A super cute M/M romance, featuring a plus-sized, bookish MC named Bobby Ashton, who has a reputation for successful match-matching in his tight-knit community.

Bobby’s a natural-born meddler, with the absolute best of intentions, determined to help those around him find love and happiness, even though his own recent big love pursuit met a publicly embarrassing end that he’s still trying to recover from.

Not one to wallow though, Bobby brushes himself off, puts his own love life on the backburner, and throws himself into having a great, productive summer, helping his “uncle” revitalise his old bookstore, while making new friends, and finding his true worth and happiness along the way.

This story was very sweet and full of charm and wit, as we got to follow Bobby (and his family and friends) over the eventful course of his last summer before college. I enjoyed the small-town vibes and adored the bookstore setting. It’s a book about book lovers for book lovers, and I’m always a sucker for that.

Bobby was a charming MC, clearly inspired by Austen’s Emma but revitalised in this modern YA/NA college-town setting, with great queer and plus-size representation, and a full ensemble cast of quirky characters that kept the whole story flowing with ease.

Naturally, I found myself adoring Bobby’s new friend and love interest Luke, who was the sweetest guy and a perfect match for Bobby. I found myself smiling whenever they shared scenes together, their banter was really good and their chemistry gave me the warm and fuzzies.

I enjoyed this story, but I ultimately decided not to rate higher simply because I read an ARC copy that had a lot of formatting and editing issues (the first time I’ve experienced this through NetGalley), which took me out of the story and had me re-reading passages for comprehension more than a few times. (But I’m sure the final edit has none of these issues ((I hope)) and therefore shouldn’t be a problem for new readers upon the book's official release).

If you’re looking for a low-angst, feel-good M/M romance, or you just love books-about-books, this might just be the story for you!


***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute, queer, YA adaptation of Emma. Really enjoyed this book. It was very well written. Was hooked for the first chapter, could not put it down.

“Recommended Reading” is a charming rom-com inspired by Emma that captures the essence of early 2000s romantic comedies. The story follows Bobby Ashton, a professional romantic, as he navigates love and friendship with a diverse cast of entertaining characters.

This was an unexpected sweet clean story that had me laughing out loud. The cast of characters and the interactions were spot on.

Bobby is this big ball of love, that’s known for his match making abilities and also knowing exactly what a person needs to read next and to me that is a epic power to have, but when he tries this on himself it goes completely awry and he lose that confidence in himself. 
The romance to me felt very secondary to Bobby getting his grove back but it was a great read.

Thank Netgalley and publisher for Arc

I was really excited to read this book - many aspects like a main character being fat, the story revolving around bookstores and books, recommendations, it all sounded like good fun. Unfortunately, fun was the last thing I had while reading this book. And because I don't want to start with the bad things, I have to mention that there were enough scenes in the book I liked - firstly, the bookshop was such a nice setting! I liked Bobby's recommendations and the way he interacted with the shop's customers, especially Cindy and her group. The contrast between Corner Books and Campus Books was a good way to make Bobby work for something and improve, and it seemed like he even would. What happened is another thing, but let's still focus on the better things.
I really loved Gladys, and not because she was the only good character along with maybe Luke. Her whole no-nonsense attitude that toed the line was endearing and liked her growth as she got to know Bobby and worked with him. And I think Luke also worked greatly as a love interested, but there simply wasn't enough for him to live up to the potential he had.
My main problem was Bobby. And that's bad because he is the main character. His attitude towards other people and Corner Books at the beginning of the story was something I found to be rather off-putting. I disliked how he immediately sorted the bookshop into the "low-quality" category, same with Luke and the label of frat bro and how he probably wants to date a "bimbo". Like for someone who reads primarily romance, a genre that is predominantly but not exclusively written by women for women, I would expect Bobby to be better when talking about girls. This really soured my mood. He was so focused on setting people up and sticking his nose into others business, even when he was warned not to do it. And while he definitely shifted his view as the story progressed, It almost seemed that he would learn from his mistakes, but then I simply couldn't sympathize with him when he then went back to his usual meddling to set up his friend, Wanda, and a man who he thought was her potential boyfriend. I should highlight the fact that Wanda told him to cut it off multiple times, but he still decided to read her texts and reply to someone he barely knew just so there would be a romantic meeting between them. I also couldn't really believe how easy it was for him to get away with it, because the story ended very abruptly and there were basically no consequences for Bobby.
Lastly, this book was described as a rom-com, but I couldn't help but despair at the lack of actual romance between Bobby and Luke. There was almost nothing romantic between these two, with the plot focused more on Bobby's work, his meddling and the festival happening. And I already mention how I liked Luke, and if there were more scenes focused on their growing relationship, I would be totally cheering them on, but their romantic arc was mostly awkward. Not to mention that the third-act "breakup" was so weird. It felt like it was there only because it's a staple in the romance genre and to create some tension, but as the story ended abruptly, the confession was hurried and the miscommunication made me feel nothing but frustration. I get that Bobby was getting over his crush on Truman and learning new things, but apart from the banter about romance between him and Luke, there just wasn't much of what I expected when I started a rom-com.
And I just have to mention this one final frustration I had: when Bobby talks about everyone finding their loved one, Luke (very rightfully) brings up people who do not fit into this box - polyamorous people, aros and aces. And I mean it's a really valid argument. As an aroace person, I get tired of the insistence that everyone has to find one true love. But what was icky (and I am sorry for this word, but there isn't any that would explain my feelings better), was the nonexistent answer from Bobby. He learned nothing from it and he still later went and decided to set up people, some who never asked for it.

