Grumpy/sunshine, but make it performing arts!!! Canon is a brooding creative whose work is his mistress, and Neevah loves that about him because she is also a creative and admires his passion. They were allowed to have worries about their relationship without that becoming a wedge between them. I loved how respectful and supportive these two were of each other. Forbidden romance energy without any creeptastic elements. The development of Canon and Neevah’s relationship alongside her health, and how Neevah received the love she deserved. Watching her navigate the reality of working with a chronic illness, seeing the story subtly show how hard it is to prioritise your health AND follow your dreams in a world set up to be ableist from the jump… yes! I had many feels! Neevah in particular was so relatable to me. (Well, maybe not Canon, but we could grunt and scowl and boss people around together.) I feel like they’re real people I actually know and could chat with. I fell in love with the side characters, with the historical characters and the film characters based on them, and most importantly - I fell in love with Canon and Neevah. I am, as usual, incoherent, so I will now proceed to bullet point all the things about this book that RUINED MY LIFE. There’s so much to adore, but Neevah’s chronic illness and Canon’s support will stay with me always. Basically, Reel is alive and pulsing like a beating heart. It's a love story, but it’s also a love LETTER to art, to creativity, to Black history. The word GOBSMACKED was invented for this book.

Reel by Kennedy Ryan