Glitterland (Spires, 1)

Glitterland is hands down one of the best romances I’ve read this year. I don’t know how I went so long without reading any of Alexis Hall’s books! The story follows Ash Winters, a rising literary star who suffered a mental breakdown and now writes crime fiction to get by.

Diagnosed with bipolar depression and having fully given in to hopelessness, Ash is just trying to get through the day, until he meets Darian Taylor at a bachelor party. Darian is sweet and looks at the world through a perfect spray tan and a head full of hair product. The opposites attract tension is thick enough to cut with a knife from the beginning, and the vulnerability and tenderness of their interactions are the perfect counterparts to the incredibly steamy scenes strewn throughout.

Unlike a few other romances I’ve delved into lately (looking at you, Booked on a Feeling) Glitterland does an exceptional job of pulling the reader into the life of someone actually struggling with mental illness instead of using it as a diversity tag and never really delving into the ups and downs of what it’s like to struggle with your mental health while also pursuing a romantic partner.