BookPage (starred review) LGBTQ+ characters take center stage in this work, led by agender narrator Syd (who does not care for pronouns) and demisexual Harley.

Syd's earnest musings about gender, bodies, performance and identity are likely to resonate deeply with teens who've shared those thoughts and experiences. Syd, who is agender, is an expertly constructed protagonist and a notable step forward in representing the full spectrum of gender identities in YA fiction. Capetta describes both baking and the excitement of first love in luscious, sensuous detail. Every scene involving magic baking is pure perfection, and the romance is as mouthwatering as Syd's recipes, all of which will make readers want to pull out a bowl, a baking sheet, and a sprinkle of their own magic. Between all that, a groundbreaking agender protagonist, a love interest who uses both he/him and they/them pronouns, and a cast of complex queer and trans characters, this book proves a necessary addition to the young adult romance genre. LGBTQ+ characters are allowed to experience joy, fall in love, and break up.

Kirkus Reviews, Capetta's groundbreaking romance makes magic by centering queer and trans characters and relationships. This sweet story shows that relationships don't follow a recipe. While outright bigotry is not shown, Syd's life demonstrates the difficulties of having to explain one's orientation and gender and the burden of feeling unheard. LGBTQ+ characters take center stage in this work, led by agender narrator Syd (who does not care for pronouns) and demisexual Harley there's a polyamorous triad among the supporting cast, and at one event, a nonbinary elderly person serves as a reminder that queer people come in all ages. And Harley believes Syd's magical baking can fix things, too-one recipe at a time. But the cute bike delivery person, Harley (he or they, check the pronoun pin, it's probably on the messenger bag), believes Syd about the magic baking. Being dumped is one thing causing ripples of queer heartbreak through the community is another.

And their breakup might take the bakery down with it. Even Vin and Alec, who own the Proud Muffin. And everyone who eats Syd's breakup brownies. Being dumped is no different, except now Syd is baking at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. Syd (no pronouns, please) has always dealt with big, hard-to-talk-about things by baking. 'What's done is done.' Unless, of course, it was done by my brownies. A Lambda Literary Award Winner Teenage baker Syd sends ripples of heartbreak through Austin's queer community when a batch of post-being-dumped brownies turns out to be magical-and makes everyone who eats them break up.

The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta