Alexis Hall creates his own world in a British romance historical fiction. In it the characters are queer and there is acceptance and love in many forms. This is Peggy Delancey’s tale. She has unrequited feelings towards Belle. But Belle wants Peggy to be a go between to court Orfeo an opera singer. Instead sparks fly between between Peggy and Orfeo, who are both gender fluid.

This is a campy, satiric romp. With Hall I must slow down my reading speed because lines can be complex. There is wit and sarcasm that should not be skimmed. The cleverness of a poetry salon is joyful. But Hall also can wander in the storytelling talking about things not relevant to the main story. (A minimal complaint.) Of course it is going to lead to a wonderfully accepting HEA.

This is a sequel to Something Fabulous which I haven’t read. Those MCs are part of this storyline too. I’ve read contemporary, historical and mystery stories from Hall who is an author I always enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review.

I gave this 3* simply because not giving a star rating isn't an option and I don't think it's fair to give a low rating to a book I didn't read in it's entirety. I made it to a bit over 10% in this one, and it was just not doing anything at all for me. It couldn't hold my interest, and the sexy time set up that was happening around that point was very cringe for me, especially knowing the person involved is not the ultimate love interest in the book.

I loved the first book in this series, and I typically enjoy this author, so I'll likely give this another go when it hits audio, but my eyeball reading time is limited and valuable, and this wasn't where I want to spend it.

I quite enjoyed this sequel but not quite as much as the previous book. I liked that we got a story about Peggy since they were really interesting in the first book. Orfeo felt a bit wishy-washy for most of the book but I liked them a lot more in the last 20% or so. If we get another sequel I hope it’s about Sir Horley!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Something spectacular was a really enjoyable read. I loved the writing style and hilarious dialogue and heart tugging description. The story is pretty light hearted and funny. I did however find it a bit repetitive at times sine the characters would have the sane thought about their struggles written in a similar way over and over again. The ending didn't feel super satisfying. A story which is more romance drama doesn't need a big dramatic climax but it feels more like there were smaller plots throughout the book rather than one for the whole book. So while reading it was an absolute thrill and so much fun it the ending was more a fizzle than a firework.
It might be because of Peggy as a character who right through was pretty passive unless it came to helping someone else. I wish she would become a bit more selfish and fight more for her own happiness. It wasn't really a big deal until the dark night of the soul moment where she basically gave up. I was expecting her to finally fight for what she wanted but she didn't have to in the end. Maybe that was more true to the character but not super narratively satisfying.
I kind of wish we got Orfeo's pov as well since they were the more active party in the story.

Despite this I still really enjoyed read it this so it definitely makes me want to read more of Alexis Halls novels since I really liked their writing style and characters.
You should read the content warning in the beginning of the book. The love interest Orfeo is a castrato and while it wasn't really a big deal sometimes the joked made at that expense was sometimes a bit um... Uncomfortable. I wouldn't say it was offensive or anything just be aware of it.

I recommend it if you want to read a fast and funny queer romance with loveable characters.

let me just say it right here and now Alexis Hall can do no wrong in my book! I have read every book of his and all of them have brought me such joy. This one though might be my favorite one so far. The first book in this series was fun and warm and I loved the characters from that one as well. I am also a sucker for a saphic romance so of course I loved this one the most. I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel! I loved it! 4.5 stars, rounded up. So fun! Definitely read the author's note and don't take anything too seriously. This is nothing like other historical romances, it's better! I'm just sad it's over and that not all storylines were wrapped up. Hoping for Horley to be featured in the next book!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Something Fabulous was one of my favorite books last year, so I was incredibly hyped for the follow-up. However, Something Spectacular did not deliver.
That’s not to say there aren’t good parts to this book. Hall continues his compassionate inclusion of gender expansive rep that he began with his previous historical, A Lady for a Duke, this time featuring two nonbinary protagonists. He contextualizes this from the beginning with his intro, discussing the context of one of the characters in particular being a castrato. He strikes a great balance between being historically plausible, while also being self-aware that he’s writing for a modern audience with modern sensibilities, and that is something else he addresses early on.
And going in, I did enjoy the characters and setup. Peggy’s situation is so relatable, as someone who has dealt with unrequited love. In spite of that, she and Arabella have a sweet relationship, and I like that there’s nuance to Arabella’s feelings. There’s even a brief discussion where they allude to Valentine’s demisexuality, and Arabella discusses the possibility that she may be similar, except perhaps she’s demi or aromantic instead.
But while I liked Orfeo in principle, they came into the story several chapters later, when the other characters had already been established. That’s not to say there weren’t nice moments between Peggy and Orfeo, as there were…it’s nice for two people who don’t fit within the gender binary to find each other. But there was no real chemistry between Peggy and Orfeo to make me root for them. There needed to be more time to flesh them out, but the book had already dragged on excessively, with a lot of nothing.
While this book didn’t meet my expectations, there are some good points to this book, and I do respect Hall for writing a story with two nonbinary leads. If you’re looking for a historical with queer protagonists, I would still recommend it.

Not for me. I didn’t enjoy it at all mostly because I found it to be ridiculous. Gave up and didn’t go back to it

Something Spectacular is the second book in the Something Fabulous series, featuring some of the same characters so we had a chance to see what life is like for Valentine and Bonny (spoiler: it’s fabulous!). The world the books are set in is amazing, so different from most Regency historicals. And I loved how Alexis Hall gently poked fun at those more traditional books.

Just like Something Fabulous, Something Spectacular is so much fun. I laughed out loud in some places. At the same time, the book is an exploration of gender identity. Orfeo uses they/them pronouns and Peggy identifies as non-binary. As the book is told from Peggy’s POV, it’s mostly her journey we see and while that was great, I think I would have liked a to hear a bit more from Orfeo’s perspective.

Despite that tiny bit of criticism, I really enjoyed the book. It’s fun and clever and I can’t wait to read more in this world. Maybe Sir Horley? Because I’m definitely worried about him.

*** I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

DNF at 20% :') I love romance I love sapphic romance even more but i couldn't care about the characters one bit. historical - thats cool, historical and queer - thats amazing, historical, queer and there's no homophobia - well that must be my next favourite book. probably would be, but i think it would work better as modern times because this amount of 18+ references and lines doesnt work in historical setting

I love Alexis Hall's writing. I love how he balances silly banter and insightful explorations of the human experience. This wasn't my favourite Alexis Hall book. I found it a bit slow to start, and I had difficulty getting really invested in the story. Too much of the resolution happened off-page for my preference. I loved getting inside Peggy's head and seeing Arabella from her perspective. In Something Fabulous I found Arabella to be insufferable, whereas in Something Spectacular I learned I strongly relate to her. I hope that all the background we learned about different side characters means we'll be getting more books in the Something Something universe. I really love this incredibly queer regency world.

5/5. Releases 4/11/2023.

For when you're vibing with... Queer romance, gender nonconformity, general hilarity and hope, found family vibes, and people who rarely get shine from historical romances taking center stage.

Peggy is in a tight spot: Arabella, her childhood friend and the woman she's in love with, has asked for her help to woo Orfeo, the famous castrato soprano visiting London. Unable to deny Arabella anything, Peggy complies--only to find that rather than resenting Orfeo, she's captivated with them. Just like Peggy, Orfeo is doesn't conform to gender norms, living on the edges of society. And in them, Peggy could find more than just attraction--but a soul-deep connection.

Man, this one was fucking something. Really daring, hilarious, sexy, and emotionally touching. Alexis Hall keeps making me happy as a reader, and I wholeheartedly adore this book.

Quick Takes:
--I've always been fascinated by the history of castrati, in part because there is a lot of ambiguity in the subject. Most (?) castrati were forcibly castrated or coerced into castration as children. While stories of accidents and illnesses were often given to justify the castration, usually the choice was not theirs--but undeniably, there were doors open to castrati, some of which, like Farinelli (who's referenced in this book) became famous, wealthy, and adored for their incredible voices. They also lost the ability to sire children, became seen as freakish or odd to some, and lived in this sort of... gray area of a very binary (on the surface) society. Alexis Hall doesn't shy away from all that Orfeo has suffered, and there's a lot of trauma going on, clearly. But he also doesn't make Orfeo this sob story of a character, this self-loathing nonbinary person. Orfeo is gorgeous, physically and emotionally, and they love their art. They clearly didn't have a choice about it--but that doesn't make the love any less valid, and Peggy does not pity them, does not turn them into some "half-man". She adores them, as she should. And they adore her.

--Peggy's gender identity is (though she uses she/her pronouns) fluid. The connection that she and Orfeo make, neither one of them a man or a woman, is really profound and something you don't often see in fiction. It's that camaraderie they have, not only with each other but their entire circle of friends (not a straight person in sight) that makes the novel so magical... Aside from the absolute gut punch of a romance that lingers between Orfeo and Peggy. Their connection is instantaneous (Peggy literally faints when she hears Orfeo sing for the first time, and Peggy is not a swooner) but it's not insta-love. Their bond grows over time, and even after it becomes physical, there's some real emotional work that has yet to be done.

--One thing I was concerned about going into this book was whether Orfeo's status as nonbinary (I've seen them specifically referred to as agender in other reviews, but I'm not 100% sure about where Alexis stands on this) would feel.... clumsily-done. In other words--is Orfeo only NB because they were castrated against their will? My interpretation, ultimately, was no; but the conflict this causes Orfeo is not avoided. They ask these questions themself. Were they always meant to be this way, or are they this way because of what happened to them? Does it matter? I personally saw Orfeo's identity as something that was a very literally a combination of who they are within (their soul) and how society has shaped them. And I think Alexis Hall confronted that conflict and reality very sensitively. But I say all of this as a cis woman, and I would be interested to see how people who aren't cis feel about it.

--I have an issue with how the romance community sometimes deals with past relationships and the conflicts they can naturally cause. You often see reviews that give actual trigger warnings for "OW/OM drama" and that just... It's fine to not like that, but acting like it's a trigger is a bit much--and I think that if we shun past loves and the conflicted feelings they can give characters, even when the relationships were toxic, we lose a lot of nuance.

Something Spectacular is a great example of why that kind of past can be important in romance. We see past relationships as issues for both Peggy and Orfeo, and they deal with them in very different ways. One of the most heart-clutching, gut-wrenching moments of the novel involves this kind of "drama". I think there's a lot of emotional honesty in this book, testifying to the chokehold that exes--or not-so-exes--can have on us, whether the relationship is healthy or not. And this drama does lead to one of my favorite romance novel reunions ever. There's RAIN DRAMA.

--The world of the book is delightful, consciously anachronistic and fun and full of cool people lazing about, seducing each other, attending operas like they're rock concerts, and having rather hysterical poetry slams that turn into.... other things. Alexis Hall writes with zero sense of pretentiousness or self-consciousness, and I think that's what we need more of in historical romance. I imagine it would be hard to come away from this book without wanting to read more of Alexis's novels, and certainly Something Fabulous.

--Not to spoil anything, but... This book confronts the concept of queer families, especially in the context of its world, in a way that I didn't expect and don't see a lot of in romance. I fucking loved it. That's all.

The Sex Stuff:
This is a sexy book. (She ain't called Peggy for nothing--name is destiny.) As soon as Orfeo and Peggy begin interacting, the sparks are real, and their sex life is quite literally bangin'. Alexis Hall does a really good job of writing sex scenes in a way that is explicit and romantic without getting bioessentialist or describing bodies in a way that is super gendered. Peggy is sensitive about her body and goes back and forth about how she feels about her breasts, and that's brought up. There's a wonderful scene of dialogue around how Orfeo, with their somewhat unique body makeup and history, experiences pleasure and how they've often been expected to "serve" rather than taking fulfillment themselves. (Peggy's reaction to this is gorgeous.) It's also just really hot. And the final sex scene in this book? Is crazy good. Hot hot hot. Something I have quite literally never read in a romance before, not in this exact form.

Here's the thing--you can write romance novels about marginalized communities and people who've experienced trauma without depriving their love stories of joy and humor and sex and swoony romance. Alexis Hall underlined that with A Lady for a Duke last year, and he did it again with Something Spectacular. Read it.

Thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. My opinions are all my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love regency romances, I love queer romances, so when you combine them? I am truly in heaven. And when Alexis Hall is writing it? Chef’s kiss. This book was such a wonderful combination of humor, romance, spice, and a very good exploration of gender identity- specifically non-binary identities.

Now, however, I am desperately in need of a follow-up book that explores Sir Horley’s situation, because I need a resolution!

This was such a delightful story with characters with sparkling personalities. Peggy wants nothing to do with her old flame, our blah Bella, but Bella asked her to help and her pursuit of the opera soprano. Orfeo. In true romance fashion it’s our fail, and Peggy, who start to get close and realize that they have a connection. This is a historical romance with queer characters. I love the way, Alexis Hall has managed to make these characters have a place in historical romance. As always, when reading an Alexis Hall romance, I had many feelings, and felt joyful at the end.

I was so excited that Alexis Hall was following up his historical romance romp, Something Fabulous with a new title that Something Spectacular become one of my most anticipated romance books of 2023 (https://www.shereadsromancebooks.com/new-romance-books-2023/). Unfortunately it ended up being quite less than spectacular.

This book failed for me because it lacked follow-through on any of its storylines. Was this about Belle not finding love? She was her usual annoying self and then got forgotten. Was this about Peggy figuring out who she was and what she wanted? Again, not sure that was really answered by the end of this book. Was this about Orfeo and their journey? Honestly, this character was just underdeveloped and their storyline got totally lost for me. I really have no idea who this person is (other than a singer) or why they were even considered part of the main love story by the end because there was no chemistry with them and Peggy.

While I love normally love Hall’s writing, I found the book to have a lot of repetition at the beginning about Peggy and Belle’s woes. Halfway through the book, Peggy and Orfeo only had 3 minor run-ins and yet the books is supposed to be about them! Their relationship lacked chemistry and just fell through the cracks for me.

I did adore the snippets we got of Bonnie and Valentine which were the best part of this story. I missed them greatly but they breathed life into this book whenever they came on the page. And that last scene…while it brought some steaminess to the book, it really didn’t fit. Plus, it was mostly about Peggy, Bonnie and Valentine – again Orfeo just faded into the background.

I appreciated the advanced reader copy but I found myself skimming the end of the book when it should have been a DNF for me. I’m disappointed but look forward to Hall’s next book all the same.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Nonconforming Peggy Delancey is constantly pulled into the orbit of her friends the Tarleton twins. When best friend and unrequited love, Arabella Tarleton, calls her to London, Peggy heads to town posthaste. Arabella wants Peggy to act as her emissary on a mission to help famed opera soprano Orfeo fall in love with Arabella. But, as these things go, that’s not exactly what happens. Orfeo is not interested in falling in love, especially not with Arabella, but they are interested in spending more time with Peggy.

In Something Spectacular, Alexis Hall takes on themes of romance, identity, and finding a place to belong with his trademark humor and heart. There were moments when I was cackling—yes, cackling and maybe even guffawing—out loud. There were moments when I ached for the characters. There were moments that made my heart swell.

If you are looking for a Regency romance with a nonconforming couple and a highly entertaining—although not always helpful—found family, check this one out.

I received an advance copy from Montlake and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Peggy has feelings for her friend Arabella and when Arabella asks for Peggy's assistance in wooing the famous opera singer Orfeo. Peggy is surprised when she finds a connection with Orfeo. Both have never felt accepted by society as they are seen as being different and they form a friendship which might develop into more.

