if you love character-driven stories that speak softly and carry weight—you might want to give this one a listen (wink wink)

So the reason I wanted to read this is because I. LOVE. QUEER. BOOKS. I think at this point we already know. What really did surprise me however is I did not realise that I'd already DNF'd "Lover Birds", Leon's other book. Why did this surprise me you ask? Well, one it's before they changed their name, but two I absolutely adored this book. Friends, I'm so glad I got another chance to read Leon's works. This book was SO good. It hit every single trope that I wanted from a queer book. For example, the found family in this book genuinely made my heart so happy. Was there bad communication at times? Yes. Was there times where I genuinely did not know what was going to happen between everyone? Absolutely. However it was executed so perfectly and genuinely felt like such a real and authentic friend group. I loved that this book was dual POV. Getting to see both Jude's and Aiden's side of the stories was incredible, and seeing what emotions they brought out in each other made it feel so much more real. This book had me cackling with the witty banter (I see you with the black mould joke), but also broke my heart at times whilst talking about real life queer issues, and just Aiden's and Jude's thoughts and feelings in general. If you're going to read this I definitely recommend grabbing a pack of tissues for both the happy and sad tears. I loved the grumpy x sunshine theme. I loved listening to Jude & Aiden talk about their separate experiences as trans people. And I especially loved that we have yet another beautiful story around queer love. I will 100% be grabbing myself a copy of this one when I ger paid.

This is one of the best pieces of non-binary and trans representation I've ever had the joy of reading, as well as the plotline being extremely creative. I loved the character depth so much, and the chemistry between Aiden and Jude pulls you in so easily. I was so hooked from start to finish and wish I could give this book to my younger self. Egan's writing is gorgeous, fun and intriguing in equal measure and I'm so obsessed with Listen Closely.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley, Harper Fiction and Leon Egan for a copy of the book im exchange for an honest review. I actually finished the book the end of June but held off review for publication day! Ingive it 4.5 stars but rounded up as no one likes to round down!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Leon's first book Lover Birds so it was a no brainer when I saw he was releasing a second book to request this ARC too and I can confirm it does not dissapoint. Cannot wait to add this to my other shelf trophies and listen to the audiobook.

I loved the pacing in this book it really flowed wonderfully and although you may want to scream, shout and knock the main characters heada together they make for wonderful characters. I laughed put loud do many times and got upset near the end for a bit but mostly this was just an absklute joy to read

What makes me really emotional is how important this book will be to some young people. Im just an old hag who enjoys a good story but storiesike this and similar help people be seen and I wish id had it when. I was younger.


💙 Forced Proximity
🩷 Grumpy x Sunshine
💙 Dual POV
🩷 LGBTQ
💙 mutual pining
🩷 positive mental health representation

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eArc! As soon as it was announced I couldn’t wait to dive into Leon Egan’s writing again!

Listen Closely is a ya romance about Jude who just wishes they could fit in better at school, and their relationship with Aiden, a boy in their year at school. When Jude and Aiden end up at the same work experience they develop a close friendship over their joint love of audio dramas and the story follows them as they get closer and slowly start to come out of their shells.

This book is full of self discovery as the characters learn to love themselves and become more comfortable with who they are as they battle with self doubt and the lonely feeling that they don’t belong. It is also full of much needed representation that I’ve never read anywhere before.

I found these characters massively relatable, particularly Jude. Jude uses their audio drama obsession to escape and when they put their headphones in and immerse themself in another world, they feel safe. But, because of that need for comfort, they forget about the people close to them outside of that bubble who are also struggling and find themselves clinging onto new connections who understand their interests better. I get obsessed with things too and I sometimes have no idea how to talk to people outside of it because I want to stay hidden in that world and it can be particularly hard when no one else you know understands the one thing you want to talk non stop about so I felt this in my soul.

I also think Listen Closely is so cleverly written. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything that switches povs in this way and I enjoyed the freedom and lack of structure. The way Egan decided when and where they felt they needed to change pov without feeling tied down to keeping it per chapter. It works so well.

This book is absolutely perfect for fans of Radio Silence (which is me I adore that book!) and I cannot recommend Leon Egan’s writing enough for any Alice Oseman fan!

This book was a delight, and I already know how important it will be to some of the young people I work with.

As per the character's choices this would be a great book to read in a cosy blanket fort when you need a little queer joy and reassurance in the world.

This book is a cosy, heart-sparking YA romance that pairs podcast drama with real life awkwardness and a grumpy x sunshine dynamic,

Jude is quiet, awkward and has one friend. Aiden is outgoing, charming and popular. They are paired up for a high school internship at a local radio station. Forced to work alongside one another, they find out they have one thing in common. This follows their friendship and life at high school.
A meet cute story, with a grumpy vs sunshine dynamic.
I found the story quite slow, the writing at times made me lose interest and the inner monologues were lengthy. It features a coming of age story that young people would enjoy.

This is my second book by this author and I can officially say I have found a new go-to author for queer YA.
Listen Closely falls under a similar vein to Alice Oseman's, Radio Silence. A book where two near-strangers bond over their mutual adoration for audio dramas and form a friendship that I will not forgot for quite some time.

Once again, Leon Egan manages to balance humour and heart with heavier themes to create a truly wonderful story of love, friendship, acceptance and belonging. Lover Birds was a phenomenal debut, but Listen Closely really cements Egan in my mind as one of the top authors writing fantastically entertaining yet heartfelt YA stories.

I can only imagine the extra depths audio narrati0n would be able to add to this story, so please let it be known that if given the chance, I would buy an audio of this book in a heartbeat!

Thank you so much for this eARC!

I received a free ebook of Listen Closely from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Listen Closely is the kind of book I wish my teenage self had been able to read. Despite having left my teens behind quite some time ago, I still found myself staying up all night to keep reading this gorgeous novel, and ended up devouring it in one sitting.

It’s impossible not to root for Jude and Aiden, and watching their romance (and friendship!) blossom in synchronicity with their passion and creativity with regard to audio drama, a medium I adore beyond words, was so special. It was also incredibly beautiful to see two trans characters falling in love despite having to face transphobia in their creative careers: and very gratifying to see how they grew as a result of their relationships with another. Egan struck an incredible balance in tone and managed to create a deeply hopeful story that simultaneously doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of the current moment. I just can’t express how lovely it was to finally watch two trans characters fall in love on the page, and their mutual transness to be a contributing factor to their love stories, such as the very tender scene with the trans tape, rather than a detriment, obstacle, or source of tension.

Our two leads’ relationships with the other characters around them were also consistently organic and intriguing, and supported their overall character arcs beautifully. Egan also portrays the characters’ neurodivergence with so much nuance and care. And did I mention this book is also funny? I really couldn’t ask for more on any front.

This is such a special book and I really hope it receives the love and acclaim it deserves. It will have a special place in my heart forever.