I enjoyed this book, though I wasn't blown away by it.

I found the characters to be mostly likeable and charming, with little touches of realism which made them feel like genuine people. Sinter was an engaging protagonist, and I liked the exploration of his conflicting feelings and uncertainty about what to do.

However, the plot was slightly disjointed and the pacing felt a bit off at points. It seemed like there were lots of short time-skips where we didn't get a great sense of what had developed and changed during that time, it felt slightly like the characters were just rearranged and put on pause until the action started again.

I also feel like the main two characters and relationship, Sinter and Andy, weren't quite fleshed out as characters. I got a sense of who they were and the connection between them, but it sometimes felt like a list of their interests was acting as a stand-in for their characterisation, to an extent.

This is a good, quick read with nice points about it, but unspectacular.

I was so hopeful for this book, based on the synopsis. I love anything to do with celebrities and I am excited whenever I come across books where an LGBT character is actually the protagonist rather than just a side character. Unfortunately, I felt the writing in this book was quite bad. It reads like juvenile fan fiction and not like a published novel. The characters speak and behave like middle school kids rather than actual adults. The dialogue seemed unrealistic, like it was written by an adult trying to express the way teens today talk to one another, but instead making it sound awkward and dated. It also seemed like the author had trouble writing in a male voice. I had to keep reminding myself that the main character and his love interest were not girls...just as I had to remind myself that they were adults and not teens. DNF at 17%. Up to this point I have been reading either grammarless text messages or poorly written dialogue with no sense of a world setting or any semblance of a plot, and I can't bring myself to continue any further.

An m/m romance with shades of the 80s? Hell yes! I was super excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint. Friends to lovers romances are my catnip and Ringle delivered in every way. Sinter and Andy's journey is sweet, awkward, heartbreaking and wonderful.

There was a major plot point involving a female character that I could see coming and really hoped didn't because it would be too easy to lapse into cliche, and yet in this author's very capable hands, it elevated the story, making the path to an HEA far more complicated and bittersweet.

An absolutely lovely read.

The diversity of this author never ceases to amaze me. In this, another well-written story, we get to know Sinter Blackwell, a product of the eighties New Wave scene. A struggling actor, estranged from his parents, living far away from his best friend, misunderstood and unsure of his sexuality, he is as confused as many twenty-somethings are, then and now. When a life-changing event happens, Sinter’s world is turned upside down and he has to make some serious decisions. Can he handle what has been thrown at him? Sinter is a character you can’t help but care about. Since he spends time in London and Seattle, the author does a great job of depicting these two cities that I love. Each chapter is titled after songs from the era which is very clever. Songs from favourite musicians like David Bowie, Spandau Ballet, Adam Ant, Madness and the Pet Shop Boys, which tie in perfectly with the scene. Ultimately, this is a love story, proving that all we need is love. Like Sinter says, “A perfect kiss can make you feel like the rest of your life is going to fall effortlessly into place.” Even though Sinter learns that nothing falls effortlessly into place, falling in love is still worth it. An enjoyable read with a few unexpected twists and some heartfelt moments. Even if this isn't your era, you will love it.

I really loved this book! I was not disappointed. I love how the story went, I did not expect that at all.
The main character is the sweetest guy, I really enjoyed reading from his perspective.

3* A bit too busy with what was going on, and also a tiny bit underwhelming, as there needed to be a bit more angst to make this a believable tale.

I think the way the editor/publisher commented on the author and the book on both NetGalley and in a foreword should have clued me in that this OK-but-not-great book was being bigged up. It was a decent read but it read like it was a first tale from an inexperienced author, with all the too-many-things in it.

First of all, I thought that Sinter was a female and was pondering this rather weird name, and put it down to her being American. Even when the name Joel was mentioned (Sinter's first name; he goes by his middle) I didn't immediately clock - I mean, there's Evan Rachel Wood, and it was only shortly after that I realised he was a guy. So, not a great start to a tale when it's not clear if the lead is a guy or girl.

The tale itself was a bit laborious. As a Brit I wanted to shout, 'Yes, author, we know you've either researched London or visited, but there's no need to use "Tube" so many times. Yes, it's the main means of transport for Londoners (buses, too, but roads are busy), and I began to get a bit tired of the emphasis.

The romance wasn't really a romance in my book, pardon the pun. Any scenes between Andy and Sinter were along the lines of 'fade to black' made famous by the likes of Barbara Cartland, etc. It felt out of place in a MM novel, and it made me wonder if the author was uncomfortable with the idea of writing about two guys having sex, or didn't know how to. I think maybe the latter, because yeah, it does mean researching, if you're not a guy. So that took authenticity away from the tale.

There was too much drama going on with Sinter's parents, so that his mother did a complete about-face when she learned she was a grandparent, wasn't believable. I'm pretty sure that her last words to him, after learning about baby Verona, was whether she and Sinter's father had made Sinter the way he was. This woman was a banker? Someone educated?

I could go on about the tale, but it had too many things in it all happening at the same time and it lacked realism and believability. It needed angst and passion and some hiccups, because the one that the author included felt like it didn't fit into the tale. It felt like an easy way out, and the aftermath wasn't even touched on, because next thing we have the epilogue with the two years in between briefly summarised. This was kind of OK for a day when I didn't have much to read, but it's not a Keeper. It needs an editor who's not invested in the characters, particularly Sinter, and weed out the unnecessary filler and characters.

ARC courtesy of Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with a copy for review.

All the Better Part of Me is a new adult contemporary about a young actor who is starting to make a name for himself and navigating his newfound feelings for his childhood best friend.

I liked the story of this, especially for the representation of bisexuality. It felt very real for him to not understand his feelings and to question himself without taking anything away from what it means to be bisexual. He wasn't afraid of being bisexual, something that I think is important to show, but that didn't mean he automatically had all the answers, which I think it is also important to show.

I was initially intrigued to read this because it was classed as new adult and I thought it would be nice to read about characters close to my age, but I don't think the new adult genre is for me. The characters were still a few years older than me and were doing a lot more (like living in different countries and dealing with pregnancy), and the new adult genre is also quite nsfw.

It was a good book that I think people are really going to enjoy.

This was SO not what I was expecting after the Goblins of Bellwater... I don't know why I expected magic again, or the lyric prose of GoB. I read the blurb, I knew what this one was about - and it was decidedly NOT the same type of story. Still, I loved the writing in Goblins so much that I would pretty much have agreed to read Ringle's grocery list just to fall back into one of her lushly crafted, wholly original worlds.

This one is VERY different. Not in a bad way. Not in a good way. Just very different. This is a wholly realistic, utterly grounded-in-reality tale about realizing who you are and what you want out of life, and realizing that the labels that people (both you and others) want to put on those things don't matter in the end - what matters is being who you are.

Sinter's world was as well crafted as that of Goblins, but in the way that made sense for him/his story. Ringle is great at the little details - the smudged eyeliner, the text-speak, the awkwardness of self realization - and those are what made this such a resonant story I think. It felt melodramatic at times - but then again, melodrama comes with the territory at 25, so even when I found it vaguely eye-rolling to my 45-year old self, I recognized that it was a wholly realistic detail that kept the story firmly grounded in its own relevance.

Ringle writes a great story. And she can write a great story across genres, personalities, realms, and perspectives. This one was not my favorite of hers, but it was still a great story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, a rather adorable love story with some angst along the way. Sinter is a bit all over the place at times but this just made me like his character more. At times, some parts of the story felt a little rushed (especially towards the end) but I can forgive that tiny criticism because I just loved reading this story. Hopefully this won't be the last we see of Sinter and Andy.

I loved it! This book took me through a roller coaster of emotions and I was rooting for Sinter the whole way. The writing was amazing, the characters were amazing, the plot was amazing...I could go on and on. I cannot wait until this is published so I can recommend it to everyone.

Emotional rollercoaster! I wasn't sure at first but I was soon won over and was rooting for Sinter. The story had a lot of heart

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was heartwarmingly good.
This book totally made me feel for these characters.
I loved our main character and felt like they were one of my dear friends by the time I finished reading.
The storyline was amazing and really drew me in.
Overall 4 stars.

Wow. I have fallen in love with Sinter. This book is a beautiful character driven story. Sinter is a 25 year old goth, actor trying to find his place in this world. With conservative parents who disapprove of him and his friend Andy, Sinter has maintained only minimal contact with them. When he gets a movie job in London he starts questioning his sexuality. Does his attraction to his best friend Andy mean he is gay? Does his attraction to Fiona the director mean anything? Sinter's life gets more complicated when has to face what he really wants in life. As a coming of age and growing into who you really are story, this hits every note perfectly.

All the Better Part of Me is a novel about an actor whose life changes dramatically when he realises he's bisexual. Sinter Blackwell is an American working in London, just cast in a TV movie set in the 80s which suits his love of new wave music and goth style well. His parents don't approve of his career, he finds himself flirting with his director Fiona, and his feelings for his gay best friend Andy might not be quite what he thought them to be. When he moves back to Seattle to see if there's anything between him and Andy, things get very complicated, and Sinter must make a lot of big life choices and work out what he really wants in life.

This is a fun book in the 'new adult' genre, bringing some of the romance and character depth of YA writing with more twentysomething life considerations. Elements bring a lot of the conventions of similar stories (in love with best friend, lack of communication, etc) and it is one for people who enjoy the tension yet overall happiness of fan fiction. Sinter is an enjoyable protagonist to read about, and his goth style and the 80s song chapter titles bring an extra touch to the book. If the blurb sounds appealing it is worth picking up, as it is a light read that still manages to make you feel for the characters.

Rounding up to 3 stars because this was an enjoyable read despite the fact that I had some major complaints. The drama was like... over the top soap opera levels, everything revolved to easily, and Andy and Sinter's relationship was the only one with any development (there was absolutely 0 development to explain why Fiona got so hung up on Sinter). Despite that, I basically enjoyed the book and I think people who like New Adult as a genre more than I do would enjoy it.

I really enjoyed this book, but I went into it expecting more of a finding myself story rather than what it turned out to be, which was something totally unexpected. Even though the book wasn't anything I was expecting it to be, I still enjoyed my time reading it. It wasn't a light read, but it was fast and I was able to read it in one sitting. Also, I loved the characters and would love to read more about Sinter, Andy, and Verona's story.

You know when you read a book and you know it’s just going to be your fave??
This is it.
I adored Sinter so much. Trying to fit in while also trying to stand out and not conform. With his eyeliner and black clothes. But coming out is terrifying.

Andy was such a sweetheart and I loved the way you knew his feelings even when he was very close to the vest with them.

This book had all the feels. I loved that this was about a bisexual trying to figure out his feelings. I just wanted to hug Sinter because I just FEEL him. Honestly. I loved this books SO MUCH.