Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance review copy of The One True Me and You.

When I read the book synopsis’s I was intrigued. A fandom, a con, a pageant queen and a whole lot of self discovery. Those things don’t seem to go together.
And that reaction is the point. Author Remi England challenges stereotypes from the first page to the last page of her novel that embraces the world of LGBTQ+ teens.
The book is important, and it is beautiful. The author’s note at the end explains a lot of the importance.
The book has it all. A great setting, a romance, friendships, strong characters and an evil villain.
It’s a book that keeps you cheering for the beginning to the end.
I loved it!

Thank you to Wednesday Books & Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

OMG IM CRYING I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. I AM HAVING FEELS.

In a celebration of femininity and all things fandom, The One True Me & You is a love letter to finding your community and feeling empowered by it. This novel is a dual POV between Kaylee and Teagan. Kay is ready for GreatCon, a TV show/fandom event, and where they've finally entered some of their original writing. Kay is hoping to kiss a girl, use they/them pronouns for the first time and wear a more masc presenting cosplay. Teagan is a beauty queen here for her what is likely her last beauty pageant before college. While there are some aspects of the pageant that she hates, Teagan loves the dresses, and is hoping to win some of the scholarship money that's awarded to the top five. When Teagan finds out that her fandom love is simultaneously having a con in the same hotel, she knows the temptation is going to be hard.

The two cross paths during the first night of the Con and pageant and the initial attraction is immediate. But the two soon realize they have a common enemy: Miss North Carolina--Madison. Madison is from the same town as Kay and has tormented Kay for as long as they can remember. Kay's worst fear this weekend is that Madison will find their fandom fics and out them as nonbinary. Teagan knows Madison is her one of her top competitors, and Madison isn't afraid to play dirty. Teagan is going to have to walk a fine line so she's not outed as the huge gay nerd that she is.

This book was fucking amazing. I honestly don't have enough words to truly encompass all of the joy this book brought me. I loved Kaylee so much. They're questioning of both their sexuality and gender identity was something that resonated with me a lot. Especially the gender part since I've been exploring using different pronouns and names. It was so easy to cheer Kay one, I wanted the best for them. Plus as a fellow writer, seeing the inspiration sparks and the feelings you get from writing a good scene was so spot on. Kay definitely had some internalized misogyny to work through. But I loved that when she said something ridiculous about the beauty pageants, their friends were there to call them on their BS and then they broke it down so that Kay truly realized their mistake. Just because you don't like something, doesn't mean the whole thing is awful for other people.

Teagan was also such a joy to read. I loved her joy of wearing dresses and power suits and clothes that made her feel good inside. I loved seeing this side of the beauty pageants. They definitely are not the best measure of beauty, but I loved how this one is starting to grow and not only rely on physical appearance. I think all pageant should remove the swimsuit parts too, it's just ugh. After Teagan does her interview portion of the pageant that's when I knew I was a goner for this book. Teagan completely destroyed the interview questions they gave her and I loved her answers so damn much. I also loved seeing her fandom heart get the chance to have fun in a community that would accept her no questions.

The romance aspect of this book was the best!! I loved seeing Kay and Teagan together. They were so utterly adorable. I loved how easily these two complemented each other. It was such a good fit and I loved that they encouraged the other one grow and learn things about themselves that they hadn't realized before. Can I have a sequel of them being happy in college!?

Have I mentioned I loved this book? I just want to reiterate what a celebration of love, friendship and queerness this book was. I was so giddy when I finished this book. I will definitely be rereading it before it comes out. Add this book to your TBR or preorder it like right now!!

Rep: White questioning-nonbinary MC, white lesbian MC, side Black character, side sapphic character, side queer characters--specific rep not indicated.

CWs: Bullying, homophobia, transphobia, lesbophobia, outing of nonbinary character without consent, outing of lesbian character by choice, grief, death of parent (in the past), mental illness--anxiety, misogyny, sexism, misgendering, panic/anxiety attacks, racism, religious bigotry.

This was a really fun read, with excellent rep that I was able to read in one beach-read sitting. Recommended!

What I liked about this book:

- The accurate representation of AO3??? Something I never thought I would read in a published book, but I'm all here for it. Seriously, it was SO accurate.
- The characters. Specifically Teagan!!! But both of the main characters had my heart from the beginning. The author does a fantastic job writing lovable, realistic, flawed, queer characters, and this story from their perspectives was fantastic.
- It's a super short and sweet read. Easy to get through, easy to digest, and easy to finish! Which I love.

What I didn't like about this book:

- Now, when picking up this book you really have to take it at face value. It's a book about fandom culture, which is incredibly apparent from the plot summary. I found this premise to be super cringey; if you think you would also find this premise cringey... you will.
- The fandom aspect of this book *really* ages the book. First of all, the main character writes Johnlocke fanfiction, which is one of the most popular ships at the convention they're attending. This dates the story, as Johnlocke already isn't a mega-popular ship anymore. The main character also uses Tumblr as their primary mode of communication, which isn't at ALL the go-to fandom space anymore. This book will forever be set in 2014, even as it's published in 2021, because of this alone.

Fandom-niche goes mainstream with Remi K. England’s The One True Me and You. Set over the course of the weekend, the book follows two teens at a hotel for two very different events— a fandom convention and a beauty pageant.

Though the concept is sweet and the romance is swoon-worthy, the notion of having to hide nerdy interests to this extent feels dated in an ‘80s movie, Riverdale’s Jughead Jones “I’m a weirdo” monologue kind of way.

Never thought I’d live to see the day where AO3 is accurately represented in print, and loved the representation queer and BIPOC representation.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a way, way in advance read of this delightful little book.
Honestly, what attracted me most to this book was not so much the queer romance but the inspired backdrop for it. What a setting for a heart-melting first love story........at a plush hotel that's simultaneously hosting two events that couldn't be more of a pop culture clash-of=titans - a teen beauty pageant and a fan convention centered around a 'Sherlock Holmes' TV show with with a fabulously diverse and creative fan base.
From the pageant world comes Teagan (Miss Virginia), who's not only secretly gay, but a hidden fangirl herself and a talented creator of fan art. Attending the con is Kaylee, a brilliant writer of fan fiction, who's grappling with her gender identity, trying to figure out if she's nonbinary, or pansexual or whatever the latest category is named , (Not to mention what pronoun people should apply to her....)
Violating the strict pageant curfews, Teagan dares to crash a con event and collides with Kaylee. Intense romantic and ultra-electric sparks strike, and the scenes of these two soulmates finding and falling hard for each other will just make you dreamily smile all the way through the book to the very last page.
But there's villainy afoot in the form of the abominable Madison (Miss North Carolina) a nemesis that both girls share .Madison's a rabid, bullying mean-girl schoolmate of Kaylee's and when on the pageant circuit, she regularly torments and attempts to sabotage her fellow contestant Teagan.
I was impressed beyond belief at Remi K. England's ability to juggle all of the elements in play here.....the very different cultures, mind-sets and personalities of the Pageant world and the Fan world are skillfully evoked and portrayed, as well as the urgent, powerful and touching connection of Teagan and Kaylee.
That makes for a quick whirlwind of a book that leaves you wishing it could have gone on longer so you could spend more time with the characters. And any story that can manage to accomplish that unique feat makes for a guaranteed 4 star read..

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The One True Me and You sort of gave me Miss Congeniality vibes. Which, yes, makes me want to dive into that movie ASAP. In it, you will meet Teagan. She is about to do her last beauty pageant and the pressure is on. Mostly because it's all for a college scholarship. She's also trying to hide the fact that she really likes girls. Not sure why but I guess that's a huge no-no in the pageant world. It also doesn't help that she has some stuff competition this around either.

Well, it's safe to say that I really loathed one character. Oh Madison... you were a completely horrible person throughout the entire competition and I'm extremely happy with how things ended. Mostly because I absolutely adored Teagan and Kay. Their connection seemed a bit instantaneous but I enjoyed every little second of it. I also really enjoyed how much everyone, but Madison, grew throughout this competition.

