Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Was it full of the feel good factor? Yes. Totally. I realised about a 3rd of the way through I was genuinely smiling! If a book it making you subconsciously smile, then it is definitely doing something right. Ambrose: i bet you're making big, gooey eyes across the flour while listening to inappropriate pop songs about unrequited lesbian love It’s a classic in fake-romance novels: either the MC falls in love with the person they’re faking the romance with or they fall for their sister. Like in Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun ( one of my favourite audiobooks), Haf meets the woman who will capture her heart in a bookstore but in this instance, nothing happens then beyond a little flirting over Carol. A few hours later, they meet again at Kit’s parents’ house in the Cotswolds for Christmas. Officially, Haf is Kit’s brother Christopher’s girlfriend of a few months. In reality, they’ve met only once before and shared the worst but funniest drunken kiss of their lives. Christopher’s ex assumed Haf is his new girlfriend and they both rolled with it, each for their own reasons. Which lands them, and Haf especially, in all sorts of conundrums.
First of all I loved all the characters and all the representation in this book. We follow our main character Haf who's bisexual and undiagnosed with autism. Her roommate Ambrose is non-binary. When she finds out her parents are going on a holiday for Christmas without her and she just suffered from quite a bad breakup she realises she will spend the holidays by herself. When she meets Christopher at a party and his ex mistakes them for a couple they somehow end up in a messy chaotic plan of fake dating and Christopher bringing Haf home for Christmas. On her way there she has this incredibly amazing meet cute with a woman who later she finds out is Christopher his sister named Kit, to make things even more complicated. Ana loves ice skating, but over time has become more and more uncomfortable with how highly gendered it is. But when a name-badge mix up means that a new trans kid, Hayden, mistakenly thinks Ana is a boy, Ana decides not to correct him. Chaotic Eve receives an ultimatum from her parents — prove you can keep a job for a year. Determined, Eve drives off and finds herself in the Lake District town of Skybriar interviewing for the chef at a B&B, owned by Jacob Wayne. Jacob is cool, precise, sharp and is absolutely not going to let Eve take the job, until his best friend Mont points out she’s his only hope. But then things go from bad to worse when Eve runs him over. Determined to fix everything, Eve gets to work. Autistic x autistic romance! If you’re giving this one a go, do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook. Helen Keeley does such a good job with the voices and brings so much animation to all the chaotic and ridiculous antics of the book. This is one of those books that is 100% better in audio and absolutely had me laughing out loud a few times and smiling a lot (much to my chagrin, I’m sure a few of my neighbors think I’m weird now…if they didn’t already). Lou is thirteen-and-a-half. Her school life is terrible. Her family are falling apart now that her dad has announced he’s leaving her mum for a schoolgirl. And she’s autistic, but she doesn’t know it yet…After a near-death experience, chronically ill Chloe Brown decides it’s time to live a little, so makes a list of all the bad things she wants to do. And she knows just the man to help her — Red, the superintendent artistic bad boy. Insatiably horny, great fun, incredible chronic pain rep (named as fibromyalgia but reads very like hEDS too). Grace is a fifteen year old girl living in the North-West of England who lives with her younger sister Leah, her mother and – sometimes – her wildlife filmmaker father. But when her father goes off on his latest shoot, things start to feel a little off-kilter. And she can’t stop thinking about beautiful Gabe Kowalski. It's the golden rule of pretending to be someone's girlfriend: don't fall for their sister. After a year from hell, Haf is ready to blow off steam at a Christmas party: a kind stranger, a few too many drinks and suddenly she's kissing Christopher under the mistletoe - in front of his ex-girlfriend. The next day the news is out that they're apparently a couple, madly in love and coming to Oxlea to spend the festive season with Christopher's family. An essential handbook for adult autistics, particularly those who are diagnosed as adults. The book explores topics such as relationships, executive functioning and stimming, amongst others.
The autistic anthology I edited, featuring the work of 18 autistic people through short fiction, essays, and art. Graphic Novels
Featured Reviews
But Haf doesn't have better holiday plans and to save her new friend from embarrassment, she agrees to pretend to be Christopher's girlfriend for Christmas. It has the makings of a hilarious anecdote they'll be telling for years. Until Haf meets Christopher's sister: the mysterious, magnetic and utterly irresistible Kit. I basically just want to squee over every bit of this story but I will spare you an explosion of exclamation marks and all-caps glee. At least somewhat. Here are some thoughts: There is so much to love about this book - the way that Haf loves everything with her whole heart, to the way she and Kit had such a perfect meet cute. To the frank conversation Haf had with Christopher about the fact she can't just walk into a shop and buy a dress because she's plus-sized and has to buy everything in her size online.
Well that was a total blast! Hallmark could learn a thing or two on how to write a queer Christmas movie from this book. Once I started, I could not put it down. May: I chaired a panel about best friends in YA literature at Chadwell Heath YA Festival, interviewing Non Pratt, Alice Oseman, Mary Bello and Chloe Seager. 2017 Characters: Haf is a fat bisexual white Welsh wildlife charity communications worker in her early to mid-20s. She was written as someone with undiagnosed autistim and is unaware of her diagnosis. Kit is a 28 year old disabled lesbian white architect. Her brother Christopher is a 26 year old bisexual white financial analyst/investment advisor. Kit and Christopher’s parents have dogs named Stella and Luna. This is set in York and Oxlea, England.
Missing lyrics by Mariah Carey?
It is very much a book of my heart – my love of rom-coms, being perennially online, and my constant unseasonal desire for Christmas food. I’m so honoured to work with the brilliant, insightful Bea Fitzgerald as my editor and be steered by my wonderful cheerleader agent, Abi Fellows – truly a dream team who made this book an absolute dream to write.” Hallmark romance , Christmas decorations , reindeer , snow fights and a life completely spun round in a cluster of white lies for the greater good. Everything happens for a reason , even if it seems utterly bizarre at first. A graphic novel that tells the story of Marguerite, a woman who realises that she might be autistic. Stunningly told through beautiful art with great use of colour.
It also does have spice, though it’s brief and not massively descriptive. This is probably one you could get away with reading in public without a tell tale blush. A really great example of translation of thought and needs between an autistic person and her mother. Emma’s chapters explore a number of typical issues for young autistic people, which are then translated into neurotypical by Penny, with key points and advice. Strongly recommended for parents. A Christmas f/f ‘disaster-bi’ romcom, and one of the MCs lives in York?! You better believe I smashed request on Netgalley for this one; like, several times. And it turned out to be a delightful holiday confection: endearingly silly, amped up on hijinks, and full of genuinely sweet and heart-squeezy moments. Plus it’s funny! Interesting book that combines personal narratives of autistic people from the LGBTQ* umbrella with a summary of the latest research and understanding of how autism and queerness intersect. Primarily for those working with autistic people or in research.A surprisingly hopeful story of community and love featuring a group of teenagers housed in a facility for young people who find themselves truly alone when a plague pandemic breaks out, leaving them to form their own futures. Told through 3 points of view, one of which is Logan, a non-speaking autistic girl whose twin sister, and the only other person who communicates in their language, becomes unwell. Another thrilling adventure that puts disabled kids in the protagonist role. Autistic main character & autistic author Haf gives us bi, fat, neurodivergent representation, but she’s far from the only character I liked. I actually liked them all. Christopher is so sweet, and Kit is the perfect wannabe ice queen who can’t help but fall for the chaotic bisexual cinnamon bun. Kit has hypermobile Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome and while it clearly impacts who she is, it’s not all she is. She’s sexy and smart and sarcastic in the best way. She’s also very cute at unexpected times. Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found & Moonchild: City of the Sun by Aisha Bushby, illustrated by Rachael Dean
Great Deal 
New Comment