Chef’s Choice is a delightful and complex story of trans love. Jean-Pierre and Luna are foils of each other in almost every way, an opposites attract fake dating story layered in a plethora of contrasts that make the attraction between the two even more tantalising. What I truly loved about the romance and characters is how GENUINELY loathsome JP seemed until his tough exterior cracks. Luna was an incredible lead to follow throughout the book, her confidence was inspiring as a queer and non binary person myself. I also loved seeing JP find community in queerness and transness throughout the story. Truly such a tender and lovely book!

In the follow-up to the fabulous Chef's Kiss, we meet Luna, a trans woman, just as she's fired from her job as an assistant. When Jean-Pierre, a French trans man, offers Luna an obscene sum to pretend to be his girlfriend, she can't help but say yes. But when the two are forced to travel to Paris cook a 9-course meal to secure JP's inheritance, all bets are off.

While I enjoyed Chef's Kiss more--nothing can beat those Great British Bake Off vibes--I enjoyed this sequel, as well. This is one of those books that makes you really understand why #fictionmatters. I feel like I learned and appreciated so much about the trans community by reading this book, and it wasn't presented in a preachy way, and was generally just so approachable. I found JP a tad annoying--just as Luna did for much of the book--but overall enjoyed the love story and how it played out.

Thanks to Atria for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

Listen… I *loved* Chef’s Kiss. If you haven’t read it, you’re missing out. That having been said, Chef’s Choice was somehow even better. Author T.J. Alexander definitely outdid themselves with this book. The characters are earnest and funny and the kind of people you want to be friends with. At one point in the story, they joined friends for drinks and I wanted to be at the table with them. Luna and Jean-Pierre are perfection and their fake dating plot is adorable, well-executed, and very much above average. I cannot wait to read the next book Alexander provides for us, and every single one after that. Finally, if you’re the kind of person who skips the acknowledgments at the end of a book, rectify that immediately with this one. It’s sincere and heartfelt and not-to-be-missed.

I was gifted this advance reviewer copy from Net Galley and Atria Books, in exchange for my honest opinion and review. And while I’m extremely appreciative of that, I will absolutely also purchase a physical copy once it is released. It’s that good!

An enjoyable second title in this romance series. Both main characters are trans (FTM and MTF) with unique experiences and perspectives. Good chemistry and romance building.

This was pretty good and entertaining. I thought that it was well written and I liked the story line.
I just reviewed Chef's Choice by TJ Alexander. #NetGalley
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Great characters, good story. I love the how the characters are three dimensional. Yes, this is a romance about trans people but that is not the only thing we know about them and even when that is a central theme of the book it is not the only motivation.

I really enjoyed this book! Personally, it was my first trans romance and I really liked it! I think its wonderful and revoluntary and I hope to read more in the future. HIGHLY recommend!!

This was exceptionally cute and also quite revolutionary in terms of trans representation. I have read a lot of romantics with trans characters and I'm not sure that there is another traditionally published t4t romance. So that in and out of itself is fantastic.

We also have two trans characters who have different opinions on what being trans means for them and they argue about queerness and what it means to be queer and it was just kind of refreshing. It was also a little bit infuriating but I think that's just my bubble talking. Queer people are not a monolith and having characters be able to have different views but also be so respectful at the same time is a really impressive feat. I should mention that these different views are small things and nothing that is so divisive that a relationship couldn't work.

Anyway this whole book is like fake dating crossed with "oh no I have to do this very specific thing to get the money in the will" trope. I can never remember what that's called.; So we have Jean-Pierre who is a very opinionated grumpy French trans man who has to do this cooking competition thing for his family of chefs in order to qualify for the will. He ends up having to fake a lie about having a girlfriend and that's where Luna comes in. Luna is sunshiny but also an absolute badass who is not willing to take shit from anyone including the man who's paying her six fucking figures to fake date.

Luna and Jean-Pierre have very different experiences when it comes to being queer and being trans and seeing them learn about each others experiences and develop a begrudging friendship was really great.

The last 20% of this book is absolute chefs kiss. Just sheer perfection. I really enjoyed the entire thing but the last 20% just was amazing.

I read the Chefs Kiss and was eager to read The Chefs Choice. This was just just as quirky and funny. I highly recommend these books. If you looking for a light fun book with cut characters pick these up.

Beautifully written, earnest, and one of the most successful fake dating romance stories I’ve ever read. The fact that it is T4T just made it even more magnificently wonderful. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Emily Bestler Books/Atria for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A rom-com with two trans MC’s? yes, please. I think this may be the first book I’ve read from a non-independent publishing house with a trans couple and I’m here for it.

This was a wonderful, fast read that I enjoyed too much to stop and take notes as I was reading as I was sucked into the love story of Luna and Jean-Pierre. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book by this author.

Luna has just been fired from her job when an opportunity to make a huge amount of money appears. The catch? She’ll be pretending to be Jean-Pierre’s girlfriend, while also learning to cook an impossible menu for an antiquated family inheritance challenge.

What I loved:
-T4T romance
-getting to catch up with characters from Chef’s Kiss
-complex family relationships
-fake dating trope
-cooking plot elements

YESSS I LOVED THIS and I was so happy to see that Luna got her own book! My only complaint is that this book wasn’t significantly longer- I could’ve read way more of Luna and Jean-Pierre’s story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

After being fired on Zoom from her job as a personal assistant, Luna OShea visits the studio where her roommate Simone (main character from Chef''s Kiss) works to share the news and cry on her shoulder. Before Luna finds her, though, she meets a gruff Frenchman, Jean-Pierre, who needs a fake girlfriend FAST. JP will only inherit his family's large culinary empire if he gets a girlfriend AND learns how to cook the elaborate recipes for which his grandfather is renowned, and he's willing to pay big bucks for Luna to play the role and help him cook. And since Luna has no idea how she'll pay the rent otherwise, she accepts.

This fun and feisty romance features two trans main characters who are both so vividly depicted that they jump right off the page. Luna's sunshiny personality hides a backbone of steel, and she has no problem holding JP accountable when he becomes overbearing. (I loved how she pointed out that even though sex wasn't part of their arrangement, the transactional nature of their relationship meant it wasn't NOT sex work, and she should be respected.) JP's blunt, demanding nature hides loneliness, insecurity, and a growing tenderness for his "fake" girlfriend. Together, they are both incredibly stubborn -- and yet able to talk through their conflicts and their different points of view to find a path forward.

I loved how this story emphasized that while there are so many little roadblocks and microaggressions that trans people experience, no two trans people have the same journey through life. So many of Luna and JP's conflicts came from having different experiences of being trans, and I think that's a valuable reminder to all readers to appreciate the differences we all bring to the world.

Thank you, Atria/Simon and Schuster and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the gifted copy of Chef’s Choice, by T.J. Alexander. This sweet fake-dating romance is out on May 30th, and I can’t wait for more people to read it. In Chef’s Choice, we meet Liza, a trans woman who has just lost her job, and Jean-Pierre, a trans man who is heir to a huge culinary fortune and happens to need a girlfriend to help fulfill a series of challenges set by his grandfather.

I ADORED this book. I cheered so hard for Liza, as she faced her job challenges (and romantic challenges), and celebrated with her as she achieved certain goals and opportunities came to her. Jean-Pierre was such a sweetheart as well, and I loved his story too. I don’t want to say too much and give away some of the great parts, but I’ll say this: read this book!!! And then message me so we can discuss it.

Since I loved Chef’s Kiss by this author, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

Once again T. J. Alexander delivered a phenomenal romcom story. I absolutely loved the characters and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop from strangers to disgruntled acquaintances to… more. I really love how the author incorporates realistic portrayals of what it would mean to be transgender and how no one person is a monolith.

If you’re looking for a romantic story with amazing characters, a thrilling plot that involves fake dating, and great queer rep, you should definitely read this book!

Luna is a dissatisfied personal assistant, but at least it pays the bills--until she gets fired. She meets Jean-Pierre, a brash Frenchman who offers her a ridiculous amount of money to be his fake girlfriend. Soon the two are stuck together in a cooking competition, despite the fact that neither can cook. And there might be more of a connection between them than just a business arrangement.

This is the first romance I've read with two trans lead characters, and it's great to see the representation. But I hope it doesn't get attention solely for that reason, because it's a delightful book on its own merit. (And characters from Chef's Kiss make appearances, too!)

The story is told only from Luna's point of view, and I didn't feel like I got to know Jean-Pierre as well as a result. I don't think romances always need to be dual POV, but this one could have used some chapters in his voice.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this but I really found the characters rather annoying and the plot to be funny, but similar to the author's first one. I really loved the representation, but the characterization really made me not like this.

I absolutely loved how far fetched this concept was (running into a millionaire heir an hour after you're laid off and being roped into a high stakes cooking competition) and it was executed so well. I greatly appreciated the lack of third act break up (Luna and JP had been through enough trauma in their existence), and this was an absolutely lovely read.