rep: gay mcs, Indian American side character, aro side character, achillean side characters
Review also posted on Reads Rainbow.ARC provided by the purep: gay mcs, Indian American side character, aro side character, achillean side characters
Review also posted on Reads Rainbow.ARC provided by the publisher.
Everyone always has their own checklist that needs to be all filled out for a book to be considered a good romance. That’s why it is so difficult to be at all objective when rating romance novels: everyone will find something else romantic. And well written.
For me that list goes as follows: fleshed out, likeable characters; amazing chemistry between the leads; a lot of pining (no pain, no gain, my lads!!); ridiculous set-up but in a cool, ‘might actually happen, maybe� way. Contract Season checks all of those, and more!
I really thought Nary’s debut novel would be my favourite romance forever, and then she went and outdid herself with this one! Every single thing about this book is tailored perfectly to my taste (and I dare say a lot of other people who grew up reading fan fiction.) (Yes, I keep bringing up fics every time I review a romance, but that’s only because I’m aware that good fan fiction is actually the pinnacle of romance to which all published romances should aspire.)
Contract Season takes the premise of fake dating and brings to life all its best features. It understood the assignment. If you need one book to explain to someone what the fake dating trope is all about, you should just use Contract Season. Because despite what some readers think, it’s not enough for the two people to pretend to date. Especially when they were strangers beforehand, which seems to be a common trope recently. There needs to be tension! It needs to be completely unbearable for the characters that they can touch the other in public, but not in private. It needs to be soulcrushing for them that they can kiss their ‘partner� while on a date somewhere, but not do anything else when no one is looking.
In this particular case it’s even better: the sexual tension manages to remain unresolved, despite the fact that the couple does sleep with each other in the first chapter. That’s the magic of fake dating, though! Whatever propelled you to have sex for real at first clearly doesn’t count anymore, because now you’re just pretending to be into the other person for the public. It makes sense in their minds! And it’s a testament to how talented a writer Nary is that it does.
The thing is, Nary’s writing might seem simple at first glance, but it’s that simplicity that’s brilliant. Because it allows her to pierce you right through the heart with a single line you were absolutely not expecting. It’s extremely detail oriented and focused on the smallest changes in emotions. The (gay) devil truly is in the details.
Contract Season is undoubtedly one of the best romances of recent years, and it’s fascinating to think what Nary might gift us next. Whether you know a single thing about hockey or not, this has to be on your radar. You can thank me later....more
was the term "fool in love" coined specifically based on mr john thornton?
i know for a fact that if i retw: xenophobia, death, suicide, animal cruelty
was the term "fool in love" coined specifically based on mr john thornton?
i know for a fact that if i read this at a tender age of early teenagehood, it would have been over me. my standards would never again be met, and i would simply stop reading all together.
yes, the romance is exquisite (and frankly unhinged in the best of ways), but this is obviously so much more than that. on the prose level this is absolutely gorgeous. the social commentary, the clash of the classes, the feminism? chef's kiss....more
when hannah kent said "thea, if love were a thing, it would be the sinew of a hand stretched in anticipation of grasping. see, my hands, they reach fowhen hannah kent said "thea, if love were a thing, it would be the sinew of a hand stretched in anticipation of grasping. see, my hands, they reach for you. my heart is a hand reaching", and when mary oliver said "you too can be carved anew by the details of your devotions", and when richard siken said "my dragonfly, my black-eyed fire, the knives in the kitchen are singing for blood, but we are the crossroads, my little outlaw, and this is the map of my heart, the landscape after cruelty which is, of course, a garden, which is a tenderness"
i’m sorry but did this book from 1880 invented emojis & mobile phones?
this was hilarious! it was so sweet & so lovely! better than most romances i hai’m sorry but did this book from 1880 invented emojis & mobile phones?
this was hilarious! it was so sweet & so lovely! better than most romances i had the misfortune of reading these days. truly, the best of it kind. you would not guess it was written at the end of 19th century, if someone told you it’s just historical fiction; it feels so incredibly modern and familiar! the pacing is great, the characters are excellent, absolutely charming, the plot is believable and funny. not one thing to complain about!
also cyn is a lesbian and no one will convince me otherwise...more
the writing in this is absolutely gorgeous; it's delicate, yet powerful. stunning. just as the main character is. we get to see edna finally start herthe writing in this is absolutely gorgeous; it's delicate, yet powerful. stunning. just as the main character is. we get to see edna finally start her life, fulfil her own wishes, yearn for & taste love. she says at one point that she would not give up her essentials for her kids: that she'd give her life for them, but not the essentials. and she doesn't, she puts herself first, even at the last moment. i don't see the ending as a punishment, a precaution for other women; rather: as edna not finding any other way for her to exist in the society such as it was (and still mostly is). she's still the one to make the choice....more
weird is such an understatement, when describing this little book. it simultaneously makes you feel at home & like screaming irep: bi mc, achillean mc
weird is such an understatement, when describing this little book. it simultaneously makes you feel at home & like screaming internally forever. even if plot is absolutely out of this world, you know those feelings. none of it has ever happened to you, but also all of it have & it has a place in your marrow.
the intensity (insanity) of modern work culture (and specifically working from home) juxtaposed with the romanticisation of the small things in life! the conversations about how we treat the internet, and what it does to our brains, how it affects our lives! at the end of the day, it's actually a very simple book, but uses such cool & smart ways to achieve what it wants. also, it's absolutely hilarious....more
rep: gay mc, Jewish gay mc, Indian side character tw: extreme gore, violence, blood, murder, suicide, body horror, period typical homophobia, internalirep: gay mc, Jewish gay mc, Indian side character tw: extreme gore, violence, blood, murder, suicide, body horror, period typical homophobia, internalised homophobia, PTSD, panic attacks
an honest book about war, and simultaneously the most tender one you will ever read. all thanks to the bottomless love those boys feel for one another.
near the very end a character quotes a philosopher arguing that gay love is the purest form of love, and somehow the book itself feels like a homage to that statement, while also showing all the ugliness of human emotions.
rep: Indian lesbian mc, Black genderfluid lesbian polyam character, lesbian li, sapphic side characters, Indian side characters, Black side charactersrep: Indian lesbian mc, Black genderfluid lesbian polyam character, lesbian li, sapphic side characters, Indian side characters, Black side characters tw: past child sexual abuse, transphobia, fatphobia, drugs & alcohol addictions
this is such a warm book! yes, it's ugly at times, messy, the protagonist not likeable & questionable in a lot of her choices. but that's just life. and at its heart, this is a book about love and tenderness. (without really being a romance, even if the love story plays such a big role in it.) a book about how friendship can save you, or rather: can make you see that you want to save yourself. about how without community we can't really navigate this world. about how even if we don't understand something, we can still support our loved ones. basically, this book shows us the possibility of a better, love-filled world.
it’s also very much an Asian immigrant book, in the sense that it captures that experience without being fanciful....more
rep: Black side character, gay side character, sapphic side character tw: extremely dubious consent, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, (view spoiler)[paedorep: Black side character, gay side character, sapphic side character tw: extremely dubious consent, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, (view spoiler)[paedophilia (hide spoiler)]
one of the most uncomfortable novels i have ever read, almost unbearable, and yet, i'm strangely in love. mostly due to the narrator, her voice, the way she's given agency here (because let's be honest, it would be a completely different book if it was told from paul's perspective).
it's about toxic relationships, it's about men manipulating women to get whatever they want, no matter the consequences. all the people frances meets, all the little things she sees, all the places she visits - those were very deliberate choices on author's part & they did an incredible job to tie the story together. the imagery is simply outstanding, the way it's both there to just describe everyday scenes and to give us insight into frances' world.
i've seen reviews describing frances as detached, and yes, there are whole days when she literally doesn't utter a word, but it's her silences that tell the readers everything we need to know. she dissociates during sex, i'm not sure how more clear & loud she can be in telling her story....more
rep: Black bi mc, British Pakistani mc with depression and anxiety, Black side characters, sapphic side characters, British Pakistani side characters trep: Black bi mc, British Pakistani mc with depression and anxiety, Black side characters, sapphic side characters, British Pakistani side characters tw: panic attacks, past death of family members
any book that makes me care this deeply about the well-being of a cishet man is a masterpiece!
