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April Renegade
Ash Lancing
I've been enchanted by him ever since I first heard his laugh--before I saw his face, before we talked, before--everything. He saved me when I needed saving the most, but I'm about to ruin it all. I don't know how to keep the pieces of my world intact otherwise.
Drew Dawson
I think I've been in love with Ash since we met on that chilly night in April, almost ten years ago. I'd do anything for him. Have done everything for him. But I don't know how much longer I can tear myself apart as I wait for him. I don't know if I'll survive it.
_____________
According to Ash Lancing's fans, he has it all. He is the lead singer for a popular punk rock band, he's got a literal model for a girlfriend, a beautiful loft in NYC, and through the past ten years, he's had his best friend, Drew Dawson by his side through it all. But Ash doesn't really have it all. Because the one thing he desires, he can only have in the shadows and behind closed doors, and the exhaustive secrecy is no one's fault but his own.
Drew Dawson is nothing but supportive of his best-friend; they grew from boys to men together and formed the band that has given them more than they could have dreamed of. But his best-friend can't give him the one thing he needs to keep going, and that might just be his breaking point.
April Renegade is a coming of age and MM romance novel that follows the story of two young men coming to terms with their true selves over the span of a decade. In this steamy, rock 'n roll romance, tag along as two people form a relationship forged by fate. **This book is not recommended to readers under the age of 18.
I've been enchanted by him ever since I first heard his laugh--before I saw his face, before we talked, before--everything. He saved me when I needed saving the most, but I'm about to ruin it all. I don't know how to keep the pieces of my world intact otherwise.
Drew Dawson
I think I've been in love with Ash since we met on that chilly night in April, almost ten years ago. I'd do anything for him. Have done everything for him. But I don't know how much longer I can tear myself apart as I wait for him. I don't know if I'll survive it.
_____________
According to Ash Lancing's fans, he has it all. He is the lead singer for a popular punk rock band, he's got a literal model for a girlfriend, a beautiful loft in NYC, and through the past ten years, he's had his best friend, Drew Dawson by his side through it all. But Ash doesn't really have it all. Because the one thing he desires, he can only have in the shadows and behind closed doors, and the exhaustive secrecy is no one's fault but his own.
Drew Dawson is nothing but supportive of his best-friend; they grew from boys to men together and formed the band that has given them more than they could have dreamed of. But his best-friend can't give him the one thing he needs to keep going, and that might just be his breaking point.
April Renegade is a coming of age and MM romance novel that follows the story of two young men coming to terms with their true selves over the span of a decade. In this steamy, rock 'n roll romance, tag along as two people form a relationship forged by fate. **This book is not recommended to readers under the age of 18.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2022
67 people are currently reading
1298 people want to read
About the author
B.G. Wolfe
5 books48 followersANGST, SPICE, & EVERYTHING NICE
B.G. Wolfe writes steamy romance that will make you cry, curse, and leave you smiling. As a pansexual author faced with mental health challenges, B.G.'s main goal is to write diverse characters with the hopes that readers won't feel isolated as they navigate the ups and downs of daily life.
B.G. lives in her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida with her partner, spirited daughter, and a small zoo of pets that keeps her on her toes. When she's not writing, she can often be found binging True Crime, working out in the garden, or eating whatever cheese she can find in her fridge.
B.G. Wolfe writes steamy romance that will make you cry, curse, and leave you smiling. As a pansexual author faced with mental health challenges, B.G.'s main goal is to write diverse characters with the hopes that readers won't feel isolated as they navigate the ups and downs of daily life.
B.G. lives in her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida with her partner, spirited daughter, and a small zoo of pets that keeps her on her toes. When she's not writing, she can often be found binging True Crime, working out in the garden, or eating whatever cheese she can find in her fridge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
May 20, 2025
The love of your life (whom you had first, btw), keeping you as his fun on the side for a decade while he carries on a whole public relationship with a woman who is a friend of both of y'all.
Ash is DIABOLICAL.
Ten years? Ten FUCKING years? I can understand a random you met off the street telling you he needs time to come out, to control the narrative and and whatnot.
But for your best friend, your first love, who you KNOW feels the same way you do, to hide you for a fucking decade?!
No. What the actual fuck?
Some things are easier to forgive coming from a stranger.
How do you even unfuck that situation?
I'm a bit disappointed in Drew because an epic fuckup deserves a grovel of epic proportions and I feel like he didn't really hold Ash's hands to the fire for what he's spent a decade doing to him.
“I always knew you’d come around. I’m not going anywhere. But don’t fuck it up this time. I’ll leave for good if you don’t stick to your word.”
Sorry but some MCs are very dumb. Hall of fame levels of stupidity, this.
Ash is proof that you can have anything you want if only you find the balls to speak up and ask for it.
Asking your best friend and secret boyfriend of more than a decade to pretty please just stay hidden for a decade while you gad about pretending to be straight? Sure.
Asking your fiancée to please do you the favor of telling the world about your broken engagement in a neutral way so that neither of you 'is to blame' for it? So that you can later come out about the decade long relationship you've been having with your best friend behind her back? No problem, just ask.
This guy just asks people in his life for outrageous things and they just let him get away with it because he cries alongside them and makes out that he's as hurt as they are by what HE did to them.
Like I said. Diabolical.
The real icing on the cake is when Drew and Lizette tussle it out over him.
Truly comical. Because the real villain is Ash. Both of you are victims. What you really need to do is UNIONIZE.
The fact that that man gets out of this unscathed is.....I honestly don't even know what it is. But sign my petition below.
ashisalyingliarwholies.org
“I was his first, Lizette. His first everything. Did he tell you that?”
💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
Oh my God.
There's no way Drew is bragging about being all this to a man who kept him hidden for TEN years. Baby. This is not a flex.
