Reviews with content warning for Grief - Summer Reading

It's a cute and heartwarming story that kept me entertained. My resons for not giving the book a higher rating come from unsatisfying drama in the plot. I love when the characters are good with communication, but here they were almost too good at it at all times: the drama didn't have enough time to grow to feel actually impactful. I feel like the conflicts built up in the plot felt a little plastered over overly mature main group of characters (even the teen sibling acts like an adult most of the time in big interpersonal events). This made the problems almost immediately resolve themselves with the characers always being very understanding and forgiving with each other.

Another thing that bothers me with the book is how the main character Sam is very fixated on her dyslexia. The representation for the neurodivergent struggles and coping mechanisms is great, but Sam lets her whole personality be dictated by that one trait in every aspect of her life: work, love life, and even familial relationships. She has been bullied and dumped over the dyslexia, and it has scarred her deep. This is a very real possibility for many, but I don't like how in the book Sam needs a "good man" to "fix her" by showing her that she is so much more than her dyslexia, and by doing so shifting Sam's inner monologue from the discourse set by the bullies to the new voice (and his words) of self love and positive affirmations. Sam has always had a supportive friend and made a successfull career for herself, so always feeling like a failure and a fraud because of the dyslexia in her late twenties feels wrong. Why wouldn't she had made any revelations by herself or with the help from that close friend by then that she is a multidimensional human being? Or why wouldn't she had seeked professional help, if not during the bullying on school, then later in life to deal with the consequenses of it?

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mandareads222's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

3.5

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laheath's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-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

2.5

I almost gave up on this audiobook early in the story. Something about the narrator's cadence, almost ending each sentence with a growl, left the female lead character seeming smug, aloof and self-centered. However, I thought the opposites attract trope was unique by having a woman with dyslexia fall for a male librarian and was interested to see how it played out. Although the dyslexia representation was great, as the story developed, her negative self-talk seemed immature for an adult. There was a lot going on in this book, with at least three prominent subplots, which led to some inconsistencies, predictability, and unanswered questions. As the different storylines resolved, I enjoyed the highlights but felt the book ended abruptly where it could have gone just a little farther.

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gduds98's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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

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infjkiki's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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katiejohns's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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coffeekitaab's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

I am in my 30s and was taken aback when I realised I am reading my first dyslexia friendly book, for adults. I want to commend Jenn McKinlay for that firstly. Through Sam's experiences in the book, you realise the importance of making activities accessible to all, especially an activity like reading for leisure but also when the benefits of reading are well known. I loved the stats regarding visual learning vs listening as a way to thwarting the taboo surrounding audio books as a form of reading. Inclusivity is key. Both Ben and Sam felt likeable, I enjoyed reading about Sam and Tyler's relationship as a brother and sister and that growth and bonding through cooking and communication. It was a cute story overall and covers issues like problematic parents and also (trigger warning) death of a parent. There are some others to check/minor mentions before you read the book. A few negatives for me was the random/abrupt placement of chapters ending (in the middle of a "scene"/conversation between two characters), Ben abandoning Sam at the end felt untrue to his character and a sudden red flag, which was a shame. This book had an interesting plot line and as you came towards the end there was a true sense of the arc of growth as the story gradually progressed. It was an absolute learning experience about Sam's dyslexia and it made me sad there is not more information about so I appreciate the author making us aware. I think the bits that threw me off towards the end (porential incest plot twist for example) made this a 3/3.5 star for me. Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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