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andreasromancebooks's review against another edition
3.0
- Endometriosis/Chronic pain as a central theme.
- Toxic family dynamics (TW: infertility talk/comments, encouraging EDs, I’m-only-proud-of-you-if-you-do-what-I-say-when-I-say-so, narcissistic mother figure).
- Enemies-to-lovers with a past.
- Curvy FMC / Athletic af MMC
- Fake dating.
Evie is an American living in Paris, the city of her dreams, trying (and kind of failing) at being the pastry chef she’s always wanted to be. She has an awesome wedding planner roommate and life is going… well, it’s going. Evie also happens to have a disease called endometriosis, an uncurable condition that leaves her with chronic pain and an array of symptoms that make day to day life… interesting, to say the least. Interesting, different and, mostly painful. Now what’s a girl like Evie to do when, on her way to meeting a couple of friends for an afternoon delight (read doughnut), she bumps into her high-school-crush-turned-arch-nemesis and into a lamppost at the same time? Yeah, idk either.
This book was such an interesting read: fun at times, painfully true at others, ‘Finding Gene Kelly’ was both eye opening and mind settling. As a woman, I relate to many things that have made Evie’s health journey harder than it should’ve been. As a person with painful periods who have left them bed-ridden in the past, I can relate to some things experienced here as well, mostly in the social aspects of it. But, God, does endo suck. Not that I didn’t know before but reading about it in such detail was hard for multiple reasons, mainly because of the hopeless finality of it. There is no solution, just pain management, and no one is really scrambling to try to find a cure either. It’s an unacceptable truth, but it’s all there is. And for all the reasons that it was painful, it was also mind settling in the sense that reading about experiences like these validates and cements the voices of all others who feel like they’re drowning in the un-heard, un-seeing patients that are still looking for a diagnosis to their pain.
Now, there were many things in this book that did not work for me. The story is cute and I love the romance, but Evie is very a millennial, I’m-clumsy-and-quirky character to the point of feeling like she’s cursed, but it’s described as her being “accident-prone”. Seriously, it’s like every other scene, but she’s also kind of judgmental? Make that make sense. Liam is a dream, and I mean that literally. In a story so grounded into reality, it was hard to picture a man as perfectly thoughtful, sweet and caring as Liam, one that had held a candle for her for so long. His character felt flat: too fake, too perfect, especially when put against a character as well-rounded and complex as Evie. The miscommunication was also extremely annoying, an ongoing issue through most of the book.
That being said, this book is amazing in all the things it should and feels like a great entry into the world of diverse romances, which I can never get enough of and of which we definitely need more.
3/5 ⭐
*Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC*
- Toxic family dynamics (TW: infertility talk/comments, encouraging EDs, I’m-only-proud-of-you-if-you-do-what-I-say-when-I-say-so, narcissistic mother figure).
- Enemies-to-lovers with a past.
- Curvy FMC / Athletic af MMC
- Fake dating.
Evie is an American living in Paris, the city of her dreams, trying (and kind of failing) at being the pastry chef she’s always wanted to be. She has an awesome wedding planner roommate and life is going… well, it’s going. Evie also happens to have a disease called endometriosis, an uncurable condition that leaves her with chronic pain and an array of symptoms that make day to day life… interesting, to say the least. Interesting, different and, mostly painful. Now what’s a girl like Evie to do when, on her way to meeting a couple of friends for an afternoon delight (read doughnut), she bumps into her high-school-crush-turned-arch-nemesis and into a lamppost at the same time? Yeah, idk either.
This book was such an interesting read: fun at times, painfully true at others, ‘Finding Gene Kelly’ was both eye opening and mind settling. As a woman, I relate to many things that have made Evie’s health journey harder than it should’ve been. As a person with painful periods who have left them bed-ridden in the past, I can relate to some things experienced here as well, mostly in the social aspects of it. But, God, does endo suck. Not that I didn’t know before but reading about it in such detail was hard for multiple reasons, mainly because of the hopeless finality of it. There is no solution, just pain management, and no one is really scrambling to try to find a cure either. It’s an unacceptable truth, but it’s all there is. And for all the reasons that it was painful, it was also mind settling in the sense that reading about experiences like these validates and cements the voices of all others who feel like they’re drowning in the un-heard, un-seeing patients that are still looking for a diagnosis to their pain.
