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Bookish Boyfriends #4
Get a Clue: Bookish Boyfriends, Book 4
The game of love is afoot in the halls of Reginald R. Hero High. And this time, Huck and Winston—Curtis's younger brother—are center stage. Soon after Ms. Gregoire assigns the works of Sherlock Holmes in English class, Huck realizes someone is trying to sabotage Win's acceptance to the school. It's a plot only Huck can unravel—but as sparks begin to fly between the two boys, Huck has to choose whether to give in to his growing attraction to Win or focus on the case. The solution? Team up together to uncover the culprit. But even as the two sleuths gather clues and sneak kisses, they manage to get in their own way.
Will their burgeoning romance survive the case until it's cracked? Or will Win lose admittance to Hero High and the love of his life?
Will their burgeoning romance survive the case until it's cracked? Or will Win lose admittance to Hero High and the love of his life?
Audible Audio
First published January 19, 2021
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About the author
Tiffany Schmidt
15 books584 followersTiffany Schmidt is the author of acclaimed books for young readers, including the Bookish Boyfriends series, I'm Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas, Once Upon a Crime Family duology and several others.
She’s found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles.
You can find out more about her and her books at: TiffanySchmidt.com
She’s found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles.
You can find out more about her and her books at: TiffanySchmidt.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
March 1, 2023
TW// sexism, mention of racial stereotypes
“I won’t let you sink—just like you haven’t let me. I would’ve drowned these past couple of weeks if you hadn’t been holding me above water.”
If I could summarize my thoughts of this book into one word, it would be ‘mediocre.’ There were some fun elements in the story, but I generally felt unsatisfied and disappointed in this book.
Get a Clue is a queer romance with a mystery aspect. It’s also a Sherlock Holmes reimagining, so I was expecting to love it because it sounded perfect. However, a lot of the story ended up feeling bland. Most of the characters didn’t have super strong or complex personalities. Win was the one I liked the most, but most of the other characters got on my nerves because I wanted more from them. Morris, Wink, Curtis, Reese, and every other teen in the story needed stronger personalities to help carry the story. There were also so many side characters that I couldn’t keep track of them all.
The Sherlock Holmes elements to this story were part of what made me interested in reading this book, but the Sherlock mentions felt very forced. Every time Sherlock was mentioned, it would be when a character broke the flow of the story by starting a conversation about it, when Huck awkwardly quoted it, or that weird time when Huck was on vacation and randomly decided to write an essay on the book for no reason. I wish the Sherlock Holmes elements would’ve been more smoothly incoporated into this novel.
I wasn’t really fond of how all of the characters, especially Huck, overanalyzed everything. Huck documents every detail he sees in case they provide a clue and he overanalyzes every social situation. It got really annoying really quick. And then there was the whole Eliza getting mad because girls wanting to wear their boyfriend’s hoodie is apparently a “patriarchal and heterocentric tradition” and it means the girl is the guy’s property. Wearing your boyfriend’s sweatshirt literally isn’t that deep. People just sometimes like to wear their partner’s clothes…
I also despised every single parent in this book. Win’s parents were infuriating with how much they gaslit Win. Sometimes it got so bad that I wanted to quit reading. Huck’s parents were bad in the opposite way. They were too overbearing and supportive to the point where they felt nonstop embarassing.
I know that my review so far may seem like I should be giving this book an extremely low star rating, but there were two parts of this book that made the story manageable.
The flirting between Win and Huck was adorable. They had a lot of chemistry and their whole relationship was really cute. Their romance carried this book. Even when I was getting annoyed with the story, I would keep reading because I wanted to see them get their happy ending.
The mystery was also fun. It kept me entertained and even though I guessed the culprit at about the 50% mark, I was interested in seeing how it all played out.
The romance and the mystery were what made up the plot of the story, so Get a Clue had a solid plot but it was all the other details that prevented me from truly enjoying the story. The bad canceled out the good, so this book was just an ‘okay’ read and I wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone unless you liked the three previous books in this series.
“I won’t let you sink—just like you haven’t let me. I would’ve drowned these past couple of weeks if you hadn’t been holding me above water.”
If I could summarize my thoughts of this book into one word, it would be ‘mediocre.’ There were some fun elements in the story, but I generally felt unsatisfied and disappointed in this book.
Get a Clue is a queer romance with a mystery aspect. It’s also a Sherlock Holmes reimagining, so I was expecting to love it because it sounded perfect. However, a lot of the story ended up feeling bland. Most of the characters didn’t have super strong or complex personalities. Win was the one I liked the most, but most of the other characters got on my nerves because I wanted more from them. Morris, Wink, Curtis, Reese, and every other teen in the story needed stronger personalities to help carry the story. There were also so many side characters that I couldn’t keep track of them all.
The Sherlock Holmes elements to this story were part of what made me interested in reading this book, but the Sherlock mentions felt very forced. Every time Sherlock was mentioned, it would be when a character broke the flow of the story by starting a conversation about it, when Huck awkwardly quoted it, or that weird time when Huck was on vacation and randomly decided to write an essay on the book for no reason. I wish the Sherlock Holmes elements would’ve been more smoothly incoporated into this novel.
I wasn’t really fond of how all of the characters, especially Huck, overanalyzed everything. Huck documents every detail he sees in case they provide a clue and he overanalyzes every social situation. It got really annoying really quick. And then there was the whole Eliza getting mad because girls wanting to wear their boyfriend’s hoodie is apparently a “patriarchal and heterocentric tradition” and it means the girl is the guy’s property. Wearing your boyfriend’s sweatshirt literally isn’t that deep. People just sometimes like to wear their partner’s clothes…
I also despised every single parent in this book. Win’s parents were infuriating with how much they gaslit Win. Sometimes it got so bad that I wanted to quit reading. Huck’s parents were bad in the opposite way. They were too overbearing and supportive to the point where they felt nonstop embarassing.
I know that my review so far may seem like I should be giving this book an extremely low star rating, but there were two parts of this book that made the story manageable.
The flirting between Win and Huck was adorable. They had a lot of chemistry and their whole relationship was really cute. Their romance carried this book. Even when I was getting annoyed with the story, I would keep reading because I wanted to see them get their happy ending.
The mystery was also fun. It kept me entertained and even though I guessed the culprit at about the 50% mark, I was interested in seeing how it all played out.
The romance and the mystery were what made up the plot of the story, so Get a Clue had a solid plot but it was all the other details that prevented me from truly enjoying the story. The bad canceled out the good, so this book was just an ‘okay’ read and I wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone unless you liked the three previous books in this series.
September 10, 2021
Well that was a slightly underwhelming reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
I really enjoyed book 1 and 2 in this series because they closely mirrored the classic texts they were giving a modern twist to. The romance in this one was cute, however, the mystery aspect was quite frankly, elementary...
I'm so sorry. I couldn't help myself.
I also kept waiting for another classic novel to be woven in as the others in the series actually blended two classics. Did I totally miss that? I'm not surprised if I did because I picked it up and put it down for about 3 or 4 weeks. Just okay for me.
I really enjoyed book 1 and 2 in this series because they closely mirrored the classic texts they were giving a modern twist to. The romance in this one was cute, however, the mystery aspect was quite frankly, elementary...
I'm so sorry. I couldn't help myself.
I also kept waiting for another classic novel to be woven in as the others in the series actually blended two classics. Did I totally miss that? I'm not surprised if I did because I picked it up and put it down for about 3 or 4 weeks. Just okay for me.
January 21, 2021
I'm so sad this series is over. If you know Tiffany you will understand what I'm saying when I say you can feel her heart in soul in all of these books! Everyone of the these characters is a piece of her and I think that is what made this series all the more special. In the end I loved Huck and Win's story just as much as I loved all the other couples. Honestly I just want more and more and more and. more! Definitely pick this one up!
