REVIEW - Tell Me It's Real by TJ Klune

Tell Me It’s Real is a m/m romance with a premise so many of us can identify with  - Paul Auster, who sees himself as plain and ordinary, with no exemplary characteristics,  simply can not believe it when Vince  Taylor, perfect hunk of man meat he is, is interested in a relationship.  Certain he’s just being “Freddy Prinze Juniored” (a la She’s All That) Paul reluctantly gives things a chance, afraid to follow his heart in case he gets hurt.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book! There is something about TJ’s writing that I just love – the writing is adult, the language can be dirty, sarcasm and quick wit abounds. I also love his tendency towards slightly neurotic, yet totally real in their craziness, characters. (*coughs* Otter…) Tell Me It’s Real totally delivered.   Paul is so quirky, I love the tangents his mind takes and how his thoughts just come out of his mouth. I was laughing constantly throughout the book, not only because Paul was hilarious, but because I saw so much of myself in his thoughts. (Although mine aren’t quite as cool, quirkily, and sarcastically articulated, lol) 

Vince was just the sweetest thing I could imagine. He saw and knew Paul’s heart immediately and never stopped to question it. His unassuming and calm manner was such a compliment to Paul’s high energy. Yet when it came to sex, Vince he was so forward , his confidence so totally swoon worthy, that Paul couldn’t help but stop fighting and be taken along for the ride. (HA! Pun intended. ;) )

I also have to say I loved the relationship between Paul and his best friend Sandy/Helena Handbasket.  You could feel the love and deep caring even through all the traded barbs, and the quiet scenes between the two of them were some of the most touching scenes I have read in a book in a very long time. Bravo TJ for this, you perfectly captured the love and deep affection that exists between tried and true best friends. 

My only drawback to this book is that sometimes it seemed to be a little over the top. At first I just chalked it up to just not being completely in tune with the world of gay men and drag queens – and truth be told, that is likely a large part of it. The more I read however, I think some things were exaggerated a little too much in order to make a point or get a laugh.   Now, please don’t get me wrong, this happens all the time in romantic comedies – and the instances in Tell Me It’s Real certainly don’t detract from the story. They did make me laugh, exactly as they were intended. It was only after I finished reading that I looked back and realized that they weren’t necessary. The book would have been just as funny and sweet without it, and perhaps just a little more real.

So overall?  3.5 stars, plus one star named Paul James Auster, for 4.5 stars. Wait. Make that  4.75 stars for the sneaky ending that had me screaming in frustration!   (TJ Klune, you know what I’m talking about, and I was ready to go bat-shit crazy all over your Facebook page for that.  Luckily, I kept reading. ;) )  

Bookophiles, go give this book a try. It may not seem your thing at first, but a love story is a love story – and this one will drag (queen, ha!) you right in. Tell Me It's Real is available for download  from Amazon (link below, click the pic), Barnes and Noble, and Dreamspinner Press.