What do you think?
Rate this book
Bromantasy
Two heroes. One brain cell.
BROMANTASY is a cozy, queer fantasy about the mortifying ordeal of being known by your totally platonic best friend and the epic quest that might force you to confront the truth.
Fellas, is it gay to kiss your bff while on a quest through the forest you’re unqualified for?
Juniper O'Reilly is good at only two demolishing a pint of mead and finding the perfect skincare routine. Everything else—taking care of the farm, bartering for goods, any sort of manual labor—falls to Juniper’s best friend, the absurdly capable, endlessly patient Mo Elmthorn.
But when Juniper accidentally volunteers them both for a quest to kill a fearsome monster, he knows he’s finally gotten in over his head. Juniper hates camping, he hates the dark, and there’s no way all these foraged mushrooms are going to sit well in his stomach. One thing he doesn’t hate? How good Mo’s thighs look in his questing pants—he doesn’t have time to think about that, though, with a monster to hunt and their futures on the line.
But monsters come in all shapes and sizes. When Juniper and Mo realize that the terrifying beast they’ve sworn to kill is just a scared little girl torn from her family, they’re off to find not only the true villain of the story, but maybe even a happy ending.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2026
About the author
Máire Roche
5 books129 followersMáire Roche is a former teacher who now writes fantasy for all ages.
When she's not writing, Máire enjoys exploring new coffee shops, hiking, and teaching martial arts.
She also writes thrillers and contemporary romance as Mary E. Roach, where her recent & upcoming titles include Better Left Buried, Seven for a Secret, and We Are the Match.
When she's not writing, Máire enjoys exploring new coffee shops, hiking, and teaching martial arts.
She also writes thrillers and contemporary romance as Mary E. Roach, where her recent & upcoming titles include Better Left Buried, Seven for a Secret, and We Are the Match.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,158 reviews
September 2, 2026
"Juniper didn't wait a moment longer. He lunged at the man, fist raised, Mo's warning shout echoing behind him."It really was all Juniper's fault that the two of them were in this mess. One brawl with the one guy and now Mo and Juniper were conscripted into the King's service as dragon hunters.
DRAGON. HUNTERS.
All Juniper wants to do is curl up by a roaring fire, drink hot chocolate, and scroll through the latest gossip scrolls. But instead he's trekking across the wildness with a very excited (and handsome) (wait, pretend you didn't read that last bit) best friend, Mo.
But as the two lovable friends get closer to the dragon, they will be forced to discuss things long since buried and make decisions that the two of them had been putting off for nearly a decade...
Ugh so much potential, but it just didn't work for me.
On the plus side, I really liked how the author did the parody-setting.
The gossip scrolls, the singing of Take Me Home Village Roads, the tallow skin-care regimen, the clauses in their dragon hunting contract. I had a lot of fun picking out the various Easter eggs hidden throughout the story.
Unfortunately what really brought it down for me was the two main characters. Their actions and reactions to various situations made them feel like they were 15/16 instead of in their late twenties.
I just couldn't handle all the pining, over-analysis, re-analysis, and assumptions made by the main characters of the story. It bogged down the plot and I would keep thinking, "but we've gone over this alreadyyyy."
Furthermore, I just wasn't surprised by anything. I'm not some super genius when it comes to predicting books (I NEVER find out who's the killer in the mystery books) but in this one, I kept guessing right.
Oh, this new character? They're probably going to do _____. Or this plot "twist" will lead to _____. (and I'd be right) (I cannot emphasize this enough, I am SO bad at predicting things in almost everything I read).
So the predictability and the characters ultimately brought this book down for me. It's a bit of a bummer, but at least the worldbuilding was fun.
P.s. Am I the only one who was weirded out by how quickly Like jeez, at least show her mourning a SMIDGE???
May 15, 2026
Bromantasy asks the age old question of “Fellas, is it gay to pine after your homie for a decade before having to confront it while on a magical quest?”
Juniper and Mo are two bros who live together in an idyllic cottage (platonically) with the cat they adopted together (so platonically). Juniper gets roped into a dragon hunting quest, and Mo (very platonically) says that he won’t leave him to face it alone. They set out into the forest admiring each other’s form-fitting hiking pants (but like, in a platonic way). Is it obvious how platonic and totally not romantic their friendship is yet?
Hijinks ensue, and Juniper and Mo find themselves on a quest to help the dragon they set out to hunt, while also figuring out that ten years is a long time to not communicate properly with each other!
I want to force everyone to read this book because it was everything I wanted and more! I genuinely don’t have a bad thing to say about this book. I LOVED it! The tongue-in-cheek humor was so funny! I definitely laughed out loud multiple times. The romance and found family aspects were so sweet and heartfelt.
Overall this was cheeky, charming, a little cheesy, and an easy 5/5 ⭐️ Excuse me while I run to preorder myself a physical copy! 🩷🩷🩷
•••••
One of my most anticipated arcs of the year! 😍 Huge thanks to G. P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the advance copy! 🩷
Juniper and Mo are two bros who live together in an idyllic cottage (platonically) with the cat they adopted together (so platonically). Juniper gets roped into a dragon hunting quest, and Mo (very platonically) says that he won’t leave him to face it alone. They set out into the forest admiring each other’s form-fitting hiking pants (but like, in a platonic way). Is it obvious how platonic and totally not romantic their friendship is yet?
Hijinks ensue, and Juniper and Mo find themselves on a quest to help the dragon they set out to hunt, while also figuring out that ten years is a long time to not communicate properly with each other!
I want to force everyone to read this book because it was everything I wanted and more! I genuinely don’t have a bad thing to say about this book. I LOVED it! The tongue-in-cheek humor was so funny! I definitely laughed out loud multiple times. The romance and found family aspects were so sweet and heartfelt.
Overall this was cheeky, charming, a little cheesy, and an easy 5/5 ⭐️ Excuse me while I run to preorder myself a physical copy! 🩷🩷🩷
•••••
One of my most anticipated arcs of the year! 😍 Huge thanks to G. P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the advance copy! 🩷
November 19, 2025
You know those spoof/parody movies, Not Another Teen Movie or Scary Movie etc? This feels like that in book form for romantasy.
If you enjoyed those movies or humor like it, you’ll probably have a great time with this book.
There is a quest, dragons, and two idiots (complimentary) totally in love with each other but pretending not to be.
Plenty of silly funny humor that pokes fun at modern slang, books in the genre, etc.
Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of those types of movies or that type of humor so this book was a kind of a miss for me. I did enjoy it enough that I wanted to find out what happened with the dragon, but this isn’t one I’ll read again and I’d only recommend it to ppl that really enjoy that parody/silly humor style.
I’ll also emphasize that this is two idiots in love and denying it for most of the book. This reads like miscommunication, so if you’re not a fan of that style of conflict this might be one to skip!
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
If you enjoyed those movies or humor like it, you’ll probably have a great time with this book.
There is a quest, dragons, and two idiots (complimentary) totally in love with each other but pretending not to be.
Plenty of silly funny humor that pokes fun at modern slang, books in the genre, etc.
Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of those types of movies or that type of humor so this book was a kind of a miss for me. I did enjoy it enough that I wanted to find out what happened with the dragon, but this isn’t one I’ll read again and I’d only recommend it to ppl that really enjoy that parody/silly humor style.
I’ll also emphasize that this is two idiots in love and denying it for most of the book. This reads like miscommunication, so if you’re not a fan of that style of conflict this might be one to skip!
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
January 31, 2026
dnf at 15%. Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for the arc but this book is far from ready for even arc readers let alone actual publishing.
For a book being marketed as adult and with characters about to be in their thirties, this book has a surprisingly limited and stilted use of vocabulary. That coupled with the juvenile sentence structure that's being repeated, I have a hard time believing that this should be in the older YA section even. The start is clunky, so much so that it took me 2 days to get past the first three chapters, the characters are introduced in such a way that they're instantly not interesting and the mostly thought train style of narration is exhausting to read.
What's funny is that I was genuinely going to push through and finish it just for the sake of the review and the fact that I got it as an arc but then I read the word, "unalivement" and knew I couldn't go on. It's so ridiculous too because the author had the word beheaded in the VERY NEXT LINE. We can't say execution but we can use beheaded?? So silly
For a book being marketed as adult and with characters about to be in their thirties, this book has a surprisingly limited and stilted use of vocabulary. That coupled with the juvenile sentence structure that's being repeated, I have a hard time believing that this should be in the older YA section even. The start is clunky, so much so that it took me 2 days to get past the first three chapters, the characters are introduced in such a way that they're instantly not interesting and the mostly thought train style of narration is exhausting to read.
What's funny is that I was genuinely going to push through and finish it just for the sake of the review and the fact that I got it as an arc but then I read the word, "unalivement" and knew I couldn't go on. It's so ridiculous too because the author had the word beheaded in the VERY NEXT LINE. We can't say execution but we can use beheaded?? So silly
January 17, 2026
A couple of twice-shy besties have spent a decade secretly pining for one another because men will literally hunt dragons before they discuss their feelings, which is a pithy, but faithful recap of this book. Juniper O’Reilly is a hedonist at his core, so his preferred modus vivendi includes ample mead, rowdy bar fights, cat cuddles, and bougie skincare. His roomie and object of his every affection, Morn Elmthorn, is a lumbersexual Aragorn with thick thighs, kind eyes, and endless patience, so the infatuation is unsurprising. Neither are thrilled when Juniper’s proclivity for folly lands them on a royal mission to the Gray Mountains, but at least they can pretend they’re not in love while on what the gossip scrolls are calling the Hottest Quest of the Season! They opt to camp along the journey as opposed to staying at local inns that never have enough sleeping arrangements because while they insist upon sharing a horse, these idiots refuse to share a bed. It’s down bad dimwits-to-lovers, chock full of lamentable yearning, dragon halflings, pants on fire, and locally sourced lard for moisturization. Legolas and Gimli walked so these queer DINKWAC’s could run. Let’s just hope they don’t run out of cheese.
June 1, 2026
This book is not as good or as fun as the cover and title made it out to be. I was once again deceived by clever marketing.
It tried way too hard to be whimsical and funny. I don't know if the author was a fan of Shrek and the vibe those movies have of making fun in an original way of fairy tales, and decided to try writing this book in that sort of style by making fun of quests, royals and dragons, sadly, it didn't work at all.
Juniper was an annoying and whiny MC. It also didn't help that it was all from his POV. I just didn't care enough about his hardships or his weird relationship with the friend/roommate/love of his life.
It tried way too hard to be whimsical and funny. I don't know if the author was a fan of Shrek and the vibe those movies have of making fun in an original way of fairy tales, and decided to try writing this book in that sort of style by making fun of quests, royals and dragons, sadly, it didn't work at all.
Juniper was an annoying and whiny MC. It also didn't help that it was all from his POV. I just didn't care enough about his hardships or his weird relationship with the friend/roommate/love of his life.
Did Not Finish
June 8, 2026‧₊˚🌈✩ ₊˚🫧⊹♡ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉
PRIDE MONTH BUDDY READ WITH BRIANNA ‧₊˚🌈✩ ₊˚🫧⊹♡
PRIDE MONTH BUDDY READ WITH BRIANNA ‧₊˚🌈✩ ₊˚🫧⊹♡
June 1, 2026
I had to DNF this after the third use of “unalive” … the tiktok algo can’t get you on paper, babe
This started out ok, I saw the potential but wow. This is marketed as adult – it is not. It is marketed as hilarious – it is decidedly not. I just wanted a story about two dummies falling in love on a quest, but I found myself just not caring? That is the major crime here. Not to mention the world felt so underdeveloped. Even for satire, the world needs to feel real!
I feel like this book tried way too hard to be “quotable” and witty and just fell flat.
This started out ok, I saw the potential but wow. This is marketed as adult – it is not. It is marketed as hilarious – it is decidedly not. I just wanted a story about two dummies falling in love on a quest, but I found myself just not caring? That is the major crime here. Not to mention the world felt so underdeveloped. Even for satire, the world needs to feel real!
I feel like this book tried way too hard to be “quotable” and witty and just fell flat.
May 29, 2026
Bromantasy is a chaotic and whimsy filled romance following two best friends, June and Mo, as they go on a reluctant quest to defeat some dragons. While the two make their way through the land and discover life outside of their small village, they find themselves confronting their obvious connection and history. This was such a fun and campy read! I loved that the plot was so bright and quirky, the story was definitely making light of the romantasy genre and it was so refreshing to read a book that didn't take itself so seriously. Aside from the plot, I loved how June and Mo fell into their relationship so hesitantly and with clear gusto at the same time. It was so obvious that the two were enamored with each other and just scared to make the first move. I appreciated that they came into their feelings as the plot progressed and the two gained the courage to fight for their relationship alongside their adventure. This cozy and lighthearted romantasy was well worth the read, every page was full of humor and coziness!
~Many thanks to Putnam for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
~Many thanks to Putnam for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Bromantasy is a cozy fantasy book about best friends who secretly love each other. There's also a baby dragon that may or may not be a little girl.
It's a sorcery and small magics meets the house in the cerulean sea.
It was very cute and a fun time, I'd recommend it if you like cozy fantasy.
Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for the ARC.
It's a sorcery and small magics meets the house in the cerulean sea.
It was very cute and a fun time, I'd recommend it if you like cozy fantasy.
Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for the ARC.
June 3, 2026
Honestly it's very ironic that this is the book I felt I was in a time loop for. The cover makes it look very adventurous, but unless walking through the forest for 300+ pages counts as an adventure then this is plain false advertisement (they don't even ride a horse in this one). All this book is, walk a little bit, go in the river, camp, tell the same back story, review the stuff we already know and the same unfunny 3 to 5 jokes and rinse and repeat till the ending. No adventure, no hijinks, no fun.
The main character is painfully annoying and dumb as a rock and "bromance" aspect they were going for is a complete mess. Some of the worst romance and friendship dynamics I have ever read. He also makes some of the worst decisions of all time and his motivation sometimes doesn't add up.
There was momentarily a character I dare say I liked only for the author to ruin them in the next chapter. I have been trapped in this hell of a book and have finally been freed.
The main character is painfully annoying and dumb as a rock and "bromance" aspect they were going for is a complete mess. Some of the worst romance and friendship dynamics I have ever read. He also makes some of the worst decisions of all time and his motivation sometimes doesn't add up.
There was momentarily a character I dare say I liked only for the author to ruin them in the next chapter. I have been trapped in this hell of a book and have finally been freed.
May 27, 2026
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGelley for the opportunity to read this ARC before release and to give an honest review.
I started reading this book having expectations of two best friends who went off on a quest that they didn’t want and they would end up together by the end. What I got was 60% of book was complaining about not wanting to walk anymore. 10% complaining and explanations on cheese and why its so incredible and why can’t they have more. 15% of one-sided pinning that was repetitive and easy to skim and finally 15% of the actual heroic plot that I was expecting. There were also so many references to the real world like “rizz” , their own version of YOLO, and I don’t know how many times you can say “there is only one bed” without it feeling pushed but this was way past it and more.
Overall, I was very disappointed by this book, and it was not what I was expecting at all.
I started reading this book having expectations of two best friends who went off on a quest that they didn’t want and they would end up together by the end. What I got was 60% of book was complaining about not wanting to walk anymore. 10% complaining and explanations on cheese and why its so incredible and why can’t they have more. 15% of one-sided pinning that was repetitive and easy to skim and finally 15% of the actual heroic plot that I was expecting. There were also so many references to the real world like “rizz” , their own version of YOLO, and I don’t know how many times you can say “there is only one bed” without it feeling pushed but this was way past it and more.
Overall, I was very disappointed by this book, and it was not what I was expecting at all.
Read
May 12, 2026Dnf @ 15%
I got drawn in by the tagline "two guys, one braincell" because I love idiots to lovers and this sounded like a really funny book.
Alas, my eyes kept glazing over and I had to call it quits at 15% because I still didn't care one bit about the characters, their relationship, the quest, or the world building. I also didn't laugh once though the entire thing is trying very hard to be funny.
A bit bummed this one didn't work for me and I guess maybe it gets better but I don't think it's worth it for me to force myself to stick with it to find out.
Thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC
I got drawn in by the tagline "two guys, one braincell" because I love idiots to lovers and this sounded like a really funny book.
Alas, my eyes kept glazing over and I had to call it quits at 15% because I still didn't care one bit about the characters, their relationship, the quest, or the world building. I also didn't laugh once though the entire thing is trying very hard to be funny.
A bit bummed this one didn't work for me and I guess maybe it gets better but I don't think it's worth it for me to force myself to stick with it to find out.
Thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC
September 21, 2025
yes, it is gay
June 19, 2026
ONE BRAIN CELL
May 31, 2026
This was a quick and sweet read, but not one that I adored in any way. I was expecting it to be a lot funnier that it was (although humour is of course very subjective) and at points I just found it a little dull? Idk, some elements were great but overall I’d rate this as ‘just fine’.
Things I enjoyed:
✨ The puns. They read scrolls for entertainment and call it scrolling ahaha.
✨ It’s very tongue in cheek. All the inns have only one bed, and everyone is predicting the friends will become lovers. The book knows what it’s doing.
✨ It’s very Geralt & Jaskier (from the Witcher) coded, which I liked.
✨ Also very D&D coded; adventuring parties all over the place!
Things I didn’t enjoy:
✨ The plot. It’s essentially a fetch-quest to find a dragon, nothing really deeper than that.
✨ The romance. Ugh I did not feel the love between these two at all. Like I could have done with more pining, more declarations, more everything. They just never seemed on the same page about anything, especially adopting this dang dragon kid.
✨ Bear the dragon’s mother died and this wasn’t addressed at all?? They just adopted her and moved on, like…???
✨ All the characters read as very immature. Like I enjoy silliness and humour but this was just that and nothing much more.
✨ Juniper was an annoying narrator; we get it buddy, you like skincare and cheese, don’t we all 🫠
Overall a lighthearted D&D themed read, but one (imho) without too much substance!
Things I enjoyed:
✨ The puns. They read scrolls for entertainment and call it scrolling ahaha.
✨ It’s very tongue in cheek. All the inns have only one bed, and everyone is predicting the friends will become lovers. The book knows what it’s doing.
✨ It’s very Geralt & Jaskier (from the Witcher) coded, which I liked.
✨ Also very D&D coded; adventuring parties all over the place!
Things I didn’t enjoy:
✨ The plot. It’s essentially a fetch-quest to find a dragon, nothing really deeper than that.
✨ The romance. Ugh I did not feel the love between these two at all. Like I could have done with more pining, more declarations, more everything. They just never seemed on the same page about anything, especially adopting this dang dragon kid.
✨ Bear the dragon’s mother died and this wasn’t addressed at all?? They just adopted her and moved on, like…???
✨ All the characters read as very immature. Like I enjoy silliness and humour but this was just that and nothing much more.
✨ Juniper was an annoying narrator; we get it buddy, you like skincare and cheese, don’t we all 🫠
Overall a lighthearted D&D themed read, but one (imho) without too much substance!
September 6, 2026
— 3.5 ☆
cutie patooties 🥹🫶
the author also has a wife !!! so cute aghh 🤞
cutie patooties 🥹🫶
the author also has a wife !!! so cute aghh 🤞
July 3, 2026
Don’t waste your time with this book. I made myself finish it so I could figure out what not to do in my own writing. A lot of M/M romance are written about us but not for us as gay men. This is one of the worst examples I’ve ever read of an author who seems to have never met an actual gay man exploiting us to make money with a book. It’s full of stereotypes (about gay men, not bros), the characters are annoying and unrealistic, and the author’s wild guesses about how gay men’s sexuality works are so off the mark I don’t think she even tried to watch gay porn for “research.” Also, if you like fantasy (or even romantasy), there is virtually no magic in this besides “dragons exist” and it’s set in a lazily built world generically medieval setting yet still riddled with cringy references to instagram.
Did Not Finish
October 30, 2026Is it really a DNF if you barely even started? 🤔
I’m unsure if it’s the third person narration or the feeling of forced whimsy but I simply cannot with this audio.
Also is there anything more embarrassing than hating your own bookclub pick?!?! 💔
I’m unsure if it’s the third person narration or the feeling of forced whimsy but I simply cannot with this audio.
Also is there anything more embarrassing than hating your own bookclub pick?!?! 💔
October 3, 2026
DNF to prevent another reading slump.
Oh man.
I found this book in a bookstore without having heard anything about it. The catch-phrase „two idots one brain cell“ did to me, what it was intended to do: it caught me.
I expected two idots on a ridiculous adventure falling in love … and I got a whiny ass man-child on a camping trip with his hot roommate…??
DNF at page 101 , I really don’t care.
Oh man.
I found this book in a bookstore without having heard anything about it. The catch-phrase „two idots one brain cell“ did to me, what it was intended to do: it caught me.
I expected two idots on a ridiculous adventure falling in love … and I got a whiny ass man-child on a camping trip with his hot roommate…??
DNF at page 101 , I really don’t care.
Did Not Finish
October 24, 2026I would love to have given this more of a chance, but the protagonist aggravated me so badly from literally the first page that I could not bring myself to continue. :(
June 21, 2026
Well that was a fun , adorable, low stakes and heartwarming adventure!! I love that both of them were basically all up in their head about everything and it just took this adventure to unlock them saying out loud everything!! Also .. dragons and one awesome princess. This was just so much fun !!!
Did Not Finish
May 8, 2026DNF @ 27%, end of chapter 6
Adult Categorization:
I'm a little confused about this book being marketed as Adult when on the author's own website she appears to differentiate between her Adult novels and this book. This reads very, very young and very, very simplistic.
Without knowing how explicit the romance develops, I'd peg this as upper MG, lower YA. It does not feel appropriate for an Adult audience with Adult reading expectations, so it's really just not the book for me.
The Writing:
I didn't enjoy reading from Juniper's POV, and tonally he seems to remain the same (I skipped ahead to the final act to verify before finally deciding to DNF). Humor's subjective and I picked this up because it seemed cute and funny, but I personally didn't find it to be either and it's probably mostly because I didn't get on with Juniper's character.
This also holds the achievement of being the first time I actually read "unalive" in a book. So it's got that going for it, I guess.
Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Adult Categorization:
I'm a little confused about this book being marketed as Adult when on the author's own website she appears to differentiate between her Adult novels and this book. This reads very, very young and very, very simplistic.
Without knowing how explicit the romance develops, I'd peg this as upper MG, lower YA. It does not feel appropriate for an Adult audience with Adult reading expectations, so it's really just not the book for me.
The Writing:
I didn't enjoy reading from Juniper's POV, and tonally he seems to remain the same (I skipped ahead to the final act to verify before finally deciding to DNF). Humor's subjective and I picked this up because it seemed cute and funny, but I personally didn't find it to be either and it's probably mostly because I didn't get on with Juniper's character.
This also holds the achievement of being the first time I actually read "unalive" in a book. So it's got that going for it, I guess.
Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC review:
This hurts to write!! I had big hopes for this book and truly thought I would enjoy it, but overall I found it difficult to follow and ultimately a slog. It read like a book that could be enjoyed by a Very Online crowd, but that also dates it so completely that I can't imagine it will be relevant for very long. I think it will probably age like milk, and I wish more had been done to make it feel timeless -- or at least less immediate to the past, like, year.
What really disappointed me is that author clearly has some comedic chops, but at times the flow of the book felt like scaffolding for a punch list of jokes they wanted to tell, plot be damned. It made the pacing, dialogue, and even action feel strange and disjointed.
This hurts to write!! I had big hopes for this book and truly thought I would enjoy it, but overall I found it difficult to follow and ultimately a slog. It read like a book that could be enjoyed by a Very Online crowd, but that also dates it so completely that I can't imagine it will be relevant for very long. I think it will probably age like milk, and I wish more had been done to make it feel timeless -- or at least less immediate to the past, like, year.
What really disappointed me is that author clearly has some comedic chops, but at times the flow of the book felt like scaffolding for a punch list of jokes they wanted to tell, plot be damned. It made the pacing, dialogue, and even action feel strange and disjointed.
July 20, 2026
it was cute, it was pretty fun to read, but it was eminently predictable.
it's also going to age like milk. it's already veering ever-so-slightly into "outdated and cringey humour" territory, and i'm not exactly young and hip these days - at 27, i'm still a young person, but an 18 year old would think i'm ancient - and they'd probably think this was a bit cringey.
i did overall like the humour, it was very "western, chronically online younger millennial", which i know doesn't sound great but if you're also a western chronically online younger millennial (or older gen z, which is what i am), then it works.
but certain gags are kind of niche and certainly won't be understood in a few years or by people who haven't seen the joke - phteven's nickname, although not explained because the author clearly thought explaining it would make it less funny and preferred it to be an in-joke, is based off the internet joke of "i told the starbucks barista my name is stephen with a 'ph' and he spelled it 'phteven'". which, y'know, i enjoyed the reference, but i can imagine it irritating those who didn't.
also the worldbuilding was absolutely shit. americans just think throwing irish terms and words into things makes something High Fantasy and Interesting and Magic huh. if they'd been doing that with arabic or chinese terms they'd have been accused of cultural appropriation so fast. i get this is a humorous parody-esque novel, i'm not expecting tolkien-level worldbuilding, but you can't just straight up lift terms from irish mythology like Tír na nÓg because you can't be arsed to think of your own word. i get using terms like sidhe because everyone knows what that means by now and you can't make up names for every magical race because it would get confusing. but think of SOMETHING yourself.
tl;dr it was a good romp, but it's very much "of the moment" and doesn't have much staying power imo
it's also going to age like milk. it's already veering ever-so-slightly into "outdated and cringey humour" territory, and i'm not exactly young and hip these days - at 27, i'm still a young person, but an 18 year old would think i'm ancient - and they'd probably think this was a bit cringey.
i did overall like the humour, it was very "western, chronically online younger millennial", which i know doesn't sound great but if you're also a western chronically online younger millennial (or older gen z, which is what i am), then it works.
but certain gags are kind of niche and certainly won't be understood in a few years or by people who haven't seen the joke - phteven's nickname, although not explained because the author clearly thought explaining it would make it less funny and preferred it to be an in-joke, is based off the internet joke of "i told the starbucks barista my name is stephen with a 'ph' and he spelled it 'phteven'". which, y'know, i enjoyed the reference, but i can imagine it irritating those who didn't.
