Such a beautiful emotional read that dives into adoption, found family, and the ups and downs of love and friendship. The characters are super lovable, each with their own traumas and struggles, which really adds depth to the story. It’s a heartwarming journey that balances the tough moments with uplifting ones, making it a feel-good read that you won't want to put down.

First, this cover drew me in! I love it! Love it even more after walking with Gemma a little bit! Beautifully written! I'd love to display this book on my shelves face out!

The story starts with a 16 year old giving birth and then placing that baby for adoption. Despite the character’s significant childhood trauma, she is a successful adult. She’s a likable character. Unfortunately the plot fell flat for me.

I loved this book! The sisterhood between the characters was everything. Each character was so likeable, and I developed a soft spot for all of them, especially in the way they treated one another. The portrayal of female friendship was so healthy and refreshing to read.

The main character's struggle with her own shortcomings and weaknesses felt incredibly real. Her coping mechanisms didn’t feel like quirky traits but rather something deeply relatable. She was shaped by her environment, but watching her grow and learn was beautiful.

Gemma’s journey to rebuild her life after enduring so much pain is emotional, so be prepared to feel all the feels! But don’t be fooled—despite the heavy themes, the story is lighthearted and downright hilarious. Gemma’s bluntness, honesty, and wit make her narration comedy gold.
Huge congrats to Debbie Johnson for making me laugh out loud—something that’s rare for me when reading a book!

Debbie Johnson writes light "comfort reads" that I thoroughly enjoy, but she also writes books with considerably more emotional depth, such as Statistically Speaking. And this one affected me deeply, even though the protagonist is nothing like me.

Gemma Jones has worked hard to keep herself mostly aloof from others after a fraught childhood--partly with an unreliable mother and partly in foster care--and it has caused her to move around when she feels she is getting too close to someone. But it is her decision to give the daughter she delivered when she was just 16 to a loving adoptive couple that has irrevocably affected her life.

After receiving her degree, Gemma developed into an excellent and popular high school teacher, currently teaching history to students who will be attending university in a year or so. Gemma's daughter would be approaching age 18 as well, and when a new student has similar coloring and the same birthday as her baby's, Gemma can't help hoping that, by some miracle, Katie could be the daughter she had named only Baby. In the meantime, she has somehow added Katie's mother, Erin, to her small circle of friends that includes her disabled neighbor, Margie (finally a character with my own first name!) and the dog that she and Margie share. Then there's Karim, the gorgeous PE teacher who seems to be interested in a relationship with her.

No spoilers here, but I found Gemma to be easy to root for. I became emotionally involved in her struggles to have a meaningful life in the face of her deep regrets and her mild OCD. And I nominate Karim for a place in my own personal list of "best boyfriends" in literature.

My thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Entertaining for sure & a great read. A palette cleanser read for me since I read so many mystery/thriller books!

I liked that it felt like there is a bit of Gemma (the fmc) in all of us. Whether it’s joining dating apps we never actually use to date or just being alone because of routine. I also loved the romance aspect of the book not feeling super cringy and not being like every other story we read.

Done right in a lot of ways but kind of just “ok” for me in others- I felt like the book was missing something as it kind of felt like it fell flat but I loved Gemma so much it deserved at least 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this fun book in exchange for my honest review.

The book opens with a powerful scene - a sixteen-year-old girl giving birth and making the difficult decision to give her daughter a chance at a better life and giving her up for adoption. The first chapter was promising, introducing a flawed yet likable main character. While the writing flowed well, I found the narrative interrupted by the main character's introspective thoughts, often centered on her damaged self, guilt, and closed-off nature.

The author excelled in developing relationships and introducing romantic elements, providing a lighter touch to the heavy subject matter. However, the conclusion left me questioning the relevance of a particular character's story. I also felt that the title seemed disconnected from the story.

Despite these shortcomings, the story beautifully portrays the protagonist's resilience and ability to forge friendships, giving life another chance despite overwhelming trials and tribulations
3.7 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for this opportunity

The beginning: brilliant.
The ending: brilliant.
The middle: a bit lacking but still great.
The whole storyline about the adoption/giving a child up for adoption was portrayed in a beautiful way and felt quite realistic to me. I love Gemmas and Karims relationship. He is a super sweet love interest. Also the way Gemmas anxiety was written was brillant.
But there were also some things that just seemed unrealistic to me. Mostly the interractions between Katie and Erin or between Katie and Gemma.

Statistically speaking it was good, but not great ( ahah )

The beggining and the end were quite good, but the middle was a hudge mess and difficult to read actually.

The description of the book made me think about Eleanor Oliphant but It wasn't like that, at all.

I think I put to much pressure in it and then felt a bit disappointed of the lacks and mess around this story.

Best described as contemporary women's fiction with a just a smidge of romance. This novel dealt with some heavier topics such as childhood trauma, substance abuse and adoption in a light-hearted way. I connected with the (implied) neurodivergent MC with her coping mechanisms of list making and counting and was charmed by the delightful secondary characters that made up Gemma's found family.

This book wasn’t my usual read. The descriptions of Gemma’s anxiety- I really empathised with. But I loved her development as a character.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I understand the woes and stressed of being a teacher, and I'm glad Gemma was able to handle her anxiety and make the best out of life.

Thank you to net galley for this book! More of a 3.5 but still a good and charming read. The main characters desire to know that the child she gave up for adoption (and would have just turned 16, the age she was when she gave birth to her) adds a layer that raises this up your average British light romance.

This book had a lot of potential, but did not deliver.

I did really like the witty nature of our main character Gemma and even though this story is really heavy and deals with emotional topics, it was delivered really lighthearted and with a lot of amazing humor that I quite enjoyed.
Gemma was an interesting character that really got me hooked in the beginning of the book, but I couldn't quite grasp her intentions, character or really anything about her the more I got into the story. She felt all over the place and maybe that was intentional, but it sadly threw me off completely.

There wasn't a whole lot of "plot" going on and I so wished for it to be more than just a "vibes only" book, because when there was a slither of a plot twist or revelation I really enjoyed it and thought that the author did quite a good job unraveling it.

The romance in this book kind of creeps up on you. It had its sweet moments, but I ultimately couldn't get into it.

3.75 ⭐
I had a great time reading this book! It's a mix of women's fiction with a bit of romance, and the story is super sweet, more about the vibes than a strong plot. We follow Gemma as she rebuilds her life after a lot of pain. It’s an emotional journey, but the story is often really funny. The characters are all super likable, and the way female friendships are portrayed is so positive and heartwarming. I really connected with Gemma's struggles and growth—it all felt so real, making this a beautiful and relatable read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC

Whether Debbie Johnson sets out to write a witty book or a serious one, she nails it. Every. Time.
I love the characters in her books and the relationships they have and the banter between them and I don't know how she can whip out so many in a short time to such a high standard.

Firstly the characters in the book were very human. The way the protagonist was so normal in her unique way spoke to me. Even though we have a completely different upbringing, Gemma's way of coping and owning who she was was amazing. The PE teacher guy sounds like a dream bf. Handsome and funny and caring. Above all, someone who didn't try to change her at all.
Margie, Katie and Erin are the best friends that I've always wanted and I do find myself saying that about quite a few of Debbie's characters! Bill of course was the adorable boy next door.

The book started in a witty way which was funny to think of being a key and traumatic event that was being experienced. We were introduced to Gemma and her coping mechanisms of counting and thinking of fact after fact. Throughout the the book, we learn how Gemma reacts to different scenarios that life throws at her. Some traumatic, some romantic and some even lunatic.

I enjoyed that the story included a romance but didn't start as one. I enjoyed the hard topics written about and how they were tackled with poise, affection and genuine feelings. The ending of course had me crying buckets and there's nothing quite like happy crying to give you a sense of calm and to make your own dog look at you with questioning side eye!

All in all, I loved it. All hail 'Queen Can Write No Wrong'. 5 stars from me!

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Harper Muse and Debbie Johnson for allowing me the chance to read this and write a review. All views expressed are my own

I enjoyed this book out the gate, but then got a little bored in the middle and started to lose interest. I pushed through and it definitely got better. I am glad I stuck through to the end and saw Gemma's story through. I very much enjoyed reading not only one story of adoption but two throughout this story. Adoption can be such a beautiful thing. Somewhere along the lines the "statistics" part of the story got lost.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a honest review.

3.25⭐ i liked the beginning and how easy it was to read the writing style and sympathize with the main character. however, by the half point i quickly lost my interest; there wasn't really any big conflict or questions i wanted to be answered and i began to wonder what even the point was in finishing the book... and obviously that can't be good! so while it did have a few enjoyable parts, the book as a whole didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read an ARC of Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson, in exchange for my honest review.

So much love! This was a fantastic story. As someone who lives with anxiety disorder/panic attacks, I admire Gemma for her coping mechanisms, and recognizing when she will (and will not) need them.

I would like to commend and thank Debbie Johnson for her brilliant portrayal of this not-spoken-of-nearly-enough-brain-chaos, showing it can be managed and there are people who will understand and love us.

I definitely recommend this book!

Post on 8/21/24

This book starts out with the FMC giving birth at 16 and then goes to how she lived her adult life in the most controlled way. She was a perfectionist, neat and clean, always counting, and she never spent a moment not thinking about the baby she gave up. She does genuinely feel like someone who has been hurt and will do anything to avoid messy feelings and uncomfortable situations. But, then something happens. She considers staying put in her cute home, with a small group of good friends and she finally opens up to people about a secret she’s been hiding. It’s that moment where things change for her. She frees herself from the burden of this secret and it has a positive chain reaction. One thing leads to another and she finds herself in a better place for it. Here’s too taking chances and moving forward!