I love QE and Tan, and was ready to love this book, but just couldn't finish it. The flip narrative voice giving pretty harshly worded style tips sounded so unlike the gentle, thoughtful guy on "Queer Eye." The structure was also all over the place, jumping between time periods with random style sidebars. I rarely abandon a book but ran out of patience with this one. I understand that TV stars aren't professional authors but Tan's co-writer did him no favors here. I do appreciate the publisher and NetGalley providing me with the opportunity to preview this title.

I am a recent convert to Queer Eye - I binged it all in a week when my husband was away for work. I fancied a biography style read and this appeared at just the right time on Netgalley. A lovely, easy read - more of a string of stream-of-consciousness essays and memories, so you don't get too bogged down with detail or chronology.

As a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy I shall give an honest review of Naturally Tan by Tan France. Coming into this memoir I was familiar with the phenomenon that has been Netflix’s rebooted Queer Eye reality television show. Since its premiere in 2017 the world has come to know the fab 5 individually as Antoni, Jonathan, Karamo, Bobby, and Tan. In this memoir the focus is then on the fashion guru of the group, Tan who is depicted assisting their hero of the week in their endeavor to present themselves in their possible best self. The memoir follows Tan’s meteoric rise to fame but explores what life was like being a young gay Pakistani boy in South England. The memoir reads like a Queer eye episode but the reader is reminded this is Tan’s experience and slowly the formula in which we have been engaged with becomes unfolded as we hear the tone in which Tan speaks as he shares his experiences among the many chapters.It is as if you could hear him speak on television or in an interview there is that British wit and humor we know and love but also a self that is reserved and slowly showing us his vulnerabilities as a South Asian Gay male. The ability to focus on these intersectional identities is what gives this memoir its flavor and above all its humanity for I was able to empathize with Tan on many levels. This memoir is for those who are fans of the show, fans of him , and those who need representation in their life. He is not to represent the many communities he comes from but adds insight into the role he has chosen to hold. That is representing who he is and being mindful from where he comes from one day at a time. Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

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First of all...snaps for an amazing book title - GENIUS.
He said in an interview that someone else named the book but - GENIUS - love it.

I want to be honest - after reading this book I stopped reading altogether...because I had so many back episodes of Queer Eye to finish - I decided that binge watching all of the seasons of the new Queer Eye Reboot on Netflix was my top priority!

Tan France is an accomplished entrepreneur in the fashion and textiles industry. This book details his deep love and 10 year marriage with his husband Rob (swoon - what a great partnership) as well as his career successes and challenges through the years with his fashion lines that include Kingdom & State, as well as a modest swimwear line Shade...among other ventures. He was just preparing for retirement when the Queer Eye casting call came.

Tan writes frankly about his upbringing as a Muslim (raised in England...thus the amazing accent), bullies, his culture's preference for lighter skin colors, and of course...his insights on lifestyle choices and FASHION. Tan is clearly an expert in his field and doesn't try to compete for screen time on the show because when he has input to offer, he wants it to be meaningful and not necessarily silly or outlandish. He is very dedicated to helping people look their best and put their best foot forward...and I enjoyed this book!

I am a real fan of audiobooks when it comes to memoirs so I am definitely pre-ordering Naturally Tan the audiobook for the June 4, 2019 release date! Also to be published in 2019 is Antoni in the Kitchen (September 9) and a new book by Jonathan Van Ness (September 24). Karamo Brown's new book was just released in early March and well...I am starting it TOMORROW ---Celebrity memoir Audiobook for me... (I Love You Karamo!)

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

An autobiography that is not a typical “chronological” account, Tan professes to being a bounderied and private person, and I think that is evident throughout this book. It is described as “a collection of essays” on amazon; and I think that is the best description of it. As a Queer Eye fan, I really enjoyed hearing about how he got to be on the show and his experiences; and also his feelings about being gay, south Asian and being a role model on TV. If you like Tan on Queer Eye then you should enjoy this book!

Ever since the day the first season came onto Netflix I have been hooked onto Queer Eye. Each episode almost brings me to tears and I love watching the Fab 5 help show people how worthy and beautiful they are. I love each of the Fab 5 for different reasons but I have always been drawn to Tan for his calm energy, his care to find something that works for the people that he is working with, and for his respectfulness and care so I was very excited when I saw that he was writing a book.

This book really feels like it is Tan speaking and I love hearing about some of the crazy experiences that he has had in his life. He speaks in such a familiar tone throughout the book which makes it feel like he is sitting next to you telling his life story and it works very well. I like that his stories are interspersed with style tips and tricks (which some I agree with and others I don't).

I also loved hearing the stories about the beginning of Queer Eye, Tan's relationship and marriage to a ex-mormon cowboy, and gallivanting off to New York with his friends at 17.

This was such a fun and heartwarming memoir that I really enjoyed reading.

I loved this. I don't have much else to say so I'm going to repeat myself. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this.

Tans witty wonderful writing make this a fabulous read. I am a huge queer eye fan so as far as I was concerned this was an absolute must read . Highly highly recommend. This book was graciously provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book seems a little caught between being a breezy tie-in to the wonderful revamped Queer Eye full of fashion tips and a memoir about Tan France's genuinely interesting life, growing up Pakistani and gay in the British north, emigrating to Utah, USA, founding a successful company and ending up on QE. His voice comes across very clearly in this book, but it seems unsure about whether to go for the light touch and bon mots over the deeper, more serious social and personal engagement, and tries for both, and isn't quite there with either. It's very enjoyable, nevertheless, but would be better picking a side and doubling down on it.

If you love Tan on Queer Eye, you'll love this book. It's engaging and fast paced, although not exactly groundbreaking. Tan's voice comes through, and it includes a lot of fun behind-the-scenes stuff on Queer Eye casting and filming. You'll also pick up some of Tan's fashion do's and don'ts. Definitely an enjoyable read!

Amazing book. I am quite a fan of Tan's show, Queer Eye. I loved reading about his life and getting tips along the way. A quick, wonderful read!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Non-fiction is rarely my genre of choice, and I don't read a lot of memoirs. I can count on one hand how many non-fiction books I've read in the past five years. But I saw the Fab 5 member Tan France had written something and I just had to read it. As a gay man, this new Queer Eye has been a revelation. I adore them all - the cast members, the "heroes" as they call them (meaning the people they're going to help), everything and everybody.

It was so interesting to get insight into who Tan is as a person - both before his time on the show, and after. And I love that he's pretty much exactly the same person as before, just more recognizable on the streets.

I won't say the writing is perfect. It wasn't. There's a lot of train-of-thought writing and incomplete sentences and sometimes even the paragraph splits don't seem just right... but it didn't matter, because it very honestly felt like I was sitting down and having a conversation with Tan, and just listening to him speak.

Highly recommended.

3* It's not the main part of the tale, but Tan France describes an England, that I, as an older...

... British-born Asian, cannot reconcile with.

I'm not for a moment hinting that racism doesn't exist in this country, but having been born here to immigrant Asian parents (we use 'Asian' for people from India, Mauritius, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, etc., not South Asian, so I'm not sure where Tan is coming from in using the term. In fact, people from Pakistan or Bangladesh are actually called Pakistani or Bangladeshi - which England did he live in?), I can honestly say that I have never experienced or witnessed it myself. The only times that I recall something vaguely unsettling was when aged 7 I was asked if I was a Paki, i.e., as Tan says, meaning was I from Pakistan, and when I replied that I wasn't, that was the end of the story, and also when I started dating my Caucasian hubby, Asian people were the only ones to stare at us and comment. That was back in 1975 and 1990 respectively, and I have never ever seen or heard anything since, though I have been brought up in London, and he was brought up 'up North' where people can very traditional. But, my hubby's a Northerner, five years older than me, and as I've been telling him about Tan's claims, he's been shaking his head. There is no way that hubs or I can believe the childhood Tan describes, with him supposedly not being able to cross the road to go to the shop opposite, two doors down, because drunk Caucasian bullies were stood outside, and the school run was fraught with danger. I did wonder if Tan had been watching East is East a little too much and recounting from that, as it's not an England I recognise, neither then nor now, nor does hubby. Thank goodness. And yes, Tan's life did sound quite a bit like the film I mentioned, down to the obsession with coats and fashion, the family set up (bar the Caucasian mother), the attitudes, the arranged marriages, etc.

