Review of Love & Other Disasters

Book:  Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly

Source: I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: January 18th, 2022

Pages: 384

---

This post contains affiliate links to Bookshop. If you purchase a book using this link we will make a small commission at no extra cost to you!

---

Goodreads // Bookshop // Amazon // Book Depository // Barnes & Noble

From the moment I heard about this book when its cover was revealed, I was excited to read it! I am therefore so grateful to have received an early copy and to have had a chance to read and promote this book. I have read many romances over the years, but none that followed a non-binary lead and I couldn’t wait to see what I thought about this book. All that being said, after reading the book itself my feelings are a bit more mixed, so I’m glad that I have this review to work out all my thoughts.

Love & Other Disasters follows Dahlia and London as they both enter a culinary TV competition. Dahlia is recently divorced and she discovered her love of cooking while her marriage was failing. London on the other hand has always loved to cook and they are excited to be out as a non-binary contestant, with hopes to win the competition and use the prize money to help LGBTQ+ kids in their hometown. These two meet on set and have a whirlwind romance that is only marred by the knowledge that at some point this competition will abruptly tear these two apart.

To start with, I really enjoyed watching the relationship form between Dahlia and London. Their initial meeting and subsequent interactions were so much fun to read about. You watch these two strangers slowly bond over little things and it was easy to see how a romance could bloom between them.

I also really appreciated the support systems that these two had with their families. Dahlia has her older brother Hank who she knows she can reach out to at any moment, while London has their twin sister, Julie. Even though Dahlia and London each have frayed relationships with specific other family members, the fact that families played such a big role just made me happy.

As for the actual cooking competition, I loved it so much that I actually wish we had more of it. The competition was used more as a backdrop for the relationship, rather than an integral piece of how their romance evolved, and that frustrated me. I felt as though we didn’t get enough of Dahlia and London’s interactions on set, and I wish that we had gotten more of each of their fears and worries about each challenge, rather than most of the elements related to the show having some romantic lens as well.

In fact, I wish that there was a little bit more to this book besides just the romance. These two get together relatively quickly, and from there on I felt the book was lacking in some ways. These two spent so much time talking to and spending time with one another, yet it rarely felt like they were communicating anything of worth. It frustrated me to see certain topics avoided, which led me to having very little sympathy when those topics became a source of conflict later on. I would even have traded a steamy scene or two for some more raw and difficult conversations .The two had so much time and no real reason NOT to discuss these matters. So why didn’t they?

3.5 Stars

In the end I had to give this book 3.5 stars. I really appreciated the representation, and the familial aspects. I loved when we got some resolution with specific family members at the very end, and how things ended up, but for the majority of the book I really was just wanting more. More communication, more of the competition, and more of the other contestants. However, since I know that these are all personal preferences, I’m really hoping that this book will resonate with so many others in a way it just didn’t with me.

Which book did you wish you loved more? Is there a book out there that you thought had great familial relationships? What sort of competitions do you love watching?