Love and Other Disasters by Anita Kelly Review

 Title: Love and Other Disasters 

Author: Anita Kelly 

Age Group: Adult 

Genre: Romance 

Series: Standalone 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

This book was my Book of the Month selection for the month of January 2022. l funnily enough, romance is one of the types of books that proved to help me in some of the darkest times in my life. I needed something light to go with my other books, so I decided to take the plunge and read this sexy, romantic, and delicious debutov novel. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I loved this book so much! Chock-full of delicious food descriptions, sexy encounters, and hilarious prose, I absolutely loved Love and Other Disasters! A wonderful, warm, Queer, and romantic debut that I won’t soon forget! 

Dahlia Woodson is trying to recover from a tough divorce when she auditions for the popular cooking show, Chef’s Special. There, she meets London Parker, a nonbinary fellow contestant. As the competition heats up, so does her relationship with London. Dahlia begins to wonder if there is a possibility of a happy life, even after her ugly divorce from her ex-husband, David. For London’s part, they just feel immensely lucky to be on the show, as well as have their pronouns respected. But Lizzie, another contender in the competition, doesn’t seem to understand or even care about London’s pronouns. Add to that a father who is confused and stubbornly unaccepting, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. But as London and Dahlia get closer and they get nearer to the finish line, they both begin to realize that love is indeed possible, if only they give it a chance... 

I absolutely adored this novel! From the very first line, I was absolutely captivated; it was so funny, warm, and unique. I was laughing and crying throughout the book, and the romantic scenes both made my heart warm and my toes curl. This is a debut novel, but you’d never tell; Kelly writes with grace, warmth, and true passion. I loved the pacing, the sumptuous descriptions of the food prepared on the show and off, and most of all, I adored the characters! They were so well-written, especially London, Dahlia, and their respective families! I adored this love story; it was so fresh, unique, and toe-curlingly sexy and romantic. This is a debut that I won’t soon forget. Anita Kelly has penned a fantastic standout; she is most certainly a new author to watch out for! The bottom line: Rich, warm, sexy and fun, I loved Love and Other Disasters! Next on deck: The God Game by Danny Tobey, The Hunting Party by Lisa Foley, Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian, and Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett!