I HAVE TO SAY…

SYNOPSIS

Ruth is the town outcast in her small town. It’s part of why she chooses to stay in and avoid people when she can, because guilt eats away at her over something that’s happened in the past.

But when a new neighbor comes along, she finds herself opening her shell.

RECAP AND REVIEW

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an arc.

Happy release day!

This is the first book in a potential romance series, told from the third person of both Ruth and Evan.

Ruth is autistic and, like her sister, is outcasted in the town she lives in. She and Evan run into each other and later find out they’re neighbors. Despite warnings to stay away, he can’t get her out of his mind.

The autistic rep in this book felt thought through. Ruth isn’t just labeled autistic, it shows in the way she speaks and acts and in the way people respond to her, from coming across short and direct, getting excited when she talks about her hyperfocuses, not understanding certain cues, and the lack of eye contact highlighted in some scenes.

Mainstream media presents people with autism in a particular way, and it’s refreshing to see a plus size, Black, autistic character who is also sexually free.

Evan gives golden retriever energy. He shows up for people without a second thought and does good deeds without expecting anything in return. He doesn’t try to change Ruth and her quirks.

This is a faster paced romance and I enjoyed how things played out between the two of them. They have the type of back and forth I enjoy in romances and I loved their dynamic. Their disagreements made sense to me.

The town is a typical small town: Gossipy with a hive mentality. Something about this book and the town stood out to me though (in a good way). I wasn’t annoyed with the other people in the town in the way some small towns stories make me feel.

Read for:

🥘 Small town

🥘 He cooks for her (often)

🥘 Neighbors to friends to lovers

🥘 Black Cat x Golden Retriever

🥘 Autism Rep

🥘 Town’s Black Sheep x New to Town

OVERALL

Overall, I give this a 4.25 out of 5 stars. This is a light hearted, fast paced read and as always, I love Talia Hibbert’s writing.