thank you netgalley for giving me an EARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars!

it took me around 12% to get into this, but once i did, i never wanted to put it down. this was simply a joy to read. this is what ya contemporary is all about, and why it remains one of my favorite genres. this book was heartfelt, relatable, masterfully crafted, filled with feelings and love and it was simply an honor to be able to read and enjoy it.

henry as a main character is incredible, and also way too relatable. his family was EVERYTHING, and his friends were too. THE BI GRANDMA? THE HIGH STRUNG BUT COOL MOM? THE MENACE LITTLE BROTHER? THE ART AND CHILL AND INCREDIBLE DAD? HIS EMO FRIEND? HIS GIRL OBSESSED FRIEND? HIS GIRL FRIEND WHO I ADORE?

the way the love story develops is so real as well. i love how Henry slowly figures himself out through out the book, and i love how it truly feels like these two are meant to be. friends to lovers is incredible when well done, and god was it well done here.

the only reason this isn't a higher rating is because it did take me a while to get into it, but besides that i loved every second.

Hi! Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde is a standalone queer YA romance.

I want to say it was a great read but well, it was not my favorite. There were moments I loved but for the majority part, it kind of fell flat for me.

Book Review-

Now, disclaimer- it isn’t that the book is bad. Because it isn’t. It’s just that I wasn’t able to connect with the characters much, especially the supporting characters who often felt superficial. At times the story (and the character’s decisions) frustrated me and at times I just wanted to cringe really hard. I mean… the old running away because you’re afraid to commit? Oh, come on. The protagonists literally spent the last one-third of the book with no interaction.

That brings me to another thing I didn’t like- the abrupt ending. The characters don’t talk for weeks, reconcile within minutes and within the next twenty pages- we’re done with the book?! That just took away the happiness I expected to feel and left me feeling unsatisfied with the story. Even a two page epilogue at the end would have helped.

There were other things in the story that I didn’t enjoy (the slow pacing of the story at the start and how his friend group called themselves the boiyssss mainly. It IRKED me and I don’t even know why). Here’s what I DID like about the story though-

It’s a sweet and cute romance. I really liked that Henry’s grandmother was bisexual- it’s just a little detail that adds a wholesome feel. I also loved Harry and Len’s dynamic, as best friends, yes, but more so as a couple- they just clicked together.

I am confused as to whether I would recommend this book though. Maybe if it sounds like something you would enjoy based on the book description and my review?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book publishes next month.

purchase this read: https://amzn.to/3cS7PHs [this is an associate link]

I loved this book so much! What a true YA coming of age novel. I really enjoyed Henry’s pov and found myself relating to him so much. This is the kind of book I wish I had growing up. From Henry’s existential crisis’ to his queer awakening. This book has something for everyone.

A bit slow starting off and I wasn't really buying the connection between the main characters, but once I shifted my perspective and thought of them as two seemingly straight boys struggling to deny their feelings for each other, I accepted their actions as realistic and the book really came together for me. By the end I was smiling every few pages and was totally in love with their love.

Henry hamlet

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙔𝘼 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙙𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞.

This is a heartfelt story about two best friends who end up falling for each other in Australia. I had an enjoyable time reading this and following these characters.

There were some humorous moments with laughs here and there, and let’s not even get started with the amount of banter between the characters. While we have Henry who is extremely nerdy, we also have his best friend Len who is very shy and hides his feelings (afraid of getting hurt.)

While this book is intended for a younger audience, I didn’t have an issue with the number of teenage shenanigans going on.

I was a big fan of Henry’s family, especially his little brother. I found them to be so funny and full of life. They very some very interesting side characters! Len, on the other hand, has dealt with so much in his life, especially after losing his mother and having to stay with his horrible father.

My only issue with the book was the lack of description. The third part suffered severely from putting something out there without enough details. For example, we know grief has an effect but it doesn’t explore it as much as it should. Also, miscommunication is another thing that bothered me. I would’ve loved Len’s POV as well.

Overall, this was an enjoyable YA romance. The characters were great themselves and I enjoyed the funny comments. The ending was a sweet finale. I also enjoyed how the author wrote this story, and how it’s set in Australia in the 00s. If you’re looking for a light-hearted YA romance full of sweetness and banter, this may just be for you!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy, all thoughts are my own!

"Henry Hamlet's Heart" is a queer, slow burn, friends to lovers romance that you won't be able to put down.

unfortunately I found this extremely monotone. our mc Henry didn't sound like a teenager, for one thing, and I found reading his POV only made me annoyed. the story itself could've been really cute, and our love interest is interesting, but I couldn't get past the style at all.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is exactly the type of book I would recommend to any queer literature-loving teenager looking for something to relate to. It is filled with literary references that I truly enjoyed as an English literature enthusiast. And with a solid friends to lovers trope, there’s a lot to adore.

In the first part of the book, I particularly liked Henry and Len’s dynamic and I could hardly put the book down. The whole friends to lovers was written in a very relatable way which made it all the more enjoyable. Sadly, the second part let me down quite a bit. The main conflict in the story is definitely a hit-or-miss, and it didn’t hit as well for me. Still, I think it was a pretty fun YA romance that is (and will be) enjoyed by plenty of people.

The other characters in the story aren’t always as memorable to me, aside from the iconic bisexual grandma, but I liked the way the interactions with one another were written. I also fairly enjoyed Henry as the protagonist, mainly because of his relatability. The story takes place in 2008 and even though I wasn’t the same age as the main group in that year, the references still feel relevant up to today, with things from Shakespeare to Twilight.

Despite the fact that the second part fell through for me, it was an enjoyable and nostalgic ride that brought me quite a bit of laughter from time to time. It’s certainly worth the read if you’re looking for a queer young adult romance (and it is worth picking up just for the title alone).

Olha, no geral, foi fofo. Foi divertido e é uma história simpática sobre amadurecer. Existem diversas semelhanças com a maioria dos livros LGBTQIA+ mais populares sobre descobrimento e amadurecimento e essas semelhanças fazem o livro ser um conforto para quem já gosta dessas histórias. Porém, lembre-se, ao pegar esse livro, que é uma literatura básica para momentos simples. Não procure profundidade nos assuntos, definitivamente não vai encontrar aqui.

Obrigado, NetGallery pelo arc./Thanks, NetGalley for the arc.

I'm an absolute sucker for a Brisbane story and this one hit the spot beautifully. Set in the final months of high school back in the 'old days' of 2008, it's a sweet story of friendship, love, being yourself, family and growing up. It was definitely one of those stories which I didn't want to finish

“I love you, I think, louder than I’ve ever thought anything.”

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a perfectly bingeable, sweet and messy friends-to-lovers romance that kept me gripped the entire way through. It was one of those books that made me feel everything the characters were feeling right along with them. When Henry was miserable, my stomach was in knots, but when he had those special moments with Len or his friends or family, I couldn’t hold back my smile.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows Henry Hamlet (obviously) in his last semester in high school, who by some odd chance (or not) is best friends with Len, their school’s resident Broody Sweetheart™. But when they attend a party and discover some unexpected chemistry, Henry and Len have to navigate their friendship, and the possibility of something more.

Henry is such a messy character. He’s clumsy and awkward, doesn’t always think everything all the way through, but at the same time is a huge overthinker. He reminded me a lot of myself, which made me doubly invested. Len is also messy, just in pretty much the exact opposite way (opposites attract let’s goooo). Len is confident, but hesitant to let people in and see the real him — including Henry. He’s guarded, but cares so much about the people he loves and he’s really gone through it.

Sometimes with friends-to-lovers, the MC and LI have a strong relationship, but it’s hard to see where their romantic and platonic feelings begin and end. In HHH, Henry and Len’s relationship has a clear shift that really marks their realization of their feelings for each other. Neither take on friends-to-lovers is necessarily better than the other, but I will say that the way it was written in this novel worked very well at heightening the tension.

I really wasn’t a huge fan of Henry and Len’s general friend group. They had a lot of toxic masculinity, and made some homophobic microaggressions at times, especially concerning Henry’s coming out. They made me uncomfortable, but I do see how it made sense to include them to add a bit of humor to the mix, and to give Henry and Len’s relationship some more context and complications.

This book is a train wreck and a half, but in a way that’s dear to my heart. It made me feel all the feels, and I really enjoyed seeing how Henry and Len were able to grow into themselves, understanding their own needs and self-worth. COMING OUT IN THE U.S. October 18th!!

Content Warnings: death of a parent (cancer), grief, homophobia, emotional and verbal abuse by a parent, underage alcohol consumption

1.5 stars.
I think this book was not for me, i really disliked how it was written and found it boring, awkward and dry espesially. The start was somewhat funny and interesting, but it went downhill from there... i did not like the MC or the one he was romantically interested in.

Pub Date: 10/18/22
CW: brief mention of cancer, off-page parental death, alcohol, homophobia

As always, thank you NetGalley and Charlesbridge for approving my request and granting me an eARC.

I absolutely LOVED the whole bit with The Great Gatsby and Hamlet and co. talking about how Nick had a thing for Gatsby. The first time I read the book a few months ago, I thought the SAME THING and even wrote a 2000+ word essay on why I thought so just for shits and giggles.

I had so much fun with that essay. I loved the book too.

I will say I wasn’t exactly a fan of all the H*rry P*tter references considering the absolute mess that is that book’s unfortunate author. There’s no way that Rhiannon Wilde didn’t know about all that shit unless she’s been living under a literal rock.

I’ve seen a few complaints about the pacing but honestly I don’t have an issue with it. And I love how we see Len’s side of the whole thing through Henry’s eyes. We see Len falling first. Henry isn’t oblivious to the fact that SOMETHING is happening with his best friend, even before the infamous dare that changed everything. Henry KNOWS something is up and Len isn’t fooling him. I love it.

Friends to lovers is a favorite sub genre of mine and this book did that so well. Most romances I read are enemies to lovers so seeing a friends to lovers and loving it was a nice change of pace.

This book was just ridiculously cute and I loved the little parenthetical thoughts of Henry’s. They made him that much more real. Len was such a relatable character and it was sooooo frickin obvious how much he cared for Henry.

I know I’ve said this in all my reviews, but do yourself a favor and buy this book in October.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a sweet and funny YA coming of age story following Henry in his final year of high school as he contemplates his future, his friendships, and a new feeling for his best friend. Henry and Len have been friends forever, but after some drunk party shenanigans Henry starts to develop a crush on Len. And here in lies the downward spiral of any good YA romance: to date or not to date your best friend.

This story is sweet and funny, and it really captures what it feels like to be a teen on the brink of many new things. Henry is both insightful and oblivious in turns - in a realistic way. He has a wonderful group of supportive friends who stand by him through it all, giving him space and setting him straight when he needs it. He also has a supportive family, which is an aspect of queer stories that I love! I’m all about positive family and friend relationships. Plus Henry has a badass queer grandma whose story I would love to here more of! This is a great, lighthearted romance for anyone who likes the friends to lovers trope.

Henry Hamlet's Heart is an adorable queer friends to lovers romance with lovable, relatable characters who you will be rooting for the entire time! Beyond the romance, it is also a story of self discovery during one of the most difficult transitions in the life of a teenager, the jump from high school to university. Henry Hamlet's Heart is sweet, funny, heartfelt, and raw.

My favorite aspect of this book was the characters. Henry and Len were both well developed and real. I felt like I was there with them navigating their feelings and struggles!

I didn't dislike anything in this book, however I do feel I would have liked to see a little more insight/development in some places. But this was very minor and didn't take away from the story at all!

Overall, Henry Hamlet's Heart was a super sweet YA romance. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick feel good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Teen for an eARC of Henry Hamlet’s Heart in exchange for an honest review.

I felt this book was like any other friends to lovers book. I didn’t feel there was much that was memorable within the plot or with any of the characters. As a teenager, I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters and didn’t find them very relatable.

One thing I felt this book did very well was handle Henry’s feelings after realizing he might not be straight. Unlike most queer YA books I’ve read, this book didn’t have a full gay panic discussion about Henry trying to figure out his sexuality. He just had the realization and continued on with the fact that he has feelings for his best friend.

I would recommend this book to people who like the friends to lovers trope and to anyone who likes queer YA love stories without the whole sexuality self-discovery part that most queer YA books include.

I’m rating this book 3/5 stars because although this book felt very reminiscent of other friends to lovers books, it was still an enjoyable read and I was able to get through the whole book.

I really loved this book. It was kind of stereotypical in the ways many lgbtq+ coming out, coming of age books are. But that also made it cute. And it was also just really easy to read. The characters were fun, and totally themselves. Nothing went too fast or too slow for me. It was just good. I really liked it being set in like graduation year for once, instead of like freshman's or something. It was just a really good and fun story, easy to read and really lovely. And, also, the us cover is just really nice too!

A sweet, quick read with a ton of heart. While I enjoyed the book, it felt a tad monotonous at times. However, it was still an enjoyable read and a welcome addition to my list of queer YA rom-coms.

This was again one of those books i was so excited about. Thought i was surely going to rate it highly. And it let me down. Still 3.5 stars though. i loved the whole concept of the story. I found it enjoyable to read. It was exactly what i expected the book to be like. But maybe i was expecting more that didn't come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of "Henry Hamlet's Heart" by Rhiannon Wilde.

Henry Hamlet is starting his last year of high school and during this very hectic time realizes at a party during a dare that he has feelings for his best friend Len. Can those feelings survive the end of high school?

Having read this book a day ago at the time of this review I've found that the storyline has already faded a lot. It was enjoyable though the first half of this book really dragged as we read about Henry and all the school things that happened. The second half of this book as it explored Len and Henry's relationship was good but I felt like the problems that Len was having with his father and the death of his mother were such that either he would show more problems or it wouldn't be as bad as it was at the end when Henry and Len fight and break up.

I enjoyed the read of this book though the timeline was confusing as I read and it took me along time to realize that this was set back in 2008. It was a quick and somewhat enjoyable, if forgettable, read. 3.5 stars.