Now I've never been to or seen a beauty pageant but it does seem like a whole lot of work. So I liked seeing how the girls adapted to everything that was happening. I would probably pee my pants during the interview part but that's because of what happened in the movie.. oh and walking.

In conclusion, I just really devoured the heck out of this book. I'm so happy that I got the chance to dive into it and I can't wait for everyone to dive into this once it gets published.

Fanfic author Kaylee Beaumnont and Pageant queen Teagan Miller shouldn't have anything in common, but when they meet at GreatCon in Florida they have an instant connection. Both girls are desperate to be their true selves in a world that wants them to lay low. Both Kay and Teagan have a lot at stake this weekend, but maybe there's something else they need that they didn't even realize.

Fair warning: I am suffering from severe con withdrawal IRL so this book was just what I needed to warm my fangirl heart. This book was absolutely adorable. Both Kay and Teagan were wonderful fully formed characters who just want a chance to be their authentic selves. I really felt their struggles as they made their way through the weekend. Their journeys felt very realistic. The author also captured the spirit of fandom in a way that didn't feel silly or cartoonish. This book has laughter and tears (both happy and sad). I knocked off one star because the ending was a little unrealistic, but that's okay...it was still cute.


I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books.

Fans of Dumplin will like this for the pageant aspect. Fans of Verona Comics and Queen of Geek will like this for the fandom element.

I’m not so sure queer readers more settled into their identities will like this. Half the book’s POV is from Kaylee, an nonbinary fanfic writer who is convinced they’re the only one from their small town who could like nerdy things. It gets a little frustrating to read Kaylee’s “I’m not like other people” tirade almost every chapter.

I will say I think the author hits the mark with Teegan, the other half of the book’s POV. Teegan is a lesbian pageant girl who also happens to like fanfic and fandom culture. It was refreshing reading about a queer person comfortable in their identity whose central conflict didn’t resolve around coming out.

I did really enjoy the fandom representation that felt more in touch with references to things like AO3 and the WLW rep! All In all, I think this book would be well suited to younger LGBTQ+ teens.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so fun and yet there were so many great messages: don't judge people based solely on their hobbies, only you can know your gender (and you should to trust yourself when you know), it's okay to be out in some places even if you aren't out everywhere. I'm sure the list is longer but I was distracted by the great story.

England perfectly captured the spirit of a fandom convention. I felt like I was there at the panels and room parties and cosplay events. It did require a little suspension of disbelief to go along with a pageant and a con happening at the same time in the same hotel, but if you roll with it you won't be disappointed!

I shared Kay's opinion of pageants at the beginning, that they were shallow and full of less-than-nice contestants, but this book changed my opinion on that! I can't speak to the accuracy of the pageant events but I enjoyed switching between the Teagan's experiences at the pageant and Kay's at the convention.

Overall a wonderful book, a great convention story, a great coming out as non-binary story, and a romance that was easy to root for.

I loved this book from start to finish. All of the characters (even the friends of the main characters) felt like people who I would have went to school with.

Kaylee is a writer and cosplayer for their favourite series. Theyre from a small town, and struggle to fit in, bullied by the towns pageant queen. Kaylee leaves town to go to a con for their favourite show and to meet some of their friends from the fanfic forums. They also decide this weekend will be a time to "test out" using they/them pronouns since they dont feel comfortable doing so in their home town.

Teagan is a lesbian pageant queen (not the hometown bully, and who does not let the pageant know about her sexuality), who is hoping to win a college scholarship through a pageant that happens to take place at the same hotel the same weekend as Kays Con. Teagan is also into the same fandom as Kay and sneaks off one night after curfew to wander the con anonymously.

Kay and Teagan meet, sparks fly and the story follows them throughout the weekend, watching as Kay works to sort out questions about their sexuality and gender orientation. Teagan is faced with keeping her sexuality hidden from pageant, and wanting to be her authentic self..

There is also a really beautiful story of friendship in here. Found family, surrounding yourself with people who accept You, as You are and how that allows us to grow into our true selves. I loved this book, and think it will be a really great and important read for especially Youths who are faced with these problems so they know they dont have to feel like they have it all figured out, or that they have to do it alone.

