Kaylee Colburn does a wonderful job of making us care about Eric and Adison. He is a young man who is looking for a relationship, not just a fling, and who is adorably mild-mannered without coming across as needy or desperate. She, on the other hand, is a bold and outgoing, a high-energy young woman who lives and breathes fashion.
After meeting over coffee, Adison takes him along on a shopping date, during which she suggests some new fashion choices to update his look. It starts with shirts and socks, before oh-so-casually giving way to her suggesting he try on a pair of women's skinny jeans. I loved how that moment came about, how she played it off as purely a fashion thing, and how, even as uncertain as he was, Eric was able to see the aesthetic appeal.
That is kind of how the whole story and the whole relationship progresses. Adison takes the lead in guiding Eric's transformation, but everything is casually done, passed off as a natural progression of updating his look. There are a few moments of subtle pressure, but she never forces anything, never pushes him too hard, just puts him in situations where he decides that making her happy is more important than clinging to any masculine reservations he may have. There is a pivotal moment where they talk about their past relationships, with Adison revealing a preference for femininity, but it is as subtle as everything else about them, more of an 'ah-ha' moment than an 'OMG' twist. Even her birthday request is played off as a fun request, the perfect present, with Eric left to work out his own fears and inhibitions without any pressure.
If I had to use one word to describe Birthday Deal, it would be fun. I smiled all the way through, and I envied Eric the love and support of Adison. She really is a dream come true, and while I suspect Party Girl may see a little more pressure, I hope the story never loses the carefree sort of attitude that makes it such a refreshing change.
Kaylee isn't your average girl, but who is? Like some of the characters she writes, she is a ultra-girly Tom-boy, who grew up in New England watching too many romantic comedies. Fiction writing has been a hobby since she was in high school, followed up with an English degree in college, but only recently has she felt like her writing was ready to be published.
Her new series starring Adison and Erica has taken off, and fed her desire to continue writing more on gender and the spectrum and experiences from Man to Woman.
http://www.kayleecolburn.com
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