3.5 Stars

OK, so Trent is as oblivious as a tree stump and it is a horrifying thought that he has other people's lives in his hands but I did enjoy Julian and his cross-dressing, notwithstanding the prevarication.

And, DAMN, that cover is hot! Gotta love [a:P.L. Nunn|2986789|P.L. Nunn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1354011558p2/2986789.jpg]'s work! Bumped the rating up just for that! ( )

I don't usually write to many reviews, its just I would not recommend this book, I found the characters in this story to be abit far fetched. Very needy you would think the characters were around the age 13 or something like that. ( )

The plot was a good outline. The writing was good and by that I mean well put together and clear. From there, well, it just didn't live up to the promise.

It got a 2 because it had a tendency to suddenly sound like a 5th graders idea of a Romance with sex thrown in by a 14 year old who isn't sure what is really going on but here's what it must be like. I'm not sure how the writers managed it but it came off as a YA book that "Lectures" kids on how they should be. It became a lecture or morals sermon in places and it felt like the character should be center stage, spotlight on them, delivering the "Big speech" for the high school play.

I also resented the portrayal of Trent as stupid. He doesn't come across as innocent or naive. He comes across as just plain stupid. Julian was a cardboard cut out and in real life, let me tell you, honey, a drag queen would never be that plain dumb. Mike is the classic Leave it to Beaver Dad with the answers. None of them were more than two dimensional.

A. A guy doesn't turn gay just because... that is the crap that leads to the places that claim to "cure" it
B. Julian's changing up and becoming a one man man doesn't work either.
C. Love fixes all. [Reality anyone?]

It had potential and didn't make it. ( )

I have to admit that I was fascinated both by the cover and the plot, a cross-dressing story about a pretty wanna-be Broadway artist falling in love with an hunky firefighter. The not so subtle inspiration is the Victor/Victoria play, where a struggling singer finds her fortune dressed as a man impersonating a woman. Here instead Julian decides to “wear” the dress of Julia to be the woman Trent felt in love with.

While the authors play a lot with all the prettiness and sexiness, and naughtiness, of Julian while he is wearing woman clothes, they decided to not transfer it also on his sexual preferences, sure, Julian is gay, but he is an all over top in bed, and that is not exactly something Trent, a completely newby to gay sex can ignore. That is at the same time the point I liked the most but that sometime felt a little too pushed: when Trent finds out Julian is a man, and gay, and in love with him, he is most of all worried that he will not be able to “perform” anal sex. That said, I find Trent a sweet and nice man, a real good guy, and in a way, his worries were natural and right, for someone who has never ever considered to be in a same-sex relationship, to decide to step into one while at the same time accepting that he will be the bottom, is not simple, I think.

I also liked how the authors explained how Trent was willing to accept to be in love with another man even if he has never had previous similar experiences; basically from the first scene we are introduced to Trent, he is already proving some queer tendencies, something that is latent and that he has never once really acknowledge, but in any case it’s there and ready to be unveiled by Julian.

Julian is a mix of naughtiness and fragility; I think he comes from a not easy past, when he was asked to explain and justify his liking all frilly female things while at the same time having the urge to be the dominant in the relationship. Julian achieved a balance, but it’s not a steady one, and he can be easily hurt even by simply words. Falling in love with Trent is not easy for him, since at the beginning it seems like he had to renounce to all his maleness to be the one Trent would love back. And even if it’s difficult for him, Julian is ready to do that for the small chance to be Trent’s boyfriend. But Trent will prove to be the good boy he seems to be, and also the one who is able to understand what it really important in life, more than appearances and other people opinions.

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