leigh Bardugo gave each character the closure they deserved.

All in all, the Shadow and Bone-trilogy was a thrilling, unique and addictive fantasy series with amazing and complex characters to root for that I highly recommend! And, if possible, I am now even more eagerly awaiting the Netflix adaptation!

​Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Leigh Bardugo

I loved this second book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy even more than the first one! I loved the character developments, especially Alina’s internal conflicts, but most of all I loved the introduction of Nikolai, he’s such a new favorite character!

In this sequel to Shadow and Bone Alina is on the run together with Mal, hunted by the Darkling, and struggling to make a new life in an unfamiliar land. Ending up on the notorious privateer Sturmhond’s ship, they eventually return, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal.

“There is no ordinary life for people like you and me.”

I loved the character developments in this book! Alina was a much stronger narrator and I felt myself rooting and caring about the characters a lot more, especially Nikolai. When he entered the story, it got me even more hooked. I loved his sassiness and intelligence, but also how he always stood up for what’s right and just and opposed the mistreatment of innocent people. His and Alina’s bantering was one of my favorite parts and what made this book even better than Shadow and Bone. I also loved the glimpses of court life and politics that was added to the story with the introduction of Nikolai.

I know not everyone agrees with me on this, but I really appreciated the way Leigh Bardugo slowed the action part down a bit in order for us to get to know the characters more and how she showed them as persons, not just heroes fighting for a purpose. I especially enjoyed seeing Alina grow and how she handled her internal conflicts, both in regard to her power and her relationships.

“You know the problem with heroes and saints, Nikolai? They always end up dead.”

A thing I didn’t enjoy so much though, was the way things developed with Mal. He just came across as whiney, insecure and clingy complaining about how Alina was changing instead of supporting her to embrace her full power. I also still don’t really get the fuss about the Darkling. But I nevertheless found myself missing his presence in this book, the intrigue definitely would have been more intense if there’d been more of him. But on the other hand, I’m very content with how a lot of the focus was on Nikolai. He definitely carried this book almost all by himself!

All in all, this was an amazing sequel that did this series more than justice and got me even more addicted to the story and its characters! The inspiration drawn from Russian folklore and culture makes this series really unique among fantasy stories, and the way Leigh Bardugo writes is just brilliant and so captivating! I’ll be picking up Ruin and Rising right away, both dreading and longing for the conclusion of this magical story! I know who I wish for Alina to choose, but I fear that Leigh Bardugo might not give me the ending I hope for…

Rating:
4.5 magical stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Leigh Bardugo

I’ve had Shadow and Bone on my TBR for such a long time, but hearing how everyone seemed to think that Six of Crows was so much better, I never really felt motivated to pick it up. Not until I saw the trailer for the new Netflix series and urgently felt the need to read this series before it comes out! Due to all the mixed opinions, I still went into the book with low expectations though, only to be so pleasantly surprised by this thrilling and magical read with amazing and complex characters to root for!

This book hooked me in a way I hadn’t expected, with its magical world-building that was something of a mix between Russian folklore and mythology, topped with characters to love and hate, a lot of twists, a chosen-one-trope with the orphan girl Alina Starkov finding her powers and trying to save the world, adventures and a sweet romance threatened by a bad guy intervention (the infamous the Darkling…).

The story in itself was perhaps not a very unique one for a YA fantasy, with the poor ugly duckling who is not aware of her powers, but who turns into one of the most powerful persons in the kingdom and is forced to take on the epic task to fight evil and finally get seen for who she is by everyone, including her old childhood crush. But the world-building and the mix between mythology, militarism and the complex characters created a truly spellbinding story. The thing that made this book absolutely stand out though were the complex characters. They were so unique and interesting, mean but kind, bad but also good, and the all added so much depth to the story. I always appreciate the suspense when the villains and heroes are not at all who they seem at first. I adored Alina from the very start and I loved to see her growing from insecure to strong and sassy, but also how relatable she was in her struggles to find her place in the new world. I’m not so sure about either Mal or the Darkling though. Mal felt a bit bland and I didn’t like that he only started to really notice Alina when the Darkling took interest in her, but hopefully he’ll grow on me as the series continues. As for the Darkling I don’t really understand what all the fuss is about. I think he was cruel and manipulative, but I must confess that he did intrigue me nevertheless, so maybe I will end up under his spell too eventually... I also think that the romance parts could have been a bit more spicy, with more build-up tension, but all in all it was a rather well executed love triangle.

In the middle of the book, the pace felt much slower and some parts were a little boring. But on the other hand, I enjoyed that the slower pace allowed for some great character growth and more insights into the Grishaverse.

All in all, Shadow and Bone was a great first book that set a brilliant foundation that got me completely addicted to this series and its characters. I’ll be picking up Siege and Storm right away, too intrigued to wait a second longer than necessary to what I can only guess is still to come!

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Leigh Bardugo

This was an absolutely marvelous read! Such a poignant, angsty, emotional and sweet m/m romance with complex and wonderful characters that I immediately rooted for and so beautifully written that the words themselves felt like the rolling waves along the beautiful beaches of SoCal and Hawaii where the story takes place. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time!

The story is set in the 1970s and follows the two surfers James Campbell and Danny/Sidney Moore from their first meeting in an international surfing competition that impacts them both in a life-changing way. I loved the whole atmosphere with the surfing culture, the comradeship and competition, the sun and salt and the foaming waves, that C.L. Beaumont captured so well you could almost feel the sun and the wind on your skin while reading this book. But more importantly, I deeply appreciated the way she captured the general beliefs and feelings of the time period, with the homophobia and conflicts after the Vietnam war, which gave this story much more depth and provided a backdrop explaining the characters’ behavior and choices.

James Campbell is carrying his scars from the Vietnam war both inside and on his body, just trying to get through each day and fighting his desire to head into the ocean and never come back. The only things that keep him going is his best friend Rob and surfing.

Danny Moore is the infamous top surfer, who carries his own scars from being forced to leave his alcoholic mother at a young age (the only one who called him by his first name, Sydney), from being outed by a class mate and from being thrown out by his father for being gay when he was fifteen. Suffering with trust issues, and all too aware of the whispers about him, he shields himself with a cocky attitude that keeps everyone at bay. But when his eyes meet James at the surfer competition, something captures him and shatters his protective walls as Danny Moore and lets his private self, Sydney, see the light again.
 
The characters in this book are pure perfection, so complex and charismatic, so wounded and sweet, that you immediately root for them and suffer with them in their longing, heart ache and fight to deny their feelings. I loved the way C.L. Beaumont let us experience both James’ and Sydney’s views and backgrounds in different turns and hos she slowly weaved them together into this marvelous story. There were some truly amazing character developments in this book and the way these two hurting souls found each other and found the courage to live and love and slowly heal from the tragedies was just breathtaking.

I also really loved the friendship between James and Rob. It was so heartwarming and sweet and added so much to the story.

And the writing was just incredible. So beautiful and poetic, precise yet vivid, and with a wonderful flow, hinting rather than telling the story. It captured the atmosphere and the suppressed feelings, longings and tension between the character in a perfect way. Almost every sentence felt like a quote worth saving.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and recommend it with all my heart! The Sea Ain’t Mine Alone was such a poignant and gripping, yet uplifting and heart-warming, romantic story about two very different men finding each other and a way to heal, live and love again. It was also an important historical eye-opener as to the injustice, fear and homophobia that was the reality for gay people in the 1970s, and a story showing how love conquers all and how it’s never too late to find love and happiness, if you’re just brave enough to let down the guard and be vulnerable and true.

​Rating:
5 stars

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Happy book birthday to Why Can’t Relationships Be Like Pizza by Andy V Roamer! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Gay Book Promotions blog tour celebrating this third book in The Pizza Chronicles! This book is my favorite one in this sweet coming of age series written in diary format about a young boy trying to figure out life’s biggest questions such as sexuality, identity, religion, friendship and how to handle his strict immigrant parents. 

The story in Why Can’t Relationships Be Like Pizza continues where the second book left off, with RV entering sophomore year. Just as in the previous two books, the story is told via the diary entries RV makes at the end of each day in his computer journal where he struggles with his sexuality, relationships and questions about life in general. RV is such a geeky, sweet, innocent and awkward character, and has such a great humor, that even though I might have preferred to see some more perspectives to this story, it was always interesting and enjoyable to be inside his head this way.
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This third book was my favorite in this series, and had some great character growth and a more emotional plot. RV’s journey has finally reached a point where he fully accepts who he is, but relationships are still so complicated and give rise to new questions. RV still cares for Bobby, but Bobby seems a different, more distant person, and RV’s former girlfriend and best friend Carole is distracted by the ups and downs in her relationships with her French boyfriends. But as always, RV’s former teacher and mentor, Mr. Aniso, is there for advice and to help when it’s needed the most.

I really appreciated the way this story didn’t shy away from difficult topics such as homophobia, life-changing tragedies and mental health issues. I also really appreciated learning more about the complexity of life as an immigrant in the USA and how RV’s understanding of his parents, their reasons and their past, began to grow throughout this series.

All in all, this was a sweet coming-of-age story dealing with teenage confusion and important topics such as sexuality, family expectations and heredity, homophobia, self-discovery and self-acceptance in a cute and unique way. 

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

Rating:
3.5 adorkable stars rounding up to 4​

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Nine Star Press

​Author info:
Andy V. Roamer