Naturally Tan by Tan France is an interesting glimpse into the Queer Eye star’s life. He discusses his childhood, young adult years, and his rise to fame in this honest and inspiring memoir. His positive outlook and his ability to be frank comes through in this narrative, making it an instant favourite for his fans.

Having just discovered the whole Queer Eye fandom last year, I am always drawn to Tan France’s segments on the hit Netlfix series. There is consistently something he gives to the clients and viewers that can be used for style improvement. Naturally Tan also includes quite a few PSAs in the book, such as finding the perfect pair of jeans. These life tips are both helpful and laugh out loud at the same time. What is so wonderful is the fact that the Tan we see on the show is the same Tan in the pages of the book.

❀ VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF TAN’S LIFE

Not all of the memoir is upbeat and happy, however. Tan describes many childhood and adult experiences where he has been bullied due to the colour of his skin. At times, it is heartbreaking to read, as he paints quite a vivd picture of what it was like to walk home from school and have to endure the racism in his community. Unfortunately, it seems that he still deals with racism as a well-known celebrity.

❀ NATURALLY TAN AUDIOBOOK IS WORTH A LISTEN

If you are an audiobook junkie, like myself, I highly suggest listening to the audio version of the book. When I found out that Tan narrated the book and that there is a special guest on the audio version, I was intrigued to give it a listen. He has a magical voice and it feels as though you are having a one-on-one conversation with him through the book. I won’t give away the surprise guest, but I will say that it is one of my favourite aspects of the audiobook.

❀ ENLIGHTENING AND DOWN-TO-EARTH

Fans of Queer Eye will be delighted and enlightened by Naturally Tan. It is a down-to-earth glimpse into the star’s life both on and off the show. He is such a kind and straightforward person. I look forward to finding out where Tan’s journey goes next.

I read both the physical copy and the audiobook-that is much I adored this memoir! If you are a fan of Queer Eye than Naturally Tan is a must read. It will make you fall in love with Tan even more--who knew that was even possible? Tan shares stories about his childhood, his marriage, his career, his friendships, and Queer Eye. He also shares some fashion tips and tricks!

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook because there is a special guesr appearance that was so sweet!

Full RTC!

I really enjoy a celebrity memoir, but this one was very blah (and that hurts me to say).

Did it do its job? Yes! I know more about Tan than I did before I read this book. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that were about his childhood, his fashion brands and meeting his husband. I also loved that the book chapters were named for clothing and accessory items. Especially since the accompanying illustrations were done by Tan's husband, Rob. I did not love how preachy this book could be. There's a difference between sharing an anecdote and then saying, learn from me and don't do this. But it's another thing entirely to just say, Don't do this because I love an 'I told you so' moment.

Read this if you love Tan, but skip it if you don't (although, that's the golden rule for celebrity memoirs anyway, isn't it?).

3.5⭐ rounded up

I'll be honest, I've never watched Queer Eye. I don't really watch TV because books tend to be my choice of entertainment and I also don't have Netflix (I know...gasp). This book was a #SRC2019 pick so I hit that request button on Netgalley and was excited when I was approved. I have been in a biography mood lately and this book didn't disappoint. It was an entertaining, quick read that gives you the perspective of a gay person of color (although I felt it was more about his race than his sexuality). I can't relate with his struggles as a child, but I think we can all agree that it shouldn't happen anymore. While I believe some people have evolved and are more accepting of all people, there are definitely some that could benefit from (and learn from) his experiences. If you're looking for an entertaining and diverse biography, this is the book for you!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. My reviews can also be found at tacklingtbr.home.blog and on Instagram at @tackling_tbr.

I feel like I should start off by saying that I love Netflix's Queer Eye to pieces, and Tan is always one of my favorite parts of the episodes. When I got approved for this ARC I legitimately called and bragged to my fiancé because I was so excited and I would get to read it first. So basically, I knew that, unless it was really, truly terrible, I was probably love this book. But now that that disclaimer is out of the way. Wow. I really loved this book.

I don’t tend to read very many memoirs, and so I usually assume that they will be a little bit longer of a read for me because I will be reading it interspersed and in-between my other books that might be a little bit faster paced. And while it did take me about a week to read this, and while yes, I was reading other books at the same time, the pacing wasn’t the cause at all. Tan as a narrator is exactly how I would have pictured based on his personality on the show – he is intelligent, and witty, and has fiery sass and sarcasm dripping out of every chapter. Anyone who knows me personally would tell you that I relate to that and that I eat it up.
He also doesn’t hold anything back, which I really appreciate. He doesn’t pretend that, fairly sudden, fame doesn’t have its drawbacks and that it isn’t hard for he and his family sometimes. He doesn’t pretend that he had a perfect and easy childhood, or even a perfect and easy adulthood. He tells you like it is about himself, his life, his world, and his deep hatred of crocs. Seriously. If you ever think that you may come in contact with Tan France, HIDE YOUR CROCS! Luckily for me I a) don’t own any crocs (I’m on your side, Tan!), and b) I don’t believe I am likely to be seeing Tan France any time soon, especially not in my closet. Oh well, a girl can dream, can’t she?

Another thing that I really loved about this that really set it apart from other memoirs that I have read is that it didn’t go directly in chronological order of his life. While yes, for the most part it started with stories from his childhood and ended with stories more centered around his life today and as a member of the Fab 5, it seems obvious that he didn’t feel obligated to stick strictly to that linear story. He freely mentions his husband, Rob, in an early chapter in a “Later I would come to find out” kind of way, or in a late chapter he goes back and touches again on his previous jobs that he had listed and explained away in the third or fourth. In a way, it almost seems like he wrote the book out of order – like he knew what stories he wanted to tell and wrote them out in chunks that made sense together as chapters, and then later switched them around to be roughly in the order that they happened. It made it feel casual, and fun, and just like an easy conversation with a friend. And I adored it.

Another thing that I thought was so whimsical and fun, and definitely worth noting, was that the chapters were all headed by a garment or accessory that would be important to the stories that he would be telling next. Rather than being numbered or having names like “The Early Years,” these chapters are headed with things like “Leather Jacket,” “Ode to a One Piece,” or even “Slippers” (spoiler, when he had his first date with his now husband, Rob showed up wearing slipper shoes. And the story is so charming.)

While we are on the subject of Rob, let’s talk a tiny bit about their relationship, because #goals. One thing that I didn’t realize before reading this book was how long they had been in a long-distance relationship before they got married. As someone who is in a long-distance relationship now, let me tell you, they are a whole lot of work and they aren’t always as much fun as they could be, but this is another thing that Tan is completely open and honest about. I so appreciate that he didn’t sweep it under the rug of “But we love each other, so it never had its difficulties.” It did, and it does. But they love each other, and they seem to compliment each other so well, that those difficulties were never bad enough that they couldn’t fix it together. Their story is so sweet, and it was truly a delight to get to read. Also, he mentions that they speak in a strange voice when they are only speaking to each other, and have enough inside jokes that they are always laughing and almost speaking a different language sometimes, and I loved that small peek behind the curtain.

All in all, I really did love getting to read this book. There are stories in the beginning about how difficult it was growing up and trying to hide who you are so you won’t be bullied (any more so than you already are), and heartbreaking stories about a particularly dark time in his life while running a few too many businesses, but there are also really funny and charming anecdotes about his friends, or Queer Eye, or meeting Jon Bon Jovi and almost FaceTiming his wife. There are so many wonderful things to find in this book, and I recommend it to anyone who might be even remotely interested. I will also, very likely, be buying a physical copy so that my fiancé can finally read it too. I mean, come on, after my bragging about it? I’m not totally heartless, am I?

If you're a "Queer Eye" fan, you'll love this book. Even if you're not, it's still a great read. Tan France is such an interesting person and has a fascinating life story. I love his perspective on how a big wedding as a way to prove your love is silly - I always have felt the same way. Great tips for style and life lessons sprinkled about the chapters.

My rating - 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I love Queer Eye. I have since the original. This group of men is so endearing. So when Tan France's book became available, I was excited. I like him. He's a bit more low key than some of his cast mates but I love his message of self-acceptance.

The book represents his personality and his style well. I like he uses fashion and accessory items as chapter headings. His writing is very casual and stream of conscious. He switches ideas quickly which can be jarring. It also makes it difficult to really get to know him because he focuses on key ideas and repeats them rather than digging down. The book is fun like Tan.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review. 👩‍🔬

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Thx St Martins for the eARC, I’m definitely going to purchase a physical copy to put on my shelf. Tan France has always been my favorite on Queer Eye and I wanted to learn more about him so I was SUPER giddy when he announced he was writing a book. I absolutely loved the way this was part fashion, part memoir, part BTS of Queer Eye. It was eye opening to read about the racism he encountered as a Pakistani boy in the UK. I really enjoyed hearing about his upbringing and relationship with his family but most of all, I loved the love story of Tan and Rob! Such a great read that will make you laugh, tear up a bit, and of course teach you how to step your fashion game up 💕

Naturally Tan is funny, smart, touching and real. It’s also a thoughtful memoir that is also honest about race, perception, bullying, love, marriage and of course snippets of fab fashion advise. Plus.. after reading it I really wanted to bing watch #QueerEye all over again. .⁣
⭐️💫🌈
.⁣
Naturally Tan is “meant to spread joy, personal acceptance, and most of all, understanding.” ⭐️💫🌈

Thank you St. Martins Press and Net Galley for my advanced copy for my honest review.

I found this book to be a fun and quick read; what is really enjoyable about this book is getting some of the backstory of Tan's life before the fame Queer Eye brought to him and then some of the opportunities that being on the show has opened up for him. Knowing that the copy I read was an ARC I'm not going to hold the book to as high standards as I would if this would have been a finished copy, because while reading I found a few grammatical errors along with some punctuation and wording errors. However these errors did not completely hinder the reading process or my enjoyment of the book. I did feel like some chapters were a bit long or dragged on about tangents that were not directly connected to the topic of that individual chapter. I would recommend that avid watchers or lovers of the Netflix show Queer Eye pick up this title and give it a read because this gives you an insight to what Tan's life has been like coming from multiple minority groups.

I was torn between tears of laughter and wanting to reach through the book to hug Tan. This is the perfect read, especially if you already love Tan France - I love him even more after reading his story, and I didn't think that was possible. The writing is done in such a manner, that it's almost like he's sitting in a porch swing with you, just telling you about his life. You can picture his accent and I can't wait to buy the audiobook of it!

This was a strong memoir that brings up very important issues. I loved that the stories were heartbreaking, but also very funny. The way that the book is formatted is great. I loved that Tan would write about a personal story about cowboy boots, accessories, or his hair, and follow that up with his own tips. His writing is conversational and it feels like a friend is telling you the story. I loved it and would recommend it to all Queer Eye fans!

Book Review: Naturally Tan by Tan France

Tan France stole my heart as soon as I saw him on Queer Eye. As soon as I heard about his book deal, I put his memoir on my list. There is something about Tan that is so captivating & entertaining. He's open & vulnerable but he always leaves me wanting a little bit more time with him.

The Lowdown on the Audio

I'm so grateful Macmillan Audio sent me the audio of Naturally Tan. First, I love love love when an author reads his/her own memoir. I mean they wrote the words, so I love to hear the intonation & phrasing in their own voice. Tan is not different. It doesn't hurt that his accent is brilliant. His narration makes the book all the more enjoyable for me.

Funny enough, my student was in the car with me for the majority of this audiobook. He has no idea who Tan France is or what he does. Despite this, he thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook!

Give Us Tan

I thought I was the only one wild about Tan. Everyone was freaking about JVN & Karamo & I'm over here thinking the guy with salt and pepper hair talking about French Tuck shirts is so intriguing! Truthfully, all of the guys on Queer Eye are wonderful. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. They spread such love, acceptance, inclusion & positivity. Naturally Tan takes on a similar tone. Tan gives us a history of his audition process for the show. Readers also hear more about his true connection with the guys.

I loved hearing about Tan's childhood and what brought his to America & how he found his way to fashion. I had no idea he was such a successful fashion designer before Queer Eye. Hearing more about his business dealings, his own personal style & his marriage is what I'm here for. Anytime I listen to a memoir, I want cute anecdotes & some real and raw history. Naturally Tan delivers on both.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book! This is a wonderful memoir for any fashionista, any Queer Eye fan & anyone who loves pop culture. Tan France is very true to himself. While Tan is such a fashion inspiration, & I love most of his advice there is one thing bothering me. I have to tell you something, Tan. I'm keeping my bangs. I have a very large forehead, thin eyebrows & deep-set eyes.

Special thanks to Tan France, St. Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio for providing our free copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

As a fan of the series "Queer Eye" it was an easy decision to read this book. Tan is the quietest and most reserved of the group but his story is filled with heartfelt and honest stories of his life beginning in South Yorkshire, England to his marriage to a Mormon cowboy. I found his memoir to be funny, charming and uplifting, with his voice shining through as if he were in the room with me telling his story. I especially loved when his sassy side came out when relating the Fab 5's trip to the Emmys. My admiration for this hard-working, candid man has only increased after reading this book.

Spectacular. This book was heartfelt and real, sometimes in ways that made me cringe or laugh. I loved the stories, the fashion tips, the best-dressed list (I agreed with most of the choices), and especially hearing Tan in my head as I read it. This book gave me so much insight into a man I already loved!

I love Tan and was excited to read this book. It was charming and witty. He is funny and deep and all the things a memoir should be. This book made me love Tan even more. I highly recommend this to Queer eye fans as well as people who enjoy a good memoir.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for allowing me to read Naturally Tan. I love Tan France so much. I love all the guys from Queer Eye. That show makes me cry, every single time. I really enjoyed reading about how Tan grew up and how hard it was to live as a secret gay man. Tan is hilarious and knows his way around clothes. I love how much he loves his husband and how all the men are becoming positive role models for the LGBTQ community. This made me smile.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely memoir! Although I read this book, I could hear Tan's voice the entire time as if he was speaking directly to me. The conversational tone throughout the story fits the theme extremely well. The first chapter was a bit rough as it started off reading a bit immature (and this is my only gripe with this book). In hindsight though, it helped to make this book feel special as I could see with every chapter how the author grew as a writer. Indeed, Tan France grew in the story and his writing skills improved along the way. I think this would make for a great audiobook; read by him of course.

Tan wrote a very personal book and I felt honored in a way that he let me into his world. I learned about his childhood. I learned about his marriage. And I learned about his businesses. All from a place of his own insecurities and struggles. I admire that he let us, the reader, be part of this. I could relate to many of his anxieties, dreams, and ambitions alike; and it made me somehow not feel alone with things.

This book has a nice flow and evolution of events. It starts off with Tan's childhood in England. Here, he makes an immediate impact by discussing his struggles as a kid in an England that isn't quite as a progressive and a happy melting pot nation as I had believed. In fact, it caught me off guard that he experienced so many racist undertones in his day to day life. Despite that and despite his family's conservative beliefs and religion, he was able to explore many of his interests early on and credits that fact to his success today. He then moves on to meeting the love of his life and now-husband. Their relationship and story are inspiring. He freely discusses their differences and how they work through them. And of course, he then transitions to his endeavors in the fashion industry and his clothing businesses, which ultimately led him to the show Queer Eye where most of us know him from. Throughout this journey, he reveals a lot about himself in a way that is easy and fresh.

This is a quick read, but not because it's fluff but because once you start you can't put the book down.

P.S.: I delight in the fact that the title of this book has several meanings. Well done!

Ooooooooooohkay. This review is going to be short and sweet. Except probably not that short (more medium-sized I predict), and definitely not sweet. Let's dive in before I start thinking too much about this.

I actually read this book back in February, and definitely should have written this review back then. It's now nearly June, and man that review would have been scathing. Almost four months later, and I just don't have it in me to rip and tear it apart (although frankly, it deserves it). I'm so, so sorry, Tan. I wanted to like this so much. I was so ecstatic when I received an ARC that I actually squealed and started to read almost the second I had it downloaded, which almost never (actually, definitely never) happens. I was so disappointed, far more disappointed than I ever expected to be. 

First of all, this was almost definitely probably 100% written by a ghost writer. I'm not saying Tan didn't have any input, because he obviously did, but I'm talking Zoe-Sugg-using-a-ghost-writer-to-publish-YA kind of ghost writer. There is no indication that Tan France and the person in the introduction to this book are the same person, because they are so contrasting it actually hurts. You know, I would actually prefer if it was confirmed he did use a ghost writer, because then I could be comforted knowing he didn't write this at all, and I can sleep soundly at night. 

If I were to compare the first and second halves of this book, I would almost think they were two separate entities. And maybe that's why it's so difficult to read. The first half (roughly) is about Tan's early childhood and growing up Muslim and gay, which I can't imagine has been any stretch of easy. I do think that these were the most difficult chapters for Tan to have written, because I imagine that there's still difficulty in facing your heritage and culture and intermixing it with unconventional sexuality, which is perhaps why it feels so jilted. The second half of the book feels more genuinely Tan, and I can actually reconcile the fact that the Tan in this book is the Tan we know and love from Queer Eye. And maybe that's because he never truly started to become his true self until he had fled the constrictive and stifling world he grew up in. 

Enough negatives, though (although there are more, I don't want to completely rip Tan a new one, although I am tempted). Each of the chapters is titled after an article of clothing, which I love. If I remember correctly, the stories in each chapter also slightly correlate to the theme in some way, which is a bit cute and obviously makes the connection to Tan's fashion expertise on the show. I adore the chapters when he talks about his husband, Rob, and their relationship. It's such an odd match - a British Muslim gay boy and a gay Mormon cowboy living in Salt Lake City - and they prove the belief that your soulmate can be found anywhere, even in the place you'd least expect (although I have a theory that Muslims and Mormons have much more in common that you may generally think). These chapters about the two of them are where this book shines the most. Tan's earnest feelings really shine through, and it's a refreshing relief from the stifling and stilty chapters in the first half.  The chapters where he talks about getting cast on Queer Eye and meeting the rest of the Fab 5 are the parts I was looking forward to most (and I suspect, so is everyone else). These chapters are another shining beacon in this book, because I really enjoyed them. It's when you can actually start to see Tan's speaking style translate into text. It's not a perfect translation, mind you, and can be a bit awkward at times, but it feels real, which is why I think maybe Tan just isn't comfortable talking about his childhood and upbringing (or maybe his ghost writer hadn't just gotten her groove yet, I don't know). 

There's a lot more detail I could go into about what does and does not work. I have hundreds of notes on my copy that didn't make it into this review, and they get pretty mean at times, so I've chosen to leave them out. Anyway, this is Tan's book (ghost writer or not), and it's his choice how to portray his story. Just because I think it's unrealistic for a teenager to jet off to New York multiple times a year and that a lot of his writing directly contrasts something he said not two pages ago, doesn't make this book invalid. At the end of the day, it's a memoir and is never going to be perfect. While his story quite evidently is worthy of being told, this book was clearly written to keep up with the hype that Queer Eye has found itself in over the last year (has it only been a year?! sheesh, publishers work fast). How else do you explain each of the Fab 5 members writing a book, all coming out within a few months of each other? Anyway, I'm glad to have read this (kind of), I just wish that it didn't want to make me tear my eyeballs out for a decent chunk of it.

Tan France is a the style expert of the fab 5 on queer eye. The Queer Eye show has become one of my go to feel good shows! I’ve rewatched it a lot. I love the positivity, the boys, the heroes. I also love all the fashion tips! We all rock the French tuck quite often!

Going into this book I had high expectations and this book definitely met them. You absolutely could hear Tan’s voice though out the book. His sense of humour comes though and even though it’s not fully of juicy details like some memoirs it’s full of great stories, a little background and some great advice for life! Also I’m not a huge memoir reader and this was such an easy read that I didn’t struggle at all!