(Since the paperback version is releasing in February, and has an updated cover, I’m putting both the hardcover and paperback covers. The right image is the paperback.)
Information:
- Author: Ryan La Sala
- Genre: Contemporary, Romance
- Page Count: 321
- Year Published: 2022
Read This If You Like:
- Queer representation
- Dual timelines
- Second chance trope
- More focus on friendship than romance
- Cosplay/Fashion Design
- Anime/cartoon references
Spoiler-Free Summary:
Raffy has a passion for cosplay and fashion design, and is on his way to Contraverse, a massive pop culture convention, to compete in his biggest cosplay competition yet along with his best friend, May. But everything changes when Raffy finds out that his ex-boyfriend, Luca, is also competing. Raffy and Luca should have worked out- they had the perfect meet-cute one year ago, bonded over their shared interests in design and cosplay, and worked out perfectly as a team. Yet that was before their personal lives got in the way and everything shattered. Now forced together in the competition, they wonder if they’ll have to avoid each other forever… or if there is still space for them to reconnect.
Review/Opinions:
This addition to the lgbtq+ romance genre was fun, but also had quite a bit of emotion. I first found out about this author through their book The Honeys, a YA horror novel with a genderfluid protagonist, as well as bees, summer camp, mysterious girls, and the most terrifying first chapter you will ever read. So it was interesting to see that they also wrote a romance novel, and it beautifully met my expectations.
Raffy and Luca had a very well written relationship. It felt like there was less emphasis on their romance than in other books- there were many kisses between the two, but Raffy also is confused about if they are truly having a relationship. Even if there was more focus on friendship, the two perfectly clicked together and had a sweet relationship. And even if it didn’t end up working out, they still were able to beautifully reconnect later on.
This book also had a unique style of chapter organization. All the chapters are written from Raffy’s perspective, but they alternated from chapters in the present where Raffy is in the cosplay competition, and ones in the past that chronicle how Raffy and Luca met, and later broke up. Most second-chance books only have a few flashback chapters about the original relationship and breakup, and mainly focus on the present-day, so I loved this chapter structure- it brought a lot more development to not only the characters, but also their relationship. However, it’s also sad knowing that the book will end not only in Raffy and Luca getting back together, but also in a breakup.
There was also another part of this book that added even more emotion- Raffy and Luca’s parents. This is probably the third or fourth queer book in a row that I’ve read that contains parents that make the readers upset for the character’s situation. In this book, Raffy’s mom is the owner of a successful art gallery, yet thinks cosplay isn’t real art and disapproves of Raffy’s hobby of cosplay. Meanwhile, Luca’s parents are worried that his hobbies affect him too much, and these beliefs play a huge part in the eventual breakup. While it is very sad, it adds to the deep amount of layers this book has, but I am frustrated that not a lot was done to improve the situation.
Now it’s time to talk about a much lighter component of this book- the costumes. The fashions and energy of the convention were beautifully illustrated, and I would love to see some of those cosplays in real life. There were also some fun pop culture references (Luca in particular is shown to be a huge anime fan.)
Overall, this is one of the best additions to the second-chance romance genre. While stylish and fun, it’s more importantly an emotional tale on how relationships end and later rebuild.
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