What do you think?
Rate this book
The Magic Between
In a world where everyone has magic coursing through them, legend says magic itself craves a mate. Legend says those with opposite magics have the greatest chance of forming the unbreakable Bond it desires.
A.B. Cerise is an obsessive compulsive pop star with the ability to turn invisible. He’s an out bisexual with absolutely no belief in Bonds. He has a love-bruised heart, thinks dating in the spotlight is a hassle at best and a nightmare at worst, and has no intention of going through it all over again.
Matthew Hellman-Levoie is the NHL’s number one goalie prospect, the youngest in a hockey dynasty, and one of the rare few who can see the unseeable. He’s a straight man who wears his heart on his sleeve, has grown up searching for a Bond, and dreams of finding the love of his life.
Legend never said anything about what to do when sparks fly between two people opposite in more ways than just magic.
A.B. Cerise is an obsessive compulsive pop star with the ability to turn invisible. He’s an out bisexual with absolutely no belief in Bonds. He has a love-bruised heart, thinks dating in the spotlight is a hassle at best and a nightmare at worst, and has no intention of going through it all over again.
Matthew Hellman-Levoie is the NHL’s number one goalie prospect, the youngest in a hockey dynasty, and one of the rare few who can see the unseeable. He’s a straight man who wears his heart on his sleeve, has grown up searching for a Bond, and dreams of finding the love of his life.
Legend never said anything about what to do when sparks fly between two people opposite in more ways than just magic.
Audio CD
First published February 15, 2022
139 people are currently reading
7471 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Hoyt
4 books219 followersStephanie lives at the intersection of Crying Time™ and Unfettered Enthusiasm™ where she tell stories that blend the melancholy of self-discovery and self-acceptance with the delights of friendship and falling in love. When writing, she’s a plotter with plot-commitment issues who lives and dies by chaotic bisexuals and happily-ever-afters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
dnf
April 5, 2022Aspiring writers are sometimes advised, "Write what you want to read." I have a suspicion that's what this author went for, like maybe she threw a bunch of her fav stuff together to see what kind of uniquely personalized m/m romance she could create with them. We get hockey + a rock star + magic, with soul-bonding thrown in for extra measure — and it all makes for a one-of-a-kind premise. You're not going to be confusing this book with any other book you read this year.
I read to ~10% (the length of the Kindle sample). The writing style is technically competent, but way too verbose for my taste, heavy on infodumping by way of what I considered to be unrealistically long and wordy conversations between each MC and his twin sister. (Yes, each MC has a twin sister. I can only assume it has something to do with the way magic works in their world, because it would be too weird a coincidence otherwise. But I didn't get far enough to find out.) Another obstacle was that it's written in 3rd-person present tense. Some books can pull that off, but here I kept finding it intrusive.
These are very subjective things, though, and I don't want to discourage anyone from giving it a chance. Honestly, if this ever shows up at my library or on Hoopla or KU, I might pick it up again and keep going, for at least a little longer, just out of curiosity to see how such a quirky concept plays out.
I read to ~10% (the length of the Kindle sample). The writing style is technically competent, but way too verbose for my taste, heavy on infodumping by way of what I considered to be unrealistically long and wordy conversations between each MC and his twin sister. (Yes, each MC has a twin sister. I can only assume it has something to do with the way magic works in their world, because it would be too weird a coincidence otherwise. But I didn't get far enough to find out.) Another obstacle was that it's written in 3rd-person present tense. Some books can pull that off, but here I kept finding it intrusive.
These are very subjective things, though, and I don't want to discourage anyone from giving it a chance. Honestly, if this ever shows up at my library or on Hoopla or KU, I might pick it up again and keep going, for at least a little longer, just out of curiosity to see how such a quirky concept plays out.
February 15, 2022
Funny, heartwarming and so incredibly sweet!
The author decided to edit the prologue, so the first part of my review might not be true anymore. The revision probably made the story even better!
****
Although I ended up adoring this book, The Magic Between and I weren’t exactly friends from the start. In fact, I furrowed my brows and felt somewhat overwhelmed when I dove into a massive info dump about magic, their six categories, and all their subcategories. While reading the prologue, I gasped and almost had a panic attack. Do we really need to know any of this? Well, let me tell you I loved the story without barely remembering a thing from the prologue. So, choose yourself …
****
I’m not able to compare The Magic Between to other books. It’s quite unique. Because of the prologue, because of the writing, because of all those capitals, and because of the name of one of its MCs. Who on earth calls their MC AB? Anyway, unique can be refreshing and highly entertaining. And that’s what this book is. So, my brows relaxed, and my breathing calmed down. I smiled because of Matthew’s enthusiasm about Bonds and felt AB’s anxiety and Matthew’s fear seep through the pages. Warmth spread out in my chest when they started texting. I read and I read, and somehow this story gripped me, and I couldn’t let go. I grinned at their banter, smiled at their flirting, and sometimes laughed out loud. The illustrations were the icing on the cake (I want them in color!), and even though I couldn’t keep up with all those side characters, this book was just what I needed right now—fluffy, cute, and lighthearted, dealing with heavier topics like OCD and coming out as a queer hockey player in the NHL.
Thanks, Stephanie, for writing this wonderful book, and Victoria, for those awesome illustrations.
I received an ARC from NineStar Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Follow me on Instagram
The author decided to edit the prologue, so the first part of my review might not be true anymore. The revision probably made the story even better!
****
Although I ended up adoring this book, The Magic Between and I weren’t exactly friends from the start. In fact, I furrowed my brows and felt somewhat overwhelmed when I dove into a massive info dump about magic, their six categories, and all their subcategories. While reading the prologue, I gasped and almost had a panic attack. Do we really need to know any of this? Well, let me tell you I loved the story without barely remembering a thing from the prologue. So, choose yourself …
****
I’m not able to compare The Magic Between to other books. It’s quite unique. Because of the prologue, because of the writing, because of all those capitals, and because of the name of one of its MCs. Who on earth calls their MC AB? Anyway, unique can be refreshing and highly entertaining. And that’s what this book is. So, my brows relaxed, and my breathing calmed down. I smiled because of Matthew’s enthusiasm about Bonds and felt AB’s anxiety and Matthew’s fear seep through the pages. Warmth spread out in my chest when they started texting. I read and I read, and somehow this story gripped me, and I couldn’t let go. I grinned at their banter, smiled at their flirting, and sometimes laughed out loud. The illustrations were the icing on the cake (I want them in color!), and even though I couldn’t keep up with all those side characters, this book was just what I needed right now—fluffy, cute, and lighthearted, dealing with heavier topics like OCD and coming out as a queer hockey player in the NHL.
Thanks, Stephanie, for writing this wonderful book, and Victoria, for those awesome illustrations.
I received an ARC from NineStar Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Follow me on Instagram
May 7, 2023
The Magic Between must have been written for me, surely? It contains everything I love. Magic, public figures falling in love, social media drama, sports and music. Beyond tropes, and somewhat unexpectedly, there was a deeper discussion of struggling with queerness and bisexuality, and discussions of mental health (including OCD). The only thing that would have stopped me liking this book was poor writing.
The world-building was interestingly done. The prologue outlines much of the information the reader needs to know, and whilst I’d usually be apprehensive of a start like that, the descriptions of magic systems and soulmate bonding caught my attention. Thankfully, the writing was a breeze, and once I finished the prologue I was interested to see how the author utilised the magic system. I do think it was easy to follow, but the main focus of the book was the relationship between Matthew and AB. The magic is more of an undercurrent. AB (an openly bisexual pop star), and Matthew (a straight hockey player), are both in the spotlight. It was great to see how their magic was impacted by both their personal relationships, and the stress of being famous.
AB’s magic has caused him many problems. His struggle with OCD was incredibly compelling. I loved how openly the characters discussed mental illness. AB’s explanation of knowing how unlikely his compulsions and intrusive thoughts were to lead to his fears coming true, yet being unable to control his brain or anxiety, was very relatable. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, OCD is extremely complex, and I was impressed by the author’s ability to explore how AB’s magic impacts his OCD, yet remain realistic.
I loved how complex the writing was. Mostly written in prose, the writing deviated at times through hilarious and accurate Twitter threads, articles and text messages. The changing pace was refreshing, and the author managed to retain the heart of AB and Matthew’s relationship within all moments. The concept of magical mates, or simply soulmates, is one I personally love reading, and could have easily been wasted or lost. Yet, the protagonists were well written, and the alternating perspectives helped me connect with both. It was wonderful seeing what I believed to be a healthy relationship. Matthew’s patience with AB’s mental illness was great to see. He actively worked to understand how AB’s OCD worked, and strived to support him through dealing with its many obstacles.
There were a few plot holes I felt could have been more fleshed out, and one big moment I was anticipating that didn’t really pay off. Besides that, this was a fun romance, and the fantasy aspects were interesting enough to be valid additions to the story. This book reminded me of others I have loved like Red, White & Royal Blue, and the Charm Offensive. If you liked those, or urban fantasies, I’d definitely recommend this!
You can follow me on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
The world-building was interestingly done. The prologue outlines much of the information the reader needs to know, and whilst I’d usually be apprehensive of a start like that, the descriptions of magic systems and soulmate bonding caught my attention. Thankfully, the writing was a breeze, and once I finished the prologue I was interested to see how the author utilised the magic system. I do think it was easy to follow, but the main focus of the book was the relationship between Matthew and AB. The magic is more of an undercurrent. AB (an openly bisexual pop star), and Matthew (a straight hockey player), are both in the spotlight. It was great to see how their magic was impacted by both their personal relationships, and the stress of being famous.
AB’s magic has caused him many problems. His struggle with OCD was incredibly compelling. I loved how openly the characters discussed mental illness. AB’s explanation of knowing how unlikely his compulsions and intrusive thoughts were to lead to his fears coming true, yet being unable to control his brain or anxiety, was very relatable. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, OCD is extremely complex, and I was impressed by the author’s ability to explore how AB’s magic impacts his OCD, yet remain realistic.
I loved how complex the writing was. Mostly written in prose, the writing deviated at times through hilarious and accurate Twitter threads, articles and text messages. The changing pace was refreshing, and the author managed to retain the heart of AB and Matthew’s relationship within all moments. The concept of magical mates, or simply soulmates, is one I personally love reading, and could have easily been wasted or lost. Yet, the protagonists were well written, and the alternating perspectives helped me connect with both. It was wonderful seeing what I believed to be a healthy relationship. Matthew’s patience with AB’s mental illness was great to see. He actively worked to understand how AB’s OCD worked, and strived to support him through dealing with its many obstacles.
There were a few plot holes I felt could have been more fleshed out, and one big moment I was anticipating that didn’t really pay off. Besides that, this was a fun romance, and the fantasy aspects were interesting enough to be valid additions to the story. This book reminded me of others I have loved like Red, White & Royal Blue, and the Charm Offensive. If you liked those, or urban fantasies, I’d definitely recommend this!
You can follow me on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
November 25, 2023
Reread 2023
Peeling off the flowery writing, the fantasy and all that telling telling telling without showing, what remains is practically the typical trope : out and proud celeb + bisexual oblivious jock we’ve read 100 times before.
I didn’t really need all that magic mambo jumbo ,the book would have been just fine if not better without the fantasy bits. Having said that , I kind of enjoyed it. I loved both MCs and their relationship was beautiful sweet and oh so tender. I do regret that it was way more telling than showing and that 50% of that little showing consisted of interactions with friends/teammates/families instead of with each other. And I need to mention that though I usually like a bit more on page sex scenes honestly I didn’t miss it here ;somehow what it was shown was enough. So yeah, I’m gonna give it 3 stars because I got bored with the magic gibberish I didn’t even understand and also because the flowery third person prose got to be a bit tiresome at times.
Peeling off the flowery writing, the fantasy and all that telling telling telling without showing, what remains is practically the typical trope : out and proud celeb + bisexual oblivious jock we’ve read 100 times before.
I didn’t really need all that magic mambo jumbo ,the book would have been just fine if not better without the fantasy bits. Having said that , I kind of enjoyed it. I loved both MCs and their relationship was beautiful sweet and oh so tender. I do regret that it was way more telling than showing and that 50% of that little showing consisted of interactions with friends/teammates/families instead of with each other. And I need to mention that though I usually like a bit more on page sex scenes honestly I didn’t miss it here ;somehow what it was shown was enough. So yeah, I’m gonna give it 3 stars because I got bored with the magic gibberish I didn’t even understand and also because the flowery third person prose got to be a bit tiresome at times.
June 9, 2024
3,25 stars.
I enjoyed parts of the book, but found myself thinking many times "how long and I can move on to the next book?" so I can't rate this higher, sadly.
There were many positive aspects/parts: the central role of anxiety, intrusive thoughts and therapy; supporting friends and family; perception of bi-sexuality; talking about feelings and checking in on one another; falling in love and bonding as separate concepts.
While I enjoyed all of the above, I was low key frustrated throughout the whole book. English is only my third language so I know I'm not proficient, but it's been a while since I found myself so many times at a loss to what the author was talking about. Again and again I feared I had missed some important clues or explanations, went back to check, searched for words/names in the parts of the book I had already read.
Sometimes there's too much info dump at the start (or during) a magical romance, but in this one I felt for too long I was missing crucial informations.
Then after the end of the book there was the glossary of some of the magical explanations I would have needed at the beginning of the book?!
I don't remember feeling this way with the author's other book Prove It, at all, which I loved.
I enjoyed parts of the book, but found myself thinking many times "how long and I can move on to the next book?" so I can't rate this higher, sadly.
There were many positive aspects/parts: the central role of anxiety, intrusive thoughts and therapy; supporting friends and family; perception of bi-sexuality; talking about feelings and checking in on one another; falling in love and bonding as separate concepts.
While I enjoyed all of the above, I was low key frustrated throughout the whole book. English is only my third language so I know I'm not proficient, but it's been a while since I found myself so many times at a loss to what the author was talking about. Again and again I feared I had missed some important clues or explanations, went back to check, searched for words/names in the parts of the book I had already read.
Sometimes there's too much info dump at the start (or during) a magical romance, but in this one I felt for too long I was missing crucial informations.
Then after the end of the book there was the glossary of some of the magical explanations I would have needed at the beginning of the book?!
I don't remember feeling this way with the author's other book Prove It, at all, which I loved.
January 27, 2022
I’m going to be the odd one out on this one, I just know it. Honestly, in the beginning I didn’t think I’d even finish it.
I was not a fan of the writing style. The characters referred to themselves as their names. I don’t even know what that is called but I DID NOT LIKE IT. Do people think of themselves by their names? Like, I would think “I got up this morning” not “Jennifer got up this morning”. It was a struggle, but I also think it may have changed throughout? I don’t know. Maybe I just got used to it. I do know that I didn’t like it.
I understand that the magic explanation is being updated but for publication so maybe this won’t matter, but I did not understand what was going on with the magic. It was super confusing and could have easily not even been a part of the story.
Which leads to the fact that this could have easily just been a sexual discovery/awakening story about a hockey player who has to deal with coming out and a celebrity who is gun-shy.
It maybe was just too much to deal with. The magic or the coming out? The homophobia and fear of rejection.
There were so many instances where I felt like I was totally missing something. Looks between characters about things that we aren’t told. Mention of things or people that weren’t introduced. It was odd.
The acronyms. Ugh. If it wasn’t explained after it was used, I was lost.
I got a huge vocabulary lesson with this read. I had to look up so many words that I have never even seen before. I’m guessing the authors thesaurus got a workout.
This was really, really long. There were so many words. This easily could have been cut down a bit.
All that aside, once it found its groove I was invested. Really invested. There was something engaging about AB and Matthew. It really pulled me in and read a lot like fanfiction. Fanfiction sometimes isn’t edited and is words on top of words and you need to read between all that to get to the good stuff. This was like that. Because yeah, the good stuff was pretty good. There was just a lot of extra that I had to get through. Some of it really confusing.
So, overall, I didn’t hate it, I ended up chasing the happy and I’m glad I didn’t give up.
I can definitely see people loving it though.
**This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.**
I was not a fan of the writing style. The characters referred to themselves as their names. I don’t even know what that is called but I DID NOT LIKE IT. Do people think of themselves by their names? Like, I would think “I got up this morning” not “Jennifer got up this morning”. It was a struggle, but I also think it may have changed throughout? I don’t know. Maybe I just got used to it. I do know that I didn’t like it.
I understand that the magic explanation is being updated but for publication so maybe this won’t matter, but I did not understand what was going on with the magic. It was super confusing and could have easily not even been a part of the story.
Which leads to the fact that this could have easily just been a sexual discovery/awakening story about a hockey player who has to deal with coming out and a celebrity who is gun-shy.
It maybe was just too much to deal with. The magic or the coming out? The homophobia and fear of rejection.
There were so many instances where I felt like I was totally missing something. Looks between characters about things that we aren’t told. Mention of things or people that weren’t introduced. It was odd.
The acronyms. Ugh. If it wasn’t explained after it was used, I was lost.
I got a huge vocabulary lesson with this read. I had to look up so many words that I have never even seen before. I’m guessing the authors thesaurus got a workout.
This was really, really long. There were so many words. This easily could have been cut down a bit.
All that aside, once it found its groove I was invested. Really invested. There was something engaging about AB and Matthew. It really pulled me in and read a lot like fanfiction. Fanfiction sometimes isn’t edited and is words on top of words and you need to read between all that to get to the good stuff. This was like that. Because yeah, the good stuff was pretty good. There was just a lot of extra that I had to get through. Some of it really confusing.
So, overall, I didn’t hate it, I ended up chasing the happy and I’m glad I didn’t give up.
I can definitely see people loving it though.
**This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.**
March 25, 2022
Happy Publication Day!💝
Thank you, Nine Star Press, LLC for the advance reading copy.
This is so freaking cute to start with!
The magic is real and gets more real with the sizzling chemistry between the two MCs. I am smitten!
The writing is quite accessible and it's not at all confusing for someone who doesn't read much sci-fi and fanstasy. A.k.a me. So if you're someone who loves reading romance representing LGBTQIAP characters with a little bit of magic throughout the story with a really good subtle plot like me, go for this one.
The plot lives up to the blurb and please do check out the tags given before you pick up this book.
I love the book however I find it to be a little bit longer than necessary towards the second half.
Overall, a good fun read.
Thank you, Nine Star Press, LLC for the advance reading copy.
This is so freaking cute to start with!
The magic is real and gets more real with the sizzling chemistry between the two MCs. I am smitten!
The writing is quite accessible and it's not at all confusing for someone who doesn't read much sci-fi and fanstasy. A.k.a me. So if you're someone who loves reading romance representing LGBTQIAP characters with a little bit of magic throughout the story with a really good subtle plot like me, go for this one.
The plot lives up to the blurb and please do check out the tags given before you pick up this book.
I love the book however I find it to be a little bit longer than necessary towards the second half.
Overall, a good fun read.
did-not-finish
January 8, 2024Some authors are really out there testing their reader's patience. It takes no less than four attempts to get to the actual story. First there's an prologue with a confusing text chat, then the first chapter has a “two years ago” prologue-like intro that isn't any less confusing, then comes a boring ass backstory, and then finally the real story is about to begin. To be fair, that's all only a few pages. Still a nuisance but easy to skip.
The real reason I couldn't read this book is the writing. It's completely overdrawn. It's like listening to someone on crack or to someone who hasn't slept for three days in a row spiraling. Talking about himself in the third person. Not to mention this guy's name is AB so every tenth word in this is AB. Oh, and a lot of words are Capitalized because they obviously have a Special meaning.
I'm so sorry, this may be good story, but I just can't. It's making my hair stand on end.
The real reason I couldn't read this book is the writing. It's completely overdrawn. It's like listening to someone on crack or to someone who hasn't slept for three days in a row spiraling. Talking about himself in the third person. Not to mention this guy's name is AB so every tenth word in this is AB. Oh, and a lot of words are Capitalized because they obviously have a Special meaning.
I'm so sorry, this may be good story, but I just can't. It's making my hair stand on end.
April 26, 2022
I can’t even describe how much I loved this book because I went into it not at all expecting to but now I think it might be a new fave.
The way magic works in this world can be a little confusing so you just have to go with it, but the love all of these characters have for each other is what really takes the cake so I can excuse the unclear world building and introduction of characters as if you already know them. The third person present tense POV took a little while getting used to.
Cool and different magical abilities
Famous Pop Star/Rising Hockey star MCs
Cute text messaging threads
Bi-awakening
Fated mates
No silly break-ups or separations
If you are in the mood for something fun and sweet with magic, definitely recommend this one. I feel like I could be very happy living in this book.
It’s not listed as YA but didn’t feel like NA either so I’d say the vibes are somewhere in between.
To add: I was really impressed with the way anxiety and obsessive thought patterns were portrayed here.
The way magic works in this world can be a little confusing so you just have to go with it, but the love all of these characters have for each other is what really takes the cake so I can excuse the unclear world building and introduction of characters as if you already know them. The third person present tense POV took a little while getting used to.
Cool and different magical abilities
Famous Pop Star/Rising Hockey star MCs
Cute text messaging threads
Bi-awakening
Fated mates
No silly break-ups or separations
If you are in the mood for something fun and sweet with magic, definitely recommend this one. I feel like I could be very happy living in this book.
It’s not listed as YA but didn’t feel like NA either so I’d say the vibes are somewhere in between.
To add: I was really impressed with the way anxiety and obsessive thought patterns were portrayed here.
January 18, 2024
It’s been interesting reading this one on the heels of reading Hoyt’s upcoming new release (which I loved) because you can see the skills and the bones but here it just doesn’t come together quite the same.
I thought that this story was cute enough and had some fun moments but lacked some impact for me.
The magic system in this world was interesting but didn’t really make sense to me. As a reader you were kind of dumped in this world with no context or understanding about how the magic worked and it left me feeling like a missed a prequel. When you get to the end you get a glossary explaining the types of magic which is really great but it’s a bit ‘day late and a dollar short’ by that point. Really considering the main point of the story was about the magic and the bonding it says a lot that you could literally have removed the magic from the storyline altogether and the story would have had the same impact.
I thought the relationship was cute enough. The whole bi-awakening thing was handled well I thought. It was a bit disappointing that after all the build up to them getting together there wasn’t really much in the way of pay off. I’m not someone who needs spice in my romance to enjoy it, but this wasn’t even fade-to-black, this was ‘throw away references to the fact that something intimate happened the night before’ type of spice and after investing in the build up you’re kind of left feeling flat.
All in all. I’m mostly excited to see how far Hoyt has developed as a writer and that they have obviously taken themes they feel passionately about (hockey and navigating the pitfalls of being out in the NHL) and improved upon it in their newer works. If a queer bi- romance story about a Taylor Swift- esque male pop star and a Professional Sportsman (eerie psychic behaviour there Hoyt) appeals to you, then I imagine this has something to offer
I thought that this story was cute enough and had some fun moments but lacked some impact for me.
The magic system in this world was interesting but didn’t really make sense to me. As a reader you were kind of dumped in this world with no context or understanding about how the magic worked and it left me feeling like a missed a prequel. When you get to the end you get a glossary explaining the types of magic which is really great but it’s a bit ‘day late and a dollar short’ by that point. Really considering the main point of the story was about the magic and the bonding it says a lot that you could literally have removed the magic from the storyline altogether and the story would have had the same impact.
I thought the relationship was cute enough. The whole bi-awakening thing was handled well I thought. It was a bit disappointing that after all the build up to them getting together there wasn’t really much in the way of pay off. I’m not someone who needs spice in my romance to enjoy it, but this wasn’t even fade-to-black, this was ‘throw away references to the fact that something intimate happened the night before’ type of spice and after investing in the build up you’re kind of left feeling flat.
All in all. I’m mostly excited to see how far Hoyt has developed as a writer and that they have obviously taken themes they feel passionately about (hockey and navigating the pitfalls of being out in the NHL) and improved upon it in their newer works. If a queer bi- romance story about a Taylor Swift- esque male pop star and a Professional Sportsman (eerie psychic behaviour there Hoyt) appeals to you, then I imagine this has something to offer
January 24, 2022
thanks to ninestar press for providing this book vía netgalley in the exchange for an honest review
***
3.5 stars
Mild spoilers ahead !!!
"And who knows! This could be the start of a grand adventure even if Bonds aren't real"
The Magic Between was something definitelly.
I really enjoyed it quite a lot overall. To be quick:
- I really liked both the main characters and their own personal conflicts with their feelings and separated environments. I personally liked a lot how their magic affects both chapter povs writing, how Matthew's magic (that is quite sensitive) affects his chapters and how it was written, how we see through his eyes very clearly. I liked how they both fall into their own personal fears and help each other out again and support each other being in complete different worlds.
- Something that was a little heavy for me was the magic system. I was halfway through and i still couldn't grasp how it worked. It was a bit dense and in my personal case i was more interested in the situation between Matthew and AB, socially speaking. I liked the core concept about the deepest bonds appeared between the MOST opposites of magics and how Matthew and AB work both their social circles and magical reactions out.
- I ADORED the illustrations! It was so lovely to read and then see the illustrations that represented certain scenes! The style is beautiful!
- I also found quite realistic the absolute chaos stan twitter can turn into concerning celebrities and their possible significant others.
- Another thing that I was hoping to see a little bit more was certain important events in the story that, due to the author's style, were lowkey over passed. It doesn't mean that this Is a bad execution, AT ALL, it's good, because it's explained how these things go and its outcomes, but i personally wanted to see more of it, to actually be in the scene. I wanted to see more of AB and Matthew's first kiss, building up the hype and expectation for their first times; the Halloween Masquerade, because of the EPICNESS OF THAT CONCEPT YES; and Matthew's coming out to his sports league, but this one was in the cutest way involving a social media post by AB. Obviously all these events were told in an open way, I'm just a romantic and wanted to see that.
- Finally I liked the way this Is a character driven story but the plots surrounding both main characters environments are so intense! You get to really wonder how this Is going to end.
I loved both Matthew and AB and i liked to see them finding themselves falling in love with each other.
Very lovely and funny and queer !!!
***
3.5 stars
Mild spoilers ahead !!!
"And who knows! This could be the start of a grand adventure even if Bonds aren't real"
The Magic Between was something definitelly.
I really enjoyed it quite a lot overall. To be quick:
- I really liked both the main characters and their own personal conflicts with their feelings and separated environments. I personally liked a lot how their magic affects both chapter povs writing, how Matthew's magic (that is quite sensitive) affects his chapters and how it was written, how we see through his eyes very clearly. I liked how they both fall into their own personal fears and help each other out again and support each other being in complete different worlds.
- Something that was a little heavy for me was the magic system. I was halfway through and i still couldn't grasp how it worked. It was a bit dense and in my personal case i was more interested in the situation between Matthew and AB, socially speaking. I liked the core concept about the deepest bonds appeared between the MOST opposites of magics and how Matthew and AB work both their social circles and magical reactions out.
- I ADORED the illustrations! It was so lovely to read and then see the illustrations that represented certain scenes! The style is beautiful!
- I also found quite realistic the absolute chaos stan twitter can turn into concerning celebrities and their possible significant others.
- Another thing that I was hoping to see a little bit more was certain important events in the story that, due to the author's style, were lowkey over passed. It doesn't mean that this Is a bad execution, AT ALL, it's good, because it's explained how these things go and its outcomes, but i personally wanted to see more of it, to actually be in the scene. I wanted to see more of AB and Matthew's first kiss, building up the hype and expectation for their first times; the Halloween Masquerade, because of the EPICNESS OF THAT CONCEPT YES; and Matthew's coming out to his sports league, but this one was in the cutest way involving a social media post by AB. Obviously all these events were told in an open way, I'm just a romantic and wanted to see that.
- Finally I liked the way this Is a character driven story but the plots surrounding both main characters environments are so intense! You get to really wonder how this Is going to end.
I loved both Matthew and AB and i liked to see them finding themselves falling in love with each other.
Very lovely and funny and queer !!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2022
Rep: bisexual MC, question bisexual MC, anxiety, therapy, a LOT of queer SC
TW: homophobia/ biphobia and bi erasure in media and sports, (no explicit sex scenes included, more like fade to black)
This was pure bi pride baked into 430 pages and I loved it.
This book is taking place in a world where everyone has magic. Most people just have everyday magic (the boring magic), but there’s also the big 4 (the fancy magic), people with very special abilities (like turning invisible).
AB is a famous singer in a bad and has big 4 magic, turning invisible. But magic isn’t something most people show everyone and AB has huge anxiety of people finding out about his ability and being able to control him. (No, it’s not a rational fear, but that’s not how anxiety works.)
Matthew is an art student and NHL prospect, coming from a family of hockey legends. He also has big 4 magic (he’s an omnivision, being able to see sounds als different colours) and the polar opposite to ABs.
When the two of them meet in a restaurant restroom and their magic sparks while they touch hands, Matthew knows everything his grandma always told him is true: magic of polar opposites is able to react to each other in an extreme way and these people can become bond mates.
Matthew is convinced that AB will become his bond mate. The only problem is that Matthew always imagined his bond mate to be a woman.
I really liked the way the magic system was explained in this, not through a 200 page world building, but simply through a kind of newsletter/ blog article at the very beginning of the book.
I thought it was very fitting, with AB being a famous artist and Tweets and newsletter headlines constantly included in the chapters.
The two of them slowly getting to know each other, AB starting to trust Matthew, overcoming his anxiety with him and Matthew slowly falling for AB, not only because of their magic bond, but because of the person he is was so utterly beautiful.
This is a very VEERRRY slow slowburn and I loved it.
I thought it was so realistic. Matthew was 100% convinced that his bond mate was going to be a woman, and is shaken to his core that he starts to develop feeling for AB. This included a complete mental breakdown with a lot of bi panic and I loved to see this very realistic display of coming to terms with your sexuality after years. Also being a famous athlete AND being out? Still in this day and age mostly unheard of.
AB has huge trust issues and fear of being used and abandoned after bad experiences in his past. Combined with his anxiety of his magic being known it’s a huge step for him trusting Matthew and it’s not something that happens in two days.
I especially loved the huge variety of bisexual people in this. AB is very out and proud, using Make-up and nail polish, dressing up in lace and pink and glitter.
Matthew is a cliche jock in sweats and a cap.
Both of these man dated woman.
Both of these man love man.
This book displayed mercilessly how people often see bisexual people and how the media displays bisexual celebrities.
There is so much bi erasure going on and so much prejudice of what queer man have to look and act like.
It was sad so see if what both AB and Matthew had to deal with, both rumours and queer phobia.
I really loved this book, though I have to say it’s not very action ridden, but rather a slow, character and mostly character development driven story.
It took me some getting used to the style of writing, it’s written from third person perspective, from both MCs POV, but in a very insightful way.
I personally would have loved to have some more interaction and conversations happening between these two on page though. Some parts of their relationship development were a little too easily skipped over and I would have loved to follow the two of them more.
If you’re just looking for a cute romance this is not it.
The scenes were they WERE together though were adorable and cute and fun.
I absolutely loved the casual queerness in this book though. Nearly every character in this is queer and I loved their little group. I would have also loved to learn a little more about their friends though. There were many and I wanted to get to know them too!
I also loved how both their families simply supported them without question. When the world is against you, is wonderful to have supportive family and friends.
All in all I really loved a lot of this book, especially the MCs character development and the way they communicated.
I think this book could have been a little shorter, which would have helped to keep the pace up a little.
Also I would have loved for the epilogue to include a little more of AB and Matthew together (I wanted the romance!!!) and not only news about his career.
PS: I absolutely loved the art in this!!! AB is beautiful oh my goddess!!!! The jumpsuit? I died.
TW: homophobia/ biphobia and bi erasure in media and sports, (no explicit sex scenes included, more like fade to black)
This was pure bi pride baked into 430 pages and I loved it.
This book is taking place in a world where everyone has magic. Most people just have everyday magic (the boring magic), but there’s also the big 4 (the fancy magic), people with very special abilities (like turning invisible).
AB is a famous singer in a bad and has big 4 magic, turning invisible. But magic isn’t something most people show everyone and AB has huge anxiety of people finding out about his ability and being able to control him. (No, it’s not a rational fear, but that’s not how anxiety works.)
Matthew is an art student and NHL prospect, coming from a family of hockey legends. He also has big 4 magic (he’s an omnivision, being able to see sounds als different colours) and the polar opposite to ABs.
When the two of them meet in a restaurant restroom and their magic sparks while they touch hands, Matthew knows everything his grandma always told him is true: magic of polar opposites is able to react to each other in an extreme way and these people can become bond mates.
Matthew is convinced that AB will become his bond mate. The only problem is that Matthew always imagined his bond mate to be a woman.
I really liked the way the magic system was explained in this, not through a 200 page world building, but simply through a kind of newsletter/ blog article at the very beginning of the book.
I thought it was very fitting, with AB being a famous artist and Tweets and newsletter headlines constantly included in the chapters.
The two of them slowly getting to know each other, AB starting to trust Matthew, overcoming his anxiety with him and Matthew slowly falling for AB, not only because of their magic bond, but because of the person he is was so utterly beautiful.
This is a very VEERRRY slow slowburn and I loved it.
I thought it was so realistic. Matthew was 100% convinced that his bond mate was going to be a woman, and is shaken to his core that he starts to develop feeling for AB. This included a complete mental breakdown with a lot of bi panic and I loved to see this very realistic display of coming to terms with your sexuality after years. Also being a famous athlete AND being out? Still in this day and age mostly unheard of.
AB has huge trust issues and fear of being used and abandoned after bad experiences in his past. Combined with his anxiety of his magic being known it’s a huge step for him trusting Matthew and it’s not something that happens in two days.
I especially loved the huge variety of bisexual people in this. AB is very out and proud, using Make-up and nail polish, dressing up in lace and pink and glitter.
Matthew is a cliche jock in sweats and a cap.
Both of these man dated woman.
Both of these man love man.
This book displayed mercilessly how people often see bisexual people and how the media displays bisexual celebrities.
There is so much bi erasure going on and so much prejudice of what queer man have to look and act like.
It was sad so see if what both AB and Matthew had to deal with, both rumours and queer phobia.
I really loved this book, though I have to say it’s not very action ridden, but rather a slow, character and mostly character development driven story.
It took me some getting used to the style of writing, it’s written from third person perspective, from both MCs POV, but in a very insightful way.
I personally would have loved to have some more interaction and conversations happening between these two on page though. Some parts of their relationship development were a little too easily skipped over and I would have loved to follow the two of them more.
If you’re just looking for a cute romance this is not it.
The scenes were they WERE together though were adorable and cute and fun.
I absolutely loved the casual queerness in this book though. Nearly every character in this is queer and I loved their little group. I would have also loved to learn a little more about their friends though. There were many and I wanted to get to know them too!
I also loved how both their families simply supported them without question. When the world is against you, is wonderful to have supportive family and friends.
All in all I really loved a lot of this book, especially the MCs character development and the way they communicated.
I think this book could have been a little shorter, which would have helped to keep the pace up a little.
Also I would have loved for the epilogue to include a little more of AB and Matthew together (I wanted the romance!!!) and not only news about his career.
PS: I absolutely loved the art in this!!! AB is beautiful oh my goddess!!!! The jumpsuit? I died.
September 15, 2022
Let's start with the good: This book has really great bisexual representation. When you read something with such excellent rep, it becomes so obvious how bad a lot of others are, so it deserves all the stars for that aspect.
Now for the bad: I wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't had an ARC. I'm not mad about it, because there were plenty of things I enjoyed, but those were not the things the author chose to focus on.
I liked the original prologue setting up the magic system and the way the MCs first meet when their magic responds to each other, but it goes downhill very quickly from there.
Interestingly, that prologue that I enjoyed so much was mostly removed for publication after the ARC feedback from readers who found it too confusing. I did not find it confusing at all, but I like books with complex magic systems. This book is set in a universe with a very cool magic system -- that it mostly ignores. To the point that they removed most of the information from the prologue, which I'm pretty sure was the only place most of that information was found -- and then people liked it better??? AKA: How you know you're not the target audience for a book 😂
So, yeah, this book mostly ends up being about the stress of coming out as a hockey player, which just wasn't what I was expecting. (Especially after that prologue, so removing it was probably a good call to re-direct expectations.) I love hockey books, but not when homophobia is the main focus.
I will say this for it: It doesn’t look at hockey with rose-colored glasses. It doesn’t sugarcoat how straight-up homophobic the league is.
It also doesn’t get intensely personal. What they experience in their personal lives is very supportive, so it's more homophobia as a concept than an experience.
I waited too long to write this review, so the rest is just going to be bullet points from my notes:
>Seem to be able to speak volumes with a single look from someone they’ve just met
>Info dump/clunky exposition but with a character's background not world-building
>Repetitive
>Weirdness with the anxiety about being exposed magic-wise
>The syntax is off, the logic is off
>It’s safe to have a crush on this straight boy because he’s going to leave/I can’t have a sexuality crisis because he doesn’t want a relationship because it’s too much of a hassle ??? DUMB
>Characters introduced by name but you have no idea where they are; thought Houston was just part of the tour for like two chapters and then found out that’s where he lives; barely even realize the guy is a hockey player until he’s freaking out about the homophobia in the league (before he’s ever even kissed a guy); I was pretty far into the book before I realized how old one of the characters is and that his Big Traumatic Break Up happened when he was 16
>Repetitive
>The writing didn’t work for me
>Don’t even know what kind of music he sings
>Liked the illustrated tweets
>Chaotic
I can't recommend it, but I'm very sure I'm not the target audience.
**This book was provided for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley**
Now for the bad: I wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't had an ARC. I'm not mad about it, because there were plenty of things I enjoyed, but those were not the things the author chose to focus on.
I liked the original prologue setting up the magic system and the way the MCs first meet when their magic responds to each other, but it goes downhill very quickly from there.
Interestingly, that prologue that I enjoyed so much was mostly removed for publication after the ARC feedback from readers who found it too confusing. I did not find it confusing at all, but I like books with complex magic systems. This book is set in a universe with a very cool magic system -- that it mostly ignores. To the point that they removed most of the information from the prologue, which I'm pretty sure was the only place most of that information was found -- and then people liked it better??? AKA: How you know you're not the target audience for a book 😂
So, yeah, this book mostly ends up being about the stress of coming out as a hockey player, which just wasn't what I was expecting. (Especially after that prologue, so removing it was probably a good call to re-direct expectations.) I love hockey books, but not when homophobia is the main focus.
I will say this for it: It doesn’t look at hockey with rose-colored glasses. It doesn’t sugarcoat how straight-up homophobic the league is.
It also doesn’t get intensely personal. What they experience in their personal lives is very supportive, so it's more homophobia as a concept than an experience.
I waited too long to write this review, so the rest is just going to be bullet points from my notes:
>Seem to be able to speak volumes with a single look from someone they’ve just met
>Info dump/clunky exposition but with a character's background not world-building
>Repetitive
>Weirdness with the anxiety about being exposed magic-wise
>The syntax is off, the logic is off
>It’s safe to have a crush on this straight boy because he’s going to leave/I can’t have a sexuality crisis because he doesn’t want a relationship because it’s too much of a hassle ??? DUMB
>Characters introduced by name but you have no idea where they are; thought Houston was just part of the tour for like two chapters and then found out that’s where he lives; barely even realize the guy is a hockey player until he’s freaking out about the homophobia in the league (before he’s ever even kissed a guy); I was pretty far into the book before I realized how old one of the characters is and that his Big Traumatic Break Up happened when he was 16
>Repetitive
>The writing didn’t work for me
>Don’t even know what kind of music he sings
>Liked the illustrated tweets
>Chaotic
I can't recommend it, but I'm very sure I'm not the target audience.
**This book was provided for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley**
February 8, 2022
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Magic Between was such a fun book to jump into. After having so many meetings lately, I just needed something to relax to. So, I jump into this and absolutely fell in love. First off, the prologue jumps into all the different kinds of magic there are within this world. Also, the percentage of how likely it is to have this certain ability. It was nice to get all the information right then and there because now we sort of know what to look for after we meet everyone.
Enter A.B. and Matthew. He is a pop star with the ability to become invisible. While the other dreams to become an NHL goalie in the very near future. He can also see the unseeable. One doesn't believe in the the bonding experience while the other secretly does and hopes it happens. So, I'll admit that when they first meet one another it's pretty interesting.
In all honesty, I loved everything about these two. Whether it was them starting off with just being friends or eventually becoming something more. They took it slow, and feelings came naturally between them. So, yes, I loved all the romance that went around them throughout the entire book.
As for the drama? Well, I wouldn't really say that we got a whole lot. Only a little here and there. Other than that, I definitely devoured the heck out of this book and I'm so happy with how it all ended. I had a huge smile on my face and screamed a little.
In the end, I'm so very freaking happy that I got the chance to dive into this. Falling in love with every little piece I got was a huge plus. So excited for everyone else to get their hands on this.
The Magic Between was such a fun book to jump into. After having so many meetings lately, I just needed something to relax to. So, I jump into this and absolutely fell in love. First off, the prologue jumps into all the different kinds of magic there are within this world. Also, the percentage of how likely it is to have this certain ability. It was nice to get all the information right then and there because now we sort of know what to look for after we meet everyone.
Enter A.B. and Matthew. He is a pop star with the ability to become invisible. While the other dreams to become an NHL goalie in the very near future. He can also see the unseeable. One doesn't believe in the the bonding experience while the other secretly does and hopes it happens. So, I'll admit that when they first meet one another it's pretty interesting.
In all honesty, I loved everything about these two. Whether it was them starting off with just being friends or eventually becoming something more. They took it slow, and feelings came naturally between them. So, yes, I loved all the romance that went around them throughout the entire book.
As for the drama? Well, I wouldn't really say that we got a whole lot. Only a little here and there. Other than that, I definitely devoured the heck out of this book and I'm so happy with how it all ended. I had a huge smile on my face and screamed a little.
In the end, I'm so very freaking happy that I got the chance to dive into this. Falling in love with every little piece I got was a huge plus. So excited for everyone else to get their hands on this.
December 21, 2021
10/10, COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN, I AM GLOWING WITH JOY, PREORDER THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY
PROPER ACTUAL REVIEW TO COME WHEN I STOP SPARKLING OVER HOW FREAKING SWEET AND HEARTFELT AND BEAUTIFUL THIS IS
Okay, semi-literate actual review below!
HIGHLIGHTS
~there are TWITTER THREADS and GROUP TEXTS
~soulmate bonds care about consent
~“What if I said they were my nice sweats?”
~pop fans vs hockey fans, it’s going down
~everything is purple and nothing hurts
~glittery fizzy glowy FEELS
~you don’t need fanart of these sweethearts THIS BOOK COMES ILLUSTRATED
You know those books that leave you sparkling with joy and Feels and squee!, that have you grinning like an idiot and hugging the book to your chest after the final page, that make you feel like all your insides are GLOWING because everything is perfect and wonderful and nothing will ever hurt again???
HI, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE MAGIC BETWEEN! YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT!
No, seriously. I know it’s not a Serious Fantasy – in fact, I almost DNF-ed it when I realised it didn’t have the really thought-out, detailed worldbuilding I was hoping for.
But I didn’t DNF it and I am SO GLAD because EEEEEEEEEE!
The only reason it’s not going on my best-of-the-year list is because it’s not out until next year. That is the only reason. You had better believe it’s going to be on my 2022 list!
The Magic Between reminded me of fanfic in the very best of ways; it’s compulsively readable, it’s casually diverse, and it’s packed full of Feels. There isn’t a whole lot of worldbuilding – for all that everyone has magic in AB and Matthew’s world, it really doesn’t look any different from our own – but there is so much HEART. The things I usually want out of my fantasy novels completely ceased to matter, because Hoyt’s boys swept me off my feet before I knew what was happening. By the time I hit chapter four – and the chapters are not long – I was absolutely glued to the pages. I practically hissed at the hubby when he tried to interrupt my reading for dinnertime!
If you’ve read either or both of Casey McQuiston’s books – Red, White and Royal Blue or One Last Stop – then you’ll recognise the glittery-glowy-EEEEE feel of The Magic Between. Hoyt has penned a story that will have you cackling with glee one minute and on the edge of your seat the next; one that is deeply sweet, but also isn’t afraid to deal with complicated, not-fun topics either, like AB’s clinical anxiety, or the homophobia of the ice-hockey world – or exactly how much over-eager fans and the tabloids that cater to them can really, really suck. That being said, the occasional inclusion of fictional twitter threads, complete with hashtags and Victoria Newberry’s ‘photos’, were absolutely hilarious, and I’m really glad they were included. Along with the illustrations – The Magic Between could have got by without them, I guess, but the selfies, candids, and tabloid-shots really sold the in-the-spotlight aspect of the story.
(It certainly doesn’t hurt that Newberry is a great illustrator and the pictures are very, very pretty.)
The overall story doesn’t need much introduction beyond the official description; AB is an incredibly famous, openly bisexual popstar, Matthew is a hockey player who is Very Sure he’s straight, and the two of them happen to have magics that are the exact opposite of each other’s – which Matthew believes could make them Bondmates. Bonds are a myth virtually no one believes in, but AB agrees to see what happens after their magics have a game-changingly intense Reaction to each other.
Only – Matthew is straight, and AB never wants to date again with the tabloids watching, and anyway, Bonds aren’t real.
We allllllllll know where this is going.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
PROPER ACTUAL REVIEW TO COME WHEN I STOP SPARKLING OVER HOW FREAKING SWEET AND HEARTFELT AND BEAUTIFUL THIS IS
Okay, semi-literate actual review below!
HIGHLIGHTS
~there are TWITTER THREADS and GROUP TEXTS
~soulmate bonds care about consent
~“What if I said they were my nice sweats?”
~pop fans vs hockey fans, it’s going down
~everything is purple and nothing hurts
~glittery fizzy glowy FEELS
~you don’t need fanart of these sweethearts THIS BOOK COMES ILLUSTRATED
You know those books that leave you sparkling with joy and Feels and squee!, that have you grinning like an idiot and hugging the book to your chest after the final page, that make you feel like all your insides are GLOWING because everything is perfect and wonderful and nothing will ever hurt again???
HI, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE MAGIC BETWEEN! YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT!
No, seriously. I know it’s not a Serious Fantasy – in fact, I almost DNF-ed it when I realised it didn’t have the really thought-out, detailed worldbuilding I was hoping for.
But I didn’t DNF it and I am SO GLAD because EEEEEEEEEE!
The only reason it’s not going on my best-of-the-year list is because it’s not out until next year. That is the only reason. You had better believe it’s going to be on my 2022 list!
The Magic Between reminded me of fanfic in the very best of ways; it’s compulsively readable, it’s casually diverse, and it’s packed full of Feels. There isn’t a whole lot of worldbuilding – for all that everyone has magic in AB and Matthew’s world, it really doesn’t look any different from our own – but there is so much HEART. The things I usually want out of my fantasy novels completely ceased to matter, because Hoyt’s boys swept me off my feet before I knew what was happening. By the time I hit chapter four – and the chapters are not long – I was absolutely glued to the pages. I practically hissed at the hubby when he tried to interrupt my reading for dinnertime!
If you’ve read either or both of Casey McQuiston’s books – Red, White and Royal Blue or One Last Stop – then you’ll recognise the glittery-glowy-EEEEE feel of The Magic Between. Hoyt has penned a story that will have you cackling with glee one minute and on the edge of your seat the next; one that is deeply sweet, but also isn’t afraid to deal with complicated, not-fun topics either, like AB’s clinical anxiety, or the homophobia of the ice-hockey world – or exactly how much over-eager fans and the tabloids that cater to them can really, really suck. That being said, the occasional inclusion of fictional twitter threads, complete with hashtags and Victoria Newberry’s ‘photos’, were absolutely hilarious, and I’m really glad they were included. Along with the illustrations – The Magic Between could have got by without them, I guess, but the selfies, candids, and tabloid-shots really sold the in-the-spotlight aspect of the story.
(It certainly doesn’t hurt that Newberry is a great illustrator and the pictures are very, very pretty.)
The overall story doesn’t need much introduction beyond the official description; AB is an incredibly famous, openly bisexual popstar, Matthew is a hockey player who is Very Sure he’s straight, and the two of them happen to have magics that are the exact opposite of each other’s – which Matthew believes could make them Bondmates. Bonds are a myth virtually no one believes in, but AB agrees to see what happens after their magics have a game-changingly intense Reaction to each other.
Only – Matthew is straight, and AB never wants to date again with the tabloids watching, and anyway, Bonds aren’t real.
We allllllllll know where this is going.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
March 12, 2023
An exceedingly silly book that I enjoyed very much and then almost forgot to review. I have to give it 4 stars because it has a nice spin on fated mates and not everything has to be deep -- this had just enough Big Emotions to save it from being saccharine and it was exactly what I was looking for in a fluffy read while I geared up for Greg Ashe. Or I could have read it afterward, for a soft landing. Either way.
March 15, 2022
Fluffly, soft and sweet from start to finish!
The Magic Between is quite a special book. Magic in its various manifestations is a big part of it, but the story doesn't revolve around magic, it actually gives you the feeling that the fantasy element is the cherry on top. Which is quite a feat!
It's a fluffy love story between famous pop-star AB Cerise and college-hockey prodigy goalkeeper Matthew Hellman-Levoie. The story is heavily character-driven, it almost reads like high-quality fanfic at some points (this is a compliment, not a criticism!) and deals with topics like how the media and the fandoms treat celebrities, homophobia in professional sports, shielding yourself from having your life exposed to the whole world, self-acceptance and self-denial, enthusiasm, butterflies in your stomach, loyal friends!
Matthew and AB are very different personalities but their chemistry is off the charts. Their opposite magic is what makes them bump into each other, but it's their heart driving them from there.
The supporting characters are great, the illustrations are amazing, the inclusion of twitter threads does wonders to depict fandoms and gossip, the group chats are hilarious, and of course the main couple is adorable!
A fresh and heartwarming romance story for everyone!
The Magic Between is quite a special book. Magic in its various manifestations is a big part of it, but the story doesn't revolve around magic, it actually gives you the feeling that the fantasy element is the cherry on top. Which is quite a feat!
It's a fluffy love story between famous pop-star AB Cerise and college-hockey prodigy goalkeeper Matthew Hellman-Levoie. The story is heavily character-driven, it almost reads like high-quality fanfic at some points (this is a compliment, not a criticism!) and deals with topics like how the media and the fandoms treat celebrities, homophobia in professional sports, shielding yourself from having your life exposed to the whole world, self-acceptance and self-denial, enthusiasm, butterflies in your stomach, loyal friends!
Matthew and AB are very different personalities but their chemistry is off the charts. Their opposite magic is what makes them bump into each other, but it's their heart driving them from there.
The supporting characters are great, the illustrations are amazing, the inclusion of twitter threads does wonders to depict fandoms and gossip, the group chats are hilarious, and of course the main couple is adorable!
A fresh and heartwarming romance story for everyone!
December 1, 2021
This was fun! I'm not a big fantasy reader, so I worried I'd feel a little lost in an all new magical universe, but like most things, it clicked just fine as I went along. The leads here are both pretty charming and the cast of characters were engaging if maybe occasionally a little bit unwieldy number-wise (Another thing that just sort of works itself out fine!) and it was nice to see OCD rendered in a way that I experience it. I loved Matthew's family and the illustrations were such a lovely addition to the storytelling. Also, I laughed hard enough at an Instagram comment toward the end that my wife asked me if I was okay, and that's always a sign of a good time.
Thank you to NineStar Press for the ARC!
Thank you to NineStar Press for the ARC!
February 14, 2022
4.5 stars
This was so sweet and I can't get enough of Matthew and AB. The boys are adorable and I loved how their relationship slowly developed over the book. No insta-love, just a spark between them that grew into friendship and then more. The world was also fun, with everyone having at least a bit of magic and some people getting some pretty awesome abilities. I liked seeing people's magic and kind of wish we'd gotten to see more of it!
What I really liked about this was that while there was some low level drama, including homophobia and mean fans online, Matthew and AB had a strong relationship and weren't constantly fighting or breaking up. I love seeing a couple support each other through tough times without unnecessary issues popping up.
The only reason I gave this four stars was because it felt pretty slow to me and I think it could have had a bit more excitement to keep the pace up. Other than that, this was probably the softest and cutest book I've read in a while.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thank you to NineStar Press and NetGalley for the copy
This was so sweet and I can't get enough of Matthew and AB. The boys are adorable and I loved how their relationship slowly developed over the book. No insta-love, just a spark between them that grew into friendship and then more. The world was also fun, with everyone having at least a bit of magic and some people getting some pretty awesome abilities. I liked seeing people's magic and kind of wish we'd gotten to see more of it!
What I really liked about this was that while there was some low level drama, including homophobia and mean fans online, Matthew and AB had a strong relationship and weren't constantly fighting or breaking up. I love seeing a couple support each other through tough times without unnecessary issues popping up.
The only reason I gave this four stars was because it felt pretty slow to me and I think it could have had a bit more excitement to keep the pace up. Other than that, this was probably the softest and cutest book I've read in a while.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thank you to NineStar Press and NetGalley for the copy
October 20, 2023
Soft hockey boys are my Achilles heel 😭 add to that gorgeous writing and singers who don't believe in love (paraphrasing but alas) and we have a perfect hockey romance with a dash of magic!!!
Stephanie Hoyt, more books when??? 😭💜
Stephanie Hoyt, more books when??? 😭💜
April 13, 2022
Well, I ended up really enjoying The Magic Between by Stephanie Hoyt. It was filled with lush, flowery prose and romance and pining (oh god the pining). I hold that the first two-ish chapters are a little stilted but the book really hits its stride when the two MCs begin texting, and I was absolutely captivated and completely unable to do anything else but read until I finished it.
That being said, the only thing I found kind of odd about the book was for all the plot points that concern the main characters’ chosen professions, I know very little about their professional life. Matthew is the son of a big name hockey star, he’s in line to be drafted into the NHL as a goalie, and a big part of the book is how him coming out will affect his hockey career. And yet, there’s all of one scene with Matthew on the ice during a game. I know more about what art means to Matthew than hockey. Likewise, with AB, there’s a few mentions that the band has a drummer, and even fewer mentions that AB plays piano and so does another bandmate. (I imagine AB sings, but I can’t even confirm or deny that.) That is the entire extent of what I know about the band dynamics, about his band mates, about AB’s musical sound. All this is so bizarre to me, I have to guess it was intentionally done to make Matthew and AB seem less like celebrities and more like your average Joe, but I can’t help but wonder if a better happy medium couldn’t have been reached.
That being said, the only thing I found kind of odd about the book was for all the plot points that concern the main characters’ chosen professions, I know very little about their professional life. Matthew is the son of a big name hockey star, he’s in line to be drafted into the NHL as a goalie, and a big part of the book is how him coming out will affect his hockey career. And yet, there’s all of one scene with Matthew on the ice during a game. I know more about what art means to Matthew than hockey. Likewise, with AB, there’s a few mentions that the band has a drummer, and even fewer mentions that AB plays piano and so does another bandmate. (I imagine AB sings, but I can’t even confirm or deny that.) That is the entire extent of what I know about the band dynamics, about his band mates, about AB’s musical sound. All this is so bizarre to me, I have to guess it was intentionally done to make Matthew and AB seem less like celebrities and more like your average Joe, but I can’t help but wonder if a better happy medium couldn’t have been reached.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley & NineStar Press for the advance copy of this book. I saw this book and read the synopsis and immediately requested it. All the things about this book are great. It’s queer, it’s magic, the main characters are a pop star and a hockey player. Making this both a rockstar romance and a sports romance.
I did enjoy this book. It was very cute and light. The prologue made me nervous about how intense the magic system would be but honestly it wasn’t that complicated or hard to follow. I also liked that there were illustrations of the characters through out the book.
My only critique of the book, which isn’t really a critique and more of an observation is that there wasn’t really any drama. Like don’t get me wrong the characters had obstacles but they never felt that intense. Not a bad thing. So if you want to read something that isn’t going to hurt you, this is relatively pain free.
The release date is 2/15/22. I would recommend it, it was really a cute love story.
I did enjoy this book. It was very cute and light. The prologue made me nervous about how intense the magic system would be but honestly it wasn’t that complicated or hard to follow. I also liked that there were illustrations of the characters through out the book.
My only critique of the book, which isn’t really a critique and more of an observation is that there wasn’t really any drama. Like don’t get me wrong the characters had obstacles but they never felt that intense. Not a bad thing. So if you want to read something that isn’t going to hurt you, this is relatively pain free.
The release date is 2/15/22. I would recommend it, it was really a cute love story.
Want to read
December 24, 2021someone send me this book ahhhh skjsksjksj!!!
January 8, 2022
The first like 25% of this book I found to be a little hard to get through. The epilogue is a literal info dump for a world we haven’t been introduced to yet, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get into it…then BOOM when this story picked up it picked up with a vengeance. I was enthralled from the moment AB and Matthew agreed not to fall in love while exploring the possibility of them Bonding…I knew, Of course, that wouldn’t last. I’m a romance reader, I know the formula, but this book was so intriguing as the two found their footing as Bondmates. Matthew is the sweetest, cutest, most precious character I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long, long time. His journey isn’t easy: not only does he have to come to terms with his sexuality, his feelings for AB, and the ramifications both cause in his budding NHL career. AB is everyone’s rockstar boyfriend fantasy and also very adorable. His reservations are because of his past and his celebrity status, which was a fun insight to have. Both of them are people with followings, but AB’s fans are way more rabid. The exploration of bisexual erasure is prominent and an important plot line as both of our MC’s identify as bisexual. I think it’s wonderful the author took the time to address many taboos that surround the bisexual community and this book has the potential to open a lot of eyes. I had an amazing time reading this when it picked up. I hope more books within this world of magic come to us soon.
December 18, 2021
This was so soft and sweet and adorable and GAH. It was exactly what I needed when I read it, and I love when that happens with books. I have had this on my tbr list for ages and so was thrilled whenever I got an arc for this. Queer, magical and a hockey player? Ticks so many of my boxes and I was not at all disappointed.
The characters are well developed and interesting and their relationship is so cute and well-thought out. I admit I was a little on the fence about AB at the beginning (also as a sidenote I just can't get behind the name) but he grew on me and I was 100% behind Matthew from the beginning. His personality and energy had me rooting for him from the very first page. The side characters were also interesting and provided some great dialogue and moments.
There is drama in this (and some communication issues) but it is pretty low-key and fits in with the narrative so it isn't tedious or annoying and I thought that for the most part AB's issues and insecurities were well thought out and well-presented.
The magic system is a little bit odd and I honestly still didn't fully understand it completely by the end of the book but it was interesting if not super intricate. I thought that both of the MC's magic were interesting and well-explained and it was pretty cute. The whole soul-mate thing was a tiny bit cliche and possibly over done a tad but it was super cute and I really liked it even if it was a tad cringe; it fitted with the narrative. I also did appreciate that the soulmate bond incorporated consent, which is always stellar.
There were little bits of art in this and text conversations and it was very cool, it added a little bit of fun to the story and was a nice touch.
Overall I really enjoyed this and think it's a great, light, feel-good read with amazing characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.
The characters are well developed and interesting and their relationship is so cute and well-thought out. I admit I was a little on the fence about AB at the beginning (also as a sidenote I just can't get behind the name) but he grew on me and I was 100% behind Matthew from the beginning. His personality and energy had me rooting for him from the very first page. The side characters were also interesting and provided some great dialogue and moments.
There is drama in this (and some communication issues) but it is pretty low-key and fits in with the narrative so it isn't tedious or annoying and I thought that for the most part AB's issues and insecurities were well thought out and well-presented.
The magic system is a little bit odd and I honestly still didn't fully understand it completely by the end of the book but it was interesting if not super intricate. I thought that both of the MC's magic were interesting and well-explained and it was pretty cute. The whole soul-mate thing was a tiny bit cliche and possibly over done a tad but it was super cute and I really liked it even if it was a tad cringe; it fitted with the narrative. I also did appreciate that the soulmate bond incorporated consent, which is always stellar.
There were little bits of art in this and text conversations and it was very cool, it added a little bit of fun to the story and was a nice touch.
Overall I really enjoyed this and think it's a great, light, feel-good read with amazing characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.
Read
December 16, 2021I got this arc off of Netgalley, the opinions are my own. I really enjoyed this one! Matthew and AB were both so cute! AB and Matthew live in a world where everyone has magic. There’s also a concept of bonding in which two people share bonds. AB meets Matthew in a bathroom and Matthew declares they are bondmates. AB has always been skeptical of bonds and Matthew thoroughly believes in them. Are they bondemates? Are they something more? Complicating things, AB is a popular musician who happens to be bisexual and is absolutely not looking for love. Matthew’s a hockey player in college set to join the
NHL and straight! I really enjoyed the interactions between AB and Matthew and appreciate the slow burn! The book also has a well rounded supporting cast! I really loved the fact that having magic was just a typical thing and everyone had it, also that there wasn’t a lot of backstory on how that happened creating the idea that it had just always been. I will say at times it was a little hard to understand everything with the magic, it’s explained so not really an author thing, I think my brain just had some trouble fully grasping it. Another thing that was a little weird is characters were brought up but not fully introduced and the time they were mentioned so it was kind of like they came out of nowhere. But throughout each of them did get a more thorough introduction. So it was only a slight thing. Overall I loved this book, Stephanie Hoyt did a fantastic job and I can’t wait to read it again!
NHL and straight! I really enjoyed the interactions between AB and Matthew and appreciate the slow burn! The book also has a well rounded supporting cast! I really loved the fact that having magic was just a typical thing and everyone had it, also that there wasn’t a lot of backstory on how that happened creating the idea that it had just always been. I will say at times it was a little hard to understand everything with the magic, it’s explained so not really an author thing, I think my brain just had some trouble fully grasping it. Another thing that was a little weird is characters were brought up but not fully introduced and the time they were mentioned so it was kind of like they came out of nowhere. But throughout each of them did get a more thorough introduction. So it was only a slight thing. Overall I loved this book, Stephanie Hoyt did a fantastic job and I can’t wait to read it again!
December 2, 2021
Let me start by saying this book feels like it was made for me. It exists right at the intersection of hockey, magical realism and romance, which I'm thrilled to read about one at a time, much less all together. AB and Matthew felt like realistic characters, but (unfortunately) so did the external problems that they faced in trying to grow their relationship. One of the things that I simultaneously liked best and found most frustrating were the ways that these boys so clearly wanted to be together, but everything coming in from the outside provided reasons to prevent that. (Spoiler?: thankfully though we all know this ends with a HEA!)
There were some other things I also thought were fun about this book (like the multimedia additions and the pictures!) also well as some things that were hard to follow (Hoyt really does create an entire cast of characters in this book, but I found it difficult to remember who was who after a while and wanted to linger longer on some characters than the page time they got). Overall though I thought it was a fun romance novel that also guided its readers through poignant mediations about hockey and celebrity cultures and I would recommend it!
There were some other things I also thought were fun about this book (like the multimedia additions and the pictures!) also well as some things that were hard to follow (Hoyt really does create an entire cast of characters in this book, but I found it difficult to remember who was who after a while and wanted to linger longer on some characters than the page time they got). Overall though I thought it was a fun romance novel that also guided its readers through poignant mediations about hockey and celebrity cultures and I would recommend it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2021
This book was, on many levels, written for me. Magic, social media drama, mental health challenges, hockey, twu wuv... what's not to like? I struggled a bit with the prologue—I tend to think there might have been a better way to convey the needed information over the course of the story, rather than in one somewhat stodgy clump at the beginning. And for some reason I kept envisioning the MCs as older than they really were, which wasn't a problem with the book so much as a weird mental glitch on my part. All that said, once the story drew me in, I wanted it to go on forever. And the illustrations! Delightful. This may be a book I'll end up rereading—and that doesn't happen too often. 4.5 stars, highly recommended.
My thanks to the author for an advance copy of this book.
My thanks to the author for an advance copy of this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews