Review: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

 

This novel was partly inspired by Mackenzi Lee's discovery of the concept of the Grand Tour, something done by many rich people in the 18th century, that would last for months or even years, depending on funds. It's similar to our modern day 'gap year', where young people see the world between high school/college and pursuing further education or employment. I always wished I could have taken a gap year, and I still harbour a not-so-secret fantasy of taking several months or even a year and travelling through my own home country of Canada, plus Europe, so adventure/travel books like this really appeal to me. Plus, as a historical novel, it's interesting to see how difficult it often was to travel back then when people were limited to horse-drawn carriages and boats.   

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Standalone
Published: June 27th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
528 pages (eARC)
Genre: Historical Fiction/LGBTQ+/Adventure
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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An unforgettable tale of two friends on their Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe who stumble upon a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt, fighting pirates, highwaymen, and their feelings for each other along the way.

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue was one of my most anticipated books of 2017. I was even more excited when I saw a few trusted reader/blogger friends raving about it. When I finally picked it up, I giggled my way through the first 10% and then...well, then the disappointment kicked in. While the book started out funny and set things up nicely, I found myself bored through a lot of the book. I skimmed a lot, which I don’t normally do, and I considered DNFing several times, but by then I’d already dedicated several hours to the story and my mama didn’t raise a quitter!

I’ll start out with the things I liked. I loved Monty’s voice. He was hilarious and irreverent and selfish and hugely flawed, but also really likeable, and experienced great growth throughout the story. I also liked his sister, Felicity (she’s just the type of strong-willed, intelligent, against-the-grain girl I love seeing in historical fiction, and I'm incredibly excited she's getting her own book) and best friend/love interest, Percy. I loved the diversity in the story - Monty was bisexual, Percy was biracial and had a disability (I won’t mention what because I’d consider it a spoiler, but it was fascinating to learn how it was perceived in the 18th century and what the fate of someone with Percy’s condition often was), and they met up with a band of African pirates during the course of their adventures. You so rarely see any diversity in historical fiction, so it was refreshing to see. I also enjoyed the humour and the adventure itself (which was more of a misadventure) with highwaymen, pirates, alchemists, a sinking island, and lots of mishaps that ranged from amusing to tense.

I think this book could have easily been a five-star read for me if it hadn’t been so long. It felt like it took me forever to read and like it was never going to end. I’d be reading for ages and think I must be close to the end only to look down and see I’d only read 10% and was merely halfway through the book with another 3-4 hours to go. A book like this should have been so action-packed and exciting that I didn’t want to put it down, but instead I had to force myself to keep reading. 

I’m so sad and disappointed to say The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue didn’t live up to my expectations. Despite enjoying the adventures and liking the characters, I felt like I was slogging through, and I honestly couldn’t wait to be finished. I did appreciate Monty’s growth, and I was glad to see he got a happy ending after all he went through, plus there were definitely many laugh-out-loud moments, and a sweet romance. I’ve seen plenty of people raving about this book, which could make it a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ or 'right book, wrong time'. As always, I encourage you to give this one a try if it sounds like something that would interest you.

Have you read The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any other LGBTQ+ historical fiction books?

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Review: The One That Got Away by AJ Pine

The One That Got Away by AJ Pine
Series: Kingston Ale House #1
Published: April 18th, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Published
252 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Acquired this book: Via NetGalley in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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{If Only || What If || I Do || One Night}

How far will one man go for the woman he's loved since high school?

Jamie Kingston has been Brynn Chandler's best friend since middle school. Only once was their friendship tested—when Brynn gave Jamie a single kiss. Since then, they've had an unspoken agreement never to cross that line again, and she’s ready to let go of the past and move on.

But Jamie has loved Brynn for as long as he can remember, and now that he's ready to tell her, she has her sights set on someone else. Knowing this is his last chance, he asks Brynn to go on a two-week road trip. But their time alone brings old hurts to the surface, and Brynn has to decide if the one that got away lies at the end of the journey or if he's been by her side all along.

 
After reading and loving four of AJ Pine’s books, I couldn’t wait for The One That Got Away, the first in Pine’s new Kingston Ale House series. While all her stories are wonderfully unique, I’ve come to expect a lot of humour, swoons, emotion, and sexiness, and The One That Got Away encompassed all those things.

Brynn and Jamie have been friends forever, but have been secretly in love with each other for the last ten years. I love friends-to-lovers stories, but especially when the friends have a ton of history like these two do. It made for a lot of fun inside jokes, shared memories, and a familiarity that made it easy to root for them. Both characters were well fleshed out and I loved the little personality traits and quirks each of them had, especially Brynn with her love of The Monkees (I went through a HUGE Monkees phase in my early twenties) and her tendency to gesticulate wildly and often end up injuring Jamie. Both characters were passionate, funny, and smart, and I loved getting their story from both perspectives. The cross-country road trip provided a great opportunity for them to explore their feelings for each other and figure out what they wanted, plus learn a few things about themselves in the process. Throughout the story, I did a lot of laughing, some swooning, and I even teared up a few times. There were parts that were so romantic without being over the top or cheesy. With their shared history and the obstacles they faced, it was all believable.

The One That Got Away is another winner from AJ Pine. Whether you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers story, a second chance romance with a twist, a road trip story, or just a super fun contemporary love story, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Have you read The One That Got Away? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any of AJ's other books? Do you have a favourite friends-to-lovers book? Or a favourite road trip book?

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Review: Focus on Me by Megan Erickson

Focus on Me by Megan Erickson
Series: In Focus #2
Published: July 21st, 2015
Publisher: InterMix
Genre: Contemporary New Adult/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: Via NetGalley in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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{Read my 5-star review of Trust the Focus}

Colin Hartman can now add college to his list of failures. On the coast-to-coast trek home from California, Colin stops at a gas station in the Nevada desert, and can’t help noticing the guy in tight jeans looking like he just stepped off a catwalk. When he realizes Catwalk is stranded, Colin offers a ride.

Riley only intended to take a short ride in Colin’s Jeep to the Grand Canyon. But one detour leads to another until they finally find themselves tumbling into bed together. However there are shadows in Riley’s eyes that hide a troubled past. And when those shadows threaten to bury the man whom Colin has fallen in love with, he vows to get Riley the help he needs. For once in his life, quitting isn’t an option…

Megan Erickson’s Trust the Focus is one of my favourite books of 2015 so far, so I was incredibly eager to get my hands on Focus on Me. From the very beginning of the book, I knew Erickson had done it again and I was going to love Colin and Riley’s story (almost!) as much as I loved Trust the Focus. This is an author who knows how to break your heart and then piece it back together, make you laugh, make you cry, make you swoon...and make you need a cold shower!

Colin and Riley are both complex, flawed young men. They each have their own demons and issues, and they’ve made mistakes that haunt them. Colin had a great voice and I connected with him easily. He was easy going, smart, and just an overall genuinely good guy. I loved his relationship with his younger sister and felt like we learned a lot about who he was through his few interactions with her and the way he talked about her.

One thing I really liked about this book - and all of Erickson’s books - is how different it was. There was nothing cookie cutter or predictable about it. There were situations and issues that you don’t often see in books, and they were dealt with in a way that was brutally honest and realistic.

I appreciated how the story dealt with male body image - something I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a book before. We see girls dealing with body image all the time, talking about how they’re too skinny or they need to lose weight or have bigger boobs or smaller thighs or a prettier face or any other myriad things the media tells them. There’s so much pressure from society, and sometimes it’s hard to remember that guys feel that pressure too in their own way. I have two young nephews, one who’s just days away from becoming a teenager, and it put some important things into perspective for me and showed me things to possibly watch for in their behaviours or the things they say.

Body image wasn’t the only demon Riley struggled with. His erratic behaviour and some of the things he said left me guessing what exactly he was dealing with internally, and you could feel that confusion in Colin, too. Colin knew Riley was unhealthy and needed help. He knew they were enabling each other, but he didn’t know what to do. He was used to quitting everything and he didn’t want to continue his track record with Riley, who so clearly needed him. He knew what they were doing was unhealthy and maybe even dangerous, and you could really feel his inner turmoil and the mixture of emotions he experienced. I particularly liked the overall message that love and sex don’t or can’t heal everything. Sometimes you need more; sometimes you need professional help, and there’s absolutely no shame in that. Love can make you want to change or work on your problems, but it can’t always chase away the demons or heal the cracks in your heart or mind. There was no ‘sex cures all problems’ mentality in Focus on Me, and I loved that and respected Erickson so much for this realistic portrayal of mental illness, and how it not only affects the person suffering from it, but also the people who care about them.

