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cats33's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia and Medical content
Minor: Cursing, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Sexism, and Classism
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Author: T.J. Alexander
Series: Chef's Kiss #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: May 30, 2023
I received a complimentary eARC from Emily Bestler Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Comical • Tender • Delicious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Luna O’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don’t pay the bills.
Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She’s got rent to pay, after all! Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn’t even know how to crack an egg, but she’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I adored the plot of book one, Chef's Kiss in this series, so I was eager to receive an ARC of Chef's Choice. I was definitely expecting the same foodie vibes and queer representation. In fact, this is the first trans/trans romance I've read that has been traditionally published.
T.J. Alexander has delivered complex main characters yet again. Luna and Jean-Pierre are complete opposites, and I appreciate getting two different takes on the trans experience. In my opinion, a dual POV structure would have served this story better. Getting JP's inner dialogue would have given this story another layer and there were so many times I was curious to get into his head.
While I really sunk into their developing friendship, the budding romance felt too predictable, and not necessarily all that believable. There were also too many competing storylines. Because of these two factors I didn't feel a full fledged investment in their story. As this book tackles many plotlines, it got bogged down at times. A bigger focus on the actually cooking challenge would have allowed for a smoother reading experience.
Although Chef's Choice is technically part of a series, it could easily be read as a stand-alone. Overall, the story was just okay, yet what I really appreciated was the representation and the open door sex scenes. I will continue to add T.J. Alexander's work to my TBR in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fake dating enthusiasts
• readers looking for a queer love story
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"That is black-and-white thinking, and I live in a world full of color."
Moderate: Sexual content, Transphobia, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
Minor: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Classism
rabelais's review
- Strong character development? No
1.75
Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Outing, Dysphoria, and Classism
There is so much transmisogyny in this book. We didn't need this.wureads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
All-in-all, this book was just not for me. In my opinion, it truly felt like I was reading a poorly written Wattpad fanfiction. I can see how some audiences would enjoy this style of writing, as it does feel very YA oriented- save for the two sex scenes. The spice was probable a 3 out of 5, nothing too crazy or detailed, but it didn't completely skip some details either.
I do have to mention that this is the first adult romance novel I've read, as I'm mainly a suspense and mystery reader. Although I struggled to get through this book, I do think that seeing more LGBTQ+ representation in books is amazing. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes this writing style and trope, but again, it just wasn't of my taste.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Dysphoria
Minor: Classism
analenegrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Plot-wise, I would have wanted a little more substance, but I think the characters and relationships were so much more important; the actual cooking plot felt like a B or C plot to the book. I loved Luna in the first book so I was excited to get more of her and the fake dating plot worked so well, especially with a character like JP.
Alexander did queer discourse in many ways in the book in a way that felt personal to the characters and their experiences while also taking on some important conversations had in the queer community.
I look forward to their next book!
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Classism
runlaurarun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Classism
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infertility, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail