Definitely a fun summer rom-com book that I enjoyed—and would definitely recommend to younger readers. There was AMAZING representation in this book (notably the neopronouns which I had not seen before in a YA read and of course having not one but TWO trans main characters)!! I loved how the characters had important conversations with one another but all in all was a happy and fun read.

I absolutely adored this book about a flawed and learning trans teen navigating identity and love. It definitely seems to me (I’m autistic) that Noah is neurodivergent in some way and that’s where his bluntness and “entitlement” that others have mentioned come from. Also, he’s a teen. God, as a trans person it was so refreshing to read a story not about trauma or transphobia. I’ve also never read a YA with a T4T romance in it. I loved Devin so much. I just absolutely adored this book and couldn’t put it down.

Such a cute story with relatable characters. I love stories like this, keeps your attention and makes you believe in young love.

I wanted to like this book SO BAD. 1) The cover is GORGEOUS!!! 2) A trans teenage protagonist!!! 3) MEET CUTE IS IN THE TITLE, IT HAS TO BE GOOD, RIGHT?

I just found myself disliking Noah WAYYYYYY too much. He’s not very nice to his friends, and seems to be only concerned with himself. And the only character growth we see is so far towards the end, it feels unnatural. The only character I really liked was Devin. I just… don’t recommend unfortunately.

I just could not get behind the lies behind the Meet Cute website. I know communication issues are par for the course in romance but this one just got me.

This is a great book for teens getting to see another option for relationship. It felt like adult version of You've Got Mail or something like where a relationship that doesn't exist in real life only online is then brought out in real life. There are gender fluid characters trying to find their pronouns and supportive friends to help them along the way. It takes place over the summer, so perfect read currently. Debut book and an author to watch for lovers of YA.

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee follows Noah, a trans boy who runs a popular blog that shares true love stories submitted by trans folk around the world. Noah's secret? He's been making up all the stories. ⁣
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The blog started as a way for Noah to express his fantasies and hopes for his own epic romance, but it's become a source of hope and light for trans readers all over. When an internet troll exposes the truth, Noah knows the only way to save the blog is to give readers a real-life romance...⁣
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I adored this YA contemporary romance featuring a multiracial (Asian, white, & Afro-Latinx) trans teen! Noah thinks he’s an expert on romance, but when he jumps into a fake relationship in the hopes of salvaging his blog, he quickly learns that real life love is much more complicated.⁣
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MCD is a romance, but it’s also about friendship, learning about yourself, and growing from your mistakes. I loved that Noah was an authentic teen character who is allowed to be messy and take time to figure out what he wants and who he wants to be. ⁣
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One of my favorite things about MCD is the inclusion of a character who is exploring different pronouns; this character tries out different pronouns (including neopronouns!) throughout the book and this is always treated as valid & normalized. I loved seeing this in a YA book and know that this will mean so much to teen readers.⁣
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Meet Cute Diary is a celebration of trans joy, love, & hope that brings a fresh take to fake-dating! I’ll be recommending this one a ton at my library, and I already can’t wait to read more from Emery.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

I think my expectations were just completely different and if I had known more about the plot beforehand I would’ve appreciated this book a lot more, so that’s on me.

I really loved the writing style and the trans rep, I can’t wait to read more by this author in the future!

Overall, I think this book is going to be super important to a lot of people and I highly recommend checking out other reviews and picking this book up if it sounds like something you would like.

Meet Cute Diary is about Noah Ramirez who runs a Tumblr blog about trans people who have meet-cute stories. The twist is that they're all made up. When another blog begins to bash on Noah's blog he makes a mission to fake date someone in an attempt to make it look like the stories are true.

This book isn't as much of a rom-com type of book as I expected it to be but I think that it was really important. The author includes people of a variety of pronouns. There is a character who is in the process of figuring out what pronouns best fit them so throughout the novel The pronouns that they identify with change which I think is something that is valuable to see in literature. You hear about people figuring out their identities but there's not necessarily always the representation of people figuring that part of themselves out in media or books. One of the other things that I really liked about this book was the way it kind of pulled back the curtain on the reality of trying to force a meet-cute relationship. I personally blame Disney and a lot of the romcoms that I watched growing up for my weird standards of how relationships should form. I appreciated the way this book broke those down. It's possible to have a cute start to a relationship without it having to be a meet-cute. It can come in a more natural and organic way.

I love the way that Emery wrote the relationship between Noah and his brother. It was nice to see a book with a trans protagonist where they had the support of their family and especially it showed how Noah's brother was proactive with learning about being trans and supportive of Noah. The way that compares to a relationship between Noah and another character in the book is interesting. Because between knowing his brother you see a lot of love and support. Noah's brother is always trying to be understanding and if he makes us something out here immediately corrects it. Also when Noah's brother observes someone making a comment that they shouldn't he immediately shuts it down. This other character in the book is definitely not like that. They let their friends get away with making offhand comments that don't sit well with Noah.

I’m definitely excited to read what Emery writes in the future.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books, and NetGalley for giving me access to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard about this book, I knew I HAD to get a copy of it to read!

I had only recently heard of the term Meet Cute, and most of the time, I only heard Meet Cute stories of straight couples. I was beyond excited to read a book that centered a young trans protagonist finding love! Noah (he/him) is trans & triracial, and his personality reminds me so much of myself at that age. He is bold, fiery, fierce, determined, and honestly…wouldn’t be surprised if his birth chart had Leo and Gemini, much like myself! He definetly has his flaws, but it is evident he has a good heart and cares for those around him. This book is eventful, and a mix of Meet Cute posts along with diary entries. It is messy, but absolutely delightful.

Noah runs a blog called the Meet Cute Diary where he documents Meet Cutes from trans relationships. The only problem is that these Meet Cutes are fake, and Noah has never been in love. This book takes us on a journey through a summer where Noah is spending time with his older brother. We meet Devin (e/em), who is genderqueer Cuban asexual, and if you read this book, you will instantly fall in love with Devin. (And I loveeeeed Noah and Devin together!!)

What I loved most about this book is that we see Noah date, make mistakes, and he learns so much from his experiences. This book was not necessarily meant to educate readers on the trans experience, but it so nicely touches on the realities of trans and genderqueer folks such as struggles with anxiety and transphobia. I loved reading YA novel that features and normalizes queer love with such incredible representation and it warms my heart. Queer YA literature is so important, and Emery Lee really warmed my heart with this book! I can imagine many trans kids reading this book and feeling so affirmed. I hope this book makes its way to several classrooms, libraries, and bookshops. <3

I really really wanted to love this book. It was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. But I really really didn't. No matter how much I loved the concept of a book celebrating trans joy and wanted to love the execution, I did not. Noah's entitlement was really insufferable to me on more occasion than one but I was going to brush it away for the sake of character development which, was reported to me by trusted friends, does NOT happen. His whole approach to romance also made me uncomfortable so I decided to cut my losses and DNF it. The destination wasn't work the journey for me.

3.5 stars

This book is a cute AF romcom and while parts of it (ok, fine, Noah's characterization) bothered me, I enjoyed it overall and have already recommended it half a dozen times or more.

Noah is a triracial trans teen who runs a popular tumblr called Meet Cute Diary where he shares the meet cutes that coulda been (let's be real: we've all been there with at least one cute barista). The stories have become a beacon of hope for other trans teens that an HEA is in their reach. Trouble enters in the form of a troll who starts picking apart the Diary and exposing it as fake. The obvious solution? A fake romance! Noah and Drew's relationships hums merrily along a set of specific steps that Noah created for True Wuv (yes that's an OUAT reference)...until, of course, things start going out of order.

I can totally see how the premise of this book would sound ludicrous to some; however, as someone who's watched shit go down many times over in TV fandoms for even more minor mishaps, I found myself really enjoying this setting as well as the book's exploration of trolls and so-called cancel culture. I'm not sure that this book will age well with its connection to tumblr culture (and I"m probably dating myself even calling it that ha!) but it really worked for me.

Noah is a YOUNG 16 and I think it's important to name that. He feels very naive, annoyingly so at times, and self-centered. I'd go from frustrated and eye rolling to "wow that was wise!" sometimes on the same page. Then I'd remember: he's a teenager! Weren't we all little shits to some degree at 16?! Anyway, I think he could have been written slightly more mature, but I also totally get the juxtaposition with his friend (and *SPOILERS* ultimate HEA), Devin who's wise beyond e's years. Too wise at times...

I loved the trans representation and how Devin and Noah leaned into the liminal spaces of gender identity. I loved their meet cute. I loved the care with which Devin's panic attacks were treated. I loved Noah's character arc as well as the (intentional?) exploration of intersectionality—Noah has identities that are both privileged (socioeconomic status, education, familial support, healthcare access) and oppressed (race, gender). I loved that the crux of the conflict was something other than Noah being trans—for the most part, people accepted and supported him. More trans joy in books please and thank you.

A few things that annoyed me. I wish the red flags from Drew were more explicitly named. I saw them coming from a mile away, but for a younger reader (and/or someone who doesn't work in the field of sexuality), I do think they could have been missed. I also felt that, at times, things were TOO neat and tidy, including the ending. I wanted it to be a little bit more drawn out. I also didn't love the romance steps and how that connected to dates and chapters—it felt a bit confusing and like it didn't add much, but that's personal preference. Lastly, I felt like Becca could have gotten more page time and more fully fleshed out as a character.

All in all, Meet Cute Diary was fresh, fun, and a much-needed addition to YA and I am 100% here for all its trans joy and tropey rom-com goodness!

CWs: mentions of bullying, suicide attempt, transphobia, vomiting; descriptions of panic attacks

Thank you to Net Galley and Quill Tree for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Cute Diary is a trans romcom that explores how love and romance can happen in unexpected ways, and looking perfect on paper or on Instagram isn't the same as being a good match in real life. Noah is a dreamer with a very naive and idealistic view of love, expressed in his formula for how two people fall for each other and get together, from their initial meet cute to their happy ever after. When he manages to get a fake date to keep his meet cute blog afloat, he starts to learn that romance is more than just the insta-worthy moments. This book has a diverse cast of characters who just exist because they can and should, and I really loved Devin and even Noah's unqueer older brother. Aside from being about romance, this book is also a love letter to those whose worlds are expanding and who are leaving behind their BFFs as Noah goes through the struggles of being separated from his closest friend Becca for the first time. Noah definitely acts very selfish and insensitive at times, but he's a kid, so I forgave him. If there are more books about him, I'd like to see his further growth in learning to see beyond himself and his own problems.

Content warning: Vomiting, panic attack

Noah Ramirez runs a blog called Meet Cute Diary, a collection of short stories about trans people meeting the love of their lives in increasingly adorable ways. He writes most of the stories and an online troll calls it out in online-public ways. Noah’s also spending the summer in Denver with his brother as his parents move from Florida to California. To save the blog, he strikes up a fake relationship with a local while trying to balance the blog situation and a new job at a summer camp.

This book is adorable and refreshingly young as far as young adult protagonists go. Meet Cute Diary is a delightful light-hearted summer romp.

Noah, our main character and only perspective, is extremely online. What makes his voice shine is that he comes off as appropriately young. Me, a very much non-teen reader, found myself frustrated at him at times and it wasn’t because of the writing, but because teenagers are just like that sometimes. It’s refreshing to read.

One of the gems in this work is Devin, who shows up a bit later as Noah starts working at a summer camp. The journey we go on with this character leans into self-discovery and the joy that comes from meeting and developing a relationship with someone who just gets it. Eir relationship with Noah is one of contrasts, and it really works.

While Devin is a compelling character, this story truly belongs to Noah, as he slowly gains self-awareness and gets a happy-for-now worthy of his own blog.

Meet Cute Diary is a very sweet and fun summer love story and coming of age story with a trans protagonist, something which YA needs desperately. The story knowingly plays with a lot of from com and fanfiction tropes and has fun with it, making it a sort of interactive experience for readers who also know and love these tropes. My main issue with the book is that the main character was not very self-aware about his own faults (which is perfectly fine for a teenage protagonist), but I wasn't entirely sure that the text was intentional with this until almost 3/4 of the way through the book. Was still a very enjoyable and fun read and would recommend to queer romance fans, though.

Read my full review and interview with the author for Culturess at the links below.

5 Thoughts About Meet Cute Diary:

1. This book is going to be so important to so many people

When you read this, you can just tell that Lee wrote this with all the love in eir heart for the trans community. Meet Cute Diary has so many layers to it and shows that great things are possible when you let go of your expectations and just kinda go where life takes you. ⁠Lee does a great job of balancing the sweet and funny scenes with the tough and emotional ones. MCD's focus on trans joy is a reason in and of itself to pick up the book, but there's so much more to it than that. We get to see Noah and the other characters explore gender, learn from their mistakes, figure out boundaries, and ultimately grow into themselves. It's a wild ride — one that I highly recommend you all hop on.

2. Noah is a messy, complicated character

Plainly put, there are times when Noah is selfish, oblivious, annoying, and ultimately a very teenager-ish main character. Noah overspends his parents' money and gets pissed off when he's cut off. He has trouble communicating with his brother, who he's living with for the summer. He also has trouble in his other relationships, like the one with his best friend Becca, because it's rough now that they're long-distance best friends and it leads to miscommunication and hurt feelings. It's not going to work for everyone, but for me, that just made the story all that much better. I love that we're getting to a point that we can have queer characters, characters of color who are Not Perfect and still thrive because they're human and they deserve it.⁠

3. There's no major focus on transphobia

It's a contemporary fiction book, so of course, transphobia exists in this story. Heck, Noah and Devin deal with it on varying levels throughout! But it never becomes the main plot point, and I love that? It's about time we get books about trans characters where their main struggle isn't transphobia.

4. It's such a fun book with a ton of little adventures

It mostly starts Noah's new sorta-fake-sorta-real boyfriend Drew taking him all around Denver to show him around and stage cute dates for them to post about on the Meet Cute Diary. Between jumping off cliffs into the water, hikes through the mountains, and more lowkey cafe visits, Noah and Drew have one heck of a time together. But then there's also the

5. I love the way Devin's gender is handled

Meet Cute Diary isn't really a coming out story, certainly not from Noah's end, but Devin spends a lot of the book exploring ways to express eir gender. I've seen other point this out, but it's worth repeating that Noah handles it so gracefully. Of course, I'd expect that from someone who's also trans, but it's not something I've seen in fiction before, and to think this could be teens' introduction to exploring gender? Beautiful!

This book was given in exchange for an honest review. If you are looking for your next YA teen romance this book is for you. Meet Cute Diary's main character Noah is pressed to choose whether to follow the set plan for falling in love or allow fate to run its course.
If you like "Felix Ever After" or "Jay's Gay Agenda" then you will fall in love with Noah, his blog, and his friends.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Cute Diary by Emory Lee (e/em/eir) is a cute coming of age YA Lit story that centers around Noah (he/him), a trans boy who is spending the summer with his brother in Colorado. Noah is in the middle of a cross-country move from Florida to California.

I love the setting of MCD - the Colorado mountains, and Noah working at a summer camp. As someone who definitely worked as a youth counselor at summer camps with the Y, that was probably one of the most accurate representations of the experience. Noah also has his own "meet cute" with Drew at an ice cream shop. Drew is older, gorgeous, and works at a book stop. Meanwhile, Noah is getting thrown up on by his coworker at the camp.

MCD is generally what you expect from a YA Lit romance and I enjoyed it. It was good that way which is why I give it a solid 3/5 "I Liked It" Review. However I also believe it does very much feel like a debut book. Noah is just the tiniest bit insufferable in the book, completely caught up in the fame of the Meet Cute Diary that he runs, his new relationship, and his job. He ends up being a bad friend and caught up in his own personal dramas.

Personally, some of the choices Lee made with the plot were a little on the weaker side. There was definitely a set up for some stronger drama but e decided to keep it pretty light, which I can still respect.

Meet Cute Diary, however, fills a very necessary void. A light-hearted romance that trans kids need. MCD is what I could classify as a "young" YA Lit book AKA actually age appropriate. This is a contemporary romance you can feel comfortable giving a 14-year-old as well. I am definitely looking forward to Lee's next book, and I'm really hoping e decide to write about the best friend Becca - there was definitely a set up there.

Meet Cute Diary has a lot to unpack and will generate a great deal of discussion- it would be perfect for a book club or high school class read. There are many issues to consider about gender, dating, truth in online media and the treatment of trans youth. The story was engrossing and the characters were engaging.

*sigh* I am so sick of the formulaic YA plot where the main character is a complete shit to the people around them, and then get magically forgiven by everybody they mistreated. It's tired.

Things I liked about this book:
- this is the first book about a trans person where the transphobia is to a general minimum. There are a couple cases of transphobia, but overall everybody is accepting to the trans MC and also to a trans side character who uses neopronouns.
- The neopronoun rep! One character uses xe/xem and e/em in this book, and that pronoun use is never "other'd" by any of the book characters. This is the first neopronoun rep I've seen in a book and it was super cool!
- The toxic relationships rep: I think the toxic relationship in this book is handled really well.

Things I didn't like about this book:
- Now this is me being nitpicky, but as a lifelong Colorado native there were various aspects about how the author wrote about Colorado that were inaccurate. For example, it's not UC Denver. It's CU Denver. Small things like that really took me out of the book in a way that it wouldn't bother people who aren't from Colorado, but it bothered me enough to include in this review.
- The main character Sucked. And it wasn't really addressed in any big way?? Like its clear to the reader that he Sucks. But beyond the MC realizing he messed up a couple times, there's really no character development or huge personality reckoning. On one hand this is pretty typical 16 year old behavior, but on the other hand... very annoying and unenjoyable to read. He's also... very chronically online. Which just reminds me so much of the annoying 16 years olds I have the displeasure of watching have pointless discourse online and it bothers me. It's like I'm reading a story where the protagonist would actually be the antagonist of my life.

Overall I'm giving this book 3 stars. it didn't really stand out as anything special, but it wasn't that BAD either. I just wish the entire book was from Devins POV instead.