This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a heartwarming and hilarious coming-of-age story about self-acceptance, first love, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship, with a healthy dose of humor and wit that will leave them smiling long after the final page is turned.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for my review copies. My opinions are my own.

I both read this and listened to it on audio. The intended audience is high school, the book is marketed as Heartstopper and Derry Girls, but that really doesn't do this story justice. It reminded me of the 90/00's cheesy after school specials full with the over the top drama high school acting out. The title is extremely accurate, Patch is a DRAMA king, and he's determined to get a boyfriend by the closest equivalent to Prom that you can get in small town England. He's out and proud about it, but there is a dearth of available boys to date, but 2 new boys join the drama club and now Patch's imagination jumps to life.
Patch is decidedly not perfect, and often gets his exercise by jumping to conclusions, and inserting his foot in his mouth and chewing vigorously.
The narration is done by the author which really heightens the over the top drama.
Patch does do some impressive character growth over the course of the book which helps balance the second-hand embarrassment that I got in the first chunk of the book. I had to switch listening and reading with my eyes on several occasions.

Recommend for those that like British humour, over the top acting, and don't mind all the reminders of how cringe we were in high school.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. Initially I struggled to like the mani character, but he went from irritating to actually kind of endearing. By the end the humor had me laughing. I would definitely recommend.

There were so many cute moments in this book. I think young students may really relate to the characters in this book. However, as an adult, I had an extremely difficult time relating to Patch. I felt like he was so full of himself and didn’t like the way he spoke to and about others. Yes, he had his redemption moment but I felt like it wasn’t enough for everything that happened. His character was not relatable, which shouldn’t be a main character. I just had a difficult time continuing to read because of how annoyed he made me.

4.5 stars. What an amazingly delightful debut! First, this novel IS laugh out loud funny - I almost ruined by Kindle by spitting toothpaste all over it (I like to read when I brush my teeth). Patch is a charming teen with an outsized personality. He has some great friends (and maybe a nemesis) that round out the cast of characters.

"Patch Simmons has decided that this is the year he will get a boyfriend, so it's goodbye to his French pen-pal Jean-Pierre and hello to the world!

Unfortunately, the only other "out" boys in his school year are dating each other, so finding a boyfriend isn't going to be easy... Until fate finally intervenes and two new mysterious boys join drama club: Peter, who’s just moved from New York (very chic) and his best friend, Sam.

Patch is confident that one of them (although either of them will do!) will be his first boyfriend. So armed with his single mum’s outdated self-help books, his over-supportive best friend Jean and an alarming level of self-confidence, Patch is confident that this mission will be a complete success. Whether or not they actually like boys or him is a problem for later."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

DNF @ 43%

From the synopsis this sounded like exactly my kind of book - I was almost a theater kid, and I love queer YA romcoms, and who doesn't love humor? Unfortunately I couldn't get past the protagonist's personality, which epitomizes "drama king"; he's a fairly typically self-centered teenager, and I assume he probably undergoes significant growth over the rest of the book, but I didn't find him nearly as funny as he finds himself and I was definitely put off by his lack of consideration for other people's feelings and personal agency. Again, I'm sure this is part of a character arc, but I just was not invested or attached enough to see it through. That said, I did make it almost halfway through when I usually DNF around 25%, so I *was* at least invested enough to go that far.

My one major criticism is the way Peter's queer identity is treated: when it first comes up, it doesn't seem to even cross Patch's mind that bisexuality/pansexuality exists as a valid possibility (bi erasure; this could be attributed to a blind spot in Patch's worldview, but wait there's more), but then Peter clarifies that he doesn't identify as "bi" yet later there's an exchange between Patch and his friend (a notedly very vocal ally) that mislabels Peter as bi. As a bi reader myself, this was honestly disappointing.

Patch is delusional, main-character-energied, and impulsive, which is totally going to both score the lead in the drama club's play AND help him get a boyfriend by the deadline he's set for himself. Unfortunately for him and his bestie, their ex-BFF has shown up to drama club...and so have two new potential relationship options. Patch has to navigate his dreams and desires as well as friendships, and he's got quite the inner monologue going.

What a fun book! It went by super fast. Patch, though annoying at times, is endearing, and it was entertaining to be inside his head. For how quickly the book went by, it covered a lot of ground. The narration was also great for the voice of Patch, and felt super realistic!

Thanks to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and Macmillan Audio for the e-ARC and ALC!

Despite me giving the book a 3-star review - and I'll explain why - this was, unfortunately, a DNF for me.

When first reading what the book would be about, I was honestly intrigued by the plot-line. I have been attempting to read more LGBTQ+-focused novels this year, as a person in the community myself, but I was unable to continue after the first few chapters. The book wasn't bad per se, but I do think that this is intended for a much younger audience than myself. The emotional maturity of the MMC was not it for me, he irritated me so quickly and his personality was something that I couldn't move past.

This might be an amazing book to someone else, and it sounds interesting enough to catch someone else's eye, which is why I don't feel like a 1-star is deserving.

Beyond adorable, I truly laughed out loud more times than I can count with this fabulous book. The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King is perfect for whatever ails you as Harry Trevaldwyn combines sharp wit with heartwarming moments beautifully. Patch is the wonderful hapless star of this book and you can't help but root for him to find that fated soulmate no matter what happens. And plenty does! And often! Yet it doesn't dissuade Patch from trying his best and grasping any sort of happiness he can find.

Secondary characters like his well-meaning Mum and his bestie Jean, (a true standout imo) round out a story filled with mirth, mayhem and heart. You'd think a book about a young man simply trying to find a prom date would be simple and kind of dry but this author knows how to entertain and I guarantee you'll be crying tears of joy over and over again and gain an ache in your stomach from chuckling so hard! This book is a true delight and I'm forever glad I was able to read it and have a blast while doing so.

I look forward to more from this talented author and happily give The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King a big 4 stars! You don't want to miss this one,

Take the over the top bubbly, with a strong dollop of over-compensation of Lindsey Lohan’s character in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and mix with the sweetness and forever (or for now) someone eagerness of Jane the Virgin and you’d have Harry Trevaldwyn’s Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King. Patch has decided this is the year he’s finally going to have a boyfriend and with the help of his BFF, Jean, it’s definitely, totally going to happen for him. Just as soon as he figures out if it’s Peter or Sam. First crush. First unrequited lurve. First dating confusion. Mixed together to make an enjoyable read.

if you’re looking for a distinct voice, classic examples of teen melodrama, and a chaotic protagonist that will keep you laughing throughout the entire thing, then this is the book for you.

Patrick, or Patch as he asks to be called in a quest to be a new him, is really funny. he’s the perfect blend of earnest, delusional, self-aware, and desperate. he’s extremely realistic and easy to root for, even when you’re rolling your eyes at his antics. all of the characters are great, and they do a great job of building this world and creating a real community that helps this story flourish.

Harry has written a wonderful, funny, and witty story about friendship, romance, forgiveness, and taking it easy on yourself. i spent a good bit of it cringing, but in the best way. like how a true messy teenager should be read. it's so so so good. a fantastic read.

Thank you to St Martin's Press for this aARC. Ya know, this was a middle grade book that wasn't meant for a 29 year old to relate to. The main character reminded me a lot of Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries book series in that he was a bit of an overwhelming pain but that's what a teenager IS, he doesn't know any better to not be. It was nice that the communication in the end worked it all out, this was a perfectly good read!

This was a hilariously delightful read. It read as your typical teen rom com but what a fun narrator we got in patch, and we all deserve a Jean

This delightfully charming and funny teen rom-com features some of the most grounded and endearing teenage characters I’ve encountered in a long time. At its heart is Patch, a queer teen boy who longs for a boyfriend and hopes to make a mark in his drama club’s production of Sweeney Todd. He’s incredibly relatable—rambunctious, earnest, and full of heart.

The supporting cast, from his close friends to new acquaintances, adds to the hilarity and warmth of the story, delivering plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. I especially loved the storytelling format, which begins with Patch writing a letter to his pen pal, immerses us in the ups and downs of his life, and concludes with another letter that ties everything together beautifully. This structure made the story feel even more personal and engaging. Overall, it’s a heartfelt and entertaining read that perfectly captures the humor and drama of teenage life.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I enjoyed this book and read it in one day. I liked the storyline and the character development. I would recommend this book.

Im not quite sure what I went into this expecting, but it had a premise that initially caught my attention, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver. The concept of exploring the chaotic love life of a self-absorbed protagonist could have been fun, but the execution felt lacking. The main character’s drama and emotional ups and downs quickly became repetitive and, at times, exhausting.

While there are some humorous moments, the overall tone felt uneven, switching from lighthearted to overly dramatic without much balance. The character development also left a lot to be desired, and I struggled to connect with the protagonist, who often felt more frustrating than sympathetic.

Overall, The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King didn’t live up to my expectations. It had potential but fell flat, and I found myself wishing for more depth and consistency. 2/5 stars.

This was a cute and hilarious rom com about Patrick, a teen boy manifesting that this year he will get a boyfriend. It was full of wit and humor perfect for a YA style read, but also for an adult to read. I enjoyed the banter Patrick encompassed through his different interactions with individual characters. I think the opening was a nice hook, pulling in immediately with the humor. This story had drama, comedy, friendship issues, relationship issues, family issues, self-identity issues. It had a little bit of everything that was a cute and funny read about a boy determined to get his first boyfriend after his penpal was disloyal.

This was a funny, bighearted queer coming of age story about a gay English boy, Patch, determined to find a boyfriend this year at school. Full of heart and humor, this was good on audio narrated by the author and perfect for fans of the Heartstopper books and authors like Jason June. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I though this was charming as hell. What a great outing for this first time author

Patrick/Patch is A LOT, but his character rang true. I've known this guy IRL (especially since I too was a theatre nerd in high school.) Trevaldwyn really captures the essence of high school. Patch is no Euphoria kid. He's an awkward and self-absorbed, (loved those letters to his pen pal!) who's trying very, very hard to be cool. (And he kind of IS cool because he's so totally himself).

All of the friend drama and boy drama was pitch perfect. Loved Patch's friend group. Loved his overly-calculated approach to finding a boyfriend. It's a little easy to see where the book is headed, but PATCH can't see it, so it still makes for a fun, humorous ride.

Extra points for writing well rounded adults too. Patch's mom was cool (I loved Patch following wisdom from his mom's middle aged divorcee self-help books) and the teacher/self-appointed counselor was a delight.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Wednesday Books / NetGalley for the DRC and Macmillan Audio / Libro FM for the ALC! All opinions in this review are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! There were so many moments where I was laughing out loud because of Patch and his antics! While Patch is hilarious, it is clear that he does still have some maturing to do and the author did an excellent job of striking the balance between the two.

While the writing of this book is hilarious in its own right, the narrator of the audiobook did such an excellent job capturing the emotions of Patch. I always love when an audiobook is narrated by its author and this one was no exception!