Let's call this a 3+, it deserves that plus.

This is a cute story. I kept thinking of the main character's potential to be overbearing and he really tried the limits but never crossed them. He's cute. And a lot of the times I felt sorry for him too. I did feel it was too much that he did manage to help people all the time with his advice, but the writer knew to set the tone for the story in a way that the un-realness of it didn't get in the way.

Not only the story is cute, the romance is too. I liked Luke, and their interactions. I don't think I'll later remember any special scene between them though. They're a good couple but they won't get you swooning much. (And I confess I kept thinking of Milo Ventimiglia in Gilmore Girls whenever they interacted, I'd love to know if Jess was the inspiration for the character who even took the uncle's name!) Their romance isn't the book's forte, as much as Bobby's coming of age is.

;It's a heartwarming story to get you out of your reality and your own problems.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

I really loved this book, though I will admit that at first Bobby annoyed me quite a lot, but as he grew as a character I really grew to adore him. This is good retelling of Austin’s Emma, without it feeling like the author was just trying to copy plot point by plot point. I would call it more inspired by rather than a retelling. I love the queer representation, the strong parent child relationships and the great platonic relationships. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this sweet, queer romcom. It was a fun and cozy read which are my favourite! I loved the small town vibes and the focus on books and bookstores especially.

The beginning really makes you feel for Bobby as his grand gesture goes awry and his love is unrequited. I mean who hasn't felt that sting especially as a teen?! You want to scoop him up and give him a hug right then and there. You will be rooting for Bobby to find his own love story as he helps others find theirs along the way, that's for sure. He is so well written and will find a place in your heart as you watch him find his way and learn some hard lessons throughout.

I will echo other reviews in that I wish there was more time spent on the actual romance since when it comes together for the HEA you are definitely happy but maybe not as invested as you want to be. It felt a little rushed with everything else that was happening at the end possibly. I also really loved the references made to books and movies throughout but I'm not sure if the intended audience would get some of them since they are older (like me, lol).

I loved the side characters especially Gladys and Uncle Andy. I want to go work with them at Corner Books and watch Gladys kick ass and take names. Uncle Andy is so protective and sweet and just what Bobby needs in his corner especially when his mom is being less than maternal.

In the end, there was all the best romcom tropes and a wonderfully body positive, queer MC that you will love and root for. All the teen angst and worries and feels that will bring you in and make you want to stay for awhile in Little Elm.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Bobby Ashton has big plans for the summer before college—including making a grand gesture to the boy he loves and recording it for the world to see. The one thing Bobby loves even more than the boy is the idea of love. But plans go off the rails immediately, and the epic fail of his declaration leads to a bookstore window crashing and Bobby finding out that the love of his life has friend-zoned him. How did he read everything so wrong?

This novel is full of smart banter and lovely romantic moments throughout. I liked the appealing characters’ clever, sometimes snarky dialogue. There are plenty of laughs. Bobby describes himself as “extra,” but he just wants to be appreciated for who he is: plus-size and gay.

In "Recommended Reading," a delightfully cozy and relatable queer rom-com, Paul Coccia tells the story of Bobby, a chubby romantic bookworm after an embarrassing failed public declaration of love. As he attempts to recover and have one at least perfect summer before he begins his first year of college, Bobby has his very own "meet cute" with the athletic jock Luke. But Bobby quickly learns things don't always follow the same script as his romance novels.

Funny and cute, the story will appeal to teens and adults comfortably settling into all the best romantic tropes. Its lovable character offers diverse representation and body positivity alongside universal experiences and big feelings that present themselves at the start of adulthood. While some minor plotlines could have been dropped, Coccia keeps the story moving with an enjoyable pace and rom-com humor. This book is begging for an on-screen adaptation! For fans of feel-good romances, “Recommended Reading” is a must-read that genuinely lives up to its title.

What a delightfully fun and over-the top book! Perfect for book lovers and, particularly romance novel lovers!! Bookstores, literary festivals, drag queen romance writers, and, of course, books, play key roles in the plot. The main MC, Bobby, is about to enter college in the small town of Little Elm and wants to make sure his final pre-college summer is memorable. He is a fan of the big gesture and of playing matchmaker, not only between people, but between books and people. He becomes the "book whisperer." But can he find a boyfriend for himself over the summer? Kudos to the author for creating an MC who is flawed but has the best intentions and who is also, as he describes himself, "fat." Can he get over his internalized shame and accept that he can be loved as he is and without the grand gestures?

