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zoe_archambault's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Transphobia
Moderate: Outing and Alcohol
Minor: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail
fuzzywilson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
marioosa517's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Cursing, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Minor: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
sage_alexandra's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
annorabrady's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I do like the story though. And I appreciate that both the characters had their own insecurities to work through, goals to discover and work towards, and relationship challenges both inside and outside the romantic relationship to overcome. I did feel like the some aspects were too rushed. But overall it was good
Moderate: Sexual content, Transphobia, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Homophobia, Dysphoria, and Deadnaming
frantically's review
- 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
Be aware that there are multiple instances of transphobia directed at London by another competitor and their dad, who doesn't accept them coming out. I love reading queer books but I love them even more when they're not filled with discrimination plots...
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
purplepenning's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Sweet, silly, spicy, serious, sensual. This is a contemporary rom-com between two cooking show contestants who are each experiencing a bit of a quarter-life crisis. Dahlia (f/queer) is recently divorced from her high school sweetheart and feels disappointing and directionless. Teaching herself how to cook and develop warm, comforting flavors has helped her get through the worst of it. Winning the $100k competition prize might help her get through the rest. London (nb/pan) is settled in their non-binary identity even if they're still unsettled by their father's lack of acceptance. They're hyper-focused and prepared — to put the strained relationship with their father aside, to ignore the trolls, and to establish their place as the first non-binary
An entertaining and enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud in places even as I cringed at others. The writing is vivid and tactile. Which is generally great, but ... I don't ever want to recall someone's hands working with raw chicken when they're in the middle of a sensual massage. There's also a large cast of secondary characters and not nearly enough time to develop them, and a background of socioeconomic disparity that's not explored much. Overall, a really good debut with excellent LGBTQ rep!
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Transphobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Excrement, and Blood
misgendering (alluded to and explored without being explicitly written), coming out, unaccepting family, internet trolls (alluded to and explored, not explicitly written), cooking gore and detailed descriptions of animal proteins, food-related sex play, public sex, divorce (backstory), pressure to have kids (backstory), socioeconomic pressure and disparitydanaslitlist's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There was so much to love in this book from the characters being vibrant and fleshed out, the building up of the romance, the drama on set! Not to mention the really important discussions of non-binary representation, navigating your life after it throws you a curve ball, and finding the strength to stand on your own.
This book gave me the warm fuzzies and it’s not often that I get those warm fuzzies. Especially rare that I get them from a romance novel. Also the sex scenes were wonderful and the perfect blend of spice and sweetness. I can’t hype the fact that there was communication during those moments and how refreshing it was to see that.
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
books4em's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Transphobia
writewithapendragon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Deadnaming
Sexual content of NB character is explicit without being overly descriptive! Respectfully avoids description of genitals.