Tag: gay romance

REVIEW: The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio

REVIEW: The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Domenic Marino is a man caught in the middle. He and Patrick have been best friends since they were kids. Of course he’s the best man for Patrick’s wedding. And of course that means he’s planning the bachelor party.

When Patrick and Kate got together, Dom and Kate also became best friends. And he’ll be attending her bachelorette party, too.

But there are a couple things casting a pall on the festivities. First, Dom’s break up – and wedding cancellation – is still fresh and painful. On top of that, he’s getting pulled between Patrick and Kate as Patrick is keeping secrets, and Kate expects Dom to act as her spy.

But when Dom hangs out with Bucky – who is a PGA star who can’t afford bad press – in order to avoid the bachelor party shenanigans that would put him in an even more awkward secret-keeping position, it’s a great break from the pressure. Until it leads to even more secrets.

Review

Reading this was a journey. I loved Dom at the start. He has a great “voice” at the start of the book with just the right amount of sass. But as the story goes on and things start to unravel, Dom’s issues become more obvious. And the dynamics in the two parts of the wedding party aren’t much better. I kept thinking, “Dom needs a therapist. All of these people need a therapist.”

By the end, I was pleased with how it all came together. The romance was both sweet and steamy while also being part of the overall mess. The whole middle of the book was something I had to push through because I really wanted to know what would happen. It was a lot at times. But the resolution was super satisfying! Totally worth the middle messes.

If you love a romance where it all falls apart before the characters have to rebuild somewhat from scratch, you should absolutely give this a try! (language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

REVIEW: Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

REVIEW: Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bex is finally in LA. She has put everything towards this for the last few years. She’s saved money, put up with crummy jobs, and researched and applied for jobs and internships. She’s done everything she could conceive of to make this happen. And now she’s here. She has an internship on her favorite TV show, Silver Falls, a show about werewolves and those hunting them down. She’ll be in the writer’s room, learning everything she can to eventually break into TV writing and production.

The showrunner is supposed to be writing a script for an upcoming episode, and so far he’s produced nothing. And this episode needs to be BIG – it needs to turn things up a notch. So Bex writes a script. The showrunner probably won’t use it – he’s been a jerk since Bex showed up on the lot. But she can show some initiative and some of her ideas. Bex’s script shows the female lead of Silver Falls getting a new love interest. A female love interest.

Bex is still wrapping her mind around her own sexuality and trying to figure out how to come out to her family and friends. But she understands how to write this relationship. And she knows Silver Falls, so she knows how to write well for these characters.

The showrunner decides to use Bex’s script. But when he “straight-washes” her storyline, Bex will have to decide how much she is willing to risk to see her story – and characters who share her sexual identity – on television.

Review

This story really came alive for me when everything started to fall apart. When Bex and her friends – both on and off the show – band together to fight the system and the individuals who want to silence them, I couldn’t read fast enough to see how it would all play out. It was fantastic!

There’s a thread of the story that’s about Bex’s personal development – her sexuality, her upbringing in a home with lots of love but little money, and her decisions about what to do with her voice and her opportunities in LA and on Silver Falls. The other thread is the “we’re not going to take it any more” rebellion. For me, that was the stronger thread. Since both have to work together, of course both were good. But the rebellion left me cheering and talking back to the characters of the book. I love when the underdog fights back.

I’ve read several books lately with gay romantic story lines in an effort to build my understanding of people and groups outside my own frame of reference. It’s been intentional. I think my faith calls me to love everyone, and I can’t do that well if people who are racially or ethnically different from me, or those with a different sexual orientation feel “foreign” or “other.” I strongly believe that my empathy and compassion grows as I know and understand people who think or live differently from me – and reading helps me do that. It helps me make better book recommendations, too, when I read widely.

If you love Hollywood stories, don’t miss this one. Even more, if you like stories where the oppressed/maligned stand up for themselves, be sure to check this one out.  If you are curious to try a gay romance (F/F), this one is fairly mild as far as descriptions of the couple’s physical relationship go (kissing, descriptions of romantic feelings, and a physical encounter that takes place off-page) – pretty standard stuff for YA heterosexual romances. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

REVIEW: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Ever since her brother Nick’s death, everything in Brynn’s life has been falling apart. Once a strong student, Brynn’s grades have dropped so low she can’t do the school newspaper, the only school activity she ever really cared about. Brynn’s girlfriend broke up with her, citing “too much drama.” And she can’t do anything right at home. Her step-father is horrible, her mom never stands up for her, and her father is so disconnected he didn’t even show up for Nick’s funeral.

Brynn’s focus is mostly on getting to her 18th birthday so she can move out of her house and maybe even quit school.  But some local events have her longing for the days she was working on the paper, reporting on the truth.  To get that back, she has to get her grades back up. Towards that end, Brynn starts writing emails to TV personality Rachel Maddow for a school assignment. At first she picks Maddow because it infuriates her conservative mom and step-father. But Brynn finds comfort in composing the emails though she only sends the first couple for the official school assignment. She knows that she feels better when she can write out her thoughts. But the exercise awakens new skills and passions in Brynn that take the school – and Brynn – by surprise. And nothing at Westing High will ever be quite the same again.

Review

This book was not a great fit for me as a reader. If I had not committed to reviewing this, I probably would not have finished. But then I would have missed a few great moments, so I am glad I stuck with it.

I enjoy the email storytelling format; I’ve seen that used a lot lately, and when it is done well, it’s lots of fun. And this book used the format fairly well. There were occasionally some emails thrown in that were not between Brynn and Rachel, which was jarring to the reading process – I had to stop and figure out who was writing to whom because the voice and tone changed – but it ultimately helped tell the larger story. I also enjoyed watching Brynn get fired up about school politics and being a voice for the voiceless at her school. This was the piece that made the reading time worthwhile for me.

Unfortunately I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in this except for the English teacher and the janitor. And characters are everything for me as a reader. The romantic storyline wasn’t a good fit for me. It wasn’t any different than a heterosexual romance in another book except when the characters in this one tried to make Brynn’s sexuality scandalous. The matter-of-fact nature of Brynn’s sexuality will be affirming to readers looking for books with gay romance in the storyline.

This is a well-written story that will really click with the right audience. There is a lot of foul language – both swearing and crass references – that may impact some readers (although the English teacher’s response to the language is amusing).

Rating: ♥♥♥