gay characters Archives - Hsinju’s Lit Log

ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

BOYS, BEASTS & MEN by Sam J. Miller | ARC Review

14th June 2022
BOYS, BEASTS & MEN by Sam J. Miller, introduction by Amal El-Mohtar
- Publisher: Tachyon Publications, June 14th 2022
- Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Short Stories
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 330 pages
Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.

If light horror speculative fiction is your jam, Boys, Beasts & Men should be on your TBR.

There are 15 stories (not including the interstitials) in this collection. The majority of them shared themes of family tension with young gay boys where the parents go to great lengths to fix their relationships, anger and/or injustice manifested as physical forms, AIDS, etc.
Read More

No Comments
ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

The Awakening by Nora Roberts | ARC Review

23rd November 2020
The Awakening (The Dragon Heart Legacy #1) by Nora Roberts
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, November 24th 2020
- Genre: Fantasy, Romance
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 448 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
This is my first Nora Roberts book. I know. I couldn’t believe I have never read anything else by her either. And I really enjoyed this first book of her new fantasy series.
Read More

No Comments
ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life by Dani Jansen | ARC Review

2nd September 2020
The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life by Dani Jansen
- Publisher: Second Story Press, September 22nd 2020
- Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 314 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Alison Green was partly tricked into producing a Shakespeare school play. Desperate to be valedictorian, she wanted everything to be in her control. But alas, mistakes happen and soon she found herself in the midst of a failing play, ruined friendships, strained romance, and much more.

I am glad I have read A Midsummer Night’s Dream before reading this book. Otherwise, it would have been incredibly confusing.
Read More

No Comments
ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

We Go Together by Abigail de Niverville | ARC Review

7th August 2020
We Go Together by Abigail de Niverville
- Publisher: NineStar Press, August 10th 2020
- Genre: Young Adult, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook (eARC)
- Page Count: 275 words
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
CW: off-page rape, abusive relationship, (possible) PTSD, off-page transphobia, off-page pregnancy, off-page incarceration

This was heavy. The narrative tone is somber and reminiscent. With its main theme being Kat dealing with an abusive past relationship, the story is less about what is happening in the physical world but more about what goes on in Kat’s mind. That being said, the many events during Kat’s time at Grand-Barachois are so sweet they made me slightly emotional again and again. In We Go Together, we follow her journey of healing as she begins to acknowledge what she has gone through, relearns to trust others, and finds her own voice again.
Read More

2 Comments
ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Coyote Blues by Karen F. Williams | ARC Review

6th June 2020
Coyote Blues by Karen F. Williams
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Fantasy, Thriller, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 312 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Riley E. Dawson and Fiona Bell were teenagers when they fell in love. And they had sex. But the post-sex excitement possibly triggered Riley’s first coywolf transformation, and witnessing their daughter turning into a beast, Riley’s adoptive parents cut ties with her and sent her away. She never saw Fiona again. Until twenty years later. As an experienced clinical social worker and psychotherapist, Riley found herself losing control the moment Fiona showed up in her therapist office.
Read More

No Comments