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Review of Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky

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Never Been Kissed CoverBlurb:

Dear (never-been-quite-over-you) Crush,

It’s been a few years since we were together, but I can’t stop thinking about the time we almost…

Wren Roland has never been kissed, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he (ahem) loved before he came out. Morning brings the inevitable Oh God What Did I Do?, but he brushes that panic aside. Why stress about it? None of his could-have-beens are actually going to read the emails, much less respond. Right?

Enter Derick Haverford, Wren’s #1 pre-coming-out-crush and his drive-in theater’s new social media intern. Everyone claims he’s coasting on cinematic good looks and his father’s connections, but Wren has always known there’s much more to Derick than meets the eye. Too bad he doesn’t feel the same way about the infamous almost-kiss that once rocked Wren’s world.

Whatever. Wren’s no longer a closeted teenager; he can survive this. But as their hazy summer becomes consumed with a special project that may just save the struggling drive-in for good, Wren and Derick are drawn ever-closer…and maybe, finally, Wren’s dream of a perfect-kiss-before-the-credits is within reach.

Review

I absolutely fell in love with this new adult queer summer romance. This rom-com was so much fun and had me laughing out loud many times! I especially appreciated the fact that the story revolves around a Drive-In (remember those?) where I used to spend a lot of time as a teenager. I also appreciated the demisexual representation in the story, something we don’t often see in romance novels. I loved watching Wren explore his sexuality and figure himself out, all the while waiting for that elusive first kiss.

This book totally entranced me, and I loved the story the author tells here. I always like the trope of the “childhood crush reentering the picture,” and it was exceptionally well done in this story. It warmed my heart to see how patient, compassionate and supportive Derick was toward Wren and thought the chemistry between them was perfect.

All in all, I loved this wonderful, heart-tugger of a love story. Half love story and half identity quest, Timothy Janovsky’s “Never Been Kissed” is 100 percent beautiful. It’s a big, beautiful novel with depth and a huge heart, and the story swept me up from the first page to the last. Derick and Wren are the couple everyone will fall in love with: funny, flawed, endearing, determined, a little bit angsty, and totally real. A sweet, comforting read with just the right amount of angst, and I give this one all the stars.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book. Expected publication is May 3, 2022.

Purchase Never Been Kissed from Amazon

Review of A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy

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A Little Bit Country coverBlurb:

Emmett Maguire wants to be country music’s biggest gay superstar – a far reach when you’re seventeen and living in Illinois. But for now, he’s happy to do the next best thing: Stay with his aunt in Jackson Hollow, Tennessee, for the summer and perform at the amusement park owned by his idol, country legend Wanda Jean Stubbs.

Luke Barnes hates country music. As the grandson of Verna Rose, the disgraced singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean, Luke knows how much pain country music has brought his family. But when his mom’s medical bills start piling up, he takes a job at the last place he wants: a restaurant at Wanda World.

Neither boy is looking for romance, but sparks fly when they meet – and soon they’re inseparable. Until a long-lost secret about Verna and Wanda comes to light, threatening to unravel everything.

Will Emmett and Luke be able get past the truths they discover…or will their relationship go down in history as just another Sad Country Love Song?

Review:

Luke and Emmett couldn’t be more different. Emmett’s dream is to be the most popular gay country singer in the world, so he’s excited when he lands a gig at Wanda World for the summer as a member of their Jamboree stage. He hopes this may be a chance to get noticed by a record label. Luke, on the other hand, hates country music. Because of something that happened between his family and Wanda Jean many years ago (owner of Wanda World), Luke and his family want nothing to do with Wanda World or country music. However, Luke dreams of becoming a chef one day, so when he is offered a job at Wanda World, he reluctantly accepts though he keeps it a secret from his family. Luke is also gay but is deep in the closet, still trying to figure everything out. When the two teens meet, sparks fly between them, and both must make some heart-wrenching decisions.

Taking place during one summer, A Little Bit Country is a delightful coming-of-age story with two likable and relatable characters. Both boys were adorable, and their romance was super sweet, though they had several difficult hurdles to overcome. Luke and Emmett were each determined to live their dream, and I loved their innocence and enthusiasm.

The author seems to really understand the teenage soul—the rollercoaster of emotions, the longing, the self-awareness, the challenges, the occasional goofiness, and the confusion. Kennedy nails the teen boy voice perfectly in this story. Luke and Emmet are charming and flawed, but their strengths balance each other out, and we end up with a story about young men who, though at first glance appear quite different from the other, truly complement each other. The author also captures beautifully how simultaneously tender and daunting it can be to fall in love for the first time. It is at once an aching yet beautiful love story and a powerful exploration of self-awareness and self-discovery. I enjoyed witnessing the characters’ inner growth and insight, a difficult but lovely process.

This book also explores the aching loneliness of growing up and not finding your place, of feeling as if you’re a universe away from your friends and family, spinning aimlessly and waiting for life to begin. In this way, this book is about feeling — feeling love, feeling friendship, feeling like you finally belong, and in the process, learning to become brave enough to let others in.

All in all, I found A Little Bit Country to be a warm and embracing story of first love, family secrets, and following your dreams that I adored.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing a review copy of this book. Expected publication date is May 31, 2022.

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Review of Genie in a Vodka Bottle by Rob Rosen

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Genie in a Bottle Book CoverBlurb

Mysterious forces are at play when Paul’s vacation to Spain unexpectedly detours to Gibraltar and then Morocco, to a vodka bottle in a hole in the wall bar, to a handsome genie with a slew of secrets, plus almost limitless powers, virtually no memory, and a keen desire to be freed from his curse. Along the way, Paul is reunited with his ex-lover and the genie’s previous master as fate draws them ever deeper into a murky, dangerous past.

On our heroes travel, from the frigid north of Russia to a magic carpet ride across China, ultimately finding themselves in the deserts of ancient Jordan. Here, they encounter another of the genie’s previous masters and a power far greater than they could’ve ever imagined, all within a massive temple carved into a mountainside. Can our intrepid foursome uncover the truth before the curse takes them all and possibly the entire world down? Will love win out in the end? Or is the genie forever doomed to a life foretold in fairy tales?

In this funny, frisky, and frequently heart-pounding adventure, only one thing is for certain: magic can happen even without three wishes.

Review

I’ve read Rob Rosen books previously and have always enjoyed them. This one was no exception.

Genie in a Vodka Bottle is a short book (139 pages) that not only gives us an adrenaline-fueled campy adventure with plenty of camp, drama, sexcapades, and snark, the story also provides us an emotional tale with charming and mysterious characters. I loved Rosen’s clever take on Genie/Djinn mythology, as his Genie comes with a gay twist, plenty of metaphorical baggage, and a compelling mystery to solve.

It’s a paranormal comedy with a tinge of romance that continuously brought a smile to my face as I was reading. I loved the romance between Paul and the Genie – it was sweet, hot, and evolved perfectly as the novel progressed, though it was a tad on the messy side, as a romance between an ageless Genie and a human would no doubt be. Their relationship is frenetic, complicated, and chock full of “maybes” and “what ifs,” which adds an intriguing element to the story.

All in all, this was a fun, naughty, and quirky book by an incredibly talented author that I really ended up enjoying. If you enjoy paranormal stories with adventure, laughter, mystery, love, and excellent banter/dialog, then you may wish to check out Genie in a Vodka Bottle.

This book will be published on November 5, 2021 but is available now for preorder from online retailers.

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

Review of If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich

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If this gets out book coverI’ve read other books by Sophie Gonzales and have enjoyed her writing, so I was excited when this book about a wildly popular boy band came to my attention. This novel paints an eye-opening portrait of what life in such a band is like, and it’s not as glamorous as it’s cracked up to be. Our story focuses on Ruben Montez and Zach Knight, two members of a four-person band called Saturday whose friendship transforms into a slow-burn secret romance. The book then explores the reaction of the label as well as that of the other band members (Jon and Angel), and soon, cracks begin to form.

On the surface, this novel is about a romance between two band members, but it goes much deeper than that. At its core are hard-hitting issues such as the dark side of the music industry, drug abuse/addiction, emotional abuse, parental abuse, homophobia, toxic dynamics between the band and management, exploitation, the pressure of being famous, identity, and mental health, all of which are explored through the multiplicity of characters the author has created. Though this is an intense story in places, it’s also a hopeful, upbeat, and heartwarming story about love, coming together, following your dreams, and found family.

As for the romance, Zach and Rueben were absolutely adorable together. They are very much in sync, so much so that I had no trouble in seeing that they belonged together right from the beginning. I loved their chemistry, their concern for each other, and how they communicated their feelings. Though messy at times, theirs was a sweet and tender romance that was a joy to read. The author tells the story from the alternating POVs of Rueben and Zach, so it was nice to get into both of their heads to view the situation from their perspective.

Alongside this engaging story, the author gives us an incredible cast of characters. I loved the dynamics between all four band members — how much they cared for each other and how much they grew, not only as individuals but also as friends. Their connection was amazing, and I adored the way they supported each other and ultimately saved each other. The characters’ personalities shined through like a bright light that zinged right to my heart, and I couldn’t help but deeply care for each and every one of them by the end of this story. There’s magic in finding the people with whom you belong and making a home for them in your heart, and that is what we see in this novel. Thus, I feel that the character development in this story is phenomenal, and each character is relatable and engaging. Every character is well-fleshed out and necessary to the brilliant rendering of this story.

I loved the tantalizing glimpse into the day-to-day life of the band. It was a treat to get a behind-the-scenes glance at the life of a popular boy band, and I felt that this helped the reader identify and empathize with the characters.

I never thought I would gush over a book about a boy band, yet here we are. “If This Gets Out” brought a smile to my face and gave me all of the right “feels.” And though the plot is compelling, it’s the characters that make this book truly shine, and they all captured my heart. This emotive book explores so many different facets of love, be it familial, platonic, romantic, in all its aspects. Recommended!

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book. This book will be released on December 7, 2021 but it available now as a preorder.

Review of Out of Character by Annabeth Albert

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Out of Character Book OcverBlurb:

Jasper Quigley is tired of being everyone’s favorite sidekick. He wants to become the hero of his own life, but that’s not going to happen if he agrees to help out his former best friend turned king of the jocks, Milo Lionetti. High school was miserable enough, thanks, and Jasper has no interest in dredging up painful memories of his old secret crush.

But Milo’s got nowhere else to go. His life is spiraling out of control and he’s looking to turn things back around. Step one? Replace the rare Odyssey cards he lost in an idiotic bet. Step two? Tell his ex-best-friend exactly how he feels—how he’s always felt.

Jasper may be reluctant to reopen old wounds, but he never could resist Milo. There’s a catch, though: if Milo wants his help, he’s going to have to pitch in to make the upcoming children’s hospital charity ball the best ever. But as the two don cosplay for the kids and hunt for rare cards, nostalgia for their lost friendship may turn into something even more lasting…

Review:

Out of Character is an enemies-to-lovers new adult romance set in the same world as Albert’s previous novel, “Unconventionally Yours.” The story is based around a fictional tabletop game called Odyssey and follows our two main characters, Jasper and Milo. Milo has accidentally traded away his brother’s very rare and expensive Odyssey cards and has turned to Jasper to help him get them back. The kicker is that Jasper and Milo used to be best friends until Milo starting hanging out with the jock crowd — the same crowd who bullied Jasper. Jasper has not forgotten how horribly Milo treated him in high school.

However, Jasper reluctantly agrees to help him, and the two men head off to an Odyssey gaming convention where Jasper will try to win back the elusive cards. Of course, neither boy could have guessed that all the time they spend together would result in them falling in love, and in so doing, the author captured perfectly how simultaneously beautiful and daunting it can be to fall for your enemy.

This ended up being a delightful, heartwarming story of two young men who find their way back to either other. The romance between the two of them was perfect, as was their chemistry. I adore romance redemption/second chance stories, and these aspects were exceptionally well done in this novel.

I also loved the colorful ensemble of friends/found family in this book. Albert does this really well, and I was especially delighted to see cameo appearances by several characters from Unconventionally Yours.

All in all, Out of Character is a beautiful story about love and how it can spring up in the most unlikely of places and circumstances. It’s a lovely, heartfelt second-chance nerdy romance with vibrant characters that I loved. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

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

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Review of The Player’s Encore by Joe Consentino

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Blurb:

Can a man and a ghost be soulmates? When young music teacher Andre Beaufort unleashed the ghost of dapper Roaring Twenties playboy Freddy Birtwistle from his antique player piano, he never imagined they would fall in love and solve two murder mysteries. Now Freddy yearns to visit his family’s beach house in Florida. So, Andre and Freddy embark on a vacation to the stunning home which has become a bed and breakfast. Before Freddy can say “zotched,” a young, mysterious houseboy is murdered, the second hunky houseboy to meet the same fate. Will Andre and Freddy find the murderer to save the inn—and themselves?

A year later, Andre and Freddy venture off on a vacation with Andre’s uncle, an ex-priest, to Tuscany, staying at an inn which happens to have once been Freddy’s old family villa. Before the sun sets golden on the hills, a handsome young guest is murdered. Will Andre and Freddy uncover the secrets of Freddy’s ancestral home, solve the mystery, and find eternal love?

The Player’s Encore, the second installment in the popular Player Piano Mysteries series by Joe Cosentino, includes two cozy mysteries: The Beach House and The Villa.

Review:

This is the second book in the ‘Piano Player Mysteries’ series. We again follow Andre Beaufort and his ghostly lover Freddy Birtwistle as they solve crimes and travel to homes that formerly belonged to Freddy’s family. Like the first book in the series, this volume actually contains two novellas: ‘The Beach House’ and ‘The Villa’.

‘The Beach House’ takes place in Freddy’s former home in Key West, Florida, where we learn that the head houseboy was murdered there five years prior. As it turns out, the same thing occurs again: someone murders the head houseboy at the house by pushing him off the balcony. So Andre and Freddy take it upon themselves to investigate.

The second book, ‘The Villa,’ occurs in Tuscany, where Andre and his Uncle Daryl book a stay at a gay-friendly villa that once belonged to Freddy’s family. This time, a wealthy guest drops dead during dinner, and the detective on the case, knowing that Andre has solved other murders, requests his help.

These were both zany and fast-paced whodunnits with oddball secondary characters and plenty of 1920s humor from Freddy. Because Freddy is attached to the pianos and cannot leave the room, Andre does all the legwork of interviewing guests. Through his interviews with the wacky (and in some cases, despicable) characters, we get to piece together the mysteries step by step, though there are a few red herrings thrown in to keep the reader guessing. The murder mysteries at the core of these books were gripping and twisty, with both keeping me guessing until the end.

I found both stories to be equally quirky and delightful. Like the first book, we get a mixture of contemporary society along with Freddy’s scandalous stories from the Roaring 20s, and the humor provided many laugh-out-loud moments. There are some fairly silly and over-the-top developments and plot twists, but they are all part of the whimsy. I won’t spoil anything, but we see some new sides of Freddy and get some insight into his family and the heartbreaking events surrounding them.

To conclude with the characters, I’m pretty invested in them at this point, and I enjoyed seeing the evolution of Andre and Freddy’s relationship — how in each book, they grow closer and more in love. I really savored the stories, and I’m going to miss these characters until the next installment comes out. Another fun, highly entertaining cozy mystery in the Piano Player Mysteries series!

NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews

Purchase The Player’s Encore from Amazon