When Everything Is Blue — Laura Lascarso

Sometimes the people we need most aren't bonded by blood but by something deeper. When they were kids, golden boy Chris Mitcham rescued dweeby Theo Wooten from the neighborhood bullies and taught him how to be cool. Now, years later, Theo's developed romantic feelings for his best friend that arise at the most inopportune times. Theo hates lying to Chris, but in coming out, he might lose the one person who understands him best, a risk he's not willing to take. When a relationship with another young man goes south, Theo is forced to confront his own sexuality along with his growing attraction to Chris and the stunted, tenuous relationship Theo has with his father. Will Chris abandon Theo when he learns the truth, or will he stand by him in this tumultuous season of self-discovery? In this quirky coming-of-age romance, Theo's path to manhood is fraught with several awkward firsts, a few haters, but also the tender comfort of an unexpected lover.