Review: Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti

• Representation: Indonesian-Chinese
• Genre(s): Romance and Comedy

Review

This was a fun read! Usually, I don’t love enemies-to-lovers or fake dating, but Timoti did it with interesting twists. Typically, the main characters are enemies for silly reasons but Alec and Ellie’s reasons for not speaking with one another made sense to me. Their witty banter was enjoyable and made me smile. For some reason, the romance being more on the sweeter (rather than spicy) side was exactly what I needed.

The Type 1 Diabetes representation was well done, I think, and super informative. I was glad to learn more, especially about how _not_ to act around someone taking care of themselves. The side characters were a little underdeveloped--either friend or foe in a simplistic way (especially Ellie’s mom who was a little TOO cartoon-villainy for me),--but they were fun enough and I didn’t mind.

The story had a nice flow and pace, easy to follow, and Alec and Ellie’s relationship developed realistically. Didn’t feel forced or too quick. Overall, a great debut and pleasant read. I would definitely recommend for romance readers.

Discussion

Have you read Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti? If so, please share your thoughts. If not, would you give it a try?

Where to Purchase:

Available on Tuma's Books, Libro.fm, and Bookshop.org.