Chris
Oh boy I loved this! I normally don't care for “romance” but I've enjoyed everything I have read by Steven thus far so I took the dive. I cannot wait for this to be released! It might be my favorite by the author and it is their adult debut if I'm not mistaken.
The Boyfriend Subscription is not at all what I thought it was going to be. It was so much more. It has aspects to it that I don't think I have ever read in any other book. Honestly, truly, go read this! I might make the queer book club I participate in read it.
Thank you NetGalley, Steven Salvatore, and Harlequin Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Boyfriend Subscription by Steven Salvatore releases tomorrow, March 26, 2024!
Oh this was filled with tropes that could have so easily backfired. Michaelides takes great care in making sure they don't.
How do I begin to describe this book without giving anything away? Simple. One island. 7 people. One murder. LOTS of twists and turns.
Every time I thought I knew what was happening I got thrown a curveball. As I stated at the beginning, the tropes used were a huge gamble that ultimately paid off!
Thank you Celadon Books and Alex Michaelides for the ARC for my honest review!
The Fury by Alex Michaelides is out January 16, 2024!
Was I expecting a Florida Christmas love story out of this? No but hey it worked out!
Caught in a Bad Fauxmance is just a lovely novel. The characters being Latinx or mixed Latinx? Beautiful. It was so easy to see myself in the pages. This was the rep I wish I had growing up!
Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Elle González Rose for the ARC for my honest review!
Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose is out now!
Honestly I thought I was annoyed with how Book 1 ended, but the amount of loose ends in this one? Geesh I need a pen and paper.
Don't get it twisted. I enjoyed stepping back into this universe. There was still something lacking though.
Overall solid read with some annoyance, but definitely enjoyable to the YA gay werewolf section of readers.
Thank you Tiny Ghost Press and Penny Jessup for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Chasing the Alpha's Son by Penny Jessup releases November 28, 2023!
What in the actual fck did I just read and WHY did I like so damn much? I picked this up because a friend reviewed it and his review made me curious. Listen friends...I WAS NOT READY. I stopped reading at some points to wash my hands or take a shower or just giggle at the sheer absurdity. I don't think I've ever been on a wild as a ride as this. This is very far from something your “average reader” will read. Take care of your mental health. Long live Bloodbag and Fck Douglas
What a cute way to start holiday reading! A warm, feel good holiday gay boy romcom!
Finding My Elf is really about just finding who are through the holiday spirit and I mean who are we to deny ourselves?
So if you want a cute, PG, gay, Christmas romcom, then check this one out!
Thank you David Valdes, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Finding My Elf by David Valdes releases November 7, 2023!
This was good. I liked it. It was very different from what I expected na different from anything I've read before.
I felt the pacing was a little off at some points. The ending felt hopeful but depressing? I would love to see the monsters though. They sounded so cool!
Thank you Kosoko Jackson, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the eARC for my honest review!
The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson releases Oct 3, 2023!
I need Tiny Ghost Press to calm down with these knockouts! I won't lie this did take me about four chapters to get into it, but once I did get into it? I flew through the story. I did not want to stop and I had to finish. I had to know what was going to happen next.
Read this one! It is perfect for Halloween season!
This really makes me want to go out and break my own generational curses now. Thank you Zachary Sergi for writing this wonderful novel and thank you TGP for sending me an eARC for my honest review!
This Pact Is Not Ours by Zachary Sergi releases Oct 3, 2023!
Actual rating: 4.5
I just want to preface this by saying I loved the novel! The only thing I didn't like was that the main character would get kind of whiny at some points. Otherwise, the writing was perfect for the age and POV. I long to have a friend like Matti. I have harsh words for a certain character. Overall though? Wonderful debut from Scott!
Ho. Ly. Fuck. I laughed. I cried. I experienced emotions. I screamed. Baby, I went through it and I loved every second of it!
Out of Touch showed depth. Character development. Growth. I felt like I really grew with the characters. I mean I guess I did because based on the years I was also around the ages of the characters
This took me a little longer to read than I hoped. I was so enthralled with the concept and premise, but something was missing. I'm not sure exactly what though.
Do not get it twisted. I enjoyed this very much, but like I said something was missing and it felt wrong for it to be missing.
Overall, solid read and I think people are really going to enjoy this!
Thank you NetGalley, Em X Liu, and Rebellion Publishing for sending me an eARC for my honest review!
The Death I Gave Him by Em X Liu releases September 12, 2023!
A short, spooky, sweet collection of LGBTQIA+ stories? Yes please! I loved how this collection focused on so many diverse perspectives from minority groups! We didn't get the same boring groups. Some of the stories were easy 5 star reads, others were just okay. Overall though, I would say this is pretty solid and just in time for spoopy season
I don't normally write reviews that are negative, but I'm making the exception here. What the hell did I read? I felt this had more shaming in it than anything else. Bareback? Shame. Cruising? Shame. Gay? Shame. Also sex with animals? Yeah sure that's okay. This book seemed less of manual to gay sex and more like internalized homophobia piece. The ONLY redeeming quality were the drawings because they were gorgeous and well done.
Oh my oh my! Green is NB and starting the 7th Grade. As our story progresses, they develop a crush on a seemingly cishet person.
We continue as Green goes through tribulations that half the population should be familiar with. By the end, we have a story of what it is to be a child in middle school and a journey of self discovery.
We also get to see some cameos of characters from other books in the universe such as Melissa and Rick.
Alex Gino does a wonderful job at bringing representation to the foreground in a world where that is of utmost importance. Thank you NetGalley, Alex Gino, and Scholastic for allowing me an early copy for my honest opinion!
Green releases October 3. 2023!
Thank you to the author for sending me an early copy for my honest review!
I don't even know where to begin. I enjoyed this, but I wish I enjoyed it more. There were points were I felt like the story dragged. There are points where great thoughts and plot points are placed, but I felt they weren't fulfilled completely.
I do really hope the author does some kind of novella so we can see what happens next. It's a pretty solid debut. Give it a read and make an informed decisions.
Butterflies in the End Zone by Jacob Gelman releases June 15, 2023!
Oof this was a really heavy read for me. The content was everything I expected from a Latinx family in the beginning. The twists left me hurting and heartbroken.
I think this story will stay with me for a long time and will haunt me in ways I cannot even begin to fathom. It was beautiful in a way I could never even begin to describe.
What a start for Pride Month! Please make sure you review the CW/TW on this one.
Thank you NetGalley, Federico Eberia, and Levine Querido for the eARC for my honest review!
Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia releases June 6, 2023!
Where do I begin with this story? I was drawn to this because the cover art was wild and the title to go with it was insane. It had me from that point.
I really enjoyed this book. The main character really irked me sometimes and Andrew deserved better. That part shattered me, but I understand it was needed so that Ian could actually grow up.
Overall, solid story! Thanks BookSirens for letting me read an eARC for my honest review!
The Age of a Lobster by Stephen Mathews releases June 7, 2023!
Northranger was a cute graphic novel. It had all the fixings to be phenomenal! However, I felt the story got rushed the closer to the end I read. I also feel like it ended abruptly and had some loose strings.
Overall, I really enjoyed this!
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Rey Terciero for letting me read an eARC for my honest review!
Northranger by Rey Terceiro releases June 6, 2023!
I must admit that I did not like this as much as I thought I would. It had plenty of good things, but it also had plenty of things that just left me empty?
Chip was honestly my favorite. He was just a wonderful and beautiful teddy. Hated Ryan. That's the tweet. Hated that Zack idolized Ryan.
Not my favorite book, but I do love the world building that Robby has been doing with Citrus Harbor.
I Like Me Better by Robby Weber is out now!
Thank you Inkyard Press, NetGalley, and Robby Weber for letting me read an eARC for my review!
Just wonderful! Beautiful! Heartfelt! Another home run for Tiny Ghost Press!
Against the Stars gives a very TBDATE end vibe with a mix of Heartstopper. Seb & Elliot will forever remain with me and that makes me smile.
Seriously y'all go check this one out! Buy it, go to the library and get it, whatever it takes because this might become a viral sensation!
Thank you TGP and Christopher Hartland for letting me be able to read the eARC for an honest review!
Against the Stars by Christopher Hartland releases today, April 18, 2023!
Honestly what a fun read! I love a magic system and this one? Beautiful. The concepts? Beautiful. I enjoyed this so much.
My only problem with it was that I felt the pacing was a little off. I got to the last 20% or so and it picked up pace so quickly I was dizzy. That could just be a me thing though.
Overall, go pick this up! It is good!
Thank you @netgalley @ftlukens and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for letting me get an eARC for my honest review!
Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens releases April 4, 2023!
Another Ace and Aro nonfiction...I've read many of these books so far this year. This one is good. It has resources and data and anecdotal stuff. I feel like this one encompasses everything I read from the other ace nonfiction books I've read so far.
I didn't particularly feel any kind of way about this book because it reminded me of a research paper that I want to read. It wasn't boring, but it also wasn't amazing.
Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, and The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project for allowing me to read this eARC for my honest opinion.
Ace and Aro Journeys: A Guide to Embracing Your Asexual or Aromantic Identity by The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project releases April 21, 2023!