The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a queer Regency romantasy/murder mystery. Lord Nicholas Monterris is the heir to a declining dukedom whos4.5/5 stars
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a queer Regency romantasy/murder mystery. Lord Nicholas Monterris is the heir to a declining dukedom whose father has arranged a marriage of convenience to Lady Leaf Serral for the dowry. To negotiate the marriage contract, the Serral party hires master vowsmith Dashiell sa Vare as their head negotiator, a younger Nic’s once lover who abandoned him. Once all are locked in at the dilapidated Monterris Court until the contract is agreed upon and signed, members of both parties start ending up dead in mysterious circumstances, and Nic must work with his ex-lover and future bride to find the murderer before it’s too late.
This book gave me exactly what I wanted—a gay Regency romance, a historical fantasy, and a murder mystery—and I was the exact target audence that would eat it up. It’s Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light meets Frances White’s Voyage of the Damned. The romance was just so full of angst and longing and yearning; it had me on a chokehold. The sigil/contract-based magic system “Brilliance� was interesting, sets to limit the scope of the story, and slots right into the period unobtrusively. I thought the locked room mystery was very well done, engagingly twisty, and believably investigable by our characters. While the big reveal doesn’t quite stick the landing in a Knives Out kind of way, that was more on the book’s desire to tie it in to its generational trauma message.
I liked Nic and saw a lot of myself in him. He may be a bit too passive and bends over so easily, but I understand that about him. He has just been ground down by his father, his status, and his isolation. I liked Dash too and his conflicting desire for Nic even knowing their difference in status means they can never be together. Giving him his own perspective chapters would really have rounded him out as a character. Their second chance romance was angsty fun and the spice was appreciated, but I could have used without that totally unnecessary third act break up. Certainly not the least of the central trio, Lady Leaf shined as an aroace young woman who knows what she wants as she channels her inner Nancy Drew, driving forward much of the murder mystery aspect while the other two are too busy being hot and cold with each other.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith was perfectly to my taste and delivers an angsty gay romantasy and a twisty locked room mystery.
*Thank you Pan Macmillan for the eARC via NetGalley...more
The Revenge Game is an MM romantic comedy where a tech millionaire decides to get revenge on his high school bully. Andrew may have just sold his techThe Revenge Game is an MM romantic comedy where a tech millionaire decides to get revenge on his high school bully. Andrew may have just sold his tech company for millions, but he still has never gotten over the trauma from the bullying he suffered from in high school even ten years after graduating. When he encounters his lead tormentor Justin the golden boy jock who doesn’t even have the decency to recognize him, he hatches a plan for revenge and humiliation by infiltrating Justin’s life. Justin may seem to have the perfect life, but he is a man living in shame of his sexuality, his past, and his family. When he meets a new coworker and neighbor Drew, they strike up a friendship that draws his more authentic self.
This book was way better than it had any right to be and went beyond all my expectations. The set up was actually ridiculous but is also absolutely perfect for a romcom. It is unbelievable the lengths Andrew goes through for his revenge but then not actually being able to push through with most of it because of how nice he is. It was hilarious. Justin meanwhile is just so raw and real, and I could not help but root for him despite his past. You can literally see him falling in love with Drew and Andrew falling in love in turn. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance when one doesn’t know the other is an enemy. Ultimately though, this was just an incredibly romantic story of forgiveness. It goes far deeper than it needed to in exploring the trauma that can cause bullying and the trauma that can result from it. I teared up several times.
The Revenge Game is a funny but also meaningful story of love and forgiveness.
*I was given an early copy of the ebook to review and as past of its book tour...more
Glass Kanin is the first book in an isekai LitRPG series. Just as he gets his big break, actor Kanin dies in an on-set accident and wakes up in a fantGlass Kanin is the first book in an isekai LitRPG series. Just as he gets his big break, actor Kanin dies in an on-set accident and wakes up in a fantasy world as a sapient bottle of ink. Alongside Noli, an elf soul trapped in a toy octopus, they must find a way to break the wizard’s spell that trapped their souls before time runs out, all while Kanin is also trying to figure out and work with the world’s magic system of levels, HP and Mana.
This was a delightful and quirky read with a bizarre but also oddly refreshing concept. You really can’t know what to expect when the protagonist is a glass ink bottle. To compare with some of its contemporaries (most of which got their start from Royal Road too), it’s a more cozy and low stakes Dungeon Crawler Carl and a non-Asian and less over-the-top Beware of Chicken/Heretical Fishing. I wish it had actually leaned into the coziness more and I could have used without the deaths.
Kanin really grew on me as a protagonist as we got to know him when challenges came his way. There is a twist mid-book that took me by surprise and really allowed Kanin to shine. Noli too had her moments as a bubbly sidekick of sorts. There were also a few other supporting characters that made for an informal found family, and One I wanted more of was definitely Zyneth who came and went in the story.
Glass Kanin delightfully odd and packs a lot of heart....more
A Drop of Corruption is the sequel to Robert Jackson Bennett’s spectacular epic fantasy/murder mystery The Tainted Cup. Assistant investigator Din andA Drop of Corruption is the sequel to Robert Jackson Bennett’s spectacular epic fantasy/murder mystery The Tainted Cup. Assistant investigator Din and his brilliant but mercurial boss Ana are called in to the fringes of the Empire—Yarrowdale where its integration into the Empire is not sitting well with the local monarchy. A Treasury officer has disappeared in impossible circumstances and only pieces of him are found days later. There, they find a hotbed of increasingly daring smugglers, a petty kingdom squeezing the Empire for more, and a mysterious adversary who seems to match Ana in brilliance and foresight.
This was a stunning sequel, and I loved it just as much as I did the first book. Robert Jackson Bennett once again manages to deliver a murder mystery that is twisty and surprising. From the locked door mystery to the intriguing court politics to the unnerving criminal mastermind, everything felt fresh and different even as a second installment.
While the visuals may not be as visceral, it successfully carries over the dark and bleak atmospheric and evocatively gritty vibe. And even without the threat of leviathans breaching the Empire’s walls hanging over the book, it still manages to make their presence felt in the Shroud, an off-coast facility where the bodies of leviathans are taken and harvested to produce the augmentation elixirs and innovations vital to the Empire’s fight against these titan (hence the importance of Yarrowdale to the Empire’s survival).
Continuing their Watson-and-Holmes dynamic, Din is now a fully fledged assistant investigator and is growing into his own and managing Ana. However, he is still struggling with his own wants and desires over duty and his family’s debts. I actually really liked how much of a bisexual mess he was and I particularly enjoyed the hilarious judgement coming from Ana. We also get more hints about Ana as she slowly reveals her secrets to Din. They’re a duo I would keep reading more of, and I would also appreciate the return of a certain Captain from the first book.
A Drop of Corruption delivers another stunner of an epic fantasy murder mystery.
*Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the eARC via NetGalley...more
Space Brooms! is a scifi adventure about a space station custodian who gets into a situation way over his head. Johnny Gomez is in a dead-e3.5/5 stars
Space Brooms! is a scifi adventure about a space station custodian who gets into a situation way over his head. Johnny Gomez is in a dead-end job as a janitor on a space station (aka a space broom) getting the worst tasks and being sexually harassed by his boss when he finds a data chit while cleaning a public toilet. Suddenly, he is the subject of a manhunt by several criminal syndicates determined to take it from him. With the help of some smugglers, he is determined to sell it off to change his fortune.
This was a fun romp of a book, taking us from far off Kilgore Staton all the way back to Luna (the moon). Johnny is just a fun character to follow despite his “poor me� attitude. He is kind of pathetic but that was what actually made him so appealing and endearing—like a sad little puppy you want to take care of. He also has this tendency to daydream sequences that don’t quite work as well on page than it would in a more visual medium, but it does serve to spice up the story.
The book is, however, a bit tonally confused. It has a silly premise that gets treated somewhat lightheartedly even with the physical violence and shootouts, but then it features a detailed and graphic torture scene (that even includes a castration) which I was not at all necessary or appropriate. Still, it does pull off being fun, funny, and masculine (mostly without the toxicity).
I’d describe this as a popcorn book because it is entertaining and light. Thinking about it though reveals some plotholes or inadequately explained details. How did all these syndicates even know Johnny had the data chit? Why did the smugglers suddenly just take in Johnny who they don’t even know nor asked for their help? What makes Rygar and Johnny’s friendship so special that Rygar goes way out of his way to help Johnny more than is reasonable? Why was Johnny’s aunt treating him so uncomfortably strangely? Those are just some questions that remained with me after reading the book that needed further explanations than was given.
Space Brooms! is a fun scifi romp with a charismatically pathetic lead.
*Thank you to Angry Robot Books for this eARC via NetGalley...more
Tea You at the Alter is the third book in the sapphic cozy fantasy Tomes & Tea. Kianthe and Reyna have a lot on their plate—managing the shop, prepariTea You at the Alter is the third book in the sapphic cozy fantasy Tomes & Tea. Kianthe and Reyna have a lot on their plate—managing the shop, preparing for their wedding a week away, and (last but certainly not least) overthrowing Queen Tilaine. Complicating matters are the pair of baby dragons causing mayhem throughout the town, pesky in-laws-to-be bringing alternate suitors, and a replacement queen who may not exactly want the job. But with their townie friends, ex-coworkers, and some queer pirates, they might just get through week.
This third book is a bit of a return to form after that detour of a second book. The story goes back to Tawney, bringing back the coziness of the small town charm, hearty found family, and slice-of-life domesticity. I enjoyed this way more because of it. While there may be this plot of overthrowing the Queendom, the book is still very much a cozy fantasy so the tension is never allowed to get that high. With where it ends, this could have served as a fitting finale to the series except that it throws an out-of-nowhere occurrence in the epilogue so there’s still one book to go.
There was so much adorable flirting and teasing, especially with my favorite supporting characters Wylan and Feo, and the book introduces new side characters I could root for (the previous book’s Serina and Bobbie just weren’t doing it for me). Kianthe and Reyna continue to be a strong sapphic couple as they take on challenges while rooted in their love for each other.
Tea You at the Altar brings the book back to what made me love the series in the first place.
*Thank you Pan Macmillan for the eARC via NetGalley...more
A Harvest of Hearts is a cozy fantasy standalone set in a land where beautiful and enchanting sorceresses harvest bits and pieces of everyone’s heartsA Harvest of Hearts is a cozy fantasy standalone set in a land where beautiful and enchanting sorceresses harvest bits and pieces of everyone’s hearts for the protection and prosperity of the kingdom. But when Foos Butcher’s heart is unwittingly snagged by a handsome sorcerer, she follows him to the capital. She takes a position as the lone housekeeper in Sylvester’s enchanted befuddling House with his talking cat Cornelius to find her heart, but there she uncovers the dark side of the heart-taking and magic-workers and a secret that has been keeping the kingdom trapped.
This book is not exactly what you would expect from its cozy fantasy premise. It is actually a rather dark tale (much like old fairytales) disguised by the coziness and whimsy. The books compares itself to Howl’s Moving Castle and The House on the Cerulean Sea. While I have never read/seen the former, I am very familiar with the latter, and I wouldn’t say it’s all that similar. I’d actually describe this book as a cozier yet grittier and more adult Sorcery of Thorns (and its sequel novella Mysteries of Thorn Manor). I enjoyed the atmosphere, tone and vibe that went from the cozy first half to the darker second half. I do wish it had drawn out the ending more and really milked the very emotional moments.
I really liked Foss, a woman with deep insecurities and self esteem issues due to the circumstances of her birth and her plain appearance. The author allows her to suffer from it while never wallowing in it, and I found her to be stronger for it. While Sylvester is rather distant, I still really liked him, and I thought their romance was very thoughtful and mature. Would I have loved more moments between them? Yes, but I don’t think it was all that scarce. Cornelius the cat was just precious.
A Harvest of Hearts is a cozy but also dark fantasy that may be appreciated by a specific type of reader.
*Thank you to HarperCollins UK for the eARC via NetGalley...more
The Fourth Consort is a first contact science fiction standalone by Edward Ashton. Dalton Greaves is one of a few humans recruited by the i4.5/5 stars
The Fourth Consort is a first contact science fiction standalone by Edward Ashton. Dalton Greaves is one of a few humans recruited by the intergalactic confederation Unity on its mission to discover sentient life and bring them into its fold. After three years on a scouting expedition led by the giant snail Boreau and fellow human science officer Neera, this is his first ever first contact mission. Complications arise when they find themselves competing for the native’s alliance with another intergalactic benevolent group called the Assembly. And when he is left marooned on this planet with an Assembly representative, Dalton must navigate alien politics and rethink his own role within Unity.
This was such a fun book and not at all what I expected. It is purely a political science fiction told entirely from Dalton’s perspective interspersed with some flashbacks to his past. It’s a more laid back and political mix of Project Hail Mary and The Immortality Thief. While the focus on ethics and morality (of expansionism and more) is there, the book doesn’t go into it quite as deeply as it could have, giving precedence more to maintaining a fun and easy going tone despite some heavier topics.
