Love & Other Disasters
October 3, 2021
I love cooking shows, so getting approved for this ARC was delightful.
Dahlia and London are both competing on Chef's Special, a reality tv show for amateur cooks for a chance at winning $100,000. Dahlia is coming off a divorce and trying to see what new direction she might want to take her life, while London has come out on national tv and is determined to prove the trolls wrong and win the competition.
I'm a huge fan of Masterchef, so reading about Chef's Special was very familiar to me. The details of behind-the-scenes of filming a reality tv show - how judging works, the individual interviews, the way that Dahlia would marvel at the set in between shooting, the off-site competitions, they were all so much fun. I also appreciated that neither of them really knew what they were going to do if they won - London had a vague idea that became more fully formed as the competition went on, and Dahlia had to discover what she wanted to do both on and off the show.
I really liked reading a book with a nonbinary main character - I haven't read many books so seeing a romance with an nb character was amazing. I can't comment on the accuracy of the representation, but I will say that I appreciated the way the book handled the subject of misgendering - there are instances where misgendering is implied to have happened but London's pronouns are depicted correctly on-page in the book the entire time.
I'm a sucker for the grumpy x sunshine trope, so watching Dahlia and London slowly get to know each other both on the show and off-camera on days off was fun. The scenes where Dahlia and London collaborate and get feedback from each other while cooking was so adorable. I'm not familiar with LA, but discovering it as Dahlia and London did was enjoyable. I also appreciated that their time apart allowed them both to fully grow more as individuals who were more self-assured, allowing for a strong relationship when they finally decide to pursue one. I also loved what they decided to do after their time on the show.
I liked how both characters had family struggles and pressures, albeit very different ones. I do wish we got to see more of the close relationship that Dahlia and Hank and London and Julia had, as we're told they've always been close but we don't see that as much as I would have liked in this book, but we still get very satisfying arcs as it relates to Dahlia and London with their families.
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.
More about Love & Other Disasters here:
Title: Love & Other Disasters
Author: Anita Kelly
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.