I loved The Witch King and was both excited and anxious to read this sequel, but luckily it continued this unique, magical and emotional fantasy story with the same great humor and amazing trans rep.

The Fae Keeper continues where the first book ended, with Asalin in turmoil and with Emyr and Wyatt hunting Derek and Clarke after having abolished the corrupt Guard. Along the way, they learn new truths about the witches, Wyatt struggles to learn control of his magic and his feelings for Emyr and Briar, and they will all experience new trauma, but also love and forgiveness.

Compared to the first book, the story got even darker this time and there were some really sad and tragic moments. Many of the characters were struggling, and trying to deal with all the bad things they’ve gone through. I especially loved Wyatt’s character development; he made some true personal growth in this book and started to acknowledge his previous bad behavior and find more inner peace. His narration was still as hilarious, witty and sarcastic as in the first book though!

The relationship between Wyatt and Briar also developed a lot, with Wyatt starting to see Briar as a real person with flaws and realizing how dependent and selfish he’d been from time to time when relaying on Briar’s need to try and fix him. Their love and support for each other grew even stronger, while at the same time they gave each other some healthy room to grow as individuals.

And Emyr was just as much of a sweetheart and continued to be my absolute favorite character! I loved that we got to see more of his thoughts and feelings, and how he came to realize he was demisexual in this book. I also loved the way Wyatt described him, and how his feelings grew for Emyr, like in this quote:

“I don’t know how it’s possible for one person to be everything, but he is. Masculine and feminine, soft and strong, a leader and a partner, darkness and light.”

Just as in the first book, I really enjoyed the world building and how it pinpointed topics like racism, colonialism and systematic oppression, as well as gender. There was such a great representation, with trans, gender fluid and demisexual characters, and great discussions about gender woven into the story, like in this quote:

“Faery doesn’t have trans people?”

“Faery is not arrogant enough to assume we know everything about our children before they’ve had a chance to learn it for themselves.” She shakes her head. “There are as many genders as there are people. And each one of them comes into the language they’d like to use for themselves, in their own time.”

The first half of the book was a bit slow though, with Wyatt having internal monologues in the middle of the events going on and with some longer backstories to the fae and witches relationships as well as new creatures being introduced, but that was more than compensated in the second half when the story really upped the pace. There was also a part towards the end where several other POVs were suddenly introduced, which I’m not sure I really liked. It was an interesting attempt to tell the many parallel subplots and explain things from the other characters view, but their voices were not as distinct as I’d wished (they were all a bit too similar to Wyatt’s somehow) and it made the story sprawling and the big climax a bit difficult to comprehend. I had to reread those chapters to fully understand everything that happened. I think the ending could have been a bit fuller, or that there could have been an epilogue. As it was not, it felt a bit sudden and like there were some loose treads that could have been further explained or explored.

But all in all, even though I wasn’t as blown away by this book as I was by the first one, I truly love this magical, gripping and unique duology and recommend it with all my heart!

Rating:
4.5 stars rounding up to 5

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H.E. Edgmon

This was such an adorable and fun small-town, one night stand, surprise baby romance that I absolutely loved! I read it in one sitting, not wanting to put it down until the very end! 

A Little Wilder is the fourth book in the Wilder Adventures series, but since each book focuses on a different brother in the Wilder family, it can be read as a standalone. It was my first read not only in this series, but by Serena Bell, and I had no problem understanding the family dynamics without having read the other three books. But having read this one and loving it so much, I can’t wait to continue working my way through Serena Bell’s backlist!

In this book, the story focuses on the middle Wilder brother, Kane, who is the good boy, the fixer, of the family. Seven months ago, at his brother’s bachelor party in Las Vegas, Kane had a one night stand with an amazing woman named Marigold (Mari), who he hasn’t been able to forget ever since. But since they never exchanged names or numbers, they haven’t been in contact since that night. So imagine Kane’s surprise when Mari shows up in Rush Creek to help his brother with a redesign of the RV’s for the family business and not only is she pregnant, but the baby is his…

I absolutely loved both Kane and Mari from the very beginning. Kane is just such a sweetheart, so kind and understanding and protective of his family. And Mari was such a lovable free soul, and so strong and independent, even though she’s struggling with commitment after the rejection of her mother and the fear of being an equally bad mother herself. The chemistry between Kane and Mari was mesmerizing and I loved the way the story was told from both their different POVs so we really could follow their thoughts and feelings, and see them form a friendship first before allowing themselves to admit the attraction. I really appreciated how the unexpected pregnancy wasn’t the core focus, but that the relationship and the character growth and self-discovery, was just as important.

I also adored the small-town setting and the Wilder family. This family was so sweet and fun, and I loved their wonderful support for each other, but also their constant banter. There were so many fun moments with the brothers picking on each other and the strong females in the family speaking their minds. I can’t wait to read all the other books in this series to get to know the other brothers and their plus ones more as well.

All in all, this was a fun, sweet and heartwarming romcom with complex and relatable characters, hilarious banter, and just the right amount of spice and emotions! And so bingeable – I read it in just a couple of hours!

Huge thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC and blog tour invitation! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4.5 stars rounding up to 5

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Serena Bell

This was such a heartfelt and poignant coming-of-age story with a main character that immediately stole my heart! It’s a story about a transgender boy finding himself and his voice within and outside the LGBTQIA community, and learning to stand tall against intolerance, rejection, hate, bullying and violence (please be aware of the trigger warnings). But it’s also a warm and hopeful story about finding love and friendship, and being surprised by the good in people.

When Pony starts senior year in a new high school, he wishes for nothing more than to feel normal. Average. Nothing special. Not that the first thing people thought about him would be his gender. Tired from all the attention and bullying he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he therefore decides to go stealth and keep his head down for the rest of the year. But on the very first day he locks eyes with the school’s most popular cheerleader, and going stealth is no longer an option if he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia.

Even though this book dealt with a lot of difficult and heavy topics such as dysphoria, transphobia and deadnaming of a trans character, homophobia, bullying, assault, suicidal thoughts, public outing and death of a loved one, it was nevertheless a warm and hopeful story, showing the power of love. There were so many amazing characters, and wonderful banter with adorable romcom moments!

This story pulled me in already from the start, and I read the whole book in one sitting, anxiously wishing for Pony to be accepted for who he was and get the love he deserved.

I absolutely adored the sibling relation between Pony and his sister Rocky and how they always supported each other. Especially when it came to their dad and his rude comments, transphobia and constant use of Pony’s deadname. I also loved Georgia as a character with all her fun flaws and quirks, but I didn’t like the way she always cared about what others would think of her and how she rejected Pony when he told her the truth and made it into a thing about Pony being a liar, rather than about Georgia herself being borderline transphobic.

I also had some issues with the very strong ‘out and proud’ theme, and all the criticism that Pony got for trying to just get on with his life for a while after his previous negative experiences. His best friend (the very out and proud) Max even cancelled their friendship when Pony didn’t feel comfortable to publicly support a petition and hence risk coming out in his new school. I absolutely do think it’s important to stay true to yourself, but I would have liked a more nuanced discussion about safety as well. The threat of intolerance and violence is, sadly, all too realistic (which also an event in the book clearly showed).

But luckily Georgia did some amazing character growth and made much better choices and actions in the end. And some of the other side characters really surprised me in their support for Pony and how they stepped up to do better and learn from their mistakes. I also truly enjoyed the way Pony grew during the year we got to follow him, and how he found the power to speak up for himself and the braveness to risk rejection for a chance of love.

All in all, this was such a gripping story with all the feels; sad but hopeful, painful but full of love and friendship! It was much more gripping and had some really intense and painful scenes than might be expected from the synopsis, but it wraps up on a positive note showing how everyone needs and deserves to be seen, worthy and loved for who they are.

Rating:
4.5 stars rounding up to 5

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Tobly McSmith

Don’t Hold Back is a sweet and adorable M/M sports romance with a grumpy gymnast who falls for his sunshiny rival, but it’s also a story about dealing with mental health issues and the constant fight that is required to find your way back after severe anorexia.

