Scan barcode
A review by bookishmillennial
Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? N/A
General disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. Thus, no stars doesn’t indicate that the book wasn’t worthy of any starred system. It just means I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all, even if the lesson is that I’m a ho for the smut, recognizing a genre/book/author is not for me, or confronting my own mommy/daddy issues lol. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Happy reading! Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial
I really enjoyed this romcom! Though it was published in 2022, it's set in the 2010's before gay marriage was federally legal/recognized in the U.S. I think that's important because it's not something I think about often now in 2023. Amy, our main character, works at a bakery called Daily Bread, which is owned by a religious, conservative woman who then fires Amy when she finds out Amy is queer. Amy also moonlights at the local gay bar Ruby Red, and eventually begins dating Charley, who just moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Austin, Texas. Amy is described as "forever cursed to be cute," and "more of a girl next door" than a "hot lesbian you'd happily ruin your life for."
I love the impact of Charley introducing herself with her pronouns (she/her) to Amy! I haven't spent much time in Tulsa, let alone in 2012 (??) but the way Susie writes this is so powerful! It's such a small thing to do, but you can tell it means everything to Amy, proving to be a brave space somewhere that Amy is not fully out yet.
Amy loves weddings and again, this felt relevant for 2023's zeitgeist because I am someone who does pride myself on trying my best to put my money where my mouth is (i.e. I don't support JKR or any other problematic author, I have so many choices/privileges in choosing authors who have not caused harm). However, Amy is constantly confronted by others in the queer community as to her love and support for the wedding industry. During a time when gay people could not marry the ones they love and/or reap the benefits of marriage (i.e. health/medical reasons, insurance, etc.), Amy has to really examine whether or not this is something she can continue supporting and trying to create a business out of. I love this nuance, and I appreciate the dialogues she has with multiple people about this throughout the book. That's why I do feel this is moreso a coming of age story with romance splashed in.
The steam is 1/5, fully closed door with some heavy petting before he door closed haha. Anyway, I will absolutely continue to read from Susie Dumond in the future.
I really enjoyed this romcom! Though it was published in 2022, it's set in the 2010's before gay marriage was federally legal/recognized in the U.S. I think that's important because it's not something I think about often now in 2023. Amy, our main character, works at a bakery called Daily Bread, which is owned by a religious, conservative woman who then fires Amy when she finds out Amy is queer. Amy also moonlights at the local gay bar Ruby Red, and eventually begins dating Charley, who just moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Austin, Texas. Amy is described as "forever cursed to be cute," and "more of a girl next door" than a "hot lesbian you'd happily ruin your life for."
I love the impact of Charley introducing herself with her pronouns (she/her) to Amy! I haven't spent much time in Tulsa, let alone in 2012 (??) but the way Susie writes this is so powerful! It's such a small thing to do, but you can tell it means everything to Amy, proving to be a brave space somewhere that Amy is not fully out yet.
Amy loves weddings and again, this felt relevant for 2023's zeitgeist because I am someone who does pride myself on trying my best to put my money where my mouth is (i.e. I don't support JKR or any other problematic author, I have so many choices/privileges in choosing authors who have not caused harm). However, Amy is constantly confronted by others in the queer community as to her love and support for the wedding industry. During a time when gay people could not marry the ones they love and/or reap the benefits of marriage (i.e. health/medical reasons, insurance, etc.), Amy has to really examine whether or not this is something she can continue supporting and trying to create a business out of. I love this nuance, and I appreciate the dialogues she has with multiple people about this throughout the book. That's why I do feel this is moreso a coming of age story with romance splashed in.
The steam is 1/5, fully closed door with some heavy petting before he door closed haha. Anyway, I will absolutely continue to read from Susie Dumond in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Lesbophobia