I recently read Pansies by Alexis Hall and enjoyed it. The story follows Alfie, a successful investment banker who returns to his hometown and reconnects with Fen, a former classmate he once bullied. Their journey from past grievances to a heartfelt romance is both touching and authentic. Hall's writing is nice, painting scenes and digging into themes of identity, forgiveness, and personal growth. The characters are developed, making their emotional growth interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a beautiful love story.

This is my favorite type of Alexis Hall book. It’s small-town, it’s humorous, it’s sexy, but it’s also so very heartfelt and a deep character dive that leaves you feeling emotionally wrecked. That’s the thing—I can so very clearly conjure up Hall’s MCs in my mind as if they are real people—and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Alfie Bell and Fen.
Alfie finds himself back in his small Northern hometown of South Shields at his best-mate’s wedding. Seeking a little companionship he has the meet-cute of all meet-cutes when he hits on a man he used to bully in grade school, not recognizing Fen is that man. You’d think it would be a very humbling experience but Alfie’s remembrance of the past and Fen’s aren’t exactly the same. But just like two opposing magnets circling each other, there’s something that keeps drawing Alfie back to Fen as he seeks to rectify the emotions of the past. I loved both Alfie and Fen and if anyone can make me believe in a MC falling for their queer tormentor romance, it’s Alexis Hall. Groveling is of course on the menu, but there’s ridiculous caretaking (Alfie can’t fix a shower to save his life), acceptance of who you are vs what you do, and so much soul searching. I would one hundred times over recommend this book, especially if you enjoy your romcom with a little angst. I would also highly recommend the audio for this one narrated by Cornell Collins who gives life to Fen and Alfie. I received an early copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

MM
Single POV (with brief dual moments)
Romance
Second chance
Grief
Exploration of sexual identity
Homophobia
Loveable side characters

Rating: 4/5 - I will probably reread this book
🌶️: 3/5 - there was a handful of explicit intimate scenes

TLDR: Solid romance read

I liked this book. I did not like it as much as the rest of the series. That's not to say that this book isn't very good, it's just that the other books were incredible. With that out of the way, I did find the exploration of grief, sexual identity, and internalized homophobia very interesting. The third act break up felt silly to me. But the resolution had the very satisfying pointing out of all of the silliness which helped. The characters were cute and some of the side characters I really hope get their own book. Overall this was a solid romance read.

Ultimately, I'd recommend this book to anyone who can handle moments of homophobia.

Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

A sweet story of redemption

Alfie has it all: the good salary, the penthouse, the expensive car and London friends. But going back home now that everyone knows he's gay is not easy, and it's the last place he expects to meet someone. But when he stumbles upon Fen, gorgeous, sweet Fen, his world shifts. Until he realizes that he's not the gorgeous stranger he thought he was, but the gay boy he used to bully at school. Determined to make things right, Alfie is prepared to do anything for Fen to forgive him. But Fen just wants to live his life...

I'm not a big fan of bully to lovers in general, but this one felt really different. Since Alfie and Fen met again as adults, they both had years to grow and learn and were completely different people, which was both beautiful and sweet. The way Alfie was determined to help Fen and make earn his forgiveness even if he didn't know how was truly inspiring and funny at times when he embarked on a work he wasn't capable of doing. Those two are absolute idiots but they're definitely adorable idiots and they stole my heart quicker than I expected. I was smiling and crying like an idiot over their story. The musical theater references made it all the more fun for me, I have to admit, and the fact that they seemingly have nothing in common but still connect because they're willing to try new things with each other was very sweet. All in all, it was an inspiring and adorable romance.

I recommend if you like second chance romances that are sweet and adorable.

“He has a point. I’ve rarely found love to be a particularly dignified emotion.”

Alexis Hall works romance magic, y’all. They spin these sweet, emotionally intense stories and mix all the kissing and gazing up with commentary on queerness, heteronormativity, and what it is to care for another human.

This particular romance is between Fen, who has been as queer as the day is long basically since birth, and Alfie, who, until very recently was closeted even from himself. I would protect sweet Fen with my life if I needed to - but I wouldn’t, because he’s actually strong af and has no trouble standing up for himself. I want to send poor Alfie to an excellent therapist, because underneath all the internalized homophobia, learned toxic masculinity and misogyny, he’s a sweet, thoughtful soul, and I want desperately to be with him when he finally feels comfortable being who he is.

Anyway. This is a complicated and sweet love story, with a gorgeous sense of place in a not-gorgeous place and a motley cast of supporting characters to complete the world. Another delight.

Another great book in Alexis Hall's Spires series! A really lovely romance that explores themes of identity tied to sexuality, place, family, vocation, and how all of that sticks with us even as we change over time. One of the things I really love about this series is how important the sense of *place is. It's more than just where the story is set, it informs and grounds the characters, in both good and bad ways. And the setting in this book is particularly important; if you moved the characters to a different place, you would have different characters and a different story. There's also some really touching observations on grief, as well as great commentary on relationships and roles specific to the experience of being queer in a world that is still largely heteronormative. I also appreciate how much this book explores homophobia without ever feeling sad or depressing. That all probably makes this book sound way too serious, and while it has a lot of deeper themes, it's also very much a sweet and sexy romance. It's a story of two very horny people who shouldn't work as a couple but absolutely do. I really like Alfie's character development through the story, falling for Fen and also reconnecting with where he's from and maybe starting to figure out who he is. And Fen is such a bright spark, very much more at home with his identity than Alfie, and also strong and prickly, but also dealing with a lot of grief and in an uncertain place because of that. Though it's bumpy and there's some heartache and mistakes along the way, it's a joy to watch them fall in love.

I had read the original version of this book and was excited to receive an ARC of the updated version. I didn't notice any differences in the story but it's been a few years since I read the original and I think the changes are subtle and not significant plot changes. The author's annotations are new though and are really great, so I appreciated that addition in this new version.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC I received!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Alexis Hall never misses with the contemporary romances. This was definitely an enjoyable read full of healing and comfort and all the emotions. I will be looking forward to the next Spires book release.

I adore Alexis Hall's books and this one holds a special place in my heart. It's the story of Alfie, an rich financier who lives in London with all the trappings of success--a high stress, high power job, a gloriously expensive apartment, an equally expensive sports car and a healthy expensive wine habit. He may have financial success but Alfie isn't satisfied. He's got two friends (both exes) and his work and that's about it. He's left his working class Northern home and family behind. He returns home for a friend's wedding and runs into a striking young man after the reception--a reception where Alfie inadvertently outed himself to most of his old acquaintances.

Fen, the man Alfie meets at a local bar, fascinates him. He's angry and all sharp edges, with a breathtaking beauty that mesmerizes Alfie. They share a night together and Alfie finds out Fen is an old classmate--one he didn't immediately recognize and one he bullied in their youth. Fen wants nothing to do with him after this night but this encounter has rocked Alfie's world--not just the revelation of who Fen is, or the memories of Alfie's old life in South Shields, but also an examination of who Alfie is and who he wants to be.

He inserts himself back into Fen's life, much to Fen's annoyance and anger but the chemistry between the two is intense and the book follows the slow evolution of their relationship--the progressive intimacy and vulnerability and love that grows between them.

There is such a tender and kind examination of grief in this book. Grief in its many manifestations and Fen and Alfie both carry grief within them. Both characters are at inflection points in their lives. The way the characters interact brings such introspection to them both and such mutual support as well.

The prose is lyrical. The descriptions lush. There is humor and laugh out loud moments. There are moments that brought me to tears. You are transported to South Shields, the locations, the environment, the accents, the town. The narrative voice is eloquent and has the hallmarks you come to expect of Hall's writing--puns and humor, classical references, literary references, and aching emotional scenes, with such eloquent writing. Alfie's POV is truly inspired. He's so earnest and funny and endearing and self deprecating. Fen's sharp, incisive wit razors off the page. The brief glimpses we get of Fen's POV hit me quite hard--the grief he embodies came through so intensely.

The cover is lovely and evocative of the original book's cover. There are recipes. And there really lovely annotations by Hall that add so much to the story.

This is one of my favorite Spires books and this rerelease, with all the added textual notes, is a triumph.

This story was really beautiful. It dealt with challenging topics in a really respectful way. I felt an amazing connection to these characters and I continue to love everything I read by Alexis Hall.

Alexis Hall is one of my favorite LGBTQ authors. His writing style is amazing. the dynamic was very interesting- former bully x victim. the plot was interesting and had me hooked. the way Hall wrote about grief was touching and relatable

Read the 2024-re-release. I felt like it's pretty obviously an older Hall-book, it's a lot slower and much more emotional than more recent releases, and the pace took me out of the story a bit too often. I'm a bit miffed that I read a re-release and somehow there were still HP references in it? Other than that it was definitely a good read, if you're in the mood for an emotional, slow book that really builds up to it.

Successful investment banker Alfie has a multi-million quid penthouse apartment, a well-stocked wine fridge, a temperamental sports car, and two really great friends (both exes). He has left the trappings and the accent of his Northern England upbringing behind—but is he really happy? When he accidentally comes out at a family wedding after being heckled about why he isn’t settling down with a nice girl, he bails for a drink at a local pub, scans through the Grindr app for a local pickup, abandons it… and meets a cute blond with pink tipped hair and spectacles who first antagonizes, then flirts with him, then takes him home, only to reveal his identity as someone Alfie bullied in school.

Gobsmacked, grown-up Alfie tries to do the right thing and apologize; Fen, once he confesses who he is and how he experienced Alfie, now wants nothing to do with him. Their chemistry—and the sex—was great, though; Alfie can’t get Fen out of his head. He takes a few days off to try to reconnect with Fen, tracking him down to the flower shop (Pansies) Fen has inherited from his mother. There’s apologies, an attempt at bathroom repair, dates, a reckless cruise down an old road, and lots of taking and processing. While I’m generally not a fan of the hooking up with your bully trope, Fen always had a little bit of a crush (in spite of Alfie’s bad behavior) and Alfie is so repentent, it works.

Alfie struggles with his heteronormativity (for a queer dude!) and narrow minded ideas about men and masculinity. The intersections of his compartmentalized life are a real problem. Fen is much more integrated and out. He’s coping with grieving his mother’s death, the loss of his career, and the trauma of his youth. Both seem to be having a quarter life crisis, but each is a comfort to the other in the breakdowns. When Alfie decides to stay on for a week and they see if they can make a go at a relationship, he can’t help but use his expertise with numbers to unscramble several years worth of accounting mess, in case Fen wants to try and salvage the business instead of returning to his career; it’s just one of the ways he tries to save him, as Fen saves him right back.

Pansies is classic Alexis Hall: witty, clever, nuanced literary writing, peppered with deep conversations and introspection, innuendo and allusions and puns, and precisely chosen details. Motifs of flowers and water are persistent. Fen, a lighting designer, is also a fan of Broadway musicals, so references to roles and songs abound—it’s fun for the reader to figure out from context what he’s singing, as Alfie (who is narrating) doesn’t have a clue.

The story is peopled with interesting and introspective characters like teenage Gothshelley who utters Art is Pain while constructing a floral arrangement described as “an experiment in negative space and triadic disharmony” and a former classmate Pete, who runs the local mechanic shop and whom Alfie is sure is going to unmask as a homophobe when Alfie comes out to him.

The story is set where Hall grew up, and the landscape, businesses and class differences between North and South are authentic and serve to illustrate the differences between the characters and their upbringings. The Geordie accent and colloquialisms from each region are carefully researched and presented, and make the story more grounded and real.

Alfie’s narrative is juxtaposed with letters Fen is writing to his (now deceased in) mother to unpack her loss and its impact. It’s a very clever device to further showcase the difference between the two men, and allow insight into Fen’s point of view.

This reprint edition has gorgeous cover art, two recipes (one from each character, in their respective voices and styles, and extensive author notes about the revision process, word choices, character motivations, and writing insights that really showcase how talented Hall is at their craft. Read as part of the Spires series or as a standalone novel, things a truly excellent examination of coming to terms with sexuality and the cultural, geographical, familial baggage that influences and informs it.

I received a free advanced readers review copy of #Pansies via #NetGalley courtesy of #Sourcebooks.

This was a classic example of a book that was not for me, but I can still appreciate the craft behind it. Alfie and Fen’s story is rooted in very specific experiences and a very specific place that I do not have personal context for and thus made it difficult for me to get into the story. However, as is always the case with Hall, the side characters are compelling and there are many funny moments that make the book worth reading. I also enjoyed the author’s notes at the end, which give great context for the choices in the writing and makes the story that much richer.

The Spires novels are among my favorite Alexis Hall books. Pansies is an even quieter romance than, say, Glitterland, but it's every bit as heartwrenching and romantic. This couple is one that will stay with me for a long time and I will definitely re-read this book in the future.

This book was a great read! The story had a great pace and the characters were well developed. It was very easy to get sucked into the story and in just a few sittings, I was done reading the book!

Pansies was my first intro into Alexis and their writing and I will certainly be reading more from them! I got choked up, I laughed, I was moved - everything I want from a solid read. There were some plot points that felt unresolved to me and I would have liked to see wrapped up better, but real life is messy and perhaps that’s what the authors intent was. Overall, I enjoyed this read and I’m excited to go back in this series and start from the beginning!

Edit: As a re-release that was edited since it was originally published, the Harry Potter references should absolutely have been removed. In light of Alexis Hall’s recent poor response to being called out on this, I am editing my review and lowering the star rating. Authors of queer books need to be accountable to queer spaces, and especially trans people as a collective. References to Harry Potter are both triggering to many trans people and perpetuate the idea that JK Rowling deserves any sort of platform after her actively hateful and harmful actions towards trans people. I would highly recommend re-releasing this release to remove any and all HP references across Hall’s books.

I received my copy of Pansies through @netgalley and this is my honest review.

I haven’t read much bully romance stories so far, but I did enjoy this one. I love a good angsty read and this one definitely delivered on that, along with some top tier banter and really well written spice.

It's almost 2025. I know the original book was published in 2016. However I read a newer edition as an arc, meaning edits were made. For some reason a very obvious Harry Potter reference wasn't removed. As a trans person I am so done with new releases still having Harry Potter references. Such references might seem small, but they do help a transphobic author's platform grow. JKR has done so much harm to many marginalised groups, specifically trans people. Why would a queer book refer to her work?

Trans people deserve better. Literally any character in pop culture could have been used to describe a character in this book, but still the author decided to go for Hermione Granger.