A weary world deserves a little dreaming…

4.5 stars

This is a sweetly delightful YA contemporary romance with a thread of fairy-tale retelling that embellishes but doesn’t overwhelm the unique beats of the story. Highlights are the banter, realistic ‘teenspeak’, the many supportive relationships, both with friends and family, and a main character who is very aware of his many privileges. As a high school librarian I appreciate a work that addresses the issue of life-limiting anxiety with such a hopeful and encouraging tone. The illustrations are charming and enhance the story, and many characters’ passion for art in diverse forms - fashion, performance, sketching & painting - enrich the plot while rounding out personalities. Elliot was a bit of a bland spot, for me, and I would have liked a resolution scene between Micah and Grant - the only two quibbles keeping this form being a 5/5 for me.

Would I purchase for, & promote in, my high school library? YES - for readers with artistic spirits and fans of the Heartstopper series.

This was a cute, predictable LGBTQ+ Cinderella retelling. It was a quick read, quite cheesy and definitely for a younger audience. The writing style was quite simple, but it was heartwarming and would recommend if you are looking for something easy to read! Thank Netgalley and Penguin Group for this eARC!

Thank you Penguin Teen for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I played around with imaginary boyfriends for so long, it didn't occur to me that a real one would require real responsibility. Real stakes. When you love someone, you open yourself to the possibility that you could hurt them just as powerfully. I learned that too late."

Fairytale classics get a queer twist in this one featuring a sensational main character whose only wish is to have a happy ending of his own.

THOUGHTS
This is a charming summer read that I finished in two days because I was swept away by the voice of the amazing Prince of Chicago, Micah Summers.

As a (hopeless) romantic, I didn't have a hard time connecting with Micah and his quest of finding one true love.

Micah is rich - financially and people-wise because he has the generational wealth courtesy of his famous father, the King of Chicago, and he also has an amazing circle because Micah knows how to keep them.

Micah is dreamy - from his real-life dream of finally getting his own Prince Charming to his artistic side behind the anonymous Instaloves account, Micah's dreams are concrete and planned out.

Micah is messy - his story is not the perfect fairy tale that one will expect but his life is also full of ups and downs which makes him a great main character.

The above characteristics of Micah made me enjoy this book plus his friends (Hannah, Jackson, Elliot, Maggie and Manda) are all lovable, too.

The romance aspect is the central focus of the book and I devoured everything about Micah and his quest of finding Boy 100 (his boyfriend!) Though I already had a hunch about the twist that was revealed in the end, it was still a storyline I enjoyed.

Lastly, prepare to be amazed with the inside arts and sketches portraying some of the 99 boyfriends or some of the scenes within the book.

Kudos to Adam Sass for another amazing queer book that will surely be enjoyed by everyone.

RATING: 4.5stars

I loved the concept & story this book told! It was a fun to go through the journey of finding boy 100 with Micah. I loved the aspect of his Instagram page and how it effected the story. It was a little slow for me and didn’t pick up until about half way but it was still an enjoyable read! Thanks for letting me read and arc through net galley.

you know that post that says that we think love is obtained through being cool and desirable but it's actually gotten through embarrassing yourself and being vulnerable. yeah<3

The 99 boyfriends of micah summers describes itself as a gay fairytale and it's truly a wonderful little book. It reminded me a bit of meet cute diary and I really loved elliot! he's such a wonderful little guy and I really liked him!!

I think a few years ago I would've really loved it, some of my issues stemmed from outgrowing ya but it still felt magical and i really liked the ending. i would've preferred the mc's to get together a little earlier? I know the way the story is formatted it makes more sense this way but yeah I like spending time with people after they actually get together!

overall it's a solid read and i quite enjoyed it!
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Romance / Romcom
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 9/20/22
Author: Adam Sass
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Goodreads Rating: 4.32

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Micah has everything going for him, except he’s too shy to ask anyone out. Instead, Micah draws each crush to share on Instagram with a post about their imaginary dates, ninety-nine “boyfriends” later. So when Micah flirts with a hot boy, but right before he can make his move and ask for the boy’s number, the guy rushes off the train, leaving behind his pumpkin-embroidered jacket. The jacket holds clues to the boy’s identity. Along the way, Micah will discover that the best relationships aren’t fairy tales. In fact, the perfect fit true love might be closer than he thinks.

My Thoughts: I think the best way to describe this is modern day Cinderella with a twist, a fantastic twist. This queer romcom was whimsical, cute, adorable, easy to follow, quick read. I adored Micah and Elliot was just as adorable, I fell in love with both of these characters. The characters are well developed with depth, are whimsical, witty banter, amazing chemistry, and were creatively written. The author’s writing was complex, emotional, strong, empowering, and kept me engaged. The story begins with building the characters, opening up their world to us, then layers in the plot, and then wraps up with the most perfect ending. This was a perfect light, YA romcom that I devoured in a day. This book releases in a few weeks and I would highly recommend picking it up!

<i>contents: tropes, plot, review, TL;DR</i>

<b>The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers</b>
Adam Sass
<i>
- MM romance
- Queer side characters
- Artists
- Instalove
- Search for a fairy tale like relationship
- Emotional cheating
</i>
<b>PLOT:</b>
Micah Summers runs an anonymous Instagram account where he posts drawings of his crushes. After posting 99 of them, Micah decides that Boy 100 should be special and <i>real</i>. Just when he finally meet The One, fate chooses to play with him and shut the train door before he can follow him outside. Determined to finally get that fairy tale of his dreams, Micah, with his bestfriend Hannah, and Hannah's "other gay friend", Elliot, embark on a quest to find Micah's prince. But a happily-ever-after in real life is not as easy to get as it is on fairy tales.

<b>REVIEW:</b>

<b>Characters</b>
<b><i>Micah Summers</i></b>
- I don't totally hate him but I'm not a big fan of our main man. He's this guy who wants to have something real then says "romance is about imagination. If you want it to be realistic and boring, then that's what it'll be." Babe, make up your mind. Real or Fantasy?
- Stalker tendencies. He followed guy's trail all over the city to ask him out. If he also wanted to return the jacket, that may seem more reasonable and not creepy. Nah, he even wore the jacket while searching for him throughout the city. I'm glad he realized that the guy might find him creepy for that but he still continued the quest despite that realization.
- I admire his new-found confidence and determination. I also liked how he considers his words when speaking to Elliot as to not hurt his feelings and helping him but trying not to look like he's rubbing his wealth on Elliot's face.
- major spoiler: <spoiler>It was annoying when Elliot was upset because of Micah's IG post of 'how little El meant to him' and Micah's thought was "shit, he might like me too". Your friend was hurt because of you and that's your concern? </spoiler>
<b><i>Side Characters</i></b>
- Maggie- I didn't like her at first because she's mean to Micah and her gf, Mandy. I ended up liking her because she's the one who talks sense to Micah.
- Hannah- She's very much like Maggie and I like her too. Both she and Maggie are confident, "fuck-off" vibes, independent, but still has a soft spot for the people they care about.
- Grant- I dislike him very much (duh?). <spoiler>Tell me a pathetic story about being "cursed" because no one stays for a second date so I would want to take care of you and prove that you're not cursed and then use me as your ladder towards fame and success. He's so selfish and big bright red flag.</spoiler>
- Elliot- I like how he's this good nice guy to everyone even when he's being treared badly. Hardworking and easy-going. Absolutely love how Micah described him. Free-spirited, graceful, and fearless. Thing is, Micah had to carefully choose his words around him. Can't even call yacht a yacht even if it's actually a yacht without offending him.

The characters aren't that appealing to me. Frankly, I'm not interested with anyone else aside from Hannah and Maggie.

<b>Story</b>
In the beginning, we see Micah tracking down one of his crushes to the park to ask him out. My first impression on Micah wasn't great due to his habit of following people like that. I don't know, but I think that's not my thing. But it's nice seeing how shy and awkward he is at first then developing his confidence.
<spoiler>He and Grant got together that fast. "I felt sparks with you. Let's be boyfriends." I would've liked some "get to know you" time instead of them just jumping in a relationship when Micah know nothing about it.</spoiler
>
The "plottwist" is so obvious right from the start. I had hoped that Micah would learn a lesson and I got it. I do fantasize about a relationship too but Micah is idealizing too much. I'm glad he realized that that's not how relationship works.

<b>TL;DR</b>
The characters didn't appeal much to me. I did enjoy. Cute but it can be a bit childish, made me cringe a few times. Either lacking or just not for me. Best for YA and swoony romance fans.


<i>I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. </i>

My students are going to lap this up! The cutest queer romcom with so many Cinderella vibes leaving you with the best kind of warm and fuzzy feels!!

What a cute, fairy tale/Cinderella inspired queer, rom com. Michah Summers has an anonymous online Instagram account where he sketches each of his crushes and disguises them as fairytale character. Once he reaches 99, he sets off on a quest to find THE ONE for number 100. After a meet cute on the train, Micah with the help of his two amazing friends, head out on a quest to find his secret crush who left his jacket behind. Breezy, fun read filled with pop culture and all the Chicago sites.

Thank you @penuinteen for the advanced earc to read and review.

Sass’s sophomore novel is a remarkable rom-com of fantastical proportions.
It tugs on your heartstrings more times than you think, using odes to fairy tales, a messy love triangle and the beautiful backdrop of Chicago to help bewitch the reader into non-stop gorging on this tale until it reaches its emotional end.
An instant fan-favorite of all rom-com lovers.

The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers is a cute queer Cinderella retelling with a twist. It has strong summer vibes and was a fun read. The plot, while not revolutionary, works well and the pacing is suitable. The characters are artsy and interesting, there is even a sapphic couple amongst the side characters.
It's a cute YA romcom that follows a rather shy protagonist on his quest(s) for love. I really liked how it approached certain issues and had a good time reading it. The characters are nice and work together, especially the friendship group. The character development was also well done. The only thing I didn't enjoy quite as much, is a certain trope that comes up in the second half of the book.
<spoiler> The story ends up being about a love triangle and I'm just not overly fond of this trope </spoiler>

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Penguin, and Adam Sass for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a great book! I really enjoyed it. Micah is a great character along with everyone else as well. This is such a great read!

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book to read and review! I thought this was a super cute and unique way of creating a love story. I adored the friendships and the platonic love throughout the story. I also thought the art and designing background was really cool. Micah was just a whole bundle of energy. I thought his inner thoughts translated so well and it was nice to see him learn and grow as the book progressed. This was also the perfect blend of feelings and campiness and of course the gays which I loved. The little quests and scavenger hunts were a delight and I really enjoyed reading this one. I would have loved more of an ending between certain characters because they had a great build up, but other than that I thought this was adorable.

This is a cute book. I really enjoyed the main characters, although I think Micah's inner monologue sometimes went on a bit too much. Overall, it's a fun book and an easy read and it's nice to see two boys get a happily ever after!

Title: The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers
Author: Adam Sass
Tags: LGBT, Romance, Young Adult, Queer, Contemporary, Fiction, MLM Romance, Gay
Triggers: I wouldn’t say there is any major triggers, but just like any book read with caution if you’re worried about triggers.
Ratings: GR Average: 4.34 My Overall: 4 Plot: 3 Character: 4
Format: NetGalley eARC on Kindle
Finished: 12/8/2022
Release Date: 20th of September 2022, Published by Penguin Books
Thoughts:

I want to start this review by thanking NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for accepting me to read this ARC with the understanding that I will be honest in my review (I mean when am I not?). As this is an advanced Reader Copy I have to remind you that the cover, anything that happens within the book, and the this review is subject to change at any point between now and publication. Just like with any books out there.

I’m very excited to start reading more ARC’s and helping my readers find their next favourite books.

First of all, can we just talk about how nice this cover is? I mean, its so simple but I just really enjoy the vibes and if I had actually liked the book more, I would have definitely bought a paperback for my book shelf. But alas, despite this book sounding like it was literally written for me, I just didn’t click with it. I mean, a gay Cinderella-esc story but from the princes perspective? and Me, The biggest Cinderella story lover of all time? It sounds like a match made in book heaven. And yet, it really comes down to one simple reason that it didn’t work. I’m just getting older.

