We may almost be through February but it's never too late to look back at last month. January was a good start of the year for me reading-wise as I read a lot of five-star reads. Was I too generous with my rating? Maybe, but who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? Sometimes you just get lucky and find lots of books you enjoy. I was going to write lots of individual reviews but I fell behind and I figured it would be way easier to just combine them together, and more fun for me.

Winter’s Orbit (Winter's Orbit #1) - Everina Maxwell

Winter’s Orbit centres around an arranged marriage. Jainan and Kiem don’t know each other before they’re forced to marry to satisfy some kind of space covenant. Prince Kiem gets asked to marry the representative of another planet who is recently widowed and spends a lot of the book comparing himself to his cousin Taam who Jainan was married to before Taam died in an accident. It’s later discovered that it wasn’t as much of an accident as first expected and that becomes a whole mystery to explore. It was obvious from the start Jainan and Taam’s marriage hadn’t been all it appeared and although Kiem believes Jainan to be still grieving a lost love and being forced into marriage too soon a lot comes out as the book progresses.

If you’re looking to explore a lot of space this isn’t as space heavy as some sci-fi books but I really wanted to read for the romance so I wasn’t too disappointed by that. It was a great book, maybe a little slower than some books but I was hooked trying to figure out who killed Taam and why. I’ve not read the next book in this series yet but I think they’re all standalone anyway so that’s alright.

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) - Naomi Novik

I picked this up for one of my challenges and I’d been putting off reading it for awhile. I can see why reviews were mixed for A Deadly Education, the writing style was different. It was very slow to develop when it came to plot and it was worldbuilding heavy so I imagine that put people off but that was what made me love it. The world of the Scholomance and the school itself was complex so it needed to spend time explaining things and the way it was written it never felt like an info dump. 

Galadriel was an outcast in her junior year with no allies in a school that had a thousand things trying to kill her until Orion Lake saved her (although she would debate if the rescue was required). That single incident led to the events of the book and it was brilliant. I didn’t want to put it down and was invested in the story. I didn’t even know what the story would be until the very end when El found herself working with Orion and others in the school to try and save everyone. It just worked, and there was enough of a cliffhanger at the end that I immediately started the second book.

The Last Graduate (The Scholomance #2) - Naomi Novik

This book was less heavy with the world-building compared to the first. You were familiar with the Scholomance at this point it wasn’t necessary and so it was all about building to graduation except it didn’t go as expected. I was a little surprised at the turn this book took but it made sense. 

I liked seeing El battle a lot more and also building up a larger group of connections. She didn’t like people yet found herself forced to spend time with them and even help them at times. I like to view this as growth as she learnt she didn’t have to like everyone she helped, and even reluctantly liked some of them without realising she’d let it happen. We got to see El realise that she was strong and see others recognise that too. It was interesting to see how different people reacted. Some accepted her as she was and liked her. Some didn’t care either. And obviously, some wanted to use it to their advantage. 

I struggle to say too much about this book without spoiling things but it definitely took turns I wasn’t expecting and I will say if you enjoy this series then make sure you have the final book when you’re almost finished with this one as the cliffhanger is brutal.

Special Mention 4.5 rating

The Golden Enclaves (The Scholomance #3) - Naomi Novik

After the brutal ending of the last book I immediately picked up the final book in the series the next morning. I slew through the book in a single day, an impressive feat for me considering I seem to have developed the attention span of a gnat. Social media has definitely destroyed my attention span.

The final book didn’t quite reach 5 stars for me. It was an excellent ending to a brilliant series. It was interesting to see El and her classmates outside of the Scholomance and see what magic was like out in the real world. Considering the events of the last book, a lot was going on and it was really quite emotional at times. I liked seeing how classmates behaved in the real world as they were no longer in the bubble the school created and they once more had the privileges they experienced in their normal lives. I found some of the alliances really interesting and it was nice to know El was as clueless outside of the school as in it. She seemed to have a brain for magic but then real people and real life were beyond her. 

I liked getting answers to some questions that had lingered since the first book and I was impressed that even in this book it managed to surprise me. I won’t spoil anything, there were some frustrations on how the story got wrapped up and I’m not sure I liked the answer to some of the questions. But whatever, it worked and it really explored morality and the extent people will go to for their own comfort.

Favourite

The Chemistry of Familiar Objects - Alexandra Vasti

Alexandra Vasti became a favourite author of mine from just her novellas so I instantly downloaded when she had a new one out and she really is an amazing historical romance writer. It helped that I’d just finished a book I’d thought I’d love and ended up hating because it was such a chore to read so I was happy to read this and realise I wasn’t in a reading slump that was just a bad book.

Emmeline and Robert were just brilliant. They were total opposites and the spark between them was obvious. I wasn’t certain how it was going to go given how dismissive and almost cruel Emmeline had been at the start telling Robert she was evicting him but as soon as you got to know her it was clear there was no malice (not truly) she simply enjoyed getting a reaction from him and didn’t understand him completely. She truly didn’t consider how a sudden eviction might be difficult and she did regret it. And then they had more important things to think about than a silly eviction as someone had broken in and stolen from her and there was a whole conspiracy cracking off to investigate.

I wish this had been longer yet I am also thrilled with how fully developed the plot and the characters were considering this was a novella. I didn’t want to stop reading and I am happy to say I am not in fact ina reading slump so I’m glad I downloaded this when I did.

Reread

Next Year in Havana (The Perez Family #1) - Chanel Cleeton

I went into this book loving it and I finished it loving it just as much the second time around. I’ve already spoken of my love for this one so not sure I should repeat myself. Please see my previous review for what made this book so amazing.

And that was my reading month of January. It was nice to read so many books that I loved. Sadly, there were some disappointments but I don't want to think of those. What were your favourite reads of January? And did you read any of the ones I loved last month?

This weeks review post has a couple of ARCs I meant to review forever ago. I read them and loved them… and then The Slump we really need to stop talking about. So let’s talk about a couple of amazing books which I should have been shouting about weeks ago but I’m all about being late to the party.

Published: 23rd June 2020

Source: Netgalley, Purchased

Genre: Contemporary, romance

My Rating:

Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing” her from their office building goes viral...

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his... um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I read Take A Hint, Dani Brown during my slump and let me tell you, this was brilliant. I saw Vera review it and she also read it during a slump so it impacted her enjoyment, for me it was the exact opposite. I hadn’t been able to properly concentrate on most books but this one I couldn’t stop reading. I mean, I was one chapter in and had already written a note that Dani was a goddess and a woman after my own heart with her sass. There was never any doubt I’d love this one.

This book is about Dani and Zaf. Dani is Chloe’s sister, from the first book Get A Life, Chloe Brown, so you knew Dani would be aces. She was a woman committed to never being in a true relationship and was single minded in pursuing her work at the university. It was impressive, I admired her work ethic and loved how fun she was. I did worry about her though, her last relationship was purely physical with a friend and the pair fell out when Dani was unwilling to let emotions get involved. Then there was Zaf, a gruff ex rugby player who was working at the university on security. He was friends with Dani and most of the university were scared of him but he was a total softy. I mean, we first meet him listening to a romance audiobook, how could you not fall for a man who is a fan of romance? Once we learnt there was more to Zaf and there was a reason he was a squishy cinnamon roll, well I was in love. I was ready to fight everyone to keep him from harm.

This book centres on Dani and Zaf pretending to be in a relationship to help boost the profile of the non-profit Zaf runs and when Dani and Zaf find there is a definite attraction between them getting to explore their sexual side as well was a bonus. I was nervous about their fake relationship, though. It may be my favourite romance trope but. Zaf was a total sweetheart and I could see him getting hurt in that situation. I didn’t want to hate Dani because she hurt Zaf. He did get hurt, but so did Dani and the grand romantic gesture which followed was worth it.

As I said, this was a sequel to Get a Life, Chloe Brown and I loved the small glimpses into Chloe and Red’s domestic life. I forgot how much I loved Red as well, he was total prepared to murder Zaf at Chloe’s request because they thought he hurt Dani (the request was soon retracted when they found out Dani wasn’t the only injured party).

This book was fantastic and I could go into all the ways of how but I don’t want to spoil things for those of you who haven’t read it yet. Just trust me, it was brilliant. If you’re a fan of strong women seeking success and soft men in touch with their emotions and out to support the woman they love then you will love this. It was such a great book and many bloggers have probably explained why much better than me. Just read it, ok?

