Book Reviews

Book Blurb

For fourteen-year-old Jacob Thomas, a Christian and the smartest kid in class, Bobby Versailles is completely out of reach. Jacob wishes a girl named Allie loved him because he still doesn’t get that he’s gay, but he always keeps his eyes peeled at school, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bobby.

 

It’s Bobby Versailles’s senior year. Captain of his high school football team, he’s bound to win Homecoming King and hopefully a state championship, but he’s been miserable for years. His fear of somebody finding out he’s gay has brought isolation and loneliness. He has hidden that he’s gay by going on dates with girls now and then, and also by working out and excelling at football—which has also helped teachers look past his learning difficulties. When he first eyes Jacob, it’s possibly love at first sight. Bobby becomes a little obsessed. Jacob has got to be gay, and when Bobby makes a move, both of their worlds turn upside down!

 

It’s 1982, and while the Nebraska Cornhuskers are barreling toward a possible NCAA National Football Championship, everyone in a small town two hours away hopes Bobby can lead them to a state championship. Can two teens with vastly different lives find love amidst the fervor of Nebraska football?

 

 

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Book Review

This is a seriously cute story – full of the gushing exuberance of two teenage boys in love for the first time, filled with angst of what their respective crush will think, all while dealing with the reality that coming out to anyone is high-risk. Between Jacob’s bible-thumping parents and potentially disapproving classmates, friends, and anyone else, Jacob and Bobby don’t have an easy time of it. Add the fact that this story is set in the Nebraska of 1982, and you can see how they’d be struggling even more than you’d expect today. And yet – the focus is completely on these two guys finding their feet in a relationship neither of them expected, their feelings, and their hopes. I found myself completely charmed. This story may be a borderline fairy tale, but that did not reduce my enjoyment one bit!

Jacob is almost fifteen, a bit of a nerd, and plagued by his Christian upbringing when he discovers that he is in love with Bobby. Jacob has been trying to ignore the “warning signs” that he may be gay and is trying to fall in love with his friend, Allie, but one explosive encounter in the locker room makes it clear that there is no question about his sexual identity.

Bobby is a senior, he is captain of the football team, and would normally not even consider talking to Jacob. But Bobby knows he is gay, has a serious crush on Jacob, and can’t resist finding out if there is a chance that Jacob might be interested in him. Between training hard for his sport, dealing with learning difficulties that go entirely undiagnosed, and maintaining his image as a macho guy (purely as a cover), Bobby has a full schedule and lots to deal with.

Once Jacob and Bobby acknowledge what is going on between them, they carefully yet enthusiastically explore the feelings between them. Physical and emotional growth goes hand in hand with them, and they are totally realistic in how they think and what they feel. Uninhibited first love is something beautiful, and I loved watching them come to grips with their feelings and planning for the future. The ending is very appropriate for their situation – and it left me wishing for a sequel because I did not want to let them go.

If you like tales of enthusiastic, cheerful first love, if you want to watch two teenage boys grow into young men who know what they want, and if you’re looking for a sweet read that is full of youthful energy and has a very affirming message, then you will probably like this novella as much as I do. It is just so charming!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 69 pages/23599 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	29-June-2018
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/jupiter-by-rhett-heath-9708-b