e-ARC, NetGalley
Author: Thimothy Janovisky
Wren Roland has never been kissed. He’s been waiting for the perfect “movie moment” and it hasn’t happened yet. He almost had ‘The Kiss’ … but the fates didn’t allow it. So, on a drunken whim on his 22nd birthday, he sends the drafted out emails he wrote to the 4 boys he had a crush on before he came out. One is to his best friend Mateo (oops, oh crap), one comes back undeliverable, another goes unanswered and then he gets a message from HIM. Derick Haverford, his first crush and best friend in high school, who unexpectedly ghosted him completely, breaking his heart. They were joined at the hip and he just disappeared from Wren’s life.
Now, Derick’s not only answering his email, but informing him that they will be working together at Wren’s favorite place – the drive-in.
Throw in there a touching story of Wren and Derick trying to show a movie from a local female director who was ostracized in the 70s for all the wrong reasons and you get all the rom com situations that Wren desperately wants to live. While trying to save the drive-in, bring justice to the wronged director, can Wren and Derick find their way back into each other lives and hearts?
What a delightful read! It has a touch of “Never Been Kissed”, “To All The Boys I Loved Before” and “Boyfriend Material”, you just fall in love with Wren and his pursuit of finding out his true self and finding true love in the process.
I loved how the two MCs are kinda nerdy. Wren is more fleshed out than Derick because this is told entirely through his POV, and sometimes we get a little confused by Derick’s actions, but so is Wren. The secondary characters that become Wren’s “found family” are fun and Alice is a hoot and a half!
If you are a film buff and, mostly, a lover of rom coms, you will love this one! It could have been a tad shorter, but it’s fun nonetheless.
Brownie points for the conflicts not being based on queer phobia! Loved that!
Highly recommend!
Representation: Own Voices Author, queer romance, severe characters identify as LGBTQIA+, MC is demisexual
Possible Triggers: overbearing father and misogyny
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you, NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Timothy Janovisky for the ARC.
