This was enjoyable to read. Story kept me interested even though you know that Ash is going to meet it up and is mean to Darian, but you root for them anyway.

I DNF'd this book at 25% but not because it's a bad book. I've read several other Alexis Hall books and the way the characters are written is always so good.

I loved the depiction and realness of mental illness portrayed in the parts that I read, and I can see where this story will grow and the character development that will happen.

For my personal taste, just too much spice for me.

Highly anticipated new edition of Alexis Hall's opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine m|m romance between Ash Winters, a mentally ill writer and "glitter pirate" Darian Taylor. Hall has made minor edits to the original story, and included the wonderful epilogue "Aftermath." There is on page discussion of Ash's bipolar depression, past suicide attempt, and descriptions of depressive periods all handled sensitively by Hall. A compelling, funny, and moving story.

5 Stars!

Everything in this book is stunning from the cover to the characters to the ending. It was an absolutely beautiful story. I want to soak it all in and then read it again. Read for romance, realistic main characters, great storytelling, and to feel.

I absolutely love this book. I thought the attention to detail the the author put into creating these characters was amazing, as was watching them grow throughout the novel. It was one of the best character growth arcs I’ve seen. I love that we don’t get a perfect main character, we get a very human main character.

Ash initially does not appear to be a likable main character, I felt like that made him more relatable and likable. The way he describes himself and see's himself if encased in depressive episodes and beliefs. You can tell he’s had several episodes of depression and you see a human being, who really doesn’t believe he deserves anything, and that even if he allows himself to have some thing it’ll inevitably be taken away from him. The was the author so accurately captures depression and what it is like to live with depression is poignant. While Ash does some terrible things in this book, ultimately see him grow through his actions, and you see him learn how to fight some of the depressive thoughts. You see hope form and develop and how he learns not to be fearful of good things coming to an end.

Darian might be one of my favorite characters ever. I think Darian is one of the most understanding individuals I’ve ever seen written. His capacity for love and to meet Ash where ash is is a really beautiful way of reading about love. Darian's capacity for forgiveness, and to allow Ash to grow was also quite remarkable and it ends in a beautiful story of a how when we meet each other where we are, we can truly grow together.

I loved Darian and Ash together, and watching them lean into each other. I can't wait to read more from this series and this author.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

I know I’ve said this before but the more I read by Alexis Hall the more I’m in awe of how versatile of a writer he is.

A Lady for a Duke is just masterful, Paris Daillencourt is like being inside my own brain in some of my most anxious moments, & then Glitterland—which is being rereleased—is another emotional powerhouse.

Dark, hopeful, & hilarious by turns, it deals with the topics of depression and a past suicide attempt, among others, offering a book that I think will move & maybe resonate with a lot of readers.

At the beginning of Glitterland writer Ash meets model Darian in a one night stand that ends in a rather panicked exit afterwards. They meet again thanks to Darian’s pluck & what follows is the beginning of a relationship, as Ash starts to relax some into his mystifying connection with Darian & how Darian makes him feel.

This is not an easy, emotional read despite the moments of hope & the bursts of humor. In the end, Ash is not “cured” of his depression or totally rid of uncertainty. But he can see & feel happiness in that moment & he has found love with someone who is so generous & lovely.

So this book isn’t for everyone but, for me, it was another reminder of how much we all need & deserve love, no matter what our brains might sometimes tell us.

5⭐️. Out 01/17.

CWs: Suicide ideation. The lead refers to himself as being bipolar, depressive, & having anxiety and describes emotions relating to those. References to past cutting. The lead ceased an RX before the book began bc it made him gain weight. Reference to something being “Not like black urban. Just urban urban.”

[ID: the ebook rests on an open hardback on top of a blue sheet & white furry blanket. To the right is a strand of silver tinsel.]

Intense, sweet, cutting. Hall again writes a book that lingers. You worry for the characters long after the book is done.

Oh, it was so, SO lovely to have a Glitterland that includes Aftermath! I was a bit (okay, a lot) disappointed that the ARC doesn’t include the other bonus material (Niall’s short story and the other goodies😉), but that just means that I have even more to look forward to with getting the final, final version.

As someone who is quite familiar with this book, I only noticed 1 significant edit, and I liked it; it updated some language and added some nuance that worked really well.

This book is so lovely! I wish it was longer. Even with Aftermath, I still wish it was longer.

I love Darian, the glitter pirate, he’s just so himself. Like, he knows who he is and he’s confident in that. And he sees Ash for who he is, more so than even Ash can. I think that all of the mental health stuff was done really well, and as someone who has an ongoing relationship with depression and anxiety, there were so many things that rang true. I also love that in the end Ash still has depression and anxiety, and that’s just who he is. Darian doesn’t need to fix him and he doesn’t try to. I also love how Darian stands up to Niall at Essex Fashion Week when Niall is such a colossal asshole to Ash. I honestly have such a hate on for Niall, I don’t know how he will be redeemed in his own book (whenever that happens).

I’ve also been trying to envision what a glardigan might actually look like and if I would actually wear one, because I kind of what to try knitting one…

So excited that this is being rereleased so that more folks will be able to discover the absolute mastery that is the Spires series (and so that we can finally get the last two books!!!)

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis Hall has done it again. I've read many of her recent publications and she produces consistently high quality romances. The characters are fully fleshed out and I loved Ash and Darian. Ash really spoke with me. His depression and anxiety were beautifully rendered in a way that felt authentic rather than exploitative. Alexis Hall will continue to be a writer I seek out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is a contemporary romance between (M/M) and it was perfect. I loved Ash and Darian so much. The characters are so well written. Everything in the book flowed perfectly for me. I Just loved this so much.

Thank you to Alexis Hall and Netgalley for a free eARC!

THIS. JUST... THIS.

I am so in love with characters and I love the depth this went into exploring mental health and how it can affect a person's life and relationships through no fault of their own! I was rooting for this couple all the way through meanwhile every part of my heart was being pulled this way and that! I flew through this book and it was just astounding, I want to read more romances like this! It was intense, it was adorable, it was steamy, heart wrenching and I could not stop! Love love love! This is only the second of Hall's books I have read and the second one I have loved, and all his books are going to be an instant read for me now!!

I've looked at this one before, when it was previously published but, for some reason, the premise didn't grab me. I know that, with Alexis Hall's books, I either love them or don't and either way the prose will be lyrical and beautiful. The prose is never what lets one of these books down, it's just whether or not I enjoy the characters.

And with the re-release of this novel, I decided it was finally time for me to pick it up.

God I am so glad I did, because I loved both of these characters. I wasn't much expecting to love Darian as much as our POV character Ash, but I tell you what it was so refreshing to have an accent depicted on the page as something for us to become fond of and to help us see the full character of this beautiful person, rather than something to make fun of.

Similarly, it was great to see the POV character be someone with bipolar who doesn't shy away from his illness, and who confronts other characters when they try to pigeon hole him into being someone who is 'unwell' and therefore cannot do anything. Niall, I am looking at you. Even with the somewhat redemption of this side character, I am glad that there are no further books in this series written with this character as a main.

Max and Amy are much better side characters. I really loved it when Max showed up for Ash, even though Ash has been deciding all too long that he is trouble for the people in his life and should therefore push them away.

God have I been there.

I have loved For Real, which has stayed in my mind as the shining star of m/m romance since I read it. I have utterly forgotten subsequently reading Pansies. And this one falls solidly in the middle for me.

Cute idea. I just didn't quite vibe with some of AH's writing choices.

The pacing is odd, the dialogue formatting confusing, but the main culprit is Darian's Essex accent. It was such a chore to read. I feel like I lost brain cells trying to figure out what he was saying and the “babes” was literally overkill. I do think accents are good characterisation, but when they interfere with readability, then I feel like it's no longer a positive. But even when I could understand him, I never felt like I cared about him. Or Ash, for that matter.

However, I do think this story hits on some really good points when it comes to mental health and acceptance/support. It's just a shame that I didn't really care for the writing. I understand that this is AH's first novel, so perhaps it should have gone through some editing revisions in addition to the new cover.

A crime novelist who is bipolar and suffers from anxiety attacks is struggling to just get by day by day meets the most ridiculous man he’s ever seen, enter Essex boy Darian Taylor who is pursuing a modeling career, both of them soon find themselves trying to make it work despite the cultural divide between them. Ash Winters is a writer, he’s successful but dealing with multiple diagnosed mental illnesses, and his personal life is a mess. He’s isolated himself from friends, he can’t really deal with relationships, and he is just struggling. Then at a bachelor party he meets Darian Taylor, gorgeous, ridiculous, and enjoys hookups. Ash and Darian hook up but then Ash sneaks out in the middle of the night and then they both meet again at a book autographing event and Ash wants to have a relationship... without telling Darian about his illness. Ash and Darian will have to find a way to work out their boundaries, communication, and how they are going to handle each other if they want to make it work. The story is told from both past and present events and the author really did not hold back on Darian’s dialect... seriously... Unfortunately for me I just did not really enjoy reading this. Ash wasn’t really that likable and though he redeems himself it was frustrating, and as someone who deals with many similar things as Ash, it was relatable in a way. Also the formatting of the story and the dialect really threw me off. So in the end, despite this one not working out for me do give it a try.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Ash walked so that Paris could run.

I enjoyed this book overall. Ash and Darian were so different and interesting. The breakup actually hurt my heart. Tbh, Ash needed to grovel harder.

I liked it but I’m not sure if I will read the rest of the series or not.

I wanted to love this book. I love Alexis Hall, But there was something missing.
If you liked Boyfriend material, you will like this one. There are numerous content warnings which the author does note at the beginning of the book.

Ash Winters is a famous writer with a heartbreaking past. Bouts of depression and anxiety have ruled his life for years. With every day spent in survival mode, Ash has had no chance to live. He has given up on his happily ever after, finding it impossible to go back to the man he was before.

Enter Darian, a fun loud, exuberant and so different from Ash that he can't help but fall.

One thing I didn't like ( that made it a little harder to follow along than it should have been) was the dialect of Darian. It was written out. I get it, but I think it would have been better just to write that he had a stronger dialect.
It was hard to love Ash, but he was imperfectly loveable I guess you could say. I don't really think he deserved his redemption arc at the end but hey! It made for a great story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
!

I probably should have known I wasn't ready to read a novel where one of the character's has chronic depression/anxiety, but here we are. I wanted to love this book (as I want to love all Alexis Hall books), but once again I just feel there's something missing for me to give it a full 5 stars. I don't want to give in just yet, because I'm eagerly awaiting the Paris Dalliencourt release, but...

Glitterland is fine. It's well written, has deep characters, and features the usual Alexis Hall writing style that I am truly fond of. But if you suffer from chronic depression yourself and that sort of mindset, even fictionally, is hard for you to handle, you may want to approach this book with caution. Alexis Hall is good at getting you in the characters' heads, but if that's a trigger for you, then it might be a rough go for a while.

However, if you *can* handle that mindset and the triggers that tend to come with (suicide discussion, namely), then you will really enjoy this book, because it's probably one of Alexis Hall's best.

Alexis Hall dazzles audiences with Glitterland!

Hall writes the raw and emotional story of a broken man finding his place in the world. A person discovering what it means to live after spending so long in the darkness. Filled with hope, love, and angst, Glitterland is guaranteed to mend the gapes in your soul.

Ash Winters is a famous writer with a heartbreaking past. Bouts of depression and anxiety have ruled his life for years. With every day spent in survival mode, Ash has had no chance to live. He has given up on his happily ever after, finding it impossible to go back to the man he was before.

However, when a typical one-night stand won’t stay away, Ash has to decide if love is worth a chance. Will fighting for someone be worth battling the demons of his past? With so little faith in himself, can Ash allow himself a chance at happiness? Or will it all fall apart? When all is said and done, where does a man who doesn’t believe he will ever find peace begin?

“The universe is a glitterball I hold in the palm of my hand.” Hall’s Glitterland is one for the ages!

Glitterland is beautiful, brilliant, and sparkling! Hall evokes powerful sentiments in readers.

Survivors of depression will fall in love with this book!

Through all of its heartbreaking glory, Hall delivers a read worthy of every single five star review.

Hall is not afraid to dive deep into the human persona, portraying all their flaws and inevitable mistakes.
Glitterland is a realistic portrayal of someone experiencing trauma, trying to make a difference, and giving themselves a chance.

Glitterland is the forty-seventh book I have read this year - it is by far my favorite!

Reading a book while on a limited, two-day trip in New York City is no easy feat! I could NOT put this book down. In fact, I finished this advanced reader’s copy in the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman building. It was one of the best moments of my life!

I choose to believe that the stars aligned when I received a copy of Glitterland, and continued to shine down while I was reading.

Glitterland is one of the best books I have ever read. It truly stands apart from anything like it.

You may not realize it, but this book will change your life.

Thanks to SourceBooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this ARC!

Ash Winters is a successful writer currently dealing with multiple diagnosed mental illnesses. In his professional life he is thriving, but in his personal life he finds himself isolated from friends. When Darian enters Ash's life he finds himself infatuated with Darian's perspective on life and way for living in the moment. Ash struggles to figure out how to bridge their cultural divide and figure out how Darian can fit into his life. The story is as much a love story as it is a story of finding one's self while struggling with mental illness.

I found Glitterland to be a wonderful, shiny escape. While Ash's story is told beautifully and respectfully, mental illness does not define Ash as the protagonist. As a reader you care just as much about all aspects of Ash's life, from his career to his friendships. And while the story may be told from Ash's perspective, Darian is a clear star of the book from beginning to end. He is as sparkly on the pages as he is described as in real life. It is a "will they, won't they" that will satisfy the reader and keep them interested until the very last pages.

Review based on Advanced Reader Copy for version to be released in January 2023 with extra content.

Alexis Hall is a master! Such a wonderful book that breaks your emotions. I loved Alexis's other writings and now I need more!

I really enjoy Hall's work. Glitterland is clearly earlier in his career, and I hoped that the new version would be a bit more updated in quality. At the end of the day I do really like the book. The main character is unlikable but redeemable and we as readers want to forgive him. I really like the love interest in this book and think that his character is quite unique to what most love interests look like in books.