YA LGBT

Review of A Tale of Two Princes by Eric Geron

January 7, 2023 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

Will these long-lost twin princes be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together—or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal mess?

Edward Dinnissen, Crown Prince of Canada, loves getting the royal treatment at his exclusive Manhattan private school and living in a fancy mansion on Park Avenue. But despite living a royal life of luxury, Edward is unsure how to tell his parents, his expectant country, and his adoring fans that he’s gay.

Billy Boone couldn’t be happier: he loves small-town life and his family’s Montana ranch, and his boyfriend is the cutest guy at Little Timber High. But this out-and-proud cowboy is finally admitting to himself that he feels destined for more . . .

When Edward and Billy meet by chance in New York City and discover that they are long-lost twins, their lives are forever changed. Will the twin princes—“twinces”— be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together? Or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal disaster?

Review

This book was so much fun! I love stories about unknown twins reuniting, and this one did not disappoint, especially given that it follows two gay twins. The story itself is rife with hijinks, high drama, coming-out angst, romance, royal intrigue, public humiliation, jealousy, and sabotage, which kept me glued to my kindle throughout the book. I enjoyed how the story is told via each twin’s POV, so we get to see the situation from each of their perspectives, rendering each of them relatable to the reader.

I loved how realistic all of the characters were. But what I most enjoyed was the outrageous silliness, resulting in plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for me. The two protagonists each take a delightful journey, resulting in superb character arcs and personal growth that is near-inspirational. I quickly fell in love with both of the quirky, vibrant, and sometimes sullen and confused main characters and enjoyed their moments of self-discovery. I also enjoyed how the tone shifts from light to dark, snarky to serious, happy to sad, and back again.

I was in a bit of a reading slump, and this was the perfect feel-good story to pull me out of it. Snappy dialog, stellar worldbuilding, sweet and relatable characters, hidden family secrets, and a touch of romance make A Tale of Two Princes a standout. I legit had a huge smile on my face from start to finish as I worked my way through this engaging book, and it stole my heart.

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

Review of Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde

October 16, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

A sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.

Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len. They’ve been friends since forever, but where Len is mysterious, Henry is clumsy; where Len is a heart-throb, Henry is a neurotic mess. Somehow it’s always worked.

That is, until Henry falls. Hard. For the last person, he imagined.

From an exciting debut author comes this passionate story of growing up, letting go, and learning how to love.

Review

Half love story, half identity quest, Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a beautifully rendered YA contemporary story of friendship and love, with all of its frustrations, clumsy pining, exhalations, disappointments, and mistakes. I thought this was such an interesting take on the friends-to-lovers trope in which Henry, after being dared to kiss his best friend Len, is suddenly overwhelmed by confusing feelings of wanting and longing for Len. This leads to a fascinating dynamic between the two friends as they try to figure out their feelings, navigate this new sexual attraction between them and figure out what it all means for their friendship. I thought that the story really encapsulated the teenage soul: the self-awareness, the confusion, and the longing. It nicely illustrated how tumultuous first love and raging teenage hormones can be. Additionally, it’s also a love letter to anyone who has felt uncomfortable in their own skin and is unsure of who they are or where they belong.

Additionally, there were lovely relationship dynamics between Henry and his family, as well as Henry and his friends. And while this is a tender and honest exploration of identity and sexuality, it’s also a reminder that love—whether romantic or familial—should be open, free, and without judgment or shame. I loved how loving, and supportive Henry’s family is, and the excitement surrounding the wedding between Henry’s grandmother and her girlfriend Daisy warmed my heart. And readers who like a little messy YA romance will definitely get that in spades — Henry and Len’s interactions are funny, awkward, and sometimes exactly as confrontational as they need to be, leading to a wonderful heart-tugger of a story.

Though at first, it appears as though this novel is simply a fluffy, lighthearted contemporary, there are several serious themes that run throughout the book: friendship, first love, heartbreak, self-discovery, self-acceptance, horrible parenting, and the importance of family. I also enjoyed the low-key themes of art that were at the core of the story.

All in all, I adored this quirky story that contained all of my favorite things: friends-to-loves, mutual pining, witty banter, a supportive family, and wonderful side characters. Recommended!

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

Review of Jack’s On Fire by Owen Lach

August 26, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

What if you were a queer teenage musician outed by his vengeful ex-boyfriend and not a fairy tale princess trapped in a castle tower? What if your wicked stepmother was your ordinary, thoughtless, uncaring mother? What if your fairy godmother was your older brother? What if your Prince Charming was captain of the JV soccer team? Maybe you’d be forgiven for not realizing you were living in a sort of fairy tale.

Faced with the impossible choice of staying home to risk being sent away to Father Sullivan’s special school for exceptionally happy boys or moving in with his older brother in California, 16-yr-old Jack Martin leaves behind everything he knows in Minneapolis to go to San Francisco. He finds himself at a new school with new friends and the freedom to be himself. Then sparks fly when Jack meets Damon, his Geometry tutor (and captain of the JV soccer team.) But Jack wonders if Damon feels those sparks, too. And does their budding friendship have a chance to become something more?

Jack’s On Fire is a heartwarming, modern, queer fairy tale about friendship, chosen family, and young, queer love perfect for fans of Heartstopper. Sure, there aren’t any fairies or wands. But what else would you call it when everything starts magically going your way?

Review

Jack’s on Fire centers on sixteen-year-old Jack Martin (pronounced “mar-teen”), a young musician who ends up being outed by his vengeful ex, resulting in extreme homophobic bullying and abuse at his high school. It doesn’t help that his mother — a bigoted and religious zealot — is threatening to send Jack to a “correction camp.”

Thankfully, Jack’s older brother, who lives in San Francisco, offers to take Jack in, and suddenly Jack finds himself in a new environment where he’s free to be himself and doesn’t have to constantly look over his shoulder. What follows is a delightful story as Jack finds himself falling for Damon, his heartthrob math tutor. The question is: Does Damon feel the same, or is he simply being friendly?

This ended up being such a sweet and endearing queer young adult romance that utterly warmed my heart. The narrative is lighthearted, including an ensemble cast of delightful characters who end up being an essential support group for Jack, including his loving older brother, who supports Jack every step of the way. The souls of the supporting characters beam through like a bright light that zinged straight to my heart.

I loved watching Jack’s journey as he moves from an abusive environment to a free and open one and how he utterly blossomed at his new school. I enjoyed watching Jack as he learned to trust others again after being treated so poorly by everyone in his past.

Now, if you typically go for books with high angst, high tension, and plenty of drama, you might be disappointed with Jack’s on Fire. Though there is light angst throughout and certainly some difficulties to overcome, most of the drama is internal, leading to a sweet, gentle slow-burn of a story rather than a high-stakes one. I personally thought it was refreshing and had just enough angst to make me happy without shattering my heart into a million pieces — it’s the perfect story if you’re looking for a sweet and tender romance.

I felt that the author Owen Lach really nails the teenage soul in this story—the self-awareness, the confusion, the challenges, the raging emotions, and the longing. In this way, Jack’s on Fire is a love letter to anyone who has felt uncomfortable in their own skin and wondered where exactly they belonged in the world. This quirky, heartwarming queer romance will make you believe in love again

All in all, I loved this big-hearted novel and look forward to reading more by this author.

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

Review of Epically Earnest by Molly Horan

June 8, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

In this delightfully romantic LGBTQ+ comedy-of-errors inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, a high school senior works up the courage to ask her long-time crush to prom all while deciding if she should look for her bio family.

Jane Grady’s claim to fame is that she was one first viral internet sensations, dubbed #bagbaby—discovered as a one-year-old in an oversized Gucci bag by her adopted father in a Poughkeepsie train station. Now in her senior year of high school, Jane is questioning whether she wants to look for her bio family due to a loving, but deeply misguided push from her best friend Algie, while also navigating an all-consuming crush on his cousin, the beautiful, way-out-of-her-league Gwen Fairfax.

And while Janey’s never thought of herself as the earnest type, she needs to be honest with her parents, Algie, Gwen, but mostly herself if she wants to make her life truly epic. With a wink toward Oscar Wilde’s beloved play, Epically Earnest explores the complexity of identity, the many forms family can take, and the importance of being . . . yourself.

Review

This endearing queer slice-of-life romcom was so much fun! I love this loose retelling of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and the Oscar Wilde quotes at the beginning of each chapter were a delightful, extra touch. I especially enjoyed the overarching theme of family in the story – family found and family born into. But the sweet blossoming romances between Janey and Gwen, and Cecil and Algie (short for Algernon, a character from The Importance of Being Earnest) were at the heart of this novel. In addition, I loved the tender portrayal of the uncertainty of young love in the story — and first love for some of the main characters. So in this way, the idea of relationships played a huge role in the story — relationships between friends, between lovers, and between family, all of which really resonated with me.

Being adopted myself, I could relate very well to Janey’s inner turmoil about meeting her birth family and how to tell her adoptive parents that she was considering a meetup with her blood relatives. I liked the way the author handled the adoption issue and felt it was well done and respectful.

There was also plenty of humor — fun, witty banter that caused me to chuckle out loud on more than one occasion. Overall, the story was light and enjoyable — with no significant angst or heaviness. That being said, I found the conflict in the story minimal, with no real obstacles to the characters finding their HEA. So for those who like their stories a little more on the angsty side, you won’t find that here.

All in all, I loved this little story about a teen girl trying to find the inner bravery to ask her crush to the prom, while also discovering her biological family. We end up seeing quite a bit of character development from both Janey and her friend Algie (who was, in the past, kind of a ‘playboy.’). A quick and easy read with nice LGBTQIA+ and adoption representation and plenty of humor that put a smile on my face.

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

Purchase Epically Earnest on 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 A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy

December 14, 2021 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

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.

Pre-order A Little Bit Country on Amazon