Name: Ari 😚's review of Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Item: Meet Cute Diary
Rating: 5
Author: Ari 😚

Emery Lee

Felix Ever After meets Becky Albertalli in this swoon-worthy, heartfelt rom-com about how a transgender teen's first love challenges his ideas about perfect relationships. Noah Ramirez thinks he's an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There's just one problem--all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe. When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah's world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn't have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah's life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah's feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn't quite the same as finding love on the page. In this charming novel by Emery Lee, Noah will have to choose between following his own rules for love or discovering that the most romantic endings are the ones that go off script.

Meet Cute Diary

Andrada D

Ari 😚

Bria

It was okay. I love the diversity and trans rep 🤷🏽‍♀️

The structure and writing of this book just reminds me of a wattpad story or colleen hoover book, like jesus. Secondly the plot was entirely useless?! Noah has a to date someone to prove that the meet cute tumblr blog is real? tf. it feels like the author just added on the trope at the last second, trying to push it in with their original idea. then adding in another romance right after to make it seem woke. this could have been some good food for thought if the mc actually just stopped focusing on the next romance for 5 minutes of the book, and actually reflected 

Aspen

Phinn

I really enjoyed reading this book and watching Noah grow as a person. I loved the representation in this book such as different ethnicity’s, identity’s, sexuality’s, and less common pronouns. Sometimes throughout the book I thought Noah was kind of annoying especially when he was starting his relationship with Drew. Although, I was very happy to see Noah change and learn from his mistakes through the course of this book, especially with his and Drew’s relationship. One thing that gave me comfort in this book is seeing Noah go through and learn from challenging experiences that I’ve gone through or are still going through. Another thing that gave me comfort was how Noah’s whole family was so supportive of him as a person.

Alex

**spoilers**

gets 2,5 stars from me tbh. 

I loved the first half of the book, it was corny, fluffy and sweet. But tbh it just went downhill for me after that. I did love that he eventually ended up with devin, but thats purely because Drew began to be a massive piece of shit. And then the true relationship of the book was cut off too short for me. 

What I did like about the book:
It was an easy read, I loved the diversity of the characters and Devins exploration of gender. 

It was a cute idea but to me Drew couldve easily been left out and entirely replaced by Devin. That it would be more of an ironic one "wanting a meet cute but getting the total opposite". Drews and Noahs relationship just feels too out of place for me. As a trans guy I just wanted a story about pure trans love but it just didn't really feel like that.

Felix Ever After meets Becky Albertalli in this swoon-worthy, heartfelt rom-com about how a transgender teen’s first love challenges his ideas about perfect relationships. Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem—all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe. When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page. In this charming novel by Emery Lee, Noah will have to choose between following his own rules for love or discovering that the most romantic endings are the ones that go off script.

Rachel Evans

(4.5/5) Audiobook - 3 hours 30 minutes - I adored this book. The character's were loveable and mostly realistic, and the book didn't seem repetitive and overly drawn-out like a lot of books in the genre can sometimes be. I love reading from trans perspectives, and it was especially interesting to read about a character using gender neutral pronouns other than they/them, considering I think I've only read those a couple of times in the first place. I think it was interesting to see how the main character's views on relationships changed as he grew and experienced more things - I could relate to a lot of that. Being blinded by your first proper relationship, thinking it is perfect when in fact it is incredibly toxic and manipulative, and I think this character was cleverly written so we learned this alongside the main character, rather than it being obvious from the start and mentally screaming at the character for not seeing the frankly obvious red flags. I'm weak for LGBTQ books with happy endings and this did not disappoint.

Ashley S. 

I don’t actually like contemporary romance, or romance at all for that matter. However, I wanted to pick up a queer book and so this was the first one I read of the year. I enjoyed it. The main character can be a bit…annoying, but honestly it’s super cute and adorable for what it’s worth.

I'm really disappointed in how much I didn't enjoy this book. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it was just not what I hoped for. I didn't like Noah as a character; he was super obnoxious, honestly. I'm super confused as to how he apparently never received submissions or requests to submit stories on his blog before this point? His inbox was open he HAD to have received submissions before! Also, just from the few stories added in the book, it's obvious they're fake because they're all written the exact same way and end the exact same way, which if you're getting stories from a ton of different people wouldn't happen, so is he really that surprised that someone called him out? Also I'm super concerned about the fact that this boy is apparently broadcasting his location well enough that it's obvious all his stories are happening in the Miami area like learn some basic internet safety, you silly child. Like, I know it's very common for younger internet users to just put all their info out there for everyone to see and they think it's sketchy if you're not 1000% transparent, but every time I see a kid who makes it really obvious where they live and how to find them and all the ways they're vulnerable it just stresses me the hell out so the fact that his location is accurately pinpointed just concerned me and it's not like an issue at all besides as proof that the stories on the blog are fake. 

There were some good beats to the story and the overall message that it was aiming for was very good. But it was just not executed all that well. Like honestly I just wanted Devin's story but even eir's storyline with Noah felt ridiculously rushed and unsatisfying. I'm just really disappointed right now.

vely

I FINALLY GOT THIS AND IT WAS SO GOODDDDD

Flavia Louise

I wish some things ended sooner but this was ultimately really cute

Alexa Jade

actual rating: 4.5 stars. 

I loved this SO DAMN MUCH and I thought it was going to be my first 5 star read of 2022 but unfortunately it was missing something. either that or I can tie in the .50 star dock with the ending and how it felt just a little zero to 100.

anderson elizabeth

Meet Cute Diary is about Noah Ramirez who runs a Tumblr blog about trans people who have meet-cute stories. The twist is that they're all made up. When another blog begins to bash on Noah's blog he makes a mission to fake date someone in an attempt to make it look like the stories are true.

This book isn't as much of a rom-com type of book as I expected it to be but I think that it was really important. The author includes people of a variety of pronouns. There is a character who is in the process of figuring out what pronouns best fit them so throughout the novel The pronouns that they identify with change which I think is something that is valuable to see in literature. You hear about people figuring out their identities but there's not necessarily always the representation of people figuring that part of themselves out in media or books. One of the other things that I really liked about this book was the way it kind of pulled back the curtain on the reality of trying to force a meet-cute relationship. I personally blame Disney and a lot of the romcoms that I watched growing up for my weird standards of how relationships should form. I appreciated the way this book broke those down. It's possible to have a cute start to a relationship without it having to be a meet-cute. It can come in a more natural and organic way.

I love the way that Emery wrote the relationship between Noah and his brother. It was nice to see a book with a trans protagonist where they had the support of their family and especially it showed how Noah's brother was proactive with learning about being trans and supportive of Noah. The way that compares to a relationship between Noah and another character in the book is interesting. Because between knowing his brother you see a lot of love and support. Noah's brother is always trying to be understanding and if he makes us something out here immediately corrects it. Also when Noah's brother observes someone making a comment that they shouldn't he immediately shuts it down. This other character in the book is definitely not like that. They let their friends get away with making offhand comments that don't sit well with Noah.

I’m definitely excited to read what Emery writes in the future.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books, and NetGalley for giving me access to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Elena

4/5 stars

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book I mean I like the romance and how Noah figures out his life but everything is revolved around him and not just in an MC way but like we start talking about one character and their problems but then right away we move back to Noah's problems like the other character is suddenly fine. I hated Drew he was so annoying the whole time he did stuff that Noah never liked and was always saying that it was for the diary but why do something if you don't enjoy it. Devin was really nice and kind, it was only Becca's letter that helped him tell Devin about his feeling toward em. I really liked how LGBTQ was represented in this book it was really good and I really liked it. The Diary was more of a side plot and the romance was the whole thing I mean that's the point of the book but I feel like there should have been more included about the diary because obviously, that's was the book is called Meet Cute Diary and there was just not enough about it in this book.

Lu Kluck

I heard so many good things about this book, I was so excited about it. But unfortunately, it disappointed me quite a bit. Mostly because the rhythm of the writing and plot kind of felt off. Sometimes it felt truly sweet and emotional, but other times it felt annoying and corny. I get that it was kind of the point at the beginning, but I still didn't enjoy it. 
I liked the way it flipped some common rom-com tropes and tackled abusive relationships as well as the usual cute endgame romances, but the protagonist kind of got on my nerves multiple times throughout the story, with his cheesiness and stuff. 
I still liked the book, and I read it in one sitting, but it just wasn't amazing and didn't get to be one of my favorites.

Full Review:

The following review and other bookish content can be found in my blog, Luie's Digital Bookshelf, and also on my Instagram @luies_digital_bookshelf

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Rating: 3☆
Age-range; Genre: Young-Adult; LGBTQ+ Contemporary Romance
Trigger warnings (Storygraph): Graphic: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse. Moderate: Vomit, Transphobia, Cursing. Minor: Racism, Drug use, Alcohol, Suicide attempt (mentions of a pre-book occurrence), Bullying (mentions of a pre-book occurrence).
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Noah started the Meet Cute Diary as a place to project his romantic fantasies as a trans person living in a conservative town, but now it’s grown to be a haven for trans people around the world. But when it gets attacked by a troll that exposes the meet-cute stories as fake, he has no choice but to fake-date the handsome Drew to save the Diary. However, real-life dating isn’t half as dreamy and perfect as on the page, and Noah will have hard choices ahead of him. In the end, maybe meet-cutes aren’t the only way to find love.


This rom-com had everything to be fantastic, but it, unfortunately, didn’t deliver, at least for me. The least bothersome part for me, and the most pleasant surprise, was the subversion of the fake-dating trope and other tropes typical to rom-com. Despite making a point of it at the beginning of the book, the annoying and corny passages, and narrative style in general, still bothered me and significantly diminished my enjoyment of the story.

Furthermore, both the writing and the plot felt unbalanced and out of rhythm. Sometimes, it felt sweet and emotional, like many reviews promised, but other times it merely felt cheesy and irritating. The protagonist, Noah, also grated on my nerves many times, with ideological and vexing notions about love and romance that felt infantile and unrealistic. Noah’s immature and selfish attitudes frankly made it hard to get into the book


My favorite parts of this book were Devin, as I loved eir character, the depiction of relationships, with a low-key abusive one displayed along with the cute and expected endgame one, and the outstanding LGBTQIAP+ and mental health representation. Moreover, despite being stilted, I loved how this was an easy and quick read. I read the 400 pages of it in one sitting, and the ending almost made it all worth it.

Despite it all, I feel like this book will be the perfect fit for many people out there. And that most of my annoyance might have come from the fact I’m not the intended audience for it, as most of my reads have very different settings and narrative styles. Because of this, despite not personally liking this book, I would still recommend the Meet Cute Diary to all the people who enjoy the typical rom-com writing style but still want to be surprised with the plot lines and use of tropes.

Kyla

Yeah sure it's cute but Noah was mostly annoying throughout the story. Devin deserves better and more scenes tbh. Drew can choke on his own saliva for all I care. Becca also deserves better!!

Charlotte Rayfield

This book was pure trans joy!!! It was sweet and funny and really well done and heartfelt. Exact what I needed. Reminded me that it’s ok to be unsure, even about something as simple as my pronouns.

Linda Quintanilla

I really enjoyed reading Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee. Noah was too cute. He may have gotten out of hand when he started his blog but it gave him a chance to find love. It's kind of funny that he was going to have his own meet cute story. Life is full of unexpected surprises. Don't you agree?

Danni’s Badass Books

⭐ 3 Stars ⭐ (audiobook)

For the most part, this sounded super cute when reading the description and I loved the adorable cover, but I have to say I’m disappointed. I really did not enjoy the majority of this book, it had its moments, but overall it wasn’t that great. 

I found Noah quite annoying and generally unlikeable. He seemed very self-centred, entitled and selfish. Everything revolved around him, and everyone needed to put their life on hold so they could help him with his so-called problems. He brushes off his friends and seems to only talk to them when it benefits him or to help him sort out an issue. 
Noah’s personal growth was pretty much non-existent as he had practically the same attitude/behaviour, and didn't give his friends a decent enough apology. Oh also, I think it’s VERY reasonable for his parents to ask him to get a job as he’s 16 already. Again VERY reasonable to freeze his credit card because who the fxqck spends $400 in a week!?? Maybe it's just me but I would never have done that when I was younger (only 5 years), so this just seems really un-realistic teenage behaviour to me. 

Right, so the side characters. His brother Brian and co-worker Devin were fairly friendly and caring towards Noah, but I feel he didn’t appreciate them enough. However, these two were the only thing that kept me reading the book honestly. Drew is just no. I didn’t like him one bit even when first introduced, and I’m just gonna leave it at that.  

If you can’t tell from the review, I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. Still, that is not to say that you might like it, so I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Taylor 

This book was really cute! I'm obsessed with Devin, he is by far my favourite character in this book. I'm not gonna lie, I found Noah very annoying which made it hard to get into. The last 3rd of the story is really what saved this book for me 

Mandy Friedrich

Ngl the main characters personality(Noah being kinda selfish and snobbish) made me really annoyed at first, but the story intrigued me enough to keep going and I was pleasently surprised, since eventually I felt like Noah started becoming more likeable(ya know character development and all) as the story went on. What I also liked about this book was that most books with a trans mc deal with a lot of transphobia and while I get that is simply the truth sometimes it was so nice reading a book in which the mc only had to deal with some transphobia, but was generally accepted by people/friends/family.

Nikki Sojkowski

**An ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Meet Cute Diary takes rom-coms to another level. Dealing with the ups and downs of platonic and romantic relationships on top of exploring gender and defending against transphobia and internet trolls? Yes, all of that please!! Stubborn and fierce Noah was a joy to read the POV of, and it was heartbreaking watching him push Becca away and lose himself and his boundaries all for a rose-tinted idea of what romance is. (view spoiler)[I have never wanted to punch a fictional character more than Drew. It was horrifying watching Noah fall for classic abuser manipulation tactics, and seeing all of his cracks where he clearly didn't even respect Noah as a person made me want to cry, even as I continued to torture myself with his presence as I just had to see Noah pull through. I do wish that Emery would have condemned some of Drew's actions a bit more, but it is what is it I guess. (hide spoiler)]

I'm so happy that this message of not only acceptance or meet cutes, but of love and hope, is going out into the world. It's books like these that I wish I had available to me while growing up.

[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.]

CN: transmisia, mention of suicide attempt, internet trolls, hate comments, panic attacks, vomiting

I finished "Meet Cute Diary" weeks ago and I still can't find the words to say how much I love this book. So I will only say this:

This book will change lives, and it will save lives.

Abi Baker

this is the kind of book that makes me want to stop reading ya for a while.

it's not necessarily bad, it's just that the protagonist is so infuriatingly immature and selfish that i just cannot vibe with it at all. i think i'm just simply too old to enjoy a book like this even though there were some elements/characters that i liked.

Andrada D &
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

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