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daryn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Infidelity and Alcohol
jess_always_reading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I tried so hard to like this one. The story was interesting, some cool characters, but overall I'm just not a fan. I think the writing style just isn't for me, it comes across as very juvenile (it's giving first fanfiction) and Alice's character was frustratingly childish and self-centred. There was so much that could have been explored better but was sailed through with no mention or only a brief one.
One thing I was happy to see was the depiction of therapy and a therapeutic relationship was actually very realistic (I'm a social worker) kudos for that, it's rare!
One thing I was happy to see was the depiction of therapy and a therapeutic relationship was actually very realistic (I'm a social worker) kudos for that, it's rare!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Sexual harassment
reading_rebellion's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Super cute and wholesome slow burn romance based emotional intimacy and connection instead of just sex which I personally really love. I loved awkwardness, the banter and love between Alice and Takumi.
Likes
I liked the writing style and the story. It really is a coming of age story with some romance mixed in. This is definitely a book for the nerds.
Ace rep! Black Ace rep!!
Multicultural characters with the FMC being Black and the MMC being Asian
I appreciate the author including social and cultural dialogue that didn't become the whole story. I appreciated the author representing a version of a Black woman that is middle class and that grew suburban areas and all that comes with. Black middle class and suburban families isn't talked about or seen enough in books even though it's very common occurrence.
No Black trauma and struggle porn!
Dislikes
Alice's voice as a character did read somewhat kiddie, but it is a YA novel and she is also not far out of high school at 20 so that makes since.
Alice parents especially her narcassistic, overbearing mom and pushy sister.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was a little inconsistent with the male characters, but being picky.
Overall good Ace rep! Perfect for high school, college aged and early 20s or anyone who wants to understand Asexuality and a part of the Ace spectrum better.
Likes
I liked the writing style and the story. It really is a coming of age story with some romance mixed in. This is definitely a book for the nerds.
Ace rep! Black Ace rep!!
Multicultural characters with the FMC being Black and the MMC being Asian
I appreciate the author including social and cultural dialogue that didn't become the whole story. I appreciated the author representing a version of a Black woman that is middle class and that grew suburban areas and all that comes with. Black middle class and suburban families isn't talked about or seen enough in books even though it's very common occurrence.
No Black trauma and struggle porn!
Dislikes
Alice's voice as a character did read somewhat kiddie, but it is a YA novel and she is also not far out of high school at 20 so that makes since.
Alice parents especially her narcassistic, overbearing mom and pushy sister.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was a little inconsistent with the male characters, but being picky.
Overall good Ace rep! Perfect for high school, college aged and early 20s or anyone who wants to understand Asexuality and a part of the Ace spectrum better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, and Alcohol
badbadwolf's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
ratnix's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
2.0
I will start by saying that I disagree with most of the below 3 stars reviews and the reasons they didn't enjoy this book.
• I did not find Alice a childish or immature MC: If I remember correctly she's around 20ish? Her frontal lobe is still developing let her be and let her have cute meters to describe how cute someone is💀 I think Alice was a great ace rep
• I did not think the book villainized Margot. I think Alice's reaction to being broken up because she didn't want to have sex makes sense. Totally fair if sex is a very important part of your relationship but in this case we see Alice's perspective and Alice is someone who doesn't care about sex so it only makes sense that she'd have this reaction. There are many ace people out there whose partners broke up with them because they had different needs so it makes sense that she'd feel resentful and bitter
Some things that I do agree with:
• While a love interest and either mentioned or appearing in every single chapter, Takumi was just there 😭 I guess he was a cute LI but that's just it
• The exaggerated use of parentheses made me want to bawl my eyes out. 9 times out of 10, the things said could have been written without the use of the parenthesis
Now, my biggest problem with this book is how Alice and Feenie's friendship was handled and Feenie's character in general
From the very beginning we get the image that miss Feenie needs to see a therapist for her anger issues. She's been in fights for Alice's sake (and generally) and it would have been a great way to explore Feenie's interest in professional fighting but no, it's just a way to show Feenie as the "angry" best friend who gets into fights all the time. Mind you, they have been best friends since they were kids
Her whole character is her wanting to get married and have kids with her boyfriend (who's also one of Alice's best friends) to give her kids the "childhood she didn't have", which, fine, I disagree with the entire reasoning behind her motives but whatever I won't promote my anti natalism beliefs here. But, miss, if you want to have kids and become a better mother to them than your mother was to you then maybe you should start by visiting a therapist?? Communicating and controlling your emotions??
That aside, Feenie is the worst possible friend to have.She ditches Alice in a party to go make out with her boyfriend, Alice is assaulted and is rightfully angry and stressed and leaves the party, Feenie proceeds to get mad and blames Alice AND THEN manages to convince Alice that it was both hers and Alice's fault that they fell apart. Not to mention she tries to live through Alice, tries to convince her to have sex with Takumi because "you never know"
I was expecting to use Feenie as a way for Alice to stand up for herself, making her realize what a terrible friend she is but no - all's well at the end!
And we never hear about it again.
So, yes, everytime Feenie was on the page, my mouth foamed. It was such a missed opportunity
• I did not find Alice a childish or immature MC: If I remember correctly she's around 20ish? Her frontal lobe is still developing let her be and let her have cute meters to describe how cute someone is💀 I think Alice was a great ace rep
• I did not think the book villainized Margot. I think Alice's reaction to being broken up because she didn't want to have sex makes sense. Totally fair if sex is a very important part of your relationship but in this case we see Alice's perspective and Alice is someone who doesn't care about sex so it only makes sense that she'd have this reaction. There are many ace people out there whose partners broke up with them because they had different needs so it makes sense that she'd feel resentful and bitter
Some things that I do agree with:
• While a love interest and either mentioned or appearing in every single chapter, Takumi was just there 😭 I guess he was a cute LI but that's just it
• The exaggerated use of parentheses made me want to bawl my eyes out. 9 times out of 10, the things said could have been written without the use of the parenthesis
Now, my biggest problem with this book is how Alice and Feenie's friendship was handled and Feenie's character in general
From the very beginning we get the image that miss Feenie needs to see a therapist for her anger issues. She's been in fights for Alice's sake (and generally) and it would have been a great way to explore Feenie's interest in professional fighting but no, it's just a way to show Feenie as the "angry" best friend who gets into fights all the time. Mind you, they have been best friends since they were kids
Her whole character is her wanting to get married and have kids with her boyfriend (who's also one of Alice's best friends) to give her kids the "childhood she didn't have", which, fine, I disagree with the entire reasoning behind her motives but whatever I won't promote my anti natalism beliefs here. But, miss, if you want to have kids and become a better mother to them than your mother was to you then maybe you should start by visiting a therapist?? Communicating and controlling your emotions??
That aside, Feenie is the worst possible friend to have.
I was expecting to use Feenie as a way for Alice to stand up for herself, making her realize what a terrible friend she is but no - all's well at the end!
And we never hear about it again.
So, yes, everytime Feenie was on the page, my mouth foamed. It was such a missed opportunity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
crusoe's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Positives. This book was such a cheesy, by-the-book romcom but I'm glad it exists anyway. Because ace people deserve to see themselves in shitty romcoms too! The story itself had very little substance but it provides a nuanced view of what it is like to date while asexual. I think it may be relatable to a lot of people (even if I -an aro/ace person- do not see much overlap with my situation) and it does not gloss over the difficulties that come with dating as an ace person. It's nice to see a fictional character navigate their aceness in relation to partners and other loved ones.
Negatives. Something that irks me is that Feenie's anger was shown to be just as justified as Alice's anger and I do not agree with that. As an aro/ace person, the fact that relationships with partners will always be portrayed as something inherently more valuable than friendships has me fuming. Even Feenie's promise that she will always stay in contact with Alice when Ryan and she get married does not negate that. Alice naturally feels left out by Rayn and Feenie, and while she is in the wrong for not addressing the situation, I don't think she should have been the one to apologize.
Negatives. Something that irks me is that Feenie's anger was shown to be just as justified as Alice's anger and I do not agree with that. As an aro/ace person, the fact that relationships with partners will always be portrayed as something inherently more valuable than friendships has me fuming. Even Feenie's promise that she will always stay in contact with Alice when Ryan and she get married does not negate that. Alice naturally feels left out by Rayn and Feenie, and while she is in the wrong for not addressing the situation, I don't think she should have been the one to apologize.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Biphobia
Minor: Racism
specklecommittee's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Although the story is written with all the cringe and yearning of a YA novel, its message felt nuanced and refreshing. The asexual representation was written with a lot of care. The main character's conflict stemmed from not being seen or accepted by others. And the development of the love interest felt healthy, endearing, and pretty radical.
At the same time, the story felt written for younger audiences, but had adult themes that people under at least 17 wouldn’t connect with/be appropriate for.
At the same time, the story felt written for younger audiences, but had adult themes that people under at least 17 wouldn’t connect with/be appropriate for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
vvayl's review against another edition
The way it's written triggers me so much so I'm going to DNF this one, maybe another time
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Acephobia/Arophobia
whiteflowerose's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
warlocksarecool21's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.5
Overall, Let’s Talk About Love was a sweet story about growing up and learning how to navigate relationships. I had some mixed feelings about some things in this book but I did like it. The strongest part of this story for me was Alice. I thought she was a fun character and her problems were very realistic and relatable for young adults. I liked the balance between Alice’s steadfastness in knowing what she wants for herself (in both her career and relationships) and her learning to be okay with doing things that might upset others. I really appreciated the asexual rep, a lot of Alice’s experiences with being ace are very similar to my own. All this to say, Alice is a very real and sweet character. (Updating this a little to make a comment inspired by a very angry and insecure review I saw: Not every asexual person is the same. If Alice’s experiences don’t match your experiences being asexual that’s ok, it’s not for you but it doesn’t mean it’s bad representation.)
Now, for the parts I had issues with. I will preface that I did really like her relationship with Takumi, they were really cute and sweet together. I did wish more time was given to address some of the conflicts they had (Mainly, her expecting him to be perfect, and Takumi figuring out what a relationship would look like for them. ). They were talked about, but it happened very quickly so it was a little dissatisfying. I did enjoy the rest of their relationship though.
I had minor issues with the writing style but I was able to look past it. The technical skill was there I just didn’t vibe with all of the humor and pop culture references. It was very reminiscent of Tumblr culture several years ago (when this book was written) that didn’t completely come across now. Not that it aged poorly in a problematic sense but some of the references/jokes (and there were a lot) just weren’t funny to me 😂. But if you really like that style of humor it might be for you.
My biggest issue was regarding Alice’s friends (Feenie and Ryan) she deserves so much better 😭😭. Their whole situation was so unhealthy and toxic at times and I just didn’t like their friendship. Alice’s individual dynamic with Ryan was fine but I did not like Feenie. To me, Feenie did not treat Alice that well?. I think Feenie acted really unfairly and that there was a double standard when it came down to how each one of them was allowed to act. The main issue was how possessive Feenie got when Alice started being friends with Takumi.It just felt so toxic to me that Feenie was allowed to live her own life and do whatever she wanted but when Alice decided to branch out and make new friends (because she was tired of being a 3rd wheel) Alice was being unreasonable and selfish?? Make it make sense. And then when the whole thing was resolved most of the onus fell on Alice and she had to take accountability for Feenie’s insecurity but Feenie couldn’t acknowledge the hurt she caused. She even continued being possessive in their little reconciliation scene when she said that she needs Alice because she’s the only person who can make her calm (like girl that’s not healthy). . It was not handled well and I did not like their friendship. Basically, I don’t think the conflict resolution was done very well in this book and it did make me rate it lower than I was hoping.
That being said, I did enjoy this book, I liked Alice and Takumi. There were a few too many issues for me to want to rate it higher but it’s a cute book and worth the read.
Now, for the parts I had issues with. I will preface that I did really like her relationship with Takumi, they were really cute and sweet together. I did wish more time was given to address some of the conflicts they had (
I had minor issues with the writing style but I was able to look past it. The technical skill was there I just didn’t vibe with all of the humor and pop culture references. It was very reminiscent of Tumblr culture several years ago (when this book was written) that didn’t completely come across now. Not that it aged poorly in a problematic sense but some of the references/jokes (and there were a lot) just weren’t funny to me 😂. But if you really like that style of humor it might be for you.
My biggest issue was regarding Alice’s friends (Feenie and Ryan) she deserves so much better 😭😭. Their whole situation was so unhealthy and toxic at times and I just didn’t like their friendship. Alice’s individual dynamic with Ryan was fine but I did not like Feenie. To me, Feenie did not treat Alice that well?. I think Feenie acted really unfairly and that there was a double standard when it came down to how each one of them was allowed to act. The main issue was how possessive Feenie got when Alice started being friends with Takumi.
That being said, I did enjoy this book, I liked Alice and Takumi. There were a few too many issues for me to want to rate it higher but it’s a cute book and worth the read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Racism and Sexual harassment