Summer Nights, Cigarettes & Spearmint Toothpaste

As children, Adrian and Cyrus spent every summer together, forming a deep bond while Cyrus visited family in Scotland. But just as they were on the verge of childhood friendship blooming into something more, closely guarded secrets, teenage angst, and family drama drove them apart.

Now adults, Adrian is living in the US, trying to build a life for himself in Cyrus's hometown. He's not looking to reunite with his old friend, but when they inevitably run into each other, Adrian can't help but be hopeful. There's just one problem: Cyrus has no idea who Adrian is.

As Adrian and Cyrus grow close once more, will their new relationship survive Adrian's decision not to reveal his identity? Or will the mask he clings on to destroy their chance to truly know — and love — each other, for good?

A tale of trans romance, Summer Nights, Cigarettes & Spearmint Toothpaste is a tender friends-to-lovers story told over multiple childhood summers and one unexpected, complicated reunion.

James Edward Cook is a queer author based in Georgia, USA. As a dedicated fanfiction creator turned full-time writer, Cook has been sharing his stories online since 2016. He specialises in Romance, Tragedy, and Coming-of-Age. He has been previously published in The Aura Literary Arts Review and Divination Hollow’s Pride in Horror collection. Summer Nights, Cigarettes & Spearmint Toothpaste is his debut novella.

Whilst this book is not YA, it is suitable for older teens - 15+

“This book has such a genuine and realistic approach to the pain of a trans man coping with life-long rejection of his transness without feeling miserable or pessimistic. It has rich and beautiful prose, the easy sewing of different flowers and their names and stories through the narrative feels so real and grounded. Cyrus and Adrian both feel so true-to-life, and their reunion is so sweet.”
— Johannes T. Evans, author of Heart of Stone

“Summer Nights is an honest, aching tale of trans love over time. It captures the nuanced turmoil of adulthood just as well as the seeming-simplicity of childhood love, and everything complicated that boils underneath.”
— TT Madden, author of The Cosmic Color