Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye

Date Me, Bryson Keller

by Kevin van Whye

"One of the most adorable, big-hearted, charming books in existence." --Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

What If It's Us meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in this upbeat and heartfelt boy-meets-boy romance that feels like a modern twist on a '90s rom-com!

Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new--the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he's never really dated before.

Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.

Kai Sheridan didn't expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there's more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he's awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this "relationship" will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right?

Drawing on his own experiences, Kevin van Whye delivers an uplifting and poignant coming-out love story inspired by classics like Venio Tachibana and Rihito Takarai's manga Seven Days: Monday-Sunday and the '90s rom-com She's All That. Readers will root for Kai and Bryson to share their hearts with the world--and with each other.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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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 are 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.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 April, 2020: Finished reading
  • 1 April, 2020: Reviewed