Reviews with content warning for Lesbophobia - Arsenic and Adobo

CW: fatphobia, food shaming, ableism, alcohol, drug use, addiction, death, racism, domestic violence, police intimidation, evidence planting, infidelity, suicide mentioned

here are my ramblings: the first 25% was awful and packed full of horrid diabetes rep, the MCs talk about said diabetic character with the most fatphobic, body/food shaming words. for people who are supposed to be very positive towards food, especially their own, it's gross how they talk about a dead man who enjoyed the food they made just because he was a diabetic. the ableism is rampant and it did nothing but piss me off.

now, AFTER that nonsense passes, the last 75% is more enjoyable & less irritating. though honestly it feels like nothing really happened overall. just a lot of back and forth conversations of personal issues & dramas that I honestly would've enjoyed more in a different book, personally. I liked the way characters interacted with each other overall and they felt like real friends/family. I liked the hint of potential romance, it was cute. I could read just a slice of life style novella of those two characters getting to know each other and being cute if it were to be written, but I don't think I'll continue the actual series itself.

it just didn't feel much like a cozy mystery to me, but that mightve just been a me thing especially with how much the first quarter of the book grated on my being. I'm too deep into my anti-diet, pro body liberation, era to not notice when things are just really shitty in that way.

nobody owes anyone health of any kind, you don't get to make health assumptions about anyone based on their looks, diets, or disorders of any kind. you are not their doctor. you are not them. I don't care if they wronged you or you had a past or their an asshole jerk. YOU DONT KNOW A THING ABOUT THEIR HEALTH BASED ON LOOKS, DIET, ANYTHING. AGAIN, YOURE NOT THEIR DOCTOR. ITS NOT YOUR BUSINESS. WHETHER YOUR FICTIONAL OR NOT. THANK YOU.

Content Warnings

karcitis's review

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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

Super cute and a nice light mystery. I've always been a fan of cooking mysteries (such a weird and wonderful niche of the mystery genre), and I'll be back for Ms. Manansala's tales and recipes.

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cdiddy's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Captures the family dynamics so well and was a fun, quick read. Can’t wait to try out the recipes in the back! Best friend was a little bit of a brat, though. Looking forward to the next book.

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