I really enjoyed this book. It's such a fresh take amongst all of the cooking/baking competition books this year. London and Dahlia are both such interesting, well-written characters. They have baggage, they have dreams, they have struggles, and it's all so interesting to read about.

The story is really interesting, the settings are fantastic and so well-drescribed, and the food descriptions are amazing. I could not make a pan of Rice Krispies Treats fast enough after finishing this one, that's how good the descriptions were!

I really recommend this one.

I’ve raved about Anita Kelly’s first two books and have been really anticipating her debut with Forever. And I loved everything about this book from beginning to end.

Dahlia and London are competitors on a cooking show and one of the things I loved so much is that there is no antagonism between them at all. Just encouragement and laughter and love of the craft. I felt like the author rolled up multiple reality cooking shows together to create one that worked in this world. (I love reality cooking competitions so I was the exact right audience for this.) The meet-cute is the literal start of the book when Dahlia is upset that London doesn’t wish her luck before the competition begins and then Dahlia has a humiliating incident on camera immediately afterward.

But the humiliating incident and the meet-cute is handled so well on-page that I didn’t get second-hand embarrassment at all. Dahlia wallows for maybe a second, laughs it off, and then proceeds to make friends on the show. It felt like actual adult behavior, and so many times in books adults tend toward juvenile behavior so this felt very refreshing.

I don’t know if I liked Dahlia or London more? On one hand, we have Dahlia, who is just so sunshiny but fiercely protective of those she loves but is having a quarter life crisis about who she is and what she should do with her life. And then, on the other hand, we have London, who knows who they are and just wants other people to let them be who they are – and because of that can be a bit grumpy. Both characters are completely fleshed out and beautifully nuanced. I felt like I understood them and their families, which I think is a hard task to accomplish.

I want to shout from the rooftop that Dahlia is solidly childfree. This is *extremely* important to me personally as it is so hard to find in romance novels. There’s a point when London says to her that it’s okay to grow up and change your mind about these things – at one point Dahlia wanted children and now she doesn’t – *and this is okay*. This was SO refreshing to hear! Of course it’s okay to change your mind, but to have that said to Dahlia was really powerful to hear. London is the first openly nonbinary contestant on the cooking show and this storyline is just so great. That they do have supportive friends and family members felt really important to me; this wasn’t an isolated queer person with no family behind them and I loved that for London. Their whole journey, both on the show and off, was really powerful and I hope that we get more characters like London in romance across the genre.

On top of all of that goodness is the actual romance, which is cute and sweet but HOT as hell. Seriously, some of their sex scenes had me looking around making sure no one else was listening to the audiobook with me because I was blushing lol. I highly recommend this book and look forward to whatever else Anita Kelly writes.

Grade: A+

Love & other Disaster
by Anita Kelly
3 stars

I was really into this at first, I love cooking shows but then it just lost me in all the romance and mixing it. I was kind of hoping that it would be a fun friendly competition between Dahila and London. Their relationship and getting together just seemed too fast for me, it was like they were going to be enemies and become friends but then bam relationship, and eh not my cup of tea. It went too fast for me.
I did enjoy reading about their lives how they are at home and their relationships with their families. I wanted more of that. The steam parts weren't steamy enough for me, but they did make sure that consent was clear in the book, and they got the green light before any go-ahead so that was new in a book.

Thank you, Net Galley, for this advanced copy for an honest review.

I know everyone really loves this book and I wanted to love it too, but it’s just not working out. Maybe Rosaline Palmer was my one-off baking reality competition book I could get into? I just find Dahlia super annoying from her own perspective in her chapters, and especially so seeing her from London’s chapters. London is great and I love them. I have nothing bad to say about London.

The show has cooking in it, but so far we’re two rounds in and all that’s happened is that we’re TOLD about the contestants cooking and TOLD about the judges judging, but we’re barely shown any of it. The book just kind of glosses over everything in a “so this happened and this happened” kind of way, and then they’ve moved on. I feel like this book is less focused on the cooking and the food, and more focused on the relationship? It’s a cooking competition for <i>aesthetics</i> only. There’s no real depth to the competition aspect.

I was here for the food and besides NOT getting anything from the competition, all we’ve got is Dahlia making comments like she doesn’t cook with meat because she can’t afford it, which would be FINE except she has an uppity attitude about it by going on to say she only buys and cooks with fresh produce? And I’m just?? Fresh produce isn’t cheap either?? And then Dahlia slams crabs and lobster while saying she can cook seafood but crabs and lobsters aren’t worth the effort? If she said it’s because they’re too expensive to practice on, that’s one thing, but that’s not what she said. So, what CAN she do? Cod in fish tacos as her signature dish?? Because she is giving me NOTHING.

I don’t think this book and I are going to work out.

DNF @ 10%.

Thanks to the publisher for giving me an e-ARC for review on NetGalley.

This romance was sooooo adorable and heart-warming! I read it in one sitting and loved every bit of it!

Set on the stage of a competitive cooking competition show, we follow London and Dahlia as contestants trying to show just how great they can cook. Along the way we get to see them become friends and maybe even more. This was my first romance read with a non-binary main character and I absolutely loved how beautifully the author portrayed London and their personality and struggles as being the first out non-binary contestant. Then we’ve got Dahlia who is reeling trying to find her place in life after getting divorced and then quitting her job to come on the competition. Both of these characters have things to prove to themselves and to others and they just might find love along the way.

If you need a cozy, adorable romance (and you love a good tv cooking competition) this is definitely a book you need to pick up!

Thank you to Net Galley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this stunning novel!

My feelings on Love & Other Disasters wavered throughout but ended on a high note. It started out enjoyable enough but the situations read like a typical romcom, featuring a non-binary character. The banter and interactions between Dahlia and London were cute. However, I thought the setting of the cooking competition show was the most intriguing aspect and I craved more details about the competition. As it went on I came to care more about the characters and their relationship. My heart exploded for London when reading the messages they received from viewers, definitely my favorite part of the book! I loved reading a romance with a non-binary character and thought their perspective and feelings were shared so beautifully. Ultimately, my feelings grew as I continued with the book and I’m glad I read it for the delicious setting and non-binary and queer representation.

Both of these characters felt so real to me, and I found them so relatable. I loved the setting of a cooking show, but even more I loved how much time Dahlia and London actually spent together in the novel, since, as opposed to a lot of other books, this one didn't have the enemies to lovers trope and they started getting friendly really early on in the book.

Another aspect of the book I really appreciated is how there is a third act break-up, but it actually serves a purpose, whereas I tend to find that lacking in other books sometimes. The third act break-up gave both characters the space to work thru personal issues and to grow as a person outside of a relationship, and I found that so valuable.

While the premise of this book was intriguing and I loved the idea of having a non-binary love interest (more of that please!), I didn’t think the characters’ connection was believable. Also, there are a few other baking reality show romances out there and this one was not as clever with the set up as others. Solid but forgettable.

Love & Other Disasters - Anita Kelly

This was a really great romance between Dahlia, a queer woman, and London, a pansexual nonbinary person. They meet on a cooking show/competition, which takes up a lot of the story. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book! London is immediately attracted to Dahlia, but Dahlia is more drawn to them as a friend at the beginning, so their friendship develops first. The relationship development was great, and both characters had issues with their families and I like how that was dealt with.

There is some transphobia in the book, but it’s more mentioned vs actually being on page. There is also a character that misgenders London, but the text never misgenders them. The dialogue says they, and the next line says “except she didn’t say they” and I really like how the book always used their pronouns. London being out as nonbinary on national television is a big deal and so they get a lot of support but of course have to see the negative comments as well.

I really liked this as a queer story but also as a romance. I’m really interested in picking up more by the author!

What I loved:
- my introduction to a romance with a non-binary character and relationship and the use of they/them pronouns in a relationship and romance
- foodie fiction
- Dahlia and London and their relationship
4 stars for this piece of the story

What did not quite work for me:
- something about the plot just did not flow for me and I found it hard to care about the aspects outside of the romance - I did love the romance between Dahlia and London and those components of the plot but the cooking competition lost me a bit (I am usually a huge fan of all things food).

Overall, I am recommending this one because the relationship aspect outweighs the other parts I did not enjoy as much as I think the representation is too important for some plot points to dissuade people from reading it.

Arc provides my netgalley
aaah! finally a new queer and adult romance added to my reading list! i personally think it's hard to find adult romance that have good queer representation but this one right here!!!!yes yes yes!
it was such a sweet novel! I love the culinary competition dynamic and of course the romance!

As someone with a friend with a non-binary child I enjoyed this book, and think it does a great job exploring this new territory, so to speak, with in romance novels. I love the relationship that London and Delilah had and how it evolved, How steamy it got and how it explored so much. I think the book was told is such a wonderful way and I hope more people pick it up to read it. I know it opened my eyes to so many things I didn’t know, understand, or even thing about. A truly incredible read.

Books that take place on reality shows, specifically cooking/baking ones are (pun intended) my bread and butter.

In Love & Other Disasters, two contestants find themselves cooking up more than just meals. Dahlia Woodson is recently divorced and trying to prove to herself that she win this competition and bring herself out of debt with the winnings. Her station on the show is placed right in front London Parker, the show’s first openly non-binary contestant, who is trying their best to ignore the hostility from one competitor while also trying to get their father to finally accept them.

Dahlia and London are great characters apart, and even better together. The two have instant chemistry that is obvious to the reader, the crew of the show, and every single viewer. Getting to watch the two fall in love through a dual POV narrative made it all the more rewarding. Getting inside their heads made the inevitable Big Fight seem real. We know their insecurities and what gets them both riled up, in every sense of the phrase.

