Os presento vuestro nuevo libro de confort: el romance contemporáneo M/M "Cuando fuimos mar y estrellas", primera entrega de la saga "Romance Made in Os presento vuestro nuevo libro de confort: el romance contemporáneo M/M "Cuando fuimos mar y estrellas", primera entrega de la saga "Romance Made in Italy" (que, hasta ahora, tiene cuatro novelas). En él conocemos a James y Roberto, dos personas que están tanto en puntos de la vida como en países diferentes y se encuentran gracias a unas vacaciones de verano. Entre ellos salta la chispa de la atracción casi de inmediato, pero ¿qué pasa cuando esa llama tiene sus consecuencias?
Una de las razones por las que adoro recomendar este libro es que no se trata de una novela feel-good y ya está. Por el contrario, Elen se atreve a poner sobre la mesa muchos temas delicados, y a escribir a personajes que no siempre toman las mejores decisiones. ¿Acaso no somos así las personas? James está atravesando un proceso de trauma muy complicado, y también tiene muy tensas las relaciones con su familia. Se siente solo y perdido, y cuando llega Roberto, que además de estar como un queso le entiende, ¿cómo no va a fascinarle? Por su parte, Roberto parece tenerlo todo, pero realmente es alguien que está muy, muy solo. Creo que todas las personas que hayamos pasado por algo así podemos entenderlo: tener un trabajo, una pareja estable y un techo bajo el que vivir no garantiza la felicidad. En el caso de Roberto, que siente que no es capaz de amar en condiciones, qué duda cabe de que no está pasándolo bien. Así que cuando conoce al primer chico en toda su vida que le hace sentir algo, ¿cómo no va a perder la cabeza por él?
Se trata de una obra de la que todo el mundo puede llevarse algo, porque está escrita, se nota, tanto desde la experiencia personal como desde el corazón. Además de tener personajes entrañables y leerse muy rápido, dado que la pluma de Elen engancha, encontraréis entre sus páginas un estudio fascinante de lo que ocurre cuando nos enamoramos de la persona correcta, pero en el momento equivocado; y qué pasa cuando decidimos arriesgarnos a amar.
¡La recomiendo muchísimo, el 7 de agosto estad a punto para comprar vuestra copia!...more
Even though nothing can topple book 2, since that one was out of this world, book 3 in the Dr. Harper series was quite a good finale to the trilogy! IEven though nothing can topple book 2, since that one was out of this world, book 3 in the Dr. Harper series was quite a good finale to the trilogy! In this book the gang - Zach, Kierra, Noah, and Elliot - comes together, and I had such fun reading each of their interactions! What made this work shine, though, was Noah's points of view. It was really nice to be able to see how others perceive Elliot, as well as to spend some time in the head of such a golden retriever man.
Really looking forwards to more stories by Dr. Harper, because their style and pacing are so my jam!...more
Belonging in the Tennebrose universe, "Mortem Obire" is a wonderful little FTL novella about two boys whose secrets have kept them apart, and are provBelonging in the Tennebrose universe, "Mortem Obire" is a wonderful little FTL novella about two boys whose secrets have kept them apart, and are proving to be deadly. Even though this wasn't as dark as Igni and Malum, it was still a deliciously spooky tale that I fell in love with! The main characters are sympathetic and have that slight unhinged-ness to them that I've come to expect and love in Ashlyn's books, and the plot was definitely packing some punches! Perfect Halloween read!...more
Everyone, meet my new favourite book. No matter how high your expectations, Igni Ferroque will surpass them effortlessly, so be ready for the ride of Everyone, meet my new favourite book. No matter how high your expectations, Igni Ferroque will surpass them effortlessly, so be ready for the ride of your life!
This book was unexpected in all the best ways possible. After reading, and loving, Malum Discordiae, I was kind of wary of getting to know a different cast of characters, since Graeme and Cassius had been insanely addictive. But boy, I was so wrong! Phelan and Remiel grow on you, and I honestly got to a point that I couldn't stop thinking about them day and night. All I wanted to do was read, read, read, and I got goosebumps, GOOSEBUMPS, whenever something new happened!
