Name: shiya's review of Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
Item: Love & Other Disasters
Rating: 3
Author: shiya

Anita Kelly

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut “that is both fantastically fun and crack your heart wide open vulnerable.” (Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate) Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money. After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan. As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

Love & Other Disasters

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America's favourite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut! 'Both fantastically fun and crack your heart wide open vulnerable' Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate Perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and A Sweet Mess Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef's Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying - not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money. After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They're there to prove the trolls - including a fellow contestant and their dad - wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan. As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London's steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen - and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

Lindsay

kezzie

shiya

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America's favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut "that is both fantastically fun and crack your heart wide open vulnerable." (Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate) Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef's Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying--not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money. After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They're there to prove the trolls--including a fellow contestant and their dad--wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan. As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London's steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen--and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

Love and Other Disasters

This is the first book I’ve read with a pansexual navigating the struggles that come with identifying that way. It was a cute romance tailored around that and took place in a cooking competition which was refreshing!

Amanda 

"When you were around someone who felt everything, it made you feel like you could feel everything, too. Like the depths of the world were suddenly limitless."

I was really in the mood for a nice, light-hearted romance and this delivered on that really nicely. 

 was a very quick read, even if it took me a week due to other distractions, and it was the kind of book you could sit back and enjoy without thinking too hard. This book follows a pretty standard romance plotline so there are no real surprises here, but the representation in this book is really nice. I think what this book may lack in other places it makes up for it with the insights and understanding into what life is like for non-binary people and the struggles that they go through with acceptance from family members and even just in general society, how even once they feel more comfortable in their identity there's unfortunately a lot of people who question or invalidate them. I think that was really a strong point of this book.

Dahlia and London are very sweet as the two love interests, we follow them both through dual POV in this book and it's nice to see both of their thoughts. I do think this book might have benefitted more from first person perspective because the thing I really felt that was missing was deeper connection, I wish we could've gotten more into the minds of both lead characters and really understood more about them. I found their friendship and then later their relationship to be quite one dimensional and struggled a bit to see the chemistry between them other than what we were told was happening. They had a few nice heart to hearts but they were mostly just talking at each other rather than having a truly deep and meaningful connection, I think this book focused a lot more on their flirtation rather than developing their relationship, so in the end it felt a little bit too insta-lovey for me.

The cooking show side of the book was an interesting aspect that really drew me to this blurb and it worked pretty well, although again, I'm not sure it was used to its full potential in this storyline. There could've been some really tense moments between competitors and really driven up the social media and fan reaction side but instead this story mostly focused on how the challenges and food lead to flirtation between the MCs. They touched on how reality TV shows are often orchestrated and scripted which I think could've been used a bit more than it was to create some drama although there was a good bit of drama with one of the other characters misgendering London which brought in some tension, but this was mostly off page. The misgendering was handled really well though in this story, where the author did not even allow the phobic dialogue from these characters to misgender London, instead the author used the correct pronouns the entire way through and used mentions of "except she didn't use 'they'" to indicate when this was happening, I thought that was really well done.

Overall, I think this was a pretty good book, it didn't really stand out to me in any way and the strongest part about it was the NB/queer representation. I think perhaps Anita Kelly's writing style doesn't completely vibe with me and this is where the disconnections I felt to the story happened, but despite that, I did enjoy myself reading this and was entertained by the storyline. I recommend this if you're looking for a palette cleanser, for some nice fluffy romance, with a few thought provoking parts but mostly just a bit of fun.

Genevieve 

"When you were around someone who felt everything, it made you feel like you could feel everything, too. Like the depths of the world were suddenly limitless."

3.75 ⭐

I was really in the mood for a nice, light-hearted romance and this delivered on that really nicely. Love & Other Disasters was a very quick read, even if it took me a week due to other distractions, and it was the kind of book you could sit back and enjoy without thinking too hard. This book follows a pretty standard romance plotline so there are no real surprises here, but the representation in this book is really nice. I think what this book may lack in other places it makes up for it with the insights and understanding into what life is like for non-binary people and the struggles that they go through with acceptance from family members and even just in general society, how even once they feel more comfortable in their identity there's unfortunately a lot of people who question or invalidate them. I think that was really a strong point of this book.

Dahlia and London are very sweet as the two love interests, we follow them both through dual POV in this book and it's nice to see both of their thoughts. I do think this book might have benefitted more from first person perspective because the thing I really felt that was missing was deeper connection, I wish we could've gotten more into the minds of both lead characters and really understood more about them. I found their friendship and then later their relationship to be quite one dimensional and struggled a bit to see the chemistry between them other than what we were told was happening. They had a few nice heart to hearts but they were mostly just talking at each other rather than having a truly deep and meaningful connection, I think this book focused a lot more on their flirtation rather than developing their relationship, so in the end it felt a little bit too insta-lovey for me.

The cooking show side of the book was an interesting aspect that really drew me to this blurb and it worked pretty well, although again, I'm not sure it was used to its full potential in this storyline. There could've been some really tense moments between competitors and really driven up the social media and fan reaction side but instead this story mostly focused on how the challenges and food lead to flirtation between the MCs. They touched on how reality TV shows are often orchestrated and scripted which I think could've been used a bit more than it was to create some drama although there was a good bit of drama with one of the other characters misgendering London which brought in some tension, but this was mostly off page. The misgendering was handled really well though in this story, where the author did not even allow the phobic dialogue from these characters to misgender London, instead the author used the correct pronouns the entire way through and used mentions of "except she didn't use 'they'" to indicate when this was happening, I thought that was really well done.

Overall, I think this was a pretty good book, it didn't really stand out to me in any way and the strongest part about it was the NB/queer representation. I think perhaps Anita Kelly's writing style doesn't completely vibe with me and this is where the disconnections I felt to the story happened, but despite that, I did enjoy myself reading this and was entertained by the storyline. I recommend this if you're looking for a palette cleanser, for some nice fluffy romance, with a few thought provoking parts but mostly just a bit of fun.

Keely Calagos

A romance centered around contestants on a cooking competition show? SIGN ME UP!

This book was so fun and I absolutely adored Dahlia and London. London is the first non-binary contestant in the show's history and I LOVED how the author kept a healthy balance between social commentary and relationship development between our MCs. The opposites attract chemistry they shared was so so cute!!! I am definitely more of a London, but we all need a Dahlia in our lives. 

3.5/5

I could not put this down, it was such a quintessential romance and the setting of behind the scenes reality TV (cooking competition) was such a fun setting. All the feels with this one.

Abigail

Nash

grace richards

Abrianna

(this ARC was sent to me from Forever Grand Central Publishing on Netgalley for an honest review)This book was amazing. There are not many queer adult romances out there, especially with Non Binary main characters. The cooking show aspect was done amazingly and the trauma of the main characters was realistic and relatable. 4/5⭐️

sydney

Beautiful, breathtaking, never been done before. I loved this book so much, they got together fairly fast but I loved it. The relationship between London and Dahlia was done so well, having both povs was excellent. 

i received an arc from netgalley.

Latitude Tamarind

If I knew that romance novels could be just as cozy as cozy mysteries, I would have picked this one up a lot sooner! This story involves a nonbinary POV character dating a girl (also POV) at a cooking competition! Their romance is hot and heady and there are some sex scenes, which I wasn’t expecting at all but was very pleased by (they’re all good!). Something that I didn’t like about this book is that I was really worried about the cooking competition and the main characters kind of ignored that for a while, and then it was suddenly a problem! Also there is a transphobic character which was :/ but the book dealt with it really well. 5 stars!

Aditi

Rating: 2.5 stars

Trigger Warnings: transphobia, emotional abuse, dysphoria

This is a tough one. Starting with London I can’t speak on rep in this story but they feel like an actual person rather than just a stereotype meant to represent an entire community. I also appreciated how their assigned gender was only revealed when relevant which wasn’t until about 30% of the story. For me at least, it gave me a chance to see them as they are and want to be seen. I also really liked Dahlia and her story on her own.

That being said, I really did not care about these two together. They had no chemistry and the writing was very clunky and weird at times. The dialogues especially just felt out of place. The sex scenes read like medical reports. The reality tv aspect was also very boring to me. The side characters just feel like plot devices and aren’t very well developed. This was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I really wanted to like it but sadly it just wasn’t for me.

