This was such an excellent story. So many heartwarming moments with characters that I was rooting for from start to finish. It follows main characters, Dahlia and London who manage to find love on the set of a cooking show (Think Master Chef). I loved the mix of romance and food. The cooking show was a really fun backdrop to the story.

As if the pressure of the competition wasn't enough, Dahlia is newly divorced, on the verge of bankruptcy and queer. And London is about to come out on national television as non binary. I believe this is the first romance I've read featuring a non binary character, and while I am not in a position to determine if the representation was handled well, it certainly seemed like it was! Both characters were extremely likeable and their attraction to each other is very genuine.

I loved their journeys to self discovery and I felt that while they learned, we as readers also learned. For those who love some steamy scenes, this book definitely had them! It also had some humorous moments and some heartwarming moments as well. Basically, it had everything that I want in a romance.

Readers should be aware that in some scenes there are moments of misgendering and transphobia. Overall, it was a great read that I recommend adding to your list and picking up!

Why is it that romances set in the kitchen are always a good time? Cooking up mischeif might just be my thing?

Dahlia goes on a reality TV show. As a klutz, she was definitively entertaining for me as I'm sure anyone watching the show would agree.

London, announcing their pronoun on TV is more worried about other things than the woman falling on her face in front of them.

Of course, this dynamic is sure to stir up a frenzy in the hearts of television watchers everywhere. I love these characters and the plot, but I felt like it may have been done before (think Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake..) Alas, I loved it before and I loved it this time.

Food-themed romantic stories and rom-coms seem to be taking off within the literary world, and I have to admit, as someone who loves to cook and bake, these are right up my alley. "Love & Other Disasters" did not disappoint. Dahlia Woodson, who has recently discovered the culinary arts after going through a divorce is set to be a contestant on the hit reality TV, food competition show Chef's Special. She is there to prove herself, and needing the money awarded to the winner, she knows she probably has way less experience than many of her fellow contestants. What she doesn't expect to find there is falling in love with fellow chef London Parker, the show's first openly non-binary contestant. While her relationship with London does not start off the best, as London is there to prove themself not only as a top cook,. but one who is setting a positive role in the LGBTQ+ community, they soon find themselves experiencing quite a bit of chemistry both in and out of the kitchen. As the show continues on, with both Dahlia and London making it to the final rounds, they must figure out whether their feelings for each other can survive the stresses that they are dealing with all around them.

This is a feel-good romance, and I love the inclusion of a non-binary main character as a love interest (I see kids who identify as LGBTQ+ in my line of work, so know the importance of positive relationships in the media not being only straight ones). Despite the fault's experienced by both Dahlia and London, it does not take away from loving them, and rooting for their relatiosnhip to work. My only complaint, as noted in several other reviews- the toe-sucking was just a bit awkward, lol.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a review of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly is the first romance book I've read with a gender non binary character.

What I liked:
Anita Kelly did a wonderful job with the representation here. I liked that they kept London's birth assigned gender from the reader until London's character was well established. How and when it was mentioned seemed anti climactic but was also important for the strength of the intimate scenes that followed.

What I found lacking:
The characters. I'm not a huge fan of insta-romance and London & Dahlia go from awkward to in love without any chemistry build. I also was super intrigued by the setting of a reality cooking competition show, but it fell into the backdrop. Where these scenes could have provided drama, suspense, or comedy, they instead fell flat. London and Dahlia spend most of the time kissing and talking about how attractive they find each other without building any kind of deeper connection.

The last 10 percent of the book was likely the best part because the characters were tackling real issues.

While I liked the representation aspect of this book it was unfortunately a bit bland.

I am not sure what's up with all the books in reading with food in them lately but I'm here for it.

I absolutely adored this book! I loved the cooking competition background. Me and my girls love watching baking competition shows. I loved the characters. And this is only my second book with a non binary character so I was excited to read this and learn more about being non binary.

The romance was sooooooo sweet. Honestly I just really enjoyed this one, obviously. I think if you are looking for a romance then this is one you should pick up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for this eARC.