There were some parts when it came to the show itself that felt very rushed. I may be in the minority, but I love the books that give some hefty weight to the competition. I didn’t get as much of that in this so when the finale of the show happens, I felt a little let down.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this. It was so nice to read a romance with a non-binary character without there being A Learned Lesson of Acceptance from the other love interest. It was just unconditional love and that warmed me so much.

An utterly gorgeous debut from Anita Kelly. I absolutely fell in love with Dahlia and London, two real, imperfect people who really are just Doing Their Best and find love along the way. Anita's writing is so tender, with an empathy for Dahlia and London that bleeds out of the pages. I know this will be the first of many Anita Kelly books I read!

I really enjoyed the queerness of this text. London's inner monologue about their gender and identity was nuanced and uplifting. I also loved how Dahlia's "journey" as a queer person was so different than London's, but still completely valid. Overall, a beautiful romance between complex characters.

What happens when a non-binary chef meets a clumsy, recently divorced woman on America's favorite cooking show? A hilarious and charming novel filled with spontaneous shenanigans, and steamy behind the scenes moments. Such a cute novel set against a reality show backdrop, featuring great LGBTQ+ representation.

Trigger warnings for misgendering and transphobia

A wonderful romance that takes place on a cooking competition with two contestants as the romantic interests. London is the first non-binary person to compete on the show and is just trying to get through it. Dahlia is a flurry of everything and so opposite to London at first it doesn't seem like they'll get along. A very grumpy-sunshine similar trope. I also really like that this book kind of did a "Schitt's Creek" vibe where they touched on negative topics but never made it a huge focus. Can't wait to read another of Anita's books.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was not one of my favorite reads even though I was fully expecting it to be. Some booktokers reviewed this book and said they loved it but it just fell flat.

Premise: Two contestants are in the running for $100,000 on a reality TV cooking competition. Dahila is recently divorced and is running dangerously low on her savings. London is non-binary and is determined to prove to everyone —including their dad— that they have what it takes to win.

I was really excited to read about a non-binary character in a more adult setting rather than coming-of-age but I think that in general, this book just needed *more*. The plotline and main conflict were fine but it was just that: fine. There were many sub-plots and smaller conflicts within the storyline and usually I love having multiple conflicts, but it was too much and they made it hard to focus on the main conflict. At times, the smaller conflicts seemed to have more weight than the cooking competition and it got really convoluted.

The characters: Dahlia and London. I hate to say it, but Dahlia is a generic main character with a troubled relationship with at least one of her parents. London is a little more interesting but only because of their gender identity, which was one of the main plot points and a source of conflict. Without their gender identity, London would just be very bland in my opinion. There was nothing super distinct about them they were not memorable.

Something else I thought was odd was the pacing and the seemingly random scenes just sprinkled in. Even though the pacing was somewhat explained at the end and I understand that they were rushed because they didn’t know how much time they had left on the competition, I just felt like they got too deep into the relationship way too fast. The ballroom scene, the wedding crashing, and the first time they went to the beach together felt really out of place to me. It was briefly explained away by Dahlia wanting to be “LA Dahlia” instead of “Maryland Dahlia” but they just had no relevence to the plot. Those places did not become special to Dahlia and London’s relationship and 2 out of 3 places were only briefly mentioned again.

Even though I did not enjoy it as much as I would’ve liked, there were moments that still kept me reading. Respectfully, I ate this shit UP. I read it in pretty much one sitting and that’s thanks to the banter and tension between Dahlia and London in the first half of the book. I loved reading about the flirty looks, the subtle touches, the excitement to just talk to each other, and how their relationship formed. After they both finally accepted they were just going all in, it went downhill from there. Up until the last 60 pages, I was going to rate this book 3 out of 5 stars but the ending was pretty cute and fitting for the characters.

Overall, I acknowledge there was an attempt made for a sweet, queer story with a cooking competition as its vessel but I feel like the author could have done a lot more with these characters.

Big thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book!

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. If you love cooking competitions, this book will be your catnip. From the moment Dahlia walked right into London, London was smitten. They might have been competitors on a cooking show, but their slow burn growth from competitors to friends to more was so darn sweet and smooshy that it felt like the obvious and natural order of things. Dahlia was a bit of a hot mess, but London was far and away the best part of this book. They were so freaking adorable that I wanted to give them a hug and a puppy, and dear God; the pining! London being swoony about literally every aspect of Dahlia gave me life. This book is sweet, romantic, hot, and a great little confection.

This book was adorable. I love books that take place in reality TV settings and I loved these characters so much. I had a big goofy smile on my face the whole time I was reading it.

I loved how truly gone London was for Dahlia right from the start.

This book was super steamy too and the nectarine scene was 🥵.

I hope we get books for Hank and Julie because I loved their characters so much.

Love & Other Disasters is available now and you should absolutely read it!

I received an eARC of this book from Forever and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased a copy of this book for myself.

CW: Transphobia, misgendering