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.

A YA friends-to-lovers romance, Henry Hamlet’s Heart is irresistible. A must read queer romance.

It starts with a dare at a party.

Then a kiss.

And then feelings. Then an avalanche of want and more feelings that finds Henry in a space he wasn’t quite prepared for.

Wilde’s story and characters will have readers instantly recalling their own high school experiences, while simultaneously rooting for the adorable Henry Hamlet and his first crush/love.

It is an emotional read, with some very heartbreaking moments. Be prepared for that ending, because my heart shattered into a million unrecognizable pieces and then mended a few chapters later, giving me all the feels for this charmingly delightful book.

Pre-order this one book friends!

Happy Reading ~ Cece

I really enjoyed it, especially the last 70 pages. I cried, screamed, cheered. It wasn’t anything memorable, though. I recommend this book as a fun read (but beware of emotional moments), but I don’t think it will be in my mind for longer than a couple of days.

CW: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Homophobia, Vomiting, Cancer, Ableism, Sexual content

Thank you to Rhiannon Wilde, Charlesbridge Teen, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy for an honest review. I believe this is a North American re-release that was originally published in 2021 in Australia.

This is a very cute friends-to-lovers YA novel featuring two best friends at the end of high school and all of the confusion that goes with it (including romantic confusion, of course). I thought it was very relatable and dealt with several themes that other readers could connect with, too. It was set in the same time I was in high school and I definitely had moments of sweet nostalgia. While I don't know if I would read it again, I am very curious about if the author will come out with more books in the future. I think it's an excellent debut for Rhiannon Wilde!
3.5-4 stars out of 5

Henry Hamlet's Heart stole my heart!

Rhianna Wilde's book follows Henry as he completes his final year of school (in 2008-2009) where he's trying to navigate parties, university decisions, life's next steps and... a growing crush on his best friend Len!?!?

Cw: emesis, alcohol, abusive parent/difficult parent-child relationships, grief and parental loss

First of all, the premise is amazing. It's obvious that Rhiannon has spent her fair share of time around teens because the relationship between Henry, Len and their friend group feels so authentic and real. There's an angst about life becoming "real" at the end of school that I think all adults have felt, and all teens can relate to.

Henry and Len realizing their feelings for each other and Henry's "holy crap, am I gay?" moment will seriously touch queer readers. And knowing that he ultimately gets his happy ending, left me on cloud 9.

I will say that it took me a minute to get into the style of the book because it switches back and forth between a (very beautiful and descriptive) poetry-esque tone and a more typical prose you'd expect from YA, but I love the depth it gives the story.

There are several mentions of vomit as well as a few Harry Potter references that I could do without but ultimately they don't ditract hugely from the story.

I feel so lucky to have read an ARC of Henry Hamlet's Heart and I cannot wait to see what else Rhiannon has coming in the future.

CW: parental death (mentioned), homophobia, parental abuse, drinking, implied sex, HP references

White writing this review I have decreased my rating several times. I really wanted to like Henry Hamlet’s Heart, but the things I dislike keep mounting.

The story follows socially awkward Henry as he figures out what he wants to do after his last year of school. Luckily, he can hide his insecurities, social awkwardness, and confusion in the shadow of his enigmatic best friend Len. But, what happens when Henry falls for said best friend?

Henry Hamlet’s Heart had the makings of a charming and quirky YA rom com. Sadly, it just never hit those notes for me. The story dragged and never really developed a coherent plot to follow, causing me to struggle in connecting to any of the characters or what was happening to them.

I really wanted to like the characters of this story but some, especially Ged, made me so angry it was hard to find what was endearing. Even Henry’s parents felt more like friends than parents which seemed unrealistic at times.

Then there is the romance between Henry and Len. Their romance starts off fairly cute. The drama that develops between them however, felt contrived and so under developed that I kept thinking; Henry, you are better off with out him!

Perhaps I would have felt different if Len’s story was highlighted more; specifically his struggles with his mom passing and his dwindling relationship with his father and how that affected him with developing meaningful relationships. If that had been done I may have understood his reactions more, but instead it was just another thing that felt underdeveloped and ultimately rushed.

Things I did enjoy were how accepting Henry’s family was. The conversation between him and his dad is very sweet and got me to smile. I also enjoyed the later in life queer grandma. Though I would had liked more Marigold.

Last, please, if possible, remove the Harry Potter references. These could have been replaced with any other references to other fandoms that are written by people who don’t actively harm the queer community.

Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge for a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this book instantly caught my attention. I was immediately invested, i couldn't look away for even a second.

the writing style, pacing, plot, characters, everything. all of it was perfect. i was absolutely entranced by everything in this story. i will never get over this book. if i could give it 6 stars, i would. the entire book was beautiful.

I absolutely adored the hamlet family as well as Henry's group of friends. all the main characters now hold a very special place in my heart. this book will be all I'm able to think about for the next week (at the very least).

i cannot reccomend this book enough. i'm highly considering starting it over right now. please, please, please read this book.

thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

A gorgeous friends-to-lovers coming of age which focuses on a teenager on the edge of adulthood.

It's funny, light-hearted, full of banter and school shenanigans that seem like the whole world when you are a teenager. This story is very sweet and I enjoyed reading it a lot more than expected.

A very sweet friends to lovers and a great addition to LGBTQ+ YA Romance books. You won't be disappointed.

This BOOK! I devoured this. I stayed up all night to finish this. It was so good. The characters felt so real it was like I could meet them next Tuesday if I wanted. This was a beautiful story of growing up and learning about yourself and giving yourself and others a second chance. Every side character felt three-dimensional, the pacing of the story was brilliant, and it was right at the sweet spot of good, solid, teen angst. The dialogue had me laughing out loud and at some points my heart hurt for the boys so bad I could hardly stand it. I am going to recommend this to everyone I know.

This was a sweet friends-to-lovers male-male highschool romance set in the mid ‘00s. Henry and Lennon have been best friends since they can remember, but struggle to come clean with each other when their feelings for each other change. My favorite thing about it was just how realistic the character interactions felt for teenagers, in contrast to a lot of YA literature. Of course, strengths and weaknesses often go hand-in-hand, so this very trait that made it realistic also at times made the characters a little insufferable. But, overall I really enjoyed it. Props also for the secondary plotline of later-in-life bisexual representation.

[Mini review to be posted on my blog August 6, 2022]

A solid, cozy read that didn't blow my socks off. The cover is beautiful though. It's a good coming of age story, but the plot is really at a minimum, there wasn't much driving the book. The requisite final half of the book relationship drama was a little too stretched out in my opinion, but that's how things usually go I guess.

The star of the book is the grandmother, hands down. Give her her own five book series and movie deal.

All in all, I enjoyed it but it's not something that I feel will really stick with me after today.

Thank you NetGalley and Charlesbridge for this eARC! Writing honest review of this book.

It was a cute story about two friends falling in love but it fell short on me. The writing wasn't up for my liking, too dialogue packed for my taste, characters felt too shallow to me.
There wasn't much plot to it and I didn't exepct any in the first place since its YA contemporary romance set in high school so I'm not too critical over it. Story overall was cute sometimes.

Queer friends to lovers is the superior trope<3 I enjoyed this book so much, the writing was beautiful and the plot so sweet and heartfelt. Henry and Len had an interesting dynamic, i looved the tension and yearning between them, but also the friend group was funny and loving, plus Henry's wholesome family. It was lovely and relatable, i teared up in so many parts<3
The only downside is that it kind of felt rushed at times. I wish we'd see more of Henry's and Len's close friendship and have it gradually flourish into something romantic, as well as having Len's family problem and how it affected him be explored more.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the e-arc.

Such a great and beautiful book to read about identity and self exploration. It felt very relatable and characters reminded of people in my own life/history.. Though a simple read, it broached a very important topic. Got through the book very quickly and definitely had me yearning for more

I don't read as much YA anymore, and contemporary YA has never been my go-to, but I was so charmed by Henry Hamlet's Heart. Wilde does an excellent job at transporting readers to Brisbane, all blinding summer colors and sultry breezes, and although I quickly tired of the pop culture references (this book's set in 2008, after the first mention of a flip phone and a popular band I didn't need any more), she successfully captured the confusion of being a teenager graduating from high school, the build-up and following sense of being both hollowed-out and underwhelmed when it's over. I liked the friend group's dynamics—even as I wished there was more feminine energy and focus on Henry's friendship with Emilia—as well as the humor, and the pining. Pine so strong I could smell it. Seeing two best friends explore a new aspect of their relationship while trying to figure themselves out as individuals was lovely, if a tad too angsty toward the end. An additional chapter or epilogue might have helped things feel a bit more resolved: between Henry and Len, but also with their families and friends and worries about what to do at university. Overall, though, I quite liked this.

"You're half of me," he says, his voice soft and serious. "What else is there?"

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! It's the first time in a while I've enjoyed a contemporary romance as much as I did.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover the book was set in Australia, and was very accurate about it. The way the characters talked and joked with each other, including slang, was perfectly done and felt actually Aussie. The only time I felt something was out of place was when the author used 'arse' instead of 'ass', which may be a regional difference, but I just don't think I've ever heard another Aussie say arse.

I also liked the characters a lot, especially Henry's family. I loved that we had additional bi rep with Gran, especially because you don't often get older LGBT characters. The two main characters were likeable enough - I enjoyed the character of Henry, his anxieties and overthinking were well written and his dynamic with his family was sweet and funny. Len was a little more difficult for me to like, because while I understand the intention between why he was the way he was to Henry, it still felt quite mean at times. The relationship between the two was sweet and well written though, and didn't feel underdeveloped or rushed at any point, which is a rarity for the genre. I was a little on the fence with how the author handled the coming out scenes, as the scene where Henry comes out to his father hit really close to my own experience and was wonderfully done, but the scene at the end of year assembly where Henry publically comes out felt incredibly awkward, and I don't know if anyone in their right mind would publically come out to an Australian all-boys year 12 class. The women in the book were also well written and had individual voices and depth, which I appreciated as the author could have easily focused only on the male characters.

The writing itself was beautiful. I'm not sure how many excerpts or quotes I can post in a review of an ARC so I'll restrain myself, but there were definitely passages I wanted to bottle up and keep. There were also some genuinely funny bits, that I wasn't expecting, and I suspect its because the author didn't try to make the teenagers talk like how adults think teenagers talk, but just let them interact like regular people. I also enjoyed the interspersing of some school texts like Gatsby, the comparisons flowed quite naturally and the use of similar visual imagery felt clever. I've seen a lot of the other reviews compare the style to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and I somewhat agree with it, but while I understand theres a lot of subjectivity invloved, from pure writing quality this book was leagues better. Prose and dialogue felt more natural and more polished, and the overall structure was better paced and better formatted. My only complaint would be that I think the separation of the book into Parts I-III was unecessary, especially because the chapters were so unevenly distributed between them. It also felt like it ended a little abruptly and it might be nice to have an epilogue or something similar.

Overall, the book was a delightful surprise, and if I see a hard copy at a book store I am absolutely getting one.

I recently received an early copy of this YA Novel’s United States publication and I am in love!

While this story by Rhiannon Wilde is written with a teen audience in mind, it takes place in 2008, so it is perfect for millennials who are still young at heart.

Henry Hamlet may be his school’s captain, but he’s still treated like an outcast who has no idea what to do once their final year of school ends- and to be honest, it’s true. The one thing he has going in his life is his best friend Len. They’re complete opposites: Len is always winning someone over while trying to smooth over Hamlet’s mistakes, but they always have each other at the end of the day. So why does a dare cause Hamlet’s stomach to turn inside out every time he sees him? Is it embarrassment… or something more?


This nostalgic, heartwarming novel may have taken the spot for my favorite read this year, and I can’t wait for it to be on the shelves this fall! Readers of Red, White, and Royal Blue and Never Been Kissed won’t be able to put this one down. If we’re lucky, maybe someone will create a playlist that rivals Hamlet’s iPod! Be sure to preorder or pick up a copy at your local bookstore on October 18th, 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Teen for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

the writing was incredible and the story is the warmest thing i’ve ever read. it feels like the perfect comfort read and i am definitely obsessed with it. however if i were to give it one criticism it would be that the references to harry potter are rather disappointing when they do not really add to the story and just show me that the author does not mind sharing that they support someone who has caused harm to countless members of the community they write about. while i understand this is minor thing i also believe it would possibly cause readers to put down the book.

I loved this book! The characters, the story, the romance! It was perfect! I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to own a finished copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Charlesbridge for this eARC!

I think this is a charming YA romance friends-to-lovers story, where both of the main characters are relatable and will definitely capture a lot of readers' hearts.

Henry and Len's friendship, slow-burn relationship, and individual character arcs were beautiful. Henry is awkward and inexperienced, and Len is confident and assured, but once the romance came into play, it felt like they swapped roles. Henry knew what he wanted, and Len shied away. I may be biased but I love a good story where one character is more invested than the other, so I liked how Len had built up a lot of walls. However, at the same time, I wish that tearing down those walls hadn't happened so close to the end of the story. Henry and Len had been almost no contact for a good portion of the book at that point, and the ending gallery scene was cute, but it might've made their relationship a bit stronger and believable had they come to terms with their feelings sooner.

I think the tension between Len and his father was good, especially since it further contrasted him with Henry's character and home life and complicated his arc. Coming from a detached and grief-stricken situation certainly would make it harder for Len to open up. (As I said earlier, both Henry and Len are relatable, but the more I read, the more connected I felt to Len: ruining things or leaving before someone else can. It was like reading about my thoughts sometimes.)

For me, the writing was a bit hard to get into at first––there were points where it felt like we were getting away from the plot and just kind of wandering through Henry's daily activities with him that felt flat; it left me wanting to skip ahead. But I am SO glad I kept on reading. I love Henry and Len, I love all of the side characters––their friend group, Henry's grandmother, his little brother, etc.––and the depth they brought to this story.