Ep. 82: Lit It or Quit It: Out On A Limb

Join Amanda and Kelsey in their first April episode as they dive into Hannah Bonam-Young’s cozy romance ‘Out on a Limb’, where Win and Bo connect over shared limb differences, an accidental pregnancy, and a friends-to-lovers slow burn that’s heavy on sweetness and support. Follow along as they praise the healthy relationship, humor, disability representation, and hopeful future jump in the epilogue, while side-eyeing the too-perfect vibes, some preachy moments, and early explicit scenes. 

00:00 Welcome to Lit Vibes Only

00:39 Our New Format and Socials

07:38 Our Current Reads

14:36 Summary of ‘Out On A Limb’

21:02 Book Discussion

48:40 LITerally the Best or LITerally the Worst

01:00:02 Final Recommendation Wrap

Follow us on TikTok & Youtube @litvibesonlypodcast and on Instagram @litvibesonly_podcast. You can also email us at litvibesonlypodcast@gmail.com We'd love to hear from you!

See you on Mondays!

Transcript

Welcome to Lit Vibes Only!

Kelsey 0:04

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.

Amanda 0:14

And I'm Amanda, the insightful, thrill seeker and historical fiction nerd. Welcome. Welcome to this. I don't

Kelsey 0:20

think that's ever happened to you

Amanda 0:21

where I messed up.

Kelsey 0:23

Yeah, you're gonna hear the clean version everybody, but yeah, Amanda tripped up. But

Our New Format and Socials

Amanda 0:29

I did, it was weird because I actually said the right thing, but it just sounded weird in my head and I was like, wait, lemme start again. Anyhow, we're so glad you're here. We're glad you're here. And yay. We made it through our intro almost. Yeah, this is gonna be our first quid episode for the month of April, and this is also our first month switching over to our new format where we're just gonna be doing the two episodes this month. So we're just focusing on our quid. Its, we know you guys really love. These episodes and we wanted to focus on these. Mm-hmm. So before all of that if you have not yet found and followed us on our socials, we encourage you to do so. we are on Instagram at Lit Vibes only podcast, and on both TikTok and YouTube at Lit Vibes only podcast. So plenty of platforms and plenty of ways to get in touch with us, say, Hey, check out a bunch of content in addition to what we put out on the podcast. Mm-hmm. And meet fellow book lovers. Join the Lit Vibes only community. We have such a great time. And we also this year started Fable accounts for both Kelsey and I.

Kelsey 1:35

Yes.

Amanda 1:36

For all of these amazing Urquidi episodes that you guys are tuning into, we do book clubs a month in advance. So you have a month before the episode drops to read along with us, share your feedback and thoughts, make predictions about whether or not you think this book will be a litted or quit it for Kelsey or I. So I'm lit vibes only dash. Amanda. Kelsey is lit vibes only dash Kelsey. So come hang out. Also you guys get to vote on the books mm-hmm. That we're reading. So we put a couple of options out there in advance and you guys can let us know. What you would like these upcoming litted or quitted episodes to be. Lots of ways to get involved. Have your voice heard, like I said, connect with fellow book lovers. And we're just hoping to continue to expand both of our book clubs and have new folks join. And then last but not least if you haven't rated or reviewed us

Kelsey 2:28

mm-hmm.

Amanda 2:29

Make sure to take a moment to do that. It do it. It's so important and it really helps to boost our podcast in terms of getting more eyes and ears on it and making it more visible to folks. Yes. On places like Apple Podcast and Spotify. So please take a moment, hit that five star button. Even as you're listening, you can just take a moment, open up your phone and do that. And then after the episode, if you feel so moved, you can write a one or two sentence review. On Apple Podcasts or you can comment on this episode on Spotify. Mm-hmm. It really helps us and I think Kelsey, you mentioned this I think in one of our previous episodes, that downloads help us. So even if you're somebody who doesn't like to download podcast episodes,'cause it like takes up space on your phone. That's one of the things that gets tracked. Yeah. And so as a podcast, the more downloads we have, the better we're doing and so we get promoted. So if you could just like download this episode and then listen to it and then delete it if you want to right after. Totally. I would really, really helps us still count. It still counts and it is just as important, maybe even more important than rating and reviewing if you did all three. Mm-hmm. Amazing. The trifecta. But download the episodes. We only have two a month now, so it's not a bunch. And it really goes a long way. So thank you in advance.

Kelsey 3:47

Totally. Our downloads have actually gone up like a little,

Amanda 3:51

they

Kelsey 3:51

have they dense weathering heights.

Amanda 3:53

Yes.

Kelsey 3:55

Thank you. Weathering Heights. Your unhinged Yes. Masterpiece,

Amanda 3:59

Uhhuh. I've had so many conversations with people both like online and just in person about that

Kelsey 4:05

Yeah.

Amanda 4:06

Film. And the most recent one I had was Via Text with my friend Joe. Hi Joe. And we were talking about it and it was so clear to both of us that the director whose name I'm blanking on, but it's clear, she wanted to produce a period romance and direct a period romance. And it's like, well just do that. Don't take the Weathering Heights name. Yeah. And make it into something else. Like you could have just made an original script in film and just, and it would've been fine, but you didn't have to like slap, I mean obviously it was for marketing purposes. She knew she was gonna get all the book girlies to show up at the theater, but Yeah.

Kelsey 4:45

But I just don't understand how people can do that. It legally. They're not actually telling the real story. Yeah. And they made up a shit ton in this story. Yeah. So like in this film. So I just don't understand how they can still call it weathering heights, even though it had, when

Amanda 5:02

it's not,

Kelsey 5:03

it was very,

Amanda 5:05

I think, oh God, what is the,

Kelsey 5:07

I don't know.

Amanda 5:09

I, and I used to know the name of, I probably still do, it's buried somewhere in my subconscious, but when a piece of literature is published mm-hmm. It has, I think I wanna say like a hundred years where. You can't really do anything with it. Like it has to stay as is and then once it loses its, there's a word. Sorry guys. I'm blanking on it. I know. Then folks can I haven't heard of that. Do whatever they want with, oh, common de common domain or public domain becomes part of the public domain. I think that's the correct term. And once it's in the public domain, people have free reign to do what they want with these works and reinvent them and, all of that stuff. So I think that's why she has the ability to do that.'cause then you can adapt it however you want. You can use it publicly, you can dis distribute it, et cetera.

Kelsey 5:58

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 5:58

And I think it's okay. I just double checked. It's 95 years after something has been published, then it becomes public domain.

Kelsey 6:06

Interesting.

Amanda 6:07

Yeah. And so that's why she can do something like that and still use the weathering heights.

Kelsey 6:10

Who thought of these rules?

Amanda 6:11

I don't know. It's like us copyright law. That's because,

Kelsey 6:17

sorry, this is

Amanda 6:17

hilarious. It's the same thing for it's not just for books, it's like for any creative work idea, whatever. And so it's the reason why you might not have seen this, but the Winnie the Pooh, like the copyright or whatever for that, the domain for that Sure. Beca it became public domain several years ago. And so anyone could do whatever they wanted with Winnie the Pooh. And that's when someone, I don't know who, because I don't watch horror films, they made a horror film with Winnie the Pooh.

Kelsey 6:42

Oh my

Amanda 6:43

God. Like they use the Winnie the Pooh character and it's like a slasher film because at this point anyone can now take that character and do whatever the heck they want with it.

Kelsey 6:53

Dang. Interesting. It's been over a hundred or 95 years.

Amanda 6:57

Yeah. Oh yeah. One of the, that came out. Yeah. Oh, for sure. Because let's see, when was it? It was like early, gosh, early 19 hundreds.

Kelsey 7:05

Hold

Amanda 7:05

on. I think it's what AA Milton is like the guy who wrote it. So yeah, win of the PO's been out for a minute. Yeah,

Kelsey 7:11

but anyhow, that's wild.

Amanda 7:12

Yeah,

Kelsey 7:13

we're getting on big tangent. 1926 actually it was Okay. Oh yeah. So yeah, it's been a hundred years, so Yeah. Five years previously.

Amanda 7:20

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it, it makes sense. And even if you look at the original, Christopher Robin and stuff, illustrations it's clear that, it's from the 1920s.

Kelsey 7:28

Sure,

Amanda 7:28

yeah. We, the PO's been out for a minute, but anyhow, sorry for that whole tangent on public domain. But.

Kelsey 7:34

This is where we live. This is what we do,

Our Current Reads

Amanda 7:36

this is what we do on this podcast. What are you currently reading something, Kelsey? I know the last time we chatted you've just been like, life is crazy.

Kelsey 7:44

Yeah. Life has been crazy still. And but I am reading the one that we're going to record our next episode on My Friends

Amanda 7:55

Uhhuh. Yeah. Okay. You can't tell me too much about it then

Kelsey 7:56

fine. Kidding.

Amanda 7:59

I wanna go into that episode. Completely oblivious to your thoughts, but Yeah. I'm having Kelsey read My Friends by Frederick

Kelsey 8:05

Bachman

Amanda 8:06

and

Kelsey 8:06

Bachman.

Amanda 8:07

Yes, I know. How is

8:09

it

Amanda 8:09

pronounced? I don't know. I always say Frederick Bachman. I think that's, I think that's right. I think, anyhow, I'll look

Kelsey 8:15

it up before the episode.

Amanda 8:16

Okay. We'll get the pronunciation right for next episode okay, then I don't wanna know too much about that.

Kelsey 8:20

Okay.

Amanda 8:21

I just finished'cause it, of course it's the weekend. So I just finished the book. I just finished the possession of A by Isabel Isabelle Kaas, which, ooh for those of you who listened to our prior episode with the owner Roxanne Oh yes. Of Haunted Burrow books. That was one of the horror books that she recommended for me to actually no, I take that back. She recommended the Hacienda al by the same author, Isabel Kanye, but she mentioned mm-hmm. That the possession of Albas was one of her favorite books. So I wanted to check it out and, it was good. I made a TikTok video yesterday, I think it was about it. Oh. It's a well written story. I liked the historical setting and the fact that it was taking place in, south America. Mm-hmm. But the way that she writes she's, and she's a good writer, but she just has a particular style, of course, as everyone does. But the way that she strings her sentences together, like her syntax and her word choice. Made it really hard for my brain. Like the way that I think in words and the way that I use language is very not very, but different than the way that she does in her writing. Mm-hmm. So it was one of those books where I had to keep on like rereading sentences to be like, wait, what is she saying here? And it wasn't'cause of language like, was confusing or dense, or she was using big words or anything like that. It was just like, oh, you just put sentences together differently than I would. And so my brain is processing everything slower.

Kelsey 9:49

Is it translated from a different language?

Amanda 9:51

I don't think so. That was my first, so I, because I then I went and looked up to see it, I'm like, oh, maybe, it's translated. Or maybe English isn't her first language. And her approach to English is a little bit different than Yeah, myself as a a native speaker and she has lived all over the world. I, but I couldn't ascertain if, english is her first language or not. But it didn't Interesting. It didn't read like a translated. And it didn't read like someone who didn't have a good command of language. It was just like, oh, this is just how you write. Like this is just your style.

Kelsey 10:23

I wonder if it's intentional, if it's like a different if. If it's supposed to mimic a different language, perhaps I dunno.

Amanda 10:32

Oh, maybe. You

Kelsey 10:33

know what I mean?

Amanda 10:34

Yeah. Like it, it wasn't so distinct that I was like, what is happening? It was just like here and there. I'm like, oh, I wouldn't have ended that sentence there. Or I would've put those two sentences together'cause like it flows better in my head, or I would've reversed the order of those two words. That kind of thing.

Kelsey 10:50

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 10:50

Versus it being just like completely indecipherable, but interesting. All that to say. I'm still very much enjoying my dive into the horror genre. I've got another one over there on my coffee table to get into soon. Did you like the

Kelsey 11:04

story of it? I, is it

Amanda 11:05

scary? I did it. It wasn't scary enough that I needed to, sleep with a light on or anything like that. I've done

Kelsey 11:11

that in the past.

Amanda 11:12

Yeah. And I have read horror novels. I'm like, oh, I'm just feeling a little unsettled. Yeah, no, because this was more like, it read like a legend oh, this is the legend of this entity that lived in this mine and then it possessed her. So there was this distance there, especially'cause it was also taking place in the past. So yeah, it didn't freak me out too much. I'm currently reading, actually I'm currently reading something witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix,

Kelsey 11:36

you really going down the,

Amanda 11:38

I'm really going down the deep end and so far Yeah. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix. I just wanted to double check. And this is definitely more of a body horror book. Like it's a bit more gory. Oh. And I'm just like, oh. Which is like not my less

Kelsey 11:52

interesting,

Amanda 11:53

not my kind of thing. It's not completely that. It's also like feminist tour, which I like, but yeah, full, fully.

Kelsey 11:59

You're just exploring all the things,

Amanda 12:00

fully exploring like all of the ins and outs of the horror genre, and I'm enjoying it. But we are here to talk about something far more pleasant and sweet than horror.

Kelsey 12:10

Thank God.

Amanda 12:11

Thank God. I think especially after the week Kelsey had, I think we just need something happy and light and fun. So yeah. Kelsey, do you wanna tell folks why you chose out on a limb by Hannah Bonum Young for me?

Kelsey 12:22

Yeah. I remember reading it and it was just like this nice, warm, cozy reed. Mm-hmm. And I remember that it had a lot of hype when it came out and for its representation, and people really loved it. So I was like, yes, we need a cozy, chill read now.

Amanda 12:45

Mm-hmm.

Kelsey 12:47

And I was right. We

Amanda 12:48

needed, you were right. Your past self somehow knew that we needed this. Yeah.

Kelsey 12:53

And I reread it actually in the last couple weeks. Okay. And I was like, oh, this is so interesting.'cause now I can look at it differently because I am pregnant. Yeah. And experience very similar thing. So

Amanda 13:06

yeah.

Kelsey 13:06

That was fun.

Amanda 13:08

Yeah, of course. I didn't know if you were gonna have a chance to reread it or not, so I was like, oh yeah, that would be a different experience. Yeah. Reading this as a pregnant person. Okay. Good reasons.

Kelsey 13:17

Amanda?

Amanda 13:18

Yes.

Kelsey 13:19

I have a question for you.

Amanda 13:21

I bet you do.

Kelsey 13:22

Was it a litted or quit it for you?

Amanda 13:25

Yeah, so this book was a lit it for me.

Kelsey 13:29

Okay.

Amanda 13:30

I know, I'm

Kelsey 13:30

surprised actually.

Amanda 13:32

Yeah. I was a little bit surprised too. And I'm actually gonna double check because I know on Good reads, because I still use Good Reads. In addition to Fable, I didn't give up my Good Reads account. Yeah. And on Good Reads, I gave it. A four. Mm-hmm. And I wanted to double check and see,'cause sometimes on Fable, because again, you can do like quarters, like you can be like 3.25 or 3.5. I can be a little bit more specific, but I think nope, I gave it a four star on both. Okay. Of the apps. So yeah, it was a, mm-hmm. Yep.

Kelsey 14:02

Wow. So happy.

Amanda 14:06

Yeah.

Kelsey 14:06

Do you wanna tell us the summary of the book?

Amanda 14:09

I do. And honestly, this was, this is a great book to summarize, be well. This is a great book to summarize because in a way not that much happened. So it's actually quite simple to summarize.

Kelsey 14:21

Yeah.

Summary of ‘Out On A Limb’

Amanda 14:22

It also, as I was prepping for this episode and getting, the one star reviews off of good reads that we'll get to later, that was also a huge downside for a lot of people that not a lot happened. A lot of people like this book is really boring, so I'll just put that out there. But yeah. So in a nutshell, we have our FMC, Winifred McNulty.

Kelsey 14:42

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 14:43

She is a woman in her late twenties, I believe. She's like 28, and she's just stuck in life. She is working at like a coffee shop part-time in the summers. She does some lifeguarding, which she really enjoys, but she's not making a whole lot of money. She's just feeling Yeah. Lost directionless. And so one Halloween night, she gets invited to a party at her friend's house. And at this party she ends up encountering a young man named Bo, who, like her, is also dressed like a pirate. So they just end up chitchatting. And one of the first things that they realize about each other is that they both have a limb difference. So when was born with a less developed right hand. Mm-hmm. And Bo one of his legs has been amputated. Below the knee. And obviously at that point we don't know the story behind either of those things. We just know that there are two people who met at a party, super attracted to each other, and they also have alum difference, so they hit it off. Mm-hmm. And one thing leads to another and they end up going upstairs and like having sex at this party, like this really passionate, very descriptive. Yeah. Adventure in the bedroom. Goodness, I'm getting flustered. Okay. So that's literally like in the third chapter. It's at the beginning of the book, they're like, get it on. And then it's clear too that it's what is the term that I'm looking for? It's like instant love because even though they don't say that they love each other, it's like this instant connection. The sparks are flying. It's like the best sex they've ever had. Neither of them is really looking for anything serious right now. Obviously, like I said, one is trying to get our life together and so Bo leaves and that's the end of it. So then a couple of weeks later, maybe six weeks later, Wynn realizes that she hasn't gotten her period, and lo and behold she is pregnant. And seeing as she hasn't been with anybody else since Bo, she knows that the child is his now she has not seen Bo. She has not talked to Bo. Yeah. And Bo is the friend of her friend's husband. So her friend is Sarah. Sarah's husband is Caleb. Bo is Caleb's friend. That's how they met. Just to clear that all up. He's still kind of in her like circle to some degree. Mm-hmm.

Kelsey 17:02

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 17:02

He's not a complete stranger and so she's like, I gotta tell this guy that I'm carrying his child. And she's also, of course trying to figure out if she wants to keep it. So she ends up meeting Beau for coffee and is just like, Hey, hey we're pregnant. I have zero expectations. You know that you need to be involved in any way that I'm not expecting you to financially support me. Nothing like that. Just wanna let you know that there's gonna be a little, you running around in several months. And Bo being the standup guy that he is, is like. You know what I wanna do this with you if you're choosing to keep the baby, which at this point she's decided that she has.

Kelsey 17:38

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 17:39

He's like, then I wanna be involved as much as possible.

Kelsey 17:41

Yeah.

Amanda 17:42

And so really the entire rest of the story as following them as they build their friendship, which then turns into a blossoming romance. So on and so forth. And so the next big plot point is that when she makes$20,000 a year you guys, so Oh yeah. I need to go back and see when this book was published.

Kelsey 18:02

And

18:02

I

Amanda 18:02

know that

Kelsey 18:03

she, it was recent, it was fairly recent.

Amanda 18:05

It is fairly recent. And granted, like she, this whole book takes place in Canada. And I know things are a little bit different too in, in terms of that. But you could not survive on$20,000. Here in the United States, and she has an apartment. It's really shitty, but she's got an apartment. I'm like, where are you living? Yeah. So she's really just barely getting by, by the skin of her teeth and honestly doesn't have the money to support and raise a child.

Kelsey 18:28

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 18:29

Be figures out like where she's living. And he's like, I do not want the mother of my child living in a fifth floor walk up. Yeah. In a bad neighborhood. So he's like, I've got a house, you should just move in with me. And like Uhhuh Lynn is a little bit hesitant about it, but she's like, okay, fine, this makes sense. So they move in together. Again, they're very much still getting to know each other. Sarah gives win in Bo this deck of cards, it's 20 questions that you can ask like, you know, fall in love with someone. I'm sure you guys have seen this because it's been out for years at this point. Mm-hmm. So they go through and do a question a day. And of course, again, as they move in together, they get to know each other more. They get to know their likes and dislikes. It turns out like Bo is a huge nerd and has a d and d night and that's a whole funny scene. And

Kelsey 19:09

yeah.

Amanda 19:10

It's clear that both Wynn and Bo have feelings for each other. Very strong feelings around friendship. However, Wynn knows that Bo has an ex-fiancee and she in her mind thinks that perhaps Bo still has feelings. For this ex-fiancee. And so she's like really hesitant to make a move. And so again, time's passing, she's going for ultrasounds or prepping for baby, all of that stuff. And long story short, they both finally end up admitting their feelings to each other. Then they get super frisky for the rest of the book. Bo's dad comes to visit from Paris.'cause he's French. Yeah. And he's really wonderful and supportive and kind. They have a baby shower, all of that good stuff. And at the end of the book, they have the baby, and then in the epilogue it jumps forward, God, I think 10 years.

Kelsey 20:00

10 years or something.

Amanda 20:01

Yeah. And yeah, I think it's 10 years. And so we see Bo and win in the future. They've had several more children at this point. Two more girls. So there's three girls now, and they're living this really great life. We find out earlier in the story that Wynn has always wanted to start a camp, a summer camp mm-hmm. For children with physical disabilities. Mm-hmm. And so with the help of Beau, who has a fair amount of money and this kind of angel investor she is able to get this camp up and running. And so when we see them 10 years in the future, she is the director of this really successful summer camp. Bo has quit his job and is like a full stayat home dad and is just living the dream with his girls. And yeah. So it has a very sweet, happy, uplifting ending and yeah. That's essentially it.

Kelsey 20:49

Yes, it is in

Amanda 20:50

a nutshell.

Kelsey 20:51

Yeah. The story is very focused on the pregnancy journey. It is. And then of course, them falling in love. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. Thank you Amanda.

Amanda 21:00

You're so welcome.

Kelsey 21:02

So what were the things that you really liked about the book?

Amanda 21:07

Yeah. I, whenever I read romance at this point, I go into with the mindset of like, oh, this is going to be something sweet and uplifting and heartwarming. Mm-hmm. And that's what I'm expecting. And I think that this book checked all those boxes. I wasn't going into it looking for a bunch of like crazy plot twists, or yes, I, or something that's like in something incredibly like emotionally devastating, although that can happen sometimes in romance. And so I think because it met my expectations, I liked it. I. Enjoyed the relationship that Wynn and Beau had. I thought it was really healthy and respectful. I do love good banter and I thought there were some really, fun one-liners in there. I think the whole conversation where Caleb, so remember Caleb is Sarah's wife. So her best, or Caleb is Sarah's husband. Yes. And Sarah is Wynn's friend. He has been secretly going to B's d and d nights.

Kelsey 22:08

Yes.

Amanda 22:08

And not been telling his wife.'cause he is like so ashamed. He is like, she's gonna make fun of me for being such a nerd. And Wynn obviously finds out because he comes over to B'S house for d and d and they have a really funny conversation. So I enjoyed the humor in the book as well. I of course love the fact that it's giving space for disability representation.'cause I was reading it and then I was thinking to myself, I'm like. When was the last time? Or have I ever read a book with a character, with a limb difference? And I was really struggling. I'm assuming I have at some point, but nothing came to mind. And yeah. If it did, it may have been like a soldier who, lost a limb in a battle or something, but it wasn't like a main character and it wasn't really a significant part of the story.

Kelsey 22:57

Yeah.

Amanda 22:57

And having an author with a limb difference, write a story about characters with limb differences, I think was a really good window for me. And it provided space for her to, talk about some of the challenges that folks with physical disabilities have and how it impacts how they move to the world and view themselves, which we can talk about in a little bit. I. Also liked the fact that she was really intentional. So at the very beginning of this book, there's an author's note where she one provides a list of content warnings for folks, but two also talks about, her she talks about abortion and like she makes it really clear yes, in this setting win chooses to have the baby, but also it would've also been just as valid if she chose not to. And so she's like very clear I'm not trying to, push either idea down someone's throat. Like it's just that, yeah. She had the ability to choose and this is something that she fully 100% chose for herself. And someone else in this situation might have been like, no, this is not the time or the place. Mm-hmm. So I like that she made a point. Very thoughtful. Yeah. Was very thoughtful and intentional. And like looking at my list over here I really did like B'S dad. They had such, so. bo's mom passed away. She took her own life. Mm-hmm. Pretty soon after Bo was born, she was not someone who really wanted to become a mother. And she really struggled it sounds like, with like maybe postpartum depression and it wasn't really caught or handled well. So it really has just been Bo and his dad growing up. And you don't always see in books, romance or otherwise, a lot of books that dive into father-son relationships Yeah. And show them in a way that's really healthy where they're both able to be like vulnerable and emotionally open with each other and like mm-hmm. It was just really beautiful. And yeah, I don't often encounter that in books that I read. So it was really great to see like a healthy, loving, vulnerable father-son relationship even as an adult son and father.

Kelsey 24:58

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 24:58

Dynamic. Because Bo, which I didn't say in the summary, Bo lost his leg due to bone cancer and so mm-hmm. He's also been through a lot of his own challenges.

Kelsey 25:09

Yeah.

Amanda 25:09

And he was like this like really athletic guy and to have that all taken away from him and, lose a part of himself and have to make that adjustment.

Kelsey 25:18

Yeah.

Amanda 25:19

Yeah. And I think the last thing I'll say is that I really did enjoy the 10 year time jump at the end. Like I could see some folks maybe not liking that, but

Kelsey 25:26

mm-hmm.

Amanda 25:26

It was just really cool to see the way that their life and their love continued and to like building this full on family with two other kids and getting to see win, become this confident, accomplished woman, like living into her fullest self. Mm-hmm. Especially seeing where she started the novel. Yeah. Really lost and directionless and. She'd been in a really tricky relationship before and it really had just decimated her self-worth.

Kelsey 25:53

Totally.

Amanda 25:54

So it was nice for it to Yeah. End on such a high note. Yeah.

Kelsey 25:59

Yeah. That last scene was very cute with all the kids like talking and yeah. Everything it was, yes.

Amanda 26:06

Yeah. And I love the fact that even though they're all little girls, Uhhuh, they all have like little boy nicknames, so like August, what was it? Joey goes by Gus. Yeah. Joanna or whatever goes by Joey that, I can't remember what the other one is called. But they all and even Win a Fred, so he often called Bo will call her Fred,

Kelsey 26:23

right?

Amanda 26:24

Mm-hmm. So I just thought, I thought that was cute as well.

Kelsey 26:27

Yeah. I really loved the friendship between Sarah and

Amanda 26:31

Wynn. Yeah,

Kelsey 26:33

She got her, she

Amanda 26:35

mm-hmm.

Kelsey 26:36

Has known her entire life. Mm-hmm. It was like their moms were friends.

Amanda 26:39

Yeah. So their moms both got pregnant when they were like teenagers

Kelsey 26:45

mm-hmm.

Amanda 26:46

And raised their babies together. So it was like, yeah. They had this little foursome and so yeah. They've known each other literally since infancy. Yeah. Yeah. And grew up together.

Kelsey 26:56

And so that relationship was really sweet and obviously mm-hmm. She was also very close with Caleb as well.

Amanda 27:03

Mm-hmm.

Kelsey 27:04

So yeah, I loved that dynamic. Yeah. Was there anything that you did not like?

Amanda 27:09

There were, but really quick before that. I think the thing with Sarah too, that I liked, and you don't always see, I mean, you see it more often now, but they're the same age and Sarah like very clearly. Does not want children. Yes. And I love when books do that because I think still in our society, there's just this underlying idea that women should want children and women should want to be mothers. And if you don't, there's something inherently wrong with you. And so to see a woman who's like perfectly happy and confident in her choice to be childless and to just enjoy life with her and her husband was really refreshing. And it was like, it was a nice counterpoint, I think to win's storyline too, because I could see people reading this book and be like, oh, of course, here we go. Yes, everybody wants to be a mom. And like, you know, and it's like, no, that's not true for everyone.

Kelsey 27:53

Yeah.

Amanda 27:53

And so I, I like that there was that represenation as well.'cause that's important.

Kelsey 27:59

Yeah, there were a lot of positive things going on

Amanda 28:01

Yeah. In

Kelsey 28:02

the book.

Amanda 28:02

Yeah. The, because even

Kelsey 28:04

messages,

Amanda (2) 28:05

like speaking of messages, so there is this mm-hmm. There was a part in the book where when is talking about, so basically. You know, Folks with physical disabilities, obviously are human just like the rest of us. And they just want to be mean, mean, seen, and known and understood. Just like any other person who has all of their limbs and perfectly functioning, and what happens a lot of times and like when hits the nail on the head when she's like, if someone with a disability accomplishes something great. Mm-hmm. They want to be celebrated because they did something good and it's impressive not because like, oh my gosh, you don't have a leg. And you also did that Exactly. Despite this oh my god, it's that much more amazing. Yeah. And like on the flip side of that, if they do something bad or something doesn't work out, they also don't wanna be pity oh, it's because of this. Like you, yeah. They're like, we just want to be recognized. For our worth and our talents. And our skills and our people as like our full selves. Mm-hmm. And I will never forget, I watched this TED talk, this was years ago, back when I was doing more DEI work and I'm gonna misremember the term that she used. But it basically was like, there was this woman who, I don't remember what her particular disability was, but I know that she was wheelchair bound and her whole Ted talk was essentially about inspiration porn she basically was saying that people who have fully abled, who are

Amanda 29:39

fully,

Amanda (2) 29:39

fully abled

Amanda 29:40

fully,

Amanda (2) 29:40

fully

Kelsey 29:41

abled, abled,

Amanda 29:41

Bob Bo, able bodied, thank you. People who are able bodied. They will often look at folks with physical disabilities and put them on this pedestal. And they're like, oh my gosh, you're such a great person. Just because you get up every day and you like cook yourself breakfast and you have a job. Like you are just amazing. And she's like, Nope, I'm just a normal person getting up and making myself breakfast and going to work. And yes, it reminded me of that where, she's like, I don't wanna be either glorified or worshiped for doing the basic things that everybody else is doing. And I also don't want to feel, pitied or dismissed if I missed the mark on something. Yes. And I was so glad that Hannah included that in this book because that is a really big part of the lived experience, unfortunately, for folks with with disabilities of all kinds. Mm-hmm. So I did really like that. It was, like I said, it was definitely, a window for me. And I think the other thing too was there's a scene where WIN and Bo are at their 20 week ultrasound.

Kelsey 30:44

Okay.

Amanda 30:44

And they realize that, the baby that she's carrying is like fully healthy, fully formed, everything is where it's supposed to be. Mm-hmm. And they both are then grappling with, obviously they're happy.

Kelsey 30:59

Yeah.

Amanda 31:00

But Win has this whole moment where she's like, oh, like one, my kid is gonna have a different experience than I am. Yeah.

Kelsey 31:06

Mm-hmm.

Amanda 31:06

And that makes her understandably feel some kind of way. Mm-hmm. And then she's also like, who I am as a person, like my level of empathy and understanding and resilience. A lot of that came from having to live with,

Kelsey 31:19

yeah.

