This author is normally hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this one was a miss. I liked Christa, but I just wasn't invested in the story line as it was a bit too farfetched. I still love this author though and will read her future books.

I love this author! Her voice is so quirky and her books are always such a nice combination of humorous women's fiction and romance. The plot of this one is so original and I loved the family aspect of it. The romance was swoony, and if I'm not mistaken, it was the first one with open-door steam. I was not complaining! With so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book.

When I tell you I was willing to shove people out of the way to get my hands on an early copy of Abbi Waxman’s latest release – I’m probably not exaggerating much. That’s why it sucks so bad that I didn’t really love it.

I thought this was going to be a “maybe you can go home again” sort of story with an obvious addition of an unrequited love who now gets to be “quited” (I know that’s not a word). And the storyline of an “Amelia Earheart” or “D.B. Cooper” sort of long-thought dead dad returning from the wild had my attention. Sadly, nothing much even happened with the dad stuff until nearly 70% and I didn’t know I was signing up for a porny so that wasn’t really my idea of a great time either.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut I still HIGHLY recommend Nina Hill or The Garden of Small Beginnings or Other People’s Houses or I Was Told It Would Get Easier. They all just made my chick lit loving heart go cluck cluck cluck.

2.5 Stars

A story about celebrity, self-discovery, and being true to oneself, Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is weighed down by its overly-quirky narrative stylings. Ultimately, though, it’s a decent story about figuring out who you are and how much of you belongs to the world.

Christabel – Christa - Liddle has settled into a life of science. She works on a remote island in the middle of the ocean as a marine biologist studying sea snails, far from the hassles of humanity, and her exhausting family.

Her father– Jasper Liddle, naturalist and host of Liddle’s Great Big World – disappeared when his plane crashed in the Canadian wilderness and he was never found. Christa is the baby in the family, and each of her sisters -- middle child, Eleanor, a conservationist, and eldest, Annabelle, a musician – have coped with his going in different ways. For Christa, the solution was a party phase and then exile after becoming online tabloid fodder. Denny, their mom, emerged from a supporting role on Jasper’s shows to keep the show going and handle his legacy. Is it any wonder that her youngest wants to disappear into ocean sciences?

Everything changes when Jasper, still alive, emerges from the woods after decades. The Liddle family reunites to deal with the dilemma and to meet with their father, forcing Christa to cope with the Hollywood world she abandoned and this strange new father who ‘died’ when she was a toddler. Christa has a prickly but loving relationship with her family, and she has no idea how to deal with the press. The only thing keeping Christa sane is the continued support of her long-term crush, the family’s driver, Nate. Can Christa figure out her place in the family’s dynamic, discover if she really wants to be in the public eye, and navigate a romance with Nate?

Well, yes, but there are bumps along the way. Christa Comes out of Her Shell combines character study with steady-going romance and a family dramedy that works fairly well apart for a few bumps that keep it from a higher grade.

As I said, Christa is quirky, sometimes too much so, but has enough meat on her bones to make her interesting. Her mother is amusing though sometimes insufferable, her sisters decent. But Nate feels too perfect, too good to be true, willing to sacrifice himself at every turn and always reliably there for Christa with little life of his own to speak of.

Jasper, meanwhile, is an enigma – perhaps too much of one for the book’s own good. As for what really happened during his years of absence, I’ll leave the twists related to that to the reader to find out for themselves, but I found it predictable, and I wanted a little more of him spending time with Christa. I couldn’t really buy the choice he made, which the novel thankfully does not romanticize.

Christa Comes out of Her Shell is, ultimately, a perfectly okay book, but its flaws mean it never reaches real greatness.

NOTE: there is a scene in which Christa is roofied and saved from a sexual assault.

Rating: 4.5 stars

When her father is discovered alive after 25 years, Christa is forced to return home and confront her past.

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell was another delightful story from Waxman. I have grown to expect engaging and quirky characters and amusing and snappy dialog from her. While this was very much in the vein of Waxman's previous books, I felt as though the romance was a bigger part of the main character's story. I cannot say I was disappointed at all because I adored Nate and found him to be a perfect match for Christa. I not only liked each of them, but I loved them together and for each other.

At one point, Christa talked about how she had known Nate her whole life, but he was older than her, so she didn't really *know* him back then, and she definitely didn't know him now. But she wanted to, and Nate wanted to know grown up Christa as well. The things he said, let me tell you, he had me swooning. Nate seemed like the perfect person to be there when Christa came out of her shell since he was also there when she hit rock bottom in her teens. This was a sad event which Christa struggled with for many years.

There sure was a good dose of romance in this tale, but it made sense, since this was Christa's return from a self-imposed seclusion and her attempt to reclaim her life from those who used her, those who hurt her, those who exploited her, and those who let her down. I was glad she had Nate by her side as she took back parts of her life, slowly revealed pieces of herself, and opened her heart up to people again.

The dad part of this story was wild, and where it went was even more wild. Buckle up for that part. It was interesting the way it all affected Christa's life, and I liked the way she chose to tackle it. I also found her family to be rather wonderful. I do understand that their relationship was strained due to Christa's teen antics, but time and personal growth gave everyone in Christa's family a different perspective, and it was a positive one. It was wonderful seeing them bond and their love and affection for each shine through.

This is a story that could have easily slipped into heavy territory, but Waxman kept it packed with humor and some very over the top shenanigans which gave the story an overall light and fun feel. I had a fantastic time with Christa and her family as they processed their past and embraced their future. There were great things on the horizon for them all, and I was glad to be part of this entertaining and heartwarming journey.

Abbi Waxman was one of the first romance authors I read five years ago and her comforting writing style and storytelling really solidified my love for the genre. This book simply added a reason to why I love her and her books so much. Christa’s story of finding love and herself while handling the demise of her father’s legacy was really wonderful to read.

Love Abbi Waxman! This was such a fun and quirky romcom/family drama.

Meet the Liddles. A family made famous ala Steve Irwin style with a conservationist showman dad whose show and subsequent merch/toys are beloved by the masses.

And then the patriarch Jasper goes missing. His plane crashes in Alaska and he was gone in an instant. No body found. All the Liddles had to move on - except the littlest Liddle Christabel was thrust into the spotlight and when it was too much, she fled.

Now, 25 years later Christa receives the call no one ever expects while she is living and researching sea snails on the remotest of remote islands. Her father has been found and he’s alive and going on Oprah?! Where has he been this whole time? What does this mean for the whole family? And most importantly, is Christa going to lose it again?

Christa lives on a remote island, doing her research with snails. When her father, who was presumed dead decades ago, resurfaces, her world is turned upside down.
Funny, a little far-fetched but somehow still believable.

Fun, fast Spring Break or early Beach Read: Christa is a lovely quirky geek, and her relationships with her family and family friend Nate hit all the right spots. Plus you'll learn something about marine animals (among other creatures).

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I have really enjoyed several of the authors books, her style is funny and charming and she always writes memorable characters with plenty of quirks and this was no exception. Everything about this one was unique, maybe to the point of some silliness but I didn’t even care because it was so much fun. A believable plot? No, not exactly. But believable characters and authentic reactions and family dynamics? I think so. I would say this is mostly a complicated family drama steeped in humor that doesn’t take itself seriously whatsoever with a side of romance. While all the quirky characters won me over at first meeting I was most charmed by Christa herself. She’s funny, a mess, introverted, nerdy, intelligent, interesting and self deprecating. As the sole narrator of the story she was wildly entertaining and the author did a great job of showing character growth with her by the end. Overall this one was a delight and I think it would make for a perfect vacation read.

I love Abbi Waxman's writing. Her depth of character is amazing. I felt as if I knew the Liddles personally. I love the use of Christa's addressing the reader directly as if this was a "breaking the fourth wall" moment.

Christa Barnet, PhD zoologist is also Christabel Liddle, youngest of 3 daughters who’s deceased father, Jasper Liddle had been a TV naturalist who traveled the world filming documentaries and becoming a global superstar (a la David Attenborough) until the plane he was flying crashes in Alaska and he was never heard from again. In the wake of his death, Christa’s mother carried on her late husband’s work,…filming documentaries in the far reaches of the world to shine a light on the plight of wild animals and the ecology and bringing sweet little Christa with her. Young Christa and her Mother appeared on TV with live animals, in documentaries and creating the Liddle Foundation to build animal sanctuaries and ecological protection areas all over the world… as a symbol of Jasper’s enduring celebrity. Twenty-five years later, Christa is happily doing post-doc work with sea snails on a remote island in the Indian Ocean, has exchanged her famous last name for her Mother’s maiden name and doing pretty much everything she can to outrun anything to do with Liddle celebrity. That all comes to an abrupt end when she gets a call from her Mom…Jasper is alive, has wandered out of the Alaskan wilderness and about the appear on Oprah. Wait what?!?!?! Christa must drop everything, take many flights to get back to LA and deal with the wild crush of the crazy media hounding her family. Thus begins the ordeal of dealing with her 2 older sisters, TV trucks blocking the street in front of her childhood home, conspiracy theories surrounding Jasper’s disappearance, a powerful and deeply creepy agent and…the most fun…reconnecting with her preteen crush. Crazy and endearing family dynamics, fame and the easily manipulated public, and learning that it’s okay to veer from what you thought was your life’s direction to find something better.

You'll find Waxman's offbeat characters and humor that always makes me guffaw gracing her newest novel--charming, touching and so worth reading. MC Christa is an introverted marine life researcher, pulled home when her father shows up unexpectedly after a quarter-century. I dare you to put down the compelling tale 'til you reach the end. Highly recommended!

DNF at 25%. I just could not find myself caring about this story or this character so I'm going to set it aside for now. The set up of the story is intriguing but in the first quarter of the book, there just wasn't enough plot or character development that kept me engaged. Christa is a nature scientist working on a remote island when she finds out her father who has long been presumed dead, is actually alive. Her father/family has strong Steve Irwin/Crocodile Hunter vibes. There were some hints of a romance brewing with her long time family friend, but again nothing significant or intriguing enough in the first 25% to make me keep going.

I was gifted an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

At first I thought it was me: too many Britishisms in a book with American main characters. No problem, as that's more a thing I get mad at editors about, not authors. Then I was confused because Christa says she wakes early when she's spent the whole book getting up around noon. But maybe that's jet lag.

But then guys keep telling her how pretty she is. Everyone insists she'd be great for TV but there's literally nothing going on with her that says she is. In fact, she has been good press but bad TV for years.

They also tell her how she's badass but she spends the middle of the book being a doormat, which I guess is supposed to be some sort of reaction to her dad but it's really mostly her mother speaking for her and pushing her in a way that is so not okay.

Then I find out (for sure) that she was [spoiler, I guess?]...after multiple instances where her family makes fun of her startle reflex. A thing she refers to before and after the reveal as "embarrassing."
¯\_🤨_/¯

People accuse her of "running" but she...got a great education (Princeton!) and loves her research and living somewhere relaxed and cool. She even tells herself going to college was running? What?

The Gen Z characters in this book are appallingly clichéd, too.

This isn't even going into the Jasper thing, at all. Wait, one thing semi-Jasper related; how Christa alternates between saying he was famous and he wasn't really that famous. Or again, maybe this is pre-disappearance and post; I could not figure it out.

Finally, there's Nate, who starts speechifying like the worst rom com you've ever seen. I had to skip a lot of his dialog at the end because my eyes glazed over and I thought I'd have sugar issues. He should win an award for Man Most Written By a Woman.

All in all, just really disappointing, honestly frustrating, and difficult to finish.

PS HAIR DYE NEEDS MAINTENANCE

Abi Waxman is a fantastic writer. Her descriptions are the best. This book was a slight challenge for me to get immersed in. It was a great concept but sort of fell flat for me in some areas. Great writing. Great family dynamic story.

DNF.

The blurb and cover grabbed me immediately, but found the writing to be just okay and the actual premise to be all over the place.
Just didn't work for me.

3.75 stars

Abbi Waxman’s books are always great fun, with wonderful dialogue and lots of humor but real life seriousness flowing underneath.
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is a wild ride that also touches on childhood pain and family dysfunction.

Christa is a scientist and as the story opens she is happily conducting research on a small island out in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Her idyll, really a self-imposed exile, is interrupted by phone calls from her family in California. Christa’s father was a popular TV nature show host who presumably died in a plane crash 25 years earlier when Christa was 2. Only – he didn’t die. He has just reappeared with a fairly outrageous story and her mom and two sisters are in an uproar.

Christa jets home and the pandemonium begins. Her father is doing interviews and TV appearances but hasn’t contacted the family yet. Her mother and sisters are great characters – smart, funny, strong women who are both furious and ecstatic at their father’s appearance.

The family dynamic has changed quite a lot. Christa had a rough time after her father’s “death” and behaved badly for a few years before being shipped off to boarding school where she found her nerdy science niche. Her sisters, the queens of snark, have been in therapy and are considerably less judgmental and more nurturing than they were before.

And to add to the intrigue – Christa reconnects with a childhood friend and they are both smitten. Since she is planning on returning to her isolation, that is a problem. Christa has always dealt with trouble by running away so what is she to do?

An excellent read with wonderful characters. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am a big fan of Abbi Waxman’s style of writing. It’s sharp, it’s funny. Some of her descriptions are just spot on. But I wasn’t a superfan of this book. It veered into silliness too often. And unlike the other two books of hers I’ve read, this one had a much bigger dose of romance than I wanted.
Christa Liddle is the youngest daughter of naturalist Jasper Liddle, who went missing after a plane crash in Alaska 25 years ago. Now, all of a sudden, her father turns up alive. Christa is a bit of a recluse - she’s been hiding out in the Indian Ocean during research on snails. But, now, she’s come home to LA to the whole craziness of reporters and fans. And also, to Nate, neighbor and her teen crush.
“They think they know who you are, so you never get a clean slate- you carry the baggage someone else packed for you.”
This book is pure chick lit/romcom, so not what I would have preferred. I’m not one for moony eyed glances and looking to “canoodle” every chance available. I was happier when Waxman focused on the family relationships, Christa’s love of science (and what she was willing to do to fund her work) and the media.
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an advance copy of this book.

Loved this new novel by Abbi Waxman.

Christa, content with her isolated life researching marine life, must return home when her father reappears after 25 years.

She and her mother and two sisters get the reckoning they deserve after decades of secrets.

Full of quirky people and signature biting Waxman humour.