Can I Stray

Can I Stray is a provocative coming-of-age tale in which a teenage girl navigates the fallout of a risky first romance, its lasting impact on her mental health and autonomy, and what happens when she meets that person again as an adult

Fourteen-year-old Brooke Tyler has spent her whole life waiting for a boy to choose her. Matt is about to go to university, scared to leave behind everything he knows. When both are cast as romantic leads in Romeo and Juliet, they fulfil the roles of forbidden lovers both on and off the stage. Brooke is sure that her fairy tale is coming true - and best of all, Matt is older.

Brooke considers secrets and lies a small price to pay for her first boyfriend, but the relationship is set to cost her after one night alone in an empty auditorium. When Brooke learns that Matt’s actions that night were illegal, her world shatters. Years later, Brooke and Matt reunite as adults. Matt wants to undo all the damage he caused, but Brooke makes a choice which forces them both to question their relationship.

Told in three acts this captivating debut reveals a young woman’s journey for independence as she strays away from everything she has ever known to navigate her traumatic past.

‘A nuanced reflection on relationships, both with others and ourselves. This book is a stark reminder of the need for high quality, non-judgemental Relationships and Sex Education for all young people’ Eliza Bell, Media and Communications Coordinator at Brook

‘Can I Stray proves to be a thoughtful and engaging read which captures the essence of the 2020s’ Jack Liepa, Sexpression UK

‘Love, confusion, hurt, heartbreak, darkness, growth, compassion, loneliness . . . this story weaves in so much and I quickly became invested in each character and what the future might hold for them’ Grace Alice O’Shea, Intimacy Specialist and Author of Sex Educated

Paperback: 432pp

Published: Wilton Square (October 2022)

ISBN:  9781911107538