I loved this book so much. It resonated so deeply with me.
It's a beautiful coming of age romance and I almost didn't want it to end.
I highly recommend this lovely story for those who love Manga and Japanese culture.

I have always been a fan of everything this author writes. I am interested to see her social justice agenda shining through many of her latest NA (New Adult) novels. I like the way she talks about the ways society have let down groups of marginalised people, and then goes on to show these same people fight back. It's empowering and uplifting.

The focus in this book is more an exploration of the asexual spectrum. I especially liked how the roles of Xander and Skylar reversed throughout the development of their relationship. Initially Skylar plays the protector, the safety net for grumpy, socially anxious Xander, but gradually Xander finds his strength and becomes what Skylar needs so that he can confront his own fears. It's a true depiction of a loving, committed relationship.

I can see other people struggled with the Manga-inspired elements, but for me they provided a rich diverse layer. Secondary characters are always crucial in a Cullinan book and this is no different. The people who surround Sky and Xander are fully developed and bring support and respect to the story.

I imagined quite a different resolution, but it's impossible to be disappointed with such a satisfying epilogue. Thanks to Netgalley for advanced copy. Released August 8.

After about 20% into reading this title, I began to wonder if I was reading a fan fiction or a book that had not gone through professional editing. The language and technique are fine but this greatly suffers from a lot of excesses as well as very indulgent writing. The characters are so overidealized and yet so underwritten as to be cardboard caricatures. The worldbuilding is risible in its unlikeliness, and the story is bog standard romance. There is definitely potential here but it feels like I am reading something by an author that is loved but coddled - that no one has really taken the time to give some hard critiques in order to push her writing skills.

Story: Xander is a closeted and asocial - an artiste more than an artist. Skyler is an all American frat boy - a nice guy from a good family who is universally liked but who is defined by others more than himself. When Skyler comes to help Xander with promoting his art projects, the two will come to know each other better and help both overcome their shortcomings.

As soon as I read the names, Xander Fairchild and Skyler Stone, I had concerns this title would be overidealized (no John Manciewicz or Berto Rodriguez, ha). Yet again in a romance, we have good looking boys, one of whom is super nice and the other is touchy and always nasty/unpleasant. The nice guy doesn't ever seem to mind, though, when in reality he'd probably just tell the other guy to go to hell. But of course, we as readers will like the jerk because we see his inner monologue and know that he's just a nice guy at heart. Blech - I want nuances in my characters and I'm so tired of the 'spitfire' trope. Being rude and overreating to every single little situation does not show 'spirit' - it just makes someone a selfish obsessed. Skyler isn't really a person if he just walks around being a sponge for Xander's emo antics. Unfortunately, what these characters boil down to is Xander is a jerk and Skyler is fake. Having Skyler fall madly in love with Xander's abstract art at first sight (and even correctly interpreting it, natch), made me rolls my eyes in disgust.

The world building is just silly. I love manga and anime culture as much as the author, but I don't feel it needs to work its way into every aspect of this very American story. Some silly backstory of founders traveling to Japan and bringing the culture back, starting a college in the US, and that history somehow translates into secret Shinto shrines on school that our characters pray to as well as a long running college manga in this present day. Really? Just having Xander love manga would have been more than enough.

The dialogue is awkward and doesn't sound realistic at all. I admit I was cringing through most of those scenes; I wish the author had given either character more personality traits (other than emo and sunny) so they were operating on more than the simplest of levels. At the point when we have Pollyana and Cinderella as archetypes, it's not going to be a good read. A better way to approach the writing is to go beyond what the author wants the characters to say and instead think about how a person would react to either a fake person or a jerk (even if on shallow levels - because these characters just met).

Honestly, I think the author has potential but she needs some harsh critiquing as well as someone to go through and massively cut/edit. I enjoy a happy ever after story but I also expect discipline in the writing and someone to curb excesses and flights of fancy. Otherwise the focus of the story becomes too narrow and too personal. I want grounded characters with good and bad traits, as well as more show than tell. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Goodness, this woman can write romance! Did I fall in love with Xander and Skylar! They were seriously magical.

My favorite aspect of the story was how we go in thinking we knew which character would go on an emotional journey, because it’s the character-type that’s always expected to change. Except, Heidi chose not to go down that path in Antisocial. Even better, in the first couple chapters I felt sure I knew what the final conflict was going to be, because it’s another avenue most romance authors have taken a million times, but Heidi Cullinan just didn’t do it. She gave me what I always ask for in my reviews, a healthy, loving, understanding relationship. One built from acceptance and patience. All the side characters were pretty great too, but there’s a special spot in my heart for Unc. There’s just something about that loud, silly, giant-hearted best friend that gets me every time.

