Adorable!

Growing up in Los Angeles is definitely a challenge, and Aminah Mae Safi gives us a deep and insightful view into two young women’s lives in her novel, Tell Me How You Really Feel.

There’s some intriguing family drama, and some of the usual high school shenanigans, but on the whole both ladies have pretty solid support systems. The interesting part is when these total opposites come together, and figure out they’ve got more in common than they’d have guessed!

I listened to Tell Me How You Really Feel in audio, and that’s the real treat because the author is the narrator. Aminah Mae Safi has an absolutely delightful voice, and it’s easy to tell she’s getting a real kick out of reading her story to us. I hope she continues with this trend, and I’d gladly listen to her perform again.

Thanks to the author and publisher for giving me a free copy of this book for me to review. Unfortunately, it was archived before I had a chance to complete it, so I will be giving a middling star review here to represent that.

dnf @ 35%

The synopsis sounded interesting and I tried multiple times but I couldn’t get into it. I might try to read it again later but not anytime soon. Nothing really stood out to me or caught my attention but that was likely just for me personally so I wouldn’t let that deter anyone from giving it a try.

Tell me how you really feel is a sweet YA contemporary lesbian romance. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator (the author) did a really great job at expressing the characters how she wanted to and I really just enjoyed listening to her voice. I personally rated this book 5 stars but I can understand why this book wouldn't be for everyone. Overall a really nice read, thank you Netgalley for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Tell me how you really feel is an enemies to friends to lovers but mixed with two WOC lesbian main characters. It was a really good book but sadly did not meet my expectations. I actually really enjoyed the characters and character development but honestly I did not like the writing style and there was a lot of unrealistic dialogue.

I'm DNFing this book. I couldn't force myself to listen to the audiobook. I was trying to like this by reading the physical book along with the audiobook but in the end, I need to give up. I couldn't relate to both of the characters. I couldn't stand Rachel's behaviors too. I found this book boring, I'm sorry. This is just not my cup of tea, but I can see why some people enjoy it.

'Tell Me How you Really Feel' was an easy read for me. I'd had my eye on this title for quite a bit and was pleasantly surprised when I was approved for access to the audiobook, recorded by the author herself! The audio really brought the young characters to life. I could feel their emotions, their embarrassment and tension. I find it refreshing to dabble in YA romance because it reminds me of my own experience, when times were simpler and yet just as difficult. I'd recommend this book to anyone needing a quick, young romcom. I was really rooting for these two!

Any book that begins with a Gilmore Girls reference has me hooked from the start and this was honestly, one of those that has me thinking of it months later. I am one of those weird film fans who enjoy film references so this one hit that spot for me.

This was cute as hell and I loved this storyline and Aminah's voice was so soothing.

I absolutely adored the character development as well - so much so I'll be purchasing the paperback.

Thank you to NetGally and Orange Skye Audio for this one!

DNF @~30%

I wasn't into the two main characters and the whole miscommunication that's led them "hating" each other. This isn't a book for me but I can see why many people might enjoy this sapphic contemporary.

4.5 stars

What a lovely sapphic coming of age, enemies to lovers romance!

Sana and Rachel will soon graduate high school, Rachel knows exactly what her plan is after graduating while Sana knows her family’s opinion on her college choice and future, though she longs for a different path. When they get thrown together and tp work on Rachel’s final project, they must overcome Rachel’s dislike of Sana.

I particularly enjoyed the coming of age aspect of this story - while I have graduated high school years ago at this point, my upcoming University graduation is brining up all these feeling again, wondering where life takes you and what path is the right one. So it was easy for me to relate to these characters, even if I’m a little older than them.

Both of the main character had interesting individual stories through the book, conflicts with their families to solve and the friendship and romance between them. All that made for an ongoing engaging reading (or in this case listening) experience.

Overall I had a lot of fun listening to this audiobook, most of it I listened to waiting on a very delayed train and it kept my moral high at the cold and raining train station. So I’d definitely recommend giving it a listen/read, even if you don’t need a pick-me-up.

This audiobook was narrated by the author herself and I really liked what she brought to the table.

I am enjoying the story but the audio experience has not been my favorite. Nothing against the narrator but it has been really hard to push through.

Told in alternating points of view between the two main characters, this book is an adorable romantic YA story that made my heart swoon on multiple occasions. I flew through the audiobook in a day, getting lost in the world of these two teenagers. Although it is a romance at its core, both characters have significant depth to them and I enjoyed reading about their lives outside of each other. It felt like the pressures the girls were experiencing were very real and relatable for many high school students. I always love reading books with diverse characters, particularly with LGBTQ+ representation and this book ticked all the boxes. I love reading about characters who are confident in their sexuality and who have supportive friends/family in their lives. Throw in some strong female characters and you can’t really go wrong, in my opinion! Not going to lie, I find the hate-to-love romance trope super cheesy but if you know what you’re getting into from the start then it’s still an entertaining read. If you like lighthearted books that make you smile, this one is guaranteed to have a happy ending.

I can see why so many people love this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I do think there are some great discussions of feminism and familial expectations going on, and if you’re looking for enemies-to-lovers, then you’ll definitely find that here.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by the author. I like when authors narrate their own books, because then I can confirm what the characters actually sound like. Unfortunately, I personally didn’t care for Safi’s narration and thought she could have differentiated the characters’ voices more (everyone sounds basically the same except for Sana).

