At just 19, Kendall Bettencourt is Hollywood’s hottest young starlet with the world at her feet – but behind the glamour and designer dresses is a girl who longs for normal.
Payton Taylor is Kendall’s best friend since childhood, and the one person who reminds her of who she really is – her refuge from the craziness of celebrity life.
With her career taking off, Kendall moves Payton to LA to help keep her sane. But Payton is hiding a secret that could make everything ten times worse. Because to her, Kendall is more than a best friend – she is the only girl that she has ever loved.
Just as they need each other more than ever, they’ll have to answer the question of where friendship stops and love begins? And find out whether the feelings they have can survive the mounting pressure of fame…
The Gravity Between Us is a daring, romantic, emotional story about friendship, love, and finding the courage to be yourself in a crazy world.
New Adult novel: recommended for 17+ due to mature themes and sexual content
Kristen is a Massachusetts-based freelance writer and editor. A member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, she holds a B.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing from Montclair State University. She also studied Music Performance with a focus on percussion instruments at Five Towns College. When not busy writing or burying her nose in books of the YA/New Adult fiction persuasion, Kristen enjoys spending time with her family, which includes two adorable Black Lab mixes and a very patient Better Half, and making electronic music. The Gravity Between Us, a contemporary New Adult Romance, is her first novel.
Good read! a facing your fears and choosing your battles kinda storyline plus it also dealt with other emotional deep stuff where one of the leading character falls for her best friend while the other could not handle all the ups & downs of whether their new found relationship will work out. This book was packed with everything from good writing to good storytelling,likable and lovable characters with great chemistry,and an ending of fluffy tear jerky reaction for everyone..recommend
p.s.-can someone tell me what happen to this author..is she around?
I bought my first lesbian novel at Border’s Bookstore in 1998. Their gay & lesbian section was tucked away in a dark corner shelf, and only had about 20 different books. The book that I purchased was the only lesbian novel they had available for sale. When I came home, I ripped out one of my large calendar pages, crafted a book cover, and took it with me to school to read in secret during recess and lunch.
Fast forward 17 years, and it feels like a completely different world. During the time that I came out, I couldn’t imagine living openly as a lesbian. I didn’t even consider the possibility of someday being categorized as “normal” because of my “alternative” lifestyle. Now, I have the chance to get married like everyone else and enjoy equal rights and protection under the law. AND I get to read my lesbian books on a small electronic device that has the ability to access and store thousands of novels. We’re living in a momentous time, folks!
The Gravity Between Us was my re-introduction to the genre. It’s written from the perspective of both Kendall Bettencourt and Payton Taylor, which provides a nice contrast to their individual experiences in exploring and defining their sexual identities. As with many coming-of-age novels in the lesbian fiction genre, there’s plenty of teenage angst, tears, and binge drinking. Come to think of it, this still happens in adulthood. The only difference is that we’re (hopefully) making better alcoholic beverage choices and instead of drowning our sorrows with Smirnoff Ice and Boone’s Farm, we’re taking shots of whiskey, or drinking a vintage bottle of Bordeaux if we grew up to be a REAL CLASSY lesbian lady.
For all the lesbians, do you remember your first girl kiss? The nervousness that you felt during the moments before, followed by fireworks and the irrefutable sense of “Oh! So THIS is what it’s supposed to feel like!”, then at the end, just wanting to kiss her again and again. This book captured those emotions, the newness of feeling, and the stumbling into uncharted territories very nicely. Kendall and Payton’s transition from friend-status to girlfriend-status didn’t feel awkward or forced; it was a natural progression that within the context of their long-established friendship, made sense. Not that love ever really “makes sense” but it makes this love story more plausible for its readers.
YA novels in the les fic genre tend to be pretty emotionally turbulent and this book was no exception. It wasn’t as heavy as Her Name in the Sky, but it did have it’s moments. If YA novels were roller coaster rides at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Her Name in the Sky would be Viper, and The Gravity Between Us would be Ninja.
I would've given this book another star if it didn't fall flat towards the end. The beginning of this book, and the build up to Payton and Kendall's eventual coming together was great. The author did a great job of describing the longing that each felt for the other, and in helping us understand why the two of them were hesitant to reveal their feelings at first.
The dialogue was crisp, humorous, believable. I liked almost all the supporting characters who were introduced. Even the entertainment industry types from Los Angeles! What more, they were memorable. That's quite a feat. The circumstances that brings them together was believable. The entertainment industry was described in such a satisfying manner. Everything just flowed so well. Which is why their declaration of love was surprisingly abrupt, and their love scenes honestly lacked sensuality and romance.
I don't get it. There should have been some stunning moments of intimacy between them, to eventually contrast how bad things would get before it became better. Instead it was a great emotional, tension-filled build up, then an abrupt declaration of love. Things fall apart rather quickly from there, with almost no pages with just the two of them. Disappointing. I think the author should have gone for it. The very likeable leads deserved it.
Also there could have been fewer pages after their final reconciliation. Some of the stuff towards the end was just fluff and should have been edited out.
Overall, a good read. Such a shame, cause it really could have been a great read.
Gay For You: The Lesbian Edition. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, the trope isn't any better or less homophobic/biphobic with ladies rather than dudes.
I had so many issues with this book, including, but not limited to: • Flat, undeveloped main characters who were so interchangeable I mixed up their names half the time • Flat, undeveloped friendship based on vague hints at childhood BFF stories, and the rich girl buying the other girl lots of expensive stuff • Flat, undeveloped relationship based on both characters thinking oh "supposed best friend's name" sure is hot and I sure would like to kiss those luscious lips! But I shouldn't be thinking this thought because she's my best friend! I better stop now. But she's so hot! every other sentence. Yes, in italics. • On that note, just generally bad and ridiculous writing • And one main character's use of the R word multiple times. Seriously Kristen Zimmer? Wow.
And then there's the blatant homophobia and biphobia that was all over this book.
Listen. There's a certain amount of internalized homophobia that comes with characters who are discovering themselves, their identities, and battling the prejudices that have been forced upon them all their lives. This book was not that. It wasn't a character saying something offensive, realizing their error later on once they understand themselves and their community more thoroughly, and then apologizing or learning better. It was a character who knows all the buzz words, but doesn't bother to know what they mean. It was a character who equates her own newfound queerness to "dirty laundry" and something you can't change like a "bad dye-job" or an "unsightly outfit." As if being queer is something inherently gross or ugly that she just has to deal with now. She also describes a bisexual girl as "jumping from one orientation to the next," a "sometimes lesbian," and "so bohemian!"
Just. YIKES.
The only thing I liked about this book? Seeing the 100% at the bottom of my Kindle when it was finally OVER.
This book had so many issues. Honestly, if it wasn't LGBT representation, I would have put it down about 10 pages in.
First, the author uses "retarded" as an adjective at least 3-5 times. This is absolutely appalling to me. And considering the little quips throughout, it's obvious that the author is up-to-date on media representation and social issues (at least for LGBT I suppose), that I just can't imagine how she would think that using this word in the manner that she did would be even close to acceptable.
Beyond that, the whole book read as mediocre fanfiction. The characters were surface level at best, the story was filled with common tropes and cliches, the flip-flopping of character view was not well executed considering they had exactly the same voice, and the writing itself just wasn't that good. The characters are incredibly immature, and at 18/19, this book reads wayyyyy more like young adult rather than new adult.
While the author tries to highlight some major issues in today's world - being pidgeon-holed in your career due to orientation, having a parent that isn't widely accepting, etc., each one was only done half-way. I think there could have been a lot of depth if the author had really put the energy into exploring the dynamic between Kendall and her mother. I felt awful at Lauren being used so badly as a poor plot device and her ridiculously immature feud with Kendall. Gunner, in his role as a beard and friend, was underutilized and showed 2 seconds of growth from gropy immature teenage boy into a guy that's willing to be walked all over.]
Overall, not a book I'd recommend unless you just genuinely just want to support LGBT authors.
This is such an amazing novel that got me hooked from page one. A really fresh and edgy addition to the New Adult genre, I think it is a definite must-read! It follows the friendship, and growing love, of Payton and Kendall, two young girls who move to the heart of the star-studded celeb-scene and have to face the battle between being who people want them both to be and who they really are.
It has all you could ever want in a book – love, friendship, conflict and a lot of glamour. It has light-hearted humour in all the right places and provides escapism into the Hollywood world of fame, friendship and love but I especially like how it does all of that and still touches on a very real subject. How it’s easy for some but not for others, figuring out who you are and accepting that person and learning that other people’s reactions should not define that. I think everyone has a little bit of that inside of them, whether it is to do with sexuality or other issues and it’s this that makes it so relatable and allows you to really get sucked in deep with the characters and their story. Does their love stand up to the increasing pressure of fame? I guarantee you won't be able to put it down until you know!
4 stars at the start. The story would draw you in. 2 stars after 1/2 part of book. 3 stars for the ending. So it was disappointing when a story that starts good and become bad after 1/2 part.
This book went right under my skin. I don't know if I really appreciate it when it happens. Till last year I would have been awake until four in the morning to read and know how this damn thing would finish, but now that I have someone (♥) checking that I get enough sleep, I had to read it a little bit more slowly.
I bought this book in January 2015 and I started reading it at the end of June 2015. For one year and a half this book was there, looking at me, silently scolding: When are you going to read me? But nope, I am one of those readers who don't really like young adults stories, so I procrastinated. At last I bought a new car, with bluetooth, and with two hours drive to and from work every day, I decided to try my first audiobook.
Before I can even realize it I was in love with both the main characters. I was in my car chuckling for their adorable shyness and their utter, all consuming, irresistible attraction to each other. The language is cute, sometimes humorous, sometimes sweet and charming, even to the point to become poetical.
Kendall is a very famous Hollywood actress while Payton is her anonymous best friend forever. Payton is just out as a lesbian, while Kendall is still figuring out her feelings for Payton.
So we have different typical lesfic themes summing up: - poor girl / rich girl, or better, anonymous girl / famous girl - friends to lovers - questinoing your own sexuality - coming out
The feelings between them are kind, sweet and sincere resulting in a myriad of little caring, thoughtful actions, as they both are essentially brave, good girls. Even moral. But as we get to communication and taking important decisions... not so. Fear comes into play, sometimes understandably, sometimes not so much. Payton has to deal with her own powerful attraction to Kendall, thinking her to be straight, and not wanting to ruin their precious friendship with a relationship that she thinks impossible. Kendall on the other hand has to face herself to admit her new, frightening feelings for her friend, her sexual attraction to another girl, and later with coming out both to her own family and worldwide, as she is a very public figure.
As we readers have access to both characters thoughts, we are all for them to get together, while incommunication and fear seems constantly to drive the story towards disaster. Angst, palpitations… I found myself screaming by myself No! No! What the hell are you doin’?
And then, because it is all so cliché they get together for a while (fiuuuuuu I breathe) and then they split again (for no sensible reason, other than to make me frustrated a little longer!)
And at last that beautiful, sensational, relieving happy end, when I found I had also shed a couple of tears.
Thanks heaven it’s finished. 4 very exhausted stars.
I don't read much romantic YA as the repetitive plots and vapid leads don't usually interest me, but this book is #1 in amazon--has been for a while now, so I thought maybe there's more to it. Turns out I was right.
The author takes the usual YA themes of unrequited love, falling for your best friend, sexual confusion and coming out issues, wraps them in an engrossing plot, throws in engaging characters and dialogue, and voila, a YA book that even adults will enjoy.
I like how the first person POV alternates between the two ladies so we get to know both of them equally well. The inner monologues are witty and often hilarious. 300+ pages here but not a dull moment. There are some angsty bits but overall, its a light and sappy read perfect for romance readers of all ages.
What happens when the line between friendship and love blurs? Kristen Zimmer's The Gravity Between Us is a daring and emotionally charged story that explores this premise and hooks the reader from page one. Kendall and Payton have been friends since childhood. Neither can remember a time when they were not there for one another. So when Kendall's life is transformed by Hollywood and its haze of glamour and perfection, her love for Payton becomes a secret she must guard. Can the two young women deal with the pressure of fame--especially when staying true to oneself feels impossible in the fame game?
The Gravity Between Us is a fantastic read--humorous, romantic and daring. Kristen's writing style is engaging and honest. In Payton and Kendall, she's succeeded in creating characters whom you care about instantly. And her portrayal of their relationship is beautifully rendered. I loved the Hollywood angle, the question of how one learns to deal with other people's reactions to same sex relationships and the idea of the zany game that is celebrity.
For me, The Gravity Between Us is a must-read new adult novel! I can't wait to read Kristen Zimmer's next book!
Review of ‘The gravity between us’ by Kristen Zimmer. Audiobook narrated by Amy Melissa Bentley and Rebecca Estrella.
This is Ms. Zimmer’s debut and, so far, her only novel. Published in 2013, was at the top of the Amazon bestselling charts for lesbian romance around that time. It’s easy to see why as new adult romances involving a celebrity seem to be a very successful trope. Kendall Bettencourt is a 19-year-old successful Hollywood actress with a very promising career. Payton Taylor has been her best friend since childhood but is secretly in love with her. Payton knows that she cannot reveal her feelings for Kendall as her romantic feelings aren’t reciprocated by her very straight best friend. Little does she know that Kendall is questioning her sexuality and feelings for Payton…
This book is written in first person from the point of view of both main characters in alternate chapters so the reader has prime access to both leads’ headspaces, their secret feelings, their fears, and their hopes. Slowly but surely, Ms. Zimmer builds up the chemistry between Kendall and Payton and their apparently unrequited feelings for each other. The story gives a good overview of the entertainment business, the apparent glamorous life and the pressure of the media on celebrities. It’s a light and entertaining read, high in romance and low in the angst department.
I’ve read this book a few years ago and rated it with 4 stars so when I saw this lesbian celebrity romance audiobook available on Audible Escape, I’ve decided to listen to it. I was surprised to see that it is narrated by two performers. Amy Melissa Bentley reads Payton’s point of view chapters and Rebecca Estrella reads Kendall’s. The narrators have very different voices and I felt a bit confused with their very different versions of the same character. I’m far from an experienced audiobook listener so I’ve asked the Lesbian Audiobook Facebook Group whether this double narrator approach was common in lesfic. Apparently not, and I wonder which were the reasons behind this decision.
While Ms. Beltley’s voice has a youthful and higher pitch quality, Ms. Estrella sounds more mature and lower which maybe would have worked better if this was an age gap romance but in this case, it was a bit disconcerting. In my opinion, Ms. Beltley’s performance sounded sometimes a bit exaggerated though I liked her teary interpretation of some dialogues. I found Ms. Estrella’s voice more pleasant and consistent and would have been my choice for the whole book.
I think that some stories come to life thanks to a good narrating performance and even make the book better, however, I’m afraid that this was not the case for me. I keep my 4-star rating for the book but 3 for the audio version. Overall, 3.5 stars.
This book is terrible. Sloppily written, there's little to no plot outside the will-they-won't-they, so the narrative just jumps from scene to scene while the MCs do an assortment of mundane things while thinking about how much they're in to one another. As such, when they finally do get together (about 71% of the way through the book) all established conflicts have been resolved, and there's absolutely no reason to keep reading.
Also horrendously biphobic - check my hilights. One of the MCs refers to a bi woman as a "sometimes lesbian" and laughs about how she didn't think bisexuality was real. When it comes to re-examining her own sexuality in light of her new feelings for her bff, she never once even considers that *she* might be bi. I'd almost think she wasn't familiar with the term...if it wasn't for her explicit biphobia later in the book.
So yeah, F--, get your f/f fix somewhere less boring and bigoted.
