While this book struggled the line between having adult romance content and an almost young adult-like dialogue outside of those moments, I did enjoy the characters, the reality tv show set-up, and the conversations about discrimination

This book will not only make you incredibly hungry, but it's sooooo needed!

Hot Takes
- This is my first non-binary romance and I learned so much! Hence why it's needed, especially in traditional publishing! I think the rep was handled incredibly well and I especially love how Dahlia and London's love story just went in head first and was never about Dahlia questioning her own sexuality in regards to London's identity.
- For me, this is the perfect amount of steam in a traditionally published romance. It started earlier then expected and we got some good good scenes! And I LOVEDDDDD how London lusted over Dahlia early on. They were clearly enamored with Dahlia, especially in the beginning and it was adorable and swoony.
- If you love food in your romance, this is it. I love a good cooking competition and it was giving me some Top Chef vibes so I enjoyed that while being incredibly hungry lololo. Also, loved seeing a bit of Jewish rep thrown in when the contestants had to make food for a Bar Mitzvah!
- This is really random, but I really appreciated London's shirt choice BAHAHAHAHA. I hate when a small detail in a book essentially ruins it (remind me to tell you about my aunt's feelings about a character's lampshades...) but this was an example where I was excited to see what shirt they were wearing that day. It's random, I know but whatever.

Read If You Like
- Food competitions, like in Accidentally Engaged!
- A cute little meet cute!

Love & Other Disasters was the love story I didn't know I needed! I loved the connection between London and Dahlia! The cooking competitions felt a little too fast paced and I wish the rivalry between them would have been tapped into a bit more, but their connection was honest and organic and I couldn't help but fall in love with both of them! The pacing and development of their individual journeys as well as their relationship was really well done! The writer did an incredible job with the characterization I felt like Dahlia and London were friends of mine. This is a book I will come back to when I need a feel-good romance or am just in the mood to revisit these characters that became a comfort for me throughout the book.

So this was a lot of fun! I loved the cooking competition TV show setting, and the main characters Dahlia and London were really easy to love. I thought they had great chemistry and found each of their individual struggles really interesting and relatable. Some gripes I had were sometimes I wish I had more POV of certain characters at certain points and I wish some of the other competitors had more of a spotlight.

If I reread this, I may give this a higher rating just bc i have been in a terrible reading slump for the past like 2 months so we will see.

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this adorable queer rom-com! I really enjoyed this one and loved that it was centered around a cooking show! This was a great friends to lovers story with funny bantering, fell in love with both main characters, London and Dahilia. Definately recommend this book to anyone looking for a funny, adorable romance.

Friends, I’m about to gush over “Love & Other Disasters” by Anita Kelly, and if you’ve been following me for even a little bit of time, you know I’m not shy about the books I love. I love, love, love this book. Do us both a favor and add it to the pre-order list right this moment. Go ahead, go now. I’ll wait.
….

Ok, now that we’ve taken care of business, I’ll resume my obsession over this fast-paced, adorkable and charming rom-com that fans of “The Charm Offensive” and any competition show on the Food Network will truly devour come January ‘22. I’ve never highlighted so many passages in an ebook before. I’m going to need a physical copy of this book so that I can refer back to my favorite parts over and over again.

Dahlia and London are competitors on “Chef’s Special”, a cooking show for amatuer chefs attempting to win $100,000. Each has applied to the cooking show for different reasons: Dahlia, to prove to herself that she could live her life out loud and create a new dream for herself after her divorce, while London aims to win the prize money in hope that they can start a non-profit for LGBTQIA and non-binary kids. Dahlia’s spark and sass is an electrical charge, a beacon of light that shines on others. London, conversely, is the stoic and steady ‘grump’ that we didn’t know we needed in our lives.

I can only speak for myself, but as I read I imagine the characters as real people. Dahlia and London might be fictitious, but their conflicts and issues are very real: divorce, questions of identity, sexuality, family drama, and even someone, somewhere competing on an amateur cooking show, the lucky devil. I always try to put myself in their shoes, in the shoes of their family, their best friend. This is my long winded way of saying Anita Kelly made me feel deeply.

Dahlia’s inner strength and self-awareness is awe inspiring. She made tough choices in the name of her own happiness and has to deal with those repercussions. Her character reminds me of the phrase “speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.” I’m so happy to have read my first book with a character using “they/them” as their pronouns. London is a beautiful character, and I know there are going to be so many people who will be able to see themselves in London.

Forever is a fantastic publisher for the LGBTQ community and I’m always proud to see the progress and inclusivity in the books they’re publishing. Thank you to @Netgalley and @readforeverpub for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Rating: 4.25/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Warnings: transphobia, family tensions, misgendering, divorce
Read if you liked: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake meets the Charm Offensive
Steam: 3.5/5
Tropes: forced proximity, friends to lovers, LGBTQ+ rep, foodie romance

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Love & Other Disasters will be released on January 18th, 2022.

I adored this beautiful queer romance with a non-binary MC within a cooking competition (think MasterChef). This was my first non-binary romance, there was a bit of a learning curve to read with they/them pronouns, but it clicked quickly. This romance was so filled with heart and so many swoons. I really wanted more of these humans and their genuine love.

