Book Review: "Seven Points" by Amy James

I’m loving what seems to be an influx of M/M sports romances lately. Obviously, hockey romances are still the most popular, but recently I’ve read (and enjoyed) tennis, soccer, baseball, and now, F1 romances.

⁣ ⁣ Jacob has been a test driver for Crosswire Racing, the top Formula 1 team out there. Given that he survived a life-threatening crash, the fact that he’s driving at all is a pretty big deal, but he’d like a permanent seat on the team.⁣

⁣ At the same time that he’s working hard on his career, he’s also putting the work in on his relationship with Travis, who drives for Crosswire’s biggest rival, Harper Racing. Travis’ career has been on the rise, and while some people question whether he should date a rival, he’s fully on board with Jacob.⁣

Travis is racing at the Singapore Grand Prix, and Jacob will be a reserve driver for his company, so they can spend their free time together. But the night before qualifying begins, Jacob learns that Crosswire’s driver has gotten injured, so he’ll need to fill in for the race. This could be his ticket back!⁣

⁣ Jacob wants to give the race everything he has. Then he starts to worry whether his success could impact Travis’ chances of being the champion. Should Jacob let Travis win for the sake of their relationship?⁣

⁣ This is a bit of a follow-up to Crash Test, Amy James’ first book about Travis and Jacob. These two are a really appealing couple, more so than they were in the first book. I’ll admit that I don’t know much about F1 racing so I’ve really enjoyed learning about it. And if you read about sports, does it make you more athletic? (Asking for a friend.)⁣

Book Review: "A Violent Masterpiece" by Jordan Harper

This was definitely one of the darker and more disturbing crime novels I’ve read in a while. But the images that Jordan Harper’s prose evoked definitely were cinematic, which really amplified the book’s power. Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

Like most big cities, Los Angeles is both playground and a hotbed of crime. Jake is a live-streaming nightcrawler, taking his audience on a no-holds-barred trip through the city each night, showing up at crimes in progress and the detritus of crime scenes. It’s all an adrenaline rush for him.

Kara works for a private concierge company that serves an exclusive clientele. Whatever their clients need—drugs, sex, even more nefarious things—the company provides. Yet Kara is haunted by the disappearance of her best friend Phoebe, and the scene she witnessed at Phoebe’s apartment after she went missing.

Doug is a defense lawyer for the downtrodden. But when he is hired to defend a Hollywood pedophile, it launches him into the public spotlight—and into a web more tangled and dangerous than he can ever imagine.

These three characters become intertwined with each other as the city is reeling from an apparent serial killer and the pedophile’s vow to seek revenge. The scandal, the fear, the danger all run very deep—can they find the answers they’re seeking before their enemies attack? And who are they anyway?

This is a really gritty book which pulsates with violence, rich and powerful people behaving badly, and those who try to keep their heads above water. It would make one hell of a movie, but it’s a pretty terrific read.

The book publishes 4/28.

Book Review: "Everybody's Favorite Guy" by Katherine Center

Lily and Walker’s families were best friends, so they grew up together. When Lily’s father died, Walker and his parents did everything to help her and her mother deal with their grief.

That was back in high school. Walker was tall, handsome, athletic, popular—everything that Lily was not. But of course she had an enormous crush on him, and one night, it appeared that her feelings were reciprocated. The next morning, however, Walker humiliated Lily and preyed on her biggest insecurity.

Seven years later, the two families are traveling to a cabin in the Rockies where they used to vacation in order to spread the ashes of both Lily and Walker’s fathers. Thankfully, Walker won’t be able to join them. And then—surprise! He’s able to join them after all.

Expecting unseasonably warm weather, they’re surprised to find a snowstorm brewing, which delays their mothers’ arrival. So it’s just Walker and Lily in the cabin—and then the power goes out. Throw in a fire, rehashing old memories, and a bear wanting to join them, and it becomes a night to remember.

“I was just a delusional nerd standing in a freak spring snowstorm with the boy who’d never loved her.”

I love Katherine Center’s writing so much. This was sweet and emotional, and just so enjoyable. Honestly, my only criticism is that it was too short!

Book Review: "Boy from the North Country" by Sam Sussman

“…who you are will change, Evan. That’s what time does to all of us. You will face difficulty. You will need your own resilience. And you will need love. You’ve always been intelligent, but it’s your heart that makes you special. Just don’t forget that, all right? Don’t turn your back on that part of who you are.”

Evan longed to get away from his hometown in upstate New York. He went to college abroad and lived in several different countries. His mother summons him home rather urgently, telling him that she has cancer and needs to have surgery, so she’ll need his help.

Arriving home, he is awash in memories of growing up and spending time with his mother. For a good deal of his childhood and teenage years it was just the two of them, undertaking creative pursuits, enjoying the arts, and believing Evan could be anything he dreamed of. His mother had a few relationships during his childhood, but they always turned bad.

Growing up, people always commented on how much Evan resembled Bob Dylan. He found out that his mother knew Dylan in the 1970s, but she refused to divulge whether he was Evan’s biological father. As his mother undergoes chemotherapy, she shares with Evan the story of her life, her dreams and the challenges that haunted her. And she tells him the full story of her relationship with Dylan.

The book shifts between the present and moments in the past, both in Evan’s childhood and his mother’s life. It’s so beautifully written and it’s tinged with sadness, but the power of a mother’s love runs through the book. For those who have lost a parent or experienced a loved one dealing with terminal illness, the book may be triggering.

Book Review: "The Tuxedo Society" by Paul Rudnick

This was a fun romp of a book! Paul Rudnick definitely makes me laugh, and this book had some very funny (and some silly) moments. Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

Andrew is an aspiring actor in NYC, but he seems to do more aspiring than acting. To make ends meet, he works at a candle store, where no matter the season, the Christmas candles are always popular. But he dreams of something more.

His friend Brock invites him to a fancy dinner with an exclusive group he belongs to called the Tuxedo Society. It’s not just a group of attractive, gossipy people, as they appear to be. It’s actually a super-secret group which helps protect American democracy. And all of the members are queer.

The group’s leader, Reggie, is a former Navy SEAL who was dishonorably discharged for being gay. He trains Andrew to be a full member of the group, complete with James Bond-esque gadgets (bombs that look like protein bars, a yoga mat that doubles as an assault rifle), as they try to figure out who is behind the theft of some important artifacts.

Their mission finds Andrew in spots around the world, impersonating clergy, Olympic athletes, and a florist’s assistant. They come into contact with corrupt, closeted politicians, foreign criminal masterminds, and an evil televangelist.

There are lots of great banter and fun action scenes in the book. But honestly, what I loved the most was the appearance of a character who used to “author” a column for PREMIERE magazine, whom I absolutely loved. This would be a great movie!!

The book publishes 5/26.

Book Review: "Maybe It's Fate" by Heidi McLaughlin

Welcome to the emotional roller coaster. This was quite a ride! It’s one of those books that somehow can make you feel sad and happy, both separately and simultaneously.

“There wasn’t a time in my life when she hadn’t existed, and I wasn’t sure I could exist in a world where she didn’t.”

Miriam and Antonia have been friends since childhood. When Miriam got pregnant as a teenager and her parents cut her off, she moved in with Antonia’s family. They were ride or die like no one else.

When Miriam calls Antonia and says she needs help, Antonia drops everything to head to New Hampshire, where Miri lives with her children. Miri is dying, and while the thought of living without her best friend devastates Antonia, she knows she must be there to support Miri’s children—Cutter, her teenage son, and Nova, her eight-year-old daughter.

As Antonia and the kids try to process their grief, they have help from Weston, Cutter’s high school coach and a former professional baseball player. West is not only a father figure for Cutter, but he’s definitely a rock for Antonia as well. And he’s interested in much more than that.

The book is narrated by Antonia, Weston, and Cutter. It’s not quite as sad as I expected but it definitely might be triggering for some. There were several places where the plot could have gone into complete soap opera territory, and kudos to Heidi McLaughlin for steering clear of that.

The book will publish 4/1.

Book Review: "Celestial Lights" by Cecile Pin

“I was born the day Challenger fell out of the sky, and I was born blue. At least, that is what I was told.”

Oliver was a smart, quiet, English child. His life began at a tragic moment for the world, but he was a dreamer, inspired by the things we didn’t yet know. His intellectual curiosity led him to study engineering, then to a Royal Navy submarine, and finally to a career as an astronaut.

Throughout his life, Oliver had trouble expressing his feelings, and many people found him cold. But he did fiercely love his parents, his wife, and his young son, even if his actions didn’t always convey that fact.

He is tapped to command a mission to the moon Europa, to see if the conditions there could ultimately sustain human life. It would require 10 years’ time, and during most of it, there would be no communication with Earth. Oliver cannot turn down the opportunity, even though it means he won’t be present to watch his son grow up, and the decision could end his marriage.

During the mission, Oliver thinks about the life-changing importance of what they’re doing. But as he looks back on his life and his family, he can’t help but wonder if the sacrifices will be worth it.

This was a beautifully written and profoundly thought-provoking book. Oliver is a complex character and I’m not sure I had him figured out by the end of the book, but I know that this will live in my brain for a long while.