A girl who wants nothing but to leave her home town behind to be her openly bisexual self, a boy who gave up a scholarship for a life staying in the town, a quest and a mystery to solve, a past love story to unfold, but more importantly a story about finding yourself and live authentically. Ready Player One meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this hunt for a country musician’s legacy. This queer coming-of-age story is told in split-POVs and timelines of nowadays Darren Purchase and the 1960s rising country star Decklee Cassel, slowly revealing their queerness, their ambitions and struggle to live an authentic life, during the hunt for Decklee’s heritage via the unfolding of scavenger hunt clues.
It started a bit slow, and I had trouble rooting for both of the main characters (both nowadays Darren and the past time Decklee). I completely sympathized with their wish to leave their home town and make something of themselves, but not with the way they walked all over people and didn’t care who they hurt on the way. But the more we got to see the reason behind their decisions and understand what they had to give up to stay true to themselves, they both completely stole my heart. And Kendall and Mickenlee were just total sweethearts who I rooted for immediately! And the closer Darren and Kendall came to finding the final clues, the more intense and addictive the story got! What started a bit slow and not fully engaging was almost nail biting at the end! And the twist… so worth waiting for is all I’ll say! I’m so satisfied with the authenticity and the way Jenna Voris kept the characters real with all their flaws. The two main characters were allowed to the strong, complex and ruthless. And the love story was kept real as well, no fairy tale, cheesy, one but very realistic while still completely satisfying. All in all, this was a heartfelt road trip story about finding your true self, finding love and not letting a small town crush your big dreams, but also not letting your dreams stand in the way for love and happiness. Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via NetGalley, but I am leaving my honest review. Many thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the opportunity! Rating: 4.5 stars rounding up to 5 Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Jenna Voris
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This was such a sweet, fast-paced and charming fake dating romance with magic, adorable characters and a mystery to solve! Luca is an ambitious witch lawyer who wants to prove himself to his scrutinizing father who’s never content no matter how successful Luca is. Now, his father is set on getting Luca to marry his way up the social ladder. To get his father off his back, Luca agrees to meet a friend of a friend, Theo, to potentially get him to act as a fake boyfriend.
Theo on the other hand is trying to stop his siblings from meddling in his love life after a bad breakup three years ago. He might therefore have told a lie about seeing someone. Said someone that he now would need to bring with him to his mother’s birthday party. When Luca offers to pretend to be his boyfriend he’s more than grateful and jumps the opportunity. I loved the way Luca and Theo got to know each other and how they slowly started to trust and open up to each other. I also loved the character development and how they both finally found ways to stand up for themselves. And Theo’s mother was the sweetest! The rest of the family members were not always great, but they mostly got their acts together in the end. I really appreciated the support from their friends and Luca’s sister throughout the family drama going on. The mystery plot was perhaps a little unnecessary though. The curse felt a bit far fetched and didn’t add that much to the story and the way it resolved was a bit hasty. It wasn’t negative for the story as such, but it didn’t really intrigue me. To be honest, the magic world wasn’t a big part of the story either, but it did add an extra layer of fairytale vibes that I truly enjoyed and which made the story more special. Everything is better with magic isn’t it?! All in all, this was a charming, feel-good and witty story showing the importance of trust and allowing yourself to be vulnerable to find the magic of love! This is my first book in the Love & Magic series but I definitely need to read all the other ones right away too! Thank you Pride Book Tours for the free copy which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 4.5 stars rounding up to 5 Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Colette Rivera 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 1/21/2024 0 Comments The Wonder Within by Gwen MartinThis novella explains how The Collective in Gwen Martim’s new series came to be. I really appreciated getting the background to this beautiful and emotional new series, and getting to know the founders more. When their best friend Jon commits suicide, the former boyfriends Leon and Toryn are brought back to their home town to fulfil Jon’s dream of a creating a safe space for those in the community struggling with mental health issues and addiction (The Collective).
