Summary
Tilly is spending the summer in Europe, as her perfect older sister's intern. Tilly has ADHD and finally made it through high school, but now she needs to figure out what she's doing with the rest of her life. Her parents want her to go to college, but Tilly knows her brain isn't made for higher education. Hopefully she can come up with a plan while helping her older sister with new company.
Oliver was hired to help a new start-up due to his knowledge of color theory and photography. His autism has always made it hard for him to connect with others, but when he is in the zone with art and color, nothing makes him happier. But working alongside a lively and energetic Tilly, his opposite in every way, has him flustered and feeling things, which is new for him.


Review
This book! I've adored Mazey through all 3 of her adult romances, and didn't know what to expect with her foray into Young Adult. She blew me out of the water. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Mazey writes neurodivergent characters in such a relatable and respectful way. You truly feel like you are in their head, experiencing life the way their brain does, making it so easy to empathize with their experiences. Tilly in Technicolor is no exception. Tilly and Oliver have such different experiences in life coping with ADHD and autism, but as a reader, Mazey writes them so you understand both of them on that deeper level. It is a beautiful, sweet story about two resilient teenagers, on the cusp of adulthood and figuring out their futures. This is not a YA book that reads super young, it can (and should) be appreciated by adults as well, for the writing, the story and the opportunity to learn or connect with these characters.

Put simply, I ate this book up like my favorite ice cream on a hot day. A coming-of-age romance with two neurodivergent MCs, it pure love and heart and healing.

As a neurodivergent person myself (and married to a ND man) I felt so seen, along with every other feeling on this rom-com roller coaster of ludicrous situations, stunning scenery, and tender moments.

Recent high school grad Tilly’s going to intern with her sister in Europe for the summer, and she wants to experience every city and maybe figure out what comes next for her life.

The issue? Rather than embracing Tilly for who she is, her family treats her like she’s bound to fail. She has ADHD, and is learning to navigate her mind and talents.

Oliver loves color, and knows exactly what he wants - to incorporate color and theory and psychology into a career. (Which is amazing to read about.)

A beginning for this career is interning with Tilly’s sister as well, traveling with them for the summer.

Ollie is autistic, and although he’s drawn to Tilly, he doesn’t always understand why she reacts a certain way, or how she feels about him.

I swear, once these two discovered how much they have in common, a flame erupted that would never die. And I don’t mean lust— it was deeply-rooted trust and friendship that blossomed into more.

I can’t get enough of them. Seeing European cities through their eyes, watching them figure their futures out— this book was an utter joy.

Maybe more of us will read this and affirm that we’re just right exactly as we are. I know Ollie and Tilly sure are.

I could read an entire series of tales about them, their friends, and their families.

Sometimes you just need a book that’s simply a riot of color.

I started this book laughing and laughed some more while reading. There were some tears too. I felt like this was such a good representation of ADHD and Autism. These are such hard topics but so real. I wanted to be Tilly’s bestie from the start. Oliver was such a sweetie. I just wanted to hug them both. I love the family growth the Tilly has throughout the book. I cannot wait to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

this book is honestly so delightful and had me smiling so big, and laughing. lots of laughing. tilly is so sweet and funny and just everything. oliver is a sweet baby angel and needs to be protected at all costs.
tilly is our resident post high school grad just trying to figure out what she is wanting to do next. her mom is hoping that she settles down and goes to college but tilly has the summer with her sister as she travels europe as her sister's intern. little does she know that she is not the only intern traveling with the company.
oliver is the photographer tasked to help grow the company's social media following as they travel across europe. oliver and tilly get off on the wrong foot and are forced to spend time together, taking pictures for social media and sharing a room. but all the time they spend together allows them to understand each other in ways they haven't felt before. soon, they are wanting to spend more time together and find their feelings for each other growing. but with tilly's future up in the air, their budding romance faces some tough challenges as the summer comes to a close. i'm telling you now, mazey eddings knows how to write the most amazing characters. you fall in love with tilly instantly from page one. and oliver is to die for. seriously. i will punch anyone who comes for this boy. these two sweet neurodivergent souls are so tender and you feel so connected to them. tilly's writing and oliver's color theory explanations are so rich and add so much life to the story. pls read this book. if you need something tender to make you go awwwww when you read while also belly laughing at tilly's underwear packing (also have NEVER related to something so much and was absolutely DYING that someone has been able to reach in my brain to explain this to me), this it the book you need.

