I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I took a chance on Darkhearts on the strength of the premise alone, and while it is one of those books that suffers from the unfortunate trend of trying to shoehorn everything into the romcom genre lately (spoiler alert: its heavy themes are not compensated for with any recognizable humor), I still enjoyed it, and respected that the blurb was at least honest about the role the tragedy of a friend’s death plays in the plot.
I definitely resonate with David in terms of feeling left behind by people I consider friends, and while his jealousy and bitterness is not admirable, it feels believable. His path of self-discovery of his identity as bisexual, while reconnecting with his former best friend, Chance, was also really sweet.
Chance’s story also really resonated. I felt for him as he described the difficulty of being friends with Eli as Eli was struggling and not knowing what to do, and shouldering the blame for not doing “enough” to help him. And some of his (and Eli’s) decisions did play a role in the destruction of their friendship with David, so I appreciate how it was about both of them coming to terms with the loss, and making amends with each other as they got reacquainted.
While this is my first book by James L. Sutter, it definitely won’t be my last. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys queer YA with messy main characters.

I really, really wanted to love this book, y'all. I thought it was exactly what I needed to fill the hole in my heart that has existed since the likes of If This Gets Out, and I think it genuinely had the potential to be that, but there were just some... issues. It wasn't by any means a bad book, rather solidly middling as a fun angsty YA enemies-to-lovers story, but there were some glaring issues that stopped me from rating it higher.

Pros:
-First of all, I have to give it credit for the angst. It was good angst. I'm always down for a "but can they make it work" story that feels like a solid punch to the gut.
-And there was some interesting discussion of sexuality and fluidity in this book, which is something that I am always delighted to see more of when it comes to male-led YA.
-Healthy child-father relationship!

On the other hand, there were little things that just kept building up that took me out of the story entirely:
- The random HP reference.
- For all the talk of grief, I feel like very little grieving actually gets done? Honestly very little actually gets solved in this book at all.
- A super out of place line about a character doing the "sort of rocking people call 'self-soothing' in autistic kids, but which everyone has in them somewhere, if they'll just let in run." which... um. Yikes.

I don't know, y'all. I wanted to like this book so much. But this just wasn't it.

'Darkhearts' by James Sutter was a unique and beautiful read for many reasons; the humor reminded me of my friends when we were teenagers, the music part of it reminded me how much I loved going to pop/rock shows with said friends, as well as dealing with my inner turmoil of being queer in such heavily cis/straight places.

This book also deal with grief, friendship, coming out, and the pressures of being a high schooler in such great ways. The book opens with the main character David talking about his ex-band mates and the recent death of Eli, who was a founding member of Darkhearts, a now extremely popular pop/rock band, and also brings Chance back into David's life. The teen angst is heavy, especially dealing with two teenage boys having to balance life, loss, and the constant fettering of societal expectations within the music industry.

While not your typical boy band dynamic, Sutter managed to give a new voice to the YA sub-genre. I appreciated the immaturity of the characters, but also that they were allowed to be teenagers and given the space to deal with more mature topics in their own way.

Darkhearts is a queer YA romance that focuses on what happens after a boy band becomes famous and their old friend is left behind. James L. Sutter creates realistic teen characters who can be both inspiring and infuriating.

David, Chance and Eli started their band Darkhearts in middle school. But David quit after one argument too many, and then Darkhearts went on to a record deal and fame and fortune. Two years later, Eli is dead from alcohol poisoning, and Chance and David reconnect. But can they re-learn how to be friends, when David is getting ready for his senior year of high school and Chance is living like a rock star? And what about all those new feelings of attraction?

This book is billed as being for fans of If This Gets Out (which I love) because they both feature gay boy band members. But there are intangibles that separate a good book from a great one. Darkhearts focuses on David’s life in high school after his friends becomes famous; he’s both dazzled and jealous of Chance’s life. But because David is the focus, it takes forever for him to understand the darker side of fame. Instead he acts as a typical self-absorbed teen, and only worries about how things affect him. While it’s probably a more realistic representation, it doesn’t make David a particularly likable character in parts of the book.