I’ve made it my mission to read alll the books in a certain booklist someone made and this book so far has to be the one I rated the lowest, that being said it’s because of the amount of wasted potential- 3 stars because the book felts more like a forced wattpad cliche
This is an amazing beautiful story. It really hooked me up from the start. The story of friendship, love and acceptance. I can say that the story some what touches my heart.
Where does friendship stop and love begin?
The story of friendship to love. Both characters are amazing. Payton and Kendall been friends since childhood and they share this special bond together. Payton came out being a lesbian and kendall accepts her with open arms. Then things get change Payton begins to realize her feelings to her best friend while Kendall being a newest hollywood faces, she starts to questions herself about her sexuality and her feelings towards Payton.
Falling in love with your best friend is a risk but both characters caught up in the moment and finding their selves together.
There is no sexuality in love whether your straight or gay. The important thing is you know who the person you love.
I'll definitely I recommend this book cause this is truly a wonderful story. :)
I'm not going to write some huge takedown here. I just wanted this to be so much more than it was, which was probably part of the problem. The will they/won't they loooong build up very common in F/F is very long--I think they kiss around 60%--and the ending is predictable and gets the characters out of an entirely self-created situation. Occasionally there was a real spark in the dialogue between the two--or others--that was clever/playful and showed some chemistry. But often ran toward Young Adult rather than New Adult (ugh) in its sensibilities generally, and generally mediocre prose. A LOT of "OMG! I can't believe I just said that!" like, at least four or five times, by multiple characters. Check your filters, people.
I love what you wanted to be, little book. Don't give up. More NA F/F please (since the mainstays of FF are definitely a little...older). I might not be nice, but it's because I love.
This was an excellent book, even though it is December while I am typing this and I have read 134 books so far this year (thank you goodreads for keeping track) this is easily in my top three. Even though I have been getting more and more into romance, horror is still my first love and I never would have thought a non horror novel would make my top three list. I mentioned in one of my other reviews that the reason I enjoy ya lgbt so much is that unlike a m/f romance where the couple can be in love one day and then break up the next day and nothing really changes, a same sex couple admitting their love for each other is going to change their entire lives. Everybody they know is going to look at them differently, whether it is in a positive way, negative way, or they are completely indifferent to that aspect off who they are, things are going to change. There is going to be some major obstacles to overcome and they are going to have to fight harder to be together which just makes a happy ending all that much happier, and a sad ending that much sadder. This novel took that concept to a whole new level with one of the main characters being a movie star, not only does she have to come out to family and friends but to the entire world and with no privacy at all she don't even get a chance to come to terms with who she is for herself before telling the world who she is. Everything is that much more difficult and she has to worry that much more about the consequences of her decision. How will it effect her career? And is she willing to give up the superficial love of millions for the deep meaningful love of one single person? On top of this being a great story it is superbly written, especially for a first novel. The title is what first drew me into this one, the gravity between us refers to the attraction they have to each other that always brings them back together, just like gravity is a very powerful force that you cannot see, so is their love. The characters where great, even the side characters where lovable and had lots of depth to them, by the end of the novel I felt like I knew them well enough to predict the way they would react to different situations and I was right. It takes a lot of talent for a writer to portray characters so well that you feel like you know them and predict how they would be feeling or would respond to different things, especially if it is a character you can't personally relate to. Once again I am completely blown away that this is a debut novel and I look forward to whatever Kristen zimmer puts out next.
I went into "The Gravity Between Us" without any expectations and I simply fell in love with the story and the characters in this beautifully written debut novel by Kristen Zimmer.
At its very core, "The Gravity Between Us" is a love story between two individuals who have been best friends from the time they were children. Kendall Bettencourt and Payton Taylor know almost everything about each other...except the fact that Payton is a lesbian. Once Payton shares this with Kendall, she is accepted with open arms by her best friend but then Payton begins to realize that her feelings for Kendall go beyond being "just" best friends. Aside from the crazy life she leads as one of Hollywood's latest ingenues, Kendall starts to wonder about her own sexuality and her feelings towards Payton but will acknowledging both cost her everything she's worked so hard for?
Payton and Kendall have a beautiful friendship, becoming the tried and tested anchors to one another's lives. They obviously love each other but falling in love is something that both think may be risky, possibly costing them their friendship should their feelings not be reciprocated. There are moments where you forget that they are as young as they are, what with Payton being quite mature in thinking and Kendall living an independent life in Los Angeles.
The supporting cast of characters are just as unforgettable as the leads. They are more than decorative, with most of them providing sense when both Payton and Kendall find themselves at a crossroads in their relationship. ^.^
"The Gravity Between Us" is one of my favorite reads of the year and, if this is just an inkling of how talented a writer Zimmer is, I can't wait to see what else she'll come up with in her future endeavors. ^.^ Five-plus stars for this treasure of a book!
Kendall is a A-List actress. She has been acting from a very young age and although fame has influenced her she seems to still have her feet on the ground. That is until she head to her home town for a visit and her best friend tells her she's gay. She starts to question everything! Why did Payton keep this a secret? And why does she all of sudden see Payton differently? Has she always been attracted to Payton?
Payton on the other hand has always known she's head over heels in love with Kendall. She's knows the love is unrequited and she's happy to love Kendall from afar... That is until Kendall asks her to Move to L.A to live with her. Can she really live under the same roof as the woman she's deeply in love with and can't have?
This is a great book and the first YA novel I've read. The book is written from both protagonists POV which was handled well and gave more insight into their feelings. These woman are clearly meant to be together from day one. Their relationship is already built on solid friendship foundation but when you add romance it always gets a little tricky.
I was surprised this is the first and only novel from Kristen Zimmer. It was written so well. The dialogue between Payton and Kendall was hilarious at times, check out the quote below for two very good examples!
First and foremost: The Gravity Between Us is biphobic. Personally, I have enough internalized biphobia of my own that I'm still healing from so I don't have room for any more from you, Kristen Zimmer. Fuck off with your "check one box: gay or straight" and your "sometimes lesbian" nonsense.
Secondly, this book is mediocre. The plot is reductive and the characters are underdeveloped archetypes. The writing is weak and confusing when at its best and inflammatory and offensive when at its worst.
Despite my hesitance to read new adult, I really enjoyed this one. I can't relate much anymore because I'm far from a new adult, but the strength of the book is the shifting first person, which allows us to truly get into Kendall and Payton's heads.
While the book is well written with good pacing, I didn't enjoy the readers for the audio book at all. If I ever come back to this one, it will be on my Kindle.
2 1/2 stars. Started out well, but faded into predictability by the end. Big star Kendall is the belle of Hollywood and straight and her best friend Peyton is a muso and not. Interesting story that fades, average romance.
It's like there's gravity between us - she's the only thing anchoring me to the world, keeping me from floating off into the upper stratosphere and getting lost in space.
I'm definitely reading this at the wrong time.
If I had read this book eight years ago, I probably would've appreciated it more, as this is a f/f book from 2013 with an openly queer cover. I mean, look at that. Stunning.
But now, in 2021, I just didn't really care for this. We now have the luxury of dozens upon dozens of f/f books, which I know wasn't a thing eight years ago, but that means I'm looking at this book through a more critical lens than I initially would've.
I'm always down for a good friends-to-lovers with a dash of mutual pining in there. Love it, and it's queer? The perfect formula.
Payton and Kendall have been best friends their entire lives, but Payton stayed in the shadows while Kendall rose to wild levels of fame as an actress. When Payton realizes that she's fallen for Kendall, she tries to bury her feelings as Kendall deals with her own identity in the glaring spotlight of Hollywood.
But then I remember that not everyone on the planet knows Payton. They know me, and I know her.
That's what made the book a little strange - Payton literally realizes, in chapter 2, that she's in love with Kendall. Right in the chapter. And then one day later she's quietly crying to herself that Kendall will never feel the same way. It's pretty fast.
Payton is comfortably gay. But Kendall, who's had boyfriends before, is thrown by her newfound attraction to her friend and starts to question her sexuality. Except it... it's a little odd.
