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And Then He Pressed Play: Track One
It's 2006 and Sixteen-year-old A.J. Walker is openly gay, painfully Canadian, and very much out of his depth. He’s wanted to do his school’s exchange program for years, but now that he’s landed at an all-boys school in Glenbridge Ireland—an ocean away from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan—he’s starting to question his decisions. Armed with nothing more than his trusty Discman and an accent that makes him stand out, A.J. has one get through the Irish school year.
Born and raised in Glenbridge, Bren O’Shea has never known how to sit still or keep quiet. He’s also never known a day without laughter. Even when things get bad, Bren always knows how to get a smile out of someone, whether they asked him or not. His mam always says he needs to think before he acts, but as long as his heart’s in the right place, what’s the harm in a bit of impulse?
Glenbridge is the sort of town where everyone knows everyone—and unfortunately for A.J. once someone thinks they know you, it’s hard to change their mind.
After a rocky start that ends in disaster, Bren and A.J. need to decide if it’s worth reaching out to someone who’s so different from you—especially when one of you has to leave in June.
Born and raised in Glenbridge, Bren O’Shea has never known how to sit still or keep quiet. He’s also never known a day without laughter. Even when things get bad, Bren always knows how to get a smile out of someone, whether they asked him or not. His mam always says he needs to think before he acts, but as long as his heart’s in the right place, what’s the harm in a bit of impulse?
Glenbridge is the sort of town where everyone knows everyone—and unfortunately for A.J. once someone thinks they know you, it’s hard to change their mind.
After a rocky start that ends in disaster, Bren and A.J. need to decide if it’s worth reaching out to someone who’s so different from you—especially when one of you has to leave in June.
Audible Audio
First published February 23, 2026
About the author
Robert J. Halliwell
3 books34 followersJust a gay indie author trying to tell stories that make readers feel things.
Currently working on "And Then He Pressed Play: Track Two"
Currently working on "And Then He Pressed Play: Track Two"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
Did Not Finish
May 2, 2026dnf @18%
I know everyone loves this and in theory I should, too, but I'm not connecting with the writing style. It's been a few days since I last had it in my hands, and I've had no desire to pick it up again.
I know everyone loves this and in theory I should, too, but I'm not connecting with the writing style. It's been a few days since I last had it in my hands, and I've had no desire to pick it up again.
June 18, 2026
Re-read via audio - gah this has gotta be my favourite YA contemporary I’ve ever read 😍 it’s such a simple but lovely story and the audio is feckin’ brilliant with the Irish accents. I love how authentic this feels. Upping my rating to 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First read Feb 2026 4 ⭐️
New to me author, 2nd book, YA - I had super low expectations but damn this FAR SURPASSED THEM! I loved it! Never have I ever read a more authentic feeling YA. Their relationship progresses so organically and doesn’t feel superficial at all. I’m impressed how much these guys act like actual teenagers but without it being cringey. I loved Bren’s mam and all the friends. The storyline is not all roses (TW homophobia) but their understated braveness melted my cynical heart.
16yr old Canadian, A.J spends a year on student exchange in Ireland trying to overcome his awkwardness and fit in, meeting Bren who is pasty, ginger and loud. I was as enamoured by the Irish accents as he was, not sure why I find “feckin, so” as appealing as I do, but it really does things for me.
This is not at all spicy but what they have is really genuine and innocent, feels authentic for their age and not like some creepy teen fetish. I never, at any point, wished that it had more explicit sex scenes.
Who needs sex scenes when you have these charmers?
“Still feel like I should make it up to you...Wanna see me arse again?”
The ending was very fitting for a teen romance. It’s not realistic for these guys to be getting married or have a solid HEA but of course, I need more!! Is there going to be more in this world?? I want it!
The plot resolution felt realistic, as much as in a perfect world I would hope for something different. Justice is served in its own way, via the community, which would hopefully make enough of an impact for change.
❤️ ”He’s my lad.” ❤️
Thankyou to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and to Anita for BR this with me.
First read Feb 2026 4 ⭐️
New to me author, 2nd book, YA - I had super low expectations but damn this FAR SURPASSED THEM! I loved it! Never have I ever read a more authentic feeling YA. Their relationship progresses so organically and doesn’t feel superficial at all. I’m impressed how much these guys act like actual teenagers but without it being cringey. I loved Bren’s mam and all the friends. The storyline is not all roses (TW homophobia) but their understated braveness melted my cynical heart.
16yr old Canadian, A.J spends a year on student exchange in Ireland trying to overcome his awkwardness and fit in, meeting Bren who is pasty, ginger and loud. I was as enamoured by the Irish accents as he was, not sure why I find “feckin, so” as appealing as I do, but it really does things for me.
This is not at all spicy but what they have is really genuine and innocent, feels authentic for their age and not like some creepy teen fetish. I never, at any point, wished that it had more explicit sex scenes.
Who needs sex scenes when you have these charmers?
“Still feel like I should make it up to you...Wanna see me arse again?”
The ending was very fitting for a teen romance. It’s not realistic for these guys to be getting married or have a solid HEA but of course, I need more!! Is there going to be more in this world?? I want it!
The plot resolution felt realistic, as much as in a perfect world I would hope for something different. Justice is served in its own way, via the community, which would hopefully make enough of an impact for change.
❤️ ”He’s my lad.” ❤️
Thankyou to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and to Anita for BR this with me.
June 11, 2026
Gaaaaawd, this was so CUTE 🥹
This is the story about sixteen-year-old painfully Canadian exchange student AJ trying to find his place in a small Irish town where everyone seems to know everyone else. Enter Bren: aggressively ginger local menace, professional yapper, and all-around sunshine human being.
Set in 2006, this book hit me with a wave of nostalgia I wasn’t prepared for (am I really that old?? lol): the music, the Discmans, burning mixtape CDs and decorating them afterwards - it all brought back so many memories of my own childhood and teenage years!
This read very much YA and I really liked that! It felt authentic in a way that's sometimes hard to capture. The friendships, the emotions, the awkwardness, the intensity of first love - it all felt genuine.
And AJ and Bren were absolutely ADORABLE. I loved watching their relationship development: First came the friendship itself, then that special kind of protectiveness and possessiveness, then the realization that being together made everything feel lighter and happier, and eventually all that burning teenage desire and those kisses 🫠 Their journey felt incredibly sweet and very believable.
The friendships and the overall setting added so much warmth to the story as well. At times it reminded me a little of Heartstopper and honestly, I can't think of a bigger compliment than that.
It wasn't all fluff, though. The second half brings some angst and conflict. While the particular source of the drama normally isn’t entirely my favourite, it fit the story and the character’s journeys well. (That said, I still desperately wanted a certain someone to face some actual legal consequences ffs 😒)
But that ending was SO SWEET. 😭 The book ends on a hopeful HFN, but I am absolutely crossing my fingers that we'll get to see more of AJ and Bren in future books (WE WILL!! And the blurb for the second one has me so excited!!)
Also, this was such a fecking DELIGHTFUL audio experience. Gary Furlong was absolutely perfect as the narrator and has now firmly secured himself a spot on my top favourite narrators list! All the accents were so on point and every voice so distinct, I LOVED HIM!
Interestingly, all of the female dialogue was voiced by Alana Kerr Collins and Pagan McGrath, which is an audio concept I don't think I've come across before. It worked so well though and made the listening experience feel even more immersive!
Many a fecks and shites were said and that makes me a very happy camper heheh
4,5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the chance to listen to this ALC. This is my honest opinion!
This is the story about sixteen-year-old painfully Canadian exchange student AJ trying to find his place in a small Irish town where everyone seems to know everyone else. Enter Bren: aggressively ginger local menace, professional yapper, and all-around sunshine human being.
Set in 2006, this book hit me with a wave of nostalgia I wasn’t prepared for (am I really that old?? lol): the music, the Discmans, burning mixtape CDs and decorating them afterwards - it all brought back so many memories of my own childhood and teenage years!
This read very much YA and I really liked that! It felt authentic in a way that's sometimes hard to capture. The friendships, the emotions, the awkwardness, the intensity of first love - it all felt genuine.
And AJ and Bren were absolutely ADORABLE. I loved watching their relationship development: First came the friendship itself, then that special kind of protectiveness and possessiveness, then the realization that being together made everything feel lighter and happier, and eventually all that burning teenage desire and those kisses 🫠 Their journey felt incredibly sweet and very believable.
The friendships and the overall setting added so much warmth to the story as well. At times it reminded me a little of Heartstopper and honestly, I can't think of a bigger compliment than that.
It wasn't all fluff, though. The second half brings some angst and conflict. While the particular source of the drama normally isn’t entirely my favourite, it fit the story and the character’s journeys well. (That said, I still desperately wanted a certain someone to face some actual legal consequences ffs 😒)
But that ending was SO SWEET. 😭 The book ends on a hopeful HFN, but I am absolutely crossing my fingers that we'll get to see more of AJ and Bren in future books (WE WILL!! And the blurb for the second one has me so excited!!)
Also, this was such a fecking DELIGHTFUL audio experience. Gary Furlong was absolutely perfect as the narrator and has now firmly secured himself a spot on my top favourite narrators list! All the accents were so on point and every voice so distinct, I LOVED HIM!
Interestingly, all of the female dialogue was voiced by Alana Kerr Collins and Pagan McGrath, which is an audio concept I don't think I've come across before. It worked so well though and made the listening experience feel even more immersive!
Many a fecks and shites were said and that makes me a very happy camper heheh
4,5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the chance to listen to this ALC. This is my honest opinion!
February 18, 2026
Thanks to the author for sending me this ARC. And thanks to my dear friend Sarah, who reminded me to read it.
I absolutely loved this book. This is the kind of love teenagers dream of having. It was cute and funny, and it felt realistic in a way books with teens don’t usually get right. The Irish setting felt so atmospheric, and the cultural differences that AJ encounters were super funny. I really liked how we overcame his distrust and, little by little, stopped resisting Bren's friendship advances and eventually incorporated their friend group. Even the Robolad nickname was cute!
"He thought he'd learned everything there was to know about kissing Bren, but now, as warmth spread from both his lips and the talisman balanced in his hand, he realized how foolish that had been. He could kiss this boy for a thousand lifetimes, and there would always be something new to learn."
It has some heavy moments, because homophobia is real, but I do believe the story was brighter than anything, and it ends up on a hopeful note, not a HEA because these boys are 16 and it wouldn't be attainable, but in a very nice HFN, and I want to believe future for more. I would love to know if this will be the first book in a series or if there is a possibility of seeing these characters again in the future.
Just to finish, I’ll say that one of the things I love most about reading is learning new things. After it was mentioned in the book and I found out that hurling is an ancient Irish sport with roots extending over 3,000 years, I just had to go and watch a highlights video on YouTube, and let me just say that was wild, and their shorts are very short!
I absolutely loved this book. This is the kind of love teenagers dream of having. It was cute and funny, and it felt realistic in a way books with teens don’t usually get right. The Irish setting felt so atmospheric, and the cultural differences that AJ encounters were super funny. I really liked how we overcame his distrust and, little by little, stopped resisting Bren's friendship advances and eventually incorporated their friend group. Even the Robolad nickname was cute!
"He thought he'd learned everything there was to know about kissing Bren, but now, as warmth spread from both his lips and the talisman balanced in his hand, he realized how foolish that had been. He could kiss this boy for a thousand lifetimes, and there would always be something new to learn."
It has some heavy moments, because homophobia is real, but I do believe the story was brighter than anything, and it ends up on a hopeful note, not a HEA because these boys are 16 and it wouldn't be attainable, but in a very nice HFN, and I want to believe future for more. I would love to know if this will be the first book in a series or if there is a possibility of seeing these characters again in the future.
Just to finish, I’ll say that one of the things I love most about reading is learning new things. After it was mentioned in the book and I found out that hurling is an ancient Irish sport with roots extending over 3,000 years, I just had to go and watch a highlights video on YouTube, and let me just say that was wild, and their shorts are very short!
June 4, 2026
One of those audiobooks that you wish you could be listening to forever. 💫
When A.J. leaves Canada to do an exchange student program in a small town in Ireland for a year, he wasn’t expecting to find another place to call home.
And Then He Pressed Play Track One is a gay romance between two beautiful boys that will make your heart sing, sight and suffer. I LIVED this book, and I know a big part of it was the amazing narrator that brought this story to life. The voices were so good, if I closed my eyes I could see them so clearly in my head. It was an extraordinary experience and I wanted it to never end.
Of course, it helped that the plot and pace were also really well done. The author didn’t make unnecessary drama or added miscommunication the way I kept dreading, because that’s so normal in young adult books-which I get, it’s hard to communicate and teens get a pass on that. But it was so smooth, slow but steady, yet you couldn’t stop listening because there was always that final obstacle of A.J. coming back to Canada in months .
I have to admit I’m not even the audience for this, since I rarely read Young Adult for I prefer adult stories (I can’t stand teenager drama), yet I was craving a good audiobook and asked for the ARC because all my friends were raving about this story (and you were right!!).
While listening to it made a huge impact on my enjoyment, And Then He Pressed Play was awesome on its own. I loved both Bren and A.J., they were pure heart and deserved each other so much. I especially melted every time Bren was hard on himself and thought A.J. was going to be angry. Bren was a sweetheart and A.J. was the most understanding boy ever 😭😭💛💛
I do wish I didn’t suffer as much as I did, but that always comes along when you are living in the story the way I was. However, the other 90% of the time it made me so, so happy. I couldn’t stop smiling while listening to them!
First love is so beautiful, and the author did a wonderful job at making us feel along with them. I would highly recommend it if you want to read a YA gay romance that will make you feel the beauty of first love again, full of wonderful characters and no miscommunication. It’s worth all the praise it's getting and I hope it gets the popularity it deserves.
I can’t wait to read/listen to the second book!!
*Audiobook rating: 5 stars🌟 I’m not a native speaker and I’m awful at differentiating accents, so I don’t know how accurate the accents were, but I can attest for the rest. I LOVED listening to this, it was such a pleasure. I’m really grateful for the awesome time I had with it💫 💛
I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When A.J. leaves Canada to do an exchange student program in a small town in Ireland for a year, he wasn’t expecting to find another place to call home.
And Then He Pressed Play Track One is a gay romance between two beautiful boys that will make your heart sing, sight and suffer. I LIVED this book, and I know a big part of it was the amazing narrator that brought this story to life. The voices were so good, if I closed my eyes I could see them so clearly in my head. It was an extraordinary experience and I wanted it to never end.
Of course, it helped that the plot and pace were also really well done. The author didn’t make unnecessary drama or added miscommunication the way I kept dreading, because that’s so normal in young adult books-which I get, it’s hard to communicate and teens get a pass on that. But it was so smooth, slow but steady, yet you couldn’t stop listening because there was always that final obstacle of A.J. coming back to Canada in months .
I have to admit I’m not even the audience for this, since I rarely read Young Adult for I prefer adult stories (I can’t stand teenager drama), yet I was craving a good audiobook and asked for the ARC because all my friends were raving about this story (and you were right!!).
While listening to it made a huge impact on my enjoyment, And Then He Pressed Play was awesome on its own. I loved both Bren and A.J., they were pure heart and deserved each other so much. I especially melted every time Bren was hard on himself and thought A.J. was going to be angry. Bren was a sweetheart and A.J. was the most understanding boy ever 😭😭💛💛
I do wish I didn’t suffer as much as I did, but that always comes along when you are living in the story the way I was. However, the other 90% of the time it made me so, so happy. I couldn’t stop smiling while listening to them!
First love is so beautiful, and the author did a wonderful job at making us feel along with them. I would highly recommend it if you want to read a YA gay romance that will make you feel the beauty of first love again, full of wonderful characters and no miscommunication. It’s worth all the praise it's getting and I hope it gets the popularity it deserves.
I can’t wait to read/listen to the second book!!
*Audiobook rating: 5 stars🌟 I’m not a native speaker and I’m awful at differentiating accents, so I don’t know how accurate the accents were, but I can attest for the rest. I LOVED listening to this, it was such a pleasure. I’m really grateful for the awesome time I had with it💫 💛
I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 25, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
And Then He Pressed Play: Track One by Robert J. Halliwell is a YA gay romance set in 2006, Ireland. It follows exchange student A.J. Walker from Canada, who's openly gay, rather quiet and shy, and listens to a lot of music. Irish Bren O'Shea is the exact opossite; he's loud and confident, and not out yet.
I really really enjoyed this book. The relationship development between A.J. and Bren felt very natural and earned. It starts a bit messy and awkward and slowly turns into a cute first love story. The pacing was steady, nothing felt rushed nor too slow.
The 2006 setting worked so well. The Discman. The musicals (A.J. is a Wicked fan!!). But also the darker parts of that time—the internalized homophobia, and therefore the violence. The way being openly gay in a small town could genuinely put you at risk. It didn’t feel exaggerated, but it also didn’t sugarcoat things. There’s queer joy here, yes, but it exists alongside fear and harm. It feel authentic. We're still not at a point where queer people live safely in every country. Homophobia is still a thing, everywhere and always. But still, things looked different only twenty years ago.
I also really appreciated the Irish setting. Glenbridge added more depth to A.J.’s experience as an outsider. I loved the side characters. Not only the friend group, but Bren’s mam especially.
And the ending… I loved that it was a realistic HFN, and still satisfying. Well, they're sixteen. It hurt a little, but in the good way.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. First love, self-discovery, lots of pressure. I’m so glad I picked it up.
(Also: It seems like the author is working on a second book (Track Two) about them. I am excited and curious how their story will continue.)
This books comes out on February 23rd, 2026.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
And Then He Pressed Play: Track One by Robert J. Halliwell is a YA gay romance set in 2006, Ireland. It follows exchange student A.J. Walker from Canada, who's openly gay, rather quiet and shy, and listens to a lot of music. Irish Bren O'Shea is the exact opossite; he's loud and confident, and not out yet.
I really really enjoyed this book. The relationship development between A.J. and Bren felt very natural and earned. It starts a bit messy and awkward and slowly turns into a cute first love story. The pacing was steady, nothing felt rushed nor too slow.
The 2006 setting worked so well. The Discman. The musicals (A.J. is a Wicked fan!!). But also the darker parts of that time—the internalized homophobia, and therefore the violence. The way being openly gay in a small town could genuinely put you at risk. It didn’t feel exaggerated, but it also didn’t sugarcoat things. There’s queer joy here, yes, but it exists alongside fear and harm. It feel authentic. We're still not at a point where queer people live safely in every country. Homophobia is still a thing, everywhere and always. But still, things looked different only twenty years ago.
I also really appreciated the Irish setting. Glenbridge added more depth to A.J.’s experience as an outsider. I loved the side characters. Not only the friend group, but Bren’s mam especially.
And the ending… I loved that it was a realistic HFN, and still satisfying. Well, they're sixteen. It hurt a little, but in the good way.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. First love, self-discovery, lots of pressure. I’m so glad I picked it up.
(Also: It seems like the author is working on a second book (Track Two) about them. I am excited and curious how their story will continue.)
This books comes out on February 23rd, 2026.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2026
• YA m/m romance • ARC •
This was such a great YA read! I am genuinely surprised by how well the author wrote authentic, non-cringe teenaged characters and a very appropriate teen romance 👏
It’s 2006 Ireland, and 16yo A.J. is on a school exchange from Canada. He is a quiet, awkwardly self-aware, out gay teen, taking part in an exchange experience in another country where he doesn’t know a single soul. A.J. has a lot of classes with a loud and outgoing ginger boy, Bren. Their relationship builds from awkward misunderstandings, to a tentative and then a genuine friendship, and eventually deeper feels are caught. Bren has a really good circle of friends and most accept A.J. in to their fold with no issues. The interactions and the progression of all the relationships were so entertaining to read, if I had the time I could probably have read this in one sitting!
Also, I have to admit that I’m a huge sucker for the Irish brogue on-page, and all the lads, Mams, Das, shites and fecks brought me so much joy! 🤭😅
CW - homophobia and related violence… I suppose though, that it is regrettably realistic for the time in which the story takes place. But is definitely not the focus of the book, and the way in which A.J. was supported was written really well here I thought.
Overall, I loved this. It just warmed my soul. The pacing, the characters, the dialogue, the story… I literally have no complaints and 100% recommend for YA romance fans.
5⭐️ Ty Sarah for suggesting we read this!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was such a great YA read! I am genuinely surprised by how well the author wrote authentic, non-cringe teenaged characters and a very appropriate teen romance 👏
It’s 2006 Ireland, and 16yo A.J. is on a school exchange from Canada. He is a quiet, awkwardly self-aware, out gay teen, taking part in an exchange experience in another country where he doesn’t know a single soul. A.J. has a lot of classes with a loud and outgoing ginger boy, Bren. Their relationship builds from awkward misunderstandings, to a tentative and then a genuine friendship, and eventually deeper feels are caught. Bren has a really good circle of friends and most accept A.J. in to their fold with no issues. The interactions and the progression of all the relationships were so entertaining to read, if I had the time I could probably have read this in one sitting!
Also, I have to admit that I’m a huge sucker for the Irish brogue on-page, and all the lads, Mams, Das, shites and fecks brought me so much joy! 🤭😅
CW - homophobia and related violence… I suppose though, that it is regrettably realistic for the time in which the story takes place. But is definitely not the focus of the book, and the way in which A.J. was supported was written really well here I thought.
Overall, I loved this. It just warmed my soul. The pacing, the characters, the dialogue, the story… I literally have no complaints and 100% recommend for YA romance fans.
5⭐️ Ty Sarah for suggesting we read this!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
April 13, 2026
*April 13 2026 This book is for FREE right now at Amazon.com, so maybe your chance to grab a copy!*
This was quite an entertaining read! I loved how real the characters felt and how their lives felt just as real.
This is a young adult, coming of age novel, and I love those. In this story we meet A.J., who's an exchange student from Canada, and Bren, an Irish boy who's attending the same school in Ireland as A.J. does. At first they don't seem to get along well, but when some misunderstandings are cleared, their friendship starts to blossom. A.J. doesn't keep it a secret that he's gay, and soon he discovers that his feelings for Bren might be a bit more than just friendship.
I really enjoyed seeing these two guys fall for each other, it felt real and genuine and I was rooting for them from the start. There's some great humor there, A.J. and Bren are dimensional, well drawn characters and their actions were very much that of teens in their age.
I can also appreciate how it ended - these are 16 years olds, only just the beginning to find out about their lives, what they want, what they need for the future, and of course they are in love, but there's so much that can happen, so I appreciated that the author didn't go through all the unnecessary trouble to give A.J. and Bren a HEA. It's not realistic, I suppose. But it still was a hopeful one, one where they won't lose touch, and one where they will see where this will take them. Felt real enough to me!
This is well written, which made it easy to connect to the various characters. I loved Bren's mam and the group of friends he has.
All in all, a book that has kept me entertained for most part. It has to be, since I finished it in 2 days 😱😱
This was quite an entertaining read! I loved how real the characters felt and how their lives felt just as real.
This is a young adult, coming of age novel, and I love those. In this story we meet A.J., who's an exchange student from Canada, and Bren, an Irish boy who's attending the same school in Ireland as A.J. does. At first they don't seem to get along well, but when some misunderstandings are cleared, their friendship starts to blossom. A.J. doesn't keep it a secret that he's gay, and soon he discovers that his feelings for Bren might be a bit more than just friendship.
I really enjoyed seeing these two guys fall for each other, it felt real and genuine and I was rooting for them from the start. There's some great humor there, A.J. and Bren are dimensional, well drawn characters and their actions were very much that of teens in their age.
I can also appreciate how it ended - these are 16 years olds, only just the beginning to find out about their lives, what they want, what they need for the future, and of course they are in love, but there's so much that can happen, so I appreciated that the author didn't go through all the unnecessary trouble to give A.J. and Bren a HEA. It's not realistic, I suppose. But it still was a hopeful one, one where they won't lose touch, and one where they will see where this will take them. Felt real enough to me!
This is well written, which made it easy to connect to the various characters. I loved Bren's mam and the group of friends he has.
All in all, a book that has kept me entertained for most part. It has to be, since I finished it in 2 days 😱😱
April 10, 2026
4.0 ⭐️
June 18, 2026
GUYS I HAVE FOUND A NEW FAVORITE BOOK
I swear to god, this book was written for me. This is all I ever wanted from a queer YA love story.
I swear to god, this book was written for me. This is all I ever wanted from a queer YA love story.
February 27, 2026
This book was such a lovely surprise! It made me feel safe while reading it, and that is priceless in the times we’re living in.
It was sweet and funny and gentle, but never stupid or silly. It let the characters be awkward, confused, scared, and kind without turning any of that into a lesson or a bad joke.
A.J. goes to Ireland feeling completely out of place, and Bren comes into his life trying to be nice and accidentally doing everything wrong at first. Watching their friendship grow, slowly and clumsily, because: teenagers, and then turn into something more felt honest and safe. I trusted the story with them, which doesn’t always happen. I love these boys, so much!
There is so much goodness in here but not in a fake way. There are dark moments (homophobia, fear, violence) but they don’t define the story. The book doesn’t deny that the world can be cruel, but it refuses to let cruelty be the loudest voice.
The music, the 2000s vibes, Ireland as the setting. All of it was chef’s kiss.
I think this is a book every teenager, hell, every human, deserves to read. One that fills you up with gooey goodness and courage.
I finished it with a full heart and I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC. I wanted to love this book, and I truly did ♥️
It was sweet and funny and gentle, but never stupid or silly. It let the characters be awkward, confused, scared, and kind without turning any of that into a lesson or a bad joke.
A.J. goes to Ireland feeling completely out of place, and Bren comes into his life trying to be nice and accidentally doing everything wrong at first. Watching their friendship grow, slowly and clumsily, because: teenagers, and then turn into something more felt honest and safe. I trusted the story with them, which doesn’t always happen. I love these boys, so much!
There is so much goodness in here but not in a fake way. There are dark moments (homophobia, fear, violence) but they don’t define the story. The book doesn’t deny that the world can be cruel, but it refuses to let cruelty be the loudest voice.
The music, the 2000s vibes, Ireland as the setting. All of it was chef’s kiss.
I think this is a book every teenager, hell, every human, deserves to read. One that fills you up with gooey goodness and courage.
I finished it with a full heart and I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC. I wanted to love this book, and I truly did ♥️
May 22, 2026
Expectations exceeded. This was just so so sweet and emotional too, in the best way. I mean, I was expecting this book to be good but not quite this good! I really really liked it, and I have a feeling the characters are going to stick with me for a long time.
It’s set in the year 2006, and we’re basically following A.J. who’s an exchange student from Canada and how he’s navigating life in Ireland. Which, to me, is such a good place to set this book in. Especially if you’re listening to the audiobook you get all these different accents scattered throughout the book, from all these different people. It’s just brilliant.
The MCs are perfect for each other, in an opposites attract kind of way. A.J. is quiet, shy and, very importantly to the story, openly gay. Bren on the other hand is loud, larger than life and just an overall more open guy. The way Bren treats A.J. and the way he is around him just radiates love. Even before they say that magical four-letter word. You don’t have to say it out loud, sometimes there’s no need and it’s there for all to see anyway.
A.J. I just loved. First of all, he’s a musical theater guy. That’s already fun. Not that that wouldn’t cause any problems in the 2000s as an openly gay teenage boy. Because believe me, it does. But the mentions of “Elphie and Glinda” were fun to read. He’s a Wicked guy! He’d fit right in in present day. All those mean things people said, outright harassment, violence. They’re never deserved, and if anyone did deserve all that (which is never the case), it certainly wouldn’t be him.
Bren was also a very interesting character, the way he is around A.J. from the beginning really shows how good of a person he is. He’s protective of him, and when the inevitable happens, it feels like the world’s come crashing down on him. And speaking of violence and bullying, I would definitely check the trigger warnings. I was really not expecting a sweet YA romance to turn dark like that.
The ending actually gave me some slight chills. It was the perfect way to wrap the book up. Overall I would give this a 4.5/5⭐️ at the very least. I really loved this one. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t normally read romance. Maybe I should be branching out a bit, who knows. Considering these are the results. But yeah, wholeheartedly recommend, gorgeous book.
Audiobook notes: As I said earlier on, all the different accents made the book even more interesting. All the narrators did an excellent job. They got me wishing for even more narrators! The casting of them was amazing, so more couldn’t have hurt. But they already did a good job playing the characters and the audiobook is really great just as it is.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
It’s set in the year 2006, and we’re basically following A.J. who’s an exchange student from Canada and how he’s navigating life in Ireland. Which, to me, is such a good place to set this book in. Especially if you’re listening to the audiobook you get all these different accents scattered throughout the book, from all these different people. It’s just brilliant.
The MCs are perfect for each other, in an opposites attract kind of way. A.J. is quiet, shy and, very importantly to the story, openly gay. Bren on the other hand is loud, larger than life and just an overall more open guy. The way Bren treats A.J. and the way he is around him just radiates love. Even before they say that magical four-letter word. You don’t have to say it out loud, sometimes there’s no need and it’s there for all to see anyway.
A.J. I just loved. First of all, he’s a musical theater guy. That’s already fun. Not that that wouldn’t cause any problems in the 2000s as an openly gay teenage boy. Because believe me, it does. But the mentions of “Elphie and Glinda” were fun to read. He’s a Wicked guy! He’d fit right in in present day. All those mean things people said, outright harassment, violence. They’re never deserved, and if anyone did deserve all that (which is never the case), it certainly wouldn’t be him.
Bren was also a very interesting character, the way he is around A.J. from the beginning really shows how good of a person he is. He’s protective of him, and when the inevitable happens, it feels like the world’s come crashing down on him. And speaking of violence and bullying, I would definitely check the trigger warnings. I was really not expecting a sweet YA romance to turn dark like that.
The ending actually gave me some slight chills. It was the perfect way to wrap the book up. Overall I would give this a 4.5/5⭐️ at the very least. I really loved this one. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t normally read romance. Maybe I should be branching out a bit, who knows. Considering these are the results. But yeah, wholeheartedly recommend, gorgeous book.
Audiobook notes: As I said earlier on, all the different accents made the book even more interesting. All the narrators did an excellent job. They got me wishing for even more narrators! The casting of them was amazing, so more couldn’t have hurt. But they already did a good job playing the characters and the audiobook is really great just as it is.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2026
I had no idea the dark turn this story would take. Note trigger warnings: The cover and blurb give no hint to this.
The title says Track One, and I looked it up, yes, the author is working on the next book, Track Two. No timeline that I could find. I don't know what book 2 will cover, but the end of book 1 has A.J. completing the exchange program and flying back to Canada. He and Bren are clearly sad about this and afraid they won't see each other again.
Aside from the spoiler, which is a BIG thing, the book was cute and fun. The author is very talented, and I hated to put the book down. Things between A.J. and Bren get off to a rough start, but it's all because of a misunderstanding: A.J. thinks Bren is being a dick, and Bren thinks he's being fun and friendly. Once they clear all that up, they become friends, and A.J. becomes friends with Bren's friends, and they have a great time. When Bren starts to think about his feelings for A.J. and a previous boy, Bren realizes he isn't exactly straight. I don't know if Bren's sexual orientation is established but he is seriously crushing on A.J. and there is NO DRAMA around Bren kissing A.J., or making out, touching or holding hands. There is hesitance in sharing their relationship with Bren's friends, but despite a few hiccups, they are all supportive.
I liked the characters, and the development of Bren and A.J.'s relationship, plus the peer friendship developments were well done. If the spoiler wasn't an issue, I would whole heartedly recommend this. But, because of the spoiler, I recommend with caution. This story is not all hearts and rainbows; there are some dark moments that not everyone will want to read.
Overall, I give 3 stars because of spoiler. If the spoiler was NOT in the story at all, I would give this more like 4.5 stars. Why the difference? Because I thought I was getting a lighthearted YA romance. Instead, I got that along with very depressing events that I had to skip portions of.
The title says Track One, and I looked it up, yes, the author is working on the next book, Track Two. No timeline that I could find. I don't know what book 2 will cover, but the end of book 1 has A.J. completing the exchange program and flying back to Canada. He and Bren are clearly sad about this and afraid they won't see each other again.
Aside from the spoiler, which is a BIG thing, the book was cute and fun. The author is very talented, and I hated to put the book down. Things between A.J. and Bren get off to a rough start, but it's all because of a misunderstanding: A.J. thinks Bren is being a dick, and Bren thinks he's being fun and friendly. Once they clear all that up, they become friends, and A.J. becomes friends with Bren's friends, and they have a great time. When Bren starts to think about his feelings for A.J. and a previous boy, Bren realizes he isn't exactly straight. I don't know if Bren's sexual orientation is established but he is seriously crushing on A.J. and there is NO DRAMA around Bren kissing A.J., or making out, touching or holding hands. There is hesitance in sharing their relationship with Bren's friends, but despite a few hiccups, they are all supportive.
I liked the characters, and the development of Bren and A.J.'s relationship, plus the peer friendship developments were well done. If the spoiler wasn't an issue, I would whole heartedly recommend this. But, because of the spoiler, I recommend with caution. This story is not all hearts and rainbows; there are some dark moments that not everyone will want to read.
Overall, I give 3 stars because of spoiler. If the spoiler was NOT in the story at all, I would give this more like 4.5 stars. Why the difference? Because I thought I was getting a lighthearted YA romance. Instead, I got that along with very depressing events that I had to skip portions of.
April 9, 2026
I liked that very happy relationship developments occurred before mid-book. The vibe of the story felt very positive, so I expected the necessary roller-coaster of life to not take much of a deep dive. But things got a bit harsh for AJ, the Canadian exchange student in Ireland.
AJ garnered a small circle of great friends that accepted that he was gay. I liked the mix of characters: polite/shy AJ; strong and very Irish Bren and his Mam that live in simple settings; the lunch-table friends that accepted AJ into their group; AJ's friend back in Canada that he checked in with. Each had the typical varying level of ally-ship.
The conflict came with some thugs that exhibited stereotypical bullying personalities. There was no real depth to explain their homophobia.
There were some big plot-holes for me though:
Despite these story-line deficiencies, I found myself addicted to this book and finished it quickly. Of course, the exchange student must go back home to Canada. Of course there must be a sequel book.
The ending felt like a sequel is necessary (I'm not a big fan of mandatory sequels). But the story-line holes I mentioned are not something that can be re-addressed. I might still like to find out how these two boys can reunite across the ocean between them once again.
3.5* that I'll allow to round-up per the addiction I felt to keep reading
AJ garnered a small circle of great friends that accepted that he was gay. I liked the mix of characters: polite/shy AJ; strong and very Irish Bren and his Mam that live in simple settings; the lunch-table friends that accepted AJ into their group; AJ's friend back in Canada that he checked in with. Each had the typical varying level of ally-ship.
The conflict came with some thugs that exhibited stereotypical bullying personalities. There was no real depth to explain their homophobia.
There were some big plot-holes for me though:
Despite these story-line deficiencies, I found myself addicted to this book and finished it quickly. Of course, the exchange student must go back home to Canada. Of course there must be a sequel book.
