4.5 stars
Honest, funny, and all too close to home, Adam Sass stuns yet again in a thorny romance about curses, love, and the raw emotion of dealing with a brain that would rather be a beast than a bunny.
Grant would rather stay hidden in his depression pit, yet ends up instead at the suggestion of his family, helping to facelift and bring back from despair his aunt's vineyard and B&B. Add in one hot gardener who is also his ex best friend, and who broke his heart and things get...complicated. And very, very, messy. Sass has such a unique writing style and I've yet to find another author who so perfectly captures complex and messy characters who aren't perfect. Characters who are terribly, honestly human, and struggling to figure themselves out. When I think of writers who capture (my at least), queer experience, Sass is always at the forefront of my mind.
Part of the reason I had trouble with Grant as a character at times, is because it is never easy reading a book that is basically holding a mirror to yourself and all of your (quite frankly unresolved) issues. I myself struggle with pulling frequent "Grant moments", retreating from the world for weeks or months, only emerging like a shade to sometimes eat, and haunt my apartment like a wraith of some terribly dramatic play or period drama.
A quote that very succinctly captures who Grant is at a character, in all his glory and mental health issues:
"I emerged from a three-day depression hole less than an hour ago, and I'm still gonna be the cutest one in the room. Who else but me? I can do it all! Lowest lows, highest highs."
There were moments when reading, when I turned and looked at a non existent camera b, as if to say, 'I feel attacked right now', because so many moments it felt more as if Grant's growth and troubles was parallel to my stupid brain and everything I struggle with. Even at times where I wanted to bemoan how messy he was being, or get annoyed at his pettiness or jealousy, I had to take a step back and think, 'no but for real, I would/have done the same thing.'
I really enjoyed the depictions of food and the messy family relationships. I did grow quite hungry reading this, which is always a sign that that the prose and imagery had thoroughly reached my appetite. Speaking of hungry, the boys in this book were Thirsty, with a capital T. The chemistry between Grant and Ben was written so well, it didn't feel forced or out of nowhere. Their banter and flirting was done so well, reading two characters fight against their own yearning and feelings is always such a treat when they finally come together.
One more quick thing I loved, the mention of therapy, medication, and the very real reality of dealing with mental health and the never ending journey that is. Spot on in a way that was so raw and honest, yet again hitting me in my chest because it so very much resembled my own.
"She's such a good friend- no matter how long we go without talking, she's there for me when I come back." This is another sentence that felt like it was plucked straight from my life, and perfectly encompasses anyone who has those who stick by you even when you tend to ghost everyone at frequent occurrences.
I think it could be argued that there were moments when Sass took out a proverbial soap box, to educate the reader as much as characters in the story, such as when talking about how to give space to a queer child. Though I won't lie, it was healing, cathartic and realistic in how the family interacted. Especially how Grant was able to pinpoint that his nephew would be having a when not if coming out.
At the same time, there are a times sentences like this, where words like 'my thorniest thorn', and 'childhood ashes like phoenixes,' were likely intended to be taken seriously but it was difficult too.
He saw my weirdest, most serial-killer behavior- my thorniest thorn-and it only made him want to help me more....Adult Ben and Adult Grant have emerged from our childhood ashes like phoenixes." These moments and other moments of choice writing broke me out of my reading at times to just blink, pulled out of the immersive story I had been so far loving.
I did find the ending one of the weakest parts of the book, apart from how perfectly everything lined up and how the main characters were perfectly fine with wearing someone else's robes and staying in a stranger's apartment, it lacked what the rest of the story had in terms of strong writing and felt a bit plot convenient. (On the other hand I am torn because I am always delighted to read a queer story where there is a happy ending and no one is killed off or other angsty things happen. (Looking at you, nearly every show ever with queer characters!) If the last chunk had stayed as strong and consistent as the rest of the book, this would have easily been a five star read for me.

I do recommend this book, especially perfect for fans of Adam Sass's writing style, this story is sweet and full bodied, worth every page.

Thank you to Penguin for this ARC, NOTE any quotes are subject to change since this is an ARC that I read and reviewed

Sass has done it again. This is my third read by him and each one continues to impress with his ability to build a character like no other.

Our main character Grant Rossi is nothing but complications and contradictions. Those are the characteristics that make him so complicated, but what else would you expect from an 18-year-old. Life has been short but Grant has managed to pack in the relationship trauma of a 37-yr-old. Add to that his unrequited love for his best friend from when he was a kid, Ben, and add in some family tales of love and connection and you have a kid who has grown up without a proper basis for how the world of love really works.

Sass manages to pull Grant along while still being sensitive to his mental health journey with an accurate all-bit hilarious way he describes Lexipro as one of his good friends "Lexi". It adds levity to a serious situation. The connection between this and "The 99 Boyfriends of Mica Summers" is cute and not missed on a regular Adam Sass fan. If you haven't read his introductory novel, it won't take away from your enjoyment of this book, but it is still highly recommended.

The main character was so overdramatic. If the characters in this book knew how to communicate at all, it would have fixed most of the issues a lot faster.

Dnf at 32%

The writing is fantastic and I can imagine the characters quite well

But there in lies the problem….the dislike I feel for the character is extreme. Grant is so moody…which is whatever because which teen isn’t moody. (But also he’s technically graduated high school and a year into college, if he had went)
His emotional immaturity is appalling. Like whatever Ben stole your guy back when y’all were younger. I get it. It sucks, but it feels like it’s Grant’s personality to feel like he’s the victim.

Vero Roseto is about to be closed and he’s just running around screaming and kicking walls.

I keep on trying to remind myself that they’re young and all that, but there are still limits to how much I want to read of a character’s immaturity and “woe is I” mindset.

love the growing popularity of diverse romances in YA
I just no longer enjoy YA stories, unfortunately :(
quick read - I would definitely recommend to teens and those who do love YA
I also appreciate the focus on mental health.
YA as a genre has come a long way since I was at my peak teen reading days! I hope the trend continues!!!

This was my first Adam Sass book, and it definitely won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue and the overall plot.

The romance, along with the emotional and humorous moments, was very well done.

I loved learning about Grant, his history, and his journey of self-discovery, and I trusted how the story would unfold.

The ending was fantastic.

Thank you for allowing me to read the ARC! I can't wait to purchase this book. It was a quick and entertaining read, with a writing style and sentence structure that worked well and a compelling narrative.

I adore messy main characters, and the one in this book delivered a lovely arc. If you like second chance romance and forced proximity, pick this one up immediately.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this it was definitely fun and fast paced, the plot was good, but I had one big recurring problem and that was how self centered the main character was. Grant somehow managed to ignore everyone’s problems but his. His selfishness affected the plot too, I noticed that because Grant was so focused on himself we barely got to hear the side charecters internal conflicts. For instance The main love interest had an interesting backstory that I thought would be more explored but was really only scratched in the surface. Besides this I feel like the relationship lacked chemistry, a majority of Grants comments about Ben were physical.
I did enjoy the plot of rebuilding Grants family Vinyard. Also I understand Grant was going through a lot but it got hard to sympathize with him towards the end.

Thank you PenguinTeen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I have been waiting for this one for so long! Grant still dealing with his break up with Micah has been unable to find inspiration for his art or just life in general. When his mom asks him to help out his Aunt at the families failing B&B he doesn’t have the will to do so. But after a panic attack he finds himself at his aunts door. He agrees to help his aunt to the best of his abilities. They only have a few months until the annual Rose Festival which will be make or break for them. There’s so much to do at the B&B that his aunt hired a gardener. It’s not until he meets the gardener that he realizes what she’s done. Ben, the gardener, Grant’s ex-best friend and first love has come to help his family. Grant’s life has been cursed ever since he made a wish on the Wishing Rose and his best friend betrayed him. Cursed to always be left alone. The reunion’s not exactly a happy one as Ben has a curse of his own. The two reluctantly agree to work together but keeping things professional isn’t easy especially as they’ve both grown hotter. Will they give in to the attraction? Can they repair their relationship when so much was broken and trust was lost? Can he save his family’s home? Is he destined to be cursed forever? I loved Grant’s story so much! I enjoyed the angry witty back and forth between Grant and Ben! It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming, with some comedy and humor mixed in! Aside for the complicated dynamics between the two there’s also the complicated dynamics between Grant and his family, which makes for some frustration and tender moments! Plus it’s full of growth for Grant and Ben, including for Grants artistic expression and goals! It gives all the warm and fuzzies and is a must read!

I know I say this about every author I review, but:

ADAM. SASS. CAN DO. NO. WRONG!!!!

I (honestly) thought he couldn’t top the emotional roller coaster that was Your Lonely Nights Are Over (seriously, I was scared shitless reading that book)… and yet, here I am, writing this review wanting to scream into a pillow with all the joy it gave me!!! The amount of times I saw myself in the main character, saw things I had done as a teenager, actions I had considered, paths I have wondered “what if”… this is a book that is necessary.

Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts is the perfect book for anyone that loves a good rom com that isn’t too heavy on the com and really explores the depths of what it means to be a human with emotions.

This. Is . What. I'm Talking. About. When. I. Say. We. Need. More. Diverse. stories. I ate this up. Give me more more more more more more more.

This is the perfect summertime read. It’s straightforward, sweet, and romantic. It also really unpacks the trauma and difficulties one finds while putting yourself back out there or out there for the first time (especially for queer people). Grant is messy and dramatic and a scoche toxic but you can’t help but root for him. And Ben… well if he has no fans I am dead! You can feel the love in every page and I am so excited for what Adam does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me with an E-arc of this book! From the moment I saw the cover, I knew I wanted to read this book. I had never read an Adam Sass book before, so it was my first introduction to the word of characters that he had built. I honestly love that this book almost acts like sequel in a way to the 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers… WHICH I TOTALLY DID NOT REALIZE UNITL THE END. Immediately after reading, I checked out 99 Boyfriends from my local library because I knew I had to stay in the world that Adam had built.

This was an insanely beautiful story and I LOVED that it was a retelling. 99 Boyfriends from what I can tell served as a sort of Cinderella retelling, while this book was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I absolutely adored the magically realism that was sprinkled throughout and the way the story conveyed the Beauty and the Beast tale while still staying true to itself. The setting of the story was beyond beautiful as well and I loved the transformation that the winery goes through! Who wouldn’t love wine, roses, and some romance? I finished this book in ONE day, that’s how I know it was that good of a book! This is one that I would absolutely recommend to my students and I think it would be particularly good for seniors because the characters are in that space between high school and starting college.

This was such a cute little book! I'm a sucker for a gay second-chance romance, and this was no different. The bickering, the chemistry, the romance, chef's kiss!! It was the perfect summer romance read with a HINT of spice (barely any). I come from a bigger family myself, so reading this was bittersweet. I love that it's not just a straight-up romance, but it also has some mental health representation too. Another thing I enjoyed was that there was a male fashion designer as the main character. I feel like we don't see men in fashion design as much anymore, so I quite enjoyed seeing one. Overall, a great quick summer rom-com with a hint of spice and some anxiety/depression rep.

Cursed Boys

This was my first Adam Sass book. I don’t think it will be my last. I really enjoyed the dialog as well as the overall plot.

I thought the romance and hurt and funny parts worked so well.

I enjoyed learning about Grant and his history and him finding himself but mostly trust in how the story will be unfolded.

The ending was so good.

Thank you so much for letting me read the Arc! I can't wait to buy this book.

I LOVE this!!! This is such a creative book, like I would have never though of this kind of plot line. (Then again, I don't write.) I digress– I'll. probably update my review once I can fully gather my thoughts on it because it was that good. It's one of those books where you need to do that. Also, me being an artist, I cannot get over the cover art!! (In a good way) <3

Thank you Adam for giving me the opportunity to read yet another one of your great stories this was a cute wholesome read and honestly the important message regarding mental health and healing in this novel was honestly great we need more books in the world with great messages because someone reading this book can see themselves in Grant and relate. When it was revealed that Grant was getting his own book i was so excited i love grant and he deserves his happy ending and let me tell yall this book had such cute moments... When grant tries to save his fams business and help them out things start going all over the place after he finds out who the gardener working for the family is! Who is the gardener? well you have to read to find out but let me tell yall i was shipping these two so hard this whole novel hoping everything worked out in the end but did it?! I love how supportive people were in this novel and the growth these characters showed and the healing that was done in this book was just so wholesome. Adam really wrote such a great story with this one. Adam has such a great craft to write some great YA novels ive enoyed every novel written so far please dont ever stop! I loved all the little references from the other novel as well. The place this novel also took place was so detailed and gorgeous just from the way adam described it. This was a fun read if you all want to read a cute wholesome read with some secrets, healing, grief, romance, good storyline pick this one up. 🌹 Congratulations on yet another great book adam!

We love you grant!

This book was beautifully written, I enjoyed the relationship between Grant and Ben. They’re perfect for eachother, no doubt and they deserve to be happy after going through so much. I devoured it in one sitting and was hoping for more!

Adam Sass has a whipsmart sense of humor and writing. When I read his books, I’m glued to my seat and enjoying every second of it. These feel like popcorn books, the kind that just grabs you in and won’t let you out until the credits roll. I would recommend anything he writes, and this romance is no different. It’s a very classic setup, but it pays off in the way only an Adam Sass can.

I knew I was gonna love this. Adam Sass does it again. I am obsessed with the way Adam sass writes the mcs and their relationship; it’s relatable and alive. I liked the depression representation. I appreciated the family drama bc lord knows we all have it. I did think the whole rose festival storyline was a little boring for me though. Overall 4/5