I enjoyed this one. After reading a couple of Alexis Hall's other books, I did not expect this one to be as spicy as it was! This one was an open-door romance. Didn't mind that, just didn't expect it. Now that that is out of the way. I liked this book and the characters. Darian was great! Even though I really like Darian, but him saying "babes" did get a bit annoying after a while. Maybe it was because I was listening to the audio so hearing it so many times was a lot. It was cute for the first maybe 20 times but when it hit 50+ it got excessive. I checked the ebook and there are about 100 mentions of "babes". Besides that Darian is a sweetheart and I just love him. I liked Ash too. It was interesting reading about a bipolar depressive character because I haven't read about many characters like that. I thought he was well-written. Overall a good book and I do want to read the rest in the series.

Audiospecific: I thought the narrator did an amazing job bringing all the characters to life, giving them unique traits and making sure they had all their unique accents. Even though the sound of "babes" being repeated over and over got annoying, I still loved the way the narrator brought Darian to life.
this audio also included some bonus content, which I was really excited about. It includes 3 short stories. 1 is an epilogue for Ash and Darian, 1 is a story of max and niall, and 1 is a small sample of what the rick glass novels would be like if they existed.

content warning: bipolar depressive, anxiety/panic attack, suicidal thoughts, talk of past suicide attempt and self harm, talks of scars, sexual content, toxic friendship, classism

thank you to netgalley for an audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

I had never read Glitterland prior to receiving the 10th anniversary edition audiobook from NetGalley. At this point I have read several Alexis Hall books and it is interesting to go back to an early work. I did love this story in all of its messy and painful glory. The writing is lovely - this is very much the work of a talented writer letting words flow - however, sometimes the prose ends up tipping into overdone. But that didn't really negatively effect my experience. This book is painful, especially if you have come through an experience with mental illness. The self-loathing and anxiety and all those terrible things are out in full force and you get to live through them with Ash. I absolutely love Darian. Nicholas Boulton is a great narrator and infused the story with so much emotion. I would absolutely recommend this book/audiobook. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This review is for the 10th anniversary edition as well as the audiobook version of Glitterland. The hallmark of Hall's works is the romance of very damaged characters with more grounded counterparts. As such, the story can be very harsh at times and protagonists that are very hard to like. But there is also charm and a bit of humor amidst all the pathos. The audio version is narrated very well by Nicholas Bolton, bringing life to the 'posh' London and amusing Essex accents.

Story: Ash Winters made a mint after writing a series of crime novels - but then spiraled down into depression and mental illness. Now trying to live his life again, he is sure he has lost his chance at a life with another person. Only ex boyfriend Niall sticks around but that in itself is a broken relationship. But one night at a club, he picks up Essex boy, Darian, and they share a night. Darian is flashy, spray tan orange, has a crippling addiction to glitter, and lives life unapologetically. Despite the gulf between the two, Ash finds he genuinely likes being with his 'glitter pirate.' But Ash also knows that there is no future with a sweet guy like Darian once he has to deal with Darian's bi polar issues.

As with most of Hall's books, our protagonist is always his own worst enemy. Ash is closed off, uptight, complex, prone to depression/depressing thoughts, and often finding each day extremely difficult to get through. Darian, meanwhile, is friendly, excitable, outgoing, and simplistic in thoughts and actions. As the two become involved with each other's lives, both will have much to teach/show each other. It could veer to codependent (and certainly there is that in Ash's previous relationship). But yes, there are very heavy themes here and this is no fluffy romance.

Narrator Nicholas Boulton does an excellent job (as always) of bringing each character to life and I highly recommend the audio version for that reason. It makes all the difference to be able to hear the various accents, especially those not familiar with the London or Essex regions. It makes Ash's actions with regards to how his friends view Darian much more understandable and obvious.

