--- product_id: 123154179 title: "Been Here All Along: He's in Love with the Boy Next Door" brand: "sandy hall" price: "KD 1.36" currency: KWD in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/123154179-been-here-all-along-hes-in-love-with-the-boy store_origin: KW region: Kuwait --- # Been Here All Along: He's in Love with the Boy Next Door **Brand:** sandy hall **Price:** KD 1.36 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Been Here All Along: He's in Love with the Boy Next Door by sandy hall - **How much does it cost?** KD 1.36 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.kw](https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/123154179-been-here-all-along-hes-in-love-with-the-boy) ## Best For - sandy hall enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted sandy hall brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Been Here All Along: He's in Love with the Boy Next Door - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61doZGIJcGL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐ This is a lightweight, cutesy story about wanting a friendship to blossom into romance. *by S***A on Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018* I chose this book as part of a 30 Days of Pride Book Review project. This is that review:Gideon has been best friends with Kyle almost as long as he can remember. So when Kyle and his girlfriend are having a fight, Gideon really has to examine why he feels somewhat giddy. He’s definitely not attracted to Ruby… but could he really be attracted to Kyle?This is a lightweight, cutesy story about wanting a friendship to blossom into romance. The writing is simplistic. The conflict and eventual story arc is pretty obvious. The resolution is what one would expect. I mean, there is nothing too innovative or surprising happening here.Still, at the end of the day, it's a feel-good story. It delivers what the genre promises. It is a schmoopy teen romance. So, you get what you pay for here. The boys are good friends, and you want to root for them through the genre requisite misunderstandings and blunders. They also don't make the girlfriend character a throw away person whose feelings don't matter… or ultimately a monster so the audience doesn't have to feel so bad if her feelings get hurt…. Which I appreciated.All and all it was a quick and pleasant read.There were a few things that didn't quite do it for me, however. I didn't find the characters to be totally consistent from one scene to the next. For instance, in one scene Ruby is the point of view character and even in her internal monologue she is totally cool with the information she just learned. Than 3 days later she expresses that she is totally not okay with it. And while she could have simply changed her mind, I think we should have seen a glimmer of misgiving, while we were in her head, if she really felt so strongly about it later. And another instance was, in the beginning of the book Gideon has just no clue that his being gay was even a possibility. It catches him totally off guard to be attracted to a guy. Then much later in the book, someone asks him how long he's known he is gay, and he replies, “I guess I always sort of knew, but didn't know how to deal with it.” That was not at all what was expressed in his thoughts when we were in his point of view. It just feels like clumsy characterization.Also, the “up until right this moment I thought I was straight but I was secretly totally in gay denial this whole time” trope seems to just be over represented as a story device for straight authors writing gay stories. I don't know, and maybe I'm not being fair, because I'm not saying this never happens in real life, but.... and maybe this is just me... it can feel almost fetishy(?) sometimes. I've seen it too many times with fanfiction authors writing two characters who have been established heterosexual in canon, because those characters just don't know any better and really they are meant to be together.Do I recommend it? If you like schmoopy romances? If you like light manufactured drama that wraps up neatly, ala’ Degrassi or Teen Nick? If you really want a best friend hoping for romance story? Sure. Go ahead. Read this one. It is lightweight, Fluffy, Harmless faire.So how does it do on this project's scales?The Queer Counterculture Visibility Scale is first, which determines how much light I thought this book shed on less prominent queer stories. I liked that we had a POV character that identified as bisexual. I also liked that there were some class issues being pointed out by a non-queer POV character. A handful of points there.2 out of 5 starsThe second scale is The Genre Expectation scale, which rates how the book compares to other books in its genre. Like I said above, it is a fine example of the genre. Nothing too surprising but nothing too disappointing either.3 out of 5 stars ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LGBT story inspired by You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift *by A***X on Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016* Kyle and Gideon have been best friends since they were about the age of five. They have always been next-door neighbors and have created a close bond. Despite their opposite personalities; Kyle: basketball player/jock, Gideon: geek, brainiac they’ve become best of friends. Their friendship is one you’ll be envious of!This book primarily revolves around exploring sexuality and coming to terms with it. Kyle is bisexual and has been out to his family and close friends. However, he hasn’t told his girlfriend Ruby because he didn’t feel comfortable. He deals with finding ways to finally tell her this big secret. While, Gideon is exploring his sexuality and coming to terms with “being gay” when he starts developing feelings for Kyle.Sandy Hall is a writer who likes multiple POV. Similar to her sophomore novel, Signs Point to Yes this book focuses on the main characters, a sibling and Ruby - Kyle’s girlfriend. We get to know these other characters and see what they're struggling with as well as the boys.I enjoy the way Hall writes because she has fluffy Contemporary with a hint of dark/important topics. Been Here All Along includes a parent losing a job, surviving in the real world/life after college and a learning disability. I enjoyed these topics being implemented into the story because they are real life events and need to be seen in YA more! Adding a learning disability really hit me because it was relatable to my life and rare to see in YA books.Kyle and Ruby have a complicated relationship - there were times when it did feel toxic. Ruby isn't the nicest character and seems careless when it comes to others feelings. She gets jealous very quickly. However, she redeems herself in the end.This book takes a turn when Gideon and Ruby start acting strange which causes Kyle to become suspicious. It changes the story and the characters turn on each other. This really makes the story :)I loved Kyle and Gideon's story and how many strong messages were in this book. Gideon is a friend you'd love to have. He's super nerdy, kind and will force you to watch Lord of the Rings. Kyle is sweet and understanding, witty.I think this became one of my favorite Sandy Hall books since A Little Something Different. I highly recommend to pick up this LGBTQIA book inspired by a fan edition of You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift! Kyle and Gideon will quickly become your new OTP and you’ll ship them as hard as I did! I would read more of these boys in a heartbeat. I love them so much. Please pick this book up, it deserves to be read :) ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a great book. It's a wonderful coming of age, coming out, gay love story. *by R***Y on Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2018* This is a great book. It's a wonderful coming of age, coming out, gay love story. It's heart felt and endearing. The author writes wonderfully and captures an essence within the characters she creates that makes the reader want to keep reading and reading and not put the book down! This is one of the best coming of age love stories I've ever read.Unfortunately, this is the authors ONLY gay romance novel. Her other few novels concern only straight characters, and although they are probably well written and good stories, in a world dominated by heterosexual imagery depicted in every and all genre's, I'm only inclined to give my time to reading gay fiction. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/123154179-been-here-all-along-hes-in-love-with-the-boy](https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/123154179-been-here-all-along-hes-in-love-with-the-boy) --- *Product available on Desertcart Kuwait* *Store origin: KW* *Last updated: 2026-05-19*