LGBT Monday: The Queen and the Homo Jock King

Author: T.J. Klune
Series: At First Sight, #2
Released: February 29th 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 350 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Dreamspinner Press
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Do you believe in love at first sight?

Sanford Stewart sure doesn't. In fact, he pretty much believes in the exact opposite, thanks to the Homo Jock King. It seems Darren Mayne lives for nothing more than to create chaos in Sandy’s perfectly ordered life, just for the hell of it. Sandy despises him, and nothing will ever change his mind.

Or so he tells himself.

It's not until the owner of Jack It—the club where Sandy performs as drag queen Helena Handbasket—comes to him with a desperate proposition that Sandy realizes he might have to put his feelings about Darren aside. Because Jack It will close unless someone can convince Andrew Taylor, the mayor of Tucson, to keep it open.

Someone like Darren, the mayor’s illegitimate son.

The foolproof plan is this: seduce Darren and push him to convince his father to renew Jack It’s contract with the city.

Simple, right?

Wrong.

What on Earth did I just read? I swear my head is still spinning…

The Queen and the Homo Jock King was one of those sequels that I’ve waited a very long time to read, and that I finally picked up with no small amount of trepidation. You see, the first book, Tell Me It’s Real, is one of the funniest, most endearing books I’ve ever read, and writing something that could at least come close was likely very difficult. However, it would appear that TJ Klune was more than up to the task. The Queen is hilariously funny, and as usual, TJ had me laughing myself into stitches mere minutes after I started reading. Seriously, I almost died laughing. He named a drag queen character Sofonda Cox, for heaven’s sake. And that was one tiny detail of many.

However, if you pay attention, The Queen and the Homo Jock King is a pretty serious book underneath – admittedly far, far, far underneath. But TJ manages to slip in loss and grief, deep insecurities and even increase awareness about drag queens. He does it all in his typical way, with much humor and by refusing to pull back punches. Avoidance of issues isn’t in his repertoire. He pushes them right in your face and makes you deal with them… with style.

In terms of plot, QATHJK leaves a lot to be desired, only you don’t desire it in the least. When you think about it with a cool head, you realize that it’s just a flimsy excuse to push our protagonists together, a romance cliché if there ever was one, but while you’re reading, you simply don’t care. Besides, TJ made even the cliché his own and he hid several small surprises within.

If I have to point out one objection to this book, I’d say it’s a tiny bit too long. You just can’t laugh that much at once so it must be read in smaller doses, which isn’t something I normally do. Every concession is worth it, however. This book is a treasure, just like Tell Me It’s Real before it. Read it and enjoy.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.