This was a fun very low angst, feel-good m/m romance! I also very much loved the love of books included! It was a fun read for sure!

Plus size, nerdy, queer romance was an instant MUST read for me! Bobby is sweet, whitty and oh so charming and I really loved his character!! I LOVE Emma, so naturally I also loved this story. This felt like a really fun fresh take on the classic Austen tale. I really loved how Bobby and Luke's relationship developed throughout this book. Essentially, this was DELIGHTFUL and a true YA romance. I really liked it overall! I will say, I am growing a little tired of Jane Austen retellings, but I was okay with it in this case.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. It was wonderful from the very first page!

This was such a fun and fast paces read with a romantic main character. I had a really good time reading it and would love if this would be turned into a book series. All the side characters have so much potential and I would love to learn more about them, even about Evie!

Bobby loves books and love. He wishes for a book worthy declaration of love and has the perfect plan for it but the real life is sadly not like it is in the book and nothing goes according to plan. It takes a lot of coincidences and time to show Bobby what he really wants and needs.

In the beginning I was a bit sceptic if I would like Bobby because he was a bit annoying and he actually never stopped being annoying (in my opinion) but that was what made me love him so much. He just wanted the best for everyone and tried to help, even if the others didn't really want it. The insecurities about his body felt real, and I could relate with him. He really only deserves the best.

The writing was fast-paced and nice to follow.

I would have liked it more if Lukes sexuality had been explored/explained a bit more. It was mentioned briefly, but it could have been a bit more in depth.

This was overall a really lovely book and I had a lot of fun while reading it. Some moments made me roll my eyes, while other moments made me laugh out loud. It was the perfect mix for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando Young Readers for this EARC!

I received an e-ARC and I am giving my honest review

It was hard to finish this as I just really disliked the MC’s view on the world. I was very excited to read this, as a chubby gay man, but how oblivious Bobby was really took away from the romance and pining.

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: Jan 28, 2025
🏷️ Tags: achillean romance, gay MC, pansexual LI, fat MC, Canadian author

Aww this was a very sweet story full of great characters and so readable!

I had some minor issues with the plot, including how the miscommunication trope was used near the end, as well as how easily everything seemed to work out. But I did like Bobby as an MC, and there were lots of great SCs (particularly Gladys, I loved her!).

If you're looking for a light-hearted gay romance with a fat MC, I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Young Readers for the ARC. All thoughts shared are my own.

DNF after the first ten chapters. I wanted to like this one, but there was just a little too much going on. The story felt a little unfocused.

Perfectly frothy with a dramatically romantic mc, Bobby, trying to have the best summer of his life and still hold onto his future.

If you need a to disassociate into sweetness this’ll fix you.

This was a sweet summer romance that was great. At first, I was hesitant because it second hand embarrassment is real. By the end, it was good.

"Recommended Reading" is a delightful, campy YA rom-com that follows Bobby, a self-proclaimed bookworm and aspiring matchmaker, whose grand summer plans fall apart after a disastrous romantic gesture. While Bobby’s flaws (self-absorption and teenage angst) can be grating at times, they make him an incredibly relatable character. The book captures the awkwardness and intensity of being seventeen, where small issues feel like the end of the world. What really stood out was the book’s unapologetic queerness, and Bobby’s journey of realizing that love isn’t just for the “beautiful people.” While the romance between Bobby and Luke is sweet, I found it underdeveloped, and the connection didn’t feel as satisfying as I hoped. Despite this, the diverse, lovable side characters and Bobby’s growth make this a fun, touching read.

I was going through a bit of a reading slump, and this book brought me right out of it.

Bobby is such a relatable character. He is someone who loves love, and it was fun to watch. He speaks and lives romance. Then you have Luke, a forever realistic who doesn’t believe in romance novels and how they tend to play out.

This starts with Bobby making a grand gesture to show his crush how he feels for him, and it’s a disaster. To top it off, it’s all being recorded. Naturally, there are consequences on top of Bobby’s embarrassment. As a result, he ended up working at an indie bookstore (my kind of place) owned by his “uncle” Andy. There, we meet Gladys, who I will probably grow into. She pulls no punches and has no filter. The interactions between Gladys and Bobby are gold. The patrons have come to love this store because Bobby has become the “book whisperer.” He knows just the book you need to get you over the hump… whatever that hump may be.

However, the interactions between Luke and Bobby just melted my heart. What I appreciated about Luke was that he played no games. Grand gestures aren’t necessary. But on the flip side, what I appreciated about Bobby was his optimism. Romance isn’t dead; sometimes, the person just needs a little push. They perfectly balanced each other out.

In most cases, your love is right in front of you. You just have to see them with new eyes. In Bobby’s case, he let his history dictate how to proceed with Luke, and he almost missed out. There was a bit of miscommunication between Bobby and Luke toward the end, but remember, this is a YA.

I would love a follow-up with Bobby and Luke (specifically about their relationship) and catch up with the secondary characters. This was a nice time, and Bobby knew precisely what I needed.

I need to stop judging books by their cover because this one set me up for disappointment.

The two men, looking all cuddly and cosy together made me think that they would have a nice romance that would blossom throughout the story and would also be the most prominent plot point. You guessed it, I was wrong. There was very little pining or actual romance. It is that I know how to spot a love interest, but otherwise, I wouldn't have guessed that something would happen between them. Luke, the love interest, was probably pining very hard, but that was barely shown because it was told through Bobby's pov and he was rather oblivious.

The bookstore part was alright. I liked reading how Bobby grew to love his uncle's bookstore and how he put in the effort to make it even better, but it reminded me of a white saviour complex. The new guy comes in, fixes the interior design and gives out a few recommendations, which changes it from a dusty old store to a well-known shop. As if those who have worked there for decades have no clue what they are doing.

Thank you NetGalley and Zando Young Readers for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I was slow to get into the book. I enjoyed the overall story and the representation of bigger queer characters.

I think the over all sweet moments make you feel the warmth that is sometimes, missing in romance books. But this was a really nice book.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read it!

*ARC provided by Netgalley, this did not influence this review in any way*

This book was so camp, I have no other word for it.

We follow Bobby in his summer before college and he has every intention to make it the greatest one yet. He loves reading, grand gestures and being a matchmaker. But everything goes wrong when he plans to ask out the guy he’s smitten with but instead ends up breaking the window of a bookstore and almost losing his spot at his college.

Bobby was a fun main character to follow. Sure, he was self-absorbed at times, sure he was whining about stuff that I (an almost 30 year old) found irrelevant, but he’s a teenager and I feel like he’s allowed to be this way. All of his problems might not have been the end of the world, but they were to him, and I was exactly the same when I was his age.

This book was also SO GAY. I loved every single queer thing that happened, no further notes on that.

The only reason that this book didn’t get 5 stars from me is that I found the romance to be a bit lacking. It was obvious who the love interest was from the start and they had their moments throughout the book, but I feel like they were underdeveloped? Or just simply didn’t quite hit like the author wanted them to?

But nevertheless, I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you Hear Our Voices Tours & Paul Coccia for sending me an early physical copy as well as an eARC on NetGalley for the tour! 🥰🫶
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Okay, let me start by saying, that I ADORED this book so much! 🥹🫶 It has my whole heart! I loved the MC Bobby and I absolutely loved the fat representation and felt so seen as a fellow fat, queer, and bookish person.

However, different from me, Bobby is outgoing, loud, and extra (in a good way!). Bobby has been known around his small town as a love guru and has helped many couples get together utilizing a grand romantic gesture - similar to those in the rom-com books and movies Bobby loves. The book starts with Bobby attempting his own romantic gesture and ends up failing horribly sending his “Summer of Bobby” plans crashing out the window (wink wink 😉, IYKYK 🪨). After the accident, Bobby swears off romance for himself and focuses on his new summer job at his Uncle Andy’s used bookstore. Corner Books’ only other employee is an older woman named Gladys who is a bit prickly, to say the least. 😅 However, she DEFINITELY grows on you throughout the book!

While working, Bobby meets new-in-town, Luke, who isn’t a big fan of romance and much prefers a good documentary. I love how Bobby and Luke challenge each other's views on romance and just life in general. This included a lot of fun banter resulting in the nicknames “Love Grinch” for Luke and “Cassanova” for Bobby. ☺️ I love the character of Luke as he is the perfect fit for Bobby and such a sweet guy! I love how he never judges Bobby for his physical appearance and insists on “looking past the cover”. This book definitely has all the slow burn but I just loved it so much with these two! It was so nice to see their relationship progress even if the romance doesn't come until later. 🫶

I loved how Bobby is portrayed as a fat character. He is confident and dresses how he wants, however he is aware of how society views bodies like his. “…I don't own many dark clothes. They blend in and since this body doesn't, I've made the conscious decision to work with my assets.” (Recommended Reading, Paul Coccia). This awareness sometimes leads to moments of feeling too fat for love or for some opportunity or whatever have you. I think this is one of the most relatable things I’ve ever read! I myself am confident and love my body. I try not to care what other people think but that anxiety of how people perceive me always creeps up. Besides this, I love the little moments shown throughout the book that convey how living as a fat person is; such as having a large enough towel, getting hot in the summer, and more.

Another thing I enjoyed was yes, Bobby is fat and queer, but that's not the focus of the story! It's a regular coming-of-age story about a teen dealing with life stuff. This is just such a sweet read with low stakes, funny moments, memorable characters, and a bookish boy trying to figure out romance. 😊

oh my goddddd

this book was wonderful. i love bobby and gladys haha my fav characters. luke was incredible as well, im glad bobby and luke met.

small town vibes, everyone stressed about the festival.

A funny, light-hearted YA summer rom-com set in a small town bookstore about Bobby, a hopeless romantic and "book whisperer" who helps revive his uncles bookshop. After an incident at his college where he will start in the Fall, Bobby declares his love in an exuberant way. But when the feelings aren't mutual, he's embarrassed. The incident leaves him heartbroken, in trouble with the dean, and is fired from his job at the campus bookstore. This leaves Bobby turning to his uncle Andy who has a position open at his store, Corner Books. There, Bobby helps market the store and bring in more customers. When he recommends a book to a customer, he is quickly given the title, "The Book Whisperer" throughout the small town of Little Elm.

In comes Luke, a customer at the store, sneakily reading a romance novel. We learn Luke is anti-romantic and pansexual. Due to his lack of believing in love due to his family's history of divorce, Bobby is blindsided by Luke's flirtations.

I enjoyed this rom-com for the humor, small town vibes, characters, and the lighthearted story. I devoured this book! It was a fast paced and fun read. I also liked the integration of video game streaming as Bobby's friend, Wendy is a popular video game streamer. My only critique is the romance was too slow for me and I wish we had gotten more build up + time with Luke and Bobby to see more of their chemistry. The ending was fun, but I felt like it was too rushed. Coccia is a great storyteller and his characters are loveable. I would read more from him in the future.

CW: Body shaming, bullying, blood

overall this book was very cutesy and queer in the best way. our MC is a plus-sized bookish teen who working in a quaint cute bookstore after he publicly embarrassed himself professing his love to another boy. while he is getting to know Luke he's questioning if what he's feeling is truly romance or if he's wrong all over again. overall this book is very sweet and quick witted with representation we hardly ever see in books. I love that Bobby is a book-loving matchmaker so much,

thank you netgalley for an early copy <3

4.25 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Intrigue: 8
Narrative: 8
Build-up: 8
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 8

In Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia, Bobby Ashton is a rom-com-loving bookseller whose epic romantic gesture goes terribly wrong. Retreating to his uncle’s bookstore for the summer, he finds an unexpected connection with Luke, a romance-skeptical lifeguard, challenging everything he thought he knew about love.

Casanova and The Love Grinch are everything you want in a relationship—seeing one another authentically, forgiveness, and community. I truly enjoyed Recommended Reading from beginning to end. The Book Whisperer is easily the best nickname anyone could receive! The character development was thorough, balanced, and oh-so-worthwhile.

Thanks to Hear Our Voices Tours for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, Hear Our Voices and Paul Coccia for my gifted copy! I’m so happy to be a part of this BookTour.

Bobby Ashton has his perfect summer all planned out. However, one mistake and suddenly those plans are shattered like broken glass. In order to stay out of trouble and stay in the Dean’s good graces, he finds himself a job at Corner Books.

Bobby loves the romance genre and has used his knowledge of the genre to help others find love. He is the small town’s matchmaker and has the ability to recommend the perfect book for any situation someone might be going through. It made me think of What You’re Looking For is in the Library, romance edition. However, he’s unable to help himself when it comes to finding love.

This Emma-inspired book had charm, humor, and a lot of heart. There’s a hint of a romantic plot, but I felt that it was more focused on Bobby’s personal growth which I really enjoyed. There were several moments that had me smiling and laughing. If anything, I shall leave you with this quote: “Moist wad of cash. Casanova’s pickle jar.” If that doesn’t intrigue you, then I don’t know what will 😂

Recommended Reading has love, heart, a cozy bookstore, a grumpy old lady, a small town matchmaker, and grand romantic gestures. Definitely check this one out if those things interest you!