This book is very different from anything I’ve ever read. It’s multiple love stories wrapped into one book. I appreciated the complexity of the MC. There were times I wanted to hug him, and times I wanted to yell at him. I found myself rooting for several endgames, but was satisfied with the reality. The narration style seemed fitting for the story layout. I would have liked to see more self-exploration within his journey. But overall the story was cohesive and kept me engaged.

The Alphabet Lovers was such a unique reading experience for me! I’ve recently discovered a newfound love for M/M romance, so I was really excited to dive into this one. It gave me so much of what I’ve been enjoying about the genre (queer love, complicated relationships, plenty of spice and characters who are allowed to be messy while figuring out what and who they actually want).

I really liked following Marcos through all of the different relationships and encounters that shaped his life. Every time someone new came along, I found myself thinking, “Wait…is THIS the one?” There were relationships I was fully rooting for, ones that frustrated me and a few where I was like, “Marcos, PLEASE.” But I think that was part of what made his story work for me.

Marcos definitely got on my nerves sometimes, especially when he would push people away or get in his own way. But then there were other times when someone hurt him and I was immediately ready to fight on his behalf. Through all of it, you really get to watch him grow and figure out what love means to him.

I also liked that every relationship didn’t have to be “the one” to matter. Some people are only in your life for a season, but they can still change you. Even the hookups and more fleeting relationships felt like they had a place in Marcos’s story and helped make him into the person he eventually became.

This is definitely a LONG book, but by the end, I understood why we spent so much time moving through Marcos’s life with him. I honestly haven’t read many romances structured like this before, and I’m really glad I gave it a chance.

And apparently my M/M romance era is officially here.

Thank you to Darran Smith for providing me with an ARC. I received an advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

There’s something really compelling about following Marcos through all of the relationships that shape his life, even when I wanted to shake some sense into him. Some relationships had me rooting for them, others left me frustrated, but I liked that they all felt meaningful rather than simply being stepping stones to “the one.” Marcos is messy, complicated, and often gets in his own way, but watching him slowly figure out what he actually wants from love made the journey worthwhile. I also appreciated how the story treats the shorter-lived relationships and hookups as important parts of his growth instead of making them feel disposable. It’s definitely a long and unconventional romance, but I enjoyed seeing how all those pieces eventually came together.

The Alphabet Lovers is a clever and genuinely fun novel built around a memorable conceit: twenty-six relationships, one for each letter of the alphabet. I liked the structure immediately. It gives the book a playful rhythm and makes Marcos’s romantic history feel episodic while still building toward a larger story about love, timing, and the person he becomes along the way.

Smith writes the relationships with humor and openness, and I enjoyed watching each new person enter Marcos’s life and change the shape of the story. As the book went on, I did find myself becoming a little less surprised by the pattern, simply because the structure is so consistent. By the time the final relationship arrived, I wanted a little more time with it than the novel ultimately gives us.

That was probably my only real hesitation. After spending so much of the book with the relationships that do not last, I would have happily stayed longer with the one that does. The ending felt quick to me, especially because I had become invested in seeing where Marcos’s long romantic history was finally leading.

Still, I had a very good time reading The Alphabet Lovers. The premise is inventive, the book moves easily, and there is a lot of warmth in the way it looks at the people who pass through our lives and what we carry forward from them. It is the kind of book whose structure I will remember long after finishing it.

I received an advance reader copy of The Alphabet Lovers in exchange for an honest review.