Roger's Reads

Author & Book Reviewer

Review of The Magic Between by Stephanie Hoyt

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The Magic Between CoverBlurb:

In a world where everyone has magic coursing through them, legend says magic itself craves a mate. Legend says those with opposite magics have the greatest chance of forming the unbreakable Bond it desires.

A.B. Cerise is an obsessive compulsive pop star with the ability to turn invisible. He’s an out bisexual with absolutely no belief in Bonds. He has a love-bruised heart, thinks dating in the spotlight is a hassle at best and a nightmare at worst, and has no intention of going through it all over again.

Matthew Hellman-Levoie is the NHL’s number one goalie prospect, the youngest in a hockey dynasty, and one of the rare few who can see the unseeable. He’s a straight man who wears his heart on his sleeve, has grown up searching for a Bond, and dreams of finding the love of his life.

Legend never said anything about what to do when sparks fly between two people opposite in more ways than just magic.

Review

When I learned that there was a story about magic, hockey players, and an M/M relationship, I was so excited. It was as if this book was written for me!

However, I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant to dive in after reading the heavy information dump in the Prologue, which introduced all the different types and categories of magic and the different types of people who wield them. I feared that I would never manage to keep this confusing new magical universe straight in my head, but I needn’t have worried. Though magic was an undercurrent of the plot, the main story revolved around the relationship between our two main characters. It didn’t take long for the story to completely hook me and steal my heart — magical knowledge not required.

What I love about this story is how unique it is. Here we have a world where everyone has access to some sort of magic. Moreover, the author gives us a story centered around the relationship between an openly bisexual pop star (A.B. Cerise) and a (supposedly) straight professional hockey player (Matthew Hellman) who’s about to enter the NHL as a star goalie. Until meeting A.B., Matthew always had assumed he was straight, and it took him a while to realize that perhaps he wasn’t so straight after all, resulting in a delightful slow-burn romance.

In addition, the two men may or may not be their one true perfect magical mate (it’s called a “bondmate” in the story). I loved the speculation around the idea of “bondmates” and how most people in the novel considered it more of a myth than actual fact. It’s important to mention that from the moment they meet, Matthew is convinced that AB is his bondmate, whereas was AB doesn’t believe in them. I enjoyed the fact that not a lot is known about the bondmate idea or whether it even really exists— so it is basically uncharted territory for our characters to explore.

Given that both men were celebrities, the public meticulously observed their every move. So what was especially fun about the story were the fake Twitter threads, the fandom, and the articles of the paparazzi speculating about AB’s romantic life, a lot of which was hysterical and made me laugh out loud on several occasions.

This ended up being a truly heartwarming story with adorable main characters. I loved seeing how the two men managed to tear down the other’s self-imposed walls, allowing them to open their hearts to each other. Their love is engaging and passionate, and they’ve become one of my favorite couples. AB and Matthew both recognize there is too much complication in their lives for a relationship, but at the same time, they are both so intensely drawn to each other and get so much comfort from each other that they can’t stay away. The romance in this book is a tier above and what really made this work for me was the connection our two guys had, realizing that what they each wanted was always right in front of them. This is the type of book that will make even the most cynical of readers believe in love.

All that being said, I thought the world-building and character-building in the story were phenomenal. I loved this world that the author invented, populated with well-fleshed out and lifelike characters. The characters are so realistic and relatable that they jump off the page. Add to that magic, stardom, fandoms, social media drama/speculation, clinical anxiety, and homophobia in the hockey community, and we end up with a genuinely compelling story. Oh, and did I mention the book contains beautiful illustrations? This added an extra special element to the reading experience for me.

All in all, snappy dialog, stellar world-building, a nosey public, hidden magic, and a sweet, slow-burn romance make The Magic Between a standout for me, and it gets all the stars.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book. This book is scheduled to be released on February 15, 2022.

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.

Pre-order A Little Bit Country on Amazon

Review of The Night Shift by Alex Findlay

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Night Shift Book CoverBlurb:

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls working the night shift are attacked. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later, in the same town, four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.

Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words… “Goodnight, pretty girl.”

In the aftermath, three lives intersect: the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive her tragedy; the brother of the original suspect, who’s convinced the police have it wrong; and the FBI agent, who’s determined to solve both cases. On a collision course toward the truth, all three lives will forever be changed, and not everyone will make it out alive.

Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Alex Finlay as one of the new leading voices in the world of thrillers.

Review

I loved this author’s previous book, “Every Last Fear,” so I was excited when this novel came to my attention. The Night Shift is a nail-biting thriller surrounding two murder scenes: 1) the night Blockbuster employees were murdered on New Year’s Eve in 1999 with one survivor and 2) the night the crew at a local ice cream shop were killed in the same manner fifteen years later and again, with one survivor. The question is: are the two crimes related? And if so, how?

I enjoyed how the story was told via multiple POVs: Sarah Keller, the FBI agent investigating the Ice Cream Shop killings (who was also in Findlay’s previous book “Every Last Fear”), Chris, a public defender who has a connection to the suspected murder of both killings, and Ella, the sole survivor of the Blockbuster massacre. Each POV provided different angles on the cases and added an extra dimension of depth to the story as well. The author also does a fantastic job connecting all of the characters and their stories. The character development was phenomenal, and I felt an immediate connection with all of them. I found almost every character to be engaging and multi-dimensional.

With extremely clever red herrings and misdirects, Findlay brilliantly obscures the truth about what was really going on behind the scenes until the surprising and explosive ending. I enjoyed how the revelations were slowly revealed among the many twists and turns in the story, and there was no shortage of shady characters to suspect as the culprit. It’s fun how the author leads the reader to suspect everyone.

While it took a bit for the story to get going, once it did, it was fast-paced, twisty, and suspenseful, with the author continuously ratcheting up the uneasy tension. I enjoyed how the plot intertwined and disentangled quickly into an intricate tale of lies, secrets, manipulation, unexpected twists, heart-wrenching motivations, brutal violence, and deception.

All in all, The Night Shift is a well-plotted, engaging, and suspenseful page-turning thriller with captivating characters and a compelling mystery to solve. I literally had shivers down my spine while reading certain sections of the story. So if you’ve given up on thrillers because many are less than thrilling, my recommendation is to put this on your radar for its March 2022 publication date. This one just might restore your faith in the genre.

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

Order The Night Shift from Amazon

Review of Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

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Black Cake Book CoverBlurb:

We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage, and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

Review

Eleanor Bennet has died, and her two estranged children, Benny and Byron, come together to the office of Eleanor’s attorney. Eleanor has left an audio recording for her children to listen to in the presence of the attorney. She also instructs that after her children have heard the recording, they are to share the Black Cake (a Caribbean specialty served for special occasions) stored in the freezer but only at the right moment, when the time is right.

In the recording, Eleanor tells the story of her life, and in so doing, reveals her hidden past. She begins in the 1960s with her life on an unnamed Caribbean island until she is forced to flee to Great Britain and finally flee once again to settle in America. As we progress through the recording and their mother’s shocking and oftentimes heartbreaking secrets are revealed, Benny and Byron, in shock, realize that they didn’t know their mother at all. They didn’t even know her real name.

I loved how this multigenerational story was revealed in two timelines: Eleanor’s tragic story in the past and the intrigue in the present revolving around Eleanor’s children — and their relationship to each other and to their mother. I was utterly fascinated (and, at times, horrified) by Eleanor’s gripping history. Once Eleanor’s revelations (and misfortunes) began to unfold, I had difficulty putting down the book.

I enjoyed how the various side characters who were introduced ended playing a much more significant role than we’d initially thought, and they were cleverly integrated into both of the timelines. Each character’s story is essential to the overall plot and they were weaved together seamlessly. The author does an exquisite job of bringing the characters to rich life, adding additional depth and feeling to the novel. These are vivid characters who touch us deeply.

Also intriguing was the intricate look at Byron and Benny’s relationship to their mysterious mother as well as to each other. What we end up with, then, is an intense, multi-layered, and complex emotional journey. It also contains a gripping mystery to solve as we move through a plethora of family secrets and betrayals. This is a highly crafted saga written by someone who clearly understands broad, sweeping stories. Each character touched my soul in ways that I simply couldn’t have fathomed when I first picked up this book.

With themes of identity, family history, misogyny, racial prejudice, culture, tradition, loyalty, sexual orientation, and longing, Black Cake is one of the most original and beautiful stories I’ve read, and the perfectly resolved ending was the cherry on top. This is a sweeping epic that enchanted me from beginning to end. Breathtakingly creative, Black Cake is an evocative and unforgettable book, and I am so glad it crossed my path.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book. Expected publication is February 1, 2022.

Order Black Cake from Amazon

Review of The One True Me and You by Remi England

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One True Me and You Book Cover

Blurb

One small fandom convention. One teen beauty pageant.

One meet cute waiting to happen.

Up and coming fanfic author Kaylee Beaumont is internally screaming at the chance to finally meet her fandom friends in real life and spend a weekend at GreatCon. She also has a side quest for the weekend:

Try out they/them pronouns to see how it feels

Wear more masculine-presenting cosplay

Kiss a girl for the first time

It’s… a lot, and Kay mostly wants to lie face down on the hotel floor. Especially when her hometown bully, Miss North Carolina, shows up in the very same hotel. But there’s this con-sponsored publishing contest, and the chance to meet her fandom idols… and then, there’s Teagan.

Pageant queen Teagan Miller (Miss Virginia) has her eye on the much-needed prize: the $25,000 scholarship awarded to the winner of the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant. She also has secrets:

She loves the dresses but hates the tiaras

She’s a giant nerd for everything GreatCon

She’s gay af

If Teagan can just keep herself wrapped up tight for one more weekend, she can claim the scholarship and go off to college out and proud. If she’s caught, she could lose everything she’s worked for. If her rival, Miss North Carolina, has anything to do with it, that’s exactly how it’ll go down.

When Teagan and Kay bump into one another the first night, sparks fly. Their connection is intense—as is their shared enemy. If they’re spotted, the safe space of the con will be shattered, and all their secrets will follow them home. The risks are great… but could the reward of embracing their true selves be worth it?

Review

Kay is a well-known slash fiction writer who is thrilled to be spending a weekend at GreatCon (a Sherlockian type of convention) with their fandom friends. They are also questioning their gender identity and sexuality and plan on exploring it more over the weekend at the Con. Unfortunately, Kay is unaware that the hotel is also hosting the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant and in attendance is Kay’s dreaded nemesis, Madison (Miss North Carolina), who has made Kay’s life pure hell at school. Kay is fearful that Madison will connect her to her online persona and out her to the entire school. But Kay is not the only person whose life Madison is making miserable. Madison has also targeted a beauty queen named Teagan, Miss Virginia, Madison’s main competitor. Teagan is also a closet lesbian and a fandom fan herself. Things get really interesting when Teagan sneaks away from the pageant chaperones to attend the Con and meets Kay. Needless to say, sparks immediately fly between them.

My inner geek absolutely adored this story! I tend to enjoy books about fandoms, and this one ticked all the right boxes for me. What also worked was the high-stakes tension that continued to build throughout the story. Kay and Teagan each have a lot to lose if their identities become public, and as the story progresses, the hateful Miss North Carolina gets closer to uncovering them. It was also fun how the author pitted the fanfiction/Con world against the pageant world while highlighting the good and not-so-good aspects of each of them. The story is told in alternating POVs between Kay and Teagan, so we get a close-up and personal glimpse in each of their worlds.

I loved the fact that we have two young women who are both exploring their sexuality and gender identity. The romance between them was sweet and heartwarming, as they both also made discoveries about themselves in the process. It was beautiful how they get to know each other and move past their self-imposed barriers. The “opposites-attract” romance between the two of them is not only endearing but also inspiring as they both made some difficult decisions.

I also loved the hard-hitting conversations about gender, queerness, labels, body image, and the beauty community. Through these conversations, the author attacks the stereotypes of both of these communities and gives the reader plenty of thought-provoking topics to contemplate as a result. The novel also touched on themes of love, self-confidence, the judgment of others, identity, shame, competition, and fandoms, so in this way, there is a lot of depth to this story.

Additionally, I adored the fandom community, as illustrated in the story and the heartwarming connections that the people made with each other. The found family aspect of the novel was especially touching. It was also heartwarming how the book celebrated beauty in all of its different forms and facets. The author did a splendid job of capturing the excitement and spirit of fandoms (being somewhat of a Con fan, myself) which left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling at the end.

Overall, I thought this was an amazing, affirming book about self-discovery, and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

This book will be published on March 1, 2022 but it available now for preorder.

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

Preorder The One True Me and You from Amazon

Review of The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka

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Temperature of Me and You CoverBlurb:

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dairy Queen, until he finds himself in love with a boy who’s literally too hot to handle.

Dylan has always wanted a boyfriend, but the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia do not have a lot in the way of options. Then, in walks Jordan, a completely normal (and undeniably cute) boy who also happens to run at a cool 110 degrees Fahrenheit. When the boys start spending time together, Dylan begins feeling all kinds of ways, and when he spikes a fever for two weeks and is suddenly coughing flames, he thinks he might be suffering from something more than just a crush. Jordan forces Dylan to keep his symptoms a secret. But as the pressure mounts and Dylan becomes distant with his closest friends and family, he pushes Jordan for answers. Jordan’s revelations of why he’s like this, where he came from, and who’s after him leaves Dylan realizing how much first love is truly out of this world. And if Earth supports life that breathes oxygen, then love can only keep Jordan and Dylan together for so long.

Review

I love queer superhero books, so I was super excited when this book crossed my path. It follows a lonely and somewhat anxious sixteen-year-old gay kid named Dylan Highmark who is awestruck when a cute but mysterious boy named Jordan comes into the Dairy Queen where Dylan works. Jordan is different from most boys in that he is very hot — hot as in he runs at 110 degrees Fahrenheit and can shoot fire from his hands.

As Dylan and Jordan get to know each other, we learn that Jordan’s power is the result of an accident that killed his parents, and now, he’s on the run from an evil corporation out to kidnap him so their scientists can perform experiments on him. But when a new complication arises, they have to fight not only to find each other again but also to stay alive.

This fast-paced story drew me in almost immediately, and I had fun getting to know Jordan and Dylan. They were so cute together, with a phenomenal romantic chemistry between them. I appreciated the witty and fun banter between them and the character growth they both experienced as the events unfolded.

Additionally, the book touched on many important themes such as romance, first love, secrets, friendship, enemies vs. allies, and family, all of which were well done by the author. The book especially focused on the various friendships in the book – old friends, new friendships, and unlikely friendships, all the while examining the sometimes challenging relationship dynamics therein. That being said, this is a beautiful story about love and friendship and how they can spring up in the most unlikely of places. Thus, alongside this engaging story, the author also gives us an incredible cast of characters.

The book contained a compelling and engaging mystery that kept me frantically reading until the end. I loved how the author ratcheted up the tension as the suspense and intrigue continued to build and build until the final climax. Brian Zepka really nails the teenage voice in this story. He seems to really understand the teenage soul—the longing, the self-awareness, the anxiety, the awkwardness, the challenges, the confusion. I would definitely love to see more future books with Dylan and Jordan in them.

Purchase The Temperature of Me and You from Amazon

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