I was interested to read this book because I loved Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake by this author.

This was such a sweet neurodiverse love story. The main character Tilly has ADHD and she shares a really enlightening perspective on the way her brain works. I really enjoyed delving into Tilly's life and it was such an interesting and informative perspective. Tilly's summer internship working for her sister's company turns into an opportunity to travel and work with Oliver. Oliver has autism and together they realize that they understand the way each other's mind works.

I found this to be a really insightful book and a sweet love story to boot.

This book was adorable! I was obsessed with Tilly and Oliver right from the start with their chaotic first interaction and all throughout. Mazey has this way of writing that always makes the characters resonate with me even if I don’t have the same life experiences as them. If you’re looking for a cute, fast-paced YA read with wonderfully written neurodiverse MCs, I would highly recommend this one! I truly enjoyed reading it. Thank you to SMP & NetGalley for the ARC.

I will admit this initially started off a little rough for me. Because Tilly's thoughts were a lot.

But of course, that's kind of the point. Tilly thinks differently. She reacts differently. Sometimes going from one extreme to the next. And while I first found it challenging I eventually embraced how well this author managed to portray the inner workings and musings of someone with ADHD.

Ollie, on the other hand, is autistic. He's high functioning but notably lacks the ability to read cues others would pick up on. He tends to hyperfocus, instinctively falling into and requiring a routine. A foil to Tilly's chaos.

While this book does feature a sweet romance, it never strayed too far from highlighting the challenges neurodiverse individuals face every day by simply existing in a world not made to accommodate them.

Tilly and Ollie are both such compelling voices, and it was truly fascinating seeing the world through their individual lenses.

It was a solid read, with dashes of bickering, misunderstandings, and heart-felt talks between our leads and their families. I would recommend it.

I would read the dictionary if Mazey Eddings wrote it. The writing is always amazing, filled with witty banter and emotionally intense feelings. I loved everything about Tilly and Oliver.

Mazey Eddings is an auto buy/auto read author for me. Tilly in Technicolor is her YA debut.
In this story we get two neurodivergent teens traveling through Europe finding themselves and where they fit into the world. (Tilly and Oliver are both working as interns for Tilly’s sister and her nail polish business).
.
💅YA romcom
💅ADHD rep
💅Autism rep
💅forced proximity
💅opposites attract
💅European travel
💅color love
.
This book was such a warm hug. I loved the authenticity. Eddings just doesn’t miss.
3.5 ⭐️(rounded up)
I enjoyed this but didn’t *love* it. I honestly just think it was the YA aspect, but many readers will *love* it!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an advance review!

Wow! I really enjoyed this novel. It came at a time for me when I have been doing deep research on ADHD and Autism, not only because my son has a diagnosis, but because I am realizing as an adult that I am neurodiverse and how that has shaped my life.

I loved the characters and their journey. I liked that Oliver had a loving and supportive upbringing and was mostly comfortable with himself, and the juxtaposition with Tilly's family and the lack of understanding. Some of the early scenes with her family had me cringing because some of that is all too familiar (including from myself, as a parent). Tilly at the beginning was quite obviously having challenges that were rubbing off on those around her and I felt quite viscerally the struggle on both sides. The feeling like you are a mess no matter what. The feeling that it is inevitable that you will screw up, that you will be perceived wrongly.

I also related to Oliver and thought he was very well represented as an autistic person. His special interest in colour was quite fascinating and I found myself looking up the Pantone colours as i read along. Some of the slow to respond, not understanding nuance and its affect on the relationship felt real without being too over the top. And I loved that he was represented as a caring, emotional person - as a human - and not as an unfeeling robot stereotype.

Really cute read with lots of good romance moments. I hope this book is a success for the representation it represents.

2.5⭐️ rounded up!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. I think with the intended audience and with many readers this book will find a happy home! I had a hard time connecting with the characters, which made focusing on the story hard for me. The pacing was also a bit slow for me. I loved the disability rep and the care you can tell that the author out into this book! This is definitely just a me thing and this book would for sure hit for other readers!

I listened to this audiobook and I think the narrators did a fantastic job. I like that the story shines a light on the difficulties, but also the joys of having ADHD and autism. As a woman with ADHD I found it very relatable and could see myself in so many of the situations described. The descriptions of their travels were intriguing and made me want to go to Europe again. The ending is particularly moving and I was sorry it was over.

My gosh this book is just like a warm (firm) hug! 🤗 it was simply wonderful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🚪 (just kissing, then closer door)

Looking for a change and an adventure, Tilly heads to Europe to intern for her sister’s nail polish company. After a meet-disaster on the plane with a hot British stranger, she finds that he is her fellow intern for the summer.

Oliver and Tilly seem like opposites at first, yet they are more alike than they realize. As neurodiverse teens (Tilly with ADHD & Oliver with Autism), they both struggle to find their place in the world, and how to interact with it.

I can barely put into words just how lovely this book was. I loved being in the minds of these two, seeing the world through their eyes. Oliver’s fascination with color theory and putting that spin on how he views the world was a delightful element to the story. Tilly was absolutely hilarious, with her info-dumping personality of blurting out everything on her mind.

While anxiety isn’t considered neurodivergent, there are definitely a lot of similarities that I could relate to. I often find myself overstimulated in many situations, and at many times overthinking things I’ve done or said.

I mostly listened to the audiobook, and the narrators did a phenomenal job of capturing the essence of the characters!

What you’ll find in Tilly in Technicolor:
🌈 YA romcom
🌈 Neurodiverse MCs (ADHD & Autism)
🌈 Forced proximity
🌈 European adventures
🌈 Only one bed
🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🌈 Self discovery
🌈 Stepping into adulthood
🌈 Slow burn
🌈 Dual POV/first person

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press & RB Media for advanced copies. All opinions are my own.

I have totally loved every Mazey Eddings book I have picked up - this one, Tilly in Technicolor, is her first YA title and her first novel that delves so deeply into characters that embrace her ownvoices neurodiversity. Tilly has severe ADHD that affects her whole life, and Oliver has high functioning autism but it makes him extremely focused on color spectrum and while he has difficulties with interacting and picking up social cues, he still seems to get through life quite well.

Tilly and Oliver meet on a plane to London and have a very difficult flight, not enjoying the others company or the whole experience. When they end up being paired up as summer interns for her sister’s company and have to travel through Europe in forced proximity, they learn to get past each other’s quirks and start to work together with their diversities, and just might become friends - or maybe those neurodiversities could be a good match.

Mazey Eddings is a beautiful writer and a great storyteller - and while I did really enjoy the story, it was definitely for a much younger audience than me (being YA). This is a 4.5 star read, and all young audiences should have this as required reading to understand what goes on behind the scenes in their friends with ADHD and autism. The adults with friends and family with the diagnoses also really should read it as well, to treat others more kindly. Eddings has written a gem!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Wednesday Books), and this is my honest feedback.

Tilly in Technicolor
Mazey Eddings
Pub Date: August 15, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tilly in Technicolor was an absolute delight! I just adored Tilly and Oliver and cannot recommend this book enough! As the YA debut by Mazy Eddings, she hit a home run!

Tilly is looking for change as she heads off to intern for her sister and her start-up company in Europe for the summer. After a tough high school experience with ADHD, she is ready for a fresh start, but has no clue what she actually wants. Tilly meets Oliver on her flight from Cleveland to Europe. Oliver knows exactly what he wants. He has a love for color theory and design and that allows him to connect to the world around him, even though his autism makes it difficult to connect with others. After a pretty disastrous flight, the two realize they will actually be spending their summer together. The two could not be more opposite, but they both start to develop feelings that they cannot explain. As their relationship grows, they are forced to figure out what’s next as the summer comes to an end.

