QBR: How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

Queer Book Review #6

Today’s queer book review is for How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow.

Genre: YA/New Adult Contemporary Romance

CWs: Brief description of past SA (the survivor’s experience is validated); past controlling relationship

Queer rep: Lesbian Ashkenazi Jew MCs; queer Indian side character

Summary: Shani and May are first-year college students who meet over winter break when Shani’s mom accidentally runs into May with her car. Whoops! Shani tries to put the incident behind her so she can focus on her month-long paleoichthyology internship and getting over her ex. But before long, a last-minute dog-walking gig brings May back into her path. As they start to deepen their relationship, Shani allows herself to get distracted from her professional and personal goals, and her recent breakup threatens to ruin her romance with May before it’s even off the ground.