I also find it very hard to believe that in Tan's day or in today's England that in Asian families the colour of a baby's skin is such a big issue. Most Asians born and brought up over here won't care if their baby is fair skinned or not. Values have changed and people aren't as ignorant as to come out with stuff that Tan tells about. In my 77yo mum's generation, yes, fair-skinned girls might have been married off first, and those with slim figures and not overly large feet, too (disgusting and archaic, but they were simple, uneducated folk for the most), but that's two generations ago, and Tan's generation would be one removed, so I really can't believe what he says, unfortunately. I can honestly say that that has never, ever been commented on in my family, of which I'm first-gen born in the UK.

I also don't believe him about the accent thing. A Northern accent is very, very, very hard to get rid of, unless you're taking elocution lessons and being taught how. I have listened to him speak, and I think his accent, like my hubby's, comes from years of living away from up North, and simply acclimatising to what's around you. I doubt very much that any parents, unless they're total snobs, would be forcing their kids to deliberately suppress accents. There are different accents up North, depending on where you are. Doncaster, Bradford, Manchester Sheffield and Lancashire accents are particularly hard to get rid of, and, there's an added element to them so that you can pretty much tell at the first instance if the speaker is Caucasian or not. Listen to a clip from the British film Three Lions (the 'rubber dingy rapids' clip is the clearest) and you'll see what I mean. Tbh the more I read of this book, the more I felt the UK was being knocked and the less I believed Tan.

I picked up the book despite not knowing anything about Tan, because the blurb intrigued me, seeing he's an out gay Muslim born in the UK now settled in the less live-and-let-live USA and I was interested to hear about his experiences. And I did. I got a mixed bag of stuff about his childhood, having to lie from his parents (I'm familiar with that, or rather, not divulging everything, because what the olds don't know won't hurt them), his interest in fashion and the fact that he grew up in an England where he could escape and be himself, though he had to portray a different persona at home, about how unconsciously racist the US is, about prejudices, about the colour of one's skin being a big, big issue, about how an Asian can't be seen running with a bag (it'd be assumed he's a terrorist, I think is what Tan is saying), about how suspicious people are, how most Caucasians struggle with differentiating the race of non-Caucasians. It makes me glad I'm in the UK, as I don't think we have the majority of those issues. And, if we do, we'd never be as crass or as disrespectful as he describes, at least not publicly.

It's a slightly snarky book, and Tan does quite love himself, but at the same time I don't think he's totally forgotten his roots. I was hoping to read about his family's reactions to his fame, fortune and move to the US, but he's conspicuously silent on that, though he does mention his in-laws a little. And, the tale ends really abruptly - I went to turn a Kindle page and found that it had ended on something that didn't really sound like an ending.

Amusing to read, but I'm not sure how much of it I can believe. I'm reminded of, 'nul n'est prophete en son pays', which is probably why he is happy to stay in the US.

ARC courtesy of St Martin's Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Most of us know of Tan France from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, but he is so much more than that tv show. This book was one of the easiest memoirs that I have ever read. It is well written, honest and tan is very open about his life growing up and his life as an adult.

I didn’t know what the show Queer Eye was about until I saw everyone talking about it on twitter last year and then I decided to binge watch the two seasons ... wow was that an experience. I sobbed in almost every episode and fell in love with the Fab 5 and it’s been wonderful getting to know them better since then. It was also very surprising to see a gay South Asian person on such a mainstream popular show and he quickly became my favorite and I’ve really wanted to know more about Tan. So I was so so excited when I got approved for the advance copy of his memoir and I think it’s awesome that I’m able to review this today, the premier of Season 3.

Tan has always come across as the more reserved one among the Fab 5, so I definitely was expecting to get a better read on him through this book and I wasn’t let down. His narrative style is witty, sassy and charming and this is a memoir you won’t mind finishing in a single sitting. He is also quite self deprecating, pointing out his own flaws and owning them while also being very forthright about some of his own opinions. Peppered among the anecdotes from his life are some of his signature fashion tips and I definitely loved them. Some of his advise felt out of place within the context of the chapters (or the book) sometimes, but I think we can’t expect anything different from a designer/stylist.

