Book Review: "The Hookup Mix-up" by Riley Hart

My second book by Riley Hart this week! Looks like I’ve found a new favorite romance writer!

Theo is a student at Franklin University and he’ll be the first in his family to graduate from college. But school doesn’t come easy for him, which causes him a lot of pressure, because he doesn’t want to disappoint his parents.

One night at a party he and his housemates are throwing, Theo gets quite drunk. He’s about to fall off a table when Perry catches him, which causes Theo to call him his knight in shining armor. They spend the rest of the party together, and Perry flirts with Theo, who is utterly oblivious to that fact.

When he invites Perry out to lunch to thank him, Perry thinks they’re going to hook up. Theo didn’t realize Perry is bi, which he is not, but they fall into an easy friendship and quickly become inseparable. The more time they spend together, the more Theo finds himself attracted to Perry, which is a shock to him. But he finds the courage to ask if they can be best friends with benefits, which Perry quickly agrees to.

Perry doesn’t do relationships, but he can’t stop thinking of Theo when they’re not together. And while the sex gets hotter and hotter, their feelings for another grow more intense, too, and they help each other deal with other issues that arise as well.

This book was the perfect combination of sweet, funny, and intoxicatingly steamy. I loved the chemistry between Theo and Perry and the banter with Perry’s brother and his partner. This is the start of a series written by different authors, and I’m all in!

Book Review: "The (Un)Popular Vote" by Jasper Sanchez

The (Un)Popular Vote is a thought-provoking book about fighting for what is right, no matter what the cost.

When Mark came out to his parents as trans, he wasn’t expecting the reaction he received from his father, a U.S. Congressman. He was against Mark’s transitioning, so the deal was, Mark and his mother had to move to another town and Mark had to promise to stay under the radar and hide his true identity.

Mark has found a group of close queer friends at Utopia High School, but only two know the truth of him being trans. When a younger gay friend who has been bullied is suspended for punching his tormentor but nothing happens to those who have been bullying him, Mark is outraged, at the school’s refusal to take a stand, as well as his failure to recognize what was happening. The reaction of the candidates for student body president don’t impress him, so Mark decides to become a late entry into the race.

Of course, this isn’t staying under the radar, so his father is furious. As Mark and his friends—political junkies fueled by Scandal and The West Wing—scramble to mount a strong campaign, he knows there’s a risk his secret will be discovered. But he also feels a sense of responsibility to queer kids to try and make sure they’re protected, although the election brings out things in him he’d rather ignore.

I thought The (Un)Popular Vote was a really great story, and despite my distaste for current politics, I do love a good student council election! This was emotional and thought-provoking, too, with a truly diverse cast of characters. Wow, am I glad I didn’t go to school in the era of blogs and the internet!