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In the Silence
Resulting from a near drowning incident as a child, Bellamy Lawrence lives with the effects of a traumatic brain injury, including profound hearing loss. Ostracized by her family, Bellamy expects to spend her adult life alone, illustrating children's books in the solace of her Rittenhouse Square apartment with her service dog, Otis. But a spilled cup of coffee, and a chance meeting with local radio host Sofia Reyes turns every expectation Bellamy had for her life upside down, as she finds herself thrust into a whirlwind romance she never believed possible.
279 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2017
11 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Jaimie Leigh McGovern
1 book33 followersFrom the age of five, Jaimie knew that she wanted to write. Moving back to her native Long Island, New York, after nearly nine years of working as a nanny in New York City, she returned to her roots, both in location and life ambitions.
As a queer woman, Jaimie saw a void in fictitious love stories between two women that had a happy ending, and penned In the Silence to fill an empty space, and allow other women like her to believe in happy endings, even when they sometimes seem impossible.
Currently, in between various writing endeavors, Jaimie has resumed her studies in literature at SUNY Old Westbury, focusing on early twentieth-century American female writers.
As a queer woman, Jaimie saw a void in fictitious love stories between two women that had a happy ending, and penned In the Silence to fill an empty space, and allow other women like her to believe in happy endings, even when they sometimes seem impossible.
Currently, in between various writing endeavors, Jaimie has resumed her studies in literature at SUNY Old Westbury, focusing on early twentieth-century American female writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 15, 2018
This is one of those "impossible to forget" books. It is a rather long book (136,000 words), written in second person present tense, from the point of view of both protagonists (not hearing Bellamy and hearing Sofia), which switches from one narrator to another for each chapter. Very unique writing style which requires some getting accustomed to and slows down the reading a bit, but for me it was well-worth every second of my time in the end. All in all, a really beautiful and emotional book (so far only the second one on my "5-stars-plus" shelf), but not for everyone.
5 plus stars
Mar 3, 2018
5 plus stars
Mar 3, 2018
March 5, 2018
I finally finished this...
This book is all emotion. It's like if someone crawled inside of the character's bodies and let you know every finite detail, from sensory experience to impression to feelings about anything and everything. It's a lot. And, as a person who classically has a limited amount of feelings, I was on overload.
The story is unique in a number of ways because of its emphasis on emotion and the fact that it's written in 2nd person point of view. But, it stands out for reasons other than its storytelling style. The characters and story arc aren't typical at all, either.
Bellamy is a deaf character with brain damage that impacts her ability to collect her thoughts and speak. She thinks and processes the world more slowly. Sofia is hearing, neurotypical, and a woman of color (of presumably Hispanic descent). The two women meet by accident one day and the rest of the story covers six years of their relationship together. And, it's all positive. Drama is very limited. It's basically one long gooey love letter to each other the entire time. Some readers may care for this while others may not.
For me, it started to feel too long and the narrative became bogged down around the 50% mark. I don't need unnecessary drama but the reading is an endless quagmire of gushiness. Everything is perfect all the time, even when it's not. Is it me or do relationships like this actually exist? Any bickering, triggers, or everyday relationship issues are mentioned as asides that happen off the page and far away from its readers. Supposedly Bellamy and Sophia have those experiences, too, but we'd never know it.
I kept at the read, over several days, finally skimming between the 70%-90% mark. Around the 90% mark, some new elements were introduced that were pretty special so I took the time to read them in full.
That said, despite its issues, the narrative is also well told and interesting. There's something compelling about it. It does have a refreshing flavor to it in the genre of lesfic. Except in the case of a reader loving an overload of good feels, though, I can't solidly recommend this as something everyone will like. It's worth taking a read of a sample, though, to determine if it's a good fit or not.
Because my feelings are mixed on the read and my enjoyment factor did dip down to the point where I nearly didn't finish this, I put this at 3.5 stars.
This book is all emotion. It's like if someone crawled inside of the character's bodies and let you know every finite detail, from sensory experience to impression to feelings about anything and everything. It's a lot. And, as a person who classically has a limited amount of feelings, I was on overload.
The story is unique in a number of ways because of its emphasis on emotion and the fact that it's written in 2nd person point of view. But, it stands out for reasons other than its storytelling style. The characters and story arc aren't typical at all, either.
