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Not Queer Enough
Dating in your twenties is hard. Online dating as a bi woman in the midwest is proving to be even harder. Elena knows what she wants and she's struggling to find it. The dating apps are a disaster and it seems like it's just one tragic date after the other, until she meets Landon. A beautiful human being who's gender queer. The two of them together seem to be the perfect match for their own LGBTQIA+ identities. However, they both have reservations about what a relationship could look like if they laid it all out and embraced their true selves. Will they be able to get over their own preconceived notions of who they are and what love can look like? Maybe. These two will have to figure out what it means to commit in a society that doesn't seem set up for their kind of love.
This book is intended for mature readers and contains spicy scenes not suitable for all.
This book is intended for mature readers and contains spicy scenes not suitable for all.
310 pages, Paperback
Published June 27, 2023
9 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 5, 2023
Not Queer Enough is such a beautiful representation of both the gender and sexuality spectrums! It really focuses on the idea that sometimes you can feel too queer for the heteronormative crowd while simultaneously not feel queer enough in an LGBTQ+ crowd.
Elena is a bisexual woman who's struggled with dating, especially in the online world. That is, until she comes across Landon's dating profile. He's introduced as a straight man who also enjoys spending time in drag as Ella. Both Elena and Landon have a lot of learning & self discovery to do throughout the book because they're both experiencing so many new things together.
There were parts of the book where the writing style felt more clinical as if I were reading a non-fiction about gender identity and sexuality. But by the end, I'd really attached myself to these characters & loved seeing the progress they made together!
Elena is a bisexual woman who's struggled with dating, especially in the online world. That is, until she comes across Landon's dating profile. He's introduced as a straight man who also enjoys spending time in drag as Ella. Both Elena and Landon have a lot of learning & self discovery to do throughout the book because they're both experiencing so many new things together.
There were parts of the book where the writing style felt more clinical as if I were reading a non-fiction about gender identity and sexuality. But by the end, I'd really attached myself to these characters & loved seeing the progress they made together!
October 13, 2023
3.5 rounded to 4 for Star rating.
Thank you to goodgirlspr and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
*I’d like to add a note before my review that I didn’t realize this book was a semi-autobiographical fiction book of the author’s love life. Any comments I have about the book, whether positive or a critique, are about the fictional characters and story, NOT the author or her life.*
I wanted to take some time to post my review after reading this book to gather my thoughts a bit more before writing them all down. There were things that I really liked about this book and things that I think were indicative of a newer author. Overall, I think the content was great and I enjoyed the story quite a bit. I do include commentary below on what was done well and where I think some work could be done to really make this one shine. The story and relationship were truly special and I did find myself able to easily read the story! I think with continued experience writing, the author could definitely polish up the critiques I have for the story and I'll definitely be looking out for more stories from her in the future!
At the start, I was really hooked by the main character, Elena. I found myself really relating to her and felt a strong connection with everything she represented as an anxious, bisexual, midwestern girlie. Her inner monologues felt really believable and helped me relate to her as a character.
I really loved the exploration of what it means to exist within the gender binary and how someone can exist outside of it. Elena’s love of Landon and Ella as the same person was so touching as it really showed she understood them and that they weren't two separate versions, but that they existed as one in Landon. It was really intriguing to see them explore their relationship and how they could exist outside the gender and hetero normative roles. It was great seeing how they could both support each other and I found them to have excellent communication (although sometimes it was TOO perfect; see below.)
The book had light spice that was well written (there were only one or two explicit scenes) but there was so much cute flirting and teasing that you got all the feels from it. It really was a cute, short queer read.
I did have some critiques on the writing itself and some of the way things were presented. I will explain further, but I don’t think anything needed to be removed or changed, but maybe edited a bit more to be smoother as it felt either too perfect or too choppy at times.
My first critique is with the dialogue between the characters. The conversations Elena has with her friends/family are almost TOO perfect. Like they always have the exact right advice for the situation and perfect communication and this just felt a little unrealistic. While people can definitely be great for advice and be good at communicating, I just felt like the dialogue sometimes was a little rigid in its perfection and would love to have seen a few times where it was just someone listening and not having advice but being there anyways. While I would LOVE if everyone in the real world communicated like that and that everyone was able to have such an amazing family and friend group, they were just a little too perfect. And if it was written to BE about how people SHOULD communicate, then GREAT. But I just would have enjoyed more if the conversation felt a little more natural.
Similarly, except for the marriage conflict conversation, Elena and Landon have essentially zero conflicts. Again, while it's great to see such solid communication, it was a little too perfect. Even great communicators have some problems here and there, and I would have loved to see a little more grit to some of these conversations.
The book also included a lot of representation of different groups and education on different topics for these groups. Again, with this I found that some things were done really well and others could have used a little refining to make it feel more natural.
I thought the author did a great job with some of the sexual health education. The HPV storyline was done well with the doctor explaining to Elena how the testing and treatment works and then demonstrated a great way for someone to discuss the diagnosis with a sexual partner. There were a few other “teaching” moments within the book in reference to queer culture that I thought were done well
On the other hand, there were some other parts that could have used a little more finesse. You could tell the author was trying to have these teachable moments within the characters so that the readers can have some take home points, but some would have used a little revising. The overall message was accurate and helpful but delivery was a little rough. One that comes to mind was the scene where the Indian yoga instructor and Elena are discussing the problematic takeover of yoga by White culture. They're discussing the origin of yoga and importance, which I thought was done well, BUT then the other instructor complemented her for not being like other white women, or something along those lines, and it just felt slightly self-serving. Yes. I understood the message was that White people need to educate ourselves and not put the burden on the community that was harmed, but I think it could have been worded in a way to not “praise” the White woman. It felt a bit cringey to me.
There was a lot of queer and racial and ethnic diversity within the book which was GREAT. I absolutely love having a book where basically everyone was queer. I want to compliment the inclusion within the writing because it it something that is needed. A small critique I had with this was just in it feeling more seamless for the side characters so they are more than just that identity. It was a short book so we weren't able to really dive in with the side characters, but because this book was so much about everyone being queer or racially diverse, it felt like this was pointed out anytime they were on page and not much else was discussed about them. For example, we see Elena's brother and sister a few times, but usually in the context of family and every time they're discussed she emphasizes their identity as the transgender brother or sister who is married to an Asian man. I think this could have been smoothed out a bit so it was a large part of their character still, while not being the only identity the readers feel from them. This just felt a little rough still to me. I think with time and experience, the author will get better at writing these inclusive characters to have it be more seamless representation that fits naturally into a storyline. (i.e. the character is a transgender man but its not repeatedly brought up - the reader already knows - and their character's plotline has more to them than just being the transgender sibling.) I want to emphasize with this critique that I DO like that they had this representation and I don’t think the characters were presented poorly or incorrectly. The author did well in them being authentic to their identity, I just would have liked them being MORE than just that identity.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a bit. I took some stars away for the writing style and editing that could use some work, but I don’t think it takes away from the message of the story. Finding out at the end that it was about the author’s life and relationship was a cute message and I loved that she was able to tell her story (in a fictionalized way). I do think with a little more experience writing, that Madison will have some great stories that I’ll continue to add to my tbr!
Thank you to goodgirlspr and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
*I’d like to add a note before my review that I didn’t realize this book was a semi-autobiographical fiction book of the author’s love life. Any comments I have about the book, whether positive or a critique, are about the fictional characters and story, NOT the author or her life.*
I wanted to take some time to post my review after reading this book to gather my thoughts a bit more before writing them all down. There were things that I really liked about this book and things that I think were indicative of a newer author. Overall, I think the content was great and I enjoyed the story quite a bit. I do include commentary below on what was done well and where I think some work could be done to really make this one shine. The story and relationship were truly special and I did find myself able to easily read the story! I think with continued experience writing, the author could definitely polish up the critiques I have for the story and I'll definitely be looking out for more stories from her in the future!
At the start, I was really hooked by the main character, Elena. I found myself really relating to her and felt a strong connection with everything she represented as an anxious, bisexual, midwestern girlie. Her inner monologues felt really believable and helped me relate to her as a character.
I really loved the exploration of what it means to exist within the gender binary and how someone can exist outside of it. Elena’s love of Landon and Ella as the same person was so touching as it really showed she understood them and that they weren't two separate versions, but that they existed as one in Landon. It was really intriguing to see them explore their relationship and how they could exist outside the gender and hetero normative roles. It was great seeing how they could both support each other and I found them to have excellent communication (although sometimes it was TOO perfect; see below.)
The book had light spice that was well written (there were only one or two explicit scenes) but there was so much cute flirting and teasing that you got all the feels from it. It really was a cute, short queer read.
I did have some critiques on the writing itself and some of the way things were presented. I will explain further, but I don’t think anything needed to be removed or changed, but maybe edited a bit more to be smoother as it felt either too perfect or too choppy at times.
My first critique is with the dialogue between the characters. The conversations Elena has with her friends/family are almost TOO perfect. Like they always have the exact right advice for the situation and perfect communication and this just felt a little unrealistic. While people can definitely be great for advice and be good at communicating, I just felt like the dialogue sometimes was a little rigid in its perfection and would love to have seen a few times where it was just someone listening and not having advice but being there anyways. While I would LOVE if everyone in the real world communicated like that and that everyone was able to have such an amazing family and friend group, they were just a little too perfect. And if it was written to BE about how people SHOULD communicate, then GREAT. But I just would have enjoyed more if the conversation felt a little more natural.
Similarly, except for the marriage conflict conversation, Elena and Landon have essentially zero conflicts. Again, while it's great to see such solid communication, it was a little too perfect. Even great communicators have some problems here and there, and I would have loved to see a little more grit to some of these conversations.
The book also included a lot of representation of different groups and education on different topics for these groups. Again, with this I found that some things were done really well and others could have used a little refining to make it feel more natural.
I thought the author did a great job with some of the sexual health education. The HPV storyline was done well with the doctor explaining to Elena how the testing and treatment works and then demonstrated a great way for someone to discuss the diagnosis with a sexual partner. There were a few other “teaching” moments within the book in reference to queer culture that I thought were done well
On the other hand, there were some other parts that could have used a little more finesse. You could tell the author was trying to have these teachable moments within the characters so that the readers can have some take home points, but some would have used a little revising. The overall message was accurate and helpful but delivery was a little rough. One that comes to mind was the scene where the Indian yoga instructor and Elena are discussing the problematic takeover of yoga by White culture. They're discussing the origin of yoga and importance, which I thought was done well, BUT then the other instructor complemented her for not being like other white women, or something along those lines, and it just felt slightly self-serving. Yes. I understood the message was that White people need to educate ourselves and not put the burden on the community that was harmed, but I think it could have been worded in a way to not “praise” the White woman. It felt a bit cringey to me.
There was a lot of queer and racial and ethnic diversity within the book which was GREAT. I absolutely love having a book where basically everyone was queer. I want to compliment the inclusion within the writing because it it something that is needed. A small critique I had with this was just in it feeling more seamless for the side characters so they are more than just that identity. It was a short book so we weren't able to really dive in with the side characters, but because this book was so much about everyone being queer or racially diverse, it felt like this was pointed out anytime they were on page and not much else was discussed about them. For example, we see Elena's brother and sister a few times, but usually in the context of family and every time they're discussed she emphasizes their identity as the transgender brother or sister who is married to an Asian man. I think this could have been smoothed out a bit so it was a large part of their character still, while not being the only identity the readers feel from them. This just felt a little rough still to me. I think with time and experience, the author will get better at writing these inclusive characters to have it be more seamless representation that fits naturally into a storyline. (i.e. the character is a transgender man but its not repeatedly brought up - the reader already knows - and their character's plotline has more to them than just being the transgender sibling.) I want to emphasize with this critique that I DO like that they had this representation and I don’t think the characters were presented poorly or incorrectly. The author did well in them being authentic to their identity, I just would have liked them being MORE than just that identity.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a bit. I took some stars away for the writing style and editing that could use some work, but I don’t think it takes away from the message of the story. Finding out at the end that it was about the author’s life and relationship was a cute message and I loved that she was able to tell her story (in a fictionalized way). I do think with a little more experience writing, that Madison will have some great stories that I’ll continue to add to my tbr!
June 18, 2023
I loved this book and related so hard to Elena.
I love how Elena’s immediate family are so loving and accepting. I love Elena and Landon’s relationship. The fact that they had the greatest communication was so beneficial to their relationship and I loved how her accepting Landon for himself made him so happy. They are definitely relationship goals.
I love how Elena’s immediate family are so loving and accepting. I love Elena and Landon’s relationship. The fact that they had the greatest communication was so beneficial to their relationship and I loved how her accepting Landon for himself made him so happy. They are definitely relationship goals.
June 22, 2023
I was so grateful that Madison Nicole allowed me to read her book as an advanced copy! I was concerned at times that I wouldn’t be able to give a decent review since I am an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and not a member. Many of the experiences are so central to the community and their situations within dating and I didn’t want to do the book a disservice! Once I finished the story, I was so glad I got to read it! I truly enjoyed it and I fell in love with Elena and Landon! I was rooting for them and I really liked seeing how they navigated their relationship!
Please add this book to your TBR!
Please add this book to your TBR!
June 15, 2025
This felt more like an informative book on healthy relationships than a love story. I rooted hard for Elena and Landon, but the dialogue didn't feel natural and there wasn't much dramaturgical build up. 5 stars for the message, but 2,5 for the writing...
July 5, 2023
I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily. All references and notes are available in the synopsis to keep this review spoiler free.
4.75/5
Spice: 0.5/5 🌶️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: 1st Person POV
Tropes: LQBTQIA+ (Bisexual, Queer), Rom-Com Vibes, First Love, Found Family
Meet Elena, a 26-year-old bisexual woman, enneagram: 8, in the midwest who is trying to navigate the world of online dating. While Elena is supported by her immediate family, her extended family is full of bigots. With many first dates that never lead to a second, Elena is ready to give up hope until she meets Landon, who is gender queer. They seem to be a perfect match. Together they will begin to navigate a relationship as they still learn who they are as they also face a society that doesn't seem set up for their kind of love.
Happy Pride Month! I LOVED this story. I highly, highly recommend it to all.
What I liked: This is a funny, beautiful, overall light story. As someone who found her husband through an online dating app in 2016, I related to SO many of the quotes and discussions about said apps, especially about knowing what you want and being selective. I was chuckling as I read the first two chapters as I knew exactly what Elena was going through. Elena's internal dialogue was hilarious.
I found it extra beautiful in the discussions of being "queer enough." As someone who identifies as Asexual Fluid but is in a heterosexual relationship, I often also struggle with feeling like a member of the community and being "queer enough." There were also discussions on how blood does not make you family, as effort and respect does. As someone who has no relationship with my sibling outside of holidays and forced interactions, I wanted to hang these conversations on my wall.
Regarding lightness, I felt there was little drama overall to the book which I appreciated. Not all books need to have a huge incident that redefines the MCs or turns the book upside down. While there are references to previous bigotry and hate, the reader doesn't experience it with our MCs. Additional drama:
Also, can we talk about how this is a based on the real experiences of Madison Nicole with their partner Logan? I checked out "Ella's" (IRL -Jess ) Instagram and how extra cute is it that the cover is based off of a photoshoot that she did?! I squealed.
What I didn't like: The only thing, and this is a compliment, is that I wish it was longer! I wanted more of Elena and Landon. I would love an extended scene where Elena wines, dines, and spoils Ella.
More favorite quotes (Spoiler tagged so if you want to experience it yourself):
Thank you to Madison Nicole for the opportunity of the ARC and for sharing your story with the world.
My Rating System:
5 ★ Masterfully created work of art with many strong qualities. Will re-read. Cannot imagine my life without it. Devastated it is over.
4 ★ Solid Work. Enjoyed from beginning to end.
3 ★ Decent with poor execution in some manner. Neutral.
2 ★ Wasn't good but not completely bad. Only 1 or 2 redeeming qualities
1 ★ DNF and/or no redeeming qualities
Join Me On Booktok at LexaReadsALatte
Join Me On Bookstagram at LexaReadsALatte
4.75/5
Spice: 0.5/5 🌶️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: 1st Person POV
Tropes: LQBTQIA+ (Bisexual, Queer), Rom-Com Vibes, First Love, Found Family
"I feel like I am also in a weird spot in the queer community because I'm not, like, queer enough"
Meet Elena, a 26-year-old bisexual woman, enneagram: 8, in the midwest who is trying to navigate the world of online dating. While Elena is supported by her immediate family, her extended family is full of bigots. With many first dates that never lead to a second, Elena is ready to give up hope until she meets Landon, who is gender queer. They seem to be a perfect match. Together they will begin to navigate a relationship as they still learn who they are as they also face a society that doesn't seem set up for their kind of love.
"Where were my alphabet mafia suitors?!"
Happy Pride Month! I LOVED this story. I highly, highly recommend it to all.
What I liked: This is a funny, beautiful, overall light story. As someone who found her husband through an online dating app in 2016, I related to SO many of the quotes and discussions about said apps, especially about knowing what you want and being selective. I was chuckling as I read the first two chapters as I knew exactly what Elena was going through. Elena's internal dialogue was hilarious.
"The saying "hope for the best but expect the worst" should have been on my dating profile because that was my mindset."
I found it extra beautiful in the discussions of being "queer enough." As someone who identifies as Asexual Fluid but is in a heterosexual relationship, I often also struggle with feeling like a member of the community and being "queer enough." There were also discussions on how blood does not make you family, as effort and respect does. As someone who has no relationship with my sibling outside of holidays and forced interactions, I wanted to hang these conversations on my wall.
Regarding lightness, I felt there was little drama overall to the book which I appreciated. Not all books need to have a huge incident that redefines the MCs or turns the book upside down. While there are references to previous bigotry and hate, the reader doesn't experience it with our MCs. Additional drama:
Also, can we talk about how this is a based on the real experiences of Madison Nicole with their partner Logan? I checked out "Ella's" (IRL -Jess ) Instagram and how extra cute is it that the cover is based off of a photoshoot that she did?! I squealed.
