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bibliophilecrocodile's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
This was such an adorable queer joy book with mlm and acespec representation, and a desi main character set in a reality TV background! I loved the mental health representation and it was done so well in this book, it made me really happy đź’— I wish they included more of Dev's Desiness and more Indian parts. And I also love how amazing the side characters were, it was their story as well. I love reading books with queer mcs in reality television, I think it's becoming one of my favorite tropes, another favorite pf mine being I'll Be The One, that was such a wholesome book. Definitely recommend reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Biphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Alcohol
dhwani's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
just finished this and am writing the review because yes i'm a huge forgetful mess and i know i would forget about it later. however, there is just so much that i want to talk about.
first of all, i don't know whether to rate it full 5 stars, keep it to 4.5 or reduce it to 4 altogether, so you might consider mine a 4.5 for now. of course, i would never hesitate to give a book 5/5 if i love it so much, but there is just something that i didn't completely like as well so yeah i'll be taking away a 0.5 for that.
before we proceed to the good part where i'll be GUSHING about this amazing book, i'd like to address something that i didn't find appealing. that is, Dev Deshpande as a character. as a person who is Marathi (Indian) (take this review as ownvoices), i didn't like how the character was portrayed with almost no part of him showing his (even the slightest) attachment to his desi-ness. His parents are said to be first gen immigrants, he says he wants to produce a desi queer romance and he's said to have brown skin and that's about it. and not to mention there is just ONE Indian food reference and it is vegetarian tikka masala.
although i know that maybe the character must not be having too close of a connection with his culture, i also think that as a POC main character, it was necessary to be shown. having a desi MAIN CHARACTER just for the name and not mentioning anything else about them is so meaningless. there were times when maybe if not constantly reminded of his skin colour, i would've completely forgotten that Dev was Indian. so what i've been trying to say here is that the author could've used some more research and i'll be happy if i get to see a better POC character in their future works.
coming to the part that i liked about the book, i have to say this has to be my most favourite queer joy book ever! i have not read a lot of them but my heart swells with love and yearning whenever i do and it's just to pure to know that being queer is amazing. i absolutely loved the ace-spec rep and the M/M romance, along with queer side characters and them getting stories of their own. there wasn't any character who was baseless or had no real role and was just standing by. NO. literally every character contributed to the story and i liked that so much!
ALSO DID I MENTION THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL YOU AREN'T READING?? i felt like i was there with the characters, feeling this attachment to them that i have rarely felt so strong.
also liked how the ex wasn't the evil doucheboy who loves to ruin his ex's stuff? at first when the ex was mentioned i was like ew here he comes he's going to ruin everything but by the end i ended up liking him too and understanding that some relationships don't work out and it's absolutely okay!
i liked the narrative based around mental health and how it is important and how loving someone else isn't going to magically cure you or make you healthy. the author intricately focused on how people view getting therapy or help as a weakness and how it has to change, i loved all of it so much.
in the end, i'm going to end this review while asking Parisa to be my life so yeah we'll probably end up falling in love, y'all have a good day though!
first of all, i don't know whether to rate it full 5 stars, keep it to 4.5 or reduce it to 4 altogether, so you might consider mine a 4.5 for now. of course, i would never hesitate to give a book 5/5 if i love it so much, but there is just something that i didn't completely like as well so yeah i'll be taking away a 0.5 for that.
before we proceed to the good part where i'll be GUSHING about this amazing book, i'd like to address something that i didn't find appealing. that is, Dev Deshpande as a character. as a person who is Marathi (Indian) (take this review as ownvoices), i didn't like how the character was portrayed with almost no part of him showing his (even the slightest) attachment to his desi-ness. His parents are said to be first gen immigrants, he says he wants to produce a desi queer romance and he's said to have brown skin and that's about it. and not to mention there is just ONE Indian food reference and it is vegetarian tikka masala.
although i know that maybe the character must not be having too close of a connection with his culture, i also think that as a POC main character, it was necessary to be shown. having a desi MAIN CHARACTER just for the name and not mentioning anything else about them is so meaningless. there were times when maybe if not constantly reminded of his skin colour, i would've completely forgotten that Dev was Indian. so what i've been trying to say here is that the author could've used some more research and i'll be happy if i get to see a better POC character in their future works.
coming to the part that i liked about the book, i have to say this has to be my most favourite queer joy book ever! i have not read a lot of them but my heart swells with love and yearning whenever i do and it's just to pure to know that being queer is amazing. i absolutely loved the ace-spec rep and the M/M romance, along with queer side characters and them getting stories of their own. there wasn't any character who was baseless or had no real role and was just standing by. NO. literally every character contributed to the story and i liked that so much!
