Weekly Book Recs 17-2025: If You Liked "Darius", Read These
- Apollo Imperium
- Apr 25
- 4 min read
WEEKLY BOOK RECS: 6 book reviews and suggestions every week
So Darius by Jake Zuurbier is officially out for preorder and dropping June 1st, and let me just say, if you're already vibing with the teasing, pining, found-family-chaos energy, you're going to want to ride that emotional rollercoaster a little longer. Whether you’ve read it already or you're just here for that delicious mix of awkward yearning, unexpected tenderness, and the messiest internal monologues you’ve ever seen, I’ve got you.
This week’s list of Darius book recs is basically one big group hug for anyone who read Darius and immediately needed to cry, laugh, or scream into a pillow. These six books deliver queer longing, chaotic friendships, emotional gut punches, and yes, plenty of romantic panic. Grab your annotated copy, light a candle, and prepare to feel everything.
Get "Darius" now!
1. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
⭐ 4.6/5
Tropes/Genre: Enemies to lovers, royalty, political rom-com
Description: The First Son of the United States accidentally causes an international scandal with the Prince of England. Cue forced proximity, fake friendship, and an inbox full of flirty emails. It’s cheeky, it’s sweet, and somehow it makes government feel romantic.
Review: This one’s a serotonin boost. The dialogue snaps, the chemistry sizzles, and the emotional payoff hits just right. If Rudy ever had to pretend to be someone’s friend for diplomatic reasons, this would be the blueprint. Ideal for fans of humor, heart, and that “oops, I’m in love with the person I swore I hated” spiral.
2. The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
⭐ 4.7/5
Tropes/Genre: Opposites attract, workplace romance, mental health rep, forced proximity
Description: A reclusive tech genius joins a Bachelor-style reality show for PR, only to fall for his charming producer. Behind the scenes, it’s all awkward confessions, personal baggage, and trying not to fall apart, or fall in love.
Review: It’s soft, it’s angsty, and it holds your hand through every mental breakdown. Much like Darius, it dives into masculinity, shame, and vulnerability, but with rose petals and reality TV lighting. The kind of book that makes you ugly cry in the best way. Highly recommended if you love characters who don’t think they deserve love, and then find it anyway.
3. I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman
⭐ 4.4/5
Tropes/Genre: Fame, anxiety rep, found family, chaotic ensemble
Description: Boyband fame meets identity spirals. Told through dual POVs, one being a trans boy in a globally famous band and the other a devoted fan with her own set of struggles, this is a story about connection, obsession, and survival in the age of the internet.
Review: This one is like sitting in a too-small Airbnb with six people and not enough snacks, somehow intense, hilarious, and full of heart. It doesn’t sugarcoat anxiety or fame, and it has that same ensemble-cast chaos Darius does so well. Perfect if you like your stories messy and real, with the occasional existential crisis.
4. Coffee Boy by Austin Chant
⭐ 4.3/5
Tropes/Genre: Office romance, found family, trans MC, slow burn
Description: Kieran is a sarcastic trans intern who gets stuck working with the uptight, secretly soft campaign strategist Seth. What starts as passive-aggressive coffee runs turns into something tender and unexpected. It’s short, sweet, and smarter than it first appears.
Review: This one is for the folks who love soft queer stories with a bite of sarcasm. Kieran's voice is full of the kind of dry humor Darius fans will appreciate, and the dynamic between the leads is exactly the kind of awkward, slow-burn tension that makes you scream into your hoodie. It’s low-stakes but emotionally real, and the found-family subplot brings it home. Great for a one-sitting comfort read that still makes you feel things.
5. The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch
⭐ 4.2/5
Tropes/Genre: Queer coming-of-age, promposal gone wrong, found allies
Description: When a small-town teen’s grand promposal plan gets outed by a homophobic email, he decides to fight back with the help of an unexpected group of friends, and one very cute boy.
Review: Yes, it leans more YA, but the emotional stakes? Just as raw. If Darius left you thinking about resilience and soft resistance, this one keeps that energy going. It’s sweet, funny, and carries a sharp message about acceptance. Best read on a sunny afternoon with a playlist full of queer anthems.
6. Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
⭐ 4.5/5
Tropes/Genre: Summer romance, pining, age gap, literary fiction
Description: Set in sun-drenched northern Italy, this is a poetic, slow burn story about a teenager falling in love with a visiting academic. Longing, confusion, and heatwaves, all delivered in Aciman’s dreamy prose.
Review: It’s not a perfect comp, but the vibe? Immaculate. Think of this as the more literary cousin to Darius, less chaos, more silence and reflection. But if you’ve ever wanted to scream at a character to just say the thing, or if you like your love stories complicated and slow-burning, this will speak to you. Also, yes. The peach scene is exactly as infamous as everyone says.
That’s your dose of queer chaos and feelings for the week. Come back next time when we’ll probably go full genre-switch again, maybe something murdery, maybe something magical, maybe both.
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