This sweet and fun queer YA romance truly sparkled! What happens when a teen beauty pageant and fandom convention are held at the same hotel? Emotions + hormones + worlds collide! There’s a publishing contest + 25K college scholarship at stake, a dance party, a serious wardrobe catastrophe, a mean girl, late nights sneaking out of hotel rooms, too many snacks, and all the feelings caught.

I loved ALL the endearing characters, the coming of age and exploration of self, the dives into both the worlds of fandom and pageants, and the joy and personality that radiated off every page. A heartfelt, authentic, feel good, not to be missed read sure to leave you with a smile on your face.

Thank you so much to st martins and wednesday books for my copy!

This book was too cute for words. I definitely enjoyed reading the YA romance story, especially the enemies to lovers trope. Each of the characters bring something special to the table. But it also made me appreciate my teenager years. Times were always confusing whenever you were a teenager. There were always issue when you are trying to figure out who are in high school. That's something that these teenager will figure out. Plus, dating in high school is messy as well.

I normally love stories like this but this wasn't it for me. I couldn't get into the story and it kind of felt like everything was thrown together in order to publish this book. It just didn't work for me.

I think this is flying under everyone's radars but it absolutely shouldn't be flying under the radar because it is fantastic. So let me try my best to put it on your radar! Listen up, if you are in the mood for some compelling characters, a love letter to fandom, and a charming coming-of-age story, then this is your book. It is well-written, the characters have fantastic chemistry, and it absolutely charmed me from beginning to end.

It is just an incredibly sweet read that I feel like could brighten anyone's day. I loved it. My only complaint is that the plot isn't...well, there is not a lot there. It is mostly a character-driven YA romance, but the characters are strong and I loved spending time reading about them. Also as a girl who has a tendency to be a nerd about stories (I am a reader after all...) I related to this overall love letter to fandom and a supportive fandom community.

So don't sleep on this one and, if you enjoy YA romance or even just romance, I think this is well worth your time. I think this is highly likely to charm you as much as it did me and who doesn't need a happy, charming read to brighten their reading life? This was just what the doctor ordered.

The One True Me and You, by Remi K. England, is a young adult contemporary romance that follows two teenagers, Kaylee and Teagan. Teagan is Miss Virginia, a pageant queen, and is at a national pageant. Teagan, who is hoping to win the 25,000 dollar prize to use for college, is also a lesbian. But, she’s closeted and is planning to keep that a secret out of the fear that being out would ruin her chances of winning. Kay is a fanfic writer and has lots of plans for their weekend at GreatCon, a fandom convention. And what neither Kay nor Teagan knew is that the pageant and the convention are being held at the very same hotel. Kay and Teagan meet at a convention party that Teagan sneaks into, and their story goes on from there.

The pacing in the book was done absolutely marvelously. There wasn’t a single boring page, and overall the plot had a really nice flow. The dual narration was also done very well. I love books with multiple perspectives, and I think in The One True Me and You, having both Kay and Teagan’s perspectives was just what the story needed. There were enough differences in the style of Kay’s chapters compared to Teagan’s, so it was pretty easy to differentiate between them. Both characters also have unique and vivid personalities, so reading the novel really felt like bouncing back and forth in both of their minds.

I also felt that there was a good mixture of description and dialogue throughout the book. There was just enough description to really bring the characters and settings to life, but not so much that it slowed the plot. The witty and engaging conversations between characters were done very well, and it was very fun to read.

Remi K. England also did a fantastic job with writing the characters. Kay and Teagan, the main characters, were done very well and had so much incredible depth. They had such good chemistry, which was shown through England's excellent writing.

The side characters in The One True Me and You were also written very well. There are Jess, Teagan's pageant friend, Ami, Kay's friend from school, and Cakes and Lady, two of Kay's best online friends who they get to meet at the convention. Jess and Teagan have a really unique friendship, and it was one that I loved reading about. They only really ever see each other at pageants because they live in different states, but they get to be roommates and spend all of their time together.

The weekend at the convention is the first time that Kay gets to meet their online friends Cakes and Lady, who all met through various parts of the fandom. It meant so much to Kay, which was really neat to see.

Madison aka Miss North Carolina was another side character who I thought was done pretty well. She is as close as you can get to a villain in the novel and was constantly causing chaos and drama. She is Teagan's worst pageant nightmare and even goes to Kay's school. I did wish that Madison could have had a bit more character development throughout the book. Her just being cruel to be, well, cruel, seemed a little shallow, and I think that her character had a bit more potential. I do think that the way she connected Kay and Teagan's worlds was done well though.

In The One True Me and You, Remi K. England does a marvelous job of showing how powerful and life-changing being able to find communities where you can be yourself is. Kay is able to really explore their identity as a nonbinary bisexual person through meeting other queer people in the fandom, which is especially important since they live in a much more conservative town where they don't have such a welcoming community.

And, while Teagan doesn't feel comfortable being out and being completely herself in the pageant community, the pageants are still empowering for her. She talks to Kay through the book about how it can be so amazing for her, and also so harmful. The pageants boost her confidence and give her a place where she can make a difference in her community.

The One True Me and You is a beautiful and emotional young adult contemporary with vividly unique characters, an exciting and engaging plot, and lots of witty dialogue. Anyone looking for a YA romance with lots of great LGBTQ+ representation and a really great story should check this one out!

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The One True Me and You was a beautiful, queer, coming of age story. It follows Kay, a total fandom nerd exploring gender and sexuality, and Teagan, a lesbian pageant girl. The two meet at a hotel where a convention and beauty pageant are being held the same weekend. Together, they explore the truth of who they are and how that interacts with the world.

Remi K. England did a wonderful job capturing the struggles of being queer as a high school student in worlds that don't accept it. I loved getting to read this story and highly reccommend it to everyone.

5/5

Loved this queer YA book. Couldn't put it down once I picked it up. Everything I love about YA romance is in this book.

kay is a fanfic writer, geek, and attending a convention for their favorite tv show, the great game, while also trying out they/them pronouns with the online friends they get to meet in real life for the first time.

teagan is attending the miss cosmic teen USA pageant, in hopes of winning the scholarship, except, the pageant is sharing a hotel. with a convention for her favorite tv show that the other pageant queens most definitely don’t know about.

when kay and teagan run into each other (literally), the last thing they expect is to be attracted to each other, a geeky fanfic writer and a perfect pageant queen? not going to happen.

except…. there’s so much more to them. there’s so much care, and struggle, and community. this book is an exploration of fandom, of love, of identity, mostly. after all, who knows what can conspire in a single weekend?

hands down, my favorite thing about this book is the duality between kay, a nerdy fanfic writer obsessed with a sherlock holmes-esque tv show, and teagan, a beauty queen at heart, because england does such a good job at intertwining these. there is not one look to be queer, and teagan’s love for the con as well as her actual passion for pageants was so cool to read. one of the main conflicts in teagan and kay’s relationship was teagan’s love of what she does; even if the systems may be broken, she can still find her place as a femme lesbian beauty queen, and maybe make an impact along the way.

another thing that made me so happy reading this book was the celebration of online friendships and communities! though the fandom experience isn’t really one i have, kay’s hope they find in their tumblr and fanfic community, especially in their queer identity, is a freedom they literally can’t have in real life, it’s a way for them to escape and connect. the value this book places on online communities just means so much to me, because obviously, i have bookstagram, i have online friends, i have places to connect to people i wouldn’t have access to otherwise. and seeing that through kay, the joy they felt to be part of a community, was honestly the heart of this story. teagan too, as she experienced the sisterhood and love in pageants, and even at the con. this book so much was about belonging in these forged communities, especially as queer people who needed them, and i loved that!!

i also have to say that the dual pov in this book was exceptionally written?? i genuinely never got them confused, like i sometimes do reading dual pov. england 100% could write two different characters without losing their style, and the writing itself made me excited to dive into england’s backlist.

thank you wednesday books for sending me an advance readers copy of this lovely book!!

3.5*

The One True Me and You was an entertaining read. I really enjoyed the backstage look at beauty pagents and fandoms. There are some things I'd never want to relive from my teen years, but the idea of being a part of a fandom of my favorite show/movie/books etc., brings me great joy. I love that Kay felt so accepted by so many people they'd never met in real life, that support is everything.
There were times this book started to kind of drag for me, especially in the middle- I wanted things to move along, for both Kay and Teagan, I kept waiting for the shoe drop, so to speak!
Being a teen can be so messy when it comes to trying to figure out who you are and your place in the world and I think this book did a great job of showing that. Even though I can't, or couldn't, relate to either Teagan and Kay and what they were going through, I liked having a front row seat as they figured things out. I do kind of wish we had been given a peek into their futures, just to see how things were going for them, but the story did end in a good way.

I loved the juxtaposition of nerdy fandom with pageant queens! The characters were awesome, the plot well-paced, and I loved the ending so, so much. I look forward to sharing this fabulous book with my students.

A great YA romance pick for veterans of the peak Tumblr years, fandom nerds, and queer youth. "The One True Me and You" has diverse representation of queer identities.

I'll be honest, I went into this with pretty low expectations bc I haven't been into YA lately, but this was DELIGHTFUL. I'm so glad that I gave this a shot because this was exactly what I look for in an easy ya contemporary romance. I absolutely LOVED the fandom aspect as it shows how they can be an amazing place to explore different aspects of yourself all while relating to fictional characters. Definitely recommend giving The One True Me and You a shot if the plot sounds interesting to you!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this was absolutely adorable!!! I loved the wonderful representation in this book too. I thought the characters were great. I couldn't stop smiling as I read this book. It’s fairly fast-paced and I didn’t want to put it down. It was such a lovely YA romance book.

This was such a sweet book. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like pageant girl Teagan and fanfic author Kay have anything in common. Of course, appearances can be deceiving, and the two teens bond over their shared fandom.

I loved that the overwhelming message of the book is being true yourself and that breaking the mold is encouraged. At the risk of using another cliché, this is truly a weekend of self-discovery for both protagonists, and they both find themselves redefining success and what it takes to get there.

The romance element is tender and there’s plenty of checking in to make sure boundaries aren’t crossed. Teagan has experience with dating girls, but Kay has always dated boys and this is their first experience dating a girl.

I loved the zaniness of Teagan having to sneak around without getting caught by the chaperones. The villain of the piece—Miss North Carolina—tries so hard to ruin things for both protagonists, and there are multiple times where it truly seems that her nastiness will prevail.

I would absolutely recommend The One True Me and You. I read most of this book in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down without finding out what was going to happen next. This book is full of joy, and its joy is infectious. I will absolutely be purchasing my own copy, and can’t wait to share it with my teens.



I received a digital ARC of this book from Wednesday Books/NetGalley

Okay, where to even start? This book was heartfelt and adorable, bringing together two different expressions and showing that they have commonalities. The pressure to be what society has always praised and preferred clashes with enjoyment of anything seen as outside certain standards, and yet so many of use live at those crossroads.

This book made me miss conventions and the amazing friends I have made at them/finally met in person at them, and this book just makes me want to create something for the world.

A cute, heartfelt read with a soft-serve sweet love story. Just what I needed to warm my wind chilled bones and jaded, icy soul.

I enjoyed this YA rom-com novel. Great characters with realistic problems for today’s audience. Kay and Teagan meet at a beauty pageant meets fan fic con at the same hotel in Florida. Both are coming out and have their own worries at their separate events. Really well done and an enjoyable read.

Wow! This book was amazingly written and a much needed addition to the fiction that is finally becoming more prevalent focusing on LGBTQ+ issues and identities. As the parent of two teenagers, and a teacher of upper elementary age and early middle school age students, I have learned how imperative it is for others to learn about pronouns, types of sexuality and identities, and acceptance. I have known students as young as fourth grade who have questioned their gender and/or their sexuality. A lot of them become depressed because they don't feel that there is anyone to talk to about it. The lack of literature with LGBTQ+ representation has also further impacted their feelings that they don't fit into society.

This novel is told in alternating viewpoints by two teenagers. The first is a teenage girl named Teagan, a beauty pageant contestant who has to hide the fact that she is queer from the pageant world. The second is an individual named Kaylee (Kay for short). Kay is into writing fan fiction and is beginning to use they/them pronouns. They think they like girls, but aren't sure yet. Teagan and Kay meet when they are staying at the same hotel and form a connection. Of course, things are complicated. You'll have to read the book to find out more.

Even though this novel focuses on a character who writes fan fiction, and another who participates in beauty pageants, I was able to follow the storylines with limited prior knowledge of either of those things. If you read the book as an adult and have any questions, just ask a middle or high school age child. I will be recommending this read to many students and especially teachers and parents of middle school and high school age students!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #WednesdayBooks for an ARC of #TheOneTrueMeandYou by #RemiK.England in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of The One True Me and You from Wednesday Books so I could share my review with you!

Content Warning: Gender Dysphoria, Death of a parent by suicide (off-screen, before the story), homophobia, transphobia, forced outing, bullying discussion of racism and colorism in the world of pageantry.

Teagan needs one last pageant win to secure enough scholarship money to be able to afford four years at her dream college. She might have to hide pieces of herself (her sexuality, and her love for all things nerdy) to win, but it will all be worth it if she can escape to college. Kaylee is attending GreatCon, a fan-run convention dedicated to their favorite TV series, The Great Game. Though Kaylee has never had the chance to be surrounded by people who share their interests, for this one weekend, that will change. But, when the Miss Cosmic USA pageant competition and GreatCon book the same hotel for the weekend, worlds are bound to collide. Teagan and Kaylee have a chance encounter when Teagan sneaks away from her pageant responsibilities to catch a glimpse into the convention. Sparks fly between the two, but embracing their attraction could have consequences beyond just this one weekend.

You can get your copy of The One True Me and You on March 3rd from Wednesday Books!

This story of queer love and acceptance was the balm my soul needed during this difficult time of discrimination and political oppression of LGBTQ+ lives. Watching policies being created that are specifically designed to hurt queer people pass into the world has been incredibly difficult for me (as it has for countless others), but one thing I have found that helps me make it through the day is reading stories of queer joy. The One True Me and You was precisely what I needed to read right now. I devoured the entire book in a single sitting, falling easily into Teagan and Kaylee’s stories. I loved the fan-con/beauty pageant dynamic, and the ways the story empowered different forms of self-expression and gender presentation. I have been following Remi K. England’s writing career avidly, since their debut, as they write some of my all-time favorite science fiction novels! I wasn’t sure what to expect from their first contemporary novel, but I think I somehow loved it even more!

My Recommendation-
If you’re in need of a pick-me-up story with a solid blend of romance, humor, and relatable fandom feels, you need to grab a copy of The One True Me and You right away! I would especially recommend this book to fans of Fangirl and Ship It!

I received a galley for this book from NetGalley.

I plowed through this book it was so good and perfect for the plane ride home from vacation. It sucked me in from the start and had a ton of representation. For a YA love story this was well written and addresses a number of issues like outing of a character with a lot of sensitivity which I appreciate. I also really enjoyed the fact that it shows cons in a very accepting light and normalizes it for young readers so they can feel more confident in their decisions with fandom (as we all know it can come with a lot of judgement from outsiders). I think the author does an amazing job overall and I can't wait to read more from them.