I seem to be a bit of an outlier here, but this was a DNF for me. I struggled with Dahlia, and it's always difficult for me to read a story where I cannot embrace the main character. I love the concept and setting, but sadly, I depend on the characters to capture my interest, and it just didn't happen for me here.

Great Non Binary rep! Well written, adorable love story with a good balance between the main characters personal narratives as well as the reality show setting.

I've come to love cooking/baking show books because the combination of tasty recipes, competition, and romance is so alluring. Dahlia is recovering from a divorce and trying to find her way in the world and decides to go on the cooking show so she can win enough money to pay her rent. London loves cooking and they want to use the money to start a charity - and they are going on the show openly nonbinary, much to their father's dismay.

Dahlia and London are the perfect grump/sunshine trope in a diverse gender identity romance. The storyline is beautiful and is told in dual POV so you can get a glimpse into both worlds - and the crush they both have on the other is adorable even before they get together. I also respect the conversation around the nonbinary identity and the struggle those who identify that way have with family, friends, and society. London goes through a whole issue with their father, even though they have been out for years. Dahlia also goes through a tough time and the growth between the two is well done.

Highly recommend this romance, it reminded me a lot of The Charm Offensive - not the same setting but a similar romance style with identity and mental health/growth.

**Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

This was a really fun romance. I’ve never read a romance with a non-binary main character so this was a new experience for me and it was really cool to read from London’s perspective as they navigate being on the cooking show and being out for the world to see. They overcame a lot and it was a fun to read about them and their journey.

I really loved Dahlia and her spunk. She was fun to read from as well! She’s super clumsy like me and a lot of the embarrassing things that happened to her are things that would happen to me as well at the worst times!

Overall a cute read. Really enjoyed it!

I’ve been keeping an eye out for Anita Kelly's debut novel ever since a colleague reviewed one of their novellas last September. I couldn’t resist that beautiful cover! The book itself did not disappoint. The romance is sweet, with immediate chemistry between the two leads and believable challenges for them to overcome. Fans of reality TV romance (like our own Librarian Allie!) will enjoy all the behind-the-scenes drama on the Chef’s Special set, which features not only the judges and contestants but also the production staff.

I found this a surprisingly meaty read for a romcom. Both Dahlia and London grow and change over the course of the book so they can live happily-ever-after together. London learns to stand up for themself against their father, who refuses to use their pronouns. Dahlia’s arc was (in my eyes) more complex, as she struggles through a very millennial-typical quarter-life crisis to figure out who she wants to be. I really appreciated that the book took both her financial instability and her desire for independence seriously. Kissing London, while pleasant, doesn’t solve all her problems! She still has to do the work. London, meanwhile, has to learn how to check their privilege as a person who’s never worried about money in order to understand where Dahlia is coming from.

As a final note, this book is not low-heat! Kelly puts on a masterclass for anyone wondering how to write a sex scene using they/them pronouns. I would recommend the book regardless, but consider that the spicy cherry on the cake.

This is a wonderful, fun, tender, extraordinary book! I'm so happy to see Anita's work make its way into the world.

4.5

A queer romance with a nonbinary main character that takes place on a TV cooking show? The premise of this was everything I never knew I needed and wow was it a fun read.

At the start of the book, Dahlia is feeling stuck after getting a divorce and realizing she has no idea what to do with her life, which is relatable. She ends up on a TV cooking competition for home chefs where she meets London, who will be the show's first openly nonbinary contestant.

London is absolutely adorable and I love them and I loved watching their relationship with Dahlia grow. I thought the romance was really sweet and the book did a great job of balancing it with the issues the main characters faced and how their issues would effect their relationship. I liked that both characters were able to show their strengths and vulnerabilities and that they were so supportive of each other.

Overall, I had a great time with this and will be looking forward to whatever Anita Kelly writes next!

TW: misgendering, transphobia, divorce
This was a cute rom-com featuring members of the LGBTQ+ community. It's becoming a little easier to find more LGBTQ+ books and finding characters that I can relate to. In this book, Dahlia and London are contestants on a cooking show. The non-binary representing was done very well and I love how Dahlia was there to stick up for London and correct people on their pronouns and misgendering when it happened. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job with the book and kept me engaged.

This book was an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An absolute delight. The prose! The chemistry! The drama! The genuinely funny banter! Plus, I love a book that unabashedly loves Los Angeles. This is a strong contender for a 2023 book club pick, and I look forward to recommending it to many friends and patrons on the podcast and in-person.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for sending me an early copy of this book, words can't describe how much I loved it. This is the cooking show queer love story I never knew I could hope for. I've been binging a lot of cooking shows lately so this was perfect for me. London and Dahlia are so wonderful and sweet and God I had such a fun time with this. It's sensitive and kind and sexy and so important and I'm so happy that this book is out there in the world. I can't remember if I've ever read a book with a main character who is nonbinary and it means so much to get to see London represented so fully and thoughtfully. I have several nonbinary friends and once I got this book i was immediately messaging them like LOOK IT'S A NONBINARY MC. HOLY CRAP!!!! and the joy I got back was just beautiful. I also loved how the book not only handled queer culture but mental health in general and god I just loved this book. I loved Dahlia and London so much and I am so happy to have been able to help promote this beautiful book. It was just that good y'all.

This book was hilarious, spicy & adorable all at the same time. Both characters were hilarious but also so relatable!! I think this is my first book i’ve read where the m/c is non-binary & uses they/them pronouns.
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This takes place on a cooking competition show which makes everything even more hilarious. The character development was amazing, and the relationship between the characters and the background characters were great. I REALLY recommend this to everyone, especially my LGBTQIPA+ readers!!!

I kept seeing this book on book of the month recommendations and was so happy to be given the chance to read this is exchange for my review. I was drawn to the cover and the title immediately and found the book itself to be just as appealing. This was an awesome book, I loved the characters and how their relation develops and also the story line itself kept my interest. It’s has very relatable content and touches on the realities of coming out which I feel is an important topic therefor I came into this read with high expectations. I think it’s great to have books that people that may be on the fence about taking this big step can read and possibly find courage in. I will recommend this to anyone I know.

This was such a cute story! I really adored Dahlia and London and how great they were together, and how they met on this cooking show and always had each other's backs. I really liked Dahlia and how she was trying to find herself after her divorce, how cooking was a new passion for her and how she wanted to go after it and claim it for herself. I loved London and how they refused to let anyone keep them from being themself, how they came out on the show despite knowing how people would react. I loved these two and how adorable they were together, how they bantered and got to know each other and became friends first, how they so quickly found themselves leaning towards each other, wanting to tell one another everything about their days.

I did feel like we maybe could have had a little more actual cooking in this book about being in a cooking show? I felt like we were told about the challenges and cooking assignments more so than we ever saw anyone doing anything.

CW: transphobia

I thoroughly enjoyed that this love story is one we don’t usually see - but hopefully will see more of in the future: a non-binary person and a queer woman. There was no judgment from Dahlia about London’s orientation, in fact, a fierce protectiveness that developed during their friendship (before they both realized that they were falling for each other). It took about forty percent for the kissing to start, but it was well worth the wait. Sex scenes were scintillating. For example, I think Love & Other Disasters had the best fingerbanging scenes I’ve read since Heartbreak for Hire.

This was such an adorable queer competitors to lovers romance! The two mains, London who is non-binary and has dreams of opening a non-profit with their winnings and Dahlia who is just trying to figure out her life after a messy divorce become fast friends and ever faster to lovers. In some instances it may have seemed a little too fast paced but their relationship was so sweet - and a little bit steamy - that it makes up for any feelings of being rushed.

I enjoyed the cast of secondary characters. They did seem to be a little more flat instead of fully within the story but they did the part of moving the plot and the main characters personal growth along as the story went. Their support of London and Dahlia - relationship and personal life wise - was really nice and the scene with London’s family at the end of the story was one of my favorites.

I really liked how the author handled the heavy topics of the story - transphobia, divorce, self-worth - without one seeming like the more important problem. London and Dahlia each had their things to work through and the story gave them the time and positioning to do so.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the early digital copy to read and review - sorry this is a little late!