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malecluvbot's reviews
401 reviews
Queried Sick by Dallas Smith
But my personal favorite being:
OH, and especially:
This was just the beginning of what seemed to be a very beautifully crafted romance, of which I devoured every bit. Oliver is a soup fan and dad to a beautiful Himalayan rag-doll mix cat, Fiona, who played her part in the story so beautifully.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
So, I've got a few things to say about the book, mostly good ones, I swear.
Let's start with the plot itself. Personally, I did not find it to be revolting, really. It was quite simple, which would make sense given that this was a debut novel. there were two queer characters who got off on the wrong foot, making one of them (Ezra) feel like the other (Oliver) hated him, which was not true. They had a couple common friends- Ryan and Anna, who had their wedding date fixed in a few months (until COVID ruined their plans).
Oliver was in charge of training Ezra as he just started out as an editorial assistant, and while at it, Oliver would barely make conversation and leave Ezra with documents on everything he needed to know, which eventually started infuriating the former, and he complained to Ryan (his dad owned the company) who, in turn, subtly talked to Oliver about it. It worked and Oliver let Ezra to handle which books they would accept on behalf of their company to go forward with the publishing. That started off a hilarious series of interactions between the two MMCs, where Ezra would send certain quotes or extracts from submitted excerpts from various authors.
1. “She fiddled with the seam of her dress with anxiety ridden phalanges.”
2. “And suddenly, his flesh pillows were on her ear lobe, and she was melting into his touch.”
3. “I’ll say this: she may be completely tone deaf, but she has an ass that sings like an angel.”
4. “Her breasts smiled as he walked into the room. God, he was handsome.”
Let's start with the plot itself. Personally, I did not find it to be revolting, really. It was quite simple, which would make sense given that this was a debut novel. there were two queer characters who got off on the wrong foot, making one of them (Ezra) feel like the other (Oliver) hated him, which was not true. They had a couple common friends- Ryan and Anna, who had their wedding date fixed in a few months (until COVID ruined their plans).
Oliver was in charge of training Ezra as he just started out as an editorial assistant, and while at it, Oliver would barely make conversation and leave Ezra with documents on everything he needed to know, which eventually started infuriating the former, and he complained to Ryan (his dad owned the company) who, in turn, subtly talked to Oliver about it. It worked and Oliver let Ezra to handle which books they would accept on behalf of their company to go forward with the publishing. That started off a hilarious series of interactions between the two MMCs, where Ezra would send certain quotes or extracts from submitted excerpts from various authors.
1. “She fiddled with the seam of her dress with anxiety ridden phalanges.”
2. “And suddenly, his flesh pillows were on her ear lobe, and she was melting into his touch.”
3. “I’ll say this: she may be completely tone deaf, but she has an ass that sings like an angel.”
4. “Her breasts smiled as he walked into the room. God, he was handsome.”
But my personal favorite being:
Ezra: “Samson waddled forward, careful not to get his flipper in the puddle of vermillion hemoglobin and plasma leaking out of the body of the mayor that laid before him in the middle of the floor."
Oliver: I’m almost afraid to ask, but by flipper they mean…?
Ezra: He's a penguin.
Oliver: And is the mayor also a penguin?
Ezra: Yes
Oliver: Is everyone a penguin?
Ezra: I don’t think so. The mayor’s secretary seems to be human. I think this might be a Detective Pikachu situation.
OH, and especially:
“He stood there, mouth gaped open, his velvet wrapped steel pulsing as he watched her undress.”
This was just the beginning of what seemed to be a very beautifully crafted romance, of which I devoured every bit. Oliver is a soup fan and dad to a beautiful Himalayan rag-doll mix cat, Fiona, who played her part in the story so beautifully.
"I don’t want to mess this up. Yeah, I’m fairly certain he likes me back because we’ve at least texted almost every day since May and FaceTimed every night for the past 2 months to watch tv together. But what if I’m wrong? What if he doesn’t like me back and me saying something ruins our friendship? Or what if he does like me, but he hasn’t said anything because he doesn’t want to date me, so me saying something also ruins our friendship?"
"Yeah, we’ve been out of crush territory for a while now.
There’s just something about him. He makes me feel good about myself and I didn’t realize how much I needed that after all the shit with my mom. I know it’ll probably sound crazy, but it feels like he came into my life at the right time. His friendship is important to me so what if I’m wrong? I don’t want to lose him. I’d rather only ever be friends than have nothing at all."
And when they finally got together, it was magical and emotional and all the things you would want your relationship to be.
But this wasn’t a hookup or a fling. This was Oliver, and in that moment, all he wanted was to feel that closeness. The connection. That feeling of being so full of another person, it was almost impossible to tell where one person ended and the other began.
“I want to see you every day and meet all of your friends. To make you omelets in the morning and lie in bed while drinking tea and reading a book. I want to run you warm baths when your joints are all flared up. I want everything, and I know it probably seems like it’s too fast, but I can’t help it. I’m crazy about you, and I really hope I didn’t screw things up by being a coward. I did not handle the situation well at all. I let my anxiety take control. I can’t promise that I won’t ever worry about you, but I can promise to work on understanding my anxiety so I can try to keep a more level head, at least. I want to be there for you no matter what. I realize I didn’t show it very well last week, so I don’t expect you to believe me. But I’ll do whatever I can to prove that because I really mean it when I say I want everything.”
The quarantine portrayal of the book was absolutely bang on, capturing the essence of the whole time, where every one of us was frustrated and cranky and inexplicably irritable at all times. Yes, the book followed the theme of romance, where there was a misunderstanding that stood to threaten their relationship, only for them to recover and come back stronger. It might be a little stereotypical, but sometimes, that's a good thing, right?
As you can see, I am mesmerized by the book, by the tropes, by the romance and especially by the characters, all of them- Ryan and Anna, Mary and Robin, Ezra's sister (Josie) and her daughter Willow. This was me giving them shoutouts. Especially our girl, Fiona. The story would have been incomplete without her.
As you can see, I am mesmerized by the book, by the tropes, by the romance and especially by the characters, all of them- Ryan and Anna, Mary and Robin, Ezra's sister (Josie) and her daughter Willow. This was me giving them shoutouts. Especially our girl, Fiona. The story would have been incomplete without her.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
There was so much to love in the book, starting from its lovable characters- the brutally tatted Delilah and the sweet nerd being the main ones- to a plot which actually did well in keeping the reader's interest.
The book was mainly focused on two things: Delilah's relationship with her stepsister and her newfound love interest. The complexities in Delilah's character, specially her growing up feeling like a misfit all the time and now being a self-dependent, self-centered woman, which made for an excellent storyline, with enough burrows which would fit in shorter stories inside it. Her relationship with her stepsister, Astrid (and Astrid's mom) was a big deal in the book, it being kind of the only reason she had to revisit her hometown which she had *fled* moments after finishing high school. Growing up with her stepmother and stepsister after her father's death was obviously hard for her, especially when she was not really well received by Astrid's friends, Claire being one of them. I'll be honest, Iris was so mean girl all throughout the book, and I can't wait to read her story in the third book of the trilogy. Her snark just added a much needed drama to the book, although Delilah's prone-to-disaster character was doing quite well on its own.
I liked Claire's storyline too, her juggling being a single mom (who had not have sex in two years, if I remember correctly) and Delilah being her re entry into the world, having last seen her back when they were in high school.
It was a very balanced plot, with everyone having good roles to play and clever things to say. It was exactly the kind of book you should be reading if you wanted to add a little bit of spicy queer romcom to your reads.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Delilah Green didn’t care. Because they’d never once cared about her.
There was so much to love in the book, starting from its lovable characters- the brutally tatted Delilah and the sweet nerd being the main ones- to a plot which actually did well in keeping the reader's interest.
The book was mainly focused on two things: Delilah's relationship with her stepsister and her newfound love interest. The complexities in Delilah's character, specially her growing up feeling like a misfit all the time and now being a self-dependent, self-centered woman, which made for an excellent storyline, with enough burrows which would fit in shorter stories inside it. Her relationship with her stepsister, Astrid (and Astrid's mom) was a big deal in the book, it being kind of the only reason she had to revisit her hometown which she had *fled* moments after finishing high school. Growing up with her stepmother and stepsister after her father's death was obviously hard for her, especially when she was not really well received by Astrid's friends, Claire being one of them. I'll be honest, Iris was so mean girl all throughout the book, and I can't wait to read her story in the third book of the trilogy. Her snark just added a much needed drama to the book, although Delilah's prone-to-disaster character was doing quite well on its own.
I liked Claire's storyline too, her juggling being a single mom (who had not have sex in two years, if I remember correctly) and Delilah being her re entry into the world, having last seen her back when they were in high school.
It was a very balanced plot, with everyone having good roles to play and clever things to say. It was exactly the kind of book you should be reading if you wanted to add a little bit of spicy queer romcom to your reads.
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
2.75
I'll be honest, I liked the book, but I feel like every time I was reading one of the scenes I've already seen in the film, it felt like something was missing. I am a big fan of the movie and while the book was quite a good reflection of the story of Ennis and Jack, I just could not resonate with it like I did in the film.
It may feel like I am judging the book solely on the basis of how it compared to the movie, and I will admit that that might be the case (just a little). I did not particularly enjoy the book, which I think is because it's a little short and dare I say, feels just a tad incomplete? But overall, the book kept the essence of the story which feels like a feat in itself.
It may feel like I am judging the book solely on the basis of how it compared to the movie, and I will admit that that might be the case (just a little). I did not particularly enjoy the book, which I think is because it's a little short and dare I say, feels just a tad incomplete? But overall, the book kept the essence of the story which feels like a feat in itself.
Just a Bit Twisted by Alessandra Hazard
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
They looked each other in the eye for a long moment, and Shawn felt something tighten in his chest. He said softly, “I love you, too, Derek.”
Derek stared at him for what felt like an eternity before he said, a little breathlessly, “Yes.”
Shawn laughed. “Okay, we’ll have to work on that—”
Derek shut him up with a kiss.
A short, sweet and spicy MM romance written quite beautifully. The best part of the book was its unpretentious nature- it is exactly as advertised.
I really found the characters, especially Shawn, very sweet and lovable, alrhough I felt a little awkward on seeing him deny his sexuality until he had had the full on gay sexual experience. Apart from that, I feel like Shawn was quite cheeky.
We know Derek is complicated, and on a good day, he could easily be classified as "toxic". His possessive, uptight nature, his unhealthy obsession with unattainable, straight guys just to discard them right after he was done with them is obviously a good reason for him to join therapy.
I really found the characters, especially Shawn, very sweet and lovable, alrhough I felt a little awkward on seeing him deny his sexuality until he had had the full on gay sexual experience. Apart from that, I feel like Shawn was quite cheeky.
We know Derek is complicated, and on a good day, he could easily be classified as "toxic". His possessive, uptight nature, his unhealthy obsession with unattainable, straight guys just to discard them right after he was done with them is obviously a good reason for him to join therapy.
“Pretty, straight, and unattainable: that’s pretty much my type. If you let me fuck you, I’ll get bored of you. I always get bored of them.”
You see what I mean? He's terrible. But hopefully, not hopeless. And he makes Shawn happy. And now that they're together, it's natural to expect a change. The transition from rich, grumpy science prodigy tryna pay for sex to falling in love with a student with infant siblings was smoothly handled in the book, one I quite enjoyed.
This was the first book I've read by the author, and as far as first impressions go, this was one of the better ones. Looking forwards to reading their other works.
This was the first book I've read by the author, and as far as first impressions go, this was one of the better ones. Looking forwards to reading their other works.
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
I really enjoyed reading this fun-filled, emotional book, initially being so very excited about it, given the queer characters and the centering around a cooking show.
I have read books like Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, which had given the confidence to go for books like these, and it paid off. The book had a lot of good moments- the chemistry between Dahlia and London was wonderfully crafted, the short, sweet gestures of love and comedic scenes were done really well. It makes me truly happy seeing a queer character being written well, and I felt like London was one of them. I found the Dahlia's character to be quite stereotypically represented, which I did not love about it. I feel like Dahlia could have had a better arc than clueless-divorcee-turned-hopeless romantic-love interest.
My least favorite thing about the book was the actual cooking.
* Tsk tsk *
The book was predominantly a queer romance, and it felt like the author diverted all the focus on that, while leaving the scraps for the cooking show part of the book. The tensions, the angst, the variety among fellow contestants on the cooking show should have been a major part of the storyline, but unfortunately, it failed to garner any real review because it was barely existent. As someone who enjoys cooking, I found it a tad disappointing, because I had really expected there to be more cooking and fuss about the cooking show itself.
The side characters were pretty effective- the sweetheart old lady, the transphobic competitor, the transphobic dad, the supportive sister and mother. All in all, I think the book was a good lighthearted read for fans of queer romance and ones who long for queer rep. The writing was easy, there was a happy flow and it was a very enjoyable read.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
“Wait,” she said. “You stared at my butt?”
“No, mostly your hair. I don’t know why I just said your butt. I stared at your butt sometimes.”
Dahlia shook her head, smiling.
“You can still stare at my butt if you want. Just tell me when you need it.”
I really enjoyed reading this fun-filled, emotional book, initially being so very excited about it, given the queer characters and the centering around a cooking show.
I have read books like Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, which had given the confidence to go for books like these, and it paid off. The book had a lot of good moments- the chemistry between Dahlia and London was wonderfully crafted, the short, sweet gestures of love and comedic scenes were done really well. It makes me truly happy seeing a queer character being written well, and I felt like London was one of them. I found the Dahlia's character to be quite stereotypically represented, which I did not love about it. I feel like Dahlia could have had a better arc than clueless-divorcee-turned-hopeless romantic-love interest.
My least favorite thing about the book was the actual cooking.
* Tsk tsk *
The book was predominantly a queer romance, and it felt like the author diverted all the focus on that, while leaving the scraps for the cooking show part of the book. The tensions, the angst, the variety among fellow contestants on the cooking show should have been a major part of the storyline, but unfortunately, it failed to garner any real review because it was barely existent. As someone who enjoys cooking, I found it a tad disappointing, because I had really expected there to be more cooking and fuss about the cooking show itself.
The side characters were pretty effective- the sweetheart old lady, the transphobic competitor, the transphobic dad, the supportive sister and mother. All in all, I think the book was a good lighthearted read for fans of queer romance and ones who long for queer rep. The writing was easy, there was a happy flow and it was a very enjoyable read.
The Case of the Caretaker by Agatha Christie
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
The Edge of Great by Micol Ostow
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
I was a huge fan of the series, Julie and the Phantoms, when it was released on Netflix back in 2020, enjoying the teen drama exceptionally. I remember being heartbroken on learning that it got canceled after the first season. Thus, the book(s), to me are a way to live the series without watching the series.
The book was perfectly written, preserving the original high school drama style and tone of the series, which paired beautifully with the concept.
I loved how well the characters were written, initially being very worried about it. My babies, Willie and Alex are just as cute as ever. I know it's exactly what happened in the series, but I was hoping for something more in the book- something to keep their unsubtly cut budding romance going on. It was a long shot, but a guy can hope, right?
Suffice to say, author has totally done full justice to the series by encapsulating the spirit of the series in this funny and emotional book.
The book was perfectly written, preserving the original high school drama style and tone of the series, which paired beautifully with the concept.
I loved how well the characters were written, initially being very worried about it. My babies, Willie and Alex are just as cute as ever. I know it's exactly what happened in the series, but I was hoping for something more in the book- something to keep their unsubtly cut budding romance going on. It was a long shot, but a guy can hope, right?
Suffice to say, author has totally done full justice to the series by encapsulating the spirit of the series in this funny and emotional book.