There isn’t a book i’ve been anticipating more in the last few months than “Date Me, Bryson Keller”. While this book ended up NOTHING like I thought it would be it ended up everything I needed it to be. The story had some more darker moments than I was expecting but they only made me scream and root for the cute boys even more. Kevin Van Whye crafted a beautiful fluffy romance while providing a realistic drama surrounding it that was engaging and gripping to the very last page. I was desperate for more! This book is just full of heart and all the gushy romance you could ever need in a book. Shout out to the strong badass sisters that were the whipped creme and cherry on top of this sweet ice cream sundae of a story(that I imagine Kai would devour). I recommend reading with a soundtrack of “The Graces” - music on Spotify.

Adorable fake dating romance plus heartfelt coming out narrative with a mixed race main character, Date Me, Bryson Keller is a YA debut that should definitely be on your radar! This #ownvoices story is loosely inspired by a manga series and seamlessly navigates potential pitfalls of the tropes it's playing with. Readers with triggers should be aware that this story includes a character being outed as gay when they were't prepared for it to be public.

Bryson Keller is a good-looking, popular senior who hasn't really dated but has agreed to a dare. Every Monday for the semester, he must date the first person to ask him out for one week. There are rules (like no touching) and if Bryson doesn't fall for anyone, he wins the dare. Kai Sheridan is a mixed race, closeted gay boy from a religious family. So he's as shocked as anyone when he impulsively asks Bryson out, even more so when Bryson says yes. Because Bryson is straight, isn't he?

This is a very sweet, swoony romance that will probably give you all the feels. But it also offers representation and insight from an author who is himself of mixed-race background and from a religious family. Things don't always go smoothly for Kai and he has reasonable fears about coming out publicly. I think this is especially important in a time when people assume it's no longer a big deal, because often it still is. Ultimately though, this is a beautiful story about love and acceptance with wonderful friendships and well-developed families. I really loved it and basically could not put it down. Definitely recommend giving this one a read! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Date Me, Bryson Keller is an absolutely gorgeous read! It's been a while since I've picked up and devoured a book in a sole afternoon, but Kai and Bryson ensnared me from the beginning and kept me falling in love with them the entire book. Kai is such a loveable narrator. He knows who he is and he's proud of it, he's just a little unsure how everyone else in his life will react. He was there the night Bryson took the dare: to date the first person to ask him on Monday for the rest of the school week. Why? Because Bryson doesn't really believe in love like that and thinks dating means nothing. On the worst morning of all bad mornings, Kai is the first to ask Bryson out. Well, more like blurt it out. He doesn't know how Bryson will take it. After all, no other boy has asked Bryson out before (even if the rumor mill has said some were thinking about it). To Kai's chagrin, Bryson actually says...yes. And so a week of fake dating Bryson Keller begins. But what if it doesn't feel like fake dating to one of them?

I knew the minute I read the description for this book that I would love and it would be an instant face. Lo and behold, that's proven true. There's just something about Kai's truthfulness as a narrator and Bryson's confidence that makes them have beautiful chemistry as characters. Kevin van Whye does an excellent job at giving every character layers of depth, without over-explaining or defaulting to stereotypes. Every character feels real, like someone you would know; even if you don't live in California or go to an Academy. The plot is one that is seen, but never told the same way as this. Whereas most stop at the big happy moment, this continues. And THAT, my friends, is my favorite part of novels this decade: they continue beyond. Readers love big happy endings, but the realistic endings...the ones that work through the false happy ending, go through the hard times everyone experiences, and still comes out the other end strong? That's the way books need to go in the future.

If you've read through my rambling, kudos to you. Just know that this is a lovely book. I will be recommending it like crazy to all of my students because, like Kai says, if you think people don't act like this anymore, they definitely do. It's high time everyone becomes more accepting and books like this are a little piece towards getting is there. So thank you Kevin van Whye for bringing Kai and Bryson's story to the world and making it a little easier.

Date me, Bryson Keller was a very sweet love story about two boys who haven't really figured out how to date yet but are working on it.

There is a lot of LGBT+ positive messages throughout the book that I think will really speak to young kids reading.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc all thoughts are my own.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I kind of loved this. It was super cute and I love all of the Love tropes in it. It had such an adorable beginning and even though the middle was a bit rough, it was super enjoyable.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Bryson Keller normally kept himself free of romantic entanglements, but still accepted a challenge to date the first person, who asked him out at the beginning of every week. Caught up in the moment, Kai, who was currently in the closet, shouted, "Date Me, Bryson Keller!" And, Bryson, being the great guy that he was, agreed.

It was such a pleasure watching this fake dating turn into friendship and then, more. I absolutely adored both Kai and Bryson, and loved seeing Kai come into his own during this story. Bryson played against the typical jock stereotype. He was beautiful, popular, and rich, but he was also kind, understanding, and self aware. I swear! The kid owned my heart. I couldn't have picked a better person to help Kai navigate this part of his life.

Kai was also wonderful. He seemed quite jolly and go with the flow, but because he felt forced to hide a part of who he was, he carried this immense weight around with him. I shed tears, when he shared these feelings with me, and it broke my heart that he ever felt as though he had to keep who he was under wraps. His struggles with identity went beyond his sexuality, as well. Kai was mixed race, and mentioned never feeling "enough", and I would think that along with the worry and pressure of coming out was a big load to bear. That's why I was so happy he connected with Bryson.



Together, these two were perfection. They were so adorable. I could feel all that first-love/like excitement coming off the pages, and it put the biggest smile on my face. The flirting, the stolen glances, the tenderness, the sparks, the giddiness - all those things you experience as you are falling for someone, was beautifully captured, and I adored every second of it.

Though the beginning and the end of the book were all sorts of super cute, the middle was bumpy for Kai. It's sad to see, that people still encountering homophobia in 2020, but it's a reality. That part of the story broke my heart in two, but Kai was lucky, because he had such an incredible support system. Donny and Pryia, his two best friends, as well as his little sister, Yazz, stood by his side, and held him up, when he was struggling to stand on his own. Yazz was actually the biggest rock star of the book, and when her standout moment came, wow! I was ready to start a fan club for this kid after what she did.

Overall: This was a story that left me fist-pumping and feeling good.

I desperately needed this book right now. This is the perfect high school love story between Kai and Bryson full of the typical high school relationship problems made larger than life by one of our characters being outed. I loved their love and I can’t wait to watch the success of this book!

Though many LGBTQ+ writers and readers argue that we need more stories with queer characters that are NOT coming out stories, author van Whye insists on the continuing importance of the trope, and revisits it through the first person point of view of a biracial American high-school senior. Seventeen-year-old Kai Sheridan (whose mother is white, father biracial South African) has known since he was ten that he's gay, but because of his family's religious beliefs and practice, and because he doesn't want to be "Kai, the gay one," he hasn't told anyone. He's nursed a long-time crush on classmate Isaac, not super cool, popular soccer star Bryson. But after Bryson, who has refused to date ("High school relationships don't matter"), is offered a dare—"prove to everyone that you can date someone new each week"—all the students at Fairvale Academy become obsessed. Who has asked Bryson this week? Has Bryson really broken things off at the end of every week? Can he resist being drawn in to dating anyone long-term?

After a frustrating morning dealing with Bryson-mania (and getting detention because of it, cutting into the time he expected to finish an important drama projecjt), Kai's anger and disappointment boil over, and he says the magic words: "date me, Bryson Keller."

Since Bryson is a nice guy, not a dick like many of his fellow teammates, he doesn't take Kai's words as a joke. And he agrees to date Kai, all while keeping their week-long "romance" a secret (because Kai isn't out). But when Bryson starts to give out signals that perhaps he's not as straight as everyone assumes, Kai can't help falling just a little—or worrying that Shannon, the school's determined newspaper reporter, might find out more than Kai, or Bryson, wants to acknowledge.

van Whye's writing is straightforward, without the imagery or metaphor or wordsmithing that often characterize literary YA (a drawback or a plus, depending on your taste). He crafts a diverse and engaging cast, including Kai's younger sister ("younger in age but older in everything else"), who serves as intermediary between Kai and his parents after Kai comes out to them; and Kai's two besties, white upper class Donny Duckworth (who drives a car christened the "Duckmobile") and Priyanka, Priya to her friends ("Priya claims that it is a reward for all those who put in the time and effort to learn how to say her full name correctly"). Kai's affection for them all, even as Donny and Priya begin dating and turn him into the occasional third wheel, is palpable.

Although the characters are seniors in high school, this story feels as if it is for younger (late middle school?) readers. Kai and Bryson both come across as far less experienced than the typical 17 year old American (especially a teen with the level of race and class privilege Bryson enjoys). Many of Kai's asides about race and being gay in a heteronormative world read as public service messages more than ideas or beliefs filtered through Kai's personality, which again comes across as the thoughts of a younger teen. But Kai is an engaging and appealing narrator (the blushing!), and Bryson the perfect wish-fulfillment boyfriend for a still wary of being openly gay gay boy. If you're looking for a Disney Channel depth-level take on the difficulties of coming out, one that doesn't include too much angst and doles out happy endings all around (except for the villain, of course), van Whye's story is just the ticket.

This is a mostly happy book about a romance between two guys. One knows he is gay; the other realizes he is gay over the course of the book. Their dating begins as the result of a dare, but because both characters are decent and likeable, those who like joy in their reading can read contentedly from the beginning of the book. Although one is outed against his will, and there are some nasty scenes that result from that, the waters smooth relatively quickly.

This is just the cutest story ever told <3

Bryson Keller is dared to date someone new every week for three months. He's gotten through two months of dating different girls each week when Kai Sheridan asks him out. Because Kai hasn't come out yet, they keep their relationship a secret. Bryson is the perfect boyfriend, though he's just playing a part...right?

This story is filled with incredible characters, an adorable romance, and a hilarious romcom setup. This is the book you've been looking for. It's perfect and adorable.

TW: outing, parent rejection after coming out, homophobia

“Being a gay teenager stuck in the closet is so lonely and isolating.”

It’s been a while since I read a good young adult book. This one had me feeling all the feels of liking someone. The butterflies in my stomach, the obsession of checking your phone to see if they had texted you (in my case if they will call!... yes, I’m old! 😂). All the up’s and down’s and the uncertainty of liking someone. I felt it all!

I could totally picture Kai’s Character. Everything was ok with him. He was sailing by. He had it all planned out how he wanted to come out. So when Bryson came along. Kai’s perfect plan went out the window.

“That’s the thing with labels: they tend to stick to you like unwanted gum. It’s why I’m so careful not to be labeled. More than anything, I do not want to be Kai Sheridan, “the gay one.”

Kai never expected Bryson to be so open. They both let their guard down and fully embraced each other. But to Kai... he thought it was just about the date with Bryson. He never in a million years thought there could be more. He found himself falling.

“That’s the problem with liking straight boys. The story always ends the same.”

Kai was going through a lot. He loved letting himself be open to what it would be like to be with a boy so openly. Someone to share the little things with. But he was also so scared to come out.

“Sometimes hiding is the difference between life and death. It’s why the closet still exists. It keeps us hidden and, more important, it keeps us safe. Living your truth is important, but sometimes living the lie is what keeps you warm, fed, looked after … breathing. Which is something a lot of people looking in from the outside don’t get."

“It’s unfair how heterosexuals get to love, laugh, and live so freely, while we second-guess everything. Our actions are always cautious.”

I loved Bryson! He jumped in with both feet! He went above and beyond with Kai. He was also figuring things out. Kai opened his eyes. Things clicked with them.

“I choose to be happy. Because I can be. Because I deserve to be. Gay means happy, too, you know.“

I really enjoyed this book. All side characters and all. Donny and Priya were the best friends I wish everyone could have! Yass... was the annoying little sister. But, She would defend you no matter what! I loved Bryson’s mom and sister. Kai’s parents are good people. They had a honest reaction. But made up for it.
It’s been a while since I totally devoured a book in one sitting. I wish there was more! I would love to read more of Kai and Bryson!!! The College years!!!!

“We deserve to be loved, supported, and accepted. We deserve to be happy. Always."

For fans of:
- The family dynamics from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
- 80s and 90s rom-coms (but make it gay)
- “You’re the One that I Want” from Grease

“I wait for him to turn gay into an accusation— an insult. I wait for him to stop seeing me as Kai and to see me just as gay. 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.”

Review:

*cries happy tears* This was such a healthy representation of discovering your sexuality and I want *slaps hands on table* for this *gives you the puppy eyes* to be turned into a movie so bad *sobs uncontrollably*.

Huh, what’s that? That wasn’t a concise review? Alright, let’s try again.

Date Me, Bryson Keller reads like a queer 90s rom-com and I absolutely lived for it. The cast of characters was exactly what you’d imagine a friends group and family to be. They’re quirky, weird, and funny, but also have a lot of depth to them considering that they’re not in the spotlight all the time (insert here my begging Kevin van Whye to give Kai’s sister Yazz her own spin-off because that girl is going places).

Not to mention the chemistry between Bryson and Kai is off the charts. Their friendship and eventual relationship is so supportive and both of them are incredibly thoughtful and they never turn against each other when the outside is trying hard to tear them apart. There’s no miscommunication and instead the two of them face their coming out together and try to make the process as smooth as possible for the other. Supportive boyfriends who are not afraid to show emotions? Yup, reason number 57 for you to pick up this book.

It also portrayed exploring your sexual identity in such a healthy manner. Bryson never questioned being gay that is, until he spent more time with Kai. And when he starts questioning whether he just always assumed he was straight because of what society made him believe, it’s not this bad thing, instead it’s him just thinking, “huh, maybe I should see where these feelings are taking me”. It was just such a refreshing storyline. Whereas we usually get characters pining, wondering, and fearing (which is all important and I love those books!), here we just have this kid figuring out that, hey, he might be into boys, and that’s cool!

This is also such a small thing, but it just stood out to me: Kai’s anxiety and the way he feels more comfortable texting people, even coming across as suave in words, was so relatable. Kai is overall a blushing cutie-pie whose cheeks you’re going to want to squish on every other page but he also deals with a lot of fears concerning his coming out. Van Whye doesn’t shy away from addressing that coming out and hazing queer people is still an issue even when people think it isn’t but Whye also takes care to make this story as uplifting as it is unflinching. The book screams love is love, kids, and to remember that you’re still you, no matter who you would like to dare-date for a week…or longer.

It also discussed coming out of the closet versus being forced out of it and the fallouts that can ensue when you’re not ready to tell the world who you are. Kai has a lot of love and support but there are (and hopefully not always will be) people who need time to understand this new facet of his – even though it’s nothing that should change the way you feel about him:

“I’m still me. Nothing’s changed. I know that for certain. Yes, I’m gay, but I’m still me. I know what the Bible says, Mom, but I’m asking you to put your faith in me. I’m asking you to put your faith in your son. I’m not any different just because society wants me to be. I’m the same. So please, Mom and Dad, love me just like you always have? Please?”

A poignant, cute queer love story that showers teens with support and shows that the hate will never win as long as we stick together. Delightfully funny and with a lot of heart, this debut belongs on your shelf!

What a surprise this book was! I read reviews about how it felt like a 90s rom-com, and they weren't lying. I could 100% see this being a movie, and hope that that comes to fruition, because this was a genuinely enjoyable YA read, regardless of if you're LGBTQ or not. We have plenty LGBTQ teens that come into my store looking for great reads that they can identify themselves in...and while most seem to be lacking (usually poorly written and dumbed down for teens, sadly, of all types), this was a bright spot among that not-so-great sea of YA books. The characters popped and were three dimensional...you cared about them and their stories...and like most 90s movies, you find yourself fist-pumping in the air at the end.

Seriously...if all YA books could be written like this, I'd read more of them.

This book didn't grab me at first, because I couldn't make sense of the premise. Why is it considered a dare (i.e. a difficult challenge) for Bryson to date a different person each week? How did it go with all of the girls he dated, and how did both parties feel when it was over on Friday? Surely some of the girls had their feelings hurt when he didn't choose to continue to see them when their week was over, but we don't get much of a sense of how it was going before Kai impetuously asks him out.

Once that happens, though, the book becomes simply wonderful. We're in familiar "fake dating" trope territory, and it's always fun to watch pretend become real. Bryson may be a little too good to be true - if only every uber-popular guy in high school were as nice, brave, supportive, understanding, protective, etc - but he does have his own baggage with parents who have recently gone through an ugly divorce. He's pretty much a Prince Charming to Kai's Cinderella, but that's okay because Kai deserves a prince. He's a shy aspiring writer and firmly in the closet with no plans to come out to his family or two BFFs. But being with Bryson, even just as friends at first, helps him emerge from his shell and become more comfortable with himself and his identity. The two have adorable chemistry together as their friendship becomes flirtatious. There is no Big Misunderstanding or lack of communication(view spoiler). The conflict centers around if and how the boys are going to come out and how others will react. The sex in the book is limited to hand-holding, kisses and some vaguely described making out. Seemed a little chaste to me for today's teens but it just makes it feel even more like a fairy tale.

The author's afterword explains that he wanted to use Kai's story to remind people that although we have come a long way, it is still a big deal to come out as queer and people are still being hurt horribly by lack of acceptance. There are some bumps along the road for Kai but in the end he knows he has the support of his friends and family, and he and Bryson are definitely HFN with a few loose ends left hanging (view spoiler). I don't know if Kevin van Whye plans on a sequel but I would not mind in the least hanging out with these adorable boys and their friends again.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really great read! I really enjoyed reading this book, would definitely recommend. This is a good book for all ages.

Advance copy provided by Random House and NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
3.5! This was adorable! I requested this book because the concept sounded so cute and it very much was. I just felt that the story was just happening without us taking a pause to really develop much until the last act. The relationships between our main character and his family, his friends and Bryson were very sweet and this was such an enjoyable read. Definitely the right choice for my post-Chain of Gold fluffy contemporary !

I LOVED this story and I cannot wait to order it for my library and recommend it to teens.

I have never loved a character more than Yazz, the extremely smart, talented, and well spoken little sister who seriously makes this story.

This #ownvoices story will fit well on any library shelf across the country.

I received an e-ARC of Date Me, Bryson Keller from the publisher through NetGalley.

Kai Sheridan is a senior at an elite boarding school where Bryson Keller goes. Bryson, Kai, and their friends create a dare that Bryson has to date someone new every single week of senior year. Close to the end of the year, Kai asks Bryson out. The book goes through the course of a week and a half as Kai and Bryson discover what it means to be in a relationship.

I really liked the beginning and end of this book. The middle fell a little short for me. I thought it was very creative to utilize a dare to help two boys discover what they felt about each other and about their sexuality in general. The book really brought to light how LGBTQ+ communities are treated in schools how a school should respond to bullying. Date Me, Bryson Keller is Kevin van Whye's debut novel, but I definitely will check out more of his novels in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC I received of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This one didn't appeal to me. I loved the premise and I think it was very cute, but it felt a bit heavy handed with the discussions of both sexuality and race. When Kai ruminates on the struggles he feels being bi-racial, I was really disappointed because while the sentiment sounds true, the speech was so stiff. It's like the author took these great, important topics that I really want my students to discuss and consider, but he couldn't quite build the characters that needed to say these things. Both Kai and Bryson felt cardboard and cliched, not like people.

I loved this. So much. So very cute but still very much straddling that real world line. More thoughts soon (I promise!!!) TW: homophobia