Rating: 4.63 leaves out of 5
Characters: 4.5/5
Cover: 4/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Romance/Contemporary
Type: Audiobook
Worth?: Yes!


Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to listen to this book. I am on a high from this book. Wow. Honestly my expectations were low. I liked Atlas Six but it wasn't my favorite book so when I requested this one I was expecting the same thing.

Boy was I wrong. This is probably my favorite book of this year. I normally loathe romance books. The artificial romance. The boring falling in love in the basic of ways is just not it for me. If you love them then keep on reading them, nothing wrong with that. That is just how I feel about them.

With this book and this romance it is about exploring the minds and falling into a dark and endless abyss called love. Even with the highs and lows and non social norms, they fell in love with each other in such a cosmic way that I feel like I can't breathe. I absolutely loved it.

If you like basic romance, this isn't for you. If you are a YA romance lover, 9/10 this might not be for you. There is complexity and it makes you think. This book was made for readers who loves books that make them do so. It gave me The Invisible of Addie Larue (V.E. Schwab) art. The beauty in both books are astounding. Though I will admit Alone With You in the Ether is better in way of exploring and going deeper into complex feelings.

I really really really wanted to love this book. After seeing rave review after rave review, I was expecting this to be a hit for me, but it just fell flat. From the narrarators tones I genuinely couldn’t tell if the way Regan and Aldo acted together was supposed to be toxic on purpose, or not. Before they got together, I wanted them to be together so badly, but once they did, I couldn’t take the fact that their relationship was so clearly toxic!! And don’t get me wrong… I love a good toxic romance, but this one was so annoying. Was Olive Blake trying to do a Romeo and Juliet vibe? If that was her intention then maybe I wasn’t the right audience for this book. I at a certain point couldn’t listen to them go on and on about how no one else had ever known what love was like, or have their relationship be compared to math, or art, or science or whatever Blake decides to use as a weird metaphor. Would I have enjoyed this more if it wasn’t an audiobook? Yes. Should it not be marketed as a romance? Absolutely. Because it isn’t.

I’m not usually a fan of romance novels, but this book was surprisingly delightful! The plot is original and compelling, the characters are deeply interesting and oddly charming, and the dialogue is lovely and quite witty—and made even more captivating by the audiobook’s narrators.

Alone with you in the Ether is one of the best romances I have ever read. The way that Olivie writes about love is truly stunning. I have both read the physical book and listened to the audiobook, both are excellent ways of experiencing this masterpiece.
The book follows Regan and Aldo as they fall in love whilst dealing with life’s pressures and mental health. Their love is all consuming and powerful. One of the most quotable books I have read in a long time. I think the writing style can be like marmite with some thinking it borders on pretentious but others, including myself, will find it stunning prose that makes the connection feel visceral. Another great book by Olivie.

This book was amazing! What a fantastic depiction of a neurodivergent love story. You can tell that Olivie Blake writes about mental health from a place of understanding, and I’m so glad that was included in the acknowledgments. This time of year (holiday season) is always over-saturated with over the top mushy hallmark love stories. What a breath of fresh air to read a novel about a couple that felt relatable with very real highs and lows, and very real issues. I never thought I’d find math beautiful and romantic, but here we are. Blake’s character development was expertly executed, and Robb Moreira and Sura Siu did a phenomenal job bringing those characters to life. I really look forward to adding this book to my collection.

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Books, and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The audio version of Alone With You in the Ether was amazing. A performance with multiple narrators.

The writing was so unique. Two of the main characters have mental health challenges and the author does an amazing job making you really feel their thought processes. At several times I thought the author must have direct ties to mental health issues because you could really relate to the characters and their feelings. Occasionally the "narrator" would "pop-in" to the book to clarify something and a separate narrator would "jump in". This was PERFECT with the audio edition.

Definitely some strong topics and this book might not be for everyone.

Also loved that much of the story takes place in Chicago; as a "midwesterner" and my brother lives in Chicago, I especially appreciated the setting and that was well written into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley (for yet ... once again ... introducing me to a "new to me author") and providing the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Olivie Blake the author, to the many narrators (Dion Alexander, Eliza Foss, Emma Paige West, John Pirhalla, Olivie Blake, Robb Moreira, Steve Wagner, Sura Siu and Tim Campbell) and to the publisher Macmillan Audio. Excellent! Publication date is Nov 29 2022.

I really really wanted to love this book. I heard everyone raving about it and had very high hopes, but it didn't live up to what I was expecting. I was a big fan of the Atlas Six and generally like Olivie Blake's writing style. However, this book felt disjointed in a way, that while probably intentional, was distracting and hard to follow. I did really enjoy the first half of the book and enjoyed reading all of the deep, emotional quotes I have seen all over Twitter and Instagram. As the 2nd half of the book progressed, it became hard to keep up and finish. It became one long run-on train of thought that felt like a big shift from the beginning of the book. I know this was intentional and was meant to reflect the main character's mental state, but it was ultimately hard to follow. Also, the emotional cheating going on in this book was crazy. I wanted to enjoy the romance, but in the back of my mind I was constantly thinking about how the MC had a boyfriend for a large portion of the book. Overall, the first half of the book was very entertaining, and the relationship between the 2 main characters was interesting at times.

A fascinating look at a relationship being built between a doctoral student who uses formulas and time travel to keep himself grounded and a bipolar counterfeit artist who is impulsive. This isn't HEA story, it's more about the journey. The author definitely gave this a lot of thought. The narration with the full cast was excellent.

Thank you so much MacMillan Audio for the ALC of Alone with You in the Ether
by Olivie Blake.

I was excited to see what Olivie Blake came up with next…it had such glowing reviews but it was a struggle to finish. It felt experimental, like a strange steam of consciousness always incomplete and confusing. It was hard to follow at times and so character driven with characters you couldn’t particularly get attached to…I kept thinking it would get better but it just kept going on. There wasn’t any satisfaction, no resolution or anything learned from the characters. No real change. Just odd. And then there were random narrators mostly in the beginning that were just tossed in without explanation?

The author gives some background about her own mental health and struggles and how she came to write this book, which I appreciate…but as someone who also struggles with mental health I still couldn’t wrap my head around this, relate or enjoy it.

Regan has a lot of pills that she doesn't really take, but definitely should. She also has a scene (multiple scenes, but in the middle there's a major one) where she decides that she prefers who she is with"highs and lows" and she can't have those, be herself, or be in love with Aldo if she takes the pills. (The reason for this is clarified in the ending note)

Aldo is an intelligent but troubled theoretical mathematician who struggles with human connection and reality. The world sounds too loud for him so he obsesses instead over time travel, hexagons, and bees. Bees are a reoccurring thought in this book.

The main story line here is that these two people meet by happenstance, agree to have six conversations, with Aldo saying that those six conversations are all it takes to know each other.

At this point they quickly become absolutely obsessed with each other. Dangerously so, as I previously mentioned Regans pill fiasco. Even Aldos father notices that they should not be together, that Regan is dangerous for him but like I said, the NRE for them is insane.

This book just... Gosh I can't even articulate how uncomfortable this book made me feel. Everything in this book is ultimately related to sex too, and Regan's mania is extremely promiscuous and she when she's off her pills it's almost unbearable to see her thoughts. She fantasizes about Aldo leaving her, and even notices that she's having violent, toxic, and obsessive thoughts that she should not be having.

Then not to spoil the ending but it's so... I wouldn't say predictable so much as it's so unbelievably basic that I didn't expect it because this book seemed to be heading into a poignant ending.

Maybe I'm too late to this book, or better, this book came too late for us. It would've hit different if we were all still obsessed with Edward Cullen and Bella Swan kind of love. But we're past that. We're healing. We aren't... This. We can and should heal and change with the help and love of others, not from a spiral of obsession over one person.

While the ending note made me feel more positively towards this book and author (ps ayy shout out to fellow a Chicago peep) that doesn't change the fact that I really wasn't a fan, and I'm still disappointed that all of the metaphors and foreshadowing from the beginning of the book went nowhere,. and we never returned to them either..

Also the sex scenes made me want to die

In terms of the audio, I enjoyed this. It's definitely done in a unique way with a full cast and some elements I haven't heard done in audio before. I think it fits the tone of the book very well and I liked the narrators. I think I probably enjoyed it more in audio than I would have in print because after awhile this sort of book can drag a bit and the audio helped keep it interesting.

If you like books that are deep character studies, where most of the book is either internal thoughts or conversations between people, you'll probably enjoy this. The characters are interesting and their relationship is complex. It did sometimes feel too drawn out or pretentious for me, but for the most part I found it engaging.

