A review by displacedcactus
The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This is a relatively light romance and it did what I needed it to do, keeping me entertained during a week when I was busy and tired and needed a pre-bed read that wouldn't make me think too hard. However, it was a little too whimsical for my tastes and the side characters felt a bit too much like zany caricatures rather than fully realized human beings, so it was hard to want to see a romance for any of them. 

See my spoilers section for discussion of the handling of a genderqueer character if that could be an issue for you.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism

Tommy is AFAB but identifies as "both and neither" female and male. She spends a lot of the book disguised as a man, some of it disguised as an old woman, and when she's herself, she prefers pants and shirts rather than the stereotypically "feminine" dresses of the regency era. She is referred to by she/her pronouns, sister, and other feminine terms. There are several times when it's stated that she is explicitly not a man. I feel like the author isn't trying to be explicitly harmful and these are probably period-accurate ways to refer to someone who acts like Tommy, but I also see how it could be an uncomfortable read for any modern-day AFAB person who is genderqueer and/or masc-leaning. Tread carefully if you choose to read this book, and allies, make sure this book doesn't color how you think of your AFAB non-binary/genderqueer and transmasc loved ones.