Jay Collier lives in a small town in eastern Washington where he’s the only LGBTQ kid he knows. While the other kids accept him him, Jay can’t help but feel like he’s missing out. All the other kids at school are experimenting with hookups and dating and relationships, but with no other gay boys around, Jay doesn’t get the chance to have any similar experiences. So Jay makes a list of goals in his “Gay Agenda,” including kissing and losing his virginity, but also simple things like going on dates and having a group of close LGBTQ friends.

When Jay’s mom gets a new job and the family moves to Seattle, it’s finally a chance for Jay to meet other LGBTQ kids. He is sad to be leaving his best friend, Lu, but he is also thrilled to have new experiences. Things start off super well for Jay in his new school. He joins the Queer-Straight Alliance and quickly meets a great new friend in Max, a genderqueer teen. And while his introduction to Albert (a VSB or “Very Sexy Boy” as Lu would say) is awkward and involves a lot of stammering, the two definitely have a connection and Albert seems interested in Jay. Plus, Max introduces Jay to Tony, a hot college student who, to Jay’s surprise, also seems interested in him.

Things are going well for Jay and it seems like he is finally getting everything that he wants — good friends, potential boyfriends, and real teen gay experiences. But life is getting much more complicated than that. First, an event Lu wants him to attend with her is on the same night as Jay’s school homecoming dance, so now he is forced to decide between his old best friend and his new ones. Not to mention that things with Lu are super complicated, between the distance, her boyfriend that makes Jay feel like a third wheel, and major financial problems she is having a home. On top of that, while Jay’s falling for Victor, he can’t help the sexual attraction he has to Tony, and he is trying to divide his time and attention between the two guys. And Max has his own drama that Jay ends up involved with as well. Before Jay knows it, what was looking like a promising year and the start of a lot of great relationships is all beginning to fall apart. Now Jay has to look at himself and figure out whether he’s making the right choices, or whether he’s so focused on his own agenda that he’s not taking the time to really consider the people in his life. If Jay can’t do some self reflection and figure out how to properly apologize to those he wronged, he might lose his boyfriend and his friends as well.

Jay’s Gay Agenda is a cute and fun young adult romance featuring a main character that’s really learning to find himself. Jay is our POV character and this is really his journey as he breaks free of his small town and suddenly everything he wants is right there at his fingertips. But he is also 17 going on 18 and doesn’t really know how to handle it all well, and he definitely makes mistakes. Author Jason June does a great job really setting Jay up and giving us a chance to understand his perspective as a lonely student and the only out LGBTQ kid that he knows. He’s watching all of his friends have experiences that he longs to also have, but with nobody out there to date, he’s feels like he’s being left behind. So even when Jay makes bad choices, and he does make bad choices, I could understand the position he was coming from and I think June really frames him well.

Jay ends up in two relationships, one a purely sexual one with Tony that gives him a chance to have those sexual experiences that he’s been longing for, and the other with Albert, a sweet student at his school. It is clear that Albert is the one with whom Jay has a romantic connection, but Jay is also still figuring himself out and learning about dating and relationships and is eager to experience the sexual side of things as well. On top of that, Jay is trying to maneuver through things with Lu, and balance being there for her with things happening in his own life in Seattle. Jay doesn’t always handle things well; in fact, he handles a lot of things badly, as do most of the other teens in the story (except Albert, who is adorable and pretty much perfect). I’ll admit, at times the teen behavior made me a bit nuts because they make bad decisions and give bad advice and just generally stumble around. But I also had to remember that they are teenagers and teenagers sometimes do stupid things and part of this story is watching Jay realize his mistakes and make up for them. So there is a nice growth arc for Jay here and I think it works well.

Jay is an interesting character and he gives this story a very specific tone in his narration. Jay is a list maker and, in addition to his Gay Agenda, he is constantly making lists of everything from what he would like to do with Albert, to why going to homecoming is a better choice than the dance with Lu (ie “Homecoming is the Lead Ho Because…”). He is also super into statistics, so he comments on the probability of things happening quite a lot throughout the book, like the odds that out of a school his size, he’d be the only out gay kid. I found the set up fun and enjoyed Jay’s voice (even when I was exasperated with him), but I did find the lists got a bit much after a while. Jay repeats his full Gay Agenda many times throughout the book, adding and updating and crossing things off, and I feel like I was reading the same thing over and over, trying to find the subtle changes he had made each time. I think it was super cute, but also maybe too much of a good thing.

In the end, I found this one fun and charming. These teens make some mistakes, but they also learn from them and the growth makes up for the bad decisions. Victor and Jay are sweet together and things come together nicely in the end.

This is one of those books that's so well done, it makes me jealous.

What a cute, refreshing queer YA contemporary! I feel what makes this book so special is the way it's written. It has a sort of tongue-in-cheek, humorous tilt to it that gives everything this very soft, colorful energy, and that energy carries you along in a bubble of pleasant teenage dreams for about half of the book as Jay begins to methodically check off things on his list of gay dreams.

But what makes this book <i>really</i> special, I think, is the way Jason June managed to turn that bubble and that energy into a firecracker in the second half of the book. The messiness of young feelings and the selfishness that can sometimes come from being a little bit clueless are important parts of learning yourself and growing up, and JAY'S GAY AGENDA knocks that out of the park. You can't grow as a person without a few hiccups along the way - and you certainly will have a much harder time of it if you try and do it all on your own.

This book is what the YA category was created for. This book is what teenagers need to read. A lot of gay men grow up thinking that hookup culture and casual sex are the only ways to have any sort of queer intimacy in the modern era, and this book does the best job of ANY young adult novel I've ever read of saying, "No, that's not true."

What a lovely, timely, important book. I can't wait to read what Jason June comes up with next!!

(Special thanks to the groovy Digimals over at HarperTeen for the NetGalley ARC!)

Jay's Gay Agenda is upbeat, fun, and filled with equal parts messy drama and sweet romance. And drag queens! Jay is an exuberant character who is beyond excited to be making his big debut into gay culture with the help of his new friend, Max (who is genderqueer and femme). Along the way Jay meets a host of other queer students through his school's Queer Straight Alliance and gets roped into organizing homecoming. Jay's montage of cute boys and fun outings in the city is contrasted with looming drama as Jay bends the truth (and flat out lies) to make all of his actions fit in with his Gay Agenda. From the get-go I knew that what he was doing was going to blow up, and I was right. Jay makes some big mistakes but he's also committed to owning up to what he did wrong and going all out to make it right to the people he hurt. He puts his Gay Agenda to the side and focuses on what really matters -- the people he cares for.

This story is messy and heartfelt and despite the drama that goes down it's still enjoyable exploration of firsts and character growth.

Jay's Gay Agenda was my favorite read of May. This is a book about Jay who struggles between following his hormones vs his heart when he moves from a small town where he's the only gay kid to Seattle.

A laugh out loud, genuine, fun, wholesome and sex-positive book that focuses on figuring out balancing sex, romance, and friendship.

There was so much I liked about this book. First of all, it was really funny. I laughed out loud so many times. So many highlights of all the bits that made me laugh. Jay's voice is so honest and humorous, it made for a delightful read! Jay feels like a real person, a real teenager. He's not perfect. He's selfish, messy, he makes mistakes, and he's very much driven by his hormones. It made it so much easier to relate and connect to him that he felt so real. You might wanna shake him to make better choices, but you might also admit that most other teenagers would do the same in his shoes.

This is easily the most sex-positive YA book I've read. I really appreciated all the conversations around sex, being ready, and especially consent. There was so much to take away in here. I loved how worried Jay was about his virginity thinking he's the only one, even though there were others around him. Also, the other topic that was handled very well was stereotypes and how damaging they can be.

I've been talking about how great Jay is, but all the side characters were great too. I loved that Jay's parents were so in love. It was great to read a YA where the parents aren't a major part of the problem. The friend group was amazing too. Max the Gay Guide, Lu the BFF, Albert the VSB (Very Sexy Boy) and many others. Even the smaller side characters had some great punchy lines, and played an important part in the book.

Speaking of the friend group, I loved how friendship was such a big part of this book. It wasn't only about the romance. Jay's relationships with his friends were just as important as his relationships with boys, if not more. And they play equal part in the book.

Overall, this was a great read on finding yourself, figuring out who you are in a new location, with newfound popularity. And in the end, it's all about being true to yourself, owning up to your mistakes and staying close to your friends.

A wonderful feel-good teen romcom. The writing is so fun and sparkling and Jay is an incredibly endearing character I wanted to follow from page one. I can't wait to read more by Jason June!

I am always here for sex positive books, and Jason June delivers the sex positivity in a neat package (no pun intended). Jay suddenly finds himself not only surrounded by other gay guys, but gay guys who are interested in him, and that can be very overwhelming. As Jay is navigating his new life, he makes plenty of mistakes and hurts a few people, but Jay learns a lot from these experiences and is able to grow a considerable amount in a short period of time.
While I was expecting a cute gay contemporary, I was not expecting to reflect so much on my own experiences. Like my first kiss with a guy, which was under not great conditions, and led to a somewhat challenging part of my life (this was before I even knew I was gay). I can also understand Jay’s frustrations with lack of sexual activity. I came out after college, so I wasn’t in a setting of being constantly surrounded by people and meeting new people like at school. It took some time for me to meet people who I could be comfortable with to cross things off my own Gay Agenda.

Thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! I was looking for something fun to read to ring in June, and this was the perfect thing. A sex-positive gay rom-com perfect to kick off your Pride reading lists!

What I liked about this is the way that you can feel Jay’s emotions throughout this book. June does a great job writing his emotions and the way he reacts to everything. It feels real and authentic and I think it will resonate with a lot of teens. Jay fumbles his way through a lot of romantic firsts in a very teenage way.

The supporting characters also take the show in this book, especially Max. There’s a lot of diverse representation throughout, and there’s just as much emphasis on platonic relationships as there is romantic. There’s so much to love about the ways these characters interact.

The main reason this didn’t get five stars is because the book gets a bit repetitive at times, with the lists. COVID is also mentioned once, so it’s not really clear if that’s going on here? Maybe it will be taken out in the final copy.

All in all, if you’re looking for a funny, light-hearted gay summer romance, definitely check out this book!

Oh, the drama of being a teenager! So many hormone-fuelled dilemmas! This was such a fun, delightful read. And the ending was so perfect! 🥰 Very much looking forward to Book 2.

Jay, the main character, is a good kid; he’s a statistics-obsessed hyper-organized Type A list-making horndog teenager who badly wants to experience his first romantic relationship. After having spent nearly eighteen years in what he calls “LGBTQuarantine” in his small isolated rural hometown with no other gay kids around, his parents relocate to Seattle, a city with a thriving LGBTQ community for him to explore.

The never-been-kissed teen has quite a lot of enthusiasm for his “New Gay Life.” He finally gets to have all the experiences his straight peers seem to have already had by now. He excitedly sets out making a To Do list of all the things he wants to accomplish now that he can exist within his newfound queer community.

In his excitement and naiveté, Jay exhibits some bad judgement and makes mistakes - but he learns from them. Some readers may be put off by Jay’s seemingly flippant behavior but I think he’s actually quite relatable. And as much as this book is about a queer teen finding his place in the world, which is a story that needs to be told and shared, I think it’s just as much about navigating friendships and romantic relationships and growing up and handling all the things life throws at you, irrespective of sexuality, gender, and age. I think there’s a whole lot here that a wide spectrum of people can relate to.

Writing: B+
Story: B+
Characters: A
Stars: 4.5 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins  for providing the ARC.

Although I liked some things about this book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

The premise of the story is great. Jay has spent years as the only out gay teen—the only LGBTQ one, in fact—in his small town. When his family moves to the gayborhood in Seattle, Jay’s like a kid in a candy store anticipating all the things he will now be able to do, like go on a date or be kissed. The list of firsts Jay puts together (the agenda of the title) also contains a few decidedly adult items, because after listening to his classmates talk about hooking up, he’s ready to experience everything for himself.

I completely sympathized with Jay’s alienation from his small town and his desire to live freely once he has a chance. Having grown up in a rural area, I know how difficult it can be for anyone who is outside the norm, and being the only gay kid in town would be a lonely existence. It’s believable that he would rush into doing everything he’s been denied. It’s probably also inevitable that he would make mistakes along the way. Some of those mistakes are cute and funny, like Jay himself, but some of them are more serious.

That’s where the book lost me a bit. Jay is torn between his heart and his hormones regarding two guys he meets, and he tries to have it both ways. For me, it doesn’t quite cross the line into cheating, but it is dishonest. Granted, Jay gets some bad advice from a new friend that helps lead him astray when it comes to romance and sex. That’s not the only thing he lies about, however, and those choices are all on him. Jay always seems to choose the path of least resistance, and his lack of honesty just set my teeth on edge.

The other issue I had was that outside of his friendship with his best friend, everything about Jay comes down to the fact that he’s gay. Maybe I should have expected that given the title. But although Jay acknowledges to himself at the end of novel that there’s more to him than his sexuality, that’s almost all the reader gets to know about Jay throughout the novel. His only other real distinguishing characteristic is that he likes to make costumes, and even that gets short shrift outside of being a plot point. For me, Jay really didn’t get the chance to come to life as a well-rounded character, and so I didn’t care about him as much as I might have otherwise. Maybe I would have been better able to excuse the lies if I did.

So, I have kind of mixed feelings about this one. It’s a debut novel, though, and it had enough plusses that I’ll keeping my eye out for more from the author.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 4.75 ⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

How do I writer this review without giving away spoilers because I think everyone needs to read this book and experience the love and heartbreak for themselves.

Jay has never had the opportunity to form a relationship in his small town, so when he moves to Seattle, he’s in the prime place to find romance a cross off things off his Gay Agenda. With the help of some fellow gays along the way, Jay will come to understand the importance of friendship in the world of romance.

I loved Jay’s story so much. His self discovery of what he is looking for in a relationship is relatable. He wants to make connections to the people around him, ones that he didn’t have the opportunity to form back in his small town. His relationship with Max is incredibly adorable. Max, Jay’s Gay Guide, helps him cross off items from his Gay Agenda and opens his eyes to the world of the queer. But it’s not a one-sided relationship. Jay is also there for Max as he deals with a harsh breakup only a month before Jay moves there. I absolutely adored their friendship and I love that Jay was still able to have that “gay best friend” who helped him figure out who he is.

The relationships in this story are so relatable to so many teens whether lgbtq or straight. I feel as though all people in relationship face those hiccups that can make or break the couple and we get to see how Jay navigates these hiccups in his own way. The heartbreak and betrayal was hard to read but it’s very relatable and Jay’s way of overcoming the betrayal was written amazingly.

Jay’s Gay Agenda, out now, is a perfect read for those who are also trying to find where they belong in the world. So many people could connect to Jay and his friends. I highly recommend picking this one up!

Oh there is so so much love and praise I could give this book that we could be here all night! I mean that’s a good thing but i don’t want to be telling you to much and just letting you experience this one for yourselves :)

Jays Gay Agenda is a Fun, Positive, Joyful and a whole lot of Adorbs novel that I flew through very quickly! I just wanted to be in this story and with these characters, especially My fav being Max the interaction and friendship in this novel between those two I just loved so much with Jay moving from a small town to a big city to see a friendship blossom and grow like theirs was just wonderful to see! (We all need a friend like Max)
Jay is a very flawed character but that’s what makes him that much more relatable! Yes He messes up sometimes, yes at times Jay’s choices maybe not the best! It’s part of growing up and for sure have a feeling so many teens will be able to relate To Jay! In the words of Hannah Montana nobody’s perfect hehe

Jays gay agenda was such a delight friendships,relationships,growing up...Lists And so much more are rolled into this book! Now it’s out in the world today everyone go out and buy this book in anyway you can support the book and Support Jason June 🥰

What a fun read! I can totally relate to the story of a high school kid not having any other gay students to share experiences. I think there are probably a lot of teenagers who have had those same feelings.

When Jay moved to Seattle, I thought there would be a lot more time before he dived into his gay agenda. Boy oh boy....I was wrong! I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible but I did not like a lot of the decisions that Jay made. I know, he’s young and innocent. However, I feel like the way his mom and dad raised him would have been better than that. Who knows?

Overall, this was a quick and fun read and definitely sex-positive, which I think I needed. Jason June...you have my attention!

I received an advanced copy of Jay’s Gay Agenda through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Content Warning: Jay’s Gay Agenda contains scenes of cheating, sexual content, and lying/deception within a relationship.

Jay Collier’s world isn’t big enough to hold all of his queer dreams. Living in a small, rural town isn’t easy, especially when you’ve just come out as gay. While all Jay’s classmates are experiencing the hormone-riddled adventures that come with adolescence, Jay is left on his own making plans for all the things he wants to do one day. His Gay Agenda, if you will. But, when Jay’s family makes a surprising move to Seattle, Jay finds himself spending his senior year at a school with a thriving LGBTQ+ community. The items on Jay’s Gay Agenda are looking more and more possible, but with these new opportunities come challenges as well. Jay will have to learn to balance his friendships, relationships, and desires if he wants to have the senior year of his dreams.

You can get your copy of Jay’s Gay Agenda on June 1st from HarperTeen!

I struggled a lot with the ways that Jay treated Albert, but I won’t go into great detail to avoid spoilers. If you are concerned with the above content warnings, I would recommend reading some additional reviews to make sure that the material in this story won’t be an issue for you.

Beyond this issue of content matter, I quite enjoyed Jay’s Gay Agenda! I thought it was a fun read, and I quite enjoyed the sex-positive energy that defined the narrative. This book was quite hilarious at points, and was just the sort of rom-com I like to read at the start of summer! I was especially fond of Albert’s character, whose sweetness and nerdiness were some of the best parts of the story. All in all, this was a pretty solid debut novel, and I will be excited to see what Jason June writes in the future.

My Recommendation-
I would recommend Jay’s Gay Agenda to readers who enjoy light-hearted stories, especially those that deal with queer teen life in the modern world. This book would be perfect for fans of Phil Stamper, Ryan La Sala, and Lev A.C. Rosen!

This is truly a lovely gem of a novel. It doesn't have a ton of depth to it, but this is made up for by such relatable characters and a rom-com worthy plot. The pacing is a bit off overall, but didn't deter from overall enjoyment.

I had to read this debut novel from Jason June in one two-hour sitting, because I absolutely fell in love with Jay Collier. Jay lived in small-town Riverton, Washington, and though he had a fairly easy and accepting coming-out to his best friend Lu, his parents, and his school, he was the only gay boy in town. When Lu started a relationship, Jay felt like the odd man out since she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend.

Then Jay's mom gets a promotion, which requires a move to Seattle. Jay is THRILLED and, being the list-maker that he is, designs a "gay agenda" of experiences he wants to have in the big city, where there is actual opportunity to meet gay people his own age. And at first, everything is going well. He has a not-meet-cute with a boy named Albert on his first morning at his new school. His school has a Queer-Straight Alliance club, and at the first meeting, he's immediately adopted by a "Gay Guide," Max, who ropes Jay into becoming the VP of the club.

Items are getting checked off the agenda, but when Lu's life starts falling apart and Jay's is on the upswing, he starts telling little white lies. And when Albert finds out about Jay's "Agenda," Jay's world collapses. He needs to make everything right with everybody or risk ending up alone.

June has crafted a cast of wonderful characters (I love Max's genderqueerness and his "Lord and Taylor" catchphrase) and a plot that has the reader rooting for Jay to fulfill his agenda and find happiness. A very well done debut and I look forward to more from Jason June.

This novel is a breath of fresh air in the YA LGBT genre. There have been a few rare novels that address a main character who knows they're on spectrum from the beginning, yet so few have zero angst about it. Jason June immediately lets us know Jay is gay with little fanfare. It's not that life is easy for him on every level, but we get to see a young man who knows who he is and is waiting for a chance to find a community of his own. The latter is one of his many priorities, and he's made a very helpful list to make sure he reaches each milestone. As we work our way through the list, you can see a whole new list taking shape. We get to be lucky and follow along for the ride. Not all the complications necessarily make sense, but it's generally a strong piece of work that makes you want to find out how it's all going to end.

I liked how sex postive this book was, and how inclusive the characters were. I will say i didn't enjoy the small town southern politeness Jay had, with the whole what the frack ect. Just my opinion though and did not deter me from the story which I enjoyed. I look forward to more books by this author.

I haven’t been this happy after finishing a book in quite a while. You know that feeling of having eaten an incredible meal? You’re full, but also so satisfied! That’s how I feel right now after finishing Jay’s Gay Agenda.

Jay is such a relatable character. He hasn’t met another Gay guy until he moves to Seattle. Then the floodgate opens and he neeeeeeeds to experience it all. The charcuterie of meat is ripe for the taking, as they say. I remember coming out and feeling the EXACT SAME WAY!

Max is the GBF I always wanted to be. He becomes Jay’s Gay Guide throughout the book, teaching him the ways of the Gays. When you move to a new town, it’s hard to meet new people, so I was happy Jay had that person to turn to. When you meet someone and click, it’s just meant to be.

Albert is the sexy nerd we all salivate over and when his Meet Cute with Jay happens, you can’t help but smile. I couldn’t help falling in love with him myself. He is the epitome of gentleman and I really want a book 2, so that we can really get a full book of their love story.

I honestly have nothing bad to say about it, which is the sign of an INCREDIBLE book! I’m left with a smile on my face and an immediate need to reread😂 I definitely needed a sex positive YA book in my life when I was younger. I have it now, which makes me happy for all the gays coming out now. The future is definitely GAY!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

Jay’s Gay Agenda is about seventeen year old Jay. He lives in a rural part of eastern Washington and is the only out gay boy in his town. He has a list of things he want to accomplish, his “gay agenda”. Things start to look up for Jay when he finds I his family is moving to Seattle, specially Capital Hill, a gay Mecca! Things start changing but not everything for the best.

Overall, I liked this book. I liked the story line, I liked the characters, I liked the fact that it was up front about the what a gay teenage boy wants. I thought Jay’s desire to find community and to experience what he imagined every other teenager was doing (have a significant other, making out, having sex) was spot on.

The book didn’t tiptoe around his sexual feelings, desires, and experiences. Not that it was graphic but for the homophobes out there, this may not be the book for you.

I enjoyed reading a young adult novel that was a love story between two guys for a change. I recommend to anyone who is LGBTQ friendly!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jay must have just won the gay lottery because after growing up as the only gay in a tiny town in rural Washington, he and his family are moving to the big city - Seattle. No more wondering if he will ever meet another gay guy. This is his chance to cross off every item on his Gay Agenda (yes he actually has one), and he is going to take it by the horns.

Okay, I am going to start this review by saying this book is not going to be for everyone. Big ole disclaimer here. Different people define cheating in a relationship differently. A lot of how you handle this book could come down to how you define cheating. Especially if you do not like to read that kind of content. If you have a pretty tight view of what cheating is and you don't like reading about it, this book might not be the right fit for you.

Having said all that, I really enjoyed this book. Not only was it a fun, entertaining read, there were a lot of important lessons packed into its pages. The characters were fun and dynamic and pretty realistic (on some levels. I've never met a football player as precious as the boys in this book). I particularly appreciated the fact that Jay was not the only character who had growth throughout the book.

Now onto possibly my favorite thing about the book: it shows the importance of communication and honesty. One of my biggest pet peeves as a reader is when characters are dishonest or won't communicate in a healthy way and it's never addressed. Like that is so unhealthy and problematic. This book points toward healthy communication and shows just how much of a difference it can make.