I was craving a sweet holiday romance and Look Up, Handsome delivered the goods. The setting of this book was wonderful. I鈥檝e never visited Hay-on-WyeI was craving a sweet holiday romance and Look Up, Handsome delivered the goods. The setting of this book was wonderful. I鈥檝e never visited Hay-on-Wye, but this book had such a gorgeous community atmosphere that made me want to be there myself.
Quinn, the owner of Hay-on-Wye鈥檚 only queer bookstore, is desperate to save his business from the clutches of his monstrous step father. The descriptions of the bookstore made me infinitely jealous of those who got to regularly browse the contents of the bookshelves. I need a bookstore like Kings and Queens in my life. The community that developed around the store, the important stories that were shared there, the support that the staff gave those who were exploring themes of gender and sexuality, and the way the customers came together to help save the business, were all so heartwarming.
I loved the romance between Quinn and Noah. Their relationship progressed slowly due to several obstacles that they had to overcome. I enjoyed their chemistry and think they were a wonderful pair. Yet, I have to be honest. It was Noah鈥檚 mother Hermione who stole the show. I absolutely adored Hermione and how her character progressed throughout the novel. I really appreciated the conversations around how women are treated in the media, and how Hermione has been misunderstood.
This is the perfect holiday romance for those looking for something feel-good that has a community atmosphere. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Contemporary queer royal romances will always have a very special place in my heart. I really love the Princess Diaries, so was incredibly excited to Contemporary queer royal romances will always have a very special place in my heart. I really love the Princess Diaries, so was incredibly excited to read this queer retelling. I adored Dietrich鈥檚 book If This Gets Out, which is up there with my favourite books of all time.
I loved the set up of the main relationship. On one side you have Jamie, who recently learned he is the secret prince of Mitanor, and on the other hand you have Eric, the prince of a neighbouring country. An expert on all things royalty, Eric agrees to help tutor newbie Jamie, and I loved the dynamic this created between the two. While Eric helped Jamie learn how to navigate this strange new world, Jamie helped Eric learn to process his own emotions and fight for more personal freedom.
As usual, I adored the media elements and the sensationalism around Jamie being the secret uncovered prince, but wish there was more of those moments. Overall, this is a very fun and lighthearted romance I鈥檇 recommend reading when you鈥檙e in the mood for feel-good queer royalty.
Thank you so much to TeamBkmrk for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review!
I doubt there is anyone out there shocked to hear that I adored yet another queer graphic novel, but here we are! Hungry Heart was as wonderful as I aI doubt there is anyone out there shocked to hear that I adored yet another queer graphic novel, but here we are! Hungry Heart was as wonderful as I anticipated. The graphic novel follows Laurie, a young writer struggling to pay his rent and failing to navigate adulthood.
Hungry Heart was particularly special because it contained a celebrity romance. I adored the love interest Oryan, a celebrity chef who is struggling to navigate the world of fame.
I really enjoyed the discussions around pansexuality and I believe this may be the first graphic novel I鈥檝e read with a pansexual character. The romance was wonderful but I really appreciated that we got to know both characters as individuals before their relationship fully blossomed. I loved the dynamic between the two and how Laurie鈥檚 perception of Oryan was challenged. He thought he knew the chef, but soon realised that he was so much more than the imagine he had created based on the celebrity he saw on television.
The little gifts they exchanged was my favourite moment - so heartwarming! I鈥檇 definitely recommend this to those looking for a gorgeous graphic novel that isn鈥檛 afraid to tackle more difficult topics.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Evocation is infused with the most gorgeous gothic, dark occult atmosphere. The tarot and possession elements made for an incredibly gripping Urban FaEvocation is infused with the most gorgeous gothic, dark occult atmosphere. The tarot and possession elements made for an incredibly gripping Urban Fantasy that I completely adored.
The exploration of the Boston occultist secret society was so engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the magic of this world and all the different practitioners like witches, mediums and sorcerers. The three main characters, Rhys, Moira, and David, all have distinct forms of magic that were intricate and tied to their individual characterisation. I thought the dynamic between a husband, his ex-boyfriend, and his wife, would be one big mess, but I ended up really appreciating how everything was handled.
The characters were so rich and wonderful. This was the first book I鈥檝e read with poly rep, and I wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect, but adored the romance and how everything developed. I loved the platonic love that brewed between David and Moira. The intimacy shared between those two was my favourite thing about this novel. Their history was so complicated and contributed to the thrilling development of their relationship. I adore exploration of love and how it doesn鈥檛 necessarily have to be sexual or romantic to be incredibly profound. The way they were committed to learning to communicate what they needed from each other really strengthened their relationship. I found that Moira and David had a more compelling connection than any other configuration of the three main characters, and I鈥檓 especially looking forward to witnessing how their dynamic progresses throughout the upcoming books.
The lore and history of the world was engaging. I loved learning about David鈥檚 Russian grandfathers and the curse that plagued his family. I鈥檓 excited to see how this storyline progresses after the actions of a certain High Priest.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Prince of the Palisades is a book I've been highly anticipating all year. I wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect but was hoping for a feel-good contemporary romPrince of the Palisades is a book I've been highly anticipating all year. I wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect but was hoping for a feel-good contemporary romance. I鈥檝e been reading mostly fantasy lately, so this was a lovely change of pace! I鈥檓 a huge fan of queer modern royalty romance books and will pretty much read any of them. The premise sounded wonderful, and I was really excited to dive into Prince of the Palisades. If the synopsis isn鈥檛 enough to entice you, I鈥檓 sure the beautiful cover will!
I liked Annika, the future Queen and Jadon鈥檚 sister, more than the main characters, and would have honestly enjoyed reading the book from her perspective. She was very level-headed and always had a good perspective to offer Jadon. I always love when royal books have inserts from the media and news articles sensationalising the romance and plot. I wish the mystery around Jadon鈥檚 secret man was more important to the story and that the media鈥檚 involvement in the plot took more importance. However, I really enjoyed the moments where Jadon took control of his life and rejected the media's expectations. Those moments made him more endearing.
The romance was the main focus of the story, but I felt that the relationships between Jadon and his family were more developed. They were definitely cute together, but I did feel that their chemistry was lacking at times. I enjoyed Reiss and his hair and laughed at the Frank Ocean comparison. Reiss offered a sense of normalcy that was missing from Jadon鈥檚 life, and I鈥檓 inclined to think that was what he found most appealing about his love interest.
This will be a great read for fans of royal romance books like Red, White, & Royal Blue. I鈥檓 looking forward to reading more books by the author in the future! Thank you to Viking for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Vampirism is making a comeback, and I couldn鈥檛 be happier. There is not a queer vampire book out there that I wouldn鈥檛 be interested in reading, and TVampirism is making a comeback, and I couldn鈥檛 be happier. There is not a queer vampire book out there that I wouldn鈥檛 be interested in reading, and This Ravenous Fate was no different! I saw this compared to First Kill, which was a show I loved and am still mourning. Needless to say, I was very excited to dive into this one.
There was a lot of tension between Layla and Elise that was fun to explore. The trope of enemies to lovers was fascinating because they used to be best friends before they became enemies, which added a whole other dynamic to the situation. There were a lot of mixed emotions between the two; a lot of that went unsaid. This begins to build towards the final act of the novel. The animosity between the two eventually changed to a sexual tension that was well-written, and I definitely think the two had good chemistry. The romance was the highlight of the book, and I enjoyed getting to switch between their different perspectives.
I was intrigued by the different name given to vampires in this story鈥攔eapers. I wish the way vampirism worked was explored more, but I enjoyed hearing about the different experiments that were happening towards the end of the story and the whole science of the world. I would like to know more about the supernatural in this world. Are there only reapers or other creatures too, and are they all man-made? I was enticed by one of the villains and wish she took more of a focus from Elise鈥檚 father. I鈥檇 love to know more about her story as a reaper!
I think this was a strong debut and would definitely recommend it to fans of vampires. I enjoyed the different take on vampirism, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from the author! Thank you to Hodderescape for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Phoenix Keeper was a slice of cozy fantasy joy. Perfect for animal lovers, this book follows Aila, a keeper of magical birds, primarily the SilimaThe Phoenix Keeper was a slice of cozy fantasy joy. Perfect for animal lovers, this book follows Aila, a keeper of magical birds, primarily the Silimalo Phoenix, Rubra. Aila leads the breeding programme, and her dream is to save the Silimalo Phoenix species from near extinction. The first portion of the novel is dedicated to teaching the reader about the magical birds in Aila鈥檚 zoo. I loved learning about the animals and was particularly captivated by the mischievous Archie, who contained all the quirks I love about animals.
Aila was a compelling protagonist and I enjoyed following the story from her perspective. The anxiety rep was excellent, and I found myself constantly thinking - that happens to me too! Experiences of mental illness are subjective, but great representation should remind you of times when you have had a similar experience, and this is where the Phoenix Keeper excels. Aila鈥檚 social anxiety got in her way throughout the story, but I liked that she made strives to try and overcome it, particularly with the help of her rival, Luciana. I didn鈥檛 like Luciana in the beginning of the story, she was cold and harsh towards Aila, for what felt like no reason. Once Luciana鈥檚 characterisation developed, and I learned more about her, I grew to love her vulnerability and her passion for the magical animals. That was the foundation of which the love between Aila and Luciana began to blossom, and I adored the outcome of their sweet romance. I wish the book had focused more on their romance and that it progressed a little faster.
The highlight of the novel was Tanya, a trans woman and Aila鈥檚 coworker and best friend, who was the voice of reason. Tanya supported Aila when she needed support, and checked her when she needed to be brought back down to reality. This representation was wonderful and supported by Aila鈥檚 bisexuality, both of which are seamless parts of their identities and as natural to the story as the magical animals.
If you love cozy fantasy stories with a hint of romance, I鈥檇 add the Phoenix Keeper to your TBR. Thank you to Jenna at Gollancz for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
![Kirby's Lessons for Falling [in Love]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1724330012l/214369383._SY75_.jpg)
Loading...