It sounds like I should be giving Antisocial 5 giant glorious stars, right? Unfortunately there was one thing that did drag down the book for me. I was raised by my step-father, and my little sister was adopted into our family. I have a positive healthy relationship with my step-father, and my parents love my sister completely. It would have been awesome if the author also decided to turn the evil step-parent trope on its head, eliminating potential trigger phrases.

Either way, Heidi Cullinan is still one my favorite romance writers and I will still auto-buy absolutely everything she writes.

Sweet New Adult m/m romance that starts out as a standard opposites attract story - outgoing frat guy meets grouchy loner artist - and then morphs into something more interesting. As usual with this author, there's a little too much preaching and some over the top gestures, but the story did help me understand various points along the sexuality spectrum and made me think twice about how we define intimacy. All that plus a crash course in anime, manga and Japanese culture. Good job.

ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for honest (squee-free zone) review.

When I heard Heidi Cullinan was publishing a story with a focus on asexual/grey-sexuality I was immediately more than just intrigued – I was desperate to get my hands on Antisocial.

Xander Fairchild is an artist who is, in a word, antisocial. He eschews social settings (with reasons) and is determined to spend his last year at Japanese culture-soaked Benten college working on his BFA project and creating manga art.

Skylar Stone has his own senior project to complete and when circumstances bring him in contact with Xander he cannot help but be intrigued by both his art and the man himself. Skylar manipulates some other circumstances as a way to help Xander and himself, but doesn’t count on the feelings Xander opens up in him.

The story is beautiful. Told from both Xander and Skylar’s points of view the reader is given good insight into both character’s motives and thoughts. Saturated in references to Manga and Japanese culture, and threaded with a coming of age of the characters the story flows well, the characters show real growth, and there is obvious love woven through the story by the author.

While I enjoyed the story on the whole, I do not have any great experience with Yaoi, Manga, or Japanese culture and though I learned a lot reading this I think if I was a fan of any of those elements I might have enjoyed this a whole lot more.

A lovely, sweet, coming of age romance with low angst and a great HEA. Recommended especially for those who love Manga or Japanese culture.

This was such a lovely story about two boys trying to figure out what it means to be their true selves. From the outside, Skylar and Xander have nothing in common. But as they learn more about each other, they fit in all the ways that are most important. And as the reader, I found so many reasons to love them both as individuals and as a couple.

The workings of human sexuality and figuring out what it all means plays a central role in this story with Skylar falling on the grey ace area of the spectrum. It was wonderful to not only see this representation, but to have it directly addressed by the main characters as they negotiate their relationship. The results are sweetly and desperately sensual.

A potentially polarizing aspect of this story is the focus on Japanese culture and media. As someone who has always taken an interest, this added another layer of fascination for me. If you don't already love these things, it might feel a bit info-dumpy and extraneous.

In conclusion, I adored this book for its themes, characters, and the building relationship.

[I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review]

Super sweet, layered college romance. The manga gives a nice vibe but it's not overdone.

Enjoyed this immensely. I loved getting to read a romance that was thoughtful about how its characters engaged in intimacy and was never willing to just default to standard cultural scripts about sex and romance. Also as someone on the ace spectrum myself Skylar's exploration of his sexuality rang very true (though uhh a lot more angsty and fraught then anything I had to experience. But hey, it's a romance novel). Some issues surrounding the setting and plot choices prevent me from giving this 4 stars but consider this a very high 3 star rating. See my Goodreads review for more details.

This book absolutely warmed my heart. I fell in love with the story and the characters, and was so happy with the representation in this novel. At the very core, this was a story about being true to yourself and being happy. It tells us that our families are made up of the people who love and support us even if they're not related by blood or law. It tells the reader these truths through the relationship of Xavier and Skylar. These two were adorable and I loved watching them grow as people and grow together as a couple. Heidi Cullinan captured Xavier's passion for art so beautifully and had me aching to see the paintings she described. Just as beautiful was watching Skylar shed his false exterior and accept who he really was. This was my first time reading about a character who falls on the ace/gray spectrum and I hope to read more in the future. I was also drawn into the setting- Benten College, which is absolutely drenched in Japanese culture. Xavier and Skylar's group of friends were charming, and while some were more developed than others, they became family over the course of the book. My favorites were Zelda, a fierce friend of Xavier's from the beginning who is unafraid of anything and Unc, a wonderfully cheerful fraternity brother of Skylar's who was always willing to lend a helping hand. Overall, I absolutely loved this book and hope I get to read more about these characters again someday.

When I first came upon this novel, I thought it was going to be a manga, or at least include some manga panels throughout. I was disappointed when it came to that. Despite not being from my typical genre, I really enjoyed this novel. Of course there were moments that made me cringe, but overall this was a great feel good romance. A wonderful connection was formed between the two main protagonists that build up beautifully.  I really liked how the novel was very intimate without being explicit.

Additionally, I learned a lot about the LGBTQ+ spectrum. It was very enlightening for me. I was even satisfied with the conclusion, which is not always the case when it comes to romances.

Antisocial by Heidi Cullinan tells the story of college students Xander Fairchild, a grumpy and antisocial art student with a love for drawing manga, and Skylar Stone, a silver-tongued frat boy. Even tho it doesn't seem like they have anything in common, other than the fact that they are both attending Benten College, destiny brings them together and into a journey of self-discovery, love, friendship and independence. If you like happy endings and love conquers all stories you will love this book. Even more if you have a soft spot for manga and Japanese culture in general. However, if you are expecting the typical love story with steamy sex scenes, you wont find those in here. What you will find is a strong romantic bond based on trust and mutual understanding.

I really enjoy uplifting stories like this one, where the struggles the characters face are not there to bring drama, block the way or fill up pages, but rather aid to further develop their personalities and push them in the right direction. At some point, I felt like the way the story unfolded was too good to be real and my brain struggled to accept it, that is, until I let myself enjoy it like I would with a Disney movie. If you, like the author, think that "there’s no such thing as too much happy ever after" don't hesitate and dive into this story right away. What makes this book special for me is how it incorporates gray sexuality. Even tho it is a constant theme throughout the story, it is weaved across the narrative in such a way that it doesn't take the spotlight away from the main theme which is love and friendship. A great book to cuddle up with.

Beautifully written examination of a non "traditional" same sex relationship, sensual and intimate this shows how two men can find the perfect partner without the need for physical exchanges.

However, for me, the emphasis on Japanese culture which anchors the whole narrative - as it isn't something which interests me personally - made the story as a whole a bit too much as everything was hooked on it from their relationship, to their friends, to their college experiences and into their lives afterwards.

It was a homage to Japan as well as to asexual love, to anime and manga, religion and language and it just isn't something which floats my boat.

"Art is not finished, only abandoned."

Sometimes, you start a book, and a few pages in you get the feeling you had underestimated the importance of it, whether it be the importance of it to you personally or to the world as a whole.

I did just that with this book, and I did it in both ways.

I stumbled upon Love Lessons last year, and ever since I have been a devoted fan of the author. Her books are always cute, quirky, romantic, diverse, and hilarious. When I read the Love Lessons trilogy, I was in love with them. When I read the Roosevelt series, I felt educated on the lives of those who don’t fall under the umbrella of neurotypical.

But when I read Antisocial, I felt a personal connection to not only the characters, but the story itself. Was it because I could relate to some of the struggles of the characters? Yes. Was it because I have a lot of odd interests that were center stage in this book? Also yes. But the reason this book hit me personally, is because I could tell it was personal to the author.

Xander and Skylar weren’t the typical quirky, but otherwise average guys that usually get portrayed in New Adult romances. They were awkward and scared, and their relationship showcased that. If you’re looking for suave quips and sexy times, this book is probably not for you.

This is a spoiler, but it’s such an important aspect of the novel that I have to discuss it. When most people read New Adult, they expect beautiful people in their early twenties, and lots of sex. Whether it’s just an accurate depiction of discovering your sexuality in college, or suits with wealth and kinks, there is almost always lots of sex in New Adult novels. That’s a given.

Well, not in this case. There is no sex in this book. No. Sex. These characters fall in love, and are in a relationship for a majority of the novel, but they never once even go so far as a deep kiss. Why? Because Xander is an awkward college boy and Skylar falls somewhere under the gray area of sexuality.

New Adult (and Young Adult) aim for representation and diversity. This is what that representation and diversity should look like. There is nothing wrong with people having sex, but it’s important for there to also be representation for those who don’t need a physical act to consummate their relationship, because their love is real to them and that’s all that matters.

This was a breath of fresh air from the typical steamy, and often, unrealistic sexual encounters I’ve read in other books. It was a story of two boys who loved each other just as much as any other couple, but didn’t need that physical element to prove anything.

On top of handling minority sexualities, like asexual, pansexual, and demisexual, this book tackled the effects parents have on their children whether intentional or unintentional, and mental illness. One of the characters has a severe anxiety disorder, and another has depression.

After all these heavier topics, I would like to clarify that overall this book was just as cute and fun as all her novels, if not even more so. It had everything.

Perfect read for fans of New Adult, LGBTQ, and of course, romance.

A good story, well written. Catch is, you have to understand and enjoy Manga or most of the story will make no sense to you.