I was surprised by this book. As someone who reads a great deal of LGBTQIA+ fiction, much of it romance, I expected this to be light and fluffy and fun. It certainly was those things at points, but it had unexpected depth as well. Sometimes gay romance novels neglect female characters, but this was not the case here. Cassie and her mother Clare are great, essential characters who are given a great deal of thought and attention. While Cassie was occasionally exasperating to read, she had a place in the novel and was an interesting foil for the various narrators.

I especially adored Harris, through whom I felt the book was able to touch on important social issues and add much-needed diversity to the genre. He was wonderful to read and written with a lot of care, easily making this novel stand out.

While the ending was a bit predictable and I didn't find Abe to be the most compelling main character I've ever read, I thought it was balanced by a fantastic cast of characters and an obvious love for the town of Buffalo and Upstate New York, which Canadian readers, especially those in Southern Ontario, might find a charming point of familiarity like I did. I will be happy to recommend this title to those interested in LGBTQIA+ titles and gay romance.

Sometimes life doesn’t happen the way we plan for it to. Abe Hoffman didn’t plan to still be single at almost thirty-three years old, wandering numbly through his daily routine; Clare Montgomery didn’t plan on living out her twilight years alone, and certainly didn’t expect her own cancer diagnosis just a year after losing her husband; and Harris McGee didn’t see any of his misfortunes coming either. We all deal with unexpected events, whether they be simple deviations from our path, or full-scale tragedies. It’s how we handle life’s detours that really shape us and show who we are.

Steve Pacer’s debut novel, New Year, New You is a beautifully crafted story revolving around three intertwined lives, all at monumental points in their life journey. Aside from one quibble I have with part of the storyline, I loved what the author did with this book. The three alternating viewpoints added another dimension to the story, which I thought worked so well. I also loved the setting and how he basically made Buffalo another star in the book. Harris’s work with Beautify Buffalo and his passion for the East Side Renaissance project were fascinating. That passion gets him into a bit of trouble when we first meet him in the story, though, and he finds himself in the middle of a social media scandal, and out of a job. Out of options for a place to get away from the spotlight, he realizes the one person he wants to see is “the one person who had never let him down.” Abram Hoffman

I loved Abe. Mostly. Heh. But, more about that later… I really did love Abram. And, I LOVED him and Harris together. Which…ok… I actually need to talk about the thing now rather than later… As the blurb tells us, part of the story deals with Abe’s best friend Cassie returning home to Buffalo with her boyfriend. We are told that Jared, the boyfriend, is a wonderful, handsome, charming guy who anyone would be lucky to have in their life. I NEVER saw that on page. On page, I saw Jared ruffle Clare’s (Cassie’s mom) feathers, carry on an inappropriate relationship with Abe, and mess with Cassie’s heart. Jared was a jerk. Period. I strongly disliked the storyline with Abe and Jared and disliked the person Abe became around Jared. I hated how needy and weird he was with regard to him. In my opinion, the stuff with Jared detracted from an otherwise amazing book. Abe and Harris were the real love story here, and I feel like their relationship was cheapened by the Jared distraction. Phewww…I feel better having gotten that off my chest!

Harris was also a fantastic character. He goes through a LOT in the beginning of the story, but also has one of the most powerful and meaningful transformations. I loved the unexpected friendship he and Clare forged, and everything he did for her. In fact, I loved and respected him more and more as the story progressed. And, I adored how he felt about Abe and their history together.

"Sitting next to Abe made him feel like a grown adult. Like a man. Abe motivated him to be a better person, to say what he was thinking, to strive to be his healthiest self. How one person could produce those goals in him, Harris couldn’t comprehend. He only explicitly understood making things right between them was a duty he had to carry out."

And, finally, we have the beautiful, strong, resilient Clare Montgomery. I loved everything about Clare. She was a giving and wonderful spirit, and even though the author put her through her paces, I loved where he took her. Clare is the glue to the whole thing. She sees everyone for who they are and what they need, and does whatever she can to help. And, she’s a champ at dealing with her daughter, who, to be honest, came off as sort of a spoiled brat through much of the book. I loved, loved Cassie’s friendship with Abe. Best friends since first grade is a bond as strong as steel. When Cass and Abe were in best friend mode, they were great. I just wish I had liked Cassie more as an individual.

I’m so glad I read this one. The writing is solid, and for the most part the story is well-crafted and engaging. The one major plot point did keep me from giving it five stars, but I would still recommend it. Excellent first novel. I hope we see a lot more from Mr. Pacer!

2.5 stars but rounding up.

"New Year, New You" by Steve Pacer follows the lives of: Abe, Abe's ex-boyfriend of 3 years whose name is Harris, Abe's best friend Cassie and her mother Mrs Montgomery.
Abe's life has been an awfully generic, almost joyless streak of exercising and working (not mutually exclusive) since Harris and him broke things off. Why they called it quits though remains a mystery, to both a reader and Abe himself who, albeit confused about it, had not sought out the truth behind it and has avoided Harris instead. (Beat me as hell) Meanwhile, his best friend from high school and college years comes back home with a hot boyfriend in tow. Luck has it that they end up moving in with Abe (for a time being) as Cassie's mom's house suddenly becomes unavailable.

My listing the characters as "this/that of Abe's" was purposeful, by the way. Why? Well. Right up to around 40% into the book I was under a wrong assumption that this book revolved around Abe whom, truth be told, I struggled to even muster any kind of sympathy for, not to mention root for. Then I decided that the split POVs kind of narrative was an absolute and welcome blessing because I found myself sympathizing with Harris a lot more even if I still didn't understand his prior-to-this-book's-timeline actions.

Abe was a nuisance throughout this entire story, I am not going to beat around the bush. His choices were poorer than poor and then the perpetual avoidance of consequences drove it all home. I just couldn't stand the guy for a vaaaast majority of the book. The eureka moment, his revelation regarding the ill-placed affections toward Jared that occured in the end DID (kind of) redeem him, made it clear he was just that lost but... the distaste remained. Thus as much as I wanted Harris to find happiness and reunite with his long lost love, I wasn't feeling it entirely. Abe didn't deserve Harris and that was that for me.
(That isn't to say I am against flawed characters making bad, bad decisions. It couldn't be more to the contrary but if said character indulges in a fling with his BEST FRIEND's boyfriend -- not once, might I add, it's not a drunken mistake or at least it doesn't continue as one -- then he is past my forgiveness. I have no idea how one could excuse such betrayal, I'm sorry. His train of thought wasn't enough for me to let it slide.)

I don't think Cassie's character was explored enough. I got to know her as a girlfriend (albeit briefly), as a daughter of her ill mother (whose unorthodox ways of dealing with finality of life were very interesting and frankly - at least for a while - my favorite part of the story) and only so little as Abe's ACTUAL best friend or much less as her own person. I can't help but feel like she was done dirty.

What redeemed this story was the penmanship of it all. It was just preetily written and I enjoyed it if only because I saw skill in the writing itself. It could be that it just wasn't for me: as far as the plot went and a different person will enjoy it way more. As for me however, I didn't feel hooked on the events enough to drop everything any chance I had and just read, read, read, you know?

I did like the ending, though. Jared's note, Cassie's mum coming to terms with whatever the future holds, Harris finding his happiness (even if I still didn't necessarily /ship/ him with Abe but whatever) - all of it felt right and brought a smile upon my face.

One last thing: how on Earth we never got to see Caleb visiting? Surely his mum's illness warrants some sort of drop-by? I mean, maybe I'm old-fashioned but he was only ever mentioned, not once made an actual appearance that for a while there I thought he was just Abby's (was her name Abby? I'm blanking on it) tumor's doing. That he didn't really exist... until Cassie brought him up in a conversation, too and I was like, 'oh, so he does really exist, wow'. :D

**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

This book was such an amazing read. The author used some unusual characters to tell the story, and it made the progression of the story very fresh in my opinion.

The characters are flawed and real, which also make an element of... newness. Of taking the romance genre a bit further, of not making it the same old' boring story.

To be recommended!

This book was incredibly well written and you can tell when you read it how invested the author was in their characters. Definitely worth checking out!