This story was such a delightful surprise! It was not at all what I expected, it was so much MORE, so emotional, melancholic and gripping! Reading the blurb, I imagined that it would be a light and sweet Christmas romance, but Holidays in Blue was very far from that. It was a story about grief, about how to survive the aftermath of lifechanging tragedies and about daring to love again after failed relationships.

Cosmin Tessler is a forty-plus semi-famous radio show host. Intellectual and sophisticated, but lonely. Eric Campell is quite the opposite. A ten years younger bisexual actor, whose marriage to a woman failed brutally and whose actor jobs are drying up. When Cosmin’s radio show is cancelled and Eric’s life has hit rock bottom, they both return to their old childhood homes next to each other. When a massive ice storm hits the city, they end up stranded together and unexpectedly back in each other’s lives again, for Christmas. Despite their difference in age, their long-ago crush and undeniable attraction prove too much to resist…
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But the romance part is only one sub plot in this book. The other sub plot, and the one I loved most, was Cosmin’s journey into the past when going through the boxes his recently deceased father had left in the house. Some previous tragedies had left Cosmin and his father on different paths, never quite repairing their relationship. But finding his father’s note books, Cosmin discovered how much his father had loved him but failed to tell or show him when he was alive. He could finally understand the situation behind his own adoption from an orphanage in Romania and see the joy he had brought his adoptive parents who’d been plagued by sadness until then.

There were some truly amazing character developments in this book and I really enjoyed the backstory with the adoption of Cosmin and his sister and the way the family tragedy was described. It was also so emotional and sad to learn how Cosmin and his father had lost each other due to bad communication skills in the aftermath of pain and suffering. This book dealt with a lot of heavy issues, such as grief, loss, anorexia, infidelity, alcoholic problems and denial, in a raw and realistic way. But it was nevertheless a hopeful and encouraging story, showing how we can all find new meanings in life and new people to love. It is never too late, if we just put ourselves out there.

The minor complaints I have are that the pacing was a bit slow at times and that the romance didn’t resonate with me as much as I had hoped for. At times, Cosmin came across as quite pretentious and as if he was trying to make others feel dumb. His attraction to the younger, not so intellectual, Eric therefore didn’t feel a hundred percent believable. I never felt any deep emotions from Cosmin that would have made me understand what he saw in Eric other than that he was young and attractive. And for Eric, for most parts of the book, it only felt as if he getting a chance to live out his childhood fantasies about the older boy next door, not as if he was really in love with the Cosmin of today, but rather with the image of Cosmin in his dreams.

But I immediately rooted so for Eric, and if Cosmin was who he wanted, then I do not want to stay in the way… Eric truly was a sweetheart, so kind and messed up and gorgeous he just melted my heart.

So, all in all, this was a gripping, cathartic and bittersweet book dealing with important issues, that I highly recommend. And, even though the story takes place during Christmas, it’s not a typical Christmas read, but deserves to be read any time of the year!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin/Carina Press for the ebook copy and the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review!

Rating:
4 stars

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Eve Morton

Truly Madly Royally is such a perfect summer read! It’s cute, sweet and has a lovely royal romance that gives me Prince-Harry/Meghan-vibes. It’s truly a feelgood book with a strong and loveable main character, Zora, who is something of an activist with a huge heart. 

The story follows Zora as she’s gotten a scholarship to attend a prestigious college for the summer. Besides acing it in school, she’s also managing a community program for kids from less privileged homes. At summer school she’s feeling completely out of place though and lonely, as the only non-superrich-as-having-your-own-yacht student. Until she meets the mysterious Owen, who as it turns out, is a prince from a small foreign country.

“When I see her, she reminds me that some things in life aren’t too good to be true.” 

What I really liked about this book was Zora’s drive and ambition and her sassy replies to anyone trying to diminish her (from fellow students to queens…), the positivity and the absence of drama just for the sake of it. I appreciated the way in which her struggles with identity and the feeling of being caught between two different worlds, was described. This book would have benefited from some more depth though to be really interesting. Now it became a bit too sweet and, to be honest, boring after a while.

But overall, it’s a charming, fast-paced and cute romcom. It’s not a book that will stay on your mind for long, but it gives you good entertainment for the moment.