This was such an emotional read, full of love and sadness for the lost friend mixed with the tension and suppressed feelings from the past! It was so fulfilling to slowly get to understand more of the backstory and why Leon had left Toryn and fled his home town four years ago. I do however wish that the transition to admitting their feelings once again had felt a bit less rushed and that they had worked out the major issues causing the break-up more before getting back together. But that probably has most to do with the novella format, and I hope to see more of Leon and Toryn in the next book in the series, to maybe get those parts further addressed. All in all, it was a truly beautiful story about love and friendship, and the importance of clear communication, and I can’t wait to continue the series! 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 1/9/2024 0 Comments Prove It by Stephanie HoytI absolutely loved this book! I finished it in one sitting and read it again right away the next day! It was just such a wonderful, sweet and emotional YA mm hockey romance with one of the MCs suffering from anxiety and the other being the cutest cinnamon roll ever, and who both completely stealing my heart! This new series follows the two rookie hockey players Noah Anderson and Alex Valencia, who have been rivals, but also strangely drawn to each other since they were fifteen. Now, they’re picked first and second at the NHL draft, and the rivalry is getting more attention than neither of them have ever wanted. In fact, Alex has been set on making Noah his friend for years, where Noah on the other hand has been determined to avoid Alex and the unwanted feelings his smile causes…
As persons they are as different as one can be. Where Alex is outgoing, fun and makes friends easily, Noah is strung up, struggling with angst and the toxic impact of his homophobic, guilt-imposing former star hockey playing father. But somehow they end up being some kind of friends, and Noah gets adopted into the Do or Die friends group. I read this book 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! It was such a perfect slow burn, forbidden romance, rivals-to-lovers story with lots of depths and emotions. There was so much angst and fear of messing up, the struggle for Noah to hide his true self and not give into his feelings for Alex. And for Alex, a bi awakening with all the new feelings for Noah he can’t even put a name to. There were also so many other amazing side characters, and wonderful friends and family relationships, but also toxic ones, like the relationship between Noah and his homophobic dad. So definitely a lot of emotions going on, and a very intense read! This story felt like a mix of two of my favorite books - Heated Rivalry and Season’s Change- but written for an YA audience. Noah and Alex were pure gold together, and they were such believable teenagers with all the awkwardness and insecurities, and their obliviousness to what’s really going on between them. “Noah looks at him and his chest aches for what could be, if he didn’t care what people thought of him, if hockey wasn’t such a toxic environment. He looks at Alex and he wants.” I also absolutely adored the Do or Die friends group and the group chats and am definitely looking forward to the next books in this series! Nate and story behind the beef with the team captain or Sean and the story behind his bi awakening? And a shoutout to Victoria Newberry for the gorgeous illustrations! All in all, this was a both heartwarming and emotional story with a perfect balance of hockey and romance, fun banter, vulnerability, sweet first times, bi awakening and being brave enough to stand up for yourself and allow yourself what you truly want. Highly recommended! Thank you so much to BookSirens and NineStar Press for the free ARC, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 5 glowing stars Get your own copy: Pre-order Add on Goodreads Author info: Stephanie Hoyt 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 I absolutely love the Hockey Ever After series and its sweet, slowburn mm romances! This fourth book had more of an age gap aspect than the rivals to lovers trope in the previous books, but also a bit more fun, playful vibe, with all the shenanigans and banter. And even more steam! The books in the series are all independent, even though there are some much appreciated cameo appearances. But nevertheless, I’d still recommend you to read all of the books in the series, simply because they’re absolutely worth it!
In this fourth book, we get to meet veteran defenseman Russ Lyons and rookie Liam Bellanger. Where Liam is openly gay and a big flirt, Russ is keeping himself in a “glass closet” - i.e. his friends and family knows he’s gay, but he’s never had any serious relationships worth letting the world know of his sexuality. Not until trouble with a capital T comes along as Liam’s flirting breaks through his shell and casual sex turns into something a lot less casual… I loved the witty, flirty banter and the burning attraction! I read most of this book with a smile on my face, Liam and Russ were just so adorable and fun together. The age gap trope isn’t usually my thing, but here it was done in such a sweet and good way. Liam was such a natural, hilarious flirt that kept pushing and challenging Russ, but he was also so vulnerable and sweet. And Russ was older, but not always wiser, and a had a lot of doubts and insecurities. Their chemistry was absolutely sizzling, and there was a lot of steam in this book. Some parts were perhaps a bit too explicit/advanced for my personal taste, it’s definitely the book with most smut in the series, but it was still a very sweet and heartwarming story. I also rooted for many of the secondary characters, with the supportive (but teasing) team mates and family members, and it was so wholesome to see so much of Dante (Baller) and Gabe from the first book in the series again. Baller is so wonderfully shameless, funny and outspoken! And with his heart in the right place. Baller and Gabe are definitely my favorite couple in this series, and it was so adorable to see Baller support and make fun of Liam and Russ and help them get their sh*t together. All in all, this was such a heartwarming and addictive age gap romance about allowing yourself to be vulnerable for a chance to find true love. Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free review copy and blog tour invitation! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily. Rating: 4.5 stars rounding up to 5 Get your own copy: Author links Amazon Add on Goodreads Author info: Ashlyn Kane Morgan James |
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September 2023
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