Swell

Swell is a super cute, sweet and heartwarming M/M romance story full of gorgeous Summer vibes, surfing and bonfires. It’s a story about first love, finding yourself and coming out.

Set in California in the 1970s, this story follows eighteen-year-old Gabriel during a Summer that will change his life. When a new family moves to the neighborhood, Gabriel finds himself drawn to their son Will, who is handsome, older, and more confident, in a way he’s never experienced before.

The two main characters are utterly wonderful and I rooted so for both Gabriel and Will and their fear of taking the risk of letting each other know their true feelings. At first, I struggled a bit with Gabriel as the narrator, since he felt a little too childish and immature (more like 15 than 18), but as I got to know him more, I absolutely adored him and his doubts. The writing also got a better flow as the story went along and we could relate to the characters’ feelings rather than being told through the dialogues what was going on (more show-don’t-tell, which is always appreciated).

And Will was just such a sweetheart from the start. So sweet, tender and kind, and sure in his sexuality, but not pushing Gabriel in any way. I really loved the way Gabriel and Will got to know each other and slowly started to trust and open up to one another, so much that Gabriel dared to explore his own identity.

The chemistry between the two was just so perfect. The author nailed capturing all the things and feels you experience, like the stolen glances, the flirting, and the awkwardness. I also really appreciated that there was no forced outing.

Overall, reading this book was a pure pleasure. It was emotional, sweet and realistic with such a gentle and beautiful romance between two young men, and I can’t wait to read more from Grace Williams!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook copy and the opportunity to find this new author and cute book! An extra thank you to the author, Grace Williams, who in her acknowledgements explained how she, in the spirit of love will be donating 50% of the proceeds the story generates to local and national LGBTQ+ organizations.

I was immediately drawn in by the cover of Swell, and felt the sense of a by-gone era. I loved the historical setting in the book and appreciated the character development that Grace Williams brought to this reading experience. Swell was an enjoyable read -- perfect for a long winter or short trip to the beach.

Wow. This was such a beautiful book.

I went through such a roller coaster of emotions with this one, with happy moments, heartfelt moments, passionate moments, sad moments, exciting moments, but the one emotion that kept rising is my love for this book. It was absolutely perfect, I loved absolutely everything about it. Gabriel and Will are going to be two of my go to characters whenever someone mentions a love story because this book portrayed the ultimate love story for me.

I've read and seen Call Me By Your Name and I loved everything about it, but if you liked that book, you'll love this one. I like Swell more actually!

The story was so beautifully written. It's a story of love and patience and true passion, finding the one, and my heart is so full from reading it. I wanted a reread the instant it was done! It's one of those books that keeps you thinking long after it finishes that you genuinely want to read over and over again and I'm so glad to have discovered it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grace Williams for the earc in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this MM romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

Swell is a boy meets boy story set in a beach California town in the late 70s.

The vintage surfer cover drew me in. I would have never read this story had I read the summary prior to requesting a copy of the book. This book is also far more of an open door romance than I read.

Williams does a great job of capturing the small beach town, California, surfer culture feel. This was my favorite aspect of the story.

The 1977 setting, handling of budding sexuality, and dialogue felt too modern for the setting. Overall, the story is easy to read. The characters are fun and interesting, but could have used more depth.

I requested and received this galley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author and publisher for letting me read this book.
Swell is a cute and romantic book. It's about first love, coming out, and everything in between.
I really liked the writing style, it was easy to understand and I definitely felt like the main characters' thoughts and actions were realistic. The book just needed something more to make it stand out. It was a little bit too basic for my taste and I definitely needed more connection between the main character and love interest. The book was pretty predictable, but that doesn't change the fact that I overall enjoyed the book.

I really liked this book. The storyline, the time in which it took place, and the growth throughout strongly resonated with me. I loved the two main characters and the overall arc of the book.
I didn’t love the ending, which I considered slightly abrupt and unfinished.

California 1970s
During the summer before he leaves for college, 18 year old surfer Gabriel falls in love for the first time with the new boy in the neighborhood, Will Artino. This is great for a lazy read with strong feelings of nostalgia and summer vibes.
Beach bonfires, roller skating, burger shops, surfing, skateboarding, cruising in the Jeep, hot summer nights on the roof, stargazing, naps on rainy days, the 70s music references, all consuming crushes. Felt like I was right there with them hanging out with the group of friends at the beach and having dinner around the table with Gabriel’s family. I could practically feel the brown shag carpeting in his house. Definitely recommend just for the mood alone and the sweet romance.
Standout characters: Natalie, for being the sister ever.
Thank you to NetGalley for accepting my request!