Book Review: "Operation Boyfriend" by Zarah Detand

First things first: if someone wants to pretend they’re dating me because they need a date to some fancy occasion, count me in. It’s probably the only way I’ll get a fancy vacation!

Dean is a cardiothoracic surgeon. He’s known to be a little intense, and he’s definitely a workaholic. His sister is getting married at a fancy resort in Cambodia, and both she and their mother are pressuring him to bring a date. He folds under the pressure and tells his mother he’ll bring the guy he recently started dating.

The challenge is, Dean is not dating anyone. He barely has any time to breathe, let alone date, and his emotional walls are a difficult barrier to breach. But now he’s expected to bring his alleged boyfriend. Which means he has to find one.

Taylan is a surgery resident who has been intimidated by Dean in the past. He’s also in desperate need of a vacation but doesn’t have any money. So when he’s approached about the possibility of being Dean’s fake boyfriend in exchange for an all-expenses-paid luxury vacation, he doesn’t need to think twice.

As they get to know each other better in preparation for all of the prying that will come during the wedding festivities, they realize that each has emotional baggage to deal with. Dean is afraid of being hurt, so he never lets anyone close enough, while Tay is dealing with impostor syndrome. But as the beautiful sunsets and romantic setting sink in, both have to be reminded this is temporary. And it isn’t real. Right?

I can never get enough fake dating. Zarah Detand has become a go-to author for me, and once again she delivers a sexy, sweet, and emotional book. Her characters are always so memorable and endearing.

Book Review: "Make Nice" by Ryan Effgen

I love dysfunctional families. (Fictional dysfunctional families.) There’s just so much fodder for drama and confrontation. Ryan Effgen’s debut novel takes one such family on vacation—what could go wrong? Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy!

The Pickford family is gathering at The Grand Hotel, a ritzy resort on an island in Lake Michigan. It’s been three months since their mother died, and their father has decided that they all should vacation together. No one is exactly sure why.

Viv is fairly sure her marriage is over, what with the recent discovery that her husband is gay. But she’s determined to pretend everything is fine, especially to her teenage daughter, Ash (don’t call her Ashley). Pete is a scientist, recently referred to as the nation’s foremost expert on gastropods.

And then there’s Corey, the black sheep of the family. Corey didn’t attend their mother’s funeral, and in fact, Pete and Viv didn’t even know their father invited him. But Corey isn’t the type of person to shrink under scrutiny—he almost seems to relish his role as family outcast. However, he’s ready to take control of his life—and he has five pounds of cocaine he plans to sell to the rich tourists, which should give him a good start.

Of course, you bring a family together, and there are always secrets to be revealed, old wounds to be reopened, and lots of emotions. Why did their father summon them to the island? Can peace and love be found amidst the fudge and ice cream shops and the horse-drawn carriages?

The book is billed as a cross between Sandwich and The Wedding People. There are certainly similarities but I didn’t feel as connected to the characters in this book as I did in those others. This was enjoyable but not necessarily unique in any way.

The book publishes 7/14.

Book Review: "The Summer Boy" by Philippe Besson

This was such a beautiful little book. Philippe Besson always writes books that evoke the complicated emotions of one’s teenage years, and they’re tinged with a sense of nostalgia and longing. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advance copy!

“Again I find myself thinking about the things people tell us between their words that we don’t understand, about what they show us of themselves that we don’t see, because we’re busy doing something else or simply distracted, because another person’s life doesn’t interest us that much, or because the swimmer, far out to sea, who appears to be waving to us is actually drowning.”

It’s the summer of 1985. Philippe and his parents spend a few weeks on an island off the coast of France. This is a tradition for them: they stay with close family friends who have a son Philippe’s age. He and François are close even though they only see each other once a year, plus Philippe is gay, while François is not.

The two spend languorous summer days wandering around with their friend Christophe and a new friend, Nicolas. They spend time at the beach, they talk in the serious manner that 18 year-olds do, and at night they drink and go to bars and clubs. Philippe feels a connection with Nicolas very quickly; they seem to see each other more clearly.

They meet Alice, whom François is attracted to, and her older brother Marc, who takes an interest in Philippe. The six of them know this is their last summer before the obligations of adulthood take hold. They weather a bout of jealousy, but enjoy each other’s company. Until one night something happens that changes them all.

I know what it’s like to form a connection quickly, one that still lingers in the mind long after it ends. This book is a beautiful paean to simpler times that suddenly become complicated, and shows how one fleeting moment can move and shape us. What a lovely book!

It will publish 5/26.

Book Review: "Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend" by MJ Wassmer

It was going to be the perfect vacation for Dan and his girlfriend Mara: a newly opened resort on a remote island in the Bahamas. For the first few days it really does feel like paradise. And then the sun explodes.

The resort guests panic. They have no phone or internet access to see how their families back home are—and they can’t reach the airlines to try and get out of there, not that they know whether planes would still be able to fly. Plus, there’s the fact that without the sun, the temperatures will start to drop.

When the wealthiest resort guests stage a coup, anger erupts along with the panic and paranoia. The leader of the coup, the head of a fitness pyramid scheme, pretends to be folksy and faith-based, but she’s actually a dangerous threat. Supplies start to be rationed and tensions between classes intensify.

Dan has been content to let life go by, although he always wanted to make a difference. Somehow he is pressed into duty to fight for the non-wealthy guests, and although he’s a bit of a bumbler, as things get crazier, he starts to relish his role as hero. But what will that mean for him and Mara?

I thought this was a terrific concept and parts of the book are hysterically funny. But as things went further and further off the rails, the story went way over the top, and I found myself not caring that much.

Book Review: "The Holigay" by K.M. Neuhold

A Bookstagram friend of mine recently featured a few queer holiday novellas and short stories, and I had to snap a few of them up ASAP. I’m so glad I did!

In The Holigay, Caspian’s best friend since childhood, Matt, is devastated after he caught his girlfriend cheating on him. He was planning to propose and everything, and even had a romantic getaway to Fiji planned. Matt asks Caspian to go with him on the trip since it was nonrefundable, and the last thing he wants is to go alone.

Caspian has had a crush on Matt since they were young, but knows Matt is straight. But when Matt suddenly seems interested in him, Caspian can’t help but wonder if hooking up will destroy their relationship. Is Matt actually having feelings for him or is he just gay for the holidays?

This was HOT and romantic and emotional. A quick and enjoyable read!

Book Review: "Tomorrow There Will Be Sun" by Dana Reinhardt

As Dana Reinhardt shows us in Tomorrow There Will Be Sun, sometimes the vacation you need isn’t quite the one you get.

⁣ ⁣ Jenna has organized the perfect trip to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate her husband Peter’s 50th birthday. They’ll be traveling with their teenage daughter, Clementine, as well as the family of Peter’s best friend and business partner, Solly.

⁣ ⁣ The villa is as beautiful as promised and the staff are tremendously attentive. So why isn’t Jenna enjoying herself? Why is Solly’s braggadocio annoying her more than normal? Why is Clementine suddenly cozying up to Solly’s teenage son Malcolm when she has a boyfriend she won’t stop texting? Why can’t she get her fourth book done while Solly’s much-younger new wife has written a manuscript while raising a young child? (And of course, it’s good.)⁣

⁣ Things come to a head when Peter keeps getting mysterious phone calls from his beautiful assistant, and then unrest in Puerto Vallarta threatens their whole vacation. This isn’t quite the celebration Jenna imagined—and she’s not even sure this is the life she wants any longer.⁣

⁣ I tend to enjoy stories about dysfunctional family vacations but I just never warmed to Tomorrow There Will Be Sun. The characters aren’t particularly appealing but I feel like the author also threw in far too much—like there had to be violence and chaos in Puerto Vallarta with drug cartels, etc., on top of everything else? It seemed a wee bit stereotypical to me.⁣

⁣ Still, the villa sounded amazing. And I wouldn’t mind someone to hand me a margarita every now and again! ⁣ ⁣