Unfortunately, the audiobook was a really disappointing experience. The narration was flat and made it hard to stay engaged with the story. Maybe it would have been better in paper form, but in audio, it just didn’t work for me at all.

The narrator, who happens to be the author, has a delightful voice. 😊 I truly appreciated the emphasis on maintaining a close relationship with God, continuously seeking His guidance while reflecting on our Savior's loving grace and forgiveness. It's essential to remember the incredible sacrifice made for us. Overall, this story is heartwarming, and I found Levi’s character particularly endearing, while I felt a genuine compassion for Kit. Additionally, the pop culture references added a fun layer to the narrative. It was an amazing debut!
I received a complimentary
audio copy of this book and listened to it with pleasure. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book but at times felt it dragged on a bit too much. I liked the faith based message but also at times felt like it was a little over the top. I think with the audio it would have helped to have a professional narrator and also have a male narrator for the chapters from the male character’s perspective. Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest feedback

I thought this audio was cute. A little slow to my liking. And at some parts didn’t keep my interest.

I do believe you should try this out. My opinion is just my opinion.

I enjoy this book it was cute. I like how down to earth the narrator was while reading the story. However the pace of the story lagged on. I think it’s a really good read for people who are going through the same experience and young adult women.

The reader is also the author. Her voice is pleasant and her reading ability is good. She would do very good with a non-fiction book. With a fiction novel the characters it became difficult with the audio because all of the characters sounded just too close to each other. I'm conversation we received context clues or character cues so it was easier to follow the conversation. But it would bounce on chapter so if you weren't listening really close to here who the chapter was about it really was difficult. The other technical issue that was very jarring especially at the beginning was the first several chapters the audio was edited for free by a company advertising at the end/ beginning of the first several chapters & really was loud and jarring. Also there is a ton of Pop culture references. I did not keep up with most of them. Many of them didn't even give where they came from.
There are Christian overtones throughout. Well written not overly preachy. What I did find was that the characters who were good were exceptionally good, and the "bad" thing that happened to our protagonist stays a mystery through the whole book I felt was pretty weak because there just wasn't enough there for her to carry on like she did for so long. I am sure that was a scary experience. I am sure that affected her. But to me it did not feel like a deep enough wound for her to try and be so protective because it's not something that is unforgivable or makes you unclean because nothing really even happened. The trauma really I would think is rolling across the ground was painful I would imagine. It finally came together it just didn't feel like this would be the big thing that would be the great reveal to tell someone you really trust. (And the reader). With something like that if it's somebody you really trust and somebody who can forgive then effectively this could be as devastating to someone's relationship as saying "I used to shoplift regularly in my youth and was caught by the police."
I did enjoy the reminders of keeping God close continuously asking for God's guidance. Remembering our Savior and Redeemer, and his loving Grace and forgiveness. Never discounting the sacrifice made for us

Thank you for netgalley providing this audio in return for an honest review

This book was a wonderful Christian read. I loved how Scripture was woven throughout the narrative and both the FMC and MMC regularly called upon God for guidance. If this book left room for anything, it was a deeper development of the friendships with the other women. I would have loved to see the FMC let more of them in on her secrets so they could come alongside her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a chance to read this book and give my honest thoughts.

2.75⭐️/5

If you read the description you don’t need to read the book.

I liked the concept of this book, but not the execution. It was the same cycle of conversation and situation chapter after chapter. Kit was triggered she would push Levi away - he would apologize for something he didn’t even know about and on and on the cycle went.

I get she was experiencing trauma, but come on. Too many chapters of the exact same thing. It was too much and I lost interest.

I wish there would have been more inflection in the narrators voice while she read. I couldn’t tell who was talking in the conversation because there was no change between the characters.

Overall it was a sweet story just VERY very repetitive and linear and hardly anything changed until the last five chapters. I loved Levi’s character but was SO fed up and tired of Kit by the end. 😩😬

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley and IBPA for this ARC.

This book was just ok to me. I liked the premise and the writing was good. I just struggled a bit to get into it throughout the book. Maybe for others it would be a better fit. I didn't care for the narration, personally.

Super cute faith based book narrated by the author. She did a great job at writing an interesting storyline that was well executed. I really enjoyed the characters personal relationships with God and that there was constant prayer and Bible verses being spoken throughout the entire book. That being said, ebook version would be better! I listened to the audiobook which the author narrated herself (great on her!) My qualm is that the author does not change any flux in voice for each character so it's difficult to tell who is speaking when. If I zoned out even for just a little and forgot which character perspective I was on, it would take a while to figure out. She narrated both the male and female characters in first person with the same tone of voice for both of them. I am giving 3 stars because the written work shouldn't suffer at all. Thank you Netgalley and Kristina Welch for the opportunity to listen and review this book!

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc and an audiobook in exchange for an honest review!*

3.75 Stars!

This was so cute and fun. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook in the mean time.

I'm so excited for the next books in the Mayberry University series.

Anything' is a sweet sweet love storiy. Kristina Welch’s writing is immensely entertaining and emotionally beautiful. She delves into the struggles adolescents who are following God, face. Listen as Kit details her journey to trust God in a challenging world. You will be inspired to look to God when faced with your own challenges.

I highly recommend this book for fans of contemporary romance who love the Lord or are simply curious about how following Him can bring hope and healing to life! It will!

Kristina narrates her own story and does a great job at pulling readers into her world.

3.75 Stars!

This was so cute and fun. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook in the mean time.
I'm so excited for the next books in the Mayberry University series.

4.5⭐️s Kristina does a beautiful job of sharing how trauma is so hard to work through. While there is no actual SA in the book, it does portray the main FMC dealing with anxiety and fear from getting away from an attempted SA. Please be careful with your mental health if that subject matter is too much of a trigger.

The power of prayer is strong in this book. Both Kit and Levi are walking through hard personal trials. As they continue to be drawn to each other, Kit’s PTSD prevents them from truly getting to know one another. She struggles with being open and honest about her trauma. Meanwhile, Levi has some family issues that caused him to want to pursue his own path. If you love a book about prayer, trauma healing, and just sweet gentle moments, give Anything a read. It’s out today!!

Thank you @_kristinawelch and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. #anything #powerofprayer #netgalley #alc #arc #advancedlistenercopy

3.5 rounded to 4. For an independently published and narrated book, I was very impressed with the execution. The plot was interesting and the characters were relatable to me personally. I also really enjoy when Christian books tackle the hard things. There was definitely a theme of struggling to honor God in your relationships before and after marriage. It also highlights how PTSD can happen even if the trauma is avoided. I would easily give this book to a teen or young adult and I think it had some great lessons for young Christians. I became a little frustrated with what felt like miscommunication - it just dragged on a touch longer than I thought was necessary. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and very impressive for a debut novel that is self-published.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the gifted copy of the audiobook. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Kisses, attempted SA (non-descriptive - by reference only)

3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have a love/hate relationship with Christian fiction. On the one hand, I love books centered on Jesus. On the other hand, I don’t like how I know how the book will end before I even start it. Unfortunately (or fortunately I guess since I really do love a happy ending), that is the case here.

I do like that the author showed an accurate portrayal of living with PTSD and anxiety, but it does come off as very hallmark-ish still. I loved how rooted in scripture this was and the way each of the MCs talked to and about Jesus. Something that bothered me was that apparently Levi can do zero wrong, which came off as strange to me. Everyone has a few character flaws, and fictional characters need them too.

All in all, this book had good and bad points. If you want a hallmarky, chick flick, quick read, go for it. If you prefer closer to real life situations and characters who are a little more fleshed out, maybe skip.

I enjoyed this romance. Kristina Welsh navigates coming of age issues really well. Friends and intimate relationships are so tricky in college. There was a great balance to the conflicts and resolutions. As a novel, it is well-written and well-paced . I never felt that the story lagged at any one point. I particularly loved the "pray without ceasing" element in the two MCs. It was something special. The verses used were appropriate in context and highlighted the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This cute swoony romance deserves attention and following! I think there's some cheesiness, too. I do think I would have enjoyed a physical copy of this instead of the audio. It's narrated by the author, but it was flat at times. I would rate it 3.25 stars for audio quality but 4 stars for content.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for this ARC!

Thanks to advance copies from NetGalley, I had the pleasure of reading this in print AND listening to this on audio. This book is a college romance that is a clean read with a Christian emphasis. I appreciated that the author tackled real-life issues that teens/young adults face but did so with a Christian worldview. I will recommend for my HS daughter to read! This is perfect for people looking for a lovely romance that will point them to seek God for wisdom. 4-stars! Specific to the audio version, I loved that the author reads by herself, which is always a win for me. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARCs!

Anything by Kristina Welch just didn’t hit the mark for me. The premise of the story was interesting but I didn’t connect with any of the characters and didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted.

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

"Anything" is a well-written story that addresses significant topics, making it relevant for readers of all backgrounds—whether they identify with a faith or not. It explores the challenges and nuances of navigating friendships and romantic relationships in our modern world, which is a subject many can relate to. The book offers thoughtful commentary and raises important questions that resonate with today’s social and personal dynamics.

That said, despite its strengths, something about the execution felt off for me. While I appreciated the themes and the effort the author put into crafting the story, I struggled to stay engaged. The narrative lacked the spark or depth that would have drawn me in more fully. The characters and their interactions, while well-written, didn’t quite evoke the emotional connection I was hoping for.

Although the book had its moments, overall, it left me feeling underwhelmed. It’s clear the author had good intentions and a meaningful message, but the delivery fell short of making a lasting impression. For this reason, I’m giving it 2 ⭐.