Thanks to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC of this!

I am always looking for more queer rom-coms so this one with its non-binary protagonist and cooking show setting immediately called my name. I really loved the cooking challenge scenes, the romance that didn’t shy away from on page intimacy, and the sweet side characters. I would love for there to be more in this series - especially the brother!

Two contestants in a televised cooking competition fall for each other in this charming but powerful rom-com! Dahlia is recently divorced and looking for a fresh start. She used cooking as a way to cope with her divorce and find herself again, including coming to terms with her sexuality. London is proudly non-binary and announces their pronouns on national television, to mixed support from their fellow competitors. As the pair grow closer, first as friends, then as something more, they each fight their own personal battles while also competing against each other on the show. They just have to hope that it doesn’t tear them apart…

Love & Other Disasters is truly the heartwarming and powerful romance story we all need, regardless of your identity. There are some very real lessons in here about self-love and self-acceptance, and embracing your true self, regardless of anyone else’s opinion.

Thanks to Anita Kelly, Forever, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was one of the cutest, sweetest romance books I have read. It was a great read, that tackled some real issues, while making me smile while reading it. I guess if you were to put it into tropes, it would probably be grump and sunshine.

I loved that this book features two queer characters in it. The focus is on their relationship, while in the high pressure environment of a T.V. cooking competition. Anita Kelly paints the picture of this competition so well that I was transported and found myself rooting for the future chefs (and hating others).

Both character felt so real to me in how the author wrote them. I loved the inclusion of London, a non-binary character, in a romance novel. There are not many romance stories with a non-binary character and it needs to happen more! I also found that the author did a great job of balancing the serious discussions regarding queer identity and the light hearted romance of London and Dahlia falling in love.

Though this book takes place on a cooking show, that is not all there is to it. Dahlia and London spend so much time together outside of the studio, and I loved their interactions so much. I fell in love with their relationship, as well as both characters discovery of themselves and their new relationship.

This is the first book I have read by Anita Kelly and I cannot wait to read more by them. I will be picking everything up in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and the Forever Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

At this point you’ve probably read several glowing reviews for Love & Other Disasters but in case you haven’t, hear me out! This book is like a big warm hug, if said hug were also funny, thirsty, and sexy AF. I have been BLESSED with exceptional grumpy sunshine romances lately and this one is at the top of the list.

Dahlia is feeling stuck in her life. A few years out from a divorce, unhappy where she’s living and working, and nearing bankruptcy, Dahlia decides to quit her job and head out to LA after she qualifies for a spot on Chef’s Special. The winner receives a $100,000.00 prize and Dahlia wants that money to pay off her debt and start over somewhere new. She’s feeling nervous and excited the first day on set when she literally bumps right into London. London is Chef Special’s first openly nonbinary contestant. They applied for the show after their twin sister dared them to and hope to make a difference to other trans people when they announce their pronouns on national television. London plans on using the prize money to start a non profit to help at risk LGBTQ youth and definitely doesn’t have time to start feeling things for the loud, vibrant girl at the workstation in front of them with the giant mane of untamed hair.

This is my very first book by Anita Kelly and it was a gift and I cannot wait to read more. I love the way the relationship developed between Dahlia and London and it was wonderful to have both of their perspectives telling this story. London hasn’t been with anyone since they came out as nonbinary and isn’t quite sure where to start and Dahlia is queer, but has only ever been with her ex husband. The steamy scenes between them are some of my favorite ever written. They didn’t feel glamorized or overly romanticized. They were honest and vulnerable, full of great communication, and London and Dahlia’s chemistry set off my smoke alarm. These two couldn’t get enough of each other and things quickly heat up on set between them too. London can’t stop staring at Dahlia’s hair (and butt) and Dahlia can’t stop thirsting after London’s forearms and the focused, precise way they work with food.

