I didn’t quite agree with the non-binary representation with this, but it was nice to see it presented. I didn’t find myself overly invested in the romance either.

Little X is a short but nice story. Good characters and well written. I enjoyed the story and would read more from this author.

This is an adorable little novella set in Sweden. Writing sort stories is an art by itself and Holst has done a brilliant turn with this Christmassy little work.

Sofie (Fiffi) Andersson is a bus driver who identifies as gay. However, when a neat, clean boy gets into her bus one fine day, she needs to have a relook at her sexual identity. However, she never expects to see that boy again. Except that things get a little more involved when she is moving and her sister, Mia, turns up to help her with her friend, Roz. Roz is the same person that Fiifi had her massive attraction to. Except that Roz is not exactly a ‘he’. But then Roz is also not exactly a ‘she’. Roz is, in fact, ‘they’ – intersex. Which makes Fiffi pansexual. This makes for extremely interesting MCs, but that is not what this story is about. This novella is an out and out romance which draws you in and gets you completely involved. The author also creates completely lovable secondary characters.

Smooth, fluid writing and heart-warming romance, this is definitely recommended for a quick read.

This was a cute queer romance. I've never read a book with a non-binary character and I really liked Roz as a character. The romance was sweet and I liked how there was a strong familial connection between Fiffi, her sister and her mum. The misgendering was dealt with really well and it was good to see the correction being instant. A cute, wintry romance.

While on her bus route, 21-year-old Sofie Andersson sees a really handsome young man and finds herself inexplicably attracted to him. Later, her confusion still in full effect, she’s staring at herself in the mirror: “You’re totally gay.”

Set in Malmö, Sweden in 1996, this as a really sweet, humorous and slightly poignant story about a young woman on the brink of independence. She has a job, is just moving into her first place, a supportive friend, an insightful mother and a complicated relationship with her sister.

It’s quirky and short. I’m not sure that I’ve read anything set in Sweden for a long time so the setting was a nice change too. Enjoyable read.

Book received from Netgalley and NineStar Press for an honest review.

I picked up this story because it's from a LGBTQIA+ publisher that I love and because it's an f/nb romance. How often do you see that? It's a short story so I won't say much beyond the jacket copy.

The good:

- The author is LGBTQIA+, and I think this is the first romance I've read with an intersex protagonist.

- Roz is misgendered often, being addressed as he when they use they/them pronouns, but it's usually corrected quickly on the page.

- The story is set in Sweden in 1996, something I haven't seen before.

The not-so-good:

- The writing and plot are confusing. We're introduced to lots of people quickly and given the barest of connections between them - mother, best friend, older sister.

- Some past events are alluded to but glossed over. It turns out this is the second in a series but I didn't realize that until after I finished.

- Little attention is paid to the where. Conversations feel like they're floating, not anchored to a space. I started assuming location - the best friend is a fellow bus driver, so they must be at the depot, I guess. And so on.

- The conflict, which revolves around Roz having to go back to America at the end of the semester, is sloppily handled.

A quick read thanks to its length, and I love seeing a f/nb relationship on the page, but it could have been much better.

It was such a lovely story. This was a new to me author, but I’m certainly planning to read more of her work after how cute this was.

I liked the main characters a lot. I loved the little details between them. The moments they shared together were sweet. The plot is enjoyable. I liked the writing style, It was so easy to read. I also liked the fact that none of the main characters really fit the role society would expect from them and it didn’t seem to bother them. They live their lives happy and comfortable with who they were. It was fantastic to read something like that.

There isn’t angst in here, so readers who don’t like such things will be able to enjoy it. It had a very low heat level, which was fine for me since I prefer it sometimes. It is an instalove story which is not always my favorite, but it worked fine this time. I would love a little more Christmas feeling, but I was very pleased with it.