I'm generally a big TJ Alexander fan, but this one didn't quite do it for me. First of all, I feel like this cover is ROUGH. I understand the artist wanted certain features to be clear, but this cover feels transphobic almost to me.

While Chef's Choice was sweet and feel-good, it was also generally pretty slow. As much as I love a T4T romance, this one just didn't hit the spot.

I have read both books in this series and both move a little slow but this one I felt especially slow. Great story lines and representation, just a bit slower moving than I expected.

This review is of my own opinion. I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will always love a fake dating/fake relationship trope! Add in a ridiculous culinary challenge, trans protagonists, Frenchy-Frenchness, and humor and I am sold. I loved the different relationships Luna and Jean-Pierre have with the people around them and that Alexander addresses what both supportive and unsupportive families can look like for trans people. I feel like I learned a lot more about the trans community through the lens of Luna and JP's story and enjoyed watching their affection for one another grow alongside their culinary skills. The secondary characters were good (though I would have liked more on-page time with them and the two protagonists), humor was excellent, and Alexander's descriptions of both New York and Paris made the settings feel real. The only thing that sort of brings the story and relationship down is that the ending implies that Luna keeps the money from Jean-Pierre, even after their relationship becomes official. So that feels... sort of weird... I hope she either gave the money back or that they jointly invested it somewhere. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and every time I had to put it down (I mean, with all those descriptions of food, I was bound to get hungry!) I kept wanting to get back to it as soon as I could to see what Luna and JP were up to next. I look forward to reading more queer romances from Alexander!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Chef's Choice early.

I read Chef's Kiss not too long ago and was happy to receive the ARC for Chef's Choice to get the follow-up story for Simone's best friend and roommate, trans woman Luna. She sounded like a fascinating character with a great background and history that I wanted to learn more about - and it's definitely a great story!

While Chef's Kiss was a good, solid 3.5-4 star read, it wasn't my favourite book out there (I found it to be quite slow, though a lot of people were raving about it as their top 2022 read), Chef's Choice was far more interesting to me! It was definitely more like a 4+ star. The character of Luna was far more fascinating than I had realized from book 1, and her interactions with trans man Jean-Pierre, and forming a fake relationship after she loses her IT job, was a great read. The fact that he was still treated quite normally, while she received all of the expected transphobia out in the world today - it's a very sad reality. As an ally, this always breaks my heart, especially knowing a lot in the community and that it's so true (my province has a lot of hate and it's really bad out there).

The pair forms a fake relationship because Jean-Pierre needs to prove to his grandfather that he can be in a stable relationship (oh, did I mention that he's promised her some cash to pretend?), and that together they can pass the baking challenges required to take over his grandfather's culinary empire and therefore receive his inheritance... But neither of them is very good in the kitchen, most especially Luna - who cracks an egg with all of the shell included. They bond over practicing. They bond over taking their hormones together. They bond over getting to know their updated bodies together... even though that wasn't part of the deal. It's a great fake relationship romance!

I did enjoy this one - a solid 4, 4+ star read. I definitely recommend it for those who enjoyed Chef's Kiss and are wanting to know Luna's story, and even those who didn't read it. it will read well as a standalone.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Atria Books (Atria/Emily Bestler Books), and this is my honest feedback.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Chef’s Choice is a standalone followup to TJ Alexander debut novel, Chef’s Kiss, and while the first book felt very catered to the mainstream cis reader, this one felt a bit more subversive, especially as both leads are trans, and there’s a lot of nuance and both leads have different perspectives on being trans, due to their varied lived experiences, and it’s a reminder that trans people are not a monolith.
Luna and JP are both such compelling characters. JP is grumpy in the best way, and it just made it better when he started to fall for Luna. Luna’s financial situation is very relatable, and I could not help but root for her to find her feet in the world. Their relationship is very beautiful, and I love how they complement each other and help each other grow.
I liked the nuance of the varied experiences with their respective parents. From the well-meaning, yet somewhat out-of-touch to the more overtly unaccepting, I appreciated how it showed that there’s a spectrum of behaviors that can be alienating to trans people, and that even self-proclaimed “allies” can still make missteps.
This is a great book, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for contemporary romances with trans rep.

Great read about two very different people who end up in a fake dating arrangement with huge stakes. Just like the first book in the series, there are glorious descriptions of the food the characters make.
If you enjoyed the characters of Chef's Kiss, you'll be happy to find that they play a part in this installment. I'm adding TJ Alexander to my list of authors who I will read everything they write.

This was such a wonderful book omg. I absolutely loved Luna and Jean Pierre and thought their dynamic was so lovely. I enjoyed that both main characters were transgender and it was so cool and special to see both of their individual journeys and even learning from each other. They both were compelling to read about and I just loved them so much. With a dramatic fake dating premise, characters you can’t help but love, a meaningful and nuanced incorporation of trans identity throughout the novel, and a joyful conclusion, Chef’s Choice is a book that I definitely recommend.

4.5

Fake Dating
One Bed
MMC Grandson of Celebrity
Inheritance Challenge
MMC Cinnamon Roll
Open Door (but light on spice)
One Time Thing
Height Difference
Strong FMC

This is a fluffy feel good RomCom that I devoured in a day. JP gives all the sweet cinnamon roll goodness that makes you swoon!!! Luna and JP are magic together. Did I want more spice, of course I did. We get two shorter scenes. The pacing was excellent for me. The ending did feel a little abrupt for me, though this felt intentional, breaking apart from the normal formulaic epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.


Will review on Amazon when able to - have attached link to my Amazon profile as it can take a bit for them to post.

A fun follow up book to last year’s Chef’s Kiss. This is a fake dating trope with a mix of a cooking challenge thrown in. It is also the first romance I’ve read where both leads are trans. A lot of the side story involves discussing trans as both characters come from differing views and experiences. The gist of the story is Jean-Pierre (JP), is the son and grandson of chef’s on both sides of his family. But grandfather insists on Jean-Pierre passing a cooking challenge in order to inherit the culinary empire. Put on the spot he offers Luna O’Shea a quick sum of money to play his girlfriend for 15 minutes. She was fired the previous day from her job and accepts. Of course when she gets invited to part of the challenge the ruse must continue longer and the compensation increases.

They get some help and training from Luna’s roommate Simone and her partner Ray who work for a cooking show. I was happy to see them as they were the MCs in the previous novel. Luna is a ray of sunshine and her mom is a delight. First impressions of JP is grumpy Frenchman with an abundance of money. My only negative is there seems to be more of a focus on trans issues than on getting to know each other. It jumps abruptly to feelings. But this is still wonderfully sweet and I highlighted several laugh out loud funny lines.

I look forward to whatever Alexander writes next. Thank you to Atria Books for the eARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

Chef's Choice is the follow up to Chef's Kiss however; can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed TJ Alexander's sophomore novel and the important messages portrayed about trans- rights/ trans-people. However; I felt that this novel focused on those topics and put the actual plotline of cooking to the wayside.

* I had a hard time figuring out how to rate this one as the audience just isn't for me. Is it a good read for others who are interested in important LGBTQ+ topics? Most likely. *

In my review for Chef’s Kiss, I said I absolutely loved Luna and I was hoping for a sequel with her as the protagonist - I’m so glad I got my wish! I read a lot of LGBTQ+ romance and TJ Alexander’s books really stand out. They are so good at showing the struggle and the joy and the pride all in one fell swoony swoop. Their stories are so wonderfully authentic, the characters could easily be myself and my friends put down on the page. After just 2 books, they are an autobuy author for me, now. I’m eagerly awaiting their next bestseller! (Im manifesting it into existence!)

Luna and JP are fantastic characters you can’t help but root for. I love that Alexander took 2 trans characters and gave them totally different motivations and opinions about gender - because there is no right or wrong way to be trans and/or queer and nobody gets to gatekeep anyone else’s experience! This was just such an amazing book overall and I think everyone should read it.

As mentioned, Chef’s Choice is the second book in TJ Alexander’s Chef’s Kiss series yet you don’t have to read the first book. I will say that if you do, you’ll get more context but that’s up to you. You get Simone and Ray’s romance in the first book as they do a significant role in this book.

Chef’s Choice follows Luna, a trans woman with a seemingly great life before getting fired. She tries to go and vent to Simone yet is interrupted by Jean-Pierre. He offers her 1,000 dollars to be his fake girlfriend for a few minutes yet it takes a turn when his grandfather cons her into helping JP with his “cooking challenge.”

We find out JP’s family is made up of massively famous chefs while he’s just not. He frankly doesn’t have any idea about what he wants to do aside from inheriting his grandfather’s empire. Of course, he can’t just get the empire. He has to cook this feast of epic proportions for his grandfather and Luna gets tasked with helping him. The issue is that these two aren’t chefs or even, really home cooks so it goes from there.

From a foodie perspective, this book talked so much about food. We watched as these two leaned on Simone and Ray to help them learn the recipes for the challenges. Some of the food they were tasked with cooking were caviar royale, duck leg confit with foie gras terrine, braised saddle of rabbit, and floating islands de fruits. As you can see, JP’s grandfather set him up to have a massive challenge in front of him.

We also saw JP cook mac n cheese for Luna and even, Luna muse about the greatness of Wawa which as a Sheetz fan, I couldn’t bare to hear. Even though the food didn’t play as large of a role as within book 1, I do think this was a solid one for my fellow foodies.

As far as romances go, Chef’s Choice was not my favorite. I hated how these two talked to each other as they were often incredibly rude and mean to each other. Seeing their treatment of each other made it hard to root for them. However, I pushed through and ended up being happy for these two yet the way these two acted towards each other upset me more than anything.

Regardless if you’re a foodie who loves casually queer romances, I think you’ll enjoy Chef’s Choice. I would recommend picking up Chef’s Kiss first, though. I think you’ll get a lot more knowing Simone and Ray’s story. Either way, I think you can’t go wrong with either.

Chef’s Choice is an adorable follow-up to Chef’s Kiss. If you like lighthearted romance and all sorts of romance tropes, especially fake dating, this book is for you.

Written by trans and nonbinary author TJ Alexander, it features two trans protagonists who are charming and relatable to everyone, regardless of gender identity. Luna and Jean-Pierre's fake dating arrangement quickly becomes something more as they navigate the challenges of cooking, family expectations, and their growing feelings for each other.

I loved the way the author portrayed the relationship between Luna and Jean-Pierre - it was sweet, genuine, and full of chemistry. Overall, this book was a delightful read that left me with a smile. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light, enjoyable romance with LGBTQ+ representation.

The plot of this was almost singularly silly, with an abundance of unlikely contrivances even for the romance genre, but I LOVED this book so much. It's deeply cute and the trans representation was amazing. I've already texted friends to urge it on them. Sending wishes to the universe that it gets optioned, what a fun time that would be.

We all met the character Luna in TJ Alexander's first book in the series, Chef's Kiss. Luna is a trans female and gets laid off at her job. Out of nowhere, Luna is in the right place at the right time and becomes a fake girlfriend of trans male character Jean-Pierre (JP). JP has to cook special dishes for his grandfather to inherit money and Luna agrees to help for a price. The author takes us on a journey of showing how non-cis relationships look like and the importance in having people who support you in your life.

I could not get into this book. I really wanted to love it because I like the plot and the cover is adorable, but I just could not get into the writing.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was just a bundle of joy. I am a sucker for all things fake dating but throw in a culinary competition and I’m sold. I loved the trans representation and how both Luna & Jean-Pierre shared about their trans experience and how they differed from one another. I also love a book that celebrates trans joy. And don’t get me STARTED with the one bed trope: I’m in heaven. TJ Alexander truly shined in this sequel and I look forward to reading more from the author.

Read if you like:
😂 Laugh out Loud Books
🏳️‍⚧️ Transgender Rep
💗 Love is Love
💋 Fake Dating

What would you do if you had to do something super specific in order to get money from the family will? Obviously you would pay someone a thick stack of bills to fake date you so you can get the money, right?

I loved how this one normalizes transition and truly reiterates that love is love for those that need to hear it louder in the back.

I truly loved this one and can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you so much Atria for my ARC in exchange for my review!

4.5 stars

I think Chef’s Choice was my first t4t—dual transgender main characters—and I was entranced.

It wasn’t just about the romance, although I loved that too. It was about the humor and the disagreements (which were always resolved with grown-up discussion) and the realization that everyone has different experiences. Jean-Pierre and Luna, while they are both trans, have varying ideas and thoughts about passing, acceptance, family support, and community. And that made it so much more of a “real” story to me.

The romance was just the cherry on top. Since everything is told from Luna’s POV, we as readers get to watch Jean-Pierre grow from this grumpy, emo French baguette to an adoring and heartfelt partner, there to do anything to support Luna and make her happy.

If I’m being totally honest, I didn’t love the first in the series, Chef’s Kiss. So I almost didn’t pick this one up. Thank goddess I did, as it’s quickly becoming one of my new favorite reads. Hallelujah for more diverse representation in trad pub books!

Thank you to Atria Books for the review copy!

Thank you Simon and Schuster for an Earc of this book in exchange for my honest review

When I saw that TJ Alexander had written another book I knew I needed to read it. This book was so cute and made me happy. I could really connect to the main character Luna and her struggle to fit in. The trans representation on this book is amazing and it was interesting to see different perspectives from trans characters, I really liked the French aspect in this book as well and it really helped getting to know Jean - Pierre better. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a cute, funny queer romance book