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james1star's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for accepting me as a pre-publication reviewer.
This book was honestly so great and I would totally recommend it. I hadn’t of read anything else by Nathan Burgoine or the ‘Little Village’ series but it can be read as a standalone - some characters (and their stories) I believe are present in previous books but I wasn’t confused or anything, it made perfect sense and just intrigued me to go away and read more into the series. It was a welcomed perk then another form of hindrance.
The basic plot of this short novella is we follow the main character Felix who is going to the wedding of his friends Haruto (Ru) and Nick but is feeling slightly removed from the merriment as he’s alone. He sees ‘hazel eyes’ (and there’s an attraction there) who turns out to be Kevin, Ru’s ex. The following day at the airport, Felix is ready to be flying out to Hawai’i but due to the weather his flight is cancelled. Whilst at the airport, he sees Kevin also has a cancelled flight and they agree to drive to Toronto together. But on the way the weather gets worse and they’re forced to check into a cabin. And yes… what will happen? That’s all you’re getting. Interjected between this storyline, Felix thinks back to the following year and his time spent as Danya’s nurse and their growing relationship - Danya is an ex-drag queen, a wise and very sweet old man and decides to give all his friends nicknames and for Felix this is: Felix Navidad (he’s adorable). The two get to know each other better, sharing lessons and advice for life and Danya is adamant on setting Felix up… will he succeed?
The characters were honestly so lovely like I just can’t. Felix is an amazing person - so selfless, kind, caring, love him. Kevin is also super sweet and rather hot too. Danya was the best. And basically all of the characters were great, shout-out to: Melissa - wish we saw more of her but I loved what I had, Kevin’s family (Amy, Wendy, Randall and Bobby) - they were just it, Nat - we love some non-binary rep, and all the rest. Despite its shortness, there is character development and nuance but mainly loveableness.
There were many super cute bits in here that warmed my heart during this freezing UK weather we currently have. I smiled so so much. Nevertheless, there were some emotional moments too and tender parts - maybe I’d prefer other things to have happened but whatever - such as the idea of ‘Snowflake wishes’ and the ‘four gifts’ idea… Lovely. Danya also dishes out some great advice like how love can develop over time, it’s not always at first sight. The main theme is how sometimes unexpected gifts turn out to be the best.
The writing is not exactly amazing or that developed but it’s very readable. I knew what was happening, it made a lot of sense and followed well. I liked the split narrative and it was wholly enjoyable reading experience. Some cute quotes ‘Nature singing us a song’, 'I think someone told you men don't cry, and I am here to tell you that is utter fu**ing bullsh*t’ and ‘Movies would have you believe falling in love is always like diving into a pool. Sudden, shocking. But some people wade in, and they don't even realize they're swimming
until they finish a lap.’ I found and liked.
My favourite message that stuck was actually from the acknowledgments: ‘I'm always so aware that for the vast majority of us queer folk, we don't inherit continuance of narrative or history or culture the way most other marginalized communities do. We don't know what we don't know, and the non-queer world is happy to bury, erase, or untell our stories - and even retell them in ways they find more palatable. It's a fight, and it can feel endless, but we need to make sure the queerlings know who came before them.’
I made a reading vlog/review too which you can check out if you want: https://youtu.be/WrfpR8qYTJ8
This book was honestly so great and I would totally recommend it. I hadn’t of read anything else by Nathan Burgoine or the ‘Little Village’ series but it can be read as a standalone - some characters (and their stories) I believe are present in previous books but I wasn’t confused or anything, it made perfect sense and just intrigued me to go away and read more into the series. It was a welcomed perk then another form of hindrance.
The basic plot of this short novella is we follow the main character Felix who is going to the wedding of his friends Haruto (Ru) and Nick but is feeling slightly removed from the merriment as he’s alone. He sees ‘hazel eyes’ (and there’s an attraction there) who turns out to be Kevin, Ru’s ex. The following day at the airport, Felix is ready to be flying out to Hawai’i but due to the weather his flight is cancelled. Whilst at the airport, he sees Kevin also has a cancelled flight and they agree to drive to Toronto together. But on the way the weather gets worse and they’re forced to check into a cabin. And yes… what will happen? That’s all you’re getting. Interjected between this storyline, Felix thinks back to the following year and his time spent as Danya’s nurse and their growing relationship - Danya is an ex-drag queen, a wise and very sweet old man and decides to give all his friends nicknames and for Felix this is: Felix Navidad (he’s adorable). The two get to know each other better, sharing lessons and advice for life and Danya is adamant on setting Felix up… will he succeed?
The characters were honestly so lovely like I just can’t. Felix is an amazing person - so selfless, kind, caring, love him. Kevin is also super sweet and rather hot too. Danya was the best. And basically all of the characters were great, shout-out to: Melissa - wish we saw more of her but I loved what I had, Kevin’s family (Amy, Wendy, Randall and Bobby) - they were just it, Nat - we love some non-binary rep, and all the rest. Despite its shortness, there is character development and nuance but mainly loveableness.
There were many super cute bits in here that warmed my heart during this freezing UK weather we currently have. I smiled so so much. Nevertheless, there were some emotional moments too and tender parts - maybe I’d prefer other things to have happened but whatever - such as the idea of ‘Snowflake wishes’ and the ‘four gifts’ idea… Lovely. Danya also dishes out some great advice like how love can develop over time, it’s not always at first sight. The main theme is how sometimes unexpected gifts turn out to be the best.
The writing is not exactly amazing or that developed but it’s very readable. I knew what was happening, it made a lot of sense and followed well. I liked the split narrative and it was wholly enjoyable reading experience. Some cute quotes ‘Nature singing us a song’, 'I think someone told you men don't cry, and I am here to tell you that is utter fu**ing bullsh*t’ and ‘Movies would have you believe falling in love is always like diving into a pool. Sudden, shocking. But some people wade in, and they don't even realize they're swimming
until they finish a lap.’ I found and liked.
My favourite message that stuck was actually from the acknowledgments: ‘I'm always so aware that for the vast majority of us queer folk, we don't inherit continuance of narrative or history or culture the way most other marginalized communities do. We don't know what we don't know, and the non-queer world is happy to bury, erase, or untell our stories - and even retell them in ways they find more palatable. It's a fight, and it can feel endless, but we need to make sure the queerlings know who came before them.’
I made a reading vlog/review too which you can check out if you want: https://youtu.be/WrfpR8qYTJ8
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
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