This was a really sweet and fast-paced scavenger hunt story that paired with a night of falling in love to the backdrop of a hunt from their favourite music artists. Whilst this was sweet, I found myself annoyed that after cancelling a concert they made a whole event (that they just happened to be able to set up with all these different vendors? and how is anyone actually checking the photos in literal seconds?) for only 100 fans. So not only did people run around all night excited after being let down by a concert but then some of those people didn't even get to go to the second concert??? The whole concept obviously isn't meant to be thought of too much but it just felt so wildly unbelievable that I got distracted by that instead of focusing on the romance.

As well as this, because it was set over a short time span - the romance felt so rushed and there wasn't as much chemistry build up as I would like. But still a fun, sweet, quick read: just suspend your disbelief a little and enjoy the vibes if you can.

I was interested in this book because I thought it would have a k-pop or k-drama feel to it, which I was correct. This was a good coming of age book for teenage boys who are growing into themselves and learning what they want in life. The fact that there is a scavenger hunt was a cool twist to figure out the location for the secret concert.

I look forward to more books by Talia Tucker.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes: Forced Proximity 🔐, Bi4Bi💙💜🩷, Slow Burn🔥 , Soulmates💞

This book was sooooo cute & wholesome!! Dakarai & Elias are twin flames that just needed to let their hair down! This is my first time reading MM romance, but this book was a great introduction into this type of love! Both MCs were healing and finding their own ways in life & I thoroughly enjoyed this Bi 4 Bi love story especially as someone who is a part of the LG(B)TQ community! This book started my pride month off perfectly!

Happy Pride Month everyone!🌈

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

First off, all the books I knew I’d love this year have not disappointed me.

I’ve been listening to The Happy Writers podcast and one of the questions Marissa Meyer asks all the writers is what book makes them happy. I rack my brain every time but no book has stepped up to claim that responsibility until this one. This made me so happy. The MMCs are witty and sarcastic, and gentle with each other. Kai and Elias running around all night and having the time of their lives while falling for each other gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling. I couldn’t stop smiling. This is what ‘black boy joy’ looks like. Of course, it doesn’t come without its issues. Our main characters have internal struggles and some growing to do in their own ways. There was magic in seeing them work through it all, though, all while being together and taking risks. It was a great balance between internal, external, and romantic sub/plots, in my opinion.

And you know I have to address it when I see it! Once I started getting into the story, I was side-eyeing the author like ‘I know what you are’. The mention of “CYPHR” (!?) putting a finger to his lips and the crowd going silent… I was literally there. Hey, sister wife! Do I feel like I’m better than everybody for having witnessed this in person? Yes. Yes, I do. I can’t wait to read this book again. Not having my copy already is criminal.

Kai and Eli were so cute together 🥹 like seriously. I enjoyed this one. Such a fun, lighthearted read and something I didn’t have to think too much about. Perfect way to start off Pride month. When Eli was teaching Kai how to tie his shoes, my heart melted. I will def check out more from this author.

If you're looking for a cute, queer, YA novel then I think you'll enjoy this. While this book is a love story that's funny and lighthearted at times. there are some heavier topics that are discussed, so it's well balanced.

4 stars

This is a great YA romance featuring two developed characters whose love story is only part of what makes them appealing to readers.

Kai and Elias, like all of us, are battling individual struggles, but when they get together, there is something a little magical about their interactions. While this is definitely a romance, both characters are working through relationships with friends and family, finding themselves, and just trying to have a good time, and this setting is ideal for capturing the latter, especially. There are not many surprises here, but this is a satisfying journey that I'm glad I got to follow.

I'll recommend this one to my students and look for more from this author.

4 stars

This gave Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist vibes, but make it queer and I am here for it. This story is super sweet, a bit emotional, and an all-around fun adventure. Both Elias and Kai have significant character development throughout the story in an admittedly short amount of time. This is definitely a coming-of-age story of sorts. While this isn't necessarily my most favorite read ever, this was a lot of fun and a good introduction to this author for me. This is their second published book and their first story I have read from them. I will probably check them out again at some point.

So first of all! This was AMAZING. I’m NOT kidding
I was putting this off since so LONG BUT OMG?!!?
Girl this is ✨✨✨✨✨✨
absolutely loved how Elias and Dakarai got so close together and oof KAI WAS SO CUTE?!! Like GIRLLLLL?!! 😭 and uncle moody please adopt me

I loved the “astrological leaning” of Kai and the way Elias made sure he doesn’t loose that spark! it’s one of the first queer romances I ever read and I LOVE IT. Hopefully I get a Cupid like CYPHR

Love the cute and awkward moments between them and the way the city becomes their literal playground and oof lovED IT SO MUCH?!!



SPOILERS WARNING!! I don’t feel these are “Spoilers” but some people might think so I’m putting a spoiler warning here!

First of all, I SURELY am a little mad at Elias’ mom and his twin brother cuz heh what?! 😭 and the fact that this actually happens in real life too like WHY. And I’m so so so sad that barely anyone stopped for a moment to think about Elias, ask him, understand him 😭🥹😔 I’m SO happy Dakarai (or Kai) came along and somehow towards the end even Uncle Moodie. And what a bish Joshua was 😭😭😂

Okay and one thing that did confuse me was- how did they cancel a whole concert where HUNDREDS of people or probably thousands were attending midway, okay that’s ok the main thing was how did they even plan something this big of solving a puzzle all them making eveything cryptographic in a few hours that same night and somehow got a venue for exactly 100 people? Like I get it it’s fiction but😭😭 this was the only reason I couldn’t give this 5 stars: BUT IF WE PUT THIS ASIDE THIS WAS A SOLID 5 STAR for me 💙🩷🤍✨

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Kokila, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Solo Stan on June 10, 2025.

I tore through this adorable book in one sitting. I loved Elias' and Kai's relationship and how their connection was instantaneous, but their intimacy and friendship grew over the course of the one day they spent together. Lightning meetings leading to sizzling tension and eventual romance is one of my favorite tropes, and Talia Tucker did it so well!

I just wanted to give Elias a hug throughout the entire book. He acts so tough but he CARES so much more than people realize. I'm glad Kai helped him see those parts of himself as strengths and not weaknesses. Kai's growth was also phenomenal, especially what he had to acknowledge about his friendships and how they needed to change in order for him to grow.

This was a fun, sweet, quick YA romance that I highly recommend picking up!

i did enjoy it, it was a fun short ya romcom, however i don't really vibe well with short time romances as it does fell under developed but as a stan myself i loved that aspect of the book !! this one is for all the fan and stans <3

Thank you so much to @kokilabooks and @penguinteen for an advanced copy to review!

Two solo concertgoers and unwitting seatmates who, when the show is abruptly cut short, embark on an unforgettable North Carolina summer night together, discovering how opposites can attract under the right circumstances.

^from the publisher!

This was soooooo cute! I had such a great time following Elias and Kai on their adventure. From their little kid kinda meet cute (omg??) to meeting again as older teens, it was pure magic! I totalllllyyyyyy relate to Kai in falling way too quickly. I also relate to Elias in wanting to take care of everyone. These two had my heart.

The premise of this book was really sweet and fun. Elias is the funniest flirt and Kai is so shy and sweet, but also he knows what he wants!!!! I adored the scavenger hunt as it helped them really open up and how *magical* was that first and second kiss?? So so so sweet. And that ending was adorable!

Anyway, these cuties are on sale in June so make sure you check it out. I had a great time. 🩷

This was sweeeeet. I adored both characters and their connection for one another. It was a really fast relationship build up, but with the premise of the story being a night at a concert, this made sense.

I found this story to be written really well. The story flowed without any clumsy fumbling over odd sentence structure or anything. I'm typically not a huge contemporary reader, but the story and characters were enough to keep me fully engaged and enjoying myself. I also really loved the addition of difficult family dynamics and finding oneself.

good vibes, cute romance! a quick but worth it read. would definitely recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I would just like to start my review by thanking Talia Tucker and Kokila Books for providing me with a NetGalley link to read this ARC!

I have to say I am very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book! Young Adult fiction and Romance are both genres I do not gravitate towards, but I found myself loving absolutely every page. It is such a quick read, and it is not lacking in humour, fun and adventure in any aspect.

Light spoilers ahead of this point (I will try and keep them as vague as I can).

The writing is absolutely incredible, and I very quickly fell in love with both of our main characters, even quicker than they fell in love with each other. They are both very distinct voices, and it was so fun following them both through this story. The inclusion of astrology was also particularly interesting to me, as someone who does not know much about it. It was such a unique character trait for Dakarai in my opinion, and I love how it was worked through the whole story for him instead of it being left as just a little fact we never revisit.

The humour in this book I would say is absolutely generational, but since it is Gen-Z humour specifically it was something I very much enjoyed. As someone who is of a very similar age to the main characters, I thought they were very realistic to how myself and many other people my age would act in real life. The way the spoke and communicated was also something I found very realistic, and I loved how healthy the friendships and relationships were.

The dynamic between Dakarai and Elias was just everything to me, and following them along the scavenger hunt. It was such a fun way to explore both of the characters!

Of course, I cannot write this review without talking about how I love the diversity. As someone who is bisexual, I have been yearning for some good bisexual representation in books, and this has absolutely ticked all the boxes for me.

Overall, this was just a perfect, fun romance to read and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy, and to read even more of Talia Tucker's work! I would highly recommend reading it once it's out, I genuinely cannot stress enough how heartwarming it was.

Thank you once again for allowing me to read this in advance of the release.

This was a cute light YA read that I finished in two days. The whole book is centered around Kai and Elias and a concert which I enjoyed because I love me a good concert. For this is be a romance it was extremely fast paced but again it’s around a night out at a concert so the pace makes sense. This book made me smile the entire time while reading!

I loved this one so much and highly recommend it!

Whether you're a lonely hopeless romantic like Kai or a misunderstood troublemaker with a knack for self-sacrificing like Elias, these two boys will have your entire heart faster than they can steal each other's. This book single-handedly healed my inner troubled teen who thought their love was too big for others to hold.

i absolutely LOVED this book. dakarai and elias i will ride at dawn for yall!! this was so so so cute and i loved how everything was based around the concert. one of the best little romances ive read. also a BIG thank you to the sweet author who gave me an arc read because she knew i wanted to read it to bad! make sure to read this when it goes on sale june 10th!

Love the relationship between both MMC and how the books navigated difficult family dynamics and how one finds themselves. Will definitely read more by this author.