Title: All About Romance
Author: Daniel Tawse
Genre: Contemporary YA / Romance
Publisher: Hodder Children's
Pages: 352
Release Date: 6 July 2023
Goodreads | Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | WHSmiths
Hello fellow booklovers! Today I'm sharing my review of All About Romance by Daniel Tawse. A fun and heartwarming YA Rom-com (based on the author’s own teenage diaries) that follows the loveably sassy, Roman Bright a non-binary teen from Tynemouth who dreams of having their own movie worthy romance.
Synopsis
Roman Bright has always loved love stories. But being a non-binary teenager in a small northern town means their dating pool is limited and they haven't had their own sweeping romance ... yet.
Roman Bright appears assured and confident, but in reality, school is a tricky space for them. Finding love - or even friends - when you're the only non-binary kid for miles around isn't easy.
When anonymous postcards from 'Big Red' start showing up in Roman's locker and shortly afterwards entire walls of brightly coloured graffiti appear around the school signed by the same person, Roman is intrigued. Do they have a secret admirer? Roman thinks they know who is leaving these messages - their mega-crush and almost-boyfriend from last year, JJ. But when it becomes clear JJ isn't going to reveal themselves, Roman has to decide if they can be brave enough to make the first move.
Will Roman finally get their happily ever after?
Review
I really enjoyed this and loved how fabulously quirky, unapologetically romantic and fiercely themselves, Roman was. (They have a vintage fur cape named Marlene, who is basically a character in her own right and I absolutely loved that!)
Their experience of growing up queer in a small town that doesn’t understand them, and the emotional struggles they face (such as their battle with self confidence or the complex need for validation) was explored in such a realistic and relatable manner—I can definitely see Roman’s story resonating with readers who’ve ever felt like an outcast.
I also really liked Roman’s mum who was such a supportive and calming presence on Roman’s rather chaotic personality, I was also pleasantly surprised but how positive and healthy their family dynamics were—which is not the case for a lot YA books.
The mystery of Roman’s secret admirer/ resident Banksy was also pretty intriguing and I loved trying to guess their identity—which I did managed figure out.
They were such a compelling character and despite their flaws I couldn’t help but root for them the entire way. Their arc does also (briefly) focus on a slightly darker side of LGBTQ+ teen experiences and as such, I do recommend checking the TWs.
Overall, a really satisfying and utterly addictive coming of age YA Rom-com with an adorably positive, happily ever after-style ending—that fans of Alice Oseman, Jason June or Becky Albertalli need to check out!
Also, thanks to Team BKMRK for the incredible (and absolutely stunning) proof.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
About The Author
