This was such a cute Christmas romance! It read like a Hallmark movie, which I am pretty sure was the author’s intention. Quinn is the proud owner of the only queer bookstore in Hay. He prides himself on creating a safe space for queer youth, families of LGBTQIA+, and anyone else who finds themselves in Kings and Queens. He sanctum is threatened by none other than his own stepfather. A man who puts business before Quinn’s and the people of Hay’s feelings. Quinn has to make a choice: Back down and allow Richard to do what he wants (which is his usual MO) or stick up for himself and finally learn how to fight back!

There were a lot of conflicts in this story, some of which I felt were not crucial to the story and could’ve been cut (*cough cough* Matty). This book just felt unnecessarily long at times and I think cutting out some of the unnecessary conflicts may have helped with that. The ending, although adorable, missed the mark a little for me. I wanted more. Some issues seemed to just magically solve themselves. I also wish Richard had gotten more comeuppance at the end; he just seemed to get everything he wanted and didn’t really care about the consequences.

Lastly, I would say that if you love cheesy Hallmark romances, then Look Up, Handsome is for you!

This is a perfect, feel-good, cosy up with the fire and Christmas tree lit behind you kind of book. Perfect Christmas read, simple and easy! This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

This book had me in the first 50%; it’s cute it’s hallmark it’s romcom then something happens in the 50% that really threw me off and it kind of felt out of left field and honestly the book goes downhill for me after that and it made me a little infuriated BUT obviously I kept reading so there’s that 🤣 what I liked? The Christmas vibes, the rom com vibes, the cute small town (that is an actual town that the author has been to I may add so I love that he wrote about something he knows and loves) what I didn’t like? The out of nowhere (at least it felt like that to me) plot developments and throwing things in to move the plot along that felt unnecessary. I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately it wasn’t my fav

The cover of this story is too cute and the synopsis had me hooked! Unfortunately the writing style in this novel was not for me.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed the vibe of this book. The cosy, wintry Hay was perfect as we move into the colder months. But that was pretty much the only highlight for me unfortunately.

Something about the way it was written just didn’t mesh with me. It felt too repetitive and too full of information it was almost more stream of consciousness. Because of this none of the characters felt multi dimensional, not even Quinn. And especially not Noah. I didn’t get any sense of chemistry or see what it was that drew the two together other than just happening to be in the same place.

Title: Look Up, Handsome

Author: Jack Strange

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Thoughts in 3:
- The ultimate cute cosy Christmas romcom with all the hallmark movie vibes combined with cute small town Wales (Hay-on-Wye), that doesn’t scream Christmas so can be read any time. But also touches on some pretty deep topics and does so much more than tick the “cheesy romcom” box. Honestly this book is what dreams are made of.
- Quinn is everything we strive to be as future booksellers, he loves his beloved shop so much and his interactions with customers and the community that rallies around him just made my heart melt. Love a book about bookshops so much, especially when they touch on just how important indie bookshops are to communities.
- I’m not normally a huge slow burn fan, but Jack made it work so well in this one. We read the story from Quinn’s POV (although I’d love a bonus snippet or novella from Noah’s POV...), and the cheesy romance and character struggles just balanced perfectly to make the slow burn feel just right.

Recommend to:
- Anyone who loves a feel good romance, with well written commentary and exploration of some tougher subjects.
- Anyone who wants to support an up and coming author with his debut novel.
- Anyone looking to expand their reading into more diverse LGBTQ+ characters and content.

Look Up, Handsome is out 26th September! Jack’s next book, 25 Days in Athens is billed for 2025 and I personally cannot wait to get my hands on it!

The new adult vibes are strong in this one. I’m sure others will like it, but it’s not for me. It makes me think of the immortal words from Madonna: “A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.” I don’t have a lot of patience for characters who don’t stand up for themselves, and instead expect people to read their minds.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

’Tis the season to be jolly! Unless you’re Quinn Oxford that is. Quinn runs his small town’s sole queer bookshop and has done a pretty good job if he says so himself. However, after months of eviction notices, he can’t just ignore them anymore. The local castle is almost done with construction and the building his bookshop is located it will be reclaimed by the castle. Both his fate and the fate of his bookshop are inexplicably intertwined with that of Noah Sage, a popular romance artist that was born in this town. Will there be a Christmas miracle after all?

If you love Hallmark movies, then this is the book for you. Tropes and cliches abound. You have all the classics— city boy vs. small town romance, holiday deadlines to save your shop, among others. The storyline, while very Hallmarky, reads quickly and any conflicts find a swift resolution, so this book maintains its cozy, holiday charm. In my mind, some books try too hard to be different, but not everyone wants that. Some books are enjoyed best when you know everything is going to work out, and you get to just enjoy the ambience and the characters.

The ambience is where this book shines. It makes me want to book an airplane and an Air BnB and settle in for a white Christmas in a small town fully set away from the hustle and bustle of cities and real life. As for the characters, while Quinn definitely gets the most improved medal for his work throughout the book, his best friend, Ivy, is really the driving force behind the entire plot. She is the one that sets everything up and gets it to the finish line. Quinn just follows on her coattails. Quinn’s relationship with Noah burns hot and bright, but the save the bookshop storyline overshadows the relationship and building connections too much for me to really root for them.

Suffice to say, catch me in Wales in a few months for my own holiday getaway.

#netgalley #harpercollinsuk #lookuphandsome

Do you feel comfort in adorable, predictable Christmas movies? Then definitely read this M4M Christmas rom-com set in dreamy Wales. This is the type of book you want to sit in a big warm chair with on a snowy day. It doesn’t get much cozier than this!

A Christmas Queer romance is definitely up my street! This book was just so cute and cosy, it was so easy to get lost in this book.

Cozy Christmas Romance Read.

This book manages to hit on every Christmas and romance book cliche which is not a terrible thing.
During the festive season sometimes all you want is some low stakes Christmas joy where you are 99% certain everything will end up alright.

Oh course that means ticking off the Christmas Carol bingo card of - small town, mean ex, family issues, big money coming after the underdog, unlikely love and community spirit.

The dialogue is a little clunky and some of the characters could benefit from being more fleshed out. But this is a sweet book to while a way a few hours while drinking a hot chocolate.

This was a great read. It was so cute. The book shop we need everywhere. A safe space for queer youth and parents that want to understand more about things they don't know. I loved that part of the community aspect of this book. I loved so many little things about this book.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a cutesy small down cozy holiday book that will be enjoyed by those looking for something to read while they sip hot chocolate. Unfortunately that reader would not be me.

Sigh. This sounded right up my Hallmark Christmas movie loving alley, but it missed the mark on some pretty major fronts.

The writing wasn’t great overall. Information was dumped onto me instead of being woven into the story and I was being told most things rather than shown. Now I usually associate this with weak writing but hey, if I’m invested in the plot/characters, I can persevere. Which leads me into the characters and why I did not care about them.

When reading a romance or a romcom I am expecting one thing to shine through and that is chemistry, which is often led by dialogue! And the dialogue at play here was so awkward and stilted I found myself cringing. WHO talks like this? (I’ll answer that : the teen lead of a Disney channel movie from 2010.) Quinn’s voice was juvenile and Noah was written to be the “mysterious deep handsome stranger”… which is a type and not a multidimensional character. I’m gonna be so real, my hate for Noah clouded me the whole book. It was hard to see past the massive ick he gave me. Together these two had no chemistry. At all.

Honestly I’m most disappointed that this could have been great! The concept is fantastic for a cozy holiday novel and the narrative of Hermione reclaiming her story while Quinn fights for his bookshop (and romance) is heartwarming.

Special thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for providing an arc of this book! I am leaving this review voluntarily!

What an absolute gem of a rom-com set in the charming town of Hay-on-Wye.

The story centers around Quinn, the adorably awkward owner of the town’s only queer bookshop. I could gush about this guy for awhile. Quinn’s lovable awkwardness is so relatable, especially if you’ve ever felt out of place or unsure of yourself. (Like me!) His journey to save his beloved store from closure is both heartwarming and inspiring.

The dynamic between Quinn and Noah, a brooding romantic novelist, is pure magic. Their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine chemistry that will make you smile. And let’s not forget the bookshop, Kings and Queens—it’s the kind of cozy, welcoming place every bookworm dreams of.

Honestly, the bookstore sounds idyllic.

Look Up Handsome, is a sweet Queer holiday romance by Jack Strange. A bookshop owner and a novelist , grump / sunshine, and small town vibe. This was a bit cheesy and cliche at time and I had trouble rooting for the couple. I didn't feel a genuine connection between them, it lacked depth and substance.

Look Up, Handsome by Jack Strange is a sweet and cosy Christmas read, perfect for when you just want to curl up and not think too hard. While there are a few plot holes and tropes that didn’t fully land for me, the festive charm makes it an easy and enjoyable book to relax with. The romance could’ve been a bit stronger, and the one and only sex scene was awkwardly placed, but blissfully over soon. Authors -- not all books need spice. But the overall vibe is sweet and comforting.

If you’re not looking to dig too deep and just want a lighthearted, festive story, this one delivers on that warm holiday feeling. It's the kind of book you can enjoy curled up with a blanket, letting the magical Christmas spirit take over.

Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This was a great queer holiday romance, with an atmospheric setting and plenty of holiday classics. While Noah and Quinn were both beautiful and well-rounded characters, I wanted to story to get moving a little faster than it did, with pacing that was just a little slow. Although it feels very much like a holiday break, relaxing almost. I think this one will be a hit for the holidays and love the concept of a queer bookstore. Just missed the mark for me a bit but I’m sure others will love this!

What a great queer Christmassy romcom… full of strife, tension and lots of feels! Liked all the different subplots and just had me in tears at points. Can tell it’s British at its core so not sure how that will translate for overseas readers, but hopefully it won’t put them off.

If you are looking for a small town, gay, hallmark-y Christmas romance, this a a good option for you! We have a gay bookstore owner threatened with eviction who gains the interest of a local author and together they rally the town to try to save the store. It's a very cute setting.

Personally, the characters and romance were not my favorite, but sometimes I feel that way about contemporary romances (I may be too used to the fantasy men who would burn the world down for their love).

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

A cozy Christmas romcom that would be right at home on Hallmark if they had more gay people on staff. Even the drag queens are fun and nonthreatening. It's all very sweet and my mother would love it.

That may sound like I'm mocking the book, but I'm not. I've watched a lot of Hallmark Christmas movies with my mother and this just has the vibe down perfectly. We have our main character, Quinn, running a gay bookshop in an idyllic small town. We have the handsome Noah, who escaped to London as soon as he could but is returning for a visit.

I roll my eyes at the country-vs-city clash in those movies because they ignore the queer experience of wanting more acceptance and a bigger dating pool than rural areas can provide, but it works here. Quinn's bookshop serves as an oasis for the queer community, and I was invested in his struggle to keep the shop open despite multiple threats of eviction. Quinn is a sloppy wreck, but I was cheering for him.

It's a cute book with a fun cast of supporting characters. If Jack Strange has another book in him, I'll read it as well.