I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW TO FOLLOW.

This was a super fun, witty book. If you love dysfunctional family dynamics, witty banter, and over-the-top debacles then this book is right up your alley. The characters were smart and self-aware and, most of them, exceptionally likable. One of the few things I didn’t like much about the book was the seeming immaturity of the main character. However, it was very well balanced by his self-awareness and so, much of the time, it played off as humorous and even, in spite of myself, I found it charming at times. There was also one incident with our MC and his cousin that was unnecessary (in that it added nothing to the story) and was actually kind of icky. In fact, that cousin really didn’t add much to the story. But otherwise, I really, REALLY liked this book and found myself drawn to it and flipping those pages at a feverish pace. I’m definitely a new fan of the author’s and can’t wait to explore his backlog.

I was so pleasantly surprised with the way THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE AND LOSS subverted so many of the common tropes of the "Adult moves back home" genre (which has been a little overabundant lately). Rather, I loved what WASN'T written; using Noah's mother's ALS as an impetus but not a tragic ending was such a beautiful surprise and added a very interesting dimension of resonance for readers who understand that living with sick parents is a long, long journey that doesn't necessarily wrap up in the same story as it's introduced.

I interpreted this novel as a beautiful commentary on how we subconsciously create support systems (and why it's so important that we do). Knowing that Noah's family will soon experience the inevitable, but that he's set up for support when it happens... it gives me such a uniquely hopeful feeling amid tragic circumstances, and I don't quite recall experiencing that in a book before.

I've recommended this to friends as a gay comedy version of recruiting a team for a bank heist, except the team is an extended family you've never met and the job is creating a support system to catch you after a looming tragedy. It's such a fun, funny, heartbreaking little bauble and I hope it finds its audience especially in queer adults and millennials with aging parents.

Noah gets the news that his mother, the famous poet Virginia York, has a fatal illness.

He swoops in for a visit along with his aunt (who he hasn’t seen in years) and his cousin, who was adopted in that interim.

What happens next is a wild week of insane family drama.

Being back home sends Noah down a memory lane that ignites his simmering longing for his ex boyfriend, JD, into a boil.

Family secrets are shared, new missteps happen, there are reunions and grief and so much love and heartache.

This was the perfect mix of funny and poignant. I loved Noah and his mother’s sarcasm the tangle of relationships.

You escape home, you escape high school, but do you ever really leave? The main character leaves a piece of himself at home and tries to regain his life when he is called home to help his mother.

4.5 stars, rounded up. WHEW this book was a whirlwind - there was so much packed into a rather small book, but I had such a fun time reading this! Noah York might be one of my favorite characters of all time. His sense of humor and pessimism is right up my alley, and I related so much to his self-deprecation. He was chaotic, charming, and self-destructive in the best possible ways, while also growing as a person throughout the story. The book hit on a lot of heavy themes, and the author handled these all with a ton of heart and a splash of humor (seriously, this book was SO funny). This was a story about second chances and finding family and love when you need it most. This book has everything: romance, rekindled family, and plenty of drama to go around. If you're looking for a quick read packed with plenty of wit and all the emotions, give this one a try!

I was a little skeptical about this one because I was scared it was going to be a sob fest and I do not like crying 😆 I was very surprised. The main character Noah is a little irritating but he is meant to be that way. His banter with his mother is very “Gilmore Girls” but I loved their relationship. And JD and Noah were to die for. If you like second chance romance you will love this. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. @bartyates1

#bookstagram #bookreview #netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I settled on a 3.75 for this, rounded up of course!

I wanted to start this by saying that Leave Myself Behind means a lot to me. It came out when I was in high school, which was when I read it. I could relate to it a lot, being a teenage queer person in one of the tiniest towns around. And now, like Noah, I am in my 30s. Even though this is a standalone sequel, the nostalgia factor is there. I missed Noah, Virginia, and J.D. I think they are great, intriguing, endearing characters.

This book is a lot different than Leave Myself Behind, though. It focuses a lot more on familial issues that Virginia and Noah are going through. I thought that it was done really well, while incorporating other information about the three main characters' lives.

I only really rated this book this way for two reasons -

1) I wanted a bit more! I know that this could be because I zoomed through the arc because I wanted to know EVERYTHING. That's what happens when you come back to some of your favorite characters after there is a 20 year gap.

2) There was some offensive language that Noah never really grew out of. In the early 2000s when the first book was written and the MC was in high school, it was more accepted (though obviously not ok) but now some things should be obvious. If you read this book, be aware that you'll see the word sp*z (and sp*stic) a couple times. There's also bulimia joke. Noah makes a lot of sarcastic comments and jokes. Most of them are fine. But be aware of those ones!

TW for past incest/sexual abuse (not on page).

A touching story of complicated relationships with touches of humor. While this book kept me interested and reading, it didn’t check all the boxes for me. Thank you @netgalley for the eARC.

The Language of Love and Loss by Bart Yates is a wonderful blend of comedy, drama and heartfelt emotion. It was my first book by this author and I picked it up not knowing that it was a sequel to his earlier book Leave Myself Behind but I was pleased to find that it read exceptionally well as a standalone and I did not feel like I was missing out by not having read the previous book. That being said I enjoyed this one so much that I have added Leave Myself Behind to my TBR and I look forward to revisiting these wonderful characters.
The focus of the book is struggling artist Noah York who returns to visit his mother only to learn that she has been diagnosed with ALS. While she has had time to come to terms with the diagnosis, it comes as something of a shock to Noah, as do the two requests she makes of him - to consider moving back home so that they can spend more of the time she has left together and to help her to find the daughter she was forced to give up for adoption when she was only a child herself. As if this was not enough to make Noah's head spin, he also finds himself face to face with the one who got away, his first love JD, now a married to another man which makes the fact that Noah still has feelings for him even more awkward.
This is a book where the characters are at the heart , and I really fell in love with the family that the author has created. The relationships are unusual, but in a wonderful way and I love the banter and teasing between them. The book is not all sweetness and laughter however, and the author explores some dark topics including sexual abuse and homophobic violence, so reader be warned.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it .
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I first read Bart Yates's debut "Leave Myself Behind" when I was fifteen years old, just a bit younger than protagonist Noah York. I remember feeling a quick connection to Noah, with his signature snark and sarcastic personality, and I found myself wondering what became of him after the book ended. Coming back to Noah's world nearly twenty years later (and finding I've aged with him!) was an absolute ride. To be clear, it is NOT necessary to read “Leave Myself Behind” prior to “The Language of Love and Loss.” Yates leaves enough background information sprinkled through the book for a new reader to not feel lost or frustrated, something that is reflected in other reviews here. I did feel like having read the previous book enriched the experience and built on itself very effectively.

Noah has returned to Oakland to stay with his mother, famed poet Virginia York, who has recently been diagnosed with ALS. He’s been broken up with the love of his life (for those of you who read the first book, we’re talking about J.D.) for years now, and is kicking himself for his part in it. He’s okay… but he’s not really okay. When Virginia tasks him with finding his half-sister who was forcibly taken from her at a young age, Noah is thrown headfirst into family history he knows almost nothing about. Noah’s aging feels genuine, and while he’s still clearly the same person he’s calmed down a bit and recognizes the natural parts of him that are a little too gung-ho and have gotten him into trouble. He is still running his mouth… but would he really be Noah if he didn’t?
(Be honest. You know the answer is no.)

As always, Yates’s characters are the stars of the show. Every person in the book holds their own distinct personality, with the interactions between Noah and his nephew Leo feeling particularly hilarious and heartwarming. I LOVED Virginia this time around. Her journey from the beginning of the book to the climax feels realized, and Yates does a great job of acknowledging the grief she, Noah, and the rest feel over her physical health deteriorating. There’s just never enough time, and I felt my own emotions reflected frequently as I read. This is a book that doesn’t shy away from the complexities of time, aging, or illness.
Also, let’s just talk for a second about this COVER. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Kensington Publishers for giving Yates a cover he deserves! I’m beyond excited that the first book is getting new art as well; I never felt like the original cover reflected the quality of the book inside! I know the cover isn’t the most important thing by a long shot, but I can assure you it makes a world of difference when I’m handing a book to a patron.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for this eARC of The Language of Love and Loss. I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy in May, and I will definitely be posting public reviews when we get a bit closer to publication!

I knew I was going to love this book, after reading the first sentence in chapter one, "The next time Mom wants me to come home, remind me why I'd rather roast my own balls over a campfire."
Noah, 37 year old, artist travels from Providence to his childhood home in Oakland where his 'difficult' mother, and oh so famous writer/poet of a mother resides and she's none other than Virginia York. He's clearly not pleased to be home, but he's there and what follows is a trip down memory lane, and him having to face his past mistakes.
I love Noah's sense of humor and when he meets his nephew, Leo, somewhere along the story line- then those two made this book a laugh out loud kinda book for me.
When I got to the end, I learned that it's a stand-alone sequel, but for what it's worth, it lives up to the title, because there is a way in which each character faces their fears, mistakes and above all...their hopes and desires for the future that made this the kind of book that feels like family, where everyone is imperfect but they are always welcome.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC