Review: Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann
Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQIA+
Publication: January 23, 2018 from Swoon Reads
Series: None. Standalone.
Length: 304 pages
Format: ARC from Swoon Reads
Rating: ★★★★★

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Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

Huge thanks to my friends from Macmillan International for sending me a review copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. This did not, in any way, affect my overall opinion of the book and/or the story.

I read not just because I want to feel things or to simply be entertained. I read because I also want to somehow be educated about various social themes such as representation, mental health, sexuality, and a whole lot more. Now, my choice to read Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann helped reinforce this notion because in doing so, not only was I indisputably moved and entertained, but I also learned a lot about asexuality, and I’m so glad to have been able to read such a heartfelt book. And today, I’m honored to be sharing my review with you all. Read on to know my thoughts and feels about this one of a kind novel.

Claire Kann’s book offers a story about love and societal acceptance, one that a lot of readers can easily relate to. It’s about a black, asexual girl named Alice who is, at the beginning of the novel, recently dumped by her girlfriend when she feels like Alice doesn’t desire her because of Alice not wanting to have sex. And this throws Alice into a journey towards finding acceptance with the help of a counselor. She then meets a cute Japanese guy named Takumi, a co-worker in their local library, and is once again met with questions that’s supposed to help her know whether or not she wants to tell him that she’s asexual. And that’s just literally the tip of the iceberg. Other than that, Alice’s story is also about self-respect and familial love, more than anything else.

Let’s Talk About Love is a book that is filled with great characters, and I love how easy it was to root for most, if not all of them, most especially Alice and Takumi. From the start, I knew that Alice’s story would be one of my instant favorites. Alice and Takumi were great both as individual characters, and as a pair. They complemented, and brought out the best in each other, and this made them very unforgettable. Readers who are in the market for a book that offers a great love story definitely has something to look forward to in this novel. This is one of the aspects that made me fall madly in love with this book, and I hope that other readers could attest to that.

Other than that, Let’s Talk About Love is also filled with great representation, especially for black, biromantic asexuals, and for those who are looking for quite an enlightening read, this book might just be the one for you.Personally, I don’t really consider myself a gender expert, and I honestly know next nothing about asexuality, and this book was of great help to me. It definitely helped educate me about the aspects that make a person asexual, and I hope I can someday apply these things that I learned by helping others (friends and family, mostly) identify themselves. I had a blast getting to know Alice, not just through her asexuality, but also through other aspects that made her who she is. Part of why I adored this book so much is because of her.

And before I conclude this review, here are some other aspects that made me head over heels for this fantastically diverse novel:

• This book, in my opinion, has a good family dynamic that’s relatable especially for those who experience (or has experienced) very strict, protective family ties.
• It also offers a good story about best friends being there for each other to whatever end.
• And lastly, the writing has short, side commentaries or segues from Alice’s head space in most, if not all the scenes which I absolutely enjoyed.

“Let’s Talk About Love is an amazing contemporary novel that is as heartwarming as it is moving. It’s an #ownvoices book that will no doubt make readers swoon, laugh out loud, and to some extent, cry. It features an uplifting love story of two, very diverse characters, and I extremely enjoyed reading all about Alice’s journey towards finding love and acceptance. It offers readers an undoubtedly enjoyable reading experience filled with great representation, (especially for black, biromantic asexuals to be specific), amazingly easy-to-root-for characters, and highly entertaining dialogue. Fans of Kasie West, Sandhya Menon, and Becky Albertalli will no doubt fall in love with this Swoon Reads title in just a couple of pages.”

Have YOU read Let’s Talk About Love yet? If not, be sure to check out once it’s out on January 23rd! And once you do, let me know what you think of it down below in the comments section!

JM is a 21 year old blogger from Manila. He has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Managment mainly because it was too late when he discovered that literature and publishing is his true calling. He enjoys reading contemporary and fantasy novels as much as he enjoys playing video games and baking pastries. You may find him on Twitter, Instagram, and on Goodreads.