A review by malecluvbot
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly

emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

“Wait,” she said. “You stared at my butt?”
“No, mostly your hair. I don’t know why I just said your butt. I stared at your butt sometimes.”
Dahlia shook her head, smiling.
“You can still stare at my butt if you want. Just tell me when you need it.”

I really enjoyed reading this fun-filled, emotional book, initially being so very excited about it, given the queer characters and the centering around a cooking show. 
I have read books like Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, which had given the confidence to go for books like these, and it paid off. The book had a lot of good moments- the chemistry between Dahlia and London was wonderfully crafted, the short, sweet gestures of love and comedic scenes were done really well. It makes me truly happy seeing a queer character being written well, and I felt like London was one of them. I found the Dahlia's character to be quite stereotypically represented, which I did not love about it. I feel like Dahlia could have had a better arc than clueless-divorcee-turned-hopeless romantic-love interest. 
My least favorite thing about the book was the actual cooking. 
* Tsk tsk *
The book was predominantly a queer romance, and it felt like the author diverted all the focus on that, while leaving the scraps for the cooking show part of the book. The tensions, the angst, the variety among fellow contestants on the cooking show should have been a major part of the storyline, but unfortunately, it failed to garner any real review because it was barely existent. As someone who enjoys cooking, I found it a tad disappointing, because I had really expected there to be more cooking and fuss about the cooking show itself. 
The side characters were pretty effective- the sweetheart old lady, the transphobic competitor, the transphobic dad, the supportive sister and mother. All in all, I think the book was a good lighthearted read for fans of queer romance and ones who long for queer rep. The writing was easy, there was a happy flow and it was a very enjoyable read.