Each month you will make a post with three books from your TBR List (these books can be already on your kindle or shelf or books you might want to purchase) and add your link on the linky that will be provided on my post. Your followers and the people on the linky will help you choose which book you will read next. The following Saturday you will announce the book that won. Then read the book and on the last Saturday of the month post a review. MY TBR List is hosted by Michelle (Because Reading) so be sure to stop by her post to link up and vote for everyone!
Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann Narrator: Adenrele Ojo
Published by Swoon Reads, Tantor Audio on January 23, 2018
Genres: LGBTQIA, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Pages: 284
Length: 9 hours 5 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eBook
Source: Library, Purchased
Goodreads
Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting--working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she's asexual). Alice is done with dating--no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.
But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).
When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.
My top thoughts:
I waited way too long to read this book – so long, in fact, that I got mixed up and thought a different book I was already reading was My TBR List book! It wasn’t until yesterday when I sat down to prep this post that I realized I hadn’t even read the right book! Oops!
However, it was REALLY REALLY good. I mean, it wasn’t a burden to read it in a little over a day (just finished this morning). It did require me checking the audio version out from the library so I could read it off and on with the Kindle version I was already reading. But I enjoyed it even more than I expected.
What I liked/didn’t like:
What I expected to like was the diversity of characters. It felt like the real world (at least my real world) where you have melting pot of races, sexualities, and backgrounds. The main character – Alice – is a Black, Bi-Sexual, Asexual, woman. So she alone brings in a lot of diversity. Add in her friends, including her romantic interest Takumi (Japanese) and the diversity is fantastic.
What I didn’t expect – and the reason why I think this should fly to the top of TBR lists everywhere – was to learn something. A lot rather. I consider myself fairly “woke,” especially in regard to sexual and racial diversity. But I had some deeply flawed perceptions of what it meant to be asexual. Not in the way that poor Alice had encountered – I wasn’t confused into thinking it was unnatural, for example – but I also had wrongly mistook asexuality for not wanting romantic relationships. So going through this romantic journey with Alice was eye opening for me.
I also really enjoyed her path of self-discovery and independence. She’s at that young adult age where you’re in college, trying to adult for the first time but still feeling parental and family pressures to be a specific person, that maybe you don’t want to be. I loved watching her figure it out, make the mature decision to go to therapy, and the way that she dealt with changes in friendships and herself. I also appreciated that she wasn’t glorified as always being the wronged party – she grows and learns that she’s been wrong too in previously relationships; really great personal growth. This was a real coming of age book – also unexpected – and very enjoyable.
Narrator thoughts:
I hadn’t planned to listen to this book but probably ended up listening to half on audio. What a treat that was too. Adenrele Ojo is a fantastic narrator, brand new for me. For a brief moment I thought I was listening to Bahni Turpin, another fantastic narrator. They have some light differences though, once I listened more carefully. But to be mistaken for Bahni Turpin is a great compliment in my book and means I will happily listen to Adenrele Ojo again!
This book qualifies for COYER Fall Scavenger Hunt Item #12 – read a book with a diverse main character.Â
Berls loved Let's Talk About Love - a great story that also taught her something! 4/5 stars! Share on X
Be sure to link up your My TBR List Reviews!!
That’s one of the things I love about books is the opportunity to learn about new things I wouldn’t always grasp in my day to day life. Excellent review!