Rating:
3 stars

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Debbie Rigaud

Who I Was With Her is a gripping coming-of-age story about grief, guilt and learning to be honest with yourself. We meet the main character, Corinne, at the very moment that she learns that her girlfriend Maggie has died in a car crash as her word shatters. Since Corinne has never let anyone know that she’s bisexual and involved with Maggie, she’s completely lonely in her grief, and struggles with her loss as well as her regrets for never going public like Maggie wanted to. Going into this book I was so sure I was going to love it and expected to cry and get my heart totally broken for the main character. But sadly, even though I enjoyed this story a lot, I didn’t connect enough with Corinne for it to blow me away as much as I had hoped for.

This book was a raw and beautiful exploration of grief, the pressure of coming out and putting a label on yourself and learning to accept yourself. It also had some really great representation (I especially enjoyed Corinne’s friend Julia and the authentic and respectful way her struggle to understand why she wasn’t interested in sex like “everyone else” was described) and I really appreciated the way this novel explored how different coming out stories can be. But still, I felt like I kept waiting the whole book for it to start hurting, for something to happen that would break me, but that never came.

My main problem was that I didn’t connect with Corinne the way I had expected. One reason for this was that we get to know her when she’s experiencing the biggest loss in her life. The flashbacks to her past with Maggie helped, but I still feel that I didn’t really know or connect to the ‘real’ Corinne and she came across as a bit one-dimensional. But another reason was also that she felt so selfish at times. I understand that she feared coming out and didn’t want to do it for someone else’s sake. I fully agree with this, but I still feel that perhaps she could have dealt with things in another way. Especially when it comes to her best friend Julia, I feel that she didn’t treat her the way a true friend should. But on the other hand, I really thought it was problematic the way Maggie’s brother Dylan called Corinne a coward for not coming out and how Elissa put pressure on her and making ultimatums about not going back into the closet for her sake. I would have liked for the author to take a clearer position here, now the combination of these views and Corinne’s guilt for not coming out as Maggie wanted to risks conveying the wrong message to readers who might be questioning themselves and struggling with how and when and if to come out.

Another thing that I found problematic in the book was Corinne’s mother’s alcoholism and the irresponsible way her father brushed it off. Especially one scene when Corinne calls her dad for help when her mother has passed out drunk and he just puts all responsibility on his teenage daughter, made me so angry.

But overall, this was a beautiful and important book about grief and acceptance that I recommend anyone to read for the premise and representation. This novel address important issues that are always good to see more of in YA literature and I am definitely curious to read more of Nita Tyndall’s books ahead.

Rating:
3 stars

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Nita Tyndall

This is such a sad and gripping coming-of-age story, filled with heartbreak, loss and abuse, but also with friendship, healing, hope and help to find light in the dark. It doesn’t shy away from heavy topics such as homophobia, self-harm and suicide, but it does it in a respectful, earnest and hopeful way.

Sixteen-year-old Lauren has not had an easy life. Losing her dad at a young age and shortly thereafter their home, and now her mother to dementia. As if that’s not enough, her best friend and secret love Harry moves away for a scholarship and then another terrible thing happens that I won’t go further into than to say that nothing will ever be the same for Lauren again. She will not be the same person ever again, something is broken forever.

“And there, in a split second, I’ve become something that never, ever occurred to me: a victim. I’m not me anymore. Where did I go?”

I rooted so for Lauren from the very beginning and my heart broke for her when this happened. Life is just so unfair sometimes, which Lauren certainly gets to experience. I didn’t agree with all the choices she made though, but that made this story all the more authentic. Victims don’t behave as “expected”, they act out and do things that are not always the best, just to try and survive and live with the murky truth within them. I’m still not sure how I feel about her new friend Snap though and the path they chose together. He was good to Lauren and brought light in her darkness when she most needed it, but for some reason I don’t trust him and together they seem to be heading for disaster. But I might be wrong! I really hope I am…

This is the first book in AJ Collins’ new Oleanders series about survival and empowerment, and is more of a novella with only about 150 pages. So it’s a very fast read, but still with amazing character development for such a short length, and a gripping story that I can’t wait to continue! I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to read the next installment, Magnolias Don’t Die!
 
Thank you BookSirens for the ebook copy of this heartbreaking book. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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AJ Collins

Love in the Shadows is such a gripping and wonderful story of forbidden love. It follows the life of Meg Mitchell from the age of eighteen and through life, as she comes to turns with her sexuality and learns to accept herself and fight for her right to love freely. It’s also a wonderful story of friendship and bravery, and has some of the most amazing parents I’ve ever met in any book.

Growing up in a small Catholic village in rural Ireland in the 1970s when homosexuality was still a crime and repressed by both church and society, Meg has heard whispers about “lesbians” and freaks, but never thought those words would be about herself. But when she gets a new young English teacher in her final year of secondary school, she feels herself inexplicably drawn to the elegant Harriet Stewart. Her attempt to show her affection ends in disaster though, and going away to college, Meg does everything she can to put her first crush behind her. She even tries to convince herself to try and be straight and date a man to get an easier life for herself and her parents.

“Does it matter who I truly am? Okay, so his kisses don’t transport me into a different world, but they’re pleasant and enjoyable. Who needs waves of desire, a thumping heart, or a quickening pulse?” But even as she tried to convince herself of this, she had to fight to keep Harriet’s image from her mind.

The characters in this book were amazing and so relatable. I immediately rooted for both Meg and Harriet and their struggles. Meg was so incredibly brave and I just kept wishing for her happy ending all the way through the book. Given the fact that homosexuality was a crime and heavily condemned by the church, all angst and mixed feelings of love and excitement with anxiety and tension was all too understandable, and the bravery it took to choose the path Meg did despite the almost insurmountable difficulties, is admirable beyond words. I also loved so many of the secondary characters, especially Meg’s amazing and supportive parents, and Aisling and Liz, who were so wonderful, strong, courageous and fun friends that always stood by Meg no matter what.

Some parts of the book felt a bit rushed, especially the first part leading up to Meg’s graduation, and the writing was a little bit too much telling us about Meg’s feelings rather than letting us understand and feel for ourselves. I’d also loved some more background when it came to Harriet and some more information about her friends and family and past experiences to better understand why she reacted the way she did. But overall, this was truly a wonderful debut by Maggie Doolin!

This book was such an important eye-opener as to how lesbian love was forbidden as late as in the 1970s and 1980s, and the injustice in how society treated homosexuals. But most of all, it was a swooning, sweet and emotional rollercoaster for a love story, that I recommend with all my heart.
 
Thank you NetGalley and NineStar Press for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review!

Rating:
4.5 shining new stars rounding up to 5

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Maggie Doolin

Lost & Found is a gripping story about loss and grief, secrets and trauma in the aftermath of WWI. American doctor Benjamin is searching for his lost friend in Paris, but when his neighbor Louis volunteers to help, the search becomes a journey into lost memories and to self-discovery. It’s also a story about the healing power of love, and to find beauty and hope even though you’ve lost everything you thought was worth living for.

Seeing this beautiful cover and learning that this was a story taking place in 1920s Paris about “a dancer who cannot dance and a doctor who cannot heal, who in each other finds the strength to love again”, I was so sure I would be blown away by this book. It sounded exactly like my favorite kind of gripping, forbidden and life-changing romance. But sadly, my high expectations were not fully met.

I really enjoyed the Paris setting and the sweet romance, but the story was a bit too slow for me, and I didn’t root for the characters as much as I had hoped for. I think the main problem was that the story was told from Benjamin’s POV, since his mind and memories were shattered from the war trauma, and he’s so closed off from his own feelings (and in complete denial when it comes to his desire for men). All this made the story itself feel subdued and made us reader distanced from Benjamin himself. I also found it a bit hard to take Benjamin to my heart when he was denying his own feelings so hard, and was so disgusted with other men’s affection.

“I was a eunuck, castrated by fear. Disgusted with myself, I chose the opposite direction and walked quickly into the night.”

Things just don’t make sense for Benjamin, until Louis unlocks something in him. After that, about halfways when Benjamin started to open up, so did the book, and I could relate much better to both Benjamin and Louis.

“I kissed him, and he tasted like hope.”

So, even though I wasn’t blow away, it was still an enjoyable and sweet read that I definitely recommend. All in all, Lost & Found is a sad and gripping, yet hopeful story about accepting your true self, and learning to live a free life.
 
Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!

Rating:
​3.5 stars rounding up to 4.

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Liv Rancourt

Winter’s Orbit is a queer, political space opera and M/M romance masterpiece! It’s pitched as “Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue” and that is such a spot on description! It has the same wonderful queer, fun and political vibes as RWARB and an epic space and treachery plot that is similar to Ancillary Justice, all mixed together into one of my absolute favorite books ever!

In the Iskat Empire, the treaties and political alliances between the planets are the foundation that holds the empire together. When the planet Thea starts to rebel against Iskat about the same time as Imperial Prince Taam dies in an accident, his Thean widower Count Jainan is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam’s cousin Kiem in a desperate way to prevent an interplanetary war.

I immediately rooted for the poor forced-into-marriage couple, both Jainan and Kiem were such wonderful characters! Jainan is a Thean diplomat and dutiful scholar, who always takes his responsibilities seriously and puts duty before his own happiness, whereas Kiem is the disreputable prince, who never takes anything too serious, but with such a good heart. I just loved how Kiem always sees the best in everyone, how kind, generous and sociable he is. And how he was so conscious of Jainan’s grief after losing his partner and respecting his feeling. A bit too much even… Jainan was also so lovable, but a much more complex character with a baggage that revealed itself as the story evolved. When it appears that Prince Taam’s death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan is not only shut out from the investigation of his late husband’s death, but a suspect himself, the new couple must quickly overcome their differences and learn to trust one another while navigating political, military and inter-galactic diplomatic relations. As well as dealing with their growing feelings for each other…

The genuine and sweet way Kiem’s and Jainan’s relationship developed was just adorable. Everina Maxwell did an excellent job building up the romance slowly while at the same time driving the plot forward at light speed with the murder mystery, the political intrigues and all galactic action.

I also really loved the world building and the unique concept that gender is a choice you can make to express (or not) and that partnerships are completely gender-neutral too. In this world there is no homophobia at all. The character’s sexuality is no one’s business but their own. I really appreciated the fact that Everina Maxwell didn’t even make a big thing of this.

Even though the story is based on a science-fiction story and set in space, it feels very contemporary. It’s light and sassy, but it still deals with a lot of heavy topics such as abuse and violence, angst, self-loathing, love and vulnerability, and a forced marriage trope. Basically, this book has it all! A swooning gay romance, great dialogue, nuanced and queer relationships, political intrigues that need to be challenged, a murder history that needs to be solved, and a galactic war that needs to be stopped. It’s hilarious, witty, tender, thoughtful and devastatingly heartfelt. It’s a story about being brave enough to admit you are worth fighting for, for wanting things, and for chasing after those things. It’s a story that deals with difficult topics in a both honest and fun way at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the eARC and the opportunity to read this gem in exchange for an honest review! I absolutely love this book and recommend it with all my heart!

Rating:
5 stars

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Everina Maxwell

Swell is a super cute, sweet and heartwarming M/M romance story full of gorgeous Summer vibes, surfing and bonfires. It’s a story about first love, finding yourself and coming out.
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Set in California in the 1970s, this story follows eighteen-year-old Gabriel during a Summer that will change his life. When a new family moves to the neighborhood, Gabriel finds himself drawn to their son Will, who is handsome, older, and more confident, in a way he’s never experienced before. 

The two main characters are utterly wonderful and I rooted so for both Gabriel and Will and their fear of taking the risk of letting each other know their true feelings. At first, I struggled a bit with Gabriel as the narrator, since he felt a little too childish and immature (more like 15 than 18), but as I got to know him more, I absolutely adored him and his doubts. The writing also got a better flow as the story went along and we could relate to the characters’ feelings rather than being told through the dialogues what was going on (more show-don’t-tell, which is always appreciated).

And Will was just such a sweetheart from the start. So sweet, tender and kind, and sure in his sexuality, but not pushing Gabriel in any way. I really loved the way Gabriel and Will got to know each other and slowly started to trust and open up to one another, so much that Gabriel dared to explore his own identity.

“The surge of warmth he felt when he remembered Will’s tone and voice and words. He wanted to bottle it up, to save it somehow. Gabriel couldn’t get his mind around it. The way Will’s short statement made him feel so seen.”

The chemistry between the two was just so perfect. The author nailed capturing all the things and feels you experience, like the stolen glances, the flirting, and the awkwardness. I also really appreciated that there was no forced outing.

Overall, reading this book was a pure pleasure. It was emotional, sweet and realistic with such a gentle and beautiful romance between two young men, and I can’t wait to read more from Grace Williams!

Thank you NetGalley and Grace Williams for the ebook copy and the opportunity to find this new author and cute book! And an extra thank you to the author, Grace Williams, who in her acknowledgements explained how she, in the spirit of love will be donating 50% of the proceeds the story generates to local and national LGBTQ+ organizations.

Rating:
4 stars

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Grace Williams

I had the absolute pleasure of receiving an eARC of this book from Pride Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Reading the synopsis of this book I was so intrigued by its premise: A science fantasy serial novel exploring grief, loss, polyamory, and LGBT relationships in a sprawling stellar empire full of swords and sorcery and starships. And I’m so happy to say that I loved this book even more than expected!

This story takes place in a universe reminding me of Star Wars. There is the evil and corrupt Empire that has conquered most parts of the world, and there is the resistance fighting for The Great Library, a magical homeworld famed for protecting the powerless and preserving all knowledge. But there is so much more! There’s magic, eternal bonds, polyamory and sapphic relationships, grief, depression and PTSD, and a long-lost love, returned from his own grave with a message that cannot be ignored.

The magician Selena, who was once destined to become a Librarian for The Great Library, is now a fugitive, hunted across the stars by the Empire and their megacorp allies and shadowy crime syndicates that support them. Her only companion is her knight and protector, Demya, who spends her days in underground fighting rings to earn the money they need to survive.

Both Selena and Demya are such wonderful characters that I immediately rooted for. They are both wounded and grieving the loss of their world and future and their friend and common love interest Aleskan. The love between Selena and Demya was so beautifully described in the way their souls connected. It reminded me a lot of the “I see you”-scenes in The Avatar movie, it was the same kind of serene love. I also really enjoyed the bond between Demya, Selena and Aleskan and can’t wait to learn more about their polyamory relationship.

Since In the Light of a Broken Moon is written as a serial novel, each episode is only about 150 pages long. But it’s amazing how Bri Spicer manages to introduce the complex world building and describe the characters and make you root for them so completely on those few pages!

All in all, this was a wonderful start to the serialized novel and I can’t wait to read the next installment to find out what will happen to Serena, Demya and Aleskan and their fight to protect the Librarian sanctum. I’m also so excited to learn more about the whole magic system that I’m sure will get even more intriguing onwards!

Rating:
4.5 magical stars rounding up to 5

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Bri Spicer

Twilight meets The Covenant movie in this cute, fast-paced and addictive story full of magic, vampires and a coven of witches on the hunt for revenge. 

This second book in The Cursed series follows seventeen-year-old Chloe, as she’s lost her mother and been forced by the father that abandoned her as a child to move across the country to his new family. Grieving her mother and feeling lonely and miserable at her new snobby prep school, Chloe can’t wait to turn eighteen and get to decide for herself where to live. In addition to being lonely, she also has the feeling that she’s forgotten something important. But just as life takes a turn for the better, with high school hottie no. one, Simon Parker, asking her out for a date, her memories start coming back as well as two guys from her past. As if that wouldn’t be enough, the devastating family secret Chloe discovers in a box of old family photos, forces her to make the most devastating choice in her life – give everything up for the boy she loves or lose him forever?

I had the pleasure of receiving an ebook copy of Eternal Choice from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review, without having read the first book in The Cursed series. This second book can be read as a standalone, but I do believe that some parts of the story would have made more sense if I had read the first book. Now there were parts that were a bit difficult to fully understand without all the background information.
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Nevertheless, I really rooted for Chloe at once and I especially appreciated that she was not just another version of Bella Swan. I loved that she had so much depth and integrity and that she was not swept away or feeling dizzy just because Simon Parker took an interest in her. I really enjoyed her fierceness and the bantering between her and Simon. And then the twist… not having read the first book the twist was so much more unexpected! I really enjoyed the turn to magic, with the vampires and witches showing up and the epic love story unfolding!

I just have two minor complaints. The first one is that the story was a bit too unrealistic at times. And I don’t mean the premise that there are witches and vampires and old lineage curses demanding sacrifices of descendent in order not the threaten balance of things, I’m all for that! I mean things like getting into cars without hesitation with suspicious persons you know you can’t trust, or coincidences that are just a little too obvious. The second complaint is the second love triangle. Yes, there are two of those potentially… The first one was really greatly done and so sweet and understandable. But the second one felt so unnecessary and made me believe less in the main love relationship. If you’re willing to give up your life for someone, your aura really shouldn’t get all hazy red with lust every time you’re close to someone else. This brotherly competition was all a bit too much Vampire Diaries for me.

But those two minor complaints set apart, this was such an entertaining and addictive read that kept me on the edge all the way through. And that cliffhanger! Now I can’t wait to read the next book in this magical series! But first, I need to read the first book (Eternal Curse) to get the full picture, I really feel that this book, and the series, deserves that!

Rating:
4 stars

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Kara Leigh Miller