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Shapes of Love: A Novel
Loveless meets This Time It’s Real in this aroace story about challenging the idea that romance is the ultimate life goal and finding where you fit in when you don’t follow society’s script.
When nineteen-year-old Sasha’s first album throws her into stardom, her fans become obsessed with discovering who inspired her love songs. Except, Sasha is aroace-spec (aromantic, asexual), and she’s not interested in romance (unless it comes in the shape of a slowburn enemies-to-lovers book or a star-crossed-lovers manga). Her music is all about her favorite love stories, not her own.
After running into Kai, her estranged best friend who she hasn’t seen in two years, pictures of them together leak, and everyone assumes he’s Sasha’s muse, the “boyfriend” who broke her heart. Pressured by her label and fearing fan backlash, Sasha agrees to a PR relationship with Kai for six months - but her sense of self is put to the ultimate test. Where does she fit in a society that equates happiness with romantic love? One where even her closest friends prioritize their partners over her?
Under the guise of their faux romance, Sasha and Kai get a chance to rebuild their platonic bond and heal the wounds of their past. But when actor Asher Grish enters the scene, threatening to shake the foundation of Sasha’s PR relationship, she finds herself at a crossroads. Either she loses herself, or her career.
L.V. Peñalba’s Shapes of Love is an unforgettable story of finding the people that feel like home - even if that home isn’t what the rest of the world expects. It's not a romance, but it's most definitely a love story.
"Shapes of Love is an honest, distinctly relatable exploration of aroace identity, the entertainment industry, and what our relationships mean to each other. I felt mortifyingly seen when Sasha admitted her songs were mostly about anime and TV ships. This book was utterly unputdownable." - Ann Zhao, author of Dear Wendy
When nineteen-year-old Sasha’s first album throws her into stardom, her fans become obsessed with discovering who inspired her love songs. Except, Sasha is aroace-spec (aromantic, asexual), and she’s not interested in romance (unless it comes in the shape of a slowburn enemies-to-lovers book or a star-crossed-lovers manga). Her music is all about her favorite love stories, not her own.
After running into Kai, her estranged best friend who she hasn’t seen in two years, pictures of them together leak, and everyone assumes he’s Sasha’s muse, the “boyfriend” who broke her heart. Pressured by her label and fearing fan backlash, Sasha agrees to a PR relationship with Kai for six months - but her sense of self is put to the ultimate test. Where does she fit in a society that equates happiness with romantic love? One where even her closest friends prioritize their partners over her?
Under the guise of their faux romance, Sasha and Kai get a chance to rebuild their platonic bond and heal the wounds of their past. But when actor Asher Grish enters the scene, threatening to shake the foundation of Sasha’s PR relationship, she finds herself at a crossroads. Either she loses herself, or her career.
L.V. Peñalba’s Shapes of Love is an unforgettable story of finding the people that feel like home - even if that home isn’t what the rest of the world expects. It's not a romance, but it's most definitely a love story.
"Shapes of Love is an honest, distinctly relatable exploration of aroace identity, the entertainment industry, and what our relationships mean to each other. I felt mortifyingly seen when Sasha admitted her songs were mostly about anime and TV ships. This book was utterly unputdownable." - Ann Zhao, author of Dear Wendy
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
June 5, 2026
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!
diving into this ya aroace romance during the perfect month - pride💓🩷!
this is perfect for those who loved alice oseman's loveless, and i absolutely adored that novel. shapes of love challenges the idea that romance is the ultimate life goal and finding where you fit in when you don’t follow society’s script.
shapes of love centers around four teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, and i really wish they were more mature in their behaviors and actions with one another, instead of treating each other so childishly.
despite our mcs being rather childish, i really appreciated the aroace representation, the different kinds of family units, the struggle of cultural and sexual identity, and growing up in the media spotlight.
as for the audio, the narrator did a great job!
diving into this ya aroace romance during the perfect month - pride💓🩷!
this is perfect for those who loved alice oseman's loveless, and i absolutely adored that novel. shapes of love challenges the idea that romance is the ultimate life goal and finding where you fit in when you don’t follow society’s script.
shapes of love centers around four teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, and i really wish they were more mature in their behaviors and actions with one another, instead of treating each other so childishly.
despite our mcs being rather childish, i really appreciated the aroace representation, the different kinds of family units, the struggle of cultural and sexual identity, and growing up in the media spotlight.
as for the audio, the narrator did a great job!
June 22, 2026
3.8
*Review to come*
Pre-review comments below
MORE AROACE REP IN MEDIA NOW
*Review to come*
Pre-review comments below
MORE AROACE REP IN MEDIA NOW
Did Not Finish
April 4, 2026DNF @ 45%
The FMC is 19 going on 20, so I was hoping for something more older YA. But the tone ended up being very young YA. The plot and subplots ended up being more simplistic than I thought they'd be.
Despite that, I did love the aroace rep. I wish there were books like these when I was younger so I wouldn't feel so alone. I really hope that Sasha's situation will help teens understand that amatonormativity doesn't have to be the norm and that if they're aroace (or any flavor of aro and/or ace), they're still worthy of love and respect.
I also really liked the fame aspect of the story, especially Sasha's internal conflict when it came to being authentic vs. putting up a sanitized PR-approved version of herself for the public. The fan interaction and online comments were cute and fun.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this arc.
The FMC is 19 going on 20, so I was hoping for something more older YA. But the tone ended up being very young YA. The plot and subplots ended up being more simplistic than I thought they'd be.
Despite that, I did love the aroace rep. I wish there were books like these when I was younger so I wouldn't feel so alone. I really hope that Sasha's situation will help teens understand that amatonormativity doesn't have to be the norm and that if they're aroace (or any flavor of aro and/or ace), they're still worthy of love and respect.
I also really liked the fame aspect of the story, especially Sasha's internal conflict when it came to being authentic vs. putting up a sanitized PR-approved version of herself for the public. The fan interaction and online comments were cute and fun.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this arc.
February 17, 2026
3.75
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was super cute but definitely a little too ya for my taste. I get what it was trying to do hence my rating and i would have loved this so much more if i read it 5 years ago. I think it talked about a very important topic even thought it was a bit on the nose and predictable at times. I also think some of this was overdramatized such as everyone being in a pr relationship and the grammy speech at the end. That being said i can recognize that I am a bit older than the target audience and I think this is a great way to have aroace representation for a younger audience!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was super cute but definitely a little too ya for my taste. I get what it was trying to do hence my rating and i would have loved this so much more if i read it 5 years ago. I think it talked about a very important topic even thought it was a bit on the nose and predictable at times. I also think some of this was overdramatized such as everyone being in a pr relationship and the grammy speech at the end. That being said i can recognize that I am a bit older than the target audience and I think this is a great way to have aroace representation for a younger audience!
May 28, 2026
This was at times a hard book for me to read, and I wasn’t expecting that. At thirty-six, I feel comfortably removed from the vicissitudes of young adulthood. I thought I had put to bed the thorny doubts and dissatisfactions with which Sasha wrestles. Yet L.V. Peñalba presents some of the struggles of aroace people in such a raw, unflinching way that is so painfully relatable. My heart. I received an eARC from NetGalley and publisher Wednesday Books in return for a review.
Sasha is nineteen and unexpectedly rocketed to pop stardom on the back of her first album. She’s still adjusting to the fame of her pop persona, Sassy, when her manager bullies her into a PR romantic relationship with Kai, Sasha’s ex. It’s meant as a cover for rumours that Sasha might not be straight—might, in fact, be aromantic and asexual. The rumours happen to be true. Yet her label fears Sasha coming out would destroy her nascent fandom’s faith in her ability to speak to romantic heartbreak and loss. (They believe the songs from her first album were about her previous relationship with Kai.) And so, these two former friends and lovers embark on a fake-dating relationship that of course goes off the rails spectacularly, because why wouldn’t it?
You know me: I don’t normally go in for fake dating. A notable exception I recall is the phenomenal Honey and Spice ; Bolu Bablola really made me care about these characters. (To All the Boys is a nice honourable mention as well, but if I am being completely honest I am there for Kitty, my fictional ride or die, above all else.) So when I heard about a new book with an aroace protagonist in a fake-dating relationship, I was like, “Oh, interesting.” As I said above, however, I didn’t expect it to sink its storytelling claws into me. Yet here we are: this is a beautiful book, and I can’t stop and won’t stop thinking about it.
Sasha is such an intricately crafted character—all of the main characters are, but this is her story, so let’s focus on her. The daughter of two married lesbians, one of whom is Hispanic, Sasha has grown up in a queernormative environment. I deeply enjoy that this is not that kind of coming out story; Sasha starts the story secure in her aroace identity and having shared that with her parents, sister, and her best friends. I enjoyed the portrayal of Sasha as an all-around teenager who is sliding into adulthood in this era: the obsession with fanfic, the balancing of texts with phone and video calls, the scrolling on social media while vaguely being aware that it’s probably not a good idea to be so online. Sasha’s world is recognizable to a chronically online elder millennial like myself, yet it’s also firmly Gen Z in a way that doesn’t feel stereotypical or generalizing. Her musical career’s ascent is meteoric yet ironically realistic in this day and age, as are of course the machinations of manager Marissa. All in all, I adore Sasha, and it is this connection Peñalba forges between her and the reader that makes Shapes of Love so perfect.
See, it’s so easy for a skeptical reader like myself (especially as I have never been in a romantic relationship, fake or otherwise) to ask, “Why does she go along with it?” So easy. And while I firmly hold that every author deserves some suspension of disbelief in these situations, I also think they need to work—and Peñalba does the work. Sasha hates this PR relationship from the beginning, yet she acquiesces because Marissa knows exactly what buttons to press. Do I wish Sasha had stood up to Marissa at the beginning and said no? Of course! (Though then we would have no story.) Yet it’s believable that a label manager could convince a nineteen-year-old who knows how acephobic and arophobic our world is that a fake relationship is a better career choice than coming out.
In this way, Shapes of Love becomes a low-key commentary on the nature of fame, virality, and stardom (these three overlap but are not the same) in the 2020s. As Sasha succumbed, I found myself thinking quixotically of Taylor Swift—who is my age, and thus a millennial rather than a Gen Z, but who I think created a mould for the Gen Z stars who have followed. Swift is someone who, since she was around Sasha’s age, has never been allowed to be anything less than a polished persona created by her management (whether that is her former label, her parents, herself in concert with her team, whoever). I have this vivid memory of watching a vlog that Taylor or one of her friends posted on YouTube, back when it was young and so were we. They were backstage at someone’s concert, and they were being goofy and unguarded. It felt very genuine in a way that is almost impossible these days, where even the most “authentic” clips posted by stars are staged or scripted, as we see here in Shapes of Love. While I cannot speak from personal experience, my suspicion is that many Gen Z fans watch these inauthentic moments and know, at least subconsciously, they are fake. Gen Z fans are not any less intelligent or discerning than older fans! The demarcation exists, rather, in that many Gen Z fans (and quite a few millennials, I will grant) put that aside because the inauthenticity is the point. The performance is the price paid for the privilege of being perceived, and in our Benthamic panopticon of a society, perception is power. While the most diehard Swifties might genuinely believe Taylor is everything she seems to be on camera, I suspect most would readily agree she’s a brand first and a person second—they just think that’s OK. That’s the price of pop stardom, and many think they would be OK paying it.
Shapes of Love, then, asks the age-old question if that fame is worth it. Beyond being in the closet, beyond simply fake dating, it asks the question of whether you’d like to be a monied marionette versus a broke-but-real boy. (With all due respect to Disco Lines and Tinashe, I think the answer is the latter—but I’m saying that as someone who is rather grateful I’ve never gone viral or made any real money off being online!)
Yet for all its focus on fame, this novel always keeps Sassy’s fans at the periphery. They intrude from time to time when she seeks them out on social media. For the most part, however, this is a story about Sasha, not her pop persona, and the people who know her intimately. Nothing emphasizes this more than Asher, who when he is first introduced seems like a very one-note and shallow antagonist—until Peñalba pulls him out of the paper and into three dimensions. It’s really lovely, seeing Asher blossom into a full-throated character as Sasha gets to know him better. I wasn’t expecting to like him as much as I did.
I have probably spoiled too much, and I won’t spoil the ending. But this is the part that makes me cry. The fallout of a fake-dating plot is always a little contrived in stories like this. Again, though, Peñalba has a way of putting a fresh spin on it. I have been where Sasha has been. I’ve browsed the rolodex of relationship labels like QPR (queerplatonic). I’ve wondered what if.
And, yeah, I have worried about what it means to be alone my entire adult life.
Our entire society is built around the idea that you need romance. You need sex. You need to find someone or else. Call it amatonormativity, call it compulsory sexuality, call it what you will—it sucks. It’s every bit as nasty and pernicious a form of discrimination as the transphobia I also wrestle with—in some ways, honestly, more, because the transphobia is so overt and visible these days it is easier to battle, whereas this seeps into your pores like a coating of invisible dust, and you don’t notice it accumulating until you can barely breathe.
Shapes of Love helped me breathe.
Again, I write all this as a thirty-six-year-old who happens to have a stable career and a house of her own. I’m good. I can’t imagine struggling with all this stuff as a nineteen-year-old girl in this day and age. Well, I can now, thanks to Peñalba and Sasha.
I want this book everywhere, in stores and libraries and schools. I want aroace youth to read it. I want allo youth to read it. I want you to read it. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and healing, and despite Sasha and I having so little in common, it made me feel seen.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
Sasha is nineteen and unexpectedly rocketed to pop stardom on the back of her first album. She’s still adjusting to the fame of her pop persona, Sassy, when her manager bullies her into a PR romantic relationship with Kai, Sasha’s ex. It’s meant as a cover for rumours that Sasha might not be straight—might, in fact, be aromantic and asexual. The rumours happen to be true. Yet her label fears Sasha coming out would destroy her nascent fandom’s faith in her ability to speak to romantic heartbreak and loss. (They believe the songs from her first album were about her previous relationship with Kai.) And so, these two former friends and lovers embark on a fake-dating relationship that of course goes off the rails spectacularly, because why wouldn’t it?
You know me: I don’t normally go in for fake dating. A notable exception I recall is the phenomenal Honey and Spice ; Bolu Bablola really made me care about these characters. (To All the Boys is a nice honourable mention as well, but if I am being completely honest I am there for Kitty, my fictional ride or die, above all else.) So when I heard about a new book with an aroace protagonist in a fake-dating relationship, I was like, “Oh, interesting.” As I said above, however, I didn’t expect it to sink its storytelling claws into me. Yet here we are: this is a beautiful book, and I can’t stop and won’t stop thinking about it.
Sasha is such an intricately crafted character—all of the main characters are, but this is her story, so let’s focus on her. The daughter of two married lesbians, one of whom is Hispanic, Sasha has grown up in a queernormative environment. I deeply enjoy that this is not that kind of coming out story; Sasha starts the story secure in her aroace identity and having shared that with her parents, sister, and her best friends. I enjoyed the portrayal of Sasha as an all-around teenager who is sliding into adulthood in this era: the obsession with fanfic, the balancing of texts with phone and video calls, the scrolling on social media while vaguely being aware that it’s probably not a good idea to be so online. Sasha’s world is recognizable to a chronically online elder millennial like myself, yet it’s also firmly Gen Z in a way that doesn’t feel stereotypical or generalizing. Her musical career’s ascent is meteoric yet ironically realistic in this day and age, as are of course the machinations of manager Marissa. All in all, I adore Sasha, and it is this connection Peñalba forges between her and the reader that makes Shapes of Love so perfect.
See, it’s so easy for a skeptical reader like myself (especially as I have never been in a romantic relationship, fake or otherwise) to ask, “Why does she go along with it?” So easy. And while I firmly hold that every author deserves some suspension of disbelief in these situations, I also think they need to work—and Peñalba does the work. Sasha hates this PR relationship from the beginning, yet she acquiesces because Marissa knows exactly what buttons to press. Do I wish Sasha had stood up to Marissa at the beginning and said no? Of course! (Though then we would have no story.) Yet it’s believable that a label manager could convince a nineteen-year-old who knows how acephobic and arophobic our world is that a fake relationship is a better career choice than coming out.
In this way, Shapes of Love becomes a low-key commentary on the nature of fame, virality, and stardom (these three overlap but are not the same) in the 2020s. As Sasha succumbed, I found myself thinking quixotically of Taylor Swift—who is my age, and thus a millennial rather than a Gen Z, but who I think created a mould for the Gen Z stars who have followed. Swift is someone who, since she was around Sasha’s age, has never been allowed to be anything less than a polished persona created by her management (whether that is her former label, her parents, herself in concert with her team, whoever). I have this vivid memory of watching a vlog that Taylor or one of her friends posted on YouTube, back when it was young and so were we. They were backstage at someone’s concert, and they were being goofy and unguarded. It felt very genuine in a way that is almost impossible these days, where even the most “authentic” clips posted by stars are staged or scripted, as we see here in Shapes of Love. While I cannot speak from personal experience, my suspicion is that many Gen Z fans watch these inauthentic moments and know, at least subconsciously, they are fake. Gen Z fans are not any less intelligent or discerning than older fans! The demarcation exists, rather, in that many Gen Z fans (and quite a few millennials, I will grant) put that aside because the inauthenticity is the point. The performance is the price paid for the privilege of being perceived, and in our Benthamic panopticon of a society, perception is power. While the most diehard Swifties might genuinely believe Taylor is everything she seems to be on camera, I suspect most would readily agree she’s a brand first and a person second—they just think that’s OK. That’s the price of pop stardom, and many think they would be OK paying it.
Shapes of Love, then, asks the age-old question if that fame is worth it. Beyond being in the closet, beyond simply fake dating, it asks the question of whether you’d like to be a monied marionette versus a broke-but-real boy. (With all due respect to Disco Lines and Tinashe, I think the answer is the latter—but I’m saying that as someone who is rather grateful I’ve never gone viral or made any real money off being online!)
Yet for all its focus on fame, this novel always keeps Sassy’s fans at the periphery. They intrude from time to time when she seeks them out on social media. For the most part, however, this is a story about Sasha, not her pop persona, and the people who know her intimately. Nothing emphasizes this more than Asher, who when he is first introduced seems like a very one-note and shallow antagonist—until Peñalba pulls him out of the paper and into three dimensions. It’s really lovely, seeing Asher blossom into a full-throated character as Sasha gets to know him better. I wasn’t expecting to like him as much as I did.
I have probably spoiled too much, and I won’t spoil the ending. But this is the part that makes me cry. The fallout of a fake-dating plot is always a little contrived in stories like this. Again, though, Peñalba has a way of putting a fresh spin on it. I have been where Sasha has been. I’ve browsed the rolodex of relationship labels like QPR (queerplatonic). I’ve wondered what if.
And, yeah, I have worried about what it means to be alone my entire adult life.
Our entire society is built around the idea that you need romance. You need sex. You need to find someone or else. Call it amatonormativity, call it compulsory sexuality, call it what you will—it sucks. It’s every bit as nasty and pernicious a form of discrimination as the transphobia I also wrestle with—in some ways, honestly, more, because the transphobia is so overt and visible these days it is easier to battle, whereas this seeps into your pores like a coating of invisible dust, and you don’t notice it accumulating until you can barely breathe.
Shapes of Love helped me breathe.
Again, I write all this as a thirty-six-year-old who happens to have a stable career and a house of her own. I’m good. I can’t imagine struggling with all this stuff as a nineteen-year-old girl in this day and age. Well, I can now, thanks to Peñalba and Sasha.
I want this book everywhere, in stores and libraries and schools. I want aroace youth to read it. I want allo youth to read it. I want you to read it. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and healing, and despite Sasha and I having so little in common, it made me feel seen.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
June 8, 2026
*4.5 Stars!*
THIS BOOK SURPRISED ME SO HARD AND I'M STILL CRYING!!!
So, when I started this, I was expecting a story about a young pop start navigating fame, public/fan expectations and relationships. Those elements are definitely present, but this book is so, so much more than that! It's a thoughtful and emotional exploration of identity, friendship, self-acceptance and all the different forms love can take.
One of my favorite things about this book was how much I learned while reading it. Sasha's journey introduced me to perspectives/experiences I wasn't very familiar with, and I really appreciated how much care was put into those conversations. I also loved that it left me wanting to learn more! I love books that can entertain me while also encouraging me to think more deeply about the world and the people around me and this book 100000% accomplished that.
What stood out most to me, though, was the way the story explores love beyond just romantic love. Friendship, family, self-love, acceptance, belonging, and finding people who really understand you all play such a significant part in this book. The relationships felt so authentic and so layered and made me so emotional! There were multiple moments that made me laugh, parts that frustrated me, and I cried more than once (even though I tried really hard not to!!!).
The music industry aspect of the story was really fun, too! Watching Sasha deal with fame, fan expectation, how the public sees her, and all the pressure she feels to fit into a narrative that others created for her was kind of addicting. It all added another exciting layer to the story!
I did immersive reading for this and the audiobook was excellent! The narrator did such a good job bringing the characters to life and I never had any issues or confusion with distinguishing who was speaking. I listened to all of the audiobook at faster speeds (50% @ 2.5x and 50% @ 3x) and the narration was always very clear and easy to follow. Hearing the Spanish parts aloud was amazing because I am definitely someone who tends to get stuck trying to figure out pronunciations while reading!
This whole experience was honestly so deeply meaningful. I just know these characters and the themes, emotional depth and overall message are going to stick with me for a long time. This is definitely not a traditional romance, but it is, like the tagline says, absolutely a love story! And a beautiful one. It's a love story about understanding yourself, finding your people and recognizing that love can 100% come in so many different forms.
Thank you soooo much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC!
THIS BOOK SURPRISED ME SO HARD AND I'M STILL CRYING!!!
So, when I started this, I was expecting a story about a young pop start navigating fame, public/fan expectations and relationships. Those elements are definitely present, but this book is so, so much more than that! It's a thoughtful and emotional exploration of identity, friendship, self-acceptance and all the different forms love can take.
One of my favorite things about this book was how much I learned while reading it. Sasha's journey introduced me to perspectives/experiences I wasn't very familiar with, and I really appreciated how much care was put into those conversations. I also loved that it left me wanting to learn more! I love books that can entertain me while also encouraging me to think more deeply about the world and the people around me and this book 100000% accomplished that.
What stood out most to me, though, was the way the story explores love beyond just romantic love. Friendship, family, self-love, acceptance, belonging, and finding people who really understand you all play such a significant part in this book. The relationships felt so authentic and so layered and made me so emotional! There were multiple moments that made me laugh, parts that frustrated me, and I cried more than once (even though I tried really hard not to!!!).
The music industry aspect of the story was really fun, too! Watching Sasha deal with fame, fan expectation, how the public sees her, and all the pressure she feels to fit into a narrative that others created for her was kind of addicting. It all added another exciting layer to the story!
I did immersive reading for this and the audiobook was excellent! The narrator did such a good job bringing the characters to life and I never had any issues or confusion with distinguishing who was speaking. I listened to all of the audiobook at faster speeds (50% @ 2.5x and 50% @ 3x) and the narration was always very clear and easy to follow. Hearing the Spanish parts aloud was amazing because I am definitely someone who tends to get stuck trying to figure out pronunciations while reading!
This whole experience was honestly so deeply meaningful. I just know these characters and the themes, emotional depth and overall message are going to stick with me for a long time. This is definitely not a traditional romance, but it is, like the tagline says, absolutely a love story! And a beautiful one. It's a love story about understanding yourself, finding your people and recognizing that love can 100% come in so many different forms.
Thank you soooo much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC!
June 2, 2026
More acearo stories now please and thank you!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was so beautiful and the representation was amazing!! The main character has you rooting for her the whole way as she learns more about herself and how to live as her self. It is on the slower side, but that's to be expected of a contemporary and definitely worth it. I feel it teaches many great lessons and will have the reader looking into themselves and understanding more about how humans are. I also love that is calls out people's weird parasocial relationships with celebrities, so much. Though Sasha is the lead and amazing, I think everyone should read for Kai!!
May 19, 2026
"Society makes us think love is a monolith you fit into. When, in reality, love is a shapeless thing. You don't fit into it. It fits you. You can mold it, you know? Love. You can mold it so that it fits you."
Shapes of Love follows nineteen-year-old Sasha, an aromantic asexual popstar who recently launched into stardom off her debut album. When photos of Sasha and her ex-boyfriend Kai leak, she begins a PR relationship with him to cover up rumors about her sexuality and the person who’s her “muse.”
As an aromantic asexual person, I loved the representation in this book! There’s so much value in a coming-of-age story about how friendships are just as meaningful and fulfilling as romantic relationships. Sasha’s relationships with Kai, Mia, Asher, and Shirley show that friendship takes effort (and love!) to maintain—even if they don’t always understand the unique lived experience of aromanticism and asexuality. I would’ve loved to have a book like this when I was a teen!
My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. I enjoyed the character development between Kai, Asher, and Sasha, but I was checked out sometimes at the lack of real conflict for a whole chunk of the book. Conflict boils over right at the end without Sasha unpacking her feelings on how two people close to her reveal how they perceive her and her identity.
Overall, I loved how unique this popstar/PR relationship premise was for an aroace story! Shapes of Love is a charming coming of age about loving in your own way outside of society’s mold.
Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!
Shapes of Love follows nineteen-year-old Sasha, an aromantic asexual popstar who recently launched into stardom off her debut album. When photos of Sasha and her ex-boyfriend Kai leak, she begins a PR relationship with him to cover up rumors about her sexuality and the person who’s her “muse.”
