NetGalley Review: Pearly Gates by Bonnie Solomon
Hey all, Sam here.
I think today is a good day to review a book, especially since I have so many books I still need to review. While I do have a whole bunch of books I’ve read and would like to talk about, my primary review focus is on my NetGalley reads at the moment, so I can try and work on improving my review percentage a bit.
Honestly I might just do a mini-review spread for some of my other semi-recent reads because it would be nice to talk about those books a bit too. We’ll see what I can put together. I’m still trying to figure out a better balance for my non-work time so I can work on my own story and read and blog.
Anyway, I’m sad it’s taken this long to get this review up, because I read the book at the end of May, intending to review it in the beginning of June. But…at least I’m getting the review up in June, so I guess that’s something. All right, let’s get into it.
My Thoughts
A dead drag queen. A cozy café. A shady deal—and an unexpected family.
Deceased drag queen Pearly Gates has the worst job in the afterlife: cosmic sanitation worker. When her soulmate leaves her, claiming she’s incapable of growth, Pearly hatches a plan to win him back. By striking a deal to take over the caseload of a burnt-out spirit guide, she’ll prove she’s worthy of love—and redemption.
Her mission takes her to Thunderbolt Books & Coffee, a small-town café haunted by a 1920s burlesque dancer. There, she’s tasked with guiding a grieving young widow, a terminally ill college grad, and a trans woman searching for purpose. As Pearly works her magic (and charm) to help them heal and connect, she begins to discover something she thought she’d lost forever—belonging.
Then she learns the café’s owner is her soulmate reincarnated—and one of her charges is falling for them. Thrown into a love triangle she never saw coming, Pearly must sabotage the relationship or be the good guide she promised to become.
Pearly Gates is a humorous, uplifting fantasy celebrating found family, self-discovery, and second chances—even after life’s final curtain call.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I read this book over the course of a couple days while at work, and let me tell you, it was a delightful experience. Pearly Gates is such a character that I couldn’t help but get swept away into her story. Actually I rather enjoyed the whole cast of characters and following the parts of their lives we got to experience during the story.
As a character, Pearly Gates just jumps off the page. She has so much personality and presence, and it really drew me in. But we can easily see some of her flaws and blocks as well, especially when she sees her soulmate and other souls around her progressing in a way that she isn’t. So naturally Pearly starts charting her own course to show that she can still grow and progress, even if she has to bend/break a few rules to do so.
Honestly, this book might be one of my favorite reads of the past couple months. I love stories with found family. I love stories with intriguing concepts and geeky characters. I expected some emotional moments, but wasn’t quite prepared for how wild and wonderful the whole story would end up being.
There’s mystery and comfort and friendship and connection and romance, as well as some self-discovery and second chances. Throughout the book there were moments of magic and whimsy, laughs and tears, and a story that was heartwarming and endearing while also making you question your own life and journey.
Overall I’m really glad I picked this book up, and I wouldn’t be upset at all if the author chose to write any interconnected prequels or sequels, because some of the other souls in this story seem like they would have fascinating stories as well.
All right, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
