A honest and raw story about a high school teacher who seems to have the perfect life but is questioning if this will be the year she meets the daughter she gave up for adoption 17 years ago. Gemma is so relatable and honest that I couldn't help but feel like she was someone I could be friends with. The narrator (Louise Williams) does a beautiful job bringing this novel to life in the audiobook in a way that had me feeling like I was sitting in the room at times with the characters.

This novel is definitely a slower novel but I was moved by the story and the character development.

Thank you Harper Collins for the ALC

I listened to the audio version of this novel and narrator Louise Williams does a nice job.

The opening pulled me right in with 16 year old Gemma giving birth and then giving up her daughter for adoption. Fast forward 18 years and Gemma has a solid career as a teacher, however, has never laid down roots. She's running from forming attachments.

I loved her friendship with neighbor Margie and Margie's dog Bill. Gemma showed a lot of heart in the way she interacted with them.

Gemma's story is an engaging one that shows how the impact of adoption and coming from an unstable childhood continue their impact for many years.

Some foul language.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster, and I loved every minute of it! The characters were all fantastic, and watching Gemma grow as she opens up and lets people into her life was truly inspiring. The found family aspect and the hint of romance added an extra layer of warmth and connection to the story.

SO good! This had all the elements I love- a “broken” character that finds her way through life only wanting to do better by learning to love not just herself but others.

This book is a heartwarming story of a teenager, Gemma, giving up her baby for adoption so “baby” has a better chance at life. It is a story of hope, redemption, and community. While there is a romantic relationship that develops in the book, that is a secondary story line that plays very well into the character development of Gemma. Highly recommend this read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Gemma is 16, hasn’t had an easy childhood and gives birth to her daughter which she gives up for adoption to give her a better life. As Gemma grows and matures to be a young lady that is respectable and contributes to society, she begins to wonder what happened to her daughter and to her mother whom she hasn’t spoken to in years. So, beings her journey with her wonderful group of diverse friends to find herself and become more confident in her life decisions. This was an emotional story as Gemma pieces together parts of her life. Gemma has some coping mechanisms of counting items in a room that I have seen in other books. I enjoyed reading about Gemma’s journey. I listened to the audiobook and was pleasantly surprised with the narrator in this single POV story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advanced audio book.

This was a bittersweet story about figuring out how to be family for yourself when your biological family isn't there. Gemma is a lovely main character whose desire to both be connected to the baby she gave up for adoption, when she was sixteen, and the fear of getting close to anyone, creates a tension that pulls the reader through the story.

Gemma is a teacher, living alone and regularly full of anxiety. When she was 16 years old, she gave birth to a daughter and immediately put her up for adoption to break the cycle of the tumultuous childhood that was her own. Now, nearly 18 years later, Gemma can't help but think often about Baby's upcoming 18th birthday. Who has Baby become? Where does she live? And, most importantly, is Baby safe and happy?

Thank you Debbie Johnson and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the ARC in exchange for a thorough and honest review. All thoughts written here are mine and mine alone.

This was a lovely and heartfelt story that had me cheering for Gemma the whole time. Life is never simple, and I appreciated how reality was shown through Gemma's life. I also liked the addition of romance that was messy but sweet. The story flowed well and the characters were flushed out well.

I really enjoyed the audio production of this novel. The narrator was wonderful, giving the characters unique and pleasant voices throughout the story. I definitely recommend this audiobook. I absolutely consumed it and I know you will too!

Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson was an excellent listen. I enjoyed the narration, the story, and the story.

I can’t believe Statistically Speaking is my first Debbie Johnson novel. I loved it. The neurodivergent protagonist is immediately endearing and fascinating, and the supporting cast is equally intricate and compelling. I’ll be reading Debbie Johnson’s backlist next because I just need more of her writing. I highly recommend it to fans of women’s fiction, quirky characters, found family, or neurodiverse narrators. So happy to give this book five stars!

This was such a sweet book about forgiveness, family, anxiety, and love. I related with Gemma, our main character, in many ways, especially her desire to run when things got uncomfortable. The found family aspect of this book was so precious, especially knowing the hardships Gemma faced/faces as a mother and daughter. Truly wonderful book.

The narration was very well done. Listened at 2.5-3x speed and read along on my kindle.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC of this novel!

I truly went in to this one blind. Thought I was going to get a cute rom com based on cover alone but WOW I got so much more than I bargained for.

The narrator has a lovey voice. Full transparency I listened to this on 2x speed and found it to be the perfect speed for listening. Take that information as you will in terms of pace.

This novel touches on motherhood, adoption, mental health, childhood trauma, the foster care system, and the concept of found family. This was so healing and cathartic.

If I had any notes, it would be to acknowledge the FMC’s diagnosis. I feel like everyone else acknowledged their mental illness and/or willingness to seek external help processing emotions.

Honestly though, I loved this so much. Will be recommending it in the coming years.

I enjoyed this one. Even though I usually prefer a stronger romance plot, there was just enough here to keep me interested. Gemma as a character is unique with both her past and her emotional coping processes. She has quite a growth journey over the book. I appreciated her internal monologues as she finds her place in this world. The small romantic moments were a great addition for this romance lover. Kareem was a sweet and patient man as he broke through Gemma’s walls. There is great mental representation and a found family theme.

The narrator was a good choice and I enjoyed her voicing of all the characters.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook via NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Closed door romance, some strong language

This was such an enjoyable book. Fast paced, easy to follow, and filled with characters you were rooting for!

Statistically Speaking had a slow start as a story about a woman reconciling her past and finding her own path forward. I enjoyed the exploration of adoption, family relations, self-discovery, and found family. The narrator did a nice job presenting the story in an engaging way.

Thank you to Harper Muse Audiobooks for gifting me with an ALC to review! All opinions are my own.

This book was really well done! The anxiety and coping mechanisms that Gemma uses are well written. I loved the way Gemma grew and faced her obstacles as she learned more about herself both in the past and present. The representation of the adoptive parent, child, and biological parent were really captivating and thought provoking. Overall, I loved this. The narrator was phenomenal and gave so much life to the character via her voice.

This heart-warming story of self-discovery had me teary in several sections, with themes of adoption, mental illness, neurodiversity, family and friends.
The audiobook was engaging and the narrator, Louise Williams brought the story to life, and really presented the various characters well.
This audiobook has inspired to read more from Debbie Johnson.

With thanks to Harper Muse for the audio review copy, via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Heartfelt and chockful of mental health rep I liked this one, but I felt like it was longer than it needed to be. The beginning and ending were both strong and compelling. The middle loses steam a few times due to repetitiveness and unnecessary length. I liked the cast of characters though and I thought they each had reasonable reactions to difficult situations.

Gemma is sixteen and gives birth. She puts her baby up for adoption to give them both a chance at a brighter future. Being in foster care herself and the daughter of a mentally ill drug addicted mother she doesn't see another viable option for her daughter to have a shot at a better life.

Eighteen years later, Gemma has overcome many obstacles. She is a history teacher, but the past has left scars. Gemma is emotionally stunted from her dysfunctional upbringing. However, with a few new friends, a hot new love interest, and a part time pup emotional growth can occur, but growth is a painful process. Her daughter is about to become of age to request Gemma's contact information and that both excites and terrifies her.

I listened to the audiobook version of this, and Louise Williams was excellent at bringing unique voices to each character.

This one had a lot of emotions and laughter in it and was enjoyable. I only wish the pacing had been a little tighter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing the Advance Listening Copy

A lovely story about Gemma - coming to terms with her childhood traumas and transitioning into someone who is coping with the aftermath of the traumas with a supportive and loving group of people in her life. A story about family, found family, and opening your heart to love along with the risks that go with that. The quick, well written read does not make light of the challenges Gemma faces and jump to unrealistic resolutions. I also loved that the story had cute chapter titles - which few books seem to do anymore.

Louise Williams does an excellent job of narration. She is able to differentiate between all the characters without using a multitude of weird voices as other narrators sometimes do. In addition, to those of us not from the UK, her accent is entertaining - but not strong.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audio for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gemma, a 34 year old teacher, gave up her baby when she was only 16 years old. As she prepares to teach history A-levels, she grapples with the fact that her daughter is the same age as her students. One of her students looks like Gemma and was adopted, leading Gemma to jump to conclusions. Gemma, grew up in care, and now struggles to put down roots. Despite this, she has a loveable cast of characters, and a steamy love interest ready to help her through her struggles. The difficult subject of adoption is handled with grace and care in this excellent novel.

Highly recommend!

The narrator was excellent and the audiobook was EXTREMELY engaging!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins Focus for the eALC! All opinions are my own.