Author’s Note
author’s note
Dear reader,
I can’t thank you enough for choosing my debut romantic comedy,
Set on You
, as your next read. While this book is written in a light, humorous, and sarcastic style, I would be remiss if I did not provide content warnings for my readers regarding the serious issues it explores: fatphobia, cyberbullying, and references to racism, fitness/diet culture, and cancer.
Crystal’s journey as a curvy, biracial Chinese woman is one single, fictional experience, filtered through my own worldview as a Chinese Canadian who grew up in a predominantly white community.
I cannot underscore enough how important it is to depict heroines of all marginalizations who practice self-love and body positivity, particularly in romance. Similarly, Crystal isn’t a heroine
who needs to learn to love and respect herself, because she already does. That being said, this book explores the nuance—the “in-between”—that self-love is not a tangible thing you achieve and hold on to forever. Loving oneself all day, every day is an individual journey, with vastly different outcomes for everyone.
In
Set on You
, I tried to avoid depictions of the unhealthy side of fitness culture. Crystal is an advocate of working out and lifting weights as one of
many
means to living a healthy and balanced lifestyle and does not count calories or keep track of her weight. However, the very theme of fitness and gym culture may be triggering to some readers.
As you read in the dedication, this book is my love letter to anyone who, like myself, doesn’t often see themselves represented in mainstream media. In an industry that is starved for representation, I do not take this responsibility lightly and have consulted beta and sensitivity readers while writing this book. That being said, I am not perfect and I emphasize that the fictional experiences portrayed are not intended to be prescriptive, or representative of a single community or marginalization.
With love,
Amy