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mels_reading_log's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
Reality Cooking Competition Shows + grumpy/sunshine romance = perfection
I love this book! Dahlia and London are such a sweet, funny and totally sexy couple. I love their story and how they fight for each other.
I love this book! Dahlia and London are such a sweet, funny and totally sexy couple. I love their story and how they fight for each other.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
chasingpages1's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
leighannebfd3b's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, and Biphobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Deadnaming, and Outing
caterina_1212's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Light and frothy. A different kind of couple for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Lesbophobia
loverofeels's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
reading a romance novel with a main character who has (almost) the same name as me is a dangerous game, but this book was so good that i think it actually improved my reading experience (<- cringe admission)
aside from a few small things (ex. a paragraph where london describes dahlia much in the same way a straight male mc in a movie would describe his MPDG love interest) i have almost no complaints. i loved reading about them swoon over each other and will def be recommending this!!
aside from a few small things (ex. a paragraph where london describes dahlia much in the same way a straight male mc in a movie would describe his MPDG love interest) i have almost no complaints. i loved reading about them swoon over each other and will def be recommending this!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Transphobia
Minor: Biphobia, Mental illness, and Lesbophobia
catreads247's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
Super cute read! Has a bit of spiciness in it, so if that ‘s your thing you’ll still enjoy this one. I laughed so much! Chapter 5 had me rolling. Sweet and heartwarming. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Content Warnings
Minor: Lesbophobia and Homophobia
readingwithjessica_w's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
3.5 stars
Reality baking show with lots of drama? ☑️
Rom-com with queer and non-binary characters? ☑️
Fantastic descriptions of food and baking? ☑️
Love and Other Words does a lovely job of bringing a non-binary character first and foremost into the romance genre. London Parker is the tall quiet smirking first ever non-binary contestant on Chef’s Special who meets the bouncy effervescent runs-her-mouth-too-much Dahlia Woodson. A baking competition show, the two contestants become more intertwined as the show progresses and other contestants are kicked off. Unable to avoid one another, Dahlia and London find that they have more in common than just cooking. I found this book to be an easy read, possibly predictable, but sweet nonetheless. The cooking challenges were my favorite parts of the book and the antics of Chef’s Special follow much like any reality competition show—laughable, cringe-worthy, and high stakes drama. I was excited to read about a non-binary character (a first for me in this genre) and although it mentally took my brain a moment with the pronouns used for London (reading them feels different to me than speaking them), I appreciated Anita Kelly’s subtlety in introducing London first as “Strawberry Blond Hair” seen through the eyes of Dahlia. Although enjoyable and definitely steamy at points, I felt like I never quite knew who Dahlia was as a character. Her development was a little on the surface to me; London seems to truly be a giver whereas Dahlia is a taker in their relationship. Perhaps this is because Dahlia has just come through a divorce, but I wanted more out of her as a character than it seemed I was getting. I would also have liked to see more family dynamics, especially between London and their sister/mother/father and I never felt like I had much of a sense of who Hank was to Dahlia or her mother and father. Perhaps too many story lines were trying to be told? But the Chef’s Special scenes were on point and the most fun parts of the book. The best writing was during the on-set filming parts of the Reality Show where character tension was used through a glance, a feeling, or a moment between contestants.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Reality baking show with lots of drama? ☑️
Rom-com with queer and non-binary characters? ☑️
Fantastic descriptions of food and baking? ☑️
Love and Other Words does a lovely job of bringing a non-binary character first and foremost into the romance genre. London Parker is the tall quiet smirking first ever non-binary contestant on Chef’s Special who meets the bouncy effervescent runs-her-mouth-too-much Dahlia Woodson. A baking competition show, the two contestants become more intertwined as the show progresses and other contestants are kicked off. Unable to avoid one another, Dahlia and London find that they have more in common than just cooking. I found this book to be an easy read, possibly predictable, but sweet nonetheless. The cooking challenges were my favorite parts of the book and the antics of Chef’s Special follow much like any reality competition show—laughable, cringe-worthy, and high stakes drama. I was excited to read about a non-binary character (a first for me in this genre) and although it mentally took my brain a moment with the pronouns used for London (reading them feels different to me than speaking them), I appreciated Anita Kelly’s subtlety in introducing London first as “Strawberry Blond Hair” seen through the eyes of Dahlia. Although enjoyable and definitely steamy at points, I felt like I never quite knew who Dahlia was as a character. Her development was a little on the surface to me; London seems to truly be a giver whereas Dahlia is a taker in their relationship. Perhaps this is because Dahlia has just come through a divorce, but I wanted more out of her as a character than it seemed I was getting. I would also have liked to see more family dynamics, especially between London and their sister/mother/father and I never felt like I had much of a sense of who Hank was to Dahlia or her mother and father. Perhaps too many story lines were trying to be told? But the Chef’s Special scenes were on point and the most fun parts of the book. The best writing was during the on-set filming parts of the Reality Show where character tension was used through a glance, a feeling, or a moment between contestants.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
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