Parle-moi

by Josie N. Winters

Ceux qui choisissent la liberté le regrettent rarement. Toute sa vie, Elena s'est entrainée dur pour pouvoir devenir danseuse professionnelle. Depuis la mort de son grand-frère quelques années plus tôt, sa passion est son unique ticket de sortie vers une vie moins compliquée. Le jour où elle a un accident, son monde s'écroule. Alex Niessen a tout pour intelligent, talentueux et particulièrement apprécié par la gente féminine - et porteur d'un lourd secret qui le hante. Le jour où la mère d'Elena le supplie de devenir ami avec sa fille, son crush d'enfance, il n'y voit pas d'inconvénient. Alors que l'ancienne danseuse va sombrer dans le désespoir, Alex va essayer de lui rendre l'envie de vivre. Elena n'aura pas d'autre choix que devoir accepter son passé et à quel point cette tragédie a changé sa famille. Malgré des débuts tumultueux, les deux adolescents se lieront d'une amitié qui va vite se transformer en sentiments plus profonds. Mais les choses se compliquent quand les fantômes d'Alex refont surface. Arrivera-t-il à accepter qu'Elena découvre cette partie de lui ?

Genres: Romance

344 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2023

About the author

Josie Winters has been imagining stories since kindergarten. Her favourite books to write are the ones about characters with emotional baggage and quirky personalities.
When Josie’s not writing, you can find her nestled on the couch with her cats, reading swoony love stories.

Reviews

[Amee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick enemies to lovers, which fell more towards YA in some of the immaturity in the dialog and some actions by both mc’s. Pacing was a bit too fast (yes, I’m usually complaining it’s too slow) so the scene to scene transitions felt blunt. I liked the premise, and the direction the story was headed, I just think some chapters need a bit more refining than others. I didn’t care for how chapters in fmc name were first person, but Alex’s chapters were written in 3rd. Don’t know if this was intentional or not, but it didn’t work for me.
Thanks to BookSirens for this ARC in exchange for my thoughts…

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice concept and I was looking forward to reading it after reading the synopsis and seeing that the main character was a ballet dancer, however the writing could have been better, it felt unrealistic at points, especially the dialogue which didn’t flow and seem like things real people would say. I’m still confused about their relationship, I feel like that could have been explained better, especially because it mentions they knew each other when they were younger but Alex doesn’t seem to remember her brother? Towards the end I was able to get more into it, with the flow of the writing being better and a nice ending.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an advanced copy of this story. I was not a fan of this book. The characters were just super indecisive about everything in the beginning. And then BAM Alex is in love with Elena. It was advertised as a slow burn dark romance. It burned but was not dark. It talks about some dark topics, but they were glossed over (minus one incident) and the characters are not dealing with it. They are supposedly in therapy but are not actually healing from their traumas? That does not make sense. Alex was in therapy after his trauma but is still fucked up? Elena lives with her trauma and sees someone but doesn’t talk about it with her therapist? Doesn’t make any sense. But they heal each other. The power of love I guess.

[Mackenzie Grier · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I started this book I thought it was going to be the good girl ballerina falls in love with the bad boy, but I was pleasantly surprised when the ballerina turned out to have an attitude and didn’t want the bad boy’s attention.

It irked me that Alex was bugging Elena when she didn’t want him around and that she kept giving him the worst attitude. It made me wonder how a relationship was going to develop when they were at each other’s throats so much, but then as the story progressed it turned into something wonderful and they were both exactly what the other person needed.

I like that their relationship was always their own and not something others got involved with. Every time one of Elena’s friends would question their relationship, Elena would set them straight and tell them it’s between them and it’s okay if others didn’t understand.

I love that they each changed each other for the better. They both opened up and started trusting another person with their traumas and realized maybe it’s okay that someone else knows what they went through because they can help you feel better about the world and about yourself. This story has amazing character development, even if it doesn’t seem like anything is going anywhere for a while, it is worth the wait to keep reading. For a while it seemed like it was about Elena’s journey and I thought it would be about healing her injury but it was about healing both of their soul wounds and understanding how to heal from people who hurt you. They really went on an amazing healing journey together.

I would definitely recommend you give this a read if you enjoy awkward high school students learning to trust another person and falling in love along the way.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Callie Rae]

i realllyyy hope this isn’t spicy cause the FMC is a ballerina and I love ballet and want to read more books with Ballet FMC’s.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pour les francophones:

J'ai vraiment aimé ce (premier) livre de Joséphine Nicolas! Surtout l'humour et le sarcasme me plaisaient beaucoup. Ce livre est aussi encourageant pour ne pas quitter tes rêves! Le livre a parfois été un rollercoaster d'émotions. À l'autre côté, je pense que ce livre peut aussi encourager des (jeunes) personnes à parler des autres quand ils ne se sentent pas bien dans leur peau. J'aime absolument le style d'écriture. 

P.S.: À Joséphine Nicolas: Maintenant, je sais finalement ce que tu mettais sur papier. J'attends déjà avec impatience le prochain livre! 🙂

Voor de Nederlandstaligen:

Ik heb echt genoten van dit (eerste) boek van Joséphine Nicolas! Vooral de humor en het sarcasme vond ik geweldig. Verder vind ik ook dat dit boek je aanmoedigt om je dromen niet op te geven! Soms was het boek ook een rollercoaster van emoties. Aan de andere kant denk ik ook dat dit boek (jonge) mensen kan aanmoedigen met anderen te praten wanneer ze zich niet goed in hun vel voelen. De schrijfstijl vind ik heel aangenaam.

P.S.: Aan Joséphine Nicolas: Nu weet ik eindelijk waarover je hebt geschreven. Ik kijk al uit naar het volgende boek! 🙂

[S.A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I was expecting for this. But I think I got what I was expecting…?

I know, I know, that makes no sense! But in a way it does. This was a heartfelt story, about the two main characters who come to find each other (with the help of a mother) and help each other through life, past their troublesome backgrounds and, most importantly, find love.

I sincerely enjoyed this book. I just feel as though, perhaps Elena and Alex’s background could have been describe in more detail, gone into more depth, to really emphasise their moving on. Also, this was not a full length novel, lasting around 164 pages.

However, I did love their journey from friends to lovers, it is a slow burn, which is honestly. Just. Perfect! Also I always love when characters are surrounded by friends and those who support them and love them. I would highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates reading a good love, but also slightly depressing, story. Xoxo…

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. —> thanks so much for this amazing ARC!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Solid 3.5🌟
This was a compelling story.
I found Elena and Alex as individual characters very captivating, specifically, with their background and arc through this novel.
However, I believed the pacing of it all was all over the place. Some parts were engaging and page turning and some others felt repetitive and dragging.
I liked how the romance was built, would have love to see a bit more of their childhood friendship so it could go in parallel with their newfound one.

[Kelia Ruewen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comment décrire ce livre ?
C'est une histoire entraînante, qui prend le lecteur dans cet univers sans difficulté. On s'attache facilement aux personnages, et le caractère de ceux-ci est bien approfondi ! J'ai vraiment apprécié de pouvoir suivre l'évolution des pensées de la protagoniste au fil du livre, avec une situation éprouvante qui est surmontée avec courage. Cela donne de l'espoir, et redonne confiance en chacun.
Merci beaucoup Joséphine pour cette belle et émouvante lecture !!

[Krishna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I will give this 3.70 stars!✨
I found the concept really interesting.Their journey from friends to lovers was sweet, and I liked how they supported each other till the end.But I felt like the pacing was a bit fast, and I would’ve liked more backstory on the characters to really connect with them. It was good overall, but with a bit more depth, it could’ve been even better. 🤍💖

[Susete Kunkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Alex 🥹.

This follows the heartfelt story of Elena and Alex. After Elena suffered an accident, life brought Alex to her life.

This is a slow burn. Both teenagers have trauma to overcome. I was literally crying only 30% in.

Loved seeing their friendship involve and their characters development.

[Sanaaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, thought it had a great plot, and was very interested. A problem I had with the book was that it bounced around a lot and was hard to keep track of at some points, but it was overall a good book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Chia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josie N. Winters crafts deeply human characters whose vulnerabilities make their connection feel authentic and compelling. The romance blossoms amidst real-life challenges, and the emotional stakes are beautifully handled. Being able to read it thanks to BookSirens was such a privilege—it’s the kind of story that sticks with you in the best way.

[Eve Kingston]

ARC Review

My very first time to write review at book sirens, i honestly love the book, it was incredible, i don't know how i can express i how felt. it got me into exciting mood, i loved how it kept me hooked with finding out more from the 2 characters. Thank you for writing such lovely book author josie N. Winter's

[Bayley Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free from Josie and BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.75

This book felt so warm and cozy and the way the characters helped each other however I feel we need a little bit more backstory on the characters

[Michaella GEENS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Made me spill a few a tear here and there, love the sarcasm.
Very nice debut.

[Zee · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ ARC Review ✨

📚: Tell Me Everything by Josie N Winters

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐. 5

• 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 •

Tell Me Everything follows the story of Elena, as she navigates life after an accident that shattered her dreams, and Alex—who seems to have it all: looks, talent, and attention—yet carries a heavy secret. As the two begin to spend time together and grow closer, long-buried truths slowly come to light.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I absolutely loved Elena and Alex as characters—and especially their relationship—there were a few moments that felt a bit off to me. I’m not sure if the way they processed their trauma was realistic, but their lack of proper communication was frustrating. There were also times when their behavior didn’t quite reflect their age; it didn’t always feel like they were 17 or 19.

That said, despite their frustrating moments, I genuinely adored them both. Alex, with his green-flag energy, completely stole my heart. And Elena’s strength, especially in the face of everything she’s been through, was something I really admired.

This easily could’ve been a five-star read if the characters had felt more age-appropriate and communicated more openly. Still, it was a touching, emotional story that I’m glad I read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.