purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Read during the #TransRightsReadathon March 20-27, 2023..
Sweet, silly, spicy, serious, sensual. This is a contemporary rom-com between two cooking show contestants who are each experiencing a bit of a quarter-life crisis. Dahlia (f/queer) is recently divorced from her high school sweetheart and feels disappointing and directionless. Teaching herself how to cook and develop warm, comforting flavors has helped her get through the worst of it. Winning the $100k competition prize might help her get through the rest. London (nb/pan) is settled in their non-binary identity even if they're still unsettled by their father's lack of acceptance. They're hyper-focused and prepared — to put the strained relationship with their father aside, to ignore the trolls, and to establish their place as the first non-binarycontestant winner of a major cooking competition so they can use the prize money to start a nonprofit for LGBTQ kids. There's an undeniable spark between the two, but is there a future together ahead of them?
An entertaining and enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud in places even as I cringed at others. The writing is vivid and tactile. Which is generally great, but ... I don't ever want to recall someone's hands working with raw chicken when they're in the middle of a sensual massage. There's also a large cast of secondary characters and not nearly enough time to develop them, and a background of socioeconomic disparity that's not explored much. Overall, a really good debut with excellent LGBTQ rep!
Sweet, silly, spicy, serious, sensual. This is a contemporary rom-com between two cooking show contestants who are each experiencing a bit of a quarter-life crisis. Dahlia (f/queer) is recently divorced from her high school sweetheart and feels disappointing and directionless. Teaching herself how to cook and develop warm, comforting flavors has helped her get through the worst of it. Winning the $100k competition prize might help her get through the rest. London (nb/pan) is settled in their non-binary identity even if they're still unsettled by their father's lack of acceptance. They're hyper-focused and prepared — to put the strained relationship with their father aside, to ignore the trolls, and to establish their place as the first non-binary
An entertaining and enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud in places even as I cringed at others. The writing is vivid and tactile. Which is generally great, but ... I don't ever want to recall someone's hands working with raw chicken when they're in the middle of a sensual massage. There's also a large cast of secondary characters and not nearly enough time to develop them, and a background of socioeconomic disparity that's not explored much. Overall, a really good debut with excellent LGBTQ rep!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Transphobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Excrement, and Blood
misgendering (alluded to and explored without being explicitly written), coming out, unaccepting family, internet trolls (alluded to and explored, not explicitly written), cooking gore and detailed descriptions of animal proteins, food-related sex play, public sex, divorce (backstory), pressure to have kids (backstory), socioeconomic pressure and disparityandloveistoolong's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Transphobia
Minor: Mental illness and Dysphoria
kshertz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is such a sweet love story. Finally, a non-binary main character ! Their love story is amazing and you fall in love with them both. I love the cooking perspective and the cooking show. It was such a fun ride. I highly recommend for those who want to read an lgbtqia+ Romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Outing, and Transphobia
lunarmagi42's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders
gracelyn's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know what to say. Majority of people I know who have read this book kind of feel like it’s “mediocre” but I loved it. Only once did I stop and be like “seriously, are we stereotyping this still?” which happened to be that “all” lesbians dress in “farmer clothes”.
Trigger warnings: misgendering
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Dysphoria
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
grilledcheesd's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
OH MY GOD i don't think i've had the delightful pleasure of reading a book (let alone a romance) with a nonbinary character yet. idk how!! because it was great!!! like i read it in four hours without standing up great!!!!!
so i loved dahlia and london. and honestly i don't think i have a ton of other thoughts beyond incomprehensible squealing? please for the love of everything just read this damn book <3
also thank you to netgalley and forever/grand central publishing for letting me read this arc! sorry it took me 2 months after the publishing date to actually read it 😬
so i loved dahlia and london. and honestly i don't think i have a ton of other thoughts beyond incomprehensible squealing? please for the love of everything just read this damn book <3
also thank you to netgalley and forever/grand central publishing for letting me read this arc! sorry it took me 2 months after the publishing date to actually read it 😬
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Dysphoria
courtneyfalling's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book brings me so much unabashed joy!! Both Dahlia and London are amazing, funny, super fleshed out, lovably flawed main characters... we get some really good side characters (like Barbara <3)... we get an actually good take on transphobia in media ()... we get maybe the most authentic, heartwarming sex scenes I've read in a romance... everything about this was so enjoyable and well-done, and I feel like this book is rapidly going to become my go-to comfort reread and recommendation!
Spoiler
where it's obviously an issue for, say, Lizzie to misgender and belittle London, but where it's also an issue for producers to monetize the conflict between London and Lizzie for ratings, without regard to London's comfort or safety
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Minor: Dysphoria
sydneybedell's review against another edition
funny
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? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Homophobia, and Dysphoria
prrttyodd's review
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia, Alcohol, and Dysphoria