justinlife's Reviews (916)

This book was fine. You can tell it’s well researched but it felt like a chore and I couldn’t tell who the audience was supposed to be. Good for hun for writing a YA gay coming of age set in 1930s Chicago. 

I wanted to read this novel because the title was fun. The book deals with Theo and Gabi as both of their bakeries their families run is losing business due to a new fusion cuisine. Hijinks ensue when both of them try to team up to save the businesses. Very enemies to lovers. 

Much to my chagrin, I did not think this book was dealing with highschoolers. I thought early twenties. Them being in high school makes sense for the amount of emotional turmoil they are going through, but like the plot felt very early 20s. Why give that subject matter to teens? 

The characters deal with their own issues and it makes sense for the genre, but it didn't feel real. I don't feel comfortable low rating this book b/c I'm an old crone and there are some people out there who will see this, have fun, feel seen, and even relate. For the YA m/m romance genre, this is fine. The characters have so much anger at the beginning of the book, it makes it hard to like them. As the book continues, they soften and they become endearing. I think young adults would get a lot out of this. The writing is clear and the plot moves along. 

I was genuinely surprised by this book. I think the title and cover threw me off. I think I was expecting something in the vein of Christopher Moore's work- something a bit campy, funny, not taking itself too seriously. 

Instead, we have a novel here that starts a series, shows queer characters as leads, slowly reveals its world, keeps its audience guessing, but also letting them enjoy the ride. I was really surprised at how well constructed this book was. I was thinking about halfway through that this is what I wanted from the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. 

Slayton develops a world where magic exists alongside us and those who have the gifts either deny it or are considered the outliers in the community. We see a novel where the world building never overshadows the story. We get stories and B plots that aren't about magic, but are about family connection and sometimes the difficulty families have communicating. We get financial issues and running or hiding from a poor past. We also get a plot that doesn't stop. It keeps going and keeps the audience guessing and it's a fun time. It also helped that the book wasn't told in first person narrative. We get to see a bigger picture and we're not fully stuck in a character's head. 

I really enjoyed this book. I think there's a lot to dive in here and I look forward to reading the other volumes. I would recommend this for people who are wanting something in the vein of the Dresden Files, but with more queer development and a fun world to play in.

This was a fun read. This is what I want from a rom com novel. You have a lead that has unrealistic expectations of love and life. Supporting characters who love him, yet call him out, and a plot straight out of a made for TV movie. 

Wren just graduated with a film studies degree and is figuring himself out during that summer when you’re ready to grow up and you know change is coming. He does stubborn and ridiculous things but Janovsky never veers his character to self loathing. It was a refreshing change from other romance novels. I appreciated how the characters found ways to communicate that felt healthy. Janovsky also allows his characters the opportunity to explore demi sexuality, which was a nice change and something I’ve not read before.

You can tell Janovsky has a love of film and was a film studies student cuz his world was fluid and felt lived in. 

Overall what I thought would be a dumb rom com ended up being far more fun and interesting than I expected.

This was a cute read and I’d be interested in a second volume as many of the  characters and stories still felt unfinished. The other reviews regarding disabilities should be considered. I wasn’t aware when I was reading that some of the characters’ portrayals weren’t accurate. That can be a problem if you’re trying to be inclusive but unaware of the harm. 

The main two characters were interesting and fun. I wasn’t expecting a trans masc character and I had some questions regarding the healthcare they experienced with the age they were supposed to be. 

Overall though I enjoyed the art and the story and it made for, what I hope is the first volume. 

Sigh. 

This book was ok. It wasn’t great, I didn’t like it that much, but it’s fine. It’s an easy, quick read where Serle tries to get her audience to care about a corporate lawyer with control issues. The book is basically Beaches but with a corporate lawyer instead of a singer.

The premise was a solid one but she didn’t do much with it. There are many directions this book could’ve gone and things that could’ve happened to the character that felt earned but alas, it didn’t. 

Told in first person narrative from the POV of the lawyer, I would’ve thought that she would have made that character more likable or interesting. Unfortunately she didn’t. 

The book didn’t work for me but it wasn’t painful, just unfortunate. When the book takes a sharp left in the middle, it felt exhausting. Luckily her writing style was easy/breezy.

This was ok, but I think I'm not in the mood for this type of M/M romance anymore. It was fine. The romance was better toward the end and the sex scenes were spicy and slightly unbelievable. What was annoying is that if you hadn't read some of other series in this world, you'd be wondering what was going on b/c of all the characters she included. 

Also, the vet did a declawing and I didn't think that was a thing. It made me not care for the character nor his stress. 

Overall it was just ok. I don't plan to read more. 

This is a gorgeous novel with some of the best prose one could read. Poets have a great way with words and Vuong makes sentences that are art. 

In this novel, a man is writing a letter to his illiterate mother basically confessing his life. He describes how being a child of immigrants, his skin color, his sexuality all made him who he is. He discusses the bullying he received as a kid and the abuse his mom gave him. He discusses how the Vietnam war still lingers in his family and the personal effects of that war. 

The format works for what it is. It felt like a memoir. The trauma felt real and not fetishized. It felt lived in instead of placed upon. This is the sad girl summer novel I was wanting. There were moments that it made me think this might have been inspired by Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts b/c of the format of the novel and mixture of life and death. It felt stream of consciousness to me. 

My only issue with the novel was that there didn't seem much plot. I didn't pick up on why he was confessing all of this. While beautiful I wondered if this was a memoir instead of fiction. I wanted more of story instead of stories within a letter to a person who won't read it. 

I did like the idea though. Here's this person who needs to say what they need to say in a way his mother probably won't ever read. There's something cathartic about letting it all out. 

Out of Character follows Jasper's story from Conventionally Yours as he finds love in an old friend, Milo, who broke up their friendship and joined the bullying crowd in high school. Now they are 21 and Milo needs Jasper's help. The book is told in back to back first person narrative. 

Jasper, who has a sister with an immune disorder, loves helping people out. He always makes himself available to those around him and makes sure things get done. Milo, has made some mistakes and doesn't know how to come out of them in order to be a successful human. He's still hanging out with the crowd  that he did in highschool and they haven't changed. 

The story itself is fine. Both Jasper and Milo have some good conversations about accountability and holding on to past mistakes which I appreciate. We get to see how they deal with their past, the expectations of those around them, and how having someone in your corner rooting for you can make a difference. There's also some good conversations about boundaries and when not to rush in and save someone.  Albert's writing style is light and breezy which makes the book fun. 

My main issue with this novel were that the three secondary characters that were villainous felt very two dimensional. It felt right out of a 1980s teen movie. Because they were flat and less complicated, when our protagonists conquered over them, it didn't feel as rewarding. 

Overall, though, I liked it. It was a fun sequel. I'd be curious if Albert digs more into this world. 

Conventionally Yours is a really fun read. Conrad and Alden are two youtube gaymers who go on a road trip to the Odyssey convention (think Magic the gathering, at least I did) of their dreams. They are lowkey enemies. Both have reasons for wanting to win the tournament being played at the convention and both don't think the other understands how deep that goes. Along the way, they open up and find common ground and affection. 

This is a fun enemies to lovers romance. The characters had depth and the self loathing that one usually finds in the romance drama is kept to a minimum. They both have it, but they also recognize when they are successful and what their strengths are. It's not one of those "I can't believe he would be with me. Why? I'm a troll who barely looks human" stories, so I appreciated that. While there is a little of the "money solves problems" trope that is often in romance, it's kept to a minimum. 

I also appreciated that Albert created a card game that I don't understand but had rules and was easy to follow along with. Did I get why certain things did certain things? No, but I fully believed she did. I don't play Magic the Gathering or any of the other card games. Maybe if I had, I would have understanded more, but it didn't hinder my experience. It was still fun. 

Overall, this was the light, fun, sun in the summer book I was looking for. If I were to have a complaint, I would think the ending felt a little too heteronormative. Things moved a bit too fast.