This is a quick read--nicely arriving in time for Valentine's Day. Fun and light.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The book tells the story of love, heartbreak and self discovery. Set in a small college town where everyone knows everything. Bobby is discovering when you have a major life changing event this is not always a good thing. He tries to escape to his uncles book store where he meets an unexpected ally. He has spent the majority of his years being the town matchmaker and everyone knows this. How can he hone his skills and use them to help his friends and family. This is a very heartwarming story with well -developed characters and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend this book!

Super cute YA title with a second chance romance story. The characters are likeable and believable for their ages. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author!.

This was a cute YA book. I always find it so funny when the main character is oblivious to the other persons interest. It could not have been more obvious that Luke was into him but he just couldn't pick up any of the signs.

I received an arc through netgalley.

"Recommended Reading" was the cutest! I absolutely loved the character of Bobby Ashton, and couldn't put this book down once I'd started. The book store, the town of Little Elm, and every character came to life on the page, not to mention the Baroness! (Note to the author: I'd like to read her works next!) The writing was great, and I appreciated all the subplots threaded throughout the main story about Bobby recovering from his broken heart and falling in love.

Highly recommended if you're into queer YA romance, books about books, and small towns with a lot of character!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Zando for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to reading this title after seeing the absolutely gorgeous cover. A book themed, fat-positive, queer romance is exactly up my alley. Bobby is the town's "romance" expert at 17 years old and has arranged more meet cutes and big romantic gestures than he can remember, but is unlucky in romance himself. When the grand gesture he planned for his own crush goes horribly wrong, he loses not only his crush but also his dream job. Stuck working at his uncle's rundown bookstore instead, Bobby works to turn both the bookstore and his dream summer around.

Unfortunately this book didn't really work for me. I loved Bobby's confidence about his body and the unabashed body positivity from both Bobby and Luke, and the book definitely had some cute, over the top rom-com type moments. I both cringed and giggled at Bobby’s continuous clumsiness and how it inserted itself into the most critical moments (do not trust that boy with anything glass, ever.) I also loved the side characters, especially the romance between Uncle Andy and Cass.

However, I couldn't stand Bobby as a main character. Bobby is pretty self absorbed as a character and I couldn't stand his over the top, meddling and boundary crossing ways. I don’t really feel like he got his "big lesson" to turn his ways around, and got off with just light reprimands. The extreme slow burn, "will they or won't they" romance, which is central to most of the plot, didn't really work for me either. I love a slow burn with a lot of pining, but I just didn't feel the sparks fly between Bobby and Luke. It felt entirely based on miscommunication, missed connections, and very little sparkle. I would've loved to see more significant growth from Bobby, and much more sparks between Luke and Bobby, but unfortunately this book never quite got there.

This was a very cute YA read. I don't tend to read much YA anymore, but every now and then I get a hankering for a cute, low angst novel and Recommended Reading fit that need.

This story follows main character Bobby. Bobby is know as a bit of a love expert in his town, so when his very own grand gesture crashes and burns he finds himself at a loss for what to do next. Rejected by his crush, fired from his book job, and with the threat of losing his college scholarship, Bobby is desperate to find someway to salvage "The Summer of Bobby". This leads him to take a job at his Uncle's used bookshop: Corner Books.
Enter Luke. Luke and Bobby could not be more different and although the two initially start off on the wrong foot, they soon begin to find that they may have more in common than not.

I would label Recommended Reading as both a coming-of-age story as well as a rom-com. I enjoyed the story and look forward to more from Coccia.

Did I just become besties with a character from a book? Bobby is an amazing character, funny and charming, well meaning and so far over the top he could probably touch the clouds. Our bookish diva has had a setback- which, of course, requires days on the couch suffering from a broken heart. That is, until he realizes the far reaching consequences of his botched Grand Gesture. No boyfriend, no job, public humiliation, and the possibility of not going to college unless his mother can make lemons into lemonade… or a broken window into a piece of art.

The plans that Bobby makes to bring The Summer of Bobby back on track are amazing to watch. Working at his uncle’s bookstore he’s learning to see it differently as he helps customers find the cure for what ales them and does battle with an old cash register all while taking verbal fire from the grouchy old woman that is his coworker and trainer. He was fabulous, even when you wanted to shake him.

This was a fun, quick read that grabbed my attention immediately. I was completely charmed and totally invested in Bobby’s trials and tribulations as he tried so desperately to make the best summer ever. The characters were fantastic, I miss them already. For me, this was a five star read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
As far as adult content, this has language, some allusions to sexual content, bullying, a small amount of body dismorphic disorder (he usually likes his body but assumes others will see him a certain way). I would place it in the young adults category.

I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley working with Zando Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

Did Not Finish, sorry. I found Bobby just made me cringe and not want to keep reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

I really wanted to like this book, but it felt sloppy to me. It just needed to be ironed out a bit more for my tastes. Great idea though

I loved this from the first sentence. Bobby is such a sweet relatable character. Wanda is the bestie we all need. Luke is a mysterious new kid. I loved the relationship, especially Bobby and Gladys... everyone needs a Gladys in their lives!

This story was fast packed and I just kept wanting to read so the book flew by!

This was teeth rotteningly cute. I was hooked from the first page. I will for sure be requesting this for purchase at my library.

A cute queer YA romcom. I wouldn't usually pick up a romance novel, but the queer fat protagonist got me interested. The book was slow to start, but it picked up around the 10 to 15 per cent mark. Bobby was somewhat annoying, but I couldn't help rooting for him.

What a wonderful book, despite the prologue—which I detested. The scene was over the top, not clearly described, and unenjoyable. After that, though, the book gets legs. The interaction between Bobby and the other characters created a jovial atmosphere that helped me overcome the distaste I had for the beginning. The author creates a rag-tag bunch of friends and acquaintances for Bobby to deal with, and he gives each of them depth that made me want to know more about them.

This is a clean romance that’s appropriate for readers middle-grade age and up. There are no sex scenes and only two kissing scenes. There also is no adult language anywhere in the pages.

I thought the author did a fabulous job of carrying the story forward with every page, other than the uncomfortable prologue. Because the author created a romance that should appeal to a broad audience, I have to give it five stars.

Paul Coccia's "Recommended Reading" is a captivating young adult novel that explores themes of friendship, loss, and the transformative power of literature. It tells the story of Jessie, a high school student who struggles to cope with the sudden death of his best friend, Luca. To honor Luca's memory, Jessie takes on his friend's role in the school's book club, where he discovers that books can be a powerful tool for healing and connection.

The novel is set in a contemporary high school environment, and Coccia does an excellent job of capturing the dynamics of teenage life. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and their interactions feel authentic. Jessie is a sympathetic protagonist, and readers will be drawn into his journey of self-discovery and healing. The secondary characters, such as the other members of the book club and Jessie's family, are also well-rounded and add depth to the story.

One of the standout features of "Recommended Reading" is its depiction of the book club and the books that the characters read. Coccia expertly weaves in discussions of classic and contemporary literature, and the book club meetings provide a space for the characters to explore their thoughts and emotions. The novels discussed in the book club range from classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" to modern works like "The Hate U Give," and each book serves as a catalyst for the characters' growth and development.

Coccia's writing is both engaging and accessible, making "Recommended Reading" an ideal choice for young adult readers. The novel is paced well, with a balance of introspective moments and action-driven scenes. The dialogue is natural and reflects the way teenagers speak, and the emotional beats of the story are handled with sensitivity and care.

One of the central themes of the novel is the idea of using literature as a means of coping with grief and trauma. Jessie finds solace in the books he reads and the discussions he has with the book club members. Through their shared love of reading, the characters form a supportive community that helps Jessie navigate his feelings of loss and isolation. This theme is resonant and timely, especially for young readers who may be dealing with their own challenges.

"Recommended Reading" also explores the importance of friendship and the impact that one person can have on another's life. Jessie and Luca's friendship is portrayed with warmth and authenticity, and Luca's absence is felt throughout the novel. The book club members each have their own struggles, and their relationships with Jessie highlight the ways in which friendships can provide support and understanding.

Coccia's portrayal of grief is nuanced and realistic. Jessie experiences a range of emotions, from anger and sadness to guilt and confusion. The novel doesn't shy away from the difficult aspects of grieving, but it also offers hope and the possibility of healing. The resolution of Jessie's journey is satisfying and uplifting, without feeling overly sentimental or contrived.

"Recommended Reading" is a testament to the power of books to change lives. It is a heartfelt and thought-provoking novel that will resonate with readers of all ages. Coccia has crafted a story that is both entertaining and meaningful, with characters that feel real and relatable. Whether you are a book lover or simply looking for a compelling read, "Recommended Reading" is a novel that should not be missed.

"Recommended Reading" by Paul Coccia is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that explores important themes of friendship, grief, and the transformative power of literature. It is a must-read for anyone who believes in the magic of books and the impact they can have on our lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Young Readers for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.