⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
Delightfully dramatic, wildly witty, and often touching. Harry Trevaldwyn writes with theatrical flair, bringing humour and heart to tales of love, disappointment, and over-the-top feelings. A true gem for anyone who’s ever loved too loudly.

It is very rare that I laugh out loud at a book, but this book was so well done that it had me chortling to myself so many times. It was hilarious. What I loved most was how the author leant into the cringe aspects of being a teenager and made it so that those moments were genuinely funny.

The narration was spot on, as you would hope from an author reading their own work. He hit every joke spot on and it was really easy to fall into it and feel like it was really happening right in front of me.

I really liked how the author didn’t shy away from the negative aspects to Patch’s character. He was self absorbed, shallow and arrogant. All the traits you would expect really from a teenage boy. It worked really well to create a teenager who actually felt believable. His good attributes shone through and you could tell that he really just needed time to mature. It made for a really realistic feeling YA book.

If you want to laugh out loud, this is a great choice.

Quite fun and definitely easy to read, I just couldn’t help feeling hugely irritated with Patch. I might not be the target audience, but I read loads of queer and YA books and there are better versions of both out there than this. Sorry!

Such an entertaining laugh out laugh debut. Told from the point of view of Patrick aka Patch who aims to get a boyfriend by prom. This had me laughing and crying as it was touchingly true to life. It was full of emotion as patch went through the usual teenage troubles both at home and school. I loved the friendships that developed and their truths were told in a real way. This dealt with a lot of difficult subjects, friendship, sexuality, divorce etc. At its heart it was about the coming of age of a drama king and the obstacles and dramas along the way. This is more than likely aimed at a young reader but as a middle age reader I really enjoyed this, it was engaging and thought provoking and seemed real. I look forward to seeing what else this author does next. Thank you netgallery, publisher and author.

It was an amazing book, but the ending left me feeling a bit disappointed. I just thought there was going to be more description and drama in the final page turns than what there was

It was great to read a queer book with similar elements to Bridget Jones, I felt so many emotions whilst reading this book!

Sweet teen comedy that over promises and under-delivers

It’s possibly the fault of the marketing people, but this ain’t no Bridget Jones or Heartstopper. It is its own thing, a gentle teen comedy with a self-obsessed teenage (aren’t they all?) hero, caught between two handsome boys, neither one of which might be gay, but Patrick—that is, Patch, doesn’t let that get in his way. One way or another, he’ll have a boy on his arm for prom.

BTW this is set somewhere in the UK, and prom is a relatively new name for what we used to call the school disco, a hideous coming-of-age rite of passage that no-one should ever suffer through.

Not as funny as its been sold as, but Patch makes it worth a read: three stars.

A fun teen book that I couldn't stop laughing at. Being older than the characters in here, it reminded me what it was like to be a teenager and the social unawareness that comes with that.

A fun coming of age story I would shelf alongside Heartstopper and Everybody's Talking About Jamie (if that was a book and not a musical)

Harry Trevaldwyn’s debut novel is a hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story that will instantly charm readers. Patch, the protagonist, is a flawed yet endearing teenager—full of ego and innocence—balancing humour with moments of vulnerability. His over-the-top behaviour and comically awkward moments, like gossiping with teachers over biscuits, had me laughing out loud repeatedly.

The book masterfully balances comedy with tender coming-of-age moments. As Patch matures throughout the story, his flaws are addressed without compromising his core personality. The supporting characters are equally entertaining, adding richness and relatability to the plot.

Harry’s comedic writing is sharp, warm, and effortlessly captures the relatable struggles of adolescence. The humour and emotional depth will resonate with both young readers and adults alike.

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King is a must-read for anyone who enjoys witty humour and heartfelt moments. I can’t wait to see what Harry writes next.

This was a fun, light read, something like Heartstoppers. It is written with the ‘voice’ of a 16 year old boy with all the angst that entails.

This is the year that 16 year old Patrick decides that he will have a boyfriend and share his first kiss. To this end he gives himself the nickname Patch, and he is very excited when two new boys join his drama group – one of whom is American. Unfortunately they aren’t the only people to join the drama club – his arch nemesis decides to rejoin too.

A sweet romcom with some teenage angst, and a good insight into teenage friendships and falling out.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7230774588
https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-romantic-tragedies-of-drama-king-by.html

From the beginning, I enjoyed this book and could picture the characters. Excellent writing and a great binge read.

Patrick, or Patch as he's decided to be called, is in the lower sixth form (so 16/17?) and determined to get a boyfriend by the end of the next drama club show (when they have a "prom"). When two boys join the club, there's much excitement, but watch out, here's Patch and Jean's old frenemy, too ... There's not a lot new here if you've read a lot of YA fumbling for love novels, but it's sweet and Patch does learn; there are also some amusing asides thanks to his best female friend who is a better ally than he is. I'm sure younger readers will be glad to find themselves and their alternating confidence/awkwardness represented here. I'd have preferred a few more details about the older characters but would the actual audience?

Blog review: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/01/15/three-netgalley-reviews-by-ashenden-trevaldwyn-and-su/

While I've definitely aged out of being the target audience for this book, it was still a lot of fun. Teenage me would have loved it. Patch Simmons is a real character - a show-off through and through, a tendance towards being self-centred but sweet at the heart of it all. He's spending this school year trying to be the lead in the school show while getting himself a boyfriend. Between figuring out who likes him, falling out with his best friend and trying to stand apart, none of it runs smoothly. A light and funny read.

This book has stolen my heart. I'm sorry, but I NEED Patch to be my new best friend, I live for the level of dramatic he is in everyday life. As a theatre kid myself I have been through many show romances and cast fallouts. This book is so perfectly portrayed of what its like as a teen in amature dramatics.

This is a YA romance book (I know, not my usual thing) following Patch who is on the hunt to find himself a boyfriend!

I was in dire need of something easy and needed a little break from thrillers and this has done the trick.

The humour reminded me a little bit Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging. This was so easy to read and I flew through it!

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King is a fresh and funny coming of age story about Patch - a young queer boy who loves drama club and is determined to have a boyfriend by prom. Two new boys and his arch nemesis, Tessa, join drama club in time for the new production of Sweeney Todd and much drama and hilarity ensues. This is targeted as YA fiction but I think anyone would enjoy this original, funny story which is full of heart.

This book is hilarious from the very beginning to the very end! Patch is one of the nicest people that you would ever meet but he is cutting with a mean steak in him. This mean streak also turns out to be kind and loving.
The author writes this book in a modern way that makes you feel as though you are part of the circle of friends

I have followed Harry since Covid and loved his hilarious videos, which send up self-unaware personalities such as ‘guys girl’ and ‘quirky girl’.

I had therefore greatly anticipated this novel, and I wasn’t disappointed. I might not be the target audience for this teen Rom Com, but I absolutely loved it.

I read this diary-style account of a charming, funny and self involved young man in a couple of sittings. It was packed with witty lines, tender moments and a cast of supporting characters including Jean, his best friend, and his cutting English teacher who were great foils for our hero. The most fun I’ve ever had reading!

Thank you for this advanced copy.

A very funny story with a great big heart! I laughed, I cried and I couldn't stop reading!

I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for further stories from Harry!

Very funny, and the main character is surprisingly engaging considering he's completely self-obsessed. The writing style is accessible and personal, while the characters feel both ridiculous and true-to-life. The plot was somewhat predictable, but that actually worked because the setting was such an inverted trope: it took the typical High School Musical scenarios and set them in a run-down British suburb, and the result was hilarious.