I loved the way this novel combined an individual story with a wider story about the social and political environment of the 1980s (although a lot of the criticisms still apply today). I found it difficult to get into at first because I don’t know a lot about the miner’s strikes in the ‘80s and I kept having to stop and google the meaning of some of the Welsh words, but once the story started to unfold, it was such a fast read.

It feels too simplistic to call this a coming out novel, it encompasses the protagonist questioning her sexual identity alongside second-guessing other parts of her self and her future that she had taken for granted. It continues to follow her after she comes out, navigating a new community, new relationships, and the changes to her existing relationships. It was honest without being too heavy or relying on a trauma plot, and there were lots of moments of joy and comfort.

My favourite aspect of the novel was the intersectional spirit which was threaded throughout and embodied in some of the characters. It united characters in the struggle against poverty, unemployment, homophobia, sexism, racism and police corruption in a way that undermined the stigmas and prejudices that stand in the way of different people uniting for common causes.

I like novels that end without the characters having figured everything out or reaching the end of their growth/journey, but this ending was a little too abrupt. The plot felt rushed at the end, and I would really like a sequel to follow up on some of the characters.

Taking place amid the 1984 miner’s strike, Valleys girl Eluned finds her world turned upside down by the arrival of LGSM - Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners - when soft-hearted butch, June, makes her question everything she’s known about herself.

We follow Eluned through the strike and beyond, as she sets out in search of a life more suited to her, while battling the political landscape of the 80s in the UK and the prejudices that came with it.

There’s plenty of anti-Thatcher sentiment and a banging soundtrack, although it’s a stark reminder than many of the arguments directed towards gay people in the 80s are being recycled- almost word for word- and used against the trans community 40 years later.

If you loved the Pride film about the striking Welsh miners and the LGBT Londoners who supported them, you HAVE to read this book. The love story between Eluned and June, together with the 1980s setting were just so real to me, I could see them all in my mind’s eye. Tidy!

3.5 rounded up. A very enjoyable read set in 1980s Wales around the miner’s strike with the protagonist coming out. Was quite disheartening to realise how much hasn’t moved on since then.
The ending confused me though- I must be missing something.

I loved this story as it brought me back in time, to a specific moment when I was having a lot of fun, listen to great music, and living the moment.
It's a story of a queer coming of age but it's also the story of the coming of age of a lot of people regardless of their sexual orientation.
I loved the atmosphere, the characters, and the storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Eluned is a music fanatic, a shoeshop assistant, and spends her time daydreaming about seeing bands in real life and manning the picket line with her father and her boyfriend. Angry at her sister - for spouting Thatcherite politics and sneaking away to date a copper - at her boyfriend for being ready for something she's not, and at Thatcher for everything she can think of, Eluned isn't ready to reconsider everything about herself. But an encounter with June, one of the members of LGSM, forces her to do just that.

I'm not sure I'd consider this book a "hug". It's a realistic love story that doesn't shy away from the dangers of the time, and has some nice character development for already complex characters. It's hopeful, and passionate, but wasn't quite the story I thought it would be. This is definitely a book that people will love, but it wasn't for me.

This really was not the book for me. I appreciate a lot of people will love this, Neon Roses gives a voice to people who need(ed) one and spreads an important message; however the actual plot itself fell flat and didn't work for me sadly.

A realistic queer love story and a vibrant portrait of a turbulent era are at the centre of Welsh writer Rachel Dawson’s debut novel. It opens in South Wales in the winter of 1984 at the height of the miners' strike, Eluned is juggling her job in a local shoe shop with picketing and raising money to keep miners and their families fed. Eluned’s dad’s a miner and so is her boyfriend Lloyd who pictures a future together in a two-up, two-down terrace. But Eluned’s not so sure. Then a group from Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) visit from London and Eluned meets June who will change everything.

Dawson’s a skilled storyteller and her narrative compellingly recreates the queer communities and political landscape of Britain in the eighties, following Eluned as she breaks away from her home in the Valleys, first to Cardiff then to Manchester. Dawson features carefully-drawn portraits of gay communities, lesbian bars and squats, gay clubs and bookshops, and the cobbled-together zines that provided a route to finding like-minded people. She also weaves in a convincing account of the personal and political challenges that came with the rise of AIDs, and then prime minister Thatcher’s increasingly homophobic policies as well as the brutal policing that accompanied them. The level of research behind this is clearly extensive, there’s such an impressive amount of detail from music and books to the fashions of the time. Atmospheric and fluid, Dawson’s story is by turns, funny, tender, gritty and irreverent. I’d probably have preferred a slightly less abrupt ending and there are some sections that could stand a trim yet I was never less than completely absorbed.

