The author’s first full-on romance is a delightful confection guaranteed to win hearts and minds.

by Kat Valdez/The Defiant Curtsy

A love letter to “Miss Congeniality,” baking and supportive families of origin, DROP DEAD HANDSOME is a queer YA romance for the 21st century.

Summary from the publisher:

“A heartwarming and hilarious YA romance about the high-stakes world of pageantry and the beauty of first love. Perfect for fans of rom coms by Casey McQuiston!

“This book takes the crown.”—Sara Raasch, New York Times bestselling author of The Nightmare Before Kissmas

“Parker Ryland has always been the master of his own destiny, meticulously planning his escape from his small town. But when he’s told that his college application is “boring”, he is thrown for a loop. Parker may be many things, but boring is not one of them.

“So, Parker applies to his school’s Miss Spirit pageant to spice up his application and challenge himself—and the town’s antiquated gender ideals.”

What’s awesome: Parker’s commitment and determination to advocate for himself and his community; his sibling relationship with his older sister, Marley; and the sweet and perfect love interest Dean, a.k.a. Oxford Shirt Guy, whose act of kindness to Parker the year before landed him on Parker’s radar…

…à la Peta’s throwing a loaf of bread to Katniss in The Hunger Games and thus saving her family from starvation. Or Edward saving Bella from being crushed by an out of control car in the high school parking lot in Twilight.

What’s different: A unique, singular Gen Z voice; beauty pageant Queer Teen Edition; baking lessons as flirting; the harsh realities of battles the queer community must fight every day to simply exist in our world.

I enjoyed Parker and Dean’s blossoming friendship turned romance against the backdrop of a beauty pageant, and highly recommend it anyone looking for a thoroughly modern take on high school life today.

Read more about the author at matthewhubbardwrites.com and Instagram @matthewhubbard

Expected publication date: December 2026.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TheDefiantCurtsy.com Pop culture through an equity and inclusion lens.