Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales

Jordan and Benjamin Forever #1

by Dylan James

Jordan Ortiz decides he can no longer hide who he truly is. He’s gay. He comes out to his family, then he comes out to everyone, and it goes well. Like, way better than he thought possible. But that’s about where it ends. There aren’t enough out gay kids at school for him to build a queer social life or even consider the possibility of dating. For now, he’s happy to be the gay bestie for his BFF, Hannah.


Benjamin Cooper is the captain of the football team and has known Jordan for almost his whole life. And he has a secret. When they won an award at the science fair in grade nine, Jordan hugged him—and that’s when Ben realized he had feelings for Jordan. As he watches Jordan come out and flower into who he is, he can’t help but feel ashamed—ashamed at what a coward he is compared to Jordan.


When a broken leg and fair-weather friends leave Ben feeling lonely on Christmas break, he spends New Year’s Eve with Jordan, just hanging out in his basement like they used to years ago. But as the countdown to midnight happens and the ball is about to drop, Ben has something else in mind. At the stroke of midnight, he kisses Jordan.


What starts with a surprise kiss leads to a year of shared secrets, hidden love, relationship troubles, and broken hearts. Through it all, one fact holds true—Jordan loves Benjamin and Benjamin loves Jordan. But is that enough to carry them through when Ben wants to stay firmly in the closet, to the very point that this might destroy what hope they have of true love?

Genres: LGBT, Young Adult, Romance, M M Romance, Queer, Contemporary, Fiction

ebook

First published September 11, 2018

About the author

Dylan James believes love is for everyone, and through writing gay young adult romances, he hopes to get that point across to younger readers. Dylan is a lover of books, Star Trek, and animals. He lives in Canada with his husband and two cats.

Reviews

[☆ Todd]

Despite the pacing being pretty slow, with lots of monologuing, and feeling a bit repetitive, I thought I could make a go of this story, but sadly...



Ben is a complete coward, "dating" a vapid, shallow girl who he doesn't like or respect, just so that he can hide under her Insta-famous-wannabe petticoats.

He treats Jordan like crap. Repeatedly.

And Jordan LETS HIM. And still pines. Like a complete doormat.

A lot of the drama just felt way more like middle school theatrics than high school.

DNF at 41%, when Ben verbally *threatens* and physically intimidates Jordon (who he "loves") not to tell anyone that Ben kissed him.



Well, I don't "have the answers", either, but you don't get to BULLY people because YOU are a coward.

I'm out. :- /

[Mike Oaks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet

Cute story where you know how it’s going to end before you start. Didn’t stop me from reading it though. Lots of mildly angsty feels. I wonder if Trader Joe’s hotdogs are good. 3.75 for scenic drives.

[Chase Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

High school boys stumbling through their first crush. One is out and the other not, which of course is a problem.

Two adorable guys in a cute and utterly engaging story. I couldn't get enough of it.

[Noah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Minor spoilers ahead!

Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales was not all I hoped it would be. Though the story had good aspects that made characters unique, it was trite.
To start us off, Ben was doing things that seemed too stereotypical to hide his sexuality. He avoided Jordan in public and hid his and Jordan's relationship as he pursued his relationship with Nikki, the average popular girl. Not to mention that Ben was on the football team. Jordan was a coward that was too attracted to Ben to do anything about his behavior. It feels like I've heard this story too many times.
Another smaller thing that bothered me about this book was that it felt a bit immature. Don't get me wrong here, I think that immaturity can be used well in developing characters, however, it felt like all of the characters were at least a little bit.
Also, on the topic of character development, I have an annoyance with the fact that the characters don't feel unique. The characters are only slightly memorable, you can't resonate with the characters in the book very well. I will never say "That reminds me of Jordan," or "This reminds me of Hannah".

So, yes, I have my opinions on this book. However, there are some good things to be said about it.
First of all, Jordan and Ben's relationship was perfect. I find that necessary for any novel like this one. To be realistic in writing, you have to realize that relationships will never be flawless all the way through. It takes effort and communication, ignoring the ending of the story a bit, was most definitely represented in parts of this book.
I also enjoy the idea of two perspectives. I usually hate that kind of book, but it made sense for this one. Instead of having biases on certain people based on the main character's ideas about them, you can get different opinions and come to your own conclusions.

Overall, this book was not the best. At least in my opinion. If you can tolerate or if you like some high school cliches, than that's completely fine. I personally don't find the repetition appealing, and would not recommend a book that was purely based off of topics that already have been presented the exact same way many other books have. I hope this review wasn't too harsh and maybe even helpful. Thanks for taking your time to read and acknowledge it.

[ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really hard on this book as I was reading it because the writing isn't... great and the narrative voices are both really not for me and also weirdly dated (I mean, I don't know a lot of teenagers in this day and age, but "epic fail" appears in this multiple times and I just refuse to believe that teenagers are still saying that.) but around the 150 page mark I realized that I just expect more from queer books (probably because they had to be so much better than straight stories for so long to even have a shot at being published) and that for a teen romance this was probably pretty standard fare. Coincidentally, this actually has a similar plot to the YA novel I wrote during my MFA, which is actually immensely helpful to me, as I started reworking that story a couple of months ago. This still isn't really for me (In the same way that most romances aren't, honestly.) but I'm sure plenty of people will have a nice time while reading it.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was super predictable. Right when prom was mentioned, I new Ben was going to come out at prom and they would try and make it all romantic. It was annoying how many times Jordan’s friend told him he would find happily ever after. Sometimes people just want to be mad or sad for a bit. Ben was also a bit annoying. I will never know how hard it is to come out, but Ben could have done better for Jordan.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story!

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one. I really did. But … two years to get through it … and while I loved Jordan, I found Ben to be absolutely tedious and a complete jerk. Jordan could do so much better, and deserves so much better, than loser jock Ben. Ugh.
No wait, it’s not as simple as that … Ben is a bully. And he says some pretty awful, terrible and hurtful things. He’s toxic and if I hadn’t taken breaks from the book for months at a time, I never would have finished it. If you want a book about two male best friends, whose relationship turns into unrequited love and then blossoms into something beautiful and doesn’t have one them being a toxic bully through three fourths of the story, read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Heck, if want one that reads like a fairy tale, go read Heartstopper: Volume One.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I sat down to read Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales, I was unable to put the book down due to the author's strong narrative, the three-dimensional characters, and the plot surrounding two high school seniors who are gay. The book alternates between Jordan's and Benjamin's point of views, giving readers different perspectives on the challenges that many members of the LGBT community face. But more importantly, we watch how these characters grow confident with who they are and what they believe in. The support both characters receive from their families and friends as they reveal their sexuality is remarkable, and I hope it inspires readers to do the same for loved ones who struggle with identity. I am especially pleased that this book avoided the "bury your gays" trope which I find a plethora of when reading this genre. I hope there will be a sequel.

[Gordon Ambos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*
this was a very cute and diverse book, but I had some issues with the pacing. plus, some plot points felt way too convenient and unrealistic.

[Terry D Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story - Couldn’t put it down

I read a lot in this genre and this was as good as any; better than many. It kept my interest from beginning to end. What more could I ask for?

[Mary Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of Heart

What an incredible read. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Senior High School, the reality is spot-on. Got the cool kids, the Jocks, and the not-so-cool kids. Got the teenage hormones and figuring things out. Got all the struggles of figuring out your identity.

Sure, there are plenty of these types of stories out there, but each one is its own journey. No two stories are alike.

This one rates Top Spot for me in the Young Adult genre that features a growing relationship between teenagers and the struggles of high school life. Yes, it beats out "Love, Simon" for me and I absolutely loved that book and movie.

Why did I enjoy "Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales" so much?

Characters are relatable, believable, and I was fully invested in both Jordan and Benjamin since they both appeared on the pages. Two vastly different guys who really aren't that different after all.

The writing is smooth, very easy to read, and to visualise things as they happen. Honestly speaking, this is the exact kind of story we need to see more of in both print, movies, and television series.

If I had the power bestowed upon me, I would see "Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales" adapted into a television series. I believe it would do very well.

Thank you for a fantastic read! 💜

[Robert Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written gay YA love story

I enjoyed everything about this book. Positive stories focusing on young gay characters are important, and it helps when the stories are interesting, inclusive and compelling, which is the case here.

I'm not a young adult, and I rarely read YA novels, so I was able to focus on the beauty of the story without comparing it to others in the genre. Readers of this review might see that as a positive or a negative, but I'm glad I chose to read this book and it makes me want to explore more LGBTQ YA novels.

The author is clearly talented and I will definitely be interested in reading more of his work. I highly recommend this, whether or not you're already a fan of the genre.

And yes, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried at the end of the story. I can safely say that many readers will love this book as much as I did.

[elijah ! · Rating 4 out of 5]

giving 4 stars because that will bump up it’s rating rn. and it deserves a good lil rating!!
this is a nice, kinda cheesy love story that i really enjoyed.
i could tell the author didn’t know too much about asl— the way he translated it to english wasn’t too realistic.
i related to some of the story! i’d recommend if u like this genre

[Jake Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most recent YA books that I've read, and definitely worth checking out if you are looking for something sweet and romantic to melt your heart. You really feel the connection between Benjamin and Jordan, and cheer them on as they discover their way to each other. There's a sequel out as well, and I can't wait for what's in store for Ben and Jordan.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ben’s pretty much an ass and Jordan should have ran the second Ben threatened him into keeping quiet. Jordan’s mum is also quite horrible that she pushes her son to get back with someone who threatened his safety.

[It’s Parker]

I don’t dnf books too often because I’m always compelled to finish them. But when I do it’s either because the writing wasn’t my taste or I couldn’t get into the story at that moment because I’m a mood reader.

And while I try not to be too critical with queer stories because I feel bad when they’re held at such a higher standard than allocishete books, I can’t help it when the book makes me uncomfortable.

For other’s, some of the things I mention might not be a problem. We all have different experiences as queer people and I feel the need to list these things because some of it could make other queer people uncomfortable or trigger old memories and I don’t see some of it mentioned in the reviews.

The idea of Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales was nice when described by a few tweets on Twitter and an okay synopsis.

I thought one out gay kid trying to help another, closeted, gay kid become comfortable with who they are over a winter break sounded like a cute but still slightly deep story, and it could be, but not the way this one was written.

To start, I would like to address the unnecessary over use of the F word that rhymes with hag. When people use the word around me, it doesn’t bother or affect me. But reading it and having the tiny voice in my head say it repeatedly within the first few chapters of the book really made me uncomfortable. It was just tossed around too loosely for me.

And while I don’t mind the gay stereotype in stories, because there are actual people who are like that, I do feel the need to put it out there that this book has a lot of gay stereotype stuff going on for those who don’t like to read books with those in them. So if you’re looking for a book that’s not the gay stereotype, this one isn’t it.

I also hate the way they went straight for the over demanding, bitchy for no reason head cheerleader. As an ex-cheerleader, that just pisses me off whenever I read it. I’ve been on three different teams and granted some people get big egos with their skill level and people get jealous, this story just went to the extreme. And I’m not really here for the girl being made out as a villain because she’s dating the other main character (the love interest) and is the cheer captain. At least give her a motive for being a bitch to this main character instead of the fact that they’re co-captain. Because we had co-captains and they didn’t give a damn if they weren’t the only captain. I could see if it was a teen being jealous of another teen and painting her out as a horrible person out of jealousy, but that’s not how it read to me.

And I would also like to address the comment that gets to me in so many queer books. The person saying that someone doesn’t have the right parts he’s looking for in a lover and how she’s missing the necessary dick instead of saying they’re not male. Just say they’re not a dude and move on unless you’re going to go into the discussion about how some people have a certain preference for certain body parts.

I literally have no clue what race the characters are. You get an info dump of what a character is like when they enter the scene but you almost get no physical descriptors of the characters. You get one brief comment about one of the main character’s having brown skin and besides the other main character on the cover, I literally have no idea what these characters look like and I dnfed at about 60 pages.

which also leads me into the fact that the author is white and writing the struggles of internalized homophobia and not coming out because of a homophobic family of a character that is described as having brown skin. And I don’t know about others, but I feel like that isn’t his story to tell. That it’s such a specific experience he should have left it to someone with that marginalization. (I use the word because we still don’t know his race or ethnicity because the descriptor is not helpful beyond he is not white.)

And finally I have come to the last turn off for me before I decided to dnf, the writing feels repetitive. And sometimes it doesn’t feel consistent. For example, several times the author mentions that the two main characters used to be friends but aren’t anymore despite the fact that they still talk. But he’s not consistent when he says how much they talk. At one point he makes it sound like they don’t talk often and then turns around and makes it sound like they still talk a bunch for people who aren’t friends anymore. But every time the main character mentions speaking to the other main character the author has to repeat that they used to be friends and despite not being friends anymore they still talk, even if the character is just restating it in internal dialogue for the second time instead of saying it to another character.

After that, I dnfed. I did skim through because I was so close to being 50% done and was contemplating holding out, but it did not look like things got better. In fact, I had some problems with the few pages I read scattered at the end, but I don’t want to get into that too much. I do want to mention one part that I skimmed and had to stop to read.

Before I get into that part, I will start with: I do feel like queer books should be allowed to be the shitty 5 star reads where the only thing the book has going for them is the cute or captivating relationship between the main character and the love interest (when the book has romance in it.)

But even then, this book still wouldn’t be it from the page or so I read out of different scene’s at the end. In the one scene I want to mention, the main character said that the other main character was a coward for not coming out to people. Haha, yeah, we’re not going to pressure people to come out for any reason in this house. It’s totally fine to write about a character who says that though, because there are gay people who do, but I leave that here because I am not okay with it and I know some people may be triggered by it or be uncomfortable reading it.

But beyond that one scene, I feel I wouldn’t be bringing the full context to the table to list the other problems I had from the quick skim I did of the rest of the story.

So that’s why I dnfed. And this is one I don’t plan to try and read again in the future.

[Enrique Betancourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book in paperback edition.

I read it in two-three days, but that's usually because I am fast reader. The plot was super predictable since page one, and there were some characters that I just couldn't stand (See: Nikki).

That being said, I think the book did a solid portrayal of what being gay is like in high school. I think Jordan was very understanding and has a big heart. Ben is a dick, but he has a reason to be. Neither of the characters are perfect, and that's what made the book enjoyable: they seemed more human. While every step of the story was predictable, the characters were solid enough to make me enjoy it. It's not the best book ever, but I certainly entertained myself reading it.

Also, I think it was a BRILLIANT idea to have a deaf character like Kumail in the story. Made it seem more real to add something that's usually ignored.

I should give it three stars, because the book is good but not "great", but at the same time I'll give it four because it's good approach to gay teenage-hood.

[Penelope Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a Smashwords sale - so glad I did, this was definitely a good read. Jordan is and out-and-still-navigating-the-waters gay kid in his senior year of high school, with super supportive family and friends on his side and a more or less accepting school community. Benjamin, his best friend from childhood, is captain of the football team - and also closeted, even to himself. Throw in a fairy-tale prom, a stupid high school prank involving hot dogs (which is really the only overt homophobia in the book, apart from disapproving background parents being disapproving in the background), and make-out sessions at a picturesque point, and you've got yourself a classic YA teenage high school romance. Which is, frankly, probably exactly what the LGBT+ YA community needs more of. I am very much looking forward to reading more from Dylan James!

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title does not lie! This book is filled with gay love! This book covers about everything a modern queer high schooler could deal with: unaccepting family, closeted, fear of coming out, etc. The two main narrators and characters are both gay, but both live very different lives of a gay teenager. Jordan is out and proud, while Benjamin is closeted and scared of his feelings. Despite being filled with plenty of juicy drama, this book still remains one of the fluffiest books I have ever read! This book was a refreshing take on the age-old story of boy meets boy. It kept me engaged from the first page, wondering how everything would turn out for Jordan and Benjamin. I definitely recommend this book! It is an excellent break from the sad, angsty LGBTQ+ books that are so easy to find.

Warnings: language (light), and very slight shmexy stuff

[A.E. Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super cute and fun story that I curled up with on a Sunday afternoon. Main character Jordan Ortiz is a somewhat shy high school kid who's recently come out to his family. On top of having to navigate choosing a college and whether or not he will go to prom, he's also struggling with a crush on his former best friend, football star Benjamin Cooper. When Ben breaks his leg, Jordan watches in pain as Ben's teammates somewhat abandon him. Jordan and Ben grow closer, but both wonder if there's really a happy-ever-after in their future. Even though I was in high school decades ago myself, I found myself remembering how fun - and frustrating - teen years can be. YA isn't normally a genre I read, but I very much recommend this one.

[Jeffrey G · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I enjoyed this. It did not really touch my emotions, but I got involved in it. I wanted to keep reading. In tone, it reminds me somewhat of "The Geography Club" except that it's not funny. But it has that simple kind of narrative and clearly-motivated characters. There are two POV's that alternate. That structure mostly eliminates a lot of suspense or uncertainty from the story. You know exactly what both people are thinking at any given moment. This follows a typical YA romance storyline with a breakup and a reunion. It's a nice story and I recommend it if you enjoy typical boilerplate YA romances...which I do.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful LGBT YA novel. The author balances a contemporary setting and the issue of coming out with a storytelling sensibility.

As a realistic story, the dynamics between Jordan and Ben are problematic. They are in different stages of psychological and emotional maturation.

As a fairy tale, the story has an appeal as dual first person narratives of two princes, one asleep and enchanted, the other bold and willing to take a risk.

I liked Hannah and Kumail and hope they get their own book.

[Rebecca]

I stuck with this one longer than I should have. Right from the start the writing felt like the work of a reasonably talented high school student, with every emotion carefully explicated rather than shown, and dialogue that belonged in an after-school special (if they did after school specials on gay romance). Ben was a jerk, Jordan let him be one, the characters all felt stereotyped. Not a winner, sadly.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a little more generous towards Ben in this story than some other reviewers, since I chose not to come out at school and have never regretted it. Being worried about the effect of coming out on your sporting and personal life is a real thing and not everyone has to come out at a very young age, even if that has somehow become the norm. Ben's turning to violence was unfortunate - it wasn't a logical progression for him and it made me uneasy. The wimp-falls-for-jock trope clashes here with the bullied-kid-forgives-his-bully trope, which makes for melodrama and uncomfortable passages in the book. A major distraction was the writing - Dylan James makes grammatical errors throughout the book and a good editor should have picked up on most of them. A swing and a miss.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good one. Really well written. A little angsty but that’s teen life for ya.
This could easily be made into a gay rom com, and why not. There are enough hetero ones out there. There should be another one besides Love, Simon and Alex Strangelove and this story has the build up to prom, like any rom com seems to have.

[Jacque Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!

This is one of those perfect coming of age, struggles, but beautiful tales. I loved how patient Jordan was, but he wasn't afraid to stand up for himself either. The turmoil within Benjamin was difficult to read but wonderful to see him be true to himself in the end. Fun side characters too!

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most heartwarming book ever! I loved it and it was so loving I felt in the story. Best book I've ever read. If 1000 stars where an option, I'd choose it. BEST BOOK EVER!!!! It was so heartfelt, I loved it.

[Ernesto Rivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Being gay myself I know what the closeted world can be like. This books is great example of the way this horror can live out. But if you can hang in there, there’s only one thing at the end of road. Love!

[Bash the Fash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet sweet story.