Thank You for Sharing
Author: Rachel Runya Katz
Published by: Hera
Pages: 312
Format: Paperback (Proof)
My Rating: ★★★
Published by: Hera
Pages: 312
Format: Paperback (Proof)
My Rating: ★★★
They met as teenagers at summer camp. But when Daniel Rosenberg broke the heart of young Liyah Cohen-Jackson, they parted ways, with Liyah holding onto her grudge until adulthood.
When they meet again 14 years later, they butt heads just as badly. At least they’ll never have to meet again, right? Until they get partnered together for the project that will make or break Liyah’s career…
With every meeting, the tension (and chemistry) grows, until they’re forced to confront their emotional baggage. But as they share their experiences as Jews of Colour and fumble towards friendship, can they ignore their growing feelings for each other? And will Liyah overcome the fears she’s been running from and take a second chance on first love?
When they meet again 14 years later, they butt heads just as badly. At least they’ll never have to meet again, right? Until they get partnered together for the project that will make or break Liyah’s career…
With every meeting, the tension (and chemistry) grows, until they’re forced to confront their emotional baggage. But as they share their experiences as Jews of Colour and fumble towards friendship, can they ignore their growing feelings for each other? And will Liyah overcome the fears she’s been running from and take a second chance on first love?
My thoughts:
Thanks to Hera Publishing and Tandem Collective for kindly sending me out a gifted proof of the book to review.
Thank You For Sharing is a diverse and contemporary romance. This one started out not great for me. I struggled to get through the first hundred pages or so, but ultimately the premise of the book kept me engaged.
I enjoyed how the relationship progressed throughout the story, but it took a really, really long time to get there. My main issue was that I wanted to keep reading but didn't really care about the characters.
The romance of course develops gradually between Liyah and Daniel as they reunite unexpectedly after fourteen years of no contact, but I never really felt that I had a clear enough understanding of their backstory and what exactly had happened to justify Liyah being so hateful towards him when they first reconnect.
It seems unlikely to me that Liyah would continue to hold a grudge for such a long time over something that happened at a teenage summer camp, and I don’t think her hostility was justified, especially after he had offered a genuine apology. The conflict between them felt overly contrived and I grew frustrated with Liyah's reactions at times. Liyah's responses to certain things annoyed me and as a result I found her to be unlikeable, even though I don't think she's meant to be. I didn't see much character growth from her, and this probably contributed to my lack of enthusiasm for the story as a whole.
Thank goodness for the interspersing perspective change to Daniel right when I was ready to put the novel down. Daniel seemed incredibly kind, understanding and patient with Liyah, so I routed for him and liked his personality. I enjoyed reading about Jewish culture and customs. It was interesting to read the discussion about Liyah and Daniel's struggle to fit within a traditional Jewish community because of their race, and this kind of representation felt refreshing and informative.
I’m grateful I was gifted an early proof copy of Thank You for Sharing, but there were some aspects I really liked and others I just wasn’t quite sure about. All in all, it was a fun book but a surprisingly lukewarm romance.
Overall reaction:
Thanks to Hera Publishing and Tandem Collective for kindly sending me out a gifted proof of the book to review.
Thank You For Sharing is a diverse and contemporary romance. This one started out not great for me. I struggled to get through the first hundred pages or so, but ultimately the premise of the book kept me engaged.
I enjoyed how the relationship progressed throughout the story, but it took a really, really long time to get there. My main issue was that I wanted to keep reading but didn't really care about the characters.
The romance of course develops gradually between Liyah and Daniel as they reunite unexpectedly after fourteen years of no contact, but I never really felt that I had a clear enough understanding of their backstory and what exactly had happened to justify Liyah being so hateful towards him when they first reconnect.
It seems unlikely to me that Liyah would continue to hold a grudge for such a long time over something that happened at a teenage summer camp, and I don’t think her hostility was justified, especially after he had offered a genuine apology. The conflict between them felt overly contrived and I grew frustrated with Liyah's reactions at times. Liyah's responses to certain things annoyed me and as a result I found her to be unlikeable, even though I don't think she's meant to be. I didn't see much character growth from her, and this probably contributed to my lack of enthusiasm for the story as a whole.
Thank goodness for the interspersing perspective change to Daniel right when I was ready to put the novel down. Daniel seemed incredibly kind, understanding and patient with Liyah, so I routed for him and liked his personality. I enjoyed reading about Jewish culture and customs. It was interesting to read the discussion about Liyah and Daniel's struggle to fit within a traditional Jewish community because of their race, and this kind of representation felt refreshing and informative.
I’m grateful I was gifted an early proof copy of Thank You for Sharing, but there were some aspects I really liked and others I just wasn’t quite sure about. All in all, it was a fun book but a surprisingly lukewarm romance.
Overall reaction: