The Epoch Reviews

Book Review: Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky

Juseph Elas - April 11, 2022

Photo by Juseph Elas Genre: MM Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. Queue in The Very First Night by Taylor Swift as you devour this To All the Boys I've Loved Before meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda . Never Been Kissed by Timothy Jabovksy was a reel of romantic what-could-bes, what-should-have-beens, second chances, a nod to 70s, 80s, 90s flick references, and a whole lot of cute romantic comedy that should be on Netflix! But allow me to point out a few observations. First…

Book Review: Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

Juseph Elas - April 05, 2022

Photo by Juseph Elas Genre: Crime/Mystery/Comedy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala is a book that both excited and cringed me. But it is also a book that hit the Home spot with just a tad amount of sweetness and sourness to make you breeze through its pages. The book brings us to a trail of questions and head scratches as our heroine, Lila Macapagal, gets entangled in a murder case after Derek Winter slumps almost lifeless after eating a rice delicacy at Tita Rosie's Kitchen. The rice ingredient in question, later on, wa…

Book Review: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Juseph Elas - March 24, 2022

Photo by Juseph Elas Genre: Mystery Thriller/Fiction Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Trigger warning: mental health / domestic abuse / violence This is my second Tarryn Fisher read -- Bad Mommy being the first. This book has made me question whether I read things right; whether my moral judgment would incline me to favor the protagonist or completely reject her line of reasoning. While many in the book community reject the premise of the book including the use of mental health as a plot twist in this story, I find the book giving me whiplash, the right amou…

Book Review: Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard

Photo by Juseph Elas Genre: Contemporary YA/LGBT Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Countries with marriage equality laws on their books can be perceived as progressive; such is the case with Australia. This is why it is a shocker to know the disparity between the cities and rural/regional areas when it comes to access to absolutely anything -- mental health support being one of them. Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard is a poignant retelling of anxieties, fears, apprehensions, doubts, and ideas of romance in a teenage topography. The juxtaposition of the so-calle…

MM Romance Novels To Read in Pride Month 2021

Pride Month has rolled upon us all once again. Fifty-seven years since the burning of Stonewall Inn in New York City, the LGBTQIA+ community continues to fight for equality if not for acceptance. Through same-sex civil unions and marriages to equal working rights, the fight is far from over. But we celebrate life and its small wins. In the past decade, one front has made a long stride in ensuring members of the LGBTQIA+ community are represented on a bigger and recognized stage. Since the late 2000s, a number of literary fiction works have be…

Love Never Forgets by Tristen Rowen [Book Review]

Juseph Elas - April 18, 2021

Photo from Wattpad Genre: contemporary LGBT romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ **ARC Received For Honest Review** How far can someone go to fight for the love that made you feel whole? For the person that helped you discover who you are and the life that will complement the love you both have? If there's a book I will recommend to answer these questions? It'll be this, Love Never Forgets by Tristen Rowen. I went into this book blind; not knowing what to expect, I found myself reading the story of Scott Prescott. Both an athlete and an artist, Sco…

Colleen Hoover Books Short Reviews and Ranks

Juseph Elas - April 12, 2021

Colleen Hoover is one of the celebrated contemporary romance novel authors in the literary world today. Her books are known for their angsty, heart-wrenching, emotion-provoking, relatable, and sexy prose. CoHorts, Hoover's fanbase, are crazy over her characters that aren't only mature emotionally but holistically as well. And those attributes are often credited for how her books take readers on a journey beyond compare. Photo from colleenhoover.com Over the past 12 months, I have devoured some of her books like a hungry shark -- a sha…