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justinlife 's review for:

XOXO by Christina Lee
5.0
emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This was a really enjoyable old friends to lovers story. The story revolves around Lark and Henry, two guys who have a past as children who show end up at the same university. They are both cancer survivors and both deal with the stress of that in different ways.

Lee does a great job of showing the characters anxieties with being queer and also having an illness where the fear of its return is ever present. She also does a great job of showing class differences and creating characters that understand that different struggles doesn't mean one is less than or more than another. The characters have empathy for each other and those around them.

Overall this was what I want from reading a M/M romance novel. Well done!