Thank you to NETgalley for this audiobook arc!
What a story and WHAT a narrator. I'm a big fan of Alexis Hall but hadn't made my way to the Spires universe yet - it's like something in me was waiting for these beautiful new editions! This book really captivated me and I owe at least 50% of that to the incredible narrator. I was absolutely sucked in and couldn't get away. The different voices, the raw emotion, the characterization of each person in this book... I was blown away. I would recommend this audiobook to random people on the street, let alone my friends.

The story has multiple triggers (swipe to the next page if you'd like to know) and it is NOT a romantic comedy. I love when MM romance is dark and NOT funny, sorry I just do. The story focuses on author, Ash Winters and his journey through bipolar disorder and depression while trying to live his life and have a sex life. Ash is haunted by his traumatic past, specifically a breakdown that has led him into utter despair. However, things change immediately once he meets Darian Taylor at a bachelor party for his friend Max. Darian is from Essex (so prepare for the writing in Darian's voice to be exactly that—while reading, I was hearing it exactly as an Essex accent, but can be difficult to understand at first), spray tanned, a model, and nothing like Ash. After the two have a one-night stand, the complexities between the two lead to begin to grow. Ash has a lot of baggage and Darian is the complete opposite of him in every way, but can the two actually be more than just friends with benefits?

THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE.

I loved the characters in Glitterland. The MCs couldn't be more different and yet it worked. Ash has a ton of baggage, both current and past, and a whole group of people who witnessed him go through the worst part of his life. Those same people, though they most likely mean well, only see him for his illness and therefore treat him (and expect him to act as though) he's always on the verge of another break.

Enter Darian - flamboyant, silly, not too polished - Ash's "Glitter Pirate". He doesn't know about Ash's history. He actually treats him like a person and without kid gloves. Darian is so sweet and caring, and thankfully very forgiving. He helps Ash see himself through a different lens, a lens that shows him his future doesn't have to be entirely defined by his past. That he can be a person, and not necessarily a "mental".

I wasn't crazy about the narrator, the voice seemed older than the characters, however, he did a great job distinguishing between all of the characters and the different dialects which made it a really fun listen!

Thank you to Dreamscape, NetGalley, and the author for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ALC of this and I went in totally blind. The cover looked pretty. Ash is a very interesting character with mental health issues. Darian is the guy from the bar who was supposed to be a one night stand but turned into his glitter pirate. Their story had many twists and turns. Challenges within themselves that were hard to overcome. I did enjoy it. There were some many similes I got frustrated at one point because I felt like we explained things 74 times with different words.

This was a good read! There is loads of mental health representation which is fantastic. The main character is bipolar and struggles with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. This is definitely a book you want to look up trigger warnings for. This was Hall’s first book and I feel like his writing has gotten stronger since then and conversations around mental health overall have shifted but I think this book is still a good representation. His more recent work has a little more emotional depth and vulnerability. The narrator of the audiobook was fantastic!

4.5 stars!

"Glitterland" is another fantastic, emotional, beautiful book in author Alexis Hall's repertoire. This story is captivating, dark, honest, depressing, and powerful. Please check the trigger warnings as there are quite a few touchy topics discussed here. I appreciate how Hall can touch upon sensitive topics like suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, and mental health with a mix of devastating frankness and shocking mirth. I will be thinking about Ash and Darian for months and years to come. What a couple of characters! This is one of the more interesting grumpy x sunshine books I have read. I have a hunch many readers will be turned off by Ash and his rude and frank but uncouth mannerisms. By all accounts, he is a huge w4nker. Still, I found him slightly endearing even with a mountain of flaws. His struggles are familiar, and I found myself identifying with him on many levels. I also saw a little of myself in Darian, who is a sweetheart of a person who radiates light and love and uniqueness. He knows who he is and isn't afraid to be exactly that person. He is naive where Ash is practical, and together, they complement each other in ways I didn't think would be possible given the selfishness of Ash at the start of the book. Darian tears down Ash's walls slowly but surely. Their pairing is complex and not without its faults and flaws, but they make it work best for them. These characters are spectacularly brought to life by audiobook narrator Nicholas Boulton. Talk about a fantastic performance! his shifting cadence, animated style, and various voices make this one of the best audiobooks I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I just adored this book so, so much. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexis Hall, and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

An absolutely beautiful book. Loads of representation in here. I can’t say a bad thing about this book. I enjoyed this story a lot. A M/M romance told entirely from the POV of a bipolar and depressed writer whom also struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. Please know there is mention of suicide and suicide ideation in here so please read the triggers before diving in. Sprinkle a little grumpy sunshine too and it makes this book perfect. A lovely romance. Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My first impression is that this story lacks emotional depth and vulnerability of this author’s more recent work however, I think that goes to show perhaps how the author has grown and developed over time, not to mention a significant cultural shift and acceptance of and open discussions regarding therapy and the treatment of mental health since this book was first released. Towards the end of the story the main character shows more vulnerability and opens his heart towards the love interest but he definitely starts off as pretentious and aloof which put me off. He grew on me as a main character as the reader comes to realize why he’s so guarded but there wasn’t that instant likability and connection to a main character that I love in a story.

