Bogormen

Title: Delilah Green Doesn't Care
Author: Ashley Herring Blake
Genre: Chick-lit, LGBTQ+
Rating: 4.5/4
# pages: Audiobook ~10hrs
Date read: June 2025

Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her.

When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all.

Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to...


I'd read a couple of lukewarm reviews about this book, so wasn't really sure what to expect, but honestly? It was really, really cute! Had all the hallmarks of a great romcom and very few of my pet peeves.

Friends in unlikely places? Check.
A cute / precocious kid? Check.
An antagonist who turned out to be more three-dimensional than the main character gave them credit for? Check.

And while I loved seeing the romance develop, what really made me squee was seeing Delilah actually make friends! I loved her chemistry with Iris and Ruby.

Best of all, while the book did have a third-act conflict (because of course it did), I wouldn't actually go so far as to call it a third-act breakup. It wasn't a contrived plot-twist, and was actually resolved in a believable manner.

Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2)
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy, lgbtq+
Rating: 3/5
# pages: Audiobook ~16hrs
Date read: October 2024

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.


Unfortunately I didn't like this as much as I had expected to.

When I finished the first book I wrote in my review: "It's not really a book that lends itself to a sequel". That is still my opinion, and also reflects in the rating I ended up giving here. This sequel lacked most of the charm I found in the first book in the series.

I still enjoyed Linus' and Arthur's interactions, I loved the kids (especially Sal), and I really enjoyed seeing the kids relate to the townspeople. But where the main mood of the first book was hopeful and optimistic, the mood in this one just felt flat. Both Rowder and Miss Marblemaw seemed cartoon-like in their evilness, and were without any kind of depth. I could have excused that in Rowder, as she only paid a small part, but Miss Marblemaw just ended up annoying me. She was the kind of villain you hate to hate - a bit like Umbridge in HP5.

Also, I didn't feel that Arthur's angst about his anger rang true. I know that THitCS is written from Linus' point of view, and we therefore don't get to see much beneath the surface of Arthur, but I still thought there was a significant change of his character between these two books. And at the same time, the "voices" of the two books were so similar that I kept forgetting that we were hearing Arthur's thoughts rather than Linus'.

And finally the ending just didn't work for me. Too perfect, too deus ex machina. But with T.J. Klune making Rowder as evil as he did, I'm hard pressed to see how else it could have ended.

So why still 3 stars instead of 2? At the end of the day, T.J. Klune writes incredibly charming books, so even at "not his best", is books are still better than most. I loved getting to read more about the kids, and giggled at all the references to his other books - especially the Verania series :D

Title: Chef's Choice (Chef's Kiss #2)
Author: T.J. Alexander
Genre: Chick-lit, LGBTQA+
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 336 pages
Date read: October, 2023

When Luna O’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don’t pay the bills.

Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She’s got rent to pay, after all! Second they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn’t even know how to crack an egg, but she’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her.


Not as good as the first book, unfortunately. I loved "Chef's Kiss", but never felt I got to know Luna and JP as well as I did Simone and Ray - nor was I as charmed by them.

A shame, as I usually love the fake-dating trope (and that part was done really well), but since I felt the relationship was a lot more tell than show, I never truly bought that their feelings changed.

That said, I did appreciate that it was more "slow-burn" than "third act break-up", and I loved the confrontation with JP's grandfather near the end.

So a good book - but not a great one.

Title: The Bones Beneath My Skin
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Sci-fi, LGBTQ+
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~13hrs
Date read: March, 2023

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction.

The cabin should be empty.

It's not.

Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader... who isn't exactly as she appears.

Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible.

Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.


I started out reading this as an ebook, but for some weird reason kept putting it down. Finally I picked it up as an audiobook instead, and ended up listening to all 13 hours in little over a week! So now I have no clue why I kept stalling on it.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it. It's not T.J. Klune's best, but it's very enjoyable. T.J. Klune writes (found) family so well, and that's definitely the case here as well. I loved reading about Alex and Artemis' relationship... and Nate's as well, once they start trusting him more. As most of his other books, it's a lot more character driven than plot driven, but I didn't actually realize that until after I'd finished reading it :-P

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Genre: YA, LGBTQ+
Rating: 3/5
# pages: Audiobook ~9hrs
Date read: September, 2022

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.


Of course this is a sad book! With a title like that, how could it not be? And it did make me cry more than once. That said, I wouldn't call it a depressing book. It's a bit like Rogue One - you know they're going to die going into it, so you're prepared, and it's the road it takes to get there that's interesting.

It's a weird concept though - I mean, would I even want to know it was my death day, if I couldn't do anything to avoid it? Sure, it would allow me to say my goodbyes, but it would also make me so terribly anxious, just waiting for it to happen, that I'm not sure I could ever make myself leave the house! And with that in mind, I'm not entirely sure what Adam Silvera was trying to achieve with this book, and wouldn't unreservedly recommend it to others. It seemed kinda pointless in that way.

Very well written though, so I don't regret having read it.

Title: The Break-Up
Author: Charlotte Barnes
Genre: Chicklit
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 352
Date read: January, 2022

Edi Parcell thought she had life all planned out, so when her childhood sweetheart proposes a three-month break to date other people, she’s shocked. Unexpectedly back on the dating scene after years with the same guy, this is the first opportunity Edi’s had to think about what she really wants from life – and love.

When she meets Winifred, her world is turned upside down. She never expected to have feelings for someone else, but now she’s met Winifred she can’t stop thinking about her. As the months pass, Edi is shocked to realise she’s not sure she wants her old relationship back at all – not now there’s Winifred…


Honestly.... I don't know how to rate this book. I had a hard time putting it down, but at the same time it didn't quite ring true to me. I have absolutely no problems believing that getting engaged could freak out somebody so much as to make the suggestion Rowan did - but to then turn around and become such an ass? I don't know - it seemed contrived. Also, the way Edi's friends talked about him even before the break seemed off. It seemed like the author went out of her way to make the reader dislike Rowan when the plot didn't really need it, and the end result could just as easily have been achieved by proper communication.

Also, the new romance didn't work for me. No way Edi would move on that quickly after having been sucker-punched by her fiancé. Even if it was originally just to get him back and show that what was good for the goose is good for the gander. But though the book is listed as LGBTQ. I really didn't think this was explored at all. Sure, the new love interest is female, but except for a few sessions of Edi angsting "But does that mean I'm not straight???" (literally just keeping it to that one-liner), no page time at all is used on what made her go from Robbie to Fred. Is she bi? Demi? Some other form of queer? Still searching? It's just left there.

I did like Edi's friends. Their characterization was a bit too two-dimensional at times (Molly was ONLY focused on A, Betty ONLY cared about B etc.), but the group dynamics worked and seemed very realistic. And I absolutely love reading about a group of friends who are 100% there for each other - no hidden agendas, no backstabbing, no ulterior motives. Just girls propping each other up. So kudos for that!

So at the end of the day I'm left with a book that I enjoyed reading... but where I'd have to add several disclaimers before recommending it to anybody else.

Title: Under the Whispering Door
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQ+
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~15 hours
Date read: December, 2021

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo's help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.


Unfortunately this turned out to be one of those "I liked it - but..." books. It was perfectly enjoyable, but while I liked the characters well enough, I never grew to love them, the way that I usually do with anything T.J. Klune writes. And since the book is very character-driven, it meant that I didn't engage with it as much as I had hoped to.

Ah well....

Title: Boyfriend Material
Author: Alexis Hall
Genre: LGBTQ+
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 427
Date read: May, 2021

Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go.


Really cute, funny and charming book! I read a large bit of it in the middle of the night while I couldn't sleep, and literally had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud and waking up my husband.

Another faux-romance and totally predictable, but the characters were (mostly) so likeable and (with one notable exception) relatable, that it was a pleasure to read all the same, and I finished the book in no time. I loved Lucien's found family, and how he started to thrive, once he actually started to believe that he deserved it.

I would have preferred a bit more closure regarding Oliver's family, but that's a minor nitpick in an otherwise very satisfying read.

Title: Autoboyography
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: YA, LGBTQ
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~9.5hrs
Date read: March, 2021

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester — Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.


The first YA book I've read by Christina Lauren. Still really well written, and I very much appreciated that the LDS community was written respectfully, and that the focus on this book wasn't "LDS = bad!", but rather on the challenges on falling in love outside your own faith, which I thought was very tastefully done.

I loved the friendship between Tanner and Autumn - would have loved to read more about that.

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQ+
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~13hrs
Date read: September 2020, October 2024

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.


So very, very different from TJ Klune's other books. It never fails to surprise me how easily he navigates between different styles and genres. This is unlike any of the other books I've read by him (although he still loves the word 'dashing' ;) ), but just as charming as any of them.

I grew very fond of all the children at Marsyas Orphanage and found it surprisingly difficult to leave them all behind when the story ended. It's not really a book that lends itself to sequels, but I do hope that TJ Klune will explore this universe further, and perhaps let us see how the children fare in the future, as visitors in other books.