In a heart-wrenching, frank, and humorous memoir, actor Jesse James Rose, known on Instagram and TikTok as @jamesissmiling, tells the stories of her childhood sexual abuse on 9/11, rape as an adult, gender transition, grandfather's death, countless Grindr hookups, and more. Graphic in places yet incredibly tender, Sorry I Keep Crying During Sex will bring readers to tears with its loving descriptions of caring for an aging grandparent and fill them with joy as Rose finds herself as a beautiful transgender girl.
Rose writes prose so beautiful it reads like poetry: "the first waking moments are oft the most fragile, before reality can dust through the corners of his mind." It's also made up of scripts for plays, Grindr messages, and even a section modeled after Choose Your Own Adventure novels. Moving back and forth in time, Rose takes readers on an extraordinary journey. Alternating between reminiscences of bookstore visits and hot chocolate with her grandfather, New York City orgies, and an imagined conversation with Osama bin Laden, Rose ensures that each page is a surprise.
Readers are encouraged to take the warnings in Rose's opening author note seriously. Rose handles each tough subject with grace and humor, with every detail--including those violent and explicit--serving a purpose. Her longtime social media followers will adore her candor, and new fans will fall in love with her vulnerability. Sorry I Keep Crying During Sex is a remarkable and absorbing memoir. --Alyssa Parssinen, freelance reviewer and former bookseller