Chris M
When I picked up Summer Solstice, I was looking for something light, a quiet coming of age story about two boys finding each other and what that means for both of them. In some ways, Patrick Shawn delivers exactly that. In others, the book gets in its own way.
Nicholas recently moved to Provincetown. There's something about his new neighbor, Ethan, that he can't quite put his finger on. As time goes on, emotions start to flow into something sweet, the slow and hesitant kind that comes when feelings outpace what you're ready to admit. The story takes the time to let those first moments breathe, giving this new relationship room to turn into something real.
What starts as a light and tender story has a harder edge underneath it. Ethan's fear of who he is and what it could cost him has been there from the beginning, but the back half is where the story stops holding back. It goes to some pretty heavy places, and not always smoothly. That unevenness has a source.
The narrator's voice is part of it. Rather than the dual POV most coming of age romance readers are used to, the story keeps you at a certain distance, and not always in a way that serves it. Combined with scene transitions that can be abrupt and disorienting, it sometimes pulls you out of moments that deserve more room to land. The emotional instincts are there. The execution needed more work.
At its heart, Summer Solstice is a story worth telling, and there were moments I genuinely enjoyed. I just found myself wishing the writing hadn't gotten in the way of it as often as it did.
When I picked up Summer Solstice, I was looking for something light, a quiet coming of age story about two boys finding each other and what that means for both of them. In some ways, Patrick Shawn delivers exactly that. In others, the book gets in its own way.
Nicholas recently moved to Provincetown. There's something about his new neighbor, Ethan, that he can't quite put his finger on. As time goes on, emotions start to flow into something sweet, the slow and hesitant kind that comes when feelings outpace what you're ready to admit. The story takes the time to let those first moments breathe, giving this new relationship room to turn into something real.
What starts as a light and tender story has a harder edge underneath it. Ethan's fear of who he is and what it could cost him has been there from the beginning, but the back half is where the story stops holding back. It goes to some pretty heavy places, and not always smoothly. That unevenness has a source.
The narrator's voice is part of it. Rather than the dual POV most coming of age romance readers are used to, the story keeps you at a certain distance, and not always in a way that serves it. Combined with scene transitions that can be abrupt and disorienting, it sometimes pulls you out of moments that deserve more room to land. The emotional instincts are there. The execution needed more work.
At its heart, Summer Solstice is a story worth telling, and there were moments I genuinely enjoyed. I just found myself wishing the writing hadn't gotten in the way of it as often as it did.
Updated a reading goal:
Read 120 books in 2026
Progress so far: 60 / 120 50%
Secrets & Lies was such a good time. These characters are a whole situation. They've got kinks and quirks that are genuinely off the wall, the kind that had me laughing out loud while also, somehow, rooting hard for them. Dixon lets them be chaotic and unfiltered, and it makes the whole thing feel alive.
What really works is the heart underneath the madness. Both of them are hiding the parts of themselves they think are too much, and watching the other person just... not flinch. The slow realization that their particular brand of weird might be exactly what the other one needs is warm and earned and fun to watch unfold.
Messy, funny, and full of feeling. Exactly the kind of ride I love.
Secrets & Lies was such a good time. These characters are a whole situation. They've got kinks and quirks that are genuinely off the wall, the kind that had me laughing out loud while also, somehow, rooting hard for them. Dixon lets them be chaotic and unfiltered, and it makes the whole thing feel alive.
What really works is the heart underneath the madness. Both of them are hiding the parts of themselves they think are too much, and watching the other person just... not flinch. The slow realization that their particular brand of weird might be exactly what the other one needs is warm and earned and fun to watch unfold.
Messy, funny, and full of feeling. Exactly the kind of ride I love.
X Marks the Spot was the next book in the series for me, and it surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I liked the mix of adventure, tension, and the slow shift in the relationship as things unfolded. Xave starting out by following Damon to see if he was involved in a plot to take out his frat added a great layer of suspicion and intensity.
What made their connection even more compelling is that Xave had never been into guys before Damon. That confusion, paired with the growing pull between them, made the emotional moments feel earned. I also connected with the possessiveness Xave shows toward Damon. It felt protective in a way that strengthened their bond, especially as they worked to figure out who was trying to kill Damon. Their chemistry grows quickly and adds to the sense of urgency between them.
Overall, it’s a fun, heartfelt read with characters you want to root for. I closed the book feeling satisfied and glad I picked it up.
X Marks the Spot was the next book in the series for me, and it surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I liked the mix of adventure, tension, and the slow shift in the relationship as things unfolded. Xave starting out by following Damon to see if he was involved in a plot to take out his frat added a great layer of suspicion and intensity.
What made their connection even more compelling is that Xave had never been into guys before Damon. That confusion, paired with the growing pull between them, made the emotional moments feel earned. I also connected with the possessiveness Xave shows toward Damon. It felt protective in a way that strengthened their bond, especially as they worked to figure out who was trying to kill Damon. Their chemistry grows quickly and adds to the sense of urgency between them.
Overall, it’s a fun, heartfelt read with characters you want to root for. I closed the book feeling satisfied and glad I picked it up.
A Court of Frost and Starlight was a nice companion novel that let me slip back into this world for a bit. I liked checking in on the Inner Circle and seeing everyone settle into life after everything they’ve been through. A few emotional moments landed for me, and it’s always easy to fall back in with these characters.
But it doesn’t feel very substantial. It reads more like a bridge between books than a story that stands on its own, and I kept wishing it would dig a little deeper or give me something more to hold onto. I may feel differently once I read A Court of Silver Flames, since this one clearly sets the stage for what comes next.
As a quiet return to Velaris, it works. It just didn’t leave a strong impression once I finished.
A Court of Frost and Starlight was a nice companion novel that let me slip back into this world for a bit. I liked checking in on the Inner Circle and seeing everyone settle into life after everything they’ve been through. A few emotional moments landed for me, and it’s always easy to fall back in with these characters.
But it doesn’t feel very substantial. It reads more like a bridge between books than a story that stands on its own, and I kept wishing it would dig a little deeper or give me something more to hold onto. I may feel differently once I read A Court of Silver Flames, since this one clearly sets the stage for what comes next.
As a quiet return to Velaris, it works. It just didn’t leave a strong impression once I finished.
At first, Chasing Fields felt like it was taking its time finding its rhythm. Not in a bad way, more like the story was settling in slowly, letting me ease into Alex and Kai’s world before anything really cracked open. But once it did, once the truth of what Alex was living through with Connor started to surface, the entire book shifted. By the end, my heart was in pieces.
The way Alex's pain comes through feels so quiet and devastating. The way he tries to minimize it, the way he flinches from the idea that anyone might actually care, it’s heartbreaking because it feels so real. And Kai is the kind of character who makes you want to reach into the pages and just thank him. He doesn’t push, he doesn’t demand, he just shows up. Again and again. He wants so badly to help Alex carry the weight, even when Alex can barely admit how heavy it is.
The last stretch of the book is where everything hits hardest. Watching Alex unravel under the abuse he’s endured, and seeing Kai refuse to let him face it alone, turns what started as a slow burn into something deeply emotional and unexpectedly powerful. By the time I reached the final chapters, I wasn’t just invested, I was aching for them.
Chasing Fields leaves you sitting there afterward with that tight, aching feeling in your chest, the kind that makes you pause before you can even think about moving on. There’s relief in knowing Alex is finally stepping into the help he’s needed for so long, but it’s tangled up with this fierce, frustrated ache over everything he’s survived and everything Connor put him through. It’s tender and painful and hopeful all at once, the kind of story that shakes something loose inside you and stays with you long after the last page.
At first, Chasing Fields felt like it was taking its time finding its rhythm. Not in a bad way, more like the story was settling in slowly, letting me ease into Alex and Kai’s world before anything really cracked open. But once it did, once the truth of what Alex was living through with Connor started to surface, the entire book shifted. By the end, my heart was in pieces.
The way Alex's pain comes through feels so quiet and devastating. The way he tries to minimize it, the way he flinches from the idea that anyone might actually care, it’s heartbreaking because it feels so real. And Kai is the kind of character who makes you want to reach into the pages and just thank him. He doesn’t push, he doesn’t demand, he just shows up. Again and again. He wants so badly to help Alex carry the weight, even when Alex can barely admit how heavy it is.
The last stretch of the book is where everything hits hardest. Watching Alex unravel under the abuse he’s endured, and seeing Kai refuse to let him face it alone, turns what started as a slow burn into something deeply emotional and unexpectedly powerful. By the time I reached the final chapters, I wasn’t just invested, I was aching for them.
Chasing Fields leaves you sitting there afterward with that tight, aching feeling in your chest, the kind that makes you pause before you can even think about moving on. There’s relief in knowing Alex is finally stepping into the help he’s needed for so long, but it’s tangled up with this fierce, frustrated ache over everything he’s survived and everything Connor put him through. It’s tender and painful and hopeful all at once, the kind of story that shakes something loose inside you and stays with you long after the last page.
Fight or Flight was just straight‑up fun. Jace and Shane spend the first chunk of the book acting like they can’t be in the same room without snapping at each other, and then you start realizing… oh. Ohhh. That’s not hate at all. That’s something way more interesting.
Their whole vibe shifts in this really satisfying slow burn way. One minute they’re bristling, the next they’re accidentally soft with each other, and by then you’re fully invested. It’s messy in the best way, warm in the right spots, and honestly just a great ride watching them figure out what all that tension was actually about.
Fight or Flight was just straight‑up fun. Jace and Shane spend the first chunk of the book acting like they can’t be in the same room without snapping at each other, and then you start realizing… oh. Ohhh. That’s not hate at all. That’s something way more interesting.
Their whole vibe shifts in this really satisfying slow burn way. One minute they’re bristling, the next they’re accidentally soft with each other, and by then you’re fully invested. It’s messy in the best way, warm in the right spots, and honestly just a great ride watching them figure out what all that tension was actually about.
