TJ Alexander returns with a delicious fake dating arrangement that turns to real love in their follow-up to Chef’s Kiss.
When Luna O’Shea is unexpectedly fired from her frustrating administrative assistant job, she tries to think of all the things she’s got going for her: she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, an awesome roommate and a great life in New York City. But blessings won’t keep a roof over her head.
Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he keep his celebrity chef grandfather happy, which means: have an acceptable girlfriend. Which is where Luna comes in, for the right price of course. What starts as a fake dating arrangement turns to the both of them having to learn to cook fancy meals, and prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir…all while juggling the real feelings that are slowly emerging between the two.
Chef’s Choice is a quick, fun romance read that will tick a lot of boxes. We have a fake dating arrangement which happens when a chance encounter puts Luna at the right place at the right time, a ridiculous, and slightly extensive, cooking test that made for a lot of opportunities to get closer to each other. Luna and Jean-Pierre have a wonderful, sparkling chemistry between them and the relationship development from strangers to fake dating to something more felt very genuine. I also liked that we had this offset between Luna’s humour and her way to try to make everything sound upbeat even when the reality isn’t as rosy and then Jean-Pierre’s rather doomy-gloomy attitude toward most things. While the characters could have been a bit more fleshed-out, I feel like the high stakes of the plot and the banter between Luna and Jean-Pierre made up for it in spades. I also loved that we got to see Simone and Ray (the couple from Chef’s Kiss) in this story and catch up with them and their relationship.
My favourite part by far was that we got to see them opening up to each other about being trans, how they feel about passing and the ways in which they handle or choose not to engage with transphobic experiences. They also discuss what it means to have the trans community to connect with and feel at home with and I thought that was just so heartwarming. There can never be enough queer stories that make you feel seen and I’m glad this one is joining the ranks.
A wonderful blend of swoony and funny, Chef’s Choice is the trans for trans romance that is sure to make you fall in love with the fake dating trope all over again.
Chef’s Choice is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 30th.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
When Luna O’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don’t pay the bills.
Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She’s got rent to pay, after all! Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn’t even know how to crack an egg, but she’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her.