January 23, 2021
In the final instalment of the Bookish Boyfriends series, a real life mystery is underway at Reginald R. Hero High. For Huck, he just wants to get through the school year, especially after recording a video that later went viral showing how sexist his science teacher was, and embarrassing a fellow student. Dealing with the aftermath of the video, and his growing feelings for his Knight Light mentor, Curtis' younger brother, Win, he isn't expecting Ms. Gregoire to assign him a book that will change his life. But it seems he must channel Sherlock Holmes to discover just who is targeting Win in tanking his transfer application, and causing others to hate him in a faked iLive account. Will Huck and Win manage to discover the truth before the application deadline passes, or is this teenage detective in over his head?
I have adored each and every one of these books, and was both overjoyed, and gutted, when my copy of Get a Clue landed on my doorstep. We've met both Huck and Win before, in the previous books as side characters, but them having their own story was amazing. Huck has always kept a low profile at Hero High, starting late as a new kid, and only really had Rory and Curtis as his friends. His first meeting with Win, Curtis' younger brother, was like fate, and the attraction was clear to all. Both were shy at first, but soon grew extremely close. I loved the mystery surrounding Win's stalker/saboteur, though I had worked out quite early who it was. I loved seeing Win and Huck's relationship flourish, though, as well as seeing characters from previous books. This book was the perfect conclusion to the series, and as gutted as I am that the series is over, I couldn't have asked for anything more. If you haven't picked these books up yet, you really need to!
I have adored each and every one of these books, and was both overjoyed, and gutted, when my copy of Get a Clue landed on my doorstep. We've met both Huck and Win before, in the previous books as side characters, but them having their own story was amazing. Huck has always kept a low profile at Hero High, starting late as a new kid, and only really had Rory and Curtis as his friends. His first meeting with Win, Curtis' younger brother, was like fate, and the attraction was clear to all. Both were shy at first, but soon grew extremely close. I loved the mystery surrounding Win's stalker/saboteur, though I had worked out quite early who it was. I loved seeing Win and Huck's relationship flourish, though, as well as seeing characters from previous books. This book was the perfect conclusion to the series, and as gutted as I am that the series is over, I couldn't have asked for anything more. If you haven't picked these books up yet, you really need to!
March 9, 2022
At this point, wasn't even surprised by how great this was.
Everything about this series has been fun and shocking and brilliant! Some of the characters read a little more mature than their age, but Schmidt just created a universe that I want to live in.
This time, we got to follow Huck and Win, and the book of the hour was The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Ms. Gregoire, at it again! I had my laughs and a cry, of course, and enjoyed the lil' mystery element.
Based on the acknowledgements, this is the last book, which is unacceptable. Lily and Trent need a book! And a bunch of those side characters! Love that we really got to know a huge group of people, it made things feel more real.
I hope Schmidt comes back to the world; it's really been a special journey.
Everything about this series has been fun and shocking and brilliant! Some of the characters read a little more mature than their age, but Schmidt just created a universe that I want to live in.
This time, we got to follow Huck and Win, and the book of the hour was The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Ms. Gregoire, at it again! I had my laughs and a cry, of course, and enjoyed the lil' mystery element.
Based on the acknowledgements, this is the last book, which is unacceptable. Lily and Trent need a book! And a bunch of those side characters! Love that we really got to know a huge group of people, it made things feel more real.
I hope Schmidt comes back to the world; it's really been a special journey.
September 8, 2022
3.5 I loved all the characters. Buck and Win were great as a couple. I just found the overall storyline flat after book 3, which was my favourite in the series.
September 12, 2023
This was a lot of fun and I think it's a solid YA novel.
Schmidt's approach to this series is having a story become a part of the students' lives. In this story, we see Sherlock Holmes take center stage in Huck's life as he tries to solve the mystery of why Winston's having all these problems. Both are Freshmen in highschool which is a bit younger than I typically read. The story is wholesome and plays well with the story it parodies.
It's great to see an m/m couple showing up in series like these. The others are all f/m relationships. As this is the last of the series, I didn't have an idea who the other characters were nor why they were together, but it was fine. The story was engaging enough and the narrator was just the right kind of obnoxious kid that made the story engaging.
I also appreciated the diversity of sexualities and gender identities. It feels like how the world should be. One of the things I'm learning to appreciate with YA is that if the author is good, they can provide strong and solid examples of accountability and communication. Schmidt succeeds wildy in this area.
Schmidt's approach to this series is having a story become a part of the students' lives. In this story, we see Sherlock Holmes take center stage in Huck's life as he tries to solve the mystery of why Winston's having all these problems. Both are Freshmen in highschool which is a bit younger than I typically read. The story is wholesome and plays well with the story it parodies.
It's great to see an m/m couple showing up in series like these. The others are all f/m relationships. As this is the last of the series, I didn't have an idea who the other characters were nor why they were together, but it was fine. The story was engaging enough and the narrator was just the right kind of obnoxious kid that made the story engaging.
I also appreciated the diversity of sexualities and gender identities. It feels like how the world should be. One of the things I'm learning to appreciate with YA is that if the author is good, they can provide strong and solid examples of accountability and communication. Schmidt succeeds wildy in this area.
July 30, 2022
Aww, what a wonderful ending to the series! This one was my fave so far, I loved Huck so much. I hope she eventually adds more to the series!
January 21, 2021
I knew before I even read Get a Clue that I would love it because I'd loved the previous three books in this series. And let me tell you Schmidt did not disappoint!! I loved everything about Get a Clue and once I started it I couldn't put it down. I loved that this isn't a coming out story and its just a lovely falling in love story with a bit of a mystery on the side. We first meet Win and Huck in previous books but Get a Clue can be read as a standalone (but if you want to see their adorable meet cute moment be sure to check out Talk Nerdy to Me). I really liked how both Win and Huck admitted their feelings for each other right away but they try not to act on them as they work together to find out who is behind some nefarious happenings that are having a drastic effect on Win's life. Win and Huck are such opposites but its because of those differences that they form a strong bond as they can each look beneath the surface to see the others true self. Get a Clue had me laughing even as it tore at my heart as I just wanted these boys to have their HEA moment. I flew through the pages and now I am super sad because not only is the story over but this is also the end of the series. I loved this world and all these characters that Schmidt created and I am going to miss discovering new stories about them. I am going to miss the love and laughter that fill these pages but I'll always be able to return with re-reads and I know that I will. I can't recommend this series enough its been a true joy over the last few years and something that I think everyone should experience.
January 25, 2021
It was refreshing to read a book about teenagers who act like teenagers. It really shouldn't be this rare, but it is. Love the series but especially love this book.
Huck and Win don't have big problems, but the problems that they have they care about a lot. They also care about their families and friends a lot. They are at that age where they are learning who they are and that their parent's expectations of them aren't who they have to be. That was the important message in the book. That family roles and dynamics can and should change as the members of the family change and grow up.
Seeing Huck learn that he doesn't have to always be "the fixer" to fit in and Win learn that he doesn't have to be the family scape goat was a nice change of pace for a series that so far has been mainly about teen romances. While there was a romance, it didn't overshadow the characters growing up and developing as people.
I wish it was taught in high schools when learning about healthy relationships and family dynamics in health and wellness classes.
Huck and Win don't have big problems, but the problems that they have they care about a lot. They also care about their families and friends a lot. They are at that age where they are learning who they are and that their parent's expectations of them aren't who they have to be. That was the important message in the book. That family roles and dynamics can and should change as the members of the family change and grow up.
Seeing Huck learn that he doesn't have to always be "the fixer" to fit in and Win learn that he doesn't have to be the family scape goat was a nice change of pace for a series that so far has been mainly about teen romances. While there was a romance, it didn't overshadow the characters growing up and developing as people.
I wish it was taught in high schools when learning about healthy relationships and family dynamics in health and wellness classes.
August 2, 2021
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the exploration of interpersonal relationships in this book -- between Huck and Win (so cute!), Win and his siblings, Win and his parents, and Huck and his parents, Huck and his group of friends, even Huck and the administration. But it didn't have the same je ne sais quois that the others in the series did (even the first one that I didn't love) related to the "magic" book Huck read, Sherlock Holmes. Plus, this one didn't have a mashup like the others did, and that was where a lot of the fun for me came in -- discovering how the author could find related themes in The Great Gatsby and Little Women or Frankenstein and Anne of Green Gables (Talk Nerdy to Me - that one was my favorite!).
I really enjoyed the exploration of interpersonal relationships in this book -- between Huck and Win (so cute!), Win and his siblings, Win and his parents, and Huck and his parents, Huck and his group of friends, even Huck and the administration. But it didn't have the same je ne sais quois that the others in the series did (even the first one that I didn't love) related to the "magic" book Huck read, Sherlock Holmes. Plus, this one didn't have a mashup like the others did, and that was where a lot of the fun for me came in -- discovering how the author could find related themes in The Great Gatsby and Little Women or Frankenstein and Anne of Green Gables (Talk Nerdy to Me - that one was my favorite!).
March 1, 2021
The only school that would make me want to go back to high school is Hero High. I love the world and characters in the Bookish Boyfriends series. This book follows Huck as he takes on Sherlock Holmes and falls for Win. I loved how direct their love story was, and how the drama was all external, and unrelated to how they felt about each other.
Sherlock is such a great character to adapt, and I loved seeing Huck come into his character. The parallels to Sherlock’s story were so great, but my favorite was his growing addiction to coffee.
The ending fell a little flat for me unfortunately. I didn’t really understand the reasoning behind why the guilty person did what they did. I almost feel like this was just a Gossip Girl scenario where the writer panicked and just chose someone to be guilty.
Regardless, I love this series, and will never be ready for it to be over.
Sherlock is such a great character to adapt, and I loved seeing Huck come into his character. The parallels to Sherlock’s story were so great, but my favorite was his growing addiction to coffee.
The ending fell a little flat for me unfortunately. I didn’t really understand the reasoning behind why the guilty person did what they did. I almost feel like this was just a Gossip Girl scenario where the writer panicked and just chose someone to be guilty.
Regardless, I love this series, and will never be ready for it to be over.
February 2, 2021
5 stars = Outstanding!
Every time a new book in this series releases I think "It can't top the awesomeness of the last one." And every time, it does. This was a delight from start to finish. I loved Huck and Win. I loved the mystery Huck is trying to solve. I love how he "gets" Win in a way no one else seems to, and how hard Huck works to help Win believe in himself. It's lovely!
I am devastated that this is going to be the last book in the series, at least for now. I have counted on these books to be a happy, funny, warm and fuzzy escape from the world. They are true comfort books for me. I'll have to settle for reading them over and over again.
Every time a new book in this series releases I think "It can't top the awesomeness of the last one." And every time, it does. This was a delight from start to finish. I loved Huck and Win. I loved the mystery Huck is trying to solve. I love how he "gets" Win in a way no one else seems to, and how hard Huck works to help Win believe in himself. It's lovely!
I am devastated that this is going to be the last book in the series, at least for now. I have counted on these books to be a happy, funny, warm and fuzzy escape from the world. They are true comfort books for me. I'll have to settle for reading them over and over again.
January 4, 2022
Such a fun and cute book. I love Huck, he's a great combination of sweet and clueless. The other main characters are also very well written and it was cool seeing Huck go from the new kid to being fully integrated into their social circle. I have not read the rest of the series and I liked that while I still could fully enjoy this story as a stand alone there were still references to the previous books in the series made by those characters. The concept of the book recommendations being kind of mystical and exactly what the character needs to read is so fun and makes me want to read more of the series.
January 30, 2021
As usual, bookish boyfriends is a book I'm going to be rereading many times over! This one has a different spin which was also fun. Every time I thought I solved the mystery, I doubted myself. The main characters are always working on self discovery with the benefit of continuing to hear more about our other friends from Hero High. I'm still longing for the story of Lance! I was thrilled for the hints about him in this book. I'm not sure what I need to do as a reader to campaign for another book in this series. I continue to recommend this series to as many people as possible!
May 4, 2021
Man, I am going to miss this series ...
I love how Huck's story - while being Huck's story {with Win!} is also, more than any of the others, about the school and that "magical" community. So good, so so good. Mystery, romance, fumbles and mistakes and learning how to be {yourself} with people ... so. good.
Also: reading some of the passages about Huck and his mental processing? Could have been lifted straight out of my head - or conversations where I've tried to explain my brain to others. Whew. I feel seen , y'all.
I love how Huck's story - while being Huck's story {with Win!} is also, more than any of the others, about the school and that "magical" community. So good, so so good. Mystery, romance, fumbles and mistakes and learning how to be {yourself} with people ... so. good.
Also: reading some of the passages about Huck and his mental processing? Could have been lifted straight out of my head - or conversations where I've tried to explain my brain to others. Whew. I feel seen , y'all.
May 26, 2021
Oh, I loved Huck from the beginning! I wasn’t sure which boy she was going to choose the point of view from, but clearly Huck was the best choice. His sleuthing added something else to the story. I loved that there was the mystery through the book and they had to figure it all out. I really liked Win too. And I liked that it start with them liking each other—that they knew the whole time and just had to get past their problems to be able to get tougher in the end and be happy.
March 22, 2021
I went into this thinking it would purely be a romance, but the mystery was a huge part of it. I just wish we'd focused more on Huck and Win's relationship, especially since this is the first book with a main queer character that this author has written. I do love Huck though, he's so good-natured.
September 19, 2021
3.5 stars
“You’ve decided to play Inspector Gadget.” Fav line in the book. Mystery is always fun when filled with romance. Huck is determined to help Win find out who is sabotaging him, and a long the way he gears to read Sherlock Holmes as a guide. I liked the romance between Win and Huck, subtle and cute. The ending was a nice conclusion.
“You’ve decided to play Inspector Gadget.” Fav line in the book. Mystery is always fun when filled with romance. Huck is determined to help Win find out who is sabotaging him, and a long the way he gears to read Sherlock Holmes as a guide. I liked the romance between Win and Huck, subtle and cute. The ending was a nice conclusion.
January 2, 2022
SherLocked
Another wonderfully adorable addition to the bookish boyfriends series. This one follows Huck as he investigates the problems plaguing Curtis’ (last MC) little brother, Win. The build up between the two MCs here was well established and believable. The story was fast paced and fun. Recommend!
Another wonderfully adorable addition to the bookish boyfriends series. This one follows Huck as he investigates the problems plaguing Curtis’ (last MC) little brother, Win. The build up between the two MCs here was well established and believable. The story was fast paced and fun. Recommend!
January 27, 2021
Tiffany Schmidt does it again in another amazing Bookish Boyfriend adventure! The puzzles of mystery and love had me unable to put the book down!
January 28, 2021
This had a lot of cute moments but Win’s personality wasn’t very prominent, I didn’t buy the romance half the time, and there were too many minor/side characters.
January 28, 2021
It felt lagging and slow for a bit but then as the book progressed it flew by quick. I loved Wins pet. And I felt connected to Hucks coffee consumption.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2023
Eh. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't as good as its predecessors.
March 29, 2021
*4.5 stars*
February 8, 2022
3.5 stars.
August 2, 2021
This book was amazing. I literally read it in one sitting. I’m very sad I have completed this series, but I know I will come back and re-read all of them at some point.
September 7, 2021
Overall this one was okay. I did enjoy the story, but it was not as much as a immersive experience as the other books in series have been. I liked the book but it was a little boring at times to me.
dnf
September 12, 2022Made it to 52% with nothing really happening. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series but just didn’t connect with this one sadly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews