Author: Renae Kaye
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 239 Pages
At a Glance: There just aren’t enough adjectives I can think of to describe You Are the Reason. It’s steamy, quirky, light, cute, brilliant, lovely, romantic, sweet, informative and educational.
Reviewed By: Kathie
Blurb: Davo’s a pretty average guy. He has a decent job, owns his own home, and spends his weekends at the pub. He fully accepts that he’s gay, but doesn’t want to be one of those gays who are girly. He likes football and other masculine pursuits, and firmly avoids anything that could be seen as femme—including relationships that last beyond fifteen minutes.
Then Davo’s friend and gay idol not only gets a boyfriend, but also adopts a baby girl. Davo is seriously spooked and scuttles down to the pub. That’s where he meets Lee, cute from her cherry-red hair to her pretty little dress and pointy red shoes. Davo is charmed—but how is that possible? He’s gay. Isn’t he? Then Lee tells him he’s actually a guy—he just likes to wear women’s dresses occasionally. Thoroughly confused about an attraction that’s out of character for him, Davo begins the long journey to where he can accept himself without caring what everyone else thinks.
Review: “G-A-Y stands for Girls Are Yucky.”
First, let’s just take a moment and enjoy the cover of this wonderful book. Whenever I look at it, I forget to breathe, so it’s a good thing nature takes over and makes me breathe before I pass out.
As for the story, there just aren’t enough adjectives I can think of to describe it. It’s steamy, quirky, light, cute, brilliant, lovely, romantic, sweet, informative and educational; all wrapped up in two-hundred-thirty-nine pages. The main characters are Davo (aka David Pederson), or simply Dave, “well groomed—no nose hair, fingernails neatly trimmed, nothing awkward piercing my skin.” Davo is a self-proclaimed regular guy. Or, should I say, a bloke with lots of faults and quirky ideas (quirky and sweet). I loved him!
Lee Brennan is cute, escaped-from-a-pixie-convention kind of adorable, and so girly (Lee likes to wear women’s clothing) that it makes Dave’s back teeth ache. I really chuckled over Lee’s description of a man: “I piss standing up and I shave.” Okay… Well, that works. Cute and educational.
David and Lee are the main characters of You are the Reason, but I have to include Patrick and Jake and Maxine, their baby, and Lee’s parents. Also, the Magic 8 Ball, My Little Ponies, and the color pink; without them Davo and Lee’s tale would be just another short story about attraction, struggle, lots of steamy sex and a happy ending. Okay, that wouldn’t be bad either, but the supporting characters fill out the story with color and depth.
Davo and Lee’s romance is a rocky journey, first with David trying to figure out why he is attracted to Lee (Lee looks like a woman so he must be one, right?). I really enjoyed reading when Patrick explained to Davo about pheromones and attraction. And second, Davo fighting the attraction for many reason. Who said love is easy? It comes with so much baggage.
The relationship that builds between David and the lovely Maxine is also delightful, David learning how to take care of her and falling in love, dirty nappies and all. Yes, love at first sight is real, dressed in pink with a pink bow around her head.
I just have to add that I can’t wait for the audio to come out for this book. While reading You Are the Reason, I could just about hear Jonathan Young’s voice—he was the narrator for The Blinding Light, the first in The Tav series. Davo talking baby talk to Maxine in that whiny voice, and hearing Maxine say, “Uck Day,” what a great audiobook to look forward to.
You can buy You Are the Reason here:
