Roger Hyttinen

Review of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

May 14, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

Albert Entwistle is a private man with a quiet, simple life. He lives alone with his cat Gracie. And he’s a postman. At least he was a postman until, three months before his sixty-fifth birthday, he receives a letter from the Royal Mail thanking him for decades of service and stating he is being forced into retirement.

At once, Albert’s sole connection with his world unravels. Every day as a mail carrier, he would make his way through the streets of his small English town, delivering letters and parcels and returning greetings with a quick wave and a “how do?” Without the work that fills his days, what will be the point? He has no friends, family, or hobbies—just a past he never speaks of, and a lost love that fills him with regret.

And so, rather than continue his lonely existence, Albert forms a brave plan to start truly living. It’s finally time to be honest about who he is. To seek the happiness he’s always denied himself. And to find the courage to look for George, the man that, many years ago, he loved and lost—but has never forgotten. As he does, something extraordinary happens. Albert finds unlikely allies, new friends, and proves it’s never too late to live, to hope, and to love

Review

This delightful and heartwarming story follows Albert, a lonely 64-year-old postman who makes some startling discoveries about himself. Though this is in part a story about a man coming out of the closet after over forty years and searching for his lost love, it’s also about coming out of your shell — about taking the brave step in opening yourself up to your neighbors and coworkers. This was a very relatable book for me as I am close in age to Albert and know only too well the hate and homophobia gay boys had to face in the 60s & 70s. It was also quite accurate from my recollection.

I enjoyed how the story was told via flashbacks to Albert’s youth, and we see the events that led him to his current situation: his hateful homophobic father, his apathetic mother, the oppressive laws of the time, and, of course, George — the first and only boy Albert fell in love with. The story unfolds in bits and pieces, allowing us to slowly understand where Albert is coming from as all is finally revealed.

I loved how Albert began to shine once he attempted to get the know the people in his life and start to embrace his life in the process. I especially enjoyed his friendship with Nicole, a single mom going through some tough times. The author did an excellent job of juxtaposing Albert’s newfound happiness with the darkness and sadness of his past. It was s delight to see Albert bloom once he ceases feeling ashamed of who he is and embraces and accepts himself instead. His transformation warmed my heart as well as sent a tear or two to my eyes.

All in all, I love this impactful story. It was heartfelt, amusing at times, traumatic at others, but always compelling and touching. Albert’s character development and character arc were phenomenal. And though the story does tackle some tough themes, it ultimately will bring a smile to your face. At least it did mine.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Purchase book from Amazon

Review of If you Change Your Mind by Robby Weber

May 1, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

“A romantic hero’s journey with a happy ending that will leave you smiling and swooning… I loved it!” —Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End

In this hilarious and heartfelt debut novel, an aspiring screenwriter learns sometimes love has its own script.

Harry wants nothing more than to write Hollywood screenplays. He knows the first step toward achieving that goal is winning a screenwriting competition that will seal his admission into the college of his dreams, so he’s determined to spend his summer free of distractions—also known as boys—and finish his script. After last year, Harry is certain love only exists in the movies anyway.

But then the cause of his first heartbreak, Grant, returns with a secret that could change everything—not to mention, there’s a new boy in town, Logan, who is so charming and sweet, he’s making Harry question everything he knows about romance. As he tries to keep his emotions in check and stick to his perfect plan for the future, Harry’s about to learn that life doesn’t always follow a script.

Review

If You Change Your Mind is a delightful summer romantic read which follows Harry during the summer of his senior year, who decides that he would spend his summer free of distractions, especially boys. Things don’t entirely turn out the way he’d hoped, however, and he ends up having to choose between two boys — a boy from his past and a boy who’d just wandered into his life. Typically, I’m not a fan of love triangles, but this one worked exceptionally well in the story. Though it was an essential element in the narrative, it didn’t overshadow the rest of the plot. In fact, I didn’t mind it one bit. It was actually fun journeying along with Harry as he tried to figure things out, especially when things got messy. What I especially enjoyed was that nobody was as they appeared to be.

It’s also worth mentioning that Harry is writing a screenplay that is supposed to help him get into the college of his dreams — a film school in California. What’s fun is that the beginning of every chapter contains a scene from Harry’s screenplay, which parallels his real life. I thought the play provided a compelling insight and element to Harry’s story.

What I really loved about the book was how Harry, even though he’s a bit insecure, refused to allow anyone to walk all over him or treat him with anything less than respect — although it took a couple of lessons for Harry to learn this. What we ended up with, then, is a touching story about following your dreams and not losing sight of what is really important — even when love comes to call.

All in all, I adored this novel. The character development was phenomenal, and the plot was riveting. I also enjoyed the themes about the importance of family, friendship, self-discovery, and not losing sight of the important things in life. Additionally, there were many movie references to well-known rom-coms, which added a fun element to the story (such as the title of the first chapter: When Harry Met Logan).

So if you’re in the mood for a breezy heartfelt gay rom-com with lovely characters that will tug on your heartstrings, then definitely check out If You Change Your Mind.

Review of Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

April 19, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

A secret crush leads to not-so-secret romance in this delightful romantic comedy from Kris Ripper

There are three things you need to know about Preston “PK” Kingsley:

1) He’s a writer, toiling in obscurity as an editorial assistant at a New York City publishing house.

2) He is not a cliché. No, really.

3) He’s been secretly in love with his best friend, Art, since they once drunkenly kissed in college.

When Art moves in with PK following a bad breakup, PK hopes this will be the moment when Art finally sees him as more than a friend. But Art seems to laugh off the very idea of them in a relationship, so PK returns to his writing roots—in fiction, he can say all the things he can’t say out loud.

In his book, PK can be the perfect boyfriend.

Before long, it seems like the whole world has a crush on the fictionalized version of him, including Art, who has no idea that the hot new book everyone’s talking about is PK’s story. But when his brilliant plan to win Art over backfires, PK might lose not just his fantasy book boyfriend, but his best friend.

Review

This is my first Kris Ripper novel, and now I’m a new fan!

Book Boyfriend follows PK, who has been in love with Art, his best friend, for five years but has never told him about his feelings. So when Art moves in with PK following a nasty breakup, PK hopes that this might be the first step in them getting together. But PK can find the words to let Art know how he feels, so he writes a thinly veiled romance novel about his love for Art in what PK feels is a “Grand Gesture.” Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned, and his gesture has the opposite effect — leaving PK has to scramble and pick up the pieces. Apparently, those super grand romantic gestures you see in rom-coms rarely work that well in real life.

This was such a fun novel! And by fun, I mean laugh-out-loud funny in places. Book Boyfriend had amazing banter and incredible chemistry between the two main characters. The story is told entirely through PK’s POV, and it was fun following his often convoluted and chaotic inner monologue. His humorous inner monologue had me chuckling on more than a few occasions. That being said, I loved the writing style, and it worked perfectly for me.

What I also loved about the story was the peek into the world of writing and publishing. In fact, the entire novel is about books and is heaven for the book-lover: Art works in an indie bookstore, PK works for a publishing house, and then PK writes a romance novel. I also enjoyed PK’s insecurities about writing — his fear of both failure and success, feelings that many writers will relate to.

The romance is an extremely slow burn with a lot of pining going on. It ended up being so sweet, heartwarming, and oozing with romance. I really cared about PK and Art making it to a happy ending and felt that the journey that takes them there is utterly satisfying. Though the plot was a tad quirky and over-the-top at times, the realism of their romance and the well-written narrative held it steady.

Both characters are engaging and likable, rendering the story all that much more enjoyable. Oh, and just to let you know, there is no sex in this story, so if you’re looking for steam and spice, you won’t find it here. But what you will find is a charming and compelling romance that I loved from beginning to end. Recommended!

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Review of Playing with Myself by Randy Rainbow

March 6, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen 1 Comment

Blurb

An intimate and light-hearted memoir by viral sensation and three-time Emmy-nominated musical comedian Randy Rainbow that takes readers through his life—the highs, the lows, the lipstick, the pink glasses, and the show tunes.

