Overall: 3.5
Narration: 2.5

True romantic chemistry without too all the spice. You got to enjoy the experience of the connection to be built and them working to keep the relationship together. If you are looking for a lighthearted romance, you'll enjoy.

The Gravity Between Us is a heartwarming new adult contemporary romance that explores friendship, love, and the complexities of sexual identity. Published in 2013, this book takes readers on an emotional journey as two best friends, Payton and Kendall, navigate the evolving dynamics of their relationship. With elements of fame, personal growth, and a strong LGBTQ+ theme, Kristen Zimmer crafts a compelling story that resonates with its readers.

The narrative is split between the perspectives of Payton, a college student, and Kendall, a rising Hollywood star. Payton's internal struggle with her feelings for Kendall is beautifully portrayed, adding depth to her character. Her uncertainty about revealing her sexuality, even to her closest friend, reflects the challenges many individuals face when coming to terms with their identity. Kendall, on the other hand, grapples with the pressures of fame and public expectations, which are exacerbated when she learns about Payton's feelings.

One of the standout elements of The Gravity Between Us is the authenticity of the characters. Both Payton and Kendall are complex and relatable, and their evolving dynamic feels natural. Zimmer's writing excels at capturing the tension, confusion, and excitement that come with first love, especially when it involves breaking through the boundaries of a long-standing friendship.

The setting of the story adds an interesting contrast, with Payton's grounded college life juxtaposed against Kendall's glamorous, albeit lonely, existence in Hollywood. This helps underscore the idea that, despite their different worlds, the emotional connection between the two characters is universal.

Kristen Zimmer handles themes of sexual identity and friendship with care, creating a safe space for readers to explore these issues through her characters. While there are a few predictable moments in the plot, the emotional resonance and genuine chemistry between Payton and Kendall more than make up for any clichés.

Overall, The Gravity Between Us is a touching, well-written romance that will appeal to fans of new adult fiction and LGBTQ+ stories. Zimmer's ability to delve into the intricacies of friendship and the blurred line between love and friendship makes this book a standout in the genre.

I recently listened to "Gravity Between Us" by Kristine Zimmer, and I must admit, I was quite disappointed. The audiobook had an intriguing premise—a romance set against a backdrop of personal and professional challenges—but it didn't quite deliver. First, the narration was somewhat lackluster. Narrator's performance lacked the emotional depth necessary to truly engage with the characters. The delivery was often flat, and the emotional highs and lows of the story didn’t come through as powerfully as they should have.

The plot itself was another letdown. The story had potential but was bogged down by predictable twists and a lack of genuine conflict. The central romance felt forced, and the character development was shallow. Instead of evolving, the characters seemed to stagnate, making it hard to invest in their journey or care about their outcomes.

Overall, "Gravity Between Us" didn’t quite hit the mark for me. While it might appeal to listeners who enjoy a light, uncomplicated romance, I found it lacking in depth and emotional resonance. It’s a decent listen if you’re looking for something easy and undemanding, but it didn’t provide the engaging experience I was hoping for.

I tried very hard to get into this one but I found that i could not conect with the story, although the narration was great.

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

The audio for this was pretty great. The narrator was lovely.
However the story was not my cup of tea, and was definitely dated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for a copy of this audiobook to review.

Firstly, I will address the narration. I thought Kelly Burke and Madeline Pell did an excellent job bringing Payton and Kendall to life. The pacing of each chapter was even, and even when the tension was ramping up the storytelling remained steady. Their voices were soothing to listen to - so much so I almost fell asleep listening to this book a few times! Nevertheless, I found this enjoyable in audio format. The voices, the characterisation were all spot on. It was fantastic.

As for the book itself...while I had a lot of fun with this story, I recognised some issues with it. There was an element of biphobia throughout the early chapters - characters could only be straight or gay, and rarely was any nuance applied to anyone's sexuality.

The story moved around a lot and had strange pacing - one minute the girls are just moving in together, the next they've lived together for months. They get together, and two months pass without us seeing any of their relationship develop.

That, I admit, I did find disappointing. I just wanted more of Kendall and Payton being sweet together, having feelings for each other, holding each other, kissing each other. I just wanted to see them happy. So when the third act breakup hits...it's frustrating. It's a staple trope of romance novels, but it is frustrating as a reader, even when you're expecting it.

I did like how the story wrapped up, and I found it believable. Again, I just wanted more of Payton and Kendall together, but seeing them with their friends and family was sweet.

Gunner and Kendall were himbo-lesbian solidarity and possibly the most darling friendship in the entire book.

I enjoyed The Gravity Between Us, and am frantically searching for a copy of the author's second book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this audio book, in return for my honest review.

All in all a nice story, but I wasn't a big fan of the first person POVs. Always makes it tough for me to read and hear.
The pacing and both narrators did a great job in differentiate between characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Right off the bat, I had an issue with Kendall. Payton comes out as gay to her, and immediately Kendall makes the situation about herself. To make matters worse, she then outs Payton to her parents, without Payton's permission.

Throughout the book, Kendall continues to be a drama queen and make questionable choices. Payton is so in love with her that she doesn't defend herself, she really just sits back and lets Kendall self destruct. More characters are introduced, but they basically just get used by either Kendall or Payton with no real reciprocation. With that being said, Payton's mother and Kendall's father are the best characters here. They accepted their daughters' sexuality without hesitation and gave their full support. Love to see it.

The characters or plot didn't have much depth in my opinion. Kendall was described as this beautiful and tiny actress who wins the biggest award, because of course she did. Payton is described as equally beautiful and perfectly fit, practically a musical prodigy who gets into a very prestigious music school without trying. There is some turmoil when their relationship gets tested, but other than that they don't have to really face anything hard.

Overall, the book is decent but I'm not sure it's something I would recommend unprompted.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this audio book, in return for my honest review.

Payton and Kendall's story is the evolution of their friendship when one is a Hollywood Starlet and the other a Semi closeted composer.

Entertaining storyline, characters, and romance. Talented performance.

This book is written in first person, dual POV. The narrator's Kelly Burke, Madeline Pell did a great job of distinguishing between the spoken dialog and each character's inner thoughts. I find that it can be easy to miss the differences in an audio. The pacing is fantastic, and I didn't find myself adjusting the speed. Overall I enjoyed this book, and would listen to more books read by them.

Such a sweet and fun story of love, being true to yourself, facing your fears and self-discovery. This is my first LGBT book and I appreciate the sweet romance in contrast to the masculine protective energy that usually characterize MMC in romance books.

This book was fine - the dialogue was a bit clunky in places, but it’s a good story. I felt that there were too many times there was concern over a mother who never ever reacted badly and never gave any indication she would react badly, which jarred me out of the story. I also really struggled with one of the narrators, who just didn’t work for me at all.

Mesmerizing, passionate, and inspiring are all words to describe this book.

It was a beautiful story that had a lot of potential, but I felt that some details and explanations were lacking. There were a lot of things I really liked about this book such as the characters, conflict, and ending. What I did not like about this book was it often felt repetitive and predictable. There were so many times I wanted more about a character or more dialogue explaining what was happening. There were a few plots holes that I wish we had gotten answers to, but it did not completely ruin the story for me.

I also wish I had read this instead of listened to it. The narrator did a wonderful job, but since there was a lot going on I found it hard to keep track of what was going on when listening.

Really enjoyed this story and would love to read more from this author!

The Gravity Between Us dives into the emotionally charged journey of two best friends, Kendall, a rising Hollywood actress, and Payton, a college student, as they navigate the complexities of evolving from friends to romantic partners. The book excels in portraying the nuances of friendship, celebrity life, and the struggles of self-discovery in sexuality, making it a compelling read for those new to lesbian romance. However, the transition from platonic friendship to romantic feelings could have been explored with more depth to enhance believability.

While the novel touches on serious issues such as career challenges related to sexual orientation and difficult family dynamics, these themes are not fully developed. (view spoiler)

Despite some shortcomings in character development and plot execution, The Gravity Between Us offers a captivating glimpse into the glitzy yet challenging world of celebrity and personal identity. The dual first-person perspective provides intimate insights into the protagonists' thoughts and emotions, enriching the reader's engagement with their romantic turmoil and ultimate growth. This debut novel, with its mix of entertainment industry insights and personal exploration, is a unique new adult romance.

I listened to the new version of the audiobook, narrated by Kelly Burke and Madeline Pell. The narrators did a great job at narrating both characters throughout.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for a copy of this audiobook. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

The Gravity Between Us by Kristen Zimmer (audiobook narrated by Kelly Burke, Madeline Pell)
2.25/5

A queer romance that had potential to be short and sweet, but lacklustre writing and almost no plot left not much to like.

The conflict of the novel lies solely in the transition of friends to lovers, to the extent that we aren't really given subplots or exploration of Kendall or Peyton's lives that don't end up relating directly back to their relationship. Lacking that makes both characters feel two-dimensional and also too codependent to connect with for me.

The writing itself is pedestrian. The dialogue is quite hit or miss, and the inner voices of each character often veered too much towards the dramatic to be anything but eye roll-worthy. The biphobia is really difficult to read, and there is also deeply inappropriate use of the r-word a handful of times.

The narrators both did a good job with the content they had, and it was definitely better for having two narrators for the dual POV, but that couldn't save the book itself.

I can see how this book might have spoken to me a bit differently if I read it ten years ago, but I was let down by the lack of empathy or creativity for the main characters and their experiences.

"I guess it doesn’t matter how well you think you know someone, there’s always a fear that they’ll abandon you. After all, it’s the people you care about the most who can cut you the deepest."

First off, the narration was great! I suspected going into this book that it was going to be full of NA drama. That didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would as it was mostly around each character’s journey of self-discovery and identifying/embracing their sexuality. I liked Kendall and Taylor’s friendship so that bought a lot of grace when things got rocky between them towards the end. Is it too much for me to hope that there might be another book to let us check in with them and see how things are going with everyone?

The Gravity Between Us is a super sweet new adult romance about childhood best friends who are both navigating the transition into adulthood and coming out to themselves and those around them. The fact that one of them is a rising celebrity makes everything more complicated. I really enjoyed how authentic the characters felt and how natural the progression of their relationship felt. The audio narrator did a great job with the material, giving life to both characters equally.

New adulting in Hollywood with your best friend is confusing and daunting. Especially when you have a lifelong crush on said friend. But is she sending you signals that it might not be an unrequited crush after all?

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Payton Taylor has been best friends with Kendall Bettencourt for years. They’ve supported each other through everything, and Payton always held Kendall’s feet firmly on the ground while her acting career took off. She would never ruin their friendship, not even to confess her undying love for Kendall. When Kendall asks Payton to move to L.A. with her, of course she goes. She’ll get to live her dreams and attend the world’s best school to become the world’s best film score composer. And she can see Kendall every day, not every few months.

Kendall wants Payton with her. Hollywood demands her to be the glittering star actress all the time and only Payton will keep her sane. Payton, her best friend in the whole world. Payton, the most gorgeous girl she knows. Payton, the one that stirs feelings inside of her that she must ignore. Can she though?

I’ve first read this book and I couldn’t wait to dive back into Payton’s and Kendall’s world. I loved that the story is narrated by two voices. They each give a distinct characterization to both young women. Sometimes the tempo was a little slow, but nothing a 1.2 speed setting can’t fix 😉.

Of course the narrators had a great story to work with, but more than once, I’ve been disappointed by the voices that interpreted the characters I’ve built in my head. Not this time, Payton was exactly the down to earth voice of reason I believed she was while reading. Kendall sounded exactly like a young woman struggling with expectations and being her authentic self. Even when the actors had to speak like the other characters, the voices were very distinct and similar between the POV’s.

All in all a great example of good narration that I will happily listen to again!

This book is cute but if I have to be honest, I was expected a little more. The romance between the two mcs is adorabile, I loved the slow burn, the pining, the friends to lovers. They are all tropes are genuinely like. And I like them in this book either.
But I was expected Payton to be a little more… well, she doesn’t really have a personality. She’s not very well written, and I was a little pissed about it. However, the Hollywood setting is well represented and I am quite happy to have read this book.

The Gravity Between Us is a friends to lovers sapphic romance. Kendall is a young movie star and her best friend since childhood is Payton. Payton is gay and has feelings fro Kendall, but tries to keep them to herself. Of course it is the age old question is the risk worth it to potentially ruin the friendship? Kendall moves Payton to LA with her, gets her into an elite music school, and ships her car there. All of this arrangement was done without consulting Payton, so I found that a bit off putting. I wouldn’t like it if someone did that to me, but it’s a book so I let it slide. Kendall starts to realize she has more than friendship feelings for Payton. There is a lot of drama with coming to terms with it, daring to be your true self, etc. Overall, I liked this book. It’s technically not YA but the characters are 19 and some of it felt immature to this 35 year old, but it’s probably true to that age. I enjoyed the narrators and thought they brought the characters to life really well.

I really enjoyed the book, The Gravity Between Us, by Kristen Zimmer. I had the opportunity to listen to this book and the narrators were able to relay the words on the page in such a beautiful way, it made me want to continue listening. The overall plot of the story was good and I appreciated the author telling the story of two girls who turned into women together and realized they were so much more than best friends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.