First off, Kendall goes through the "What are these feelings? I'm not gay!" and tries to push everything aside. But when she started to actually ask questions, they came off a bit... biphobic? Because she's very specifically wondering if she's gay or straight without acknowledging that there are other options. But this does get addressed, actually, when Kendall is talking with a fellow celeb who has a female ex. Kendall asks if she's gay, and she responds that she just dates who she likes. Kendall is stunned at the idea of bisexuality, but she never seriously considers it herself. She never really takes a label, either, just declaring herself as being in love with Payton.
But that... that got old.
Payton and Kendall both realize pretty early on that they have feelings for one another, but they deal with it differently. Honestly, Kendall was acting so petty and jealous that I didn't really want them to end up together for a while. I get that she's acting out, but it was a lot.
Also, this book doesn't dive into the topics it mentions as much as it could. Kendall claims she doesn't want to go public with Payton because of her fear of homophobia, but we never really see any examples of where her fear lies. In the book, Kendall even stars in a f/f film that she wins an award for, so if anything she's in a good position to come out. But even if she is scared because she doesn't have a label, or she's scared for Payton, or her parents - none of it is properly addressed. The characters' motivations are still unclear.
Each bar I play is like another excruciating stab to the chest. Music. This is how I bleed.
The writing - it just wasn't great. It was very statement-like for the most part. Also, Kendall uses the r-word against disabled people three separate times (in the form of "That was so r------- of me!") and says, at one point, "I'm sort of OCD about people touching me." I know this is 2013, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth.
There were some good lines, and good character moments, such as the way Payton the one person who centers Kendall, but it never felt strong enough for me.
I understand that this book meant a lot to people because of when it came out (ha), but in 2021 I was a bit let down. I might pick up the author's other book, though - she's only written one other and it came out this year, so it might be interesting to see how her writing has changed.
The Gravity Between Us dives into the emotionally charged journey of two best friends, Kendall, a rising Hollywood actress, and Payton, a college student, as they navigate the complexities of evolving from friends to romantic partners. The book excels in portraying the nuances of friendship, celebrity life, and the struggles of self-discovery in sexuality, making it a compelling read for those new to lesbian romance. However, the transition from platonic friendship to romantic feelings could have been explored with more depth to enhance believability.
While the novel touches on serious issues such as career challenges related to sexual orientation and difficult family dynamics, these themes are not fully developed.
Despite some shortcomings in character development and plot execution, The Gravity Between Us offers a captivating glimpse into the glitzy yet challenging world of celebrity and personal identity. The dual first-person perspective provides intimate insights into the protagonists' thoughts and emotions, enriching the reader's engagement with their romantic turmoil and ultimate growth. This debut novel, with its mix of entertainment industry insights and personal exploration, is a unique new adult romance.
I listened to the new version of the audiobook, narrated by Kelly Burke and Madeline Pell. The narrators did a great job at narrating both characters throughout.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for a copy of this audiobook. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book for #ContemporaryAThon 2017 for the challenge to read a book with charaters on the LGBTQA+ spectrum. This book is based around two women coming of age and discovering how to navigate when the lines between friendship turns to love. It is also about the discovery of handling fame and being a lesbian. There was some unnecessary drama that occurs which is why I give this book 3.5 stars and not the full 4 stars. Overall, it was an enjoyable journey and I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a FF romance read.
This specific video review: (To be posted in the November 2017 Wrap Up)
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel Steph’s Rom Book Talk
Understanding your sexuality can be hard add to that being a celebrity and only 20 years old seems very stressful. Kendall and Payton are on an emotional roller coaster. I was rooting for them through the whole story. They probably handled themselves better than some adults in the same situation.
3.5 stars, rounded up because best friends turned lovers is my favorite trope and I was really in the mood for a story like this, about cute young lesbians in love.
I had some issues with how fast everything happened, especially towards the ending. There was barely time to process the smaller issues before they were solved, and the bigger issues were dealt with so quickly too that they didn't feel big enough to warrant as much drama as they did. (If this even makes sense.) Major spoilers version: