If I were to describe this book in three words they would be trials, tribulation and trauma.
Dublin, 1980s - Juno and Legs become friends after an bullying incident at school. Home life and the Catholic school system take its toll on them both and an unfortunate turn of event sees them separated for many years. Their friendship remains strong when they eventually reconnect but the trials of life are still hitting them hard. It’s sad, tragic, funny and lyrical with glimmers of hope sprinkled in.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the temporary review copy of the audiobook.

A masterful piece of fiction, Juno Loves Legs is a book that will no doubt stay top of mind for some time to come.

Juno and Legs are kids in Dublin, having met at school. Their home lives are difficult, and navigating the dynamic in school proves challenging. Seemingly always in trouble, they stick together and form a close bond. Until one day, when they’re ripped apart…

I don’t wish to say much more, because I think the story is one to experience without any preconceived notions. Immersive, candid, and raw, this book tackles coming-of-age, sexuality, and true friendship, with a smidgeon of hope.

The narrator did a remarkable job capturing the essence of the characters.

Definitely a contender for a top read of 2023 for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

Trigger Warnings: violence, religious school, corporal punishment, smoking, classism, poverty, cursing, car accident, death of a parent, sexual assault, funeral, alcoholic, fire, arson, depression, religion/Catholicism, blood, injury, stabbing, underage drinking, teenage pregnancy, youth homelessness, prostitution, jail, homophobia, theft

Representation: Queer

Juno Loves Legs is a queer literary fiction about Juno and Legs. Juno loves Legs. She's loved him since their first encounter at school in Dublin, the time she fought the playground bullies for him. Her bright spirit makes his courage flare; his tenderness makes her safe. Together, they feel invincible, even if the world has other ideas. This is their story.

This story was a sad and yet wonderful read. The book is a little heartbreaking but is still full of hope, keep in mind there is no HEA. The book gave me some serious Rent vibes. Honestly, I thought I would enjoy this story more. Many others are loving it, so it could totally be me. I did appreciate how the author wrote two individuals who didn't quite fit in yet were so perfect for each other, in a non romantic way. The author writes in a very touching manner and the audiobook was very well narrated.

Received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review

Intense, Unforgettable, Masterpiece

Set in 1980's Dublin, Juno loves Legs is an intense representation of two people and their devotion to each other. Juno and Legs both meet at school, in the same class but a bout of bullying from everyone's favourite tyrant - The Catholic Church - and the two are now bound to each other.

This heartbreaking and frustrating story shows how much adults can fail children and have them rely on themselves and their peers creating a harsh and challenging enviroment, but Geary manages to capture so much beauty and hope in his writing making Legs and Juno the most charming and unforgettable duo coming to contemporary Irish fiction. When I say I'm still recovering from this life changing story I'm telling no lie - Some books are like people and they just reach into your soul and alter, reform and evolve you.

This story is an ode to all kinds of confusing, indifferent and extraordinary feelings, love being the epicenter of it all, and while this story will break you it's filled and overflowing with so much aspiration and hope it's hard not to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you read one book this year, MAKE IT THIS ONE!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feed back.


The was a sad and yet wonderful read. Set in 1950s Dublin and the Narrator was absolutely amazing I could listen to them all day. They have shitty toxic parents, live in extreme poverty, & have to deal with a overzealous nun and priests, Best friends Juno and "Legs" are leaning on each other. So when tragedy strikes Juno leaves and has to figure out on her own living in the streets and making the best decisions she can with how little she knows. This book is a little heartbreaking but keeps you hopeful no HEA though. Definitely gives me Rent and Tick tick Boom vibes.

This is a heartbreaking coming of age story about Juno and Legs. The novel follows the pair from a housing estate as children to Dublin City as adults.
Juno is a rebellious firecracker who doesn’t understand why her parents live the lives they lead. She stands up for Legs one day at school and he shares that solidarity with her later in the tale. With these actions a bond is forged that goes far beyond friendship.
Legs is a boy who will never fit into the catholic town and values his mother upholds. He doesn’t have friends at school and abhors the Father at the school so much he sets him in fire.
Juno loves Legs in a way he can’t reciprocate, but he knows they are joined on almost a cellular level.
This story is full of injustice, cheeky comments and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I received this copy at no charge for my honest opinion.

this is the perfect book if you are looking for a beautiful story and a very good weep! i found that at the end of the story hope reigned, so this is a good cry!

My heart aches. This book is so beautifully written and impeccably narrated by Alana Kerr Collins. I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Karl Geary manages to capture so much heartache, beauty, and hope. The prose is just gorgeous but also carries the grit and feel of the time and place. I don't quite know how to put all I feel into words. I love these two souls who found each other and managed to care for one another and find hope in a bleak world. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Sad & sweet & fierce. A coming of age story set in 70’s-80’s Dublin. I really enjoyed this one.

[What I liked:]

•Juno is a wonderful MC. She’s honest & loyal & doesn’t try to hide her flaws. She gives a lot to care for others around her while still staying true to herself.

•The ending isn’t exactly what I would’ve expected, but it fits the story well. It’s like the last scene brings everything full circle & gives a glimpse of hope for the future.

•I really loved the setting details, especially Agnes’ shop & Legs’ granny’s apartment with its whimsical decor. I could see the interiors & places so clearly in my mind, & they really gave an ambience to the story.

[What I didn’t like as much:]

•The second half of the book seems short compared to the set up. I wanted more time seeing Legs & Juno together as adults.

CW: accidental death, child abuse, terminal illness, infidelity, sexual harassment, sexual assault, substance abuse, queer phobia

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

4 1/2 stars (book)
Juno Loves Legs and I really loved this book. It's a gritty and heartbreaking read at times but then you finally work your way through the clouds and the bright and encouraging sun is shining again.

In a nutshell, this book is about true, undying friendship. Juno and Legs have just that. They love one another unconditionally and will literally do anything for the other person. They prove it over and over again by taking responsibility for things the other person did in school and then bearing the punishment for it. Then later in life, they rescue each other over and over again. There are no conditions attached to their relationship. They just are there for each other - no matter what.

What they both go through in their young lives is truly horrific but yet they come through it. And you know they aren't out of the woods yet because there are still so many things just waiting to still go wrong for them, but they try to find the bright side in order to keep the other person encouraged. So many people in their lives failed them, but they didn't fail each other. My heart would intermittently break and then in the next chapter, it would soar again. There was so much up and down with their lives. But overall, I think the big takeaway for me with this book was that no matter what, there is still good out there. Sometimes you just have to look for it - - but it's there. And sometimes, you need it to find you.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I adored the audiobook. The narration was the perfect way to enjoy this book with the Irish vernacular. I was able to sit back and just listen. I didn't have to work to imagine their voices because it was all right there for me. It was lovely. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both the early copies of the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

Heartfelt, voicey, and engaging. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where coming of age stories are popular.

What a beautiful book. I've heard it being compared to Shuggie Bain but there's no comparison in my eyes. Where Shuggie only gave us the barest glimpse of sunlight, Juno gives us swathes of it. By the time I finished Shuggie I had a headache and was miserable but with Juno there was so much hope. Sadness, yes but still hope.

Karl Geary has written a touching and emotional novel that describes a love between two young people that is quite commonplace but is told with such care and delicacy that it reaches much higher heights. Juno and Legs meet at a school where (as usual) the nuns are awful old tyrants and the priests are no better. They survive somehow but are changed and damaged. The second half of the novel describes their meeting as young adults.

I got the audio version thanks to Netgalley. The narration is perfectly done by Alana Kerr Collins.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a beautiful story well told. There are funny parts and others that will make you weep but overall this, for me, describes a love that refuses to be ruined. It is hopeful and leaves you feeling that there are still good and kind people everywhere in this world. Thankyou Karl Geary for a bright Ray of sunlight on a gloomy day.

Allan Kerr Collins is such a eloquent Irish narrator she really brought the heartbreaking and loving story of Juno and Legs to life.

The story is told from Junos point of view as she navigates adolescence into adulthood in 1980s Ireland. I seem to be drawn to these Irish stories set in their more recent history and the lives of those living secretly or on the fringe.

This is a coming of age story but it’s also a love story of sorts, and ode to delinquents and the friendships that hold us and lift us up when we have nothing left.

Juno was so loveable, she had this kind of roughness to her but as the author chips away the exterior we see this resilient, determined and kind women navigating bleak circumstance, when she meets Legs as a girl on the school grounds they forge a bond for life protecting each-other from the scrutiny of the world.

A story that teaches us to love fiercely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy all opinions are my own.

Look out for this one soon, April 17,2023!

3.5 stars
This novel is hard to review. We follow Juno and Sean (Legs) from young childhood to adulthood. They attend a Catholic school so you can expect the strictness they faced that led them to one another. Legs is picked on and Juno remains kind to him as other laugh. Juno gets in fights and constantly bickers with her mom. Legs and Juno form a type of alliance friendship and it goes on from there. Their relationship grows stronger and they remain loyal to one another and cherish each other.
The problem is not much happened. I couldn’t connect to them or really care about them. It felt liked there’s an emotional disconnect present in this novel. In theory this book should pull my heart strings but it doesn’t. I’m not endorsed by them individually or together.

Oh Juno Juno Juno!!! I could not love this book any more than I do. From the moment I started listening on audio I was completely hooked and in love with this character. I’m desperate to own a hard copy now for my shelves.

Set in working-class Dublin in the 1980’s (the narrators accent made me love it even more), this is the story of Juno and Legs - two young characters who make your heart break and sing at the same time. I was tearing up, getting angry, and then bursting out laughing during the whole thing. Smiling through my tears.

If you loved Shuggie or Mungo, or Rae (A Million Things), then I think you will love this one too. I agree with the cover quote from Douglas Stuart - I never wanted it to end and I was getting more and more nervous the closer I got to the finish.

Thank you @netgalley for the gifted audio. Have I mentioned already that I loved it?

I was so captivated by this read and thankful to NetGalley, Karl Geary, and Catapult/Dreamscape Media for granting me advanced access to this wonderfully told-tale -- Juno Loves Legs. The Irish accents drew me in and left me wanting more and I'm so excited for Publication day to round the corner on April 18, 2023.

Dublin -1980’s

Juno met Legs in school when she stood up for him as he was being bullied by a cruel nun and a priest. They made fun of him and stated he looked like a girl. Both have hard lives. Both desperately want the love and connection that they are not receiving openly at home. Both cling to each other forming a close friendship that even separation can't lessen.

This is a book that I thought I would enjoy more. Others are loving it and please read their reviews as well. I do appreciate how the author showed readers two individuals who didn't quite fit in yet fit so perfectly for each other. How they found love and support in another.

The book has sadness running through it. It will have you feeling and thinking about the two main characters. This book is well written and yet, for some reason, it didn't wow me as it did other readers.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.