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.