Karaoke Queen - Dominic Lim - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Dominic Lim
GENRE: MM Romance
PUBLICATION DATE: September 17, 2024
RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: An OwnVoices Queer romance-drama with the protagonist having an alter ego as a drag queen. Nice characters, wonderful storyline, decent romance, amazing inclusive rep. I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, especially as it had a few too many YA/NA vibes for my liking. (Note that the book isn't YA/NA romance. It just feels like one because of some writing choices.)


Plot Preview:
Rex is openly gay and has embraced this part of his identity well. However, he has another identity that he has suppressed since many years. When he discovers that his college sweetheart Aaron, the one that got away, is back in town and struggling to keep his karaoke bar afloat, Rex jumps in. Or rather, his alter ego, the talented drag queen who goes by ‘Regina Moon Dee’, takes charge. There’s only one problem: Aaron has no fondness for drag queens, so Rex has to keep his Regina side a secret. As Regina grows popular, Rex finds it increasingly troublesome to reconcile his two lives. But can he openly be Rex and Regina without losing Aaron again?
The story comes to us in Rex’s first-person perspective.


Honestly, I had just one reason to take this book. In the last few years, I have consciously strived to be inclusive in my reading, but no book with a drag queen as a protagonist had appealed to me so far. Until I saw this one. Drag, Filipino background, karaoke, MM romance – four enticing elements that the book does justice to. Hooray!


Bookish Yays:
💃 A realistic book about drag queens, with a drag queen character as the main protagonist and several other amazing queens inside – take my Yay!

💃 Everything about karaoke, including the highs and the lows. Loved how karaoke was actually used in the plot instead of keeping it as the background device.

💃 The Filipino culture and all the yummy-sounding Filipino food 😋 thanks to Rex’s and Paulo’s Filipino roots.

💃 A book where most of the scenes are in a bar and yet alcohol is not overflowing at any point –so relieved!

💃 The entire drag journey, from the positives to the pains. I learnt wayyyyyyyy more about drag dressing than I had bargained for. But no complaints; I loved it!

💃 The importance of parental support in a child’s life. Rex’s parents were supportive of him in different ways: one wanted him to be everything he dreamt of, the other wanted him to have peace of mind and security. I love how his dad isn’t portrayed as the villain just because he wasn’t happy with Rex’s drag preference. The entire parenting arc comes out as realistic than ‘filmy’.

💃 A separate (and well-deserved) yay for Rex’s mom – the kind of mom every kid, queer or otherwise, should have. She might be a bit too loud but her heart is 24 carat gold. Probably my favourite character in this book.

💃 Paulo – the greenest green flag ever. Loved his character!

💃 The themes: mental health, parental problems, bullying, identity issues, and the struggles of coming out. All important, none over the top.

💃 The final few scenes – made my stony heart turn to mush!


Bookish Mixed Bags:
💄 Rex – a good main character but no head for practical thinking when it comes to love. I felt like shaking him towards common sense and making him understand the dangers of a relationship based on secrets. (Do note that my jaded middle-aged brain has partly to do with my feelings. I am sure those in their twenties would have loved Rex unconditionally.)

💄 I didn’t bargain for a romantic triangle in this plot, and as I am not too fond of these, I was a bit disappointed. Plus, it's quite easy to see who the winner of the love wars will be as the writing leaves no room for suspense. Still, the execution wasn’t so bad and the M/M romance was actually satisfying to read.

💄 The plotting is a bit too convenient, but that’s a hallmark of this genre, so this is not a major issue.


Bookish Nays:
❌ Personal preference. I am not fond of writing where every human interaction has to involve a reference to astounding anatomical attributes. (gorgeous eyes, beautiful lips, smooth hair,… you get the drift! It makes the book seem very YA.

❌ Rex supposedly works in the legal department of a biotech company but the only time we see him actually at work is when he's using the conference room to chitchat with his friend Kat about his plans for karaoke or drag. I wish his character-building had been more holistic.


All in all, I’m honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I mean, I did have my moments of eyerolling when the talks went to the allure of the eyes and the lips and all that, but most of my complaints were based on personal reading preferences. I truly appreciate how this novel went much beyond being a straightforward MM romance-drama.

Definitely recommended to those looking for a typical love story but with highly atypical protagonists and many heartwarming moments.

My thanks to Forever and Grand Central Publishing for providing the DRC of “Karaoke Queen” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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