The moment I saw the gorgeous cover and learned that it was a gay magical story with a plot that reminded me of Carry On I knew I needed to read this book. But unfortunately, even though it was really fun and cute, I had hoped for more in regard to the plot, the characters and the romance.

So This Is Ever After is a YA story about what happens after the chosen one, seventeen-year-old Arek, wins the kingdom and has to get married to keep it (and to stay alive). It’s written in a light and fun way, and there were some truly hilarious moments while we get to follow the group of companions as they try to settle into the new life in court and helping Arek finding a spouse to save his life. But after a while the jokes got a bit repetitive and I kept wishing for more substance. I wished for more character development and more world building. There wasn’t much happening and the romantic misunderstanding was so obvious that it couldn’t keep me engaged enough.

But all in all, even though it didn’t live up to its potential, it was certainly an entertaining and fast-paced story that made me smile a lot.

Rating:
3 stars

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F.T. Lukens

I had such high expectations for this one - the blurb sounded adorable, especially the enemies-to-lovers part, and the fact that there was a lot of diversity in the characters - but unfortunately it wasn’t what I’d hoped for. Mostly because I couldn’t root for one of the main characters and because the plot just didn’t keep me engaged enough.

Cafe Con Lychee follows two teen gay guys (one closeted and one not) whose parents run competing businesses in smalltown Vermont. According to the blurb, they are archrivals who then start to work together to save their respective businesses from the threat of a new fusion cafe, which sounded like a really cute enemies-to-lovers romcom. But unfortunately the archrivals part was very one-sided, so it wasn’t the kind of enemies-to-lovers trope that I was hoping for. Especially since I really disliked one of the main characters, Theo, and couldn’t understand, nor root for, Gabi’s crush on him.
 
Theo felt so whiney and was so mean and angry all the time, without any reason that justified it, and he treated everyone around him without any respect or sympathy. (Not that his parents necessarily deserved it, they were not any favorites either, but still.)
 
All four parents in this story were actually quite unlikable, so unsupportive of their sons (Gabi’s parents were even homophobic) and so passive and incompetent to save their business on their own that I almost didn’t care if they would lose it or not.
 
I also had problems with Gabi’s best friend Meli and all her obsessive Homecoming naggings. After a while I even found myself skimming all parts where she was present.
 
The only character I truly rooted for was Gabi, and I really enjoyed seeing his character growth and the ballet parts. But his crush on Theo felt a bit like it was more about Theo being the only openly gay guy in school rather than a deep attraction and the romance part never had the right kind of chemistry for me.
 
The ending was really adorable though and made up for a lot of the prior things, but it was a little too late to save the story by then.
 
So, even though there were a lot of things that I really enjoyed, and even though I rooted for Gabi, all in all this book was quite the disappointment.

Rating:
2.5 stars rounding up to 3

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Emery Lee

I adored Legendborn and was so excited for this sequel, but sadly it fell a bit flat for me. My main issues were the plot that was kind of all over the place, the weird love triangle with one party completely absent and left in the dark about it, and the way Bree was not the badass heroine from the first book but felt like a completely different character. It was still a unique and intriguing contemporary fantasy with retold King Arthur legends, Southern Black Girl Magic, and LGBTQIA+ representation, just not as amazing as the first book in this series.

I think I had too high expectations going into this book, considering how much I loved the Hunger Games and Aiden Thomas previous book Cemetery Boys. The Sunbearer Trials was an enjoyable read, with amazing diversity and representation, but the story was a bit too predictable and felt more of a middle grade book than a young adult one. And whereas there were some great characters, there were also many one-dimensional one and a world-building with wide plot holes.

Aiden Thomas is one of my favorite authors when it comes to strong diversity and representation, and The Sunbearer Trials was no exception. I truly enjoyed the trans and nonbinary representation and the Mexican-inspired mythology. I especially loved how the whole world was queer normative, with the highest God being nonbinary and with gender confirmation ceremonies being a common thing for people who indentify themselves with a different gender from the one they were assigned at birth. Aiden Thomas is also one of the best authors I’ve ever read when it comes to describing dysphoria and the way Teo’s experience of the wing color show that was brilliant.

Teo was a likeable character, but he felt a bit pre-teen. I adored Aurelio, but the enemies-to-lovers trope never really took off between them. It was more of a friends-to not friends-to friends-again thing, that felt more middle grade than a YA romance. And many of the other characters were quite one dimensional.
I enjoyed the world building and the relationship between Teo and the birds in Quetzlan, but when the trials started the world building got a bit thin and very similar to Hunger Games. But compared to Hunger Games, the intensity was missing. Maybe because the stakes weren’t as high in the competitions, or because there was a nerv lacking in the plot or writing style? I can’t quite pinpoint what about the trials and the characters that didn’t fully work for me, but it all felt a bit juvenile and underwhelming unfortunately.

But still, it was a very enjoyable and quick read, and the amazing representation made up for a lot of the other aspects that were missing.

Rating:
3 stars

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Aiden Thomas

When I read the blurb for this new queer YA story I was immediately intrigued. “Juno meets Heartstopper in this poignant and emotional story about found family, what it means to be a parent, and falling in love.” That definitely sounded like something that would be right up my alley. And I really did enjoy this adorable story about a teen pregnancy with a twist, but not quite as much as I’d hoped for.

The story follows sixteen-year-old science geek Ben Morris shortly after he (1) has come out as gay and (2) has received the surprise of his life when an experiment at science camp has had completely unexpected consequences: a baby. When the mother in question, Ben’s best friend Maxie, wants to give the baby up for adoption, Ben tries to fight for his rights and to prepare himself for fatherhood as a single dad. Starting junior year, Ben struggles with the weight of this decision alongside the financial problems for his beloved robotics club, the challenge to keep up with school and friends, and not the least a budding romance.

Unexpecting had such a huge potential to tell a unique story and show the side of a teen pregnancy from the young dad’s view, especially with the added twist that he’d already come out as gay. And while some of these aspects were explored in a great way and the story all in all was a heartwarming and sweet portrait of an awkward and anxious yet strong and brave teenage boy facing the biggest and most scary thing in his life, I still feel like it could have been so much more.

My main issue was the plot premise itself. Firstly, about the actual act of conceiving. I mean, I could understand how the act itself happened as an experiment between two science geeks, where one wanted to make sure he was gay and one wanted to dissect virginity as a social construct, but not how the broken condom wasn’t even mentioned until halfway in the book. For a long time, it seemed like they’d been reckless enough to not even use a condom, which made no sense at all for these two characters. Especially since they weren’t drunk and it wasn’t in the spur of the moment or any other circumstances that could explain it. And even after the revelation that they had used a condom, but it had broken, it would have been better to make it into a bigger deal for the credibility of the story. Ben and Maxie should have been worried when it happened and after, at least addressing the possibility she could get pregnant before she just handed the adoption papers to Ben. Secondly, I also had issues with how quickly Ben came to the conclusion to keep the baby and how he still acted kind of childish and worried mostly about the job schedule to have time for the robotics team. He should at least have come to realize that raising a baby gives you no time for extracurricular activities whatsoever. I also really think that before coming to the conclusion to become a dad at sixteen he also should have had some doubts about giving up college or questioning how to make it work. It took until half of the book until he finally realized that raising a child has some real consequences and that he wouldn’t be able to go to MIT or the robotics summer camp as planned. And that was only because his mother told him so, not because he figured it out himself.

For the most part of the book, I felt a lot like Maxie when she confronted Ben about why he wanted to keep the baby. “Ben, I don’t get why you’re pushing this. Why would you let this disrupt your life, your plans, when you don’t have to.” and all Ben had to say was “You wouldn’t understand.” No, of course she wouldn’t, since I as a reader truly couldn’t understand it either.

Because of this, and because of the way Ben not once considered how Maxie was dealing with everything and offering his support, but just focusing on himself, he felt very childish and whiny and nowhere ready to be a parent. I also never understood the rationale for treating his other best friend, Mo, the way he did.

But on the other hand, I’m also glad that the author allowed Ben to completely be himself, not shying away from his flaws and less likable traits. His character development in the end was also truly great, and the decision he eventually made in the end was so wholesome. So a bit of mixed feelings for Ben as a main character, but eventually he made his way into my heart.

Some of the other main characters were truly amazing from the very beginning though. Like Ben’s mother who right away took Ben’s side even though she realized the hardship it would bring, and Roger, Ben’s supportive step dad. And of course Gio, Ben’s love interest. Gio was my absolute favorite, such a sweetheart, and so wise, empathic and caring. I really rooted for him right from the start, even though I didn’t fully understand what he saw in Ben and therefore never felt fully invested in their romance.

But all in all, Unexpecting was an entertaining, sweet and heartfelt YA story, with great representation and a unique plot with a fresh take on a teenager’s struggle to learn what matters most in life. So even though it wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for, I am definitely curious to read more of Jen Bailey’s books ahead.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the ARC and the opportunity to read this book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
3 stars

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Jen Bailey

This was a really cute mm hockey romance with one of my favorite tropes, friends-to-lovers, but I wasn’t as moved by it as I’d thought I’d be. It was a fast-paced and sweet story, but it was a bit too repetitive, lacked a bit of nerve and the cuteness was borderline too cheesy for me to be fully smitten by it. 

Gravity follows hockey players Bryce and Hunter. Bryce is captain of a Canadian hockey team and a superstar in NHL. And a closeted gay. Hunter is a decent hockey player, who can’t believe his luck when he’s not only invited to the All-Star Weekend but to play alongside his big hero Bryce. Their connection is instant, but maybe it means something different for Bryce than Hunter…

I really loved the beginning of the book and the nerve from Bryce and Hunter forming such a strong connection, but with all the angst from Bryce hiding his true feelings. I loved their interactions and the sexual awakening parts. I also think that for a hockey romance there was a perfect amount of hockey; not too much details, but enough to add some thrills to the story.

But the story itself lacked a bit of depth. I’d wanted to see more of Bryce’s and Hunter’s families and to know more about their backgrounds, and why Bryce felt so strongly that he had to hide who he really was. After the second half of the book, the story became a bit too slow and lost most of its suspense, and the sweet romance started to feel a bit boring and too cheesy, to be honest. I also started to get a bit annoyed by all the French, that in my opinion, didn’t add anything to the story but made it slower and harder to get into.

So, all in all, Gravity was a very sweet mm hockey romance with adorable characters, but compared to other books in this genre it felt a bit too light weight. (If you haven’t read Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, or Scoring Position by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James yet, I’d recommend those instead.)

Rating:
3 stars

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Tal Bauer

This was a bit of a disappointment, sadly. I had such high expectations for a fun, sweet and quick read, and it started off very well, but then it just became so… slow? And so full of uninteresting frat things and a mystery plot that just went on and on. In the end, I didn’t even really care who was behind the scheming, I just wanted the mystery to be over with. I did care for the two main characters though, and there were some really sweet moments between them that made the story enjoyable enough to keep reading to the end.

Presidential Chaos is the third and final book in Saxon James’s Frat Wars series, which focuses on the two presidents of the rivaling frat houses Sigma and Kappa, Zeke and Charles. I was really looking forward to getting their story and the premise of them secretly dating while joining forces to solve a mystery seemed like a great one.

But even though they were great as characters, and there were some really sweet moments, I never fully rooted for them. Charles was really sweet and I loved the way he genuinely cared about Zeke, as well as the way he wanted to keep the family together by taking on his grandfather’s expectations. But as regards Zeke, there was a huge lack of background and information to make him more than the one dimensional jock with tattoos who desperately wanted to win the Olympics.

A problem was also the way the story was told from their different POVs without making their voices distinguished enough. They sounded so alike that I often had to go back to check which one of them that said or did what.

I also frankly thought that the secondary plot, the mystery with someone spreading rumors to try and shut the Sigma house down, was quite boring. I skimmed through a lot, just wanting that part of the story, as well as the parts with the juvenile frat pranks, to be over with.

Overall, it was a cute and fluffy story, and I liked both Charles and Zeke as characters as such (even though I’d wished for Zeke to be more fleshed out). But the mystery plot was unexciting, and there was a general lack of substance to the story and the characters to make me fully root for them. So even though I enjoyed the sweet parts and the adorable banter enough to keep reading it all the way through, sadly, I have to say that this book wasn’t for me.

Rating:
2.5 stars rounding up to 3

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Saxon James

I loved the Heartstopper series to so much, so of course I had to read this add-on novella. But sadly, it was not what I hoped for. The story was just about a drama that felt completely made-up; like it was there just for the sake of it, when it could so easily have been avoided.

Basically, this novella was 80 pages of unnecessary drama and angst and Charlie overanalyzing and overreacting. Nick was still adorable though, and I loved the cute illustrations. So, it was an okay read overall, but not as all as good as the Heartstopper series. 

Rating:
3 stars

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Alice Oseman

This was a sweet and fun small-town, opposites-attract romance with the wonderful Wilder family at the center. It wasn’t fully as great as I’d hoped for, but it was still so fast-paced and addictive that I read it all in just a couple of hours.

Make Me Wilder is the first book in the Wilder Adventurs series, but I actually started this series in the completely wrong order. I received the fourth book as an ARC and absolutely loved it, and wanted to work my way through Serena Bell’s backlist. And while I enjoyed Make Me Wilder too, it didn’t quite match A Little Wilder. Maybe because I already knew a lot of what would happen, or maybe because Serena Bell has developed as an author throughout the series?

In this first book, we get acquainted with the wonderful Wilder family, who owns an adventure business in the little Oregon town Rush Creek. After Gabe’s father died when he was 15, he assumed responsibility for the business and the promise to take care of his mother and brothers. But when hot springs are discovered, the town transforms from a rodeo-focused one to a spa-and-wedding destination, and suddenly the Wilder business is struggling. So his mother hires city girl Lucy to give Wilder Adventures a makeover.

Lucy is the opposite of what Gabe is looking for in a girl, and not to mention how opposed he is to her ideas that threatens to turn Wilder Adventure into a glamping, yoga and sunset cruises business instead of real outdoor adventures, but still he can’t keep his eyes of her, and soon sparks start to fly…

I really loved Gabe and his bad-boy with a good heart vibes from the start, but I had problems connecting with Lucy. I didn’t like her damsel in distress attitude, and how she was this silly city girl walking around in high heels and spending hours on getting her make up perfect. It didn’t make sense that she would be so ignorant to outdoor life, having grown up in a small town herself. Her character just didn’t add up, especially since she was supposed to be a strong business woman who would give advice on business development for the adventure business. I did enjoy her and Gabe’s banter, and their chemistry though. But my favorite part was the big Wilder family with their wonderful dynamics and love for each other.

All in all, this was a quick, fun and sweet read, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations and I don’t think I will continue this series.

Rating:
3 stars

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Serena Bell

I was immediately intrigued, and requested an ARC from BookSirens, when I saw the adorable cover of Little Rock and learned that it was a queer YA mystery taking place at a boarding school and involving an ancient Celtic legend. I did see the trigger warnings for sex, violence and rape, but based on the cover design and the fact that it was a YA book, I didn’t think too much about it. So that’s my own mistake I guess, but still with the trigger warnings, I don’t think there was enough to fully prepare you for the brutal rape scene. So please, before going into this book, be aware that it has content that could potentially be harmful for some readers, and that the trigger warnings for violence and rape should be taken very seriously. (If possible before the release, I would really like to advice the author to add a clearer warning in the beginning of the actual book explaining this, not just the trigger warnings listed by BookSirens.)

Little Rock is set at a boarding school in England in 1993, following American teenager Owen Appletoff who is sent to the school against his own will after the death of his mother. He soon befriends and starts getting romantic feelings for his roommate, the handsome Taylor, but also, confusingly enough, finds himself being attracted to bad boy and school bully Daniel.

Owen is going through a lot in this story; not only grieving his mother and dealing with his estranged father, but also being haunted by strange visions and interested in finding out the mysteries, old legends and hidden truths at his new school, while also trying to understand his sexuality and who he is as a person. I really rooted for Owen right from the start! He was such a sweet, innocent and caring main character, and I felt very protective of him in his struggles. I’m such a fan of first love stories, it’s one of the big reasons why I love the YA genre, and there were so many sweet moments in this story, with Owen’s first kiss and first love (loves) and his sexual awakening.

I also took both Taylor and Daniel to my heart and couldn’t make up my mind about whom I wanted Owen to choose… I’m usually not a big fan of love triangles, but here it was done really well. So well actually that perhaps Owen wouldn’t have had to choose, but it could have been a full polyamory relationship with all three. There was definitely the potential for the latter, in the sweet way they all cared for each other! Especially after the tent scene (don’t want to spoil anything, but it was one of my favorite parts of the story!).

I really enjoyed the parts in this story about self-discovery and sexual awakening, as well as the Celtic legends and Hades and Persephone retellings/references. But as regards the actual mystery plot, there was just something that felt off when it came to the pacing and development. It took almost a third in for the mystery to take part of the story, and then it suddenly turned way darker and creepier than I expected for a YA story (not only because of the rape scene mentioned above). I don’t usually read dark mysteries, so it’s probably my own fault, but I didn’t enjoy all the creepy vibes and how dark and heavy the story turned with all the descriptive violence, and especially the brutal, painful, rape scene that went on for pages. It really threw me off balance and the story never recovered after that for me. In fact, I’m not sure I would even call this a mystery, the way it developed it really felt more like a horror story to me.

I also had some issues with the writing style. For a YA set in the 1990s it was written in a quite old-fashioned way that made the language feel too adult for the teenage characters. For example, calling each other “old chap” didn’t feel like an expression a teenager would use, not even in the 1990s.

So, sadly this was not a book for me. But please don’t let that discourage you if you’re into dark mysteries, and considering the trigger warnings ahead of reading, then this book could very well be your new favorite! There were a lot of parts that were really good, like the amazing characters, Owen’s journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance, the sweet ‘first-love, first-kiss’ parts and the queer relationship. If only it hadn’t been for the brutal violence and the way it turned into a horror story rather than a mystery… So, 2.5 stars rounding up to 3 in total.

Thank you BookSirens for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
2.5 stars rounding up to 3

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Álex Beltrán