Where this got a bit thorny for me is the way medication for mental illness is framed for one of the main characters. Now, the author has some notes in the acknowledgments about her own journey with mental illness and medication. And she makes a point to say that she isn't against medication. People with mental illness are entitled to agency over their lives and choices, including whether or not they take medication. I fully believe that. And I appreciate that the author used her own experiences to inform Regan's experience with medication. There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of that, and I think it's really important to acknowledge that there are many ways of living with and managing mental illness. But as someone who takes medication to help manage their mental illness, and who lost a parent to suicide after they stopped taking medication for their bipolar disorder (in part because they felt the medication interfered with their creative expression), I've still got some really complicated feelings about this. So, yeah. More about my baggage then the book, but it did complicate things for me, though it didn't impact my rating.

Alone with You in the Ether is a beautifully written, completely character driven book. That being said, I now realize this kind of book is not my cup of tea. I rated this a 3 star read.
The ability to listen to this as an audiobook allowed to become more invested in this than if I had attempted to read an actual handheld version of Olivia Blakes book. I was a bit confused by the different voices in the beginning of the book, how it would switch to a new voice for a few seconds and then switch back. I did find the two voices for the main characters inviting and easy to listen to, they definitely helped draw me into the story. Listening to Regan's voice as she is experiencing a manic episode, or questioning the need to take her prescribed medications felt like you were inside her mind, going through the experience with her.
The first half of the book was by far my favourite, I loved seeing how these two characters interacted with each other, and allowing themselves to be understood by one another. I felt the second half was too confusing and convoluted to follow at times. The joy of a character driven book, especially one with dual points of view is you get to truly see how to people feel in each moment. I felt like this book was a very clear representation of someone experiencing the highs and lows of bi-polar disorder.
I found listening to the authors note at the end really helped me have a better understanding of the book, and why is was written. I honestly found the authors note to be the most moving part of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Alone With You in the Ether is one of Olivie Blake’s (of The Atlas Six fame) latest rereleases via traditional publishing. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Tor Books for this ARC!

SUMMARY: Set at the Art Institute of Chicago, Regan and Aldo both, separately, process the mundaneness of life through the idea of multiverses and alternative timelines. Regan is a docent at the museum with an impulsive streak and a past making counterfeit art; and Aldo is a doctoral student who keeps to a strict routine like his life depends on it. The two meet and, over the course of six conversations, their universe shifts.

THE NARRATION: Rob Moreira and Sura Siu are the primary narrators for Regan and Aldo, respectively. They are supported by a full cast of actors. The robust cast creates an enjoyable experience that translates the exploration of multiverse well.

THE STORY: a really straightforward plot. I’d classify this as a character study.

THE CHARACTERS: They’re not like OTHER characters!! Like a refined manic pixie dream girl. Regan is bipolar and Aldo is neurodivergent as well, and their relationship is incredibly codependent. I can’t deny the satisfaction of both of these characters finding safety in and feeling seen by one another, though…

FINAL THOUGHTS: I think I would have loooooved reading this in my early 20’s. The relationship between Regan and Aldo is so incredibly unhealthy, but it’s the exact type of shit I craved before I went to a lot of therapy. Is this what Coleen Hoover is like?? But for POC instead??? 3.5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! I am a big fan of Olivie Blake's writing, and this was a perfect unconventional romance. I am personally a fan of character-driven books, and that most likely played a big role in my 5 star rating. Regan and Aldo both had relatable qualities to them, including their neurodivergent tendencies/mood disorders. They were not perfect, and their love was messy, but I also think that contributed to this book being so good.

My only complaint is that the audiobook, especially the beginning, was confusing if you weren't paying 100% attention to it because of all the different narrators/POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley, Olivie Blake, and the publisher for this advance audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review!

WOW, WOW, WOW… I am speechless and in awe of this masterful book! Olivie Blake’s writing is gorgeous, the storytelling is poetic and insanely clever, and the characters are raw and real. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2022! Highly recommend picking this up!

This was both beautiful and gut-wrenching. And I completely understand why the reviews of it are so mixed.

Alone With You in the Ether is a very personal book about finding love while struggling with mental illness, and about trying to find equilibrium as a creative person who struggles to feel like themself while on medication. Blake's author's note at the end is illuminating and I think underscores what she was trying to explore. Like Blake herself, the heroine has bi-polar disorder and that plays a big part in the book.

This is understandably going to be controversial and I see several reviewers say they think this is romanticizing mental instability, though I disagree. (again, I really recommend reading the author's note) The story isn't anti-therapy (I would argue that genuinely engaging in therapy for the first time is part of the character growth at the end), but it does suggest that medication might not be the only answer. And in fact, while medication can be a life saver for a lot of people, I think this conversation about side effects is an important one to have as well. I also see a lot of criticism of a scene late in the book that is unsettling, but I would argue doing something really important for mental health representation. We get a graphic depiction of the main character experiencing violent intrusive thoughts in the wake of heartbreak BUT we also see her appropriately manage those thoughts and find better ways of coping. Yeah, intrusive thoughts can be really disturbing, but they are also manageable for most people and there's something powerful about having that represented.

Ultimately this is a story about two very broken people finding each other, falling in love, and slowly moving toward healing. This is the beginning of their story, not the end of it but I found the growth at the end to be really beautiful and encouraging. I completely understand that this book will not be for everyone- whether because the content is too intense, or because it's SUCH a character driven story, but it really struck a chord with me. Life is messy and so are people, but everyone is deserving of love. The audio narration is good, but it took me awhile to get into it because there are different narrators for the "narrator" of the story which is a little weird and unusual. But I ended up liking it. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I was unable to complete this book before it expired, however, I will be recommending it based on what I have heard so far. Although I do believe, at least for me personally the book would be better to read in print. I personally don't connect with audiobooks when it is a large cast of characters and voices, and parts of this one read like a script, which I would rather see in print. This story flowed so smoothly though, and the writing was smart, witty, and grabbed my attention right away. I loved the setting, you will always suck me in with a museum setting, and the characters from what I could tell so far are well developed and interesting. I can't wait to finish it! I will write a complete review when I am able to complete the reading. I didn't want to not share what I know so far, because I think this is going to be an excellent read, once I am able to complete it.

I wanna start this review by stating something very important about this book: it is not for everyone. Don't take this negatively toward the book at all, please, because it isn't a bad book in any way! But there are thousands of books in this world, some that are easy to love and some that are made to be hated. This one falls into a category very in the middle of both things. I don't think you can get to hate it, because even if you aren't the biggest fan of the story, there will be something here that will catch your attention and make you feel something, even if it's only one sentence o very specific moment. You might not fall in love with every line and every situation, or maybe you will! I had to put this at the beginning of this review, because you really don't know where this book will lead you unless you read it.

That being said, for me, this book was a ride. The writing style is very Olivie-like, it is pretentious in a good way, engaging, and for me it worked perfectly in the moment I was reading it, because even when I felt tired of life in general, I didn't want to stop reading at all! The story just flows, it feels like it keeps going and going and when you realize, you have read a lot. Also, the structure of the story is very unique. We have some random interventions now and then of some random characters that somehow complement the story, and we also have a lot of thoughts spilled from the main characters too like, full pages of what they are thinking that helps you a lot to understand them, even if you think they are going too fast sometimes. But I loved it, the writing and the building of the story in general is the strongest component of this book. Except, maybe, for the ending, in which I believe everything went bad, wrong and worse too fast just to be solved too easily. I didn't feel completely convinced with how everything happened so fast in the end, and I was hoping the author would develop some extra material and points there too.

The story wasn't for me. I didn't connect that much with the characters, thought I loved some of their reflexions and felt really deep some of the things that happened to them. I felt there were some moments when I was really losing my patience, and some things just were too much for my poor brain. But I still can't say I enjoyed it. Yes, Regan and Aldo are not easy characters, they aren't supposed to be at all! I understood that, I appreciated it as a part of a story and I made my peace with it, but I still didn't love it completely. I guess one can say this is a unique relationship between two very unique people going through a lot.

Give this book a chance by all means! I know some people will love it and have a way better connection with the story than what I did!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It reminded me a lot of the Atlas books, minus the magic and secret society. While I applaud Blake for her depiction of mental illness, I wasn't particularly fond of the main character, which made me disinterested in her "love" story. The writing itself was good, and like the Atlas books, it was heavy on philosophy, but this one just wasn't for me.

This book has been on my list for so long and I was so happy to finally be able to read it. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I rarely feel that the voices match the characters in my head so well, but this one was amazing. I don't think I've listened to an audiobook where I was like YESSS this is exactly how I would imagine them sounding.

I also really enjoyed the book, I can definitely understand the hype around this book. I am really excited because after listening to this book I know that I must buy the physical book so I can immediately reread it and annotate the book!! This book was written so beautifully I literally could not stop listening to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.