Bellamy is a deaf character with brain damage that impacts her ability to collect her thoughts and speak. She thinks and processes the world more slowly. Sofia is hearing, neurotypical, and a woman of color (of presumably Hispanic descent). The two women meet by accident one day and the rest of the story covers six years of their relationship together. And, it's all positive. Drama is very limited. It's basically one long gooey love letter to each other the entire time. Some readers may care for this while others may not.
For me, it started to feel too long and the narrative became bogged down around the 50% mark. I don't need unnecessary drama but the reading is an endless quagmire of gushiness. Everything is perfect all the time, even when it's not. Is it me or do relationships like this actually exist? Any bickering, triggers, or everyday relationship issues are mentioned as asides that happen off the page and far away from its readers. Supposedly Bellamy and Sophia have those experiences, too, but we'd never know it.
I kept at the read, over several days, finally skimming between the 70%-90% mark. Around the 90% mark, some new elements were introduced that were pretty special so I took the time to read them in full.
That said, despite its issues, the narrative is also well told and interesting. There's something compelling about it. It does have a refreshing flavor to it in the genre of lesfic. Except in the case of a reader loving an overload of good feels, though, I can't solidly recommend this as something everyone will like. It's worth taking a read of a sample, though, to determine if it's a good fit or not.
Because my feelings are mixed on the read and my enjoyment factor did dip down to the point where I nearly didn't finish this, I put this at 3.5 stars.
May 7, 2018
5 STARS.
A beautiful book. With all the feels.
This book is written very differently than anything I’ve read before. Another reviewer said it is second person, present tense. It took me a couple chapters to adjust, so hang in there. I thought it worked perfectly.
The chapters alternate between the two main characters. There is Bellamy, a children’s book illustrator who lost her hearing at age 5 and Sofia, a radio talk show host. Oh, I almost forgot Otis, Bellamy's service dog. He is part of the story too. Yes, it’s instalove. But unlike most romances where most of the book is the couple building up to declaring their undying love, this is about afterwards. They deal with Bellamy’s deafness and her lack of self-confidence, relationship, family, and marriage. There’s tears of sadness and joy - the characters and mine!
Here’s a passage I loved. A bit long. But oh, well. It is shorter than my other favorite!
“Maybe you were better off by yourself. When no one held you close and kissed every inch of your skin. Maybe you were better off when no one tried. When there was no Sofia, who promised you things and looked at you with those earnest fire eyes. Maybe you were better off not knowing. Because now you know, and now, if it changes—You can’t just go back to as you were before. You’re scared. It’s all just— New. And hard. And you’re messing it up by trying not to.”
A beautiful book. With all the feels.
This book is written very differently than anything I’ve read before. Another reviewer said it is second person, present tense. It took me a couple chapters to adjust, so hang in there. I thought it worked perfectly.
The chapters alternate between the two main characters. There is Bellamy, a children’s book illustrator who lost her hearing at age 5 and Sofia, a radio talk show host. Oh, I almost forgot Otis, Bellamy's service dog. He is part of the story too. Yes, it’s instalove. But unlike most romances where most of the book is the couple building up to declaring their undying love, this is about afterwards. They deal with Bellamy’s deafness and her lack of self-confidence, relationship, family, and marriage. There’s tears of sadness and joy - the characters and mine!
Here’s a passage I loved. A bit long. But oh, well. It is shorter than my other favorite!
“Maybe you were better off by yourself. When no one held you close and kissed every inch of your skin. Maybe you were better off when no one tried. When there was no Sofia, who promised you things and looked at you with those earnest fire eyes. Maybe you were better off not knowing. Because now you know, and now, if it changes—You can’t just go back to as you were before. You’re scared. It’s all just— New. And hard. And you’re messing it up by trying not to.”
February 19, 2021
Brilliant. 6 stars if I could. I think a lot of current authors could take a page or two from this book and really learn from it. You get as much or more value from a book filled with positive emotion than you do with negative ones. This. This right here is the case study to prove it. Thanks to my GR buddy Lov2laf for the rec.
Bellamy is deaf due to a tragic childhood accident. Sofia is hearing. One of the things that struck me was when the POV shifts, the way each of them 'hears' is written differently. Signing is different than hearing the words, than reading lips, etc. It takes some reader learning but once you do it's done soooooo well.
This is one of those books I'll never forget. And when you read as much as I seem to, that says something. This one sticks to your ribs :)
Bellamy is deaf due to a tragic childhood accident. Sofia is hearing. One of the things that struck me was when the POV shifts, the way each of them 'hears' is written differently. Signing is different than hearing the words, than reading lips, etc. It takes some reader learning but once you do it's done soooooo well.
This is one of those books I'll never forget. And when you read as much as I seem to, that says something. This one sticks to your ribs :)
March 12, 2018
Once again, I would like to thank my Goodreads friends for this recommendation. This book was just so lovely to me. The writing style of this author was almost poetry like...Romeo and Juliet without the dread and death!:) Even though there was not a lot of "action" in the story, I never got bored or anxious to skip sentences or paragraphs. And I tend to do that...more often then I should frankly. I think lov2laf mentioned that it was one big love letter and I would definitely agree with that analogy. Or maybe more like love letters back and forth between the two main characters, Sofia and Bellamy. And I think that is why there was no real extended romance "issues" in the book. When you are writing love letters, you only write about all the gooey, sweet stuff... not the angry/hurtful stuff.
For me, it was just so nice to read a lesbian romance without the constant "romance angst". Some people love all that angst, but for me, i'm a minimalist in that department. The smaller the dose, the better. There's already so much angst in the real world, that I kind of want my romance fiction world to be a little less so.
Bonus points for the setting, Philly, which is basically my backyard. :)
For me, it was just so nice to read a lesbian romance without the constant "romance angst". Some people love all that angst, but for me, i'm a minimalist in that department. The smaller the dose, the better. There's already so much angst in the real world, that I kind of want my romance fiction world to be a little less so.
Bonus points for the setting, Philly, which is basically my backyard. :)
May 17, 2018
3.75 rounded up to 4 stars. Emotionally beautiful & well-written but long and a bit gushy at times.
March 1, 2018
3.45 stars. I liked it, until around 50% mark this was a solid 4 or even 4.5 star read for me due to how emotionally connected this pair is. That's what I like and that's what I crave for in these books. The sex is there but it's very... non-descriptive? Abstract? It's certainly not hot but it's loving. I really liked how author wrote that part of the book. The leads are also both very likable and the story is 100% character driven and I like my stories character driven.
So what went wrong. Let's see... First the length of the book - it's simply too long, the part from around 50% after a certain event to around 70% was nothing but repetitive fluff. There was no character development or anything happening, it's just gushing about how they both are so much in love and keep falling deeper. It has no added value so I ended up skimming a lot of that repetitiveness. Especially when the author kept using the same descriptors. "Universe eyes" must've been used like 30+ times in this book.
Then there's Sofia, she's likable of course but who wouldn't like a completely perfect human being with no flaws? Otherworldly beautiful - check, successful career - check, kind - check, unlimited patience - check, generous - check. She's super human. Even her supposed flaws are cute. It makes her unrelatable.
Bellamy was really interesting and the main hook for this book. It's not every day you read a lesfic romance about a character with brain damage and that part of the story is amazing. The book itself is written in a unique way, it's a mix between first person POV with a narration where the characters themselves kinda narrate their life in real time. I'm not sure if there's a term or definition for that type of writing style. It's the first time I've read something like that. But it tells the story of Bellamy who has quite serious disabilities incredibly well with all the stuttering pauses and so on. Absolutely amazing.
Another issue I had with the book is that both leading ladies often sounded really similar to each other with how their inner voices are written. It's almost always clear who is talking or thinking but in no way are their voices unique. At first Bellamy's stuttering was her uniqueness but then Sofia started stuttering too... which I guess was her inability to find words or something but it was written the same way Bellamy's disability is... So yeah, definitely could've used some editing there.
Also the whole premise of the book is based on insta love which was initiated primarily by their looks. And that's a huge no, no for me. Hypothetically if Bellamy was average looking or even ugly she'd end up alone forever, it's an idea that kept bothering me throughout the book even when they had established an emotional connection because that connection couldn't come into existence without their otherworldly, model worthy outer appearance. Don't get me wrong, everyone like beautiful things. I just prefer for relationships to be written more realistically with characters getting to know each other, looks or not. Insta love always leaves a bad after taste for me.
Overall a decent read. I just wish it ended around 50% mark, it would've been the perfect ending for a very good book. The filler content after that point smothered the 4+ star rating I was ready to give it so 3.45 stars for adding something unique to the genre as well as for the character of Bellamy and for the very nicely written emotional connection the leads have. But it really was a chore for me to finish the book due to how unnecessarily drawn out it is and I usually love long books but not this time.
So what went wrong. Let's see... First the length of the book - it's simply too long, the part from around 50% after a certain event to around 70% was nothing but repetitive fluff. There was no character development or anything happening, it's just gushing about how they both are so much in love and keep falling deeper. It has no added value so I ended up skimming a lot of that repetitiveness. Especially when the author kept using the same descriptors. "Universe eyes" must've been used like 30+ times in this book.
Then there's Sofia, she's likable of course but who wouldn't like a completely perfect human being with no flaws? Otherworldly beautiful - check, successful career - check, kind - check, unlimited patience - check, generous - check. She's super human. Even her supposed flaws are cute. It makes her unrelatable.
Bellamy was really interesting and the main hook for this book. It's not every day you read a lesfic romance about a character with brain damage and that part of the story is amazing. The book itself is written in a unique way, it's a mix between first person POV with a narration where the characters themselves kinda narrate their life in real time. I'm not sure if there's a term or definition for that type of writing style. It's the first time I've read something like that. But it tells the story of Bellamy who has quite serious disabilities incredibly well with all the stuttering pauses and so on. Absolutely amazing.
Another issue I had with the book is that both leading ladies often sounded really similar to each other with how their inner voices are written. It's almost always clear who is talking or thinking but in no way are their voices unique. At first Bellamy's stuttering was her uniqueness but then Sofia started stuttering too... which I guess was her inability to find words or something but it was written the same way Bellamy's disability is... So yeah, definitely could've used some editing there.
Also the whole premise of the book is based on insta love which was initiated primarily by their looks. And that's a huge no, no for me. Hypothetically if Bellamy was average looking or even ugly she'd end up alone forever, it's an idea that kept bothering me throughout the book even when they had established an emotional connection because that connection couldn't come into existence without their otherworldly, model worthy outer appearance. Don't get me wrong, everyone like beautiful things. I just prefer for relationships to be written more realistically with characters getting to know each other, looks or not. Insta love always leaves a bad after taste for me.
Overall a decent read. I just wish it ended around 50% mark, it would've been the perfect ending for a very good book. The filler content after that point smothered the 4+ star rating I was ready to give it so 3.45 stars for adding something unique to the genre as well as for the character of Bellamy and for the very nicely written emotional connection the leads have. But it really was a chore for me to finish the book due to how unnecessarily drawn out it is and I usually love long books but not this time.
May 7, 2018
The end of a romance novels is the happily ever after and it's maybe a chapter and sometimes there's an epilogue. In In the Silence the whole book is the HEA and I really liked that. Apart from a couple of instances of crappy parents, this is the story of Bellamy and Sofia's developing relationship.
I don't think I've ever read a novel written in second person. Short stories, yes, but not a novel. It was a bit disconcerting for the first couple of pages and then every time I put the book down I would have to get used to it again for a paragraph or two but on the whole, I quite enjoyed reading from this point of view. It alternates between Bellamy and Sofia and their voices were different enough that it wasn't confusing.
I like books with dialogue and there was a lot in this but not written in the typical form. Sometimes it was in quotation marks, sometimes in italics and sometimes just part of a paragraph but they were always talking. And not always with words.
It had an emotional impact on me and I think I read it in the right frame of mind for the type of book that it is. I liked the quietness and the gentleness with which they accepted each other's norms and weirds. I liked the way they treated each other and they way they fed each other's growth. I liked the slow pace.
I don't think I've ever read a novel written in second person. Short stories, yes, but not a novel. It was a bit disconcerting for the first couple of pages and then every time I put the book down I would have to get used to it again for a paragraph or two but on the whole, I quite enjoyed reading from this point of view. It alternates between Bellamy and Sofia and their voices were different enough that it wasn't confusing.
I like books with dialogue and there was a lot in this but not written in the typical form. Sometimes it was in quotation marks, sometimes in italics and sometimes just part of a paragraph but they were always talking. And not always with words.
It had an emotional impact on me and I think I read it in the right frame of mind for the type of book that it is. I liked the quietness and the gentleness with which they accepted each other's norms and weirds. I liked the way they treated each other and they way they fed each other's growth. I liked the slow pace.
June 9, 2018
You know when u feel so bad not liking a book that everyone finds unbelievable? That’s how I feel now :(
For me it was waaaaaaay too long. I couldn’t get used to the style of writing unfortunately..
As much as I wanted to like it I just couldn’t! I didn’t connect with both characters, and most importantly I just didn’t believe in their “love at first sight” moment from the beginning of the book.
For me it was waaaaaaay too long. I couldn’t get used to the style of writing unfortunately..
As much as I wanted to like it I just couldn’t! I didn’t connect with both characters, and most importantly I just didn’t believe in their “love at first sight” moment from the beginning of the book.
March 11, 2018
Wow! This is– This is a really different book. Different in a good way, in a very good way, in a wonderful way. It's also– It's also a very long book, a sort of never ending love story.
Definitely worth a try... but not for everyone.
And I found here a beautiful quote:
"You want to be around Bellamy, and you don't care if she's deaf, or blind, or polka-dotted."
Definitely worth a try... but not for everyone.
And I found here a beautiful quote:
"You want to be around Bellamy, and you don't care if she's deaf, or blind, or polka-dotted."
December 22, 2024
In the silence
I found that reflecting on this book I almost like it better than when I read it!
I loved the start and found the writing style quirky but found a rhythm until I reached the halfway point. At halfway I became a little disenchanted, but if you find yourself in a similar position do persevere, the last third was lovely and I found it hard to put down.
In all I've rated it as a 4, but if I was to break it down I'd give the start 4, middle 3 and end 5!
I found that reflecting on this book I almost like it better than when I read it!
I loved the start and found the writing style quirky but found a rhythm until I reached the halfway point. At halfway I became a little disenchanted, but if you find yourself in a similar position do persevere, the last third was lovely and I found it hard to put down.
In all I've rated it as a 4, but if I was to break it down I'd give the start 4, middle 3 and end 5!
January 14, 2025
I was worried as it was difficult to read to begin with, but once I "got it" I totally brought into it, made me weep, weep again and finally weep. It emotionally cleansed me, superb. Love it, read it, please. Holds up really well for 2nd reading.
March 21, 2018
I wasn’t sure I would liked it. The writing is really different to what I’m used to but in the end I loved it. I think it made me cry once or twice in a good way.
July 27, 2018
The thing I often resent about romance novels is, for absence of a better word, the sheer lack of romance. Strip everything away and you'll usually find yourself with a bunch of unecessary drama and some tired tropes. Now, dont get me wrong, I love tropes as much as the next gal. But you gotta know how to work them in your favor.
So, yes, from time to time I resent novels and turn to fanfiction instead. It's easier to find stories that are just about people. No world ending, no cheating, no dying, there's enough of that on the stories the characters come from. And because of that the writers get a different perspective on things. They love those characters, they are interested in picking them apart and finding out what makes them tick, what makes them human. And that's just what I love.
And that's exactly what In the Silence delivered. By the end of it, I felt like Sofia and Bellamy could have very well been my best friends.
10/10 fantastic book.
So, yes, from time to time I resent novels and turn to fanfiction instead. It's easier to find stories that are just about people. No world ending, no cheating, no dying, there's enough of that on the stories the characters come from. And because of that the writers get a different perspective on things. They love those characters, they are interested in picking them apart and finding out what makes them tick, what makes them human. And that's just what I love.
And that's exactly what In the Silence delivered. By the end of it, I felt like Sofia and Bellamy could have very well been my best friends.
10/10 fantastic book.
October 11, 2021
This was quite a moving and... long story. It took a while for me to get used to McGovern's writing style and if not for the great story, it would've been a hard task to get through the book.
It had a great start that draws you in, and the meeting between Bellamy and Sofia was as sweet as can be. There's a lot of the daily tidbits in the middle which was a little mundane but the story does pick up again towards the end which was so heartwarming.
It had a great start that draws you in, and the meeting between Bellamy and Sofia was as sweet as can be. There's a lot of the daily tidbits in the middle which was a little mundane but the story does pick up again towards the end which was so heartwarming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2022
4 stars
This was definitely very interesting.
It's a relatively drama free romance with a deaf MC and her hearing girlfriend and as far as I can tell, it's really well handled (but to be fair, I don't know much about it, so take my assessment with a grain of salt).
Only the writing style took a bit of time to get used to, but that might be just me
This was definitely very interesting.
It's a relatively drama free romance with a deaf MC and her hearing girlfriend and as far as I can tell, it's really well handled (but to be fair, I don't know much about it, so take my assessment with a grain of salt).
Only the writing style took a bit of time to get used to, but that might be just me
August 21, 2018
THIS. This book gives me all of the feels and I LOVE it. I started reading the sample on a whim and I could. Not. Stop. Reading. The MCs are both such endearing, kind, and adorkable characters who are (for the most part), communicative and unabashed about their feelings for each other. Their relationship is so tender and sweet I couldn't help but root for them. I'm usually a fan of snarky, sarcastic MCs and I've found some couples in other books to be eye-rollingly cloying after they get together. But Sofia and Bellamy made me smile (goofily, I might add) while reading because they are just so darn thoughtful and I loved them together and how much they love each other (which, again, is uncharacteristic of me since I'm more of a smirker at snarky banter. What has this book done to me??? Apparently I'm now a gooey mush). I was so invested in their progressing relationship that I was absolutely terrified something horrible/horribly contrived would happen to up the angst factor. I usually inhale books but really slowed down near the end so I could savor and bask in the warm fuzzy feelings this book evoked.
October 24, 2018
A wonderfully told story of love, sadness and happiness.
November 25, 2018
Beautiful story. Unusual writing, took me some time to get use to it. It could of been a little bit shorter, but then again love sometime takes that long to be perfect.
April 6, 2021
God this book. If you want an emotional journey you should definitely give In the Silence a read.
I wouldn't call this a "romance novel" in the strictest sense. It's more a book that explores the relationship between Bellamy and Sofia, from when they first meet, and continues several years afterward. It reminded me of Georgia Beers' Olive Oil and White Bread in that sense, which incidentally is my favorite Beers book. That's how this book pulls off the emotion so well- it doesn't take place in just a few weeks to months like many romance novels, but as the years go by there is room for many events to happen- and it really makes the deep love and trust of Bellamy and Sofia all the more real and vivid.
The characters of both Bell and Sofia are so rich and have so much depth to them. Both have had so much happen in their lives and watching both of them, and especially Bellamy, heal from their trauma and past experiences.
This book is written primarily in second person, which was different than many books, but it really fit the narrative of this book and how it told the story of Sofia and Bellamy.
Another thing that threw me off initially, besides the second person writing, was how when the perspective changes- the way the characters interpret how what the other person is saying changes. I don't know if I'm describing it well. But the change from when words are or aren't in quotations, or are or aren't italicized was a really interesting way of showing the different way they spoke to each other- whether signing, speaking, or reading lips. It was a bit of an adjustment as a reader- but once I got it I found it a really interesting way to depict that and enjoyed it quite a bit.
This is a long book, but to me it never felt drawn out as I just wanted to know more about what happened in their lives and where they would go next.
This book was lovely. Jumping right into my favorites. If you want a good cry, pick this book up. 5/5
I wouldn't call this a "romance novel" in the strictest sense. It's more a book that explores the relationship between Bellamy and Sofia, from when they first meet, and continues several years afterward. It reminded me of Georgia Beers' Olive Oil and White Bread in that sense, which incidentally is my favorite Beers book. That's how this book pulls off the emotion so well- it doesn't take place in just a few weeks to months like many romance novels, but as the years go by there is room for many events to happen- and it really makes the deep love and trust of Bellamy and Sofia all the more real and vivid.
The characters of both Bell and Sofia are so rich and have so much depth to them. Both have had so much happen in their lives and watching both of them, and especially Bellamy, heal from their trauma and past experiences.
This book is written primarily in second person, which was different than many books, but it really fit the narrative of this book and how it told the story of Sofia and Bellamy.
Another thing that threw me off initially, besides the second person writing, was how when the perspective changes- the way the characters interpret how what the other person is saying changes. I don't know if I'm describing it well. But the change from when words are or aren't in quotations, or are or aren't italicized was a really interesting way of showing the different way they spoke to each other- whether signing, speaking, or reading lips. It was a bit of an adjustment as a reader- but once I got it I found it a really interesting way to depict that and enjoyed it quite a bit.
This is a long book, but to me it never felt drawn out as I just wanted to know more about what happened in their lives and where they would go next.
This book was lovely. Jumping right into my favorites. If you want a good cry, pick this book up. 5/5
March 12, 2018
An original and wonderful story!
An unusual style of writing but after a little getting used to, I can only say that the writing style belongs perfectly to this story and it’s brilliant done. An excellent story about a woman with a disability and a lack of self condifence. One random decision and coffee changed two lives forever. Or was it fate? The development of their love was pure and honest. Full of trust, hope and faith. Some reviewers mentioned that there is a lot of overload of good feels and that's true but it was never annoying. It was a sweet, emotional read and very romantic. I can highly recommend it.
An unusual style of writing but after a little getting used to, I can only say that the writing style belongs perfectly to this story and it’s brilliant done. An excellent story about a woman with a disability and a lack of self condifence. One random decision and coffee changed two lives forever. Or was it fate? The development of their love was pure and honest. Full of trust, hope and faith. Some reviewers mentioned that there is a lot of overload of good feels and that's true but it was never annoying. It was a sweet, emotional read and very romantic. I can highly recommend it.
March 1, 2018
It’s sweet, it’s—it’s tender. it’s heart—heartbreaking. sometimes. It’s t—thoughtful. ;)
There are authors who can make you feel good by the story itself even with an okay but not so brilliant writing, but there are those who can do both. And to me this book is both. It just hits the right spots for me. the writing style is unique but it grows on you. It’s really mushy but it’s not cheap.
Jaimie Leigh McGovern, she’s really good. 10 stars for Gryffindor!
There are authors who can make you feel good by the story itself even with an okay but not so brilliant writing, but there are those who can do both. And to me this book is both. It just hits the right spots for me. the writing style is unique but it grows on you. It’s really mushy but it’s not cheap.
Jaimie Leigh McGovern, she’s really good. 10 stars for Gryffindor!
February 28, 2018
Now, this was a refreshment, in the sea of mediocre books I've read lately. I loved the plot! I have to say that it helped a lot that both characters sat very well with me, so there's nothing in the book I could've bitched about. Oh, apart from Bellamy's mother, which awoke pretty violent feelings in me! I really liked this one and I'd gladly recommend it to everyone.
4.5 stars from me.
4.5 stars from me.
January 16, 2018
Greatest feel-good story. I love this book, I love the style and I adore the characters.
I would live to read more from the author
I would live to read more from the author
January 17, 2018
Beautiful characters, great writing five stars!
July 7, 2018
Detailed score: 4.0
This is one where I would particularly caution readers to read the sample before you buy. As other authors have noted, it is written in second person (similar to The Moment) and - I really quite like it and it’s a perfect choice for this book - but it’s not for everyone.
The whole book really is about a couple fall more and more in love with each other as the years pass and they experience various life events. Minimal angst. Lots of love. It sounds like it’s going to be sickly sweet but (for the most part) it’s not.
It’s different and I liked that. Packed full of emotion, rich and just a downright satisfying read. But definitely not everyone’s cuppa.
This is one where I would particularly caution readers to read the sample before you buy. As other authors have noted, it is written in second person (similar to The Moment) and - I really quite like it and it’s a perfect choice for this book - but it’s not for everyone.
The whole book really is about a couple fall more and more in love with each other as the years pass and they experience various life events. Minimal angst. Lots of love. It sounds like it’s going to be sickly sweet but (for the most part) it’s not.
It’s different and I liked that. Packed full of emotion, rich and just a downright satisfying read. But definitely not everyone’s cuppa.
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January 2, 2021DNF. I had a hard time reading this because not all of the dialogue was in quotations. The tense was strange. Ex. 'You walk into a room and notice her sitting there.' Not sure what tense that is? Characters thinking to themselves. It was melodramatic and repetitive. I lost count of the amount of times one of the character thinks she never feels this way but it doesn't scare her. Too much exposition and not enough communication.
September 28, 2023
I want to be loved like this one day
February 18, 2021
There are so many beautiful things about this story. I loved seeing Bellamy, rejected and belittled by her family after losing her hearing and sustaining a traumatic brain injury, bloom into a confident woman with the love, support and understanding of Sophia. I enjoyed reading about all the little ways Sophia found to communicate her love to Bellamy. I loved the relationship between Bellamy and her service dog Otis, and the way Sophia negotiated around this.
I must admit that I struggled at times with the writing style but ultimately the love story depicted was beautiful and life affirming and left me feeling full of hope. A truly heartwarming book.
I must admit that I struggled at times with the writing style but ultimately the love story depicted was beautiful and life affirming and left me feeling full of hope. A truly heartwarming book.
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