Read And Revel

It’s Kind of a Bad Idea Publish date: October 13, 2025

This book is about Annika and Gabi, co-maid of honors for Maia’s wedding. Annika is a serial dater, always hopping from girl to girl, and finding out she likes the anticipation more than she likes all the emotions and closeness. Gabi just broke up with her boyfriend of 8 years after realizing her life was all mapped out for her with an ending she doesn’t want. When they meet at an LGBT+ event, they strike up an unlikely friendship where Annika offers to be her gay dating guru- even though they both find each other wildly attractive. What could possibly go wrong in the year leading up to Maia’s big day?

This book was a fun ride from start to end. I loved following Gabi’s journey as a “Baby Gay” learning how to flirt, finding what she likes in women, and her anxiety about her first lesbian kiss! She has to decide on when and if she should come out to those she loves, and will they accept this new part of her she’d been denying for so long? Annika goes on her own journey of self discovery. Working as a wedding dress designer and shop owner, never feeling good enough when compared to her perfect sister Maia, and never finding someone who sees her for all of who she is. Would someone ever accept her if they saw it? I think many people will relate deeply to the struggles we see in the main characters. 

Gosh, did these characters have development. Both dealing with different insecurities, inadequacies, and what it means to really love some. The serial dater, and the long term “roommates”. Both have never let anyone get that close and break down walls. Together they not only bring out new and exciting things about each other, but learn what it means to be vulnerable, and emotionally intimate. It was a gradual and realistic development. 

The relationships throughout the book are some of it’s strongest moments. The guilt as they lie and hide a relationship from Annika’s sister and Gabi’s lifetime best friend Maia, the struggles between them to have feelings of wanting something more but being too scared to step out and possibly fall, the jealousy that can pop up from exes and potential flings, the rollercoaster of this book will keep you wanting more. 

Tropes: Dual POV, Forced proximity, Friends to lovers, Secret Dating, Slow burn

Number of Times I Wanted to Throw the Book Across the Room: Three, some in joy, some in frustration. 

Did the Book Pass the “One More Chapter” Test?: Absolutely!!!! I could not put it down. 

Number of Emotional Roller Coasters: 5

Perfect snack pairing: A warm grilled cheese and a glass of wine. Or homemade mozzarella!

Character I Would Most Like to Have a Drink With: Gabi! Not only is her job as a gynecologist fascinating, and I would want to hear all the birthing stories, but I think we’d have a lot in common. 

Quote I love: “A gay lady is whatever you are, because you are gay.” “How terrifying it is to try and embrace them when I’ve been running from big and settling for just enough for a long time”

Level of spice: 3/5 has some graphic depictions multiple times but nothing too outlandish

Unique bits I love: You very rarely find a book about an adult woman discovering her sexuality for the first time, the pitfalls in dating and hardships that can bring. 

Ready to preorder the book? Click here.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy!

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