Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Loving Jay
SERIES: Loving You #1
AUTHOR: Renae Kaye
NARRATOR: Dave Gillies
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 6 hours, 24 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 31, 2014
BLURB:
One thing Liam Turner knows for sure is that he’s not gay – after all, his father makes it very clear he’ll allow no son of his to be gay. And Liam believes it, until a chance meeting with James “Jay” Bell turns Liam’s world upside-down. Jay is vivacious and unabashedly gay – from the tips of his bleached hair to the ends of his polished nails. With a flair for fashion, overreaction, and an inability to cork his verbal diarrhea, drama queen Jay must have a screw loose.
An accident as a teenager left Liam with a limp and a fear of driving. He can’t play football anymore either, and that makes him feel like less of a man. But that’s no reason to question his sexuality… unless the accident broke something else inside him. When being with Jay causes Liam’s protective instincts to emerge, Liam starts to believe all he’s known in life has been a convenient lie. From intolerance to confrontations, Liam must learn to overcome his fears – and his father – before he can accept his sexuality and truly love Jay.
REVIEW:
The darling Loving Jay is a gay awakening rom-com and one of my very favorite MM romances. It’s my go-to happy book, one that is infused with humor and always lifts my spirits, puts a smile on my face, and makes my heart explode from the cuteness that is Jay and Liam.
At twenty-four years of age, Liam is just now realizing he might be gay, but he’s in so much de-nile he could drown. Nope! Not gay here at all. Much. He says “but I’m not gay” in some form or another a dozen times in the first chapter when he knows full well that’s how it’s shaping up. Full realization finally hits him over the head when he admits to himself he can’t stop obsessing over the sexy, make-up wearing twink who takes the morning train into Perth with him each day. Jay is the personification of adorable: beyond endearing, unabashedly gay, unapologetically high maintenance, and with a heart as big as the sun and a smile to match. He is effervescent and irresistible, and he has Liam hooked before they even meet.
Guys don’t kiss guys, do they? Even if it was just a quick kiss on the forehead. And straight guys definitely don’t kiss gay guys. Shit!
While it’s not difficult for Liam to come to terms with his newly discovered sexuality – especially with Jay as the payoff – coming out will be a different story altogether. He’s one of five grown sons to a mother who won’t let a visit go by without probing him about potential girlfriends and future grandbabies, and a homophobic father who claims no son of his will ever be allowed to be gay. The very real possibility of disownment and hatred from his father weighs heavily on Liam’s mind. But Liam has a big mouth and accidentally ejects himself right out of the closet in dramatic fashion.
The humor inherent in Jay and Liam’s personalities – indeed, their mere existences – has me laughing out loud no matter how many times I read or listen to the book. The author brilliantly executes Liam’s self-doubting internal dialogues about still not being gay. And then there are the monologues that spew forth from Jay’s mouth unbidden and unfiltered at any given time. Jay will pull out his figurative soapbox to deliver a diatribe on saving the bunnies with cruelty-free skincare products, or wax poetically about growing baby corn and playing dress up with his beloved niece. He gads about incessantly, hands flitting around in the air expressively.
The characters also face dark times from hatred and bigotry, as well as from Liam’s sad struggle with the internalized homophobia that threatens their relationship.
The terrific secondary cast includes Liam’s best friend, his co-worker, and the family members who embrace him with acceptance. Jay has a family who unconditionally love and understand their exceptional, non-traditional son, grandson, and brother.
I listened to Loving Jay this time around because I needed something light and fluffy and utterly sweet to get me over a book hangover from a deeply moving, suspenseful romance I just finished. Dave Gillies’ narration is on-point. He delivers the main character voices exactly as I imagine them. I adore the print version of Loving Jay, but the audio book is stellar and adds so much to the experience. You can fully sink into Liam’s self-deprecation, and I can’t say enough about Gillies’ voice for Jay. He brings Jay’s joie de vivre and flamboyance to life. The “Oh. My. Gawd!” shrieks and times when he raises his voice and deliberately turns up the gayness slay me.
I can never get enough of this heartwarming love story of Jay – one of my favorite characters ever – and Liam, his knight in shining armor. As Jay babbles on, Liam rolls his eyes, looks on adoringly, and reaches out to pull his beloved into his arms, tucking Jay’s head snugly under his chin. This precious book will hold a special spot on my shelf forever.
Trigger/Content Warning: this book contains a violent act of homophobia
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
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