Dalton is a great protagonist as a man who was supposed to be the brawn of the mission that is forced reexamine morality and the choices he and the group he works for have made. He has the self-awareness and wry personality to carry both the humor and heaviness of the story. I do wish we had gotten more from the rest of the characters, especially Breaker and the Counselor, both of whom played major roles but felt like they just kept making impactful appearances then disappearing altogether.
The Fourth Consult is a political science fiction that is more fun than you would expect.
*Thank you to Solaris Books for the eARC via NetGalley...more
Wooing the Witch Queen is the first book in the cozy romantasy series Queens of Villainy. Felix the Archduke of Estarion has been usurped b4.5/5 stars
Wooing the Witch Queen is the first book in the cozy romantasy series Queens of Villainy. Felix the Archduke of Estarion has been usurped by his father-in-law and flees to the only place that can oppose him—the castle belonging to the neighboring evil witch Queen Saskia. When Saskia mistakes him as the dark wizard she was expecting to be her new librarian, Felix assumes his identity and finds a home in this supposedly evil castle. Both find each other intriguing and unlike who they expected. Attraction turns to flirtation and more, but can it survive when the truth comes out?
This was such a charming and cute read that is delightfully cozy and lighthearted. I went in expecting a romantic comedy in a fantasy setting, and it gave me exactly what I wanted out of it. Outside of the initial miscommunication (that was necessary for the set-up but unsubtly unbelievable), I would not change anything else about this book.
I loved that this was told in dual POVs (always a plus in any romance). I absolutely adored Felix who is too innocent and cinnamon roll soft for his own good. I was just charmed instantly with his love of books, kindness, and vulnerability. I liked that Saskia was not really evil, but just claims the label for her own ends. Their romance was flirty and teased slowly before it dipped into some spice. I particularly enjoyed all the pining and the wooing. And I just love a found family, and the castle itself made for the perfect setting for one with heartily quirky supporting characters.
Wooing the Witch Queen is a romantasy that revels in its romcom-ness with cozy charm.
*Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the eARC via Netgalley...more
First-Time Caller is a Sleepless in Seattle-inspired contemporary romance by BK Borison. Aiden is the jaded host of a romance radio show wh4.5/5 stars
First-Time Caller is a Sleepless in Seattle-inspired contemporary romance by BK Borison. Aiden is the jaded host of a romance radio show when a young girl calls in for some advice for her lonely single mom. Lucie thought she was happy with her life when she suddenly finds her daughter on the phone with the radio hotline. When their on-air interview goes viral, the struggling radio show hosts a segment to help Lucie find a match. But of course, Aiden and Lucie’s chemistry isn’t just confined on air and everyone listening can totally tell.
I really loved this book. I thought it was such a cute book with a classic romantic comedy feel to it. From the Sleepless in Seattle set up, I was already entirely on board. I could not stop smiling throughout it. While it does hit the typical romcom story beats, it manages to play with the gender conventions of the genre, making it feel fresh and distinct.
I appreciated that this was told in dual perspectives (an element that really should be a requirement in romances). The chemistry between Aiden and Lucie was just perfection and every interaction of theirs just made me giddy. Then the sexual tension was just really intense and had going “just kiss/f*ck already�. And one thing I really loved was that they were always honest with each other but not necessarily honest to themselves.
First-Time Caller delivers everything you would want from a romcom.
*Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the eARC via NetGalley...more
Once Was Willem is a standalone dark fantasy/horror set in the medieval English village of Cosham. Once-was-Willem was a dead peasant child brought baOnce Was Willem is a standalone dark fantasy/horror set in the medieval English village of Cosham. Once-was-Willem was a dead peasant child brought back to life a changed monster through an ill-advised bargain. Rejected by his parents and the villagers, he flees into the surrounding wilderness. But when an evil comes for the other children of Cosham, it is up to Once-was-Willem and a ragtag team of rejected monsters to pick up the fight.
I thought this book was absolutely fantastic. Even though I personally do not like horror, I did not find this all that horrific so that was a huge plus for me. There were certainly horror elements and pretty dark events, but this book felt really wholesome (in as much as it could be) and uplifting somehow. There’s a ton of bloody action, body horror, and sadness without weighing down the ultimately hopeful tone of the story.
