Author: Renae Kaye
Book Name: Loving Jay
Series: Loving You
Order: 1
Genre: Romance, LGBT
Rating: Excellent
Blurb: One thing Liam Turner knows for sure is that he’s not gay—after all, his father makes it very clear he’ll allow no son of his to be gay. And Liam believes it, until a chance meeting with James “Jay” Bell turns Liam’s world upside-down. Jay is vivacious and unabashedly gay—from the tips of his bleached hair to the ends of his polished nails. With a flair for fashion, overreaction, and an inability to cork his verbal diarrhea, Liam believes drama queen Jay must have a screw loose.
An accident as a teenager left Liam with a limp and a fear of driving. He can’t play football anymore either, and that makes him feel like less of a man. But that’s no reason to question his sexuality… unless the accident broke something else inside him. When being with Jay causes Liam’s protective instincts to emerge, Liam starts to believe all he knew in life had been a convenient excuse to stay hidden. From intolerance to confrontations, Liam must learn to overcome his fears—and his father—before he can accept his sexuality and truly love Jay.
This was kind of a three bears kind of book for me in that it was just right. Just the right amount of sweet, without being saccharine or shallow. Just the right amount of funny without being over the top crazy or never serious.
I felt the same about the characters. I absolutely loved Jay and his quirkiness, but he didn’t cross the line into the stereotypical. He had his vulnerabilities without being weak. Liam was this perfect blend of finding himself and going for what he wanted without being either “oh, I’m suddenly gay and everything is perfect and I’m all chill no matter what happens” or all angsty and fighting it, refusing to admit it or accept himself. He had his issues, his struggles, but he dealt with them in a mature way.
I have read a couple of Renae Kaye’s short stories and enjoyed them, but this is the first full length novel and I really loved it. I will definitely be adding move of these to my want to read lists in the future.
TJ Fox: Sharing the Experience 