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It's All Good Until #1
It's All Good Until You Realize You're Different
"Two best buddies. One new guy. And a whole lot of questions about love, identity, and what it means to be different."
Best friends since kindergarten, Tay and Third have always shared everything. But as their Junior year begins, they start questioning their identities. Tay discovers his attraction to boys, while Third knows he’s not straight - but the rest of his feelings are still a mystery. When Toby, a charismatic new guy, joins their school, Tay develops a crush, adding even more complexity to their already evolving friendship.
Follow Tay and Third as they navigate the challenges of self-discovery, friendship, and young love in this heartwarming coming-of-age story - perfect for fans of BL shows and anyone who’s ever had to figure out what it means to be different.
Best friends since kindergarten, Tay and Third have always shared everything. But as their Junior year begins, they start questioning their identities. Tay discovers his attraction to boys, while Third knows he’s not straight - but the rest of his feelings are still a mystery. When Toby, a charismatic new guy, joins their school, Tay develops a crush, adding even more complexity to their already evolving friendship.
Follow Tay and Third as they navigate the challenges of self-discovery, friendship, and young love in this heartwarming coming-of-age story - perfect for fans of BL shows and anyone who’s ever had to figure out what it means to be different.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
33 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Beck Lewis
7 books3 followersNot seeing myself on TV, movies, or in books when I grew up, I wanted to create characters I could relate to. I want someone growing up and questioning everything about themselves to see someone like them in my stories. I hope these characters mean as much to you as they do to me.
I've recently discovered the world of BL - boys love dramas - mostly Asian, with my favorites coming from Thailand. Watching these dramas with 2 boys in love at the center of the stories is so refreshing to see. I would have love to seen this kind of representation when I was young!
I've recently discovered the world of BL - boys love dramas - mostly Asian, with my favorites coming from Thailand. Watching these dramas with 2 boys in love at the center of the stories is so refreshing to see. I would have love to seen this kind of representation when I was young!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 7, 2024
A very fun and sweet read. It’s a nice change from the usual Gay love story where everyone just wants to jump into bed!
This is a nice story about new feelings, learning about one’s self and the other state of being other than straight or gay.
can’t wait for the next novella!
This is a nice story about new feelings, learning about one’s self and the other state of being other than straight or gay.
can’t wait for the next novella!
Read
January 16, 2025The primary heroes are sixteen years old and, perhaps, somewhat generic. Perhaps! Oddly, they and other characters are of mixed Asian backgrounds, the significance of which totally escapes this reviewer. They are self-considered as “not so geeky” geeks or “not so nerdy” nerds – which, alas, may just be the author’s economic approach to constructing character.
The heroes and their friends are juniors in high school and are volunteering for the crew of the school’s annual play. To effectively further them as adolescents, the author produces thought processes (Where do we sit? How do we blend in?). The dialog is replete with odd slang (i.e., often calling one another “Madame”) – unknown to me but quite intelligible.
The characters’ group includes a new straight couple, two long-term friends each of whom is in the stage of questioning their individual sexuality, and a new student whose preferences are as yet unknown. Respective parents, as may apparently be true in life, dwell somewhere in the shadows. We focus on Ta (Taylor) who feels different, but doesn’t know how to label it. He tunes out his classmates’ discussions about girls, not with disdain but merely lack of interest. To complete their broad universe, Tay’s friend, Third, claim to be sexually uninterested in anyone.
Assets: The book is short. It is very much to the point and the characters seem genuine and identifiable. Of course, many adult readers may see that merely as interpreting ancient cave paintings! The book is light, easy to read, with minimal conflicts and well-focused social issues. Blessedly, Tay’s parents are enlightened, and support the possibility that Ta is gay. This makes Tay’s strictly intellectual exploration with Third more reasonable.
Debits: These principals may or may not be representative of any slice of the population, which makes adult readers at risk for accepting any generalities in a vibrant and developing sub-population – a risk which we regularly apply to others: foreigners, people of color, those of another religion, pick any minority! Third states it succinctly, when changing in the locker room with Ta – “I’ve seen you naked – let’s just say you’re not my type…”
Enough. The book is interesting, and perhaps useful. It is not, however, the bearer of any universal truth, as “Gay” means too many people have varied backgrounds and reactions. It is a good read for an exploring mind, and may induce healthy curiosity for many, Adolescence is, in truth, revolutionary, with varied standards. This reviewer’s world expanded at thirteen, with a frequent male sexual companion (who ultimately chose aggressive heterosexuality). Nonetheless, that encouraged me to share my discovery with an available classmate. Good sex, thankfully for society, encourages proselytizing. As one of our novel’s principals states: “Welcome to post-puberty, my friend.”
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author for the purpose of a review.
The heroes and their friends are juniors in high school and are volunteering for the crew of the school’s annual play. To effectively further them as adolescents, the author produces thought processes (Where do we sit? How do we blend in?). The dialog is replete with odd slang (i.e., often calling one another “Madame”) – unknown to me but quite intelligible.
The characters’ group includes a new straight couple, two long-term friends each of whom is in the stage of questioning their individual sexuality, and a new student whose preferences are as yet unknown. Respective parents, as may apparently be true in life, dwell somewhere in the shadows. We focus on Ta (Taylor) who feels different, but doesn’t know how to label it. He tunes out his classmates’ discussions about girls, not with disdain but merely lack of interest. To complete their broad universe, Tay’s friend, Third, claim to be sexually uninterested in anyone.
Assets: The book is short. It is very much to the point and the characters seem genuine and identifiable. Of course, many adult readers may see that merely as interpreting ancient cave paintings! The book is light, easy to read, with minimal conflicts and well-focused social issues. Blessedly, Tay’s parents are enlightened, and support the possibility that Ta is gay. This makes Tay’s strictly intellectual exploration with Third more reasonable.
Debits: These principals may or may not be representative of any slice of the population, which makes adult readers at risk for accepting any generalities in a vibrant and developing sub-population – a risk which we regularly apply to others: foreigners, people of color, those of another religion, pick any minority! Third states it succinctly, when changing in the locker room with Ta – “I’ve seen you naked – let’s just say you’re not my type…”
Enough. The book is interesting, and perhaps useful. It is not, however, the bearer of any universal truth, as “Gay” means too many people have varied backgrounds and reactions. It is a good read for an exploring mind, and may induce healthy curiosity for many, Adolescence is, in truth, revolutionary, with varied standards. This reviewer’s world expanded at thirteen, with a frequent male sexual companion (who ultimately chose aggressive heterosexuality). Nonetheless, that encouraged me to share my discovery with an available classmate. Good sex, thankfully for society, encourages proselytizing. As one of our novel’s principals states: “Welcome to post-puberty, my friend.”
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author for the purpose of a review.
May 27, 2025
The writing sometimes interferes with this great awakening adventure.
Author Beck Lewis states he became an author to present stories not being told elsewhere. Here's a trio of guys who clearly care about each other and are maturing in their junior year of high school. Lewis provides some background that Tay and Third have been close friends, with Tay admitting his attraction to guys and Third recognizing that he's not straight. The two have sleepovers and are almost inseparable. New guy Toby enters the scene, and Tay is drawn to him.
There's a lot of self-discovery and consideration of what others think of them.
It's a great story, but it can be confusing in some places. In alternate POV chapters, they are usually named for the character speaking, but it takes a while to identify the voice of the speaker in some instances within this book.
I commend Beck Lewis for his desire to present stories that are not widely represented, and to do so in a safe space. The book ends at a point where some realizations are made, and invites us to the second book where the relationships are apparently to develop further.
Author Beck Lewis states he became an author to present stories not being told elsewhere. Here's a trio of guys who clearly care about each other and are maturing in their junior year of high school. Lewis provides some background that Tay and Third have been close friends, with Tay admitting his attraction to guys and Third recognizing that he's not straight. The two have sleepovers and are almost inseparable. New guy Toby enters the scene, and Tay is drawn to him.
There's a lot of self-discovery and consideration of what others think of them.
It's a great story, but it can be confusing in some places. In alternate POV chapters, they are usually named for the character speaking, but it takes a while to identify the voice of the speaker in some instances within this book.
I commend Beck Lewis for his desire to present stories that are not widely represented, and to do so in a safe space. The book ends at a point where some realizations are made, and invites us to the second book where the relationships are apparently to develop further.
October 7, 2025
Cute story, strange style of writing
While this is a cute story, its almost as if the dialog was translated from another language to English. Most teenagers speak in such a way as to warrant the frequent use of contractions, but in this story they don't and so the dialog sounds robotic and stilted.
The author could really use more character development and to have them speak like actual people. Other than getting over that, I thought the story was cute and engaging enough that I might give the second book a chance to see if the writing has improved.
While this is a cute story, its almost as if the dialog was translated from another language to English. Most teenagers speak in such a way as to warrant the frequent use of contractions, but in this story they don't and so the dialog sounds robotic and stilted.
The author could really use more character development and to have them speak like actual people. Other than getting over that, I thought the story was cute and engaging enough that I might give the second book a chance to see if the writing has improved.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews