Hi friends!
I finally read Meet Cute Diary! I will say that I’m glad I follow Emery on Twitter and was able to see eir response initial reactions to the book.
I think some of the mixed reactions can be attributed to the misleading description and the fact that it leads readers to believe we should be rooting for Drew who straight-up sucks from the get-go.
But luckily Emery made it clear that Drew is supposed to suck like that’s the whole point. And this book is 100% a rom-com and readers shouldn’t forget that.
But then, I also know how this works. I’m a gay, triracial trans guy who only passes when the sun aligns with the moon just right and the Earth tilts upside down. Dudes like me don’t just get to stumble into the perfect little meet cute. No, if we want meet cutes, we have to make them ourselves.
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Published by Quill Tree Books in 2021
Genre & Rep: YA Romance (Contemporary) | Queer Rep (Gay MC, Nonbinary MC, trans man mc, asexual rep) | Multiracial MC
Noah thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem–all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe. When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page. Meanwhile, Noah’s parents force him to get a job where he has the exact opposite of a meet-cute with Devin, who ends up being the very same person who inspired Noah to come out as trans.
And I don’t know what this blog will be in a week or a month or a year. I barely know what it’ll be tomorrow, but as long as it can mean something to someone—as long as it can shine a little bit of light for a trans kid somewhere who has none—I’m not giving up on it. I promise.
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
I love Noah in all of his messy, hopeless romantic glory. He just wants the space to breathe and be himself and fall in love. I loved his relationship with his brother and the quick acceptance after he comes out even though there’s a learning curve. I love his starry-eyed, romantic nature even when I just wanted to scream at him to run far away from impending heartbreak. I also loved the realness of the growing pains with his best friend. Because friendship is not all endless support and love especially as high school comes to an end and you have to come to terms with inevitable change.
It’s just that, back then, I was willing to be anything people told me to be. I didn’t mind that I was dying inside because I didn’t know how to live any other way. But how do you learn to breathe, then opt to be suffocated day in and day out? I’m Noah now, and really, I always have been. It’s not my fault no one believed in Noah until he gave them no other choice.
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Devin is so sweet. Obviously, I could’ve done without the gross meet-cute but you know shit happens. I just loved the red string of fate aspect with Devin being the person that inspired Noah to come out in the first place. I also loved that e is given the space to explore eir identity and sexuality. And that Noah was never weird or judging but simply adjusted and stood up to others on Devin’s behalf. I was so caught off guard by their friendship growing at a youth summer camp but it made it all the sweeter.
I imagine Devin opening these kids up to pronouns now will make all the difference. Imagine knowing that being trans isn’t just a thing, but a thing you’re actually allowed to do. I wonder if I would’ve found myself sooner. And maybe this is part of finding myself now. Maybe this is Fate’s way of helping me find a kid just like myself and give them something I never had. And maybe it doesn’t mean anything at all, but I still can’t help but smile.
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
In general, I loved the messiness of it all. This whole story is chaotic and messy in the best possible way. Everyone has flaws but there are also lines and boundaries. People can be real and human but that isn’t a free for all and opportunity for endless forgiveness. This is one of the few times that I’ve been okay with being led astray by the description because 1. it became clear early on the direction that the story was going and 2. it was even better than I expected.
I just think sometimes we lose friendships because we expect things to fall into place, but sometimes, the pieces are stubborn and you have to move them yourself. I’d hate to see you lose such a great friend because you didn’t try enough options.
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
This book has great rep, but it’s so much more than that, or maybe it’s the fact that it’s not even strictly about any of the characters’ identities. Like yes there are obviously discussions about Devin’s gender identity and Noah’s coming out journey, but more than anything they’re given the space to be real and raw and messy as they fall in love. If you’re a fan of chaotic rom-coms starring hopeless romantics than look no further.
To everyone who’s felt too mixed, too Black, too queer, or too trans to have a happily ever after— here’s your permission to make one for yourself.
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Also, check out Emery’s upcoming book Cafe Con Lychee which looks so fucking cute!
💫 Have you had a chance to read this yet? Which do you prefer fake dating or friends-to-lovers?
Just A Little Lit Nerd 