also the worldbuilding was absolutely shit. americans just think throwing irish terms and words into things makes something High Fantasy and Interesting and Magic huh. if they'd been doing that with arabic or chinese terms they'd have been accused of cultural appropriation so fast. i get this is a humorous parody-esque novel, i'm not expecting tolkien-level worldbuilding, but you can't just straight up lift terms from irish mythology like Tír na nÓg because you can't be arsed to think of your own word. i get using terms like sidhe because everyone knows what that means by now and you can't make up names for every magical race because it would get confusing. but think of SOMETHING yourself.
tl;dr it was a good romp, but it's very much "of the moment" and doesn't have much staying power imo
June 13, 2026
This book had an incredible marketing team. Like, hot damn, what a campaign. The title, tagline, front cover? All A+++
The actual book?.........meh..........
The gulf between what I expected and what I got would dwarf the Pacific Ocean. I expected a Dumb and Dumber cozy sexually charged gay romp. What I got? Well...it's not quite Dumb and Dumber because Juniper isn't exactly dumb per-say. He is an absolute idiot, but not in an endearing 'oh heny' kind of way. In a 'Oh my god dude, grow the hell up! You are a literal selfish child!'.
I almost found it funny how Juniper and Bill are basically the same person, except Bill is an actual competent human being, which makes man-child Juniper angry beyond all reason. And I loved Sphteven (I think that's how you write it? I audiobooked it). Honestly, this book SHOULD have been about Bill and Sphteven, that was more of the 'bromance' that I was hoping for. The 'Bromance' we got between Mo and Juniper was just...*frustrated grumble*
Let's talk about Mo. I loved Mo. Mo was my sweat pea, my good time boy. What he saw in Juniper I'll never understand. Mo is a simple guy with simple needs. This was the kind of dumb I was hoping for. Though I was kind of hoping for a little bit more characterization from him if I'm being honest. His whole personality trait was that he was big...he was hot...and he was a bit slow. That's about it. Kinda one dimension for my tastes.
I've already bitched about the little bitch that is Juniper so I'll just say making him the main character and the POV character was a choice...and not the right choice. I found him too whinny and childish. I get the 'reluctant hero' trope, but this was a child being told they already had four scoops of ice cream and couldn't have a fifth. His character was very inconsistent: he's a farmer but hates working with his hands, came from the streets but has a full skin routine...like, this could have worked if he created the pampering regiment from scratch, or was more self reliant. But needing to buy all the products from a farming village and then complain that they're struggling...like, yeah man! Of course. Basic needs first then you pamper. I love a good spa day too, but I make sure I have enough food to eat first!
Complete side note: I've read dairy cook book that use the word Cheese less. I swear, the author must have been in a constant state of hangry because cheese was said (again, I audiobooked it) so often it literally began to lose all meaning. It was funny at first, then it was annoying, then I growned every time cheese was said, which made the big climatic scene at the end land very flat for me.
Also, I know I'm nit-picking here, but this was something that legitimately bothered me: It's too high stakes for a proper cozy fantasy book that it was being marketed as, but also too low stakes for a proper fish out of water, two diffuses outside of their abilities comedy it could have been.
In the end, this book really struggled for me to connect, and it just left me more frustrated than anything. But it was enough for me to request it from my library upon release day, so I really have to applaud the marketing team on this one, they REALLY need a raise after this one. They'er the real heroes for this novel.
The actual book?.........meh..........
The gulf between what I expected and what I got would dwarf the Pacific Ocean. I expected a Dumb and Dumber cozy sexually charged gay romp. What I got? Well...it's not quite Dumb and Dumber because Juniper isn't exactly dumb per-say. He is an absolute idiot, but not in an endearing 'oh heny' kind of way. In a 'Oh my god dude, grow the hell up! You are a literal selfish child!'.
I almost found it funny how Juniper and Bill are basically the same person, except Bill is an actual competent human being, which makes man-child Juniper angry beyond all reason. And I loved Sphteven (I think that's how you write it? I audiobooked it). Honestly, this book SHOULD have been about Bill and Sphteven, that was more of the 'bromance' that I was hoping for. The 'Bromance' we got between Mo and Juniper was just...*frustrated grumble*
Let's talk about Mo. I loved Mo. Mo was my sweat pea, my good time boy. What he saw in Juniper I'll never understand. Mo is a simple guy with simple needs. This was the kind of dumb I was hoping for. Though I was kind of hoping for a little bit more characterization from him if I'm being honest. His whole personality trait was that he was big...he was hot...and he was a bit slow. That's about it. Kinda one dimension for my tastes.
I've already bitched about the little bitch that is Juniper so I'll just say making him the main character and the POV character was a choice...and not the right choice. I found him too whinny and childish. I get the 'reluctant hero' trope, but this was a child being told they already had four scoops of ice cream and couldn't have a fifth. His character was very inconsistent: he's a farmer but hates working with his hands, came from the streets but has a full skin routine...like, this could have worked if he created the pampering regiment from scratch, or was more self reliant. But needing to buy all the products from a farming village and then complain that they're struggling...like, yeah man! Of course. Basic needs first then you pamper. I love a good spa day too, but I make sure I have enough food to eat first!
Complete side note: I've read dairy cook book that use the word Cheese less. I swear, the author must have been in a constant state of hangry because cheese was said (again, I audiobooked it) so often it literally began to lose all meaning. It was funny at first, then it was annoying, then I growned every time cheese was said, which made the big climatic scene at the end land very flat for me.
Also, I know I'm nit-picking here, but this was something that legitimately bothered me: It's too high stakes for a proper cozy fantasy book that it was being marketed as, but also too low stakes for a proper fish out of water, two diffuses outside of their abilities comedy it could have been.
In the end, this book really struggled for me to connect, and it just left me more frustrated than anything. But it was enough for me to request it from my library upon release day, so I really have to applaud the marketing team on this one, they REALLY need a raise after this one. They'er the real heroes for this novel.
December 15, 2025
Bromantasy is a fun, cozy, campy read great for those looking for something in the vein of Legends & Lattes or The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Juniper and Mo's "friendship" is rife with stupidity and missed opportunities and poor communication, and while that would normally frustrate me to no end, I felt Máire Roche did a great job of instead portraying it as endearing and an understandable result of their histories, both shared and individual. I definitely enjoyed the pining and yearning weaved throughout, though I'll admit to wishing there had been slightly more of an on-page payoff in the romance department.
That aside, I enjoyed how much this book leaned into common fantasy and romance tropes (friends-to-lovers, only one bed, etc.) and didn't take itself too seriously. There were numerous contemporary references and phrases tied in to the fantasy setting, which added a lot of humor and helped maintain the lighthearted tone, even when Juniper and Mo's personal stakes were higher.
As someone who loves when a book puts me in an emotional chokehold, there were moments throughout, primarily related to Juniper and Mo's character and relationship development, when I wanted the author to dig a little deeper and really dive into the core of things. I can, however, accept that this book is about the vibes, and the vibes are meant to be silly and playful and tongue-in-cheek. I think, in that regard, it's important to go into this book with the appropriate expectations.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Juniper and Mo's "friendship" is rife with stupidity and missed opportunities and poor communication, and while that would normally frustrate me to no end, I felt Máire Roche did a great job of instead portraying it as endearing and an understandable result of their histories, both shared and individual. I definitely enjoyed the pining and yearning weaved throughout, though I'll admit to wishing there had been slightly more of an on-page payoff in the romance department.
That aside, I enjoyed how much this book leaned into common fantasy and romance tropes (friends-to-lovers, only one bed, etc.) and didn't take itself too seriously. There were numerous contemporary references and phrases tied in to the fantasy setting, which added a lot of humor and helped maintain the lighthearted tone, even when Juniper and Mo's personal stakes were higher.
As someone who loves when a book puts me in an emotional chokehold, there were moments throughout, primarily related to Juniper and Mo's character and relationship development, when I wanted the author to dig a little deeper and really dive into the core of things. I can, however, accept that this book is about the vibes, and the vibes are meant to be silly and playful and tongue-in-cheek. I think, in that regard, it's important to go into this book with the appropriate expectations.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2026
And done...
*sigh* that was cute!
Following Juniper and Mo on their quest to find a dragon was a fun and interesting read.
The romance was fcking adorable! Like, these two are sooo damn in love with each other it annoyed me, that they took so long to confess. You two are basically married and didn't noticed you were in love?! Scandalous!
Overall a great and fun queer fantasy book that is worth reading :)
*sigh* that was cute!
Following Juniper and Mo on their quest to find a dragon was a fun and interesting read.
The romance was fcking adorable! Like, these two are sooo damn in love with each other it annoyed me, that they took so long to confess. You two are basically married and didn't noticed you were in love?! Scandalous!
Overall a great and fun queer fantasy book that is worth reading :)
May 28, 2026
DNF’ed at 30%. Juniper one of the male main characters was insufferable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,158 reviews