Micah is a high school student who runs an anonymous instagram account called ‘Instaloves’ where he has sketched and posted 99 dream boyfriends from his real life crushes. After meeting who he believes to be ’Boy 100’ on the train after what feels like a fated meeting and separation, he goes through a journey to find Boy 100 (a high schooler named Grant who is attending the Art Insitute in Chicago). They meet, have cute dates, and fall in love with each other. At least, that’s Micah’s plan and for two weeks yeah thats basically what happens. But Micah is also friends with this other boy, Elliot, who is in a not great relationship and they just work better together.

It’s clear form maybe 50 pages into the novel that Elliot is really the Cinderella of this story, and Grant is not. Now, there’s not really anything wrong with Grant. He’s a nice guy for most of the book, but as Micah is the son of a very popular sports player and basically famous, Grant begins to use Micah’s popularity to further his own designer career and basically over steps a bunch of hard lines for Micah. He gaslights him, pushes him into situations were he can’t say no, and its hard to feel sorry for him knowing he’s going to get his heart broken at the end of the book. Especially since Grant saw Micah’s post when he was trying to find him originally and purposely made him come find him so Micah could prove he wanted him. Grant sounds like he has a lot of unresolved relationship trauma which he uses as an excuse to get Micah to basically promise to never leave him and to do things Micah isn’t comfortable doing and as someone who’s been in a relationship like that before it was hard to read.

Yet I really need to point out that Micah also isn’t this great guy, he’s rich and white and his monologues just scream privilege and the doesn’t really go away. Even at the end of the book, he gets his way because of money and influence. There’s the stereotypical ‘I didn’t know I was in love with you until the end of the novel’ moment where Micah chases after Elliot to the train station for a train he’s going to catch so he can get out of Chicago and it’s heat and focus on being the type of Vet he wants to be but he gets off, because of course he does. It wasn’t cute when Rachel did it at the end of friends and it wasn’t cute now. I’m so tired of people staying for a person and leaving behind their chance at doing what they want to do because someone made this big grand gesture at the place where they were leaving from. Did Micah consider for once that Elliot would be happier leaving and staying on his aunts farm? No it was all about Micah this and Micah that. I just don’t think its as cute of an ending as people make it out to be honestly.

By the end of the book Micah and Elliot make up and they decide to date and I think this is the part I hated the most. Micah says that Elliot is actually Boy 100 and that he always had been. Which just seemed wrong to me. Yes, his relationship with Grant didn’t work. But that’s life. There was all this pressure on Micah to find Boy 100 that he states multiple times that he feels like there will never be another boy after Boy 100. And I just think this was a mistake to make, Micah could have had this great revelation of realising that Boy 100 was this pressure that made him do irrational things that genuinely hurt people and that its okay to have a Boy 101. Plus, by calling Elliot his Boy 100, he completely invalidates his relationship with Grant and that is just a dick move in my option. Pretending he didn’t date/love Grant and removing him from the title of Boy 100 just proved that Micah hadn’t really grown up at all throughout the book and honestly if I was Elliot I wouldn’t have been happy to hear that.

However, like I said in the beginning of this review, I’m just getting older and this book just wasn’t for me. And thats okay. Its understandable at 23 that there are going to be some of those teen romance novels that you just don’t vibe with. I think this book is cute all around even with the parts I’m not super fond of. I think the story is fun and has its moment where it really shines through and I genuinely believe that some young queer teens will cherish this novel well into their lives. I think the side characters are great, they all have their own personalities and they add to the story in a way that works constructively rather than being forced into the story for no reason. The illustrations throughout the book were adorable and I loved the art style, I would be very curious to see if these remain to be the final copies or if they’re changed before release. Either way, they worked great. This story is that sort of novel you wanna read if you don’t like surprises, and like cheesy endings. I think people will love it, and I really hope people do.

Thank you again Penguin Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the ARC, I hope you enjoyed my review. Please don’t forget to leave a like and comment if possible, it really helps me write more of these and it really means a lot. Until next time, Stay Chaotic friends!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group, Viking Books for Young Readers for an egalley of this book!

And this book? It is a MOOD… And I loved every moment. 💜

‘The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers’ is textbook, quintessential YA: young, idealistic, romantic, melodramatic, absolutely cringe in the bestest way, and crammed to bursting with all the feels. But I think what I appreciated the most about Adam Sass’ writing is that it never took itself too seriously—even in more serious moments when characters are reflecting and learning significant truths, there is still a lightness to the storytelling and prose. After all, this is a (slightly twisty) Cinderella retelling (but make it gay)!

And! And, and, AND! The cherry on top of all of the above? The most cuddly cinnamon roll Scooby gang cast of characters that ever charactered! Absolutely precious, every one.

This may be slightly generous? But definitely how I am feeling in my post-completion super gushy warm feels glow: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

this book was so cute! I loved how developed all the characters were, and how well their relationships were written, especially Micah and his sister Maggie. I was really enjoying reading this book but about 50% through it kind of took a turn with the romance that I wasn’t exactly expecting! even though Micah’s relationships were adorable, I just didn’t think him and his second love interest had much chemistry before we found out they both might have feelings. at the end of the book I definitely felt like they were great together, but it was a little confusing at first. besides that I thought this was an adorable and adventurous book!

I went into this book thinking it'll be a cute summer romance and it'll be relaxing.
And it turned out to be both although not very relaxing. Some of the anxiety might have come off the screen and directly into me, an already anxious person.
Cliches aside, this was a very good book which I enjoyed reading except for the anxious parts but they were fun in their own way too.
The writing style was pretty simple and engaging which made the book very easy to read. As a person who doesn't like reading ebooks that aren't easy to read, this book deserves brownie points for that.
The characters although sometimes annoying/frustrating were well written and I enjoyed following Micah's journey. I did want to thwack him on the head with a clipboard or something and guide him the right way but I think he did fine enough on his own. Grant, Elliot, Hannah, and Maggie were also great characters although Elliot is, of course, my favorite because...reasons. Every scene Elliot was in was automatically my favorite.
I've to admit, I was kinda suspicious about the whole chase in the first quarter of the book but I'm very glad it ends pretty soon.
I liked reading about Micah's journey through love and wanting to find The One. It did get a lot at times, I won't lie but I still enjoyed everything a lot, especially the dates and cutesy parts.
Cliches can be a hit or a miss so there were times when I went 'aww' and times when I went 'ugh' but the overall effect was rather 'aww', especially at the ending.
Highly recommend it to people looking for an easy-to-read book, a summer romance, and truckloads of cuteness <3
Actual rating: 4.5

This was very cute and very well-written. Unfortunately, it's completely forgettable as well.. I expected something more outside-the-box from Sass, whose last book was engrossing, fun, and, most importantly, original. This is just another cute YA rom-com that interpolates bits of fairy tales.

Oh how I wish I could give this more than 5 stars. The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers couldn't have been more perfect. I instantly fell in love with the writing style and the dialogue. This may be a long review, but oh well because I absolutely LOVED this book.

Micah Summers, boy do we both just want to believe in fairytale endings. Queer people, but especially queer youth, deserve to believe that their fairytale romance is going to happen. While, these fairytales seem perfect on paper, they tend to get a little messy in action. Micah goes through many obstacles trying to get his fairytale ending, but he doesn’t let any of them stop him. I applaud him for this because I would’ve gave up immediately and took a nap. My ideal fairytale is sleeping beauty, solely because I love sleeping. Micah being an anonymous instagram artist is the absolute best thing ever. I normally hate any references to modern day social media, but this book does it so well that I didn’t even mind it.

Now, Grant. Grant is a wonderful boy. While he struggles from past fleeting relationships and crushes, he really holds so much love in his heart. Grant deserves love, confidence in his work, and for all his dreams to come true.

Hannah, I absolutely adore. She deserves nothing, but love and happiness. Elliot. I immediately fell in love with Elliot. It’s like illegal to hate him. Elliot going through a dumpster fire of a relationship is so relatable that I got flashbacks…

Overall, this book is definitely worth the read. I will now be forcing all my friends to read it. Also, the full circle moment at the end??? I cried real tears.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.