Now, there were many things in this book that did not work for me. The story is cute and I love the romance, but Evie is very a millennial, I’m-clumsy-and-quirky character to the point of feeling like she’s cursed, but it’s described as her being “accident-prone”. Seriously, it’s like every other scene, but she’s also kind of judgmental? Make that make sense. Liam is a dream, and I mean that literally. In a story so grounded into reality, it was hard to picture a man as perfectly thoughtful, sweet and caring as Liam, one that had held a candle for her for so long. His character felt flat: too fake, too perfect, especially when put against a character as well-rounded and complex as Evie. The miscommunication was also extremely annoying, an ongoing issue through most of the book.
That being said, this book is amazing in all the things it should and feels like a great entry into the world of diverse romances, which I can never get enough of and of which we definitely need more.
3/5 ⭐
*Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC*
bookishlizzie_'s review against another edition
5.0
I don’t even know where to start….. this book has been one of my favorite reads of the year. I will have to sit for a while to process my thoughts and feelings.
aubzthedobz's review against another edition
5.0
Such a cute story! I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the romance was very cute, and had just a sprinkle of spice. I like how it touched on the topics of being intimate with endometriosis.
anya_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Finding Gene Kelly is a charming romance novel set in Paris, full of humour, sweetness, and great representation.
When I heard that there was a romance novel featuring endometriosis representation coming out, I JUMPED at the chance to read it. As someone who suffers from this disease myself, I was so incredibly grateful for the way it was handled and for how prominent it was in the story. The unrelenting pain, mobility aids, damaged relationships, self-esteem issues, etc, were presented so well that I had to put the book down a few times because I was overcome with emotion. Evie's journey was so relatable to my own. The only thing I wish we'd seen more of in terms of endometriosis was to do with Evie's process of first getting diagnosed - other than that though, some of the best chronic illness representation I have ever read.
As for the romance itself, it had fake dating, hurt/comfort, and childhood-friends-to-(kind of) rivals-to-lovers. There were cheesy jokes and puns and I loved the dynamic between the main characters. Were there clichés? Yes. Did that make me like it even more? Yes.
I do wish there had been a few more rounds of edits - I did notice some mistakes, but overall, it was a solidly good debut novel!
Overall, if you're looking for a fun romance that also deals with the reality of endometriosis (not so fun, in my experience), definitely give this one a read!
Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I heard that there was a romance novel featuring endometriosis representation coming out, I JUMPED at the chance to read it. As someone who suffers from this disease myself, I was so incredibly grateful for the way it was handled and for how prominent it was in the story. The unrelenting pain, mobility aids, damaged relationships, self-esteem issues, etc, were presented so well that I had to put the book down a few times because I was overcome with emotion. Evie's journey was so relatable to my own. The only thing I wish we'd seen more of in terms of endometriosis was to do with Evie's process of first getting diagnosed - other than that though, some of the best chronic illness representation I have ever read.
As for the romance itself, it had fake dating, hurt/comfort, and childhood-friends-to-(kind of) rivals-to-lovers. There were cheesy jokes and puns and I loved the dynamic between the main characters. Were there clichés? Yes. Did that make me like it even more? Yes.
I do wish there had been a few more rounds of edits - I did notice some mistakes, but overall, it was a solidly good debut novel!
Overall, if you're looking for a fun romance that also deals with the reality of endometriosis (not so fun, in my experience), definitely give this one a read!
Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
alliemcguire5's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I wanted to like this book. I appreciate the representation for women with endometriosis. I had a hard time connecting with the writing style. I did not like the amount of miscommunication and/or failure to listen and hear someone out that happened in this book.
ahill1515's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-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? Yes
3.75
acourtofsongsandstories's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Finding Gene Kelly, this was such a raw, beautiful love story between Evie and Liam set in Paris. The descriptions made me feel as if I was walking down the streets of Paris and experiencing it all with them.
I also loved the representation of endometriosis and how it can impact on daily life. I am currently in the process of trying to get a diagnosis. How Evie describes endometriosis is exactly how I have felt and how much I struggle when I have a severe flare up, it made me feel validated even if I’m not “officially” diagnosed.
If you are looking for a heartwarming tale with very honest and raw depictions of living with a chronic illness whilst in the magical city of love, then you should check this beauty out!
This book features:
I also loved the representation of endometriosis and how it can impact on daily life. I am currently in the process of trying to get a diagnosis. How Evie describes endometriosis is exactly how I have felt and how much I struggle when I have a severe flare up, it made me feel validated even if I’m not “officially” diagnosed.
If you are looking for a heartwarming tale with very honest and raw depictions of living with a chronic illness whilst in the magical city of love, then you should check this beauty out!
This book features:
viclen07's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75