David is a tall and awkward teenager who was once in a band with his two best friends, Eli and Chance. After he quit the band, Eli and Chance quickly rose to fame as the dark and moody goth pop duo 'Darkhearts'. While David simmers in his rage for two years at being left behind, Eli meets an early end to his career after dying of alcohol poisoning. Chance is left reeling from the death of his bandmate and best friend, which leads him to reconnect with David in his hometown. The two boys find comfort in each other and their rekindled friendship slowly evolves into something new and unexpected -- a romance.

This book really scratches the itch for moody teen romances that "Perks of Being a Wallflower' and 'Eleanor and Park' originally created, but brings something fresh and modern along with it. Watching Chance and Eli reconnect and slowly find their footing as a romantic pairing is electrifying and made this book something that I had a hard time putting down. Once the two were together, the tension of being discovered and becoming a band again kept me on the edge of my seat and dying for more. The metaphor of sexuality as a cinnamon roll was excellent and I loved that the fact that these boys were figuring out their sexuality was not the entirety of the plot in this novel. While I do absolutely love a miscommunication trope, I feel that we could've had more from Chance. He lost his bestfriend and was devastated to have to continue Darkhearts without him, and I feel that if we had seen more of that then it would've made his relationship with David appear deeper, whereas toward the end of the novel I was even starting to get worried that David was more in love with the idea of Chance than Chance himself. Overall, I would love to read more from James and loved this book!!

Really, really enjoyed this book. Great coming of age, LGBTQIA+ representation. I do wish the relationship was a little more developed in the beginning of the book, but overall this had me hooked from the very beginning! I thoroughly enjoyed this. I probably would have rated this a 4.5 if I could have- the narration was good, story was interesting, pacing was great. I am not sure if this is going to have a sequel, but the ending left me wanting more of the story, and I definitely feel more could be written about these characters based on the ending of the book. Would definitely recommend this, especially in audio format.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review an advanced copy of this book.

did i actually like this book or was it just childhood friends to lovers?

3.5 stars. This was a solid YA read! I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters, so sweet, cute and pure! I’m such a sucker for the childhood friends to lovers trope, this trope will always boost a books rating for me. This book has the one of us is famous trope with the love interest being in a popular band. I don’t always love this trope, but found it was okay in this book.

I did not like the main character though, at all. I found he got more and more annoying as the book went on. His jealousy, bitterness and the fact that he was partially using Chance really turned me off of him. This is what makes me wonder if this was actually a good book, or if I only liked it because it was childhood friends to lovers. Hard to tell.

I listened to this one as an audiobook and the narrator did a great job, no complaints there.

Overall, this was a decent read and I’d recommend if you’re looking for a cute YA queer romance!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC of this book!

This YA gay romance was everything I hoped it would be: cute, fun, and really well done. Imagine Red, White and Royal Blue, but instead of royalty you have a boyband to fangirl over. It was well-paced, and had just the right tone for something like this. The story was funny, quick and easy to read, and stuck the landing perfectly (that ending was just Chef’s Kiss 👨🏻‍🍳🤌🏻💋).

Inside, you’ll find a host of the usual and expected coming-of-age themes in every gay book (coming out, first love, self-acceptance, identity, purpose/passion, etc.), but you’ll also find some more adult and complex issues, which elevates this above your average YA coming-out story. The author does a beautiful job tackling issues like resentment and forgiveness, fame at a young age, and moving beyond labels so that you can learn to truly be comfortable with who you are without the hang-ups.

This would be perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Fake Dates and Mooncakes, and Heartstopper. There are tropes like secret dating, friends to lovers, and enemies to lovers.

I had this as a physical copy and on audio, and I went back and forth between reading and listening. The narration was well done (I was already familiar with the narrator and have enjoyed his work on other projects) and seemed appropriate for this title.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and James Sutter for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful teen fiction story with M/M romance, comedy, introspection, and more. It starts off with a funeral that brings two old friends back together. They separated on a negative note two years earlier when David left their band and Chance went on to become famous with Eli, and they hadn't had any contact since. Following Eli's death, they slowly rekindle their friendship while exploring their feelings about themselves as individuals, the band they created together, their friend who died, and their blossoming relationship. The characters are realistically flawed and make the kinds of decisions one might expect a teen to make, while struggling with the questions of who they are and what they want to do in the future. The story is sweet, sad, interesting, and hilarious at times. The narrator did an excellent job and perfectly portrayed David and Chance.. I had already ordered the print copy for my library but I plan to order the audiobook as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC!

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

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 don’t feel strongly either way on the audio narrator for this book.

I’m giving this one 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a classic enemies to lovers trope with M/M romance. This was a fun read despite the fact that the premise focuses on both the main characters loosing their best friend/former best friend due to the inability to be able handle fame in a band. David (the former best friend) quit Darkhearts and Chance (best friend) was in the group when Eli suddenly passed away. In the funeral David, who is bitter about leaving Darkhearts before they hit it big, and Chance the rockstar begin to hang out, to then becoming something more, with complicated hated feelings in the mix.

Read this if you...
enjoy frenemies gone lovers
are familiar with Perks of Being a Wallflower
like coming-of-age stories

What I loved:
I have to say that seeing this audiobook compared to Perks of Being a Wallflower was one of the first details that drew me in. That is one of my favorites, and I haven't been able to find anything quite like it since. Darkhearts is a slow-burn love story that encompasses so many thoughts/feelings, from inspiring and heart-wrenching to angsty and relatable. And, let's be real, the punk band and punk music references were a favorite for me.

All in all, this is a really hilarious and enjoyable YA romance that follows two ex-band mates/friends who choose to reunite after the death of a mutual friend. You first enter David's life at the funeral, and from there, meet his best friend Ripley, frenemy Chance, and other pivotal characters. The characters and storyline are well-planned, so every moment delivers an impactful punch.

I also came across Sutter's comment on Goodreads explaining the reasoning for Darkhearts, and that made me enjoy it even more! So many of us - regardless of our age - focus on labels rather than being comfortable in our own skin; rather than embracing our own unique journeys. Darkhearts is going to be a book that inspires many, and I can't wait for it to be released!

Also, Ramon de Ocampo absolutely crushed it on the narrating. I couldn't get enough!

What wasn't my favorite:
I just want more - I felt the ending was a bit sudden. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I have sooo many questions and also want to know what the future holds for David!

Credit:
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for providing me with this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the experience of reading this audiobook. I found the characters to be both likable and interesting. David, our narrator, has a particularly well fleshed out arc. While plenty of YA books address issues of confidence and self worth, David’s jealousy looks at the common theme in a very tangible way. It examines, not just the existence of low self esteem, but how it actually surfaces in his life. I’ve been seeing a number of young or teen pop star books recently and I am actually loving the trope. It gives a great entry point to explore mental health issues that everyone struggles with, but put in a pressure cooker.

While I truly enjoyed every minute of reading this book, upon finishing there are a few things I wish had been done slightly better. 1) Grief over Eli is glossed over. I kept wondering how these boys were functioning with such grief. 2) David and Chance’s romance goes from 0 to 100 within pages. I loved them together so much I forgave it, but I think pacing could have been a bit stronger.

But, overall I would definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a YA romance, especially on audio. Ramon de Ocampo narrates and I would listen to that man read me a furnace repair manual.

Thank you to Netgalley MacMillan.audio and Wednesday books for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review!

This book has a lot of good hallmark things I love: boy bands, queer romance, reuniting old friends, friends to lovers, etc. so maybe my expectations were too high, but I did not love this book.

David quit the band before they hit it big and resents them for their success without him. Now one of their old friends is dead and he starts reconnecting with Chance, who is now famous. Which is a super cute story, except David is literally the worst for most of the book. I am all for a redemption arc, in fact I love them. David just is so unlikeable and his redemption arc is so abrupt that I still didn’t like him after the book ended. The number of times I wanted Chance to leave him and go find someone who would actually treat him nicely was too many times. Unfortunately that ruined the entire book for me because the main arc was their relationship going from enemies to lovers. Which… wasn’t even an arc through the entire book.

TW: death by alcohol poisoning

This book was fantastic! I think teenagers will especially love this complicated story of love, growing up, and finding yourself. This book tells the story of one boy who dropped out his band right before it made it big and then after two years and a death of a friend finds himself falling in love with one of his previous bandmates. While the famous teenage rock star is a bit unrealistic the feelings of complex relationships both romantic and friendship are all realistic to what teens experience.

Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5

I really enjoyed listening to this story. I requested a review copy for two reasons: 1. I love listening to Ramon de Ocampo and 2. I like reading all kinds of gay romance, covering all age grups.

Ramon de Ocampo did a fantastic job performing the story. The different voices for the characters made it easy to tell who was speaking. The emotion he brought out for me while I was listening is one of the big reasons that I love listening to audiobooks. The story was good, too. I think that David’s character grew up a lot by the end of the book. Both David and Chance had a lot to deal with. For Chance he had a lot going on personally and professionally. David had to finally admit how he really felt about his decision to leave the band and how it affected him.

The ending was perfect and the music the author wrote and performed was great.

An audio review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

I consumed this book like someone dying of thirst in the desert, I could not get enough of it. I’m in love. In love. ::slow echo:: This book was so quirky and funny, it reminded me a lot of the humor and nostalgia I felt when reading Ready Player One. The teen angst was great, the texting scenes between the boys was super funny (made even more so by the narrator reading the emojis) and the relationships in the book were magic. Not only the relationship between the boys, but also the friendships - they just felt so genuine. This book just made me feel like I was traveling back to my emo teen years, and I was totally here for that nostalgia trip. They didn’t use labels in this book and I really appreciated Chance’s explanation of looking at sexuality and identity - it truly felt like the statement love is love and wish we all could look at it like that. Even though the story has a darker tone, whenever I listened to it I had a smile on my face. They remind me a lot of Simon and Baz from Carry On, which is a favorite of mine. And while the two stories are different, the characters make me feel the same.

This book is going to have so many quotes that I pull from it...one of my favorites being:
"Oh yeah, this is my jam." "It's your playlist, they're all your jams."

Thank you so much to #NetGalley and #macmillianaudio for an ARC of #Darkhearts by James L. Sutter narrated by Ramon de Ocampo to read and review.

I thought this book was really cute at the beginning. The premise of ex-bandmate/ former friends to lovers was cute and the relationship growing and struggling was really organic and believable. I also appreciated the mentions of the struggle and difficulties of being a teen star. The second half of the book was more or less me yelling at the MC because his attitude and pride was just too much, but I did like that it got talked through and recognized where the behavior was learned. Also, lot of references to things from my middle/high school days so I also appreciated the nostalgia of the Penis game and Get Down Mr. President and the like.

I really loved the romance in Darkhearts and the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers storyline. I think this is a great book for older young adults or new adults. I wish there was more reflection though. The story is prompted with a death of a close friend, but they spend so little of the story grieving. I wish that it was used as more than just a way to move the plot forward. That being said, I liked the characters, especially Chance. David is the kind of narrator that you get annoyed with but still root for, and I found his perspective interesting.

Overall, this was a fun read but I wish it spent more time with the heavier topics it touched on.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

After being compared to one of my favorites: Red, White and Royal Blue, I was excited to listen to Darkhearts. While Ramon de Ocampo brought the story to life, I wasn't able to finish this listen as I didn't connect to the story. While others may enjoy this one, it wasn't the right one for me. I DNF'd at 58 percent.

So, I loved two boys navigating their feelings and learning about their sexuality and attraction - that part of the story was cute.
What I didn't love was how insufferable the MMC was. He was so whiny, annoying, and in his eyes never wrong - it was always someone else's fault. I had to keep reminding myself he's just a teenager, give him some slack. I get that that was part of his character development throughout the story, but I felt it was too distracting to actually enjoy the book.

All in all, it was a cute story. I enjoyed the narrator for this audiobook.

I AM GONNA SUE, WHAT IS THIS ENDING???

In Darkhearts, we follow David as he reconnects with his ex friend, Chance, who became a celebrated singer in the band Darkhearts after David left the group and just missed fame himself.
David is weighted down by his past mistakes - leaving his band, the new teen pop sensation Darkhearts, just before it took off and missing out on fame and fortune - and feeling bitter about two of his best friends leaving him. When one of them, Eli, dies suddenly of alcohol poisoning, David is confronted with the other one, Chance, again and given another chance (pun not intended) to fix what went wrong all those years ago. At first, he is cautious about letting Chance back into his life, but as the two fall back into their old rhythm, sparks fly. However, things are not all smooth sailing as the two try to keep their relationship a secret, work on maybe reinventing Darkhearts, and figure out what "us" actually means for them.

Darkhearts was a truly moving YA contemporary about figuring yourself out - who you are and who you want to be, your past mistakes and blind spots, and how to acknowledge them and fix them. I really liked David's character development; he went from this dark grudge towards Chance and Dearhearts to slowly accepting that what's in the past is in the past and he can only control the here and now.
I loved how David went from thinking he was straight to falling for Chance without a big crisis. We need more books where the character doesn't struggle with accepting their sexuality and lets it unfold without pressure.

I also really loved David and Chance's love story, they were soft with each other but also tried communicating - and when the latter failed, some chaos ensued, which was thankfully fixed without dragging out too long as David realized his mistakes.
Also, I just love Chance, okay. He never did anything wrong, ever. (Ok, not true, BUT while he comes off as kind of aloof and indifferent at first, you later realize that that attitude is hiding heaps of anxiety and loneliness, and then I just wanted to give him a hug).

I won't go into too many details because spoilers, BUT EXCUSE ME??? THAT ENDING?? JAMES L. SUTTER MAY I HAVE A WORD WITH YOU??? He literally said, "I shall now throw some Menots into a coke and add a "the end" to it." Please tell me we are getting a sequel or at LEAST a short story? I nearly choked on my breakfast while finishing that epilogue. I am UNWELL. Please, for the love of everything that is holy!!

Darkhearts by James L Sutter
ARC BOOK REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This YA story follows David (Holc), a 17 year old boy from Seattle who quit the teen rock band he started with his two best friends right before the band hit it big. Two years later, when his former band mate Eli dies, frontman Chance returns home and reconnects with Holc.
Most of the story is David coming to terms with his jealousy and anger at being left behind. The boys quickly become friends again which leads to romantic feelings neither expected. David makes some really bad choices and isn't always the best secret boyfriend to Chance. He has redeeming moments, like all the cute dates he plans. And their text exchanges and goofy banter are super-endearing.
Chance was by far the most mature and thoughtful of the two, and his story arc involves learning how to be himself and not people-please all the time. The rock star life has its ups and downs for him and they both need to navigate the spotlight throughout the book.
Ramon de Ocampo narrates this audiobook, and quite frankly, is the reason I selected this ARC. He's the narrator of Red, White, and Royal Blue, which I've listened to multiple times. For Darkhearts, Ramon brings the same wonderful characterizations: just enough voice change to tell who's talking without it being cartoony or over the top.
Overall, this was a lovely story and had great character development. Definitely a recommended read!

*****
I received this audio ARC from Netgalley @netgalley and publisher Macmillan Audio @macmillan.audio in exchange for an honest review.

Darkhearts will be released June 6, 2023