This is the second book in the Chasing Gold series taking place in the elite gymnastics world, but it can very well be read as a standalone, since it focuses mainly on other characters than in the first book. Here, Reese and Alex from Hold Me Up are secondary characters to the love story between the UK gymnast Garrett and his US rival Ryder. When Ryder was 16, he was diagnosed with anorexia and has for the past five years since been fighting not only for a place in the US Olympic team, but most importantly a constant battle against his own demons. Nevertheless, he’s way more cheerful and fun than Garrett, who’s been struggling with anger issues and bitterness since missing out on a medal in the last Olympics. To Ryder. So when Ryder suddenly joins the UK team for practice due to his coach’s mother being ill, it doesn’t make Garrett happier…

This book wasn’t really what I expected. It had so much more depth and was quite far from an ordinary cute and fluffy sports rivals-to-lovers romance. Even though it had a heartwarming romance, it was much more about the mental journey and struggles the characters went on. It also showed the importance of a support system, and how mental health issues affects also loved ones such as partners and parents. 

I loved Ryder and Garrett as a couple, and the way Garrett was so sweet and understanding when it came to Ryder’s problems. I also truly appreciated Ryder’s coach and how he always had Ryder’s back. I did think the pace was a bit slow though, and that the story would have benefitted from not being quite so full of all details about exactly what they did after practice, where they sat to have lunch, how many texts they’d sent during one day etc.

But all in all, it was a sweet grumpy/sunshine romance with lots of depth and with great character development.

Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free review copy and blog tour invitation! 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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Colette Davison

This was such an adorable summer romance with one of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers, as well as some great bisexual awakening, between an alfa rugby player and his childhood friend.

Kieran has been in love with his straight best friend since forever. But Matt is an alpha male, womanizing professional rugby player and clearly not interested in Kieran like that. So bringing Kieran as his plus one to his sister’s wedding doesn’t mean anything. Right? But why does Matt get so grumpy when other men flirt with Kieran? Is it only overprotectiveness, or could there be something more to their years of flirtation than just friendship?

This was truly a perfect beach read. I loved the summery Majorcan vibes, the suppressed tension and longing, the flirting and bantering between Matt and Kieran but also the witty banter between the two of them and Matt’s sisters. A sweet, fun and highly enjoyable read!

Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free review copy and blog tour invitation! 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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C.F. White

This is the first book in the new YA fantasy series Orb and Arrow by V.L. Stuart following the teenage healer Brillar on her adventures through the Wild. It was a light and enjoyable read, with a strong main character to root for and an interesting world building, but a bit slow at times.

In short, the story is about the young noblewoman Brillar of Laurenfell, who was expected to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a healer, but instead decided to take on the way of the bow and run away to explore the world as an archer. Now a highly skilled hunter, she has been forced to kill to release a mage, bound in enchanted chains. When the mage, Master Elden, insists on making Brillar his apprentice, Brillar finds herself on a new journey where her healing skills will find greater challenges. Settled lands are one thing, but in the Wild, she will have to rely on her Master’s knowledge of the terrain and the people, the Rovers, who are not always friendly…

I love strong female leads and I immediately rooted for Brillar. She’s so headstrong, brave and has such a great moral compass. I really liked the premise of the plot and the world building. But for a YA fantasy there wasn’t as much action as could have been expected. Some parts were a bit slow and the writing felt a bit drawn with long descriptions of Brillar’s and Elden’s travel and the people they met without much happening. I also never fully understood why Brillar had run away from her studies and what she’d hoped to achieve more than a wish to see the world, nor what the purpose of her and Elden’s journey really was.

For a YA fantasy, I also missed some kind of romance or pining for unrequited love. I do believe that the author will let the relationship between Brillar and Elden develop into a romantic one as the series continues, but for this installment there was nothing to spark the interest as far as romance goes. I also have some mixed feelings about the idea of Brillar’s and Elden’s relationship taking a romantic direction, since it was clear that Brillar thought of the twice-her-age Elden more as an uncle or teacher. I hope that any relationship developments onwards will be done in a way that ensures that Brillar stays powerful.

But all in all, Orb and Arrow: Exploration was a light and enjoyable read with an interesting world building, loveable characters and exciting adventures that I want to keep on reading about in the next installment of this series!

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the free review copy and blog tour invitation! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
3 stars

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V.L. Stuart

This was an okay read, but not as good as I had expected. Mostly because I didn’t fully root for the main character and because of the love triangle that wasn’t my cup of tea at all.

Right Where I Left You follows the introverted and socially awkward comic fan Isaac in the last summer before he goes to college and has to leave his best (and only) friend Diego behind. Diego has decided to take a gap year to pursue his game designer dream career instead of going to college, so Isaac plans to spend every second he can with Diego this last summer. But it all changes when Isaac’s long time crush Davi suddenly speaks to him at the comic store, and reveals that he’s bisexual. So instead of spending his time with Diego, Isaac ends up swooning over Davi…

I loved Diego from the start. He was such a sweet, nerdy and likeable person. And I absolutely adored him for always being kind to Isaac, even though Isaac mistreated him for most of the summer.

The main character Isaac was harder to like though. He came across as whiny and selfish, and not understanding at all how badly he treated Diego for Davi’s sake. I also had problems understanding his hatred for his dad and brother. Yes, his dad left his mom for another woman, but if Isaac’s mother could forgive him, it seemed a bit over the top how Isaac kept hating him, and his brother for just trying to make peace in the family.

I also never shipped the relationship between Isaac and Davi. Davi seemed very flirty and unserious all the time, and it never made sense why he would be into Isaac.

Spoiler alert: It would have been much better if the love triangle had started sooner, with Isaac struggling with feelings for both Davi and Diego, rather than just suddenly realizing he has feelings for Diego when Davi breaks up with him.

But all in all, it was a cute, fast paced read that had a lot of potential. I just wished the friends-to-lovers trope had been better executed and that the main character had been a little more likeable.

Rating:
3 stars

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Julian Winters

I absolutely loved The Black Flamingo and had such high expectations for this new book by Dean Atta, but sadly Only on the Weekends was a huge disappointment. The writing wasn’t as good as in the first book, but the main problems were the selfish and unlikeable main character, the toxic relationships and the cheating. Cheating is an absolute no no for me, no matter if it’s emotional or physical, especially when the main character seems to think he deserves to be forgiven for it without any real remorse.

The story follows Mack, who lost his mother at a young age and is now living alone with his dad, a famous movie director who spend most his time away on work. Mack has had a crush on basketball star Karim (K) in his high school for as long as he can remember. When he ends up next to K’s cousin Maz in class and they start hanging out, he can’t believe his luck. And when he finds out that K returns his feelings, he’s the happiest he’s ever been. The only fly in the ointment is that K isn’t out and want to hide their relationship, especially from his team mates.

This book had such a great representation and diversity; a black gay main character, a trans boy as the second love interest as well as several bisexual characters etc, and amazing side characters like Mack’s friends Maz, Sim and Femi and Fin’s friends. But sadly, Mack was such an unlikeable character and the relationship with K felt too toxic right from the start to make me invested in it. In fact, I hated the way K treated Mack like a door mat, and I could never even understand what they had in common or why they would even like each other. But on the other hand, I also hated the way Mack tried to force K to come out and how he tried to emotionally blackmail K all the time. I was also really disappointed in the way Mack neglected and mistreated his old friends, Sim and Femi, and his new friend Maz, when spending all his time and energy on K.

But the second half of the novel was slightly better (apart from the emotional cheating). I enjoyed seeing Mack and his father getting better contact and processing their grief over Mack’s mother’s dead together. I also absolutely loved the trans actor Fin that Mack befriended through his father movie and Fin’s friends Cleo and Ross. I wish we could have gotten more of them from the start, and that Mack would have fallen in love with Fin right away, never being involved with K at all.

I enjoyed the writing and that the whole book was written in verse, but it was no where near the powerful and beautiful writing in The Black Flamingo.

All in all, this was a big letdown, with a frustrating and unlikeable main character who acted questionable and selfish, a messy and toxic relationship, and an ending that felt both morally and emotionally completely wrong to me. So sadly, I cannot give this book more than two stars.

Rating:
​2 stars

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Dean Atta