I really wanted to love This is Not A Love Scene. With Maeve’s character informed by some of the authors own experiences, I had high hopes, but it fell very flat for me.


This is Not A Love Scene CoverLights, camera—all Maeve needs is action. But at eighteen, a rare form of muscular dystrophy usually stands in the way of romance. She’s got her friends, her humor, and a passion for filmmaking to keep her focus off consistent rejection…and the hot older guy starring in her senior film project.

Tall, bearded, and always swaying, Cole Stone is everything Maeve can’t be. And she likes it. Between takes, their chemistry is shockingly electric.

Suddenly Maeve gets a taste of typical teenage dating life, but girls in wheelchairs don’t get the hot guy—right? Cole’s attention challenges everything she once believed about her self-image and hopes for love. But figuring this out, both emotionally and physically, won’t be easy for either of them. Maeve must choose between what she needs and what she wants, while Cole has a tendency to avoid decisions altogether. And her failing lungs might not wait for either. (Goodreads)
Goodreads

I received an eARC of This Is Not A Love Scene from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is Not A Love Scene needs trigger warnings for ableism, internalized ableism, internalized misogyny, the hypersexualization of male characters, ace-antagonistic comments and beliefs, hospitalization and hospitalization due to self-harm.

I loved how unapologetic Maeve was about her disease and her needs, both medical and sexual. She was a little scared to get outside of her comfort zone, but that’s totally normal for a teenage girl, even more so for one with muscular dystrophy. I loved that we got to see her have mixed feelings about doctors appointments and actually have a doctor she loved.

The relationships she had with her friends, however, were disappointing at best. Maeve was so focused on herself, which is understandable, that we never really got to know Mags or Elliot. Her relationship with Mags particularly confused me – with regards to Nate and with regards to Maeve. Who would want to date someone who went out of their way to talk shit about their best friend? Even KC, who was her best friend from childhood, we barely got to know, because we were too busy learning about her old man friends who had very little bearing on the story. Also, Cole was terrible. He was really only into her because she wanted him, based on what I read on the page.

I did like that Maeve got to take agency with the local camp issue. I won’t say more because it’s a huge plotline in the story, but I was pleased with the way that was dealt with.

So, the next topic I want to touch on is a complicated one. The asexual comments littered throughout the book were painful for me to read. However, I also recognize that a lot of disabled people who use wheelchairs and other assistive devices are seen as nonsexual beings because of their assistive devices. However, there was one line that made me physically flinch when I read it.

“Tonight was different. Tonight, I felt normal. Healthy. Not asexual. Tonight, I felt like a person.”

I get where the author was going with this, but it also concerns me that the author believes people like me aren’t healthy, that we aren’t people. I think this should have been caught in edits and changed because I am not the only one who felt this way. It was incredibly disappointing.

Overall, this book was not for me, and I won’t be recommending it, either.

This Is Not A Love Scene by S.C. Megale a four-star read that will set the scene. This was a great story; I adored some the characters, but some others lacked a little something and some I wondered why they were even in the story. But overall well done to the author for giving us a compelling story that didn’t make me love Maeve all the time just because she lives with a disability, I do find that at times disabled characters are portrayed as too nice and understanding all the time, and that’s not life, living with a disability doesn’t make you an angel. But that being said it does show you the reality behind living with a disability the dark moments that make life harder, that’s why I’m giving this four-stars, as at times I struggled to give it any.

What to say about This Is Not a Love Scene that isn’t completely negative? I mean, yes, this book is #OwnVoices and, yes, it contains physical disability rep… but not much else. Even though the main character Maeve has moments of self-confidence where she stands up for herself and her worth, she’s still kind of an asshole, the book was super problematic, and I was happy to leave them both behind. (Like, the biggest thing I took away from the story is that I shouldn’t have even finished it.)

First of all, Maeve is self-absorbed. We know hardly anything about her friends (like their interests, their home lives, or even their last names), she eye-rolls anything her parents suggest that will legitimately keep her alive, and S.C. Megale introduces a far-fetched sub-plot because Maeve can’t believe that anyone would actually want to help children with disabilities (that basically resolves with an “oops my bad” from Maeve). She also whines for half the book that no one could even like her like that but is completely oblivious to the feelings a friend has for her. I neither understand how she has one friend—let alone three—nor do I get why they continue to friends with her.

Second, Maeve’s mean. She refers to a character in the book as “Mags’ asshole boyfriend” and then is surprised when her friend gets upset. She gets angry when other characters make light of or otherwise acknowledge how her disability makes her different… but then is also upset when those same people fail to relate to or understand how she encounters the world. (Like, they’re just supposed to know? Tell them!!!) She hates when her physical appearance is used as a qualifier but feels just fine describing side characters by theirs. 🙄

And third, the romance is just all kinds of no thank you. We’re supposed to feel as hot and bothered for Maeve’s love interest, Cole, as much as she does, but he’s not even that great of a guy. He doesn’t really acknowledge Maeve outside of the late-night texts they share, he sends her dick pics and then ghosts for about a week, and he strings her along and then is like “I can’t do this” after weeks of maybe-kind-of-but-not-really seeing one another… and Maeve continues to lust after him. Cole is obviously using Maeve’s desire to his advantage, but I also didn’t really like Maeve all that much either so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I just… I wanted to like this book so much, and instead I got a mish-mash of nope with ew why and please don’t. (I want y’all to know that there is even more problematic bullshit I didn’t mention.)

I was scheduled to be on the book tour for this book, but having read it, I cannot give it more than a 2 star review. This should be marketed as a New Adult book, not YA. There were several explicit sex scenes in the book that really shocked me. Also the main character, Maeve, had some strange relationships with older men (that started when she was underage) that seemed highly inappropriate. The book never addresses how strange, and dangerous, this is. At the end, the character made a joke, wishing she were a lesbian, which I found offensive. For these reasons, I dropped out of the book tour. I will not be posting this review on my blog, as I don't think that would be fair to the blog tour organizer.

In concept, this book is extraordinary. S C Megale features a disabled heroine, a high school senior battling muscular dystrophy, and puts her in situations that feel real and tangible.

In execution, however, Megale falls a little short.

Maeve is not always likable, but that’s probably the thing I enjoyed most about this book. There is no “woe is me” sense to her. She accepts her disability as a part of her life, not bothering to struggle against it or take to the bed in submission. Nor does she use it as a means of manipulation. It simply is what it is. Maeve is judgy and snarky, and sometimes she is so focused on her own needs that she forgets about the people around her, which makes her a pretty typical teenager.

During a project for her video class, she meets Cole Stone (not to be confused with the ice cream parlor, which is one of the more hilarious lines in the book). She falls as hard as a brick for this guy, and you will spend most of the book not quite understanding why. It takes them ages to have any sort of substantive conversation; most of the interplay between them is stilted flirtation. Cole clearly doesn’t know what to make of Maeve, and there will be more than one time in which you distrust his motives. Again, this happens with teens regardless of whether they are disabled or not.

The problem is that you’re never quite sure why he kind of sort of returns her interest, and you sense that her desire for him is due more to his looks than anything else. Other than an enjoyment of theatre and films, there isn’t much that Maeve and Cole have in common.

Meanwhile, a friend of hers is struggling mightily, something you sense Maeve might have been intuitive enough to recognize were she not completely obsessed with Cole.

I get that she is sexually curious, and I get that she wants what she wants. Good for her. There is a scene in this book, however, that is so jarring in its exposition that I was left feeling like something had gone uncomfortably awry for her. I wondered if she would be able to recover herself, recover her dignity.

A subplot involving someone who appears to have nefarious motives goes nowhere, which is frustrating, to say the least. There is so much potential with it that you’re left feeling unsatisfied.

I’m not sure what to make of this book, to be honest. I wanted to like it. And I did like parts. I liked that Maeve doesn’t let MD defeat her. I cried in one scene when she and her father have a heartbreaking discussion. Yet Maeve’s obsession with Cole didn’t click for me. I felt like she was settling for the physical, when Maeve is so much more than that. She deserves better.

I applaud S C Megale for having Maeve as a heroine. I’d like to see what comes of this character in the future, when, perhaps, she realizes that she shouldn’t limit herself in any way.

The premise for this book sounded really wonderful to me. A teenager with muscular dystrophy falling in love for the first time while dealing with her disability seemed like a moving and riveting story. I was looking forward to a heartfelt cute romance with tons of emotions and even some tears. It just seemed like it would be that kind of book and I was really excited. Well, this book just didn’t really charm me like I thought it would. It wasn’t horrible at all and it had its moments. Personally, it just wasn’t the most satisfying or perfectly adorable teen romance. However, I felt that the story as a whole was quite enjoyable and I appreciated the message S.C. Megale was trying to convey.

Snarky and blunt, eighteen year old Maeve loves filmmaking, hanging out with her friends, and crushing on boys. She’s also very passionate, driven, and even kind of funny. Sadly, not everyone can see past her wheelchair and disability…most especially boys her age. But, maybe her luck is changing. While working on her senior film project, Maeve meets a hot older guy, Cole, who seems to be romantically interested in her. He gives her the swoons and suddenly Maeve find herself flirting and entertaining the idea of dating. Will Maeve get her happily ever after with Cole?

Okay, so Maeve isn't really an easy character to like and I personally couldn’t relate with her not because she has a disability. Her personality just comes off too strong for me. There were also moments when I was quite surprised with what she says and how she acts. I personally don’t think I can ever be around someone like Maeve… at least not for a long time. But, that’s just how I feel based on who I am. I’m in no way saying Maeve is a horrible person. In truth, I was never frustrated or annoyed with her. I actually felt heartbroken for what she's going through. I felt that she just really wants to do normal teenager stuff and be happy in whatever way she can. She’s misunderstood and judged like any other teenager and she’s reacting the way she knows how. Maybe that makes people like her less. I can’t say that I love Maeve as a character, but I was definitely rooting for her.

Cole is not dreamy or charming and I wasn't impressed at all. I honestly did not like this guy and could not understand why Maeve is so attracted to him. He's a forgettable love interest and there isn’t really much to say about him.

I love cute, fun, and well-written teen romances. The feel good kind that gives you butterflies and swoons. This was definitely not like that and I didn’t enjoy it at all. There was no excitement and that was utterly disappointing. The story does have flirting scenes, sexual tension, and moments that would have been adorable, but with a dull love interest and awkward dialogues, I just wasn’t into it.

There’s quite a few more hiccups that affected my feelings and reading experience and I’m quite sad that this didn’t completely work out the way I had expected. I wasn’t in love with most of the story, the characters were flat, and there were some strange relationships that made me feel uncomfortable. That being said, I still found some parts enjoyable. I liked seeing how Maeve deals with her disability and just being part of her journey. It wasn’t always perfect, but I thought the author tried to be as realistic as possible and I appreciated that. I liked that there was a little humor and there were moments that I found quite endearing. It wasn’t the best, but it also wasn’t the worst.

This is Not a Love Scene didn’t totally capture my heart. The concept of the story seeemed absolutely promosing and I wanted it to be, but the execution just didn't work for me. However, I did enjoy some parts of the book and admired the message the author was trying to convey through Maeve's character and story. It was honest, realistic, humorous, and emotional. For a debut novel, I think S.C. Megale wrote a belieavable story. True, it may not be completely my cup of tea, but not every story I read will be so I'm not giving up on Megale just yet and really hoping her next book will appeal to me more.

I recevied an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read this book when I read that the main character had Muscular Dystrophy! It is not often you come across a book that features these type of diseases/disorders and I was so so intrigued by it. I loved how our main character Maeve was blunt and honest throughout the whole book. She did not sugar coat what she was feeling even when it came to her libido. She wanted it to be known that she was just like everyone else and just because she was bound to a wheel chair did not mean she did not have needs.

Overall, I thought it was a good read. There some parts I was not a huge fan of but overall it was good. I give this a 3.5 out 5

I was fine with this book right until the end. I loved the idea of the main character, and the fact that MD was just an aspect of her, not the whole defining feature. I did not like the girl hate, or that the MC constantly talked about how her reactions to men and women were different due to her flirting. Two people would have the same interaction with the character, and her reaction was overwhelmingly aggressive towards females purely due to the fact that she felt she could not flirt with them. While I understand the idea behind the MC being aggressively flirty, it was the aspect of her personality that rubbed me the wrong way. I wish more time was spent with the character of KC, and there was something about Cole that rubbed me the wrong way. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book.

Maeve Leeson is just an ordinary 18-year-old girl. She wants to go to hang out with her friends, go to college and have a boyfriend. It’s just that having muscular dystrophy sometimes gets in the way.

Her body may be confined to a wheelchair, but her dreams certainly aren’t. She’s going to make sure that their final project for their Video class is the very best that it can be. And that would include casting the one and only Cole Stone.

Cole is the tall, dark and utterly gorgeous boy that stars nightly in her dreams. So when a few texts about shooting schedules turns into something more – Maeve isn’t going to just let this opportunity go by. After all, you never know what the future might hold.

“Are people really that stupid, though? Do they think I could survive playing hard-to-get?
If I don’t come on hard, if I don’t exterminate absolutely any and all doubt that I’m not asexual, doubt will exterminate me.”

With the help of her extraordinary family and friends, she bravely navigates the highs and lows of teenage life as she knows it. And nothing is going to hold her back.

"“Great job today,” I said.
Cole pursed his lips and nodded. He ran the lanyard through his hands.
I nodded too, and then he waved and was walking away again. Away.
And I watched him leave. Just like that. The sound of the exit door closing was like a bullet in my ears.
Then the hall was silent. So… so silent. For some reason, the corners of my eyes prickled.
A square of magenta drew my attention to the left.
Last year’s old faded flier for Beauty and the Beast was thumbtacked to the community bulletin board. Slowly, I ripped it down. I dropped my head to it and stared. Felt its cool, worn texture in my fingers.
I thought of the play and us, in real life. Cole and me. Beast and Beauty.
I wondered who would be cast as whom.”

This is Not a Love Scene is an unexpected celebration. A celebration of the bonds that hold people together, of being stronger than you ever thought possible and of risking your heart regardless of the consequences.

Maeve is in no way a shrinking violet, but that doesn’t mean that she’s unshakeable. She’s fully aware of the reality of her disease and of how others perceive her. It makes her both resilient and fragile at the same time and it’s this delicate balance that makes her character so unforgettable.

S.C. Megale infuses a dedication to living life to the absolute fullest on every page of this book. And sometimes it’s a joy to be reminded of the good things…

This book gave me mixed feelings all the way through.
I liked the writing, the style felt as though it flowed well. The pacing of the story was good too, it was dynamic. The synopsis intrigued me, one of the goals I set for myself this year was to read more diverse and this book definitely falls in that category.
Maeve isn’t my most favorite character. While having a main character whose flaws are so prominently displayed aids to how realistic the story feels, this time it just got too much for me. There are things that she says and does that I don’t agree with, I found her actions off putting at times. This made it a bit hard to focus on the story.
The best thing in this book is the representation it offers. Other than that, I feel as though this book will be a hit or miss for a lot of people.
I feel a bit lucky that I have these mixed feelings.

Initially, I'm not sure how I felt about this book. A lot of it has to do with the fact that Maeve isn't a particularly likable character. She's prickly and is basically the world's most teenage of teenage girls.

And that made me basically like the book more than I would have otherwise. Maeve is in a wheelchair (she has muscular dystrophy) and I think it would've been really easy for her to be either awash in self pity or the most cloying of girls. She is neither.

My other favorite thing about Maeve is that she's really interested in guys and sex. So if you are looking for a sex positive book and one that treats differently abled people like anyone else, this is for you.

