A review by kj468
Terribly Tristan by Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey

funny lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Loveeeedddd this one!! Tristan was such a fun character to read about and it was amazing to see Leo blossom out of his shell from being a straight-laced gay guy striving for heterosexual approval to being… well, not that, but I’m not going to spoil his journey for you!! I love how many out and proud queer folks there are in this book, especially the presence of queer elders and the way the younger members of the queer community value and respect them and turn to them for guidance. It was also great to see the younger members (late 20s) of the community start to find their footing in beginning to be that for people younger than them. 

The ending was spectacular! Chaotic and fun and hilarious — if you’re a fan of Alexis Hall (specifically boyfriend material), this is a good book for you! 

My only minor complaint is that for the first ⅔ or so of the book, their relationship was one of those that when I really thought about it, I didn’t know what they talked about or like did together other than sex. I knew what (besides sex) they liked about each other - but only because they told me, not because I saw it on page. But it was written in a way that it was kind of easy to forget that, and I didn’t feel that way in the last ⅓. 

Tropes/tags: no third act breakup, insta love, reformed fuckboy, bad first impression.