This isn't the first book of Alexis Hall that I have read. With that being the case I struggled with writing this review because I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I applaud how the mental health issues of bipolar depression were addressed as mental health issues are rarely touched upon but on the other hand I wasn't in love with the characters. In fact, I found Ash rather self absorbed and rude. Darian was at times too good for Ash but redeemed my opinion of the book.

Overall, this was just an okay book for me but applaud Ms Hall for addressing the mental health issues of Ash.

I absolutely love this book. The originally published version was one of my first treads by Alexis Hall and this new one was even better. I just find the dichotomy between the two main characters to be striking and I love every second of their interactions. I could read ten more books with these characters. Truly, they're the type of characters that stick with you for a long time, both for how they grow and change in the book, how they love each other and ultimately how they love themselves.

Beautiful beautiful book. Lyrical, lush, emotionally devastating writing. A protagonist who is complicated and yet so riveting. A love interest who is so utterly engaging he brightens every page he is on.
The narrator is sublime. The nuances of the story. The emotion. The class distinctions and regional accents and the expectations and prejudices that come from that.
The mental health issues represented so unflinchingly.
Hall gets us inside his protagonists heads and they burrow their way into our hearts. What a dazzling gem of a book, the narration making it even more heart achingly beautiful.

A sweet romance and a study in English dialect. Deals with mental illness in a way that feels real but hopeful.

At this point, I think I've read a dozen books by Alexis Hall. It was definitely interesting to read his debut work. There was still the same humor that I always find charming. I really thought the shorter length of this book worked out really well. Maybe could have stood to have heard the phrase "glitter pirate" less.

The narrator (Nicholas Boulton) added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. I'm American, and I'm not always great at imagining accents. The reading really brought those accents to life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for access to the audiobook!

Excellent! This is the third book from Alexis Hall that I've read and I am continually surprised by how different each of their books are. Giltterland is a bit absurd, the characters are weird and eccentric, yet somehow charming. .Ash and Niall are characters we should categorically dislike- they are not good people. They are shallow and malicious and way too egotistical but somehow you find yourself loving them. Perhaps because of their humanity. Hall brings light to a mental illness that is drowned in negative stigma too often and does a good job of neither romanticizing or sugarcoating it. I do wish the author could have made it clear that this is Ash's life at this point but that it can change-for the better. There is a lot of catastrophizing of Ash's illness and sometimes it felt like there was no hope. Maybe that was the point, to make the reader feel like they are living in a depressive episode but I think it was to the detriment of the work the author put in to destigmatize bipolar depression. It made it seem like people with mental illness can't have long-term, healthy relationship. That the relationship will always be that of the ill person/ caregiver. The narrator did a wonderful job, especially with the Essex accent. Overall, a very enjoyable book with deep and profound moments that could have benefited from a bit more joy.

4.5 ⭐️
I don’t know why I put this book off for so long! I absolutely loved it! It had me laughing out loud throughout but it also covers some heavy topics. Ash is such a grump but my heart broke for him. As someone who suffers with anxiety and depression I felt a connection with him. I just wanted to hug him and see him get his happily ever after! Darian is a sweetheart and so full of energy and warmth. Everyone needs a Darian in their life! I really wish we had gotten his point of view though! Overall this was a very enjoyable read that will be going on my reread list!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC! Nicholas Boulton did a fantastic job narrating and really brought these characters to life for me. I don’t think I would have been able to pronounce some of the words without the narration.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

So after ten years, Alexis Hall comes out with a new edition of Glitterland.

Like for all his other books I cannot give less than 5 stars. In this case, thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape media, I listened to the new glittery audiobook narrated by Nicholas Boulton.

Even if this was my first time listening to this story, and I was sure I would love it since Alexis is one of my All 5 Stars authors (meaning I never give less to any of his books), this book amazed me.
The mental health representation was truly flawless. I felt all the struggle Ash was going through deep into my bones.
Like Alexis writes in his forward letter every book has its own time and this one needs to find a little spot in anyone's schedule at some point. The messages in this book are simple yet hard, and the delicatessen with which Alexis explains Ash´s depression cage and emotional journey, and Darian's naivete, yet strength, in supporting and glittering up all the dark corners.

The romance was so sweet and so hot that it deserves 5 stars just by itself, and adding all the other topics made this book a true masterpiece.

“So, lemme get this right. We're gonna make a go of it. You and me? Togevver? Even though I'm orange and you're mental?”

To finish my review I also would like to underline how Ash and Darian are essentially from the same land BUT from two completely different classes.
Here, again, I need to applaud Nicholas Boulton for his Essex accent and for bringing to life two characters that are fundamentally different but that will eventually complete each other.
(And yes I suffered a lot during Ash's super rude comments about Darren but was very pleased by the story ending).

