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kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
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? No
3.5
Title: Chef's Choice
Author: T.J. Alexander
Series: Chef's Kiss #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: May 30, 2023
I received a complimentary eARC from Emily Bestler Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Comical • Tender • Delicious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Luna O’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don’t pay the bills.
Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She’s got rent to pay, after all! Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn’t even know how to crack an egg, but she’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I adored the plot of book one, Chef's Kiss in this series, so I was eager to receive an ARC of Chef's Choice. I was definitely expecting the same foodie vibes and queer representation. In fact, this is the first trans/trans romance I've read that has been traditionally published.
T.J. Alexander has delivered complex main characters yet again. Luna and Jean-Pierre are complete opposites, and I appreciate getting two different takes on the trans experience. In my opinion, a dual POV structure would have served this story better. Getting JP's inner dialogue would have given this story another layer and there were so many times I was curious to get into his head.
While I really sunk into their developing friendship, the budding romance felt too predictable, and not necessarily all that believable. There were also too many competing storylines. Because of these two factors I didn't feel a full fledged investment in their story. As this book tackles many plotlines, it got bogged down at times. A bigger focus on the actually cooking challenge would have allowed for a smoother reading experience.
Although Chef's Choice is technically part of a series, it could easily be read as a stand-alone. Overall, the story was just okay, yet what I really appreciated was the representation and the open door sex scenes. I will continue to add T.J. Alexander's work to my TBR in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fake dating enthusiasts
• readers looking for a queer love story
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"That is black-and-white thinking, and I live in a world full of color."
Author: T.J. Alexander
Series: Chef's Kiss #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: May 30, 2023
I received a complimentary eARC from Emily Bestler Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Comical • Tender • Delicious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Luna O’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don’t pay the bills.
Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She’s got rent to pay, after all! Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn’t even know how to crack an egg, but she’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I adored the plot of book one, Chef's Kiss in this series, so I was eager to receive an ARC of Chef's Choice. I was definitely expecting the same foodie vibes and queer representation. In fact, this is the first trans/trans romance I've read that has been traditionally published.
T.J. Alexander has delivered complex main characters yet again. Luna and Jean-Pierre are complete opposites, and I appreciate getting two different takes on the trans experience. In my opinion, a dual POV structure would have served this story better. Getting JP's inner dialogue would have given this story another layer and there were so many times I was curious to get into his head.
While I really sunk into their developing friendship, the budding romance felt too predictable, and not necessarily all that believable. There were also too many competing storylines. Because of these two factors I didn't feel a full fledged investment in their story. As this book tackles many plotlines, it got bogged down at times. A bigger focus on the actually cooking challenge would have allowed for a smoother reading experience.
Although Chef's Choice is technically part of a series, it could easily be read as a stand-alone. Overall, the story was just okay, yet what I really appreciated was the representation and the open door sex scenes. I will continue to add T.J. Alexander's work to my TBR in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fake dating enthusiasts
• readers looking for a queer love story
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"That is black-and-white thinking, and I live in a world full of color."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dysphoria, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
rabelais's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
1.75
Of course there's transmisogyny *when the author is intending it to be trans-positive*. That's what you get when an author who isn't a trans woman writes a trans woman character. Luna was more full of a character in the first book, and doesn't have much depth here. Her existence within all relationships is transactional, which is really gross.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, Outing, Homophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Classism, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Deadnaming, and Misogyny
There is so much transmisogyny in this book. We didn't need this.wureads's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Honestly, I don't have many words for this book. Each of the characters had their own reasons to be hated, but Jean-Pierre was probably the best written. I felt that most of the drama in the story was unnecessary and unrelated to the actual plot, other than the 'fake-dating' trope. Luna's character was mostly flat; she acted indifferent or spiteful toward Jean-Pierre until the last 4-5 chapters. There wasn't really a smooth or heartfelt transition from fake-dating to real-dating, it just sort of happened. The last maybe 10 chapters were entertaining and finally found their way to the main plot point, which made it somewhat easier to get through.
All-in-all, this book was just not for me. In my opinion, it truly felt like I was reading a poorly written Wattpad fanfiction. I can see how some audiences would enjoy this style of writing, as it does feel very YA oriented- save for the two sex scenes. The spice was probable a 3 out of 5, nothing too crazy or detailed, but it didn't completely skip some details either.
I do have to mention that this is the first adult romance novel I've read, as I'm mainly a suspense and mystery reader. Although I struggled to get through this book, I do think that seeing more LGBTQ+ representation in books is amazing. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes this writing style and trope, but again, it just wasn't of my taste.
All-in-all, this book was just not for me. In my opinion, it truly felt like I was reading a poorly written Wattpad fanfiction. I can see how some audiences would enjoy this style of writing, as it does feel very YA oriented- save for the two sex scenes. The spice was probable a 3 out of 5, nothing too crazy or detailed, but it didn't completely skip some details either.
I do have to mention that this is the first adult romance novel I've read, as I'm mainly a suspense and mystery reader. Although I struggled to get through this book, I do think that seeing more LGBTQ+ representation in books is amazing. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes this writing style and trope, but again, it just wasn't of my taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Dysphoria
Minor: Classism
analenegrace's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this one even more than the first book in the series! Alexander is a fantastic writer; Luna and JP came so alive in this book.
Plot-wise, I would have wanted a little more substance, but I think the characters and relationships were so much more important; the actual cooking plot felt like a B or C plot to the book. I loved Luna in the first book so I was excited to get more of her and the fake dating plot worked so well, especially with a character like JP.
Alexander did queer discourse in many ways in the book in a way that felt personal to the characters and their experiences while also taking on some important conversations had in the queer community.
I look forward to their next book!
Plot-wise, I would have wanted a little more substance, but I think the characters and relationships were so much more important; the actual cooking plot felt like a B or C plot to the book. I loved Luna in the first book so I was excited to get more of her and the fake dating plot worked so well, especially with a character like JP.
Alexander did queer discourse in many ways in the book in a way that felt personal to the characters and their experiences while also taking on some important conversations had in the queer community.
I look forward to their next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Cursing
runlaurarun's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Transphobia, Sexual content, Classism, and Misogyny
uranaishi's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Transphobia
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Dysphoria, Medical content, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
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