Randy Rainbow, the man who conquered the Internet with a stylish pair of pink glasses, an inexhaustible knowledge of Broadway musicals, and the most gimlet-eyed view of American politics this side of Mark Twain finally tells all in Playing with Myself, a memoir sure to cause more than a few readers to begin singing one of his greatest hits like “A Spoonful of Clorox” or “Cover Your Freakin’ Face.”

As Randy has said, “There’s so much fake news out there about me. I can’t wait to set the record straight and finally give people a peek behind the green screen.” And set the record straight he does. Playing with Myself is a first-hand account of the journey that led Randy Rainbow from his childhood as the over-imaginative, often misunderstood little boy who carried a purse in the second grade to his first job on Broadway as the host at Hooters and on to the creation of his trademark comedy character. In chapters titled “Pajama Bottoms” (a look back at the days when he wore pajama bottoms on his head to pretend he was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), “Yes, It’s My Real Name, Shut Up!” (no explanation necessary…) and “Pink Glasses” (a rose-colored homage to his favorite accessory), Playing with Myself is a memoir that answers the question “Can an introverted musical theatre nerd with a MacBook and a dream save the world, one show tune at a time?”

Review

Memoirs are not my preferred genre, but when I heard that Randy Rainbow was releasing a no-holds-barred story of his life, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, given that I’ve been a fan of his musical political parodies from the beginning.

Like the man himself, this book was so much fun! I enjoyed learning about his childhood, his family, his struggles with depression, his inspiration, his missteps, and his eventual rise to stardom. I was also surprised to learn that Randy Rainbow is his real name – who could have guessed?

I swear Randy Rainbow is the only person who can make the story of one’s childhood enjoyable and enthralling. And if you’re a fan of celebrities, Randy does plenty of name-dropping throughout the pages, and I enjoyed learning about his relationships with various actors, actresses, and musicians.

I loved getting a behind-the-scenes look at his process — how he comes up with ideas for and makes his videos. It also becomes clear that his rise to fame was the result of a lifetime of hard work and preparation. Though there is a serious aspect to the book, especially regarding self-image issues and bullying, overall, it’s humorous, light-hearted, and fun, peppered with witty asides, enjoyable banter, and jokes. I caught myself laughing out loud so many times as I read about his compelling life.

Frequently, I find memoirs to drag in places where I need to slog through them painfully. Not this one. Playing with myself was a hoot from beginning to end! All in all, I found this book utterly delightful, and it gave me a new appreciation for Randy Rainbow. It was a blast getting to know the man behind the pink glasses. If you enjoy his creative video spoofs, you should enjoy this funny yet heartfelt book. It’s a refreshing and entertaining read about one of my favorite people.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a review copy of this book.

This title will be released on April 19th but is available for preorder now.

Purchase Playing with Myself from Amazon

Review of Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor

March 6, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

Growing up homeschooled in Berkeley, California, Beatrice Quinn is a statistical genius who has dreamed her whole life of discovering new mathematical challenges at a school like Oxford University. She always thought the hardest part would be getting in, not convincing her parents to let her go. But while math has always made sense to Beatrice, making friends is a problem she hasn’t been able to solve, so her parents are worried about sending her halfway across the world. The compromise: the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy and a detailed list of teenage milestones to check off. She has six weeks to show her parents she can pull off the role of “normal” teenager and won’t spend the rest of her life hiding in a library.

Unfortunately, hearts and hormones don’t follow any rules, and there is no equation for teenage interactions. When she’s adopted by a group of eclectic theater kids, and immediately makes an enemy of the popular—and, annoyingly gorgeous—British son of the camp founders, she realizes that relationships are trickier than calculus. With her future on the line, this girl genius stumbles through illicit parties, double dog dares, and more than your fair share of Shakespeare. But before the final curtain falls, will Beatrice realize that there’s more to life than she can find in the pages of a book?

In this sparkling debut from Serena Kaylor, Long Story Short is a YA rom-com about a homeschooled math genius who finds herself out of her element at a theater summer camp and learns that life—and love—can’t be lived by the (text)book.

Review

This story ticked all the right boxes for me: Enemies to Lovers? Check. Takes place at a summer camp? Check. Story revolves around a Shakespeare play? Check.

