Riding with Brighton by Haven Francis

Yesterday, Jay was convinced his life was damaged beyond repair.

Yesterday, Brighton was sure his life was perfect.

Then today happened.

Realizing he’s wasted his life in the meaningless pursuit of popularity and athleticism, Jay Hall knows he has nothing in common with alternative, free-thinking artist Brighton Bello-Adler. But he’s determined to change that.

Brighton’s managed to fill his life with an eclectic mix of people and interests that keep him satisfied. As the only gay guy in his small town, the one thing that’s missing is a man, but Jay’s not gay, so Brighton’s not sure what he’ll gain by letting him into his life. Still, he’s willing to find out.

Heading off on an impromptu road trip, the boys chart a course connecting their worlds, and along the way discover pieces of themselves they didn’t know were missing. As the sun rises on a new day, Jay and Brighton know their lives have changed. Now they just have to figure out how to live in them.

In a fresh and clever romance that turns stereotypes upside down, the journey to coming out and coming of age is full of challenges and surprises, but ultimately, acceptance and love.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Jay is a jock and pretty much most popular guy in school. He wakes up on Friday morning and has an epiphany. He is not happy with his life and he wants to make changes. He realises the highlight of his week is the class he shares with Brighton, the school's only openly gay student.

The story follows Jay through a most amazing and transformative weekend of life. In class on Friday, Jay gets Brighton's number after a flirty, innuendo filled conversation about pens. On Saturday, a nervous Jay meets Brighton in a local park and he spends a fun-filled day with Brighton, exploring Brighton's world and their town.

With Brighton's help, Jay bravely take steps to come to terms with his sexuality and to change his life for the better. Jay is smitten with Brighton and it is easy to see why. Brighton is adventurous, full of life, creative, entrepreneurial, and the list goes on. I loved their conversations and their honesty with each other.

While the guys are together in their own little bubble everything is great, but eventually the rest of the world seeps in and Jay has to face the reality of his friends and family learning the truth about his sexuality and it’s rough going at times.

The story concludes with an inspiring epilogue that left me on a high. As I write this review and think back on the story, I can't stop smiling. I had a great time following Jay and Brighton through their weekend. This is a terrific story.

Age recommendation: 15+ due to descriptive sex scenes.

An escapist filled with wanderlust, writing is HAVEN FRANCIS’s responsible adult version of getting in the car and driving without aim. Reading and music are close seconds. She and her husband can often be found checking out their favorite bands locally or hundreds of miles away via road trips. Reading is something they don’t have in common, but he tolerates her dimly lit late-night habit.

Haven graduated with a BA, double majoring in English literature and fine arts. She made a living writing about trends in interior design but thoroughly enjoys that fact that people, unlike furniture, can fall in love. She especially loves when they fall desperately and into a forbidden kind of love. She has a slightly embarrassing fascination with the period of life that sits awkwardly between childhood and adulthood; the years when nothing is certain, lots of mistakes are made, falling in love is inevitable, and finding yourself is a struggle. For her it’s a fun place to escape to and she hopes her readers agree.

To date, Haven has published five New Adult romance novels, two of which have been Amazon best sellers. She also works as a graphic designer but considers Mom her most important title.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Riding with Brighton by Haven Francis to read and review.