New to Timothy Janovsky’s work, I was excited to read another MM romance written by a queer man! While I absolutely love MM romances written by women, one of the common criticisms I’ve read from the queer community is that female authors sometimes have a tendency to romanticize these relationships rather than keeping them true to life. Of course, as contemporary romances are works of fiction, that is bound to happen regardless of the author’s identity. Still, I was curious to make a comparison.

Once upon a time, there lived a man who had lost faith in happily-ever-afters five years ago. Divorced and separated from his daughter, Ethan spent his days managing Storybook Endings Resort and passing the time with his loyal dog, Nana. Then, one day, a handsome assistant to his ex-wife arrived at the resort to plan Ethan’s daughter’s sixteenth birthday party.

As far as Ethan was concerned, Taylor was the fairest in the land – but completely off-limits. Yet a smile, a glance, some wine, and a violent storm later, the magic of Storybook intertwined the hearts of the resort manager and the personal assistant.

But would their connection survive the disapproval of Taylor’s boss – Ethan’s ex-wife? Or would she forbid them from finding their own happily-ever-after?

I appreciated the realistic portrayal of the characters. Ethan wasn’t some heartthrob with a perfect figure, chiseled muscles, or the kind of looks you’d see in a magazine. He was simply a man trying to navigate life after his own happily-ever-after came to an unexpected end. I also really enjoyed how much depth we were given about each character in the story – learning what shaped them and made them who they were.

As much as I’m all for an MM romance, this one didn’t quite resonate with me. The story had a very passive tone, focusing on two people whose lives revolved around pleasing others. While the premise – two people who always put others’ happiness first finally deciding to prioritize themselves – was sweet in theory, it didn’t fully capture my attention and, at times, felt a bit underwhelming.

Even the steamier moments carried the same reserved energy as the rest of the book. While they aligned with the characters’ emotions, the passiveness of their personalities seeped into these moments as well – evoking more of a yawning effect than a yearning one.

That being said, I did admire how the story delved into the consequences of being a people-pleaser. Taylor was so determined to prioritize everyone and everything over himself – a byproduct of feeling abandoned by his brother Owen and not wanting anyone else to experience that pain – that he labeled anything that might bring him happiness as selfish. His journey to break that cycle paralleled Ethan’s, who finally received his ADHD diagnosis. That diagnosis not only helped Ethan understand how his brain worked but also how deeply it had impacted his life.

While I did enjoy Once Upon You and Me, the slower, more anti-climactic pace of the book felt underwhelming compared to other MM romances I’ve read, whether written by queer men or women. Still, while this will likely be the only book I read by Timothy, I genuinely appreciated the heart and soul of his characters. They felt like people I could walk past on the street – real people with real problems forming real connections. And that authenticity is what leaves a lasting impression.