Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realises adding the label asexual might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.
Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a … end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.
A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.
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This book resonated with me on a personal level. Being asexual, it’s not easy to find books I can relate to. This one made me smile and tear up at the same.
This book has been on my TBR list for a while. Asexual characters? My asexual heart is down for that.
I finally pushed it to the top of my list after a tough week when I needed something to make my heart happy–and this definitely, DEFINITELY, made my heart happy. Upside Down made me laugh, cry….feel. It was everything I hoped it would be.
The main characters were completely adorable. Their connection felt real. And how they fell in love–I won’t spoil it–but epic and funny.
Also, the side characters.
The soup crew. Oh. My. God. I was in stitches laughing. I wanted more from them. They were amazing.
I loved how so many people/pieces came together toward the end of the story.
I adored every single minute of this book.
Okay…so you expect sex in Romance, right? But there’s none in this one…but I couldn’t put it down. Adorable characters…and the kisses, hugs, all the beautiful sharing is better than sex, at least in this book. Must give this a try!!
I loved this book so much I bought a copy for a friend.
Absolutely loved this book. I have read a couple other books by N.R. Walker and really enjoyed her characters, her sense of humor and the way the main couple’s relationship develops. This one was no different. I originally picked up this book because, as a writer I was curious to see how an asexual romance would be portraited. I had read several recommendation from asexual readers praising this book so I picked it up. I was pretty much loving it by the end of the first chapter. Jordan is such a great character with his irreverent sense of humor, his penchant for what he calls “word diarrhea”, and his very relatable fear of labels (who wants to be labeled anyway?). Even his obsession with a certain F-word hit me as hilarious because it fit him so naturally (I normally do not like the frequent use of profanity in books because it distracts me from the story). The support characters are great: lovable with all their flaws and quirks and their friendship makes you green with envy. OMG and the Soup Crew! What a funny and touching group of side characters. I highly recommend this book. It is sure to put a smile on your face.
Audiobook review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
What a fantastic story!
When I started listening to the audio of Upside Down, I honestly didn’t know what it was about. I just knew that it was a romance by N.R. Walker, performed by Glen Lloyd and that was enough for me to want to listen to it.
What I got was a great story about asexuality with great characters. One of those characters was struggling to find his place as a gay man who also suspects that he is asexual.
I thought the subject matter was handled in a positive and caring manner. There were a lot of serious things about this story but it also made me LOL in places. One of the MCs, Jordan, has a potty mouth. In particular he like to use the word M*ther F**ker a lot – much to the dismay of his boss and patrons of the library where he works.
I loved how Jordan and Hennessy were together and the supporting characters also added a lot to this story. If you’re looking for a story with hot sexy time this isn’t that, but it is a fantastic story about wonderful characters and I can’t recommend the audiobook enough.
I almost forgot to mention how much I loved Glen Lloyd’s performance of this story. This is only the second audiobook by him that I’ve listened to but I will definitely be listening to more of his work.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
I absolutely love this motherfucking book!! I laughed from the beginning of this book and I smiled like a loon throughout this stunning novel.
This book was so perfect. Jordan and Hennessey are so cute and adorable and just fit together so well. Honestly, Jordan’s nervous babbling filled with motherfuckers might be my favourite thing ever!! And he’s a librarian and they are both book nerds and there’s nothing I love more.
Readers who needs sex in their book will not find in in this book. While the ace spectrum is wide and varied, both Jordan and Hennessey don’t like having sex. There’s plenty of hand holding, kissing and hugs and I adore them so much. I’d probably be one of the soup crew members. (And why is cereal not a soup???)
I love their friends and how supportive they are. And Angus is hilarious! I love him so much and I hope gets a book.
If you want cute, heart warming and a funny romance, please read this!
This is the second book I read by this author. One of the issues I had with the first book (Evolved) I read by this author was that there was a bit too much sex in it, so I figured a novel about an asexual couple would be the perfect one to try next. Upside Down is a sweet romance novel about two asexual guys who fall in love while one of them discovers what it means to be asexual, but mostly its just a very sweet romance story.
The story is told from the point of views of Jordan and Hennesy. They both take the same bus home and Jordan is kinda obsessed with the bus guy or headphones guy as he names him. Then one day they meet for real during the asexual support group meeting that Hennesy organizes. After that they slowly grow closer. I liked getting both their point of views, but their voices are pretty similar, so sometimes I had to double check whose point of view I was reading.
This was a nice slow build romance, they got to know each other after the meeting by asking each other questions during the short bus ride, which was fun. And they go on several dates. I liked how well they fit together and how they liked the same things, although they did seem a bit too similar almost at times. their personalities and interest are very close together. I didn’t get most of the book references and quotes, so that part didn’t really work for me as I didn’t know the books they were talking about.
It was interesting learning a bit more about what being asexual means. I think this is only the second book or so that I read which has asexual characters, so my knowledge is pretty limited and it was interesting learning more about it. I liked that while they were asexual, they also were sex positive and didn’t mind others having sex. Although I did found them a bit lacking in understanding when it came to previous boyfriends wanting sex. I think understanding should come from both sides, but at the same time it seems like a difficult situation to make work. It was nice to see how these two characters who were both asexual made things work and how their romance progressed. I also liked that they talked about what they did like and what not, when it comes to everything from holding hands, kissing to sex. The information about asexuality did seemed sprinkled throughout the book a bit weirdly at times. It just felt a bit unnatural at times.
It did bother me when they had this weird misunderstanding later in the book. They always managed to talk things out and Hennesy was able to pull Jordan out of his nervous moods or worries, but not here. It felt like a hurdle or conflict must be present and that’s why that scene was there and it just felt forced to me. I thought having them talk it out would be more in character as that’s what they did so far.
Another things that bothered me was the overuse of curse words. Jordan loves saying the MF bomb and says it all the time, even when inappropriate, maybe especially when inappropriate. And a lot and I really mean a lot, although it gets toned down a bit later in the book luckily. And half of the time it just didn’t feel like the right place to drop another curse word or like it even fit in the sentence. Or a normal F bomb would be more appropriate if he had to curse in some sentences. All the cursing made him seem/ be rude and unprofessional. I didn’t care for it at all. I don’t mind some cuss words in books, but here it felt overdone and misplaced. I think it was supposed to be funny, but it wasn’t to me. Jordan also tended to ramble on while being nervous, which could be both endearing and kinda annoying depending on the rambling. It could go on and off topic a bit too often at times, but it also led to some funny scenes.
From the book description I had expected his struggle with coming to terms to his asexuality would be a bigger part of the book. It is an important part of the book for sure, but I also felt like it was mostly about their romance. Them being asexual was a part of it, but the journey of Jordan accepting that part and learning what it means was only a small part of the actual story. The focus was more on the tow of them getting to know each other and falling in love.
While I did like both characters and thought they were sweet together. The whole book felt like something was missing for me to fully enjoy it. And I don’t mean the sex, I thought it was great to read a book without sex here the characters make such a conscious decisions to not have sex. There just was missing something that would’ve made this one a great read instead of just okay. I am happy I read this book, but at the same time it just never reached that “really enjoying this” level.
There were some fun side characters as well. Jordan had two great friends in his roommate Angus and his bets friend Merry. And Hennesy worked for his best friend Michael. I also liked the Soup Crew, although at times it did feel that a lot of other characters were invested in their romance and took a part in it. I liked the way the story wrapped up in that over the top happy way as that totally works for me in romances.
To summarize: this was a cute read with a sweet romance about two asexual guys falling in love. I thought it was interesting to read about two asexual characters as I don’t know a lot about the topic. It’s told from dual point of view of both main characters and I liked getting to know them, although their voices were a bit too similar at times. Same goes with their personalities and hobbies for the most part, they almost seemed a bit too perfect of a fit. I did like Hennesy a bit better. For some reason this book failed to fully pull me in. I didn’t care for Jordan’s overuse of curse words. It wasn’t funny to me at all and he just came across as rude. I thought the big misunderstanding later in the book felt a bit forced. I liked how both characters had friends and there was an over the top happy epilogue type chapter at the end which I liked.
I found this book to be difficult to read and too time-consuming to believe the characters. I tried repeatedly to settle into the book. I think the subject matter was too challenging which made the book difficult for me to enjoy.
A great story featuring an unusual mm trope, asexuality. Boys meet cute, remeet, date, deal with non-sexual attraction, get their happy (?) Ending. There were some lines in this book that had me laughing out loud and the characters were all well written. I thought it was refreshing to have a love story that didn’t start with a sexual encounter and the awkwardness of the MCs were hilarious. Read this!. I originally read this through Kindle Unlimited then ended up buying the book for myself.
I love, love, love N. R. Walker’s books!!! This one is soooo funny! The characters are sweet and likable. It’s not as steamy as her other books but the guys are swoon-worthy. So worth reading! You won’t be disappointed.
This was such a fun read for me, lots of humor, nerdy references, and that rom-com atmosphere where strangers become invested in the relationship developing beneath their noses. I love Jordan’s ability to stay true to himself and even though he loves the M-F bomb WAY too much, his way of looking at the world is wonderfully unique (and I agree that Sisko is great but I’m still a Picard fan). There is a bit of angst, some of which was a little forced to me, and a few too many coincidences for credulity, but I love the way all of the characters mesh. I had a little community on the bus that I took regularly and watched a romance blossom so this definitely evokes those memories.
I appreciated getting more information about the asexual spectrum and the reminder that “normal” depends on one’s frame of reference is timely. I am a little concerned about the fumes that Angus inhales, although I can’t deny that the results are hilarious. There are so many great vignettes that I think I’ll be continuing to reread sections for many years to come. I stayed up way too late reading this and laughed out loud far more often than I sniffled, and best of all, ended the story with a happy sigh.
Simply beautiful. In need of an uplifting read? Then holy moly this book is so the book for you. I swooned, snorted with laughter so loudly I almost choked, had so many butterflies I almost took flight, and did I mention the swooning?
Upside Down is an absolute treat and delight. I savoured every word and reluctantly finished the book far too soon.
This couple was everything!
Characters are eccentric yet believable. Topic involved with the couple is unique and addresses matters irrespective how relationships develop or maintain themselves.
I never expected a book about asexual gay men to be so romantic and somehow intensely pleasing in the amorous realm. It shows how our society sexualizes virtually everything. The story is sweet, nerdy, and makes you fall in love with Jordan and Hennessy. It’s heartfelt, heart-touching, and hilarious at once. Jordan is socially awkward and prone to rambling, and he’s adorable for this. The book just may help the reader understand more about the spectrum of attraction and sexual interest. I noticed that physical descriptors of the protagonists are minimal, although the reader gets an idea of their appearance; I appreciate this because it allows the focus to remain on the intellectual and emotional aspects, and the reader can envision the characters’ physical aspects as suits them. Just because Jordan and Hennessy are are on the asexual spectrum does not mean they don’t appreciate physical traits and attributes of the other. Jordan has been intrigued by a guy (Hennessy) he’d started noticing on the bus ride home for about six months, his head all a flurry of ideas. Jordan has a secret crush, but thinks he’ll never be adequate for any man because of asexuality, even though he has a a romantic nature and desire to be in a relationship. Once these two finally meet in an unexpected way, the story takes place in a span of about four weeks, with a jump-ahead in the end to see where they are a ways down the road. The characters are endearing and their intellectual connection is intriguing. The book is somehow very gratifying romantically and physically, this without sexual relations; it certainly makes me think how much more important a mind connection is (for some of us) than the mind-body package deal we’re socialized to think is required. Who knew kissing and nearness could be so sexy? There’s never a dull moment, and while the story is contemporary and witty, it still bears some of the hallmarks of an enduring piece of writing. I had butterflies the entire time.
Boring story line
I love learning new things so when I saw a romance about asexuality, I was intrigued…and I’m so glad I read this book. It was sweet, informative, and simply delightful. I dare you to read this book without a silly, stupid grin on your face for at least 90% of it!
I was barely in, and this story already made me cry by reliving the moment of my own realization and acceptance, which was not long ago. I was that girl… the one on the bus with the silent tears… lol 😉 And then towards the end I cried again…. my highlights speak for themselves as to why.
But I don’t want to talk about myself. I loved this book. I loved the nervously rambling and cursing Jordan, he’s a dork. Henessy (love the name) was sweet and supporting.
They were perfect, and therein lies my problem, but this book being fiction, I ignored the fact that not only were they both asexuals, they seemed to be perfect for each other. They couldn’t find any fault in each other. Which is not likely to happen in real life. I mean what are the chances that I find another asexual where I live, who would have the same preferences as me (cuz you know, not every asexual is the same), who would have the same interests in life as me, who could quote my favorite book, who’d take me to the perfect date. Highly unlikely. Unless, like Jordan, I too go to an aro&ace group meeting, where I can meet people from my tribe. But still, this scenario was a bit unrealistic. But it’s fiction, and in books everything is possible, so I just ignored all that. lol 😀
Overall I really liked this book, it was sweet and cute and adorkable (mostly thanks to Jordan and his mouth). There’s ZERO sex (I think the word ‘dick’ was mentioned twice and that might be an exaggeration), but there’s kissing and hugging and soulgazing and books. 😀 And awesome friends, equally as interesting characters as the MC’s. I hope Angus gets to tell his story 😀
Where to start? I don’t even know where to start in describing how good this book was. Jordan. I totally love and adore his character. I don’t think I laughed so much while reading a book as I did with this one. His verbal diarrhea was spectactular. Hennessy, he’s fantastic also. Smart, sexy. The bus questions, the soup crew! So good! This is an amazing story. The blurb kind of says it all. It’s an amazing read and I highly recommend giving it a try. It has to be one of my best reads so far this year, hands down! I loved it!