Crate Expectations

by Tia Kelly

She's been spinning the same record for years. Maybe it's time to change the tune.

For Nova James, life is vinyl records, rare sneaker drops, and a very organized system for avoiding the things she isn't ready to deal with yet. As a pint-sized force of nature, she has an eye for vintage treasures and a best friend in Deion who has an even sharper one. He spots the finds she walks past twice. He shows up before she asks and stays even when she doesn't need him to. He is the calm that steadies her whirlwind mind, the person who has always seen exactly what she missed . . . in a crate . . . in a room . . . in herself.

While Nova's head is buried in vinyl, she is completely oblivious to the fact that Deion has been harboring a not-so-secret crush on her for years. Sweet, patient, quietly confident, and endlessly loyal, he is the perfect cinnamon roll of a man and the safe place she never thought to look for. But when he finally starts to move on, Nova's world skips a beat.

Something is off, and she can't quite figure out why. And if she wants to stop losing him by degrees, she will have to stop hiding behind her system, face what has been in her heart all along, and finally get out of her own way.

Genres: Audiobook, Romance

Audible Audio

Published June 16, 2026

About the author

Tia Kelly is the author of contemporary romance and women's fiction. She is known for her candid way of capturing life's moments, one character at a time.

www.tiawithapen.com

Reviews

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ Please do not sleep on this.

I genuinely have to thank Wesleigh Siobhan and Myles Washington for putting this one on my radar, because otherwise I would have completely missed it. It popped up as an audiobook new release, I saw those names attached to the audiobook, admired the cover (and yes, please judge this book by its lovely cover in this case), and went in almost completely blind. Best decision.

At only 232 pages (<6 hours on audio), Crate Expectations somehow manages to pack an incredible amount of heart into a relatively small package. On paper, it’s a friends-to-lovers romance. If you listen closer (or look) it’s a story about grief, identity, self-worth and learning how to read the souls of the people you love. I know that sounds weird. But this book is obsessed with connection. With paying attention. With understanding that music, art, and even the spaces we create aren’t really about “products” at all…they’re about meeting people where they are and to resonate.

There is such a lovely undercurrent of nostalgia running through this story too. Records, comics, old collections, Sunday rituals, and the bittersweet awareness that things change, tastes evolve, and sometimes you can adapt all you want while still feeling like the world is moving somewhere you haven’t caught up to yet. That idea mirrors the romance. Deion and Nova aren’t lacking love. They’re orbiting each other, best friends who adore each other, but neither is quite ready until someone finally chooses to imagine a different future. Thus, and I want to set expectations straight, this is not an angsty story, the relationship isn’t built on massive misunderstandings or endless “will they, won’t they” dramatics. This is much more “two people figuring themselves out” than “everything explodes and will rip your heart out.”

There are so many little motifs and images throughout this book that carry emotional weight without screaming for attention, and I found that incredibly beautiful. Deion and his students, especially the conversations he has with Terrell were precious. Nova's attempts to find connection and solace in her late mother's vinyls collection, letters, and old recordings gave this so much more depth. Also, I really liked how Nova's journey also focused on getting to know the woman behind the mother.

It’s also surprisingly funny. Jerome had me cackling, the found family dynamics were hilarious and chaotic in the best way.

This is simply adorable. It is on the shorter side, so yes, it is lacking a bit of relationship development, and yes certain emotional beats happen quickly, and YES I wanted to spend a lot more time with them, which is ultimately a compliment!

[Lovee Lonii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute & quick listen. Giving Dre + Sid (Brown Sugar) vibes. 🥰

[Mariah Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was perfect for what I needed. It was warm and the perfect mix of best friends to lovers and showing up for one another. This was my first read by this author and I was not disappointed

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one. As a music lover—and someone who just got her first record player—I was immediately drawn to this book. The cover is what first caught my attention, and I mean... a romance centered around music? I was completely sold.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't a favorite for me, and I found it difficult to stay invested. I listened to the audiobook, as I do with many of my reads, and honestly, Wesleigh Siobhan was the main reason I kept going. I love anything she lends her voice to, and her narration made the experience so much more enjoyable.

Now, this is just my opinion, but where I struggled most was with the pacing. The story felt very drawn out. What could have been a quick novella—or even just a tighter novel—lingered on scenes that didn't move the story forward and often felt like they kept the characters in the same emotional place. I came close to DNF'ing it several times.

There was also a heavy focus on body language and character reactions. I can absolutely appreciate those details because they add emotional depth and can really drive home a character's feelings. However, I felt there were too many moments where the same emotions were expressed in the same ways instead of being developed or conveyed differently.

⚠️ Spoilers below.

Another issue for me was the overall structure. The timeline felt a little wonky at times, making it harder to stay grounded in the story.

I also wish we'd gotten more of Nova's relationship with her mom. Their connection—and the role music played in it—felt like it had so much more potential. We know their bond was incredibly important, but I wanted more backstory, more history, and more moments leading up to her mother's death that really showed how music shaped their relationship.

Instead, we spent a lot of time watching Nova and Dion refuse to admit their feelings for one another. While their romance is obviously the heart of the story, I think expanding the mother-daughter storyline could have added so much more emotional depth. Especially because Dion had been in Nova's life for years and knew her mother well—they were practically part of each other's families. That connection could have made the emotional moments hit even harder.

We hear how Nova's love of music came from watching and learning from her mom, but we only get one truly memorable scene during Thanksgiving where that connection really shines through. I wanted more of those moments.

I also have one major question, and maybe I missed something, but... what happened with the tapes Nova found? I was so interested in seeing her listen to them and discovering more about her father alongside her. That storyline felt like it had the potential to add another emotional layer to the book, but instead it seemed to get overshadowed by Nova and Dion repeatedly dancing around their feelings.

Things I did enjoy:

- Dion trying to move on. I thought that was an important turning point because it forced both of them to confront how they truly felt.
- Dion's family continuing to keep Nova close and honoring the memory of her mother.
- The way Dion and Nova understood each other through subtle shifts in body language and facial expressions. Ironically, this is where those descriptive details worked really well because they reflected how deeply these two characters knew one another.
- The ending was the best! After all the back and forth and them finally getting together Nova and Dion get their happily ever after. I LOVED Dion's proposal so heartfelt and well thought out, very tailored to Nova. It was perfect!

Overall, I finished this book because Wesleigh Siobhan's incredible narration kept me intrigued, she really brought Nova to life and because I wanted to check it off my reading list and not DNF another book. While this one didn't fully work for me, I can definitely see how other readers might connect with it differently.

If you've read or listened to Crate Expectations, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Did it work for you, or did you have some of the same struggles I did?

[Tracy]

This book had such promise. Indeed, I loved the nostalgia, metaphoric references to music, description of emotions and space, and really interesting characters. There was a poetic note to the writing (particularly about emotions and space) that I found refreshing and, unfortunately overdone. I would have preferred the story to be condensed to a shorter story or the more poetic/lyrical elements to have been paired down. As written it felt repetitive. That said, I would certainly try this author again.

[Aleshia Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crate: this book was good from the beginning of the end. I enjoyed it because it was a beautiful story about two people that knew each other from birth. I was in my feelings though because when she talked about her mother that hit home. I understood her feelings cause that's one thing you can never replace. But was afraid to admit their feelings and I like how we played out and it all ended up coming out in the ending was beautiful.

[Mignon Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll listen to anything narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan and Myles Washington but this book really did something for me. Best friends who communicate through everything but words. Nova James and her love for not only music but classics that fill a room and set the tone. Honey, she is me!

I only wish we got more into their love story. The book felt too short for such a beautiful connection.

[Kristen Jeffers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one to listen to every word of, because the yearning yearns, and when it hits the crescendo, it sings!

Another excellent co-narration by Wesleigh Siobhan!

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet and cute

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not like Brown Sugar. Y’all lied.

[Princess Queen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute Story. Honestly the narration carried this story. Wesleigh of course did her thing! The book kind of dragged until about.. 70%. I do however think it had alot of promise.

Think Brown Sugar vibes.