The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King follows Patch as he navigates his senior year of highschool. Patch has one main goal for senior year: get a boyfriend in time for prom. Sadly, there are very few candidates for the role: meaning zero. At least Patch still has drama club where he plans to finally play the lead role, whoever that may be. When in walks two mysterious strangers. Peter who has just moved to New York from the UK and his best friend Sam. Each of these boys would make a perfect boyfriend to Patch... if only he could decide which one to chose!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Patch was fun and although he made mistakes he did his best to try and fix them. The romance was very slow-burn, but I am ultimately happy with how it concluded. An enjoyable read for fans of YA for sure! I look forward to what Trevaldwyn writes next.

This latest entry into the gay YA genre follows the classic trope of the naive teenager who learns from his mistakes, becomes more self-aware in the course of the book, and finds a boyfriend. I loved the author's breezy, high energy, and often laugh-out loud funny writing. I will look forward to more from this author.

That said, I had a few issues with the book. First, as others have noted, the main character, "Patch" is too unlikeable. We want to root for him but he is too self-centered and treats everyone in the book pretty badly. Other characters, particularly his best friend Jean, come off as doormats (or like Sam and Peter, underdeveloped). We only get Patch's first-person view and all he can talk about is himself -while often funny, being inside his head is not a pleasant experience. We don't get the sense that while he wants a boyfriend, that he really cares enough about other people to make that happen. The plotting was a bit wonky as well. The musical is glossed over. The rehearsal process could have been a great place for Patch's character to develop empathy and really connect with others. We finally get a bit of this when Patch soothes Sam's nerves before the opening night. The author throws in an additional boyfriend possibility in the last few pages--why? We are actually never sure why either boy is interested in the self-absorbed Patch. Why do Patch and Jean cook horrible food? And Patch's lists get tiresome.

I think bottom line, the author writes well and with wonderful bursts of humor. The plotting and the characters need more work. And crucially the book needs more heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the pre-release copy. Below you'll find my honest review:

Not gonna lie, for the first 40% of this book or so, I found the main character absolutely insufferable. It dragged for me because I didn't like him enough to want to keep going. But the premise was intriguing enough, and the side characters/love interests were pretty good, so I pushed through. I'm glad I did, because eventually, the main character actually starts to GROW as a person and it was a joy to "watch" the process.

It was also really cute, and wasn't smutty at all. Just adorable high school nerdy gay kid finding himself and his first "love" while learning about life and relationships of all kinds. Quite a chaste book, but perfect for YA readers.

Definitely recommend. I'd read something else by the author in the future, for sure.

Four stars!

This was so much fun. The characters were adorable and hilarious and the story is perfectly paced. Highly recommend for fans of YA, you'll be smiling throughout. A must read for fans of Simon James Green. I can't wait to read more from this author and I'd happily read more about these characters in future books.

3.5 stars

This is a solid debut from Trevaldwyn, who not only writes a memorable character in Patch but who also does an exceptional job of narrating the audiobook (which I received thanks to Libro.fm).

Patch is the titular drama king, and readers should know that Patch's drama is not confined to the stage; it really lives at the core of his being. As a result, spending so much time in his head, as readers of this book do, can become intentionally exhausting at some moments. Folks looking for a more settled, mature character won't find that here. Be prepared to dive right into the drama, as promised. While this approach may frustrate some, it'll likely also be the central selling point for others. It definitely made the read more enjoyable for me.

While I was always invested in Patch's outcomes, I did want a bit more depth in the relationships between Patch and various secondary characters. The romantic tragedies are also only "tragic" by the standards of a very young, inexperienced person, and this made it a bit tough to get as engaged with this motif as I'd have liked.

Overall, this is a fun listen. I'll recommend it to students looking for a book that features a character with a big personality and a lot of learning ahead.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn is a first person-POV YA contemporary. Patch is sixteen-year-old determined to finally get his first boyfriend and the lead in the Drama Club’s yearly play. When two new students, Sam and Peter, join their club and so does Patch’s old friend Tessa, Patch is gonna have to navigate one messy situation after another.