Amanda 31:20

A disability. And now I'm gonna have to be really intentional. About teaching my kid those things. Yeah. And really deeply, like mm-hmm. Making sure they're deeply ingrained. And I loved that.'cause again, not something that a lot of people necessarily think about if they're able bodied. That doesn't even cross your mind. Unless it's the opposite where like you're in your ultrasound like, oh my gosh my kid might have X, Y, Z. Yeah. Um, Different. And so I like, yeah yes, not a lot, quote unquote happens in this book plot wise, but I think a lot happens in terms of the message, the

Kelsey 31:48

emotional depth that,

Amanda 31:49

and the emotional depth that is there. And I personally think that's why Hannah wrote it. I don't think she was like trying to write this crazy plot driven book. I think she was just like, I want a place to share this love story that looks a little bit different, but also is gonna gimme a chance to talk about things that are important to me.

Kelsey 32:06

Yeah.

Amanda 32:06

Yeah. And

Kelsey 32:07

we get an insight into how these people are feeling. Mm-hmm. Or what someone with a limb difference might be feeling in these instances. Yeah. And so that's interesting that you bring that up too, because it's something that I've thought about. Yeah. Not around limb differences. Yeah. But just my kids are not gonna struggle as much as I had to as a kid. Mm-hmm. And it's just interesting to think about that, it could go this like whole other direction where, they are spoiled and Yeah. Ungrateful da. But if you, but you have to be really intentional about

32:39

Yeah.

Kelsey 32:39

Teaching those things.

Amanda 32:40

Yeah.

Kelsey 32:40

cause yes, we're gonna give them a more comfortable life and here's how we can build these other skills. Yes. Yeah.

Amanda 32:49

Yeah. It's very true think ex exactly like how you're gonna raise them and what values you're gonna instill into them. That doesn't just happen. Yeah. You have to, yeah, like you said, you have to be really intentional about it. And yeah, I like that they brought that up and. Before I switch to the negatives, the other thing I'll say is I've mentioned this a couple of times'cause it's happened in a couple of books you've had me read. Oh, what And I don't, I at this point, I dunno if it's enough to be considered a tr like a trope or like a motif. But once again, in this book we have the MMC like braiding, the FMCs hair.

Kelsey 33:24

Oh.

Amanda (2) 33:24

And it gets me every time anytime like a guy knows how to do hair, I'm just like, especially if it's like a straight, heterosexual man, I'm just like, that's really hot. I dunno. Good on you. And obviously he goes on to have a couple daughters, so it's great that he knows how to do hair. Yep. But I did love that. And I love a hot nerd, like that's hot nerds have a special place in my heart. So I loved that Bo like very much fit the bill

Kelsey 33:52

nice.

Amanda 33:52

But yeah, I, in terms of things I didn't like there were a couple. Of points in the book where I felt like Hannah was trying too hard. And I have two different examples. One is I felt like she tried really hard to drive home the point that when really is like the ideal, like average woman, she's for a romance novel. Like she's, she's not too perfect. She's not too slim. She's a very average, we should all like, see ourselves and win. And so I actually have this quote from the book Okay. That I just falls like too on the nose. So this is the quote, quote, my arms and back are strong and sculpted from years of training and butterfly and breaststrokes, but my hips and stomach hold the pleasure of a well fed, comfortable woman. I don't try to force my body to be something private. To be something I, there's a typo there. It just is, and I like it enough as is. And again, nothing wrong with obviously celebrating women's bodies as they are, but I think anytime, mm-hmm. An author tries to be like, too on the nose or is more telling versus showing it, I don't know, it just rubs me the wrong way. It's like, oh, okay I see what you're doing here and I like, don't want to see it. So obviously that you're like actively trying so hard to do this. Mm-hmm.'Cause she also, there was another quote too. I've got one more where I, once again, I feel like she's like telling instead of showing, so this is a slightly longer quote, this is from, again, from Win's perspective quote, I like most women my age have learned to hate myself just enough to appease others. If you're too fond of how you look, you're told you'll be unlikable labeled as self-involved, egotistical or stuck up. But it's purposeful pitting us against one another. Consumerism demands. We remain unsatisfied with our appearance. If we all liked ourselves, dozens of industries would crumble. Like Babylon. We have to want a solution to whatever, or however many problems plague us in order to keep those factories running. To keep money in men's pockets sounds like. Okay. Alright. We get it. What you're saying is 100% accurate and also now I feel like I'm reading a pamphlet, it's getting very. Like preachy and up on your soapbox and there's absolutely a time and place for that.

Kelsey 36:04

Not

Amanda 36:05

your

Kelsey 36:05

style.

Amanda 36:06

Yeah. It just. If in fact Wynn thinks those things and feels those things mm-hmm. I would've much rather seen that play out in a scene. Mm-hmm. Or like in the, in dialogue versus let me just take a paragraph and talk about, my, the author Hannah, my perspective on our consumerism and like the beauty industry or whatever. Mm-hmm. It just felt too, it felt a bit jarring.'cause you're like reading along in this novel and then all of a sudden it's like, wait, let just take a beat and spend a page where I can just expound upon, you know, where I think you Sure. A skilled author is able to like, weave that in, so that you get the same point across without feeling like, oh wait, we just stopped the story so that you can Yeah. So that you can preach at us. I thought it was a little clumsy sometimes her handling of that. Mm-hmm. I think

Kelsey 36:52

that's fair.

Amanda 36:53

Yeah. I, I didn't have a whole lot of other things. I think, I.

Kelsey 36:59

I'm gonna bring it up if you don't bring it up.

Amanda 37:01

Oh, okay. Go ahead. Okay I've got two more things to I you

Kelsey 37:04

say.

Amanda 37:04

Okay. So the only other two things I have to say I guess there's three, but they're all really short. One is I did not like the fact that the book started off with a smut scene. Like I know folks who love Spice and SMT might've enjoyed, I was like, wait, I gotta warm up first. I gotta

Kelsey 37:19

hold on,

Amanda 37:20

gimme like 10 chapters. Get to know these people. Good lord. So that was just like a slap in the face, right? As soon as they opened the book for me, I know for other folks that would not be an issue. Two is that, and maybe this is just the cynical, jaded part of myself, but reading this book, I was just like, is this kind of love actually real, like it there were points where it just felt like. Way too good to be true.

Kelsey 37:47

Yeah.

Amanda 37:47

And everything was just like too perfect, too good, too sweet, too nice. Bo was just this perfect, flawless man, and like his worst flaws that he wanted to get her a bathtub, it's just like I, yeah. So I did struggle a bit with that because it felt too, like I said, it just felt too perfect.

Kelsey 38:07

I actually felt him pushing things on her to try to like, take care of her, I actually didn't like that as much. Okay. Because she was like, no, I don't want these things. Yeah. And he's like, you need these things. Yeah. And he was not able to hear those concerns and it was just glossed over in the end, I feel because she's just made to accept all of these gifts that she feels uncomfortable with.

Amanda 38:33

They do have that whole conversation where she's like, I'm not comfortable doing this. You're not allowed to get me gifts over$50 anymore. And he does agree. And then we don't really, what

Kelsey 38:41

point did he agree?'cause there was like a lot.

Amanda 38:44

So this was after, this was near the end of the book. This is when she finds out about the bathtub, like he's getting a bathtub and sold in his house or in their house now. Mm-hmm. And she's like, I can't believe you didn't tell me that you're gonna do this massive, change to a bathroom just for me. Yeah. And he's like, well, you know, as you said, I think you needed it. I blah, blah, blah, blah. And then they have a whole conversation. She's like, I don't like this. I feel like you're not listening to me. She's like, you can only get me gifts, especially surprises that are$50 or less. And he does agree to that, in that conversation. But

Kelsey 39:13

then he does like the whole investment of her business. But that was that really asking her.

Amanda 39:19

But that No, but they talked about that because he's like, I have all this money. And she's like, where did this money come from? And then he tells her and she's like. oh, like it didn't sound like she was upset about that.'cause the other guy also invests. But Yeah, he does. Certainly.

Kelsey 39:32

Yeah.

Amanda 39:33

I think he can come off maybe as a bit overbearing. Like I know what's best. Mm-hmm. And I have the funds to take care of you. But even that is still framed like, oh, but he's just like this nice guy who's like willing to do whatever he can to be a good dad and ultimately a good husband. So it's, still not framed as like a horrible thing. A horrible thing. Yeah. And they don't even really ever get like in any real fights

Kelsey 39:56

mm-hmm.

Amanda 39:56

At any point, like about anything with any real stakes

Kelsey 39:59

yeah. And that's unrealistic.

Amanda 40:01

Yeah. And I think that's why I liked, some of the other books that you've had me read like, before I let go by Kennedy Ryan or even say, you'll Remember me by Abby Jimenez. Yeah. Because I do feel like the stakes were a bit higher in those books. There was a bit more grit. Mm-hmm. And it was a little less sugary sweet, I think, than this book.

Kelsey 40:19

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Amanda 40:19

That's

Kelsey 40:20

true.

Amanda 40:20

Yeah. So yeah. The third thing was, which wasn't necessarily like a reason why I didn't like the book, but at one point in the novel when Wyn and Bo are like living together in both house mm-hmm. Wyn is like on a fairly regular basis masturbating and is unaware that Bo can hear her Yes. At night. Mm-hmm. And so at one point he's tells her that he can hear. Mm-hmm. And like it's just so utterly mortifying. I was like, if I was in that situation, I don't even know. It would be

Kelsey 40:47

so mortifying

Amanda 40:48

how I would respond. Especially'cause like when she's masturbating, she like will often say his name. And so I just thought that was such a mortifying scene. And

Kelsey 40:56

I actually really love that he told her because it was like an uncomfortable moment. But there's a communication in there where he's like, well, would you rather me just like. Not tell you and hear you still no.

Amanda 41:11

Yeah, I

Kelsey 41:12

would. Yes. Nobody wants that.

Amanda 41:14

Oh God. So embarrassing.

Kelsey 41:19

It's, but okay. I'm really surprised you didn't talk about,

Amanda 41:22

oh

Kelsey 41:23

Bo and his giant penis.

Amanda 41:27

Oh, I, okay. Look, when I'm reading smut scenes, I try to read them very lightly. I like to just

Kelsey 41:36

yes,

Amanda 41:37

they go give what I can skip. So I'm sure I missed the finer points of

Kelsey 41:43

his. Remember, it was just such a like point that was made in the book. And then also, I'm pretty sure there was a part where they were joking about her using her small hand, and it was just like, yeah,

Amanda 42:00

it was a whole thing. Oh, that I do remember. That. I remember. And I do remember like she and Sarah have a conversation about the size of it.

Kelsey 42:06

Oh yes.

Amanda 42:07

At some point. And like she's

Kelsey 42:08

keeps going. She's

Amanda 42:09

yeah, are

Kelsey 42:10

you serious? Yeah. I don't know what the length is of what they were

Amanda 42:13

talking about, but which drives crazy because like it, I actually think I sent you the TikTok video or the, it was an Instagram reel of the woman who was like she was reading a romantic novel and Uhhuh the, one of the lions was like, it was so big, like she couldn't even wrap both of her hands around it. And so then she goes to her kitchen and she's like wrapping her hands. Around different things. A pickles like a jar, it's like

Kelsey 42:37

that.

Amanda 42:37

So that is not humanly possible. Like the only

Kelsey 42:41

time purple,

Amanda 42:41

anything that large is getting in or out is a baby coming outta your vagina. You know what I mean? What woman is like, yes, put that bad boy,

Kelsey 42:49

put

Amanda 42:49

that pickle jar inside of me. Like I and sh like every romance novel, romantasy novel that I have read, they're always huge. And it's actually really annoying because it makes women think across the board and it doesn't make

Kelsey 43:07

me think

Amanda 43:07

that bigger is better and I cannot remember which female comedian had this in one of her like standup bits. But she was talking about how actually what you want is a good fit. Yes. And depending on what you've got going on and what he's got going on. If you're in a heterosexual relationship Yeah. Um, Size. There is no like one size fits all. No. And bigger is in fact not always better. And sometimes bigger is actually really uncomfortable, worse or painful or worse. Yes. So it's like finding what works well for the two of you versus just like being on the hunt for the biggest dick. And I think that's just such a really problematic. I don't even, stereotype's not the right word, but message that we see everywhere. Mm-hmm. And I'm really

Kelsey 43:50

surprised to see it in

Amanda 43:51

this I know. Book hoping we'd be spared.

Kelsey 43:54

Like it was a little weird. It didn't,

Amanda 43:55

yeah.

Kelsey 43:56

It didn't feel like it matched up. No. I don't know.

Amanda 43:59

I wonder if she was like trying to. Appeal to the broader romance audience. Yeah. Who does have that expectation,

Kelsey 44:08

or I wonder if it was the publisher

Amanda 44:11

and they were like, it's too small. Make it bigger, couple more inches

Kelsey 44:18

because you don't know what happens. And we,

Amanda 44:20

yeah. The editor was like, actually,

Kelsey 44:22

this is how we're gonna go with this.

Amanda 44:24

Yeah. Yeah. But I, like I said, I tend to try and like skimo or like speed through those parts because I'm like, okay, yeah, great, glad you're getting it on. And it's, I'm

Kelsey 44:33

having fun,

Amanda 44:34

it's interesting. And

Kelsey 44:35

making a baby

Amanda 44:36

they already made one, but

Kelsey 44:37

at the beginning,

Amanda 44:38

yes, I did because, I have never been pregnant. I'm not currently pregnant, and I,

Kelsey 44:42

mm-hmm.

Amanda 44:43

I think there's something in my mind, and maybe this is like me just not. Knowing or just being more of like a prude maybe. But I'm just like, if I was eight months pregnant, would I want my husband to be like roughly fucking, because that happens in this book, y'all like, she likes it rough. And they talk about that, and I'm just like, is that, I don't know. Like I look to each their own and maybe that's fine, but I'm just like, I can't imagine if I was eight months pregnant and just like sore and achy and my ankles are swollen. I'm just like, I don't, I'm just, can I just rub my feet? Feet? Like I don't wanna get bent over the side of something, that family wouldn't

Kelsey 45:22

let you.

Amanda 45:24

Literally I'm just like this so those scenes at the end where they're like having sex and it's like a month before the baby's born. I'm like,

Kelsey 45:29

oh my God.

Amanda 45:30

I really struggled with those sex scenes.'cause I was like, maybe I'm just like a little old school bar and I'm just too prudish. But I'm like, this is

Kelsey 45:38

weird. For sure. That's a good question. I think I've heard from women like the third trimester, it's like nobody wants to be

Amanda 45:47

No. Yes. Like

Kelsey 45:48

you're just a

Amanda 45:48

couple all the time.

Kelsey 45:49

Yeah. But I couldn't tell you'cause I'm not there yet. But yeah, it was an interesting reread because now I am pregnant. Yeah. And I actually, I was like, I, every woman's experience is different. Sure. But she was like talking about how she was like throwing up and getting sick. Mm-hmm. But then just going into. Life and like doing things. And I was like, yeah, I was that sick and I didn't wanna do shit. Yeah. I was literally at home.

Amanda 46:19

Yeah.

Kelsey 46:19

Like not seeing people.

Amanda 46:21

Yeah.

Kelsey 46:21

I was like, how is she going socializing with fucking folks? I'm like, yeah, okay. Maybe. Yeah. That just feels unrealistic to me

Amanda 46:29

because she had a different experience.

Kelsey 46:31

Yes. But because she also talked about her actively vomiting throughout first trimester. So Yeah. Anyway, that was my only thing that

Amanda 46:39

I was like, that's

Kelsey 46:39

eh,

Amanda 46:40

it's, I for folks who are new to the podcast or didn't listen to her intro episode, I come from a really big family, so I have six siblings and so there was always babies at our house. My mom was like always pregnant and it. I think it, it varied, depending on the kids. Like sometimes it was like, yeah, she would be, or could be like throwing up, but then going about the rest. So it wasn't like persistent nacho words. It sounds like you were like nauseous, like pretty All the time. Yeah, all the time. And so for 24

Kelsey 47:04

7.

Amanda 47:05

And so for, I think for some people it's truly like morning sickness and you like do your thing and then you're good to go. Mm-hmm. For the rest of the day. And some folks it's like it's all the time or it's intermittent. So I do think there's some variety, but. Yeah. Generally the first trimester is

Kelsey 47:18

just, yeah. I also think too thinking about your mom. Yeah. Like when you have a child already

Amanda 47:25

Yeah.

Kelsey 47:25

And you're pregnant.

Amanda 47:27

Yeah.

Kelsey 47:27

You respond differently to the environment because you just have to keep going.

Amanda 47:31

Oh yeah. There is no, no downtime.

Kelsey 47:34

Yeah.

Amanda 47:34

Until your children are old enough to take care of the other children. Sure. Which ultimately happened. I could, I can speak to that firsthand as mom number two. But yeah, there isn't an option of just checking out and I remember like with one of my siblings, like she was still breastfeeding and then was pregnant with like my other siblings, so Yeah. Dang. Yeah. I know. Yeah. Wow.

Kelsey 47:56

That's so close together.

Amanda 47:57

Yeah. They're like a year and they're like, yeah. They're very close anyhow. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Did you have other things aside from that, that I didn't touch on that you wanted to. No,

Kelsey 48:08

I think I brought up what I was thinking about.

Amanda 48:11

Okay. Okay. Yeah, that's all I had to say. Like I said, it, I think if I had gone into it not knowing it was a romance novel, I would've been like, I need more, like this is, a simple story. But because I knew that's what I was and I was like, okay, I've adjusted my expectations accordingly and met those expectations I'm good.

Kelsey 48:33

Yeah.

Amanda 48:33

And I'm always gonna be a fan of like diverse representation.

Kelsey 48:37

Mm-hmm.

LITerally the Best or LITerally the Worst

Amanda 48:37

In books like always. Yeah. Okay. Then let's switch to literally the best reviews or literally the worst. We've got some good reads reviews, so I'll be reading one star. Kelsey's got five stars. Five

Kelsey 48:50

stars.

Amanda 48:50

So that means I'm gonna start, I will say that overall mine are pretty short. I have one that's a little longer.

Kelsey 48:56

Mine are pretty short too.

Amanda 48:57

Yeah, I, it's interesting'cause I think the reason why probably the book so many of the one, yeah, I think a reason why so many of the one star reviews were short is because the number one complaint was that nothing happened and it was boring. So there was like nothing to comment on, like there was nothing to review in their minds. So yeah, a lot of mine are pretty, pretty simple, okay. The first one I have is from Esther, not even 10 pages into the book quote. This is a quote from the book. I fight the urge to crawl into his lap in pur unquote. That should have been my sign to back the fuck up. I went into this blindly, but I was not prepared for 377 pages about pregnancy with a fluffy romantic subplot. Everything was so sweet and healthy. No fucking drama at all. But hold on. She had a meltdown at the end of the book because he bought her a fucking bathtub. Get a grip.

Kelsey 49:55

I'm

Amanda 49:55

sorry. That's fair. She's not wrong. It's a fluffy romance book with no real drama.

Kelsey 50:04

She's correct. Yeah. And like the thing that they fight about is that she doesn't wanna be taken care of. Yeah. No, it's,

Amanda 50:12

oh God. Yeah, she's

Kelsey 50:13

right. Interesting. Okay. My first one comes from Chan, and I guess they are they're like a paragraph each.

Amanda 50:23

Okay.

Kelsey 50:23

This book was such a delight and is probably my favorite book with the accidental pregnancy trope. I think too often authors try to do an enemies to lovers relationship mixed with accidental pregnancy for added stakes. And this. Book pointed out how unnecessary that is. I liked how down to earth and sweet this was. Hero and heroine, both wanted to be parents and had shared interests and experiences. Seeing their relationship grow was so charming and there's no third act breakup in this book. I saw someone say recently that this book feels unrealistic to them or lacks tension, but honestly, sometimes I just want something that feels safe. This book feels like a hug and feels pretty perfect for fall. Definitely worth a read. So the other side of it?

Amanda 51:12

Yeah, exactly. Like you could look at it as being boring, but you also could look at it and be like, yeah, it's safe. Yeah. And it's down to earth and it's like a warm, cozy hug and both things can be true. Okay. This is my longest one. Okay. This is from Vienna, one and a half stars crying face emoji. I just typed up a long detailed review and accidentally deleted it. So I'm gonna keep this short. Win is an insufferable idiot with the emotional maturity of a potato. Oh my God. Bo is so very clearly crazy about her and she has feelings for him, but she constantly pushes him away and says they should just be friends, even though they literally made a baby together, and she feels the same way for him. Also, she tells Bo that they can have unprotected sex because she's on the pill. Yet fails to mention that she constantly forgets to take the pill. Also, this girl was really ready to have this baby on her own while making only$20,000 a year.

Kelsey 52:09

Yeah.

Amanda 52:10

Bo is amazing. I love him. He is fantastic. A bit of a doormat for putting up with win, but he is also caring and supportive and would do anything for her despite the fact that they have feelings for each other. They have absolutely zero chemistry. The bulk of the book consists of long drawn out conversations about logistics and then their last bullet point, they nicknamed their unborn child Guss. I feel so bad giving this book a poor review because I was so excited to read a love story with disability representation. Sadly, I was so bored that I would've been more entertained reading the back of a shampoo bottle. I'm glad that other people enjoyed this so much as evidenced by the 4.4 rating, but sadly this was not for me. Okay. Yeah, go for

Kelsey 52:54

it. Wait, I forgot what she said that I was gonna comment on

Amanda 52:57

the fact that she has the emotional maturity of a potato Oh no. Her having unprotected sex and the,

Kelsey 53:02

that was hilarious. That actually I. That just, it's plop hole. I don't know. Or just stupidity, but the fact that, oh, shoot, I forgot what I was going on. Oh no,

Amanda 53:18

you go time. No, I was just gonna say like a lot of people in the one star reviews comment on, on like their frustration with her, forgetting to take the pill. But I'm like, that happens all the time. Like a lot of people forget to take their pill and that's how pregnancies happen. Like it's not some like crazy plot device. This happens. It happens guys like

Kelsey 53:39

Yes, but I, she didn't even have to put that in the book because pregnancy can happen even if you're regular with a pill. Yep. That's true. Right. And so there didn't need to be this like point of oh, she

Amanda 53:52

forgot

Kelsey 53:53

And to use a

Amanda 53:53

condom Yeah.

Kelsey 53:55

Of she knew she forgets.

Amanda 53:57

Yeah.

Kelsey 53:57

And she still was like, nah. And were like, that's dumb.

Amanda 54:01

Yeah. Especially'cause I didn't say this in the summary, but they go upstairs to this guest bedroom at Caleb and Sarah's house, during the party of sex. And they're like all hot and bothered. They like go to, grab a condom out of the drawer and there's none left. And instead of being like, oh, okay. We should probably stop. There's like, we're gonna go right ahead and Yeah. Also, I know I didn't take the pill. So Yeah, when I, in that sense, that does show the emotional maturity of a potato

Kelsey 54:25

oh. But also, yes. How did she make the decision to have this baby when she very well knows she has no financial stability to do I know that

Amanda 54:35

is, yeah,

Kelsey 54:36

that's also wild.

Amanda 54:37

It doesn't make any, and especially'cause then she's like resistant to receiving help. How? Yeah. Where Sarah and Caleb have like this massive house and no children and B'S also like, Hey, I, I'm can take care of this.

Kelsey 54:47

Yeah.

Amanda 54:48

It's it was, yeah, that part was her thinking

Kelsey 54:51

contradictory

Amanda 54:51

was weird.

Kelsey 54:52

Yes.

Amanda 54:53

But it also tracked with who she was at that point.'cause like I said, she was this like aimless, directionist fly by the seat of her pants kind of person.

Kelsey 55:01

Yeah.

Amanda 55:02

So it made sense for who she was. But also I don't like it.'cause she was like, oh, this child's gonna give my life. Meaning, I'm like, Ooh, I don't like, I actually don't like that when people are like, oh, like this child's gonna give my life meaning, or this child's gonna love me or this child's gonna fix my relationship. I'm like, Nope. Yep. And

Kelsey 55:17

be my best friend.

Amanda 55:18

Yes. I was like, no, you need to work out your own shit before you bring a child into this world. Yeah. Goodness. Okay, anyhow.

Kelsey 55:26

Okay. The reason why I chose this one is because it's written by BK Borson.

Amanda 55:31

Oh. First time caller.

Kelsey 55:34

You know when you read a book and it feels like there's a fist around your heart and stomach, Dr. And your stomach drops and your throat goes tight. Everyone needs to pay attention. Hannah is going to do incredible things. This book was stunning. I dunno.

Amanda 55:51

Oh, that was it. Oh, it, I was like waiting for more because I'm like this. This was a pretty low stakes book. I didn't feel like I was, like, my heart was in a vice. And your stomach dropped? Yeah. Based on what I was like waiting for her to finish her, her like reasoning there.

Kelsey 56:05

Okay. So yeah, I think she's just given her praise. Okay. Thanks. BK Morrison.

Amanda 56:10

All right. I do BK Morrison, so that's fine. Okay. This next one is super, super short. Okay.

56:14

Okay.

Amanda 56:15

This is from Brie. Sweet. Wholesome, and Perfect. So perfect in fact that it felt dreadfully boring. Is that, that's

Kelsey 56:23

yeah. Okay. Okay. This one is from Chloe Lies, and I actually think this is an author too.

Amanda 56:31

Yeah. I'm gonna look her up while you're

Kelsey 56:32

speaking. Did she read? Yeah. I'm gonna look it up. Let me know what she wrote. Hannah's books are such a gift, and this one feels wrapped in such a big bow of tenderness and care and sweetness. My heart could barely handle how precious it was. The number of times I choked up reading. This is obscene. I loved Win and Bo as individuals and as a couple, and I loved their growth journeys, their pursuit of healing, their bravery and their vulnerability. Their dork, ableness, their joy, their hot, yet also reverent intimacy, absolute perfection. I feel like these things are making us feel like we didn't this book so bad.

Amanda 57:18

Look is if this book

Kelsey 57:20

so hilarious

Amanda 57:20

was an ice cream flavor, it would be vanilla, right? Like it's just, it's nice, like it's not gonna knock your socks off. That's so fair. It's just, it's there and it's sweet.

Kelsey 57:29

Oh,

Amanda 57:30

also, yes, clearly is an a romance author. It looks like some of her most recent novels, or her most recent novel is happy ending. That's either came out or is coming out this year in 2026. Oh, it's coming out. It's coming out at the end of this month, March 31st.

Kelsey 57:45

Okay.

Amanda 57:47

Yeah. Okay. Alright. And my last one star review is from Hannah. I'm sorry. I really tried to like this book, but five hours in, and I find that while the writing improves between the beginning and the middle of the book, I find it flat and oddly non-descriptive. Despite the noticeable amount of adverbs and adjectives used, the characters are not that compelling to me, and the plot is not really there. There is no sense of excitement or anxiety or wonder of what is coming next. It reads very much like a middle schooler's fantasy and written with painfully un humorous, millennial jokes. I'm glad that people find this book interesting, but I unfortunately couldn't stick it out.

Kelsey 58:29

That's interesting because that's what people associate love with is this anxiety or like the butterflies, all that. It's actually, yeah, your body

Amanda 58:37

being like, I

Kelsey 58:37

don't

Amanda 58:38

feel safe

Kelsey 58:39

in a stressful environment.

Amanda 58:41

Yes.

Kelsey 58:41

Yeah, that's, so yeah, that was just interesting to hear from that person

Amanda 58:46

because because I do think. Actually, I'm like, does Wynn really ever feel truly, deeply anxious about this pregnancy? There's these teeny little moments, but yeah, she honestly is just like, yeah, this is happening. She doesn't

Kelsey 59:00

feel as. That wasn't the point of the book, I don't think, right?

Amanda 59:04

Yeah, I guess not.

Kelsey 59:05

It was like she felt anxious or upset about the limb, different about her limb difference and her child not having a limb difference.

Amanda 59:13

Yeah, that was like, but the whole unexpected pregnancy didn't throw her quite as much Uhuh as it might have some other folks yeah. Yeah.

Kelsey 59:21

Yeah. Okay. My final one also fairly short from Taylor. I want to literally lock myself in federal prison for ever giving this masterpiece less than five stars. This is one of the sweetest books I have ever read, and genuinely one of my new all time favorite romances. The book is so deeply and beautifully human, heartfelt, tender, and so real. I want to go run in circles.

Amanda 59:47

What? Just imagine like a dog. That's not much sense to me.

Kelsey 59:50

I'm like, okay,

Final Recommendation Wrap

Amanda 59:52

cool. Maybe that's what she does when she's happy. She just runs in circles. She gets the zoom music. That is a choice. Okay. We forgot to do this before the re or literally the best or literally the worst. It, what is your final recommendation for this book?

Kelsey 1:00:10

Yeah, I would say I recommend it for anyone who wants just a nice, cozy read. Yeah. You're not afraid not gonna get like much out of it. Yeah. You're just gonna listen to a book that's like cute,

Amanda 1:00:23

sweet and cute and yeah. And also if you've never read a book with characters, have limb differences, I think,

Kelsey 1:00:30

yeah.

Amanda 1:00:30

This is great too.

Kelsey 1:00:31

Worth it.

Amanda 1:00:31

Cause like I said, there are some moments where she does talk about experience and might provide you a window into a different experience. Kelsey, can you recap our socials? Oh. But are, do you recommend it? Oh yeah, that was me saying I also recommend it. That was

Kelsey 1:00:46

okay. Sorry. Yes.

Amanda 1:00:48

So I should like, yes. I also recommend this. I think also if you are a romance person and want to diversify your romance reads, then this would be a great place totally to

Kelsey 1:00:58

yeah,

Amanda 1:00:59

do that. Our book do that.

Kelsey 1:01:00

Thank you everyone for being here today. Thank you. We will see you in two weeks.

Amanda 1:01:04

Two weeks,

Kelsey 1:01:04

one, hang

Amanda 1:01:05

in there.

Kelsey 1:01:05

Just keep that in mind. Find us on social media at Lit Vibes only podcast on Instagram and TikTok and YouTube at Lit Vibes only podcast. And you can also find us, like Amanda said on Fable now where it's lit vibes only Pod dash Kelsey or Dash Amanda. And you'll, you can join our book clubs, vote on the next read. Yeah, all of those good things. And then of course, always rate and review the podcast download. If you can

Amanda 1:01:37

download

Kelsey 1:01:38

that is the, those are the numbers that like when those increase, we get more visibility. Mm-hmm. Similarly to like rating and reviewing. So we appreciate your efforts and we'll see you in two Mondays.

Amanda 1:01:51

Yeah, we'll see you in a couple Mondays. Thanks for hanging out guys. Bye.

Kelsey 1:01:56

Bye.