Narrated to us in first person by Once-was-Willem, the writing style told in his voice felt very true to the setting and added to its character and charm. Honestly, I was immediately won over from the first chapter. Once-was-Willem recalls the events of his monstrous second life and life in Cosham prior to all that. Between bouts of terribleness, he was just so lovable and charming, leading an honorable life that yearns for tolerance if not acceptance. And in his fight for the innocent, he gathers a few fellow monsters and makes a found family of his own.
Once Was Willem is an excellent dark fantasy standalone that tells a horror story with uplifting charm.
*Thank you Little Brown Book Group UK for the eARC via NetGalley...more
The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre is Darcy Ash’s debut historical romantasy following a prince in unknowing crisis. Prince Fierre has just stepped intoThe Two Hungers of Prince Fierre is Darcy Ash’s debut historical romantasy following a prince in unknowing crisis. Prince Fierre has just stepped into the mantle of the crown prince and must bear the weight of his birthright and all the claims it demands of his body. When he starts suffering from a mysterious illness, can he find a cure while also dealing with his secret attraction to his best friend and right-hand-man Aiven as well as all the noblemen vying for his attention and power?
I felt like this was a very misguided book. I have no idea who this book is for or who the ideal readership audience is who will actually appreciate it. The prose and writing itself is perfectly fine, but the story is what is raising eyebrows for me. There’s barely a plot and just a bunch of events or occurrences that happen to run together enough to make a storyline. Its subjectmatter is too heavy to be cute or cozy, and while queer with a HEA, it doesn’t particularly deliver queer joy.
I had no idea how literal the title actually is. It talks about the two things Fierre hingers for—Aiven and food. Because in his kingdom slenderness is beauty and beauty is divine, he as the prince is expected to be the personification of divinity where he must have the slim and frail figure to embody his nobility. Thus, Fierre suffers from disordered eating (which is largely the focus of the book) where he barely eats anything and purges himself to maintain his figure with the encouragement of his father and physician. While the book does not glorify this, I don’t think it handles it as deftly as it should have given how easy it was to get Fierre to see the error of this way of thinking and change. Yes, there is an in-book logic behind this distorted idea of divinity and the disordered eating, but the quick resolution does not match the gravity of the situation.
So there’s already this heavy focus on disordered eating, but the book also chooses to add on top of that the idea that as prince he must use his body as a reward to be given to noblemen he favors or needs favors from. With this mindset, the powerful lairds demand use of his body which while I don’t this it crosses the line to sexual assualt in the book, it may touch that line for some readers. And of course, Prince Fierre is someone who wants to be dominated in bed so that adds another conflict in himself. Then tacked on is the misogyny and their society’s treatment of women that goes completely unexplored but is also somehow resolved with the quick signing of a document at the end. The book should have stuck to the one issue (disordered eating) and gone without the others it could not take on adequately.
I did actually like the romance between Fierre and Aiven. These are two men pining for each other in silence while in close proximity, separated by station as noble and peasant. Not much development happens though as most of it occurs before the events of the book, and this was just the final culmination. Because this is a historical MM romantasy, it is being compared to Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light anf Foz Meadow’s A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (both 5-star reads for me), but I don’t really think that’s a fair comparison. This book is only a fantasy romance in the sense that it has a romance set in a historical but fictional (and non-magical) quasi-Scottish island.
Like the titular character, The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre has issues I’m not sure it adequately surmounts. I liked it well enough but can’t really recommend it.
*Thank you to Solaris for the eARC via NetGalley...more
What if the moon suddenly turned into cheese? That’s the absurd premise of John Scalzi’s latest conceptual science fiction offering When th4.5/5 stars
What if the moon suddenly turned into cheese? That’s the absurd premise of John Scalzi’s latest conceptual science fiction offering When the Moon Hits Your Eye as it takes it day-by-day over the first lunar cycle following different people from all walks of life.
This book was such a delight to read. It rolls with its premise, giving it a charming and lighthearted take when it could have just as easily fallen into dark humor territory (which it gratefully didn’t because I’m not a fan of black comedy). It’s pop science meets Andy Weir and incredibly funny (I literally laughed out loud multiple times). Told one day at a time from a wide variety of characters� perspectives, it never feels disjointed and delivers a complete story despite its scattered structure.
The book has the traditional perspectives from astronauts and scientists trying to understand what happened. Then spices it up with some topical perspectives of a megalomaniac tech billionaire determined to be the first man to step on the cheese moon and two rival billionaires with more money than sense who want to be the first to eat the moon cheese. It then brings humor and charm through a rivalry between cheese shop owners spying on each other and an author who just so happens to have published a relevant pop science novel. The most heartfelt, most human, and sweetest to me though were the doubting pastor guiding his struggling flock (and this is coming from someone who does not like having religion in my books) and the singular sweet moment between a wanna-be writer and her husband.
One note I have though is that I wish we had gotten to see more of some characters as we don’t get back to them so we are left to imagine what comes next for them (and I am imagining all positive things). Also, the book is entirely American so lacks the global feel these types of stories usually have.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye is a ridiculous and positively riotous good time.
*Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the eARC via NetGalley....more
The Unkillable Princess is the sequel to 2023’s The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt. Sean with his new companions Republican defector Tamara and MinisThe Unkillable Princess is the sequel to 2023’s The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt. Sean with his new companions Republican defector Tamara and Minister general Indigo have just escaped the Nameless with a third of the Philosopher Stone data and blackmailed a Senator to start peace talks with the Ministers. When Sean’s long thought dead sister contacts him for help, they are dragged into a conspiracy to ignite the cold war between the Republic and the Ministers into all out war.
This sequel has a very different vibe and energy from The Immortality Thief. From the scifi horror thriller that first book was, this is a full on scifi spy thriller. This will be down to personal taste, but I quite liked The Immortality Thief more than I did this sequel which just didn’t deliver what I was expecting. This book had plenty (too much actually) of formal flashbacks that really broke up any momentum as compared to the previous book where the flashbacks were more informal recollections thrown in that served to break the tension. This structure just didn’t serve the new direction of the plot as well. That said, the story is action-packed, thrilling, and fast paced with a twisty plot that delivers on its spy thriller premise.
What it has going for it though is the development of the interpersonal relationships between Sean, Tamara, and Indigo as a found family of their own. It is in the quiet moments with this newly bound family that The Unkillable Princess outshines The Immortality Thief as we explore each of these characters and why they are drawn to each other. It’s that hint of coziness that allowed for the book to reach its many emotional highs and lows. I did tear up in this one (which the first book didn’t manage to get me to do).
We get to see the implications of Indigo’s confession and how Sean and him can build a relationship despite it. Here, Sean is faced with many more moral questions including choosing between the family he thought he lost or the family he found in the aftermath. One question that continues to hound me is the exact relationship of the central trio. Are they in a queerplatonic relationship? A throuple? Or just a family? I really don’t know, but I welcome any of those choices.
The Unkillable Princess takes the series to a different direction but retains its heart in these characters we grow to know and love.
*Thank you to Solaris Books for the eARC via NetGalley...more
The Prince’s Heart is a low fantasy gay romance about a prince forced to choose between duty or his heart. Darien is the second son of the 3.5/5 stars
The Prince’s Heart is a low fantasy gay romance about a prince forced to choose between duty or his heart. Darien is the second son of the king who yearns to be loved for who he is rather than the title he holds. Just when he finds it in the foreign and low ranked nobleman Tag, tragedy strikes and he must give their romance up to save his kingdom.
I liked and enjoyed this book, but it does have issues. I liked the coziness of it and the smaller intimate setting. It may be a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind. It does read borderline YA when it shouldn’t have given the late 20s main characters and mature subject matter.
The romance between Darien and Tag was fun and understandable, but it happened way too fast (and I don’t mean physically which I wasn’t bothered by). I understand the author needed to get it done early so he could get going with the rest of the plot, but it could have been done without resorting to what is practically insta-love. I did appreciate the portrayal of Darien’s family dynamics which was complex and did make me cry when the inevitable happened.
My biggest issue with the writing though is that the author uses some rather awkward methods to progress the plot forward. There are several character actions and dialogue that are completely unnatural and unrealistic. And you can obviously tell it is there to steer the story towards where the author wants it to go, no matter how unsubtle or crude—that first man Darien interacts with (Petris) and the main villain’s complete evil about-face both come to mind.
While The Prince’s Heart is a sweet low fantasy MM romance, the writing itself still needs some more work.
*Thank you to Rising Action Publishing Co. for the eARC via NetGalley...more
This is Not a Vampire Story is a historical/contemporary fantasy following a teenage boy who has been 17 for more than 70 years. Victor is the night pThis is Not a Vampire Story is a historical/contemporary fantasy following a teenage boy who has been 17 for more than 70 years. Victor is the night porter in an Irish nursing home where he takes care of a few elderly men who used to mean so much to him as a young man. As he says his final farewell to them, he recalls the events that lead to their meeting, the boy he loves, and the tragedy that left him immortal and forced to flee.
This was so goddamn painful and both easy to read and difficult to get through without tears. Simply but beautifully written and incredibly heartfelt, it is a deeply moving, deeply painful, and deeply melancholic portrait of a the cost of immortality and a life wasted. It is not the typical romanticized portrayal of vampires and immortality. And as the title states, it is not actually a vampire story. I don’t actually know who this story is for nor what is in service of, but boy did it put me through the wringer and had me all the more thankful for it because I was the exact audience who would appreciate it.
Seen through two timelines, it showcases a young man’s tragic life and what his immortality has cost him. The past is about his troubled youth and a burgeoning forbidden love that could never truly blossom at a time when homosexuality was illegal. The present is about the enduring bonds of friendship and love and the pain of memory and age that comes along with it. Victor is a fascinating character whose circumstances are heartbreaking. You will find yourself rooting for him and fighting for him all the way to the inevitable ending you will see coming.
This is Not a Vampire Story is a beautifully heartbreaking and melancholic queer fantasy that is as moving as it is tragic.
*Thank you to SD Press for the eARC via NetGalley...more
Deck the Palms is a gay holiday romance set in Hawaii. Professional theater actor from NYC Nolan Bell is spending the last two months of the year in HDeck the Palms is a gay holiday romance set in Hawaii. Professional theater actor from NYC Nolan Bell is spending the last two months of the year in Hawaii to help out his deployed brother’s family after his wife gives birth early. While there, he gets a part-time job as a substitute choir teacher in the local middle school. He then gets roped into co-heading the school’s annual holiday lights festival and production alongside the grumpy shop teacher and single dad to twin boys Merry Winters. Preconceived notions give way to mutual attraction and turns into a holiday fling that was only ever supposed to be temporary. But when Nolan gets the chance to stay, is he willing to give up his leading man dreams and can Merry allow himself another chance with a partner with big city dreams?
This was a simple and basic Christmas romance so you know exactly what you are getting, just with a more tropical twist. It also structures the typical story a bit differently while still hitting the expected story beats. It’s got the small town charm and holiday vibe with a healthy dose of funny kids and complicated family dynamics.
“Deck the Palms features a slightly grumpy single dad and a sunny city slicker navigating family dynamics amid holiday small-town romance vibes with a side of Hawaiian sunshine. Guaranteed low-angst, feel-good, happy ending with a heaping helping of holiday spice!�
*I received an eARC as part of a book tour....more
Keep It in the Dark is a gay YA vampire romance set in an elite boarding school. Rowan Young is the golden boy, fencing team captain, and h3.5/5 stars
Keep It in the Dark is a gay YA vampire romance set in an elite boarding school. Rowan Young is the golden boy, fencing team captain, and headmaster’s son who has big plans for his senior year, but it all goes wrong when a new student enrolls and they are forced to room together. Casper Belamy is a newly turned vampire that nearly became feral until he is found and adopted by a vampiric royal family. Now he must prove his ability to blend in and control his bloodlust by completing his high school education. Attraction was never part of the plan when Rowan isn’t out and Capser’s supposed to be lying low, and things get even more complicated when a secret society of vampire slayers become involved.
I’d describe this book as Twilight meets The Covenant with the homoerotic undertones just fully gay. What worked best for me was the romance. This forbidden disgruntled roommates-to-lovers romance just hits right and felt natural. Their mutual instant attraction brings complications to both of their lives with Rowan’s still not accepting of his own sexuality and Casper’s still burgeoning control. The book also offers such a rich history for the vampires with Casper’s own tragic childhood before he is turned as well as those of the royal vampire family. It’s just that felt glanced over and not given enough time to make the impact it most certainly could have had. There were some truly great character moments, but the plot itself felt questionable.
The vampirism for queerhood was an imperfect metaphor. The vampire book banning was ridiculous in that context. The vampire slayer society that doesn’t actually slay vampires is equally head-scratching. Then it never made sense to me why Casper’s family would put him in a school (and town) with a known slayer history and heritage. Also, how was enrolling him in a boarding school to test his ability to control his thirst even a good idea in the first place?
Keep It in the Dark did things right with its great coming-of-age romance, but the world needed more fleshing out.
*Thank you to Tiny Ghost Press for the eARC....more
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