Scan barcode
turnthepages_nl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
4.75
Let me start off with saying, I love books set in Paris, especially when the MC loves food. Because helloooo donuts, patisserie, bread, BREADDDD. And our MC Evie loves bread and donuts. She loves to bake too, her biggest wish is to open a shop with home made goods. But having a chronic illness makes chasing your dreams hard, it can sometimes feel impossible. Evie has endometriosis, and although I don't have the diagnosis myself, I sure do have quite a few symptoms, more than I'd like to admit...
Torie Jean has endo too, she writes books with endo rep, lived experience. Own-Voices representation is so so important. And Torie is doing amazing work! Creating awareness, validating peoples pain, struggles, emotions, hardships. Finding Gene Kelly is a bit graphic at times, but I loved that. It doesn't sugarcoat it. It shows how much pain Evie is in but also how hard it is to ask for and even more so to accept help from the people around you. Evie is someone who wants to take care of herself. She doesn't want to need other people. But sometimes you can really benefit from leaning on others when you are having a hard time. It was beautiful to see how she and Liam grew together, in life but also regarding her chronic illness.
Liam is 100% a cinnamonroll and I loved that. He is sunshineeeeee. But filled with puns. How Torie managed to find all these puns is beyond me, but it had me giggling tons. The chemistry between Liam and Evie was so fun, lots of banter but the further you get into the book, the more sweet moments are being thrown at you. I awwwed a lot at Liam, haha. His Gene Kelly moment?!!! Ughhhhh I want one of those!
As you maybe know, fake dating is one of my fav tropes. And it was executed to well in this story! The. Tension. Was. Off. The. Charts. Honestly loved every second of it.
Combine that with food, lots of puns, nicknames, Parisian architecture, loving friendships, old hollywood movies and you got yourself the story of Finding Gene Kelly. Or at least a big chunk of it.
Because another aspect I loved (but also hated) was Evie's family. Her grandma was absolutely amazing, but sadly isn't with her anymore. But her mother?!!! Big yikes. Her mum is a fatphobic, gaslighting, disrespectfull human being. And one of the reasons Evie is literally living on a different continent. Her mum, Caroline, is always talking crap about her. Snarky remarks, stabby comments. Seeing Evies Endometriose as a problem and a reason she hasn't got a husband yet. Because she obviously is broken and has a problem. Because baring children is the most important task for a woman right? Wellllll no Caroline it is not! And eventhough Evie knows her mum is wrong, it still hurts. A lot. Being seen as broken, wrong, a problem. That is painfull! Especially when it is your own mother who talks about you like that. When your own mother disregards your pain and hardships whilest also gossiping about you(r lack of a partner and children) to other people. That freaking hurts. But I think the gaslighting and comments from Caroline (and other people too) were displayed beautifully. This is raw and honest representation of what it's like living with a chronic illness. People who (usually) mean well, but say stuff that hurts so much. But still feeling like you have to be polite. Torie really really hit the nail on the head.
So, if you like a sweet romance story with fake dating, chronic illness rep (endometiosis), nicknames, FOOD and old hollywood movies, this is absolutely the book for you. And if not, give it a try anyway because the Endometriose rep was amazing and I think people can really learn from it!
Torie send me a copy of the new edition of Finding Gene Kelly, as part of her ARC team in exchange for an honest review. This does in no way influence my opinion.
Torie Jean has endo too, she writes books with endo rep, lived experience. Own-Voices representation is so so important. And Torie is doing amazing work! Creating awareness, validating peoples pain, struggles, emotions, hardships. Finding Gene Kelly is a bit graphic at times, but I loved that. It doesn't sugarcoat it. It shows how much pain Evie is in but also how hard it is to ask for and even more so to accept help from the people around you. Evie is someone who wants to take care of herself. She doesn't want to need other people. But sometimes you can really benefit from leaning on others when you are having a hard time. It was beautiful to see how she and Liam grew together, in life but also regarding her chronic illness.
Liam is 100% a cinnamonroll and I loved that. He is sunshineeeeee. But filled with puns. How Torie managed to find all these puns is beyond me, but it had me giggling tons. The chemistry between Liam and Evie was so fun, lots of banter but the further you get into the book, the more sweet moments are being thrown at you. I awwwed a lot at Liam, haha. His Gene Kelly moment?!!! Ughhhhh I want one of those!
As you maybe know, fake dating is one of my fav tropes. And it was executed to well in this story! The. Tension. Was. Off. The. Charts. Honestly loved every second of it.
Combine that with food, lots of puns, nicknames, Parisian architecture, loving friendships, old hollywood movies and you got yourself the story of Finding Gene Kelly. Or at least a big chunk of it.
Because another aspect I loved (but also hated) was Evie's family. Her grandma was absolutely amazing, but sadly isn't with her anymore. But her mother?!!! Big yikes. Her mum is a fatphobic, gaslighting, disrespectfull human being. And one of the reasons Evie is literally living on a different continent. Her mum, Caroline, is always talking crap about her. Snarky remarks, stabby comments. Seeing Evies Endometriose as a problem and a reason she hasn't got a husband yet. Because she obviously is broken and has a problem. Because baring children is the most important task for a woman right? Wellllll no Caroline it is not! And eventhough Evie knows her mum is wrong, it still hurts. A lot. Being seen as broken, wrong, a problem. That is painfull! Especially when it is your own mother who talks about you like that. When your own mother disregards your pain and hardships whilest also gossiping about you(r lack of a partner and children) to other people. That freaking hurts. But I think the gaslighting and comments from Caroline (and other people too) were displayed beautifully. This is raw and honest representation of what it's like living with a chronic illness. People who (usually) mean well, but say stuff that hurts so much. But still feeling like you have to be polite. Torie really really hit the nail on the head.
So, if you like a sweet romance story with fake dating, chronic illness rep (endometiosis), nicknames, FOOD and old hollywood movies, this is absolutely the book for you. And if not, give it a try anyway because the Endometriose rep was amazing and I think people can really learn from it!
Torie send me a copy of the new edition of Finding Gene Kelly, as part of her ARC team in exchange for an honest review. This does in no way influence my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Vomit, Chronic illness, and Drug use
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, and Sexual content
Minor: Death
Mentiones that grandma passed away. The death is not on the page.banksa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Ableism, Infertility, Medical content, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Fatphobia
jillkaarlela's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
4.75
Taylor Swift songs: “Paris”, “Labyrinth” and “lover”
If you like enemies to lovers, fake dating, years of pining, BANTER LIKE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE, and chronic illness (endometriosis) rep, this one is for you.
This is like a lemon bar, it can be sour and a little too much for some people to handle, but it is also incredibly sweet, complex, and satisfying. And I love lemon bars.
The author said “you may be in her DMs, but he’s (Liam) there ON HIS KNEES helping her through an endometriosis flare.” I can’t get enough of Liam. His tender care for her, the way he doesn’t try to fix her and just stays there with her through the pain—I am in shambles. I have been a goner for Liam since the beginning, I am DOWN BAD for this man. I don’t need a Gene Kelly, I need a Liam Kelly, for real. He had me swooning, screaming, and crying.
And good gracious, the endo/chronic pain rep was amazing. Tori Jean truly captures what it’s like living with chronic pain. I don’t have endo, I have a different chronic pain illness, but she truly and vividly described the pain in an honest way that was so refreshing and comforting to know that a chronic illness doesn’t make you broken, like I’ve fallen victim to believing a time or two. You deserve your daydream. You deserve your Liam Kelly. This book was incredibly sweet, but it was also so deep and meaningful.
I’ve seen people commenting that the author “talks too much about the main character having endo”, but just like I commented back, I think the opposite is true. Someone who says that is privileged enough to not know or comprehend just how much of your life is eclipsed and surrounded by your chronic illness. My chronic illness and chronic pain affects every aspect of my life, every day, there’s no “editing it out”. So no, it definitely does not talk too much about having endo. It is perfect.
I’ve been trying to carve out time to read this, I’ve been staying up late because it’s so addicting. If I had one uninterrupted day, I think I would’ve just binged it.
Age rating: 15+, there are one or two brief steamy scenes, but I think it was very necessary to the plot because endometriosis makes intimacy difficult. And so much emotional intimacy it had my heart in a puddle on the floor 😭🔥🥰
If you like enemies to lovers, fake dating, years of pining, BANTER LIKE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE, and chronic illness (endometriosis) rep, this one is for you.
This is like a lemon bar, it can be sour and a little too much for some people to handle, but it is also incredibly sweet, complex, and satisfying. And I love lemon bars.
The author said “you may be in her DMs, but he’s (Liam) there ON HIS KNEES helping her through an endometriosis flare.” I can’t get enough of Liam. His tender care for her, the way he doesn’t try to fix her and just stays there with her through the pain—I am in shambles. I have been a goner for Liam since the beginning, I am DOWN BAD for this man. I don’t need a Gene Kelly, I need a Liam Kelly, for real. He had me swooning, screaming, and crying.
And good gracious, the endo/chronic pain rep was amazing. Tori Jean truly captures what it’s like living with chronic pain. I don’t have endo, I have a different chronic pain illness, but she truly and vividly described the pain in an honest way that was so refreshing and comforting to know that a chronic illness doesn’t make you broken, like I’ve fallen victim to believing a time or two. You deserve your daydream. You deserve your Liam Kelly. This book was incredibly sweet, but it was also so deep and meaningful.
I’ve seen people commenting that the author “talks too much about the main character having endo”, but just like I commented back, I think the opposite is true. Someone who says that is privileged enough to not know or comprehend just how much of your life is eclipsed and surrounded by your chronic illness. My chronic illness and chronic pain affects every aspect of my life, every day, there’s no “editing it out”. So no, it definitely does not talk too much about having endo. It is perfect.
I’ve been trying to carve out time to read this, I’ve been staying up late because it’s so addicting. If I had one uninterrupted day, I think I would’ve just binged it.
Age rating: 15+, there are one or two brief steamy scenes, but I think it was very necessary to the plot because endometriosis makes intimacy difficult. And so much emotional intimacy it had my heart in a puddle on the floor 😭🔥🥰
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content
kbairbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you Netgalley, and the publisher, for giving me an ARC of this book and allowing me to experience it in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author for being so incredibly vulnerable and sharing this piece of you with us.
This book has me speechless. I normally don’t rate books that have no magic/fantasy elements with five stars but this… THIS. Is beyond five stars. The humor had me genuinely laughing out loud. Multiple times. Genuinely the funniest book I’ve read in a long time if ever. There was so much personality and soul this book felt like a hug. The own voice chronic illness representation was incredibly honest, vulnerable, and raw. I want to put myself in financial distress to buy a copy for every single person I love so they can experience this magic for themselves. Beautiful. Brava!
Thank you to the author for being so incredibly vulnerable and sharing this piece of you with us.
This book has me speechless. I normally don’t rate books that have no magic/fantasy elements with five stars but this… THIS. Is beyond five stars. The humor had me genuinely laughing out loud. Multiple times. Genuinely the funniest book I’ve read in a long time if ever. There was so much personality and soul this book felt like a hug. The own voice chronic illness representation was incredibly honest, vulnerable, and raw. I want to put myself in financial distress to buy a copy for every single person I love so they can experience this magic for themselves. Beautiful. Brava!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Blood
heather_freshparchment's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Vomit, Body shaming, and Sexual content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
I received a free ebook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm not a huge reader of contemporary romances, but the references to classic movies drew me in. I'm so glad it did. It's not high literature, but it's engaging and honest. The thing I appreciate most is its no-holds-barred descriptions of life with endometriosis. I thought I understood it, but I clearly knew nothing. There was clear communication between our love interests in the second two thirds of the book, too, which I really appreciated. Any problems they encountered were realistic, as were their solutions. Overall, it was a highly enjoyable read.britreadsbooks_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
CWs pinned on the author’s Instagram & on storygraph.
HEART ON FLOOR. HEART ON FLOOR. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I’m just gonna tell you how much I adored this. Torie Jean has delivered a total emotional gut punch that also lends itself to humour and chaos. Let me just say if you’re looking for a story with unrequited love and pining, this will be right up your alley. Did I mention Liam’s love language is taking care of Evie? Any man who would drop everything to bring a woman in need bread is a total keeper. Would I have appreciated this more if I had an attachment to Gene Kelly and Audrey Hepburn? Probably. But that didn’t stop me from absolutely swooning into oblivion. Especially every time Liam blushed. I was also weak in the knees every time a pun was delivered. Word play is my soul food. I also love that Evie’s character gives insight into life with endometriosis. Torie doesn’t paint a pretty picture either; she gives a raw, uncensored look into life with chronic illness. We need more of that in romance. If you enjoyed books like Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, and Always Only You by Chloe Liese then you might want this on your tbr.
CWs pinned on the author’s Instagram & on storygraph.
HEART ON FLOOR. HEART ON FLOOR. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I’m just gonna tell you how much I adored this. Torie Jean has delivered a total emotional gut punch that also lends itself to humour and chaos. Let me just say if you’re looking for a story with unrequited love and pining, this will be right up your alley. Did I mention Liam’s love language is taking care of Evie? Any man who would drop everything to bring a woman in need bread is a total keeper. Would I have appreciated this more if I had an attachment to Gene Kelly and Audrey Hepburn? Probably. But that didn’t stop me from absolutely swooning into oblivion. Especially every time Liam blushed. I was also weak in the knees every time a pun was delivered. Word play is my soul food. I also love that Evie’s character gives insight into life with endometriosis. Torie doesn’t paint a pretty picture either; she gives a raw, uncensored look into life with chronic illness. We need more of that in romance. If you enjoyed books like Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, and Always Only You by Chloe Liese then you might want this on your tbr.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Pregnancy and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment, Infertility, Sexual content, Vomit, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail
More...