Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Love and Other Disasters! I love cooking competition shows, so that's what really drew me to this book, but it was so much more that that and it was so good! Love and Other Disasters came out on January 18th, so make sure you go out and grab it ASAP!
Love and Other Disasters 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut “that is both fantastically fun and crack your heart wide open vulnerable.” (Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate)
Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.
After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.
As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.
I really, really liked this book! Dahlia and London were such great and compelling characters. I really loved their chemistry with each other and how much they helped each other grow throughout the book. The one thing I really wished we had with this book was like a recipe guide or something, because I really want to try some of the things that London and Dahlia made during their time on the show (especially Dahlia's pumpkin and black bean soup). Other things I liked about this book were the behind the scenes look we got into a cooking competition show and what it's like to be a competitor on one of those. There were some really fun challenges and I loved the medium of reading them rather than watching them on the TV. Besides all of that, I thought the way that Anita Kelly approached London's relationship with their father and the way that they were pitted against a bigot on the show was well done (in my opinion anyway- I'm not non-binary, so I can't speak to a non-binary person's experiences). I also really liked how Anita Kelly talked about Dahlia changing her mind about having kids between high school and her mid to late 20's- I think that's a very valid thing to change your mind about and having open and honest conversations with your partner about that is super important. Overall, Love and Other Disasters was a great book with both serious topics and fun things going on within it and I highly recommend it to everyone!


Link to be added once blog post goes live

Oh, my HEART! 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 & 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 is my first really good read of 2022.

The first 40% of this book was quite slow for me (which is why I too a half-star off of my rating). I was worried that it would remain slow and I would not end up liking this book. At just about halfway through the pace and story picks up and the last half of the book is truly fantastic!

This is my first romance read that has a Non-Binary lead and I loved it so much. I especially loved that the author doesn't give the reader any indication of London's assigned-at-birth gender until much later in the book. This removes the reader's possible gender biases until after we truly come to know London and their heart and personality. London is brave, yet vulnerable. They are navigating a really difficult situation of coming out publicly as non-binary when even their father has not come to terms with that.

Dahlia is everything warm and loveable and relatable. I loved her passionate nature and open heart, even as she reels from her own divorce. That divorce is treated so wonderfully as well. It's kind of Dahlia's "fault" and yet we totally understand her motive.

And the sex scenes in 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 & 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 between London and Dahlia are made so meaningful by their shared vulnerability. Make no mistake, these scenes are melt-your-kindle HOT. Woooooo-wheeeeee! F-I-R-E! But the emotional vulnerability and connection just make those scenes that much more important and meaningful. This is a trend I am growing to love about Queer romance, as a whole.

I really loved that the actually challenges in this cooking show were mentioned, but never overtook the real story. I often find too much focus on challenge details in romances that are set in the world of a reality competition. 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 & 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 hit the balance perfectly for me.

I highly recommend this wonderful book to all readers. If it's your first non-binary read (as it was mine) there may be a slight adjustment to reading the they/them/their pronouns, but push through! I have no problem using those pronouns in speech, but for some reason reading them made my brain work a little harder. But I was happy to keep going and re-train my mind to embrace this newer pronoun structure within the English language. I am grateful to this book for affording me that opportunity!

Add 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 & 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 to your 2022 TBR! You won't regret it!!

I have become a big fan of books that take place in a reality TV setting (I'm looking at you Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake and The Charm Offensive). Love & Other Disasters did not disappoint! I loved this so much, and I appreciate the diverse characters. This one was surprisingly steamy (which I am a fan of) and fun. Also a huge fan of the alternating POVs.

I knew that I needed to read this book as soon as it was announced. So grateful for authors that bring these stories. This was my first story by this author and my first story with a nonbinary protagonist. I'm here to say #RepresentationMatters,not only in romance, bug everywhere else.

The story brought real topics, real situations to the page and a lot of humanness. Some people shy away from stories like these, but I will actively seek them. This is an engaging, steamy read that I'm glad I get to read!

2.5 stars ⭐

I was really excited to read this one but I didn't really care for either of the mc's I absolutely loved the representation but that was sorta it

4-4.5

I will never get enough of a reality show based romance!! I adore London and Dahlia. I love the way Dahlia fights for London even when they barely know each other. I had so much fun watching the behind the scenes of the competitions but also getting a balance of off-set moments. I wish we got to spend more time with Julie and Hank because they both seemed like characters I definitely want to know more. I just want more of Dahlia and London. I want to see them getting settled together and I want to watch them have discussions about ingredients (and I don't cook at all so that's a big deal coming from me lol). I just had an amazing time getting lost in their world.

Ok.

The good: Nonbinary rep, which makes this nonbinary person’s heart soar. Queer romance. Fun setting.

The bad: Unfortunately, a lot of this book felt too reliant on the fact that they were repping a Nonbinary Character and a F/NB romance that the actual characters themselves seemed a bit lacking at times. I mean I liked London, but there were times where they felt less like a person who happened to be Nonbinary and more like THE Nonbinary One.

The book tended to slog a bit for me as well, especially the second half. I just couldnt get invested in the character enough to really be interested in their growth.

Overall this was not a bad book. I don’t regret reading it, and I would understand why others might really like it, but I probably wouldn’t read it again.

Again, I could have just set my expectations high for NB rep that I just disappointed myself.

I received a copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? This book is FANTASTIC, AMAZING, PURE JOY, LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE all the things. London and Dahlia will be living in my heart forever, and I already know this book will be in my top romance books for 2022. What Anita Kelly has done with this story is nothing short of magic. You get so invested in the show and the relationship and the trauma and the next thing you know the book is ending. This was the first book I've ever read with a nonbinary love story and I know it won't be the last. Love is love, there's nothing else to it, and London and Dahlia are this personified. I'm really excited for whatever Anita Kelly has next and I know I'll definitely be reading their backlist in the meantime. Read this book! You won't regret it for a second!

Thank you so much to Forever for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dahlia Woodson is recently divorced from her high school sweetheart and in the middle of a crisis. Now the cooking she took up as a hobby to cope has morphed into something bigger than Dahlia could ever have whipped up on purpose. So when she gets the chance to compete in the popular reality show, Chef’s Special, she feels she has nothing to lose. Well, besides the competition, that is. 😉

London Parker is another contestant on the show who becomes the main course for a different reason- being brave enough to announce their pronouns on TV. Although they find themselves intrigued by Dahlia, they have bigger fish to fry, namely in defending their identity to not only the world, but to some family members still in denial. Before long, Dahlia and London have a hard time keeping their mutual feelings on a simmer. Falling in love wasn’t on the menu, but some of the happiest of meals come together when you don’t have a plan.

London and Dahlia’s relationship was fun to watch play out. There aren’t a lot of love stories that focus on non binary characters, so in this respect, an otherwise predictable trajectory felt new and fresh. I particularly liked the cooking show backdrop. In fact, it left me hungry for more from the colorful cast of other contestants.

But Love & Other Disasters was not without it’s heartbreaking moments, too (re: the disasters portion of the title). While the world has come a long way in terms of acceptance, even fictional accounts serve as a reminder that this is just a taste of what’s hopefully, more to come.

All in all, Love & Other Disasters is a well baked novel from an author who is likely to serve up more delicious goodies in the future.

It’s the chance of a lifetime! For Dahlia Woodson, being a contestant on Chef’s Special means getting out of her own head — a head too cluttered with her recent divorce, the strained relationship with her mother, her bills, her student loans and, oh yes, the lack of a job. A job she quit in order to be on TV. Now she can just cook, with ingredients she’d never have the budget for, and gets to be in the same room with other chefs, to live and breathe and eat food. Good food, great food, amazing food! But Dahlia’s mood is soured when, on the first day of taping, one of the other contestants gives her a death glare for no good reason!

London Parker is the show’s first openly nonbinary contestant. Announcing their pronouns in front of a group of strangers is hard enough, but one of them — Lizzie — had to make an issue of it. To top it off, another contestant didn’t even bother to show up for the group meet and greet, which means London has to come out, again. Full of nerves, they’re not ready to have the person in front of them with the glorious mane of hair tell them about wetting their tights in the fourth grade before scurrying off to her own station. Is it any wonder London is less than impressed?

London and Dahlia go from sniping at one another, to drinking together, to being friends. Well, friendly, at least. But somehow, Dahlia manages to get under London’s skin in the very best way. Is it possible to fall in love on television, with an audience of thousands watching and judging your every move? As the weeks go by, contestant after contestant is kicked off the show until, during the grand finale, only two will remain. As hot as things get in the kitchen, the passion between London and Dahlia blazes hotter, but will it be enough?

Dahlia is peppy. Annoyingly peppy. One of those cheerful people who are great at parties, but you also want to strangle because they’re up at 6:30 am and ready to take on the world. She’s a bubbly, sweet person, and enthusiastic about everything; unfailingly loyal, she’d take on an army for the people she loves, like her transgender brother, or London. Not because she thinks London can’t defend themself, but because Dahlia can’t stand to see injustice and refuses to sit down and let someone be hurt by cruel, thoughtless words, regardless of the consequences.

London is reserved, quiet, and analytical. London had a plan, and Dahlia wasn’t part of it. London is drawn to the way Dahlia puts her hair up into a bun, the shape of her neck — which London can see from their station — the sound of her laugh. By the time the two of them are waking up in bed, London is already half-planning their life in Nashville, where London lives. Because surely Dahlia would be happier where London is. But for all the things London says when falling in love with Dahlia, it’s the words they don’t say that are the most important.

This story showcases the importance of representation, as London’s determination to be who they are, bigots be damned, reaches through the television and into the lives of those who watch. There’s the young kid struggling with identity a state away; an older person wondering how many of their generation were unable to be themselves the way London is; transgender, nonbinary people, even cis people learning compassion through their attachment to London. And not just London. London is only half of the London/Dahlia ship that the television producers have been showcasing, inspiring fans and, more importantly, ratings.

But through all this — through falling in love, and trying to figure out what it means for them individually and together — are cameras. When Dahlia is made aware, as she ought to have been, that their flirtation, the shy touches, the lingering looks, have been recorded, cut, edited, and broadcast, it affects her confidence and her cooking. She’s recently divorced and her confidence has taken a major blow. This … all of this, may not be what she needs. Or what she wants.

As someone who is a longtime fan of reality cooking shows, I knew I wanted to read this book. London, Dahlia, and the food they cook are a marvelous triangle and you can feel the passion and the love that fills the story. While I really doubt that a reality show is going to let contestants just run around the city, keep their cell phones, or even leave the hotel (let alone the hotel rooms), I’m willing to turn a blind eye to the factual issues in favor of the romance. Because the romance is there and strong, easily supported and carried along by skillful writing and tight pacing.

This is very much a feel good book, though it will make you hungry. So be prepared with snacks!

This was an adorable queer story that had all the emotions packed in - bravery, tension, sadness, frustration, love, grief - yet none were super heavy enough to take away from humor, warm-heartedness and cooking show drama.

Dahlia and London meet as competitors in a cooking competition show - how cute is that? Dahlia is grieving her divorce and in need of the prize money in a bad way. London is the first non-binary contestant in the show. While there’s a instant connection, this love story builds slowly as the competition progresses quietly through all the cooking challenges and fan comments.

I loved the cooking aspect of this story. A big fan of these shows myself, it was fun to feel like you were “behind the scenes” or getting an inside look into how the show works. London and Dahlia’s siblings were awesome and so supportive. You just can’t help but get wrapped up in this story like you’d binge a tv show and cheer on these two as contestants and a couple.

Thank you to forever and netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you so much @ReadForeverPub & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 18 January 2022)

SYNOPSIS | London & Dahlia are competing against each other to win a reality cooking competition, but the more time they spend together the more they realize that they may have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

WHAT I LIKED:
- conversations around gender, queerness & non-binary experiences
- dual POV

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the romance. The tension between London & Dahlia didn't feel strong enough & I struggled with the speed of their relationship & understanding why they were besotted with each other
- I felt like I was being told more things than I was being shown
- the cooking competition felt like a backdrop & I didn't get a good grasp of how the MCs were doing in the competition or how the other contestants were doing. Overall it just felt like an under-utilised plot point.

Wow. This book is such a ride. Love and other disasters is perfect for master chef binge watchers, messy adults and every non-binary person who has ever wanted their own love story. It’s sexy, it’s funny, it’s relatable and emotional. Love and other disasters came at a perfect time in my own messy queer enby life. Seeing these characters, London and Dahlia, face such honest challenges of LGBT relationships as well as their own personal insecurities sends a great message of how we can present queer relationships in modern media. I am grateful this book now exists and I am excited what other works Anita Kelly is bound to create.

I’m not surprised at all that I absolutely loved Love and Other Disasters. This book is a queer romance with a non-binary MC who falls for another contestant on a cooking competition reality show.

I loved London for so many reasons, but especially because it was awesome to see a strong and confident non-binary character, and they were the perfect grumpy cinnamon roll. As a non-binary demigirl who has only made this discovery about myself in the past few years, I’m so excited to see characters that feel like they don’t fit into gender norms but that doesn’t stop people from loving them.

I also completely adored Dahlia and hardcore related to their ADHD vibes and their vulnerability. She has just gone through a divorce and is struggling to find herself again, or possibly for the first time embracing who she really is.

Hopefully we will get more stories in this universe because I really need Dahlia’s brother Hank (who happens to be trans) to have his own book.

Definitely pick up this book if you’re looking for more queer romances to read. This book is pretty steamy. And I think would be a great book for fans of One Last Stop.

Thank you to Forever Romance for providing me with a review copy.

This book was adorable and the representation we all need. Please read it 😍 cooking show romances are a genre I didn't know I needed but now I love it.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishers for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book. This book has LGBTQ+ rep and anxiety rep. On similar note, content warning to readers for transphobia/discussion of "gender binary" from a family member of Love Interest.

This romance between Dahlia and London at the core of this story is so heartwarming, wholesome, and realistic. There was also a bit of a grumpy/sunshine trope.

On Dahlia's grumpy end, she had gotten out a divorce but was stumped at what to do next with her life. She pictured something adventurous but didn't know where to start. For her, cooking was a way of coping for a lot of that thought process that followed the divorce.

On London's sunshine end--Honestly London is my favorite character in this romcom--London came out as nonbinary three years ago. Although they came from a financially privileged family, they still deal with family drama over their pronouns. London chose to include their pronouns and their identity as nonbinary in their initial solo interview on the show which added to the tension among some jerks of contestants.

I rooted for this couple from the beginning regardless that it did come off as a tad insta-lovey. The chemistry was evident but note to any interested readers, the steam level could be on the higher end for you considering there's not just standard bedroom scenes. It didn't affect my reading at all but be aware for those that don't like too much steam in their romcoms.

Anyways. I give this novel five of five stars. Cheers to my first 5-star of 2022!

Thank you Forever for our gifted review copy.

I am a sucker for a book featuring a reality TV competition show. Make it a food or cooking-related show & I’m even more invested. Add in lovable characters with amazing narration & I’m a goner!

This book was so wonderful. That’s the review – okay, I’ll give a bit more detail. For starters, I highly recommend the audio, but I still want a print copy for my shelves. London, a nonbinary contestant on a reality show, is so great and Dahlia, a recent divorcee competing on the same show is awesome too. The tension is there and the stakes are high for each of them.

No spoilers, but the first and last lines of this book is my new fave. They tie in together so well & it just made me squeal. While I’ve read books featuring characters whose pronouns are they/them, hearing London referred to as they/them repeatedly on the audiobook really made me aware of how my brain recognizes those words. by about halfway, my brain quit asking me “who is they?” and recognized that “they” is London. I hope that makes sense – I don’t think I would have had that realization reading print & I’m grateful for it.

I highly recommend this book to all my fellow romance lovers. Also, if you’re not a huge romance fan, this may be a gateway for you! It’s so easy to fall in love with these characters!

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly has the following:
Reality TV tie-in
Queer characters
Fresh start after divorce
Conversations about pronoun use
Sexy times on the beach
Crashing a wedding
Characters who communicate

3.5 Stars!

Cute romance with a unique perspective of a non-binary protagonist!

Dahlia and London are competing against each other on the popular cooking show, Chef's Special. Things start heating up for them, and not just in the kitchen. As Dahlia's first connection after getting a divorce and London's first connection as coming out as non-binary, their friendship grows into more, and it is fun to read and watch them grow.

While this was well written, brings a new and much needed social perspective into the LGBTQ community, and was a fast read, I still found myself struggling to connect with the characters and the storyline of the cooking TV show. However, I could see how this is just my perspective and how others could totally connect with them. For me, I could appreciate their story and be happy for their growth together, and I liked the book but just did not love it.

Absolutely loved this low angst instant friends to lovers books. I just loved how both Dahlia and London were hot messes. Dahlia not knowing how she wants to proceed, just being a bit lost, after her divorce. London wanting to be accepted for who they are. The instant friendship, and the attraction that they have for each other but neither act upon. Through the friendship, and the cooking competition, both characters grow into themselves. Gaining confidence to tackle things that each left in the "real world". Dahlia is able to figure out what she wants and ways to make it happen; London is able to make some amends.

I read it back in early September, and the warmth and kindness just have stayed with me.

Thank you Forever for providing me with the eARC. I ended up pre-ordering a copy, and I picked up the Book of the Month copy.

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly is a tender romantic story surrounding a competition cooking show much like the very popular Master Chef. Dahlia is trying to have a fresh start after her divorce and winning this competition could be life changing for her. London another contestant opens up to the world in live television about her pronouns. As some disastrous events happen during the show, I couldn't help but laugh and adore the developing relationship between Dahlia and London. The support for each other and their friendship was written so well.

Love & Other Disasters is one of my favorite queer romance reads and a fantastic debut I really enjoyed.