But this isn't just Maeve Tries To Get Her Groove For the First Time. She's got friends and career aspirations and college plans. She's basically just like everyone else, which is the point. At the same time, it's clear that she's sick. She isn't physically like everyone else and her body has real limitations; it's just that they don't define her. 

There are a lot of diverse books but this is the first I've read about someone in a wheelchair (who's always been in one). I'm sure there are a ton of other ones; I'm just saying this is my personal first one. And it's a good one to start with. Recommended.

Honestly, this is a 3+ that could have been a 4 or even a 5 if things hadn't gone wrong.

Maeve has muscular dystrophy which has locked her in a wheelchair and limited her movements. But her current worry is the same as many girls her age, how can any boy feel attracted to her when she looks like that. But now handsome actor Cole Stone seems to correspond to her flirtations? As why does KC, one of her best friend, keep inviting her places?

As I mentioned, this is your usual story of a teenager not self-confident getting a chance with someone who'd usually not look her twice with a chance of love triangle. Cole isn't your usual self-absorbed popular guy, which I liked a lot, but I couldn't not see how many issues their relationship had.

To be honest, for more than half the book I was addicted. The writing was a bit confusing to me at times but I soon got used to it, and I really wanted to know where the story would lead Maeve. This isn't the love-triangle book that makes her true pairing obvious from the start, and that sure got me curious. Except that may have been its flaw.

Cole has a little bit of downsides to him, he's too bland, too lukewarm with Maeve in all of the scenes, you clearly see he's not that into her and you even suspect he isn't at all. You have no idea why he seems to lead her on. KC on the other side is super sweet and is visibly in love with her but he's got issues of his own too.

I'll be honest; the way things went, I wish Maeve would find someone else. Her relationship with KC was problematic and potentially toxic, and Cole never had a true redemption, though I did notice he warmed up to her. I wish the author would have made any of them the ideal guy, because as things were, either of them put Maeve in a place she had to settle for less. She deserved soooo much better. I know she's a teenager, that's not her happily ever after, she can go to the next guy, but this is also YA and we like thinking that yes, she found her prince charming. However, I think she found a big problem that won't be solved in a good way for her.

Back to the book, there were many issues raised about people with deficiency. It's not my place to discuss it but I surely loved to learn more, to get more to think about. Also, the author herself goes through these challenges, which should bring accuracy to the description.

This was a nice read, I will be reading more from Megale, but it's hard to recommend when it had this kind of issue. In all, I liked it but I'm afraid this is not a satisfactory story.

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books via NetGalley

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books

Genre: Teens & YA

Rating: 5 / 5

Storyline:

Maeve, an 18 year old budding film director who happens to use a wheelchair due to a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, is about to begin to navigate the tricky waters of first love.  While filming her Senior film project, she realizes she is falling for the older actor in her movie.  He is suave, tall, and aloof, and she is attracted to all of it. However, one of her flaws is that she comes on too strong with flirting, likely as a defense mechanism she has created to cover her insecurities about wondering if she has a body worthy of loving. Despite this, she realizes someone is finally reciprocating her advances and this makes her start to question everything she thought possible for her future.

The Good:

This book is how you do disability representation right in literature. Yes, Maeve has a disability and uses a wheelchair, however this is not a book where she "comes to terms" with her disability or inspires others because of her condition.  This is real life.  A teenage girl who is different from her peers, questioning if this makes her worthy of the same love her peers are given.  That is a real life dilemma many of us secretly ask ourselves, disability or not.  I read some reviews that said they though Maeve was "too self-absorbed" because she was constantly questioning others motives for looking at her, helping her etc.  This review clearly came from a person who has never experienced disability.  These small quips of insight into Maeve's mind are realistic. As someone with a disability myself, it's important to make sure you aren't being pitied.  There are weird people out there who think you should be prayed over every time you are out in public for being "so brave", so yeah, it's realistic to be quite alert when out in public and analyze what types of looks you are receiving.  

Additionally, Maeve is a very realistic portrayal of a teenage girl. Most YA novels do not depict teenage girls well. Maeve is average (in the best possible way), boy crazy, dream-oriented in her film making career, texted her friends for advice (and they replied in realistic teenager lingo) and was kind of a floater in the school atmosphere.  She is content with blending in and just wants to experience the same chances her friends have at love, kissing and more.  This book will give YA readers an insight into the worries teens with disabilities may face when it comes to love, but although they are different, all of us face unique worries when it comes to letting another human into our hearts.  Disabled bodies are just as sexy as other bodies, and I hope this book gives young people that realization as well. 

The Bad:

I would have loved more depth in the other characters, especially Maeve's friends.  However, since it was narrated from Maeve's POV, it would get tricky to make all of the characters as dimensional as she was portrayed.  Plus, we aren't always granted a full depth look into our friends lives while we are young (or at any age), so in a way it felt more realistic of the teenage experience. So many YA novels have their characters have these huge, heartfelt talks between friends, but those types of conversations were few and far between in my teenage years. 

The Bottom Line:

This books is perfect disability representation in literature and captures a realistic teenage experience at first love.  "This is Not a Love Scene" is an enjoyable ride throughout.

This is a solid story and certainly makes a wonderful attempt at giving YA a diverse character. I did struggle with engaging and so it was a little hard to get to the end.
It’ll find an audience, I’m just not sure I’m it.

My Review: I really enjoyed how the main character wasn't a teeniebopper. The mc was 18 years old and has muscular dystrophy which I think the author did very well with the subject of Maeve dealing with her illness as well as family and friends and well boys. The author pulls out all the stops for this story and I finished it in little less than a day. I could see where people are going to have issues with the MC because there were parts that I really didn't care for Maeve but overall I really liked her as a character for the most part.

I am happy there is a YA book with a character with muscular dystrophy. I think a teen that has or knows someone with it would appreciate and connect with the story. I had a heard time connecting to the story/characters. For me it was likely the pace/feel of the story. I like things to be happening and for emotions to build and this story didn’t have that for me.

I wanted to love this book. But I could not. Cole is the absolutely worst person ever and I don’t understand the attraction. Maeve was annoying and Mags was obnoxious. I don’t mind books about terrible people when the author knows they are terrible but I think we were supposed to like them all. Also, I felt this book had a very anti feminist slant to it which I am not used to reading in books anymore.

Thank you to Wednesday Books (St. Martin's Press) and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review.

I almost stopped in the very beginning because of the tone and set-up. It's definitely an eye-catching hook to begin a story with. But for me, it made me wonder if this book was going to be what I originally thought it was going to be. It took a while (reluctantly) to get into the story.

I like that Maeve doesn't let her disability define her. Having MS hurts her at times (literally and figuratively) because it's a reality she can never escape. But she's determined to make waves in the film industry and won't let her physical limitations stop her. I also like the group of friends she surrounds herself with - Mags, Elliot, KC, and eventually Cole Stone. Maeve also has really cool and caring parents.

The love story part was so-so, hard to follow at times, and at other times too cringy for words. Cole was a frustrating and confounding love interest.

The deal with KC could've come sooner (integrated itself earlier) than it did seemed to randomly pop up and force itself into the plot (or maybe I missed earlier signs that it was heading that way).

I did laugh here and there. Eventually, I got absorbed into the story and the will-they won't-they what's-gonna-happen-next. But the jarring transitions between one scene and next were difficult to ignore.

The climax was without a doubt endearing and heartwarming, possibly my favorite part of the story.

Overall, this story was okay. Not what I expected (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) but just not for me.

This Is Not A Love Scene was such a surprise, and not in a good way. It has so much potential but it just doesn't work. Plot, the characters, none of it. It is a shame but I couldn't make it past 67% of this one, and I can't see how it will attract readers of young adult fiction at all. Perhaps I should have suspected something when I realized the only quote on the book is from an adult author...

Such a let down.
I honestly can't connect with any of the characters. The story was okay, but it's just that: okay. Nothing really special.