An enchanting, feel-good coming-of-age romance that takes a crucial look into the challenges of being young and queer with two incredible new actors.

Heartstopper is a queer romance that follows 15-year-old Charlie Spring as he meets and develops a crush on Nick Nelson, who he assumes is heterosexual. As the two spend more time together, Nick begins to have feelings for Charlie, causing him to question his own sexuality. The boys face scrutiny from Nick’s friends, and when they make homophobic comments, Nick stands up for Charlie (and consequently himself) by addressing their hurtful actions. The show focuses on the challenges of being young and queer, the trials of love, and the obstacles of mental illness.

This is by far one of my favorite shows to date. I’m a diehard romantic, so an all-audience enjoyable love story is something I can't stay away from. Plus, as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, it was refreshing to see mainstream representation. It touches on not only different types of people raised in different ways, but also different emotions that aren’t often mentioned in popular television. The series was left on a note that was a satisfying ending but still makes you want to see more of Charlie and Nick. What’s more, Heartstopper is based on the first graphic novel of the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman, which makes the story much more enjoyable to me because we can (fingers crossed!) expect another season.