This book was so good. I loved Davey and Chance and the best friends to enemies to lovers was done is such a good way. These characters were complex and the emotions they felt were written in a way that made you feel them. Darkhearts as a band sounds like the type of music I would listen to and kinda wish I could. These characters had so much chemistry and angst that all teenagers had. This is def a book you should check out.

I love that so many queer YA books exist now!

**thank you Wednesday books, St Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing me a free early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a celebrity romance enthusiast so you know when I first heard about this book it went straight on my TBR. I love books that blend together with my other passions like music, so Darkhearts was a real treat.

The book opens at a funeral. The most awkward funeral ever. The first time David sees his ex best friends and band mates in two years, one of them is dead. I loved how this set up David and Chance’s dynamic. David had a lot of resentment towards how things had ended between them, but couldn’t really express his feelings because of Eli’s death. David had to deal with these repressed emotions as his relationship with Chance started to change into something more romantic.

I also loved David’s relationship with his best friend, they were pure chaos together. There were times when David’s characterisation made him a little unlikeable. He was motivated by some questionable things, but I actually really liked that aspect. He’s a teenager, who should be allowed to be flawed, and I do think he grew as a person throughout the novel.

This book also deals with some difficult topics like grief. There is no one way to experience grief, and I liked how this book explored the idea that sometimes the people you miss the most are a phone call away. This whole story was about rebuilding from loss and taking control of the trajectory of your own life.

Darkhearts is absolutely perfect for YA readers, and I sincerely hope it falls into the hands of the young readers who need it most. Having a story like this when I was a kid would have been so special.

if i had a nickel for every book of a boyband where the characters had to stay in the closet. that i loved… i’d still only have two nickels. i’m sorry y’all but this wasn’t it for me.

i genuinely don’t even know where to begin with this one, other than david is absolutely the worst character to be following. he’s selfish, jealous, rude, and literally doesn’t apologize for any of his actions from before the book and during the events of this book until the last 5% percent. and that’s after his dad (who i also do not like, and totally see how his son is the way he is. he is also literally so immature about david’s CHOICE to leave the band.) says its because he acts just like his mom who abandoned him??? i’m sorry… WHAT?

every so often we keep hearing him tell us that he’s changed, he’s better, he’s not jealous. and yet??? but oh, sure we’ll believe that his apology after his conversation with his father has actually well and truly changed him. okay. chance is genuinely so nice of a person to keep putting up with this man’s antics. green is a bad look on you, hun.

i really don’t have the energy to say more about this book but i WILL bring up eli. okay, because this is a story where the opening event is a literal funeral. why isn’t there any sort of grieving from david, supposedly his best friend of YEARS. why does he call him an enemy in the opening scene?? make it make sense! david has no empathy for him, for chance, who is somewhat actually openly grieving his loss. i honestly think this could’ve been scrapped. or at least changed. why wasn’t it just an overdose where eli ended up in rehab, halting their career for a period time. that would have had the same starting impact for the events of this story without adding this weird non-starter of grief being brushed over.

oh and one more thing. how was we STILL including harry potter references. in this day and age. in QUEER books. absolutely not okay. just the cherry on top for a not great book. (and that’s not mentioning the fatphobic comments made constantly about david, internally and externally. or how riddley is so weirdly vulgar and sex-obsessed, it’s her only other personality trait besides loving movies… okay. the somewhat ace-phobic comment made about everyone being “a little bit bi”. the slightly graphic sex scenes and comments — no i am not over the dick comparison comment — for a YA BOOK. just… yeah, absolutely not)

in my opinion, there are better options out there if you want a book with a similar vibe to this.

I loved that this feels like a YA gay romance for teenage boys--its kind of icky (in an endearing teen Boy way) and raw and angsty and it feels real and wonderful to me. As a grown woman, I also enjoyed it. This book has an INCREDIBLE first line. Immediately my interest is *piqued*. Throughout the book there continues to be GREAT dialogue. The boys are whitty and I loved it!! This is loosely about a boyband made up of nerds, friendship drama and developing and changing relationships-- Friends-enemies-more?

Darkhearts is so good. So so good. I loved the banter, the way the boys worked through their stuff, the family's and special events. I was SO frustrated several times throughout the book, bit I will put that down to well written teenage boy drama. It's SUPER angsty, but again-- this is about teenager punk rock kids, so it all checks out.

This story deals with some more serious topics including suicide and coming out, and it is done very well!!! Neither coming out not mental health is the theme of this book, it's just a part of the life we see our characters experience!

I only wish for a little bit more of an epilogue (maybe because I LOVED what we got?) And I did sort of miss dual POV for this one--but that did not hinder my reading experience!!

Overall I really loved this one so much more than expected and would ABSOLUTELY reccomend the physical and/or audio book to anyone!

David left his high school band, Darkhearts, and hasn’t spoken to the other members since. When a sudden tragedy brings David and the lead singer, Chance, back together, they slowly begin to rebuild their friendship, which turns into a romance.

But Chance is now one of the most famous musicians in the world, and his manager insists they keep their relationship a secret. Plus, David now wants to rejoin the band. He and Chance both have choices to make that could determine their very futures.

This was a good book and a fun read. Chance, David, and the surrounding cast of characters are all relatable (the dialogue of David’s best friend can get a little cheesy sometimes), and I was definitely rooting for Chance and David. Plus, this story has some interesting things to say on the industry of fame. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, quick read, I would recommend this.

I've seen some pretty mixed reviews for this and I understand why, because it's a pretty messy book. But it worked really well for me. The characters are all flawed and they fuck up, but this was all portrayed in a nuanced way, with a lot of capacity and willingness to grow. They're in a complicated situation, and on top of that they're also teens, and I think it was realistic to see how they handled things.

I have a huge soft spot for books about music and fame, to be honest. Particularly ones that portray fame in a complex, nuanced way and not like something that's either all good or all bad. I don't know why this appeals to me so much but I just find it very intriguing. I think this one had an interesting outside perspective from someone who missed the chance to become famous and reunites with his friend who did.

There's a lot of jealousy and resentment, and it takes the main character a long time to work through that. My one issue would be that it takes him maybe a little too long so that the ending feels a little rushed. But I liked that he was self aware enough to admit his own issues and work on them.

I gave this a three out of five stars, I liked it but didn’t love it. I think it could have been better. I think a lot of people are going to love this book.

**2.75 stars**

I wanted to love this book so badly because it was even one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I mean, a book about a boyband with gay/bi rep?? YEP, sign me up!! Especially for pride month. But it ultimately fell very flat for me. The writing was pretty good and it didn't take long to get into the story; after being in a reading slump the past few weeks, I really appreciated that! I needed something that I could just jump into and fly through, and I paired it with the ALC (my preferred way to read because my attention is held better when I can listen to the audiobook as I read). The audiobook was done super well, and the narrator was phenomenal. He differentiated between the characters with different voices so it was fun to listen to and easy to tell which character was talking when. I loved Ridley, David's best friend, so much, and thought she was such a funny character and I wished she had more scenes!! She redeemed a lot of the book for me. I think the overarching issue with this book was that I went into it with different expectations for what the story was and how much of the plot was going to center around the boy band and grief.

We get the inciting incident––David and Chance's friend and bandmate, Eli, passes away––as soon as the book starts, and then Eli is only brought up maybe a few more times throughout the book? And never in-depth. Since he was so close to the protagonist and the love interest, and his death is why they rekindle a friendship/relationship in the first place, it would've made sense for him to be talked about/woven into the story more. I would've liked to see more discussions about grief and dealing with losing a friend like that so young too; I saw some potential for that within the story, but it was just never broached. Additionally, I was expecting more boyband-related things to happen, like a tour or an inside look at the music scene or something. Chance goes off and has a few photoshoots or David tries to reprise his role in the band around the 60-65% mark, but the vast majority of the book was spent doing regular teenage stuff.

My biggest issue though: I love an unlikable main character, but David's entire personality and his actions were so clouded by jealousy and envy. Not to mention the obvious grudge he was still holding against Chance, even after they started dating!! Like why!! And then he had the audacity to try to get back into the band??? While ignoring his boyfriend's obvious attempts at changing subjects and trying to steer him away from the idea?? C'mon, David!! This attitude throughout the story, with very little character growth, is why I'm rating this so low. If I were Chance, I wouldn't have wanted to be with someone who just kept throwing the band and my fame in my face because they were *that* jealous.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review!

A very sweet and introspective book that puts its lead through several difficult issues without ever feeling preachy like he's being tortured or going too deep into the sad parts, which I greatly appreciate in YA.
David started a band with his two best friends, Chance and Eli, but quit in a huff right before they got scouted and became a huge hit. Two years later, Eli dies in a tragic accident and Chance is back in town trying to rest before going back on tour.
David and Chance slowly drift back together with bumps and clashes from David's envy about being left behind when they got famous, but their connection grows and matures into a love that neither of them expected and a whole new set of problems arise.
There's also the great relationship that David has with his dad and his best friend and how those relationships and their past also affect the way he acts in his new one and his reactions to certain things. It's a great little detail that shows that relationships don't take place in a vacuum.
It's emotional and tender and sweet and everything that a first love should be while also giving space to difficult topics. Not an easy thing to balance, but I like how Sutter gave David room to grow and the space to realize what his issues really were. I might have liked Chance to be a little less perfect, but that's just me trying to add a bit more realism to what doesn't need it.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the great read!

Oh boy. This tore my heart out. I felt so bad for these kids. David harbors a lot of resentment toward his former bandmate Chance. As soon as David left Darkhearts, the band he created with his friends Chance and Eli, they hit it big, leaving David to his old life as a high schooler with a normal blue collar job. He got none of what Chance and Eli got - no fame, no recognition. It was nobody’s fault but his own but it still felt terrible and unfair. And his anger about it grew over time.

Eli’s death brings Chance back into his orbit after two years of no communication. David can’t help but compare himself to his “rock god” friend. His insecurities make him feel inferior and he has unfairly held that against Chance. David’s martyr complex comes out to play way too often but eventually he learns to think of others and understand their point of view.

I would like to have seen David make some substantial emotional growth a little sooner than at the 93% mark. Real change is going to take more than an eleventh hour epiphany. It would have been great if the book jumped to a few years later to give David some time to mature and then allow him to reconnect with Chance as a truly changed person. That said, I believed David was sincere in his understanding and acceptance of his and Chance’s different paths in life. I also liked where things with them ended up. David is in a line of work that suits him well, putting his skill and talent to work. Chance, too. I thought the last chapter was really wonderful.

I enjoyed Sutter’s writing a lot. I thought it was an easygoing, very readable style with a great sense of humor. His descriptions made the book come alive. I will definitely be keeping an eye open for more from James Sutter.

🎸🎸🎸🎸
4 guitars out of 5

This book was really great. There were more than a few times throughout the book where I found David extremely annoying, but it honestly fits into his character arc, so it worked. The story was angsty enough to tug at your heartstrings and make you feel for the characters. Chance was definitely my favorite character from the book. He was a beautiful person and was well-written. Great read for my Pride month TBR. Definitely recommend!

Darkhearts is a little strange. It is a classic boy-band-gone-wrong situation, with friends-to enemies- to lovers and that is usually a hit but in some places this felt rushed, maybe a little shallow (but confronting one's own short comings can be difficult so it is easier to ignore them which our main character does) and the romance felt.....underdeveloped. I struggled to root for them but it was an entertaining story (I finished in about a day) so if you need something fun and easy this one might work for you!

What if the band you started in middle school makes it big after you quit? And then one of the original members dies, and the other comes home for the funeral?

David has spent high school watching his former best friends make it big and regretting his choices, but when he starts to see Chance, he discovers all kinds of things he didn't know about himself.

Bi-awakening, first love, teen angst, secret relationship, and rock star paparazzi level fame all collide as these two try to figure out if they can make it. David has a huge level of growth as the story goes on, and there are funny moments tempered with sweetness throughout.

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

My first read from this author, and I'm torn about what to say about the story. I love a good coming of age story and love it even more when the characters are part of the LGBTQIA community. I get completely drawn in when the characters learn how to be true to themselves and own who they are meant to be. This story had those elements that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the banter the MCs had, and in particular, I loved Ridley. Where I had difficulty, though, was David through most of the book. He really wasn't my favorite, although he DID redeem himself in the end, and you kind of realized why he was that way. 3.5 stars rounded up because...Ridley.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book really didn’t work for me. I could see perhaps why someone else may enjoy it, but I couldn’t really get behind a lot of the decisions made in this book.

I didn’t actively dislike it per se, it was fairly easy and quick to read with lots of humour and good banter, which I appreciated! But the things I really liked about the book (David and his carpentry, David & his dad talking about his mom leaving, the impact of grief on our relationships and the damage of losing a friend young) were in short supply and the things I wasn’t as much of a fan of felt a lot more prominent.

I found David to be profoundly unlikeable, especially towards the end of the book. I couldn’t really understand what Chance would see in him and I couldn’t really find a solid reason why David was into Chance either. I found myself suspending a lot of disbelief as the whole situation just felt not believable. David was so selfish, jealous, and resentful that I had a really hard time believing that he had really changed and could be a good boyfriend by the end of the novel, because I didn’t see evidence of much growth throughout the book.

There were also some questionable and frankly problematic decisions made for the year 2023: Chance referring to his mother as “Mom Führer”, two Harry Potter references (in a queer book no less!!), and some flippant comment about how the police would “at least give them a warning before shooting” because the MC is white and the LI is famous.

Overall, I think if you’re really into the pop star / boy band genre and don’t mind a difficult main character, this might work for you, but ultimately I was disappointed by it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Darkhearts follows teen David in the wake of his best friend Eli's death, as he and his other friend, Chance, reconnect after several years of distance.

This was a sweet, sometimes sad, and overall enjoyable read. The romance at its center has its ups and downs -- on the one hand, a cute dynamic between the two characters, and on the other hand an interpersonal conflict that is kind of difficult to get around -- and I loved watching them interact. I wasn't entirely thrilled with the resolution to their conflict, mostly because I think that the culpability of the characters and who did and didn't genuinely apologize was a little imbalanced.

Overall, this was a lovely read, definitely a good pick for anyone looking for a solid YA queer romance.

This was an enjoyable read. There are many layers to the story, and it captured and held my attention well. David and Chance are intriguing characters, and their story manages to be both fun and complex. A steady flow of emotion, poignancy, tension, drama, turmoil, sweetness, humor and heart serve as the enticing backdrop for a tale that warms your heart and makes you smile while also having you experience some pretty big feels.

Darkhearts by James L. Sutter is a captivating read that delves into the complexities of relationships, fame, and self-discovery. The story follows David, a former band member who missed his shot at stardom, and his reconnection with Chance, his ex-best friend and now a famous teen pop star, after the tragic death of their mutual friend and bandmate, Eli.

One aspect that stood out to me was the exploration of the character's emotions and their journey of rediscovery. Sutter portrays their conflicting feelings realistically, allowing readers to empathize with their struggles. However, I found the speed and intensity of their rekindled friendship turned romance somewhat unrealistic. It would have been more believable if it had developed more gradually.

If you enjoyed If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich, you'd likely appreciate Darkhearts. Both books explore similar themes of young adult celebrities navigating authentic relationships in light of the burdens of fame.

Overall, Darkhearts is a good read that blends heartbreak, romance, and the complexities of fame. Despite minor reservations about the relationship dynamics, I found the book enjoyable and satisfying. James L. Sutter has crafted a story that will resonate with fans of contemporary YA fiction.

Based on the synopsis, I'd expected Darkhearts to be a much heavier and more serious book than it was, but I was surprised to find that it was a far lighter and funnier book in reality. I really enjoyed 80% of this book, it was sweet and funny and I loved reading Chance and David find their way back to each other. I did have a few frustrations though, I really wanted the conflict promised in the synopsis to be the central conflict instead of only coming into the picture 75% of the way through the book, and the way that Eli and Chance and David's shared grief over Eli's death fizzled out after the beginning of the book until it became plot relevant again felt a bit weird. I very much enjoyed the last chapter of the book, though it made me wish we got to see the fallout from the actions there. Overall, it's a sweet and funny book about two boys making their way back to each other after time apart through shared tragedy, and David's journey to recognize when he's self-sabotaging. I'd recommend it to fans of If This Gets Out; Red, White, and Royal Blue; and Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars if I could.

I enjoyed this story. It's a queer coming-of-age story and it's both heartbreaking and sweet. David, Chance, and Ridley are wonderfully full characters. It has great pacing and tackles a lot of different topics. Death Putt sounds fantastic -- I wish I could go!

While I understand why the story is only told from David's PoV, he did get annoying at times. He clearly has things to work on but his constantly assuming what Chance's life is like without asking got old. He couldn't get out of his own way. And maybe I'm a little too old for these characters but I think I would've found it tiring at 17, too.

Though that ending? *chef's kiss*