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.

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.