Review – Uncovering Ray by Edie Danford

Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date: April 28, 2015
Reviewed by: Heller
How I got this book: E-Arc from Publisher

Ellery College #1

24295489When the right love uncovers the wrong secrets…

Hey, man–you a chick or a dude? Dealing with the same old boring question is a downer for college drop-out Ray Fayette, especially when it’s asked by the low-tipping, over-privileged students at the Ellery Diner.

When six-foot-five, muscle-bound straight arrow Wyatt Kelly publicly smacks down a fellow frat bother for caveman behavior, Ray’s interest is sparked. Wyatt’s not-so-subtle attraction sparks a few other things too.

But getting to know Wyatt proves dangerous. His sexy smiles and smart questions slide under even Ray’s prickliest defenses. Worse, his academic mentor happens to be Ray’s ex-stepfather, the dictatorial jerk who just kicked Ray out of his house. Again.Wyatt suggests a housing arrangement that has surprising appeal—there’s space available at his frat house—but he’s unaware just how complicated Ray’s “identity issues” are. Ellery College kicked out Ray for a reason—a reason that could deep-six Wyatt’s academic career and Ray’s
newly hopeful heart.

I can appreciate a well written story and this was one, it had style and it’s readable but it was very difficult for me to get through. I’ve been trying for months and I’ve been hoping each time I picked it up to get into that head space where I could finish it…that hasn’t been working for me so I just decided to sit down and power it out.

I just found it so damn depressing. I grabbed this story because Ray is genderqueer and that holds interest for me but it didn’t really read that way for me. This felt very much like many other girl meets boy NA stories but with a slightly androgynous twist. Ray’s journey felt more like a tease to the reader. I have no idea why they were kicked out of school or dropped out. It’s vaguely referenced several times but if there were actual details I passed it over and can’t be bothered to see where I missed it. I didn’t like being in Ray’s head because it was all attitude and privilege wrapped in a unhealthy dose of martyrdom. Many of Ray’s actions seemed more a petulant knee jerk response to overbearing parents and that annoyed the fuck out of me. Then we have Wyatt who kind of talks the talk but has an odd way of starting dialogue for change in the frat culture. I was frustrated and vaguely pissed off for the majority of this read.

While I can appreciate the skill of the author in telling this story I didn’t like this book and I didn’t like these characters. This may be a book and series for someone else but it’s not for me.

I’m giving Uncovering Ray a D

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