*DNF at 26%*

This was definitely…
a debut!

The writing wasn’t great and i feel as though the plot was dumped on me instead of actually learning about the characters and their predicaments. There was a lot of talk about zodiac signs and I find that I in-fact do not care if you’re a pisces and you cry a lot. Maybe you’re just a little bitch.

This gives very hallmark vibes and I’m sure it has it’s audience but I can’t let the bad writing slide to be able to finish or enjoy this

Thank you One More Chapter and NetGalley for the eARC of Look Up, Handsome! All opinions in this review are my own.

This was the Christmas romance I was looking for! I love how Quinn is bookshop owner and Noah is a bestselling author. I love that it is set in a town full of bookshops and how people come together to save Quinn's bookshop. I can't recommend Look Up, Handsome enough!

Intro

Hay-On-Wye is on the verge of losing its only queer bookshop, and the owner, Quinn, has no idea what he's going to do.

This close to Christmas, Quinn can't believe that he's being evicted by his own stepfather, and it feels like he'll need a miracle to make it through to the new year with his shop still in his possession.

Quinn had no idea that help would come in the form of Noah, a handsome and famous novelist who just so happens to be visiting his hometown for the holidays. Quinn will take all the help that Noah is willing to give, and he wouldn't complain if he happened to fall in love along the way.

Thoughts

I really thought that I would love this cozy, Hallmark feeling, read. The story had potential, but too many things missed the mark for me. Most notably, I didn't feel any chemistry between Noah and Quinn. Obviously for a romance centered story, this is bad news. I feel like they had a few awkward and dry conversations, and started to call that falling in love. I didn't even really buy that they would have had chemistry as friends. I was constantly waiting to feel a connection growing between the two of them in a way that would be at all noteworthy, but I finished the book without feeling any kind of spark that would have made me actually care about the relationship.

Another thing that was tough for me was that the plot felt very repetitive at times. Quinn would panic about losing his shop, plan an event to raise community awareness, and then wait for Noah to show up, either at the event or at Quinn's apartment after.

I feel like a lot of the repetitiveness was hard to get through because the author tended to do a lot of telling instead of showing. This also felt like it diluted the chance of a good Hermione/ghostwriting subplot, which I would have loved to go deeper into.

Overall, this one missed the mark for me because I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. It had good potential, but ultimately fell short of execution.

Such a fun read! Loveable main characters, beautiful location and wonderful storytelling. Thank you, Jack for a hearty romance!

Many thanks to the publisher and the author for providing me with the eARC.

Enjoyable christmas read, loved the characters of Quinn and Noah. Set around a book shop and small town comforts. It was a fantastic debut book that had me wanting to know what happens next.

Thank you so much for this holiday read! I absolutely love any LGBTQ+ reads for the holidays and this was no exception. It will go on my December repeats list for sure.

I absolutely loved this!

I actually read this while on holiday in Hay-on-Wye and it captured the setting so beautifully.

I did love Quinn a lot, but I struggled to connect to Noah - I think potentially being dual POV would have been effective to help readers connect to Noah a little more.

That being said though, it was a heart-warming read and worth it for the setting alone!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc. 🫶🏻

Although this was not my favourite queer holiday rom-com read, it was a good one!

Hay-on-Wye, a small town famous for its bookish history and present-day attractions, is definitely one I'd like to visit. Quinn, owner of Kings and Queens, the town's only queer bookstore (in a historic church nonetheless! love that!) is under threat of eviction from developers restoring the town's historic castle wanting to renovate the old chuch as part of the restoration/tourist attraction. To make matters worse: they want him out by Christmas Eve...

I typically prefer dual-POV in romance but I think being told from Quinn's POV only was a positive, and I think the writing style/Quinn's inner-monologue would suit audiobook narration really well. I loved how central the bookstore was to the plot, Quinn's friendship with Ivy, the display of community support for Kings and Queens, and the subplot involving our love interest's mother and her past. Unfortunately, I really didn't care much for the Noah, said love interest, or feel the chemistry between them; a slow burn romance saved me here.

Also, wtf is wrong with working at a bookstore when you're 30, Harold?!

Content warning for death of a parent (past, off-screen), death via car accident (past, off-screen), discussions of being filmed sexually without consent, family conflict around the holiday season

This festive LGBTQ+ romcom was a hit!. The story follows Quinn, the owner of a struggling queer bookshop, and Noah, a romantic novelist stranded in town during a snowstorm. Tropes include forced proximity and grumpy/sunshine. There is a natural blend on humor, romance, and Christmas vibes making it a delightful holiday read!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this when I found out it involved a queer bookshop and Christmastime! I loved the vibes in this book and found Quinn so relatable. I would definitely recommend for the holiday season!

I adore the premise of this--an MM bookstore rom-com set in HAY?! Yes, please. However, I didn't love the book as much as I'd hoped, mostly because the love interest grated on me for awhile. I also didn't fully gel with the narrative/author's sense of humor, which is a stumbling block for me with a lot of contemporary rom-coms.

This was a cute MM romance between a book seller in a small town and an author from that town who made it big. The book seller is fighting not to be Evicted from the store by his step father.

The cast of characters is great. I always love good friends and family side characters. The only weak spot was the ending. It was the ending the book needed, but some of the wrapping up of the issues came in really unbelievable ways.

Really cute premise with a cosy setting but the writing and characters fell very flat for me. I just didn’t like the main character at all and the dialogue felt unnatural

DNF @25%. I really wanted to like this book - the premise sounded fantas, I'm always on the lookout for more queer romance, and the fact that it's set in Wales made it even more exciting. But the writing was just chaotic - we're constantly jumping from one thing to the next, and there's too much telling rather than showing. Plus, I didn't really feel that the characters had any depth as individuals, or chemistry together.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc

I am always quite skeptical of holiday related books as I feel like some have no depth. This one does though which has me hooked throughout. Immediately Quinn had a physical attraction to Noah which I think was handled well and they didn’t cross any lines that they shouldn’t have.

It was an impactful read that shared many people’s stories in relation to sec and sexual orientation.

A solid 3.75 stars from me

With family like this, who needs enemies? Quinn runs the town's queer bookshop, but he's being evicted by his stepfather. Yes, you read that right. Thankfully, the town doesn't want to lose the queer bookshop, which is a community staple for them, so a plan to save the bookshop ensues.

I would love to see a movie adaptation of this holiday romcom. The writing is so funny, and the story is very charming. I had such a good time reading this.

In the cozy town of Hay-on-Wye, Quinn Oxford’s queer bookshop is at risk of closing, and he’s determined to save it. But when brooding romance novelist Noah Sage gets stuck in town due to a snowstorm, he and Quinn find themselves constantly crossing paths. As their connection deepens in the holiday season, Quinn must decide if he can save his beloved shop and win Noah’s heart—or if the past will tear them apart.

This cozy, queer Christmas romance is a heartwarming blend of small-town charm, slow-burn romance, and snowed-in magic. I loved the found family aspect, especially how the queer community rallied around Quinn, and how Quinn and Noah's relationship grew into something sweet and tender. With a perfect balance of lightheartedness and deeper themes, it’s a delightful holiday read that tackles important topics while capturing the warmth of the season.

This book offers an atmospheric small-town setting and a unique premise centered on saving a queer bookshop. While the wintery backdrop and emotional elements provide some charm, the story's execution falls short in key areas. The romance between Quinn and Noah lacks chemistry, and character development feels superficial, making it difficult to connect with their struggles. Secondary plots, such as family issues and Hollywood fame, are intriguing but don't fully deliver. This was a great debut!

Quinn wants to save his bookshop, the last thing he needs is to fall in love…

Hay-on-Wye’s only queer bookshop is always a hive of activity. So when it’s threatened with closure, its owner Quinn Oxford is determined to do whatever it takes to save his beloved shop.

That is until romantic novelist Noah Sage arrives in town. Gorgeous, brooding and clearly unhappy to be there, Noah is the distraction Quinn doesn’t need. Noah has a history with Hay and it’s one he’d rather not face. But when the snow leaves him stranded, he’s left with no choice.

Hay is a small town, meaning Quinn can’t help but bump into Noah wherever he goes. And as the two grow closer together, is it possible that Noah’s feelings towards Hay will thaw? Can Quinn have a real-life romance and save his beloved bookshop? Or will he need a Christmas miracle…

This book was so cute! It was festive and warmed your insides! I love reading queer romance as a queer girlie myself and honestly this one had me giggling and kicking my feet! Now I will say I have read a plot similar to this but I just had such an enjoyable time reading the book!

I’m mad cause I’m outrageously close to booking a trip to Hay-on-Wye.
Yes this book did make me fall in love with a silly little book town that I’ve never been too - it’s literally my dream to just be around bookshops 24/7 and I’m actually not sure I’ll be able to resist for much longer!
Okay and while this was a lovely book, it was super emotional too! I was really feeling all that Quinn was going through with potentially losing the shop, it wasn’t all fun and games in the snowy book town! But oh damn Noah can save my soul anytime.
There was so much packed into this book. What appears as a fun queer Christmas romance book, actually touches on so much and deals with a lot of important topics in a beautiful way. Extremely heartfelt and just a wonderful read!