Book Review: "The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King" by Harry Trevaldwyn

Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of this book!

Patrick (call him “Patch”) is ready for an amazing school year. The thing he’s most looking forward to is finding a boyfriend, one whom he can take to Prom. The challenge is, the only openly gay boys in school are dating each other. So what now?

And then two boys arrive at the first drama club meeting of the year. Peter, an American from New York (fabulous) moved to England to live with his best friend Sam’s family. Patch is determined that one of them will be his boyfriend. (He’s fine with either of them.)

The thing is, Patch is full of personality. Maybe too full? He desperately wants to make a good impression on Peter and Sam but mostly winds up tripping over his words and embarrassing himself. The quest to get one of them to be his boyfriend gets more complicated when Sam doesn’t appear to like Patch, and Peter (who is bi) starts dating Tessa, Patch’s former friend and current nemesis.

As Patch tries to negotiate matters of the heart without tripping over himself, he has his devoted best friend Jean to confide in, as well as Ms. Beckett, a former teacher he’s appointed his life coach. He also relies on his mother’s self-help books, but they’re not particularly helpful in his case.

Patch is one of the most hysterically vain and egotistical characters who made me laugh at every turn. (To try and land the lead role in Sweeney Todd, he decided to shadow some barbers, for example.) This is a fun and sweet book about being yourself no matter how wacky and annoying you might be.

The book will publish 1/28.

Book Review: "Marshmallow Mountain" by A.J. Truman and M.A. Wardell

An M/M romance that’s part of a series called “Big Boys, Small Spaces,” and the characters are both Jewish? I couldn’t have loved this any more than I did.

Marshall and Marshall (aka “Data”) were together for eight years, when Marshall unceremoniously ended their relationship, saying he needed time and space. Marshall is an aspiring comedian and Data is an accountant.

The two haven’t spoken in six months, so Data is shocked to get a phone call from Marshall. He suggests the two of them travel up to Maine to pack up the cabin they co-own, so they can sell it. Data is still angry and hurt, so he’s determined to pack everything up over the weekend, and then he won’t have to see Marshall again. But of course, neither of them are counting on a snowstorm which strands them together at the cabin.

“I’m not good. I’m stuck in a cabin with my ex who broke my heart six months ago and is now attempting to pick his way inside to do more damage by having amazing sex with me multiple times before we pack up and sell the damn place. I should write a country song.”

Between multiple rounds of breakup sex, the two talk about where things went wrong; each of their anxieties about life, work, and family; and keep getting distracted from finishing the packing. But how could you not root for two guys with the same first name?

Both Truman and Wardell are great authors in their own right, but this first collaboration hit the spot. It’s super steamy, emotional, romantic, and funny, and you can bet I’m ready for Book 2 in the series!