Despite the lighthearted way he tries to convey his story, there are many things he dealt with which are painful and heartbreaking to read about. Especially the racism that he had to encounter for being one of the few people of color in a small town in England, and how the little things like walking back home from school were a lesson in survival were both unpleasant to read, but unsurprising because I think much has not changed since then in some places. His particular mention that brown people can’t run in airports (even when you are late for your flight) just hit me hard because that’s so true and unfair. There are many such observations that he makes about what brown people can or can’t do and it’s painful to realize that we have to keep all this things in mind just to live our lives peacefully. Though I live in the US now, I grew up in India among people who looked like me, so seeing myself represented in media or other aspects of life was never an issue. I realized the importance of it only after moving to a different country, so his issues about representation since childhood felt so much more profound and I think this is such a harsh reality for most of the people of color who live in the west. He is also quite forthcoming about a very painful episode in his life and I commend him for it, because it just goes on to show that just because someone is successful and making money doesn’t mean everything is great with their life. He is also pretty frank about the non glossy side of his celebrity life - the incessant travel, innumerable press junkets, being away from his husband and feeling lonely, the toll it takes to keep up appearances in public - while acknowledging how privileged he is.

I was actually surprised by the ease with which he seemed to have handled the fact that he was gay while also being Muslim and South Asian but I think it’s a testament to the strength of his convictions. He is also still very traditional in his mindset and that reflects in the relationship with his husband. It feels like a great love story and they seem to be wonderful supportive partners and I loved reading the parts where he kept gushing about his husband. Their first date and subsequent meetings are especially adorable and it really feels like they were meant to be together.

And there are so many things in the book that I found endearing because of the relatability. The conservative nature of the family while growing up, all the nosy family members, the ways we are restricted in terms of dressing up or making friends or going out and how we all learn to lie to do what we want to do - it was so reflective of my own life growing up that I found it very nostalgic. It’s also lovely to see him want to incorporate his culture within his style and I think his mehndi is a wonderful statement in that regard. He is also quite open about the rampant colorism in the South Asian community and our obsession with being fair (essentially white) and associating lighter skin with beauty and his journey about realizing the importance of respecting his own skin color felt so similar to mine. There are many such instances in this book where I thought ... “wow this is exactly what happened to me too” ... and that’s one of the main reasons I really enjoyed this one.

If you are a fan of the show Queer Eye, you should definitely check this out because you’ll love it. It definitely goes along with the theme of the show - finding your own path in life, accepting and understanding yourself and spreading joy around you. Tan’s witty writing style makes for a very fun read and you’ll definitely find something in this memoir that you can relate to. However, the blurb does mention about him coming out to his family and revealing the truth about his marriage - it is not included in this advance copy but I hope it’s a part of the final book. This was a lovely book to read and I definitely recommend to everyone. I promise it’ll make you smile.

Queer Eye and the Fab5 are the world’s precious boys, and I was ecstatic to be able to get my grubby hands on Tan France’s memoir a whole three months early.

Tan is hysterical in this understated sort of way, and I think anyone who has ever seen the show has seen his reserved sort of personality. In this book though, he is finally the main character of his own life, and I think that shines through. It is great to be able to hear his stories of being a gay, South Asian man, and to see how this has affected him throughout his life. I really love the fact that the book wasn’t solely focused on Queer Eye, though there was definitely cute anecdotes for the fans.

Here, Tan has decided to step in the limelight. And while the other members of Fab5 are a great supporting cast, Tan really takes the reign.

My hope is that Tan’s stories continues to open the eyes of the more ignorant people who don’t understand minorities. His writing is so witty and amusing, and he has so much heart.

I don’t know if I could say more good things about this, but I loved it, I really did. I am not the biggest fan of celebrity memoirs, but I think this one really highlighted how great memoirs can be. I’d recommend this book to all sorts of people, especially fans of Queer Eye, but I don’t think you need to watch the show to enjoy the stories that Tan presents 😊

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I love Tan on the show and I love the show they’ve created. But I didn’t love this book. Each chapter is a jumbled narrative that skips throughout time and is loosely connected to a topic. He jumps around and never offers a cohesive storyline.

He also touches on so many extremely important and deep topics, but doesn’t give them the depth and time they deserve. Stories of direct racism impacting him and moments he realized he had to hide parts of himself to “fit-in” with society. He glosses over these and seems to make light of them instead of exploring them deeper with the reader. It misses the opportunity for a connection with the reader and creation of empathy and understanding with people who haven’t experienced these things.

The last few chapters were definitely the strongest. I wish he had flushed those out more instead of focusing on his flightiness and bragging about having had over 20 jobs in two years. That definitely gave the impression that he has been a bit entitled, which I don’t think is an accurate description of who he is.

I’d have loved more detail on his relationship with his family post coming-out, dealing with racism to this day, and his thinking on the shows impact. Those were the strongest areas in my opinion, and they could have made for a captivating book if they had been better developed.

Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for review.

Tan France was the first of the Fab 5 I was immediately curious about when binge watching the infinitely charming Queer Eye. As I become more increasingly aware of the lack of Asian representation in media here in the States (even rarer, gay and Asian), I inevitably became increasingly interested in French-tucking Tan. Like Queer Eye, Naturally Tan is fun, accessible, and has a candid tone that lends itself to transparent, feel-good, and illuminating moments. Ultimately, the memoir emphasizes humorous anecdotes from Tan's perspective, such as how he met his husband (and of course, thoughts on what his husband was wearing), being employed as a flight attendant, and more.

However, as I continued my reading, I found myself less focused on Tan's misadventures and more focused on Tan's writing. The chapters often have the same formula of writing where Tan describes a story from his past, what he learned from it, and what we as readers can takeaway from it. While all of this might sound like the perfect ingredients for a memoir, it started to feel less personal and more mechanical. Tan opts for the "you" perspective when writing, depending if he is using "you" to talk to himself or using "you" to talk to the reader. Sometimes this works, but other times it leads to generalizations without much weight. One example is when Tan briefly gives two cents on women in the workplace, which feels more like an idle, judgmental observation than having any personal significance.

Some other topics that Tan discusses has more authority with personal experience, and thus more authenticity, such as moments when he talks about being a person of color, being gay, and the nuance between reality TV and reality. Even still, once landing his feet on a topic, like masculinity or having same sex gay friends, he still manages to find comfort in going for general resolutions that don't go much deeper than noticing the surface level issues about them that read as if they're meant to be revolutionary.

Overall, while Naturally Tan retains all of the fun, flavor, and doses of strife that Queer Eye does and, I think, is a book that a lot of people will enjoy and can learn new things from a person's perspective that they may be unfamiliar with, its shortcomings come from the somewhat gossipy language in the writing that, at times, feels impersonal and withholding.

I am a big fan of Tan France on Queer Eye and his memoir is just as delightful as he is!

One of the things I love most about this memoir is how direct and honest he is. He doesn’t sugarcoat and hide the tough stuff, whether about his childhood or fame. This takes this from typical celebrity memoir to something much more enjoyable and relatable. I love when celebrities are honest about the struggles of fame, and Tan does a wonderful job of balancing this with the information about all the advantages of fame. He gives the perfect balance of perfect mix of humble and irriatated by his newfound fame.

There was a lot to learn about how Tan got to where he is and how he made that happen. These personal anecdotes were so endearing and made me love his on screen personality even more. Especially in light of the last chapter where he detailed his desire for privacy and normalcy, sharing these details was even more special and only helped to increase my admiration.

I enjoyed this book- it was a fun and easy read. If you’re a fan of Queer Eye and Tan France, you’ll probably enjoy it too. You can hear tan’s distinct voice as you read. His humor comes through so well. I loved the illustrations. Although a few personal stories were shared, I felt like this book lacked substance. I’ll probably read it again, once it’s completed and published. Overall, I give Naturally Tan 3 out of 5 stars.