Long Story Short was a delightful, light-hearted summer romance filled with sweet characters and plenty of fun, witty banter. I also loved the chemistry between Beatrice and Nik and found these two characters incredibly endearing. They’re a couple you can’t help fall in love with: funny, angsty, sweet, determined, flawed, and authentic. I found their interactions funny, awkward, and exactly as confrontational as they need to be. Likewise, the secondary characters were equally impressive, even Shelby, “the mean girl,” who, as we learn, is quite a complicated multi-layered character.

The story itself is unputdownable and addictive, and I read it in only two sittings. It’s a sweet, comforting, and uplifting novel with a certain quirk and charm and just the right amount of angst. Readers who like a little messy yet heartwarming YA romance will definitely get that with Long Story Short. This charming novel leaves you with an ending that’s like a kiss and sweet tuck in goodnight and left me with a huge smile on my face when I finished the final page.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a review copy of this book.

This story will be released on July 26th, 2022 but is available now for preorder.

Purchase Long Story Short from Amazon

Review of First Time for Everything by Henry Fry

January 22, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

An unflinchingly honest, wickedly funny, and heartfelt debut about a down-on-his-luck gay man working out how he fits into the world, making up for lost time, and opening himself up to life’s possibilities

Danny Scudd is absolutely fine. He always dreamed of escaping the small-town life of his parents’ fish-and-chip shop, moving to London, and becoming a journalist. And, after five years in the city, his career isn’t exactly awful, and his relationship with pretentious Tobbs isn’t exactly unfulfilling. Certainly his limited-edition Dolly Parton vinyls and many (maybe too many) house plants are hitting the spot. But his world is flipped upside down when a visit to the local clinic reveals that Tobbs might not have been exactly faithful. In fact, Tobbs claims they were never operating under the “heteronormative paradigm” of monogamy to begin with. Oh, and Danny’s flatmates are unceremoniously evicting him because they want to start a family. It’s all going quite well.

Newly single and with nowhere to live, Danny is forced to move in with his best friend, Jacob, a flamboyant nonbinary artist whom he’s known since childhood, and their eccentric group of friends living in an East London “commune.” What follows is a colorful voyage of discovery through modern queer life, dating, work, and lots of therapy–all places Danny has always been too afraid to fully explore. Upon realizing just how little he knows about himself and his sexuality, he careens from one questionable decision (and man) to another, relying on his inscrutable new therapist and housemates to help him face the demons he’s spent his entire life trying to repress. Is he really fine, after all?

Review

At first, I thought this story was going to be a quirky book full of wild and zany characters. While there certainly was that aspect to it, it also ended up being a fascinating journey of self-discovery and healing for a young man named Danny Scudd. This book could have been easily titled “The unraveling of Danny Scudd” because that’s what has to happen before our main character can pull himself together: he must totally fall apart.

Through his unraveling, Danny has to deal with internalized homophobia and learn how to live his life without hiding in the background. Up until now, he seemed to prefer being “invisible” and wasn’t one to engage in any confrontation, letting others trample all over him in the process. So in this way, parts of the story were a tad cringey. But though Danny’s journey is undoubtedly bumpy and a bit dark in places, the author portrays it in a heartfelt and humorous way that makes Danny ultimately likable and relatable. Danny’s story is layered with complexities of identity, loss, mental illness, rage, and toxic relationships that were expertly articulated in the voice of our narrator.

Throughout the pages of the book, I enjoyed seeing Danny confront his issues and slowly come to accept his identity and accept his true self. Though he does have a tough time of it — and even transforms into a major jerk at one point — his friends stand by him and guide him back to himself. Speaking of friends, the secondary characters were phenomenal, with my favorite being the larger-than-life Jacob. The clever, witty banter between the characters caused me to cackle out loud on more than one occasion, and they all added an essential element to the narrative.

All in all, I loved this complete whirlwind of a novel. It was a strange, wonderfully weird, immersive book that explores some dark themes but in a unique and fun way. Thus, it’s messy and dark but without ever falling over the edge. First Time for Everything is a poignant portrait of a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance that really resonated with me, and I’m glad this story caught my attention.

This book is scheduled to be released on May 10, 2022 but is available now for Preorder.