Grace Talcott works as a nurse and needs a roommate to help pay the mortgage on a small house she has purchased. When the candidates aren’t great she decides instead to host an exchange student, which would bring the same benefits. She isn’t expecting the person to be a returning to college student who is a couple of years older than herself. Lenka Supik is from the Czech Republic, has a grandmother in France and is coming to the USA to improve her English as she wants to be a professional translator.

The set up is good, but I didn’t connect to the characters much. It was half way through the book before I got any background on Grace and I have no idea of why she wanted to be a nurse. There is a little more information on Lenka but for most of the book she is involved with another person long distance. I wanted them to have some relationship tension. Grace could have been showing Lenka around, platonic dates or activities, instead they just live their school/work lives.

I did like Grace’s friend group. They see the attraction and are great at bringing some teasing and humor to the story. After the slow burn build up, and once obstacles were removed, it felt like the story just ended. The epilogue helps, but my feelings never invested in them as a couple. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

The wow effect at the first meeting hits Grace like a bolt of lightning, but she simply cannot think or feel that way. She is the hosting mother in this arrangement and for a teenager not an exchange student two years older!
And yet Lenka stands in front of her and looks amused and delighted at the self-made glittery sign with her name on it.
Grace is tired and overworked and cannot stop herself from speaking and saying anything at what she considers to be an embarrassing first meeting.
She avoids her house guest and prefers to stay at work forever...but Lenka would love to spend time with her. She finds Grace really attractive, but she is not allowed to feel that way eitherbecause she still has her girlfriend in New York for whom she should reserve such thoughts, right?
It is definitely a slow-burn romance and both need time to admit to themselves how they feel about the other roommate.
They don't let it happen and it's best not to talk about it at all. But they are so sweet to each other that it warmed my heart.
A wonderful group of friends, both privately and at work, rounds off this wonderful romance.
It's not really about the physical, although that does happen quite late, but it's the connection that both feel and would be only too happy to allow.
Because it could be something very special if Lenka wasn't just in Portland for a certain period of time...
Thanks you very much Bold Strokes Books and the Author for this Arc via NetGalley!

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book

grace needed a flat mate one to share the burden of the bills that came with being a home owner... what she hadnt expected was the hassle she was having finding the right person to share her house with.....until she saw an ad for an exchange student

armed with a list of do and dont she went to pick her student up from the airport.... the first shock was the age of the student.... she had a mature student ... one that was a couple of years older than her and the other shock was how attractive she was.....

grace who had been expecting a teenager was embarrassed at the list she had put together for rules to live in her house and so went out of her way to avoid lenka who being a mature student should have more idea of how to explore and get on with things...

until that is lenka ended up at her emergency unit with a broken arm... all because of graces cat....

and so began all of graces troubles.....

a cute quick storyline that held my attention right to the end...

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc

Sadly I didn’t finish this book because I didn’t enjoy the writing it was too simplistic in some places for my liking and it seemed as though Grace one of the main characters was very childish

I did not think this book was all that great, and I am pretty disappointed because it did have some strong elements.

I loved how gay it was. The setting was awesome for this, and the supporting cast amplified all the gay too. GAY GAY GAY, excellent, no notes.

The writing was simple and pretty cringey at times (I almost put it right back down when I saw ‘eighty-bajillion’ on line 3). It actually felt very YA in theme, writing and tone, right up to the point it got super steamy and then I was like wooooah, okay, we’re definitely adult. This all made it difficult to age the characters in my head, despite being told they were in their 20s.

I liked the main characters, both individually, and together. They were pretty well fleshed out and I had a decent grasp on their personalities, which also helped me see how they could work as a couple. I liked their banter, I thought they were cute, and I loved the slice of life scenes of them doing normal stuff together the most - especially Lenka asking language questions and nerding out in her head about words.

The issue with seeing them as fully rounded people was being unable to understand their wants, desires, motivations. This was impossible because neither Grace nor Lenka knew themselves. Then when they did have their ‘lightbulb moments’, the only thing that mattered was their relationship, very quickly. They lost their personal ambitions immediately (well, Grace didn’t have any to start with, let’s be honest).

Speaking of the supporting cast though, we could’ve got more from them. There were glimpses of subplot with them, and they were there a lot, but I couldn’t tell you much about any of them as characters. I love found family in books, and this had the potential to be that, but it missed the mark.

Okay I said I had no notes on the gay but I guess it kind of ties into one note I do have and it’s a big one. Conflict. More specifically, being teased about potential conflict that just never materialises. I say the gay ties in because here was an obvious one; Grace is concerned before Lenka arrives that she might be homophobic. Lenka arrives and yeah she has to be gay otherwise the whole plot doesn’t work, but we don’t ever explore any homophobia she’s dealt with back home? There were even little things like ominous lines about ‘doubtfully’ agreeing that the cat will be okay when they go away for a weekend. I was <i>convinced</i> he would run away or something, but it’s just never picked up… (this isn’t me wishing ill on the cat, I just don’t like being baited)

Red herrings for potential drama are okay, as long as there’s enough actual drama, which there was not. The whole book was just a series of near misses. One would be receptive while the other pulled back slightly, then they’d switch positions, then back again. I wouldn’t even compare it to the classic third act miscommunication conflict. There was no big situation being misinterpreted. It almost felt like when you’re trying to call someone and you get voicemail, then they call back 5 minutes later, but you’ve gone to the toilet or something, then you call them and get voicemail again. Over and over, that’s the plot.

There were pacing issues too. I actually appreciated that this spanned a decent length of time, as it meant we didn’t have to believe these characters were falling in love in a matter of weeks. However, of the 8 months they had together, the first 6 were in the stupid back and forth avoiding the situation dance, so it still felt very sudden and rushed towards the end

It also felt like similar scenes were given to us back to back at times. We went from one dinner party to the next when variety would’ve been nice. Then at other times, we didn’t get to see scenes at all that could’ve been really lovely (you tell me what you’ve packed for a romantic trip, where you’re going, show me the car ride, then don’t show me a single moment from the actual trip? really?!)

I received an eARC of this book for free, and am voluntarily sharing my own opinions in this review.

This was a very enjoyable read and a good novel. “Good” describes it very well; not incredible, but also perfectly satisfying with nothing at all wrong with it. Solid 4-stars, and honestly, I would absolutely recommend it (but maybe not at the top of my recommendation list).

Reading this novel was like watching a (good) hallmark movie, and I mean that in a positive way as a fan of hallmark movies. The story flows very well and I enjoyed the entire reading experience. Everything was realistic and believable, and the story kept my attention the entire time. I was surprised at how fast I went through this novel. The plot was incredibly simple, although there were a lot of details throughout. There were a ton of different elements to this novel that worked together to create the whole package, although none of them particularly stood out to me.

This novel didn’t have anything “big” about it. What I mean by that is that there were no big emotions, conflicts, roller-coasters, confrontations, or anything else of the sort. While that unfortunately means that there were no significant positive elements to this novel that makes it stand out, it also means there wasn’t anything particularly stressful or anxious or otherwise negative either. This novel was simply a nice time. It was an even burn of a cute and gradual year-long love story. Sometimes this is exactly what you need (I know its true for me!) when you want a break from stressful things. I followed the characters on their journey, and then we parted ways with an overall warm and fuzzy feeling. I will absolutely read anything else I find by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. I have left a review

3+ I enjoyed the book and liked the show aspect but when the barrier didn't exist at half way I wasn't sure what would fill the rest of the book. Almost immediately, another barrier, but I'm not a fan of lack of communication! However this didn't irritate me this time. Possibly because it was consistent behaviour. There was tension from the mains that didn't really translate to me because I knew it would all work out. It did and I was happy with that. More than a 3, but not to be 4.

Grace is struggling to find a roommate when she sees an advert for hosting exchange students.

Lenka is waiting for confirmation of her placement year in the U.S. whilst living arrangements and a host family are being found.

Lenka had hoped to be placed in New York so she could be near both her long-distance girlfriend and the UN office, where she hoped to one day work as a translator. When she's instead placed in Portland, Oregon, she is unsure of what to expect.

After an initial misunderstanding and accident bring Grace and Lenka closer together, they quickly become friends before they each start to develop feelings for the other.

What will Lenka do about her girlfriend in New York?
What future do they have on opposite sides of the country if Lenka continues to want to work for the UN?
Or will Lenka's year complete and her visa run out, forcing her to return to the Czech Republic?

There are heart eyes, denial, more heart eyes, wonderful sounding meals being cooked, amazing found family, and Grace's cat Loki... is he truly evil, or are his cat-astrophe's just part of his plan to being Grace and Lenka together?

This is an adorably cute, slow burn comfort read with a HEA.


*I received an advance reader copy for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review*

This cute story follows Grace and Lenka as they get used to living together in Portland thanks to the study abroad/exchange program Lenka signed up for, and Grace agreeing to host a study abroad student for some extra funds. Grace expects Lenka to be a high school student, not a gorgeous woman who is two years older than her. Lenka was hoping to be paired with a big American family, preferably in New York to be close to her girlfriend, so she can have people to talk to and practice her English. Having been caught off guard, Grace decides to hide out at work to avoid Lenka and further embarrass herself. When Lenka comes home one night, she trips over Grace’s cat and ends up at the hospital that Grace works at. Now feeling bad, Grace takes Lenka under her wing and actually makes an effort to get to know her and help her while her broken arm heals. As they get to know each other more, feelings start to develop which makes things complicated for Lenka who has a girlfriend and will be deported back to the Czech Republic after her program is over. Not to mention Grace is afraid of violating the “no dating your host rule” and putting her heart out on the line, with the possibility of getting hurt.

Grace is super cute, awkward, and works hard to get what she wants. She has never been in a situation like the one she is in with Lenka so it takes her time to figure out her feelings and trust her instincts. I loved her dinner parties and how much she deeply cared about her friends and Lenka. Lenka was equally adorable, you could tell she just wanted to feel loved and make connections. I thought it was unique how passionate she was about language and the power it has to connect people and make them feel welcomed, especially in the hospital setting. I like how Grace and Lenka were friends first before exploring their romantic connection, but I wish we had more time with them together to see their chemistry and emotional connection build and blossom. Some more spice would have been nice too, along with some more dates sprinkled in, but there is no denying that they are cute together and meant to be.

Maci was my favorite of Grace’s friends because she was the perfect balance of funny, supportive, caring, and protective. Aubrey and Carissa were super funny and adorable too (especially the proposal scene), I would love another book dedicated to their story. I think Tess and Mackenzie would actually be perfect together. Sue and Carson were also very sweet and good friends for Lenka. Poor Jen drew the short end of the stick but she was very kind and definitely deserves to find her special someone. And of course Grand-mere totally wins the prize for sweetest grandma out there, the epilogue especially sealed the deal. Last but not least Loki, what sapphic romance would be complete without the typical mischievous cat?

Even though this story lacks depth, I did appreciate the unique plotline involving the exchange student program and the different languages and cultures represented. The story definitely revolves around the meaning of friendship/found family, and the true meaning of home, that home can be a feeling reflected in an actual place or a person. Again, it was very nice to see how Lenka was able to show how powerful language can be and how it makes you feel connected and gives you a sense of belonging. It can truly bring people together, especially being able to communicate effectively in the hospital. Overall, the story felt very cute, easy, and surface level, with no subplot, and too much pining and slow burn which led to not enough chemistry or time with the characters as a couple, and not enough conflict to test their relationship or keep things exciting.

Grace and Lenka were both great characters and I smoked herring to know them. I enjoyed the plot line using an exchange programs as this was unusual. I also really liked the ’back up’ characters and the boobs Grave has developed at work.
The story was very much a slow burn which I did not mind at all. I did feel the end was slightly rushed and could have been more drawn out but overall a great summer read

When Grace finds herself struggling to find a roommate to make ends meet, she answers an ad for hosting an exchange student. Is she ready to host a teenager in her 20s? Cue the gay panic when Grace realizes this student is actually no teenager at all but a college student that is actually older than her.

Lenka, a 20 something college student has a plan, a gf she’s excited to make a life with in the states after school and a dream of sharing a home with a family from the US.

As both women struggle to learn how to cohabitate in this new environment wires get crossed and they both care for each other more than they ever dreamed possible.

I couldn’t put this book down! It was such a cute and realistic read. Grace and Lenka were both very relatable characters. Often times we are so afraid to act on our feelings out of fear of rejection, Donnell captured this struggle perfectly. Learning to grow, letting people go and making life decisions is always difficult but this read shows the hope in a future full of change when you surround yourself with love and great company.

I can’t wait to see what’s next from Sage Donnell! Definitely a new author at the top of my list for LGBTQIA+ reads

This is a very sweet book. Grace and Lenka start off a bit on the wrong foot, but eventually become great friends. There is a definite slow-burn with plenty of pining on both sides, and it's very cute to watch their romance develop. I also really enjoyed the exchange program aspect, I hadn't read a book that uses that plot line before, and I think it was very well done. My only complaint is that there are a lot of mentions of Grace and Lanka cuddling, hiking, having movie nights, etc. I would've loved to have more show and less tell in terms of their spending time together and maybe seeing a bit more of that chemistry come to life. But overall a nice fun read, 4.5/5 stars rounded up.

3.5 stars

Language Lessons is a sapphic slow-burn romance about Grace, a Portland local looking for a roommate, and Lenka, a European exchange student with a complicated life. Their story explores unexpected love, cultural differences, and what "home" really means.

The characters are well-developed, and their slow-building romance feels real. However, it takes a long time for their connection to grow, and when it finally does, it feels a bit rushed. I would have liked more time to enjoy their emotional moments.

Overall, if you like slow-burn romances with deep character development, this book is a thoughtful and heartfelt choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an ARC.