I enjoyed the story and the characters. It was a little slow and dragged a bit at times. A good female led story

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC audiobook for an honest review.

Debbie Johnson has done it again! I am definitely a fan...

We start off immediately with sixteen-year-old, Gemma, giving birth. Not only is she young, but she is living in "the system" due to her mother's inability to parent her. She makes the selfless, and heartbreaking choice to give her daughter a chance at living a full, happy life. Fast forward to the current timeline, almost eighteen years later.

This was such an emotional story! There are sub-stories besides the main plot of Gemma's baby turning 18. I adored all the side characters and our romantic lead, Karim. Book boyfriend alert! What a kind, and patient man. The friendships established and the "found family" was just so lovely to see. Gemma finally had a strong support system. Her character growth was a joy to watch as she finally let herself be brave and happy.

I wish we had an epilogue! I would love to see years down the road...

Excellent narration!

4.5 stars

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this arc! I enjoyed it so much. As someone who found her family I thought this story was relatable, real, honest and emotional. I loved the characters and how the author told the story.

I love stories rooted in self-discovery, embracing life’s messiness, mistakes, and complexities while showing the beauty of growth and change. Debbie Johnson’s Statistically Speaking does exactly that, delivering a heartfelt narrative brimming with raw emotion, relatable struggles, and moments of genuine joy.

When we first meet Gemma, she’s a vulnerable sixteen-year-old giving birth to a baby girl. She’s unable to comprehend how she got to this point fully, but one thing is clear: she isn’t ready to be a mother. Her upbringing has been anything but stable—bouncing between foster care and a home overshadowed by her mother’s battles with addiction and mental health challenges. When she holds her baby for the first time, her heartbreak is palpable as she makes the excruciating yet confident decision to give her child a chance at a better life through adoption.

Fast forward eighteen years, and we see Gemma as a teacher in Liverpool, living a quiet, carefully structured life. She’s estranged from her mother and carries lingering scars from her tumultuous childhood. Her anxiety manifests in quirky, compulsive coping mechanisms like counting objects. Despite her challenges, Gemma has built a semblance of stability: she’s formed a sweet friendship with her downstairs neighbour, cautiously entertaining her flirty coworker’s advances, and found a safe routine. Yet, as her daughter’s 18th birthday approaches, thoughts of the baby she gave up resurface, stirring questions about what might have been.

This story is a masterful blend of the quirky, the heartbreaking, the sweet, and the uplifting. Debbie Johnson captures the messiness of life with grace and honesty, tackling sensitive topics like adoption, addiction, and mental health with compassion and nuance. Gemma is a deeply relatable character—flawed but resilient—and her self-discovery journey is touching and inspiring. I found myself equally invested in the lives of her friends, whose stories add layers of depth and humour to the narrative.

Statistically Speaking is an emotional rollercoaster that left me smiling through tears. It’s a delightful reminder that even when life feels messy, there’s always room for growth, healing, and connection.

Don’t miss this gem—it hits shelves on December 3rd! Thanks to my NetGalley and HarperCollins friends for the advanced reader’s copy!

Audioformat 🎧. I have read or listened to a few books by Debbie Johnson and found them enjoyable so when this one became available I knew I wanted to read it.

The book follows the life of High-school teacher Gemma who is currently a successful 30 something with a somewhat secret past; she gave up a baby for adoption when she was 16. Gemma sets out to find the baby girl she gave up.

The book is a little romance, a little about finding oneself and coming to grips with the past.

The audio narration of the is book was excellent however I found the story a little lacking and draggy. It wasn’t a horrible plot/story but there wasn’t anything the drew me in or engaged me in the story.

Overall an average read (but well done in audio) that I give a 3/5.

Thank you Net Galley and Harper Collins for the audiobook version in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book by this author that I've listened to, and I have come to the conclusion that I really like the way Debbie Johnson tells a story. Her characters are fully human - flawed, quirky, funny, and ultimately so relatable. Her stories are women-centered without feeling fluffy or superficial. They are deep and thoughtful while being simultaneously humorous and handled with a light touch that helps you reach a conclusion without hitting you over the head with overwhelming sentiment or sentimentality.

This one was particularly fun because of the math. It was also particularly poignant because of the adoption angle. I have stumbled upon several stories with that as a major theme lately and have really enjoyed the thought-provoking considerations of such a complex issue that has largely remained outside of my personal bailiwick.

I thoroughly enjoyed this listen. The narration was excellent and perfectly suited to the story. I think it's time to explore her back catalog!

Narration: I liked the narrator for the story. She did a wonderful job bringing the character to life and voicing each of the characters throughout the story.

Story: I liked Gemma, but I did find her to be a bit whiney initially. It felt like the author was over explaining Gemma and her life in the beginning of the story, but it is important information for the overall context of the story. The other characters were truly wonderful and added to the story.

Gemma has had to make and live with hard decisions and the author writes her in a way that readers can empathize with her. However, for me personally, I think because I don't have the same life experiences I can't truly understand what Gemma is going through. For me I understand why Gemma has these thoughts and feelings, but I wasn't able to connect with the story or character as much.

Check TW: absent parent, foster care, adoption. These topics are part of the story and the author gives enough information to tell the reader what Gemma's life was like.

This was a heartwarming story and may be helpful to someone in the same position as Gemma.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Statistically Speaking is a heartbreakingly, beautiful, realistic, character-driven story of women helping each other find their strength on their lowest days. It’s a multigenerational story about found family, friendships, brutal truths, forgiveness, self discovery, healing, and hope.

The FMC, Gemma, is an over thinker with high anxiety who finds safety and comfort in statistics, specific dates, facts, and numbers which help keep her ‘fictional anxiety’ brain calm. Due to a traumatic childhood, she has a hard time trusting people, but, rightfully so, also craves love and acceptance. As a child, she was raised in a foster home because her mother was dealing with mental illness and addiction. At the age of 16, she became pregnant and made the hard decision to give her baby up for adoption, fearing she would turn into her mother, so she felt adoption was what was best for the baby. Now, many years later, still trying to deal with her past, she finds herself consumed by the “what-ifs” and wanting to know more about her child. I originally chose this book for its adorable cover, but the story inside was so much more.

The story was so realistically true that it was very easy to connect with the MC and the plot. As a teacher, many things she said and described were very much on point in the current world of education.

The narrator’s voice was clear, easy to listen to and understand. Williams did an amazing job with distinguishing between characters, especially considering that the story was heavily character driven, and really brought the story to life.

Thank you to @netgalley, @harpercollinsfocus, and @harpermusebooks for the #gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Gemma’s endearing quirks and her personal growth through the book. I think this book was a really beautiful portrayal of relationships and how much work it takes to strengthen them. I loved that it didn’t focus on just one type of relationship, but all of the relationships she held with others as a mother, daughter, friend, partner, and professional. I loved the way Gemma remained steadfast to the love of her daughter and how she knew that she did the right thing, and yet was still so in love with her “Baby.”

I thought I had the storyline figured out within the first 35%. I really love how the book was not exactly as I expected, but also not that different that it would be unbelievable.

Gemma gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at the age of 16. She put the baby up for adoption and has continued to love and thing about the baby ever since. Now, it is 18 years later, and Gemma's baby would be the same age as the kids Gemma teaches which has Gemma considering what ever became of her baby even more than normal.
Overall this is a really sweet book about hard choices, friendship, chosen family, overcoming adversity and beating the odds. This would be a great choice for book clubs as there are so many different topics that could be discussed.
I listened to the audio version and felt that the narrator, Louise Williams, did an excellent job.

Thank you #netgalley and #HarperCollins Focus for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A moving women's fiction story about Gemma, a young teen mother struggling to survive growing up with a mentally ill and drug addicted mother and who chooses to give her baby daughter up for adoption. Then later when Gemma has her life more in order and is doing well as a high school math teacher she tries to connect with her daughter once she turns eighteen.

This was good on audio, and blended humor and heart seamlessly while tackling some tough topics. I thought the neurodivergent (OCD) rep was well written and overall really enjoyed this. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

WOW. i started this book earlier today, and it immediately captured my heart. 5 stars all around for the found family, the beautiful writing, the romance subplot, the subtle humor, the cute dog, and the wholesome feeling. i’ll be thinking about these characters for a long while :’)

thank you netgalley & harper muse for the arc of this audiobook!

I'm a sucker for a good found family story, and this did not disappoint. I loved the neurodivergent representation with Gemma, and the fact that this wasn't a straightforward story. There was so much nuance and care taken with the characters. The bond between Gemma, Erin, Katie, and Margie was friendship goals, and I would absolutely die for Margie. The narrator was great, and I devoured this audiobook very quickly. There were a few bits that dragged on for me which stops this from being a five-star (and some of the pacing confused me), but overall I really enjoyed reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read about love, in all forms, and friendship and community. Gemma is our neurodivergent protagonist and definitely a character you'll want to root for. She's quirky and nice and endearing and broken due to her upbringing. I love Gemma's journey in finding herself and her confidence. The narration was very well done. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I listened to the audiobook alongside the book and I enjoyed it. I thought the audiobook enhanced the reading experience.