This anniversary edition includes a recipe at the back as well as an extra chapter at the end. There is also a chapter from ex boyfriend Niall's point of view (from the beginning of the book, when Niall and Max are at the same club where Ash picked up Darian). The author gives a perspective on his career at the beginning. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Glitterland is my most recent Alexis Hall read, and while it was quite different from his newer stuff, I still really enjoyed it. It felt a lot heavier than, say, Boyfriend Material. One of the main characters in this opposites-attract MM romance, Ash, is bi-polar, and this obviously affects how he lives his life and interacts with others. When he almost accidentally falls into this situation-ship with Darian, a flamboyant model who couldn't be more different from the Ash's posh yet clinically depressed self, he doesn't disclose his condition. Ultimately it doesn't matter because Darian and Ash beat the odds and end up giving their relationship a real go, but they do have a nasty break-up in the third act because of unprocessed trauma and Ash's proclivity toward being a jerk when he's scared.

If you like romances that have a hefty dose of mental health rep, and also show that even in the darkest dark, there's always hope, you should read Glitterland. Even though at times I genuinely disliked Ash, I think that's the mark of a good character--you can dislike them but root for them anyway because you see their potential, even when they don't.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for my advance listening copy.

Ash, once the golden boy of the English literary scene, has given up on hope, happiness, and himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people’s expectations.
Then a chance encounter throws him into the path of Darian, who makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it’s like to step beyond the boundaries of anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can’t see past the glitter to the light. Can a man who doesn’t trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can a man who doesn’t believe in happiness ever fight for his own?
This contemporary MM romance is book 1 in the Spires Universe. I have read so many good reviews about this. And I loved Boyfriend Material. So I was very excited to get the chance to read this. But I'm gonna have to say that I did not like this one. Actually, I DNFd it. I didn't vibe at all with the writing. The characters are shallow. The main character is so judgmental. And he's blaming on lot on his mental illness, and I don't think is okay to use your mental illness to justify being selfish and a jerk. When I started it, I had many doubts, so I read other reviews (as I said, many very good ones), but also some that highlighted problematics like misogyny, fatphobia and queerphobia, so I preferred to put a stop to it, given that I was not enjoying myself anyway. And if I hear "babes" one more time, I'm gonna scream. As previously mentioned, I did read very good reviews, so I wouldn't let my not vibing with it deter you from giving it a try, it simply wasn't for me.
I received an advance copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you @dreamscape_media for a copy of this audiobook. This was such a beautiful story about Ash who suffers from depression and meets Darian who is a ray of sunshine. I love how the story portrays Darian as a bit vapid as a stunning model but is so much more and seeing their relationship grow. I liked the back story between Ash and Neil and their complex relationship. Nicholas Bulton did a great job with all the voices and now I am curious how a Sussex accent sounds like.

As a fan of Alexis Hall's other work I was really hoping to love Glitterland. Unfortunately, this book just fell flat for me in a few areas. Glitterland is not a love story, but it is a story that ends with some hope that was heartening to see. This book spends a lot of time delving deep into depression and bipolar disorder, and while I cannot personally attest to the accuracy of the depiction of bipolar the depression felt quite real and poignant at times. Glitterland is told from the POV of a very unlikeable protagonist and while I don't always mind that, I did mind it very much in this book, since it seemed like he didn't even like the person who would become his boyfriend and that was all I could focus on. There was also a very uncomfortable bit of fatphobia around the halfway mark that nearly ruined the book for me.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for the audio rerelease of Glitterland and omg, his audiobooks never disappoint. I don't know what type of magic he has to be able to find such wonderful narrators, but wow, absolutely love!

I haven't previously read this book, so this was fully a new experience for me, and I have quite a few thoughts. I'm a huge fan of what I've read (not too much of his backlist from Boyfriend Material, but I've read most of his new stuff) from AH, and he has such a charming way of making mental health struggles look manageable and charming while also being debilitating. There aren't many people I think could pull that off.

Okay, so from the beginning, like many others, I discovered Alexis Hall through Boyfriend Material and was so charmed and delighted by his unique online self as well as all his books following the release of BM, I've made it my mission to complete all of his backlist. He has a lot of books, so it'll take me a while, but I'm so grateful to be able to enjoy this audiobook before its official release! So happy NetGalley approved me, thank you!

Quite frankly, I went into this expecting a light romcom, since I didn't actually read the synopsis (AH is an auto-buy for me at this point) so I was a bit surprised by the dramatics and intensity of this book right from the start. But as a fan of mental health-focused stories, I absolutely adored this and it ended up being quite an emotional reading experience.

There are so many endearing trinkets AH manages to add to his stories. The romance in this book is more sweet than silly and it has quite an impact as the story and lives of the characters aren't all flowers and butterflies. The way the author is able to add these little flirtatious moments and make menial conversations in everyday life so packed with emotional depth is really inspiring. It's so beautiful and I can almost hear the Christmas music playing softly in the background as we slowly pan out through a frost-covered window and pan upward. Little unrelated conversations and interactions that aren't emotionally or sexually charged, just the characters hanging out and getting to know each other, how does he make these moments so beautiful (and NOT boring)?? Not many other romance novels have moments like this and it adds something gentle and cosy to his books.

The character building in this book follows a similar pattern to his other books where we have a bit of an airhead who is quirky and fun and then we have AH'z staple, mentally ill character who is hanging on by a threat. AH has a really magical way of making these gritty characters and scenarios into something palatable for readers who either don't want heavy content or can't handle it. It's digestible and relatable even for folks who don't struggle with mental health issues. It also means a lot that his stories focus on self-acceptance and character growth, even if they don't grow, there's some acknowledgment there, and I find that really satisfying.

I just overall love his writing, and this book is no different. Don't go in assuming it's a romcom because it's not, but it has just as much heart and depth you would want from a story. Absolutely love how the title fits with the characters!

3.75 stars. I probably would have rated it higher had I not gone in expecting a romcom.

An emotional and entertaining romance that delves into a lot of mental health not issues, but the challenges? that can come surrounding being in a relationship while having a mental illness.

ALC Review: Glitterland by Alexis Hall
Pub date: January 16, 2024

I truly enjoyed my time listening to this book! It feels distinctly like an Alexis Hall book in a way I can't explain unless you've read some of their other books. This one is quite a bit darker than Boyfriend Material but in a way that I really responded to - I really rooted for the characters from beginning to end.

Ash is deeply flawed and not entirely likable - he makes frustrating decisions sometimes in an effort to protect himself. Here's the thing - I think Ash is an incredibly realistic and authentic character. He hurts the people around him and not because (or not solely because) of his mental illness. I get that people don't always want realism in their romances but for those that do, I think this book is really worth it.

As with all of Alexis' books I've read so far, the mental health rep is fantastic and really raw in a way that we don't always see in romance. While there's often MH rep in contemporary romance now, I often feel like it's a bit "light" - I don't know that I can name another romance where one of the MC's experienced a psychiatric hospitalization or where we hear about that experience and also about his previous suicide attempt.

And I can't review this book without talking about the sweetest glitterpirate to ever exist, Darian. Oh my how I loved him so much!! I think this book absolutely benefits from being single POV and seeing how Ash responds to Darian who is just so vibrant with life, really the opposite of Ash.

And of course, because it's Alexis Hall, you can also expect to experience some quintessentially British humor even despite the darker nature of this book.

I do wish that more of the time that the characters spent broken up was on page - I do think seeing more of that growth from Ash would have been helpful, though I also loved that Ash was very clear that being in this relationship is not going to fix his mental health and that he will almost definitely still mess up sometimes.

I thought the narration by Nicholas Boulton was top notch! The character voices were distinct without being gimmicky. The Essex accent in particular was just perfect!

