Lit Vibes Only
Kelsey and Amanda are two book besties who love to "Lit the Sh*t" out of books they love and hate! In their Lit it or Quit It episodes, Kelsey and Amanda are forced to read the other's favorite books. While Amanda loves to read historical fiction and mystery/thrillers, you'll find Kelsey curled up with just about any romantasy. They discuss the books at length and, in the end, decide whether the book is a "Lit It" or "Quit It"! Every month they'll also give some book recs you just can't miss. Look out for the bonus episodes about bookish topics and books that were adapted into movies/shows.
Listen in and choose whose side you're on, or perhaps find yourself intrigued by a book you wouldn't normally go for. See you on Mondays!
Lit Vibes Only
Ep. 35: Lit It or Quit It: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
Join Kelsey and Amanda as they dive into 'The Truth According to Ember' by Danica Nava, the first Indigenous romcom novel. With differing perspectives, they explore themes of representation, cultural nuances, and the protagonist's complex journey, debating whether this pioneering story is a hit or miss.
00:00 Welcome to Lit Vibes Only
03:19 Current Reads and Book Recommendations
09:43 Summary of ‘The Truth According to Ember’
17:41 Book Discussion
39:27 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
42:32 LITerally the Best and LITerally the Worst
55:17 Socials and Sign-Off
Follow us on TikTok & Youtube @litvibesonlypodcast and on Instagram @litvibesonly_podcast. We'd love to hear from you!
See you on Mondays!
Ep. 35: Lit It or Quit It: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
Kelsey: [00:00:00] Welcome to Lit Vibes Only where we lit the shit outta books we love and hate. I'm Kelsey, the unhinged, diehard, romantic and fantasy reader. I. And I'm Amanda, the
Amanda: insightful, thrill seeker and historical fiction nerd. Welcome. Here we are for our first re quit it episode. For what? Oh my gosh, may I think this is May.
Oh my God. I get so confused still. I know. I literally have to like think in my head and count. Yes, this will be our first re quit episode from na. But before we get to all that good stuff, as always, if you are not already following us on our socials, please take a moment to do that. Go over there. We're on Instagram at Lit Vibes only underscore podcast, and then on TikTok and YouTube at Lit Vibes only podcast.
So pop over there, make sure that you're following us, like, comment, subscribe, all of that good stuff. And then wherever you are listening to this [00:01:00] podcast, whether it's on Apple Podcast or Spotify or another major podcasting platform, please also take a moment and rate and review us. It really helps.
We are actually doing. Our second round of our sticker giveaway, so I don't know if there's gonna be any stickers left. It might be over. Yeah, I was like, I dunno if there's gonna be any stickers left by the time this drops, but there are 35, we're giving me 35 more stickers for folks. So if you didn't get in on it the first time back in the fall all you gotta do is rate our podcast and then either write a review on Apple, or write a comment on an episode on Spotify.
DM us with your address and the username that you wrote the review with, and you're gonna get a sticker. Easy peasy. Easy p yes.
Kelsey: Yeah. And you know what I've been noticing, we've been having more comments on Spotify. That's been really exciting. Oh, lovely. Okay. Yeah, I haven't checked our Spotify comments in a while, so I'm glad I think that they might be people we all know, but still.
We'll
Amanda: take it y'all. We love talking to you's. One of the [00:02:00] reasons we started this podcast, oh my gosh. Don't be shy. Come say, Hey, I love,
Kelsey: we love hearing about you reading the books we recommend. Exactly. Like we wanna know that you've read them, that you like them or didn't like them. Exactly. All opinions are valid here.
Yes. Give us all
Amanda: the feedback. I feel like for folks who I know who listen to the podcast and I kind of interact with them outside of the virtual world. Yeah. They're often like, oh my gosh, I love the books that you recommend for the Lit Rex episodes. And that just like, oh, nice. Makes my heart happy because I'm like, yay.
Yeah. You're getting more folks to read different things.
Kelsey: Yeah. It's funny because earlier this week, one of my coworkers was like, I listened to your podcast, and it was like. Legit podcast. You're like, that was their prayer. I was like, yes, I know it's,
Amanda: well, I've had folks tell me like when I tell them that I have a podcast, and then they listen to it, they're like, oh yeah, I just thought you guys were just like, I don't know, in a basement somewhere.
And it was like, really poor quality and just like, like, no. Yeah, we're like [00:03:00] legit. Well, as legit as we can be, we're, yeah, we're trying to be, we're trying. And the more people that listen, the more legitimate we'll be. Yep. So yeah share the news, spread the news, get your friends, neighbors, coworkers to listen.
But yeah, we've got a really fun iterate Quitted episode for you today. But I'm excited. Before we, I keep on saying before we get to it, but before we get to it Kelsey, what are you reading?
Kelsey: Currently. Oh yeah. I'm still in the middle of what is it called? The Encyclopedia by Emily Wilds. Yeah.
Emily Wilds Encyclopedia of Fairies. Yeah. And those of you who said it was a cozy read, I do not understand at all. It is all creepy. Like I, I don't, I genuinely don't get it. Like, but also those of you who have read it, if you haven't and you want to read it, don't listen to this for a second, so I grew up in the indigenous community and this book [00:04:00] reads to me like all about little people and oh, there's little people stories all over the world. And so that might be a big reason why I get the heebie-jeebies from the Oh, okay. Yep. That genuinely.
Amanda: So, yeah, it's
Kelsey: interesting.
Amanda: Okay. Now I'm like, actually, now I'm more intrigued to read it because I like creepy. Yeah. And the cozy thing wasn't necessarily. Doing it for me, but maybe I would, maybe I'd like it. I think you might. Okay. Yeah, I'm definitely, now I'm more intrigued for sure. But speaking of creepy reads, I just finished, Ooh, and I just posted a TikTok video about this, literally this morning.
But I just read Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier Uhhuh, and I dunno if I said it here on the podcast or if I said it on our socials, but one of my goals this year is to read more thriller authors, like thriller authors that are new to me. Not new thriller authors, but thriller authors that are new to me.
And Jennifer
Amanda: Hillier is one of them. And I've, this is the third book of hers that I've read just this year alone. [00:05:00] And by far the best one that I've read. They've all been great, but this one really got me which it takes a lot to like really surprise me at this point, I feel like. But she did it, she did the thing, and as always, she sets her books in the p and w.
Nice. So this one was set in Seattle again and I'm like, oh, I love it. I know where all of these places are. It was great. It was so, so good. So I literally just finished that last night and then I'm gonna start Project Il Mary. Oh yeah, that was the yes. I asked people were recommending that one.
Yes. I asked folks on TikTok, I was like, what should I read next? And Project Hail Mary was like the clear winner. So I'm gonna start that. But it's funny because I had several folks on there tell me that I should do like the whole immersive reading thing with this book. Ooh. That I should listen to the audiobook while I'm reading it, because the audiobook is excellent.
So I'm gonna see, 'cause I wanna start the book like today, but I have a feeling that the audio book is not available at the library. 'cause the book wasn't. Yeah. And I don't wanna pay for the audio book 'cause I already paid for the book. So we'll [00:06:00] see. Do you have Spotify though? I do, but I'm not the the account holder, my brother is, and so I can't I know.
It's frustrating. Darn it. Read. So it's Well, okay. No, I take it back. He does read, but he doesn't read as much as I do, and it tends to be more for like work and things. But I wonder though, how fast you would
Kelsey: have to listen to the audiobook though.
Amanda: Well, that was the thing, like if I listen to the audiobook and do the immersive reading, I'm going to have to read slower and that's gonna drive me crazy.
So I think it might end up, it would probably end up just being a really frustrating experience. Yeah. For me, even if it's a good audio bite, maybe don't start that with this book.
I don't think I'm going to, and I think like they're go, it's being made into a movie. I think it comes out like maybe next year. Oh really? Yeah. Ryan Gosling, I believe is in it. And I think it comes out 2026. I'm like that'll, I'm just gonna wait for the movie to get more of an immersive experience.
We should do an episode on it. Oh, we'll. , because I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have you read this book.
Kelsey: I've been wanting to
Amanda: actually, yeah. So I'm
Kelsey: curious if I would even like it. [00:07:00]
Amanda: Well, it's gonna be something different for both of us 'cause it's sci-fi and neither of us really read sci-fi.
Yeah. But I just keep on hearing just only amazing things. So I think if I like it, which I probably will, we're de definitely gonna cover it. Very cool. On the podcast. . Okay. Well I am So we're gonna, we're gonna do the thing yeah, tell, why don't you start off by telling us why you had me read The Truth According to Ember by Dan.
Is it Danica Nava, or is that correct?
Kelsey: Danica? I think it's Danica. Yeah.
Amanda: So
Kelsey: why don't you, why did I have this? Yeah, why did you, have you read this? It is the first indigenous written and full indigenous ca well, it's not a full indigenous cast, sorry. But the main characters are indigenous love story, romance story.
And so I had to have you read it. And I really enjoyed it on different levels, but mostly because it was an insight into indigenous life and perspective. And so I wanted you and our [00:08:00] listeners to get an in on that.
Amanda: Okay. So , you're saying this is the first indigenous romance.
Kelsey: Novel.
Novel, yes. Like ever in the United States.
Amanda: I mean, like, that is wild. Yeah. Isn't that crazy? Wait, and I, so I have the, for those of you who are watching YouTube, I have the book right here next to me. I borrowed it. I borrowed it from Kelsey. Yeah. But this was published in 2024. That's insane. So it took until 2024.
For there to be an indigenous
Kelsey: author, romance who wrote an indigenous romance. Romance novel. Yeah. Oh my gosh.
Amanda: Alright. Well,
Kelsey: Isn't f*cking crazy. That is, we are here. Insane.
Amanda: That's, but you know, honestly, it's both insane. And also not sadly, you know, when you think about just our country.
Yeah.
Kelsey: Okay. And the other reason I had you read it was because she has a new book out, I think this month in May called War Song. And so I want to read that as well. Come May
Amanda: and it's a, it's also romance as well. Yes. Or, okay. Okay. Okay. [00:09:00] Cool. Okay.
Kelsey: Oh, Amanda? Yes. Short response. Was this a lid or quit it for you?
Amanda: So this book was a quit it for me, but I'm going to give it a gentle place to land. I'm gonna give it a gentle Quit it. Like, I'm not gonna, you're gonna give it a pillow? Yes. I'm just like, Chuck, it's not like a mic. Well, I guess mic drops aren't necessarily negative, but I'm not gonna like chuck it on the floor.
I'm gonna very gently rest it on a very plush pillow and let it lie. But yeah, it was aquit it for me. Interesting. And yeah, I will expound upon why later. Yeah.
Kelsey: All right. Well, tell us first, Amanda. Yes. What happens in this book?
Amanda: What does happen in this book? Oh, okay. I'm not gonna com
Kelsey: No commentary yet.
Commentary.
Amanda: So this story takes place in Oklahoma and focuses on a female protagonist who is indigenous. Her name is Amber Lee Cardinal. And she's actually [00:10:00] mixed, which I think is common for a lot of indigenous folks at this point. So she her dad, I believe was white, and her mom is indigenous.
But she was raised by her. Aunt, her auntie so her name's Amber Lee Cardinal, and the story opens with her, you know, she's in her like mid twenties and is not. Really going anywhere in her life, career wise. She's working at a bowling alley with her best friend and her roommate Joanna, and she wants more for her life.
She's taken a couple of like accounting classes at the local community college, but due to a an issue, a family issue, she lost money, the money that she was gonna use to continue her education. And so at the moment she's kind of stuck. So she's been applying for jobs, she's trying to get an accounting job and nothing's working.
And so she decides, well, I wonder if one of the reasons why I'm not getting these jobs is because on my applications I'm marking that I am indigenous and maybe that's [00:11:00] keeping me from kind of getting my foot in the door. So she decides to both lie about her race on her application, but also doctor her resume.
So she kind of, she lies, she fabricates a couple of. Jobs that she didn't quite have in order to look like she has more accounting experience than she does. And sure enough, she gets a job interview. And that job interview then leads to a job at this company this startup in Oklahoma City.
So, the day of her interview, she is at a coffee shop and happens to have a run in with this very handsome man. And I'm gonna have you help me with pronunciation. Is it Deua? Deua Colson? I, yeah, I think so. I don't have perfect pronunciation for him. Okay. And he's chair? Yeah, he's Cherokee. So, and , I don't speak Cherokee.
I don't know if it's even Cherokee. I don't know if, I think it said it was though, but anyhow, he goes by Dan in the book because, you know, it's a more kinda [00:12:00] anglicized name that is going to, perhaps prevent people from treating him a certain way.
Anyhow, she runs into him. At the coffee shop before her interview. And of course they have like a moment. It's very much like a meet. Cute, and she thinks he's so handsome and it turns out that he works in the IT department, at this job that she is interviewing for, and then of course gets, so she starts working at this job.
And she's kind of flying by the seat of her pants. Like she doesn't actually know how to be an accountant, so she's getting like all of these tasks thrown at her. And she's literally like googling how to do the things. But she gets by, right? So now she has a full-time job, she's got a salary, she's got benefits, like everything is going well except she hates her supervisor, Gary.
He's kind of a jerk and doesn't treat her well. There is a CEO obviously of this company, Mr. Stevenson, and he has an executive assistant whose name I'm blanking on, but she is very pregnant and is about to go on maternity leave. And long story short, [00:13:00] she having seen the way that Ember has conducted herself in both work and in meetings has decided like, Hey, I want you to be my replacement.
I think you'd make a great executive assistant for Mr. Stevenson. So she. Takes the job, she takes the raise that comes along with the job and like things are looking up. So she has these feelings for Dan that are starting to blossom, but she's like, I can't date him because there's this no dating policy at work.
So she's like, we're just gonna be friends. 'cause I can't risk. Right. Losing my job. I just got, and I also don't wanna put his job in jeopardy either. So they're kind of doing the friends thing, but there's clearly sexual tension there. And you know,, there's not a, honestly, like a whole lot that happens in terms of work.
She's working right. And figuring out the job and. You know, feelings continue to grow for Dan. They go on this conference, go to this conference in California together. And it's there that things really blossom between the two of them. They end up getting together. the nephew of the boss, his name is Kyle, he's like this [00:14:00] super annoying white dude.
Douchy catches them, he's very douchey. He catches them kissing in the elevator and they're both kind of mortified 'cause they're like, oh no shit. Like somebody knows and we're not supposed to be doing this. And so when they come back from the conference, Kyle starts to use this information about Dan and Ember against them.
And he starts to get Ember to do things that are. You know, not above board. And he is having her write off expenses as company expenses when in fact they're not. And ember's like, I don't wanna do this, but he is like, well, if you don't, I'm gonna tell, my uncle that you guys are dating. And so she's very much put in a bind as all of this is happening.
There's a little side story about Ember's brother, her younger brother. He is currently finishing up a prison sentence for I believe, drunk driving and originally when he was charged, he skipped his bail. And so Ember had to use her money to like pay, I guess the fee, the charges for that.
. And so she's very bitter and very angry with her brother 'cause [00:15:00] he kept her from continuing her education and he's just, you know, been a little bit of a wild child. So that's also happening at the same time. He ends up getting out of prison during this time.
And spends some time living with his auntie and then moves in with Joanna. And ember. And so there's that kind of side story happening as well. Long story short, Ember's lies catch up to her. Ultimately the shit hits the fan and there's a huge confrontation between Ember, her boss, Mr.
Stevenson. Dan is also in the room when this happens, as is Kyle the the nephew. And she ends up getting fired 'cause they found out that she lied on her application, they found out that she did some shady things for Kyle and so she loses her job. And is kind of back to square one. And what ultimately happens is her auntie, she goes to spend some time with her and she's like, Hey, you're a part of this amazing indigenous community, this amazing native community.
We're here for each other. Why don't you work here? On the reservation there are grants that you can [00:16:00] apply for to help you pay for school. And so, she does that and she ends up going back to school. She ends up getting a job as a bank teller. And after the huge blow up in the office with the CEO, Dan is done with her because he is like, I can't believe you lied to me and kept lying.
And I dunno if I can trust you. I don't know who you are. Right. So she's of course, heart-broken. So weeks pass. And ultimately she decides that she's gonna go and seek him out and ask for forgiveness essentially. And surprise. He forgives her, they get together, and in the epilogue it shows them they've been together for, I don't know, maybe a year at that point, or maybe a couple months, I don't know.
But it's like Thanksgiving and they're all one big happy family and her brother's there and her best friend, Joanna and Dan's little sister. And yeah, so that's kind of how the story end.
Kelsey: Boo. Dan's little sister also is a big part of the story as well. So yeah, Dan's
Amanda: little sister is also a big part of the story.
So she is this character who has Down syndrome and she's actually, she won one of the [00:17:00] local indigenous beauty pageants . I can't remember the name of it. But she is great and becomes really good friends with Ember and definitely plays a hand in helping them like get back together to a certain degree as well.
And she ends up forming a little friendship too, with Ember's brother, which is very sweet in the story. But yeah that's essentially what happens.
Kelsey: Okay, Amanda, thank you for the summary. You're so welcome. Tell us first, before we get into the downsides tell us what you did like about this story.
Amanda: Yeah. So I mean, I, it's gonna be super obvious if you've listened to this podcast for any length of time, you know, probably already know what I'm gonna say. We'll we'll see. That is like, I love the representation in this book, right? I think it's really important that we're telling stories from different perspectives and the fact that this is the first indigenous romance novel.
Like, I think it's really important that these stories are told and that we're getting those windows, like Kelsey was saying, into how other folks live, right? Other cultures, other traditions, other perspectives and worldviews. [00:18:00] So I really liked that. She also made a point of including other characters of color outside of indigenous characters.
So, like Phoebe who is the receptionist at the office is black. Vivian, who's a character at the conference, she's also a black woman. So I was like very happy about that. And I also enjoyed the fact that she had Dan's sister be a character that has down syndrome. Like I, I was reading that.
I was like, when is the last time? I've read a book that included a character that had done, I truly. Could not recall. Yeah. And so I think she did a really good job of making space for a lot of voices and a lot of lived experiences. And I really appreciated that inclusion, I was worried at first.
I was like, oh my gosh, I hope this isn't gonna be like a tokenization kind of, oh God situation.
I was
Amanda: like, Ugh. But then I was like, no, she truly was a character that was well thought out and fully fleshed out and really contributed to the plot. It was like, okay, all right. Good job, Danica.
What else? I mean, I I mean , I think I certainly to some degree related to the character of Ember in [00:19:00] that she and I are very similar. Like, you know, we both can be stubborn. We're both really independent and are used to like, taking care of ourselves and also having to take care of other people.
You know, we don't like asking for help and wanna be self-sufficient. And so I very much saw elements of myself and her personality, and even though I wouldn't have made some of the choices that she made. I think I could relate to some of the pressure she felt and kind of that driving need to be successful and take care of others and maybe have that little streak of perfectionism and like, all of that.
So I definitely connected with her and. I think that's probably,
Kelsey: that's a large chunk of the story. So
Amanda: that's like, what's a large chunk? Everything that you said. Well, it's not a chunk of the story. I mean, like, I liked, like her pa personality traits and the inclusion of care. I feel like that's not a lot.
Just like,
Kelsey: oh, no, everything that you said, like including everything. So like representation. Yeah. And like the fact it was an indigenous story da. [00:20:00] Like all these things. I was like, that's the major part of, that's like all of it.
Amanda: Well, but one of my big criticisms though is that, not a whole lot happens in this story and it's really boring.
Like I put all in Interesting. I put all in caps at the top of my notes. Boring. It just, it thankfully it was an easy read. Like it's a very easy book to get through.
But, which was good because I didn't. Necessarily wanna keep reading. I was just like, okay, we're back at the office.
And she's telling me about like, I don't know, like the accounts she said, like, it was not a very eventful, interesting story in my humble opinion. I could see
Kelsey: that. I could see that.
Amanda: Yeah. And so, like y yes. In that, yes, I love the representation and I saw some similarities in her personality traits, but the whole, the story in its entirety, like no.
I
Kelsey: felt like the story, gosh, I felt like it was so, embedded in like an indigenous perspective that felt so [00:21:00] natural to me. Sure. And just like the side story of her brother and like having to take care of him, like that was just, I don't know that it did, and none of it ever felt boring, but it just felt like insightful.
Yeah. And not done in a way that it's like, look at all this trauma. It's just like, this is how someone might respond through the life that she lived. Yeah. You know, and it was, yeah. Yeah.
Amanda: I mean, I guess one thing I would add to like the positives, and I actually wrote it down in my notes as well, is that
danica does not shy away from using this book as a platform to address , the issues that indigenous folks are facing today. Like, she has no issue, calling out all of the different and varied forms of injustice and discrimination and prejudice that happen. Both inside and outside of the workplace, in this story.
So you have several incidents throughout the book of people using like racial slurs or there's these [00:22:00] multiple moments of microaggressions happening or like when they're at the bar and those like super broy, douchey you know, white guys are saying really horrible things to Yeah.
Both Dan and Ember. So she definitely very intentionally is bringing those moments into the story. 'cause if you're gonna tell an indigenous story, no, it should not all be about just trauma. But also it should honestly reflect an indigenous person's lived experience in 2024, right.
Yeah. When this book was written. And so I think she did such a good job of that. I think she did. I do think that she did a good job of that. And there were those moments where I was like, yes. There's a moment where ember's car breaks down. On the side of the road and she calls yeah.
Her auntie, and they have this conversation. And it was kind of heartbreaking because she's like, you know, one, obviously any woman stuck on the side of the road doesn't feel safe. Right. Because you're like, I dunno who's gonna stop. Yeah. I kind of want help, but I also don't want help necessarily, depending, , but it goes a step further because especially with native women, with indigenous women, we [00:23:00] know that so many of them go missing, right?
Or are murdered or all of these horrible things. And in so many of those instances, like justice is not served. Or, you know, , law enforcement isn't truly giving their full effort to try and find or protect those women. Yeah. And so that conversation with her aunt was just, did it very much, touched me and was also like that's real. Yep. You know? Yeah.
Kelsey: And everywhere in the United States too, I'll say. Yeah. And like even thinking this was like Oklahoma, right? And racism, microaggressions are very active in places like this. And especially what happens is, and we have reservations and she's living in, a border town, what we call a border town, which is like the town or city next to a reservation.
And so those behaviors tend to be more prevalent in these areas. And so that was just like spot on
To what she was like [00:24:00] explaining. Yeah.
Amanda: In addition to there being lots of conversations around. Race and racial injustice in the book.
Like the other big issue that she touches on and honestly is one of the driving factors for the whole plot is class. And the fact that so many indigenous folks, because of all of the horrible things that have happened, often find themselves in lower income situations, right? Or lower class.
And this this desire that she has to rise above her circumstances and to create a better life, like for herself, right? And for her family. And how nuanced that is because she has that conversation with her aunt where she's like. Is this not enough for you? Right. Like essentially like this?
Yeah. Like she grew up in this trailer home with her aunt and her brother. And it was a home full of love. But, you know, it's certainly, you know, very different from the backgrounds from some of the folks she's working with, especially some of her white male counterparts.
And so sometimes within those communities it can be like, yes, we want betterment and we want advancement, and we want a better life. [00:25:00] But there's also like, at the same, and this happens in the black community as well, where it's like, oh, you think you're too good for us now, right? Or is this not?
Yeah. Like, are we not good enough for you anymore? And like, why can't you just be satisfied with
Kelsey: this? Yes. And there're like so many nuances to that and it's so layered. It's so layered I relate a lot to this plot point because I grew up on the reservation, I'm fairly close to the reservation I grew up on. My family is there, however, I'm still now considered an urban Indian. Which is just someone who is not on the reservation and living in a city. And there are lot of different perspectives from various people in my life who are of the indigenous community of like, I have been bettering myself
right. And people see me in a different light because I have the success that I do. And it creates like this barrier for me and my community, because of where I am at and, also, it distanced [00:26:00] me from my community in a way that I wouldn't necessarily choose. But also at the other end of it, you have the pressure of your livelihood.
Still on you. Yeah. And I think that's the dynamic that she was getting at. Yeah. With that point. Yeah.
Amanda: Yeah. , I think she did a good job of addressing that and helping to like show that nuance. 'cause , it could have been like very overly simplistic, like, oh, she's poor, so of course she wants more money and wants a better job.
And it's a little bit more than that. And, there's this tension that also exists within that. And I thought she very thoughtfully, unraveled all of that for us, so that we could see it for what it was Uhhuh. So I did it. Like, I did appreciate that as well. There was actually I'm trying to find. So there I have this quote from the book and Uhhuh, it's from Mr. Stevenson. So Mr. Stevenson is the old white CEO.
And in the book, at one point, he asks. His executive assistant exec, [00:27:00] he asks his executive assistant, who is Ember at that point, to get the Indian from it to come up and help him.
Now he's referring to Dan, right?
But obviously, you don't call native or indigenous people Indian. And he's obviously using this very dated term. And so, Ember, very cheekily, sends up an actual Indian man who works for, and it becomes this whole issue. But there's this quote from, or this excerpt from the book that I wanted to read from Mr.
Stevenson where he is, you know, Ember has brought up this Indian guy. It's really awkward. And obviously Mr. Stevenson can't own up to the fact, right, that he like said the wrong thing. So he ends up giving this guy a raise. 'cause the guy's like, why did you call me up here? So he gives him a raise, sends him out, and then he calls Ember.
Into his office and he goes, you put me in a really uncomfortable and awkward position just now. I'm not a racist man. I am what some might call a woke man. I believe women should have [00:28:00] all the same rights as men and no one should be treated differently based on their race. And then she goes on to think in her head, believing in basic human decency was not being woke, but I bet he thought that yelling things like what he did, stripped someone of their humanity and replaced it with a stereotype.
It was vile and I felt like I was making dirty money working for this man. And then he like goes on to talk about how he's like, of the generation where they played cowboys and Indians, you know, and that, you know, well, we live in the south and I figured you'd understand my meaning and, you know, all of this stuff.
And I just, the conversations like that in the book, I love because unfortunately. Those happen often. Yes. And I have either been in those conversation or been privy to those conversations of, obviously not about indigenous folks, but about black folks and you know, it's always the way in which like white people who have said those things try to explain away their actions.
Right. And are soaked to say like, oh, but I'm not racist, you know? And so I just thought that conversation, I'm, she honestly, knowing [00:29:00] her and the fact that she's an indigenous woman, she probably has been in that situation and probably wrote that conversation like verbatim. Right. Exactly.
Kelsey: And that's the other like thing that comes up is that even though she wants access to building wealth and Yep. Uhhuh making her own livelihood these are the things she has to face in order to get to that. Exactly. And that is a serious issue. Yeah. And that, I mean, you and I both face that.
Yeah. As. Women of color and it's the reality of our experience. Right. So, and it's one of
Amanda: those things too, where you constantly have to think like, is it worth it? Like, is this the battle that I'm gonna choose to fight? Or is this one where I'm just gonna like, let it go? 'cause you can't fight every battle and you can't engage in every single moment like this.
Sometimes you do just have to like, put your head down and be like, you know what? Not today. Which can be sometimes Yeah. Super exhausting. And you see Amber navigating that as well. In the book, sometimes she keeps her mouth shut, even though she's furious and sometimes she is just like, I actually can't let this slide and I have to say something.
[00:30:00] And again, I found that to be super relatable. I think the thing where I, one of the things I didn't like about the book that I feel like made her annoying and not relatable and this came up in a lot of the one star reviews I read too, like Uhhuh, her continued need to lie when it was not necessary.
Like some of the lies, like the original lie that she told to get the job fine, I get it. That's kind of the catalyst that gets the plot going. But then she proceeds to tell all of these really stupid, unnecessary lies. Unnecessary. Yeah. So clearly we're there to just add drama to the plot 'cause there was nothing else going on.
And I was like. I you're dumb. You're dumb, you're stupid. Like you don't need to lie about being allergic to cats. You don't need to lie and say that you live in Bridgewater or Bricktown. That's what it was called. Like, you don't need to lie about your car. Like these, this is stupid.
This is, this makes no sense. And so I found her in that aspect, like incredibly unlikeable. And I know you often say that about characters in my thriller books. I'm like, you're stupid. I'm sorry, Amber. Like you were just being stupid. And I [00:31:00] have no, grace or understanding for these choices you're making right now.
Kelsey: Like, that is probably the only negative thing that I will agree with you on. Okay. I didn't think that all of the lies were necessary. Some of them may be, but I think she was trying to create this idea that she's feeling so much anxiety about her original choice that it had to like, build up to all of these things, you know?
So, yeah, they felt a bit contrived. Yeah, I just, in that it wasn't necessary and it wasn't like within character fully, so, no. So yeah, that's something I will agree with you on.
Amanda: I'll also say what you are not gonna agree with me on is like, help me, you know, and I, as I'm reading the book in my head I'm like, if this book was a romcom uhhuh, I would probably enjoy it.
Like I'd probably put it on, pop it on Netflix on a Friday night, you know, have a glass of wine and just enjoy myself. Yeah. But there is something about romcoms when they're in book form that [00:32:00] I just cannot, and I don't know, it's because I have to like sit with them for hours, right. Hours and hours on end.
'cause this probably took me, I don't know, four hours or five hours to get there ultimately. Yeah. Whereas it's only like 90 minutes for a rom-com. Like a film. Yeah. It's less time of your, yeah. So , things that just drove me crazy, like of course, the fact that Dan is everywhere all the time.
It's so He's the IT guy though? No. Not even that. Like, like when her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Dan just, oh yeah. So happens to be the first one to find her and be driving by like anytime any situation with his sister though,
Kelsey: right?
Amanda: He's his sister, but he's literally there every single time so that there can be a cute moment and he can come in and be the knight and shining armor.
So like that drove me crazy because it happened multiple times and I was like, okay, this just is so cheap and feel silly. And then there was the one bed trope, of course I was like, of course, as soon as I was like, they're going to hotels, like if they do this fucking one bed trope. And I was like, yep, here we go.
So trope is so [00:33:00] great. So like the one bed trope and like I just. You know, her like singing to him at the end when she's like trying to get him to forgive her. And so she's like singing through the door, like his favorite song. Yeah. And again, in my head I'm like, Amanda, if you were watching this in a romcom, you'd be like, oh, it's kind of cute.
Love that. It's
Kelsey: so cute. But
Amanda: like in a book I don't know what it is. Like the format is all wrong. And I'm just like, this is so stupid and I hate everything so
Kelsey: funny.
Amanda: And then like the other thing,
Kelsey: I love laughing in books though. Like that's why I loved Bride. Oh. Because I thought it was so funny.
No, but then like this one, yeah. I thought it was funny. It was cute.
Amanda: It's not was Oh, and the thing that drove me crazy about her too, since I'm talking about things that drove me crazy. Yeah. The other thing that I did not like about her, I literally, for the first third of the book, I was like, oh, Uhhuh, she's.
She's 18, like she's a high schooler. Like the way that she talked and her voice and her narration. Like I, what [00:34:00] did I write down? I'm pretty sure I wrote, how old is she? Her voice make her, makes her sound like a teenager and makes this sound like a ya novel. Like , if they hadn't finally come out and basically said that she was like, in her mid twenties, I would've sworn she was like 17 or 18 and Yeah.
Just the way that she thought and her stream of consciousness. And like her word choice was so. Young that it didn't match like a mid twenties, almost career woman at all. And there was just like all of these cheesy lines. Like there's this one point where, Dan of course takes her to go shopping for a new car, Uhhuh.
She goes, quote, the hussy within me wanted to test drive more than just cars today, unquote. I was like, oh my God, you've got to be kidding me.
Kelsey: That is so something like, yeah, a native woman would say though,
Amanda: oh, okay, I'll take your word for it. It was, it's so great. It was so silly. And then they even had, you know, in rom-coms where they have the glow up [00:35:00] scene where it's like the makeover montage and Yeah, that's so of course she like goes dress shopping with whatever Phoebe or whatever her name is, and gets a sexy dress, and I'm like, yes.
All the things, which I know that's why people read these books. Like they're reading them for the tropes, they're reading them for those things, but they're just painful for me and you. Between that and the boring plot, this book was a miss. It was a real miss.
Kelsey: Oh, so interesting.
Yeah. I didn't, that wasn't even a thought of mine, that it was boring. Well, yeah, I don't know. I didn't get that. But
Amanda: as I was reading this though, in my head I was like, oh, I know why Kelsey likes this, because there's something so engaging. When you were able to like fully relate to a character. And I'm like, totally.
Like, and I think perhaps, you know, if this character had been someone who I identified with, especially like racially, like I would probably have been like, oh my gosh. Right. Like more invested in it too. And so I liked that it was a window for me and that I got to learn more. But it wasn't enough to make the story riveting and [00:36:00] engaging in like a page turner for me.
Like it was like, oh, this is, I.
Kelsey: Go
Amanda: ahead.
Kelsey: Well, I was thinking about putting it side by side, comparing it to Kennedy Ryan's novel. Where I think you thought it was boring too.
Amanda: I did,
Kelsey: but I liked that one more than this one. But you liked it. I think you liked it more though, because it was a mirror for you more so than a window, probably.
Yeah. Yeah.
Amanda: And I liked the fact too, that their romance was grittier. Like this was more of a traditional, fluffy romcom. Like there were some serious issues in there too. That's true. Yeah. But that one was like, you know, this was a couple that had been together, had gone through this tragedy, had gotten divorced.
Like, I like grit, you know, and Sure. People who have gone through hard things and not saying that ember's life was easy by any means. But that book really dove into that, like drilled down on that. And I appreciated that. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Whereas this was slightly more.
Floofy RO com. Yeah. But again, like I said, like I think , she does a good job of, it's not all fluff of a variety of things. Yeah. She really does. [00:37:00] And I think she very much, you know, obviously had in mind like, Hey, I'm writing this indigenous romance novel. It's kind of, I'm, what is the word?
I'm kind a pioneer in this field. Like, I need to make sure that I am touching on these things that are gonna resonate with other indigenous folks and again, that are gonna create a window for other folks who are reading this story. Right. So I don't think she like, like fully dropped the ball or anything there.
But in terms of it overall being like a topnotch story, I would be like, no. And like, I think she she just spent so much time at work to the detriment of the story. 'cause whenever they were outside of work and having those interactions and with her family and going to these festivals and things like that, I was like, oh, I feel like I'm getting to see her in her element.
And I think if she had like, changed the percentage of time spent at the office versus outside of it, just even slightly would've made for a more,
Kelsey: but I also would say that's probably, that was probably part of the 0.0 sure. Is that you have to put on a different kind of [00:38:00] face when you're Yeah.
Mask at work.
When,
Kelsey: You are a person of color and in this case an indigenous woman. Yeah. And then when you are not, you get to be who you are with your people. Yeah. And we constantly feel like that we have to like code switch. Yep. So it also drove part of the story in that way too.
Yeah.
Amanda: But, and a, and again, like Danica does a really good job of like calling that out very explicitly. Because , there's another quote too that I'll read really quickly that I loved. I love that you have quotes. This is, I'm such an English major. Well, I guess I wasn't English major.
I was a minor. But anyhow anyhow, so this is a quote from Amber closer to the end of the book. And she says, quote, I was so done being belittled, being mocked for not having one 10th of the opportunities he had for being born rich white and with a dick. And I was like, oh. Well said, succinctly said snaps for you.
And I think it really did summarize like a lot of what she was trying to highlight and bring out. Yeah. In this book, like here are all of these kind of built in [00:39:00] barriers in our systems to keep people like ember from being successful and how you always have to be better than in order to be seen as good as.
Right. And that was very much how we were raised too. Like it's not enough to be on the same level as your peers. If you wanna even be seen as being in like the same ballpark as them, you have to be exactly exceptional. Yeah. And so I like that. Exactly. She can that out really clearly.
Yeah.
Kelsey: Cool. Well, I don't know, is there anything else that you wanna say about it?
Amanda: I think those are the main things. Like I, the other quotes I have really just have to do with her, , calling out racism in the book, which I liked. I think. Oh, no one. The one last thing, so this is the part that had me cracking up laughing.
I did, oh my God. For those of you who didn't read the book, they go to this conference and the theme of this conference, like the CEO has decided that this, go ahead. Spiritual awakening, right? And so, of course, you know, heading into it, it's gonna be a bunch of either like pseudo, like East [00:40:00] Asian or like indigenous spirituality, whatever, that they've cobbled together to make themselves feel woke, right?
So they invite this woman to lead this workshop and her name is Sasha Storm Cloud, right? And Amber and Dan call her, I love this word, it's called Aian.
Kelsey: Yes.
Amanda: Which is essentially like a white person who's trying to claim some sort of indigenous, like ancestry, like a
Kelsey: Blake lightly.
Amanda: Did she? Yes. Oh, really? Oh, I did not know that. Yeah.
Kelsey: When
Amanda: did this happen?
Kelsey: I like, oh, it's been years. She said she was Cherokee and then it was found out that she actually, has no Cherokee blood and yes.
Amanda: Wow. Okay. So very much capitalizing on that whole element of folks in our society and the thing that really, there's tons of people that do that.
It's wild. Oh yeah. And for a variety of other ethnic groups as well, like whether it's Latino or black or indigenous, , 'cause like black fishing is totally a thing. And I'm just like, yeah. So anyhow, the reason why I laughed is because Sasha [00:41:00] Storm Cloud, who's like this pretend who is getting this workshop, she like is having this conversation with Ember and Dan and she, I think she calls Ember like sister or do no daughter at one
Kelsey: point.
Oh God.
Amanda: Like how daughter and blah blah. It's like, it's so bad, right? But then it's so bad as if their conversation, she does like some sort of weird salute and then leaves and Embr and Dan are like. Why did that hand gesture look so familiar? And then they realize it's the salute from Avatar. Oh my God.
Kelsey: Like the
Amanda: gesture that they use in the movie. And I'm just like, I lost it. I was like, oh my God, I can , so just see this woman in my mind thinking she's just like so woke. And also yes, weirdly ethnic and that she's appropriating other people's culture. Oh, it was just, it was perfect. Yes.
It was so perfect. Yes. And that for me was my laugh out load. And just
Kelsey: another example of how Danica, like did it, did this book Well yeah. Or wrote [00:42:00] this book well in the way where she was including a lot of indigenous, issues. Yeah. Experiences like shit that people do.
Amanda: Yeah. , it felt like a very real book in that way and I definitely appreciated it.
And again, that's why I gave it a soft quid because I feel like this
Kelsey: pillow of soft,
Amanda: yes,
Kelsey: this velvet cushion punted rest. Oh my gosh.
Amanda: But yeah, I think that's probably all I have to say about it.
Kelsey: That makes sense. Well, we could dive into our literally the best or literally the worst reviews.
Amanda: Yes. But wait. We have to do final recommendations.
Kelsey: True. Amanda, what is your final recommendation for this book?
Amanda: I would say if you are a romance reader, like that is your jam. That is your genre. I think it's important that we are supporting diverse authors and experiences. So I think it's worth [00:43:00] a read if you're a romance reader.
I do. I think, is it the best romance novel I've ever read? Well, I dunno because I haven't read that many, but well, I mean, you've read two or three, I've read, well, I've read before I let Go, the Truth according to Ebra, I think it's Ed 'cause all of the other ones were romantic, like
Kelsey: fantasy, romantic.
Yeah.
Amanda: So this was like the second straight up romance. But I think, yeah, if you're gonna choose a genre and like that's your genre, I think it's important to read other perspectives. So I would recommend it for that point. If you're not a romance reader though, I would say no. Like I think you can find other I.
Really well written stories about indigenous folks some of which we've recommended on this podcast. Podcast. That I think you might enjoy more and that tell a better story. And it's just like overall more engaging and more, well written. But if you love romance, you would probably love this one.
'cause like, the things I didn't like about it, I think most romance readers would like. So
Kelsey: Yeah. Yeah. Possibly think,
Amanda: I think
Kelsey: the fact that you found it boring, I don't dunno. That's still intriguing to me. Well, that's what I mean, think didn't think a romance
Amanda: reader probably wouldn't [00:44:00] find it boring.
'cause like I'm assuming this is kind of, I'm not sure. Okay.
Kelsey: Yeah. Like, I don't,
Amanda: like did this plot feel slow to you compared to other, or boring to you compared to other roommates? No. Okay. Yeah. So then, yeah, so I feel like a, someone who normally reads this genre would probably find it perhaps. Pretty par for the course.
Yeah.
Kelsey: Obviously I would say lit it and go read it. It should be read by you. Yeah, you, it was read by me, not you, the listener. Yes. Alright, now we can jump into are literally the best and literally the worst. Amanda, why don't we start with one star so that we can leave on a good note.
Amanda: Okay, I will do that.
My first one, star review and again, these are all from good reads is from Jennifer. Here we go. Okay. Oh boy. This was so bad. The writing style on this one was weird, but I don't know, like that's [00:45:00] how it's written. I know if I'm smart enough to pinpoint the issue, stream of consciousness combined with writing at a kindergarten level.
Just very detached. I don't know. Very, this happened and then this happened, and then this happened. I got written by AI vibes again. Too much detail about a bunch of stuff. Interesting. That didn't matter. I could skim entire pages and I did. So then I just got more pissed off that I was wasting time trying to finish this thing.
Is it good to have native representation rom-coms? Yes, absolutely. I want to read that, but it still needs to be good. And OMG, this was just dumb, not to mention there wasn't much focus on the native or the romcom or even the lying. There was a lot of bullshit about the office. It couldn't get drier or more boring, honestly.
But someone else agreed with you. Yeah, I think I, I do think there is a fair amount of like native a focus on native issues in it, which obviously we talked about. So I disagree on that bit, but the rest of it I kind of agree with. [00:46:00]
Kelsey: Well, I. Five star from Erica. Oh, I loved this. It had such a unique plot with genuinely funny moments and a really well done romance.
It honestly felt like a love letter to romcoms because it has all my favorite elements of a great romcom. I especially loved how ember addresses the real trauma and challenges that her community faces. I also appreciated the necessary criticism of corporate America. It was just all so well done.
I can't sing this book's Praise enough clearly. And while Ember's lying stressed me out, I gained a new appreciation for her character after reading the author's note at the end. Don't skip the author's note people, which I was gonna ask you if you read the author's note.
Amanda: I
Kelsey: don't believe I did. So maybe I should back.
Yeah. And I don't know how long it is, so I'm curious, did you read what that says? I don't think so. Okay. So we'll have to do that after this, and once you give it back to me, I'm like, lemme look at this author's
Amanda: note. I, [00:47:00] I don't, I didn't it's a very
Kelsey: long,
Amanda: at the very end, there's acknowledge, oh, there is a author's note.
I, it's only like two pages. Okay, cool. But yeah, she talks about the Chickasaw Nation. Is it Chicka Chickasaw? I dunno if I said that right? Okay. Okay, well I guess I will have to read that after this episode. Yeah. Okay. My next one star is from Kristen. She did not deserve him.
I still know how to say his name. Didn't Daniel? Daniel was perfect. This very much reads like a. First novel, the main character was extremely unlikable. I really wanted a good representation of natives, and this was not it. All the lying was unbelievable. It was like watching some train wreck, like confessions of a shopaholic.
The idea of a story was there, and I really wish she could have had a good editor to help her make it work. All the racial stuff she should have just written a woman's fiction novel. It was like the author was torn about what kind of book to write. It also didn't help that nothing happened with the romance until 60% and 80% of the book was my ly boring [00:48:00] office job Details.
The idea of lying about her education to get a job that I could begrudgingly accept. It sounded like some nineties movie, but she kept lying about the dumbest stuff that didn't even matter and lied the most to the love interest. The audiobook narrator was so obnoxious. Seriously, one of the worst I've ever heard and really made the writing sound even more ya than it already did.
Though there is some spice, I will probably still try her next. Book, but I really hope someone else out there can write an outstanding indigenous romance. Yeah. I mean, I think Sure. Like, as a first step. You know, I think she, she did the thing, but I think yeah, the, whoever writes the next one, I guess she has another one coming out.
Maybe her next one She does. And do you know what, I think it was her first novel. Okay. So, okay. So that also I can give her some grace for that too. Yeah. Did you actually, so see, did you listen to the audio book or did you read it?
Kelsey: I read it. I have
Amanda: the book. Okay. I wasn't sure if you also agreed about the audio book narrator or not.
Kelsey: Oh, I did not listen to it. Okay. Okay. [00:49:00] Okay. So from Alana Ramsey. I loved it. Yes, Amber is flawed, but her drive is admirable. And even though I didn't agree with everything she did, I understood her actions, I understood her motivations and frustrations, and frankly, if lying to the corporate execs had been the only lie she told.
I would've applauded her. She's funny and caring and kind of adorable, so it makes sense that Dan fell for her immediately. And Dan, what a fine man. Like of course he's a fictional character, but the way he's described, makes him feel so real and also way too good to ever exist. He and Ember had such an amazing chemistry that checked all the boxes, Woody banter, genuine care, irresistible physical attraction.
I was invested in the relationship from the jump, and I was not disappointed. I truly enjoyed all their moments together. It makes me sad to say that this is the first romance novel I've read with Native American representation [00:50:00] in the main pairing. I'm sure it won't be the last, but it was just a good reminder that there's still a long way to go when it comes to representation in the mainstream media, especially for certain marginalized groups.
Amanda: There you're, yeah, I absolutely agree. Oh, thank you Alana. Definitely. Yeah, thanks Alana. And yeah, I guess we didn't really talk that much about Dan, but yeah, he was, he's great. Of course, he's like a perfect guy 'cause it's a rom-com. But I was like, okay. And I loved, what did they call him? Native daddy?
Kelsey: Oh, that's right.
Amanda: I forgot we talk about that.
Kelsey: Like that was
Amanda: his Heard her friend. His yes. Called him Native Daddy and I was like, I am here for that. Alright. Oh, so funny. Oh, okay. So actually I think they mentioned native daddy in this next review. So hilarious. I don't know how to date this person's, I know it doesn't matter to you.
I dunno how to say this person's name. I think it's just like a series of letters. It looks like Saluki. I don't know. So here we go.
Saluki.
Kelsey: Here we go.
Amanda: I was beyond [00:51:00] excited to see there was a new Native American romance novel. It's something that I always wondered why there wasn't more of. So as soon as I found out about this book, I immediately added it to my TBR.
Needless to say, I really wanted to love it. I appreciate that the author is drawing on her own experience as a half Native American, half Caucasian woman, and I commend her for writing one of the first Native American rom-coms with a Cherokee love interest I might add, but I did not enjoy it at all.
Ember got her new job by telling a little white lie. Actually, it's not even a lie. More of a half truth, because of the di discrimination she faced due to her race. That's completely fair. From that point, her behavior spiraled into compulsive lying about anything from her old job where she lived and the kind of car she drove.
She even made up a fake boyfriend. Oh, we didn't talk about that. It was not a good look, especially when it involved things that she had no good reason to lie about. Her character was so unlikeable that it ruined the entire book for me. Dan was supposed to be the native daddy of our girly fantasies and he definitely had the potential if he was at least given some kind of [00:52:00] personality.
Don't even get me started on the shit show of a plot. Basically it was amber lying am meet cute amber lying. Some more, some sexual tension because coworkers aren't supposed to date lying again. The only one bed trope. Blackmail, even more lying. A third act breakup in the Native American Thanksgiving.
This is one read that wasn't worth the trouble.
Kelsey: Oh my God.
Amanda: Yeah. This person was like not having it at all. I mean, I do agree about the plot like that. That's why I felt like when I was summarizing the plot, I'm like, I don't really know what to say. It's just like
Kelsey: you summarized it, great.
Amanda: She lies
Kelsey: and
Amanda: gets this job, and then that's kind of, she lies some more,
Kelsey: more you said quite a lot.
So I did, I suppose. Okay. Okay. Next review from Jessica. Wow. This was not what I expected. I thought it was going to be an adorable romcom, but instead got a deeply complex and sometimes funny story with complicated characters and realistic romance [00:53:00] character growth, like an amazing degree and happily ever after.
The author did a phenomenal job of somehow keeping the tone, somewhat light, despite the serious subject matter. That's it. Oh,
Amanda: okay. I mean, yeah, I think. Again, I think she definitely, it's not just a fluff book for sure. Like I said, yeah, I would agree with that. I think she was really intentional about
Kelsey: incorporating real issues but somehow it did have more of a light sense to it in mind.
Well, I think that
Amanda: had to do though with. Ember's narration because she sounds like a child. So it just adds like this sense of I don't, oh, I dunno. Just the sense of like levity, which made, even though she, when she was talking about serious things sometimes, I was like, this just seems like not that big of a deal.
Yeah, I think it was. I see. It was weird narration. Okay, last one for me. This one's short. This is from Helen. Appreciated reading about the Native American experience and love that more POC voices are becoming louder in the mainstream publications. This book was just not for me. [00:54:00] I got up to about a hundred pages, then skimmed the rest of the book, but felt that I didn't really miss out on much and was able to grasp what happened.
The ath MC was just unlikeable and childish in my opinion, and the MMC didn't really have a personality. Glad that by the end, the FMC owned her truth and worked to fix things. Would not read again. Yeah. I mean, I could have, but you would never read again, so I would never read it again 'cause I don't reread.
Yeah. But yeah, you, I definitely feel like I could have skimmed this book. I was really tempted to, but I was like, no, I'm gonna read the whole thing word for word. Gonna read the whole thing I did, but, or pod. Yeah. Did the thing circle. All right, we're gonna
Kelsey: end on a positive note. Haley Taylor, thank you for this review. If only there was a man like Dan where I'm from, this book had me kicking my feet. I honestly feel so seen. And you know what? I totally get why Amber does what she does because it can hard out there.
Do I think it was [00:55:00] right thing to do? No. But It is? What it is? And I got what I wanted at the end. So this book is 5 out of five stars for me.
Amanda: Okay. Short and sweet. Short and sweet. Just how we like it. All right. Well that does it for us. Kelsey, do you wanna do socials before we
Kelsey: send folks off?
Totally. Remember to come rate and review first. Our podcast over at, apple Podcast. And on Spotify. On Spotify, you can only comment on episodes, but on Apple you can like give a full review. So feel free to do either of those things. It really helps us get seen. Yes. Please. And noticed by other folks.
And then head over to our socials to engage with us because we make really fun content and keep you updated on what's going on with the podcast. So we're over at Instagram at Lit Vibes only podcast. And over on TikTok and YouTube at Lit Vibes [00:56:00] only Podcast. So come join us today. Hey,
Amanda: coming out with us.
Come let us know what you think. Let us know what you think about this episode, whether you were Team Amanda or Team Kelsey. Yes. And let it or quit it. Let it or quit it. We'll have voting up on Thursday, so make sure to check socials for that this
Kelsey: episode.
Amanda: Otherwise, yep. We'll see you next Monday.
Alright, bye bye.