What do you think?
Rate this book
Doppelbänger
Taking self-love to a whole new dimension…
August Blackthorne:
Pitifully broke? Check.
Fresh from a messy breakup? Check.
The apparent object of some weirdo stalker’s affection? Unfortunately, also check.
But everything changes when I finally get the chance to confront the guy who’s been terrorising me, only to discover that he’s actually… me. From a parallel universe. A smarter, more confident, sexy quantum physicist version of me.
And for some reason, he wants my help.
You’d think a super genius like him could find a better way to say hi, wouldn’t you?
August Blackthorne (the other one):
This was supposed to be simple: find the version of me in this reality, put our two genius brains together, and fix the problem I’ve created. Only this August isn’t a quantum physicist like I am. He’s a body-building, music-loving, karate-teaching absolute sweetheart.
And I’m falling hard for him. The kind of hard that could destroy the universe. Because unless we can find a way to undo this mess, his whole existence will be torn apart, atom by atom, him included.
But when he finds out who I really am, and what I’ve done, I know he’ll never want to see me again.
How am I supposed to save the universe when doing it will destroy the one person I truly care about?
Doppelbänger is the mind-bending, world-ending, utterly outrageous, action-packed, spicy sci-fi MM rom-com of your most warped daydreams. The ultimate story of self-love, weird science, and romance that defies the barriers of time and space, HEA guaranteed.
August Blackthorne:
Pitifully broke? Check.
Fresh from a messy breakup? Check.
The apparent object of some weirdo stalker’s affection? Unfortunately, also check.
But everything changes when I finally get the chance to confront the guy who’s been terrorising me, only to discover that he’s actually… me. From a parallel universe. A smarter, more confident, sexy quantum physicist version of me.
And for some reason, he wants my help.
You’d think a super genius like him could find a better way to say hi, wouldn’t you?
August Blackthorne (the other one):
This was supposed to be simple: find the version of me in this reality, put our two genius brains together, and fix the problem I’ve created. Only this August isn’t a quantum physicist like I am. He’s a body-building, music-loving, karate-teaching absolute sweetheart.
And I’m falling hard for him. The kind of hard that could destroy the universe. Because unless we can find a way to undo this mess, his whole existence will be torn apart, atom by atom, him included.
But when he finds out who I really am, and what I’ve done, I know he’ll never want to see me again.
How am I supposed to save the universe when doing it will destroy the one person I truly care about?
Doppelbänger is the mind-bending, world-ending, utterly outrageous, action-packed, spicy sci-fi MM rom-com of your most warped daydreams. The ultimate story of self-love, weird science, and romance that defies the barriers of time and space, HEA guaranteed.
510 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2026
About the author
W.H. Lockwood
18 books297 followersAuthor of the Endymion College series, W. H. Lockwood writes gothic romance, MM action-romance, historical fiction, dark academia and cosy horror.
Raised on a diet of teen horror books and Pepsi, only willing to leave her den to attend chess club at public school, W.H. Lockwood started writing at a young age and has kept this passion throughout her life.
Always a voracious reader, she obtained an undergraduate degree in literary studies from a gorgeous sandstone university, following that with a masters in publishing and editing, then a masters in astronomy, thus uniting her two great loves of the arts and science, leaving her utterly unqualified to cope with the real world.
These days, W.H. Lockwood can often be found aimlessly wandering the coffee shops and bookstores of the beautiful city she calls home.
Raised on a diet of teen horror books and Pepsi, only willing to leave her den to attend chess club at public school, W.H. Lockwood started writing at a young age and has kept this passion throughout her life.
Always a voracious reader, she obtained an undergraduate degree in literary studies from a gorgeous sandstone university, following that with a masters in publishing and editing, then a masters in astronomy, thus uniting her two great loves of the arts and science, leaving her utterly unqualified to cope with the real world.
These days, W.H. Lockwood can often be found aimlessly wandering the coffee shops and bookstores of the beautiful city she calls home.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 797 reviews
August 3, 2026
MASTURBATION PRO MAX? MASTURBATION 2.0? SELF MASTURBATION?
IT'S NOT INCEST BECAUSE WE ARE THE SAME PERSON AND NOT BROTHERS? RIGHT?
Okay, so the concept is odd.
Man meets himself from a different dimension.
The romance is odd.
Man fucks himself from different dimension.
The plot was odd.
Man from different dimension is trying to save dimensions from all imploding?
THE RESOLUTION OF THIS BOOK????? YOU GUESSED IT! ABSOLUTELY FUCKING ODD!
I had fun, this is a very unserious read.
The writing is good.
There is plot and it isn't just a smut filled bore fest.
The smut was good when it was going down.
BUT LUSTY THOUGHTS CAN FUCK ALL THE WAY OFF.
WHAT HAPPENED TO HELLO?
This could have been a 5 star read if this book removed STUPID FUCKING LUSTY THOUGHTS and just focussed on a growing love between these two.
But the lusty thoughts..... over a man who is ultimately..... you in a different font.... when the world is in crisis, was stupid af.
Why the fuck would lust-fueled thoughts start right away?
He literally looks like you.
He is you.
And once these MC's started talking and vibing, I could understand an attraction being there and growing, but damn I wish it had been slower. Because I just couldn't take their love seriously........... and it got very intense by by like 50-60% and I just didn't take them srsly at all by that point AT ALL and I was confused how there was still 40% of book left to go?
IT'S NOT INCEST BECAUSE WE ARE THE SAME PERSON AND NOT BROTHERS? RIGHT?
Okay, so the concept is odd.
Man meets himself from a different dimension.
The romance is odd.
Man fucks himself from different dimension.
The plot was odd.
Man from different dimension is trying to save dimensions from all imploding?
THE RESOLUTION OF THIS BOOK????? YOU GUESSED IT! ABSOLUTELY FUCKING ODD!
I had fun, this is a very unserious read.
The writing is good.
There is plot and it isn't just a smut filled bore fest.
The smut was good when it was going down.
BUT LUSTY THOUGHTS CAN FUCK ALL THE WAY OFF.
WHAT HAPPENED TO HELLO?
This could have been a 5 star read if this book removed STUPID FUCKING LUSTY THOUGHTS and just focussed on a growing love between these two.
But the lusty thoughts..... over a man who is ultimately..... you in a different font.... when the world is in crisis, was stupid af.
Why the fuck would lust-fueled thoughts start right away?
He literally looks like you.
He is you.
And once these MC's started talking and vibing, I could understand an attraction being there and growing, but damn I wish it had been slower. Because I just couldn't take their love seriously........... and it got very intense by by like 50-60% and I just didn't take them srsly at all by that point AT ALL and I was confused how there was still 40% of book left to go?
March 16, 2026
universe: go fuck urself
august: okay!!!!!
This book. What can I say about one of my favorite books I’ve read this year???!!! Too much probably. Ugh I loved everything about this! So good. Perfect blend of spice and science. I didn’t find the storyline hard to follow with all the smarty-genius talk. I loved August & August together!!! They are absolutely everything. So the same, yet so so different. I loved the uniqueness of this book.
I really appreciated the author’s use of exclamation points where any other author would probably just gloss over it with a period. It was hard, out, in his mouth! Yes, I liked this style of writing a lot.
I will say that I did struggle sometimes with mixing up which August pov I was reading so I did have to make a point to say “good August” and “bad August” out loud before starting a new chapter so I could remember lol.
This book was everything I wanted!!! I begged the author for an arc and they graciously let me have one, and I’m definitely leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you for writing this!!! I’m obsessed
august: okay!!!!!
This book. What can I say about one of my favorite books I’ve read this year???!!! Too much probably. Ugh I loved everything about this! So good. Perfect blend of spice and science. I didn’t find the storyline hard to follow with all the smarty-genius talk. I loved August & August together!!! They are absolutely everything. So the same, yet so so different. I loved the uniqueness of this book.
I really appreciated the author’s use of exclamation points where any other author would probably just gloss over it with a period. It was hard, out, in his mouth! Yes, I liked this style of writing a lot.
I will say that I did struggle sometimes with mixing up which August pov I was reading so I did have to make a point to say “good August” and “bad August” out loud before starting a new chapter so I could remember lol.
This book was everything I wanted!!! I begged the author for an arc and they graciously let me have one, and I’m definitely leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you for writing this!!! I’m obsessed
Did Not Finish
July 18, 2026The fastest I have ever dnfed a book wow😅 dnf 12% no rating
The book had me but then promptly lost me when the insta lust ensued. I'm not completely averse to insta lust; sometimes the genre of the book justifies it i.e. dark romance or maybe a spicy novella. This though? I'm sorry but it is way too damn early for you to have insta lusty thoughts about yourself from another dimension😅 The world is literally about to be destroyed.. there are more pressing matters😅 It's a shame because the premise is so interesting, but it just lost me when all they were thinking was how hot the other one was🫤
pre-read:
The premise of this book is so wild that I couldn't resist any longer😅 Going to another dimension and finding another version of yourself and falling in love? I call that self love pro max😌
The book had me but then promptly lost me when the insta lust ensued. I'm not completely averse to insta lust; sometimes the genre of the book justifies it i.e. dark romance or maybe a spicy novella. This though? I'm sorry but it is way too damn early for you to have insta lusty thoughts about yourself from another dimension😅 The world is literally about to be destroyed.. there are more pressing matters😅 It's a shame because the premise is so interesting, but it just lost me when all they were thinking was how hot the other one was🫤
pre-read:
The premise of this book is so wild that I couldn't resist any longer😅 Going to another dimension and finding another version of yourself and falling in love? I call that self love pro max😌
Want to Read
January 20, 2026This is too weird to resist. Falling for yourself when yourself is another self? Sign me up.
Review of advance copy received from Author
realmente espectacular sobretodo porque me imagine a los protagonistas como Hudson Williams.... excelente experiencia recomiendo 10/10 yo en las partes donde te explicaban viajes en el tiempo y toda la ciencia de fondo no entendía un pito aja si si pero después se ponían a cojer asi que yo feliz un buen balance
July 16, 2026
Aggravated Masturbation. That's where I'm landing on this. I don't know what else to call it.
I can see the upsides, truly. But I can also see the downsides. Imagine someone who can push your buttons like no other because they know exactly how to piss you off. Lmao. The fights would be legendary.
Anyway. Beyond the aggravated masturbation, August and August are REALLY good together. I'm always a sucker for when an MC who's always felt unloveable meets another who is so down bad for him that it should be a crime.
Bad August is making the rest of us look bad.
Loved the chapter titles. Like 'August is beside himself. Literally.'
My thing with dating yourself though, is how weird some things would be. Like if you remember a funny story from your childhood, do you just tell yourself, "Babe, do you remember when we....?"
Or do you say I? And expect him to know you meant him?
I also cackled at how quickly these two got on board with fucking each other. Erm. Themselves. Thineself. Oneself.
Ugh. You know what I mean.
'This is tailor made sex.'
No kidding. I repeat. Aggravated masturbation.
'He's firm and delicious in places I did not know people could be firm and delicious.'
Lmao literally him with muscles. Is this like if you got to fuck the dream version of yourself? Like who you could be if you ate right and exercised and whatnot.
I loveeeee how they can't keep their hands off each other. Having to be smacked to remember they're supposed to not be doing that. On account of it ripping the fabric of the universe apart.
The world's disappearing around them but they need to get one last(not last, never last) kiss in before they can pay attention.
Also lowkey like that Jon Non Fucking Jovi gets some reciprocal interest from Asshole August. Just the universe saying, hey, you're bad but you're getting better. Have another version of August. One that can run circles around you. As a treat.
I enjoy Asshole August because he's really such a little shit. Understandably.
"I did, but nothing bad happened, so I figured it was okay."
"Aaah, yes. Your robust scientist process."
You know how my favorite part in taboo romances is when people find out about them two?
This book has that in spades. The number of times they have to admit out loud that they're fucking healed my heart.
To long time friends.
To strangers. Well, multiple other Augusts, but STILL. Basically strangers.
Then also actual strangers.
And I was living for the reactions each time.
"Wait. Is that okay?"
"Is that legal?"
"Isn't that incest?"
"More like masturbation."
I was just glad that everyone agreed it was weird.
Because technically, yes, it's not incest. But also, there should maybe be a word for it. Because its.....curious. Understatement of the century.
He's him, but also, he's not him.
They lived the same lives for most of their lives, but they're not entirely the same person.
They're different, but similar enough that sex between them is catastrophically interdimensional.
Same name, same face, same memories, feelings for the other so feral and intense you could maybe only ever truly feel for yourself.
I didn't understand any bits of the science of it but I was deeply invested in them being together.
382 universes. Countless worlds destroyed and still, what's all that in the face of being in love with yourself 💀
'...staring at us like they've just discovered fucking twins.' Hate to tell you this folks but unless you live alone on a planet, that's always going to be the reaction.
Doesn't help that Bad August usually chimes in with, "No. Cousins."
😂😂 Like fucking cousins is much better than fucking twins (when they have the same damn face).
Honestly even incest siblings can relocate much more easily. Same face means there's always going to be raised eyebrows. You'd rather try to sell the doppelganger thing.
The last hour or so bored me, though. The mad rush with trying to fix things with all the Augusts and whatnot.
Like, for plot purposes, I understand why they needed to save the world. For myself, though, I was fine with everyone dying if it meant they got to be together.
By themselves. Thineselves. Oneself?
UNIONIZED! Yes. If they got to be one unit. In separate bodies. Lmao let's go with that one.
Then the fact that they even needed the last conversation before the epilogue? Seems superfluous to me. If y'all were willing to destroy the world and all it's multiverses just to be together, why the insecurities now that everything's fine and dandy?
With all the ridiculousness in this, what offended me most was the idea of drinking hot coke.
Multiple versions of the same person floating around, sure, fine, world's weird, what can you do? But people drinking hot coke is a step too far.
Also, rest in peace to their friends' satisfaction with their own sex lives prior to seeing these two.
I know you said you're trying your best and I'm not calling you a liar, babe, but why isn't the sky turning red and purple when WE do it? Maybe we're not as meant to be as we think.
I can see the upsides, truly. But I can also see the downsides. Imagine someone who can push your buttons like no other because they know exactly how to piss you off. Lmao. The fights would be legendary.
Anyway. Beyond the aggravated masturbation, August and August are REALLY good together. I'm always a sucker for when an MC who's always felt unloveable meets another who is so down bad for him that it should be a crime.
Bad August is making the rest of us look bad.
Loved the chapter titles. Like 'August is beside himself. Literally.'
My thing with dating yourself though, is how weird some things would be. Like if you remember a funny story from your childhood, do you just tell yourself, "Babe, do you remember when we....?"
Or do you say I? And expect him to know you meant him?
I also cackled at how quickly these two got on board with fucking each other. Erm. Themselves. Thineself. Oneself.
Ugh. You know what I mean.
'This is tailor made sex.'
No kidding. I repeat. Aggravated masturbation.
'He's firm and delicious in places I did not know people could be firm and delicious.'
Lmao literally him with muscles. Is this like if you got to fuck the dream version of yourself? Like who you could be if you ate right and exercised and whatnot.
I loveeeee how they can't keep their hands off each other. Having to be smacked to remember they're supposed to not be doing that. On account of it ripping the fabric of the universe apart.
The world's disappearing around them but they need to get one last(not last, never last) kiss in before they can pay attention.
Also lowkey like that Jon Non Fucking Jovi gets some reciprocal interest from Asshole August. Just the universe saying, hey, you're bad but you're getting better. Have another version of August. One that can run circles around you. As a treat.
I enjoy Asshole August because he's really such a little shit. Understandably.
"I did, but nothing bad happened, so I figured it was okay."
"Aaah, yes. Your robust scientist process."
You know how my favorite part in taboo romances is when people find out about them two?
This book has that in spades. The number of times they have to admit out loud that they're fucking healed my heart.
To long time friends.
To strangers. Well, multiple other Augusts, but STILL. Basically strangers.
Then also actual strangers.
And I was living for the reactions each time.
"Wait. Is that okay?"
"Is that legal?"
"Isn't that incest?"
"More like masturbation."
I was just glad that everyone agreed it was weird.
Because technically, yes, it's not incest. But also, there should maybe be a word for it. Because its.....curious. Understatement of the century.
He's him, but also, he's not him.
They lived the same lives for most of their lives, but they're not entirely the same person.
They're different, but similar enough that sex between them is catastrophically interdimensional.
Same name, same face, same memories, feelings for the other so feral and intense you could maybe only ever truly feel for yourself.
I didn't understand any bits of the science of it but I was deeply invested in them being together.
382 universes. Countless worlds destroyed and still, what's all that in the face of being in love with yourself 💀
'...staring at us like they've just discovered fucking twins.' Hate to tell you this folks but unless you live alone on a planet, that's always going to be the reaction.
Doesn't help that Bad August usually chimes in with, "No. Cousins."
😂😂 Like fucking cousins is much better than fucking twins (when they have the same damn face).
Honestly even incest siblings can relocate much more easily. Same face means there's always going to be raised eyebrows. You'd rather try to sell the doppelganger thing.
The last hour or so bored me, though. The mad rush with trying to fix things with all the Augusts and whatnot.
Like, for plot purposes, I understand why they needed to save the world. For myself, though, I was fine with everyone dying if it meant they got to be together.
By themselves. Thineselves. Oneself?
UNIONIZED! Yes. If they got to be one unit. In separate bodies. Lmao let's go with that one.
Then the fact that they even needed the last conversation before the epilogue? Seems superfluous to me. If y'all were willing to destroy the world and all it's multiverses just to be together, why the insecurities now that everything's fine and dandy?
With all the ridiculousness in this, what offended me most was the idea of drinking hot coke.
Multiple versions of the same person floating around, sure, fine, world's weird, what can you do? But people drinking hot coke is a step too far.
Also, rest in peace to their friends' satisfaction with their own sex lives prior to seeing these two.
I know you said you're trying your best and I'm not calling you a liar, babe, but why isn't the sky turning red and purple when WE do it? Maybe we're not as meant to be as we think.
Read
July 7, 2026I received this ALC from the author
DOPPELBÄNGER had one of the wildest audiobook premises I’ve immediately said yes to. MM sci-fi romance, action, adventure, parallel universes, and a man falling for an alternate version of himself? Say less.
What I liked was that it never felt like the same exact person copied and pasted over and over. It reminded me loosely of We Are Legion (We Are Bob) and Dark Matter in the way different choices and experiences can turn people with the same origin into completely different people. That made the romance and character dynamics make sense and more interesting than I expected.
Grant Cartwright aka Rupert Channing absolutely nailed the audio. With this kind of story, the narration could have gotten confusing fast, but each character felt distinct and easy to follow. His performance was easily one of the strongest parts of the audiobook.
The story did start to lose some momentum for me as it went on, and I think this probably would have worked better for me as a shorter read/listen. The final wrap-up felt somewhat anticlimactic compared to how strong the premise was. There was also more spice toward the end than I expected, it felt a bit too much that close to the ending.
Overall, this was a weird, ambitious, and memorable sci-fi romance. I liked the premise, character dynamics, and narration, but the pacing and ending kept it from being a stronger listen for me.
I’d recommend it to listeners who enjoy MM sci-fi romance, parallel universes, character-driven stories, action/adventure, strong narration, and books that get weird in a way only science fiction can get away with.
DOPPELBÄNGER had one of the wildest audiobook premises I’ve immediately said yes to. MM sci-fi romance, action, adventure, parallel universes, and a man falling for an alternate version of himself? Say less.
What I liked was that it never felt like the same exact person copied and pasted over and over. It reminded me loosely of We Are Legion (We Are Bob) and Dark Matter in the way different choices and experiences can turn people with the same origin into completely different people. That made the romance and character dynamics make sense and more interesting than I expected.
Grant Cartwright aka Rupert Channing absolutely nailed the audio. With this kind of story, the narration could have gotten confusing fast, but each character felt distinct and easy to follow. His performance was easily one of the strongest parts of the audiobook.
The story did start to lose some momentum for me as it went on, and I think this probably would have worked better for me as a shorter read/listen. The final wrap-up felt somewhat anticlimactic compared to how strong the premise was. There was also more spice toward the end than I expected, it felt a bit too much that close to the ending.
Overall, this was a weird, ambitious, and memorable sci-fi romance. I liked the premise, character dynamics, and narration, but the pacing and ending kept it from being a stronger listen for me.
I’d recommend it to listeners who enjoy MM sci-fi romance, parallel universes, character-driven stories, action/adventure, strong narration, and books that get weird in a way only science fiction can get away with.
January 27, 2026
Y’all if a hot neuroscientist version of myself showed up at my house and fell head over heels in love with me you would never see me AGAIN, REGARDLESS of whatever crimes they may or may not have committed!!!
If you’re looking for:
-compulsively consumable and addictive writing
-the answer to the eternal ‘would you fuck your clone’ question
-meditations on insecurity and the self
-an ex boyfriend named Jon Non Jovi who is the star of a Jon Bon Jovi cover band (obviously)
-hair metal
-a genuinely immersive plot
and
-sex that breaks the multiverse
Then this is for you!! Not joking when I say this immediately shot up to one of my favorite romances I’ve ever read. Insanely campy and hot. Thank you WH Lockwood for the arc!!!!
If you’re looking for:
-compulsively consumable and addictive writing
-the answer to the eternal ‘would you fuck your clone’ question
-meditations on insecurity and the self
-an ex boyfriend named Jon Non Jovi who is the star of a Jon Bon Jovi cover band (obviously)
-hair metal
-a genuinely immersive plot
and
-sex that breaks the multiverse
Then this is for you!! Not joking when I say this immediately shot up to one of my favorite romances I’ve ever read. Insanely campy and hot. Thank you WH Lockwood for the arc!!!!
Want to Read
December 8, 2025sounds fucking unhinged, i want it
top-tbr
January 27, 2026Immediately YES
May 20, 2026
⸺ Doppelbänger by W.H. Lockwood ⟢
⤿ 🔬 2.75 stars ⭑⭑⭑
Reading this book reminded me of my ex-boyfriend. Why, you ask? Because he, too, presented his attributes with a positive premise, pitching himself like a seasoned salesman... only to end up as yet another tick on my ever-growing list of predictable disappointments. Which is a great memo, don't get me wrong, I love being persistently reminded of why I'm single. But if I'm allowed to ask for one thing - can we perhaps refrain from it? Especially when I'm in the middle of a romance book, of all things.
Let me preface by saying: I hate raining on everyone's parade. This was a light-hearted comedy, and I know critiquing silly rom-coms earns me a special place in petty hell, but who am I, if not a hater? If I were in an equally goofy mood as the book I read, perhaps I would've loved it more, but my coffee is bitter, the weather outside sucks, and if that doesn't explain it, then I guess nothing will.
But for honesty's sake, let's draw a short list ↓
• first 150 pages? 4.5 stars
• the next 200 pages? 3.75 stars
• last 150 pages? dnf-worthy
I'm not kidding, I absolutely adored the first portion of Doppelbänger, you can even check my reading updates for proof if you don't believe me. When I started it, I thought it would be one of those rare comedies that somehow do it right for me. I was having fun: snorting, snapping the book shut for a laugh break, smiling, and reading some passages out loud. I was on board with the ridiculous concept of multiverses and falling in love with an alternate version of yourself. W.H. had me in a chokehold, which is superb.
But then... it all fell apart, somehow, and everything I liked about this story changed into the exact reason why I ended up rolling my eyes at the pages. Was it partially caused by the change in my overall mood? Maybe. Will I enjoy Doppelbänger more in the right headspace when I inevitably re-read it in the future? I'm inclined to assume so. What matters the most is the present, though, and while future me can perhaps add her own five cents when she gets to it, present me will now dive into a specifically detailed segment, listing every little reason why this disappointed her as much as it did.
1.) Good August, bad August, so many Augusts. It was fine at first. Although my peanut brain isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, I could easily handle two different perspectives, even if both the main character and his love interest had the same name. It's really not that hard. In fact, having one of them titled as good and the other one as bad helped immensely, and there was no need for me to re-check anything; I wasn't confused. What did irk me, though, was not even when two became three, but when three turned into four, and then four turned into six. For one or two chapters. In an unnecessary scene, which I still don't fully understand, and I'm pretty sure could've been erased. I know W.H Lockwood tried to be clever by bringing those who we already knew existed somewhere, all in one place, but their reasoning was frankly so out of the blue and so lacklustre, I'm not surprised she dismissed it after ten pages.
2.) Good August's ex-boyfriend. This one angers me. For the whole first portion of the book, we as readers get to slowly understand good August's trauma and witness his emotional growth, just for his toxic boyfriend, the same boyfriend who was previously called a narcissist and a prick. Who manipulated August's feelings and coerced him into literal orgies, because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants, and he didn't want to outright cheat, to be forgiven, brought into both Augusts' friendship group, and be given a love interest of his own. How can you expect me to like a piece of garbage like that? How can you even attempt to justify it after you spent literally 200 pages or so, trying to tell me how wrong what he did was? I have nothing against polyamory; in fact, I have nothing against having multiple partners, even if it's an open relationship or if you're a literal swinger. People are perfectly allowed to like whoever they like and be with whoever they wish to be, as long as there is healthy communication. And Jon - good August's boyfriend - wouldn't recognise healthy communication, even if it slapped him straight in the face. In my eyes, he's not funny; he's pathetic and should be going through his own development journey as far away from August as possible.
3.) Not that other friends of good August's are any better. I dislike them all, there, I said it. Shashi and Amber are nowhere near as bad as Jon, and I don't necessarily hate them outright, but they're still Jon's groupies. They took part in the previously mentioned orgies and were literally forcing good August to interact with Jon when he wasn't comfortable and interested. If it wasn't for bad August, I think good August would still be pushed around and stuck in this infinite loop of getting hurt, breaking up, getting back with Jon, and then getting hurt once again. He deserves new friends, and no - other versions of himself don't count. Give this man a functional support system.
4.) Good August and bad August's relationship. Their love was rushed and undeveloped. While they don't exactly get into a proper relationship quickly, their attraction is immediate and frankly - weird. I don't know about you, but if I somehow fell for an alternate version of myself, it would've taken me far more than a single day to even begin to consider anything similar, let alone develop a crush. They're codependent and obsessed, and while I found it enchanting in the beginning, their mutual awe towards one another quickly became flat. Like, there's only so many poetically crafted monologues you can write before they all turn into goopy mush. After a certain point, every chapter I read was basically good August and bad August obsessively glazing, calling each other perfect, sexy, beautiful, one of a kind, handsome, kind, sweet, the best person in the entire universe, without anything seemingly interesting to add to the conversation.
5.) The second half of this book focuses solely on sex. And I'm not saying that, because there is a lot of smut. While those two are down-bad like no one else, this book literally chose sex as a reason and answer to every problem under the sun. I was cringing pretty badly when the ending came, and their friends, egging them on to bang while they were hopping through realities, weren't helping the case at all. Just get me out of here. I was going through the spice with my mouth clenched into such a straight line, not even my still-hidden-in-the-closet self from the past could compare. I like me a steamy comedy, don't get me wrong, but there's a thin gap between comedy and writing ridiculousness for the sake of it. I don't want to appear like someone who hates smut, because it's the opposite, but I need to enjoy the pair's romance for it to work. And I obviously didn't.
6.) The book felt a little too long. Nothing to add here.
1.) The whole idea of multiverses and the first 150 pages. As I said, the premise was really good, it's the reason I bought it, and I don't fully regret doing it. At first, the humor was genuinely disarming. I loved the silly concept of being stalked by some creepy man, only for him to reveal himself as you - an amazing quantum physicist, who's desperately asking for help in saving the multiverse. Both Augusts had entertaining levels of chemistry, and if they had perhaps remained as a duo for the whole book, I would've enjoyed it more than I did after the bigger group formed. The crumbs were there, the 'we're cousins' bit, and 'is it incest or masturbation' made cackle numerous times, but the execution lacked that tiny bit of seriousness, which would've made the entire plot feel less absurd and impactful.
I know I sounded like an utter hater in this review. I had to voice my frustrations somehow, but Doppelbänger isn't all that bad. If you're looking for something that tries sounding intelligent at times, but it's honestly just pure fun, steam, and perplexed laughs, then I wholeheartedly recommend it. A lot of people liked it far more than I did, and I completely understand their perspectives, even if it wasn't a personal hit. So, who knows? You might be one of them.
⤿ 🔬 2.75 stars ⭑⭑⭑
Reading this book reminded me of my ex-boyfriend. Why, you ask? Because he, too, presented his attributes with a positive premise, pitching himself like a seasoned salesman... only to end up as yet another tick on my ever-growing list of predictable disappointments. Which is a great memo, don't get me wrong, I love being persistently reminded of why I'm single. But if I'm allowed to ask for one thing - can we perhaps refrain from it? Especially when I'm in the middle of a romance book, of all things.
꒰ i. ⋮ my thoughts: ꒱ ⟢
Let me preface by saying: I hate raining on everyone's parade. This was a light-hearted comedy, and I know critiquing silly rom-coms earns me a special place in petty hell, but who am I, if not a hater? If I were in an equally goofy mood as the book I read, perhaps I would've loved it more, but my coffee is bitter, the weather outside sucks, and if that doesn't explain it, then I guess nothing will.
But for honesty's sake, let's draw a short list ↓
• first 150 pages? 4.5 stars
• the next 200 pages? 3.75 stars
• last 150 pages? dnf-worthy
I'm not kidding, I absolutely adored the first portion of Doppelbänger, you can even check my reading updates for proof if you don't believe me. When I started it, I thought it would be one of those rare comedies that somehow do it right for me. I was having fun: snorting, snapping the book shut for a laugh break, smiling, and reading some passages out loud. I was on board with the ridiculous concept of multiverses and falling in love with an alternate version of yourself. W.H. had me in a chokehold, which is superb.
But then... it all fell apart, somehow, and everything I liked about this story changed into the exact reason why I ended up rolling my eyes at the pages. Was it partially caused by the change in my overall mood? Maybe. Will I enjoy Doppelbänger more in the right headspace when I inevitably re-read it in the future? I'm inclined to assume so. What matters the most is the present, though, and while future me can perhaps add her own five cents when she gets to it, present me will now dive into a specifically detailed segment, listing every little reason why this disappointed her as much as it did.
꒰ ii. ⋮ what i disliked: ꒱ ⟢
This segment may contain tiny spoilers, but I don't necessarily consider anything I have to say too vital to the overall story, so you don't have to avert your eyes if you're planning to give this book a chance. That said, don't come for me if I'm wrong.
1.) Good August, bad August, so many Augusts. It was fine at first. Although my peanut brain isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, I could easily handle two different perspectives, even if both the main character and his love interest had the same name. It's really not that hard. In fact, having one of them titled as good and the other one as bad helped immensely, and there was no need for me to re-check anything; I wasn't confused. What did irk me, though, was not even when two became three, but when three turned into four, and then four turned into six. For one or two chapters. In an unnecessary scene, which I still don't fully understand, and I'm pretty sure could've been erased. I know W.H Lockwood tried to be clever by bringing those who we already knew existed somewhere, all in one place, but their reasoning was frankly so out of the blue and so lacklustre, I'm not surprised she dismissed it after ten pages.
2.) Good August's ex-boyfriend. This one angers me. For the whole first portion of the book, we as readers get to slowly understand good August's trauma and witness his emotional growth, just for his toxic boyfriend, the same boyfriend who was previously called a narcissist and a prick. Who manipulated August's feelings and coerced him into literal orgies, because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants, and he didn't want to outright cheat, to be forgiven, brought into both Augusts' friendship group, and be given a love interest of his own. How can you expect me to like a piece of garbage like that? How can you even attempt to justify it after you spent literally 200 pages or so, trying to tell me how wrong what he did was? I have nothing against polyamory; in fact, I have nothing against having multiple partners, even if it's an open relationship or if you're a literal swinger. People are perfectly allowed to like whoever they like and be with whoever they wish to be, as long as there is healthy communication. And Jon - good August's boyfriend - wouldn't recognise healthy communication, even if it slapped him straight in the face. In my eyes, he's not funny; he's pathetic and should be going through his own development journey as far away from August as possible.
3.) Not that other friends of good August's are any better. I dislike them all, there, I said it. Shashi and Amber are nowhere near as bad as Jon, and I don't necessarily hate them outright, but they're still Jon's groupies. They took part in the previously mentioned orgies and were literally forcing good August to interact with Jon when he wasn't comfortable and interested. If it wasn't for bad August, I think good August would still be pushed around and stuck in this infinite loop of getting hurt, breaking up, getting back with Jon, and then getting hurt once again. He deserves new friends, and no - other versions of himself don't count. Give this man a functional support system.
4.) Good August and bad August's relationship. Their love was rushed and undeveloped. While they don't exactly get into a proper relationship quickly, their attraction is immediate and frankly - weird. I don't know about you, but if I somehow fell for an alternate version of myself, it would've taken me far more than a single day to even begin to consider anything similar, let alone develop a crush. They're codependent and obsessed, and while I found it enchanting in the beginning, their mutual awe towards one another quickly became flat. Like, there's only so many poetically crafted monologues you can write before they all turn into goopy mush. After a certain point, every chapter I read was basically good August and bad August obsessively glazing, calling each other perfect, sexy, beautiful, one of a kind, handsome, kind, sweet, the best person in the entire universe, without anything seemingly interesting to add to the conversation.
5.) The second half of this book focuses solely on sex. And I'm not saying that, because there is a lot of smut. While those two are down-bad like no one else, this book literally chose sex as a reason and answer to every problem under the sun. I was cringing pretty badly when the ending came, and their friends, egging them on to bang while they were hopping through realities, weren't helping the case at all. Just get me out of here. I was going through the spice with my mouth clenched into such a straight line, not even my still-hidden-in-the-closet self from the past could compare. I like me a steamy comedy, don't get me wrong, but there's a thin gap between comedy and writing ridiculousness for the sake of it. I don't want to appear like someone who hates smut, because it's the opposite, but I need to enjoy the pair's romance for it to work. And I obviously didn't.
6.) The book felt a little too long. Nothing to add here.
꒰ iii. ⋮ what i liked: ꒱ ⟢
1.) The whole idea of multiverses and the first 150 pages. As I said, the premise was really good, it's the reason I bought it, and I don't fully regret doing it. At first, the humor was genuinely disarming. I loved the silly concept of being stalked by some creepy man, only for him to reveal himself as you - an amazing quantum physicist, who's desperately asking for help in saving the multiverse. Both Augusts had entertaining levels of chemistry, and if they had perhaps remained as a duo for the whole book, I would've enjoyed it more than I did after the bigger group formed. The crumbs were there, the 'we're cousins' bit, and 'is it incest or masturbation' made cackle numerous times, but the execution lacked that tiny bit of seriousness, which would've made the entire plot feel less absurd and impactful.
꒰ iv. ⋮ on a final note: ꒱ ⟢
I know I sounded like an utter hater in this review. I had to voice my frustrations somehow, but Doppelbänger isn't all that bad. If you're looking for something that tries sounding intelligent at times, but it's honestly just pure fun, steam, and perplexed laughs, then I wholeheartedly recommend it. A lot of people liked it far more than I did, and I completely understand their perspectives, even if it wasn't a personal hit. So, who knows? You might be one of them.
February 21, 2026
this honestly started as the most witty and fun and intriguing thing ever.
good characters, unique plot and generally fun.
so all was really great until 85%. then we went from witty to convoluted, from fun too dumb and intriguing to honestly the most underwhelming thing ever.
maybe it should’ve been shorter, maybe the end of the world should’ve been solved by something more clever, maybe i’m simply too tired to enjoy this.
we will never know.
i will definitely read something else by this author, hoping that i’ll enjoy the last part as much as the beginning.
good characters, unique plot and generally fun.
so all was really great until 85%. then we went from witty to convoluted, from fun too dumb and intriguing to honestly the most underwhelming thing ever.
maybe it should’ve been shorter, maybe the end of the world should’ve been solved by something more clever, maybe i’m simply too tired to enjoy this.
we will never know.
i will definitely read something else by this author, hoping that i’ll enjoy the last part as much as the beginning.
February 17, 2026
This was such a delightfully odd story about falling in love with yourself (literally) & then figuring out how to save the multiverse together. It was chaotic, unique & filled with lots of time & space travel. August & August were just perfect together-they’re the same but also so so different & I love their humor & how protective they are of each other. The whole book was just beautifully written!
Also, I feel like this book could have been super confusing, but the author starts each chapter off letting you know if it’s the “Good August” or “Bad August” pov. It was pretty easy to differentiate between their inner monologues as well after a few chapters. I liked that the science mostly wasn’t too difficult for me to follow (but I feel like some parts had my brain hurting a lil bit tho 🤣). Overall had a really great time reading this book!
Fav parts:
“No. No, this isn’t happening. There is no way, that of all the people in the world, I’m actually crushing on… myself.”
“What we have is beyond love, beyond time, beyond worlds. This is the most powerful force in the universe, and I feel it in my heart as much as I know it in my head. You’re my multiverse, August.”
Also, I feel like this book could have been super confusing, but the author starts each chapter off letting you know if it’s the “Good August” or “Bad August” pov. It was pretty easy to differentiate between their inner monologues as well after a few chapters. I liked that the science mostly wasn’t too difficult for me to follow (but I feel like some parts had my brain hurting a lil bit tho 🤣). Overall had a really great time reading this book!
Fav parts:
“No. No, this isn’t happening. There is no way, that of all the people in the world, I’m actually crushing on… myself.”
“What we have is beyond love, beyond time, beyond worlds. This is the most powerful force in the universe, and I feel it in my heart as much as I know it in my head. You’re my multiverse, August.”
April 28, 2026
3.25 stars ...
My bad. Rating is entirely on me.
I have to stop reading anything
that's labeled "sci-fi" no matter
how intriguing the blurb sounds.
If you're a sci-fi reader,
add at least a full star.
The whole Star Trek-y, jumpin'
between alternate universes
is just not my thing and I didn't
expect there to be SO much of it!
My bad. Rating is entirely on me.
I have to stop reading anything
that's labeled "sci-fi" no matter
how intriguing the blurb sounds.
If you're a sci-fi reader,
add at least a full star.
The whole Star Trek-y, jumpin'
between alternate universes
is just not my thing and I didn't
expect there to be SO much of it!
January 23, 2026
first off i want to thank W.H. Lockwood for the ARC of this book.
I’ll admit that i had signed up to receive an ARC because i thought the premise of this book seemed like a silly, good time. imagine my surprise when i started reading and quickly fell in love with not just the characters but the overall story, the action, the adventure, the science! i never considered myself a big sci-fi fan before but i think this book has changed that. it was so much deeper and involved and gripping than your run of the mill contemporary romance. i was so engrossed in this story by the end of the first chapter.
there were parts that had me laughing out loud, then crying, and then just being overall so impressed by the amount of work and thought the author clearly put into explaining the physics of multiverses within this story. the romance was slow burn and beautiful but even without that, the story had me hooked because it was just so interesting. i had so much fun reading this novel and would recommend it to anyone who is even slightly intrigued by it.
am i a sci-fi girly now? i think i am.
I’ll admit that i had signed up to receive an ARC because i thought the premise of this book seemed like a silly, good time. imagine my surprise when i started reading and quickly fell in love with not just the characters but the overall story, the action, the adventure, the science! i never considered myself a big sci-fi fan before but i think this book has changed that. it was so much deeper and involved and gripping than your run of the mill contemporary romance. i was so engrossed in this story by the end of the first chapter.
there were parts that had me laughing out loud, then crying, and then just being overall so impressed by the amount of work and thought the author clearly put into explaining the physics of multiverses within this story. the romance was slow burn and beautiful but even without that, the story had me hooked because it was just so interesting. i had so much fun reading this novel and would recommend it to anyone who is even slightly intrigued by it.
am i a sci-fi girly now? i think i am.
January 23, 2026
If you’re looking for chaos, spice, and time-and-space travel, then this book is for you! An MM romance where the MC falls for … himself?? The whole premise of this book completely intrigued me!
This book has some crazy elements, including:
-universe hopping
-falling for an alternate reality version of yourself
-warm coke
-a diverse team of characters
-Bon Jovi??
I’ve got to start off by giving kudos to the author. This was a really cool idea, and definitely made me curious to read! It had the potential to be very confusing, but I never found myself confused while I was reading. The book hops between perspectives of “Good August” and “Bad August,” and their narration was distinct enough to keep you on-track.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, especially the beginning. It was so crazy, and there were definitely moments that had me laughing out loud incredulously, but in a good way! There is one side character that particularly made me enjoy the book even more.
In terms of the storyline, it was definitely all over the place, but it kept me interested and made sense. The ending was a little anti-climactic for me, and I did feel there were a few logistical things that didn’t seem to match up, but overall the content was very fun.
I’m sure you’re curious about the relationship aspect of the book! Overall I felt like the romance part of the book is what I enjoyed the least, actually. It wasn’t bad, but I think I was expecting something a little different. I was surprised by how much of their connection and attraction seemed to be physical. Like, these two doppelgängers are CONSTANTLY commenting on how beautiful or sexy the other one is in the narration. Somehow this doesn’t come across as vain though?
This was a very challenging story to write, and I really respect the author for their creativity and unique story! I enjoyed it and definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for an MM romance that doesn’t fit ANY mould!
This book has some crazy elements, including:
-universe hopping
-falling for an alternate reality version of yourself
-warm coke
-a diverse team of characters
-Bon Jovi??
