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“A breezy, snappy story about fandom, friendships, and being true to yourself.”—TJ Klune

One small fandom convention. One teen beauty pageant.
One meet cute waiting to happen.

Up and coming fanfic author Kaylee Beaumont is internally screaming at the chance to finally meet her fandom friends in real life and spend a weekend at GreatCon. She also has a side quest for the weekend:

· Try out they/them pronouns to see how it feels
· Wear more masculine-presenting cosplay
· Kiss a girl for the first time

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The One True Me and You

Author: Remi K. England

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Queer romance, Lesbian MC, Non-binary pansexual/questioning/prefers girls MC, Bisexual character

Recommended For…: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, LGBT+, fandom

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Age Relevance: 14+ (slight body dysphoria, homophobia, sexism, misgendering, romance, slight language, parental death mentioned, suicide death mentioned, racism mentioned, outing)

Explanation of Above: The book features a character who is questioning their gender identify and their sexual preference. They experience a little body dysphoria and misgendering. They are also outed and it’s shown in the book. Homophobia and sexism are discussed in the book. There are slight mentions to a parental death and death by suicide. There is lots of cute romance in the book. There is also one very slight mention to racism in regards to pageant officials (how they do the bare minimum) and very slight language (there’s just a handful of curse words in the book).

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 272

Synopsis: Up and coming fanfic author Kaylee Beaumont is internally screaming at the chance to finally meet her fandom friends in real life and spend a weekend at GreatCon. She also has a side quest for the weekend:

Try out they/them pronouns to see how it feels
Wear more masculine-presenting cosplay
Kiss a girl for the first time

It’s… a lot, and Kay mostly wants to lie face down on the hotel floor. Especially when her hometown bully, Miss North Carolina, shows up in the very same hotel. But there’s this con-sponsored publishing contest, and the chance to meet her fandom idols… and then, there’s Teagan.

Pageant queen Teagan Miller (Miss Virginia) has her eye on the much-needed prize: the $25,000 scholarship awarded to the winner of the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant. She also has secrets:

She loves the dresses but hates the tiaras
She’s a giant nerd for everything GreatCon
She’s gay af

If Teagan can just keep herself wrapped up tight for one more weekend, she can claim the scholarship and go off to college out and proud. If she’s caught, she could lose everything she’s worked for. If her rival, Miss North Carolina, has anything to do with it, that’s exactly how it’ll go down.

When Teagan and Kay bump into one another the first night, sparks fly. Their connection is intense—as is their shared enemy. If they’re spotted, the safe space of the con will be shattered, and all their secrets will follow them home. The risks are great… but could the reward of embracing their true selves be worth it?

Review: If it can be possible to fall in love with a book, then I have completely fallen in love with this one. The book is so so sweet and I loved the story. The romance is between a pageant queen and a fanfic writer. It gives me a lot of Geekerella vibes and has a lot of fandom mentions, the biggest being Sherlock (johnlocke especially). The book is not only a sweet romance, but it also is a sweet tale about a person who is finding their gender identity and sexuality, which I think is hugely important in today’s day and age. I felt like the character development was amazingly well done and the world building was fun and well done as well. The pacing is on key and I honestly will reread this one day (and I never reread!).

The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like the ending was a bit too open-ended so I hope that we get another book that follows Teagan and Kaylee or a side story with the other characters, especially Jess and Miss Oregon.

Verdict: I highly recommend this one!

Kaylee Beaumont is an up and coming fan-fiction writer attending GreatCon, where they have entered a piece of their original writing into a competition. They have three goals in mind for the weekend. Use they/them pronouns for the first time and see how it fits, wear more masculine presenting cosplay and kiss a girl for the first time. Teagan Miller is Miss Virginia, attending the Miss Cosmic Teen pageant. She has a very good chance of winning and receiving the $25,000 scholarship that comes along with it. But she is hiding one thing from the judges, she's very very gay. She thinks she can keep it all together this weekend, until she arrives and realizes the convention of her dreams is being held in the same hotel as the pageant. As long as she can behave around her rival, Miss North Carolina, she should make it through the weekend unscathed. But then, Kay and Teagan meet one night, and their connection is undeniable.

This was a cute story, but nothing groundbreaking, in my opinion. I enjoyed the premise and characters, but nothing stood out to me as being memorable. I thought the dual POV between Kay and Teagan was really well done! I think the exploration of Kaylee's identity was really well done, and I liked their inner monologue as they tried to figure out who they were. I also enjoyed the friendships in this, and how they all held each other accountable for their actions. I know a lot of people can relate to finding some of their best friends through an online community, so I really loved that aspect of the story. I also loved Teagan's character, I think she was very sweet, and I loved how she let Kay come to terms with what they were feeling in their own time. I will say that I think their connection was a bit too insta-lovey for my taste, but they did grow on me the more they interacted with one another. I definitely liked the pageant portion more than the Con portion, but I may be the odd one out on that as I am not apart of any fandoms in the way the people in the story are, so maybe I just don't "get" it. I really love how Teagan made it her mission to change the way beauty pageants were seen, and that it didn't have to be such a rigid system it seems to be.

Overall, I think this was a cute read, with lovable characters you can't help but root for.

This was overall a fun read, but I was a little disappointed by it. There were some things I just did not enjoy, some things Kay did that I was frustrated by, and it also dragged a little in my opinion.

I don't have a lot to say about this book since it didn't really make me feel a lot. It was cute and the representation was great, but I expected more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book!

There is so much great representation in this book. It was written very well. Even the mean girl was written perfectly. Loved it!

When a pageant and a GreatCon are hosted in the same hotel, something is bound to happen! One may not predict that it would be love though.

Teagan has been working her butt off on the pageant circuit trying to get enough scholarship money to attend the college of her choosing. She is a poised, tiara wearing gal who just happens to prefer other gals.

Kay is a top notch cosplay fan fiction writer who is trying to figure out exactly who she is but thinks she might want to identify as non-binary and kiss girls.

They bump into each other the first night and their adventures to see each other begin.

I love the representations in this book and the celebrations for being yourself! Highly recommend

5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

what a sweet book. Any book that features a fanfic writer I am all about, esp a03 representation hell yeah. The characters were relatable and funny, navigating identity in the modern world. Everything was just so endearing and honest. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the fandom aspect, as it aged the book.

I absolutely LOVED The One True Me and You! It was such a quick and easy read for me, which is exactly what I wanted when I read it. I'm nonbinary, and I've gone to anime and book conventions for years, and I've never seen this specific version of myself represented in media before, so reading about Kay's exploration of their gender, them finding love, enjoying a convention with friends they met online...it all felt so similar to my own experience of having met so many of my closest friends online through fandom.

I also liked how Remi K. England portrayed the idea that fandom is for everyone and that people don't have to fit a certain stereotype to be included in fandom. It destroys that idea that people in fandom look or act a certain way, and extended fandom to people in all different spaces, making the characters multidimensional in ways a lot of people don't always consider possible.

This was a fun read, even during the parts where I felt secondhand stress or embarrassment for the characters. Full disclosure, I'm writing this review several months after I read the book, but that's one of its standout features to me—being a fun, feel good read that anyone who has a special love for fandom can enjoy.

This book had a lot of good things going for it - I loved the premise, the characters, and storylines. However, I felt that it was very surface-level and wanted to dig deeper into the character's emotions, thoughts, and feelings. I wasn't that big of a fan of just how sweet this book is. I wanted more of a challenge and wanted even more character development.

Overall, this book is just okay - it's not bad at all but it's also not anything great.

This was such a good read. Not something I’d typically got for but I still enjoyed it. I didn’t like the comic parts though unfortunately.

This is such a cute story! I think this would be perfect for a queer girl in high school. Personally it was a little young for me, but I still really enjoyed it. I loved the stuff about pageants, and I thought the main relationship was super cute. A very solid YA contemporary.

Do you wanna know what makes me smile from ear to ear? Great new queer romance novels.

And on a scale of one to ten, "The One True Me and You" earns a #perfect score in adorable.

I went absolutely gaga for this beautiful little love story.

The story begins after a chance encounter between Teagan, a closeted beauty queen, and Kay, a questioning fanfic author.

Hitting it off almost immediately, they share a weekend full of firsts, from kisses to confessions.

That is, until Kay's high school bully, Regina George wannabe Miss North Carolina, threatens to ruin everything.

What an incredible debut novel from MK England.

Written with a quick wit and a whole lot of heart, this book was a pleasure from beginning to end.

This is one of those books that I downloaded without knowing anything about the overall story line or characters and I don't know what I expected from it going in - but it wasn't what I got - and it was WONDERFUL. Imagine a pageant queen with a hidden nerd side and a nerd having a gender identity and sexuality crisis and you have the characters in this book. I have been so excited about the wave of LGBTQ romances being published - especially in the YA genre - and I genuinely didn't know that would play a part in this book!

Kay comes from a small town in North Carolina where considering gender identity is ridiculed and frowned down upon, so when they go to a fandom convention where they can be themselves, they decide to try out being the self they want to be. And then there is Teagan, a pageant queen just trying to win enough money to go to college. She is a out lesbian, except in the pageant circuit. They meet when the fandom convention and the pageant are held at the same hotel and there are immediate sparks.

I hands down loved this romance. The struggle Kay goes through with their identity and the exploration with Teagan was so charming and I imagine important to see represented for those who feel similarly. There was also a very interesting discussion about pageants and the underlying stereotype about those who compete in beauty pageants, and frankly it made me think about some opinions I have about them. I love when a book can be light and romantic while also delving into serious topics and making you question your world view. It's a balancing act that England did masterfully in this book.

Highly recommend for those looking for a great LGBTQ book, specifically in the non-binary sphere.

**Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

I really loved reading The One True Me and You and feel like this is a great book for teen librarians to have on their shelves for kids to read. This book is all about coming out and living your truth, whether that's your gender, sexuality, or even embracing the subcultures and hobbies you love. I'm always happy to read more queer stories, and especially loved the non-binary representation. I feel like the writing was at a level that 8th or 9th graders could really enjoy this book as well. For anyone who has even felt a little out of place in your world, The One True Me and You shows that you can find your people and that you're definitely not alone in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The One True Me and You" is a beautiful, coming of age story. When a fanfic con and a pageant convene at the same hotel, there is bound to be a cross-over. Insert Teagan and Kay who are both learning how to be true to themselves and how to not conform to society's ideals of how they should be. I enjoyed reading both of their individual points of view along with learning more about the FanFic and Pageant worlds. Each of them have a great support group of friends which promotes positive relationships and not competing with one another. Remi K. England wrote a story that really comes alive on the page! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

The One True Me and You is a debut young adult novel that has non-binary representation. As soon as I read the premise, I knew I had to read it. It involves two separate world colliding (a beauty pageant and a fandom convention) in a specious Florida hotel. And in the middle of this collision are the two narrators Teagan and Kaylee.

Teagan is seventeen years old and is competing as Miss Virginia in the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant. The grand prize is a $25,000 scholarship which could really benefit Teagan who has been primarily raised by her widowed father The pageant is being held at the same hotel as a fandom convention (Great Con) and secretly she is so excited about this as she is a total geek. On the surface, she has to pretend to be annoyed by the convention or risk her secret coming out. The secret that not only is she a geek but, she is also totally gay.

Kaylee is also seventeen and attending her first convention. She is also a well known fanfic writer on Tumblr. They are so excited to finally meet their fandom friends. There is also a bit of a side quest planned for this convention: 1) Try out the pronoun they/them to see how it feels 2)wear more masculine presenting cosplay and 3) kiss a girl for the first time. Kaylee feels like there is alot riding on this convention and they are not exactly thrilled that the beauty pageant is also at the hotel. Well that is until they meet Teagan and all the sparks begin to fly.

From their first meeting Teagan and Kaylee have chemistry. They are immediately attracted to each other and spend hours talking. They also discover that they have a shared enemy - Madison also known as Miss North Carolina. Madison attends Kaylee's school and has made her life a living hell. She is also a competitor in the pageant and always tries to get other competitors to sabotage themselves. As neither character is fully out out their sexuality, there is a constant feeling of being found out especially with Madison around. In order to spend time together, there is a little bit of sneaking around involved. I loved the sneaking around and easily believed in the connection between the two characters.

