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A review by letsgolesbians
Forever by Kris Bryant
2.0
Forever by Kris Bryant: 2/5 stars
I was really excited about this one. I don't watch The Bachelor/ette, but I've been enjoying romances centered around reality shows. However, I could not get into this book at all, primarily because of the blatant fatphobia.
"but I had a wardrobe to fit into"
"little soft in the middle, but my morning jogs helped keep me toned"
"pounds stick around longer than they did when I was in my twenties"
"I want to be able to fit into my dress, too"
"hard body like everyone else, but I had curves"
"I can't wait to work off all the carbs I ate"
First of all, it's 2022. You do not need to be a size 2 to be on a dating show. Second of all, if you're going to write about a character having curves or mention anyone being curvy, you need to be okay with the word "fat." D'Vaughn and Kris Plan A Wedding is a better sapphic example of how to write a progressive sapphic dating show story; Love & Other Disasters is a queer woman and an enby; and If the Shoe Fits is a non-queer m/f Bachelor-style dating show with a fat main character. All better options.
There was also some mild racism in here. Savannah plans an activity in the water, not thinking about the Black woman's (I think there was only one) hair. "I high-fived her because she had the adventurous spirit I was looking for." No, she's a Black woman who likely has had to deal with this kind of crap her whole life.
Also, the journalist-getting-hit-by-a-bomb-in-a-war-we-started narrative is old. If you're going to have someone get hurt overseas, make it from one of our military devices and acknowledge how much we've messed with other countries.
Finally, Savannah was boring. I didn't understand why any of the contestants wanted to date her. She also kept Ophelia on for no other reasons than her looks, from what I could tell.
Will not be recommending this one.
Arc provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited about this one. I don't watch The Bachelor/ette, but I've been enjoying romances centered around reality shows. However, I could not get into this book at all, primarily because of the blatant fatphobia.
"but I had a wardrobe to fit into"
"little soft in the middle, but my morning jogs helped keep me toned"
"pounds stick around longer than they did when I was in my twenties"
"I want to be able to fit into my dress, too"
"hard body like everyone else, but I had curves"
"I can't wait to work off all the carbs I ate"
First of all, it's 2022. You do not need to be a size 2 to be on a dating show. Second of all, if you're going to write about a character having curves or mention anyone being curvy, you need to be okay with the word "fat." D'Vaughn and Kris Plan A Wedding is a better sapphic example of how to write a progressive sapphic dating show story; Love & Other Disasters is a queer woman and an enby; and If the Shoe Fits is a non-queer m/f Bachelor-style dating show with a fat main character. All better options.
There was also some mild racism in here. Savannah plans an activity in the water, not thinking about the Black woman's (I think there was only one) hair. "I high-fived her because she had the adventurous spirit I was looking for." No, she's a Black woman who likely has had to deal with this kind of crap her whole life.
Also, the journalist-getting-hit-by-a-bomb-in-a-war-we-started narrative is old. If you're going to have someone get hurt overseas, make it from one of our military devices and acknowledge how much we've messed with other countries.
Finally, Savannah was boring. I didn't understand why any of the contestants wanted to date her. She also kept Ophelia on for no other reasons than her looks, from what I could tell.
Will not be recommending this one.
Arc provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.