Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut

by R. Cooper

Jerry Candelario, known as Potts to almost everyone, has spent his entire adult life focused on raising his siblings and his niece. But the home he fought hard to make feels empty since everyone has grown up and moved out, and his precious baby niece is now a teen with a life of her own. With fewer people at the dinner table every night, Jerry suddenly has all the time in the world to think about what he wants.

For years, Jerry has kept to himself, never going to college, never dating or doing anything with his evenings except getting lost in a book. But although he pushed aside his longing for community and romance, he never stopped imagining the freedom he might have in a distant someday.

Then kind, clever, and out Lincoln Lee opened a bakery in Jerry’s small town. Jerry told himself he was lucky when they became friends. He was too busy to try for a relationship, and someone like Lincoln would never want someone like him anyway. But now that Jerry’s nights are free, all he wants to do is spend them with Lincoln. Jerry knows nothing about gay culture, or dating, or being in love. With Lincoln, he wants to try, but is he making a fool of himself or is his someday finally here?

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, LGBT, Novella, Queer

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2018

About the author

I'm R. Cooper, a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and The Suitable 'Verse stories. Also the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love.

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Reviews

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars.
My first book by this author, and what a lovely surprise it was!

The book needs better editing, there are syntax errors, sometimes a word is written twice, and I felt there were a few strange word choices.

BUT I was able to overlook all that, because the story was so endearing.
Jerry's big heart, his insecurities coupled with his longing for more than friendship with Lincoln, Lincoln's patience and steady and calm presence, Jerry's niece and sister silently rooting for Jerry and nudging him in the direction he wasn't sure was even a possibility for him, were all woven together in a touching novella.

I would have loved more time with Jerry and Lincoln after they got together..

I'm sure I'l reread this soon.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, you perfect, perfect book!

Quintessential R. Cooper.
In fact, quite the best she's written.

All the stars!!!

[Meep · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light pleasant read. I think we'd need more of Lincoln for it to have impact and perhaps more perspective of how others see Jerry. Immersed in Jerry's head it's one of those enjoyable but forgettable stories.

Lincoln sounds great what we know of him, would have loved more of his voice. Jericho a bit of a saint full of bumbling innocent sweetness. Two good friends take the steps closer to become more.

The end felt a bit sudden, although a clear HEA there's no lingering there.
Spotted a few wrong placed words.

[Stella ╰☆╮╰☆╮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this story! I could reread it a thousand times and it will always give me the same lovely emotions. Maybe because I understand Potts so well, maybe because Lincoln’s patience is what I look for in my lovers, maybe simply because the book is wonderful.

I have to say, although my relationship with the author previous works is a hit or miss, my love for her words continues and with this new release I was hugely rewarded. There was nothing I didn’t like in Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut, I found everything perfectly put in the right place and moment, every scene so well balanced with feelings, smiles and some tears. I soon emphasized with all the characters, I loved them all and so wanted to have them in my RL. Potts’ family is a mess, but his love for his sister, nice and dad is endless and so deep, it came strongly through his words and thoughts. He put himself and his needs before all his family’s needs and now for once he seems ready to start thinking just a little about his desire for Lincoln.

I adored their relationship, how Lincoln was so welcoming and open with Potts, although sometimes he seemed to be resigned to be just a friend and nothing more, he never gave up on the possibility to be loved as more than just a friend.

I want to recommend this new release by R. Cooper to everyone who is looking for a story deeply packed with feelings and positivity, It’s a light quick read but not a shallow one, not even for a second. Most of all it felt real and believable. Well done!

[Relly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

4.25 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book.
Jericho broke my heart while reading this one, he had really spent the majority of his life helping his family gladly and didn’t know how to read the signals being given to him. His friendship with Lionel was good and gave a great base for their relationship to flourish. Him wanting Lionel and fearing the rejection was heartbreaking. I enjoyed the dance between the two of them. Lionel was a good match as all he wanted to do was take care of Jerry, when Jerry was so used to taking care of everyone else.
Jerry’s relationship with his family especially his sister and Sophia was lovely to read and I’m glad he found his relationship with Lionel.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this :)

[namericanwordcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the rich quality of R. Cooper's writing. There is depth and nuance and great character development.

Both Lincoln and Potts are finely drawn as a the side characters as we meander through Potts research for what he really really wants.

I think what holds me back from adoring Cooper's work is that so often we only get one really immersed point of view and usually of the more introverted or socially outside character.

I would have loved this more if we knew the inside of Lincoln. I would be more happy with the pace and then maybe we could linger in the HEA as well.

[Lily Mordaunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Short

This book was way too short. I wanted more of everything: the relationship, the family time, the lovely descriptions.
I do have to admit though that I was a little frustrated at one point in the story. I enjoyed reading about Jerry’s love for his family. I also thought that the author did a great job of portraying the established friendship between him and Lincoln, but I did find myself wondering a few times when the romance would get started. Then, once it did, I definitely think things ended too quickly. I wanted to see Lincoln interact with the family and watch Jerry adjust to doing more for himself. Also, these glimpses of how both men cared for each other just wasn’t enough! I would definitely check out more—hopefully longer—books by this author.

[Verdelite · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was just the sweetest most lovely story ever. I admittedly had tears leaking through most of the story as Jericho was just too damn adorable. The way he and Lincoln tiptoed around each other was just so precious, even though they were tiptoeing for vastly different reasons. They end result was the same, both were scared to upset the balance and lose the potential, one because he had no experience and thought he couldn't have, and the other because he was scared he was misreading things and didn't want to scare the other off.

I loved this story so much. It's about family and trust and caring for each other while finally reaching for and accepting everything you are. Such a beautiful story.

[Rachel]

5/28/19 Currently on sale for 99c via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DH5B7CW/...

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the feels

No-one does exquisite yearning like R Cooper, and this story doesn't disappoint. She writes such diverse characters, and even the secondary ones make your heart ache. Sweet, painful and satisfying. Just wonderful - a true talent.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

TLDR: I needed the mental hug of this story.

http://klishis.com/reading/archives/1...

[drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahhh this was so sweet. jerry is so precious; he’s an instant fave mc for me. i’ll definitely be rereading this many, many times.

[Bess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute stunner. This book came out of nowhere (found in a rec list on Reddit IIRC) and floored me. This is so sweet, but also filled with so much emotional intensity. I think the author really nailed the isolation and alienation that can come from needing to put your own life on hold to care for family, in addition to the complicated feelings that can arise from being an older virgin.

I spent the entire book wanting to protect Jericho at all costs but also loving that Lincoln was just as committed to that as I was. My only complaint is that there isn’t a sequel or 300 pages more.

Tags/tropes: coming out, bakery, slow burn, family relationships, blue collar MMC (HVAC technician), fluff, virgin MMC

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet novella! I started tearing up a few pages in and wept steadily through most of it. Jerry's relationship with his sister and niece is really something special, and I loved his coming to terms with what it might mean to lay claim to his own life.

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soft af

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely the sweetest story I've ever devoured! Awwww....

[Mhor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and very sweet

[Sunshine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story and uncertainty of Jerry. We all have been there. I liked the slow burn, but thought once they were together the ending felt a bit rushed.

[Xan]

I loved this. Review to come.

Content Warnings References to a parent's alcoholism. References to parental mental illness. References to parental queer antagonism. Alcohol use. Self medication through use of valium prescribed to someone else. Sex on the page.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3☆

Ahh Cute story.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jericho Candelario has made a habit of not asking for what he wants. He already knows he won’t get it anyway, and fears he might get something worse just because he’s dared to ask for something for himself. When Jerry finally says, “I want” to Lincoln Lee, they are the truest and bravest words Jerry has ever spoken.

Jericho has spent his entire adult life taking care of his family. His father is a recovering alcoholic who suffers from PTSD. His sister and closest confidante Susana and his teenage niece, Sofia, compromise the entirety of his life’s focus now that his youngest brother and sister are grown and off to college, and he and Susanna work to make sure their shrinking family is whole and happy in the absence of the mother who deserted them (and much good riddance to her). That leaves little to no time for Jerry to have a life of his own. For that matter, he hasn’t even allowed himself time to embrace being gay. The only small pleasures he’s given himself are the trips to the bakery he’s made for the past five years to see Lincoln—the man who makes Jerry want so much more than what he has.

Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut is such an incredibly sweet novella. Jerry’s kindness is eclipsed only by his commitment to his family. He’s so self-effacing, in fact, that he doesn’t even realize how all the little things he does has endeared him to people. His relationship with Sofia is so special—the reason he still wears his curls longer gave me all the feels—and it’s she who eventually gives her uncle the courage to do more than merely exist from day to day. But it’s his longing for something more and seeing Lincoln Lee as an unattainable dream that tugged so hard at my heartstrings.

Lincoln’s patience and hope that Jerry would see him as something more than just a friend was such a touching reminder of the poignance of unrequited love and affection, when friendship and maybe a little flirting have to be enough, because it’s better than not having that person in your life at all. R. Cooper captured this to a T. Every heady sensation of falling in love is caught and set free on the page. Jericho’s embarrassment over being a virgin at the age of thirty-four, let alone inexperienced in what it means to even be in a relationship, allows Lincoln to just shine and be awesome and grab on to the awareness that Jerry finally wants to be his. Their joy at finding their way to each other was everything lovely about a shiny new romance, the fizzy warm feelings and racing heartbeats and every breath that feels like too much and at the same time not enough.

Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut is a warm and engaging little friends-to-lovers romance, one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend for a quick romantic pick-me-up.

Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS THE CUTEST SHIT I HAVE EVER READ.

SERIOUSLY.

I, just, uggghhhh. I grinned so much reading this book, and declared aloud to my husband how cute it was when I finished. If you like pining, this book is a coniferous FOREST of longing, but you get such a great payoff.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

R. Cooper is still a new author to me and I really enjoyed reading Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut. Poor Jerry Candelario has had a rotten start to life with his parents being who they were. He spent most of his life raising his siblings and his niece. Jerry or Potts is a repairman and never went to college because he had to take care of his family. He is a loner and spends most of his evenings alone reading a book. The only part of life he really looks forward to family dinners at night around the table which is a tradition that he and his sister started. Unfortunately, the crowd around the table seems smaller and smaller as his siblings are off living their lives and his niece is growing older.

Jericho is so stuck inside his head that he never really had the chance to live his life. It's hard for him to accept that at thirty-four, there might be more to his life. His visits to Lincoln Lee's bakery is something that Jericho looks forward to. Lincoln and Jericho's interactions leave left me with a sweet and warm feeling because they're awkward flirtations was a slow build-up. I also enjoyed the story within the story concept with Jericho's niece and her truth that she reveals to her family. They are such a lovely family and it's obvious that they care about each other. Lincoln is patient with Jericho as they ease from friendship to a romantic relationship. This novella will leave you with a happy feeling because that's the type of book R. Cooper writes.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ughhhh, so wonderful~

This was so soft and sweet~ I love how important family is to Jericho and all the ways Lincoln respects that and admires it. Sofia is wonderful and I loved how supportive the family is~ It isn’t R Cooper without the mutual pining, and this was so soft and beautiful to read. Definitely a new fave!!

Content notes:

🍰 (reclaimed?) homomisic slur
🍰 allusion to religious parent; biblical names
🍰 “we’re friends” to “if you wanted, you could have more than that” IDK if minimizing of friendship or not...
🍰 taking prescription meds that aren’t prescribed to MC
🍰 coming out scene (side character, teenager)
🍰 alcohol consumption - wine
🍰 references to past alcoholism of side character
🍰 casual ableism
🍰 discussion (sorta) of virginity
🍰 on page, low heat/explicit-ness, sex - handjob, frottage
🍰 use of “slut” during sex in a endearing mood(?)
🍰 mention of toxic relationship with parents

[peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet and heartfelt book. Jericho's insecurities made me very emotional, especially his struggles with feeling like he wasn't being gay "the right way". He was such a sweet character and I was so happy to see him finally allow himself to get what he wanted. I also can't let Sofia go unmentioned, she was a real star as a side-character and I loved her interactions with Jericho.

This book is full of mutual pining, the struggles of finding yourself after years of putting your life on hold, ways of saying I love you to someone through actions instead of words, finding the courage to ask for what you want despite self-consciousness and insecurities and the fear of being denied, and two hard-working people seeing and taking care of each other. I found it a wonderful read.

[Ashley S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I ADORED Jerry and Lincoln, both as interesting characters and the relationship between them. They had great chemistry and I loved the way they both approached each other cautiously and sweetly. This contrasted really well with Jerry's complex family situation, which was well written and made his relationship hesitations understandable. His relationships with his family members felt real and you could tell he loved them, particularly his relationship with his niece. Also, watching people fall in love with Jerry through Jerry's clueless POV was delightful.

This was a great, sweet, and heartwarming novella that was just what I needed after a stressful few months. I couldn't recommend this book more!

[Regina Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sweet. I like that even though Jerry is literally questioning everything (except his sexuality), the story isn't painfully angsty. I enjoy Jerry and Lincoln together. They're cute and I like how Jerry's coming out of the closet exemplified how coming out can be soft and gentle, too, not just the flaming fireworks that most people go for.

I also like how authentic Jerry's love for his family, and the according struggle to adapt to an emptying nest as his family grows up and moves out.