Reviews with content warning for Cursing - My Fair Brady

Wade usually finds himself in the spotlight, so when he’s passed over for the lead in the school musical, he’s shocked. Especially because his ex-boyfriend gets the part instead of him. Meanwhile, Elijah is used to blending into the background. In an effort to make more friends, he joins the stage crew for the musical.

After a mishap backstage, Elijah asks Wade for help in being more outgoing. In exchange, Wade realizes he can use it as an opportunity to get his ex-boyfriend back. But as the two boys start spending more time together, they realize that there might just be a spark there.

Thanks to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of My Fair Brady by Brian D. Kennedy to review! I was definitely in the mood for a cute little rom-com, and this book definitely fits the bill. Especially if you’re a theater nerd! You’ll love all the little references scattered throughout this book.

Kennedy does a pretty good job showing character growth, through our main characters Elijah and Wade. At the beginning, Elijah is just a timid cinnamon roll of a character, desperate to make friends but extremely socially awkward. You’ll just want to wrap him in a hug. Wade, on the other hand, is on the more self-centered side, but as you get to know him, you realize there’s a reason for it. They’re both just really well-developed, and you know I love a good, well-developed character.

In addition to Elijah and Wade, the side characters fill out the cast pretty well too. I think Wade’s friends are a bit more developed than Elijah’s, but chalk that up to the fact that overall, we hang out with them more.

This book does hit a lot of your typical romance beats, pretty well for the most part. My only complaint really is that I wanted to feel a little more of the romance for Elijah from Wade. Something about it didn’t feel quite all the way there, and just a few more details really would have pushed it over the edge.

Overall, if you’re looking for a sunshine romance to combat winter, definitely pick this one up when it comes out in January!

Content Warnings

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Read For:

Rom-Com

Theater Kids

Extrovert x Introvert

High School Romance

Strangers to Friends to Lovers

I loved this concept so much. I was looking forward to this book for a while and honestly didn’t think my request would be approved but here we are. I really enjoyed this book.

The friendship that was built was so nice. I especially liked the camping trip and how Wade just talked to Elijah's dad like it was nothing. Oh, what it would be like to be an extrovert with any social skills. Elijah slowly coming out of his shell and getting more comfortable with Wade was written really well, subtle things like Elijah comfortable with talking or eating a whole basket of fries in public.

The only negative thing to say was I didn’t really care for Reese all that much and even with that said he was important to the plot and was well written. I was so happy when Elijah came to his senses at the end though, I was worried for a moment.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher, for the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: 23, January 2024

POV: Switching, First

Spice: 🌶️

Rep: LGBTQIA+

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