Title: Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues
Author: HS Valley
Publisher: Indepdent Publisher’s Group
Publication date: February 14, 2023
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | Book Depository | Goodreads | StoryGraph
Summary
Studying at Fox Glacier High School for the Magically Adept, Tim Te Maro and Elliott Parker have never gotten along. Not that their paths have crossed all that much. But when Tim’s girlfriend dumps him for Elliott’s boyfriend, Elliott devises a plan to get revenge. They’ll partner up for the baby egg project, and do it better than their exes.
What starts as an innocent project shows Tim and Elliott that they might be more compatible than they thought. What starts as a friendship evolves into no-strings-attached hookups. But when feelings start to spark between them, they realize that emotions can start to get messy. Especially when they don’t know if the other person also feels them, too.
Review: Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues
Thanks to NetGalley and Independent Publisher’s Group for an advanced copy of Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by HS Valley to review! I heard a pitch for this as a mini book conference I went to last fall, and it sounded right up my alley. And I was right! Plus, one of the comp titles was Red, White, & Royal Blue, so you know I had to read it.
Outside of having a really long title, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Tim and Elliott have excellent chemistry, right from the beginning. The way their relationship evolves throughout the book feels realistic, and you’ll come to love these two goofballs by the end. And the magical baby egg assignment is such a fun concept! I don’t know why someone hasn’t included that in a book before. It made their whole relationship even more fun.
While the comp titles are Red, White, & Royal Blue and The Magicians, I think a more fitting comparison is Carry On. You’ve got magic, rivals to lovers, and a magical school. Sure, neither of them is a vampire, but the overall tone and story felt similar to me. So, if you love Carry On, you’ll probably enjoy this!
My only qualm is that I wish the world building had been made a bit clearer. The whole magical school thing was cool, but I still wasn’t quite clear on the magical system and how it worked. A few more details in that regard would have been helpful.
Outside of that, this is a super fun, light read, and it’ll be a great one to add to your romance TBR!
4/5 stars