By TJ Alexander.
Falling in love has its ups and downs. Insecurity. Elation. Certainly. Letdown. Especially when you’re being paid to be in a relationship and somewhere along the line, you fall for the person adding money to your checking account. Although the trope is very familiar, this book delivers a satisfying read with characters who bring an additional dimension to the fake-to-real boyfriend/girlfriend rollercoaster ride. They are a trans couple establishing their true gender identities as well as their roles as each other’s fake love interest.
Recently unemployed Luna accepts Jean-Pierre’s offer to be his fake girlfriend. He needs a romantic cooking partner to help with an upcoming cooking challenge conjured up by his snooty, celebrity chef grandfather. She needs the money. The problems? Neither one of them knows how to cook and time is short. Plus, they just met and must convince his grandfather and the paparazzi they’re in a relationship. She’s a New Yorker and he’s a Frenchman from Paris. Language issues aside, can they find enough common ground to even get along?
What struck me were the struggles they faced: as a man and woman trying to navigate the emotions that come with getting close romantically with someone new, and as a transgender man and woman dealing with the society’s reaction to them as they embrace their self-identities. Their journey was illuminating as well as thought-provoking.
(Published in 2023 by Emily Bestler Books/Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.)
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One of my favorite reads, “Chef’s Choice,” is a delightful fake-dating romance by TJ Alexander.
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