• Age: 13 to 18
• Grade: 4
• Reading age: 9 to 10

On the surface, Romeo has it all: success on the basketball court, a group of friends, including the beautiful Rosie. Deep down he knows something is missing: all he feels for Rosie is friendship. Everything changes when he shares a kiss with openly gay Julian at a party. Despite their obvious attraction, Romeo is less sure of himself than ever, and leaves without even telling Julian his name.

With Rosie's support, Romeo begins exploring his sexuality — and ends up running into Julian again. Realizing how little he knows about other sexual orientations and gender identities, Romeo begins to see the world in a whole new light, and he and Julian begin to fall in love. But his homophobic friends and family can't accept him as gay. After a violent confrontation with one of his old friends, Romeo becomes determined to prove that his love for Julian is real and right.

Romeo for Real will give readers the courage to take pride in who they are and whom they love.

MARKUS HARWOOD-JONES is a writer, visual artist and documentary filmmaker. He has self-published the short story collections Confessions of a Teenage Transsexual Whore and Everything & All at Once; his feature film, Mosaic, tells the story of his journey across Canada and the United States to learn more about the trans community. He is author of the Lorimer Real Love teen romances, Just Julian and Romeo for Real. Markus lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Markus Harwood-Jones' profile page

"...these novels [Just Julian and Romeo for Real] provide much-needed representation for those whom society marginalizes."

Kirkus Reviews

"Together, Romeo and Julian find that as long as they are together, their love can conquer all."

Resource Links

"I applaud Harwood-Jones' concept ... The love story is cute and will likely appeal to some readers looking for a swift queer love-at-first-sight tale ..."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"The romance stories in Lorimer's Real Love series reflect the diverse world that teens live in — at a reading level for emerging readers."

VOYA

"I bet this story is more true to life than I can imagine...I loved reading both books [Romeo for Real and Just Julian] and I think for those who are not fans of reading these are pretty quick reads and pretty important stories."

NetGalley

"This was an approachable read for upper middle to high school readers. The dramatics are engaging enough, and the writing should be easy for students in the age range to adapt to and understand."

NetGalley

"Romeo for Real is short, fast paced and easy to follow. It is also informative for YA readers who aren't at all knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ matters."

NetGalley