A gay romp through the tennis world of an LGBTQ2+ league in Canada, this book explores the lives of the members in an in-depth analysis of gay culture and the impact of such culture when a straight man joins the league. While some embrace being inclusive of straights, others in the community are horrified. The book focuses mostly on the lives of four gay men and the one heterosexual male interspersed with other characters, including the mother of one of the gay men who falls for the straight guy. The background stories and the intersection of the lives of these characters (and they really are characters) provides an examination of tolerance vs. intolerance, sex—including the interest regarding who’s a top or a bottom, drugs, minorities, bathhouses, porn, politics, vegans, lesbians, millennials, karaoke, guilt redemption, and even tennis. But overall, it examines inclusiveness, friendships, love, and how to live within differences and commonalities. For those who are uninformed about tennis, there is also a tutorial at the end of the book.

This book is for those in the LGBTQ2+ community and those who love them. It is a campy, laugh-out-loud look at gay culture and stereotypes of both gay and straight lives. The stereotypical tables are turned, for example, when one of the gay men reveals that he has “some straight friends.” The book is sure to offend some readers (in a good way) as it truly puts the gay in gay repartee. Yet there are tender moments of love between friends, a surprise ending regarding a former lover, a cancer diagnosis, and the coming together of people who see what really matters in life. And it’s not just tennis. The valuable ending tutorial about tennis is merely icing on the cake. Exceptionally well-written, this book is a hit.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

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