Claire Kann

Joy has been in love with Malcolm since college, but he's also her best friend. Both identify as asexual, though they express it in different ways. Now that they're in their 30s, Malcolm is strongly motivated to find a partner and start a family. Joy's not interested in having children at this point, but she's still sure that nobody could be as perfect for her as Malcolm -- why can't he see it? When she notices him planning a romantic weekend getaway, she's hoping that he's finally decided to give her a chance -- until he mentions Summer, a woman she's never met, but with whom Malcolm has become close over the past few months. Summer has invited along her own male best friend, Fox, and Malcolm asks Joy to come along to keep Fox occupied so he can have some time with Summer. Joy's hoping she can do a My Best Friend's Wedding-inspired confession during the weekend and move her and Malcolm's relationship to a romantic level -- but there are just two things that may throw a wrench in those plans: Summer. And Fox.

This was a fun, trope-y, romantic read (we've got a love triangle, fake dating, a grumpy/sunshine romance...). I love the weekend getaway setting and the ace representation. I felt like things moved quickly, but that's kind of in line with the setting and with Joy's personality. I didn't love that the story is written in present tense, but I was able to look past it, possibly because I was listening to the audiobook and the narration was very good. Recommended.… (més)

Joy and Malcolm have been best friends for ten years: they went to college together, work together, and they're both asexual. But Malcolm has been in multiple relationships, while Joy has had a crush on him for ages, and he seems completely unaware despite the fact that they share everything. After his latest breakup, Malcolm's been in a funk, but this weekend - he tells Joy to clear her schedule, and he takes her along to meet Summer, his latest girlfriend. The catch? Summer's friend Fox is coming along, and Malcolm wants Joy to keep him occupied. Fox is grumpy and reserved, but convinces Joy to fake date and see if they can make Malcolm jealous. She agrees, but the setup starts to bring on feelings that are all too real.

I liked this contemporary romance with ace representation. Joy is a fun character, very secure in herself, and willing to tell it like it is, though she does get frustrated with people who assume things about her identity - like that she'd never date. The complicated feelings that she and Malcolm have for each other lasts throughout the book to the point of being a love triangle, which isn't my favorite, but also felt realistic for a close friendship that had lasted as long as theirs had. I would have liked to see more of Fox's personality fleshed out. I could see why he liked Joy, but it was less obvious what she saw in him, other than a mystery to crack. And it's written in present tense, which is not my favorite, but I managed to mostly overlook it because I liked the characters.… (més)

Representation: Black and Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Racism
Score: Six points out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

Let's talk about Let's Talk About Love. I wanted to read this but put it off so I never got around till now. I picked this one up a few days ago and read it. I glanced the blurb, thinking that I would enjoy this book. That was until I saw the low ratings and reviews. When I finished Let's Talk About Love, I was underwhelmed.

It starts with the first character I see, Alice, living her hedonistic life with a minuscule portion dedicated to work when her partner, whose name I forgot, broke up with her since the relationship wasn't fulfilling enough. She spends her life alone after the opening pages save for when she meets her friend, Feenie sometimes. Even though Let's Talk About Love is enjoyable with its quick chapters, unfortunately, the negatives outweighed the positives, forcing me to lower its rating. I couldn't connect or relate to any of the characters. Alice is 19, but uses terms like 'Cutie Code.' Really? I don't think any 19-year-old in this world acts this way. There was no chemistry between Alice and Takumi, so I didn't delight myself in reading that. It's not clear if Let's Talk About Love is authentic.

To summarise, Let's Talk About Love initially looked promising, but after reading it, I only found it to be a dissatisfying reading experience, and you'd be better off reading any other romance story other than this one.… (més)