Duck: For a novel that contains VERY few ducks, I admit to being a BEAK-TO-FLIPPERS fan of The Love Study. Author Kris Ripper does a super-ducking awesome job!
Star: Duck, I agree. My flippers were fondly tickled by main character Declan’s warmth, wit, and heart. I also love this original take on the matchmaker trope. Here’s a blurby book summary:
In The Love Study, Declan struggles with commitment—both in relationships and beyond. To his devastation, he even left his last boyfriend at the altar—a decision that haunts his flippers. But as Declan decides he wants to heal his commitment issues, he meets genderqueer YouTuber Sidney, and strikes a quack-worthy deal with them: For their YouTube show, The Love Study, Sidney will set Declan up on dates, which the pair will then discuss afterwards live on YouTube.
Does Declan find Sidney attractive? Duck yes! But in general, Sidney doesn’t date. Still, as Declan’s other dates topple like duck-dominoes, Declan and Sidney’s attraction can only grow ….
Duck: The name ‘Declan’ sounds a bit like ‘duck’! And you know what? Author Kris Ripper does a DUCK of a great job at balancing humor and depth. Zir dialogue rocks my flippers off.
Star: I agree! The novel not only contains both moving and fun conversations between Declan and Sidney, but also focuses on Declan’s friendship group The Motherduckers. No, wait … The Motherfuckers. And the dialogue always balances playfulness with thoughtfulness in ways that really soothe my beak-holes. Add in a strong-and-playful voice and you’ve got a novel that makes it super-easy to bob about on Ripper’s feelgood pond.
Duck: And when things fall to pieces for Declan, I’m really ducking rooting for him. He gets tangled in his own pondweed, and that’s never easy—especially for those of us who struggle with anxiety. You can tell Ripper adores zir characters and that’s what makes The Love Study both moving and delightful. By turns, it’s also super-ducking HILARIOUS. I’ve never heard Star laugh so often while listening to an audiobook.
Star: Duck, that’s a great reminder to mention Pete Cross who narrates the audiobook version The Love Study. Cross is a flipper-ticklingly scintillating performer who really differentiates Ripper’s beautiful characters. Cross’s performance helped me to really sink my beak-holes deep into Ripper’s vivid narrative. Nicely done, team!
Duck: And how did The Love Study do in terms of diversity, Star?
Star: Brilliantly, Duck. Really. We have a rich cast of LGBTQIA+ characters, including a pansexual main characters, a genderqueer main character, several queer characters of color, and a main character who is neurodiverse. Declan’s anxiety and panic attacks are sensitively and realistically handled. It’s a wonderfully rich and diverse tapestry of a book.
Duck: And there’s something super-ducking special about the way these characters are inclusive about the world around them, too. Star, who identifies as nonbinary and pansexual, and is married to a heterosexual trans man, really appreciated the way heterosexuals were treated in The Love Study. Nobody was pushed out as being “too normative” for Declan to date—and that’s ducking powerful for me and Star.
Star: Well-quacked, Duck! That’s absolutely true! No wonder we’re giving The Love Study five diversity ducks as well as five flippers up.
Duck: Seriously, folks, get your flippers in gear and pick up a copy of The Love Study. We especially recommend the audiobook, but no matter what the format, this is a beak-to-flippers terrific read! (In spite of the lack of ducks. But that’s okay.)
Star: Thanks for reading, friends!
At the time of writing, you can buy The Love Study by Kris Ripper here:
Ebook: Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo
Print book: Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K., BAM, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound
Audiobook: Audible, Kobo, Chirp, Apple
Featured image designed by Star Tavares, using the Amazon cover graphic.
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