The One True Me and You is the story of Kay and Teagan. Teagan is competing in a beauty pageant as Miss Virginia, hoping to win the $25,000 prize that would help pay for college. At the same hotel, Kay is at a fandom convention. Kay is elated to meet close online friends, use they/them pronouns for the first time, and maybe even kiss a girl. Against all odds, Kay and Teagan meet and instantly form a connection. But with pageant moms lurking and Miss North Carolina (Kay’s hometown bully) on the prowl, Kay and Teagan must decide how much they want to risk.

The One True Me and You is a love letter to fandom and exploring queer identity safely in online spaces. I absolutely adored it and couldn’t put it down! I loved how England wrote Kay’s questioning about what labels worked for them; it felt incredibly well-done. While Teagan is confident that she identifies as a lesbian, Kay is questioning what label fits best and whether they are non-binary. It made me so happy to see included that you don’t need to “prove” you are deserving of a label and that you are never obligated to be out, especially if you’re not ready. This book is a hug, an understanding smile, and a promise that things will get better.

I highlighted so many hilarious quotes; this book is very witty! It’s filled with references to fandom culture that anyone who has been a part of any fandom community can relate to. While I’m not as familiar with pageants, I liked how Teagan saw a balance of both positive and negative things about the experience. The same can certainly be true of online fandom communities, as Kay finds out. I felt very connected to both Kay and Teagan, getting caught up in their hopes and identifying with their anxieties surrounding who knows what about their identity.

You’ll find yourself cheering for Kay and Teagan as they bravely attempt their goals, conquer fears, and wonder what happens after the weekend ends. This is a celebration of fandom, queer joy, and learning to stand up for yourself. England writes beautifully about acceptance, the importance of pronouns, and amazing friendships. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a contemporary LGBTQ+ romance that you won’t be able to put down. The One True Me and You releases on March 1, 2022. Thank you so much to Remi K. England, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc

Warning: this book is addictive, invigorating and a genuinely heartfelt and beautiful expression of love between two humans who couldn't come from different worlds. All you need to know is to stop scrolling, stop window shopping and buy this asap! In case you need a bit of a nudge:

One fandom convention, complete with costumes, dyed hair, tattoo's and loud crazy parties between events. One teen beauty pageant, evening gowns, high heels, staged choreography and one college scholarship on the line. These events aren't even on the same planet as far as both groups are concerned so what happens when they collide and frenzied anxious pageant girls meet the fandom who couldn't care less about the noise and interruptions the collision has on the pageant girls

I read this all in one night. Then read it again before writing my review. I cannot express how incredible this story is, nerd love, desire, passion, talent, and an unlikely mutual attraction make this absolutely impossible to put down.

The One True Me and You is an absolutely amazing story. We get to follow along as Tegan a devoted pageant competitor who happens to be gay, a fact she feels she has to keep a secret from the masses until the scholarship is awarded in fear of losing everything she's worked for. Enter Kay a spunky fanfic author attending the convention with a few friends Kay is unsure of where she falls on the gender and sexuality spectrum but is determined to find out, and this convention is the perfect time to try asking people to use they/them while and exploring the possibility of being with a girl.

The story is told in alternating points of view from Kay and Tegan respectively. We have the immense delight of experiencing both sides of exploring your identity and a new relationship, the eagerness, the doubts, the chemistry. This is the first book I've come across that embodied the insecurities and confusion of exploring yourself and another person, as well as the first novel I've read that uses they/them and Remi K. England did a beautiful job of crafting the prose so it seems like the most natural, beautiful thing in the world, which is exactly the message that needs to be heard loud and clear by every human being. '

Im not sure its possible to explain the magic of this book, how much I needed it, and why it's perfect, I will be telling every person who will listen about this book and I cannot wait for my own physical copy to sit on my shelf so I can pull it down often to reread over and over because this is exactly what every reader is going to want to do with this one.

Five our of Five stars!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an advance digital copy for me to read and share my honest unfiltered opinions.

