Scan barcode
marmaladereads's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
How does a zero spice book about anxiety have so many dick jokes?
It turns out I actually love books that give you the worst kind of secondhand embarrassment. Paris is the worst kind of disaster "keeps fucking everything up when it was actually going okay because anxiety" kind of way and I was cringing and laughing on his behalf the entire time. This book is a painful look at anxiety disorder and we're in Paris's head the whole time which is honestly a little cringe but it is also hilarious and snarky in a very classic Alexis Hall type of way. And yes, it is like 40% penis jokes. A shocking amount of penis jokes, really. (They're all funny.)
I do think the second half is when things fall apart a little bit. Paris gets predictably better (this is a romance novel, after all, everyone gets their HEA) but I do wish the time scale was a looot longer. It just happened a bit too quickly for me given how severe his anxiety was, it felt a wee bit too magical therapy moment.
Oh, and there's the whole baking competition bit, so that's nice too, I guess.
It turns out I actually love books that give you the worst kind of secondhand embarrassment. Paris is the worst kind of disaster "keeps fucking everything up when it was actually going okay because anxiety" kind of way and I was cringing and laughing on his behalf the entire time. This book is a painful look at anxiety disorder and we're in Paris's head the whole time which is honestly a little cringe but it is also hilarious and snarky in a very classic Alexis Hall type of way. And yes, it is like 40% penis jokes. A shocking amount of penis jokes, really. (They're all funny.)
I do think the second half is when things fall apart a little bit. Paris gets predictably better (this is a romance novel, after all, everyone gets their HEA) but I do wish the time scale was a looot longer. It just happened a bit too quickly for me given how severe his anxiety was, it felt a wee bit too magical therapy moment.
Oh, and there's the whole baking competition bit, so that's nice too, I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
vagaybond's review
emotional
sad
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I have a lot of baggage that this book poked at. I wanted to sympathize with the protagonist but the kissing without asking and the groping without asking are just not things that make a character likeable or relatable.
The mental illness stuff also seemed well above and beyond generalized anxiety disorder, IMO. But maybe wealthy cis men have a different experience with pathologization than I do. I've been diagnosed with BPD a few times over and feel doubtful that Paris didn't have some kind of cluster B thing going on. Also just applying 1 therapy and 1 medication just seemed like way too simple a fix and not representative of the reality of what interacting with the mental health care system is like.
I've got other stuff I typed out and then deleted but yeah. This is definitely my least favourite Alexis Hall book by a long shot.
The mental illness stuff also seemed well above and beyond generalized anxiety disorder, IMO. But maybe wealthy cis men have a different experience with pathologization than I do. I've been diagnosed with BPD a few times over and feel doubtful that Paris didn't have some kind of cluster B thing going on. Also just applying 1 therapy and 1 medication just seemed like way too simple a fix and not representative of the reality of what interacting with the mental health care system is like.
I've got other stuff I typed out and then deleted but yeah. This is definitely my least favourite Alexis Hall book by a long shot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault
journey2's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Paris "best friend" has entered him into a baking competition because he loves to bake, so this should be wonderful for him. But Paris's crippling anxiety makes it very difficult. Still, he constantly surprises himself as he gets through each week and even wins some of the challenges. He's also surprised to meet Tariq; a fellow contestant who is sweet and funny and passionate. As their relationship grows Paris struggles more and more with anxious thoughts and, you guessed it: is about to crumble.
As a person who struggles with anxiety myself, Paris's struggles are a little bit difficult to read to be honest. I found the banter and comedy between Paris and Tariq to be hilarious and at times adorable. (Tariq is a sweet little cinnamon roll and must be protected at all costs.) Paris's "best friend", however is the bane of my existence and while at some point there is an attempt at reconciling her actions and words I'm not sure I completely buy it.
Paris is a work in progress. It was difficult to watch him struggle and have nobody there to support him, although Tariq tried, I will give him that. I truly appreciated Tariq's devotion to his faith and his standards and that he was respected for them.
In the end this book is funny and had a special sweetness to it and I was happy with the ending. I found it had a different energy to it than Alexis's other books.
I am also completely willing to meet Paris's parents on a field of battle LOL!
As a person who struggles with anxiety myself, Paris's struggles are a little bit difficult to read to be honest. I found the banter and comedy between Paris and Tariq to be hilarious and at times adorable. (Tariq is a sweet little cinnamon roll and must be protected at all costs.) Paris's "best friend", however is the bane of my existence and while at some point there is an attempt at reconciling her actions and words I'm not sure I completely buy it.
Paris is a work in progress. It was difficult to watch him struggle and have nobody there to support him, although Tariq tried, I will give him that. I truly appreciated Tariq's devotion to his faith and his standards and that he was respected for them.
In the end this book is funny and had a special sweetness to it and I was happy with the ending. I found it had a different energy to it than Alexis's other books.
I am also completely willing to meet Paris's parents on a field of battle LOL!
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
sarah_thebooknerd's review
challenging
emotional
sad
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? Yes
3.0
3 ⭐️
I have been wrestling with this review. I have loved Alexis Hall and the books they write and the queer romances that we so need. I do not think this book is a romance book. To me this is a contemporary LGBTQ2S+ fiction with a romance subplot.
Majority of this book is about Paris and his journey to getting help and recognizing that he has anxiety. As someone who has anxiety at times this book was really hard to read. It felt like being in my headspace and I read to escape my headspace that this book was hard to get through.
Okay - now for my issues with this book:
1. Tariq was kind of a jerk. The way that he treated Paris by mocking the way he dressed and the way Paris was hard on himself was mean and I honestly have no idea how this couple would have made it.
2. The tweets making fun of Paris pre everyone knowing he has anxiety were brutal. I know people can be mean behind a screen but as someone who suffers from anxiety it felt just wrong and yucky to keep pushing on the narrative that Paris is somehow this whiny, crying baby. I personally just feel like it continues to add to the stereotypes about us and it really added zero benefit to the entire book to have any of the tweets in there.
3. I wish we got to see more or Paris getting help sooner and then a Build to a relationship with Tariq. How this book is written now I honestly do not believe they can be a Couple.
I have been wrestling with this review. I have loved Alexis Hall and the books they write and the queer romances that we so need. I do not think this book is a romance book. To me this is a contemporary LGBTQ2S+ fiction with a romance subplot.
Majority of this book is about Paris and his journey to getting help and recognizing that he has anxiety. As someone who has anxiety at times this book was really hard to read. It felt like being in my headspace and I read to escape my headspace that this book was hard to get through.
Okay - now for my issues with this book:
1. Tariq was kind of a jerk. The way that he treated Paris by mocking the way he dressed and the way Paris was hard on himself was mean and I honestly have no idea how this couple would have made it.
2. The tweets making fun of Paris pre everyone knowing he has anxiety were brutal. I know people can be mean behind a screen but as someone who suffers from anxiety it felt just wrong and yucky to keep pushing on the narrative that Paris is somehow this whiny, crying baby. I personally just feel like it continues to add to the stereotypes about us and it really added zero benefit to the entire book to have any of the tweets in there.
3. I wish we got to see more or Paris getting help sooner and then a Build to a relationship with Tariq. How this book is written now I honestly do not believe they can be a Couple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting