Date Me, Bryson Keller

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones.com
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 21 May 2020 | Archive Date 31 May 2020

Talking about this book? Use #DateMeBrysonKeller #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

'Date me, Bryson Keller!'

Everyone at Fairvale Academy knows Bryson Keller, the super-hot soccer captain who doesn't believe in high-school relationships. They also know about the dare Bryson accepted - each week he has to date the first person who asks him out.

A single school week is all anyone gets. There have been no exceptions to this. None.

Until me, that is.

Because brilliant Bryson Keller forgot one thing. He never said it could only be girls . . .

To All The Boys I've Loved Before meets Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this irresistible LGBTQ+ rom com.

'Date me, Bryson Keller!'

Everyone at Fairvale Academy knows Bryson Keller, the super-hot soccer captain who doesn't believe in high-school relationships. They also know about the dare Bryson accepted...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780241435267
PRICE £7.99 (GBP)
PAGES 336

Available on NetGalley

Send to Kindle (PDF)

Average rating from 78 members


Featured Reviews

Wonderful coming out story. This would be a great book for young people coming to terms with their sexuality, or parents with newly out kids. Loved every minute of it. I really hope we check in with them again.

Was this review helpful?

This book was all kinds of cute. Loved the swoon-factor between Kai and Bryson but also loved all the supportive secondary characters, like Yazz and Crystal. Touches on more serious topics but I’m here for the adorable love story.

Was this review helpful?

4.25/5 Stars

Trigger warnings for homophobia, bullying, a character being outed

This was such a heartwarming and fluffy read, it's definitely the feel-good book I needed right now and I'm so glad to have read it!

The premise was quite fun and interesting, but what really did it for me were the two main characters, Bryson and Kai. I just liked them so much! Even though this book takes place in just two weeks I appreciated how Bryson and Kai's relationship started and then developed. Also, I was surprised to see that to me it did not feel rushed, it felt quite organic actually.
Their interactions were everything and on multiple occasions I found myself laughing alongside them and deeply caring for these two young boys.

Even though it was a fluffy book for the most part, there were also some awful moments that Kai especially had to go through. It was devastating to read and I'm quite glad with how things turned out in the end, even though some resolutions felt a bit rushed and easy.

Overall it was a great read that I truly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

This was an engaging book with likeable characters but obvious plot twists. At first I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style but it got better as the book went on; I also felt like the motivations for the actions of some side characters could have been explained in more detail as the book itself wasn't very long. This had a very heartwarming romance at the core of it though, which was by far the best bit, and I'd love to read more about the characters in future!

Was this review helpful?

An irresistible, fun and engaging romance that leaves your heart feeling fuzzy and warm. It's full of romance, Angst and humour, it's got characters that make you feel and root for them as the story unfolds.

Date Me Bryson Keller is a perfect read. It's a welcome addition to the genre with it's originality and strong likeable characters.

Was this review helpful?

If I could rate this higher than five stars, I would.

This was the perfect LGBTQ+ YA novel. From start to finish I was immersed in Kai’s story, especially as his story covered two very important topics, sexuality and race. Kai talks of his issues not only relating to being a gay male who is still in the closet, but also as a mixed race person and how difficult being mixed race can be. He talks about how he often feels like he doesn’t really fit, because he’s not black and he’s not white so feels like he doesn’t have a proper place.

I loved the character of Yazz. She’s so clever and strong minded and SO supportive of Kai. I loved that she helped their parents see sense.

There were also characters that made me SO angry, for obvious reasons that I don’t want to mention as they’re spoilers!!

This book is SO important. I read it cover to cover, in one sitting, and have thought about nothing but this book ALL. DAY.

A must read.

Was this review helpful?

Well, this was just a delightful read. Think To All The Boys I've Loved Before, but queer.

Things I loved included:
- reading an #ownvoices book about a biracial character
- reading about a character with a South African parent (I legit got so excited when Kai's dad used Afrikaans and South African phrases!)
- how adorable Bryson was
- (slight spoiler) that, when Kai's parents found out he was gay, it was his white, American-born mom who was freaked out and homophobic, not his biracial, South African dad. This was a really refreshing inversion of how those groups are often perceived
- Kai's sister Yazz was PERFECT, I was sort of imagining her as Diane from Black-ish, if she was more caring and slightly less of a smart-arse
- how homophobia is a real and present issue for Kai at school. Don't get me wrong, I love reading queer YA where characters are out at school and everything is super happy and fine - it's nice to live in that optimistic version of reality - but I felt this was probably a more nuanced and realistic vision of high school for queer kids outside of major US cities.

