This was a nice read.
The story is cute and fun.
The characters are all 3 Dimensional and fun to be around.
10/10

I love this series. The characters, the depth, the characters and growth. It all feels very real ans warm to me.

This was a cute and fluffy mlm Christmas/April Fools novella. There were definitely cheesy bits but there were funny bits too. I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed every minute of this cute novella, but the ending didn't leave me completely satisfied. I could have happily read a full-length novel with these characters and this set-up -- which is saying something since it's pure romance, and those aren't holding my attention very well these days. But this author has a way of writing clever characters that still feel real in cute romances that don't feel sappy, and it just really works for me. I still didn't love the ending, but I rarely do with short stories.

I absolutely loved this MM romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

Village Fool by Nathan Burgoine
Thanks Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the copy.
A lovely story set in April’s fools day.
Owen is only confident in two places: at work, supporting clients through IT woes, and when he’s sitting around a gaming table in the role of a smooth and charming bard. He’s never acted on the crush he’s had on his physiotherapist—and total cubcake—Toma. A silly prank may unite them or completely separate them.
I really like this one, is sweet and simple. Very essay to read, took me out of my reading block. It’s very fast paced and entertaining. Remember me a lot of this hallmark holiday movies that I love to watch do to the easiness and comfort they bring bit LGBTQIA+ (which is always better)
My main critic would be that it felt maybe too short. I wanted to know more about the characters. I wanted a little more about what happens next!
Lovely novel to read on a sitting.
I may add some trigger warnings involving a car incident.
3/5 ⭐️
Maria Lourdes

A quick read that was a delight. A very complex main character, a saint of a love interest, the perfect chemistry, and a meddling group of friends that spiced things up in a not entirely pleasant way (good intentions are not an excuse).
Overall, I had lots of fun.

A fast read, but a fun one. Shy, nerdy dude texting his crush all about said crush because of an april fool's prank trope but not too bad. The nerd interactions were the best part.

This is a very very cute little romance that is great to pass the time. I absolutely smashed this book out within two days and loved every second of it. This book is a palate cleanser after a challenging/ heavy read. This is a LGBT+ book featuring a M/M romance

This was a super cute short read about an April fools joke gone wrong in the best way possible. Even though the book was short it really gave a great peek into the characters lives. I loved the alternating flashbacks with what was currently happening. It was hard to believe the plot was only over the course of one day but I would definitely recommend as a sweet read to help get out of a slump or just to get a dose of MLM love.


Thank you for the opportunity to review!

Village Fool is a quick, easy and lighthearted read. Owen's character is clumsy and kind of innocently dumb but he has his charm. The best friend changing the contacts and making Owen finally talk to his longtime crush Toma was so much fun but kind of all crossing the boundaries as it takes a long while for Owen to figure out that who he is really speaking to!

Overall, this was a very wholesome and fun M/M read that I always look forward to reading.

This was a fun quick read. Owen is a kind of shy, nerdy guy but in the right situations he has can let go and really be himself. Toma is a personal trainer who helped Owen when he injured himself and needed some rehab. The personal trainer that Owen can't stop thinking about.

This was a cute read. Owen and Toma were sweet and I loved Owen's group of friends. The only issue? It was too short! I wanted more!

I now want a friend group full of gay nerds to adopt me so we can play boardgames together.

I'd already read Faux Ho Ho and Handmade Holidays before, and I really liked how this novella tied them together. I'd like to reread them closer together sometime to appreciate them fully.

Owen was a great main character, funny and relatable, and while I really liked the romance, the friend group stole the show for me.

Just as the other two installments in this series, this book has been an absolute joy to read. Burgoine's writing style is so comfortable and lovely, that I fell right into the story and didn't want to emerge. I am in love with these characters and I am always happy to see, when characters from one of the two first books make an appearance. I can give this book nothing less than 5 Stars and recommend the hell out of it, just as I do with book 1 and 2 on a regular basis.

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An April Fools' joke leads to Owen unknowingly texting about his crush—to his crush, Toma. When Owen discovers the truth minutes before his first date with Toma, he has a mini freak-out from embarrassment.

While we only get to be with Owen and Toma for a sort time, I absolutely adore them. They are so sweet together; I can't wait to see more of them in future books in this world.

Village Fool has one of my favourite tropes (a very underused one imo), when one of the romantic interests doesn't realise that he's actually messaging the other romantic interest.

Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

THIS WAS SO SOFT!!

Really short and wholesome m/m romance with the sweetest characters. We didn't get much of the other side characters since it was such a short read but given how short it is I'm shocked at how much I liked the romance between Owen and Toma. I love the body positivity aspect, again the book is really short but I still think it did a great job at touching on the subject since one of the main character works at a gym. The humor is great as well, all the characters felt genuine and the back and forth timeline weren't hard to keep up with. Overall great novella that I would totally recommend if you're looking for a light, fluffy read!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy to review.

Village Fool by Nathan Burgoine is such a short, yet fun read. I was looking for something light to read, and this one did not disappoint.

The story followed Owen, who got himself a date because of an April's Fool prank done by one of his friends. I could already feel the secondhand embarrassment while reading, but I could not help but like Owen's character. I liked how this novel just not only focused on the romantic elements, but it also highlighted the importance of friendship. Despite being a novella, I think the author did a great job giving the characters their own voices, as well as backgrounds.

I enjoyed this story and I would love to read more of the author's work.

4/5 stars!

Owen meets the hunky Toma when he damages his shoulder and needs physiotherapy. He really would like to tell him how much he really would to take him out but is too tongue tied and shy to do it. His circle of friends that meet up at the coffee shop try to encourage him but things only progress after one of them shuffles his contacts as an April Fool's joke. Cute gentle story makes you feel warm inside.

I went into Village Fool not knowing entirely what to expect – I've not read of 'Nathan Burgoine's work before, including the other stories that are centred around the same characters and locations. I was a little apprehensive because I generally only read novellas as spin-offs of works and characters I already know and love.

I'm glad to say I was pleasantly surprised! The book, while short, does a brilliant job of fleshing out characters in a way that makes them feel very real and welcoming. I didn't feel disadvantaged by not knowing the universe already (though I'm now tempted to read the other books), and nothing felt lacking or incomplete.

Owen is a very funny and likeable main character, and I found him very relatable. All the side characters were lovely and felt like a real friend group, and Toma as a love interest was impossible not to fall for.

There were a few moments I struggled with, being an incredibly awkward person myself that can't bear secondhand embarrassment, but all-in-all I loved this story! It's easy to read in one sitting, and leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy when it ends. I'm so glad I found this book.