💫 NetGalley ARC Review 💫This book is a gem! The blend of humor, heart, and a touch of the supernatural makes for an engaging read. Pearly Gates is such a relatable character, navigating her way through love and self-discovery even after her death. The cozy setting of Thunderbolt Books & Coffee adds a charming backdrop to the story, and the unique cast of characters—especially the grieving widow and the trans woman—brings depth and warmth to the narrative.

The plot twists are deliciously unexpected, especially when Pearly discovers that the café owner is her soulmate reincarnated. The internal conflict she faces between being a good guide and potentially sabotaging a budding romance adds layers of complexity. Plus, the humor woven throughout, including the lip-sync battle with her body double, keeps the tone light and entertaining.

Overall, this book is a delightful celebration of found family and love in all its forms. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt and whimsical read! 4 stars all the way!

I’ll be honest… this is a book I probably wouldn’t have picked up on my own, but a friend hasn’t stopped recommending it to me and I thought why not. I’m so pleasantly surprised by how moved I am by this novel, which might sound weird but I promise if you’ve read this it makes perfect sense.

I loved the themes of found family, identity, love, and finding meaning in life. This book explores these themes in a way that feels relatable and real—it had me reflecting on my own experiences and relating myself to the characters and what they were going through. And the characters were so unique and comforting, Pearly herself was such a gem of a character that I need a sequel on my desk like tomorrow.

I laughed, I cried, I had the time of my life. Y’all need to add this to your TBRs, it’s game-changing.

Book Review: Pearly Gates by Bonnie Solomon
Bonnie Solomon’s Pearly Gates is a vibrant, imaginative entry in the cozy fantasy genre, blending humour, heart, and a dash of celestial mischief. The story centres on Pearly Gates, a deceased drag queen turned cosmic sanitation worker, who is desperate to win back her soulmate after being told she’s incapable of growth. Pearly’s plan? Take over a spirit guide’s caseload and prove she’s worthy of love and redemption1.
Plot and Setting:
Pearly’s mission brings her to Thunderbolt Books & Coffee, a charming Midwestern bookshop café haunted by a 1920s burlesque dancer. Here, she’s tasked with guiding three struggling souls: a grieving widow, a terminally ill college graduate, and a trans woman searching for purpose. The twist? The café owner is her soulmate, reincarnated, and one of Pearly’s charges starts to fall for him, forcing Pearly to choose between her own happiness and her duty as a guide.
Tone and Style:
Solomon’s prose is described as “sparkling, mischievous, heartfelt, and bursting with life (and afterlife),” deftly balancing laugh-out-loud comedy with genuine emotional depth. The novel is rich in tongue-in-cheek humour, clever world-building, and a brisk pace that keeps the pages turning. The afterlife in Pearly Gates is whimsical and eccentric, yet grounded in acute observations about love, loss, and self-discovery.
Themes and Representation:
At its core, Pearly Gates is a celebration of found family, queer identity, and the messy process of personal growth. The book’s LGBTQ+ representation is authentic and aspirational, offering moments that resonate deeply with readers from the community and beyond. The narrative explores universal themes—grief, acceptance, and the search for purpose—through a lens that is both inclusive and uplifting.
Characterization:
Pearly herself is a standout protagonist: flawed, fabulous, and utterly relatable. Her journey is one of self-acceptance and transformation, mirrored by the growth of those she’s sent to help. The supporting cast—both mortal and spectral—are equally well-drawn, with arcs that are touching, humorous, and satisfyingly resolved.
Strengths:
I love the novel’s cozy atmosphere, it was like rewatching all of my favourite comfort shows. The book’s blend of supernatural antics, queer romance, and small-town charm makes it a perfect pick for fans of “Legends & Lattes” and anyone seeking a feel-good, hopepunk read.
Conclusion:
Pearly Gates is a delightful, genre-blending romp that manages to be both playful and profound. Bonnie Solomon’s debut is a must-read for fans of cozy fantasy, queer fiction, and anyone who believes in second chances—even after life’s final curtain call. Highly recommended for book clubs, comfort reads, and anyone in search of a little more sparkle in their literary life.

When I read the synopsis for Pearly Gates, Bonnie Solomon's new cozy fantasy novel, I felt as though it was written specifically for me.

