Approaching the Christmas season was the perfect time to be reading this book as I really felt the cosy vibes throughout. I was really interested in the main characters and felt so bad for Quinn’s issues with potentially losing his shop, and loved the various side characters as well. Everyone was really well developed and I loved seeing how the story would play out in the end. It was beautifully written and although I started this book rooting for the romance, I ended up needing to know what would happen with the bookshop! A fantastic read for the winter months, showing the beauty of a small town and the friendships and found family which can be formed there. Amazing!!

This book was the perfect cosy Christmas read that you will need this year. Quinn is just trying to save his queer bookshop in Hay on Wye when stunning Noah, romance writer, comes back to his home town and is now Quinn’s ultimate distraction.

Noah has his own back story going on which I actually found really endearing. Quinn’s best friend was totally adorable as well; I could totally eat up a book on her please 🙏🏼

Overall; this book was addictive, laugh out loud funny, swoon worthy, dramatic and cosy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK - One More Chapter for this ARC e-copy of Look Up, Handsome by Jack Strange.

Pull your cozy armchair up to the fireplace, warm up some hot cocoa, and break out this book, marketed as a Hallmark-adjacent LGBTQ+ wintertime romance. It just wasn’t for me.

My main problem with this book is that I didn’t like Quinn, the main character, at all. Has he endured hardships in his life, including the death of a beloved parent and being gay? Yes. Is he currently being threatened with eviction from his bookshop by his own step-father? Also yes. But none of this makes me feel bad for Quinn largely due to his behavior toward others. Quinn is bitter and hateful to everyone he knows, including his so-called best friend and his own mother, who he just can’t forgive for getting remarried after her former husband’s death. This haterism also extends to people that only occasionally pop up in the narrative—the only thing you’ll know about these people is that Quinn met them once and hates them. No amount of quirky mishaps or clumsy pitfalls could make me like Quinn from the very first chapter, unfortunately.

With its aggressive cheerfulness and British-adjacent, slightly forced humor, this book reminded me a lot of Matt Cain’s “Becoming Ted,” which I read earlier this year and didn’t particularly enjoy either. I suppose there must be a market for this type of thing, and I’m just not a part of it.

☆ ☆ - OKAY / DNF

The characters are well-developed, and their chemistry is palpable, making readers root for their happiness., making it a heartwarming escape for any romance fan.

LOOK UP, HANDSOME is a queer holiday romance set in the small town of hay-on-wye in wales. quinn is the owner of the first and only queer bookshop in town—that is, until his stepdad and landlord sends him an eviction notice. quinn is determined to do whatever he needs to save his shop, but when he meets noah, a romance novelist, he can't help but be distracted.

this book has everything i love in a holiday romance and i absolutely loved it. i did find the pacing to be a bit slow in the first third, but as the story progressed, the pacing got much better. i loved the cast of characters in this book and the town coming together to help quinn save the bookshop was so heartwarming!! aside from quinn and noah's romance, i also really enjoyed quinn's relationship with hermione and how it helped him develop.

read if you like:
- grumpy/sunshine
- forced proximity
- small town romance

thanks to netgalley and one more chapter for the advanced copy!

88% into the book and I did not want to end. Look up handsome by Jack strange is that feel good romance of the hallmark movies that gives you all the warm fuzzy and cozy needed. I heard strange talking about on an interview how the book is inspired by Hallmark movies but frankly, it is better than them.

Look up, handsome is a perfect Christmas cozy read that makes you feel good about things. Just like a warm hug or a cup of hot chocolate. This book about Quinn, a small town book owner, his fight to save his bookshop, and his romance with the popular author Noah from the crux of the story. While you know the beats of the story, this one as much more than the romance of it all.

Discussing safe spaces for queer members of the society to be themselves, to have a breathing space, and just be, it showcases why these spaces are important. The ability of these spaces to provide a sense of breather from the outside world and for those related to the queer community trying to understand them providing them education and knowledge. While everyone goes about “ it is not our job to educate them” spaces like these are the ones where one is able to ask those confusing questions without the air of judgement, in trying to understand their loved ones. I think books and publishing and anything bookstore related playing a part in romance might be my favourite sub genre.

It also focuses on finding your own voice within and stand up for what believes in.

Strange’s writing is not forced but rather flows easily as events and the plot moves throughout the story. The romance between the two leads pretty cute and encapsulates the need to pause and reflect without giving in to the vulnerable situations and moments. I still need to find out how strange got Quinn the Pisces so pitch on perfect (I can see that because I am one.)

The friendship between Ivy and Quinn is cute and reminds me one from cemetery boys. I did wish it was fleshed out or given given more off time and scenes between them, to showcase their relationship more, but it was sufficient enough for the story as well.

Binge cozy cute read this Christmas season, with the fire in the background or playing on the TV, blanket, and hot chocolate.

Thank you netgalley and harper collins and one more chapter hc for the arc in exchange for an honest review

This was extremely cute & wholesome. I loved how the main characters were nerdy but didn't show it enough infront of each other.

The setting was almost like a Hallmark movie alike which made the story even more enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, I mean, it's Lgbtq+, is set in a Bookshop, in Hay On Wye. What's not to love!
It just didn't work for me. I've never met two characters with less chemistry, It was awkward, clunky, and quite frankly, Noah is just a bit awful!
The sex scene on the last two pages was uncalled for especially when we have, by this point, read 300 pages, and they haven't done more than shivered when they brushed past each other. I'm all for closed door romance but then don't be talking about "veiny cocks" on the last five pages!
The only redeeming fact about this book is that it's wonderfully inclusive, and I really enjoyed that. Oh, and the Bookshop itself sounds adorable, but this is definitely a 2 star read for me, unfortunately.

This was a festive, bit of feel-good escapism! You are transported to the oldey worldey setting of Hay-on-Wye and even better to a bookshop which is located in an old church and it's nearly Christmas!
The characters are supportive, the community rallying to help Quinn when he is threatened with eviction from his rented premises. The rallying cry is spearheaded by Ivy, probably my favourite character, a forceful woman who you'd be unlikely to say no to! Although Quinn is a very likeable character who you have great sympathy with and want life to go right for him, he does come across as a bit wet, are men as emotional and really cry as much as he appears to do. Noah is comparison is a bit of a cold fish!
The plot is easy to follow although a bit of a slow burner, overall a cosy heart warming romance with a number of graphic sex scenes, that seem at odds with the cosy feel of the rest of the book.

This book had a lot of concepts going for it. I liked the premise, the cover, and it is rated pretty highly. But none of them helped it for me. I honestly would have put this book down in the first chapter if it wasn’t an ARC copy.
I personally cannot stand the writing style here. It reads to me as extremely juvenile. The dialogue is stilted and unnatural, and I picture middle schoolers when they all talk. There’s also a lot of information dumping about things that we either could have learned later or through dialogue that the characters should have already known about each other considering. The progression of the plot is, to me, shaky at best. It seems more like convenience than actual progression a lot of the time, and it didn’t make me emotionally invest in the story or the characters.
And the main character wasn’t particularly someone I’m inspired to stick around and get to know. There was a lot of telling us how he was feeling and/or what he was thinking instead of letting us put things together ourselves. He also just didn’t draw me. The best friend read to me like a middle school diva helping the loser kid. And the love interest was crass or nowhere to be found for a great deal of the novel.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 42%.

Look Up, Handsome is a holiday rom com featuring a bookshop and a hot author love interest - what's not to love? I was interested in both of protagonist Quinn's professional conflicts - rescuing his bookshop from his stepfather's clutches, and pursing his own dream of authorship. But I didn't feel any chemistry (beyond physical attraction) between Quinn and Noah, and the pages felt clunky and overlong. Eventually I had to let this one go.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and One More Chapter for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
My first festive read of the year and what a wonderful way to get into the festive spirit. I adored this story. I fell into the narrative right away and I adored the main character Quinn, we get the story from his POV. He is living my dream life. I only wish his bookshop was real for me to visit. His friends and family make for wonderful side characters especially Ivy and Bloody Blair Beckett. Noah is a gorgeous and brooding love interest and an author to boot. Shame he's obsessed with London!

Harold the step father was the perfect scrooge in this story. I'm a solicitor who works for landlords and I wanted to check the legitimacy of the eviction! Maternity has not turned that part of my brain off fully haha.

I won't give away too much of the plot so as not to spoil it but the premise of saving a queer bookshop before Christmas was wonderful and executed beautifully by Jack's writing. I also like Hermoines story and the double standards when it comes to women and sex. I highly recommend!


#bookreview #bookish #books #reading  #netgalley #lgbtq  #Christmas #Christmasromance #queerlove ##lgbtqfiction  #getjacktohay

Festive Treat
A good cosy read with very likeable character’s. Quinn owns Hay-on-Wyes only queer bookshop and when it’s threatened with closure he is desperate to save it. Then romantic novelist Noah arrives in Town and soon becomes a distraction for Quinn. A great debut novel for Jack Strange.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book is adorable and so cute. I love all things bookshop, Christmas, and crushes.

A slow burn small town read where he falls first, but which he falls?

This hy as cozy winter holiday vibes with the spicier bits off the page. Will the forced proximity and grumpy/sunshine ways bring us a happy-ever-after?

From the beautiful cover to the character and plot arc it's time to dive into a story about a romance writer and a romance book junkie in their quest for a happy-ever-after.

This was a really enjoyable holiday MM read. Quinn is so relatable with how anxious he is about everything. The bookshop was definitely one of my favorite pieces of this story. The atmosphere and vibe were so quaint and beautiful and got me in the spirit. I can’t say I totally loved Noah 😅

I absolutely 𝔸𝔻𝕆ℝ𝔼𝔻 this book!

It's cute, warm and fuzzy... plus, it is absolutely HILARIOUS!

Quinn (bit of an introvert, loyal and loving) and Noah (less introverted as an author but a bit dark and brooding) are fantastic characters. Jack really makes them come alive in the story.

Ivy is blooming marvellous - she is exactly who I need in my real life right now. Where can I find her??? 😆

Jack's story has the main plot of trying to save Quinn's bookshop but also a few different subplots to it: Quinn/Noah - will they/won't they, Hay itself, introducing us to the Hay LBTQ+ Community (and their wonderful flare!) and the terrible misogynistic events that poor Hermione had to endure etc...

𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤 𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕥 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝟛𝟠𝟜 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕕!

I have read Sapphic romances before and have enjoyed them, but I have only read a handful of Archillean romances, so I was excited to read Jack's book!

I absolutely wasn't disappointed as this was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it!

I can't wait to see more of Jack's work!

Highly recommend Look Up, Handsome ❤️

A bookstore owner trying to save his queer bookshop finds his life turned upside down when his favorite queer romantic novelist arrives in town and could be the only hope to save the store. Quinn owns a queer bookshop and receives a sudden eviction notice, now it'll take a Christmas miracle to save it. Then romantic novelist Noah Sage, and Quinn's celebrity crush, arrives in town. Noah has history with the town and doesn't seem happy to be back, but Quinn knows he needs to steer clear because Noah is a distraction he does not need... except th snowy weather has other plans and when Noah gets stranded he begins bumping into Quinn everywhere. Noah and Quinn begin to spend more time together... but Noah has a completely different life outside of this small town and Quinn needs to focus on saving his beloved bookshop. Can a romance happen between two different people or will they need a Christmas miracle? This was an okay Christmas romance, it started off really cute but kind of got boring in the middle for me. I love the premise of a small town romance between a bookstore owner and an author, however it just kind of didn't have the Christmas romance magic I was hoping for. It's a cute read overall and one I think people will enjoy for the holiday season though.

Release Date: September 26,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A snowy novel about a tight-knit community trying to save their local queer bookshop.

This was a mellow read that I would recommend if you need to unwind after an exam or something of the like.

Unfortunately, the romance aspect fell flat for me. It felt a bit pushed, and I just didn’t care for it. The questioning himbo has my heart, though.


Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC!

I read this in the dark on my kindle while without power after hurricane Helene. This was the most perfect escape. I loved this story set in Hay. It was really sweet and perfectly complicated for a fun winter read!