I really enjoyed this queer, feminist tale, set in 1980s London and Wales. I loved the well-formed characters, and realistic storyline, of one queer young woman's coming-of-age, against the backdrop of Thatcher and the miners and Article 28.

As soon as I read the premise of this book, I immediately knew that I had to read it. Welsh, lesbianism, socialism, the 80s? I felt like someone had finally heard my pleas for more Steph in Pride (2014), and gave us all a Welsh baby lesbian too, and this turned out to be just as brilliant as I hoped it would be. The writing is incredibly Welsh, and while some people may not understand every word, I think that Dawson does a remarkable job of blending it so seamlessly into the prose that I don't think anyone will be stuck for long. She drew out a particular isolation for Eluned that felt nuanced and very realistic - her parents didn't kick her out of the house and never talk to her again, but neither did they take her relationship milestones as seriously as her sister's. Her relationship with Mabli was, in my mind, one of the most interesting, and I loved that particular tension you share with a sibling. Overall, this was such a fun, chaotic, gritty novel that touched on so many issues close to my heart, and I'll be eagerly waiting for Dawson's future work. Diolch yn fawr, Rachel.

Its hard to put into words how much I loved this book. From the 1980s music and clubs, the politics and strikes of the time, what a perfect atmospheric backdrop for Elenuds coming out story. I was worried it was going to be another sad queer story but I had no need to worry. Her family's (well, not counting her brother in law but let's not mention him more than we need to) love and quick acceptance was just a lovely thing to read. I found her continuing confidence and need to discover life outside her mining town a real pleasure to be a part of. I'd have liked to see more time in Manchester and her life with June, the ending a bit abrupt but it made sense for the story. I'm just greedy and didn't want to say goodbye to them.
A really fantastic debut novel and I'm truly excited to see what else this author puts into the world. I'll be waiting impatiently

3.5 stars

Neon Roses follows Eluned, a young woman in a small Welsh Valleys mining town, in the 1980's. When the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners group comes to visit, an encounter with openly gay June makes Eluned question all she knows about herself.

If you want anti-Thatcher, Welsh culture, ACAB sentiment, and gay intersectionality, all wrapped up in a fun coming-of-age story, this is for you. It paints a great picture of this part of LGBTQ+ history, and I recommend it to anyone, particularly as a source of education.

I loved the energy of this book, while also finding it very demoralising to see just how little has changed in UK politics since the 80's.

I do have some criticisms of the book itself though. Eluned is quite a blank slate of a main character, I was never able to get a sense of what she is actually like. We get a narration of what happens to her and her actions, but never anything that feels like an internal voice working through the conflict she goes through. Not sure I could name a single personality trait of hers? Furthermore, I always struggled to feel any chemistry between her and her love interests, as we never actually get told anything about her feelings. And from a story perspective, not a lot happens in the middle half of this book, particularly from the 70 to 90% marks; I would have liked to either see stronger character development in the low-plot sections, or just a shorter book.

Finally, I do appreciate an ending where not everything is resolved, but this book ends right when plot actually starts to happen lol

I knew going into this book that I would enjoy it. If you’ve seen the film Pride, the premise is basically: what if the arrival of LGSM to a small Welsh village helped a young woman in that village realise she was gay?

What follows is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of 1980s social change, and firmly rooted in south Wales. Eluned, the main character, goes on such a journey, taking one step at a time further and further away from her front door. While it did take me a few chapters to settle into the writing style, Eluned is a compelling lead and you can’t help but hope that things work out for the best for her.

This book is messy in the best way. It’s about the mess of real life: of family drama, romantic successes and disasters, and the scrapes we get ourselves into when we leave the nest for the first time and attempt to fly. There was also a wonderful full circle moment towards the end, which tied together Eluned’s past and present for an incredibly satisfying conclusion.

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Whilst heavily-researched, this book does require a passing interest in Welsh miners, politics, Thatcher... For me, lack of knowledge going into the book made it hard to be invested in the storyline. You learn a lot through the book, and I do think its an important period for people to be aware of especially UK LGBTQIA+ individuals - speaking for myself, I don't know enough about queer history.

This book was unexpectedly explicit (which is not necessarily a bad thing, though did make the train journeys awkward) and I think had to try to hard to balance between a political historical (ish) fiction and a queer coming of age story.

The ending, for me, felt right. I liked how the future opened up for our protagonists and how there's a whole world of opportunity for them. Following the romance and Eluned finding herself were my favourite moments in this one and I'd love to hear more of their story and am excited to see where the author takes us next.

I really liked this one. Proudly queer; unashamedly going places told with an authenticity and passion that echoes the 2014 film <i>Pride</i> - it's a socialist book, so naturally, I was always going to like it - but often writing can sometimes lead to hollow themes. Not so with this one - I bought its characters, fell hook line and sinker into its world and it pulled me in and kept me there.

The exploration of the miner's strike and the commentary on the police brutality that follows ensures that it's set in peak Thatcherite era and we get to see Eluneds' discovery in that context. It's not a new ground for LGBTQ+ books to cover; but it's a personal one, Dawson draws from stories that feel familiar to her own benefit. The causal way in which that Eluneds narrates makes her a likeable protagonist; and the core theme about finding yourself really works. The constant 80s pop culture references only reinforce that time and feel - there's a lot of <i>Trainspotting</i> here and the soundtrack will surely be as unique to this book as that film.

It's not a sudden realisation but the slow movement of a gradual process; and I really liked that - life isn't like the movies; there's no one big eureka moment, but a small collection of ones. Aided by its well researched attention to detail and inspiration of a true legacy, <i>Neon Roses</i> should be a must read right up your alley.

📣 Lesbians 📣 Miner strikes 📣 Bashing Margaret Thatcher 📣
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Now that I’ve siren called the appropriate audience for Neon Roses, let me tell you about this queer debut absolutely full of love and heart and self discovery and, everyone’s favourite, slagging off the Tories.
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Based on the same events as the film Pride (which I’ve never seen but will be rectifying this post haste), Neon Roses follows Eluned, a young woman who is feeling stifled by her small Welsh town and the conventional path laid out ahead of her in 1984. Meanwhile, her father and boyfriend are part of the miners strikes fighting the pit closures threatened by Thatcher’s government. Enter - a group of lesbians and gays from London who have been raising money for the strikers.
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For a debut, I thought the writing felt very self-assured. Eluned’s Welsh lilt seeps from the pages, along with the smells of tab ends and sausage baps, smudged eyeshadow and sticky dance-floors, iconic 80s bangers and rattling collection tins - evocative without teetering into purple prose territory.
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I also loved how Dawson manages to nod to other stories of the time, although it’s Eluned’s coming-out journey that’s the star. But we get a sense of her father’s sense of betrayal & futility over the portrayal of the strikes by the right-wing rags, her sister’s ambition which is being throttled by her policeman boyfriend, her landlady Mrs Omar’s empty nester feelings and quiet support. They’re only supporting characters, but crafted in such a way to give you a fuller picture of life in 1984 amid anti-union and homophobic attitudes running rampant. Now that I step back and think about it, I could have gone for a bit more development around June, Eluned’s main love interest.
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My only other complaint is the abruptness of the ending - I literally gasped ‘what!’ aloud when I realised I’d read the last page and there was no more! Maybe we can hope for a follow-on.
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But if any of the topics broached her interest you at all, please keep an eye for this one coming out on 25th of May!

Neon Roses takes place in the 80s in Wales and tells the story of young Eluned. The miners' strike has left poverty and hardship in its wake, and Eluned's life is just as bleak. But then she meets June who finally brings a dash of colour into her life. Not only does June make Eluned question her sexuality, June also shows her what life could be like.

Although the novel is incredibly well-researched and also written, the story ultimately doesn't pull its weight. I felt like there were too many side characters who weren't developed/explored in enough detail and the plot felt drawn out due to that. The start is also very rocky and I almost gave up reading the novel on page 5.

From a language perspective, this novel is an easy 5 stars, but I didn't enjoy reading the book as much as I'd hoped. I have to admit that I don't know much about the 80s and a lot of the references in the book probably flew over my head. Maybe I'm just not the target audience.

This is set in the 80's with a backdrop of the miner's strike, LGBTQ marches, makeup and cassette tapes. This aspect of the novel is very successful, and it made me really want my little supermini back so I could pop a Madonna cassette in and drive down to Manchester.

This novel sees our main character Eluned in a variety of settings and relationships throughout this period. It's a bit meandering, with a very sudden end. It just stops.

The characterisation isn't bad, although some of the side characters are a bit flat. I did love to hate Lola. I didn't understand the chemistry with June at all. The way it's written, I expected Eluned to be almost repulsed, but Eluned is apparently very attracted to June and they have great sex. I somehow couldn't quite believe it.

If you liked the film Pride, you might want to give this a go.

Set between the Welsh Valleys and the streets and clubs of Cardiff, London and Manchester in the 1980’s, we meet Eluned Hughes, a twenty something year old valley girl whose family and community are struggling with the ongoing miners strikes. Eluned’s job in a shoe shop doesn’t pay much, and trying to support her family whilst keeping boyfriend Lloyd, one of the miners, happy means she is fed up. But one day, Eluned meets June, an artist/activist from Camden who comes to her town as part of the ‘Lesbian and Gays Support The Miners’ group who are fundraising for them. June turns Eluned’s life on its head, especially when Eluned realises a new and exciting life could be out there fore her, but is she willing to give up everything she’s ever known for it?

Ohhhh I’m obsessed with this book!! Utterly obsessed. A fabulous little queer and smutty book with a tonne of 80’s music references, like honestly what more do you need? (Highly recommend whacking on some Bronski Beat or an 80’s playlist whilst reading this book for the ultimate vibes!!!).
It’s just such a beautiful story, with beautiful writing, a little bit of humor, and characters who you just adore.
The only reason this isnt 5⭐️ is because of the ending. The book feels like it’s building up to this big crescendo, but it ends quite understated and quiet. I finished the book and genuinely thought I was missing some extra chapters!

However, I still adore this book so much. It’s well worth the read, so I suggest you keep an eye out for this one!

Eluneds life is grey - her family and the community are suffering through the miners strikes and police brutality that follows. She's trying to support her family with her wages from the shoe shop and her sister seems to have abandoned them in favour for one of the coppers trying to beat them into submission. Even her seemingly perfect boyfriend doesn't bring joy into her life.

But then she meets June, with her leather jacket and wonky teeth - she's the most beautiful woman Lun has ever seen. When she arrives in town as part of a Gay and Lesbian fundraising group supporting the strike, the grey fades and life suddenly seems neon and bright. Soon, she finds herself venturing away from her hometown to a fundraising gig in Camden hoping to see her again.

She can't deny she's inexplicably drawn to this woman, and her liberal activist lifestyle in ways she doesn't quite understand - but is figuring out who she is worth giving up everything she thought she was?

"I think I finally understand the word comrade, and why say it's an international brotherhood-sisterhood. Whatever. That sensed of being in the same fight."

Neon Roses is a gloriously queer coming-of-age story about finding yourself over and over again - set against the nostalgic backdrop of 80's tunes, excess hairspray and thatcherism.

Dawsons exciting debut tackles such important topics at its core, but its also immensely fun, full of wickedly smart humour and heart. We watch Eluned throughout her journey, and even though she isn't narrating directly to us, her casual conversational tone breaks through easily; she notices little things, goes off on tangents and shows us how she sees the changing world in front of her. I loved her Welsh dialect and phrases throughout, I understand some very basic welsh but even if you don't it's easy to understand in the context.

Her life is drab and difficult, struggling to make ends meet in her fractured family. Her world is one of strikes, discrimination, generational trauma, poverty and desperation for change. Then, it's like the entire story is imbued with energy and hope when she meets June - the entire tone shifts into one of nervous excitement. Her world opens up, she'd never met people who don't conform to the gender binary, who are proudly queer, who is bold about female sexuality and willing to fight for others. Lud tries on new identities, and at times she isn't the most likeable person but that just made her feel so authentic that I loved her anyway.

The story moves slowly - like the way you look back over the last few months and didn't even notice your whole life has changed. Lud has her moment of realisation, but a million times over - and soon the most ordinary moments of her life like finding a job, meeting roommates, seeing friends seem extraordinary. I love how the whole story isn't just about June - she's just the catalyst.

This is gritty and real story, giving us a snapshot of a pocket in time - holding a lens to our past to show how much and how little we've changed.

Neon Roses is a joyfully queer, indulgently steamy and beautifully liberal triumph with an electrifying soundtrack - a bold statement about acceptance and love, not just for ourselves but for the people that surround us.