The One True Me and You was a cute and fun read. Both main characters were enjoyable to follow and they were backed by a fun cast of friends. As identity is a main theme, I found it interesting how Kaye's internet friends were referred to with their screen-names, emphasizing that was who they really were. On Teagan's side, most of her fellow pageant members were referred to by their state.

I expected a bit more oompf in the climax, particularly with the antagonist who I expected to do one final thing.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The One True Me and You in exchange for an honest review.

The sheer serotonin this gave me is entirely unmatched. I was grinning literally the entire time. Is The One True Me and You a masterpiece of literature? Probably not. But it's very very sweet and has some very very good conversations about queerness and gender and finding your labels and people and I loved it. I also really liked both of our POVs friend groups, especially how quick Kay's was to call out how quick they were to judge all pageant girls just because they're pageant girls.

this book was so incredible I read it in one day. these characters were so well thought out and obviously loved

This was a fun read. The Kay and Teagan's stories are told in alternating chapters, so you while the reader knows what each is thinking, they don't yet know each other well enough to be completely honest with their feelings about each other. This leads to a lot of the alternating feelings of a new relationship: exhilaration followed by self-doubt and insecurity, and back to the giddy feelings of a new love interest. The tension is increased because each of the characters has secrets. Kay is trying out nonbinary pronouns for the first time, because using them at GreatCon feels safer and more comfortable than at high school. Teagan believes coming out as a lesbian and con nerd will damage her chances at winning the pageant, and therefore ruin her opportunity for a scholarship. Madison, Teagan's pageant competitor and Kay's high school bully, is determined to make trouble for both of them. Both Kay and Teagan are torn between wanting to spend the weekend with their friends in the activities that brought them to Orlando, and spend as much time with each other before the weekend is over. Remi K. England perfectly captures the intense emotion of the capsule of time within a weekend event. The reader goes along for the roller coaster ride as Kay and Teagan each struggle to be their authentic selves while striving for the goals that brought them to Orlando.

CW- bullying, homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, suicide mention
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The One True Me and You follows two protagonists, one who is a popular fan fiction writer and one who does pageants, as they meet and fall for each other over the course of a weekend.
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This book is amazing! I absolutely loved it and all of its messages! The fan culture part was just so fun and added so much to the story, and it was just a great look into fandom. I loved all of the characters, especially some of the side characters. The setup is perfect, and this book just put a smile on my face!
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I also absolutely loved all of the queer rep! One of the main characters is a lesbian and the other one is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns! There were multiple side characters that were also queer, and it just felt so inclusive.
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I would recommend this to fans of the Simonverse and I’ll Be the One!
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Get ready for a whirlwind relationship that starts when a Fandom convention and a beauty pageant collide.

Teagan (Miss Virginia) and her friend are both in florida for the Miss Cosmic Teen USA Pageant. Teagan is a compassionate and driven beauty queen with a love of art therapy. Teagan began competing in pageants and partaking in art therapy sessions following the loss of her mother. She wants nothing more than to win the pageant in order to gain a scholarship for the school of her dreams and have the opportunity to engage in charity work across the country.

Kay finds themself in the same hotel for a very different reason. This weekend they are meeting their found family of online BFFs at a fandom convention. Stakes are high for Kate as they are serving on a panel and competing in a writing contest that could get them published for the first time. The con holds other opportunities for Kay. They have a chance to be their authentic queer self in a safe environment.

Although they seem wildly different on the outside, Kay and Teagan are more alike than they appear. They share a common enemy in fellow pageant queen Madison. Madison is on a mission to make both of their lives a living hell.

As we progress through the story, Teagan and Kay collide on the dance floor of the convention. They find that they are both involved in the same online communities and are queer. Their relationship takes off fast with secret meet ups and helping each other to avoid trouble.

The One True Me and You shows that there is no “one way” to be queer and that you don’t need to fit yourself into a box or compare yourself to others to be your authentic self. Overall this story was super cute and most of the characters were lovable.

First I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

I am so far outside of the target demographic for this book (I am a heterosexual, middle aged woman). However, i can totally relate to fandom (I once contemplated a trip across the country for a Buffy the Vampire sing-along). And I can totally relate to the romance. and the secret desires.

This was a well written, very cute, rom-com.