This was more focused on religious trauma/being outcast from the church/parental abandonment than I had hoped. A religious reckoning just isn’t really my jam. 

Based on the title and description I was expecting more of a deep dive into niceness and how it impacts women and what it means for society more broadly. Maybe a little international comparison in there too, like how it plays out in America compared to other countries. The “deep” dive was present in maybe the first 3 essays and then the second to last one. Did not enjoy most of the middle (should've DNFed) but I thought it would improve. I think I was expecting a more serious nonfiction analytic style rather than “comedic” essays which is my b bc I’ve read Mercado’s first book and it wasn’t serious either. I enjoyed that one much more. But yeah, disappointed. 

Very well written, just not my jam. 

I think I don’t really like…….explorations of religious hypocrisy, I guess I’d call it? People are complex and multifaceted and are allowed to hold two contrary beliefs at once. However I think what I do not enjoy is the self righteous religious attitude of like “I’m better than you, and you are morally wrong bc of this thing” and then they also do something clearly bad. Such as casting out your teen bc they’re queer but then having an affair with someone with both parties being married. Most of these stories in this collection are from the perspective of the cast out queer child or the children impacted by the extramarital affair, rather than that of the active cheating person (this is just one example but I’m leaning into it, is seems). So this book is not a preachy indictment on the self righteous side by any means but just not a topic I’m interested in engaging in, it turns out. 

Stunning. I’m not even a fantasy person and I enjoyed it. Read it in two days, very fast paced. Very rich descriptions. 

I am not Latinx nor trans so I can obviously not speak to that representation but I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect. 

I didn’t see the main twist coming (specifically the person, not the overall events) and didn’t really enjoy that that was the person whodunnit. Awkwardly phrased but it’s hard being spoiler free!! 

Very glad I read it!!

It’s hard not to compare this to Love & Other Disasters which was published around the same time and also features a masc non-binary person + bisexual woman on a baking competition show. I’m all for queer romance + reality tv baking shows, so I am certainly about it! Love & Other Disasters was EXTREMELY good (one of my top 15 in 2022) and Chef’s Kiss was pretty good but will not be taking a top spot for 2023. Still recommend!