Things I loved: I smiled through most of this book! I loved the “top 10” game Hank and Dahlia played. The sibling bonds London and Dahlia had with their siblings. Barbara…love her! Cooking together. Wedding crashing. The top 10 London and Dahlia created. Brussel sprouts and rice crispy treats. That ending...OMG! I love how true London was to themselves. Consent was so present…Kelly created good intimate scenes without using traditional gendered terms for London.

Things I didn’t care for: So they had way more access to the real world then I would assume someone on a reality show would…It confused me. Cell phones? Social media access? California adventures? The cooking competition and those logistics are on the major back burner in this book. I would have loved more food content and talking about food. Narrators switched within a single chapter; this was confusing at times.

I hope everyone can read and enjoy this lovely romance!

I enjoyed reading this book. I loved reading about the budding love story between London & Dahlia against the backdrop of the cooking reality show. My heart broke for London & the pain caused by their father. I was sad for this book to end. Can we get a part two to their love story? I want to know what’s next for them!!

This one was a struggle to read. The characters were flat or annoying, the writing was confusing, and I didn't find myself caring about the set up. Did not finish, which was a disappointment as I was excited for the diversity.

This book is a delight. There are a lot of reality show romances floating around, but this one is wonderful. London and Dahlia meet and fall in love as competitors on a cooking show. London is the first openly non-binary contestant, and Dahlia is a queer divorcee trying to figure out her life.

Their story arc moving from contestants to friends and beyond is natural and heartwarming. There are only a few side characters, none of which get a lot of 'screen time' per se, but they are well thought out and feel authentic.

This book was sweet, but does touch on the difficulties faced by LGBTQIA people. It's not devoid of triggers or angst, but there are on page, immediate challenges to transphobia or mis-gendering.

I really loved this story from the first to last page. The descriptions and love of food, LA and Nashville made me hungry and wander-lusty.

#LoveOtherDisasters
#NetGalley

From the first sentence of Anita Kelly’s stunning debut, I knew I was in good hands. I devoured this soft, steamy story of two big-hearted and imperfect characters figuring themselves out and opening up to each other. The cooking show setting provided the perfect amount of humor and high-stakes drama (plus gorgeous food descriptions). I haven’t been able to stop thinking about London and Dahlia since I finished it, and I’m so excited to for Kelly’s next book in this universe!

I loved this book so much. It's super queer, super romantic, and so super feel-good I'm still smiling just thinking about it even though I finished it days ago. Can't wait for more by this author!

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A smart, sexy, and poignant novel with characters that definitely had me rooting for them - Love & Other Disasters is a charmer with realized characters fully capable of drawing cheers and tears.

This was my first experience with queer romance fiction as well as with a main character with they/them pronouns. I do think utilizing they/them in fiction can occasionally be challenging, but that's just a quirk of grammar in the 21st century.

But hey, I probably read way too fast and this was a good reason to stop and smell the roses - or literally read all the words in the sentence, like I'm supposed to.

These characters were definitely living, breathing characters to me and I occasionally had to stop and text someone else reading it just so we could talk about how much they were affecting me!

All in all, a really, really great read and I'm looking forward to reading whatever Anita Kelly gives us next.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is beautiful and real and I whole-heartedly enjoyed it.

After her divorce, Dahlia is trying to adjust to her new normal and find her place in life while struggling to pay her bills. She signs up to be a contestant on the reality cooking contest Chef's Special in hopes to win the $100,000 prize and help her pay down some debt and start her new life. What she doesn't expect is to be blindsided with feelings for fellow contestant London. London, who is struggling with her father's refusal to use their pronouns and the backlash from some of the fellow contestants after telling them they are nonbinary and explaining their pronouns, is taken aback by the klutzy Dahlia who is stationed in front of them. As the two become closer and strike up a friendship, it becomes clear that the sparks between them are stronger than just friends. But London and Dahlia live in different parts of the country, they are on a reality show where either of them could be sent home any day, and are thrown into the middle of a media frenzy. Can their relationship survive these obstacles?

These characters were so real and raw. London was so amazing and such a powerful voice for the LBGTQIA+ community, but I also loved how we saw so much vulnerability to them. While they were strong and determined, we saw how the lack of acceptance from some and the social media frenzy took its toll on them and it really made this such a believable and emotionally raw story. And then there is Dahlia. I just loved her so much. She was feisty and spunky and at times seemed so self assured and other times was so open and vulnerable. The relationship between London and Dahlia was steamy and loving and everything you hope for in a great romance.

The cooking show aspect of this made for such a great setting and a fun read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, steamy romance.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the chance to read this one in exchange for an honest review. All onions are my own.

Disclaimer: I am mutuals with the author on social media and interact with them periodically. My review is my own opinion.

I am a big fan of this author’s indie novellas and was so excited to pick up this full-length book. Anita did not disappoint! Love & Other Disasters is a sweet, warm queer romance that I can tell was written with joy and care. London & Dahlia feel real, messy, relatable. I really enjoyed how they navigated their different personalities and approaches to life.

