Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Chef's Choice

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Chef's Choice by TJ Alexander

22 reviews

ourxstorybegins's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

5.0

I love Luna! I love Jean-Pierre! I love the roller coaster I was on cuz I really went from “wow this guy is annoying” to ““wow I feel bad for this guy” to “wow I love him actually” and got to experience that cycle AT LEAST twice while reading this book lmao. I love a good cooking romance and wow did this book give us a really punchable villain (Henri can GO STRAIGHT TO HELL) and a satisfying ending. Both characters are trans, and It was interesting seeing what they could relate on and how it contrasted with their personal backgrounds and how that impacted their lives and how they feel about their gender and such. Loved this, no notes, more please.

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kelly_e's review

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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."

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the_vegan_bookworm's review

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? No

4.5

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ccccamden's review against another edition

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lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

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wureads's review against another edition

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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.

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thebigq's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

4.5

Cute and fun and fluffy in some excellent ways, especially the very ridiculous set up of the fake dating. I really wish there had been POV from JP and it got a little draggy in the middle, but the twists at the end were awesome. Also appreciated trans people just getting to be people more often than not, though there were some tough (sadly realistic) parts too.

Loved the French speaking reveal in the walk-in and how Luna's badass assistant skills paid off. The trans surgery Santa Claus scene made me tear up a little.

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arlangrey17's review

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funny 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

5.0

I loved this! T4T! Food romance! Fake dating! So many good things. I enjoyed but didn't love Chef's Kiss, so I was a little wary of this one, but I absolutely loved it!

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