I cannot express how much I loved this book. This will definitely be one I read again some day. I loved the character development and found this book to be engaging and I could not stop reading/listening. Oh, and the blogging! Overall, so heartwarming and pure perfection!

Read if you like:
💕Grumpy x Sunshine
💕Forced Proximity
💕Dual POV
💕Neurodivergent Rep
💕Blogging
💕Amazing Supporting Characters
💕LGBTQIA Rep

I both listened to the audiobook and read this book and I found both formats to be just perfect! The narrators, Justis Bolding and Chris Nelson were perfect for Tilly and Oliver and I felt like the audiobook flowed so well and was easy for me to follow.

Thank you RB Media, St. Martins Press, Mazey Eddings, and NetGalley for a #gifted copy of Tilly in Technicolor!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tilly in Technicolor was an absolutely delightful YA contemporary read.

This was my first time reading a book with two neurodivergent protagonists. I learned a lot and loved every page of reading from their perspectives. I look forward to reading more from this author and books featuring neurodiversity in general.

Tilly and Oliver both had equally engaging chapters that felt so different yet integral to the story. Their first encounter with one another genuinely had me smiling and laughing out loud. Tilly's moments of frustration and struggle with her familial relationships were very moving and something that I sympathized with deeply. Likewise, Oli's relationship with his sister was heartwarming and made me want to call my own.

Both main characters - Tilly and Oliver - have their own 'passions' that they are growing and developing throughout the novel (writing and art). I felt that these were well incorporated in a way that would not alienate readers who didn't share those interests. Oliver's art and Tilly's writing were interesting to read about and genuinely contributed to understanding the way they see & process the world and each other.

Overall, this book was very well written with great characters, a fun travel backdrop and an incredibly cute romance. It is a perfect quick and lighthearted read to close out the summer.

The neurodivergent representation in this story was just fantastic. I don't remember ever reading a book that discussed and dealt with ADHD and autism in the way that this book did. The perspective of young adults and their view of the world (and how the y see the world viewing them) was very eye opening and beautifully written. I know that this book will be one that some of my students can truly connect with. Tilly and Oliver are unique characters who connect from the start of their European adventure. I loved the way that Tilly expressed herself in her writing and the way that color was viewed by Oliver. Eddings wrote a wonderful YA book and continues to be an author I enjoy. I definitely give this book a 4.5, only not a 5 because I felt like the ending was a little rushed after spending so much time with these characters I just wanted a little bit more because I just adored them. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The quick cut: A teen girl with ADHD spends the summer in Europe interning for her sister when she meets a teen guy with Autism. Chaos and emotions fly when their opposing ways make sparks fly.

A real review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

Discovering you are neurodivergent is startling and life-changing at any age, but what about the experience as a teen? How do you adapt how you function to the environment you're in? Will people see you for who you are? This is the battle for Oliver and Tilly.

Tilly is desperate for her life to change. Feeling stiffled and misunderstood by her parents, she spends the summer in Europe interning for her older sister's new company. How can she find her way when her family seems incapable of looking past her ADHD? Oliver is the opposite and knows exactly what he wants, but his Autism makes it difficult to make relationships and connect to people. Can his new summer job help him with more than just his career experience?

I wish I got diagnosed as Autistic as a teenager because it would've saved me so much trauma and pain. Or maybe it would've been different pain because this story shows how functioning differently will always make it a complex battle between being who you are and what the world wants you to be. The plot may get ridiculous at points, but the neurodivergent experience at the core makes this a worthwhile read.

Tilly is messy and trying to find a path to being herself while Oliver knows exactly what he wants but struggles to connect. They're opposites and drive each other insane in the beginning, but as they get to know each other that changes. Their differences help them appreciate their unique talents and in turn create self acceptance. No matter your status, that life lesson is important.

I do wish the plot was less ridiculous at points. The ending is cute, but absolute fantasy and would not happen in reality. A bit more basis in reality would've been nice, but there's a chance I'm just biased that way.

A neurodivergent story that gives you the authentic representation.

My rating: 4 out of 5

This is my fourth Mazey Eddings book and each one makes me love her more. Her writing is so honest, sweet and just gives you all the feelings. Although I love all of her books, this one might be my favorite -- until her next one comes out.

Tilly and Oliver are neurodivergent teens who are moving into a new chapter of their lives: life after high school. Tilly is working as an intern for her sister's startup in Europe. While it's not the summer she imagined, it does allow her a reprieve from her overbearing mother. Unsure of what she wants to do with her life, she hopes this summer abroad will help her figure it out.

Oliver Clark knows exactly what he wants to do with is life. He loves color theory and design, and is delighted to have scored a summer internship that allows him to work with both. He has everything figure out until the most chaotic and disastrous international flight of his life courtesy of his seat companion, But just when he thinks he'll never have to worry about her again, he finds out he's interning for her sister. Awkward.

Forced to work and share a living space, Tilly and Oliver start to build a connection. And their summer plans go right out of the window.

There is so much I love about the book - the characters, the issues that they're both dealing with, and obviously the connection between Tilly and Ollie. Mazey does such a great job of creating characters that you can't help but root for. It's realistic and grounded, but also gives you all vibes you want in a romance.

I also really enjoyed the other stories that included both Tilly and Ollie's family/friends. In some romances, the family/friends aspect is lightly sprinkled in, but I think Mazey did a great balance here. And the interactions with their family and friends help shape Tilly and Ollie's love story.

I adore this book. It had me laughing, smiling and sometimes crying. It was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve heard many good things about Mazey Eddings’ work so I jumped at the chance to get an early look at her YA debut that features a sweet summer romance between two neurodivergent teens. Thank you Wednesday Books!

Summary: Tilly is struggling under the weight of her parents’ expectations and suffering from ADHD burnout after high school. A summer internship at her perfect older sister’s start up offers a change of scenery and a free trip around Europe that she can’t pass up. After a DISASTROUS first meeting with her fellow intern, Oliver, their early clashes slowly turns into something more as they bond over their shared neurodiverse connection. Oliver is autistic and, in contrast to Tilly, has big plans for his future to pursue his love of color theory and design. Those plans are thrown into turmoil after meeting Tilly, but their relationship brings even more color to Oliver’s life as they become closer. After one adventurous summer, can they create a new future together?

My review: While it had a bit of a rocky start, I fell head over heels for this book! Tilly’s desire for independence and her struggle to figure out the future were deeply relatable, but I admit many of her adventures (especially in the beginning of the book) gave me almost paralyzing secondhand embarrassment. I’m glad I pushed through though because I was rewarded with some truly lovely disability representation and a super sweet romance.

The romance was definitely the best part of this book. It felt so adorable, natural, and definitely swoon-worthy. It was so heart-warming to see Tilly and Oliver connect and learn to communicate. They brought out the best in each other and learned from each other in a really delightful way.

The neurodiverse representation (both ADHD and autism) is based on the author’s own experiences. Seeing Oliver and Tilly bond over their shared experiences of isolation, burnout, stimming, and so on was really special to me and made this book stand out from your average YA romance.

The elements about color theory were also super fun and surprisingly romantic! I wanted a bit more detail on the Europe trip and there were elements of the plot that felt pretty contrived. I also didn’t like how rushed certain elements of the ending were. Tilly’s mom was pretty much a cartoon style villain that I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her until her teeth rattled. I guess I wanted something a bit more realistic with Tilly’s family relationships and personal growth.

Even with my reservations (and that INTENSE secondhand embarrassment), I really enjoyed this book and it’s skyrocketed up my list of disability reads! Save some space on your summer TBRs for this sweet book!

Content warnings: discussions of sex, fade to black sex scene, bad parenting/emotional abuse, ableism, adult language.