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bookishmillennial's review
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I read this on the plane ride back home from my work trip and it was an absolute delight!
I adored the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between Simone and Ray — they were equally hilarious and awkward, which made it especially entertaining for me as a third-party removed from the fictional situation hahaha. Not only that, but the found family dynamics tugged at my heart. I am still giddy over them (the entire crew) all giving each other nicknames teeheeeee
While their love story is slow but steady, I also appreciated the commentary on how workplaces can be per formative and only focus on optics and how harmful that is! I was stressed for Ray but I want to assure you there is indeed a happy ending here!
I actually have the ARC of Chef’s Choice on NetGalley so I’m excited to dive into that one next hehe.
I read this on the plane ride back home from my work trip and it was an absolute delight!
I adored the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between Simone and Ray — they were equally hilarious and awkward, which made it especially entertaining for me as a third-party removed from the fictional situation hahaha. Not only that, but the found family dynamics tugged at my heart. I am still giddy over them (the entire crew) all giving each other nicknames teeheeeee
While their love story is slow but steady, I also appreciated the commentary on how workplaces can be per formative and only focus on optics and how harmful that is! I was stressed for Ray but I want to assure you there is indeed a happy ending here!
I actually have the ARC of Chef’s Choice on NetGalley so I’m excited to dive into that one next hehe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Medical content, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
Minor: Fatphobia, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Child abuse
jpitts's review
Cringe...
This doesn't seem like a book about a nonbinary person dealing with NBphobia in the workplace. We don't even get the NB character's POV. Instead, the story centers entirely around a cis woman named Simone as she repeatedly tries--and often fails--to be a good ally to a NB person, Ray, who she's falling in love with.
It was bad enough watching the main character constantly stumble and overcorrect during her interactions with trans and NB people (Oh you're nonbinary? I'm cool with that! Not that I need to be 'cool' with that, I mean, I can do the pronouns thing. I have a trans roommate. Oh wait that sounded dumb like 'haha I have one trans friend.' I know lots of trans people. I'm bisexual actually. Am I being insensitive? Oh god I'm so sorry I'm really trying!") It's bad enough that the trans roommate/friend character kind of just serves as a well of information and advice for Simone on gender issues. (Literally they set up a deal where the trans roommate will educate Simone on trans issues as much as she wants in exchange for home cooked food)
But then when Ray eventually comes out at work, Simone--and the story, honestly--makes the fallout entirely about herself. First, we have to sit through scenes of Simone and her cis coworkers talking about how they're dealing with the whole "looking at gender as a spectrum" and "remembering to use gender neutral language" things down, and how they're going to handle with the workplace discrimination toward Ray, with Ray completely absent from the conversation. THEN Simone goes so far as to get angry at Ray for not handling the situation the way she and her coworkers had decided would be best. LikeRay literally explains that, while they ARE hurt and angry, they don't have the money to spend on taking legal action against the company, or the energy to deal with a long battle that, more than likely, will just result in a huge mess and further, more creative retaliation/discrimination against them. And Simone responds by calling them a COWARD, and internally grumbles about the lengths SHE went to sticking up for them.
I stopped reading there. I'm sure the second half is about the MC's growth or whatever but I couldn't take much more of it. This could have benefited a lot from dual POV. I just don't think interested in a story about nonbinary discrimination that fails this much to center the person being discriminated against.
Edited 03/03/2023 to add some more details/character names
This doesn't seem like a book about a nonbinary person dealing with NBphobia in the workplace. We don't even get the NB character's POV. Instead, the story centers entirely around a cis woman named Simone as she repeatedly tries--and often fails--to be a good ally to a NB person, Ray, who she's falling in love with.
It was bad enough watching the main character constantly stumble and overcorrect during her interactions with trans and NB people (Oh you're nonbinary? I'm cool with that! Not that I need to be 'cool' with that, I mean, I can do the pronouns thing. I have a trans roommate. Oh wait that sounded dumb like 'haha I have one trans friend.' I know lots of trans people. I'm bisexual actually. Am I being insensitive? Oh god I'm so sorry I'm really trying!") It's bad enough that the trans roommate/friend character kind of just serves as a well of information and advice for Simone on gender issues. (Literally they set up a deal where the trans roommate will educate Simone on trans issues as much as she wants in exchange for home cooked food)
But then when Ray eventually comes out at work, Simone--and the story, honestly--makes the fallout entirely about herself. First, we have to sit through scenes of Simone and her cis coworkers talking about how they're dealing with the whole "looking at gender as a spectrum" and "remembering to use gender neutral language" things down, and how they're going to handle with the workplace discrimination toward Ray, with Ray completely absent from the conversation. THEN Simone goes so far as to get angry at Ray for not handling the situation the way she and her coworkers had decided would be best. Like
I stopped reading there. I'm sure the second half is about the MC's growth or whatever but I couldn't take much more of it. This could have benefited a lot from dual POV. I just don't think interested in a story about nonbinary discrimination that fails this much to center the person being discriminated against.
Edited 03/03/2023 to add some more details/character names
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Fatphobia
maeverose's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
3.5
I was worried based on the synopsis that it would be overly cheesy but it’s really not. It is funny though, and the humor worked for me. You can tell a trans person wrote this book, they definitely understand trans issues and it’s reflected in the book. I loved the conversations about how trans people shouldn’t be expected to teach cis people everything about gender.
My only complaints are the misunderstanding trope and how long it takes for them to finally get together. I do like how everything played out in the end but it was mild torture having to read Simone constantly convince herself Ray didn’t like her. I just wanted them to make out already. But those are mild complaints, overall I had a good time.
I do want to note that there is a lot of misgendering of Ray throughout the story. For the first half everyone, including the main character uses she/her pronouns for them because they aren’t out yet, then once they do come out the antagonists of the book purposefully misgender them every time they interact, and it’s quite infuriating. So if that’s a trigger for you I’d be prepared for that.
I do want to note that there is a lot of misgendering of Ray throughout the story. For the first half everyone, including the main character uses she/her pronouns for them because they aren’t out yet, then once they do come out the antagonists of the book purposefully misgender them every time they interact, and it’s quite infuriating. So if that’s a trigger for you I’d be prepared for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Transphobia, Bullying, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Dysphoria, Homophobia, Medical content, and Vomit
Minor: Blood, Excrement, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, and Cursing
Graphic: misgendering, handling of bodily fluids after surgeryuranaishi's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Body shaming, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Vomit
Minor: Outing, Racism, Car accident, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
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