Coffee Boy

I liked this a lot. I liked it a surprising amount, especially considering that I do not like age differences in my romance - especially not twelve years difference. But I liked it. A lot.

Kieran is a compelling character - and fun with his general ‘I hate the world' vibe he has going on. Kieran isn't universally out, passes as female at his ‘main' job and ... I just... I like the fact that he has long hair that he likes. I'm amused by the fact that he cultivated such a Mean Girls persona in high school. He's just...really fun.

Seth is... Honestly? Someone I super relate to. He comes from a different generation than Kieran. And I like that he's a bisexual that didn't realize he was bisexual when he was a teen. I like the fact that his immediate response to being called ‘queer' is a wince. I like that that is something that shows the difference in Kieran and Seth's generations as something that a lot of people from either generation would immediately understand. Seth is also such an awkward sweetheart.

And, finally, this is probably way too much of a character breakdown for what is, essentially, a short, sweet romance. (And with surprisingly hot foreplay for a sex scene.) (And I edited out probably half of what I had originally written for this review.)

Cute, a lot fluffier than I anticipated, I wish there had been more emotion.

This novella has been enthusiastically recommended to me so many times that I was worried the reality wouldn't live up to the hype. Fortunately, that was not the case. Coffee Boy was a charming, poignant and funny romance between Kieran, who is a trans man, and Seth, who is bisexual and Kieran's supervisor at his unpaid internship for a political campaign. Seth is a bit of a grump, but he is the only one in the office who doesn't misgender Kieran, and the two have some lovely scenes together as they open up to each other (plus one smoking hot love scene). The story helped me understand the daily stresses of being transgender, and how tempting it is to have low expectations for your life when every single interaction is a potential landmine. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this, and I can now join the ranks of those who sing its praises.

This was a cute, short novella with an office romance between an older, broody supervisor and his younger, very open and honest employee. I loved Kieran and his no filter mouth, his struggle with choosing to be open about himself but also not inconveniencing others, his total honesty about his feelings. Seth may look grumpy and cold, but underneath he is just a loner who doesn't know how to express himself. I think they were perfect for each other. I also loved the setting of this story at a political campaign office. That gave the story a very refreshing feel. I just wish the story was longer and characters more fleshed out.

Aside from having a trans man as the protagonist, this is sadly unremarkable, or maybe just not my jam (I found the love interest super unlikeable and the writing pretty bland).

Merged review:

Aside from having a trans man as the protagonist, this is sadly unremarkable, or maybe just not my jam (I found the love interest super unlikeable and the writing pretty bland).