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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed reading this though the flashbacks to the other storyline is a little confusing to begin with.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of my must-read authors blurbed this book, so I was excited when my local library got a physical copy. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown. A lot is happening in this book, and it is shorter, so it gets convoluted in the third act.
This is a bit of Chris Evans fan fiction, which I greatly enjoyed. Celebrity romances can be very hit or miss, but the rom-com aspect was charming. Our MCs, Patrick (Evans) and Will, come from very different lives and experiences, with Will doing drag and Patrick being an actor in a Captain America-style movie series. They have a bit of an instant-love situation and are forced to hide their relationship because of Patrick's career, which isthe eventual cause of their third act breakup , which I thought was pretty well-written with both characters taking accountability for their mistakes and choices.
A series of flashbacks told how Patrick's movie character, Captain Kismet, was created by a couple in alavender marriage in 1949. At first, I was SUPER confused by why this was included, although it eventually made sense. If this book had been a bit longer, the history tie-in could have been super interesting, but with the short length, both storylines lost steam because of each other. Also, I am mad they essentially fridged Eleanor... .
Finally, I think this book takes a critical political lens through drag and Hollywood queer representation. Will experiences protestors and hate crimes, and he and his fellow queens stage a counter-protest to make their voices heard and have to essentially force the police to act against the people who did the hate crime. Similarly, Patrick is being forcibly closeted by his morality clause and manager (WHOSE A LESBIAN...) He chooses to come out publicly and be a member of the community rather than an ally.
That ties in with my final criticism. Women in this book felt like they were there to assist the plot and didn't have much characterization. I understand this book's focus on gay men and drag queens, but particularly making his agent a lesbian who wanted to closet him and set up that bathroom scene made me very uncomfortable. Even Will's sister and Audra were just there to move the plot without much agency.
Best Line: "Love was, fundamentally, an act of perception. I see you. I know you. Don't think I haven't noticed and remembered every last thing about you."
This is a bit of Chris Evans fan fiction, which I greatly enjoyed. Celebrity romances can be very hit or miss, but the rom-com aspect was charming. Our MCs, Patrick (Evans) and Will, come from very different lives and experiences, with Will doing drag and Patrick being an actor in a Captain America-style movie series. They have a bit of an instant-love situation and are forced to hide their relationship because of Patrick's career, which is
A series of flashbacks told how Patrick's movie character, Captain Kismet, was created by a couple in a
Finally, I think this book takes a critical political lens through drag and Hollywood queer representation. Will experiences protestors and hate crimes, and he and his fellow queens stage a counter-protest to make their voices heard and have to essentially force the police to act against the people who did the hate crime. Similarly, Patrick is being forcibly closeted by his morality clause and manager (WHOSE A LESBIAN...) He chooses to come out publicly and be a member of the community rather than an ally.
That ties in with my final criticism. Women in this book felt like they were there to assist the plot and didn't have much characterization. I understand this book's focus on gay men and drag queens, but particularly making his agent a lesbian who wanted to closet him and set up that bathroom scene made me very uncomfortable. Even Will's sister and Audra were just there to move the plot without much agency.
Best Line: "Love was, fundamentally, an act of perception. I see you. I know you. Don't think I haven't noticed and remembered every last thing about you."
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
some things i really loved about this one, but overall it felt like it dragged a lot of the time? like i was reading it and at one point they were like "oh we are switching up how we do sex" and i hadn't even noticed that there was a trend in their sexy times activities so... (this might have happened in a fanfic i was reading instead? either way the message is that this book didn't Compel Me enough)
i understood the purpose for the flashback scenes but i don't think they fit into the story all that well? but also i don't know how to get that part of the story, which is extremely important across. it was just <i>such</i> a shift in vibes.
but onto what i loved:
i loved how unapologetic this book is. i have read books about drag queens/strippers/other careers that idiots think are ruining society and the authors always seem to think they have to justify their protagonists. like they have to prove and explain to their readers that being a drag queen isn't evil, actually, because drag queens are Good and Kind and There Is Nothing Wrong With Doing Masculinity Differently. and this book got the message across literally a million times better on account of how the characters were messy, and bitchy, and honestly stereotypical but also just so full of love? and human? and they weren't constantly validating (but actually undermining) themselves.
honestly i just kind of love how many of the characters are Shits but also Good, if that makes sense? and i like how dramatic Will is because even though he is over the top he still feels like a real person i could meet.
so yeah! overall, fine. some bits i loved, some bits i didn't quite get, i just wish i weren't so bored while reading (oof)
i understood the purpose for the flashback scenes but i don't think they fit into the story all that well? but also i don't know how to get that part of the story, which is extremely important across. it was just <i>such</i> a shift in vibes.
but onto what i loved:
i loved how unapologetic this book is. i have read books about drag queens/strippers/other careers that idiots think are ruining society and the authors always seem to think they have to justify their protagonists. like they have to prove and explain to their readers that being a drag queen isn't evil, actually, because drag queens are Good and Kind and There Is Nothing Wrong With Doing Masculinity Differently. and this book got the message across literally a million times better on account of how the characters were messy, and bitchy, and honestly stereotypical but also just so full of love? and human? and they weren't constantly validating (but actually undermining) themselves.
honestly i just kind of love how many of the characters are Shits but also Good, if that makes sense? and i like how dramatic Will is because even though he is over the top he still feels like a real person i could meet.
so yeah! overall, fine. some bits i loved, some bits i didn't quite get, i just wish i weren't so bored while reading (oof)
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun concept, solid romance.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was super cute! I think my favorite part of this was the timeline of Charles and Iris and how captain kismet came to be. Overall I thought the plot was super engaging as well
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes