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A review by ninegladiolus
Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One thing I appreciate about romance books (as opposed to my usual genre haunt of SFF) is that I can often skip around in series and still get a good reading experience. I haven’t read Something Fabulous, but when I saw that Something Spectacular was a nonbinary/nonbinary romance, I knew immediately I had to read it—and I’m glad I did. Something Spectacular was a vociferous, campy, silly, yet surprisingly heartfelt regency romp that included facets of nonbinary identity I found meaningful.
This novel follows Peggy (she/her), a nonbinary person who is still stuck dealing with the unrequited feelings she has for her current best friend and former lover, Arabella Tarlington. Arabella, who is struggling with her aromantic identity, decides that if there’s anyone she could fall in love with, its opera superstar Orfeo (they/them), and she enlists Peggy’s help to do so. Except when Peggy and Orfeo finally meet, an undeniable chemistry and common thread of experience pulls the two together, and complications ensue.
As the author’s note says in the beginning, this is a historical romance that plays fast and loose with history. Orfeo is a castrato which means parts of what the novel deems a nonbinary identity was forced on them. But I think the novel handles both Orfeo’s identity and Peggy with as much grace as such an over-the-top and campy novel allows, which I appreciated. Peggy in particular echoes a lot of sentiments I have heard other nonbinary people express, and the understanding and grace she finds with Orfeo as they embark upon their own unique journey had me in my feelings in a great way.
This novel is at points a bit TOO silly (and bawdy) for my tastes, but the humor mostly lands for me. Likewise, there are pacing issues and random outrageous plot threads out of nowhere, but you could make a case for that being part of its charm. The heartfelt emotional moments to me made up for the parts that didn’t quite land as smoothly as I might have liked.
Though not without its speedbumps, I greatly enjoyed Something Spectacular, enough that I would like to go back and read the first novel in the series eventually. I’ll be recommending Something Spectacular for anyone looking for a fun, over-the-top, but meaningful regency romance with an equal mix of laughs and feels, with the bonus of it being between two nonbinary characters.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
This novel follows Peggy (she/her), a nonbinary person who is still stuck dealing with the unrequited feelings she has for her current best friend and former lover, Arabella Tarlington. Arabella, who is struggling with her aromantic identity, decides that if there’s anyone she could fall in love with, its opera superstar Orfeo (they/them), and she enlists Peggy’s help to do so. Except when Peggy and Orfeo finally meet, an undeniable chemistry and common thread of experience pulls the two together, and complications ensue.
As the author’s note says in the beginning, this is a historical romance that plays fast and loose with history. Orfeo is a castrato which means parts of what the novel deems a nonbinary identity was forced on them. But I think the novel handles both Orfeo’s identity and Peggy with as much grace as such an over-the-top and campy novel allows, which I appreciated. Peggy in particular echoes a lot of sentiments I have heard other nonbinary people express, and the understanding and grace she finds with Orfeo as they embark upon their own unique journey had me in my feelings in a great way.
This novel is at points a bit TOO silly (and bawdy) for my tastes, but the humor mostly lands for me. Likewise, there are pacing issues and random outrageous plot threads out of nowhere, but you could make a case for that being part of its charm. The heartfelt emotional moments to me made up for the parts that didn’t quite land as smoothly as I might have liked.
Though not without its speedbumps, I greatly enjoyed Something Spectacular, enough that I would like to go back and read the first novel in the series eventually. I’ll be recommending Something Spectacular for anyone looking for a fun, over-the-top, but meaningful regency romance with an equal mix of laughs and feels, with the bonus of it being between two nonbinary characters.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.