(Mini-Review) 4.5 Stars - Hands down one of my favorite YA books! This was adorable, original, & truly felt like a late 90’s/early 00’s romcom, but gay! Kai & Bryson were both written so well, I’d love to see him revisit these characters sometime in the future. It’s a fun read that tackles some truly important issues!

(Mini-Review) I’m sitting here with the biggest smile on my face - Ryan La Sala, what a book! I loved Raffy so, so much! Can we give it up for what an amazing, unapologetically queer main character he is? I loved how passionate he was about his art - while yes, this is a romance (& an adorable one, at that), the themes of sticking with what you’re passionate about & allowing your creativity to soar really struck the biggest chords with me. To use some of the lingo, I shipped Luca & Raffy so much! While they had some issues between them, I loved how supportive Luca was of Raffy’s cosplay & how much Raffy played a hand in helping Luca discover & love his true self. I could go on & on about how much I loved this, but I’ll end by saying you should all go out & preorder this ASAP! I can’t think of a better way to get your 2021 started than by joining Luca & Raffy for some bedazzling - got to go get that Sea Foam Dream #6!

4.5 Stars

I just loved this so much - this was a light, easy breezy, insta-love story that felt like a crossover between an early 2000's romcom & a Disney movie, but more adult & gay. Suspend your disbelief with this one, it's meant to be a cute, fun read, & sometimes those are just what we need.

First things first - this isn't RWRB & it's not trying to be. Yes, there's an American falling in love with a gay Prince, but that's about it. I really think this book stands on its own, there can be more than one gay royal romance out there in the world. Having said that, Playing the Palace hit all the marks for me in terms of what I'm looking for in a romance. This was campy, hilarious, full of memorable characters & swoon-worthy moments, & had me teary eyed more than once (James' video had me grabbing my tissue box, lol). I related so much to Carter - listen, I'm approaching 30 as well & don't have my life anywhere near as together as I'd like it to be, so his issues really hit home (& also, LOVED his obsession w/ RBG). I loved all of the shenanigans he & Prince Edgar went through & found myself really rooting for them.

I thoroughly enjoy reading romcoms & have to say this - representation matters & I love seeing the influx of queer romances that are out there now. If you're in the mood for an easy, quick, fun read, I'd definitely check this out! I can't wait to grab a finished copy, thank you so much to Paul Rudnick, NetGalley, & Berkley Romance for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I hadn't picked up a graphic novel in years, but the Heartstopper hype was real - I saw this everywhere, had a slew of friends picking it up, & finally decided to give it a go. I'm so, so glad I did - this was adorable & gave me all the feels.

The artwork is gorgeous, the storyline moves at a wonderful pace, & all of the issues that are brought up & tackled are done in such a wonderful way - there really isn't a single thing I didn't enjoy about this. I'm still slightly in awe of how well Oseman was able to convey so many emotions without having to use many words, at all. I had the biggest smile on my face the entire way through & immediately kicked myself for not having the next to ready to go - this was a really quick read! At the same time, however, you'll want to take some time with it to really appreciate all the work Oseman's put in here (again, the artwork is stunning). Charlie & Nick are too cute for words, I'm really looking forward to where their story goes next!

I never thought of myself as much of a graphic novel person, but this just hit different. If you haven't picked up Heartstopper yet, I highly recommend you do so - this totally lived up to the hype for me!

Well, two books in & I can officially say - I'm in love & utterly obsessed with this series! Alice Oseman has truly created something magical here, these are just such a delight to read.

Picking up right where the first volume left off, the second volume of Heartstopper starts to dive into much more serious topics. I loved how the discussions centered around Nick's sexuality & coming out were tackled here, it felt very real & grounded & I found myself tearing up quite a few times. I also really loved getting to know more of the supporting characters, I just adore Tara & Darcy! Again, I was utterly amazed at how hardly any words are needed to convey the emotions these characters are going through - this is a huge testament to Oseman's artwork, you can really feel these characters' thoughts & feelings radiating off the page. & also once again, I have zero complaints - there isn't a single thing I would change about this, it was perfect to me in every way.

If you haven't hopped on the Heartstopper train yet I highly recommend you do so - these are the perfect books for any reading slump & they're just so, so good! These books are quickly becoming a very cherished part of my LGBTQ+ collection.

These just continue to get better & better - the third volume of Heartstopper is easily the best of the series thus far, I wasn't expecting this to go where it went at all!

I loved following Nick & Charlie as they went on their class trip to Paris - I was so excited to get to spend a lot more time with the supporting characters here, they were easily some of the best parts of this volume & I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how all of their relationships played out. What I loved most, however, were the issues that were tackled here - again, I wasn't expecting this to get anywhere near as serious as it did, but I'm glad it went there (CW for eating disorders, self-harm). Oseman handled these so well &, as someone who's faced similar issues in the past, it really hit home & made the story that much realer & relatable. & again, the artwork- so much of the beauty found within this story lies within the simplicity of the artwork & I'm still blown away by it.

I've never been this emotionally attached to fictional characters, I'm completely in my feelings (if you can't tell, lol) - I just love this series so much. Highly, highly recommend, & these would be perfect if you're planning some reads for Pride next month!

I downloaded this completely on a whim because (1) it was free; (2) I'm a sucker for a good quick queer romance; and (3) I know Annabeth Albert has a big following & I've yet to read one of her books - well, I'm so glad I did, because this was really good!

Annabeth Albert & Wendy Qualls really know how to turn up the steam! I was pleasantly surprised by how sex positive the book was (the chemistry between Randall & Hunter was great), especially in comparison to some more widely marketed gay romances I've been reading. The storyline was really cute, too - I'm not typically too keen on the whole virgin trope, but it worked well here. I really liked how, for a story that took place mostly within one weekend, this wasn't a case of insta-love - the characters had a quick but natural progression with their relationship that felt real.

All in all, this was a really entertaining novella that was cute & steamy, exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. If you're in the mood for something quick & fun, I'd definitely recommend this - I'm looking forward to checking out more from Annabeth & Wendy!

Also, I just loved this quote: Love isn't a risk. It's not an equation to be weighed or a gamble to be bet on. It's a chance, one that not everyone gets. And when you get that chance, you should do everything possible to go for it.