So upon reflection, I found my initial review of this book and describing the ableism to be a cluttered mess and I hadn't really made a lot of sense. So, I decided to rewrite it, explain the problems, and explain why it shouldn't be ignored in the book. I also changed my rating from a 3 to a 2 because at this point, I cannot think of much of anything I liked about it. 
 So what is the problem with this book? So early in the book we are introduced to BTB, the love interests twin brother and a character with an intellectual disability. 
 Before I go forth into the problems, I want to disclaim this isn't me going "oh yes I know everything" or anything like that. I have two older brothers and both have intellectual disabilities. If you're not sure what that is, it's when someone's IQ is below 70. One of my brothers also has ADHD, ODD, and OCD but that's unimportant. Something else about them? One of them drives, one knows bus timetables like the back of his hand, and they both have jobs. They cannot read and they did go to a school for disabled people, but they both did spend a few years at regular public school. 
 While they're not capable of 100% living independently, here's the first problem with the book: BTB isn't written as a seventeen year old with an intellectual disability, he's written like a small child. I've seen people say that they weren't sure about his portrayal but they were rubbed the wrong way. And this is it, he's written like a five year old. It's obvious the author has never interacted with an intellectually disabled person. Intellectually disabled people have friends and they go to the shops and have dinner and go on dates. They're not children in adult bodies. 
 Worse, our introduction to the 'good' characters, the characters Jo befriends and who are friends with the love interest, DEGRADE him. They literally mock him in front of Jo. They also assume the only reason Jo is spending time with him is because she also has some sort of disability. There's also a part where BTB says he has a girlfriend. The problem is it's written as if we're meant to laugh at him, and the characters are no better. It's essentially "haha, aw he thinks he had a girlfriend." And we never find out whether or not he did have a girlfriend, so we're meant to assume he's just "adorably naive" or some bullshit like that. 
 Another annoying thing that is also in it is the love interest says that BTB has 'inspired' her to work with kids with intellectual disabilities, especially since she feels at fault for his disability. How BTB got his disability was that when their mum was in labour, her umbilical chord wrapped around his throat and that caused damage to his brain. He's also written as a burden on her, her reason to stay in Rome. And it's just bullshit. 
 If you want a much better book about religion and sexuality, I recommend Lead Me Not by Ann Gallagher. It's not own voices but it's just so much better, with a really good slow burn m/m romance. Trigger warnings for homophobia, internalised homophobia, alcoholism, and child abuse. 
 There's other problems but it's been too long since I've read this and I'm tired of this book. 
 Review also posted on my blog.