Do I think this is a book for everyone? Definitely not. But if you're interested in a more realistic portrayal of mental health issues and a really sweet romance that goes through it's up and downs, I do recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I can't believe this book existed and I wasn't aware of it. I don't know what parts were reverted or redesigned but I loved every part, every awkward and arrogant part of Ash
.
Every comment and every laugh from Darian, the perfect sunshine of a romance so contemporary that it hurts in the softest parts of ones heart
.
It is always difficult to read when the character is locked in their feelings and they are as dark as they are painful, but Alexis Hall does an incredible job of portraying what a person with anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder feels. A glimpse that shows how difficult it is to navigate time and social relationships, even to find someone who fills the world with color and glitter with their presence
.
That's what Darian does for Ash, he takes him out of context and shakes him leaving him with an inexplicable smile and an attraction that makes him feel hard to let go
.
In a short time Darian becomes air in his lungs but of course for someone arrogant, sarcastic, with a passion for self-loathing it is difficult to see and it takes him a while to take the right steps
.
I listened to the audiobook version by Nicholas Boulton and I really liked how he gave voice to the characters, including the almost incomprehensible Essex accent, it only took me a few minutes to adapt to the incredible change in the voices, and enjoy the story
.
Thanks to Alexis Hall and Dreamscape media for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange of my honest and voluntary opinion

I think I just figured out which Alexis Hall books I’ll surely love and which ones to best avoid.
This one was an instant favourite because it has beautiful mental health rep!!!
It’s a very messy book with a MC that’s plainly unlikable, but you end up caring about and loving no matter what and a LI who’s an angel of a man with golden retriever energy.
It’s not a plain grumpy x sunshine romance, but more of an „I’m mentally ill and feel like shit and want everyone to feel like that (about me) as well“ and „I‘ll love you unconditionally even though you are pretty messed up“ and I simply loved these two together.
It’s pretty hard to care about other people when you can’t even get the energy to care for yourself most days, but it’s not like you don’t want anyone in your life.
There is so much character development and insight into the thoughts and feelings of Ash. I think it’s really beautiful and important to find romance books centering people who most don’t believe are capable or deserving of a romantic relationship.
Maybe it’s true that living a life that most people consider normal isn’t perfectly easy when your mental health isn’t okay, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a life worth living and finding love is part of that.
Ash making himself free of social expectations, not caring about what other people think of him or the life he’s living coupled with Alexis Halls usual hilarity made a beautiful romance story.
I wished we would have gotten to know Darian and Ash a bit more, as well as some of the side characters who’ve just been shortly introduced. We neither got the see the wedding or Ash finding out what happened with Niall.
I’m glad there was the „Aftermath“ story as well, because the rather abrupt ending wasn’t the ending we or the book deserved.
I think it created the perfect closure for this story and rounded it up to a 4,5 stars!
Can’t wait to read the next book and am incredibly excited for Nialls story!

Novelist Ash struggles with bipolar disorder, which leaves him feeling that love and happiness are beyond his reach. An encounter with exuberant Darian offers him laughter and a glimmer of hope. Can Ash overcome his despondency to fight for the future he wants?

This is a brilliant depiction of mental illness. I loved Darian’s energy and sense of joy. The audiobook was well-done and made it easy to distinguish between characters.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5

Alexis Hall is very much a hit or miss author for me and knowing this was one of his early works and is 10 years old I went in with pretty low expectations. That being said, I had such a great time with this one though I can see why it wouldn’t work for everyone.

Ash is a deeply flawed and not very likable protagonist. He is bipolar and really at a low point in his life and to be honest he doesn’t treat Darian very well. This is definitely one of those romance books where I cannot see them staying together in the end but while reading I was completely invested.

I love how fully fleshed out these characters were. I could feel their pain and trauma and perseverance and I /. had such an enjoyable time listening to this book.

Nicholas Boulton’s narration was as usual top tier and I highly recommend picking this up and look forward to the rerelease of the rest of the series.

This was such a dark but also heartwarming story. I fell in love with the characters and liked how open the discussions on mental health were. The only thing I struggled a little with was the narration as initially I found the accent for Darian to be quite unbearable, but the further I got into the story the less it mattered.

What to Expect:
▪️Opposites attract
▪️Bipolar rep
▪️Melancholy vibes with comedic relief
▪️Single POV
▪️Bonus content
▪️TW: references to off page suicide attempt, depression, 1 instance of fat shaming

🫶🏽What I loved
This was messy and heavy but still felt special and I enjoyed it overall! I was surprised at the fact that I still burst out laughing a few times, despite how dark the tone of this book was. It’s not what I expected at all compared to Boyfriend Material or 10 Things That Never Happened, but the author’s note at the beginning was a great set up where he acknowledged this book is totally different and I appreciate the content warnings that were addressed up front. My heart hurt for Ash, and his codependent relationship with Niall was toxic but I was so happy to see how they worked through that. I loved Darian and his big heart! If I had read this with my eyeballs, I’m not sure I could have forgiven the trigger for the 3rd act break up. But the narrator did such a fantastic job performing raw emotion during the scene where Ash apologized, that yeah, I would have given Ash a big hug too!

🤷🏻‍♀️What didn’t work for me
The fat shaming scene. “I’d rather be anxious than fat.” CRINGE. I know this was depicting that both characters were shallow, but we don’t need that energy here.

Tropes/Themes:
-MM contemporary romance
-One night stand to lovers
-Grump x Sunshine
-Opposites attract
-Mental health rep (check CWs)
-Lots of humor and banter
-Singular POV
-Book #1 in an interconnected standalone series

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC in exchange for an honest review**

Wow…I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Having read a good chunk of Alexis Hall’s backlist, this both felt the same and completely different from his previous works (which makes sense considering this was technically his debut). It felt very…refreshing, if that makes sense.

The book itself reminded me a lot of a (much) lighter version of Broken by Nicola Haken, especially as it pertains to the dynamic mental health rep. Regardless of their diagnoses or lack thereof, all of the characters were flawed in their own way and grew a lot by the end. I loved Hall’s strategic use of humor and witty banter throughout the book, which helped to balance out some of the heavier themes. This felt a little nonsensical at times (not sure how many times the phrase “glitter pirate” was used), but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment whatsoever.

I highly recommend picking up the audiobook if you’re going to give this book a try. The narrator did a fantastic job at giving the MMCs their own distinct voices and personalities, he really brought these characters to life.

Disclaimer - If you can’t stand a good Essex accent…don’t pick this up. The narrator killed it.

CWs for bipolar disorder, depression/social anxiety, suicidal ideation, previous suicide attempts, conversations about previous hospitalizations, self-harm, having your mental health history/diagnoses outed, drug use

Story: 4/5
Audiobook: 5/5 (narrated by Nicholas Boulton)
Length 9h5min

This book was pretty good. I’m always a sucker for queer romances and there was a lot of spicy scenes. I just wish the main characters didn’t get on my nerves sometimes. I know the characters was bi-polar and had depression but he was also a jerk at times. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

This book is so sweet! It's a charming and heartwarming love story with an unexpected and unique connection. The book focuses on self-discovery, acceptance, and mental health along with the sweet love story.

I will say that the audiobook narrator gave Darian an unbearable accent, which really put me off listening to it. The story, however, is lovely. I would recommend the book but NOT the audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley!

I've had this book on my TBR for ages, I think it's one of the first books I added. So imagine my surprise when I discovered there was an audiobook version, an extended one at that.

Did I love it? No. Did I like it? Hmm, yes, but unfortunately it just didn't quite click with me. Don't get me wrong, it has its highlights, like the beautiful, almost poetic prose that makes it extremely quotable.

It candidly discusses mental health and the challenges faced by people with Bipolar disorders, though a bit exaggerated and romanticised at times.

The story plays a too hard with stereotypes, making it less believable. And while I could understand Ash's character, Darian's felt extremely flat.

As far as the romance goes, it lacked a strong connection, relying heavily on instant love and lust, making everything between them feel rushed.

The extra chapter with Max and Niall was unnecessary; I already disliked Niall for how he treated Ash, and I didn't need to add to my dislike for how he treated Max.

Overall, not a bad book, just not right for me. I probably expected it to align more with this author's recent works.