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sambshep's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Alcoholism
sarrie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
TL;DR: Slow but satisfying romance of two women helping each other (but not fixing each other), and falling in love.
How You Get the Girl is the third and final (?) book in the series by Anita Kelly that began with Love and Other Disasters. This one follows Julie, London’s twin sister, as she meets and then begins to work with her teen idol. Elle is a former pro basketball player who has distanced herself from the sport but finds herself caught up helping Julie with a high school team.
This was a very slow read, Anita’s books always are for me, but the slow burn and payoff of the end is well worth it. Julie and Elle both have struggles they work through in this one in what felt like genuine ways. Julie doesn’t know who she is in a way, she has never had a relationship and is looking to find herself. Elle has reoccurring deep bouts of depression and migraines and is still learning to deal with that and the trauma that came with her time as a pro on the court.
Both women’s developments were believable and in the end it was a deeply satisfying story. Even more so for me, as someone who lives in Tennessee and wishes I saw good queer rep (any good rep really) of natives. I truly enjoyed this one, and if you enjoy Anita’s books I definitely recommend this one (though I think perhaps Something Wild and Wonderful, which comes before this one, is still my favorite).
4 out of 5 Nutritional Grains
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness and Child abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Drug abuse
caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thanks to Forever Publishing for the free copy of this book.
- Anita Kelly continues to be the best with HOW YOU GET THE GIRL. Kelly brings their signature wit and heart to this sapphic sports romance. I swooned, I cried, I cheered.
- Where this book punched me in the heart, though, is Julie’s character. Julie is me and I am Julie. I think I’m ace, but maybe not, because this person has knocked me off my feet? Am I pathetic for being “behind” everyone in terms of experience? Do I need a label? What if I never sort it out? NO, YOU’RE CRYING! (this is me saying thank you for bringing this character into existence, truly.)
- Characters from Kelly’s previous two books feature pretty heavily in this one (I squealed every time), so I would recommend reading those first to get the full background and experience. And you should read them anyway because they’re great!
- Anita Kelly continues to be the best with HOW YOU GET THE GIRL. Kelly brings their signature wit and heart to this sapphic sports romance. I swooned, I cried, I cheered.
- Where this book punched me in the heart, though, is Julie’s character. Julie is me and I am Julie. I think I’m ace, but maybe not, because this person has knocked me off my feet? Am I pathetic for being “behind” everyone in terms of experience? Do I need a label? What if I never sort it out? NO, YOU’RE CRYING! (this is me saying thank you for bringing this character into existence, truly.)
- Characters from Kelly’s previous two books feature pretty heavily in this one (I squealed every time), so I would recommend reading those first to get the full background and experience. And you should read them anyway because they’re great!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Cursing
Moderate: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Addiction, and Drug abuse
paulasuze's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved Love and Other Disasters, so I was delighted to receive an eARC of How You Get the Girl. Anita Kelly's latest book is a wonderful exploration of love and self (re)discovery, and I finished it in 36 hours. Julie's exploration with her sexual orientation and identity was very relatable, and I really appreciated the thoughtfulness and consent that was built into her interactions with Elle. I also appreciated the raw and honest depiction of depression and how difficult talking about mental illness can be. This book was not shy about taking on big/difficult topics like mental illness, queer identity, addiction, and child welfare, and did so with a lot of grace and care. Another wonderful book from Anita Kelly and I can't wait to see what they do next (and I need to finally read Something Wild and Wonderful!!)
4/5 stars for me
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!
4/5 stars for me
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment and Addiction
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