In this audiobook, you can also listen to a new epilogue and a short story about Nash (a character that I had a lot of difficulty connecting to, mainly because I found him very selfish and self-centered)

Anyway! 5 stars, 100 tears, and a million smiles.

I am a huge fan of the authors latest work, but I found this one very different. There's some of the banter that I love, but its a whole lot darker than I was expecting.
It took a little while for me to get into this, but once I understood the depths we were at (and they are down, down, down) i was able to appreciate the complexity of the relationship, and see how two opposites could come together like they do.
It's quite beautifully written, yet confronting.

Love this! Actually handled bipolar well! Really sweet and cute. Loves watching the MC slowly love himself

I don't even know how to properly review this. It is THAT good.

I have listened to the original Glitterland audiobook more times that I care to admit, and I am so happy that it is being rereleased to include Aftermath (which I have been desperate for for YEARS), Shadowland, and the Glass Menagerie. It also includes the forward by the author, which I do have to admit to feeling a bit weird to hear it narrated by the absolutely incomparable Nicholas Boulton, because I am familiar with the author's actual voice, and it felt weird to hear his personal words not in his voice. But that is a completely minor thing, and probably just a weirdness that I'm feeling.

Nicholas Boulton has done an exceptional job, yet again, with this very special book. He narrated the original and I'm so glad that he was available to do the rerelease. He is Ash and Darian, and Niall and everyone else.

So incredibly happy to have gotten to listen to this early.

Glitterland is a beautiful novel, now expertly delivered in audio format. I've read other Alexis Hall titles but never this one, and I am so glad to have now enjoyed this early publication. The author expertly and painfully immerses the reader/listener into the all-encompassing prison of depression while simultaneously telling a beautiful love story. One is left with a deeper understanding and sympathy for people struggling with mental illness but feeling nonetheless that light (and glitter!) can most definitely triumph over darkness.

This was my second time reading this book (minus the extras that are new to this updated version) and my first time reading it in audio. I'd loved the book back when I read it a few years ago, and I ended up loving the audio version even more.

Nicholas Boulton is my all time favorite narrator, so no surprise that he knocked it out of the park with this one, but the audio is truly fantastic. One of the MCs in this book is impossible not to love (and I managed to love him even more in audio), but the other MC as well as some other characters definitely have their sharp edges. I think the audiobook narration brought some extra depth to those characters in particular. These characters are flawed and they are hurting and hurtFUL and as a reader I was angry and frustrated with them and at a few points just speechless with fury over their words and choices, but I think I felt for them more during this read than during my previous one.

I find it pretty hard to describe this book actually. It's definitely a romance. It has wonderful, funny, silly and happy moments. It absolutely made me laugh out loud. But "angst" isn't even close to how I'd describe the emotional turmoil of some parts of the book. There are points when this book hurts. Not in a bad way, but it isn't a light read or a low stress read or an easy read. Much of the romance that I read and love does a lot of emotional heavy lifting but this book is HEAVY at times. It was interesting to me how differently some aspects of the book hit this time around for me. I'm in a very different place emotionally and mental health wise than I was the first time I read it. And that made it both harder to read some parts and also made them more meaningful and relatable.

It's also hard to put into words how much I love this book. It's potently powerful and lovely, all the more so because some points of the story are so unflinchingly hard to witness. The low point in the book is probably the most painful "third act breakup" portion of a romance I've ever read. But it's also so fitting, there's not even a molecule of the story that in any way feels forced. These are characters we are meant to struggle with.

I don't think it's a spoiler to say the story ends hopefully, because it's a romance so umm it has to. But again, there's nothing faked or forced about the ending. Nothing meant to give the impression that life is all roses and rainbows for these characters from now on. Nor is it for any of us. I'm guessing there are readers who feel that one of these MCs does not deserve the other, and that's kind of what I love about this book? Because yeah, we're all flawed and we're all trying and we don't always get what we "deserve". But trying matters. Having the courage to be vulnerable with someone matters. Otherwise, what are we here for?

Oh god now I've blabbed so long about the book and haven't even gotten to the bonus stuff. The recipe, like all of the Spires recipes, is an absolute joy. I love nothing more than recipes written in characters' voices. Aftermath, an epilogue to the story, was included with the original and is beautiful and funny and, ya know, HOT. I did find the new included story about another of the characters very moving but also a hard way to end the book? Because ending a romance read on a rough note is generally not how I want things to go. But I guess I'm thinking of it more as sort of a peek at that character's upcoming book, which I think releases later this year. So getting some further insight into a character that I know is eventually getting his own book and presumably a happy ending makes it less bleak. But still, maybe I would have put the recipe last to end on a happy note.

Anyway, read the CWs and then if it sounds like this book might be for you, I highly recommend giving it a go. It's unlike any other romance I've read. And I absolutely recommend the audio, which is sheer perfection.