A review by karentje
Whispers in the Woods by K.C. Carmine

3.0

A slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance in an original paranormal setting with heartbreakingly realistic homophobic elements in its society. I really liked Robert and Tomek’s friendship, but I struggled with Tomek’s agonizingly slow journey of self-discovery. Tomek is so far into the closet, hiding even from himself, that Narnia is but a speck on the horizon. His turmoil is understandable, though fortunately things turn out better for him and Robert than he had dared to hope for. Tomek and Robert get together quite late in the story after living separate lives for years, so they don’t have much time to get reacquainted, much of their love based on who they were as teenagers. I’d have liked to see more of them as a couple. The worldbuilding is intriguing and the secondary characters likable and well written.