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Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues
What happens when your enemy becomes your friend … with benefits? Red, White and Royal Blue meets The Magicians in this surprising, wildly original and joyously funny LGBTQ YA novel set in a magical boarding school.
Tim Te Maro and Elliott Parker – classmates at Fox Glacier High School for the Magically Adept – have never gotten along. But when they both get dumped the day before the big egg-baby assignment, they reluctantly decide to ditch their exes and work together.
When the two boys start to bond over their magically enchanted egg-baby, they realise that beneath their animosity is something like friendship … or physical attraction. Soon, a no-strings-attached hook-up seems like a good idea. Just for the duration of the assignment. After all, they don’t have feelings for each other … so what could possibly go wrong?
From debut Kiwi author H.S. Valley, the latest winner of the Ampersand Prize, comes this gleefully addictive own-voices romantic comedy that’s perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan. In a word – it’s magic.
Tim Te Maro and Elliott Parker – classmates at Fox Glacier High School for the Magically Adept – have never gotten along. But when they both get dumped the day before the big egg-baby assignment, they reluctantly decide to ditch their exes and work together.
When the two boys start to bond over their magically enchanted egg-baby, they realise that beneath their animosity is something like friendship … or physical attraction. Soon, a no-strings-attached hook-up seems like a good idea. Just for the duration of the assignment. After all, they don’t have feelings for each other … so what could possibly go wrong?
From debut Kiwi author H.S. Valley, the latest winner of the Ampersand Prize, comes this gleefully addictive own-voices romantic comedy that’s perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan. In a word – it’s magic.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2021
95 people are currently reading
3940 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 692 reviews
October 4, 2023
Wow, that is one striking book cover. Immediately grabbed my attention and told me "stop everything you're doing and read this right now!" ahhh also red-pink is definitely becoming one of my favorite colors, it's so~oo nice! It definitely wouldn't look out of place next to a piece of pop art or accompanying my favorite vinyl album (Sade's "Hang On to Your Love" is my personal choice). And the way the title is taking up the entire space and serves as a wall between them but also links the two of them together, signifying a rocky start to their relationship that eventually blooms into something unbreakable. Man, great cover! Oh, and don't worry, this book is sitting pretty on my bookshelf right next to Ari & Dante!
...
Oh yeah, the story itself is also pretty great, and I loved every second reading it. If I were to give out any advice, I’d highly recommend judging this book by its cover.
It’s The Second Time Around:
Man, I really love this book. I always feel like it’s a huge risk to reread a book that I rated really high before because like, what if I was wrong? But no, this is just as good- no scratch that, I think this was better this time around! What I loved more wasn’t so much what I noticed, but rather what I didn’t. For example, this book has all the popular tropes. The shared bed, the enemies-to-lovers thing, and oh wait… that’s it. This book has two popular tropes! I guess what I’m getting at is that I never realized that they were happening because I was so immersed in the story. And while I still didn’t love the overall premise (two dudes have to do that weird thing where they have to pretend to be parents to an egg for school), what was important was that the book never turned into a parody of itself or its genre; it found the perfect balance between being funny and being incredibly heartwarming when it needed to. But I’m sure you’re wondering, "how could a book be your “favorite” if you weren't even a big fan of the basic premise?" And to that I say… I don’t know. Maybe it was how the mundane use of magic (oh yeah, the characters go to a magic school) was really entertaining to me, or how I thought the writing had a real dry sense of humor that was right up my alley, or it might just be the simple fact that the main character is bi-racial and bisexual. Can I say all of the above? Anyway, I love this book, always and forever. I dig the vibes.
“Yes, I’m serious. And bi. Card-carrying member, thank you. All done. Hello, I’m Tim Te Maro and I’m bisexual, et cetera. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“We are sharing a bed; it’s sort of my business.”
...
Oh yeah, the story itself is also pretty great, and I loved every second reading it. If I were to give out any advice, I’d highly recommend judging this book by its cover.
It’s The Second Time Around:
Man, I really love this book. I always feel like it’s a huge risk to reread a book that I rated really high before because like, what if I was wrong? But no, this is just as good- no scratch that, I think this was better this time around! What I loved more wasn’t so much what I noticed, but rather what I didn’t. For example, this book has all the popular tropes. The shared bed, the enemies-to-lovers thing, and oh wait… that’s it. This book has two popular tropes! I guess what I’m getting at is that I never realized that they were happening because I was so immersed in the story. And while I still didn’t love the overall premise (two dudes have to do that weird thing where they have to pretend to be parents to an egg for school), what was important was that the book never turned into a parody of itself or its genre; it found the perfect balance between being funny and being incredibly heartwarming when it needed to. But I’m sure you’re wondering, "how could a book be your “favorite” if you weren't even a big fan of the basic premise?" And to that I say… I don’t know. Maybe it was how the mundane use of magic (oh yeah, the characters go to a magic school) was really entertaining to me, or how I thought the writing had a real dry sense of humor that was right up my alley, or it might just be the simple fact that the main character is bi-racial and bisexual. Can I say all of the above? Anyway, I love this book, always and forever. I dig the vibes.
“Yes, I’m serious. And bi. Card-carrying member, thank you. All done. Hello, I’m Tim Te Maro and I’m bisexual, et cetera. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“We are sharing a bed; it’s sort of my business.”
September 14, 2022
A conversation between my brain and this book:
"Ohhh, cute queer fluff set in New Zealand..?!"
Yes!
"SARCASM!"
YES
"eNEmieS To LOveRS..?!?"
YES!
"Oh my gosh I love these two hilarious idiots"
They are very loveable
"OH revenge - and pretend parenting!"
Yep
"And ONLY ONE BED TROPE"
Exactly
"And mystery!"
... Uh, kinda
"MURDER"
Ye– wait, what? NO
"MurderED..?"
NO. No, FLUFF
"But what's in that creepy locked wing–?"
Shhhhh - the FLUFF
"But surely his da–"
STOP. Take a deep breath
...
What the heck was that? Try again.
........
That will do. Just relax, enjoy the cute fluff
"Ohh... it's kinda spicy too."
YES. That's what I've been trying to tell you
"Nawwwww"
Finally
"Ooooohh, port."
Yup
"MISCOMMUNICATION?! What the heck is it doing here?"
Don't worry
"ARE YOU SURE–"
YES
"aAwwwWW I KNEW IT"
See?
"Ok, ok, fine– OH NO"
Hahaha
"But it's still cute."
Would you really doubt me?
"THEY'RE SO DAMN SOFT!"
YES
"AW, a cat!"
4 stars. This is the softest love story you'll read and it'll give you heart eyes.
(I admit, I still wanna know what's in that locked section tho. My crime solving brain was losing it)
"Ohhh, cute queer fluff set in New Zealand..?!"
Yes!
"SARCASM!"
YES
"eNEmieS To LOveRS..?!?"
YES!
"Oh my gosh I love these two hilarious idiots"
They are very loveable
"OH revenge - and pretend parenting!"
Yep
"And ONLY ONE BED TROPE"
Exactly
"And mystery!"
... Uh, kinda
"MURDER"
Ye– wait, what? NO
"MurderED..?"
NO. No, FLUFF
"But what's in that creepy locked wing–?"
Shhhhh - the FLUFF
"But surely his da–"
STOP. Take a deep breath
...
What the heck was that? Try again.
........
That will do. Just relax, enjoy the cute fluff
"Ohh... it's kinda spicy too."
YES. That's what I've been trying to tell you
"Nawwwww"
Finally
"Ooooohh, port."
Yup
"MISCOMMUNICATION?! What the heck is it doing here?"
Don't worry
"ARE YOU SURE–"
YES
"aAwwwWW I KNEW IT"
See?
"Ok, ok, fine– OH NO"
Hahaha
"But it's still cute."
Would you really doubt me?
"THEY'RE SO DAMN SOFT!"
YES
"AW, a cat!"
4 stars. This is the softest love story you'll read and it'll give you heart eyes.
(I admit, I still wanna know what's in that locked section tho. My crime solving brain was losing it)
June 26, 2022
ESPERA, ¿HAS DICHO MAGIA😍?
Sí, lo he dicho! Y es que si te gustan las historias ambientadas en ACADEMIAS DE MAGIA, esta es tu historia❤️ Y, si además eres de las que disfruta como un conguito en pleno baño de chocolate de amores imposibles, pues ya ni te cuento lo que vas a salsear con este libro🔥
Pero, espera, porque todavía hay más!
🌸Pero ¿qué me dices🤪? ¿Más?
Sí, porque aquí encontrarás representación LGBT, un huevo mágico (y no me refiero a lo que estás pensando🤭) y un grupo de amigos que te harán sonreír en más de una ocasión.
Sí, lo he dicho! Y es que si te gustan las historias ambientadas en ACADEMIAS DE MAGIA, esta es tu historia❤️ Y, si además eres de las que disfruta como un conguito en pleno baño de chocolate de amores imposibles, pues ya ni te cuento lo que vas a salsear con este libro🔥
Pero, espera, porque todavía hay más!
🌸Pero ¿qué me dices🤪? ¿Más?
Sí, porque aquí encontrarás representación LGBT, un huevo mágico (y no me refiero a lo que estás pensando🤭) y un grupo de amigos que te harán sonreír en más de una ocasión.
June 20, 2022
3.75/4 ⭐️
Lo que más curiosidad me generaba era el título. Lo terminé y no lo entiendo ni en inglés ni en español 🫠
Es un libro súper 🥺🥹😩🤤😲😈. No pasa mucho en general, pero al mismo tiempo pasa mucho?? Quiero decir que el libro se centra únicamente en la relación, lo cual está genial pero también me hubiese gustado un poco más de desarrollo de la trama en general.
Eso sí, hay un hilo de la trama que NO TIENE EXPKICACION??? y es como algo muy importante en el libro?????
ALSO??? MEGGAN????
bueno, elijo hacer ojos ciegos xq me encantó y lo disfruté.
Lo que más curiosidad me generaba era el título. Lo terminé y no lo entiendo ni en inglés ni en español 🫠
Es un libro súper 🥺🥹😩🤤😲😈. No pasa mucho en general, pero al mismo tiempo pasa mucho?? Quiero decir que el libro se centra únicamente en la relación, lo cual está genial pero también me hubiese gustado un poco más de desarrollo de la trama en general.
Eso sí, hay un hilo de la trama que NO TIENE EXPKICACION??? y es como algo muy importante en el libro?????
ALSO??? MEGGAN????
bueno, elijo hacer ojos ciegos xq me encantó y lo disfruté.
March 7, 2023
There were so many reasons I was enticed by this book. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I am a sucker for anything magic related.
Queer boys falling in love in a magical boarding school? Roommates? This book sounded like everything I love and more.
I really enjoyed how the academy was described, and I could easily picture students floating between classes. I was intrigued by the subplot surrounding Tim’s father and was excited to find out what happened to him. I enjoyed the little egg baby plot. It was cute and something I haven't seen before. It forced the characters into some uncomfortable and compromising situations. I loved the roommates element of the romance and wish that had been their situation from the outset.
Tim and Elliott were sweet, but I don’t think they had much chemistry. I enjoyed their individual characterisation, but I struggled to connect with their romance. I think the forced-proximity aspect of the co-parenting challenge was fun, and it resulted in a lot of interesting scenes. I wish I felt the intensity of their desire. I'm a sucker for yearning. Their problems could have been fixed with a single conversation. I wasn't a fan of any of the secondary characters, so whenever they were getting involved I was disinterested.
I did not understand the magic system. It could have been more developed. This really just felt like your average contemporary romance. I don't think it needed the added fantasy elements, because they don't really aid the story. I wish we had spent more time learning about the characters and their abilities. I wish there was more of a plot besides the romance. I have actually read romance novels set in fantasy worlds before and loved them, but this one was not executed as well, and I couldn't help but compare.
This is another book that suffers because of marketing. Why is everything being compared to Red, White & Royal Blue, lately? This is nothing like RWARB.
I was a little frustrated with the mystery surrounding Tim's father, and I expected it to go somewhere but it never did. I felt like there were quite a few missed opportunities. This was well written, and I'm sure other readers will fall in love with the story. I was expecting something different, which stopped me loving this. I'd definitely recommend it for those that love romance books with little sparks of magic!
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
Queer boys falling in love in a magical boarding school? Roommates? This book sounded like everything I love and more.
I really enjoyed how the academy was described, and I could easily picture students floating between classes. I was intrigued by the subplot surrounding Tim’s father and was excited to find out what happened to him. I enjoyed the little egg baby plot. It was cute and something I haven't seen before. It forced the characters into some uncomfortable and compromising situations. I loved the roommates element of the romance and wish that had been their situation from the outset.
Tim and Elliott were sweet, but I don’t think they had much chemistry. I enjoyed their individual characterisation, but I struggled to connect with their romance. I think the forced-proximity aspect of the co-parenting challenge was fun, and it resulted in a lot of interesting scenes. I wish I felt the intensity of their desire. I'm a sucker for yearning. Their problems could have been fixed with a single conversation. I wasn't a fan of any of the secondary characters, so whenever they were getting involved I was disinterested.
I did not understand the magic system. It could have been more developed. This really just felt like your average contemporary romance. I don't think it needed the added fantasy elements, because they don't really aid the story. I wish we had spent more time learning about the characters and their abilities. I wish there was more of a plot besides the romance. I have actually read romance novels set in fantasy worlds before and loved them, but this one was not executed as well, and I couldn't help but compare.
This is another book that suffers because of marketing. Why is everything being compared to Red, White & Royal Blue, lately? This is nothing like RWARB.
I was a little frustrated with the mystery surrounding Tim's father, and I expected it to go somewhere but it never did. I felt like there were quite a few missed opportunities. This was well written, and I'm sure other readers will fall in love with the story. I was expecting something different, which stopped me loving this. I'd definitely recommend it for those that love romance books with little sparks of magic!
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
August 12, 2022
Este libro es el fanfic BL de una escuela de magia que Carry on prometió y no fue capaz de entregarnos. Es una historia sencilla que ni de cerca la llamaría como de fantasía, sino que es romance, es un romcom que saca sonrisas.
Tim y Elliot son enemigos, ambos están en el mismo colegio super secreto para magos, pero durante años ha existido una enemistad entre ellos. Sin embargo, cuando la exnovia de Tim lo cambie por el examigo con beneficios de Elliot, ambos deciden hacer un trato para vengarse. Lo que no esperaban era que una tarea escolar terminaría uniéndolos de una forma extraña.
Este libro es el romcom que no sabía que quería leer en este momento, pero lo necesitaba. Es una historia ligera, sencilla y predecible en la que sabes más o menos cómo avanzará, quien se quedará con quién y todo eso. Sin embargo, nada importa porque aquí lo interesante no es saber lo que pasará, sino que disfrutar el cómo se van dando las cosas. Y cumplió por completo con lo prometido.
Como dije al inicio, no llamaría a este libro como fantasía, es más un romance en un mundo de fantasía, ya que aquí lo importante no está relacionado al aspecto fantástico sino que a la relación de Tim y Elliot y el cómo se va dando. Ahí está la diferencia con Carry on, en ese libro la autora construyó todo un mundo, un sistema de magia, creó un villano e hizo que la historia girara en torno a esa trama, el romance de Simon y Baz era el gancho, pero algo casi secundario en la historia. Por el contrario, aquí el eje es el romance y todo lo demás está ahí para potenciar ese romance.
El mundo tiene esta escuela de magia de la que no recibimos muchas descripciones más que es gris y fría y está bajo tierra, tampoco nos dice mucho de la magia, solo que hay distintos tipos y tiene que ver con la elección de cada persona detrás. Hay menciones al mundo real y esta coexistencia secreta, pero no mucho. Al final es una historia que la autora podría haber contado en un internado normal sin ningún problema, salvo que acá usó el aspecto mágico para crear situaciones específicas en que los protagonistas se vieran obligados a estar juntos y así se desarrollara la relación.
La verdad es que todo es muy tonto y lo digo en el mejor sentido, este libro no resulta complejo ni llega a hacerte sentir mal, a temer por cómo saldrán las cosas, ni siquiera hay momentos de enojo o frustración. Todo el problema entre Tim y Elliot es falta de comunicación, prejuicios mutuos y hormonas de la adolescencia. Y eso lo vuelve muy divertido, de verdad que no podía dejar de leer de lo bien que la estaba pasando.
Aun así, y quizá sea el motivo por el que se lee tan rápido, no hay mucha construcción de nada. De hecho, el primer capítulo parte con la mención a la exnovia y el examigo y así todo se da de golpe, funciona casi como un fanfic en el que no hay mayores explicaciones ni situaciones lógicas detrás. No se tomó el tiempo de construir nada, ni siquiera la enemistad entre Elliot y Tim, así que cuesta verlos como enemigos pues solo podemos confiar en las palabras de Tim que no dejan de mencionar lo atractivo que es Elliot. Entiendo que el que no se demore en llegar a lo que queremos leer ayuda a que sea tan adictivo, pero sigo creyendo que ciertas cosas se dieron demasiado rápido y que por momentos se sentía como un fanfic en su estructura (aunque mejor, supongo)
Hay representación LGBT y si bien es algo que sigue sorprendiendo a algunas personas o hay un par de comentarios, es bastante natural entre los personajes así que la homofobia no es un tema. En un momento hacen ciertas averiguaciones de ritos históricos y ahí sí se menciona, sin embargo, son más comentarios que hacen los personajes frente a ideas antiguas que se tenían. Nada más.
Eso sí, el tema del papá de Tim se me hizo insuficiente. Era algo importante para él, al final el único aspecto relativamente triste dentro de la novela y para cuando creí que diría algo más, nos daría alguna explicación o cerraría la trama, casi ni se mencionó. Me hubiese gustado un poco más sobre ese punto, pero solo porque la misma historia lo tocó como un tema recurrente y que terminó quedando en nada.
Sobre el tema del sexo, se menciona de la forma en que es normal en una novela juvenil (bien clasificada). Al final son dos adolescentes experimentando, así que hay menciones a masturbación, sexo oral y sexo con penetración, pero los últimos dos jamás los dicen de forma explícita, solo los insinúan y se entiende que suceden, aunque no en escenas narradas en el libro. Hay muchas menciones al tema del sexo, aunque como dije es de una forma de adolescentes divertida, pues se preguntan si deberían ver videos, si sabrán qué hacer, si es el momento o la persona correcta o cosas por el estilo. La verdad es que el libro tiene más un tono tierno y romántico por la narración en primera persona de Tim y la forma en que sus sentimientos son super intensos.
Tim Te Maro y la magia de los corazones rotos es una romcom sumamente divertida que transcurre en una escuela de magia, pero acá el foco es el romance de enemies to friends to lovers que se da entre los protagonistas. Una historia sencilla y casi ridícula que es imposible dejar de leer y que saca varias sonrisas.
Tim y Elliot son enemigos, ambos están en el mismo colegio super secreto para magos, pero durante años ha existido una enemistad entre ellos. Sin embargo, cuando la exnovia de Tim lo cambie por el examigo con beneficios de Elliot, ambos deciden hacer un trato para vengarse. Lo que no esperaban era que una tarea escolar terminaría uniéndolos de una forma extraña.
Este libro es el romcom que no sabía que quería leer en este momento, pero lo necesitaba. Es una historia ligera, sencilla y predecible en la que sabes más o menos cómo avanzará, quien se quedará con quién y todo eso. Sin embargo, nada importa porque aquí lo interesante no es saber lo que pasará, sino que disfrutar el cómo se van dando las cosas. Y cumplió por completo con lo prometido.
"Es terrible. Hermoso y terrible. Y yo estoy destrozado. Le rezo a la entidad mágica que pueda estar mirándonos para que el edredón de plumas que nos separa sea suficiente para contener la verdad de mis intenciones: que lo deseo ahora y siempre"
Como dije al inicio, no llamaría a este libro como fantasía, es más un romance en un mundo de fantasía, ya que aquí lo importante no está relacionado al aspecto fantástico sino que a la relación de Tim y Elliot y el cómo se va dando. Ahí está la diferencia con Carry on, en ese libro la autora construyó todo un mundo, un sistema de magia, creó un villano e hizo que la historia girara en torno a esa trama, el romance de Simon y Baz era el gancho, pero algo casi secundario en la historia. Por el contrario, aquí el eje es el romance y todo lo demás está ahí para potenciar ese romance.
El mundo tiene esta escuela de magia de la que no recibimos muchas descripciones más que es gris y fría y está bajo tierra, tampoco nos dice mucho de la magia, solo que hay distintos tipos y tiene que ver con la elección de cada persona detrás. Hay menciones al mundo real y esta coexistencia secreta, pero no mucho. Al final es una historia que la autora podría haber contado en un internado normal sin ningún problema, salvo que acá usó el aspecto mágico para crear situaciones específicas en que los protagonistas se vieran obligados a estar juntos y así se desarrollara la relación.
La verdad es que todo es muy tonto y lo digo en el mejor sentido, este libro no resulta complejo ni llega a hacerte sentir mal, a temer por cómo saldrán las cosas, ni siquiera hay momentos de enojo o frustración. Todo el problema entre Tim y Elliot es falta de comunicación, prejuicios mutuos y hormonas de la adolescencia. Y eso lo vuelve muy divertido, de verdad que no podía dejar de leer de lo bien que la estaba pasando.
Aun así, y quizá sea el motivo por el que se lee tan rápido, no hay mucha construcción de nada. De hecho, el primer capítulo parte con la mención a la exnovia y el examigo y así todo se da de golpe, funciona casi como un fanfic en el que no hay mayores explicaciones ni situaciones lógicas detrás. No se tomó el tiempo de construir nada, ni siquiera la enemistad entre Elliot y Tim, así que cuesta verlos como enemigos pues solo podemos confiar en las palabras de Tim que no dejan de mencionar lo atractivo que es Elliot. Entiendo que el que no se demore en llegar a lo que queremos leer ayuda a que sea tan adictivo, pero sigo creyendo que ciertas cosas se dieron demasiado rápido y que por momentos se sentía como un fanfic en su estructura (aunque mejor, supongo)
"Saber que estamos en esto juntos marca la diferencia. Nos abrazmos con más fuerza, más cerca, y no quiero apartar mis labios de él ni por un segundo"
Hay representación LGBT y si bien es algo que sigue sorprendiendo a algunas personas o hay un par de comentarios, es bastante natural entre los personajes así que la homofobia no es un tema. En un momento hacen ciertas averiguaciones de ritos históricos y ahí sí se menciona, sin embargo, son más comentarios que hacen los personajes frente a ideas antiguas que se tenían. Nada más.
Eso sí, el tema del papá de Tim se me hizo insuficiente. Era algo importante para él, al final el único aspecto relativamente triste dentro de la novela y para cuando creí que diría algo más, nos daría alguna explicación o cerraría la trama, casi ni se mencionó. Me hubiese gustado un poco más sobre ese punto, pero solo porque la misma historia lo tocó como un tema recurrente y que terminó quedando en nada.
Sobre el tema del sexo, se menciona de la forma en que es normal en una novela juvenil (bien clasificada). Al final son dos adolescentes experimentando, así que hay menciones a masturbación, sexo oral y sexo con penetración, pero los últimos dos jamás los dicen de forma explícita, solo los insinúan y se entiende que suceden, aunque no en escenas narradas en el libro. Hay muchas menciones al tema del sexo, aunque como dije es de una forma de adolescentes divertida, pues se preguntan si deberían ver videos, si sabrán qué hacer, si es el momento o la persona correcta o cosas por el estilo. La verdad es que el libro tiene más un tono tierno y romántico por la narración en primera persona de Tim y la forma en que sus sentimientos son super intensos.
Tim Te Maro y la magia de los corazones rotos es una romcom sumamente divertida que transcurre en una escuela de magia, pero acá el foco es el romance de enemies to friends to lovers que se da entre los protagonistas. Una historia sencilla y casi ridícula que es imposible dejar de leer y que saca varias sonrisas.
November 19, 2021
❝ He rolls to face me, nose to nose and toe to toe. He´s so close he´s just a blur and then he kisses me and I don´t know what to do. ❞
★ my bulleted thoughts for this book and a few snippets here and there: ★
➵ it took me quite a while to finish this because i got myself addicted again to stardew valley, hades, and cozy grove on my switch. def devoured most of my reading time.
➵ elliot: darling, hows our baby? tim: you mean our fake egg baby that cries whenever we are apart?! elliot: her names meggan! and you´re a horrible egg daddy.
➵ my new addiction: ya mm! no doubt i will buy more books in this genre. i even looked for some middlegrade mm though.
❝ I realise I haven´t thought about Lizzie dumping me in ages and I´ve barely even remembered the fact I´m sad and alone - and it occurs to me then that I´m not sad and alone. Not anymore.❞
➵ magical school / enemies-to-friends-to-lovers / forced parenthood. be it known, however, that the terms ´enemies´ is used lightly. not our typical trope and taste.
➵ basically a cotton candy read: pure fluff, sweet, slight, and nothing really major to be honest. a lot of miscommunication though. but hey they´re still trying to figure out who they are and what this concept of love is so i´m giving them a pass.
➵ the story was just on the right amount of interesting for me to keep going. right from the beginning i was curious on how all of this is going to wrap up in the end. overall, it was fine.
➵ love the banter between the mcs!
❝ I get back to our room and Elliott´s not there, so I brush my teeth, put Meggan to bed and tell her a depressing bedtime story about how her egg-dad is an idiot. I realise I´m talking to an egg. ❞
➵ i´m sorry but the magical school and all the magical concept of this story was kinda meh. it wasn´t vivid and more grounded for my taste. only one fact that sunk with me when i finished it: they´re are in a magical school.
➵ lastly, i wish we could´ve seen more of that character who appeared in the last chapters.
March 4, 2024
"he's terrible. he's terrible and beautiful and i'm hopeless and we're ruined."
boys will be boys and that means they will Yearn
boys will be boys and that means they will Yearn
August 29, 2021
I so wanted to love this more, I wanted to be giving it a massive shiny 5 star rating. And it isn't that I didn't like it, I did like it, but I didn't love it. I loved Tim Te Maro though, what a lovely, thoughtful, kindhearted person he is. Dumped by his girl and having to suffer the indignity of spending far too much time doing a project with his arch nemesis Elliot Parker. Elliot is arrogant and snarky, way too cool for Tim's taste. And yet..... It seems like Tim and Elliot are destined for a change of heart with each other. Bonding over the egg-baby, called Meggan (loved that) and determined to do better on the project to look after it, they thaw with each other and romance blossoms. All this is great. The pair are students at Fox Glacier School for the Magically Adept. It is located underneath Fox Glacier, a secret door leads to the school and it is hidden from view, Tim's Mum and Dad are on the staff of the school, which not only teaches magical skills, but also NCEA. There is a great cast of supporting characters and Tim and Elliot's relationship is lovely.
But, it takes a very long time to get through the middle section of the book, it gets a little bogged down in detail. Some of the things that I wanted a bit more detail on, the magic for instance, were a little bit unformed. A tighter edit would have sorted out some of this. There is a lot of sex in here, it is steamy, sexy and quite lovely. But this is going to make some school library staff a bit uncomfortable, I'd suggest a read through before you add it to your collection.
I adored the diversity, the way that Tim and Elliot's relationship is written in exactly the same way that it would have been if they were any other couple. Even if they were any other couple this book would be steamy! I love the way the characters interacted with their friends, but again, this does get a little bit bogged down in chitter chatter. This is Rainbow Rowell revisited. If you like her books you are going to enjoy this, and this author is a fresh new voice, and even though this wasn't perfect for me, it was great to read such an excitingly inclusive local novel.
Thanks so much to Hardie Grant for a review copy.
But, it takes a very long time to get through the middle section of the book, it gets a little bogged down in detail. Some of the things that I wanted a bit more detail on, the magic for instance, were a little bit unformed. A tighter edit would have sorted out some of this. There is a lot of sex in here, it is steamy, sexy and quite lovely. But this is going to make some school library staff a bit uncomfortable, I'd suggest a read through before you add it to your collection.
I adored the diversity, the way that Tim and Elliot's relationship is written in exactly the same way that it would have been if they were any other couple. Even if they were any other couple this book would be steamy! I love the way the characters interacted with their friends, but again, this does get a little bit bogged down in chitter chatter. This is Rainbow Rowell revisited. If you like her books you are going to enjoy this, and this author is a fresh new voice, and even though this wasn't perfect for me, it was great to read such an excitingly inclusive local novel.
Thanks so much to Hardie Grant for a review copy.
May 26, 2023
4.5 / idiots to lovers done to perfection. there were definitely some parts I wish were fleshed out more, like the whole magical boarding school, but this was just a really cute read overall! this read similarly to a fanfic but the best parts of one.
May 18, 2021
Absolutely LOVED this!
Set in New Zealand which made it a special read because I don't think I've ever read a book set there, plus I'm very sick of USA settings...
Tim is such an easy character to connect with and the story is really light and fun with the perfect level of silly RomCom drama.
I loved Elliot and the rest of Tim's friend group as well. Plus Meggan... Will forever love Meegan.
Also, although this type of 'fake romance' story has been done before (I'll never get tired of it but), the magical element of the story really added a fresh take on it and was really fun!
Overall, I highly rate this one!!
Set in New Zealand which made it a special read because I don't think I've ever read a book set there, plus I'm very sick of USA settings...
Tim is such an easy character to connect with and the story is really light and fun with the perfect level of silly RomCom drama.
I loved Elliot and the rest of Tim's friend group as well. Plus Meggan... Will forever love Meegan.
Also, although this type of 'fake romance' story has been done before (I'll never get tired of it but), the magical element of the story really added a fresh take on it and was really fun!
Overall, I highly rate this one!!
August 16, 2021
OK, everyone knows I have a high tolerance for silliness in books as long as that's the point and you're not supposed to take it seriously. Let it be known that the words 'thicc boi' were said at some point. Sometimes there is such a thing as TOO stupid, though. This one threatened to cross that line many times which is why I had to punish it with only 4 stars BUT... it never actually did. Good job.
I mean, the premise was the weirdest Life Skills project I've ever heard of and also, Tim is an idiot for thinking high school students have the maturity to maintain a strictly friends-with-benefits thing, or even that it's a good idea at all when you're SHARING A ROOM. I guess it was Elliott's idea technically but he clearly had something different in mind so his only fault was not communicating, which I don't blame him for that much because once again, we are talking about 16-17 year olds who are being assessed on how well they pretend to be parents (um).
Which reminds me to say that you should not read this book if pining, miscommunication and also an utter lack of plot annoy you. They don't annoy me. This was great. And being set in New Zealand made it 1000x better. Like, we interrupt this magic boarding school book to bring you a conversation about NCEA credits. Also instead of the wanky love interest being like, hello my name is Alexander Shakespeare Pont du Gard the Third and I'm a Tory but you love me anyway because I am secretly very sweet and I have grey eyes, he's just from Auckland. Still has grey eyes though - WHY IS THIS A THING.
Alright I'm done.
PS. My only actual criticism is (kind of spoiler?)
I mean, the premise was the weirdest Life Skills project I've ever heard of and also, Tim is an idiot for thinking high school students have the maturity to maintain a strictly friends-with-benefits thing, or even that it's a good idea at all when you're SHARING A ROOM. I guess it was Elliott's idea technically but he clearly had something different in mind so his only fault was not communicating, which I don't blame him for that much because once again, we are talking about 16-17 year olds who are being assessed on how well they pretend to be parents (um).
Which reminds me to say that you should not read this book if pining, miscommunication and also an utter lack of plot annoy you. They don't annoy me. This was great. And being set in New Zealand made it 1000x better. Like, we interrupt this magic boarding school book to bring you a conversation about NCEA credits. Also instead of the wanky love interest being like, hello my name is Alexander Shakespeare Pont du Gard the Third and I'm a Tory but you love me anyway because I am secretly very sweet and I have grey eyes, he's just from Auckland. Still has grey eyes though - WHY IS THIS A THING.
Alright I'm done.
PS. My only actual criticism is (kind of spoiler?)
August 24, 2022
5/5⭐️ Me encanto mucho 🥹❤️, se me hicieron muy cortas las 277 pagina. Estuve casi todo el libro con ansiedad de lo que iba a pasar, y puedo decir que tuvo un final estupendo 🥰
November 30, 2021
Loved this enemies to lovers/hate to love romance at a lite magic school!
December 29, 2021
More lighthearted fantasy like this, please! I have to say I wanted a little more out of this, but it was a very fun and enjoyable read
April 2, 2022
A kiwi queer story with magic, an egg and truly wonderful characters! Could not put this one down!
August 4, 2021
The tiny township of Fox Glacier
Has a population of about 300 people and a school for the magically adept hidden deep beneath the glacier. Tim Te Maro has just been dumped by his girlfriend Lizzie who has gone off with Elliott Parker’s ex, Blake. So when their Life Skills teacher asks them to partner up to parent a golden egg, Elliott and Tim hatch a plan to get their own back
The only issue is, Tim and Elliott hate each other. An issue that becomes even more complicated when Elliott offers Tim a no-strings-attached hook-up to explore his bisexuality. Add to that that Elliott is a Minder, capable of influencing the people around him, and you have the perfect set-up for a juicy will-they, won’t-they, do they, don’t they rom-com read
Don’t be fooled by the classic frenemies trope though, this novel for older YA readers won the Ampersand prize and is a sheer delight to read. Funny, snarky, sexy and sweet it felt fresh and, despite the magical setting, very real. I’m really hoping that there might be another book with the gossip about Tim’s dad @hsvalley 💙
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this
Has a population of about 300 people and a school for the magically adept hidden deep beneath the glacier. Tim Te Maro has just been dumped by his girlfriend Lizzie who has gone off with Elliott Parker’s ex, Blake. So when their Life Skills teacher asks them to partner up to parent a golden egg, Elliott and Tim hatch a plan to get their own back
The only issue is, Tim and Elliott hate each other. An issue that becomes even more complicated when Elliott offers Tim a no-strings-attached hook-up to explore his bisexuality. Add to that that Elliott is a Minder, capable of influencing the people around him, and you have the perfect set-up for a juicy will-they, won’t-they, do they, don’t they rom-com read
Don’t be fooled by the classic frenemies trope though, this novel for older YA readers won the Ampersand prize and is a sheer delight to read. Funny, snarky, sexy and sweet it felt fresh and, despite the magical setting, very real. I’m really hoping that there might be another book with the gossip about Tim’s dad @hsvalley 💙
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this
November 5, 2023
You’re telling me we have a queer romance set in a magical boarding school and NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT IT?
Sacrilegious. I need it now.
AFTER READING: I read the spanish translation and it was horrendous, enjoyed it regardless, so it must be pretty good to stand its ground after that TRAVESTY.
Sacrilegious. I need it now.
AFTER READING: I read the spanish translation and it was horrendous, enjoyed it regardless, so it must be pretty good to stand its ground after that TRAVESTY.
December 14, 2022
Rep: bisexual MC, lot of queer side characters,
enemies to lovers, set in New Zealand
Going into this I was immediately hooked!
This was extremely hilarious and reminded me of Snowbaz for a second or two.
This whole book is set in a magical boarding school somewhere underground in New Zealand.
This book starts with Tim’s gf leaving him…for his nemesis Elliotts friends-with-benefits roommate.
Only both of them planned to partner up for the “keep a magical egg alive for a month” assignment for class.
Since both of them don’t plan to spend the next month with their exes, they decide to team up for this assignment instead.
But is raising an egg child with your enemy really that much better???
When I started this I was envisioning an enemies to lovers urban fantasy.
What I got instead was a beautiful story about figuring out your bisexuality and experimenting a little…with your enemy. 😂
Tim is an absolute clueless idiot, constantly in his own head, who has a lot on his plate on top of figuring out his sexuality. His father just left and his gf just left him as well. Let’s say he has a few issues. He’s almost 18 and finally wants to find out what it’s like with a boy. No feelings ofc. 😎
Who better to do it with than someone you don’t like? No feelings will ever grow. None. Of course not. 😌
Elliott was such a sweet baby, he just wants to be loved and is a whole pile of feelings deeply repressed.
I loved him from the start and the way he took care of their egg child and the way he lays himself completely open.
I loved the way they start to trust each other and open up to each other.
The way they both learn a lot about themselves and their sexual journey was beautiful to read.
I just loved these two idiots together. Their little gay penguin family with their little magical egg daughter.
They were absolutely adorable.
I especially loved the open communication between them about sex and boundaries ans consent. I loved to see how Tim was slowly figuring himself out and obliviously fell for Elliott.
THEYRE SO SOFT I LOVE THEM!!!!
This is a very, very beautiful story about a bisexual MC written by a bisexual author and you can feel it.
I also really loved the side characters, their friends were super funny and seeing them struggle with their eggs as well was hilarious.
Based on vibes alone this is a total 5 star read for me.
Seriously, this has been one of my favourite books I read this year!
But apart from the magical egg plot and Tim figuring himself out, there really wasn’t a lot of world building and a lot of plot holes and open questions remained.
There wasn’t a lot of magic in this, but what was there was interesting and I really liked the magical system itself.
We don’t get to see a lot of magical classes and apart from helping the plot a little this wouldn’t really have to be a fantasy book at all. I didn’t mind though.
What I didn’t like were that two mayor events of the book remain completely open. I don’t know if this was planned to be a first in a series, but the end was just very rushed and messy and huge themes of this book remain without ANY answers.*
This made the book very messy in the end, and apart from the romance it didn’t deliver much on the plot end.
So all in all I can only give this 4 stars if this will remain a standalone, even if I loved it to bits and I loved the whole romance part and also the end bit of the romance!
______________________
* SPOILERS:
The two questions that remained for me were:
1) What is going on with Tim’s dad? Why did he leave and what happened to him? What is going to happen now?
2) Who the hell married them?! This had to mean something right??
enemies to lovers, set in New Zealand
Going into this I was immediately hooked!
This was extremely hilarious and reminded me of Snowbaz for a second or two.
This whole book is set in a magical boarding school somewhere underground in New Zealand.
This book starts with Tim’s gf leaving him…for his nemesis Elliotts friends-with-benefits roommate.
Only both of them planned to partner up for the “keep a magical egg alive for a month” assignment for class.
Since both of them don’t plan to spend the next month with their exes, they decide to team up for this assignment instead.
But is raising an egg child with your enemy really that much better???
When I started this I was envisioning an enemies to lovers urban fantasy.
What I got instead was a beautiful story about figuring out your bisexuality and experimenting a little…with your enemy. 😂
Tim is an absolute clueless idiot, constantly in his own head, who has a lot on his plate on top of figuring out his sexuality. His father just left and his gf just left him as well. Let’s say he has a few issues. He’s almost 18 and finally wants to find out what it’s like with a boy. No feelings ofc. 😎
Who better to do it with than someone you don’t like? No feelings will ever grow. None. Of course not. 😌
Elliott was such a sweet baby, he just wants to be loved and is a whole pile of feelings deeply repressed.
I loved him from the start and the way he took care of their egg child and the way he lays himself completely open.
I loved the way they start to trust each other and open up to each other.
The way they both learn a lot about themselves and their sexual journey was beautiful to read.
I just loved these two idiots together. Their little gay penguin family with their little magical egg daughter.
They were absolutely adorable.
I especially loved the open communication between them about sex and boundaries ans consent. I loved to see how Tim was slowly figuring himself out and obliviously fell for Elliott.
THEYRE SO SOFT I LOVE THEM!!!!
This is a very, very beautiful story about a bisexual MC written by a bisexual author and you can feel it.
I also really loved the side characters, their friends were super funny and seeing them struggle with their eggs as well was hilarious.
Based on vibes alone this is a total 5 star read for me.
Seriously, this has been one of my favourite books I read this year!
But apart from the magical egg plot and Tim figuring himself out, there really wasn’t a lot of world building and a lot of plot holes and open questions remained.
There wasn’t a lot of magic in this, but what was there was interesting and I really liked the magical system itself.
We don’t get to see a lot of magical classes and apart from helping the plot a little this wouldn’t really have to be a fantasy book at all. I didn’t mind though.
What I didn’t like were that two mayor events of the book remain completely open. I don’t know if this was planned to be a first in a series, but the end was just very rushed and messy and huge themes of this book remain without ANY answers.*
This made the book very messy in the end, and apart from the romance it didn’t deliver much on the plot end.
So all in all I can only give this 4 stars if this will remain a standalone, even if I loved it to bits and I loved the whole romance part and also the end bit of the romance!
______________________
* SPOILERS:
The two questions that remained for me were:
1) What is going on with Tim’s dad? Why did he leave and what happened to him? What is going to happen now?
2) Who the hell married them?! This had to mean something right??
February 20, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This one is really fluffy and sweet, there's barely any angst and honestly it worked for this story really well! The love story is sweet and it's all very lighthearted. However, why was this set in a magical boarding school? It added almost nothing to the plot except for the plot twist about halfway through, but other than that it was really unnecessary - at the very least, it needed some serious worldbuilding because most of the magic system is not explained whatsoever, and the story would have worked perfectly well on its own without the added fantasy elements. It just felt like the plot and world had opportunities to go to places where some oomph or development could have been added, but just fell short. However, I did like the two main characters and thought that their romance was pretty cute.
This one is really fluffy and sweet, there's barely any angst and honestly it worked for this story really well! The love story is sweet and it's all very lighthearted. However, why was this set in a magical boarding school? It added almost nothing to the plot except for the plot twist about halfway through, but other than that it was really unnecessary - at the very least, it needed some serious worldbuilding because most of the magic system is not explained whatsoever, and the story would have worked perfectly well on its own without the added fantasy elements. It just felt like the plot and world had opportunities to go to places where some oomph or development could have been added, but just fell short. However, I did like the two main characters and thought that their romance was pretty cute.
December 25, 2021
4.5 Stars
CWs: Some references to bullying and depression; parental abandonment; (experienced) homophobia/biphobia; mentions of underage drinking; one HP reference; and some references to sex acts as well as fade-to-black sexual content
CWs: Some references to bullying and depression; parental abandonment; (experienced) homophobia/biphobia; mentions of underage drinking; one HP reference; and some references to sex acts as well as fade-to-black sexual content
June 7, 2022
I think the discussions on bisexuality, sex and the general cuteness of this book was really good, but overall the plot and characterisation lacked a bit of depth imo.
June 6, 2023
1.5/5.
¡Que pesadilla! No me puedo creer que me haya aburrido tanto con un libro supuestamente enemies to lovers con fantasía, pero así fué.
El libro empieza bien e interesante, lo sentí bastante ligerito y con cierta tensión entre ambos protagonistas. Me daba un poquito de cringe lo de cuidar a un huevito y aún así el inicio fue disfrutable.
Sin embargo, para mi pesar, todo se cayó. No sentí NADA por ninguno de los dos chicos, sus momentos me daban sueño porque, a mi parecer, no tenían química. Además de que esa etapa en la que empiezan a sentir algo más fue muy apresurada y sin un cambio bonito o expectante.
Las páginas se me hacían lentas y también con excesivo texto que me daba flojera leer pues me pareció que no contaban nada relevante.
No me gustó nada. No había chispa, emoción, sentimientos... en resumen, nada interesante.
Dos estrellas porque el inicio fue bueno y porque tampoco odié el libro, pero va a pasar al olvido.
¡Que pesadilla! No me puedo creer que me haya aburrido tanto con un libro supuestamente enemies to lovers con fantasía, pero así fué.
El libro empieza bien e interesante, lo sentí bastante ligerito y con cierta tensión entre ambos protagonistas. Me daba un poquito de cringe lo de cuidar a un huevito y aún así el inicio fue disfrutable.
Sin embargo, para mi pesar, todo se cayó. No sentí NADA por ninguno de los dos chicos, sus momentos me daban sueño porque, a mi parecer, no tenían química. Además de que esa etapa en la que empiezan a sentir algo más fue muy apresurada y sin un cambio bonito o expectante.
Las páginas se me hacían lentas y también con excesivo texto que me daba flojera leer pues me pareció que no contaban nada relevante.
No me gustó nada. No había chispa, emoción, sentimientos... en resumen, nada interesante.
Dos estrellas porque el inicio fue bueno y porque tampoco odié el libro, pero va a pasar al olvido.
December 11, 2022
Idiots-to-lovers is such a splendid trope when done right 👌😌
December 28, 2022
[4.75⭐️]
This book was presented as an union between Red, White and Royal Blue and The Magician, I haven’t read The Magician but I loved Rwrb so I was all in and in the end it didn’t disappoint!!
Also I would add that this was very much a version of Carry On but with more romance involved and less fantasy.
All the egg-baby thing is just hilarious! I loved it so much and I think it was a super fun and cute pretext for the love story.
One of the things I liked the most is that there wasn’t a third act breakup and any unnecessary drama which is something I’m a bit tired of seeing in romance, so just for this it gets a lot more points.
This book was very easy to read and kept me entertained till the end and it quickly became one of my favorite books that I’ll absolutely reread. So if you want a cute and funny love story you have to read this book!!
I also have to spend a few words for this cover, it’s just gorgeous! I could spend hours staring at it 😍 I must have it in my library immediately!
Thank you netgalley and Indipendente Publishers Group for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review
This book was presented as an union between Red, White and Royal Blue and The Magician, I haven’t read The Magician but I loved Rwrb so I was all in and in the end it didn’t disappoint!!
Also I would add that this was very much a version of Carry On but with more romance involved and less fantasy.
All the egg-baby thing is just hilarious! I loved it so much and I think it was a super fun and cute pretext for the love story.
One of the things I liked the most is that there wasn’t a third act breakup and any unnecessary drama which is something I’m a bit tired of seeing in romance, so just for this it gets a lot more points.
This book was very easy to read and kept me entertained till the end and it quickly became one of my favorite books that I’ll absolutely reread. So if you want a cute and funny love story you have to read this book!!
I also have to spend a few words for this cover, it’s just gorgeous! I could spend hours staring at it 😍 I must have it in my library immediately!
Thank you netgalley and Indipendente Publishers Group for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review
November 28, 2021
An extra star for successfully getting me out of my incredibly long reading slump!
Carry On meets Grasshopper Jungle - magic school with a whole lot of hormones. Not necessarily complex magical world building, but a cute read and loved the egg babies so much.
Carry On meets Grasshopper Jungle - magic school with a whole lot of hormones. Not necessarily complex magical world building, but a cute read and loved the egg babies so much.
August 4, 2022
La verdad me esperaba otra cosa. La sinopsis prometía mucho mas, pero entiendo que ahí esta el truco para convencernos a todos.
Creo que el universo es muy interesante y ellos son unos tiernos. La trama es bastante sencilla pero con esos elementos fantásticos de una ESCUELA DE MAGIA EN EL MEDIO DE UNA MONTAÑA, que a todos nos emocionan.
Si el huevo hubiera tenido una criatura de verdad, le hubiera dado otro puntaje, pero se ganaron sus 3 michis y medio por el epilogo que es fantástico.
Es divertido, ligero y amigable, lo que necesitaba para salir de un bloqueo de fantasía. Cumplió pero no me voló la cabeza.
Creo que el universo es muy interesante y ellos son unos tiernos. La trama es bastante sencilla pero con esos elementos fantásticos de una ESCUELA DE MAGIA EN EL MEDIO DE UNA MONTAÑA, que a todos nos emocionan.
Si el huevo hubiera tenido una criatura de verdad, le hubiera dado otro puntaje, pero se ganaron sus 3 michis y medio por el epilogo que es fantástico.
Es divertido, ligero y amigable, lo que necesitaba para salir de un bloqueo de fantasía. Cumplió pero no me voló la cabeza.
September 13, 2021
Naming a chapter after a Lorde song isn't enough for me I'm sorry 😫😫
Before I get into the problems I had with this book, I would like to say it is always amazing to read literature aimed at young LGBTQ+ people, and I'm so sure this book made many teenagers happy. I also love NZ rep ❤️
Now, why I didn't love this story as much as I wanted to:
- It gave or fan fiction vibes, and I sometimes mean this as an endearing compliment, this is not one of those times.
- The teenagers in this story constantly solved their deep rooted emotional issues by getting into new relationships. Tim's relationship with Elliot was just a solution to their depression, please seek therapy when you get broken up with, don't just rebound. These are the types of plots I hate, eaapically in stories aimed at teenagers, I feel as though it idealises relationships and puts them on a pedestal.
- The emotional steaks were never high enough, I find this in a lot of literature aimed at teenagers, give us the angst we deserve! I never understood where problems came from or where they were going, and I struggled to feel for anyone. Like how come we never find out why the dad left?
Mayhaps in a different life I would've given this a 3, or even a 4, but unfortunately I am 21 and too passionate about the content and relationships I read. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what H.S. Valley writes next 😳😳
Before I get into the problems I had with this book, I would like to say it is always amazing to read literature aimed at young LGBTQ+ people, and I'm so sure this book made many teenagers happy. I also love NZ rep ❤️
Now, why I didn't love this story as much as I wanted to:
- It gave or fan fiction vibes, and I sometimes mean this as an endearing compliment, this is not one of those times.
- The teenagers in this story constantly solved their deep rooted emotional issues by getting into new relationships. Tim's relationship with Elliot was just a solution to their depression, please seek therapy when you get broken up with, don't just rebound. These are the types of plots I hate, eaapically in stories aimed at teenagers, I feel as though it idealises relationships and puts them on a pedestal.
- The emotional steaks were never high enough, I find this in a lot of literature aimed at teenagers, give us the angst we deserve! I never understood where problems came from or where they were going, and I struggled to feel for anyone. Like how come we never find out why the dad left?
Mayhaps in a different life I would've given this a 3, or even a 4, but unfortunately I am 21 and too passionate about the content and relationships I read. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what H.S. Valley writes next 😳😳
July 26, 2023
3,5 *
This book very much felt like a fanfiction (the author mentioning AO3 in her acknowledgments was the least surprising thing ever).
The start of the book was very abrupt. We jumped straight in with little to no introduction, which honestly, I didn’t mind at all. The pacing fast, and the book was fun and easy to read.
There was very little worldbuilding, and the overall plot didn’t really matter. Tim and Elliott taking care of a magical egg-baby felt more like a crutch; it was only really there so there would be a reason for the boys to interact and be in close proximity. Their relationship was definitely the main focus of this book. All this is the main reason why this felt more like a fanfiction than a book. But I love fanfiction!!!! And if you do too, and you go into this book expecting just a fun fanfic-type story, I think you’ll really enjoy it!
I really liked Tim and Elliott’s dynamic. Their banter was fun, and I liked seeing them go from disliking each other, to friends with benefits, to falling in love. I liked it when they started being sweet with each other, showing that they actually cared about the other instead of being interested just in hooking up. I also especially loved their discussions of boundaries and how they verbally asked for consent. 👏
This book very much felt like a fanfiction (the author mentioning AO3 in her acknowledgments was the least surprising thing ever).
The start of the book was very abrupt. We jumped straight in with little to no introduction, which honestly, I didn’t mind at all. The pacing fast, and the book was fun and easy to read.
There was very little worldbuilding, and the overall plot didn’t really matter. Tim and Elliott taking care of a magical egg-baby felt more like a crutch; it was only really there so there would be a reason for the boys to interact and be in close proximity. Their relationship was definitely the main focus of this book. All this is the main reason why this felt more like a fanfiction than a book. But I love fanfiction!!!! And if you do too, and you go into this book expecting just a fun fanfic-type story, I think you’ll really enjoy it!
I really liked Tim and Elliott’s dynamic. Their banter was fun, and I liked seeing them go from disliking each other, to friends with benefits, to falling in love. I liked it when they started being sweet with each other, showing that they actually cared about the other instead of being interested just in hooking up. I also especially loved their discussions of boundaries and how they verbally asked for consent. 👏
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