Two boys. One summer. A story of lust, love, and the complicated space in between.
Every summer, Darius returns to the family home in a quiet French village. He’s not expecting much. Just some time away. Maybe a little peace. Instead, he gets Rudy. Rudy is Darius’ cousin’s best friend. He’s reckless, golden, and off-limits in every way that matters. He’s also the guy Darius can’t stop wanting. Their connection burns bright and fast, with stolen glances and sharp words that almost mean something. It feels like everything. It also feels like it could break him.
Then Lucien enters the picture. A French librarian with a love of stars, and a kindness Darius isn’t sure he knows how to receive. With Lucien, there’s no firestorm, just warmth.
Told in two voices, Darius’ and Rudy’s, this is a story of two boys trying to figure out who they are to each other, and to themselves. It’s about lust, and how easily it can be mistaken for love. It’s about love, and how terrifying it is to be held gently when you’re used to being hurt.
But above all, DARIUS is a story about family. The kind you’re born into, the kind you choose, and the kind that tests every part of you before showing up with a plate of food and a badly timed joke.
Heartfelt, sharp, and full of summer heat, DARIUS explores what it means to want, to love, and to be brave enough to admit the difference.
Darius
Author Jake Zuurbier
Page count 374
Language English
Genre Romance, Queer, Drama, Fiction
Format Paperback
Illustrated No
Jake Zuurbier, born in 2002, is a multifaceted Dutch author whose creative endeavors span writing, photography & painting. As the founder of Apollo Imperium, he has established a platform that reflects his artistic passions.
In literature, Zuurbier is recognized for his innovative narrative techniques and unique perspectives. His debut novel, “The Detective,” published in February 2023, offers a modern and off-beat twist on classic murder mysteries. His second book, "Erisseth," released in January 2024, delves into themes of magic, love, and betrayal, showcasing his versatility as an author.
Beyond writing, Jake's artistic expression includes painting and sketching, with his visual art characterized by a blend of traditional techniques and contemporary themes. His works vary from realism to abstract. His photography reflects his keen eye for detail and composition
Reviews
I was sucked into this story, reading 80% of the book in one day. A weekday. And that's saying something.
✨PLOT: The book covers so much - learning the difference between love and lust, complex family dynamics, toxic relationships, toxic patterns, complicated relationships with parents, navigating one's identity and sexuality, struggles with identity and social image, bottling things up and hiding yourself to please the people you love, and dealing with everything while keeping a happy, vacation face on because you're around family that you meet once a year.
✨WRITING: The writing is engaging, fun, witty, and easy to read. It maintains the vacation vibe and lets you breathe. Which is surprising because the book deals with more than a few serious issues. Some of which I've listed above. Major focus on some.
It is the writing that makes the book unputdownable.
✨CHARACTERS: A diverse bunch. And the best part? Character growth! It's beautiful. I don't do spoilers, but I really want to gush about the characters that I feel proud of. For unlearning, for changing, for finally living for themselves.
✨OVERALL EXPERIENCE: Refreshing. It's not every day that you come across a book that deals with a lot but doesn't let it wear you out. Instead, Darius keeps things festive. This is set to become one of my comfort reads.
✨A personal note from the author in the epilogue. I'll say no more. Read and find out for yourself. ;)
DARIUS is a queer romance novel tangled with family drama, but it’s more than just a love story. It dives into complicated family dynamics, toxic, suffocating relationships, and the chaos of identity crises. Every summer, Darius—one of the two POVs—vacations with his family in a beautiful French villa. It’s supposed to be the same as always. But this year? Something’s different. Rudy—Darius’s cousin’s best friend. He’s golden, reckless, completely off-limits… and the only person Darius can’t stop thinking about. This is a story of two boys trying to figure out who they are to each other—and to themselves. It’s about lust, and how easily it can be mistaken for love. It’s about love, and how terrifying it is to be held gently when you’re used to being hurt. But more than anything, **It** is about family. The kind you’re born into, the kind you choose, and the kind that breaks you down—then shows up with a plate of food and a badly timed joke.
I love all the different characters in the book. Each one has their own unique personality and flaws, which makes them feel so real. I love the growth that the characters undergo—watching them evolve from the environments they were shaped by, learning about themselves, and ultimately starting to live for themselves. It’s such a powerful journey. The twist, omg. I gasped.
Love Lucien!! He’s such a sweetheart—so gentle and kind, and his character really brings a sense of warmth to the story.
The book is fun and easy to read, even though it delves into some complex themes. It strike a perfect balance between heartwarming moments and the more intense, thought-provoking elements.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. That said, when I saw it was a queer romance, I had my doubts since this isn’t my usual read. The writing is effortlessly good—smooth, engaging, and easy to sink into. What stands out most is how perfectly the author captures the family drama. That chaotic, comforting vibe of a family on vacation, spending time together—it hit me right in the heart, just like how we grew up—with those messy, loud, love-filled moments. The realism of the family dynamics is spot-on, grounding the story perfectly.
The characters are so well-developed (at times I forgot I was reading a queer romance). They’re not just characters; they’re flawed, funny, and fully human, carrying their baggage and growth with authenticity. I know this book had two POVs, Darius and Rudy, but I felt it wasn’t just about them—it’s the whole family and their world that pulls you in. The book balances humor, heartache, and hope beautifully, crafting a relatable yet distinct exploration of love and identity. It’s a rollercoaster—laugh-out-loud moments crash into gut-punching revelations. A twist I didn’t see coming leaves you with a warm feeling of contentment.
This isn’t just a romance; it’s a coming-of-age tale wrapped in a vacation-gone-wild package, with a found family that steals your heart. The queer lens adds richness without overshadowing the universal struggles of loyalty, self-worth, and choosing between what’s easy and what’s right. It’s not perfect—some choices might divide readers—but it’s real, and that’s what makes it linger. If you crave a story that feels like home yet pushes you to reflect, this one’s a gem.
I received an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion on this book. I have to say, this book has left me a changed person.
I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. I usually fall into fantasy worlds or get pulled along by thrillers, but DARIUS caught me off guard in the most unexpected and beautiful way. From the very first chapters, the characters felt like real people. They were messy, warm, aching with things they couldn’t say aloud. They were flawed in the exact ways that made me care for them deeply. They felt like friends I’d never met before but somehow already missed.
The dual perspectives worked amazing. Darius and Rudy each carry so much, and reading their thoughts side by side was like peeling back layers of the same summer sky—different angles of the same sunset. Even when I knew better, I found myself rooting for every one of them, for all the ways they tried and failed and tried again.
The story moves slow at first, like the stretch of a sun-soaked afternoon, but once it stirs, it doesn’t stop. At around thirty percent, it began to unravel in the most perfect way. I couldn’t look away. I was fully tangled in it, breath caught, heart tight in my chest. And the twists? They’re not loud or flashy, but they hit with precision. Each one peeled the characters open in new ways, made me feel closer to them with every turn of the page.
This book feels like a summer breeze and a sun-warmed bruise all at once. Gentle, but unafraid to touch something deeper. It’s soft, sharp, and completely unforgettable. And the ending? No spoilers, just this: Darius, I’m so proud of you.
This story meant the world to me.
RATING: 5/5⭐
EXTRA THOUGHTS: This story hovered around 4.5 stars for most of it, but I will say that the last 30 pages or so were my favourite. A story about growth and love, the ending sealed the deal for me.
Requested a free ebook ARC of this from the author’s website in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Jake Zuurbier and Apollo Imperium!
This is a charming, frequently funny, and slightly spicy queer romance and family drama set in France that follows Darius, the titular character, his best friend Rudy, and a diverse and interesting cast of supporting characters.
If you’re looking for a compelling young adult fiction story about falling in (and out) of love, family issues, coming out, and having fun in France (and NOT in a Call Me By Your Name-ripoff way), you’ll probably enjoy this!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I generally don’t like romance, so it takes a LOT for me to give one 5 stars.)
What I liked:
✓Character guide right at the start that made getting into the story so much easier; though, it does slightly reduce the excitement of learning about the characters over the natural progression of the story
✓1st person and dual POVs by Darius and Rudy - and a surprise POV chapter from another character later on in the story that provides a bit more depth and nuance
✓Clear and engaging writing style
✓Bits of humor throughout (that are actually funny!)
✓Cultural references that make sense and don’t feel too awkward or out of place
✓Diverse cast of compelling characters
✓Relatable depiction of the queer experience and romances (not that I’m an expert at it considering I’ve never been in a relationship lol)
✓The epilogue; specifically the author’s message / intention with this story (and that ending!)
A few notes / opportunities for improvement / random thoughts (potential minor spoilers!):
∙Spotted a handful of typos (minimal; nothing egregious)
∙Dialogue / narration can sometimes seem awkward or redundant - but when the 1st person POVs from younger American characters (who, realistically, may not be the most articulate people in the world IYKWIM) is taken into context, it makes sense and somehow adds to the charm / realism
∙I found myself more interested in following Rudy (and later on, Freddy) than Darius himself tbh.
∙Love Liza. Everyone should have a Liza in their life.
∙Not sure if it was intentional but I think it was interesting to not name Rudy’s mom and dad; adds to the feeling of alienation / estrangement from them
Will be posting a video review on my BookTok so follow me for updates: @carlo.martinez__
I present to you a story in which love is the basis of everything. Be it at the level of self-love, as well as in interpersonal relationships.
The book “Darius” presents to us two characters that will contribute to the development of the narrative. As the title itself mentioned, the main character is Darius. A young man in his twenties, very sure of himself - not afraid to be who he truly is -, but also uncertain about the love relationships in which he engages.
On the other hand, we have Rudy. Elegant boy, who comforts the views with just a simple smile, as well as with a body that envies. However, this being an old crush of Darius, Rudy is heterosexual. What has always been a hindrance in the relationship of these two.
This queer story hit a little close to home, because the themes that were portrayed here made me remember some of certain striking moments in my life as a homosexual. Already, the fact that heterosexual people play with each other, pretending to be homosexual, however when they saw two gay men hugging or kissing, they considered it a sin and a “disgust”. Moreover, the fact that many men, who consider themselves to be straight, use a homosexual human being for an experience and simply do not want to know how it will affect the other person.
However, this book has very well grounded the censorship that still exists against our community, but also that there are still people - our family and friends - who are there to support us and accept when strangers devalue or censor us.
I really loved this book and I really think that this one should have - one day - an adaptation to a movie like “Call me by your name” had.
The book was honestly a very refreshing and heart-warming book for me, it was different from a lot of the books that I have read and it honestly seemed like a breath of fresh air in the genre of romance. The characters were all amazing, all of the characters were flawed in many ways but perfect in their own unique ways too and I just fell in love with all the characters and the characters were all so beautiful that I was afraid that maybe the characters wouldn't get the ending they deserved but surprisingly I was very satisfied with the ending and was very emotional. The plot was different from a lot of romance books that I have read because the book deals with so many sensitive topics like identity crisis, internalised homophia, family dynamics cheating and more, but this book didn't glorify them but showed it for how it actually is and how difficult it can be to deal with all these things. Reading Darius was a beautiful journey for me because it shows us the difference between lust and love and makes you understand the meaning of true love and shows you how love actually should be, the ending of Darius made me really emotional and I remember when I saw that I was on the last few pages of the book I had to stop reading and let myself cry because of just how beautiful it is and how this journey of reading such a beautiful book was ending for me.
This was one of those books that I simply didn’t want to end. I dragged this out over a few days when I could’ve easily binged it in a day. I didn’t want to leave these characters that I grew to absolutely love. (Even Freddy; especially Freddy…he needed it the most.)
Reading Darius was like taking a fresh breath of salty summer air. Not only did this kick off my summer reading, but also kicks off Pride month for me. Seriously, I couldn’t have asked for a better book than this to do just that. Zuubier truly captures the essence of summer, growing up, trying to fit in with not only the real world, but also your family.
Here’s what else I loved…
📝 this felt like reading a diary almost…I really loved the formatting of Jake’s writing in this.
☀️ Jake truly captured finding yourself & being young and not knowing what the future holds…I simply applaud him on this. At 34 I found myself sinking back into the hopes of the future at a young age in the midst of summer, which was so nostalgic.
🩵 right off the bat I knew I was in good hands when Mama Mia was referenced!
🥰 𝐵𝑒𝒶𝓊 (the beauty & the beast reference 😭)
🍷 I want to party with the Singretti family. They were so fun!
🚩 I’m such a red flag because I was rooting for the toxic relationships in this. 😅