We open up with Gemma, a 16 year old girl, who has gotten herself into a predicament, one she cannot get out of. And very soon, she is going to have her baby. She is unable to keep the ‘Baby’ as she is in and out of foster homes, and her own mother is unable to help her…at all.

She immediately gives ‘Baby’ up for adoption, and regrets it every day after…

We then step back into Gemma’s life several years later. She is now a History teacher, and well loved. She still thinks about Baby, especially since her 18th birthday will be coming up soon!

BUT, she has led a very sheltered and sedate life since then. She rarely dates, and has no good friends to speak of. But now that she has settled into this position, she’s rented a small cottage by the sea… and made friends with an elderly neighbor, and her dog! Which is NOT her normal behavior. But maybe it’s a new start??

She also meets up with a woman in her yoga class, after what I thought was a hysterical, but realistic, encounter! And, comes to find that said friend’s daughter, is one of her students! And…this student has red hair, just like her… and will soon turn 18!

Lots of action after this, but I’ll end my review here! This one brings out a lot of emotions! You will laugh, and more than likely, you’ll tear up a time or two also… Beautiful, heartfelt story!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 5!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsFocus and #HarperMuse for an ARC of the audiobook which is due to be released in a few days on **** 12/3/24! ****. Look 👀 for it then!!

#StatisticallySpeaking by #DebbieJohnson and narrated nicely by #LouiseWilliams.

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4.5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio copy of this book. I never thought I’d be able to connect to a character like this but the author wrote this story with such care that I felt every emotion that the main character felt. Everything in this book was just so real and compelling and I loved this. Give it a read!!

An excellent read for the holiday season! This is a heartfelt story of personal growth and trust. Gemma, a teacher, has been running from her messy life for years, and counts (literally) to keep herself calm. After giving birth and placing her baby for adoption at 16, she has spent years (18 to be exact) wondering. And a new student has kicked that wondering into overdrive as she shares many similarities with Gemma.

I loved the strong women and strong connections they forged in this novel. There is a bit of a love story, but it takes a backseat to the themes of found family, female friendship, and self-discovery. The audiobook was an excellent choice, as the narrator takes the listener further into the story.

*I was honored to listen to an ARC of this book via
NetGalley and the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.*

Listened to "Statistically Speaking" on audio--it has a strong, compelling opening but then it fell very flat for me. The other thing (for me) is the narration is told in first-person narrative from the FMC with a British accent, which is difficult for me. This may not be an issue for others (personal preference), but something to know if you are going to go with the audio version. Perhaps I would have liked the physical copy better? Regardless, after the opening, I struggled to get into the story. The FMC, gets pregnant at 16 and gives up her baby for adoption in hopes of providing that child with a better life (and likely a better life for herself)...fast forward 18 years, and perhaps our FMC may cross paths with the baby she gave up all those years ago. This book definitely has unique elements, it just didn't hit right for me. *I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

The book began with great promise, diving into Gemma’s complicated emotions and her quest to reconcile her past with her present. However, the pacing of the story was slower than I expected, and at times, it felt like the plot meandered. Much of the narrative focused on Gemma’s journey of self-discovery, her evolving relationship with Karim, and her anticipation of reconnecting with her daughter. While these themes were meaningful, the story lacked the momentum I was hoping for.

In comparison to Johnson’s other works, which often blend humor with heartfelt storytelling, this book leaned heavily on the emotional side. While it was undeniably moving, I felt that a touch more humor could have added balance and energy to the narrative. Additionally, the plot felt a bit scattered, with multiple threads that didn’t always come together cohesively. That said, the ending was beautiful and deeply emotional, tying up Gemma’s story in a way that felt satisfying and heartfelt.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Louise Williams, which was a highlight of the experience. Williams brought a unique voice to each character, making the story immersive and engaging. From the warmth of Gemma’s neighbor Margie to the charismatic Karim, the PE teacher with an interest in Gemma, Williams’ narration added depth to the characters and heightened the emotional impact of the story.

While the book didn’t fully captivate me, I think it’s a story that will resonate with readers who enjoy women’s fiction and character-driven narratives, especially with Louise Williams’ brilliant narration.. The slower pacing and introspective nature of the book may not suit everyone, but for those who connect with Gemma’s struggles and triumphs, it offers a touching and hopeful journey. For me, it was a fine read, but perhaps not the right fit for my current reading mood.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing me the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.