At this point there's a history that keeps you from growing too old: THE GUNCLE ABROAD.

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Honestly, it's so lovely to be back with the characters from THE GUNCLE. Maisie and Grant are growing up! They're 14 and 11 now, respectively, and none too pleased that their Dad, Greg, is getting married to a wealthy, Italian woman, Livia. In comes Gay Uncle Patrick "GUP" again, this time to take the kids on an European tour and a quest to learn about love. His deal: if they don't understand why their dad wants to marry Livia by the end of their trip, he'll talk to Greg about the marriage.

"But his mission was clear nonetheless. He would teach these kids about love, how to love others, and how to be loved in return."

Even abroad, Patrick still has his same acerbic wit, laced with his deep underlying love for his niblings. Said nibs are still precious, even while growing (no more lisp for Grant, sniff, sniff), especially with Maisie a teenager, learning to see the world more clearly and how it can cruelly treat women and leave them behind. The story shows, yet again, how Patrick is both ill-equipped and yet the perfect person to teach the kids how hard it is to trust again after losing someone. His rivalry with Livia's sister (the kids lesbian aunt, or Launt) was a bit much, but otherwise this was about pitch perfect.

At its heart, this is a tender and lovely book about grief, moving on but not forgetting, and learning to love again. I would read about Patrick, Maisie, and Grant's story over and over. 4.5 stars.


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But who's gonna make my mistakes if I don't: THE SUMMER CLUB.

The Summer Club by Hannah McKinnon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite of McKinnon's books, though it's a fast read. Honestly, the plot feels already done, and I would not categorize this as a light beach read, as it resolves around serious themes. THE SUMMER CLUB focuses on a literal club, stuffy Mayhaven, where Ned Birch and his daughter Darcy both learned to golf--but have never been members. Ned is now the manager, trying to restore Mayhaven to its former glory. As for Flick, he's a teenage boy forced to move to Massachusetts from New York with his mom and new stepdad, where they live next door to the Birch family. He gets a job at Mayhaven and finds himself fascinated by Darcy.

There's no major in-depth characterization here, but it's easy to like Flick and Darcy and feel for Ned. He must deal with the insiders versus outsiders vibe of Mayhaven. McKinnon does a fairly good job capturing teens, especially Darcy, who has stopped playing golf and withdrawn from her family. There's a mostly unresolved story with Darcy and a sometimes mean rich kid she liked that just sort of fizzled out. Like a lot of the book, it feels like everything skims the surface, but never delves too deep. This is a decent, quick read but won't stick with me.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books in return for an unbiased review. Look for THE SUMMER CLUB on 07/23/2024!

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I'll keep my hands warm in your pockets: WHEN YOU SMILE.

When You Smile by Melissa Brayden
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is one of those really cheesy stories that you need sometimes to cheer you up. This is not the best written romance ever (there's a lot of stilted writing and an emphasis on telling versus showing), but it's still a really cute story that you cannot help but get caught up in. Taryn finally heads off to do her last two years of college away from home--living in a dorm for the first time--and giving herself a chance to fully identify as lesbian to someone other than her parents. Imagine her surprise when she comes across her former babysitter Charlie on campus. She adored Charlie back in the day, but she moved away, and Taryn never saw her again; now Charlie's in graduate school, juggling teaching, MFA classes, and writing--and her longtime boyfriend.

The slow burn chemistry between Charlie and Taryn may be the best part here. They get to know each other instead of just falling into bed. Much of this story is a sort of coming out/coming of age for both characters, as Taryn finally gets a chance to explore her sexuality and Charlie must question hers. It certainly took me back to my days of being a new, baby lesbian in college.

Overall, it's a pretty straightforward lesbian romance, and the villains are set up quite clearly. There's nothing earth shattering here, or any major character development, but maybe it was the college setting, or just Taryn and Charlie's innate sweetness; I couldn't help but fall for them and their story. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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Every line on your face tells a story somebody knows: THE CLIFFS.

The Cliffs: A novel by J. Courtney Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very interesting read, albeit quite long and meandering at times

In the world of thrillers and viral hits, THE CLIFFS is not that book. It's a slow burner that takes its time to delve into its characters and their history, looking deep into the people associated with one particular home and the nearby area. You will not fly through its pages (though it's compelling) or have any big shocking twists (though there are certainly surprises), but if you keep with the story, you will be rewarded with a complex and rich narrative that spans centuries, connecting our characters in fascinating ways and exploring the complicated facets of how the past influences the present.

There are parts of THE CLIFFS that feel too long, as if a history lesson has lasted into another class period, and it can be hard to warm up to Jane, the main protagonist. The story is told from the point of view of various female characters, jumping around in time, but Jane gets the most screen time. They are all tied together by the house and land, but at times, I found myself wishing for more time with our characters older (in time period, not age) than Jane or other modern narratives. Jane's treatment of those around her--even with her alcoholism--was tough to stomach. A female-centric story that still focused so much on Jane pining for her estranged husband was difficult, as well.

There are so many interconnected stories here and the exploration of indigenous people and history is excellent. Sullivan does a great job of exploring motherhood and the idea if one can feel whole without being a mother. The themes of loss and grief run deeply in this story. While I wished there were a few more ghosts in this book (we get one early appearance!) and it felt long at times, it's beautifully written and a wonderful examination of legacies and the passing down of histories and secrets.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf in return for an unbiased review. Look for THE CLIFFS on 07/16/2024!

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But home is a feeling I buried in you: STARS IN YOUR EYES.

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There's so much more than fake dating happening in STARS IN YOUR EYES, which is told in a back and forth point-of-view between its two main characters, both actors. Mattie is an up-and-coming actor, still sweet and shy, and dealing with shame from being gay thanks to a religious father. He's filming a new movie with the famous (or is it infamous) Logan, known for his bad boy antics. Logan hides his pain--much of it from being abused--behind a gruff exterior, where he pushes everyone away and acts out.

Filming a story about two gay authors that begin a romance, Mattie and Logan suddenly see their film life parallel real life when the producers force them to fake a romance to stir up interest in the movie (and cover up for some of Logan's bad behavior), and the two quickly realize they like each other. But nothing is simple when they each carry so much baggage--and they're under constant public scrutiny.

I really enjoyed hearing the story from both Logan and Mattie's sides and the way Callender interspersed their POVs with snippets from film magazines, blogs, social media, and more. It's a quick read, albeit a powerful one. STARS delves into serious territory including racism and bi-phobia and looks seriously at sexual assault (triggers for assault, rape, suicide idealization, and more). It's really a very tender story showing how love can occur between flawed people with pasts--not every romance is a straightforward, cheery one, as the book illustrates.

There's a bit of relationship and therapy speak that sometimes feels overdone, but overall I enjoyed this one. It's not a feel good story per se, but it's enjoyable, makes good points, and really lets you feel for the characters.


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I turned myself in with you: ANNIE LEBLANC IS NOT DEAD YET.

Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet by Molly Morris
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

This is a strange little book. Wilson enters her town's contest to, you know, earn the right to bring someone back from the dead for 30 days. She picks her best friend, Annie, trying to overlook the fact that the two weren't friends at all in the last year of Annie's life. But when she gets Annie "back," she seems to gloss over that fact, falling back with Wilson like the old days and confusing her to no end.

So I'm fine with a book about someone coming back from the dead being quirky; in fact, you'd expect it. Instead, ANNIE LEBLANC seems like a standard YA story about friend drama--it just happens that one of those friends is dead. Nothing seems to happen! Wilson is an OK main character, if a bit in her head, but I didn't even like Annie, or Ryan, the third friend in their trio, or Wilson's mom Jody.

Wilson spends her life being responsible for her mom and her little sister, feeling lonely with no friends after a blow up with Annie and Ryan. The book drags out the reveal of why she and Annie and Ryan fought and it still doesn't make sense. Wilson seems to think she's found a loophole to keep Annie alive, so she works diligently to achieve it, while being rather clueless. Meanwhile, there's a million miscommunications, and it appears as if this gang never once interacted with one another or another human.

I'm glad the story has lesbian/bisexual rep and enjoyed the themes of friendship (albeit awkward ones!) and family, but this plot missed overall for me. 2.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in return for an unbiased review.

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I'm the secret ingredient you're missing: TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY.

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy a good Alexandria Bellefleur book and picked this up for my "June Pride Reads." There's not as much bisexual content as I'd hoped for, though there's a wonderful speech about bisexuality and the idea that society often demands someone be "queer enough" that I loved. That really hit home.

Most of our story is focused on Truly and Colin. Truly, a romance author, is ironically scared of romantic commitment after a brutal breakup and watching her parents--her idols--separate. Colin, a family law (or divorce, per Truly) attorney, seems to have no real flaws and comes across as pretty much perfect in all ways, except to his family, who resent both his bisexuality and the fact that he didn't join the family business (I can't remember, but it's construction or something related... I mean, the guy is a freaking lawyer!). The two meet when Truly comes on Colin's sister's podcast and immediately get off on the wrong foot, yet can't deny that they have instant attraction and chemistry too.

In fact, DEEPLY crackles with chemistry. Colin and Truly's banter flies across the pages, whether it's in person or via their shared texts. The result is a funny and often crazily sexy tale. Truly is certainly... a lot. Her focus on her parents and their love life is overwhelming at times. I could have done with less of that, because the plot related to her romance with Colin is excellent. Colin truly (haha - see what I did there?) is a nearly perfect guy, and I loved how fiercely he loved and felt.

This is a sexy book with a wonderful cast -- quite enjoyable! 4 stars.

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