but also, it truly is a masterpiece, with how well fleshed out the characters are, how funny it is, how the angst makes sense, how the side characters offer support, how the main characters grow... this book accomplishes everything it promises, and more....more
There still exists a faint memory of the past when the faggots and their friends were free. The memory lives in the faggots� bones. The memory appe
There still exists a faint memory of the past when the faggots and their friends were free. The memory lives in the faggots� bones. The memory appears at night when the bones are quietest.
if you liked the dick joke from jane austen, you're gonna love this book
it's so much fun! not a lot happens, it's a slice-of-life/romance type of bookif you liked the dick joke from jane austen, you're gonna love this book
it's so much fun! not a lot happens, it's a slice-of-life/romance type of book, and yet you're engaged the whole time bc the characters are simply delightful! and it's genuinely funny, in the way of barbs & convoluted comments that could pass off as compliments if it wasn't obvious the speaker finds the person odious. it starts where the fairy tales ends: at a wedding, but still we get to see a number of love stories blossom. ...more
rep: gay mc with anxiety, bi mc, Black side character, Asian side character tw: internalised homophobia, implied past homophobic abuse, vomiting, panicrep: gay mc with anxiety, bi mc, Black side character, Asian side character tw: internalised homophobia, implied past homophobic abuse, vomiting, panic attacks, toxic parents, blood & violence (hockey)
shut up! this is my comfort food! a romance book has NEVER made me this feral!!! everything abt this is perfectly tailored to my taste
okay so what this books offers: - an amazing slowburn, and i mean an actual slowburn - the tension & pining is just *chef kisses* - super-well fleshed out main characters, which leads to great chemistry btwn them - great supporting characters as well, a true found family - very interesting family dynamics, and actually explored too - a lot of focus on mental health - an extremely oblivious mc (who only realises he's bi through the course of the book), who's also a bit of a himbo tbh...more
I don’t want to lose a single thread / from the intricate brocade of this happiness. / I want to remember everything. / Which is wgay love is just !!!
I don’t want to lose a single thread / from the intricate brocade of this happiness. / I want to remember everything. / Which is why I am lying awake, sleepy / but not sleepy enough to give it up. / Just now, a moment from years ago: / the early morning light, the deft, sweet / gesture of your hand / reaching for me....more
i rly do love caroline alexander's translation, it's so simple and clean, and easy to digest, while still having some beautioh all those winged words!
i rly do love caroline alexander's translation, it's so simple and clean, and easy to digest, while still having some beautiful grandeur to it. also i absolutely recommend choosing an audiobook, it has been made to listen to not read!
anyway, brain-rot continues: "Do not, you dog, supplicate me by knees or parents. Would that my passion and spirit would drive me to devour your hacked-off flesh raw, such things you have done;" and "do not lay my bones apart from yours, Achilles, but together"...more
rep: Syrian American trans gay mc, Syrian American gay li, Syrian sapphic mc, Syrian trans li, Syrian sapphic li, Black nonbinary character, Syrian Amrep: Syrian American trans gay mc, Syrian American gay li, Syrian sapphic mc, Syrian trans li, Syrian sapphic li, Black nonbinary character, Syrian American characters, Syrian characters tw: islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, violence, death, blood
it's a novel about grief & pain but it's so full of beauty and hope! the tenderness of gay love & how it can feel like a miracle! transness portrayed in the most beautiful of ways! truly some of the most gorgeous & moving writing i have ever read...more
rep: lesbian mc with anxiety & depression, sapphic li, trans questioning side character with alcohol & painkiller addiction tw: ableism, self harm, suirep: lesbian mc with anxiety & depression, sapphic li, trans questioning side character with alcohol & painkiller addiction tw: ableism, self harm, suicidal ideation, dissociation, homophobia
it's actually incredible that a book about a depressed atheist lesbian somehow manages to be this hopeful. it seems like it's just about gilda not really having a handle on life, but there's also so much focus on the beauty of life, on the smallest of things. yes, sometimes she forces herself to see it, but it still counts. i've seen people describe this novel as bleak, and frankly i just don't understand why. there's this undercurrent of being alive is magic throughout the whole story....more
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