Whether you first came to know Jesse Reynolds on Ottawa radio station JUMP! 106 or on stage at the Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa Mike MacDonald Summer Comedy Competition, Reynolds brings big theatre-kid energy sharpened by stand-up instincts, basically a human espresso shot with a microphone!
In January 2022, Reynolds packed up and headed to Kingston to co-host Mornings with Monica & Jesse on Chorus Entertainment’s Fresh 104.3. At the time, his plan was to “hit Kingston like a glitter-filled asteroid of Fresh fun!”, a promise he enthusiastically delivered on.
When the show ended in 2024, following corporate downsizing that replaced local voices with programming from other markets, Reynolds redirected his boundless energy to the stage, the screen, the airwaves, and now, the page.
Given that Reynolds is a ball of energy, often cheeky (sometimes very cheeky), his new memoir, Forbidden Fruit & Camo Boots: 2 boyfriends are better than none?, is exactly what you’d expect: a hilarious, unfiltered account of what happens when a man falls for not one, but two husbands — and accidentally finds himself in the middle of a gay throuple.
Part queer love story, part chaotic diary, part gleeful self-drag, Forbidden Fruit & Camo Boots follows Reynolds’ real-life plunge into a relationship with a married military couple. What begins with undeniable chemistry — and a literal apple falling at his feet — spirals into a tangle of passion, jealousy, grief, growth, and some of the funniest self-owning you’ll read all year. It’s the perfect antidote to winter blues.
Equal parts outrageous and vulnerable, Reynolds’ memoir blends sharp humour, pop-culture heat, and emotional honesty. Whether recounting Grindr misadventures, navigating small-town military life, battling an infamously cursed apple tree, or confronting the collapse of a fourteen-year relationship, Reynolds writes with a voice that’s unmistakably his own: dramatic, heartfelt, a little chaotic, and always in on the joke.
“It’s a story about love, loss, longing — and terrible decisions made by a man who really should’ve known better,” Reynolds says. “But it’s also about finding joy again, sometimes in the most unexpected, morally questionable places.”
While undeniably juicy (and occasionally jaw-dropping), Forbidden Fruit & Camo Boots is more than a tell-all. It’s a coming-of-age-at-35 story, an exploration of grief, chosen family, and the messy ways we love. You don’t have to be queer, polyamorous, or in the military to see yourself in it . . . though it certainly helps.
The foreword is provided by fellow former broadcaster Bill Welychka, who describes Reynolds as “funny, fearless, shocking, a tad dirty, and probably a little too honest for comfort,” perfectly capturing the book’s blend of comedy and confession.
Forbidden Fruit & Camo Boots by Jesse Reynolds is available online from the FriesenPress Bookstore.
