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bookedinsideout's review
5.0
“It occurs to Cin that there are probably people out there who never figure out that it doesn’t have to be the way they were taught, that anything goes as long as it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt anyone, and his heart breaks a little more for them. If not for being a weird loner who spent most of his time on the internet, he never would have known. There are a lot of things he owes the internet for.”
I added this to my TBR awhile back based on Xan West's wonderful review, but sometimes a book has been on your list for awhile and you forget about it or even what it’s about. This was not what I was expecting at all. I was thinking it would be a fun and cute novella about a guy who meets a billionaire at a coffee shop (cart), but this was a novel and a half!
It was a beautiful book, and I liked how we got to see little snapshots of their relationship without feeling like we were missing out. It was a joy to watch them fall in love, the ways that manifested in their lives, and of course I fell in love with Cin and Tom (and Poppy!) too. A huge part of why I connected with it so much was how they explained gender dysphoria, the respect they had for each other in seeing one another as they were and making the space for that (as well as to grow and change), and experimenting with sex and going beyond the bounds of cis heteronormative sex to find what worked for them. The sex scenes weren’t incredibly detailed, but it’s not often that a romance book centers something other than penetrative sex so that was really meaningful and appreciated.
And instead of the one big conflict that tears them apart before they come back together, they worked through conflict together! While the book didn’t shy away from some of the ugly realities and roadblocks put in front of trans and non-binary people, it was also such a warm book about being able to fully be who you are and have people around you who fully love and support you.
I added this to my TBR awhile back based on Xan West's wonderful review, but sometimes a book has been on your list for awhile and you forget about it or even what it’s about. This was not what I was expecting at all. I was thinking it would be a fun and cute novella about a guy who meets a billionaire at a coffee shop (cart), but this was a novel and a half!
It was a beautiful book, and I liked how we got to see little snapshots of their relationship without feeling like we were missing out. It was a joy to watch them fall in love, the ways that manifested in their lives, and of course I fell in love with Cin and Tom (and Poppy!) too. A huge part of why I connected with it so much was how they explained gender dysphoria, the respect they had for each other in seeing one another as they were and making the space for that (as well as to grow and change), and experimenting with sex and going beyond the bounds of cis heteronormative sex to find what worked for them. The sex scenes weren’t incredibly detailed, but it’s not often that a romance book centers something other than penetrative sex so that was really meaningful and appreciated.
And instead of the one big conflict that tears them apart before they come back together, they worked through conflict together! While the book didn’t shy away from some of the ugly realities and roadblocks put in front of trans and non-binary people, it was also such a warm book about being able to fully be who you are and have people around you who fully love and support you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
livelovelibrary's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Well this book was definitely the first book I have read with this sort of writing and representation. Cin is an trans, art student and Tom is a bisexual, billionaire tech genius who is twenty years older. I honestly still am not a fan of the whole age difference thing, but I am not apart of the male gay community so I am not sure what the general thoughts on age gap relationships are. Beyond that, I really loved this book and how sweet it was. There were definitely times were it felt like “Gender 101”, but I liked seeing my own experiences validated and shared on the page. The writing style was easy to follow and I loved all of the characters so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Body horror
Moderate: Deadnaming and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
sarah_d's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Deadnaming
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