This book full of emotions. I can have my sympathy toward Gemma who has those kinds of dark past: pregnant in very young age, didn't have proper childhood life, had problematic mother etc. That's why she has trauma which made her overthink anything.

This book dive deep into Gemma thoughts and emotions, and I love how Karim being super understanding with her circumstances. It's not romantic type of book, but it's show us about how "mature" relationship happen.

At first, it made my emotion drained because of how Gemma think about everything, it gives us lesson: your denial traits can hurt somebody. After the story goes, I love how Gemma's character develop and how she started accept the truth.

I can say, it's heart-warming story about mother-daughter relationship.

Gemma’s life has never been easy - she grew up with an addicted mother, was in and out of the care system, and found herself pregnant at 16. Due to her and her mother’s issues, she decides to give her daughter up for adoption, even though she wants more than anything to keep her and love her. 18 years later she wonders if she will ever get to meet her daughter, and she finds herself slowly putting down roots and making friends, all the while counting, arranging, and using all sorts of coping mechanisms to deal with her life.

Both Heart warming and Gut Wrenching. This book took you on a journey. This will not be a re read for me but it is nice once of read.

Not my usual read but I found Gemma's story heartwarming. The author took on tough subjects like teen pregnancy and adotion with grace.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review Statistically Speaking!

I enjoyed this story. It was heartbreaking, and an emotional roller-coaster dealing with Gems trauma. This story follows Gem who has 16 had a baby whom she never named and gave her up for adoption knowing she could not provide for her. After the birth of baby it jumps forward 17 years and Gem is doing well for herself but keeps her self isolated not forming any relationships until it all changes. her baby will turn 18 this year and Gem can't help but wonder who she is and where she is. This brings so much emotion and turmoil and grief. Lots of feels. I love her family that she creates when she allows her self to form connections, and begins to heal. Just beautiful.
Trigger warnings / content warnings
Adoption, fostering
Childhood trauma, abondonment
Teen pregnancy
Drugs and alcohol mentions, addictions
Mental Health Issues such as bipolar and OCD
Some language including f bombs
Implied sex, all closed door.

I absolutely loved this book! The female main chapter was so likable and she makes you feel for her too. I really loved the characters development.

“Statistically Speaking” is a book that offers a heartwarming journey with great characters and strong narratives. The emotional depth is palpable, making it a touching read for those who appreciate a good story. However, the sweetness at times felt too cloying. I also wasn’t a fan of the drama with Margie at the end, it felt too rushed. Loved everything else with her and Bill though!! Despite these minor drawbacks, the book has its charm and will resonate with readers looking for a similar experience. It’s a solid read.

Gemma’s life has never been easy - she grew up with an addicted mother, was in and out of the care system, and found herself pregnant at 16. Due to her and her mother’s issues, she decides to give her daughter up for adoption, even though she wants more than anything to keep her and love her. 18 years later she wonders if she will ever get to meet her daughter, and she finds herself slowly putting down roots and making friends, all the while counting, arranging, and using all sorts of coping mechanisms to deal with her life.

Statistically Speaking is a thoughtful and wrenching showcase of a woman’s isolated attempt to survive - a daily look at someone freed from the care system, undergoing a teenage pregnancy and adoption, and her life as she ages attempting to get it right. She desperately tries to keep order through facts, counting, and moving constantly. Gemma as she is beginning to let people in, and how much of a process this is, is a struggle that is hard to watch but so rewarding. This story is beautifully cathartic and is definitely more than a romance, although we get romance, but it is a love story to yourself, allowing others in, and how to overcome the things that have weighed you down. It is all very raw and heartbreaking - but so worth it. I found the romantic interest to be a little bit too perfect from day 1, but the rest of the story was so compelling. Aces!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

📖 Statistically Speaking
✍️ Debbie Johnson
🗓️ Dec 03 2024
📝 Harper Muse

Pretty much 18 years ago, teenaged Gemma gives up her baby for adoption. She feels like she can’t give the baby girl the life she deserves.

Back in present time, Gemma has a hard time letting people into her heart. When meeting a new student the age her daughter now would be, old feelings resource.

This is a story about (found) family, adoption and teenage pregnancy. It’s a story dealing with very sensitive topics. The author handled that really well. It’s definitely a sweet and also heart wrenching story about Gemma’s journey to forgiveness.

I am not sure how happy I was with the ending, but other than that, I did enjoy this book.

⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson is definitely a 5-star for me. Why didn’t I know about this author before? The main character, Gemma, is a bit of a mess because of trauma from her childhood. Her growth as a person throughout the book is so well done. She is very introspective. She knows she closes herself off to people, and at first can’t help it and doesn’t want to fix it. She moves away to a new town whenever things get hard. But when she moves to Liverpool, she gradually decides what she’s been doing is not really “living” and she starts to make friends and even has a love interest. The inter-generational aspect of the community she gathers is excellent, and the story is sweet, tear-jerking at times, and wraps up in a very satisfying way. That’s enough review because I have to go buy one of Debbie’s other books!

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

I was really excited when I got approved for this book, but to be honest, it ended up just boring me a little by around the 50% mark.

Almost 18 years ago, teenager Gemma gave up her baby for adoption thinking that she was not able to provide a stable home life as she herself had no family to rely on. Fast forward to today and Gemma has worked hard to be successful as a teacher but has also been careful not to let anyone into her heart. When she meets a new student, Katie, who happens to be near the age of the baby she gave up, Gemma feels herself starting to let down her walls and re-defining the meaning of family. A heart-warming read dealing with the very sensitive subjects of adoption, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse and what it means to find your own family.

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

I loved this and definitely pulled in my heartstrings. Could her new student be her daughter?! Gemma’s journey has only begun…

Gemma has had a hard life and finds it difficult to attach herself to people. She had to give up her baby when she was sixteen because she was living in care (foster care).. She has not seen her mother in years and has spent most of her life moving from place to place. She is now teaching high school students and is intrigued by a student who is new to the school. When she discovers that Kate is adopted and has the same birth date as the daughter she gave away, she is intrigued. Statistically speaking is this possible? Gemma finally confides in her neighbor and her co-worker Karim about her past and ask for their guidance as to what she should do about it. Is Kate really her daughter, if not, is she ready to search for the daughter she gave up so many years ago? Will Karim become more than a co-worker? He is interested in Gemma, but can she let down her defenses to accept his love and his kindness? I highly recommend reading this novel to discover if things work out for Gemma.

In theory, this story is about a young woman who, by accident, thinks she has found her adopted daughter. In practice, its a story about trauma, grief, friendship and opening up to other people.

It's beautifully written, with some lovely thoughts and sentences. And some funny ones that are easy to miss.

I loved seeing Gemma grow and be vulnerable and let other people in and help her. I loved the plot points, that clearly I won't spoil. There were a few teary moments, and not just at the end.

A very sweet and heart wrenching story about adoption, found families, and forgiveness.

The main character was super relatable to me ane the pacing was good.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

Eighteen years ago, sixteen year old Gemma gave her baby girl up for adoption. Having been bounced around between foster homes she knows how hard it is to grown up with no stability and she wants her baby to grown up with the kind of home she never had. Thirty four year old Gemma is a history teacher with time shares in her downstairs neighbour’s rescues dog, an apartment she loves, and a very cute PE teacher looking for a date with her. Her daughter will be 18 this year and old enough to register to find her. When a bright new student joins her class, who is adopted, shares her build and distinctive red hair Gemma can’t help but wonder if this could be her daughter. When she learns her student has the same birthday as her baby she is hopeful and terrified this could really be her long lost daughter.
This was a heart wrenching story. Gemma has gone through so much and is just learning to break out of her shell and let people in, the character growth we get to see is fantastic. This book is full of tough storylines, adoption, abandonment, addiction but it opens up some beautiful storylines about found family, healing, inner strength. It’s a very balanced book that I couldn’t stop reading. There was a couple times I thought I knew what the author was going to do and I was pleasantly surprised when she went another direction.
Thank you to @netgalley and @harpermusebooks for letting me read this one early in exchange for a review. Look for #statisticallyspeaking December 3 2024
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It was good enough that I read it through in a short timeline. There were interesting characters and stories, and a happy ending. I just wasn't that invested in the central romantic relationship; needed to be developed more. And generally, it lacked some magical writing. The premise, and how it unfolded, felt fairly unbelievable - a stretch.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a heartwarming and somewhat heart wrenching book. I loved Gemma and her cast of supporting characters (including Bill the adorable dog!) and I was almost immediately drawn into the story. Per usual, Johnson dealt with some serious issues in a graceful (non-cringy) way and also refrained from any preachiness about the characters' life decisions. That was very refreshing! The ending was more of a "hopefully, ever after" vs. a "happily ever after" but that, in the context of this story was fine.

So, bottom line is that it's not a story I'm going to read again and again like Johnson's "Comfort Food Cafe" series but it's definitely worth taking the time to read and enjoy.

A smattering of profanity and some PG-13 love scenes.

This book was so fun! I think we can all relate so well with the main character and her real emotions in this book! The sock drawer...loved this! It was such a great great.