Published: 26th May 2020

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+

My Rating:

A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance.

Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, the tabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn't come at a worse time--threatening Emma's promotion and Jo's new movie.

As the gossip spreads, it starts to affect all areas of their lives. Paparazzi are following them outside the office, coworkers are treating them differently, and a "source" is feeding information to the media. But their only comment is "no comment".

With the launch of Jo's film project fast approaching, the two women begin to spend even more time together, getting along famously. Emma seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what Jo needs. And Jo, known for being aloof and outwardly cold, opens up to Emma in a way neither of them expects. They begin to realize the rumor might not be so off base after all...but is acting on the spark between them worth fanning the gossip flames?

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’ve said it in the comments of other’s reviews for Something To Talk About,  I’d overlooked this book because I am not in love with the cover. Illustrated covers can be great but this one did not catch my eye going in. It looked quite serious and so I didn’t look at it properly. But when I learnt it was Berkley’s first F/F romance I looked at this book again and knew I needed it in my life. Especially when I found it was slow burn! I am a sucker for a slow burn and it was written so well here. You can imagine my excitement when I found this was being published here in the UK (yay for the UK finally acknowledging the brilliance of romance and purchasing rights for some fabulous books). When I saw it on netgalley to request I did instantly. I had this review all typed up and ready to go weeks ago but it’s fine, always good to wait a little while to talk about books I love.

Let’s get into the book, this focuses on Emma and Jo, and amazing couple who I would totally fight for. Jo is a former child actress who has transitioned into being an amazing writer in Hollywood and Emma is her assistant who is amazing and supportive and can just intuit Jo’s moods and what she needs on a day to day basis. Jo is in line to write the script for a big Hollywood film and there is a lot of chat surrounding her, it’s award season and she invites Emma to the SAGs to run interference and to just be a friendly face. Instead, they end up having a photo on the red carpet which makes them look a lot closer than employer/employee and the rumours start. And I loved them. Emma was far more heart on her sleeve earnest in her feelings, probably due to the fact she was younger, and Jo was much more restrained. This was partially due to her being closeted, but also because she had been in the limelight at a young age and seen betrayals and what happens with fame, how quick folks are to turn on you. But she brought herself back through writing shows and being amazing at it. The pair were opposites but they perfectly complemented one another.

I was shipping this pair from the start. They were so cute together. When Emma was there panicking over dress prices and dresses being too low cut and then when she came out in the perfect dress and Jo was practically speechless, I knew I was on to a winner. That kind of chemistry takes skill to write and it only carried on developing throughout the book.

I actually grew to like Jo more than Emma as I was reading. I think I understood her and her reserved nature a little better. I got why she held stuff back from Emma, usually because she assumed other’s would reveal it first. She both liked Emma and held her at a distance as she struggled to understand her feelings. I know Jo should have been smarter but she hadn’t truly let herself grow close to someone in years, she was a little rusty. I got that level of reserve because putting yourself out there is scary. And more importantly she was Emma’s boss! It never got fully addressed but that kind of power imbalance in a relationship is difficult. Jo couldn’t pursue Emma, it would be unprofessional, and the only reason this relationship worked is because it was clear from the star Emma would be moving on in her career and wouldn’t be working for Jo anymore.

Emma, I struggled with. I liked her, she really was so lovely. She was open and kind and I loved how much she cared for Jo even before she realised her own feelings. She did little things to make sure she ate and left her office on time. But I think I struggled with some moments of Emma’s immaturity. I understood why she was angry with Jo later in the book, even respected her that she didn’t let Jo off of the hook with a half arsed apology, but her behaviour in the workplace? She was so immature. There’s being annoyed with someone you work with and then there’s letting it impact your job. Her role was to assist Jo and sometimes while she was annoyed it acted as a hinderance. I know it all got addressed, they aired their feelings but it was something which bothered me about Emma. Once she realised her feelings and how they had made her act, though, then I liked her a lot more. I did respect her for wanting to ask for more respect though. She deserved that, I’d just wished for slightly more professional workplace behaviour. It was a minor niggle, though.

As you can see, I loved the characters in this. And not just the main ones, the secondary characters were amazing too. Emma’s sister was brilliant and made me hungry with all of her baking. And Jo’s best friend? Loved her and how she was ready to call out Jo on things and support her when she needed it. Ugh, this book had a full cast of characters that was great to read.