Dead drag queen Pearly Gates (what a name) is feeling stalled out- she's working a dead end sanitation job in the afterlife, gaining enlightenment feels like a distant dream, and her soulmate has left her, citing her immaturity and lack of purpose. Pearly has to win him back- and so, she strikes a very illegal deal with a burnt-out spirit guide, to take care of his three human charges - a heartbroken young widow, a terminally ill young man, and a trans woman looking for purpose- while he goes on vacation. Things take a decidedly less altruistic turn when Pearly realizes a local café owner is her reincarnated estranged soulmate. What hijinks could possibly ensue?

I ADORED this book. From its first pages I was enthralled by the immersive and inventive worldbuilding, Solomon's humorous writing style, and well-crafted story beats. I fell in love with every character who graced the pages, and lapped up the found family elements. This was so silly at times, yet full of so much heart, and had its moments of deep sadness intertwined with the plot. I felt cared for as a reader, trusting the author and Pearly to shepherd me through the book with care. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I look forward to reading what Bonnie Solomon cooks up next.

Oh my absolute goodness, what a treat! Thank you Net Galley for the eARC!

There is a lot of plot to this book but it's all worth it. Pearly, a drag queen in a former life, is responsible for waste management in the afterlife, which isn't a fun job. When her soulmate leaves her, claiming she isn't working on her personal development anymore, she makes an impulsive decision to cover for a burnt-out spirit guide while he takes a holiday. She's never been one to play by the rules, and that proves just as true when guiding her new charges on Earth. Especially when one of her charges falls for her former soulmate reincarnated. Will she do the right thing or will she put her own feelings first?

There's also a haunted bookshop cafe and a quest to find out why the ghost can't move on, flashbacks to Pearly's former lives and a cast of amazing side characters. I loved loved loved this!

at first i didn't know if i would like this, because writing 'afterlife' lore is always extremely tricky. plus there is a lot of 'cosmic nebula stardust' type names but it actually just comes across very tongue in cheek and funny.

Pearly Gates is unhappy with her life as what as i can only describe as some kind of afterlife bad vibes ghostbuster and wants to prove she can do more. she makes a LOT of mistakes along the way but everyone comes out the other side a better person.

i had been on a real high-stakes heartbreaker book kick and i really needed this warm mug of tea of a book. it was a nice bandage on my soul (even though it did make me cry) and really got me out of an emotional reading slump.

this book and story are both really empathetic, politically aware, and deeply human. it has excellent reread value, genuinely good life advice, a fantastic ending, and good sequel potential... we'll have to see!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

EArc provided courtesy of NetGalley

Pick this up for a camp old time, and an enjoyable beach read. Not quite up my street as I found Pearly to be grating and some plot points to be a bit too obvious. The characters did have good character arcs and were mostly likeable. Essentially this was a good book, but simply not for me.

2.5 Stars

Drag queens in the afterlife? Hell yeah. Drag queens as supernatural leaders of a rag tag group of misfits? Heller yeah.

This was such a fantastically fun and enjoyable read!

Pearly is dissatisfied with the job she has been given in the afterlife, and after her soulmate calls it quits, she is determined to prove her worth. What follows is a wonderful story of Pearly helping others as a substitute spirit guide, helping her to find personal growth and the desire to focus outward on others more than on herself.

This book will make you laugh and cry, and when it’s finished, you’ll want to start this journey all over again.

I honestly can’t say enough about this book. As a debut novel, author Bonnie Solomon has set the bar high for her future works.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

"Pearly Gates" is a quirky, lighthearted, and ultimately joyful celebration of LGBTQ+ identities, relationships, and found family. When drag star and immature spirit Pearly Gates loses her soulmate, she crafts a plan to become a spirit guide to wayward souls on Earth. However, given her long history of selfishness and avoiding responsibility, her applications to become a guide have been rejected time and time again. Pearly’s plan? Made a deal with an actual spirit guide to take over his cases while he goes on vacation and make such a difference in a short period of time that her soulmate and the higher-ups will have no choice but to notice. Thus, Pearly becomes a supernatural guide for three people in Midwestern town: a young man hiding away in the wake of a terminal diagnosis; a widow who is struggling to move on after her husband’s death, and a young transgender woman struggling to come out of the closet. What follows is a story full of wisdom, love, and found family, and even the occasional ghost as Pearly figures out if she can help these three souls—and, maybe help herself in the process.

This book is just a warm hug in book form. Pearly is a deeply flawed character in a lot of ways: avoidant, selfish, attention-seeking. Her growth and journey throughout the book are deeply heartwarming as she, like the souls she guides, must learn and grow and better herself with the challenges life throws at her. Seeing her mess up and still be worthy of love and redemption is such an important story to tell, especially through a LGBTQ+ lens. Plus, seeing each of the characters confront their own challenges and find friendship in each other was really enjoyable to read. The book does just enough worldbuilding to tell the story it wants to and reach a fun level of quirkiness in a way I thought was very well handled.

One thing to note is that this is just a really weird book. The voice of the book is just quirky—a bit immature at time, packed full of silly lines, drag references, and irreverent (if slightly awkward) moments. It worked well for the story and the character of Pearly, though I will admit that it’s not really my favorite writing style. There were a few times when it pulled me out of the reading experience, particularly early in the book. It was worth it to push through, though I expect that the writing style won’t work for every reader.

This is a 4.5 star read for me, rounded up to a 5. It’s awkward writing style is more than made up for by an uplifting story and compelling character arcs.

Thank you to Bonsol Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading a cozy-fantasy novel so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I loved Pearly Gates, the novel and the character. She has a depth of feeling that I wasn’t expecting and I could relate to both her badass sassiness and her sensitive vulnerability. I appreciated the diversity represented within the book, and was especially in my feelings over the inner dialogue of a trans character struggling to live authentically, something most people take for granted. Their fear of not “passing” while in transition really underscored for me what it means to be an ally, especially in 2025. I found myself wishing I could dive into Ms. Solomon’s fully imagined vision of the afterlife, where death is not the end of existence and souls still have the ability to evolve.

I requested this book without really reading the blurb. I saw a cool cover, a drag queen, and that it was listed as an LGBTQIA+ book—those three things alone were enough to sell me. I admit, I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. Imagine my surprise when the story immediately threw me into a wildly entertaining afterlife scene!

At first, I found the beginning to be a little cheesy (but hey, I love cheese, so I was happy to stick with it). Surprisingly, everything that initially struck me as over-the-top quickly became what I loved most about the book. Another unexpected but welcome surprise? Pearly Gates is a cozy fantasy, something I hadn’t realized going in but ended up really enjoying.

I had just finished another novel about soulmates finding each other across timelines, so I was particularly invested in that aspect of the story and had feelings about how it played out here. But what really won me over was the quirky, chaotic afterlife and its delightfully eccentric characters. I also loved the earthbound cast and watching their transformations unfold as they spent time with Pearly.

Honestly, I thought I might tire of the constant drag queen one-liners, but instead, it felt like being curled up in bed rewatching Drag Race—pure comfort. And by far, my favorite character was Dumb Pearly. Her storyline might have been small, but her zingers? Iconic. Slay, DP!

If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy with a queer cast, found family, non-linear timelines, interdimensional antics, and one (and a half) outrageous drag queens, Pearly Gates is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonsol Press for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This was such a fun read!

This was such a treat and I haven't stopped crying yet. Thank you so much for allowing me to eARC this.

Pearly Gates is such a touching, familiar, and warm story. It was a fast-paced read that left me as a reader looking into all the little messages of what our purpose is as I read Pearly finding hers. There's so many things I want to talk about that happened in this book, but I can't without spoiling them. From Sam and Ruby to Pearly's growth to the ending, this was an absolute joy to read.

Pearly Gates is filled with moments those of us in the LGBTQIA community will find hits close to home, was part of our own path, or may help someone on their own journey. Those moments are given through laughter, joy, loneliness, and humor.

The writing style feels very casual and like it is meant to hold the readers close. I enjoyed how the supernatural*ish* side of things were laid and explained as they needed to be instead of a deep dive hard in the first 100 pages. It helped that feeling of almost.. sitting and having a story told you instead of reading it. I think that the executive of the storytelling was perfect for this plot, these characters, and especially for a charater as big as Ms Pearly Gates.

I highly recommend this one. This is solid 4 star read for me.