Bubbles by Tate James is the second book in the ClikByte series, a creative and fresh take on a why choose romance that follows Noah Fearly and a group of social media content creators as they live together and compete in a social media game together. The first book ended on a crazy cliffhanger, so I was ravenous to get my hands on this book to see what befell Noah and the guys.
*This review contains spoilers for the first book in the ClikByte series, No Fear.*
After the brutal attack on Noah and Ace, Noah’s secret is out, at least partially. It’s hard to hide the fact that you have boobs from the guy giving you CPR. She’s been masquerading as a boy to fulfill the contract she was blackmailed into, but she had actually started to consider some of these guys her friends, and some of them maybe more.
Now that some of them know the truth, they’re all going to hate her. Despite the attack, the show must go on, but tensions in the house are more complicated than ever.
Noah and her team quickly discover that they’re still in danger, and there’s something very wrong with ClikByte’s games.
In an unusual shift for a why choose novel and James’ previous works, not all the connections between Noah and the other members of the group are romantic. There are platonic friendships explored here as well.
Not to worry, though; there are still plenty of love interests to go around here. And between the eight members of the team and a few supporting characters peppered in there too, readers are reckoning with a very large cast when reading this book. It can be tricky to keep straight, but after the first few chapters it clears up as everyone settles into their roles.
At times, the characters can feel a little shallow, partially just because there are so many of them to get to know well. That said, they’re all so much fun to read, with plenty of banter and quippy dialogue to go around.
Bubbles is the second book in a series of five, so there are a few steamy scenes, but the author is still mostly teasing us, building the sexual tension and defining the dynamics for the rest of the series.
While this series takes a different angle than previous Tate James books, it still has plenty of the campy, over-the-top, funny moments that her writing is known for.
Torin rolled his eyes and casually draped his arm over my shoulders. Like bros would do, right? If bros had shared a crazy intense kiss after one bro woke up from a ten–day coma and the other bro confessed romantic feelings, and then both bros just kind of pretended it hadn’t happened. Like that.
This book is definitely dramatic and fast-paced with loads of excitement. Despite the potential serial killer on the loose, there’s somehow still a lighthearted tone to the story.
Bubbles ends in another scream-worthy cliffhanger; be warned. The next book in the series, Peaches, will be out at the end of the year. I love this series. It’s such an entertaining read, and I can’t wait to see what insanity Tate James puts her readers through next.
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