Look no further, this story has it all! CHRISTA COMES OUT OF HER SHELL is quirky, dramatic, romantic, comedic and addictive. It stars Dr. Christa Liddle who studies snails on an island, far, far away. She's happy and content. However, she receives a message that her celebrity dad, who she thought was dead, is actually alive. Christa returns home and her secluded, quiet life is about to change big time.

Christa is forced back into the celebrity spotlight and faces alarming family secrets. She is reunited with her mother, sisters, and her old boyfriend, Nate. She has to confront her lying father, which stirs up issues from her past. There are family complications, paparazzi nosing around, mental drama, and more. There is still an undeniable attraction between her and Nate. How will Christa deal with it all? Will she ever be able to return to her peaceful, private life?

Ms. Waxman's tale is cleverly plotted as it slowly reveals all about a supposedly deceased celebrity father whose family learns he actually is alive. Where has he been all these years? There is jaw-dropping drama, a little romance, sassy characters, celebrity gossip-mongers, and much more. Ms. Waxman is a compelling, classy writer and this story totally delivers! The main characters along with their problems and family issues are funny, nerdy, quirky, and very likable. The story started out slow but as I got into it, it blossomed and snowballed into a melodrama of epic proportions. CHRISTA COMES OUT OF HER SHELL is a uniquely, off-beat, divine rom-com!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An enjoyable narrative that sweeps readers into a manic and funny tale. As a reader of Waxman’s work since ‘The Garden of Small Beginnings’, I looked forward to this latest offering, wondering what quirky world she would come up with next.

From the beginning, humor and contentment in her work are central to Christa’s life. But beware, beneath the humor lies a moment that should come with a trigger warning. Christa’s past has its painful moments. Her father, Jasper, vanished when she was a toddler. She doesn’t recall him, only the wreckage he left behind. Christa clings to her resentment convinced that Jasper’s disappearance marked her downfall.
The women—her mother and sisters—form their intricate family dynamic. Roles are assigned, and boundaries are drawn. So, when Jasper reappears after a quarter-century, chaos descends. How dare he disrupt their equilibrium? The story behind his departure and return unfolds, leaving the reader angrily exclaiming, “Wow!”

Christa’s and Nathan’s chemistry simmers, adding a layer of romance to the narrative. But make no mistake—this isn’t your run-of-the-mill romance. It’s firmly rooted in the Women’s fiction genre, where kick-ass women reign supreme.

So, buckle up for a rollercoaster ride. Waxman’s wit and warmth guide us through Christa’s transformation and redemption.

I adore this author and this book — she has a way of making characters who are utterly flawed and loveable (not to mention quirky), and I adore seeing them in future books as well as meeting her new MCs. Here we have Christa, who studies snails and doesn’t particularly like the spotlight. She’s thrust into it, however, when she goes back home to LA when the famous father she thought was dead is in fact, alive. I loved seeing Christa grow here while remaining herself. It was also fun to read about another female scientist (I am one, and this made me feel seen). The romance was a perfect example of how someone can love you for who you are— Nate and Christa had so many green flags going they could have been their own country. In a word, this story was delightful - wholly unique from this author’s other works but with the same sense that belongs to Abbi. As always , I will happily recommend her! If you’re considering picking this one up, I think you should. You won’t be disappointed.

Christa Comes Out Of Her Snail is Christa's story. She is not just a nerdy scientist and recluse but also famous (think Steve Irwin, Steve Backshall or maybe even David Attenborough famous) Jasper Liddle's daughter - the scientist whose plane crashed in Alaska 25 years ago and who has been missing ever since.
Having survived a childhood in the limelight - put in the spotlight by her mother after her father disappeared and living a youth of rebellion and extremely negative publicity, she is happy to be alone, unbothered, and having a blast with the quiet marine life she loves.
Unfortunately, she is called back into the heart of the family and LA when her father reappears after a twenty-five year, presumed-dead hiatus in Alaska.
What follows is a fun fast paced story including old friends, greedy agents, journalists, and media outlets all wanting the „real" story. Nobody actually wants the
"real" story, of course — they want the highly marketable, „let's make a ton of money" story starring all of the smiling faces - the beautiful reunion.
Lots of marine biology factoids, lovely animal drawings heading every chapter and a reignited love interest in the form of a recently divorced handsome childhood family friend, and you have all the makings of a typical Waxman romcom and I love Abby Waxman's writing.
This was very fun to read! Thank you to @berkleypub for the eARC - all opinions expressed are of course my own!

A STEM rom com that is equal parts emotional and hilarious! A zoologist who is fascinated by snails and flabbergasted by human interactions. Fortunately, the sweet boy that she grew up with has grown into a steadfast man who is more than willing to take on her prickly demeanor. This sweet friends to lovers with a bit of second chances thrown in is a fun read. It was a bit heavy with scientific language that took a bit to get used to, but it was interesting information that expanded my vocabulary so I rolled with it. I'm quite intrigued to see what other stories this author comes up with for us to devour!

Every time I picked up "Christa Comes Out of Her Shell", I was whisked away on an emotional journey with this story.

Firstly, I love this cover! The sea animals!!!!

Abbi Waxman's writing jumps right off of the page from the very first page to the last. Her characters feel like such real people; I could envision each and every one, and Ms. Waxman's storytelling is full of powerful and poignant themes.

Christa loves to study sea life, quietly away from the world she has known in the past. However, soon, she receives news that brings her back home, and many feelings, both past and present, and experiences are brought to the surface. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will say, this novel truly has so much in it: family, science, romance heartbreak, grief, surprises, memories, warmth, heartbreaking moments, heartwarming moments, and so, so much more.

I recommend this book! I look forward to reading what the author writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this novel, and to Berkley Publishing Group for having me on the blog tour for this book! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Well, this novel is almost 14 hours long, and it could be shorter. The FMC also has some very quirky “voices” or squirrel moments throughout the novel.

The novel reminds me of the OG Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis- full of cool sciency topics and information I didn’t know. It is NOT the same voice though.

Christa has this very distinct stream-of-consciousness voice where she just starts “talking to the reader”...it doesn’t really progress the novel much, and while it does add to her character, I found myself distracted by it at times, and other times I thought it was really funny.

If you enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s unique FMCs, lesser-known science details, and stream-of-consciousness writing you may enjoy this one.

This was my first Waxman book and I was slightly underwhelmed. I get the humor but it didn't really hold my attention. I found this to feel really long and ultimately didn't really care or connect with the characters. The plot also seemed a bit out there and outlandish. I've had The Bookish Life of Nina Hill on my shelf for so long but I still want to give it a try since so many trusted reviewers loved that one but unfortunately, this was just an okay read for me.

After a childhood in the spotlight, Christa has found a much quieter life, studying snails on a remote island. But when her famous TV show father, the man everyone assumed died after his plane crashed years ago, is actually alive and is coming home. Christa flies back to be with her family and is immediately thrust back into the spotlight and has to navigate this new family dynamic as well as a new attraction to her long-time family friend, Nate.

One thing that is always so unique and charming about Abbi Waxman’s books is her quirky characters, and Christa might be one of the quirkiest of them all. I really enjoyed Christa as a character, but overall this book fell a little flat for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I just didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. One thing I did love was the dynamic between Christa and her mom and sisters - they each had such unique personalities, and the moments where we saw them all together and supported each other were so special. I wanted more of those moments (and more of the sibling drama too) and found myself wishing that was the focus of the book. Christa’s dad Jasper was a garbage human, so having a large part of the plot be focused around him was not my favorite and I kept finding myself irritated during any scenes he was in. I also didn’t fully buy into the romance - especially when we learned a little bit more about Christa’s trauma towards the end. Nate was almost too mice and too perfect and I wanted someone a bit more for Christa. As I said, I liked this book, I just feel like it missed the opportunity to be a fantastic story about sisters.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This is by far my new favorite by Abbi Waxman!! Full of family drama, a loveable but damaged female scientist main character, a beautiful love story, forgiveness, mental health rep and an important focus on date rape and damaging social media culture. Great on audio narrated by Jesse Vilinsky and Jonathan Todd Ross. Who knew I would be so enamored with a book about a snail loving biologist but I totally am!!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Christa Barnet spends her days on a small island in the Indian Ocean studying snails. She is content there. She doesn’t have to deal with social media or family drama. She can just focus on her studies in peace. That’s important to her, as her childhood was filled with difficulties beyond her control. It came with the territory, Christa being the littlest Liddle.

Jasper Liddle was a popular television host, a scientist who could make the natural world come alive for viewers. He was loved by adults and children alike. And then he was gone. The plane he had been piloting went down in a remote part of Alaska, and all the searches turned up nothing. His wife and three daughters had to go on with their lives without him.

When Jasper disappeared, Christa had been a toddler. Her sisters were older, so they had a bond that Christa had felt left out of. But as a cute kid, she had been a part of the marketing her mother had done for the foundation built on the work of Jasper. Christa would hold an animal and smile for the cameras, and the adults took care of the rest. But now she’s an adult, and she’s happy to be far away from the Liddle Foundation and from the Liddle Little’s, the stuffed animal business that compared to Beanie Babies.

But then she got the news she never expected to get. Jasper was alive after all, and after 25 years of being away in the Alaskan wilderness, he was heading back to Los Angeles. Her father was coming home.

After many quiet years of studying snails on her small island home, Christa is thrust back into California, and back into the orbit of the paparazzi. She can’t even get out of LAX without running into a reporter, and soon they are swarming around the house. She camps out at her mother’s house with her two sisters, and they try to wrap their heads around the fact that their long-long father (and husband) is alive and well and talking to Oprah about why he’d been gone so long.

Trying to sort through decades of sibling rivalry, grief, anger, embarrassment, shame, and resentment, the Liddle family try to sort through their feelings to decide how much they are willing to put up with for themselves and for their familial bonds. As long-held hurts fall away and old crushes rise back up, Christa has to decide for herself how to move forward in a world where her sisters no longer hate her and her father exists as more than a distant memory. She has to stop hiding from the past and live in the present, and to figure out how to do that with a spotlight shining on her, no matter how much she may shy away from it. Using humor, intelligence, and inner strength, Christa has to navigate a new reality and find her way to her best life.

Abbi Waxman’s Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is a warm and witty look at family in the spotlight and how fame can make or break the relationships around you. It is human and endearing in a way that feels like a hug while also keeping it’s sharp edges, like a fork you might keep in your pocket to stab at the fingers of a rogue reporter who is trying to hold the elevator doors open to get an unwelcome photo or quote. Just as a random example. It’s a tale of survival and of revival, and of a family coming together when they all need each other the most.

I have been a fan of Waxman for many years now, and I am always caught a little off-guard by her writing. It’s lovely and lyrical, that doesn’t change. But she creates characters who are real, who you want to hang out with, and who will pull the rug out from under you every once in a while, but in the best way. I could identify with Christa right away, so I was with her on her journey. But as I met some of the other characters in the book, I was surprised at how much I was taken with a lot of them too (not all of them, certainly; we are talking about the entertainment industry). I knew I wanted to read Christa Comes Out of Her Shell as soon as I knew it was coming out. But I didn’t know at the time how much I would genuinely fall in love with this story. This is the perfect book for a long rainy weekend or an afternoon by the pool, or better yet, curled up in bed with your favorite creature.

Egalleys for Christa Comes Out of Her Shell were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I had a really good time while reading this! I adored Christa and her family, and Nate is definitely a swoon-worthy guy. I loved Christa's obsession with ocean-centered scientific facts. I also loved her reaction upon seeing her father long thought dead appear in front of her. The moments after that cemented my desire for Christa and Nate to get together. Watching Christa and her family work through all the heavy things that were caused by the supposed death of their father was really heartwarming, and I loved the growth they all showed throughout the story.
There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat, and thoroughly entertained throughout the whole book. This is the first book I've read by Abbi Waxman and it won't be the last.

Thanks to Berkley for my free copy of Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abby Waxman. #berkleypartner

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is quirky romance about a marine biologist living on a small island in the Indian Ocean studying sea snails. Christa's work is turned upside down father was a famous TV naturalist who was thought dead 25 years ago after a plane crash turns out to be alive. She returns home to Los Angeles and the spotlight she gave up as a teenager as she meets with her family but wonders if she'll lose herself in the chaos.

The idea behind this book was fun and quirky but it was too long of a book for me. I felt like the middle bogged down the story. This story was a little over the top, especially with the father returning from the dead. I wanted to see more character development from Christa and I didn't feel like she grew. There was romance and I really liked Nate but this felt like more of a women's fiction vs romance to me.

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell came out yesterday - April 16th.

Having loved The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, I was excited to be offered an e-arc of Abbi Waxman’s latest.
Christa Liddle studies sea snails on a remote island and is the daughter of a famous naturalist and animal lover, who had his own TV show…he’s a much less lovable and less wholesome Steve Irwin, if you will. 25 years ago, he went missing and was presumed dead…until he suddenly returns. Now her, her mom and sisters’ lives are turned upside down as they try to navigate what happened to him and what this means for them, especially in the face of so much attention from the press.
Also in the mix is Nate, the son of her dad’s business partner, who she has known all of her life but now sees in a new light. Christa’s warring emotions on him, her family, and even the job she loves so much come into play in this story - and the focus is whether or not she can truly come out of her shell and into her own.
I enjoyed this book - the writing was witty and funny, Nate was a cinnamon roll sweetheart, Jasper and his agent were so frustratingly villainous. I didn’t always understand why Christa kept feeling like she had to keep pushing Nate away, but I’m glad that he never really took the bait. I love me a steadfast hero.

Thank you to Berkley Publishers and netgalley for providing me an arc of Abbi Waxmans book Christa Comes out of Her Shell. I am a fan of Abbi Waxman and was happy to read her books it was the lighter book I needed to read. I knew nothing about the book but it was a happy light going read that I enjoyed about Christa whose father disappeared at a young age but then returned when she was an adult. Enjoy this book and you also might learn some science details.

3.5 stars

To start with, I had a hard time figuring out how to classify this book. It’s on me that I thought this was a Romance going in because I don’t think I was ever specifically told that. This is more general fiction with romantic elements. But I will say, for my Romance peeps, it does have a HEA for Christa. And the last half of the story is a lot heavier on the romance than the first half.

There are some terrible people in this story. Underhanded, narcissistic, greedy people who only pretend to care about what their actions do to their supposed loved ones. Fortunately, Christa’s mom and sisters are not those terrible people. This book is, at its core, about Christa and her sisters and mom healing their relationships. They love each other hard and deeply, but many mistakes have been made through the years. Especially in Christa’s childhood. Christa has her faults, but it’s much easier for her to admit to those faults once her family members address their past mistakes with her. I loved seeing them come together and display a united front over and over, even before they had stitched up the tears in their family.

Nathan and Leo are wonderful additions to that family team. I would have loved to see more of Leo, but he was always there holding them up when they needed him. Nathan is the love interest and he’s also a comforting present for the women in the family. He was witness to Christa’s greatest shame (in her eyes, anyway) and that was one of my issues with the story. It was kind of kept as a secret from the reader and I didn’t really see the reason behind the secrecy. Everyone who mattered in the story knew what happened so it was strange to keep it from the reader. Regardless, Nathan is amazing and it seems he always has been.

