I totally loved this witty, charming, opposites-attract, banter-making-sparks-fly romcom! It really took me by surprise how fun and sweet and wonderful it was but still also with more depth than expected! I read it in one sitting, completely hooked.

The story follows science journalist Megan (think Amy in The Big Bang Theory) who moves in as a roommate to Josh, another science nerd. Josh is the perfect roommate - and also possible love interest - smart, fun, cute, sweet and into science just like Megan. But how come Brandon, Josh’s jock football player for a brother keeps invading Megan’s mind? Brandon is the total opposite of anything she cares about, and also a reminder of a high school trauma that she’s still not quite over. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Which is true also for Josh who’s got a lot more to deal with than Megan knows…
 
I really loved the hilarious banter between Megan and Brandon! The opposites-attract romance was so well done in the way their teasing and arguing made sparks fly. Even though Megan’s comments were honest to an extent boarding to mean, Brandon soon found himself having internal dialogues with Megan and learning science facts to come back to her with killer punch lines, and starting to appreciate not being constantly smiled to and treated as a celebrity, but as a real person. I also loved the way they both had insecurities to deal with, and how Brandon was not portraited as the jock stereotype, but in addition to being completely buff and charming also was sweet and insecure, feeling unintelligent and how protective he was about his brother. And for Megan, how she had her own trauma to deal with, as well as feeling completely out of her comfort zone being compared to the other WAGs… And the science references were so well done! This hilarious romcom didn’t just make me root for the characters, it even got me interested in things like bioluminescence (animals able to emit their own light).
 
I also really appreciated the parts involving Josh and his significant other and how one person’s decision to stay closeted effects the other person in the relationship too. Where do you draw the line when the love you feel for someone forces you to hide yourself to the world? When is the denial too much to justify the love?
 
All in all, this was such a pleasant surprise! Hilarious, addictive, with funny dialogues and amazing chemistry, and with characters that completely stole my heart! Highly recommend!
 
Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the opportunity to read this romcom gem! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 stars

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Add on  Goodreads

​Author info:
Website • Instagram • Facebook • Goodreads

Happy Book Birthday to It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland! This heartfelt, second chance queer pop band story and its characters have completely captured my heart! I wish there was a playlist for this book, I’m such a fan of a band that doesn’t even exist... It Goes Like This is a wholesome, tender and emotional story about love and friendship, heartbreak and life changing crises, music and creativity, and big dreams versus the small things in life that truly matters.

The story follows the four former members of a queer girl band - Eva, Celeste, Gina and Steph – one and a half year after ‘Moonlight Overthrow’ was disbanded. But it was not just the band that ended, also the secret relationship between Eva and Celeste was ruined by the messy breakup. All four of them went their separate ways – Celeste as a Grammy-awarded solo artis, Gina as a superstar actress, Eva as a songwriter and college student and Steph returning to her hometown to become their true nonbinary self away from the spotlights and the boundaries set by being in a ‘girl’ band – and haven’t spoken since their last band performance. But when a huge storm hits their old hometown, they decide to reunite the band for a charity concert for the victims and awkwardly meet up again.

The story is told from the four members alternating POVs and in two parallel tracks, jumping between present and past to reveal how the band was formed, how Eva and Celeste fell in love and how everything eventually fell apart. I really loved this way of slowly revealing the backstory, the developments of the different relationships and the problems and misunderstandings leading to the break-up. I especially appreciated how the story showed Steph’s transition in such a nuanced and authentic way.

Miel Moreland’s writing style was incredible and with a wonderful flow and pacing. It pulled me in from the very first moment, making me root for the characters and intrigued me to find out why the band broke up and the backstory of each character. I really enjoyed the way Miel Moreland used Twitter and Tumblr posts to show the intersection between real life and fandom and how things get misinterpreted and can spin out of control in the blink of an eye.

The story was so inclusive and empowering with its amazing queer diversity. Eva and Celeste were lesbians, Gina bi and Steph was pan and non-binary, and they were all open and proud about who they were. They were all such three dimensional and authentic characters and there was so much chemistry between them as a band. I rooted so for all four of them, and hoped with all my heart that they would get back to being friends again and for Eva and Celeste to be even more than that…

All in all, this was a wonderful, inclusive, heartfelt and addictive story about finding your path in life and about second chances, friendship that survives anything and found families. I absolutely adored the amazing array of queer characters who all felt authentic and real, the unique story and the music references (is it possible to be in fandom for a fictional band that doesn’t exist?) and know that I will remember this book ‘til the moon crashes into the sea’. I recommend this queer masterpiece with all my heart!

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this fabulous book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 brilliant stars

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​
Author info:
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I absolutely adored this book! Kate In Wating is a sweet, tender and emotional story about friendship, crushes and high school musicals. I binge-read this cutie, so smitten by the wonderful characters and fun and charming story.

The story follows best friends Kate and Anderson, who do just about everything together; drive to school, audition for the school musicals, even crush on the same guys... But they’d never let anything get between them. At least not until Matt, their mutual summer crush, suddenly starts in their school and stars the musical. The problem is that the crush turns into something much more, for both of them, and that it might end up destroying Kate and Andy’s apparently not-so-indestructible-anymore friendship.

This book is one of Becky Albertalli’s absolute best! It’s up on my top together with Simon vs. It was so cute and fun, and I loved the musical theatre references and all the representation, but most of all the wonderful, fleshed out characters. I loved that the main focus was on the friendship between Kate and Anderson, and not on the romance. I also loved the wonderful group of friends, and the sibling relationship between Kate and her brother Ryan.

I do have two minor complaints though. The first one is the repetitive use of the word, and the perfunctory labeling of characters, as ‘fuckboys’. I don’t mind the word as such, but the excessive use of the word was quite annoying, and it’s not like Becky Albertalli to put labels on people simply based on who they hang out with, so I was quite disappointed by that aspect of the book. My second complaint was that Matt felt a bit flat and one-dimensional as the object for both Kate’s and Anderson’s crushes. He was really sweet, but his character wasn’t explored enough for us readers to really get to know him.

But those minor complaints set aside, this book was such a delightful and entertaining YA rom com with so many other amazing characters to root for! Anderson was such a sweetheart who immediately stole my heart, and Kate was so relatable in her doubts and anxiety and felt so fleshed out and authentic in the way she alternated between being selfish and jealous and being supportive and wanting to put Anderson’s happiness before her own. And her bantering with Noah was so sweet and hilarious! Honestly, I just wanted her to see Noah instead of Matt the whole time… Next to Kate and Anderson he was my favorite character!

All in all, this was such a delightful, sweet, adorkable and wonderful YA story about first love, friendship and stage fright. It was full of humor, witty conversations, hilarious situations and relatable characters with so many flaws, over-the-top feelings and vulnerability, showing the problems to navigate through high school while being true to who you are. Highly recommended!

Rating:
4.5 dazzling stars rounding up to 5

Get your own copy:
Bookshop.org
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Book Depository

​Author info:
Becky Albertalli

I love Beth Bolden’s adorable, sweet and heartwarming m/m foodie romances, and this third book in the Food Truck Warriors series did not disappoint. Not at all. I binge-read this sweet, frenemies to lovers, second chance romance in just a few hours - that’s how addictive it was!

The Food Truck Warriors series follows a group of gay food truck owners in LA, but each book can be read as a standalone as they focus on different characters and their relationships each time. However, I really do love the way Beth Bolden keeps giving us glimpses of the characters from her previous books and how she’s created her own universe by weaving her stories and characters together without making the story plot less understandable if you’d jump straight into this one as your first read. This time, the story followed the two characters we’ve met as the two combatants in the previous books (if you have read the previous books you are probably already familiar with their meet ball incident…), Gabriel Moretti and Sean Cooper.

Two years ago, Gabriel and Sean both named their food trucks the exact same name – On A Roll – and since neither of them wanted to give in and change the name, they ended up as enemies, constantly fighting. But is it really only the disagreement about a name that keeps pulling them towards each other? Don’t they both enjoy the fighting and bickering a little too much… couldn’t it be that for them fighting is actually flirting, and what they really crave is each other? When they are faced with an ultimatum to change the name and try to settle it over a couple of drinks, their buried chemistry is sudden out in the open and much more becomes at stake than just a food truck name.

I absolutely loved the frenemies to lovers trope, it was so well executed, and their fighting/bantering turning into smoking hot attraction was so fun and addictive! I also really appreciated the background stories that Beth Bolden slowly revealed, explaining the tragedy behind Sean’s reason for his food truck name, and Gabriel’s need to distance himself and find his own path away from his family heritage. The way Sean didn’t think he deserved love again was so heartbreaking, as was the way Gabriel let himself be completely honest and vulnerable. He really wore his heart on his sleeve and put himself out there for Sean when he learned about the tragedy, even though Sean tried to keep his protective walls up.

Compared to the previous two books in the series, the story was perhaps a little bit thinner and without the major emotional rollercoasters and suspense. But all in all, On A Roll was a heartwarming and charming, sweet and romantic, and very sexy, story about second chances and being brave enough to reveal your most vulnerable self for a chance of true love and happiness.

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

Rating:
4.5 adorable stars rounding up to 5.

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Giveaway:
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Author info:
A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty-three novels and seven novellas.

Connect with Beth Bolden:
Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • BookBub • Newsletter Sign-up

Red, White & Royal Blue swept me away the first time I read it in 2019. I called it a
“​a queer, political/royal romcom masterpiece” and a book that had it all and was “a swooning gay romance, with great dialogue, enemies-turning-to-lovers, old traditions that need to be challenged, wonderful siblings and sassy friends,” and that it was “a hilarious, witty, tender, thoughtful and devastatingly heartfelt story that dealt with difficult topics in a both honest and fun way, and a story that gives you hope for a better world,” and that I loved it with all my heart! So, how do I feel after rereading it? Well, I didn’t think i was possible, but I’m even more in love with it! This amazing book with it’s lovable and relatable characters and their vulnerability, and the positivity, and the larger than life love affair, truly is a  masterpiece! A future classics!

I don’t think I need to talk too much about the story, it’s so well-known by now, but in brief: Americas First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry of Wales have had a beef since they med at the Olympics when Alex was eighteen and Henry ignored him.

The characters are so loveable. Not just Alex and Prince Henry, but I also love Alex’s parents and his sister Julia and friend Nora (“The White House Trio”) and Henry’s sister Bea and the White House staff. Casey McQuiston does such an amazing job in making them feel real and making you love them. And there were so many wonderful scenes and twists and dialogues. The writing is so good and fun! Easy banter, sassy retorts, just everything you could possibly wish for.

Still, there are so many emotions in this book. So much love and vulnerability, friendship, angst, and the hardship and struggle of finding out who you are and stay true to that or remaining closeted. In fact, Alex doesn’t even realize that he is bi until he falls for Henry. 

You can read my full swooning review from my first read here: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

But this time around I also watched the beautiful fanart created by Venessa Kelley while reading the book.

​If you haven’t yet read this book, please don’t continue to watch the art below as it might contain spoilers!

She truly made the story come even more to life, and absolutely nailed all characters and scenes. Don’t you agree when looking at the pictures below? Starting with the hilarious cake disaster that forced Alex and Henry together for a fake friend scheme... And then two of my favorite scenes, which are the first kiss and the red room scene with Alex showing Henry that he’s into him too, followed by the polo scene (“Oh my God, what are you doing? I can’t even look at you.”).

The lake scene is one of the most heart-wrenching ones, with Alex about to give Henry his heart, but Henry getting scared and closing his, then ghosting Alex. So emotional, almost more the second time around.

And of course, the last piece of art showing of the happy ending. “They take about a hundred portraits just sitting next on the bench next to each other and smiling.” I can’t look at it without getting this huge smile all over my face! I’m so happy that they dared to give their hearts away and got to change history and find true love and happiness!

“History, huh?​”

My biggest wish now is that this book is turned into a movie or Netflix series ASAP! Otherwise, I might need to reread it again...

Rating:
​5 stars

Get your own copy:
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Book Depository

​Author info:
Casey McQuiston

Artist info:
Venessa Kelley

Happy Book Birthday to this gem of a book! The Hate Project was so awkward, sweet, funny and completely unique! I loved Oscar’s dark sense of humor and the unsentimental way this book dealt with mental health issues. And ‘The Motherfuckers’ were the best group of friends/found family ever!

This is the second novel in The Love Study series about a college group of friends calling themselves ‘The Motherfuckers’, but it can well be read as a standalone as each book focuses on different persons from the group and their problems and relationships. This time, focus was on Oscar, who is dealing with some serious issues with anxiety and depression, and who is terrified of relationships. When he gets fired from his job, one of the Motherfuckers set him up to help his friend Jack clean out his grandparent’s house, which is a lot of work considering that the grandfather was a hoarder. Jack also has some serios emotional baggage with trust issues after a bad divorce, and the two men develops a grumpy, frenemies, bickering relationship spiced with some extra benefits… but what should be just casual sex soon develops into something more that threatens Oscar carefully built-up walls to keep him functioning.

The Hate Project was such a sweet, funny, and incredibly unique story! I loved the unsentimental way in which Oscar’s mental health problems were described and how he was allowed to be totally himself at all times; grumpy, acting out, getting panic attacks and lacking social skills, but still being such an adorable and wonderful person and having such a strong network of supporting friends in The Motherfuckers. And Jack stole my heart from the very start. Not to mention his grandmother, Evelyn was hilarious, strong-willed and simply amazing!

The writing style was very light and easy even though the story dealt with a lot of heavy topics, and the dark sense of humor and the bickering between all characters made it such an enjoyable and fun read. Some things that Oscar did were so awkward, and sometimes I wanted to shake some sense in him and stop him from throwing away what’s good in his life, but this was part of what made this story so real, refreshing and addictive.

All in all, this is one of the sweetest stories about the love of found families I’ve ever read. It’s also such a real and honest story about navigating life with social anxiety, depression and mental health treatments. But most of all, it’s a heartwarming story about finding love, friends and happiness. Even if it presents itself in a grumpy way…

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

Rating:
4.5 adorkable stars rounding up to 5

Get your own copy:
Harlequin • Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Apple Books • Kobo • Add on Goodreads

Author info: 
Website • Twitter • Facebook ​• ​Instagram • Goodreads

This book completely blew me away! It was such an adorable and sweet, but also so heart-wrenching and gripping, story about two boy band members falling in love with each other and having to choose between risking the band and their whole careers or being allowed to be their true selves. It was also a terrifying tale showing the harsh realities of the music industry, as well as a wonderful tribute to loyalty and friendship. I read this book feverishly in one sitting, hoping for the HEA the main characters so deserved, but fearing that the evil manager or the characters themselves would cause a train wreck hindering that.

The story follows the boy band ‘Saturday’ and its four members Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel, as they head off to Europe for an overseas concert tour together with their strict management. Everything in their lives is planned and arranged in detail for the personas they’ve been typecasted for; the clothing (even in private), their hairstyles, who they’re allowed to talk to, and what they are allowed to say or do. To live up the mass-appeal demands, Ruben has been forced to hide being gay since he was sixteen, Angel has been forced to change his name, Jon has been forced to play on his sex appeal and Zach has been stopped from writing music the way he wants to. Basically, they are treated more as products than real people. That is, until the pressure just gets too high, and Zach starts to question his sexuality, Angel starts taking drugs and Ruben just can’t take any more of his mother’s ‘feedback’ and lying about who he really is. When things get weird between him and his secret crush Zach after a kiss one night with too much to drink, the foundation for the whole band starts to crack.

This was such an amazing book! It didn’t shy away from the darkness and trauma and the problems with the entertainment industry, but it was also a heartwarming, sweet and adorable story about love and unwavering friendship. I rooted so for all the four main characters, they all completely stole my heart in their own ways. They were so complex and wonderful and my heart ached for them, especially Ruben and Zach struggling with new feelings for each other and for their right to be together in open, but also for Jon always coming second after the business for his father, and Angel for not getting the help he so desperately needed. And the friendship between the four of them was truly amazing. Even though they fought, they always had each other’s backs.

I loved the writing style and how the authors made us reader come along the four main characters’ journey from insecure, closeted, troublesome kids to young men finding their path. I also really appreciated the authentic way in which the pressure and objectification within the music industry was explored, showing the abuse of powers, the constant supervision, control and staging, the exhausting working conditions, the homophobia and marginalization of queer artists, and how young celebrities are kept isolated and risk to lose their sense of who they truly are. There were some parts that were almost too heartbreaking and I wanted to scream at the horrible persons responsible for the way the band members were treated. But there were also so many parts with hope and joy, amazing character developments, a swooning love story and, most of all, the important message that you are beautiful and wonderful just the way you are

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and recommend it with all my heart! It was such a powerful story about accepting and being proud of who you are, for wanting things and for being brave enough to chase after those things no matter how scary it feels or how hard it might make your life. It dealt with difficult topics in an honest and realistic way, but it was also such an uplifting, heart-warming, sweet and emotional rollercoaster for a love story!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this gem! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 glorious stars

Get your own copy:
Bookshop.org
Amazon
Book Depository

​Author info:
Sophie Gonzales
Cale Dietrich

This is such an important, beautiful and inspiring ownvoices-story showing that there are many ways to be queer and trans, and how important it is to find your own voice and be your fullest self. Between Perfect and Real is honest and raw, but also so full of hope, and with amazing characters that have completely captured my heart! This heartfelt coming-of-age story about the struggles of a transgender teen boy deserves to be read by everyone! 

The story follows high school senior Dean Foster, who knows he’s a trans guy, but to everyone else, including his girlfriend Zoe, is seen as a lesbian girl. But when he gets casted as Romeo in the school play, he realizes that he wants everyone to see him for who he really is. Not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life.

I completely rooted for Dean from the very first second and my heart ached for him through all his struggles and doubts. This story was so real and didn’t shy away from any of the difficulties Dean faced, such as body dysphoria, anxiety, self-doubt, transphobia, bullying and all other highs and lows of coming out as trans and the struggles when not everyone close to you can accept the change. The way Dean’s mother reacted and how she kept dead-naming him made me so angry I wanted to scream out loud at times… But it was nevertheless a hopeful and inspiring story about self-discovery and acceptance, about making it possible to live out your true self and to be loved for who you are.

One of things I loved most about this book was how it showed that there is not just one way to be trans, but that being queer and trans comes with infinite possibilities to find your own voice. I also really loved the beautiful friendships and support from Dean’s friends and his support group. There were so many wonderful characters that I rooted for almost as much as for Dean. Especially his best friend Ronnie completely stole my heart away in the way he unconditionally supported Dean and helped him find a way to express himself via his clothes.

All in all, Between Perfect and Real was an absolutely wonderful and heart-wrenching story with an important message and authentic and relatable characters to root for. I am so glad that Ray Stoeve wrote this book to give more nuances to the narrative about transness and to show that there are so many more ways of being trans and queer. I hope that many readers will feel empowered and seen by this book and the way it shows how no one should have to conform to anyone else’s standards of sexual identity or gender, but that we are all free to be who we are. I highly recommend it and know that Dean and his moving story will stay with me for a very long time!

Thank you NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for the eARC and the possibility to read this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

This book will be released on April 27, 2021.

Rating:
4.5 heartfelt stars rounding up to 5

Get your own copy:
ABRAMS Books
Bookshop.org
Amazon
Book Depository

Author info:
Ray Stoeve

Today is my stop for the Gay Book Promotions Blog Tour for Hit the Brakes by Beth Bolden. I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the tour celebrating this ​adorable fake-dating, second chance m/m romance! It was so addictive that I binge-read it in just a few hours!

For his senior year in high school, Tate Ward had Home Economics together with the big football star Chase Riley. He also had the biggest crush on him. A crush that he’d never really recovered from ten years later either, compulsively following Chase’s football career and whereabouts on social media. When his sister suggests that they use Chase’s name to help their food truck business survive the desperate situation they’re in, he didn’t expect Chase himself to turn up on his doorstep. And he certainly didn’t expect Chase to give him an offer he couldn’t refuse. An offer that will help his dreams come true, as long as he can pretend that his very real feelings are actually fake…
​
This book has so many things that I love, like a sports romance, a fake dating trope, wonderful siblings and supportive friends. And food! All foodie scenes from the food truck added such a wonderful vibe to the story! And the characters… I immediately rooted for both Tate and Chase and I loved the wonderful chemistry between them. They were both such amazing and relatable characters, with depth and as far from any stereotype cliches you can come. I really appreciated how Beth Bolden showed Chase’s problems with anxiety, loss of self-control and panic attacks, and Tate’s insecurity and feeling of not being worthy of Chase’s love, but also the amazing character development they made throughout this book. I also really appreciated the discussion about there not being a ‘right’ way of coming out, and how ‘coming out’ is not something you do once, but a statement you constantly have to make in any new situation.

This is the second book in the Food Truck Warriors series, but each book can be read as a standalone as they focus on different characters from a group of food truck owners and their relationships. I loved getting glimpses of the characters from the first book in this one too, I love when an author creates her own universe by weaving stories together the way Beth Bolden has done with both her Food Truck Warriors and Kitchen Gods series.

All in all, I absolutely loved this swooning, sweet and emotional rollercoaster for a love story! I read it in one sitting, it was so addictive and I rooted so much for all characters that I just couldn’t bear to put it down until the very end! Highly recommended, and the bonus scene was to die for, it completely melted my heart!

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

Rating:
5 stars

Get your own copy:
Amazon • Add on Goodreads

Giveaway:
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

About the Author:
A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty-three novels and seven novellas.

Connect with Beth Bolden:
Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • BookBub • Newsletter Sign-up

I think Colleen Hoover has described exactly how I feel about this book in her cover quote: “THIS BOOK! You. Must. Read. It. It’s beautiful. Heart-wrenching.”. Bright Side is a gem that deserves to be so much more talked about! It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, it’s adorable and cute, but also so sad and gripping, it has epic love and friendship and hilarious banter. Simply put, this book has all the feels and will break your heart but also inspire you to live life to the fullest!

The story follows college student Kate Sedgwick as she leaves San Diego to start a new life attending college in small town Grant, Minnesota, leaving grief and sorrow behind, as well as the best night of her life after sleeping with her best friend since childhood, and rock-star-in-the-making, Gus.

Kate was such a wonderful character! So badass, strong-willed, sassy and unbelievably optimistic despite all bad things happening to her. (Hence Gus’s nickname for her, ‘Bright Side’.) I immediately rooted for her, and read this story with a beating heart, wishing so much for her tragedies to be left behind and not come haunting her anymore. I also loved the new friends she made in Grant, with darling Clayton, sweet Pete, cool Shelley and the wonderful Keller Banks… This book has a really great representation and a lot of amazing character developments. But most of all, I loved Gus and the wonderful friendship between him and Kate, and the found family that Gus and his mother were to Kate and her sister.

This book was recommended to me by one of my favorite fellow book bloggers (Sophie at Sophie’s Reading Corner) so I already knew I was going to love it before even starting it, but it nevertheless managed to exceed all of my high expectations and completely blew me away! Given the title, I wasn’t prepared to have my heart scattered to pieces and ending up sobbing the way I did. But this book had it all; amazing characters to root for, secrets that came back haunting, epic friendships, found families, a swooning love story, heartache and loss, hope and faith and light in the darkness.

I don’t want to give anything away as it comes to the story and its twist, they deserve to be experienced first hand and with an open heart. All I have to say is, be prepared to cry! Some of the events were just so heartbreaking. But I wouldn’t call this a sad book. Not at all. There were so many happy moments, so many times this book made me laugh and warmed my heart. It was emotional for sure, but with all the feels, and a book that will make me look at life in a different light and made me want to ‘do epic’ the way Kate did.

All in all, Bright Side was an empowering book, so full of hope in all the darkness, and with so much love. It’s one of the most tender and warm, yet fierce, gripping and compelling stories I’ve ever read. I know for sure that its’s a book I will keep in my heart forever!

Rating:
5 epic stars

Get your own copy:
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Book Depository

Author info:
Kim Holden