Things that I wasn't so keen on:
- urgh the bi-erasure whhhhhhyyyyyyyyy? It's suggested once, in a throwaway line, that maybe Bryson is bi or pan but for the vast vast majority of the book only the binary options of gay/straight are ever mentioned or discussed.
- the whole reasoning/logic for Kai asking Bryson to date him is weak af, like it had to happen to get to the good stuff but the author wasn't really invested in that bit (see also, the dare in the first place, which didn't make a ton of sense)
- this is personal considering my own heritage, but I would have liked something more about Kai's dad being a biracial South African married to a white woman. Presuming the book is set around 2019, they'd have met not long after the fall of apartheid and the first democratic elections in South Africa, so it's not NOTHING that his dad is a non-white South African. Kai talks about race in America and specifically where he fits as a biracial person (which was done really well), but doesn't reflect on his South African heritage with regards to race. But like I say, this is probably just me and my South African heritage being greedy to read something reflecting that in mainstream YA!

But these are mere quibbles, it really was a fun and romantic read that I enjoyed a lot.

Was this review helpful?

Alright, I honestly don't know how to describe how I feel about this book so this is going to be a very weak review compared to how I really feel.

First things first...trigger warnings for homophobia, bullying, characters being outed, some violence...the usual.

Second, I wanna say how much I loved this story. It's cute and fluffy and touches on so many issues and I just loved this so much. The main characters are so cute, the supportive side characters are awesome and it was just overall such a great read for me.

We start off with a party and the second main character being dared to date someone else every week. Bryson is a well-beloved guy in school, he's the captain of the soccer team and everyone loves him. However, he doesn't think a lot about dating in high school. He simply doesn't care about that so that's why he got dared and every monday, the first person to ask him to date them, he has to say yes and date them for 5 days. Kai is a mixed race (his dad is south african), gay, closeted boy who shares Drama class with Bryson and they've been put together for an assignment and on the same day, on this monday, Kai, out of a whim, asked Bryson to date him. Bryson, who's always thought he's straight, thought it was a joke first but then realised it wasn't and true to the dare, he said yes. That was the only week nobody knew who Bryson was dating because Kai isn't out yet and Bryson doesn't want to out him, so they use the excuse to meet because of the assignment while dating in secret and this is where the story starts.
First off, I loved Kai as a character, I loved to see how he dealt with dating a guy for the first time and then none other than the most popular boy of high school while actually having a crush on another guy. Second, I loved Bryson. I was honestly so in love with this boy because he's just not what you expected. People think he has it all but it's not all as it seems and I loved to get to know the character and I loved even more how supportive he was of Kai and helping him and defending him and I honestly loved him so much as a character.

This book now holds a special place in my heart and if you like the fake dating trope with cute boys being all fluffy, you'd definitely like this book. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.

Was this review helpful?

This book made me smile and it also made me cry. Although it is a very important story to be told with valid points being touched, I feel like some of the teaching moments felt a bit forced. Overall a good book that will help young queer readers.

Was this review helpful?

3.4* rounded up to 4 here

Date Me, Bryson Keller is a light, indulgent addition to the selection of queer YA contemporary romance books out there. While it didn't blow my socks off, it was still a decent read, and I know that a lot of people are going to like it!

The plot of this book was incredibly cliché, and heavily reliant on tropes; however, it suited the tone of the story quite well. It's got fake relationship, it's got friends to lovers, the whole nine yards. Not the most realistic plot in the world, but it worked well. It took place in a fairly short timespan, so it was very fast moving, but I never felt it was too fast moving or rushed. It was absolutely predictable, but in a classic YA contemporary romance way that was still enjoyable, and part of the charm.

However, though it's a cute and fluffy storyline, there were some lows to it too. Kai gets outed several times, and here's definitely a fair amount of homophobia from those around him, as well as internalised homophobia. One of the tropes that I am not a fan of that was present in the story was the 'I'm not like the other, out Gay TM' trope, like in Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. It just doesn't sit well with my own experiences, and while I completely get that my experiences aren't universal, it still feels a little off. I also had some major issues with the main antagonist but I don't want to spoil too much.

Kai and Bryson made a really cute pair. They were friends before, so there was already some basis to the relationship, which is always something I like. They were both total dorks and it was really sweet to watch them go from working on a play script and breakfast together, to holding hands and being goofballs. Bryson was really nice, both to Kai but also to basically everyone else. And Kai was a massive dork: he's one of those main characters who falls under the 'Awkward gay dork starring in a contemporary' and was overall a fun main character.

One thing that made this book hard to read was the writing style. I found it clunky and slightly amateur, and felt at times that the prose felt like dialogue and the dialogue felt like prose. I honestly wanted to take a red pen to some of it, but that's rude and I didn't want to ruin the screen of my kindle. This is not something that's going to be an issue for everyone, but it definitely impacted my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

I don't want to end this review on a negative note because this book doesn't really deserve that, so I will do a quick shout-out to my favourite character! Yazz is honestly the coolest fictional little sister, she was on Kai's side 100% though it all and channelled the righteousness that almost all children her age had.

This book was not necessarily my cup of tea, but not every book is for every person. However, I think it's a good fluffy read for those who want a cute queer YA story that flows well and wraps up nicely with a Happily Ever After. It definitely had its moments, and is overall a solid YA contemporary romance.

The publisher provided an advanced copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My review will be posted on my blog and Goodreads on Sunday 17th of May, and promoted on and around the publication date.

Was this review helpful?

It seems I'm not an Ice Queen after all...this book melted my heart.
Date Me, Bryson Keller is an incredibly sweet and thoughtful YA romance that can be easily read in one sitting. Before I move onto my actual review however I wanted to address some of the bad rep this book has been getting. Some reviewers (who haven't even read it) are insinuating that this book is a rip off of Seven Days a BL manga. The two works do share the same premise and Kevin van Whye acknowledges this in his author's note. In fact he says that a number of stories influenced him:
“I owe a great debt to all of them, including the Norwegian web series Skam (particularly season 3), To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (as well as the film adaptation, Love, Simon), the manga Seven Days: Monday-Sunday by author Venio Tachibana and illustrator Rihito Takarai, and the '90s romcom She's All That. Date Me, Bryson Keller is my #ownvoices take on these prior works.”
YA romances are not renown for their originality so I'm not sure why some are crying 'outrage' without even having read Kevin van Whye's book. His novel reworks the 'popular guy dates different people each week' premise of Seven Days. These two works have very different characters, settings, and themes (also, most BL and yuri mangas do not realistically portray the struggles of those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community).

Anyway, moving onto my actual review: Date Me, Bryson Keller is a delightful and surprisingly heart-rendering read. Kai Sheridan narration is compelling and I deeply felt for him. In spite of his awkwardness he's capable of admirable self-respect. Due to a dare the most popular boy his private school has to date someone new every Monday. The first person to ask him gets to date him for a week. Although Kai wants to keep his head down, and is not ready to tell his friends and family that he's gay, he finds himself asking Bryson out. To Kai's surprise Bryson agrees. Over the course of the week the two secretly fake date. They meet up in the morning, go out for breakfast together, study together, and quite quickly they get to know each other. As Kai's feelings towards Bryson intensify he begins to question whether they are reciprocated.
To begin with this struck me an impossibly cute and lighthearted story. Bryson is an actual Cinnamon Roll™ and it was so refreshing to see his relationship with Kai develop without any unnecessary angst. I also really appreciated Kai's character arc. Things do eventually take a turn for the worst, and Kai has to deal with a lot. Through Kai's story Kevin van Whye dispels this myth that homophobia' no longer exists or that if it does it never originates from young people. Kevin van Whye maintains a wonderful balance between love story and coming of age, and alleviates the more heart-rendering parts of his novel with humour. The interactions between Kai and Bryson had me smiling like an idiot.
I will definitely be reading this again and I'm looking forward to Kevin van Whye's next novel.

Was this review helpful?

A romantic tale of first love and the pressure of getting ready to come out. Kevin van Whye captures all the pleasure and insecurities of first love and at the same time struggling with having to come out. A gentle story to bring back your memories.

Was this review helpful?

This book was so good! The writing was beautiful, the characters were interesting and the plot had me hooked. It also had some important conversations and I enjoyed it!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy.

I have to admit, I requested this book because the premise reminded me of a BL film I watched which I later found out was also a manga. I didn't know if I'd like it but I absolutely LOVED it. I fell in love with this book and both Kai and Bryson, and I absolutely loved the story. I don't even know how to review it and how to talk about it.

It talks about important things like coming out to a religious family, coming out in general, and figuring out your own sexuality. I loved the way the book talks about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and what it feels like. I loved all of the messages the book sends and I honestly have absolutely no idea what more to say. This is my first 5-star LGBT book of the year and my second contemporary 5-star book. It's also only my 3rd 5-star book pf the year. I honestly didn't expect to love it as much as I did, I literally flew through it and while I usually don't like books written in the present tense, it didn't bother me here one bit.

I would definitely reread this book in the future because I'd need to annotate it. I loved it this much.

Was this review helpful?

So listen. I have thoughts. Prior to any kind of review I want to say this:
I have seen a lot of critisism around for this book because of it's similar concept to the manga Seven Days. Let me just say this: That similar concept is precisely why I desperately wanted to pick this up in the first place. Because I have loved that manga for years and my copy at home is absolutely battered because I've read it so often.
I don't see why the similar set up (for the rest of the book goes into a different direction afterwards), should evoke any kind of criticism in anyone. At the end of the day, every work has been inspired by another. We all have tropes that we love that we know from multiple works we've read. Enemies to lovers? Fake Dating? Oh my god they were roommates? Bedsharing? These are things that aren't original. They're cliché and I for one LOVE them. Half of the classics have taken parts of other classics and written around it. Mr van Whye has honestly written an amazing book that should be on everyone's bookshelf.

Now on to the review itself. You might have noticed but I absolutely adored this book. The premise was adorable, both Bryson and Kai are extremely likable and I honestly enjoyed sibling dynamics of Crystal and Bryson and Kai and Jazz so. freaking. much. Jazz is my hero of this story, hands down. I also loved the three musketeers and their unwavering friendship and support.

While this book is mainly light hearted, super cute and funny, it also deals with the enormous burden of coming out and if that was not enough prejudice to face; coming out as a mixed-race teen. Of course, this presents more of a difficulty for some than it does for others. The book shouts "OUTING SOMEONE IS NOT OKAY" from the rooftops and I am so here for it I could not be more here for it. What Kai goes through? Even though there are statistically worse cases? Is one of the most horrible things in the world. Not knowing if your family will still love you just because of who you love. Kai's feelings are beautifully and heartbreakingly displayed and I felt my insides clench from feeling with him.

I am so happy that this novel is out there. That it adresses bullies, that it adresses how it's sometimes safer to be in the closet, both mentally and physically. And I hope that everyone who needs this in their lives will find this and will hold it as close to their hearts ans I already am.

This is a truly beautiful story.

As a sidenote: I also loved the author's note at the end. This is an Own Voices novel that obviously means a lot to the author and reading the author's note made it mean even more to me. And I absolutely adore that van Whye does list his influences and he doesn't just list the Seven Days Manga, but he also lists Skam. Which is only one of my favourite things in the world.

Was this review helpful?

I adored this book. It was so fast paced and everything I wanted it to be and so much more. From the get go I knew it was going to be a winner with characters called Donald Duckworth who named his car the quackmobile how could this go wrong. The plot line was adorable and a total feel good rom-com, following our main character Kai who is in the closet as he decides to take part in Bryson Keller's dare to date someone new every week. Only they really meant a new girl every week. The story follows these two boys as they are finding who they are and as the dare heats up a little who they are together.
I adored Kai's family dynamic, I saw my own family in how they are together and felt like their family felt really realistic. I loved that Kai also showed the struggles being mixed race and how people can also be prejudiced because of that.
I felt like most of the characters in this were very well done, they were well rounded characters that although they didn't always have the most back story they were definitely 3 dimensional.
I loved the representation and diversity shown throughout this book and I liked the representation of a family coming to terms with finding out their son is gay.
I thought this story was really lovely - I just wish their was more of it.
This was an amazing debut novel and I cant wait to read more from Kevin Van Whye in the future.
5 out of 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

I knew the moment I read the synopsis that I would love this story and it did not disappoint. Date Me, Bryson Keller is so cute.

I loved the concept - it was so fun and offered a different twist on some great YA tropes. Kai and Bryson made such a great couple and I smiled so much while I was reading- their relationship is adorable and heartwarming.

Kai was a fantastic protagonist - I felt for him so much with the blushing and social awkwardness and there were a few passages I highlighted because they felt so much like my own internal monologue! van Whye really gets inside Kai's head, giving him a realistic teenage voice that readers will love. The side characters, like Kai's sister Yazz and his best friends, were also really strong.

Beyond the cute romantic plot, Date Me, Bryson Keller also explores the complexities of coming out, especially when it happens before you're ready. This is a book I would like to see in secondary school libraries everywhere, accessible to all the teens who need to read it, who will find it comforting and understanding. The author's note at the end of this story was hugely impactful and highlighted exactly why stories like Date Me, Bryson Keller are so important. I can't wait to read whatever van Whye writes next.

Was this review helpful?

This book made me laugh and it made me cry. It is just a sweet and at the same time hard-hitting as you would expect from its description. This is a book about love, coming out, and acceptance.

I sped through this book in a single daily as it was unresitably charming and I really struggled to put it down.

If you are a fan of LGBTQ+ own voices romance which also includes a diverse cast of characters, this book is definitely for you.

van Whye is one to watch out for as this debut novel is amazing and I am already looking forward to his next novel!

Was this review helpful?

Jock Bryson Keller doesn't date, he's dared to date a different person each week, a boy asks him out, things get really interesting. This book was just too cute; little to no drama, people actually talked, things weren't left unsaid, and the story proceeded slowly even if the book actually took place in a couple weeks time.

I liked how the issues were faced. The family, religion, how people aren't always how they decide to appear to the world and we shouldn't judge before knowing them. It was cute, fun, and had deeper themes that make you think how things in the queer community have really changed, but they haven't changed enough. I was so sad reading about Kai watching his friends being all cuddly and him thinking how easy it was for them, how nobody would watch them badly for doing so since it's so natural it's love. But it's also love for two boys and I was so sad Kai knew he wouldn't have that freedom, how he knew he would always have a half life.

The writing is easy to read and follow and the plot with the date dare was fun. We all love a fake dating situation that makes the characters understand they actually love each other!

Was this review helpful?

This book was a breath of fresh air that I read in one straight sitting. I'll be recommending it to everyone I know!

Was this review helpful?

It’s not often I review a book straight after reading but… I had to. I needed to. This book was so good! I’m not going to lie, I was excited about this book anyway, I was planning on buying it as soon as it realised but when I saw I was approved on Netgalley, who was I to say no to reading it early? I’m so glad I did because this just gave me all of the happy feelings, it was exactly what I needed after a week of feeling grumpy and unmotivated. It’s not often I read YA now, I just don’t feel as much of a draw to a lot of YA releases, but gems like this one remind me why I always like to go back. I would like to say, I haven’t even tried to avoid spoilers in my review, there’s just so much I want to talk about



The premise is simple, Kai Sheridan is in the closet, his friends and family know nothing about him being gay. Bryson Keller is one of the most popular guys in school and he got roped into a silly dare where he must say yes to the first person who asks to date him at the beginning of each school week and they will then date for exactly 5 days. Kai probably doesn’t sound like he should be asking Bryson out at all, but impulsively he does. Bryson Keller becomes the only person in the school who knows Kai is gay and (apart from Kai’s friends) he couldn’t have picked a better person. Bryson could easily have been some popular douche who grows and develops and becomes a better person through the book (kind of Peter K type development, don’t even lie, I love the boy in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before but he needed a touch of emotional growth) but Bryson is popular and a genuinely lovely guy. He was so supportive of Kai, even before he realised he had feelings, he was there to help Kai realise things about himself. He joked with him and had fun, even talked about a crush that Kai had. And not once did he reduce down to Kai simply being ‘the gay one’ as Kai worried would happen when if he came out.



I did wonder how this book would effectively write Bryson, a straight character falling for Kai (because we all know they’ll end up together) but, actually, that was a narrow-minded assumption on my part. At one point in the book, Kai is talking about how his crush is straight and Bryson full-on asks him why he assumes guys he has a crush on are straight? It’s something which Kai ponders a lot too. Straight is defined as normal based on societies expectations. From a young age, we are taught that normal is a man and a woman in a relationship, we see it on TV and in magazines, it’s everywhere. But why is straight normal and anything else deemed as different? At no point are we told that Bryson is straight, it’s just an assumption I made and an assumption that those at his school make to. When the dare was made for Bryson to date people no one said it had to be girls, but only girls asked him out. I consider myself to be pretty open-minded, I don’t want to be that stereotypical white girl here, but one of my best friends is gay, yet I realise that I do tend to make the assumption about people I meet being straight and why should that be the case? I liked that this was brought up in the book because it’s a valid point, I know I’ve seen before that it’s unfair that coming out is not something you get to do just once, but instead is something you must do again and again because as you go through life you will meet more people and they will once more make the assumption you are straight, but having it rephrased to question why you assume people are straight, it’s crazy but true.



Anyway, it was a refreshing take for me and I appreciated reading it. I suppose I should have noticed more of the hints about Bryson. He was such a great and accepting person, and maybe he hadn't considered his sexuality at that point. I mean, his sexuality is not explored as in-depth as Kai’s as this was very much kai’s story, but it was silly that I made an assumption. I mean, Bryson showed hints of jealousy at one point, and he held Kai’s hand! Bryson didn’t even need to pretend to date kai really, but he did, he took him out for breakfast, he bought him lunch! I mean, Bryson was an amazing fake boyfriend and who would put in that level of effort if he didn’t have to? I just thought he was an amazingly good guy, but I think he realised quite quickly there was something there.



I think it’s obvious that this book also addresses Kai coming out to those around him. He was scared to come out, the only people he’d tried come out with before were his best friend’s in middle school and they rejected him and blanked him after that. It’s easy to see why he was unwilling to try that again. Unfortunately, he ends up having to. many things happen which mean he comes out to his parents and his school before he was willing to and that was sad. His parents' reaction is probably one which isn’t as uncommon as we might hope it to be. It is not all hugs and kisses and we accept you, not immediately. I got that, I suppose Kai’s parents had their own dreams and expectations about how Kai’s life would go and Kai’s family are regular churchgoers, he even says he’s heard his parents discussing how homosexuality is a sin. You get why it kind of went down like a lead balloon. Thankfully, Kai’s little sister, Yazz, is an absolute darling. She’s the hero in this one instantly accepting Kai and showing her support and she helped to bridge the gap between Kai and his mom and that was brilliant. I will say, Kai’s parents do show support in the end. Kai’s dad accepted him quite quickly after the shock wore off he was there showing his support, but Kai mom? She was a bit slower. And then the fact that Kai was forcibly outed at his school by nasty ass witch and she goes all mama bear. She was slower to come around and remember Kai was still her soon who she adored completely, but she got there and then she was on it being the parent she had always been.


It was interesting to see a very different reaction from Bryson's family. They were just so chilled about it and lovely. They took everything in their stride and that level of acceptance was amazing. I especially loved how Crystal, Bryson’s sister, was all smirking and teasing about it as any self-respecting older sibling would be. I think I liked the acceptance even more because Bryson’s mom was quite absent. She worked and she was successful but this meant sometimes she was away and wasn't physically there for him but you could tell she was always emotionally supporting him. That was obvious from how she called him at least once a day checking in and I liked that. It wasn't that his mom was absent she certainly cared but her work meant sometimes she wasn't there. It was good to see this didn’t fall into the trope of absent parents which I always hate in YA, but instead showed a different kind of parenting.


And Kai’s friends! I worried when they were acting a little funny around him that there would be some shaming when Kai came out but they were instantly there to support him. I think I appreciated that with the characters you saw people's true colours with how they acted. Some of Bryson's friends were idiots before with their homophobic remarks which were 'just jokes' and when they reacted badly to being called out you could see they just didn't get it. But then Donny and Priya, Kai’s best friends, just did. They knew their best friend and they were there waiting for him to be ready to talk to them. They had his back and they would have fought for him if that’s what he needed. Love best friends like that.


This was an adorable romance and I had a great time reading. I would have read it in one sitting but honestly, I needed to sleep. This is definitely a book where you need to read the author's note and acknowledgements because they just made me appreciate the book even more. I didn't realise the author was also from South Africa, like Kai's dad, and mixed race, like Kai, and the book was partially inspired by his own experiences. Got to show some love an excellent own voices read. I strongly recommend reading it. It started a little slow setting the scene with the dare but as it progresses and Kai's awkward adorableness came out swinging I was a goner.

Was this review helpful?

This. book. is. adorable. I don't think I have ever smiled at a book this much while reading it!

Bryson Keller is the most popular boy in school. To win a bet, he has to go out with a new person every week, more specifically the first person that asks him out Monday morning, and be the perfect boyfriend until school ends on Friday. It's supposed to show that dating in high school doesn't mean anything, and that relationships won't last.
But then Kai asks him out--not expecting Bryson to actually agree--and everything changes.

Three words. Fake. Dating. Trope. Kai and Bryson are paired for a theatre project, so pretending to be in a relationship for the week just makes sense, as they will be spending time with each other anyway, And even if Kai starts developing a slight crush on Bryson it will never lead to anything. Because Bryson is straight. Isn't he?

The main thing to say about this story is that it will completely melt your heart and have you a smiley mess by the end of it. Hng. Hnnnng. Seriously, be prepared for your face muscles to start hurting because you've been grinning at the pages for about ten minutes. That said, this book is not all sunshine and rainbows. I'm going to go ahead and leave a couple of warnings here: this book deals with homophobia, unsupportive parents and public outing. It deals with the fact that even in a more open-minded society homophobia is still very present, and a horrible thing to deal with on a daily basis. Kai struggles a lot with coming out, because he knows that being gay is a label that will be attached to him forever, eclipsing all other traits. In addition to the realities of (involuntarily) coming out in high school, this book deals with the identity struggles of being mixed-race and a gay son to conservative Christian parents.

I finished this book in a day, and it left me with a happy, fuzzy feeling in my chest. If you are looking for a fluffy, adorable YA romance that has more layers than you'd expect, I can really recommend this book to you!

Was this review helpful?

This is one of the best Young Adult books that I’ve ever read! I absolutely loved everything about it. It’s so unbelievably cute with just the right balance between being hilarious and serious. It’s very character driven and kept my attention constantly. The relationship felt real and the characters were well developed. The way sexuality is discussed is perfect and it made me so happy. I loved the way Bryson’s character talked about people loving people. It was honest and beautiful. And I just want to read it again and again.

I feel like I’ve got nothing to say because I have no faults with it. There are many stories out there like this, but this is without a doubt the most well written one I’ve ever read. And on top of that, it’s probably my favourite portrayal of a m/m romance in a book. I enjoyed every second of it, and recommend it to everyone. Absolutely fantastic!

Was this review helpful?

When I read that this book was pitched as What if it's Us meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I knew I needed it. Especially if it feels like a '90s romcom. I went into this book expecting a fun contemporary that made me laugh and and left me with a happy feeling at the end. I got that and more. Date Me, Bryson Keller really hit me in all the feels! Kevin van Whye made me connect with these characters and I honestly wish there was more to come!

Our main character Kai has known for awhile that he's gay, but hasn't come out yet and he's not sure how. His parents are really religious and being mixed-race and this makes it so much harder for him to want to announce this. How will his parents react? At school there are some students already out, but it's still not easy. I loved Kai so much. He loves his family and friends and in many ways he's sick of living a lie, but he doesn't know how everyone will accept the news. Kai is creative, sensitive, caring, passionate and shy (he constantly blushes). And Kai is incredibly brave, more so then he thinks!

Bryson is your typical high school jock (star on the soccer team) or so it seems. Except there's so much more to him than meets the eye! He has a bright and bubbly personality, is kind, doesn't even think twice to help someone out and will stand up for what he believes in. His home life isn't perfect, but he loves his mother and sister. Dating isn't something he does (when you read the book you'll understand why), so he go into a bet to date someone every week for a few months. There are rules and he has to be asked out! This has been going okay so far, no big deal.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and makes me laugh. I loved that Kai asked Bryson out in a moment of frustration, because he never expected him to say yes. The whole week of seeing them dating and getting to know each other was so sweet! As they go on dates, it's fun to see them connect and feelings grow. I kept on wondering how this would end, because as far as we know at the start, Bryson is straight. That was an interesting point made in this book as well, sometimes you don't question your sexuality or think you need to until you start feeling something. It all felt so natural.

That being said, this book isn't all smiles and fun! There are also some serious subjects talked about. One being, that when people come out they're still harassed, rejected, treated differently, etc. Someone even says in the book, why is this still happening? We shouldn't still be treating people this way. Love is love! Everyone loves who they love and there's nothing wrong with that. This book had me in tears quite a few times, because I really hurt for our main characters. When you read the author's note, it hits you in the feels even more. Date Me, Bryson Keller is an own voices story and it feels that way.

Besides this amazing story, we also get a cast of amazing side characters. Bryson's sister and mom made me laugh and I wish we saw more of them. Kai's sister Yazz is amazing and definitely deserves her own story, I would love to know more! She's the sister everyone should have. Also, Kai's best friend are the perfect squad to have at school. The only thing I wish we learned more about it what happens with the play? And Kai's writing! I wouldn't say no to a book with these two in college, haha. All in all, an amazing read and I won't be forgetting this one anytime soon!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I instantly fell in love with this book when I read the description, I love coming out stories and secret relationships and fake dating and this book has it all. I was a little unsure how this would be set up and was worried that it might not work, but it was beautifully written and never felt like any part was forced or a little too convenient. 

Kai and Bryson felt like a strong unite throughout this book which was something that I really liked about it. They weren't always on the same page or in the same place, but I really felt like they communicated their feelings well and always knew that they could rely on and trust each other. They were there for each other through a lot of difficult moments throughout the book.

There was a lot of homophobia from side characters in this story, but this was constantly portrayed as wrong and over-the-top, contrasting with the centre of this story that treated sexuality with complete normality. It showed that coming out is still difficult and scary and that homophobia is still everywhere, but that many people are accepting and that they don't make any issue out of it. Bryson's journey in particular also showed how young people now are more open to the fluidity of sexuality and to questioning themselves and that this doesn't have to be a scary thing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It definitely had some heavy aspects, but I think it sends a great message that though coming out can be difficult, that it is worth it to be able to be yourself and have the things that you want and that it is okay to be open to these things.

Was this review helpful?

NOOOOO!!!!! I finished that way too quickly! It was such an easy and engaging read. I love Kai he reminds me so much of myself with his anxiety I just want to pull him close and give him a hug.
And Bryson - damn he’s a cool guy. So open and caring and not a popular asshole at all. Both of them compliment each other so well and I am glad I got to read their story.
I wish there was more. It’s so cute but also so important. Because not only do we get a sweet love story we get an insight into what life still can be like for LGBTQ+ teens. There is still this fear of coming out, of what other people think and the assholes who think it’s ok to joke and judge.
This is why it’s important to have books that showcase this and show that love is love and everyone needs to try and accept that.

Was this review helpful?

This is so cute, I love Kai Sheridan is a great character. Being in his head is a ride. He’s sarcastic and sweet, comfortable yet nervous, the narrative is upbeat and honest. Yet has its intense moments. It was rom-com greatness great with cute moments but some hard hitting moments that will take you by surprise.

I wait for all this while reminding myself that being gay is never a choice. If it were, why would so many of us choose to be shunned and spoken about behind our backs? The answer is simple: it isn’t a choice. It’s all so unfair: because you’re so-called different, you need to stand up and say that you’re so-called different. What makes everyone else normal? Who gets to decide that? Whoever it is can suck it.

The plot was a fun contemporary plot. A secretive relationship is great, adding in diversity with two lovely male characters, a small town, and a love story just makes it amazing and my cup of tea! This was my kind of book because not only was it a fun read it took on a more intense narrative it had me tearing up.

I love Bryson he was a great character and a swoon-worthy love interest. He was not a stereotype in any way he was just as sweet and lovely as Kai and they just work together so well and I ship them so much!!!

The word are just not coming. They’re being held hostage somewhere in my brain, and I don’t even know where to begin to rescue them.

I wish this book was longer, or maybe a sequel so we can spend more time with the characters? I just think it would have benefited from being a little longer. Overall defiantly think you should give this a try.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the e-arc.

This was super fun! It really is a blend of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and To All the Boys I've Loved Before- so if you read and enjoyed either of those books I would whole-heartedly recommend you pick up this book. It's also important to read #ownvoices m/m romance, and this is an example of one that's lovely and feel-good!


<u> Characters </u>

The characters were all a lot of fun! I enjoyed the side characters that ranged from friends and family, and how their reactions to Bryson and Kai's love story differed. The balance of family-friends-love story was also well balanced.

Bryson himself was super loveable! If anything, maybe a little too sweet? But I enjoyed that, and it's what led this to be a really easy, light and "fluffy" read that I needed. Though fluffy reads like this are very important in their own way!


Plot

The plot can be summarized to the two comps I listed in my opening, but neither plot-thread overwhelmed the story, but acted as a foundation to the main characters. I will say the set-up of Bryson's dare to date someone new every week felt a bit forced to begin with, but I found I didn't care once the story was rolling and enjoyed the fake-dating troupe.

Was this review helpful?

First off I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's no coincidence how similar this whole book is to Simon Vs the Homosapiens Agenda, and it is full of borrowed tropes and cliches (very Blaine and Kurt in the early stages, I felt), but despite all that I couldn't help but love this book!

It featured one of my favorite tropes, the fake dating trope, and did it deliciously. There was tentativity, bashfulness and a developing self-confidence in Kai throughout their dating and I found it endearing. It even had me sobbing at the end and I had to put the book down for a while and wipe my eyes, just to start sobbing all over again. It has been a long time since a book has done that to me.

While I can see some might find issues with how the LGBTQ+ teens are treated and judged in the book, it happens, and it's terrible. Not to say all cis/straight people are this way, but some still are. And to read the authors note and find out how much of this story was taken from the authors own experiences was heart-wrenching.

If you loved Simon, I think you will enjoy this one. It's very similar in theme and atmosphere, but stands in its own right and deserves its own place on the shelf despite its similarities.

4 Stars

Was this review helpful?

I loved everything about this book. I’m not normally the fastest of readers, but I read this in two days, which is testament to how good it is! The characters were all really well developed, they had a complexity and depth which you don’t always see, which meant that I felt like I knew them, like they were my friends. They were (for the most part, except the antagonists), all very likable characters, I got attached to Kai and Bryson very quickly.
Bryson is not the stereotypical jock. Whilst he does fit in many ways, he plays sports and has the cockiness at the beginning of the book when the dare starts. Other than that though, he is sweet, caring and kind, and he is a lot more complex than jocks are often portrayed as. Whilst the boys are getting to know each other, the reader gets to know them too, their likes, dislikes and quirks. I think that the fake dating trop really helped with developing the characters, because it allowed for Van Whye to tell us things about the characters without it seeming forced.
I can’t help loving the fake dating trope, so I knew I was going to love this straight away. The concept is pretty original and it worked really well. It was a fun and easy read and was extremely cute, but it also touched upon some more serious themes – homophobia and outing. There is also great representation, with a mixed race, gay main character, a gay love interest, an Indian-American minor character, and gay side characters. I think it was really well executed, both with plot and representation. As I mentioned it does touch upon heavy subject matter, as both Kai and Bryson are closeted at the beginning of the book and deal with outing and unsupportive family and friends. There is definitely a trigger warning there, but it is dealt with well, and works for the story.
The parents were also complex too. Through out the book they are portrayed as a loving and supportive family, but they struggle to deal with Kai being gay because of how religious they are. It’s interesting, as the tight and lovely family at the beginning contrasts the later bits, meaning they are not purely evil or homophobic, but more complex.
Overall, it was a very sweet book, and I would love to read more about Kai and Bryson ASAP. I highly recommend it

Was this review helpful?

This was so much fun to read!!

Our main character, Kai, is closeted. In his school there's a popular boy called Bryson Keller who's part of a dare which means he has to agree to date whoever asks him first each week, which means every Monday girls line up to be the first to ask him but with only a few weeks left on the dare Kai asks Bryson to date him and Bryson unexpectedly agrees.

Kai is a great main character who I really loved but Bryson was just the cutest cinnamon roll- he's the popular jock but also an absolute sweetheart! I loved how well-developed the secondary characters were aswell, especially both Kai and Bryson's families. So often when I read YA the parents are never around so it was good to read a book where not only is the family there, but they're also well-developed and explored as characters.

This book discusses a lot of subjects - race, sexuality, being queer in a religious family - but it manages to discuss them all whilst keeping an overall light tone to the story which I really enjoyed.

It definitely is a little unbelievable, the whole book takes place over a week which is obviously rather fast-paced and a little insta-love but it didn't bother me too much here.

Overall, a cute and fun, quick read that i'd recommend to anyone looking for an ownvoices read.

Was this review helpful?

Huge Thank to Netgalley and Penguin Books for approving me for an early eARC of this book!

I really enjoyed this book a lot! It was the perfect cute, fun and awkward RomCom I needed!
Think To All The Boys but GAY.

I read this pretty quickly, in one day. What I liked was how lighthearted, quirky and fun the story was while still being able to address serious topics! The writing was so easy to digest and Kai was a very likeable protagonist! I liked how we explored Kai and Brysons relationship, how Bryson was like the opposite of what we expected him to be. I also enjoy the dynamics between Kai and his religious family, and thought it was handled very true to life!
I loved the South African representation, as a South African reader, it was an extra fun element I really enjoyed! I think Kai's sister is amazing, and she gave me strong Kitty from To All The Boys vibes!!

Over All I found this story very wholesome, quirky and romantic in that cringe highschool awkward kinda way! I was rooting for Bryson and Kai's relationship the whole time, and found the ending very satisfying and pleasant!

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: