{"product_id":"lovesick-rikki-rivers-9798249991944","title":"Lovesick","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHe's spent years in the shadows. One production is about to change everything.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElijah Reyes has it figured out. As Clayridge High's lighting technician, he controls the show from the safety of the tech booth - close enough to the stage to feel part of it, invisible enough to stay safe. With a traditional Latino family who don't know who he really is, a cousin whose hollow eyes serve as a daily warning, and 547 days standing between him and graduation, the system works.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen Ms. Ortiz arrives from New York City with Doc Martens, strong opinions, and a gender-neutral production of \u003ci\u003eRomeo \u0026amp; Juliet\u003c\/i\u003e that she is determined to fill with truth. Within forty-eight hours, Elijah has been pulled out of the booth, cast as Juliet, and assigned to rehearse opposite Theo Campbell-star quarterback, unexpected theatre enthusiast, and the last person Elijah should be falling for.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs rehearsals deepen into something neither of them planned for, Elijah finds himself navigating two performances: the one onstage, and the one he's been giving his whole life. His father expects the dutiful son. His church expects compliance. His cousin Rafael-sent away and returned quieter, hollower-is proof of what happens when family expectations collide with inconvenient truths.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the stage has a way of pulling out what a person is most determined to keep hidden. And Theo Campbell, it turns out, has been watching Elijah far more carefully than Elijah ever realised.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLovesick\u003c\/i\u003e is a tender, funny, and emotionally grounded YA romance about identity, courage, and the cost of being truly seen.\u003c\/b\u003e It's about the moment you stop adjusting other people's lights and step into your own. About the difference between surviving your life and actually living it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for fans of character-driven YA romance with authentic LGBTQ+ representation, theatre settings, and emotionally complex family dynamics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of \u003ci\u003eSimon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe House in the Cerulean Sea\u003c\/i\u003e Book Two in the \u003cb\u003eLove Beyond Gender\u003c\/b\u003e series - can be read as a standalone\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Love Beyond Gender series: \u003c\/b\u003e Book 1 - \u003ci\u003eUnbound\u003c\/i\u003e Book 2 - \u003ci\u003eLovesick\u003c\/i\u003e Book 3 - \u003ci\u003eUnrehearsed\u003c\/i\u003e (coming soon)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Rikki Rivers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798249991944\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/26\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.53lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.56d","brand":"Rikki Rivers","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49084136095999,"sku":"9798249991944","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/lovesick-rikki-rivers-9798249991944","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}