This was such a sweet and heartwarming read! There were two love stories intricately interwoven; a second chance one set in modern time between Lillian and her childhood love Nick, and a forbidden m/m romance in the Napoleonic era between the two soldiers Henry and Robert. Now two hundred years later, the two love stories come together, as Henry still haunts Ashlington Manor that Lillian now owns, in his desperate search for Robert.

In 1807 Henry escapes his father’s expectations by taking a commission in the British Army where he meets Robert Westbrook. Standing shoulder to shoulder through the Peninsula War, not only fighting the French but each other’s demons, their bond grows into something deeper. Until disaster strikes…

Now, in 2015 Lillian inherits Ashlington Manor after the death of her father. When returning to her childhood home, she stumbles not only upon the mystery of her ancestor Henry, but also on her childhood love Nick. Now past and present comes together in two stories of lost loves and second chances, and finding out what it truly means to be home.

I enjoyed both romances, but especially the one between Henry and Robert. Set against the backdrop of the horrors of war and the fear for discovery and damnation for being in love with a man, it was so gripping and emotional, and my heart truly ached for Henry. It took me a bit longer to warm up to Lillian, and her part of the story dragged a little at first, with her completely selfish and unemphatic fiancée and their life in London. Even though I wanted nothing more than for Lillian to ditch her fiancée and her London life, for a life at Ashlington Manor with Nick, I didn’t appreciate that she cheated on him. It would have been so much better if she’d called it off before getting involved with Nick. That part really didn’t sit well with me. But that set aside, both romances were sweet and swooning and I really enjoyed the connection to a decedent through history and how the two stories came together in the end.

All in all, it was a wonderful, sweet and highly entertaining read.

Thank you Pride Book Tours for the free review copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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Rowan MacKemsley

Young Mungo is the second book by Douglas Stuart, the author of the 2020 Booker Prize winner Shuggie Bain. Shuggie Bain was such a brilliant, but also raw, heartbreaking and brutal book, that had such a deep impact on me. Young Mung was therefore one of my most anticipated new releases this year and I was so grateful for the opportunity to read an ARC of it. But even though the writing style and the portrayal of working-class life and toxic masculinity was quite similar to Shuggie Bain, this book was a little less devastating and Mungo a little less engaging character.

Just like Shuggie Bain, Young Mungo is a vivid coming-of-age story taking place in a depressing working class setting in Glasgow, with neglecting and abusive parents, alcoholism, homophobia and violence. Mungo is a bit older than Shuggie though, so the aspect of him realizing that he is gay and the forbidden relationship with James becomes central to the story. Despite all odds, Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic, meet and fall in love when they should have been sworn enemies and despite knowing the harsh reactions this will evoke.

The story is told in a dual timeline, but with only a few months in between. From the present it takes us backward to Mungo’s life in the period up to and during the romance with James, and then back again. The story taking place in the present time reflects the aftermath of the relationship and adds a horrific twist when Mungo’s mother sends him on a camping trip to a remote Scottish loch with two men she knows from AA to make him ‘man up’, but only to send him straight into the hands of two child molesters. (No spoiler, this part is actually the opening scene of the book.) Like in Shuggie Bains, there isn’t any good news to expect. Around Mungo, his alcoholic mother and his siblings (Hamish, the brutal gang leader and Jodie, who dreams of going to university) there is poverty, unemployment, violence and prejudice, and an overall sense of hopelessness.

The mother is a little less in focus compared to Agnes in Shuggie Bain, so this book is more clearly Mungo’s own story. But that was perhaps also what made this book less engaging and emotional than Shuggie Bain, since Mungo as a main character is a bit bland and I never fully rooted for him the way I rooted for Shuggie, and the way I wanted to protect him from his mother. So, even though this book was not more brutal, violent or heartbreaking than Shuggie Bain I still found myself struggling more with the content this time. Perhaps because it felt too much after reading Shuggie Bain, or perhaps because I didn’t root as much for Mungo and therefore the joy and love that nevertheless was in the book didn’t outweigh the dark and disturbing parts.

But all in all, this was another beautifully written, heartbreaking and tragic coming-of-age story that showed the violence faced by many queer people and the terrible consequences that can come from loving someone you’re not supposed to in a surrounding full of toxic masculinity, prejudice and religious fundamentalism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC of this book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.

Rating:
3.5 stars rounding up to 4

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Douglas Stuart

I absolutely love Beth Bolden’s adorable and heartwarming Food Truck Warriors series, so this sixth and last book was a bittersweet read. I sure will miss my Food Truck Warriors! But on the other hand, I’m so happy for this wonderful and satisfying conclusion of the series. Beth Bolden did an amazing job wrapping it all up!

