A review by lacyparrish
Chef's Kiss by TJ Alexander

4.5

First up -- check content warnings before reading this ... this is a wonderful book, but it tackles several heavy themes.

There is a non-binary character who is not out at the beginning of the story and is misgendered/deadnamed before and after coming out. The workplace isn't 100% inclusive and many of the issues come from the leadership who believes a transphobic employee's complaints over those who are directly impacted. There is also a large chunk of time where the same character is recovering from post-op top surgery, including medical aftercare.

That said, I love Ray and Simone, independently and as they realize that they like each other. All of the content warnings provided earlier are woven beautifully into the daily story, honoring queer love, queer joy, and unconditional acceptance without making them feel any less typical than we are used to seeing in cis/het romances. If this had been just a little longer and with a bit more in the way of romantic times, it would have been a five-star ... it's so close! 

Full Rating (out of 10 possible): 8.143 (based on a modified CAWPILE system)
Romance level (out of 5 possible): 3 (for on-page, intimacy scenes with some details)