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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This collection of shorts is super cute with lots of pining! Read the review on my blog.
You can find the full spoiler-free review (part of the Graham's Delicacies Blog Tour) on my blog here.
This was a beautiful, lush collection of stories that I was happy to devour (pun fully intended). To be perfectly candid, I went in with high expectations. The author had completely floored me before, so I was ready for it to happen again. And, well, Em Ali did not disappoint in the least.
All six characters were woven so well into the fabric of the dessert shop, and into each other's lives - but they were never taking away the spotlight from the individual stories as they took place.
Saccharine
The first story in the book, and easily one of the funniest. I have to admit, I'm such a sucker for established romance, and the fact that we jumped right into Jen and Emilie's story had me squealing. Their story was such a rush of sweetness that I didn't even realise when it began and when it ended, leaving me full and content, but always happy for a slice of more.
Delectable
Okay, James is probably my absolute favourite if I had to pick a favourite. His back and forth with Sam had me cackling throughout Saccharine, and jumping into their story is exactly what I was waiting for. Their will-they-won't-they (which was really, they-definitely-will for everyone else and only really a clueless mystery to them alone - a trope which I adore) was what really sold it for me.
Ravenous
One night stand turned awkward/tension turned romance? That's a trope I will happily read a thousand times over as long as it's done well - and Ali does it, so, so well. Yujin's character is just on the other side of annoying to begin with but he grows on you just the way he grows on Alex, and I love that. We see him through Alex's eyes and there's something so special about that. Alex, meanwhile, I was really excited for their story, and it definitely delivered. I understood their concerns, their emotions, their decisions, probably the most out of all the six characters, so it made their story feel very tangible and real.
This collection was just so heart warming and beautiful. It tugged at my heart in the cutest ways possible, and I am so glad that it exists. Thank you Em Ali, for once again writing excellent representation with incredible sensitivity and forethought, while incorporating it seamlessly into the normal, mundane lives of these extraordinary characters.
This was a beautiful, lush collection of stories that I was happy to devour (pun fully intended). To be perfectly candid, I went in with high expectations. The author had completely floored me before, so I was ready for it to happen again. And, well, Em Ali did not disappoint in the least.
All six characters were woven so well into the fabric of the dessert shop, and into each other's lives - but they were never taking away the spotlight from the individual stories as they took place.
Saccharine
The first story in the book, and easily one of the funniest. I have to admit, I'm such a sucker for established romance, and the fact that we jumped right into Jen and Emilie's story had me squealing. Their story was such a rush of sweetness that I didn't even realise when it began and when it ended, leaving me full and content, but always happy for a slice of more.
Delectable
Okay, James is probably my absolute favourite if I had to pick a favourite. His back and forth with Sam had me cackling throughout Saccharine, and jumping into their story is exactly what I was waiting for. Their will-they-won't-they (which was really, they-definitely-will for everyone else and only really a clueless mystery to them alone - a trope which I adore) was what really sold it for me.
Ravenous
One night stand turned awkward/tension turned romance? That's a trope I will happily read a thousand times over as long as it's done well - and Ali does it, so, so well. Yujin's character is just on the other side of annoying to begin with but he grows on you just the way he grows on Alex, and I love that. We see him through Alex's eyes and there's something so special about that. Alex, meanwhile, I was really excited for their story, and it definitely delivered. I understood their concerns, their emotions, their decisions, probably the most out of all the six characters, so it made their story feel very tangible and real.
This collection was just so heart warming and beautiful. It tugged at my heart in the cutest ways possible, and I am so glad that it exists. Thank you Em Ali, for once again writing excellent representation with incredible sensitivity and forethought, while incorporating it seamlessly into the normal, mundane lives of these extraordinary characters.
4,5
+ character aesthetic & playlist here
I received an e-arc from the author for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t usually read romance books very often, but I bet I’ll get back to Graham’s Delicacies a couple more times in the future. It is likely to be the sweetest book I’ve ever read, and not only because of the cakes! 😉
It has three love stories, and while they all intertwine, each one follows a different couple. I was decidedly excited to read the first one, Saccharine, that follows a black bisexual waitress with anxiety and her love interest, a chubby non-binary baker. And it was??? just??? so??? sweet??? Honestly, fluff everywhere. I really enjoyed the second story too, Delectable, however, not as much. I figured it was because, while reading it, I’d get home really really tired and would constantly fall asleep mid-reading and I was always lost on what was happening. It follows a Mexican-American and a Black gay love interest kind of couple, and one of them has never been kissed, but they obviously like each other so can they just kiss??? Thank you!!! I was happily surprised by Ravenous, the third story. To be very honest, I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. It follows an Arab-American non-binary baker and a gay Korean-American food reviewer, and hear me out: a one night stand. Enemies to lovers. I WAS IN HEAVEN! I really liked Alex too, and they might be one of my favourite characters, alongside Jen and Em. The way Alex was depicted and how they stood for their friends and what they believed in, despite going against their heart, was pleasantly surprising. Obviously, I loved how everything turned out, though 😛 The epilogue got me sad because I didn’t want the book to end 😭 But getting the characters all together again and in one place got me really happy, because I definitely missed Jen and Em (I’m biased, I’m sorry haha). Besides the swoony scenes, there are also explicit ones, and I loved how, despite the situation, the consent was always very clear (check the content warnings at the beginning of the book!).
All the stories are very positive and promise to melt even the frozen hearts out there! I bet it would be even nicer to read them while eating a slice of cake 😉
+ character aesthetic & playlist here
I received an e-arc from the author for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t usually read romance books very often, but I bet I’ll get back to Graham’s Delicacies a couple more times in the future. It is likely to be the sweetest book I’ve ever read, and not only because of the cakes! 😉
It has three love stories, and while they all intertwine, each one follows a different couple. I was decidedly excited to read the first one, Saccharine, that follows a black bisexual waitress with anxiety and her love interest, a chubby non-binary baker. And it was??? just??? so??? sweet??? Honestly, fluff everywhere. I really enjoyed the second story too, Delectable, however, not as much. I figured it was because, while reading it, I’d get home really really tired and would constantly fall asleep mid-reading and I was always lost on what was happening. It follows a Mexican-American and a Black gay love interest kind of couple, and one of them has never been kissed, but they obviously like each other so can they just kiss??? Thank you!!! I was happily surprised by Ravenous, the third story. To be very honest, I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. It follows an Arab-American non-binary baker and a gay Korean-American food reviewer, and hear me out: a one night stand. Enemies to lovers. I WAS IN HEAVEN! I really liked Alex too, and they might be one of my favourite characters, alongside Jen and Em. The way Alex was depicted and how they stood for their friends and what they believed in, despite going against their heart, was pleasantly surprising. Obviously, I loved how everything turned out, though 😛 The epilogue got me sad because I didn’t want the book to end 😭 But getting the characters all together again and in one place got me really happy, because I definitely missed Jen and Em (I’m biased, I’m sorry haha). Besides the swoony scenes, there are also explicit ones, and I loved how, despite the situation, the consent was always very clear (check the content warnings at the beginning of the book!).
All the stories are very positive and promise to melt even the frozen hearts out there! I bet it would be even nicer to read them while eating a slice of cake 😉
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
For full review - Graham's Delicacies on The Inked In Book Blog
*ARC provided as a part of a blog tour. The thoughts are entirely my own and in no way biased.*
Content Warnings:
Saccharine:
Explicit consensual sex—chapter 7
Delectable:
Explicit consensual sex scene, mention of a parent’s death—chapter 6
Ravenous:
Misgendering of Alex, which is challenged on page—chapter 3
Discussion of parents’ death—chapter 6
Explicit consensual sex scene, including D/s dynamics—chapter 7
Starting with Saccharine, it was a cute love story between Emilie & Jen. Emilie joins Graham’s Delicacies as a baker and Jen, who has been working there as part of the waitstaff for a while, is instantly smitten. They start out as friends and slowly progress into more over a period of time, working side by side and hanging out. I loved seeing them grow from friends to more and just be all cute for each other. It was really nice to see the cute, blushing Em come into their own as they spent more time with Jen. Literal heart eyes.
Delectable, the story focusing on James & Sam, who both have been working at the bakery for a while, though, was definitely my favourite of the trio. James is an absolute, complete cinnamon roll baby and gods, I love him so much! It would not be incorrect to say that he is probably my favourite out of all characters in the stories as well. I loved him right off the bat, when he was introduced in Saccharine and my love grew as I read Delectable. Sam, nerd extraordinaire is closely vying for the spot of fave with James. Such a cutie. I adore him so much. And, gods! THE MUTUAL PINING. YASSSSSSSSSS. I am here for it. My fanfic loving ass is a fan of the trope, because of course. And I just absolutely, completely, wholly loved their romance! Cho cute!
All the romances were cute, fluffy, and really, really, really heartwarming. I loved how it was just cute stories about people falling in love and finding the one person who meant so much to them. We didn’t have any unnecessary issues or miscommunications. Just perfect to curl up with after a long day to feel warm and happy. It certainly left me feeling that way.
Em has done such a great job in bringing these sweet romances to life, and I absolutely love them all! Definitely a must read for all romance fans.
*ARC provided as a part of a blog tour. The thoughts are entirely my own and in no way biased.*
Content Warnings:
Saccharine:
Explicit consensual sex—chapter 7
Delectable:
Explicit consensual sex scene, mention of a parent’s death—chapter 6
Ravenous:
Misgendering of Alex, which is challenged on page—chapter 3
Discussion of parents’ death—chapter 6
Explicit consensual sex scene, including D/s dynamics—chapter 7
Starting with Saccharine, it was a cute love story between Emilie & Jen. Emilie joins Graham’s Delicacies as a baker and Jen, who has been working there as part of the waitstaff for a while, is instantly smitten. They start out as friends and slowly progress into more over a period of time, working side by side and hanging out. I loved seeing them grow from friends to more and just be all cute for each other. It was really nice to see the cute, blushing Em come into their own as they spent more time with Jen. Literal heart eyes.
Delectable, the story focusing on James & Sam, who both have been working at the bakery for a while, though, was definitely my favourite of the trio. James is an absolute, complete cinnamon roll baby and gods, I love him so much! It would not be incorrect to say that he is probably my favourite out of all characters in the stories as well. I loved him right off the bat, when he was introduced in Saccharine and my love grew as I read Delectable. Sam, nerd extraordinaire is closely vying for the spot of fave with James. Such a cutie. I adore him so much. And, gods! THE MUTUAL PINING. YASSSSSSSSSS. I am here for it. My fanfic loving ass is a fan of the trope, because of course. And I just absolutely, completely, wholly loved their romance! Cho cute!
All the romances were cute, fluffy, and really, really, really heartwarming. I loved how it was just cute stories about people falling in love and finding the one person who meant so much to them. We didn’t have any unnecessary issues or miscommunications. Just perfect to curl up with after a long day to feel warm and happy. It certainly left me feeling that way.
Em has done such a great job in bringing these sweet romances to life, and I absolutely love them all! Definitely a must read for all romance fans.
Saccharine 4/5
When my copy of this book arrived, Em said they hoped it would make me smile at least once. And l can only say this first story already succeeded in that multiple times. It was so funny and so sweet, and I loved how domestic the bakery setting was.
Rep: black bisexual MC with anxiety, fat non-binary love interest with anxiety.
Delectable 3.5/5
James was such a lovable main character. He's such a disaster, but in the best way possible. I loved his relationship with Sam, but I did think the story was a little rushed. I think I'd have enjoyed it even more if it had been a little more fleshed out.
Rep: gay half Latinx MC, gay black love interest.
Ravenous 4/5
Alex was my favourite main character out of all three of these stories. And this story was my favourite as well, because the pacing was really great. I loved how there was a bit of an enemies to lovers trope, but in a pretty mild way.
I kind of read Alex as being autistic because I found them very relatable, and they had a lot of traits that I felt made sense for an autistic character. But that's probably just my own interpretation!
Rep: Persian bisexual non-binary MC with anxiety, Korean gay love interest.
Conclusion
I already quite enjoyed Soft on Soft, but it's safe to say Graham's Delicacies is better. It's great to see Em's development as a writer, as especially their writing style has really improved.
The epilogue was a nice way to tie the stories together, and I really loved the coworker dynamics. There's a lot of banter and mutual love and appreciation, despite the vastly different personalities. Combined with it being "queer AF" as Em writes themself in the third story, this book made for a great feelgood read.
When my copy of this book arrived, Em said they hoped it would make me smile at least once. And l can only say this first story already succeeded in that multiple times. It was so funny and so sweet, and I loved how domestic the bakery setting was.
Rep: black bisexual MC with anxiety, fat non-binary love interest with anxiety.
Delectable 3.5/5
James was such a lovable main character. He's such a disaster, but in the best way possible. I loved his relationship with Sam, but I did think the story was a little rushed. I think I'd have enjoyed it even more if it had been a little more fleshed out.
Rep: gay half Latinx MC, gay black love interest.
Ravenous 4/5
Alex was my favourite main character out of all three of these stories. And this story was my favourite as well, because the pacing was really great. I loved how there was a bit of an enemies to lovers trope, but in a pretty mild way.
I kind of read Alex as being autistic because I found them very relatable, and they had a lot of traits that I felt made sense for an autistic character. But that's probably just my own interpretation!
Rep: Persian bisexual non-binary MC with anxiety, Korean gay love interest.
Conclusion
I already quite enjoyed Soft on Soft, but it's safe to say Graham's Delicacies is better. It's great to see Em's development as a writer, as especially their writing style has really improved.
The epilogue was a nice way to tie the stories together, and I really loved the coworker dynamics. There's a lot of banter and mutual love and appreciation, despite the vastly different personalities. Combined with it being "queer AF" as Em writes themself in the third story, this book made for a great feelgood read.
3.75/ 5 ✨
Super freaking cute, I’ll admit the writing wasn’t the best but legit absolutely gave me fEelings. My fav story was Jamie and Sam’s. ThE pIning.
Read this for great LGBT rep, steamy scenes and just general good feelings
Super freaking cute, I’ll admit the writing wasn’t the best but legit absolutely gave me fEelings. My fav story was Jamie and Sam’s. ThE pIning.
Read this for great LGBT rep, steamy scenes and just general good feelings
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Graham's Delicacies made me swoon. I don't normally read a ton of romance books, so this book definitely brought me back to my nostalgic paranormal romance days. But even more so, the stories bring the heat, whether it be with a few explicit scenes (see content warnings), or the passionate love between characters. If you are a fan of diverse swoony and emotional stories, with a sprinkling of baking and smokiness, then definitely check out Graham's Delicacies.
Graham's Delicacies made me swoon. I don't normally read a ton of romance books, so this book definitely brought me back to my nostalgic paranormal romance days. But even more so, the stories bring the heat, whether it be with a few explicit scenes (see content warnings), or the passionate love between characters. If you are a fan of diverse swoony and emotional stories, with a sprinkling of baking and smokiness, then definitely check out Graham's Delicacies.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this short story collection! It was a lot of fun to read.
Literally all the couples in this collection were so cute in their own way! Alex and James were by far my favorite characters. They were both kind of messy, and I found that relatable. They also both put their partners through a bit of hell before they got together, and that was just fun.
I do have to say that Ravenous shook me with its start. The smut in the other two stories was pretty mild, but Ravenous did not hold back. I guess it’s in the name, but I still felt a bit attacked when it started with a sex scene.
I really enjoyed this short story collection! It was a lot of fun to read.
Literally all the couples in this collection were so cute in their own way! Alex and James were by far my favorite characters. They were both kind of messy, and I found that relatable. They also both put their partners through a bit of hell before they got together, and that was just fun.
I do have to say that Ravenous shook me with its start. The smut in the other two stories was pretty mild, but Ravenous did not hold back. I guess it’s in the name, but I still felt a bit attacked when it started with a sex scene.