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zaameeno100's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
jsncnrd's review against another edition
4.0
What a gem this was! And a debut novel, at that. Valerie Gomez has refined writing skills right out the gate. She has crafted a tale of 2 queer men (both of whom are compulsively lovable) and created them with such empathy and heart that you can't help but to root for both of them.
The entire story was so effortlessly sweet and touching -- meaningful, yet not overly-complex. There is a power to be found in simplicity sometimes, and there were moments like that in the book that really allowed it to shine.
As mentioned above, the strongest part of the novel are our two main characters, Dax and AJ. I loved getting the POV of a queer Mexican-American character, because it's not a POV that I've come across too frequently. The diversity was refreshing and much appreciated.
It was a joy watching both of our protagonists learn about the flaws and faults of the other, and still managing to make room for love and acceptance. Overall, the story leaves you with a full heart -- and if a book manages to do that, I'd say the author has done their job -- and done it well.
Big thank you to Valerie for sending me a copy of this book -- I cannot reiterate enough how much of an absolute delight it was to read this!
The entire story was so effortlessly sweet and touching -- meaningful, yet not overly-complex. There is a power to be found in simplicity sometimes, and there were moments like that in the book that really allowed it to shine.
As mentioned above, the strongest part of the novel are our two main characters, Dax and AJ. I loved getting the POV of a queer Mexican-American character, because it's not a POV that I've come across too frequently. The diversity was refreshing and much appreciated.
It was a joy watching both of our protagonists learn about the flaws and faults of the other, and still managing to make room for love and acceptance. Overall, the story leaves you with a full heart -- and if a book manages to do that, I'd say the author has done their job -- and done it well.
Big thank you to Valerie for sending me a copy of this book -- I cannot reiterate enough how much of an absolute delight it was to read this!
netslummer's review
5.0
Dax Ximénez has anxiety and often gets panic attacks at being in front of crowds...a pretty big deal for an up-and-coming actor who does stand up comedy on the side. His career is about to take off with his own TV show about to premiere. As part of the publicity for the show Dax is sent by his manager to participate in a photoshoot for The Modern Gentleman magazine where he meets the prickly art director AJ Bond who is trying to prove himself to his higher-ups to snag a promotion. After the shoot wraps up AJ and Dax grab dinner together and find themselves hopelessly caught in each other's orbits over the coming months.
Dax and AJ are such great characters that you easily fall into a rhythm with them and fully experience everything with them. It is so easy to root for the boys when Dax is dealing with his anxiety or AJ is trying to deal with his insecurity around his sexuality and work persona. The boys are sweet together and you just find yourself yelling "KISS!" and, when they finally do you just melt. The side characters feel just as real and easy to like as our boys. Dax's family is excellent and watching AJ meet them is really sweet. I really enjoyed the fact that both AJ and Dax are in their early thirties too. So many romances are about guys who are like twenty-five and that makes it a bit depressing for us older spinsters. :P
I fully recommend this book for fans of squishy romances with quite a bit of comedic wit.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Dax and AJ are such great characters that you easily fall into a rhythm with them and fully experience everything with them. It is so easy to root for the boys when Dax is dealing with his anxiety or AJ is trying to deal with his insecurity around his sexuality and work persona. The boys are sweet together and you just find yourself yelling "KISS!" and, when they finally do you just melt. The side characters feel just as real and easy to like as our boys. Dax's family is excellent and watching AJ meet them is really sweet. I really enjoyed the fact that both AJ and Dax are in their early thirties too. So many romances are about guys who are like twenty-five and that makes it a bit depressing for us older spinsters. :P
I fully recommend this book for fans of squishy romances with quite a bit of comedic wit.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
bookshelvesandtealeaves's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.5
This book was a fun, easy, sweet read.
I find celebrity romances a bit hit and miss, but this one handled the celebrity aspect well for me. Dax isn’t super well known, not yet anyway, and he’s chill and down to earth and super freaking sweet. And AJ is so unfazed by stardom that it was really more of a backline plot.
I loved their prickly first meeting, both of them kinda thinking the other was a jerk but also being drawn to each other, too. I loved the way Dax kept trying to make AJ at least smile even though he wasn’t sure what he’d done to make AJ dislike him.
I LOVED the way this book handled mental illness. It was approached with so much care and compassion and attention to detail. There was so much trauma woven into how Dax ended up where he is with his mental health and I felt it was really beautifully done.
I did find the progression of their relationship a bit frustrating, though. I felt like, in place of sweet coupley things, we mostly got fighting and making up. The things they fought over were real and valid, the balance just didn’t feel right for me and left me feeling a little disconnected from them.
I also feel the writing needs a bit of polishing. It’s not terrible but it feels like a stepping stone to something better in future. Which definitely means I’ll try this author again!
hedonicbooks's review against another edition
5.0
What a delightful book. What a beautiful story about navigating new relationships, about intimacy and exploring but not labeling your sexuality, about the importance of taking care of your mental health.
This is the story of Dax, a stand-up comedian and star of a soon to be launched tv series, and AJ, the art director of a big NY magazine. The main characters meet on the set of a photoshoot, and even if their first interaction is a bit awkward and tense, they quickly become friends.
This is a character driven story, with dual POV, so we get to experience both characters' journeys. While Dax is struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, AJ is a very introverted, private individual. They're both in a difficult place in their lives, with lots of professional and personal things happening all at once, things that ultimately get in the way of their relationship. But they work things out, so beautifully. Their connection is intense, they have sizzling chemistry, they're very attuned to one another - all these things made me get the tingly feeling in my fingertips.
This is the story of Dax, a stand-up comedian and star of a soon to be launched tv series, and AJ, the art director of a big NY magazine. The main characters meet on the set of a photoshoot, and even if their first interaction is a bit awkward and tense, they quickly become friends.
This is a character driven story, with dual POV, so we get to experience both characters' journeys. While Dax is struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, AJ is a very introverted, private individual. They're both in a difficult place in their lives, with lots of professional and personal things happening all at once, things that ultimately get in the way of their relationship. But they work things out, so beautifully. Their connection is intense, they have sizzling chemistry, they're very attuned to one another - all these things made me get the tingly feeling in my fingertips.
petersenftleben's review
5.0
I tend to not rate or review books I've edited, but I love this one so much. It's one of the best books I've read this year, and one of my favorite romances I've worked on. I'm looking forward to revisiting these characters soon.
Perfect for fans of:
Low angst
Mid-30s characters
Red White and Royal Blue
Heartstopper
Perfect for fans of:
Low angst
Mid-30s characters
Red White and Royal Blue
Heartstopper
hannahb1533's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.0
rosebudthom's review
5.0
Cover Story is gorgeously funny and romantic, draws readers in from the get-go, and had me smiling like a dork at my screen. The humor is so fun, conversations felt natural, and the characters honestly felt like friends by the end.
Equal parts light and heavy, the story wrapped me up in a warm queer hug and validated my own mental health struggles. Both AJ and Dax are likeable and relatable in their own ways and feel like real people in their characteristics. The story was a breeze and really drew me in, and it felt like such an easy read despite the difficult topics it broached, which were done with such respect and are a testament to Valerie's writing skills, especially as a debut!
Equal parts light and heavy, the story wrapped me up in a warm queer hug and validated my own mental health struggles. Both AJ and Dax are likeable and relatable in their own ways and feel like real people in their characteristics. The story was a breeze and really drew me in, and it felt like such an easy read despite the difficult topics it broached, which were done with such respect and are a testament to Valerie's writing skills, especially as a debut!
indiekay's review
5.0
4.5 stars
This was a sweet read. It goes at a bit of a slow pace - not in a bad way, but in a "taking our time to get to know each other way". There's also a lot of focus on mental health, including one character having anxiety and a lot of panic attacks - and I learnt something new from this book! I had no idea getting panic attacks while asleep was a thing! That's terrifying lmao.
The author is a art director for a magazine, so knowing that made everything about AJ's job a lot more interesting. And Dax's family were definitely another highlight of the book, as they were very sweet.
This was a sweet read. It goes at a bit of a slow pace - not in a bad way, but in a "taking our time to get to know each other way". There's also a lot of focus on mental health, including one character having anxiety and a lot of panic attacks - and I learnt something new from this book! I had no idea getting panic attacks while asleep was a thing! That's terrifying lmao.
The author is a art director for a magazine, so knowing that made everything about AJ's job a lot more interesting. And Dax's family were definitely another highlight of the book, as they were very sweet.
socallahan's review
5.0
This is the kind of book you don’t want to put down because you’re so invested in seeing the MCs get their happy ending. It’s also the kind of book that’s so easy to relate to.
Both AJ and Dax are making big strides in their lives when they have a meet cute on the set of a photo shoot in NYC. From there, the story continues with ups and downs that anybody could experience, especially those of us who have struggled with mental health, self-worth, family dynamics, work stress, and the uncertainty of a new relationship.
Thank you so much to the author for sharing an ARC with me!
Both AJ and Dax are making big strides in their lives when they have a meet cute on the set of a photo shoot in NYC. From there, the story continues with ups and downs that anybody could experience, especially those of us who have struggled with mental health, self-worth, family dynamics, work stress, and the uncertainty of a new relationship.
Thank you so much to the author for sharing an ARC with me!