The ending felt like a sequel is necessary (I'm not a big fan of mandatory sequels). But the story-line holes I mentioned are not something that can be re-addressed. I might still like to find out how these two boys can reunite across the ocean between them once again.
3.5* that I'll allow to round-up per the addiction I felt to keep reading
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of ARC from the author
The plot follows A.J., an openly gay, sixteen year old, foreign exchange student from Canada who decides to spend a year in Ireland. There, he meets Bren and they become quick friends and then something more.
Trigger warnings: homophobia and mild violence
Overall, I thought it was a super cute book. I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days! I loved the dynamic between AJ and Bren. Though, I wish the author explored the relationships between AJ and the other characters more (the book was shorter than I expected.) I don't know much about Ireland but I think the author did a good job describing Glenbridge; it was really immersive and atmospheric. I also liked how the author didn't sugar coat the blatant homophobia AJ faced which was unfortunately very common in the early 2000s. It's an important theme to explore.
Now, one thing I didn't like was how, sometimes, there was a lack of flow between some scenes and chapters. It felt a bit jarring and I think the book could've benefited for a larger page count to really flesh out some scenes and explore themes with more depth.
Lastly, I wouldn't consider it a full happily ever after (though AJ and Bren are still together when AJ goes back to Canada) but more of a hopeful ending. I hope there's a sequel where Bren ends up spending a year of university (?) in Canada or maybe even a summer!
(I'll definitely buy a physical copy when the book comes out!!)
The plot follows A.J., an openly gay, sixteen year old, foreign exchange student from Canada who decides to spend a year in Ireland. There, he meets Bren and they become quick friends and then something more.
Trigger warnings: homophobia and mild violence
Overall, I thought it was a super cute book. I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days! I loved the dynamic between AJ and Bren. Though, I wish the author explored the relationships between AJ and the other characters more (the book was shorter than I expected.) I don't know much about Ireland but I think the author did a good job describing Glenbridge; it was really immersive and atmospheric. I also liked how the author didn't sugar coat the blatant homophobia AJ faced which was unfortunately very common in the early 2000s. It's an important theme to explore.
Now, one thing I didn't like was how, sometimes, there was a lack of flow between some scenes and chapters. It felt a bit jarring and I think the book could've benefited for a larger page count to really flesh out some scenes and explore themes with more depth.
Lastly, I wouldn't consider it a full happily ever after (though AJ and Bren are still together when AJ goes back to Canada) but more of a hopeful ending. I hope there's a sequel where Bren ends up spending a year of university (?) in Canada or maybe even a summer!
(I'll definitely buy a physical copy when the book comes out!!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2026
Thank you to the authour for this ARC read!
This was a fun, cute read. It very much reminded me of Heartstopper vibes, but the characters are very much their own. I also loved the Canadian representation and musical references haha. It’s really enjoyable to read about them falling in love, and both characters are loveable, as are their friends in their group, plus how they take in AJ. I respect the authour for including heavier moments that show how real homophobia can still be. I wish we'd seen a bit more about Bren’s journey with his bisexuality, and some more closure or consequences for certain characters. Overall, a great read, and I can't stop thinking about the characters since it's HFN, but I want to believe they have HEA!
This was a fun, cute read. It very much reminded me of Heartstopper vibes, but the characters are very much their own. I also loved the Canadian representation and musical references haha. It’s really enjoyable to read about them falling in love, and both characters are loveable, as are their friends in their group, plus how they take in AJ. I respect the authour for including heavier moments that show how real homophobia can still be. I wish we'd seen a bit more about Bren’s journey with his bisexuality, and some more closure or consequences for certain characters. Overall, a great read, and I can't stop thinking about the characters since it's HFN, but I want to believe they have HEA!
April 23, 2026
Great YA romance with an engaging plot and two lovely MCs. I cannot wait to start on Track Two. A 3.5 star rating.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wholeheartedly, this was such a good book.
Within the first few chapters,
I immediately appreciated the self-confidence that A.J. possessed already, being sure of his sexuality and not willing to lie nor compromise himself to "fit in". Bren's energy was infectious and I loved reading through his character development, allowing himself to be emotional and affectionate.
I found myself becoming fond of all the characters in this novel. I especially like how the women in Bren and A.J.'s lives were written. It is no mystery that Bren's unwavering strength and kindness was passed down from his mother.
I like that Orlaith and Aoife did not share the same cruelty as Cian and his lackeys. Niamh is a good woman, and it made me happy that she spoke with Aoife out of concern, helping to push her away from Cian.
Rory's genuine connection with A.J. through reading and music was really sweet. Brick's well-intentioned brashness and Mickie's change of heart (realizing his friend's happiness was more important than taught bigotry) made great additions to their cast of friends.
I also wanted to mention that the pacing of this novel was very good! I never felt like something dragged on for too long, or wrapped up too soon. The events following A.J.'s assault made sense, and Bren helping him through a panic attack upon returning to school (and seeing Cian) was a true testament of his patience and love.
A.J. using music as a coping mechanism throughout the whole novel felt like a realistic portrayal of an
anxious, gay, neurodivergent teenager trying to find himself in a foreign country.
This was an awesome first ARC for me! I loved all of the Canadian references (Nanaimo bars for the win!).
Within the first few chapters,
I immediately appreciated the self-confidence that A.J. possessed already, being sure of his sexuality and not willing to lie nor compromise himself to "fit in". Bren's energy was infectious and I loved reading through his character development, allowing himself to be emotional and affectionate.
I found myself becoming fond of all the characters in this novel. I especially like how the women in Bren and A.J.'s lives were written. It is no mystery that Bren's unwavering strength and kindness was passed down from his mother.
I like that Orlaith and Aoife did not share the same cruelty as Cian and his lackeys. Niamh is a good woman, and it made me happy that she spoke with Aoife out of concern, helping to push her away from Cian.
Rory's genuine connection with A.J. through reading and music was really sweet. Brick's well-intentioned brashness and Mickie's change of heart (realizing his friend's happiness was more important than taught bigotry) made great additions to their cast of friends.
I also wanted to mention that the pacing of this novel was very good! I never felt like something dragged on for too long, or wrapped up too soon. The events following A.J.'s assault made sense, and Bren helping him through a panic attack upon returning to school (and seeing Cian) was a true testament of his patience and love.
A.J. using music as a coping mechanism throughout the whole novel felt like a realistic portrayal of an
anxious, gay, neurodivergent teenager trying to find himself in a foreign country.
This was an awesome first ARC for me! I loved all of the Canadian references (Nanaimo bars for the win!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2026
I received this book as an ARC in return for a review, so here goes nothing!
This was a cute, cozy, quick read. The characters felt very realistic and accurate for teens of that era (loved the instant message conversations on the family desktop!) My only complaint is that I wish we got to spend a bit more nice, easy time with AJ and Bren to combat the difficulties they faced. But overall I loved getting to experience their relationship develop, it was so genuine and sweet.
“He’s my lad” 🥺❤️
This was a cute, cozy, quick read. The characters felt very realistic and accurate for teens of that era (loved the instant message conversations on the family desktop!) My only complaint is that I wish we got to spend a bit more nice, easy time with AJ and Bren to combat the difficulties they faced. But overall I loved getting to experience their relationship develop, it was so genuine and sweet.
“He’s my lad” 🥺❤️
June 2, 2026
And Then He Pressed Play: Track One by Rober J Halliwell: 5/5
Thank you netgalley for providing a review copy for an honest review.
This was a wonderful book. Halliwell really transported me back in time to 06 and the life of a teen back then. I also really liked the way it captures Ireland, and the culture of teen boys of the time. The book follows AJ, a shy geeky canadian book on a year abroad in a small town in Ireland. At first due to culture shock and not understanding the way the teens boys communicate he feels ostracised and a bit lost, but slowly builds a burgeoning friendship with the group, as well as starting a relationship with their charismatic golden retriever leader Bren. I adore Bren and AJ, their burgeoning romance feels a bit heartstopper saccahrine however through the story we see glimpses of the darkness in the town, and what it would be like to be a queer kid in Ireland in 2006. I really like their friends to lovers aspect, and I just love the way they communicate throughout the story, both still act like teens however they do have this trust with each other that means they are very open about things, which I liked.
The side cast in this story is also excellent, with kudos to Orla and Brens mum, both are fantastic characters and supportive people. I do however also like that not everyone takes the coming out well, and the book does deal with aspects of how to heal that rift. I will say aswell the antagonist of the book was a little one note, however he did fit the purpose that was required, and I did think it was very good to show the darker sides of homophobia and the violence queer people can experience.
Overall this is a wonderful story and an excellent first book in a series, I cannot wait for book 2.
I will also say I did do this on audio, and I will say the narrations from Gary Furlong ,Alana Kerr Collins and Pagan McGrath really added to the story.
Thank you netgalley for providing a review copy for an honest review.
This was a wonderful book. Halliwell really transported me back in time to 06 and the life of a teen back then. I also really liked the way it captures Ireland, and the culture of teen boys of the time. The book follows AJ, a shy geeky canadian book on a year abroad in a small town in Ireland. At first due to culture shock and not understanding the way the teens boys communicate he feels ostracised and a bit lost, but slowly builds a burgeoning friendship with the group, as well as starting a relationship with their charismatic golden retriever leader Bren. I adore Bren and AJ, their burgeoning romance feels a bit heartstopper saccahrine however through the story we see glimpses of the darkness in the town, and what it would be like to be a queer kid in Ireland in 2006. I really like their friends to lovers aspect, and I just love the way they communicate throughout the story, both still act like teens however they do have this trust with each other that means they are very open about things, which I liked.
The side cast in this story is also excellent, with kudos to Orla and Brens mum, both are fantastic characters and supportive people. I do however also like that not everyone takes the coming out well, and the book does deal with aspects of how to heal that rift. I will say aswell the antagonist of the book was a little one note, however he did fit the purpose that was required, and I did think it was very good to show the darker sides of homophobia and the violence queer people can experience.
Overall this is a wonderful story and an excellent first book in a series, I cannot wait for book 2.
I will also say I did do this on audio, and I will say the narrations from Gary Furlong ,Alana Kerr Collins and Pagan McGrath really added to the story.
June 20, 2026
**POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**
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Bren and AJ are the SWEETEST! Track One was so lovely, and goofy, and poignant, and heartwrenching, and yes, even innocent. It brought back so many feelings, as I too had a long distance, international, separated by an ocean romance at a tender age. And now I'm on his side of the ocean. 🖤 I cannot wait to read Track Two and see these two boys reunited! I'm so ready to giggle at how Bren deals with Canada and an AJ who is more in his element.
Gary Furlong, Alana Kerr Collins, and Pagan McGrath all did a fabulous job of bringing Robert J. Halliwell's characters to life. I'm so glad it was done with a full cast and 'dramatized' because it made the characters that much clearer in my mind and really enriched the story. I hope Track Two will be done the same way.
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**MORE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD **
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Chapter 49 was sooooo beautiful! I love that Halliwell has made AJ's playlist available, as well as the sheet music for The Navigator, PLUS an actual recording of The Navigator on piano IRL! 🖤
Big TW/CW for Chapters 14, 34, and 36. They broke my wistful heart in so many ways. 😭 The homophobia and violence made my stomach churn. But everyone around AJ and Bren who really mattered was so loving and supportive, in the best possible way, which helped mend those broken bits. 🖤
Big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for letting me have this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
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Bren and AJ are the SWEETEST! Track One was so lovely, and goofy, and poignant, and heartwrenching, and yes, even innocent. It brought back so many feelings, as I too had a long distance, international, separated by an ocean romance at a tender age. And now I'm on his side of the ocean. 🖤 I cannot wait to read Track Two and see these two boys reunited! I'm so ready to giggle at how Bren deals with Canada and an AJ who is more in his element.
Gary Furlong, Alana Kerr Collins, and Pagan McGrath all did a fabulous job of bringing Robert J. Halliwell's characters to life. I'm so glad it was done with a full cast and 'dramatized' because it made the characters that much clearer in my mind and really enriched the story. I hope Track Two will be done the same way.
.
.
**MORE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD **
.
.
Chapter 49 was sooooo beautiful! I love that Halliwell has made AJ's playlist available, as well as the sheet music for The Navigator, PLUS an actual recording of The Navigator on piano IRL! 🖤
Big TW/CW for Chapters 14, 34, and 36. They broke my wistful heart in so many ways. 😭 The homophobia and violence made my stomach churn. But everyone around AJ and Bren who really mattered was so loving and supportive, in the best possible way, which helped mend those broken bits. 🖤
Big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for letting me have this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a digital ARC of this book to read!
3.5 stars. I started this book knowing next to nothing, so it was really fun to follow Canadian exchange student A.J. go to Ireland for the school year and go back home with a found family and a boyfriend!
I liked how the author handled bringing up new words that A.J. and the reader might not know, it was effortless and didn't take us out of the scene to be a dramatic teaching moment. Also, most of the time, you could used good ol' context clues to figure it out. I also really liked the friend group, and how A.J. connected to them each in a unique way. It really gives our main character some multidimensionality. I also really liked that although the proper authorities gave no consequences to Cian and his little group, the town got together to do alienate them after being bigots.
The biggest thing that threw me off was the writing at times? There was an over explanation of actions that I'm not really a fan of, and it could have been left up to the reader to interpret what those actions meant. It just makes for a more fulfilling reading experience when the reader can pick up what the writer is subtly putting down!
3.5 stars. I started this book knowing next to nothing, so it was really fun to follow Canadian exchange student A.J. go to Ireland for the school year and go back home with a found family and a boyfriend!
I liked how the author handled bringing up new words that A.J. and the reader might not know, it was effortless and didn't take us out of the scene to be a dramatic teaching moment. Also, most of the time, you could used good ol' context clues to figure it out. I also really liked the friend group, and how A.J. connected to them each in a unique way. It really gives our main character some multidimensionality. I also really liked that although the proper authorities gave no consequences to Cian and his little group, the town got together to do alienate them after being bigots.
The biggest thing that threw me off was the writing at times? There was an over explanation of actions that I'm not really a fan of, and it could have been left up to the reader to interpret what those actions meant. It just makes for a more fulfilling reading experience when the reader can pick up what the writer is subtly putting down!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2026
I need more of this book immediately. I could not stop listening to this audiobook. The narration was amazing, the accents and just in general bringing out the right emotions for each moment of the story.
This book was SO good! The main characters were adorable and I loved seeing their relationship grow into something. Also Bren’s mom was so sweet and accepting.
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: Third Person
Spice Level: (lightly mentioned)
Sad Level: 💧💧
Would I Recommend? YES
Favorite Character(s): Bren, A.J.
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🌈💿🇮🇪
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence, Vomit
This book was SO good! The main characters were adorable and I loved seeing their relationship grow into something. Also Bren’s mom was so sweet and accepting.
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: Third Person
Spice Level: (lightly mentioned)
Sad Level: 💧💧
Would I Recommend? YES
Favorite Character(s): Bren, A.J.
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🌈💿🇮🇪
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence, Vomit
July 7, 2026
this book was perfection on so many levels for me! I was in raptured. I find a characters adorable, real and full of so much life. I was instantly in love with both of the main characters but truly appreciate all the side characters for the entire plot. there were moments where I was in ah where I was happy. they're a moments where I was angry and wanted to throw the story across the room. I mean that as a good thing by the way! a book should make you feel feeling and this book made me feel all the good and all the real!
May 21, 2026
thankyou #Netgallery for the advance audiobook arc.
this book felt a little slow in the start but as the climax hits in the book, it became super intense, and to listen to how people of the lgbtq comminityu are being bullied for their sexual orientation felt so heartbreaking, i wont spoil anything but, there were parts where i was cluthing my heart so tightlty. it was a beautoful ending
this book felt a little slow in the start but as the climax hits in the book, it became super intense, and to listen to how people of the lgbtq comminityu are being bullied for their sexual orientation felt so heartbreaking, i wont spoil anything but, there were parts where i was cluthing my heart so tightlty. it was a beautoful ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2026
ARC review-thank you to NetGalley!
3.75 ⭐️’s This story was just so sweet — and surprisingly emotional in the best way. The main characters are perfect for each other, a true opposites‑attract pairing that feels natural. It’s a great YA romance with an engaging plot and two genuinely lovable leads, it gives me Heartstopper vibes!
I appreciated how the book balanced its light, fun energy with more serious moments that felt believable rather than forced. The references to Wicked and Buffy the Vampire Slayer were such a delight — little nods that added charm. Looking forward to the continuation of the story.
3.75 ⭐️’s This story was just so sweet — and surprisingly emotional in the best way. The main characters are perfect for each other, a true opposites‑attract pairing that feels natural. It’s a great YA romance with an engaging plot and two genuinely lovable leads, it gives me Heartstopper vibes!
I appreciated how the book balanced its light, fun energy with more serious moments that felt believable rather than forced. The references to Wicked and Buffy the Vampire Slayer were such a delight — little nods that added charm. Looking forward to the continuation of the story.
June 3, 2026
3.75 ⭐️ Such a cute and fun classic YA mlm romance! Lots of fun Irish and Canadian culture shock humor and some incredible audiobook performances. At first it was a little tough to get all the characters straight but by the end I was fully invested. I’m also a sucker for any Halloween party scenes in books
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July 12, 2026The writing style made this one hard for me to get into. Definitely more of a me problem than the book itself.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*3.75 rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for a review.
CW: homophobia, underage drinking, physical assault
The strongest element of And Then He Pressed Play is the characters; right from the beginning, they feel like real people, real teenagers. I could very clearly see Bren and his friends mucking about before school starts, and A.J. lurking in the background, too shy to join in. I loved the platonic relationships depicted with their banter and their moments of seriousness too. I loved the familial relationship between Bren and his mother, how they so evidently love each other. And I, of course, loved the relationship between A.J. and Bren; the awkwardness and misunderstandings, and the build up of friendship to romance. However, for my personal taste, the move from friendship to romance was a bit too quick. I'm a huge sucker for slow burn (the slower the better), and while I understand that this is no way meant to be a 500-page book of yearning, I would've liked to see the characters steep in their feelings a bit more.
On the topic of pacing, and I'm repeating myself, I think it could've been slower generally. Some of my favourite moments within this book are when A.J. has the chance to take a breath to take in the Irish landscape, and this is, in part, due to how wonderfully they are written, but also because the reader can breathe with him too. A.J. is on exchange for a year, though we only really see half of that as weeks, sometimes months, are skipped over. I want to see more of the struggle of living in a new place, in a new country, of missing home. I want to see these new relationships develop (yes, Bren's and A.J.'s, but also A.J.'s and Rory's), and A.J. learning more about Ireland and Irish culture. In short, I want more.
(I'm sorry, but I do have to mention that one of the scenes near the end was a little to corny for me. I love romance as a genre, but that is where I draw the corniness line)
Overall, this is an extremely solid YA novel and I'd be very keen to read more from this author!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for a review.
CW: homophobia, underage drinking, physical assault
The strongest element of And Then He Pressed Play is the characters; right from the beginning, they feel like real people, real teenagers. I could very clearly see Bren and his friends mucking about before school starts, and A.J. lurking in the background, too shy to join in. I loved the platonic relationships depicted with their banter and their moments of seriousness too. I loved the familial relationship between Bren and his mother, how they so evidently love each other. And I, of course, loved the relationship between A.J. and Bren; the awkwardness and misunderstandings, and the build up of friendship to romance. However, for my personal taste, the move from friendship to romance was a bit too quick. I'm a huge sucker for slow burn (the slower the better), and while I understand that this is no way meant to be a 500-page book of yearning, I would've liked to see the characters steep in their feelings a bit more.
On the topic of pacing, and I'm repeating myself, I think it could've been slower generally. Some of my favourite moments within this book are when A.J. has the chance to take a breath to take in the Irish landscape, and this is, in part, due to how wonderfully they are written, but also because the reader can breathe with him too. A.J. is on exchange for a year, though we only really see half of that as weeks, sometimes months, are skipped over. I want to see more of the struggle of living in a new place, in a new country, of missing home. I want to see these new relationships develop (yes, Bren's and A.J.'s, but also A.J.'s and Rory's), and A.J. learning more about Ireland and Irish culture. In short, I want more.
(I'm sorry, but I do have to mention that one of the scenes near the end was a little to corny for me. I love romance as a genre, but that is where I draw the corniness line)
Overall, this is an extremely solid YA novel and I'd be very keen to read more from this author!
February 25, 2026
ARC read (recently completed), thank you to the author
I genuinely enjoyed this book more than I expected, it was incredibly cute and fluffy. It had little pieces of Saskatchewan and Moose Jaw that I really appreciated (eg bunnyhug and Moose Jaw's crescent park). It's nice to see Saskatchewan featured (even if it's a small reference) in queer literature, and makes the story feel more local and closer to home. I am looking forward to Robert's future works.
I genuinely enjoyed this book more than I expected, it was incredibly cute and fluffy. It had little pieces of Saskatchewan and Moose Jaw that I really appreciated (eg bunnyhug and Moose Jaw's crescent park). It's nice to see Saskatchewan featured (even if it's a small reference) in queer literature, and makes the story feel more local and closer to home. I am looking forward to Robert's future works.
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