From the Rooftops

by Grant D. Muller

He falls for his “straight” best friend but needs to keep their relationship a secret. Will he be able to navigate this volatile dynamic without losing the boy he’s madly in love with—or worse, unknowingly losing himself?

College senior Max has no clue what to do with his life after graduation. Things only get more confusing when he falls for his best friend, Tyler, who can’t seem to make up his mind about what he wants. As Tyler grapples to come to terms with his sexuality, Max has to figure out how to love someone who is too insecure about himself to openly love him back.

When Max learns about a revolutionary technology that allows users to see three ways a decision could play out, he believes he has found the perfect solution to his career woes. But it’s unclear whether this technology can help him figure out the real problem that now consumes all of his waking hours: how to keep his love life a secret and give Tyler the time he needs without everything going up in flames. What he doesn’t know is that in secret love affairs, there is uncertainty in even the best thought-out plans

They Both Die at the End meets Call Me By Your Name, this new adult, contemporary romance—with a hint of science fiction—explores the story of two boys coming out while coming of age.

Genres: Romance, Queer, LGBT, Gay, M M Romance, Fiction

268 pages, Paperback

Published June 27, 2021

Reviews

[Lucie Ondrušková · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this quite a lot and found especially the ending immensely satisfying and less cliché than expected. The sci-fi element felt a little bit out of place and maybe a bit of a Deus Ex machina, but it lend the book a more unique feeling.

[Jason Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

"For anyone who has ever been too scared to openly love someone."

This. book. ruined. me. It was a quick read but it was so emotionally substantial for me. My heart ached for both of these boys, for very different reasons. I got heartbreak whiplash throughout the course of the story and as the book continued to unfold, it had me questioning what ending I was even hoping for. At a certain point, I almost knew that we weren't going to get a happy ending. I will say, however, that we got an ending that was not cliche and was not "easy."

This was a simple story, but it was effective, and it had something to say -- which I think it did very well. The sci-fi plot device was a very interesting addition that set this story apart from others like it.

I finished this book during my lunch break and it had me in ugly tears. I then had to go back to work and pretend that I hadn't just had my heart ripped out. Love that for me!

[Bernard Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I want to give compliments to the cover designer whose artwork in its simplicity and effectiveness thrilled me! I am sorry that there is no mention of the cover designer in the book because they deserve that.

As for the story itself, I find it very satisfying although it played with me when at moments it fully grabbed my attention and forced me to speed up my reading just to slow it down a few pages later when it tamed my curiosity and expectations. I am pleased with the ending because it is not a typical romance ending and therefore may not be according to everyone’s taste, but it is very logical and realistic, and I congratulate the author on that.

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I want to say, the first third of this book I liked but after the part where the friend group finish their skiing trip, I lost interest. I didn’t like the whole flip flop of emotions Tyler had. Also didn’t like the dialogue either. It felt rigid? I don’t if that’s the right word. I just felt like the conversations didn’t flow or feel natural. I ended up skimming through the book & reading the last like 5 pages just to get done with this book. Would I read this book again? Probably not.

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short novel; props to the author for choosing the most realistic ending.

[Olivia Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was such a fun, quick, and easy read! I really enjoyed the book and I was pretty satisfied with the ending. The sci-fi element was off putting at times, but I had also thought it gave the story something unique that I’d never read about before in a short romance novel. :)

[Brooke Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: Alcohol, sex, weed

So this book perfectly fit my type of humor? I don’t even really know what that is lol but the banter between all the characters hit all the right notes for me.

Max and Tyler’s relationship is a hell of a roller coaster! For half the book, I thought Tyler was an asshole, and the other half I freaking loved him (I won’t say which halves 😉). And the lessons they learned from each other were just *chef’s kiss*!

Then there’s the supporting characters - namely Sloane, Zoey, and Blake - all of which fit so nicely in the story and their relationships with Max. Sloane and Zoey are healthy, supportive friends with a hint of attitude, splash of sass, and overwhelming knack for making not-so-healthy decisions. And Blake, the bold sweetheart who comes out of nowhere and plays his role perfectly! I fell in love with him instantly! [Trying SO HARD to keep this a spoiler-free review so I’ll just urge everyone who sees this to read this book instead.]

THEN THERE’S THE TITLE REVEAL! I love it when I stumble upon the title while reading the book! From the Rooftops is a nice phrase but doesn’t allude to anything specific, which meant the hope of finding the title in the story was going to be fun. And it was PERFECT! The placement, the delivery, and the message were just…well, perfection!

I found this book through my Recommendeds on Amazon and thought it looked/sounded cool, BUT it’s seriously slept on! A highly underrated book, in my opinion!

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As I look at him right now, I can't bear the thought of loosing him, even if I barely have him".

i rarely tear up in books but this one was so personal to me. so unfortunately realistic with being young and queer. this book was so beautifully written my heart HURTS. max is the sweetest person ever my god. he deserves the damn world. the found family in this book is everything <3 Tyler was a Rollercoaster and it's so sad seeing him struggle with the reality that he can't allow himself to fully embrace himself without loosing other things that are important to him. i cannot wait for another grant d.muller release <3

[Chad McMullin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow burn, but it pays off in the end

I devoured this novel in a matter of days. As a gay man, my life has been a roller coaster of emotions that are similar to both of the main characters in this novel. I have been both Tyler and Max and could relate and feel sympathy for both characters. I was both of those guys in college. The premise of having the ability to see how your future could potentially turn out is a very intriguing concept and I wish it had been introduced earlier in the story instead of the last few chapters of the novel.

[Antonio Ieraci-Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was eerily similar to my own life. From being uncertain in what to do as a career, to majoring in Liberal Arts, painting two men intertwined with the color blue, resisting the urge to dance with cows haha, and etc.
Overall, I thought the book was well paced. I gasped and had out loud response. I think it represents the very real struggles of being out in college and falling for a closeted guy extremely well. I do wish we got to read more about Max and Blake’s new relationship, maybe in a second book hopefully haha.

[Jordan Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Rooftops by Grant D. Muller is a grounded and heartfelt read. The concept immediately drew me in, but what really made this book stand out was how real it felt. The story is rooted in authentic emotion, and I found myself connecting to it on a deep, personal level. The character development was especially strong watching the characters grow and navigate their feelings made everything feel earned and honest. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it was thoughtful, relatable, and impactful in all the right ways. A quiet, meaningful read that stays with you.

[Amber Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read and overall I enjoyed it. The whole Optio bit felt a little out of place. The rest of technology was very basic so that weird sci-fi turn didn't really seem to fit. I also felt like there were a lot of filler scenes that just added fluff and weighed down the story. The plot, however, was interesting enough to hold my attention and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Not a favorite but worth the read.

[Elijah Hildy · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you're expecting the scifi tech to be explored deeply then this is a no (similar to they both die at the end, the scifi tech is a plot element to push the story forward but not explored in any meaningful way past posing questions about tech for the reader to investigate on their own time) but as a queer book about stumbling through college and trying to figure out who you want to be and where you want to go, its beautiful. prose is a bit basic, dialogue can be stilted and there are a few grammatical and spelling errors but the story was interesting and captivating enough for me to ignore that. picks up and stabilizes itself at around page 45 and from there it doesn't drop off at any moment. the resolution was a bit bitter sweet but the best decision that could be made. pretty funny and great friendships too. I'm giving it a 4 for pure enjoyment but realistically the writing/plot and technical stuff is around a 3-3.5

[Brody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book honestly ended up connecting to me more than i had understood it would. That feeling of loving someone so endlessly, and having them love you in return, in a way that will never work. Sometimes you have to let go. And sometimes that pain feels like it could kill you. But you getup and you choose to keep going. Sometimes being able to let each other go is the truest act of love one can commit

[Matt H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found FTR a mix of kinda cute and kinda cringey, haha! It was an easy read. There were some spicy moments that I really enjoyed. I cringed at the dialogue a lot because it felt so awkward. I didn't like the idea that the main character had to decide his career based on his love interests, that was triggering for me. Overall, it was an okay book.

[Caden Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this book was bitter sweet. It was a fun, simple, easy read. I think the protagonist’s two friends/roommates really added a lot and made the book more entertaining. I took off one star because, while I did enjoy reading it, I thought it was a little predictable. The last line of the book kinda made me tear up lol.

[Michelle Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down! I loved the real feelings throughout this book, and the genuine connections the characters shared with one another. While I, too, was a bit worried about the sci-fi element potentially being corny, it wasn’t at all.

Definitely give this book a read. :)

[Caroline Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don’t understand how you can look past THAT many red flags. bro should’ve called it off way sooner i was so annoyed the whole time. the last chapter is the best one and i feel like the conclusions there could have been reached so much sooner. ugh annoying.

[Julien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast and easy read! Has a satisfying ending as well, I loved it!

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read that tackled a lot of important issues! The biggest one being to love yourself and choose yourself

[Ryan Baadsgaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute book. Personally found a lot I could relate to. I would love to see another ending of this book but I am happy with how it turned out

[alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 and a half

[Kenedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read pretty good

[Zach Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but felt it wrapped everything up too quickly. They didn’t get into the whole AI part until the last 20 pages, then it was over.

[Avery Zielke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why so many people didn't like it, I loved it sm I also read it on one night

[_mykee_b · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read about love and self worth and how sometimes letting go of someone you thought you’d have forever is the only way you can move forward.

Sloane & Zoey are the real MVPs 👏👏👏👏

[Adriana G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book was kind of cheesy, it was still entertaining. As I think about how I feel, I actually like it more and more. I think it has some important ideas. I, like max, struggle with recognizing the love I deserve. I know it’s fiction, but it was somewhat comforting that max was as unsure of his future as I am.

[Valery Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book, pls read it

[Valerie &#x1f90d;&#x1f4da;&#x1f4d6; · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO SOOO underrated, I never see it anywhere but I think it’s one of the best lgbqt+ romances I’ve ever read. I love the ending I love unhappy endings but yet happy because of the self love and charcter growth.