I’ve got to start off by giving kudos to the author. This was a really cool idea, and definitely made me curious to read! It had the potential to be very confusing, but I never found myself confused while I was reading. The book hops between perspectives of “Good August” and “Bad August,” and their narration was distinct enough to keep you on-track.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, especially the beginning. It was so crazy, and there were definitely moments that had me laughing out loud incredulously, but in a good way! There is one side character that particularly made me enjoy the book even more.
In terms of the storyline, it was definitely all over the place, but it kept me interested and made sense. The ending was a little anti-climactic for me, and I did feel there were a few logistical things that didn’t seem to match up, but overall the content was very fun.
I’m sure you’re curious about the relationship aspect of the book! Overall I felt like the romance part of the book is what I enjoyed the least, actually. It wasn’t bad, but I think I was expecting something a little different. I was surprised by how much of their connection and attraction seemed to be physical. Like, these two doppelgängers are CONSTANTLY commenting on how beautiful or sexy the other one is in the narration. Somehow this doesn’t come across as vain though?
This was a very challenging story to write, and I really respect the author for their creativity and unique story! I enjoyed it and definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for an MM romance that doesn’t fit ANY mould!
January 25, 2026
“Who got you smiling like that?” Um.. this book. The biggest grin spread WIDE across my face because I loved every single second of this book. I love strange and unusual things, and I fuckin love science, but even with that, I still did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It was SO MUCH MORE! I don’t annotate or highlight often but this book has highlight after highlight after highlight because the writing and the way Lockwood was able to bring PURE, DEEP, emotional LOVE ONTO the page, it’s true talent. Not to mention, convincing me that loving yourself in such a UNCONVENTIONAL was completely acceptable lol! This book had me staying up late and laying in bed all day just because I DID not want to put it down. It was truly special and ridiculous and charming and I fuckin loved it. Thank you!
July 18, 2026
Rating: 3⭐️
Format: 🎧
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.75
Jon Non Jovi😭💀😂😂😂😂😂😂
I’m deceased.
This started off so freaking good, like it was so freaking funny. I was cackling at work but somewhere along the way, we went downhill to nowhere. The story started to drag for so long, literally could’ve done without so many things personally. I started to blink out since my interest wasn’t captured as it was before. I don’t usually laugh at books & was sure this story would be higher rated but it fell flat. I still liked it to a degree.
I really wish for the audiobook, we had 2 narrators or the narrator did something with their voice. I even wished the August went by nicknames ( Auggie, Aug, Gus,etc), I had to consistently wonder who tf POV i was in.
Format: 🎧
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.75
Jon Non Jovi😭💀😂😂😂😂😂😂
I’m deceased.
This started off so freaking good, like it was so freaking funny. I was cackling at work but somewhere along the way, we went downhill to nowhere. The story started to drag for so long, literally could’ve done without so many things personally. I started to blink out since my interest wasn’t captured as it was before. I don’t usually laugh at books & was sure this story would be higher rated but it fell flat. I still liked it to a degree.
I really wish for the audiobook, we had 2 narrators or the narrator did something with their voice. I even wished the August went by nicknames ( Auggie, Aug, Gus,etc), I had to consistently wonder who tf POV i was in.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This story was extraordinary. I loved every minute of reading it. It was mindboggling and also made sense at the exact same time. i never knew where the story was heading.
March 23, 2026
saw this on instagram. sounds absolutely ridiculous. perfect material for a buddy read.
------------------------------------------------
well, holy shit. consider my flabbers gasted.
buddy read this with catherine as always because we love to buddy read weird books together so i went into this fully expecting a regular run-of-the-mill wacky hijinks book. tell me why this is actually a literary masterpiece??! congrats author on following your dream of publishing 'crack taken seriously' while also being genuinely good at writing, because that's not an easy combination to pull off. this book has great structure, it has consistency and solid character development, it's great at using suspense, tension and foreshadowing and it is so SO funny and EXTREMELY silly. it would also work really well adapted into a comedy movie i think.
the time loops? time slips? the whole multiverse thing? figuring out a way to fix everything? the scifi references? the alan turing quote in the preface? author you had an extremely audacious vision for this story and you managed to successfully pull it off and for that i salute you 🫡
PS: i think jon might be the character ever 😂
PPS: thank god for women in stem 🙏
------------------------------------------------
well, holy shit. consider my flabbers gasted.
buddy read this with catherine as always because we love to buddy read weird books together so i went into this fully expecting a regular run-of-the-mill wacky hijinks book. tell me why this is actually a literary masterpiece??! congrats author on following your dream of publishing 'crack taken seriously' while also being genuinely good at writing, because that's not an easy combination to pull off. this book has great structure, it has consistency and solid character development, it's great at using suspense, tension and foreshadowing and it is so SO funny and EXTREMELY silly. it would also work really well adapted into a comedy movie i think.
the time loops? time slips? the whole multiverse thing? figuring out a way to fix everything? the scifi references? the alan turing quote in the preface? author you had an extremely audacious vision for this story and you managed to successfully pull it off and for that i salute you 🫡
PS: i think jon might be the character ever 😂
PPS: thank god for women in stem 🙏
July 31, 2026
5-⭐
“I want to learn about self-love.”
So yeah, that was my pre-read comment, and an obvious joke. But it turns out... it's not a joke after all. 🙈 I wish I could have another me fall in love with me and maybe then, finally, I could learn to not be so hard on myself. This book is such a strange mix of wacko comedy and self-acceptance. I loved this book and I have so much to say about it! That's actually a rare combination, most often the conflicted reads inspire my longest rants.
I've read only Hansel and Gerhardt by this author before, and it showed a lot of promise but was also a bit of a mixed bag. This one just worked for me. So good. It has the best parts from H&G as the story is a bit out there and there's an unconventional, even a forbidden relationship. And whatever this book didn't completely nail, those things just don't matter that much because overall the experience was just so great.
So the obvious: being attracted to oneself. I'm not my type and honestly I have a hard time thinking I wouldn't find another mes just very irritating, though it's not like all the Augusts get along here either. But I don't think I would actually mind being attracted to someone who looks like me. I don't look at myself that much and constantly forget what I look like. It would probably be a bit weird at first, but it is just another person I am seeing in front of me, I think I'd get over it quite fast, honestly. 😅
One of the Augusts is a bit too horny for the other from the start. I think it could have been done better, but then again I sort of allow it, since he's the one who has not only been around other Augusts for a while, but also stalking this one for more than a moment. Things could have developed, but unfortunately we don't see those moments. But these guys do have great bonding moments too, I actually like this relationship. Though honestly, it's not what I love about this book. I love the humour the most. The way the story utilises all these little things into brilliant entertainment.
Like the super annoying douchebag ex. That is such a crappy trope, but damn this one was entertaining, I fucking loved to hate that guy, and just plain loved him just a bit too. Jesus. And throwing in all the silly chapter titles and other nods. This story just plucked my comedy strings so well, I was smiling and chuckling throughout the book.
I listened to the audiobook, and loved the narration. Rupert Channing speaks quite fast but it suits the way the Augusts ramble, and there's a lot of emotion in his voice, not to mention how the comedic timing is spot on. I don't usually prefer audio versions over ebooks because I like to check back on some things, and with shifting POVs I sometimes have a hard time following who is who. Just imagine what it was like with two August MCs—who are mostly the same person. But that allowed me to go “fuck it, they're pretty much the same person”. I believe the upsides of the narration most likely outweighed the negatives.
The biggest negative about the audiobook right now is that I have no marked quotes to add. There were so many good lines. Though I'm not sure many of them would work as one-liners, I loved the comedy precisely because it was built. It never got old how awkward it was to explain the romantic relationship between the Augusts. It never got old how these two fuckers couldn't keep their hands off each other and kept fucking up the whole universe.
Though I can nitpick the weirdest things, like I didn't understand how the August who had had surgery to fix his eyes put on his old glasses to look at himself and imagine he's the other August—good idea in theory, no shade—and didn't go all “shit, I can't see anything”. But then I thought (with my one course of physics studied on top of basic education) the other physics in this book might not check out either, maybe I should let this one go.
Is your love worth destroying the multiverse? Maybe don't ask these guys. It was worth reading, though.
“I want to learn about self-love.”
So yeah, that was my pre-read comment, and an obvious joke. But it turns out... it's not a joke after all. 🙈 I wish I could have another me fall in love with me and maybe then, finally, I could learn to not be so hard on myself. This book is such a strange mix of wacko comedy and self-acceptance. I loved this book and I have so much to say about it! That's actually a rare combination, most often the conflicted reads inspire my longest rants.
I've read only Hansel and Gerhardt by this author before, and it showed a lot of promise but was also a bit of a mixed bag. This one just worked for me. So good. It has the best parts from H&G as the story is a bit out there and there's an unconventional, even a forbidden relationship. And whatever this book didn't completely nail, those things just don't matter that much because overall the experience was just so great.
So the obvious: being attracted to oneself. I'm not my type and honestly I have a hard time thinking I wouldn't find another mes just very irritating, though it's not like all the Augusts get along here either. But I don't think I would actually mind being attracted to someone who looks like me. I don't look at myself that much and constantly forget what I look like. It would probably be a bit weird at first, but it is just another person I am seeing in front of me, I think I'd get over it quite fast, honestly. 😅
One of the Augusts is a bit too horny for the other from the start. I think it could have been done better, but then again I sort of allow it, since he's the one who has not only been around other Augusts for a while, but also stalking this one for more than a moment. Things could have developed, but unfortunately we don't see those moments. But these guys do have great bonding moments too, I actually like this relationship. Though honestly, it's not what I love about this book. I love the humour the most. The way the story utilises all these little things into brilliant entertainment.
Like the super annoying douchebag ex. That is such a crappy trope, but damn this one was entertaining, I fucking loved to hate that guy, and just plain loved him just a bit too. Jesus. And throwing in all the silly chapter titles and other nods. This story just plucked my comedy strings so well, I was smiling and chuckling throughout the book.
I listened to the audiobook, and loved the narration. Rupert Channing speaks quite fast but it suits the way the Augusts ramble, and there's a lot of emotion in his voice, not to mention how the comedic timing is spot on. I don't usually prefer audio versions over ebooks because I like to check back on some things, and with shifting POVs I sometimes have a hard time following who is who. Just imagine what it was like with two August MCs—who are mostly the same person. But that allowed me to go “fuck it, they're pretty much the same person”. I believe the upsides of the narration most likely outweighed the negatives.
The biggest negative about the audiobook right now is that I have no marked quotes to add. There were so many good lines. Though I'm not sure many of them would work as one-liners, I loved the comedy precisely because it was built. It never got old how awkward it was to explain the romantic relationship between the Augusts. It never got old how these two fuckers couldn't keep their hands off each other and kept fucking up the whole universe.
Though I can nitpick the weirdest things, like I didn't understand how the August who had had surgery to fix his eyes put on his old glasses to look at himself and imagine he's the other August—good idea in theory, no shade—and didn't go all “shit, I can't see anything”. But then I thought (with my one course of physics studied on top of basic education) the other physics in this book might not check out either, maybe I should let this one go.
Is your love worth destroying the multiverse? Maybe don't ask these guys. It was worth reading, though.
February 20, 2026
This was a wild concept and i LOVED every bit of it.
July 4, 2026
DOPPLEBANG ME! 💖🤓🤣
One thing you need to know about Lockwood’s books, is that they are ALWAYS EPIC! She never plays it safe and honestly, THANK SKY DADDY for that.
It’s unhinged, deeply moving and funny af. This has one of the most epic first kiss scenes I’ve ever read. I’m telling you now, you need to read it for that scene alone!
Also there’s a sexy new trope. I know we’ve all heard of “c*ck warming”, but have you heard of “Coke Warming”😏 nothing like a hot Coke! 😂
Laughs aside, at the core of this book we are left asking what the purest form of love is. This book asks you to learn to love yourself, and in doing so, you’ll get to experience the greatest love story of all time; The one you have with yourself. We are imperfect, flawed, and deeply unique. No one else in this galaxy or other dimension is like you. What a beautiful thing it is to fall in love with yourself 💖
One thing you need to know about Lockwood’s books, is that they are ALWAYS EPIC! She never plays it safe and honestly, THANK SKY DADDY for that.
It’s unhinged, deeply moving and funny af. This has one of the most epic first kiss scenes I’ve ever read. I’m telling you now, you need to read it for that scene alone!
Also there’s a sexy new trope. I know we’ve all heard of “c*ck warming”, but have you heard of “Coke Warming”😏 nothing like a hot Coke! 😂
Laughs aside, at the core of this book we are left asking what the purest form of love is. This book asks you to learn to love yourself, and in doing so, you’ll get to experience the greatest love story of all time; The one you have with yourself. We are imperfect, flawed, and deeply unique. No one else in this galaxy or other dimension is like you. What a beautiful thing it is to fall in love with yourself 💖
June 11, 2026
This was definitely something different, and I mean that in the best way 😏
The romance was unique and not quite like anything I’ve read before, which immediately made me more invested in the story. I never quite knew what to expect next, and that kept things interesting from start to finish.
There was a good balance of humor, mystery, and romance, with a plot that felt fresh and entertaining. Some moments had me smiling, others had me completely intrigued, and a few scenes brought just the right amount of heat ❤️🔥
I also loved that the story didn’t take itself too seriously while still delivering emotional moments when it mattered. It was quirky, fun, and surprisingly charming.
Overall, this was a refreshing read with an unusual premise, lovable characters, and a romance that kept me hooked.
⭐️ 5/5
🌶️ 4/5
The romance was unique and not quite like anything I’ve read before, which immediately made me more invested in the story. I never quite knew what to expect next, and that kept things interesting from start to finish.
There was a good balance of humor, mystery, and romance, with a plot that felt fresh and entertaining. Some moments had me smiling, others had me completely intrigued, and a few scenes brought just the right amount of heat ❤️🔥
I also loved that the story didn’t take itself too seriously while still delivering emotional moments when it mattered. It was quirky, fun, and surprisingly charming.
Overall, this was a refreshing read with an unusual premise, lovable characters, and a romance that kept me hooked.
⭐️ 5/5
🌶️ 4/5
Review of advance copy received from Author
"We're talking the complete multiverse, billions of worlds, all shot down because you two want to fuck."
"You don't call a man beautiful beneath the stars while discussing lonely space probes and not expect it to mean something."
Have you ever thought "if only I could meet someone who knows me without me having to tell them anything? Who has all the exact same special interests, favourite foods, who just GETS ME" . . . This book takes that thought, stretches it out like pizza dough and blow it up in the best way.
It sounds insane, right? Falling for yourself? But who knows you better than you?
This whole premise was carried out BEAUTIFULLY and I got thoroughly lost in the mystery, whimsy and overall chaos this book has in spades. I laughed a LOT, I cried, I got frustrated with the characters and cringed at Jon's early bullshit. I love a book that can make me experience all the emotions.
The feeling at the start of the book was sweet, low stakes, some secrets from Bad August 👀 but very much felt like a typical meet cute romance—until it wasn't, until time was running out and we met the Jon Bon Jovi cover band ex and his groupies. From there secrets were revealed, the sky was bleeding and general world ending chaos ensued.
There's nothing I love more than when the sweet cinnamon roll character throws all his morals out the window just to keep the person he loves by his side, and Doppelbänger delivered!!
I loved both Good and Bad August so much; the tension, the feeling of being seen, the struggle with choosing between themselves and the fate of the entire universe when all they wanted was to be happy and together 😭 they deserved that HEA!
"You don't call a man beautiful beneath the stars while discussing lonely space probes and not expect it to mean something."
Have you ever thought "if only I could meet someone who knows me without me having to tell them anything? Who has all the exact same special interests, favourite foods, who just GETS ME" . . . This book takes that thought, stretches it out like pizza dough and blow it up in the best way.
It sounds insane, right? Falling for yourself? But who knows you better than you?
This whole premise was carried out BEAUTIFULLY and I got thoroughly lost in the mystery, whimsy and overall chaos this book has in spades. I laughed a LOT, I cried, I got frustrated with the characters and cringed at Jon's early bullshit. I love a book that can make me experience all the emotions.
The feeling at the start of the book was sweet, low stakes, some secrets from Bad August 👀 but very much felt like a typical meet cute romance—until it wasn't, until time was running out and we met the Jon Bon Jovi cover band ex and his groupies. From there secrets were revealed, the sky was bleeding and general world ending chaos ensued.
There's nothing I love more than when the sweet cinnamon roll character throws all his morals out the window just to keep the person he loves by his side, and Doppelbänger delivered!!
I loved both Good and Bad August so much; the tension, the feeling of being seen, the struggle with choosing between themselves and the fate of the entire universe when all they wanted was to be happy and together 😭 they deserved that HEA!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2026
I don’t think I can find enough words to explain how much I loved this book
I will probably create an absolute-ABSOLUTE-favourites shelf now because it was so perfect it’s just ridiculous!
I was late to this party because I was vary of a sci-fi aspect, but seriously DONT LET IT STOP YOU, It’s really not as sci-fi-y as you would think, or maybe it is, I'm not an expert, but it doesn't matter really when it is done so well
honestly, it was not even 5% that I knew I would love it
Something about the writing and August(s) was just so good it all clicked instantly and I couldn’t and didn’t stop!
I don’t even know how to review this without spoilering, because it’s best to go in blind, don’t even read the blurb, just go and read this!!
it’s a literal trap from page one, and I truly didn’t expect it to be SO EMOTIONAL, so sweet, so many times on a verge of tears.. and at the same time being stupidly hilarious and perfectly ridiculous, the number of WTF faces I made was crazy, and you truly don’t know what to expect next to the very end..
and THE CHAPTER NAMES!!!! Are another wonderful thing, seriously, it’s so rare now and here they are seriously so good 🖤
The perfect rollercoaster of a book, I loved every single thing and every single page, it has everything of WHY we all love reading so much. It’s probably one of my most idiotic reviews, but I hope it just shows how crazy and happy it made me ☺️
I will probably create an absolute-ABSOLUTE-favourites shelf now because it was so perfect it’s just ridiculous!
I was late to this party because I was vary of a sci-fi aspect, but seriously DONT LET IT STOP YOU, It’s really not as sci-fi-y as you would think, or maybe it is, I'm not an expert, but it doesn't matter really when it is done so well
honestly, it was not even 5% that I knew I would love it
Something about the writing and August(s) was just so good it all clicked instantly and I couldn’t and didn’t stop!
I don’t even know how to review this without spoilering, because it’s best to go in blind, don’t even read the blurb, just go and read this!!
it’s a literal trap from page one, and I truly didn’t expect it to be SO EMOTIONAL, so sweet, so many times on a verge of tears.. and at the same time being stupidly hilarious and perfectly ridiculous, the number of WTF faces I made was crazy, and you truly don’t know what to expect next to the very end..
and THE CHAPTER NAMES!!!! Are another wonderful thing, seriously, it’s so rare now and here they are seriously so good 🖤
The perfect rollercoaster of a book, I loved every single thing and every single page, it has everything of WHY we all love reading so much. It’s probably one of my most idiotic reviews, but I hope it just shows how crazy and happy it made me ☺️
March 21, 2026
”What we have is beyond love, beyond time, beyond worlds. This is the most powerful force in the universe, and I feel it in my heart as much as I know it in my head. You're my multiverse, August.”
4 universe-destroyingly-good stars 🤩🤩
I absolutely loved every single second of this book! WH Lockwood has crafted an incredibly unique, goofy, sexy, chaotic, sciencey and beautiful inter-dimensional love
story, and if that sentence alone isn’t enough to convince you to read Doppelbänger here are a few more reasons:
✨ Imagine sex so good it transcends time and space. Literally.
✨ A whole new meaning to the term self love
✨ Masturbating in front of a mirror but when your lover is your clone it’s like you’re watching them *wink wink*
This book was an absolute pleasure to read and my ass was genuinely laughing out loud nearly every chapter! I cannot wait for the full release so I can instantly buy a physical copy and annotate the shit out of this!! The cast of characters are personable, hilarious, sexy and make for an amazing ragtag group to explore the multiverse with 🚀
Massive thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review~
January 27, 2026
Hands down one of my fave reads!! This book just blew me away, it made me laugh cry, swoon, and then after I was just like I need a minute 😂…. “ I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through. But even if it’s selfish, I’m glad you’re here with me. I’m glad you made it to my world. Even if it’s just for a little while, I’m glad I met you and that you’re in my life” Bad August & Good August first meet when bad August hops into his world and they end up in a time loop and literally from the get go I was drawn into it. The whole plot was just absolutely brilliant and I’m not much of a science Gal but I was actually really fascinated with everything going on. For ages I was thinking how will they get through this and it all worked out just incredible like no words tbh! “ Of all the mes in all the universes, why did this one have to be walking sex” Not gonna lie could actually read about their sex life everyday , it was all poetry and cosmic bliss and chefs Kiss W.H Lockwood truly outdid themselves with this book and I’m forever grateful to be able to arc read and be apart of their team… Okay let me talk about Jon Non Jovi ,, I think you will never forget this if you read this book because it was just hilarious and I solid laughed with tears for ages… Jon ( Nigel 😂) I love you dude! Never stop being you… i loved all the side characters in this including assassin August so glad they all got their HEA! The most powerful message i got from this book was from this quote…. “ He’s me so completely and my soul is at peace for the first time. If I could stay here. If I could be him, held and made whole by him. The missing piece of myself. Me” Never stop believing in yourself and love yourself for who you are all the parts of you!!!! This isn’t 5 stars it’s ♾️ 😭😭😭🥰🥰🥰
March 5, 2026
What. A. Journey.
gorgeous cover art - ✅
unique premise - ✅
insanely hot smut - ✅
very annoying ex-bf trope (both the trope and the ex-bf, sorry not sorry) - ✅
SO MUCH CHAOS - big fat ✅
I genuinely don’t know how to rate this.
August & August went from kind of flirty to full-on “I would die for you” faster than the speed of light. Their constant love declarations were a lot, but somehow the ride-or-die devotion lowkey worked???
The whole concept is absolutely right up my alley. The sci-fi aspect is done surprisingly thoughtfully. But oh my god… this book is messy. At many points the story felt completely over the top and around the middle the plot dragged a bit, but it was still entertaining enough that my annoyance didn’t quite manage to beat my curiosity. Side characters seemed shallow, like I wouldn’t have minded if the whole book was just a lot of Augusts. There are a million other things I’d like to say, but I’ll probably need a reread to fully process whatever this rollercoaster was.
And from now on I may never look at Jon Bon Jovi without a scowl. Hopefully time will heal that.
gorgeous cover art - ✅
unique premise - ✅
insanely hot smut - ✅
very annoying ex-bf trope (both the trope and the ex-bf, sorry not sorry) - ✅
SO MUCH CHAOS - big fat ✅
I genuinely don’t know how to rate this.
August & August went from kind of flirty to full-on “I would die for you” faster than the speed of light. Their constant love declarations were a lot, but somehow the ride-or-die devotion lowkey worked???
The whole concept is absolutely right up my alley. The sci-fi aspect is done surprisingly thoughtfully. But oh my god… this book is messy. At many points the story felt completely over the top and around the middle the plot dragged a bit, but it was still entertaining enough that my annoyance didn’t quite manage to beat my curiosity. Side characters seemed shallow, like I wouldn’t have minded if the whole book was just a lot of Augusts. There are a million other things I’d like to say, but I’ll probably need a reread to fully process whatever this rollercoaster was.
And from now on I may never look at Jon Bon Jovi without a scowl. Hopefully time will heal that.
Review of advance copy received from Author
5 ⭐ 3.5 🌶️
Who could have imagined feeling feelings while reading about some dude banging his other self? Well. Here we are. 50 chapters later and I've fallen for multiple August Blackthornes and, quite frankly, I still want more. We meet so many Augusts in this story and while Good August and Bad August will forever be my faves, I'd be remiss if I didn't say I wouldn't mind a certain August and his certain boy toy to be featured in a novella some day *giggles*
But for real. The math and physics were a perfect balance of wtf is August talking about and holy heck this sounds so cool. WH may or may not know what she's talking about, but it's sci-fi so I'm not fact checking and just enjoying the nerdy ride. And what a ride it was. So dang fun.
The spice was phenomenal. The side characters were perfect (in the most flawed ways). And the plot was emotional, thought provoking and yet still a freaking blast. I loved this one from beginning to end, thank you so much to WH for the advanced copy!
Who could have imagined feeling feelings while reading about some dude banging his other self? Well. Here we are. 50 chapters later and I've fallen for multiple August Blackthornes and, quite frankly, I still want more. We meet so many Augusts in this story and while Good August and Bad August will forever be my faves, I'd be remiss if I didn't say I wouldn't mind a certain August and his certain boy toy to be featured in a novella some day *giggles*
But for real. The math and physics were a perfect balance of wtf is August talking about and holy heck this sounds so cool. WH may or may not know what she's talking about, but it's sci-fi so I'm not fact checking and just enjoying the nerdy ride. And what a ride it was. So dang fun.
The spice was phenomenal. The side characters were perfect (in the most flawed ways). And the plot was emotional, thought provoking and yet still a freaking blast. I loved this one from beginning to end, thank you so much to WH for the advanced copy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 797 reviews