Focus on Me was emotional and hard to read at times, but it was ultimately hopeful. Colin and Riley met in strange circumstances and thought they’d only be together for a short time, but quickly ended up needing each other. Their relationship was intense, and it gave them both the opportunity to learn more about themselves as they learned about each other. They had some major ups and downs, and I ran the gamut from heartbreak to anger and everything in between while reading their story. Focus on Me is a beautiful story about love, friendship, survival, and healing. If you haven’t read Trust the Focus yet, I highly recommend starting there and then reading Focus on Me. These stories, and these characters, are phenomenal.

Favourite quote:

"Everything about this felt right, and I wondered what had happened to me--that I was somehow falling for this man who looked like he'd stepped off of a catwalk, who had demons and sad eyes and kissed like an angel." ~ 23% of ARC of Focus on Me

 

   

Have you read Focus on Me or Trust the Focus? What did you think? If you haven't read them, do you plan to? What are some of your favourite LGBTQ books? How about road trip books? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Wanderlust Wednesday: The Road Trip Book Edition

Check out my previous Wanderlust Wednesday posts.

I love road trips. As soon as the weather turns nice every year, I start itching to take a road trip. There's something wonderful about being in a car with someone you love, music blasting, windows down, inhibitions lowered. Since I love road trips so much, it's only natural I'd love books about road trips. Whenever I read a synopsis and see the words 'road trip', I automatically add it to my TBR. The best road trip books are as much about the emotional journey as the physical one. There's just something about being with someone in such a small space. You can learn a lot about them - things they tell you and things they don't. How do they handle stressful situations? Do they have annoying habits? Is their taste in music amazing or does it suck? I think the music and the snacks people choose for a road trip says a lot about them. ;-)

These six books are very different, but they have a few key things in common: amazing characters who grow and learn a lot, the ability to make you both laugh and cry, and a fun journey that spans many miles.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson {My review}

One of my favourite road trip books, and one of my favourite books, period. This is always the first book I recommend to people looking for road trip books (or contemporary YA or sweet, swoony romance, or basically anything...). Amy and Roger are fantastic characters, plus they meet a bunch of fun people along the way, and have some interesting adventures. This book is very sweet, very swoony, plus it kicks you right in the feels in ways you're not expecting. Oh, and the playlists and drawings are epic and make the book that much more special and memorable.

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord {My review}

Friendship, romance, country music, and a tour bus. This book gets a ton of hype, and with good reason. I love Reagan, Taylor Swift...I mean Dee, and Matt. There aren't enough books that showcase friendships as much as romance, but this book does it so well, plus it's beautifully written.

Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson {My review}

This was my most recent road trip book and I'm still swooning. Seriously. Justin and Landry's story is beautiful. I felt like I was right there in that RV with them while they travelled across the States to honour Justin's dad. Friendship, romance, humour, sexytimes, swoons, and realistic obstacles that tugged at my heartstrings and made it impossible not to root for these two. This is one of my new go-to books when I recommend not only road trip books, but also LGBTQ books.

 

In Honor by Jessi Kirby {GoodReads}

A sweet car, a bad boy, and shared grief...this is another road trip book that tugs on your heartstrings. Jessi Kirby has a way of writing books that make you really think about your life, your choices, and what truly matters, and In Honor was no exception.

Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole {My review}

In my review for this one, I said it was and wasn't what I was expecting. I loved the road trip aspect, and watching Anna and Kat's friendship turn into something more. I was even expecting the religion aspect from the synopsis, but I went in wary, because books with religious themes don't always sit well with me. Strangely enough, that ended up being one of the things I loved most about the book, because it was dealt with in such a real, honest way, as was the relationship between the girls, and the grief Anna was experiencing. It wasn't always easy to read, but sometimes the books that make you uncomfortable end up being the best kinds of books, and that was definitely the case for me with Kiss the Morning Star.

 

That One Summer by CJ Duggan {My review} 

 

That One Summer has one major difference from the rest of the books on this list: the others are set in America, but this one is set in Australia. I love the Summer series and the Onslow gang, and it was great to see them all together on this road trip. There were a lot of ups and downs along the journey, but there were plenty of fun moments too. This is also another book that showcases not just a swoony, sexy romance, but also really great friendships.

