Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2024
304 pages
Genre: Romance
Publication Information
This irresistible and hilarious rom-com from acclaimed author Alex Crespo is a whirlwind of telenovela-level drama and hijinks when Joaquin Zoido finds himself fake-dating his childhood crush and newly minted date to his queerceañera.
Joaquin Zoido is out and proud of it. And while he knew his dad and sister, Carmen, would be super supportive, he wasn't quite ready for them to surprise him with a queerceañera, a coming out party to celebrate him. Between all the talks of tastings and venues, and the chirping of his family's RSVP texts, the question of who will be his chambelán is on everyone's minds.
What Joaquin is decidedly trying to not think about is whether his mom is going attend or if she's finally replaced him with her favorite godson, Felix—the boy who made Joaquin realize he was gay and who was his first kiss. But when an impromptu lie snowballs into a full-fledged family-group-chat rumor, every Zoido from Texas to Mexico starts believing that Felix is not only Joaquin's chambelán but also his brand-new boyfriend.
To avoid the pity and sympathies of an ill-timed breakup, Joaquin and Felix strike a deal—they'll stay fake boyfriends until the party. Yet, as the day draws nearer and old feelings spark anew, Joaquin will have to decide whether a picture-perfect queerceañera with a fake boyfriend is worth giving up the chance of something real.
"A coming of age in the wake of the coming-of-age party. Impossible to put down." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Crespo has created a narrative that celebrates a world where found family comes together with blood family to create a vibrant, enthusiastic community fully supportive of Joaquin's entire self."
—Booklist
"Simmering with romantic yearnings and pulse-racing flirtations, Queerceañera is a delightful romcom. Like all great parties, you won't want this joyful celebration to end." —Brian D. Kennedy, author of A Little Bit Country and My Fair Brady
"Made even richer by humor, sweet friendships, and an adorable romance, this is a delightfully charming story that encourages readers to join in on the party." —Racquel Marie, author of Ophelia After All
"Filled with gossipy family, loyal friends, and a splash of fake-dating charm, Queerceañera is funny, heartfelt, and very, very gay." —Edward Underhill, author of This Day Changes Everything and Always the Almost
This information about Queerceañera was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Born and raised by the Great Lakes, Alex Crespo writes about queer love, magic, and all the ways they intersect. When not writing, you can find him making art or daydreaming about the Mothman. He currently lives in Chicago with an endless anime watchlist and his black cat, Hex.
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