As fun as this one was, it wasn’t all sunshine and happy days. London has to deal with a transphobic contestant, internet trolls, a father who refuses to use their correct pronouns, and the fact that either of them could be sent home at any moment. Dahlia is feeling guilt over her divorce and the fact that she no longer wants to have children. She’s desperate to figure out where she fits and what her next move will be if she doesn’t win the show. I was reading the conclusion to this one with my heart in my throat and I thought it was absolute perfection. Love & Other Disasters comes out January 18th and you are definitely going to want to pre order it. Fans of The Charm Offensive especially will want to pick this one up. Thank you SO MUCH to Forever for this gifted early copy. I loved it with my entire heart and soul.

2.5/5

Love & Other Disasters first caught my eye with its promise of a queer romance centered on a reality cooking series, and by the first opening line, I was hooked. The exploration of the connections between food and love join to create a beautifully written romance that sizzles and cracks like oil upon an open flame. While there were some severe issues that emerged that made me struggle to enjoy this more, for the most part, I had a relatively easy time reading this. Where this romance really fell into trouble was with the main relationship and plot points. Not only did I struggle to feel connected to the main couple and feel their supposed connection, there was so much emotional turmoil happening that ended up quickly derailing the entire plot. The characters switched between emotions so suddenly, and the story emphasized this, making the cooking show aspect fade far into the background. The transition from hate to love in particular, happened so immediately that it gave me whiplash. I was really looking forward to the focus on love in tandem with the cooking competition, but unfortunately, it was long overshadowed. Though there were some established cute cooking moments that occurred in the story, they just seemed filler in relation to what else was going on. Despite these things, Love & Other Disasters has fantastic queer representation and I loved the multiple conversations that occurred surrounding gender and non-binary experiences. There may have been several things that stopped me from enjoying this as much as I could have, but this is absolutely a story that will appeal to many people. Perfect for those looking for an escape via cooking and romance.

Trigger Warnings: misgendering, transphobia, alcohol consumption

Review is up on my Goodreads as of 12/5/2021

This was a quick and fun romance! I appreciated the queer representation and hope we continue to get more romances like this. I wasn't a huge fan of the cooking reality show setting, which is my own personal preference, but it did keep me from rating higher. Worth a read!

This book!!! This book was everything!

I loved this book from the very start! The story, the characters, the cooking show! I've never wanted soup and cake more than I did when reading this book. I love love love the characters, Dahlia and London are the cutest together and their relationship happened so naturally and easily, you couldn't help falling in love with them too!

Everyone is going to love this book when it comes out I just know it! It's perfect for people who love cooking shows and cute and steamy romances!

Out on January 18, 2022!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Pub for the earc in return for an honest review.

I DNF'ed this book at the 40%. I did appreciate some aspects of this story, especially the non-binary representation in London's character. Kelly addresses gender identity professionally and sympathetically, and it's refreshing to see. Ultimately, however, the lack of grounding in the story (such as the very aggressively in media res beginning), the flatness of the characters and the lack of chemistry between them, and the slightly confusing nature of the reality baking show made the novel difficult to finish.

Every reader reads differently, and given the wealth of four- and five-star reviews of this novel, I think it's safe to say that I may be an outlier. Love & Other Disasters wasn't for me, but it may be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, I love this book so so so much! What a cute romance, fantastic character development, great queer rep, incredible secondary characters, STEAM, and the sweetest ending. I love the reality cooking show setting, I love the conversations this book is going to start, truly I am obsessed. Five easy stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader’s copy.

Redemption. Identity. Romance. This book brought it all. Thrust immediately into the spotlight following her divorce, Dahlia enters a cooking competition where, with all her quirkiness and charming lack of boundaries, she meets London--a non-binary, Nashville chef with quite a fortress protecting their heart.

I loved their friendship and how through her earnestness, Dahlia cracked through London's attempt at distancing themself from others.

The cooking competition was fun and made me wonder if this sort of drama is really what goes on behind the scenes at cooking competitions (I'd bet it is!)

But most of all, I loved the circular ending--the story starting and ending with an onion being chopped. The onion--the first real skill she learned as a cook, is now something she can always return to as she embarks upon her new adventures.

Gosh, I want to launch so many spoilers right now, but I won't. Instead, I'll say that this is an adorable story--super touching--and London is a lovable character. Them and Dahlia both! Absolutely sweet!

Absolutely charming.

It opens on the set of a "Top Chef" style reality show with a distracted Dahlia running smack dab into London in a classic romance "that's not a wall, that's a tall attractive human" moment. The tall attractive human in question is London, a nonbinary person who freezes in reaction to Dahlia's chatter.

It takes Dahlia, who's known she's queer for a long time, but has only ever been in a relationship with her ex-husband, a little while to figure out that she and London have a thing which is sweet and adorable and I totally get because I am also 1000% oblivious. London, meanwhile, knows that they are very much into Dahlia.

Dahlia and London are both lovely. They're both dealing with difficult relationships with a parent and with having their first relation since her divorce in Dahlia's case, and since they came out as non-binary in London's case. But they are both extremely into each other.

While this story takes place against the backdrop of a reality cooking show, food (for the most part) is not at the center of the story. The competition sometimes fades into the background a bit more than I would expect for people who are trying their best to win a lot of money.

I'm so glad to see a contemporary romance with a non-binary main character who knows who they are and has a supportive network. Like, I cried at the description of the support London had when they came out. I hope publishing gives more nb authors a voice. And I can't wait to see what Anita Kelly does next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoy reading romances which is why I was super excited for "Love & Other Disasters" by Anita Kelly - a queer romance featuring the first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show.

Thank you ReadForeverPub for the ARC, I appreciate it so much.

Overall, I had a great time reading this novel. Both main characters, Dahlia and London, are likeable characters - and they each get a POV, which makes understanding them and their actions (and feelings towards each other) easier.

While I loved getting to know more about them, I do wish that some side characters would have been given more than just side note here and there. This got better towards the end, but it would have been nice to have more than just the romance plot evolving.

There's amazing queer representation, including trans and non-binary representation. It made me so happy to read about a non-binary main character in their 20s. I would have loved a couple of mentions about the different experiences non-binary people have though. I feel like media often depicts just a one universal experience of being non-binary (wearing binders, hating make-up etc.) and other experiences are left out. Still, I'm sure that a lot of people will feel represented by London and that is so very wonderful!

At last, the pacing is good and the writing is simple - it's definitely the right book for a sweet quick read!

If you're a fan of baking/cooking shows like me and are currently missing The Great British Bake Off, this might be a good way to fill that cake-shaped hole in your heart!

Absolutely adored this book, set against the backdrop of a cooking competition. Dahlia, fresh off of a divorce and London, openly NB, are opposites, Dahlia is a clumsy, delightful chatterbox and London is quiet and reserved, anxious about revealing themselves to be NB on national tv. But when they let down their guard, its so lovely and charming and sweet, I loved it. It is a bit of a slow burn and does take a while for Dahlia and London’s friendship to blossom into something more but overall, I really enjoyed it.

CW: transphobia, misgendering, rejection by father, divorce, anxiety

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun, really lovely romance novel. It was a joy to spend time with both London and Dahlia. The fact that this is nb/f romance was just the cherry on the cake for me--and that it takes place in a food competition was an actual delight. I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys happiness, really.

What an amazing queer positive story.

Dahlia is recently divorced. Her newfound hobby has landed her on one of America's top cooking competitions.

During her time there she meets London. London has been navigating their life in a way that doesn't feel true to their self. They are also a part of the competition.

Dahlia and London start with a kindred friendship that blossoms into a very beautiful romance. Together they must find ways to overcome their family drama, their competition towards one another, and what the dynamics of this relationship looks like.

This was just beautiful. The writing was very creative and very inclusive.

I will say I still struggle with the grammar of a they/them situation at times. This does not take away from my inclusivity, its merely a learning curve for me and I'm happy to have learned more about how to approach that from this novel.

Thank you Forever Pub and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

‘Love & Other Disasters’ - Anita Kelly

It’s been less than 24 hours since completing this novel, and I already know these characters will be living rent free in my mind for the unforeseeable future. London and Dahlia are 2 contestants competing for $100,000 on a cooking show ‘Chef’s Special’. But what happens when feelings start to fly for the competition?

Kelly did an absolutely exquisite job with this queer/nonbinary romcom. I laughed, I cried, I got a little flush in the face if you know what I mean. The steam levels were off the charts, but what I loved even more was the active communication between the two main characters. This being the first romcom(that I’m aware of) with a NB MC, I know it will be new ground for a lot of readers. While I admit it took some time for me to get used to the use of ‘they’ throughout the novel, it just shows we need more books and visibility like this. Kudos, Anita!

And it wasn’t just the main roles that blew me away, the supporting characters also have a solid space in my heart. Kelly crafted a lesbian, trans-sibling, and a Grandma Barb that each complimented the story into perfection.

I would recommend this book to ANYONE. My heart was so full by the end. It might possibly even be my new favorite queer romcom. Thank you to netgalley, Forever & Grand Central Publishing for access to the ARC. And thank you Anita Kelly for writing this.

Following Dahlia Woodson and London Parker as they compete and fall in love on the set of a television cooking competition, Love & Other Disasters is a charming, sweet, and often cheeky queer romance.

Dahlia and Parker are likeable leads, and damn is it ever nice to read a romance with two characters who are so earnestly into each other. I appreciated the frank discussions of life's challenges, ranging from Dahlia's recent divorce and uncertainty in life to London's experiences as a nonbinary person, both within their immediate surroundings and now on national television.

The cooking show setting was pretty fun, and should appeal to fans of the genre, though I do wish we'd been a little more immersed in it. The rapid pacing of it all taking place over the course of the month-long television filming schedule did lead to some rather up and down pacing in the romance, and I'd have liked to get to know the character's histories a little better. It would also have been nice to see a little more maturity in the dialogue,

Overall this was a quick and fun read that I'd recommend picking up for fans of steamy romances, queer love, and food!

Actual rating: 3.5/5
TW: misgendering, transphobia, smut, animal-derived food products

Finally an enby love interest in a romance novel! So refreshing to see. This was such a heartfelt and easy to connect with romance. I loved Dahlia and London and was happy to see them get their ending together.

This cooking competition brings the heat in this new queer romance from Anita Kelly! Dahlia's life is a bit of a hot mess-- she just quit her job, got divorced and gave everything up to compete on this cooking show, with no training. On the other hand, London has little to lose, they are independently wealthy and want the prize money to do good in their community. However, they are the first non binary contestant and their dad is not accepting of their identity. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, London and Dahlia quickly become allies in this game but are hesitant to evolve into more, despite their obvious chemistry. Can this shomance last after one of them inevitably wins the competition and the other loses? Read this steamy romance to learn more about this fun couple and get lots and lots of recipe inspiration :)

Love & Other Disasters is about a romance that forms between Dahlia and London on a competitive cooking show, Chef’s Special. Dahlia is recently divorced and feeling lost. London is Chef’s Special’s first openly nonbinary contestant. Neither of them anticipated falling in love when they signed up for the show. I really enjoyed this book. The cooking show was a fun setting for these two characters to fall in love. Food is such an important element in this book and to the characters. The romance between them was very sweet and steamy. I also like that they were able to grow as individuals throughout the book. Reading a romance novel that wasn’t between two straight, cisgender individuals was special. This debut novel is worth the read and I cannot wait to read more from Anita Kelly! Also, the cover is so perfect.

*Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for this eARC! Love & Other Disasters will be out January 18, 2022 and is available for pre-order now.