  

Have you read any of these? What are some of your favourite road trip books? What's the best road trip you ever took? What would your dream road trip be? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

   
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Review: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Series: Standalone

Published: July 29th, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

352 pages (eARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

 

Let’s Get Lost is a funny, touching, compelling adventure. It’s the story of what happens when a teenage girl travels across country to find herself, and ends up helping other people in life-changing ways along her journey.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this book. I love road trip books, because when done right, they’re full of little nuggets of wisdom about life, love, self-discovery, and friendship. It’s true what they say: you can’t run away from your problems. They’ll follow you in unexpected ways. Sometimes, though, you just need to get lost in order to find yourself and discover that life and the world are bigger than your own little corner of the world and your own problems, fears, etc. That’s exactly what happened for Leila, and I loved going along with her on her journey. I felt like I was with her in her crazy red car, seeing the United States, and learning that the world is bigger and yet smaller than it seems in so many ways.

I loved that even though Leila was technically the main character in Let’s Get Lost, she sort of took a backseat through most of the story. We saw her from other people’s perspectives as she went from place to place, helping each of the other characters through some pivotal moment in their life. She was smart and bold and up for anything - the ultimate wingman. We got little tidbits of information about her here and there, but never really knew who she was. It was obvious there was more to her story than she was telling, and I was intrigued. When it was finally time for her story, I already felt so connected to her that I wished she were a real person so we could be friends.

Let’s Get Lost is a unique road trip story. It made me laugh, it touched my heart, and it stirred up my wanderlust. It’s the perfect escape from reality, and I highly recommend it. 

 

Have you read Let's Get Lost? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? What are some of your favourite road trip books? What's the best road trip you ever took?

 

 
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Review: 16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler

16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler

Series: Standalone

Published: March 4th, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

304 pages (eARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository || Chapters/Indigo}

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting to love 16 Things I Thought Were True. It sounded really good, and I’ve heard great things about Janet Gurtler’s books, but I thought it would be something cute and fun to break up the feels-heavy books I’ve been reading lately, along with several books that have left me with a ‘meh’ feeling. And while it was cute and fun, it also packed an emotional punch I wasn’t expecting.

Morgan was a very complex character. She was raised by a single mother who smoked and drank too much, she had two older brothers who were clearly her mother’s favourites, and she had no idea who her dad was. Her mother always refused to talk about him or even give Morgan a hint if he was dead or alive…until she had a heart attack and her guilty conscience forced her to tell Morgan who her father was and where she could find him. Meanwhile, Morgan had been completely ostracized at school and work because of a video her ex-best friend posted of Morgan dancing in boys' underwear. She did her best to hide out, lie low, and not draw attention to herself. In her mind, the only friends she needed were the ones she’d made online.

Enter Amy and Adam. I loved these characters - and Morgan - so much. At first I didn’t think I was going to like Amy; she talked non-stop and said every little thing that came to her mind. I thought she would be obnoxious and annoying, but I ended up loving her. Her blunt honesty was refreshing, and she had this innocence about her that made me just want to wrap my arms around her and squeeze her. Adam was one of those boys who was perfectly imperfect. He was a jerk at work because he needed to be, otherwise people wouldn’t respect him as their boss since they were all the same age. But underneath that, he was sweet and caring, and so good to and for Morgan.

The interactions between Morgan, Amy, and Adam were absolutely hilarious. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book. Their conversations were ridiculous and realistic and made me wish I were friends with them. The road trip was definitely my favourite part of the book. Even though it wasn’t the main focus of the story, it had all the elements of a great road trip - food, music, laughter, crazy situations, and meaningful moments. And, like any good road trip book, the characters learned a lot - about themselves and about each other.

The life lessons Morgan learned through the course of the book weren’t always easy. Some of them were painful, and many of them changed her life. I wasn’t expecting to form such a strong connection with the characters, but I did. I felt their triumphs and failures. I laughed with them and cried with (and for) them. These characters and their story will stick with me for a really long time.

Quite simply, 16 Things I Thought Were True was amazing. I ran through the gamut of emotions with this book. I laughed as hard as I cried, and I came away with a smile on my face, despite the tears I shed (and there were a lot of them). This book is a must read for fans of contemporary young adult, road trip books, books that have strong messages of friendship and love, and…well, really just anyone. I know I’ll be recommending this one to just about everyone I know. 

 

 

Have you read 16 Things I Thought Were True? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any of Janet Gurtler's other books? Are you a big hashtag user on Twitter?

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Review: Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole

Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole 
Series: Standalone
Published: May 15th, 2012
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
240 pages (ebook)
Genre: Contemporary upper YA/NA (LGBT)
Acquired this book: Bought
Warning: May contain spoilers
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The summer after high-school graduation, a year after her mother’s tragic death, Anna has no plans – beyond her need to put a lot of miles between herself and the past. With forever friend Kat, a battered copy of Kerouac’s DHARMA BUMS, and a car with a dodgy oil filter, the girls set out on an epic road trip across the USA. Maybe somewhere along the way they’ll prove or disprove the existence of God. Maybe they’ll even get laid . . .

It’s a journey both outward and inward. Through the Badlands and encounters with predatory men and buffalo. A crazy bus ride to Mexico with a bunch of hymn-singing missionaries. Facing death, naked in the forest with an enraged grizzly bear . . . Gradually, Anna realizes that this is a voyage of discovery into her own self, her own silent pain – and into the tangled history that she and Kat share. What is love? What is sexual identity? And how do you find a way forward into a new future – a way to declare openly and without fear all that lies within you?

 

I’d been wanting to read Kiss the Morning Star ever since I saw the cover almost two years ago. This book was and wasn’t what I was expecting. I was expecting an epic road trip (which I got), hints - or maybe more than hints - at a romance between Anna and Kat (which I got), and lots of self-discovery (which I got). Despite the ‘…prove or disprove the existence of God’ part in the synopsis, it never occurred to me this book would have religious themes, but it did. Normally I give those books a wide berth (with exceptions here and there), so when the girls kept talking about God and religion, I was a bit wary. Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when it turned out the talk about religion was one of my favourite aspects of the book.

Anna’s dad is a minister, so she grew up in the church. Faith was always a huge part of her life. When her mom dies in a horrible accident, Anna and her dad fall apart. They lose their way, and Anna begins to doubt her beliefs. When her best friend Kat asks her to go on a cross-country road trip, she hesitantly agrees, hoping the distance will make things better and put things into perspective.

I love road trip books. The actual journey is always fun - getting to ‘see’ places you’ve never been (or maybe have, which is exciting too), and meet interesting people along the way who help the characters on their journey. But the emotional journey is just as important, if not more important. I thought Hoole did a fantastic job of tying both together in a way that was both fun and poignant. This book was different from a lot of other road trip books in that the girls weren’t taking a journey ‘from somewhere to somewhere else’ - they didn’t have a specific destination in mind, they were just going until they found what they were looking for.

Anna was an interesting character. She was resistant to the idea of ‘finding God’, despite her former life where religion played a huge role. Kat was raised by Atheists, but was open to the idea of finding God. As I said before, even though I tend to avoid books with religious themes, I really liked the girls’ journey to find God. It was as much about finding inner peace, self-acceptance, happiness, and embracing their differences.

I liked that Hoole wasn’t afraid to be bold and push boundaries with this book. It explored sexuality, drug use, religion, grief, and love in its many forms. It wasn’t always comfortable and it wasn’t always easy to read, but I liked that. Grief is a messy thing, and everyone deals with it differently; I thought Anna’s grief was very realistic - the anger, the doubt, the guilt. She numbed herself to so many things and forgot how to really live. The road trip - and Kat - saved her in so many ways, and it was beautiful. 

Kiss the Morning Star is a book that quietly wormed its way into my heart. I wasn’t entirely sure about it at first, but I quickly came to love Anna and Kat, and I felt like I was right there with them on their emotional, spiritual, and physical journey. With some fairly heavy subject matter, this book won’t be for everyone, but if you enjoy beautifully written coming-of-age stories that explore life and love, and are full of humour and emotion, I highly recommend Kiss the Morning Star.

 

 

Have you read Kiss the Morning Star? What did you think? If you haven't read it, is it on your TBR? What are some of your favourite road trip books? How about LGBT books?

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