Can we just take a minute to marvel at this cover. I feel like I’m dancing at midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s gorgeous. This book was all the hype and who doesn’t love anything by Alexis hall. The characters are so likable you feel as you are living in their shoes. If you love a Contemporary romance with British boys and a touch of emotional anxiety. Then this is the book for you.,

I first read the previous edition of this book back in 2014 and it sealed forever my love for Alexis Hall's books.
In almost 10 years I had forgotten many of the details of the book but the emotions it brought up in me are just as strong as they were the first time I met Ash and Darian. I loved everything in this book - the romance, the characters, the sarcasm and dry humour, the gorgeous writing.

Creating a bipolar, snobbish author with anxiety and making the reader root for his HEA is no small feat and I am so grateful to the author for doing this brilliantly. We see the humanity and need to be loved for who you are of everyone. And Darian is just the sweetest, most gentle and caring person but he also stands his ground and doesn't let Ash get away with treating him badly.

On a side note, I have had a soft spot for Niall for years and I am so happy that we will finally get his book.

CW: bipolar disorder, anxiety, suicide attempt (in the past), homophobia (challenged on page), parental neglect

There are times when you come across a book so good that you want to get everyone you know to read it, whether it's by gentle persuasion or browbeating (you have to read this book or else!). "Glitterland" is one of those books for me. It's a romance told amazingly well, with equal parts passion, sadness, humor and pain.

Ash is a manic depressive who meets Darian Taylor, a man whose irrepressible and outsized personality matches up with Ash's brooding intellectualism, and brings enough light to Ash's existence that he starts to wonder "what if?"- what if I can survive this day so that I may enjoy this man's company? What if I can actually have a relationship with this man?

Hall is pretty unsparing with his depiction of Ash's mental illness, which makes his journey all the more moving. And despite the pain, there's a surprising amount of humor in the story as well but it seems quite believable based on the men's personalities. And the writing style itself was beautiful - Hall definitely uses words deftly, at times cutting like a scalpel and others lifting one's soul up.

I had a bit of trouble at the beginning following Hall's depiction of Darian, especially the dialect. As an American it took a while for me to follow the whole "Essex" thing. But if you can work through that and the high amount of angst, this book is definitely worth the read. I recommend it highly and expect it to show up on my list of favorite books of the year.

Glitterland is a reminder that we are not our mental health disorders; that we are more than our diagnosis. That we are capable of meaningful relationships despite what our brain may continuously try to convince us and that ultimately, it’s those who bring us true, honest and non-judgemental happiness who are worthy of our entire selves.

Alexis' Hall's books are very hit and miss. This one was a miss. The writing dragged and the characters were unlikable. Two stars.

Book Review
Glitterland by Alexis Hall

⚠️Triggers⚠️
- suicide ideation/attempt
- Depression
- Bipolar

Thoughts
📚 I loved the Master Chef/Brittney/movie references
📚 You cannot read this book without hearing Darian’s Essex accent in your head
📚Glitter references- glitter pirate, glitter boy, glitter land , “the universe is a glitterball” 🪩(points cause the title fits perfectly)
📚 I love Ash-raw and real and flawed and vulnerable
📚 I love Darian- self assured, happy, and secure in himself

Quote
“Depression simply is. It has no beginning and no end, no boundaries and no world outside itself. It is the first, the last, the only, the alpha and the omega. Memories of better times die upon its desolate shores. Voices drown in its seas. The mind becomes its own prisoner. “

**THIS**

My depressive, anxious, suicide survivor self felt SEEN.
There were soo many more quotes, more phrases that made me FEEL.
Alexis Hall deftly provides prose to the thoughts that spiral in my head on my bad days- no easy feat when I have spent years trying to articulate them to therapists and myself.

Overall
This book feels like hope. Hope for love, hope for mental well being, and hope for happiness. You, me, Ash, Darian… we all deserve it.

Thanks to @sourcebookscasa and @netgalley for my copy in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

While this was most definitely a predictable book, it is really fun and effervescent. A solid purchase for many collections.

I am really conflicted on this one, because the writing was amazingly metaphorical for a romance (I find they're often more straight to the point) and the character development was great, but something about it fell flat for me.

I don't want to demean any of the representation in here, because I can't really speak to it, but the way the character kind of suddenly fixed his life felt a bit sudden to me and almost like he was 'saved' by a love interest.

Overall, I definitely want to read more from Alexis Hall, but I didn't love this one.

Glitterland by Alexis Hall is a contemporary romance. Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on hope, happiness, and—most of all—himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people's expectations. Then a chance encounter throws him into the path of Essex-born Darian Taylor. Flashy and loud, radiant and full of life, Darian couldn't be more different...and yet he makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it's like to step beyond the boundaries of his anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can no longer see a way out. Can a man who doesn't trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can someone who doesn't believe in happiness ever fight for his own?

Glitterland grabbed my attention and emotions and refused to let me do anything else until I finished the book. I thought the description and explanation of how Ash felt and what he was going through felt very honest and was told with respect and caring for those that might have gone through something similar or know someone who has. The honest look at his thoughts, and not only how he felt but how it affected those around him all felt very real. The push and pull of Ash's mental state, his friendships, and how he thought others thought about him was so raw and real to me that I felt like I really knew him. I felt like most of the characters that had a part to play in this story were very well developed, and I would love to revisit many of them. I really enjoyed Darian as a character, and his group of family and friends as well. This is yet another fantastic read from Hall, and I cannot wait to see what might come next.

Glitterland is a heartfelt romance with an honest exploration of mental health.

Absolutely sparkling. I had forgotten i'd already read this book but that didn't matter. It was just as wonderful the second time through. Ash and Darian snag your early on and don't let go. I'm happy a new generation will find this fantastic book!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre/tropes: fiction, queer romance, mental health, LGBTQ, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine
CW/TW: bipolar disorder, attempted suicide (recollection), anxiety, panic attacks

Ash is a successful author who hides behind snide remarks and witty comments to keep people at a distance. He meets Darian at a club one night, they have a one-night stand and he thinks he’ll never see this flamboyant “glitter pirate” again. Wrong. He shows up to his book signing to give him an earful and from there the most unusual relationship Ash has ever had in his life blossoms.

At first it’s all physical for Ash. The two are such opposites in temperament and personality, yet Darian slips past his defenses. Ash is uptight and anxiety-ridden to Darian’s almost childlike joy and optimism. Darian’s comfortable in his own skin whereas Ash feels constrained by his.

Why do I love this? For one, the banter! It’s Hall’s special gift, and what made me a fan. Two, the conscientiousness about capturing mental health in a respectful and thoughtful way. I think what’s written here is true to the characters and one version of approach. Darian might come off as naive about the challenges of being with Ash, but he wants the chance to be there for him and love him. Three, and one that didn’t occur to me until my reread, Ash’s best friend Niall is given space for his feelings as he was there with him at his lowest and scariest. Niall’s the reality check of Ash’s mental health needs. I appreciated Hall also acknowledging the toll on those who witness their friends who’ve been through the worst and the precarious recovery. There’s the constant worry and need to exert some control to protect their friends.

Ash and Darian are two of my favorite characters ever thanks to their chemistry and banter. While the subject matter is serious and heavy at times, the story’s written with much affection and infused with humor. It pulls you right in rooting for this unlikely coupling!

Thanks to @netgalley & @sourcebookscasa for my review copy. This is my honest review.

This book was not for me. I couldn't get into it because the dialect was making it hard to read, but I think that's just a me problem. I didn't have an emotional attachment to any of the characters and didn't really care what happened to them. Some quotes at the end struck me the wrong way, and overall it just wasn't working for me. I think I'll still read other books by this author as I know this was originally published several years ago, but there were just no redeeming factors for me here.

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure I can find the words to convey how much I adored this book and it’s characters!

Glitterland is a m/m love story about a mentally Ill writer and a glittery sunshine pirate from Essex. Two people so polar opposite that they shouldn’t work, but they do in the most beautiful way!

Darian, the most precious cinnamon roll of a gaudy flamboyant male model, was truly a fantastically well written character. I honestly can’t imagine any other character being able to cut through the noise of Ash, our manic depressive academic. But he does and I soaked up every word!

I’ve read many books written by Alexis Hall at this point and was in awe of how unique his writing felt in this book. The illusion of time, the pull and push of reality, the way he wrote Ash’s mental illness was real, raw, heartbreaking, and honest. I truly don’t see myself moving on from this one anytime soon!

All in all, this was lovely. This story hurts, it’s painful a lot of the time, it comes with some HEFTY content warnings, but all of that is balanced so beautifully with hope and I think Hall did such a wonderful job with that balance!

This was a fun quick read. Overall the plot was ok, nothing special but what made this book soo good was the representation of mental health. Honestly one of the best books I’ve seen tackling a person who has anxiety/manic depression/bipolar. Ash is wonderfully complex and we get a lot of internal monologue about what’s it’s like to be him on his good days and bad. For example how stressful it is to even contemplate going to the grocery for a list of items which causes an all day spin of thoughts. It was also nice to get his best friend/former boyfriend’s perspective on what it was like for him as he waded through Ash’s mental health needs as well. Even though he was a complete ass at one point, he had the space to have his feelings and come to terms with how it changed his life back then and for them to discuss and move forward without lingering resentment or guilt on either side.

I love opposites attract and add in some mental illness and its so relatable. Ash is a successful writer who also suffers from anxiety and depression. But you wouldn't know it from his bespoke suits and his rigid temperament. He is completely detached from everyone but just happens upon a glittery looking pirate and his feels start to work again.
Nothing more fun to read for me than a reluctant Darcyish uptight character enchanted by a cute hilarious one with an adorable accent. A MC that just doesn't want the romance but it keeps happening. Or they don't quite understand or believe that romance is happening to them. Definitely don't believe they deserve it or the happiness that it is bringing. The banter between them is my favorite since Ash has a very dry humor and he's snappy and Darian, his glitter pirate just laughs and holds him closer. Like he is a silly grumpy cat that needs more snuggles.
There was definitely a lot of open door steam and talk of suidice and self harm so be aware if those trigger or aren't things you want to read about.
I have read a lot of his books and I have enjoyed them all but so far this may be my favorite! The chemistry between these two made me want more chapters!

Thank you sourcebookscasa and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

While I did enjoy this one, I found the writing to be a tad confusing. As a non-native English speaker, I found Darian's Essex accent SO difficult to read! I had to work twice as hard to decipher what he was saying, and as this book is mostly dialogue and scenes between Ash and Darian, that made me enjoy it slightly less.

I enjoyed seeing the development of Ash and Darian's relationship, but I feel like I never really cared about them as characters.

I sometimes struggle with single POV, but much of Alexis Hall’s work is written that way, and I think it is essential here. If we were infused with Darian’s POV, the despair, darkness, and depth (wow, alliteration) of Ash’s narration would be less raw and resonate less.

I admire the subtle commentary on classism. I mean, the characters are overly classist, but the point Hall makes is not broadcast, but rather left to the reader to figure out. I do wish I had listened to an audio version, as I’m sure it would enhance Darian’s character.

I had put off reading this book for a long time, I think because I was scared of feeling so much. Alexis Hall does that to me. Tonally, I was strongly reminded of For Real, still my favorite of his books. It makes sense, as they are part of the same series.

Finished in tears with a smile. My version included Aftermath.

I really enjoyed the whole opposites attract aspect of the book, even though Ash was a hard character to like. He was the grumpy to Darian's sunshine. This book dealt with some hard topics such as bi-polar disorder and severe depression, but Alexis Hall's writing did it in a way you could understand. They may not write the steamiest books, but there is always excellent writing and the stories suck you in so you almost forget about wanting the physical intimacy on page. Emotional intimacy is another story and you could feel the prevalence of it, especially with Ash trying his hardest despite his mental illness. I picked up Glitterland because it had such raving reviews and I'm glad I took a chance on it.

I have come to the conclusion that Alexis Hall books are just not for me. The previous two I read were good enough for 3 stars. This one... wow. The writing, the dialect. I couldn't take it.

Thank you for the gifted e-book.