I feel like the teenagers speak in such pretentious ways that it’s hard to take them seriously. I had to question a few times whether I was truly listening to a book about teenagers, or if I had stumbled across a debate between two feminist thinkers in their mid-30s.

I also can’t get over how mean Rachel is in the first half of the book. When we first meet her, she’s a tornado of screams and hatred looking to annihilate anyone in her path. I understand that she has several reasons to be unhappy, but I feel like this was overdone. She does become more bearable over the course of the book, but I can’t say I ever liked her much. I also thought Rachel’s reasoning for hating Sana was pretty ridiculous. I can understand why she came to the conclusion that she did, but did she ever even think that she might be in the wrong and that she shouldn’t be so freaking mean to Sana all the time? Anyway, I liked Sana much better and found her to have a more well-rounded backstory.

I didn’t find this book romantic at all: I never once thought something was cute or heartwarming, and I felt absolutely no chemistry. I don’t feel like Sana and Rachel are a good match, and I think the chances of their relationship lasting are slim to none. The two do face relationship obstacles surrounding the next steps in their lives, and I will say that I liked the way those obstacles were handled in the end.

Though this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I’d recommend it to you if you’re in the mood for a hate-to-love YA read with some discussions of social issues and more angst than fluff.

rep: sapphic MCs; Indian American/Persian American Muslim MC; Jewish Mexican American MC; Indian American, Persian American, Mexican American, and Jewish SCs

content warnings: car accident, injury, medical stuff, parental abandonment, guilt

I've been curious to read this book for a while as a 'Gilmore Girls' fan, so when I saw the audiobook I was excited.
This story was really well written. It had interesting, realistic protagonists and had some great reflection on older teenage life. The central relationship was really sweet, and I was glad to see a significant conflict nearing the end, rather than just miscommunication for miscommunications sake.
All in all, a really great story.
The audiobook was clear and easy to follow, being beautifully narrated by the author, which I think added to the authenticity of the characters.

I gave this one 4 stars on Goodreads. Like I mentioned earlier, I listened to this in an audiobook format. This was such a cool one to listen to because it was actually narrated by the author! In my experiences with audiobooks, usually only memoirs and autobiographies are narrated by their authors so this was an interesting and pleasant surprise!
The narration was good. It was easy to follow and made for easy listening. I'll be honest, sometimes I struggle with fiction audiobooks. There is just so much going on and I find myself really zoning out. I am pleased to say that I didn't have that issue at all throughout this one!
If you've read the post up until this point, you have gathered that this book features two female lead characters. The story is told from their alternating points of view. This is a young adult romance book which does contain LGBTQ+ characters and relationships. I am always looking to broaden my reading with more diverse characters, themes, and authors so I jumped at the chance to request this one! There are so many women and girls who can read this book and see themselves in characters like Sana and Rachel. In my opinion, that is such a beautiful thing! Reading is for everyone and representation is crucial for all readers-----but it is especially important for teens and young adults!
Overall, I really liked this one and would recommend it for readers 14+. I think that it would best resonate with high school audiences but I (an adult now, I guess) still saw the appeal and enjoyed it!

What I Liked:
-This was a cute, sapphic novel!
-The author narrated the audiobook and she was fab.
-I really enjoyed the movie plot-line and how Rachel designed out the movie at the end - incredibly powerful!

What I Didn't Like/Wanted More Of:
-Felt like it tackled too many plot-lines.
-I wanted a little more character development!

Netgalley provided the audiobook for review.

I liked how the lives of both of our major characters were filled out during the novel. They each have weaknesses and goals that propel the plot along, and you can plainly see how they grow and evolve in their personal lives throughout the novel. I like how their sexuality isn't the major struggle in this story, which isn't always the case with LGBT fiction. My main concern with this is how the tale of their growing romance is often cut short due to another plot. It just disturbs the flow of each tale that is being constructed, making it unappealing at times. In terms of the audiobook, it takes some time to figure out which character is speaking, but it's very interesting to hear the author narrate the entire thing. Overall, it's an excellent sapphic romance with interesting characters and subplots. I really suggest it, especially for teen readers.

I am right there with the author when I say I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan and I too love the Rory/Paris friendship. That said I was jumping up and down excited when I heard about this book. I loved Sunna and her family situation. I loved Rachel and her love for film. The relationship and the banter between the two characters was a lot of fun. I listened to this book over the course of about a week and enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to more from this author.

Lovely and emotional read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Does a story that starts with someone asking another person on a date that is out of their social circle turn out in their favor? This story starts out with that. Sana takes a chance and asks Rachel out on a date. Rachel thinks it is a prank and turns her down immediately. Only Sana is not playing a prank on her and is devastated at being thought of doing such a thing.
Rachel needs to find a lead for her senior movie project. She immediately thinks of how Sana would be the best fit even though she has not forgiven her for that "prank". Sana still has a crush on Rachel despite everything.
Rachel realizes Sana is the best for her project and asks her. Sana accepts. What happens next is how you realize what the other thought about each other is opposite of what really is going on.
The author narrates this and does a wonderful job.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.