What I didn't like: The only thing, and this is a compliment, is that I wish it was longer! I wanted more of Elena and Landon. I would love an extended scene where Elena wines, dines, and spoils Ella.
More favorite quotes (Spoiler tagged so if you want to experience it yourself):
Thank you to Madison Nicole for the opportunity of the ARC and for sharing your story with the world.
My Rating System:
5 ★ Masterfully created work of art with many strong qualities. Will re-read. Cannot imagine my life without it. Devastated it is over.
4 ★ Solid Work. Enjoyed from beginning to end.
3 ★ Decent with poor execution in some manner. Neutral.
2 ★ Wasn't good but not completely bad. Only 1 or 2 redeeming qualities
1 ★ DNF and/or no redeeming qualities
Join Me On Booktok at LexaReadsALatte
Join Me On Bookstagram at LexaReadsALatte
June 21, 2023
It’s not very often that I start and finish a book in one day, life is just a little hectic in this household, but once I picked this up I just couldn’t put it down.
Elena is a freelance yoga/fitness instructor who has been striking out hardcore on dating apps. Which as a person who met their husband on a dating app I can totally relate to, those things are scary. But one day Elena has a little bit of luck when she matches with Landon. After doing a little snooping on Instagram (so relatable) she finds that Landon has an alternate account where he dresses in drag. Later on in the book it’s explained that this account, Ella, is really just an account that allows Landon to express the feminine side of his gender expression. From the beginning Elena makes it clear that she likes Landon for his ‘gooey insides’ and that she will be supportive of him no matter what. Which is really what we all want.
There were so many things I really enjoyed about this book, especially the healthy communication skills these characters have. They communicate with each other so well, even about the hard topics like Landon’s gender identity and Elena’s STI status. Even when Elena needs a little space after a bombshell revelation Landon is ready to give it to her. Like this is one of the healthiest relationships I’ve ever experienced both in real life and fictional, which I think made me love these characters that much more.
I just really enjoyed the way this was written and especially that it’s based off of the author’s love story/relationship. It gives that little personal touch that I think was perfect for this story.
Thank you to the author and GoodGirls PR for the eARC of this book, this is my honest review.
Elena is a freelance yoga/fitness instructor who has been striking out hardcore on dating apps. Which as a person who met their husband on a dating app I can totally relate to, those things are scary. But one day Elena has a little bit of luck when she matches with Landon. After doing a little snooping on Instagram (so relatable) she finds that Landon has an alternate account where he dresses in drag. Later on in the book it’s explained that this account, Ella, is really just an account that allows Landon to express the feminine side of his gender expression. From the beginning Elena makes it clear that she likes Landon for his ‘gooey insides’ and that she will be supportive of him no matter what. Which is really what we all want.
There were so many things I really enjoyed about this book, especially the healthy communication skills these characters have. They communicate with each other so well, even about the hard topics like Landon’s gender identity and Elena’s STI status. Even when Elena needs a little space after a bombshell revelation Landon is ready to give it to her. Like this is one of the healthiest relationships I’ve ever experienced both in real life and fictional, which I think made me love these characters that much more.
I just really enjoyed the way this was written and especially that it’s based off of the author’s love story/relationship. It gives that little personal touch that I think was perfect for this story.
Thank you to the author and GoodGirls PR for the eARC of this book, this is my honest review.
June 29, 2023
Rating: 3.75
Overall, I enioved this book and I'm grateful to have received and ARC. Thank you to the author and @good.girls.pr for the copy.
In so many ways, I relate to the main FMC - being raised and living in the Midwest, "am I queer enough?", the desire to communicate well, her intentionality, and having extended family issues. Many of the things the author wrote, I have said out loud or to myself. It's always a really warm feeling to know you are not alone in your thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
At the beginning of the book, there was something getting in the way of me feeling as though I was fully connecting with the story.
I'm thinking about it, I realized I needed a different filter for how I was reading the book.
The characters all communicate so well and know the right things to say all the time, that it didn't feel entirely believable. However, when I look at it through the lens of an example of how to communicate well and how to respond to hard conversations in a balanced way, suddenly my experience changed.
I am a therapist by profession and could see recommending this book to people who are trying to navigate challenging conversations, similar to the ones in the book.
Not Queer Enough is based on the author's life and I can tell she is passionate about everything she wrote about, from her experience with her partner, to being an overall good and mindful human. I do think some of the teaching in the book would have benefitted from the book being written in third person, but I understand the choice the author made with first person.
Queer stories are so important. All of them. This book matters and 1 look forward to reading more of Madison Nicole's books.
Overall, I enioved this book and I'm grateful to have received and ARC. Thank you to the author and @good.girls.pr for the copy.
In so many ways, I relate to the main FMC - being raised and living in the Midwest, "am I queer enough?", the desire to communicate well, her intentionality, and having extended family issues. Many of the things the author wrote, I have said out loud or to myself. It's always a really warm feeling to know you are not alone in your thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
At the beginning of the book, there was something getting in the way of me feeling as though I was fully connecting with the story.
I'm thinking about it, I realized I needed a different filter for how I was reading the book.
The characters all communicate so well and know the right things to say all the time, that it didn't feel entirely believable. However, when I look at it through the lens of an example of how to communicate well and how to respond to hard conversations in a balanced way, suddenly my experience changed.
I am a therapist by profession and could see recommending this book to people who are trying to navigate challenging conversations, similar to the ones in the book.
Not Queer Enough is based on the author's life and I can tell she is passionate about everything she wrote about, from her experience with her partner, to being an overall good and mindful human. I do think some of the teaching in the book would have benefitted from the book being written in third person, but I understand the choice the author made with first person.
Queer stories are so important. All of them. This book matters and 1 look forward to reading more of Madison Nicole's books.
May 18, 2024
2.75
Elena Mandling, 26, yoga instructor, bi, thicc, intense, insecure, self sacrificing
Brown hair
Blue eyes
Landon/Ella, videographer, influencer, “gender bender; ”gender questioning-definitely a combination of the two-almost a binary, virgin, direct, whimsical, curious
Blonde hair
Blue eyes
First person single POV (Elena)
Kansas City, MO
Hartington, NE
Tulsa, OK
Dating app relationship start, virgin MC, thicc MC, mental health rep,
I have feelings about this book. The discussions and self discovery surrounding gender and queerness are absolutely the kind of representation needed in CR. I was here for it. But it was so disappointing.
The side characters were written like the author had a checklist of LGBTQ, gender, and racial identities. It seemed so forced, which took away the impact the author was going for.
There’s almost a kind of choose-your-own-adventure style with the progressive issues addressed. You name it, it’s probably shoehorned in there somewhere.
Too much tell and not enough show. There were so many dropped story lines and a lot of the time I didn’t understand the MC’s motivations.
After reading the entire story, there’s a note from the author mentioning that this story is based on her own life. So now I feel like a jerk, but this book could have been so much better.
Elena Mandling, 26, yoga instructor, bi, thicc, intense, insecure, self sacrificing
Brown hair
Blue eyes
Landon/Ella, videographer, influencer, “gender bender; ”gender questioning-definitely a combination of the two-almost a binary, virgin, direct, whimsical, curious
Blonde hair
Blue eyes
First person single POV (Elena)
Kansas City, MO
Hartington, NE
Tulsa, OK
Dating app relationship start, virgin MC, thicc MC, mental health rep,
I have feelings about this book. The discussions and self discovery surrounding gender and queerness are absolutely the kind of representation needed in CR. I was here for it. But it was so disappointing.
The side characters were written like the author had a checklist of LGBTQ, gender, and racial identities. It seemed so forced, which took away the impact the author was going for.
There’s almost a kind of choose-your-own-adventure style with the progressive issues addressed. You name it, it’s probably shoehorned in there somewhere.
Too much tell and not enough show. There were so many dropped story lines and a lot of the time I didn’t understand the MC’s motivations.
After reading the entire story, there’s a note from the author mentioning that this story is based on her own life. So now I feel like a jerk, but this book could have been so much better.
June 27, 2023
I received an advanced reader copy of the book and I so appreciate the opportunity!
As an LGBTQIA+ ally, I feel it is important, personally, to expand my appreciation and understanding of queerness. I just don’t know very much at all.
Although I am not a member of the community that this is written for, and as such, perhaps I don’t have much room to speak to the particulars, I really _loved_ the story and characters. They were very well written and well rounded.
And let me just say that Ella and Landon have legitimately the healthiest relationship I’ve ever experienced in fiction. Seriously, they could be a lesson in boundaries and elevated communication skills.
We should all be so lucky!
As I’ve seen some others comment, I do think it could have been longer with even more fun, lovely, times spent with the two of them. They are beautiful (fictional) humans.
A very easy read that should inspire many of us to look at our own relationships and where we can be more open, loving, honest, and accepting. 5 stars!
As an LGBTQIA+ ally, I feel it is important, personally, to expand my appreciation and understanding of queerness. I just don’t know very much at all.
Although I am not a member of the community that this is written for, and as such, perhaps I don’t have much room to speak to the particulars, I really _loved_ the story and characters. They were very well written and well rounded.
And let me just say that Ella and Landon have legitimately the healthiest relationship I’ve ever experienced in fiction. Seriously, they could be a lesson in boundaries and elevated communication skills.
We should all be so lucky!
As I’ve seen some others comment, I do think it could have been longer with even more fun, lovely, times spent with the two of them. They are beautiful (fictional) humans.
A very easy read that should inspire many of us to look at our own relationships and where we can be more open, loving, honest, and accepting. 5 stars!
July 2, 2023
🌶️ 🌶️
Elena is a bisexual twenty something yoga instructor trying to navigate modern dating to find her person. After several mediocre dates, she matches with Landon on bumble. Interestingly enough, Landon also does drag as Ella and rides the line on genderbending. This story explores Landon and Elena learning how to validate each other’s queer identities within their relationship.
This book was so wholesome. As a bisexual lady myself, I loved seeing queer representation in a way that didn’t mold into a box. Everyone’s identities are vastly different and this book contained two MCs that were transparent and open.
Not Queer enough also educated me on sexual health and gender identities, highlighting that it looks different for everyone. It’s a simple, easy read and I highly encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the LGTBQ+ community in an entertaining way to pick this up!
Side note: the author’s note said she loosely based this story off of her own experience with her partner and I loved seeing that ❤️
Thank you to the author and Good Girls PR for the ARC!
Elena is a bisexual twenty something yoga instructor trying to navigate modern dating to find her person. After several mediocre dates, she matches with Landon on bumble. Interestingly enough, Landon also does drag as Ella and rides the line on genderbending. This story explores Landon and Elena learning how to validate each other’s queer identities within their relationship.
This book was so wholesome. As a bisexual lady myself, I loved seeing queer representation in a way that didn’t mold into a box. Everyone’s identities are vastly different and this book contained two MCs that were transparent and open.
Not Queer enough also educated me on sexual health and gender identities, highlighting that it looks different for everyone. It’s a simple, easy read and I highly encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the LGTBQ+ community in an entertaining way to pick this up!
Side note: the author’s note said she loosely based this story off of her own experience with her partner and I loved seeing that ❤️
Thank you to the author and Good Girls PR for the ARC!
September 6, 2024
ugh i wanted so much more from this book!! there were many lines/passages/internal thoughts that i heavily related to. the MC is a 26 year old bisexual, brown curly hair, septum piercing, with a super supportive family, and was a later-in-life queer baby. so of course i related to that like 100%
i just felt like there was no overarching take away from this book. there was no real conflict, no real character development, all the characters were in therapy, they all had amazing communication (to the point of it feeling fake), and barely any drama. i do love a good queer love story, but i almost wish we had Landon/Ella POV so that we could see their internal thoughts/feelings/hardships. overall, a quick fun read!
i just felt like there was no overarching take away from this book. there was no real conflict, no real character development, all the characters were in therapy, they all had amazing communication (to the point of it feeling fake), and barely any drama. i do love a good queer love story, but i almost wish we had Landon/Ella POV so that we could see their internal thoughts/feelings/hardships. overall, a quick fun read!
June 16, 2023
Honestly? How dare this author write a book so similar to my own life and make me reflect critically on my own relationship. But seriously - this book was SO CUTE! The story, the characters, and the fact that ITS BASED ON A REAL LOVE STORY(!!!!) made it such a fun and fast read.
Explores bi-sexuality in a way that I’ve never read in a book, and as a bi person it was oddly comforting to see some of my own thoughts reflected on the pages.
This book is also the only book that discusses virginity in a non-gross patriarchal way!!!
Overall, this is a perfect book. Stop reading this review and read the book. K,luvubye!!!🥰
Explores bi-sexuality in a way that I’ve never read in a book, and as a bi person it was oddly comforting to see some of my own thoughts reflected on the pages.
This book is also the only book that discusses virginity in a non-gross patriarchal way!!!
Overall, this is a perfect book. Stop reading this review and read the book. K,luvubye!!!🥰
July 6, 2023
A slice of queer life joy and romance.
While I would more likely class this in contemporary/women's fiction than romance, this book really felt like a breath of fresh air. Where so many romance books can be so full of angst, this one really just felt like such a soft, beautiful expression of queer love in all it's forms. I loved getting to see both of the main characters grow and accept themselves and their own versions of being queer, as well as seeing their relationship blossom.
Highly recommend for an easy, relaxing read that will make your queer heart smile!
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy of this book!
While I would more likely class this in contemporary/women's fiction than romance, this book really felt like a breath of fresh air. Where so many romance books can be so full of angst, this one really just felt like such a soft, beautiful expression of queer love in all it's forms. I loved getting to see both of the main characters grow and accept themselves and their own versions of being queer, as well as seeing their relationship blossom.
Highly recommend for an easy, relaxing read that will make your queer heart smile!
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy of this book!
July 3, 2023
What a cute and fuzzy read! It includes powerful and necessary conversations about love, sex, and identity that are too often avoided out of fear and ignorance. It’s a beautiful story that proves that “both/and” is always stronger than “either/or” even if society makes us think it’s not possible. The representation is fabulous. It speaks to me as a woman who didn’t ever really “come out” but just had the realization I was bi later in life. It was impossible to stop reading and I can’t wait for more from the author!
July 3, 2023
Madison Nicole really just put her whole life out there and wrote a semi-autobiographical book chronicling such an intimate time in her life and we are HERE for the vulnerability!
We got several LGBTQIA+ characters, found family, sexual health destigmatization, healthy boundaries and consent, and so much more progressive content all wrapped up into this modern love story.
We got several LGBTQIA+ characters, found family, sexual health destigmatization, healthy boundaries and consent, and so much more progressive content all wrapped up into this modern love story.
June 25, 2023
So this book is definitely queer enough! A must-read for any bisexual person out there and just be very prepared to fall in love with Landon/Ella, head over high drag heels!
Thank you to the author for an ARC!
Thank you to the author for an ARC!
July 18, 2023
3.5 Stars
It's taken me a while to sit down to write this review because I have such mixed feelings.
First of all, congratulations to the author for this beautiful debut novel. It's semi-autobiographical and I can't imagine how scary it must be to share your own story. I'm so grateful she did.
Things I Liked: This story really was a beautiful one. I loved the characters, what brought them together, and what held them together. You could feel their love and I felt honored to be reading it.
Things I Didn't Like: I'm not sure how to explain this, but I sometimes felt like I was reading someone's diary. Or a non-fiction book. It felt TOO real and not enough like a story. It also felt really unrealistic at times, for example some of the conversations she had with her best friend and advice she got. TBH, I also struggled with the pace a bit. I got bored and just needed more.
Read If You Like:
-Queer Stories
-Books about bisexuality & gender identity
-Navigating family dynamics
-Found family/chosen family
-Drag queens
-Semi-autobiographical stories
-Light spice
-Bumble
That said, I will absolutely include this in my recommendations for Queer books. Thank you to the author and Good Girls PR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's taken me a while to sit down to write this review because I have such mixed feelings.
First of all, congratulations to the author for this beautiful debut novel. It's semi-autobiographical and I can't imagine how scary it must be to share your own story. I'm so grateful she did.
Things I Liked: This story really was a beautiful one. I loved the characters, what brought them together, and what held them together. You could feel their love and I felt honored to be reading it.
Things I Didn't Like: I'm not sure how to explain this, but I sometimes felt like I was reading someone's diary. Or a non-fiction book. It felt TOO real and not enough like a story. It also felt really unrealistic at times, for example some of the conversations she had with her best friend and advice she got. TBH, I also struggled with the pace a bit. I got bored and just needed more.
Read If You Like:
-Queer Stories
-Books about bisexuality & gender identity
-Navigating family dynamics
-Found family/chosen family
-Drag queens
-Semi-autobiographical stories
-Light spice
-Bumble
That said, I will absolutely include this in my recommendations for Queer books. Thank you to the author and Good Girls PR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2023
Wow, this book was amazing 😍. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting 🙌. I knew what it was about, but I didn’t expect it to sweep me off my feet like it did. It made me smile, cry, and feel so many emotions 🥰. I loved getting a glimpse of this story and feeling like I was part of it. It was so beautifully written and I fell in love with the characters 💕. The fact that this is based on a true experience (which I only found out at the end) made it even more special 🌟. Madison, thank you for sharing this story, thank you for opening up about your and your partner’s journey of breaking free from what society has taught us through this moving and beautiful story 🙏. I adore it. I would recommend this book to everyone who is queercurious and loves romantic and swoony stories 😊, who doesn’t believe in preconceived notions of how relationships should look like, and sees beyond labels and just falls in love with a person’s essence and heart 💗. Also, the Sailor Moon reference and my first-ever queer curiosity were a bonus 😁. Thank you so much, Madison Nicole and Good Girls PR, for sending me this wonderful book in exchange for my honest opinion 📚.
July 22, 2023
I love books that utilize their location and really make you feel a part of it! Especially since queer midwest literature is quite a niche!
October 15, 2023
Madi's book
April 23, 2024
The book was an easy read, but kind of lost me towards the end. Would still recommend for a quick, queer love story!
June 29, 2023
Blown away by this writing and the plot. The characters are *chef's Kiss*. I devoured this in one sitting!
definitely worth the read!!
definitely worth the read!!
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