Dragged to the Wedding
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4.7 • 6 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The Wedding Date meets The Birdcage in this laugh-out-loud gay romantic comedy from Andrew Grey
He’s here to slay…but will he stay?
James Petika is living the single gay life he always wanted. A police officer in Chicago, he has a good job, good friends—and he’s two thousand miles away from his family’s expectations. He also has a problem: he needs a date for his sister’s wedding in Missoula, Montana, but his family has no idea that he’s gay, and he’d like to keep it that way.
The solution? Daniel Bonafonte aka Lala Traviata, the queen of the Chicago drag scene. Lala is the real thing: she can sing, she can dance—and she can throw more shade than a solar eclipse. One drink and plenty of dishing later, Daniel agrees to help James out and be his incognito date to the wedding.
Daniel’s drag-diva skills are put to the test right away, with the bride’s ill-fitting wedding dress, a groom who’s a danger on the dance floor and more drama than auditions for a gay men's chorus. Faking this relationship—and ignoring the very real feelings developing between them—might just be the performance of their lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gray (Upside Down) returns with a goofy gay rom-com in which Chicago police officer James Petika, who is not yet out to his family, recruits drag queen Daniel Bonafonte—aka Lala Traviata—to pose as his girlfriend at his sister's wedding in Montana. As Daniel (or Daniella, as he's known to James's family) proves indispensable in his ability to fix all wedding-related fiascoes, James questions whether what they're pretending to have could become something real—but how to come out to his controlling mother? The premise is undeniably fun and campy, but there's a fundamental flaw in the men's relationship that goes unaddressed. Daniel has explicit police-related trauma, so the fact that he falls for a cop, no questions asked, strains credulity, especially given lines like James's upon first meeting Daniel: "I'm a police officer—you can trust me." It's laughable, except this isn't one of the book's intentionally humorous parts. The underlying political landscape, while not at the foreground of the plot, will distract progressive readers. Still, fans of RuPaul's Drag Race (which, indeed, is mentioned multiple times throughout) will find plenty to enjoy.
Customer Reviews
What a great premise…
James was in a closet… at least at home in Montana. Called home for his sister’s wedding meant that his mother was sure to see wedding bells in his future… to a woman. A friend helps him find a fake girlfriend … a drag performer, Daniel, beautiful (& handsome) as well as available for the trip. The wedding has problems even without Daniella (Daniel) being extremely careful. James’ mother has already insinuated herself into the wedding plans, causing problems from the dress to the preacher. James & Daniel both pitch in to solve most. As the reader worries about the exposure of the charade, a real relationship develops between James and Daniel… or seeds of one… This is an interesting book, where easy solutions don’t appear without some real resistance. The main characters seem real, and Daniel is a great ally… as well as many other things. The resolution of the issues are delightful and probable. I think most of us would like an even greater story in the world of drag… Great read!!