The corruption arc for Phelan was handled masterfully, and I do have to say that, for such a complex plot, it was executed flawlessly. No loose ends, no plot holes - just pure masterful writing and so, so much chemistry. This book is an advanced lesson on character growth, and by GOSH I need Ashlyn to write some more stuff about Phelan and Remiel post-Igni! That ending stole my breath! Can't wait for more Tennebrose stories, and to be honest, just about anything Ashlyn writes....more
How am I meant to deal with life now that I'm all caught up in this series!? Come the heck on! I seriously have a Black and Blue addiction. You could How am I meant to deal with life now that I'm all caught up in this series!? Come the heck on! I seriously have a Black and Blue addiction. You could feed me these two making laundry, or taking their dog out for a walk (n0t that they have one), and I'd read the heck out of it without a word of complaint. Their chemistry and sync are off the charts, and I seriously couldn't love them together more than I already do. One thing I love about this series is that, no matter how dire the odds or how much one of them messed up, they talk things through from a place of love and care. Neither of them threatens to break up, nor do they feel like that's a possibility. It speaks volumes about the strong foundation of their love, and I personally feel like we need so much more of this healthy dynamic within MLM books.
The murder mystery was alright, but in my opinion, its pacing was a bit all over the place. For a good chunk of the book all we got were clues that we couldn't really do anything with, because there wasn't enough info to try and connect them, and I felt like it got a bit repetitive precisely because I, as a reader, couldn't try to venture any guess. On the one hand, the clues didn't progress or start making sense, and on the other, it became a series of demonstrations of Blue doing psychic stuff and being ultra powerful.
Still, I quite enjoyed the book, and because it's Levi and Blue and I'm a SUCKER for them nobody can stop me from giving this its hard-earned five stars....more
Well, what a sequel! Book 1 set the bar quite high, but TQH managed to live out to my expectations. In this book, Levi and Blue are an established couWell, what a sequel! Book 1 set the bar quite high, but TQH managed to live out to my expectations. In this book, Levi and Blue are an established couple but still have some issues to sort out. Levi is worried that he's too normal and that Blue will get bored of him eventually, whereas Blue is waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding his supernatural powers and their effect on their relationship. An invitation arrives for them to visit one Viscount Ingram's extremely haunted place, and when they arrive, things take quite a sinister turn fast.
The ghost part of the story wasn't as creepy as the events in TMAABB, perhaps because this book focused quite a bit on Levi's internal monologue, and Blue's developing powers. As such, I wasn't as hooked to that aspect of things. But I was incredibly captivated by Blue and Levi, who approached this situation from different, albeit complementary, points of view. It was incredible to watch Blue come into his own with his powers, as well as to see how Levi learned to trust him in the end. I was really, really happy, even though the book itself is scary?
Perfect sequel, perfect spooky read. Please don't let this series ever end...more
by this book I am forever fucking undone. nora sakavic the writer that you ARE. i am hyperventilating into a paper bag as i stare into the void and Paby this book I am forever fucking undone. nora sakavic the writer that you ARE. i am hyperventilating into a paper bag as i stare into the void and Papaoutai plays inside my head in a loop...more
Judas eff, everyone! This is an instant new favourite for me. Something about Ashlyn Drewek's expert writing never fails to leave me gasping for air. Judas eff, everyone! This is an instant new favourite for me. Something about Ashlyn Drewek's expert writing never fails to leave me gasping for air. Although I had only read one other book by her before diving into Malum (Roan Sinclair #1), I knew I was in for a ride. But even that would be an understatement!
It felt like a Romeo and Juliet retelling, but in the best way possible. Cassius and Graeme were incredible main characters, each of them having a distinct narrative voice as well as such beautiful thoughts about each other, and by the end of the book I was sobbing. By GOD, if my potential partner won't say the sort of stuff Graeme does, they don't need to even bother!?
The witchy aspect was also glorious, and I was enthralled by the Tennebrose world's dark magic. Learning more about each power, and seeing the ingenious twists and turns Ashlyn gave some conventional tropes and magics from the world of witchcraft, was a delight, and I honestly would read countless novels belonging in this series if only because the worldbuilding is mad good!
I'm diving into Igni Ferroque as we speak, and I strongly suggest you guys give this book a go!...more
Oh, such a lovely spin-off! Nothing can ever match Blue and Levi, but one of the things I loved the most about The Sceptic was the fact that there wasOh, such a lovely spin-off! Nothing can ever match Blue and Levi, but one of the things I loved the most about The Sceptic was the fact that there was never any ship battle. Instead, Will and Jem were allowed to have a separate story in a separate setting, and what a story! Whew! I was blown by their chemistry, as well as about how the two of them were really mature and adult in how they approached compromise, their feelings, and the fact that they are essentially avoidant/avoidant. It was such a gorgeous story to fall in love with, and the supernatural aspect didn't disappoint either! Can't wait for more Arcana books!...more
Written by an ace middle-aged man, "I Am Ace" is a guide to most, if not all, basic aspects of aceness and being on the ace spectrum. From the fact thWritten by an ace middle-aged man, "I Am Ace" is a guide to most, if not all, basic aspects of aceness and being on the ace spectrum. From the fact that it's a spectrum with many shades, to coming out, to navigating relationships as an ace person, Cody Daigle-Orians addresses many common concerns and topics that come with wondering whether you might be asexual, and the journey to figuring out the answer.
One of the concepts that appealed to me the most was "chrononormativity", which I haven't seen discussed before as such but have definitely stressed about. The fact that Daigle-Orians took the time to address how much it intersects with aceness was really special, since, indeed, ace people tend to feel - and be told - that they're falling behind in terms of building a life - which is associated, more often than not, with finding a partner and building a family with them. Most queer people struggle with following societal expectations for life speed and achievements, but I felt like Daigle-Orians was able to address how ace people do so even more.
As an ace person who has known this about themselves for almost six years know, it was still really comforting to review the basics about aceness, and to feel like someone was writing not just about us - but rather, for us. The one thing I perhaps didn't feel as comfortable with was the chapter that addressed coming out as an asexual person, since it was clearly written from a very privileged perspective. Despite the fact that the author explicitly acknowledged their priivilege more than once, it still felt like it went unchecked during this chapter, since it emphasised the idea that "you can't be yourself, and happy, unless you're out". While I acknowledge that it's a lot easier to feel at ease when you don't have to conceal who you are, or fear rejection if you choose not to, I also feel the urge to point out that not everyone lives in an environment that allows them to. A lot of people live in countries that either don't protect queer people, or directly prosecute them, and even in countries in which there are laws in place to protect the LGBTQIA+ community, aro and ace people are never talked about. So, in this regard, not everyone has the privilege to be able to come out as aspec, and have their identity respected and celebrated, and I feel like the author ought to have acknowledged this.
This said, I felt really happy that I had the chance to read this book and feel like I was getting a big ace hug, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to get started on aceness....more
In "Between Perfect and Real", Ray Stoeve explores a slice of trans teen Dean Foster's transition, as he wonders if the risks of venturing beyond theIn "Between Perfect and Real", Ray Stoeve explores a slice of trans teen Dean Foster's transition, as he wonders if the risks of venturing beyond the identity everyone assumes he has—rebellious child, theater kid, best friend, partner, friend…, girl—weigh more than the joy of embracing who he truly is. Unexpectedly landing a role as Romeo in his high school's yearly play gives Dean the opportunity to experiment how it feels to be seen as a boy, which makes him begin to question whether he can keep living as something he's not just to please everyone else.
Something worth knowing beforehand about this book is that it's not a plot-driven story. Rather than there being a clear story line, with a string of key events that come together to produce a story in which what happens overpowers to whom it happens, "Between Perfect and Real" offers us a novel-long look at what goes on inside a teenager's head as he tries to juggle high school, a difficult family, a romantic relationship, the challenge that is getting into uni, and the realization that he's trans. In this sense, the story is little more than a silver plate on which Dean's feelings and struggles are presented to the reader. People who dislike not having a strong plot, or getting too focused on the characters' inner struggles rather on what's going on around them, might not like this book much.
Stoeve addresses very interesting topics, though, and more than one valid point regarding queerness. As Dean struggles to decide whether and how to come out to his family, friends, and school, the reader is faced with a challenging question: when we think about coming out, do we do it mainly for others, so that they can see us as we are? Or do we do it for ourselves, so that we can be seen as we are? Is it an act of trust, or is it a lesson of self-love? Dean knows that coming out will put a strain on his relationship with his lesbian girlfriend, and his already tense situation at home. Staying closeted, though, will put a strain on his own mental health. What's the right choice? The seemingly perfect relationship he has with Zoe, or the real him inside of him? I believe that, in posing this question, the author approaches one of the hottest topics within the queer community: in the end, the only person you could ever owe your coming out to is you. Nobody else gets to decide whether you should hide, or show, who and what you are. Of course, this applies to all queer identities, but it's specially true for all gender non-conforming, genderqueer, and trans* people. You don't owe anyone your identity, and only you get to decide whether, when, and how, to come out.
"I'm gay," she says. (...) She throws her hands out. "I want to be with girls. I don't want to be some guy's girlfriend, Dean."
"But I can't be a girl. (...) I'm not a girl. I'm a boy. I can't be something I'm not. I love you so much, but I can't do that. I have to be myself."
"Well, so do I!" she says.
In this sense, Zoe and Dean's relationship was also quite an interesting part of the book. Zoe knows Dean as her butch girlfriend, who's a lesbian just like her; she's proud of being gay, which makes Dean worry about what will become of them if he comes out as a trans man. What happens once Dean discloses that he's trans is really well-portrayed, despite the story being told by one of the involved parties, and thus, by an unreliable narrator. Many would accuse Zoe of being selfish, and transphobic, but the book allows us a glimpse into what's really going on; despite being a lesbian, she finds herself dating a man, and she isn't sure right away about how she feels about it, or whether she's able to reconcile her feelings for Dean with her identity as a gay woman. Many times, lesbian women are demeaned and cast aside, their identity and their right to not be "flexible about it" being questioned in a very hypocritical way by many who don't realise that lesbians, too, are queer people who didn't get to choose their identity. And, since I've given this aspect of the story a great deal of thought, I'm about to ramble about it in a bit more depth.
As the story progresses, and Zoe starts to visibly struggle, Dean himself, his trans support group, and even many readers, condemn Zoe's doubts about whether she can make their relationship work despite her being attracted to women only, and his being a man. This is the moment you realise how blinded Dean is by his own emotions—which is fair enough, I have to say—, since he's demanding of Zoe exactly what he doesn't want her to expect from him. In order to keep the relationship going, he expects her to put aside her being a lesbian and just be okay with dating a guy, while not wanting her to tell him that she doesn't recognise him as being a "real man". He wants her to respect her identity as a man, but is bothered by how she feels the need to have her own identity as a lesbian respected. Zoe's confusion and grief as she realises that the person in front of her isn't the girl she thought he was, and thus might not be the perfect match for her she believed Dean was, were very well-depicted. Dean's grieving their relationship, because he doesn't think Zoe will want to be with him if he transitions—and so is she. A part of him wishes that she'd agree to continue dating him, despite him being a guy…, the way a part of her wishes that Dean had been a girl. See the subtle double standards that both of them had? I personally felt a lot for Zoe, mainly because the narrative—which is told in Dean's voice, and thus biased—framed her as the one who was getting it all wrong. I could really feel her loneliness and sadness every time she spoke, which made me realise how the story showed far more than it seemed if you only focused on Dean.
There was quite a bit of character development, in this sense, as Dean slowly acknowledged that he couldn't expect things to stay as they were while he changed and grew in such significant ways. I wouldn't classify Dean as having been purposefully mean to Zoe, or as having been a bad person. Both he and Zoe were hurting a lot from how skewed their relationship had gotten, and both of them missed what they used to have with an intensity that made them feel very protective of their feelings. Wounded animals lick their own wounds, after all, and so do humans. What I mean is, just as Zoe wasn't a bad person for having doubts and struggling, neither was Dean for getting upset with her and wishing that she could be different. Just as I've validated her struggle with her identity, I'd like to make sure to remind everyone that Dean's having the same issue. There were no sides to take in this conflict, at the end of the day, and I believe that the way in which Stoeve made sure to make this clear—even more of a feat if we remember that one of the parties is the story's narrator—is a testament to their skill. I feel like these inner conflicts regarding one's and others' identity, when it puts relationships and people we value to test, is a discussion that's still quite rare within queer fiction, or at least in YA queer fiction, so it was really good to see it depicted here.
All in all, "Between Perfect and Real" was a really enjoyable read, which definitely belongs in any and every trans-themed shelf. Stories delivering casual rep, in the shape of characters who've already come to terms with their identity, are important; but so are tales about people who just realised that they're trans, and are trying to find their way to themselves. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Ray Stoeve!
"I promise that from now on, as long as I'll breathe, I'll treat your heart as gently as you're treating mine."
In "When We Were Out Of The Ordinary",
"I promise that from now on, as long as I'll breathe, I'll treat your heart as gently as you're treating mine."
In "When We Were Out Of The Ordinary", the third installment in the Italian Romance series, by-now personal favourite author Elen Chase introduces us to Kim and Alec. Having worked in the same building for years, the pair has been waging prank war on each other from the moment they met. Gorgeous, witty, and guarded, Kim can't stand the hipster scientist upstairs—whereas outgoing, loco, and carefree Alec can't quite make sense of the uptight teacher he's neighbours with. One day, Alec proposes celebrating their "rivalniversary", and the next thing Kim knows, he's been enrolled in a trip to Rome with Alec and some kids. Over the course of this adventure, Kim and Alec find themselves becoming friends, and maybe even something else entirely.
"Data gathered. Analysis? My life sucks."
Sometimes I remember that I stumbled upon Elen Chase's books basically by accident, and I count my blessings all over again. If you haven't read any of her works, you should—since they're the most beautifully-written, gloriously queer, and tenderly emotional romance novels ever. With complex and three-dimensional characters wherever you look, Elen's works are a true blessing to any shelf. So, to any reader who wants to know how true, unconditional love feels like: please, read these books.
This story follows Kim, who was already featured in book 2 ("When We Were Fire on Fire") as one of MCs Eric and Fra's friends. As we learn in the very first chapter, Kim identifies as arospec asexual, and he's only ever been in love once: with his best friend, who's now engaged and about to marry the love of his life. Which means, or so Kim thinks, that his only chance at romantic love has vanished... As WWWOOtO unfolds, we get to explore Kim's identity alongside him. I was an absolute fan of having a sex-favourable asexual person who explicitly labelled themselves as such, since most ace rep going around is sex-repulsed. Not that there's anything wrong with being so, but a lot of ace individuals are either neutral towards, or interested in, sex. In this sense, Kim was a very refreshing rep to have, as well as a magnetic character you can't help falling in love with. Despite how on guard he is all the time, once we start breaking through his barriers we can discover a soft person who feels incredibly lonely, and who just wants to be seen. I could relate a lot to him in this aspect, and I think that many readers will connect to Kim through this longing for connection.
On the one hand, Kim is aroace; on the other, Alessandro is pan. Together, they provide a very nuanced exploration of more invisible queer identities. In this sense, both characters have scenes in which they adress their sexual and romantic orientations explicitly, which were an absolute delight. For aro and ace people, rep is quite scarce still—and, as mentioned above, asexuality tends to be represented as sex-repulsion only—, so finding both A's represented this lovingly and carefully means the world. So is finding a queer relationship in which both parties understand and respect each other's orientation, and try to make everything work in a way that makes the two of them comfortable. Kim's asexuality isn't a burden, for which I'm endlessly thankful!
Regarding Alec, I can't quite remember if he's explicitly labelled as neurodivergent, but the kiddo gave me serious ADHD vibes—well-done ones at that! I feel like a lot of adult people living with ADHD will find that Alec resonates with them heaps, no matter whether he has an official diagnosis or not. In fact, since a lot of ADHDer adults don't have one themselves, it would be yet another way in which he represents *real* people with ADHD in their adulthood! This, coupled with the fact that Alec is a brilliant scientist nonetheless, turns him into a perfect book boyfriend who will give many neurodivergent readers both the joy of being seen, and the joy of seeing someone with a different brain wiring succeed.
Since Alec and Kim are busy with a prank war, this book featured a lot of witty banter between them that was both hilarious, and shipping material. I caught myself crying from laughter more than once, actually, as well as low-key giggling from how powerful the chemistry between the two MCs was from the very first page. But then... As they started to trust each other more deeply, Alec and Kim started taking off their masks, and what lied beneath broke my heart. Without explaining much to spare everyone potential spoilers, I'll say that Alec and Kim's insecurities and childhood trauma were enough to move me to tears a handful of times, and that it's impossible to not love the people they've become after all they had to endure.
Acceptance is a really big part of this book, since both Kim and Alec have their own journeys of letting themselves be seen, and most importantly—letting themselves be accepted and love as they truly are. Finding somewhere they belong, and allowing themselves to stay.
I could go on and on and on forever, but I think it's best to let this book speak for itself. Forever a favourite!...more
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