CHAOTIC ENERGY

After striking up a connection with a man who slides into her DMs, a seemingly confident London “plantfluencer” decides to catfish him when things get more serious.

From the outside, Artemis “Temz” Owusu has it all—she’s achieving new levels of success in her marketing career and her side gig providing online advice about plant care has started to take off, too. Though she’s a plus-size woman, her self-confidence means she’s never lacking for hookups, but what if she’s starting to want something more permanent? Enter Ruben Alexander, a handsome California-based tech entrepreneur and part-time crooner who’s just slid into her DMs looking for plant tips. Though her most recent potential boyfriend didn’t pan out, Temz decides there’s no harm in turning on the charm, and it doesn’t take long before their online flirting starts turning into something that feels a little more meaningful. In a surprising moment of nerves, Temz decides to catfish Ruben by sending him someone else’s selfies, unsure she’ll be able to win him over without adhering to more conventional beauty standards. The longer Temz’s deception goes on and the more serious her relationship with Ruben becomes, the worse she feels. When a work trip to California finally puts her in proximity to Ruben, it’s the perfect opportunity for Temz to confess the truth, but will she be able to work up the nerve? Yeboah’s debut romance tackles some tough topics—fatphobia as well as racism and microaggressions in the workplace and on the dating scene—but the plot has one too many pieces that ultimately bury the more compelling main romance. Between Temz balancing two jobs, friend-group drama, a difficult roommate, and the occasional hookup while she’s texting Ruben, the book becomes chaotic enough to match its title. Cutting a few of the side plots could’ve helped strengthen the book’s deeper themes and pacing.

The chaos of this promising contemporary romance never fully resolves.