Pretend You Love Me by Julie Anne Peters

Here's a brief bit from the author's webpage:

In this fresh, poignant novel, Mike is struggling to come to terms with her father's suicide and her mother's detachment from the family. Mike (real name: Mary Elizabeth) is gay and likes to pump iron, play softball, and fix plumbing. When a glamorous new girl, Xanadu, arrives in Mike's small Kansas town, Mike falls in love at first sight. Xanadu is everything Mike is not —cool, confident, feminine, sexy.... straight.
Julie Anne Peters has written a heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful novel that will speak to anyone who has ever fallen in love with someone who can't love them back.
National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters has written a compelling novel about coming out, finding love, and discovering your place in the world. Alyssa's story will speak to anyone who has known the joy and pain of first love and the struggle to start over again.

My Take:

I liked this book and always appreciate the fact that there are love stories out there for the LGBT community.  Ms. Peters books are always well written and great stories.  Mike Szabo falls in love with Xanadu, the new girl in town.  I started to find it frustrating that Mike kept trying to force the relationship between she and Xanadu.  I understand how difficult and frustrating it must be to love someone that will never love you back in the way that you would like them to.  The characters were great, very real and I absolutely loved Mike's friend, Jamie.  I would recommend this book and am giving it 4 chaste kisses!

Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez

Here’s a bit about the book from the author’s website: While Sergio is attracted to both girls and guys, he’s only dated girls before. Lance has always known he’s gay, but he’s never had a serious boyfriend. When they meet, there’s an instant sizzle, and they know that they’ve got something special. But will it be enough to overcome their differences?

Allie has been into guys her whole life, and she’s been in a relationship with her boyfriend, Chip, for two years. But when she meets Kimiko, despite everything she thinks she knows about her own sexuality, she realizes she’s falling for her—hard. And Kimiko has been crushing on Allie since the moment they met, but it’s impossible for her to believe that a bombshell like Allie could be interested in her. Can they find their way together to a relationship?

My Take

This was a great story of relationships. All of them come with uncertainty, but especially when you’re a teenager. Throw in some confusion over your sexuality and it’s even tougher.

Lance and Sergio begin seeing each other. The boys best friends meet, Allie and Kimiko. Kimiko likes Allie but feels she’s out of her league. Allie begins to realize she’s attracted to Kimiko, but will she explore those feelings any further?

I liked this book a lot. The only thing that kinda’ bugged me slightly was Lance continually questioning where things might be going with Sergio. It was really a minor issue though. This book has great characters, a compelling story, and fabulous writing. I give this one 4 ½ kisses!

Love Drugged by James Klise

Here's a blurb from Mr. Klise's website: Love Drugged is about a Chicago teenager named Jamie Bates. Jamie's gay, but he's in no hurry to come out to anyone. In Jamie's view, what's the rush? He's only fifteen.


But when a classmate learns this secret, Jamie freaks out. He responds by doing what generations of gay boys have done before him: He begins dating a girl in his class, Celia Gamez.

Celia is fantastic. She's beautiful, funny, smart. Plus, she's super into Jamie.

Courtesy of Celia's dad, a wealthy doctor, Jamie gets his hands on a new drug - a little blue pill that promises to “cure” gay men. Love Drugged chronicles the weeks and months of Jamie's experiment with these pills, at the same time that his relationship with Celia heats up.

One teeny-tiny problem? The only way Jamie can get more of the drug is to steal it.

And that's not easy to do when the two things standing in the way of Jamie and the drug are Celia and her dad, neither of whom must ever find out that Jamie is gay! Or wait - WAS gay.

Oh, and there's one other thing: Without meaning to, Jamie develops a major crush on an older classmate named Ivan. NOT exactly part of the new plan...

Part comedy, part thriller, part star-crossed romance, Love Drugged examines the dangers of a life constructed almost entirely of lies ... especially the lies we tell ourselves.

My Take

This book was interesting.  Jamie's dire quest to be like everyone else kinda' broke my heart.  I will say that I'm not gay, but I think fitting in is a universal struggle.  Everyone, at one time or another has the desire to want to fit in.  And let's face it, love is love regardless of who it's between.

At what price does that blending come at?  Is it really worth it if it completely changes who you've become?  How sad to let the person you are slip into oblivion so that you may become someone like everyone else.

Jamie is a great character.  I feel his pain and his uncertainty.  I was always surprised at what he was going to do next.  I'd recommend this book and I like the cover.  It's pretty cool.  3 1/2 fabulous kisses for this one!