This is a light-hearted historical romcom. I sadly didn't love this. Both characters are coming to terms with their identities and I would like to see more historical romances with queer characters. However, whilst I did like the characters I didn't love the writing and I didn't feel invested in their romance.

Overall this was an ok read for me but not a new favourite.

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall

I got this ARC several weeks ago and I’ve been hoarding it like a dragon with gold. I finally succumbed and read it, and it was as funny and delightful as I was hoping!

This book follows the excellent Something Fabulous, and I was so thrilled to have so many moments with Bonny and Valentine. I don’t think it’s essential to read it first, but I would highly recommend it!

Something Spectacular is written in the same fun, over-the-top style as its predecessor. Full of zany humour, characters being Extra, Tarletons being Extra Extra, everyone is queer, bonkers situations, etc.

This book follows Peggy as she falls in love with Orfeo, a castrato opera singer. The book does a lot to interrogate gender and sexuality, and the multitude of ways these can be expressed. Peggy struggles with her desire to be seen and accepted as fully herself as a non binary person, while also desiring things that are perceived as more normative, and working out how those things can co-exist. I really loved seeing her HEA.

I really enjoyed the love story between Peggy and Orfeo, how they were pulled to each other right off the bat, and the ways they overcame different obstacles to be together in the end. I did not know anything about castratos going into this book, and I appreciated the way this aspect of Orfeo’s life was handled with sensitivity and care.

As is always the case in books by Hall, the big group scenes were a major highlight. The secondary characters were excellent. I was among those who were not super fans of Belle in the first book, and I really appreciated getting to know her more in this book. Sir Horley continues to be the BEST.

Recommended if you’re looking for a super queer, super funny historical romance!

Genre: queer historical romance
London, regency era

Peggy Delancey is convinced she’ll never love someone the way she loves Arabella Tarleton. Arabella herself is down on luck in love, flitting from one lover to the next looking for something more satisfying. She has her eyes on Orfeo, famous castrato opera singer, and wants Peggy to help bring them together. But the moment Peggy hears Orfeo sing, she is drawn to the flamboyant singer. Their relationship may be frowned upon by polite society, but that’s never stopped Orfeo, and Peggy is learning to listen to her heart.

Something Spectacular has absolutely incredible queer energy. Alexis Hall points out in the author’s note that he is playing fast and loose with history, utilizing modern language for the queer experience, which fits well with the bold tone of the book. Something Spectacular is a total romp, touching on serious issues of gender identity and presentation and finding one’s own path, but remains light and immensely fun to read. Orfeo identifies as nonbinary, which is a historically accurate interpretation for a castrati, and Peggy identifies as female while possessing both male and female traits. The queerness of the characters - while shunned by the larger society - is fully accepted as natural as a part of the book.

I actually hadn’t read the first book in the series, Something Fabulous, and I enjoyed stepping into a world that had an assumed familiarity. It was as if I walked into a group of wild friends who knew each other already, they gave me a hug, and suddenly I knew them all. I never once felt lost or as if I was lacking from not having read the first, other than to know that whenever I need this energy again, it’s there waiting for me.

This was a perfect read to kick off the #TransRightsReadathon! Reader beware, though, if the only other book by Alexis Hall you’ve read is A Lady for a Duke, this has a completely different tone! While ALFAD is an angsty and beautiful second chance, Something Spectacular has a bonkers premise and a tone to match.

4.5 stars
4 flames

Another thoroughly delightful, hilarious historical romp from Alexis Hall. It also happens to the queerest book I’ve ever read, and one of the most feminist. Watching sensible, forthright Peggy fall head over heels for Orfeo, the most glamorous superstar, while also working out who she is and what she wants, is such a satisfying experience.
And I have to say, a meet cute involving Handel’s Largo is clearly the best meet cute. I mentioned it was funny, didn’t I? Very, very funny. Watch out for the hyacinth.