This Is Not a Love Scene

by S C Megale

Lights, camera - all Maeve needs is action. But at eighteen, a rare form of muscular dystrophy usually stands in the way of romance. She's got her friends, her humour, and a passion for film making to keep her focus off consistent rejection . . and the hot older guy starring in her senior film project.

Tall, bearded, and always swaying, Cole Stone is everything Maeve can't be. And she likes it. Between takes, their chemistry is shockingly electric.

Suddenly Maeve gets a taste of typical teenage dating life, but girls in wheelchairs don’t get the hot guy - right? Cole’s attention challenges everything she once believed about her self-image and hopes for love. But figuring this out, both emotionally and physically, won't be easy for either of them. Maeve must choose between what she needs and what she wants, while Cole has a tendency to avoid decisions altogether. And the future might not wait for either.

Funny, emotional, and refreshingly honest, S.C. Megale’s This is Not a Love Scene is for anyone who can relate to feeling different while navigating the terrifying and thrilling waters of first love.

• ISBN10: 1250190495
• ISBN13: 9781250190499
• Publish Date: 1 June 2019 (first published 7 May 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 4 April 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Wednesday Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelly]

I don't say this lightly but this was absolutely awful.

⛔ Girl hate.
⛔ Weird and inappropriate friendships with elderly men.
⛔ The idolisation of men while women are treated with hostility.
⛔ Main character openly and proudly announcing a preference to flirt with married men.
⛔ Inappropriate joking about becoming a lesbian and pretending to have an intellectual disability.
⛔ Constantly sexualising men. She also mentions that her behaviour is so she isn't mistaken for being asexual and it's important she feels normal.
⛔ Love interest has absolutely no interest in a relationship beyond his own pleasure. Sending unsolicited photos of his genitals.
⛔ Maeve also feels uncomfortable around other people with disabilities.

For transparency purposes, I'm a physically abled person but this was absolutely terrible. I'm all for young women exploring their sexuality, their bodies and with multiple partners as long as you're safe but this sends a message to young women to settle and be thankful for any male attention. That women aren't in a position to dictate the boundaries of our relationships, that we need someone else to show us our own self worth. Ladies, no. Absolutely not.

Do not put men on pedestals and put down other women simply for existing. Ladies, you deserve more, demand more. You're worth it.

This book however is not.

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Maeve was determined to not "die a virgin", but had, so far, been unlucky in love. Enter Cole, a strapping young man, who was strong enough to easily maneuver her chair, and more importantly, seemed to share some chemistry with Maeve. But, as Cole's interest ran hot-and-cold, Maeve had to decide if Cole was the "one" for her.

Maeve captured my interest, and my heart, from the very first chapter. I found her to have a wicked sense of humor, which always scores points with me. But, she wasn't just the funny girl in the wheelchair. She had a passion for filmmaking, was open to new experiences, and was not afraid to ask for what she wanted. She was 18, and what she wanted now was a little more freedom and be seen as a sexual being.

I have read adult novels, which took on the topic of sex from the perspective of a person with a disability, but I cannot recall reading any YA books, which did so. This was new territory for me, and I appreciated that Megale just dove in and took on the topic in a candid way.

One of the reasons I wanted to read this book was because it sounded like it would be quite funny, and it was, but another reason was because I love reading #OwnVoices books. Well researched fiction is fine, but there is a nuance and a perspective that can only come from someone, who had experienced it first hand. I will admit my knowledge of MD was limited to what I learned watching the MDA Jerry's Kids telethons. Therefore, there was a lot of new information presented to me, and I really enjoyed enhancing my knowledge of neuromuscular diseases and the everyday challenges it presents. Megale did an incredible job opening that window for me to look into, and I wholly appreciated what she shared with me.

The plot moved along nicely, due largely in part to Maeve's wonderful narration. I enjoyed accompanying her on her many outings, being part of her movie making, and even getting to sit in on her doctor's appointments. The beauty for me was in some of the little moments, though, and one character, who stole my heart was Maeve's dad. Her mother was a fierce and feared tiger-mom, but her dad was this lovely, tender-hearted man, and there were a few moments with him, where I thought my heart might explode. I was really proud of all the progress Maeve made with her parents, as well, with respect to her autonomy. Sum total, they were just wonderful A+ parents.

This book was a solid 4-stars for me, and then the ending. Ugh! I had this love-hate thing going with it. Part of it had me wanting to stand up and cheer, but another part of it frustrated me. I know this was because the story didn't go in the direction I wanted it to go, and I need to accept that it wasn't my story to tell. But, the alternate ending I wrote in my head was so much more satisfying for me.

There were a few things I wished Megale had done or handled differently in this book, but I still enjoyed the time I spent getting to know Maeve and to better understand what it was like being a teenager with a disability.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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