Since this book is only from David’s point of view, there are few breaks from his self-absorbed thoughts. A lot of the time, Chance seems almost like a caricature of what a teen rocker would be like, which is probably accurate from David’s perspective. There were highlights in this book too, which leans in to themes of discovering who you are, and making mistakes. I also adored his BFF Ridley, and her film obsession. In fact, all the secondary characters were great supports to the story.

Darkhearts is a queer YA look at the development of a boy band, and the perils of fame. These characters make age-appropriate mistakes, which doesn’t always make for likable characters. This story is a YA journey that rings true, though, and if you enjoy a lot of angst with your teen romance, you should check it out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love love love love. The character interactions felt accurate and the meme content was top tier. Some of the dialogue felt flat and too much like the author was trying to hard to talk "like a modern teen". Other than that loved it.

Truthfully, I did not love any of the characters and I had a hard time believing the chemistry between them, but I still had enough fun with the plot around it to suspend my disbelief and still enjoy it.

I really wanted to enjoy this one. The premise is one that I’m naturally drawn to, due to my love for fame and chaos. It’s really unfortunate that I couldn’t fully dive into Darkhearts like I wanted to.

The pacing felt very choppy to me. It didn’t feel like things were naturally setting into place. The dialogue felt emotionless as well. There were things happening but I couldn’t connect to the story or characters. I knew from early on I might struggle with the development of the story and the structure but I was hoping those things would fix itself as the story progressed.

I think there is a lot of potential with this story and I hope others can feel differently than I have. We can never have enough queer celebrity storylines.

I'll be honest, I have no idea how many starts to give to this one. It was a good read, it had me entertained, but it also felt like something was missing from it. While in the beginning this only made me look forward to when things really started, as it advanced and the feeling persisted, it just whispered to me: it should have been better.

3+

The story centers on David, who left his band as he felt the other two members were too much, despite being his childhood friends. Moments later, the band signs a contract and becomes a big thing. Two years later, he meets them again in unexpected circumstances: Eli died, and Chance is expected to return on stage too soon. But it becomes a way for Chance and David to reconnect. Even if it opens back the wounds that never healed properly.

This was my first book by James L. Sutter, and it seems like he did a big jump of genres from what Goodreads has listed under his name. It doesn't feel like it, though. And the story is good, the way David needs to get over himself is built stealthily, and it's rewarding. The romance is also cute, and at times hot. The couple has real chemistry. And maybe because of the author's background, the music scene in Seattle was very well described—at least for someone who has no idea how it is supposed to be, lol.

But as I said, there was something unfulfilling about the story. It would seem to be getting there but it never did. Maybe because we, the readers, could tell that as David was, the romance could never work out, so whenever he was with Chance, that dark cloud of doom loomed over. (I'll confess the parts about David's work were also a little too detailed and bored me a bit; good research, little use to make the plot more interesting).

The cover is pretty, the story is good, we have a lot of extra stuff going on that would be good discussions in book clubs. It goes beyond what many queer YA romances explore.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for an ALC of this one.

David quit his band, Darkhearts, in high school shortly before the band blew up in popularity. Now, he is faced with his past mistakes when one of his old bandmates dies and the other tries to reconnect.

This was super good! I really enjoyed all of the band aspects and the tropes about dating a famous person. The relationship development between David and Chance was really good and reminded me in some ways of Beating Heart Baby, which I loved.

Queer Band Books are amazing and I want to read every one I can find. Thank you.

CW: death, alcoholism, addiction, abandonment

If you are in the mood for an angsty, teen love story that checks the box for every teen movie cliché, this is the book for you. I was in the right mood to read this one so I enjoyed it, but it would have been a pass if I started reading this with higher expectations.

Chance, Eli, and David were childhood friends and bandmates until David left the group. Chance and Eli went on to make their band, Darkhearts, an international sensation and David was left behind with his anger and pain.

After Eli’s tragic death brings Chance back to town, he gets close with David again. They rebuild their friendship and discover that their feelings are deeper than they used to be. Due to the spotlight that Chance lives in they have to keep their relationship a secret. Cue the jealous angst from David, Chance’s hurt feelings when he feels like David is just using him like everyone else in his life, and the drama of David’s best friend finding out he was lying to her about his relationship status.

It is all a perfect storm of hormonal teenage drama with a cast of colorful characters. Everything in this book is surface level and fairly predictable, but it is a good read when you are looking for an simple young adult love story.

Recommended for: older teen/young adult readers

Content warning: alcoholism, alcohol poisoning, teen death

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

When David quit his band in high school, he never imagined the fame his ex-best friends would achieve. Now he's living a normal high school live while Chance, the ex-best friend, lives a life of stardom and fame.

However, when tragedy strikes, David and Chance are thrown back together. As they reconnect, they throw away their enemy status for a newfound, secret romance. And a chance for David to possibly rejoin the band. As things start to get serious, David finds that his opportunity to get back in the band might also mean losing his new romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for an advanced copy of Darkhearts by James Sutter to review! It's pitched for fans of Alice Oseman and Red, White, and Royal Blue, and it may be the first book in a while that actually fits the vibes of those two things.

The characters and the romance are really at the center of this book, focusing on the way David realizes his feelings for chance--and thus, realizing aspects of his own sexuality. There are some great moments between them, and the texting exchanges add some lightheartedness to the darker moments found throughout the book.

The story itself does have a little bit of a rough start, but once you get into Chance and David's romance, it is smooth sailing. Not necessarily for them, but for the writing style. You'll be swept up into this secretive, boy band romance, referencing moments from both of their pasts. It's not a true enemies to lovers, but more best friends turned enemies turned lovers. Which really is a fantastic trope in and of itself.

All in all, if you are a fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue and looking for a more YA alternative, this is a book I'd definitely put in your hands!

This book is marketed as a combination of Heartstopper and Red, White and Royal Blue which are both powerhouses in the queer book market and also happen to be two of my personal favorites. I find this marketing off, it doesn’t quite encapsulate the wholesomeness Heartstopper does and it doesn’t have the heart and pull at your emotions that Red, White and Royal Blue does.

The pacing is odd, it almost goes too fast and it could do with an entire 25% more to include more moments of the two MC’s together and an epilogue that extends beyond its abrupt end. While I will say this is an enjoyable enough story it left me with quite a few questions that never get answered.

While I liked both David and Chance I also felt like I didn’t get to know too much about either of them beyond their hobbies/careers and David’s jealousy and Chance’s seeming fear of confrontation.

I’m giving this one 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is perfect for fans of If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich. It begins with David Holcomb, who left the band Darkhearts just before they hit it big, and a very awkward funeral reunion. Eli has just suddenly died of alcohol poisoning, and, at the funeral, David shares a moment with Chance, the remaining Darkhearts member. Trying to keep his emotional distance but drawn back to Chance nonetheless, David renews a frienship that turns into something more- something real that both Chance and David need. But does this relationship need David back in the music business to survive? This is a very moving book about the time of your life where you learn your truth and how to live it, made much more complicated these days by the lure of fame and its costs.

A strong, bittersweet work about grief and regret. This book is difficult to classify. While it has some elements of a romcom (friends-to-rivals-to-lovers, secretly dating, finding yourself, etc.), it doesn't actually read like one. The romance between narrator David and his love interest Chance is the main plot, but arguably the story is about how David has been stuck in the past and needs to find a way to move forward.

If I had to register a critique, it would be the fact that band member and friend Eli's death--the event that kicks off the plot and brings David and Chance back together--wasn't thoroughly handled. This was a trauma for Chance and arguably for David too. But it barely gets discussed. By the midway point of the book, Chance's feelings of guilt are "resolved" for narrative purposes (or more accurately, seemingly ignored or forgotten by David). It's clear that David is meant to be a selfish character, but the fact that this event just falls away is troubling.

I also thought I would leave unsatisfied by the 'resolution' about the choice to come out or not. Until those last couple of lines...well, let's just say I liked it better than I thought I would.

I'd recommend this book to fans of YA, coming-of-age novels, and bittersweet romances.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 25% for a multitude of reasons. The first reason is that the character Chance is explaining that all celebrities have personas and goes on to use Johnny Depp as an example. I think this is highly inappropriate given that Depp has a documented history of domestic violence. Additionally, the text also references Harry Potter in the form of a specific spell which is unnecessary and seen as harmful by many people. Finally, I had to DNF because while there are a multitude of reference to the main character David being chubby, the cover does not convey this at all and is erasing that representation. I’m disappointed since I was really looking forward to this story.

First I want to thank Net Galley and St Martin's press for allowing me access to an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Darkhearts is an absolutely amazing read. A slice of life tale about friendship, love, and missed opportunities. Former best friends and band mates are reunited in the wake of a terrible tragedy, and try to rekindle some friendship from the ashes. As far as relationships and evolving romances go this is probably one of the most realistic and heartfelt portrayals I've seen in a while.

I also want to add that I was already a big fand of James L Sutter for his books in the Pathfinder Universe and was really excited to get an opportunity to see how his writing differed in this new genre. I was not disappointed. His love of movies, music, and nerd culture really shine through and influence his cast of characters and their development through the story. I love David's arc through the story and how he finds addresses the new parts of himself he hadn't acknowledged before.

Putting on my critical hat is hard on this one because it was such an easy read and the transitions seemed so effortless between the stages of their relationship. I honestly think the only thing we really miss in this is more development of Chance and his world. We get little glimpses of who he is under the surface, but we don't really get to see him grapple with as much. This could also be due to the nature of this story as we really only get to see David and his perception which skews towards his own insecurities.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a great ride from beginning to end, and I can't wait to see what James L Sutter has coming next.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review. I'm definitely a fan of stories about pop stars, teen idols, and the behind the scenes of the music industry -- so Darkhearts was up my alley even though it's a different type of music genre. I'd say this story is predominantly about friendship and jealousy, with a touch of romance, rather than the other way around as I expected. It's such a great story premise here, of what would happen if you dropped out of a band you made as a teenager, but your former friends and bandmates went on to incredible fame and fortune. You just have to go to high school and your part-time job while you watch these kids you grew up with absolutely explode onto the scene, and you have to sit with that. Was it all owed to you, and you're missing out, or was it never going to happen WITH you there? I think that's the theme this book successfully pulled off for me, is this very grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side plus grief and the chaos of fame. It was a really compelling read, even if it was different than the original expectations that I had!

⭐️ 2.5 STARS ⭐️

I had very good expectations for this book, but unfortunately, these expectations were not met. The story fell flat at most points and didn't leave me wanting more out of it. The main characters were bland and boring, and the story was severely weakened by the poorly written characters.

I was a little nervous about reading this at first because it was compared to RWRB, which isn't my favorite book, but I was genuinely surprised. I am always a sucker for "friends to enemies to lovers" & "childhood friends" trope so I really like these types of stories. I found the book very interesting and love Sutter's writing style. Besides the cringey jokes (which I would have probably made in high school too), the issues and feelings that the characters felt were very relatable and I'm glad I got to read this before it release. I couldn't stop reading it, Definitely recommend if anyone wants a quick cute story about dumb boys who are confused and bad at feelings.

3.5/5 ⭐
Two years ago, David was part of a band, Darkhearts, with his best friends Eli and Chance. When things started to ramp up though, he left, and they didn't reach out. Instead, they became famous. Now in present day, Eli has tragically died of alcohol poisoning, and David and Chance are thrown back together. As they start to hang out again, David starts to like Chance. Then a kiss leads to more. However, Chance can't risk coming out, so he and David must hide their relationship.

All the parts of David and Chance outside of the music world, I enjoyed a lot. I thought their chemistry was good, and it was well written so where the reader could feel the teenage awkwardness. However, any parts involving music just made David annoying. I felt like it erased any character growth he had had up until that point. Overall, a decent YA romance, especially if you can put up with David's whininess at times.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.