I built up very, very high expectations for this - when I read the synopsis a few months back, I was sold, & after seeing such positive feedback from fellow bookstagrammers & reviewers I trust, I got even more excited. This really blew all of my expectations away, & dare I say, I think this just might be my new favorite queer romance - what an amazing, heartfelt debut!

I'm a big Bachelor/Bachelorette fan & have to say Alison absolutely nailed the format of the show - some of my favorite parts of the book were the story notes & seeing just how manipulative edits can be behind the scenes. We had such a diverse, fun group of supporting characters here, & I loved the emphasis on platonic love & surrounding yourself with an amazing support system of friends - Jules, Parisa & Skylar were the best! & of course, the stars of the book, Charlie & Dev - their love story felt so real & authentic, even under the guise of a Bachelor-like reality show. I consider myself to be a big hopeless romantic like Dev & was just a big pile of mush seeing their love story come together, their chemistry was perfect - seriously, your heart will melt for these two! What I loved most about the book, however, was the emphasis on mental health - this was a huge theme throughout the book & played heavily into both Charlie & Dev's character arcs. To see depression & anxiety, amongst other things, depicted so openly & honestly in this way - in a romance centered around queer men, especially - was very refreshing. To truly love someone is to love all of them, even the parts that may not be the easiest to handle sometimes, & Alison captures this message beautifully throughout the story. It was also incredible to see such open conversations surrounding sexual identity that go beyond just the typical labels of gay & straight, something that is so needed!

This totally lived up to the hype for me in every way, I'm just so in love! I can't wait to get a finished copy for my shelves - I highly, highly recommend putting this on your radars if it isn't already. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Alison does next!

Why has it taken me this long to discover Annabeth Albert?!

This is only my second read by her but she's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, so far I've been really impressed with her MM romances. She strikes this perfect balance of moments that are really cute, heartfelt & tender with moments that are very sexy - the steam in this book was ON POINT, hands down the steamiest out of any of the gay romances I've read thus far (not including erotica or indies)! Arthur & Derrick will easily go down as one of my favorite fictional couples, I just adored these two so much & was rooting from them right from the get go - love that we got dual POVs from both! Their chemistry was amazing & their relationship & the issues they faced just felt so real, despite having started with the whole fake dating trope (one of my favorites, btw). I can't even begin to imagine how tough deployment is on military couples & families, I liked that we got to see multiple sides of the conversation, particularly from Arthur's mom. The emphasis on being a team with your partner through the good times & the bad is one I'm sure we can all relate to. & I really, really enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, especially the Euler family - I'm so excited to see Calder be the focus of the next book!

All in all, this encompassed everything I love about reading romances - it was funny, sexy, & sweet, & I've been sitting here feeling super giddy ever since finishing it. I highly recommend picking this up & putting the series as a whole on your radar! Thank you so much to Annabeth Albert, NetGalley & Harlequin for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

(Mini-Review) When Finn draws Hunter Holliday's name for their company's secret santa exchange, he couldn't be unhappier - he loathes Hunter & doesn't understand why he won't leave him alone. But when Hunter tells Finn that all he wants for Christmas is one night with him, shenanigans ensue. This was exactly what I was looking for in a quick, queer holiday read - it was cute, there was great chemistry between our two MCs, & it had some really good steam! This was my first time picking up a book by Baylin Crow & I'm really into the way she writes her characters, I loved the banter between Finn & Hunter - I've got to check out more of her work! Definitely recommend picking this up if you're in the mood for something Christmas-y that's fun, light & steamy.

The gang is all back together again!

Just when I think there's no way these can possibly get better, we're given Volume 4 - this is easily my favorite volume thus far! It was so much fun seeing what everyone's been up to since the Paris trip. One of my favorite things about the Heartstopper series is Oseman's ability to balance the sweet & tender moments with moments that are poignant & serious. Oseman really handled Charlie's eating disorder with such grace throughout this volume & it's something that so many teens (& adults) could benefit from seeing. I bawled like a baby when Nick & his mom were talking about helping helping someone suffering from a mental illness, that entire speech hit so hard & was written incredibly well - I can't stress enough how important it is for conversations like this to be in books geared towards a younger audience, I really wish I had these in my life when I was a teen. & I've got to say, I was just a pile of mush with the "Firsts" mini-comic at the end with Mr. Ajayi & Mr. Farouk, they're so adorable & I love that we got some kind of a mini update with them after Paris.