This is a new-to-me author so I’m not sure if this book is a good example of her usual writing style. I found the flow to work well and, for the most part, the story was engaging. It threw me off that she switched from first-person POV (Christa) to third-person POV a few times. Those third-person bits weren’t very long, but it was strange to have them thrown into a first-person story. I still enjoyed the story and, even though this isn’t my usual genre, I would read more from this author if the opportunity arose.

Christa appeared on many television screens as a child, but not out of choice. In fact, when her famous father went missing when she was quite young, she was often presented as the sad little girl who lost her daddy. As Christa grew older she had some difficulties, and this is when Christa ended up taking charge of her own life. Now a well-educated woman, working on a long-term research project on an isolated island, Christa is in her element.

However, this all changes when her father, certainly thought to be deceased, shows up alive and well. Christa and her family are now thrust into the spotlight. Christa gets more attention than her two sisters and even her mother because of how she was presented as a child. Avoiding the paparazzi proves to be a huge challenge and while the family is seeking answers, she cannot wait to get back to her little island and the marine project that she is working on.

Where is all of this going to lead? Where was Christa‘s father all of those years? What does that mean for her life and that of the life of her family even now? Beyond these questions, there is something else that this book offers readers. There is a second chance romance woven into the pages of this story that most certainly will affect Christa‘s future.

This was a delightful read and I love how the story evolved and how we got to see Christa’s life changing as the story progressed. This came to a wonderful conclusion and now I cannot wait to read the next book by this talented author.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio and Berkley Publishing Group for this complimentary audiobook and gifted copy.

Sounds amazing right?
Well, it is amazing, Abbi did it againg, I loved this story. The best quirky characters, heartwarming, sweet and funny. I had the best time with this book.

𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 by Abbi Waxman releases today April 16, 2024.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

I just discovered Abbi Waxman a few months ago and have only read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which I absolutely loved. Christa is nothing like Nina, and their stories couldn’t be more different, however Christa stole my heart. Her life is very unique - I loved her occupation and all the tidbits we learn about her beloved ocean and the snails she studies. Her childhood was even more unique, with all kinds of continued family drama. A shocker prompts her return home and starts her second chance love story with an old friend. Nate is a swoony dreamboat who is the perfect partner to stand by her side as she navigates the mess her family has found itself in. Themes of abandonment, addiction, avoidance, forgiveness, and all forms of love weave through Christa’s story. I am here for all of it. I cannot wait to continue reading Abbi Waxman’s backlist. I hope you give Christa’s story a try and I hope you love it!
Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Scientist Christa is happy researching sea snails on a remote island far away from her family when she gets a call that her famous father (think American Steve Irwin—at least that’s what I did) who was presumed dead after a plane crash years ago is very much alive. Christa needs to come home to help her mother and sisters deal with the news and possibly reconnect with her father—a man she barely remembers, but one whose legacy ruled her childhood and teenage years. When she gets home, she’s also reunited with a childhood friend, Nathan, and the instant attraction she feels for him makes the already complicated situation even more complicated.

I loved so much about this book. I found Christa’s voice delightful and almost immediately connected to her even though we’re very different people (for instance, I have no interest in snails). And I loved the family dynamics in the book. Every one of the characters was really interesting in their own way. I was especially drawn to Christa’s mom who was a really strong woman forced to grapple with mistakes she made raising three daughters on her own.

Initially, I also really loved the romance. Nathan was a great, swoon-worthy character and I loved the scenes between him and Christa early on. By the end of the book he took a turn towards being a little too perfect, but I know that’s a hard line to draw in these stories. I still enjoyed their arc. This is my fourth Abbi Waxman book, and it was much steamier than any I’ve read before. I’ve definitely read steamier books, but I wasn’t expecting the open door aspect in this one.

The audiobook was fabulous. Jessie Vilinsky is the main narrator although there’s also a male narrator for the news coverage in the book. Vilinsky does a great job bringing Christa to life and her male voices are to die for.

I would absolutely recommend this one if you like family dramas and quirky characters.