Love and Other Disasters
Firstly, thank you to Forever Publishing and Hachette Audio for gifting me review copies of Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly—I absolutely adored it!
Usually, it takes me a little while to get to know characters before I can work out how I really feel about them. Not so with these two. I was in love with them by the end of the second chapter.
As if being a contestant on America's favorite cooking show wasn't nerve-wracking enough, London Parker is publicly announcing their pronouns—trolls and an un-supportive dad be damned.
Dahlia Woodson is hoping for a fresh start after her divorce, and cooking seems to be the one place she feels confident and in control.
What neither Dahlia or London expected when they applied to the show was to make friends, and fall for one of their fellow competitors. But as the contestant numbers dwindle they find themselves undeniably drawn to each other. But it could never work back in the real world. Could it?
The audio was performed by Lindsey Dorcus, and was 100% bingeable. I couldn't stop listening! In total, the audio comes in at 10 hours 38 minutes. You can download the audiobook right now (which you absolutely should do), or grab yourself a physical copy via the button below.
Synopsis:
Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.
After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.
As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.