Just like the previous books in this series, Ride or Die can be read as a standalone. Even though the characters from the other books make their appearances, each book focus on a new character amongst the group of gay food truck owners in LA. I really 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 we got the story of the food truck owner Ren Moretti and security professional Seth (partner with Lennox from the fourth book) and how love can find a way to win even a non-believer like Ren over…

Ren is the player of the food truck lot, known for his one night stands and for not believing in love. Seth on the other hand definitely believes in love and is not interested in anything but a serious relationship. So when attraction hits, neither will bulge to give into what the other person want…

I really loved Ren’s and Seth’s slow burn romance and how Ren slowly began to trust Seth (even though he didn’t really know it was Seth he chatted with…) and dared to open up about his problems and feelings, and finally surrender to the notion that love might be for him too after all.

I did miss my favorite couple from the series, Tate and Chase, who had almost no part in this story at all. But other than that, I was completely satisfied with this adorable conclusion! It was such a swooning, sweet and addictive M/M romance story that warmed my heart. I binge-read the whole book in just a few hours - that’s how addictive it was!
 
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 stars

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This was such a cute and heart-warming second-chance M/M novella with adorable characters that immediately stole my heart! I also really appreciated the diversity with a main character on the ace spectrum.

This fast-paced and highly enjoyable short story follows NHL player Dane Roxborough as he flees Boston and seeks refuge at his parents’ inn for the summer to hide from a kiss-and-tell story with leaked indecent photos from a one night stand. But as if that isn’t enough, the big love of his life, Grant Lilly, is working at the inn and reconnecting again resurrects all the feels.

I really rooted for Dane and his shame for being fooled and used for his one night stand to claim his fifteen minutes of fame, and it was so adorable how he longed for Grant and tried to vow him with mismatched flowers and Boston sightseeing tours. I also really loved Grant. He was such a sweet character, who’d never had any sexual feelings for anyone but Dane, but still hadn’t gotten over his broken heart.

Even though it was a short story, it had more depths and felt more fleshed out and thorough than many full length novels. The romance was a wonderful slow burn one, with some amazing character growth and realistic doubts.

The only thing I really didn’t like was the way Dane’s parents kept Grant in the dark after all the things he’d done for them and always being loyal. It felt like a back stab and made Dane’s family seem very selfish and false.

But all in all, Chasing Sunsets was such fast-paced, sweet and engaging story about falling in love with your best friend and about awakenings; to realize what you truly want in life and about being brave enough to chase after it. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Prolific Works for the free review copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
​4 stars

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Amy Aislin

This was such an adorable second-chance M/M novella about two former best friends trying to forgive each other for what happened between them ten years ago when they were teenagers for a second chance at getting it all right. It’s a story about acceptance, bravery, and forgiveness – of both yourself and the person who has hurt you.

Owen Bannister and Zach Baldwin had been best friends forever, and as teenagers they were about to be even more than that. But in a reckless moment after winning a music competition on TV, Zach ruins everything between them. Ten years later, Zach is a national superstar, and Owen is a local pub owner, but neither of them has ever forgotten, nor stopped missing, the other. When Zach suddenly walks into Owen’s bar, flames start to spark again, but can they find a way to deal with the mistake Zach made and find a way back to each other, and get the happily ever after they should have had all those years ago?

Even though this story is only about 70 pages, it’s amazing how Lisa Henry managed to make you root for the characters so completely and describe the background story. I loved the glimpses we got from Owen’s and Zach’s childhood friendship and how they were starting to get stronger feelings for each other, but I would have loved to get so much more! I truly hope that Lisa Henry will extend this novella to a full-length novel, both the story and the characters really deserve that!

​Thank you to Prolific Works for the free review copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Lisa Henry

Reading the blurb about this friends-to-lovers and bi-awakening story taking place in the 1970s, I really thought I would love this book. But sadly, I ended up feeling slightly let down by it. It had so much potential, but due to the writing style, the immature and manipulative characters and the unnecessary drama it didn’t meet my high expectations.

The story follows the two college students Troy Larson and Jessie Smith, who have been best friends forever, always spending their annual summer vacation together with their families at a Northern Minnesota lake resort. This summer though, things are feeling off between them. Jessie is angsty, and clearly hiding something. When Troy accidently stumbles upon Jessie in an illicit act with another man, he suddenly understands the reason for Jessie’s behavior. But he also starts to question his own feelings and has to deal with jealousy, confusion about his own sexuality and the fear of losing his best friend.

The story about two friends starting to have feelings for each other, the historical backdrop with the rise of the gay movement and how being gay would make it impossible for Troy to become a teacher, had such potential to be a truly gripping and engaging story. But sadly, the main characters felt so immature and the telling was a bit too plain for the story to meet its full potential. It was as if the author had to tell us how much Troy loved Jessie, since his actions didn’t show it. It sure didn’t seem like true love in the way Troy got attracted to almost everyone he met, boy or girl, thinking they were “a fox”, nor how he manipulated drama just to force Jessie to confess his feelings. Troy felt so shallow and selfish that I couldn’t root for him at all. I appreciated the way Jessie felt more fleshed out and more mature in the way he understood the consequences of a gay relationship at that period of time, but the romance part with him and Troy never gave me the right feels.

In the book, there were several episodes where the characters played truth or dare / spin the bottle games. The first one of those was fun and a great way to get the main characters to act on their feelings, but to repeat this idea multiple times was a bit over the top. I also really had an issue with the way Troy enjoyed watching his sister kiss another girl, that scene didn’t sit well with me at all.

But all in all, it was a fast-paced and enjoyable story and I really appreciated the love and support Troy’s father and siblings gave him. I also very much enjoyed the parts with Troy discovering gay life and how he was so open to admit his feelings and try new things. So even though this book didn’t meet my expectations, please don’t let this discourage you from giving it a try!

Rating:
​3 stars

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Christie Gordon

This was such a pleasant surprise! I totally loved this witty, charming, opposites-attract, banter-making-sparks-fly romance with more depth than expected! I read it in one sitting, completely hooked.

The story follows music student Hannah Wells, who has been through an assault and is now trying to not let that stop her from having a healthy relationship, and bad boy hockey star Garrett Graham, who also hides a dark secret and an abusive past. When Hannah feels attracted to a guy but doesn’t know how to get his attention, and Garrett fails his ethics class, they strike a deal to help each other out. The only problem? The end game suddenly looses its attraction when they fall in love with each other instead…

This book was recommended to me by a dear friend, but nevertheless the blurb made me think it was just another ordinary romance. How wrong I was! (So sorry Sophie, I should never have doubted your recommendation!) This book was absolutely extraordinary! It’s far, far from just another romance story, it was both so much more fun and had so much more depth than expected!

Some parts in the beginning, with Garret sleeping around and not caring one bit about the girls were perhaps not that great, nor was Hanna’s instalove crush on the newly transferred football player Justin, which felt completely out of character. But once Hannah and Garret started the tutoring session it was pure perfection.

I really loved the hilarious banter between Hannah and Garret! The opposites-attract romance was so well done in the way their teasing and arguing made sparks fly. I also loved the way they both had troublesome pasts to deal with, and how they slowly opened up and showed their most vulnerable selves to each other.

Garret turned out to be such a sweetheart in the end, definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends! The character development was just amazing, and the way he’d lived through domestic abuse felt so authentic and real.

And Hannah was such a complex, fleshed out and wonderful character! I rooted so for her and my heart broke when learning about her rape and how it had affected not just her but also her entire family. It was so well described how Hannah wanted to get on with her life and not let herself be diminished to just a rape victim, but how she fought to take her life back again.
 
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! But also with an important message and more depth than just your ordinary romance.

Thank you so much Sophie (Sophie’s Reading Corner) for the recommendation that made me find this gem! And sorry again for being skeptical, I truly regret not reading this book sooner!

Rating:
4.5 glorious stars rounding up to 5!

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Elle Kennedy

This was an absolutely marvelous read! Such a poignant, angsty and passionate story about forbidden love and political oppression set in the 1980s Poland. So beautifully written that it felt like reading poetry, and so addictive and heart-wrenching that I read it in one sitting.

The story is told by Ludwik Glowaki, now living in New York but looking back at his life in communist Poland. As a university student, Ludwik was sent to a summer agricultural camp, where he met the handsome and carefree Janusz. Spending the late summer evenings together by the river, the two of them fell madly in love, but their intense affair was not only condemned by the Catholic society, it was also a criminal offense and something of which even the slightest suspicion would draw the attention of the communist party.

Tomasz Jedrowski has a way with words that is absolutely brilliant. The writing style was so beautiful and poetic, precise yet vivid, and with a wonderful smooth flow, even though the story was such a heartbreaking one and so full of melancholy. In this debut, Tomasz Jedrowski wove together a vivid and intriguing story showing the political system, the homophobia, how the old communist regime was beginning to crumble but had not yet lost its controlling power and the different ways in which Ludwik and Janusz adjusted to the circumstances to eventually find themselves on opposite sides of the political divide. It captured the atmosphere and the suppressed feelings, longings and tension between the character in a perfect way, and showed how the reality with a society built on connections, the poverty and misery amongst the people, the way the uproar was formed and how it all affected the characters’ behavior and choices, left Ludwik and Janusz to struggle not only with their forbidden love, but also to see their relationship slowly being torn apart by their political differences.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and recommend it with all my heart! Swimming in the Dark was such a poignant and gripping, melancholy yet heartwarming and beautifully romantic story about forbidden love and the struggle for freedom in a turbulent historical era. I know that this breathtakingly emotional and engaging story and its complex and amazing characters will stay in my heart for a very long time!

Thank you so much Jonathan (Wander with Jon) for the recommendation that made me discover this gem!

Rating:
5 stars

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Tomasz Jedrowski

A Thousand Ships is the Greek mythology retold from the women’s perspectives. It tells the tale of the Trojan War from a lot of different perspectives – from the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all. It was such a refreshing take on these old stories and an epic, spellbinding and fascinating read in itself.

This book gives voice to the women who previously have mostly been bystanders in the old tales. Instead of focusing on the usual heroes and fighters, like Achilles, Odysseus, Agamemnon etc., we get to know the women whose lives and loves were forever altered by the Trojan war; the wives and mistresses, who were kidnapped and enslaved, and whose sons were killed; the goddesses who started it all, due to their own petty grievances, and Helen of Troy explaining to the other women how the war was not her fault.

I really enjoyed this new take and how Natalie Haynes weaved all of these different fates and perspectives together. The book started off really strong and pulled me in completely, but after a while it started to drag a little. The problem for me was that all the different alternating POVs and the non-linear storytelling made it hard to keep track of every separate story and to truly root for anyone specific of all the characters.

But all in all, this was a highly enjoyable read that was also educational without feeling like reading a history book in school… If you already know a lot about the Trojan War and Greek mythology you will appreciate the new angle to the stories you already know, and if you don’t know that much to start with, you will definitely learn a lot in an entertaining way!

Rating:
4 stars

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Natalie Haynes

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was such an emotional, completely addictive and swooning rivals-to-friends-to-lovers story with amazing character growth! And some truly amazing chemistry between the main characters... I read this book in one sitting, completely hooked from the very first page!

The two main characters of this story are Ryan and Cody, two seventeen boys who are bound by some very dysfunctional and toxic family ties, but have never been close. On the contrary, as the family’s trouble kid, Ryan has always been compared to the perfect Cody and never met his standards… Ryan is something of a carefree happy-go-lucky surfer guy, who doesn’t worry about the future but more about the next party or about pulling pranks on his sisters. He’s also out and proud as bisexual. Cody on the other hand is the perfect on paper son, who is a high achieving musician, talented tennis player and extremely well behaved. But he also struggles with a lot of issues, such as anxiety and being secretly gay, as Ryan will get to find out after a summer when circumstances collide, and the two boys end up spending time together at Cody’s family’s beach house.

In case the family ties seem confusing, I want to make it really clear that there is nothing tabu about Ryan and Cody getting feelings for each other. They are not in any way related by blood and have not grown up together, even though they share the same half-sisters since Ryan’s Mom and Cody’s Dad were previously married and had two daughters together, before they spit up in a very nasty divorce. After that they both remarried and had a son each (Ryan and Cody) in their second marriages. So nothing inappropriate or tabu, but complicated to say the least… especially since Ryan’s Mom and Cody’s Dad absolutely hate each other and uses their daughters (Ryan’s and Cody’s sisters) as ammunition in their own private war.

I absolutely loved Jax Calder’s writing style and the amazing rivalry and love/hate-dynamic between Ryan and Cody. I loved their banter and the humor, and not to mention the burning chemistry… Both of the characters immediately stole my heart in their own separate ways. The toxic family drama, the slow-burn and their emotional rollercoaster when realizing their feelings for each other and the consequences all felt very real and realistic. My heart ached for the struggle Ryan and Cody had to go through. Jax Calder did an amazing job capturing the complicated family dynamics between the two families and how much damage a conflict between parents can cause their children. A detail that I truly could relate too which made Cody even more real and authentic was his disgust for raisins. I feel the same way too, and it made me root for him even more.

All in all, The Other Brother was an absolutely amazing book! It was a truly adorable and emotional slow-burn enemies-to-lovers Romeo and Juliet kind of romance with all the feels and character growth. 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! I can’t recommend it enough!
​
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 stars

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Jax Calder