This book was marketed as Heartstopper meets Derry Girls and this absolutely has a Derry Girls-ish voice. Derry Girls is one of my favorite TV shows of all time, so I was skeptical, but the very first chapter sold me and the voice kept me absolutely gripped. Patch is fairly self-centered but also hilarious but also really desperate for some kind of guidance. It’s that mixture of a confident attitude and then mistake after mistake after mistake and awkward situations everywhere followed by the belief that he was absolutely correct that makes the voice so fun and captures that feeling of being sixteen.

Patch’s strongest relationship is with his best friend, Jean, who he does almost everything with. We do see hints of petty jealousy from Patch and moments where he does think he’s better than her, but it’s not really anything I wouldn’t think is out of the ordinary for a sixteen-year-old trying to find their place in the world. Patch does keep all of this in and is trying his best not to tear Jean down, even though she does annoy him sometimes because she’s a better person as an ally than he is a Queer person (his words). It’s potentially losing Jean because of a misunderstanding that wakes Patch up to the fact that he doesn’t always listen and that places such great emphasis on the importance of friendship, which is wonderful.

The two potential romances for Patch are Sam and Peter. Peter and Sam are childhood best friends with Peter living with Sam for a bit after having lived in America for around a decade. Peter represents a lot of things Patch thinks he wants, such as being from New York and just being chic as an image, an ideal. Meanwhile, Sam is quiet and very unsure of himself but is talented enough to get the lead of Sweeney Todd in their musical. Patch initially goes for Peter but due to Peter making different choices, Patch starts looking towards Sam and I think it’s the better choice as Sam grounds Patch and Sam’s little sister can deal with Patch’s wild imagination.

I would recommend this to fans of Derry Girls and readers looking for a YA Queer contemporary that is very voice-driven

New school year brings to Patrick the need to transform his life. Starting from how he should now me called Patch. With the help of the advice from his mother's self-help books, he decided to find a boyfriend to take to Prom. And it's almost serendipity when he meets two new guys at drama club.

The narrator has a lot of personality, so have the title of this book as a warning for what you're getting into. Patch is definitely a drama king. I might even say the focus of this story is more the coming of age of the main character than the romance. There is romance, and I'd even add that was the best part for me, but the central point was Patch's transformation. Or not. I'm not so sure he learned anything in the end, but that's beyond the point. lol

This book also has a lot of words, as consequence of what I was saying. A lot of ramblings. They were funny but they also got in the way of knowing what would happen. I'm sure they would work great in a TV series, with short episodes, the narration was consistent to the end with that tone and style. In a book, I ended up skipping whole sentences while rolling my eyes at Patch. I'm really not sure how people managed to bear with him in a everyday basis. At the same time, it gets us in sudden and because of that hilarious outcomes. It's funny how what I hated about the book was what led me to what I'll remember most about it in a good way.

But my favorite part was the romance. The scenes were the cutest thing. Plus, they gave me a thrill I can only get from YA romances but which I haven't been feeling lately. They were that good.

If you like or if you don't mind garrulous, this story has some great sides that make it worth reading.



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

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the complimentary ALC of this title. Also, a huge thank you to @wednesdaybooks for this gifted Advanced Readers’ Edition.

What. A. Delight.

I read this title mostly through the audiobook, which is read by the author. I know I cackled at least five times while listening, often loud enough to warrant stares from my family.

This is marketed as Derry Girls meets Heartstopper - so I went into this with super high expectations as Heartstopper is my favorite graphic novel series and Derry Girls is one of my favorite series. The pitch line is spot on. It is such a lovely amalgamation of soft, tender coming of age moments meeting snarky and poignant vignettes of everyday life as a young person.

I typically avoid calling something, “voicy,” but damn if Patch wasn’t one of the most voicy and loveable characters I’ve read this year!

A very brief summary: A theater kid decides he needs to find his first boyfriend before prom. Hijinks ensue.

really cute teen romcom with a SUPER overdramatic but fun protag who i thought was cool! would recommend. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This book was not for me. If you like gat British teen com, this will be a good fit. I'm not a huge ofbooks set in British so I was not in the right mind-set from the beginning. If the book was set in America, I might have enjoyed it more.
Thank you for Netgalley for the ARC

This was a cute, YA book about Patch and his journey to find a boyfriend. The characters in the book were all memorable and I thought the writing was fun and vivid. I could really visualize the book as I was reading, which doesn't often happen for me. Overall, I would recommend this to most teens!

It's been a long time since I laughed THIS MUCH reading a book. Perfect for theater lovers, queer joy love story enthusiasts, and people who want their characters to leap off the page and walk straight into their living rooms. Can't wait to read more from Trevaldwyn!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King in exchange for an honest review!

Patch Simmons wants to find a boyfriend, and so it’s time to stop with distractions (namely his pen-pal, Jean-Pierre) and start getting serious about love. He has options, a bold new attitude, and a bestie to get him through this new era. Yet, love is always a teensy bit more complicated than expected… especially when taking a big chance.

Charming, sweetly nostalgic, and capturing the embarrassment and big feels of being young, The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King succeeds not only as a romance, but an exploration of identity and human wants/needs. Heartstopper meets Love, Simon for theater nerds, and those who remember their high school days all too painfully clear. I’m so happy it exists, and we are embarking on a new age of queer fiction. This is the type of story I wish I had when I was a teenager. As a thirty-something, I’m not quite the target audience for it now, but like many my age, I have some healing to do and reading novels like this always does the trick. Romance is great, but don’t forget to fall in love with yourself, too.

"The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King" is a charming and witty read. Harry Trevaldwyn's writing blends humor with heartache, capturing the complexities of love with sharp insight. The protagonist's journey is relatable, though at times the pacing is slow/inconsisten. Still, it’s an enjoyable and thought-provoking story that will resonate with fans of romantic fiction.

Sweet nostalgia! The AWAKWARD! The CRINGE. Oh navigating attraction, friendships and all the drama!
Hilarious, laugh out loud coming of age queer mm romance - loved it!
Patrick's desperation is so relatable - creating his own nickname, his bff, miscommunication all over the place. So genuine!

Impossible to not be charmed by this drama king! This is for theater nerds, Heartstopper lovers, and dramatic teens (or the dramatic teen buried deep down inside you!)

I loved that this was about first kisses and first boyfriends. YA books need to bring back butterflies and "was that my first kiss or did it not count because it half-missed my mouth?" Not every teen is ready for what YA books are rolling out these days, so it's nice that there is a wide variety. This goes at the tame/innocent end of the spectrum.

The characters come across like teens. They aren't mature for their age--they just felt like typical 16 year olds. So, as an ancient 33 year old, I am definitely not the target audience for this book. I still thought it was cute and would recommend it to those looking for a lower YA book!

What else:
• theatre kids and friendship drama
• had me chuckling several times! very amusing main character
• lighthearted, queer joy

I usually like queer rom-coms, but the voice in this one was…very intense. The gay theater nerd archetype was dialed up to eleven here, and I think it caught me a bit off-guard. And I know this is YA, and the main character is sixteen, but some of the dialogue felt very over-the-top cringey, I can see the appeal of the story for others; this one was just a miss for me.

Was a bit hard for me to slog through. Patch was downright idiotic, insufferable, and hard to like. While he did get some nice development, and I was happy to see he got his happy ending, it was hard for me to like or want to root for him to get his happy ending. I find it very hard to connect with characters like him, and therefore when they do change for the better in the end, it's hard for me to care as they were just too annoying for me to develop any fucks to give later on.

Here is what I loved about this book Patch is very much their authentic self. They are passionate in their search for love and realistic in their journey. Sometimes one can’t distinguish between just wanting to find love and when love is present. I will say that sometimes Patch was a bit too self-centered for me. However, that is who he truly is. I just tend to veer away from people who portray that type of personality. Patch does have a lot of growth in this book though which is lovely. I am very happy for their story and what type of representation they will provide to readers of any age.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I understand that as a 41 year old woman, I am not the target audience for this book so I will not judge it so harshly. It was cute and funny but Patch.... Patch was, dare I say it, dramatic? He was a little over the top and sometimes annoying. I get it. I've read a lot of YA and I am sure he would be a riot to be around but he was a little much... maybe I see too much of myself in him. Ha! It was a cute book, it wasn't for me but I will recommend it to my students.