What's worse is that Ash isn't even some manipulative mastermind 😂😂😂😂😂he literally has a spine made of wet spaghetti. No way you let this noodle dog walk you for a decade.
Hectic. This is struggle love at its finest.
This is truly, truly a cheating book. Very entertaining even though I absolutely loathed Ash.
Ash is DIABOLICAL.
Ten years? Ten FUCKING years? I can understand a random you met off the street telling you he needs time to come out, to control the narrative and and whatnot.
But for your best friend, your first love, who you KNOW feels the same way you do, to hide you for a fucking decade?!
No. What the actual fuck?
Some things are easier to forgive coming from a stranger.
How do you even unfuck that situation?
I'm a bit disappointed in Drew because an epic fuckup deserves a grovel of epic proportions and I feel like he didn't really hold Ash's hands to the fire for what he's spent a decade doing to him.
“I always knew you’d come around. I’m not going anywhere. But don’t fuck it up this time. I’ll leave for good if you don’t stick to your word.”
Sorry but some MCs are very dumb. Hall of fame levels of stupidity, this.
Ash is proof that you can have anything you want if only you find the balls to speak up and ask for it.
Asking your best friend and secret boyfriend of more than a decade to pretty please just stay hidden for a decade while you gad about pretending to be straight? Sure.
Asking your fiancée to please do you the favor of telling the world about your broken engagement in a neutral way so that neither of you 'is to blame' for it? So that you can later come out about the decade long relationship you've been having with your best friend behind her back? No problem, just ask.
This guy just asks people in his life for outrageous things and they just let him get away with it because he cries alongside them and makes out that he's as hurt as they are by what HE did to them.
Like I said. Diabolical.
The real icing on the cake is when Drew and Lizette tussle it out over him.
Truly comical. Because the real villain is Ash. Both of you are victims. What you really need to do is UNIONIZE.
The fact that that man gets out of this unscathed is.....I honestly don't even know what it is. But sign my petition below.
ashisalyingliarwholies.org
“I was his first, Lizette. His first everything. Did he tell you that?”
💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
Oh my God.
There's no way Drew is bragging about being all this to a man who kept him hidden for TEN years. Baby. This is not a flex.
What's worse is that Ash isn't even some manipulative mastermind 😂😂😂😂😂he literally has a spine made of wet spaghetti. No way you let this noodle dog walk you for a decade.
Hectic. This is struggle love at its finest.
This is truly, truly a cheating book. Very entertaining even though I absolutely loathed Ash.
April 20, 2024
I'm very split on my opinion of this one.
Ash is by far my most hated MC I have ever read. He's an absolute selfish cunt, I have nothing nice to say about 'present day' Ash. His only redeeming qualities are how he behaved in the flashbacks.
My heart absolutely broke for Drew, he deserved so much better. He wasn't completely faultless but I could see his side of things much better.
What I don't get is why Ash even starts something with Lizette when he's with Drew and they're in love / soulmates. It didn't make a lot of sense to me, and why would Drew put up with it when they'd already been in love and together, albeit in secret, for eight YEARS before Lizette came along.
The best parts of this book were the flashbacks and seeing them fall in love as teens.
Ash is by far my most hated MC I have ever read. He's an absolute selfish cunt, I have nothing nice to say about 'present day' Ash. His only redeeming qualities are how he behaved in the flashbacks.
My heart absolutely broke for Drew, he deserved so much better. He wasn't completely faultless but I could see his side of things much better.
What I don't get is why Ash even starts something with Lizette when he's with Drew and they're in love / soulmates. It didn't make a lot of sense to me, and why would Drew put up with it when they'd already been in love and together, albeit in secret, for eight YEARS before Lizette came along.
The best parts of this book were the flashbacks and seeing them fall in love as teens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
I really don't know how I'm going to formulate my full thoughts on this one. It's probably just going to be a rant. I really, really wanted to love Ash & Drew. At first I was gripped and I could feel the angst and the pain and longing between them.
We got to see flashbacks of them meeting and falling in love (Side note: these flashbacks damn near killed me - some of them were soooooo slow or focused a lot on the creation of the band. The only ones I cared about were watching them fall in love and start a physical intimate relationship and all of the sweet little moments between the two of them.)
So what's the scoop? Ash & Drew became best friends at 18/19 and within a year started a physical relationship, caught major feelings and stated they were in love with the other. They also formed a band together with a couple other guys. They acted very intimately and were basically a couple. But not "out". Flash forward 10 years and the band they are both in is now famous and they are still together secretly but ASH HAS A GIRLFRIEND. Why?!?! This I will come back to.
My anger started heating up around 35% when Ash proposes to his girlfriend (UMMM YEAH WTF?!) but got much worse at around the 47% mark because in between that time we get a LOT of flashbacks showing how fucking in love these two are. So by the time we get back to the present timeline I'm actually livid with Ash.
SO - essentially Ash has so much internalized homophobia and need to present to the world that he is straight that this fucker gets a girlfriend 8 YEARS into his ongoing relationship with his best friend when they are openly (to each other at least) in love. The thought of watching your partner (let's be real - just cause they aren't out to anyone DOES NOT mean they aren't a valid couple) get a girlfriend that he parades around in public, is intimate with in the bedroom, while still fucking you and needing you in his life. THEN watches as he BUYS A RING and is waiting to propose - all the while you are begging him to break it off the whole time and are VERY OBVIOUSLY hurting by these actions. I just can't. I can't. Ash is the biggest asshole ever. And Drew - while I did love him and hurt for him - was WEAK. I know it's easy to say he was weak and people in real life do put up with so much shit from their partners but man it was hard to read.
I really hated the direction everything took. Ash could've just NOT gotten a girlfriend, he could've found a woman who was wilingly a beard, he could've chosen ANY other option than to break his man's heart and also break this woman's heart too.
Ash grew up in a terrible home with addict parents who abused him but honestly the author never delves into this like at all so it's supposedly the reason he refuses to come out but it's so weakly developed I just barely cared. The author never really goes into any detail on his trauma nor do we see him seek any help or talk about his past or... anything really.
I found it extremely hard to root for this couple when I pretty much hated Ash. I said to a couple friends while reading that I just didn't want them to get an HEA anymore. That's..... not good.... in a romance book.
Ash comes to a realization that he needs to step up and change. After that everything is wrapped up quickly and in a nice bow. Drew basically doesn't ask Ash for a single thing let alone to GROVEL HIS ASS to the moon and back for Drew's forgiveness so that was fun 😜 As I said. Weak.
And don't even get me started on the girlfriend. I actually fairly liked her. During the breakup scene where Ash told her the truth and broke up with her I felt horrible for her but she seemed to be taking it okay even though heartbroken. THEN.... THEN. There is a scene where she immediately goes to Drew and gets all up in his face for fucking her boyfriend for two years and blaming him for being the reason they weren't together. ONE - weak shit making the woman into an asshole now too when she should be raging at Ash. I just could not sympathize with her by that point knowing what we did of how badly Drew suffered on the sidelines.
Oh and the epilogue? Yeah, these two rock stars are now suddenly daddies to twin babies. Like what?!?! Mind you this is only 4 years in the future. Let alone - we never even touched on Ash's childhood trauma and how that would affect his desire/feelings about becoming a parent himself.... Neither of these men screamed dad to me so it just felt completely odd to just throw some babies at them as their HEA.
Overall, I hated Ash. I hated the creative directions this author took. I did like their relationship when set in the past. I loved watching them fall in love. But the way the "now" played out was trash. I loved the concept of this - I love angst but this was just a miss for me. One thing I really LOVED was that the songs their band played had lyrics about them and their love for each other woven in (little inside knowledge only the two of them knew about).
We got to see flashbacks of them meeting and falling in love (Side note: these flashbacks damn near killed me - some of them were soooooo slow or focused a lot on the creation of the band. The only ones I cared about were watching them fall in love and start a physical intimate relationship and all of the sweet little moments between the two of them.)
So what's the scoop? Ash & Drew became best friends at 18/19 and within a year started a physical relationship, caught major feelings and stated they were in love with the other. They also formed a band together with a couple other guys. They acted very intimately and were basically a couple. But not "out". Flash forward 10 years and the band they are both in is now famous and they are still together secretly but ASH HAS A GIRLFRIEND. Why?!?! This I will come back to.
My anger started heating up around 35% when Ash proposes to his girlfriend (UMMM YEAH WTF?!) but got much worse at around the 47% mark because in between that time we get a LOT of flashbacks showing how fucking in love these two are. So by the time we get back to the present timeline I'm actually livid with Ash.
SO - essentially Ash has so much internalized homophobia and need to present to the world that he is straight that this fucker gets a girlfriend 8 YEARS into his ongoing relationship with his best friend when they are openly (to each other at least) in love. The thought of watching your partner (let's be real - just cause they aren't out to anyone DOES NOT mean they aren't a valid couple) get a girlfriend that he parades around in public, is intimate with in the bedroom, while still fucking you and needing you in his life. THEN watches as he BUYS A RING and is waiting to propose - all the while you are begging him to break it off the whole time and are VERY OBVIOUSLY hurting by these actions. I just can't. I can't. Ash is the biggest asshole ever. And Drew - while I did love him and hurt for him - was WEAK. I know it's easy to say he was weak and people in real life do put up with so much shit from their partners but man it was hard to read.
I really hated the direction everything took. Ash could've just NOT gotten a girlfriend, he could've found a woman who was wilingly a beard, he could've chosen ANY other option than to break his man's heart and also break this woman's heart too.
Ash grew up in a terrible home with addict parents who abused him but honestly the author never delves into this like at all so it's supposedly the reason he refuses to come out but it's so weakly developed I just barely cared. The author never really goes into any detail on his trauma nor do we see him seek any help or talk about his past or... anything really.
I found it extremely hard to root for this couple when I pretty much hated Ash. I said to a couple friends while reading that I just didn't want them to get an HEA anymore. That's..... not good.... in a romance book.
Ash comes to a realization that he needs to step up and change. After that everything is wrapped up quickly and in a nice bow. Drew basically doesn't ask Ash for a single thing let alone to GROVEL HIS ASS to the moon and back for Drew's forgiveness so that was fun 😜 As I said. Weak.
And don't even get me started on the girlfriend. I actually fairly liked her. During the breakup scene where Ash told her the truth and broke up with her I felt horrible for her but she seemed to be taking it okay even though heartbroken. THEN.... THEN. There is a scene where she immediately goes to Drew and gets all up in his face for fucking her boyfriend for two years and blaming him for being the reason they weren't together. ONE - weak shit making the woman into an asshole now too when she should be raging at Ash. I just could not sympathize with her by that point knowing what we did of how badly Drew suffered on the sidelines.
Oh and the epilogue? Yeah, these two rock stars are now suddenly daddies to twin babies. Like what?!?! Mind you this is only 4 years in the future. Let alone - we never even touched on Ash's childhood trauma and how that would affect his desire/feelings about becoming a parent himself.... Neither of these men screamed dad to me so it just felt completely odd to just throw some babies at them as their HEA.
Overall, I hated Ash. I hated the creative directions this author took. I did like their relationship when set in the past. I loved watching them fall in love. But the way the "now" played out was trash. I loved the concept of this - I love angst but this was just a miss for me. One thing I really LOVED was that the songs their band played had lyrics about them and their love for each other woven in (little inside knowledge only the two of them knew about).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2022
This is a decent debut book, and B.G. Wolfe has an interesting story to tell.
And there's one of my 'issues': I think there was too much telling and less showing. Which, for me at least, leads to a lack of connection with both characters and it, unfortunately, keeps me from feeling all the emotions I wanted to feel. Even NEED to feel in order to find the connection I'm looking for when reading a romance. But seeing all the great ratings and reviews, that might just be a 'me-problem'.
The story of Ash, who's been abused and neglected by his addictive parents, and Drew truly was an interesting one. I love books about music and rockstars (since music is my second love!), and I love the pining and the wanting when the relationship is secret. And though I understand how his parents fed his inner homophobe with their actions and remarks, I did not fully understand all the things Ash did to hide his true self from the public. Even have a relationship with a woman for several years, up to the point he gets engaged with her. In hurting Drew with every step he takes.
But maybe that has a lot to do with my lack of connection to him. If my heart would have been in it, if I would've been deeply touched by his story, maybe I would have had a better understanding? I think I would have.
If you are thinking of reading this book, I think I should warn you up front that there's cheating. Not to spoil, but I know to some readers that's a hard no go, and since it's not something you would get from reading the blurb, I think it's an important thing to mention.
There are more triggers, such as child abuse (not on page) and mentions of drugs/alcohol addiction.
All in all, this was a decent debut, and I will be on the lookout for this author.
I kindly received an ARC from the author and this is my honest, unbiased review
And there's one of my 'issues': I think there was too much telling and less showing. Which, for me at least, leads to a lack of connection with both characters and it, unfortunately, keeps me from feeling all the emotions I wanted to feel. Even NEED to feel in order to find the connection I'm looking for when reading a romance. But seeing all the great ratings and reviews, that might just be a 'me-problem'.
The story of Ash, who's been abused and neglected by his addictive parents, and Drew truly was an interesting one. I love books about music and rockstars (since music is my second love!), and I love the pining and the wanting when the relationship is secret. And though I understand how his parents fed his inner homophobe with their actions and remarks, I did not fully understand all the things Ash did to hide his true self from the public. Even have a relationship with a woman for several years, up to the point he gets engaged with her. In hurting Drew with every step he takes.
But maybe that has a lot to do with my lack of connection to him. If my heart would have been in it, if I would've been deeply touched by his story, maybe I would have had a better understanding? I think I would have.
If you are thinking of reading this book, I think I should warn you up front that there's cheating. Not to spoil, but I know to some readers that's a hard no go, and since it's not something you would get from reading the blurb, I think it's an important thing to mention.
There are more triggers, such as child abuse (not on page) and mentions of drugs/alcohol addiction.
All in all, this was a decent debut, and I will be on the lookout for this author.
I kindly received an ARC from the author and this is my honest, unbiased review
July 29, 2023
This was my first B.G. Wolfe book, and I really enjoyed this story. It was told in duel POV going back and forth between the past and present. You really get a feel for where Ash & Drew started and came from to where they eventually end up. It was very emotional and passionate and kept me captivated. As for Adam Devens' narration, it was good, not great. I liked it, didn't love it. His voice just didn't flow organically for me, came off a little robotic. He didn't bring the characters to life for me, but the writing shines through. All in all, I loved the story and look forward to more from B.G. Wolfe
July 19, 2023
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book. It was recommended for cheating and angst and I definitely got that! I loved both Drew and Ash, but I also hated Ash for what he was doing. I wanted them together but I also spent a lot of time thinking Drew could do better and wanted to see him make an attempt at it. There were good side characters and there was plenty of drama. With dual POV and a timeline that alternates between 2012/2013, when the two first meet and form their band, and 2022, it really cements the bond Ash and Drew form and leaves room for a lot of depth and details. Unfortunately, I don't think it was used to its full potential.
This is the type of story that could be a 5-star read for me, but there were a few things holding me back from feeling that perfection. Most of it has to do with telling (or more so just hinting) and not showing. It takes a long time to find out why Ash is doing what he's doing to Drew and Lizette and when we finally find out, I didn't fully buy it since it wasn't fully explored.
I enjoyed the musical references and storyline. The story had great potential and it kept me reading, but the lack of depth as to Ash's motives and thoughts keeps me from giving it a higher rating. I'll definitely pick up another story by this author in the future (it says it's the author's debut but it left me wondering if maybe it's just the debut of a pen name and perhaps the author has written M/F or another genre before).
I enjoyed this book. It was recommended for cheating and angst and I definitely got that! I loved both Drew and Ash, but I also hated Ash for what he was doing. I wanted them together but I also spent a lot of time thinking Drew could do better and wanted to see him make an attempt at it. There were good side characters and there was plenty of drama. With dual POV and a timeline that alternates between 2012/2013, when the two first meet and form their band, and 2022, it really cements the bond Ash and Drew form and leaves room for a lot of depth and details. Unfortunately, I don't think it was used to its full potential.
This is the type of story that could be a 5-star read for me, but there were a few things holding me back from feeling that perfection. Most of it has to do with telling (or more so just hinting) and not showing. It takes a long time to find out why Ash is doing what he's doing to Drew and Lizette and when we finally find out, I didn't fully buy it since it wasn't fully explored.
I enjoyed the musical references and storyline. The story had great potential and it kept me reading, but the lack of depth as to Ash's motives and thoughts keeps me from giving it a higher rating. I'll definitely pick up another story by this author in the future (it says it's the author's debut but it left me wondering if maybe it's just the debut of a pen name and perhaps the author has written M/F or another genre before).
dnf
July 15, 2022DNF. I did not realise there would be cheating in this book so that's on me.
November 16, 2022
I totally loved this ❣️
November 26, 2022
(ARC generously provided by the author B.G. Wolfe, I'm so happy I was able to be an advanced reader!)
Hi hello I literally finished this not ten minutes ago and need to rave about this book.
Ok ok so ik I'm not popular as a reviewer on here so I'm not gonna say "if you saw my update on my Aristotle & Dante review" and imma just drop my fruity read star scale again:
For LGBTQ+ repped books:
•include queer trauma (physical specifically) or use it as a plot device -1⭐️
•include gross queer stereotypes (i.e. don’t knock it till you try it/how do you know unless you try/coercion) -1⭐️
•include unnecessary ___phobic content (i.e. biphobic or transphobic like in A&D) -1⭐️
I'm not taking it easy on books promoted as queer/LGBTQ+ if they center around queer trauma. We deserve some happy endings/resolution without the trauma. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.
NOW INTO THE REVIEW BC IM STILL SCREAMING AND MY HEART IS SO HAPPY.
_________
Long story very short: this is a queer book that give us a happy resolution without queer trauma and you should most definitely read it.
Long story not so short: April Renegade is a MM *steamy* romance.
Ash Lancing and Drew Dawson are best friends and bandmatesand a little bit more. According to the fans and the media, Ash Lancing, lead singer of the punk rock band April Renegade, has it all. A successful career, supportive friends and bandmates, and a beautiful model girlfriend. But in reality, he doesn't have everything. The one thing he wants the most he only has behind closed doors, because of his not so great decisions. Drew Dawson, loves his best friend and will never not be supportive of him. But his best friend can't give him what he wants, what he needs. They grew up together, built a band together, became men together, and together have to decide to succumb to fate or continue fighting the inevitable.
________
When I tell you, I haven't cried because of a book in a while and this book made me sob I am NOT exaggerating at all. I was hooked at three chapters in. I fell in love with Ash and Drew and Sean and Brian and Mike and the band and the relationships in this book so quickly it honestly scared me. Like fucking hell, how B.G. Wolfe was able to create characters that are so human blows my ever-loving mind.
I was happy with them, I yelled at Ash, I got mad with Drew, I cried with Ash, and I cried with the both of them. My heart broke in one chapter, was stuck back together and filled with butterflies the next and then was shattered again.VERY rude of you btw.
The book goes back and forth between both Ash and Drew's POVs as well as the past and present day. I thought that might hinder my reading and get a little rough but it was done so well and was laid out so perfectly that I was anticipating the flashbacks and looking forward to the jumps back to present day. The change in POV and time allowed me to fall deeper and deeper into the relationship I was reading about.
Some may see the climax (pun intended) of this book as "queer trauma" but in my eyes it was a TRUE queer experience and I praise B.G. Wolfe for including it. It was a beautiful moment and allowed for a beautiful ending.
In short, I love I love I love I love I love.
ALSO I would pay good money to hear the band's song "Home by June" irl
Hi hello I literally finished this not ten minutes ago and need to rave about this book.
Ok ok so ik I'm not popular as a reviewer on here so I'm not gonna say "if you saw my update on my Aristotle & Dante review" and imma just drop my fruity read star scale again:
For LGBTQ+ repped books:
•include queer trauma (physical specifically) or use it as a plot device -1⭐️
•include gross queer stereotypes (i.e. don’t knock it till you try it/how do you know unless you try/coercion) -1⭐️
•include unnecessary ___phobic content (i.e. biphobic or transphobic like in A&D) -1⭐️
I'm not taking it easy on books promoted as queer/LGBTQ+ if they center around queer trauma. We deserve some happy endings/resolution without the trauma. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.
NOW INTO THE REVIEW BC IM STILL SCREAMING AND MY HEART IS SO HAPPY.
_________
Long story very short: this is a queer book that give us a happy resolution without queer trauma and you should most definitely read it.
Long story not so short: April Renegade is a MM *steamy* romance.
Ash Lancing and Drew Dawson are best friends and bandmates
________
When I tell you, I haven't cried because of a book in a while and this book made me sob I am NOT exaggerating at all. I was hooked at three chapters in. I fell in love with Ash and Drew and Sean and Brian and Mike and the band and the relationships in this book so quickly it honestly scared me. Like fucking hell, how B.G. Wolfe was able to create characters that are so human blows my ever-loving mind.
I was happy with them, I yelled at Ash, I got mad with Drew, I cried with Ash, and I cried with the both of them. My heart broke in one chapter, was stuck back together and filled with butterflies the next and then was shattered again.
The book goes back and forth between both Ash and Drew's POVs as well as the past and present day. I thought that might hinder my reading and get a little rough but it was done so well and was laid out so perfectly that I was anticipating the flashbacks and looking forward to the jumps back to present day. The change in POV and time allowed me to fall deeper and deeper into the relationship I was reading about.
Some may see the climax (pun intended) of this book as "queer trauma" but in my eyes it was a TRUE queer experience and I praise B.G. Wolfe for including it. It was a beautiful moment and allowed for a beautiful ending.
In short, I love I love I love I love I love.
ALSO I would pay good money to hear the band's song "Home by June" irl
December 14, 2022
Ugh I was just disgusted with Ash! I wish poor Drew had been able to move on to someone better who deserved him. Sad he ended up with someone who cheated on him, then flipped the situation to make Drew cheat with him. It doesn’t matter if you’re relationship is secret, if you’re together for 8 years you’re together. Period. Ash getting with Lizzie in the first place was wrong stupid and weird. And then to have all the apologies thrown to Lizzie in the end? No those apologies belonged to Drew and I’m sad he didn’t get the public fanfare that Lizzie did. And then to do all this for us to not even get to see poor Drew finally be acknowledged in the public eye? Dumb af
March 5, 2023
« Though he was a stranger, being with Drew felt like coming home after being away for too long. »
3,20 ⭐️
3,20 ⭐️
August 8, 2023
I really liked Drew and hated Ash for hurting him the way he did for years. I understood his motivations but also I 1000% did not.
He's been with Drew for a decade and decides to off and get a girlfriend that he's in a full intimate relationship with. It doesn't seem like Drew was ever even involved in this decision and I found that so thoughtlessly cruel of Ash. How did he not see that the was destroying Drew every day?
I know this was the author's debut and I think my being this fired up about the choices of the characters is a good sign. I'm interested to see where B.G. goes next.
He's been with Drew for a decade and decides to off and get a girlfriend that he's in a full intimate relationship with. It doesn't seem like Drew was ever even involved in this decision and I found that so thoughtlessly cruel of Ash. How did he not see that the was destroying Drew every day?
I know this was the author's debut and I think my being this fired up about the choices of the characters is a good sign. I'm interested to see where B.G. goes next.
July 28, 2022
This had a good plot and I thought it might hold my interest, from the start I knew the writing was probably not going to click with me but I kept with it. Then it was all flashbacks and this could have been summed up I. A short story, it was the same whining over and over again and it was just a big miss for me
July 12, 2022
This was a very impressive debut!
This is the story of Ash and Drew- bandmates, best friends and lovers. Ash came from nothing with abusive parents and more baggage than most. Drew came from a loving family - one that happily took in Ash when his homelife became unbearable. The two bonded over music and quickly formed a life-long connection that included forming a band that shot to stardom. The problem? Drew is happily out in his personal life and Ash isn't- and living that lie may tear them apart.
I wanted to love this book and I firmly believe my lack of doing so is a me-thing, not a book thing. Here's why:
That said, I loved Drew's character! I was much less enamored with Ash - his problems were allllll of his own making. That said, his character growth was fantastic and seeing the two get their HEA was super sweet.
This is the story of Ash and Drew- bandmates, best friends and lovers. Ash came from nothing with abusive parents and more baggage than most. Drew came from a loving family - one that happily took in Ash when his homelife became unbearable. The two bonded over music and quickly formed a life-long connection that included forming a band that shot to stardom. The problem? Drew is happily out in his personal life and Ash isn't- and living that lie may tear them apart.
I wanted to love this book and I firmly believe my lack of doing so is a me-thing, not a book thing. Here's why:
That said, I loved Drew's character! I was much less enamored with Ash - his problems were allllll of his own making. That said, his character growth was fantastic and seeing the two get their HEA was super sweet.
Want to read
July 15, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/15/2022)! 🎁
December 1, 2022
i heard some pretty great things about this book and i only saw it on a group on facebook. had i not been in that group i wouldn't know about this beautiful book. mm is one of my favorite trope and i love when i find a great book as this one.
i enjoyed this book. i devoured it in a few days and i was wrapped in the story from the first few words. i loved the writing and the waa everything flowed. i loved the alternative perspectives from the past and present. getting to know their story from the start and seeing how things turned out was perfect. i loved to see drew and ash meeting and then slowly get to know themselves and fall in love.
i hated the way ash handled things, but at the same time i understood him so deeply. it isn't easy to find courage to tell the world the truth when the world is so cruel sometimes. then, i almost felt drew's hurt. if there was someone who was hurt here, it was him and it was so painful to read his thoughts. it was so painful to see how he put ash first and let himself just be what ash needed without thinking about what he needed.
all in all, i gave it 5 stars because this was amazing. a really great read and i definitely would read it again.
i enjoyed this book. i devoured it in a few days and i was wrapped in the story from the first few words. i loved the writing and the waa everything flowed. i loved the alternative perspectives from the past and present. getting to know their story from the start and seeing how things turned out was perfect. i loved to see drew and ash meeting and then slowly get to know themselves and fall in love.
i hated the way ash handled things, but at the same time i understood him so deeply. it isn't easy to find courage to tell the world the truth when the world is so cruel sometimes. then, i almost felt drew's hurt. if there was someone who was hurt here, it was him and it was so painful to read his thoughts. it was so painful to see how he put ash first and let himself just be what ash needed without thinking about what he needed.
all in all, i gave it 5 stars because this was amazing. a really great read and i definitely would read it again.
October 26, 2022
Happy 2022 this is my favorite book of the whole year.
I’ll do a better review but this is what really matters.
I’ll do a better review but this is what really matters.
July 9, 2022
You know what makes the difference between a good and a great book? The first sentence. In just single statement, the entire book must be summarized. It must captivate the reader's interest and urge them to read more. Currently, B. G. Wolfe does just that. You are aware of the dynamic between Ash and Drew, our main characters, and how Ash admears Drew, even in the first chapter. How Drew is the only person who can truly ground Ash. I give April Renage five stars for this reason as well as a number of others.
Trigger Warnings for April Renage :
Cheating, M/M romance, displays of mental illnesses (generalized anxiety, depression, and panic disorder/panic attacks specifically), and some drug/alcohol use and spice.
The Characters :
Drew’s Mom was my favorite character hands down. She was the sweetest thing ever. When Drew came out, she was encouraging, but she refrained from telling Drew's father because she believed it was not her place to do so. She also provided Ash with food and a suitable shelter, as well as a safe place to live. I know it can be seen as the bare minimum, but having her as a character was so refreshing after all the drama and sadness in the book.
Now how are the characters written? I love how all the characters are not perfect. (except Drew's mom, of course). For example, when Drew tries to pressure Ash to come out. Or Ash's anxiety. It all made them feel real.
How the book was written :
The author brought up modern issues was something I quite appreciated and wasn't expecting. Take Tiktok and the pandemic, as examples. I know that for some people, this would be a great turnoff, but I liked how it added to the book's atmosphere. I felt as though I was reading about a genuine band.
The short chapters and lgbt representation made April Renegade such a fantastic novel. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something quick to read but that will keep them on their toes who wants to start reading more books with lgbt representation. I'd like to express my gratitude to the author for giving me the arc.
Trigger Warnings for April Renage :
Cheating, M/M romance, displays of mental illnesses (generalized anxiety, depression, and panic disorder/panic attacks specifically), and some drug/alcohol use and spice.
The Characters :
Drew’s Mom was my favorite character hands down. She was the sweetest thing ever. When Drew came out, she was encouraging, but she refrained from telling Drew's father because she believed it was not her place to do so. She also provided Ash with food and a suitable shelter, as well as a safe place to live. I know it can be seen as the bare minimum, but having her as a character was so refreshing after all the drama and sadness in the book.
Now how are the characters written? I love how all the characters are not perfect. (except Drew's mom, of course). For example, when Drew tries to pressure Ash to come out. Or Ash's anxiety. It all made them feel real.
How the book was written :
The author brought up modern issues was something I quite appreciated and wasn't expecting. Take Tiktok and the pandemic, as examples. I know that for some people, this would be a great turnoff, but I liked how it added to the book's atmosphere. I felt as though I was reading about a genuine band.
The short chapters and lgbt representation made April Renegade such a fantastic novel. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something quick to read but that will keep them on their toes who wants to start reading more books with lgbt representation. I'd like to express my gratitude to the author for giving me the arc.
June 1, 2025
3.5 I loved Drew from the beginning. Ash was great in the beginning, too. Ash being hooked on Drew since before he saw him, just from his laugh, was beautiful. Drew’s family taking Ash in, no questions asked. Loving and supporting him the whole way through, even when he was a complete ass to Drew was wow. I love angst. There was a bit of angst. My heart broke for Drew. I really felt that pain. The only thing I don’t understand is why did there need to be a Lizette for them? That was a bummer for me in this story. Didn’t make sense why Ash would do that if he was so all consumingly in love with Drew.
February 19, 2024
This book did not work for me. Cheating romance is my catnip, but in this case I just couldn't understand the cheating storyline, or the way it resolves. There is a lot of spice that felt totally extraneous for me. The author does a nice job of constructing characters, but their choices just did not make sense.
July 9, 2023
4.5 stars. Okay Ash pissed me off. Like ugh this book is written so beautifully but with a coward character I can’t give it full rating. Hats off for a debut tho.
That was angsty as hell, painful, sexy and very emotional.
That was angsty as hell, painful, sexy and very emotional.
July 12, 2023
April Renegade by B.G. Wolfe is a standalone and the author debut novel.
I loved Drew and Ash's story, which was complicated yet filled with so much love.
The story takes place in two different eras, when Drew and Ash first met and a decade later when their band is established and very popular. The beginning of this book plunged me into nostalgia, reminding me of my first punk rock show. I loved living that moment with Ash, watching him discover for the first time the exhilaration of seeing a band live. Experiencing it with him, I could see myself back in the day, in the middle of a mosh pit, shouting the lyrics to Millencolin songs. It was really special for me how April Renegade brought back such beautiful memories.
I'm one of those people who loves a story that involves cheating. April Renegade is the ultimate infidelity book, since it's practically the entire plot. So if cheating is something that bothers you, you've been warned! My heart broke so many times throughout the story for both Drew and Ash, even though Ash was the one cheating. Seeing them broken and overwhelmed by emotions was hard to read at times. Loving each other so much and being hurt so badly at the same time. It was perfectly angsty and I was really invested in seeing them find a way to be what they really wanted to be.
I've rarely been so satisfied with the end of a book. Those last moments were magical and brought tears to my eyes. It was so beautiful and exactly where I'd hoped we'd leave them. The epilogue did nothing for me, so I decided to pretend it didn't exist. 😂
We absolutely need more punk rocker books or simply more MM books written by B.G. Wolfe. She's one of my great discoveries of 2023.
I loved Drew and Ash's story, which was complicated yet filled with so much love.
The story takes place in two different eras, when Drew and Ash first met and a decade later when their band is established and very popular. The beginning of this book plunged me into nostalgia, reminding me of my first punk rock show. I loved living that moment with Ash, watching him discover for the first time the exhilaration of seeing a band live. Experiencing it with him, I could see myself back in the day, in the middle of a mosh pit, shouting the lyrics to Millencolin songs. It was really special for me how April Renegade brought back such beautiful memories.
I'm one of those people who loves a story that involves cheating. April Renegade is the ultimate infidelity book, since it's practically the entire plot. So if cheating is something that bothers you, you've been warned! My heart broke so many times throughout the story for both Drew and Ash, even though Ash was the one cheating. Seeing them broken and overwhelmed by emotions was hard to read at times. Loving each other so much and being hurt so badly at the same time. It was perfectly angsty and I was really invested in seeing them find a way to be what they really wanted to be.
I've rarely been so satisfied with the end of a book. Those last moments were magical and brought tears to my eyes. It was so beautiful and exactly where I'd hoped we'd leave them. The epilogue did nothing for me, so I decided to pretend it didn't exist. 😂
We absolutely need more punk rocker books or simply more MM books written by B.G. Wolfe. She's one of my great discoveries of 2023.
June 24, 2022
I was lucky enough to read this as a Beta read for my friend B.G. and absolutely loved it! My first taste of MM romance and it did not disappoint.
Ash made you simultaneously love and hate him, while you couldn't help but fall in love with Drew and root for him the entire time! I loved the rockstar experience throughout the book. Just call me a groupie because I love April Renegade!
Ash made you simultaneously love and hate him, while you couldn't help but fall in love with Drew and root for him the entire time! I loved the rockstar experience throughout the book. Just call me a groupie because I love April Renegade!
June 18, 2022
I almost wish April Renegade were an actual band that I could listen to. I feel like I've known them for years and can almost hear their songs as i read. The included playlist was a nice touch! Ash and Drew were such well developed characters. Even the secondary characters in the story (Mama Dawson, Lizzy, the rest of the band and crew...) were great. I liked the references to current pop culture (even the pandemic). It was nice looking back at where Ash and Drew started and where they were going. I'd like to read more about these characters (especially Ash and Drew) and from this author in the future.
I did receive an Arc which I am so grateful for.
I did receive an Arc which I am so grateful for.
June 13, 2022
The emo teen in me is THRIVING after reading April Renegade. If you love music and you love love, this is the book for you. We see these characters grow so much from the beginning to the end and it’s such a wholesome journey with plenty of peaks and valleys. Ash and Drew are such lovable characters and you just want so badly to see them win because they’re just the best. Also, Drew’s mom is my new comfort character. April Renegade has the edgy, behind the scenes of band life feel, while also focusing on a BEAUTIFUL and complex love story. Highly recommend!!
Thank you to B.G. Wolfe for allowing me to read and review an ARC of April Renegade!
Thank you to B.G. Wolfe for allowing me to read and review an ARC of April Renegade!
June 13, 2022
WOW. That’s all that needs to be said about April Renegade. This was my first MM Romance Novel and I can tell you that the SPICE was too notch. Wolfe does an amazing job of capturing the coming of age awkwardness coupled with the Emo teen angst. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. I cried right along with Ash and Drew as they navigated the trials of being an in the closet “couple”.
I can’t wait to read more from B.G. Wolfe!
I can’t wait to read more from B.G. Wolfe!
November 14, 2022
This book had so much potential but it just had one glaring issue. The angst and love between Ash and Drew was beautiful and the heart break was brilliantly written. However, we are never really given a reason why Ash chooses to torture himself and the man he loves emotionally for a decade instead of coming out. The best explanation we get is his parents were mean? So we're meant to believe he's more concerned with what two junkies he hasn't spoken to in years think more than being happy? To the point he is literally sobbing and having panic attacks. It just didn't feel believable at all. Also ten years just seemed like way too long for Drew to keep putting up with the lies and bullshit.
This book suffered because of a lack of depth. If there'd been a back story about Ash's internalized homophobia, that would have been great. But everything that happens on page never hints that he has a problem being gay and there is a huge disconnect between the past scenes and the present. In the past we see him madly in love with Drew, about to sign a record deal and never any internal dialogue about worrying about people finding out about their relationship. Then in the present, he's about to propose to a woman he doesn't want to be with and is miserable but refuses to come out with no reason given. Maybe even if there had been an earlier storyline about them signing with the record company with the caveat that their relationship be kept a secret, that would have been more believable
Whilst it may sound like I didn't like this book, I actually quite enjoyed reading it and got emotional several times. The author is clearly a very talented writer with stunning emotive descriptions. I honestly believe if the one big plot hole was addressed, it would have been a 5 star read for me
This book suffered because of a lack of depth. If there'd been a back story about Ash's internalized homophobia, that would have been great. But everything that happens on page never hints that he has a problem being gay and there is a huge disconnect between the past scenes and the present. In the past we see him madly in love with Drew, about to sign a record deal and never any internal dialogue about worrying about people finding out about their relationship. Then in the present, he's about to propose to a woman he doesn't want to be with and is miserable but refuses to come out with no reason given. Maybe even if there had been an earlier storyline about them signing with the record company with the caveat that their relationship be kept a secret, that would have been more believable
Whilst it may sound like I didn't like this book, I actually quite enjoyed reading it and got emotional several times. The author is clearly a very talented writer with stunning emotive descriptions. I honestly believe if the one big plot hole was addressed, it would have been a 5 star read for me
July 14, 2022
April Renegade is a fantastic debut novel!! An emotional rollercoaster ride. This is one of those books that will be a struggle to put down once you’ve started it. Ash and Drew were well developed characters, with great depth. Even the secondary characters were great. This felt so realistic, overall, a fantastic debut story that is well written with top notch pacing.
dnf
May 12, 2023DNFing for now. Not sure I want to read about one of MCs, after having a secret love affair for 8 years with the other MC started a relationship and is proposing to a woman.
I don’t mind MCs cheating to be with each other, but that’s not the case here.
I don’t mind MCs cheating to be with each other, but that’s not the case here.
June 14, 2022
Oh my goodness, first thing is that this was an angsty story. I’m not talking about annoying moments of back and forth, or immaturity, I am on about utter angst of heartbreak, confusion and raw need.
This story between Drew and Ash is completely submerged into the plot of music and the bubble that surrounds it. They go through A LOT together, which just made me turn the pages quicker as was desperate to see the outcome.
The story telling and writing was told in a lot of detail and I loved how “in the past” moments flowed beautifully, it wasn’t disjointed at all with the “current time” and you felt you really knew these guys.
Again, I felt a lot in this book, I did have to put it down at points as it was just so involved in the emotion of the characters and I was worried where the story was going to go. I just wasn’t prepared for such an emotional rollercoaster.
Drew and Ash are so in love it’s frightening, this is not a smutty MM book, it’s a full on can’t live without eachother romance and you feel it when reading, although when they are together there are fireworks, it’s just you feel the emotion when they have sex. Highly recommend, especially as I love a hot emo guy, in this you get 2.
This story between Drew and Ash is completely submerged into the plot of music and the bubble that surrounds it. They go through A LOT together, which just made me turn the pages quicker as was desperate to see the outcome.
The story telling and writing was told in a lot of detail and I loved how “in the past” moments flowed beautifully, it wasn’t disjointed at all with the “current time” and you felt you really knew these guys.
Again, I felt a lot in this book, I did have to put it down at points as it was just so involved in the emotion of the characters and I was worried where the story was going to go. I just wasn’t prepared for such an emotional rollercoaster.
Drew and Ash are so in love it’s frightening, this is not a smutty MM book, it’s a full on can’t live without eachother romance and you feel it when reading, although when they are together there are fireworks, it’s just you feel the emotion when they have sex. Highly recommend, especially as I love a hot emo guy, in this you get 2.
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