Scan barcode
msradiosilence's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Bullying
booksandharps's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Transphobia, and Biphobia
Minor: Dysphoria
theespressoedition's review against another edition
3.5
I enjoyed the cooking show aspect and really liked the way the characters developed. I didn’t prefer the spicy scenes in this—just a little too kinky for my tastes. But I thought the relationship was cute and story was fun!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Cursing
froggydanny's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Transphobia, and Cursing
Moderate: Alcohol and Dysphoria
pinkalpaca's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Transphobia
frantically's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.0
This was a fun and spicy queer read and I loved all the representation in this! I couldn't connect with the characters as much as I wished to and it was hard to differentiate their voices but it's always nice to read adult sapphic novels! Not the best book for me but it could be for you.
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...
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...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
mkstalcup's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Homophobia
purplepenning's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Read during the #TransRightsReadathon March 20-27, 2023..
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-binarycontestant winner of a major cooking competition so they can use the prize money to start a nonprofit for LGBTQ kids. There's an undeniable spark between the two, but is there a future together ahead of them?
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!
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!
Content Warnings
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 disparitytakarakei's review against another edition
Yeah I can't do this book as a vegan. I've read other cooking based rom-coms and there was just one too many eye rolls situations for me
- Eating fish/seafood is not vegetarian
- Cows are not 'dangerous' - no more so than a horse which is a similar sized animal
- Dairy farms do not milk cows by hand - describing it this way just perpetuates this fake reality that cows on dairy farms are 'happy' and not the reality that they are continually abused for their milk.
- Apparently if you don't like barbecue you're now a fascist (that was the last straw and I really don't care that it was a joke)
If you're looking for a rom-com with cooking and trans rep perhaps try Chef's Kiss (which has less eye roll food situations).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Misgendering, divorceaesantiago's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Homophobia