Reviews with content warning for Biphobia - Xeni

Reviews tagging 'Biphobia'

Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon

40 reviews

belle13's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

❤️(Sort of) Arranged Marriage of Convenience
❤️Small Town Fun
❤️Queer MCs
❤️Insta Lust
❤️Funny Banter
❤️Size Difference 😉
❤️Cinnamon Roll MMC

Amount of spice:🔥🔥🔥🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Level of Slow Burn: Fast - Medium Burn

Xeni was so much fun! Both the book and Xeni herself, that is. I also wasn’t expecting it to be as smutty as it was (not complaining). Xeni and Mason make for such a sweet, fun loving couple and they had fantastic communication that felt very real and relatable the whole way through.

I loved the writing style, the great cast of supporting characters and all of the love that absolutely oozes out of this book. The reason I didn’t rate it higher was just because I felt my interest slipping towards the end and I wasn’t as hooked as I was in the beginning. I also thought it was just the tiniest bit too rushed.

I would recommend it if you love a big, gentle giant MMC, a marriage of convenience that just feels like two best friends falling in love and a whole lot of fantastic diversity.

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bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

What a fun silly book. I loved the characters. Just a couple of thicc sexy sweet bisexuals having SO MUCH sex. This is right up there with most sex I’ve read in a traditional romance novel. And it was varied and fun! Would absolutely recommend. My only critiques are 1) how easy everything was despite the seemingly high stakes for Mason’s family stuff 2) they had maybe three actual conversations? I was definitely rooting for them but I think the book could have been a tiny bit longer to add a bit more dialogue in between some of the sex scenes 3) it was kinda soulmatey, which isn’t my jam but was still cute because I really enjoyed the couple.

I made the mistake of pausing the audiobook in the middle of the pegging scene, and it took a few weeks to find a good moment to just straight into that, but once I did I finished the rest of the book very quickly.

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simplysimone's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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mabellene's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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yourbookishbff's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This was a fun, fast-paced read with fantastic bi representation. Both main characters are bi, and there is really authentic on-page dialogue between Mason and Xeni as he shares the biphobia he’s experienced - both generally from family and from intimate partners he had trusted - and it tackles head-on some of the more frustrating misconceptions about bi folks (the biphobic idea that we can’t be monogamous rearing its ugly head in Mason’s prior relationships). You would think a modern-day, marriage-of-convenience story would feel like a stretch, and while, sure, it does, it also brings incredible levity to a story that still handles tough topics like grief, emotional abuse and abandonment, and more.

This is also an incredibly sex-positive story, where our main characters speak openly and honestly about what they like and dislike, about their sexual histories and health and about how they plan to enjoy their (supposedly limited) time together. I loved glimpses of Xeni’s friend group and Mason’s family and am absolutely going back to read Rafe very soon.

And, critically important: I loved this small-town rep. Cranky county clerk who really blows the wedding vibes? Check. Found family among the handful of people of color in an otherwise extremely white town? Check. Everybody in everybody’s business? Check. And my absolute favorite part: big-city girl falls in love with cute boy-in-henley working at the cozy small-town cafe and PLOT TWIST.

Anyways, I won't spoil anything, but if you're looking for a sweet, hot bi4bi read, this is it.

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unfocusedcuriosity's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Xeni has been my first read by Weatherspoon. It's been an amazing introduction to her work. The author makes it very easy to fall in love with her carefully crafted characters.

From the beginning of the story, I was charmed by Xeni. I loved the way her reaction to grief felt very real and raw. When it came to the love story between her and Mason, it was sweet and effortless. I was in awe at the way their partnership and camaraderie blossomed. It was so refreshing to have a MMC be openly and proudly bisexual. I appreciated the representation as well as Xeni's reaction.

The wonderful setting and amazing supporting cast all make this book a lighthearted, feel-good read. In other words, it's a certified hood classic.

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crystalisreading's review

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lighthearted relaxing

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Xeni is a delightfully cozy and affirming queer interracial romance. There's a lot of emotional angst, but there's just as much sex and food scenes. dogs. a diverse, accepting community (that heavily involves characters from other Weatherspoon romances, although this only adds value for those who've read those books; for readers who haven't read her wider catalog, the story is still easy to understand). Two MCs who are delightfully confident in their own physical attractiveness, and open to their physical attraction to each other. Some unexpected but well-written kink. And the financial stability that comes with an enormous inheritance. I was honestly not sure how the romance would work out, so maybe it was less cozy than I remember, but the ending was satisfying and believable, and the overall story was enjoyable. How could I expect anything else from Rebekah Weatherspoon? #23for23

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