Love Bytes have something special for you today. Not only do we have a review of this fine book, we are also host for a surprise tour of Upside Down!

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Upside Down

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2019

LENGTH: 179 pages

BLURB:

Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But he when he realises adding the label ‘asexual’ might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.

Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.

A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.

 

REVIEW:

Labels.

We all have them. The world is built on them. Good and bad. Big and small. Some label make us fit in, other set us apart. Many are chosen for us, some are chosen by us. No matter how much we try we can never run away from them, outrun them. And some have the power to change our world.

Jordan recently found a new label. One he wished desperately not to fit, but one that explained so much about himself and all his past relationship failures; asexual. But he had enough labels already and didn’t want to add a new one to the collection. He was perfectly content with his life as a librarian, his two best friends and to stare and daydream about Headphones Guy on the bus. He really didn’t need anything else. His best friend Merry didn’t agree with him and dragged him to a support group for asexuals. A meeting that had him confront some truths and realise that maybe one more label wasn’t the end of the world. This one explained so much – and he was not alone.

This is my kind of book. I loved the sweetness, the slow-burn; or rather the building of a relationship. Letting it grow over time. And doing it on a bus ride with the Soup Crew cheering made it all so much more special and fun. I loved how it also highlighted that even the most random of questions can be the spark of something new, something big. And also, who doesn’t want a fan club cheering you on? 🙂

For me it’s rare to find books about ace people. Even more rare to find really good books with ace people. Books with no magic dick that “cures” and make asexuals “normal” and enjoy sex. A book with a lot of intimacy, and not the sexual kind. Walker gave me that with this book. And so much more. It celebrated love in all shapes and forms. It celebrated diversity and acceptance and that no matter how or who you loved it was all love.

Some labels can make the world turn right way up.

 

PS Am I the only one still wondering about why cereal isn’t considered to be a soup?

RATING:

 

BUY LINK: 

Amazon

 

 

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

 

For more about N.R. Walker you can find her at:

Website

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Facebook Author Page

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Amazon

Audible

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Email:

nrwalker@nrwalker.net