Honestly, it was a really great romance that worked to remind me there aren’t enough F/F romances being published and certainly not by big publishers. It’s great to see more LGBT+ romance coming out and I’m working to expand my reading horizons. I already want to read more books from authors of colour but it’s about time I tried to read more diverse romance in general. Romance has been straight and white for too long, there are still plenty of romances like that which are amazing, but it’s good to see romance recognising there is more out there. And let’s get off my soapbox telling you stuff you already know and just say check this out if you haven’t already.

Have you read either of these? And what was the last book you read where the cover put you off?

I may have been going through a blogging and reading slump but I read some good books before my slump and a few good ones during which sadly didn’t quite shift it. As such I have review back logs! I know, unheard of. Now, some of these reviews are older than others. Also, some books are fresher in my mind than others so we'll see how this goes.

Also, does anyone else forget what they have and haven't reviewed? I know I've not been blogging for a while but I had to go through and check my posts as I couldn't remember if I'd reviewed something before The Big Slump and simply forgotten about t. Book amnesia turns into blogging amnesia?

Meet Cute Club – Jack Harbon

Published: 5th May 2020

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, LGBT+

My Rating:

Jordan Collins doesn’t need a man.

What he needs is for his favorite author to release another one of her sexy supernatural novels and more people to sign up for the romance book club that he fears is slowly and steadily losing its steam. He also needs for the new employee at his local bookstore to stop making fun of him for reading things meant for “grandmas.”

The very last thing he needs is for that same employee, Rex Bailey, to waltz into his living room and ask to join Meet Cute Club. Despite his immediate thoughts—like laughing in his face and telling him to kick rocks—Jordan decides that if he wants this club to continue thriving, he can’t turn away any new members. Not even ones like Rex, who somehow manage to be both frustratingly obnoxious and breathtakingly handsome.

As Jordan and Rex team up to bring the club back from the ashes, Jordan soon discovers that Rex might not be the arrogant troll he made himself out to be, and that, like with all things in life, maybe he was wrong to judge a book by its cover.

Swoon.

Meet Cute Club was such an adorable read. I knew it was gonna be cute from the cover. I mean it's in the name! But it still surprised me how enjoyable it was. I ended up reading it in one evening! This was partially because it wasn't the longest book but also because I wanted Jordan to get his happily ever after. I was invested!

I will say I think if I'd have stopped reading and finished the next day (which would have been sensible as the next day I was like a zombie and had a video call with my friends) I might have found it a little cavity inducing to come back to. It was borderline too much but honestly, at the moment I read it it was perfect. And I enjoyed it. I can't say a bad word against it really, it being too cute? That's not a bad thing but very much mood thing on my part.

Jordan was an organised individual who liked to escape into romance during his free time. He loved the romance between the characters and sensibly acknowledged they were empowering. I think he also liked there were set rules for a romance and they always ended with a HEA (or happy for now ending as any decent romance should). And Rex was the douche at the bookstore who teased him about his purchases. Jordan gave him some sass back and thought that was the end of that but Rex's interest was piqued. He wanted to know what was so good about romance it had Jordan all wound up and ready to fight him on it? And that was how he read his first romance and joined the book club Jordan ran.

I loved the spark between these two. Jordan needed that teasing from Rex to keep him on his toes and Rex needed Jordan to show him how romance worked and prove that he can stay and be loved.

This wasn't too drama filled. And really when I think about it there wasn't that much story. There was the romance plot and then there was an exploration of Jordan trying to build up the book club and pursuing a new career. There was also a little Rex family drama. But I liked that the plot wasn't too heavy, it made this a great soft read to lose myself in. The cover should show it all, this a soft book... But don't let that fool you into thinking it's not good.

I haven't read that many M/M romances, but I hadn't realised I'd not read many F/F romances either. I definitely need to expand my reading. What was interesting is this was a romance written by a man, I don't read many male authors as it is but it was interesting to have romance from a male perspective.

40-Love (There's Something About Marysburg #2) – Olivia Dade

Published: 18th June 2020

Source: Author

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

My Rating:

This match is no game.

When a rogue wave strips Tess Dunn of her bikini top, desperate, half-naked times call for desperate, please-cover-me-kids-are-coming-closer measures. Enter Lucas Karlsson, AKA that flirty Swede in the water nearby. When he prevents her bare buoys from being exposed to fellow vacationers, even an ocean can’t drown the sparks that fly.

Lucas, a former top-level tennis pro now giving lessons at the resort, fled there after the abrupt, painful end to his injury-plagued career. But he’s finally ready to move on with his life—and after a few late-night, hands-on sessions with Tess, he’s eager to prove he’s the ace she wants.

But this match comes with challenges: She’s forty, and at twenty-six, he’s barely old enough to rent a car. Worse, they only have two weeks together before Tess returns to her assistant-principal life in Virginia. During that brief time, they’ll have to play hard, take a few risks, and find out whether their chemistry is a one-shot wonder…or whether they’re meant to be doubles partners for life.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Who doesn't love an age gap romance? And with the woman being older? Even better!

I always enjoy books from Olivia Dade, she just sweeps me up in her romances. I mean Teach Me? Still a favourite of mine. So it was great to see Marysburg again, even at a distance since this was all set in Florida while Tess was on vacation.

It was safe to say I loved every moment of this book. I mean, it began with boob jokes and puns and just carried on making me smile. I loved how Tess was so fine in her body and with herself. She was turning 40 and she was overweight but she was cool with that. I mean, when it came to her weight she acknowledged this may have led to her knee pain, but she was happier eating whatever and not having time to exercise rather than being miserable and thinner. She could still play a decent game of tennis so it’s not like she was unfit. I loved that message of being chill with yourself and prioritising your happiness and weight not being the be all and end of all of who you are.

Anyway, I loved Tess and she was even better when she was with Lucas flirting. I liked Lucas from the start, yes he had a dude-bro persona he projected but I could tell he was a genuinely good guy. He always let Tess set the pace but made his intentions known and he always checked in with her when he thought he was putting too much stress on her. Yes, he did learn to show more of himself, he had issues with not speaking enough about himself. But he knew his mind and what he wanted and I admired that, I didn’t have that kind of knowledge at his age… still don’t. I also liked that, for him, age was never an issue. He started his career young. He had to grow up at a young age and so yes he was younger than Tess but he is far more mature than many.

I liked that the age difference was always Tess’s issue and never Lucas’s. In fact, he fought her on it and it was a central issue Tess had to overcome in the book.

Basically, this was aces and you should all go out and buy. You’ll also really want to start playing tennis after reading (except, tennis looks hard so maybe not). It also made me want to rewatch the film Wimbledon, only for tennis related reasons obviously.

Finding Joy – Adriana Herrera

Published: 22nd June 2020

Source: Author

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+

My Rating:

As his twenty-sixth birthday approaches, Desta Joy Walker finds himself in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the one place he's been actively avoiding most of his life. For Desta, the East African capital encompasses some of the happiest and saddest parts of his life--his first home and the place where his father died. When an unavoidable work obligation lands him there for twelve weeks, he may finally have a chance for the closure he so desperately needs. What Desta never expected was to catch a glimpse of his future as he reconnects with the beautiful country and his family's past.

Elias Fikru has never met an opportunity he hasn't seized. Except, of course, for the life-changing one he's stubbornly ignored for the past nine months. He'd be a fool not to accept the chance to pursue his doctoral studies in the U.S., but saying yes means leaving his homeland, and Elias isn't ready to make that commitment.

Meeting Desta, the Dominican-American emergency relief worker with the easy smile and sad eyes, makes Elias want things he's never envisioned for himself. Rediscovering his country through Desta's eyes emboldens Elias to reach for a future where he can be open about every part of himself. But when something threatens the future that's within their grasp, Elias and Desta must put it all on the line for love.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Finding Joy was my first book from Adriana Herrera but it won't be my last. It was just so beautiful. I was in such a reading funk when I started, both because I'd just finished 40-Love (which was fantastic) but also my head just wasn't there with life stuff really getting me down and stopping me from wanting to read. Thankfully, I started reading this all the same and it honestly was perfect. I needed to read this to both put my real life problems into perspective but also because this romance was beautiful.

Desta was a little lost before he arrived in Addis Ababa. He had come out of a 2-year relationship he had put all of the work into only to find his boyfriend never viewed him as anything more than someone to sleep with. This was also the first time he had come to Ethiopia since he was young. The country his father had in fact died. It was a country of his childhood even though his memories of that country were fuzzy at best. And it was also a place where he intended to make some life choices about what was next. I'm so glad he went there because then we got to meet Elias. Let me tell you I was swooning as hard as Desta was for him and I loved their friendship which slowly developed before they ever admitted their feelings. I didn't realise that homosexuality was illegal there and the tension which built between them because they had to keep their feelings on the DL was brilliant.

This book was an excellent romance (although Desta needed some strong words spoken to him when he was messing Elias about because he did not deserve the cold shoulder) but it was also a celebration of such a wonderful country. When I read the author's note at the end I smiled because I could already tell there was a strong love for Ethiopia, you could feel it in how it was written, but I was so pleased to see that was because Herrera herself had such a strong love for it from her own experiences there. This was not an impulsive setting but instead a celebration of a brilliant country and the people there but also a chance to show we shouldn't be those ex-pats assuming the saviour role but instead be celebrating the loud and proud voices of those who live there.

***

And there are my reviews, anyone else read any of these? Do you have a favourite or have I introduced you to something new to read?

Date Me, Bryson Keller – Kevin van Whye

Published: 21st May 2020

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

My Rating:

What If It's Us meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in this upbeat and heartfelt boy-meets-boy romance that feels like a modern twist on a '90s rom-com!
Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new--the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he's never really dated before.
Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.
Kai Sheridan didn't expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there's more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he's awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this "relationship" will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right?
Kevin van Whye delivers an uplifting and poignant coming-out love story that will have readers rooting for these two teens to share their hearts with the world--and with each other.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It’s not often I review a book straight after reading but… I had to. I needed to. This book was so good! I’m not going to lie, I was excited about this book anyway, I was planning on buying it as soon as it realised but when I saw I was approved on Netgalley, who was I to say no to reading it early? I’m so glad I did because this just gave me all of the happy feelings, it was exactly what I needed after a week of feeling grumpy and unmotivated. It’s not often I read YA now, I just don’t feel as much of a draw to a lot of YA releases, but gems like this one remind me why I always like to go back. I would like to say, I haven’t even tried to avoid spoilers in my review, there’s just so much I want to talk about

The premise is simple, Kai Sheridan is in the closet, his friends and family know nothing about him being gay. Bryson Keller is one of the most popular guys in school and he got roped into a silly dare where he must say yes to the first person who asks to date him at the beginning of each school week and they will then date for exactly 5 days. Kai probably doesn’t sound like he should be asking Bryson out at all, but impulsively he does. Bryson Keller becomes the only person in the school who knows Kai is gay and (apart from Kai’s friends) he couldn’t have picked a better person. Bryson could easily have been some popular douche who grows and develops and becomes a better person through the book (kind of Peter K type development, don’t even lie, I love the boy in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before but he needed a touch of emotional growth) but Bryson is popular and a genuinely lovely guy. He was so supportive of Kai, even before he realised he had feelings, he was there to help Kai realise things about himself. He joked with him and had fun, even talked about a crush that Kai had. And not once did he reduce down to Kai simply being ‘the gay one’ as Kai worried would happen when if he came out.

I did wonder how this book would effectively write Bryson, a straight character falling for Kai (because we all know they’ll end up together) but, actually, that was a narrow-minded assumption on my part. At one point in the book, Kai is talking about how his crush is straight and Bryson full-on asks him why he assumes guys he has a crush on are straight? It’s something which Kai ponders a lot too. Straight is defined as normal based on societies expectations. From a young age, we are taught that normal is a man and a woman in a relationship, we see it on TV and in magazines, it’s everywhere. But why is straight normal and anything else deemed as different? At no point are we told that Bryson is straight, it’s just an assumption I made and an assumption that those at his school make to. When the dare was made for Bryson to date people no one said it had to be girls, but only girls asked him out. I consider myself to be pretty open-minded, I don’t want to be that stereotypical white girl here, but one of my best friends is gay, yet I realise that I do tend to make the assumption about people I meet being straight and why should that be the case? I liked that this was brought up in the book because it’s a valid point, I know I’ve seen before that it’s unfair that coming out is not something you get to do just once, but instead is something you must do again and again because as you go through life you will meet more people and they will once more make the assumption you are straight, but having it rephrased to question why you assume people are straight, it’s crazy but true.

Anyway, it was a refreshing take for me and I appreciated reading it. I suppose I should have noticed more of the hints about Bryson. He was such a great and accepting person, and maybe he hadn't considered his sexuality at that point. I mean, his sexuality is not explored as in-depth as Kai’s as this was very much kai’s story, but it was silly that I made an assumption. I mean, Bryson showed hints of jealousy at one point, and he held Kai’s hand! Bryson didn’t even need to pretend to date kai really, but he did, he took him out for breakfast, he bought him lunch! I mean, Bryson was an amazing fake boyfriend and who would put in that level of effort if he didn’t have to? I just thought he was an amazingly good guy, but I think he realised quite quickly there was something there.

I think it’s obvious that this book also addresses Kai coming out to those around him. He was scared to come out, the only people he’d tried come out with before were his best friend’s in middle school and they rejected him and blanked him after that. It’s easy to see why he was unwilling to try that again. Unfortunately, he ends up having to. many things happen which mean he comes out to his parents and his school before he was willing to and that was sad. His parents' reaction is probably one which isn’t as uncommon as we might hope it to be. It is not all hugs and kisses and we accept you, not immediately. I got that, I suppose Kai’s parents had their own dreams and expectations about how Kai’s life would go and Kai’s family are regular churchgoers, he even says he’s heard his parents discussing how homosexuality is a sin. You get why it kind of went down like a lead balloon. Thankfully, Kai’s little sister, Yazz, is an absolute darling. She’s the hero in this one instantly accepting Kai and showing her support and she helped to bridge the gap between Kai and his mom and that was brilliant. I will say, Kai’s parents do show support in the end. Kai’s dad accepted him quite quickly after the shock wore off he was there showing his support, but Kai mom? She was a bit slower. And then the fact that Kai was forcibly outed at his school by nasty ass witch and she goes all mama bear. She was slower to come around and remember Kai was still her soon who she adored completely, but she got there and then she was on it being the parent she had always been.

It was interesting to see a very different reaction from Bryson's family. They were just so chilled about it and lovely. They took everything in their stride and that level of acceptance was amazing. I especially loved how Crystal, Bryson’s sister, was all smirking and teasing about it as any self-respecting older sibling would be. I think I liked the acceptance even more because Bryson’s mom was quite absent. She worked and she was successful but this meant sometimes she was away and wasn't physically there for him but you could tell she was always emotionally supporting him. That was obvious from how she called him at least once a day checking in and I liked that. It wasn't that his mom was absent she certainly cared but her work meant sometimes she wasn't there. It was good to see this didn’t fall into the trope of absent parents which I always hate in YA, but instead showed a different kind of parenting.

And Kai’s friends! I worried when they were acting a little funny around him that there would be some shaming when Kai came out but they were instantly there to support him. I think I appreciated that with the characters you saw people's true colours with how they acted. Some of Bryson's friends were idiots before with their homophobic remarks which were 'just jokes' and when they reacted badly to being called out you could see they just didn't get it. But then Donny and Priya, Kai’s best friends, just did. They knew their best friend and they were there waiting for him to be ready to talk to them. They had his back and they would have fought for him if that’s what he needed. Love best friends like that.

This was an adorable romance and I had a great time reading. I would have read it in one sitting but honestly, I needed to sleep. This is definitely a book where you need to read the author's note and acknowledgements because they just made me appreciate the book even more. I didn't realise the author was also from South Africa, like Kai's dad, and mixed race, like Kai, and the book was partially inspired by his own experiences. Got to show some love an excellent own voices read. I strongly recommend reading it. It started a little slow setting the scene with the dare but as it progresses and Kai's awkward adorableness came out swinging I was a goner.

Have you read this, do you agree with my thoughts? What are your favourite #ownvoices LGBTQ+ books?

1. I actually read a few books this year I want to chat about and it’ll be quicker doing it this way.
2. I didn’t write notes for most of the books I want to review so it’ll be easier to have short reviews of the highlights than long reviews because I’ve forgotten all the details (this is where I need to apologise for being vague but I forgot stuff, ok).

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