#Timothy Janovsky

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: New Queer Christmas Romances (2024 Edition)

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone (f/f) The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (m/m) Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake (f/f) The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky (m/m) This Christmas by Georgia Beers (f/f) Bonus: These are all Adult Romances, but for YA, check out Make My Wish Come True by Alyson Derrick and Rachael Lippincott (f/f)  and Flopping in a Winter…

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Do you go into books blind or do you read the synopsis?

[instagram]

I went into this book completely blind, grabbing it simply because I love the author, and I am SO glad I did. I was SHOOK when I got to the main plot that is 100% mentioned in the summary, but that I won’t repeat here in case you, too, wish to go in blind.

I absolutely loved this journey. I loved that some parts were predicable in that typical romance novel way while other parts I absolutely didn’t see coming.

I loved that, while this is a romance, the importance of family is a huge part of this story. Nolan reconnecting with his family, trying to make up for his mistakes, realising he was viewing the world through an incredibly selfish lens, was really lovely.

But the romance was definitely lovely too. I loved Nolan and Drew together. I loved how much they loved each other always, no matter what. I loved the way the universe seemed destined to have them together.

I especially loved the final scene. It brought me the exact kind of closure I was hoping for with this book. It tied everything in so wonderfully.

[pagesandpothos]

Once Upon You and Me by Timothy Janovsky

Official Summary:

Charming fairy tale meets spicy bedtime story in this deliciously enchanting age-gap LGBTQIA+ romance. When Taylor Frost’s boss, Amy, flies him across the country to prep for her daughter’s sweet sixteen at the Storybook Endings Resort in the Catskills, the solo mission is well within his wheelhouse. Taylor is excellent at his job—except, he’s probably not supposed to flirt with the resort’s mountain man of a manager, Ethan Golding. Because the rugged older man is also the birthday girl’s father, aka Amy’s ex-husband. Oops. For Ethan, his divorce seemed like the bad ending to his romantic story. And now, making his daughter’s sweet sixteen dreams come true is the closest he’ll get to the kind of magic happiness in fairy tales. Until adorable Taylor has him wondering if maybe this is just the beginning of a more erotic kind of bedtime story… The only problem is Amy. And how very not okay she’d be with the chemistry between her assistant and her ex. If only forbidden flings ever led to happily-ever-afters…

My Thoughts:

I'm not a fan of the age-gap trope, so I went into this book a little hesitant. This sounded fun, though, and I was excited to read my first Timothy Janovsky book since I have a few of his novels on my TBR.

This story follows Ethan, a bisexual 40-year-old resort owner. His ex-wife's assistant, Taylor, who is 27, is sent to assist in planning a party, and romantic sparks start flying.

Taylor was immediately likable. He's an older sibling who helped raise his younger brothers and sisters. This helped him grow into a thoughtful and nurturing adult. One of my favorite things about Ethan is that he's been recently diagnosed with ADHD. One of Taylor's siblings also has ADHD, so he understands some of what Ethan struggles with.

There are lots of great supporting characters in this. Ethan's best friend, Gabriel, is a fun addition to the book. Samara, Ethan's and Amy's daughter, is also an enjoyable character. While the summary above may make it sound like Amy is a villain, she's actually a well-rounded but flawed character. There's a lot of wonderful character development in this, too!

The romance between Ethan and Taylor is steamy. They are each other's types, so the attraction is immediate. The "forced proximity" trope pushes the two closer, and their relationship takes off quickly. It's not just a physical relationship; these two build a solid relationship that I was really rooting for by the end.

This was such a fun, spicy, and romantic book. This was exactly what I needed to cheer me up from a stressful week. I recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, feel-good queer romance. I'm really glad I finally read one of Timothy Janovsky's books, and I'm looking forward to reading more!

My Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 (4/5 stars).

Pages: 288 (Kindle Edition)

Tropes/Tags:  Romance, Queer, Achillean, Age Gap, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Bisexual Main Character, ADHD Representation, Has A Dog!

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5. This is spicy! There are multiple open-door and descriptive sex scenes!

Content Warnings: From the author: "This book contains discussions and depictions of divorce, biphobia, and a parent living with MS. Please take special care while reading."

Links: Storygraph | GoodReads | TimothyJanovsky.com

Once Upon You and Me will be released on April 29, 2025, and is available for pre-order!

I received an advanced copy of this book for free, thanks to NetGalley, Afterglow, and Harlequin Books. The above are my honest feelings about the book provided. I don’t have any affiliate links in this post, and I do not make any money from my reviews. I review books simply because I love to read.

[ See Everything I’ve Read in 2025 ]

[rachaellawrites]

A fun little romance read that I'm very glad I picked up on a whim 🥰 (Edit: Now reuploaded with sound because the entire video was muted for some reason.)

[Dedicated Book Reviews | Patreon | Ko-fi]

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

[stardustandrockets]

I am so happy to be a part of the #QueerBookstagrammerTour again this year!

Leave it to me to wait until the last minute to get photos for this and then not be able to choose which to use. 😂 I picked a few of my favorite queer books to feature. Books that spoke to me on some level or were just incredibly fun reads. I'm happy to answer any questions!

Some facts about me:

• I'm panromantic asexual, but generally say I'm queer

• Rom-coms are my comfort genre, both books and movies

• I live in Texas with my partner of 8 years and our two cats, Obi and Winston (swipe to slide 4 to see Winston)

• I'm neurodivergent (most likely auDHD)

• I've gotten back into manga collecting after being bullied out of it in high school

• Audiobooks have absolutely CHANGED my reading game. The trauma of the pandemic sadly obliterated my attention span for most physical books

• Most of what I read these days is queer in some way

A huge thanks to @foreverinastory and @djreadsbooks for putting this together!

Remember: whether you are out or not, know you are greatly loved and my account is a safe space. 🌈✨️ Bigots can't and won't win.

[aurorawest]

Another reading update

Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell - 4.25/5 stars

Surprise queer love story at the end! Also made me regret that we didn't stop in Tombstone, AZ, when we drove by it on our vacation to Arizona last year.

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem - DNF at pg 18

Prince and Assassin by Tavia Lark - 5/5 stars

This book was A DELIGHT. I didn't expect to love it so much because I've been burned by so many Rainbow Crate selections, but goddamn this one was good. I ordered the next five books in the series from the parking ramp where we watched the eclipse, lol.

Briarley by Aster Glenn Gray - 4.75/5 stars

The gay, WWII retelling of Beauty and the Beast you didn't know you needed. Really lovely novella.

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky - 4.5/5 stars

Time travel! Crystals! I'm a sucker for books where the main character realizes that their career isn't everything (clearly, since my debut novel is about that). I love Timothy Janovsky. He's so good at writing characters who are deeply unlikable but who you root for from page 1 to get their shit together.

Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best - 3/5 stars

A Glorious Mess by Kennedy Sutton - 4/5 stars

This is a prequel to a series I haven't read, but I really enjoyed it!

The Midnight Kingdom by Tara Sim - 4.25/5 stars

This is another high fantasy where I was like, okay, what happened again in the first one...? It slowly came back to me, haha. I love Tara Sim and this book was just as good as the first in the series. Definitely excited for the conclusion.

The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell - 4/5 stars

Cozy mysteries aren't really my thing, but I really liked this one. There was enough violence to keep it from twee overload.

The Bookseller's Boyfriend by Heidi Cullinan - 4/5 stars

The Path by Ariel Tachna - 4.25/5 stars

Aka, now I want to hike the Inca Trail. This was a great book about two guides on the Inca Trail in Peru (and if you know me you might know I have interest in guiding). Not only was the book just good, but I loved the exposure to a country that I don't know much about.

The Bachelor's Valet by Arden Powell - 5/5 stars

Hello????? This book is so good???? If you loved Freya Marske's The Last Binding trilogy, give this series a shot. It's very lighthearted, and I loved dumb, kindhearted Alphonse with all my heart from the first sentence. Also the cover is super pretty, I had to keep taking breaks to stare at it.

Assassin by Accident by EJ Russell - 4/5 stars

Tramps and Vagabonds by Aster Glenn Gray - 5/5 stars

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay so I knew I'd love this book, because I went feral for Honeytrap, which I read last year. God this one was so good too. It's about two young men who ride the rails in the Midwest during the Depression. James is homeless and Timothy has parents he could go back to...except he's in love with James, obvs. If you're a fan of Cat Sebastian's mid-century books (We Could Be So Good, The Cabots), PLEASE read this. Gray deserves to be much more widely read.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley (reread) - 5/5 stars

Here's my copy after rereading:

Those are all the spots that were particularly emotionally devastating. This reread secures The Kingdoms as my favorite Natasha Pulley book. Maybe my favorite book, full stop. Missouri and Joe, god be still my heart.

[drackiszunk]

While it’s another cliche fake relationship trope, every time Holden mentions his mom I cry.

He better win this show just for her.

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky

I love gameshows and I also love queer romances, so a combination of the two was a really exciting prospect for me. I am apparently in my Mills & Boon era, as this is my second read from them in just a week. I think I was a bit more prepared for the spice level this time though.

Holden James is ready to audition for Madcap Market, the supermarket themed gameshow that he watched with his beloved late mother. However, he needs a partner to audition with and his boyfriend has just decided to leave. Desperate and heartbroken, Holden decides to go to LA for the audition anyway but now he's wasting away in his hotel room. However, the concierge Leo is seriously hot and is apparently interested in cheering Holden up.

I thought I was a gameshow fan until I 'met' Holden. I can't say I've ever recorded them and watched them again. However, I understood his reasons for doing so. The contestants aren't actors -they're real people. So, it's extra comforting to see real people who are like you on TV.

As you might expect, the humour is very camp and it made me smile so much. I was very much rooting for Holden and even when he was feeling incredibly sorry for himself, I knew he'd find the strength to get out of it. Especially once he had Leo's support.

It would have been easy to see Leo as a bit of flightly player but I really enjoyed him. I kind of wish he was straight because I definitely fancied him! He's respectful and loyal and exactly what Holden deserves. The romance does get pretty filthy in places, so that's something to be aware of, if you're not really into sex scenes.

The (Fake) Dating Game is a fun, queer romance that is sexy, cheeky and heartwarming all at the same time. Holden and Leo are great together and the unique backdrop of the gameshow gives it a little something different. I think I'd have enjoyed a bit more serious tension but if you take it as just a slice of fun, that's easy to get past.

[illustration-alcove]

Monique Aimee's illustrated cover for Timothy Janovsky's You're a Mean One Matthew Prince.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Boy Meets Boy

Author: Timothy Janovsky

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 2022

Genres: fiction, romance, LGBT+, contemporary

Blurb: Wren Roland has never been kissed, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he loved before he came out. Morning brings the inevitable "oh God, what did I do?!", but he brushes that panic aside. Why stress about it? None of his could-have-beens are actually going to read the emails, much less respond...right? Enter Derick Haverford, Wren's #1 pre-coming-out crush and his drive-in theater's new social media intern. Everyone claims he's coasting on cinematic good looks and his father's connections, but Wren has always known there's much more to Derick than meets the eye. Too bad he doesn't feel the same way about the infamous almost-kiss that once rocked Wren's world. Whatever. Wren's no longer a closeted teenager; he can survive this. But as their hazy summer becomes consumed with a special project that may just save the struggling drive-in for good, Wren and Derick are drawn ever closer...and maybe, finally, Wren's dream of a perfect kiss before the credits is within reach.

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: July 2024

Peregrine Seas by R.C. Ballad (1st) Prince Peregrine couldn’t be happier to be kidnapped by pirates. Peregrine wasn’t cut out for the restrictive life of a nobleman – he’s hungry for adventure, prone to duelling, and his family refuse to believe he’s any kind of man at all. Despite his royal origins, he has more in common with the outcasts and rebels aboard the Cygnus that anyone onshore. He just…

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: What’s something you love to see in romance books? Can be a theme or a specific trope or anything really.

[instagram]

Review below cut

I gotta start by saying, Timothy Janovsky did me dirty by naming one of his main characters Greg, which is my dad’s name.

That aside, this was such a lovely book, oh my gosh.

I loved the chemistry between Greg and Julian. But more than that, I loved the trust. They were just so honest and open with each other almost from the start and it warmed my heart.

The misunderstandings and miscommunication made complete sense with all the neurodiversity and mental illness going on. Everything was so well represented and I really loved the way these two men talked everything out.

[guide-to-galaxy]

Top 5 (books with an emotion in the title) Tuesday

I’m happy! That this is today’s prompt (well, today when it… was that day haha). Go to Meeghan Reads for more – I’m excited to see what she has for the next 3 months 😁. Also this was quite difficult but I managed it 😅 Me every time: is this?? an emotion? 📚🚀📚 The Ones Who Come Back Hungry (GR/SG) – From the author of Here There Are Monsters comes a chilling supernatural horror that is part…

[sheilajsn]

The Merriest Misters de Timothy Janovsky

The Merriest Misters de Timothy Janovsky fue el libro que discutimos en diciembre en el Romance Book Club de An Unlikely Story. Este libro es, además, mi primer MM romance. Es decir que es la historia de romance entre dos hombres. Reconozco que, tuve algunos issues con uno que otro personaje, pero, en general, el libro me gustó. De hecho, me gustó más todavía después de que tuvimos la…

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]