ALSO DID I MENTION THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL YOU AREN'T READING?? i felt like i was there with the characters, feeling this attachment to them that i have rarely felt so strong.
also liked how the ex wasn't the evil doucheboy who loves to ruin his ex's stuff? at first when the ex was mentioned i was like ew here he comes he's going to ruin everything but by the end i ended up liking him too and understanding that some relationships don't work out and it's absolutely okay!
i liked the narrative based around mental health and how it is important and how loving someone else isn't going to magically cure you or make you healthy. the author intricately focused on how people view getting therapy or help as a weakness and how it has to change, i loved all of it so much.
in the end, i'm going to end this review while asking Parisa to be my life so yeah we'll probably end up falling in love, y'all have a good day though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
kilic's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Biphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
annatee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
This book is basically a lovable sit-com in book form. All the characters are adorable, the book is basically about their relationships and personal development/growth. I loved the ace rep, even if it was a little too literal sometimes (dialogue that's just the author giving details about asexuality).
It reminded me of Red, White, & Royal Blue, which is to say, I loved it. I'm not sure why I love mlm romcoms so much, but I assume it's some kind of internalized self hatred, oops. Anyway, overall very good read, cheeky, fun, very emo and tug at the heartstrings as well.
It reminded me of Red, White, & Royal Blue, which is to say, I loved it. I'm not sure why I love mlm romcoms so much, but I assume it's some kind of internalized self hatred, oops. Anyway, overall very good read, cheeky, fun, very emo and tug at the heartstrings as well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Acephobia/Arophobia
petudc's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was SO FUCKING GOOD.
Dev es un romántico empedernido productor de un programa estilo The Bachelor. Charlie es la estrella de la nueva temporada, aunque es todo lo opuesto a lo que se espera de Ă©l. Dev tiene que encantar a Charlie para que sea el "PrĂncipe" adecuado para la temporada, pero el encanto termina yendo más allá de los lĂmites de la pantalla.
Este es un libro súper romántico y fresco y dinámico lleno de comunicación y malentendidos como una buena comedia romántica debe ser. También trata muy bien cuestiones de salud mental y aborda muy bien la diversidad sexual, romántica y de género. O sea, uno de los protagonistas es un hombre de origen indio, gay, con depresión, y el otro es blanco, tiene TOC (el de verdad, no la estupidez de cuando decimos inconcientemente "ay, tengo un toc con x cosa"), ansiedad y pánico, y a lo largo del libro descubre que se identifica con el espectro asexual.
La verdad es que este libro, más allá de hacerme suspirar y sonreir, aborda muy bien todo lo que es salud mental, terapia, y la diversidad. Además, juego con los lĂmites entre lo verdadero y lo falso en los reality shows, y eso me divierte mucho.
No sé qué más decir, amé mucho esta historia, leanla si están en el estado mental correcto.
Dev es un romántico empedernido productor de un programa estilo The Bachelor. Charlie es la estrella de la nueva temporada, aunque es todo lo opuesto a lo que se espera de Ă©l. Dev tiene que encantar a Charlie para que sea el "PrĂncipe" adecuado para la temporada, pero el encanto termina yendo más allá de los lĂmites de la pantalla.
Este es un libro súper romántico y fresco y dinámico lleno de comunicación y malentendidos como una buena comedia romántica debe ser. También trata muy bien cuestiones de salud mental y aborda muy bien la diversidad sexual, romántica y de género. O sea, uno de los protagonistas es un hombre de origen indio, gay, con depresión, y el otro es blanco, tiene TOC (el de verdad, no la estupidez de cuando decimos inconcientemente "ay, tengo un toc con x cosa"), ansiedad y pánico, y a lo largo del libro descubre que se identifica con el espectro asexual.
La verdad es que este libro, más allá de hacerme suspirar y sonreir, aborda muy bien todo lo que es salud mental, terapia, y la diversidad. Además, juego con los lĂmites entre lo verdadero y lo falso en los reality shows, y eso me divierte mucho.
No sé qué más decir, amé mucho esta historia, leanla si están en el estado mental correcto.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Biphobia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol and Lesbophobia
mandaraffe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Ableism, Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
mmccombs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.5
This is the best romance I’ve ever read and that’s coming from a person who generally does not love the genre. It was so sweet and hit the romance beats without it feeling repetitive or dull. And the rep in this book was SO well done, between the mental illness and ace rep I had chills like the whole time. I just so vividly saw myself in Charlie and he was celebrated for the parts of himself that I have had a hard time accepting in myself. The power of representation, man. It was sweet and fun and maybe I believe in love stories again?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Biphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide attempt
foreverinastory's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
This was so damn fun!!
Rep: white questioning demisexual gay male MC with OCD and anxiety, Desi gay male MC with depression, pansexual hijabi female side character, side WLW couple, nonbinary side character, queer Chinese female side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, homophobia/homomisia, mental illness (OCD, anxiety, depression), panic attacks, vomit. Moderate: blood, grief, racism, violence, past mentions of child abuse. Minor: Acephobia/Acemisia.
Rep: white questioning demisexual gay male MC with OCD and anxiety, Desi gay male MC with depression, pansexual hijabi female side character, side WLW couple, nonbinary side character, queer Chinese female side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, homophobia/homomisia, mental illness (OCD, anxiety, depression), panic attacks, vomit. Moderate: blood, grief, racism, violence, past mentions of child abuse. Minor: Acephobia/Acemisia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Moderate: Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
mcurtis8's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
wayward_books's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Amazing book with ace representation, which is always a plus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment and Acephobia/Arophobia