From their first meeting Teagan and Kaylee have chemistry. They are immediately attracted to each other and spend hours talking. They also discover that they have a shared enemy - Madison also known as Miss North Carolina. Madison attends Kaylee's school and has made her life a living hell. She is also a competitor in the pageant and always tries to get other competitors to sabotage themselves. As neither character is fully out out their sexuality, there is a constant feeling of being found out especially with Madison around. In order to spend time together, there is a little bit of sneaking around involved. I loved the sneaking around and easily believed in the connection between the two characters.

Teagan and Kaylee have help sneaking around from friends at both the Great Con and the pageant. I absolutely adore the community that was being formed here. There is a no judgement - perhaps a bit of friendly concern - but no judgement. As the two narrators question who they are. this group of friends is there to support them all the way. They are also there to protect one another. It's hard to believe that this is first time that Teagan and her friends are meeting in person. These friendships are solid!

I really enjoyed the growth of both Teagan and Kaylee throughout the story. It is a quick read as everything happens in one short weekend but, there is still alot packed into it. These two characters find inner strength to accept themselves as who they really are. Especially Kaylee who is so precious as a character. Their cosplay costumes and fanfics had me rooting for them all along. I also cheered Teagan on as she embraced her geeky side and actually used it to help with her pageant competition. There was just so much good throughout that it helped sooth out some of the rough spots.

The One True Me and You is both educational and hopeful. Teens questioning themselves and their identities is completely normal. I felt that this story was grounded in truth including the less pleasant moments of homophobia. It leaves you with a feeling of possibility - and I sincerely look forward to seeing what Remi K. England comes up with next!

3.5/5 stars


This book is a Young Adult LGBT romance with non binary representation.

This book is about a beauty pageant and a fandom convention held in the same Florida hotel.

The narrators are Teagan and Kaylee (both 17). Teagan is trying to win a scholarship at a big teen beauty pageant. Kaylee is a fanfic author at her first convention.

This book really highlights : Friendships. Bullying. Acceptance.

I really enjoyed most parts of the beauty pageant. And I really liked the writing aspect of the story. I also found the idea of a teen questioning who they might be to be quite interesting. It was educational to people wanting to learn more about non-binary people and what it means. I also really loved the friendships.

This isn't my usual genre. But it's good to read different types of books. Overall the romance was cute. But I didn't really connect that much to the fandom part of the story. But it was a good read.

This was a really sweet, cute YA book that explores gender non-conformity and sexuality. This is not a typical genre for me as I often find myself unable to relate to some of the scenarios the characters are going through, but this one also had issues that any teenager may face, so I was able to connect to the main characters at least a little bit.

The main characters were both created in a way that they almost felt like real "friends" to me. I will say I was more interested in Teagan's story line and the pageants than I was with Kaylee's and the fanfiction, but that could be because I have no idea about anything fanfiction at all, and I've at least seen a Miss America pageant before. Either way, the alternating chapters between Kay and Teagan made me want to keep reading because it felt as every chapter ended on a "cliffhanger" of sorts.

I thought the tension and romance between Kay and Teagan was honest and true to teenagers experiencing a first love. The nerves, the anxiety, the overthinking, all of it felt realistic and it really helped me stay invested in the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that this is a good story for teens (especially) who are exploring gender and sexuality, as it explains the hardships and outcomes that many others have faced. 4 stars, I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Pub date: 3/1/22
Genre: young adult, queer fiction
In one sentence: Fanfiction writer Kaylee wants to kiss a girl at GreatCon - and then they meet pageant queen Teagan, whose pageant is taking place at the same hotel.

This book lives up to its bright rainbow cover! It's a fun, touching coming of age story + romance. I loved seeing Kaylee bond with their online friends and gain confidence in their writing abilities, cosplay, and identity, including using they/them pronouns. Teagan's a pageant girl who's stayed in the closet to improve her chances of winning - her journey was inspiring as well.

If you need a book to put a smile on your face, this is a great choice!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just so good. Thank you for letting me read and review it. i can't wait to promote it in an upcoming podcast episode.