Dakota B.

I loved how this book featured a queer romance with a non-binary character. It was totally cheesy in a hallmark movie kind of way, but really unique in highlighting queer relationships/sex. This book proves that they/them pronouns work for a singular person and make sense grammatically.

Ava Noreen

Cute cute cute! (& surprisingly steamy) My only qualm, I would have loved more descriptions of the food and cooking

Shelby lilly

LGBT+ book! Absolute easy read. Pretty cute. Spice level left something to be desired. The end wrapped up quick. 

Akansha

This was so cute. I loved both London and Dahlia. London deserved their win and Dahlia was still trying to figure out her life. I could relate to that. 

The writing was a bit off for me as I was confused a lot of times if it was dual pov or a third person pov. The ending was wholesome especially the whole finale scene. 

Nina Herder

I loved it! Great representation, funny and a lot of cooking? What else could you possibly wish for?? 

Walesca Lorenzo

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a perfect mix of realistic & storybook romance. I love how the author makes it feel like you’re actually watching a cooking show behind the scenes and how natural the storyline flowed. London & Dahlia are both great reflections of normal people in the real world and I love that the most about this book. 

Megan Costa

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Queer non-binary romance meets high-stakes cooking show? Sign me up, please! 

Love & Other Disasters follows two contestants as they compete on a reality cooking show! Dahlia, recently divorced and not sure what to do with her life, decides she has nothing to lose and heads to LA to compete in Chef's Special. London Parker makes history as the competition's first non-binary contestant and certainly does not expect to find themselves falling for Dahlia. 

There are so many ingredients that go into making Love & Other Disasters an amazing book! For starters, it's dual POV so you get to experience the story from both London and Dahlia's perspectives. This worked especially well for the story as you get to see the different approaches each character brings to cooking and the competition as well as how they learn to manage their individual anxieties. 

The story itself is filled with hilarious kitchen shenanigans, mutual pining, and even impromptu wedding crashing. It's super fun and cheerful to watch London and Dahlia's friendship develop into a sweet romance. Their relationship flourishes beautifully and is aided by sneaky producers and forced proximity! They also make sure to get up to some steamy delicious fun! 

Most importantly Love & Other Disasters is a queer love story. With the reality TV setting, I was worried about how transphobia and misgendering would be addressed. Anita Kelly does a really wonderful job navigating London's journey on Chef's Special and their relationship with their father. My absolute favourite thing is that London is never directly misgendered on the page. Little details like that really made this book something special and such a joy to read. 

If I had to make one complaint, I would wish there was a larger emphasis on the cooking aspect of the show. But that might just be my own personal love of reality cooking shows!

This book is a can't miss! If you love love, queer romances, and good food you need to read Anita Kelly's Love & Other Disasters! 

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an early edition of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Kathryn

This book was so heartwarming and educational, I loved it! 

Can we all give a round of applause to London?! Because I love them so much! What a fantastic book character to be able to read about and for people to look up too as well. 

Same for Dahlia! The respect I have for her navigating her way through life in such a realistic and relatable way, made me feel so understood. 

The plot itself was perfectly balanced between love, relatable inner monologues, real life issues and, of course, the cooking show. 

I thought this a joy to read and I’m better for it.

4.5/5⭐️ 

Alicia Dixon

This is the first romance novel I have ever read with a non-binary lead, and that feels pretty important. The plot is cute and the book is a quick read, but I do with the backgrounds of the main characters were fleshed out a little better so we could get to know them a bit more. I think it would help me to feel a little more invested in the story. Overall, a very cute romance novel that will likely really resonate with an audience that doesn’t see themselves much in romance novels.

Nicole Sargent-Carberry

Savannah Muron

this book was so cute! i’ve been trying to diversify my reads and make sure i’m picking up books with different types of mcs and this book simply did not disappoint. i enjoyed every page and i can’t wait to read more of kelly’s writing :)

Lauren Sullivan

That cover is incredibly gorgeous, and it actually accurately represents the main characters! Dahlia’s hair! London’s freckles! And like the cover, this book is just plain adorable. The authenticity of their feelings was such a breath of fresh air and I loved every bit.

Dahlia is still reeling from her divorce, but cooking is the one thing that makes her feel in control of her life, the one thing she’s good at. She quit her job to go on Chef’s Special, an amateur cooking reality TV show, and without the prize money, she’s not sure what she’ll do afterward. Well, to be honest, she’s not sure what she’d do with the prize money either, besides pay off debt. On the other hand, London, one of the other competitors, has vague ideas about what they’d do with the money (a non-profit for queer teens) but what they’re most worried about is coming out as nonbinary to, oh, the entire world. As the competition heats up, their relationship does, too, and before they know it they’re both having to resist the attraction between them. But is there any chance for them once they step out of the show kitchen?

“It was a valiant effort, though, right? At being angry?”
“You called me a jerk,” London affirmed.
Dahlia grinned. “See? That felt weird coming out of my mouth, but I said it anyway! Look at me.”

Their meet-cute on set is downright adorable. An anxious Dahlia literally runs into London and then babbles at them, but London’s so overwhelmed (in a grumpy way) with her hair that they can only grunt in response. Dahlia’s offended that they didn’t even accept her apology, so when she runs into them in the hotel bar later that day, she promptly calls them a jerk, then sits down and starts chatting at them. London’s bewildered and honestly not sure what to make of Dahlia, who goes from insulting her to befriending her with enough speed to make their head spin. In some ways, this is a grumpy/sunshine book, as Dahlia’s absolutely a ray of sunshine. It’s not that she’s unduly optimistic (especially about her prospects in the competition), but that she’s able to find joy in the little things. Not that everything is all roses and rainbows – Dahlia carries a lot of guilt over how her marriage ended, and she has some family strife as well. Family conflict is something London knows very well. Though they’ve been out as nonbinary for three years, her dad still constantly misgenders them. They understand how important being out as nonbinary on national TV is, but they’re also worried about the backlash.

“London wondered if Dahlia was even real. A woman who could fillet a swordfish like it was nothing, who carried a Swiss Army multitool in her bag at all times, who reveled in LA traffic. She made them sweat.”

This is a very slow burn romance. It’s one of those delightful ones where everyone both them realizes they’re flirting before they do (the COWS!), but there’s also a lot of deeper reasons for why they’re both hesitant to start something. After all, besides cooking, what do they have in common? But cooking is such an important part of Dahlia and London’s lives, so of course it’s a big part of the book as well. There’s so much delicious food, from desserts to soups to mouthwatering entrees, and I loved how their on-show interactions formed their off-show ones.

“When you were around someone who felt everything, it made you feel like you could feel everything, too. Like the depths of the world were suddenly limitless.”

One of the things about Chef’s Special, about the relationship that forms between London and Dahlia, is that they’re finally both able to extend the control they feel in cooking to other parts of their life. There’s also the realization that the bubble they’re in isn’t real life, that the rest of the world is going on without them. They’re both initially dismayed by the online reception, including all the trolls that sneer at London, but both find ways to leverage it. It’s two sides of the same coin, I think – being able to find the good amid the trash (like London focusing on the messages from queer kids overjoyed to see themselves in London) or spinning a failure into a new path.

Overall, wow. I read this book during a particularly rough week, and it’s no exaggeration to say that this book was an unbelievably bright spot during it. Highly recommended, and definitely a contender for one of my favorites of 2022!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Content notes: (view spoiler)[anxiety, misgendering, toxic family, alcohol use (hide spoiler)]

Shay

This book was so good! So in here, we follow Dahlia and London while they try to navigate a reality cooking competition! Both characters have a lot of baggage going into the competition, and like the book, everything is unfolded. I really love how Kelly wrote this book because I love how you think you know what happened. After all, she is writing in the past tense, but as the book unfolds, we learn more about Dahlia and London. I have to say I loved Dahlia initially, but as we learn more and more about her, I get really annoyed with who she ends up being. But I loved London! London really ends up stealing the show in this book, and I think they are incredible. I love how their story ends up, but I wish we had more for them at the end than what happened. But overall, it was a great read, and I loved how the book went. I need to read more by Anita Kelly because the writing was really well done in this one. 

kezzie &
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly

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