3/28/2024 0 Comments Invisible Boys by Holden SheppardThis was such a raw, authentic and absolutely heartbreaking story about three teenagers trying to find a way to accept their true selves and survive the small town bigotry, homophobia and intolerance. Maybe a bit too dark for my personal preferences, but nevertheless a highly recommended one. But please be aware of the trigger warnings! Invisible Boys is a harsh coming-of-age story about three boys, who have to keep their true selves invisible to survive their small town, religious everyday life. Even to themselves. This is not a cute YA story about coming out. It’s a dark, raw, heartbreaking story about four struggling boys, who were not always likable or did the right thing.
I read the book with a knot in my belly, constantly wondering what kind of bad things that would happen next to the boys, or how they would screw up their own lives. I rooted so much for them all, but I can’t fully say that I liked them as characters, if that makes sense. Charlie, the punk rocker, was such a trouble maker who’d been let down by just about everyone and who lived for his music. I definitely understand why he acted out the way he did, but sometimes I just wished that he’d been able to keep his mouth shut just for once, or that he could treat the teachers and others wanting to help him with a little more respect. I truly adored him though and the way he stood up for himself and still was able to believe in love and being supportive of his friends after having been betrayed and let down so many times. Zeke, the shy A star student, who had always been in the shadow of his big brother and who tried so hard to be loved both at home and at school that he almost forgot who he was. Zeke was the easiest of the characters to root for, but sometimes his lack of backbone just got a bit too much. Hammer, the soccer star, was outright mean and selfish, using others without hesitation and a complete misogynist. Still, I so wanted him to come to terms with his sexuality and find a way to accept it and to heal. And then there was Matty, the sweet farmer boy, who played such an important role for the other characters. Knowing that he’d never be accepted as a gay man amongst his family or the farming community, and not having the courage to create another future for himself, he still tried so hard to find a way of not giving up hope for the life he wanted. All in all, this was a tender, raw, heartbreaking, sad and quite upsetting story tackling toxic masculinity, anger, suicide and homophobia, with characters I didn’t always love, but who got me completely invested in their story and made me wish for their happiness and courage to find their true selves so much. I definitely recommend it, it’s a relatable and important story that will stay with you for a long time, but please check the trigger warnings first, and be aware of the darkness, flawed characters and intensity of the story. It’s a complex and tragic story that will break your heart, but also give you hope. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Amazon Author info: Holden Sheppard
0 Comments
Young Royals is one of my favorite shows and Red, White & Royal Blue one of my all time favorite books, so a story combining those into a new book by Julian Winters was of course something I needed to read! Prince of the Palisades might not be exactly of the same caliber as RWARB, but it was certainly a wonderful, sweet, adorable and emotional mm romance story between a struggling prince and a badass pink-haired commoner! Prince Jadon is the spare of the fictional kingdom Reverie as the younger, messy brother of crown princess Annika. After a leaked video of him trash talking the prime minister (who is also the father of his ex) makes his parents lose their patience with him, Jadon gets exiled to Los Angeles and a preppy private school together with his sister and two royal guards. In order to be allowed back home, Jadon must change the public perception of him and prove that he is worthy to represent the royal family. Including making friends with his fellow students, joining the school play and making public non-political speeches. But definitely not getting involved with someone or getting caught kissing in public. Which turns out to be harder than expected when sparks start to fly with a certain pink-haired film student…
Running With Lions is my favorite Julian Winters book, with all the amazing characters. This story had the same kind of vibes and fleshed-out characters, witty banter and focus on love and friendship. I truly adored Princess Annika, the quirky royal guards and Reiss’ family. Jadon and Reiss had a wonderful chemistry and I loved their fun banter and how Reiss kept Jadon grounded and showed him what a “normal” life and family looked like. It was perhaps a bit too insta-lovey the way Jadon immediately was intrigued by Reiss, and it took me a while to warm up to Jadon who came across as a little too immature and selfish at first. But the character development was amazing and at the end I fully rooted for him and his relatable struggles to find his path in life. I also loved the fanfiction references to RWARB and The Princess Diaries in the tweets and comments. All in all, this was a sweet and charming YA read about finding your true self and taking a chance on love! Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the free ARC of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Amazon Add on Goodreads Author info: Julian Winters This is the third book in the Mackenzie Country series and it was yet another sweet and heartwarming MM romance taking place in the remote New Zealand sheep country with fleshed out and mature characters to root for! I’ve never been to New Zealand, but the way Jay Hogan describes the rugged, southern alps scenery is so beautiful it makes want to book a flight right away to come visit… It’s almost like the nature plays a role in the story.
In this third book, we once again get to visit Lane Sheep Station, but this time focus is on Zach’s older brother Jules. The books can be read as standalones, but I strongly advice to read them all and in order, for the wonderful revisits of the previous characters and to fully understand the background to the events, but also because they are all highly recommended reads! As we know from the previous books, Zach’s and Jules’ father is a mean homophobe, who drove Zach away when he came out as gay. Naturally, Jules has had good reasons to keep his bisexuality hidden. Especially since he’s never met a man worth pursuing that side for. Not until his dad gets a stroke and physical therapist Liam comes to stay at the station and turns Jules’ world upside down… This was such an adorable bi-awakening story, full of first time sweetness, supportive family members and friends, and the struggle to stand up for yourself and take a chance on true love. It was also lovely seeing both Gil and Holden, and Zach and Luke still being so happily in love and totally sappy! Compared to the previous books, it was lower on angst and a little bit slower, but still full of humor, perfect chemistry, surprising twists and the perfect amount of spiciness! I received a free ARC of this book, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Amazon Bookbub Add to Goodreads Author info: Jay Hogan 1/26/2024 0 Comments The Wild Within by Gwen MartinI love Gwen Martin’s authentic love stories! They are always heartbreaking and beautiful, full of pain and hope, grief and joy, loss and love, and amazing characters, often struggling with their mental health. This new The Collective series is no different! The Wild Within follows Chance, who is trying to get his life back on track after a suicide attempt and getting a bipolar diagnosis, and Duncan, who is Chance’s brother’s friend and who volunteers to drive Chance to his appointments and the community center The Collective where he volunteers. Helping others is what Duncan does, and it doesn’t hurt that Chance is charming, funny and attractive. But helping others comes at a cost, and while Chance is slowly his bearing, Duncan is pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion.
This was such a beautifully written, emotional and raw story dealing with depression, addiction and mental health. But also a warm and hopeful story full of friendship and support. And love. A very slooooow but wonderful slow burn. And some amazing character growth, especially from Chance! I can’t wait to continue this series with Tristan’s story next! Thank you to the author Gwen Martin for the free review copy, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Gwen Martin 1/20/2024 0 Comments The Hot Mess Prince by Emily SpadyThis was such a cute m/m romance story, full of snarky banter and grumpy/sunshine-ness. Fun, fast-paced and highly enjoyable! The Hot Mess Prince is, to no surprise, about a prince who is a charming party boy, but always ends up in a scandal or two, and who can’t help doing his best to annoy his assistant. Said assistant, who might come across as stiff and boring, but who struggles with not admitting his not-so-professional feelings for his boss. Especially after an attempt to redeem the prince’s reputation forces them to spend more time together and Neel comes to realize that the reason for Prince Thibault’s behavior might have more to do with him being lonely and feeling lost, than just being a spoilt prick.
The book started a bit slowly and I was afraid that it would be too much of just a shallow prince-subject romance trope, but as soon as I got to know the characters more, I completely rooted for them and their romance. I also appreciated that the story had more depths with Thibault’s lost boy and loneliness problems, the abandonment issues with his parents, the fear of ending up like his uncle and the depression aspects. All in all, this was a very charming, witty and fun read! Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free copy, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Amazon Author info: Emily Spady 1/10/2024 0 Comments Game On by Amy AislinSuch a cute and heartwarming third (and last?) book in the Vancouver Orcas series! This series is definitely one of my favorite MM hockey romance series with its strong, but sweet and kind, hockey players, supportive teammates and steamy romances! The books in this series can be read as standalones, as each book focuses on one of the Shore cousins at a time, but I enjoy seeing the characters from the previous book as an extra bonus.
This time, the main character is hockey player Jamie Jamieson (yes that’s his real name), who’s had a really bad time at his previous team after breaking up with the captain’s brother, and who can’t wait to start over, never ever getting involved with anyone associated with a teammate again. But one glance at his new housemate, Coach Shore’s cousin Dorian, and he knows he’s in big trouble. This was such a sweet story! Jamie was such a cinnamon roll, so crushed after the mean treatment by his last team but so full of love for his friends and family and the dogs he’s fostering. Dorian was a bit harder to fully take to my heart. He’s been part of the previous two books as well, but I never truly got him then either. He’s supposed to be super intelligent and caring, but comes across as quite aimless and a little too self-centered. It’s like he was always overthinking things and making everything so much more complicated than it needed to be. And he was so focused on how he never got any support or love from his parents that he kind of forgot to be supportive to and interested in others. That said, I still loved Jamie and Dorian together. They really made sense as a couple! I loved the snarky banter, the forced proximity and suppressed attraction, the slow burn and how they lifted each other up, helped each other in their struggles and made each other feel secure and worthy of love. I also loved all the lovely side characters with Jamie’s big family, the other Shore cousins and the teammates in the Orcas. And Poppy of course! Since there are no more Shore cousins (that I know of?), I’m afraid this might be the last book in the series. I hope not, but if so, it was a truly heartwarming finale and another wonderful and uplifting story in the intriguing Orcas universe! Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free review copy and blog tour invitation! All opinions are my own and I’m leaving my honest review voluntarily. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Amy Aislin This was such a cute grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers YA retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night! Complex characters with great character development and so much fun and witty banter! The story is told in dual POVs from Viola Reyes (“Vi”), the smart and geeky girl who is tired of not being taken seriously and comes across as a little… bitchy, and Jack Orsino (“Duke Orsino”), the star football player who has it all figured out and who has never had any problems with people not liking him. Except Vi, that is. But when an injury makes his football career uncertain and his girlfriend doesn’t seem to be interested in being his girlfriend anymore, he might not have a clue about life or himself after all.
It took a while for me to root for either of the MCs. Initially, Jack was just too selfish, cocky and immature, and Violet too bitter and mean. But once they started to play the Twelfth Knight game together (what a clever way to make the title part of the story btw!) and unknowingly share their thoughts and doubts with each other, they both found their way to my heart. Seeing Jack’s struggle and how he’s gradually getting feelings for Vi was so sweet and heartwarming. I also really appreciated how he did the right thing with Olivia and didn’t act on his feelings for Vi until that mess was sorted out. The way Vi interacted with others was truly frustrating at times, especially the way she treated her twin brother Bash, but when seeing things from her POV I nevertheless always understood her thoughts and how she wasn’t mean, just frank and afraid of getting hurt. The miscommunication was a bit annoying at times, but it’s hard to complain about that aspect as it comes with the original Shakespearean story that the retelling is based on. Overall, the Shakespearean references to the original plot were really well carried out and the story was updated to modern times and gaming culture without losing its uniqueness. All in all, this was a charming and heartwarming retelling, with a strong female lead, great side characters and a cute enemies-to-lovers romance! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Pre-order Add on Goodreads Author info: Alexene Farol Follmuth This was such a cute add-on to the Hockey Ever After series, full of festive season vibes, telling the story how Gabe decided to retire and how he and Dante became parents. I had some problems with how grumpy Gabe was for most of the story, but that sorted itself out in the best possible way in the end.
Overall, I loved getting this sneak-peak into Dante and Gabe’s life as a married couple. They are, and will forever be, my favorite couple in this heartwarming and addictive mm romance series! Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Add on Goodreads Author info: Ashlyn Kane Morgan James 11/20/2023 0 Comments Get Frosted by Amy AislinThis was such an adorable small town best friend’s brother romance full of Christmas sparkles! Low on angst and truly bitter rivalry, but full of family, sweetness, Christmas decorations and fun banter. I love Amy Aislin’s hockey series about the Vancouver Orcas, so when I found out that Amy had written a holiday story with former hockey players, I immediately had to sign up for an ARC! And I’m so happy I did! This story truly gave me all the warm and fuzzy Christmas feels.
Mik and Rudy have been rival hockey players since Mik’s rookie season, when a reporter pitted him against his older brother’s best friend. Now, they’re both retired and have continued their rivalry to the respective local pubs they’re managing in small town Christmas Falls. But when agreeing to help Mik’s brother Josh and his pregnant wife out by hosting a surprise party, they start to realize that maybe the rivalry was more of a habit than a real thing and that there might be other kinds of feelings hidden beneath it… This story is pitched as a rivals to lovers one, but it really isn’t. It’s more about one of the MCs pining for the other for years and the other being oblivious to it. It was a great story, but it didn’t have that intensity and animosity that you expect from the rivals/enemies to lovers trope. It was also very low on angst and the MCs often, especially Mik, felt more like colleges guys than retired 30 plus hockey players. But that said, it was a super cute Christmas story! When I got into the right mindset about the MCs dynamics, I loved their teasing banter, their loyalty to and support for Mik’s brother/Rudy’s best friend, the way Rudy had been pining for years but still didn’t think he was allowed to truly have Mik, and all the holiday feels. Get Frosted is an absolutely lovely, sweet and fastpaced holiday story that is guaranteed to get you into the Christmas mood. Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the ARC! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Amy Aislin This second book in the magical Blood Debts series had just as much (if not more!) mystery, deadly drama and amazing queer characters as the first one. The story was even darker and the characters even more morally grey, and there were even more subplots and ethical dilemmas that made it a whirlwind of revenge, mayhem and pain. The Blood Debts series is a rich contemporary YA fantasy with powerful magical families, a unique world building full of Southern mystic and deadly drama in New Orleans. In this second installment, we get to follow the twins Cristina (Cris) and Clem as they deal with the consequences from the family blood justice collecting in the first book. Clem is struggling with guilt and how to bring all of his boyfriend’s soul back from the dead, while Cris is just angry and wants revenge. Overall, there is a lot of rage and anger in this book; at the systems and the injustice, racial oppression and dehumanization of black people, at old betrayals and evil pacts, as well as pain and hurt from being abandoned or abused.
There is so much going on in this book, so many layers and so many heavy subjects that it was a literal whirlwind reading it. While I’m utterly impressed by Terry J. Benton-Walker for the creativity and the amazing story, it also made it a little slow to read with all the different subplots and all characters, compared to the first book. I still loved the diverse characters and how they were all so fleshed out, morally grey and relatable, but I struggled a little bit with rooting for them this time. Especially Cris who did a lot of bad and seriously questionable things in this book. At times I wasn’t sure I wanted her to succeed in getting the throne. But all in all, this was a very well executed second installment in a series I can’t wait to continue. This series has such a unique mix of urban fantasy, mystery, heavy topics of oppression of black and queer people, mental illness and trauma, love, friendship, healing and forgiveness that I look forward to exploring even more in the next installment. The jaw dropping cliffhanger certainly indicates that the story will not get less addictive or complicated in the next book… Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via NetGalley, but I am leaving my honest review. Many thanks to Tor/Forge and Terry J. Benton-Walker for the opportunity! Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Preorder links Add on Goodreads Author info: Terry J. Benton-Walker |
CategoriesAll 1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars Abbi Glines Abby Kaitz Abdi Nazemian Adam Silvera Adib Khorram Aiden Thomas Aisha Saeed Aislinn Brophy AJ Collins Alexandra Christo Alex Beltran Alexene Farol Follmuth Alexis Hall Alex Kelly Alex Sanchez Alice Dolman Alice Oseman Alice Winn Ali Hazelwood Alison Cochrun Al Riske Alwyn Hamilton Amanda Ferreira Amanda Woody A. Meredith Walters Amy Aislin Amy Harmon Amy S. Foster Amy Spalding André Aciman Andy V Roamer Angie Thomas Annabeth Albert A. Poland Ashley Poston Ashley Woodfolk Ashlyn Kane Audrey Coulthurst Ban Gilmartin Becca Fitzpatrick Becky Albertalli Benjamin Alire Saenz Beth Bolden Bill Konigsberg B.L. Maxwell Briar Prescott Bri Spicer Brooke Skipstone Cait Nary Cale Dietrich Cara Dee Casey McQuiston Cassandra Clare Cat Sebastian C.F. White C.G. Drews Charlie Adhara Charli Meadows Chasten Buttigieg Chris Bedell Christina Lauren Christina Lee Ciara Smyth Claerie Kavanaugh Clarissa Pattern C.L. Beaumont Colette Davison Colleen Hoover Courtney Kae Crystal Frasier C.S. Pacat Dallas Smith Daven McQueen David Biddle David Yoon Dean Atta Debbie McGowan Debbie Rigaud Debbie Schrack Deborah Harkness Delia Owens D.G. Carothers Dhonielle Clayton D.N. Bryn Douglas Stuart Dustin Thao Elisa A. Bonnin Elizabeth Acevedo Elizabeth Arroyo Elle Kennedy Elle Wright E.L. Massey E. Lockhart Emery Lee Emily M. Danforth Emily Mims Erin Watt Ernest Cline Evan J. Corbin Eve Morton Everina Maxwell Evie Dunmore Felice Stevens F.T. Lukens Grace Williams Gwen Martin Hannah Grace Hanya Yanagihara Hayden Stone Heather Truett H.E. Edgmon Hettie Bell Holly Black Hope Irving H.S. Valley Hudson Lin Ingrid Sterling Jacob Gelman Jacqueline Lee Jacqueline Woodson James L. Sutter Jamie Deacon Jandy Nelson Jax Calder Jay Hogan Jeanette Winterson Jeff Zentner Jen Bailey Jenna Evans Welch Jenn Burke Jennifer E. Smith Jennifer G. Edelson Jennifer Gilmore Jennifer Iacopelli Jennifer Kropf Jennifer Niven Jenny Downham Jenny Han Jeremy Ray Jesse H. Reign Joelle Lynne John Green Jonny Garza Villa Julianne Donaldson Julian Winters Kacen Callender Kami Garcia Kara Leigh Miller Kasie West Kate Larkindale Katharine McGee Kathleen Mareé Kathy Anderson K.A. Tucker KD Casey Kendall Grey Kevin Van Whye Kiley Reid Kim Fielding Kim Holden Kim Liggett Kitty Bardot Kris Ripper K.S. Marsden Laura Hall Laura Pavlov Laura Silverman Lauren James Lauren Shippen Laurie Frankel Leah Johnson Lee Matthew Goldberg Leigh Bardugo Lex Croucher Leylah Attar Lisa Henry Lisa Williamson Lisa Wingate Liv Rancourt Liz Plum Lola Noire Lynn Michaels Mackenzi Lee Madeline Miller Magdalena Di Sotru Maggie Doolin Maggie Stiefvater Malin Persson Giolito Malorie Blackman Margaret Stohl Marie Lu Mary E. Pearson Mason Deaver Matthew R. Corr M.A. Wardell Melanie Munton Melina Marchetta Meredith Russo Miel Moreland Mila Gray Miranda Kenneally Moa Backe Astot Morgan James M. Tasia Nancy Garden Natalie Haynes Nathaniel Shea Nicholas Sparks Nicola Yoon Nic Starr Nic Stone Nina Kenwood Nita Tyndall Nora Sakavic N.R. Walker Nyla K. Owen Lach Penny Aimes Phil Stamper Quinn Anderson Rachael Brownell Rachael Lippincott Rachel Hawkins Rachel Reid Racquel Marie Rainbow Rowell Ray Stoeve Renée Dahlia Rhiannon Wilde Riley Hart River Braun Roan Parrish Robin Gow Roseanne A. Brown Rowan MacKemsley Ruby Moone Ruta Sepetys Ryan La Sala Sally Green Sally Rooney Sarah J. Maas Sarah Waters Sarina Bowen Sasha Laurens Saundra Mitchell Saxon James Serena Bell Shannon O’Connor Sidney Bell Simone Elkeles Siryn Sueng Sophia DeRise Sophia Soames Sophie Gonzales S.R. Lane Stephen Chbosky Stephenie Meyer Steven Salvatore Susan Mac Nicol Suzanne Collins Tahereh Mafi Tal Bauer Tamara Girardi Taylor Jenkins Reid Teagan Hunter Terry J. Benton-Walker Tiffany D. Jackson Timothy Janovsky T.J. Klune T.L. Bradford Tobly McSmith Tomasz Jedrowski Tomi Adeyemi Tracy Deonn Tucker Shaw Val Wise Veronica Rossi Veronica Roth V.E. Schwab Wesley Chu Victor Dixen Victoria Aveyard V.L. Stuart Xan Van Rooyen Yamile Saied Méndez Archives
September 2023
|