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!

***Book Review*** ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an eARC copy for my honest review.

Naturally Tan by Tan France is a personal look at Tan’s life before and after Queer Eye with interspersed advice about fashion. For those of you unaware of who Tan may be, he is one of the Fab 5 of the Netflix show Queer Eye; a very powerful voice now in the LGBQT+ community.

The Good: Tan was brutally honest in this memoir and his conviction in knowing what he wanted to do in life is admirable. Inclusively, his relationship with his husband, Rob France, which bleeds in this memoir is #relationshipgoals . Tan also describes the hardships of race and his perceptions of growing up in the UK.

The Bad and the Ugly: Now; while I am a huge fan of the show and of the cast, I struggled with Tan’s memoir. A majority of the memoir felt almost like a stream of consciousness meshed with rambling as he would start one topic and go off on tangents. It was not as structured as the chapter outlines leads you to believe. While I appreciate his honesty, there were moments where I was unsure whether I should laugh or consider his comments incredibly judgmental and snarky. I found myself rolling my eyes on several occasions. Inclusively, most of his comments about other people felt very infantile and often he would contradict himself within the same paragraph or chapter.

Bottom Line: While the memoir gave me great insight into who Tan really is and the making behind Queer Eye, I hate to say that I feel disappointed as if I’ve seen him in a completely different light. As honest and true as this memoir was to him, it just did not work for me.

#books #bookrec #bookrecommendation #newrelease #bookreview #tanfrance #memoir #queereye #netflix @stmartinspress @netgalley #bookaholic #bookblogger #bookreview #bibliophile #biblio #book #bookstagram #booknerd #racism

Thank you #netgalley for a copy of Naturally Tan in exchange for my honest review.⁣
⁣
I'm going to break this one down to what I liked and what I didn't like.⁣
⁣
Here's what I liked:⁣
👍🏼How he's learned to stand up for himself⁣
👍🏼How he says that the whole masculine/feminine characteristics needs to stop⁣
👍🏼That no matter how popular he gets he is still conservative with his money⁣
👍🏼His journey to self acceptance⁣
⁣
Now for what I didn't like:⁣
👎🏼I obviously knew he would touch on fashion but I wanted more memoir and less fashion advice⁣
👎🏼And the biggest dislike was how judgemental and mean he could be - he may be fashionable but calling people dbags and tools because of what they're wearing is never in style⁣
⁣
Rating 3/5 stars - It did have a lot of funny parts and I think the audio would be more enjoyable but overall I was pretty disappointed.

*3.5 stars*

I'm a fan of Tan France, and I find him to be charming, funny, but a bit aloof. His book feels the same way.

Naturally Tan was an easy, enjoyable read that actually felt like Tan wrote it instead of the book being fully reworked by a ghostwriter. It had his voice and cadence, and I loved that about it.

Tan's upbringing, love life, and religion aren't new to anyone who watches his show, but we learn a bit more about the details in his book. I liked the anecdotal details about his childhood and family, and I loved his very firm commitment and love for his husband, but if you are expecting a lot of very personal details, you will won't really find them here. Tan stays a bit guarded while telling his story, and any details about his religion, further details about his romance, and many of the juicier tidbits aren't in the book. Though I learned more about Tan than I knew perviously, it didn't quite satisfy me.

On the flip side, while I liked that the book felt like Tan wrote it himself, it's also very apparent that Tan isn't a writer. It doesn't have a polished feel, and the books seems a bit choppier and more scattered than I would like.

I think if you are a fan of Queer Eye or Tan France, you will enjoy this book. It's a light, easy read, and it made me smile and learn a bit more about fashion, so I'll call it a win.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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I was late to the Queer Eye game. It’s on season three and I only just started binging it a week or so ago. As I was watching and falling in love with the cast I had a lightbulb moment where I remembered seeing Tan France’s gorgeous face on NetGalley. I basically halted all I was doing and got on to NetGalley. Of course, it’s being published by one of my FAVORITE publishers and I immediately requested to read an ARC of it.

There are so many, many things to love about Tan France, where do I even start?

Okay, I’ll start here. He’s humorous and relatable. He talks about finding a comfortable place between self-deprecating and confidence and I think he’s found it. While he’s telling you his story he’s aware of his flaws and weaknesses and pokes fun at himself but it still comes across that he loves the person he is. Lead by example.

His is one of the first celebrity memoirs I have read where the celebrity honestly says how cool being a celebrity is. France talks about the reality of his new celebrity status. He fully acknowledges that some of the things that suck, still sound pretty glamorous and that he’s blessed. A far cry from some of the “poor me” celeb memoirs I’ve read. Of course, don’t get me wrong, I fully think that the lack of privacy that celebrities are granted must be awful, I just also think it should go hand in hand with acknowledgement that they’ve also got some sweet, sweet perks.

France’s same witty, sarcastic attitude on the show shines through in his book. I could hear his voice in my head the whole way through. I love that he gave insight into so many different aspects of his life. From his childhood and family and racism they encountered, to the difficulties he faced feeling like he had to fit a certain “male/masculine” mold. He discussed fashion industry, specifically the garment industry and how his passion began. I was so intrigued by the processes he described on how to get a line of clothing produced! He has an eye for style, this is obvious, but he also has a passion for making sure people have the clothes they want. It’s a combination of what looks good and what a person feels most comfortable in and that, my friends, is having a caring heart. He genuinely wants people to be happy, I love that.

Another thing that France makes abundantly clear is his love for his husband. The way he talks about their relationship and even just Rob France, his husband, in general is so loving. We all need to really cherish and care about our significant others a little more like Tan. There is a respect for his husband, he has pride in his husband, and he’s attracted to his husband. To me, fairy tales are best when they are based in reality. It’s realistic to me that two people can like each other so much.
If you’ve been completely taken by the Queer Eye show, you’ll love this book, but you don’t have to be a Queer Eye fan to enjoy France’s memoir.

This review is posted on Goodreads and Litsy as of 5/20/19. It will be published on my blog on May 27, 2019. When Amazon.com opens the reviews the review will also be posted there.

I've been a huge fan of Queer Eye ever since it came out on Netflix and every episode leaves me laughing and crying (sometimes at the same time) so I was really excited to read this memoir on one of my favorites on the show! As a memoir, it's not that well written. There's not really any structure and no real background on him - there's no real mention of his family, his relationship with siblings, etc. It was more like a bunch of random thoughts on how and where he grew up, how he came to the realization that he's gay, how he got his role on Netflix and he offers fashion advice here and there. There are a lot of memories of people who "wronged" him and how he didn't take his jobs very seriously as a young gay and would quit by walking out without any proper notice. Don't get me wrong, there are some very funny lines that had me laughing and I believe that everything written in there is genuine but as a memoir, I think more work needs to be done.

Loved the advanced copy. Thanks for sharing. I love the Netflix show so it was nice to learn more about him.

Fashion designer Tan France presents this collection of essays about his life leading up to now as the first openly gay, South Asian man on television, starring as a member of the Fab Five on the Netflix hit show, "Queer Eye." Interspersed between these charming stories are brief hints and tips and dos and don'ts for the reader on fashion, dating, and friendships.

I love the show Queer Eye and Tan is easily one of my favorite members of the Fab Five. I immensely enjoyed reading these stories and learning more about his childhood and early forays into the fashion industry, before securing a role as the fashion consultant on Queer Eye. I loved getting a behind-the-scenes look at the casting and plans that went into putting this show together. I did not hesitate to give this five stars.

If you love the new Queer Eye, you simply must read this book. This is an autobiography of Tan France. Tan is so much more than the fashion quru on the show, He is intelligent, funny and simply adorable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading more about Tan and learning about his life before the show. I would highly recommend this book.

Queer Eye is one of my favorite tv shows ever. It can make me smile, laugh, and feel good just watching it. Naturally, I also became obsessed with each and every one of the fab 5. I've heard about tan's book for a while and I was so excited to read this. I read this all in a day in Tan's cute little accent. that is equal parts sassy and lovable.

I absolutely adore the little bits about fashion but also loved that it went into more than just the fashion. The raw stories of what it is like growing up brown just broke my heart.

I loved this book and was genuinely sad when it came to an end. Highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of the show.

Like millions of others, I am obsessed with Queer Eye. Each episode, I experience the full range of my feelings. Surprise, joy, excitement, sadness and then always (by the ending).. a renewed sense that YES- the world is a good place and humanity is going to be ok.

Tan, Jonathan, Antoni, Bobby and Karamo- The Fab Five. I regularly ask myself, what magic produced these beautiful souls?? And how can I ensure my sons grow up to be just like them? I figure their memoirs are a great place to turn for some answers. So when St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley granted my request for an early review copy of Naturally Tan? Well, suffice to say it felt like I won the lottery.

Tan. Could he be one of the loveliest people on the planet? Kindness, charm, charisma, empathy and impeccable fashion sense. All of it shines through in his book. The informal style he uses to write makes the reader feel like he is speaking directly to them.

Naturally Tan begins with an in-depth look at Tan’s childhood and adolescence and his experience as a closeted minority. We read about the early, persistent and painful experiences of racism that he and his family endure in the small, English town they live in.

As he grows up we learn about his work life and strong work ethic. Prior to the show, he has highly successful and somewhat grueling career in fashion. One of the nicest topics he covers in the book is about his partner, how they met and their wonderful marriage. Towards the end, we begin to hear about the show and how he came to be on it. We learn that the Fab 5 truly are dear friends who support and love each other. He writes passionately about the importance of representation in the media and how vital it is for children, young men and women to see people of their cultures and sexuality on TV.

This book served to validate my incredibly high opinion of Tan France as a person. So if you are a Queer Eye superfan like me….dig into this one!!! Thanks for letting us and being so real @tanfrance.

Posted to @daisiesreads
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OF COURSE I read this because who isn’t a fan of the FAB 5? I was really excited to read this ARC. This book is set to come out June 4th. If you are a fan of Tan France then you will enjoy this book because Tan’s voice definitely comes through here.

This is a quick, accessible and fun read. I enjoyed hearing about his perspectives on things like his relationship with his husband, being South Asian, auditioning for Queer Eye, and his friendships with the Fab 5. I was unclear throughout the book because I didn’t know if it was part fashion guide or memoir? Part behind the scenes look into what it's like to be famous? Unsure. While it was heartfelt, there were some parts that did feel like it needed more because he only scratched the surface of authenticity.

I was very lucky to receive the eARC of Naturally Tan from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.

I love Queer Eye, and I was very intrigued about Tan’s book, especially as he is one of the few prominent South Asian figures, and the only openly gay South Asian (that I know of). I’m very passionate about brown representation, which will come as a surprise to no one, so I was curious to learn more about him and his upbringing.

The book starts off strong, as he details a moment of racism he experienced in his childhood, and one that he experienced often. This was one of the elements I appreciated the most - his ability to talk about race from a South Asian perspective, and the use of his platform to simply share what his perspective and life experience is and was. While reading, I experienced moments - much like when Priyanka Chopra mentioned in an interview that if she could, she would blush (I physically can’t blush because of my dark skin). It was a validation and a feeling of being seen that I hadn’t known I needed. There were many points in this book, and one in particular, that I remember putting the book down and thinking, wait, that wasn’t just me? I hadn’t known that my experiences and thoughts were something that other South Asians had faced. It had never crossed my mind that these experiences weren’t unique to me, because I didn’t (and still don’t) know where to look to see myself. Tan also discusses his experience as a brown and gay man far more than I had heard him speak in interviews before, including Jonathan Van Ness’ episode of Getting Curious - a great listen (and a great podcast!).

I also loved hearing about the behind-the-scenes of Queer Eye, because, if we’re being honest, that show has gotten me through the past year. Tan offered some insights about filming that I was eager to see - he talked about some of the hardships they had while filming, and other times he simply shared anecdotes describing his friendship with the rest of the Fab Five.

He also shared some hard moments of his life, which I appreciated: his mental health struggles, being overworked, money and fame, and his relationship with his husband. I think, particularly for public figures, it’s a reminder that you don’t actually know the people on your screen, but maybe, some experiences are universal.

At the end of each chapter, there were style tips, which was an ode to his talents and career that got him the book deal in the first place. If I’m going to be honest, I skimmed over these; they were interesting and fun, but I was more curious about his life than how to dress.

Overall, this was a fun read, and it made the airplane ride that I read it on a lot more enjoyable. My favorite aspect, unsurprisingly, is the way it tells the South Asian experience. It’s a small step, but much more than I would’ve ever imagined as a child. The book reads as if Tan is speaking to you one-on-one, and I think that if I hadn’t received an advanced copy, I would not have picked it up in print. Rather, I would’ve listened to the audiobook, because the tone very much reads in his voice.

I enjoyed the book for what it is. The writing itself isn’t groundbreaking - however, I appreciate the actual content and what he represents. It was a fun, easy read, and if you’re someone who is a fan of Queer Eye, someone who wants more South Asian/LGBTQ+ representation, or even if you simply just want an easy read, then I would recommend you pick it up.

Rating: 3.8/5

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: June 4, 2019

I enjoyed reading about Tan and his life. I will admit that I haven’t watched Queer Eye yet, but after reading Tan’s memoir it is now at the top of my “to watch” list. Tan talks about everything from growing up in England to fashion to being Pakistani to starting his company.
Tan is having a conversation with the reader, and because of that the stories he tells are accessible. He will occasionally interrupt himself, and it is very charming and sweet. He also includes some tips including a facemask recipe, a list of dos and don’ts for first dates, and an accessories guide. I loved his comments on the differences between the United States and Britain specifically the differences in language which can cause some amusing mistakes.
Overall, I really liked this book. You don’t have to watch the show to read his book, but reading it will make you want to watch the show.

Received an advance copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

First off: I love "Queer Eye."

I loved the first show when it came out, I loved the reboot and the new Fab 5. If you have not seen either, the idea is that five gay men of different expertises -- grooming, food, fashion, culture, design -- swoop into the life of a person who needs some help getting themselves together. In the first series it was exclusively schlubby guys, but in the reboot it's anyone who needs their help. They do not shame, although they gently joke. They strive to take what's great about each person and bring it out, with style. It's a delight to watch.

Tan France is the fashion guru. "Naturally Tan" is the story of how he grew up as an Asian Muslim gay in South Yorkshire, how he dove into his love of fashion to learn all he could about every aspect of it before starting several lines of clothing and how he managed his businesses to the point where he could sell them, retire young and spend the rest of his time with his husband. And then "Queer Eye" called...

Tan has an easy, direct style of speaking. He tends to be reserved on the show, but here he tells you what he thinks and what he's done, whether it's admirable or not. He curses a lot. A lot. He loves being right, even when it's not a good look. He talks about building his companies and running them out of his living room. He talks about racism, his hair, what gets DMed to him on Instagram, and his love for the French Tuck (sorry, ain't happening for me). He talks about the show, of course, and his love and admiration for the other stars. Tan had never been on camera before and had to be talked into it. He was certain, through the first calls and the auditions and even through the first couple of episodes, that he was wrong for the show and would completely ruin it. And it's all fun to read.

In between the personal stories he provides fashion tips, often tied to whatever he was just talking about. But it's the personal stories you'll want this for. He talks about his early romances, his heartbreaks, and his relationship with his husband (the good and the bad). He talks about the joys and responsibilities of representing an underrepresented minority on TV, and about the problems that come with suddenly becoming recognizable. (First celeb to know him by name? Jon Bon Jovi. Tan may have squealed.)

If you love the show you'll want this, but it stands on its own as a memoir of a man who wasn't expecting to become an inspiration.

Snarky and a bit sassy, this book reads exactly like Tan speaks. It’s part memoir and part advice column. While the book does give us peeks into who Tan was growing up and now is, it still felt a bit guarded, like he wasn’t fully committed to letting the reader in. As such I didn’t come away knowing too much more than I already did as a fan of a show. It was still a quick and enjoyable read but I would have liked more.

I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press!

I'm a huge fan of Queer Eye so I was very excited to get Naturally Tan by Tan France.

In this memoir, France talks a lot about his experiences growing up Southeast Asian in England, the clothing company he founded in his early twenties, his husband, and finally landing his gig on Queer Eye.

It was funny and entertaining, but it seemed like certain topics were kind of breezed over. Overall it was a good read, 4/5 stars, but I was left wanting more.

*I received a copy of this ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is going up super late because we had a crazy weekend apartment hunting! Fingers crossed one works out for us. We also spent a rainy day at the movies for a double feature, which is something we’ve never done before! It was really fun but I was pretty mentally drained by the end of the day. On top of that, we made Hello Fresh for dinner AND watched this week’s Game of Thrones.

It was a weekend that went by way too fast but I have today and tomorrow off, which is really nice. I felt like I could enjoy Saturday and Sunday and then have Monday and Tuesday to catch up on the things have been pushed to the wayside.

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Tan France’s book, Naturally Tan. I love Queer Eye probably too much to be healthy, but I truly think it’s a show that can open minds and change lives.

I loved learning more about Tan. He has such an interesting life story, growing up in England in a Pakistani family. I also really loved his “coming out” story because he never realized at any point he was gay. He always new he was who he was, and didn’t realize there was anything “wrong” with it until family and society pointed it out to him.

When it comes to celebrity memoirs, I think you have to take the writing with a grain of salt. The structure of the book was more scattered than I would have liked, with stream of consciousness writing and a lot of repetition. But I did like reading about Tan; I think he has such a lovely presence and I truly connect with how he encourages people to take care of themselves through their clothing.

Presentation is important. We all feel better when we are showered, made up, and in clothes that make us feel good inside and out. The best part of this book is learning that Tan’s love for clothing and fashion comes from the truest, purest place and isn’t shallow in the slightest.

Naturally Tan is funny, sassy, endearing, and heart wrenching. If you love Queer Eye, you will love this book, especially since Tan includes adorable shout outs and stories of the other boys. My favorite chapter details how the show and cast came to be.

Overall, I’d give the structure and writing 3 stars, but the story and heart behind it a solid 5 stars. So we’ll round this one out to a 4 star read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the eGalley to read and review Naturally Tan!