Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Chef's Kiss by TJ Alexander

11 reviews

tmkutawrites's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Medical content, Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Abandonment, Biphobia, and Child abuse

Minor: Ableism and Vomit

The romance was cute. Speaking as a nonbinary person, it was exhausting

listening to Simone whine about Ray's new pronouns--

I get it, it's realistic, I have heard it a million times about my own. Transphobia from the POV MC in a f/x romance really threw me out of it and just made me hate Simone. Also if you are going to very clearly base a book off the BA Test Kitchen and then only kiiiind of address the scandal but not resolve any of the issues called out in said scandal.... yeah. I wish the ended had been further draw out; I love a good slow burn but this didn't feel like it resolved itself satisfyingly. While this book did a good job of juggling all the plot lines, sometimes I think it could have done with one less. This being said, I think Ray is adorable and Luna is too good for Simone. The pining was delicious.

amandalorianxo's review

inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was unnecessarily way too long. This is also less romantic comedy and more a cis 101 way to interact with people that aren’t part of the binary & how to occasionally mess that up big time. Ray and a few of the other side characters I enjoyed but Simone? Eh - she irritated me for the majority of the book. Unfortunately this is not a dual POV book but I think I would have rated this higher if we got Ray’s version of events as well. The lack of POC having a voice didn’t sit well with me. How are we supposed to know that Delilah was meant to be a leader when we barely saw / interacted with  her ? 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia and Deadnaming

Minor: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

rickireadss's review against another edition

4.0

i enjoyed this one. i did find the fmc, simone, a little unbearable at times - the story being single pov also made it to where we were only in her perspective the entire book which i didn't like as much. i would have loved to had ray's perspective at least once during the story.

this one is definitely a slooooooow burn, literally up to the last two chapters and then its BOOM. i loved seeing the caretaking of ray by simone after their top surgery - made my heart warm. i am glad what i thought would be a conflict ended up not being it (because it would have kinda been cliché and made my rating lower). i did really like the YouTube cooking video aspect!! also the little old french lady simone looks up to (can't remember her name lol) - LOVED HER SO MUCH!!

⚠️: transphobia, deadnaming (on-page), homophobia, medical content (top surgery + recovery), biphobia, parental abandonment, vomit 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Moderate: Biphobia and Medical content

Minor: Vomit and Abandonment

kayleigh_reads_romance's review against another edition

emotional informative 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, and Transphobia

Moderate: Deadnaming, Alcohol, and Abandonment

beckbex's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Racism, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Biphobia

nobeliumreads's review against another edition

funny lighthearted slow-paced

3.5

Not a bad book, it was a fun easy audiobook with a good narrator that I listened to whilst doing other things - just the thing I needed to ease my way back into reading after a mini reading slump. 

Also, I’m not a chef so I can’t speak for the cooking parts, but it sure sounded good! 

I really liked Ray, they were fun and charismatic and it hurt to see what they went through, but they were definitely the highlight of the book. I have to admit, Simone was hard to like at first and whilst she did grow on me a little bit by the end, I’m still neutral on her at best; which sucked, considering she was the main character and so it was a StruggleTM reading this book at some parts. Simone and Ray’s dynamic were fun though (when it was fun, not when they were fighting and I just wanted to yell (mostly at Simone)), and the last few chapters had me smiling so not all was lost!

Overall, a good book; not one I would reread but not one I regret reading either. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Medical content, Biphobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Abandonment

hazelgirl21's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Deadnaming

Moderate: Medical content and Biphobia

Minor: Abandonment

uranaishi'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

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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

caseythereader's review

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.75

Thanks to Atria Books for the free advance copy of this book. 

 - CHEF'S KISS is totally precious. Simone and Ray are a great grumpy/sunshine pairing, whose care for each other shines from the page. The Not-Bon-Appetit company they work for is a rich setting, filled with a vibrant cast and so much delicious sounding food.
- The highlight of this book for me was the section where Simone is caring for Ray after their top surgery. I have never seen top surgery depicted in fiction like this, as part of a love story. It's my and my spouse's story right there on the page. It never gets old to see a piece of your life, especially one outside most peoples' experiences, included like this.
- I do want to note that this is yet another romance featuring a nonbinary person whose entire plotline revolves around transphobia. And a lot of Simone's journey was about learning how to ally at a basic level and to stop centering herself. So, yes I recommend it, but I would also like to see different stories, please. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Medical content, Sexual content, and Transphobia

chessakat's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

This was SO delightful! 

This is a classic grumpy/sunshine romance pairing, a trope I super enjoy. But! I will admit that for about the first quarter of the book I was kinda not feeling the grump character (Simone), who is the main (third person) narrator. So rigid! So cold, kind of a snob. However, she really does go through some excellent character development, and by 30% the book really takes off.

If you were a fan of Bon Appetit test kitchen videos and then are ALSO aware of the terrible things that came out about the working environment later, this plot will definitely feel familiar (not in a bad way!). 

I just had so many moments of feeling really emotionally moved in this story - I teared up more than once, much to my surprise. Also, lots of laughing and surprised delight! There is a lot of care here, a lot of great community. I loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Bullying, Deadnaming, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol and Medical content

Minor: Abandonment