Title: Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)
Author: L.C. Rosen
Published: February, 2019 by Penguin
Pages: 368
Rating: ★★★★☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Meet Jack Rothman. He’s seventeen and loves partying, makeup and boys – sometimes all at the same time. His sex life makes him the hot topic for the high school gossip machine. But who cares? Like Jack always says, ‘it could be worse’.

He doesn’t actually expect that to come true.

But after Jack starts writing an online sex advice column, the mysterious love letters he’s been getting take a turn for the creepy. Jack’s secret admirer knows everything: where he’s hanging out, who he’s sleeping with, who his mum is dating. They claim they love Jack, but not his unashamedly queer lifestyle. They need him to curb his sexuality, or they’ll force him.

As the pressure mounts, Jack must unmask his stalker before their obsession becomes genuinely dangerous…

Final Thoughts:
Welcome to the world of horny teenagers—and most of them gay. This was certainly not your typical YA, and I applaud it (and Penguin) for that. Seeing sex being discussed so frank and openly was an eye opener at first, but then I started to appreciate just how important books like this could be to those who need them. It’s not told in a way meant to arouse, rather it’s done more to educate and inform. I would have loved this book had it existed fifteen years ago, back when I needed it, but I was still able to enjoy it now, although with my adult perspective, I did get a bit frustrated with Jack’s choices as his world started to spiral.

I think many might get caught up on the fact that Jack is gay, loves sex, and is so open about it, particularly school library stockists, so I hope those that want to read this book can still get their hands on it. It’s rare to find books on this subject matter that feel so genuine and not preachy. Jack’s advice column is, for the most part, actually good advice. It’s informative in ways that watching porn isn’t. He breaks down (I’m talking like he’s a real columnist) feelings from the physical and goes into quite a lot of depth—the questions and columns are sometimes pages long, spread all throughout the book, not just a few paragraphs here and there.

The support system Jack has—his friends, Jenna and Ben—were a great addition to the book. I loved that Ben was gay too, and had his own romantic subplot. With Jack in no desire of getting into a relationship, Ben was a stark contrast to him, but allowed readers a chance to see that either is fine—it’s all up to the individual and what they want. Jenna was basically the driving force of their group though, urging Jack on to find out who was stalking him and get it to stop. I appreciated how level headed she seemed (wanting to involve the authorities), even if she did occasionally come up with some whacky plans.

Jack’s insistence on keeping people in the dark and solving things himself was just one of those things where my adult brain was like, ‘no, tell them, you’re being stupid’. It was believable, because I can remember being a teenager, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. This kind of angst is not my friend, which is how I ended up staying up past 1am finishing this one. I just couldn’t find a place to put it down without having it drive me crazy wondering what kind of mess he was digging himself into.

The end does kind of rush up upon you, with the whodunnit revealing itself a little too easily for my liking. I guess I would have preferred something a bit more elaborate (and scarier, perhaps), but I won’t give away any of the details. That being said, I still really enjoyed my time with Jack and his friends, and I’d definitely be up for a sequel.

Title: What If It’s Us?
Author: Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Published: October, 2018 by Simon & Schuster
Pages: 437
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?

Final Thoughts:
It feels a bit harsh to say this, but I wish this book had been better. It was still a good read, but it just didn’t quite reach the heights of an addictive book. In fact, it took me almost three months to finish this one. Ben and Arthur were a nice couple and had a lot of cute scenes together, but it all just felt a bit like fluff. There was no real compelling reason to want them to end up together other than them being the main characters of the book. The whole ‘summer fling’ aspect of the story pretty much sums up my relationship with this book—it was good while it lasted, but now I’m ready to let it go and get back to reality.

I started off quite enjoying the ‘meet cute’ post office plot device. The idea that you could run into someone random, hit it off, and then lose them without even learning their name was quite intriguing, and I couldn’t wait to see how these two would find each other again. The early stages of the book were actually a lot of fun, seeing the lengths Arthur would go to in order to track down the then unnamed boy, in New York City of all places. It brought back memories of my own teenage years, crushing on guys but not evening knowing who they were.

Luckily, in Arthur’s case, he eventually tracks Ben down and things really get going…or so I thought they would. Instead, we’re treated to a lot of bad dates between the two guys, as they continually have do-over after do-over until they finally get things sort of right. I suppose it is kind of cute seeing the guys fight to make things work, the lengths that they would go to, but I just found it awkward. With all their talk of ‘the universe’, it seemed to me like it was trying to give them a hint, or rather, hit them over the head with a book, and tell them that things weren’t meant to be. Still, they persisted.

Introducing a bunch of side characters, we got to briefly meet both Ben and Arthur’s parents—who later disappeared for the rest of the book—and all of their friends, some of whom were exes. This brought about some more angst, keeping the book plodding along, but to me, it just felt like not a lot was happening. We got to know Ben’s best friend and the girl he was dating—I liked them, and could have done with more of their lives. The phone call scenes with Arthur’s two best friends, back in his home town, just felt unnecessary though. They just seemed to be there to give Arthur a bit more angst to deal with.

I think the closer I got towards the end, the more I enjoyed the book. I don’t know if that’s because the finish line was in sight, or if the characters suddenly picked up their game, but regardless, I found Ben and Arthur’s final chapters a bit more enjoyable. The way things tied themselves back together was nice, but it did feel a bit like life-lite, like the emotions were toned down a bit. I closed the book not with my heart full or even wrenched out, but more like, ‘Oh, well, I guess that’s it.’

Title: Something Like Thunder (Something Like #6)
Author: Jay Bell
Published: May, 2015
Pages: 483
Rating: ★★★½☆ 
Purchase: Kindle

This isn’t a coming out story. Nor is it the tale of a lonely heart seeking companionship. This is about how I learned to fight.

My name is Nathaniel Courtney and I’m a survivor. I didn’t let the cruelty of others wear me down, and I’ve weathered the more subtle hardships of the heart. Love is a Trojan horse, slipping past your guard and leaving you ransacked and vulnerable. I emerged from that war not unscathed but as a new man. The only mistake I ever made was letting the right guy get away. Now I’ve got one more chance. This is the final battle, because if I fail now… I won’t. You’ll see. Just listen to my story, Kelly Phillips, and when I’m done, please don’t walk away. Take this weary soldier into your arms so we can find peace together.

Final Thoughts:
While I enjoyed Nathaniel’s story, I didn’t find his tale as compelling as the previous instalments. Putting this book down numerous times, it took me over three months to finish it. I wouldn’t say, skip this one, as it does fill in a lot of the blanks and shows a great deal more of my favourite side character, Marcello, but there just didn’t seem to be that same pull to stay glued to the pages. It may have been plot fatigue as it’s starting to feel like we’ve seen all the stories and we’re just getting different perspectives on them now.

Going back to Nathaniel’s teen years, we see his troubled home life in the form of an abusive brother. It was an interesting take on domestic abuse, and a useful way to lead in to him spending time away from his family. Rather than them being distant, Nathaniel distanced himself. Introducing Caesar as the slow burn love interest should have been the highlight of the first half of the book, but here’s where the interconnectedness of the series brought it down. Knowing what Caesar gets up to in the other books just makes the build up and eventual fall seem a bit flat. You can see it coming, and that just doesn’t make for exciting reading.

The addition of Marcello and later on, Kelly, perked me back up again, though. One a mentor, the other a lover, both brought something rich to Nathaniel’s otherwise broken life. Marcello could be sly and cheeky at times, but he has just become this loveable, larger than life type character that you can’t wait to see pop back up again and say something whacky. The way he takes Nathaniel under his wing and helps him gain some stability and control over his life is nice to witness—so is his meddling.

With Kelly and Nathaniel trapped in Marcello’s office at the end of the last book, this one tries something different and actually takes place as a series of flashbacks, told by Nathaniel to Kelly, as the two of them bide their time until Marcello decides to let them out. With present day interludes added in throughout the book, it was a nice change of pace to the usual storytelling this series has brought us.

Seeing Nathaniel and Kelly’s relationship blossom, even from a different perspective, was still a bit repetitive, though, with some scenes repeated from the last book. It felt like a few new adventures were added, but again, I wasn’t hooked. I think I only really found myself flipping through the pages near the end once we caught up with the end of the last book and truly had new material at our fingertips. Thankfully the next book appears to have a new character, and hopefully because of that, a more gripping story. I’m certainly not done with this series—I just wish my love for it hadn’t waned a bit.

Recommended to:
Fans of the series. If you haven’t started it, pick up Something Like Summer now.

Title: Leah On The Offbeat (Creekwood #2)
Author: Becky Albertalli
Published: April, 2018 by Penguin
RRP: $17.99
Pages: 343
Rating: ★★★½☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Leah Burke – girl band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda – takes centre stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat – but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mum, and her life is decidedly less privileged. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends – not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

Final Thoughts:
Leah is an interesting one. While I enjoyed stepping back into the world of Simon, Bram and their friends, I felt like some of the magic was lost in this instalment. The driving force of the drama in Leah’s life is Leah. Some of it felt understandable while other parts seemed like they could have easily been resolved with a conversation. It can be frustrating for the reader when you can see things clearer than the character can themselves. Instead of shocking me with plot twists, instead I felt like this book delivered more on the ‘finally’ moments, where a book’s worth of angsty build up was eventually relieved.

With Leah revealing herself as bisexual to no one but the reader, we get to see her pine after Abby Suso, the focal point of blackmailer Martin’s desires in the previous book. There is a lot of hero worship for Abby throughout this one, as Leah watches this girl, unable to make a move because she’s ‘straight’ and dating one of her best friends. Yes, it’s that kind of angst. Perhaps I’ve moved on a little, my tastes changing as I get older, but I just found it hard to sit through a whole book of pining.

There were a few side plots that kept things interesting, like Simon and Bram stressing over college and keeping their friends together, Leah’s relationship with her single mother and her feelings towards her mum’s new boyfriend. Even the racism plot was thought-provoking, particularly for how strongly Leah felt about it, shunning one of her long-term friends because of something they said. Normally characters brush things off with a simple apology and things carry on, but here Leah’s view of her friend was very much changed, and it impacted things quite a bit. I liked that.

With these bits and pieces adding to the book, I was still able to enjoy my time spent with Leah, albeit wishing she would get her act together romantically a lot sooner. I think because of that, I spent much longer reading this than I would have thought. It just wasn’t one of those can’t put down books, which I’m a bit dismayed over. Perhaps seeing things played out as a movie may reignite my love for this world, but having put down this book after a month or two of making my way through it, I’m happy to leave things here.

Title: Something Like Lightning (Something Like #5)
Author: Jay Bell
Published: October, 2014 by Jay Bell Books
Pages: 389
Rating: ★★★½☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Kelly Phillips has been out and proud since he was a young teenager, and thanks to the gay youth group he frequents, he’s never been short on friends or lovers. But when you have almost everything, it’s hard not to focus on what’s just out of reach: A best friend, who would be Mr. Right if he wasn’t already Mr. Straight. Or that handsome athlete at school, who would be easier to wrangle if not for his angel wings. And then there’s the guy who might be a perfect fit, maybe even a soulmate… if only he wasn’t convinced he didn’t need anyone at all. Kelly has always been good at running. Now he must learn to chase, which will not only test his endurance, but the durability of his heart as well.

Final Thoughts:
It’s wonderful going into each new instalment of this series and seeing it through new eyes. This time Kelly took the reins. Previously a side character, and one in the way at that I’m finding myself amazed at how one person’s viewpoint of others can skew your own opinions so much. No longer an obstacle to sneak around, Kelly’s own tale had me enthralled.

And then we met Jared. Best Friend. Homophobe. Dickwad. You get the gist. Watching Kelly’s world all apart felt harsh, but it only got harsher.

This really wasn’t a happy story.

Introducing William, pure and sweet, the perfect boyfriend, should have been the turning point in the story, but coming into this with knowledge of the previous book just put a dampener on the romance for me. Not only does Kelly—a boy dreaming of running to the Olympics—lose his leg in an “accident” with William, but his romance heads down the gurgler too.

Watching the beginning right through to the end of their relationship was tough, but it added to Kelly’s persona. The boy he was in the beginning felt more moulded, more real by the time we had gotten to the end.

I particularly liked the side of Marcello, the rich older gay, we saw this time around. Yes, he’s still cheeky, living lie the way he wants to, be he also shows his heart through his actions for those close to him. A book from his perspective could be quite interesting.

I think my only qualm this time was the pacing. Instead of switching up the time periods as often, it seemed like the middle dragged. For a while there, it was a struggle to get the energy to pick it up again, leading to the two months I spent trying to finish this book. It was a good ride though. Kelly’s story was one worth telling. It just needed less time spent rehashing his doomed relationships and more building up his new love interest toward the end.

Title: Something Like Spring (Something Like #4)
Author: Jay Bell
Published: January, 2014 by Jay Bell Books
Pages: 452
Rating: ★★★★☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Nothing in this world is permanent. Friends, lovers, even family, can all disappear in the blink of an eye. Without these anchors, it’s all too easy to find oneself drifting.

Jason Grant doesn’t have much, aside from a beat-up old guitar and knack for getting kicked out of foster homes. His latest placement is set to be just another in a long line of failures. Then he meets Caesar Hubbard, a handsome guy who lives down the hall. For the first time in his life, Jason wants to stay, which means learning to be part of a family, and not letting his feelings–or his actions–ruin his first real chance of falling in love.

Final Thoughts:
I didn’t think anything could top Jace’s story, but Jason’s orphan tale is one that may have done it. With only a guitar to his name, he bounces around foster homes, his (intentional) bad behaviour getting him sent back to the group home, that is, until he meets the Hubbards. It’s hard to picture a family more frustrating to be in than this one. Attracted to your foster brother can’t be easy. With Jason lusting after Caesar, their eventual relationship was heart-warming, but also left me wanting more for poor Jason. Skip ahead a few years and Ben and Tim rejoin the book—this is where my love for the story really kicked off.

When Jason’s life goes to crap, circumstances send him Ben and Tim’s direction, moving him into their love nest. I felt like this was such a good way to connect Jason to the guys in this series, while at the same time expanding Ben and Tim’s world. I wasn’t just getting to see inside Jason’s head, it really opened up my eyes and improved my opinion of Tim—which was a good thing considering how I loathed him in Jace’s book. In this, I found Tim kind, funny and incredibly protective of those he cared about.

Introducing fourteen-year-old Emma, Jace’s niece, as Jason’s best friend was a nice touch—particularly her lesbian coming out story. I appreciated their friendship and how each of them pushed the other to open themselves up more. Despite her loud personality, she was still a sweet girl, one who just wanted to get her groove on with a bunch of hot girls. As we progress ahead from the nineties to the late 00s, we’re seeing the characters more open about being gay. It’s interesting reading these books and watching the way homophobia has evolved over the past couple of decades. So much has changed, and the realistic portrayal here, while not too gritty, is appreciated.

After Caesar, not much happens in Jason’s love life, well until the introduction of William. A swimmer, so he’s fit, but with Irish skin, so he’s also pale, Jason swoons hard. I honestly loved the attempts Jason made to work his way into Williams life, finding it cute, and definitely persistent. And I realise it’s more than a little hypocritical of me though, especially after I blasted Tim so much for his tries at working his way into Ben’s life with Jace. See, here, William isn’t single. Yeah… And with Ben and Tim, even Marcello, all helping Jason, it’s feels a bit like, ‘okay, fidelity doesn’t matter if they’re unhappy’.

Still, William and Jason won me over. I wanted nothing more than for them to be happy together and felt the struggle that Jason did when their relationship had its struggles. Things are never made easy for the characters in this series. I learnt that the hard way with Jace. But, these books aren’t all about torturing you. There are plenty of happy moments. With the return of old characters in each book, both good and bad, I can’t help but love getting wrapped up in this world no matter what it throws at me.

Title: Something Like Autumn (Something Like #3)
Author: Jay Bell
Published: May, 2013 by Jay Bell Books
Pages: 368
Rating: ★★★★★ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Love can appear unexpectedly: a chance meeting at a friend’s wedding, the arrival of a handsome new co-worker… or while being robbed at a convenience store.

For some, love seems an impossible dream. Growing up gay in small-town Missouri, Jace Holden thought his chance would never come. When he meets Victor—a wild soul and fellow outsider—his chances of finding love go from bleak to a very uncertain maybe. Bracing his heart, Jace chases after his desire, hoping for a warm hand to hold his tight.

Final Thoughts:
Finally, Jace’s story. I wanted this book to go on forever, which is probably why it took me so long to finish. Being a companion novel and knowing I was in store for an unhappy ending kept me from racing towards the end, but even with that preparation, I still broke down in tears trying to finish that final page. While it is an emotionally draining book, it’s also a refreshing one. In fact, I found myself enjoying this a lot more than I did either Ben or Tim’s stories. Getting to know Jace as a teenager was a treat. It really opened my eyes to all that went into shaping the boy that went on to become the wonderful man we saw in Ben’s book. Starting out at a thankfully-botched suicide attempt, we get to meet Jace’s loving family, including his amazingly supportive best friend, who happens to be male, and straight (I know–there needs to be more of this), as well as his older boss/friend, Bernard. And Victor, I couldn’t forget Jace’s first love.

Despite never having experienced the majority of what these characters did, it managed to feel completely relatable. Even with the introduction of Victor, a boy choosing to be homeless, gave Jace’s backstory so much depth. I’m constantly surprised by how different the characters are. Each guy brings with him a different story, one you wouldn’t expect to find. Victor’s a charmer, but in a free spirited way. He rejects the constraints of society, choosing to live outdoors, trying to survive on his own. Bringing a distinct worldview, his presence left a lasting impression on Jace, affecting his actions later on in his life, which I appreciated. It helped make sense of the selfless person Jace seemed to be while reading the previous book. Still, there were times when I thought he let too much slide between Tim and Ben, reinforcing my dislike for Tim. This book certainly does that guy no favours.

Ben, Ben, Ben. I loved him in his book, but here, seeing things from Jace’s side, I wanted to throttle him occasionally and remind him of what a wonderful man he had in his life. Screw Tim’s advances, and stick with your boyfriend. But in saying that, it’s not all infidelity—they really did come across as a couple you could cheer for. Then again, I cheered for Jace and Victor too. I loved that we managed to get two great romances within the one book. It really did justice to Jace. Being my favourite book in the series thus far, I’m really curious as to how the fourth instalment will shake things up. Ben, Tim and Jace have all had their say, and I can’t wait to see who comes next.