This book was AMAZING! It was so me—I am Bobby, and Bobby is me, lol! I read all the time, and I have a fantastic imagination. Every situation is a scene from a movie or book. I felt seen!

This book is a ROM-COM bibliophile's dream.

I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

This was such a good time. It was current, relatable, easy, and entertaining.
Bobby could have been a friend of mine; he was so well-written in fact, all of the characters were. The way he took his lumps and just revised his list and readjusted, continuing his mission to make his summer epic. The way he made it his business to fins love for everyone and managed to put a positive spin on things. I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK! This was a hilarious coming-of-age story for book lovers of all ages.

Thank you, NetGalley, Zando Young Readers, and Paul Coccia, for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and my tour group for allowing me to read this early in exchange for my review!!

This was literally one of the sweetest and cutest books I’ve ever read. I loved Bobby so much. From his fabulousness to his fearless nature, I felt myself wanting to be more like him. Even when things looked down for him he was able to pick himself back up. I also love how he’s fat and proud. The body positivity was inspiring.

Luke was also such a delightful character. He was so sweet and kind to Bobby and everyone else around him. The people in Bobby’s life seemed to really care about him and I love books set in small towns where everyone knows each other

Even though Bobby made some mistakes and was clumsy, he was able to grow and it was great to see. I just loved Bobby and everyone in this book. And the cute romantic moments here had me giggling and kicking my feet. I was on my lunch break screaming AWWWW. This was so refreshing after reading something really dark and disturbing. I’m a sucker for these types of books!!

What I Liked: The book opens with Bobby's big romantic gesture failing in front of so many people and that completely changes his plans for his summer. At this point in time, I honestly wasn't rooting for Bobby and found him quite annoying because he was very whiney. It wasn't until Bobby met Luke who challenges his perspective on things and makes him think that Bobby started to grow on me.

When Bobby and Luke first meet each other, I was a bit worried that it would be an instant love story, so I was pleased that while it was instant attraction, there wasn't instant love between the two. Bobby was a bit skeptical about Luke's feelings and was pretty sure that Luke wasn't even interested in guys until he finds out otherwise later. The relationship develops between Bobby and Luke naturally and its fun getting to see them get to know each other.

While Bobby is a hopeless romantic, he has given up on love for himself which is hard to see happen. I felt bad for him as he gives up on romance for himself because of his appearance even as Luke is telling him that sometimes you look beyond a cover. Bobby works hard to ensure that all the people around him have a healthy love life so you can't help but want that for himself. It's nice to read as the other people surrounding Bobby are also getting into relationships and how supportive he is of his friends and family.

Final Verdict: Recommended Reading is a great book for those of you who are looking for a cute, fun, and fluffy romantic comedy to get you through these tough times. Young adults will enjoy this book as it gives them hope for romance if they are different from others and adults will enjoy having something hopeful and lighthearted to read.

This was just the sweetest mm romance! I love a romantic lead that is more realistic in weight and his new friend who is the hulky dreamboat is so into him. But since Bobby just got heartbroken he isn’t even trying to find someone also he might get expelled. He is an act of love with an elaborate display type.
I loved that he was a book whisperer and could read people and suggest the book they needed. There are people that are super empathic and just watch and listen and know vast catalogues of media to recommend. They are spirit animals and helpers.
This was so book related since there were two bookstores involved, a coveted book club and culminating in a huge book event. Luke the athletic swimmer was so supportive and always around and Bobby just thought he was an ally. Media and stereotypes leave so many people out and I love when they get a story even when they don't realize they are the main character for awhile :)
This was YA and it helped with recognizing your worth and finding your voice. Also knowing that you can ask for help and you don’t have to take on everything on your own.

Recommended: sure!
For characters that are the right blend of mature and still an inexperienced kid, for some quirky/stereotype breaking characters, for an impossible town where everyone agrees reading is cool and necessary

Thoughts:
Wow, boy this book. Overall I did enjoy it, but there were some things that I didn't totally buy (maybe I'm just a cynic) and some things that had me side-eyeing the story wondering if I would like where it went. In the end I generally did, and overall it's a lovely addition to the world.

So the things that were a little harder for me: first, Bobby sounds like a person who would exhaust me. This is much a personal thing, but he and I are incredibly opposite in some ways to a point where just reading about him tired me out. He's a very big personality, and I can match that energy... for a while. Before I have to check out and go somewhere quiet to recharge. In the story at one point he even notes that usually when people call him "extra" they don't mean it in a good way. He's a sweetheart, but he is also very extra. Everything is to the maximum with him!

Next up is another "maybe it's just me" issue where the setting of the town was not one I could buy into. The idea that a book is always the solution to anyone's problem was... even as a reader, I just couldn't get on board. The closest I can describe it is that it felt naive, although at least they set it up well (it's a big reading town overall) and point out the obvious drawbacks ("you have this meeting in an hour so you can't really sit down and read a whole novel before then"). Maybe if it were more overt it would have been great, but it was subtle enough like it wanted to pretend it was actually believable. Considering how hard it is to find a bookstore near me, it feels outlandish to say there are multiple in one small town THRIVING. Please world, tell me I'm wrong and this is totally believable.

The last side-eye issue I had was the writing flirting with quintessentially quirky characters. You know, where there are characters that so aggressively buck the norm that they pair opposing traits together to find some "unique" thing that is very try-hard. Think: the bodybuilder who knits, the Trump supporter who cares about other people, the rabbit that is a vicious killer, the villain that wants to be good. I ended up okay with this because I love Gladys (x2) but it set me on edge at first wondering if there would be some tedious "wowwww, who could have guessed...." mediocre reveal. And arguably there was, but I liked it, so who cares.

OKAY! Now I know that's a lot of things against it, but honestly they're all pretty small things and they're largely specific to me, I think. And more importantly, the story, the message, the vibe was 100% on point. It was refreshing to read a story where the characters' sexuality and identity was a focus, but not the only defining thing about them or motive to the plot. Characters who are queer can bring so much life, where sometimes queer characters are only that -- defined solely by their sexuality. It wasn't them feeling shit about themselves, or being bullied, or afraid. It was just normal stuff wondering if the person you like also likes you back, and how to be a good friend, and how to make a good first impression at your new school.

There were also some really honest and mature discussions where both people were vulnerable and accepting, even if they were disagreeing or being told something that would hurt them to hear despite needing to hear it. Even when they mess up, they are held accountable in a loving way rather than an absolute blow-up. In that way this was so comfortable and safe in a way I really liked. I'm happy for that reason that this book exists.

So in all, if you like a story with a soft heart, big characters who do their best, and a world that feels just a little too good to be true, sink into this and pretend things aren't as shit as they are for a little while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review!

So, so cute! I loved that this was an adaptation of Emma, but readers would love it with or without knowledge of the text… if anything it just enhanced the story for me. Standout components of the story for me were the setting (competing bookstores! college campus!) and the banter. Really enjoyed this one. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This book gave me all the feels. I absolutely adored the main character, Bobby Ashton. I would definitely want to be friends with that guy.

Bobby has painted the idealistic picture of summer prior to starting college. Unfortunately, what starts out with a flash mob and a grand gesture with a red rose ends in Bobby nearly losing his scholarship, losing his job and destruction of a very expensive window. His mother pleads on his behalf to save his college life and Bobby turns to his (unrelated) Uncle Andy for a job at his bookstore, Corner Books.

Bobby is crestfallen by his perfect summer plans being derailed but determined to salvage what he can. He meets mysterious stranger, Luke, in the stacks of Corner Books reading a bodice-ripper romance novel. This turns into a charming friendship and a will-they or won't-they scenario.

I found myself laughing out loud at some of Bobby's dialogue and antics. He certainly has a lot of charisma and charm. I would read more books with him. I'm sure the author could chronical each year of college and they would be just as delightful as this book.

I had a happy feeling when I finished this book. I don't get that very often (course I also read a lot of dark and dreary...not so much feels there).

My thanks to Zando Young Readers and Netgalley for this ARC.

Wonderfully sweet and over the top! I loved the banter between Bobby and Luke and the slow build up between them. I loved the cast of quirky characters. I loved the literary backdrop.
This was an easy read, low angst, great character development and wonderful cast of characters!

This book fills me with such joy. Recommend reading for sure. The title says it all. This book is witty, the characters are loveable, the story just flows. I couldn’t put this book down. I just loved Bobby. He shines on every page. If you enjoy LGBTQIAP+ romances, then you must read this book. I will be recommending this book like none other. I am so excited it will come out soon.
Thank you so much to Zando Young Readers for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

**Thank you to Zando Young Readers for this free digital review copy.**

In the small college town of Little Elm, romance-obsessed almost-college-freshman Bobby has a checklist for the perfect summer, but of course, things don't go to plan. Bobby pivots with aplomb through the majority of this novel, and when he does struggle, he has a wonderful cast of supporting characters to help him turn things around. Bobby is loved by everyone in town, and I quickly fell in love with him as well!

The story tiptoed down the road of miscommunication, which is my biggest pet peeve in romance novels, but gratefully it didn't linger there long. The book was a quick and easy read — I read the whole thing on one day — and the romance was kept age-appropriate. Something about a YA romance makes everything seem so high stakes (because it is to the characters at the time) without actually being that high stakes, so I'm not stressed reading it.

When a grand romantic gesture gone wrong destroys Bobby's plans for the summer, and threatens his ability to attend the local college, Bobby is forced to find a new job and new goals. Working at Corner Books isn't what he expected, but he soon enjoys helping folks find their perfect books. Including newcomer and romantic skeptic, Luke. Perhaps Booby will find his place after all.

Overall this is a really fun and kind story, with a plus sized protagonist that is doing his best to overcome his insecurities. Though the first few pages are a lot to take in, Bobby is a charming and caring character that just wants the best for those in his life. Yes, he meddles. But he means well. One thing that is made clear to the reader is how good Bobby is at connecting with people, and helping them make their own connections. It would have been nice if that message was made clear to Bobby as well, rather than him assuming he was only good for matchmaking and book recommendations.

Luke is an interesting foil to Bobby, since he is rather anti-love and romance. But their opposites work well. My chief complaint (minor spoiler ahead) is that Luke accuses Bobby of sending mixed signals, when Luke never once outright tells Bobby he's interested in him, or in guys in general. Instead, he drops a metaphor that doesn't connect and Bobby spends most of the book assuming Luke is straight and being careful about it. As a reader I too did not pick up on the metaphor being made, and I know this is a RomCom where they'll end up together.

Here are some facts about glass: Once a window's dimensions are beyond a certain size, there are regulations about what that window can be made out of. Large windows have to be made out of tempered glass, also known as safety glass. Yes, you can acid-etch this type of glass. However, when you break tempered glass, it shatters in a very specific way to avoid injuring people. Basically, it falls into these sort of dulled irregular pebbles. You know what you can't do with tempered glass? Score and break it the way you would break for in stained glass craftsmanship. I mention this because the inciting incident in "Recommended Reading" is a broken storefront etched glass window that ends the book in a new form as a stained glass sculpture.

I feel like my problems with this book boil down to this: if I didn't ask too many questions, or wonder what the characters' motivations were, I was okay. When I tried to bring in real-world logic, I got frustrated. I know this type of rom-com works for people, especially for people looking for a contemporary retelling of a story they already love and want to see themselves in. I struggle with retellings sometimes, because I want the book to stand on its own, and I'm not convinced that this one did.

Here's what I liked about it: It's fluffy and silly. The side characters are quirky. Some of the banter really worked for me. There's Achillean romance, and other than the question of someone's mystery orientation, it's not a "problem" in terms of the plot. There's plus-size rep, and it's a source of insecurity for the MC in terms of how other people see him, but not something he feels like he needs to "fix" about himself. It's 2025, and this book is FUN, which I desperately need. Also, there's no queer trauma! Hooray!

Things I didn't love: A lot of the conflict feels contrived, and in order for the plot to work, Bobby treats some of his friends and acquaintances in a way that I really didn't like. That would be fine if it was addressed in a more meaningful way before the end, but it felt glossed over to me. My biggest problem, though, was that a lot of the characters felt flat, which made me less invested in them. They serve a purpose in terms of keeping the story going, but they didn't have enough substance to make them feel human.

So, basically, I'm a Love Grinch like Luke. I do think that most of my gripes with this book are a matter of taste, and my ongoing frustration that fat characters so frequently have to be seen as funny in order to be considered romantic leads. I would read other books by this author in the future, for what that's worth.

This was a quick read in the general vein of Jason June, with a bit of "Pumpkin" in the mix. There's also a drag queen guest star, which was a delightful surprise. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. My thoughts and feelings are my own and this review is being left voluntarily.

I was hype about this book as soon as I saw the cover. I didn’t need much prodding. It has everything I want in a book basically. A diverse couple, books, AND a character with body diversity. So obviously i had to read it right? It basically was a need not a want lol So imagine my surprise when it showed up at my house!

So one thing I loved about this was the romance. It was the slowest of burns and usually I hate that lol But this time I actually thought it was ok. I think I didn’t mind because Bobby had some growing up to do and he needed to realize that he needed to love himself more than whoever it was he was trying to get with. He needed to realize that he meant more than anyone else. But when they finally got together it was the cutest. Maybe I’m biased because it all started in a bookstore but whatever. They were cute and I was happy to see them together. (If you’re wondering, I’m purposefully not saying WHICH bookstore it was because reasons lol) The rest of the plot tho was all over the place lol There was so much happening. I don’t think I can really explain how much. The way he was recommending reads to people, the putting people together, the drag queen, the bonfires, the Gladys x2, it was just a lot lol

The romance was cute, but I didn’t care for the actual characters by themselves. Which is 100% different than what I usually think when reading. But this one was weird. Bobby didn’t grow up the entire book. He saw what happened at the very beginning and he STILL was doing the same thing over and over. I thought at most he would have left his friend alone, but he still did what he did to her. And that was 1,000% not his call. She was right, what if that had gone bad? But he didn’t grovel enough for me. He did all of these things to the people in his lives and they thanked him. No one actually got mad so I don’t think he learned anything from it.

The premise was cute! I love romances set in bookstores. The visiting author was random, but still cute. I loved how REAL Bobby was. Because let me tell you I have reacted the exact same way being in line for an author that I love. I cannot tell you how much I’ve fan girl-ed for authors. And I know its weird to say when I’ve already found my hubs, but I love the fact that I felt seen. It means the author sees us and accepts our fan person-ing (???) and I loved that. I also thought he was real because of his body imagining. I didn’t care for how he saw his body (I thought he was perfect and that other guy would absolutely be looking at him) but in reality I knew that wasn’t how he always saw himself. That’s not how many people would see themselves. I’m never surprised at that because I experienced this first hand back in the day. The important thing is Bobby ended the book seeing himself the way the love interest saw and appreciated him.

This book was really cute. It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting but it was fun and I enjoyed it. It definitely kept me on my toes because I had no idea what to expect next. I hope if you pick this up you’ll come and let me know how you like it. I need to compare notes.

This book was full of pleasant surprises in the best way. I made a lot of assumptions about what to expect from the story and the characters in the first couple of chapters, but as the book continued we got so many more layers to explore.

Bobby is the star of the show in this book, quite rightly so! I really enjoyed getting to know his character, and the journey he went on. He was very relatable as a plus-sized character, and I thought the balance of his confidence vs his insecurities felt very true-to-life. I also really liked his relationship with his mother. It could easily have felt quite jokey and ‘quirky’, but it felt really authentic and added depth to the characters.

There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments too, which were really fun and brought out the rom-com side of the story. I particularly enjoyed Gladys’ character; she always had something to say, and her romantic side-plot was very entertaining and very sweet!

To be honest, the links to Emma felt slightly tenuous at best, and I think it would have worked better as its own entity. For example, I loved the idea of Bobby becoming famous as a ‘book whisperer’, but we kept being told that he was a matchmaker with no real evidence for it – and he didn’t have Emma’s prickly audacity at taking credit for something which he really didn’t have much input in. I thought the story worked great on its own, and that the Emma references held it back slightly.

Overall this was a fun and enjoyable read, full of heart and lovable characters.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

This was a cute, lighthearted read, perfect for the start of the year when everything seems to be awful. I loved Bobby and his enthusiasm for books, how he knew everyone in his town, and how much he loved himself. I enjoyed reading a book with a fat main character who wasn't fixated on not being fat as the main storyline. This is definitely a found family, feel good, figuring out who you are, being comfortable in your own skin, warm hug of a read.