I was touched by London’s struggles coming out as non-binary to a national audience. I think (I hope) that anyone for whom gender identity/coming out is a trigger, L&OD will be a safe read. London does encounter some people (including a family member) who aren’t accepting, but they are offset by the vast majority of characters who do see/love London for who they are. I admit I shed a couple tears over the messages of gratitude from trans youth London started to receive.

I’ve read a few foodie/cooking show romance novels this year and this is by far my favorite. The premise is an effective forced proximity method without being overly dramatic. The conflict/drama remains focused on the characters’ individual and romantic development instead of relying on bully judges or contrived competitiveness. Still made me hungry, though.

This was on the lower end of the angst scale for me. It takes you through a lot of emotions but overall is lighthearted and optimistic. I think a lot of people will really, really love this book!

Adorable and funny. Anita Kelly’s romance between two contestants on a cooking show is at turns disarmingly earnest and hilarious

Thank you so much to Read Forever pub for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!

Following the POV of Dahlia, a recently divorced home-made chef and recently out non-binary chef, London, Love & Other Disasters follows the two of them on Chef's Special, a cooking competition show in which they are both contestants.

Both Dahlia and London spend the book finding themselves while also finding one another amongst the chaos of a cooking competition where they know every little thing is caught on camera. This is sweet, EXTREMELY sexy, and altogether a wonderful and easy read that I powered through in a single day.

With both a queer and nonbinary set of MCs, this book is bound to become a favorite amongst my rom ocm collection. Cannot recommend it enough!

This book was exactly what I needed.

It was sweet, it was funny, it was delightfully queer. It was so great to just casually read about a nonbinary person and not have it be a coming out story. They're just on a cooking show! and nonbinary! It was really something that I appreciated.

The romance was sweet and had me smiling over and over again. I loved the reality-tv aspect of it as well as it was happening on a cooking show, and how that complicated their lives further.

I also appreciated and related to Dahlia as someone who also has very big emotions, I love that that was celebrated in this book.

"Dahlia Woodson might have been shit at marriage, but she could dice an onion like a goddamn professional" THIS FIRST LINE OF THE BOOK HAD ME HOOKED!

This is the first book I read with a gender non-binary character. I truly love London’s character and everything they stood for. They were kind, strong, level-headed and confident. Although they dealt with very difficult circumstances (such as their father not respecting how they identify), their perseverance was truly admirable. Additionally, I really loved Dahlia’s character. I thought it was very refreshing to see a woman in her mid to late 20s who doesn’t have her shit sorted out. I feel as though the themes explored in this book such as discovering oneself and learning to love oneself are themes often explored in YA books. It should be normalized that you don’t need to know fully who you are or what your life purpose is once you’re an adult. Additionally, this book was really funny! Certain scenes had me laughing out loud (the cow scene is going to be living in my head rent free). The banter between Dahlia and London is *chef’s kiss* (ha ha see what I did there). I also really loved the brief discussion on therapy in the book and the normalization of going to therapy.

Now, it’s clear I loved many parts of the book but I do have a bone to pick with some other aspects. Firstly, I thought the way in which Dahlia and London got together was very rushed. They have a bit of a tiff at the beginning and then it feels like suddenly they start crushing on each other. I think had this book been more of an enemies to lovers kind of vibe, I would have loved their love story more. I love a good spicy book but I felt at times the spice took away from the beautiful moments and important conversations London and Dahlia were having. Additionally, I loved the cooking show aspect of this book but I found it was a sub-plot to the novel. The cooking show scenes felt super rushed which is a shame because they were my favorite parts of the book. Finally, I found the book to be a little repetitive at times. It followed the same formula of having a cooking show challenge and then a scene of Dahlia and London. The book started to become very predictable and a little dragged out.

Overall, this is a great book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun, spicy, queer read that also tackles some heavy and important subjects. It also has great representation. I’m super happy I got the pleasure of reading this book and I’ll be sure to look out for future books written by Anita Kelly!

I saw Anita Kelly talk about LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS during a new romance book showcase and I knew I had to read it. And readers, this book lived up to the hype!

Opposites attract/sunshine and grump romance set during a cooking competition. Utter bookish catnip for me!

Dahlia is recently divorced, working a soul-deadening job with a load of debt and no real plan for the future other than winning this cooking competition.

London stated their pronouns on national television and is committed to proving the haters, including family members and a fellow contestant wrong, when they win the competition. Falling for the charming, klutzy goof at the next cooking station isn’t part of their plan.

This story thoroughly charmed me. The book alternates between Dahlia and London’s POV so we get to read about all of their feelings - hopes, fears, insecurities, and desires.

Dahlia is the relatable, sunshine-even-in-the-face-of-adversity klutz. Her first big moment in the competition is tripping and sending her plate of food sailing then crashing.

London is the more reserved one, feeling the weight of being a very visible nonbinary person.

So many feels in this book! Serious ones like anger at haters but there were sweet, tender, and sexy moments too. And some laugh-out-loud funny ones - London trying to milk a cow had me gigglesnorting.

I love when authors find new ways to write about the perfect pairing of food and romance and LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS definitely did it for me!

For fans of The Charm Offensive and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake.