It Had To Be You by Timothy James Beck

Picture it: Hell's Kitchen, 1997. Diana, Princess of Wales, has just been killed in Paris. 2Di4, one of the more popular queens of the New York drag scene, feels its time to turn in his tiara, out of respect. This provides him the opportunity to change his life, especially since his lover has just two-timed on him. A change of scene is what is called for, and that change is named Blaine Dunhill.

When Daniel Stephenson sees Blaine Dunhill from his little garden, it's love at first glance. Well, obsession. In a non-threatening kinda way. Then a girl shows up in the window. Is it a wife? A girlfriend? Daniel needs to know, so takes her some flowers, and thus enters the life of Blaine and Sheila. And they enter his. A world of gay bars and drag shows and cheating ex's that are still in love with him.

While Daniel and Blaine begin their relationship, Daniel has to bring some closure to his past relationships with Jeremy (the ex), with Robert (the guy Jeremy left him for), with friends such Ken and Marvin (who he has to try to include in his new life), and with 2Di4 (his drag alter ego).

You're not really sure where the book will go. You're not even sure, at times, who Daniel will end up with. (Daniel for sure isn't sure!) There's Jeremy, former love of his life, or Blaine, new and handsome but with problems of his own (and then Robert throws his hat into the ring). Oh triangles (well, squares!)

Aside from his love problems, the story also deals with the questions of friendship and life direction. How do we change where we are in life without losing the people who matter? Can they translate into a whole new career/home/lifestyle? Sometimes easily; sometimes not. But friendships that matter will find a way to last, with a little work, and a little brunch.

This has been a bobert review.