Mein Leseerlebnis

Den Einstieg in die ruhig erzählte, interessante Liebesgeschichte empfand ich als unterhaltsam und spannend zugleich. Ich habe die sympathischen Charaktere gerne näher kennengelernt und mich auf den weiteren Verlauf der Geschichte gefreut.

Spätestens ab der Hälfte des Romans musste ich allerdings feststellen, dass das romance Buch nicht genug zu bieten hatte, um mich über seine gesamte Dauer gut unterhalten zu können.

Zusätzlich fand ich die Familienverhältnisse eines der beiden Helden teils etwas anstrengend.

Als Kurzgeschichte hätte ich “Look up, handsome” sehr wahrscheinlich toll gefunden. In der vorliegenden Form hat mir der Liebesroman eine nette, aber nicht vollständig überzeugende Leserfahrung geboten.

🖤🖤🖤

PS: Ist das Buchcover nicht zum Verlieben schön?

Für wen?

Wer ruhig erzählte Liebesromane mag, in denen einer der Helden lernt, für seinen Traum zu kämpfen, und wer Geschichten mag, die in idyllischen Ortschaften spielen, für den könnte das Buch eine schöne Sache sein.

Man sollte es mögen, wenn die Familienbeziehungen der Hauptcharaktere eine wichtige Rolle im Buch spielen.

A very cute and cozy Christmas themed book. I loved the main characters and their relationship very much. I felt like they were both developed very well and I understood why the characters were together. The supporting characters were amazing as well. Each supporting character had a reason to be there, and I was just as invested in them as I was the mains.

A sweet holiday romance featuring a queer bookshop owner trying to save it from closing when his stepfather tries to evict him.

I was touched by the community coming together to support the town's only queer bookshop. The romance was my least favorite part of the story, though. Noah wasn't a great love interest. But this is a great read for people who love messy queers.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This book is your typical Christmas rom-com about saving a bookshop, but make it immensely queer. And although that should have made me love it from the first page, it didn't catch my attention as much as I would have wanted. Where the story is amazing, it lacked some emotion, and the characters felt pretty flat.

Look Up, Handsome is a simple and sweet holiday romance. The setting is charmingly cozy and while the main plot involving the bookshop is a bit predictable, it’s still plenty heartwarming reading about the outpour of love and support to save the only LGBTQ bookshop in town. Quinn as a main character is someone you really want to root for, and I’m glad by the end of it, he learns to stand up for himself. Noah, however, wasn’t my favourite. I found his lack of emotional maturity disappointing and hard to sympathize with. I feel if this had been a dual POV, we could maybe understand him a bit better. Overall, this is a wholesome read perfect for the Christmas season!

Well I didn't think I'd be reading a Christmas novel in the swimming pool in Croatia but Look Up, Handsome was the perfect read for the sunshine, despite being set at Christmas. it had everything I love from a book: more books and a cute romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book was super cute and will be recommending it to all my friends coming up to Christmas.

Look Up Handsome by Jack Strange was such an enjoyable read. It’s exactly the type of cozy and sweet you know there will be a happy ending type of book. Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

Look Up Handsome follows Quinn, a bookshop owner whose own stepfather has decided to evict him and force him to close up his bookshop right at Christmas. Quinn’s bookshop is the only LGBTQ+ bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, a town known for its book festival and the many book stores that inhabit it. Right from the start Quinn is a character that you root for. He is a bit of a mess and relatable in a way that makes you want everything to go well for him.

When Quinn meets well known author, Noah, it’s the start of a slow burn romance. Their flirting and the way that Quinn is completely taken by Noah makes you root for them as a couple even when there are obstacles set before them. While I think the book doesn’t spend nearly enough time building up the romance, it doesn’t take away from how perfect for each other Quinn and Noah are.

What the book does really well is to give a full picture of what small town life is like. Where people know each other and rally together when something unjust is happening. If you want something light and fun to read set at Christmas time this is the book for you. 4/5 stars.

A really cute, fun queer romance that I felt really transported me to a part of the world I've never visited. It was very cozy, but not without a tangible conflict (which I feel like a lot of these types of books sometimes struggle with, even when they're good). I found the romance to be really compelling with Quinn and Noah's personality types, and the festive setting seems to be a thing that I'm always gonna dig.

This was adorable! The conflict of the bookstore being taken away was a nice contrast to the romance, it gave the story stakes beyond your typical romcom. I also loved the storyline with the recluse celebrity slowly coming out of her shell to share her story….i kind of want a follow up book following her story!

I am not going to lie, reading a Christmas-themed book at the end of August felt odd, but the incredibly moving and emotional story brought me right where Strange wanted me.
"Look Up, Handsome" is a perfect queer read to immerse yourself in once December strolls around, so I hope everyone can gift it to their buddies and also to themselves, because you won't regret it.

This novel follows Quinn, owner of the first and only LGBTQIA+ bookstore in the city of Hay-on-Wye, a little town known for its tens of bookstores and its book festivals. However special his shop may be, it doesn't escape the wrath of capitalism and of property developers, and so Quinn faces eviction right before Christmas, unless he acts and shows everyone how precious the place is to the community.
Enter Noah Sage, queer author of straight romance novels, born in Hay but reluctant to go back there and face his own past. When Noah and Quinn have a fated meeting at Hay's winter book festival, it is the start of a friendship, of a lot of emotions and realisations for the both of them.

As I said, I highly enjoyed this novel. It has all the sweetness and heart of a Hallmark movie, but with better quality writing. Quinn is a relatable character for many, he has a lot of passion and heart, but he's also a bit awkward and struggles with speaking up for himself. This novel is the story of a man who learns that if he wants to achieve all that he wants in life, he must learn to face the music. Nobody else will fight for him otherwise.
The book delves a lot into familial relationships as well, as we find out more about Noah's family and we reckon with Quinn's past too. I don't want to give too much away, but there's a couple of female characters that are absolutely stellar, and at least one of them made me weep.
This is the type of novel that will make your heart grow three sizes, and will give you the happy ending you look for in Christmas books.

This book definitely gave similar vibes to a Hallmark Christmas movie, and as someone who is a sucker for them, I was here for it. Quinn not only had me rooting for him the whole time, but also had me cracking up. I enjoyed this one from start to finish!

This is such a cute romance. I really enjoyed the characters and the comedic aspects. It’s definitely hard for a book to make you laugh but I thought it was executed well here. Some parts of the book could become repetitive and a little cringey, but it’s easy to get past those moments.

I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a holiday romance.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a first by this author but will not be my last! I read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.

I am a sucker for holiday books, so this one seemed perfect for me. I loved the cover and thought the plot seemed really interesting. Although it wasn’t my all time favourite book or anything, I still thought it was a really good holiday read!

I enjoyed the main characters, but I felt like the side characters were also really great! Iris, Hermione, and James in particular I thought were really fun and I liked any scene they were in.

I was so pleasantly surprised that Quinn ghostwriting Hermione’s book wasn’t kept secret from Noah. I fully expected that to end up being a big reveal and conflict, but I’m really glad that didn’t happen.

The biggest thing I disliked was the whole situation with Matty. Although he was not a character I liked, I don’t like how his involvement played out.

If this becomes a series, I would absolutely read a book about Daniel and his relationship.

The story follows Quinn Oxford running the only queer bookshop in a small town called Hay. On the verge of closing down, Quinn meets author Noah Sage and sparks begin to fly. While struggling to save his bookshop, Quinn begins to navigate his life, all while receiving help from unlikely places.

I loved reading this story although there were some hiccups along the way. The plot is simple and primarily focused on romance. I enjoyed how the story weaved saving the bookshop with Quinn’s budding romance and the tension that grew from both. The story flows smoothly with a core supporting cast and then some others who appear more for background noise than anything.

The relationship and chemistry between Quinn and Noah is questionable on many levels but I love them both. They both had great chemistry with each other, however because Noah’s character needed a somewhat pitiful past, it was becoming hard to justify their relationship. Noah was in a relationship before he started leading on Quinn and he shamelessly admitted it all while knowing Quinn’s feelings for him. I hated it but I also loved their interactions and yet, I also don’t endorse cheating. I was conflicted so I honestly just removed the fact that Noah was in a relationship while reading the book.

This story has a lot of LGBTQ+ representation in both characters, discussions and events. I loved how they were part of the story but it felt disconnected. They didn’t feel natural to the story as if they belonged but felt more forced, as if they were inserted just for representation.

The supporting cast of characters were entertaining but nothing really stuck with me. I think they added some depth to both Quinn and Noah characters, but the majority of them either had their own unfinished stories at the end or a quick ending. I wasn’t attached to any but I loved how most were supportive and positive.

This story is set in the winter months around the Christmas season. I absolutely love that season but it’s also one that makes me very lonely. This book does a great job in transporting us to that small town during winter. The writing is simple yet descriptive enough to make out each character’s emotions, the setting and the combined beauty of both.

Overall, I enjoyed this story mainly for the romance between Quinn and Noah. I would have loved to read a little more about their combined life in the future but I’ll settle for this. Quinn’s endeavor to save his bookshop and the family issues discussed throughout were interesting but it was not enough for me to feel captivated by this story. Definitely a good read if you’re looking for romance but don’t read if you’re not okay with cheating.

Look Up Handsome is a cosy, sweet, and heartwarming romance.

With Hallmark vibes, but far less cheesiness, this book was a lovely escapist read. I found the pacing a little slow, but the ending satisfying and warm. Quinn’s character had substance, and both he and Noah were wonderfully endearing. I loved the supporting cast of characters, particularly Ivy and Hermione. The small Welsh town setting of Hay, and the validating and empowering bookshop were my favourite parts of the story, making for a truly cosy Christmas read.

Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for this arc. Opinions expressed are my own.

Loved this and read it in one sitting! I love MM romance books that take place outside the United States and I felt the setting for this novel really shined and I want to visit Wales now. This is truly a cute festive romance that felt just a few cheesy moments away from being something you'd see on Hallmark during winter. But this is not a detriment to the writer. It comes across as intentional and fun. I loved both characters but Quinn really held my heart.

Super sweet, cosy and heartwarming LGBTQIA+ romance. I loved it. I hope there’s a sequel.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was one of my first Christmas reads this year and I loved it! Such wholesome vibes exactly what I needed to start off my festive book season.

Rating: 3.75/5 rounded up to 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this free advance review copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

With Christmas soon approaching Quinn has finally recognised the inevitable, that he is being evicted by his step-father from his beloved book shop. The only queer bookshop in Hay-on-Wye. After accidentally going viral on Instagram and getting the local community behind him, along with visiting romance author Noah, a plan is formed to save the shop.

What I Liked: This was a super cute, warm hot chocolate with a candy cane stick in it, Christmas romance of a book! Both the main characters were lovely though I was more drawn towards Quinn than Noah, he could grovel a bit more to be honest. The secondary characters were fun and well placed and the townspeople were entertaining background extras. The overall plot kept me guessing, I actually rolled my eyes a couple of times thinking it was going to go a more typical route and then was happily surprised!

What didn’t work for me: A couple of things. The main one was the maths wasn’t mathing for Hermione’s backstory, hopefully without giving any spoilers she needs to be younger to have been “young and innocent” for when ‘the event’ takes place given Noah’s age now and ‘the event’ itself needs to have happened a lot closer to the millennium. The other thing was I think we should have had more discussion with what happened between Quinn and Noah and some assurances that it wasn't going to be a repeat as Noah has a history of such behaviour…

Final thoughts: A lovely winter romance (I live in New Zealand so was wrapped up warm during a few miserable rainy days while I read it) that also embraces community spirit and letting go of old fears and preconceptions.

Who would enjoy this: People who like cosy sweet romances with not too much unnecessary drama, low spice and happy ever afters.