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.
