Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Chef's Choice by TJ Alexander

56 reviews

eatallthestars's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75


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hennie's review

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0


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greatestheights's review

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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legalplanner's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I went into this like rapid fire finishing the first book. I was absolutely excited to learn more about Simone's roommate Luna. We never got to learn much about her in the previous book and that made me want more.

The pros of this novel are: T4T representation and working through internalized transphobia/sexism.
The cons of this novel are: hot and cold characters, irrelevant plot points, and not great villains.

I truly was so excited to see that this was a transgender woman and man in a relationship. It was very exciting to see this in a traditional published book. However, as many other commenters mention, it is slightly worrisome that cis readers will think that only "passing" couples count as real couples and that just isn't the case. I really enjoyed that the main characters were constantly talking about transgender rights and issues. However, it seemed that Luna was always its got to be agreed that what I'm thinking is right, and it often led to them gaslighting Jean-Pierre to a point. I was glad that Luna could share some acceptance insight with JP, but sometimes it would have been better in a conversation not an argument.

I was very confused by how hot and cold the two characters were. One second, they seemed like everything was real and that it didn't matter what JP's grandfather did to them they were going to make it through. Instead, I felt as if they were going to end things immediately and go back to being who they were prior. The grandfather was not a great villain because he wasn't even really used until the very end or when he was calling to be rude to JP. I felt like his family as a whole was the problem aside from his grandma. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and would snap at another book in this world. I would love to see how Simone and Luna grow as humans since they have learned that we have to broaden our horizons to work well with others. 

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toribryan's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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zoenelson's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • 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

4.75

This was a cute, lighthearted romcom focused on two trans characters. The novel explores the complications, struggles, and magic of trans romantic relationships, as well as everyday life and other relationships. It was approachable, funny, and so cute! 

Unlike other romances, I was convinced that the characters grew in love. It felt natural, I think because we learned so much about their normal lives and saw them interact in a variety of scenarios. 

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted medium-paced
  • 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

Title: Chef's Choice
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." 

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shaunashares's review

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5


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jennp28's review

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emotional informative lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Really great to read a T4T, own-voices story. I found it interesting that the sex was described in detail and the reason they were able to be successful at it was communication, but then their communication was so bad in the rest of the story. I also was annoyed that JP
let Luna off so lightly with what I thought was a pretty major lie
re: not speaking French. 

The chef/inheritance subplot was slightly bizarre but amusing as a counterpoint to the romance and trans issues. The narrator was good. And I want to give JP a hug. Whether he wants one or not. 

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