Reviews with content warning for Religious bigotry - Queerly Beloved

Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond

31 reviews

amandalorianxo's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I think this was mismarketed as a romcom when really this is more of a contemporary novel with romance as a subplot. I blame the cartoon cover also for steering the rom com agenda. This is supposed to take place in 2013/2014 but in all honesty- I feel like this could have taken place in 2022/2023. What threw me off was the random people saying their pronouns. I vaguely remember people not doing that in 2013/2014- again that’s more of a current 2020’s norm. I also didn’t fully believe in the romance between Amy & Charley. Amy definitely embodies an anxious attachment style while Charley seems more avoidant. A lot of showing, not telling. Maybe if the story didn’t have such long chapters & more clear edits, this might have been better received.

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the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

2.75

While this book seemed sometimes ready to tackle radical topics (like how marriage is not the route to queer liberation, or howto reconcile people we love working in unethical industries like oil), it always seemed to end up on a note of maintaining the status quo. As a reader, it sometimes made me wish they hadn't brought the topics up in the first place.

I liked all of the characters, but I would have liked higher stakes between Charley and Amy. Charley's wishy-washy behaviour made it hard for me to get invested, even though they seemed like a nice enough pairing.

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therainbowshelf's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this bright, fluffy, feel-good (well, other than the homophobia Amy faces) story. It was just what I needed right now. I love unusual business adventures inspired by odd coincidences, and enjoyed the social world building. It’s not perfect, but if you need books to be perfect then you’re in for a lot of disappointment in your life. There’s also a cupcake recipe in the back of the book, and I love when authors do that!

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porkkutletbowl's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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shannonigans322's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This romance has spent a fair amount of time on my TBR and I came out the other side with mixed feelings. I appreciated the found family elements and the very real emotional struggles faced by our heroine, but something about the romance was lacking for me. As much as I would love a Charlie of my own to walk through the door, the dynamic between the couple just wasn't selling it for me. I think I would've loved it more if the novel focused on the struggles and triumphs of the friend group as a whole. Major CW for homophobia, religious trauma, and shitty Christians.

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