Nate Plus One
- Downloads：2764
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-05-25 08:52:19
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kevin van Whye
- ISBN：0241567807
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The gorgeous new feelgood LGBTQ+ romantic comedy from the author of Date Me， Bryson Keller！
Two boys。 Two bands。 Two worlds colliding。
Nate Hargraves - stage-shy singer-songwriter - is totally stoked for his cousin's wedding in South Africa， an all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime。 Until he finds out his sleazeball ex-boyfriend is also on the guest list。
Jai Patel - hot-as-hell high school rock-god - has troubles too。 His band's lead singer has quit， just weeks before the gig that was meant to be their big break。
When Nate saves the day by agreeing to sing with Jai's band， Jai volunteers to be Nate's plus-one to the wedding， and the stage is set for a summer of music， self-discovery， and simmering romantic tension。 What could possibly go wrong 。 。 。 ？
'One of the most adorable， big-hearted， charming books in existence' - Becky Albertalli， #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda， on Date Me， Bryson Keller！
Two boys。 Two bands。 Two worlds colliding。
Nate Hargraves - stage-shy singer-songwriter - is totally stoked for his cousin's wedding in South Africa， an all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime。 Until he finds out his sleazeball ex-boyfriend is also on the guest list。
Jai Patel - hot-as-hell high school rock-god - has troubles too。 His band's lead singer has quit， just weeks before the gig that was meant to be their big break。
When Nate saves the day by agreeing to sing with Jai's band， Jai volunteers to be Nate's plus-one to the wedding， and the stage is set for a summer of music， self-discovery， and simmering romantic tension。 What could possibly go wrong 。 。 。 ？
'One of the most adorable， big-hearted， charming books in existence' - Becky Albertalli， #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda， on Date Me， Bryson Keller！
Reviews
Andrea Dalling
，
When Nate's mom can't go to a family wedding in Johannesburg at the last minute， Nate's best friend Jai volunteers to be his plus-one。 Little does Jai know that Nate is secretly in love with him。 Will this trip be a chance for them to become more than friends—or will it destroy their relationship forever？This is a well-written book with a strong voice。 The story is sort of quiet and low-angst， without a lot of conflict。 The best part is the Johannesburg setting。 The ending is low-key， without th When Nate's mom can't go to a family wedding in Johannesburg at the last minute， Nate's best friend Jai volunteers to be his plus-one。 Little does Jai know that Nate is secretly in love with him。 Will this trip be a chance for them to become more than friends—or will it destroy their relationship forever？This is a well-written book with a strong voice。 The story is sort of quiet and low-angst， without a lot of conflict。 The best part is the Johannesburg setting。 The ending is low-key， without the emotional hit I expect from romance。 The feel is more gay YA。Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
˗ˏˋ maddie ˊˎ˗
，
This was really， really simplistically written。 Not a lot of meat or depth to it and the ending felt really abrupt。
Jessica Straw
，
I enjoyed the relationship between Nate and Jai a lot and thought they were cute。 I was hoping for a little bit more will they/won't they but I think they were cute together。 I'm very happy there was discussion of condom use and that the book was sex positive。The only thing that brought down the rating is the actual writing itself。 It felt a bit clunky and could have been elevated to make the actual reading experience more enjoyable。 But overall enjoyed the book for the story。CW for some homopho I enjoyed the relationship between Nate and Jai a lot and thought they were cute。 I was hoping for a little bit more will they/won't they but I think they were cute together。 I'm very happy there was discussion of condom use and that the book was sex positive。The only thing that brought down the rating is the actual writing itself。 It felt a bit clunky and could have been elevated to make the actual reading experience more enjoyable。 But overall enjoyed the book for the story。CW for some homophobia。 。。。more
Brennan Klein
，
It’s basically Crazy Rich South Africans。 There’s not much nuance to it， but it’s nice。 The second half leans a LITTLE hard on didactic speechifying though， and gets progressively more irritating。
Aly
，
Can we please get more LGBTQ+ books with Black leads please？ I feel like most of the books I read with gay characters are white and I'd love to see more diversity。 I also appreciated that since this book partly takes place in South Africa， the history of apartheid is addressed and explained pretty well。 This is a cute story， featuring best friends to lovers， a band competition， and a super fancy and fun wedding。 I liked the awkward flirting between Nate and Jai and that their relationship had hi Can we please get more LGBTQ+ books with Black leads please？ I feel like most of the books I read with gay characters are white and I'd love to see more diversity。 I also appreciated that since this book partly takes place in South Africa， the history of apartheid is addressed and explained pretty well。 This is a cute story， featuring best friends to lovers， a band competition， and a super fancy and fun wedding。 I liked the awkward flirting between Nate and Jai and that their relationship had history backing it up。 There's the requisite drama scene， but it doesn't go on for too long and leads into a nice happy ending。 There were some parts of this that seemed to happen quickly and we just got a couple sentences explaining what happened instead of seeing things unfold。 I would have liked to have this be a bit longer so we could see things play out more。 I also thought we didn't know much about the characters and wanted to see their development go deeper。 I thought this was an easy read and got through it pretty quickly。 There are fun and sweet moments and I'm always up for a lighthearted story。 I voluntarily read and reviewed this book。 All opinions are my own。 Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy。 。。。more
Jessica
，
This clean YA romance is a quick and easy， feel-good read。 Nate and his best friend， Jai， both have a secret crush on each other and it's heart-warming to see how much they care about and support one another。 When Jai joins Nate on a trip to Nate's father's homeland， the change of scenery gives them each the freedom to be honest with each other and to take action on their crushes。#NatePlusOne #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book。 All opinions stated are solely my own and no This clean YA romance is a quick and easy， feel-good read。 Nate and his best friend， Jai， both have a secret crush on each other and it's heart-warming to see how much they care about and support one another。 When Jai joins Nate on a trip to Nate's father's homeland， the change of scenery gives them each the freedom to be honest with each other and to take action on their crushes。#NatePlusOne #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book。 All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s。 Read more reviews！ http://dreamerjbookreviews。blogspot。com 。。。more
clemens
，
2/5:One star for the effort， the other one is me being kind。 This book was bad mdr……。。
thesapphiccelticbookworm
，
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for a copy of this book。Nate Hargraves' looking forward to his cousin's wedding in South Africa until he learns that his ex-boyfriend Tommy will be there， and his mother can't travel with him。 Luckily his friend （and crush） Jai Patel steps up and says he'll go as his plus one。Meanwhile the lead-singer in Jai's band quits and betrays them just before a competition finale。 Nate volunteers to take his place。This is fun， easy to read， mainly lighthearted book， but it Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for a copy of this book。Nate Hargraves' looking forward to his cousin's wedding in South Africa until he learns that his ex-boyfriend Tommy will be there， and his mother can't travel with him。 Luckily his friend （and crush） Jai Patel steps up and says he'll go as his plus one。Meanwhile the lead-singer in Jai's band quits and betrays them just before a competition finale。 Nate volunteers to take his place。This is fun， easy to read， mainly lighthearted book， but it does deal with difficult topics at times。 I loved seeing the relationship between Nate and his Ouma （grandmother）。 It's great to see a non-Western setting for a YA contemporary， I don't think this is something we see enough of。My main critique of this book is that it's too short; I would really like to have seen more of a resolution of Tommy's story。 The book felt like it ended too abruptly and could have used an epilogue。 。。。more
Susan
，
Nate Plus One lacked the magic of van Whye's debut Date Me， Bryson Keller， but it was a pleasant enough read with a fairly straightforward romance， marred by a silly Big Misunderstanding。 High school junior Nate has been crushing on his friend Jai for a while， and then several events take place that make him think the universe wants them to be together。 First the vocalist in Jai's band deserts them for a rival group， and Nate becomes the default lead singer。 Then his Mom is unable to accompany Nate Plus One lacked the magic of van Whye's debut Date Me， Bryson Keller， but it was a pleasant enough read with a fairly straightforward romance， marred by a silly Big Misunderstanding。 High school junior Nate has been crushing on his friend Jai for a while， and then several events take place that make him think the universe wants them to be together。 First the vocalist in Jai's band deserts them for a rival group， and Nate becomes the default lead singer。 Then his Mom is unable to accompany him to a family wedding in South Africa， so Jai becomes his "plus one。" Nate is thrilled， especially because his ex is now dating the bride's best friend。 Nate wants to show the guy who ghosted him that he has moved on。 Things progress pretty much the way you would expect。 The chapters set in South Africa are interesting for their portrayal of the culture and history。 Like Trevor Noah， Nate is bi-racial and "born a crime，" although his family left South Africa early in his childhood。 He is strongly affected by the trip because it allows him to learn more about his father， who died when Nate was only five years old。 The romance between Nate and Jai was meh。 They flirt a lot， they almost kiss a few times， then they admit they have feelings about each other。 And then they fall victim to one of the most cliched Big Misunderstandings， （view spoiler）[（Jai sees Nate kissing his ex and assumes Nate is cheating on him （hide spoiler）] and Nate has to make a Grand Gesture to get Jai back。 I didn't necessarily feel the love or the heartbreak， but I didn't mind going along for the ride。 ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for an objective review。 。。。more
Andrew
，
I like the story and the messages。
Paige
，
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher。 Thanks！ All opinions are my own。Book: Nate Plus OneAuthor: Kevin van WhyeBook Series: StandaloneRating: 4/5Diversity: Gay Black （South African ancestry） MC， Black characters， South African characters， bisexual/queer characters， M/M romanceRecommended For。。。: young adult readers， contemporary， romance， travel ，school band， Wedding plus one trope， LGBT， m/m romancePublication Date: May 10， 2022Genre: YA Contemporary RomanceAge Relevance: 16+ （r Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher。 Thanks！ All opinions are my own。Book: Nate Plus OneAuthor: Kevin van WhyeBook Series: StandaloneRating: 4/5Diversity: Gay Black （South African ancestry） MC， Black characters， South African characters， bisexual/queer characters， M/M romanceRecommended For。。。: young adult readers， contemporary， romance， travel ，school band， Wedding plus one trope， LGBT， m/m romancePublication Date: May 10， 2022Genre: YA Contemporary RomanceAge Relevance: 16+ （romance， underage alcohol consumption， racism， parental death， grief， homophobia， animal death， language， sexual content， apartheid， child abuse）Explanation of Above: There is romance in this book， as it’s a YA contemporary romance。 There is some small scenes and mentions of underage alcohol consumption。 Racism is mentioned in the book and some slight homophobia is shown。 There is a parental death mentioned in the book and grief is shown occasionally in the text。 There is an animal death shown in the book and it’s a goldfish。 There are a couple of curse words in the book。 There is slight sexual content， with one fade to black sex scene。 Apartheid is mentioned in the book and there is some exploration into what happened in South Africa。 There are also allusions to child abuse in the book。Publisher: Random House Books for Young ReadersPages: 256Synopsis: Nate needs a date to his cousin's wedding。 Jai is Nate's best friend and secret crush。 Could Jai be Nate's plus-one--and only？Nate Hargraves is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy。 That's why he dreams of being a songwriter instead of a singer。 But things change the summer after junior year as Nate gets ready to fly to South Africa for his cousin's lavish destination wedding。 The trip is bound to be epic。 Except--Nate just found out that his ex-boyfriend will be at the reception。 Ugh。 He does not want to face this one solo。Jai Patel， Nate's best friend （and secret crush）， has his own problems。 The lead singer of Jai's band， Infinite Sorrow， quit weeks before a contest that promised to be their big break。 But Nate rocks Jai's world when he agrees to sing with the band。 Even though Nate's not one for the spotlight， he knows this is the kind of stuff you do for 。 。 。 friends。 In return， Jai volunteers to be Nate's travel buddy around South Africa， a buffer against his ex， and his plus-one at the wedding。Maybe this summer will be epic after all。 Now that Nate's crush is on board， will love crash the party？ Fall in love with this joyful， swoon-worthy rom-com by the author of Date Me， Bryson Keller。Review: For the most part I really liked this book。 It was a cute romance and it contained a lot of things I love: school bands， wedding plus one trope， and getting over an ex/reconciliation with your past。 I thought the messages in the book were well done， especially in dealing with homophobic family members and exes who want to get back together。 The book was sweet and it showed an adorable romance。 I also really appreciate that this book showcases two BIPOC queer male characters and I hope to see a lot more in the future。 Every reader should be able to see themselves in a multitude of books。 The character development was good and the world building was great。 I loved the premise of the book and it’s a book I could see myself rereading if I needed a pick-me-up。However， I thought while the book was good， it really struggled with an overall plot。 There were about 3-4 different plot points in the book and they weren’t that cohesive。 The book would solve one and there would be an awkward lull until we got to the next one。 The plot issue really hurt the book and it felt more like a collection of stories about this character’s dating journey than an overall novel。Verdict: It was good！ Highly recommend。 。。。more
Abbie Smith
，
Ok， so I absolutely love Date Me， Bryson Keller and have been waiting ages for Van Whye's follow up - this may have been my mistake。I don't know if it was the expectation but something in this book was really lacking for me。 Where in DMBK I could relate 100% to Kai's social anxiety and enjoyed the breakdown of the jock stereotype with Bryson， here both Nate and and Jai seemed completely generic and that made them a little dull。 Other than Nate having stage fright， I don't think I could tell you Ok， so I absolutely love Date Me， Bryson Keller and have been waiting ages for Van Whye's follow up - this may have been my mistake。I don't know if it was the expectation but something in this book was really lacking for me。 Where in DMBK I could relate 100% to Kai's social anxiety and enjoyed the breakdown of the jock stereotype with Bryson， here both Nate and and Jai seemed completely generic and that made them a little dull。 Other than Nate having stage fright， I don't think I could tell you a single difference between their personalities。 I also couldn't invest in the 'will they/won't they' element of the story， which I usually adore， because I couldn't really tell you why Nate liked Jai so much， he just did。 Plus， it's pretty much hinted at immediately that it's mutual and confirmed that Jai is bi so it's really more of a 'they will' situation。 Overall， the book just feels a little bland and， although plot points are happening， the short length of the book means everything happens fairly quickly and makes it all feel a little inconsequential。 。。。more
Rebecca Cohen
，
I really enjoyed this book。 It’s the kind of book that feels light but makes an impact on your heart， and leaves you feeling like you accomplished something right along with the main characters。Nathan Hargreaves might be in love with his best friend。 Jai is a member of the band Infinite Sorrow， and is everything Nate has ever wanted。 So， when the lead singer betrays the band， Nate steps up。 And when Nate’s mom isn’t able to go on the trip of a lifetime to Nate’s cousin’s wedding in South Africa， I really enjoyed this book。 It’s the kind of book that feels light but makes an impact on your heart， and leaves you feeling like you accomplished something right along with the main characters。Nathan Hargreaves might be in love with his best friend。 Jai is a member of the band Infinite Sorrow， and is everything Nate has ever wanted。 So， when the lead singer betrays the band， Nate steps up。 And when Nate’s mom isn’t able to go on the trip of a lifetime to Nate’s cousin’s wedding in South Africa， Jai steps up。 So the two of them take a two week trip together to visit Nathan’s family， attend the wedding， and hopefully write a new hit song。The romance in this book is so sweet and fun。 Jai and Nate balance each other so well and have good chemistry and communication， and the evolution of their relationship never felt forced and was always enjoyable to follow。 A large part of this book is spent with them being domestic and adorable and writing songs together， which made it feel like a comforting read even though it dealt with some heavy topics。 The different characters in this book were really great。 Nathan’s mother and grandmother were both different types of strong and powerful women， which was very nice to see， and overall I found all of the strong female characters in this book to be well written and compelling。 Jai and Nate were really the only two male characters who stood out to me， but I truly did like them and their relationship。This book really flew by for me。 It felt like a short book， although I read it online so I couldn’t really tell just how long it was - just what percentage of it I had left。 It’s one of those classic YA novels that just feels comfortable and like you could sit on the couch and read it and just feel good。 I wouldn’t call it revolutionary， but I enjoyed it！Huge thanks to NetGalley and to Random House Children’s for sending me an advance copy of this book for review！ 。。。more
Trisha
，
Gah， all the sugary sweetness。 Love it。 Travel， rockers， boyfriends and grandmas。Nate is adorbs。 But Jai Patel？ Man， he is a keeper。
DB （DB's Guide to the Galaxy）
，
Another really quick read and another one that I really loved！ I hope I can carry on with these quick reads that I really love。 This one was a heartfelt， sweet read about two friends falling in love。As I’ve said before， I’m just not really a fan of the friends-to-lovers but I think it’s due to how it’s normally written。 Luckily it wasn’t the case in Nate Plus One。 I very much enjoyed the trope and definitely would’ve liked the book to have been longer。 Even if it would just have been more South Another really quick read and another one that I really loved！ I hope I can carry on with these quick reads that I really love。 This one was a heartfelt， sweet read about two friends falling in love。As I’ve said before， I’m just not really a fan of the friends-to-lovers but I think it’s due to how it’s normally written。 Luckily it wasn’t the case in Nate Plus One。 I very much enjoyed the trope and definitely would’ve liked the book to have been longer。 Even if it would just have been more South African things to fill the pages。Speaking of South African things， I loved seeing all the nods and little things – even if they didn’t come down to Cape Town （I live near Cape Town and I don’t remember Durban very well）。I laughed when they heard ‘robots’ and were very confused because， yes， we do call traffic lights robots。 （don’t ask why， I don’t know why）。 I loved they included a braai （like a barbeque， but just better） but I would have loved the braai to be longer – both as in more written and chronologically longer。 It’s a running joke that braais take forever。 You could go to a friend’s house at 2pm and only eat the cookd food around 11pm。 I’m quite serious 😂。There was a point where the aunt explained a Hadeda to the boys and I laughed because they’re absolutely awful and I hate them。 On another ‘South African note’ the book mentioned Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu can be seen walking around with his wife。 Tutu passed away last year， and so did Leah （his wife）… But also we don’t know which year the book is set in so they might still be alive？The plot was unfortunately a bit over the place and confusing。 The synopsis made it seem like there would be fake dating？ And even as I read， I kept waiting for them to start up their fake dating agreement， but it never happened？And when they got to South Africa the plot also fell apart a bit？ It’s like it didn’t know what part of the plot to work on。 That didn’t deter me from loving the book， so I’m glad about that！While I loved what we were given， I do think the book would be better if it were longer。 Even 50 pages would’ve been very helpful。 Either more adventures in South Africa – them eating rusks， them eating biltong。 Or even more bonding with Nate’s family （except for the homophobic uncle。 YOU， I hope loadshedding hits you at every turn）。I loved the close friendship of Nate and Jai and the way it quickly turned into a sweet relationship！ It felt natural， super sweet， like they’ll have cute moments with each other in the future！ They also treat each other like equals and that’s a favourite thing of mine to see in relationships。 。。。more
Sally ✨
，
Woof， I was expecting too much， but the ending was kind of not what I was hoping for。 But that's ok， I loved the history about the Apartheid， the bits about South Africa and the chemistry between them。 Woof， I was expecting too much， but the ending was kind of not what I was hoping for。 But that's ok， I loved the history about the Apartheid， the bits about South Africa and the chemistry between them。 。。。more
Tessa
，
3/5 StarsNate Plus One is definitely a sweet queer romcom。 Friends to lovers， fake dating， weddings， music， and South African culture all wrapped up in an adorable little package。 Nate has a group of friends he loves， and a best friend he （not-so-secretly） loves the most。 Having come out as gay not too long ago， he's still trying to figure out how to navigate the world。 But music is his happy place， even if a horrifying stint with stage fright years ago keeps him from performing， he still always 3/5 StarsNate Plus One is definitely a sweet queer romcom。 Friends to lovers， fake dating， weddings， music， and South African culture all wrapped up in an adorable little package。 Nate has a group of friends he loves， and a best friend he （not-so-secretly） loves the most。 Having come out as gay not too long ago， he's still trying to figure out how to navigate the world。 But music is his happy place， even if a horrifying stint with stage fright years ago keeps him from performing， he still always goes to support Jai and his band。 Jai is loving and carefree， well at least， on the outside。 When his band's lead singer bails out before a big competition， he knows just who to ask。 Nate is terrified of the prospect， but agrees if Jai will go to his cousins wedding with him in South Africa。。。as a couple。 What are best friends for？ The premise of this was very—cute。 I'm not usually a fan of friends to lovers as it tends to become too saccharine for my tastes， but I always try to dip my toes back in periodically。 This was， indeed， really really sweet but almost clinically so at times。 The characters themselves didn't seem to get a lot of development emotionally; at times it more felt like they were filling in spots。 It was disappointing in that respect， but I do recognize that books in this genre don't always rely as heavily on character as they do the execution of certain tropes。 I did love how genuine the insertion of South Africa was。 That was where a lot of the story came to life in my opinion。 There were times you could genuinely see， hear， and feel the area， the people。 We touched on apartheid， and the ripples of those struggles into modern day。 The nuance definitely peaked during this part of the book。 A very quick read。 It's a perfect pallet cleanser when you need to just let your mind go， or sit around on the beach。 *My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review* 。。。more
Darcey
，
ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review。 This in no way changes my rating or review。3 RELATABLE STARSThree Minute Thoughts:This wasn’t as well-written as I expected。 The romance was quite sweet， and I liked the individual characters and the brief flirty banter between them， but sections of the book felt quite stilted or disjointed， and the book seemed to dip between showing and telling。 Some of the story seemed quite realitic in the stupidity of the teenagers， but other sections seem ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review。 This in no way changes my rating or review。3 RELATABLE STARSThree Minute Thoughts:This wasn’t as well-written as I expected。 The romance was quite sweet， and I liked the individual characters and the brief flirty banter between them， but sections of the book felt quite stilted or disjointed， and the book seemed to dip between showing and telling。 Some of the story seemed quite realitic in the stupidity of the teenagers， but other sections seemed a little too ridiculous， and I wasn’t fully captivated by this。The Extended， Long， and Very-Possibly-Messy Review:Good things first！ Nate Plus One did have some really cute romance， and I did enjoy the relationship that built up between the mains – it was flirty and over the top and romantic and adorable。 They were both reasonably well fleshed-out characters， and they had some top-notch flirting that made me giggle， plus who doesn’t love the blatant head-in-sand attitude of a teenager refusing to believe their love may be requited？“And the more I think about it， even liking Jai Patel was totally accidental。 It was totally unavoidable too。”（This quote may not be in the published version of this novel， it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy。）There were also a couple side characters who I loved with all my heart and soul – I can’t help but wish we got more of Gemma and Meghan！“Gemma nudges me with an elbow。 ‘That’s what best friends are for。 We’re here to inflate egos and bash the competition。 Two things I do very well。'”（This quote may not be in the published version of this novel， it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy。）Now the less-good things。 The writing style seemed to vary between being extremely childish and well-suited to the mind of a teenage boy， and being mature and adult。 I feel that if the author had simply stuck to one style or mood it would’ve been much improved – both were perfectly decent styles， I simply didn’t enjoy the constant changes and variation running through the book。 I also felt that the timing in the book was a little strange， as there would be long （possibly too long） sections leading up to some important event or other， and then the event would happen incredibly quickly and be over in a whirlwind， which me left scrambling behind， trying to catch up and work out what was going on。 All round， I simply felt this book was hasty， and not particularly captivating because of that。Nonetheless， I definitely did enjoy some aspects of Nate Plus One， and I thank the author， publisher and TBR & Beyond Tours for providing me with a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
BookBagDC
，
This is a story about crushes。 Nate Hargraves loves music， as long as he can stay behind the scenes。 His goal is to become a songwriter。 But when the lead singer of Infinite Sorrow -- one of his favorite bands whose leader just happens to be his best friend and crush Jai Patel -- quits just weeks before a major battle of the bands， Nate surprises everyone， including himself， by agreeing to step as the new lead singer。 In return （or so Nate think）， Jai agrees to travel with Nate to South Afri This is a story about crushes。 Nate Hargraves loves music， as long as he can stay behind the scenes。 His goal is to become a songwriter。 But when the lead singer of Infinite Sorrow -- one of his favorite bands whose leader just happens to be his best friend and crush Jai Patel -- quits just weeks before a major battle of the bands， Nate surprises everyone， including himself， by agreeing to step as the new lead singer。 In return （or so Nate think）， Jai agrees to travel with Nate to South Africa to be the plus one at the wedding of Nate's cousin， where Nate's ex-boyfriend will also be a guest。 While on the trip， Nate navgates his complicated feelings of being in the birthplace of his late father and spending time with his grandmother at his father's childhood home， explores the different parts of South Africa with Jai， and faces his ex-boyfriend who had ghosted him and broke his heart， all while working on a song for the competition。 Through this emotionally charged time， Nate and Jai's relationship deepens， much to Nate's surprise 。。。 and delight。I so enjoyed the author's previous novel， Date Me， Bryson Keller， so I was really excited for his new book -- and it exceeded my high expectations。 The author effectively combined a compelling romance story with an exploration about the joys and complications of family and the ongoing impacts of the loss of a parent。 It was a delight to go on this journey with Nate and Jai， as they experience new locales and explore old and new feelings。Strongly recommended！ 。。。more
Roanna25
，
Solid rom-com YA
Nadia
，
Have you ever read a book smiling throughout it？ Well， this one made me smile and I loved it。 Nate Plus One was a cute queer love story about Nate who needed a date to his cousin’s wedding in South Africa。 When his mom couldn't go and his ex was going to be at this epic wedding， Nate didn't want to go alone。 When his best friend/ crush Jai volunteered to go with him as his plus one， he was thrilled， but scared since he had feelings for him。 This was a story of love， family， crushes， closures， ra Have you ever read a book smiling throughout it？ Well， this one made me smile and I loved it。 Nate Plus One was a cute queer love story about Nate who needed a date to his cousin’s wedding in South Africa。 When his mom couldn't go and his ex was going to be at this epic wedding， Nate didn't want to go alone。 When his best friend/ crush Jai volunteered to go with him as his plus one， he was thrilled， but scared since he had feelings for him。 This was a story of love， family， crushes， closures， racism， homophobia， and friendships。 As he navigated his way learning more about his father （who passed years ago）， his Ouma Lettie （grandma）， and his best friend Jai， he learned so much about his own strength， self acceptance and self love。 There were tender/poignant moments that I was glad to have kleenix close by， but it was totally worth it。 The ending though I wish was a bit different， maybe an epilogue of what happened in six months time。 Overall， I absolutely loved it！ I recommend this cute story to everyone that loves love。There are triggers of death of a parent。Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Sydney
，
This book was cute but I wish there was a bit more development。 I think having maybe a small chapter from Jai's POV would help。I received an arc from netgalley。 This book was cute but I wish there was a bit more development。 I think having maybe a small chapter from Jai's POV would help。I received an arc from netgalley。 。。。more
Erika
，
Content warning: underage drinking， homophobia， mentions of death of a parent。 At first I was like Meg but it started to pickup and the subplots are age-appropriate and cute。 Halfway through I found myself saying， "Yassssssssss Nate"。 It's a cute summer romance。 Content warning: underage drinking， homophobia， mentions of death of a parent。 At first I was like Meg but it started to pickup and the subplots are age-appropriate and cute。 Halfway through I found myself saying， "Yassssssssss Nate"。 It's a cute summer romance。 。。。more
Kalle
，
Nate Plus One follows a high school student named Ben （just kidding it's about a kid named Nate）。 He is getting over a breakup with his new boyfriend and has a crush on his friend/bandmate hottie， Jai。 When Nate goes to South Africa for a wedding and to visit his late father's family， Jai agrees to come with him。 But uh oh， his ex is going to be there as well！！ What will happen？？I thought this book looked cute and like a fun summer romance read。 I was interested in the South Africa aspect as I h Nate Plus One follows a high school student named Ben （just kidding it's about a kid named Nate）。 He is getting over a breakup with his new boyfriend and has a crush on his friend/bandmate hottie， Jai。 When Nate goes to South Africa for a wedding and to visit his late father's family， Jai agrees to come with him。 But uh oh， his ex is going to be there as well！！ What will happen？？I thought this book looked cute and like a fun summer romance read。 I was interested in the South Africa aspect as I haven't read any books set in South Africa。 Unfortunately， this book felt like a Frankenstein of a queer YA romance， a South African tourism pamphlet， a finding yourself as an artist story， and a chess strategy book。 I say the chess strategy because oh my god did this book just feel like descriptions of what people were doing。 "I went to the cabinet。 I took out a glass。 I filled it with water。 I put it to my lips。 It felt cold。 Then Jai came over and said， 'the water is cold， huh？' I nodded as I felt the cold water slide down my throat。" 95% of the prose was just about where characters were and what they were doing。 Very much tell and not show。 I have no idea how any of the characters felt by the end of the book。 And then sections were slammed with South African food and culture， which was fun but felt so "they did this which is done in South Africa" and "they ate this which is a traditional food of South Africa" that it felt like it was for South African tourism and not a cute YA book。 And that's not even including the romance or the band subplots！ Which were fine。 I guess。 I liked the representation and some of the parts about South Africa but this book felt so all over the place that I finished it feeling confused。 If any of what I wrote above sounds exciting to you， I would give it a try。 2。25 stars from me rounded down to 2。 Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Courtney
，
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Nate Plus One is a charming sophomore novel， and I continue to enjoy how Kevin Van Whye’s love for romcom tropes shines through in his writing。 I’m a sucker for friends to lovers， and he delivers all the feels of that here。 Nate and Jai have such a lovely dynamic， which translates well as they take their friendship to the next level。 I very much resonate with Nate’s more reserved natu I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Nate Plus One is a charming sophomore novel， and I continue to enjoy how Kevin Van Whye’s love for romcom tropes shines through in his writing。 I’m a sucker for friends to lovers， and he delivers all the feels of that here。 Nate and Jai have such a lovely dynamic， which translates well as they take their friendship to the next level。 I very much resonate with Nate’s more reserved nature， while also admiring how he’s willing to step out of his comfort zone for his best friend。 And Jai is also a really solid guy who is supportive of Nate in the potentially awkward situations he is prepared to run into。 I loved the infusion of South African culture that comes into the story， especially the way it highlights how recent， relatively， apartheid occurred， and highlighting the changes that have happened since that ended。 And the family dynamics are brilliant。 Nate worries that they won’t accept he’s gay， as they haven’t seen him since before he came out， but they do。 And there’s some touching moments that highlight his lingering connection to his late father that I really liked。 I did kind of wish a few elements had been developed more。 The ex seemed like a convenient plot device to motivate Nate to bring Jai along to South Africa， but nothing really came into play with him until it came time to force a third act breakup。 And given that music is a big part of Jai’s life， and forms a big part of the agreement between the two， I’d have liked to see more of it sprinkled throughout。 We get some scenes， especially at the end， but I’d have liked to see more。 However， I still mostly enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone looking for a multicultural queer romcom。 。。。more
Lina
，
3。5Cute， I loved Nate but I did cringe a bit here and there especially towards the end。 Overall an enjoyable quick little read。
Aamna - The Ink Slinger
，
Nate Plus One is the kind of sweet， wholesome read that you come back to lift your spirits and warm your heart when you've just finished reading a really fantasy book that fizzled a few of your brain cells。 It's really just a simple， maybe a bit predictable YA romance story。 It's cute， it's quirky and hilarious。 We have our main character， Nate， who is a young teenager boy who's got a tiny crush on his best friend and is too nervous to think about it （story of their life， right？）。 I love a good Nate Plus One is the kind of sweet， wholesome read that you come back to lift your spirits and warm your heart when you've just finished reading a really fantasy book that fizzled a few of your brain cells。 It's really just a simple， maybe a bit predictable YA romance story。 It's cute， it's quirky and hilarious。 We have our main character， Nate， who is a young teenager boy who's got a tiny crush on his best friend and is too nervous to think about it （story of their life， right？）。 I love a good friends-to-lovers， and this book did it perfectly。 This book also talked a bit about the racism， sexism， apartheid law and the history of South Africa。 It's not really heavy and just briefly skims over these topics， but I I felt like it was a very relevant thing to touch on because of the character's background。 Nate is a likeable， relatable character from the get-go， and you're endeared to him and his friend group。 It deals with all the messy teen anxiety， coming out， family expectations and friendship。 It felt very relatable and wholesome and comforting。 I think that if you are are dedicated YA reader， this is going to be the perfect slice of cake for you。 But if you're not， the writing feels like a little disorienting because it definitely is simpler， but once you're a few chapters in， its the same feeling of setting in an armchair。 。。。more
Carly [A Beauty & Her Books]
，
Can we talk about how cute this book was？ It was such a fun read and I love the friends-to-lovers trope （like seriously， I cannot get enough of it🥺）。 Nate， a songwriter with a fear of audiences， volunteers to be the lead singer in his best friend （and crush） Jai’s band。 That right there shows how much he loves him。 But wait， it gets better！ After Nate’s mother is unable to attend a family wedding in South Africa， Jain volunteers and my heart SOARS！ Like， you can just imagine the feelings and th Can we talk about how cute this book was？ It was such a fun read and I love the friends-to-lovers trope （like seriously， I cannot get enough of it🥺）。 Nate， a songwriter with a fear of audiences， volunteers to be the lead singer in his best friend （and crush） Jai’s band。 That right there shows how much he loves him。 But wait， it gets better！ After Nate’s mother is unable to attend a family wedding in South Africa， Jain volunteers and my heart SOARS！ Like， you can just imagine the feelings and the magic that is going to happen on this trip。 I loved the setting of this book。 I don’t think I’ve read many YA books that take place in South Africa but I really have to change that。 The author perfectly illustrates the landscape， variety of scenes， languages， and people， oh and let’s not forget the usual tourist attractions that safari rides。 There is one thing that I would’ve loved a tad more information on， which is the bits that would provide more connection to the characters but then it wasn’t really mentioned again。 For example， Nate is a history buff （I mean， so am I so l really liked this！） But it was only really mentioned in the one chapter😕 Overall I really enjoyed this read。 It’s about overcoming your family’s judgements， moving on in your life， and learning to take what you deserve。 Oh， and let’s throw in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to wrap it all up？ Yes please！ 。。。more
Hayley （hayleyinpages）
，
This was very cute！ I finished it all in one sittingA sweet friends to romantic partners story。 If you are looking for a quick， mostly light read， this one is really easy。TW: homophobia in a family member
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Nate Plus One
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Nate Plus One&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Nate Plus One&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0