Member Reviews
My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Sweet Romance, Christian Romance
Spice Level: Kissing (sex is mentioned and alluded to from the past)
Format: 4 POVs
SO INTO YOU digs into forgiveness, change, and second chances. It's 100% a romance. (Multigenerational even.)
Several characters experienced alcohol addiction, and each is at a different stage of life. I liked how this showed the readers a continuum of progress and change and hope.
This book is also about family relationships. It's an interesting dynamic in Britt's nuclear family, with her often caught in the middle. The enabling or stifling behavior is called out—otherwise, that would be irritating, but instead, it showed the why and how behaviors can be grounded in love.
I enjoyed this book. It's a tiny bit on the overly sweet side because of the resolution and how everyone handles alcoholism (at least to me). But it is a fresh look and a great conversation starter for a book club.
Happy reading!
This book was so sweet, I loved the characters, the different POV‘s was very unexpected. I adored Brett and Hunter, but something about their romance fell a little short for me, it was hard for me to see these two people as adults, because at times the book makes them appear very young. Brit suffers from social anxiety, and she feels that this hinders everything in her life, so Hunter decides that he wants to help her overcome that….. I think that’s the cutest thing ever, but then again I felt like these characters were teenagers instead of grown adults damn near 30….
Overall, I like how everyone is somehow connected, I don’t want to give anything away, because I feel that those parts were the parts that made me want to continue reading, because I wanted to know what happened at the end, but I am a sucker for a happily ever after, so the ending was the cutest thing.
So the review was a little mixed, but overall, I will recommend this book, because regardless it is a sweet little romance, and it is very inspirational, I love romance novels that give me a little bit of that.
4.5☆ read
I enjoyed my first full-length romance novel by Kathleen Fuller (I read her latest Christmas novella last month), but must say I haven't read a 4-person POV in a while, if ever.
This contemporary romance had women's fiction "vibes" as the story not only weaved romance(s), but it dealt with the underlying pain and life obstacles of each main character.
The story was seen through the eyes of 28yo Britt, her divorced parents, Amy and Daniel, and her potential love interest, Hunter. I loved how the author knit their worlds together from different angles, pulling each thread to bring them all closer, even in the midst of pain and heartache.
There were some serious themes in this story (i.e. debilitating anxiety, abandonment, divorce, drug and alcohol abuse, broken families and estrangement), but they were handled with tact and grace. Although I didn't love all the main characters 100% of the time, I was invested in this story and where it would end up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
She has severe social anxiety and he is coming up three years sober. What they don’t have is a traditional meet cute but something deeper.
I liked how the author tackled the difficult subject matters. These people were still capable and ready for love and she showed that.
Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I had high expectations for this book, but, unfortunately, I was left disappointed. My biggest issue was the characters. None were lovable, realistic or relatable. I appreciated the sensitivity with which the author handled social anxiety, but Britt was not an accurate representation of someone coming out of her shell. It was an abrupt and sudden turn. Amy was, frankly, unbearable to read. Daniel was bland. Hunter was underdeveloped as a character with flaws presented, but never resolved.
Additionally, the writing was underwhelming and simplistic. The plot was predicable and quite stagnant with repetitive plot lines masked as new complications. I ended up skimming about two thirds of the book (a generous estimate).
Overall, I was left disappointed and bored throughout.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable and very unique romance. Brittany has severe social anxiety and still lives with her mother, and Hunter is a recovering alcoholic who has been completely cut off from his family. That's how things start out before author Kathleen Fuller weaves this rocky start into a clean romance that deals with tough issues in an understanding but not overly heavy way. The main characters, as well as the supporting ones, are well-developed and likeable. I especially loved how Hunter was so understanding and was willing to make the extra effort required to have a relationship with Brittany. Maude and X are great quirky characters that own an art store where Brittany and Hunter get to know one another. The story flows at a good pace, and the dialogue seems natural for the characters and the situations. There's a great HEA. Kathleen Fuller is a new-to-me author, and I would definitely read more books by her and would highly recommend So Into You.
I received a complimentary copy through NetGalley from the publisher and am sharing my opinion of this very well-written and interesting romance.
So into you by Kathleen Fuller is a romance that brings together opposites-attract and second-chance tropes in a heartfelt story of self-discovery, recovery, and unlikely love.
What I liked :
The way the author depicted social anxiety and addiction recovery was well done—Britt’s anxiety issues felt genuine and relatable. I also appreciated the decision to keep this story spice-free; it didn’t need it, and that choice kept the focus on the characters and their journeys.
What I didn't like:
This story started very slowly for me. I almost considered DNFing in the first few pages, but I continued out of respect for the effort authors put into their work. After a few chapters, I started to get into the story, though I wouldn’t say I was fully invested. Another issue was the multiple POVs—they sometimes felt scattered and could have been more structured.
Overall, So into you is a good work of fiction, and and interesting and somewhat unique story of romance. It may not be my cup of tea, but totally see someone else adores it!
And if you are into these tropes:
🎨 Opposites Attract Romance
🖌️ Social Anxiety Representation
🎨 Addiction (Alcohol) recovery
🖌️ Multiple POV
🎨 Slow Burn
🖌️ Zero Spice
🎨 Second Chance Romance
🖌️ Artist × Reformed Bad Boy
Then give this one a try!
Thank you to Author Kathleen Fuller, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for this ARC! I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review, and all opinions are my own.
The way that their lives are interconnected without their knowledge is fun, especially as it begins to be revealed. Although Britt’s experience with anxiety is different from mine, I appreciate the anxiety representation. I like the characters and the message about second chances. The writing style wasn’t from me though. I think that having so many POVs really stunted the story because it made the story move sideways instead of forward. Britt and Hunter’s POV were the only ones we needed, in my opinion, and doing so would’ve allowed the focus to be more on them. It would also help to develop their relationship more because I feel like we didn’t have enough scenes with them just being together and the scenes we did get were not long enough.
Britt & Hunter
When I saw this one pop up on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it!
I loved the multi-romance story line, the redemption, and just the way that both Britt and Hunter grew. The little connections between Hunter and Britt’s families made for some great suspense. All four main characters had to learn about the consequences of keeping secrets and not owning up to their mistakes.
I really enjoyed the gentle element of faith in Hunter’s storyline. I think it was really neat, and special, that his dad was able to form a connection with Britt’s dad, and offer him a second chance, and I think that Hunter’s past really helped with the offer of redemption for her dad.
The theme of anxiety and worry was very well done. If you’re looking for a book that addresses social anxiety, Kathleen does a wonderful job in this one!
Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the chance to read and review early!
This was my first contemporary Kathleen Fuller book but it won’t be my last! Britt Branch loves art and her online art channel, especially because her severe social anxiety keeps her from meeting a lot of new people. When reformed bad boy Hunter comes across her video channel, he discovers a newfound interest in creativity-and the artist who can teach him more and more. What starts as a tentative online friendship soon blossoms into in-person instruction and a romantic attraction. This book is a wonderful picture of second chances and learning to live outside of your comfort zone! There is also a side plot involving Britt’s mother and it was really fun to watch the way Fuller weaved all of the storylines together. I thought the main characters were unique and different from a lot of the clean fiction stories out there, which was nice. Overall I recommend this book!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and was not required to give a review. All opinions expressed above are my honest opinions.
I didn't love this book. I enjoyed the romance plot of Hunter and Britt but did not enjoy the mom's storyline nor the contrived climax and ending - it just didn't ring true for me.
I have so many thoughts on this book. First, I don’t need this many POVs. I really could have done without Amy and Daniel. It makes sense based on what ends up happening in the book but really I was just obsessed with Hunter and Britt and wished it was just their POVs. Their relationship was so sweet, although very cheesy at times I often forgot they were 28 and 30 I think? Either way, it was so sweet to see Hunter care for her and truly help her through her anxiety struggles. Their relationship developed genuinely. Amy and Daniel on the other hand….. nope nope nope nope. I loved Maude too. Such a fun character that balanced the story out well.
"So Into You" by Kathleen Fuller is advertised as a book about Britt and Hunter, but in reality this book has a dual storyline with Britt's mother Amy and father Daniel, as well. The tagline for the story seems to indicate it's Britt and Hunter's story and it's a rom com but it's more than that for sure. There are several side characters as well that enhance the story, especially Maude and X who play a central part to the story. I liked the use of Britt's art talent in the story and how it's used to bring Britt and Hunter together.
This book is a very good book and I didn't want to put the book down. I read it in a day and I want to make it clear that I really did enjoy the story, even the tough parts. This book deals a lot with social anxiety, alcoholism (from the point of view of recovering alcoholics) from a few main characters, family trauma and divorce 20 years ago between Britt's parents. All of these things play a central part to the story and provide a rich, storyline. This book may trigger some that have a hard time with those topics but others like me, they may find the topics intriguing. These topics shape the characters and cause behaviors that are difficult to read at times.
I wish the description on the back cover was more encompassing of Britt's parents story since the book is split between several points of view including theirs.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I totally enjoyed this story of two people randomly finding each other through a "you tube" like channel on the internet. It is such an interesting story with so many interconnecting lines that bring a group of people together from all walks of life. I liked how the main characters are each dealing with life on a "one day at a time" level for completely different reasons. One of them suffers from social anxiety and the other is a recovering alcoholic. It was beautiful watching them help each other to reach a better place. It is also a book about learning to actually LISTEN to the people around you and not make assumptions or jump to conclusions without trying to ferret out the truth.
Marvelous characters and a great story!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
I loved the premise of So Into You and knew the story was going to be a cute fun read which it definitely was! We meet Britt who is a Youtuber who specializes in art, still lives with her mom, and has a few secrets she may be keeping from her. Although her mom says to not talk to strangers on the internet, it couldn't hurt if she knows who it is, right? But what if she doesn't? Enter Hunter, a recovered troublemaker (in many senses of the word) who has lost sight of where to go next. Stumbling onto a youtube video that calms his anxiety he begins to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Honestly I did think the characters as well as the story did lack a little depth. I was just expecting a little more in terms of layers and situations that just didn't play out. With this in mind you can kind of see where this book is taking you before you get there - which isn't bad, I was just a little underwhelmed.
Before diving into this review, I need to say that I applaud the author for making anxiety an overall topic throughout the book. Millions and millions of people deal with what Britt deals with every day.
With that said, this review will contain mild spoilers.
I don’t think I was the correct audience for this book. It was my negligence that I did not research the author. However, I can appreciate and read a good romance.
When I read the description of this book, I thought it would be a sweet romcom book filled with laugh, love and a redemption arc. To a point, it was exactly that. We meet Britt who is a 28 years old art youtuber who lives with her mom and has severe social anxiety. Then we meet Hunter who is a 30-year-old reformed player and recovering addict.
However, what the description failed to mention was that not only would we be seeing Britt and Hunter’s POV (third person POV), but we would also only get Britt’s mother and father (and a few lines about Hunter’s father’s POV), which was somewhat confusing at times. As well, there were quite a few side characters introduced in the book that would make frequent appearances (Hunter’s family, roommate, best friends, Maude, X and even one named Max Monroe, who, ironically, are rom coms authors).
However, I think my biggest issue with this book is how Britt’s mom would baby Britt. The book described her as overprotective … but it was a LOT. It was like her mother did not see Britt as an adult or even Hunter (she even referred to him as a kid at one point). Throughout the book, I needed to remind myself that both the FMC and MMC were NOT teenagers. Another issue is the romance aspect of the overall book. I understand that this was a clean romance (just a few kissing scenes, nothing too descriptive), however, the romance between Hunter and Britt felt … off. Ironically, the two fell in love with each other over months, but I think it’s because the book focused so much on NOT their love (ex. mother’s journey to find companionship, the father’s building relationship with Britt, Britt’s anxiety, etc.) that when the FMC and MMC do fall in love, it was underwhelming. Also, I know Britt’s mother treated her like a child, but to be fair, Britt still needs to work on herself and to grow up a bit more (even by the end of the book).
Overall, the book was … meh. I wish the blurb would include that we would be seeing multiple POVs throughout the book and that it doesn’t mainly follow the FMC and MMC’s journey. Also, the book has a LOT of description. Sometimes, it seems there was too much description, and it took away from the overall plot. About 50% in, I debated to DNF as the plot was getting more and more predictable.
Again, I don’t think I was the correct audience for this book. However, if you’re looking for a clean romance with multiple POVs, I think this book is for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I just don’t feel like this writing style was for me. It was very hard to get into but I think that was a me problem. The character dynamics were interesting enough and the family aspect was engaging.
I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little bit to really get into the story and characters but I loved seeing the development of these characters. This was a great romance read!
I don't think "romcom" is the correct marketing term for this book. The focus is much more on forgiveness, recovery, and mental health than on the actual romance (which isn't bad, just not what I expected from the description).
I understand why we see the perspectives of Britt's parents, but personally, I felt it was unnecessary and more confusing than it needed to be. The point was to keep from dumping a lot of information and backstory in for Britt, but it just led to weird moments of "why am I reading her mom/dad's perspective?" when we could have had a flashback or an inner monologue that gave some extra background.
Britt was also the only character that was moderately developed; yes, Hunter had character, but his voice/narration read a little flat to me.
It's not bad, and the addiction/mental health discussions were good. But personally, I didn't have that much of a connection to any of the characters (also, I didn't like Britt's mom all that well. She went through a lot in her marriage but she also has flaws that contributed to some of the problems in the book and those weren't addressed/settled). The whole thing is a little predictable, except for that last chapter which came out of left field and didn't quite fit.
thank you Netgalley for the arc
I wanted to enjoy this book so much. The synopsis sounded great, but the execution left much to be desired. For starters, the synopsis did not mention the fmc's parents would have such a large part of the story. Seriously. Both her mom and dad had chapters in their POVs. If I cared enough, I would go back to count just how much time each character (fmc, mmc, fmc's parents) were given. I won't do that, though, because the idea of opening this book again is painful.
The romance between the supposed main characters was incredibly rushed. I was genuinely shocked when the mmc realized he loved her because I had not realized they spent that much time together. We jumped between POVs too much for any character to get significant character development, and the relationships between the characters suffered immensely because of it. I was actively rooting against certain characters for the majority of the novel.
I could go on a much longer rant about this book, but I think it would be better to leave it here for now.
Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.