Anita Kelly

2.75 stars. i usually have a real problem with these stories where the characters fall in love so quickly, and it did happen pretty quickly here, but it felt like it made sense, mostly. the conflict felt reasonable. it was a little too quick to move across the country for someone (although it really really helped that she had no real reason to stay where she was), there wasn't enough of the on-set tension of the cooking show, and i could have used some more depth in the side characters, but this was actually a pretty fun read with two mains that i wanted to see get together.

great nonbinary rep, including a great explanation of why that might be someone's identity. ("And it was a hard thing to explain, that they didn't want to be a man, but they never felt quite right as a girl. That they only started to feel really okay when they understood they could be their own thing. That they could exist in a space that was all their own. That they could shift and adjust until it felt right. They had settled on nonbinary feeling right for them, even though they knew others like them had their own names that felt right to their own experiences. And that was comforting too, that each person could choose what brought them closest to belonging. The power in that - knowing that one day, people might discover even better words for it. That there was only ever freedom in continuing to find new names for who we were, who we could be.")

i'd definitely read them again.… (més)

In order to become a contestant on Chef's Special, a popular reality cooking show, Dahlia has quit her job and basically put her entire life on pause, pinning all her hopes on that $100,000 prize. At an cooking station adjacent to hers is London, a nonbinary fellow contestant, who spends the first few cooking tasks hopelessly distracted by Dahlia's hair. Both prove to be excellent cooks, but as they get to know each other more closely the studio kitchen isn't the only thing that starts to heat up (ha!).

As part of annual summer reading shenanigans, I and each of my library colleagues vowed to read a romance novel based on selected attributes, and then report back at a book discussion. My selections were "forced proximity" and "chef/foodie," and this title popped up. To my delight, it sounded like something I might have chosen to read anyway. I found that I cared about the protagonists, though the supporting cast was disappointingly somewhat one-dimensional. It's a sweet and well-written — I might even suggest 'wholesome' (though also spicy!) — romance. The inevitable, obligatory conflict was believable, and forgivable. Recommended!… (més)

Two guys meet while hiking in the West Coast wilderness. Lots of folks hike the Pacific Crest Trail every year, and they each have their own personal reasons. Alexei Lebedev has already resigned himself to his journey being a mostly solitary affair, leaving room for the occasional meetings and small talk shared with his fellow travelers...but...that all changes when he meets Ben Caravalho, a handsome stranger with gloriously unruly hair and a dazzling personality. What could have been merely a passing encounter turns into more...much more. Alexei keeps running into Ben. This happens over and over until the two men decides to just hike together. Neither can deny the attraction between them, but of course...there are complications. Wouldn't be an M/M romance without those pesky complications. Alexei is still coming to grips not only with being gay, but from also being out. Ben's history is different. He has a vastly supportive family that accepts him totally. The longer they walk, the more Alexei finds himself willing to try on opening up and embracing the sides of himself he's been afraid to acknowledge. Simply try being honest about what he's feeling not just for Ben's sake but for his own as well. Ben is coming off of a string of bad relationship decisions, but even he can't deny the fact that Alexei has carved out a unique place in his heart. Kelly has written a beautiful, sweet, curative read about the new identities people create by giving themselves permission to heal from the pain of the past and what can be discovered about who and what they are while giving themselves permission to "Be". The older kids that I volunteer with called it a story you could spend hours getting lost in, and they were 100% right.… (més)