A brilliant book and such a worthy winner of the Booker Prize 2020! But also such a dark, depressing and brutal read. It reminded me a lot of A Little Life, and just like that book it left devastated and uneasy after reading it. I know it’s a book that will stay with me and that I will never forget, even though I almost wish for it. Shuggie Bain is a raw storytelling that is both heartbreaking and deeply moving, beautiful and brutal, compassionate and encouraging as well as painful and frustrating at the same time.

The story follows the sweet, lonely, gay boy Shuggie Bain growing up in the economic and social stagnation of 1980s Glasgow, Scotland, together with his alcoholic mother. Abandoned by his father and older siblings, he struggles to take on the responsibility and care for his mother, while also struggling to become the normal boy he desperately longs to be instead of the “no right” boy with a secret that all but him can see. It’s a portrait of a struggling city and post-industrial working-class community, a mother that is shunned by the other women and preyed upon by the men and of a young boy being outcast for who he is and navigating the harsh reality the best he can.
 
I actually think that “Agnes Bain” would have been a better title though, since the main focus and the center for the story and all the other characters is Shuggie’s mother and her struggle with the addiction and misery.
 
I have to admit that there were so many times I got frustrated with Agnes and the poor decisions she kept making and the way she was abusive to Shuggie and her elder children. But mostly I pitied her, and felt deeply sorry for Shuggie. It was impossible to not see how deep his love for his mother was, and to see the sweet, fun and glorious parts of Agnes’s personality through Shuggie’s eyes. So for most of the time, Shuggie made me feel compassion for Agnes too.
 
This book is brilliant, clearly written from the heart and with a wonderful flow. It’s agonizing and heart-wrenching, tragic and so depressing, but -luckily- with a few glimmers of hope. It such a worthy Booker Prize winner, but for me it was a bit on the long side and just too dark and devastating. It made me feel uneasy, frustrated, heartbroken and just too sad to fully appreciate it. Therefore, I can only give it a four star rating, even though I recognize that it is an amazing book and future classics.
 
I do encourage everyone to read it though, just be aware of the trigger warnings and be prepared for your heart and mind to be scrambled.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Douglas Stuart

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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This was the fourth (and final, I believe?) book in Beth Bolden’s adorable, sweet and heartwarming Food Truck Warriors series, and it was yet another adorable m/m foodie romance. If it was the last book, it really wrapped the series up in a sweet and perfect conclusion. If it was not, I couldn’t be happier to keep reading about my favorite group of gay food truck owners!

Just like the previous books in this series, Full Speed Ahead can be read as a standalone. Even though the characters from the other books make their appearances, this book focus on the new character Lennox and the burgeoning romance between him and the food truck owner Ash.

When Lennox was first introduced in On A Roll (the third book in this series), I didn’t like him at all. But now I’m glad to say that he has completely won we over by sharing his backstory and the reason for being such a closed off person. Lennox is a security professional who’s been coming around the Food Truck Warriors for months, ordering salad from Ash’s truck even though he doesn’t even like salad… He’s something of a mystery; repressed, sad and lonely, and no one even knows if Lennox is his first or last name. But Ash is fascinated by him and slowly Ash’s charm seems to be working, tearing down the walls Lennox has built around him. When a stalker appears and start to threaten the food truck lot and especially targeting Ash, Lennox is hired for protection. And finally, the electricity between Lennox and Ash is surfacing and let out into the open.

Ash was such a sweetheart that stole my heart from the very first start. And Lennox slowly worked his magic on me. The more he revealed about his past and his losses and reasons for not trusting other people or daring to love and be openly gay, the more I warmed up to him and in the end I completely rooted for him as well.
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The story in this book is a bit different from the others in the series as it had more of a thriller plot with the added element of mystery and search for the stalker. Personally, I prefer the other three books in the series a bit more as this book lost some of the charm and sweetness from the others with this kind of plot. And the stupid and reckless way Ash behaved at one point didn’t feel authentic, it felt forced for the sake of the drama.

But all in all, this was an adorable and heartwarming story about second chances, being brave to share your deepest secrets and the empowering love of found families. If it was the final book in the series, I’m completely content with the way it wrapped everything up. If not, I can’t wait to follow more of my favorite food truck people…

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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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.

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Today is my stop on Pride Book Tours’s tour for this completely unique, gripping and empowering read! I’ve never read a book with so many complex and special characters, and the queer and disability representation was so honest and positive. There was also some amazing artwork included in it that added to the very special feeling. Some parts were perhaps a bit too unrealistic for this book to be fully as gripping as it could have been, but it was overall a very entertaining and emotional read.

The story follows 18-year-old Crystal, who lives in rural Alaska with her grandparents and brother after having been abandoned by her drug-addicted parents at a young age. Both Crystal and her brother JD were affected by their mother’s drinking and drug use during pregnancy and have special needs. But Crystal isn’t just struggling with her disability, she’s also secretly in love with her best friend Haley, and suffering from the small town’s toxic masculinity with bullying and constant harassment and on top of that, her grandparents are hospitalized with Covid. Haley is repeatedly abused by her boyfriend, and when Crystal gets enough one day and reports him, she triggers a chain of events that will change her life and both bring back her past and help her create a new future for herself and her loved ones.
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I loved the queer representation and the complex characters. I’ve never read a book with main characters dealing with special needs, where the disability was described in such an honest yet positive way. Both Crystal and JD struggle in school and with being bullied, and Brooke Skipstone never tried to shy away from their challenges, but she also did a brilliant job showing how gifted and talented they were in other ways and how brave, strong, kind and artistic Crystal was. The artwork included in the book that Crystal draw was so beautiful and added so much to the narrative.

Some things were a bit unrealistic and the dialogues were at times sassy and brilliant, but at other times the writing style lacked in flow and felt a little bit too much tell rather than show. There was also so much going on that the story felt slightly overloaded. The story took place during a week, showing all things happening after Crystal saves Haley from the abuse, but there were enough things and drama happening that easily could have lasted a month, or even a year.

But overall, Crystal’s House of Queers was a heart-wrenching and unique queer coming of age story full of friendship, love, acceptance and forgiveness, sexual discovery and the creation of a queer safe haven for others suffering from abuse and harassments. I loved the positive undertone even though there were so many difficult topics (abuse, addiction, disability, teenage pregnancy, homophobia and more) and how strong and able all female characters were portrayed, which in the end really made it such an empowering story!

Thank you to Pride Book Tours and Skipstone Publishing for the blog tour invitation for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
3.5 stars rounding up to 4

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​Author info:
Brooke Skipstone

This was such a fun and addictive m/m romance with a burning chemistry between the two main characters. It was so fast-paced that I read it all in just a few hours!

This or That is about the rising DJ and bartender Troy Hunter and former business lawyer and fashion designer Michael Clayton, who get into a fight in a Parisian bar, when a drunk Mike steals a sloppy kiss from Troy’s bartender colleague. To teach him a lesson, Troy gives him a taste of his own medicine, but that kiss sets something in motion in a way a blow to the head wouldn’t have. When the two of them meet up again at a cruise ship, the fight between them turns on a burning desire they both try their best to deny. Especially Mike who’s never doubted being straight.

I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope, and the hot banter between Troy and Mike! It was such a fun and addictive story. I do wish that the enemies-part could have lasted a bit longer though. Now it went by a little too fast, almost turning into instalove. I also have some issues with the way Mike initially behaved, it could have been made clearer by the author that that kind of behavior is never okay.

But all in all, it was a great and entertaining read! I really enjoyed the writing style with the banter between Troy and Mike, the sweet romance, Mike’s supportive mother and friends and the message to stay true to who you are. Even if that turned out to be something you never expected… I also really appreciated the vulnerability and the slow way in which Mike was allowed to explore his sexuality without Troy putting any pressure on him. It might not be a story that will stay on your mind for long, but it certainly gives you good entertainment for the moment. So much that I promise that you will not be able to put it down until you’ve read it all!

Thank you so much to Gay Book Promotions for the ARC! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
3.5 stars rounding up to 4

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After reading the fun, witty and addictive American Royals and the way it ended, I was sure I’d love the direction the next book would take the story and characters in. But I’m sorry to say that I struggled with Majesty this in ways that I hadn’t expected.

American Royals was a surprisingly feisty and entertaining soap opera and I was sure that Majesty would keep the highly enjoyable drama up. But where the drama in the first book was intriguing in a way similar to Gossip Girl, it was just over the top in this one. And where the romances were heartfelt and engaging in the first one, they were, with one exception, just illogical and unengaging in this book. The way, and how fast, the romantic feelings changed made them too shallow for me to really care for any of the relationships. I also felt like the characters changed from the first book. It’s hard to explain, but it was like they were all suddenly different persons somehow. I loved Nina in the first book, but here she was just so plain and all we got to know about her life was when she was swooning over a boy, which didn’t seem to fit her character from the first book at all. The same also goes for the way Beatrice kept focusing on her feelings for Teddy all the time, instead of the inner struggle between her desires and everyone’s expectations to always put America’s best before her own, that made her so relatable in the first book. And Jefferson, who I thought was kind of plain in the first book was now so plain that he was like a clean sheet of paper. Daphne on the other hand was even more of her horrible herself now, but sadly that only made me despise her so much that I had problems reading her chapters. I kept waiting for her evil behavior and scheming to come back to haunt her and for her to get a taste of her own medicine, but sadly the author (kind of) let her get away with it all, which felt quite upsetting.

What I really did enjoy though, was the character development that Beatrice and Sam went through though, and the way Beatrice wanted to form her role as a queen herself. I appreciated the discussions on gender inequality and sexism within monarchies and the way Beatrice wanted to prove to the world (and especially Lord Chamberlain) that a woman doesn’t need a man by her side to be able to rule. Some of my favorite parts of the book involved Beatrice telling the chamberlain off when he was a patronizing jerk. I also absolutely loved the new addition to the cast, Marshall. He was such a sweetheart and such a fun and relatable character that he made up for much of the other characters’ blandness. And the romance involving him was the one relationship I actually cared about in this book. Because of that, Majesty ended up being quite an okay read after all, but still very much a disappointment as to what I had hoped for.

Rating:
2.5 stars rounding up to 3

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​Author info:
Katharine McGee

This lovely YA/NA anthology holds five m/m romance stories about the lives and loves of young men trying to find out how to be true to themselves. The stories were all very different, some funny, some more heartfelt, but they were all such sweet and well-written tales about coming out and letting your best friend or neighbor long time crush know how you really feel.

In David by M. Tasia we get to meet David at his last day of high school, when his longtime boyfriend dumps him out of the blue. Depressed, he takes on a job remodeling a remote lake house for the summer. While slowly getting over the depression, David realizes that the person he misses the most isn’t actually his ex boyfriend, but his best friend, Jacob. So when Jacob pays him a surprise visit, David must carefully navigate his new feelings while trying to find out how Jacob feels about him without risking their friendship. This was such a sweet and heartwarming story about realizing that the thing you’ve wanted the most has been right under your nose the whole time, and how to risk it all for a chance of true love and happiness.

No Bunny Like You by Susan Mac Nicol was a funny and witty story, but it didn’t get me as invested in the characters as the others did. Colin has been checking his hot neighbor Dashiell out, spying on him dancing shirtless in his room, but has never worked up the nerve to talk to him. Not until Colin was assigned as the neighborhood Easter bunny and fell into the water while swooning over Dashiell and almost drowned. Only to be saved by the very reason for falling into the water… There were some parts of this story that didn’t really sit well with me, like the spying thing that came a bit too close to creepy stalking and the insta-love part. But those things set apart, it was an entertaining story with some really hilarious moments.

In Homecoming by Emily Mims, newcomer Clay is immediately drawn to his acting class mate Justin and can’t believe his luck when he’s gay and interested in him too. But complicated family dynamics put pressure on them both about keeping their feelings secret and obstructs their plans to go to homecoming together. This was one of my favorite stories, but I had some issues at first with the way Justin put pressure on Clay to come out. Forcing some one to come out is never okay, even if the reason for it is that you want the person to be proud of himself and for you to shout out to the world how much you love him. But the ending more than well made up for that, so all in all it was a sweet, heartwarming and hopeful story.

Hold The Line by Kitty Bardot was such a beautiful story about being loved for who you are, and for not underestimating the love and support from your friends. Terry is the defensive lineman, devoting his life on the field to protecting his best friend Chris, and his life outside it to hiding his secret crush on him. But when push comes to more than a shove, Chris gives Terry the greatest gift of all. My absolute favorite story of them all!

Shake Me Down by Elle Wright was a cute opposites-attract tale when the attraction between nerdy genius Zach is reciprocated by the new cool player Everett, who might not be as experienced as he likes everyone to believe… The romance felt a bit too fast and unrealistic to be as gripping as it could have been, but I’m always a fan of opposites-attract stories and the nerd getting the hot guy, so it was nevertheless a highly enjoyable read.

This was a very solid collection with stories that were all highly entertaining, yet all very different, and all with added depths or twists and with a wonderful flow. The only minor complaints I have are that the stories didn’t really feel like YA ones in the way they were written, they were more stories about young persons but for an older audience, and that the romances were a bit too instalove because of the short format.

But all in all, I truly enjoyed this anthology and the honest and heartwarming way it showed the challenges that, sadly, are still a reality for so many persons. All stories dealt with different aspects of the challenge to come out, but in a hopeful way that left you feeling warm at heart, and with characters to root for. Highly recommended!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this lovely book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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M. Tasia
Susan Mac Nicol
Emily Mims
Kitty Bardot
Elle Wright

This is an awkward, heartwarming, moving and authentic YA coming-of-age story of a teenage boy with Tourette’s Syndrome dealing with girls, kissing, first love and all its confusions. I really appreciated the neurodivergent perspective and the insights to the frustrations and problems with anxiety and uncontrollable tics. It was such a raw and honest portrait of a shy and socially awkward, yet strong and brave, teenager trying to figure out life and love, even though the means to an end were a bit unconventional.

The story follows Stephen Luckie, who’s always been feeling different and awkward and who’s been bullied for most parts of his life due to his tics caused by Tourette’s Syndrome. But at a party his best friend forces him to go to, a spinning-the-bottle game makes him get kissed by a girl for the first time. Much to his surprise, he finds that while kissing his body goes still and there are no awkward tics at all. His friend therefore comes up with the brilliant plan to treat this as an experiment and get Stephen to kiss as many girls as he can to prove the theory that he is tic-free when kissing someone. But the experiment soon gets out of hand, and Stephen ends up with two girls interested in him for real, and having to question what kind of person he is to take advantage of others for his own gain without respect for their feelings.

I really enjoyed the different concept of the story, and the insights to what life is like for a teenager with Tourette’s Syndrome. But I have to admit that I didn’t always understand or agree with the choices Stephen made or how he reacted. There were so many times I blushed and squealed at all the embarrassing things he did. The selfish and immature way he acted in some situations also made him a little less likable as a main character unfortunately. There were so many times I wanted to say the words that Stephen’s dad told him:

“It’s about time you grow up and take responsibility for your actions, Stephen. You have to quit using your Tourette’s as a crutch.”

​But on the other hand, I’m so glad that Heather Truett allowed Stephen to completely be himself that way, not shying away from his flaws and less likable traits, and letting him go through real-life problems with anxiety, lack of confidence, bad judgment and heart-break. I just wished that Stephen would have behaved a little more honorable and been a more likable character, and that I had felt more invested in the love story. I think there would have needed some more chemistry and that Stephen’s love interest would have been a more multidimensional character to root for. Unfortunately, all the other characters besides Stephen were stereotypes and one-dimensional with little character development.

But all in all, Kiss and Repeat was a great insight into the life of a neurodivergent teenager, with a fun and different plot and a fresh take with a male protagonist in a YA romance. 

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

Rating:
3.5 adorkable stars rounding up to 4.

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This was such an addictive, angsty and swooning second-chance, forbidden love m/m romance! I loved the diversity, the family bonds, the thrilling finance world setting and the heart-warming childhood friends-to-lovers plot, but most of all the message about finding out what you really need and want in your life and being brave enough to risk losing it all for love and happiness.

Danny Ip is the big shot private equity investor, a true investor shark, who’s worked his way up from his poor childhood to the absolute top of the Canadian finance world. He didn’t do it all on his own though, but had help along the way from his childhood best friend Wei Lok’s supportive family. For long he’d truly enjoyed being married to his work with its thrills and the luxury that came with the big money, but lately he’s started to feel burned out and has begun to slip. To not lose his position he needs to pull himself together and close the new deal, the acquisition of WesTec from the infamous Cyrus West.

Tobin Lok is the younger brother of Danny’s best friend Wei and has been almost like a younger brother to Danny himself. Tobin’s feelings for Danny have never been of the brotherly kind though, and at Wei’s bachelor party seven years ago his dreams about Danny became real in a drunken hook-up. The happiness was short though, as Danny left during the night full of guilt and did his best to avoid Tobin ever since. Until they suddenly meet at WesTec, both working with the company but on different sides, and the forbidden attraction is back with a burning intensity.

This book had so many things I love like second chances, forbidden love, strong family bonds and wonderful friends. I also really loved the diversity both in regard to the LGBTQIA+ representation and the Asian characters. There was also the right amount of angst and a burning attraction, and some truly amazing character developments, as well as really interesting insights to the private equity world. I rooted so much for both Danny and Tobin from the start. Their love was so obvious and strong, and I so wanted them to get the happiness they deserved that at times I almost wanted to scream at them both to just be brave and take a chance on each other, and not let the respect for Wei and his parents stop them.

The only minor objection I have to their romance was how the book took a jump from a sweet romance to being quite explicit sexually, but that’s just my personal reaction and I can certainly understand how other readers might appreciate these hot scenes more. I also had some issue with the subplot with Cyrus West and how he was such an one-dimensional villain (it would have been enough that he was a homophobic jerk, the extra stuff with his bad divorce and the trafficking/minor sex parts felt a bit too much). It didn’t sit very well with me how the main characters found out about Cyrus West being a sexual predator and never acted on it. It made me feel a little less for them that they just shrugged it off and never thought about reporting it to the police or anything. And then there was the issue with how the love story started and the ‘almost-being-brothers-growing-up’-aspect. It’s always a fine balance with this trope, especially since there was a quite substantial age gape between Tobin and Danny, but all along the story Hudson Lin did a wonderful job keeping this balance. I’m very happy that Tobin was 19 at their first hook-up, so that there were never any uncomfortable underage issues.

All in all, Hard Sell, was such an addictive, emotional and highly enjoyable story about second chances and overcoming barriers for a chance to find love and happiness. I can’t wait to continue the Jade Harbour Capital series with Ray’s story in the next book!

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

Rating:
4 stars

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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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