Release Day Blitz - The History of Us by Nyrae Dawn ~ Includes Ava's Review

Title: The History of Us 
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Genre: M/m Romance 
Category: New Adult 
Release Date: June 11, 2015

Sometimes it's not about coming out, it's about settling in.

Eighteen-year-old Bradley Collins came out a year ago and hasn't looked back since. Who cares if he doesn’t know any other gay people? Bradley has friends and basketball—that’s all he needs. Even if that means always sitting on the sidelines when the guys go out looking for girls.

When cute film-boy TJ tries to flirt with Bradley while his friends are doing their thing, he freaks. Yeah, he’s gay, but he’s never had the opportunity to go out with a boy before. He’s never had to worry about how his friends will react to seeing him with a guy. 

Bradley accompanies TJ on a road trip to film TJ’s senior project documentary. In each city they visit, they meet with people from different walks of life, and Bradley learns there’s a whole lot more to being honest about himself than just coming out. He still has to figure out who he really is, and learn to be okay with what he discovers.

Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo 

Dreamspinner: ebook | Paperback 

Harmony: ebook | Paperback

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*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I am a huge fan of Nyrae Dawn’s writing and each new book confirms why I am. The History of Us puts a new slant on m/m romance and I think it can really help people who struggle with who they are, regardless of their orientation.

“Sometimes it’s not about coming out, it’s about settling in.”

This quote encompasses Bradley’s journey within The History of Us. Bradley is open about his sexuality, he’s told his mom and his best friends, so that’s all there is to it, right? If that’s true, why does the thought of holding hands with a guy cause Bradley’s stomach to roll, or the thought of introducing a guy to his friends make Bradley sweat? To Bradley, coming out and admitting he is gay is the easy part, but actually being gay? That’s a different thing entirely.

“I don’t want to discover the new me. I just want to fully understand who the old one is, and to be totally okay with him.”

THoU was a character driven, heartfelt story. I really loved the journey Nyrae took us on. TJ was this larger than life character that caught Bradley’s attention. TJ was everything Bradley wanted to be: comfortable and proud in his own skin. Bradley embarks on a road trip with TJ, chronicling different stories of both men and women that are gay and the struggles they faced to get to where they are today. It was hard and uncomfortable for Bradley to hear but completely necessary.

“We’re gonna be in trouble, Bradley.”
I sort of sit up a little higher in my seat.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Because I might start to like who you find.” He shrugs. “And who knows if you will.”

The trip itself and the characters Bradley and TJ met definitely gave me food for thought. We may live in a modern world where giant leaps have been made but unfortunately prejudice will always exist. Nyrae brought those issues to life, it was real, it was raw and it was beautiful.

The growth in both TJ and Bradley was evident and by the end it was great to see Bradley want to take a stand for himself. The road wasn’t easy but to Bradley, the destination was worth it.

“My chest still aches. I can’t stop thinking about the day, but as TJ throws a leg over me, and buries his face in my chest, I realize I’ve never felt so settled in my own skin either.”

If you are looking for a real, relatable m/m romance then you don’t need to look any further, #1Click this today. 

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Meet TJ and Bradley 
image by Jeminabox

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Nyrae Dawn can almost always be found with a book in her hand or an open document on her laptop. She couldn’t live without books—reading or writing them. Oh, and chocolate. She’s slightly addicted.

She feels a special pull to characters in their teens. There’s something so fresh and fun about the age that she adores exploring. Her husband says it’s because she doesn’t want to grow up. She doesn’t think that’s such a bad thing. Luckily for her, he doesn’t either.

Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. Whether reading or writing, she loves emotional journeys. It’s icing on the cake when she really feels something, but is able to laugh too. She’s a proud romantic, who has a soft spot for flawed characters. She loves people who aren’t perfect, who make mistakes, but also have big hearts.

Nyrae is living her very own happily ever after in California with her gorgeous husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two incredibly awesome kids.

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