Welcome to the December edition of the Queer Lit Review! This month we have a human federal agent falling for his new werewolf partner, boyfriends on a trip around the world before marriage, and the Prince of Christmas falling for the Prince of Halloween.
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Happy Reading!
Title/Author: The Wolf at the Door by Charlie Adhara
Reviewer: Jordan
Summary: Hunting for big bad wolves was never part of Agent Cooper Dayton’s plan, but a werewolf attack lands him in the carefully guarded Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI). A new case comes with a new partner: ruggedly sexy werewolf Oliver Park. Park is an agent of The Trust, a werewolf oversight organization working to ease escalating tensions with the BSI. But as far as Cooper’s concerned, it’s failing. As they investigate a series of mysterious deaths, unlike anything they’ve seen, every bone in Cooper’s body is suspicious of his new partner—even when Park proves himself as competent as he is utterly captivating.
Series/Standalone: Big Bad Wolf #1
Genre/Sub-Genre: Paranormal mystery/romance
Book Format: eBook
Length: 252 pages
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Gay
Content Warnings: None really
Well-Written/Editor Needed: Well-written
Would I Recommend?: Yes!
Personal thoughts: I’ve just finished book five in the series and I’ve enjoyed all of them. This is a great mystery/romance series where we follow Cooper and his new partner Oliver, through different cases in each book. The fun part about this series is that they are not standalones and each case helps them realize things about themselves and each other. The first book was very good and by the end I was having trouble putting the books down. I almost missed my stop on the T several times due to these books!
The mysteries were interesting, complex, and kept me on my toes. In the beginning they all seem like individual cases, but toward the end you start to realize they’re actually interconnected. Brilliant work with the twists and connecting everything together!
The romance was realistic and well-handled. It might have gotten a bit sappy toward the end, depending on your take, but I loved it. Cooper and Park were very adult about their misunderstandings, feelings, and everything else. I loved this line from Cooper: “Dreams change. People change. Please don’t stop giving me the chance to change with you.” I had to stop reading to write it down!
The Big Bad Wolf series concludes with book five but leaves a few questions unanswered. That’s where Adhara’s new series, Monster Hunt, picks up, with Pack of Lies. I’ve not started this one yet, but I’m excited to leap back into this world from another character’s point-of-view and see where his story takes him.
Title/Author: Our Not-so-lonely Planet Travel Guide by Mone Sorai; translated by Katie Kimura; lettering by Vibrraant Publishing Studio
Reviewer: Dani
Summary: Boyfriends Mitsuki and Asahi embark on a trip around the world, having made a deal together: once they complete their journey and return to Japan, they'll get married.
Series/Standalone: Series
Genre/Sub-Genre: Manga
Book Format: Physical
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Gay
Content Warnings: Internalized homophobia, past unspecified medical issue
Well-Written/Editor Needed: Well-written
Would I Recommend?: Yes
Personal thoughts: Avoiding some of the well-trodden ground of boys' love manga, this ongoing series focuses on an established couple navigating their relationship as they visit different cities and sights across the globe. Light on plot but big on character dynamics, these first four volumes give a lot of attention to how serious, anxiety-prone Asahi and carefree Mitsuki grow closer through the trials and joys of travel.
Their journey from destination to destination, with a new location introduced in each chapter, keeps the story moving along, and brings with it an understated exploration of global queerness. (Some parts more successful than others; the first chapter leads with some well-meaning but potentially off-putting “cis people meeting trans people for the first time ever” moments, but after that, the queer rep seems to find its footing.) Probably the most satisfying development is seeing Asahi become more comfortable opening up about his and Mitsuki's relationship as they meet and befriend more queer people along the way.
The illustrations are both lively and informative, with characters' animated and often comical expressions juxtaposed with detailed scenes of landscapes and meals.
A sweet read for queer-friendly armchair travel.
Title/Author: The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
Reviewer: Logan
Summary: Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.
But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.
Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.
Series/Standalone: Royals & Romance #1
Book Format: eAudiobook
Length: 12h 23m
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Bisexual & Gay
HEA/HFN: HEA
Content Warnings: Parental Abuse/Neglect (Santa is the abusive parent FYI, and an overall bad guy)
Ratio of Sex/Plot: 1% Sex 99% Plot
Well-Written/Editor Needed: Well-written
Would I Recommend it?: Yes!
Personal Thoughts: I really enjoyed this title, though I actually wanted more content. There were so many interesting, politically informed plot points that I wish we had gotten more information on how our MCs handled the circumstances after the climax of the story. If you are going into this expecting a fluffy Hallmark-esq Christmas story, that’s not what you’ll be getting (i.e., SANTA IS A BAD GUY). Honestly, the best way I can describe this is ‘don’t think about the magic.’ Taking the magical elements out of this story, it is about a college kid whose father has been trying to force him into a mold, and all he wants is some agency and autonomy. His mother left them, his father berates them, and despite everyone thinking he’s a trainwreck, he does care about the role he’s meant to fill. He’d do anything for his younger brother, and best friend, even if it meant giving up his choice. This is a coming-of-age story set in the parameters of royal/political dealings, with a group of college kids who have the best of intentions, a strong bond between them, and love in all forms.
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