As an aromantic asexual person, I loved the representation in this book! There’s so much value in a coming-of-age story about how friendships are just as meaningful and fulfilling as romantic relationships. Sasha’s relationships with Kai, Mia, Asher, and Shirley show that friendship takes effort (and love!) to maintain—even if they don’t always understand the unique lived experience of aromanticism and asexuality. I would’ve loved to have a book like this when I was a teen!
My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. I enjoyed the character development between Kai, Asher, and Sasha, but I was checked out sometimes at the lack of real conflict for a whole chunk of the book. Conflict boils over right at the end without Sasha unpacking her feelings on how two people close to her reveal how they perceive her and her identity.
Overall, I loved how unique this popstar/PR relationship premise was for an aroace story! Shapes of Love is a charming coming of age about loving in your own way outside of society’s mold.
Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!
June 12, 2026
5 Stars
This book is good. It's really good. It perfectly captures that sense of nostalgia you get right on the cusp of adulthood, when you know the memories you're making are ones you'll always have to look back on (and won't ever be able to return to). It's always nice to find aro or ace spec rep, since it is so hard to find, and it is even better when that representation is so complex and nuanced. This book isn't afraid to ask hard questions or to voice the fear of loneliness in a world designed for romantic love. It's a book of messy feelings and hard coming-of-age problems, and it was such a good read.
But that's enough for now. I've got more to say, but that's all over in my full review, available now at Gateway Reviews. If you feel so inclined, do stop by!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
This book is good. It's really good. It perfectly captures that sense of nostalgia you get right on the cusp of adulthood, when you know the memories you're making are ones you'll always have to look back on (and won't ever be able to return to). It's always nice to find aro or ace spec rep, since it is so hard to find, and it is even better when that representation is so complex and nuanced. This book isn't afraid to ask hard questions or to voice the fear of loneliness in a world designed for romantic love. It's a book of messy feelings and hard coming-of-age problems, and it was such a good read.
But that's enough for now. I've got more to say, but that's all over in my full review, available now at Gateway Reviews. If you feel so inclined, do stop by!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
June 17, 2026
I really really enjoyed this one. I yearn for more aroace stories and this was so good.
Sometimes I dislike fame stories but actually ended up really enjoying this. We have our main character Sasha who kind of became an overnight sensation in the musical world and after she accidentally likes a post speculating about her being aroace her agent schemes up this PR dating romance to hide her sexuality.
Just so happens that her PR romance is with her former best friend who she dated in high school and they had a falling out. We were then introduced to her best friend as well as a fellow actor on a TV show that she gets a spat in and the actor, Sasha, and her PR boyfriend all form a really strong friendship. Her best friend Mia plays kind of a secondary role but ultimately plays a big role as well.
I really enjoyed specifically the take on what a QPR can look like and how important it is to be true to yourself while also navigating the ins and outs of coming out as a public person.
Overall I just really loved it.
Sometimes I dislike fame stories but actually ended up really enjoying this. We have our main character Sasha who kind of became an overnight sensation in the musical world and after she accidentally likes a post speculating about her being aroace her agent schemes up this PR dating romance to hide her sexuality.
Just so happens that her PR romance is with her former best friend who she dated in high school and they had a falling out. We were then introduced to her best friend as well as a fellow actor on a TV show that she gets a spat in and the actor, Sasha, and her PR boyfriend all form a really strong friendship. Her best friend Mia plays kind of a secondary role but ultimately plays a big role as well.
I really enjoyed specifically the take on what a QPR can look like and how important it is to be true to yourself while also navigating the ins and outs of coming out as a public person.
Overall I just really loved it.
May 22, 2026
I didn’t realize how much I needed this book. Aroace rep is still not easy to find in fiction, but the handful of books that do exist always leave me feeling bittersweet and emotional.
At first I wasn’t sure if I’d love this book because I don’t care for the whole TikTok star to celebrity pipeline lol, but tbh while Sasha/Sassy’s job is a focus of this book, it doesn’t overpower the relationships between the characters.
I loved loved loved her relationship with Kai so much. I’ve highlighted so many quotes from this book, but I think I’ll always remember this one:
I want to be the person you come home to.
I was wary of Asher at first, but he also grew on me and just the relationship between him and Kai and Sasha was so good.
Mia was a complex character compared to the others and it was interesting to see her and Sasha slowly going in different directions, but at the same time realizing their flaws and how much they still care for each other. Their fight was slightly triggering for me however, and I really felt for Sasha in that scene when she feels so hurt about Mia’s comments and unsure if she can trust her.
The ending of this book almost made me cry. I wish society could be like this and it was just normal and accepted. Platonic soulmates should be a thing and being aroace shouldn’t automatically mean you have to be alone forever. Love isn’t just romantic and romantic love isn’t superior to other forms of love.
The future Sasha was imagining with her and Kai and Asher was so beautiful. It’s a life we all deserve.
At first I wasn’t sure if I’d love this book because I don’t care for the whole TikTok star to celebrity pipeline lol, but tbh while Sasha/Sassy’s job is a focus of this book, it doesn’t overpower the relationships between the characters.
I loved loved loved her relationship with Kai so much. I’ve highlighted so many quotes from this book, but I think I’ll always remember this one:
I want to be the person you come home to.
I was wary of Asher at first, but he also grew on me and just the relationship between him and Kai and Sasha was so good.
Mia was a complex character compared to the others and it was interesting to see her and Sasha slowly going in different directions, but at the same time realizing their flaws and how much they still care for each other. Their fight was slightly triggering for me however, and I really felt for Sasha in that scene when she feels so hurt about Mia’s comments and unsure if she can trust her.
The ending of this book almost made me cry. I wish society could be like this and it was just normal and accepted. Platonic soulmates should be a thing and being aroace shouldn’t automatically mean you have to be alone forever. Love isn’t just romantic and romantic love isn’t superior to other forms of love.
The future Sasha was imagining with her and Kai and Asher was so beautiful. It’s a life we all deserve.
Read
January 19, 2026oh this was amazing - hilarious, wonderful aroace representation and so important, I swung between crying and cackling at the anime references (shout out to Levi Ackerman's Cravat) and 'Friday' aka Wednesday lol
A YA contemporary about an aroace TikTok singer that's blown up into fame, and the love story she feels like she has to fake. Or does she?
(Disclaimer I work for PRH!)
A YA contemporary about an aroace TikTok singer that's blown up into fame, and the love story she feels like she has to fake. Or does she?
