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.

I absolutely devoured this book, Dahlia and London hooked me quickly with their POVs and the tension between them as well as in the cooking competition kept me turning the pages. An excellent f/nb romance to add to your shelves!

An absolutely lovely romance! London and Dahlia are both wonderful characters with distinct voices, and they really bring out the best in each other throughout the book. As expected, the romance is much more of a focus than the show, but there's definitely enough about food and cooking to keep foodie readers happy. I'm really looking forward to reading more in this world!

CW: transphobia (including unsupportive parent)

I’m always on the lookout for new romance authors, especially if they write stories and characters like Anita Kelly.

It was ridiculous how fast I fell in love with London Parker. I wanted to hug the hell out of them. Also, London and Dahlia were one of the loveliest couple I read about his year. But most of all I want my own London.

Loved them so much!!! London was a bit of grump, a bit hesitant, but also dry witted with the most wonderful personality. Can’t tell you enough how enchanted I was with them.

Dahlia was a ray of sunshine, definitely the sunshine to London’s grumpiness. They fit marvellously!! And she made them laugh, and me too.

Truly, the author did a marvellous job with this debut novel.

I adored the personalities, the writing, but most of all the chemistry between Dahlia and London. When those two were together the book was PERFECTION!!! Can’t describe it any better.

The book had HEART, messy and realistic characters, and the most likeable couple. Also, I can’t get enough of books centered around cooking shows, I already read this year Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake as well as Battle Royal and this topic just doesn’t get old. I love them. Although, the books including LOVE & OTHER DISASTERS never go far enough in regards to the contest if you ask me – I always need MORE – but that just means I have to finally catch up with TGBBO.

LOVE & OTHER DISASTERS was a wonderful and adorable f/nb queer romance that should be on everyone’s tbr for 2022.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I had high hopes for this one but it unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations.

To start off the characters seem very one dimensional. Dahlia didn’t feel like someone grounded in reality she felt like a character and when I’m reading it’s important to find that sense of realness in the characters and it wasn’t there for her. London was slightly better but they still felt very mysterious with where their mind was at by the end of this type of book I want to know the characters inside and out.

As for the story, i should’ve known that I would get bored or irritated with the reality show part of the story. In the past I’ve mentioned issues with books relating to fame or Hollywood but I have had exceptions in the past so I held out hope. But I’m sad to say this wasn’t one of those exceptions.

LOVE & OTHER DISASTERS, a queer contemporary romance, is author Anita Kelly's full-length debut and it was (chef's kiss). Thanks to @forever @grandcentralpublishing and @Netgalley for the early copy.

Chef’s Special- a televised cooking competition brings Dahlia (recently divorced/on a trapeze without a net) and London (first openly nonbinary contestant/wanting acceptance) together.

I'd describe this as a 'Romance with Heft'. It blends the swoony elements of charming levity with deeper, vulnerable layers. There was a well-paced, well cared for balance between serious (transphobia/misgendering/love after divorce/messy families) and fluffy (cooking show disasters/wedding crashing/stolen kisses). I loved the dual-perspective because it showcased and celebrated both Dahlia and London's flaws and insecurities independently. This made the coming together elements steamy, sweet, meaty and magical.

The book is told in the 3rd person and the use of London's preferred pronouns "They/them/their" throughout made for a unique reading experience. It stretched my reading and I found it educational, eye-opening and refreshing.

Anita Kelly is a self-proclaimed "writer of queer kissing books." I didn't know I needed this in my life, but I most certainly did. Love & Other Disasters hits shelves in January 2022, and it is an utter delight.

It mixes a couple of my favorite rom-com themes: cooking contexts and friends-to-lovers. Plus, while it doesn't take place in my hometown of Nashville, TN, one of the leads London comes from a prominent Nashville family. Plus, this is apparently the first of three books in a series focusing on London's family. So exciting.

In this book we get to witness queer love but also just adults with real-life problems who happen to be attracted to each other. It's refreshing to read a book where it's more about the relationship than absurd events and miscommunications being the driving force of the plot.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.