I couldn't get into this book. I tried several times over the past few months with very little progress made. The story line just wasn't as interesting to me after starting the book as it was when I read the description and requested an ARC. The author writes well, I just was not into it. Thank you for the opportunity.

I have not seem the hil-lo warning when I requested a book. However, I thought the characters were ot fleshed out enough in the story.

I got an ARC of this book.

I am not a fan of Greek/Roman wrestling, I am even less of a fan of pro-wrestling. I was interested to see how a gay hero could work in a world that is so hyper-masculine that verbal abuse is considered a good thing. Fans and wrestlers alike shout at each other and the people fight. To this day I know people who believe that pro wrestling is not scripted.

This book not only turned some of my ideas of pro wrestling on their heads it allowed for a wonderful romance. Jorge is expelled for turning himself in the school's vigilante. He beats up the bullies because the school will not do anything about them and as a way to hide his sexuality away. When he comes out to his parents, it really is a non-issue. They love him and there isn't really a bumpy road. It was nice that the sexuality crisis was all internal for Jorge at the beginning. He didn't really have any issues until he started to get recognized for his work in pro wrestling. He was outed and had to deal with the ramification of that. The guy he was working for wanted to use it and so Jorge became this horrifying stereotype of a gay man. He sexually harassed another wrestler in the ring and everything. 

The real focus for me was how Jorge developed as a person. He had his first boyfriend. Thom was far from perfect. He was very much out of touch with Jorge's world. Thom was rich, he came from the good part of town, he planned on being an attorney. Jorge expected to be a pro wrestler or to work in his parents store for the rest of his life. The differences were shocking. They had some moral differences such as steroid use and using Jorge's gayness as a plot for more fans. 

Their relationship was rocky, but I have to applaud Correia for how healthy it was. Thom and Jorge could have gone in a really dark place. Thom could have been a monster. Jorge could have attacked Thom. It could have been scary. Thom stood firm for himself and Jorge learned from his mistakes. It was wonderful to see that the boys tried to grow together. Their relationship seemed weird at first, but it grew on me. They really did compliment each other. 

If you want a generally sweet book about a boy getting his head out of his ass, then this is a good choice.

Jorge Gomez is a character with a lot of heart. This is something you definitely see from the beginning of this novella. He can’t stand bullies, and he wants to be the best person that he can. But he also wants to be the best wrestler that he can which leads him down a path of almost self-hating homophobia.

Thom tries hard as well, and does his best to support Jorge but knows when not to. Therefore he knows when to step back for himself and Jorge, which is one of the most realistic things I’ve read in one of these stores.

That being said this would be all the better if it were just a little bit longer. The characters could have been fleshed out more, the story as well and it would have felt less rushed.

In True To You, when Jorge is kicked out of school for fighting, he starts training for pro-wrestling, most likely as a way of coping with his sexuality.

Once he starts dating Thom, he is warned that he needs to hide the fact that he's gay from the fans. He's also warned that Thom's ex wants to win him back.

This is a well told story of an up and coming wrestler as he faces many tough decisions along the way. There were times I really wanted to smack Jorge and tell him to smarten up, knowing the crash course he is setting himself on.

The writing style is fast paced, with a lot happening quickly. There isn't much "meat" to the reasons of the events taking place, but it is still a good story.

Overall, True To You is a story about choices. It isn't always easy to make the right choice, and sometimes you need to admit defeat and decide how to move forward. Tony Correia does a good job of telling such a tale.

Jorge is expelled from school for fighting other students who had been picking on others. He finds himself getting involved with pro wrestling at the local gym. He finds a natural talent for pro wrestling and is invite to perform one night and ends up meeting Thom, who works at the concession stand at the matches. Thom and Jorge hit it off and a relationship is formed. Jorge is informed that being gay is extremely controversial for wrestlers and can end your career if found out. Jorge had barely begun and it could end just like that...

Jorge is extremely passionate about his promising career in pro wrestling and it drives the whole story from start to finish. I have never really thought about pro wrestling in the way this book talks about it. Pro wrestling has this stereotype that it is fake and over hyped but with how the author describes it is shown as a dance between two bodies.

This book demonstrates that you have to be true to yourself. The hardship that Thom and Jorge go through and even when his career was put on the line Jorge knew at the end of the day Thom really mattered overall and would support him 100% over the marks and the audience.

@NetGalley #partner

Thank you to #NetGalley for the review copy of True to You. All opinions are my own.

Jorge is expelled from his high school for fighting with another student. After this happens, he joins a gym to begin training to be a pro-wrestler. He does really well and finds out that he has an actual shot at a career doing this. At one of his matches, Jorge meets Thom. The two of them start a relationship together and it's the best Jorge has ever felt about himself. He's finally truly happy.

When an opposing gym wants to recruit Jorge and he's outed as gay, things start spiraling. Jorge begins doing things he had always swore he wouldn't and ends up losing Thom and the gym in the process. In order to begin to feel better again, Jorge realizes he has a lot to learn about himself.

This book taught a very important lesson about being true to yourself. Jorge was getting a lot of attention in the wrestling ring, but in everyday life it was Thom that made him feel right. It took Jorge a little too long to realize this though. Readers will be pushed to look inside themselves to figure out if they know who they really are. It gives voice to the idea that you need to truly love yourself and be true to who you are, not to who everyone else wants you to be.

Following getting expelled, Jorge begins to train as a pro wrestler, there he meets Thom. As well as his friend Arshdeep who keeps him level headed and focused on his wrestling and love life goals.



Jorge came out to his parents and they were fine with it, accepting hi m and now Thom his boyfriend too as the pair spend more time together and even stay overnight with each other.



As Jorge gets better at wrestling, he gets his first proper match and Thom is always on the airlines supporting him, only not everyone knows they're gay at the wrestling club.



Then he gets poached away by another club where homophobic language gets thrown about and he has to fights back. But as he falls into using steroids and his fight toughens, Thom breaks up with him and it leaves Jorge shattered.



Then a wrestling blog outs him being gay, but who's responsible of leaking the information Jorge wants to know...



Choosing between love or his career he must learn what decisions will get him back to where he wants to be...



I liked the concept and it worked well as gay wrestling stars are something I've never seen mentioned in real life or in fiction especially teen fiction. Jorge finds his passion and follows his heart to try to pursue the right path for his career as well as for love he seems very level headed though he dabbles in steroid use which I personally wouldn't have included as young impressionable teens may feel it is okay to use as in the book it helps him get tougher to fight but in reality the drugs mess with our bodies and don't help them. Aside from that matter, for the main LGBTQ side of things it worked tremendously and was a great book.



All about embracing every side of you and being yourself, always.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!