(Disclaimer I work for PRH!)
June 9, 2026
I heard a quote once that middle grade books allow readers to learn about the world around them and young adult books allow readers to learn about themselves.
Maybe not always true, but it is for this book. I hope the teens that read it know that they are not broken.
Maybe not always true, but it is for this book. I hope the teens that read it know that they are not broken.
May 19, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is such an important book! I don’t see a lot of aroace representation in novels, so I love to see when it is written about!
This was a little too YA for me. Some of it was cheesy, and that is okay, but it is more for a middle grade or high school reader.
It took a little too long to set the book up as well. I get there needs to be build up of the characters and what is going on, but it dragged too much for me.
It was a little hard for me to get into this book sadly. I think the characters just fell slightly flat, even though I didn’t really dislike any of the main characters.
I related to Sasha in so many ways! The conversations she had with some people were so frustrating to read about, because that is how people react when you mention you are asexual or aromantic. They prioritize romantic love way more, and act like being single or wanting to be single is the worst thing in the world. I didn’t relate to everything she was feeling, but I saw a lot of myself in her!
Mia really got me mad, especially the things she said to Sasha, but I am glad they worked it out. She did annoy me for a lot of the book. Especially because I know someone who is very similar to her; who makes men’s feelings of higher importance than a woman’s/friend’s feelings. It irritates me to no end when people do that, so it was frustrating to read.
Marissa was the worst too. Sasha should have fired her a long time ago with all the comments she made.
Once Asher came into the picture, the book picked up a lot more, but I still found myself bored through many parts of it. A lot of it was very repetitive, and I never really cared that much for the plot.
I really like who Asher ended up with, I was rooting for them from the beginning. I loved his friendship with Sasha.
Kai and Sasha’s friendship was very sweet! I wish I cared a little more, but I am glad they had each other! I like the theme of friendship love is just as important, if not more important than romantic love.
This is a pretty cute book, but I don’t know if I would go out of my way to read it. I liked a lot of the representation it had in there, I just wish the story was a little stronger.
This is such an important book! I don’t see a lot of aroace representation in novels, so I love to see when it is written about!
This was a little too YA for me. Some of it was cheesy, and that is okay, but it is more for a middle grade or high school reader.
It took a little too long to set the book up as well. I get there needs to be build up of the characters and what is going on, but it dragged too much for me.
It was a little hard for me to get into this book sadly. I think the characters just fell slightly flat, even though I didn’t really dislike any of the main characters.
I related to Sasha in so many ways! The conversations she had with some people were so frustrating to read about, because that is how people react when you mention you are asexual or aromantic. They prioritize romantic love way more, and act like being single or wanting to be single is the worst thing in the world. I didn’t relate to everything she was feeling, but I saw a lot of myself in her!
Mia really got me mad, especially the things she said to Sasha, but I am glad they worked it out. She did annoy me for a lot of the book. Especially because I know someone who is very similar to her; who makes men’s feelings of higher importance than a woman’s/friend’s feelings. It irritates me to no end when people do that, so it was frustrating to read.
Marissa was the worst too. Sasha should have fired her a long time ago with all the comments she made.
Once Asher came into the picture, the book picked up a lot more, but I still found myself bored through many parts of it. A lot of it was very repetitive, and I never really cared that much for the plot.
I really like who Asher ended up with, I was rooting for them from the beginning. I loved his friendship with Sasha.
Kai and Sasha’s friendship was very sweet! I wish I cared a little more, but I am glad they had each other! I like the theme of friendship love is just as important, if not more important than romantic love.
This is a pretty cute book, but I don’t know if I would go out of my way to read it. I liked a lot of the representation it had in there, I just wish the story was a little stronger.
June 12, 2026
Kdyby Hannah Montana a knížky Alice Oseman měly dítě, byla by to tahle kniha - a já to miluju. Líbila se mi reprezentace queer postav i zpracování toho, jak protagonistka přijímá svoji aroace identitu. Ale jinak to byla taková showbiz pohádka, no. 😅
⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 21, 2026
This book broke my heart and then put it back together again. And I loved every second of it.
I loved the aroace rep. I loved all of the queer rep actually. It was handled so beautifully and with such a delicate hand and I could tell it came from a place of care. Reading queer books from queer authors who share that identity just hits different and this book is a clear example why.
Sasha was amazing. I loved who she was and seeing her grow into the person she wanted to be. I loved that even when she questioned herself, she knew her identity was true so the reader never had to question that part of who she was.
The love story in this was gorgeous. I loved that love could mean different things and didn’t have to be just romantic love. It was so lovely to see friendship be treated just as meaningfully as romantic love.
Overall this book was incredible and was a clear love letter to queer readers who need a book like this.
I loved the aroace rep. I loved all of the queer rep actually. It was handled so beautifully and with such a delicate hand and I could tell it came from a place of care. Reading queer books from queer authors who share that identity just hits different and this book is a clear example why.
Sasha was amazing. I loved who she was and seeing her grow into the person she wanted to be. I loved that even when she questioned herself, she knew her identity was true so the reader never had to question that part of who she was.
The love story in this was gorgeous. I loved that love could mean different things and didn’t have to be just romantic love. It was so lovely to see friendship be treated just as meaningfully as romantic love.
Overall this book was incredible and was a clear love letter to queer readers who need a book like this.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
[I received an ARC via a Goodreads Giveaway: this does not effect my scoring or review of this book]
This book was unfortunately a massive disappointed as an aromantic person AND someone who has been searching for more queerplatonic representation.
If you can’t tell by my embarrassing start and finish times: I found this book a slough. So little happens until the final fifty pages, where so much happens back to back there’s no emotional impact:
Characterization and character relationships… erghh… not a lot going for this book in these categories either. I forgot Asher’s name in the last paragraph and typed Asher instead. Kai is a Gary Stu incarnate: I actually can’t think of a character flaw besides his actions at the ending. Mia is actually the most interesting character, probably because she has flaws! Who would’ve thought! Character relationships (expect for Sasha and Mia’s!!!! I’m sensing a pattern!!!) are a-lot of show-don’t-tell, which is kinda also how the description reads in general. I can think of multiple paragraphs that go: “Me and Kai talked about [thing], going on a tangent and being our natural selves. The audience saw our natural chemistry!” instead of… putting the effort into writing a dynamic conversation between two characters that are supposed to be in love.
About the ending:
The queer representation was alright, although I found the way every term and orientation being explained comical. You’re telling me the aroace protagonist doesn’t understand the concept of polyamory and we need a paragraph explaining to the reader what it is??? Pleaseeee. But one of the high parts of the book was Mia’s thoughts on her identity and fear of being alone because she’s aromantic: it felt realistic and relatable as an aromantic person.
Overall, I found the book dull, which was upsetting. But I think alot of my problems come down it being YA, which is maybe a sign I’m outgrowing the genre :( Dunno! But I’m glad for aromantic and queerplatonic representation overall, even if I personally didn’t enjoy this book.
This book was unfortunately a massive disappointed as an aromantic person AND someone who has been searching for more queerplatonic representation.
If you can’t tell by my embarrassing start and finish times: I found this book a slough. So little happens until the final fifty pages, where so much happens back to back there’s no emotional impact:
Characterization and character relationships… erghh… not a lot going for this book in these categories either. I forgot Asher’s name in the last paragraph and typed Asher instead. Kai is a Gary Stu incarnate: I actually can’t think of a character flaw besides his actions at the ending. Mia is actually the most interesting character, probably because she has flaws! Who would’ve thought! Character relationships (expect for Sasha and Mia’s!!!! I’m sensing a pattern!!!) are a-lot of show-don’t-tell, which is kinda also how the description reads in general. I can think of multiple paragraphs that go: “Me and Kai talked about [thing], going on a tangent and being our natural selves. The audience saw our natural chemistry!” instead of… putting the effort into writing a dynamic conversation between two characters that are supposed to be in love.
About the ending:
The queer representation was alright, although I found the way every term and orientation being explained comical. You’re telling me the aroace protagonist doesn’t understand the concept of polyamory and we need a paragraph explaining to the reader what it is??? Pleaseeee. But one of the high parts of the book was Mia’s thoughts on her identity and fear of being alone because she’s aromantic: it felt realistic and relatable as an aromantic person.
Overall, I found the book dull, which was upsetting. But I think alot of my problems come down it being YA, which is maybe a sign I’m outgrowing the genre :( Dunno! But I’m glad for aromantic and queerplatonic representation overall, even if I personally didn’t enjoy this book.
May 21, 2026
Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was SO refreshing to see aromantic and asexual rep in a novel. I feel like it’s SO rare.
All of this felt very realistic. The parasocial relationships between fans and the artist they admire, the PR/reputation-obsessed manager, the drama in a tight-knit friend group. I loved that Sasha wrote her songs inspired by anime and other stories she loved, and it was cool to see her starting to figure out her autism diagnosis.
I also loved Asher’s character, his relationship with Kai, the Wednesday knockoff show Friday—so many things!
This was a fun, wholesome read that I think will make a lot of people feel seen.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
All of this felt very realistic. The parasocial relationships between fans and the artist they admire, the PR/reputation-obsessed manager, the drama in a tight-knit friend group. I loved that Sasha wrote her songs inspired by anime and other stories she loved, and it was cool to see her starting to figure out her autism diagnosis.
I also loved Asher’s character, his relationship with Kai, the Wednesday knockoff show Friday—so many things!
This was a fun, wholesome read that I think will make a lot of people feel seen.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2026
Ohh this one hit home for me!
I absolutely love the message of this book. As an aromantic asexual person, it's still incredibly hard to find books where I can see myself in. I loved the way Sasha was portrayed, as an aroace popstar who writes her songs inspired by anime. I loved the way the story explored different kinds of love, including a central QPR (queerplatonic relationship).
The parts where Sasha spent time reconnecting with Kai, and later befriending Asher as well, felt the most special to me. They had such a wonderful bond, and if anything, I would have liked to see more of it. I especially would have liked to see more of them together at the end of the book.
At the same time, because the book hit so close to home for me, the conflict and the ways Sasha gets invalidated by her friend and by her manager, felt really difficult to read. I do however think it's important that this was shown, and I think it was handled well.
Things clicked into place even more for me when it was mentioned by the end that Sasha might be autistic!
I absolutely love the message of this book. As an aromantic asexual person, it's still incredibly hard to find books where I can see myself in. I loved the way Sasha was portrayed, as an aroace popstar who writes her songs inspired by anime. I loved the way the story explored different kinds of love, including a central QPR (queerplatonic relationship).
The parts where Sasha spent time reconnecting with Kai, and later befriending Asher as well, felt the most special to me. They had such a wonderful bond, and if anything, I would have liked to see more of it. I especially would have liked to see more of them together at the end of the book.
At the same time, because the book hit so close to home for me, the conflict and the ways Sasha gets invalidated by her friend and by her manager, felt really difficult to read. I do however think it's important that this was shown, and I think it was handled well.
Things clicked into place even more for me when it was mentioned by the end that Sasha might be autistic!
June 3, 2026
I stumbled across Shapes of Love at my local bookstore. I am not sure what drew me to this book, but as soon as I saw that it had aroace rep, I knew I needed to read it.
At its heart, Shapes of Love is about what it means to be aroace in our society. I appreciate the way that Peñalba addresses the challenges that aroace (and other queer folks) face when they choose to live true to themselves.
For Sasha, she is forced to hide who she is because her manager convinces her that no one will care about her music if it’s not about romantic love. Sasha is lead to believe that she has to play the role of a straight person, or her career will cease to exist. This broke my heart.
I am glad that Sasha has supportive people in her life: (Kai, Asher, Shirley, Mia, Sonia, her moms, and her true fans) who allow her to be true to herself. With their support, Sasha realizes that she can be herself, and she does not need to hide behind her identity as Sassy anymore.
This was not always an easy book to read. Many of Sasha’s feelings about herself and her aroace-ness hit close to home. But, I love how honest this book is; there is no sugar coating about the reality of being aroace. It’s a deeply moving story that will (hopefully) inspire positive discussion both in the a-spec and broader LGBTQIA2S+ communities, as well as those outside of these communities.
At its heart, Shapes of Love is about what it means to be aroace in our society. I appreciate the way that Peñalba addresses the challenges that aroace (and other queer folks) face when they choose to live true to themselves.
For Sasha, she is forced to hide who she is because her manager convinces her that no one will care about her music if it’s not about romantic love. Sasha is lead to believe that she has to play the role of a straight person, or her career will cease to exist. This broke my heart.
I am glad that Sasha has supportive people in her life: (Kai, Asher, Shirley, Mia, Sonia, her moms, and her true fans) who allow her to be true to herself. With their support, Sasha realizes that she can be herself, and she does not need to hide behind her identity as Sassy anymore.
This was not always an easy book to read. Many of Sasha’s feelings about herself and her aroace-ness hit close to home. But, I love how honest this book is; there is no sugar coating about the reality of being aroace. It’s a deeply moving story that will (hopefully) inspire positive discussion both in the a-spec and broader LGBTQIA2S+ communities, as well as those outside of these communities.
June 9, 2026
I loved the aromantic representation in this book! I also liked how you watched Kai and Asher fall in love with each. Also I liked the realistic of how famous people feel like when they are portrayed with a particular persona and the pressure they feel when they show the real them. And I can’t imagine how scary it feels for them when fans say they had let everybody down. and those said fans say “they were just pretending and leading me on.” we need to stop putting people on pedestals and think they will be our antidote to our problems. We have seen it happen countless times.
June 28, 2026
The characters being 19-21 made me think that this would be new adult level of writing, it was not and I'm not the target audience for this level of writing anymore but I really enjoyed reading this. We need more stories about aroace characters and I'm glad that this is one of them.
July 7, 2026
SHAPES OF LOVE by LV Peñalba follows an aroace popstar whose songs are inspired by anime, and the fake dating scheme that leads her to discover love and belonging in ways that have nothing to do with romance.
It's a great coming-of-age novel that explores:
- Aromantic asexual identity
- Music, fandom, and geek culture
- Challenging the idea that romance is life's ultimate goal
- Queerplatonic relationships
- Finding your found family
This isn't a romance but it is a beautiful story about love in all its forms, identity, friendship, and embracing who you are.
It's the aroace love story we've been waiting for since Loveless!
It's a great coming-of-age novel that explores:
- Aromantic asexual identity
- Music, fandom, and geek culture
- Challenging the idea that romance is life's ultimate goal
- Queerplatonic relationships
- Finding your found family
This isn't a romance but it is a beautiful story about love in all its forms, identity, friendship, and embracing who you are.
It's the aroace love story we've been waiting for since Loveless!
June 8, 2026
As someone who is aroace, I’m always on the hunt for aroace rep. It’s rare to feel so seen, and special to see so many different forms of love and friendship in this book.
June 3, 2026
I found this book really entertaining and appreciated the exploration of the aroace identity. I like that this book wasn't specifically a "coming out" (or coming to understand one's identity) story, though Sasha'a identity informed every part of her journey. The fact that it was about being your authentic self and navigating societal expectations around that made Shapes of Love really universal.
June 3, 2026
Great voice. Important messages. Loved it.
May 22, 2026
I was just scrolling Libby looking for a new audiobook when I discovered this gem. This is the first time I’ve read a book right when it released and it’s the authors first book. If I have one thing to say it’s that I will be reading and supporting everything L.V Peñalba releases. This story was a beautiful piece of self acceptance and found family. I related a lot to the characters in this story and I love how the author explores the concept of platonic soulmates. Love comes in all shapes and it’s not always romantic love. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand the ace spectrum or just anyone who loves the found family trope.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for providing en eARC in exchange for a honest review.
Sasha has been a famous Grammy nominated pop star for 2 years but she has never forgotten where she came from, and the important people in her life. All her fans think her album was written about her own personal love life, but Sasha really gains inspiration from her favourite fictional characters. After she almost put herself as aroace she reconnects with her estranged best friend from high school Kai.
Kai and Sasha are photographed together and the media pushes the narrative of them being together. Sasha’s team pushes her to stay in the closet and date Kai for PR to save her image. They both agree as it will give them time to rebuild their friendship and protect Sasha’s privacy. Things get complicated when insecurities about Sasha’s place in the world are brought up, and when Kai starts to fall for someone from Sasha’s world.
I truly think this was a beautiful exploration of the power of platonic love. A lot of society is driven by romantic love, and that love is valued more than other types of love. Sasha’s struggle with feeling loved and valued in a world that views her as broken and confused was so emotional, I really related to her. The pacing of this book is where I struggled, but overall this was a lovely read.
Sasha has been a famous Grammy nominated pop star for 2 years but she has never forgotten where she came from, and the important people in her life. All her fans think her album was written about her own personal love life, but Sasha really gains inspiration from her favourite fictional characters. After she almost put herself as aroace she reconnects with her estranged best friend from high school Kai.
Kai and Sasha are photographed together and the media pushes the narrative of them being together. Sasha’s team pushes her to stay in the closet and date Kai for PR to save her image. They both agree as it will give them time to rebuild their friendship and protect Sasha’s privacy. Things get complicated when insecurities about Sasha’s place in the world are brought up, and when Kai starts to fall for someone from Sasha’s world.
I truly think this was a beautiful exploration of the power of platonic love. A lot of society is driven by romantic love, and that love is valued more than other types of love. Sasha’s struggle with feeling loved and valued in a world that views her as broken and confused was so emotional, I really related to her. The pacing of this book is where I struggled, but overall this was a lovely read.
May 25, 2026
Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy; all thoughts are my own.
📖 Book Review 📖 Do you remember your dream for your life as your high school self? It seems like a million years away. But one lucky girl is living so many dreams as her reality, becoming a Grammy nominee at the age of nineteen. But the price of fame comes with a cost and Sasha often forgets where her real life ends and her persona, Sassy begins. And in a world that continues to be obsessed with the love life of A-listers, Sasha feels pressure on both personal and professional levels. And while she wants to live her authentic life as an individual on the aromantic, asexual spectrum, it’s not so easy when her music and image rely on selling romance.
Shapes of Love is a beautiful, tender coming of age story that reminds us that love exists in so many forms. L.V. Peñalba evokes those feelings of anxiety and uncertainty that comes with those transformative years but layers it with dynamic characters and powerful messages. Shapes of Love is a raw and relatable young adult story that celebrates hope and resilience with the embrace of an accepting community that we all deserve.
📖 Book Review 📖 Do you remember your dream for your life as your high school self? It seems like a million years away. But one lucky girl is living so many dreams as her reality, becoming a Grammy nominee at the age of nineteen. But the price of fame comes with a cost and Sasha often forgets where her real life ends and her persona, Sassy begins. And in a world that continues to be obsessed with the love life of A-listers, Sasha feels pressure on both personal and professional levels. And while she wants to live her authentic life as an individual on the aromantic, asexual spectrum, it’s not so easy when her music and image rely on selling romance.
Shapes of Love is a beautiful, tender coming of age story that reminds us that love exists in so many forms. L.V. Peñalba evokes those feelings of anxiety and uncertainty that comes with those transformative years but layers it with dynamic characters and powerful messages. Shapes of Love is a raw and relatable young adult story that celebrates hope and resilience with the embrace of an accepting community that we all deserve.
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