This series is amazing & I truly don't want to see it end. If you haven't gotten around to picking these up yet, I highly recommend you do so! I'll be over here patiently waiting for Volume 5!

Love can't cure a mental illness. There are lots of ways to help him, you can just be there. To listen. To talk. To cheer him up if he's having a bad day. & on the bad days you can ask what you could do to make things easier. Stand by his side, even when things are hard. But also knowing that sometimes people need more support than just one person can give - that's love darling.

C'mon frat boys with hearts of gold, I need a Chad in my life!

I was in a fraternity when I was an undergrad & have lowkey been giving the side eye to these frat boy romances, but Saxon James, you've totally changed my tune - this was so much fun, truthfully some of the most fun I've ever had reading a romance. Bailey & Chad had amazing chemistry & their banter was hilarious - the snark was on point here, they had me laughing out loud numerous times (especially Chad, what a gem). The King of Thieves game was really fun to follow & a great way to carry the romance along throughout. This was a super low-angst, pure entertainment & shenanigans kind of book, there wasn't really too big of a conflict & there didn't need to be. It was just really adorable, super steamy (the ♋️ was just

(Mini Review) 4.5 Stars - The first volume of Ngozi Ukazu's "Check, Please!" was so much fun, who knew baking + hockey players was the combo I needed in my life? First & foremost, the artwork was just stunning, I loved how colorful & vibrant everything was, it really helped make the story feel alive! I enjoyed the setup here, Bitty's vlogs were such a cute, creative way to bring us into the daily lives Samwell's team while also allowing us to get to know each character. & speaking of, I LOVED the side characters here - Shitty, Ransom, Holster & Lardo really stole my heart. The romance between Bitty & Jack definitely takes a backseat to most of the hockey action, but I didn't mind - I thought the slow burn really worked & allowed for that tension to really build up, ending perfectly

Spoiler

THAT KISS!

& setting us up for what seems to be a more romance-heavy second volume.

(Mini-Review) This was pure perfection! While the first volume didn't focus as heavily on Bitty & Jack's romance, this volume went all in - this read like a graphic novel version of a new adult college/hockey romance & I couldn't be more obsessed! I loved getting to see where Bitty & Jack wound up after Jack joined the Falconers & Bitty continued on throughout his junior & senior years at Samwell - their journey together was beautiful, I definitely shed a tear or two.

Spoiler

The proposal at the end had me SO in my feelings, omg

4.5 Stars

If you took Veep & tossed it in a blender with some enemies-to-lovers + fake dating MM romance, you'd get Liz Bowery's Love, Hate & Clickbait, a hilarious debut from an author you'll want to keep an eye on!

For all of ya'll who like your MCs in enemies-to-lovers romances to truly hate one another, look no further than Thom & Clay - these two DESPISE one another at the start of the book. I wasn't sure how Bowery was going to have the two of them come together, even with the fake dating trope thrown in. Neither Thom nor Clay was particularly likable at first, Thom a raging, narcissistic asshole & Clay a douchey tech bro with a chip on his shoulder - but the more I read, the more charming the both of them became in their own separate ways, & by the end I found myself really rooting for the two of them to get together. Having dual POVs really worked here, getting to see both through each other's eyes provided a lot of context into why they acted the way they did & made them all the more endearing.

Spoiler

Thom being the kid in his family who was always there but never seen really struck a chord with me. All of the discussion around him being so good at faking emotions because that's what he had to do to make his own dreams come true & get away from home & his parent's dreams just hit home so hard. Thom definitely had a lot of negative qualities, but I saw a lot of myself in him at the same time, really allowing me to empathize with his character as a whole.

Their banter was fantastic, there were some really sweet & tender moments, & I was pleasantly surprised by how steamy this ended up being! I thought the queer rep was great in general, but I was particularly impressed with the bi rep & how Bowery handled that situation as a whole.

Spoiler

It was so, SO refreshing to not have a character have an entire identity crisis over the fact that they might like someone of the same gender - coming out doesn't necessarily have to be a huge deal for everyone, & Thom's nonchalant attitude about being sexually attracted to Clay was really nice to see.

& Bowery really nailed how cutthroat & ruthless politics can be, trust me when I say this book is filled to the brim with biting reads & sarcasm - this is your warning if unlikeable characters aren't your thing!

All in all, I had a blast reading this & I can't wait to get myself a finished copy! & thank you so much Liz Bowery & Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for a honest review!